ORANGES FOR WEIGHT LOSS
The reason you feel hungry after taking oranges is that you only take the liquid part and throw off the fiber that’s supposed to keep you full.
Oranges are great for weight loss and there’s no better time to enjoy the sweet juicy taste of oranges than now. It’s the season and there are so many of them on the market, so why not seize the opportunity and take as much as you can every day?
Although oranges are mostly associated with being good sources of Vitamin C, there are also other health benefits they provide. The citrus fruit contains so many nutrients which provide these benefits.
Did you also know that oranges can be used to curb excess weight?
That’s right! Eating oranges can help bring down your weight. Oranges are packed with fat-burning properties, low in calories, has no fat or sodium, so if you’re trying to shed some weight in time for the holidays or just for your natural well-being, now is a good time to start adding oranges to your diets.
But how does this work?
In this article you’ll find:
- The nutritional value of an orange
- Health benefits of oranges
- Oranges for weight loss and how to use
- What is the best time to eat oranges?
THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF ORANGES
You might find this shocking, but a medium-sized orange contains the following:
- Calories: 60
- Fiber: 3g
- Proteins: 1g
- Sugar: 12g
- Vitamin A: 14 micrograms
- Vitamin C: 70 milligrams
- Potassium: 237 milligrams
- Calcium: 6% of recommended daily intake
- Folate
- Thiamine
HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORANGES
Oranges are famous for their Vitamin C content because most of the benefits you get taking them are due to the presence of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body in a lot of ways such as:
- Repairs and protects tissues from damage and improves the growth and development of cells
- It is essential for making collagen, a protein made in the body that helps heal wounds and gives you finer and smoother skin texture.
- It promotes the absorption of iron, thereby making it easier for your body to fight anemia
- Supports and boosts the functioning of your immune system
- Protects you from cancer-causing free radicals
- Slows the advancement of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that can lead to vision loss
However, Vitamin C in combination with other nutrients found in oranges can provide other health benefits such as:
Maintains and improves the health of your digestive system: the fiber in oranges helps with bowel movements and so prevents digestive problems such as constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Great for healthy and strong bones: oranges are a rich and easy source of calcium, an important nutrient that keeps your bones, teeth, organs, and muscles strong.
Improves heart health: oranges are also rich in potassium which helps in lowering blood pressure, however, aside from that, the fiber in oranges helps keep your cholesterol levels and risk of developing a heart disease low.
Prevents diseases: Oranges also have anti-inflammatory properties, so they can reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
Beneficial for diabetics: if you’re a diabetic, taking oranges will help slow the way your body absorbs sugar, plus, the sugar in oranges is natural, so it’ll be easy for your body to synthesize.
Good source of folate: folate is a compound of Vitamin B that is responsible for producing DNA and RNA, as well as red blood cells and white blood cells in the bone marrow, and converts carbohydrates into energy. Folates are essential especially for pregnant women and their babies because it helps prevent birth defect.
Rich source of citric acid and citrates: now you can’t talk of the health benefits of citrus fruit without mentioning this. Citric acid and citrates help prevent the formation of kidney stones.
ORANGES FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND HOW TO USE
As we have said, oranges have fat-burning properties, however, only taking oranges will not make you lose weight because although it contains a low amount of calorie, it still contains calorie, and to lose weight, you need to burn more calorie than you use.
Nevertheless, adding oranges to your diet, with a few lifestyle changes will help you lose weight, they are still rich in fiber and there is no evidence of weight gain due to their high sugar content, instead, research shows that Vitamin C can help with weight loss.
So how can you use oranges for weight loss?
There are several ways to use oranges for weight loss, both the peels and the pulp can be used for weight loss. Here are some ways to use oranges for weight loss:
As a Snack: if you have sweet tooth and constantly looking for what to eat, snacking on processed foods such as chips, will make weight loss difficult, since foods like that contain high calories. However, oranges are healthier and better alternatives. they have low calories and rich in fiber, so you’ll be kept satiated for a while before looking for the next thing to eat. Eating an orange before each meal will help with portion control.
Make a Salad: you can never go wrong with a salad. Combining oranges with any of your preferred fruit choices to make a fruit salad, is not just delicious and healthy, it will also keep you full, hence, reducing your food cravings.
Orange Tea: well like we’ve said, not only the pulp of oranges is great for weight loss, but the peels also, no matter how bitter they may taste. Research has it that orange peel extract has anti-obesity properties.
You can make orange tea either by boiling the fresh orange peels or drying them first and grinding them into a fine powder that you can brew in hot water, sieve off and drink. You can also add cinnamon or honey to improve the taste. Orange peel powder can also be added to your smoothies or milkshake or you can sprinkle it with powdered powder over your home-baked cookies or pies.
However, make sure to always wash your oranges before using them in any way.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO EAT ORANGES?
The best time to eat oranges is usually in the mornings before breakfast, after a workout, or in the evening.
Since oranges are acidic, eating them after a meal will lead to increased production of stomach acid which can result in gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Plus, since oranges can make you feel full, eating them after a meal before going to bed can be unwise, unless you don’t mind going to bed with a heavy stomach.
On an empty stomach, your body can easily and quickly absorb the nutrients in oranges.
CONCLUSION
Overall, you can use oranges for weight loss and at the same enjoy all the benefits of the fruits, however, to use oranges for weight loss, you have to be using more calories than you take.
REFERENCES
Why you must eat an orange every day | Be Beautiful India www.bebeautiful.in
Oranges for weight loss: how this winter fruit can help you burn belly fat www-timesnownews-com.cdn.ampproject.org
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BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO CREATING A WORKOUT PLAN https://link.medium.com/5Vp8C7JDRtb
MY FITNESS JOURNEY SO FAR https://medium.com/@catherinepatrick51/my-fitness-journey-so-far-f05aaad72f08
