This blog is republished from our good friend Danette May.

You already know that any movement you do gives your mood a big boost and makes a big difference in your weight loss efforts.

There’s no shortage of ways to move your body, but you may be wondering if your time is better spent walking or running?

Either one is good, but which one is better?

When it comes to only how many calories you burn per hour, running is the better workout. Your exact calorie burn depends on how much you weigh and how fast you run, but running expends more energy.

Want an idea of the difference in calorie burn between running and walking?

Consider these statistics for a person who weighs 155 lbs.:

• Running 30 minutes at 5 miles per hour burns 298 calories
• Running 30 minutes at 6 miles per hour burns 372 calories
• Running 30 minutes at 7.5 miles per hour burns 465 calories
• Walking 30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour burns 149 calories
• Walking 30 minutes at 4 miles per hour burns 167 calories
• Walking 30 minutes at 4.5 miles per hour burns 186 calories

Though running clearly provides a greater impact on how many calories are burned, that doesn’t mean that doing it is easy.

Depending on your physical condition, running for 30 minutes (or longer) may be out of the question.

So, does that mean that you have to walk for more than an hour in order to get the same amount of impact?

The good news is there’s another option.

It’s called High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT.

Studies have shown that by going back and forth between walking and running you can eliminate the need to run long distances and still get a big effect.

How does HIIT work?

A HIIT workout has you doing a hard workout for a very short period of time, then resting while still doing something active. That means that you get your heart rate way up, and then you recover and catch your breath, then do it again.

When you ask your body to push itself you create a brief oxygen shortage. When your body recovers, you take in more oxygen to make up for the loss.

The result is that you burn more fat.

Studies have shown that a HIIT workout can burn more calories in a shorter period of time as a result of the EPOC effect.

There are a lot of other advantages to doing a HIIT workout.

Besides a better fat burn, it also boosts your metabolism for as long as 48 hours after your workout. It takes less time than a regular workout and you don’t need any expensive equipment.

(The Original source article found here)

Did you know that certain exercises can help you slow aging and help you to look younger, but other specific types of exercises can actually age you FASTER.  Not good!

Make sure to AVOID the types of exercises that accelerate aging in your body.  My colleague Steve Holman explains which exercises to avoid at this article:

This exercise accelerates AGING in your body (plus 5 tips to look 10 years younger)

Steve also shows you on that page which specific format of exercise helps reverse aging!

The post Walking VS Running appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Have you ever noticed that in the fall there are a lot of vegetables that are orange, red or yellow colored? Pumpkins, squashes, carrots, beets and sweet potatoes are all heavy on healthy antioxidant. These foods also contain alpha carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which protect your cells and keep them healthy.

The powerful antioxidant, beta carotene not only turns into vitamin A in the body, but also protects against heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Pumpkin contains both vitamin C and vitamin A that help to strengthen the immune system—which is perfect timing for protection against colds and flu. Pumpkin’s powerful antioxidants also help to fight cancer.

That vitamin A from pumpkin also helps to strengthen the eyesight and protect against diseases like macular degeneration. Beta-carotene also helps prevent diabetes, along with the healthy fiber that pumpkin contains, which is low glycemic, keeping blood sugar low.

The fiber and rich taste of pumpkin are also very filling without being fattening. The low-glycemic attributes of pumpkin help to keep the body in fat-burning mode—not fat-storing mode. And pumpkin’s natural fiber helps to feed those healthy bacteria in the gut, while increasing your brain’s level of serotonin, the ‘feel good’ brain chemical.

Beta carotene also protects the skin against sun damage making it a healthy way to ‘eat your sunscreen’, and it also promotes younger, smoother, healthy-looking skin.

Pumpkins also contain plenty of potassium which balances out sodium and helps to decrease blood pressure. Increased potassium also reduces your risk of strokes, protects against heart disease, and helps the body to preserve bone density.

Pumpkin is the perfect vegetable to add to soup. It adds a satisfying richness and creaminess along with its healthy additives. This creamy version also contains cauliflower puree to add to the thickness and creaminess without adding dairy, making it a perfect low carb soup. The added sausage makes it high in protein, along with the kale to round out its amazingly healthy ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 lb turkey, chicken or pork Italian sausage, remove casings
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 15 oz can pure organic pumpkin puree
• 2 cups baby or dinosaur (lacinto) kale chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups chicken bone broth
• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon butter (grass-fed)
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• Feta cheese for garnish

Instructions

In a soup pot, add olive oil and brown the sausage, breaking up into smaller pieces. Add garlic, onion, peppers, salt and pepper and sauté for a few minutes.

Add the pumpkin, broth, and kale and continue to cook for a 5 or so minutes.

While pumpkin mixture is cooking, chop the cauliflower into fine pieces in a food processor, and cook 10 minutes with some butter and about a ¼ cup of water until soft. Let cool for a few minutes and add back to food processer and blend until smooth. Add cauliflower mixture to the soup and mix well.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with feta cheese if desired. Makes about 6-8 servings. Enjoy any time of the year!

Get your FREE copy of the Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Looking for easy, tasty recipes that help you burn fat, then look no further…

This free recipe book is packed with over 80 fat-burning Keto recipes, such has mouth-watering chicken, beef, pork meals and more…

Best yet, every single recipe uses a slow cooker. Spend less than 20 minutes in your kitchen whipping up these delicious meals.

The post Delicious Pumpkin, Sausage & Kale Soup (packed full of inflammation-fighting nutrients) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Powerful Antioxidants in Herbs and Spices

Adding spices and herbs to your meals is a great way to amplify the antioxidants and other nutrients in your dishes.

You can transform your meals from ordinary and bland to extraordinary with the addition of a few herbs and spices. What’s more, many herbs and spices contain some of the most powerful antioxidants of all! Plenty of scientific studies show that herbs and spices can actually work as well or better than some medications for certain health issues.

Many herbs and spices have even more antioxidants than many vegetables and fruit, and combining specific herbs and spices with specific foods actually magnifies the nutrient value exponentially!

