Issue 8 - June 8, 2009

In This Issue:

• The 10 Best Weight Loss Foods

• Sleep Less, Snack More

• Fit Tips

The 10 Best Weight Loss Foods

1. Low-Fat Dairy Products

Low-fat dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, are high in calcium, and calcium increases fat breakdown in fat cells. Also, there's evidence that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

2. Oatmeal

This cholesterol reducing complex carbohydrate is slow to digest and helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. The regular, slow-cooking kind of oatmeal is much better for you than the pre-sweetened, over-processed instant kind.

3. Beans

Beans are high in fiber and are a good source of protein. Fiber is very important when it comes to weight loss. Fiber fills you up and prevents hunger, moves fat through your digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed, and contains virtually no calories. Avoid baked and refried beans. Baked beans contain high amounts of sugar and refried beans contain high amounts of saturated fat.

4. Apples

Apples, especially the skin, contain pectin, a soluble fiber that is a natural appetite suppressant.

5. Berries

Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are high in fiber and low in calories. They also contain plenty of antioxidants.

6. Citrus Fruits

Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are high in vitamin C, and vitamin C helps the body metabolize fat faster.

7. Fibrous Vegetables

Fibrous vegetables, such as spinach, asparagus and broccoli, have a high thermic effect, which means that it's very hard for them to be stored as fat because many of their calories are burned off during digestion. The digestion of any food burns calories, but the digestion of high thermic effect foods burns many more calories than the digestion of low thermic effect foods.

8. Lean Protein Foods

Lean protein foods, such as turkey and chicken breast, lean red meat, and egg whites, have the highest thermic effect of any foods. So just like with fibrous vegetables, many of the calories from lean protein foods are burned off during digestion and very few are stored as fat. Lean protein foods also help to preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which keeps your metabolic rate high. A higher metabolic rate causes your body to burn more calories, even when you're at rest.

9. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides being incredibly healthy, affect metabolism. Omega-3s alter levels of leptin, a hormone that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat.

10. Nuts

While nuts are calorie dense, studies have shown that people who eat nuts tend to be thinner than people who don't. Nuts are a good source of fiber and protein and are high in healthy unsaturated fat. Stick to raw, unsalted nuts.

Sleep Less, Snack More

A University of Chicago study found that food intake from snacks increased more following sleep deprivation (5.5 hours of sleep per night) than following normal sleep (8.5 hours).

Eleven middle-aged adults lived in a sleep laboratory for 14 days and had free access to good tasting food. During their stay, they were allowed long and short sleeps. Sleep duration did not affect caloric intake during meals, however, people ate 221 more calories per day from snacks following sleep deprivation. Energy expenditure (metabolism plus physical activity) was the same on long and short sleep days.

Fit Tips

• Aerobic exercise not only reduces abdominal fat, it also reduces epicardial fat (fat surrounding the heart). Epicardial fat restricts movement of the heart and increases blood pressure.

• People who maintain their weight or have gradual muscle gain have stronger immune systems. This is just one more reason not to yo-yo diet.

• Results from a 22 year study showed that men who eat fish five times a week lower their risk of colorectal cancer by 40%. Researchers aren't sure why eating fish so frequently has such a protective effect on colon health, but omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D may be reasons.