Seven Fat-Fighting Foods

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If you’ve ever struggled to get from a size 10 to a size 8 before a honeymoon cruise, or if your doctor has ever told you to shed a few pounds to get your blood pressure under control, you’ve probably wondered why everything you eat seems to triple in caloric value as it settles on your waist or hips. And you’ve probably engaged in the same magical thinking that occurs to most dieters at one time or another: Wouldn’t it be nice if you could eat as much as you want and still lose weight?

Well, it’s unlikely anyone will ever whip up a German chocolate cake or pasta Alfredo that will make your scale spin backwards (at least not in this universe). However, the following seven foods are among many that will encourage weight loss by suppressing your appetite, slowing your absorption of calories or revving up your metabolic rate. Some of these items may not be traditional fare for you, but it really isn’t that difficult to incorporate them into your menu:

Grapefruit

Long promoted as a “fat-burning” food, grapefruit really doesn’t possess any mystical properties for dissolving fat. Rather, its high soluble fiber content makes you feel fuller with fewer calories. If you eat a half grapefruit or drink a glass of grapefruit juice 30 to 60 minutes before a meal, you’ll eat less than you normally would when you sit down at the table. (Keep in mind that grapefruit alters the absorption of several prescription medications, so check with your doctor before adding grapefruit to your daily routine.)

Watermelon

Like many raw fruits and vegetables, watermelon is loaded with fluid, fiber and nutrients, including lycopene, arginine, B vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium and potassium. However, since watermelon’s nutritional bounty is packaged with relatively few calories, a wedge of this tasty summertime treat offers lots of health benefits at a low caloric cost – and all that water and fiber will help put a lid on your appetite.

Sweet potatoes

Unlike their bland, pale cousins, sweet potatoes don’t need loads of butter, sour cream, bacon bits and other high-calorie companions to make them palatable. And sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, potassium, ascorbic acid and fiber. So plant a baked sweet potato on your plate instead of a traditional baked potato; you’ll be amazed at how many calories you won’t eat.

Green tea

Recent studies suggest that green tea, unlike a lot of other widely promoted weight-loss aids, actually does accelerate your metabolic rate – at least temporarily. More importantly, green tea seems to specifically target abdominal fat, which has been linked to diabetes and heart disease. You’ll need to drink 3 to 5 cups of green tea daily to reap its weight-reducing benefits. (Avoid putting high-calorie sweeteners in your tea, though, or you may take in more calories than green tea will help you burn.)

Greek yogurt

With twice as much protein as regular yogurt, Greek yogurt provides a couple of weight-shedding benefits: since protein stays in your stomach longer, yogurt will make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. In addition, your body burns more calories when digesting protein than it does when metabolizing an equal amount of carbohydrates. As an added benefit, the probiotics in yogurt will aid the digestive process. (To shave even more calories from your diet, always choose unsweetened and low-fat yogurt.)

Quinoa

Rather than spooning heaps of white rice onto your plate, try quinoa, which contains more protein and fiber than an equal amount of rice. Quinoa is prepared in the same manner as rice, and you can add steamed vegetables, scrambled eggs or crushed nuts for a well-balanced and appetite-quenching meal.

Coffee

There’s more good news about that morning cup of java. One of coffee’s chief constituents – a polyphenol called chlorogenic acid – appears to accelerate fat metabolism and suppress the release of hormones that trigger weight gain. The bad news? If you simply must get your caffeine fix in the form of a latte or cappuccino, you’re cancelling out the weight-paring effects of chlorogenic acid.

By incorporating one a day you can fit all seven into your diet weekly. Pairing these foods with exercise and a healthy diet will keep you on the right track to fight fat.

Here's to your wellness,

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