Here are just some of the ways that herbs and spices can boost the nutrition in your favorite recipes:

Fat Burning

– Herbs and spices are thermogenic, meaning they naturally increase metabolism and fat burning, partly because they are so nutrient-dense. For example, eating hot peppers will actually speed up your metabolism and help your body burn fat. And they can decrease your appetite as well. Research shows that that when someone eats an appetizer with just half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes before each meal, they eat 15% less food at their meal.

Regulate blood sugar and control insulin

– When blood sugar is well controlled, you burn fat better, and store fewer calories as excess weight. For example, cinnamon significantly reduces blood sugar levels. It also improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One study of people with type 2 diabetes showed that as little as two teaspoons of cinnamon reduced blood sugar similar to diabetic medication.

Protects the brain

– Researchers found that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is more effective in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s than some medications for this condition.

Herbs and spices can also increase your feelings of satisfaction and fullness after a meal, so you eat less.

Here are more health benefits of some popular herbs and spices:

• Rosemary and basil–anti-inflammatory.
• Cumin, turmeric and sage–fight dementia.
• Cayenne, coriander and cinnamon–burn fat and help regulate insulin.
• Lemon grass, nutmeg, bay leaves and saffron–have a calming effect.
• Turmeric—fights cancer.
• Oregano—antifungal and antibacterial.
• Garlic, mustard seed and chicory–excellent for the heart.
• Basil and thyme–help skin become soft and smooth.
• Turmeric, basil, cinnamon, thyme, saffron, garlic and ginger–boost the
immune system.
• Coriander, rosemary, cayenne, allspice and black pepper–banish depression.
• Garlic, cumin, fennel, coriander and mint have been used traditionally to help treat digestive disorders.

So you see, healthy food does not have to bland and boring, so spice it up, and boost your health as well! Add your favorite herbs and spices to this delicious vegetable soup!

Amazing Vegetable Soup

Vegetable soup doesn’t have to be that hard. Simply start with a base of onions, garlic, carrots and celery, and then you can add vegetables, ad-lib! Mushrooms are always a delicious addition, as are beans if you’d like to add.

Soup, especially when using fresh vegetables is a great way to capture their garden fresh antioxidants and massive nutrients. And if you are lucky enough to have grown an garden, making vegetable soup is a delicious way to put those vegetables to use.

Add your choice of meat for a hearty, filling, healthy and satisfying meal. And, it’s even better the next day or so!

Ingredients

1 lb or so chopped up boneless chicken thighs
Several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
Green beans, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
Several leaves dinosaur kale
1 carton chicken bone broth or vegetable broth
1-2 cans garbanzos
1 cup white wine
3-4 bay leaves
Fresh or dried rosemary
1 tsp of basil
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of one lemon
2-4 cups water
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter

Directions

In a large pot, add olive oil and butter, turn pan on medium high. Chop up chicken in chunky pieces. Add garlic, mushrooms, and onion, and cook until chicken is done. Add other vegetables, and saute for a few minutes. Add the seasonings. Add broth, wine, lemon juice, garbanzos, and water. Bring to a boil, add lid and cook for an hour or more over low to medium heat with lid on. Serves a crowd, or makes great leftovers!

Enjoy!

Get your FREE copy of the Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Looking for easy, tasty recipes that help you burn fat, then look no further…

This free recipe book is packed with over 80 fat-burning Keto recipes, such has mouth-watering chicken, beef, pork meals and more…

Best yet, every single recipe uses a slow cooker. Spend less than 20 minutes in your kitchen whipping up these delicious meals.

The post Healthy Vegetable Soup Loaded with Antioxidants, Herbs and Spices appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

A Really different, refreshing way to eat guacamole. The addition of baby peas adds an unusual, fresh, sweeter taste to the guacamole. And the peas add a little more fiber as well as decreasing the calories in the guacamole.

We’d have to be living in a cave to not have heard about the benefits of avocado. The superstar ingredient adds healthy fats, tons of vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Check. But what about the lowly radish that has been around forever? This recipe spikes up the flavor a bit with the addition of radishes.

Radishes are members of the highly esteemed cruciferous vegetable family, along with other star members such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, collards, arugula, cabbage and brussels sprouts. That means radishes carry much of the same powerful nutritional, cancer-fighting punch as their cousins—but radishes have their own attributes as well.

Radishes contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals. They are an effective diuretic, helping the body get rid of bloating, and excess fluids. Radishes are also an excellent detoxifying vegetable, not only helping to get rid of excess fluids, but also helping the liver function better. One of the things radishes do well is to help the liver get rid of excess bilirubin, the substance in the body that causes jaundice.

Because of their bright red color, radishes also contain the same powerful flavonoid you find in blueberries—anthocyanin. These anthocyanins are powerful anti-inflammatories that help to lower the risk of heart disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure and kidney disease. In addition, its anti-inflammatory effect helps fight diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Plus it contains another anti-inflammatory substance, vitamin C, which helps to build collagen to strengthen tissues in the body that fight wrinkles and saggy skin, and strengthen tendons and ligaments.

Top that off with the addition of garlic—one of the most powerful foods in the world, hot pepper to help open up your blood vessels and burn fat, and cilantro—full of heart-healthy magnesium, vitamins, minerals, and detoxifying substances that help to remove dangerous heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and lead. You cannot miss with this yummy snack! Try it with sliced cucumbers, jicama, carrots and celery for a refreshing, fat burning treat. Enjoy and know you are doing your body good!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces frozen baby peas, slightly thawed.
• 1/2 large or 1 whole small avocado
• 4-6 radishes, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and de-ribbed for less hotness)
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice from a half of a lemon or lime
• Sea salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup minced red onion

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and ‘chop’ until combined. Does not need to be well blended, can be chunky. Enjoy with chips or better yet, slice up some cucumber, zucchini, and red and yellow sweet bell peppers for an awesome, super healthy dip.

