But of course, the suggestion to eat six times a day to boost your metabolism assumes that you are eating a sensible diet, a big assumption to make in this day and age when we are surrounded by convenience foods.
So when we say small smeals frequently. this does not mean you can go out and have a Mcbreakfast meal in the morning, a steak and fries two hours later, five Twinkies and a ho-ho next, then tacos with sour cream and guacamole for your next meal, BBQ ribs with mashed potatoes for your fifth meal and a trip to that all-you-can-stuff-into-yourself-buffet at the mall for your sixth and final meal of the day.
Sure, you might be boosting your metabolism a bit, but you’re overcompensating with too many calories and losing the Battle of the Bulge in a BIG way. Your soldiers will be so over-run with calories that they will be forced to store them as fat.
Break down your meals into six smaller and HEALTHIER meals during the day. Lower your caloric intake in a healthy manner, and your little soldiers will not only win the battle, you’ve given them the right weapons to win the entire war.
Also, avoid white in your diet. Simple sugars, rice and refined flour are all absorbed quickly by your body and are turned into fat stores. Eat more complex carbohydrates, such as those found in wholemeal bread and grains. They take a longer time to be absorbed into your body and this enables your blood sugar to remain level. Try eating brown rice instead of white rice, whole grains in your breads and pasta made from wheat flour instead of white refined flours.
Avoid caffeine and drink green tea instead. Caffeine is known to block absorption of vitamin C, create unhealthy acid in your system and stimulate sugar cravings. If there’s one thing you don’t need when you’re trying to lose weight, it is sugar cravings. Green tea has antioxidants also, and doesn’t tend to have all those nasty side effects that caffeine can give you, though it does have some.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. While recent studies have not proved its benefits conclusively, it does help you feel full if nothing else. Water also flushes out all the toxins that are set free when you’re losing weight. If you are dehydrated, your metabolism slows down.
Try drinking very cold water too, when you’re drinking water. Your body has to remain at a constant temperature, and needs to burn calories to do so. Cold water will boost your metabolism a bit each time it has to warm up after your glass of ice water.
Archive for May, 2008
Tex-Mex Style Spicy Bean Salad
Makes 8 Servings
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can pinto beans
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 (8 ounce) jar chunky salsa
• 1 pinch dried parsley
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the beans well, drain and pour into a large bowl.
Add corn. oil, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and salsa. Sprinkle with parsley, cover, and chill for about 1 hour before serving. Goes great with a bit of sour cream and cheese on the side, and can be made into a wrap. Just watch your calories from fat with the dairy products.
Calories: 260
Total Fat: 3.8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 827mg
Total Carbs: 46.9g
Dietary Fiber: 13.6g
Protein: 12.7g
Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals
Great Reasons to Enjoy A Salad For Lunch
A light lunch will help you:
- Keep your energy levels up in the afternoon
- Stop you from feeling sluggish or sleepy
- Keep your blood sugar levels even and keep your metabolism up
- Be able better cope with stress
- Consume less calories throughout the rest of the day
- Set a healthy example for loved ones and friends
- Stop you from bingeing on unhealthy foods, especially if your salad includes high quality, lean protein.
Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals
Cucumber Salad
Cucumber Salad
Makes 8 Servings
INGREDIENTS:
• Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Combine cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Add the vinegar, water and sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and chill at least 30 min. Makes a great side dish with burgers or a sandwich too.
Calories: 77
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 2mg
Total Carbs: 19.7g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
Protein: 0.2g
Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals
Healthy Salad Recipes
Lunch can be a tricky meal. You know you should be eating something to keep your blood sugar levels even and your metabolism running high. At the same time, you can’t eat anything too heavy or you will start dozing off shortly after lunch.
Salads are the perfect solution to this dilemma. They are nutrient dense, filling meals that don’t weigh you down at work or at the weekends when you are running around getting all your chores done and seeing friends and family. . Best of all, salads are healthy and mostly low in calories, provided you make smart choices about any dressing you might put on them.
Salads can also save you money. The brown bag lunch is far cheaper than eating out every day. You can get a huge tub of restaurant-quality organic mixed greens at Costco these days for about half the price as one sandwich in your local deli. We are talking enough salad for a week for lunch and/or dinner, or several meals for the whole family.
You can prepare many salads ahead of time and take them with you anywhere, including a picnic.
Best of all, salads fill you up, and leave you feeling satisfied after you eat, especially if you include lean protein with your meal, like chicken, shrimp, or some lowfat cheese.
Just think of some of the best meals you’ve ever had in a restaurant. You usually have soup and salad, right?
If you’re struggling with your weight, why not plan a three-course meal for yourself every day, with a light, non-cream based soup, and a large salad with a vinegar-based dressing? By the time you ever get to the main course, most of the edge will have been taken off your hunger, and you’ll be much less likely to try to stuff yourself, always a danger when you are too hungry.
If you start eating salad for a couple of lunches per week, you’re sure to see your food cravings go down, and your weight too. Not to mention what you spend on food every week.
Not only will you be losing weight, you’ll also save money by bringing your own lunch to work. So salads are a winner all around for anyone interested in healthy eating.
This website will be publishing a number of tasty salad recipes that will help get you started on the road to better lunches so you can eat right, watch your weight, and save money all at the same time.
Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals
