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Category Archives: Weight Loss
Long-Term Weight Loss with Protein
Long Term Weight Loss with Protein
Hope you’re having a terrific week. (I know it just got started, so it can’t be THAT bad yet, right?) The reason I decided to do health and weight loss topics on Mondays, was so that I could motivate all of us to get back on track after the weekend. I, for one, need motivation on Mondays to get me thinking straight…and back to eating right. lol
Referring back to my list of Superfoods, turkey, chicken breast, salmon and other fish were on the list. This is mainly due to the protein content in these foods. Most of us want long-term weight loss and studies have shown that protein can help us achieve that because the extra protein intake can decrease appetite.
Through a study of mice, there was an indication that protein can influence your metabolism. Those mice who were fed double amounts of leucine (an amino acid present in protein) had a significant reduction in obesity and also an improved insulin response. In yet another study, leucine seemed to reduce the storage of fat cells. Fatty acids were used by the muscle cells, meaning fat was being used for fuel. We all want those fat cells put to some good use and then disappearing, right!?!
Meats can be high in protein, but we need to consider that they can be high in saturated fats. Turkey without the skin is low in saturated fat. Turkey is also rich in niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. So for meat lovers, I recommend that you choose your meats wisely, and observe your proportions well. *As a precaution, please be aware that too much protein can have adverse effects, such as kidney disease.
I suggest that you stay away from protein bars. They’re not as healthy for you as the manufacturers claim and you have no control over all the added (not-so-good-for-you) ingredients. “Bravo” for those who prefer to focus more on vegetables and nuts for their protein. Americans tend to eat way to much meat. On a further note, vegetable proteins lack certain essential amino acids, but combining them with rice, grains, whole wheat breads, etc. you can have a complete meal. (Click here to view examples of plant protein combinations.)
I’ve gathered just a brief list of vegetables and nuts that are fairly high in protein. There are also some dairy products that could be included, but I chose not to list them. Many people have side-affects from dairy products and do not even realize that dairy has been the root cause of their problems.
Vegetables high in protein: beans (9 grams of protein per serving), peas (7 grams of protein per serving), asparagus (3 grams of protein per serving), broccoli (3 grams of protein per serving), watercress (3 grams of protein per serving), brussel sprouts (3 grams of protein per serving)
Nuts & seeds high in protein: peanut butter (2 TB – 8 grams protein), almonds (¼ cup – 8 grams), peanuts (¼ cup – 9 grams), cashews (¼ cup – 5 grams), pecans (¼ cup – 2.5 grams), sunflower seeds (¼ cup – 6 grams), pumpkin seeds (¼ cup – 8 grams), flax seeds (¼ cup – 8 grams)
Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:
Start a weight loss journal. Keeping track of what you’re eating, can help you choose your foods more responsibly. It’s easy to sneak in a lot of extra calories without even realizing that you’re doing it.
If you’re still finding it tough to say “no” to all the extras, get an accountability partner and turn your journal over to your partner to view once a week. Ouch! It might seem embarrassing, but it could definitely motivate one to be a little more careful.
(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments! I would love to hear from you!)
Healthy Recipe of the Week:
Turkey and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts 2 cups of cooked and sliced turkey (you can use Rotisserie deli turkey) 1 large avocado sliced 2 red apples, cored and sliced Bunch of mixed salad leaves Dressing: 3 tablespoons apple juice 3 tablespoons low-fat natural yogurt 1 teaspoon clear honey 1 teaspoon mustard 2 oz of toasted pine nuts for garnish Place all the salad items in a large bowl and gently toss together. In a separate bowl mix all the dressing ingredients together except the pine nuts. Pour dressing over the salad and top with toasted pine nuts. To toast the pine nuts place a little olive oil or non stick spray in a non stick frying pan and toast the pine nuts for approximately 2 minutes.
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For further individual study:
Research statistics & nutritional excerpts on the superfoods that promote
weight loss have been taken from:
The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
=======================================================
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Eat Breakfast and Lose Weight
*A foreword note: From time to time, I’ll be sharing articles from other resources. This week I’m sharing an article with you that is written by another author. I was a bit under the weather last week, and so I’m spending the day trying to catch up with getting my house in order. I chose the following article because I think it serves as a good reminder why we need to keep eating breakfast…
Eat Breakfast and Lose Weight
When you wake up, your metabolism is a bit slow. The best thing you can do to rev up your metabolism is to eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking.
For those of you that are afraid to eat because you are trying to lose weight,you need to consider a couple of things.
