1. Nuts
Buts are backed with monounsaturated fatty acids (good fats) that lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Eating a high-protein, high-fat snack, such as almonds, increases your calorie burn for up to 3 and a half hours. And just one ounce of almonds boosts vitamin-E levels, increasing memory and cognitive performance.
2. Eggs
Eating eggs for breakfast (as opposed to something like bagels) gives higher energy levels and allows you to lose more weight, with no effect on their cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Egg protein helps boost muscle strength and development more than other proteins do because of its high concentrations of the amino acid leucine. And egg protein is also better at keeping you from getting hungry over a sustained period.
3. Whole Grains
People who eat whole grains daily weighed less than those who eat only refined-grain foods.
Whole-grain eaters lose more belly fat than those who eat refined grains. Whole grains more favorably affect blood-glucose levels, which means they don’t cause wild swings in blood sugar and ratchet up cravings after you eat them. Plus, the antioxidants in whole grains help control inflammation and insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store belly fat).
4. Avocado
Just because a food has plenty of fat and calories in it doesn’t mean it’s “fattening.” Avocados aren't fattening, because they’re loaded with healthy fat and fiber and don't cause wild swings in insulin levels. So enjoy the fat in avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Research shows that diets containing upward of 50 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that are low in fat.
5. Meat
Grass-fed beef, chicken, and pork is leaner and healthier than conventional livestock—and will help trim away pounds. Grass-fed beef is so much more nutritious than commodity beef that it's almost a different food. Grass-fed beef contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to reduce abdominal fat while building lean muscle. It also has more omega-3s and less omega-6s than corn-fed beef. It’s the same with chickens; free-range chickens have significantly more omega-3s than grain-fed chickens, less harmful fat, and fewer calories than grain-fed varieties. This is important because omega-3s improve your mood, boost your metabolism, sharpen your brain, and help you lose weight.
6. Fish
Generally, small, oily ocean fish (herring, mackerel, sardines) are low in toxins and score highest in omega-3s. Wild Alaskan salmon, Pacific Halibut, Rainbow Trout, and Yellowfin tuna are generally low in toxins and high in nutrients. And then there are fish that we should avoid at all times: farmed (or “Atlantic”) salmon, farmed tilapia, Atlantic cod, Chilean Sea Bass, and farmed shrimp.
7. Berries
After eating a high-carb, high-sugar meal, free radicals (rogue molecules produced when your body breaks down food) attack the neurons that tell us when we’re full. The result: It’s hard to judge when hunger is satisfied. Escape the cycle of overindulgence by eating foods that are rich in antioxidants. The berries that give you the most antioxidant bang per bite, in order: cranberries, black currents, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates.
8. Instant Oats
Fiber is the secret to losing weight without hunger. Do nothing to your diet other than add more of the rough stuff, and you will lose nine pounds in a year, effortlessly. Instant oats are one of the easiest ways to get more real fiber into your diet. Plus, new research indicates that oats can also cut your risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and even reduce your risk of weight gain. Oats also have 10 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving, so they deliver steady muscle-building energy. Choose oatmeal that contains whole oats and low sodium, which also has whole-grain wheat flakes and flaxseed.
9. Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables—like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, and bok choy—are all rich in folate, and the more folate you have in your diet, the lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and depression. New research shows that folate helps protect against damage from estrogenic chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), which have been linked to obesity.These veggies also rich in potassium, which help preserve lean muscle mass.
10. Apples
Eating the peel of an apple is a great way to add more fiber and nutrients into your diet. But there’s a downside: The peel is where fruit tends to absorb and retain most of the pesticides they are exposed to, apples and peaches being the worst offenders. That’s why, for maximum weight-loss potential, it is strongly recommended that you buy organic versions of apples, pears, peaches, and other eat-the-peel fruits.
11. Beans
Study after study reveals that bean eaters live longer and weigh less. One study showed that people who eat 3/4 cup of beans daily weigh 6.6 pounds less than those who don't eat beans. Another study found that people who eat one and a half servings of beans a day (3/4 cup) have lower blood pressure and smaller waist sizes than those who skip beans in favor of other proteins.
12. Dark ChocolateResearch shows that dark chocolate can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol, decrease the risk of blood clots, and increase blood flow to the brain. Dark chocolate boosts serotonin and endorphin levels, which is associated with improved mood and greater concentration; it's rich in B vitamins and magnesium, which are noted cognitive boosters; it contains small amounts of caffeine, which helps with short-term concentration.
13. Ice Cream
Calcium-rich desserts like ice cream bind to fatty acids in the digestive tract, blocking their absorption. Half a cup of vanilla ice cream gives you 19 milligrams of choline, which translates to protection from cancer, heart attack, stroke, and dementia. We’re not suggesting you have a bowlful of ice cream every night. But a scoop every few days isn’t the diet-saboteur it’s made out to be.
14. YogurtProbiotics and enzymes, those friendly bacteria found in yogurt, may be the key to losing those last stubborn inches around your waist. They not only help the digestive system work properly, but also have a profound effect on the metabolism.
15. Tea
If you swap just one soda a day for water or unsweetened tea or coffee, you’ll lose 2.5 pounds each month. Cutting down on liquid calories has a bigger impact than cutting down on calories from foods. Instead of sugary beverages, try green tea, which is high in the plant compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning.
Love,
ALPHA
