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 effect 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 “luteinising 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 flashes?  Win-win!

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

Food No 1 – Flax

Flax contains a “phytoestrogen” named “lignan”.  Phyto (plant) oestrogens 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 No 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 stevia (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 stevia (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 powder).

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

Want to learn more about how to control other hormonal imbalances?

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3 Supplements You Should Be taking If You're Over 45 Years Old

Yes, while I always say that it's better to get your nutrients from food first sometimes supplements are necessary.

Unfortunately there are just some all-too-common nutrients that we simply don't get enough of.  And they're absolutely critical to optimal health and wellness.  Especially as we age.

Here I sifted through the supplements that are available on the market and boiled them down to three that can have the best effect for us.

Supplement 1: Vitamin D

If you live in the UK chances are you are low in vitamin D.  It's the “sunshine vitamin” and we just aren't able to hang out in shorts every day of the year.  Even if we did we'd wisely use a bit of sun protection too.

Vitamin D is very important for everyone but especially women over 45.  Want to know why?

It helps to protect our bones!

Vitamin D helps our body absorb and keep the calcium we get from our food and drinks.  And we all know that calcium is one of the main things our bones are made of.

Want to know something funny about vitamin D (but it's true, I swear)?

People who get enough vitamin D tend to fall less frequently.  Especially as we get older.

Seriously!

Vitamin D can help your bones stay strong and help you fall less.  Win-win!

Supplement 2: Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral needed for over 300 reactions in your body.

Yes, 300!

As with vitamin D it's very common for us to simply not get enough.  Not even the 320 mg per day that's recommended.

Low levels of magnesium have been linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, low bone density, and even migraines.

Magnesium is found in so many healthy whole foods like beans, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables.  In fact, the magnesium element is central to a plant's chlorophyll – it's actually what causes green plants to be green!  And most of us just don't get enough green plants into our bodies on a regular basis.  (You know I have a recipe with green leafies for you below, right?).

Magnesium is a very common supplement and is often added to multivitamins.

Supplement 3: Omega-3s

We've all heard that we need to get more omega-3 essential fatty acids, right?  They're good for our hearts, brains and help to reduce inflammation.

These are all good things when it comes to our health and wellness.

But not all of us are ready, willing and able to eat fish three times per week.

While fish oil supplements contain the “brain healthy” fats called EPA and DHA, those two are not technically the “essential” fats.  The plant omega-3 known as ALA is essential and that is because our bodies can convert ALA into EPA and DHA when necessary.

Omega-3 supplements can be found in forms of flax oil, algae oil, fish oil, or even fish liver oil.

Pro Tip:  Fish liver oil (e.g. cod liver oil) also contains vitamin D so check your labels and add the amounts together to know how much vitamin D you're actually getting.

Conclusion:

Three supplements to consider now that you're 45 are: vitamin D, magnesium and omega-3s.

Always read the supplement labels to see if there are warnings that would make them inappropriate for you.  And, of course if you have any medical conditions or take medications or other supplements it's always a good idea to speak with your doctor before starting anything new. 

Recipe (Vitamin D, Magnesium & Omega-3s): Salmon Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Serves 2

4 cups baby spinach

1 cup quinoa (cooked)

1 can wild salmon

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

½ red onion (diced) (optional)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

dash salt and pepper

1.  Split spinach, quinoa, wild salmon, sesame seeds, and onion (if using) between two bowls.

2.  Mix sesame oil, rice vinegar, and lemon juice together and pour on top of prepared Buddha bowls.

3.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip:  When looking for canned salmon try to get the ones with the most vitamin D and make sure cans are BPA-free.  Good quality canned fish is usually in the “natural foods” section of many large grocery stores.

The Low Down on Hot Flushes

About 25% of women will not get hot flushes at all during menopause.  However, the situations that can trigger hot flushes may also trigger other symptoms of menopause too.  

What Is a Hot Flush?

Sometimes understanding what is happening can give us greater control over how we deal with a situation.  in normal circumstances, if your body gets a little too hot, the blood vessels in the surface of the skin will start to open up.  Blood will come through and the heat from the blood will be dissipated into the air.  This is the way you will lose the extra heat.  If you are extra hot, then sweating can also be triggered and the evaporation from the skin cools you down.

In Menopause, this can go a little wrong.  In the brain we have a gland called the hypothalamus, which is like a master gland.  It ensures everything within it's control is working properly.  It controls our hormones.  When our sex hormones - oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone start to fluctuate during menopause and the areas where these hormones are involved often come under a great deal of pressure.

So, your poor hypothalamus is trying to juggle everything, to keep everything in balance.  The problem here is that the hypothalamus also regulates your body temperature.

So, when everything is going wrong, your hypothalamus is looking everywhere to try and maintain good balance - it can sometimes think your body is too hot, even when it is not.  When this happens, it goes into panic mode.  Your hypothalamus declares an EMERGENCY.

The cooling process, which normally takes a little while to kick in, leaps into action.  Your blood vessels open up very quickly, you will quickly get a rush of blood and that is your HOT FLUSH.  If the hypothalamus is extra stressed, it will also trigger sweating.  You end up having a hot flush with sweating or you may have a night sweat in the middle of the night.

So, one route which can trigger hot flushes is due to the hormonal imbalance but we can also have hot flushes triggered by the nervous system.  If you think about it, if we are a little nervous or scared of something, we often start to sweat.  This is how the nervous system can interfere with temperature.  In menopause, we know that the nervous system is involved in everything because of all the other changes that are going on in the body.

