By adding these Bootcamp foods to your diet you'll lose pounds while making smart eating choices
Make your workout count and burn fat faster with these seven extra nutritional food choices.
Cinnamon
Add this Bootcamp spice to your hot cereal or coffee drinks instead of sugar and you can shave off a couple hundred calories a week, enough to shed 2 to 3 pounds in a year. Researchers from Pakistan discovered that 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day can lower cholesterol by 18% and triglycerides by 30%. Do not mistake getting your cinnamon fix from the famous Cinabon at your favorite mall because it has a whopping 813 calories per roll which is the equivalent to eating 7 bowls of Fruit Loops!
Granola bars
A small study from Britain found that women who eat a fiber-rich, high-carb breakfast burn 2 times as much fat during workouts later in the day as those who eat more refined (lower-fiber) foods. Instead of eating the typical bar that contains just a single gram of fiber, try a Bootcamp granola bar with at least 4 g of fiber. 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. Be sure to read the ingredients on the box to avoid buying granola bars with palm or coconut oils which are high in saturated fats!
Ground flaxseed
Flaxseed is rich in fiber and healthy fats, which help maintain blood sugar levels, so you're less likely to feel the need to binge. Some research suggests flax can also help ease symptoms of hormone highs and lows because it's high in plant estrogens. Ground seeds are easier for your body to digest. Sprinkle Bootcamp flaxseeds 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. To keep it fresh longer, refrigerate you opened container of flaxseed!
Hot sauce
Spice up your food if you want to burn fat. In a small Australian study with 36 men and women, researchers found that after a spicy meal the levels of insulin, the hormone that triggers body fat storage, were lowered by as much as 32%. It is thought that Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chiles hot, may improve the body's capacity to remove insulin from the bloodstream after a meal, so you're more apt to burn fat after a Bootcamp meal with chile peppers than after one without. For a constant and sure supply, try growing your own chiles, harvesting them, and stringing them up until thoroughly dried!
Salmon
Eating just 3 ounces of Bootcamp canned salmon delivers 530 IU (more than the daily value) for vitamin D and 181 mg of calcium. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente held a 7-year study of more than 36,000 women ages 50 to 79 and found that those who took both calcium and vitamin D supplements gained less weight after menopause than those who took a placebo. Other studies show that our appetite-regulating hormone leptin can't do its job if we don't get enough vitamin D. Salmon patties are quick to fix and very tastee too!
Walnuts
Bootcamp Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and can help you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. In an Australian study conducted over a year, people with diabetes followed a low-fat diet and a discovery was made. Those people who ate 8 to 10 walnuts per day lost more weight and body fat. The members of the study also lowered their insulin levels, which helps keep fat storage in check. Have a "walnut crackfest" around the table and invite your family and friends to help! Freeze your walnut supply and take a daily ration in your lunch!
Water
A study from California involving 240 women found that those who substituted their sugary drinks for water lost an average of 3 pounds more a year than those who didn't. Women who drank more than a quart of water a day lost 2 extra pounds, compared with those who drank less. Another plus for drinking water, the phosphoric acid in soda may add to bone loss?and osteoporosis?by changing the acid balance in your blood. Add this Bootcamp tip to your daily nutritional program. Carry a bottle of water with you where ever you go!
Adding these 7 Bootcamp nutritional ideas can help you wage the war on your weight loss program.
Zach Hunt is a Spokane Bootcamp foods that fight fat over 50 expert, personal trainer and owner of Physzique, a fitness coaching service in Spokane, WA. Go here: Personal Trainer Spokane WA for more fitness tips.
