Eating plenty of
fruit and vegetables can help you to lose weight naturally as they are low in
calories, high in volume and contain lots of important nutrients - in other
words they fill you up without loading you with fat and calories.
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| Stay on track |
We all know that
the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables is to eat five or more portions
a day, which many people find quite difficult to achieve, but if you are really
serious about sensible weight loss and good health, then you really should make
a big effort to include as many different fruits and vegetables in your diet as
you can. Not only will they help to take away hunger pangs and help to stop you
for reaching for the sugary snacks, but will also make you feel better
physically. As your levels of beneficial nutrients increase, you will have more
energy to be more active, so in turn you will burn off more calories.
There are many
different fruits available most of the year round nowadays, but here in the UK,
the summer gives us an abundance of freshly picked, delicious fruits that are
hard to resist ie: strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants,
blackberries, rhubarb etc. These all contain good levels of vitamin C and fibre
as well as other essential nutrients and anti-oxidants.
Here are my top
ten fruits for health and weight loss:
- Raspberries.- These are very high in fibre and low in calories and contain a good level of folic acid and zinc. Approx. 60 calories per cup.
- Strawberries. - These contain high levels of vitamin C and are also high in fibre and low in calories. Approx. 45 calories per cup.
- Apples. - These are a good source of fibre as they contain pectin which is a soluble fibre that helps to lower cholesterol. They also contain cancer-fighting flavenoids.. Approx. 81 calories per medium fruit.
- Apricots. - These contain protein, calcium, iron, vitamin K, zinc, vitamin A and also contain potassium, beta carotene and fibre, so thet are a very healthy fruit to include in your diet. Approx. 80 calories per 5 fruits.
- Blueberries. - These are a true superfood, giving many health benefits. They contain high levels of anti-oxidants which help with cancer-fighting. They also contain potassium, iron, vitamin C and fibre. Approx. 40 cals per 1/2 cup.
- Papaya. - These are an excellent fruit to include in your diet as they contain many different nutrients - including calcium, folic acid, vitamin C, fibre and carotenoids. Approx. 118 calories per medium fruit.
- Cantaloupe melon. - These are high in Vitamin C, potassium and beta carotene, also fibre. Approx. 56 calories per cup.
- Orange. - These have a high vitamin C content as well as being a good source of fibre and folate and also contain some calcium. Approx. 50 calories per medium fruit.
- Prunes. - These contain many different nutrients and are renowned for their high fibre content. They also contain protein, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium and iron and also small amounts of zinc and niacin. Approx. 113 calories per 1/2 cup.
- Grapefruit. - These are low in calories and high in fibre and contain high levels of vitamin C, the pink varieties also contain beta-carotene. The fibre is a mix of soluble (good for the heart) and insoluble (good for the intestines). Approx. 39 calories per 1/2 fruit.
There are
obviously lots more fruits that you can choose from that will give you great
health benefits, but these ten are particularly good ones that contain high
levels of nutrients. When choosing fruits, it is a good idea to try and include
as many different coloured varieties as you can to ensure that you get a good
balance of different nutrients - eg. purple (grapes), red (strawberries),
yellow (melon), green (apples), orange (oranges) etc.
For sensible
advice on losing weight naturally and making healthy choices, visit
[http://sensibleslimming.com]. You can also download a free booklet entitled
"21 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting".
