2 Sugar-Free Recipes to Keep Your Body Fit and Healthy

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

Kale Carrot Salad with Lime Tahini Dressing

Did you know kale is a powerhouse for iron and calcium? It’s not all about dairy and steak, instead add kale to your daily diet to boost an impressive amount of iron and calcium to help keep your body strong, fit and healthy.

This kale carrot salad is simply delicious and pairs perfectly with a creamy zesty dressing giving it a mighty mix of flavor. You can eat this salad as it is for a light lunch or enjoy it with a baked sweet potato and your preferred protein for dinner. Enjoy!

Kale Carrot Salad with Lime Tahini Dressing

Recipe by Rebecca Hughes

Ingredients

• ½ head of lettuce
• Handful of kale
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of ½ lime
• Pinch of garlic powder
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1. Add roughly chopped lettuce and kale to a bowl.

• Add the grated carrot to the greens and mix the veggies together.

• To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.

• Either stir the dressing into the veggies or add on top of the salad.

• Enjoy this salad on its own or paired with your preferred protein and carbs.

Easy Beet Chips

Beet chips are: flavorful, crunchy, crispy, slightly salty, a healthy take on traditional chips, and of course really good.

You can make these chips one of two ways: one way is with a knife and thinly slicing the beets and the second way is with a mandolin. If I were you, I’d go with the latter.

If you don’t own a mandolin, I recommend investing! They are not expensive, and just think of all the delicious vegetable chips you can make for yourself and your family. If you choose option #1 that’s fine too – just make sure to slice them thin enough so that they will turn crisp in the oven.

Either way, I hope you find time to make and enjoy these beet chips, aka the best way to enjoy beets!

Easy Beet Chips

Recipe by Erin Druga

Nutrient-rich, colorful beets easily roast into a crispy chip. Season them lightly or heavily for an earthy snack.

Tools:

• Mandolin or knife
• Baking sheet
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• 4 beets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Using a mandolin, thinly slice beets. I set mine to 1.5 mm. You can also try thinly slicing them with a knife, but a mandolin works a bit better.

• Once sliced, place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt; stir.

• Line baking sheet with beets and bake 10-15 minutes before flipping beets over and baking for another 10-15 minutes until chips are crisp.

Watch this video –3 Sugar Free Vegan Desserts Recipes | Dairy Free, Diet Friendly, & Healthy Dessert Options | Sanne

Written by Rebecca Hughes and Erin Duga

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hughes is a fruit-obsessed, yoga and pull up fanatic, who enjoys the great outdoors with her GSP dogs.

Rebecca is passionate about helping people feel good. As a certified personal trainer, BioSignature Practitioner and soon-to-be Precision Nutrition Coach, she endeavors to be a positive role model and to help people learn to love their body, love food without guilt and enjoy a fulfilling life.

Rebecca is the owner of Barefoot Coconut – an online resource for all manners of health, nutrition and fitness. Rebecca also writes for SlendHer, a health and fitness resource for women.

Erin is the author of the food blog, The Almond Eater, where she creates recipes that require just 30 minutes or less. Though cooking is one of her favorite things to do, she believes that it shouldn’t take up a ton of time. Quick recipes can be flavorful and healthy, too. In her spare time, she enjoys photographing food, teaching barre classes and blogging. To view more of her work, visit her blog, The Almond Eater.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

8 Unlikely Sources of Hidden Sugars and What to Eat Instead

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

8 Surprising Foods High in Sugar (and What to Eat Instead)

There are surprising amounts of hidden sugars in your favorite “healthy” foods. Here are the top eight sources of hidden sugar, and what to eat instead.

The World Health Organization suggests that we limit sugar intake to 5 percent of total calories. In most cases, this would amount to 25 grams or less of sugar per day. Yet the average American consumes closer to 77 grams per day.

When you combine the volume of added sugars we get in foods with those we get in whole foods, like fruit, we are consuming a startling percentage of our food from fructose and added sugar sources.

If you want to reduce your sugar intake, start by identifying the places where sugar is hiding. When you eat dessert, you know you’re getting a dose of sugar. But what about snacks you consider healthy?

8 Unlikely Sources of Hidden Sugars

Don’t be fooled into thinking these “healthy” choices are innocent – these foods are notorious for containing a high amount of added sugars. The good news is that there are low-sugar or no-added-sugar replacements for all of these.

1. Yogurt

Yogurt is often considered a healthy breakfast or snack option, but most people aren’t buying the plain varieties with no sugar added.

Even a basic low-fat vanilla yogurt can contain more than 23 grams of sugar, with no fiber to help slow down absorption. This means that a single container of yogurt can eat up almost an entire day’s allowance of sugar.

