Weight Loss Recipes

The health of your gut may not be top of mind when planning your meals and choosing foods, but here’s why it should be: According to experts at the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Your gut microbiome plays a major role in your overall health.” Your digestive system houses trillions of microscopic critters—mostly bacteria but also fungi, viruses and other microorganisms.

While this may not sound like a good thing, the majority of the bacteria living in your gut are actually beneficial to your health. Their presence may even help to decrease your risk of chronic diseases. “Keeping a healthy balance of good bacteria within your gut helps to decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and autoimmune diseases,” says the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Learn more about the importance of gut health and how it can impact weight loss at the link below:

The key to a healthy microbiome is to maintain the right balance of bacteria in your gut. What you eat is directly correlated with this balance, as well as your health. To promote good gut health, you need a combination of pre- and probiotics in your healthy meal plan.

You’ve likely already heard of probiotics—these are foods that are typically fermented and actually contain live microorganisms. They are used to promote good bacteria balance. On the other hand, prebiotics act as food for the bacteria in your gut. They are generally fiber-rich ingredients that help maintain and stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria that are already in your gut.

Before you scour supermarket shelves for strange ingredients that contain pre- and probiotics, check your fridge and pantry. Some common foods that you probably already have on hand are beneficial for gut health. Here are 10 foods that can help keep your gut healthy and weight loss on track:

1. Yogurt

It’s the go-to for gut health for good reason: It’s rich in probiotics. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, yogurt is created when the lactic acid in milk goes through a fermentation process. Heat processing can destroy active probiotic cultures and enzymes, so look for ‘live’ or ‘active’ cultures on the label.

Choose a brand of yogurt with the lowest amount of added sugar. Eat it plain, toss in a few berries or try one of these parfait recipes perfect for every palate! >

2. Oats

These whole grains are loaded with prebiotic fiber that helps to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria. The type of fiber found in oats has also been shown to slow digestion, suppressing appetite and helping you feel fuller for longer.

Prep a power breakfast with overnight oats, satisfy a sweet tooth with an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Shake or try your hand at morning zoats! (Never heard of them? This is one breakfast trend you don’t want to miss. Learn all about it here! >)

3. Raspberries

Raspberries provide prebiotics to help nourish your gut microbes. However, these bright pink fruits are also low in calories, high in fiber (8 grams per cup) and loaded with potent antioxidants.

Raspberries are delicious fresh but just as healthy frozen. Toss them into your yogurt, oatmeal or cereal; blend them into a smoothie (try this Raspberry Almond Smoothie recipe); or make this tangy Raspberry Chia Jam to spread on your Nutrisystem Honey Wheat Bagel.

4. Sauerkraut

The literal translation of sauerkraut is “sour cabbage.” It’s made from cabbage and salt, and the fermentation process creates probiotics. In fact, sauerkraut is one of the richest sources of probiotics. Plus, cabbage is packed with bone-building vitamin C and vitamin K.

Pair sauerkraut with sausage in this simple, one pan dish or give a childhood favorite an adult spin with tomato and sauerkraut on a grilled cheese sandwich.

5. Bananas

Rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, bananas also contain inulin—a type of soluble fiber that helps good bacteria grow. And if you like your bananas on the not-so-ripe side, your gut is in luck: green bananas are high in resistant starch, a type of indigestible fiber that feeds the microbes in your gut.

Sure, you can just peel and eat ’em. However, if you’re looking for some creative ways to enjoy this versatile fruit, here are 10 banana recipes you’ll go, well, bananas for! >

6. Garlic and Onions

You know they add flavor and nutrients to your dishes, but what you may not realize is that both garlic and onions contain the prebiotic inulin that promotes helpful bacteria in your gut. This makes them wonderful and delicious foods for gut health!

Read more about the greatness of garlic here, then check out how to cut an onion—without crying.

7. Cottage Cheese

You taste buds love it mixed with fresh fruits, your bones appreciate the extra dose of calcium and your gut is thankful for the probiotics it delivers. (Doublecheck food labels to make sure it says live or active cultures—code for probiotics.)