POINT #1 – If you don’t have breakfast soon after waking, your metabolism slows even further and goes into what is commonly referred to as “starvation mode.” When this alarm signal has been triggered, your body decides that it may not be fed well today and shifts from a calorie-burning mode to a calorie-storing mode. Put simply, skipping breakfast is the perfect way to set your body up to “store” calories all day long as opposed to burning them. This is hardly the goal if you are interested in losing weight.
POINT #2 – After a night’s slumber, your blood-sugar is low. In order to have the energy and focus to tackle the day, you need to raise your blood-sugar levels or you risk getting hypoglycemic. When your blood-glucose levels drop too low, your body will seek out simple sugars to get it back up quickly (the human body is a terrific survivor.) Unfortunately, your body knows that the best way to raise those levels is to grab the nearest snickers bar or can of soda. I have personally experienced this, and it is very hard to stop eating when you get to this point. Skipping breakfast not only causes you to make bad food choices, but almost guarantees that you will overeat at some point.
POINT #3 – Your muscles are vitally important in keeping your metabolism high. After 6, 7, or 8 hours of rest, you need to feed your muscles or your body will feed on them. Really? Yes. Without giving your body energy from food, it will seek to get it from somewhere else. It will literally break down your muscle tissue (catabolism), and use the amino acids for energy. This is wonderful for survival purposes, but terrible for your metabolism and your appearance. Maintaining muscle is not only super important to your metabolism, it gives your body the shape and firmness we desire.
POINT #4 – Research confirms that breakfast eaters are more likely to not only lose weight, but keep it off forever! Recent research also clearly concludes that people who eat breakfast, actually eat fewer calories during the day.
One final point for those that are truly not hungry in the morning. First of all, this is a sign that your metabolism is slow from years of unhealthy habits. I hate to use the word “force”, but I urge you to have something soon after you get up. It could be as simple as a yogurt, or a banana with some all-natural peanut butter. Get your body to believe that it won’t be starved and it will be more willing to give up or “burn” energy all day long. Also, have your cup of “joe” with your breakfast or after, but not before. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, and will temporarily take away your desire to eat.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
For more helpful weight loss information, please visit www.HealthyHabitsNY.com or call (917) 648-8312
Weight Loss with Beans & Weekly Motivational Pep Talk
Weight Loss with Beans & Weekly Motivational Pep Talk (plus, Healthy Recipe of the Week)
Finally, I’m through with the introduction of my weight loss series. (You’re probably relieved as well as I am because I hate talking about myself.) Now I’m going to focus on explaining some positive benefits of various superfoods and hopefully encouraging you to keep on track each week.
*To view previous weight loss topics click here.
Recent research statistics have shown that those who ate beans weighed an average of 6.6 pounds less than those who didn’t eat beans EVEN though the bean consumers ate around 200 extra calories daily than the non bean-eaters. That’s a pretty good reason to eat beans right?
The reason for the positive results above are mainly due to the fact that beans are high in fiber, and fiber increase is associated with weight loss. Since beans are low cost and quite affordable, there’s really no excuse not to hunt down some tasty recipes that will allow you to include more beans in your diet.
Here’s some more positive points to ponder about beans:
*plant-based source of important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
*protects cell walls from oxidation which protects your overall health & keeps metabolism in balance.
*excellent mix of complex “good” carbs & protein warding off hunger; makes you feel full and satisfied.
*takes long to digest providing an excellent source of long-lasting energy.
*low in fat and calories
Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:
Find some extra activities that you enjoy doing that require physical moving around. Doing a little of “something” is better than doing absolutely nothing! Our modern conveniences have given us a much cushioned environment that allows our metabolism to become sluggish. We must make extra efforts to exercise our bodies. If you absolutely hate exercise, make a goal that you’ll get up and move around to do something that requires activity at least 3 times each day. For example, in the morning, run up and down your steps 5-10 times…ANYTHING that will get your heart pumping a little. Go…go…go!!!!
(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments! I would love to hear from you!)
Healthy Recipe of the Week:
Basic Lentil Soup (my favorite lentil recipe; I usually double it)
Combine in kettle:
1/2 lb. lentils
6 cups water
Cook 30 minutes or until tender.
Add:
2 carrots, chopped or sliced
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 & 1/2 cup of tomato juice
1/2 c. minced parsley
1 T butter
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender.
Options:
Add some cubed turkey ham
Double the recipe and freeze half.
Recipe Source:
*Another recipe to consider ~ Red Lentil Soup with Garlic
=======================================================
For further individual study:
Research statistics & nutritional excerpts on the superfoods that promote
weight loss have been taken from:
The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
=======================================================
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
