May, 2013 - Vibrant Healthy Life

Beat-The-Bloat-By-Carina-Sohaili

Greens and fiber rich foods are amazing but we all know that at times they leave you bloated and uncomfortable. Try these simple tools to ease digestion so you can continue nourishing your body.

Ginger. Add ginger to your stir-fry, salad or sip on some ginger tea. Ginger has a specific enzyme that has been proven to help breakdown foods faster decreasing your chances of a bloated belly.
Probiotic. Try taking a daily probiotic. You can get a basic probiotic at any market or drugstore. Probiotics contain millions of strands of healthy bacteria, which are great for digestion. They also help your body absorb the vitamins and minerals from food at a faster rate.
Be mindful of your eating. Do not guzzle down a green drink or eat a salad in five minutes. Slow it down. Take breaks between bites and sip slowly. Enjoy yourself and appreciate what you are putting in your body.
Lemon juice. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over your greens or sip on some lemon juice with warm water. Lemon juice aids in digestion, decreases heartburn and bloating. The Vitamin C in lemon juice will keep your skin clear as well as strengthen your immune system. Another added bonus – it revs up your metabolism. If you are not a fan of lemon juice, or it is too sour for you to handle try mixing lemon juice with warm water and stevia (an all natural sweetener). Another option is to make a delicious salad dressing with lemon juice and a dash of olive oil.

Another tip: try to avoid foods high in sodium, soda or processed junk foods (think vending machine foods and anything with ingredients that sound like a chemical). These foods will intensify that bloated balloon belly and make the situation worse. Go for all natural and non-processed whenever you can.

Learn more about my Custom Eat Yourself Gorgeous Programs

For more health tools swing by my Video Series & Blog

Focus on progress, not perfection & have compassion for yourself, always.

Love,

Carina

Comments Off on Beat The Bloat by Carina Sohaili

the-change-challenge-sweet-and-simple-swaps

Try changing it up and see if you can transform your taste buds with these sweet and simple swaps:

Craving greasy potato chips? Go for all natural baked chips, pop-chips, air-popped popcorn or my personal favorite: seaweed. Do not judge seaweed until you have tried it. Trader Joes, Ralphs and Whole Foods all have great snack sized packets. The B-Vitamins in seaweed are amazing for stress relief. Beanitos and Pop-Chips are two great chip brands to explore. If plain popcorn is boring spice it up with garlic, cinnamon or cayenne pepper to rev up your metabolism and get extra flavor. If you are a fan of sweet sprinkle on some Stevia (an all natural sweetener) and munch away.
Craving a Mexican meal? Go for corn tortillas instead of flour. Do bean burritos instead of beef. Pinto beans are a perfect protein and healthy carbohydrate source in one little bean (try to steer clear of refried beans). When it comes to sauces become best friends with Salsa. Be creative, make your own meal – order a side of beans, soft corn tortillas, lettuce and salsa for a balanced bite. Sour cream fan? Swap it out for plain Greek yogurt. Talking about going Greek…
Switch out flavored yogurt for all natural, plain Greek yogurt. Most flavored yogurts are sweetened with fake sweeteners that will make you crave more unhealthy foods. Add your own fruit if you want some diversity. Going Greek gives you double the amount of protein and healthy carbohydrates all in one. Not to mention a thicker, creamier taste. (Try my energizing Ranch Dip recipe here, my Feel Good Shamrock Shake recipe here or my Chunky Pineapple Cream cup recipe here all using Greek yogurt.)
Pasta please! If you are a fan of pasta, explore spaghetti squash. You can buy the squash at any local market. Boil it for around 20 minutes, add a protein source (lean fish, meat, tofu, or beans) and enjoy. The squash naturally comes out in spaghetti form. It is a quick delicious meal and great source of Vitamin-A, Vitamin-C and potassium. Another skin super food! My video tutorial on how to make this dish can be found here.
Go for almond butter instead of peanut butter. Almond butter has half the amount of saturated (unhealthy fat) than peanut butter and more minerals than peanut butter.
Whole wheat bread instead of white. All carbs are not bad. Ditch that mentality. Check out my old blog posting “The Truth About Carbs” if you want more details: (https://www.vibranthealthylife.com/blog/2012/10/the-truth-about-carbs-by-carina-sohaili)
Craving French fries? Go for a steamed sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite healthy carbohydrates. Most restaurants will have this option and it is a great way to be healthy while eating out. Not to mention packed with Vitamin-C, Vitamin-A and potassium making them a super food for your skin. Say bye to bags under your eyes and wrinkles. (Need a healthy 20 minutes French Fry recipe? You can find it here.)