Trying to lose weight by eating all the right foods can sometimes be as exciting as getting your teeth drilled. There are certainly foods that are super for you. But, almost as fast as a kid who pulls off Santa’s fake beard and discovers an imposter posing as the real deal, these foods lose their power of appeal. If you want to pack yourself with mouthfuls of excitement, try adding some ‘zeal’ to your dishes.
First, the following superfood examples provide important nutritional benefits to help you lose weight and put a zip in your step.
Lemons contain citric acid, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, pectin, limonene and bioflavonoids – all substances which promote immunity and fight infection.
Garlic
Garlic reduces cholesterol and blood pressure.
Pepper
Pepper has plentyof antioxidants. It also has benefits against bacterial growth, particularly in the intestinal tract.
Apples
Apples are high in pectin and fiber so you feel full longer. And, as the saying goes: “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.”
Tomatoes
These fruits are low in calories and high in Vitamin A, C and antioxidants.
Salmon (Wild)
This fish is heavy in omega 3 fatty acids, protein and calcium and also in Vitamin D and B.
Fresh Spinach
This vegetable is high in antioxidants, vitamins A, K, B and C.
Walnuts
Walnuts are high in protein, healthy fat and fiber. Other nuts to try include almonds and hazelnuts.
Broccoli
This vegetable is high in fiber, folate, vitamins A and C and is low in calories.
Blueberries
These berries are full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Zip up your food with all natural spices, oils and citrus. Below are some tips and tricks to use when you want that flavorful punch with your meals – but don’t want the unnatural ingredients along with them.
Light and delightful LEMON
Toss that bottled dressing full of high fructose corn syrup and unsavory additives! A good dressing doesn’t have to come from Kraft or Newman’s Own. For a great tasting salad, sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice, a teaspoon or two of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, pepper and a dash of paprika. This is a cheaper and healthier alternative.
Also, try spritzing lemon juice over steamed, grilled or sautéed green vegetables of any kind such as: broccoli, snap peas, fresh spinach, asparagus, etc. For even sunnier flavor, add lemon zest from the rind of ½ a lemon to your dishes and season with salt and pepper.
Juice up your meat. Lemon juice, when marinated with chicken, steak or other meats, is a better tenderizing alternative.
Give Your Body a Healthful Punch of GARLIC
Garlic is powerful in both aroma and taste. It also is a wonderful seasoning to add nutrition to your dishes. With its unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients, garlic belongs in your diet on a regular basis. Try to include at least a 1/2 clove in your individual food portion. If you’re preparing a recipe, use at least 1-2 cloves. Use raw chopped or pressed garlic in dishes to take advantage of the benefits derived from garlic. If you cannot tolerate raw garlic, you can add chopped garlic to foods while they are cooking. It is best to add it towards the end of the cooking process to retain the maximum amount of flavor and nutrition.
PEPPER: The Fundamental Spice
Pepper works with just about everything when it comes to seasoning a meal. It’s a good idea to grind your peppercorns in a peppercorn mill. Fresh peppercorns can be purchased at the grocery store, on the internet and at organic food stores. Grinding pepper right before a meal enhances its freshness and taste. Additionally, the outer skin of the peppercorn is said to help speed up metabolism, leading to a higher probability of weight loss. If you’re not the pepper-grinding type, the supermarket shelves are full of ground pepper. Going with a brand name will give you a quality product.
Fortify Your Body with APPLES
Apples. There are over 7000 varieties of these fruits to choose from. Cook apples with cinnamon – delicious. Or, dip apple slices in peanut butter and sprinkle raisins on top and your taste buds will be delighted. Apples have been underestimated. They are a great source of three types of flavonoids – quercetin, cetacetins and proanthocyanidins, all of which have been associated with preventing heart disease. Besides grabbing one and biting into it there are creative ways to get your apple intake. Make yourself an apple smoothie, mixed with nuts and berries and you’ll have a nutrient-rich snack. Add whey protein, and you’ll have yourself a meal!