Certain things which can overstimulate the nervous system and this will trigger your hot flushes.  The 5 main stimulants are:

1.  Anxiety

Anxiety comes into the top 10 menopause symptoms and you can end up being in an anxious state for most of the day.  You can wake up in an anxious state, which means your nervous system is under constant pressure.  An anxiety attack will often accompany or precede a hot flush.

2.  Stimulants

Such as caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and high salt and sugar foods.  We know these give the nervous system a quick hit and speed up your nervous system.

You may notice that around 10 minutes after your cup of coffee you get a hot flush or if you have a sugary bun or piece of cake may also trigger a  hot flush.

3.  Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar levels can also stress the nervous system and result in a hot flush.

4.  Dehydration

This can be a vicious circle.  Hot flushes and night sweats will dehydrate you and dehydration puts the nervous system into panic mode, which will lead to more hot flushes and night sweats.

5.  Lack of Magnesium

Falling oestrogen can interfere with the absorption and availability of magnesium.  Your nervous system practically runs on magnesium.

So, if you are low in magnesium, your nervous system will be extra stressed and this will trigger your hot flushes and night sweats.

If any of these situations apply to you, the first thing to do is address them.

How Can You Help Yourself?

To help reduce your anxiety, maybe look at a really good vitamin B complex.

You could look at cutting out or cutting down your tea and coffee consumption as well as your high salt and sugar foods.

You can look at drinking more water.  Get PLENTY of water (between 3-4 litres per day!)

You also need to eat little and often or if you can't eat little and often, make sure you are getting a good , healthy snack that will keep your blood sugar stable and your nervous system will thank you for that.

Also, look at taking a good quality magnesium supplement and take a bath with magnesium flakes/epsom salts before retiring to bed.  Alternatively, if you don't have a bath, soak your feet in a bowl with some magnesium flakes/epsom salts.

What Else Can Help?

It's a really good idea to keep a hot flush diary.  Maybe for a week or two, every time you have a hot flush note down the time and what is happening.  What are you doing at the time of the hot flush and what were you doing about an hour ago or what you ate/drank 10-15 minutes earlier.

If you are having night sweats, try to note down the time.  After a week or so, you many notice a pattern.

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3 Must Eat Breakfast Foods

Do you love your breakfast?  Do you have a short list of “go-to” recipes?  Do you need a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again?

Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, metabolism and weight loss.  This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and uses up a bunch of calories to absorb and metabolise it.  So I'm going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats for your soon-to-be favourite new “go-to” breakfasts.

Breakfast Food #1: Eggs

Yes, eggs are the “quintessential” breakfast food.  And for good reason!

No, I'm not talking about processed egg whites in a carton.  I mean actual whole “eggs”. 

Egg whites are mostly protein while the yolks are the real nutritional powerhouses.  Those yolks contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

Eggs have been shown to help you feel full, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help to stabilise blood sugar and insulin.

Not to mention how easy it is to boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in the fridge for a “grab and go” breakfast when you're running short on time.

And...nope the cholesterol in eggs is not associated with an increased risk of arterial or heart diseases. 

One thing to consider is to try to prevent cooking the yolks at too high a temperature because that can cause some of the cholesterol to become oxidised.  It's the oxidised cholesterol that's heart unhealthy.

Breakfast Food #2: Nuts and/or Seeds

Nuts and seeds contain protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibre.  Nuts and/or seeds would make a great contribution to breakfast.

You won't be fooled by “candied” nuts, sweetened nut/seed butters, or chia “cereals” with added sugars – you know I'm talking about the real, whole, unsweetened food here.

Nuts and seeds are also the ultimate fast food if you're running late in the mornings.  Grab a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds as you're running out the door; you can nosh on them while you're commuting.

Not to mention how easy it is to add a spoonful of nut/seed butter into your morning breakfast smoothie.

Hint: If you like a creamy latte in the mornings try making one with nut or seed butter.  Just add your regular hot tea and a tablespoon or two of a creamy nut or seed butter into your blender & blend until frothy. 

Breakfast Food #3: Veggies

Yes, you already know you really should get protein at every meal including breakfast; but this also applies to veggies.  You know I would be remiss to not recommend veggies at every meal, right? 

Veggies are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre and water.  You can't go wrong adding them into every single meal of the day so if you don't already you should definitely try them for breakfast! 

And no, you don't need to have a salad or roasted veggies for breakfast if you don't want to but you totally can!  You wouldn't be breaking any “official” breakfast rules or anything like that.

Adding some protein to leftover veggies is a great combination for any meal.  Including breakfast.

I've included a delicious recipe below for you to try (and customise) for your next breakfast.

Recipe (Eggs & Veggies): Veggie Omelette

Serves 1

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 or 2 eggs (how hungry are you?)

¼ cup veggies (grated courgette and/or sliced mushrooms and/or diced peppers)

dash salt, pepper and/or turmeric

Add coconut oil to a frying pan and melt on low-medium heat (cast-iron pans are preferred).

In the meantime grab a bowl and beat the egg(s) with your vegetables of choice and the spices.

Tilt pan to ensure the bottom is covered with the melted oil.  Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly fry the eggs without stirring.

When the bottom is lightly done flip over in one side and cook until white is no longer runny.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip:  Substitute grated, sliced, or diced portion of your favourite vegetable.  Try grated carrots, chopped broccoli or diced tomato.

Five Cholesterol Myths And What To Eat Instead

You knew there was a bit of an over-emphasis (borderlining obsession) about cholesterol, right?

Before we jump into some myths let's make sure we're on the same page when it comes to what exactly cholesterol is.

