Include three of the below 15 foods in every meal, and you will not only maximize your fat loss, but you will maximize your good health.
Each entry includes the following information:
1. Almonds, Walnuts
All nuts are high in protein and monounsaturated fat (good fats).Almonds and walnuts are the kings of nuts. Eating nuts does not result in the high caloric intake that you’d expect, because 5% to 15% of their calories are not absorbed by the body. Some factors that will influence your digestion are the skin of the nut and how well you chew them. In addition, the slow release of calories will give you a longer feeling of fullness. You can introduce them into your diet by adding chopped nuts to your oatmeal, ice cream, cereal, or yogurt.
>> What They Do : Build muscle. In addition to having protein, almonds have an adequate amount of magnesium, which is crucial to building muscle. Fight cravings by eating 24 almonds for a snack or before a meal, and then drink eight ounces of
water to suppress your appetite. The water will cause the fibeof the nuts to expand in your stomach, making you feel fuller.
>> Nutrition: Fiber, potassium, vitamin E, fiber magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron.
>> Friends: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados.
>> Impostors: Smoked nuts, peanuts, salted nuts.
2. Beans, Sprouts
Beans are good for your heart, just like the song says. They also provide protection against cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. The most nutritious bean is the black bean. On a side note, Qdoba and Chipotle both serve black beans, which have been shown to have the most antioxidants, on their burritos.
Beans, in general, are so balanced with protein and fat that you can replace a meat dish with a bean dish without worrying about the saturated fat. The best beans are soy, pinto, garbanzo, navy, black, white, kidney, lima, red.
>> What They Do: Build muscle, help to burn fat, regulate digestion.
>> Nutrition: Fiber, protein, iron, folate, bioflavanoids.
>> Friends: Lentils, bean dips, hummus.
>> Impostors: Refried beans that are high in saturated fats, baked
beans that are high in sugar, soy.
3. Green Vegetables
As you know, vegetables are densely packed with important nutrients and are also a critical part of your body-transforming diet. They protect the body from “diseases of lifestyle,” such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s. Some options for introducing them into your diet: (1) Stir fry with a little fresh garlic and olive oil, (2) Juice fresh vegetables, (3) Puree them and add them to marinara sauce, or (4) Steam them.
>> What They Do: Neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that cause you to age rapidly and develop disease.
>> Nutrition: You name it, they have it vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, bioflavanoids.
>> Friends: Brightly colored vegetables, such as red, yellow, and orange peppers, and orange squash due to their high antioxidant content.
>> Impostors: None, just don’t smother them with cheese or fry them.
4. Lean Beef, Buffalo, Chicken, Turkey
Protein is the base of any solid diet plan. It takes more energy for your body to digest the protein in meat than it does to digest carbs and fat, so the more protein you eat, the more calories you will burn!
>> What They Do: Build muscle, improve the immune system.
>> Nutrition: Protein, iron, zinc, creatine, vitamins B-6 and B-12, phosphorus, potassium.
>> Friends: None.
>> Impostors: Sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham.
5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is your everything-to-everyone food. It will get you through mornings when you are dragging. Have a serving a couple of hours before a workout to feel energized or at night to stop a late-night binge. Be sure that you buy the unsweetened, unflavored variety and use other power foods such as berries to enhance the taste. Fiber should be a staple of your diet. Doctors recommend about 25-35 grams a day because of the health benefits. Benefits include:
(1) Expands in your stomach to curb your appetite, (2) Attaches to digestive acids in your stomach to lower cholesterol, (3) Protects you from heart disease, and
(4) Protects you from colon cancer by sweeping cancer-causing agents out of the intestines quickly.
>> What They Do: Boost energy and sex drive, reduce cholesterol, maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
>> Nutrition: Complex carbohydrates and fiber.
>> Friends: High-fiber cereals like Grape Nuts, All Bran, Fiber One,some Kashi brands.
>> Impostors: Cereals with added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
6. Eggs
The egg has received a bad rap over the years for its high cholesterol content. Just twoe ggs contain enough cholesterol to put you over the recommended daily allowance. However, research is finding that cholesterol levels do not rise as a result of eating dietary cholesterol; they rise by eating dietary fat. The egg should be your best friend. The protein found in eggs has the highest biological value of any other food, making it is more effective for the body to use in building muscle.
>> What They Do: Build muscle, burn fat.
>> Nutrition: Protein, vitamin B-12, vitamin A.
>> Friends: None.
>> Impostors: Egg Beaters.
7. Nut Butters (Almond Butter, Cashew Butter, etc.)
Nut butters made our list because of their versatility. Use on apples or celery, in smoothies, and in oatmeal. Be careful how much you eat, because it does contain a lot of monounsaturated fat. No more than three tablespoons a day. Nut butters contain the same properties and benefits as the nuts themselves, so we will not repeat here.
>> Best Friend: Almond butter.
>> Friend: Cashew butter, all natural organic peanut butter.
>> Impostors: Sugary, trans-fat filled peanut butters such as Jif or Skippy.
8. Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Fish Oil
Olive oil is the key ingredient in Mediterranean diets. It is known for its health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and having the ability to curb food cravings. Do not cook with olive oil at high temperatures. It is a monounsaturated fat, which becomes rancid when heated at high temperatures. Your best cooking alternative is coconut oil.
