Nutrition for Weight Loss: 10 Reasons Why Whole Foods Help You Lose Weight

Long before it was the name of a market, “whole foods” was synonymous with healthy eating habits, focusing on foods that support healthy body function at every stage of life. 

Sometimes called “real foods,” whole foods are unprocessed or only lightly processed, featuring nutrients in their natural state, without artificial additives. 

Whole foods offer plenty of wellness benefits, including helping you manage your weight. At Premier Physicians Weight Loss and Wellness, Dana Trippi, DO, and her team help patients in and around Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, make healthy dietary changes to achieve their weight loss goals. 

Here are 10 ways whole foods can help you lose weight.

1. They don’t have refined sugars

Most of us know that sugary foods can lead to weight gain. But many don’t know that sugary foods are also highly addictive. 

Sugars hide in many processed foods in one way or another; even when you think you’re buying a healthy packaged food, you’re probably also buying — and consuming — sugar in some form.

Whole foods don’t have processed and refined sugars. When you focus on whole foods, you still feel satisfied, but you won’t perpetuate an unhealthy sugar addiction.

2. They help manage blood sugar

Because whole foods don’t have refined sugars, they’re also better at helping you manage your blood sugar, or glucose, levels. When glucose levels fluctuate, you can feel sharp spikes of hunger that can lead to overeating — and eventually, diabetes.

3. They’re chock full of important nutrients

Since food cravings are often driven by nutritional deficiencies, including more whole foods in your eating plan is a great way to reduce overeating while boosting your health at the same time.

4. They’re packed with fiber

Fiber helps keep your digestive system functioning by promoting regular bowel movements. When your digestive system is working optimally, calories, fats, and other substances don’t hang around as long. Your body digests the good contents and efficiently eliminates the rest. 

5. They help you feel fuller longer

A lack of refined sugar and a wealth of fiber also mean that whole foods can fill you up better, so you won’t feel inclined to snack on unhealthy foods between meals. Fruits, vegetables, and grains contain insoluble fiber that doesn’t break down but instead helps you feel satiated.

6. They help you cut back on unhealthy foods

Feeling full longer helps you lose weight by cutting back on overindulging. But it also helps by curbing your cravings for unhealthy foods. That means the calories you consume support optimal health while helping you keep your weight in check.

7. They give you energy

Your body was designed to thrive on natural, whole foods. The energy those foods provide releases natural sugars and calories to support activity. As a result, you feel more energized throughout the day instead of having brief bursts of energy followed by fatigue and weariness.

8. They’re a good source of antioxidants

Antioxidants are vitamins and other nutrients that help you fight off damaging, age-related cellular changes. Focusing on whole foods helps your body maintain normal function, so it can process calories and waste more efficiently.

9. They don’t contain artificial trans fats

Trans fats occur naturally in some foods, but in processed foods, they come from processing natural oils into oils and fats that are “shelf stable.” That helps food manufacturers and grocers, but it wreaks havoc on your health and weight. 

In fact, trans fats are so bad for you, the FDA has placed strict limits on their use in most foods.

10. They support a healthy lifestyle

Whole foods support healthy bones, muscles, and other tissues, so you can enjoy a healthier lifestyle overall. When you focus on whole foods, your body is primed for physical activity to help those pounds melt away. 

At Premier Physicians Weight Loss and Wellness, the team of Dr. Trippi, Jonathan Tyler, PA-C, Erin Morledge, APRN, Sara Roberts, APRN, Ariana Mancilla, APRN, Michael Mariano, APRN, and Katie Visman, DNP, offers medical weight loss and nutrition management to help you make healthy changes to your diet.

To learn more, call the office nearest you or request an appointment online today.