Fat Burning Basics
If you’re overweight, you are not a bad person. You’re
simply overweight. But it’s important to lose the extra pounds so you’ll look
good, feel healthier and develop a sense of pride and self-esteem. Once you’ve
lost the fat, you’ll need to maintain your weight.
In this booklet, you’ll discover how to lose 10 pounds
a month – a nice, safe loss of about two or two-and-a-half pounds a week –
painlessly. You’ll feel satisfied and more energetic than in the past without
feeling deprived.
Most Americans pack on those extra pounds by eating
the wrong things.
Changing these poor eating habits is the key to long-term
success. Knowledge – along with the right food – is the key.
When humans lived in caves, they didn’t know anything
about preserving and storing food. They spent all their waking time and energy
hunting and gathering food. When they had it, they gobbled it down fast.
Instead of storing food in pantries or cupboards, they stored energy in their
bodies in the form of fat to burn during periods when there was little or
nothing to eat.
Each year, it was absolutely vital for them to put on a
good layer of fat during the warm sprint and summer months. That was the only
way they could guarantee their survival during the lean and mean winter months.
And since women bore the young, they needed more
energy to sustain themselves and their babies, and that meant they were usually
heavier.
Even though we no longer live in caves, we have
inherited and maintained this basic mechanism for fat storage from our hunting
and gathering ancestors.
Each one of us is born with a certain number of fat
cells. How many of these fat cells you possess depends on genetics. If you have
a lot of fat cells, maybe your ancestors were the biggest people in the tribe,
which was a good thing because they had the best chances of survival.
You can never get rid of fat cells, but –
unfortunately – you can add to them. Depending upon what you eat, your body
will manufacture new far cells. And like those you were born with, they never
go away.
That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be fat once you put
on extra pounds. It is possible to shrink fat cells. That’s what happens when
you lose weight. You burn up the fat stored in those big fat cells. Think of
them as balloons. Burning off the fat inside them has the save effect as
letting the air out of a balloon.
A good weight loss program requires a certain amount
of intake restriction – the consumption of fewer calories. You burn off the fat
by eating less fat and becoming more active.
To guarantee a lifetime of weight-control success, you
have to change the type of foods you eat, so that you ingest less fat and still
get the vitamins, minerals, trace elements, protein, fat and carbohydrates your
body needs to thrive.
Extremely low-calorie diets may help you shed pounds
quickly, but they’ll lead to failure in the long run.
That’s because humans are genetically protected
against starvation. During food shortages, our bodies slow down our metabolisms
and burn less energy so we can stay alive.
A part of our brain called the hypothalamus keeps us
on an even weight keep by creating a “set point.” That’s the weight where we
feel comfortable. The hypothalamus determines this point based on the level of
consumption it’s used to. It seeks to keep our weight constant, even if that
point is over what it should be.
When we drastically cut back our food intake, the
brain thinks the body is starving, and in an effort to preserve life, it slows
the metabolism. Soon the pounds stop coming off. Consequently, we grow hungry
and uncomfortable and then eat more. And then the diet fails.
How can you compensate for this metabolic slow-down?
The answer is that you have to change the nutritional composition of the foods
you eat. You will have to cut down on total calories – that’s absolutely basic
to weight loss. More important, however, is reducing the percentage of total
calories you are getting from fat.
That’s how you’ll avoid starvation panic in your
system. At the same time, you reduce the amount of fat in your food, replacing
it with safe, low calorie, nutrient-rich plant foods. This will convince your
brain that your body is getting all the nutrition it needs.
In fact, you’ll be able to eat more food and feel more
satisfied while consuming fewer calories and fats.
Plant foods break down slowly in your stomach, making
you feel full longer, and they are rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements,
carbohydrates and protein for energy and muscle-building. This allows your body
to burn off its excess stored fat.
Fat Burning Foods
Each one of the following foods is clinically proven
to promote weight loss. These foods go a step beyond simply adding no fat to
your system – they possess special properties that add zip to your system and
help your body melt away unhealthy pounds. These incredible foods can suppress
your appetite for junk food and keep your body running smoothly with clean fuel
and efficient energy.
You can include these foods in any sensible
weight-loss plan. They give your body the extra metabolic kick that it needs to
shave off weight quickly.
A sensible weight loss plan calls for no fewer that
1,200 calories per day. But Dr. Charles Klein recommends consuming more that
that, if you can believe it – 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. He says you will
still lose weight quite effectively at that intake level without endangering
your health.
