First posted on VeryWell.com, this post tells you the advantages of eating healthy. Also eating healthy will save you money. All that snack food and canned and bottled drinks are costing you a fortune and your only harming your healthy.
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Eating a healthy balanced diet isn't all that complicated. Just choose a variety of foods from all the major food groups including fruits and vegetables, meats or protein sources, dairy or calcium, grains and cereals, and healthy oils and fats. It also helps if you also want to consume the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight and cut back on all the unhealthy junk foods.
Sometimes the question isn't about what makes up a healthy diet; it's about why should a person eat a healthy diet. So, in case you're wondering, here are my top ten reasons why you should eat a healthy diet.
Makes Losing Weight Easier
Oh sure, you can lose weight by eating low-calorie junk food or by following the latest ridiculously restrictive fad diet, but it's just not the best way to lose weight and be healthy.
Eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fresh low-calorie nutrient-dense fruits and veggies, high-fiber whole grains and legumes will help you lose the excess adipose and supply you with all the nutrients you need.
Also Makes Gaining Weight Easier
While there's much more interest in losing weight, there are a number of people who need to gain weight due to illness or other reasons. Choosing healthful energy-dense foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit can help you gain weight without resorting to junk foods that aren't nutritious.
It's Good for Your Heart
A diet rich in fish, nuts, fruits, veggies and other healthy foods (like a Mediterranean-type diet) provides you with omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats that are good for your heart. It also makes it easier to avoid most trans-fats that are associated with cardiovascular disease. For tens of thousands of years, humans looked to the seas and oceans for food and many still do. You don't have to buy ready-made food in the grocery store.
And Reduces Your Risk of Some Types of Cancer
Eating a poor diet, drinking too much alcohol, gaining too much weight, and heavy consumption of red and processed meats are associated with a higher risk of some forms of cancer. And although it's difficult to say that any particular foods prevent cancer, eating a healthy diet overall may decrease your cancer risk.
Sets a Good Example for Your Kids
If you're a parent or grandparent struggling with a picky eater, you might find the situation easier to handle if you set a good example for your child. How can you expect your kids to eat broccoli while you're sitting there eating potato chips? Also, getting kids and picky eaters into the kitchen is one great way to get them motivated to try new foods.
No Need to Waste Money on Supplements
Eating a healthful, balanced diet will provide you will all the essential vitamins and minerals you need every day. I mean, I know there's nothing wrong with taking a multi-vitamin to ensure an adequate intake, but research indicates there are more health benefits associated with eating a variety of healthful foods, and in some cases, taking supplements can be risky.
Please note, however, if your health care provider has you taking supplements for some reason, you shouldn't stop taking them without speaking to him or her first.
Helps You Feel More Energetic
Eating a healthy diet provides you with the carbohydrates you need for energy, along with enough B-complex vitamins to help the process along. Don't forget to start with a healthy breakfast because it helps keep you alert all morning and sets the stage for a day of healthy eating.
You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
This is a great post you should read. Some of us still shake their head and wonder why they can't lose weight, but if you read this it will spell out the problem that most of us have with our weight.
What's the Worst Time of Day for Sitting Too Much?
By Wendy Bumgardner
Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for heart disease, even if you exercise, according to studies. Now that so many people are wearing activity trackers, Fitbit looked at anonymous aggregated data from over a million users to see who sits the most and when. It is enlightening.
The Worst Times of Day for Being Sedentary
Fitbit's data showed three times of day were the most likely to find you sitting or slumped at your desk.
Afternoon from 2 pm - 3 pm
After-coffee/before lunch - prime work/meeting time of 10:30 - 11 am
After work and after dinner, specifically from 7:30-8:30 pm.
10 Tips to Stop Sitting Still: If you know when you are the most likely to be inactive, you can literally take these steps.
If you know when you are the most likely to be inactive, you can literally take these steps.
