The news is full of how our modern environment - whether it be the food we eat, the water we drink, or the air we breathe - is being contaminated.

These chemicals are known as xenoestrogens.  Xenoestrogens are a group of chemicals that are hormonally active agents.

 

These xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) .They are found in our food supply and our environment.

 

You get exposed to them from the BPA in the lining of cans and plastic bottles.  They may be entering your body through your skin when you use cosmetics which have parabens and phthalates.  They get into our foods from the herbicides and insecticides used in farming and they are found in many childrens food as FD&C Red No. 3.  You get exposed to them from certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution and many cleaning compounds used in your home or office.

 

These are chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

 

These chemicals have an estrogenic effect in your body, which means they affect your hormones.  Xenoestrogens are notorious for causing hormonal imbalances.  If your body is suffering from these hormonal changes it is hard to lose stored fat. When your body can't dispose of the xenoestrogens quickly these can wreak havoc in the body for both men and women.

 

Not only do these  estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis stimulate your body to store belly fat, they can also lead to many other more serious health problems like cancer over time.  

 

When these pollutants get into our body the liver has to remove them.  But if there are too many of them, our liver gets overwhelmed. 

 

  

Like you, your liver may need a vacation this summer. 

 

Loving our liver, giving one of our most dynamic organs a break is what we do in the Nourishing Foods - Restore Your Liver Cleanse this summer. I like to think of it as sending it off to the spa to kick back for a week to get some tender loving care. 

For one week you will stop taking in anything which may be difficult for your liver to process. This includes, coffee, alcohol, sugar, gluten, dairy and meat.  And since one of the primary functions of the liver is producing the bile needed to break down fat, we reduce our intake of fat for this week.  This gives the liver a chance to rest and restore itself. 

We also bring in plenty of the delicious nourishing foods available in the summer to heal your liver. Eating lots of raw foods and cooked vegetables will supply your body with the vitamins, minerals and enzymes needed to open up those very important pathways of detoxification in your liver.  The result will be less xenoestrogens in your cells and a reduction in your belly fat. 

Summer is the perfect time to welcome this deep cleanse and to give your liver a little loving.

Reserve your spot for the Nourishing Foods Summer Cleanse - Restore Your Liver scheduled for the week of July 15 and join me in paying some due respects to your liver.  Click here to get more information

In the meantime...  

There is one class of vegetables that will help get rid of the belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals.

One of the cool tricks I teach to my clients who come to me for nutritional coaching is to eat more cruciferous vegetables which helps reduce the build up of these chemicals.

 

High Fiber

Cruciferous vegetables are high in fiber. They improve your digestion and are instrumental in carrying the waste products from your body. High fiber foods prevent you from having blood sugar spikes that can lead to excess insulin - the chemical in your body that gets stored as fat, especially belly fat.

 

Hydration

Cruciferous vegetables are high water containing vegetables.  Water moves the toxins out of your body. Proper hydration keeps your acid alkaline levels balanced for better cell function.  Your body is 85% water. When your body is hydrated you remove toxins and get nutrients to the organs more efficiently.

 

Phytochemicals to Reduce Xenoestrogens

Phytochemicals counteract the effects of xenoestrogens. They contain very specific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which activate detoxification enzymes. These enzymes help to fight against the estrogenic compounds thereby encouraging belly fat loss. Cruciferous vegetables are high in phytochemicals. They are powerfully equipped to tackle this menace of xenoestrogens. Therefore, don't forget to empower your body with phytochemicals to defeat xenoestrogens. There is no doubt that eating cruciferous vegetables everyday can substantially reduce the impact of estrogens on our body, making it easier to get rid of excess belly fat.  

 

Cancer Prevention

A striking and characteristic chemical property of cruciferous plants is their high concentration of glucosinolates. Glucosinolates and their isothiocyanate hydrolysis (breakdown) products are well-known protectors against the development of cancer.  Research has shown, eating more of these vegetables may lower the risk of several types of cancer.

This is a great dish to make for a Memorial Day weekend party.  Instead of the usual rice I made it with "raw rice". The rice is made with the cruciferous vegetable cauliflower which is cleansing and low glycemic.  It tastes so much like the real thing people may not notice the difference. 
 You can go to my blog for the full recipe.  Here is the video showing how to roll it. . 

 

Raw Spring Nori Rolls

I am  still offering  a 30 minute EFT session with me for $25 until June 15.  I am working on getting my  EFT certification and I need to have some additional EFT client sessions done in the next few weeks. This is a great opportunity for you to try out EFT to help you reduce some of your stress, particularly around food and eating, my specialty.