Are some foods better at helping you lose weight than others?

Of course they are! It would be silly to think that all foods are created equal, especially when it comes to slimming and toning your figure.

The big “secret” though is that many of the foods being marketed to you are not good, and won’t help you lose weight, because they’re manufactured and processed foods that are made in a factory.

Whenever I talk to a new boot camp client about healthy foods to add to slim down, I always start by asking if they would feed their toddler those pre-packaged foods. If they say “I don’t know,” or “No,” I them ask why they would eat them themselves.

If it’s not good enough for their toddler, why is it good enough for them?

It’s not.

So if you’re really serious about losing some weight and slimming your figure, I want you to first focus on eating REAL FOOD. If you focus on that first, you can still make room for some of the other stuff – but I promise you won’t want to, nor have room.

Here are some of my favorite, and secret, slimming foods.

1. Papaya

Papaya is loaded with nutrients and an all-around super food.

Not only will it help you lose weight, but it’ll also shoot your energy through the roof and it’s awesome for your skin.

I once wrote a book called “the Sweet Skin Diet” and it was all about foods that improved the health of your skin from the inside out. Papaya was one of the big foods on that list.

You don’t have to eat an entire papaya to get the benefit, either. Slice it up and add slices to a fruit cocktail, salad or eat it along with another one of these slimming foods.

Make sure you shop around when purchasing Papaya because the price and quality can vary widely from store to store. I’ve seen it vary as much as $2 for 1 in my small town!

2. Cashews

I know that cashews are often overlooked when it comes to “weight loss foods,” but they shouldn’t. Almonds are typically the nut most talked about, but cashews are just as good.

I actually like them better because they’re a little sweeter than almonds, which goes a long way in my book. I love almonds, but they’re a bit dry; whereas cashews are a bit softer and have just enough sweetness to them.

They’re also not as “perverted” as almonds are. Usually when you to the grocery store, or convenience store and find almonds there are typically many different “styles” from plain, salted, smoked, jalapeño, etc. and the ones that aren’t plain should be avoided. Most don’t know that and just grab whatever looks like it tastes best – which usually means there’s a lot of added sugar.

Cashews are much easier to find only in their natural state – plain.

3. Spinach

I’m not talking about the mushy stuff Pop-Eye ate before beefing up and saving Olive Oil – I’m talking about the leafy stuff you use for salads, chop up for salsa, add to sandwiches or wraps, etc.

Spinach is loaded with vitamins, minerals and the all-powerful phytonutrients. It’s also a good source of fiber, which is a huge component of weight loss.

Grab some spinach, throw a bunch in a bowl, add some grilled chicken breast, dried cherries, chopped broccoli and a raspberry vinaigrette and you have a killer salad that will strip the weight off your stomach!

4. Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are another one that are often overlooked, and that’s a shame.

They’re super low in calories, high in water content and are a great source of vitamins and minerals.

Mix and match colors – don’t just stick with one variety. The different colors have different qualities in terms of vitamin content (certain vitamins give them the colors), so play around and have a rainbow.

They’re not hot, so don’t worry if you’re a weenie like me and cant’ handle hot foods :0

You can chop ‘em up and add them to salsa, include them in salads, or slice ‘em up and dip them in humus – which is one of my favorites.

There you have it. There are four unusual slimming foods that will help you lose weight, tone up and shoot your energy through the roof!

I hope you enjoyed this article and can find a way to add these foods to your regular diet.

Talk to you soon!

ed

P.S. – I’m a big believer in making diet/nutrition as simple and easy as possible.  You have too much going on to worry about what programs work and what are flat out junk. Let me do that for you.  I’ve written what I believe to be the simplest nutrition program available and ALL boot camp clients get this for FREE (as well as a ton of other goodies ).  So click here today to discover more about ELS Boot Camps for Ladies Only and how you can achieve your Superhero Figure quickly and simply!