Weight Loss Recipes

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy,” as the old saying goes. Do you know what else is easier in the summer? Losing weight. That’s because the warm weather encourages us to be more active than in any other season. Plus, summer brings us the year’s widest selection of deliciously fresh and healthy foods. To make it even easier for you, we’ve gathered this batch of smart summer weight loss tips, inspiring ideas and valuable resources to help you lose weight this season.

Early Action

Any time you are active is a good time. But to get the most weight loss benefit, exercise outdoors in the morning. Research has shown that people who were more frequently exposed to light in the early morning had a lower body mass index than those whose light exposure happened later in the day. One reason for this might be that light exposure early in the day maintains your internal clock, which is linked to metabolism and appetite. That’s just one of our seven must-try summer weight loss tips!

Fun in the Sun

Being active in summer is easy because there are so many fun things to do. Swimming tones up your whole body and is low impact, so your joints won’t ache when you’re done. Riding a bike also is easy on your joints and you can invite the family to join you. Trying new activities can keep you from becoming bored by the same old routine. Kayaking on a local lake requires no special athletic skills and it is a pleasant way to spend a sweltering day. Just remember to wear sunscreen, or a painful sunburn might prevent you from getting your exercise. Get more ideas from our list of summer activities that torch calories.

Skin Protection

Summer can be hard on your skin, so you need to give it a bit of extra attention at this time of the year. One key is to drink plenty of water, especially when you’re sweating on a sultry afternoon. Well-hydrated skin stays firmer and smoother. Bonus: Drinking lots of water keeps your metabolism burning calories even when you’re at rest. See our summer skin-care guide for other ways to protect your skin this season.

Fresh Tastes

Many favorite vegetables and fruits hit their peak in summer so it’s a great opportunity to add them to your daily menus. Our list of top seasonal foods to stock up on includes zucchini, the versatile green squash. You can eat it raw with a dip like hummus, you can grill or sauté it, or use a spiralizer to turn it into tasty and super-healthy zoodles. Zucchini is a non-starchy vegetable, so you can enjoy as much of it as you want on Nutrisystem. See more fun zucchini recipes to up your veggie intake

Salad Season

The variety of fresh produce items available this season lets you get creative with how to enjoy them. Salads keep it light on hot days and with the right ingredients, they can also leave you feeling full when you’re done eating. We love Mediterranean Panzanella Salad, which features chicken breast, artichoke hearts, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and a tangy dressing.

Find more ideas on our list of Summer Salad Recipes for Weight Loss below:

Cool Drinks

Whether you’re at a summer party or just chilling on your porch, you can enjoy a beer, a glass of wine or a cocktail and stay on track to your weight loss goal. Just keep in mind the guidelines from Nutrisystem’s dietitians. Or skip the extra calories that come with alcohol and enjoy summer mocktail recipes instead. Our favorites include the sweet and spicy Virgin Jalapeno Lemon Margarita and a refreshing Watermelontini.

Sweet as Pie

Summer is pie season because so many kinds of fruit are at their best. When you bake a pie for a party or just a treat for the family, start with one of our healthy pie recipes and you can be sure it will be as diet-friendly as it is delicious. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but the Must Try Strawberry Pie recipe is a popular choice because it has a graham cracker crust that’s incredibly simple to make.

Get our nine other sweet summer pie recipes below:

Frozen Treats

What’s the most delicious way to cool down on a hot day? Making your own popsicles with real fresh fruit couldn’t be easier. But when you’re craving something cold and creamy without any prep work, Nutrisystem has your answer. Be sure to stock up on our Chocolate Brownie Sundae and Orange Cream Bar so you can grab one from your freezer whenever you need to chill out on a hot day.

Stay cool and beat the heat with these other refreshing ideas:

The post The Nutrisystem Summer Weight Loss Guide appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/summer-weight-loss-tips/

Sure, you can try every iteration of your favorite shampoo, buy fancy face creams and moisturize your cuticles to your heart’s content—and your hair, skin and nails will likely reap the beauty benefits.

