Weight Management With The Fig Advantage

Are you someone wanting to shed a few kilos through diet? And are you someone who has a sweet tooth and cannot stop munching in between meals?

You have come to the right place - adding figs to your diet does wonders for your body!

Introduction

Weight management through diet can be easy or tough, depending on our lifestyle. The power we have at the end of our forks is amazing - it transforms us into what we want to become. A sustainable healthy diet is vital for life lifelong healthy functioning of our body. It reduces the risk of chronic health disorders such as diabetes, obesity and heart diseases as we age. 

In recent years, fancy but unhealthy eating habits are becoming common worldwide and excessive weight gain is the byproduct of it. What do you choose to eat and how much contributes largely to your weight management plan? Adding lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet is the natural choice to substitute high-calorie food. 

The World Health Organization recommends at least 400g of daily intake of fruits and vegetables to achieve a healthy, disease-free life.¹ Although both fruits and vegetables have surplus nutrients and are rich in fibre, fruits have an edge over vegetables due to their natural sweetness. One such amazing fruit is the fig packed with nutritional benefits. Let’s dive in to know more about the weight management approach with figs - The Fig Advantage.

The fig advantage

Figs are tear-drop-shaped fruits native to Asia and the Mediterranean region. The fruit has juicy flesh with many tiny edible seeds aggregated inside. 

Figs are rich in numerous macro and micronutrients including dietary fibres and phytochemicals. They are an excellent source of multi-minerals compared to any other fruit. This nutrient-dense fruit is an absolute match for any weight loss plan as they have almost no fats in them.² They help to plan a diet without excess calories.

Nutritional profile of figs

Figs can be eaten fresh (raw) or dried so they can be enjoyed all around the year.

Every 100g of raw fig consumption provides:

• Water- 79 g
• Carbohydrates - 19 g
• Protein - 0.75 g
• Total fat - 0.3 g
• Total sugars - 16.3 g
• Dietary fibre - 2.9 g
• Vitamin K - 4.7 µg
• Calcium - 35 mg
• Potassium - 232 mg
• Iron - 0.37 mg
• Magnesium - 17 mg
• Phosphorous - 14 mg
• Sodium - 1 mg
• Zinc - 0.15 mg
• Copper - 0.07 mg
• Manganese - 0.128 mg
• Beta carotene - 85 µg
• Lutein + zeaxanthin - 9 µg

High dietary fibre 

Fibre-rich foods positively influence weight loss. They are bulky, low in calories and take longer to chew and eat. Your body can neither digest nor absorb fibre but can pass them through the digestive tract and poop out intact. Boosting your fibre intake must be regular and gradual to obtain an effect without any discomfort.³

Figs are a great source of dietary fibre and they make you feel full for a long time.⁴ They effectively reduce your appetite meaning no cravings in between meals, delay in eating the next meal and greatly reduce the portion. Adding up bulk in your diet through fig gives physical and mental satiation. While achieving a healthy weight, you can relieve constipation and any bowel health problems as a bonus.

Hydration strategy

Staying hydrated is vital for a healthy body. Also, hydration is highly associated with weight loss. You should drink plenty and make an effort to eat fruits and vegetables with high water content to achieve your target weight.

Here comes the fig advantage - fresh figs have 80% water and only have 30-40 calories per fruit. Many people often mistake thirst for hunger. Figs are a great choice for them as they can eat this low-calorie fruit and still stay hydrated. Eating fresh figs can boost your metabolic rate and help you lose stored fats.

Antioxidant properties

Consuming fresh or overnight-soaked figs every morning gives you an antioxidant punch. Figs are loaded with phytochemicals such as beta carotene, anthocyanins, lutein and zeaxanthin.² Even the water used to soak figs is rich in antioxidants. 

A high intake of antioxidants helps to relieve oxidative stress in cells and keep your body free from free radicals (Free radicals are a byproduct of the normal metabolic process of our body). Antioxidants help to improve your metabolic health and assist in the systematic breakdown of accumulated fat in your body. So, choosing figs is a wise option for weight loss. In addition, figs can help to repair damaged cells and maintain good gut health.

Healthy snacking 

When you are on a rigorous weight loss program, do not worry that you are missing out on sweets. Figs can be a natural sweet treat with all its abundant nutritional benefits.

Figs are a healthier snacking alternative to any commercially available processed sweets. You do not have to control your sweet cravings and definitely, “no guilt” on snacking!

Also, you can use figs as sweeteners in any other dish and avoid refined sugars. Figs offer a sweet, honey-like taste with nutty crunch because of its seedy flesh. Although fresh figs are prone to perish faster, dried figs are a great alternative. You can store it for longer and enjoy it as toppings in any sweet or savoury dish every day.

Overall health benefits

Apart from aiding weight management, figs are a wonderful choice for gaining other vital health benefits

• Lowers the risk of haemorrhoids and improves bowel health
• Slower the absorption of sugar and reduce risk of developing diabetes
• Improve gut health by maintaining a healthy gut microbiome
• Neutralises the free radicals and modulates any chronic inflammatory disease 
• Lowers bad cholesterol content and prevents the onset of obesity 
• Maintain blood pressure and lower risk of any cardiovascular diseases
• Fig pastes are good for healthy hair and glowing skin 
• Figs help repair damaged cells quicker and delay ageing

Tips to incorporate figs in meals

You can plan your meal with figs throughout the year as dried figs are just as good as fresh ones. But keep in mind, that fresh figs eaten with skin may irritate the tongue due to the high presence of ficin. 

• Great option in baking - a few mouth watering recipes are Fig sponge pudding, fig and hazelnut cake
• Figs go well with cheeses like ricotta, and brie and can be served as a savoury starter 
• Roasted figs can be topped on yoghurt and grilled vegetables or in a simple oatmeal
• A great addition in a mid-day salad or sandwich
• Figs can make a delicious stand-alone smoothie and also go along with apples, apricots and other berries
• Occasional grilled puff pastry rolls with honey roasted fig won't harm

Summary

Daily balanced nutritional intake contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Eating delicious healthy food and doing regular physical activity helps to maintain a healthy weight and a healthier lifestyle. A healthier body supports the efforts taken for weight management very well.

Overall, regular incorporation of figs into your diet adds nutritional value, prevents risks of numerous health hazards and aids in planning a realistic weight management approach.