When it comes to losing weight, there are various options regarding meal plans and eating habits that are safe for your overall health and also offer the kind of results that will help you reach your goals.

However, some are more effective than others. Indeed, according to new research, your best bet might be to opt for a vegan diet that doesn’t focus on restricting calories but does include a fair share of legumes.

A study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine that was recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics involved 244 participants who were all considered to be overweight. While some kept to their normal diets, others were asked to switch over to a low-fat vegan diet that didn’t require restricting calories.

After four months, those who stuck with a vegan diet dropped 13 pounds on average while participants who specifically consumed plenty of legumes lost weight and fat mass as well as visceral adipose tissue.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

“Our research shows that the best way to improve the quality of your health is to improve the quality of the foods you eat,” noted study co-author Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee, according to EurekAlert!. “That means avoiding animal products and eating a vegan diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.”

When it comes to why a vegan diet is so effective, Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD senior clinical dietitian at UCLA medical center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding school of public health, tells Eat This, Not That!, “It focuses (when it’s a whole food vegan diet) on unprocessed foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, plant proteins, and water content. This type of diet is very filling and satiating, so you don’t realize you’re eating fewer calories.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

On top of that, Hunnes says “these foods are anti-inflammatory, lower in calories, and help regulate hormones,” which “is good for health and weight loss.”

As for legumes, Hunnes explains that “they are incredibly high in fiber and protein which makes them very filling.” Beyond that, they also “raise your body temperature during digestion (the thermic effect of food), so you burn more calories to digest them.”

To find out more about how certain legumes can benefit your health, be sure to read Secret Side Effects of Eating Beans, Says Science.

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When it comes to diets that might help you lose potentially unhealthy pounds, there are certainly quite a few options. However, when it comes to the one that can result in significant and lasting weight loss, the keto diet may be your best bet, according to a new study.

In the study that was presented at the 8th International Scientific Symposium New Frontiers in Scientific Research from the PronoKal, via Medscape, patients were put on a keto diet that saw them consuming a mere 600 to 800 calories per day, which resulted in those involved both losing weight and maintaining that weight loss.

When it comes to why this low-calorie keto diet was effective, Ana Belén Crujeiras, principal investigator of the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela-Galician Health Service Group of Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition and the Biomedical Research Networking Center for Obesity and Nutrition Physiopathology, explained that in order “to achieve this metabolic state (ketosis), routes that require the combustion of fats are activated, and this induces body weight loss.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Crujeiras added, “Our work has shown that the very-low-calorie ketogenic diet is effective for rapid weight loss and maintenance of lost weight, as well as reducing fat mass, primarily visceral fat mass.”

Granted, “anyone who is put on a 600 to 800 calorie diet will lose weight regardless of if you are following a keto diet or a high-carb, low-fat diet,” Kimberly Duffy, RDN, LD, CPT, tells Eat This, Not That!.

Duffy adds that ‘the problem comes in maintaining the weight loss long term,” saying that “the keto diet is one which cannot be sustained and when a person goes off the diet, weight regain can be quite rapid.”

Beyond that, Duffy notes that “extreme restriction and guilt around food choices leads to binge eating and a dysfunctional relationship with food.”

“As a dietitian, I don’t recommend a low-calorie diet to anyone,” Duffy adds, noting that she prefers to teach her clients to make “small changes which can become lifelong habits.”

To find out more about the best and safest ways to lose weight and keep it off, be sure to read Eating Habits for Weight Loss That Experts Say Actually Work.

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When focusing on weight loss, there are so many diets and habits to help you reach your goals. However, with all the types of diets and foods, how do you know what’s the right option for you? You’re then trying all these different methods because you hear about celebrity weight loss, or a new trend or popular diet. It seems like finding a way to lose weight is overwhelming.

Well now there’s one diet you can eliminate from your options. According to a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine, the intermittent fasting diet does not actually work. In fact, it is no more effective than simply just counting your calories.

