Summer Foods for Weight Loss 0

10:52 AM

Sure summer makes your appetite fluctuate and thereby gives you one more privilege of avoiding eating to lose weight, but the punch is that starving or skipping meals is counter-productive. When you are planning to lose weight, you should aim for healthy weight loss through healthy foods. Here are some of the best summer foods that are sumptuous and induce weight loss.

Strawberry

Strawberries are the perfect summer snack for weight loss because they are filling, low-calorie and high on omega 3 fats and cancer-fighting polyphenols. Eating a half cup of strawberries provides about 70 per cent of daily vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.

Blueberry

Blueberries are excellent sources of delicious summer food that improve blood circulation and fight the free-radical damage caused to tissues and cells. Blueberries are low in calories and therefore, consuming them in umpteen will not increase body fat. You may enjoy them atop oatmeal, inside whole-grain muffins or puree them into burger patties.

Plum

However you choose to eat plums, they are packed with low calories, dietary fibres and vitamin C. If you feel hungry in the middle of meals, grab a pack of dried prunes. Apart from being a nutritious delight, plums help in suppressing the appetite.

Squash

Summer squash offers some of the major nutrients and vitamins that include potassium, copper and magnesium. One cup of squash provides 80 calories. The earthy flavour and bright colour of squash makes it a perfect side dish to meals.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a good source of beta carotene, an important antioxidant. Green bell peppers contain a good amount of vitamin C. Besides, bell peppers are a great choice for beautifying the dining table.

Mango

Mangoes are dense with antioxidants, protein and omega 3 fats. Apart from being tasty, these are low-calorie and can therefore, bulk the meals up without causing ill-health. Garnish slices of mango atop yoghurt or oatmeal, in salads etc.

Beets

One of the most important ingredients that beets have in them is the B vitamin folate, which is an important nutrient for women. Beets help in keeping heart diseases, certain types of cancers, especially colon cancer and birth defects away. You may add beets to salads and make them sumptuous without adding too many calories.

Bison Meat

Red meat sure has many calories, but you need not cut its consumption completely. Bison burger is lean, low in fat and has fewer calories than beef, pork or chicken. Besides, bison meat is high in iron and omega 3 fats.

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Are you struggling to lose weight and wish you could shed those stubborn pounds? Do you feel fat and bloated even though you exercise and eat balanced meals? Do you experience cravings for carbs, sugar or junk food?

Your body is likely telling you that your blood sugar levels are high, which is why you can’t lose weight. This not only stops you from burning fat and losing weight, it is also very unhealthy!

A metabolic fast for fat loss is a good solution. What’s the difference between fasting and metabolic fasting to lose fat? Regular fasting slows down your metabolism and causes your blood sugar levels to rise due to the stress fasting places on your body. A metabolic fast provides your body with the nutrients it needs to stimulate your metabolism to push your body into fat-burning mode. Fasting incorrectly can do permanent damage to your metabolism, but metabolic fasting for fat loss is a healthy way to boost your metabolism, burn fat and shed pounds!

This metabolic fast will get your body into the fat-burning zone and reduce bloating while detoxifying your system. You may shed some weight in the first 24 hours, and continue to lose as long as you stay on track until you have reached your weight-loss goals. This is a great way to offset unhealthy eating days and force your body to melt fat!

Metabolic Boosting Steps
1. Be sure to drink plenty of water every day. Aim for 100 fl oz, minimum.
2. Allow your body to feel hunger. It’s a sign that your body is burning fat!
3. Eat at least 5 servings or more of veggies per day; they will keep you feeling full and regular.
4. Drop all other supplements except what is suggested.
5. Eat foods from the approved list only. Use a food journal as a daily guide.
6. Perform daily cardiovascular exercise daily for 45-60 minutes to rev your metabolism. Do something that causes you to break a sweat, but refrain from over-exercising as this may contribute to overeating following your workout.

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Are 70 calories of fat from walnuts, coconut oil, cod liver oil, olive-oil, canola oil, the healthiest omega-3 IMHO, DHA, or macadamia oil or nuts etc. different in health effects: Yes, in important ways. Should you have 70 to 140 calories of fat 25 minutes before each meal? Yes – but keep reading.

All the aforementioned oils are beneficial to your health when sourced in specific ways and when used in specific ways:

Virgin, cold pressed, not cooked or heated (nor in baked goods) oils
70 to 140 calories of fat or maybe even more, for example: 1-2 teaspoons or 12 walnut halves, or 8 macadamia nuts, or maybe as much as 1-2 tablespoons of the above-listed oils first thing in the morning and maybe 1 teaspoon first with each meal after breakfast

(Full disclosure: I am a scientific advisor to a company that sells DHA and to the California Walnut Commission. Yes, I still believe omega-3 DHA, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and chia seeds are healthiest, but read on.)

Why have I been pondering this? It really started with The Dr. Oz Show with Montel Williams on as a guest. He was telling Dr. Oz about safflower oil, and how the way he was taking it would reduce your weight and, more importantly, your waist size. I questioned that – so as is the custom, back to the journals to separate myth from reality. The Cleveland Clinic Prescriptive Wellness Committee’s conclusion is that all these fats provide health benefits; this committee is the one that judges and votes on what products become available on the Cleveland Clinic Wellness site and at the facilities’ stores.

When sourced properly and used first thing in the morning, there is strong scientific evidence (randomized controlled double blind studies, in many cases) that show all these oils (or in the case of walnuts, the nuts with these oils) decrease appetite; promote weight and waist loss (if they result in a sustained decrease in appetite); decrease LDL (the lousy) cholesterol; decrease age- and health- robbing triglyceride levels; and increase healthy HDL cholesterol. (There are some key points for science to unveil yet, like what happens to LDL and HDL particle size and activity, but that data is not available just yet.)

Long-term studies, more than 6 weeks and certainly more than 20 weeks, are needed to rule out adverse effects of some of these fats taken in this way on cancer promotion etc. (We do have long-term data on walnuts and omega-3 DHA that these decrease cancer risks – the other oils may not, or may increase risks greater than the beneficial decrease in heart and vascular disease and preservation of memory that we believe is likely.) Another reminder, the cancer benefits, long-term preservation of memory benefits, and the actual decrease in heart disease benefits have only been shown in humans in studies we reviewed for olive oil, walnuts and omega-3 DHA and fish oils – these oils also decrease inflammation. My best estimate, and that of the CC committee, were that two tablespoons of these oils first thing in the morning and at the start of every meal works; all data look similar for weight and waist loss and appetite control using oils and non-cooked foods with these oils in this way, whether safflower, coconut, walnut, fish, olive or macadamia oil.

While the conclusions above are from the committee’s discussions and deliberations, below is my extra take on the data and reasons why this works, much from animal studies on mechanisms, and presented in our (Dr.Oz and my) book, YOU: On a Diet. But here is the (very) short form (no need to get your hands on the book – only do that if you want the recipes, more mechanisms, tricks, and ways to lose by dieting smart, not hard): A little fat (70 to 140 calories worth) before a meal stimulates release of the hormone cholycystokinin (and other effects) from your early intestinal wall, stimulating your vagus nerve to decrease stomach emptying (so your stomach stays more full, so you feel full), and telling the satiety center in your brain that you are no longer hungry (that brain effect takes about 25 minutes after fat arrives in your empty stomach). Consuming healthy fats first in a meal (even better if it’s 25 minutes before) inhibits your appetite in two ways, promoting weight and waist loss, which in turn helps control blood sugar, blood fats and blood pressure, and should have long-term beneficial health effects.

Some of the oils in animal and human models, when consumed with food or when heated, increase inflammation and turn on genes that promote cancer. Do they have the same effect when the fat is consumed first? We just don’t know or have thorough-enough human studies to determine that. That’s why we promote walnut, olive and fish oils, especially omega-3 DHA, in the book as the fats to have first – there are data for those specific fats showing reduction in inflammation and long-term health benefits.

Since I’m data driven, I personally choose oils that we know have other long-term beneficial health effects like omega-3 DHA and walnut.

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By following the sedentary lifestyle, most men of today tend to gain a lot of weight. The main reason is accumulation of fat and the absence of a source to cut down these calories. Thus, following are some weight loss secrets that may come handy even in the ever so busy lifestyle.

Practice to stay active all the timeIt has been observed that those men and women who have a high level of physical activity manage to keep their weight normal. These activities need not be of any special kind. They may be as simple as taking a brisk walk in the neighbourhood park, walking your dog, cycling, weight lifting, or even aerobics.

If you are crunched for time, some type of a high intensity activity can prove helpful to burn calories faster.

Such vigorous physical activities may include:

1- Bicycling: This should preferably be at a speed more than 10 miles per hour. One may start off at a slower pace in the initial days, gradually picking up speed and then maintaining a good pace in it.

2- Opt for freestyle laps in swimming.

3- Aerobics are also one of the most effective ways to lose weight. While they are fast and therefore less passive, they are also fun at the same time.

4- Doing some heavy yard work such as chopping wood.

5- Weight lifting but this involves some very vigorous efforts.

6- Running/jogging at an even pace of 5 miles per hour on an average.

7- Walking very fast, say at 4 1/2 miles per hour, though this may vary from person to person.

8- Basketball that is competitive and therefore more active.

Never skip you breakfastOne must always keep this point in mind. A typical breakfast such as cereal and fruit can increase the body’s metabolism, helping you burn more calories during the day. It also helps avoid overeating later in the day.

