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Using An Exercise Ball
exercise.about.com/cs/e
xercisegear/a/exercise
ball.htm?r=et
exercise.about.com/cs/e
xercisegear/a/exercise
ball.htm?r=et
| Team Fitness |
Interval Training is Part of a Balanced Exercise Routine
Quoted from Dr. Mercola.com article
Exercise is one of the most important tools that you can implement to gain optimal health, but as great as it is, it's still
important to include a variety of activities. Otherwise, your body will quickly adapt to your program, and whenever
exercise becomes easy to complete, it's a sign you need to work a little harder and give your body a new challenge.
So when you're planning your exercise routine, make sure to incorporates the following types of exercise:
Aerobic: Jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. As you get your
heart pumping, the amount of oxygen in your blood improves, and endorphins, which act as natural painkillers,
increase. Meanwhile, aerobic exercise activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently,
and increases your stamina over time.
Interval (Anaerobic) Training: Again, this is when you alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle
recovery periods.
Strength Training: Rounding out your exercise program with a 1-set strength training routine will ensure that you're
really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program.Here you also have the option of
including Super Slow Weight Training, which will give you many of the same health benefits as interval training on a
recumbent bike, for example. The only difference is you're doing it with weights. For more information about this,
please see my interview with Dr. Doug McGuff. Another benefit of super-slow weight training that makes it ideal for
virtually everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, is its safety, as it actively prevents you from accidentally
harming your joints or suffering repetitive use injury.
Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of
muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help
protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance
and stability.You need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this
can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important
NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and
rebuild.
Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you
can learn from a personal trainer.
Stretching: My favorite type of stretching is Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) developed by Aaron Mattes. With AIS,
you hold each stretch for only two seconds, which works with your body's natural physiological makeup to improve
circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints. This technique also allows your body to repair itself and
prepare for daily activity.
Quoted from Dr. Mercola.com article
Exercise is one of the most important tools that you can implement to gain optimal health, but as great as it is, it's still
important to include a variety of activities. Otherwise, your body will quickly adapt to your program, and whenever
exercise becomes easy to complete, it's a sign you need to work a little harder and give your body a new challenge.
So when you're planning your exercise routine, make sure to incorporates the following types of exercise:
Aerobic: Jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. As you get your
heart pumping, the amount of oxygen in your blood improves, and endorphins, which act as natural painkillers,
increase. Meanwhile, aerobic exercise activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently,
and increases your stamina over time.
Interval (Anaerobic) Training: Again, this is when you alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle
recovery periods.
Strength Training: Rounding out your exercise program with a 1-set strength training routine will ensure that you're
really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program.Here you also have the option of
including Super Slow Weight Training, which will give you many of the same health benefits as interval training on a
recumbent bike, for example. The only difference is you're doing it with weights. For more information about this,
please see my interview with Dr. Doug McGuff. Another benefit of super-slow weight training that makes it ideal for
virtually everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, is its safety, as it actively prevents you from accidentally
harming your joints or suffering repetitive use injury.
Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of
muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help
protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance
and stability.You need enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this
can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important
NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and
rebuild.
Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you
can learn from a personal trainer.
Stretching: My favorite type of stretching is Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) developed by Aaron Mattes. With AIS,
you hold each stretch for only two seconds, which works with your body's natural physiological makeup to improve
circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints. This technique also allows your body to repair itself and
prepare for daily activity.
| Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods For Informative Article Visit: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/17/everything-you-have-to -know-about-dangerous-genetically-modified-foods.aspx |
7 Laws to Losing Weight from Mercola.com::
- Avoid "Dieting": By dieting, you're setting yourself up to gain more weight than ever
- Avoid "Fat-Free": Fat doesn't make you fat; you need fat in your diet to help you process certain nutrients.
- Sit Down to Eat: Eating more slowly and savoring your meal boosts levels of two hormones that make you feel
fuller. - Plan Your Meals and Snacks: Planning your responses to hunger helps you shed pounds faster.
- Eat Protein: Those who eat moderately high levels of protein (including organic animal protein) are twice as
likely to lose weight and keep it off as those who don't eat much protein. - Move Around: "Fit people stay fit by having fun."
- Watch Less TV: Nearly 30 percent of people who watch more than four hours of TV a day have a BMI of 30 or
higher.
