Ok on to powerhouse foods! These are some special foods with amazing qualities: they're chocked full of fiber, vitamins and lots of other "make me feel full" qualities.
#1 Oatmeal: Oatmeal has soluble fiber which means that it helps your body absorb less cholesterol... There is good cholesterol and bad, the good stuff is the kind your body makes. Our bodies will make enough cholesterol as needed which means we really shouldn't have too much going into our bodies through the foods we eat. Therefore, soluble fiber, like oatmeal, is great because it blocks that cholesterol from entering our bodies!! Also any kind of fiber helps keep us full longer which is fabulous for beating the mid morning snack attack!
#2 Berries: Berries contain various different vitamins, the most common of which is vitamin C which most of us know as the Immune System vitamin. It really does help keep our bodies strong and healthy especially during cold season! But berries have also been proven to contain many cancer fighting agents. So why not?! They are low calorie and whether you buy them frozen or fresh they are lovely with a dust of sugar or splenda and some mint!!!
#3 Beans: Ok so beans have gotten a bad rap in the past because they tend to produce gasses in our bodies... haha. BUT beans are sooooo wonderful for your body too! They are full of protein, fiber, and if you need a way to stay full- go for the beans. Now baked beans are not the best choice, they have lots of added sugar and preservatives but black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, and garbanzo beans (chick peas) are amazing choices.
#4 Salmon: You'll hear me say it again and again but salmon is just one of those foods you've gotta try. Hopefully you'll love it as much as I do because it is definitely a power food! Besides being a lean protein (no fat), salmon packs in the Omega 3's, which are healthy fatty acids. I think before I mentioned the difference between good fats and bad- Omega 3's are the BEST fats you can put into your body. They help maintain healthy skin, a good digestive system, and keep things "flowing"! So this is a definite power food to keep in the house. You can buy frozen fillets that are packaged individually (already cleaned and ready to go!) so that they keep for a while.
#5 Leafy Greens: Now this includes dark salad greens, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach. These are power house foods for sure: they are full of Vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin C. Broccoli is special in that it contains Calcium as well. They are also full of antioxidants which is awesome! Also have you ever noticed that after eating a lot of broccoli you feel full? This is again from the fiber- like carrots- these veggies really will fill you up. Also when choosing salad greens try to find the darkest green as possible. The lighter the lettuce, the less vitamins and minerals inside. That's why iceberg is like eating water- it's not bad for you it just doesn't do anything for you!
Well those are 5 starting points for power foods! Enjoy and remember to eat stuff you like- find healthy foods you enjoy eating and stick with it! Don't force yourself to down a bowl full of spinach if you hate it- you'll only end up reaching for the bag of chips later. Go for the baby step approach, remember small, reasonable goals that YOU CAN ACHIEVE!
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