Natural Weight Loss Foods
Natural Weight-Loss Food: Grapefruit
No, grapefruit is not a calorie-free fruit, as some diets would have you believe. Despite its reputation as a “fat-burner, ” grapefruit has no special ability to burn away excess fat. But it is low in calories, and its soluble fiber content is decent enough to fill you up, discouraging you from overeating.
So yes, grapefruit can help you lose weight, just not as easily as some would say. And it’s nutritious, to boot. Grapefruit is a tart-tasting fruit not everyone enjoys. But for those who do, grapefruit offers a lot of nutrition for few calories.
Health Benefits
Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Pink and red grapefruit are good sources of disease-fighting beta-carotene. If you peel and eat a grapefruit like you would an orange, you get a good dose of cholesterol- lowering pectin from the membranes — the same soluble fiber that fills you up by dissolving in water and creating gels. As a member of the citrus family, grapefruit is also a storehouse of powerful phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenes, and limonoids. These naturally occurring substances may have cancer-preventing properties.
Nutritional Values
Grapefruit, Pink or Red
Serving Size: 1/2 fruit
Calories: 52
Fat: <1 g
Saturated: Fat 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 13 g
Protein: 1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Vitamin A: 1,414 IU
Niacin: <1 mg
Vitamin C: 38 mg
Potassium: 166 mg
Carotenoids: 2,589 mcg
Pink grapefruit contain a carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene helps protect cell membranes and may suppress tumor growth, especially prostate tumors.
Selection and Storage
Grapefruit isn’t picked unless it’s fully ripe, making selection a no-brainer. However, choose ones that are heavy for their size; they’re juiciest. And avoid those that are soft or mushy, or oblong rather than round. They are generally of poorer quality — possibly pithy and less sweet. The difference in taste among white, red, and pink varieties of grapefruit is minimal; they are equally sweet (and equally tart). Store grapefruit in your refrigerator’ s crisper drawer; they’ll keep for up to two months
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Natural Weight-Loss Foods: Mushrooms
When you’re trying to lose weight, calories are the name of the game. And mushrooms provide a big blast of deliciousness for very few calories. When watching your weight, it’s important to take out the fat, not the flavor.
Mushrooms are standard fare in Asian cultures, and Americans are learning to appreciate them for their texture and flavor. They are low in fat and sodium, and they contain a super-powerful flavor enhancer called glutamic acid, the same amino acid (a building block of protein) found in MSG (monosodium glutamate). Besides lending wonderful flavor to foods, mushrooms contribute more nutrition than you might think.
Health Benefits
Mushrooms provide an unusual array of nutrients, not unlike those in meat, making them a particularly appropriate food for vegetarians. Cooked mushrooms are an unexpected protein source, which, even though incomplete, is easily complemented by grains. They also shine in iron, riboflavin, and niacin; offer decent amounts of potassium, selenium, copper, and zinc; and they are full of fiber.
Nutritional Values
Button Mushrooms:
Fresh, Cooked
Serving Size: 1/2 cup pieces
Calories: 21
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 4 g
Protein: 2 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Riboflavin: <1 mg
Niacin: 4 mg
Iron: 1 mg
Potassium: 277 mg
Zinc: 1 mg
Selenium: 9 mcg
Selenium is helpful for the body’s glutathione peroxidase, which is a potent antioxidant. Another powerful antioxidant, a phytochemical called L-ergothioneine, is plentiful in portabella and crimini mushrooms (crimini are a common, brownish variety of button mushrooms) and is not destroyed by cooking.
When possible, stick to cooked mushrooms. They’re higher in nutrients than raw mushrooms; for the same volume, you get two, three, or even four times the nutrients. That’s because cooking removes water from mushrooms, concentrating nutrients and flavor. Moreover, hydrazines, which are toxic natural compounds in raw mushrooms, are eliminated when mushrooms are cooked or dried.
Some researchers have found that cooked enoki, oyster, shiitake, pine, and straw mushrooms, as well as the more popular button mushrooms, have antitumor activity. Wood-ear mushrooms exhibit blood-thinning properties that may help prevent the dangerous clotting that contributes to heart disease.
Selection and Storage
All supermarkets stock the white button mushroom, and many have expanded their selection to include the popular shiitake; trumpet-shaped chanterelle; sprout-like enoki; small, brown, intensely-flavored, spongy-capped morel; huge oyster; hearty-flavored portobello; and crunchy, often dried, Chinese wood-ear.
When selecting button mushrooms, look for those with caps that extend completely down to the stems, with no brown “gills” showing. If mushrooms have “opened,” meaning the gills are showing, they are older and won’t last as long. They are perfectly acceptable to use, but they’ll have a stronger flavor. The color should be creamy white or soft tan. Avoid those that have dark-brown soft spots or long, woody stems. Growers used to add sulfites to the packages to maintain their white color for longer periods of time, but this practice was discontinued, which is good news for those who are allergic to these additives. Mushrooms like cool, humid, circulating air. So store them in a paper bag or ventilated container in your refrigerator, but not in the crisper drawer. Do not store them in a plastic bag; otherwise they’ll get slimy. Mushrooms only last a couple of days, but you can still use them for flavoring even after they’ve turned brown.
A caution: Picking wild mushrooms can be hazardous to your health. There are too many poisonous varieties that fool even the most experienced foragers. So play it safe and stick to cultivated varieties of wild mushrooms.
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I love grapefruit!! Good blog