Simple Tips for Choosing Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

If you ask ten people what the hardest part of losing weight is, nine of them will say shopping for food. When you are dieting and trying to slim down, the most daunting place you can go is your local supermarket. There is just so much food and you can't get in and out without passing by your favorite sweet treat or deli counter. Shopping for groceries when you are trying to lose weight takes a bit of practice, but once you've learned the basics, you'll be able to sail right past those cookie samples without even a glance.  Here are a few tips to get you in and out without a hitch - and without an unhealthy impulse buy!

Shop the Perimeters

Fruits & vegetables are commonly found around the perimeter of the grocery store. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A good rule of thumb when shopping your local grocery store is to hug the outer lanes of the store to find the healthiest foods. Typically, grocery stores line the perimeter of the store with the produce cases, the dairy case, and the fresh meats and fish.  The inside aisles hold the majority of the prepackaged foods that you want to avoid.  This is generally speaking, of course, but give it a try at your grocery store and see how much easier it is to shop healthy.

Shop for Color

As you push your cart along the outer walls of the store, look for the bright and vibrant-color foods.  As we've all learned in our nutrition classes, foods with rich, bright, or dark colors generally have more nutrients than those with a pale color. For instance, strawberries and eggplants have a higher nutrient-density than potatoes or onions. Even though potatoes and onions are perfectly fine and offer nutrition, to get the most bang out of your dieting buck, go for the bright colors. You can apply this to proteins in many instances, as well.  A deep red salmon fillet is likely going to be more nutrient-dense than a salmon fillet that has a light color (it's also more likely to be naturally raised; farm-fed fish are often artificially colored with bright pink dye). Dark red meat (such as bison) is usually more likely to be grass-fed, and therefore more nutritious than grain-fed animals, whose meat is a lighter pink.  (Remember - when shopping for meat, it is ALWAYS best to choose organic, and grass-fed if at all possible.)

Avoid Sugar by Any Name

You would be surprised at all the places sugar can hide in a grocery store. It is practically around every corner. Since sugar will stealthily rob you of your weight loss goals, it is important to turn into a detective in order to avoid it. Just for reference, here is a laundry list of aliases for sugar.

Agave nectar
Barley malt syrup
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated cane juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Powdered sugar
Raw sugar
Rice syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Xylose

Of course, not all sugar is created equal.  Raw sugar may be a better choice than refined sugar, and the less-refined/processed, the better.  However, when it comes to weight loss, your body isn't going to know the difference.  It's going to want to turn that sugar into fat.  Learn your sugars and learn what levels are tolerable for your diet.  Be aware also that most processed foods that are labeled “low fat” have added sugar to adjust the taste!  Here again, you need to know what is better for you and know your tolerable limits.  Labels are your friend – get used to reading them.

Choose whole grains when possible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Choose Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains

One of the easiest tips to remember when buying bread, pasta, flour, and any type of baking ingredients is to go for whole grains rather than refined grains. Eating whole grains adds much-needed fiber and nutrients to your healthy diet.  Fiber helps speed digestion and metabolism both.  Refined grains have all that goodness cleaned right out of them during the refining process.  Eating whole wheat pastas and breads, and baking with whole grain products may take some getting used to, but you can ease into it by using half refined and half whole grain to get started. It won't be long before you prefer the firmer texture and nuttier flavor of your favorite muffin recipe made with whole grains.

You don't have to carry a big list of foods allowed on a special diet along with you to the grocery store.  You just have to shop smarter with these simple rules.  It's easier to eat healthy when you have simple tricks to use when you're in the grocery store, and make a habit of following them. If you consistently fill your cart with foods from the perimeters, brightly colored foods, foods without added sugar, and whole grains, without much effort you are already well on your way to eating a diet that will help you lose weight now and keep it off for a lifetime!

Oats - A Super Food For A Strong & Healthy Heart

Oats gained a special distinction as a super food back in 1997 when the Food and Drug Administration made the claim that there is an association between a diet high in oats and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. With that announcement, oats, oatmeal, oat bran, and oat flour skyrocketed in popularity amount the whole grains, placing it right up there in the top 10 super foods. Let's take a look at what else this well known, but not totally understood, grain has to offer.

Super Nutrition for a Long Life

oats before blending (Photo credit: sweetbeetandgreenbean)We know that oats, along with other whole grains, provide protection against heart disease, potentially extending the lifespan of people who include this food regularly in their diets. That would seem to be enough of a reason to add oats to your diet, but there's more. This is a high fiber, high protein food that's low in calories and rich in important vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, and selenium.

Beta glucan is the main ingredient responsible for lowering serum cholesterol levels. Oats also contain special antioxidants called avenanthramides. Together these two elements have been shown to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels when oats are consumed on a regular basis.

