The low-carb foods you should be eating for long-term weight loss

By MiNDFOOD

The low-carb foods you should be eating for long-term weight loss

There are several reasons why a low-carb diet approach is so effective in helping you lose excess weight, while also making you feel better and significantly improving your metabolic and cardiovascular health. And research suggests the diet is good for keeping off those kilos in years to come.

Most people regain the weight they lose from dieting within one or two years, in part because the body adapts by slowing metabolism and burning fewer calories.

However, a study led by Boston Children’s Hospital found that eating lower carbohydrate foods increases the number of calories burned, suggesting that a low-carb diet can help people maintain weight loss, making obesity treatment more effective.

The study, known as the Framingham State Food Study, or (FS)2, tracked participants’ weight and measured insulin secretion, metabolic hormones and total energy expenditure (calories burned). “This is the largest and longest feeding study to test the ‘Carbohydrate-Insulin Model,’ which provides a new way to think about and treat obesity,” says David Ludwig, MD, PhD.

“According to this model, the processed carbohydrates that flooded our diets during the low-fat era have raised insulin levels, driving fat cells to store excessive calories. With fewer calories available to the rest of the body, hunger increases and metabolism slows – a recipe for weight gain.”

Healthy low-carb foods include;

  • Lean meats
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Cauliflower and broccoli
  • Nuts and seeds, including nut butter
  • Oils, such as coconut oil and olive oil
  • Some fruit, such as apples, blueberries, and strawberries
  • Unsweetened dairy products including plain whole milk and plain Greek yogurt.

For more healthy low-carb foods, advice and recipes, click here.

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