Load Up with Tasty TOMATOES
Salads, pasta dishes and even meats can look drab – until you add – tomato. Succulent, juicy tomatoes not only taste wonderful, but also offer a range of health benefits. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, plus vitamin A, potassium and fiber. Tomatoes are also high in lycopene, which works with other vitamins and minerals to aid in disease prevention. Research also shows that the combination of nutrients in tomatoes may help prevent cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. Tomato can make a drowsy salad alive with vibrant colors and taste. Add different colored tomato to mozzarella, along with basil and a mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and you’ll be the talk of the party. Roasting tomatoes bring out their hearty sweetness. Try making a chilled soup (or, gazpacho) out of tomatoes. Delicious! Or, take a tomato and slice it into cubes, mix in cilantro, a dash of salt and pepper and lime juice for your tacos. There are millions of things you can do with tomatoes.
Savor the Flavor of SALMON
The Omega-3 fatty acids contained in salmon, along with other properties such as vitamin D and selenium, pack a powerful punch of health benefits. There are so many ways to spruce up the flavor of salmon – which is quite flavorful all by itself. Adding ethnic seasonings to salmon is another way to spruce up your meal. Try mixing cumin, coriander and cardamom with yogurt and adding this mixture to cubes of salmon, and you have a typical tandoori dish. Grill salmon with a spritz of lemon. Season this also with ground red pepper and bits of garlic. Add salmon to any salad (Example: spinach, bell pepper, corn, sesame seeds and bean sprouts) and your meal is complete!
Important Note: All of these health benefits are derived from the consumption of wild salmon only. The farmed kind is an entirely different batch of fish.
Fresh and Simple – SPINACH
It’s safe to say that spinach puts the “S” in Superfoods. This vegetable offers twice as much fiber as other greens. It’s the ‘salad’ that fills you up. It’s the gold medal winner in nutrition. It’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and iron. Its dark, leafy greens possess important phytochemicals, including lutein (which prevents age-related macular degeneration), lipoic acid (which helps antioxidant vitamins C and E regenerate), and also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Make a spinach salad with your choosing of vegetables. The dressing can be a mixture of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sugar, paprika, minced onions. Or, add spinach when baking salmon and season with salt, pepper and lemon.
Taste the Nut: WALNUTS
Walnuts are a rich source of Omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). They are proven to help with artery function after a high fat meal. In fact, walnuts are considered to be even more important in a Mediterranean-type diet than olive oil when it comes to promoting heart health! Walnuts, also known as the “brain food.” Walnuts, since ancient times, have been revered as a symbol of intellectuality since their kernels actually resemble that of brain! Walnuts are also said to help with sleep. Melatonin has been discovered in walnuts, making them a natural, perfect food for a good night’s rest. Walnuts are also said to promote bone health because of their omega-3 fats, which are said to prevent excessive bone turnover. Walnuts alsoprovide a very rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron,magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Add crushed walnuts to your salads. Sprinkle walnuts with a pinch of cinnamon or also try spicing them up with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for an extra zip.
Bring it on! BROCCOLI!
“Eat your broccoli,” was what momma always said. And she was right. Broccoli contains a high amount of vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in the body and even eases symptoms of the common cold. Also, the folic acid in broccoli helps maintain normal tissue growth. The potassium contained in broccoli helps with high blood pressure and combats osteoporosis. Broccoli is a high-fiber vegetable and reduces blood cholesterol levels.
Broccoli tastes great by itself, but some additional ways to eat broccoli include: shredding the broccoli stems to make your own broccoli slaw. Add a bit of teriyaki sauce to broccoli after it’s cooked. Broccoli can go into salads, healthy stir-fries, put into casseroles, be added to rice dishes, and can be cooked, steamed, boiled and baked. Do not overcook broccoli, as this will reduce the vital nutrients it contains.
Get Big On… BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries are ranked highest of any fruit for its antioxidants (those free-radical-fighting dynamos). Just one cup delivers 14% of the recommended daily dose of fiber and nearly a quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Researchers say blueberries contain a significant amount of phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, animal studies have shown that the polyphenols found in blueberries, anthocyanins, have been shown to increase signaling in brain centers associated with memory as well as improve how the brain gets rid of glucose, all of which may help slow memory decline. And – drum roll please – blueberries are low in calories!
Add blueberries to your cereal, your protein shakes, salads, yogurt and baked goods. But, probably the best way to savor the flavor of these divinely delicious berries is to pop them into your mouth and – one by one – bite down!
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