Myth #1: “Cholesterol” is cholesterol

While cholesterol is an actual molecule what it is bound to while it's floating through your blood is what's more important than just how much of it there is overall.  In fact depending on what it's combined with can have opposite effects on your arteries and heart.  Yes, opposite!

So cholesterol is just one component of a compound that floats around your blood.  These compounds contain cholesterol as well as fats and special proteins called “lipoproteins”. 

They're grouped into two main categories:

●      HDL: High Density Lipoprotein (AKA “good” cholesterol) that “cleans up” some of those infamous “arterial plaques” and transports cholesterol back to the liver.

●      LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein (AKA “bad” cholesterol) that transports cholesterol from the liver (and is the kind found to accumulate in arteries and become easily oxidised hence their “badness”).

And yes, it's even more complicated than this.  Each of these categories is further broken down into subcategories which can also be measured in a blood test.

So “cholesterol” isn't simply cholesterol because it has very different effects on your body depending on which other molecules it's bound to in your blood and what it is actually doing there.

Myth #2: Cholesterol is bad

Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for your body to produce critical things like vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, your sex hormones (e.g. oestrogen and testosterone), as well as bile to help you absorb dietary fats.  Not to mention that it's incorporated into the membranes of your cells.

Talk about an important molecule!

The overall amount of cholesterol in your blood (AKA “total cholesterol”) isn't nearly as important as how much of each kind you have in your blood.

While way too much LDL cholesterol as compared with HDL (the LDL:HDL ratio) may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease it is absolutely not the only thing to consider for heart health.

Myth #3: Eating cholesterol increases your bad cholesterol

Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver.  It's actually not from the cholesterol you eat.  Why do you think cholesterol medications block an enzyme in your liver (HMG Co-A reductase, to be exact)?  'Cause that's where it's made!

What you eat still can affect how much cholesterol your liver produces.  After a cholesterol-rich meal your liver doesn't need to make as much.

Myth #4: Your cholesterol should be as low as possible

As with almost everything in health and wellness there's a balance that needs to be maintained.  There are very few extremes that are going to serve you well.

People with too-low levels of cholesterol have increased risk of death from other non-heart-related issues like certain types of cancers, as well as suicide.

Myth #5: Drugs are the only way to get a good cholesterol balance

Don't start or stop any medications without talking with your doctor.

While drugs can certainly lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol they don't seem to be able to raise the “good” HDL cholesterol all that well.

Guess what does?

Nutrition and exercise!

One of the most impactful ways to lower your cholesterol with diet is to eat lots of fruits and veggies.  I mean lots, say up to 10 servings a day.  Every day.

Don't worry the recipe below should help you add at least another salad to your day.

You can (should?) also exercise, lose weight, stop smoking, and eat better quality fats.  That means fatty fish, avocados and olive oil.  Ditch those over-processed hydrogenated “trans” fats.

Summary:

The science of cholesterol and heart health is complicated and we're learning more every day.  You may not need to be as afraid of it as you are.  And there is a lot you can do from a nutrition and lifestyle perspective to improve your cholesterol level.

Recipe (Dressing to go with your salad): Orange Hemp Seed Dressing

Makes about ¾ cup

½ cup hemp seeds

½ cup orange juice

1 clove of garlic, peeled

dash salt and/or pepper

Blend all ingredients together until creamy.

Serve on top of your favourite salad and Enjoy!

Tip: Store extra in airtight container in the fridge.  Will keep for about a week.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-cholesterol

http://summertomato.com/how-to-raise-your-hdl-cholesterol

https://authoritynutrition.com/top-9-biggest-lies-about-dietary-fat-and-cholesterol/

Should You Do A Detox?

Detoxes are very popular right now. Most involve drinking a series of juices and while you may temporarily feel better, it is very important to understand that you may not have accomplished as much as you think you have.

It is important to understand what the goal of detoxing is supposed to be. The idea is that by severely reducing your food intake and existing on raw juices, the energy that is not being used for digestion, can be used to remove toxins a person may have been storing in their fat cells.

The nutrients in the juices may also support the detoxification processes of the liver.

However, there is a flaw in this scenario. Juice does not contain fibre, which is essential for toxins that have been prepared, by the liver, to actually leave the body. No fibre, toxins do not leave.

Good gut health is also essential for successful detoxification. Before anyone undertakes a liver cleanse of any kind, they should be sure their gut is in a state to handle the toxins that will be coming its way, on their way out of the body. Even toxins that leave via the urinary system must travel through the small intestines on their way to the kidneys.

If there are not sufficient good bacteria, the toxins that are bound to a liver conjugate can detach and go back into the body. They will just head back to the liver but this just puts more pressure on the liver, which is already overworked, or you would not have so many stored toxins in the first place.

In a perfect world, your liver would remove all toxins and any excess hormones immediately. If we feed our liver correctly, it will have all the nutrients and energy to do the work daily.

The following are some key liver foods you should consume frequently to keep your liver happy: Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage or kale, Calcium d’glurcurate foods such as apples and grapefruit, bitter foods like dandelion or collard greens, and sulfur-rich foods such as garlic and onions. High antioxidant foods like berries, carrots, tomatoes, asparagus and other fruits and vegetables. Jerusalem artichokes are extremely good for the liver. Milk thistle tea is also very beneficial.

Another easy way to help you detox is to do what is known as daily detox. This requires that you do not eat anything for 14 hours between your last meal in the evening and your first one in the morning. Again, liver foods are needed to be consumed daily in order to support the detox function during the night.

A safe detox option is the 7-Day Hormone Reboot Challenge. It is designed with a combination of fibre-filled raw foods, gut health foods and some cooked foods to keep you grounded and satisfied for the first fours days, then three days of healthy eating. This is a very responsible way to do a detox. Food amounts are not limited in order to make sure participants are not too hungry. Detox reactions may occur but they should not be too severe unless you are really toxic and you have been eating virtually no liver foods.

