Top 10 Foods That You MUST Have

There are foods that are healthy and then there are foods that are powerhouses. I’ve got 10 here that are supersonic super foods that you absolutely should include in your diet if you want to lose weight, get as healthy as you can and look your best!

Here they are:

1—Tomatoes. The all-powerful tomato can do all kinds of things, besides make your favorite spaghetti sauce. It’s rich in lycopene, an important nutrient that may lower the risk of all kinds of cancer, prostate included. Plus the vitamin C factor is an added bonus!

2—Greens. I love braised greens (steam them till bright green, then sauté in olive oil and garlic, put a lid on them and let them finish cooking after I turn off the heat). Any kind of green will do, from Swiss chard, to kale, to collard greens. They’re all delicious. I can eat 1/2 a pound in one sitting!

3—Almonds. I’m a huge fan of nuts, especially raw almonds (and walnuts, too). I place 10 of them in a ramekin and munch them at my desk, lingeringly (it’s too easy to eat too many, so I measure them out). I take my time and they seem to last. I also make up little zip lock bags of almonds to have on hand. One bag of these nuts is always in purse for an emergency snack!

4—Salmon. I absolutely adore grilled salmon. It’s gotta be WILD though, if you want the benefit of the omega 3 fatty acids (farm-raised salmon doesn’t cut it). My absolute fave is wild Alaskan Sockeye. I just had it for dinner tonight (with some braised greens) and I’m in love. I heat up the barby (I have a gas one), throw the frozen salmon on, skin side down, sprinkle some salmon seasoning from Paul Prudhomme (generously, I might add) and that’s it! EASY BUTTON and absolutely delicious; no planning necessary!

5—Frozen berries. I make my smoothies from frozen berries every morning. I buy the wild blueberries and blackberry/raspberry mix. Blueberries are especially healthy and have more antioxidants in 2/3 of a cup than FIVE servings of broccoli!

6—Kefir and Yogurt. Kefir is like liquid yogurt. Chocked full of probiotics, kefir helps your body balance in the gut. Remember those stories of people living to be 120 years old in Russia? Yogurt and kefir were what they credit their longevity to -- and that’s nothing to sneeze at! I use kefir in my smoothies and eat yogurt with a splash of vanilla and a squeeze of honey, yum!

7—Onions. The lowly onion seems to find its way into most everything you make, especially come dinnertime! Eating onions is a cheap way to get your flavonoids in. Flavonoids are important nutrients that help protect your lungs from cancer and your gut from ulcers. Not only that, but they help prevent heart disease and raise the “good” cholesterol in your blood.

8—Oats. Fiber rich, oats help your body to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol. A perfect breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal with about 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries stirred in, yum! Fiber is critical for important bodily functions, if you know what I mean -- and oatmeal is a great way to get it.

9—Dark Chocolate. HALLELUJAH!!! At last, my dream came true! When some girls were singing, “someday my prince will come,” I was humming, “someday they’ll discover chocolate is healthy”. Well, I may not have gotten my Prince Charming (yet), but I can have my chocolate and eat it too! Dark chocolate is rich in catechins and flavonoids, giving you a big dose of antioxidants and helping to boost the good cholesterol, too. An ounce a day is more than adequate and it needs to be dark - the darker the better.

10—Oranges. While we may no longer suffer from scurvy, a lot of us have marginal levels of vitamin C in our blood and some of us have a deficit. When you consider the fact that oranges in their flavonoid richness have the ability to fend off cancer and cardiovascular disease and protect one’s DNA, it’s amazing that most of us aren’t chugging a glass each morning of OJ! Get the pulp-rich variety and you’ve got extra C to boot.

Leanne Ely is New York Times Bestselling author and the Dinner Diva at SavingDinner.com. For more information, check out the website, www.savingdinner.com

May 14, 2012

Ridding Your Home Of Problem Foods

One all-important step to starting a healthy weight loss plan is to clear your home of the foods that can derail your diet.