Every try cottage cheese in a pita? Check out this light sandwich that’s perfect for lunch. But if cottage cheese is not your thing, no worries: some aged cheeses provide probiotics as well, such as Swiss, cheddar and Gouda. Just stick to proper portions to keep your weight loss on track.

8. Asparagus

It serves as a beautiful side to your chicken or salmon, provides good-for-you nutrients and contains the prebiotic inulin to help boost gut health. One cup only contains around 27 calories. Here are six fresh recipes starring these fancy green spears! >

9. Jerusalem Artichoke

Totally different than the green, globe artichokes you may be more familiar with, these Jerusalem artichokes—also known as sunchokes—are a root vegetable that come from the sunflower family.

If you are lucky enough to see them in your grocery store, give them a try: they are super rich in fiber and loaded with inulin to help feed your gut. Sunchokes can be eaten raw or cooked.

10. Green Tea

From cancer prevention to weight loss benefits, there are so many reasons to drink green tea. Research out of Ohio State University has also found evidence that green tea promotes gut health. “This study provides evidence that green tea encourages the growth of good gut bacteria, and that leads to a series of benefits that significantly lower the risk of obesity,” says the study’s lead author.

The post 10 Foods for Better Gut Health appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/foods-for-better-gut-health/

If you’re trying to lose weight, you may have heard that you need to increase your metabolism. But what does metabolism mean and what does it have to do with weight loss? Your personal metabolism determines how many calories your body needs and uses—how many calories you’ll burn just by being awake, but also the extra ones you burn from walking, running, hauling groceries, mowing the lawn—even when you’re sleeping.

Because it determines how much you burn, your metabolism also determines how much you can eat if you want to lose weight. That’s why the official Nutrisystem tracker app, NuMi, takes your personal metabolism—and factors that affect it, like your age, height, gender, weight, activity levels and more—into account when designing your custom weight loss system.

With the NuMi SmartAdapt feature, we create a calorie goal designed for your unique metabolism with a personalized meal plan to match. During your journey, NuMi SmartAdapt will adjust your daily calorie goal when you hit certain weight loss milestones to help manage weight loss plateaus. The goal is to help you achieve long term success. It’s a plan that adapts to YOU.

Your daily habits can also influence your metabolism, increasing your calorie burn and accelerating your weight loss results. We’ve put together this list of some simple habits that can give your metabolism a burning boost.

Here are six easy tips to boost your metabolism and increase weight loss:

1. Drink Up!

Starting your day with a big, cold glass of water could help you burn calories all day. According to the University of Utah, “eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day, or “8 x 8,” as commonly expressed, not only helps maintain the body’s hydration status, but may bolster its metabolic rate as well, resulting in more efficient burning of calories.”

They also explain that when you dehydrate three percent of your body weight, you burn two percent fewer calories throughout the day. The difference, the scientists say, is having the classic recommendation of eight glasses of water—64 ounces. When study participants had that much, they felt better and burned more calories.

Want your water to give you even more help with weight loss? Have it right before you eat. According to Virginia Tech Daily, when scientists had dieters drink two eight-ounce glasses of water before meals for 12 weeks, they lost more weight than those who didn’t drink before meals.

2. Munch On Some Peppers

You may have heard that eating hot peppers can increase your metabolism—and that’s partially true. The peppers can increase your metabolic rate, but the spiciness warming your body isn’t actually what stokes the fire of your calorie burning.

It’s the capsaicin that does this: According to ScienceDaily, scientists at UCLA Center for Human Nutrition tested the non-burning version of capsaicin, called dihydrocapsiate (or DCT), which is found in milder peppers. When study participants ate this non-spicy capsaicin, they still got a metabolism boost, nearly doubling their energy expenditure compared to a group that ate something without the DCT.

So, make one or more of your daily non-starchy vegetable servings a pepper—it could be a green bell pepper or some of those tiny “snacking” peppers that have been popping up in grocery stores. Even without the burning sensation and sweaty brow, you’ll heat up your metabolism and burn more.

3. Do Some Strength Training

Moving your muscles helps your metabolism in two ways: First, it builds lean muscle, which burns more calories even when you’re not using them. According to Mayo Clinic, “Strength training is important because it helps build muscle. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does.”

