Health Blog

Regular exercise is only part of the formula for a better body and health. Eating the right foods is another part of the formula for a quick weight loss diet. In fact, I’d say your diet is most responsible for getting and keeping you in top shape. You can’t out-train a bad diet.

And while no single perfect food exists, many stand out as nutritional powerhouses. The list of 10 below are some of the ones I feel are at the top of the list. By including as many of them as possible in your quick weight loss diet you’ll not only look better, but you’ll also improve your health too.

1. Lean Beef

There are many people who have dieted and tried to reduce their red meat intake. Although there are cuts of red meat you should stay away from if losing fat and getting healthy is a priority, there are also very lean cuts of beef available. Some are even leaner than chicken.

Plus lean beef is a great source of iron, zinc, and high quality protein. Just make sure you choose the leanest cuts and trim away any excess fat you see on it.

The best cuts of lean beef are flank, eye of round, top sirloin, top round, and even the ground beef available today that is 96% fat free.

3 ounces of roasted, lean eye of round steak = 153 calories, 5.4 grams of fat (of which only 2 grams is saturated), 0 grams of carbohydrate, 24.5 grams of protein, 59 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium, 333 mg potassium, 15% of the USRDA for iron, 31% of the USRDA for zinc, plus many other important minerals in significant quantities such as niacin, vitamin B-6, folic acid, vitamin B-12, phosphorous, magnesium, and copper.

2. Fish/Fish Oils

Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which research suggests provides protection against heart disease. Eating fish rich in omega-3′s (salmon is amongst the richest source although it is a little high in total fat) may be enough to reap their heart-protective benefits.

The other great thing about the fats found in fish is they help one to actually lose more fat. Gram for gram, the fat found in fish has been found to be a potent fat decoupler. They help to “release” the fatty acids found in your fat cells and allow them to be put into circulation in your bloodstream.

Since your body needs fuel to exercise these fat cells can then be more easily used since they are immediately available. For this reason they are the perfect for dieters.

I recommend eating fish 2-5 times per week as well as supplementing with fish oil capsules every day. I’ve found they truly do help in your fat loss efforts – plus they’re also good for you.

3. Collard Greens

What was the first impression that came into your mind when I said collard greens? Was it an appetizing one?

Typically a traditional southern food usually eaten boiled with added ham hocks or other meat, most people are unaware of collard greens impressive fat loss potential when eaten raw (don’t turn up your nose just yet).

One of the keys to losing fat is in curbing your appetite. One of the best ways to do that is to eat foods high in fiber. Fiber slows the digestive process down and creates a feeling of fullness. These two in concert go a long way towards keeping the “munchies” at bay.

I’ve found that collard greens has one of the highest fiber content to total carbohydrate content of just about any other food around. Here’s what I mean, 2 cups of raw, chopped collard greens are only 24 calories. There are only 4 grams of carbohydrates in those 2 cups and of those 4 (and here is the key part), a full 2.5 grams are pure fiber. This means over 60% of the carbohydrates found in collard greens are fiber. No other food can come this close.

Here’s what this means to you with regard to fat loss. Fiber goes mostly unprocessed through your digestive system. This means it adds little to no “real” calories to your body, especially since your body has to work (and expend energy) in order to process it.

Now, when you eat a food that has a lot of ‘bulk’, or fiber, but little calories associated with it, you will become much less hungry. And If you don’t get hunger pangs you are less likely to sabotage your diet. Most people bust their diets because they eat too many processed foods with little to no calories. What happens is they get larger blood sugar swings which results in hunger pangs. After a few weeks of eating the wrong types of diet foods a person begins to feel as if they’re deprived. This is the mortal enemy of the dieter. Once you put yourself into a deprived state then it’s only a matter of time before you can’t take it any more and binge. By eating high fiber foods you help keep those very powerful hunger pangs at bay and will be less likely to bust your diet.

And although raw collard greens may not sound appealing to you here’s what might help. Start to think of collard greens as any other salad vegetable. Instead of using romaine lettuce for your salad use raw, chopped collard greens instead. They actually have a very mild taste and go well with other salad vegetables like finely chopped red cabbage, kale, cucumbers, sweet green and red peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Bottom line – if you’re not eating collard greens on a regular basis then you’re missing out on its very powerful health and fat loss benefits.

4. Broccoli

One of the best nutrition bets around. Not only is it a vegetable of the cruciferous family (which may help fend off cancer), but it’s a good source of vitamin C (190% of the USRDA), vitamin A (25% of the USRDA and mainly in the form of non-toxic beta carotene), and an excellent source of soluble fiber, important for keeping blood sugar levels steady and helping you lose fat.

Broccoli also has certain compounds in it that help men bind excess estrogen in their system. And too much estrogen in your system will make it much harder for you to get leaner.

Broccoli is also one of the better sources of folic acid (31% USRDA) and a good source of calcium (21% USRDA) and magnesium.

5. Blueberries

In numerous studies blueberries have been shown to be one of the highest antioxidant-containing foods in existence. Not only high in the traditional antioxidants, it also contains rare and very powerful forms of antioxidants not found typically.

And as I’ve written before, a high antioxidant intake is essential not only for health, but also for improving your results in the gym. Antioxidants such as vitamin C help reduce the muscle-destroying effects of high cortisol in your body (which is typically raised following an intense exercise session).

I personally love using them in my protein shakes. I buy bags of frozen, unsweetened blueberries and store them in my freezer. Then, when I’m ready to have a protein shake I throw 1 cup of blueberries into a blender along with my protein mix, then top it off with a couple of teaspoons of healthy essential fats. Delicious, nutritious, and results producing.

Next, get the entire list of 20 “Blueprints” I created that allowed me to dramatically transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine finally getting the body you’ve always wanted! Only available at Harry’s Blog

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