Start With Soup to Really Drop the Pounds

Got Soup? Starting your meals with a bowl of broth-based coup can really help you drop the pounds.

*Soup is nutrient rich, but light on calories. So the calories you are consuming go a long way.

*Soup takes a long time to eat. It takes approximately 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and let your brain know that you are full, so eating slowly helps you to not overeat.

*The water in broth based soups fills you up. But the water in soup has an advantage over the glass by your bedside. Because it is combined with vegetables, rice or noodles, it stays in your stomach longer and is digested slowly, boosting your metabolism and keeping you feeling full longer.

So start with soup whenever you can. It can help you become a weight loss superstar.

Lose Weight With This Superfood

Are you looking for a healthy snack that is low in calories, can raise your metabolism, is full of healthy fiber and can work to lower your cholesterol? Pick up a pint of Strawberries.

Strawberries are a nutritional powerhouse. Every cup of strawberries is packed with 3 grams of fiber, more vitamin C than an orange and are rich in antioxidants that protect you from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. All of this goodness comes in a sweet, juicy and delicious berry that only contains about 6 calories each.

As a bonus, recent studies published in the medical journal, Metabolism show that people who ate 3 cups of strawberries daily lowered their LDL or bad cholesterol more than people who ate oat bran bread, improving the effectiveness and taste of cholesterol-lowering diets.

So by indulging in strawberries, you are getting a great tasting, high fiber, low calorie snack that can help you lose weight while protecting your heart. Eat up!

Speed Your Weight Loss - Eat More Fiber

Getting enough fiber?

When you think about fiber-filled foods, do images of cardboard, hardtack and bulgar wheat come to mind?

Your body needs fiber to function at it’s best, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Fiber fills you up quickly, controls your appetite and keeps you feeling full - all things that will aid in your weight loss efforts. Most people consume less than 10 grams and only 5% of the population is getting the recommended amount of 25 to 35 grams. Just adding another 10 grams of fiber to your diet each day can dramatically speed your weight loss.

Here are four fiber-rich foods that you can add to your diet and watch the pounds disappear.

Avocados - Each avocado contains 12 grams of fiber and is packed with heart-healthy good fats. Avocados are great sliced over beans and rice, added to a sandwich or on top on Mexican food.

Pears - Every pear contains 5 grams of fiber. Pack a pear for a mid-afternoon pickup or add them to a pizza with walnuts and gorgonzola.

Popcorn - Each cup of popcorn contains 4 grams of fiber. Try airpopping - you’ll get all of the whole grain goodness without the calories of microwaved popcorn.

Lentils - Lentils have 16 grams of fiber in every cup. Try lentil soup with avocados or curried lentils over rice.

Want A Metabolism Boost? Just Laugh!

Did you know that babies laugh about 300 times a day, but adults only laugh about  17 times a day?  Want a great reason to smile more? Laughing can help you lose weight!

It’s true, laughter not only boosts our mood and improves our outlook, it also gives our metabolism a lift. In fact, numerous studies have shown the healthy benefits of a good chuckle.

• “Laughter is like internal jogging. It increases your breathing, your body temperature, your metabolism, your heart rate, and your pulse” says Steven Sultanoff, Phd.
• According to the University of Maryland’s Michael Miller, “laughter is great aerobics: it provides a good workout for your midsection and your diaphragm, boosts your blood flow, and increases your body’s ability to use oxygen to burn off more calories”.
• Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D confirms, “laughter is an all over body workout; it massages your abdominal organs, improves intestinal functioning, and strengthens and tones your facial, respiratory, leg, and back muscles”.
• And finally, according to a study at Vanderbilt University, laughing boosts your metabolism by 20% and the effects are so profound that ten minutes of hearty laughter daily would burn an average of five pounds a year.

So go ahead and laugh! It does your body good!

Boost Your Metabolism with Spicy Foods

Did you know that you can give your metabolism a boost and improve your weight loss efforts just by eating the hot and heavy stuff?

If you are a fan of salsa, jalapenos, green chili and other foods that make your sweat, indulging in your spicy favorites can help you lose a few more pounds. Studies have shown that eating hot and spicy foods can boost your metabolism by as much as 50%, and the extra calorie burn lasts for three hours!

