The Best Foods to fight inflammation

by Minx life

Whether it's aches and pains, stiffness, headaches, indigestion, stomachaches, yeast imbalances, low energy, weight gain, or free radical damage, it often goes back to two things, acidity and inflammation.

To understand how acidity plays a role in producing bodily inflammation, you first have to understand pH, or the measure of a solution's acidity or alkalinity from 0 to 14, 0 being the most acidic, and 14 being the most alkaline. Our bodies need a very specific pH balance to function and maintain homeostasis. Even slight changes to the pH balance of our blood, for instance, can be extremely problematic.

Our grocery stores and diets are overrun with highly acidic foods, Caffeine, alcohol, processed foods, sugars, refined flours, pasteurized dairy, animal protein are all highly acidic forming in the body, and if you are eating those on a regular basis, chances are you may experience at least some sort of chronic symptom of inflammation. Even natural processes of the body produce acidic byproducts. Stress also contributes greatly to an acidic environment.

So what can we do? How do we reverse the effects of these highly acidic foods and actions? Just as food plays a role in producing an acidic environment, it can be transformative and healing to the body, reducing inflammation and creating an environment that supports health.

The goal should be to consume 80 percent alkaline foods and 20 percent acidic foods. Not all acidic foods are unhealthy necessarily; however, extremely acidic foods like those stated above should be greatly minimized. Fresh fruits and vegetables that have been seasoned and cooked should be the focus of your diet.

Below is a list of some of the most anti-inflammatory foods you should be adding to your diet daily to restore alkalinity and relieve inflammation. Fight inflammation in the kitchen, not the Pharmacy, with:

• Green leafy vegetables

• Turmeric

• Fish Oils(Salmon and Sardines)

• Berries

• Walnuts

• Bone broth

• Coconut oil

• Avocados

• Olive Oil

• Ginger

• Dark Chocolate 70 percent and higher

• Beets

• Broccoli

Remember 80/20... That is the rule to being healthy but you can still enjoy a couple of Margaritas with chips and Guacamole every now and then:-)

The 10 best foods for a flat belly

by minx life

Bathing suit season is right around the corner and most of us are trying to figure out the quickest way to get in shape. Have you ever heard the quote "Abs are made in the Kitchen"? Well, this happens to be true! Here are some healthy foods that will help you attain a flat belly without spending hours in the Gym doing sit ups and planks:-)

Yogurt

Yogurt is great for your Gut: It contains beneficial probiotics, which help balance microflora and prevent bloating. Eating yogurt may also increase feelings of fullness, thanks to the 17 grams of protein per serving(that's almost three times as much as in an egg!). If you're lactose intolerant Goat Kefir may be a better choice.

Try adding it to your morning smoothie, use it in your favorite dip recipe, or enjoy with berries for an afternoon snack.

Lentils

As a member of the super-nutritious pulse family, lentils-along with other seeds that grow within pods like chickpeas, white beans, and dried peas-are packed with protein and fiber, which increase satiety. They're also a good source of iron; this is important because studies have shown that being deficient in the mineral could slow down your metabolism.

Add lentils to salads or use in place of whole grains like brown rice. They also make a great bed for a serving of lean protein, along with a generous portion of veggies.

Bananas

Craving an afternoon snack? A banana may be your best best. In addition to potassium, bananas are packed with resistant starch, a healthy carbohydrate that your body digests slowly, which keeps you full for longer. Resistant starch also encourages your liver to switch to fat-burning mode, giving your metabolism a boost.

Even more good news for your abs: Bananas may help prevent water retention in our bodies by regulating sodium levels, decreasing the risk for bloating.

Asparagus

You already know that asparagus is full of antioxidants and may even act as an aphrodisiac. But did you know it can promote a slim stomach? This super-healthy spring veggie is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which your body digests slowly-keeping you full for longer in between meals. And as a natural diuretic, asparagus facilitates the removal of water and waste to decrease discomfort and bloat.

It also contains probiotics, which act as fuel for healthy bacteria in your gut.

Dark Chocolate

If you have a sweet tooth, take heart: Not all chocolate is off limits. Good quality dark chocolate (anything above 70% cacao) is actually very good for you. Like avocados, dark chocolate contains healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, which may help speed up metabolism. One study from the University of California, San Diego found that adults who ate chocolate more frequently had lower BMIs than those who didn't eat much chocolate.

