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When you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet, finding a good type of snack food can be hard. Typically, healthy snacks are never tasty, and good snacks tend to be bad for you.
But a good, healthy snack does exist. In fact there are some snacks that can even help support your diet, rather than set you back.
Many experts will advise you to look for high-fiber snacks like popcorn or hummus, yet board-certified in Holistic Nutritionist Carrie Bonfitto, NC, BCHN has another idea: vitamin C.
While we often think of vitamin C as an essential nutrient for immune support or brighter skin, Bonfitto tells us that it can also help our bodies to create a flatter look to the tummy.
She explained, "Belly fat is usually an indicator of too much cortisol. So to get a flatter stomach we need to eat foods that support our stress response."
Bonfitto recommends a healthy, homemade snack to support a flat tummy with vitamin C: a DIY trail mix with raw pistachios and low-sugar dried cranberries. "Just pour into a bowl and stir," she said.
According to Bonfitto, this recipe helps fight the cortisol that causes belly fat.
She said, "The vitamin C in cranberries is excellent at turning off the stress hormone cortisol. The healthy fat, protein, and fiber from the pistachios helps to keep blood sugar balanced when eating fruit.
"Plus pistachios are notably one of the highest sources of vitamin B6 which in addition to many other functions is needed to make serotonin a hormone which elevates mood."
