Food Smarts

The Top Three Weight-Loss Foods

There are three types of foods that will help you to lose weight and keep your weight down better than others.

Can you guess what they are?

Below are my top three picks for slimming foods...

1. Vegetables

Besides being just great for your health, vegetables are also great for weight-loss. They're high in fiber and water so they fill you up quickly with very few calories.

A salad without dressing, croutons or cheese has between twenty and one hundred calories. And because of all the fiber, many of those calories don't even get absorbed.

That's why fresh, raw vegetables are considered "free foods" on many diets (including the Caveman Diet). They are so great for helping reduce your appetite and so low in calories that you can pretty much eat as many as you want without gaining weight.

Remember that vegetables are also high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, so they give your health a boost each time you eat them.

2. Lean Protein

One of the reasons people can feel hungry when dieting is that they're not eating protein with each meal. Be sure to eat at least a little lean protein (about the size of your palm) with every meal, even breakfast.

My picks for lean protein, based on the Caveman Diet, are types of animal protein like chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef (like lean brisket), lean pork and egg whites.

Good vegetarian sources of lean protein are low-fat tofu, low-fat cheese (like string cheese), whey protein powder and egg whites.

Lean protein has a filling effect. It stimulates the hormone glucagon, which reduces your appetite. So eating moderate amounts of lean protein regularly acts as an appetite supressant.

Plus lean protein is relatively low in calories. A palm-sized piece of lean meat, poultry or fish generally contains between 160 and 300 calories, depending on the size of your palm and the fat content of the protein.

The reason I recommend lean protein rather than fatty meats like steak and sausage is that high-fat meats are also higher in calories. They can contain up to twice the calories of lean protein. They're filling, but they can be easy to overeat calorie-wise.

High-fat protein like steak and hamburger meat are okay to eat occassionally, but for weight-loss, your best bets are low-fat meat, fish and poultry.

3. Low-Glycemic Index Fruits

Fortunately, many fruits are also good foods for weight-loss. You may think of fruits as being fattening, but fruits that are lower on the glycemic index scale can actually help you lose weight when eaten in moderation.

Low-glycemic index foods include apples, grapefruits, plums, peaches, apricots, berries and cantaloupe and honeydew. Basically, eat fruits that are the most filling for you.

Fruits that tend to be easier to overconsume (and thus those to be more careful about eating) include bananas, grapes, mangos and pineapple. You can still eat these fruits but be sure to eat only a small portion at a time.

The best way to eat fruits is to do so after you have eaten protein. Fruits are fairly filling but they can spike your blood sugar if eaten alone, so eat them as a dessert rather than a main course.

4. The Perfect Weight-Loss Meal

To make the perfect weight-loss meal, put all three foods together: vegetables, lean protein and fruit.

I also recommend adding a few teaspoons of olive oil to your meal if it's very low in fat, since a bit of healthy fat helps makes a meal more filling.

Here are some examples of great weight-loss meals:

- 3 to 4 ouces fish, a salad with a few teaspoons olive oil, a few plums

- 1 to 2 lean turkey burgers, steamed vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil, an apple

- a salad topped with 3 to 4 ounces chicken and a few teaspoons olive oil, 1 to 2 peaches

Enjoy eating these great weight-loss foods. They'll help keep your appetite down, your waist slim and your energy high!

