Top 5 Dietary Weight Loss Tips

With the current availability of such a vast array of dietary weight loss options, it's sometimes nice to have a condensed overview of what are arguably the most important solutions to focus on. These are represented by the following 5 tips:

1. Eat the right carbohydrates. Try to make sure that most of the carbohydrates you consume are from low GI slow releasing sources.

 These disturb blood sugar balance far less, helping to reduce the body's output of the weight promoting hormone insulin. Some examples of good low GI carbohydrate sources include durum wheat pasta, whole grain breads (sour dough is best), winter squash, basmati rice and sweet potatoes.

 Fruits are also a rich source of carbohydrate; certain fruits are better than others (see tip number 5 which covers sugar). Most non-starchy vegetables are fine to eat in abundance; good examples include leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage and brussels sprouts).

2. Eat protein rich foods with each major meal. You may also want to consume protein rich snacks and protein shakes between meals. Research indicates that protein helps reduce appetite and enhance metabolism, both of which encourage weight loss. Major sources of protein in the diet are derived from meat, fish and eggs and/or vegetarian sources such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds. An extract from dairy called whey protein is a particularly effective appetite suppressant, this is available in shake or bar form.

3. Reduce your intake of cheap refined vegetable oils, and increase your intake of omega 3 fats. Most commercially bought refined vegetable oils (sunflower oil, corn oil, soy oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil and mixed blend vegetable oil) are likely to increase levels of inflammation in the body.

 Inflammation may reduce your sensitivity to the blood sugar control hormone insulin, prompting your body to pump out more of it. Bare in mind that insulin is a fat promoting hormone. Vegetable oil is not only found as cooking oil, it is also a common ingredient in many breads, cakes, biscuits and chocolates. Olive oil is much better than vegetable oil, however coconut oil is one of the best oils to cook with.

Omega 3 fats such as those from oily fish and flaxseeds (linseeds) help to improve the body's responsiveness to insulin, meaning your body should be able to release less of this hormone. Good oily fish sources include salmon, mackerel, tuna (not tinned) and sardines. Flaxseeds are available in whole seed, ground seed or oil form.

4. Eat fibre rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. Fibre is a natural appetite suppressant, due to its physical bulking qualities. Fibre also enhances digestive and detoxification functioning. Collectively these aspects may assist healthy blood sugar control, and reduce insulin output.

5. Remove or drastically reduce your sugar intake. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate made up of the two molecules glucose and fructose. Fructose is the problem component. Excessive fructose consumption may lead to increased inflammation and blood fat concentrations.

 These two factors have been associated with reduced insulin sensitivity, which may prompt increased insulin output, enhancing your chance of weight gain. Rich sources of fructose can be found in table sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, glucose-fructose syrup and honey. Look out for these on product ingredient lists. Certain fruits are also high in fructose: apples, pears, bananas (green tipped ones are lower in fructose), grapes and pineapple. It's not that you can't eat these, just do it in moderation. Fruit juices made from these fruits and other high fructose fruits are best avoided, as they are likely to contain much greater concentrations of fructose. The better fruits with lower fructose contents are berries, cherries, apricots, plums and grapefruits. Much more comprehensive lists of the fructose content of various fruits can be found by searching online.

Although not exhaustive, these tips should help direct you on your way to successful and lasting weight loss.

Alex Vita (BSc) is a fully qualified nutritional therapist with 10 years experience in the field of natural health. He is creator of the nutritional blog http://vitatalks.com/ that features both video and written health information. He has also published a self-help ebook on acne called Natural Acne Solutions, found at http://vitatalks.com/2012/08/03/natural-acne-solutions-book-publication/ this provides nutritional guidance on dealing with acne naturally.