Work and Sit More, Retire and Sit Less
The stereotype is that you retire to your armchair, but Baby Boomers never did like to be conventional. Total sedentary time decreases after age 55 and right around retirement age from ages 58-66, people sit less.
This reflects on what happens when you enter the workforce. The Fitbit data found that people from age 20 to 25 had their total sitting time go up an hour. Sitting time continues to increase by 30 minutes from age 24 to 30 and up another 30 minutes between the ages of 30 and 55. That's a total of two more hours of sitting compared with their school-age years. This is concerning because one study found that for each hour of sitting, heart disease risks rise 14%
30 Easy Ways to Walk 2000 More Steps per Day: Use these hacks to ensure you are getting up and moving around for 250 steps each hour of the work day.
Which Countries Sit the Most?
Oddly enough, it is in Spain that people are the least inactive during the workday, even though many still observe siesta in the afternoon. They are inactive for only 5 hours, 2 minutes before 6 pm, which is 45 minutes less than the average for the USA and China. It could be that a siesta break from sedentary work is what keeps them moving. Combined with a tradition of going for an evening walk, paseo, it could be that Spain is ahead of the game for reducing sedentary time.
Hours of Inactive Time Before 6 pm by Country - Fitbit Data
Figure out what time of day is bad for you and do something about it. When you add the time you spend in bed to the time you're sitting, most overweight adults are on their feet fewer hours than the hours sitting or lying down. As a matter of fact, some adults are only on their feet about 4 hours a day. I put this in bold for a good reason. Even a one-hour workout can't erase the damage we do with that much sitting.
So what's the answer? Work from a standup desk with a stool so you can stand or sit. This isn't a new idea, many people work this way today. Our grandparents worked this way. Many blue-collar workers work this way now. Anything that will cut down the number of hours we sit. The desk that we sit at has been the biggest contributor to our health problems. This type of inactivity combined with a bad diet has ruined the health of millions of Americans.
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
Learning about the common habits of healthy people can be a particularly motivational experience, even for people who are already living an active lifestyle. Learning from others who have had success staying slim and fit will encourage us to continue on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
It’s generally pretty easy to spot someone that is living a healthy life and it’s usually pretty admirable—they seem to smile a little brighter, they always appear to be happy, and they are constantly on-the-go and productive. Learn about four of the most common habits that these people have mastered and how you can emulate these to improve and build upon your own fitness regimen.
They are Actively Aware of Their Food Choices
Healthy people know exactly what type of food they put in their body and often make sacrifices to help keep their bodies running optimally. This means, when they go out to eat with friends, they won’t always be delving into a large serving of nachos or ordering that extra round.
They always read nutritional labels and scan for artificial sweeteners, tricky food additives, and preservatives, because they prefer avoiding over processed foods when possible.
While they are not always 100% perfect with their nutrition, healthy people often abide by general rules of thumb, such as, no alcoholic beverages during the week, no more than one soda a month, or other methods to do their best to avoid food that is unhealthy.
What this doesn’t mean, is that they are over the top or obnoxious about their habits—they choose to lead by example. To start developing this healthy habit, pay close attention to the foods that you eat. Keep a food log that documents what sort of foods you eat and how often you eat them. If you noticed any questionable or unhealthy food choices, work on weaning them out of your diet. You can learn a lot of good habits from healthy people and we can all learn a lot by watching what those people buy, what they eat and what they drink. It's easy to spot healthy people in restaurants, store or in the break room at work. Watching other people is a good way to find better habits that you can pick up.
Consistently Monitor Their Health
Aside from tracking their food and nutritional intake, healthy people also monitor their overall physical performance by regularly exercising to gauge whether or not their health has improved or worsened over time.
This means that they’ll often experiment with jogging longer distances or lifting heavier weights just to see how well their body responds to a more intense workout. If these exercises were more difficult than they had expected, it could be an indication that they should be scaling their efforts.
