9 Appetite-Suppressing Foods

If you’re like most people, conquering your appetite is one of the biggest challenges you face in your fitness and weight loss journey. As soon as the word “diet” crosses your lips, you may find yourself craving all the junk you know you’re not supposed to eat. The secret is eating the right foods to help calm the cravings for the wrong ones. Adding these 9 easy-to-find, tasty foods to your meal plan can help you rein in your appetite before it gets out of control!

1. Oatmeal. This hot cereal is high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, which means it fills you up and takes a long time to digest. Research has shown that diets high in slow-burning carbohydrates like oatmeal suppress the hunger hormone grehlin more effectively than diets high in fat do. In fact, when you eat oatmeal for breakfast, you may find that your appetite is lower at lunchtime. Steel-cut or rolled oats digest more slowly than the “instant” variety do, so it’s worth taking a few extra minutes in the morning to prepare your breakfast the old-fashioned way.
2. Apples. Not only are apples nutritious, but what sets them apart from other fruits is pectin, a soluble fiber that helps regulate blood sugar, keeps you full, and sustains your energy. One medium apple with skin contains 4 grams of fiber, which is more than you’d get in an average slice of whole wheat bread. Add an apple and some cinnamon to your morning oatmeal for an appetite-suppressing breakfast.
3. Pine nuts. These edible pine-tree seeds contain more protein than any other nut or seed, and their oil stimulates two appetite-suppressing hormones (cholecystokinin [CCK] and glucagon-like peptide-1) that tell your brain you’re not hungry. Blend pine nuts with basil, garlic, and a little olive oil to make pesto, or sprinkle them on your salad or oatmeal for a delicious, nutty crunch.
4. Salad. The fiber in typical salad vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, spinach, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, and peppers is very filling and helps slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream. Studies have shown that when people start a meal with a small salad, they eat significantly fewer calories in the meal itself. Just watch out for the high-fat dressings (or worse, fat-free dressings that are high in sugar). Try having the dressing on the side and dipping your fork into it for easy portion control, or simply add a dash of balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice for a tasty, super-low-calorie option. Bonus tip: Try to eat a vegetable at every meal to keep your appetite at bay all day long.
5. Olive oil and other unsaturated fats. Researchers at the University of California at Irvine found that unsaturated fat causes the intestines to release a compound (oleoylethanolamide) that has been shown to reduce appetite and stimulate weight loss. Some great unsaturated fat choices include avocados, olives and olive oil, almonds, salmon, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, macadamia nuts, and sesame seeds. These foods are high in calories, so enjoy them in moderation while regulating your appetite.
6. Flaxseeds. Flax is one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The seeds are also very high in protein and fiber, making them excellent for appetite control. Sprinkle ground flax seeds over oatmeal, salads, or yogurt, or add them to smoothies to help stabilize your blood sugar and turn off the hunger hormones.
7. Beans. The fiber in beans increases CCK, a digestive hormone that’s a natural appetite suppressant. A research study at the University of California at Davis found that men who ate a high-fiber meal containing beans had CCK levels that were two times higher than when they ate a low-fiber meal. Beans also keep your blood sugar steady, which helps stave off hunger.
8. Whey protein. New studies suggest that whey protein stimulates the hormones that increase the feeling of being full. In one study, researchers at the University of Surrey in England found that people who consumed whey protein felt fuller and more satisfied with less food. Whey also stabilizes blood sugar, and that can help control food urges. Make a drink with Whey Protein Powder to calm your appetite any time of the day.
9. Spicy foods. Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives peppers their heat, can also help control your raging appetite. A recent study published in Clinical Nutrition suggests that capsaicin-rich foods may help you consume fewer calories, plus they help support weight loss by suppressing your appetite and making you feel fuller. You can add hot pepper sauce to tomato juice, stir-fry some Anaheim or Serrano peppers with other vegetables, or cook up some jalapeño or poblano peppers in your omelet. Other spicy ingredients may have similar effects, so try adding spices like hot mustard and curry to your salads and meats.