Hunger is satisfied more completely by filling the
stomach. Ounce for ounce, the foods listed below accomplish that better than
any others. At the same time, they’re rich in nutrients and possess special
fat-melting talents.
Apples
These marvels of nature deserve their reputation for
keeping the doctor away when you eat one a day. And now, it seems, they can
help you melt the fat away, too.
First of all, they elevate your blood glucose (sugar)
levels in a safe, gentle manner and keep them up longer than most foods. The
practical effect of this is to leave you feeling satisfied longer, say
researchers.
Secondly, they’re one of the richest sources of
soluble fiber in the supermarket. This type of fiber prevents hunger pangs by
guarding against dangerous swings or drops in your blood sugar level, says Dr.
James Anderson of the University
of Kentucky School of Medicine
An average size apple provides only 81 calories and
has no sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol. You’ll also get the added health
benefits of lowering the level of cholesterol already in your blood as well as
lowering your blood pressure.
Whole Grain
Bread
You needn’t dread bread. It’s the butter, margarine or
cream cheese you put on it that’s fattening, not the bread itself. We’ll say this
as often as needed – fat is fattening. If you don’t believe that, ponder this –
a gram of carbohydrate has four calories, a gram of protein four, and a gram of
fat nine. So which of these is really fattening?
Bread, a natural source of fiber and complex
carbohydrates, is okay for dieting. Norwegian scientist Dr. Bjarne Jacobsen
found that people who eat less than two slices of bread daily weigh about 11
pounds more that those who eat a lot of bread.
Studies at Michigan
State University
So the key is eating dark, rich, high-fiber breads
such as pumpernickel, whole wheat, mixed grain, oatmeal and others. The average
slice of whole grain bread contains only 60 to 70 calories, is rich in complex
carbohydrates – the best, steadiest fuel you can give your body – and
delivers surprising amount of protein.
Coffee
Easy does it is the password here. We’ve all heard
about potential dangers of caffeine – including anxiety and insomnia – so
moderation is the key.
The caffeine in coffee can speed up the metabolism. In
nutritional circles, it’s known as a metabolic enhancer, according to Dr.
Judith Stern of the University
of California Davis
This makes sense, since caffeine is a stimulant.
Studies show it can help you burn more calories than normal, perhaps up to 10
percent more. For safety’s sake, it’s best to limit your intake to a single cup
in the morning and one in the afternoon. Add only skim milk to tit and try
doing without sugar – many people learn to love it that way.
Grapefruit
There’s good reason for this traditional diet food to
be a regular part of your diet. It helps dissolve fat and cholesterol,
according to Dr. James Cerd of the University
of Florida
It’s rich in natural galacturonic acid, which adds to
its potency as a fat and cholesterol fighter. The additional benefit here is
assistance in the battle against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
and the development of heart disease. Try sprinkling it with cinnamon rather
than sugar to take away some of the tart taste.
Mustard
Try the hot, spicy kind you find in Asian import
stores, specialty shops and exotic groceries. Dr. Jaya Henry of Oxford
Polytechnic Institute in England
“But mustard is natural and totally safe,” Henry says.
“It can be used every day, and it really works. I was shocked to discover it
can speed up the metabolism by as much as 20 to 25 percent for several hours.”
This can result in the body burning an extra 45 calories for every 700
consumed, Dr. Henry says.
Peppers
Hot, spicy chili peppers fall into the same category
as hot mustard, Henry says. He studied them under the same circumstances as the
mustard and they worked just as well. A mere three grams of chili peppers were
added to a meal consisting of 766 total calories. The peppers’
metabolism-raising properties worked like a charm, leading to what Henry calls
a diet-induced thermic effect. It doesn’t take much to create the effect. Most
salsa recipes call for four to eight chilies – that’s not a lot.
Peppers are astonishingly rich in vitamins A and C,
abundant in calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, high in fiber, free of
fat, low in sodium and have just 24 calories per cup.
Potatoes
We’ve got to be kidding, right? Wrong. Potatoes have
developed the same “fattening” rap as bread, and it’s unfair. Dr. John McDougal,
director of the nutritional medicine clinic at St. Helena Hospital Deer Park , California
Preparation and toppings are crucial. Steer clear of
butter, milk and sour cream, or you’ll blow it. Opt for yogurt instead.
Rice
An entire weight-loss plan, simple called the Rice
Diet, was developed by Dr. William Kempner at Duke University Durham , North Carolina
It produces stunning weight loss and medical results. The diet has been shown to reverse and cure kidney ailments and high blood pressure.
A cup of cooked rice (150 grams) contains about 178
calories – approximately one-third the number of calories found in an equivalent
amount of beef or cheese. And remember, whole grain rice is much better for you
than white rice.
