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Mustard & Weight Loss

We've often heard that all we need is faith as big as a tiny grain of mustard seed. Now we find out that even a teaspoon of mustard is powerful, too. It can be a fat burner, metabolism booster and calorie cutter.That makes it an efficient and tasty weight loss agent.

  1. Mustard Gives Your Metabolism a Kick

    • Hot and spicy foods boost metabolism, and that includes mustard. The spicier the mustard, the bigger a kick it gives your metabolism, which makes you burn more fat faster. Mexican and Asian varieties are among the spiciest, and usually spicier than American brands. Just 1 tsp. of spicy brown mustard can bump your metabolism about 25 percent, which lets you burn 45 extra calories from a 700-calorie meal, according to England's Oxford Polytechnic Institute.

    Low-calorie

    • Compare a tablespoon of mustard at zero calories with a tablespoon of mayonnaise at 100 calories. Full fat salad dressing comes in at 100 to 200 calories a tablespoon. So when you're looking for a low-calorie sandwich spread, ingredient in a sauce, or makings for a salad dressing, choose mustard. You can even make a part-mustard, part-mayonnaise concoction and still come out ahead.

    Low -fat and Low-carbohydrate

    • Mustard has zero grams of fat. Mayonnaise, butter, margarine and full-fat salad dressing all have 10 or more grams of fat per tablespoon. So does olive oil, but it's considered to have many health benefits that offset the impact of the fat grams. If you don't care about fat but you're watching carbohydrates, mustard is still a hero. It has zero carbs.

    Packed Full of Nutrition

    • A tiny mustard seed contains selenium, a weight loss aid, and the amino acid tryptophan. There are omega-3 fatty acids in mustard, as well as a plethora of minerals. This includes the all-important manganese and magnesium, plus niacin, zinc, iron and phosphorus. Mustard seeds also have a little protein and fiber.

    Adding to Your Weight-loss Diet

    • Start with a diet of low-calorie, healthy foods, and add mustard for extra fat-burning power and lower calorie exchanges. Mix in some chili pepper or cayenne pepper for more metabolism boosting and system cleansing. You'll boost circulation, too.

    In the Menu

    • Don't just think of mustard for sandwiches. Mix it into salad dressings, or use it as a glaze on fish or chicken. Mustard sauces are tasty with meat and can be served as vegetable dip. Toast a teaspoon of mustard seed in a pan for a minute or two and wait till the seeds start to pop. Then you can use them as spice rubs for meat. Mustard adds a little zing to curries, bean dishes or even scrambled eggs. The next time you make tuna salad, mix in some spicy mustard and cut back on the mayonnaise.

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