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.

Picks and Passes for secret killers:

So you may be wondering what is a "secret killer." Well they are foods that you think are healthy but really are not. So below I have a few items that I consider secret killers and some items that you should swap them for that are in fact pretty healthy.

#1. Baked Potato Chips: Tons of grease and excess fat

Pick instead: tortilla chips, or pita chips (full of fiber to make you feel fuller longer.

#2. Diet Soda

Pick instead: flavored water or carbonated lemonade

#3. Light Ice Cream

Pick instead: frozen yogurt

#4. Low fat cookies

Pick instead: rice cakes or rice crispy treats

#5. Non-fat salad dressing: These are still super high in sugar so be weary.

Pick instead: low calorie dressing. Put this on your salad in moderation though.

I am back!!

Hey guys I know its been a while since I have posted on this and I apologize for that but I have been super busy. I am no settled into college and trying to get by in all of my classes, and have so much to say about nutrition and staying healthy at college. So I came to campus in really good shape and on a very healthy diet that I was happy with. I thought that it would not be very hard for me to continue the intense workout plan that I was followed and my nutritious eating habits. I was very wrong. As an engineering major I have tons of homework and group projects which keeps me pretty busy. I also got involved in a few other things on campus like clubs and a sorority. So between school and extra-cirricular activities I do not have that much time on my hands to work out. I also do not have that much time to prepare a meal, or think about what I am eating. So you are probably thinking, well if she doesnt have that much time to eat then she must have lost a lot of weight. Wrong. I have gained a few unwanted pounds and am very unhappy with my eating habits here. Below is a picture of a lot of the types of food found in the dining halls.

Although the foods in this picture do not look super appetizing, that is not the case in the dining halls of most campuses. The food is great! which is the problem. There are the stations like make your own pizza/pasta, create your own quesadilla, the fried food sections, the "home style" section, which is really just all carbs and fat (lovely I know), and of course you cant forget the desert station, which consists of EVERY type of desert ever known to man, we have the ice cream (with the chocolate/carmel sauce and candy toppings of course), the cake (all different types), the cookies, the puddings, and numerous other baked goods. Oh and I almost forgot about the create your own waffle station, that is open for EVERY meal, not just breakfast. Now this one is the killer for me sometimes because I love waffles. So now let me ask you, how easy is it for you to say no to delicious foods like the foods shown below when they are right in front of your face.

In conclusion, I think the problem is that all of the delicious foods in the dining courts are all super fatty and unhealthy, and they have no nutritious foods that taste good. The salad bars are terrible and the fruit is usually terrible too. I thought it would be much easier to stay healthy at school but now I am starting to realize it is a serious challenge to eat nutritiously every day while living on campus. It is a serious problem. Anyways, keep checking this page for updates because now that I am back I am trying to stay back for good and plan to frequently update this page when I have more tips and thoughts about my attempts at staying healthy at college.

Pick up those chopsticks!

Alright so through the years I have found that people either LOVE sushi or HATE sushi. I for one absolutely LOVE SUSHI. I am a huge fan of sushi. In fact my boyfriend and I eat sushi all the time. How might we afford to each sushi all the time you might be wondering? well We have found an amazing sushi place that has the best happy hour in the world. If you guys live in southern California (or Las Vegas, Nevada, Glendale or Tempe, Arizona) you should definitely check out this place called Kabuki. They have 10 locations spread out southern California and they are amazing. Their happy hour is great. They have sushi rolls starting at $2.50, and do not let the low price fool you about the quality of the fish, their fish is always fresh and great. Anyways though that is off topic. This post is really about why sushi is good for you and should be a part of your diet. So for all you sushi lovers who are trying to live a healthy life-style, read this, and DO NOT CUT SUSHI OUT OF YOUR DIET! (the one great food that tastes amazing that you don't have to deprive yourself of! yes!!). So anyways, sushi is so good for you because.....Sushi uses simple, healthy ingredients, such as seafood, seaweed, rice and vegetables. So whether you are trying to keep your high blood sugar down, boost your energy levels, or just drop a few pounds pick up those chopsticks and eat your SUSHI!!! Even the highest calorie varieties of fish used in sushi (like tuna, salmon and eel) contain less than 200 calories per serving. Thats about half of what you would get if you ate a prepared steak. Shrimp and octopus are even lower! (like around 100 calories per serving). And anyways the fatty fish calories are full of the nutritional power of not only protein, B-vitamins, and minerals like selenium, but also Omega-3 fatty acids. "studies continue to demonstrate the enormous role these fats play in maintaining a healthy heart,and metabolism in general. The Omega-3's have even been touted to improve conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis, and depression." *

Raw foods (such as the fish in sushi) are often the best for preserving enzymes and other nutrients in your body, as long as the raw foods are fresh of course. Time, Heat, Freezing, Microwaving, etc destroy those nutrients. Although most sushi contains white rice, which is pretty much empty carbs/calories, most places allow you to substitute white rice with brown rice which contains many more nutrients and is high in fiber (it tastes good too, trust me). As for soy sauce, don't worry about that. It is a fermented soy product that does not have any problems if the proper amount is used (obviously if you down soy sauce like water you will experience some problems , but if you dip your sushi in it or pour some on your rice you are fine). The salt is not a problem in it because people tend to not use that much soy sauce because it is so salty and strong. Also it is definitely not fattening or high in calories, so that is good. And as for wasabi, don't worry about it. It is so spicy that you don't consume enough of it to make the calories noticeable. It is also pretty rich in Vitamin C.

The seaweed, rice and vegetables in the sushi add only about 150 calories or less per serving, and these calories provide even more vitamins, minerals, and fiber (especially if you sub white rice for brown rice like I mentioned earlier), and also are a good source of carbs to complement the protein in the fish.

Also the artful way in which sushi is presented has yet another nutritious benefit to dieters. The portions are small, by american standards at least, and consists of several bite-sized pieces, encouraging the eater to practice the art of slowly savoring and eating their food.

So there you have it. Reasons to eat sushi! So go out right now and enjoy some delicious sushi rolls, and do not feel guilty about it!

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*quoted from http://www.eatsushi.com/article.asp?X=38

I am back!!

hey guys whats up. Sorry I have not updated this in a while, my computer crashed about a month ago and I have been on vacation and stuff for a while. But, good news, I got a new computer (the new eco-friendly macbook pro to be exact), and I am in love with it. It is like so freaking pretty and amazing. But anyways I am just posting this to tell you guys I have not abandoned you. I am back and will have some new posts up soon, so keep checking up on this blog. Thanks for all of your support and for following this blog, it means a lot to me.

-Jessica