You should be consistently aware of how your body is supposed to feel so that you can understand when you aren’t working out enough, or even if you are working out too hard. Additionally, you should not be afraid to monitor your health by visiting a doctor for a checkup or consulting with a physical trainer when an outside examination is necessary.
Stay The Course Even When It’s Difficult
There are often going to be times when your fitness goals become unclear, you become physically exhausted, or you lose much of your motivation—hey, it happens to the best of us. But one habit that healthy people proudly focus on is a continual drive to fight onward, even when their health goals become overwhelming difficult.
Instead of painstakingly giving up, they stay consistent and add variety to their routine by incorporating new exercises which can make their healthy habits fresh again. They find other activities that make their lives more enjoyable, such as joining a gym with a friend, hiking with their dogs, or playing football with the kids.
To adopt this habit, focus on breaking any health plateaus that you experience by first realizing that it’s okay to not always be perfect. When times get tough and you start to struggle or question your motivation, this shouldn’t be considered a sign of weakness—this is a sign of growth and change, embrace the challenge.
Experiment With New Habits
Healthy people are always on the lookout for new habits, suggestions, or technology that can help them continue to grow stronger throughout their lives. They understand that their life really begins when they venture outside of their comfort zones by setting new goals and trying new sports or new activities.
Additionally, healthy people transition their new habit building beyond physical changes and introduce a variety of exciting new modifications to their diet—they cook new foods to surprise their metabolism and find new ways to balance their essential nutrients.
Think about how you can incorporate new habits to find the exercise and fitness routines that work best for you. Consider drinking more water, reading nutrition labels, getting annual checkups, scheduling more time for sleep, working out with a friend, trying new outdoor adventures, etc.
What are some of the healthiest habits that you have experienced? What are some of the areas that you are succeeding in and where could you use more help? Do you find developing healthy habits to be a beneficial process in your fitness routine, or more intimidating?
Summary
Healthy individuals stay on track and get back on track when they’ve slipped. Watch what you eat. Regularly monitor your weight. Consistently make time for your workouts. And keep on the lookout for new, healthy habits.
The biggest tip I can give you is to pay attention to your body. Monitor yourself every day. Make your goal, "your mission in life". Constantly be looking to improve on your plan and never lose sight of your goal. It will take time, in some cases years, but never stop trying. Sometimes other health problems can't take priority, but remember your goal and get back on track as soon as possible.
You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
What's the point, do you have to ask? Everything we do in our lives is affected by our appearance. Maybe it shouldn't make any difference in our work life, but your appearance is the first thing that walks in the room. Sure, it's not fair that people pre-judge you before you even open your mouth, but it happens and it happens every day. Even when people know you; it's your appearance that helps you get that promotion; that helps you get a raise.
When you see an executive that's thin and trim you know that's what he want in his employees. The premise is that if he or she is in good physical condition, they know how to take care of themselves and therefore is organized and responsible and can take care of the job. Now, that might not seem fair, but in privately owned companies they can hire who they want and appearance does count.
And what about your social life, are the thin and trim people considered the "beautiful people" today? Yes, just watch TV. Watch those magazine shows like "Extra". And what brought on the new mania? The new Immigrants pouring in, like the Brits, Orientals, and the middle eastern people like the East Indians. Companies have learned that thin people have more energy and will spend more time working. You're not going to hear anything from a company about a person's weight, but quietly, behind closed doors, there's an unwritten policy to "beware of anyone overweight, they might be a problem". Overweight people take more time off.Overweight people are less productive. There are statistics that prove this. And overweight people will use more Healthcare benefits.
There are several reasons for losing body fat besides health concerns, but your health is a good reason. Part of those statistics is the one that says "overweight people make less money during their lifetime. It's statistically true; more than $100,000 less. There are several reasons to take the fat off and it's not that hard. But you need to do some research. You can start with one of my books. You want a complete read that tells you all you need to know so you don't have to jump around dozens of websites looking for information. I don't promote any of those frozen meal programs. I don't advocate any subscription or memberships. You don't have to spend money to lose body fat. Download one of my e-books and you'll get all you need in one read. I lost 60 pounds, lost my fat and have kept it off for several years.
