How to Start Plant-Based Eating in FIVE Simple Steps

Plant-based eating can be for everyone, the main idea is not to “diet” or remove something from your nutrition but more about adding more plant-based foods. For those of you who love a burger once in a while, you don’t have to completely eliminate animal-based food. You can certainly reduce it by making more meals that are plant-based.

Here are 5 steps to start your plant-based eating:

 Step 1: Choose your motivation

Giving yourself a reason to make the change will help you stick to it! Whether you want to save the animals, become healthier or simply feel better, the plant-based nutrition is a great option for those of us who want to be a better and healthier person.

Step 2: Choose Your Type

A spectrum of plant-based eating is available to you. Start by identifying what you would like to change in your nutrition. Considering that your nutrition will be mainly coming from plants, your options are:

1)    Strict plant-based nutrition (vegan): You are not going to consume any meat, fish or animal products like dairy foods, honey or eggs.

2)    Vegetarian plant-based nutrition: You will be able to consume eggs, milk, cheese and other products of animals but no meat or fish.

3)    Flexitarian plant-based nutrition: Your meals will have a large proportion of plant-base food. In addition to small portions of eggs, or dairy foods and, on occasion, include meat, fish, seafood or poultry.

Step 3: Plan Your Meals

One of the most difficult parts about adapting to plant-based eating is to adopt new habits in the kitchen. Start looking for recipes now and ideas for your meals. My favourites are salads, bowls, wraps, soups and overnight oats.

 Step 4: Make Your Grocery List

In order to ease yourself into plant-based eating, try to slowly increase the amount of plant-based food on your grocery list. This would include vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, spices and vegan products like hummus or coconut milk.

Step 5: Implement the Changes

The best way to start plant-based eating is to start with small steps now. Choose a day this week when you want to have a plant-based nutrition day. That day will be the beginning of your journey in plant-based eating. Once you’ve chosen a date, pick your recipes! Next week I will give you a few ideas of recipes you can start with.

Emotional Eating: 3 Ways to Break the Cycle

More than 60 percent of my incoming clients say they struggle with emotional or stress eating.

And that was before the global pandemic.

Whether out of stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, or grief, it’s understandable why we turn to food for comfort. 

Food offers a pretty great—if very temporary—solution to our suffering.

Eating feels good.

It sets off a cascade of pleasurable sensations that make it easier to forget about uncomfortable emotional experiences.

Think of it this way: When you stress eat, you’re using food to solve a problem. Only it’s a problem that food can’t solve. 

What’s more, most people who experience emotional eating feel trapped and guilty afterward, which just perpetuates the behaviour.

So whether you’re a coach trying to help clients with their stress eating—or you’re looking for solutions for yourself—we have three not-so-obvious strategies that might help.

Not just for right now but long after this crisis is over, too.

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3 unexpected strategies for dealing with stress eating.

One of the following ideas might resonate with you more than the others. But I encourage you to try all of them.

Each does something crucial and different:

·       #1 develops awareness around what triggers your overeating

·       #2 provides tools to help when your triggers are activated

·       #3 helps you understand that your behaviour around food doesn’t define you as a person

The result: A variety of methods that work together to tackle a complex problem. And hopefully, help put you back in the driver’s seat when you feel out of control.

Strategy #1: Go ahead and overeat.

 Our brains like patterns.

 Many of our thoughts, emotions and actions actually happen on autopilot. They’re parts of sequences our brains know well from years of practice. Those sequences just need triggers in order to take place.

In the presence of a trigger, your brain dictates a given behaviour—like stress eating—without requiring any conscious decision-making on your part. (Food cravings also work the same way)

The physical sensation of hunger is the most obvious trigger. That stomach-grumbling, slightly shaky, even-Brussels-sprouts-sound-good sensation is one you can trust to tell you it’s time to eat.

But stress eating usually comes after other types of triggers, like certain sights, smells, people, and emotions.

For example, you might find yourself hitting the Custard Creams hard every Saturday afternoon. You’re always left wondering how it happened, and why you feel so crappy about it.

The process is so automatic you often don’t have any idea what’s triggering it.

But if you really started paying close attention, you might have an epiphany: It’s also the time you talk to your mum every week.

Mystery solved.

So here’s a crazy idea: Give yourself permission to overeat.

It’s going to feel counterintuitive at first.

Uncomfortable even.

But view it as a learning experience—a necessary step in the process. (Plus, there are worse ways to learn.)

How to try it

Next time you get the urge to stress eat, treat it as an experiment. 

Create a Behaviour Awareness worksheet to document what happens and how you feel before, during and after.

Important note: This is a judgement-free zone. 

This process will help you identify triggers, but it’ll also start removing—or at least, lessening—any guilt or shame you feel around overeating.

Often, if you’re “allowed” to overeat, it suddenly doesn’t feel as urgent.

When it’s no longer forbidden, the intense craving for a whole box of cookies sometimes turns into a more manageable desire for just one or two.

So try to observe your experience as neutrally as possible. If you’re having trouble, imagine you’re a scientist collecting data on someone else.

Afterwards, review the worksheet. What do you notice? 

Are there any patterns or ‘aha’ moments that stick out to you?

Maybe you notice you head for the snack cupboard right after getting off a stressful, two-hour-long conference call.

And you realise you’ve been doing that almost every day for… weeks.

It’s possible you’ll have to do this experiment a few times before the trigger(s) becomes obvious. That’s okay.

If this happens, do your best not to obsess about the decision to eat or not eat.

Instead, try to focus on learning more about your own behaviour and keep your worksheet notes handy so you can add to them as needed.

Once you’re aware of the trigger, decide what to do about it.

If it’s something you can avoid, great. (If the smell of baking cakes is too much for you to handle, you could take a break from baking for a while.)

If your trigger isn’t something you can change or avoid, sometimes just being aware that you’re experiencing a trigger can help.

That’ll signal it’s time for strategy #2.

Strategy #2: Create a nourishment menu.

Pick a thing before the thing. 

That might sound odd, but do just that: Pick an action (a thing) that you’ll always do before you engage in stress eating (the other thing).

Ideally, it’s multiple actions—like a “menu” of choices for yourself.

These actions disrupt the trigger/behaviour cycle. But there’s more to it than that.

I call it the nourishment menu because we’re deprived of so many things that nourish us on many different levels right now.

Examples: as much fresh air as we want, social interaction, free movement.

Food is an easy way to fill some of these voids we’re feeling.  That’s why it’s important to have ideas of things that can nourish you in other ways.”

For example, before deciding to eat you could:

·       Take three deep breaths

·       Drink a big glass of water

·       Mentally check for signs of physical hunger

·       Play with your pet for five minutes

·       Do some quick stretches

·       Listen to a favourite song or a few minutes of a podcast

·       Go for a short walk

·       Spend a few minutes on housework (like folding your clothes or organising your desk)

The most effective nourishment menus include actions that line up with your goals and values. They’ll be more likely to offer the same feeling of relief you were hoping—consciously or not—to get from food.

For example, if you deeply value your close friendships, calling or texting a friend could be one of your menu options.

How to try it

You might be thinking, ‘Sure, that sounds nice… but I won’t actually do it.’

And it’s true: The trick with the nourishment menu is that you actually have to use it.

Here are three ideas that might help.

1. Make it as easy as possible on yourself.

Ensure the items on your nourishment menu feel doable and reasonable.

At maximum, they should take you 15 minutes to complete. For instance, a quick journaling session could qualify here.

Ideally, you want to have one or two options that’ll take a minute or less. Like writing down three emotions you’re feeling in the moment or giving your partner a hug.

You’ll also want to keep any materials you’ll need handy.

If drinking a glass of water before eating is on your menu, always keep it at your desk (or wherever you are). 

If you’re supposed to write something down before you head for the pantry, keep a notepad and pen on your kitchen counter.

If you want to eat a serving of vegetables before having any other type of snack, keep washed, cut-up options at eye-level in your fridge.

2. Put your nourishment menu somewhere visible.

Post it on your fridge, kitchen cupboard, or anywhere else you’re likely to see it before eating. You’re less likely to ignore it if you can see it.

And if you ignore it occasionally, it’s not such a big deal. The key is to get a little bit better over time, not be perfect.

So if you use the nourishment menu once every third time you want to stress eat, you’re still making progress.

For the record, just doing one action from the menu is often enough to break the cycle.

You don’t always have to work your way through the whole list. But it’s good to have multiple actions to choose from for variety.

And if you try a couple actions and still want to eat? That’ll happen.

But remember: You’ve already done some really good things for yourself in the process. So go ahead and have that snack.

Treat it like a meal.

Portion out the amount you want to eat in a bowl or on a plate, sit down at a table without distractions, and enjoy it slowly and mindfully.

3. Keep track of how often you use your nourishment menu.

Plus, record what happens when you do (on your phone or a Post-It note).

Let’s say over the course of a day, you get the urge to snack four times.

·       Twice, you use your nourishment menu and avoid eating.

·       Once, you use the nourishment menu and end up eating something slowly and mindfully.

·       Another time, you skip the menu altogether and end up overeating.

Why do this?

At the end of the day, you can look back and see which actions helped you stop the stress eating cycle.

Then, you can start proactively taking those actions regularly throughout your day. This is how you make progress.

Strategy #3: Take a self-compassionate approach (for a change).

Nothing about this pandemic situation is normal.

It makes sense you might not be eating (or exercising, or working, or living) the way you normally do.

But feeling bad about being out of your routine can make stress eating worse. (If you need help getting back into a health and fitness routine, check out my YouTube Channel here So, in many ways, now’s the perfect time to start practicing self-compassion.

Self-compassion is an attitude of generosity, honesty, and kindness towards yourself.

If that’s feeling a little woo-woo for you, bear with me for a second.

Lots of people who deal with stress eating have negative self-talk running through their heads before, during, and afterward.

Some of this might sound familiar:

“I guess I’m going to hit up my snack stash again now, like I always do. Why can’t I ever learn?”

“Ugh, I’m such an idiot for doing this. Again.”

“I just had to finish the ice cream, didn’t I? Nice work, me.”

But here’s something surprising: There’s evidence that negative self-talk, the opposite of self-compassion, signals your brain to release dopamine.

Dopamine is involved in habit formation and the addiction pathway. So that’s not great. As a result, the cycle of negative self-talk, stress eating, and feeling bad about it can become a never-ending loop.

(Are you noticing a theme with how our brains work?)

Self-compassion is a tool that can help interrupt that cycle.

And no, we’re not trying to trick you into joining some commune where we spend our time holding hands and being nice to ourselves (although, would that really be so bad…?).

There’s research to support this approach.

What do these studies suggest? That practicing self-compassion can help reduce the “screw it” feeling that happens right before a person starts emotional eating.

So yeah, you can work on your stress eating by being nice to yourself. 

Importantly, self-compassion doesn’t mean giving yourself a free pass to eat whatever you want.

Self-compassion is…

Giving yourself a break

Being kind to yourself

Letting yourself off the hook

Being honest and seeing the big picture

Self-compassion is not…

Ignoring your problems

Giving yourself a permanent “get out of jail free” card

 How to try it

So what does self-compassion look like in practice?

There are three main elements to focus on:

·       Mindfulness: This is when you’re aware of what you’re doing, thinking, feeling and experiencing, but you’re not judging yourself for it.

·       Common humanity: Acknowledging that you’re not alone—that everyone goes through what you’re dealing with at some point.

·       Self-kindness: Being generous and decent to yourself.

When you’re about to stress eat, try to interrupt the cycle with some self-compassion and kindness.

Here’s what that might look like:

·       Mindfulness: “I’m so anxious being cooped up in my house right now. And those chips are really calling my name…”

·       Common humanity: “That’s okay. Plenty of people have a hard time saying ‘no’ to chips.”

·       Self-kindness: “Take a deep breath. Whether or not I choose to eat right now, it’s going to be okay.”

It works during and after stress eating, too:

·       Mindfulness: “I’m feeling pretty guilty right now. This sucks.”

·       Common humanity: “A lot of people are probably feeling this way right now that we’re all spending more time at home.”

·       Self-kindness: “Alright, shake it off! So you ate some chips. It happens.

That doesn’t mean anything about who you are deep down.”

A key distinction here is that self-compassion isn’t an excuse to stress eat. Its purpose is to help remove some of the guilt you might feel about stress eating.

That’s important, since that guilt can just lead to more overeating.

So give it a try. Even if it feels a little squishy at first, it might just be the thing that works.

It’s totally normal to be feeling all the feelings right now.

And remember: It’s understandable to look to food to deal with those feelings.

Food provides us with joy, comfort, and sustenance. 

We associate it with good memories, big life moments, and meals shared with loved ones.

We might even use food to help define ourselves—in our jobs, cultures, and even relationships.

But the more we use food to bury how we feel, the worse those uncomfortable feelings get.

It’s like Robert Frost wrote: “The best way out is always through.”

Is it the easiest path? No.

But it’s the only one that will provide relief. And that’s something we could all use more of right now.

Our brains (and lives, for that matter) tend to work in cycles.

But the stress eating cycle? It’s one you can opt out of.

If you need more help with your emotional eating, drop me a text on 07895 146392

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5 Tips to Stop Dieting

If you have set a New Year’s resolution of losing weight, you might be a little lost with how to begin. Here are some helpful tips:

SETTING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

Before you get started with your weight loss New Year’s resolution, you need to have some goals in mind. It is important that you try to be realistic with your goals, and instead of just saying you want to lose X amount of pounds, you have some actionable goals as well. For each health or weight loss goal you set for yourself as your resolution, list some actions that you should do in order to achieve those goals.

Setting Actionable Goals

An actionable goal is one where you are able to define exactly what needs to be done to achieve it. If you want to fly a plane someday, the actions would be to learn how to fly planes and get your flying license. The same concept works with any type of weight loss goals you have. You need to start by choosing a realistic goal for your New Year’s weight loss, whether that means losing a certain amount of weight in the year, or losing 1-2 pounds a week consistently. You might also decide to choose a goal based on the size of clothing you wear.

Once you have chosen the realistic goal, you will then need to make a list of actionable steps it takes to achieve that larger goal. This might help you choose smaller goals along the way as well. If you want to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year, then you know you need to lose about 4 pounds a month. This is just 1 pound a week, so it falls within the reasonable goal category. Now decide how you can lose a pound a week, from what diet you should follow, to healthy lifestyle changes to make, like following a fitness routine, cutting out sugar, or stopping late-night snacking. This gives you a good place to start with your New Year’s resolution.

FOCUS ON A BALANCE BETWEEN NUTRITION AND FITNESS

Now that you know what your goals are, it is time to delve into those actionable diet and fitness steps. You probably know by now that both diet and exercise are equally important when you are trying to lose weight. If you only change your diet, but continue living a sedentary lifestyle, you might lose a little weight, but it is hard to keep up the same level of weight loss throughout the year. You need a good way to burn off excess calories, which means adding in exercise. Plus, fitness is really important for general health, just like changing your eating habits.

You also don’t want to just workout more, but continue eating whatever you want. There needs to be a balance between the two. You don’t need to exercise 2 hours a day, 7 days a week and follow a 1,000-calorie diet every day either; in fact, these are unhealthy habits to start. Here are some tips for finding a good balance between improving both your nutrition and fitness:

Start exercising slowly – To start with your workout routine, start exercising slowly. This is especially important if you are accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle, but want to begin working out more in the new year. You should not just start with marathon training right away or begin running 10 miles from the very first day. Regardless of the type of exercise routine you intend to begin, do it slowly and gradually. Work up to your ultimate fitness goals.

Choose a fitness routine you will enjoy – It is also important that you choose an exercise you are going to enjoy doing. It might seem great that you can walk every day, but if you hate walking, you won’t keep up with it. One idea is to switch to a more enjoyable form of walking, such as hiking or walking by the beach. On the other hand, you can choose another exercise entirely, such as yoga, kick boxing, swimming, or playing a sport like tennis. There are lots of ways to get in your daily exercise to help you lose weight.

Know how many calories exercises will burn – Speaking of the balance between nutrition and fitness, part of the reason you exercise to lose weight is to burn more calories. This means knowing exactly how many calories to burn, and what exercises burn the most calories. If you are using cardio machines, such as elliptical trainers or treadmills, the machines will let you know how many calories you have burned. For other exercises, you should use a fitness tracker.

Calculate how many calories you need to eat daily – Make sure with your nutrition, you know what you are eating and how many calories you are consuming. Even if you aren’t following a low-calorie diet, this is a good way to know where you are at and track how much you eat each day. Eventually, you won’t keep tracking your food, but it is good in the beginning.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT DIET PLAN FOR YOU 

By this point, you are probably thinking about the different diets you can follow. Using the word ‘diet’ has negative connotation, making you feel like you are depriving yourself of something, so it is important to first get into the proper mindset. Look at it as a way to change your dietary habits, not necessarily following a restricting diet.

There are a lot of different diets you can follow, depending on your needs and what your food preferences are. If you are a vegetarian currently, you might not like a diet like Paleo where it relies heavily on meat. You can still be a vegetarian Paleo, but it is difficult and not the best option when you are first starting out. Before the New Year arrives, it is good to decide what you will eat or what diet you will follow. Learn a little about each one until one really strikes you as something you can do.

Here are some options:

·      Paleo

·      Keto

·      Whole30 or Whole Foods Diet

·      Low-Fat or Low-Calorie

·      Vegetarian or Vegan

·      Raw Foods

The diets listed here are not necessarily “fad diets”, but ones that do rely heavily on switching to a healthier lifestyle. Make sure you have done your research and look at what you can or can’t eat in each diet so you can decide on the best one. This can really help you to decide which one is going to be the best option for you. Don’t feel like you need to choose something because it is popular or because your friends are doing it. Also don’t feel restricted to follow all the rules of the diet you choose. You can create your own custom diet as long as you are eating healthier, watching your portion sizes, and trying to consume as many vitamins and minerals as possible.

It is also recommended that you talk to your doctor or a nutritionist before making major changes to your diet.

SCHEDULE EXERCISE INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE 

One of the problems with starting a new fitness routine isn’t having the motivation to do it in the beginning of the year, but making it a part of your new lifestyle. A New Year’s resolution shouldn’t just be something you do for the first few weeks of January, but encourage you to make a brand new lifestyle change. It is meant to turn you into a stronger, healthier, and fitter person overall. This means choosing a fitness routine, switching it up as needed, and really making it a part of your regular schedule.

By including it in your schedule just like any other appointment, you are going to keep up with it a lot better and treat it just as important as your weekly nail appointment or going to the dentist. Here are some more tips for keeping up with your fitness routine:

Turn it Into a Fun Challenge With Friends

Making new lifestyle changes and doing it all on your own can be a huge bummer. It also keeps you from really answering to someone and motivating yourself to exercise on days when you would really rather skip the gym. A good way to keep up with it on a regular basis is to start a challenge with your friends. Put together a group of friends that will keep each other motivated, where you check in, and maybe even offer a prize to the person who walks the most steps or runs the most miles in a certain period of time. The challenge keeps everyone in the group accountable for the new weight loss goals you have, and you can even get together to workout together if you all live local.

Think About it More as a Healthy Lifestyle Change

Sometimes, weight loss and working out is all about your mindset. Don’t just think about it as a short-term goal, but as a brand new lifestyle change. Think about yourself in a year, 10 years, or 20 years, and see how you will still be working out. You may be leaner and fitter, but you will still be dedicated to being healthy and fit. You want this to be something you do for the good of yourself and for your family. Perhaps you have young kids and you want to be a good role model for them. Working out regularly is something they will see you doing, which can help battle childhood obesity.

Make Sure You Are Doing it For the Right Reasons

One of the things that often leads to failure is losing weight or working out for the wrong reasons. If you are doing it to impress someone or because your significant other has made comments, you are not doing it for the right reasons. This is not going to be enough to see it through and gives you an unhealthy mindset from the very beginning. However, once you have made the decision for yourself because you want to be healthier, then you will notice it is a lot easier to motivate yourself to exercise every day.

Have a Good Workout Area

If you intend to do most of your working out at home, then make sure you have a dedicated area. This keeps you from getting distracted and becomes your quiet space where you focus on your fitness routine. This can be a treadmill in your bedroom, elliptical machine and trampoline in your family room, or an office you are converting to a home gym. Just be consistent and try to exercise in the same place each time.

TOOLS FOR TRACKING YOUOR WEIGHT LOSS

Another thing to get ready before the New Year arrives is to have a tool for tracking your weight loss. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or have a fancy tool either; it can be as simple as using pen and paper. Just decide on the method that will work best for you. Here are some options for tracking your weight loss:

Get a Digital Scale

If you are more concerned about pounds on the scale than your measurements, then getting a digital scale is highly recommended. This keeps you from guessing what pound you are at, such as with a regular weight scale. The numbers are right there, and many newer ones also have some advanced features. Make sure you use the scale at the same time of the day each time, with the same clothing. If you choose to weigh yourself Monday mornings at 6:00am with no clothes on, then try to be consistent each time you weigh yourself on the scale.

Use Pen and Paper

While many people like to use apps on their phone for tracking weight loss, you can just use a pen and paper. If you are using a journal to log your food and exercise, that same journal can be a wonderful tool for tracking your weight as well. Every time you weigh yourself or take measurements, jot it down in your journal to keep track of your progress.

Download an App

Apps are good for convenience and to easily enter your weight or measurements. They are also good because you get graphs of how much you have lost over a certain period of time. Some apps, such as MyFitnessPal, will also provide other resources, such as tracking your fitness, food, and water intake each day.

Keep a Spreadsheet

If you like to use your computer for tracking weight loss, consider starting an Excel spreadsheet or use whatever spreadsheet program you prefer. Enter the date and the weight or measurements in whatever increments you prefer, then leave a space for any notes you find relevant.

Take Your Measurements

Taking your measurements is another good way to keep track of your weight loss. Before the New Year begins, get a flexible measuring tape like the ones fabric stores and craft supply stores have for sewing. Measure around your upper arms, thighs, waist, hips, breasts, and buttocks for accurate measuring. Write down or record the measurements in whatever tool you have decided to use. This is often good because muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are doing a lot of weight training, you can better see your body changing through measurements.

Consider Your Clothing Size

Another way to see how much weight you have been losing is to consider your clothing size. You might notice that even if the scale doesn’t reflect your weight loss, your jeans are suddenly loose, or you can fit into your ‘skinny clothes’. Put on some of your smaller sized clothes throughout the year to track your progress.

Give your weightloss a kickstart by downloading your FREE 4 Day Weightloss Reboot Programme.

Can't Meditate? Here Are 9 Other Ways To Break Free From Stress

I know! Meditation is the secret sauce to take your wellness up to the status of the elite gurus. It’s the “be all, end all” for the health of your entire mind-body-spirit. It’s the absolute must-do that is the only path to beating the infamous health-buster called “stress.”

Don't get me wrong; practicing meditation is an excellent approach to optimising your health and overall well-being. Meditation is great for relieving and dealing with stress and all of the issues that come along with it. But it's not the only way to get there.

The whole purpose of meditating is to calm the mind and emotions and relax our physical body too. And there is always more than one way to get there.

Let’s talk about some of the other things to try if meditation is not exactly your thing.

Journaling

Spending some time every day writing out your thoughts can help to relieve stress. You can use journaling to list the things you're grateful for, this is known as gratitude journaling. You can use it as a "brain dump" to get all of your thoughts and ideas out of your head to soothe your mind. You can use "ever since" journaling to describe your life after you reach your goals.

Reading

It’s one thing to read to learn something that you have to learn, or to advance your knowledge. And, you can also read for pure pleasure. To get caught up in a story and just relax.

Colouring

Adult colouring books are all the rage! Not *that* kind of adult, but colouring pages with lots of detail and tiny areas to colour in. Something that can take you hours. You can always opt for something simple, like kids colouring pages too. The idea is the same. Repeated movements and focusing on the art you’re creating can help to clear your mind.

Knitting or crocheting (or other crafts)

Knitting, crocheting or other yarn activities are a great way to de-stress; this is a skill that comes in all levels from beginner to advanced. You can choose a quick little rectangular scarf to make, or a detailed sweater. You can choose the pattern, size and yarn. Once you get into the flow of these skills, they're great to do when you're feeling stressed. Not only can they relax your mind to focus on your work, but you can end up warming yourself or others with the products you create.

Gentle exercise

Gently moving your body is another great way to de-stress. Activities that are slower and less intensive are ideal. Things like walking, yoga, stretching, or tai chi can all be great ways to relax your mind and improve your strength and balance at the same time.

Sleep in or take a nap

A common cause of increased stress hormones is lack of sleep. Too little sleep and too much stress go hand-in-hand. So, getting enough good quality sleep is important to help you break free from stress without having to meditate.

Pamper yourself

Maybe you love getting massages or mani/pedi's? Maybe you love a long bath or lighting candles? Perhaps you can add your favourite relaxing music to the mix for a pampering evening? Spending some time to pamper yourself regularly is great for your mind, body and spirit.

Spend time in nature

You don’t have to head away for a vacation to relax in nature. While a calm beautiful beach or cabin in the woods may be amazing, you don’t have to go that far. Even spending time on the grass at your local park or playground, or walking on a wooded trail in your neighbourhood can do the trick.

Make time for people and pets you love

It's so important to spend time with family, friends and pets whom you love. New research is coming out about the health issues related to loneliness. Reach out and plan to hang out with your besties, or even offer to take your neighbour's dog for a walk in the park.

Conclusion

Stress reduction is the goal. How you do it, be it meditation or otherwise, is not that important. What’s important is that you find what works for you.

Try journaling, reading, colouring, knitting/crocheting, gentle exercise, sleep, pampering yourself, spending time in nature, and making time for people and pets you love.

Recipe (calming): Lavender Essential Oil

Instructions to inhale directly

Add up to 6 drops of undiluted essential oil to a handkerchief/tissue and inhale occasionally. Use up to 3 times per day.

Instruction for steam inhalation

Add 3 - 12 drops of undiluted essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Inhale slowly and deeply for 5 - 10 minutes. Use up to 3 times per day.

Tip: Lavender isn't the only calming essential oil. You can also use angelica, balsam, benzoin, bitter orange, cedarwood, celery, chamomile, cornmint, cumin, curry, frankincense, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, labdanum, laurel, lemongrass, marjoram, nutmeg, palmarosa, parsley, patchouli, peppermint, rose, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, scotch pine, spearmint, star anise, sweet basil, sweet orange, thyme, or ylang ylang.

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I'm just waiting for the PERFECT time!

Many of us wait for the "perfect time" with our health, fitness and nutrition.  This "all or nothing" thinking rarely gets us "all" and usually gets us "nothing".

Are you waiting for the perfect time to start eating better, exercising or finally getting in shape?

Are you putting off that dream trip, new project, or that skill you’ve been meaning to learn?

If so, some of these phrases may sound familiar:

When I get a different job.

When things are less busy.

When I find a workout partner.

When I find the right equipment.

When I feel less awkward in the gym.

When I lose 20 lbs.

When I get the right workout routine.

When my fridge is full of the right foods.

Humans are always waiting for the perfect time.  But why?

For many it's a great distraction.  It helps us avoid the real work of DOING.

For others, perfectionism protects them from potential embarrassment and failure.

Sadly, it also keeps us from being who we know we have the potential to be.

THERE IS NO PERFECT TIME.  THERE NEVER WILL BE.

OK, so there might be some magic moment on your fitness journey but it will be surrounded by millions of less magic moments that make up your real life.

We may be talking about a 10 second moment where everything is aligned but this will be an extremely small part of the whole thing.

Yes, go ahead and celebrate the perfect moment when it comes, but please don't wait for it!

TAKE YOUR MOMENTS.  MAKE YOUR MOMENTS.

Nobody is going to give you these moments, you have to TAKE your moments.

Hunt them.  Chase them.  Create them.

Naturally, this is frustrating as we think everyone else's moments just come to them.  Everyone else has enough time.  Enough money.  Enough motivation.

But it IS this way for everyone.

However, there is a perfect moment.  There's always a perfect moment.

That moment is RIGHT NOW!

Here.  Today.  Right now - because that's all we ever have - right now.

JUST START.  AT THE BEGINNING.

All you have to do is START and then the moments just keep on coming.

Starting means initiating action.  Starting means committing to a choice.  This is how you know it's a TRUE start.

Starting is when you lift up one foot and put it in front of the other, not when you stand there debating which road to take.

As long as something is moving, that's a START.

PUSH THROUGH AND EMBRACE RESISTANCE.

Many people who are just starting out assume that because they feel resistance, they have failed.

That because their legs ache walking up a hill, they are not ready to climb that hill.

NO.  That's just how it feels sometimes.

Give it time.  Resist the urge to press pause.  Push though.  The tracks will change eventually.

You don't have to fight resistance for the entire trip.  You just have to push through the resistance of the first few steps.

GET SUPPORT

For a heavy train to get moving, it may need an additional engine.

We can start - and keep moving- on our own but it certainly helps when someone else gives us a push or pull.

Someone who can call us on our procrastination and perfection. 

Someone who can snap us out of our all-or-nothing trance with a gentle nudge and reminder.

For a while, we can even affix ourselves to this someone or something, like hooking that extra engine to our front. As we go along, we can unhook superfluous cars that we realise are weighing us down as we grow lighter, leaner and more mobile.

Eventually, we don’t need that extra engine any more. Our train is now whizzing along just fine on its own. The scenery blurs past the windows and we are heading on a grand adventure.

But in the beginning, we had to start.

What to do next:

1. Revise your expectations.  Recognise there is no perfect time and there never will be.

2. Carve out time, even if it's imperfect.  Give yourself permission to make your health and fitness goals a priority.

3. Just Start.  If you feel stuck, just do something.  Anything.

4. Expect Resistance.  It's normal.  Push through it.  Resistance doesn't mean this won't work.

5. Get Support.  Whether it’s a friend or family member, workout buddy or a coach, find someone to fire up your booster rockets until you can fly on your own.

If you want some help, download your FREE 4 Day Weightloss Reboot Programme

Why Your "Pause-Button" Mentality Is Sabotaging Your Health & Fitness

“I’ll resume healthy eating after my holiday… once the baby is born… after Dad gets out of the hospital… January 1… Monday.” While this kind of “pause-button mentality” seems reasonable, it could be ruining your health and fitness. Here’s why, and what to do about it.

There’s a question that’s been asked of me a LOT lately — from my clients and potential clients:

"Why don't your programmes offer a Pause function?"

After all, what’s the harm in letting clients take a break from a nutrition and fitness plan when they’re:

·       going on holiday,

·       completely swamped at work,

·       pregnant, or just after delivery,

·       injured, or

·       caring for a family member?

For a client, the thought process boils down to:

If I miss some workouts, eat the wrong things, skip the homework… I fail.

Aren’t I more likely to succeed if I take a break, just until I have the time to do it right?

This is what I call the ‘pause-button mentality’.

OK, don’t get me wrong.

I think it’s normal — even commendable — to want to do your best. To consider taking time to regroup and then resume (or start over) when life feels easier.

At the same time, this completely natural and well-meaning impulse is one of the fastest, surest, most reliable ways to sabotage your plans for improved nutrition, health and fitness.

Here’s why — and what to do instead.

Starting fresh after you lose your way is a really comforting thought.

That’s probably why New Year’s resolutions are so popular, especially following the indulgence-fuelled holiday season.

Give me some of that cheesecake. I’ll start my diet again on Monday!

In fact, I’ve learned in my nutrition coaching programmes that the idea of a start-over is so alluring you don’t even need a mess-up for the pause-button mentality to take over.

Every January, I welcome new clients. Every July, I take in the second, and final, group of the year.

In July, six months in, just knowing that there are new clients starting the programme fresh in January makes some July clients “itch” for a new beginning, even though they’re already making progress, changing their bodies.

If only you’d let me start again, I’d really nail it this time!

But here’s the problem: The pause-button mentality only builds the skill of pausing.

Whether it’s tomorrow, Monday, next week, or even next year, hitting that imaginary pause button gives you some sense of relief.

It allows you a little respite from what can be really a tough slog.

(And the middle is always a tough slog, it doesn’t matter what kind of project you’re working on.)

This perceived relief is compounded by the illusion that if we “start fresh” later we can find that magic “right time” to begin.

Yes, I get it.

It can feel absurd to try to improve your eating and exercise habits while you’re in the midst of chronic stress / looking for a job / starting a new job / going on holiday / caring for relatives / raising small children.

That’s probably why there are so many 21-day this and 90-day that. What adult has more than 90 days to go after their fitness goals with an all-out effort?

But what do these intense fitness sprints teach you?

The skill of getting fit within a very short (and completely non-representative) period of your life.

What don’t they teach you?

The skill of getting fit (or staying fit) in the midst of a normal, complicated, “how it really is” sort of life.

This is why the yo-yo diet thing has become such a phenomenon.

It’s not about willpower. It’s about skills.

In most fitness scenarios, you learn how to get fit under weird, tightly-controlled, white-knuckle life situations.

You build that one, solitary, non-transferrable skill — to slam the accelerator pedal down, drive the needle into the red, and squeal down the road for a little while, burning the rubber off your tyres until you (quickly) run out of fuel and crash.

What you don’t build is the ability to get fit under real-life conditions.

That’s why it doesn’t stick. Not because you suck.

But because the natural and predictable consequence of having a limited skill set is short-term progress followed immediately by long-term frustration.

What will be different next time?

I remember having lunch with a colleague who swore up and down that her low-carb diet plus daily running was the secret to staying in shape.

I had to follow up with a painful question: “Well, why aren’t you actually in shape?”

After a long pause: “Well, I’ve had a hard time sticking with it. We just had our second child. The holidays just ended. I just switched jobs.” She trailed off…

“But, once everything settles down, I’ll get with the programme and get in shape again! I guess I’m just on a little break.”

This story illustrates the point perfectly.

Here’s someone who’s built his fitness on a house of cards. He knows only one thing: How to get in shape by following a very challenging programme when the conditions are perfect.

And whenever life isn’t perfect, which is most of the time, she hits the pause button. She waits for a better time. (All the while losing the health and fitness she previously worked so hard for.)

That’s why, when my clients ask to press pause, I usually ask them:

“What will be different when you come back?”

Nine times out of 10, the honest answer is nothing. Nothing will be different.

Life is just…happening. And it’ll happen again in January, or after the baby is born, or after Dad gets better, or at any other arbitrary point you pick.

And what then?

I’ve wanted to press “pause” myself.

If you’ve ever felt like pressing pause, or you feel this way right now, it might help to know I’ve felt exactly the same way.

A few years back, I decided to start my own business at Helen Clare Ryan.com Fitness & Wellbeing.

Every day I’d wake up and get straight to work seeing back to back clients. At the end of the day, I’d drive arrive home exhausted. Then I'd have to start preparing a meal and eat before retiring to bed and starting all over again the following morning.

At first, I thought there was no way to exercise. My schedule was completely packed, I had nowhere to work out, and my eating was less than ideal.

But after a couple of weeks I realised that something was going to be better than nothing.

Running a business would only get more demanding as I took on more clients.

I realised I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t press pause. Because, if I didn’t continue, there’d never be that “perfect time” to hit play again.

I needed to find a way to squeeze in some kind of workout, however quick, easy, and unglamorous.

Let’s accept that life has no pause button.

The key lesson here is that, like it or not, the game of life keeps going.

There is no timeout.

There’s never going to be a moment when things are magically easier.

You can’t escape work, personal and family demands. Nor can you escape the need for health and fitness in your life.

Here’s a thought experiment:

What if you tried to hit pause in other areas of your life?

Imagine you’re up for a big promotion at work. For the next two weeks, all you want to do is focus on mastering an upcoming presentation, and winning over your boss.

Trouble is, you’ve got two young children at home who tend to grasp, koala-like, onto your legs and demand your full attention.

Darling, you say to your spouse, I’m just gonna press pause on being a parent for now. I’ll be staying at a hotel. Don’t contact me.

I don’t know about you, but that would NOT go down well in my family.

You can’t really press pause — and you definitely can’t hit reset — on being a parent. (You’ve thought about it, though. I know you have.)

Just like you can’t stop showing up for work and expect not to get fired. Or “take a break” from being married and not end up divorced.

Generally, when it comes to life, we know we’re not always going to be on our A Game. Sometimes we’re superstars. Most of the time we just do our best.

We muddle through. We keep going.

So why do we expect it to be any different with fitness?

In my case, above, I gathered myself together and came up with a simple workout programme that met these criteria:

·       No more than 3 x a week.

·       No more than 10 minutes per session.

·       Has to be done upon waking up, right next to the bed.

·       Requires no equipment.

I did this for about 6 months. Was it the Best Workout Ever? No! Did I end up, after 6 months, fitter than ever? Heck no!

But was it better than hitting the pause button and doing nothing? You bet!

See, perfectionism is not the point.

“Completing” a programme, on your own or with the help of a coach, is not the point.

Being the “best” for a tiny window of time is not the point.

The point is to keep going. Sometimes awkwardly, sometimes incompetently, sometimes downright half-heartedly. But to keep going nonetheless.

As I often teach my new clients:

The “all or nothing” mentality rarely gets us “all”. It usually gets us “nothing”.

That’s when I propose a new mantra:

“Always something”.

Instead of pressing pause, adjust the dial.

Nowadays I like to think of my fitness and nutrition efforts as a dial.

There are times when I want to dial my efforts up, and times when I want to dial them down. But I never want to turn the dial off completely.

Here’s how this plays out in the context of my life.

Sometimes, say when I’m concentrating on a particular goal, my fitness dial might be tuned to 9 or 10 out of 10.

Channel 10 means I work out every day. Every meal is planned and carefully considered. I think a lot about fitness. And not much about anything else.

Work, family, hobbies…they’re all in maintenance mode (with the permission of the people this affects, of course).

However, as I write this, my life involves the following:

·       Supporting my recently widowed Dad.

·       Running a comfortable home for myself and my partner.

·       Constantly marketing my own business

·       Keeping up with my ever increasing client base.

So these days, the dial rarely goes past 3 or 4. I work out, maybe, three days a week. And most of my meals are just “good enough”.

(For the record, I’m totally cool with that. There is no guilt about having my dial set a little lower. What’s most important is that the dial is still set to “on”.)

The important lesson: There’s a big difference between tuning your dial to 3, 2, or even a 1, and turning the whole thing off.

And when you realise how doable — and effective — channels 3 and 2 and 1 can be, you see that there’s never a good reason to hit “pause”.

Want to learn more? Join my FREE 4 Day Weightloss Reboot Programme

I need to tell you something, and it’s very important, so listen up…

You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Join my FREE Online 5-Day Winter Walk & Wellness Challenge starting Monday 11 December 2017

The busy holiday season mixed with the Winter blues can really create a dark cloud that follows us around.  One way to pull ourselves out of the slump is to feel confident and productive.  So instead of committing to an unreasonable goal that you know simply won’t pan out – like 7 days a week in the gym – let’s work on things one step at a time.

True wellness is about small changes that turn into habits, and that’s what we’re focusing on during the 5-Day Winter Walk & Wellness Challenge.  We’ll commit to walking each day, and we’ll cheer each other on throughout the week.  We will also chat about some of my favourite wellness tips to stay on track during the holidays, and to create healthy habits out of. 

Join my FREE Online 5-Day Winter Walk & Wellness Challenge starting Monday 11 December 2017

Why Am I Always Hungry?

If you often feel hungry, you are not alone!

There are many reasons to feel hungry. Of course, the most obvious one is that you are actually physically hungry. Perhaps your stomach is empty, your blood sugar has dropped and your hunger hormones are having a party.

But other times, the hunger may not be physical hunger. It may be a craving or an emotional trigger. These are common reasons why some people eat too much. It could be brought on by a certain type of diet, stress, or other things going on in life.

It’s easy to mistake “psychological” hunger for “physical” hunger.

I’m going to talk about the difference between both of these types of hunger, and give you some tips how to figure out which is which.

And, of course, I will give you a very filling recipe too!

Physical hunger vs. psychological hunger

Your "physical" hunger is regulated by the body through your hunger hormones. And of course, it should be. You don't want to be completely drained of fuel and nutrients for a long time. So, you're programmed to seek food when your body physically needs it. Some of those physical needs are that your stomach is empty or your blood sugar has dropped.

"Psychological" or "emotional" hunger is eating to overcome boredom, sadness, stress, etc. It's based on a thought or feeling. It's what happens when you see a great food commercial or smell a bakery. It's not from your empty stomach or low blood sugar.

So, here’s how to tell which is which.

Eight steps to figure out if you’re physically hungry or not

1 - The first thing you need to do is stop to evaluate. Scoffing down that protein bar at the first sign of hunger isn’t necessarily going to help you.

2 - Now that you’ve stopped. Pay attention to where this hunger is coming from. Can you actually feel or hear your stomach growling? Did you skip a meal and haven’t eaten in hours? Or are you seeing and smelling something divinely delicious? Perhaps you’re bored, sad, or stressed? Take a peek into all these areas and really pay attention.

3 - Have a big glass of water. Now observe your hunger feeling for at least a minute. Really dig into the source of the feeling. It can be easy to jump to a conclusion, but that may or may not be the right one. So listen to your body and mind very deeply.

4 - If you do find that your feelings may be the source, then face them. Acknowledge and observe them. They may just be needing comfort and recognition, even if they sound like they need food. Try deep breathing, having a stretch, or going for a quick walk to release some of these emotions; this also gives your mind a chance to focus on something other than the feeling of hunger.

5 - If you’re pretty sure that your body physically needs nutrition, just wait a few more minutes to make sure.

6 - Now you can be fairly sure whether your hunger was from emotions, boredom, thirst, or actual physical hunger.

7 - If it's physical hunger, feel free to eat healthy and nutritious food. To fill you up the food you eat should be high in protein, fibre and water. Eat slowly and mindfully. Chew well and savour every bite of it.

8 - Rinse and repeat at the next sign of hunger.

Conclusion

The feeling of hunger can manifest for many reasons. Of course, if you’re physically hungry and need the food and nutrients, then this is what it’s for!

But often, there is an underlying psychological or emotional reason you might feel hungry.

Now you know my eight steps to figure out if your physical body is hungry, or if you’re bored, sad, or stressed.

Use this process over and over again to feed your body what it actually physically needs (and not overdo it).

Recipe (Filling): Slow-Cooker Roast Beef and Potatoes

Serves 6

2 onions, sliced (do this and go to step 1 before preparing the rest of the ingredients)

4 lb beef roast

1lb potatoes, peeled & chopped

1lb carrots, peeled & sliced

2 celery sticks, sliced

2 pinches dried thyme or sage or parsley

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 pinches salt & pepper

Instructions

Place a layer of sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn up to high; this will start caramelising the onions while you wash and slice the rest of the ingredients.

When all ingredients are ready, take off slow cooker lid and add meat and the prepared vegetables, garlic, herbs and spices.

Cook on high for 3 - 5 hrs, or on low for 6 - 8hrs, or until done.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: You can substitute different vegetables if you like. For example, you can use sweet potatoes in place of the regular potatoes; or parsnips instead of carrots.

Reduce Inflammation With These Key Foods

Inflammation. It’s not just for health headlines.

It’s a fact.

Scientists are measuring levels of inflammation in our bodies and finding that it can be pretty bad for our health; this is especially true when it's chronic (i.e. lasts a long time).

Inflammation has been linked to obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, just to name a few.

But, instead of writing all about what it is, how it's measured, and where it comes from; why don't I focus on some foods packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants that are proven to help reduce it?

Here are my top anti-inflammatory food recommendations:

Anti-inflammatory Food #1: Berries, Grapes and Cherries

Why save the best for last? Perhaps the most amazingly delicious anti-inflammatory foods are a sweet favourite of yours?

Berries, grapes and cherries are packed with fibre, and antioxidant vitamins (e.g. vitamin C) and minerals (e.g. manganese).

Oh, and did I forget to mention their phytochemicals (phyto=plant)? Yes, many antioxidants such as "anthocyanins" and "resveratrol"  are found in these small and delicious fruits.

In fact, berries, grapes and cherries may be the best dietary sources of these amazingly healthy compounds.

Anti-inflammatory Food #2: Broccoli and Peppers

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that contains the antioxidant "sulforaphane." This anti-inflammatory compound is associated with reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

Bell peppers, on the other hand, are one of the best sources of the antioxidants vitamin C and quercetin.

 Just make sure to choose red peppers over the other colours.  Peppers that are any other colour are not fully ripe and won't have the same anti-inflammatory effect.

I pack these two super-healthy vegetables together in this week's recipe (see below).

Anti-inflammatory Food #3: Healthy Fats (avocado, olive oil, fatty fish)

Fat can be terribly inflammatory (hello: "trans" fats), neutral (hello: saturated fats), or anti-inflammatory (hello: "omega-3s), this is why choosing the right fats is so important for your health.

The best anti-inflammatory fats are the unsaturated ones, including omega-3s. These are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Opt for fresh avocados, extra virgin olive oil, small fish (e.g. sardines and mackerel), and wild fish (e.g. salmon). Oh and don't forget the omega-3 seeds like chia, hemp and flax.

Anti-inflammatory Food #4: Green Tea

Green tea contains the anti-inflammatory compound called “epigallocatechin-3-gallate”, otherwise known as EGCG.

EGCG is linked to reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity and Alzheimer's.

Drinking steeped green tea is great, but have you tried matcha green tea? It's thought to contain even higher levels of antioxidants than regular green tea.

Anti-inflammatory Food #5 - Turmeric

Would a list of anti-inflammatory foods be complete without the amazing spice turmeric? 

Turmeric contains the antioxidant curcumin.

This compound has been shown to reduce the pain of arthritis, as well as have anti-cancer and anti-diabetes properties.

I've added it to the broccoli and pepper recipe below for a 1-2-3 punch, to kick that inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory Food #6: Dark Chocolate

Ok, ok. This *may* be slightly more decadent than my #1 pick of berries, grapes, and cherries.

Dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa is packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants (namely "flavonols"). These reduce the risk of heart disease by keeping your arteries healthy. They've even been shown to prevent "neuro-inflammation" (inflammation of the brain and nerves). Reducing neuro-inflammation may help with long-term memory, and reduce the risk of dementia and stroke.

Make sure you avoid the sugary “candy bars.” You already know those aren’t going to be anti-inflammatory!

Conclusion

There are just so many amazingly delicious and nutritious anti-inflammatory foods you can choose. They range from colourful berries, vegetables, and spices, to healthy fats, and even cocoa.

You have so many reasons to add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet to get your daily dose of "anti-inflammation."

Recipe (Broccoli, Pepper, Turmeric): Anti-inflammatory Quinoa

Serves 2

¾ cup dry quinoa (pre-rinsed)

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 dash salt

½ tbsp turmeric

1 dash black pepper

2 cups broccoli, chopped
 

In a saucepan place 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the quinoa and simmer until the water is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).

Melt coconut oil in a skillet. Add diced onions, turmeric, pepper and salt, and lightly sauté for a few minutes.

Add broccoli and lightly sauté for 5-6 minutes, until it becomes softened.

Add the cooked quinoa and stir everything together.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Add some cayenne pepper or curry spice for an extra spicy kick.

The Optimal Foods to Eat For Breakfast When You're in Menopause

During menopause women tend to gain weight.  While this isn't great it’s pretty common and there are many reasons why.

Two reasons why women gain weight during menopause...

Reason 1

Reduced muscle mass.  Muscle mass uses energy (burns calories) so when we have less of it the body burns less energy overall, leading to weight gain.  Unfortunately, this weight gain may appear as increased belly fat. 

Reason 2

During menopause there is an increase in the hunger hormone “ghrelin”.  With an increase in this hormone comes the tendency to feel hungrier.  Menopause also decreased the “satiety” hormone “leptin” that helps us feel full after eating which can lead to overeating.

More ghrelin and less leptin = increased hunger and a decreased feeling of fullness...that’s a problem!

What does all of this have to do with breakfast?

Eating the right type of breakfast has been shown to help maintain muscle mass, balance levels of leptin and ghrelin, aid weight loss and maintain that lower weight.

What makes a food “optimal” for breakfast in menopause?

Foods that help to increase metabolic rate, fill you up, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Let's have a look at the characteristics of these “optimal” foods.

Protein

Make sure to get protein in the mornings.  Eating protein is critical for women in menopause. 

Protein helps to slightly increase metabolism and give your muscles the amino acids they need to stay strong.  Protein also helps keep you feeling fuller longer which is great to try to offset that hunger hormone known as “ghrelin”.

Protein also helps to reduce bone loss that can happen very fast during this time.

Which foods are high in protein?

●      Meat and poultry

●      Fish and shellfish

●      Eggs

●      Beans and lentils

●      Nuts and seeds (contain more fat than protein but still a great source of amino acids)

Read on and check out the great breakfast recipe for you to try tomorrow morning.  It contains eggs which some say are the “perfect protein”.

Fibre

Fibre is very important to help stabilise your blood sugars to reduce cravings.  The reason this is particularly important in menopause is because the risk of diabetes and heart disease increases after menopause due to an accumulation of visceral fat in the abdomen.  (Yes, I'm talking about the infamous “belly fat”!).

Also, did you know that certain fibres you eat actually feed your friendly gut microbes?  The ones that help you digest food and even make certain nutrients for you?

Which foods are high in fibre?

Here are just a few of the items you could add to your diet to increase fibre intake. 

●      Vegetables (squash, peas, sweet potato, artichokes, collard greens, pumpkin, parsnips, Brussels sprouts etc.)

●      Fruit (pears, avocados, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries etc.)

●      Nuts (almonds, pistachios, macadamia, hazelnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, walnuts, dried coconut etc.)

●      Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax etc.)

●      Gluten-free grains (oat, quinoa, wild rice etc.)

●      Beans and lentils

Bonus points if you get at least some of you daily fibre from flax.  Flax not only contains fibre but it is also a source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  Flax has even been shown to help reduce both hot flushes and the risk of breast cancer.  Win-win!

Conclusion:

What are “optimal” foods for breakfast in menopause?  Ones that give you ample protein and fibre.

Recipe (Protein and Fibre): Vegetable Egg Muffins

Makes 12

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red pepper (diced)

2 cups baby spinach (chopped)

1 cup mushrooms (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

6 eggs

1 tablespoon flax (ground)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease or line a 12 serving muffin tin.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add oil and saute diced pepper until tender (about 5 minutes).

Add mushrooms and garlic to frying pan and cook for an additional minute.

Whisk eggs and flax together in a medium bowl.

Place veggies into prepared muffin tin.

Pour the egg/flax mixture over the veggies.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch and eggs are cooked.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip:  Use organic eggs whenever possible.

Ditch The Scales

Throw Away The Scales!

It's time to purge that elephant in the room - the scales

I used to go to clients homes and find they weighed themselves every day and all of a sudden they started going crazy. Seriously! They couldn’t stop!

So I took their scales and kept several in the boot of my car so they would STOP the obsession of weighing themselves.

Whether it’s in the bathroom, the basement or in the bedroom, it’s taunting you.

Every day it beckons for you to step onto it. It’s the first thing you think of when you wake up and we always want to hop on the scale before bed.

This obsession is one of the reasons you should cut ties with the scales; set it free so you can set yourself free of its stranglehold.

Daily weigh-ins are meaningless.

Most people trying to lose weight really want to see a change in their body composition: FAT LOSS.

Body composition changes cannot be detected by the scales on a day-to-day basis. Fat loss can be detected on a weekly basis, however, so if you can have enough discipline to only hop on once a week, then you have my permission to keep your scales ☺

However, this is very tough - so if you start to notice yourself weighing yourself more often, then hide it.

Did You Know that Your scale weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day!

This is due to:

• Weight of food & beverages
• Water loss from exercise
• Water gain from menstrual cycles
• Water retention from high sodium intake
• Weight of non-voided bowel contents

The scales are NOT the real barometer of progress.

 You may believe that “the scales do not lie,” and that the number is objective. However, you can get more objective, more in-depth feedback from other measuring tools.

Here’s an easy way to do it at home: Be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. After all, it is pretty common for the scales “not to budge” for a person who finds she can suddenly fit with ease into a pair of formerly tight jeans.

 Other effective measuring tools can be:

• How you feel after rushing up a flight of stairs
• Not tiring out as quickly when you play with your children
• Your newfound ability to change the water cooler bottle at work without any effort!
• Diminished cravings for sugar

The scales can’t record these milestones. When you read the number on the scale, you will automatically associate that number with food. Yes, that’s right. If you don’t like the number, what thought pops into your mind? It almost always relates to food.

The scale is a harbinger of food obsession, which includes counting every calorie, carbohydrate and fat gramme. Before you know it, you’ll be carrying a calorie counter with you everywhere you go.

NO MORE!

The Stress Mess: How It Messes With Your Health

We all have some level of stress, right?

It may be temporary (acute), or long-term (chronic).

Acute stress usually won’t mess with your health too much. It is your body’s natural reaction to circumstances, and can even be life-saving.

Then, when the “threat” (a.k.a. “stressor”) is gone, the reaction subsides, and all is well.

It's the chronic stress that's a problem. You see, your body has specific stress reactions. If these stress reactions are triggered every day or many times a day that can mess with your health.

Stress (and stress hormones) can have a huge impact on your health.

Let's dive into the "stress mess."

Mess #1 - Increased risk of heart disease and diabetes

Why save the best for last? Anything that increases the risk for heart disease and diabetes (both serious, chronic conditions) needs to be discussed.

Stress increases the risk for heart disease and diabetes by promoting chronic inflammation, affecting your blood "thickness," as well as how well your cells respond to insulin.

Mess #2 - Immunity

Did you notice that you get sick more often when you're stressed? Maybe you get colds, cold sores, or even the flu more frequently when you are stressed?

Well, that's because stress hormones affect the chemical messengers (cytokines) secreted by immune cells consequently, they are less able to do their jobs effectively.

Mess #3 - "Leaky Gut."

Stress can contribute to leaky gut, otherwise known as "intestinal permeability." These "leaks" can then allow partially digested food, bacteria or other things to be absorbed into your body.

The stress hormone cortisol can open up tiny holes by loosening the grip your digestive cells have on each other.

Picture this: Have you ever played "red rover?" It's where a row of children hold hands while one runs at them to try to break through. Think of those hands as the junctions between cells. When they get loose, they allow things to get in that should be passing right though.  Cortisol (produced in excess in chronic stress) is a strong player in red rover!

Mess #4 - Sleep Disruption

Stress and sleep go hand-in-hand, wouldn’t you agree? It’s often difficult to sleep when you have very important (and stressful) things on your mind.

And when you don't get enough sleep, it affects your energy level, memory, ability to think and mood.

More and more research is showing just how important sleep is for your health.  Not enough sleep (and too much stress) aren't doing you any favours.

Stress-busting tips

Reducing stressors in your life is an obvious first step.

Can you:

●      Put less pressure on yourself?

●      Ask for help?

●      Say "no"?

●      Delegate to someone else?

●      Finally, make that decision?

No matter how hard you try, you won’t eliminate stress altogether. So, here are a few things you can try to help reduce its effect on you:

●      Deep breathing

●      Meditation

●      Walk in nature

●      Unplug (read a book, take a bath)

●      Exercise (yoga, tai chi, etc.)

●      Connect with loved ones

Conclusion

Stress is a huge and often underappreciated factor in our health. It can impact your physical body much more than you might realise.

Stress has been shown to increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes, affect your immune system, digestion and sleep.

There are things you can do to both reduce stressors and also to improve your response to it.

You can ditch that stress mess!

Recipe (relaxing chamomile): Chamomile Peach Iced Tea

Serves 1

1 cup steeped chamomile tea, cooled

1 peach, diced

Place both ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice if desired.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: You can use fresh or frozen peaches.

Eating Healthy Whilst Travelling

Traveling soon? Perhaps a long-awaited vacation? Business trip? Something completely different?

No matter where you’re going, you’re probably going to appreciate some quick and easy healthy food ideas. These can help you stay on track and help you bring, and find real food. While these tips can all be used right here at home, this is extra-important when you’re traveling. Traveling can throw your regular healthy habits off when you’re skipping time zones or even just being in a different place.

As a health coach, I have such a sense of pride when my clients skip junky convenience foods. Let me give you some great strategies that can help you do this while you’re “on the road.”

Pro Tip: When booking your hotel room, ask if you can have one with a mini-fridge. This will help you store some of your healthy snacks and groceries while you’re there.

BRINGING YOUR OWN HEALTHY SNACKS

Well, this is important because not only will it keep you from becoming a “hangry junk-seeker,” but it can also hold you off until you’re able to stop at a proper grocery store for say...actual real food!

Here are a bunch of my favourite on-the-go snacks to have on hand in your bag and/or cooler:

●      If you’re going to have a cooler, or eat them within a couple of hours, try fresh fruit or boiled eggs (don’t forget the ice packs).

●      Unsalted nuts and seeds (I love walnuts and pumpkin seeds myself).

●      Dried or even freeze-dried fruit.

●      Naked Bars or Organic Bars of your choice

●      Sliced veggies (carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, etc.) with a dip (hummus, guacamole, salad dressing, etc.). 

●      Find good quality protein bars, or make your own before heading out.

●      Good quality granola cereal (I love Purely Elizabeth varieties)

●      Savoury snacks like roasted chickpeas.

●      High-quality protein powder to make your own smoothies (I like Sun Warrior or Vega). Be sure to also pack a mini blender, like a Magic Bullet, if needed.

●      And don’t forget your drinks. Bring some water with you. Or if you’re flying, choose water in the airport and on the plane. 

HOW TO FIND HEALTHY FOOD AT YOUR DESTINATION

Of course, you can always Google your destination and search for grocery stores or healthy restaurants. But there are a couple of websites and apps that may be helpful for you.

●      FindMeGlutenFree - A website that searches for gluten-free restaurants around the US.

●      HealthyOut - An app that helps you find restaurants that cater to your dietary preferences, be they gluten-free, lactose-free, low-calorie, low-carb, etc.

●      Food Tripping - Designed for road trips, this app helps you find alternatives to fast food.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Travelling often comes with unnecessary junk food that can derail your healthy lifestyle. Planning ahead and being prepared can be simple, and help keep your health goals on track even when you’re out and about!

Foods to Reduce Night Time Hot Flushes

Do you get hot flushes? 

Are they mostly at night? 

Do they set the bed on fire (but not in that way)?

Let's get you some solutions!

Before we do that, just some quick info on why hot flushes occur so we can try to affect the root cause of these hormonal symptoms.

What causes hot flushes?

As you can imagine it's all about hormonal balance (or imbalance).

During the menstruating years your oestrogen allows for your ovaries to respond when “luteinizing hormone” (LH) says to release those eggs every month.

When it gets to the point where your oestrogen levels start dropping (i.e. perimenopause) those ovaries start to simply ignore the LH.

And guess what your body's response to this is?

It releases adrenaline!

This causes your body to heat up for a few minutes until it cools itself back down.

What triggers hot flushes?

You may have already identified some of the triggers of your hot flushes.  Perhaps they're related to the food and drinks you consume (e.g. coffee, spicy foods, sugar, citrus fruit, large meals). 

Maybe they're related to lifestyle factors (e.g. stress, alcohol, smoking, certain medications or intense exercise). 

Or maybe they get worse as your weight slowly climbs (higher BMI)?  Did you know that some menopausal women who lost weight were able to eliminate their hot flushes?  Win-win!

Let's reduce those hot flush triggers naturally, shall we?

Food #1 – Flax

Flax contains a “phytoestrogen” named “lignan”.  Phyto (plant) estrogens are thought to help our bodies better balance hormones by mimicking them and binding to certain hormone receptors.

Flax also contains fibre and omega-3 essential fatty acids.  Both are powerhouses for better gut and heart health, additional benefit!

But here's where it gets interesting.

One study looked at thousands of women who experienced at least 14 hot flushes per week.  Researchers had them add four tablespoons of flax meal to their day. 

Yes, just four tablespoons.

After 6 weeks the number of hot flushes they had dropped in half and the intensity of those hot flushes dropped by more than half!

Scientists think that's due mostly to the lignan content of flax seeds.

That's some super-food!

It's also pretty easy to increase your intake of flax.  You can add one or two tablespoons into your smoothie or sprinkle it on just about anything (breakfast, salad, nut butters, etc.).  Not to mention how easy it is to add to your baking.  (Hint, see recipe below).

Pro Tip:  Flax seeds should be ground up in order to get most of their benefits because much of the healthy compounds in them are securely stored beneath the hard outer shell.

Food #2 – Water

OK, maybe this is more of a “drink” than a food but hear me out.

When you get hot flushes you're losing more water than you normally would.  Similar to when you exercise.

Make sure you replace those critical fluids by drinking enough water.  A good habit is to make sure that you don’t get to the point of feeling overly thirsty by keeping a bottle, glass, or cup beside you all day long for frequent sips.

Water is definitely something to add (or increase) to your daily intake when you're experiencing hot flushes.

Conclusion:

There are two critical things you should do if you experience hot flushes: increase your intake of both flax and water.

Recipe (flax): Gluten-Free Oatmeal Muffins

Serves 6

1 banana (very ripe)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 egg

¼ cup coconut sugar (optional)

½ cup flax meal*

¼ cup oat flour* or other gluten-free flour

½ cup oats (gluten-free)

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup nuts or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F and line 6 muffin tins.

Add banana, oil, egg, and sugar (if using) into your blender and blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, flax meal, gluten-free flour, and baking soda).

Add wet ingredients into dry and stir. Do not over mix.

Add nuts or dark chocolate chips, if using.

Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 min.

Serve & Enjoy!

*Tip:  You can blend flax and/or oats to make your own freshly ground flax meal or oat flour.

The Coconut Oil Craze. Should I Jump on the Bandwagon Too?

Yes you should (end of post).

But what exactly is it about coconut oil that makes it so healthy? And which type is best?

Let’s dive into some of the fascinating research and find out.

Coconut oil is a special kind of fat

Coconut oil is fat and contains the same 9 calories per gram as other fats.

It is extracted from the "meat" of the coconut. Coconut oil is a white solid at room temperature and easily melts into a clear liquid on a hot day.

The idea of adding coconut oil to your diet is NOT to add on to what you already eat but to substitute it for some of the (possibly) less healthy fats you may be eating now.

And here’s why - Because not all calories or fats are created equal.

Coconut oil contains a unique type of fat known as “Medium Chain Triglycerides” (MCTs). In fact, 65% of the fat in coconut oil are these MCTs.

What makes MCTs unique is how your body metabolises them;  they're easily absorbed into the bloodstream by your gut, where they go straight to the liver, and they're burned for fuel or converted into "ketones."

This metabolic process, unique to MCTs, is what sets coconut oil apart from other fats.

Coconut oil MCTs may help with fat loss

Coconut oil’s MCTs have been shown to have a few different fat loss benefits.

First, it can help to increase feelings of fullness, which can lead to a natural reduction in the amount of food you eat.

Second, because of their unique metabolic route, MCTs can also increase the number of calories you burn;  this happens when you compare the calories burned after eating the same amount of other fats.

In fact, a few studies show that coconut oil may increase the number of calories you burn by as much as 5%.

Third, some studies show that eating coconut oil can help reduce belly fat (a.k.a. “waist circumference”).

Just remember not to add coconut oil to your diet without reducing other fats and oils!

How much coconut oil should I eat?

Many of the studies that showed increased fullness, increased metabolism, and reduced belly fat only used about 2 tablespoons per day.

You probably don’t need any more than that.

What kind of coconut oil is the best?

There are so many coconut oil options available in grocery stores these days that it can make it difficult to know which is best.

I recommend you stay away from "refined" ones, and opt for "virgin" cold pressed coconut oil. That is because it is processed at lower temperatures and avoids some of the chemical solvents used in the refining process;  this helps to preserve more of the oil's natural health-promoting antioxidants.

Pro Tip: Always (and I mean ALWAYS) avoid "hydrogenated" coconut oil. It can be a health nightmare because it contains the infamous "trans fats."

One thing you should also consider is that each oil has a specific high temperature that you should avoid surpassing (e.g. its "smoke point"). For virgin coconut oil, that temperature is 350F. That means you can safely use it on the stovetop on a low-medium setting, as well as in most baking.

Conclusion:

Substitute some of the fat you eat with virgin cold pressed coconut oil;  this may help you to lose weight and belly fat by naturally helping you to eat less, as well as slightly increasing your metabolism.

Oh, and it tastes great too!

Recipe (Coconut Oil): Homemade Healthy Chocolate

Serves 12

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup cocoa/cacao powder

4 tablespoons maple syrup

2 dashes salt

4 tablespoons slivered almonds

1. Melt coconut oil, and whisk in maple syrup, salt, and cocoa/cacao powder until smooth.

2. Stir in slivered almonds until evenly distributed.

3. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.

4. Store in fridge or freezer to avoid melting.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Substitute other seeds, chopped nuts, or dried fruit instead of the almonds if you wish.

Is My Poop Normal?

Yes, I'm serious! (And don't you sometimes wonder anyway?)

You already know that your poop can reflect your physical, and sometimes even emotional, health.

You may get constipation or have diarrohea when you eat something that "doesn't agree with you," or when you're super-nervous about something.

And what about fibre and water? If you’re not getting enough, it’ll probably show in your poop.

What about the all-important gut microbes? If they're not happy, it'll probably show in your poop.

Here’s a trivia question for you:

Did you know there is an “official” standard for poop? I mean a university-created chart! One that is used to help diagnose conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Meet the Bristol Stool Scale

The Bristol Stool Scale was created at the prestigious University of Bristol in the UK back in 1997.

You can see the chart here.

LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale

The scale breaks down type of poop into seven different categories ranging from type 1 which is very constipated, to type 7 which is diarrohea:

1 - Separate hard lumps (very constipated).

2 - Lumpy and sausage-like (slightly constipated).

3 - Sausage shaped with cracks in the surface (normal)

4 - Smooth, soft sausage (normal).

5 - Soft blobs with clear-cut edges (lacking fibre).

6 - Mushy consistency with ragged edges (inflammation).

7 - Liquid consistency with no solid pieces (inflammation).

Other “poop” factors to consider

You probably guessed that the shapes described in the Bristol Stool Scale are not the only thing to consider for poop health.

Think about how often you go. At least once per day, up to 3 times per day is pretty good. Less than one, or more than three can mean there is something going on.

What about how hard you have to try to go? You want it to be as effortless as possible.

And the colour? It should be brown from the bile that you need to break down the fats you ingest.

And if it’s green after a day of massive veggies, or red after that large glass of beetroot juice, you’re just fine.

But if you see an abnormal colour, like red or even black, that you can't explain based on what you ate or drank in the last day or two, you probably want to get that checked out.

What do you do when you have "imperfect" poo?

Well, the first thing to consider is how imperfect it is, and how often it is like that? Once in a while, things aren't going to be perfect, and that's A-OK.

If you know you need to get more fibre or water, then try increasing that.

If you haven’t had enough probiotic foods, then try getting more of them.

If you’re super-stressed, then try deep breathing, meditating, or having a warm bath.

Oh, and don’t forget the two most basic pieces of nutrition advice:

●      First, eat a variety of nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods, including a lot of fruits & veggies (and their “fibrous” skins, wherever possible). The fibre in these is not only helpful for pushing food through your gut, but they also feed those millions of amazing helpful critters that live there (your friendly gut microbes.)

●      The second piece of advice is to eat slowly, and mindfully, chewing thoroughly.

These are good habits for anyone and everyone, even when you have perfect poop!

Of course, long-term issues might require a more thorough review with a qualified health care practitioner. Don't suffer from poop issues for too long before seeking help.

5 Weight-loss Friendly Snacks You Will Love

The words “weight-loss” and “snacks” often appear in the same sentence. 

But that might also bring thoughts of "tasteless," "cardboard," and "completely unsatisfying."

Right?

Let me give you my best weight-loss friendly snacks that aren't just nutritious but also delicious!

What’s my criteria you ask?

They have to be nutrient-dense whole foods where a little goes a long way;  foods that contain protein and/or fibre.

1 - Nuts

It’s true - nuts contain calories and fat, but they are NOT fattening!

Well, I’m not talking about the “honey roasted” ones, of course. Those probably are fattening.

Studies show that people who eat nuts tend to be healthier and leaner.

By the way, nuts also contain protein and fibre, which means a small amount can go pretty far in terms of filling you up. Not to mention the vitamins and minerals you can get from nuts.

Did you know that almonds have been shown to help with weight loss? At least 10% of the fat in them is not absorbed by the body, and almonds can also help to boost your metabolism!

Tip: Put a handful of unsalted/unsweetened nuts into a small container and throw it in your purse or bag.

2 - Fresh Fruit

As with nuts, studies show that people who tend to eat more fruit, tend to be healthier. (I’m sure you’re not too surprised!)

Yes, fresh fruit contains sugar, but whole fruits (I'm not talking juice or sweetened dried fruit) also contain a fair bit of water and fibre; not to mention their nutritional value with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And fresh fruit is low in calories.

Fibre is something that not only helps to fill you up (known as the "satiety factor") but also helps to slow the release of the fruit sugar into your bloodstream and reduce the notorious "blood sugar spike."

Win-win!

Try a variety of fruit (apples, pears, berries, etc.) and pair that with a handful of nuts.

Tip: Can't do fresh? Try frozen. Plus, they're already chopped for you.

3 - Chia seeds

This is one of my personal favourites…

Chia is not only high in fibre (I mean HIGH in fibre), but it also contains protein and omega-3 fatty acids (yes THOSE omega-3s!). As well as antioxidants, calcium, and magnesium.

Can you see how awesome these tiny guys are?

They also absorb a lot of liquid, so by soaking them for a few minutes, they make a thick pudding (that is delicious and fills you up).

Tip: Put two tablespoons in a bowl with ½ cup of nut milk and wait a few minutes. Add in some berries, chopped fruit or nuts, and/or cinnamon and enjoy!

4 - Boiled or poached eggs

Eggs are packed with nutrition and most of it is in the yolk.

They contain a lot of high-quality protein and a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

Recent research shows that the cholesterol in the yolks is NOT associated with high elevated cholesterol or heart disease risk.

Yup, you read that right!

Tip: Boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in your fridge for a super-quick (and nutritious) snack!

5 - Vegetables

I don’t need to tell you how great these are for you, but just maybe I need to sell you on the delicious “snackability” of these nutrition powerhouses.

Veggies contain fibre and water to help fill you up, and you don't need me to tell you about their vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, right?

You can easily open a bag of baby carrots and/or cherry tomatoes and give them a quick rinse (they’re already bite-sized).

Tip: Use a bit of dip. Have you put almond butter on celery? How about trying my new hummus recipe below?

Conclusion:

Go ahead and try one, or more, of these healthy snacks. Prepare them the night before if you need to. They will not be "tasteless," like "cardboard," or "completely unsatisfying." Trust me.

Recipe (Vegetable Dip): Hummus

Makes about 2 cups

1can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed

⅓ cup tahini

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 dash salt

1 dash pepper

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to thin it out with a bit of water, so add it 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time and blend.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Don’t like sesame? Use an avocado in place of the tahini, and olive oil in place of the sesame oil.

5 Reasons You Bloat More After Age 45

Bloating is generally the result of not being able to properly digest foods.  These not-so-digested foods feel like they're just sitting around causing discomfort and a general feeling of being stuffed and “gassy”.

It can happen at any age but if it seems to be more frequent as you're getting older it can very well be because of your stomach's reduced ability to produce enough acid for proper digestion. 

Normally, when we eat cells in our stomach release more acid which is important for so many digestive processes like breaking down foods and activating enzymes.  As we age this process can become less efficient and the result can feel like it's wreaking havoc on the rest of the digestive system.

Unfortunately, this can have wide-ranging effects on all of our digestion abilities “downstream” and that can result in bloating.

Bloating Reason #1:

Sometimes our bodies are (or become more as we age) sensitive to the fibre in certain fruits or veggies.  This can also occur when we introduce new ones into our diet as it may take a while for our body to get used to them.

Pro Tip:  Try chewing your vegetables more thoroughly, or lightly cooking or steaming raw ones.  If a fruit or veggie seems to be consistently related to bloating try eliminating it for a few weeks and monitor your symptoms.

Bloating Reason #2:

Decreased stomach acid can reduce the activation of a key protein-digesting enzyme “pepsin”.  This means that the proteins you eat aren't broken down as much and they can pass through your system somewhat “undigested”.

Pro Tip:  You may consider reducing the amount of animal-based foods you eat and see if that helps you out.

Bloating Reason #3:

One thing that can seriously cause bloating is when your digestive system slows down.  Then things seem to be a bit stagnant, just hanging around in there a bit (a lot?) longer than you'd like.

Ginger has been found to help with digestion and reduce nausea for certain people.  And peppermint is thought to help your digestive muscles keep pushing food through, so it doesn't stay in one spot for too long.

Pro Tip:  Consider drinking a digestive tea like peppermint or ginger.  See my recipe below.

Bloating Reason #4:

All this lack of digesting in your stomach and small intestine puts extra stress on the large intestine.  The large intestine is the home of all of your wonderful gut microbes that have SO many functions in the body.  The problem is when undigested food enters the large intestine it can feed the not-so-great microbes.  These “unfriendly” bacteria produce waste material and gas as a part of their natural metabolism.  The more of these microbes you have in your system (they will multiply if they are constantly being fed by undigested food in the large intestine) the more gas that will be produced in the large intestine.

Pro Tip:  Try eating more fermented foods.  Fermented foods contain probiotics which will feed the good bacteria and microbes in your system to keep the bad guys at bayThis includes things like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi (as long as these don't cause bloating for you!).  Make sure they're unpasteurised and contain live cultures.  If you cannot tolerate dairy based yogurt and kefir dairy free options are available or you could make your own dairy free versions.

You can also consider taking a probiotic supplement. Just check the label first to make sure it's right for you.

Bloating Reason #5:

With reduced stomach acid you also have a reduction of the “activation” of several of your digestive enzymes (protein-digesting pepsin being one of them).  In order for certain enzymes to go to work digesting your food they need to be activated.  This usually happens with the assistance of stomach acid.

Pro Tip:  You may consider trying an enzyme supplement to assist your body in digesting food while you work on reestablishing your own production of stomach acid (a healthy diet and lifestyle can do this!).  But before you do make sure you read the labels because some of them interact with other supplements, medications, or conditions, and may not be safe for long-term use.

Conclusion:

You can try the “pro tips” I've given you in this post.  Maybe you'd prefer working with a practitioner on an elimination diet to get to the bottom of which foods you may be sensitive to?  If bloating is a serious problem you should see your doctor or alternative health care practitioner.

Recipe (Tummy Soothing Tea): Ginger Tea

Serves 1

Fresh ginger root (about 2”)

Hot water

Lemon slices (optional)

Honey (optional)

Pour the water into a saucepan and heat it on the stove.

Grate the ginger root into the saucepan.  Let it come to a boil, and then simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Strain the tea into a cup with a fine mesh strainer and add lemon and/or honey as desired.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip:  If you don't want to use a grater and strainer then you can peel the ginger and thinly slice it into your cup before adding boiling water.  The pieces should be big enough that they will sink to the bottom.

5 Reasons Why You Should Stretch Every Morning

As we get older certain things happen to our bodies. We may become less flexible, we may experience back and joint pains and we may start suffering from bad posture, but these things aren’t a guarantee. If you’re determined to stay flexible, reduce pain and remain upright into later life then there are things you can do to make that happen. Something as simple as stretching every morning before work can do wonders for your posture and ensure you remain supple and flexible into old age, so what are you waiting for?

Read on for 5 reasons why you should start stretching every day starting from right now!

1. Improves Your Posture

In today’s sedentary world, it is easier than ever before to develop bad posture. If you spend most of your days sitting behind a desk and/or slumped in front of a computer then your back muscles are going to tighten and your body is going to start remembering this position, making it harder to maintain good posture in your free time. Bad posture makes you appear less confident, it can lead to back pains, it may make certain tasks more difficult and in the long term it can alter your stance and slump your shoulders.

Good posture, in contrast, has loads of unexpected health and well-being benefits. Good posture can make you appear more powerful and confident and even help alleviate anxiety as a result, it makes you appear thinner and taller, it can actually help you burn around 350 calories a day just by standing up straight, it helps keep your airways open and allows more oxygen to flow through your body to ensure proper breathing, it can help you tone up your abs and strengthen your core, it can alleviate stress and it can even make you more productive!

And you can have all of this and more if you just incorporate some simple stretches into your morning routine! Of course in order to see lasting results you will have to stick to your stretches and you can’t expect everything to improve straight away, but if you keep at it you’ll reap tons of benefits in the long run.

2. Less Pain

Doctors say that morning stretches can help get rid of those pesky aches and pains in your joints and muscles. These pains are often attributed to inactivity, bad posture and morning stiffness so it’s a good idea to spend a bit of time every morning warming yourself up for the day and ironing out strains or aches before you start your day.

If you suffer from back pain, then stretching in the mornings can be particularly effective.  Not only will the stretching reduce the pain which is already there but it will prevent future pain by reducing tension in your back muscles and spine.

3. Improves Energy Levels

When you wake up in the morning you may feel too tired to stretch, but if you power through you may well find that your morning stretch gives you enough energy to make it through the rest of the day! Stretching increases blood flow and moves more oxygen to your muscles and brain, which results in more energy and improved concentration, and it will also help you relax and get mentally prepared for the day. 

Stretching can also increase vitality and remove more waste from your muscle tissues. A simple stretch when you wake up can help you support and maintain energy levels throughout the rest of your day so you feel more rested, more alert and ready to take on whatever life throws at you!

4. Improves Flexibility

 When you spend the majority of your time sitting down it tightens your muscles and decreases your flexibility. This is obviously a problem if you enjoy gymnastics and want to be able to do high kicks and/or do the splits into your eighties, but even if flexibility isn’t on the top of your list of concerns it is still very important for your health and well-being. Low levels of flexibility and tight muscles can make you far more susceptible to injury later in life and may therefore limit your mobility and freedom, and improved flexibility provides a number of benefits including preventing back pain, balance problems and improving fitness levels and co-ordination.

A simple stretch in the morning relaxes your muscles and slowly improves your flexibility over time so without even realising it you will be able to avoid many of the problems associated with every day wear and tear.

5. Improves Mood

You may think that an extra ten minutes in bed would do much more for your mood than all the stretching in the world could ever hope to achieve, but in reality stretching can do wonders for your mood levels and happiness. Stretching is physical activity and like many other forms of exercise it accelerates the release of endorphins. Endorphins are sometimes referred to as natures ‘high’ and for good reason; they improve your mood and make you happier, they relax you and make you calmer and they help take your mind off all your worries so you are better able to start your day on a positive note.

Stretching also releases muscle tension and can help you get your Zen on before you’ve even had your coffee! If you have a stressful job and tend to sweat the small stuff, then stretching in the morning can really make a difference for your mood and general well being

Getting Started

Start with this simple relaxation exercise:

Slowly roll down your spine head first until you are bent over your legs as if you were trying to touch your toes. Once you are down swing your arms and gently shake your back, and then slowly roll up vertebrae by vertebrae until you are in an upright position again; your head should be the first thing to go down and the last thing to go up.

This simple exercise will gently exercise your spine, help straighten you out and improve relaxation at the same time!

Sugar By Any Other Name

You know by now that sugar is something you can always do with less of. So you’re checking the ingredient labels on your favourite packaged foods. That’s smart. But beware; ingredient lists can be far from forthcoming with the actual ingredient.

Just because SUGAR isn’t at the top of the list—and it likely won’t be—doesn’t mean whatever food or beverage you’re perusing isn’t packed with it.

Sugar’s Many Shapes

Sugar comes in many different forms, and in many different levels of unhealthy. You may be surprised to find huge amounts of it in foods specifically labeled as “healthy” or “low fat” or “sugar free” like yogurt or energy bars.

You will find forms of sugar listed by up to 61 different names on various packages and labels. YES 61!

Sometimes, it will be listed by three of its names as the fifth, sixth and seventh ingredients. Don’t let this throw you off. Combined, those slightly different forms of sugar may outweigh all of the ingredients listed before it.

Depending on your country, most manufacturers may not be required to specify how much of the sugar contained in a given item is naturally-occurring (such as in fruit) and how much is added. The less added sugar you are consuming, the better a product is for your body.

By being aware of sugar’s most common forms and names, you will be much better armed at working out the good from the bad.

Following are some of sugar’s aliases, complete with distinguishing characteristics.

• Sugar, Sucrose, Cane Sugar, Cane Juice Crystals, Beet Sugar

This is basically plain white sugar, also called table sugar. White sugar is a product of sugar cane or sugar beets. In its original, or “raw,” state, it is less toxic and better able to be used by your body. But most white sugar has been genetically modified, and is linked to a wide range of auto immune diseases and health conditions.

• High-fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Sugar, Corn Sweetener, Glucose-fructose

  These pseudonyms of sugar are even worse for you. To produce high-fructose corn syrup, the sugar molecule found in corn is broken down into its separate parts, glucose and fructose.

  Absorbing fructose like this causes obesity, blood sugar problems, and promotes diabetes, cancer and heart disease to name only a few.

• Brown Sugar, Confectioners’ Sugar, Glucose Solids

These are also all forms of processed sugar. Brown sugar also contains molasses. Confectioners’ Sugar contains corn starch.

• Agave Nectar, Xylitol

Although these are often marketed as healthy alternatives to regular sugar, there is some controversy about these two. Agave nectar, like corn syrup, is almost entirely made of fructose which has shown itself to be the most dangerous part of sugar.

Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol, often promoted as a sweet sugar-substitute. However, it is difficult for your body to digest, causing unpleasant problems like gas, and it’s often highly processed, making it unnatural and toxic long term.

Sugar’s Many Substitutes

Processed sugar, in all of its forms, provides absolutely nothing good for you, and can even be detrimental to your health. It is basically empty calories with a whole range of unwanted side effects.

The following natural sweeteners on the other hand, will satisfy your sweet tooth and your body’s needs. It’s important to remember though, that sugar should only be consumed in moderation. Your body only needs and responds to very small amounts of even the most natural of sugars.

• Honey

Honey is not only satisfyingly sweet and completely natural (especially if it’s labeled “raw”), it’s even good for you in small amounts. It contains amino acids, electrolytes, antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds.

1 to 2 tablespoons of honey per day is a good amount. It works well for sweeting tea and oatmeal as well as baked goods, although it may take some trial and error to get amounts right.

• Maple Syrup

Maple syrup also works well for general sweetening, baking, making granola bars, etc. It does have a strong, though pleasant, flavour, which may limit what you choose to use it in.

• Stevia

Stevia is a sweetener extracted from the leaves of a flowering plant, meaning it is not “sugar” at all and contains no calories. Because of this fact, it is an especially good choice for people struggling with blood sugar or weight issues.

The original stevia extract was somewhat disliked because of a bitter, licorice-like after-taste, but that has been dealt with in later brands like SweetLeaf and Truvia.

Remember that with Stevia, a little goes a long way.

• Coconut Sugar or Coconut Palm Sugar

Coconut sugar is an easy substitute for sugar, as you can use it cup for cup; that is a cup of regular sugar can be replaced with a cup of coconut sugar but I usually use only half of the required amount in a recipe.

Its low glycemic level means it is not nearly as likely as white sugar to cause sugar highs and lows, and coconut sugar is packed with healthy minerals.

• Dried Fruit, Fruit Jams, Pineapple Juice and Banana Puree

Dried fruits like dates, raisins and cranberries are great sweetener choices for protein bars, pies and desserts. Not only are they completely natural and tasty, they provide important dietary elements like fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Real fruit jams, with no added sugar, will add flavour as well as sweetness to any spread. Pineapple juice is often used as an additional sweetener in all-fruit jams, and can also be used on its own with practice.

Bananas are a naturally sweet fruit, and one may be all you need to sweeten up a fruit smoothie.

Processed sugar and manufacturers who fill their goods with it, can be tricky.

Just remember to give ingredient labels a double check, and don’t let sugar sneak into your diet unsuspectedly..