Orange Foods
Orange colored fruits and veggies have more of an effect on slimming the mid section due to the fact that they are rich in beta-carotene(which makes the fruits and veggies orange). Stick to carrots, cantaloupe, mangoes, papayas, squash and peaches.
Drink a glass of wine per day
Studies show that moderate drinking protects against female midsection weight gain. The National Center for Health Statistics collected data based on a review that drinking up to 20 glasses of white or red wine per month is beneficial. AWESOME!!!! Stretch out your 20 days of wine, please do not chug a couple bottles in one night.
Olive Oil
Olive oil has MUFA which is known for lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) but does not affect HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants, the greener the oil the more antioxidants. Extra virgin oil would be the most beneficial. Olive oil is also a great replacement for pasta sauce. Mix some roma tomatoes, mushroom and basil and you have a lighter, healthier pasta topping.
More after the jump!!!
Sunflower Seeds
Packed with Vitamin B, Sunflower seeds play an important role on protecting against inflammation. Sunflower seeds are also rich in Vitamin E and they are a great snack to curb hunger.
Dark Chocolate
A translation for dark chocolate is coco powder made from grounded coco beans. Coco beans just so happen to have ingredients that fight against cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Dark chocolate is also rich in antioxidants and actually contains just as much antioxidant capacity as red wine. Craving candy? Dark Chocolate would be a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Dark chocolate only, this does not apply to milk or white chocolate.
Avocado
Also rich in MUFA are Avocados. Avocado contains more beta-sitosterol (which is a beneficial plant-based fat) than any other fruit. Beta-sitosterol may reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. To make sure your getting as much MUFA as possible make sure they are California grown avocados because avocados from California contain more MUFA than avocados from Florida.
2 Comments
Even though chocolate has many health benefits, it should be consumed in moderation. Chocolate consumption that causes weight gain negates many of the health values. A square or two a day of dark chocolate (70% cocoa content or higher) is a good way to go. (:
Thanks for such a great article!
-Ashlee
Endangered Species Chocolate
Olive Oil
It seems that mono-unsaturated fats reduce the capacity of LDL cholesterol to oxidise, which may explain the protective properties of olive oil. However, extra virgin olive oil also contains around 40 antioxidant phytochemicals, so perhaps these phytochemicals are the factors responsible for the health benefits.
To investigate the effect of antioxidants from olive oil on cholesterol, researchers instructed 16 healthy adults to avoid phenol containing foods such as coffee, tea, wine and vegetables for 4 days. On the fifth day adults consumed 50 ml of virgin olive oil - about 3.3 tablespoons - alone or with bread.
The participants avoided all other foods with phenols for the next 24 hours and then ate their regular diet, supplemented by 25 ml of olive oil daily, for a week. Study volunteers were also told to avoid high fat foods such as butter, margarine, cooking oil, nuts, baked foods and eggs.
Blood samples taken before and during the study revealed higher levels of antioxidant compounds, including vitamin E and phenols, after one week. Similarly, levels of oleic acid, the predominant type of fat in olive oil, as well as of mono-unsaturated fatty acids were higher. These changes were associated with a slower LDL oxidation rate.
In addition to the LDL lowering effect of virgin olive oil, the results suggest that an intake of 25 ml/day could increase the resistance of LDL to oxidation because it becomes richer in oleic acid and antioxidants. These benefits could be achieved by including virgin olive oil daily in our diet.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2002, 56:114-120
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