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If you add these 12 power foods into your daily diet, your body will work effectively to build lean muscle mass and burn fat more efficiently.
Not only will these super foods build muscle and promote weight loss - it will strengthen your bones, lower blood pressure, fight cancer, improve your immune function and fight against heart disease.
No matter what age you are, here are the 12 power foods to build muscle and burn fat (and keep you healthy for life)-
1) Non salted or smoked Almonds and other nuts
- Also great for controlling carvings
- Eat with skin intact
2) Beans and other legumes (including soybeans, chickpeas, pinot beans, navy beans, kidney beans and lima beans)
- Also helps to regulate digestion
- Avoid refried beans (high in saturated fats) and baked beans (high in sugar)
3) Spinach and other green vegetables
- Also helps to fight the molecules that accelerates the aging process
- Avoid frying vegetables and adding fatty cheese sauces
4) Fat free or low fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
- Also build strong bones
- Avoid whole milk and frozen yogurt
5) unflavored, unsweetened oatmeal
- Great for energy, and fights against cholesterol and maintaining blood sugar levels
- Avoid flavored cereals
6) Eggs
- Eggs has the highest levels of protein of any food
- Protein in eggs are more effective for building muscle than any other protein from other sources, including milk and beef
- Contains vitamin B12, which helps to breakdown fat
7) Turkey and lean steak, chicken, fish
- Also improves the immune system
- No sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak like T-bone and rib eye
8) All natural, sugar free peanut butter
- Also boosts testosterone
9) Olive Oil
- Lowers cholesterol and boosts your immune system
- Avoid vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine
10) Whole Grain Breads and Cereals
- Stops the body from storing fat
- Avoid processed or refined carbs such as white bread, bagels, doughnuts and pasta made from white flour
11) Extra Protein Whey powder
- No soy protein
12) Raspberries and Other Berries
- Great for protecting your heart, improving your eye sight and memory, preventing cravings
- No sweetened jellies
Each of these healthy foods and weight loss boosters will keep you full longer on less calories.
And the best part is they all taste really good.
As a guideline, consider eating 3 standard meals and 3 smaller meals - add two or three of these foods into your three major meals and at least one of the foods into your snacks.
Do this along with exercise, you will build muscle and burn fat to keep you healthy!
Emerald® Cocoa Roast™ Almonds combine the goodness of nuts with the chocolate flavor you crave, so you can satisfy your sweet tooth in a nutritious way. These premium almonds are oven-roasted for flavor and crunch, and slightly sweetened with hint of dark chocolate-flavored cocoa powder.
Each serving of Emerald® Cocoa Roast™ Almonds provides you with a good source of protein and is also a low-sodium snack. One serving is only 150 calories — about the same number of calories as a serving of regular almonds!
They sell these at Sam's Club! I just found out!
By Selene Yeager , Selene Yeager is a contributing editor to Prevention.
1. Snack on almonds
When salty cravings strike, bypass the pretzels or popcorn. In a study of 65 men and women who were following a low-calorie diet, California researchers found that those who noshed on the nuts shrank their waistlines nearly 50% more than dieters who didn't eat them, despite consuming the same number of calories. Likewise, Spanish researchers found that even without increasing exercise, a diet enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids (aka MUFAs, found in foods such as almonds and avocados) decreased the accumulation of abdominal fat compared with a carb-heavy diet, which increased it.
2. Fill up on fiber
"When you slow digestion, you slow the delivery of glucose [blood sugar] to the bloodstream," says Marie Savard, MD, author of The Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness. "That means less insulin is released, and with lower insulin release comes lower visceral [belly] fat storage." In a study of more than 2,900 adults, those who ate the most fiber weighed less and had lower insulin levels and slimmer waistlines than those who ate the least. Aim for at least 25 g a day from such foods as vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, brown rice, and whole grain bread, cereal, and pasta.
3. Stay satisfied with protein
Gram for gram, protein has the same number of calories as carbs (and half that of fat), but takes longer to digest, so you feel full longer. It also seems to help lower levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is known to stimulate appetite. In a Danish study of 60 men and women, those following a diet that included 25% of calories from protein lost nearly twice as much fat after 6 months than those eating a diet with 12% protein. Include a serving of lean protein with each meal and snack--eggs for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch, low-fat or fat-free yogurt or milk for a snack, and grilled fish and vegetables for dinner.
4. Skip the sweetener
In a 5-week study by Purdue University researchers, rats given unlimited access to artificially sweetened yogurt consumed more calories, gained more weight, and packed on more fat than those that ate sugar-sweetened yogurt. Researchers believe artificial sweeteners may hinder your body's ability to regulate calories based on taste, so you end up overeating. Go with a little bit of natural sweetener, such as raw sugar or honey, instead.
5. Dump one high-cal item from your diet
Exercise works best when you don't offset your hard work with empty calories. By eliminating just one high-calorie item from your daily diet, such as a large latte, or substituting cereal and low-fat milk for a bagel and cream cheese, you can easily reduce your intake by 250 calories. Combine that with one of our walking plans and you can drop between 35 and 50 pounds in a year!
Hunger-Fighting Foods
Find out the fiber content and other nutritional info of all your favorite foods at prevention.com/fiberup. Want to blast fat even faster? Try our "Walk Off More Belly Fat!" workout.