Opt for a low calorie dietYou are what you eat. One of the secrets of keeping a low weight profile entails eating a low calorie diet. Most of the successful weight loss programs are reported to include least amount of fat in their diet plans.

While taking into account green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and a balanced diet, cut down on eating fast food, aerated drinks, and all the unhealthy snacking habits.

Maintain a consistent eating pattern
Binge eating on a frequent basis is not at all a healthy option. Take out time to plan your diet and subsequently stick to it. People who are consistent with their diet are more likely to keep all that excess weight off.

Hit the scales
Researchers have proven that people who frequently check their weight have the advantage to catch even a small weight gain and thus, remind themselves to take steps to correct them.

Catch the slips lest they take the form of a bigger problem
Take very good care not to add a lot of weight all of a sudden. Those people who are able to prevent an extra pound or two from adding up are more likely to maintain their weight loss successfully over the long term.

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Everyone's metabolism naturally slows down with age. At 40, you could be burning 100 to 300

fewer calories a day than you did at 30, says Pamela M. Peeke, M.D., author of Body for Life for Women and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. That can translate into a 10-25-pound weight gain in a year. But you can counteract that slowdown and boost your body's fat-burning capabilities by making just a few tweaks to your daily routine. The following strategies will help you bust out of a weight-loss plateau and burn even more fat.

:Take five

Do five minutes of exercise each morning. We all have a metabolic thermostat, called the

metastat, that can be turned up or down, and morning is the best time to activate it. Each day, your metastat is waiting for signals to rev up, so the more signals you can send it, the better. Your best bet is a light, full-body activity like walking orpush-ups.

:Fuel up in the morning

Numerous studies have found that regular breakfast eaters are often leaner than breakfast skippers. "Your metabolism naturally slows at night, but you can jump-start it in the morning by eating breakfast," says Tammy Lakatos Shames, R.D., C.D.N., co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism. And because both your activity level and metabolism decrease later in the day, it's a good idea to make breakfast or lunch your largest meal.

:Fill up on good grains

Whole grains such as brown rice, wheat germ, dark bread, whole-grain cereal, oatmeal and bran leave you feeling full because they take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates. In a study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School evaluated the dietary intake of more than 74,000 women for 12 years. Overall, women who regularly ate the most whole-grain foods — about 1.5 servings a day — gained less weight than women who ate the least.

:Pump yourself up

Muscle burns more calories than fat does, and decreased muscle mass can be one of the main

reasons metabolism slows. Disuse can cause women to drop as much as 10 pounds of muscle between the ages of 30 and 50. Losing that much muscle means you'll burn 350 to 500 fewer calories a day. To build and maintain muscle mass, aim for two to three strength-training workouts a week. If you don't belong to a gym, try push-ups, squats, abdominal crunches and tricep dips off a chair.

:Power on with protein

Add a little high-quality, lowfat protein, such as chicken, fish and egg whites, to your meals, and you'll help your body burn fat faster. "Because protein requires more energy to digest, it speeds up your metabolism, and protein is necessary to ensure against loss of muscle tissue," says Michael Thurmond, author of 6 Day Body Makeover.

:Get your vitamin "I"

That's "I" for intensity. You love to walk, but if that usually means strolling along at a snail's pace, your waistline will pay little attention. Instead, put intensity, or "vitamin I," into your stride. Pick up your pace so you're walking at 4 mph, or one mile per 15 minutes. Once you build up your cardiovascular fitness level, you can even alternate between walking and jogging. The key is to get your heart rate up and keep your workouts challenging.

:Say yes to yogurt

In a recent study from the International Journal of Obesity, women who ate three daily servings of lowfat yogurt lost 60 percent more fat than women who didn't. In another study, participants who ate three daily servings of dairy lost more than twice as much fat as those who ate less than that. "Calcium-rich diets reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase enzymes that break down fat," says Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., lead author of both studies and director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Eat three servings of lowfat dairy a day, like milk, yogurt and hard cheeses (Gouda, Cheddar and Monterey Jack).

:Get active after eating

Your body's metabolic rate increases 10 percent after eating, and just a few minutes of activity could double that boost for up to three hours. Within 15 to 30 minutes of eating a snack or meal, do five or 10 minutes of light activity. Take the dog for a walk, climb stairs in your house or do some basic strength exercises.

:Sip green tea

You might love your lattes, but if you switch to green tea, not only will you get a healthy dose of disease-fighting compounds, you'll also cut body fat. In a study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who drank a bottle of tea fortified with green tea extract every day for three months lost more body fat than people who drank black tea. Researchers at a health care lab in Tokyo believe disease-fighting antioxidants called catechins in green tea may help decrease body fat.

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