MORE FROM MERCOLA.COM on Losing Weight
But, while the seven "laws of thin people" compiled by Zinczenco and Goulding are good ones, from my experience
these rules are still coming up a short. So, below I will review several more that I believe are CRUCIAL factors for
successful long-term weight management and optimal health.
Rule #1: Severely Limit Fructose in Your Diet
It is important to understand that your diet is THREE times more important for controlling your weight than your
exercise. It's very easy to sabotage any benefit you'd receive from exercise by consuming fructose-laden foods and
beverages, including sports drinks, sodas, and fruit juices. If you consume any processed foods or sweetened
beverages at all, reading the labels is a necessity. You may be shocked to realize just how much sugar is in the
products you consume on a regular basis.
Why is limiting fructose so important for weight management and optimal health?
The reasons are numerous, but if I could make you memorize just one thing that can truly help you improve your
health, it would be that eating fat does not make you fat; eating excessive fructose does! If you were to view soda
with the same disdain most people give to a chunk of lard, you'd be on the right track... Ironically though, the lard
would actually be more healthful for you than the soda!
Fructose simultaneously prevents weight loss and promotes fat storage, by:
fructose diet can propel you into a vicious cycle of over-eating while also being malnourished.
My recommendation is to keep your total fructose intake below 25 grams of fructose per day, if you're in good
health. Most people will also benefit from limiting your fructose from fruit to 15 grams a day, and, if you need to lose
weight, you likely will need to limit your total fructose consumption to 15 grams a day total, including that from fruit.
Rule # 2: Reduce Your Grain Carb Consumption
Excess weight Depression Bloating High blood pressure
Fatigue and frequent sleepiness Brain fogginess Low blood sugar High triglycerides
If you experience any of the following symptoms, chances are very good that the excess carbohydrates in your diet
are, in part or whole, to blame: the primary reason for cutting out as many grain carbs as possible is because grains
convert into sugar in your body, spiking your insulin levels. Eventually, your body becomes insulin resistant, and
that's when the majority of the problems really set in. Obesity is just the beginning. Insulin resistance is in fact one of
the hallmarks of nearly every chronic disease known to man, from diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer.
If you want to be optimally healthy and normalize your weight, reducing your carb consumption is essential. This
includes:
Breads and baked goods (ALL grains, including organic ones)
Rice
Pasta
Potatoes
We all need a certain amount of carbohydrates, of course, but, through our addiction to grains, corn, sweets and
other starchy and sugary foods, we are consuming far too many. Your body's storage capacity for carbohydrates is
quite limited, so here's what happens to all the excess: they are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the
adipose (fatty) tissue.
Rule # 3: Increase Your Healthy Fat Consumption
Carbs (sugars) provide your body with energy, but it's fast burning and doesn't satisfy very long. Once you
decrease carbs in the form of sugar/fructose and grains, you need to replace them with increased amounts of
vegetable carbs and healthy saturated fats. Fats will not only make you feel satiated longer than carbs, but will also
provide you with high quality fuel your body needs. And, while eating grains and sugars will raise your insulin levels
and promote insulin resistance, eating fat does not. However, the quality of the fats is very important. Loading up on
margarine and vegetable oils is asking for trouble as these types of trans fats have been linked to:
Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer Decreased immune function: They reduce
your immune response Obesity
Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes Problems with reproduction: They
interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones Heart disease: Trans fats can cause major clogging of
your arteries
At the other end of the spectrum you have saturated fats, which are:
Preferred fuel for your heart
Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)
Useful for lowering cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
Carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and required for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A,
for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes
Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)
Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)
Sources of healthy fats that you'll want to add to your diet include:
Olives and Olive oil (for cold dishes) Coconuts, and coconut oil (for all types of cooking and baking) Butter
made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw Nuts, such as, almonds or pecans Organic pastured egg yolks Avocados
Grass fed meats Palm oil Unheated organic nut oils
Another healthful fat you want to be mindful of is animal-based omega-3. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause
or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor
of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year. For more information about omega-3's and the best sources of this
fat, please review this previous article.
Rule # 4: Avoid All "Diet" Foods, Especially Diet Sodas
Soda, in my opinion, is one of the primary health threats. A single can of Coke contains about 10 teaspoons of
sugar. However, the alternative may be even worse. Diet sodas, which typically contain either aspartame or
sucralose (Splenda), or a combination of both, can wreak havoc on your health in just as many ways as fructose,
but since they are manmade chemicals, the toxic ramifications and side effects can be magnified.
