The Top 10 Foods That Make You THIN!

In reference to the blog I posted the other day titled “The Top 10 Foods That Make You Fat!” I wanted to give you a solution because it is easy to expose the problem but we need to have a solution. I have a few notes for you before you read the list...

1.) These foods are not in any specific order. The reason is because healthy living or weight loss should not be stressful. You should not have to count, weigh, or stress over your food. You should eat when you’re hungry and eat until you’re full but eat good (real) food. When you eat food that is good for you, you do not need to measure it. You can eat as much as you want of the foods below. These foods will keep you full and most importantly these foods will not raises any fat storing hormones (fat storing hormone = insulin. Ref back to my blog of the top 10 worst foods for more information on insulin). The foods below keeps your metabolism ramped up for an extended period of time while keeping your body in a fat burning state. 

2.) Don’t limit yourself to only eating things on this list because this list or any other list you can find is not the end all be all. Just keep in mind that real people eat real food for real results. 

3.) I have included a recipe for most foods for you to try. Some of the foods you can add into your current diet or other meals you enjoy. Have fun with implementing new food and try each recipe! I may be a little biased but they are all really good! 

4.) When I say “raise your metabolism” I mean that your body is burning more fat by going into a ketosis state where the body uses fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates. 

1.) Chicken 

Lean, mean, protein filled machine!! You body needs protein no matter what your goal is and most people are not getting enough. Not only is protein used to rebuild and repair your body but for every 9g of protein you eat, your metabolism raises 23-28% as it metabolizes the protein. It’s a no brainier that you want to eat more protein! 

Recipe = Chicken Pesto

• Chicken
• Sliced asparagus (cook the chicken and asparagus together in a pan) 
• Bacon 
• Pesto sauce 

2.) Peppers

This is like natures jumper cables because they jump start your metabolism. The spicier the pepper, the more it ramps up your metabolism. Consuming a milld red pepper will raise your metabolism by 5%. I don’t have a recipe for these because you can add them into anything from salads, omelets, ground beef, or anything you see fit. I like them on everything! 

3.) Avocado 

Do you ever feel sluggish or kind of drained? This drop in energy usually happens when we take in too much salt, the salt/sodium extracts potassium from our cells and makes us feel like poop. Most would turn to a banana but a banana only has 100mg of potassium and along with that, you’re getting 30g of carbohydrates and 30g of sugar. An avocado does not have any carbohydrates or sugar and contains 750mg of potassium. Potassium helps your heart contract and prevents against stroke, heart attach, and kidney failure. 

Recipe = add in

Add this food into salads, slice it on top of eggs, or even eat it as a snack. 

4.) Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are commonly combated with broccoli as the highest nutrient food in the world. This thing is loaded with vitamins and minerals that other food do not have. A sweet potato is also a great way to get a little taste and carbohydrate into your diet without sending insulin through the roof and increasing fat storage. 

Recipe = Sweet Potato fry’s

Holy cow, these are amazing! I may be a health nut but these are outstanding! I have not met an adult of child that did not enjoy these. This is way better than a french fry. 

• Preheat to 450deg
• Peel sweet potato and slice it into “french fry style” 
• Put the potatoes in a bowl with some oil. Mix it around and add 1 tea spoons of sea salt, cayenne pepper and paprika to taste/your liking
• Place on a pan in the oven and bake for 25-30min 

5.) Eggs

Just like the hemp seed (#9) eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids that make up the perfect gram of protein. The whole myth that eggs contain cholesterol is completely inaccurate and not true as eggs raise serum cholesterol (dietary cholesterol). Serum cholesterol is not blood cholesterol and blood cholesterol is what raises the plaque in your arteries. Sugar and carbohydrate raise blood cholesterol. Since this blog post is not about cholesterol, please reference this article for more information (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/health-benefits-of-eggs-yolks_n_2966554.html). 

Recipe = The Mitchel Omelet

• Onions 
• Red and green peppers
• Asparagus 
• Mushrooms 

*The above goes in the pan first and let is sauté for a little bit before adding the below 

• 3 eggs - yes, with the yolk
• Scramble it al together
• Once you take it out, place it on a plate and slice up 1/2 and avocado to put on top of it 

6.) Salmon

Salmon is loaded with very high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids which decease inflammation in the fat cells and joints. 4oz of salmon also gives you over 100% of your daily need of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and tryptophan. 

