5 full fat foods for weight loss!
In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that diets don’t work for you. You’re probably right: some diets don’t work at all and none of them work for everyone—our bodies often respond differently to different foods. Dietary fats have been demonized for years, despite years of scientific research proving they're really not that bad. In fact, you need fat in your diet. Not only does it make you feel full, but certain fats can also make you smarter, lower your risk for heart disease, improve blood vessel function, and even help control blood sugar levels.
Have a look at the top 5 full fat foods for weight loss
Coconut
Coconut is high in saturated fat, but more than half of that comes from lauric acid, a unique lipid that battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores. And get this: A study published in Lipids found that dietary supplementation of coconut oil actually reduced abdominal obesity. Of the participants, half were given two tablespoons of coconut oil daily and the other half were given soybean oil, and although both groups experienced overall weight loss, only the coconut oil consumers' waistlines shrunk. Sprinkle unsweetened flakes over yogurt or use coconut milk in a stir-fry to start whittling your waist.
Potatoes
Baked potatoes (yes — white potatoes!) are an excellent source of potassium, which can help beat bloat and counterbalance sodium. Since they've got filling fiber, spuds also help you stay fuller, longer. Avoid the deeper-fryer, though. Potatoes are a nutrient-dense food as long as they're not served the French-fry way.
Dark Chocolate
Good news for your sweet tooth: Chocolate can help you flatten your belly. Dark chocolate, that is. But to truly take advantage, don't wait until dessert: A recent study found that when men ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate two hours before a meal, those who had dark chocolate took in 17 percent fewer calories than those that ate milk chocolate. The researchers believe that this is because dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid.
Avocados
Leading the charge of the healthy fat brigade are avocados. This wonder fruit is essentially Mother Nature’s butter. It’s rich, creamy, and—unlike butter—an acceptable food to eat all on its own. While you should still limit yourself to a quarter or half of an avocado per meal, you have no reason to fear its fats.
Heavy Cream and Milk
Got fat? While full-fat dairy packs more calories, it’s also more filling. That may help explain why a 2013 study review in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who eat the fatty stuff are less likely to suffer from obesity than those who try and skip the calories and fat with low-fat dairy. The study authors also found no ties between full-fat dairy and heart disease or diabetes. Ironically, some acids in milk fat—ones you don’t get from zero-fat varieties—may crank up your body’s calorie-burning centers, says study coauthor Mario Kratz, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Washington. So pour some heavy cream in your next cup o’ joe. “Heavy cream is a healthy fat that helps keep your blood sugar stable between meals and snacks, which means consistent energy and brain power—not to mention it makes your coffee taste decadent!” says nutritionist Cassie Bjork, RD, LD.
