Check 10 health benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.”

Its unique combination of fatty acids can have profound positive effects on health.

This includes fat loss, better brain function and various other amazing benefits.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of coconut oil that have been experimentally confirmed in human studies.

1. Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated.

However, new data is showing that saturated fats are harmless. Many massive studies that include hundreds of thousands of people prove that the whole “artery-clogging” idea was a myth (2).

Additionally, coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.

No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.

Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.

They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

2. Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among The Healthiest People on The Planet.

Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.

However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.

The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.

They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world.

These people are in excellent health, with no evidence of heart disease.

Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in excellent health is the Kitavans.

3. Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat. 

Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.

While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe that the sources of those calories are critical too.

It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.

The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats.

One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totalling about 120 calories per day.

4. The Lauric Acid in Coconut Oil Can Kill Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi, Helping to Stave Off Infections.

Running Away From Pathogens

Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon Lauric Acid.

When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it also forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin.

Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi.

For example, these substances have been shown to kill the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen) and the yeast Candida Albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans.

5. Coconut Oil Can Kill Your Hunger, Making You Eat Less Without Even Trying Man Drinking From Coconut.

One interesting feature of coconut oil is that it can reduce your hunger.

This may be related to the way the fatty acids in it are metabolized, because ketone bodies can have an appetite reducing effect.

In one study, varying amounts of medium and long chain triglycerides were fed to 6 healthy men.

The men eating the most MCTs ate 256 fewer calories per day, on average.

Another study in 14 healthy men discovered that those who ate the most MCTs at breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch.

These studies were small and only done for a short period of time. If this effect were to persist over the long term, it could have a dramatic influence on body weight over a period of several years.

6. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Are Turned into Ketones, Which Can Reduce Seizures Open Coconut.

A so-called ketogenic (very low carb, very high fat) diet is currrently being studied to treat various disorders.

The best known therapeutic application of this diet is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children.

This diet involves eating very little carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, leading to greatly increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood.

For some reason, this diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children, even those who haven’t had success with multiple different types of drugs.

Because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet.

7. Coconut Oil Can Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels and May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease Cracked Coconut.

Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought.

Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype.

In one study in 40 women, coconut oil reduced Total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil.

8. Coconut Oil Can Protect Hair Against Damage, Moisturize Skin and Function as Sunscreen Cracked Coconut With Peels.

Coconut oil can serve various purposes that have nothing to do with eating it.

Many people are using it for cosmetic purposes and to improve the health and appearance of their skin and hair.

Studies on individuals with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture and lipid content of the skin.

Coconut oil can also be very protective against hair damage and one study shows effectiveness as sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Another application is using it like mouthwash in a process called oil pulling, which can kill some of the harmful bacteria in the mouth, improve dental health and reduce bad breath.

9. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Can Boost Brain Function in Alzheimer’s Patients Doctor With Thumbs Up.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide and occurs primarily in elderly individuals.

In Alzheimer’s patients, there appears to be a reduced ability to use glucose for energy in certain parts of the brain.

Ketone bodies can supply energy for the brain and researchers have speculated that ketones can provide an alternative energy source for these malfunctioning cells and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

In one 2006 study, consumption of medium chain triglycerides led to immediate improvement in brain function in patients with milder forms of Alzheimer’s.

10. Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Fat, Especially The Dangerous Fat in Your Abdominal Cavity A man who needs to lose weight.

Given that coconut oil can reduce appetite and increase fat burning, it makes sense that it can also help you lose weight.

Coconut oil appears to be especially effective in reducing abdominal fat, which lodges in the abdominal cavity and around organs.

This is the most dangerous fat of all and is highly associated with many Western diseases.

Waist circumference is easily measured and is a great marker for the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity.

A study in 40 women with abdominal obesity, supplementing with 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day lead to a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference in a period of 12 weeks. 

Another study in 20 obese males noted a reduction in waist circumference of 2.86 cm (1.1 inches) after 4 weeks of 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day.

This number may not seem too impressive on the surface, but be aware that these people aren’t adding exercise or restricting calories. They’re losing significant amounts of abdominal fat simply by adding coconut oil to their diet.

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Want to Know The Actual Truth About Caffeine???

Do you ever feel like you're on a merry-go-round when it comes to scientific and other expert views and opinions on caffeine? Seems like every other day there's a headline in the news about how coffee and other forms of caffeine can help you ward off diabetes, treat headaches, control asthma, decrease the risk of getting Parkinson's disease and even help you lose weight.

SO WHAT'S THE TRUTH?