Billions of dollars worth of advertising tells you that diet soda gives you all the pleasure of a sweet beverage or
snack without any of the worries associated with excess calories. Too bad it really is too good to be true.
In fact, artificial sweeteners have actually been positively linked to weight gain—not weight loss! More recent
research has demonstrated that your brain can tell the difference between real and artificial sugar, and not only are
artificial sugars less satisfying to your brain at a cellular level, they also increase your craving for the real thing. So
artificially sweetened foods and snacks, and diet soda in particular, must be avoided if you don't want to fuel sugar
cravings.
Rule # 5: Be Sure to Eat PLENTY of Organic Vegetables
One of the best ways to improve your health is to make sure you're eating plenty of fresh, minimally processed high
quality vegetables, ideally locally-grown and organic, with a majority of them consumed raw. One simple way to
boost your vegetable intake is to juice them. I highly recommend it to anyone working to restore or improve their
health. You can review my comprehensive approach to how to juice on my vegetable juicing page.
And for every vegetable you pack onto your plate or into your glass, you'll have less room for all those other simple
carbohydrates that can expand your waistline.
Rule # 6: Optimize Your Exercise Program
A healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to creating and maintaining optimal health. If you are
struggling with your weight, exercise is clearly one of the key factors that can synergize the effects of healthy food
choices. But did you know that by making some minor changes in the types of exercises you engage in, you can
speed up and dramatically improve the results?
It's true.
The key to boosting weight loss and getting the most out of your exercise routine is to make sure to incorporate high-
intensity, short-burst-type exercises, such as my Peak Fitness Program, two to three times per week. Several
studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising
continuously for an entire session.
This has been shown to hold true even when the session is not done at an extremely high intensity.
This may be because these types of exercises are the closest to how the human body was designed to move—like
that of a hunter-gatherer. A recent study highlights the benefits of this type of daily movement. The researchers
noted that the ideal "exercise prescription" would include the following aspects of normal hunger-gatherer living:
A variety of exercises performed regularly (weight training, cardio, stretching, etc.) Alternate difficult days with
easier days Exercise outdoors, which helps maintain vitamin D levels and improve mood
Interval training sessions performed once or twice a week Weight training at least twice a week Walk and
run on softer, uneven terrain, such as grass and dirt, possibly barefoot or using "simpler shoes that do not
drastically restrict foot motion or alter natural foot strike dynamics"
Exercise with a friend to receive social stimulation as well Ample time for rest after physical exertion
Recreational activities, including dancing and sex
I completely agree that variety is yet another key to getting the most benefits from your exercise. A sound, well-
rounded regimen would include:
High intensity interval exercises
Conventional aerobics
Strength training
Core exercises like Pilates
Stretching like Yoga or active isolated stretching
If you're like most Americans, you probably have between a few and several unnecessary pounds you'd prefer not
to be carrying around every day. I'm here to tell you that not only is it possible to take off the extra weight with a little
thoughtful planning, it is also possible to keep the weight off simply by following a few sensible guidelines above and
my nutrition plan.
But, while the seven "laws of thin people" compiled by Zinczenco and Goulding are good ones, from my experience
these rules are still coming up a short. So, below I will review several more that I believe are CRUCIAL factors for
successful long-term weight management and optimal health.
Rule #1: Severely Limit Fructose in Your Diet
It is important to understand that your diet is THREE times more important for controlling your weight than your
exercise. It's very easy to sabotage any benefit you'd receive from exercise by consuming fructose-laden foods and
beverages, including sports drinks, sodas, and fruit juices. If you consume any processed foods or sweetened
beverages at all, reading the labels is a necessity. You may be shocked to realize just how much sugar is in the
products you consume on a regular basis.
Why is limiting fructose so important for weight management and optimal health?
The reasons are numerous, but if I could make you memorize just one thing that can truly help you improve your
health, it would be that eating fat does not make you fat; eating excessive fructose does! If you were to view soda
with the same disdain most people give to a chunk of lard, you'd be on the right track... Ironically though, the lard
would actually be more healthful for you than the soda!
