7 kick ass foods for losing weight

Everyone knows that in order to be successful in losing weight you have to eat well and exercise, duh.These 8 super foods will help you lose weight quicker by doing a little of the work for you.*

#1.

Mushrooms.

Mushroom based meals leave you just as satisfied as beef based meals but with a lot less calories and fat! Plus they are delicious and can be added into so many different recipes.

#2. Eggs

Eggs leave you feeling full for a longer period of time compared to other breakfast foods such as bagels, toast, or cereal. Research also shoes that people who ate eggs for breakfast lost more than twice as much weight as those who ate the same amount of calories in other breakfast foods. But dont think that eggs are just breakfast foods. They make perfect snacks and can be added into salads or a stir fry dish for an extra source of protein.

#3. Apples

Apples are great because they are low in calories (usually between 85 and 95 calories depending on the size), contain 4 grams of fiber, and are naturally sweet. Eating a lot of fiber is good because it keeps you feeling full for a long period of time. Apples are also great for keeping your heart healthy. Researchers have found that people who eat apples had a lower risk of strokes than that of people who did not eat apples.

#4. Soup

According to research published in Appetite magazine, people who start a meal with a vegetable soup eat 20% less calories over the course of their meal compared to people who don't.

#5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is made with what is called "slow-release" carbs, which if ate 3 hours before you work out can help you burn more fat (Journal of Nutrition). Researchers found that "slow-release" carbs dont spike blood sugar as much as refined carbs did, therefore insulin levels did not spike as much. Insulin signals the body to store fat, so having lower levels could in fact help you burn fat.

#6. Hot Chili Peppers

Hot peppers not only speed up your metabolism, but they also can help curb hunger. Researchers have found that consuming a little hot pepper 30 mins before a meal caused people to feel less hungry and eat about 10% less throughout their meal.

#7. Almonds

One of my favorite things to snack on! These awesome nuts also help to curb hunger, and leave you feeling fuller longer. The key to being able to eat only a few of these nuts and still have them curb your hunger- chew more. Research shows that by chewing more causes a greater release of fat from the almonds, which then triggers hormones that curb your hunger.

*Got information from an article online at eatingwell.com

HELLOOOO HUMMASSSSS

Hey guys, I know I talked about hummus and pita as being a great snack in a post a while back, and that still is true, buuuttttt... I have been eating that almost every day for a snack so I wanted something new. Now I love hummus so I did not want to cut that out of my diet because the oils in it and the protein are good for me, so instead I decided to get rid of the pita bread and swap it out for some veggies!!! Baby carrots and cucumber slices are great for dipping in hummus. Both baby carrots and cucumber are super low calories but are packed with a lot of vitamins! Eating them with hummus gives you even more benefits. Hummus is often times made with chickpeas. Chickpeas have no saturated fat and even better... no cholesterol. They are great because they aid in improving blood sugar levels and help fight cholesterol. Also, like i mentioned, they are high in protein.Also, Tahini is usually found in hummus, which is a sesame paste that is also a great source of protein and calcium, and even better, the fat contained in tahini is mainly unsaturated fat. As for other ingredients, olive oil is a good one. It is one of the more healthy of oils, containing mostly monosaturated fat. Olive oil helps the body's heart remain healthy and also aids in regulating cholesterol levels.

nutritional information about hummus from this site: http://mideastfood.about.com/od/hummusrecipes/a/humus_caloric.htm

New Year's Resolutions!

Alright, so it is officially 2010 and as of yesterday I started a new semester. I can already tell this is going to be a long and hard semester, so I will really have to focus on being healthy and make sure that just because I am pushed on time that I do not let my nutrition/health slide away from me. Like most people I have made new years resolutions, and at first they were quite ridiculous and I failed within the first week, so now I have adjusted them to be a bit more realistic. Here are my resolutions regarding health and nutrition:

#1. No white bread! Only eat carbs that are whole wheat/multigrain etc as to keep myself from consuming empty carbs!

#2. Always have either fruits or vegetables with every meal.

#3. Smaller portions!! Eat half of what I would normally consume in the dining halls.

#4. Only 1-2 deserts per week. (this will be tough)

#5. Limit 1 soda per week!

#6. Walk to class as much as possible even though it is freezing here!

#7. Sign up for work out classes at the Rec center and don't miss a class!

And those are the only ones I can come up with at the moment. We will see how it goes. And I will find some healthy things in the dining courts that will fit these resolutions and get back to you.