Foods That Fight Fat Over 40 !!!!!

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Foods That Fight Fat Over 40

Ready to get slimmer and feel younger? Add these foods to your diet and

you'll gain nutrients as well as lose pounds. Boost the benefits of your

workout and burn more fat, faster, with these seven smart food choices. Add them

to your daily diet and you can shed about 10 pounds over the course of a year.

Water with lemon

A California study of 240 women found that dieters who replaced their

sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 3 pounds more a year than those

who didn't. Subjects who sipped more than 4 cups of water a day lost 2

additional pounds, compared with those who drank less. Plus, the phosphoric acid

in soda may contribute to bone loss—and osteoporosis—by changing the acid

balance in your blood.

High-fiber granola bars

A small British study found that women who eat a fiber-rich, high-carb

breakfast burn twice as much fat during workouts later in the day as those who

eat more refined (lower-fiber) foods. Try a granola bar with at least 4 g of

fiber, like Kashi, instead of the typical bar that contains just a single gram.

Refined carbs spike your insulin levels, which limits your body's ability to use

fat as fuel, explains Lisa Dorfman, R.D., adjunct professor at the University of

Miami.

Ground flaxseed

Flaxseed is rich in fiber and healthy fats, which help stabilize blood sugar,

so you're less likely to binge. Some research suggests flax can also help soothe

symptoms of hormone swings because it's high in plant estrogens. Ground seeds

are easier to digest. Sprinkle them over cereals, soups, or salads; add them to

smoothies; or substitute 1 cup of ground flaxseed for 1/3 cup canola, corn, or

other oil or shortening in muffins and cookies. Note: Lower oven temperature

slightly, since baked goods brown faster with flax.

Walnuts

Instead of snacking on some chips, open up a bag of nuts: Walnuts are rich in

omega-3 fatty acids, which may keep you feeling fuller longer. In a one-year

study of people with diabetes who were following a low-fat diet, Australian

researchers discovered that those who included 8 to 10 walnuts a day lost more

weight and body fat. The subjects also reduced their insulin levels, which helps

keep fat storage in check.

Hot sauce

Forget bland condiments. If you want to burn fat, spice things up. In a study

of 36 men and women, Australian researchers found that following a spicy meal,

levels of insulin—the hormone that triggers body fat storage—were lowered by as

much as 32 percent. One theory: Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their

fire, may improve the body's ability to clear insulin from the bloodstream after

you eat, so you're more likely to burn fat following a meal spiked with chile

peppers than after one that isn't packing heat.

Cinnamon

Sweeten your oatmeal or frothy coffee drinks with this sweet spice instead of

sugar (which has 16 calories per teaspoon) and you can save a couple hundred

calories a week, enough to shed 2 to 3 pounds in a year without doing anything

else. You'll also be doing your heart a favor as protective estrogen levels

decline: Pakistani researchers found that 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day could

lower heart-damaging cholesterol by 18 percent and triglycerides by 30 percent.

Salmon

Just 3 ounces of canned salmon delivers 530 IU (more than the daily value) for

vitamin D and 181 mg of calcium, a power-packed nutritional combination that may

be just what your waistline needs as you get older. In a 7-year study of more

than 36,000 women ages 50 to 79, researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that

those who took both calcium and vitamin D supplements gained less weight after

menopause than those who took a placebo. Other research shows that without

enough vitamin D, our appetite-regulating hormone leptin can't do its job. Other

fatty fish choices include tuna, sardines and mackerel.