Fruit: Eating a piece of fruit before each
meal may help to melt pounds away. In a recent study, women
who ate a small apple or pear before each meal lost more weight
than women who skipped the fruit, but followed the same reduced-calorie
diet. Fiber-filled fruits help to satiate hunger, which probably
results in lower calorie intake from the meal, researchers speculate.
RealAge Benefit: Maintaining your weight and
body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as
much as 6 years younger.
In addition to apples and pears, other fruits that are good
sources of fiber include strawberries, raspberries, and peaches.
Fiber takes longer for your body to digest compared to other
energy forms. Women should try to get at least 25 grams of fiber
per day in their diet. Men may need even more fiber—about
38 grams per day.