However, the vitamins and minerals that you eat can also affect how great you look and feel—and you’ve likely got room to optimize your nutrition for an even better daily life. According to the peer-reviewed scientific journal Dermato-Endocrinology, “Beauty comes from the inside.”¹

Here are six essential beauty-boosting nutrients, and the foods to find them in:

1. Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein that serves as one of the main building blocks of skin. Collagen keeps your skin from sagging and is necessary for wound healing.^2,3 Loops around the sun don’t have to completely ruin your hair, skin, and nails. Vitamin C also serves as a powerful antioxidant, with some studies suggesting that it can even help prevent skin damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) light.³

Foods high in vitamin C include:

• Citrus fruits and their juices
• Red and green peppers
• Kiwi fruits
• Broccoli
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes²

2. Vitamin E

According to Oregon State University, “Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is essential for the maintenance of healthy skin. Naturally occurring vitamin E is not a single compound; instead, vitamin E is a group of molecules with related structures, some of which may have unique properties in skin.” With its antioxidant properties, vitamin E can absorb the energy from UV light, which damages skin and leads to wrinkles and sagging. It also has anti-inflammatory properties in the skin and works with vitamin C to strengthen cells.⁴ One small study also found people with hair loss experienced an over 30 percent increase in hair growth after supplementing with vitamin E for 8 months.⁵

Foods high in vitamin E include:

• Vegetable oils, like sunflower or safflower
• Nuts, like peanuts and almonds
• Sunflower seeds
• Green vegetables, like spinach and broccoli⁶

3. Vitamin D

While the jury is still out on the extent to which vitamin D can lead to hair regrowth, not having vitamin D negatively impacts hair health. Some studies have even found that low vitamin D levels may be associated with female pattern hair loss, the most common type of hair loss in women.⁷ Other research suggests the symptoms of alopecia areata—an autoimmune condition that results in hair loss—may be more severe in people with low levels of vitamin D.⁸ Like vitamin C, vitamin D also may play a role in wound healing.⁹

Foods high in vitamin D include:

• Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna
• Fish liver oils
• Vitamin-D fortified foods, like milk, breakfast cereal and orange juice
• Beef liver, cheese and egg yolks (small amounts)
• Mushrooms (small amounts)¹⁰

4. Biotin

When most people think of vitamins for hair, skin and nails, biotin may be the first thing to come to mind. “Due to its relatively low cost and abundance of availability in cosmetic products, biotin has become the new trend for consumers wishing to have longer, healthier hair and nails,” says researchers in the journal Skin Appendage Disorders.¹¹

Low levels of vitamin B7, also known as biotin, can lead to hair loss.¹² In one 2016 study, biotin deficiency was found in 38 percent of women who were experiencing hair loss.¹¹ Most commercially-available hair, skin and nails supplements are extremely high in biotin. A few smaller studies suggest biotin supplements may help strengthen weak and brittle nails.¹³ However, research on biotin supplementation is limited. “Future studies are needed to determine whether biotin supplements might improve hair, nail, and skin health, especially among healthy individuals,” says the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.¹⁴

Foods high in biotin include:

• Eggs, fish, meat and organ meats (e.g., liver)
• Vegetables like sweet potatoes, broccoli and spinach
• Nuts and seeds¹²

5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that have been shown to help protect your heart, lower blood pressure and even reduce inflammation.¹⁵ What you may not realize is that omega-3s may also benefit your skin and hair.^16,17 Research suggests omega-3s may help protect against sun damage, as well as help keep your skin stay moist, firm, flexible and smooth.¹⁶ Some preliminary studies suggest omega-3s may boost hair growth and reduce hair loss.^18,19

Foods high in omega-3s include:

• Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna
• Nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds
• Plant oils, like flax oil and canola oil
• Fortified foods like some brands of eggs, yogurt, milk and juices²⁰

6. Zinc

Zinc is a mineral that is essential for every stage of wound healing, from skin repair to preventing infections. Zinc functions as an antioxidant.²¹ According to the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, research shows that zinc may reduce sebum production in the skin and protect against bacteria and inflammation.²² It’s also used as a mineral on sunscreens to protect the skin from sun damage.

“Moderate zinc deficiency causes pigmentation changes, decreased hair and nail growth, and skin lesions on body sites exposed to repeated pressure and friction in particular,” says Oregon State University. They explain further that six percent of all of zinc in the body is found in the skin. Zinc oxide can also protect the skin from sun damage and is commonly used as a “safe and effective physical sunscreen.”²³

Foods high in zinc include:

• Oysters
• Red meat, poultry and seafood like crab and lobster
• Fortified cereal
• Beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy (limited amounts)²⁴

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583891/
2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
3. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-C
4. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24575202/
6. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5007917/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
9. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-D
10. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5582478/
12. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-Consumer/
13. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/nails/art-20044954
14. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/
15. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17290-omega-3-fatty-acids
16. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/essential-fatty-acids
17. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/omega-3-for-hair
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164340/
19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25573272/
20. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5793244/
22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23652948/
23. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/minerals
24. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Consumer/

The post Beauty Food: 6 Nutrients for Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/vitamins-healthy-hair-skin-nails/