Some macaroons blur the line between candy and cookie, but with the addition of ground almonds, these indulgences are even more satisfying.
TIME: 50 minutes
SERVINGS: 6
3/4 c blanched almonds (MUFA)
1/2 c sugar substitute, divided
4 egg whites
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Toast the almonds in a large deep skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until golden. Tip into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Process until the almonds are finely ground.
4. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar until the whites hold stiff peaks. Beat in the cocoa, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Gently fold in the almonds.
5. Drop the mixture by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1" between each macaroon. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until very lightly browned. Place baking sheets on a rack and let macaroons cool until firm.
Nutrition Info Per Serving (5 cookies): 193 calories, 7 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
TIME: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 12
1 and 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c Natural Sweetener
1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 c shredded zucchini
3 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided (MUFA)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 11" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk in the zucchini and 11/2 cups of the chips. Stir into the flour mixture just until blended. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups chips over the cake. Spread with a small spatula as they melt to form an icing, placing back into the warm oven, if needed, for about 1 minute.
Nutrition Info Per Serving (1/12 of cake): 361 Cal, 5 g pro, 47 g carbs, 17 g fat, 4 g fiber, 175 mg sodium
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TIME: 10 minutes
Serves: 1
1 whole wheat tortilla (8" diameter)
1/4 c chopped semisweet chocolate chips (MUFA)
1 Tbsp dried unsweetened cranberries
1. Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tortilla in the pan.
2. Toast for 1 minute on each side or until warm but still pliable.
3. Sprinkle on the chips and cranberries. Dust lightly with cinnamon.
4. Fold over like an omelet. Flip and cook for 30 seconds or until the chocolate starts to melt.
5. Cut into 4 wedges.
Nutrition Info Per Serving: 332 Cal, 4 g pro, 54 g carbs, 14 g fat, 4 g fiber, 241 mg sodium
For Sfeld4, popular weight loss programs didn't bring the results she wanted. She made the decision a few years back to finally take control of her weight and has since then lost 96 pounds by counting calories and incorporating daily exercise. Taking it slowly has certainly paid off, since now she is only four pounds away from her goal weight.
She contacted us through our Share Your Story feature, and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.
1. What made you decide to lose weight this time?
I was 45 years old, using a cane because my knees hurt so badly. Everything hurt. My neck, by back, my ego! I kept saying to myself (I guess my personal mantra): how will I know that my knees won't hurt at a lower weight if I don't reach that weight? I just kept saying it over and over.
2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?
All of them: Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Overeaters Anonymous, Nutrisystem, Biggest Loser, pills from the doctor, pills from over the counter, drops, and Atkins (which I'll never try again). Any program that doesn't allow fruit or salad (in my mind) is not right. After all, I didn't get fat eating fruit & salad!
3. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?
I made three changes that really made the difference: 1) counting calories, 2) writing down my foods, 3) the "movement" factor (probably the most important change, especially after losing 30 lbs and then hitting a plateau). I kept my calories between 1200 and 1500 a day. I could eat anything I wanted as long as I knew the calories. Writing helped me stay within my calorie allowance and exercise allowed me to lose faster.
4. How did Calorie Count help you to lose weight?
What a wonderful site!! I started with Calorie Count to do just that - find out how many calories were in certain foods I was planning on eating. Then I subscribed to the newsletters and read the helpful tidbits about losing weight that frequently arrived in my Inbox. Calorie Count is the only site I needed to find out the nutrition of my foods.
5. What was most challenging about losing weight?
It is the hardest thing I've ever done! I think the most challenging was staying motivated when the weight wasn't coming off and knowing that I have been sticking with my program. I am losing very slowly, but it is also staying off. Also, I've never been an exercise person, but for the last 4 months I have been rising at 4:30 AM to do 30 minutes of basic/advanced step exercise before my day begins. That has been challenging.
6. How long did it take you to see results?
Well, let's see: in 2002 I was 296. In 2005 I was 255. In 2009 I am 202. I hate to say this, but 8 years I have been on this journey. It has not been all downhill. It is a process of learning, growing and understanding oneself. More importantly loving oneself. I am worth taking the extra time and effort to take care of me. I am worth weighing my foods and preparing them to help me lose weight.
7. When did you realize that you were a success?
I was in a plus-size clothing store recently and realized the smallest size they have is a size 16W and where do I shop when the 16W's are too big? This is going to happen shortly and I've never shopped elsewhere. So I went home and cleaned out my closet. I was going to remove anything that didn't fit and was too big. Now I have 3 shopping bags of work clothes between 18W and 24W that are just too big. I will be donating them.
8. How do you prevent relapse?
I often look at my weight log to see how far I have come. I talk to others who are also losing weight. If I do go off for a meal, I don't beat myself up. I don't wait for a new day, I start with my next meal. I make sure I am prepared with the proper foods in my house so that I don't just grab food.
9. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?
It is amazing how different I feel. The biggest change is that I actually get up every morning at 4:30 and exercise for 30 minutes. People at work have come up to me and asked me how I've done it. I say the old-fashioned way: counting calories! I now buy clothes that I feel good in.
10. What five tips do you have for other dieters?
