Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you but when it comes to fat loss, not everyone makes the connection. The truth is, people don’t eat enough of them. If your goals to loose body fat and lead a healthy long life, our veggie intake should be taken more seriously.
How exactly do vegetables help us strip body fat?
Firstly they are extremely low in calories. Of course, it’s not all about calories in calories out, but the number one rule to loose fat is you have to be in a slight calorie deficit. This can mean that you may feel hungry at times and when you are hungry your much more likely to make bad food choices.
Vegetables can help this predicament by filling you up. As they are low in calories we can eat higher volumes of them without worrying about overeating. Their high fibre content makes them harder for our body to break down and digest keeping us feeling fuller for longer.
Eat These – To keep yourself on track while losing body fat and prevent those hunger pangs eat these…Broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower, chard, celery, onion and garlic.
Improve your energy levels:
Improving your energy levels to ensure you kick butt in life and at the gym, consuming plenty of veggies is a must. They are packed with antioxidants which will help reduce the amount of free radicals in the body. Providing you with more energy.
Eat These – Avocados, apparatus, broccoli, artichoke, olives and leafy greens.
Fight Inflammation:
Nutrient dense veggies will help fight oxidative stress that builds up and causes inflammation within the body. Oxidative stress is caused by a number of different things such as consuming processed foods, not getting enough sleep and doing tough workouts. Studies also indicate the more muscle tissue a person has, the higher their oxidative stress levels are. So if you lift weights regularly you need to up your veggie intake to counteract this.
Eat These – Sweet potatoes, kale, chard, beetroot, avocados, onion, garlic, tomatoes and peppers.
Healthy Gut, Healthy you:
Vegetables provide a host of benefits for the health of your gut. If you have a healthy functioning gut, you will find it easier to lose body fat and enjoy higher energy levels. They are packed with fibre to help flush out waste and gastric irritants and they feed the healthy bacteria in the gut. They also contain up to 75 percent of water which is essential for optimal bowel function.
Eat These – Sauerkraut, green beans, green peas, Jerusalem artichoke.
Improve estrogen metabolism:
Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli aid in protection from excess estrogen levels which is crucial for fat loss. Higher estrogen levels can be caused by hormonal imbalances or from exposure to chemicals mimicking estrogen. Heightened levels of estrogen can lead to cancer and makes it very hard to loose body fat.
Eat These – Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, bok choy.
Stronger Bones:
Dairy is widely known as the go-to food group for bone protection. However, vegetables are far more superior when it comes to building strong dense bones due to their high levels of nutrients and antioxidants. Bone health requires plenty of different nutrients, not just calcium. The majority of people are not deficient in calcium, however, they are deficient in magnesium, potassium and vitamin K. Vitamin D is also vital for home health and fat loss.
Eat These – Spinach, Kale, tomatoes, green beans, chard.
DETOX!:
Detoxification shouldn’t be kept for new years day, it should be a daily occurrence as the body metabolises and eliminates waste products. Vegetables play a vital roll in this. Besides all the good stuff vegetables do for our gut, they also help liver function and help to eliminate pesticides and excess hormones.
Eat these – Ginger, garlic, onion, turnips, beetroot.
Tom Winterbottom personal trainer St John’s Wood, personal trainer Baker Street.