Get Skinny With These 20 Superfoods
Get leaner with these nutrient-dense foods
It's true. You really are what you eat. So, clean up your act and eat more, as long as it's healthy food, and you can weigh less. It's everyone dream combination.
So, add more of these 20 superfoods to your diet and you'll curb cravings and speed up your metabolism.
The best part? You'll lose up to 2 lbs. a week without changing anything other than adding in these delicious and healthy foods.
Almonds
These nuts are a nearly perfect food with their vitamin E and healthy fats content. Almonds are rich in nutrients including iron, calcium, vitamin E, fiber, riboflavin and magnesium. A scientific review published in Nutrition Reviews last year found that almonds as a food can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Apples
An apple a day can keep weight gain at bay. Studies have shown that people who ate an apple before a pasta meal ate fewer calories overall than those who had a different snack. In addition, the antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, which is that unattractive round belly that some body types get.
Salmon
Up your intake of lean protein with salmon. It is chock-full of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) to boot. A 2001 study found that dieters eating a MUFA-rich diet lost an average of 9 pounds, while their low-fat diet counterparts gained, on average, 6.
Eggs
Eat more eggs, yolk and all. Eggs contain a heavy-hitting 4 grams of pure muscle-building amino acids. They also provide some of the highest naturally available doses around of a vitamin called choline, which is thought to help enhance memory.
Pomegranates
One of the oldest known fruits, the pomegranate is an original native of Persia. This nutrient dense, antioxidant rich fruit has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility and eternal life. Pomegranate seeds are loaded with folate and disease-fighting antioxidants, and they're low in calories and high in fiber, so they satisfy your sweet tooth without blowing your diet.
Beef
Yes, beef. Opt for lean cuts and you'll benefit from muscle-building amino acids, iron and zinc, which aid circulatory health. Beef is so nutrient-dense that a three-ounce serving supplies more than 10% of your recommended daily intake of several nutrients, including protein, B6 and B12, selenium, phosphorus, niacin and riboflavin.
Spinach
Spinach has been overshadowed by other leafy greens such as kale, but don't forget about this nutrient-dense vegetable. One serving of these leafy greens is loaded with fiber, calcium, and virtually your entire day's recommended dosage of beta carotene.
Sesame seeds
These are a great addition to your diet due to their high levels of calcium and zinc (almost 20% of your daily dose of each). One small study found that sesame seed consumption helped with improving lipid and glucose profiles.
Avocados
There's no reason to be afraid of eating fats as long as they're the right fats. Oleic acid, a compound in avocados' healthy MUFAs, may trigger your body to actually quiet hunger. So, eat more avocado and watch that belly fat melt away. The creamy fruit is also packed with fiber and protein. Hello, guacamole!
Black beans
A cup of black beans packs a whopping 15 grams of satisfying protein. They're also incredibly high in fiber, which swells in your stomach and promotes a feeling of fullness. And, they're stuffed with a highly complex form of carbohydrate that can take your body a long while to convert into energy. And black beans, ounce for ounce, have more fiber per serving than any other member of the legume family.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt has all the benefits of milk, plus active cultures that boost the number of germ-fighting bacteria along your intestinal walls to keep you from getting sick. Studies show that people who eat yogurt most often are less likely to catch a cold than people who rarely eat the stuff. Greek yogurt is a protein-rich, sublime dairy product.
Blueberries
Blueberries pack more fiber, vitamins, and minerals per ounce than any other fruit in the produce aisle. Chief among those nutrients are free-radical-fighting antioxidants. Free radicals, which increase in number as you get older, travel around your body damaging cells, promoting disease, and triggering signs of premature aging.
Cheese
Fresh goat cheese and feta contain a fatty acid that helps you feel full and burn more fat. Look for cheeses labeled grass-fed, as those will have the highest content of this healthy fat. And Parmesan tops the cheese charts as the highest source of calcium. Whole dairy also contains linoleic acid, which may rev your metabolism. And if you're lactose intolerant, Parmesan cheese has a very low lactose content.
Oatmeal
Oats are rich in fiber, so a serving can help you feel full throughout the day. Just a half cup packs 4.6 grams a healthy carb that boosts metabolism and burns fat.
Goji berries
Goji berries have become a common sight on supermarket shelves, and for good reason: They contain a lot of vitamin C. Native to Tibet and Inner Mongolia, these orange-red tangy berries have been used by Chinese herbalists for centuries to treat visual ailments and poor circulation and to help boost the immune system.
Oranges
There are only 59 calories in a medium-sized orange, and it supplies a hefty dose of fiber. It ranks highest among fruits on a list of 38 filling foods put together by researchers.
Lentils
Lentils help flatten your belly. Eating them also helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area.
Dark chocolate
Chocolate lovers can be happy now. It turns out that it's true - a nibble of dark chocolate can slow down digestion so you feel full longer and eat less at your next meal. Dark chocolate is full of MUFAs as well, and they can rev your metabolism to burn fat and calories.
Quinoa
This whole grain is grown in the Andes mountains. It has a light, mild flavor and it's higher in protein than any other grain around, and packs a hefty dose of heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
Kale
Kale and other brassica family vegetables such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts are rich in calcium, lutein, iron, beta-carotene, and Vitamins A, C, and K. A single serving of kale provides 192 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A, which can act as a preventative against lung diseases. Research in Australia found that a diet high in beta-carotene foods like kale can decrease the chances of skin cancer.
