Foods That Burn Calories!

By Jennifer Nichol

Eat Foods High in Fiber

Celery and cabbage have long been touted as "calorie burning" foods, simply because the energy used to digest these foods is greater than the energy, or calories, ingested by eating the foods. An added benefit of these foods is that they are fibrous and filling, which means you will feel satisfied faster and on many fewer calories that other food choices. Keep in mind, however, that you don't want your caloric intake to be too low to cause a drop in metabolism. When your metabolism drops, you will retain more weight as the body responds to what it thinks is a period of malnutrition.

Vitamin C is also believed to be a calorie burner and a weight loss booster. Foods that are high in Vitamin C and also high in fiber and low in calories include oranges, tangerines (fresh, not canned), grapefruit (which are 90 percent water!), limes and lemons.

Eat Low-Fat Dairy Products

Recent studies have been pointing to the fact that dieters who eat at least two to three servings of low-fat dairy products a day, like cottage cheese and yogurt, lose weight faster, keep it off longer, and lose more weight in the belly area than dieters who don't include dairy products in their diets.

Easy lunch additions include single-serving sizes of low-fat string cheese, individually wrapped low-fat cheese wedges, milk cartons (not just for elementary school cafeterias anymore) and even fat-free sour cream in place of other condiments.

Choose Foods Rich in B12

Eggs, milk, low-fat cheese and cereals that have been vitamin-enriched are all good sources of vitamin B12. Some sources state that B12 increases the body's fat-burning ability. Every gram of fat equals 9 calories, so when you burn fat, you burn calories, too. Vitamin B12 is also known to fight fatigue and speed up the metabolism, which are benefits that can give a boost to any dieter.

For more about burning up calories and losing weight, check out livestrong.com/eat-well/.

About this Author

Jennifer Nichol has been a contributing editor of food and wine for Inside Roseville Magazine and was editor of Piper Jaffray's eFinance Weekly. A fresh food and healthy living advocate, Nichol is currently writing a book about raw living and the art of meditative exercise.

Top Diet Myths Exposed

More from RealAge.com

• How Your Diet Affects You
• The ‘Age Less’ Diet

If you're so committed to losing weight that you refuse to eat a baked potato for fear of eating empty carbs, you might be missing out on important nutrients and backing your diet into a corner. Open your mind to the truth behind these diet and weight myths and learn how to enjoy some of your favorite foods again.

Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.
Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. What gets you into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple the calories.

Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.
Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup, or a thick drink, like V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet.

That's why women in one study found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water -- even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: It's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, so if you find yourself craving something -- but what? -- drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what your body really wanted.

Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.
Actually: On the one hand, it's true: Just 3 ounces of shrimp delivers more than a third of your daily cholesterol. But there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp is low in saturated fat -- the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol -- and has a smidgen of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered that eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59 percent!

Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.
Actually: It depends on your definition of "occasional." If occasional means every Friday night and then some, well, you may be pushing it. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good numbers (i.e., weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure), AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge, offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk 90-minute walk afterward.

Myth 5: Women naturally gain weight after menopause.
Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (everything from acne to PMS), in this case, slowing down physically is far more likely the cause. Study after study has found that older women who exercise regularly and vigorously can maintain their figures.

Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing.
Actually: We all would be better off switching to water, diluted fruit juice, and green tea rather than drinking soda -- diet or regular. Both types increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.

Final Fact (this one's no myth): Maintaining your weight, waist, and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

Avoid Ingrown Hairs

Tips for keeping your face smooth and pain-free after every shave

As the shaving expert for grooming guru King of Shaves, Diane Wood knows how to keep your mug looking good. Here are her five secrets to keeping painful ingrown hairs at bay.

GET PREPPED
Wrap a warm towel around the face and neck for about a minute before shaving. As your hair absorbs the hot water

, it will become softer and easier to cut.

STEER CLEAR OF PROBLEM AREAS
In you notice an area with skin irritation

, don't shave over that spot more than once. Running a blade over again will make it sore.

TAKE THE WEEKEND OFF
Give your skin a break from time to time. Shaving over ingrown hairs will aggravate the problem even more and cause skin infections

.

GO COLLARLESS
A high-collared shirt can trap sweat and oil, both of which clog pores. Stiff collars also rub against the sensitive skin on your neck, causing added irritation.

AND CORDLESS
Avoid electric razors. They slice off hair in several directions. This makes your hair more likely to become ingrown, growing back into the follicle.