Just about everyone I know wants to lose some weight and prevent disease. Well, here are four simple habits that will help when you adopt them into your daily lifestyle.
- eat more fiber
- eat your greens
- drink plenty of water
- get enough sleep
Fiber and Belly Fat
Fiber is a key to weight management. If you consume about 40 grams of fiber per day, you will feel full while eating less, and you will eliminate undigested foods more efficiently. Studies have shown that eating an extra 14 grams of fiber per day can decrease your calorie intake up to 10%.
Fiber comes from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
Studies show that if you eat more fiber every day, you will feel less hungry between meals. Natural fibers form a type of gel in your digestive tract. This slows absorption and digestion, which aids in the sensation of feeling full and acts as an appetite suppressant.
One way to lose belly fat is to lose weight. Think about this – if eating more fiber helps suppress your appetite, weight loss should be the result, and that includes decreasing belly fat.
Greens
Leafy greens are low in calories while they are high in many nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and folate.
Leafy greens include:
- kale
- spinach
- collards
- swiss chard
Greens are perfect for weight loss because they are low in calories and carbohydrates, while high in fiber.
Water
Many times hunger is simply a signal of being thirsty and dehydrated. If you drink water throughout the day, you’ll discover that you are less hungry between meals, especially stopping the craving for simple carbs, fats and sugars.
Drinking water helps keep your metabolism high, and if you are properly hydrated, water helps your digestion work more efficiently and helps prevent constipation.
Water is 100% calorie-free and it helps you:
- burn more calories
- suppress your appetite
- eat less at each meal if consumed before you eat
Sleep and the Hunger Hormones
It’s important to get enough sleep, especially if you want to lose weight. You can’t eat when you are asleep.
Research shows that people who are sleep-deprived tend to eat more than people who are well-rested. Poor sleep can increase your appetite, and studies have found that people who are sleep-deprived claim to have an increased appetite.
Researchers suspect that this is because a lack of sleep impacts two important hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone released in the stomach that signals hunger in your brain. Leptin is a hormone made by fat cells, and leptin typically decreases your appetite while ghrelin increases your appetite.
Less sleep reduces leptin levels and produces more ghrelin, increasing levels of the stress hormones and resistance to insulin – both contributing to weight gain.
Get More Sleep
Whether you want to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy weight, or if you simply strive to eat better, adopting these four steps into your daily life will help you more than you know.
- eat more fiber
- eat your greens
- drink plenty of water
- get enough sleep
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, and is educational in nature. The FDA may not have evaluated some of the statements. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding supplements or making any changes to your dietary program.
Before taking vitamins, consult your doctor; pre-existing medical conditions or medications you are taking can affect how your body responds to multivitamins.
