How to Lose Weight With Berries

Berries are full of helpful vitamins, in particular vitamin C, antioxidants and nutrients needed in your diet to help you lose weight. Vitamin C processes fat quickly in the body by diluting it and helping to remove it from the body. Antioxidants protect against cell damage that results when your body breaks down fat molecules, called oxidation. Berries also contain the phytochemical C3G, which aids in a higher production of adiponectin and leptin in the body. Adiponectin promotes fat burning in your body, while leptin is a natural appetite suppressant.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a blueberry smoothie for breakfast. Combine 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt, and ½ cup orange juice. Blend in a blender until it reaches the desired thickness, about 15 to 20 seconds. The high vitamin-C and antioxidant content in blueberries helps boost your metabolism, and its high fiber content leaves you feeling fuller longer. According to Fit Day, 1 cup of blueberries contains only 81 calories and 31 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. If smoothies aren't your thing, add a handful of blueberries to unsweetened oatmeal or shredded wheat.

• 2

  Prepare lunch with lean meats, vegetables and a glass of sugar-free cranberry juice to control your caloric intake. Cranberry juice contains a high amount of organic acids that help break down fat deposits and fatty foods. This berry also has purifying properties that helps to release toxins from the body, which aids in weight loss. In addition to creating energy, the antioxidants in berries help control inflammation in the body.

• 3

  Balance a dinner salad by adding sliced strawberries coupled with walnuts. Both are fat-fighting foods that contain nutrients that help break down the fat in your body. Increase your vitamin C intake by putting arugula in your salad. Berries have a lower energy density, the calories per gram in food, due to the natural amount of fiber and water they contain. Lower-energy-density foods leave you feeling fuller for longer periods of time, which helps you consume less and ultimately lose weight.