Fructose simultaneously prevents weight loss and promotes fat storage, by:
- Diminishing your satiety (feelings of fullness) as it does not stimulate a rise in leptin, one of the most powerful
hunger and fat storage regulators in your body. And, of course, when you're feeling hungry you tend to eat
more.Leptin resistance, just like insulin resistance, is also one of the most significant factors underlying a vast
array of diseases. For example, it plays a significant if not primary role in the development of heart disease,
obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, and perhaps the rate of aging
itself. - Not suppressing ghrelin (also known as "the hunger hormone"). Glucose, on the other hand, does suppress
ghrelin, making you feel satiated - Slowly, if consumed chronically, causing insulin resistance, which hampers weight loss efforts
- Converting directly to fat more readily than any other sugar. It is also known to raise triglycerides significantly
- Robbing your body of micronutrients while assimilating itself for use (in the case of foods containing high
fructose corn syrup. Whole fruits on the other hand does not have this particular problem as the fruit contains
all these extra nutrients along with the fructose)
fructose diet can propel you into a vicious cycle of over-eating while also being malnourished.
My recommendation is to keep your total fructose intake below 25 grams of fructose per day, if you're in good
health. Most people will also benefit from limiting your fructose from fruit to 15 grams a day, and, if you need to lose
weight, you likely will need to limit your total fructose consumption to 15 grams a day total, including that from fruit.
Rule # 2: Reduce Your Grain Carb Consumption
Excess weight Depression Bloating High blood pressure
Fatigue and frequent sleepiness Brain fogginess Low blood sugar High triglycerides
If you experience any of the following symptoms, chances are very good that the excess carbohydrates in your diet
are, in part or whole, to blame: the primary reason for cutting out as many grain carbs as possible is because grains
convert into sugar in your body, spiking your insulin levels. Eventually, your body becomes insulin resistant, and
that's when the majority of the problems really set in. Obesity is just the beginning. Insulin resistance is in fact one of
the hallmarks of nearly every chronic disease known to man, from diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer.
If you want to be optimally healthy and normalize your weight, reducing your carb consumption is essential. This
includes:
Breads and baked goods (ALL grains, including organic ones)
Rice
Pasta
Potatoes
We all need a certain amount of carbohydrates, of course, but, through our addiction to grains, corn, sweets and
other starchy and sugary foods, we are consuming far too many. Your body's storage capacity for carbohydrates is
quite limited, so here's what happens to all the excess: they are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the
adipose (fatty) tissue.
Rule # 3: Increase Your Healthy Fat Consumption
Carbs (sugars) provide your body with energy, but it's fast burning and doesn't satisfy very long. Once you
decrease carbs in the form of sugar/fructose and grains, you need to replace them with increased amounts of
vegetable carbs and healthy saturated fats. Fats will not only make you feel satiated longer than carbs, but will also
provide you with high quality fuel your body needs. And, while eating grains and sugars will raise your insulin levels
and promote insulin resistance, eating fat does not. However, the quality of the fats is very important. Loading up on
margarine and vegetable oils is asking for trouble as these types of trans fats have been linked to:
Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer Decreased immune function: They reduce
your immune response Obesity
Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes Problems with reproduction: They
interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones Heart disease: Trans fats can cause major clogging of
your arteries
At the other end of the spectrum you have saturated fats, which are:
Preferred fuel for your heart
Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)
Useful for lowering cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
Carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and required for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A,
for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes
Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)
Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)
Sources of healthy fats that you'll want to add to your diet include:
Olives and Olive oil (for cold dishes) Coconuts, and coconut oil (for all types of cooking and baking) Butter
made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw Nuts, such as, almonds or pecans Organic pastured egg yolks Avocados
Grass fed meats Palm oil Unheated organic nut oils
Another healthful fat you want to be mindful of is animal-based omega-3. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause
or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor
of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year. For more information about omega-3's and the best sources of this
fat, please review this previous article.
Rule # 4: Avoid All "Diet" Foods, Especially Diet Sodas
Soda, in my opinion, is one of the primary health threats. A single can of Coke contains about 10 teaspoons of
sugar. However, the alternative may be even worse. Diet sodas, which typically contain either aspartame or
sucralose (Splenda), or a combination of both, can wreak havoc on your health in just as many ways as fructose,
but since they are manmade chemicals, the toxic ramifications and side effects can be magnified.
Billions of dollars worth of advertising tells you that diet soda gives you all the pleasure of a sweet beverage or
snack without any of the worries associated with excess calories. Too bad it really is too good to be true.
