“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.”
– Bethenny Frankel

Losing weight is a constant goal that many people face and it is often at the top of New Year’s resolutions lists.  It requires eating less calories than we normally need. But the challenge with this is that we may become hungry and end up binging at the end of the day if we have been feeling hungry the whole day.

One thing that can help is to figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight without feeling hungry and eat foods that help to suppress appetite and make you feel full longer. These foods slow down the digestion process and the absorption of nutrients. Also, foods that are abundant in nutrients can boost calorie burning. In this article, we offer some ideas for foods to include in your diet that can help to suppress your appetite and help you to lose weight.

Start with an Egg in the Morning
Eating an egg or two is a good way to get going in the morning. Research has revealed that people who eat eggs in the morning versus eating a bagel feel fuller longer and eat less calories throughout the day.  And the good news is that a hard broiled egg contains only about 70 calories.  Eggs help to stabilize your blood sugar levels and provide the body with necessary protein and amino acids.

Avocados Help Keep You Feeling Satisfied
Avocadoes actually send signals to the brain that tell it that it is full!  They are great to eat any time of day, whether sliced on toast or eaten with a salad to make the salad more filling without being too rich. They are also full of fiber. Although the avocado is full of fat, it is the good type of fat that is heart-healthy.

An Apple a Day
As the saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  Apples increase your energy level and regulate glucose, and the pectin and soluble fiber in apples can also help you to feel full and lose weight.  Apples also take time to chew, which gives more time for your body to signal that it is full.

Almonds – Your Healthy Snack
Eating a handful of nuts a day is considered a good part of a healthy diet.  Almonds contain a lot of monounsaturated fats, which are heart-healthy fats. Almonds are also full of vitamin E, magnesium, and antioxidants and have been shown to increase feelings of fullness.

Ginger Has Great Digestive Benefits
Ginger root can help you to feel less hungry while also making food taste more interesting. Ginger is great for the digestive system and gives you more energy.  It also serves as an antioxidant and provides ant-inflammatory benefits.

Teas Help with Weight Loss
Don’t forget that in addition to foods, drinks can also be a factor in your weight gain or loss.  Avoid sugary drinks that can pack on extra calories and, instead, opt for healthy teas. Drinking plenty of fluids during the day and before meals can help to fill you up and help you to eat less. Teas also help you to avoid too much snacking. Teas stabilize blood sugar and hunger and help to prevent fat storage.  They also help to prevent arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dental decay. Teas come in many different flavors so you can switch between different tastes to keep things interesting.  Some teas to consider that aid weight loss include oolong tea, green tea, white tea, mint tea, and rooibos tea.

There are certain foods that really give your body the nutrients it needs to start to repair and regenerate any issue with leaky gut. And the number one food that can help leaky gut is bone broth, either beef or chick bones will work. Proline is an amino acid that helps tighten up and repair those tight junctions in your gut.

Number two healing food for starting to repair your gut is going to be probiotic-rich foods like kefir. And not just any kefir or yogurt. It should be fermented for 24 to 29 hours. And it also should come from either a cow that’s called an A2 cow, an ancient breed of cattle, or goats or sheep. And typically goat’s milk is one of the most popular and easy to get today. So going to your local farmer’s market, finding real goat’s milk yogurt or goat’s milk kefir. Those probiotics can absolutely help in healing your gut.

Number three, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchee, kvass, good organic acids. Those acids that are found in things like sauerkraut or fermented vegetables actually will help get your stomach and body in the proper pH for probiotics to grow. And we know probiotic and good bacterial balance is crucial for healing leaky gut. So again, getting some sauerkraut in every single day is a great thing.

