These 12 foods make up a large part of the healthiest foods you can eat. The foods you eat, the better your body will be able to increase muscle mass and avoid storing fat. Though you can base entire meals and snacks around these you don't have to. Just follow these guidelines:
Incorporate two or three into each of your daily meals and at lease one of them into your two - three snacks .
Diversify to get a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat at every meal. Sneak a little bit of protein into each snack.
1. Almonds and Other Nuts
- Builds muscle, fights off cravings
- Contains protein, mono-unsaturated fats, vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, folate, phosphorus
- Fights obesity heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure
- Eat as much as two handfuls of almonds a day. A Purdue University study showed that people who ate nuts high in monounsaturated fat felt full an hour and a half longer than those who ate fat free food.
- smoked and salted nuts don't make the cut because of their high sodium content.
2. Beans and Legumes
- Builds muscle, helps burn fat, regulates digestion
- contains fiber, protein, iron, folate
- fights against obesity colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure
- The more beans you eat the more you'll control your hunger. any beans will do ( as long as not refried or baked). Beans are a low calorie food packed with fibre and iron - great ingredients for building muscle and losing weight.
- Refried beans are imposters because they are high in saturated fats and baked beans are high in sugar.
- Swap a meat heavy dish for a bean-heavy dish a couple of times a week; you'll cut out a lot of caturated fat and replace it with fiber!
3. Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
- Neutralizes Free Radicals - molecules that accelerate the aging process
- Contains vitamins including A, C, and K ; folate; minerals including calcium and magnesium; lots of fiber
- Fight against cancer, obesity, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis
- If you hate vegetables try pureeing them and adding to a marinara sauce or chili - Just dont fry or smother in fatty cheese!
4. Dairy (fat-free or low fat milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese)
- Build strong bones & fire up weight loss
- Includes calcium, vitamins A & B12 , riboflavin, phosphous, and potassium
- Fights againse osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer
- Stay away from whole milk, ice creams, and sweetened or frozen yogurts
- Dairy gets a lot of attention for strengthening bones but very little attention as a vehicle for weight loss. A University of Tenenessee study found that dieters who consumed 1200 -1300mg of calcium a day lost nearly twice as much weight as dieters getting less calcium
5. Oatmeal- unseetened, unflavoured
- boost energy and sex drive, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels
- Fiber rich complex carbohydrate
- Stay away from cereals with added sugars or high fructose corn syrup. Add your own cinnamonand brown sugar to flavour
- Oatmeal is a perfect food. You can eat it at breakfast to propel you through sluggish mornings, a couple of hours before a workout to feel energized when you get to the gym, or at night to avoid a late night binge. Its great & convenient and you can include other power-foods as toppings such as berries
6. Eggs
- Build muscle and burns fat fighting against obesity
- For a long time eggs were considered pure evil since just 2 could put you over your daily value . However more research shows that eating an egg a day will not raise your cholesterol levels.
- Eggs have a powerful protein with the highest biological value - meaning it supports your body's protein need better than any other source
- Try adding egg whites to one whole egg
7. Turkey & Lean Meats
- Build muscle and improve your immune system with turkey and other lean meats
- Containing protein , iron, zinc, and many other vitamins
- Stay away from Susage, bacon, cured meats, processed meats, ham, and fatty cuts of steak
- Lean meat is a classic muscle building nutrient . Your body burns more calories digesting proteins than it does carbs or fats.
- Many studies support that protein increases metabolism and enhances weight loss.
8. Nut butters
- Build muscle and burn fat
- Nut butters contain protein , monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, niacin, magnezium and more
- Stay away from processed and sugary peanut butters. Try to stick with all natural peanut, almond, and cashew butter with low sodium and sugar content
- In an 18 month study people who integrated peanut butterin their diet kept off the weight better than those on low fat plans
9. Olive Oil
- Lowers cholesterol & boosts immune system fighting against obesity, cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure
- Can be swapped out for coconut oil but stay away from vegetable oils and margarine
- Olive oil is made of good unstatuared fat and will help you eat less and control your cravings
- Helps you burn fat and keep cholesterol in check
10. Whole Grain Breads
- Prevents your body from storing fat
- Can swap out with brown rice, whole wheat pastas but no processed bakery products (white bread, bagels etc)
- You crave carbohydrates becuase your body needs them, the key is to eat the least processed possible
- When grains are processed and refined the bran gets tossed which has all the fiber and minerals resulting in a nutritionally depleted loaf of carbs
- DONT BE FOOLED: sometimes after refining away all of the vitamins minerals and fiber from wheat, food manufacturers will add mollassas to bread turning it the brown color and label is whole wheat or whole grain. Know whats in your bread!
11. Protein Powders
- Build muscle and burn fat with added protein
- Adding a protein powder to your diet is 100% worth it whether thats in a smoothie or adding it to your meals
- High quality protein contains amino acids needed to build muscle and burn fat with the fewest number of calories
- Try our 07 Lean Protein which is excellent for baking with and drinking on its own
12. Raspberries and Other Berries
- The antioxidants and vitamins in berries protect your heart , enhance eyesight, improve balance & memory, plus deter cravings
- Stay away from jellies and jams or other processed forms of fruit
- Berries help your body fight heart disease and cancer , one cup of berries packs 6g of fibre and more than half of your daily Vitamin C requirement
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