A Fresh Take on
"Good for You"
Monday, November 12, 2012
By David Grotto, RD, LDN
What’s standing in the way of having
the body you always wanted? Maybe it’s your kitchen!
After visiting hundreds of patients
in their homes, I’ve stumbled on one undeniable fact: skinny people “do
kitchens” differently than those who aren’t so svelte. And it’s not just that
thin folks spend more face time with their kitchens, it’s what’s in their
“skinny kitchens” that’s dramatically different than their weight-challenged
counterparts. The kitchen, as it turns out, contains secrets that are the
linchpin to long-term success in managing weight and health. So what are these
secrets? I’ve narrowed them down into four key areas. This week, I’ll let you
in on secret #1.
Skinny Secret #1: Stock a Skinny
Pantry
Fill your pantry and fridge with
these essentials to keep hunger at bay, belly bulges busted, and metabolisms
boosted:
Hunger and Calorie-Blockers:
High-protein breakfast foods like eggs and Greek yogurt keep hunger at bay for hours
compared to carb-laden breakfast choices.
High-fiber foods such as whole grains, cold or hot breakfast cereals, dried
fruits, and fresh and frozen veggies are all excellent ingredients that can be
added to most dishes to pump-up fiber and diminish calories from being absorbed
in the digestive track.
Go nuts! Studies on nuts, especially almonds and pistachios, show
amazing hunger-busting and fat-shedding effects for those who add them to their
diets. Two studies showed that substances in nuts increase fecal excretion of
calories when a handful of them are added to the diet. In fact, 55-75% of
calories provided by nuts may not be fully absorbed. Research has also
demonstrated that people who add nuts to their diet stick to their diets longer
and achieve greater weight loss than those who forgo these foods.
Belly Bulge Busters:
Whole grains: In a study from Tufts University of nearly 3000 men and
women, researchers found that adults who ate three or more serving of whole
grains and limited refined grain items to 1 serving or less had 10 percent less
belly fat than those who didn’t eat this way.
Resistant starch (RS) food sources such as firm bananas, beans and lentils,
potatoes, pasta, rice, and certain whole grains such as corn contain RS which
increases glucagon-like peptide-1, a major appetite suppressant hormone. RS also
helps make insulin work better and regulates blood sugar – the key essentials
to stopping the accumulation of belly fat and reducing the risk of
“dia-besity”.
MUFAS, also known as monounsaturated fatty acids, are found in
such foods as avocado, almonds, olive oil, and canola oil. MUFAs help eliminate
belly fat, especially in insulin-resistant individuals.
Anti-Bloat ingredients such as parsley, fennel, cabbage, watermelon, watercress,
celery, and cucumber are not only low in calories but have unique properties
that rid the body of unwanted excess fluid. Many of my bloated patients were
poor water consumers when I first began to work with them. Ironically, drinking
more water helps the body’s natural fluid regulators, the kidneys, do a better
job of managing water balance.
Metabolism Boosters
Coffee & tea and less of me: Beverages that contain caffeine and antioxidants called
catechins have been found to help burn calories through thermogenesis (the
creation of heat). They counteract the decrease in metabolism that often
accompanies weight loss efforts. The overall effect may be small (less than 50
calories a day burned) but this can add up to nearly 5 pounds on the scale in
the course of a year. Combine this intervention with other metabolic boosters
such as physical activity and proper rest and the fat-burning potential is
substantial!
Poly wants a crack at her. Research shows that fruits like apples, pears, grapefruit,
and grapes, long associated with helping to manage weight, are rich in
naturally occurring plant chemicals called polyphenols. These polyphenol-rich
fruits decrease skinny-phobe bacteria called firmicutes that accumulate in the
gut and contribute to weight gain. These fruits also increase friendly bacteria
called bacteriodetes that break down polyphenols into helpful substances that
boost the body’s metabolism. In one study, people who drank Concord grape juice
daily lost weight compared to a control group that consumed a sugar-sweetened
grape beverage and gained weight. It’s possible that the polyphenols in the
grape juice helped keep the weight off among the drinkers of unsweetened grape
juice.
Hot stuff. There’s a spice that’s just dying to rev-up your fat-burning
engine but rarely sees the light of day in culinarily impaired kitchen cabinets:
hot peppers! Capsaicin is the active ingredient in hot peppers that boosts
metabolism and decreases appetite – not only in the meal that it’s eaten in,
but even for the next few meals, according to recent research. Capsaicin can be
found in paprika, chili, and cayenne pepper powder, as well as dozens of other
hot pepper varieties.
I’ve put some of these tips together
in a killer egg salad sandwich for you. Hope you like it. What else do YOU put
in your kitchen to help keep the pounds away? I’d love to hear about it in the
comment section.
Hunger-Busting Egg Salad Sandwich
Servings: Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
6 large eggs, hard boiled
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
½ red onion, diced
2 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
8 slices of hi-fiber whole grain
bread, toasted
Directions:
Place eggs in a pot and cover with
cold water. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for seven
minutes. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice and water. When eggs are finished
cooking, place them in the ice bath for three minutes. Remove eggs and peel
them and then place in a medium mixing bowl. Add yogurt, mustard, lemon juice,
and hot pepper sauce along with salt and pepper. Mash mixture with a fork,
being careful to leave some texture. Stir in celery, onion, pistachios, and
cilantro. Taste and add more hot sauce if you want more of a kick.
Toast bread. Spread mixture onto a
slice of toast. Place lettuce leaf on top and cover with another slice of
toast. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.
The Skinny
293 Calories, 13.7g Total Fat, 3g
Saturated Fat, 317mg Cholesterol, 25g Carbs, 8g Fiber,
20g Protein, 495 mg Sodium
Photo: iStockphoto
Posted by: David Grotto, RD, LDN at
1:08 pm
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