Dr. Phil McGraw is no stranger to battling weight issues, but says anyone can overcome emotional eating and get fit by focusing their diet on 20 key foods.
In his bestselling book, The 20/20 Diet, Dr. Phil identifies 20 key foods you should eat that will suppress appetite, nourish your body, and boost your metabolism.
Dr. Phil, a diabetic with a family history of obesity, has first-hand experience with weight loss struggles, but has conquered his mindless eating and made a healthy diet and exercise a part of his lifestyle.
“I’m a diabetic and so it’s a struggle because biochemically,” he said. “I don’t do well with foods, so my whole family has struggled with obesity my whole life.”
McGraw said the 20 key foods he eats and recommends for weight loss are not “superfoods,” but are nutrient-dense foods that will stoke your metabolism naturally and keep you full.
“Some of these foods, the theories are that they have thermogenic properties and burn quickly and they help the metabolism up,” explained Dr. Phil. “It works for me and keeps my blood sugar in balance and keeps my insulin sensitized and I do very well.”
Here’s a list of the 20 key foods Dr. Phil recommends on The 20/20 Diet:
– Organic coconut oil
– Green tea
– Mustard
– Walnuts
– Almonds, unsalted raw or dry roasted
– Apples
– Chickpeas/garbanzo beans
– Dried plums/prunes
– Leafy green vegetables such as arugula, baby mixed greens, bok choy, collard greens, endive, field greens, kale, radicchio.
– Lentil beans
– Peanut butter (organic)
– Pistachios
– Raisins
– Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt
– Eggs
– Cod
– Rye
– Tofu
– Whey protein (unsweetened)
Find out the rest of Dr. Phil’s diet and exercise recommendations in The 20/20 Diet.
Related: Dr. Oz’s two-week rapid weight loss diet: Lose 9 pounds in 14 days