Raspberries and Weight Loss

Here's a brief background on how and what I eat on a regular basis.  Pretty much I try to eat fresh foods.  I shop the exterior edges of the grocery store. I choose lower carb vegetables, meats, eggs and dairy. I use flax, coconut flour and almond flour for my baking. So I am essentially gluten free as well as a result.  I try to sweeting things with Stevia but still sometime use Splenda because I've never had a problem with it. I also use "Xylitol which is a low-calorie sugar substitute extracted from raspberries. A teaspoonful of xylitol contains just 9.6 calories as compared to that of sugar, which has 15 calories. Xylitol absorbs more slowly in the intestines than sugar and does not contribute to high glycemic index, and thus, can be helpful in diabetics." www.nutrition-and-you.com I will write more on sweeteners and their pro's and cons in a future post. I generally track the carbs and fiber and keep an eye on the calories.

Kefir Berry Breakfast Pudding

I have my own probiotic version of low carb. I probably eat a bit more dairy because I believe in the incredible benefits of kefir. We make our own fresh kefir daily. We also make and eat fermented vegetables. Fermenting increases the bio available vitamins the body is able to use as well as having excellent probiotic benefits.   I still have weight I would like to loose in my effort to be stronger and healthier but my focus is less on weight loss and more on eating in such a way as to benefit and keep my body healthy as well as to keep my blood sugar stable. 

This post however is about raspberries and weight loss. A cup of raspberries has 64 calories and 8 grahams of fiber and pretty much no fat. The carbs for a cup of raspberries is 14.69 but when you subtract the fiber the Net Carbs that actually effect you are only 7.  The estimated glycemic load is 3.  I eat very little fruit because in general because the sugar content is too high for me. I do eat berries as a treat but I probably wouldn't eat a whole cup of berries because they are still mostly a carbohydrate.  I do like to add them to my kefir breakfast pudding and to coconut flax muffins. I also keep them in the freezer as a refreshing snack. 

"One of the most fascinating new areas of raspberry research involves the potential for raspberries to improve management of obesity. Although this research is in its early stages, scientists now know that metabolism in our fat cells can be increased by phytonutrients found in raspberries, especially rheosmin (also called raspberry ketone). By increasing enzyme activity, oxygen consumption, and heat production in certain types of fat cells, raspberry phytonutrients like rheosmin may be able to decrease risk of obesity as well as risk of fatty liver. In addition to these benefits, rheosmin can decrease activity of a fat-digesting enzyme released by our pancreas called pancreatic lipase. This decrease in enzyme activity may result in less digestion and absorption of fat." George Mateljan Foundation

Another benefit of raspberries is that they are high in fiber. High fiber foods take longer to digest. This helps keep you feeling full longer. Fiber also acts like a broom to sweep the intestinal lining and helps keep you regular. 

"Raspberries have been shown to contain a natural substance called ketones, which are similar to capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their fire. Animal studies have found that raspberry ketones prevented an increase in overall body fat and visceral fat, the deep internal belly fat considered to be most dangerous due to its relationship to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers." according to shape.com

Interestingly Shape.com lists raspberries and kefir as 2 of 4 super foods for weight loss.  Here's what they say about kefir. Kefir "This fermented milk drink can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s milk or a plant-based version like coconut milk. Kefir is loaded with beneficial bacteria — about 10 different strains compared to the 2-3 found in most yogurts, and those live and active cultures are thought to favor weight control. A recent Japanese study found that subjects who drank a fermented milk product for 12 weeks shed nearly 5 percent of their belly fat."

I like to make kefir and berry smoothies. Think about the benefits of these super foods combines. The other two they list are water and lima beans. Here's the link back to that article if you would like to read more.  I promise to write more about kefir in the very near future. 

As always I try to share the information I have discovered and what I have found from experience to be helpful on my Self Care Wellness journey. I however encourage you to do your own research and to consult your doctor or nutritionist. 

My Self Care Wellness Activity: 
Do some of your own research on raspberries. The more you know the better able you are to implement meaningful and purposeful change in your life.