Give it a try – by supporting your liver with this challenge, you will feel better and it gives you foods that are good for all hormones so it will be a great start to re-balancing your system.

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The Best Exercise for Hormone Balance?

Physical activity - we all need it, about 30% of the world doesn't get any and some of us do too much.  Exercise is essential for hormone balance, as it has been shown to reduce stress levels and also increase our insulin function.

However, there are lots of myths about exercise, specially for women over 40.

We are constantly being told to eat less and move more - calories in, calories out, right?  Burn baby burn!

Firstly, this message is not the right message for us women over 40 who have raging hormones to consider - but we all assume it's a general message that is true for everyone SO, we join the gym or start running, or even sign up for the latest 'push your body to the max' type program (it's called Insanity for a reason!!)

If we get the right balance, it can work brilliantly.  However, if we get it slightly wrong, it can deplete our energy stores, increase carb and sugar cravings, and actually make our bodies HANG ON TO FAT even more!  Have you ever started a new fitness routine and wondered why you weren't losing weight?

So, what is the right type and amount of exercise for hormone balance?  Well  this depends a lot on your own individual needs, health and circumstances.  I will explain what is likely to disrupt your hormones and some general tips on what activities improve your hormones.

Hormone Disruptors

Sitting around

Our modern lives make it difficult for us NOT to sit around all day.  According to a recent survey, we spend an average of 56 hours a week sitting down - in our cars, at a desk, on the sofa.

Many of us claim to have an active lifestyle.  We might make it to the gym a few times a week.  But, we are still sitting for too long.  Our bodies are not evolved to sit like this for as long as we do.  This is such a concern to scientists that they have called is 'Sedentary Death Syndrome'!

Over-exercising

Over-exercising can increase our stress hormones and increase the risk of muscle loss, increased infections, increased injury risk, fatigue and poor recovery.  You need enough time between exercise sessions to recover properly and reduce the stress response.  If you're a gym bunny or addicted to long cardio, you need to take more rest if you're hormones are out of whack.  If you feel tired and stressed out already, exercise may help but it might also deplete you even more.

As a very basic rule, if exercise recharges your energy levels, then that's an indication that it's doing you good.  If you feel depleted afterwards, it may be taxing your adrenal glands and using up vital energy reserves.  It is best to do some gentle activity until your reserves are topped up.

Top 5 Activities for Healthy Happy Hormones

• Reduce sitting time

Most of us sit for far too long but it just takes a few habit changes to make it less damaging to our health (and hormones):

- walk and talk - instead of that coffee shop meeting, arrange a walking meeting

- mobile walking - when on your mobile phone, get up and walk with it

- set an alarm - set your phone or computer to ping at you every hour to remind you to get up         and take a quick break

- free gym? - use escalators instead of stairs, park further away from where you need to be, get       off the train or bus a stop earlier, do some squats while watching TV - any excuse to move more!

• Walking

I'm a huge fan of walking.  It's easy to do, cheap (no gym membership or equipment required) and it has huge benefits.

AND if you go outside in nature, you get the added benefits of improved mood and feeling calmer.

• HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training has been shown to burn fat more effectively than aerobic exercise.  As well as strengthening your heart and lungs, it also increases human growth hormone (HGH), the hormone that is abundant when we are young, making us healthy and strong, and declines rapidly as we age.  Another advantage of HIIT is that it improves insulin sensitivity, a great result for your waistline and risk of serious disease.

The best thing about it is that it doesn't take up much time.  No more excuses for not having time to exercise - each workout takes between 15 and 30 minutes are you're done for the day!

• Resistance and Weights

Muscle mass declines as we age.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, day and night, reducing your fat stores.  High cortisol has a negative effect on muscle mass, so building muscle is really important if you're over-stressed.  Your fat:muscle ratio is what we are aiming to improve.  Strength training also lowers your risk of osteoporosis which is a risk as we head towards menopause.

This doesn't mean turning into Arnie in  the gym!  A set of weights at home will do the trick or you can go outside and use a park bench if that's your thing.

• Yoga and Pilates

Yoga and Pilates have so many benefits.  They improve flexibility, strength, posture, stress and mood.  They are the ultimate anti-ageing exercise.

When doing Yoga, you are so focused on holding the pose that it is usually impossible to think of anything else.  This forces you to be present.  Being mindful or fully present is extremely difficult in our busy lives, that taking the time to do it, plus strengthening your body at the same time is a great thing to do.  There are many different types of Yoga, which can be confusing.  My advice would be to try out different classes until you find one you love.  It might take a while but persevere.

I haven't included endurance-type cardio in this list, not because there is anything wrong with it, but it just doesn't make my top 5 for hormone balance after 40.  If you run long distances, that's fine, as long as you have the energy for it, you don't get regular injuries and are not suffering from adrenal fatigue.

I hope you have found this information useful and can use it to help improve your hormone balance.

If you are also interested in learning how to balance your hormones through your nutritional choices, why not join my FREE 7 Day Hormone Reboot Challenge.

Click the link below to discover the key to hormone health and one simple ingredient that will help balance your hormones.

Why Your Waist Circumference Matters 100x More Than What You Weigh

You totally want to ditch your scale, don't you?

You may have this weird kind of relationship with your “weight”. 

I mean, it doesn't define you (obviously).

What you weigh can matter but only to a certain extent.

Let's look at your waist circumference (well...you look at yours and I'll look at mine).

