Weekly Goal 2/18 - superfoods

This past week was a really tough week for me. I recently have been feeling kind of stuck in my weight loss. I have pretty much been maintaing for a solid month now, give or take a couple. When I weighed in the week, I was up .4. Not a big deal right? I've just been feeling really disappointed in myself because the night before I weighed in at Jenny, I went to happy hour at a local Boulder bar, West End Tavern, and binged on delicious yam chips with guacamole. Now, I should know better because chips are my weakness and once they're in front of me, they are going to magically disappear! I can't even keep them in my apartment. Anyway, I was super upset with myself for the .4 gain and I have now realized I don't want the numbers and weight to control my life, I want to control my weight. After talking to my weight loss consultant, she decided a good idea for me is to write down everyday what my goal is and why I'm losing weight (doesn't matter if it is different everyday). I am also still waiting on my poster in Jenny Craig to go up!

My Goal: 

1. My goal this week is as well as writing down everything I eat, I'm going to write a daily goal and reason why I'm losing weight. I'll take a picture and post is when it is all done.

2. I usually weigh myself every single day and since I don't want the weight to control me, I'm not going to weigh myself once this week. I'm going to wait until the weigh in at Jenny Craig on Saturday. I've been told I should not weigh myself everyday anyway. 

3. I want to cut back on eating out. I recently have been going out to eat a lot. This is going to be difficult because my roommate's parents are here visiting and they want to take us out to dinner. So lets say, I'll cut back 2 nights of eating out. 

My Nutrition Class:

So last week, we learned about Superfoods! I thought it was interesting so I wanted to share!

Why they're healthy:

1. high concentration of critical nutrients (a lot of nutrients per calorie)

2. low in calories

3. reverse the effects of major diseases (reduce inflammation, protect against heart disease, reduce cancer risk, protect against toxins = ACT AS A MEDICINE WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS)

Here are some specific superfoods I learned about:

1. Acai - contains amino acids and Omega 3 fatty acids

2. Barley - high in fiber, niacin, and vitamin A, low glycemic index (GI) (good for people with diabetes)

3. Beans and Lentils - high in Omega 3, fiber, protein, low GI

4. Hot Peppers - antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, good for heart health

5. Sweet Potatoes - high in vitamin C, A, potassium, fiber

6. Mangos - 1 c. = 100% vitamin C, 1/3 vitamin A, potassium, fiber, folic acid (prevents spina bifida)

7. Broccoli - vitamin C, K

8. Leafy Greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens) - vitamin A, C, K, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, lutein (promotes eye health), fiber

9. Cinnamon - lowers blood glucose, triglycerides, LDLs, cholesterol, antibacterial, brain health/memory

10. Garlic - vitamin B6, C, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory

11. Oats - fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamin, antiviral, lowers cholesterol

12. Chia Seeds - high in protein

13. Flaxseeds - high in Omega 3

14. Lingon Berries (in Nordic countries)

15. Quinoa - has 9 essential amino acids, high minerals/vitamins

16. Red Wine

17. Curry

18. Mustard

19. Turmeric - helps with chronic inflammation

20. Green Tea - silences cancer cells

21. Coffee 

22. And my favorite......Dark Chocolate - inhibits blood clots, reduces chronic inflammation, smooth blood vessels, antioxidant

**My Nutrition professor challenged us to try and eat 5 superfoods a day! I would try this challenge if I wasn't on Jenny Craig.....so now I am challenging you. Try to eat any of these 5 superfoods a day!