What Are Healthy Foods

Healthy Foods That Burn Fat & Build Muscles!

 

 

 

You've just found the ultimate list of healthy foods ... :)

 

These foods are also great for helping you burn fat & build muscles because they're low in caloric density. Remember - a food could be healthy and loaded with nutrients, but very high in calories... and too much of anything - even healthy foods - can make you fat.

 

On the other hand, a food could be low in calories, but void of nutrients, so it might help you lose fat, but will do nothing for your health.Why not get the best of both worlds? Why not get a healthy and lean body?

 

Don't ask who I am, only special person will receive this valuable article of mine :) This is no craps but solely pure facts, all based on our group discussion and research. You are lucky today!!! My partners and I, in fact do not like to spoon fed our training partners but we want them to be independent and at times do some research on their own. We are a group of natural body builders, nutritionists and dieticians. Some like to call us Body Sculptors. We may not be well-known in this industry but we certainly know what we preach. We are NOT CHEAP to engage as your Personal Trainers, we are EXPENSIVE indeed and HIGHLY QUALIFIED :).. However, we can be the modern Robin Hoods. Please don't ask us about steroids, it would be an insult to us!!! We don't use steroids and we take the same approach toward everything else we put in my body - it has to be natural - and healthy.

 

I believe that if you look fantastic on the outside, but you're not equally fantastic on the inside (optimal health) and if that doesn't express itself in high levels of energy, mental sharpness and zest for life, then you're not fully successful. What I'm saying is, success is NOT just about the body fat percentage or the six pack abs :) Everyone has to agree with us!!!

 

But I also think if you are healthy, but you settle for less than the body shape and body weight you really want, then YOU are also not successful.

 

That's why we are deeply interested in researching foods that help you get both healthier and leaner (and even more muscular, if that's your goal as well).

 

So without further ado (sounded like a speech eh :p ), let's talk about these healthy foods that help you burn fat!

 

It is VERY difficult to provide a list of healthy foods that applies to everyone. In fact, It's impossible. Here's why:

 

What if you're vegetarian? If you don't eat meat, then that's one food off the list. What if you're lactose intolerant? if you can't digest milk products, that's another food off the list. Some people have problems with gluten. Everyone is different. Please remember THIS! Even it applies to exercises....

 

Not to mention, I have no idea what YOU like to eat! You have to pick foods you enjoy, or you'll never stick with your nutrition plan. So there really is no single perfect list of healthy foods. One person's preference is another's poison :) Agree?

 

So how am I going to tackle this list? Simple: I'm going to assume you're reasonably healthy and have no intolerances or restrictions. If there's something you can't/won't eat, then don't eat it! It's that simple! Dispense with the "expert gurus" who insist you must follow a tightly restricted food list. That's nonsense. Simply use the lists below to pick and choose the foods you DO like.

 

Healthy Protein Foods

 

Here's a trick from bodybuilders that you can use even if you're not a bodybuilder: Start every meal by choosing a lean protein source. If you're vegetarian, you'll have to choose plant-based protein sources, but for most of us, protein means animal products - meat, fish and dairy.

 

Many people believe that meat products are unhealthy. This is totally false! It's all about what kind of meat you choose.

 

First, stay away from processed meats - that means deli lunch meats and also the meat at fast food restaurants, famous KFC, McD, Jolly, Popeye and etc (you would have a "bird" if you saw the list of artificial additives in a McDonalds Chicken Breast - it's not pure chicken breast - it's "fake" meat) .. so you think you are young?

 

Second, to keep the calories down (to help you burn fat), choose the leanest cuts of meat you can find. For example, turkey breast instead of thighs or a top round steak instead of a big prime rib.

 

Third, if you can fit it in your budget, choose grass-fed beef, which has a healthier fatty acid profile (healthier ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids).. Also you are getting to know why some grass fed or organics stuff are so costly.. :)

• Chicken breast (the real bird, not fast food meat!)
• Turkey breast (the real bird, not sliced lunch meat!)
• Game meats (venison, elk, etc)
• Bison/buffalo (is often leaner than regular beef)
• Very lean red meat such as top round and lean sirloin (grass fed is especially nutritious)
• Almost all types of fish (warning: a few, like swordfish, tilefish and some types of tuna are known to be contaminated with mercury)
• Salmon (one of the healthiest foods you can eat due to the high omega-3 fatty acid content - choose wild salmon over farmed)
• Shellfish and other seafood
• Eggs (you can even eat whole eggs in moderation, within your calorie limit - the yolk contains a highly bioavailable source of lutein and xeaxanthin, carotenoids which help protect against cataracts and macular degeneration)
• Dairy products, if you are not lactose intolerant (choose low or nonfat dairy to save calories)

Healthy Fibrous Vegetables and Green Foods (aka, "fibrous carbs")

 

The next healthy food to put into every healthy meal is a green food or fibrous vegetable. Among the vegetables, fibrous carbs are the ultimate health and fat loss food.

