Top 7 Vegetables for Weight Loss


There are lots of veggies that are, in effect, “free foods.”  They do provide calories, but they’ll never be the reason for a lack of weight loss.  In fact, you could probably get away with not even recording the calories for many of these foods, and still lose 2 lbs a week.
People with tremendous willpower lose weight while eating their favorite foods.  They just eat much less of them.  This is very tough because junk foods do not satiate, so you have to constantly deny your hunger.  This goes against our very instinct to survive.   This is also one reason why many people lose large amounts of weight just to put it on again.  They are not able to ignore their hunger indefinitely. 


The following Seven vegetables not only burn more calories in their digestion than what they contain, but they are also very satiating. They help keep us feeling full for a longer period of time, and introduce the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function optimally, perform athletically, and lose weight.

Watercress for Weight Loss


Watercress adds a burst of freshness and flavor to any dish. I like to add it to my eggs and salads. Watercress has many disease-prevention properties, particularly for Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis. This is because of its high calcium and vitamin K content, which is important for bone formation and strengthening, as well as limiting neurological damage in the brain.
Watercress is also high in beta carotene and vitamin C, making it a powerful antioxidant and important for immune system support while the potassium in watercress works to control heart rate and blood pressure by reducing the effects of sodium in our diet.

Spinach for Weight Loss


Popeye had this one right. Not only does spinach help strengthen our muscles, it also helps our eyesight, stabilizes our blood pressure, protects our skin, and benefits our neurological health. Including spinach in a weight-loss diet will help ensure that calorie-conscious eaters get a hearty dose of nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E and K, coenzyme Q-10, B vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Spinach also contains omega-3 fatty acids. Eating spinach regularly may reduce incidence of cardiovascular disease,
Fresh spinach can be eaten raw in salads or on sandwiches in place of less-nutritious lettuce. Baby spinach, often available bagged in supermarket produce sections, is particularly suited to salad use, according to The World’s Healthiest Foods. Spinach-based salads have far more nutrient density than salads made with greens that have higher water content, such as iceberg lettuce. Using spinach as a main component of your diet can help you stay full longer and reduce the overall number of calories that you consume each day.


Cucumbers for Weight Loss


Who doesn’t like cucumbers? This popular vegetable is most commonly used in salads, but I like eating them raw with some lime juice. Cucumbers are amazing for skin health. You’ve probably seen them covering people’s eyes at a spa during a facial treatment. This is because they help relieve puffiness and darkness around the eyes. In addition, they help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling, while providing the hydration needed for bright and glowing skin.
Cucumbers are also a great source of silica, which is a mineral used to strengthen the connective tissue that makes up our skin. Other nutrients include vitamins A, C, folic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They are also high in fiber, which further supports weight loss and intestinal health.

Kale For Weight Loss


This green has been buzzy lately. One raw chopped cup contains 34 calories and about 1.3 grams of fiber, as well as a hearty helping of iron and calcium. Kale is king. Along with broccoli, it is one of the nutrition stand-outs among vegetables. It fights fat through its ability to mingle in a variety of roles — in side dishes, combined in main dishes, or in salads.
For a green, kale is unusually high in fiber. This helps create the bulk you need to fill you up and to keep you full for a good amount of time. Kale is also an excellent source of nutrients, especially vitamin A and calcium. With a combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, kale is a dieter’s dream food. Eat more Mix chopped raw kale into cooked black beans. Or slice kale into thin strips, sauté it with vegetable broth and top with orange slices. Make it a meal by tossing the mix with quinoa.

Collard Greens and Leeks for Weight Loss


Collard greens are packed with proteins and amino acids, and have a low glycemic index. Some of the minerals and nutrients found in collard greens include thiamin, niacin, potassium, vitamins like A, C, E, K, riboflavin, B6, folate, calcium, and manganese. Similarly, leeks are good alternatives to onions and are used in fish pie with carrots and other vegetables.
Collards, a member of the brassica family that includes highly nutritious vegetables like kale and broccoli, are a sturdy, versatile green. They do require a longer simmer than other greens, but certainly not the two hours that Southern cooks sometimes subject them to.
Though Leeks have less nutrient density then onion and garlic it is still a good source of fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamins C, B6, manganese, and iron. Leeks benefit our body by reducing bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol levels, keeping down high blood pressure and supporting overall cardiovascular health; decreasing the risk of colon and prostate cancer; acting as an antiseptic helping the body to fight against infection. Leeks are essential for pregnant women as they contain considerable amount of folic acid, which is needed to make new cells in the body

Broccoli for Weight Loss


Adding more broccoli to your diet will help you with weight loss because it, like most vegetables, is a low-calorie food that can help you fill up quickly, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Broccoli’s high fiber levels and water content add volume to your meal without adding empty calories, so you can eat, not be hungry and still lose weight. It’s also an easy low-calorie snack. The key, however, is that you substitute broccoli for foods you usually eat, not simply add broccoli to your diet.
As broccoli helps you lose weight, it also provides health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, boosting your heart health and lowering your risk of cancer. A study by the University of Connecticut School of Medicine indicated that eating broccoli provides you with antioxidants, which help lower your risk of chronic inflammation and cancer.


Carrot for Weight Loss


Carrots have very few calories so when they are being digested by the body, a lot more calories are used to break down the carrots as compared to the calories that are in the carrots. Carrots contain a lot of dietary fiber. As you may know, fiber isn’t nutritious but the body enzymes try to break down the fiber in foods anyway. Carrots are also incredibly high in nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin A and potassium. These nutrients help your body function more smoothly, and a body that is functioning properly is a body that burns more calories.
They need energy to digest and break down the fiber so the many enzymes sent by the stomach glands use almost all the food’s energy in trying to breakdown its fiber. In so doing, the metabolism of your body is increased and the sugars that might have otherwise been converted to fats, will have already gotten used up.

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