There are many reasons to eat leafy greens. Green leafy vegetables can reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and keep the brain alert. From crispy kale totasty chardto classic lettuce, the health benefits these foods bring are countless. But one strain in particular stands out when it comes to helping you lose weight. Read on to find out which greens top the list of leafy greens for weight loss.
The best leafy greens for weight loss
We all know that green leafy vegetables are healthy. Another advantage that should not be neglected is the low number of calories that these vegetables have. This makes them a real helper in the fight against excess pounds. But is there a variety that is better for losing weight than the others?
According to nutritionists, spinach is the best leafy vegetable if you want to lose weight. There are several reasons for this too. For one thing, spinach is super low in calories, and everyone knows that calorie restriction is an age-old method for shedding pounds. 100 grams of raw spinach only contains 20 calories, but it contains many valuable nutrients.
The second reason why spinach is the best leafy vegetable for weight loss has to do with the fact that it contains almost no carbohydrates. The almost 2 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of raw spinach are practically not worth mentioning, which makes the vegetable an integral part ofLow carb recipesmight. Reducing carbohydrates promotes weight loss, and spinach is a great way to maintain vegetable consumption while on a low-carb diet. Thirdly, spinach is also rich in insoluble fiber, which keeps you feeling full for a long time and stimulates digestion.
Make sure you consume it appropriately
However, you should know that too much of a good thing is not always better. Eating a lot of leafy green vegetables can mess up your thyroid, making it difficult to lose weight. Additionally, eating large amounts of spinach can lead to the formation of kidney stones - especially if you are prone to stone formation.
To get the most out of spinach and successfully use the vegetable to lose weight, a 30 g serving per day is sufficient. Here's how to get all the nutritional benefits of spinach without overdoing it.
Eat spinach raw or cooked?
Did you know that there is often a difference in the number of calories between raw and cooked foods? Raw vegetables generally have fewer calories than cooked vegetables. One reason for this is that raw foods contain more water, which evaporates when cooked, making the food more calorie dense when cooked. An extreme example of a calorie difference between raw and cooked vegetables is spinach. A 30g serving of raw spinach has around 7 calories, while the same serving of cooked spinach has around 41 calories. Even at 41 calories per serving, cooked spinach doesn't do any harm when it comes to creating a calorie deficit for weight loss.
From a health perspective, there are also differences between raw and cooked spinach. However, both bring certain health benefits:
Benefits of Raw Spinach: Rich in many important nutrients, some of which are more available to our bodies when we consume them raw. These include folic acid, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin and potassium.
Benefits of Cooked Spinach: When you eat spinach that has been steamed, you absorb more vitamins A and E, protein, fiber, zinc, thiamine, calcium and iron. Important carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are also better absorbed.
Conclusion
Spinach can speed up the weight loss process and make it easier for you to shed the extra pounds. All you have to do is eat just 30 grams of spinach daily and the extra body fat will leave you alone.
