1. Romaine lettuce vs whole wheat wraps  - low calorie and fiber
2. Natural condiments  (mustard, low fat salsa no added sugar)  vs high fat, sugary condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise)  + spices
3. Sliced hard boiled eggs rather than crackers - add salmon, avocado, asparagus
4. Zucchini rather spaghetti - slice thinly with peeler
5. Almond coconut flour vs wheat flour
6. Avocado’s rather mayonnaise -
7. Coconut oil instead of cream in coffee
8. Stevia instead of sugar and artificial sugars
9. Olive oil vinegar herbs and spices vs store bought salad dressings
10. Dark chocolate vs milk chocolate
11. Roasted spiced nuts instead of potato crisps - make your own spices herbs and bake for 10 minutes
12. Blended of frozen bananas choc chips + protein powder
13. Cauliflower mashed potatoes instead of potato
14. Baked sweet potato fries instead of potatoes
15. 6 vegetables that kill belly fat are cruciferous veggies, Bok Choy, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale broccoli. 

The following: pesticides, herbicides, xenoestrogens, cosmetics and plastics causes hormone imbalance,  which causes your body to store belly fat

Coconut flour is a unique alternative to wheat flour.
It’s popular among low-carb enthusiasts and those who have a gluten intolerance.
In addition to its impressive nutrition profile, coconut flour may offer several benefits. These include promoting blood sugar stability, better digestion, heart health, and even weight loss.

What is coconut flour?
Coconut flour is made from coconut flesh that has been dried and ground.
The resulting white powder looks and feels similar to flours made from grains like wheat and is very mild in taste.
 
Coconut flour is gluten-free
Coconut flour contains no gluten, making it an option for people with certain conditions, such as celiac disease, wheat allergy, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. It’s also naturally grain-free, making it a popular choice for those on grain-free diets, such as the paleo diet.

Benefits of coconut flour
Coconut flour has a diverse nutrient profile and may offer a range of health benefits.
In addition to being very rich in fiber, coconut flour provides medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and plant-based iron.
MCTs are a type of fat linked to several benefits, such as weight loss, protection against bacteria and viruses, and enhanced brain and heart health (2, 7, 8, 9).

Keeps blood sugars stable
Coconut flour is packed with fiber, which may help keep your blood sugar levels in check.
A 1/4-cup (30-gram) serving provides a whopping 40% of the DV for fiber, or 3 and 10 times more than the same quantity of whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, respectively (6).
Foods rich in fiber help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down the speed at which sugar enters your bloodstream.
It also ranks low on the glycemic index (GI), meaning that breads and baked goods made from it are less likely to spike blood sugar levels (1, 12).

May promote healthy digestion
The high fiber content of coconut flour may also benefit your digestion.
Most of its fiber is insoluble, which adds bulk to stools and helps move food smoothly through your gut, reducing the likelihood of constipation (13).
Additionally, coconut flour boasts small amounts of soluble and other fermentable fibers, which feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
In turn, these bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate, propionate, and butyrate, all of which nourish your gut cells (1, 14).
SCFAs may also reduce inflammation and symptoms linked to gut disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (14, 15, 16).

May improve heart health
Coconut flour may also benefit heart health.
Research shows that consuming 15–25 grams of coconut fiber daily may help lower total blood cholesterol levels by 11%, LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9%, and blood triglycerides by up to 22% (1).
What’s more, coconut flour provides lauric acid, a type of fat thought to help kill the bacteria responsible for plaque buildup in your arteries. This plaque is associated with heart disease (2).
Yet, other studies suggest that lauric acid may have no effect on or even raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, so lauric acid’s effect on cholesterol may vary by individual (1, 17, 18).

May help you lose weight
Coconut flour may help you shed excess weight because it offers both fiber and protein, two nutrients shown to reduce hunger and appetite (19, 20).
In addition, coconut flour contains MCTs, which are less likely to be stored as fat because they travel directly to your liver, where they’re used for energy production (21).
MCTs may also reduce appetite and are processed by your body differently than longer-chain fats found in foods like olives and nuts. This difference may help you burn slightly more calories (22, 23).

May kill harmful viruses and bacteria
Coconut flour is rich in lauric acid, a type of fat that may fight certain infections.
Once ingested, lauric acid forms a compound known as monolaurin. Test-tube research shows that lauric acid and monolaurin may kill harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi (2, 25), especially infections such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Candida albicans yeast (2, 26, 27).

Coconut flour uses
Coconut flour can be used in a variety of recipes, both sweet and savory. You can substitute it for other flours when making bread, pancakes, cookies, muffins, or other baked goods. Coconut flour tends to absorb more liquids than other flours. You can start by substituting 1/4 cup (30 grams) of coconut flour for every cup (120 grams) of all-purpose flour. It is important to increase the liquid in your recipes.

For example, if you used 1/4 cup (30 grams) of coconut flour, make sure to pour in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of additional liquids. Remember that coconut flour tends to be denser than other flours and doesn’t bind as easily.

Bakers often recommend that you mix it with other flours or add 1 egg for each 1/4 cup (30 grams) of coconut flour to help give your end product a fluffier texture.

This unique flour can also be used as breading or to thicken soups and stews. What’s more, you can use it as a binding agent in burger or veggie loaf recipes, as well as to make grain-free pizza crust or wraps.
 
