EVERY MENU ITEM AT MCDONALD'S—RANKED

If I said you could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at McDonald’s for three months straight and lose a ton of weight, no doubt you'd laugh me out of the room.

But that's exactly what John Cisna did earlier this year. The science teacher challenged his students at Iowa's Colo-Nesco High School to think about everything they eat—showing them that, with smart choices, you could turn any establishment into a healthy one while meeting all your nutritional needs.

Call it the McDonald's Diet. Cisna, who also walked 45 minutes a day, lost 37 pounds. Talk about weight loss!

In that spirit, Eat This, Not That! embarked on the ambitious journey of ranking every single McDonald's Menu Item, so you can still enjoy MickeyD’s without the guilt. It wasn’t easy. In a normal world, you can pretty much tell which foods are good for you—fish, chicken, and salads—and which aren’t. But in McDonaldLand, a chicken sandwich can pack twice as many calories as a double hamburger, and a salad can deliver more sodium than a Big Mac.

So to help you unwrap (sorry, unMcWrap) the truth about what Ronald is serving up, and to avoid your becoming supersized, we’ve examined each and every item and ordered them by calories and nutritional content. Which favorites do you look for when you hit MickeyD’s? And to lose weight fast, don’t listen to Ronald—instead, read these 50 Best Eat This, Not That! Tips Ever!

BREAKFAST

FIRST...THE WORST

#6 Worst Breakfast at McDonald’s

Sausage Biscuit (Regular Size Biscuit)
430 calories, 27 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,080 mg sodium, 34 g carbs, 11 g protein

Sausage McMuffin with Egg
450 calories, 28 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 860 mg sodium, 30 g carbs, 21 g protein

Imagine putting five Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Original Pork Sausage Links between a big ol’ slab of greasy bread, and holding the whole shebang. Because that’s the saturated fat equivalent you’re getting with this Biscuit and that is no way to lose belly fat. At least the McMuffin has 10 more grams of protein (yet is still a bit high in calories).

#5 Worst Breakfast at McDonald’s

Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles
460 calories, 21 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,250 mg sodium, 48 g carbs, 19 g protein

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
460 calories, 26 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,300 mg sodium, 38 g carbs, 19 g protein

It doesn’t matter if it’s wrapped between a pancake or a biscuit, the ooey, gooey goodness of a bacon, egg and cheese ain’t good for you. The McGriddle features more than half a day's sodium and nearly half a day's saturated fat—that’s as much saturated fat as 117 Funyuns! Meanwhile, the Biscuit has 83% of the day’s cholesterol, or as much as you’d find in 28 slices of bacon—and also more than a half day’s of sodium. You’ll need a drink after all that salt—just don’t make it a Coke. Click here for the 5 Amazing Things That Happen to Your Body When You Give Up Soda!

#4 Worst Breakfast at McDonald’s

Cinnamon Melts
460 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated), 370 mg sodium, 66 g carbs, 6 g protein

Mickey D’s calls this “the best part of a cinnamon roll” but it’s the worst thing for your waistline. You want to start each day with belly-filling protein, not a bowl full of cake topped with cream cheese icing. The Cinnamon Melts have 32 grams of sugar, far more than a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar.

#3 Worst Breakfast at McDonald’s

Sausage Biscuit with Egg
510 calories, 33 g fat (14 g saturated), 1,170 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 18 g protein

Like the sandwiches above, these have way too much sodium (half a day’s) and almost three-quarters of your daily allowance of saturated fat. Unless you’re getting your McDonald’s sausage from a burrito, run. Looking for a breakfast that will help you lose weight? Try one of these 42 Best Breakfast Foods For Weight Loss.

