Eat Your New Year's Resolution

Top of the list item for New Year's Resolutions appears to be losing weight, hands down. Because the winter is a time when people usually eat more during the colder months, the best strategy is to eat nutrient-dense foods along with fiber to fill you up. What you end up doing is eating more to weigh less. By eating the right foods to rev up your metabolism and burn more calories than you consume, you can drop pounds without feeling like you're surviving on pine floats.

We all want to be slimmer so that when summer rolls around, we're not rolling around. We are naturally encouraged by success and weight loss is no different. When we see the scale drop or the measuring tape draw in more, we want to carry on. Being satisfied when you are finished your meal, helps tremendously. To that end, here are foods that experts claim will help you keep your New Year's Resolution, dissolve your muffin waist, reduce your love handles and flatten your belly:

• Grass-fed beef is an entirely different kettle of fish than beef you buy in the regular supermarket, which has such a bad reputation. Adding grass-fed beef to your plate has been shown to result in greater weight loss calorie for calorie that eating little or no beef. If your broil the meat and slice it thinly on top of a mixed green and veggie salad or in fajitas or stir-fry, you will have a winning fat-loss combination.
• In a study at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, people who ate an egg for breakfast lost up to twice as much weight as those who didn't. Adding protein to your morning meal actually makes you less hungry later in the day, which could make you over eat later, researchers say.
• Green stuff can be hard to eat for some people and kale is no exception. It used to be used as a garnish on plated food but it is a superfood really, with the amount of nutrient it contains. Try washing the kale and pulling it off the stems then shredding it finely, with a knife. Squeeze a lemon and mix it with a clove of minced garlic and equal amounts of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix it all together and marinate overnight. The flavor combination may surprise you. Another fun option is to make kale chips.
• Some foods are comfort foods and oatmeal is one of them. Oat is one of those grains that digest slowly so you feel satisfied longer. Avoid the instant oatmeal if you can, as a lot of the nutrients have been processed out. Adding a little almond milk is a satisfying breakfast.
• Lentils are a wonderful and filling source of protein and soluble fiber. Their versatile nature and bland flavor allows them to take on the flavors of what they are cooked in. You can add cooked lentils to pasta sauce, soups, stews, even egg dishes. You can use them on one of your meatless days and you will still feel satisfied.
• Two surprising sources of protein are goji berries and Brussels sprouts. They both have as much or more beta-carotene as carrots. Goji berries come dried and are available in the bulk food section. Eat them as an afternoon snack and their protein content will carry you through to dinner and at 35 calories per tablespoon, you have a nice skinny snack. The Brussels sprouts can be steamed and seasoned with something like Mrs Dash Herb and Garlic, then refrigerated. They too, can be used as an afternoon snack for a nice change.
• Cold water fish oils have been proven to be heart healthy and slimming, too. To get the skinny on fish, choose wild oily varieties like wild salmon to get your RDA of omega-3 fatty acids. Not only is a fish portion filling, it helps with insulin sensitivities if you have blood sugar imbalances.
• We all know the old saying about eating an apple a day, but new evidence suggests that the high fiber content in the apples makes them a filling and nutritious snack. Besides, the antioxidants in apples reduce the signs of premature aging as they destroy free radicals in the body. You don't need any fine lines to go with that new body you're renovating.
• Buckwheat is one of those grains that has a surprising amount of protein, so it is very filling and satisfying to eat. Buckwheat pasta is a good choice as it can be made into a variety of dishes. Combine it with wild salmon and a red pepper sauce, for a colorful and nutritious meal.
• One of the most nutritious fruits to eat are blueberries with one of the highest antioxidant contents of any fruit and, they are loaded with fiber. Top your oatmeal with them or add them to your salad, if you don't eat them from the bowl, because they taste so good.
• Nut butters are wonderful additions to a diet to moderate blood sugars and keep them more even. Spikes in blood sugar elicit an insulin response that can build belly fat. Because nut butters are high in fat, portion control is the best option. Almond and cashew butters are the most alkaline and the best for you.
• One of the most fun fruits to eat are pomegranates. The kernels are full of antioxidants and folate, in addition to being high in fiber. They are actually low in calories so you can eat them to satisfy your sweet tooth without adding to your middle.
• Adding a little spice to your meal in the form chilis causes your body to heat up and burn extra calories. Adding a little heat to your food encourages you to eat more slowly, so you get the feeling that your are full sooner than if you eat more quickly. Another strategy to shrink that waist.
• Plain yogurt seems to have the perfect balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates. In a recent study, people who ate a low calorie diet that included yogurt actually lost move body fat and belly fat than those on equivalent calories without the yogurt. It reduces hunger and steadies the blood sugar.
• Quinoa is one of the most stable foods, keeping all of its nutrition even when it is cooked. Because it is full of protein and fiber, it will keep you full for hours. It is a good rice substitute for stir-fries or cereal.
• One canned food that is on the slim-jim hot list is sardines. If you can find them packed in olive oil or water, they are your best choice. They are packed with slimming protein and omega-3 fats which help the body maintain muscle while you are slimming. If you don't like the fishy taste, soak them for about an hour, in milk, then feed the fishy milk to your cat. Sardines are top feeder fish so they are lower in mercury and high in calcium because you eat the bones.
• Add fresh herbs to your diet. Not only do fresh herbs add awesome flavor to your salads, they can be snipped over steamed vegetables or any meats that you have cooked. You can even use them as a rub, thus reducing the amount or water-retaining salt that makes your body hold water. You don't need to carry water weight, it makes you feel bloated.
• Studies show that people who ate one serving of whole milk or cheese daily, gained less weight than that those who didn't. By eating a serving of flavorful parmesan cheese, people were satisfied with one serving and were less likely to overeat. Parmesan is best, grated over vegetables, baked potatoes, soups or pasta for a flavorful slimming meal.
• One of my favorite foods is avocados. They are so versatile and so satisfying to eat. I make a creamy salad dressing by mashing them with lemon juice and a little olive oil for a healthy fat addition to my sandwiches and salads.
• I love olive oil and it has healthy fat too. Fats make you feel fuller, so good fats make you feel full and healthy both at the same time. Olive oil seems to have anti-inflammatory effects, according to researchers, so to slim down and reduce silent inflammation in your body, add a little olive oil. It will enhance the antioxidant properties of your veggies and improve your heart health while you turn skinny.

As you can see, there are so many slimming foods that are so good for you that you can add to your food regimen. You will feel satisfied and full, while you lose your tub. These foods are so good for you that you may feel better than you have ever felt. Imagine, feeling great and thinner, both at the same time.

Editor's Note: Jean Perrins is a former nurse and admitted health nut who writes health articles for a number of on-line and off-line sources. As an avid researcher, she knows how to squeeze every ounce of health in a body. To access more of Jean's articles, visit her health and diet website.