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 139 patients with obesity to a time-restricted eating schedule, also known as intermittent fasting, as well as calorie restrictions. The group with a restricted eating schedule was allowed to only eat between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The other group just had a daily calorie restriction without having to eat during a given time frame. For 12 months, both groups had to follow a calorie-restricted diet that consisted of 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men and 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for women.

118 of the 139 participants completed the 12-month follow-up visit. The average weight loss in the time-restriction group was 8.0 kg, and 6.3 kg for the daily-calorie-restriction group. Results of analyses also took waist circumferences, BMI, body fat, body lean mass, blood pressure, and metabolic risk factors into consideration.

This showed that among patients with obesity, a regimen of time-restricted eating was not more beneficial with regard to loss of body weight, body fat, or metabolic risk factors than daily calorie restriction.

In addition, there were no substantial differences between the groups in the number of unexpected medical problems that happened during the study.

This study backs up previous research from JAMA Internal Medicine. In a very similar study, researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial that contained 116 adults who were overweight or obese.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The researchers concluded that time-restricted eating was associated with a very little weight decrease of 1.17%.  This was not significantly different from the decrease in the control group, who lost 0.75%. This showed that time-restricted eating did not show weight loss or benefits to cardiometabolic diseases– a spectrum of conditions ranging from insulin resistance to metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes, to more severe conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

RELATED: The Dangerous ‘Met Gala Diet’ Kim Kardashian Followed to Drop 16 Pounds.

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If losing a healthy amount of weight in a short amount of time is an ideal option for you, then there’s one eating habit that you should definitely consider.

In a review that was published in Nature Reviews: Endocrinology, researchers took a look at 21 different studies and found that fasting is an effective way to lose weight, “at least in the short term,” according to Medscape.

While focusing on trials that lasted around five to 12 weeks each and included anywhere from 10 to 150 primarily American participants, results showed alternate-day fasting, time-restricted eating, and the 5:2 diet “can all produce a mild to moderate 3% to 8% weight loss during 8 to 12 weeks.”

“These findings are impressive and I am glad that studies like this are being performed,” Trista Best, a Registered Dietitian at Balance One Supplements, Environmental Health Specialist, and Adjunct Nutrition Professor, tells Eat This, Not That!.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Beyond that, Best notes, “The benefits of fasting go far beyond weight loss, but these studies lay a great foundation to encourage would-be fad dieters to take part in a safe and sustainable means of weight loss.”

When it comes to what people should do if they want to use fasting to successfully and safely lose weight in a relatively short amount of time, Best explains that “when fasting, it is important to eat balanced meals during your eating window. It may be tempting to go longer without calories or eat fewer calories than you need during an eating window. However, this will result in slowed metabolism, weight loss plateau, and ultimately rebound weight gain.”

As for using a fasting method to keep weight off over a longer period of time, Best notes that, indeed, “fasting can be used long-term for weight loss along with many other health benefits. Fasting is a temporary restriction of calories that are replaced in a shorter window.

Therefore, it is unlike fad diets that require long-term, unsustainable calorie restriction, which leads to rebound weight gain.”

To find out more about alternate-day fasting, time-restricted eating, and the 5:2 diet, be sure to read 3 Effective Fasting Methods for Weight Loss, Science Says.

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If you’re the kind of person who likes to stay full between meals or needs a little extra fuel from time to time, then you may also find yourself snacking throughout the day.

While there are plenty of choices when it comes to snacks—from sweet to savory and creamy to crunchy—there are certainly some options that are better than others when it comes to how they impact your health.

For instance, a recent study by an international group of researchers which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has found that nuts and dried fruit can prevent abdominal fat as you get older.