#2 Worst Breakfast at McDonald’s

Hotcakes and Sausage
520 calories, 24 g fat (7 g saturated), 930 mg sodium, 61 g carbs, 15 g protein

Sugary bread and salty meat? You probably thought this would be #1. And with as many carbs as four slices of white bread, it could be, especially if you add the whipped margarine and hotcake syrup. Then you're looking at 740 calories and 106 g carbs, which is the carb equivalent of nearly seven slices of white bread. And yet there is one meal even worse coming up next. (Rather than eat either, stay home and whip up one of the quick 5-minute breakfasts among the 150+ weight-loss recipes in the Zero Belly Cookbook, based on the New York Times-bestselling Zero Belly Diet!)

HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUITTING SODA AND DIET SODA

By Michael Martin

We’ve gotten smarter about soda since the days when it was considered an acceptable wash-down after an economical meal at McDonalds, or a sensible diet lunch (supplemented with a smoke). Or have we?

Drinking soda is an easy habit to fall back into — it’s everywhere, and it’s easy to consider diet versions to be a relatively harmless vice. A sip for nostalgia’s sake or a quick caffeine hit can lead back to a three-a-day habit. So we had two diet experts tell us what happens to your body once you finally give up the colorful carbonated menace for good. In their view, soda isn’t just bad for you—it’s barely even liquid.

And while you’re trying to turn the tide on your soda consumption, rely on theseprotein shakes to see you through; rich, creamy and packed with filling protein, they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth in place of those beloved carbonated cans.

YOU EAT LESS, PARTICULARLY SWEETS.

Cutting the calories from sugar-spiked soda is a no-brainer: At 150 calories a can, those can add up to serious poundage. But diet soda packs on the pounds as well—it’s just more passive-aggressive about it. “Artificial sweeteners affect our sense of satiety,” says Isabel Smith, MS RD CDN, of Isabel Smith Nutrition. “Our bodies have evolutionarily developed to expect a large amount of calories when we take in something exceedingly sweet, and those artificial sweeteners are from 400 times to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. It causes a couple things to happen: The muscles in your stomach relax so you can take in food, and hormones are released. With artificial sweeteners, your body says, ‘Wait a minute, you told me you were going to give me all this high-calorie food.’ It can actually send some people searching for more food, out of lack of satisfaction.”

YOU LOSE WEIGHT.

“Even though diet drinks are calorie-free, they cause insulin to be released in your gut because their artificial sweeteners are sweet like sugar, and that actually prevents weight loss,” says Miriam Jacobson, RD, CDN. “Insulin is your body’s primary fat-storage hormone, so it will have the body hold on to any extra fat,” she explains, adding, “Trying to lose weight by trading a Coke for a Diet Coke is doing the body just as much harm, if not more, because of all the chemicals in the calorie-free version.” While you’re weaning yourself off of your soda habit, add these fat burning foods to your diet, some of which actually block adipogenesis, the process by which fat is stored on your frame.

YOU IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.

The acidity in soda is bad news for your digestive system, eroding tooth enamel and worsening acid reflux. But diet sodas are especially treacherous for your gut—and the far-reaching bodily systems it affects. “Researchers are finding that artificial sweeteners may affect our healthy gut bacteria, which can affect everything from blood-sugar control to weight management to disease—how our immune system works and how our body responds to infection,” says Smith.

YOU STOP YOUR BONES FROM BREAKING DOWN.

The caramel color in soda contains an artificially created phosphorus that can be bad for long-term bone health, says Smith. Phosphorous is a natural chemical found in foods like beans and grains, but the mutant variety found in dark soda is like a dinner guest who refuses to leave. “Basically, you’re taking something that exists in nature but making this hyper-absorbable form of it,” says Smith. “Your body doesn’t have the choice whether to absorb it or excrete it, so it can cause calcium to leach out of bones. It’s particularly bad for anybody with kidney disease,” she explains.

YOU HAVE MORE ENERGY.

No shocker here: The caffeine in soda is not your friend. “Drinking too much caffeine can make you dehydrated, and it can overstimulate the nervous system, making you fatigued and exhausted,” says Smith. “I find that when people cut back on caffeine they have more energy because the caffeine causes very big highs and lows,” she adds. In her practice, Smith has seen that quitting soda can lead to a positive domino effect. “There is way more energy for our bodies in real food than in processed foods,” she says, adding, “When people cut back on processed items, they often look for more fresh foods and make better choices. By giving up soda, it may seem like you’re making one change, but it can actually change a couple aspects of your diet for the better.”