Recipe = Salmon Cakes 

Ingredients

1. 1 large sweet potato (about 10-ounces), cooked and mashed
2. ⅔ cup almond meal
3. ⅓ cup packed finely chopped parsley
4. 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
5. 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
6. ½ to 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
7. ½ Tablespoon kosher salt
8. 1 teaspoon cumin
9. 1¼ teaspoon paprika
10. ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11. 2 large eggs
12. 2 14.75-ounce cans Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon 
13. 2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil or ghee for cooking (divided) 

Instructions

PREP

1. Wash sweet potato and use a fork to poke several fork-holes in it. Wrap in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate and microwave until soft. My microwave has a “potato” setting. I think it’s about 8 to 9 minutes long but check every couple minutes so you don’t overcook it. If you prefer not to use the microwave, you can cook the potato in advance when the oven is on and keep it in the fridge (mashed and ready) for a couple of days.
2. Let cool for a few minutes, remove potato flesh from skin and mash with a fork until the lumps are mostly gone. Toss into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add almond meal, chopped parsley, onion, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper and eggs (Be sure not to put eggs directly on hot potato flesh or they can begin to cook!).
4. Warning – gross looking salmon skin and bones coming. Open the cans and drain most of the liquid out.
5. Take the canned salmon into your hand and look for the “split” where 2 or more pieces of salmon are pushed together into the can. This is the natural place to separate the salmon and where you will most likely find the majority of skin and bones. Use your hands to gently scrape the skin and bones off.
6. Separate the salmon again if there are more “splits” and do the same thing.Finally, using your hands, crush the canned salmon through your fingers into the mixing bowl.
7. Stir until well combined. Line a baking sheet or large plate (that will fit in your fridge) with parchment paper.
8. Use a 1 / 3 measuring cup, scoop out evenly sized salmon cakes (flatten bottoms) until you have 12 patties.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or all day (this is also the point you would freeze any that are not going to be cooked in the next 12 to 24 hours).

COOK

1. Heat a large frying pan (big enough to hold six patties) over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil or Ghee per six patties. Let fat completely melt and get very hot. Slowly add patties and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Gently flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side. Serve hot and Enjoy!

7.) Tilapia 

This fish will supply you with 30g of protein every 4oz which is nearly double that of salmon. Potassium, B12, and niacin (this helps keep cholesterol levels low) are all very high. 

Recipe = lemon garlic tilapia 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes. 

8.) Grass Fed Beef

Iron is the main reason you eat red meat. grass fed been is a rich, pure, and highly absorbable source of iron. Iron increase the hemoglobin in your body. When hemoglobin goes up, you can transport more oxygen to your red blood cells. Why in the world is that so important? The more oxygen you can use, the more fat you can burn. the more fat you can burn...well...you reach your goal, right? Iron also increases brain function by nearly 30% by increasing oxygen flow. 

Recipe = Bacon cheeseburger roll up

*This recipe is the longest one on the list. I would suggesting using this recipe when you have time. This recipe also contains cheese and I am not a huge fan of dairy but I also know that it is unreasonable for me to ask everyone reading this to be 100% dairy free for the rest of there life. Don’t eat this too much, but once ever other week would be fine. 

What you need

1lb.  lean ground beef

4slices  apple gate bacon, chopped

1small  onion, chopped

1/2lb.  (8 oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Make it

Heat oven to 400°F.

Brown ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return meat mixture to skillet. Add Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Cool 10 min.

Roll the meat into patties

Bake 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

9.) Hemp Seed

Hemp seed is fairly new to main stream marketing but it is taking off! 

• Hemp seed contains  11-14g of protein per serving and the protein is made of all 9 essential amino acids that your body cannot make to make the perfect gram of protein
• This is natures highest source of essential fatty acids 
• Most of the fatty acids are coming f.orm Omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory, which is very important for weight loss. 
• The richest source of essential polyunsaturated fats to keep your body in a fat burning state 

Recipe = salad (you can also add them in your shakes - it will not alter the taste) 

- Lettuce or spinach of your choice 

• 1 handful of baby tomatoes 
• 4oz of sliced chicken (about the size of a deck of cards) 
• Almond slices (optional) 
• 1/2 of a sliced avocado 
• Hemp seed - about 2tbl spoons 
• Balsamic dressing 

10.) Coconut 

Coconut is LOADED with good fats and electrolytes. The easiest and best way to add coconut into your diet is to cook with coconut butter. It works better than most oils in creating a non-stick surface on the pan and coconut butter is much healthier that cooking with vegetables oils. Coconut oil has a higher steaming point. Meaning that when you cook with vegetable oil, it breaks down to trans fats as the pan heats up. Coconut oil does not that problem and it will not break down when you cook with it. Don’t worry, if you’re like me and absolutely cannot stand the taste of coconut it wont both you. You cannot taste the coconut at all. 

I get this jar of coconut oil at Costco for $10 and it last me several months. A jar 1/4 this size at a grocery store will run your about $30

The Top 10 Foods That Make You THIN! 

Mitchel Black, CPT, NC