Mediterranean-Like Diets Support Healthy Weight Loss

Some dieters gravitate to low-fat over low carb, but don’t worry about your choice just stick with your decision. When carbohydrates are available, they are the body’s primary source of energy. Your body burns carbs to fuel your brain and body. However, when carbohydrates are unavailable, your body begins to burn fat. Responses to any dietary intervention will vary among individuals, but there is overwhelming evidence that a reduction in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol is an effective strategy for improving your overall health. On the other hand, selecting a diet that combines a low-carbohydrate menu plan with healthy fats, like the DASH diet or Mediterranean diet, may be the healthiest approach to eliminating stored fat.

Essential Fatty Acids Important for Optimal Health

Essential fatty acids support a reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and help overweight individuals achieve optimal health. The four types of dietary fats recognized by the American Heart Association, include:

• Saturated Fats - Saturated with hydrogen molecules, saturated fats are found in animals and have no double bonds between carbon molecules. It normally is a solid at room temperature.
• Trans Fats - Trans fats can be naturally occurring or artificially created through an industrial process. The primarily dietary source of trans fats is found in processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils.
• Monounsaturated Fats - Oils that contain monounsaturated fats are normally liquid at room temperature but turn solid when chilled. Olives are a popular source of monounsaturated fat.
• Polyunsaturated Fats - Polyunsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on heart health when used to replace saturated fat in your diet and consumed in moderation. Sunflower seeds and soybeans are good sources.

Recent research has emphasized the potential health benefits of consuming essential fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. These EFAs are a special type of good fats that play a role in nutrition, health, and chronic disease.

Whole Grains May Help to Eliminate Body Fat

According to the Journal of Nutrition, replacing refined grains for whole grains may help reduce your total body fat including unwanted belly fat. Eating slow release carbs like oatmeal or bran cereal before exercise can help you burn more stored fat. When you consume carbs, they are converted into glucose so they can enter the bloodstream. Molecules travel from the small intestines to the liver via the portal vein and most of the glucose is dispatched throughout the bloodstream for cellular energy. If your goal is to lose belly fat fast, avoiding refined carbohydrates like sugar, candy and white bread may be sufficient, especially if you keep your intake of healthy sources of protein high. Soluble fiber found in grains, legumes, seeds and some fruits swell up with water and get broken down by bacteria in the large intestine.