Thermogenic Superfoods

Thermogenic superfoods are food that require additional calories to be broken down, leading to the raised metabolism and more calories being used. Thermogenic foods are also very high in fiber, which causes a person to become fuller faster. Simply because of the low calorie content and high fiber, thermogenic foods assist in weight loss. Basically, Superfoods diet is relying on lots of foods that demand more calories to be digested than the exact caloric value of the food, thus burning up stored fat from one's body. Body needs energy for body heat and energy to breakdown the food you eat. Food that we eat uses body organs such as muscles, digestive juices, intestines, liver, blood cells, pancreas, etc. A 360 calorie piece of birthday cake may require 90 calories to be broken down resulting in a net gain of 270 calories to be incorporated into your fat storage. On the other hand, a 28 calorie katabolic food may call for 95 calories to breakdown, resulting in a net loss of 67 calories off your stored fat deposit. Diets based on katabolic nutrients result in impressive weight losses of the real fat from the body.

Plant foods that burn more calories than they contain are:

• Celery

• Strawberries

• Oranges

• Tangerines

• Carrots

• Apricots

• Grapefruit

• Lettuce

• Cucumbers

• Tomatoes

• Watermelon

• Cauliflower

• Hot Chili Peppers • Apples

• Zucchini

As you can see, all this particular foods are on the Superfoods main list and all of this foods have plenty of fiber. Many green veggies are thermogenic foods, particularly the ones that include the great percentage of water and fiber.

Broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are green veggies that are common thermogenic foods. Celery is also a great additional example of thermogenic food mainly because it is primarily made of water and Fiber. The body requires more energy to digest these foods than the quantity of energy they provide.

Green tea has two significant chemicals - polyphenols called the catechins and caffeine. Both these chemical substances are known to promote thermogenesis. Apart from these two chemicals, green tea is also high in catechin known as epigallocatechingallate, a compound that enhances the process of thermogenesis. The gymnemic acid and cannatic extracts in green tea decrease the assimilation of sugar into your blood. Green tea also suppress your body's ability to digest carbs. As you likely know, sugar and high glycemic index carbs are two of the main factors of weight gain.

Coconut oil is as well one of thermogenic food. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil hold off the buildup of fat in the body. Coconut oil therefore promotes thermogenesis. A British study has discover that adding chili and MCT (coconut oil) to meals boost thermogenesis by over 50 percent that with time may cumulate to help promote weight loss and restrict weight gain.

Eating ginger has anti-hypertensive, glucose-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory and stimulatory effects on the gastrointestinal tract.

Cinnamon is a thermogenic spice that assists and influence blood sugar levels. Suggested daily consumption of 1 g of cinnamon in individuals with type 2 diabetes has been discovered to reduce blood sugar, LDL “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol levels.

A protein-rich diet is recognized as enhancer of thermogenic process (unlike high-fat or high carbohydrate diets). As an example, study shows that there is a 6 to 8 percent boost in energy expenditure with carb meals, 3 percent boost with fat, and a tremendous 25 to 40 percent with protein based meals. Lean proteins

are an awesome example of thermogenic foods. Lean proteins are located in foods such as chicken breast, turkey, buffalo, lean red meat like sirloin or top round, bison and other game meats. A really good source of lean proteins comes from seafood like shellfish and almost every different kind of fish. Some researchers found that people whose diets consisted of more protein not only increased thermogenesis (ie. their metabolism), but also enhanced their satiety and assisted in the maintenance of an all-around leaner body mass. Simply said, it takes a lot of body energy to digest lean proteins.

Celery is one of the greatest thermogenic foods. First of all, it is really low in calories which is why it is a really popular food for those on a diet. It also helps burn off more calories simply because of its thermogenic effect. Celery has a really mild taste that makes it simple to include in any meals. You can also dip it in low-fat yogurt or low-fat farmers’ cheese toned down with some yogurt for a delicious snack.