 

Day 98

Whew!  Day 98 of a new lifestyle should be exhausting, but it is not to me.  I feel better than I ever have.  I am down 32 lbs. and up in confidence.  I must admit that even I was skeptical that another weight loss venture would work but must also admit this has been the easier and most fun I’ve ever had.  April 1st kicks off my very first Shakeology Challenge and my quest to begin helping others “Get Fit”.  There is nothing quite like being around healthier, happier people once you’ve, yourself, have been one of the unhealthy and sad folk.  I truly can make that comparison now.

I have a great group of ladies lined up and anxious to begin their fitness challenge.  Stay tuned for updates.

Fit Tip Of The Day

Did you know that exercise not only stimulates your muscles and your metabolism…but also your brain? Recent studies have reported that you can gain a 20% to 30% jump in mental function immediately following a strenuous workout due to increased blood flow to the brain.

Tips For Eating Out

Frequent eating out isn’t healthy for any­one. Not only will it expand your waist­line, but it’s sure to lean out your wal let. It may seem like $7 here and $12 there, but it adds up. I recommend limiting eat­ing out to 1–2 times per week. (If you take me up on this recommendation, DON’T freak out at your first grocery bill. Wait until the end of the month, and you’ll be shocked how much money you saved.)

However, I’ll be the first to admit cook ing every meal at home is unre al is tic. Not only does life hap pen and we get pushed for time, but we all have fam ily and friends in our lives. Birth­days, hol i days, and meet-ups at restau rants are unavoid able. When you do treat your self to din ing out, here are some guide lines to help you stay on track with your health & fitness.

Eat your calories — don’t drink them! Water is the best option, but you can also opt for unsweetened tea. If you have to sweeten it, carry some stevia with you, as many artificial sweeteners can be just as bad for you as regular sugar.

Scan the menu for key words. Aim to order dishes that contain words like grilled, steamed, broiled, or broth. Avoid menu items that contain words like fried or creamy.

Skip the appetizer.…at least as an actual appetizer. The extra 10–15 min utes to wait won’t kill you, and this will help eliminate eat ing excess calories. How ever, if there’s a healthy choice as an appetizer, it could make a great choice as your entree. Appetizer serv ing sizes generally aren’t as large, and prices are usually more reasonable as well.

Don’t assume every salad is healthy. A fried chicken salad with ranch dressing, cheese, bacon and croutons can have more calories than a Big Mac, large fries and large Coke. If you do order a salad, fill it with veggies and lean protein like grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp. Also, ask for vinaigrette dressing on the side, dipping each bite as you go.

Side items count. Just because you were good and ordered grilled chicken, don’t ruin it with french fries and mac and cheese on the side. Even if not on the menu, most restaurants will usually bring you a side of fruit or steamed veggies if you ask. (Remember — you are the paying customer. Don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions!)

Ask questions. I’m always surprised how “healthy” menu items come as prepared in the kitchen, such as steamed veggies that are served drowning in but ter. Ask your waiter before­hand how what you’re ordering is prepared and make adjust ments to suit your health needs. (Don’t be afraid to send it back if it’s not cor rect. Always be polite, but there’s nothing wrong with getting exactly what you ordered.)

Avoid the bread bas ket. Most restau rants serve but tered white bread, which is full of fat and simple carbs…empty calories, which will not make you feel full, causing you to overeat.

Eat half. If you’re dining with a health-conscious friend, find an entree you can split. If you can’t agree on anything, when the waiter comes back with your order, ask for a doggy bag. Put half of your meal away, and eat the other half. If you ordered wisely, it’ll be a fine lunch for tomorrow.

Have a bite of dessert. That’s right — a bite! Buy a dessert for every one at the table to share. That way, every one gets a taste of some thing sweet, but no one pigs out.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Recipe: Blueberry Buckle

Here’s a delicious yet sensible dessert recipe that contains the healthy fiber of oats, the antioxidant properties of blueberries, and the crunchy goodness of almonds . . . plus it tastes great!

• 2/3 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1/2 cup raw blueberries
• 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• Optional: 1 tsp. honey or raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes (or microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes). Makes one generous serving.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving, without sweetener)
Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
291	10 grams	9 grams	51 grams	8 grams	<1 gram

 

7 Key Foods to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Workout

1.     Tomatoes. Make the lowly tomato your best friend and you could potentially up your chances of staying healthy and recovering faster. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. And because they’re particularly rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, they may boost heart health, fight oxidative stress, protect against a variety of cancers, and combat inflammation. Tomatoes also contain potassium, an electrolyte that helps maintain fluid balance.