But strength training also helps increase your metabolism right away through something called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). This means that when you stress your body through strength training, your body keeps burning extra calories long after the workout ends. In one study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, women who lifted weights still had an elevated metabolic rate the next morning after training—an increase of more than four percent in their metabolism.

You don’t even have to get out of your chair to get all these benefits: Try these six strength moves you can do while sitting on your tush! >

4. Get Your Zzz’s

Getting a good night’s rest is one of the keys to successful weight loss. When you don’t get enough sleep, your blood sugar levels can be thrown off, your ability to make good food choices fails and your body burns less fat (Read more about sleep deprivation here! >). According to the University of Chicago News, “there are strong relationships between sleep duration and quality and weight, heart health, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.”

Check off these seven smart tips to get better sleep and keep your metabolic fire burning! >

5. Make Part of Your Shower Chilly

According to ScienceDaily, researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research studied people who were feeling cold. They found that shivering for 10 to 15 minutes per day caused participants’ bodies to release a hormone that turns “white fat” into “brown fat,” a type that’s more associated with keeping the body warm. That’s significant because brown fat also burns calories—up to 300 per day!

In the study, the amount of this fat-changing hormone, irisin, that was released during a 15-minute cold shower matched the amount released by the body during a full hour of moderate exercise. So give yourself an occasional cold shower and turn your fat-burning to hot!

6. Warm Up with Some Green Tea

You’ll probably want it after that cold shower, and it actually does double-duty for weight loss and your metabolism: Green tea has two compounds, caffeine and catechins, that may help with both.

In an analysis of 44 different studies, published in Physiology & Behavior, scientists found that these two compounds together helped dieters lose 2.8 more pounds when dieting compared to those who didn’t have them. And the catechins, specifically, have been linked to metabolism, with scientists finding that the compounds increase overall energy expenditure.

It doesn’t just have to be hot green tea, either. For a cool, fruity treat that works with your program, try this Blueberry Green Tea Smoothie! >

The post 6 Easy Habits That Can Increase Your Metabolism appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/increase-metabolism-tips/

We’re all feeling the pinch of higher costs these days. Rising prices at the gas pump, the supermarket, restaurants, and just about everywhere else mean most of us are watching our budgets more carefully than ever.

Good news: losing excess weight can save you money in a variety of ways. Better yet, being healthier and happier is priceless.

Here’s why you should prioritize your health, and how your weight loss journey is the best deal for you and your bank account.

Lifetime Savings

When obese 40-year-old adults shed enough pounds to reach the normal weight for people of their height and body type, they can save over $31,000 over the remaining years of their lives, according to a study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These savings come from reducing spending on healthcare, food, clothing, transportation and more.

Reduced Medical Costs

Being overweight is directly linked to higher costs for healthcare, says a study by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. The researchers found that the effects of obesity led to increased expenditures in every category of care, including inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drugs. An obese person’s medical care can be almost twice that of people who are at their healthy weight, the report notes.

Lower Insurance Premiums

Because of the increased costs for care, health insurance providers often charge overweight people more for their coverage. Some estimates have found that people who are obese can expect pay to 25 to 50 percent more than people who are not. Life insurance companies typically charge higher than average rates for overweight people, too.

More Workdays

Research, published by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, found that people who are obese are more likely to miss days of work due to illness or injury. This affects your income directly if you are an hourly worker. Losing excess weight improves your overall health and your earnings.

Waste Less

One of the keys to successful weight loss is managing your portion sizes. Rather than trying to just cut out certain types of foods, you can enjoy almost anything when you learn how much is the right amount for you.

Nutrisystem weight loss plans teach you about portion control. Then when you shop and prepare food, you’ll find you’re spending less and wasting less because you know how much you need.

Plan for Success

Many people attempt to lose weight on their own, trying out fad diets and buying diet products in the grocery store and the pharmacy. But those efforts are very unlikely to make a difference, according to a study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

The researchers found that joining a commercial weight loss program, is much more effective than dieting on your own. It’s also a wiser, more efficient use of your money since it will produce the results you want. Consider a weight loss program like Nutrisystem for help with delicious meals, motivation and support throughout your journey.

