If you haven’t read part 1, you can read it here.
Now, moving on. Let’s talk about vegetables. Of course whenever you are writing about foods for weight loss you should be writing about vegetables as well. Surely by now you have grown up all of your life either having someone tell you to eat your vegetables or hearing all over the place how vegetables are sooo good for you. So, I will spare you… considering that it is common knowledge that vegetables are good for you.
In general, vegetables are great for weight loss because they contain so many different vitamins and minerals which support a healthy functioning body in every way. Many vitamins and minerals aid in detoxification by binding to toxins in the body and then in turn being eliminated. Also, many vegetables burn more calories in digesting them than there are calories in the vegetable itself (aka negative caloric foods).
I just want to highlight some specific vegetables that are great for weight loss:
Asparagus, Broccoli, Garlic, Green Beans, Celery, Carrot, Cucumber, Lettuce, Spinach, Onion, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Zucchini.
There are mucho more. Much of the information talking about negative caloric foods have incorrect views on fat. As discussed in part 1, you need fat and it is best to eat fat to lose fat, so you can and should use ¬†olive oil, butter, or coconut oil with your vegetables. Using a good fat also helps the body to digest and assimilate the vitamins and minerals in the vegetable. People say to eat carrots for vitamin A, when really they are high in beta-carotene a precursor to vitamin A. So the body has to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A and the conversion is not 1 to 1… more like 4 to 1… and what helps the process? Bile salts and enzymes… something that butterfat and saturated fats can help with.
So with vegetables you have something packed with enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, that will make you feel full of vitality… vigorous… you will feel very, very vigorous. Then after you feel vigorous it will help to be more active and exercise and lose even more weight.
One thing I highly recommend is to examine a vegetable every now and then so that you know the vitamins and minerals it contains and why it is good for you. For example, a while back I looked up celery and found that it is a good source of vitamin C and vitamin K. I had no idea that it was a good source of either of those previously… sometimes celery just seems like… well, nothing. But it is not nothing… it is something.. ha.
Most people simply do not care for vegetables, most likely they have limited tastes and do not enjoy a wide variety of foods (or cannot). Some people have only had canned vegetables their whole life… which taste like… um… aluminum.¬†
So if you are trying to lose weight, get creative with your vegetables, have a wide variety, and use as fresh of vegetables as you can that have not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides (most likely organic or locally grown).
Also, if you are trying to lose weight, avoid vegetables that are high in starch… so even though you may love potatoes and corn… when they are cooked they are high in complex carbs that will not aid your weight loss like the vegetables mentioned above. Again, use a wide variety: greens, reds, purples, and whites (cauliflower, cabbage).
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Foods For Weight Loss – Part 1
Foods For Weight Loss – Part 3
Foods For Weight Loss – Part 4
Foods For Weight Loss – Part 5
Foods For Weight Loss – Part 6
Tim is a health researcher and educator based out of Nashville, TN. Connect with him on Instagram @eattodaytolivetomorrow.
