When embarking on a weight loss journey, many people will begin by reconstructing their diet as a starting point. In addition to changes in exercise habits, a balanced, calorie appropriate diet is the key to healthy weight loss. Sadly, as one begins to reform their diet, the first step is saying goodbye to their favorite snacks, sweets, and other indulgences that create a calorie excess. As a new diet is formed, many people believe that one addition to their diet, be it a special tea or bar, can enable their body to start losing weight. Some people may ask the question:
CAN SUNFLOWER SEEDS HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?
The answer is yes, and no. While seeds alone can satisfy snacking cravings and provide healthy nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc, they cannot enable your body to lose weight automatically. The truth is that only reducing the amount of food intake or increasing the amount of exercise while maintaining the same caloric intake can enable weight loss. While on a weight loss diet, it is important to burn more calories than you consume in order to eliminate excess fat from your body.
SO THEN HOW CAN SUNFLOWER SEEDS ENABLE WEIGHT LOSS?
Excess calorie intake often results from snacking on high calorie foods like candy, chocolate bars, chips, or soda. By transitioning to lower calorie snacks with higher nutritional value, such as sunflower seeds, a lower overall calorie intake can more easily be achieved. In-shell sunflower seeds also take longer to eat while allowing you to continuously snack for longer periods and still limit calorie intake. The slow eating nature of sunflower seeds can trick your body into feeling fuller, and is great for curbing hunger when on calorie restricting diets such as intermittent fasting. Seeds are a great replacement for potato chips, giving you a salty crunch that packs a nutritional punch.
Sunflower seeds integrated in to a weight-loss diet can provide more valuable nutrients than many snack items, while actively providing sustained energy. Snacking on seeds provides fiber, protein, and healthy fats, all of which can help you feel full longer and fight off more calorie dense snacking choices.
Go ahead and tear open a bag of South Forty Seeds and get to healthy snacking to support those weight loss goals!
References
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170562/nutrients
https://www.eatright.org/health/weight-loss/your-health-and-your-weight/back-to-basics-for-healthy-weight-loss