During the study, 556 participants who were between 65 and 79 years old were expected to eat 30 grams of either nuts or dried fruit for at least three days each week. In the end, researchers noted that those who didn’t eat the recommended amount of suggested snacks had “a 19% higher prevalence of abdominal obesity,” according to EurekAlert!.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

“It’s exciting to see that more research is highlighting how dietary fats and fruit can help people maintain a healthy weight, especially since people tend to shy away from these types of foods when they are trying to lose weight,” Gaby Vaca-Flores, RDN tells Eat This, Not That!.

“Nuts are high in calories and healthy unsaturated fats,” and “play a role in weight loss by helping you feel less hungry throughout the day,” Vaca-Flores explains, while noting that “some evidence also suggests that eating nuts can help increase the calories that are burned during rest.”

As for dried fruit, Vaca-Flores notes that it “packs a lot of fiber” which “is an important part of any weight loss routine because it helps you feel fuller faster which can leave less room for unhealthier foods.”

With benefits like those, you’re surely wondering how many nuts and what amount of dried fruit you should be eating as well as how often you can snack on these options. Vaca-Flores suggests one ounce of nuts or 28 grams, while “adults should consume at least one and a half to two cups of fruit each day. Eating a combination of dried and fresh fruit can help you meet this goal.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Granted, you should also be aware of the fact that, as Vaca-Flores points out, “some nuts are sold with added salt for flavor. Eating foods that are high in salt can have negative effects on your heart and overall health.”

That’s why Vaca-Flores recommends reaching for plain, unsalted, and unflavored nuts.

At the same time, “some dried fruit is sold with added sugar which can set back your weight loss efforts. Additionally, dried fruit is usually smaller than fresh fruit, which can make it easy to overeat and accidentally add extra calories to your diet. I recommend portioning out your dried fruit separately instead of eating directly from the bag to prevent this from happening.”

To find out more about ideal mid-meal nibbles, be sure to read 50 Healthiest Snacks to Eat for Weight Loss.

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If you’ve been trying to lose a few stubborn pounds and finding that diet and exercise just aren’t doing the trick, a new study in the journal Diabetologia suggests there may be one quirky trick that might make a difference: How you’re using your indoor lighting.

Looking at 14 overweight men and women between the ages of 40 and 75, researchers had participants stay in a special indoor chamber that measured respiration rates for 40 hours. That measurement allowed them to determine factors like how quickly and when they were burning calories, both while awake and sleeping.

The time was broken into two separate sessions based on light exposure. One mimicked natural light with a bright day and dim evening, while the other flipped that sequence. In both sessions, participants were in darkness during the night and had regular meals that kept calorie and macronutrient content consistent.

Blood samples were taken before breakfast and dinner, then at 30-minute intervals in the four hours after both meals to determine triglycerides, insulin, melatonin, and glucose levels. All of those play a role in metabolism, according to lead author Jan-Frieder Harmsen, in the nutrition and movement science department at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

The study found that spending the day in bright light led to lower blood glucose levels before dinner compared to spending the day in dim light. By contrast, having bright light in the evening led to a reduction in sleeping metabolic rate, which means participants were eating the same amount but burning fewer calories as they slept.

While spending more time outdoors is always a good idea, Harmsen tells Eat This, Not That! that you don’t necessarily have to rely on outside lighting to get the benefits of the correct day-evening mix.

“Redesigning indoor lighting conditions so they mimic the natural light and dark cycle holds promise to improve metabolic health,” he says. “At the least, avoiding bright light in the evening can affect your glucose metabolism in significant ways that reduce risk of weight gain.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

To learn more about light and metabolism, check out Avoiding This One Thing Before Bed Can Help You Burn More Fat, New Study Says.

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Although losing weight might affect how your belly looks, the more important change could be what’s happening right beneath it. A recent study in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum found that even a modest amount of weight loss could reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.

Researchers looked at about 17,000 participants in a study on prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening and discovered that those who lost weight during the 5-year research period were 46% less likely to develop polyps in the colon. 

