Top foods to help shed a few pounds

When trying to lose weight, you can end up thinking of food as your enemy.

But in actual fact, it’s just the opposite. If you befriend the right foods, the pounds are more likely to drop off than if you simply cut calories and skip meals.

Here are some foods that help to curb your cravings and boost your body’s fat potential

Grapefruit, for example, is one of the best weight loss aids – it has been proven that eating just half a day uses fibre to prolong digestion, squelch hunger and prevent us from craving sugar.

And eggs are your best friend while trying to lose weight.

No longer thought to be a cholesterol-enhancer – eggs contain a different type of cholesterol than in humans – they are a concentrated form of protein without the added fat that comes with it.

Eggs

Eggs are your best friend while trying to lose weight. No longer thought to be a cholestoral-enhancer – eggs contain a different type of cholesterol than in humans – they are a concentrated form of protein without the added fat that comes with meat.

Multiple studies have found that when people eat an egg every morning, they lose twice as much weight as those who eat a breakfast primarily of carbs

Grapefruit

This fruit is one of the best weight loss aids. It has been proven that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day helps to drop the pounds.

It has fibre to prolong digestion, squelch hunger and prevent the spike in insulin levels that has us craving sugar

Cauliflower

Full of fibre and only 40 calories a cup, cauliflower’s great for keeping you full and can be substituted for potatoes or pureed once cooked and added to soups as a thickener

Pine Nuts

In small doses, fat is a good thing: it slows digestion to keep us full between meals. And pine nuts are high in the healthier, unsaturated fatty acids.

Add a handful to your pasta or salad for a crunchy texture that will help you feel fuller for longer

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a chemical needed by your body to make thyroid hormones, which are responsible for keeping your metabolism high

Spice

Adding some heat to your diet can give you a weight-loss boost. Studies show that starting your morning with spice can make you opt for a smaller lunch, due to capsaicin which is found in chillies and red peppers that has appetite suppressing properties.

Chillies, however, aren’t the easiest thing to face first thing so you can always try incorporating small amounts into an omelette or scrambled eggs

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a great tasting, simple spice that has many health benefits, including weight loss. It decreases blood sugar and manages insulin levels, two aspects that are essential for losing weight.

Add it to your cereal or flavour your coffee with it

Sweet potatoes

The high amount of dietary fibre, the low calorie content and the high amount of water of this vegetable all work together to make sweet potatoes a great weight loss food.

Use as side dishes instead of potatoes

Apples

To keep the pounds at bay, eat an apple a day. Nutritionists found that eating an apple half an hour prior to a meal results in you eating less of the meal.

This is due to the fibre in the apple which makes you feel full. They are also high in pectin, which binds with water and limits the amount of fat your cells can absorb