Dieters think that losing weight has a high price of starvation and suffering, I am here to teach you otherwise. Losing weight can be an exciting, inspiring process without any discomfort; knowing that the food you eat is not only helping you shred the unwanted pounds, but also cleaning your system from within is thrilling and uplifting.

If your liver has been working overtime, you will have hard time losing weight, I often hear from new clients ” I have a good diet and work our daily, but still struggle losing stubborn fat. ” The answer is simple your exhausted, burdened liver prevents you from losing body fat, especially belly fat. In human history of evolution, the environment and the food has never been more contaminated; pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, food preservatives, taste enhancers, artificial dies, alcohol, medications, fillers in supplements and many more have to be metabolized by the body and in particular the liver. Our detoxification system has been able to adapt to the increasing introduction of more and more toxins. When your liver is burdened, you will have and time losing weight, you may also experience unexplained fatigue, poor sleep, skin disturbances and elevated cholesterol.

There are few simple ways to start losing weight now while increasing nutrients and fiber.

Clean Your Liver

Here are some strategies to clean your liver:

• Consume detoxifying foods:
  • sulforaphane containing foods such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli sprouts ( have the most sulforaphane 60 times more than broccoli ), broccoli, cauliflower, kale, redishes, bok choy and watercress (1).
  • sulfur containing foods: onions, leeks, garlic, scallions.
  • antioxidant containing foods such as berries, best are wild berries, beets, ginger and others
  • rice bran fiber. Fiber such as rice bran has proven detoxification effect from pollutants in food such as pesticides. Eating brawn rice is great, but the amount to have effective detoxification effect used in studies is much more than we can eat, therefore, using just the rice bran as a supplement is recommended for effective detoxification. (2)
  • Flexseed. The cleansing effect of flaxseed has been studied recently (3) by reputable research institutes. Detoxification is among the many benefits of flaxseed, however the effect is optimized only when the seeds are finely milled.
• Drink detoxifying beverages such as:
  • dandelion tea
  • milk thistle tea, but for best result you can use milk thistle extract, which is times more potent than tea
  • green tea
  • detoxifying smoothies ( should include green leafy veggies, fiber, protein, antioxidants such as berries , wild berries are best, fresh ginger and fresh turmeric ) see full recipe HERE:
  • lemon water in the morning before any other beverages
• Use detoxifying supplements:
  • Milk Thrisle exract
  • Spirulina
  • Turmeric or know as Curcumin
  • Detoxifying Smoothie
• Detoxifying smoothies: it is important to have this in the morning as it provides all needed nutrients for detoxification process to be completed after the night fast:
  • Green leafy veggies: 1/ 2cup: spinach, kale, broccoli sprouts ( choose one or two )
  • Starchy fruit: 1/2 banana, 1/2 mango, 1 pear or 1/2 apples ( choose one )
  • Fiber: rice bran fiber (1-2 tablespoons, 1-2 flaxseeds, 1-2 chia seeds), choose one 
  • Antioxidants: 1/2 cup berries, frozen or fresh, wild berries 
  • Fresh ginger: 2-3 tablespoons  
  • Barley Grass Powder,
  • plant based protein: 1 scoop – 10 -15 gm protein
  • 6 to 8 oz of water or plant based milk, such as help milk, flaxseed milk or of your choice 

Weight Lost Boosters

• Berberine has  an alkaloid originally isolated from traditional Chinese herb, used to prevent fat accumulation in both in vitro and in vivo. Berberine is able to remove fats from fatty liver and promotes weight loss by detoxifying lipids and removing toxins from the body. (3) Berberine is great in regulating blood sugars and has cancer preventing properties. See link for more information and how to purchase high quality Berberine HERE.
• Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has been used for many years for the treatment of diabetes long before modern medications were invented because of its ability to block starch absorption. Moderate weight loss has been observed in people who are able to tolerate 2 to 3 tablespoons per day of apple cider vinegar diluted in water or within meals. (4)

Focus on Breakfast

To set your system for healthy eating all day long you need to be extra careful what you eat for breakfast. Breakfast high in simple sugars and saturated fat will set the sage for craving more simple sugars and saturated fat later in the day. Your breakfast has to be nutritious, high in fiber, antioxidants, protein and complex carbohydrate. This type of breakfast will prepare your taste buds for more healthy food to come. A good example is oatmeal, made with hot water, cranberries, 2-3 tablespoons walnuts, cinnamon, ground flaxseed or chia seeds is an excellent choice.

Incorporate Legumes

Did you know that legumes are among the healthiest foods on the planet? Not only that legumes are excellent source of protein and fiber but, they provide iron, potassium, zinc, folate and other B vitamins. Eating lots of legumes daily instead of meat and dairy will reduce the risk of stroke, depression and cancer. Beans, lentils and chick peas are hypo-caloric; their high fiber content provides satiety therefore you feel full for longer while cutting back on calories to promote weight loss.

Feed Your Gut Microbiome

Per latest research, our microflora ( the microorganisms living in our colon ) is a good predictor of physical, mental health and ability to lose weight. When the unhealthy bacteria prevail you will have hard time losing weight. However, when the beneficial bacteria are flourishing, your gut is not only efficient in protecting you against disease but also helping you lose weight by metalizing the waste products properly. Select foods with probiotics and prebiotic in them. Probiotic supplements may come beneficial, but finding the once that work may be a challenge so food remains your best choice. Food rich in resistant starch such as green beans, whole grains, lentils, beans are perfect food for your healthy / protective gut flora.

Choose Healthy Snacks

Snacking between meals should be avoided to allow food to be absorbed from your small intestine and moved down to large intestine before you introduce more foods. However, if you are to snack, use healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts, and seeds or fresh veggies. For what are some healthy snacks check out my blog post on healthy meals and snacks:

Junk food cravings happen only if you eat junk food. My clients report that cravings for unhealthy food disappear within 1-2 weeks of stopping. So the hard part is to stop, diverting your mind from eating to other healthy activities can help when we have craving for unhealthy foods. When the craving hits ( usually at the same time of the day, grab a handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds or pistachios). Researchers demonstrated that 10 to 15 nuts per day added to your diet did not lead to weight gain, but did provide healthy fats, precious trace elements and extra protein. (3)

Eat Lots of Fiber

Americans don’t meet their daily recommendations of fiber. Fiber helps with weight loss in many ways: keeps us full, detoxifies toxins from the colon and feeds the good bacteria in our gut. The daily fiber recommendations of 28 to 32 gm per day have been underestimated in order to be achievable. Eating variety of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds with every meal is necessary to meet your needs for healthy soluble, insoluble and resistant starch fibers.

Decrease the Calories Your Drink

You may love your orange juice with breakfast, your soda with lunch, your afternoon energy boost drink, your spiced cappuccino and your wine with dinner, but remember that beverages add up caloric load easily. Find calorie free alternative to any of the calorie dense beverages that you have.

Weight loss does not need to be a struggle.  In fact, you can make is fun and exciting; the weight loss process can make you feel more energized and feeling better.

For individualized nutritional recommendations fill out the contact form and let me support you in your weight loss journey.