These growths, also called adenomas, are strongly associated with cancer development, and that’s why they’re removed during screening colonoscopies.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

How much weight loss made a difference? As little as 1.1 pounds, the researchers noted. In part, that’s because weight maintenance seemed to play a major role. Participants who gained about six pounds were 30% more likely to have polyps.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, the overall rate has been declining in the past 20 years. Many experts believe that’s likely due to more screening, including new recommendations that colonoscopies should start at age 45 instead of 50.

That decrease in cancer rates isn’t the same across all age groups, however. For people under 40, the trend is headed in the other direction, and that’s a huge problem, according to Yi-Qian Nancy You, MD, in the department of colon and rectal surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at The University of Texas.

She says that if current trends continue, it’s likely that colon cancer will increase by 90% in people under age 35, and rectal cancer could increase by about 125% percent by the year 2030.

“Higher prevalence is a significant concern, but another serious issue will be treatment,” she tells Eat This, Not That!. “About 60% of these young patients are diagnosed with stage III and IV colorectal cancer, which is harder to treat.”

That means putting any lifestyle strategies in place, at any age, is a crucial part of lowering risk, she adds. In addition to losing weight, other ways to reduce colorectal risk are getting regular exercise as well as eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, according to the American Cancer Society. 

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When it comes to weight loss or maintenance, of course, what you eat is crucial, and some research suggests when you eat is important, too. But a new study in Scientific Reports suggests another big component of your eating habits can help: chewing food more slowly.

To determine the potential effects of slow chewing, researchers asked 11 healthy, normal-weight men to go through three trials: drinking liquid food normally every 30 seconds, drinking liquid food but keeping it in their mouths for 30 seconds before swallowing, and chewing food for 30 seconds before swallowing.

All three approaches resulted in the same level of fullness, but it was the slow chewing that turned out to be unique, because it increased what’s called diet-induced thermogenesis, or DIT. This refers to how much heat is generated in the body after eating and how it affects your metabolic rate. A low level of DIT tends to promote weight gain, while a high level has the opposite effect.

Even though it might seem like a minor action, increased chewing among participants elevated their DIT and the researchers noted that the difference per meal or snack might be small, but the cumulative effect done every time you eat could be substantial.

Related: The #1 Best Juice to Drink Every Day, Says Science

Although the study has limitations based on its small sample size, it’s not the first to make the connection between slow eating and weight loss or maintenance. For example, a clinical trial published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that increasing the number of chews before swallowing reduced meal sizes in part because people ate for longer, and that led to eating less.

Another study in Frontiers in Psychology suggests there may be a mental component as well. In that research, participants who paid more attention to chewing showed a change in their brain’s reward circuits, which led to less impulsive eating behaviors.

Another benefit to slow eating is becoming more mindful about what you’re eating, and simply enjoying the taste more, says New York-based dietitian Vanessa Rissetto, R.D., co-founder of Culina Health. She says it can feel overwhelming to try to eat every single bite with mindful attention, but like a meditation exercise, start with a modest attempt.

For example, try being mindful of your next three bites of food. As you work the strategy into your eating more often, you’re more likely to get to that other big question around food, which can help you improve your eating habits in order to achieve your weight loss goals.

“Are you eating because you’re actually hungry, or it because you’re bored, stressed, or tired?” says Rissetto. “Are you feeding into that habit loop where a sugary item makes you feel good, so you just grab one because you’re on autopilot? Understanding why you’re eating makes a big difference.”

With that much awareness, it can lead to healthier eating habits without feeling deprived along the way, she adds.

For more, check out The Best Dinner Combinations for Faster Weight Loss.

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According to a new study from Brunel University London, a fatty liver can also have a serious effect on your blood sugar levels.

Researchers reviewed MRI scans from 32,859 people that took a close look at the size of their liver, as well as pancreas. The investigators relied on a type of method used to measure gene function in order to examine cause and effect, known as Mendelian randomization.

Not only did the scientists learn that individuals who are genetically predisposed to storing fat in the liver were more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but every 5% increase in liver fat was shown to raise this risk by 27%. 