If you’re going to buy yogurt from the store, make sure it’s completely unsweetened, then top it with fresh berries. Even better, try making your own non-dairy, low-sugar coconut yogurt at home.

2. Salad Dressing

Salad dressing adds flavor to salads and, in many cases, makes them palatable.

Who wants to eat a dry plate of lettuce, right? However, many salad dressings can also contain enough added sugars to put a hefty dent in your daily sugar allowance, with the creamier kinds often containing 13 or more grams of sugar per serving.

Stick to basic vinaigrette dressings rather than creamy ones, or try whipping up this homemade lime tahini dressing – it pairs great with kale.

3. Granola Bars

There are hundreds of varieties of granola bars, nut bars, energy bars, and the like, but one thing that most have in common are sneaky-named sources of added sugars. Depending on the ingredients, these bars can range from 6 to 7 grams of sugar to upwards of 16 grams.

Replace store-bought granola bars with your own DIY snacks, like raw nuts mixed with seeds, beef jerky, or even keto bombs, which are rich in healthy fats and low in sugar.

4. Condiments

How much ketchup do you add to your hamburger or fries? Probably more than you think. An average amount of ketchup used for a meal contains 12 or more grams of sugar, and other condiments aren’t better, with barbecue sauce closer to 16 or more grams.

Choose mustard or mayonnaise over ketchup and BBQ sauce, or even make your own healthy condiments!

5. Nut Butters

Since peanut butter contains protein, many people are fooled into thinking it’s healthy. However, a single serving of peanut butter can contain 13 or more grams of sugar, and some almond butters are even worse, with 15 or more grams for the same serving size.

The good news is that you can easily make your own nut butter and completely skip the added sugars.

6. Veggie Sticks

Crunchy potato chip replacements like veggie sticks or straws seem like a healthy choice for snacking, but unfortunately, a serving of these can contain as many as 12 grams of sugar.

You’re much better off making your own veggie chips right in your own kitchen, with no hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Try these Nacho Cheese Kale Chips or even beet chips!

7. Store-Bought Sauces

Whether you’re making chicken teriyaki or something with a balsamic glaze, the sauces you’re putting on top of your favorite dishes can be a major contributor of sugar.

In fact, the average store-bought teriyaki sauce can contain as much as 24 grams of sugar per serving. If you’re pairing that teriyaki sauce with white rice, you’re looking at a major carb overload.

Skip the store-bought stuff and make your sauces at home to cut down on the sugar.

Watch these videos below –

How to Make Homemade Ketchup – Sugar Free, Keto & Paleo – Bobby’s Kitchen Basics

How to Make Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce – Sugar Free & Keto – Bobby’s Kitchen Basics

How to Make Easy & Healthy Teriyaki Sauce AT HOME

8. Canned Fruit

Canned fruit might seem like a healthy option, but unless you specifically read labels, you could be getting canned fruit that’s loaded with extra sugars.

An average serving of canned peaches contains more than 25 grams of added sugars when the same serving in fresh peaches would be 12 grams.

Avoid the canned stuff and reach for a piece of fresh fruit instead. Berries, kiwis, and grapefruit are some great low-sugar options.

Watch this video – Shocking HIDDEN SUGAR in Food | AVOID THESE to Lose Weight!

Bottom Line

It’s important to be on the lookout for added sugars, even in the foods you assumed were healthy. Knowing the major culprits is half the battle, and fortunately, it’s easy to replace sneaky sugary foods with healthier (and tastier!) substitutes.

Written by Aimee McNew

Author Bio:

Aimee McNew is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in women’s health, thyroid problems, infertility, and digestive wellness. She ate her way back to health using a Paleo diet, lost 80 pounds, and had a healthy baby after numerous miscarriages. She focuses on simple nutrition practices that promote long-lasting results.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

How to Build Healthy Gut Flora for Better Sleep

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

The Gut Clock – How Gut Bacteria Can Wreck Your Circadian Rhythm

Over the past few years we’ve discovered just how important having good gut bacteria is to overall health.

Considering that our guts are home to diverse communities of over 30 trillion of these microbes, it makes sense that they play key roles in digestion, inflammation, immune response, weight, and even the development of colon cancer.

But a question has remained: How far does their influence over our health reach? As it turns out, pretty far. Research is now showing that our gut microbes can affect our circadian rhythms, which can alter our behavior, mood, energy levels, and gastrointestinal health.

What is the Circadian Rhythm?

The term circadian rhythm refers to what is essentially our “body clock.” This internal clock, which is present in almost all living organisms, is responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles, hunger and satiety, hormone balance, and behavior.