If you browse the recent literature, you'll find over 19,000 studies examining the various benefits and downsides of ingesting caffeine. According to the Institute for Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University, coffee is mostly beneficial. Generally, only certain groups of people (like pregnant women or people with heart disease) are warned to avoid caffeine.

In other words, you don't need to give up your morning coffee. This is especially true if you're trying to lose weight fast. Read on...

CAN CAFFEINE HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

You've probably noticed that caffeine is a staple ingredient in many popular diet pills as well as homemade fat-burning stacks. And you've probably also heard experts suggest that you drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages to help you lose weight. All of this begs the question, can caffeine really help you lose weight?

The answer is yes. And it primarily helps you lose weight in two ways:

1. BY BOOSTING YOUR METABOLISM

Ingesting caffeine jumpstarts the process of lipolysis, which is when your body releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream. This occurs when your body is breaking down your fat stores to convert it into energy. In other words, caffeine boosts your metabolism slightly and helps you burn fat.2

2. BY GIVING YOU AN ENERGY BOOST

If there's one thing that everyone knows about coffee and similar beverages and pills, it's that caffeine is a stimulant. It increases alertness and wards off drowsiness temporarily, which means that you can perform certain tasks for longer.

However, this isn't just limited to mental tasks. This includes physical tasks as well, such as running or lifting weights. This means a little shot of caffeine can give you the energy you need to give 100% during your workout. And giving 100% in the gym means you'll get the results you want more quickly.

So now that we've established that caffeine can indeed help you with your weight loss efforts, that brings us to the next question.

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE DO YOU NEED?

This is a bit tricky to answer, since different people react to caffeine in different ways. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about - some people drink one cup of coffee and they get all hopped up for hours. Others can drink cup after cup all day long with seemingly very little effect.


You can get your caffeine in various forms, including:

Pills
Energy drinks
Coffee
Tea
Various foods

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Taking nap is good or bad For Health???

Taking a nap during the day can actually have good benefits for your health. Many people who regularly treat themselves to short naps claim they come with benefits. These can be benefits like more productivity, a lifting of the spirits and a sharpening of the senses. The advice of taking a nap that mothers sometimes give their children also reaps benefits for people in their adult lives. Proponents of taking a nap say that the afternoon is the best time of the day to do so. Taking a nap being good for your health is not just a matter of opinion: Scientific research is even beginning to substantiate the benefits of napping.

Makes up for Bad Night's Sleep

Research is pointing to the fact that taking a nap during the day makes up for a night's sleep that was bad and insufficient. Certain studies are concluding that taking naps is helpful for usually normal sleepers who are not getting enough hours of sleep every night. These studies don't yet fully understand the biological reasons behind this phenomena, but they have recorded conclusive results. One study compared the alertness of one group that slept the whole night through and didn't nap to people who slept less, but then napped. Both groups showed equal levels of alertness. Studies have also established the benefits of the prophylactic nap. This is where people who have to stay up late take a two- to four-hour nap before staying up late. Results indicated that this greatly helped their alertness for the next day.

Bad in Only Some Cases

While the benefits of napping are verified by research, in some cases, it may not help at all. If you are among two specific groups of people, you should not be taking naps at all, as they may even hurt you. If you are either an insomniac or just endure bouts of depression, you will want to avoid naps in the afternoon. If you are an insomniac, napping during the day could make your sleep at night even worse. If you're depressed, then napping during the day may even work to worsen your symptoms of depression. Making sure you don't sleep for more than 90 minutes during your nap is essential. If you do so, you may disturb your body's internal rhythm, leading to results that are not beneficial.

Conclusion

Napping during the day has some definite benefits that scientific research confirms. Taking a nap is effective for most people; it is only potentially adverse if you are either depressed or are an insomniac. Many Americans suffer from sleep deprivation, which can lead to poor performance and attitude during the day. Because of sleepiness during the day, some Americans are more unproductive and irritable than they should be, and more prone to avoidable accidents than they want to be. Taking a nap can easily fix these issues.

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Want to know Benefits of power yoga???

What is power yoga?

Power yoga is a more dynamic version of traditional yoga – it’s faster, more intense and the focus is more on building strength and less on meditation or chanting. And while in yoga there’s a fixed set of asanas, in power yoga teachers have more flexibility in terms of arranging postures according to their preferences.

What are its health benefits?

Since power yoga is more physically demanding, it is more enjoyable for those who are fit – like athletes and sportsmen.

Power yoga enthusiasts say it enhances stamina, flexibility and better focus. Like any other physical activity, it relieves the body of tension and sweating helps release toxins. It is also said to improve posture and help those with backache and spinal problems by restructuring bone structure.

