When it comes to health and weight loss, you may be focusing on one specific aspect to help promote and aid that weight loss. Whether it be calorie counting or macro counting, everyone’s body is different and may react differently to different aids of weight loss.
However, have you thought about nutrient density? Nutrient-dense food offers plenty of nutrients with little calorie intake, ultimately contributing to satiety and weight loss. You’ll want to look for foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates (because carbs AREN’T bad), lean protein, and healthy fats. This all plays a vital role not just in outer health, but internal health, too.
Here’s an example: let’s compare one slice of white bread and one slice of whole-grain bread. The one slice of white bread has only 70 calories and very little nutrients, but the whole-grain bread contains the same number of calories but four times the amount of nutrients like potassium and magnesium, and three times the zinc.
Which would you choose to benefit your health the most? I know what I’d pick!
Thankfully, they can be found right in your local supermarket! You’ll want to choose leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, quinoa, and so on. Of course, you won’t want to leave out the benefits of fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, and pomegranates. If you’re a fish lover, you’ll want to choose fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon. Lastly, if you’re a meat eater – you’ll want to pick lean meats.
It’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by a diet change, especially if you don’t eat this way to begin with. The bottom line is, you can gradually make these changes and see some very satisfying and beneficial results.
It won’t happen overnight (and shouldn’t happen overnight either – for instance, adding too much fiber too fast can cause gas and bloating!) but you can rest assured that consuming more nutrient-dense foods will have some of the best effects on your health and become a fantastic weight aid.
If you’d like to chat more about how to reach your health/wellness/weight loss goals, let’s do it. You can schedule a coffee chat here. Talk soon!
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Melissa found her way out of using food as a crutch and turned her life’s lessons into a mission to help others. Her journey began in childhood, using food to cope with the uncontrollable chaos around her. This pattern stretched into her adult life, where diet after diet failed, until she dug deep into the real reasons behind her relationship with food. Today, Melissa uses insights from behavioral psychology, neuroscience, and healthy lifestyle design to guide teen girls and women toward freeing themselves from food struggles. Check out her free resources for a joyful, guilt-free relationship with food, and start your journey to freedom.