How many times has a tease like "Foods that Fight FAT!" led you to tear through the magazine to find these super foods to discover weird fruits, olives, or some sort of root that you've never heard of, let alone tried? TOO MANY. When I see these I fly to the page hoping to find my favorites or similar alternatives, and am often disappointed to find something I have no interest in. Same story with recipes.. they often include obscure ingredients that NO ONE has in their kitchen and one reluctant look from my anti-veggie boyfriend at the picture lets me know this won't be a dinnertime favorite. UGH!
So that's why I was thrilled to find '20 Superfoods for weight loss' on
Self's website. There were a couple in there that fit into my weird category, so I picked my favorites to share with you! :) To check out the full article, click
here! Maybe weird food is your thing ;)
Here's an idea we can all get on board with: Eat
more to weigh
less. Chowing on the right good can actually help you shed pounds by boosting your calorie burn and curbing cravings. The experts and leading chefs weighed in for delicious ways to prepare them. Add these to your day and you'll be shedding weight and looking hot in time for the holidays!
Steak
Red meat usually catches a bad rep in diet land, but eating it can help you lose pounds. In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women on a diet that included red meat lost more weight than those eating equal calories but little beef. "The protein in steak helps you retain muscle mass during weight loss," says study author Manny Noakes, Ph.D. Try to consume local organic beef; it's healthier for you and the environment.
Eat more! Grill or broil a 4-ounce serving of top round or sirloin; slice thinly to top a salad, or mix with veggies for fajitas.
Eggs
Dig in to eggs, yolks and all: They won't harm your heart, but they can help you trim inches. Try them for breakfast! Women on a low-calorie diet who ate an egg with toast and jelly each morning lost twice as many pounds as those who had a bagel breakfast with the same number of calories but no eggs, a study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge reports. "Egg protein is filling, so you eat less later in the day," says David Grotto, R.D., author of
101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.
Eat more! Omelets and scrambles are obvious choices, but if you can't cook before work, bake a frittata on Sunday; chill it and nuke slices for up to a week. An easy recipe:
Vegetable Frittata.
Oats
"Oatmeal has the highest satiety ranking of any food," Grotto says. "Unlike many other carbohydrates, oats—even the instant kind—digest slowly, so they have little impact on your blood sugar." All oats are healthful, but the steel-cut and rolled varieties (which are minimally processed) have up to 5 grams of fiber per serving, making them the most filling choice. Instant oats contain 3 to 4 grams per serving.
Eat more! "Instead of using breadcrumbs, substitute oats into your recipes! Or make them for a traditional warm breakfast. Since I'm usually running out the door to make it to class on time, I've fallen in love with Quaker Oats "Oatmeal To-Go!" (Banana Nut is my fav!)
Lentils
Lentils are a bona fide belly flattener. "They're high in protein and soluble fiber, two nutrients that stabilize blood sugar levels," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of
The F-Factor Diet . "Eating them helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area."
Eat more! There are many varieties of lentils, but red and yellow cook fastest (in about 15 to 20 minutes). Add cooked lentils to pasta sauce for a heartier dish, Zuckerbrot suggests. "Their mild flavor blends right in, and because they're high in protein, you can skip meat altogether." My mom just made Lentil Stew for dinner the other night, delicious! Like a veggie-chili! Mom's not answering her cell right now (of course, when I have a real emergency!!) But
here's a recipe I found that seems similar to hers :)
Wild salmon
Not only do fish fats keep your heart healthy, but they shrink your waist, too. "Omega-3 fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity—which helps build muscle and decrease belly fat," Grotto explains. And the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns. Opt for wild salmon; it may contain fewer pollutants. Anyone who has ever eaten at Delaware's Chelley Belly can vouch for me, their Alaskan Salmon sandwich and salad are absolutely AMAZING!!
Eat more! You don't need to do much to enhance salmon's taste, says Sidra Forman, a chef and writer in Washington, D.C. "Simple is best. Season a fillet with salt and pepper, then cook it in a hot pan with 2 tsp oil for 1 to 3 minutes on each side."
