7 Foods to Support Healthy Weight

Earlier this year I wrote about visceral fat, also known as “hidden” fat that is stored deep inside the belly, wrapping around the internal organs including the liver and the intestines.

Having excessive belly fat increases the risk of premature death even if you are not overweight.

To maintain a healthy weight and minimize belly fat, lifestyle change is often necessary. Your food choices and what you spend your time doing MATTERS. 

Here are 7 Foods that can help support healthy weight balance and improved visceral/belly fat:


1. Beans – Beans are high in fiber and are a good source of magnesium, potassium, folate, and zinc. Beans are rich in soluble fiber (gel and expand in water). The fiber in beans feeds the good bacteria in your gut, which help manage inflammation and support healthy digestion. Chronic inflammation is a cause of increases weight and visceral fat.

2. Salmon – Salmon is rich in protein, potassium and other minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fats are in the “healthy fats” family versus bad fats like trans fats found in most processed foods.  To get rid of excess weight and belly fat, replace foods with bad fats with foods with good fats like salmon, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Omega 3 also decreases inflammation and supports heart and brain health.

3. Red Bell Pepper – These veggies are rich in antioxidant vitamins including vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene. Bell peppers also contain the compound capsaicin, which is helpful in fat burning and appetite balance. 

4. Yogurt – According to research, when yogurt is included regularly in the diet, it helps boost the body’s ability to burn fat, enhance metabolism, and lose weight. Of course, this does not apply to those with a dairy allergy or sensitivity! If dairy works for you body, it is considered a superfood and is rich in protein and probiotics (added good bacteria for your gut).

5. Apple Cider Vinegar – The acetic acid in vinegar can boost the body’s metabolism and support healthy blood sugar levels, but as a head’s up, taking vinegar without dilution can cause damage to the teeth, esophagus, and throat. So, here’s what you can do: Two tablespoons of vinegar (apple cider or red wine) can be diluted in 8 ounces of water and spread out in 2-3 doses throughout the whole day and/or added to salads or other parts of your meal.

6. Edamame – These green soybeans are packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, iron, and magnesium.They are also a high-fiber and high-protein food that will help you feel full and satisfied. 

7. Broccoli – Broccoli is 90% water and contains a good amount of fiber. In addition, it contains carotenoids, a natural plant compound that induces fat burning so helps with weight balance.I hope this info is helpful for you to maintain a weight and body fat level that feels healthy for you. 

If you need some help, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!

~Rebecca

P.S.
Know someone who could use my help?
Send them the link to apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

5 Health Benefits of Cucumber

Today we are going to explore some of the health benefits of cucumber!

 

Promotes Hydration

Cucumber is a fruit that is 96% water.

Though you get most of your fluid needs met from water,  approximately 40% of your total water comes from fruits and vegetables. In fact, in a study involving 442 children, those with increased intake of fruits and vegetables had improved overall hydration. Being hydrated is essential to your health. Water plays crucial roles in many of your body’s functions such as regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients to the cells, excreting metabolic waste products, energy production, and more.


Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Some studies using both animals and humans have repeatedly proven that cucumber helps in lowering blood sugar levels. At the same time, it is also effective in preventing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar–below 70 mg/dL).

Since cucumber is also full of antioxidants (particularly in its skin), it helps prevent the formation of health conditions including diabetes.


Aids in Weight Loss

According to 13 studies including 3,628 people, eating foods that are high in water content and low in calories can actually help in shedding significant extra weight/fat. 

Cucumber is a very low calorie, yet nutrient-packed food. One average sized cucumber (300 grams) only has 45 calories, and 96% of it is water!


Promotes Regular Bowel Movements

Dehydration is one of the reasons for constipation. When there is less fluid in the gastrointestinal tract, passage of stool can be difficult. Besides being uncomfortable, constipation leads to less removal of waste/toxins from your body and increases your risk of hemorrhoid formation.

Aside from its high water content, cucumber also contains the soluble fiber pectin which is found to increase the movement of intestinal muscles so that there is improvement in the frequency of bowel movements.


Additionally, since pectin is a soluble fiber, it turns into a gel (when combined with water) inside your digestive tract. It moistens intestinal contents and aids in the smooth passage of your stool. We also discussed in a previous newsletter how soluble fiber feeds the microbes in your gut: It is a prebiotic and it promotes gut health (aka overall health).


Detoxifies the Body

mentioned above that cucumber is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that help remove toxins or oxidizing agents in the body called free radicals.These free radicals damage your cells, contributing to aging, symptoms, and/or health conditions. 

Drinking cucumber water is a great way to boost your hydration and support your body to flush toxins. 

I hope that this information is helpful to you and supports you in your journey to live a long, healthy life!

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health!


~Rebecca

P.S.
Know someone who could use my help?
Send them the link to apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).

Healthy Travel Snack Guide

Summer travel time is upon us! 
I’ve done more than my share of traveling across the globe. What I’ve learned while traveling is that prioritizing planning in advance to have some healthy snacks to travel with is WORTH IT! Traveling brings more of life’s unpredictability into the equation. Flights are delayed, there’s traffic, someone gets “hangry”,…you know how unpredictable traveling is! Everything feels worse if you are hungry and there’s nothing around to eat or all the options will make you feel like garbage. Who wants to start their vacation off like that?!
So today my friends, I’m going to share some tried and true travel snacks to support your energy, blood sugar, and peace of mind so that you enjoy your vacation even more.

Healthy Awesome Travel Snacks

  • Toasted coconut flakes with sea salt (Dang is a great brand)
  • Plantain chips–I love the ones cooked in coconut oil like Terra.
  • Mauk Family Farms Raw mineral rich crusts
  • Whisps Parmesan Crisps by Mike’s Organic
  • Nuts and seeds (buy them in bulk at the grocery store and portion into baggies OR buy them in individual sized portions): Favorites are raw or lightly roasted nuts and seeds like almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Sea salt is great (skip the heavily salted ones that say “salt” versus “sea salt” in the ingredients). 
  • Sea Snax or gimMe nori sheets
  • Nut butter pouches (Unsweetened almond or peanut butter), coconut butter
  • Chomp’s grassfed meat sticks
  • Jerky  (Steve’s PaleoGoods, Epic, Krave, Nick’s, The New Primal, Brooklyn Biltong, Think Jerky–I recommend making sure any brand you buy be free of MSG, gluten and lots of sugar)
  • Bars–I’m not the biggest fan of bars, but when you’re traveling, they can be a lifesaver! Some legit brands are Marigold, PaleoValley Collagen Bars, Primal Kitchen Bars, Harvest or Epic Bars, and Garden of Life
  • Pork rinds (quality organic brands like Epic)
  • Julian Bakery Paleo Thin crackers

I’m sure you’ll love these travel snack ideas as much as me and many of my clients do. Got your own that you’d like to share? Please email me and I’ll happily add it to the list. 🙂

If you’re ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, I’d love to connect with you!

Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session here:bit.ly/schedulinghealth(subject to availability).

Until next time, fun and healthy travels!


~Rebecca

P.S.
Know someone who could use my help?
Send them the link to apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth (subject to availability).