Oats have a low glycemic index which means the energy from this food burns slowly and stays with you to satisfy your hunger for a longer period of time. Having nutrients released slowly into the bloodstream and throughout the body helps stabilize blood sugar levels, eliminating the spikes which can cause many health problems, concentration problems, and dieting problems. In addition, the B vitamins contribute to strong healthy skin, nails, and hair.

Along with other whole grains, studies have found that consuming oats can aid in the battle against breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and asthma in children. With this sort of super food on your side, why wouldn't you eat it?

Countless Ways to Enjoy

Oats are an inexpensive and widely available grain that can be easily incorporated into meals at any time of day. Oats are easy to store in containers or airtight bags, and have a very long shelf life.

A bowl of hot cereal in the morning is the most familiar way oats are served. Whether you buy raw oatmeal or quick cooking, you are starting off with a good basis for nutrition. Vary the toppings and you vary the recipe enough to eat servings of oatmeal a number of times each week without getting bored. Add berries, nuts, stevia, or protein powders to boost the flavor and superpowers of your oatmeal.

Oat Pumpkin Pancakes (Photo credit: digiyesica)Besides breakfast cereal, there are a number of other ways to incorporate oats into your daily diet. Oats can provide a toasty coating for baked or broiled fish, and are often used to make hearty muffins, cookies, and other desserts. Don't forget about convenient trail mixes or granola bars. Oats are often the central ingredient in those tasty treats.

Mixing oatmeal in as a binder in ground meat for burgers, meatloaf, and meatballs is another way to 'sneak' more nutrition into your diet. Oats also play center stage in a number of bread recipes, whether as a main ingredient or to add just a bit of heartiness and crunch. (Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty recipes to add more oats to your diet!)

As part of your healthy diet, incorporating up to three servings of whole grains a day is recommended by many nutritionists and health experts. Oats provide enough significant benefits for healthy living to make them a vital part of your good diet.

Heart-Healthy Family Dinners

Dinner time is family time. It is also a time to help everyone eat a better diet. Here are some ideas to help create heart-healthy meals.

The heart is a vital organ. It pumps blood throughout the body, carrying oxygen to all of your cells. In order for the heart to do its job, it needs to be fed the right things. For instance, if you eat a lot of processed foods, you could develop a cholesterol problem. Too much of the bad (LDL) type of cholesterol can affect your blood vessels. Since the heart pumps blood through them, this affects your heart.

The best way to keep your heart healthy is to eat a diet full of foods that will keep it running smoothly. Let’s talk about the types of foods that can do that.

Healthy Heart Food Categories

* Whole grains – Whole grains lower the blood sugar levels. When your sugar is level then you are secreting enough of the hormone insulin to fuel your cellular needs. Whole grains also contain lots of fiber to help you feel full so you eat less.

Image via Wikipedia* Vegetables – Vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals that are vital to cellular metabolism and repair. The majority of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs are obtained from natural sources like food. Be sure they are as fresh as possible, as the vitamins in vegetables often deteriorate quickly after harvesting. For the freshest produce, shop at a farmer's market, join a CSA, or grow your own!

* Beans – These contain lean protein which is needed for muscle growth. The heart is a muscle so it needs protein to stay healthy.

* Lean meats – This is animal protein and also needed for muscle growth. Try lean pork, beef and poultry - but be sure it is organic or naturally raised to avoid ingesting toxins and hormones that may cause additional harm to your health. Eating fish, including seafood like shrimp, will also provide protein and vital minerals without the added saturated fat.

* Fruits – These satisfy a sweet tooth. Instead of eating a candy bar, try a fresh piece of fruit. It has fewer calories and more vitamins.

Heart-Healthy Dinner Ideas

Now, let’s try to put these different categories together for some meal suggestions.

* Vegetarian lasagna – Whole wheat pasta reduces the carbs for this meal. Also, try adding vegetables and low-fat cheeses instead of meat. Increase fiber content without increasing unnecessary fat.

* Chicken and vegetable casserole – Lean chicken breasts provide protein while vegetables like broccoli and carrots increase nutrition, even for kids who don’t care for vegetables. Bind it all together with a quick white sauce using evaporated milk or half-and-half. Don’t forget the brown or wild rice for fiber.

Image via Wikipedia* Grilled meats – Grilling fish or lean meats reduces the fat content, as the fat can drain off as it cooks. You can grill all year round with a gas grill and a love of fewer calories in your diet. For a refreshing taste, you can even grill your veggies wrapped in foil as well.

* Wrap sandwiches – Dinner doesn’t have to be heavy. In fact, lunch is better as the heaviest meal of the day. For dinner, go light and easy. Use lean beef or grilled or sauted chicken strips to make a satisfying tortilla wrap. Add diced veggies to complete your sandwich.

Want a healthier heart? Eat for it. Combine healthy categories of food to create delicious meals for dinner, lunch and breakfast.