Weight loss can be easy when you select the right items to be included in your diet and fig is one such fruit that can give you weight loss benefits while ensuring complete satiation.
Figs are sweet to taste and they can be a great substitution for sugar in your regular diet. Before getting into how to lose weight with figs, first let us inform you about how these fruits can offer the best weight loss benefits.
Figs are high in fiber content
This is one of the first reasons that make figs, good for weight loss.
Figs contain a good amount of dietary fibers that can fill your stomach easily, helping you to control your total calorie intake in a day.
The dietary fibers of this fruit also help in bowel formation and bowel movement and can be effective to cure problems like indigestion and constipation.
These fruits ensure a healthier digestive system which naturally aids in better metabolism and higher fat burning in the body. Consumption of figs can reduce your bulging stomach quickly, particularly if that is caused due to constipation or intestinal gas.
Ficin in figs help in better digestion
Apart from the fiber content of figs that make it ideal to give you satiation and digestive benefits, these fruits also contain an enzyme named Ficin.
This enzyme is a digestive enzyme that works efficiently along with the other enzymes secreted by your digestive tract to digest the food quickly.
Easy digestion and a healthy digestive system do not only ensure a healthy body but also provides weight loss benefits along with inch-loss effects of the stomach and waist region.
Figs contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids
Figs are quite high in omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acid content, which are not only healthy for your heart and cardiovascular system but also act as an overall health booster in the body.
Omega 3 fatty acids can be helpful to burn more calories in the muscles while exercising. This good fatty acid content of figs plays a primary role behind the weight loss benefits offered by these fruits.
Figs can replace your craving for deserts
Staying away completely from sweets and desserts can be a real challenge for the people with a sweet tooth and consuming anything with sugar content adds a lot of calories to the body.
Figs are sweet in taste and hence they can easily control your craving for sweets, while adding comparatively much less calories to your body. The sweet taste of figs keep you satiated for longer which again helps you to restrict your total calorie intake.
Other nutrients in fig
Figs are high in calcium content and they also offer a bunch of other vital vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, B Vitamins, magnesium, copper, iron, phosphorous, manganese and potassium, all of which are vital to maintain a perfect health and proper metabolism of the body.
The iron and calcium content of figs are quite high and they can effectively fight problems like anemia and bone density loss, ensuring overall better health. Figs are also a rich source of antioxidants that can give you anti-aging effects and can also be helpful to keep cancer at bay.
Include figs in your diet, but watch the portion closely
Having discussed about the benefits of including figs in your diet, and how they can help with weight loss, now let us inform you a word of caution. Keep in mind, though figs can be included in the weight loss diet effectively, they are not a minimum calorie fruit.
One large fig contains as much as 47 calories and their sweet taste can easily make you munch on a bit more, which is sure to add up to the total calorie intake.
Figs are considered effective for weight loss because you can have the same satiation level with just a few figs, that otherwise will need you to eat a lot.
They also make a comparatively low calorie and effective substitute for sweets and desserts, giving you all the weight loss benefits. However, if you get driven by their taste and consume more than you should, it is surely not going to give the desired weight loss benefits.
So, when you are including figs in your diet for weight loss, keep a close watch at how much you should consume and as a general rule, you should have them much less in number compared to other fruits.
How to eat figs for weight loss
Figs can be eaten whole, fresh as well as dried. When dried, the sweetness of figs is increased, making them even better for killing your craving for sweets.
The best thing about figs is that you can easily munch on them directly, or include them in your dishes or even in your baked items like cakes and pies.
They make a very effective and health friendly substitute for sugar or any artificial sweetener. However, always ensure that you are using figs in your diet to replace the sugar, and not to add with the sugar.
When you are eating figs for weight loss benefits, it is best to consume them fresh and whole. When you take fresh figs, along with the nutrients of the fruit a certain percentage of water also gets into your body.
This water, along with the dietary fibers present in figs, offers better satiation and controls your hunger effectively. When you are using them in dishes, replacing sugar, you might opt for the dried variety, because they will give more sweetness to the dish for a lesser amount and calories.
The right time to eat figs for weight loss
Always keep in mind that figs are not a low calorie fruit on which you can munch anytime you are feeling like snacking, particularly when you are looking for weight loss.
The best time to include fresh figs in your daily diet is to have them in your breakfast. During breakfast your body is in need of high calorie and including figs in your diet will give you that required energy as well as satiation for longer.
Another ideal time for having figs is 30 minutes before exercising. While exercising your body needs high energy and also burns up lots of calories, hence taking figs before exercising can be a good idea.
You can include figs in your diet, but skip them totally from your dinner. Being high calorie fruits they are not ideal for consumption after sunset when the metabolism process of your body naturally slows down and you tend to store more than burn.
So, when you are taking figs for its weight loss benefits keep the information provided in this article in mind and consume it in the right way to get the best effects and above all, do not forget to get adequate exercise.