2.     Fish. A powerhouse of lean protein, fish lets you load up without blowing your calorie budget. The very leanest choices include white-fleshed fish like flounder or tilapia, as well as most shellfish, including lobster. Even dark-fleshed fish like tuna and salmon are considered lean, and the fat they provide (in the form of fish oil) can help regulate hormones and metabolism and reduce inflammation.

3.     Açai berry. What look like ordinary small, purple berries are actually one of the best superfoods in the world. Açai berries contain one of the highest concentration of antioxidants of any known food, along with fiber, iron, amino acids, and healthy omega fatty acids. Add them to your diet in the form of juice or pulp and you can expect a load of benefits, including increased energy, faster recovery rate, boosted immune system, stabilized blood sugar levels, and more.

4.     Dark green leafy vegetables. Breaking news: Popeye was right about eating spinach. Especially if you want to build muscle FAST. The antioxidants found in dark green vegetables help counteract the oxidative muscle damage that comes with heavy training or exercise. So vegetables like broccoli, collard greens, lettuce, kale, and our hero spinach should be high on your list.

5.     Blueberries. Mom could’ve said, “Eat your blueberries and you’ll grow up strong.” This miniature superfruit is chock-full of nutrients and antioxidants. So if you’re involved in strenuous activity, a daily cup or two of blueberries can help reduce cell damage. They also promote healthy blood pressure and contain complex carbs and fiber to help sustain energy and keep you in the game.

6.     Eggs. When you’re trying to add muscle, protein is as important as any dumbbell or training buddy. Most important, you want increased “clean calories” from whole, natural, unprocessed foods—like eggs. Eggs are one of the most perfect proteins for growing lean muscle. By incorporating egg whites into your diet (with a small amount of egg yolk), you can get a high amount of protein for a relatively low number of calories. Six egg whites will give you 99 calories and 21 grams of protein. Now that’s a deal.

7.     Green tea. If you’re working out regularly, giving your body a constant supply of antioxidants can promote quicker recovery on a cellular level. And drinking green tea is a good way to vary your antioxidant intake. On top of its antioxidant properties, green tea can help protect the cardiovascular system and increase metabolic rate (which supports weight control), and may provide some anticancer and blood pressure–reducing benefits.

Information provided by  Team Beachbody® newsletter

Fun Facts

You would need to drink a quart of milk every day for three to four months to drink as much blood as your heart pumps in one hour.

Your heart is about the size of your fist and weighs about as much as a softball.

In the course of a lifetime, the resting heart will have pumped enough blood to fill 13 supertankers.

The pink under your fingernails is the blood in your capillaries.

Your heart is the strongest muscle of your body and beats about 100,000 times in one day, in an average adult.

A person breathes 7 quarts of air every minute.

Almost half the human body’s weight is made from one of three types of muscle tissue.

The human nervous system can relay messages to the brain at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Your brain receives 100 million nerve messages each second from your senses.

Underwater swimming is the only time you should hold your breathe while exercising.

The three bones of the middle ear are so small all three could easily fit on your thumbnail.

If all 600 muscles in your body pulled in one direction, you could lift 25 tons.

If the 300,000,000 tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs could be laid out flat, they would cover a home swimming pool.

Tongue prints are as unique as fingerprints.

If you weight 100 pounds on earth, you will weigh about 264 pounds on Jupiter.

There are 206 bones in the human body. One fourth of them are in your feet.

The human body has 45 miles of nerves.

Something Happened

Maybe it was because a new year was about to begin.  Maybe I just wanted to prove something to myself.  Maybe I just decided I was sick of being uncomfortable in my own skin.  No “maybe” about it, I made the decision on December 22, 2010 that I was going to “Get Fit” and that’s why i’m here.  I know i’m not the only one in this world that continually ate the wrong things, didn’t exercise, then wished she were thin anyway.  I made a commitment to a healthier, happier lifestyle and now i’m living it.  I made a promise to myself that I will take this journey to succeed and inspire as many as i can along the way.