Waist Circumference (AKA “Belly Fat”):

Do you remember the fruity body shape descriptions being like an “apple” or a “pear”?  The apple is kinda round around the middle (you know – belly fat-ish, kinda beer belly-ish) and the pear is rounder around the hips/thighs.

THAT is what we're talking about here.

Do you know which shape is associated with a higher risk of sleep apnea, blood sugar issues (e.g. insulin resistance and diabetes) and heart issues (high blood pressure, blood fat, and arterial diseases)?

Yup – that apple!

And it's not because of the subcutaneous (under the skin) fat that you may refer to as a “muffin top”.  The health risk is actually due to the fat inside the abdomen covering the liver, intestines and other organs there.

This internal fat is called “visceral fat” and that's where a lot of the problem actually is.  It's this “un-pinchable” fat. 

The reason the visceral fat can be a health issue is because it releases fatty acids, inflammatory compounds, and hormones that can negatively affect your blood fats, blood sugars, and blood pressure.

And the apple-shaped people tend to have a lot more of this hidden visceral fat than the pear-shaped people do.

So as you can see where your fat is stored is more important that how much you weigh.

Am I an apple or a pear?

It's pretty simple to find out if you're in the higher risk category or not. The easiest way is to just measure your waist circumference with a measuring tape.  You can do it right now.

Women, if your waist is 35” or more you could be considered to have “abdominal obesity” and be in the higher risk category.  Pregnant ladies are exempt, of course.

For men the number is 40”.

Of course this isn't a diagnostic tool.  There are lots of risk factors for chronic diseases.  Waist circumference is just one of them.

If you have concerns definitely see your doctor.

Tips for helping reduce some belly fat:

●      Eat more fibre.  Fibre can help reduce belly fat in a few ways.  First of all it helps you feel full and also helps to reduce the amount of calories you absorb from your food.  Some examples of high-fibre foods are Brussel sprouts, flax and chia seeds, avocado, and blackberries.

●      Add more protein to your day.  Protein reduces your appetite and makes you feel fuller longer.  It also has a high TEF (thermic effect of food) compared with fats and carbs and ensures you have enough of the amino acid building blocks for your muscles.

●      Nix added sugars.  This means ditch the processed sweetened foods especially those sweet drinks (even 100% pure juice).

●      Move more.  Get some aerobic exercise.  Lift some weights.  Walk and take the stairs.  It all adds up.

●      Stress less.  Seriously!  Elevated levels in the stress hormone cortisol have been shown to increase appetite and drive abdominal fat.

●      Get more sleep.  Try making this a priority and seeing how much better you feel (and look).

Recipe (High fibre side dish): Garlic Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

1 lb Brussels sprouts (washed, ends removed, halved)

2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

dash salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. 

In a bowl toss sprouts with garlic, oil, and lemon juice.  Spread on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes.  Toss.

Bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Tip:  Brussel sprouts contain the fat-soluble bone-loving vitamin K.  You may want to eat them more often.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/research-abdominal-fat-and-risk

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/visceral-fat-location

http://www.drsharma.ca/inspiring-my-interest-in-visceral-fat

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/abdominal-obesity/

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/qa-qr-pub-eng.php#a4

https://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-ways-to-lose-belly-fat/

Bye Bye Sleeping Through the Night

Have you said “bye bye” to sleeping through the night?

Are you feeling exhausted or “running on stress hormones” all day?

Do not fear, I have some great tips (and an amazing recipe) for you!

The science of sleep is fascinating, complicated and growing

Sleep is this daily thing that we all do and yet we're just beginning to understand all of the ways it helps us and all of the factors that can affect it.

Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind.  People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for so many health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer; not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance, and inflammation.  And don't forget the impact lack of sleep can have on moods, memory and decision-making skills.

Do you know that lack of sleep may even negate the health benefits of your exercise programme? (Gasp!)

OMG – What aspect of health does sleep not affect???

Knowing this it's easy to see the three main purposes of sleep:

●      To restore our body and mind.  Our bodies repair, grow and even “detoxify” our brains while we sleep.

●      To improve our brain's ability to learn and remember things, technically known as “synaptic plasticity”.

●      To conserve some energy so we're not just actively “out and about” 24-hours a day, every day.

Do you know how much sleep adults need?  It's less than your growing kids need but you may be surprised that it's recommended that all adults get 7 - 9 hours a night.  For real!

Try not to skimp!

(Don't worry, I have you covered with a bunch of actionable tips below.)

Tips for better sleep

●      The biggest tip is definitely to try to get yourself into a consistent sleep schedule.  Make it a priority and you're more likely to achieve it.  This means turning off your lights 8 hours before your alarm goes off.  Seven. Days. A. Week.  I know weekends can easily throw this off but by making sleep a priority for a few weeks your body and mind will adjust and thank you for it.

●      Balance your blood sugar throughout the day.  You know, eat less refined and processed foods and more whole foods (full of blood-sugar-balancing fibre).  Choose the whole orange instead of the juice (or orange-flavoured snack).  Make sure you're getting some protein every time you eat.

●      During the day get some sunshine and exercise.  These things tell your body it's daytime; time for being productive, active and alert.  By doing this during the day it will help you wind down more easily in the evening.

●      Cut off your caffeine and added sugar intake after 12pm.  Whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine, it's the “added” sugar we're minimising.  Yes, this includes your beloved chai latte.  Both caffeine and added sugar can keep your mind a bit more active than you want it to be come evening. (HINT: I have a great caffeine-free chai latte recipe for you below!).

●      Have a relaxing bedtime routine that starts 1 hour before your “lights out” time (that is 8 - 10 hours before your alarm is set to go off).  This would include dimming your artificial lights, nixing screen time and perhaps reading an (actual, not “e”) book or having a bath.