However, teachers of conventional yoga, which is believed to be more holistic, more or less condemn power yoga labelling it a commercialisation of yoga that’s nothing but a money-making sham.

Many studies abroad have exhibited tremendous advantages of yoga – lowered cholesterol levels and blood pressure, increased cardiovascular circulation and even helping de-clogging blocked arteries. It’s also said to have helped menopausal women suffering from insomnia and mood swings by introducing poses that massage the pituitary, hypothalamus and thyroid glands. There are 6 yoga asanas for people with thyroid problems.

Is power yoga more beneficial than yoga?

There’s no real comparison between the two. Although the foundation of both is similar, people choose one over the other for completely different reasons. One is for meditation and the other for physical prowess.

The lowest common denominator is still stress management and flexibility so you have those two in the bag. But experts agree that a more holistic approach is always more beneficial. Too much stress on physical exercise and you miss out on the mental and spiritual quotient of yoga.

The principle objective, after all, is to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. So if you are on the lookout for salvation, make sure you choose wisely. The power of yoga is immense, but it’s not concentrated only in power yoga.

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How Much Water Do You Really Need?

We hear it all the time: We should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. But is this fact or fiction?

There are no good scientific studies to support the eight-by-eight rule. The origins of this recommendation date back to 1945. The original guidelines actually came from a misinterpretation of a recommendation from the Food and Nutrition Board. The recommendation stated that a person should have 1 ml (about 1/5 of a teaspoon) of water for each calorie he or she consumes. The average diet at the time was approximately 1900 calories, meaning you needed about 64 ounces of water per day.

Now the Institute of Medicine sets general guidelines for total water intake. It recommends that women consume a total of 91 ounces (that’s about 2.7 liters) per day – from all food and beverages combined. For men, it’s about 125 ounces a day (or 3.7 liters). Depending on your diet, about 25% of the water you consume comes from your food.

Most of us healthy folks get enough water in the foods and liquids we consume. That includes any liquid we drink – even caffeinated beverages like soda, coffee and tea. Our kidneys work to perfectly balance and regulate our water requirements so that we take in and retain as much fluid as we need. Healthy people can let thirst be their guide to their fluid requirements.

However, certain medications – such as those for the heart disease, stomach ulcers or depression – can alter your thirst mechanism. So can certain diseases, like diabetes insipidus. The elderly can also sometimes have a poorly-regulated thirst mechanism. Another group of individuals that may require more fluids are people who have problems with kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections. 

Athletes, military recruits, or anyone forced to work outside during the hottest part of a summer day may require more fluids than generally recommended. And if you’re already in the throes of heat illness or heat stroke, you may have an inadequate or malfunctioning thirst mechanism.

But for most of us, an easy way to gauge how well-hydrated we are is to simply look at our urine. It should be fairly clear, and if it is very dark yellow, that’s sign we may need to drink more water.

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Do You Know How many carbohydrates do you need ?

The Dietary Guidelines recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories. So, if you get 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates a day.

You can find the carbohydrate content of packaged foods on the Nutrition Facts label. The Nutrition Facts label shows total carbohydrates, which includes starches, fiber, sugar alcohols, and naturally occurring and added sugars. It may also list total fiber, soluble fiber and sugar separately. You may also be able to find nutrient calculators online or find information on a manufacturer's website.

Choosing carbohydrates wisely

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, and they also provide many important nutrients. Still, not all carbs are created equal. Here's how to make healthy carbohydrates work in a balanced diet:

• Emphasize fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Aim for whole fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables without added sugar. They're better options than are fruit juices and dried fruits, which are concentrated sources of natural sugar and therefore have more calories. Also, whole fruits and vegetables add fiber, water and bulk, which help you feel fuller on fewer calories.
• Choose whole grains. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium, than are refined grains. Refined grains go through a process that strips out parts of the grain — along with some of the nutrients and fiber.
• Stick to low-fat dairy products. Milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions, though, to help limit calories and saturated fat. And beware of dairy products that have added sugar.
• Eat more beans and legumes. Legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils, are among the most versatile and nutritious foods available. Legumes are typically low in fat; contain no cholesterol; and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also have beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber. Because they're a good source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat, which has more saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Limit added sugars. Added sugar probably isn't harmful in small amounts. But there's no health advantage to consuming any amount of added sugar. In fact, too much added sugar, and in some cases naturally occurring sugar, can lead to such health problems as tooth decay, poor nutrition and weight gain.

