Top 5 Fermented Foods for WeightLoss

Fermented foods have become increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts for losing weight due to their fat burning properties.

There is a significant shift from calorie counting to eating healthy foods where current diet trends are concerned, and some fermented foods for weight loss are much better than others.

While eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly is the best way to shed those pesky pounds, you can trick your body into burning fat quickly with the help of probiotic enriched fermented foods.

Overall inflammation in the body is reduced by friendly probiotics found in most fermented foods. This is particularly useful for losing weight rapidly, since you can get rid of the water weight with no effort at all.

Eating healthy veggies has always been the cornerstone of every diet. However, by fermenting the veggies, you give your body an extra probiotic boost which aids in the secretion of liptin and other satiety hormones. (Weight loss is easy when you feel less hungry.)

Here are 5 fermented foods for losing weight.

1. Raw Pickled Vegetables To Lose Weight

Add everything from sauerkraut and gherkins to kimchi in your diet as a side salad to have the pounds simply fall away. Pickled vegetables are a great source of nutrients which boost your body’s immunity and protect you from catching colds while on a diet.

Only a bite of any pungent, sour, pickled vegetable will have the digestive juices flowing in your gut. This is good for digestion and elimination of toxic wastes.

You are less likely to suffer from hunger pangs and cravings when your body is able to extract adequate amounts of nutrients from the food you eat.

This bacteria-rich superfood aids in digestion, heals the gut, and improves metabolism while adding many detoxifying and anti-inflammatory agents to boost overall health.

Pickled vegetables also allow your body to expel unwanted gunk that hinders weight loss.

The best part about this yummy probiotic snack is that a single cup contains only 13 to 18 calories with all the essential vitamins that your body requires.

However, don’t start gorging on the jar itself because pickled vegetables are fermented in brine solution and are high in sodium content.

Limit yourself to one cup a day or your body may start retaining excess water. You could try leaving out salt from other things you eat to even out sodium levels in your body.

2. Kombucha and WeightLoss

This stylish fizzy probiotic beverage is all the rage these days. The yummy bubbly consistency in numerous flavors makes it an easy to drink fermented beverage.

You can have your probiotic fix by replacing these with beer and enjoy the mild alcoholic twist. It is best to make kombucha tea at home. You can invest in a starter kit which will last years.

You could also ask around among your fitness enthusiast buddies and see if anyone can spare a bit of their SCOBY (short for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Making the tea is very simple with minimal requirements – black tea or green tea, SCOBY, flavoring herbs, and a mason jar.

There are many good brands like Health-Ade and GT’sout there as well which go easy on the sugar and added flavoring agents if you don’t want the hassle of brewing your own batch.

3. Kefir Milk

Kefir milk is regular plain milk fermented with the help of kefir grains. If you are lactose intolerant, you could opt for alternative kefir milk made with coconut milk or almond milk. You could also have some kefir water mixed with juice or simply ferment your favorite fruit juice with kefir grains.

Like kombucha, fermenting your own batch of kefir is not difficult. However, the SCOBY used in kefir milk is different from kombucha. Kefir milk is rich in casein and makes a great bedtime snack, especially if you plan on hitting the gym in the morning.

Kefir milk is a nutritional powerhouse in itself with a far better nutritional and probiotic profile than yogurt, with half the calories.

4. Tempeh

Tempeh is a soy-based fermented food, native to Indonesia, where it is had raw. These crumbly textured patties are available in major health stores and in many supermarkets as well.

Like with all things soy, tempeh is high in proteins and essential nutrients that help in absorption of amino acids.

Your body finds it easier to lose fat and build muscles when your daily protein requirement is met. Fermentation process to make tempeh changes the nutritional structure of soy. This helps your body digest it easier to absorb all nutrients.

You can have it raw with a dash of soy sauce tossed in your favorite salad. Its earthy texture does not allow it to be as versatile as tofu, but you can eat it chopped up or tossed into a stir-fry.

Never cook tempeh on high heat because friendly bacteria are heat sensitive and cannot withstand extreme temperatures.

5. Eating Sprouts When Dieting

Sprouts made from germinated seeds of grains or legumes are mighty superfoods. These tiny seeds can help you slim, trim, and achieve the figure of your dreams.

Their fiber-rich profile keeps you full for longer. The incredible enzymes and minerals present in sprouts help detoxify the body and purify blood while lowering cholesterol levels.

Most people cannot stomach the texture and flavor of fermented foods. Sprouts are the perfect way to get some probiotics in your system and cover your daily protein requirement without the slimy texture common to most fermented foods.

Another reason to have these nutritious, low fat delights is that the fiber present in them can tame hunger pangs without breaking your calorie bank.

Fiber is especially great with fermented foods, creating a synbiotic meal, where probiotics and prebiotics work together in your system. Prebiotics help probiotics gain nourishment and flourish in your gut flora. This helps keep your gut healthy aiding your weight loss efforts.

Things to Consider When Using Fermented Foods to Lose Weight

Try fermenting your own foods at home as much as possible. This gives you complete control over the ingredients. Most store bought products are not fermented slowly, resulting in poor nutritional value and almost zero probiotic strains.

This is especially true where sauerkraut and pickled vegetables are concerned. Store bought jars are vinegar cured which kills the friendly probiotics.

You may also consider taking a probiotic supplement along with fermented dietary sources. This will aid your long term weight goals, as well as, keep your digestion running smooth.