Just like regular physical activity, a good diet also has a significant role in your weight loss journey. A good diet is one that is well balanced and includes items that promote weight loss and avoids or limits items that lead to weight gain. But do you know that including certain nutrients in your diet can help you shed weight fast? Here is a list of the nutrients that can help you slim down:
- Vitamin C: This antioxidant promotes optimal cell function and this in turn helps your muscles work harder. Go for oranges, peppers and kales to get Vitamin C.
- Iron: Lack of this nutrient makes you feel sluggish, tired, and lightheaded. Include meat, lentils, beans, and dark, leafy greens in your diet to get enough iron.
- Calcium: This nutrient is a great option to help you lose weight or maintain your goal weight. Calcium helps the muscles work harder at the gym. It enables your body to digest food more effectively and allocate the nutrients more efficiently. Yogurt, salmon, white beans, and kale all are good choices.
- Fat: Not all fat is bad for weight loss and eating the right fat can actually help with it. Monounsaturated fat lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. Olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon are the best sources of healthy fat.
- Vitamin B6: This nutrient turns food into energy. Lentils, nuts, and oats are rich sources of this nutrient.
- Zinc: This mineral helps the thyroid produce hormones that regulate metabolism. The main sources include pumpkin seeds and oysters.
- Magnesium: This nutrient keeps your digestion right on schedule in addition to helping you to build muscle. One of the main sources of this nutrient is dark chocolate.
- Fiber is a great nutrient for weight loss as it slows down digestion, which allows for sustained energy and stable blood sugar. Oatmeal and cereal are fiber-rich foods.
Caffeine, protein, acetic acid, and epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) – a powerful antioxidant – are other weight loss friendly items.