After Ann Barnes's book, Better Being: The go-to guide for healthier choices by the woman who's made the mistakes for you, landed on our desks, we were intrigued. Could there really be magic foods that could make us healthier, leaner and stronger beings? We asked Ann to fill us in on her top 10 foods we should be eating.
There are great ways to boost your metabolism and keep off the pounds by simply adding in nutrient rich food.
- Beans: They have excellent levels of protein, are a great source of fibre and contain cholecystokinin, an appetite suppressant.
- Protein: Add in egg whites, quinoa, hempseeds or lean meats and fish. Lean low fat protein increases energy and decreases snacking and food cravings. As an added bonus, it helps to build muscles that burn calories.
- Salad before meals: Eating a salad before a meal ensures that you get vitamins and minerals upfront. Get a protein boost by adding in quinoa or an Omega 3 and fibre boost by sprinkling on salvia hispanica. You will eat less of the main meal and will ensure that your digestive tract gets nicely hydrated.
- Soup: Opt for a soup as a main meal. Avoid the cream bases and choose vegetable broth bases to fill you up with healthy fibre and vitamins. Better yet? Try a Miso base instead as it has live enzymes to help you digest!
- Fruits and vegetables: The fibre will fill you up and make you feel satiated for longer. Avoid the high sugar low fibre fruits like cantaloupe or melon. Instead, reach for a pear, apple or other citrus fruit that has pectin fiber which can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Opt for celery, as it has large amounts of fibre and your body works hard to digest it. Antioxidant rich berries are natural and tasty free radical fighting fruits.
- Green tea: Not only is it an antioxidant, but it can also boost your metabolism instantly as it contains EGCG that affects the nervous system and works as an appetite suppressant. It can also help to lower the bad cholesterol levels in your body.
- Spicy foods: These are a good way to suppress appetite naturally as hot red pepper contain capsaicin which is an appetite suppressant.
- Olive oil: Opt for olive oil for salads and cooking instead of other oils. Olive oil is a monosaturated fat that will help you burn calories. For extra bang add apple cider vinegar with honey and garlic as a salad dressing for a big boost on your metabolism.
- Calcium: Calcium dense rich foods like broccoli, salba and low-fat dairy products are good choices to ensure you have your daily calcium requirements (ensure you have magnesium as well to absorb calcium). If not, your brain may send out the signals to eat more resulting in overconsumption.
- Grapefruit naturally helps to reduce insulin levels so combine it with other foods to help your body turn calories into energy instead of storing them as fat.
Ann Barnes is the author of Better Being, Co-Founder of Source Salba Inc., Co-Owner of Stealth Health Foods Inc., mother of two, keeper of chaos and multi-tasker extraordinaire.
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