7 Best Superfoods for Rapid Weight Loss

Wouldn’t it be great if life came with a magic remote control that made the bad parts speed up and the good parts slow down? You could hit FF at the beginning of every workday, and RWD at the end of awesome date. All the vacations, holidays and parties could move at the pace of a Kenny G song, and all the endless conference calls could spin by faster than Nicki Minaj’s hairstyles.

And right up there on the FF list—weight loss. Sure, slow and steady may win the race, but who wants to plod along like a tortoise, especially when a warm weather getaway is right around the corner? Add these 7 superfoods to your day, compliments of the New York Times bestseller Zero Belly Diet, to get your weight-loss goals on hyperspeed. All of them have been scientifically proven to fry flab in 6 weeks or less!

PROVEN TO WORK IN JUST SIX WEEKS….

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #7

Grapefruit

Like a marathoner stretching before the big run, eating half a grapefruit before a meal can enhance your body’s fat-burning performance. A study published in the journal Metabolism found that this “warm-up” tactic can help whittle your middle—by up to an inch—in just six weeks! The scientists attribute the powerful effects to the grapefruits’ fat-zapping phytochemicals. The fruit can interact negatively with certain medications, so as long as you get the green-light from your M.D, plan to have half of a grapefruit before your morning meal and add a few segments your starter salads to reap the benefits.

PROVEN TO WORK IN JUST FOUR WEEKS…

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #6

Pistachios

Stephen Colbert may be on to something. UCLA Center for Human Nutrition researchers divided study participants into two groups, each of which were fed a nearly identical low-cal diet for 12-weeks. The only difference between the groups was what they were given to eat as an afternoon snack. One group ate 220-calories of pretzels while the other group munched on 240-calories worth of pistachios. Just four weeks into the study, the pistachio group had reduced their BMI by a point, while the pretzel-eating group stayed the same, and their cholesterol and triglyceride levels showed improvements as well.

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #5

Avocado Oil

What if we told you that you could make 20 percent of your belly disappear this year—poof, just gone? Penn State University researchers compared those who consumed avocado oil with those who consumed a flax-safflower oil blend. Those on the avocado oil diet—just three tablespoons daily did the trick—lost nearly 2 percent of their belly fat in just one month. For more ways to enjoy big, bold flavors, burn flab with What are healthy fats to eat?

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #4

Legumes

It’s time to focus on your lentil health. In one four-week Spanish study, researchers found that eating a calorie-restricted diet that includes four weekly servings of legumes aids weight loss more effectively than an equivalent diet that doesn’t include beans. Those who consumed the legume-rich diet also saw improvements in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and systolic blood-pressure. To reap the benefits at home, work lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans into your diet throughout the week.

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #3

Vitamin D-Fortified Yogurt

How would you like to take all the great weight-loss results you’ve just read about—and double them? That’s what happens when you supplement your diet with a combination of vitamin D and calcium, according to a Nutrition Journal study.  Just four weeks into the 12-week experiment, subjects who had taken these two nutrients—found in abundance in some yogurts—lost two times more fat than the other group! To get similar results at home, start your day with one of these 9 Best Yogurts For Weight Loss.

PROVEN TO WORK IN JUST TWO WEEKS…..

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #2

Green Tea

If you’re not drinking green tea with your workouts, you might be wasting your time at that barre class. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that after just two weeks, exercisers who sipped four to five cups of green tea each day and logged 25-minutes at the gym lost more belly fat than their non-tea-drinking counterparts. What makes the drink so powerful? It contains catechins, an antioxidant that hinders the storage of belly fat and aids rapid weight loss.

ZERO BELLY SUPERFOOD #1

Almonds

Think of each almond as a natural weight-loss pill. A study of overweight and obese adults found that, combined with a calorie-restricted diet, consuming a little more than a quarter cup of the nuts can decrease weight more effectively than a snack comprised of complex carbohydrates and safflower oil—after just two weeks! (And after 24 weeks, those who ate the nuts experienced a 62% greater reduction in weight and BMI!) For optimal results, eat your daily serving before you hit the gym. A study printed in The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that almonds, rich in the amino acid L-arginine, can actually help you burn more fat and carbs during workouts. 

Comment below which is your favourite superfood. Let me know if you found this article helpful.

Source

What are Antioxidants and Why Do we need them?

We are often told that a food is good for us due to the fact that it contains antioxidants.  These naturally occurring compounds are thought to offer preventative effects for disease so what exactly are they and how can we get them in our diet?

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are compounds which inhibit oxidation in the body or in foods. Oxidation is a chemical process which involves the transfer of electrons or hydrogen producing harmful free radicals in the body.

These destructive substances can cause cell damage or death in the body through altering DNA, which can in turn lead to development of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, due to cellular mutations.

External factors such as cigarette smoke, air pollution and excessive alcohol consumption can all lead to production of free radicals and are therefore harmful to the body.  Antioxidants help to stop the damage done by free radicals and therefore may be effective in reducing risk of disease.