Get your FREE copy of the Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Looking for easy, tasty recipes that help you burn fat, then look no further…

This free recipe book is packed with over 80 fat-burning Keto recipes, such has mouth-watering chicken, beef, pork meals and more…

Best yet, every single recipe uses a slow cooker. Spend less than 20 minutes in your kitchen whipping up these delicious meals.

The post Green Pea and Radish Guacamole appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

The newest diet trend is NOT eating. That’s right. Intermittent Fasting. It certainly makes sense, given that our primal ancestors went through periods of not eating while searching for food, as well as periods of feasting when food was plentiful. Our bodies were made to adapt to that—not regularly timed, three meals a day, 7 days a week readily available food. So it makes biological sense to skip a meal or two occasionally.

Taking a break from eating has several proven dramatic health benefits including slowing down aging, increasing Human Growth Hormone for muscle growth, increasing insulin sensitivity, and overall fat burning.

In addition, IF has been shown to help fight cancer, disease, diabetes, and other serious diseases, according to this study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Additionally, according to other scientific studies, IF benefits extend to asthma, allergies, infectious diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Tourette’s syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia’s, hot flashes from hormonal fluctuations, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s and more.

Intermittent fasting can also increase energy, help with focus and clear thinking, and improve mood as well. Practicing IF helps reduce symptoms of depression. This study published in the Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging found a significant reduction in anger, tension, confusion and low mood in a group of older men who were practicing IF.

Researchers have also found that intermittent fasting lowers the risk of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and even helps improve recovery from strokes. It is thought the fasting protects the neurons against various kinds of damaging stress.

During a period of intermittent fasting, the body switches its energy source from glucose (unless you are fully ‘fat-adapted’, to burning fat for energy. When we fast for a longer period of time, we use up all glucose stores and convert body fat to fatty acids or ketones. It is a way of helping to flip your ‘metabolic switch’ and help your body become better at being ‘fat adapted’.

A scientific review, published in the journal Obesity, shows that it is likely that intermittent fasting may be more healthful than other dieting strategies, as ketones put less stress on cells than the byproducts of other diets. In addition, IF helps the body become better and more efficient at utilizing fat for energy, especially if IF is done on a regular basis. It also helps the body switch back to fat burning if you have gotten off-track and carb heavy with your diet. It is, in essence a way to get back on track.

The point of intermittent fasting is that the periods of food deprivation allow your body to rest, renew and regenerate. Plenty of scientific studies on both animals and humans show that periodic fasting not only helps you lose weight but also increases your longevity. Caloric restriction through fasting also helps to turn on genes that repair DNA and cells. This adaptation of IF may allow certain cells to actually live longer, preserving the body’s energy, according to a study published in the journal, Cell Metabolism. This may also be part of the reason that fasting helps to extend longevity as well.

Scientists think that the IF acts as a form of healthy stress that revs up the cellular defenses against molecular damage. Fasting mice have been found to have higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a protein that prevents stressed neurons from dying. Low levels of BDNF have been tied to depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Fasting also ramps up autophagy, a kind of garbage-disposal system in cells that gets rid of damaged molecules, including ones that have been connected to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.

Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce cancers resulting from oxidative damage, and to help maximize the positive effects of chemotherapy, while minimizing the negative effects of cancer treatment.

The question is—should you try it? Intermittent fasting obviously can be a powerful tool to maximize health, but it’s important to carefully weigh its effects. Intermittent fasting can last for a period of hours or even days, but generally it entails a brief fasting period of 12-24 hours. Most of us may already be fasting from dinner time to breakfast, and if you skip breakfast, you are fasting—provided you only drink black coffee, tea or water during your fast.

There are a few primary types of intermittent fasting to follow, and you can switch them around as much as you want—the point is to create episodic eating/fasting/eating similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. So, you don’t really need to follow any particular fast–just surprise your body every once in a while with 24 hours of little or no food.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate IF into your routine is to just skip breakfast. Ignore the old saying of “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, and just drink black coffee, tea or water in the morning.

After a full night’s sleep, you wake up with the perfect hormonal terrain for burning fat. Low insulin and high glucagon levels make delaying your first meal an effective strategy for prolonging this fat-burning period.

Types of Intermittent Fasts

Skipping Meals–Every week or so, skip breakfast and don’t eat until lunchtime or dinner. Or just eat a late lunch and skip dinner and breakfast. Listening to your body and eating when your natural hunger occurs, instead of sticking to the meal clock and eating every morning, noon and night is a good way to readjust hunger.

Condensed Eating Window—One of the more popular and easier to follow IF routines is to condense your food intake into a set number of hours, usually about 8 hours. This generally means you eat an early dinner, and a late breakfast, much like the 16:8 plan. For sixteen hours you avoid eating, and eat only during a compressed time of 6-8 hours during the day.

24-hour Fast—Generally this works for most people by eating a normal dinner and then fasting until the following evening. Others can choose to extend the fast until the following morning. For many people, this can be a weekly or monthly routine.

Why Women Should Be More Cautious About Fasting

Fasting sounds like a terrific way to improve health and lose weight, right? Well it’s a little different for women and there’s a few things to consider, if you are a woman, before you jump headlong onto the fasting wagon. Some of the great health benefits do not extend to women.

We women have hormones that help to regulate our cycles and fertility. IF is a hormone stressor, so for men this creates an adaptive response that is positive for health. For women, IF can interfere with fertility and menstrual cycles. Because women’s bodies are meant to nourish and support a pregnancy, our bodies are extremely sensitive to calorie restriction.

Fasting affects the hypothalamus in the brain which can disrupt the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is responsible for releasing Luteinizing Hormone, and Follicle Stimulating Hormone, both important for menstrual regularity and fertility.

When these hormones cannot communicate with the ovaries, you run the risk of irregular periods, infertility, poor bone health and other health effects.

Even if you are not planning on having children, fasting creates nutritional stress, which decreases fertility, and even decreases ovarian size.

