Choosing the Proper Foods
It may sound obvious, but if the ingredients you use to prepare your meals are themselves highly processed and loaded with high saturated fats or sugars then there's no way you can lose weight. Only by avoiding these foods and sticking with natural, fresh foods can you get on the right track. If your weekly shopping list is filled with food that comes in boxes, cans or other packaging then it's time to throw it away and start afresh.
Your new shopping list should include foods like lean meat (organic is best), whole eggs, fresh fish, raw nuts, fresh herbs and, of course, plenty of healthy and ripe fruits and vegetables. Aim for a good variety of fruit such as bananas (a great source of potassium), apples, oranges and peaches. With vegetables, go for some leafy greens like lettuce, broccoli, spinach, plus others like carrots, capsicum, cucumber and mushrooms.
If you have a local farmer's market, try to get your food from there. Yes, it may be a little more expensive but you're supporting local farmers, and you know exactly where it came from. It will also be free from preservatives and other nasties that can cause all manner of health problems like diabetes, heart disease and weight gain. Natural foods are much more beneficial as they have little (or no) calories and plenty of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to work at its peak.
Try New Recipes, Flavors and Techniques
Grilled chicken is often touted as an ideal food for diets. Provided it's lean and has the skin removed it's a great source of protein (essential for building muscle and burning fat). Like anything though, you can't eat it every single day - you need variety to keep things interesting. However, there are literally thousands of chicken recipes out there on the web from all over the world. Search for a few and give them a try.
If you already have some favourite recipes that contain ingredients that aren't that healthy, then you can easily substitute them for better ones. For example, a pasta recipe might call for cream in its sauce. Since cream isn't great for weight loss, you can swap it for evaporated milk which is much better for you. Similarly you can add in some new flavours quite easily with spices without adding calories.
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You also don't have to cook food the same way - try some different methods. If you always fry your chicken in lots of oil, try slicing it up first and stir frying it in a little olive oil - it's much healthier. If steak is your thing, try grilling it rather than broiling it.
Eat Great and Lose Weight With These Recipes
Here are two very simple, delicious and healthy recipes for you to try. Give them a go and see how you go.
Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
This recipe is probably one of the easiest chicken drumsticks recipes you'll find. It's very versatile, very healthy and tastes great.
Also, you could use chicken thighs or even chicken wings instead of drumsticks. Just make sure you get skinless chicken to make sure it stays healthy.
What you'll need (for two people) is:
4 chicken drumsticks/thighs/wings
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Chinese Five Spice powder
Firstly, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Mix the tomato sauce/ketchup, and soy sauce together in a bowl.
Using a pastry brush, coat each piece of chicken with the sauce mixture, then place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Sprinkle a little Five Spice powder over each chicken piece. One side is fine, but you could do both sides if you like.
Place the chicken into the oven, and bake for one hour.
To serve, simply place the chicken on a plate, along with perhaps a simple green salad. Pretty simple, I'm sure you'll agree!
Sicilian Pork Penne
This recipe is an often-cooked dish of mine. I cook it regularly because it's really easy to make, tastes great and is very healthy.
What you'll need (for two people) is:
180 grams (6 ounces) pasta. I use Penne pasta, but you can have whatever you prefer.
250 grams (8 ounces) lean pork, sliced thinly.
1 small Spanish onion, sliced thinly.
1 clove of garlic, crushed.
200 grams (7 ounces) tinned chopped tomatoes.
Some fresh basil leaves, washed.
Black olives (whole or sliced is OK)
Some grated parmesan cheese.
Olive oil.
Fill a saucepan with water, and add a couple of tablespoons of salt. Stir the salt until it's completely dissolved (this stops the pasta sticking together). Bring the water to boil and then add your pasta. Cook for however long the packaging recommends.
While the pasta's cooking, add a little olive oil to your frypan and heat to a medium-high heat.
Throw in the pork strips and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until they're lightly browned. Then remove the pork and place them aside on some paper towel.
Now add the garlic, onion and tinned tomatoes to the pan. Stir continuously until the tomato juices start bubbling a little, and it all thickens up. Then turn the heat down to low.
Return the pork to the frypan and chuck in the olives and basil leaves. Mix everything together well.
When the pasta's ready, drain it and add it to the mixture in the frypan. Remove the pan from the heat and mix everything together well.
Serve into some pasta bowls, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top and enjoy.
Start Eating Great and Losing Weight - Now!
Don't forget you can change things around in these recipes - experiment, but keep it healthy! You may just find you have a knack for cooking, and you'll enjoy your food and look great into the bargain. That's what 'eat great and lose weight' is all about.
About the Author
Nick Daval is a full-time web publisher and author who has written for and created sites in various niches, particularly cooking and weight loss.
He has a special interest in male weight loss and providing men with great advice and teaching practical skills for them to get their weight under control.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7402348
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