Now that you've learned the facts behind soda, reverse these harmful eating habits and start making smarter diet choices. You can lose weight fast without spending hours at the gym.

12 AMAZING, HEALTHY EMOJI RECIPES

By Becca DiCenso

An emoji's worth a thousand words.

Times are a changin'— people are hovering to work, cars are driving themselves, and texting no longer means using words. If you're anyone with a smartphone, you're probably familiar with (and an active user of) emojis. They've taken over the game of texting, and we're not just talking smiley faces and hearts.

There are now emojis for anything from a tennis ball to a toilet to an airplane and it only continues to grow with each new upgrade. These little characters even became so popular that celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Wiz Khalifa came out with their own line of them. But our food-loving hearts here at Eat This, Not That! took a special interest in the food category, of course! And since you can find inspiration in some of the most unique places, we couldn't help but pull together some emoji-based recipes that are simple, fun, and will keep you fit. Insert flexy-bicep emoji here.

1

GLUTEN FREE VEGGIE TACO

With this vegetarian dish, taco night is sure to be a hit! Recipes like these show that vegetarian cooking doesn't have to be boring and can still be loaded with flavors that will keep your body's needs satisfied. You get a great amount of protein from the black beans and quinoa, with vital nutrients coming from the vegetables. Adding heart-healthy toppings like tomatoes that are rich in lycopene is the perfect way to get even more added benefits and up the taste. Stick to corn tortillas if you're avoiding gluten; there are also plenty of other healthy options out there like whole wheat tortillas or our favorite, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortillas.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
4 soft or hard shell corn tortillas
2 heirloom tomatoes
½ cup of corn
1 medium eggplant
1 can black beans
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 jalapenos (depending on your spice preference)
Handful of cilantro
Salt, pepper and lime juice
(Optional: Avocado, salsa, hot sauce)

HOW TO MAKE IT:
Chop tomatoes and cooked eggplant in ½-inch pieces. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth according to package instructions. Warm taco shells in oven and assemble 4 tacos using all ingredients. Top with cilantro, a squeeze of lime and salt and pepper. For even more flavor, feel free to add avocado, your favorite salsa, or hot sauce.

2

CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA

If you're looking to cut back on all the heavy starches, cauliflower pizza crust is one of the 17 Awesome Ways to Use Cauliflower. Instead of using any regular dough, go for a cauliflower crust pizza made with just cauliflower, egg whites, and cheese. You still get the same gooey goodness you're looking for in a pizza but minus all the belly-bloating carbs. You can top with some of your favorite veggies, but we like broccoli and mushrooms because of their cancer-fighting properties and amazing earthy taste.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
1 small head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
⅔ cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
.5 ounces Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 small head of broccoli
½ cup of tomato sauce
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

HOW TO MAKE IT:
For the crust: Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until it becomes a rice consistency. Place on baking sheet with cooking spray and cook at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Allow cauliflower to cool. Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Use a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel to squeeze excess water until the cauliflower is completely dry. Combine egg whites, ½ cup of part-skim mozzarella, Parmesan, and seasoning. Create two 8-inch circles and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 22 minutes.

For the topping: Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add mushrooms and broccoli (season to your liking). Cook until tender. Top cauliflower crust with tomato sauce, mushrooms, broccoli, and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese has fully melted (around 7 minutes).

