Cruciferous Vegetables Help Reduce Belly Fat

Which class of vegetables reduces belly fat by removing toxins?

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.

Something you may have never heard about is that certain react with your body and make your body store excess abdominal fat.

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 children foods 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 are chemicals have an estrogenic effect in your body.  Xenoestrogens are notorious for causing hormonal imbalances.  If our body is suffering from these hormonal changes it is hard to lose fat stores. When your body can’t dispose of them 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 also lead to many other problems including cancer risks in the long term, particularly breast cancer.

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. Biologically, the liver is the body’s gatekeeper. It detoxifies all your blood, helping to breakdown and ideally eliminate what isn’t serving you in there. And your liver has a tough job! You’re literally assaulted by myriad toxins everyday. It’s working overtime to help you sort the pure from the impure. Like you it 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 the spa to kick back for a week to get some tender loving car.  I can’t wait!

For one week you will stop taking in anything which may be difficult for your liver to process. Fat is one of the foods we reduce for this week, since producing the bile needed to break down fats is one of the primary functions of the liver,  As a result the liver gets to rest and restore itself.  We also bring in plenty of  the delicious nourishing foods available in the summer.  Lots of raw foods and cooked vegetables to supply your body with the vitamins, minerals and enzymes needed to open up those very important pathways of detoxification in your liver.  The result is a reduction in your belly fat.

This is the time to welcome this deep cleanse.  It is time 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.

In the meantime you can add more of these vegetables into your diet.

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..

These vegetables contain very specific phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc. contain very specific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds.

Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables

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.  Your body is 85% water, when your body is hydrated all your organs to function 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 these 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.

Some cruciferous vegetables that are essential for a healthy diet include:

Broccoli,

Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli Rabe

Cabbage,

Cauliflower

Collard Greens

Daikon

Horseradish

Kale

Kohlrabi

Mustard Greens

Oriental Cabbages, Bok Choy, Napa

Watercress,

Radish

Turnips, roots and greens

Wassabi and Various Mustards.

Although cooked cruciferous vegetables are beneficial to lose belly fat, some are good to eat raw to preserve more enzymes providing more nutrition.  Certain of the cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower in particular, actually have more nutrition when they are cooked.  If you have any thyroid issues it is best to always cook your cruciferous vegetables.  The cruciferous vegetables have a goitrogens  which can interfere with normal thyroid functioning.  Have no fear, if you cook them for a few minutes you reduce their goiterogenic effect.  Since I have a thyroid condition, I like to steam my kale for 2 minutes before I put it into my smoothie.

 

Eating half your vegetables from the cruciferous family each day will give you better health and more cancer-fighting protection.  You can sauté, stir fry, steam, water sauté, or grill, just don’t overcook them.