Where IF improves insulin sensitivity in males, females don’t often see the same positive results. In fact, one study showed exactly the opposite results—glucose tolerance worsened. One study compared caloric restriction to intermittent calorie restriction in overweight and obese women. Both groups lost a similar amount of weight, but unfortunately, the intermittent restriction group lost significantly more lean body mass. This is muscle, the kind of body mass you want to keep.

Another looked at healthy men and women doing moderate intensity morning cycling either fasted (overnight) or fed (breakfast). Although both men and women displayed greater increases in VO2 max and resting muscle glycogen concentration in response to fasted cycling training, only men showed greater skeletal muscle adaptations when fasted. Women had better muscle adaptations when fed.

So what does this mean for women? IF can be beneficial, just be cautious if you are trying to have a baby, nursing a baby or have menstrual irregularities. Instead of aiming for the longest fast you can tolerate, aim for the shortest fast that gives results.

Fasting for women is good if:

• You have significant amounts of fat to lose.
• Your oncologist giving you the go-ahead to try using it to improve the effects of chemotherapy.
• Your neurologist giving you the go-ahead to try using it to improve brain function in the face of cognitive decline or dementia.

Be aware–fasting in an extreme or unhealthy way can be a symptom of an eating disorder.

Fasting for both men and women can have some major health benefits, especially done in a controlled and safe manner. Just be careful you don’t take it too far. Prolonged fasting has also been associated with:

• increased cholesterol
• pancreas damage
• worsened insulin function (which increases the risk of diabetes)
• irregular heartbeat, headaches and fainting
• slight reductions in athletic performance, exercise ability and muscle mass

Note: Fasting is not recommended for those who need a regular supply of nutrients for their health, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people with certain medical conditions. Possible side effects related to fasting include malnutrition, dehydration, disordered eating and even death in some cases. But serious risks are rare and usually related to prolonged fasting, not IF.

The Best Type of Intermittent Fasting…

Deciding to do Intermittent Fasting can be pretty scary, but there’s one method I trust more than the others…

In fact, this method of Intermittent Fasting has been shown to help people lose upwards of 7 pounds in the first 5 days, and some have lost 4 pounds OVERNIGHT, as well as boosting sex hormones for both men and women, improving your energy, skin, & brain function, and so much more.

The great thing is that the fat loss from THIS type of Intermittent Fasting is the most stubborn fat on your body – the fat you’ve tried to lose for years, but just won’t go away. But please keep in mind that this is so effective it’s only recommended you do it once, maybe twice, a week…

Click here to discover this powerful Intermittent Fasting method and lose up to 4 pounds overnight

References
https://draxe.com/intermittent-fasting-women/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-intermittent-fasting-might-help-you-live-longer-healthier-life/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting/
https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-fasting-2610033142.html?
https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-fasting-2610033142.html?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=4021616&utm_medium=social&utm_content=EcoWatch&utm_source=facebook
https://blog.paleohacks.com/whats-the-best-way-to-do-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321690.php
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.22065

The post Intermittent Fasting Slows Aging, Fights Disease, Builds Muscle, and Burns Fat appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-seller: The Diabetes Fix

Tea has been a beloved and highly prized healthy drink, and both green and black teas have been around for thousands of years. Next to water, tea is probably one of the most consumed drinks in the world. While green tea often gets all the attention for its health boosting benefits, black tea also contains many substances that are beneficial as well.

It is estimated that about 2.5 million tons of tea leaves are produced throughout the world, and about 20% of that is produced as green tea, which is mainly consumed in Asia, some parts of North Africa, the United States, and Europe.

Similarities in Green and Black Tea

Both green and black tea come from the same plant, the camellia sinensis plant. Both teas are harvested from the upper buds and leaves of the plant. Green tea is harvested, dried slightly, and then heated or pan-fired to stop oxidation and enhance the flavor. Black tea is harvested, then crushed or rolled and allowed to oxidize and turn dark before it is dried. This creates the deeper color and the stronger, richer flavor.

Both black tea and green tea contain a variety of health benefits because of the large quantities of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds they contain. However, black tea and green tea contain different types of antioxidants and phytochemicals that work in different ways to protect our health.

These powerful antioxidants in green and black tea are called flavonoids, but each type of tea contains their own specific type of flavonoids. Flavonoids are powerful weapons to protect our bodies against chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more.

Flavonoids are especially protective of the heart and blood vessels and help to lower inflammatory substances that contribute to heart disease. Both black and green tea help to reduce triglycerides, harmful LDL cholesterol and harmful plaques that lead to heart attacks and strokes. And both black and green tea are effective in lowering blood pressure.

While both green and black tea contain caffeine, generally green tea contains slightly less caffeine that black tea, although there can be quite a bit of variation depending on the specific type of plant used, processing and brewing methods. Generally, tea does not contain quite as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, but many people use tea as an effective, gentler way to ‘wake up’ in the morning.

Green and black tea also contain an interesting amino acid that affects beneficial brain chemicals. This substance, L-theanine, brings on an alert but relaxed state of mind, so in essence, it helps to balance out the jittery jolt of caffeine. L-theanine triggers the release of a neurotransmitter in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which brings about a relaxed but alert state, at the same time causing the ‘happiness’ chemicals dopamine and serotonin to be released.

Many people enjoy both green and black tea for this very reason: alertness plus calm, which is a great state of mind to be in for working, meditating, writing, reading, and relaxing. [As I am writing this article, I am sipping on a mixture of green and black teas, feeling calm and alert.]

While both green tea and black tea contain many beneficial flavonoids that benefit the mind and the body, green tea and black tea each contain some of their own significant polyphenols as well.

Green Tea’s Unique Benefits

Green tea’s most well-known and well-studied ingredient is the potent antioxidant, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and is responsible for many of its health benefits that protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, harmful pathogens, and depression/anxiety. In addition, green tea is also known to have some pretty amazing appetite curbing, and fat-burning effects.