In fact, artificial sweeteners have actually been positively linked to weight gain—not weight loss! More recent
research has demonstrated that your brain can tell the difference between real and artificial sugar, and not only are
artificial sugars less satisfying to your brain at a cellular level, they also increase your craving for the real thing. So
artificially sweetened foods and snacks, and diet soda in particular, must be avoided if you don't want to fuel sugar
cravings.
Rule # 5: Be Sure to Eat PLENTY of Organic Vegetables
One of the best ways to improve your health is to make sure you're eating plenty of fresh, minimally processed high
quality vegetables, ideally locally-grown and organic, with a majority of them consumed raw. One simple way to
boost your vegetable intake is to juice them. I highly recommend it to anyone working to restore or improve their
health. You can review my comprehensive approach to how to juice on my vegetable juicing page.
And for every vegetable you pack onto your plate or into your glass, you'll have less room for all those other simple
carbohydrates that can expand your waistline.
Rule # 6: Optimize Your Exercise Program
A healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to creating and maintaining optimal health. If you are
struggling with your weight, exercise is clearly one of the key factors that can synergize the effects of healthy food
choices. But did you know that by making some minor changes in the types of exercises you engage in, you can
speed up and dramatically improve the results?
It's true.
The key to boosting weight loss and getting the most out of your exercise routine is to make sure to incorporate high-
intensity, short-burst-type exercises, such as my Peak Fitness Program, two to three times per week. Several
studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising
continuously for an entire session.
This has been shown to hold true even when the session is not done at an extremely high intensity.
This may be because these types of exercises are the closest to how the human body was designed to move—like
that of a hunter-gatherer. A recent study highlights the benefits of this type of daily movement. The researchers
noted that the ideal "exercise prescription" would include the following aspects of normal hunger-gatherer living:
A variety of exercises performed regularly (weight training, cardio, stretching, etc.) Alternate difficult days with
easier days Exercise outdoors, which helps maintain vitamin D levels and improve mood
Interval training sessions performed once or twice a week Weight training at least twice a week Walk and
run on softer, uneven terrain, such as grass and dirt, possibly barefoot or using "simpler shoes that do not
drastically restrict foot motion or alter natural foot strike dynamics"
Exercise with a friend to receive social stimulation as well Ample time for rest after physical exertion
Recreational activities, including dancing and sex
I completely agree that variety is yet another key to getting the most benefits from your exercise. A sound, well-
rounded regimen would include:
High intensity interval exercises
Conventional aerobics
Strength training
Core exercises like Pilates
Stretching like Yoga or active isolated stretching
If you're like most Americans, you probably have between a few and several unnecessary pounds you'd prefer not
to be carrying around every day. I'm here to tell you that not only is it possible to take off the extra weight with a little
thoughtful planning, it is also possible to keep the weight off simply by following a few sensible guidelines above and
my nutrition plan.
Was listening to Dr. Oz while I was adding
to this page and he said that the #1 cause
of gaining weight was STRESS. So think
about ways that you can reduce your
worries and relax. Your body will thank
you!
If you try and make all the changes you
need to all at once you may get
overwhelmed and stressed and without
meaning to, possibly sabotage your
long-range goal of health, fitness,
weight-loss or . . . So take it a step at a
time, integrating doable changes into
your lifestyle slowly and you will be able
to keep with your plan. And remember
plans need periodic adjustments.
I like this phrase to help me and my
clients with weight-loss - "Slow and
steady wins the race."
For an article about sticking with your
weight-loss goals visit my blog post on
http://blog.ideafit.com/blogs/team-fitness
to this page and he said that the #1 cause
of gaining weight was STRESS. So think
about ways that you can reduce your
worries and relax. Your body will thank
you!
If you try and make all the changes you
need to all at once you may get
overwhelmed and stressed and without
meaning to, possibly sabotage your
long-range goal of health, fitness,
weight-loss or . . . So take it a step at a
time, integrating doable changes into
your lifestyle slowly and you will be able
to keep with your plan. And remember
plans need periodic adjustments.
I like this phrase to help me and my
clients with weight-loss - "Slow and
steady wins the race."
For an article about sticking with your
weight-loss goals visit my blog post on
http://blog.ideafit.com/blogs/team-fitness
| For IFPA FitBit article: The Goal is Fat Loss not Weight Loss! Visit www.ifpa-fitness.com/fitbit_ detail.ph p?id=618&title=The%20Goal %20is%20Fat%2 0Loss%20not%20Weight%20L oss%21 |
7 Foods that Do the Weight-Loss Work for You
By the Editors of Eating Well Magazine
Do you want to lose weight for good in the new year? Try increasing your daily fiber intake in the form of nutrient-
rich high-fiber foods. Why fiber? Recent research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests eating more fiber as a way
to prevent weight gain or even encourage weight loss. Over the course of the two-year study, the researchers
found that boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories resulted in about 4 1/2 pounds of weight lost.