“Our results encourage better treatment of those living with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and provide evidence for the multiple benefits of weight loss and better screening for diabetes risk in these people,” stated lead study author Dr. Hanieh Yaghootkar in a press release.

The Cleveland Clinic defines NAFLD as a condition that occurs in one in three adults who are not heavy drinkers. While the cause of this type of liver disease in unknown, obesity and diabetes are considered likely risk factors.

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“I am not surprised by these findings since NAFLD has been shown to be a key factor in insulin resistance,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, LDN, CPT, a New Jersey-based nutrition consultant and author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet. “It makes sense that even small amounts of fat buildup on the liver would, in turn, elevate insulin resistance, and therefore, risk of type 2 diabetes.”

Furthermore, she believes this current study offers tremendous value since it points to the importance of focusing on the prevention of excess fatty tissue in the liver—which centers around your diet. “Some research suggests that coffee can be protective against damage to the liver from fat buildup. So, if tolerated, drinking up to two cups per day may be beneficial,” states Palinski-Wade.

However, she quickly adds that stirring in sugar and cream “may accelerate fat gains in the liver. Instead, enjoy coffee black or sweeten with flavorings, such as cinnamon or vanilla extract.”

Along with reducing overall sugar intake, Palinski-Wade also advises limiting alcohol consumption. “Following a Mediterranean-style of eating rich in plant-based fats, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fatty fish may be the best strategy at reducing fat in the liver,” she says.

Plus, consider placing more fiber-rich foods—like broccoli, berries, apples, as well as plenty of leafy greens and pulses—on your plate. “Fiber may help to reduce fat deposits in the liver while also helping to promote steady blood glucose levels and fight against insulin resistance,” says Palinski-Wade.

“A study found that spinach, in particular, may lower the risk of NAFLD, while the resistant starch found in pulses may also help to reduce NAFLD,” concludes Palinski-Wade.

Read these next:

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If you want to lose and keep off extra weight, then you might need to do more than eat well and exercise often. In fact, the surprising key to losing body fat may have more to do with your mental health and awareness.

According to a recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers discovered that emotional support and mindfulness have a significant impact on reducing instances of overeating.

While working with 42 adults who were primarily women with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (six of whom had undergone obesity surgery), researchers made it a priority to ensure that participants felt safe, supported, and free to express themselves over the course of a 10-week period of trying to lose weight.

“We wanted to teach and make the patients aware of the connection between weight and mental health,” Trine Tetlie Eik-Nes, an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, who led the study, explained in a statement. “The goal was for them to become more aware of the challenges they faced in everyday life and what strategies could help.”

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As a result, “participants were able to identify what it was about their mindsets and lifestyles that were triggering overeating,” Eik-Nes said. “Patients experienced a nearly 30 percent reduction in the number of overeating episodes and a significant improvement in their emotional issues, like inner turmoil, anxiety, depression, and irritability. In addition, the patients reported that they felt far less restricted in their social activities.”

Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND, Associate Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, tells Eat This, Not That! of the findings: “Emotional support can be incredibly helpful for losing weight but especially for keeping it off.”

For those who would like to become more mindful of their own situations when it comes to eating and weight loss, Dr. Ayoob says, “Assess your own eating environment. Not just at home, but exactly how you engage in eating during the day and week. You can’t know where to go or how to change until you know what your eating style is right now. Then look at what you would be willing to change.”

Dr. Ayoob also suggests “keeping a ‘food-emotion’ log to get a sense of what may be triggering overeating episodes or eating past the point of reasonable fullness.”

However, Morgyn Clair, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and author at Fit Healthy Momma, notes that while “the first step is to identify where the [psychological barriers to weight loss] might be occurring,” not everyone will be able to identify these barriers on their own.” In that case, they “may require the assistance of a professional like a mental health therapist or dietitian.”

To find out more about how your eating habits and mental health are connected, be sure to read Popular Foods That Are Supporting Your Mental Health, Says Expert.

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