Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

The one thing that is most likely to run through your mind when you think of weight loss is dieting.  If you are like me, the idea of going on a diet is always an unwelcome thought.  You start picturing those juicy ham and cheese sandwiches being replaced by tasteless salads and what some would call ‘rabbit food’.  Well, if you are in this category, I have grand news for you. There are numerous delicious healthy recipes for weight loss.  You can eat every stage of a four course meal yet be eating parts of a healthy recipe meant for weight loss.  Some of the best healthy recipes are actually really tasty treats that even someone not looking to lose weight would be tempted to try out.

One of the tastiest yet effective healthy recipes for weight loss I have found so far is from Metabolic Cooking. Unlike other recipes online and in cookbooks that pretend to offer fat burning remedies yet use ingredients that work in the exact opposite, Metabolic Cooking offers easy and healthy recipes meant for weight loss that actually work.

I love my breakfast. All the more if it is tasty and filling. So, when I came across this breakfast recipe that is perfectly tasty yet works to cut my calorie intake, I fell in love with it. Allow me to share this apple oatmeal pancakes recipe with you, as a perfect example of these healthy recipes for weight loss.

This recipe entails simple ingredients that are easy to access. The main ingredients are 6 egg whites, half a cup of oatmeal, a tablespoon of unsweetened apple sauce, a pinch of cinnamon powder, a pinch of stevia, a fresh apple, a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and cooking spray. This is for one serving of about 4 to 6 pancakes.

To get all the ingredients to complement each other and mix just right, blend all of them together except the pieces of apple. This done, you heat up your pan until it is nice and hot then bring down the heat to medium. Now spray some cooking spray and drop your blend of ingredients into your ready pan spoonful by spoonful. When bubbles start forming, its time to place the apple pieces evenly on the pancake. Allow these to set into the pancake before turning it. Repeat this process for as many pancakes as you can make from the batch. This healthy recipe for weight loss works wonders on an empty stomach early in the morning. One, the pancakes are nutritious and filling meaning you will not need to keep looking for snacks till lunchtime. Second, calorie count for this meal is as low as 240. It awards you with 28 grams of protein, no fat whatsoever and 32 grams of carbs. You do not even need to add sugar to this recipe as the apples satisfy that need.

You can find several other perfectly healthy recipes that work well for weight loss especially with Metabolic Cooking. The one thing that I have noted with these recipes is for every one of these healthy recipes, you are assured of a tasty treat and yet it works very well for weight loss. If you are curious like me and would like to see more recipes, kindly follow this link and eat your way to losing weight.

You can also read the review on the hottest fat loss cookbook Metabolic Cooking here.

A great challenge facing all of us is finding the right path to a healthier, fitter life. As much as we would like to, it is not always possible to completely reinvent our lifestyles to fit in hours of exercise and change our entire diet overnight. However, we do have the option of taking at least a few steps in the right direction.

Many nutritionists consider consumption of greens to be a great first step in kicking off anyone’s weight loss program or a healthier lifestyle. This is because green leafy vegetables are:

•    Packed with nutrition
•    Low in calories but high in energy
•    Low in carbohydrates and fat
•    Easy to consume and digest

If you go ahead and begin consuming greens regularly, you’ll soon find that you still get enough calories and energy, but without the more harmful ingredients found in an average modern diet. This means you’ll feel energized, your digestion and heart health will improve, you’ll reduce your calorie intake, and you’ll find it much easier to continue on the path to wellness!

Greens as Nutrition Powerhouses

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that you eat a minimum of 3 cups of dark green vegetables every week. This is because their research has shown that greens are packed with important minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. Two of the most important ones are:

•    Phytonutrients: All greens contain these unique compounds, which act as natural antioxidants in your body. They can protect you from many chronic health problems, including heart disease and cancer. In general, the greener or darker the leafy vegetable, the more phytonutrients it has.

•    Vitamin K: Greens are rich in Vitamin K, which can prevent calcification of your arteries and improves blood clotting. In addition, it is important in keeping your bones strong and healthy, even after menopause.