Number four is doing certain starchy vegetables like squashes are great. So carrots are one of the best along with spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, but specifically squashes and carrots are great. And they’re great because they really help form your stool. They help with healthy bowel movements. They’re also very high in vitamin A and certain nutrients that are great. But it’s one of your easiest forms of carbohydrates to digest, and for that reason starchy carbs are a good option along with certain fruits. And the best is blueberries. If you really want to reduce inflammation of your intestines and get more antioxidants and good carbohydrates, blueberries are fantastic. They contain the antioxidant resveratrol, which is also found in the skin of grapes. It also contains flavonoids and bioflavonoids and a number of other beneficial antioxidants. And so again the number one fruit I think for healing leaky gut, for most people, is going to be blueberries, and I’m talking about fresh blueberries, is one of the absolute best. And then as a natural sweetener, raw honey. If you’re going to use a sweetener, raw local honey, again raw and local, is the absolute best.

And last but not least, the number five food you need to be getting if you want to heal leaky gut for good are omega-3 fatty acids, especially from wild caught salmon. Consuming wild caught salmon several times a week is great for your body. There are long chain fatty acids. And then also you can get some omega-3 fatty acids from sprouted flax and chia or even flax oil. But if you’re going to get any sort of fat or oil in your diet, really the best is going to be a flax oil along with wild caught salmon, getting those omega-3s, are great for healing leaky gut.  Modified from Dr. Axe Leaky Gut

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition also referred to as increased intestinal permeability where the “net” in your digestive tract gets damaged which allows proteins (like gluten), bad bacteria, and undigested particles to pass into your blood stream.

These particles cause systemic inflammation and an immune reaction over time.

The leaky gut disorder begins in a very important organ your small intestine. The small intestine is vitally important because the majority of the vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat are absorbed there.

In order for these nutrients to be absorbed, the small intestine contains very small openings so the nutrients can be transferred into the bloodstream. Once transferred, the nutrients are then shuttled and deposited all around the body by the blood.

The wall of the intestine is considered a semi-permeable. This means the pores (junctions) only allow certain things to enter the bloodstream and block other things from entering the bloodstream.

For instance, specific molecules and nutrients are allowed to pass through but toxins and large undigested food particles are blocked.

With leaky gut, your pores can continue to widen (like getting a larger hole torn in your net). And as this happens, the undigested foods particles that are supposed to be kept out pass through into your bloodstream and then circulate throughout the body. This causes systemic inflammation and leads to an immune reaction.

Often times then your body will begin to recognize certain foods as toxic and will facilitate an immune reaction whenever you eat the food. If this problem continues, leaky gut can then progress to autoimmune disease.

Some of the initial symptoms of leaky gut can include food allergies, skin issues like acne and eczema, digestive issues like bloating, gas and IBS.

In order to repair leaky gut you must make specific diet changes and look to leaky gut syndrome natural cures.

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Think of amino acids as the building blocks. There are 20 different amino acids that join together to make all types of protein. Some of these amino acids can’t be made by our bodies, so these are known as essential amino acids. It’s essential that our diet provide these.In the diet, protein sources are labeled according to how many of the essential amino acids they provide:

A complete protein source is one that provides all of the essential amino acids. You may also hear these sources called high quality proteins. Animal-based foods; for example, meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese are considered complete protein sources.

An incomplete protein source is one that is low in one or more of the essential amino acids. Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids.

For example, rice contains low amounts of certain essential amino acids; however, these same essential amino acids are found in greater amounts in dry beans. Similarly, dry beans contain lower amounts of other essential amino acids that can be found in larger amounts in rice. Together, these two foods can provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids the body needs.

Q: Is it true that complementary proteins must be eaten together to count as a complete protein source?
A: In the past, it was thought that these complementary proteins needed to be eaten at the same meal for your body to use them together. Now studies show that your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.1

Q: How much protein do I need?
A: Maybe you’ve wondered how much protein you need each day. In general, it’s recommended that 10–35% of your daily calories come from protein. Below are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for different age groups.2

(Table Needed)

Here are examples of amounts of protein in food:

• 1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein
• A 3-ounce piece of meat has about 21 grams of protein
• 1 cup of dry beans has about 16 grams of protein
• An 8-ounce container of yogurt has about 11 grams of protein
• Added together, just these four sources would meet the protein needs of an adult male (56 grams).
• This doesn’t count all the other foods that add smaller amounts of protein to his diet.

