What are the choices we have if we want healthy foods to lose weight? What are the superfoods for weight loss? Where do we start? Let’s start by looking at what kinds of foods are not healthy and that may have contributed to the problem to start with. High on the list — and yes, we all know it — refined sugars and starches. All those 32-ounce sodas ( grams of sugar! calories!) not to mention those huge plates of pasta, those overstuffed sandwiches in “wraps” and all the cakes, cookies, pies, and other belly fat boosters. Yes, the supersize portions contribute, as do the hidden calories in fried foods and rich sauces. Altogether it’s a sea of calories.

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The Glycemic Index and How It Will Help You Choose Healthy Foods

One thing these foods have in common is that they are high on the glycemic index. Let’s look at what that means.
The glycemic index list is a ranking of foods based on how they impact blood sugar levels in the body. Find out more about the glycemic index in the video below.

The higher on the list the food a food is the faster the sugar is going to rise. This can trigger our pancreas to produce insulin to lower the high blood sugar levels. In the short term, this can lead to excessive storage of body fat, as it is the hormone responsible for this task — helpful in the feast or famine days of our ancestors, but a bane to us moderns. In the long term, it can lead to what is known as insulin resistance, which, can ultimately lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The excessive consumption of refined sugar and carbohydrates — the very foods which are high on the glycemic index are the foods that have contributed both to the rise in diabetes as well as obesity.

How to Get Started

So what to do? Eat low on the scale. A quick perusal of the list of low glycemic foods will show virtually all nonstarchy vegetables near the bottom of the list along with a few fruits such as blueberries and strawberries. Beans and legumes — rich in fiber — as also low on the list and a great choice for your meal plan. A search online can turn up many exciting recipes to inspire you. There are lots of tasty, easy to prepare foods — such as steel cut oats for breakfast, guacamole or salsa and black beans for lunch, a baked yam, green beans with almonds at dinner — that are low on the scale.

By eating a healthful diet plan, at a caloric level appropriate for your weight, gender and activity level, that includes five to six small meals comprised of foods low on the glycemic index, you can get results. Include lean proteins, legumes and plenty of very low glycemic vegetables at every meal, preferably raw or lightly steamed. Simple, yes, but you will get results. As one who quit the low fat high carb diet years ago, I know from experience; not only did I lose weight, but I could also think more clearly as I was not in a high blood sugar fog! Yes, I can’t say enough for the glycemic index and weight loss!

Super foods for Weight Loss

Watch the video above for an overview of some of the superfoods — including quinoa, wheat grass, spirulina, hemp protein, goji berries, acai berries, as well as the natural sweeteners agave nectar and stevia — that not only taste great, but are very helpful in dieting.

Here’s the rundown of everyday foods to incorporate into your diet to maintain health boost metabolism and increase satiety and sanity!

bean salad

1. Beans and legumes. You can’t go wrong. Not only are they packed with protein and soluble fiber, they’ve also got antioxidants. As with fruits and vegetables, the more vivid the color, the higher the antioxidant content, so among the best are black beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, green or yellow split peas, brown or green lentils, as well as such favorites as pinto beans, garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas), navy beans, lima beans, black eyed peas, great northern beans, and all the rest. There’s a wide variety from which to choose. They have long been a stable item as they are inexpensive and easy to prepare.

2. Steel cut oats….also known as oat groats and Irish oats. These are not the rolled oats or quick oats that you see commonly in supermarkets, but rather being “steel cut” these are whole oats which have been minimally process, fractured into slightly smaller pieces giving them roughly the size and texture of coarsely ground salt. Not only low on the glycemic scale (42), but very high in soluble fiber. They will aid in satiety and make for a delicious, filling breakfast which you can supplement with a lean protein — protein powder, or egg whites, for instance.

tomato salad

3. Tomatoes. Actually a fruit though we think of them as a vegetable, the tomato is low in calories and is a crucial ingredient for recipes in many cuisines from Italian to Mexican. Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene as well as many key nutrients. Freshly sliced tomato is a wonderful addition to a salad. Canned tomatoes with no added sugar can also enliven a meal as you can make skinny versions of your favorite tomato-based foods such as salsa and marinara sauces (easy on the sugar). A spicy tomato sauce can perk up a plate of vegetables. Whether canned or fresh, get organic when and where possible. And when in season, get real vine ripened tomatoes at your local farmer’s market or your own garden! (They are easy to grow!)

4. Cruciferous Vegetables. Low in calories and high in fiber are great additions to the diet — broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale, cauliflower, bok choy and Brussels sprouts are among the varieties. Touted for their antioxidants, phytochemicals and glucosinolates (sulfur-containing compounds), they have proven anti-cancer properties. In many ways they are a dieter’s friend, as they do a great job of filling you up with minimal calories. They can be eaten lightly steamed or raw.

strawberries

Other great foods, packed with nutrients, low glycemic and delicious for dieters are blueberries, apples, strawberries, mushrooms, macademia nuts, almonds, walnuts, and many more. Find more lists here:

These are just a few of the nutritional superstar foods helpful for losing weight and finding skinny bliss! The underlying principle is to consume fresh or frozen whole, unprocessed foods — preferably organic — as they are ultimately the most satisfying. When looking to find out if a food is suitable for dieting, check out the glycemic index and the USDA Nutrient Database to get nutrition facts to see if it will stand up to the healthy food / superfood test!