Fill up on fish and green tea
These five foods will help you lose weight in safe, healthy ways -- by curbing your appetite, making you feel more full, boosting your metabolism and helping to break down fat.
1. Fish
Seafood, both finfish and shellfish, is packed with protein, a nutrient that helps you lose weight in two ways. First, protein-rich foods help suppress your appetite -- a definite plus if you're trying to limit how much you eat.
The latest study showing this effect comes from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where researchers examined the effects of protein, carbohydrate and fat on the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite. Before meals, ghrelin levels tend to rise, leading to a sense of hunger. Protein was found to have the greatest effect on suppressing the hunger hormone, while fat had the least. Carbohydrates suppressed hunger at first, but a little later, ghrelin levels hit even higher levels. That means hunger can return with a vengeance when you eat carbs alone.
Second, protein plays a role in boosting your metabolic rate -- your calorie-burning capacity. Although there are limits to this effect -- you won't get the metabolism of a skinny teenager -- any increase in calorie burning through food is certainly welcome.
While all protein-rich foods can be included in a healthy weight-loss regimen, fish ranks higher on the superfoods list than meat, poultry and lower-fat cheeses because it contains less artery-clogging saturated fat.
Eating just a few 75-gram servings each day of protein-rich choices as recommended by Canada's Food Guide fits the bill. This means having a serving of fish that's a little smaller than a deck of cards. Having your protein earlier -- for example, at breakfast and lunch -- can really rein in hearty appetites. Of course, women who are pregnant or nursing and young children should avoid fish higher in mercury.
2. Green tea
Green tea has become a hot item in weight-loss circles. It's thought that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea ingredient, may boost metabolic rates. As a result, green tea extracts can be found in a range of supplements. In some preparations, there's too little to have any effect on weight, while in others, the excessive dosages have been linked to liver damage.
Play it safe and reap the numerous health benefits of green tea by enjoying a few cups a day. At this time of year, brew up a pot (add some fresh mint if you like) and drink it iced. If you aren't keen on the taste of green tea, try different kinds -- the flavour varies.
Click to continue to learn about 3 more weight-loss wonder foods...