DO CARBOHYDRATES REALLY MAKE US FAT?

Some carbs do, but good carbs don’t.

Most trendy diets claim that all carbohydrates are bad guys, yet of the three macronutrients that provide calories in our diet (carbs, protein, and fat), carbohydrates are the body’s primary fuel source. They’re responsible for managing your heart rate, digestion, breathing, exercising, walking, and thinking.

Roughly 70 percent of your daily calories should come from good (complex) carbohydrates. The ones to avoid are called simple carbs.

Both types of carbs are sugars. Both are digested and converted into glucose, which is used by the body for energy: in the blood as glucose, or stored in either the muscles or the liver as glycogen. When consumed in excess, carbohydrates can be converted to fat.

Simple carbohydrates include table sugar, molasses, honey, alcohol, white bread, white pasta, white rice, fried chips, sugary cereals, fruit juices, candy, and milk. Most simple carbs are nutritionally empty because they have been tinkered with by humans, stripped of their fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They are digested quickly by the body and cause a sharp spike in your blood sugar levels.

In response to this spike, your pancreas pumps out insulin to transport and deliver the energy-bearing glucose to cells throughout your body. This process causes your blood sugar and insulin levels to swing like a pendulum, leaving you feeling fatigued, hungry, and craving still more simple carbohydrates.
And because simple carbohydrates are digested so quickly, any excess sugar is converted to fat. For these reasons, most simple carbohydrates are a poor food choice.

In contrast, complex carbohydrates are nutritious, and include vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, beans, peas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, fruits, and whole grain cereals. They are loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. Unlike simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates cause a balanced and controlled release of sugar into your system. This slow release gives the body more time to use the carbohydrates as fuel; as a result, fewer turn to fat and insulin remains stable.
So if you consume, whole, good, natural carbs, you will enjoy more consistent energy throughout the day without gaining extra pounds.

As you can see, the two types of carbs differ immensely from a nutritional standpoint. Simple carbohydrates are calorie laden, providing little nutrition and causing weight gain. Complex carbohydrates are lower in calories and, because they are loaded with fiber, provide bulk that fills you up sooner, alleviates hunger pangs, and keeps you feeling satisfied longer.

So go eat your carbs—as long as they are complex.

The Positives regarding Olive Oil

If you’re watching your weight, you might want to include some extra olive oil in your diet to help you feel full longer. Researchers in Germany and Austria tested four edible fats: lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil and olive oil to assess their ability to satiate appetite. Over three months, the investigators gave study participants daily 500-gram portions of low-fat yogurt enriched with one of the four fats. Otherwise, the participants continued with their normal diets. Of the four fats, olive oil proved the most satiating based on participant reports, and blood tests showing that regular consumption of olive oil led to higher blood levels of serotonin, a hormone associated with satiety. Because rapeseed oil and olive oil contain similar fatty acids, the team next tested aroma extracts from olive oil to see if they had any bearing on satiety. They provided one group of participants with a daily serving of yogurt containing added olive oil aroma extracts and the other group with plain yogurt, and found that daily calorie intake among participants in the olive oil group remained the same while control group participants consumed 176 more calories a day and had lower blood levels of serotonin. During the study, no participant in the olive oil group gained weight. The researchers concluded that olive oil aroma is capable of helping regulate satiety.

Dr Andrew Weil

Allergies! Spirulina has anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent the release of histamine and other inflammatory factors that trigger and worsen allergic symptoms. Studies also show that spirulina can boost levels of IgA, an antibody that defends against allergic reactions. In one study, people with allergies who took spirulina had less nasal discharge, sneezing and nasal congestion!

