Top Best Healthiest Foods: Low In Fat High In Fiber And Anti Oxidents
Here are some of the top healthiest foods that you should include in your diet. In fact, if you make these top 10 healthy foods a major part of your diet, you will be amazed at how quickly you will lose weight because they are also the top 10 fat burning foods. These are the top ten best foods to include in your diet on a regular basis.
Here are the top healthiest foods:
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide a great source of carbohydrates and phytonutrients (nutrients from plants that have beneficial effects in the body).
If you want to lose weight it is imperative that you focus on having mainly fruits and vegetables as your source of carbohydrates. It is highly likely that they are number one out of all the top healthiest foods!
Since most of them contain a significant amount of fibre, they provide a sustained release of glucose into the blood stream, which helps to keep your energy levels high. By doing so they also help to keep your appetite suppressed.
Fruits and vegetables are low-to-medium density carbohydrates and therefore are far better options as carbohydrate sources than the high-density, grain-based carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals.
Fish
Fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Certain fish, like salmon, also provide a very good source of calcium (from their bones).
Fish is probably the number one protein source out of the top healthiest foods.
In order to assist your weight-loss efforts, have fish at least twice a week. One of the easiest ways to ensure this is done is by simply having a small tin of tuna for your mid-morning or mid-afternoon meals perhaps with a piece of fruit as well. The flavoured tuna is a good option.
Lean protein sources are great fat-burning foods because they provide amino acids to the body, which helps to maintain muscle mass and other lean tissue sources. By doing so, your metabolism can stay elevated and you can burn off body fat faster. Plus, protein has potent appetite-suppressing effects.
Free-range chicken
Chicken is another good source of protein. Ideally only have free-range chicken and eat only chicken breasts because they are the leanest part.
With all sources of animal protein only have small portions. 150 grams of cooked chicken breast for women and 200 grams for men is more than enough. The human body has been designed to only have small portions of concentrated protein sources.
It is also okay to add some lean red meat to your diet as well but it is not essential. That is why it hasn’t been included in this list of the top healthiest foods. It is an excellent source of iron so it may be worthwhile to have at least twice a week, if someone is particularly low in iron.
Free-range eggs
Eggs are another good protein source and may be added to the diet without concern about cholesterol levels. It has been shown that foods containing cholesterol have virtually no impact on blood levels of cholesterol. It is saturated fat intake that has the greatest impact on blood cholesterol levels.
Therefore, if you enjoy having omelettes, scrambled eggs or an egg on toast occasionally you can do so without feeling guilty.
Oats
Oats are a good source of carbohydrates that provide some health benefits as well. Oats are a good source of fibre and they also contain a compound known as beta glucan, which has been shown to block cholesterol re-absorption in the body.
Always keep in mind though, oats are a concentrated source of carbohydrates and therefore should only be consumed in controlled quantities. 20-30 grams in a meal is enough for most people.
Beans
Beans are a highly nutritious food. They provide a good amount of carbohydrates and protein as well as soluble fibre and phytonutrients. Beans are a great addition to any meal.
They can be purchased in tins from supermarkets or better still, bought from health food stores and soaked in the fridge overnight.
Since they are a good source of fibre they have the effect of slowing down the absorption rate of other carbohydrates when they are added to a meal (lowers the GI).
Rice or oat milk
Rice or oat milk are a great alternative to conventional cow’s milk. Cow’s milk has been shown to cause a number of problems in the body, particularly related to inflammatory responses. It may also be problematic for asthmatics.
Since milk and milk products may cause inflammatory responses in people, this means that the body will respond by retaining fluid; something that people who want to lose weight should be wary of.
Using rice or oat milk are much healthier alternatives; even more so than soy milk, whose benefits are still questioned.
Raw nuts
Nuts are a good source of protein and healthy fats. Raw nuts are healthier than roasted nuts because they still have all of their valuable essential fats still intact; roasting (cooking) damages many of the essential fats.
It is important not to over-eat nuts though because of their high fat and therefore, high calorie content. At the same time, it is important not to try and cut out all the fat from your diet either when you want to lose fat because it has numerous essential functions in the body.
Many products on the market that are promoted as being fat-free, 98% fat-free or low-fat are sometimes less healthy than their higher fat alternatives. Oftentimes, food manufacturers remove the fat content only to replace it with sugar to improve the taste. This makes it far more likely to promote fat storage in your body.
Furthermore, fat has appetite suppressing effects as well, which means it can help to curb your appetite and stop you from over-eating.
All spices
Spices are a great way to enhance the flavour of foods without contributing to the calories. Since most sauces and dressings are loaded with sugar and/ or fat, these condiments may contribute to your waistline.
Spice are the perfect alternative to sauces and dressing and may also provide some added health benefits that nutritional science is only just starting to discover.
Herbal teas
Herbal teas are a fantastic health-promoting beverage. They are a far better alternative to standard black teas or coffee. They tend to be far lower in caffeine and provide a range of health and weight-loss benefits to the body ranging from diuretic (excess fluid removing) effects to antioxidant properties.
They are definitely a worthwhile addition to your daily dietary intake and also qualify as one of the top 10 fat burning foods in addition to being one of the top healthiest foods.
So there you have it! The top healthiest foods to add to your diet. If you make a conscious effort to add these top ten best foods to your daily intake you will be amazed at the impact they have your health, energy and best of all, your weight-loss efforts!
If you would like to discover some of the best nutritional principles to help you achieve optimal health and lose weight, Click Here!
Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and has a science degree from UWA. Lots of free articles and interesting weight loss information can be found on his website: http://www.quick-weight-loss-principles.com.