You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
Everyone who diets knows about counting calories. The experts have been telling us forever that all we need to do to lose weight is to eat fewer calories. But is that all it's about? If that's all there is to losing weight why are so many people overweight? I know, maybe it's all about carbs? Or they tell us we have to exercise more or your doing the wrong type of exercise.
Not really, the whole idea of the low-carb diet was to get you to eat less junk food. Junk food is 90% carbs and has almost no nutritional value. But low-carb wasn't the answer because you would cut back on junk for a while but never quit eating junk completely. And low-carb and low-fat foods usually have more sugar to put taste back in the food.
So what is the answer to weight loss? I believe that all calories are not equal and that you don't need to count calories, you need to eat better food. The Atkins Diet is a good example of a healthy balanced diet. Another healthy diet is the Mediterranean diet. Below you'll see a food pyramid showing the foods you can eat and how often to eat them.
If you notice the foods in the pyramid are all whole foods that supply lots of nutrition. And why is that important? Your body doesn't count calories, your body can either process your food and turn it into energy or if it can't process what you're eating it will store it in your fat cells. It's your choice. Do you want to eat real food or manufactured food?
When you change your diet to real food, you won't eat as much. And when your body gets used to your new diet you'll start to burn body fat. It's not going to be quick, but with more physical activity the fat burning process will go faster.
It's a good idea to download my ebook and learn how I lost 60 pounds, lost my fat and have more energy than I've had in 30 years. It's not too late or impossible, no matter how heavy or how old. We can all improve our condition with a healthy a diet and more activity.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K. My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
I get email all the time wanting some way to lose weight without dieting. How can they do it; there are ways but you still have to be committed and stick to these changes. Small changes take longer to take effect, so you will lose weight and get healthier but you have to stick to the changes.
One easy change is to do more walking. Trainers have all these new workout plans when really all you need to do is walk more. 10,000 steps a day every day will help you lose weight, that's all the activity you need.So why did I say "will help" instead of "can"; because your diet will work hand and hand with the increased walking. You can walk all day long and still not lose weight if you don't eat the foods to help you lose weight.
Speaking of your diet; one of the biggest reasons for gaining weight is eating too much animal fat. Animal fat is marbled through the meat in beef and pork, you can't remove this fat, you can only trim off the fat on the outside. Animal fat is the fat that will clog your liver and slow-down liver functions, raise your cholesterol and cause high blood pressure. Only very small amounts can be digested in one day. Doctors only recommend eating red meat, which includes hamburger meat, once a week. Seafood and poultry can be eaten more often.
Besides meat, most people don't eat enough vegetables, especially the dark green leafy ones. You can get a lot of your protein from plants and plant protein will be absorbed easier and faster than animal protein.
More of the do's and do not's:
Do get more sleep- The later you stay up the more you eat.
Do drink more water.
Don't drink your calories- no sugar in your drinks.
Do eat whole grains- whole wheat is not whole grain.
Do not eat bacon or any lunch meat. If you most have bacon, buy the uncured slab of bacon from a butcher and have him slice it.
Cut back on alcohol- if you drink any alcohol drink a clear alcohol with a bottled water, nothing sweet. Some cocktails are several hundred calories.
Try to drink more green tea- One cup of hot green tea each day will help digest your food.
If you cut out the things you're doing to increase body fat, then over time you will actually start to lose body fat and that's the real "end game". Losing body fat will help you regain your lost energy. You can feel years younger just by losing the extra inches around your waist.
You can tweet me with questions at #ray0369
I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
I found this post on VeryWell.com. I haven't seen many posts like this one that talks directly to men. This is worth reading. I'm sure you've heard of the "Tom Brady Diet". His diet started to circulate about a year ago. He eat almost no red meat and lots of vegetables and you might see some comparisons to his diet in this post.
