10 INDIAN FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

1] Flax seeds: –

Indian diet plan for weight loss will not be complete without flax seeds. flax seeds are grown in northern and central parts of India and have been a part of the staple local diet since centuries. Its importance and nutrient contents were highlighted only 2 decades ago. Flax seeds have been enjoying the attention of dieters all over the world ever since.

Role In weight loss diet –

• Lignans – the lignans and fiber in flax seeds helps in reaching early satiety (the feeling of fullness). This helps you in cutting down on your food intake. Flax seeds also help in weight loss by keeping you full for longer time. The glycemic index of flax seeds is very less, and hence when you add grounded flax seeds to your yogurt or sprinkle it over your salad, it gets absorbed slowly and keeps your blood sugar stable for longer and you do not feel hungry early.

• Lecithin – Flax seeds contain lecithin. Lecithin helps in breaking the fat from the food and the fiber in the flax seeds helps in carrying these fats to the intestine for elimination. And thus saves you from absorbing most of the calories these fats were to provide you with.

• Fiber – The soluble and insoluble fiber in flax seeds makes it a natural laxative. Flax seeds help in cleansing your intestine of the metabolic wastes produced during fat break down while you are on a weight loss regime. Flax seeds help in promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut and thus helping in better digestion.

• Omega 3 – As we all know, Omega 3 helps in improving heart health. Hence flax seeds are especially good for those who have diabetes and blood pressure or any other heart problem and want to manage their weight.

Tips to include flax seeds in Indian diet plan for weight loss :

• Use freshly ground flax seed powder to sprinkle over your yogurt / curd bowl, salads, whole wheat flour dough, dals and on your vegetable preparations too.    * Precaution – while using flax seeds powder, ground flax seeds freshly. The oils in flax seeds powder undergo oxidation quickly when exposed to air.

• Use roasted flax seeds to make accompaniments like chutneys.

• You can take a tsp of flax seeds and eat on empty stomach in the mornings.

2] Yogurt / curd: –

Curd is an inseparable part of a vegetarian Indian diet for weight loss. If I tell you that you can consume more calories and still lose weight, you will think I am joking. But this is for true. A study conducted by International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism concluded that 3 servings of curd consumption helped women to lose more fat than those on a low calorie diet.

Role in Weight loss diet –

• Calcium – Dr Robert Heaney, MD, (an internationally recognized expert in bone biology and calcium nutrition with Creighton University in Nebraska) found in a study that calcium helped in better fat break down in individuals who wanted to lose weight. Yogurt being a good food source of calcium has a similar effect.

• Pro- biotic – As we know that curd / yogurt have active cultures and they help in growth of friendly bacteria. It improves digestion and immunity and ensures better nutrient absorption. These probiotics helps in weight loss too. Although yogurt alone cannot bring about weight loss, but if you are already following a weight loss regime for diet and exercises, curd will help you in achieving your weight loss goals faster and then maintaining them in the long run.

• Protein – The protein present in curd facilitates the weight loss process by becoming the source of energy as well as taking care of the ill effects of strict dieting. It will help in prevention of hair fall and dullness and dryness of skin. So that your skin glows while you shape up your body.

Tips to include yogurt in Indian diet plan for weight loss  –

• You can have a cup of plain, low fat yogurt before or after your meal.

• You can mix a fruit and flavor curd / yogurt and have it as a mid meal snack.

• You can use curd as a dressing for your simple salads and koshimbir.

• You can make buttermilk out of curd and drink it in between the meals whenever hungry or thirsty. This will help you in feeling full without adding up on the calories.

 3] Tomatoes –

These colorful little berries do not only increase the food appeal but is a light house of nutrients and has numbers of benefits when it comes to weight loss diet. The tangy taste will help you sail through your weight loss diet  with energy and without  starvation.

Role in Weight loss diet –

• Vitamin c – According to the Journal of American college of Nutrition, Vitamin C Increases the fat burning rate by almost 30 %. Those who are deficient in Vit C, do not lose much fat despite of low calorie diets and strenuous exercises. So if you want to cut down on your fat stores, Add Tomatoes to your meals and see your hard work getting paid.

• Lycopene– Lycopene is an antioxidant and helps in preventing oxidation damage. This will indirectly help in improving immunity and stamina so that you can work out better and burn more calories. Lycopene also helps you in becoming healthier as you lose weight , It helps you reduce the bad cholesterol from the blood vessels and improves your heart health too.

• Oligofructose – After a fatty meal, the small intestine releases a Hormone called CCK (cholecyctokinin) in the stomach. CCK tightens the valves between stomach and intestine contributing to feeling of fullness and helps in reducing the chances of over eating. Oligofructose in tomatoes helps in sustaining this feeling of fullness for longer

• Carnitine – Tomatoes contain Carnitine that speeds up the process of fat break down in the body.

Tips to include Tomatoes in Indian diet plan for weight loss–

• You can use tomatoes in your salads before both the main meals.

• You can add tomatoes to your juices

• Have tomato soups or add tomatoes to your vegetable based soups. It specially tastes great with beans and peas.

 4] Cinnamon (Dalchini) –

Cinnamon is a local spice and famous for its sweet aroma. Cinnamon has a lot of other health benefits too. But let’s first see how cinnamon helps in weight loss.

Role in Weight loss diet

• Manages blood sugar – Cinnamon helps in better sugar management by supporting insulin and increasing the absorption of glucose. Lesser glucose in the blood stream results in lesser fat storage.

• Aromatic oils – The oils in cinnamon that contribute to its aroma helps in bring in satisfaction with the diet food and make you enjoy your meal and eat less. This definitely contributes in weight loss.