So how many of these tips can you start implementing today?

Recipe (Caffeine-free latte for your afternoon “coffee break”): Caffeine-Free Chai Latte

Serves 1-2

1 bag of rooibos chai tea (rooibos is naturally caffeine-free)

2 cups of boiling water

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon almond butter (creamy is preferred)

2 dates (optional)

Cover the teabag and dates (if using) with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for a few minutes.

Discard the tea bag & place tea, soaked dates, tahini & almond butter into a blender.

Blend until creamy.

Serve and Enjoy!

Tip:  You can try this with other nut or seed butters to see which flavour combination you like the best.  Cashew butter anyone?

References:

http://www.thepaleomom.com/gotobed/

Unlock Your Emotional Eating

A Good relationship with food means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. But sometimes it just not as easy as that. When you find yourself eating for other reasons than satisfying physical hunger it is called emotional eating. Emotional eating can have different sources but the main reason you may eat even though you aren’t hungry is to fill up emotionally. By using food to satisfy emotional needs for love, belonging, connection and care it means that the void is being filled temporarily. I know what it’s like to feed feelings of emptiness or loneliness with food, rather than facing what is really going on.  I am going to help you unlock your emotional eating with my top 5 tips for success. Are you ready?

1. Don ́t suppress your emotions

Tip #1 to unlocking your emotional eating. Don’t suppress your emotions. Emotional eating provides a momentary sense of satisfaction and pleasure when you feel something you don ́t want to feel. It is a way of suppressing feelings that may be unpleasant. Overeating has a numbing and distractive effect. The first step to unlocking emotional eating is to invite your feelings to the surface and listen to your emotions. If you allow yourself to feel, you will discover what you truly want instead of using food to numb your emotions. A great way to start is by keeping a food diary to discover your emotional triggers and the types of foods you reach for. Have you started a food dairy?

2. Eat mindfully

Tip #2 to unlocking your emotional eating. Eat Mindfully. Learning how to eat mindfully is one of the most effective tools in curbing emotional eating. Instead of “inhaling” food without joy and pleasure to fill up as quick as possible, try to sit down with your food in front of you and wait for a moment before you start eating. Close your eyes and be grateful for the meal in front of you. Sit comfortably, both feet touching the ground. Take a deep breath and thank the food for nourishing you. Start taking small bites, chew properly and focus only on eating without any other distractions. When you eat mindfully you are more likely to stop when you are full and less likely to be affected by emotional triggers.

3. Discover your triggers

Tip #3 to unlocking your emotional eating. Discover your triggers. By finding out what triggers emotional eating within you will open up your movement toward success. If you realise you are eating for no reason, stop for a second and ask what you are feeling in this specific moment. Are you stressed, lonely, sad, angry or just bored? If you discover your triggers you are able to strategise. Next time you feel this way again it will be easier to distract yourself with something that uplifts you, something else other than food. Call a friend, go for a walk, and go watch your favourite TV show or do some stretches or a few minutes of yoga. Try to deal with the emotion in a different way instead of suppressing it with food.

4. Find healthy substitutes

Tip #4 to unlocking your emotional eating. Find healthy substitutes. Have a think back to all the times you’ve reached for something unhealthy when emotional eating. What kind of food was it? Crisps? Chocolate? Ice-Cream? A great way to beating emotional eating is to be prepared and either buy or make your own healthy substitutes. If you crave your favourite comfort food when you are in a bad mood or feeling stressed; replace it with a healthier version of it. For example, if you crave chocolate - try dark chocolate or organic raw chocolate instead of milk chocolate that is high in sugar. If you crave salty potato fries, bake your own fries in the oven. The key is to find a way to satisfy your cravings in a better way than before. What is your emotional eating crutch? I’d love to help you find a healthier alternative!

5. Don ́t restrict yourself

Tip #5 to unlocking your emotional eating. Don’t restrict yourself. When your diet is restricted your body will crave what it is lacking – salt, sugar, fat, carbs. When your body has been restricted and then emotional eating kicks in, your body doesn’t stand a chance to fully absorb the nutrients in the food you are eating. No matter what, try to eat regular meals with snacks in-between to avoid intense cravings. You need to find your balance when it comes to eating regular meals and exercising which means you really need to listen to your body. Do you find yourself restricting your diet at all? Do you get cravings? I’d love to know!

Everything You Think You Know About Healthy Eating is Wrong and it's Making You Fat and Tired

Everything You Think You Know About Healthy Eating is Wrong and it's Making You Fat and Tired

Oh my gosh – nutrition and diet info is everywhere!

And each expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you.  Right?

Well, maybe…

Everyone has heard (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on how much you eat.  This has gotten way too much attention because while this does affect your weight and energy level, it's certainly not the “holy grail” of health. 

Let's focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.

What you eat and drink

The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important.  Don't get me wrong limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you lose weight but that's simply not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone. 

When the intense focus on how much we ate didn't work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise. We kinda knew that already, didn't we?

You can certainly still continue to count your calories, carbs, and fat but don't forget to also pay attention to what you eat. 

Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods (i.e. fewer “packaged” “ready-to-eat” foods).  This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.

Every day this is what you should aim for:

●      A colourful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack.  You need the fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

●      Enough protein.  Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism).

●      Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones).  There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” - you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads.  Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks, and get grass-fed meats when possible.  You don't need to overdo it here.  Just make sure you're getting some high-quality fats.

How you eat and drink

Also pay attention to how you eat and drink.

Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.

Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?

When it comes to how you eat let's first look at “mindful eating”.

Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite.  Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture.  Breathe.

This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.

This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less.  Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?

Thought so!

We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.

And don't forget about drinking your food. 

Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in some fruits and veggies (hello leafy greens!) but drinking too much food can contribute to a weight problem and feelings of sluggishness. 

Don't get me wrong a green smoothie can make an amazingly nutrient-dense meal and is way better than stopping for convenient junk food – just consider a large smoothie to be a full meal not a snack.  And don't gulp it down too fast.

If your smoothies don't fill you up like a full meal does try adding in a spoon of fibre like ground flax or chia seeds.

Summary:

Consider not only how much you eat but also what and how you eat it.

Recipe (Smoothie meal): Chia Peach Green Smoothie

Serves 1

handful spinach

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 banana

1 chopped peach

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Add ingredients to blender in order listed (you want your greens on the bottom by the blade so they blend better and have the chia on the bottom to absorb some liquid before you blend).

Wait a couple of minutes for the chia seeds to start soaking up the almond milk.

Blend, Serve and Enjoy!

Tip: Smoothies are the ultimate recipe for substitutions.  Try swapping different greens, fruit or seeds to match your preference.

Bonus: Chia seeds not only have fibre and essential omega-3 fatty acids but they  contain all of the essential amino acids from protein.

References:

http://summertomato.com/wisdom-wednesday-salad-dressing-is-your-friend

https://authoritynutrition.com/20-reasons-you-are-not-losing-weight/

http://summertomato.com/the-science-behind-mindful-eating-what-happens-to-your-body-during-a-mindful-meal

Three Ways to Avoid Overeating at Meals

Sometimes those holiday feasts are just amazing.

And it's not just the abundance of delicious food but also the people, the decorations, and the ambiance.

It is way too easy (and common) to indulge on those days.

But it doesn't always stop there.

Sometimes we overeat on regular days.  Or at regular meals.  Or All. The. Time.

Here are three tips to avoid overeating at meals.

(Psst, turn these into habits and ditch the willpower!)

Tip #1: Start with some water

When your stomach is growling and you smell amazingly delicious food it's too easy to fill a plate (or grab some samples with your bare hands) and dive into the food.

But did you know that it's possible to sometimes confuse the feeling of thirst with that of hunger?  Your stomach may actually be craving a big glass of water rather than a feast.

Some studies have shown that drinking a glass or two of water before a meal can help reduce the amount of food eaten.  And this super-simple tip may even help with weight loss (...just sayin').

Not only will the water start to fill up your stomach before you get to the buffet, leaving less room for the feast but drinking enough water has been shown to slightly increase your metabolism.

Win-win!

Tip #2: Try eating “mindfully”

You've heard of mindfulness but have you applied that to your eating habits?

This can totally help you avoid overeating as well as having the added bonus of helping your digestion.

Just as being mindful when you meditate helps to focus your attention on your breathing and the present moment being mindful when you eat helps to focus your attention on your meal.

Do this by taking smaller bites, eating more slowly, chewing more thoroughly, and savouring every mouthful.  Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture.  Breathe.

This can help prevent overeating because eating slower often means eating less. 

When you eat quickly you can easily overeat because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full.

So take your time, pay attention to your food and enjoy every bite.

Bonus points: Eat at a table (not in front of the screen), off of a small plate, and put your fork down between bites.

Tip #3: Start with the salad

You may be yearning for that rich, creamy main dish.

But don't start there.

(Don't worry, you can have some...just after you've eaten your salad).

Veggies are a great way to start any meal because they're full of not only vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and health-promoting phytochemicals but they also have some secret satiety weapons: fibre and water.

Fibre and water are known to help fill you up and make you feel fuller.  They're “satiating”.

And these secret weapons are great to have on your side when you're about to indulge in a large meal.

Summary:

Have your glass of water, eat mindfully, and start with your salad to help avoid overeating at meals.

Recipe (Water): Tasty (and beautiful) Pre-Meal Water Ideas

If you're not much of a plain water drinker or need your water to be more appealing to your senses here are five delicious (and beautiful looking) fruit combos to add to your large glass of water:

●      Slices of lemon & ginger

●      Slices of strawberries & orange

●      Slices of apple & a cinnamon stick

●      Chopped pineapple & mango

●      Blueberries & raspberries

Tip: You can buy a bag (or several bags) of frozen chopped fruit and throw those into your cup, thermos, or uber-cool mason jar in the morning.  They're already washed and cut and will help keep your water colder longer.

References:

https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-of-water/

Get the Information, Inspiration, and Motivation You Need to Kick-Start Your Fitness Goals and Feel Better FAST! 

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Take Advantage of This Exclusive Invitation to Join Us for FREE and Discover...

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This FREE 7-Day Challenge Will Help You Kick-Start Your Weight Loss Goals and Feel Your Best... No Matter How Busy You Are or How Many Times You've Failed in the Past!

Hi! I'm Helen Clare Ryan, certified Holistic Wellness Coach and your host for the 7-Day Healthy Habits Challenge. And believe me, I understand just how hard it can be to lead a healthy lifestyle when you're crazy busy and always on the go!

 If you want to finally get back your slimmer, sexier body, feel years younger, and set yourself up for a lifetime of vibrant health...

You Just Need to Start Building the Habits That Will Get You There One Day at a Time.

You already know the only real way to get back your body and health is to start eating better and exercising. But sometimes just getting started is the hardest part.

That's exactly why I designed the 7-Day Healthy Habits Challenge!

There's no time-consuming research, complex workouts and recipes, or overly restrictive dieting. During these 7 days, you get the chance to take a breath and simply focus on YOU as I show you real-life, practical habits you can incorporate into your day quickly and easily to start making progress towards your goals.

