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Blast Fat With Strawberries

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Red, ripe and delicious, strawberries mean summer. From farm stands to your local supermarket, these luscious berries turn up just about everywhere this month. June is peak strawberry season.

But this is no summer vacation for these amazing berries, which work overtime for your health. Research shows that strawberries can stimulate your metabolism and suppress your appetite. They can help you lose weight and even help control blood sugar.

Strawberries can help promote weight loss in three ways:

  1. Strawberries can increase the body's production of a hormone that stimulates your metabolism and suppresses your appetite.
  2. They can slow the rate of digestion of starchy foods. This helps control the rise in blood sugar that follows a starchy meal. This is a key benefit for those with adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes.
  3. Strawberries also can help your weight-reducing hormones function properly.

Strawberries are a perfect part of dieting because one cup contains only 49 calories, and comes loaded with vitamin C, three grams of fiber, and some calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Strawberries give you flavor, color, and aroma, awakening your taste buds to the fresh, natural foods your body needs to be healthy and vital.

Strawberries may also have anti-inflammatory effects, inhibiting the activation of genes and enzymes that promote inflammation. Most of this benefit is due to antioxidants that give ripe strawberries their lush red color. And strawberries may help keep the brain young and fit. Studies with laboratory animals demonstrated benefits of strawberries for the aging brain.

How to Enjoy Strawberries: Shopping and Eating

When shopping for berries, freshness is key. Choose strawberries that are bright red and firm. Strawberries are a great snack or dessert, and add color and flavor to healthy recipes. Naturally sweet and juicy, strawberries are a sublime pleasure just as they are, without adding sugar or cream.

Simply add a handful of sliced strawberries to:

  • Cold cereal or granola
  • Hot oatmeal
  • Smoothies
  • Yogurt

Copyright © Renaissance Workshops Ltd. Used by permission.


This article is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice or counseling, the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, the creation of a physician-patient relationship, or an endorsement, recommendation, or sponsorship of any third party product or service by the sender or the sender's affiliates, agents, employees, or service providers. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.

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About The Author

Leo
Galland

Dr. Leo Galland is a board-certified internist who received his education at Harvard University and the New York University School of Medicine. He has held faculty positions at New York University, Rockefeller University, the State University of New York, and the University of Connecticut. Interviews with Dr. Galland and articles about his work have been featured in Newsweek, Reader's Digest, Self, Bazaar, Men's Fitness, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications. He has written three highly acclaimed popular books, The Fat Resistance Diet, Power Healing, and