So choose your carbohydrates wisely. Limit foods with added sugars and refined grains, such as sugary drinks, desserts and candy, which are packed with calories but low in nutrition. Instead, go for fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

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Top 7 Exercises you can do to Increase your Stamina

Stamina is equally important as strength. Good health is reflected by the amount of stamina your body has. The physical activities that you do are not beneficial if they cannot be done for long enough. So while exercises, focus in improving the stamina as well, especially if you are a sports person or have some job that requires physical work. If you start huffing after climbing a few stairs, then you must know that you have very little stamina and that you need to work out to improve this. Stamina of your body can be defined as the amount of work your body can do without you getting tired. Here are some exercising suggestions that will help you to build stamina and endurance.

1. Team Sports:

Playing sports is always a good choice to increase stamina because it helps your body along with your brain. Sports, not only help the body muscles to grow and strengthen, but also help the mind and allows you to get away from all the stress and in fact, provide fun. Specially, team sports help you to build your stamina along with having real fun. And the type of sport you must play should be such that it requires you to play for at least 5 continuous minutes non-stop. If you play for 5 minutes or more without any break, that helps you to increase the stamina. Some examples of such team sports are volleyball, football, soccer, Frisbee, basketball, etc. Make sure you enjoy the game because if you enjoy the game, you will play for long and thus, will increase your stamina much more.

2. Yoga:

Yoga is mostly about holding the posture for a long time. In yoga, your muscles bear a lot of strain because they have to manage holding a particular posture for quite some time and the posture is not just any comfortable posture but a typical one. Various postures have various roles in strengthening various muscles and increasing stamina by various factors. But yoga is not all about making and holding the body, but also about other activities like breathing properly. As yoga improves the breathing capability as well as muscle intensity, many physicists use yoga as an exercise for increasing the stamina of an individual. But yoga must be performed under proper guidance and with complete knowledge otherwise it 

can harm the tissues.

3. Stair climbing:

Stair climbing is a unique exercise type. Climbing stairs does not require any heavy and expensive machinery, but requires just some stairs which can be found at home as well as office. The simple rule of doing this is to go up and down the flight of stairs and do not stop until your leg wants you to. Increase the number of up-down cycles over a few and follow this stair climbing exercise every day at least once. Also, try to go higher and as going higher requires much effort, this will increase stamina. This exercise helps your heart and makes your heart pump the blood at the healthy levels which strengthens your whole body muscles and especially leg muscles. So early in the morning, when you go for a walk, start a habit of doing stair-climbing for a while. Also, use stairs instead of lifts in office and home so as to stay fit.

4. Swimming:

                                       

     

Swimming is also a very effective exercise to increase your stamina and will show results for sure. The main result of swimming is that your muscles strengthen and your cardiac-action improves. Other than muscles and cardio, it also has a major impact on the lungs. Swimming, because it is done in water, helps a lot in the breathing action of our lungs and makes our lungs strong enough to breathe under pressure. This is the key thing required for having good stamina. Thus, swimming can prove a lot of help while you are trying to focus more on increasing your stamina.

5. Cycling:

Cycling can be very good option for improving the stamina. Cycling helps a lot in curing many health issues and removes the difficulty in doing physical work. Be it a stationary bicycle or a riding bicycle, cycling always helps no matter what. Keep a record of how much you are cycling each day. Focus more on the mileage if you want to increase the stamina and focus less on intensity. Mileage is the record of how much distance you have covered by your cycle and intensity is the speed with which you ride. Of course speed matters but distance matters too. Keep on increasing your distance traveled day by day and make a remarkable progress over a few weeks. You will yourself notice the increase in the intensity of riding and your stamina to ride. So, as large is the distance, the more is the stamina in your body.

6. Interval training:

                         

When highly intense physical activity is performed in combination with low intensity activity, then we can say the whole process as interval training. In interval training, as the name suggests, you have intervals of both, low intensity exercises and high intensity exercises. People can select the range as per their level and increase the level day by day. For example, you can try sprint run for about 7-8 minutes and then do jogging for about 4 minutes and repeat the whole process. Or else, you can even try 20 push-ups non-stop and then do a stretching exercise for 5 minutes. This will help your body to increase stamina as the quick and light exercises are repeated turn by turn which in turn adjusts your body according to the situation every time.

7. Hybrid exercises:

The exercises if combined two at a time will provide double results. So to increase the stamina, you must definitely try the hybrid exercises. Hybrid exercises are performed by combining more than just a single pattern of muscle movement. They are best done when you want to use the time in the maximum way and improve the strength along with building endurance. Examples of hybrid exercises are squat with shoulder press, power-lifting (like in Olympics), lunge and shoulder press, etc. For other instances, you can try left and right discrepancies, or even combine upper and lower body activities together. You can experiment a lot in this category.

