We’ve all been staying home much more than we normally do.  For me, that meant being more sedentary, and as much as I hate to admit it, eating less healthily.  You know, the comfort food thing.  Perhaps I drank a little more wine as well…!  At the end of our almost 3 month quarantine, I knew I had gained some weight.  And it seems like after age 40, I struggle to lose those extra pounds that creep on when I’m “comfort eating”.  Usually, to lose that extra 10 pesky pounds, I resign myself to salads, increasing my cardio work out time, and limiting sweets.  Not fun.

Recently, I’ve discovered that there are actually foods that PROMOTE weight loss!  Can you imagine–EATING to lose weight?!?  In my research, I have uncovered 6 foods–some surprising, some to be expected–that actually promote weight loss by allowing us to feel full longer, burn fat, and/or blunt hunger.  While there are MANY foods that have amazing health benefits, I’m highlighting 6 foods that support weight loss.

Baobab fruit

Never heard of it?  Me either, until about 2 months ago, when my daughter introduced it to me.  Grown in Africa, Arabia, and Australia, you can only find it in powder form in the US.  This is the proverbial  “Tree of Life” in Africa, and for good reason.  The fruit is considered a super food for the following reasons:

• 5 times more fiber than in oats
• 6 times more Vitamin C than in oranges
• 2 times more Calcium than in milk
• 6 times more Potassium than in a banana

The incredible amount of fiber that Baobab powder provides is the main reason it’s so great for weight loss.  Since we can’t digest fiber, it stays in our system longer and gives us a sense of satiety or fullness.  Fiber also supports healthy probiotic growth.  The powder is fruity tasting and is very easy to mix with a protein shake, a glass of juice, or even a yogurt.  You can find it at most health food stores or on Amazon.

Red Chiles

The superstar ingredient found in red chiles is Capsaicin, and it works in three ways:

• Boosts Metabolism–one study showed that capsaicin helped subjects burn 1000 extra calories a day.
• Shrinks fat cells–Capsaicin promotes destruction of existing fat cells and prevents the formation of new fat cells.
• Curbs cravings–in a published study, subjects who used chili powder in their breakfast ate 11% less at lunch and felt fuller faster.

A quick and easy way to incorporate red chiles in your diet is to use chili powder.  Sprinkle it on your morning eggs, spice up your salad, or add some to tomato juice for an energizing pick me up.

Raspberries

When I was growing up in Illinois, we had a row of raspberry bushes in our backyard.  Our summers were spent picking raspberries, canning raspberries, freezing raspberries, making raspberry jam, and, of course, EATING raspberries.

I HATED raspberries.

Thankfully, time has cured that hate, and now I do love them, which I am very grateful.  Adding a cup of raspberries to your daily diet has been shown to speed metabolism AND reduce appetite!  It’s because of compounds called flavinoids.  Research has shown if you enjoy raspberries daily, you will reduce food intake by 20%, which could translate into a weekly weight loss of about 2 pounds!

Celery

Celery juice has become the latest weight loss trend, and for good reason.  There are numerous health benefits to celery.  However, while drinking celery juice may be easier and more appealing than eating a few stalks of celery, there is a problem with celery juice.  The fiber is eliminated.  And this is one of the essential components to the magical weight loss benefits of celery.  One cup of celery has 15 calories and 5 grams of fiber–that’s a good amount of fiber! It’s full of those flavinoids (see raspberries), and it also can act as a diuretic.  Plus, if you’re like me and crave crunchy potato chips at 4:30 in the afternoon, this is a great substitute to satisfy that craving.

Olive Oil

This is another incredible super food when you look at the benefits of regularly consuming olive oil.  I truly believe that olive oil is one of the reasons the Mediterranean Diet has such amazing longevity benefits.  How does it help with weight loss?  Olive oil has been shown to stimulate cells to increase production of metabolism-boosting hormones by 60%!!  Consuming about 2 Tbs per day is what you need to reap the benefits.  I fry my morning eggs with olive oil, and I use it when I make an oil and vinegar salad dressing.  Some people add it to their smoothie. It’s easy to be creative about getting olive oil in your food!

Dark Chocolate

I saved the best for last.  If you are a chocoholic, you CAN have chocolate and still lose weight!  Dark chocolate encourages the healthy production of serotonin and dopamine, both feel good hormones.  Also, the high level of magnesium in dark chocolate will lower levels of fat-storage hormones.  You need to find a dark chocolate with at least 85% cocoa.  My favorite is Lily’s Dark Chocolate, sweetened with stevia, so it’s low calorie, and it doesn’t taste bitter!

I know there’s more great foods that will assist with weight loss, but all of the above have research to back the claim.  And I am all about recommending things that are evidence based!  Weight loss is not easy, but it’s not impossible.  Regular consumption of the above 6 will help that Quarantine 15 disappear in a healthier, more realistic manner.  Of course, I can’t talk about losing weight without mentioning that increasing your activity (ie, exercise) will also improve your weight loss! For those of you who have more that 15 pounds to shed, go to my “Contact Me” page and ask me about how to jump start your weight loss journey!