• Improves digestion – Experiencing gas / flatulence and heaviness due to increased intake of raw veggies and salads in your diet for weight loss? Cinnamon helps in better digestion, smoothing and calming of intestine lining, treating constipation and improving colon functions. Over all aiding in the weight loss process.

Tips to include Cinnamon in your weight loss diet –

• You can add cinnamon to your green tea or have cinnamon tea.

• Use cinnamon powder to sprinkle over your desserts for better blood sugar management.

• You can use a cinnamon stick and boil it along with water. And drink this water all day long.

• You can add cinnamon powder to the seasoning of your food.

 5] Almonds –

The international journal of obesity published a study stating that People who ate 85 gm of Almonds every day Noted 18‘% reduction in their weight and BMI when compared to dieters who did not eat almonds noted only 11 % reduction in their weight and BMI.

Role in Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA):– Ala in Almonds increases the rate at which fat is burned in the body. It helps in reaching early satiety (feeling of fullness). Manages cravings and prevents from over eating.

• Protein – Almonds are rich source of protein and do not contain any carbs to contribute to body weight.

• Metabolism – Almonds help in increasing the metabolic rate of the body and helps in burning more involuntary calories. Thus aiding in weight loss.

Tips to include almonds in your weight loss diet –

• You can soak 12- 15 almonds overnight and have it in the morning and night with your glass of skimmed milk or warm water and lemon.

• You can use soaked and chopped almonds to sprinkle on your salads.

 6] Bell pepper (Capsicum) –

Green, yellow, orange and red; bell peppers comes in all vibrant colors assuring their nutritive richness. The Indian bell pepper is rich in Antioxidants like Vitamin and Vitamin C. It is packed with folic acid and fiber. 1 bell pepper contains almost your 1 days requirement of Beta –carotene which explains its role in maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails.

Role in Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• Capsaicin – Capsaicin found in all kinds of hot peppers and chillies has a tendency to raise body’s temperature. This calls for using up more energy and raising the metabolic rate in a person. Capsaicin also is found to suppress appetite to a bit. All these definitely call for assistance in your weight loss.

• Dihydrocapsiate (DCT) – Unlike Capsaicin, DCT is found in the sweeter varieties of pepper, but has a similar action on weight loss. It helps in burning up extra calories from the body by raising the body’s temperature.

• Piperine – In some scientific studies done over mouse, it was found that piperine in black pepper help in preventing the formation of new fat cells in the body. Although this does not prove that it will be true for humans, but there clearly is no harm in adding this black pepper powder to your salads and adding on the tastes and expecting some good results too.

Tips to include peppers in your Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• You can use all varieties of capsicum in your salads, brown bread sandwiches and whole wheat pasta preparations. This will not only add up on taste but to weight loss factor as well.

• You can grill them on skewers and have them as starters along with other veggies.

• You can add some chilli flakes and black pepper powder to variety of foods, salads and soups.

 7] Melons –

Watermelon, cantaloupe, and squash come under melons. These fruits are very rich in potassium and Vitamin C.

Role in Weight loss Diet –

• Melons are high rich in potassium and contain a lot of water. When these melons are eaten in a good quantity, they lead to water flushing through excess urination.

• It is a blessing in disguise for those who have a sweet tooth and are watching out their weight. The sweetness of this fruit will help in satisfying the urge of eating a sweet and at the same time will prevent you from adding up on your waist line.

• Melons are especially good for women or men who have a water retention problem and feel bloated all the time. Melons will help them pass out the excess water through urine and feel Normal and fresh.

How to include Melons in Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• You can have Melons fruits as mid meals while on diet.

• You can have a mixed fruit platter with lots of melons for your breakfast.

 8] Brown rice –

These complex carbs providing grains are the best way to satisfy your urge to eat rice and still manage to lose weight.

Role in weight loss Diet –

• Fiber – the goodness of fiber can be enjoyed in abundance in Brown rice. It helps in getting the feeling of fullness and to reach satiety early. Hence you can save yourself from over eating.

• This unpolished husky brown rice are more nutrient dense then white rice and hence save you from deficiencies during weight loss.

• The complex carbohydrates help in slower digestion, and slower release of glucose in the blood. This helps in preventing hunger pangs.

Tips to include Brown rice in Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• You can have brown rice pulav for your lunch / dinner.

9] Papaya –

Papaya has a belly flattening effect and is very beneficial when it comes to weight loss diet.

Role in Indian weight loss Diet –

• Proper digestion – when you follow a weight loss diet you tend to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables as salads. Constipation is common problem after changing your lifestyle, which slowly gets normal. “Papain “a co – enzyme in papaya helps in proper digestion and helps in regular evacuation of waste.

• Papaya helps in treating bloating and water retention as well.

Read – Benefits of papaya on weight loss and health

Tips to use papaya in your Indian diet plan for weight loss –

• You can have papaya for breakfast.

• You can mix it with other fruits and enjoy a wholesome goodness with a lot of micro nutrients that will make your skin glow.

• You can also grind papaya to get its pulpy juice and mix it with your other mock tails or have it plain with spices.

10] Lentils –

Lentils are an inseparable part of vegetarian weight loss diets. These are the best sources of Vitamin B group as well as proteins for vegetarians.

Role in Indian weight loss Diet –

• Sprouts majorly provide calories from proteins and have little carbohydrate. Protein rich foods support in weight loss and lentils are hence the best.

• If the Weight loss diets are not planned properly or are inefficient, they bring in problems like dull and dry skin, hair loss, and mouth ulcers and under eye patches. Including sprouts in your diet will help in covering up for proper Nutrition.

• Sprouts are rich in fiber and hence help in reaching satiety and keep you full for longer.

source......www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-weight-loss