Low fat dairy products
According to an article in Obesity Research, women who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat milk, three to four times a day, lost 70 per cent more fat than low-dairy dieters.
In another study done at Purdue University those who consumed 3 cups of fat-free milk gained less weight over the course of 2 years than those on low calcium diets.
So, not only do dairy products help you strengthen your bones, they can also play an essential role in burning that unwanted body fat.
If you are a regular consumer of milk and other dairy products, that's great, just watch your proportions and perhaps switch over to the low or no fat varieties.
Beans
While beans are often associated with the gastrointestinal disturbances they may cause, they are also very good sources of protein, fibre and iron.
Some of the best kinds of beans to eat are:
- Navy beans
- White beans
- Kidney beans
- Lima beans
And as always, limit baked and refried beans in your diet as refried beans contain tons of saturated fat, while baked beans are usually loaded in sugar. Sure, you'll be getting your protein but you'll also be consuming a lot of fat and sugar that you don't need.
Here's something else to remember. Be sure to cook your beans thoroughly because our digestive tracks are not adapted to breaking down some proteins that are contained in certain beans.
Tip: A vegetable called Edamame (pronounced ed-uh-ma-may) – an organic soybean in a pod often served at Japanese restaurants.
All you do is boil them for three minutes, add a pinch of salt and eat the soybeans out of the pods. They are surprisingly tasty and very good for you. One serving contains 10 grams of soy protein. The best place to find them is at a store that sells organic foods.
Oatmeal
While it may not be the tastiest thing you can eat, oatmeal definitely has some great nutritional qualities.
You may have noticed that many of the oatmeal brands are now boasting that eating more oatmeal will help lower your cholesterol level. That's because oatmeal is loaded with soluble fibre which helps reduce blood cholesterol by flushing those bad digestive acids out of your system.
The best kind of oatmeal to eat is unsweetened and unflavoured. While it's tempting to select the apples and cinnamon flavour and load it with butter and sugar – you really lose out on all the health benefits. If you must sweeten your bowl of oatmeal, do so by adding fruit.
Or add a spoonful of honey (much better for you than sugar) and a handful of raisins or dried cranberries.
Oatmeal is also beneficial in fighting colon cancer and heart disease.
Olive oil
Certain fats are good for you and your body needs them. Olive oil is one of those 'good fats'. In fact, it's so good that it helps you burn fat and keeps your cholesterol down.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are finding provide outstanding health benefits. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains about 85 per cent of the daily value for monounsaturated fat.
So instead of taking a swig of orange juice in the morning, many dieters are picking up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
Whole grains
These days everyone seems to be screaming "No carbs!" It's as if the world has gone no-carb crazy and everyone is running from sliced breads and pastas.
Well the truth is, your body needs carbohydrates. If you go without them completely your body will start to crave them. So it's not a good idea to exclude all carbs because the right kinds are actually good for you.
It's the processed carbohydrates that are bad for you – the white breads, bagels, pastas, and white rice to name a few.
The above foods have all been processed, thus stripping out all the nutrients leaving you with loads of starch.
The key is to eat 'whole grain' foods because they haven't been processed and contain the fiber and minerals your body needs.
So don't be fooled by a loaf of bread labeled 'wheat'. Regular wheat bread is still lacking in vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers add molasses to it so it turns brown.
Don't let them trick you. The only kind of bread that's good for you is the kind that's labeled 'whole grain'.
Meat and fish
Turkey and beef are great for building muscle and boosting the immune system, but as always you have to be careful as:
Basted turkeys are usually injected with fatty substances while beef contains saturated fat. If you are going to eat beef, be sure to consume the leanest cuts you can find by looking for 'loin' or 'round' on the labels.
Salmon and tuna are also good sources of protein. They both contain omega-3 fatty acids which may sound bad, but are actually healthy fats. These two foods are also good for giving your immune system a nice boost and should be consumed at least thrice a week.
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