Green tea also contains many other protective compounds, including linoleic acid, a fat burning substance; quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that protects and modulates the immune system, helping allergies; theobromine, which helps dilate the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure; theophylline, which helps minimize asthma and wheezing. Green tea also contains amino acids, enzymes, trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese, iron, copper and zinc.

Green Tea and Cancer

While both green and black tea contain compounds that beneficial in the fight against cancer, green tea contains more of the compounds that have the most significant effects against cancer cells.

Some of those polyphenols include the well-studied epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), along with several other standout antioxidants, including epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC). These antioxidants in green tea are pretty amazing, but the primary antioxidant, EGCG has an antioxidant power 25–100 times more effective than that of vitamins C and E and is definitely the most potent of this bunch.

Metastasis is the spread of cancer to other healthy cells and organs, and is the primary cause of death from cancer. Stopping and containing cancer cells’ spread is key to fighting off cancer and regaining health.

The anti-cancer effects of EGCG have been shown to actually block some of the steps in the process that allows the cancer cells to invade other healthy cells.  In a large scientific review, an article published in the Journal, Cancer Metastasis Review shows the antioxidants in green tea to be especially effective against skin cancer, prostate, breast, lung, liver, and gastrointestinal cancer.

Fat Burning

One of green tea’s unique and most popular benefits is its ability to help burn fat. Green tea can boost metabolism by the combination of caffeine, and the high-octane antioxidants it contains. In one study, subjects burned 5% more calories over 24 hours.

While that doesn’t seem like a lot, an extra 5% over time, can really add up to some noticeable fat burning potential.

This is due to the fact that green tea’s polyphenols help to activate a fat burning enzyme which dissolves triglycerides and helps the body to burn fat as fuel. Burning fat as fuel is called “thermogenesis”. Triglycerides are fatty substances carried around in the bloodstream as a result of sugar or carbohydrate intake. Lowered triglycerides mean you store less fat. Lower triglycerides also mean better heart health.

Black Tea Benefits

Theaflavins are a group of polyphenols that are unique to black tea. These are actually formed in the fermentation process and are responsible for some of black tea’s unique health benefits, including protection from free radicals, which can damage DNA and lead to serious diseases such as cancer.

Free radicals also damage the heart and blood vessels and contribute to heart disease. These theaflavins can help lower harmful triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and plaque formation in the blood vessels which all contribute to heart disease and inflammation. Theaflavins in black tea also help to lower blood sugar, stimulate insulin and prevent diabetes.

Theaflavins can also help to increase nitric oxide, a valuable substance in the body which helps to dilate blood vessels, lower blood pressure and increase athletic performance.

One other thing about theaflavins—they, like the polyphenols in green tea, help to promote fat cell breakdown, increase thermogenesis, and help with weight loss. That, combined with the extra caffeine that black tea contains is a big boost for weight loss and fat burning.

Matcha Green Tea

With the growing popularity of green tea, several different types of green tea have emerged. Sencha is the green tea variety that is most popular and widely used, but matcha green tea is growing in popularity, due to it’s more concentrated antioxidants. Matcha tea is made up of the actual tea leaves, not the strained tea leaves you drink when you make regular black or green tea. This difference alone allows you to obtain more nutrients from the matcha tea.

Tea plants grown for matcha are shaded for two weeks which increases the chlorophyll content (the stuff in the leaves that makes them green). This boosts the concentration of the healthy compounds like EGCG. While matcha tends to be more expensive than regular tea, you get a bigger bang for the buck. Matcha tea usually comes in a powdered form, which is more concentrated, and can be added to recipes like smoothies, baked goods or even ice cream. A cup of matcha tea is similar to drinking about 3 cups of regular (sencha) green tea.

The Bottom Line on Green and Black Tea

Both green and black tea contain beneficial compounds with strong antioxidant power, which help fight aging, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Studies show both types of tea contain similar beneficial health benefits, but green tea wins big in terms of the amounts of antioxidants it contains.

Both teas also contain caffeine, plus a brain nutrient that creates a calming, alert feeling helping you concentrate better.  Black tea contains more caffeine, so if you are looking to be more alert, black tea works better.

Adding other substances to tea may reduce its antioxidant power. For example, milk or cream actually slows the absorption of the polyphenols in tea. And of course, go easy on sweeteners. A little drizzle of pure maple syrup or honey often adds just the right amount of healthy sweetness.

As with most things, you can overdo a good thing—even tea. Since tea contains caffeine, it may create an anxious or jittery feeling if you consume too much. Drinking green or black tea in the evening may keep you awake at night. Consuming too much tea can actually cause nausea or liver and kidney toxicity if you drink more than four cups a day.

Most bottled commercial teas lose their healthy antioxidants by the time they make it to the store shelf, plus they often have harmful sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, or sugar in them. Two brands of bottled tea to try are Honest Tea and Tea’s Tea that offer no added sugars. Many other organic, natural brands are appearing on store shelves these days as well. And don’t forget how delicious and refreshing Kombucha tea can be! Kombucha tea, which is made from black or green tea, contains all of the beneficial antioxidants of these teas, plus a good dose of healthy probiotics and B vitamins. And, kombucha tea is fermented, so the sugar in the tea is mostly used up in the fermentation process.

Keep in mind tea leaves can pull contaminants from the soil they are grown in, and may types of tea contain heavy metals, like aluminum and lead, as well as pesticides and fluoride. It’s definitely best to choose an organic tea if possible.

Teas and juices help protect and modulate the immune system. They also contain theobromine, which helps dilate the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.

#1 juice for high blood pressure (doctor approved)

According to a Duke University MD, if your blood pressure is higher than 120/80:

“Start drinking this hydrating juice every morning.”

You can buy bucketfuls of these ingredients for less than $3.

Yet one 74-year-old patient who started drinking it daily…

Dropped his BP numbers from 150/80… down into a healthy range.

He didn’t start exercising, adjust his diet, or change his meds.

All he did was start drinking this juice every morning at 6am.

(And it probably saved his life.)

