5 Foods That Keep You Thin

Apples

You've heard the term, "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away". And with good reason. Apples are not only rich in anti-oxidants, vitamin C and flavonoids, but also high in dietary fiber.

Apples get a bad rap sometimes because of the recent war on carbs (that's another topic completely!). Apples do contain fructose (fruit sugar) and sucrose (table sugar) but at 75 calories it would take over 25 apples a day to satisfy a typical 2,000 calorie diet.


But more importantly, the high dietary fiber also means that the sugar is absorbed slowly, thus stabalizing blood sugar and decreasing risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Dietary fiber is extremely important for a healthy digestive system and helps reduce cholesterol. It also keeps your hunger more satisfed than say a snack cake with the same calorie amount.

I recently read about a study in the journal "Appetite" that reported that women who added either three apples or three pears to their daily meals, they lost more weight than people who added three oat cookies to their diets -- despite the fact that the apple and the cookie contained the exact same amount of dietary fiber.

And there may be something to the crunchiness according to Alan Aragon, a nutritionist and author of "Girth Control: The Science of Fat Loss & Muscle Gain". He states that the crunchiness of a food may sent signal to the brain satisfiying hunger.



Almonds

I have almonds almost every single day. This is another food that has gotten a bad rap. I hear people say to me all the time, "Those have a lot of fat". I just laugh.

Almonds have shown in studies by "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" to minimize risk of weight gain. Now I know many people are saying, "but I want to lose weight". Well, this is a good place to start. Adopt almonds into your diet and then burn more calories than you take in. Once you're at optimal weight, stay with the almonds and balance your calories.

An ounce of this food contains only 167 calories, but has 6 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, both nutrients that satisfy hunger. Also, remember the cruchiness factor I mentioned above? Doesn't get any crunchier than almonds!



Salmon

Fish seems to be gaining ini popularity recently, and that is good. However, I still often hear, "I don't eat fish". That, I don't think I will ever understand.

Seafood can be part of a healthy diet. Salmon, and other similar fish, in particular cold water fish, "can boost satiety levels", says Aragon. According to a study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" those who ate salmon a few times a week lost about two more pounds than those who didn't.

Salmon is also low in calories (3 oz serving has just 175 calories), high in protein and rich in Omega fatty acids which help with cardiovascular disease, Depression, Type 2 Diabetes, fatigue, dry & itchy skin, brittle hair & nails, concentration and joint pain.


Eggs

Eggs, are a necessary staple to any healthy diet. (Some controversy exists over if foods that contain cholesterol actually increase your cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol check with your physician and simple seperate the white from the yolk!)

A recent study in the "International Journal of Obesity" studied a group who ate two eggs for breakfast for five days out of the week, they lost 65 percent more weight than those who consumed a bagel each morning. In addition, starting your day off with a high protein meal is believed to help curb your appetite for the rest of the day.



Tomatoes

First and foremost, a tomato is NOT a vegetable, it is a fruit. This puts in on par more witht he apple than with the carrot. However, the point here is that tomatoes are extremely good for you and can be eaten by themselves as where most vegetables require some type of dressing (Hopefully not doused with dirty ranch dressing. Might as well put ice cream on it. Salad dressing should be oil based, in partiular olive oil. That's the way it was for thousands of years until about 30 years ago).

So tomatoes, are a delicious, low calorie option (only 45 calories) that are a source of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, iron and dietary fiber.


There are great tasting, wholesome, healthy options out there, that sadly have been almost forgotten in the past few decades of processed convenience and gluttony. It may take a little effort to get back on the path which we were intended, but by slowly adding foods like these back into our daily routine, we can once again begin to feel good about ourselves.

Bradley Hall is a firefighter and an Independent Diamond Beachbody Coach in Indianapolis, IN, who coaches people on health & fitness for free. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or send him an email by clicking here

Posted in: nutrition,weight loss