Oxidation is also the process that makes food go bad after a certain time and antioxidants are often used in food manufacturing to slow down this process, giving food a longer shelf life.

Why we need antioxidants

Although your body produces some antioxidants on its own, which work to battle the on-going small amounts of oxidative damage in the body, in the modern world, we are exposed to many free radical forming substances.  It is therefore suggested that we include some antioxidants in our diet to combat this.

There is some evidence that a diet high in vitamin antioxidant containing foods may reduce the risk of developing lifestyle diseases, although there is some question as to whether other antioxidants which appear to be beneficial in laboratory conditions actually assert any effect in the human body.

The best sources of antioxidants are plant based foods and there is suggestion that a high intake of fruit and vegetables is associated with lower risk of many diseases, so whether or not the antioxidants are as powerful as they seem or whether another mechanism is in play, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet is a good way to ensure a healthy diet and reduce risk of disease.

Common antioxidants

Some common antioxidants include particular vitamins, flavonoids and polyphenols.

Vitamin C works to stop the oxidative chain reaction before it starts, whilst vitamin E breaks the chain further along.  Flavonoids and polyphenols are also common antioxidants, with different forms found in a variety of plant based foods.

Only the vitamin antioxidants have been proven to have beneficial antioxidant effects in the human body, whilst the other forms have been shown to be effective in a laboratory, but are not thought to maintain this efficiency in the human body.

What foods are high in antioxidants?

Foods that are naturally high in antioxidants are mainly from the fruit, vegetable and legume families. Berries contain the highest amount of antioxidants for fruit, in particular blueberries, cranberries and blackberries, whilst artichokes are a good source from the vegetable family.  Red beans and pinto beans are the highest in antioxidants of the legumes.

Antioxidant vitamin C are commonly found in fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits, whilst beta-carotene, which is required to make the antioxidant vitamin A in the body is found in vegetables that are green and leafy or yellow and orange in color.

Fat soluble vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, wheat germ and whole grains.  Flavones, a type of polyphenol antioxidant are found in berries and tea, whilst carotenoids, which include the antioxidants lycopene and beta-carotene are found in a variety of vegetables.

Many spices and compounds such as cocoa have high antioxidant levels; however, our intake of these products is in such small portions that it is unlikely they have any effect in the human body.

Dried fruits are also a good source, as the removal of water concentrates the antioxidants.

A word of caution on supplements

Due to their potential to reduce oxidative damage, it was thought that high intakes of antioxidants through supplementation may reduce risk of disease and may even be beneficial for treatment.

However, further research has concluded that there is no benefit to very high intake of antioxidants in terms of disease prevention and there is even some suggestion that a very high intake may increase the risk of some cancers.

Do you eat enough antioxidants in your diet? Comment below and let me know any thoughts or questions you may have :)


Source
References used in this article

Summer's Secret Weight Loss Weapon

Farmer’s markets and fruit stands are bursting with berries—or they will be soon. Numerous studies link these summer treasures with a slew of health benefits, including weight loss. Here are five ways berries can help you slim down and a few healthy ways to gobble them up:

 

Antioxidants

Berries are potent sources of antioxidants that essentially act like little bodyguards protecting cells from damage, which can lead to premature aging and disease. But antioxidants are also linked to weight control. Some exciting new research from the University of Florida found that people who consume more antioxidants weigh less, even when they don’t eat fewer calories. The researchers developed an index that ranks the number of calories consumed from plant-based foods compared with overall daily calorie intake called the phytochemical index, or PI score. A totally plant-based, vegan diet (excluding hard liquor and refined sugars) could have a perfect score of 100, whereas a typical American diet, heavy with meat, sugar, and fried foods and low in fruits and veggies, would score below 20. In a study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, the Florida scientists found that people of normal weight had PI scores 10.3 points higher, on average, than overweight or obese people. And even though both groups consumed about the same number of daily calories, those with lower PI scores weighed more, had larger waistlines, and higher body fat percentages.

 

 

Blood sugar regulation

Strawberries in particular have been shown to reduce blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. Scientists believe that a key antioxidant in strawberries blocks the activity of an enzyme responsible for breaking starch into simple sugar, which means fewer simple sugars are released into the blood stream, lowering the blood sugar and the corresponding insulin response. This is key for weight control because insulin shuttles excess sugar into fat cells. Check out my strawberry avocado taco snack recipe for a new way to enjoy the healthy fruit.

 

Metabolism boosters

Raspberries have been shown to contain a natural substance called ketones, which are similar to capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their fire. Animal studies have found that raspberry ketones prevented an increase in overall body fat and visceral fat, the deep internal belly fat considered to be most dangerous due to its relationship to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. I love raspberries as is but they’re also great in parfaits, hot or cold cereal, or as a topping for whole grain French toast.

