Foods Melted 60 Pounds Away. It’s true. And though diet alone will rarely get you to your ultimate goal, you certainly can’t exercise yourself to a slimmer weight either. The right foods are crucial.
Many diet articles focus on what you should not eat. But we know what those are, right? I have often heard people joke that “if it tastes good, it’s basically bad for you.” Maybe there’s some truth to that, but not entirely.
You can absolutely train your taste buds to tolerate, then like, and ultimately to love healthy foods. It’s just a habit that needs forming. And it’s not just the foods you already can tolerate. The idea is to add new foods–foods that you had no idea of even trying, much less eating on a regular basis.
When I was ten I wouldn’t eat macaroni and cheese. (I know it isn’t a health food–it’s just an example). I thought it looked funny, smelled funny, and for some reason we rarely had it at home. But one day I was staring at my plate of food from the school cafeteria. Having already eaten all around the mac ‘n cheese, which took up the largest portion of the plate, I was still hungry. I took my fork and speared one single macaroni noodle and put it in my mouth. It felt strange and almost slimy. But I ate it and didn’t throw up. The next time we had it, I ate an entire spoonful. Before long, I was gobbling up my mac ‘n cheese just like any kid.
How many times have you seen people screw up their face and say, “I can’t stand_________.” (broccoli, salads, salmon, tuna, etc.) Most of the time, if you ask the follow-up question, “Have you ever tried it?” they say “No.” So, like millions of parents do on a daily basis, you answer their “no” with “Then how do you know you don’t like it?” That’s when they end the argument by looking you straight in the eye and saying, “I just know I don’t. I can tell by the smell. Now let it go.”
It’s not a rational response, but then, people aren’t rational. And I get it. I mean, if you go by smell alone no one would ever take a bite of blue cheese. My dad makes the most comical faces when he smells blue cheese or Parmesan cheese. He calls it “rotgut” and runs from the room, accusing the rest of us of eating something foul. I admit that some cheeses can smell like sweaty feet, but of course they don’t taste like they smell. I can never get that into his head.
People can also be irrational when it comes to water. I know people that actually never drink water–just won’t drink anything that doesn’t come out of a can or bottle. Tap water scares them to death. It’s completely illogical that a human being, who is made up of primarily water, would not realize the importance of drinking it. You absolutely cannot maintain a healthy weight if you avoid drinking water. Your body needs it in more ways than you realize. I try not to make fun of those people, but honestly, if they sat down and thought about their habits logically, they would have to see how an avoidance of water borders on ridiculous.
My point is this: If you really need to lose weight, and you would like to keep it off, you must become a bit adventurous when it comes to food and drink. If foods melted 60 pounds away for me, I know they can do so for you.
You don’t have to run out and eat ten pounds of sushi. You don’t have to go on a cauliflower diet. Just keep yourself open to trying new foods, especially the healthy foods you’ve managed to avoid. If you see anything on this list that puts you off, chances are that’s the food you need to try. All of the following foods have proven over and over that they are extremely beneficial to a healthy (and skinny) lifestyle. (And yes, I’ve lost 60 pounds–so far).
1. Broccoli I’m fortunate that I cultivated a taste for broccoli many years ago. Most adults should be eating more of it. It’s a high-fiber veggie with phytonutrients. It may also help you lower your cholesterol and cancer risk. It also has folic acid, which pregnant women need a lot of.
2. Kale I don’t like the taste of kale, so I juice this one. But just like spinach, kale is a considered a superfood. Low in calories (just 36 calories per cup full) with calcium and vitamins A, C and K. It also removes toxins and has been proven to fight cancer.
3. Tomatoes The majority of my dinners include some form of tomato. I like it raw, juiced, sliced, baked, fried, pureed, stewed, sauced, pasted, or fresh from the patch. Lucious lycopene gives tomatoes their deep red color. It fights cancers of the prostate, lung and stomach. Tomatoes are also packed with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects your heart.
4. Salmon Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It may reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. It’s also packed with DFH, an omega-3 that has been show to protect the brain against Alzheimer’s. It’s not my favorite food, but it’s too important to leave off this list. (I eat a lot of tuna, which isn’t a perfect substitute for salmon).
5. Carrots Just one cup has 10 percent of your muscle-building potassium, and more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin A. Beta-carotene also may reduce your risk of diabetes. I keep a bowl of carrots nearby for when I get the urge to chew. At 25 calories per cup, you simply cannot overeat with this vegetable.
6. Berries, especially raspberries and blackberries. Relatively low in calories, but packed with fiber and cancer-preventing antioxidants. You can add them to cereal, salads, and smoothies. Studies show berries may reduce your risk of a heart attack by 33%. Some fruit can be a bit high in sugar–so eat strawberries, cherries, bananas, and grapes in moderate amounts.
7. Walnuts I can’t get enough of these nuts, but then I like all nuts. Walnuts are a great way to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids (other than fish oil) and are generally considered heart-healthy. Study after study proves their ability to decrease “bad” cholesterol and reduce inflammation. They also help prevent belly fat!
8. Almonds The perfect snack food. I buy them in 3-pound bags at Sam’s. They are packed with calories (a quarter cup is at 200) but you also get 7 grams of protein, nearly 4 grams of fiber and more than half of your daily vitamin E. They can reduce heart disease risk by 30 percent. Eat a small handful daily!
9. Olive Oil – Especially Extra-Virgin Olive Oil An integral part of the Mediterranean diet, it’s considered to be one of the healthiest fats in the world. (all oils are fat) It’s full of monounsaturated fatty acids, which boost heart health and lowers bad cholesterol.
10. Green Tea This simple and delicious drink is packed with antioxidants and flavonoids that may help reduce your risk of cancer, speed up metabolism, and prevent heart disease. And if you drink 5 or more cups a day, one study found it significantly lowers risk of death – 23 percent for women and 12 percent for men. What’s not to like about that? Try not to junk it up with added sugar or creamers.
11. Beans (especially black beans) Beans are a carbohydrate that is digested more slowly. You will feel fuller longer. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which is extremely important to those at risk for developing diabetes. Fiber in beans helps regulate the digestive system. If you avoid beans because of “gassy” issues, don’t. You are depriving yourself of a most beneficial food. Buy some Beano!
12. Nonfat Yogurt Delicious, creamy yogurt has roughly 14 grams of protein per container. It also has nearly 50 percent of your daily calcium needs. Yogurt is my “go to” for making dips, snacking with apple slices, or enriching my smoothie. A bowl of fresh fruit, walnuts, and yogurt is a smashing start to my day. It just may be a dieter’s best friend. I recently made the move from regular to Greek yogurt, but Greek yogurt isn’t to everyone’s taste. To each his own. Find the type you like (preferably nonfat) and go for it. Just read your labels carefully. Some yogurts have a lot of added sugar or other ingredients.
Yes, foods melted 60 pounds away, and they continue to do it! Except for salmon, I eat the above foods daily. But there are many more foods that are of exceptional nutritional value. Honorable mention goes to:
- Tuna
- Lentils
- Beets
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Oats
- Sweet Potatoes
- Lean beef and chicken
- Asparagus
- Melons
- Apples
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Surely among all these foods you can find enough of them to kick-start your diet. And remember, you kill two birds with one stone when you replace an unhealthy food with a healthy one. You aren’t just adding something good, you are displacing something bad. Think about it!
© Wade Kingston