Loading up on spicy foods can help you lose weight in other ways, too.  Cuisines where spicy foods are typically found - Indian and Thai foods in particular - are rich and filling, but low in calories due to their heavy use of vegetables, legumes, peppers and lean protein.

Some other healthy and easy ways to spice up your life: Try salsa on your scrambled eggs, hot sauce on your potatoes or add some cayenne or paprika to steamed vegetables. Get Spicy!

Lose More Weight By Eating Slowly

Have you noticed how quickly you eat when you are really hungry? If you have skipped lunch, it’s easy to eat way too many calories before you even begin to feel full. Eating slowly and taking your time to savor every bite can help you lose unwanted pounds.

From the time you begin eating, it takes your brain 20 minutes to start recognizing the feelings of being full. When you eat very quickly, you can easily overeat before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to kick in. Depending on what you are eating, the amount of extra calories you consume before you begin to feel full can submarine your weight loss plans. Eating slowly, putting the fork down between bites and chewing thoughfully can dramatically reduce the number of calories your consume. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy your food and your new slimmer self!

Give Your Metabolism a Protein Boost

Eat More Protein

Are you looking for an easy way to boost your weight loss program? Did you know that eating protein raises  your metabolism and helps your body to burn twice as many calories as when you eat fat or carbohydrates?

To get the most metabolism boosting benefits, replace some of the starchy carbs on your plate - like rice, potatoes and bread with lean protein-rich foods like lean beef and pork, fish, chicken, soy and beans. Don’t forget about eggs and dairy products, particularly for breakfast and for a fast, healthy snack, try a handful of nuts. And don’t skip on the fruit and vegetables. The fiber and good carbs they contain will add fuel to your calorie burning machine!

Just by changing what’s on your pla

Lose Weight Fast with This Morning Ritual

If you’re a fan of the dark, rich stuff, you probably love the the boost of energy you feel after indulging in your favorite morning ritual. But did you know that the hot cup of Joe you wake up to does more than just get your motor running?

Coffee’s caffeine improves your concentration and helps you think more clearly. Coffee is also full of anti-oxidants that work hard to keep you healthy. But coffee’s best benefit may be for your waist line. Studies have shown that the caffeine in just two cups of coffee can boost your metabolism enough to burn an extra 50 calories every four hours. For the most calorie burning benefits, drink your coffee black. Cream, sugar and chocolate syrup all work against your weight loss goals.

Another cup, anyone?

Eat This and Lose Weight

Need a great idea for a healthy lunch that can help you lose weight? Try Soup!

Soup can help you lose weight because it fills you up and contains very few calories, plus it keeps you feeling full for several hours. Studies have shown that people who eat soup every day lose more weight that people who choose other foods with a similar number of calories. In fact, people who enjoyed just two servings of soup a day lost an extra 16 pounds a year!

How to eat it

Choose broth based soups with lots of veggies and some protein - like Chicken and Rice with vegetables, Tomato Basil or Egg Drop Soup. Skip the heavy cream based soups like Cheese Beer and Cream of Mushroom. Making your own soup with homemade stock and fresh veggies is a delicious way to spend some time in the kitchen, but if you are short on time, canned soups are fine, too. Just look for low-sodium varieties of your favorites.

Enjoy!

Foods that Boost Metabolism

Trying to drop a few pounds? Try these nutritious foods for a slimmer you.

Your body works hard to digest the food you eat and just knowing which foods to feed it can help it work a little bit harder, burning even more calories.

Your body digests carbohydrates easily and eating too many starchy foods can result in stored fat and tighter jeans. But when you eat protein and fat, your body has to work nearly 30% harder to digest them, resulting in more calories burned and a metabolism that’s running on high for the next 2-3 hours.

Your best bet is to indulge in foods that are high in both protein and fiber. This combination gives your body what it needs to perform well and keeps your metabolism high. Have a handful of nuts as a snack and try rice and beans or lentils for supper.

Also, when you eat matters. Try to consume most of your calories before 5:00 pm. Eating the majority of your calories while you are active and your metabolism is running at its peak will burn far more calories than food eaten right before bedtime, which is mostly stored as fat.

Cashews, anyone?

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