How Can Organic Foods like Buttermilk and Lentils Help with Losing Extra Weight Faster?

Weight loss is a time-intensive process that requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and discipline. You would almost always find scores of fitness professionals sweating it out in a gym and doing a lot of exercises. But why is it that only a handful of them ever succeed at it? The reason is that they are not matching it up with a disciplined and nutritious diet that supports their fitness goals.

We are thus offering two of our favorite foods that you can have to cut down your weight. These organic foods are buttermilk and lentils- and you may have them in various ways, no matter what time of the day it is. They are easy to find and buy, and pack in a ton of health-centric nutrients that boost your metabolism to keep your shape.

Seems interesting? Here’s more to read!

Part 1: Buttermilk

What is buttermilk? It is a fermented drink made of milk. It is a white-colored liquid residue that’s left after churning milk and taking out the butter. It is a part of the staple diet in several South Asian countries. Being a dairy product, it is rich in calcium, sodium, and potassium.

Health benefits of buttermilk

Though buttermilk is not a magical weight-loss drink, it does play a helpful role in boosting your weight loss and fitness efforts. It is rich in calcium, potassium, and sodium, and this translates into a ton of health benefits as under:

1. Helps in digestion

2. Relieves thirst

3. Is a natural energy drink

4. Detoxes after a binge

5. Can be had instead of milk

6. Helps lower cholesterol

7. Contains gut-healthy bacteria

8. Makes the skin shinier

9. Is rich in proteins

10. Can be had any time

11. Improves bone density

12. Reduces cavities

13. Easy to digest

14. Contains almost zero fat

15. Reduces sleeplessness

16. Infinitely better than cola drinks

This tart and milky beverage is a healthy alternative to high-calorie dairy creamy products and it comes with no side effects. It might even help you if you are struggling with water retention.

How to make buttermilk from milk?

It is easy to prepare buttermilk from milk at home. Here is how you can do it:

1. Take 1 cup of milk

2. Add 1 tbsp. lemon or vinegar

3. Let it stand for 15 minutes

4. Milk will turn “curdy”

5. Stir briskly for 5 minutes

Your buttermilk is ready!

Buttermilk nutrition facts:

Nutrition Facts

Buttermilk, cultured, low-fat

Weight Loss and Calories

You will only be able to lose weight when there is a direct relationship between the calories you take in and those you expend. You’ll lose weight when the calories you have burned exceed or are equal to the calories you have consumed. Or somewhat likewise.

Buttermilk can answer your daily dietary requirements. It increases your calorie intake by a small fraction only, so it will not have any negative effect on your weight loss goals. But it will keep you full for longer by cutting unnecessary empty calories!

Can I take buttermilk at night?

You can drink buttermilk in the afternoon, evening, and night in the summer season.

It is the best replacement for snacks that are unnecessarily high in calories. While chips and soda drinks only contain empty calories, buttermilk is a healthy beverage that provides nourishment along with a healthy dose of protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamins.

Note: 1 cup of buttermilk has only 99 calories whereas 1 oz. of plain potato chips has 149 calories while 1 oz. of cola can have 153 calories.

Buttermilk is the perfect alternative to other dairy products

Did you know that one cup of low-fat buttermilk is lower in calories and fat than a cup of 2% milk at 122 calories or a cup of reduced-fat chocolate milk at 190 calories? Buttermilk is also a lower-calorie alternative to many varieties of yogurt as a 6 oz. of low-fat fruit yogurt contains about 168 calories.

So just adjust the tart taste of buttermilk and replace it with other dairy selections in your diet to help control your caloric intake. You might want to take a cue from this article too.

What can I substitute for buttermilk?

You may use sour cream, plain kefir, or yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk.

Can you substitute milk for buttermilk?

No. Milk has a lot more nutrition than buttermilk, though the former may not always be taken with all the meals.

Is buttermilk ranch keto-friendly?

No, buttermilk is not keto-friendly because it is a fermented product. You may note that other dairy products like (clarified) butter are keto-friendly.

Is buttermilk good for the gym? Can we drink buttermilk after working out?

Using buttermilk as the replacement for higher-calorie snacks and dairy foods can lower your overall calorie intake, but you can always increase the impact to the next level by exercising. This is of special significance for fitness professionals who regularly work out in a gym.

Tip: Exercise is a vital component of a successful weight-loss regimen.