Bottom Line

All these calculations can help you save money and get more for your buck. Losing excess weight reduces your health risks, amps up your energy levels so you can enjoy your life more, and eases stress. When you prioritize your health and you are feeling good, everything in your life seems a little shinier. Isn’t that the best value?

The post Prioritize Your Health: The True Value of Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/prioritize-your-health-the-value-of-weight-loss/

All the hype online and in social media about “detox diets” and “cleanses” is just that—hype.

Eating only certain foods and drinking weird “cleanse” concoctions do not, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), eliminate toxins from the body. Your liver does that, drawing on iron and calcium in your diet to draw toxins out and excrete it when you use the bathroom.

And detox diets don’t work for weight loss, either. A 2017 review of these diets found that while they can lead to initial weight loss due to calorie restriction, they often lead to weight gain in the long run.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t toxic chemicals in your home—there are, though usually they’re in small enough amounts that your body can fend them off. But if you’re worried about potentially disease- and obesity-causing chemicals, consider replacing or throwing out these six toxins at home to reduce your exposure.

1. Throw it Out: Products with “Fragrances”

Certain types of chemicals in the air and in products you buy can mimic or block the hormones your body makes. Called “endocrine disruptors,” these chemicals can cause fertility problems and lead to certain cancers.

One type of endocrine disruptor that’s very common in plastic production are a chemical called phthalates. According to the NIH, the effects of these chemicals on humans are still not fully known, but they cause reproductive health and developmental problems in animals. Phthalates are often found in products with fragrances, but the labels don’t always say “phthalates.” Instead, they may be listed with three- or four-letter abbreviations like DEP or DBP.

If you want to avoid excess exposure to these endocrine disruptors, and worry you can’t figure out which ones have them in their fragrances, you can opt for fragrance-free products. You can also look for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Safer Choice” label, or use the EPA website to see a list of products that have this label.

2. Throw it Out: Old Nonstick Cookware

Another type of chemical called perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, are also endocrine disruptors. According to the NIH, exposure to these chemicals may be tied to low birth weight, obesity and certain cancers.

Certain PFCs are being phased out, including those that were previously used to make Teflon and other nonstick cookware. If you have an old, dinged nonstick pan, it could contain PFCs. To reduce your exposure to these chemicals, throw it out!

3. Throw it Out: Air Fresheners

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are a type of chemical used in the production of lots of different products, including adhesives, insect repellants and plastics. When absorbed through the skin or inhaled, these compounds can cause short-term effects like nausea, fatigue, vomiting and nosebleeds. But they can also cause longer-term effects like liver and kidney damage.

You can’t avoid VOCs completely, since they’re in lots of manufactured goods. But according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, air fresheners are among the top emitters of these chemicals, including certain VOCs that have been linked to certain cancers. Even “green” and “natural” versions of air fresheners have these chemicals. If you can avoid using them, throw them out.

4. Replace It: Your Old Vacuum

Your vacuum isn’t creating toxins, but it may not be picking them up. A study from 2016 found that regular household dust has as many as 45 toxic chemicals in it, coming from cleaning products, inside cushions and from vinyl flooring. Phthalates, the same endocrine disruptor found in fragrances, was one of the most common.

To reduce the toxic chemicals in household dust, you can replace your worn-out vacuum with one that’s equipped with a high-efficiency particular air (HEPA) filter. These filters can trap the toxic dust.

5. Throw it Out: Leftover Rice

When rice is left out to cool at room temperature, it can cause food poisoning—and reheating it won’t help. Spores of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus can sometimes be found in rice, and they aren’t killed by reaching a cooking temperature.

If rice is left out on the stove or counter to cool, these spores can grow into bacteria that produces toxins that can make you sick. When you reheat the rice, the toxins remain—meaning you can still get sick, suffering from symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

To avoid this, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommends putting rice in the refrigerator within an hour of cooking it, and eating it within a day.

6. Throw it Out: Chemical Weed Killer

A chemical found in the most popular chemical weed killers called glyphosate has been linked to several cancers by the World Health Organization. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 80 percent of people have detectable levels of this chemical in their systems, thanks to the widespread use of these chemical weed killers.

Throw it out! One of the most common at-home alternatives is a mix of vinegar dishwashing liquid. Mix the two together in a spray bottle, and spray it on the offending weeds.

Or grab some gloves and pull them yourself! Gardening and yard work are great ways to increase non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. It’s a fancy term for “moving your body when you’re not working out,” and scientists have found that having more NEAT is associated with a healthier body weight. So dump the spray bottle and move towards your weight loss goals … by moving!

The post Detox Your House: 6 Toxins to Remove from Your Kitchen and Home appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/toxins-at-home/

Walking is seriously underrated in terms of its benefits as an exercise. Oftentimes we feel as though we must get drenched in sweat to burn calories. In reality, walking really can do wonders to help boost your burn! Don’t get us wrong; cycling, running and all of those intense cardio activities are wonderful. But maybe you don’t always have time to hit the gym or go for a full-blown run.

Sometimes, fitting in a couple of walks can feel a lot more doable.

Fortunately, research supports the benefits of walking. A study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that those who stuck with a walking program had significant improvements in blood pressure, reduction of body fat and body weight and overall better quality of life.

To help you burn more calories, we’ve rounded up eight easy tips for your walking workout.

1. Walk on an incline, a hill or stairs.

Going up? Walking on a treadmill that is tilted at an incline, walking up a hill outside or even walking on stairs can all increase the intensity of your workout. This means you’ll burn more calories than walking on level ground. It may also be better for your health. One study, published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, has shown that uphill walking can help your body metabolize both glucose and lipids, which means it might be beneficial for “the prevention of type 2 diabetes and disorders in lipid metabolism.”

2. Use an activity tracker or step counter to stay motivated.

Wearing a watch or a device that provides activity tracking capabilities and/or step counting can help motivate you to walk longer or faster. Without any sense of how far you’ve walked or how many calories you’ve burned, it can be easy to “quit early.” But if you see that you’re just a few tenths away from the next mile—or that you’re incredibly close to meeting your daily step goal—it can push you to go a little bit longer. That kind of motivation can pay off in terms of your results.

3. Listen to tunes.

Did you know that music can have an impact on your weight loss goals? A study, published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, found that listening to music led to a 28 percent increase in activity enjoyment. That can equate to walking for longer—and burning more calories. People also commonly report that music helps them increase the speed and intensity of their work. It puts a little zip in your step!

4. Walk with a pal.

While music can motivate the solo walker, having a friend to talk to can also be motivating. Research carried out by Virgin Active Health Clubs found that exercising with a friend can burn more calories than working out alone. The reason may be that chatting with a good pal is distracting and helps you go further. When friends walk together, they also pace one another. You might be motivated to walk faster than you would alone.

5. Make sure you have the right shoes.

A good pair of walking shoes really can make all the difference in the world when it comes to inspiration to go further. If you’ve ever walked a long distance in unsupportive shoes, then you know how much your feet started to hurt. But when you have footwear that is comfortable and provides good shock absorption, you can walk longer and faster—and torch more calories as a result.

6. Move your arms as you walk—and pick up the pace.

Adding arm movement during your walk can help you to go faster. It can turn a regular walk into a power walk—and that can help increase your burn. Research, published in Nature Medicine, found that the intensity of an activity can be more important than its duration. In other words, a shorter power walk can be more calorie-smashing than a long and leisurely stroll.

7. Take a hike!

Instead of walking around your neighborhood or town, why not drive to a local trail and take a hike? Hiking on uneven ground and different terrains can activate different muscles than you’re used to using on flat surfaces. You’ll be strengthening muscles in the knees, hips and ankles—areas that don’t usually get much use. The changes in terrain typically mean more calories burned, too.

8. Incorporate interval training into your walking program.

If you’ve ever participated in an interval run, then you know it incorporates short bursts of sprinting into your jog. You can do the same thing walking by increasing the intensity to a power walk at each interval. The idea is to keep the interval short enough that you won’t get completely exhausted and can keep going. This can help you burn more calories while walking.

Pair your walking workout with a convenient meal delivery service! Get started with Nutrisystem today >

The post 8 Tips to Burn More Calories by Walking appeared first on The Leaf.

from The Leaf https://leaf.nutrisystem.com/tips-burn-more-calories-walking/