Soups
Soup is good for you! Maybe not the canned varieties
from the store – but old-fashioned, homemade soup promotes weight loss. A study
by Dr. John Foreyt of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , Texas
Naturally, the type of soup you eat makes a
difference. Cream soups or those made of beef or pork are not your best bets.
But here’s a great recipe:
Slice three large onions, three carrots, four stalks
of celery, one zucchini and one yellow squash. Place in a kettle. Add three
cans crushed tomatoes, two packets low-sodium chicken bouillon, three cans
water and one cup white wine (optional). Add tarragon, basil, oregano, thyme
and garlic powder. Boil, then simmer for an hour. Serves six.
Spinach
Popeye really knew what he was talking about,
according to Dr. Richard Shekelle, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas
Tofu
You just can’t say enough about this health food from Asia . Also called soybean curd, it’s basically tasteless,
so any spice or flavoring you add blends with it nicely. A 2½ ” square has 86
calories and nine grams of protein. (Experts suggest an intake of about 40
grams per day.) Tofu contains calcium and iron, almost no sodium and not a bit
of saturated fat. It makes your metabolism run on high and even lowers
cholesterol. With different varieties available, the firmer tofus are goof for
stir-frying or adding to soups and sauces while the softer ones are good for
mashing, chopping and adding to salads.
Potent Foods
It would be unrealistic to think you could
successfully lose weight and enjoy what you’re eating with a mere handful of
foods, no matter how delicious, nutritious and satisfying they may be. So we’re
going to add an extra roster of fat-fighting foods you can eat along with the
great foods mentioned in the last section.
They’ll lend different tastes and textures to every
meal and provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and other vital
nutrients. Naturally, each one is high in fiber, low in fat and safe when it
comes to sodium content, too.
Many have crunchiness and flavor we’ve come to desire
in snack and nibbling foods. If you’re like most of us, you may have a real
junk food snacking habit – a habit you’re going to have to change in order to
slim down. Many of the foods in this section may be worthy substitutes.
Barley
This filling grain stacks up favorably to rice and
potatoes. It has 170 calories per cooked cup, respectable levels of protein and
fiber and relatively low fat. Roman gladiators ate this grain regularly for
strength and actually complained when they had to eat meat.
Studies at the University of Wisconsin
Use it as a substitute for rice in salads, pilaf or
stuffing, or add to soups and stews. You can also mix it with rice for an
interesting texture. Ground into flour, it makes excellent breads and muffins.
Beans
Beans are one of the best sources of plant protein.
Peas, beans and chickpeas are collectively known as legumes. Most common beans
have 215 calories per cooked cup (lima beans go up to 260). They have the most
protein with the least fat of any food, and they’re high in potassium but low
in sodium.
Plant protein is incomplete, which means that you need
to add something to make it complete. Combine beans with a whole grain – rice,
barley, wheat, corn – to provide the amino acids necessary to form a complete
protein. Then you get the same top-quality protein as in meat with just a
fraction of the fat.
Studies at the University of Kentucky Netherlands
The most common complaint about beans is that they
cause gas. Here’s how to contain that problem, according to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA): Before cooking, rinse the beans and remove foreign
particles, put in a kettle and cover with boiling water, soak for four hours or
longer, remove any beans that float to the top, then cook the beans in fresh
water.
Berries
This is the perfect weight-loss food. Berries have
natural fructose sugar that satisfies your longing for sweets and enough fiber
so you absorb fewer calories that you eat. British researchers found that the
high content of insoluble fiber in fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduces
the absorption of calories from foods enough to promote width loss without
hampering nutrition.
Berries are a great source of potassium that can
assist you in blood pressure control. Blackberries have 74 calories per cup,
blueberries 81, raspberries 60 and strawberries 45. So use your imagination and
enjoy the berry of your choice.
Broccoli
Broccoli is America
When you’re buying broccoli, pay attention to the
color. The tiny florets should be rich green and free of yellowing. Stems
should be firm.
Buckwheat
It’s great for pancakes, breads, cereal, soups or
alone as a grain dish commonly called kasha. It has 155 calories per cooked
cup. Research at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences shows diets
including buckwheat lead to excellent blood sugar regulation, resistance to
diabetes and lowered cholesterol levels. You cook buckwheat the same way you
would rice or barley. Bring two to three cups of water to a boil, add the
grain, cover the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the
water is absorbed.