Dr. Rick Cohen – a medical doctor for over 22 years – tells all his high BP patients:

>> This is the #1 best juice to help lower your blood pressure

References
https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-black-and-green-tea-tea-essentials-200614
https://draxe.com/benefits-of-green-tea/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea#section3
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-tea-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-tea-vs-black-tea?utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=authoritynutrition&utm_content=2018-08-03#which-one
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170316093412.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea#section2

The post Green Tea or Black Tea—Which is Healthier? appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

The conventional approach for Type 2 Diabetes is to manage the condition with medications and diet, based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines, which still includes a lots of high carb foods, along with a low-fat diet and processed vegetable oils. Unfortunately, both science and real-life results show that this protocol just simply does not work. At best, this approach may be better than a junk food diet (but not much better), and have a small shift in blood glucose and other diabetes blood markers if the person has really been abusing their body with junk foods. However, diabetes drugs can often have harmful side effects, and research tells us that the damage to the blood vessels can still occur, even with glucose-lowering diabetes drugs.

While most of general public still keep their bodies fueled on glucose in the form of processed grains, starches, and sugar, (Standard American Diet), others have begun to adopt reduced carb Paleo–and even ketogenic diets that actually reprogram their bodies to the fat burning/fat-fueled machines that our ancestors once had. These kinds of diets are very effective in lowering the amount of glucose circulating in the body, and bringing back insulin sensitivity once again.

What is the difference between a Paleo diet and a Keto diet?

The Paleo diet has been popular the last few years and it is generally a reduced carbohydrate diet compared to the standard Amercian Diet, however “paleo” is only a template for healthy eating, and doesn’t have a specific ratio of carbs like Keto does. However, paleo emphasizes eating foods that our primal ancestors ate: no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no processed foods, and no refined sugar. Paleo does however allow some carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, fruits, starchy vegetables, natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and dates. Paleo diets also include grass-fed pastured meats, poultry, eggs, wild caught fish, game and healthy saturated fats.

Is a Paleo diet effective for type 2 diabetes? It is a far cry from the ADA-recommended low-fat/high carb diet and far healthier with its emphasis on fresh veggies, naturally raised proteins, and unprocessed foods, but the Paleo diet can contain variable amounts of carbohydrates and natural sugars, depending on the types of paleo foods you choose to eat. Many versions of Paleo diets include sweet potatoes, or desserts sweetened with dates, honey, molasses, or maple syrup. So, yes, a Paleo diet is a much better choice over the SAD diet, or even the ADA recommended diet, but it’s not always the absolute best choice to lower blood sugar and insulin, depending on the quantity of carbs one chooses to eat on a paleo diet.

On the other hand, the ketogenic diet takes Paleo a step further by restricting carbohydrates to a much larger degree. A keto diet restricts most carbohydrates and all sugar, keeping the resulting glucose in the body consistently low, and forcing your body to burn fats for energy instead of carbs. Keto diets are even more restrictive than Paleo diets as far as carbs go, so in many ways, a keto diet is almost a perfect diet for a diabetic. A keto diet generally allows 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day. While that is super low compared to the average diet, it can be done, and is easier than you may think.

How a ketogenic diet works for type 2 diabetic

Type 2 diabetes starts when a person is eating large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates. This in turn elevates the body’s serum glucose, creating an increased need for insulin. Over time, the body’s insulin cannot effectively lower the circulating glucose in the body, creating ever higher levels of glucose, insulin, increased body weight, and rising levels of triglycerides. Higher than normal levels of glucose damage blood vessels causing heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and other health issues.

How does a keto diet affect insulin and blood sugar?

When we look at one of the best ways to manage type 2 diabetes, the best and healthiest method is to lower blood sugar by restricting carbohydrates and sugars, in addition to increasing antioxidants and other nutrient-dense foods.

Since a keto diet is a very low carb, low sugar diet, blood sugar stays low, people generally lose weight and the body once again becomes more sensitive to insulin. A keto diet, in comparison to a Paleo diet, allows less carbohydrates and proteins, and adds in more high-quality fats. Because of this drastic dietary transformation, the body quits requiring glucose for energy and instead becomes more efficient in breaking down both dietary fats along with body fat to utilize for energy.

There are many variations on a Paleo diet, but in general a keto diet contains these components:

• 60-75% of calories from fat (or even more)
• 15-30% of calories from protein
• 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates.

The ketogenic diet is not a new dietary fad; it has existed since the 1950’s as a treatment for epilepsy and other health issues. It has recently gained popularity as a way to improve health, increase physical stamina, and lose body fat. A few scientific studies have been conducted on ketogenic diet and diabetes already. Let’s take a look, shall we?

The first study was performed by researchers at Duke University in 2005. Researchers recruited 28 participants with type 2 diabetes who were also overweight. The study lasted 16 weeks. The subjects consumed a low carbohydrate keto diet, aiming for less than 20 grams carbs per day. Diabetics also reduced their medications with medical supervision. There were twenty-one subjects who successfully completed the study. Here’s what they found after only 16 weeks:

• HbA1c 16% decrease
• Average 20 lb weight loss
• Triglyceride levels 42% decrease
• Ten patients reduced medications, seven stopped medication.

The conclusion of the study was that at keto diet is highly effective at lowering blood glucose, but there should be medical supervision to adjust medications accordingly.

A second study conducted by Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek, who wrote The Art and Science of Low Carb, showed the positive effects of low carb diet as well. This particular trial shows convincing evidence that a low-carb diet improves blood sugar levels and helps speed weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes. In almost 60% of participants, diabetes medication was decreased or stopped altogether.

The study, conducted at Indiana University, and published in Journal of Medical Internet Publications, looked at 262 people with type 2 diabetes who were overweight. Participants cut carb intake to 30g a day, while increasing their fats and protein. Patients were also provided nutritional and behavioral counseling, along with digital coaching and medical supervision for medications. Findings after only 10 weeks:

• HbA1c had a 6.5% decrease
• BMI decreased by 7%
• 112 reduced diabetes medications, 21 totally eliminated diabetes medications

Another study of 84 people, looked at the effectiveness of a low-glycemic diet compared to a ketogenic diet, and after 24 weeks looked at key diabetes markers of fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), weight, and Hb A1C. While a low carb, low-glycemic diet is good for controlling diabetes, obviously a keto diet is better.

