Keeping a food journal is a good way to stay on track with your calorie intake. It’s also a great way to see patterns that may be making your eating habits difficult to control.
Quick weight loss can be tempting, but fad diets and excess exercise don’t offer long-term solutions. In fact, studies show that yo-yo dieting can make it harder to keep off the weight.
Focus on High-Fiber Foods
Adding more high-fiber foods to your diet can help you feel full and stay satisfied so that you are less likely to overeat. Fiber also helps prevent constipation and promotes regularity in bowel movements.
Fiber is a carbohydrate that comes from plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the stomach. This is then broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. This type of fiber provides a small amount of calories.
Insoluble fiber is found in the skin of whole fruits, whole vegetables, and some beans and nuts. Registered dietitian Caroline Susie recommends that you consume a balance of both types of fiber. It is best to gradually increase the amount of fiber in your diet so that your digestive system can adjust to it. Too much fiber too quickly can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea in some people.
Add Healthy Herbs
Herbs and spices can add a burst of flavour and colour to a meal or drink without adding fat, salt or sugar. They also offer a host of health benefits, from stimulating the metabolism to suppressing hunger and balancing blood sugar levels.
For example, drinking ginger water — boil two tablespoons of crushed ginger with a cup of water and squeeze half a lemon into it — can detox the body, balance blood sugar levels, reduce cravings and improve digestion. Similarly, cinnamon stimulates the metabolism and regulates blood sugar. And guggul, a herb in the gymnema family that contains plant sterols that aid in weight loss, can suppress appetite and increase metabolism.
However, not all herbs and spices are equal in terms of weight loss. Avoid herbal supplements that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, which can be addictive and cause unpleasant side effects. Instead, focus on herbs and spices that promote healthy eating and support weight loss.
