If you are interested in losing weight, the first step after exercise is finding foods which will keep you feeling full and satisfied. The more satiated you feel, the less likely you are to snack over overeat at the next meal.
New research points to more than a dozen foods, from beans to beef, that can help you fight hunger, kick your candy addiction, boost your metabolism-and ultimately shed pounds. And some of these super foods deliver health bonuses, too.
Eggs, which are full of protein, will help you feel fuller longer-a lot longer. A multi-center study of 30 overweight or obese women found that those who ate two scrambled eggs (with two slices of toast and a reduced-calorie fruit spread) consumed less for the next 36 hours than women who had a bagel breakfast of equal calories.
Other research has shown that protein may also prevent spikes in blood sugar, which can lead to food cravings. You've probably never heard of cholecystokinin, but it's one of your best weight-loss pals.
This digestive hormone is a natural appetite suppressant. So how do you get more cholecystokinin?
One way is by eating beans. A study of eight men found that their levels of the hormone (which may work by keeping food in your stomach longer) were twice as high after a meal containing beans than after a low-fiber meal containing rice and dry milk.
There's also some evidence that beans keep blood sugar on an even keel, so you can stave off hunger longer. Heart-health bonus: high-fiber beans can lower your cholesterol.
Do you tend to stuff yourself at meals? Control that calorie intake by starting with a large salad (but hold the creamy dressing).
In a study of 42 women, those who ate a big, low-cal salad consumed 12 percent less pasta afterward-even though they were offered as much as they wanted. The secret is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out.
Green tea is the next super food you should try. The slimming ingredient is not caffeine.
Antioxidants called catechins are what help speed metabolism and fat burning. In a recent Japanese study, 35 men who drank a bottle of oolong tea mixed with green tea catechins lost weight, boosted their metabolism, and had a significant drop in their body mass index.
Health bonus: the participants also lowered their (bad) LDL cholesterol. Not a bad deal!
Pears are now recognized as having more fiber, thanks to a corrected calculation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At six grams (formerly four grams) per medium-size pear, they're great at filling you up.
Apples come in second, with about three grams per medium-size fruit. Both contain pectin fiber, which decreases blood-sugar levels, helping you avoid between-meal snacking.
This may explain why, in a Brazilian study that lasted 12 weeks, overweight women who ate three small pears or apples a day lost more weight than women on the same diet who ate three oat cookies daily instead of the fruit. A cup of chicken soup is as appetite blunting as a piece of chicken.
That was the finding of a study with 18 women and 13 men. Researchers speculate that even the simplest soup satisfies hunger because your brain perceives it as filling.
Fight off middle-age pounds with extra virgin olive oil. A monounsaturated fat, it will help you burn calories.
In an Australian study, 12 postmenopausal women (ages 57 to 73) were given a breakfast cereal dressed either with a mixture of cream and skim milk or half an ounce of olive oil and skim milk. The women who ate the oil-laced muesli boosted their metabolism.
Don't want to add olive oil to your oatmeal? That's fine-it works just as well in salad dressings, as a bread dip, or for sauteeing.
Eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day can help people drop more than three pounds over 12 weeks. The fruit's phytochemicals reduce insulin levels, a process that may force your body to convert calories into energy rather than flab.
Last, sprinkle cinnamon on microwave oatmeal or whole-grain toast to help cure those mid-afternoon sugar slumps. Research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that a little cinnamon can help control post-meal insulin spikes, which make you feel hungry.
One USDA study showed that just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day lowered the blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Try adopting some of these foods into your diet, and you may find that you lose weight!
Author Resource:-
Ronald Pedactor has written hundreds of articles relating to food storage. He recommends food insurance for saving money with food storage.
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