3

HONEY LEMON GRILLED SHRIMP OVER BUCKWHEAT

This simple marinade is a refreshing way to dress grilled shrimp. It combines sweet, savory, and sour flavor profiles that your taste buds will go wild for! Serve over a bed of buckwheat to get even more nutritional benefits out of this dish. Buckwheat, like quinoa, is a gluten-free complete source of protein (meaning it has all nine essential amino acids) that's loaded with fiber and magnesium, too. Speaking of fiber, don't miss these 30 High Fiber Foods That Should Be In Your Diet.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 3
1 pound of jumbo shrimp (about 8-10), peeled and deveined
⅓ cup of honey
¼ cup of soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, pepper, and spices
1 ½ cups buckwheat

HOW TO MAKE IT:
Cook buckwheat according to package instructions (add seasonings of your liking). Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Combine honey, lemon, soy sauce, garlic, olive oil and spices. Coat shrimp with mixture. Grill shrimp for 3 minutes on each side. Use remaining mixture to top and serve.

4

PALEO SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This smooth and crunchy Paleo sweet potato casserole is one for the books! Using no grains, dairy, or refined sugar, this sweet treat still packs in some delicious flavors that prove eating healthy can taste great, too. Sweet potatoes help aid weight loss with 4 grams of protein per potato and 25 percent of the days belly-filling fiber. The best part is you can have it anytime of the day—or even as a satisfying dessert!

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 2-4 (as a side)
2 large sweet potatoes
¼ cup of coconut milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup of chopped pecans and walnuts

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Combine cooked sweet potato, eggs and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. (Psst! Discover the 20 Benefits of Coconut Oil to start whittling that waist of yours!) Mash the potatoes while slowly pouring in coconut milk and vanilla extract. Mix in cocoa powder and ½ tablespoon of maple syrup. Transfer mixture to baking dish. In a sauce pan, combine remaining coconut oil and maple syrup with pecans and walnuts. Allow to coat and let reduce. Top sweet potato mix with nuts and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the nuts are golden.

5

SPICY CHERRY GLAZED PORK CHOPS

These pork chops are covered in a glaze made from nature's candy...but there's a little kick. Combining sweet cherries and spicy chipotle peppers makes a glaze so mouthwateringly delicious that you'll be licking the plate clean. Adding spice to a dish is a great way to help boost your metabolism, shed fat and fight inflammation—not to mention it gives us that addictive burn we love so much.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
4 boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of pitted dark sweet cherries
2 tablespoons dried cherries
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper
¼ cup of dry red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon orange juice
Salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic

HOW TO MAKE IT:
Season chops with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cook chops uncovered in a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil for 6-8 minutes on each side. Move to a plate and cover to keep warm. Using the same skillet combine cherries, vinegar, chipotle peppers, orange juice and garlic. Cook and reduce for about 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Spoon over cooked pork chops.

6

BREAKFAST SHAKSHUKA

Shakshuka is a staple dish in Middle Eastern cultures made up of eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, pepper, and spices. Eggs provide some major nutritional value to your body and although it had previously been frowned upon to eat the yolk, new studies reveal that it's the part of the egg we should be eating. It's super simple to prepare and will keep you full until your next meal.

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4-6
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large thin sliced onion
1 large thin sliced red bell pepper
1 ¼ cup crumbled feta
Salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne and paprika
Chopped cilantro and hot sauce, for serving

HOW TO MAKE IT:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-low and add onions and bell pepper; cook for about 20 minutes or until soft. Add spices, tomato paste, and tomato, stir together, and simmer until tomatoes thicken. Stir in feta. Gently crack eggs into the skillet over mixture. Season and transfer to oven for 7-10 minutes or until eggs are set. Top with cilantro and hot sauce.

7

STRAWBERRY BANANA "ICE CREAM" WITH SHAVED ALMONDS

Ice cream made with three ingredients and no added sugar? Now that's an idea we most definitely approve of. Bananas have this magical power of becoming the same consistency as your favorite ice cream when they're frozen and blended. You could leave it at just that or add in some refreshing strawberries for a vibrant flavor and shaved almonds as a source of protein to get a boost of energy. Only natural sugars create this sweet treat, so there's no need to think twice about it! But if added sweeteners have piqued your curiosity recently, then you'll love our report on Every Popular Added Sweetener—Ranked!

