by Sharalee Ward

Created on: October 04, 2010   Last Updated: October 05, 2010

Top 5 Foods for Fat Loss and Optimal Health

In pursuit of fat loss clean food is a must. However, certain foods have beneficial properties to specifically fight the good fight in the battle of the bulge as well as providing the essentials for optimal health. These are the top 5 foods you should have in your kitchen ready at your disposal:

1. Rainbow Trout: Fish is number one because it is highly effective in fat loss, but also in other vital body functions. Research shows that diets that are higher in healthy fats show greater fat loss overall.  Salmon and Tuna are generally the fish choices suggested when trying to lose weight but really all kinds of fish are good. High in Omega 3's fish is the best choice when consuming healthy fats. The best fats are consumed through cold water fatty fish or warm water lean fish. Cold water fatty fish include salmon, halibut and trout and warm water lean fish include mahi-mahi, snapper, tilapia among many. The brain needs Omega 3 for properly functioning neurotransmission and fights depression. The heart and cardiovascular system also need Omega 3 to fight against hardening of the arteries and coronary heart disease.

2. Leafy Greens (specifically Swiss Chard): Dark green leafy  veggies are a staple in any clean diet. Swiss Chard is one of the best. It is low in calories at 35 cals/package but packed with vitamins such as A, K, C and E as well as iron, calcium and magnesium.

3. Oats: This humble grain is among the 5 food choices because it sticks to your ribs. It is rich in soluble and insoluble plant fibers that takes a great deal of effort on your digestive system to break down therefore leaving you feeling full longer. Oats also moderate blood sugar levels preventing those horrible mood swings that come from those dreadful "highs and lows". (See Part 2 of this article for what to top your oatmeal with for best results.)

4. Tomatoes: They taste great and are filled with vitamin C, citric, malic and oxalic acid that help accelerate your metabolism. The high water content and natural acids help flush liquids through the kidneys and prompt them to filter large amounts of fatty deposits which then can be eliminated from your system. Tomatoes also contain lycopene, a cancer fighting agent.

5: Low Fat Plain Yogurt: Contains healthy fats, some protein and most importantly pro biotic bacteria for health digestive tract. Pro biotics help fight against yeast overload in the body.

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