Tips & Product Suggestions for Weight Loss - Part 2

As promised in my previous post, here is part 2 of the tips and product suggestions for weight loss. 

1.  Barley Grass

According to an article on livestrong.com, an online journal for food, fitness and health through healthy living, Barley grass contains a variety of nutrients and confers health benefits such as support for healthy weight loss. The same article continues as follows:


Nutrition
Barley grass is rich in beta carotene and calcium and it contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Barley grass is packed with fiber and has more iron than spinach. Barley grass can be harvested for grain, cut and juiced, or dried to be put into capsule form.


Benefits
Barley grass is nutrient-dense food because it provides full body nutrition. Barley grass powder is easily digested, which allows for rapid and quick nutrient absorption by the body. Barley grass provides all nutrients needed by the body. It aids cell repair; improves skin health; eases arthritis, asthma and migraines; combats cancer; and helps reduce fatigue.


Weight Loss
Barley grass is also rich in chlorophyll, which is the basis of all plant life. Chlorophyll has been shown to alleviate blood sugar problems in addition to other benefits like neutralizing toxins, purifying the liver and rebuilding blood cells. Balancing your blood sugar keeps your hunger in check by preventing mid-afternoon hunger pangs or cravings. Barley grass and powder have been shown to help stimulate weight loss when added to a healthy diet. Fiber also helps regulate your blood sugar and helps keep you full between meal times. Fiber also binds fatty substances in the intestine and excretes them as waste.


Consumption
The best way to consume barley grass is to drink it freshly pressed. In order to have this readily available, however, you would need to grow your own barley grass. Barley grass is also commonly consumed through powder form, which can be mixed with juice or water. The manufacturing process for the powder retains most of its nutrients and some of its enzymes. However, barley grass pills or tablets are void of healthy enzymes.


Dosage
Enjoy all of these benefits by having just one serving of 3.5g daily.


Where to Buy
Our store stocks various brands of Organic Barley Grass Powder for you to choose from. You can find it in the Supplements section under Powders.

2. Flaxseed Oil


Flaxseed contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and essential fats that have many health and disease-fighting benefits. Flaxseed can be ground but also cold-pressed to produce flax oil. 


Nutrition
Flax oil contains high levels of the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid - almost 8 gms per tablespoon. Omega-3 is a good heart-healthy fat that has the reverse effects of saturated fats, which are known to contribute to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and other degenerative diseases. Taken in supplement form, flaxseed oil can also be beneficial for weight loss because essential fats naturally satiate your appetite, help increase your metabolism, and curb cravings.


Suppresses Appetite
The same online health journal livestrong.com says that the essential oil found in flaxseed actually helps the stomach to retain food longer. When you take flaxseed oil with each meal, the food you've consumed is released more gradually into your small intestine, which slows digestion and helps regulate insulin levels. The result is a gradual steady drop in your blood sugar levels rather than a prolonged plateau, providing you with more energy and a sense of fullness after each meal.


Curbs Cravings
The fatty acids in flaxseed are essential nutrients meaning your body is actually unable to convert other sources of foods into the essential fatty acids naturally found in flaxseed oil. Your body actually seeks out these essential nutrients in the foods you eat. When it can't find them, it detects a nutritional deficiency. The result is you continue to crave unhealthy fats and sweets.


Boosts Metabolism
The essential fatty acids found in flaxseed oil help increase your body's metabolic rate allowing you to burn excess fats your body doesn't need, including even unhealthy ones. According to the website, Ask Dr. Sears, your body burns this unwanted fat through thermogenesis, "...a process in which specialized fat cells throughout the body (called brown fat) click into high gear and burn more fat when activated by essential fatty acids, especially gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)."


Consumption 
Taking flaxseed oil with each meal increases the nutritional value of other foods you're eating, especially foods rich in sulfated amino acids such as yogurt, cabbage, and animal, fish and soy proteins that help the absorption of essential fatty acids into your cell membranes. 


Dosage
The recommended dosage of flaxseed oil for weight loss or maintenance is one to two teaspoons per day divided between each meal


Where to Buy
Our store stocks Organic Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil that you can find in the section for Oils.