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Recent studies have shown that the current increase of the average weight of a human being increases the chances and risk of contracting a cardiovascular disease. But unfortunately, losing those kilos is not as easy as gaining them. While many turn to intense workouts and diet programs, the act of eating the right kinds of fruit and vegetable essentials is often gone unseen.

When the sole focus is on losing weight, it is not just enough to eat fruits and vegetables. Dried fruits play a big role in losing weight because not only can they be eaten as small snacks during the day to help curb your cravings, but they are also an excellent source of concentrated vitamins and minerals. Dry fruits, in addition to normal fruits and vegetables and grains, do a great job of burning excess fat and reducing cholesterol through detoxification. Thus, not only do they help you lose weight, but also add more nutrients into your body and help promote healthy bodily functions and immune systems.

While it is easy to say ‘eat all dry fruits’ there are some select dried fruits that help in weight loss. The following are some of those miracle dried fruits that are chockfull of fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, that help you shed those kilos:

• Dried plums
• Dried raisins
• Dried apricots
• Dried apples
• Dried figs
• Dried prunes

How much should I eat?

Dried fruits are super high in fiber and nutrients, but they're also filled with carbohydrates and sugar, which, when taken in large quantities, can lead to a drastic increase in weight. In order to prevent overeating, it is best to limit yourself to one – and only one – bowl of dry fruits every day to keep your sugar levels, and your energy levels up and running.

What should I look out for?

Make sure you look for dried fruits or frozen fruits that are sugar free, with no added preservatives. Fruits like cranberries and prunes that are often bitter or sour, are often doused with sugar to make them edible and attractive to the general public. Therefore, make sure you check the ingredients list for added sugar, preservatives and oil, to make sure that you're getting the purest dried fruits possible, so that you minimize your chances of ingesting extra and gaining weight.

Therefore, dried fruits are a great cheat to get your sugar fix, without gaining a lot of weight. While it is true that dried fruits contain a lot of natural sugars, when eaten in moderation, they not only detoxify your body and add antioxidants to your diet, but they also burn excess fat to help you lose weight. Click here to check out what other dried fruits and foods Joy By Nature has to help you lose weight.