Cindy Ballard
www.nmhealthcoach.com

When you think of a super food you probably think of salmon or blueberries…not the algae that floats on the surfaces of lakes, ponds and reservoirs.
There is a type of blue-green algae that has been used for food and medicine in developing countries for centuries…that NASA has recommended as an ideal food for the long-term space missions…that is loaded with health-giving nutrients and that might be a key component in a diet aimed at staying healthy, reversing chronic disease and slowing the aging process.
The algae is Spirulina.

Scientific research shows there are many health problems that spirulina might help prevent or treat:

• Anemia
• Weakened immunity
• Allergies
• Cataracts and age related macular degeneration and more.

Contact me for more information.
Cindy Ballard
From Jennifer Adler, MS, CN

You may get confused about what you’re buying when you read food labels on beef products. Organic and grass-fed beef products usually come with a heftier price tag, but are they worth the cost for you and your family? Take a look at the differences between conventional, organic, and grass-fed beef to get a better picture of what you’re paying for.

Conventional Beef
Conventional beef, or feedlot beef, is the product of what the regulated food industry refers to as Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). Conventional beef cows consume a diet that ranges from high quality cereal grains such as corn or soybeans, to high and low quality fibrous feeds such as legume hays; grass hays and mixtures of legumes and grasses; and other food byproducts that may include mammalian or poultry by-products. They don’t necessarily have access to pasture, but may have had access during grazing season depending on the producer.

Organic Beef
Organic beef differs from conventional beef cows in diet, access to pasture during grazing season, and the nature of pasture land. The National Organic Program allows organic cows to consume 100% organic plant-based feed including corn, hay, grass, and the like. Organic beef cows graze on pastures that have not been treated with pesticides. Additionally, organic beef cows receive no antibiotics, hormones, or animal by-products in their feed.

Grass-Fed Beef
100% Grass-fed cows are treated much like organic beef cows, but they only eat grass and forage. The USDA grass-fed label does not limit the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticide use on pastureland. Cows have continuous access to pasture during the growing season and routine mineral and vitamin supplementation is also included. There is no regulation against confinement during “finishing.” Grass-fed beef bearing the American Grass fed Association (AGA) label has stricter guidelines. You may also see beef labeled as organic grass-fed. These products align with the rules of both organic and grass-fed regulations. So you know, free-range, pasture-raised, humane, and other labels are not regulated by the USDA.

Nutrition Difference
A 3-oz. cooked serving of conventional 90% lean beef is just 184 calories, over 22 grams of protein, and a great source of vitamin B12, zinc, and iron. Yet, when it comes to grass-fed and organic beef, these options are a bit more nutritious-emphasis on “a bit.” Grass-fed and organic beef is known to be higher in “good” fats like Omega-3, lower in “bad” fats and higher in vitamins and antioxidants. This is partially due to the different diets they are fed. That is, the more grain fed the cow, the less Omega-3, Vitamin E and Beta-carotene in its meat. The vitamin and mineral supplementation that some organic and grass-fed beef are fed may also be a boost to the meat’s nutritional value.
The biggest difference in nutritional value is found in the amount of Conjugated Lineolic Acid (CLA) which is naturally found in whole dairy and beef products. CLA has been linked to anti-cancer and fat-fighting properties in animal testing. Multiple studies have found inconsistent results in humans, but more of this healthy fat can’t hurt, of course as long as calories are kept in check. Conventional beef provides about 10% of the recommended daily value, while grass-fed beef comes in at around 25% of the daily value.

The Bottom Line
Whether you choose conventional, grass-fed, or organic is a personal choice based on ethical, environmental, financial, and other concerns. No matter which you choose, the best beef from a calorie counting perspective comes down to going lean. To cut down on total, saturated fat, and calories, choose 90% to 95% lean. It may be hard to find and quite expensive to buy organic, 100% grass-fed, extra lean beef, so make compromises based on what is realistic for you and your budget.