Forking
through a bowl of leafy greens may be boring, but you can easily stick to your
daily salad lunch by switching up your ingredients. Begin with a leafy green
base and switch up your proteins and fats. Try adding crunchy nuts or low-fat
cheese for healthy fats and lean protein such as grilled chicken or salmon.
Rather than relying on sugary sauces and fatty dressings, try restocking your spice rack more often. Virtually calorie-free seasonings such as turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne keep you slim thanks to their anti-inflammatory and flab-fighting properties
Many
commercial hummus tubs are jam-packed with waist-widening additives. To avoid
the unnecessary ingredients, whip up your own hummus at home and use it as a
dip for crunchy veggies such as carrots and celery. The spread's main
ingredient—chickpeas—contain satiating fiber and protein to keep hunger pangs
at bay.
Before heading to the gym, don't forget to reach for a
handful of almonds. A study printed in The Journal of the International Society of Sports
Nutrition found that these subtly sweet nuts are rich in the
amino acid L-arginine, which can help you burn more fat and carbs during
workouts.
"Oolong, or 'black dragon,' is a kind of Chinese tea
that's packed with catechins, nutrients that help promote weight loss by
boosting your body's ability to metabolize fat. A study in the Chinese
Journal of Integrative Medicine found that participants who
regularly sipped oolong tea lost a pound a week, without doing anything else to
change their diet or exercise habits," Kelly Choi, author of The 7-Day
Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse tells us in How To Lose 10 Pounds Fast.
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition found
that after just two weeks, those who sipped four to five cups of the green brew
daily in addition to working out for 25 minutes lost more belly fat than those
who didn't sip. We can chalk up these favorable results to the tea's catechins,
a type of antioxidant that hinders the storage of belly fat and aids rapid
weight loss.
Kamut, also known as Khorasan wheat, is an ancient grain
native to the Middle East that packs in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and
protein while remaining low in calories. In fact, a half-cup serving of the
stuff has 30 percent more protein than regular wheat and only 140 calories. A
study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
that noshing on Kamut reduces cholesterol, blood sugar, and cytokines
(which cause inflammation throughout the body).
"Chia seeds aren't just a pet, they're a party in your
mouth. I'm a huge fan of them because they're chock-full of heart-healthy
omega-3s, fiber, protein, and calcium," Sarah Koszyk, MA, RD, founder of
Family. Food. Fiesta. tells us in 26 Most Overlooked Ways to Lose Weight. "Chia seeds are easily absorbed by the body, so
they're very nourishing and satiating. Every day I add them to my breakfast
smoothie or pair them with yogurt or cottage cheese along with some
blueberries."
"Tahini
is an oft-forgotten option for nut and seed butters, but it sits front and
center in my fridge because it delivers major creaminess to sauces and
smoothies and packs a powerful flavor punch," says Willow Jarosh MS, RD
co-owner of C&J Nutrition. "Although some advise against eating the
spread because of its high omega 3:6 ratio, the super high intake of omega-6s
in the average American's diet isn't due to things like tahini—it's mostly from
not eating a variety of fats or consuming the majority of fats from fried foods
and packaged snacks. As long as you're also eating foods rich in omega-3s, your
end-of-day ratio should be nothing to worry about. Plus, tahini is loaded with
tons of healthy nutrients like copper, which helps maintain anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant responses in the body. It also provides six percent of the
day's calcium in just one tablespoon."
While
appetizers seem to add more calories to your meal, a series of Penn State studies
found that biting into an apple or sipping a broth-based soup before eating out
can reduce your dinner's total calorie intake by a walloping 20 percent. So
before you slice into that charbroiled steak, don't forget to pregame the
protein with some soup.
When many
of us have too many options to choose from, we often become flustered and make
the wrong decision. Same goes for food. If you have a few different boxes of
cereal and a handful of flavors of potato chips, you're likely to eat more of
the packaged stuff. Limiting your options to just one can cut down on your
grazing habits and prevent a snack attack.
