Super Foods for Weight Loss

A healthy diet is an essential component of any weight loss plan. And you can totally boost your weight loss efforts by including a number of metabolism enhancing super foods in your diet.

Super foods are so named because of their rich nutritional content. They are foods that are significantly higher in one or multiple ingredients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) that are known for their health-promoting properties.

These are my top 5 picks for super foods that are particularly effective for burning fat and promoting weight loss. If you’ve hit a plateau or have found yourself in a weight loss slump, these super foods might be just what you need to get back on track!

Top 7 Super Foods

1 Avocados :  Avocados are my next pick. First off, they’re high in monounsaturated fats like salmon, which are also known for redistributing fat away from your waistline. And believe it or not, a single avocado has between 7 and 9 grams of protein in it. Add avocado to your salad or use it as a tasty alternative to butter and margarine.

2 Spinach and other leafy greens :

These vegetables are packed with nutrients that can improve heart health, burn off calories, elevate your mood, and do everything from protect your eyes to boosting your sexual potency.

3 Chocolate :

Cacao (aka pure chocolate), contains chemicals that increase levels of serotonin in the brain, and as such has appetite suppressing properties. Serotonin levels are raised in part due to the amino acid tryptophan in cacao as well as the action of monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors). These decrease our body's ability to break down serotonin so that more of this neurotransmitter remains in the brain remains, creating feelings of fullness for longer.

Cacao is also exceptionally high in antioxidants, has potent aphrodisiac properties, healthy minerals and mood-boosting compounds such as PEA the 'love chemical'.

Pure, unrefined chocolate contains none of the detriments of commercial products such as sugar, hydrogenated fats, milk, additives, agro-chemicals and solvents.

4 Vinegar : 

You hear me right, vinegar is an amazing weight loss super food. Acetic acid, of which vinegar is a diluted form, has been shown in a number of studies to lower blood glucose levels. In fact, adding just a single tablespoon of vinegar to your salad can help keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent subsequent hunger spikes and cravings. And any form of vinegar, from apple cider to balsamic, will do the trick!

5 Legumes ;

Legumes are usually anything that grows inside of a pod, like peanuts, lentils, beans, and peas. The more you consume in this category, the more fat you will lose and the more muscle you can build.

6 Green Tea :

A study published in the December 1999 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, led by Dr. Dullo at the University of Geneva, indicates that substances in green tea extract may actually promote weight loss. Men given a combination of both caffeine and green tea extract burned more fat calories than those given caffeine or placebo alone.

The scientists believed that the catechin flavonoids in green tea may alter the body's use of norepinephrine, a chemical transmitter in the nervous system, to increase the rate of calorie burning. They concluded, 'Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se'.

Green tea also lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of stroke, protects against cancer, prevents teeth cavities and has anti-inflammatory action.

7 Salmon : 

Salmon is my top pick for weight loss super foods, and for a number of reasons. First, it’s high in DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids that’s only found in fish. This fatty acid has been shown to stop fat cells from growing and eventually cause them to die, helping you shed the extra pounds and keep them off.

Have any questions or feedback about these Top 7 Super Foods for Weight Loss? Please leave a comment below…