Perfect keto calorie restricting snack for March to Weight Loss (drum roll, please?)

 Hey my friends! This blog explores how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass with keto diet, calorie restricting on a 1200 calorie diet. This month, I've issued a March to Weight Loss challenge. And today I'm sharing the perfect keto calorie restricting snack to lose weight, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, curb hunger boost metabolism, burn fat, prevent dehydration and even ward off effects of long covid 19! What is this superfood? Drum roll, please...

GUACAMOLE! Yup, homemade guacamole is the perfect dip, spread, snack, smoothie, you name it, guacamole is it! Here are simple keto diet recipe for this wunderkind snack. 

Avocado: cram packed with high electrolyte potassium goodness, MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), good saturated fats (for keto fat burning and metabolism boosting) and anti-inflammatory properties avocado is great for weight loss, fat burning, metabolism, lowering blood sugar (ergo inflammation and pain) post Covid 19 recovery (which includes avoiding dehydration) . For guacamole, cut avocado around the long end, remove pit (if only using half, leave pit in to prevent browning and spoilage). Scoop out avocado and place in blender. 

Garlic (minced with juice). Garlic is one of nature's best infection fighters (so good for Covid 19 prevention) plus anti-inflammatory (so perfect for preventing and healing obesity) building gut bacteria, providing antioxidants, reducing blood sugar level (so fighting diabetes) and more! 

Cilantro: This handsome herb has a reputation for helping lose weight and fighting obesity and diabetes by boosting metabolism. Add a handful to blender with avocado.

Onion: Another miracle superfood, onions are bulbs like garlic and have many of the same properties: anti-inflammatory, metabolism boosting, fat burning, infection fighting, lowering blood sugar (diabetes) plus even improving brain functioning. Mince and add to blender with avocado.

Tomatoes: These are one of my favorite potassium rich superfoods for weight loss and just plain yumminess. Lycopene is good for metabolism, circulation, prostate and heart health, blood sugar, boosting electrolytes and astringent fat burning and system cleanse. Being essentially zero calorie, tomatoes are the perfect calorie restricting food for the 1200 calorie diet. 

Lemon or lime juice: high potassium, Vitamin C and fiber, lemons and limes are good for gut bacteria, weight loss and infection fighting. Drinking water with lemon was part of how I lost 100 pounds. 

Pepper and Himalayan pink salt: Pepper for the pain relieving anti-inflammatory win and pink salt for infection fighting, electrolyte win!

Blend together and enjoy in place of sour cream, cheese, mayonnaise or salsa. Try this guacamole on tacos, burritos or nachos. Or  just plain. 

Grocery shopping list for weight loss: How I lost 100 pounds with diet food swaps

Do you want to lose weight? With obesity at 40% and growing, weight loss is the most common doctor-recommended health change. Here's how I lost 100 pounds with this grocery shopping list of keto diet food swaps. 

Bakery diet food swaps: Even if you don't have eat gluten free, it's a good diet to follow for weight loss. Cauliflower makes a great gluten free food swap!  Choose lowfat, sugarfree breads, no high fructose corn syrup, high omega fatty acids and high protein bread (also called keto diet bread) wraps like Flat-out or Joseph's flatbread. Swap whole grain light 35-calorie per slice oat bread. Cut down on grain, bread and starch for weight loss. Swap gluten free coconut flour for wheat flour and applesauce and milled flaxseed for eggs and oil in baking. 

Condiments for weight loss: I'm weirdly a dips and spreads addict and taming this addiction is part of how I lost 100 pounds. I cut down on condiments and make these diet food swaps--no transfat light yogurt butter spread and butter sticks, canola oil or olive oil light mayonnaise. I use Opa Greek yogurt/feta cheese salad dressing and Maple Grove Farms Sugarfree Raspberry Vinagrette salad dressing or make your own. 

Dairy diet food swaps: Substitute whole milk (seriously, it's better for you than non-fat) plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese for cheese and milk. Swap cow's milk for high protein cashew or flax milk or use 1% cow's milk. Sub avocado for dairy in foods.  

Produce grocery shopping list for weight loss. Eat half your calories as fruit and vegetables. Best weight loss fruits are: apples, blueberries, grapefruit, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. And don't forget tomatoes! There’s mixed thinking on whether bananas cause belly fat, but they do boost resistant starch which makes you feel fuller. 

Eat a rainbow of vegetables to lose weight: Eat four servings of green leafy vegetables like kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, spring mix. Kale is a one of the best diet food swaps as it has twice as much vitamin A and C as spinach (next best leaf veggie). Eat two servings daily of pumpkin, carrots, summer squash and purple cabbage. Substitute mushrooms for meat. 

Meat and protein diet food swaps to put on your grocery shopping list: fresh or frozen fish: salmon, cod, whiting, Pollock, marlin, tuna, shrimp, scallops and surimi. Choose lean chicken, turkey and beef, lowfat ham lunchmeat. Make beef jerky for keto diet food swaps. 

Vegan protein alternatives to lose weight include tempeh, Portobello mushrooms, lentils, edamame, avocado, falafel, dried and canned beans, PB2 (natural peanut powder with 85 percent fewer calories than peanut butter), almonds, Make big pots of vegan chili and bean soup full of vegetables and reheat for light, filling meals. The vegan diet has been highly rated for weight loss. 

Grains, cereal, fiber for keto diet grocery shopping list: milled flaxseed, maca powder, Artichoke Vitae Plus, Cheerios, Special K protein, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, oatmeal and chia seeds. I love gluten free edamame and black bean pasta. 

Treats and salty snacks: Lowfat Cheez-Its, edamame, Calbee Snapea Crisps, Ideal or Monkfruit sweetener, dark chocolate (70 % cacao or higher), Skinny Cow ice cream bars, Weight Watchers desserts, lowfat pudding, dry red wine: Shiraz, Petit Sirah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Carmenere. I make my own kale chips to for a great diet food swap to potato chips. 

Eating these diet food swaps is how I lost 100 pounds!