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
2 large frozen bananas
1 cup strawberries
¼ cup shaved almonds

HOW TO MAKE IT:
In a food processor, blender, or special gadget like Yonana's Dessert Maker, mix frozen bananas and strawberries. Blend for about 2-3 minutes in 30-second intervals or until it reaches an ice cream consistency (scraping down sides if necessary). Pour in shaved almonds and quickly mix. Serve or place in freezer to allow mixture to freeze up to get desired texture.

8

PEAR, WALNUT AND FETA SALAD WITH HONEY CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

This recipe is filled with all the ingredients to make the perfect light and refreshing salad. There are tons of textures and flavors going on that also have some serious flat belly benefits. Pears are packing in 6 grams of fiber per fruit and feta cheese is a great source of calcium. And in case you need another reason to indulge in this salad, there are walnuts involved; go check out 9 Reasons Why You Need to Eat Walnuts Right Now!

INGREDIENTS:
Serves: 4
2 thinly sliced pears
4 cups spinach
½ cup walnuts
½ cup feta

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup Champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

HOW TO MAKE IT:
Whisk together all dressing ingredients and lightly dress over spinach, pear, walnuts, and cheese.

40 HABITS THAT MAKE YOU SICK AND FAT

By Dana Leigh Smith

You exercise regularly, eat your fruits and veggies and never miss an annual exam—and it’s paying off.

You look and feel great! But even though you're fit and healthy right now, that doesn’t necessarily mean your daily so-called "good" habits will help you maintain your well-being into the future. Read on to learn about the mistakes you may be making, and how you can avoid them. Your future self is sure to thank you!

###PLUS: Use the hashtag #EatThisin2016 and share this link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest to be entered to win an iPad Mini 4!

1

YOU DRINK OUT
OF A PLASTIC
BOTTLE

You know how important it is to stay hydrated, which is why you’re never seen without a bottle of Poland Spring by your side. While we commend you for getting your daily dose of H20, you should seriously consider trading your throw-away bottle for the reusable, BPA-free variety. Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, can negatively impact fertility in both men and women and has also been been linked to obesity. Don’t believe it? The science doesn’t lie: A 2011 Harvard study found that adults with the highest concentration of BPA in their urine had significantly larger waists and chance of being obese than those in the lowest quartile.

2

YOU DON'T DRINK
THIS TEA

Green tea blasts flab. Researchers attribute the fat-burning properties of green tea to catechins, specifically EGCG — the name of a group of antioxidative compounds that fry adipose tissue by revving the metabolism, increasing the release of flab from fat cells (particularly in the belly), then speeding up the liver’s fat-burning capacity. Green tea is so powerful for weight loss that we made it the centerpiece of our new 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse! Test panelists lost 4 inches from their waists!

3

YOU DON’T GO
TO SLEEP EARLY
ENOUGH

According to the National Sleep Foundation, most of us don't get enough shuteye. Over time, this can lead to weight gain, anxiety, depression and insulin resistance—which can trigger type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. A good night's rest fuels the production of fat-burning hormones, so logging a solid seven or eight hours of sleep each evening should be a priority. Check out these 20 Surprising Ways to Lose Weight in Your Sleep!

4

YOU DON'T MODERATE
YOUR NEW DIET

If you’ve just hopped on the paleo or low-carb bandwagon, proceed with caution. “Often diets that cut out entire food groups do not allow for the balance and moderation we need to follow a healthy, lifelong eating plan,” warns Zanini.

“Plus, dieters who follow these plans may be prone to potentially dangerous nutritional deficiencies. Or they may simply get bored with their restricted plan and end up overeating down the road."

5

YOUR HOME-COOKED PORTIONS ARE TOO BIG

Just because your meal is healthy doesn’t mean you don’t have to practice portion control. Remember, even virtuous foods have calories! Half of your plate should be filled with veggies and the remaining half should hold a cellphone-sized serving of lean protein, a fist-sized serving of grains and a bit of fat no larger than the size of your pointer finger.

