Sep 25, 2011

11 Foods for Faster, Easier Weight Loss...

I keep trying to lose weight... but it keeps finding me!....

Summer is almost here and by now if you are like most of us you will probably be frantic trying to lose those last extra pounds so that you can look great in that brand new bathing suit you just bought.  Right now you are probably thinking of some new diet that will transform you in days..I know I am thinking of it.  Sadly, I don't think any such diet exists, but ...Hold the thought: To lose weight effectively and permanently, you need to eat. And eat smart. Happily,  nature designed a lot of delicious edibles to turn up your fat-burning furnace, flatten your belly, and take a big bite out of your appetite. Here are 11 of the get-slim food gems we're that will do exactly that.

Yogurt:
Mmmm. This creamy, tangy snack is loaded with calcium -- and studies show that calcium may curtail weight gain by hindering the absorption of fat in the small intestine.

Eggs:Turn breakfast into a fat-burning morning boost by skipping the stack of pancakes and feasting on a couple of eggs instead. According to a study, huevos beat out carbs when it came to helping folks feel full longer and helping them beat back snack attacks later in the day.


Pistachios:
Nuts may be high in fat, but it's the healthful unsaturated kind of fat found in pistachios. And like all nuts, pistachios offer lots of hunger-curbing protein and fiber. All of these qualities together explain why adding pistachios to the diet helped dieters in a study curb their appetites and lose more weight.


Grapefruit:
Of all the foods rumored to boost weight loss, grapefruit is likely the most famous. And research confirms that this fruit's get-slim celebrity status is for real. One study in particular revealed that eating half a grapefruit before each meal helped dieters shed more pounds than people who skipped the tart appetizer.

Avocado:
This green goddess of heavenly, creamy taste can help you whittle your waist. It's true! Researchers suspect that the unsaturated fat in avocados may ratchet up body levels of the hunger-halting hormone called leptin -- a hormone that lets your brain know that you're full, so you stop eating.

Mushrooms:
If you want to try an easy and tasty calorie-cutting trick, then replace the meat in your favorite recipes with mushrooms. You'll automatically cut about 420 calories out of a meal, partly because you'll skip all the belly-padding saturated fat contained in meat.


Olive Oil:
This rich-tasting oil found in salad dressings and marinades contains a hunger-busting monounsaturated fat called oleic acid -- which triggers a complicated process in the gut that ultimately tells your brain you're full and makes you want to stop eating.


Whole Grains:
Ready to trade your belly bulge for a flat tummy? Then toss your refined grains into the garbage, and eat more whole grains instead. Research shows this one move can help whittle your middle. We're talking brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole-grain cereal, and 100% whole-wheat bread and pasta.


Red Pepper:
Add some heat to your meals and you'll boost not only the taste but also the effectiveness of your weight loss diet. A dash of cayenne pepper or some diced jalapeno or red peppers will do the trick. They all contain capsaicin -- the heat-inducing compound in red peppers that, according to research, tamps down appetite and curbs food intake later in the day.


Fava Beans:
Creamy and hearty, fava beans are a lean protein source bursting with flavonoids. And in a 14-year study, these special antioxidants were shown to help hinder the accumulation of extra belly fat.


Rice with Veggies:
Adding some high-fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and kale to your rice will obviously help lower the calorie count. But not only that. Adding veggies to rice at lunchtime appears to slow stomach emptying, according to research. The end result? You feel full longer. In fact, people in a study ate much less at dinner when they added veggies to their rice at lunch.


Pretty interesting article I just read so thought you would like it also...remember...the older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends...trust me I know, but if you eat healthy, exercise and practice moderation nothing is impossible...my sister Nina is a living example of eating healthy, exercising  and staying fit.  I see her and I admire her determination and her you can do it attitude.  She always says to me "no one said it would be easy nor impossible"


To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art...
We never repent of having eaten too little..

until next time...