Low-calorie group

• Fasting glucose down 16%
• BMI decreased by 3, average 15lb weight loss
• .5 reduction in HbA1c

Keto group

• Fasting glucose down 20%
• BMI decreased by 4, average 24.5lb weight loss
• 5 reduction in HbA1c

And this study of 363 overweight or obese participants in the United Arab Emirates looked at the effects of a ketogenic diet on weight loss and diabetes symptoms. 102 of the subjects had type 2 diabetes. One group consumed a low-calorie diet and the other consumed a keto diet. Both groups had nutritional trainer and exercise.

Study subjects were measured on:

• Body weight
• BMI
• Waist circumference
• Blood glucose
• HbA1c
• Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
• Uric acid, urea, creatinine

After 24 weeks, both groups had improved in all metrics but the keto group had far more significant results. Diabetic medications were decreased to half and some were discontinued for those on the ketogenic diet.

It is important to note for those beginning a ketogenic diet, the drop in glucose can be quick, so it is very important to monitor blood glucose frequently and to have a physician monitor the diabetes medications.

Ketogenic diets are higher in saturated fats, something the American Diabetes Association actually warns diabetics to avoid.  Research, however, shows favorable lipid results on a high fat diet.

In another study, researchers looked at 83 subjects who were divided into three groups of equal calories. One group followed a very low-fat diet, one group followed a diet high in unsaturated fats, and the third group ate a very low carb and high saturated fat diet.

At the end of the 12-week study, all three groups had lost similar amounts of body fat and weight. However, the Low Carb Ketogenic diet group also had the lowest triglyceride levels, higher HDL, and lower glucose and insulin levels.

Very Low-Fat Group:

• Triglycerides decreased by 4%
• Insulin levels decreased by 15.1%

High Unsaturated Fat Group:

• Triglycerides down by 9.6%
• Insulin levels decreased by 18.7%

Ketogenic Diet Group:

• Triglycerides decreased by 40%
• Insulin levels decreased by 33.6%

Key results indicate that ketogenic diets do not increase the risk of heart disease or high cholesterol. Keto diets have shown to significantly decrease harmful lipids including triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, compared to other equal calorie/low fat diets.

Conventional Diabetic Diets vs. Ketogenic Diets  

In spite of all the positive research on ketogenic diets for diabetes, most doctors and dietitians still recommend high carb diets to manage diabetes. A typical medically supervised diet recommended for a type 2 diabetic would include 45-60g carbohydrates at every meal, plus 15-30g of carbs for snacks. Seriously??

Most dietitians and doctors feel that even though the ketogenic diet is effective, most people will not be able to stick to it. And yes, this is somewhat true, although with the emerging popularity of the ketogenic diet, more and more options are available, including recipes, books, blogs, cooking classes, etc. that feature delicious keto meals and snacks. The nature of a keto diet is to keep blood sugar in a low and stable range, and because of this, it is much easier to control appetite and the “munchies”.

Ketogenic diets can be crucial to the successful healthy management of type 2 diabetes. In a recent critical evaluation of literature on carbohydrate restriction and diabetes, a group of 26 leading researchers compiled 12 points of evidence published in the January 2017 Journal of Nutrition, pointing to the use of low carbohydrate diets as the primary dietary treatment of type 2 diabetes. Key points include:

• Dietary carbohydrate restriction has the greatest effect on decreasing glucose levels.
• The current epidemic of obesity and diabetes has been caused almost entirely by an increase in carbohydrates.
• Type 2 diabetics can adhere to a ketogenic diet at least as easily as they can most other diets, and often better.
• Measured saturated fats in the blood are affected more by dietary carbohydrate intake, than dietary lipid intake.
• Dietary carbohydrate restriction is the most effective way to reduce serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.

Bottom line is that lowering glucose by strictly reducing carbohydrate intake in a ketogenic diet has the most positive effects on diabetes markers, without any of the negative side effects of pharmacological treatments.

All of the available evidence thus far suggests that a keto diet is one of the safest and most effective ways to control or reverse type 2 diabetes. Diabetes patients should always notify their physicians of dietary changes and have medications and blood sugar monitored closely.

Following a strict carbohydrate-restricted, ketogenic diet is key initially, but once your body is adept at fat burning, you may be able to ease up slightly on the daily carbohydrate count. Generally, following a strict keto diet for about 2 months will help your body adapt to burning fat. Rather than stressing out about keeping carbs consistently below 20-30g, it may be easier to give yourself a safe zone to follow. Perhaps one day you eat less, another day you eat more. As long as you generally stick to low carbohydrates, (below 50-60g per day) your body will continue to be fairly efficient in burning fat for energy and keep blood glucose low.

The end result is a healthier body, weight loss and a clear head.  Note that while transitioning to a higher fat ketogenic diet for a type 2 diabetic, you must work closely with your physician to monitor and consistently lower your insulin needs.  With less carbs, you’ll need less insulin.  If you follow keto closely and keep limiting carbs, most Diabetics can get off all medications at some point in time, but it needs to be carefully monitored.