6

YOU DON’T GET TESTED FOR NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

Although you may get scanned for high cholesterol or diabetes at your annual exam, M.D.s don’t typically test or look for physical signs of nutritional deficiencies—which can be dangerous! Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, CSSD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and owner of Go Wellness in Orange County, California suggests having your vitamin D levels checked if nothing else. “Many people are deficient and don't even know it—and not getting enough may increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and certain types of cancer,” she warns.

31 WAYS YOU MESSED UP YOUR METABOLISM TODAY

Your metabolism fuels the fire that burns calories and fat, even when you're just sitting around. But are you accidentally extinguishing the flame?

Metabolism. It’s the elusive set of life-sustaining chemical transformations and a characteristic of bodies that can vary from person to person. It’s such a big concept that you might believe you’re at the mercy of it. Well, actually, you are! It’s thermodynamics at work, after all.

But there are a bunch of simple — even easy — things you can do to boost your metabolism and make your body run more efficiently, "good genes" or not. Make tomorrow a great day by grabbing a cup of rooibos tea (which boosts metabolism!) and learning about the common metabolism mistakes you probably made today.

1

YOU DIDN’T GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

If you're chronically sleep deprived, don’t be surprised if you gain a few pounds without eating a morsel of extra food. “A lack of sleep can cause several metabolic problems,” says nutritionist Seth Santoro. “It can cause you to burn fewer calories, lack appetite control and experience an increase in cortisol levels, which stores fat.” Lack of sufficient sleep — which experts say is 7 to 9 hours a night for most people — also leads to impaired glucose tolerance, a.k.a. your body's ability to utilize sugar for fuel. “We all have those less-than-adequate nights of sleep,” says nutritionist Lisa Jubilee. “But if it's a regular thing, you're better off lengthening your night's sleep than working out, if fat loss or weight maintenance is your goal.” You may also want to brush up on these 30 Best and Worst Foods To Eat Before Sleep!

2

YOU STARTED YOUR DAY DEHYDRATED

For Jubilee, one of the best and cheapest ways to give your metabolism a jolt is to drink water (she suggests 20 to 32 ounces) shortly after waking. Why? During sleep, your body’s metabolic function slowed, and unless you woke up in the middle of the night to swig some water, it didn’t receive any fluids. Jubilee suggests completely rehydrating before stressing your body with any other food or drink. “My clients who have implemented this report less bloating, more energy and a smaller appetite,” she says. Her motto for getting your inner furnace stoked and ready for the day: “Rehydrate, then caffeinate!” And caffeinate with tea. New science in The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse showed that white tea can simultaneously boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells). The tea’s combination of caffeine and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) seems to set fat cells up for defeat.

3

YOU HAD ROAD RAGE

Okay, it doesn’t have to be road rage, but that kind of unnecessary stress doesn’t do your body good. Not only can stress cause headaches, stomach distress, high blood pressure, chest pain and sleep disturbances, it also causes the body to metabolize food more slowly, according to research published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. To add insult to injury, the types of food we crave when we’re stressed out tend to be fat and sugar-laden treats like doughnuts and chocolate. Researchers say that the combination of high-cal cravings and a stress-induced snail-paced metabolic rate can result in significant weight gain.

4

YOU DRANK TOO MUCH CAFFEINE

Plenty of studies indicate that caffeine can boost your metabolism in the AM. But nutritionist Amy Shapiro says that guzzling coffee and other caffeinated drinks all day could actually work against you. Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant. If you’re constantly consuming it, you may not eat much — or realize how hungry you really are — until you get home for dinner. “Not eating enough throughout the day can make your metabolism sluggish,” she says. “By the time you eat dinner, instead of immediately using that food for energy, your body is aggressively storing it as fat, just in case it will be deprived again.”

