The favorite topic of health conscious and figure conscious people seems to be the best ways to diet. Entire books have been written on this topic. This weight loss frenzy has given birth to an entire industry feeding on the insecurities of overweight people. It has become seemingly impossible to escape the advertisements of weight loss products bombarding us from every form of the media including newspapers, magazines, television and the internet. These products range from exercising equipment to slimming belts to special meals supposedly designed through scientific research to provide your body with the proper nutrients while keeping your weight in check.
Most people erroneously think that one of the best ways to diet is to reduce their calorie intake by eating only a single meal per day. This practice is nothing short of putting your health in jeopardy. Eating less puts the body into starvation mode where it actually starts storing more fat in an effort of self preservation. When food intake is suddenly reduced, the body panics. This leads to increase in fat storage and lowering of overall metabolism. While this genetically ingrained panic instinct helped our ancestors survive in times of famines, it actually hampers us in the world of today where food is abundantly available.
Now that we have established the failure of calorie intake reduction in facilitating weight loss, it becomes clear that the focus should be on the right way to diet rather than the best ways to diet. An effective way to lose weight is to eat the right foods that discourage fat buildup and instead jack up the metabolic rate. For instance, green tea contains an extract that has been shown to improve the rate of metabolism. Ditching the morning coffee for green tea would thus be more beneficial. Fiber-rich foods like whole-wheat cereal make your stomach feel more full thus satisfying your hunger and also aid in lowering blood cholesterol. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be eaten in generous amounts and effort should be made to stay away from processed foods as much as possible.