As weight-loss drugs take off, doctor says these foods are just as powerful

FOX 2 - These days, when you hear about weight-loss, you hear about injectable medication that can trigger a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormonal response in your body.

But a book called "The Power Foods Diet" teaches readers that there are foods that could be just as powerful.

FOX 2 Detroit spoke with the book's author and nutrition expert, Dr. Neal Barnard – who is also the president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He says people can lose weight by eating more of the right foods and spices.

"The power foods, when it comes to weight-loss, start with berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. The whole berry group," Barnard said. "But also the green leafy vegetables are terrific – so we're talking about spinach, asparagus. But the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, they're big too."

In fact, according to Barnard's book, Harvard researchers have identified six categories of food linked to weight-loss:

• Berries like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage

• Green leafy vegetables in general, such as spinach, kale and romaine lettuce

• Melon, cantaloupe and watermelon

• Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit

• Legumes such as peas, beans and lentils

According to health experts, if you eat the right foods, your body will trigger the natural release of GLP-1, which is what injectable weight-loss drugs do.

"Your body is glad every time you swap the meat chili for bean chili," Barnard said. "Harvard researchers found that the more you eat of certain foods, the more weight you lose. The reason is that these foods actually tackle your appetite. So you're eating more of the healthy food, but it causes you to eat less of the unhealthy foods. Plus, certain foods actually boost your metabolism, so you burn calories faster for hours after the meal."

The good news is – some of the really powerful foods are really easy to come by.

"Cinnamon has a natural aldehyde compound that boosts your metabolism," the doctor and author said. "We see a similar effect with blueberries and the whole berry group. So the effect isn't huge, it's just a little increase in your calorie burn so that the weight comes off slowly and surely and never comes back."

Barnard's book, "The Power Foods Diet," is filled with healthy recipes if you need help incorporating all these powerful foods into your diet.