Cabbage
This Eastern Europe
staple is a true wonder food. There are only 33 calories in a cup of cooked
shredded cabbage, and it retains all its nutritional goodness no matter how
long you cook it. Eating cabbage raw (18 calories per shredded cup), cooked, as
sauerkraut (27 calories per drained cup) or coleslaw (calories depend on
dressing) only once a week is enough to protect against colon cancer. And it
may be a longevity-enhancing food. Surveys in the United States, Greece and
Japan show that people who eat a lot of it have the least colon cancer and the
lowest death rates overall.
Carrots
What list of health-promoting, fat-fighting foods
would be complete without Bugs Bunny’s favorite? A medium-sized carrot carries
about 55 calories and is a nutritional powerhouse. The orange color comes from
beta carotene, a powerful cancer-preventing nutrient (provitamin A).
Chop and toss them with pasta, grate them into rice or
add them to a stir-fry. Combine them with parsnips, oranges, raisins, lemon
juice, chicken, potatoes, broccoli or lamb to create flavorful dishes. Spice
them with tarragon, dill, cinnamon or nutmeg. Add finely chopped carrots to
soups and spaghetti sauce – they impart a natural sweetness without adding
sugar.
Chicken
White meat contains 245 calories per four ounce
serving and dark meat, 285. It’s an excellent source of protein, iron, niacin
and zinc. Skinned chicken is healthiest, but most experts recommend waiting
until after cooking to remove it because the skin keeps the meat moist during
cooking.
Corn
It’s really a grain – not a vegetable – and is another
food that’s gotten a bum rap. People think it has little to offer nutritionally
and that just isn’t so. There are 178 calories in a cup of cooked kernels. It
contains good amounts of iron, zinc and potassium, and University of Nebraska
The Tarahumara Indians of Mexico eat corn, beans and
hardly anything else. Virgil Brown, M.D., of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York
Cottage Cheese
As long as we’re talking about losing weight and
fat-fighting foods, we had to mention cottage cheese.
Low-fat (2%) cottage cheese has 205 calories per cup
and is admirably low in fat, while providing respectable amounts of calcium and
the B vitamin riboflavin. Season with spices such a dill, or garden fresh
vegetable such a scallions and chives for extra zip.
To make it sweeter, add raisins or one of the fruit
spreads with no sugar added. You can also use cottage cheese in cooking,
baking, fillings and dips where you would otherwise use sour cream or cream
cheese.
Figs
Fiber-rich figs are low in calories at 37 per medium
(2.25” diameter) raw fig and 48 per dried fig. A recent study by the USDA
demonstrated that they contribute to a feeling of fullness and prevent
overeating. Subjects actually complained of being asked to eat too much food
when fed a diet containing more figs than a similar diet with an identical
number of calories.
Serve them with other fruits and cheeses. Or poach
them in fruit juice and serve them warm or cold. You can stuff them with mild
white cheese or puree them to use as a filling for cookies and low-calorie
pastries.
Fish
The health benefits of fish are greater than experts
imagined – and they’ve always considered it a health food.
The calorie count in the average four-ounce serving of
a deep-sea fish runs from a low of 90 calories in abalone to a high of 236 in
herring. Water-packed tuna, for example, has 154 calories. It’s hard to gain
weight eating seafood.
As far back as 1985, articles in the New England
Journal of Medicine showed a clear link between eating fish regularly and lower
rates of heart disease. The reason is that oils in fish thin the blood, reduce
blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
Dr. Joel Kremer, at Albany Medical
College New York
Greens
We’re talking collard, chicory, beet, kale, mustard,
Swiss chard and turnip greens. They all belong to the same family as spinach,
and that’s one of the super-stars. No matter how hard you try, you can’t load a
cup of plain cooked greens with any more than 50 calories.
They’re full of fiber, loaded with vitamins A and C,
and free of fat. You can use them in salads, soups, casseroles or any dish
where you would normally use spinach.
Kiwi
This New
Zealand
Leeks
These members of the onion family look like giant scallions,
and are every bit as healthful and flavorful as their better-known cousins.
They come as close to calorie-free as it gets at a mere 32 calories per cooked
cup.
You can poach or broil halved leeks and then marinate
them in vinaigrette or season with Romano cheese, fine mustard or herbs. They
also make a good soup.
