Weight — Page 11

Superfoods: Hunger And Calories Not Allowed

November 27, 2010 by admin

Attention fitness buffs and dieteers: try out these two time-tested food types that can give your stomach a satisfying feel after a meal and yet would not send your calorie meter sky-rocketing. Two household words sum up these two wonder nutrient groups: the fiber group and the protein group. Fiber lends the first group of organic health foods their longevity in the stomach. Protein, the other nutrient, helps control the craving in between and during meals, boosts your body’s stamina, and can slightly increase your metabolism in the process. And now, for the warning: just like common foods we know, if you’re eating more than your body can afford, so to speak, you may find yourself on top of a weight gain, instead of the other way around.

Below are protein and fiber-based superfoods you may want to keep a tab on:

Green Tea – Catechins (helpful phytochemicals) in green tea, according to some scientists, may be some sort of trigger that stimulates the body to force out calories. Think also of the anti-cancer and anti-toxin properties of this life-giving drink. Broth- or any vegetable soup – Soups can help tone down hunger in between meals and help you feel full. Healthy soups can be made using either squash or tomato.

Reducing calories and weight loss – Low-calorie green salads – Having a low-calorie salad can help you feel full; the high fiber content may be the reason why you think you can fight the urges of a runaway appetite. So, keep the leaves and healthy oils, but better let go of those croutons, high fat dressings, and cheese!

Yogurt – If you still can’t keep off the nagging (and unfounded) feeling that dairy products will only hamper your efforts to promote weight loss, you may change your mind by trying a light yogurt. It fights off hunger pangs due to its combination of protein and carbohydrate. Bottoms up once more also because yogurt contains “live” bacteria that helps balance intestinal health.

Beans – The secret why beans are one of the members of a superfoods diet is that behind beans are a great combination of fiber and protein; beans also help you feel a fuller stomach.

Water – Water is your body’s lifeblood, and it cannot be passed up in most discussion about superfoods. Not only is it a great zero-calorie and zero-additive beverage, it helps flush toxins from the body, and of course, it can also help you feel full especially if its temperature is high. So when those hunger pangs strike, grab first a glass of water instead of that snack.

High-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal – In any meal, whole grains does amazing things to help boost the nutritional worth of your meal. For starters, try having a bowl of higher-fiber whole-grain cereal as breakfast or a snack.

– Menachem Green

Get Your Nutrients From Sea Plants

November 15, 2010 by admin

Sea vegetables, perhaps more commonly known as plain old seaweed, have been eaten in the Far East for centuries, but are relatively uncommon in the American diet. However, sea vegetables are an excellent addition to a healthy diet: the seaweed nutrition facts show that, besides being one of those fruits and vegetables that we’re all supposed to eat more of, seaweed is rich in many vitamins and minerals as well as being a valuable source of protein and fiber.

Sea vegetables, also known as seaweed contain a very large array of vitamins and minerals. Specifically they are a very rich source of the minerals calcium, potassium, iodine and magnesium, and a very rich source of vitamins C, R, and B12. In addition they contain powerful antioxidents called carotenoids and many unique compounds that studies have shown are both anti-viral and anti-biotic in function. They were used as a treatment of goiters (caused by iodine deficiency) specifically because of their high iodine content.

Seaweed make many positive contributions to one’s health, due to their high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients. These effects include strengthening hair and skin, lowering cholesterol, and strengthening the body’s immune system. Some studies suggest that alginic acid, a compound in sea vegetables, helps purge from the body metals such as lead and mercury.

The protein content of seaweed varies by species. Red seaweed varieties, such as dulse and nori, are the richest in protein. Some of these varieties have protein contents comparable to soybeans. Red and green seaweeds have an average protein content of 10 – 30% of dry weight. Brown seaweeds have the lowest protein content, averaging approximately 5 – 15% of dry weight.

Although a tasty addition to the daily diet, you may not be ready yet to eat a bowl of fresh wakame or arame. If you still want the health benefits of seaweed you can get it in pill form, like your other vitamins. Sea Vegg is a seaweed pill that allows you to get many of the health benefits of eating raw seaweed, but in pill form. It is made of a blend of twelve different sea vegetables.

Sea Vegg has many of the benefits of seaweed, containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavenoids, and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These are all also found in raw seaweed. Studies have shown that Sea Vegg also contains antibiotic and antiviral compounds. Algal polyphenols, an antioxidant that may help reduce cellular oxidation damage, are also in the supplement.

Thanks to health food stores, ethnic markets, and specialty groceries, seaweed is becoming easier to find. Often, it is found dried, sold in packets. You can eat it dry, or soak it to make an enticing salad. Nori can also be used to roll homemade sushi. If you don’t care for the taste, add the pill Sea Vegg to your daily diet, and give your body the health benefits of seaweed.

– Martha Johnson