Your Healthy Shopping List

Light string cheese
Cereals with fiber*
Skim milk
Whole-grain bagels*
Low-fat cottage cheese
Whole-grain waffles*
Reduced-fat yogurt
Low-fat granola bars
Light microwave popcorn
Fruits
Whole-grain bread*
Vegetables
Whole-grain crackers*
Whole-grain pasta*
Brown rice*
Mrs. Dash
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Turkey slices
Light salad dressings
Tuna packed in water
Olive oil
Chicken breasts
Low-fat mayonnaise
Bean soups, beans & lentils
Boca burgers
Fat-free Fudgsicles
Soy beans (Edamame)
Fruit juice bars
Reduced-fat peanut butter
Low-fat pudding
Sugar-free Jell-O
Meal replacement bars
Bottled water
Slim Fast
Mineral water
Healthy Choice meals
Herbal tea
Lean Cuisine meals

*Good source of fiber contains 2.5-5 grams fiber per serving. High fiber source contains over 5 grams fiber per serving

If working outside your home:

Find someone supportive at work who may help you when the going gets tough or bring daytime numbers of supportive people you can call.

Check out junk food temptations at work and distance yourself from them if possible.

Suggest to coworkers that candy or other treats be kept in lunchroom (out of sight).

Toss a fresh fruit or vegetable into your briefcase every day. Good choices: apple, pear, orange, banana, mini carrots, cherry tomatoes, jicama slices.

Bring lunches from home if possible or order healthier ones.

Find the nutritious alternatives on take-out menus. These include: Grilled chicken sandwich, lean turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread, bean or vegetable soup, veggie or turkey sub with mustard instead of mayo, Greek salad, bagel and hummus, baked potato. Call establishments to check if they have healthy alternatives (light mayo for tuna salad, lowfat cheese for sandwiches) not listed on the menu.

Take note of healthier options in vending machines. Yogurt, popcorn, pretzels, broth-based soup, bottled water are your best bets.

Stock office drawer, briefcase, or refrigerator with an emergency supply of snack foods. Best bets: Nature Valley granola bars, high fiber cereal in baggies, flavored rice cakes, meal replacement bars, lowfat yogurt, light microwave popcorn, Tastetation candies.

If you have a traveling job, plan ahead. Toss fresh fruit and meal replacement bars in your briefcase; bring gym shoes; check that the hotel has a fitness center.

If working inside your home:

Keep fresh fruit or veggies out on your counter.

Toss fresh fruit or veggies in your purse, backpack, or diaper bag every day.

Assemble healthier lunches at home. Our picks: Lean turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, bean or vegetable soup, bean, vegetable or spinach salad, reduced fat peanut butter and jelly on high fiber bagel, tuna salad (made with reduced-fat mayonnaise) sandwich, reduced fat yogurt and cottage cheese mixed with fresh fruit.

Now that you've given yourself a clean start food-wise, you'll enjoy a less-stressful journey to a healthier weight.

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April 16, 2012

Achieve Your Dreams: It's Inspiration Time!

What better way to get motivated for success -- and the countdown to summer -- than to start the week with a few inspirational quotes.

All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.
Richard Bach

If you're going to be thinking, you may as well think big.
Donald Trump

And finally... a few words of wisdom from Diet.com member SteffySue:

Life happens. It happens every single day. Some days life happens to be a little harder than other days. But if you let it life circumstances which are temporary, will make a permanent impression on your body. You have to eat well, 80% of the time to be at your best. That's a period at the end of that sentence. You have to eat right to be at YOUR best... not just best weight, YOUR best.

Most people, when they quit living a healthy lifestyle, quit one day at a time. You don't just wake up one morning and say to heck with it, I am just going to be fat and enjoy it. You managed to "catch" yourself before you let it get completely away from you. THAT'S GREAT!!! That\'s what maintenance is all about! To catch a lifesaver BEFORE you sink completely under!

Just set yourself back up right. Today, you will eat your veggies. Today you won't revert to junk food. Today, you will be your BEST!

SteffySue is just one of the many compassionate, knowledgeable and successful members you'll find right here at Diet.com. To get the most value out of your Diet.com membership be sure to become a Premium member. Premium membership offers the tools that can help make your dieting dreams come true.

CLICK HERE and sign up or upgrade now. Together we can make our dreams come true. Check out samples of our Diet Plan using the DIET PLAN tab above.

April 9, 2012