The circadian rhythm is driven by a master clock located in our brains called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is connected to other “peripheral” clocks located in different organs like the liver, as well as the gut.

This master clock runs on a 24-hour schedule by receiving cues from our environment, such as light, darkness and food.

When things are running smoothly and our circadian rhythm isn’t disturbed by artificial night lights or a bad diet, our bodies naturally feel well-rested and happy. When our circadian rhythms are disrupted, however, our health can go south quickly.

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What Does the Gut Have To Do With Sleep?

Researchers have discovered that our gut bacteria actually have their own circadian rhythm, and that these have a major influence over ours.

In essence, these microbiota influence our bodies by moving around our intestines every 24 hours, coming into contact with different intestinal cells that regulate genes and biochemical processes, such as fatty acid production. The bacteria touching these cells cause them to send signals to our master and peripheral clocks, which then have an effect on our health and behavior.

When our gut microbes are disrupted, it throws a wrench in our circadian rhythm, while disruptions in our circadian rhythm also disturb our gut microbes. It is essentially a continuous feedback loop between us, our environment, and our microbes.

This is also one explanation for why we see links between gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and night shift workers, who are constantly disrupting their gut microbes and, consequently, their circadian rhythms.

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How Food and Light Exposure Affect Your Gut Clock

Light exposure has a huge effect on circadian rhythm. After all, the reason you feel sleepy when it gets dark outside is directly due to your circadian rhythm regulating your melatonin levels. This interaction with light is so powerful that studies have shown just shining a small amount of light on the back of a person’s knee is enough to affect their body clock.

However, research is now showing that another factor may be just as important as light in regulating circadian rhythm, and it’s diet. Of course, we also know that our diet and gut bacteria are closely tied. High-fat, high-carb processed food diets severely disrupt the circadian rhythm of gut bacteria.

For instance, research shows that high-fat, high-carb processed food diets severely disrupt the circadian rhythm of gut bacteria.

In one study researching mice, this disruption caused their metabolisms to fall apart, leading to high cholesterol and obesity.

On the other hand, diets low in inflammatory fats and processed carbs, and high in Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants help bring circadian rhythms into balance.

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What Happens When Your Circadian Rhythm is Disrupted?

Since our gut bacteria and circadian rhythm are so intertwined, it’s easy to see how unhappy gut bacteria could keep us up at night – or worse.

Some of the other scary side effects of a disrupted circadian rhythm due to a bad diet, or disturbed sleep, include:

• Increased risk of developing or aggravating gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease.

• Accelerated aging.

• Tumor growth and formation in the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

• Obesity.

As you have probably noticed, most of these side effects are related to the health of your intestines and bacteria. Even your liver is affected by your gut bacteria, since the rhythms of cells in the liver are influenced by circadian rhythms. These effects truly remind us of the fact that the body is a holistic system.

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How to Keep Your Gut Happy and Sleep Better

According to research, it really does seem that happy gut bacteria equals a happier you. Or, at least, one that sleeps better and has more energy during the day.

Knowing this, it makes sense to nourish these bacteria as best as you can throughout the day.

Below are some tips to help you get your gut bugs and circadian rhythm back on track:

• Add in more fermented foods to your diet like sauerkraut, kombucha, coconut water kefir, non-dairy yogurts, and kimchi.

• Invest in a probiotic supplement.

• Feed your good gut bacteria with prebiotic foods like Jerusalem artichokes, cooked and cooled sweet potatoes, green bananas and plantains.

• Consume raw honey to help get rid of bad bacteria.

• Switch to natural shampoos, soaps, and household cleaners, as chemicals can affect your gut microbes.

Some other ways to avoid disrupting your gut bugs and circadian rhythm are to avoid lights from electronics after sunset or an hour before bed, and to try to get on a wake/sleep schedule with the sunrise.

Of course this isn’t possible for everyone, but even going to bed and getting up at the same time throughout the week will help your body adapt to a schedule.

Also, try and eat at the same time every day and avoid snacking too late at night or eating at erratic times. This will help your gut bacteria get on a regular feeding schedule.

Sticking with these tips will help you build healthy gut flora that also helps you sleep better and wake up refreshed.

Watch this video – How to optimize your gut and brain bacteria | Dave Asprey | Big Think

Written by Megan Patiry

Author Bio:

Megan is an inquisitive nutrition and wellness writer harboring an editorial love affair with the decadent and the nutritious. She is a dedicated researcher in all areas of ancestral health, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, personal trainer, and professional almond milk latte addict.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

How the American Diet Affects Gut Bacteria and Weight

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

How an American Diet Changes Gut Bacteria, Linking to Obesity

New studies find that immigrants coming to America experience damaging changes in their gut bacteria. 

