Regained pounds are more harmful to your health (and your waistline) than having not lost them to begin with. These 6 foods that fight belly fat reverse the effects.

Problem With Yo-Yo Dieting

Dramatically restricting food intake in an attempt to lose weight, and then returning to an unrestricted level at the end of a diet causes an increase in fat-storing enzymes.

Much of the regained fat gets redistributed as visceral (belly) fat.

Visceral fat, which accumulates deep in the abdomen, is dangerous fat. It has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

Yo-yo-dieting, also referred to as weight cycling, primes your body to regain fat when you go off a diet.

In his best-selling book, The End of Dieting, nutritional researcher Dr. Joel Fuhrman states:

Every time you “diet” by eating a smaller number of calories than your body would normally require to maintain a favorable weight, your body activates the enzymes that promote fat storage.

He continues:

A history of weight cycling also leads to higher fasting insulin levels. Insulin is the chief hormone responsible for increasing lipogenesis (fat storage), while simultaneously suppressing lipolysis (fat removal).

So how do you lose weight without restricting food intake?

Choosing Super Foods

The answer, according to Fuhrman, is to increase the portion-sizes of G-BOMBS. This is an acronym that stands for Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds.

These superfoods are naturally low in calories, meaning you can eat them in large amounts without having to worry about counting or restricting calories.

Superfoods are also high in nutrients and volume; two factors that help ward off hunger and cravings.

If you are eating a diet high in nutrients and volume, your digestive system shuts off your brain signals for cravings and hunger.

When you eat nutrient-rich foods (i.e. super foods), you are biochemically filled up, which diminishes your desire to eat more food or crave junk food.

In addition, the volume provided by eating super foods activates stretch receptors in your stomach. These receptors detect that your belly is full and signal hunger satisfaction in your brain.

Here is a closer look at how these superfoods (i.e. G-BOMBS) help you lose weight:

6 Foods That Fight Belly Fat

Greens fill your stomach with volume which reduces hunger.

Beans contain resistant starches. This type of starch does not spike insulin levels and therefore limits fat storage. It also reduces the calories your body is able to absorb from a bean-containing meal.

Onions have nutrients that reduce blood flow to deposits of body fat. This makes it hard for your body to make new fat.

Mushrooms contain compounds that may inhibit fat from being deposited on your body. For best overall health results eat them cooked.

Berries are naturally sweet, yet low in sugar. This makes them ideal foods for staying satisfied during weight loss.

Seeds are high in fat, but this fat is not easily absorbed by your body. Much of the fat in seeds is carried out of the body in the stool.

In addition, all of these superfoods provide your body with phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds found only in plant foods. They fight fat by suppressing your body’s desire to eat calories.

About the Author

Dr. Becky Gillaspy, DC graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.