Try it for yourself. If you're consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams.
Here are 7 fiber-rich foods that help do the weight-loss work for you.
1. Apples: A medium apple (3-inch diameter) contains 4 grams of fiber; a large apple (3 1/4-inch diameter) has 5.
Apples also offer a bit of vitamin C and potassium.
2. Green Beans: One cup boasts 4 grams of fiber, plus a healthy dose (30% daily value) or skin-helping vitamin
C.
Must-Read:
5 Things You Should Learn to Cook in 2012
3. Sweet Potatoes: A medium-size baked sweet potato (2 inches wide, 5 inches long…a little larger than your
computer mouse), skin included, offers 5 grams of fiber-for just 103 calories. It's also a nutrition powerhouse:
providing 438% daily value of eye-healthy vitamin A (eat these foods to help you see more clearly), 37% daily
value of vitamin C, plus some potassium, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and phytochemicals like beta carotene,
lutein and zeaxanthin.
4. Raspberries: Raspberries are a great source of fiber-some of it soluble in the form of pectin, which helps
lower cholesterol. One cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber. Raspberries are also an excellent source of
vitamin C.
Don't Miss:
Burn Fat With These Healthy Snacks
5. Strawberries:
One cup of strawberries has a respectable 3 grams of fiber and more than a full day's recommended dose of
vitamin C-an antioxidant that helps keep skin healthy.
6. Chickpeas: Just 3/4 cup of chickpeas has a whopping 8 grams of fiber! You also get a good amount of vitamin
B6 and folate, both of which play a role in forming healthy new cells.
7. Pumpkin: A cup of cooked pumpkin contains 3 grams of fiber. You also get vitamin A (245% daily value),
vitamins C, E and potassium.
By the Editors of Eating Well Magazine
Do you want to lose weight for good in the new year? Try increasing your daily fiber intake in the form of nutrient-
rich high-fiber foods. Why fiber? Recent research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests eating more fiber as a way
to prevent weight gain or even encourage weight loss. Over the course of the two-year study, the researchers
found that boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories resulted in about 4 1/2 pounds of weight lost.
Try it for yourself. If you're consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams.
Here are 7 fiber-rich foods that help do the weight-loss work for you.
1. Apples: A medium apple (3-inch diameter) contains 4 grams of fiber; a large apple (3 1/4-inch diameter) has 5.
Apples also offer a bit of vitamin C and potassium.
2. Green Beans: One cup boasts 4 grams of fiber, plus a healthy dose (30% daily value) or skin-helping vitamin
C.
Must-Read:
5 Things You Should Learn to Cook in 2012
3. Sweet Potatoes: A medium-size baked sweet potato (2 inches wide, 5 inches long…a little larger than your
computer mouse), skin included, offers 5 grams of fiber-for just 103 calories. It's also a nutrition powerhouse:
providing 438% daily value of eye-healthy vitamin A (eat these foods to help you see more clearly), 37% daily
value of vitamin C, plus some potassium, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and phytochemicals like beta carotene,
lutein and zeaxanthin.
4. Raspberries: Raspberries are a great source of fiber-some of it soluble in the form of pectin, which helps
lower cholesterol. One cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber. Raspberries are also an excellent source of
vitamin C.
Don't Miss:
Burn Fat With These Healthy Snacks
5. Strawberries:
One cup of strawberries has a respectable 3 grams of fiber and more than a full day's recommended dose of
vitamin C-an antioxidant that helps keep skin healthy.
6. Chickpeas: Just 3/4 cup of chickpeas has a whopping 8 grams of fiber! You also get a good amount of vitamin
B6 and folate, both of which play a role in forming healthy new cells.
7. Pumpkin: A cup of cooked pumpkin contains 3 grams of fiber. You also get vitamin A (245% daily value),
vitamins C, E and potassium.
INSPIRATION & TIPS:
| See Bottom of Page for Article From Editors of Eating Well: "7 Foods that Do the Weight-Loss Work for You" |
