I read a fun article in Self the other day talking about foods that help our bodies stay in shape and fight fat! I thought i'd do a little recap for you! Anything in Italics is paraphrased from the magazine. Everything else, is just me!

Almonds
I love Almonds. Do you?

Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can help speed up your metabolism of fats. There was a study done where "dieters" ate 3 ounces of almonds every day. Their weight and BMI was reduced by 18%!

Berries
mmm I could eat berries all day long! When we lived in Portland we lived right near every berry farm you could think of…that summer I ate more berries than most bellies could imagine. 

Berries are loaded with all the good stuff. Berries like Strawberries and Raspberries can actually help you burn more fat while exercising…30% more! WOAH! ( Arizona State University Research).

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is an awesome spice. It goes with so many foods! I think I need to incorporate more cinnamon in to my day! Just in time for the holidays!

Cinnamon can help with your waistline. How? Sprinkling some on your food can help with an after meal insulin spikes.."These usually occur after you eat and signal that the body should store fat rather than burn it" Lauren Slayton, R.C. Cinnamon can help decrease or eliminate these spikes!

Mustard
Love it. I have always loved it. If I had to pick mustard or ketchup, HANDS down I'd go with mustard! I used to put mustard on my cucumbers, pretzles any and everything.

 Turmeric is the spice that gives mustard it's color and has been proven to slow the growth of fat tissue.  You can buy the spice Turmeric and use it on plenty of foods to add a tangy spice!(I am for sure going to try this…I actually heard about this spice on Oprah…Doctor Oz was talking about it one day but I haven't heard of it since…have you?)

Oranges
Knock knock..who's there..orange, orange who? Knock knock, who's there..orange, orange who?..etc, etc, etc 
(ha ha I love that joke)
I also love myself a good sweet orange.

Oranges are said to prevent the creeping on of lbs.  They contain a fat-torching compound called flavones. Women who ate the most flavones had a significantly lower increase in body fat over a 14 year period (Study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).

Soybeans
I had never even tried a soy bean until a few years back, but oh boy do I love them now!

Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks fat absorption and breaks down fatty deposits.

Sweet Potatoes
When I was reading this I thought to myself…HOLY CRAP I love all of these foods! SCORE! Sweet potatoes are one of my very most favorite things! I did not have my first sweet potato until 2 years ago.  Now I can't go very long with out eating one!  In fact, I have one in my lunch today! YUMM

  Sweet Potatoes are high in fiber, which means your body does not have a huge insulin jump when you eat them.(They also help your digestive system and BM's!)

Swiss Cheese
I used to hate this stuff, but now I LOVE IT! It can give any item an extra yummy kick!

Calcium rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breaks down. (Michale B. Zemel, Ph.D).  When put head to head with most cheeses, Swiss wins in the calcium department!

I love reading fun articles like this that to help motivate me to make better food choices and validate my current choices!  I hope you enjoyed it too!

QA:
What is your favorite food listed above?
How often do you eat it?