Apples to Help Drop Those Pounds!

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Trying to drop a couple of pounds? Isn’t everyone? You’ll lose even more if you set out a plate of this before each meal: apple wedges.

Eating a bit of high-fiber fruit -- like a small apple or pear -- before each meal is a proven weight-loss booster.

Fruit Booster
There are so many weight-loss pills out now which promise to help you lose even more weight when you diet. It's possible that apple wedges could give those pills a run for the money. In a recent study where women were divided up into fruit-before-meals and no-fruit-before-meals groups, the fruit group lost more weight -- even though they all followed the same reduced-calorie diet. What is the key? Choosing fruit that's high in fiber but low in calories (like apples). Together, fiber and water keep your food bulky and soft, so it can move easily through your system without putting too much pressure on your intestines. Remember, without water, fiber often turns hard, making it difficult for the body to digest, so be sure to get enough water. The combo of fiber and water also makes you feel full, which helps your overall health, because it keeps you from eating other things that are more likely to lead to problems associated with obesity, like heart disease and diabetes.

Where can you find some good fiber? Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oats, beans, and some cereals. Your goal: 25 grams a day for women and 35 grams a day for men. And don’t forget the water.

More Waist-Shrinking Diet Tips
We know that we all need as much help as we can get when it comes to whittling our waists. Here are some other easy changes that help support that effort:

• Have a boiled egg instead of a bagel for breakfast. Eggs already have been reinstated as a health food (the major Nurses' Health Study cleared eggs of upping heart attack and stroke risk). Now there's evidence that people who scramble, boil, or poach one for breakfast -- versus eating a bagel with the same number of calories -- bypass junk-food cravings and eat fewer calories for at least 24 hours, without even trying. Thanks to what turned out to be a bad cholesterol rap, you may have avoided eggs for years. But eggs have always been a good source of nutrients and protein. And for reasons that aren't completely clear, it turns out that they make the body feel fuller longer. In one study, people with weight problems who started the day with an egg were still eating fewer calories than normal by lunch the following day.
• Change what, not how much, you eat so you walk away from a meal feeling full, not frustrated. Instead of a big bowl of spicy chili, have an equally big bowl of zesty gazpacho; instead of a wedge of berry pie, have a whole pint of juicy strawberries. In other words, cut calories and bad fats, not portions. It works, say scientists. Recent research shows that eating fresher, lighter foods while leaving portion size unchanged is a good way to lose weight. This means eating foods that have a lot of water: melon, tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, carrots, grapes, oranges, radishes -- almost any veggies you eat raw, and most fruits, as well as nonfat milk and broth-based soups. In the study, participants reported feeling satisfied after eating large portions of low-cal foods. On the other hand, when portions of high-calorie foods were reduced in an effort to lose weight, participants noted feelings of deprivation and hunger.
• Hit the snooze button. Sleep deprivation interferes with appetite-suppressing hormones, increases stress hormone levels, and decreases a person's glucose tolerance, all of which may contribute to weight gain. Another way sleep loss may help pile on the pounds: late-night munching. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day to help achieve sounder sleep. Although more research is needed to confirm the link between sleep and weight, getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can help to make you feel much younger and help improve your mood. Overweight and obese adults are more likely to report skimping on sleep compared to people with healthy body mass indexes. Expending more calories than you take in is the simple science behind any successful weight-loss program. The best way to do this is to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and boost the amount of time you spend exercising. Other habits may boost your weight loss efforts or hamper them. For example, skimping on sleep negatively alters levels of hormones involved in carbohydrate metabolism and appetite control, which may contribute to weight gain. And living a hectic, high-stress lifestyle may make it harder for you to focus on your health and may increase the likelihood that you'll make poor food choices and skip your exercise routine.

Set yourself up for success by living a balanced lifestyle, in addition to balancing calorie intake and expenditure. Follow these helpful healthy tips, and you will be well on your way to a healthier life!