Perhaps the most recognized thermogenic foods are spices such as chili pepper or cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum). In fact, such spices can boost your metabolic rate by 25% because they contain capsaicin, chemical compound that speeds up the metabolism and dilates the blood vessels. So, if you frequently eat spicy hot dishes, then you are definitely helping your weight loss. If you can’t stand hot food but you want the capsaicin benefits, you can use capsaicin supplement.

Hot foods are not the only thermogenic foods. Consuming ice water can also possess a thermogenic effect on the body. This is mainly because your body has to work harder in order to deal with the cold temperature. Nevertheless, make sure that you don't consume ice cold water with your meals as it can disturb your digestion.

Probiotic Superfoods

There has been recently a lot of fascination with probiotic foods, thanks to studies signifying that friendly bacteria might help to deal with or prevent an array of problems: from irritable bowel syndrome to stomach upset and diarrhea to constant inflammation — the underlying cause of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Sauerkraut keeps fresh for months and delivers outstanding health benefits in the form of probiotics and nutrients that the cabbage in its natural form doesn't have.

Every research carried out on overweight people focused on gut bacteria, discovered higher instances of "bad" bacteria and reduced levels of probiotics amongst these people. Keeping the preferred ratio of "good bacteria" to "bad bacteria" is now getting appreciation as perhaps the most important step you can take to defend your health and fat loss goals.

These are the signs that your digestive bacterial harmony is beginning to go out of control:

•  Gas and bloating

•  Acid reflux

•  A failure to lose weight

•  Skin problems

•  Overall sickness

•  Headaches

•  Constipation and/or diarrhea

•  Urinary tract infections

•  Sugar cravings, particularly for heavily refined carbohydrates

•  Trouble sleeping

Perfect healthy ratio of "good" to "bad" bacteria is 85% to 15%, or 9 to 1. How can you re-balance your intestine bacteria ratio and begin experiencing weight loss advantages for yourself? You need to eat more probiotic food and reduce

your sugar, artificial sweeteners, antacids, processed food, laxatives and antibiotic consumption. Superfoods proposed are yogurt, any fermented vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers), kefir and kimchee. Now, make sure that you know the distinction between pickled and naturally fermented.

Pickled means that the vegetables are preserved in various acidic liquids, commonly vinegar. But these vegetables are NOT fermented and do not provide the probiotic and enzymatic benefits of naturally fermented vegetables. Simple home recipe for fermented vegetables includes salt and water and process of fermentation produces its own acidic liquid as a by-product. So, naturally fermented vegetables are both fermented and pickled.

Lactobacilli discovered in all vegetables are triggering fermentation and lactic acid is the one that pickles and preserves the vegetables. It also boosts health:

• Improves the vitamin content of the food.

• Heightens nutrient bio-availability in the body.

• Preserves and at times boost the enzyme content of the food.

• Heightens the digestibility of the food and even cooked foods that are eaten along with it!

Manufacturing preservation of veggies is done by high temperature and pressure and that damages nutrients. Make sure that you meticulously check whether the store purchased pickled veggies are factory pickled or naturally fermented. You will most likely find some naturally fermented food in health food shops. Check the description in any case and if it includes vinegar, it's most likely fake, since vinegar is used in mass Manufacturing. You can with ease make your own at home; it's quick, easy and inexpensive.

Fermented foods are high in "good" probiotic bacteria, and their intake will help stabilize your total gut bacteria ratio. The next step is to eliminate pretty much all sugar in your diet. Consuming sugar laden foods in fact feeds the bad or pathogenic bacteria, yeast and fungi in your intestine, which can in fact have more of a damaging influence on your Health than sugars influence on blood sugar and insulin resistance. What's more, artificial sweeteners are worse than ordinary sugar because they have chlorine that kills off the good bacteria in your intestine just like chlorine KILLS microorganisms in swimming pools.