Greens and Weight Loss

Most greens have almost zero carbohydrates, making them ideal for your weight loss program. In addition, they have a lot of fiber, which means the food energy is released slowly after digestion. As a result, your blood glucose levels remain steady. They are also very low in natural fats and calories. In fact, a single cup of your favorite greens will add only around 7 to 9 calories to your diet!

Eat Your Greens (Or Even Drink Them!)

A great thing about greens is that you have so many options of how to make them part of your daily diet. You can use them in salads, add them to sandwiches, use them as wraps, or even as colorful, crunchy garnish. Another popular way is to blend greens with low-sugar fruits to create tasty, healthy smoothies. You can even choose to take greens in the form of supplements, such as spirulina tablets or flakes.

So if you are looking for one simple way to make a real positive impact on your life, you really should Go Green!

For those that have begun their journey to reaching your weight loss goals, you would have already found that travelling that road is far from easy. Finding the right mix between diet and exercise isn’t always as clear cut as we would like it to be. However, all hope isn’t lost and there are indeed a number of things that can be done to help you lose weight. One effective way to lose weight is to reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates that is consumed. This can be done by taking advantage of a low carbohydrate veggie diet.

What is a Low Carbohydrate Veggie Diet and How Does it Benefit You?

A low carbohydrate veggie diet is a type of diet that limits the amount of refined carbohydrates that one consumes. Experts have noted that when the intake of carbohydrates is reduced the body will begin to burn stored body fat for the energy that it needs. This is possibly the reason why this type of dieting is by far one of the best diets to embark on when trying to lose weight. In fact not only is taking advantage of the benefits of a low carbohydrate veggie diet great for weight loss, it is also good for the reducing one’s risk of heart disease. A low carb veggie diet will usually include the following:

• Vegetables (of course since it is a low carbohydrate veggie diet)
• Fresh greens
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Cheese
• Powder/shakes
• Soy products including Tofu and Tempeh
• Legumes
• Beans

Cons of Choosing a Low Carbohydrate Veggie Diet

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD in an interview with WebMD representatives noted that healthy adults are able to tolerate a low carbohydrate diet only for a short period of time. She also noted that more research would need to be conducted to ascertain the effects of a long term low carb plan. That being said the main problem with a low carbohydrate veggie diet is that you are restricted to the consumption of only a few foods. It sometimes excludes healthy fruits and vegetables such as: pineapples, carrots and bananas. This eventually leads to boredom; and when a dieter becomes bored they are more likely to fall off the low carb veggie plan.

Tips for Success on a Low Carbohydrate Veggie Diets

It cannot be stressed enough that a low carbohydrate veggie diet is a great way to help you to lose weight; there is also no denying the many other benefits. That being said here are a few tips that you can use to enhance your diet.

Tip 1 – Watch out for hidden sugar in carbohydrates. Instead opt for low sugar carbs.

Tip 2 – Avoid or limit the amount of caffeine as it is a strong stimulant that increases hunger pangs in a few individuals.

Tip 3 – Aim to drink plenty of water. As with any diet and exercise plan drinking the recommended eight 8oz glasses of water each day will do your body a world of good.

Tip 4 – Exercise. Don’t forget to exercise as dieting alone is not the best solution to weight loss.

Tip 5 - Really try going wheat free for a while. See how it affects your body.

Finally as much as there are significant benefits of a low carbohydrate veggie diet both for weight loss and health reasons, don’t start any diet before first having a chat with your doctor or natural health practitioner.

Bananas are a popular fruit grown all around the world and enjoyed mainly as a raw dessert. Bananas are a staple starch for many tropical populations.

Most of us are familiar with the yellow, ripe version of this fruit. Sometimes referred to as a desert banana. However, very yellow bananas are rich in carbohydrates that very quickly breakdown into sugar, affecting blood glucose levels. As a result, most weight loss programs do not include ripe bananas in their recommended diet.

Bananas with a slightly green coloration also obviously have carbohydrates, but in the form of resistant starch that is a lot harder for us to digest. As a result, they can bring you all the nutritional benefits of yellow bananas, but without the problematic sugars.

