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When an estimated 45 million Americans are thought to be on some kind of diet, you know it’s a big deal.

Yet I’ve found many of those diets have a huge flaw: They focus on what isn’t supposed to be eaten, rather than what should be eaten.

My husband, who has struggled with his weight since high school, discovered a way to maintain his healthy weight without a crazy diet plan. Instead of concentrating on the categories of food groups that he shouldn’t eat, he integrates food groups into his diets that will help him maintain a healthy weight. One of these types of edibles is prebiotics, and I’m fortunate—as is my waistline—that my husband discovered them.

How prebiotics work to battle the bulge:

You may have heard about probiotics, contained within cultured foods like yogurt and sourdough bread. These organisms assist in the productivity of intestinal functions.

Prebiotics feed probiotics, so our diets deserves a whopping dosage of both.

Foods containing prebiotics possess high amounts of soluble fiber. The fiber is filling, but does not contribute to the overall calorie intake because it cannot be processed by the body.

Here’s what occurs to help drive the body into energy-burning gear:

We eat several foods containing both probiotics and prebiotics.

Prebiotics make us feel as though we’ve had a feast without adding unwanted fats or carbs into your diet plan. The probiotics, fueled by the prebiotics, then go into action making sure that we’re breaking down our food efficiently.

Hand-in-hand, prebiotics and probiotics can increase our weight loss and maintain a healthy weight.

Where do we find prebiotics?

Find prebiotics in such foods as fruits, legumes and vegetables, such as Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, yams, garlic, asparagus, soybeans and onions.

Almonds (the unsalted kind) are another source of prebiotics.

In addition to these, galactooligosaccharide (GOS) is a source of prebiotics. This naturally occurring ingredient is found in breast milk and to a lesser degree in cow milk. If you find eating tons of these types of foods containing prebiotics is difficult, or you’re allergic to numerous of the prebiotics food sources, you can always take prebiotic supplements.

How prebiotics can bust fat and deflate depression:

When I entered my 30s, I noticed that no matter what diet I tried, I just couldn’t rid myself of those last 15 or 20 pounds. It was taking a toll on me, and I ended up falling into a very depressing time in my life.

Depression is a known side effect of having too much weight on your body, or being clinically obese. Feeling that there must be a better way to deal with my weight and mood, I researched and found out about the probiotics-prebiotics link thus began a newfound interest in ways to get slimmer using organic ingredients.

Over time, my dependence on pharmaceutical drugs for my depression waned and I managed to shed the final pounds and have kept it off for more than five years.

Obviously, any change in your eating habits should be discussed with your physician, but I highly recommend adding prebiotics to your daily food mix. Your body and mind will only benefit from the change.

~

References

Probiotics and Prebiotics: Ask the Nutritionist. WebMD, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Is Your Diet Plan Supported by Science? Prebiotin, 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

The Best Prebiotics to Eat. Livestrong, 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Prebiotics and Probiotics: The Dynamic Duo. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, June 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Nutrition & Weight Management. Boston Medical Center, 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Study Defines Link Between Depression and Obesity in Adolescent Girls. Rutgers University, 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

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Author: Ali Lawrence

Apprentice Editor: Katarina Tavčar / Editor: Renee Picard

Photo: George Grinsted on Flickr