Lettuce
People think lettuce is nutritionally worthless, but
nothing could be farther from the truth. You can’t leave it out of your
weight-loss plans, not at 10 calories per cup of raw romaine. It provides a lot
of filling bulk for so few calories. And it’s full of vitamin C, too. Go beyond
iceberg lettuce with Boston
Melons
Now, here’s great taste and great nutrition in a
low-calorie package! One cup of cantaloupe balls has 62 calories, on cup of
casaba balls has 44 calories, one cup of honeydew balls has 62 calories and one
cup of watermelon balls has 49 calories. They have some of the highest fiber
content of any food and are delicious. Throw in handsome quantities of vitamins
A and C plus a whopping 547 mgs of potassium in that cup of cantaloupe, and you
have a fat-burning health food beyond compare.
Oats
A cup of oatmeal or oat bran has only 110 calories.
And oats help you lose weight. Subjects in Dr. James Anderson’s landmark
12-year study at the University
of Kentucky
Onions
Flavorful, aromatic, inexpensive and low in calories,
onions deserve a regular place in your diet. One cup of chopped raw onions has
only 60 calories, and one raw medium onion (2.15” diameter) has just 42.
They control cholesterol, thin the blood, protect
against cholesterol and may have some value in counteracting allergic
reactions. Most of all, onions taste good and they’re good for you.
Partially boil, peel and bake, basting with olive oil
and lemon juice. Or sauté them in white wine and basil, then spread over pizza.
Or roast them in sherry and serve over paste.
Pasta
The Italians had it right all along. A cup of cooked
paste (without a heavy sauce) has only 155 calories and fits the description of
a perfect starch-centered staple. Analysis at the American Institute of Baking
shows pasta is rich in six minerals, including manganese, iron, phosphorus,
copper, magnesium and zinc. Also be sure to consider whole wheat pastas, which
are even healthier.
Sweet Potatoes
You can make a meal out of them and not worry about
gaining a pound – and you sure won’t walk away from the table feeling hungry.
Each sweet potato has about 103 calories. Their creamy orange flesh is one of
the best sources of vitamin A you can consume.
You can bake, steam or microwave them. Or add them to
casseroles, soups and many other dishes. Flavor with lemon juice or vegetable
broth instead of butter.
Tomatoes
A medium tomato (2.5” diameter) has only about 25
calories. These garden delights are low in fat and sodium, high in potassium
and rich in fiber.
A survey at Harvard
Medical School
And don’t overlook canned crushed, peeled, whole or
stewed tomatoes. They make sauces, casseroles and soups taste great while
retaining their nutritional goodness and low-calorie status. Even plain old
spaghetti sauce is a fat-burning bargain when served over pasta, so think about
introducing tomatoes into your diet
Give thanks to those pilgrims for starting the
wonderful tradition of Thanksgiving turkey. It just so happens that this health
food disguised as meat is good year-round for weight control.
A four-ounce serving of roasted white meat turkey has
177 calories and dark meat has 211.
Sadly, many folks are still unaware of the versatility
and flavor of ground turkey. Anything hamburger can do, ground turkey can do at
least as well, from conventional burgers to spaghetti sauce to meat loaf.
Some ground turkey contains skin which slightly
increases the fat content. If you want to keep it really lean, opt for ground
breast meat. But since this has no added fat, you’ll need to add filler to make
burgers or meat loaf hold together.
Four ounces of ground turkey has approximately 170
calories and nine grams of fat – about what you’d find in 2.5 teaspoons of
butter or margarine. Incredibly, the same amount of regular ground beef (21%
fat) has 298 calories and 23 grams of fat.
Buying turkey has become easy. It’s no longer
necessary to buy a whole bird unless you want to. Ground turkey is available
fresh or frozen, as are individual parts of the bird, including drumsticks,
thighs, breasts and cutlets.
Yogurt
The non-fat variety of plain yogurt has 120 calories
per cup and low-fat, 144. It delivers a lot of protein and , like any dairy
food, is rich in calcium and contains zinc and riboflavin.
Yogurt is handy as a breakfast food – cut a banana
into it and add the cereal of your choice.
You can find ways to use it in other types of cooking,
to – sauces, soups, dips, toppings, stuffings and spreads. Many kitchen gadget
departments even sell a simple funnel for making yogurt cheese.
Yogurt can replace heavy creams and whole milk in a
wide range of dishes, saving scads of fat and calories.
You can substitute half or all of the higher fat
ingredients. Be creative. For example, combine yogurt, garlic powder, lemon
juice, a dash of pepper and Worcestershire sauce and use it to top a baked
potato instead of piling on fat-laden sour cream.
Supermarkets and health food stores sell a variety of
yogurts, many with added fruit and sugar. To control calories and fat content,
buy plain non-fat yogurt and add fruit yourself. Apple butter or fruit spreads
with little or no added sugar are an excellent way to turn plain yogurt into a
delectable sweet treat.
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