In Conclusion, coconut flour is a delicious and versatile gluten-free flour made solely from coconuts. Rich in fiber and MCTs, it may promote stable blood sugar, good digestion, and heart health. It may also boost weight loss, fight some infections and be used in the paleo lifestyle. 
 

As temperatures fall, our winter appetites can easily spin out of control. Studies point out that people do tend to eat more during the winter time, with the average person gaining at least one kilogram  - and individuals who are already overweight likely to gain a lot more. Therefore, we need to be careful during the winter months and eat good food in order to stay healthy and warm, but we also need to watch our weight!

These tasty foods not just help curb cravings and burn calories, they are also ideal for winter weight loss.

1. Rabbit Meat
Rabbit meat is popular for its high protein content. This meat contains more protein than chicken and beef. It is also a concentrated source of iron. One serving has more than four mg. In addition, the meat provides many minerals. Rabbit meat is very low in calories, which can truly benefit your weight loss process. One serving of rabbit meat contains only 147 calories.
Recipe Suggestion: https://androulaskitchen.wordpress.com/tag/rabbit/    Serve with Brown rice or if you want to reduce your carbs make some cauliflower mash. 

2. Mushrooms
Nutritious and appetizing mushrooms are low in calories (only 10 in 1/2 a cup), almost devoid of fat and a great source of zinc, Vitamin B6, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, selenium, potassium, and dietary fiber. According to laboratory studies, some mushrooms like oyster and shiitake help immune cells to kill viruses.
Recipe Suggestion:
https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/healthy-recipes/mushroom-lentil-bourguignon-vegan

3. Liver
It is a relatively inexpensive source of protein. The liver is an amazing source of vitamin A, B12, niacin, folic acid, and minerals, principally iron.
With just 200 calories, it supersedes most cuts of meat, however, the problem is it's high cholesterol: around 400 mg per 115 grams' liver braised. Therefore, if you lead a diet that is low in cholesterol and fat, eating liver from time to time cannot hurt if you are healthy.
Recipe Suggestion: 
https://akispetretzikis.com/categories/kreas/moscharisio-sykwti-me-karamelwmena-kremmydia

4. Macadamia nuts
Macadamias are a melt-in-your mouth treat! They are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which are good fats that can help reduce cholesterol. Macadamia nuts are also rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E and contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio 1:1, which is great! Macadamias will warm you up and benefit the weight loss process.

5. Oatmeal
There is nothing like a hot bowl of oatmeal on a cold winter day! Not just is oatmeal delicious and convenient, it is also full of phytochemicals and nutrients. It also provides great energy and keeps you full. In accordance with a research, individuals who consume oats for breakfast eat 1/3 fewer calories at lunchtime.
Recipe Suggestions:  https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/apps/search?q=oats

6. Ginger tea
If you are thinking of reaching for a cup of tea, choose a brew with ginger. It has thermogenic properties that will keep you warm. Due to its healing powers, ginger can also promote blood flow and boost metabolism. 
With Moringa Ginger Tea you get the best of both worlds ! 

7. Goat’s / Sheep’s Yogurt or Kefir / Airani (sour milk)
Packed with vitamins A, B, and E, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium. Short and medium chain fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).  CLA is a cancer fighting-fat -reducing fat. Yogurt is an ideal winter food as it strengthens your gut health, helps to fight candida and strengthens the immune system.

8. Cauliflower
As a good source of fiber, cauliflower slows digestion and promotes feelings of fullness. This may automatically reduce the number of calories you eat throughout the day, an important factor in weight control. Cauliflower is also low in calories, carbohydrate and high in water which are all weight loss friendly aspects of this nutritious vegetable.
Recipe Suggestions: https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/apps/search?q=cauliflower

9. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate (75% and more) is rich in some powerful antioxidants. A piece of rich and decadent dark chocolate will satisfy your cravings for sweets without consuming many calories.
Recipe Suggestion: https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/healthy-recipes/chocolate-coconut-clusters

10. Oysters or Mussels
Oysters or mussels are one of the finest sources of high-quality protein that have little fat. For example one oyster contains just 8 calories. Additionally, it is an exceptional source of minerals such as zinc, iron, iodine, fluoride, calcium, and others. Oysters and mussels are also great sources of B-complex vitamins.
Recipe Suggestion: https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/healthy-recipes/mediterranean-fish-stew
 
11. Winter Squash
There are many types of winter squash--including spaghetti squash, butternut, acorn, delicata, and spaghetti squash--and they are all brilliant choices in the winter. A cup of cooked winter squash has around 80 calories but is high in both Vitamin C (33%) and Vitamin A (214% of the recommended daily value), as well as being a great source of vitamins K and B6, folate, and potassium.
Recipe Suggestions: https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/apps/search?q=pumpkin+
https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/healthy-recipes/pumpkin-and-chickpea-and-coconut-curry
https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/apps/search?q=courgette+
https://www.barbarakarafokas.com/apps/search?q=zucchini
​

If someone had to describe me in a few words it would be lover of nature, outdoors, smoothies and animals ! Enjoy the read - this article was written by Julie Singh from Tripoutside. 
​https://www.tripoutside.com/health-benefits-of-getting-outdoors/