 

 

Belly fat fighters

In one animal study rats that consumed two percent of their diet as blueberries had dramatic results after 90 days—significantly less belly fat, lower blood fats, lower cholesterol, and improved blood sugar and insulin levels. I’m addicted to Pinterest and I love this photo of one of my favorite blueberry recipes.

 

Fiber

Berries are a terrific source of fiber, another key factor in weight control. Research has found that for every gram of fiber we eat, we eliminate seven calories, so consuming the recommended 25 to 35 grams daily could cancel out nearly 300 calories, enough to result in a 30 pound weight loss in one year’s time. Another study in Brazilian dieters found that over a six month period, each additional gram of fiber resulted in an extra quarter pound of weight loss. Raspberries in particular have the best ratio of carbohydrate to fiber. Of their 15 grams of carbohydates per cup, eight are fiber. That’s over 30 percent of the recommended intake, and one of the reasons I included them in my 5 Day, 5 Food Fast Forward, a solid food ‘detox’ in my newest book S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim. In the fast forward plan I combine raspberries with four other superfoods to create meals like a spinach raspberry salad and raspberry almond smoothie. The goal is to get quick results, up to eight pounds in five days, while eating satisfying, cleansing meals that reboot your metabolism and crush cravings.

 

In addition to weight loss, berries have been shown to boost bone density, maintain healthy vision, protect against the sun’s UV rays, slash the risk of cancer and Parkinson’s disease, fight infections, and keep your brain young. Pretty powerful stuff!

If you have a bounty of berries and don’t think you’ll eat them all before going bad here’s an easy 3-step way to freeze the nutritional powerhouses so they won’t clump together in one big block:

• Wash the berries and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching.

• Freeze for 30 minutes; remove then transfer to freezer bags.

• Remove as much of the air as possible (some people suck it out with a straw), seal, label, and toss in the freezer.

This way you can use as few or as many as you’d like in a smoothie or thaw and enjoy well beyond summer.
Are you a fan of berries? What’s your favorite healthy way to enjoy them?


Source
http://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/summers-secret-weight-loss-weapon

Easy tips to eat healthy and lose weight

Eat Tons of Blueberries 

Blueberries aren't just full of antioxidants. They may play a role in reducing belly fat , too. Blueberries are loaded with anthocyanin, which alters the activity of genes found in human fat cells and makes it more difficult to put on weight. So go ahead and try one of these healthful blueberry recipes.

 

Get Stoned 

With your fruit, that is! Stone fruits like nectarines, plums, peaches, and cherries contain natural substances that ward off obesity. Pretty cool, right? Added bonus: They also protect against diabetes and act as an anti-inflammatory. Dietician Cynthia Sass recommends eating the fruit on its own in a raw, natural state.

 

Keep It Fresh 

Maybe you don't eat a ton of junk food, but there are still some seemingly healthy —but highly processed—foods out there. Get as close to nature as you can and eat a diet filled with all-natural whole foods. They'll help you maintain energy levels, promote healthy sleeping habits, and provide ample fuel for all of your workouts.

Source
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/ways-to-lose-weight-fast

Foods That Fight The Appearance Of Cellulite

Eating less is not necessarily the solution to cellulite, since the condition is related to skin deterioration rather than an accumulation of too much fat in the body, but it can be reduced by proper nutrition. Nutrition helps heal and revitalize connective tissue, reducing the damage that leads to cellulite.
Lecithin helps rebuild cell walls & repair tissue by hydration, and a damaged dermis is susceptible to dehydration and breakage.
Lecithin sources include:

• Eggs
• Soy Products (Tofu, Edamame, Soy Flour, Soy Milk, ect.)
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Spinach (contains vitamin K which is beneficial to your skin and circulatory system)
• Tomatoes

Essential Fatty Acids help attract water to dehydrated cells and connective tissue and maintain cell hydration. They are fundamental to removing cellulite, so you should get them from:

• Walnuts
• Flax Seeds
• Cold-Water Fish (Salmon, wild-caught Alaskan & Mackerel)

Protein sources consumed to obtain the nine essential amino acids the body requires to produce collagen and elastin inside connective tissues like:

• Poultry (Turkey & Chicken help collagen production, which tightens the connective tissues around fat cells, giving skin a taunt, smooth look)
• Fish
• Eggs

Protein Sources For Vegetarians:

• Leafy Green Vegetables
• Nuts
• Wheat

Anti-inflammatory foods rich in Antioxidants stop the free radical damage that weakens the dermis and results in lumps and dimples.
The best antioxidants for skin health include polyphenols, vitamins A, C and E and bioflavonoids. The strongest polyphenol is ellagic acid and pectin that is found in fruits like apples, pears and citrus fruits and it plays a wonderful role in the digestive system. The acids found in these fruits neutralize toxins and help restore the pH balance of the skin. Eating more of these fruits will metabolize fat ultimately reducing cellulite as well!

SOURCE:
http://thescienceofeating.com/fats/how-to-get-rid-of-cellulite/