In a recent article by Melanie Haiken, Senior Editor at caring.com
she listed some foods to help you lose weight.
1. Oats
Oats are a whole grain, and they’re high on what nutritionists call the “satiety index,” meaning oats have tremendous power to make you feel full. Not only that, they’re also high in soluble fiber, so they cut cholesterol and blood fat. Oats digest slowly, so they don’t raise your blood sugar, and they keep you feeling filled up well into the late morning. Old-fashioned steel-cut and rolled oats, with up to 5 grams of fiber per serving, are best, but even instant oatmeal has 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving.
2. Eggs
Nutritionists have been trying for some years to restore the reputation of the lowly egg. No longer thought to be a cholesterol-booster (eggs contain a different type of cholesterol than that in humans), eggs are a concentrated form of animal protein without the added fat that comes with meat. Dietary studies have repeatedly found that when people eat an egg every morning in addition to (or instead of) toast or cereal, they lose twice as much weight as those who eat a breakfast that’s dominated by carbs. Yes I know that oats are a carb.
3. Skim Milk
Studies in reputable publications such as the Journal of Obesity show that the combination of calcium, vitamin D, and low-fat protein in skim milk and nonfat yogurt trigger weight loss and help build and maintain lean muscle. This may take some time to get used to. I switched from 2% to 1% percent before going to skim milk.
4. Apples
To keep the pounds at bay, eat an apple — or two — a day. Numerous studies have found that eating an apple a half hour to an hour before a meal has the result of cutting the calories of the meal. Why? The fiber in the apple makes you feel full, so you eat less. Recent research suggests eating apples has other benefits, too; the antioxidants in apples appear to prevent metabolic syndrome, the combination of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and prediabetes that tends to accompany thickening around the waist. For me I have a knife in my lunchbox which makes eating them a bit easier.
5. Red Meat
Not exactly what you think of as a diet food, right? But research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared diet results for women who ate red meat and those who didn’t, and the meat-eaters lost more weight. Experts think the dense protein in lean red meat helps you maintain muscle mass — but of course this assumes you’re exercising to build that muscle. With this in mind, eating burgers for the protein and sitting home on the couch will not work.
6. Cinnamon
This simple spice appears to have the power to help your body metabolize sugar, according to surprising data that came out of a USDA study involving diabetics. Eating as little as 1/4 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon a day was found to reduce blood sugar levels and cut cholesterol from 10 to 25 percent. So add cinnamon to smoothies, sprinkle it on your cereal, or flavor your coffee with it — particularly if you take your coffee with cream and sugar. The cinnamon will boost the health benefits of the coffee while helping your body rid itself of the added sugars.
7. Almonds and almond butter
Another counterintuitive choice; aren’t nuts and nut butters supposed to be incredibly fattening? Well, almonds are calorie-dense, but they also pack a huge nutritional punch — and they’re particularly effective in counteracting cholesterol and triglycerides. One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating almonds was as effective as taking a statin. Spreading almond butter on your morning toast gives you a nice protein boost while preventing the carbs in the toast from spiking your blood sugar. The key to this is portion control. I know when I try to eat nuts, I go nuts and eat the whole container. Tread with caution.
I seem to have fallen into a month long pity party for myself. Sure things have not been going my way, my family has head health issues (everyone is fine now), but in the wake of all the dram and hurt feelings, I can’t seem to let go. Throw on top of it all, my gym was closed this week for remodeling. boo…
I had and mini bike when I was growing up, Once it got started it was fast. However, starting it was a pain. You would kick the starter again and again and again. It would sputter and almost start. Then it would eventually kick in, and off you would go.
