Of course, we all know that no single food is a miracle cure for a poor diet. But if you already eat a well-balanced diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and beans, a few strategic choices can put you over the top in terms of how you look and feel.
MORE WAYS TO MAKE WEIGHT LOSS EASIER page 84 OUR FAVORITE SUPER FOODS page 85 MORE WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY page 86 MORE WAYS TO LIFT YOUR MOOD page 91 MORE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SKIN GLOW page 92
FOODS THAT AID WEIGHT LOSS
The following foods help in three main ways: Some fill you up so you feel satisfied; others steady your blood sugar and stave off cravings; and a few others stimulate your metabolism so you burn calories faster. Aim to eat moderate portions of as many of these foods as you can. Doing so will push unhealthier foods out of your diet.
1. Apples Apples are a good source of pectin, a soluble fiber that provides bulk and digests slowly, helping you feel full. A 1997 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that 5 g of pectin was enough to leave people feeling satisfied for up to four hours. Two large apples provide about two-thirds that amount.
2. Barley One cup of hulled barley contains 6 g of fiber (about a quarter of your daily needs), less than I g of fat, and more than 40 g of complex carbohydrates. Physician Neal Barnard, M.D., says low-fat complex carbs like barley increase the rate that your body burns calories. Try barley in an easy multigrain cereal. Combine 1/2 cup barley, 1/2 cup cracked wheat, and cup steel-cut oats with 41/2 cups water and place on high heat. Cover and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered overnight. In the morning, reheat and eat.
3. Black Beans They're low in fat and packed with 15 g of fiber per cup (about 60 percent of your daily requirement), which fills you up and digests slowly so you're less likely to crave unhealthy foods.
4. Burdock Root This root vegetable contains inulin, a carbohydrate that may regulate your blood sugar and control hunger. Find burdock in the produce section of natural food stores. Slice it into thin slivers and add it to stir-fries. (Pregnant women should avoid burdock; some practitioners say it stimulates the uterus.)
5. Cantaloupe It satisfies a sweet tooth but is super-low in calories (less than 100 in half a cantaloupe) and nutrient-rich, says nutritionist Carol Ann Rinzler. For a filling, balanced lunch, Rinzler suggests topping half a seeded cantaloupe with a scoop of protein-rich bean salad.
6. Carrots They're a smart weight-loss food: convenient for snacking, low in calories, and rich in fiber. (One cup of carrot sticks contains just 52 calories and 4 g of fiber, about 16 percent of your daily fiber needs.) A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fiber intake predicted weight gain in young adults. The more fiber they ate, the less likely they were to gain weight.
7. Cereal A 1999 study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that people who consume high-fiber breakfasts eat less at lunch than those who eat low-fiber or high-fat breakfasts. For best results, look for cereals that contain at least 6 g of fiber per serving.
8. Chile Peppers Some scientists say capsaicin, the substance that gives chiles their kick, may help your body burn calories at a slightly faster rate, although more research is needed. Scientists do agree that capsaicin decreases your appetite when consumed from whole peppers. Varieties include jalapeno, cayenne, and habanero (the hottest). Place half a pepper (with some ribs and seeds removed to control the heat) in marinara sauce as it simmers.
9. Dandelion Greens Naturopath Sejal Parikh-Shah, N.D., recommends these greens for their diuretic properties (which help you lose water weight) and their ability to stabilize blood sugar (which prevents binge eating). Find them in your supermarket produce section.
10. Fruit Smoothies Nutrition researcher Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., suggests drinking a homemade fruit smoothie before going out to eat. If you make your own, smoothies are low in calories but full of water and air, so they fill your stomach and activate sensors that make you feel satisfied. Rolls says drinking water alone before or during meals doesn't have the same effect. Mix fruit with low-fat plain yogurt and ice in a blender.
11. Ginger When you're counting calories, you're more likely to feel satisfied with smaller portions if your food is highly seasoned with spices like ginger. Add freshly grated ginger to soups, stews, and stir-fries.
12. Green Tea A 1999 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who consumed green tea burned more calories than those who took either caffeine alone or a placebo. For weight-loss benefits, pour 2 cups of water, brought just to a boil, over 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves. Steep in a covered container for 30 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.
13. Kimchi This spicy Korean delicacy, made of fermented cabbage, garlic, and chile peppers, may help weight-loss efforts, says preventive medicine researcher Lorraine Faxon Meisner, Ph.D. Anecdotal evidence suggests its strong flavor suppresses appetite and prevents overeating, she says. Find it in Asian supermarkets or natural food stores, and eat a small amount as a side dish with meals.
14. Onions Nutritionist Verne Varona says onions accelerate the break down of fats in your food. As a result, your body is more apt to excrete them than to store them in fat cells. It's also worth noting that one large onion contains a meager 57 calories.
15. Strawberries They're full of water, high in fiber (3 g per cup), and superlow in calories (just 43 calories per cup), which makes them ideal for weight loss. Strawberries typically contain high levels of pesticide residues, so try to buy organic berries.
16. Tempeh A fermented cake of pressed soybeans, tempeh is an easy-to-digest form of soy protein. Like all protein, it helps you hold on to muscle as you lose weight. A typical 4-ounce serving of tempeh contains 24 g of protein and 28 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake.
17. Vegetable Soup Soup contains relatively few calories but takes up space in your stomach so you feel full, says researcher Rolls. She suggests that you eat a bowl of brothy vegetable soup before meals to dampen your appetite. Avoid soups that contain cream, cheese, or other high-calorie ingredients.
18. Whole-Grain Bread A 2001 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that breads that contain unrefined grains require you to chew vigorously and create a feeling of fullness, making you less likely to overeat. Scan bread labels and choose brands that list whole grains (like whole wheat, barley, or oats) as the first ingredient and contain at least 2 g of fiber per slice.
FOODS THAT BOOST YOUR ENERGY
On days when you're dragging, eating the next six foods as part of a balanced diet can give you an extra boost. Start with water (number 24), and sample the other five foods to see which work best for you.
19. Blackstrap Molasses An iron deficiency is a common cause of fatigue, especially in menstruating women. (If you think you could be deficient, ask your doctor to check.) Blackstrap molasses can help; one tablespoon supplies 17 percent of a woman's daily iron needs. Add molasses to baked goods or stir a teaspoon into a mug of warm soymilk.
20. Black Tea The caffeine in black tea can perk you up by increasing your heart rate and level of alertness. Because too much caffeine can provoke anxiety, black tea (which contains about 40 mg of caffeine per cup) is a better choice than coffee (which has about 135 mg). Black tea also has polyphenols, antioxidants that protect against free radical damage. Limit your intake to about three cups a day.