Focus on Healthy Foods That Fill You Up and Build Muscle
Men face unique challenges when they try to slim down. One of those challenges is meal size. In many restaurants and other social settings, guys are encouraged to eat “manly” portions of hearty foods. Big meals and big bodies are often celebrated in men’s magazines and television shows. Eating petite portions of light, delicate dishes like maybe Sushi can make a guy feel…well, less like a guy.
How to Choose Weight Loss Foods for Men
The best weight loss foods for men are selections that fill a guy’s plate, keep his body lean and muscular but also help him to feel full and satisfied.
So guys should focus on protein when shopping for diet-friendly foods.
"One thing I take into account for a goal of weight loss in men is lean protein intake," says Jason Ewoldt, RDN, LD, wellness dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. He adds that he doesn't necessarily focus on increasing protein intake but on choosing the right type of protein. "Men tend to have more lean muscle tissue," he says, "so it's important to ensure adequate intake of amino acids to preserve lean tissue while at the same time increasing feelings of fullness."
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Non-essential amino acids, such as glycine and alanine, are made by your body so you don't need to get them from food. But essential amino acids are not produced by the body. The food you eat should provide these amino acids for general health and for the production and maintenance of lean muscle mass.
Complete proteins are those that provide all essential amino acids. Meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods (such as eggs, milk, or yogurt) are complete proteins. Soy, quinoa, chia seeds, buckwheat, and flax seeds are also examples of complete protein foods. So there are complete protein in plant food also and that's the protein we need to increase. The downside to a meat based diet is the animal fat that is marbled in the meat. That's why doctors want you to cut back on red meat. You just end up consuming too much animal fat.
Protein quality can also be determined by the PCDAAS or protein digestibility corrected amino acid score.
PCDAAS takes amino acid content into consideration and balances it with other factors related to digestibility. Casein, egg, milk, whey, and soy proteins have the highest score of 1.0. Other foods that are high on the list include beef (0.92), black beans (0.75), and peanuts (0.52).
But if you're a man who wants to slim down, you may not have time to research the PCDAAS score of every food you see in the grocery store aisle. Instead, scan these lists of the best weight loss foods for men to eat at mealtime and the best weight loss foods for men to snack on. You can even bookmark this page and take it with you to the market.
Healthy Foods That Fill You Up at Mealtime
In a recent interview about weight loss challenges for men, fat-loss expert Tom Venuto and Biggest Loser champ Pete Thomas said that men should learn how to cook to lose weight faster. If you can learn how to build hefty but healthy meals around nutritious foods you're more likely to stay satisfied and get the fuel your body needs to get lean and strong.
So what foods should you throw in your cart at the grocery store? "One thing I would suggest when shopping for weight-loss friendly foods would be putting the focus on whole foods," says Ewoldt. "This would include foods like fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. By shifting toward a more whole food approach it generally means more plants (fruits and veggies) which helps with weight loss as they are higher in fiber and water but lower in calories. I would also look at making changes from higher fat protein foods to lean types of protein which keeps satiety up but reduces overall calorie intake."
Here are some of the best weight loss foods for men at mealtime:
Lowfat Greek yogurt (look for brands that are lower in sugar)
Fish such as salmon or tuna to provide heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids also known as "good fats"
Poultry like chicken or turkey breast (reduce fat and calories by choosing skinless varieties)
Lean cuts of beef such as filet mignon or flank steak
Bison and other game meats that are lean but flavorful
Cottage cheese (check the sodium content on the Nutrition Facts label if you are watching your salt intake)
Healthy beans (legumes) like black beans, chickpeas, black eyed peas, or green peas
Whole grains like quinoa, barley, brown rice, or buckwheat
Dark green, leafy vegetables including kale, spinach, or broccoli
Fresh fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth
If you noticed, there's not a lot of milk or cheese on the list. If your trying to slim down be careful how much dairy you consume. Dairy is another source of animal fat.
