Would you like to be able to eat delicious and nutritious food during the holidays without the worry of gaining weight and having all your holiday clothes feel like they are going to bust at the seams?

Would you like to not go on a starvation diet at the beginning of January only to lose a couple pounds but by February regaining the weight and a little more?

A Whole Food Plant Lifestyle is a nutritious and easy way to lose weight without counting one calorie and never regaining the weight back while enjoying plenty of delicious food everyday.  The food on this lifestyle is fiber rich food which makes you feel satiated and the fiber helps you lose weight.  Fiber also slows down digestion and also allows your body to absorb more nutrients.

These foods are also nutrient dense and full of water so you can get all the nutrients you need and the added benefit of keeping hydrated to also help maintain your health and lose weight in a healthy way.

 In Dr. Neal Banard's book, The Power Foods Diet, he explains that there was a study done at Harward University with a large group of nurses, physicians and other health professionals over several years.  The people that ate these foods had the most weight loss.

POWER FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

1. Berries – blueberries, strawberries, etc.
2. Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts
3. Green leafy vegetables – spinach, chard, lettuce, other leafy greens
4. Melon – cantaloupe, watermelon
5. Citrus fruits – oranges, grapefruit, fresh or juice
6. Legumes – beans, peas, lentils, and products such as tofu or soy milk made from them.

SPICES

Ceylon Cinnamon – a natural compound names Cinnamaldehyde appears to slow down stomach emptying and increases calorie burn

Ginger – helps burn belly fat, Gingerol compound similar to hot peppers

Hot Peppers -  Capsaicin   May help reduce the appetite  This creates altered taste perception so that you are less likely to eat fatty foods and prefer carbohydrates which have less calories.

FRUIT

Blueberries contain anthocyanins that are natural antioxidants. They are also memory boosting.

Apple and pears,  They have lots of fiber and they are full of water, low in calories

Mangos, papayas – low fat

Squash

Bananas

Other fruit: oranges, plums, peaches, cherries, but not avocados or coconuts

BEANS, PEAS, LENTILS

Black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, etc.

Soybeans and soy product: tofu, tempeh, miso, soy-based meat

WHOLE GRAINS

Oats, Corn, Brown Rice, Other grains: millet, wheat, amaranth, etc

Pasta – Durum Wheat Semolina

VEGETABLES

Green vegetables: spinach, Swiss chard, asparagus, watercress, lettuce

Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, collards

Orange vegetables: sweet potatoes, carrots

Starchy vegetables: potatoes, but not fried potatoes

SEA VEGETABLES

Nori, Wakame, Arame

These foods will be most helpful to include in your meals to lose weight and keep it off and give your body the nutrients it needs.