Sauerkraut and Kim Chee are age-old Superfoods that are starting to make a comeback mainly because of their unique taste and advantages of 'good bacteria'. Fresh cabbage is full of bacteria needed to lacto ferment itself. Sauerkraut fermentation procedure is accomplished with lactic acid bacteria handling cabbage sugar in a process comparable to how yogurt is made. Just like yogurt, the fermentation process makes cabbage much healthier and more digestible than the plant is in its primary form. In addition to producing a naturally occurring probiotic supplement, fermentation adds other nurturing benefits as well. Cabbage in its raw form includes materials called 'goitrogens' that can block the production of thyroid hormone, but goitrogens are decreased or eliminated through the fermentation process. This is very significant for people who suffer from low thyroid. Those people should eat additional sauerkraut or cooked cabbage rather than raw cabbage. I’m one of those folks and I try to have raw cabbage incorporated in my salad only 2-3 times a week. Sauerkraut is in fact higher in B vitamins than cabbage, especially in vitamin B12, and that makes sauerkraut an ideal food for vegans. Just as kimchi, sauerkraut is high in vitamin C and intestinal enzymes. It is also a great source of all-natural lactic acid bacteria such as pediococcus and lactobacillus.

If you’re purchasing sauerkraut in a container, make sure that it says 'Raw' or 'Unpasteurized' in order to make certain that it's a 'living' food with worthwhile bacteria. Even better, homemade sauerkraut is an uncomplicated and inexpensive way to get an excellent natural probiotic 'supplement' that won't call for taking any pills, powders or potions.

One of the very best probiotic foods is live-cultured yogurt, particularly homemade. Search for Greek low-fat yogurt or check goat’s milk yogurt that has been blended with probiotics like lactobacillus or acidophilus. Goats’ milk and cheese are especially high in probiotics like bifudus, bulgaricus, thermophillus and acidophilus. Double-check the ingredients list, as not all yogurt is made equally. Some prominent brands are filled with high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial sweeteners, so they are basically sweet, unhealthy ice cream. Choose Greek or plain low-fat as an alternative. If however, you don’t like the taste of probiotic foods, you can use supplement.

The Health Benefits of Probiotics:

• Calms colon discomfort following surgical procedure

•  Boosted immune system response

•  Relieves negative effects of consuming many types of antibiotics

•  Helps to support healthful skin in youth

•  Boost ability to absorb the nutrients from food

•  Enhanced ability to digest food

•  Acts as a treatment for bad breath (halitosis)

•  Decreases lactose intolerance

•  Decreases incidence of vaginitis, candidiasis and yeast infections

•  Therapeutic for upper respiratory problems

•  Relieves many common digestive disorders such as constipation, diarrhea and

IBS

•  Improves ability to absorb calcium

•  Improves ability to synthesize vitamin B

Bitter Foods

As I have previously said, my taste changed considerably when I quit eating refined food. It took me perhaps 10-15 days to observe the change. My sugar urges ended almost entirely. And I learned to enjoy the bitter taste in coffee, wines, cocoa, and dark green leafy vegetables. So, my coffee consuming habits transformed from double cream and double sugar to double cream with stevia throughout my Atkins period and after I began superfoods diet, it transformed to pure black. My chocolate taste transformed from milk chocolate to dark chocolate and subsequently to extra dark (85% cocoa becoming the favored one). Also, chocolate intake went from 8-12 squares of milk chocolate to 1 or 2 squares of dark chocolate. My wine consuming habit modified from Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon, which kind of I could not stand previously because of intense tannins. Now Merlot tastes dull to me. My cocoa consuming habits altered from cacao with milk and sugar to cacao with only a dash of milk and subsequently to pure cacao. I believed that this would be the really last thing that I might have to either sweeten only a little bit or to use only a little bit of cream or milk to take the very top off the bitterness. But today, I take pleasure in pure cacao with hot water.

The exact same story is with bitter greens. I did not like them a lot before and I have constantly seasoned them in order to play-down the bitterness. Bitter greens possess phytonutrients that assist the liver as it does its job handling cholesterol, detoxifying the blood and balancing hormones. Bitter greens are awesome sources of the vitamins A, C, and K and minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They are also very high in foliate and fiber and low in sodium and fat.

The bitter taste:

•  is anti-toxic. It is antibacterial and antiviral so it assists with detox of the body

•  detoxifies your liver • kills germs

•  assists with skin disorders • increases the firmness of the skin and muscles

•  decrease fever

•  assists digestion and minimizes intestinal gas.