Apples
An apple a day can keep weight gain at bay, finds a study from Penn State University at University Park. People who munched an apple before a pasta meal ate fewer calories overall than those who had a different snack. "Apples are high in fiber—4 to 5 grams each—which makes them filling," says Susan Kraus, R.D., a clinical dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Plus, the antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an "apple shape." TRUE! Just today, after class I munched on an apple during my drive to Panera for lunch, after half the sandwich I was plenty full and took the other half to-go!
Eat more! Apples are the ideal on-the-go low-calorie snack. For a pielike treat, chop up a medium apple and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Pop in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Or I like to cut an apple up into slices and dip them in a peanut butter & honey mixture. Delicious, healthful, and satisfies your sweet tooth!
Buckwheat pasta
Swap plain noodles for this hearty variety; you'll slip into your skinny jeans in no time. "Buckwheat is high in fiber and, unlike most carbs, contains protein," Zuckerbrot says. "Those two nutrients make it very satiating, so it's harder to overeat buckwheat pasta than the regular stuff."
Eat more! Cook this pasta as you do rice: Simmer it, covered, over low heat. For a light meal, toss cooked buckwheat pasta with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and onions.
Blueberries
All berries are good for you, but those with a blue hue are among the best of the bunch. They have the highest antioxidant level of all commonly consumed fruit, according to research from the USDA Agriculture Research Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. They also deliver 3.6 grams of fiber per cup. "Fiber may actually prevent some of the fat you eat from being absorbed because fiber pulls fat through the digestive tract," Zuckerbrot says.
Eat more! Instead of topping your cereal with fruit, fill your bowl with blueberries, then sprinkle cereal on top and add milk or yogurt, Iserloh recommends. I love blueberries with Life cereal, and lately I've been on a Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal kick. Deeeeelish!
Chiles
One reason to spice up your meals: You'll crank up your metabolism. "A compound in chiles called capsaicin has a thermogenic effect, meaning it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chiles," Zuckerbrot explains. Plus, "you can't gulp down spicy food," she adds. "Eating slowly gives your brain time to register that your stomach is full, so you won't overeat."
Eat more! Stuff chiles with cooked quinoa and marinara sauce, then roast them. To mellow a chile's heat, grill it until it's almost black, peel off charred skin and puree the flesh, Krieger says. Add the puree to pasta sauces for a one-alarm kick. Or stir red pepper flakes into any dish you enjoy.
Yogurt
Dietitians often refer to plain yogurt as the perfect food, and for good reason: With its trifecta of carbs, protein and fat, it can stave off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady. In a study from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, people on a low-calorie diet that included yogurt lost 61 percent more fat overall and 81 percent more belly fat than those on a similar plan but without yogurt.
Eat more! "Use lowfat plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise in chicken or potato salad, or top a baked potato with a bit of yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice," Krieger says. You'll save 4.7 grams of fat per tablespoon. Look for Greek yogurt, which has more protein than other versions. Although be AWARE, Greek yogurt does NOT taste like regular yogurt! I made this mistake one time, thinking it to be plain vanilla yogurt. I was sorely disappointed.
Parmesan
Drop that rubbery lowfat cheese and pick up the real stuff. Women who had one serving of whole milk or cheese daily were less likely to gain weight over time, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Lowfat-dairy fans didn't experience the same benefit. Whole dairy may have more conjugated linoleic acid, which might help your body burn fat. "Parmesan is so flavorful, it's easy to stick to one serving," Buchanan says.
Eat more! "Grate Parmesan over roasted vegetables," Buchanan offers. Or snack on a 1-ounce portion with an apple or a pear.
There you have it! 11 Superfoods to fight that fat!! I have personally tried all of these foods, so I can give you my whole hearted recommendation of them! Again, the information in this blog was provided by Self magazine, a wonderful magazine. On their
website now, get a free tote with your new suscription!! (Know a fitness/health/feel good junkie like me? THIS would be a great Christmas present!) I know it's only November 2nd, but it's never too early to start Christmas shopping!! :)
Don't they look delicious?!
