When losing weight or trying to stay healthy it is always hard going to family BBQ's and restaurants because you know how many calories can add when your at one of these feasts. Well, you really can't help what your family is serving you at the BBQ and restaurants don't always have the best food to eat to help you stay healthy or in shape. What you can do is make sure you are not adding the unnecessary things to your food like heavy sauces that contain a lot of salt or dressings that are loaded with mayo. With all these extra sauces and dressings your meal could turn into a disaster, going from 600 calories to over 1000. Not only will these extras help pack on the pounds, but they are also extremely unhealthy because of being highly processed and having tons of sugars and salts added into them. Below you will see the condiments that you can replace these unwanted sauces with. It will make your BBQ experience less stressful and you will finally know what to add on your foods.
Mustard
With no calories and no fat how couldn't mustard be on this list? This was no the only reason why this condiment made this prestigious list. Mustard is surprisingly known for speeding up your metabolism and improving you digestive health. Mustard comes from a very tiny seed, but this seed holds amazing health benefits for the human body, especially when it comes to losing weight. Because your metabolism is increased with this spice your body will be able to burn more calories without any physical activity. Yes its true, when your metabolism is increased your body burns calories faster, which in the end helps you shed the pounds. Mustard seeds are also an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, dietary fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, protein, selenium and zinc. Omega-3 fats are the fats that help burn calories and improve your metabolisms speed. These fats are very helpful and healthy to the body. Selenium, also mentioned, is a nutrient that has been shown to help reduce asthma, arthritis and certain cancers, while magnesium also reduces asthma and lowers blood pressure. This condiment is highly used all around the world, which is great because of its healthy benefits, but next time you put mayonnaise on your sandwich think twice because mustard can help you live longer.
Hot Sauce
You would never think it, but yes hot sauce is actually one of the healthiest condiments to use on your food. With its ability to give your food that hot spice, it also has the ability to stimulate stomach secretions, stimulate blood flow to the stomach, and increases its mucous lining. Not only can it do these wonderful things, but it can relieve you of a stressful situation. stressful situations in life often bring depression causing you to do things that make you comfortable, eat. The things you eat while being depressed are not always the best things either, so instead of eating a Boston filled donuts try putting hot sauce on your chicken. Hot sauce, like mustard and most other condiments, boost your metabolism helping you burn unwanted fat. It doesn't stop though because hot sauce can have the abilities to reduce chances of cancer, cure a cold, and offers protection against Salmonella. So Bring on the hot sauce!
Salsa
Salsa has many of the same attributes as hot sauce considering their main ingredients both consist of hot peppers. As mentioned, like hot sauce, salsa reduces depression, can cure a cold, and boost your metabolism. But some things that hot sauce may not contain is vitamin C, a low-fat, low-cal alternative to sour cream, margarine, or butter. Salsa even counts as an extra vegetable. Also because salsa's other main ingredient is tomatoes it is very rich in something called lycopenes, which are carotenoid. These caroteniods can help prevent heart diseases and other main cancers such as prostate cancer.
Make the salsa from scratch at your home, this will give the best benefits and it will cut out the processed foods. Cook it on your stove because this will truly make the salsa at its healthiest state. When heated the caroteniods are at its highest count, while products found it stores are served raw, therefore not giving it that high caroteniod count.
Curry Powder
Curry powder consists of many different spices and herbs that blend together for a very healthy condiment. Turmeric, curry’s main ingredient is know by its yellow color. It is a member of the ginger family and turmeric has long been associated with its healing properties. Used a for antiseptic, turmeric is used regularly to treat damaged skin such as cuts or burns. It's even being touted as a possible cure for Alzheimer's disease. The other main ingredients the Curry Powder consists of is black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, anise, chili powder, and cardamom.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a very long list of things that it can do to help the human body and keep you healthier. First lets start with a recent study. In a recent study 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon can lower your cholesterol and it may be beneficial to people that suffer from type 2 diabetes. In the past the Chinese would use cinnamon to cure colds, flatulence, nausea, diarrhea, and painful menstrual periods. Cinnamon is also thought to improve energy, vitality, and the circulation of your blood flow. Cinnamon also has the ability to fight cancer, cures respiratory problems, cures infections, reduces arthritis pain, gets rid of blackheads and acne, helps immune system to be stronger, and can help reduce the number on the scale.
Vinegar
To start off vinegar is a a dieters life, because of the few to zero calories that is in it. Some studies have shown that vinegar helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Another study showed that people who drank two tablespoons of vinegar before meals showed more weight loss than the group who didn't. Vinegar is a great condiment to put on your salad but it is starting to be replaced by fatty dressings that are mayo-based. Salads are starting to turn into 2000 calorie meals because of certain dressings like blue cheese, ranch, and Caesar. So for a healthier diet put oil and vinegar on your salad instead of the highly fattening dressings listed above.
Ketchup
Ketchup is probably the most common condiment on this list, but how healthy is it for your body. Ketchup, like salsa, has a tomato base which contains a lot of lycopene Lycopene is full of antioxidants and can help the body in many ways. Although ketchup is a healthy condiment, it is not that healthy to eat considering the fact that it has a lot of sugar in it, which can lead to belly fat. So instead of buying the regular Heinz ketchup do a little research and look up brands of ketchup that contain low amounts of sugar and salt. Then you will be getting those great benefits without that unwanted sugar.
Hummus
Hummus is so delicious and creamy and now once you find out its health benefits your going to be obsessed with this condiment. Hummus is made out of chickpeas which contain a lot a protein and fiber. Fiber will help you stay full for a long period of time, so you don't get those late night munchies where the weight really starts to add on. Protein does this too, but it also helps you heal your muscles so you aren't sore the next day from a big work out. Hummus is highly recommended to runners and lifters. Hummus can be considered a vegetable because it has the same attributes as a vegetable which is being high in fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. The best way to eat hummus is with bread, but make sure you use whole wheat or wheat bread to stay to the healthy side.
Greek Yogurt
Yogurt itself is pretty healthy, but Greek yogurt makes this condiment one of the healthiest foods you can eat, period. there seems to be no exceptions to this one, with high protein, low fat, and a high calcium count this tops it all off. The proteins in this yogurt can help you get through a workout and keep you full for hours. The low fat content is pretty much self-explanatory. And the calcium can help you stay strong during you senior years of life. Greek yogurt can help prevent Alzheimer's and other muscle/bone problems. Yogurt can be great on a hot-baked potato, but the best thing about this one is you can eat it by itself.
Lemon/Lime
Lemon and lime are great citrus condiments that can be added to pretty much anything. This low everything is full of antioxidants that protect your body from many diseases and cancer. Lemon and limes are also great for weight loss. When you are trying to loss weight a lot of the foods you are trying to eat just don't taste good and these citrus fruits can help you get those tasteless foods down. Put the fat-free condiment on chicken and like mustard you can also add it into you salads to get rid of fatty dressing that are poured into it making a 80 calorie meal turn into 800 calories. The lime and the lemon will not add any calories or any bad nutritional facts such as carbs and fatty acids. For these two condiments its all about the goods.
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