Add Healthy Dietary Fats to Your Weight Loss Menus

Food philosophies differ around, but that is okay, since the evidence shows that there is not a single best way to lose weight. For anyone who is healthy and does not have metabolic issues, there is little reason to avoid eating whole foods like potatoes or gluten-free grains like rice. However, if you are obese or suffer from metabolic syndrome, you may need to restrict dietary intake based on food sensitivities. Nonetheless, whole foods are generally good for weight loss.

Replace Processed Foods with Healthy Fats

Your body makes its own fat from excess calories in the bloodstream. Since fat supports a number of bodily functions, fats are essential to your health but some types of dietary fat may play a role in cardiovascular disease. Although some dieters are afraid to add fats to their diet, there are benefits to including healthy fat in your meals if you are trying to lose weight. When you eat fat to lose weight, you can actually increase your chance for success.

Instead of obsessing over fat grams, create a menu plan that is rich in a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans with two or more servings of fatty fish each week. This may mean replacing fried foods and processed meals with healthier sources of dietary fat. Dietary fat fuels your body. High fat foods like avocado, tuna, salmon and olive oil are more nutrient-dense than high-protein or high-carbohydrate foods.

Lasting Weight Loss Comes from a Satiating Diet

Any weight loss program that promotes consuming whole foods instead of highly processed foods is healthy, as overly processed foods are linked to obesity and chronic diseases. Without resorting to extremes, a satiating diet is an eating plan designed for lasting weight loss. Recently there has been a surge in interest over the Mediterranean diet, a style of eating that many dietitians regard as a healthy choice for losing weight. Mostly, it replaces saturated animal fat with mainly olive oil, which is a monounsaturated fat. For a personalized menu plan, contact the Metabolic Research Center nearest you.