The Best Way to Lose Weight is to Increase Your Food and Drink Intake!

It may sound counterintuitive, but according to dietitians and nutritionists, the best way to lose weight is to actually increase some of your food and drink intake.

Yes, it is true. However, before you ring up the pizza delivery place for an order of meaty pizza with a double layer of cheese, you might actually want to consider precisely what foods and drinks you should help yourself to in order to shed off some points off the bathroom scale. Needless to say, stocking up on pizzas, oily meat and double heaping of cheese is not the best way to lose weight.

But there are some other edibles you can eat as much as you can, whenever, wherever.

1. Vegetables would top that list very easily. Two or three servings per day are the recommended volume. That would be about 1 cup of raw vegetables or ½ cup of lightly cooked vegetable dish per meal. However, you can increase this if you feel less than satisfied with what is currently on your plate.

Raw vegetables have most of its nutrients intact, which means that you can gain the most benefits from eating these washed, peeled and simply cut. Dieticians and nutritionists are also recommending these as healthy snacks in case you come down with a serious case of munchies. Some of the best raw vegetables you can munch on are: carrots, celery, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, and all manner of herbs.

However, if you prefer cooked vegetables instead, make sure that these are lightly cooked (steamed, or grilled) and that these are not over marinated or swimming in oil or broths made of heavy creams. It is actually very easy to remember which vegetables you can increase in your meals. These would be the vibrantly colored ones.

2. There are certain fruits that you can increase in your daily meals. Take note of the fact that not all fruits are recommended for consuming on large volumes because these may contain high levels of fats, or have adverse effects on your health altogether. Avocadoes, apricots, mangoes are high in fat so these must be limited. However, you can go all out on some of the more fibrous fruits. Peppers and tomatoes are fruits that are very often used in dishes. These can be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Apples, cantaloupes, pears, water melons are also especially great because these contain high volumes of liquid and fiber. Bananas should be limited to one piece per serving, or a maximum of 3 per day.

Try to eat the fruits as they are. Juicing them may make them easier to swallow, but it also releases the sorbitol compounds (from the natural sugars of the fruits). And sorbitol is not a good compound to take in large volumes because these trigger hunger pangs and food cravings as well. Eat the fruits whole and fresh. These are far better than eating them dried or pickled or swimming in caramel.

3. Water is always part of the good elements when it comes to the best way to lose weight. 8 glasses of water per day is the recommended volume. However, you can increase this as much as you want, as long as you know that you are drinking safe water. Try to steer clear of those that contain flavors, because these contain calories as well. Other liquids like sports drinks, tea, coffee, and cola may contain water, but these contain other ingredients that may not be safe to consume in large amounts. Even the innocuous tea contains caffeine which can accelerate the heart's movements. Stick to plain, unflavored water, and you can literally have as much as you want.