5

YOU PASSED UP YOUR FRUIT

When metals like mercury take the place of iodine at binding sites, thyroid hormone production grinds to a halt. The good news is you can instantly detox with fruits that are rich in pectin — a gelatin-like fiber that sticks to toxic compounds in the blood and flushes them out of the body through the urine. In fact, citrus pectin increased mercury excretion in the urine by 150 percent within 24 hours of supplementation, according to one study. As a weight loss bonus, research shows pectin can limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb. Grapefruits, oranges, and peaches are all good sources, but since most pectin is found in the fibrous pith and peel, whole apples are one of the best.

6

YOU CHOSE THE WRONG AFTERNOON PICK-ME-UP

We get it. You’re totally obsessed with your double shot skim latte. It gives you the boost you need when the work day gets to be too much. But if you always opt out of green tea—an amazing choice—you could be missing out of some major metabolism-boosting effects. In a recent 12-week study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4-5 cups of green tea with a 25-minute workout lost an average of two more pounds and more belly fat than the non tea-drinking exercisers. What’s its magic? The brew contains catechins, a type of antioxidant that triggers the release of fat from fat cells and helps speed the liver’s capacity for turning fat into energy.

7

YOU DIDN’T EAT ORGANIC

“Hormones dictate how our body utilizes the energy we give it,” says Jubilee. “Between our reproductive, thyroid and growth hormones, appetite, insulin andhunger hormones — leptin and ghrelin — our bodies have to perform a tricky balancing act to keep us lean, energized and viable reproductive beings.” Those tasks have become much more difficult because of the hormone residues we consume via cage-raised foods. If you want to give your metabolism a leg up, Jubilee says, switch to organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, eggs, and dairy products, thereby avoiding those nasty hormones at mealtime.

THE BEST AND WORST PROTEIN POWDERS

By Olivia Tarantino and The Editors of Eat This, Not That!

With the number of protein powders that litter the shelves of drug stores, supermarkets, and health food stores, it seems like choosing the right supplement requires just as much skill as a wine connoisseur.

Whether you're an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, a vegan or a plant-based foodie, everyone is getting in on the protein trend. And with good reason. Thanks to the high protein content of powder supplements, adding a scoop or two to your smoothies, baked goods, or shakes can aid in rapid weight loss efforts by boosting calorie burn, increasing satiety, and preserving lean muscle mass.

While feeding your muscles on the fly has never been easier, not all powders are created equal. And choosing which product is best can be a bit of a struggle. On one hand, there are animal-based supplements like eggs, whey, and casein, and the other hand is a garden of plant-based forms from pea, hemp, rice and soy. And even after you pick the source of the protein, there's still another hurdle to jump: additives. Many protein powders on the market are loaded with enough scary chemicals and artificial sweeteners to earn them a spot among the unhealthiest foods on the planet. Just because your protein is a powder doesn't mean you have to settle for one with a label that reads like a science experiment.

Because which supplement you pick will ultimately depend on your personal body goals—whether you're looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or stop late-night snacking—we created this list of examples of the best and worst protein powders to help you understand what to look out for when examining the labels. We've narrowed the expansive list of protein supplements down to some of the best animal-based and plant-based proteins on the market—as well as some of the worst. Pick your powder below (you can easily order it from the links we've included!) and then add it to any of these 56 Best Smoothie Recipes!

BEST ANIMAL-BASED PROTEIN POWDERS

First, know this: Plant protein is more slimming than milk-derived proteins. Because whey is a dairy derivative—and many commercial preparations tend to contain all manner of funky chemicals—protein powders that use this source as a base can lead to bloat and skin conditions. However, if you find you're not terribly lactose intolerant, milk proteins are some of the best sources of amino acids out there. Milk proteins such as whey and casein have the ability to preserve lean muscle mass and improve metabolic health during weight loss, according to research published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.

Eat This, Not That! Tip: When you're looking for the proper animal-based protein powder, look out for words like cold processed, concentrate (isolate only if you're sensitive to lactose), hormone-free, grass-fed, tested low for heavy metals, and does not contain sucralose or any artificial color, flavor or sweetener.

