When it comes to the best healthy breakfasts for weight loss, it’s hard to compete with fiber-rich oatmeal. Not only is oatmeal delicious and versatile, but it’s also highly satiating and great for your digestion, all of which makes it a fantastic way to start your day if you’re looking to shed pounds. However, it’s important to remember that oatmeal can only be as healthy as the ingredients you add to it. Loading your morning oats with sugar and other fattening ingredients is a poor choice for your health. Luckily, though, there are plenty of delicious toppings you can sprinkle into your bowl to aid weight loss and even boost your metabolism (which can become increasingly difficult as you age). That includes the small but mighty chia seeds.
To learn more about how adding chia seeds to your oatmeal can help you achieve a faster metabolism and reach your goal weight over 40, we spoke to registered nutritionist Krutika Nanavati. Read on for more insight on the benefits of this powerful superfood!
Chia seeds for weight loss
In general, nuts and seeds make some of the best snacks, oatmeal toppings, and yogurt add-ins for weight loss. They offer up healthy fats, they're satiating, and they're delicious. Nanavati notes that chia seeds, in particular, can do wonders for helping you slim down—and they work perfectly in oatmeal.
"Adding a few tablespoons of seeds to your diet daily will give you all the amazing benefits these superfoods have to offer," she tells us, raving that these seeds are "packed with dietary fiber that helps control hunger, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce inflammation in the body." Perfect!
As far as the metabolism-boosting properties of chia seeds go, you can thank their rich nutrient content for that. According to Nanavati, they "also contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals that help boost metabolism, so you burn more calories and fat more quickly."
They can even help reduce insulin resistance, which is another great way to support a healthy metabolism. All in all, when combined with other healthy habits, working some chia seeds into your diet is a tiny way to make a big difference in your health. Your body—and your waistline—will thank you!
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