Researchers discovered that the gut bacteria of immigrants is altered for the worse once they adopt an American diet – even when they’re coming from third world countries. The theory that diet affects gut bacteria has been widely researched, but these new studies give us crucial insight into how certain foods affect our own microbiome.

Here’s what this connection between diet and gut bacteria could mean for your own health.

How the American Diet Alters Gut Bacteria

To find out how immigration impacts overall health, the University of Minnesota conducted a study tracking several generations of Hmong and Karen people immigrating to the U.S. from the rural regions of Thailand and China.

Originally, these immigrants’ native Southeast Asian diet consisted mostly of boiled vegetables and rice. After adopting a new American diet higher in sugar, processed carbs, fat, and protein, they experienced a six-fold increase in obesity, along with a 10 percent loss in gut bacteria diversity.

Scientists were surprised by how rapidly these gut changes occurred. In just one generation, Hmong women who immigrated to the U.S. went from an obesity rate of 5 percent to over 30 percent.

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Why Diversity in the Gut is So Important

The shift in gut bacteria diversity is one of the most important findings of this study. In fact, the newly obese immigrants lost roughly 10 percent of their microbial diversity.

People in developing nations naturally harbor a more diverse gut microbiome than those living in America. When they relocate to the U.S., these immigrants increase their odds of metabolic disease.

However, it’s not just the diversity of gut bacteria that seemed to cause a problem, but also the types of flourishing bacteria. For instance, the study found that the Western strain Bacteroides displaced the non-Western bacteria strain Prevotella in just six to nine months.

Scientists believe that Prevotella aids in the digestion of native fiber-rich foods, like tamarind, konjac, and coconut. When the strain is no longer “fed”, it dies off.

While neither of these strains appears to be better or worse than the other, it seems that when certain strains are “dominant” without a balanced blend of other strains, the risk of obesity increases.

Aside from conditions like metabolic disorders and obesity, a lack of microbiome diversity can also impact your immune system.

Studies show that gut bacteria play a huge role in protecting us from pathogens, as well as helping our bodies extract nutrients from foods. This means that we should consider whether the lack of certain nutrients from not having the right types of gut bacteria could also be playing a role in obesity.

A lack of good gut bacteria is also associated with chronic inflammation, which can lead to issues like inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity. It seems that inflammation stemming from a lack of certain bacteria could be causing problems as well.

Why Environment Matters Too

Many of these studies focus specifically on how the American diet influences gut bacteria. However, we should also consider the impact of an American environment on gut bacteria.

For example, the chemicals we use in household cleaners, drinking water, and even cosmetics can alter our bacteria for the worse. That means your gut bacteria can be disrupted by so much more than what you are or aren’t eating.

On the positive side, studies show that gardening can have a positive impact on gut bacteria. The diversity of bacteria in soil can add more diversity to your microbiome over time, and simply having contact with the earth (also known as “earthing”) reduces inflammation and stress, which can improve the overall health of your gut bacteria.

How to Improve Gut Bacteria Diversity

Maintaining a healthy diversity of gut bacteria plays a huge role in helping to keep healthy. 

Here are a few suggestions on how to diversify your microbiome:

Eat plenty of probiotics from fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, non-dairy yogurts, and coconut kefir.

Enjoy a wide variety of veggies, greens, and fruits.

Try gardening several days a week, or walking outside barefoot on soil or grass.

Switch to all-natural household cleaners, shampoos, and body care products.

Try taking probiotic supplements.

Eat prebiotic foods that “feed” good bacteria, like taro root, chicory, and Jerusalem artichokes.

Avoid processed foods, sugars, and artificial sweeteners.

Read – 4 Simple Steps to Fix Your Gut Bacteria Imbalance, and then try these 3 HEALING VEGAN RECIPES ‣‣ for better gut health.

Watch this video – How Your Gut Bacteria Affects Your Weight and Health

The Bottom Line

While we all know that diet affects gut bacteria, the typical “American” diet may cause more damage than we thought. In fact, as these immigration studies reveal, an “Americanized” gut could result in obesity or other health issues.

Still, scientists don’t know what comes first. Does an unhealthy diet make you obese and change your microbiome, or does your diet change your microbiome, leading to obesity?

While more research is needed, one thing is for certain: an American diet harms the gut microbiome. To protect yourself, eat an array of gut-healthy foods to keep a diverse microbiome.

Written by Megan Patiry

Author Bio:

Megan is an inquisitive nutrition and wellness writer harboring an editorial love affair with the decadent and the nutritious. She is a dedicated researcher in all areas of ancestral health, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, personal trainer, and professional almond milk latte addict.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook