Possible Flaws in Your Diet

The following five food types are the main culprits in weight gain, poor metabolism, and low energy levels. We like to call these the five toxic. When you eliminate these foods from your diet, it will help your body to naturally shrink down to its ideal weight and healthy shape.

• Grains: A diet high in grains puts stress on your body’s insulin regulation mechanism, leaving you susceptible to weight gain and diabetes. It’s also easy to find yourself bloated when eating grains, since these items are high in calories and carbs, and contain phytic acid, an antinutrient that interferes with your body’s digestion and absorption of nutrients. 

• Gluten: This grain's protein often triggers an immune response. Over time, this can culminate in a host of health problems and sensitivities that lead to bloating, leaky gut syndrome, and weight gain. 

• Dairy: Roughly 75 percent of the world’s population has low levels of lactase, a decline that usually begins between the ages of three and five. Why does this matter? Without lactase, your body can’t properly digest calorie-rich dairy products. This leads to painful, bloated belly syndrome, which adds inches to your waistline. 

• Soy: Soybean protein has a high concentration of isoflavones, a biologically active compound categorized as endocrine disruptors. They hamper the body’s hormones, reducing or increasing estrogen activity. These isoflavones can also function as goitrogens, blocking the production of thyroid hormones. When your thyroid production is low, your energy becomes zapped, your metabolism crashes, and weight gain becomes automatic. 

• Cane sugar: Research continues to prove that sugar is making and keeping you fat, and that’s in addition to forcing your body to become bloated. Eating lots of sugar can also increase your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol, making you prone to heart disease. 

Healthy Substitutes

• Grains and Gluten: Almond flour, flax meal, coconut flour, and protein powder are delicious and healthy options. Virtually any recipe that calls for traditional flour can be replaced with almond flour. Flax meal, coconut flour, and protein powder can also be used as a sub for traditional grain-based flours in recipes, however, the ratio is not exactly one-to-one because they tend to absorb more liquid than wheat flour. Experiment with creating a grain-free flour blend that you love while transporting your baking into the fat-burning zone. 

• Dairy: Simply choosing coconut milk, coconut cream, or almond milk will help you replace your regular milk intake. It might be harder to replace cheese, so give something like a cashew ‘’cheese’’ a try. 

• Soy: Coconut aminos are very similar to soy sauce, so this substitute comes in handy when making a stir-fry. 

• Cane Sugar: Stevia, raw honey, pure maple syrup, and coconut palm sugar can help you satisfy your sweet tooth. However, when it comes to fat loss, it’s important to limit all sugar intake (wholesome or refined) so use this list sparingly. Once you grow accustomed to the lower intensity of healthy sweeteners, you’ll begin to find refined cane sugar to be unbearably sweet.

We know that your health and waist will thank you dearly for your efforts.