There are many ways to lose weight. Using a low-carb diet is one of them.
Over the years, many people who used a low-carb diet successfully improved their health or maintained their weight.
Following a low-carb diet, your body releases less insulin. When insulin levels are normal, your body begins to consume its own fat for energy, thereby resulting in weight loss. Maintaining stable insulin levels not only allows your body to burn fat but also reduces hunger and appetite.
Low-carb diets, including ketogenic, paleo and Mediterranean, are all restrictive. That is, all foods high in carbohydrates need to be excluded or restricted.
Here comes the tricky part. Most people think that they can easily lose weight as long as they eat less or no starchy foods such as rice and noodles. Meanwhile, they believe they can eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables freely. In people’s minds fruits and vegetables have always been healthy food.
However, there are many seemingly healthy foods that often contain a lot of hidden carbohydrates or sugars and are also high in calories.
If you eat too much of these foods, it may result in weight gain.
During the weight loss process, the following 7 healthy foods should be eaten as little as possible.
1. Mango
The sweet and juicy Mango is a tropical fruit that many people love. It is rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
Mangoes also help with digestion by clearing your intestines and stomach. They are also good for skin care and preventing cerebrovascular diseases.
However, mangoes also contain a lot of sugar with at least 28 grams of carbohydrates in 165 grams of mango.
Therefore, if you want to lose weight, it is best to avoid the mango.
2. Raisins
Raisins are made by drying fresh grapes. They are rich in dietary fiber, multivitamins and minerals that aid digestion and maintain strong bones.
Raisins contain much more sugar than fresh grapes. Generally speaking, raisins contain more than 4 times the sugar in fresh grapes. Not only that, but raisins are also very high in calories.
When trying to lose weight, having a handful of grapes is much better than a handful of raisins.
3. Bananas
Bananas are rich in a variety of essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamin B6 and potassium. Regular consumption is good for digestion and heart health.
However, bananas are a high-calorie food. They are high in starch and sugar. A medium-sized banana contains 27 grams of carbohydrates.
Therefore, consuming too many bananas can lead to weight gain.
4. Quinoa
Quinoa is a gluten-free, high-protein, plant-based food that contains sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.
If you eat quinoa in moderation, it can increase your satiety and reduce hunger because quinoa is high in fiber.
However, quinoa also contains a lot of carbohydrates, with 100 grams of cooked quinoa containing 21.3 grams of carbs.
Additionally, quinoa is not low in calories. Eating too much may put some extra weight on you.
5. Yogurt
Yogurt has always been considered a must-have food for weight loss. Yogurt is rich in active lactic acid bacteria, which can relieve constipation by regulating the balance of flora in your body and promoting gastrointestinal motility.
In addition, yogurt is fermented from pure milk. It contains protein, vitamins and other nutrients and has a strong sense of satiety, which has a good weight loss effect.
However, to get all the mentioned benefits, you should only eat plain yogurt, which is not high in sugar and carbohydrates. On the contrary, though, sweetened yogurt has as many carbs as dessert. 245 grams of flavored yogurt can contain up to 47 grams of carbohydrates.
Therefore, it is best to have sugar-free yogurt during weight loss.
6. Soybean products
Beans are rich in high-quality vegetable protein, as well as various plant compounds such as soy isoflavones and phytosterols. Beans are low in fat and are mainly composed of healthy unsaturated fatty acids. All of these make beans excellent low-fat ingredients.
Compared with rice and white noodles, beans have less starch and more dietary fiber. Although they are high in carbohydrates, they are healthy carbohydrates. If you are not following a particularly strict low-carb diet, you can replace some refined staple foods with beans, reducing calories and decreasing your hunger.
However, soy products such as tofu skin and yuba contain four highs. They are high in carbohydrates, high in fat, high in protein and high in calories.
Most of the deep-processed soy products such as fried tofu are deep-fried, which hides a lot of unhealthy fat. Eating too much of this food doesn’t help with weight loss and is also bad for your overall health.
7. Milk
Milk is rich in calcium, potassium, protein and vitamins and is a nutrient-rich dairy product. Milk and eggs are rich in protein. Eating these two foods in the morning can increase satiety and reduce appetite, which is very helpful for controlling your caloric intake.
However, milk is also high in carbohydrates, containing 12-13 grams of carbs in 240 ml of milk.
In addition, milk is high in calories, but not just whole milk. Drinking too much skim or low-fat milk can also lead to excess calories.