>> What They Do: Lower cholesterol, curb food cravings, boost immune system.
>> Nutrition: Monounsaturated fat (olive oil), vitamin E, vitamin A, chlorophyll, squalene, and lots more cardio protective nutrients.
>> Friends: Coconut, flax seed, fish oil, canola oil in moderation.
>> Impostors: Vegetable oil, margarine, Crisco.
9. Jasmine, Basmati, Brown Rice, Whole Grains
When eaten in their natural state and not refined, whole grains and rice are excellent carbohydrate food sources. Food manufacturers throw out the two most nutritious parts of grain, the bran and the germ. The part that is used has the least nutrition, and all of the vitamins, fiber, and minerals are refined away. Stay away from these types of food, Eat whole grains and rice that have not been processed.
>> What They Do: Give the body energy and prevent the body from storing fat.
>> Nutrition: Fiber, protein thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, niacin, pyridoxine, zinc and iron.
>> Friends: Barley, quinoa, millet.
>> Impostors: Processed bakery products, white bread, bagels, and doughnuts.
10. Vegetable Juices
Nowadays, the soil is so depleted of nutrients that a peach taken from a tree 50 years ago has 10 times the nutrition of a peach today. Juicing gives you a super load of antioxidants, minerals, and phytonutrients to fight off cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. It is a great way to get in lots of nutrients in a small amount of time, and sometimes the only way to meet the recommendations of 9 to 13 servings of fresh fruit or vegetables per day.
>> What They Do: Provide a complete network of antioxidants to fight against cancer, heart disease, and the aging process, and aids in weight loss.
>> Nutrition: All of your antioxidants, minerals, phytochemicals.
>> Friends: Raw fruit or vegetables.
>> Impostors: Adding cheese or salad dressing.
11. Colored Fruits, Berries And Vegetables
These should also be a staple of your diet. The brighter the color of the fruit or vegetable, the more potent the antioxidants they provide. The more raw fruit and vegetables you eat, the healthier you will be. Yams are a great low-glycemic food that are released slowly into your system and will not spike your blood-sugar levels. Yams and sweet potatoes are chock full of antioxidants. They are also low-calorie and very filling.
>> What They Do: Improve eyesight, improve balance, improve coordination, increase short-term memory, prevent cravings.
>> Nutrition: Antioxidants, fiber.
>> Friends: Apples, grapefruit.
>> Impostors: Jellies that have added sugar.
12. Hemp
Hemp seed is considered by medical doctors and health professionals to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Two scoops of hemp protein contain 14 grams of fiber, 11 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat.
>> What They Do: Build muscle, burn fat, clear digestive system.
>> Nutrition: Complete amino acid profile, protein, fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids.
>> Friends: Flax seed, fish oil, quinoa.
>> Impostors: Soy.
13. Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein powder will give you the most protein for the fewest number of calories. It is a very versatile food that should be included in every diet. You can add it to oatmeal, smoothies, cereal, and healthy breads, cookies, and muffins.
>> What They Do: Build muscle and fat.
>> Nutrition: All essential amino acids, protein, glutathione, cysteine.
>> Friends: Cottage cheese.
>> Impostors: Soy protein.
14. Wild Caught Salmon
I can’t emphasize enough the value of wild caught salmon and tuna. These cold-water fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids, instead of saturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease a hormone called leptin, which is responsible for storing body fat. The lower your leptin levels, the easier it is to burn fat. Only eat wild caught fish. Fish like Atlantic salmon are bred in pens in the open ocean on farms. Not only are they destroying our oceans, but these fish are fed an unnatural diet, causing them to have very little Omega-3 in their fat. Instead, they have Omega-6 fatty acids, which in large quantities can harm you.
>> What They Do: Build muscle and fat.
>> Nutrition: Protein, Omega-3 fatty acids.
>> Friends: krill, sardines, wild game meat, free-range beef.
>> Impostors: Fried fish, Atlantic salmon, farm-raised fish.
15. Raw Or Lightly Pasteurized Organic Whole Milk, Cheese, Kefir, Yogurt
Dairy barely makes this list, as many people are lactose intolerant and allergic to it. This group of foods should be used sparingly if you are trying to lose weight. In the process of pasteurization, dairy companies use super-heat to kill bacteria and other potentially harmful organisms; however, this process makes the final product devoid of nutrients, for the most part. Another problem is that regular milk contains growth hormone and antibiotic residues that are left over from the farmer’s attempt at getting the cow to produce more milk. I have chosen kefir and yogurt for their probiotic properties. Probiotics are good bacteria, found in the gut, that help with digestion. Consume dairy products that are as lightly pasteurized as possible.
>> What They Do: Build strong bones, fire up weight loss.
>> Nutrition: Calcium, protein, vitamins A, D, B-12, riboflavin,
phosphorus, potassium, CLA.
>> Friends: Almond milk, hemp milk or rice milk.
>> Impostors: Skim milk, frozen yogurt.
Check back often as we will be posting more of our quickest way to lose weight tips here on our healthy weight loss blog!