Nutritional Value of Slightly Green Bananas

• Bananas are a very rich source of natural potassium, with a single large fruit having as much as 600 mg of this important mineral.
• Each large banana contains around 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, and 2 grams of sodium.
• Bananas are packed with minerals and vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C, and several of the  B vitamins.
• Slightly unripe bananas have a lower glycemic index (GI) than ripe bananas. In some studies, they have shown a GI as low as 30, while most ripe yellow bananas have a score of around 50.
• A medium-sized slightly green banana has just over 100 calories, making it ideal for a quick snack with slow-release energy.

Health Benefits of Slightly Unripe Bananas

Bananas are believed to bring us several health benefits, including:

• Improved cardiovascular system
• Lowered blood pressure
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Stable blood glucose levels
• Improved function of intestines and colon
• Weight loss
• Cancer prevention

The potassium in slightly green bananas is important in reducing blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, and helping bone formation. The resistive starch helps to reduce the GI of slightly green bananas, while the fiber delays the release of food energy after digestion. Together, this helps to avoid sudden changes in blood sugar levels. Fiber is also great at removing harmful cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Some studies have indicated that short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in green bananas improve the functioning of the intestine and colon. This helps in better absorption of nutrients in food and may also prevent colonic cancer.

Storage and Preparation

While many cultures fry slightly green bananas, this adds unhealthy fats. One option is to boil the unripe fruit and then mash it for easier digestion. Slightly green bananas are also great for use in smoothies and health shakes. The blending process helps to mash up the fruit without destroying the nutritional value or resistant starch.

Make sure you don’t try to eat bananas that are too unripe though. They are hard to peel, have a funny texture and a slightly bitter taste. Firm yellow bananas with just a hint of green at both ends seem to work for me.

I find buying them totally green, make sure they aren’t those green island bananas or plantains though, and ripening in your fruit bowl to your preferred preference is the way to go.

Lentils, an edible pulse, have been consumed for thousands for years, even finding mention in the Hebrew Bible, the chief source for most of the Old Testament. In many cultures across the world, this legume has been praised as a highly nutritious, easy to grow, and even easier to cook food. Dr. Perricone, a regular on the Oprah show, ranks beans and lentils number four on his super food list, behind Acai, foods such as garlic and onions, and barley.

As a food, lentils have a very low calorific value, while being packed with nutritional goodness in the form of protein, fiber, folate, magnesium, and other vital nutrients. As a result, this humble food makes an intelligent choice in any healthy diet.

Lentils as a Protein Source

In many vegetarian cultures, lentils are still the main source of non-animal protein. Nearly 30 percent of the calories are in the form of protein, which is only slightly lesser than soy beans. In fact, lentils have the third-highest level of protein among all nuts or beans! With increasing awareness of the health risks associated with processed meat, lentils are a very good option of getting healthy, heart-friendly protein.

Lentils and Your Heart

Lentils are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease. The soluble fiber binds itself to harmful cholesterol in your arteries, removing it from the body. This is great news since arteries blocked by cholesterol are a major source of fatal heart attacks.

The presence of folate and magnesium in lentils adds to the heart-friendly nature of this legume. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine in the body, an amino acid that is known to damage artery walls, leading to cardiovascular disease. Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker and helps to dilate arteries and veins. This improves the flow of blood and reduces stress on your heart.

Lentils and Weight Loss

A single cup of cooked lentils adds less than 230 calories to your diet, which is amazing when you consider all that protein and nutrition! In addition, lentils contain almost zero fat, which is a great improvement over traditional meat protein sources. The high amounts of fiber in lentils help you to feel full even with a smaller serving. This helps you eat a nutrition-packed meal that has a smaller serving size, a great benefit for any diet plan. The fiber content is also beneficial for anyone dealing with blood sugar disorders. This is because fiber slows down the release of food energy after a meal, thus preventing spikes in blood sugar levels.

One challenge faced by many dieters is that some healthy foods can be bland and boring. Lentils, on the other hand, easily absorb additional flavors. Feel free to experiment with different flavorings and spices or even combine lentils with other types of foods. For example, a combination of brown rice with lentils is a staple in many cuisines and provides a delicious wholesome protein combination. Especially with some olive oil drizzled over the top.

Unlike beans, lentils do not require soaking but can be used straight way after a light rinse to remove any impurities, making them user friendly in these busy times.

So go ahead and try and introduce this tiny power packed super food into your diet somewhere and reap the many health benefits.