Losing weight usually means exercising and dieting. Yes, we all know that exercising is beneficial and that it must be done regularly for maximum benefits, yet, we also know how difficult it is to motivate ourselves to grind our muscles in the gym or go for a jog, early in the morning with sleep laden eyes.
It is hard work and it requires discipline.It is even harder to refrain ourselves from eating all those delicious delicacies that keep enticing us (Hey! look how delicious, I am). With plum pies, pancakes, popcorn, sugary cereals, chips and fuzzy drinks, all popping in front of us from store shelves, it is difficult to stay away from them.
So, what is the solution?
What you can do is tell yourself that you will sincerely follow a diet that helps. There are many diets that promise you’ll lose weight if you stick to them for long enough but most require huge sacrifices and a monumental amount of inspiration to do so.
Our busy schedules too do not help us. With unavoidable daily chores, the long and tiring daily commutes and long days at work, it becomes extremely difficult to fit in some time for some genuine workouts. We are already exhausted by our daily lives and we really can’t be bothered to do anything else. We have no energy left to contribute to the amount of work needed to lose weight.
So, where do you fit your weight loss program in such a busy lifestyle?
What if we tell you that you can eat to lose weight? You will be like: wait, what? Yes, you read it correctly. There actually exist some food items that you can eat, while tweaking your lifestyle a little bit, to lose weight. All you need to do is to eat or drink them during the day and when you drop off into a relaxing sleep, they will work their magic. They work, while you rest.
Sounds too good to be true? We thought so too.
5 food items that help you lose weight in your sleep:
Green tea
Green tea is well-known for its help in weight loss. The flavonoids and caffeine found in Green tea can help elevate the metabolic rate, increase fat oxidation and even improve insulin activities. Apart from this, the anti-oxidants in Green tea aid your body in preventing cell damage. Green tea has relaxing agents that soothe your nerves when you drink it before going to bed. This helps you fall asleep faster, while it works on reducing the fat in your body. With so many benefits, Green tea is definitely the best health drink you can drink before going to sleep.
Almonds
According to a study in the international journal of obesity, a diet that includes almonds helps you lose weight. The research made a comparison between a group of participants kept on a liquid diet with fat from almonds and another group that ingested a liquid diet of complex carbohydrates. The results showed that the people which belonged to the almond group lost more weight and experienced a greater drop in waist size. Although, the study was conducted for diabetic patients, the results can apply to people who simply want to reduce their weight. So, eat almonds before you go to sleep everyday.
Protein shakes
Protein is one of the most important nutrients for weight loss. If your body gets enough proteins, it boosts your metabolism, reduces your appetite and helps you lose your body fat without losing any muscle. So how do you add more protein to your diet? Easy! You drink yummy protein shakes.
A protein shake is a drink made by mixing protein powder with water, although other ingredients are often added as well. You can search online for recipes like spinach flax protein smoothie, key lime pie shake, almond butter protein smoothie and other such delicious shakes that you can make easily before going to bed. But remember, protein shakes needs to be combined with a regular exercise schedule, for it to make any difference to your weight.
Mint
Mint is known to keep bloating and other stomach problems at bay while you are trying to reduce your weight. It is a helpful ingredient with a lot of health benefits, that you can use to make a drink.
University of Maryland Medical Center claims that mint relaxes your stomach muscles and increases bile flow, which improves your fat digestion process. So, if you can, drink mint lemonade or mint tea before going to bed, it will help your body digest fat optimally.
Whole grains
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that whole grains are superior in diet as compared to refined grains. During the experimentation, it was found that whole grains have the capability of increasing calorie loss by decreasing the number of calories retained during digestion, while speeding up metabolism simultaneously. So, make sure you cook a dinner that includes whole grains and consume it before you sleep. It will help you in digestion and calorie loss.
All these food items are amazing, aren’t they? Contrary to the popular belief that food is your enemy if you want to reduce fat, these food items actually help you battle your fat. These food items turn up your metabolism rate and increase your body’s capacity to burn up fat. Food has much more power than we give it credit for. We just need to right kind of food for the right kind of effect.
Along with this, all you need to do is to ensure that you get proper sleep. Our body needs its rest. It becomes difficult for our body to work on itself if we keep it busy in other tasks. A good sleep lasting the appropriate number of hours ensures that the body gets its own ‘me-time’ to work on itself. But remember – do not for moment think that your body can do without exercise. Keep trying to follow a disciplined exercise regimen coupled with the right food intake.
Now that you know what you have to do and what you have to eat before going to sleep, we are sure you will do it. Eating these foods is the easiest way to combat that fat you have always disliked. It is a tasty way to shape up your body. What are you waiting for? Go to the kitchen because that’s the place you should be right now.
Siddhi Panchal is a food blogger at CookingwithSiddhi and food aficionado who loves to cook. Her cooking skills cover a range of Indian and international cuisines. Her aim is to enable other food enthusiasts explore their love for food by helping them cook delectable dishes from India and around the world. Follow her on YouTube.
