Friday, October 23, 2009

The Best Foods To Help You Loose Weight

As Americans become more and more health conscious, they are beginning to investigate the many theories about how to live longer and stay healthy. It is a well documented fact that being over weight contributes to a great number of diseases that threaten our health. Consequently, the media has been besieged by a plethora of companies and individuals, touting the benefits of this diet or that exercise routine. The problem with most of these choices, is that they are too extreme, and, rather than make us healthier, they put our health at risk.
How many times have you lost weight by following the rules of a specific diet, only to regain all those pounds and more after having found the diet too restrictive? And continually watching the scale go up and down is actually worse for your health than just keeping those few extra pounds. Yet we continue to look for a panacea, an easy way to get the body we’ve dreamed about without having to give up the food we love to eat. And that is why the majority of dieters fail.
So what is the answer? Are we doomed to continue on a never ending quest for a healthy, svelte body? Would you believe that you could achieve your goals without sacrifice? Well you can! All you have to do is eat in moderation and make some smart choices by incorporating healthy, fat burning foods into your weight loss regime.
There are many foods that can not only accelerate weight loss, but make you healthy in the process; I will focus on just a few. Did you know that eating cabbage actually can rid the body of belly fat? The sulfur and iodine in cabbage assist in cleansing the mucous membranes which enables the body to break up and eliminate belly fat.
Salmon facilitates the body’s ability to burn calories instead of transforming them into fat. By helping to regulate insulin levels and control blood sugars, this fish full of Omega-3 fatty acids, helps to control cravings by stimulating the production of leptin, a natural appetite suppressant. You leave the table having eaten less, but feeling full.
Turkey, another fat burning food, is one of the leanest forms of protein. Since there are less calories in 4 ounces of turkey breast than in other meats, fish or poultry, by eating the same amount of turkey, you will be taking in less calories, and consequently, lose more weight.
Turkey, salmon and cabbage can help shed those unwanted pounds, but they can also rev up your metabolism. Salmon helps to regulate leptin, which is a hormone that controls your metabolism. The vitamin B in cabbage keeps nerve endings healthy, as well as increase the rate of metabolism. Chiles, such as jalapenos, another fat burning food, contain a chemical called Capsaicin, which speeds up the heart rate, increasing metabolism levels.
These foods provide yet another advantage; they help protect us from getting certain serious diseases. Did you know that by simply adding a tablespoon or two of cinnamon to your morning oatmeal, you can help prevent the onset of diabetes? This amazing spice can slow down the digestion process, increase your heart rate, lower blood sugars and control insulin levels. It also eliminates bad cholesterol in diabetics. People can also ward off the possibility of getting colon cancer by eating cinnamon, since the fiber and calcium in cinnamon helps eliminate bile salts that contribute to this form cancer.
The vitamin C in cabbage actually works to prevent breast and prostate cancer. This fat burning food is a natural diuretic and can alleviate constipation, which is a major cause of indigestion, headaches and ulcers. Cabbage helps to remove toxins in the blood which in turn aids in the reducing the effects of rheumatism, arthritis and gout. By keeping the endocrinal glands healthy and at their peak, cabbage has been known to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Omega 3 fatty acids in salmon help prevent heart disease.
And if that weren’t enough, cinnamon can actually make you smarter. Studies have shown that students exposed to the aroma of cinnamon before taking standardized tests, out perform students who were not exposed to the spice. The vitamins in cabbage protect the eyes and the skin from premature aging. The vitamins B6 and B12 in turkey help regulate blood sugars and convert food into energy. In addition, turkey contains essential amino acids that strengthen the immune system. The fatty acids in salmon can also improve the immune system, as well as reduce chemicals in the body that cause stress, a major factor in heart disease.
Of course, simply eating certain fat burning foods is not a cure-all. If you want to live a healthy life style, you have to eat foods in moderation, for eating foods that are good for you won’t help you lose weight if you over indulge, and maintaining a healthy weight is vital to your overall health. It is also important to incorporate at least a modicum of exercise into your weight loss regime to insure the maximum results. Then, by selecting fresh vegetables and lean protein, and eliminating fatty, processed foods, you will not only see the visible results, but you will feel more energetic and radiate a new healthy you, both inside and out.

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