According to Prevention, here are the top ten belly flattening foods:

1. Almonds – contain fiber, protein, vitamin E, & help cut cholesterol
2. Avocados – contain MUFA (Monounsaturated Fatty Acid), help cut cholesterol
3. Dark Chocolate – contains as much antioxidant capacity as red wine
4. Flaxseed Oil – the best plant source of omega-3 fatty acid
5. Macadamia Nuts – contain fiber & selenium
6. Natural Peanut Butter – contains vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, & vitamin B6
7. Olive Oil – contains mostly MUFA & antioxidants (extra-virgin is the best & the greener, the better)
8. Pistachios – contain lutein and zeaxanthin
9. Sunflower Seeds – loaded with B vitamins & vitamin E, help to curb hunger
10. Walnuts – contain omega-3 fatty acids

The great thing about all of these foods is that they’re super healthy for us. I eat raw almonds and pistachios, take flaxseed oil, and use extra-virgin olive oil all on a daily basis. I eat dark chocolate (oh yes!) several times a week and try to eat avocados two or three times a week. Sometimes I have sunflower seeds. The peanut butter we buy is not natural, so I wonder…does that count as 1/2? I need to start buying raw walnuts and pistachios again. So I guess we have a score of 7 1/2.

Of course, these foods need to be eaten in moderation. In other words, I can’t eat a whole box of dark chocolate in one day!! lol 🙂

(Some days…I wish I could!)

I don’t like the fact that pesticides are on nearly all of our fresh produce, in processed foods, even peanut butter. We try to eat healthy foods, but then if they’re loaded with pesticides what is that doing to our bodies? Pesticides affect our hormones and that’s not good. That’s the last thing we need is for something to mess up our hormones and make PMS and any conditioned affected by hormones worse! And the really bad thing is that they affect children who are in the growing stage! Not good…not good at all!

I was looking through the list of the worst foods contaminated with pesticides, and some of our favorite foods are on the list. There’s a chart of 44 fruits & vegetables ranked according to pesticides, and it has all kinds of data for each one. The worst ones unfortunately are:

1. Peaches – The worst! (however, locally grown peaches are usually OK )
2. Apples – That negates the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
3. Sweet Bell Peppers – I use red bell peppers when I make fajitas, teriyaki, chicken tortilla soup, etc. They’re supposed to be a “superfood,” but seems like the pesticides would counteract some of the nutritional value.
4. Celery – Oh, no…that affects “Ants on a Log”
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries – Oh, wow! That’s one of our favorite fruits!
7. Cherries – My husband nearly always has dried cherries on hand.
8. Lettuce – Yikes! We eat a lot of Romaine lettuce!
9. Imported Grapes
10. Pears
11. Spinach – Fresh spinach sauteed in EVOO just until tender is delicious plus it’s a “superfood,” too.
    
12. Potatoes – Nearly everyone loves potatoes!

See what I mean? So I have a plan. I grew up with my parents having a huge garden and a huge assortment of delicious fresh veggies at our fingertips all season long. My husband and I don’t have the space for a huge garden plus I remember all the work that goes into a nice garden. I plan to start out small and hopefully add to it next year. I’ve heard a lot about square foot gardening, and that’s what I plan to continue researching. I want to get strawberry plants and then also plant potatoes, green beans, squash, and okra.

I plan to keep you updated on my gardening adventures. This will be a learning experience because it’s been a long time since I’ve worked in a garden. I have grown a lot of flowers in my container garden, though. Does that count? 🙂

And one more thing about pesticides, locally grown produce usually has a smaller amount of pesticides than out-of-state and especially imported produce.