 

Fibrous carbs and green veggies are packed with fiber, micronutrients, phytonutrients, plus they are extremely low in calorie density. It's almost impossible to overeat fibrous carbs and greens.

 

Here's a list of some of the most popular fibrous carbs

• broccoli
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Brussel Sprouts
• Green Beans
• Bell Peppers (green or red)
• Zucchini (summer squash)
• Tomatoes, natural tomato sauce, salsa
• Lettuce and other salad greens (darker the better)
• Kale
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Onions
• ALL other green and fibrous carbs

Healthy Fruits ("Natural Simple Carbs)

 

You've heard it said a thousands times: eat more fruits and veggies, and you can't hear it often enough. It's saddening that low carb fanatics actually put restrictions on fruits. They are another nutritional powerhouse. The fructose in fruit is the naturally-occuring kind, and there's not that much of it, so you can relax; it's NOT the same thing as high fructose corn syrup.

 

I would give you a list of fruits, but I'm sure you know what they are and you already have your favorite types. Just two tips: Watch out for dried fruit. One of the reasons fruit is healthy and helps you burn fat is because it is high in fiber and high in water content. When you remove the water you increase the calorie density. High calorie density foods should be limited.

 

That goes for fruit juice too - if you drink fruit juice, keep it to small quantities. Fruit juice is calorie dense, it has had the fiber and pulp removed and doesn't activate the satiety centers in your brain like whole food does. Remember THIS esp ladies!!!!!

• ALL fruits (Except as above)

Healthy Non-Starchy Vegetables and Natural Whole Grains

 

The Next Category of healthy foods is the natural starchy carbohydrates and the natural whole grains. Its a shame that the low carb diet craze has caused people to fear these foods because many of them are nutritional stars, loaded with fiber and micronutrients.

 

Having said that, you have to be a little more careful here because starchy carbs and grains are more calorie dense than fibrous carbs and most fruits. Tip: load up on the lean proteins, fibrous carbs and fruits first, and then add in these starchy carbs and grains as your calorie needs allow. If you're highly active or in hard training, you'll be able to manage a lot more from this category.

• Sweet potatoes (or yams)
• White potatoes
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal (the natural, unsweetened kind!)
• Black eye peas
• lentils
• Squash
• Peas
• chick peas
• beans all kinds: black, pinto, navy, kidney, etc
• Quinoa (a natural whole grain)
• 100% whole grain bread and pasta products (use in moderation - even though they are made with the whole grain, they are lightly processed and calorie dense)

Healthy Fats

 

Just like the low carb craze created a cult of anti-carb zealots, back in the 1980's and into the 1990's, the diet mantra was "fat makes you fat." Even doctors said so. They were wrong. Again I want you to REMEMBER this. My group of buddies, we drink oil!!!!! And that's our fuel!!!!

 

Dietary fat can only be called fattening in the sense that it's the most calorie dense of all the macronutrients. Protein has 4 calories per gram (soon will be revised to 3.2 :) trust me! The world still denies this). Carbs have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram. With more than twice the calories per gram, it's easy to overconsume calories from high fat foods.

 

However, fat won't make you fat if you're in a calorie deficit. In fact, certain types of fats, particularly the omega-3 fats, which are found in high concentrations in fatty fish, are among the healthiest foods you could eat. Healthy fats are also found in nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens and certain healthy, unprocessed oils.

 

Stay away from trans fats and also refined oils! Most people know to limit the amount of white sugar and white flour they eat, but it doesn't dawn on them that processed oils are the equivalent - call them white oils if you wish, referring to the fact that they've been refined and stripped of nutritional value.

 

• Fatty fish (Wild alsakan salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout
• Fish oil supplements (if you don't eat fatty fish)
• flaxseeds (ground)
• flaxseed oil (as a supplement, not for cooking)
• extra virgin olive oil
• extra virgin coconut oil (for cooking; NOT hydrogenated varieties)
• walnuts
• Almonds
• other nuts
• seeds
• Avocados
• Olives
• Natural peanut butter or nut butters (NOT the sugar-sweetened kind)

That's it for today! I hope you found this helpful.

 

Cheers!!!