If 2020 was supposed to be your year, you might now realize that 2020 had other plans for all of us. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on reaching your health and fitness goals. In fact, there are a few food swaps that could go a long way toward helping you restore your gut health and even shed some of those extra quarantine pounds. We’re going to take a look at some of the best dietary changes you can make that will hardly interfere with your meal planning. Then we will take a look at a multi-collagen protein powder supplement that can help you meet your wellness goals.
Switch to Gluten Free Pasta
Wheat causes inflammation for more and more people, particularly in the gut. You may find that switching to a gluten free pasta makes you feel a lot better in general. Of course, not all gluten free pasta types are equal. You may find corn-based pasta to be disappointing. However, there are plenty of other pasta options that are healthier, tasty, and easy to prepare. Here are a few examples:
- Brown rice pasta – Brown rice gets you the extra fiber your gut needs, and it makes pasta that is most comparable to wheat-based pasta. You may find that your family hardly notices the difference.
- Quinoa pasta – Quinoa pasta is usually going to be a blend of several grains, including rice, to get the right consistency. This is a complete plant-based protein. That puts it on a concise list of healthy grains. There are also tons of essential minerals like magnesium and iron.
- Chickpea pasta – Chickpeas provide another high-protein option, albeit with a very different texture from wheat pasta. However, if you are trying to control your weight, your cholesterol, or your blood sugar, this may be the best pasta alternative.
Cauliflower Is the New White Rice
White rice is another food that can lead to bloating. Plus, it is a carbohydrate that can spike blood sugar or lead to weight gain. If you are looking for a viable substitute that makes for a much healthier option, you may be delighted by how tasty a rice cauliflower can make. It just takes a little pulsing in the food processor to turn this delicious and healthy vegetable into a great white rice substitute.
A Substitute for Sugary Breakfast Cereal
Most breakfast cereals have fattening sugar and a small supply of fiber regardless of how advertising portrays them. A healthier alternative that is low calorie and has a lot of fiber is rolled oats. Now, that may not sound very appealing, but you can easily add flavor and still keep it healthy. Use a natural sweetener like raw honey. Put some fresh fruit in your oats. You can even put a spoonful of a natural nut butter in there for added protein and flavor.
Adding chia or flax seeds can also boost the fiber and other health benefits without making a big difference in taste or texture. Just be careful if you have Celiac disease because oats have a negative effect on some gluten sensitive people, even if they claim to be gluten free on the packaging. You won’t be helping you gut health if you trigger an inflammatory response.
Eat a Healthier Yogurt
If you are eating the sweetened blended yogurts, I’ve got some bad news for you – you don’t actually like yogurt. It’s one thing if you treat those sweetened fruity yogurts as a dessert, but you can’t pretend they are a healthy breakfast or snack. Sugar and other additives can lead to inflammation and even weight gain. On the other hand, there are plenty of brands of unflavored Greek yogurt that are a genuinely healthy option. They also provide some healthy gut bacteria. If you really don’t like the flavor, you can use the same tricks we mentioned for oats. Add a little raw honey or some fresh fruit to sweeten things up naturally.
Have Your Coffee at Home
One of the big mistakes that coffee drinkers make is heading to a chain store that serves what amounts to something more like a coffee ice cream in a cup than an actual drink. If you are ordering a coffee loaded to the brim with cream and sugar and several pumps of different flavor syrups, you may be hurting your gut more than helping it. Plus, those drinks can have hundreds of calories. But what if you need your morning caffeine buzz?
Try having your coffee at home (a particularly good idea now during COVID-19 anyway). Make it the strength you like, so you don’t feel the need to put in a lot of additives. As a sugar substitute, try raw honey or a little maple syrup. Dairy can often lead to gut inflammation, so you may want to try almond milk as a substitute. Just remember that milk alternatives can also have a lot of sugar if you choose the wrong one.
An even better additive for your morning coffee is a multi-collagen protein powder. Why is this the case?
Try a Multi-Collagen Protein Powder for Gut Health and Weight Loss
Warrior Strong Wellness is proud to offer our Pure Hydrolyzed Multi-Collagen Protein Powder to help you meet your wellness goals. Collagen is vital for healing the gut, and adding the extra protein to your breakfast can help curb hunger throughout the morning. Whether you stir it into your morning coffee or a healthy smoothy, this is the best way to start your day!
About The Author
Warrior Strong Wellness
Warrior Strong Wellness provides innovative and high quality transformational supplements and raises awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer by giving a portion of our proceeds to childhood cancer research. In our weekly blogs, we share wisdom about wellness and living a Warrior Strong lifestyle.