1

PROMIX GRASS-FED
WHEY PROTEIN

Protein source: Grass-fed whey protein concentrate
Protein payoff: 25 g per serving

If you want a "fast acting" protein that will stimulate protein synthesis after a workout, go with whey. While a whey protein concentrate has a lower percentage of protein than whey isolate, it contains more bioactive compounds found in the milk fat that positively influence metabolism and immunity—just make sure it's low-temperature-processed (raw or cold-processed). This method allows the protein powder to retain many of its fragile immune factors and nutrients leaving it loaded with the ideal blend of easily-absorbed amino acids, anti-inflammatory compounds, essential fats, energy-replenishing carbs, metabolism-boosting peptides, potent antioxidants, and alkaline minerals.

You'll get even more of these nutrients when your powder is made from pasture-fed cows, which have a higher concentration of inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids and two to five times more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) than their corn and grain fed counterparts. CLA provides a variety of health benefits like burning fat and maintaining lean body mass. Besides toning your body, these two sources of dietary fat will also improve absorption of key vitamins and carotenoids. Not to mention, grass fed cows are less likely to be treated with antibiotics than grain fed cows, meaning you'll have a lower risk of building up antibiotic resistance or gaining unnecessary weight.

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NAKED CASEIN

Protein source: Micellar Casein from U.S. dairy farms
Protein payoff: 26 g per serving

If you're looking to repair and regrow muscle, take some Naked Casein Powder before bed. Casein, as opposed to whey, digests more slowly (it's the same principle as low-glycemic-index "slow carbs") and stays in the system longer to nourish muscles. This makes it a good option if you need a nighttime snack on workout days: It'll help kick-start recovery and build fat-burning muscle. This option has 26 grams of protein and zero grams of fat per serving. (If you do want to drink whey, you can do it in the PM as well: A study published in 2014 in the British Journal of Nutrition found that active men who consumed whey at night increased their next-morning metabolism.)

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MERCOLA PURE
POWER PROTEIN

Protein source: Grass-fed whey protein concentrate
Protein payoff: 20 g per serving

This product is designed to boost both your fitness levels as well as your overall health. It contains a unique blend of high-quality whey protein, muscle-fueling coconut triglycerides, pre-biotic resistant starch, endurance-boosting and blood-sugar-stabilizing chia seeds, and probiotics. Not only can probiotics keep your gut healthy, but when they're combined with high-quality whey protein, they can enhance muscle development: Probiotics help your body synthesize leucine, a particular branched chain amino acid (BCAA), which you need for muscle building.

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PALEO PROTEIN
PURE EGG

Protein source: GMO-free egg whites
Protein payoff: 25.2 g per serving

Whey tends to be the first word when it comes to protein supplementation. But as we've mentioned before, it can cause belly bloat. For a better option that'll help you bulk up only in desirable areas, try egg-white protein, which is naturally low-carb and no-fat. Just like whey, egg white protein such has a complete essential amino acid profile, which promotes optimal recovery from challenging workouts. Want to boost the flavor without artificial additives? Paleo Pure provides a blank slate (it's only egg whites and sunflower lecithin) to add a tablespoon of raw cacao powder to boost your intake of brain-boostingflavanoids while curbing your chocolate cravings.

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MT. CAPRA PRODUCTS
DOUBLE BONDED
GOAT MILK PROTEIN

Protein source: Grass-fed goat milk protein
Protein payoff: 20 g per serving

This powerful protein combines the best of both worlds in protein supplementation through a natural blend of casein and whey proteins. Using a combination powder allows whey to trigger muscle building stimulation while casein inhibits factors that lead to muscle breakdown. Mt. Capra is a small, family-run farm in the Pacific Northwest who uses milk from their own pasture-grazed goat herd in their protein powders. If your body doesn't agree with cow milk, goat milk is a great alternative. Even though goat milk still has lactose, the goat milk proteins are smaller and are thus absorbed by the human digestive system in a far superior way to that of cow protein.