Food Smarts The Top Three Weight-Loss Foods There are three types of foods that will help you to lose weight and keep your weight down better than others. Can you guess what they are? Below are my top three picks for slimming foods... 1. Vegetables Besides being just great for your health, vegetables are also great for weight-loss. They're high in fiber and water so they fill you up quickly with very few calories. A salad without dressing, croutons or cheese has between twenty and one hundred calories. And because of all the fiber, many of those calories don't even get absorbed. That's why fresh, raw vegetables are considered "free foods" on many diets (including the Caveman Diet). They are so great for helping reduce your appetite and so low in calories that you can pretty much eat as many as you want without gaining weight. Remember that vegetables are also high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, so they give your health a boost each time you eat them. 2. Lean Protein One of the reasons people can feel hungry when dieting is that they're not eating protein with each meal. Be sure to eat at least a little lean protein (about the size of your palm) with every meal, even breakfast. My picks for lean protein, based on the Caveman Diet, are types of animal protein like chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef (like lean brisket), lean pork and egg whites. Good vegetarian sources of lean protein are low-fat tofu, low-fat cheese (like string cheese), whey protein powder and egg whites. Lean protein has a filling effect. It stimulates the hormone glucagon, which reduces your appetite. So eating moderate amounts of lean protein regularly acts as an appetite supressant. Plus lean protein is relatively low in calories. A palm-sized piece of lean meat, poultry or fish generally contains between 160 and 300 calories, depending on the size of your palm and the fat content of the protein. The reason I recommend lean protein rather than fatty meats like steak and sausage is that high-fat meats are also higher in calories. They can contain up to twice the calories of lean protein. They're filling, but they can be easy to overeat calorie-wise. High-fat protein like steak and hamburger meat are okay to eat occassionally, but for weight-loss, your best bets are low-fat meat, fish and poultry. 3. Low-Glycemic Index Fruits Fortunately, many fruits are also good foods for weight-loss. You may think of fruits as being fattening, but fruits that are lower on the glycemic index scale can actually help you lose weight when eaten in moderation. Low-glycemic index foods include apples, grapefruits, plums, peaches, apricots, berries and cantaloupe and honeydew. Basically, eat fruits that are the most filling for you. Fruits that tend to be easier to overconsume (and thus those to be more careful about eating) include bananas, grapes, mangos and pineapple. You can still eat these fruits but be sure to eat only a small portion at a time. The best way to eat fruits is to do so after you have eaten protein. Fruits are fairly filling but they can spike your blood sugar if eaten alone, so eat them as a dessert rather than a main course. 4. The Perfect Weight-Loss Meal To make the perfect weight-loss meal, put all three foods together: vegetables, lean protein and fruit. I also recommend adding a few teaspoons of olive oil to your meal if it's very low in fat, since a bit of healthy fat helps makes a meal more filling. Here are some examples of great weight-loss meals: - 3 to 4 ouces fish, a salad with a few teaspoons olive oil, a few plums - 1 to 2 lean turkey burgers, steamed vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil, an apple - a salad topped with 3 to 4 ounces chicken and a few teaspoons olive oil, 1 to 2 peaches Enjoy eating these great weight-loss foods. They'll help keep your appetite down, your waist slim and your energy high!		*Tracy Jones is a nutritional educator, a public speaker, and the author of The Caveman Diet* and The Smart-Carb Guide to Eating Out: Fast-Food and Family Restaurants.** Tracy works as an on-site nutritionist for Pure Austin Fitness, the Round Rock American Taekwondo Association and the Riata Luxury Apartment Community in Austin, Texas. Tracy enjoys helping people enjoy the best life has to offer, including great health, delicious food, and happiness. *************************************** Past Newsletters Issue 69 Issue 68 Issue 67 Issue 66 Issue 65 Issue 64 Issue 63 Issue 62 Issue 61 Issue 60 Issue 59 Issue 58 Issue 57 Issue 56 Issue 55 Issue 54 Issue 53 Issue 52 Issue 51 Issue 50 Issue 49 Issue 48 Issue 47 Issue 46 Issue 45 Issue 44 Issue 43 Issue 42 Issue 41 Issue 40 Issue 39 Issue 38 Issue 37 Issue 36 Issue 35 Issue 34 Issue 33 Issue 32 Issue 31 Issue 30 Issue 29 Issue 28 Issue 27 Issue 26 Issue 25 Issue 24 Issue 23 Issue 22 Issue 21 Issue 20 Issue 19 Issue 18 Issue 17 Issue16 Issue 15 Issue 14 Issue 13 Issue 12 Issue 11 Issue 10 Issue 9 Issue 8 Issue 7 Issue 6 Issue 5 Issue 4 Issue 3 Issue 2 Issue 1 - Welcome ***************************************