Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 9-16-16 Online Edition

Health
Part I:
There is nothing worse than starting an exercise program to burn fat, making some good diet changes, but still not seeing the results you want to see. The foods that keep you from losing the last 10 pounds and keep you stuck at a plateau are called the metabolism death foods!
These foods alter the focus of your metabolism and can cause:
* Weight gain
* Thyroid dysfunction * Fatigue
* Hormone imbalance * Digestive disease
And the craziest thing about these foods is that they are often labeled as “health foods”.
Here are the 6 metabolism death foods you need to switch out of your diet to take your me- tabolism and fat burning poten- tial to the next level!
1. Fruit Juice
Contrary to popular belief, fat isn’t the first thing that will make you fat — it’s consuming too much sugar. Drinking fruit juice and consuming too much sugar will absolutely wreck your me- tabolism!
Fruit juice including most apple, orange and grape juice is basically chemically laden sugar water! One eight-ounce glass of fruit juice contains 30 grams of sugar, while a soda contains 28 grams of sugar!
Also, you should avoid other forms of sugar which can hide under names like: corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, juice concen- trate, maltodextrin, raw sugar and brown sugar.
What to do instead: To re- place fruit juice, I recommend making homemade lemonade, mixing real lemon juice, water and stevia. Kombucha is another great option as well as herbal tea mixed with raw honey. Or, drink- ing coconut water, which is na- ture’s gatorade, is another great option!
2. Whole Grains
Whole grains may be the No. 1 offender when it comes to ruin- ing your metabolism and weight loss efforts.
Three of the main com- pounds in grains hurt your me- tabolism include gluten, starch and phytic acid. Gluten causes inflammation, which is the root of all diseases — starch turns into sugar quickly and phytic acid binds to minerals, so you’re not getting most of the minerals and vitamins from whole grains that could have helped your metabo- lism.
Some of the biggest whole grain offenders include: bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, muffins, desserts, flours, chips and gra- nola bars.
What to do instead: A better option for fat loss is replacing
your daily intake of grains with fruits and vegetables or consum- ing up to one piece daily of a sprouted grain bread (like Ezekiel bread) or sourdough. Also, the best flour replacement to use instead of wheat flour is coconut flour.
3. Canola Oil
Using the wrong type of oil can keep you from losing that last 10 pounds and put a halt to any results you might see. If you use canola oil or other vegetable oils, it’s sure to slow down your fat loss efforts and cause you to store unwanted body fat.
Canola oil contains hydro- genated oils which cause inflam- mation throughout the entire body, disrupting your hormones and metabolism. What to do in- stead: Replace all vegetables oils with coconut oil and grass-fed butter to boost your metabolism. I always say, butter is your belly’s best friend. Grass-fed butter sup- ports your metabolism because it is high in CLA, and coconut oil supports fat loss because it’s high in MCFA’s.
4. Peanut Butter
Yes, peanut butter is tasty, but it can also kill your gut health. Peanuts are grown in the soil and stored moist in silos, which then cause them to grow a type of fungus called aflatoxins and can effect the health of your gut.
Peanuts are one of the most common allergens today and have been linked to food sensitiv- ities, leaky gut syndrome and a slow metabolism.
This aflatoxin in peanuts can actually compete with probiotics in your gut and thus damage di- gestive health.
Also, peanuts are very high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause serious inflammation in the body. For these many rea- sons, peanut butter is a metabo- lism death food!
What to do instead: If you want to start revving up your me- tabolism, then make a switch to almond butter. Nutrition-rich al- monds are high in an amino acid L-arginine, which increases HGH production in your body. This in turn causes your body to build lean muscle and sends your metabolism sky high!
5. Granola
This “health food” has had a health halo around it for years, but it’s secretly been hiding as a wolf in sheep’s clothing that kills your metabolism.
Today’s granola has many is- sues because it’s made up of whole grains and sugar. Now what’s most surprising about granola is that the honey in it is a major cause of weight gain.
What to do instead: A great replacement to store-bought gra- nola is to make homemade sprouted granola. Simply soak al-
monds, pecans, cashews and chia seeds in water for eight hours, thensetthemoutforadayona paper towel. Then mix these in- gredients with raw local honey, raisins, coconut flakes, cinnamon and sea salt. Place them in a de- hydrator or oven, and you have a great tasting metabolism-boost- ing snack.
6. Artificial Sweeteners
Of all the metabolism death foods, artificial sweeteners in- cluding aspartame and sucralose are probably the most deceiving.
Artificial sweeteners tell the lie that you can satisfy your sweet tooth, with no calories, no guilt and a thinner waist line. How- ever, aspartame is actually linked to 92 adverse health effects.
Aspartame and sucralose (Splenda) can stimulate your ap- petite and increase cravings for carbohydrates.
Diet Soda is bad. It was found that the consumption of just one diet soda per day significantly in- creased the risk for increased waist circumference and weight gain.
What to do instead: Switch out artificial sweeteners for ste- via, an all-natural, no-calorie sweetener. Also, raw honey and dates are other great options.
There are many options forhowtogetridofami- graine, and different things work for different people. Try the following ways for how to get rid of a migraine to see what works best for you.
1. Foods that Help Mi- graines
Foods that can help pre- vent or treat migraines in- clude the following: Omega-3 Foods
Nuts, seeds and wild- caught fish, such as salmon or sardines, help control blood flow and lower inflammation.
Organic, Fresh Fruits
and Vegetables
These foods are high in magne- sium and
other key electrolytes, which are especially important for controlling blood flow and muscular functions, along with preventing an electrolyte imbalance. They also provide antioxidants that help de- crease inflammation, coun-
teract effects of toxin expo- sure and balance hormones.
Magnesium-Rich Foods
Some of the best sources include spinach,
swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, kefir, almonds, black beans, avocado, figs, dates, bananas and sweet potatoes. Clean, Lean Protein Foods.
These include grass-fed beef and poultry, wild-caught fish, beans and legumes.
Foods with B vitamins
Some research suggests that peo- ple with
migraines could benefit from consuming more B vitamins, especially vitamin B2 (ri- boflavin).
Sources of riboflavin in- clude organ meats and other meat, certain dairy products, vegetables like green leafy veggies, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-B