4 Reasons NOT to Go On a Liquid Cleanse Diet

  Q: What are your thoughts on doing a liquid cleanse diet? A: I’m a fan of a cleanse diet. However, I’m not a fan of a liquid cleanse diet. It’s hard to feel empowered when you’re drinking your breakfast. And your lunch. And your snacks. And your dinner. . . I need to chew. You?   I prefer a real food cleanse diet. I believe in eating whole foods to fuel and energize your body. Eating proper portions of fiber rich, high antioxidant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and also eating lean protein and healthy fat, will give you the results you want for your health and weight for the long term. You don’t need to go to the extreme of liquid cleansing to achieve this. Yep, as boring as it may sound, eating healthy foods as part of an overall balanced diet is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.  4 benefits from a real food cleanse diet for a few days include Now, there are exceptions to every rule. I may green light a liquid cleanse for a specific situation or condition such as an individual needing to recover from GI distress. Sometimes bowel rest can be helpful to get a client back on a healthy track. Very infrequently I may have a client who needs something extreme to break a cycle and get to a new starting point on a healthy diet and a food cleanse isn’t an option because they’re overwhelmed by the prep (simple as it may be) or really resistant to alternatives. But, 99% of the time I recommend a whole, real solid food cleanse, not a liquid cleanse. Here are 4 reasons why I don’t like a liquid cleanse diet: Steer clear of liquid cleansing. If you want to take your healthy diet up a notch and give yourself a nutrition boost and weight loss push, try one of my real food cleanses!

How to Stop Bloating in 5 Easy Steps

Are you waking up feeling a little puffy? Do you need pliers to pull your rings off and an extra strength shoe horn to squeeze your feet into your new heels? Besides your waistline, you may notice a little bloat in your face, neck, fingers and ankles. You are retaining a layer of water just underneath your skin. Don’t freak out. It happens to everyone. It isn’t fat and you don’t have to get used to it. You can banish it with a little know how. Learn how to stop bloating, shuck that layer, and unveil a more streamlined version of you. How to Stop Bloating in 5 Easy Steps   Push Fluid With Fluid. If you are retaining water, you may be dealing with a little electrolyte imbalance. It may feel counter intuitive,  but drinking water will flush (literally) the extra fluid from your system. Steer clear of the bubbly stuff (that won’t help!) and if you’re looking for a little extra zip to your H2O, toss in a slice of lemon, grapefruit or cucumber, which may help you suck down a little more. Moo-ve the Dairy.  Dairy isn’t easy for many adults to digest. As we age, we lose the enzyme needed to break down and process milk sugars — the side effect is bloating, gas and cramping. Take a few days to ditch milk and dairy products completely. Don’t substitute them, just take a break from milk, cheese and yogurt. If you notice a big difference, you may be intolerant, so try adding back dairy foods one at a time. Try yogurt first (and no other dairy) and check in with yourself to see if the bloat returns. The next day try milk in your coffee. Add one dairy food a day, so you can see what works for you. Choose Fruit Wisely.  So, believe it or not, you are better off not going for the apples, pears and melon if you want to push out the water weight. Choose berries, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and grapes, as they don’t hold on to as much water and are more easily digested. Ditch What You Can’t Pronounce.  Can’t say it? Don’t eat it. Ditch all artificial sweeteners and diet foods. They can make you bloated and trigger gas and diarrhea: exactly what you don’t want. Stay away from xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol and all the artificial sweeteners. You don’t need the diet yogurt, soda, cookies or other nutrient poor foods. Stop the Starch. Starches, especially the processed ones, like cereals, pastas, breads and crackers, hold on to water. You don’t want that. Either do without the toast and pasta, or choose whole grain and less processed options like brown rice, root vegetables or oats. They’re better choices, anyway. You still need fiber, which is super important for both your health and your six pack, so get it from produce and whole grains, or consider a supplement — don’t forget to wash down your fiber rich foods with lots of water. Ok, that’s how to stop bloating. You’ll slide your rings off with ease, slip into those neew heels easily and relish your streamlined self.

3 Best Flat Belly Foods

Are you eating clean but still feeling puffy? If pants that usually fit are not fitting, you can blame bloating. One of the most frustrating situations I see clients face is eating healthy but still feeling fat. All those veggies and your button just popped. I feel your pain. When it comes to feeling puffy, you can blame the extra inches circling your waist on gas and/or rebellious digestion, which can be caused by: overeating eating high fat foods eating too fast chewing gum drinking from a straw sucking on hard candies consuming sugar alcohols consuming artificial sweeteners drinking carbonated beverages Some of our fave healthy foods, like beans, dairy and veggies like Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, can even make us bloated. Unfair, I know. Good news for you,  we can get rid of some of your discomfort with a few delicious flat belly foods. 3 Best Flat Belly Foods: Dandelion greens Dandelion greens are great at deflating your bloat thanks to their fiber profile and ability to stimulate the digestive system, moving things along your digestion pathway.  Think, moving along at a nice pace on the highway versus getting backed up in traffic. They also have amazing diuretic properties (can you feel that puff reducing already?), which have earned them a claim to detox fame. Although there is no concrete scientific evidence, they have been linked to cleaning up your liver and kidneys for centuries. Dandelions aren’t just for picking.  Add 1 cup dandelion root tea to your night time routine until your symptoms subside and add into your salad or side veggie rotation a few times per week. Kimchi Kimchi is fermented cabbage and it’s as famous in Korea as peanut butter is in America. Kimchi’s fermentation process loads it up with probiotics, those friendly bacteria that aid digestion, rid your belly of gas and fix the bloated feeling.  Yes, I often recommend a probiotic supplement, but I never want people to skimp on getting nutrients from real food, which is usually the most absorbable form. Nowadays, kimchi is hanging out on local bodega and supermarket shelves somewhere near the pickles. Its exotic presence (think 10th grade science lab jars) is hard to miss. Aim to have at least one fermented food per day. If you choose kimchi, eat it as a side dish (a few bites or a 1/3 cup is all you need), top a salad or saute it up with an egg for a delicious lunch or snack. Bananas Bananas are my go-to bloat-busting tool. The potassium in bananas helps drain your body of water it sometimes likes to retain.  Our bodies often retain water in and outside of our cells due to consuming foods high in sodium. Have you avoided bananas because you fear they’re constipating? Let’s debunk this one: unripe bananas are linked to constipation, but ripe bananas are actually full of fiber and excellent for constipation prevention and relief. I recommend 1 or 2 max pieces of fruit per day.  When you’re feeling bloated, add a banana to your rotation. Have one with a couple teaspoons of nut butter or treat yourself to banana pops for dessert.   Want more? Thought so. You’re welcome!