Speaking of Diabetes, make sure to read this page next:

1 Simple trick to REVERSE your Diabetes (hint: it’s NOT cinnamon or any supplement)

References

https://www.perfectketo.com/keto-diet-vs-paleo-diet-ketosis-better-paleo/

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/keto-and-type-2-diabetes/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States, 2014. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014.
American Diabetes Association. “Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes–2006 A position statement of the American Diabetes Association.”Diabetes care 29.9 (2006): 2140-2157.
Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. “Diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose concentration, and risk of vascular disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of 102 prospective studies.” The Lancet 375.9733 (2010): 2215-2222.
O’Gara, Patrick T., et al. “2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 61.4 (2013): e78-e140.
Aguiree, Florencia, et al. “IDF diabetes atlas.” (2013)
“Update 2014”. IDF. International Diabetes Federation. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
Geiss LS, Wang J, Cheng YJ. Thompson TJ, Barker L; Li Y, Albright AL, Gregg EW. Prevalence and incidence trends for diagnosed diabetes among adults aged 20 to 79 years, United States, 1980-2012. JAMA 2014; 312:1218-1226.
Yancy Jr, William S., et al. “A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes.” Nutr Metab (Lond) 2 (2005): 34.
Westman, Eric C., et al. “The effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.” Nutr Metab (Lond) 5 (2008): 36.
Hussain, Talib A., et al. “Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes.” Nutrition 28.10 (2012): 1016-1021.
Noakes, Manny, et al. “Comparison of isocaloric very low carbohydrate/high saturated fat and high carbohydrate/low ‘saturated fat diets on body composition and cardiovascular risk.” Nutrition & metabolism 3.1 (2006): 7

The post The Keto Diet for Type 2 Diabetes (How effective is it?) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling 
Co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

If you’ve been feeling low on energy lately, or you had an over-indulgent weekend, doing some sort of “detox” can be helpful.  But there are so many detoxes and cleanses out there that either a blatant scam, or just have no valid science behind them, how do you know what can do more harm than good?

Well, you can start out by doing a quick 2-3-day detox by doing a little intermittent fasting in the mornings, and breaking your fast with this delicious, detoxifying, fat burning smoothie. It is yummy, satisfying, refreshing, and–it has some great fat-burning, detoxifying, diuretic ingredients. Try it–You’ll feel leaner in just a couple of days!

Be sure and add plenty of fresh parsley or cilantro. Both of these deep green leafy vegetables have tons of magnesium in them, essential to help you burn fat more efficiently, and helping to get rid of excess water, as well as detoxifying your system. Eating foods containing large amounts of magnesium is also very calming and helps to lower blood pressure.

Cilantro is known to detox your body of metals like mercury, arsenic and lead. Cilantro is also known as a diabetes fighter, helping to lower blood sugar, and supporting healthy liver function. Cilantro has been used medicinally to cleanse and detox the liver, stimulate digestive enzymes, help kidney function, soothe the skin, balance blood sugar and increase mental powers. Both parsley and cilantro are loaded with phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory compounds. It is also full of vitamins A, C, E, K, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.

The cucumber is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. Cucumber helps to cleanse the liver, and works as a natural diuretic, helping the body to wash out toxins and fluids that may accumulate and make you feel bloated.  The ginger and turmeric in this recipe are also great for fighting inflammation in your body.

Just note that we do NOT recommend large amounts of spinach or kale in smoothies (so we left those out of this recipe), as you can easily get too much oxalates, which can be harmful for some, as described in this article.

Ingredients

1 large bunch each of fresh parsley and cilantro

1 large thumb fresh ginger, chopped up in smaller pieces

1/2 medium organic cucumber, chopped in chunks

1 tsp or small root of turmeric

1/2 sweet/tart apple, chopped in chunks

2 cups liquid–coconut water, kombucha, or spring or sparkling water

cinnamon if desired

Directions

Blend in blender until smooth. Be sure ginger is well blended. Drink up!

Try this for breakfast or lunch for two days and eat a normal low carb dinner of protein and veggies. You’ll feel amazing!

The post Detox Green Smoothie (Use when you want to feel light & lean) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling 
Co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Avocados are the perfect base for super creamy ice cream, and their mild flavor blends well with other flavors. I love using avocados to thicken and enrich most any recipe. They make a great substation for any kind of cream or cheese in recipes as well.

Avocados are everyone’s favorite and hold numerous health and fat burning benefits. In fact, they are one of the best ‘keto’ type foods out there! They are filling, keep your blood sugar low and help you burn fat. Virtually any food that you add avocado helps make it lower glycemic, absorb slower and have less of an impact on your blood sugar. Even dessert!

Besides their heart healthy, monounsaturated fats, they contain potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and fiber, as well as oleic acid—the fatty acid that is so powerfully healthy. Avocados also contain a substance called glutathione, which is one of the most powerful anti-aging, anti-inflammatory antioxidants you can eat. Avocados also contain the antioxidants lutein, and zeaxanthin that nourish your eyes and skin.

Avocado’s nutrients help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, reduce cholesterol, and most importantly, keep blood sugar stable. The powerful antioxidants in avocados also serve as weapons that prevent and kill cancer cells.

This low carb recipe is delightful and creamy without being high glycemic. It is a great fat-burning, satisfying dessert! Enjoy without guilt.

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 smaller ripe avocados
• 1 cup raw coconut milk, almond milk or hemp milk (if you tolerate dairy well, feel free to use raw milk or raw goat milk instead here)
• 2/3 cup canned coconut milk (full fat variety)
• 1⁄4 cup raw honey (if you want this recipe to be Keto, use stevia, erythritol, and/or monk fruit sweetener instead of honey)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup chopped, toasted almonds
• Dark chocolate, chopped in small pieces (can also add about 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder or raw cacao if you want more of a full chocolate ice cream taste)

Directions

Puree all ingredients except almonds, in food processor and blend. Stir in almonds, and pour mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 4 or more hours, or place in ice cream maker and follow directions according to manufacturer. Remove from freezer 15-20 minutes prior to serving to allow to soften a bit.

Enjoy this delicious, rich and creamy dessert that is loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, all while keeping blood sugar stable.

You should also know that this recipe is an almost perfect low-glycemic snack for Diabetics, due to it’s blend of fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, and a reasonably low amount of sugars and carbs that impact blood sugar.

Speaking of Diabetes, make sure to read this page below next if you are concerned with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes:

1 Simple trick to REVERSE your Diabetes (hint: it’s NOT cinnamon or any supplement)

The post Almond and Avocado ‘Ice Cream’ (Rich, creamy, delicious and can be Paleo and/or Keto) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.