Just watch your portions: To indulge while keeping calories in check, we recommend having a piece the size of a dental floss container.

Cucumbers

Thanks to the flavonoid antioxidant quercetin (which reduces swelling) and a high water content of 96%, cucumbers can definitely help prevent bloating. This crunchy veggie is also extremely versatile: eat it in a chopped salad, sprinkle on top of yogurt, or munch on cucumber slices with homemade hummus.

Ginger

If you've ever sipped on a glass of ginger ale while sick, you know the drink can do wonders to calm an upset stomach. Turns out the root is also good for keeping your belly slim. Thanks to compounds that help move food through your GI tract, it has been used for centuries as a natural remedy to treat bloating. Ginger may also help with weight management: In a 2012 study from Columbia University, researchers found that participants who drank a hot ginger beverage felt fuller after meals.

An easy way to include it in your diet is to make a ginger tea with a half teaspoon of ground or freshly grated ginger and one cup of hot water.

Almonds

For a guilt- free snack, reach for a handful of almonds. As with dark chocolate and avocados, the nut contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which may help your body burn fat and fight hunger. One recent study in the International Journal of Obesity found that when people had a serving of almonds as part of a low-calorie diet, they lost more weight than those who ate a similar diet but had a carb-heavy snack instead of almonds.

Avocado

Go ahead, put avocado on your toast, your belly will thank you! The super fruit (yes, it technically is a fruit) contains 2 grams of filling fiber and 4 grams of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which can help keep the pounds off. In one recent study, researchers found that people who regularly ate avocados had smaller waistlines than those who didn't.

And in addition to keeping your stomach slim, avocados may benefit the gut, too. Healthy fats like avocados are vital to gut health, as they coat the stomach and allow for ease of digestion. They also help the body increase its absorption of other nutrients and antioxidants.

Papaya

There are lots of reasons to love this brightly colored tropical fruit, which is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, and folate. Papayas also contain an enzyme called papain, which helps your GI system break down difficult-to-digest foods, in turn preventing inflammation and belly bloat.

In addition to eating papaya whole and fresh, it's wonderful in a smoothie, in salads, or thrown on the grill with a drop of olive oil.

These 10 foods will help keep your waistline slim by reducing bloat, boosting metabolism, and giving your body important nutrients that encourage weight loss. In addition to drinking enough water and avoiding notorious belly-busters (think alcohol, soda and sugar), you should be bikini ready!

How to eliminate PMS naturally

by minx life 

We've all had the dreaded PMS where we experience bloating, weight gain, anxiety,cramps, insomnia, hot flashes and depression at some point in our lives .

It has essentially become one big societal joke. Isn't it hilarious that ladies can't seem to control their cravings for chocolate? Isn't scary how moody and downright depressed they can seem for several days of the month.  

Aside from these assumptions being flippant and dismissive, they're problematic because they reinforce the notion that all of this is normal. The images we see in the media and the statements we hear all around us would have us believe that cravings, cramps, and out of control emotions are inherent, inevitable parts of womanhood.

We are here to tell you: It's just not true.

What do I do about it?

Forget the pills and the potions. They are not effective enough to combat what is going on in your system when your diet has left your hormones off- balance.  Further proof that there is no magic bullet: Many Women who take birth control pills still struggle with PMS, even though they are on the supposed cure all of synthetic hormones.

You can only truly take care of your PMS symptoms by adjusting your diet. Changing up some of what you eat and drink during this time will help rebalance your hormones and make the monthly transition smooth, easy, and maybe even symptomless. Most importantly, eating these things not only helps alleviate symptoms in the short term, but over time, these foods can put an end to your PMS permanently!

Best foods to eat 

Kale- A powerful hormone balancer which helps to eliminate excess estrogen and prevent estrogen dominance.

Sweet Potatoes- Say goodbye to sugar cravings and get a healthy dose of Vitamin A, an important nutrient that helps your liver break down excess estrogen, balances your mood, and keeps blood sugar stable.

Chickpeas- These delicious, versatile little beans are high in vitamin B6, which is an important player in progesterone production. Not only will low progesterone induce stress and period problems, but low B6 can exacerbate estrogen dominance. Regularly eating chickpeas can remedy those problems.