It is advisable to include a moderate-paced cardiovascular exercise for 120 to 150 min per week to help your body burn enough calories. These exercises are a smart way to boost blood circulation speed and to strengthen the respiratory system, besides boosting the metabolism process.

We shall now discuss about lentils.

Part 2: Lentils for Weight Loss

Lentils are edible legumes that come in lens-like shapes. They could be about 40 cm (16 in) tall and are found as a pair of seeds in pods. They are a prominent food crop in Canada and India, and these two countries together produce 56% of the world’s total production of lentils.

They are a powerhouse of high-quality energy and fiber. Half a cup of cooked lentils can give you about 115 calories and that’s more than enough to keep you full and prevent you from eating anything extra. The same quantity of lentils cooked in water has 0.5 grams of fat, thus making it a great low-fat option.

Did you know? You can add a generous serving of lentils to your meals without any guilt. It is low in calories and has very little fat.

Nutrition facts about lentils

Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz.)

The above data are taken from Wikipedia and are verified by USDA.

Here’s what these nutrients translate to:

Proteins

Lentils are a great source of vegetarian protein. A half-cup serving of cooked lentils in water provides 9 grams of protein, helping you build lean muscle mass. However, these seeds are not a complete protein source so be sure to team them up with quinoa, beans, brown rice, or black-eyed peas in your diet plan.

Fiber

Including plenty of foods rich in fiber is perhaps one of the healthiest methods of losing weight fast. Lentils take a while to chew and consume, allowing your body to register that you have eaten enough and do not require further nutrition.

Fiber remains in the gut for a while, forming a gel-like substance that takes away all the wastes and toxins from the body. It also boosts the metabolism process to keep you away from snacking after your meals. Most people who eat lentils every day feel fuller for hours after their meals.

Blood Sugar

Boiled lentils have a low Glycemic Index (GI) so they do not increase your blood sugar or insulin levels dramatically. Canned lentils have a slightly higher glycemic index because of the amount of processing involved but they are still healthy to eat if fresh lentils are not available.

Insights: Why you should stand more to control your blood sugar levels?

Since lentils are high in fiber, they help slow down the digestion of your meal, keeping your blood sugar levels more stable. This nutrient is not digested in the human body and it thus contributes to the mass of the food without offering any added calories.

Health benefits of lentils

Here are some reasons why you should include lentils in your daily diet.

1. Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)

2. Cuts the risk of colon cancer

3. Improves digestion and metabolism

4. Lowers blood sugar and BP

5. Improves heart health

6. Improves immunity

7. Possesses antibacterial properties

8. Helps in absorption of nutrients

9. Are rich in protein

10. Helps in weight loss

Are lentils healthy for weight loss?

Being rich in fiber and protein, lentils can boost your metabolism and quicken the rate of absorption of nutrients. This results in faster dissipation of stored calories in the body in the form of flab, thus reducing your weight.

How to make a lentil soup for weight loss at home?

Most fitness and wellness experts advise you to make lentils a major part of your fitness regime owing to their immense health and nutrition levels. Packed with a ton of fiber, potassium, and vitamin B-6, these seeds can satiate you rather quickly without causing you to accumulate body flab.

Here’s how to make lentil soup at home:

1. Take a large pot

2. Pre-heat some oil over medium heat

3. Add grated onions, carrots, and celery

4. Keep frying until the onion is light brown

5. Cook for some time.

6. Add some lentils, water, and tomatoes

7. Let it slowly simmer for an hour

8. Serve hot

Note: You may optionally add some garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil leaves to it for better taste.

Health benefits of lentil soup

The lentil soup is a healthy option to burn some extra flab faster and to live a healthier life. By having two cups of it every day, you can expect the following additional benefits:

1. Higher energy levels

2. Less bad calories

3. Rich in iron and magnesium

4. Increases bone density

5. Improves bowel movement

6. Reduce blood sugar levels

Best of all, a lentil soup can be easily prepared at home in just a few minutes.

Join an online fitness training session to get in shape faster!

Lentils and buttermilk have their pros and cons too. For example, consuming them in excess could put your intestines and kidneys at risk, and this is especially true for lactose intolerant people. But these products are organic and can always be explored as an option with zero contamination. Including them in your regular diet is sure to return some, if not all, positives.

We also recommend that you do not stop working out either. You may go for virtual fitness classes, especially if you are an office employee who gets little to no time for himself. These on-demand sessions are always conducted through a virtual environment on a smartphone using the internet. Here’s a free case study to help you with it!