And which foods should you avoid when trying to slim down? The worst weight loss foods for men might be the foods most often served on game day at the bar. These are foods that are full of the nutrients that your body probably needs less of. "Men tend to over-eat foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates. This is especially true when eating out as high fat items such as burgers, French fries and chicken wings tend to be the expectation," says Ewoldt.
Healthy Snacks That Fill You Up
Just like any dieter, a man is likely to get hungry between meals. But snack foods can easily undo the effort you put into a healthy meal. So it's important to be just as mindful when you snack as you are when you plan and prepare nutritious meals.
Sadly, the snack aisle at your local market is probably full of foods to avoid. They are also foods you're likely to want to overeat. "It seems, in my experience at the Healthy Living Program, that men tend to crave either salty foods like chips or French fries or sweeter foods like cookies and desserts when they are actively trying to lose weight," says Ewoldt.
So skip the baked goods section and the chips aisle and fill up on foods that are full of fiber. Soluble and non-soluble fiber provide slightly different benefits, but both will help your body to feel full for a longer time after eating. When you're less hungry, you're more likely to make smart food choices and eat proper portion sizes.
Here are some of the best weight loss food for men who snack:
Hard boiled eggs
Chopped veggie sticks with hummus or other bean dips that provide healthy fats
Plain Greek yogurt and nutrient-packed berries (think raspberries or blueberries) topped with chia seeds for extra fiber and nutrition
Other low-fat dairy products like skim milk or chocolate milk for a post-workout boost (instead of high calorie or artificially sweetened sports drinks)
Low-calorie, protein packed snack bars for busy days when you are on the go
Nuts such as almonds or Brazil nuts that provide both poly and monounsaturated fats
Peanut butter on whole grain crackers
Turkey roll-ups (low-sodium turkey slices rolled around a thin layer of low-fat cream cheese and thin veggie sticks)
Most importantly, drink water for thirst. Skip the super sized sodas that you find in convenience marts. Regular colas and flavored sodas are full of sugar and even the diet-varieties often contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners that can derail your diet.
How to Cook Weight Loss Foods for Men
You can (and should) learn to cook weight loss meals that build muscle and bulk up your plate without adding inches to your waistline. Simply adding healthy weight loss foods to your plate won't help you to lose weight unless you use smart cooking methods to prepare them. Focus on these cooking methods to keep your meals lean:
Grill. If you love a good steak, you can keep it in your diet if you grill it without adding extra oil or butter. Most cuts of beef already contain enough fat so there is no reason to add any more. And if you are grilling lean poultry, marinade it in citrus or drizzle with (just a small amount of) olive oil to boost your intake of heart-healthy fats. And remember that you can grill indoors or out. During cold winter months, invest in an inexpensive indoor counter-top grill to prep your meals.
Roast. Nothing brings out the savory flavor of vegetables like roasting. And it is one of the easiest cooking methods available. Simply chop vegetables like carrots, onions, or Brussels sprouts and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Season with herbs or salt and pepper and place in the oven at about 400 degrees. Roasting is also a smart way to prepare meats and seafood.
Poach. Many savvy cooks poach seafood to maximize flavor and minimize the amount of added fat that you use. To poach salmon, simply simmer an inch or so of liquid on your stovetop and place the fish in the warm water to cook.
If your cravings for French fries, pizza, and burgers get the best of you, there are also reduced-calorie recipes for each of those favorites. You can learn to make healthier pizza by swapping veggies for fatty meats and cheeses. Bake sweet potato fries that are better for you than their traditional counterparts and then grill a lean turkey burger instead of making one from fatty ground beef.
Lastly, remember that calories matter most when it comes to weight loss. Make sure you are eating the right number of calories to fuel your body properly and create the calorie deficit needed to slim down.
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If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon
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