Bone Broth- Not only is it the hottest trend but bone broth is chock full of magnesium and calcium, two electrolytes that help prevent the headaches and migraines that often accompany PMS.

Coconut Yogurt- Skip the ice cream aisle and try a probiotic-rich coconut alternative that's full of live cultures and healthy fats- it will help stabilize your mood and combat cravings.

Remember: Once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making healthy choices that finally start to work for you. You can do this- the science of your body is on your side!

PAPAYA FOR GOOD DIGESTION

by minx life

While eating fruit with a meal is never recommended as it can have a negative effect on your digestion, papaya is one of the few exceptions.

Papaya fruit is a rich source of valuable proteolytic enzymes, such as papain, chymopapain, caricain and glycl endopeptidase, that can greatly aid in the digestive process. This is especially true of of meals that contain meat or other concentrated forms of protein.

But, as this page will show, papaya enzyme can have many other health benefits and may have an even more important role to play when taken on an empty stomach.

Many of us eat large amounts of low quality meat each week that can put great strain on our digestive system and enzyme producing pancreas. Processed meats, with additives such as the potentially carcinogenic sodium nitrite, are particularly worrying from a health perspective.

To make matters worse, rushed meals, extra large serving sizes, low digestive enzymes and stomach acid production, and poorly functioning digestive systems in general all contribute to this meat often ending up only partially digested by the time it reaches the lower intestines.

Here it can putrefy as it is acted upon by masses of flatulence causing bacteria. But smelly gas is the least of the potential health problems caused by undigested protein in the colon.

The place to fix flatulence and other more serious health issues associated with poor digestion, such as constipation, leaky gut syndrome and IBS, is not at the end of the process,  but at the beginning.

Proper chewing is important to break up food and can significantly assist carbohydrate digestion, but to get a head start on protein, proteolytic enzymes like the papain enzyme in papaya can really help. It's also a good idea to avoid certain foods for awhile, such as, meat, fried and fatty foods, eggs, refined sugars, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. 

Papaya Enzyme on an Empty Stomach

While papaya enzymes are most often taken with food, another strategy that is gaining popularity is to take green papaya enzyme powder blended up in a smoothie or with water on an empty stomach.

Under these circumstances little hydrochloric acid would be produced and the papain and other enzymes could pass into the small intestines in larger amounts. From here they can be absorbed into your bloodstream where they exert an anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body .

Proteolytic enyzmes circulating in the blood are known to reduce inflammation in your body, most likely by scavenging damaged and oxidized proteins and breaking them down.

These damaged proteins are implicated in a variety of debilitating autoimmune disorders such as severe allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome and a weakened immune system that is much more vulnerable to infections and disease. 

If you are looking for better digestion and an improved immune system give papaya a try!

The Benefits Of Soaking Nuts Before Eating Them

by Minx life

Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and a slew of vitamins and minerals. Which is why they come highly recommended as an addition to a balanced diet. Turns out, soaking nuts can enhance their benefits for you. The phytic acid and tannins in the skin make nuts harder to digest and inhibit the absorption of nutrients in your food. Soaking and removing the peel can do away with these. Plus, they're less likely to irritate a sensitive stomach and are cleaner as well this way!

They are a nutrient -dense snack and perfect for when the munchies strike! Satisfying but not sinful, they come highly recommended by the American Heart Association as part of a healthy diet. Although it's easiest to have these crunchy nuggets straight from the bag, have you wondered if you should be soaking or peeling certain nuts first? In some parts of the world like Asia, almonds, for instance, are soaked overnight and peeled the next morning before consuming. So is there some science behind this ritual and should you consider soaking nuts before having them?

What Happens When You Soak Nuts

When you soak nuts, it becomes easier to peel off their skin. That's not all, though. There are also certain changes to the nut itself when you soak it. While some nutrients are lost along with the skin, you may find that positive effects of soaking more than make up on other fronts.

• Washes away dust and other contamination

• Removes tannins and inhibit digestion

• Lowers physic acid content

• Break down and soften to digest easily

• Easy to peel away the skin

Bottom line, if you are looking to improve overall gut health, give soaking a try!