Healthy Foods for Summer
It happens like clockwork every year. There’s a point where everyone realizes they need to get into the best shape they can before Summer rolls around. With this realization comes the last ditch effort to lose all of the weight that was gained during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and every other holiday where we stuff our faces. But many don’t actually know what exactly is best to eat when you reach this point. A lot of us just end up eating the wrong foods. Here are some foods that can help you lose weight while also being enjoyable to eat.
Honey – Honey can be a great substitute for refined sugar. These refined sugars contain a lack of minerals and vitamins which in the long run can cause high cholesterol and even obesity. Honey on the other hand is a natural sweetener that has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
Mushrooms – Adding mushrooms to a meal can be very beneficial. Eating Well Magazine reported “Research reports that when people ate mushroom-based entrees, they felt just as satisfied as when they’d eaten those same dishes made with beef—though they’d taken in a fraction of the calories of fat.” When mushrooms are exposed to UV rays they produce vitamin D. Vitamin D lowers blood pressure, reduce risk of diabetes and even lower your risk of a heart attack. You can accomplish this by putting your mushrooms on a windowsill before cooking them on a sunny day or even placing them under a UVB bulb for a short period of time.
Black Beans – Packing 15 grams of protein, a cup of black beans doesn’t contain any of the saturated fats found in other protein sources such as red meat. Black beans are a great source of cholesterol, which help with cardiovascular health. The iron that they contain also increases your energy level and their antioxidants help protect the human body from cancer.
Dark Chocolate – Studies show that eating a small amount of chocolate a few days a week can lower your blood pressure. It can also improve blood flow, preventing blood clots from forming. The improved blood flow carries more blood to the heart and brain. This helps with cardiovascular and cognitive functions.
Apples – The saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” isn’t joking. Research proves that apples are one of the healthiest foods to add to your diet. Apples are packed with antioxidants, vitamin c, phytonutrients and dietary fiber. All of these put together lower your risk of eventually developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
With the help of all of these different foods along with the countless other healthy options, you could easily be losing weight for the summer and be the best weight of your life.
Forrest Garland
Sources: Benefits of Honey, Fat releasing food, health.com, Yahoo health