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Reduce Body Heat with Fruits and Home Remedies

Excessive body heat may result in generalized weakness and lethargy in an individual. Reducing body heat becomes crucial when the environmental temperature is high. Sweating is a natural process to reduce body heat; however your diet and food play a crucial role in controlling body temperature.

Fruits to Reduce Body Heat

There are certain fruits that can help reduce body temperature and also aid in balancing of the internal environment of the body.

• Fresh fruits juices are very beneficial in reducing body heat. Orange and Grape fruit juice is considered beneficial in maintaining an average body temperature
• Excessive heat may result in excessive sweating which in turn may result in electrolyte imbalance and hence consuming fruits that help restore electrolyte balance is crucial in maintain ideal body temperature.
• Banana is rich in potassium and helps restore electrolyte balance in the body. Other fruits that help to maintain electrolyte balance include lemon, pineapple, jackfruit and watermelon.

Foods that Reduce Body Heat

Excessive body heat can result in dehydration, as sweating is the natural process of controlling body heat. Hence remaining adequately hydrated is crucial to prevent tiredness and lethargy which may be attributed to body heat and dehydration. A minimum intake of three liters of water is crucial to suffice for the body’s demand.

• Avoid intake of alcohol and caffeine. These foods may result in dehydration and in turn result in increase in the body temperature
• Salty, sour and pungent foods can also result in dehydration and should be avoided, especially during hot seasons.
• Increase the intake of dairy products like buttermilk and yogurt.  These foods tend to aid in cooling the body internally.
• Nuts need to be avoided. Nuts are highly acidic and result in generation of heat in the body. Avoid meat and restrict your diet to purely vegetarian to reduce body temperature.
• Barley has a cooling effect on the body and should be included in your daily diet.
• Spicy foods including pepper, cardamom, etc should also be avoided. These foods tend to increase the basal metabolic rate of the body and increase the production of body heat.
• Honey is considered to have a cooling effect on the body. Add a spoon of honey to a glass of cold milk and consume twice a day.

Ease Body Heat with Home Remedies

Here are some simple home remedies and tips to reduce body heat, especially during summer,

• Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar and few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a glass of water and drink about four to five glasses a day. This drink supplies essential electrolytes to the body that are lost through perspiration, in hot weather. Further studies have shown that Vitamin C can help reduce body temperature and lemon is packed with Vitamin C.Local application of sandalwood paste can help reduce body temperature. Apply sandalwood paste on the forehead, chest or back. This will help your body cool faster and reduce perspiration. Mixing rosewater with sandalwood paste can be even more beneficial.

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Healthy Foods Which Contain High Carb And Proteins

Luckily when you choose the foods in the healthy carb category, they also supply your body with more than enough fiber both soluble and insoluble. Just focus on eating a variety of vegetables and fruit with some complex carbs added in each day.

These lists certainly aren’t definitive but they can be a great guide for those trying to clean up their diets, remove processed foods, and satisfy their daily macro amounts.

15 Starchy or Complex Carb Foods

1. Oatmeal (old fashioned or Steel Cut)
2. Yams (almost same as sweet potatoes)
3. Brown rice (love basmati, a long grain rice)
4. Sweet potatoes
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye, triticale, and a few others)
6. White potatoes with skin (glycemic index be damned!)
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans and lentils (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal
11. Quinoa
12. Couscous
13. Pumpkin
14. Butternut Squash
15. Fresh Beets

15 Carb Rich Fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Cantaloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple
11. Black Berries
12. Plums
13. Pears
14. Acai Berries
15. Mango

15 Vegetables Lower in Carbs but high in Nutrients

1. Broccoli
2. Kale
3. Asparagus
4. Spinach
5. Salad greens
6. Tomatoes
7. Peppers (green and red)
8. Onions
9. Mushrooms
10. Cucumbers
11. Zucchini
12. Carrots
13. Green Beans
14. Peas
15. Cauliflower

Top 15 Protein Rich Foods

1. Eggs
2. Whey protein (protein powder supplement)
3. Chicken Breast
4. Salmon (wild alaskan)
5. Turkey Breast
6. Chicken Breast
7. Nuts (walnut, almonds, pecans)
8. Pumpkin Seeds
9. Tofu
10. Seitan
11. Top round steak (grass fed beef)
12. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
13. Cod Fish
14. Greek Yogurt
15. Rainbow Trout

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