Foods to Help Lose Weight & Gain Energy

All foods are not created equally. Certain foods enhance the body's ability to create energy and burn fat. There is not a need to drastically alter your diet or spend large sums on exotic minerals and vitamins. With a better understanding of which commonly consumed foods provide the body with more benefits, you can incorporate these into your daily eating routine with more regularity.

Omega-3 Foods

• To increase energy through eating, add more Omega-3 fatty acids. The lack of these fatty acids can cause fatigue, dry skin, reduced memory, depression and mood swings. Foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids are fish, walnuts and certain oils such as soybean, canola, flaxseed and olive. A study published in 2005 from the journal of Neuro Endocrinology Letters suggests that people who suffer from chronic fatigue would benefit from an increase of Omega-3s.

Eggs

• Eggs, including the yolks, are a beneficial weight loss food. A Louisiana State University study found that women on a low-calorie diet who ate an egg coupled with toast and jelly every morning lost double the amount of weight versus women who ate a bagel for breakfast with the same amount of calories but no eggs. David Grotto, R.D., author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, says, "Egg protein is filling, so you eat less later in the day."

Green Tea

• While green tea is technically not a food, its benefits are important for weight loss. Consuming large quantities of coffee and other caffeine-related beverages can lead to an increase in food cravings and enhance the cravings released from stress-related causes. Green tea provides a healthy alternative beverage that contains low levels of caffeine but also is filled with some very powerful ingredients. One such ingredient is called catechins. The main catechin is called epigallocatechin gallate, a powerful antioxidant that helps lower cholesterol and generate fat-burning.