As soon as you sign up, you'll get instant access to our private Facebook group. Once the challenge starts on Monday 6 February 2017, I'll be sending you 1 email per day that details the each of the 7 healthy habits that are going to transform your life for good. 

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What is Metabolism?

This word “metabolism” is thrown around a lot these days.

You know that if yours is too slow you might gain weight.  But what exactly does this all mean?

Well technically “metabolism” is the word to describe all of the biochemical reactions in your body.  It's how you take in nutrients and oxygen and use them to fuel everything you do.

Your body has an incredible ability to grow, heal, and generally stay alive.  And without this amazing biochemistry you would not be possible.

Metabolism includes how the cells in your body:

●      Allow activities you can control (e.g. physical activity etc.).

●      Allow activities you can't control (e.g. heart beat, wound healing, processing of nutrients & toxins, etc.).

●      Allow storage of excess energy for later.

So when you put all of these processes together into your metabolism you can imagine that these processes can work too quickly, too slowly, or just right.

Which brings us to the “metabolic rate”.  

Metabolic Rate

This is how fast your metabolism works and is measured in calories (yup, those calories!).

The calories you eat can go to one of three places:

●      Work (i.e. exercise and other activity).

●      Heat (i.e. from all those biochemical reactions).

●      Storage (i.e. extra leftover “unburned” calories stored as fat).

As you can imagine the more calories you burn as work or creating heat the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off because there will be fewer “leftover” calories to store for later.

There are a couple of different ways to measure metabolic rate.  One is the “resting metabolic rate” (RMR) which is how much energy your body uses when you're not being physically active.

The other is the “total daily energy expenditure” (TDEE) which measures both the resting metabolic rate as well as the energy used for “work” (e.g. exercise) throughout a 24-hour period.

What affects your metabolic rate?

In a nutshell: a lot!

The first thing you may think of is your thyroid.  This gland at the front of your throat releases hormones to tell your body to “speed up” your metabolism.  Of course, the more thyroid hormone there is the faster things will work and the more calories you'll burn.

But that's not the only thing that affects your metabolic rate.

How big you are counts too! 

Larger people have higher metabolic rates; but your body composition is crucial! 

As you can imagine muscles that actively move and do work need more energy than fat does.  So the more lean muscle mass you have the more energy your body will burn and the higher your metabolic rate will be.  Even when you're not working out.

This is exactly why weight training is often recommended as a part of a weight loss program.  Because you want muscles to be burning those calories for you. 

The thing is, when people lose weight their metabolic rate often slows down which you don't want to happen.  So you definitely want to offset that with more muscle mass.

Aerobic exercise also temporarily increases your metabolic rate.  Your muscles are burning fuel to move so they're doing “work”.

The type of food you eat also affects your metabolic rate!

Your body actually burns calories to absorb, digest, and metabolise your food.  This is called the “thermic effect of food” (TEF).

You can use it to your advantage when you understand how your body metabolises foods differently.

Fats, for example increase your TEF by 0-3%; carbs increase it by 5-10%, and protein increases it by 15-30%.  By trading some of your fat or carbs for lean protein you can slightly increase your metabolic rate.

Another bonus of protein is that your muscles need it to grow.  By working them out and feeding them what they need they will help you to lose weight and keep it off.

And don't forget the mind-body connection.  There is plenty of research that shows the influence that things like stress and sleep have on the metabolic rate.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to metabolism and how so many different things can work to increase (or decrease) your metabolic rate.

Recipe (Lean Protein): Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Breasts

Serves 4

2 lemons, sliced

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

dash salt & pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F (200C).  Layer ½ of the lemon slices on the bottom of a baking dish.  Sprinkle with ½ of the herbs and ½ of the sliced garlic.

Place the chicken breasts on top and sprinkle salt & pepper.  Place remaining lemon, herbs and garlic on top of the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with a lid or foil.

Bake for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  If you want the chicken to be a bit more “roasty” then remove the lid/foil and broil for another few minutes (watching carefully not to burn it)

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: You can add a leftover sliced chicken breast to your salad for lunch the next day!

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-energy-balance

Flaxseeds (Linseeds)

Did you know that some plant foods contain powerful compounds that can help us balance our own hormones?  One of the foods I’m most impressed with is -

FLAXSEEDS

Flaxseeds (or linseeds) pack a powerful nutritional punch for a such a small seed! Here’s why;

• Fibre - rich in soluble fibre, they can help fill you up, balance your blood sugar and improve elimination. All good for weight loss!
• Lignans - a sort of phytoestrogen, lignans are really great for helping to regulate our own oestrogen levels. In fact several studies have shown that consuming lignans reduces the risk of oestrogen dependent cancers such as breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
• Omega 3 fats - flaxseeds are rich in alpha linoleic acid (ALA), a plant based Omega 3 fat. Omega 3’s are essential for our cell membranes, which control the traffic of nutrients (and hormones) in and waste out. 
• Vitamins & Minerals - a rich source of vitamins and minerals

You can buy them milled already (Linwoods are a good brand) however you do need to keep them in the fridge once opened, as they are easily oxidised on contact with the air. Best to get them whole (brown or golden) and grind them yourself in a coffee grinder or you can put them in your blender.

If you eat them whole they tend to go through you undigested, so best to grind them first. Flaxseed oil is a good source of ALA but won’t contain the lignans.

A couple of tablespoons a day is all you need to get these nutrients - sprinkle on porridge, yoghurt, smoothies or salads. 

Want to learn more?

My Top 7 Time Saving Tips for Busy Women

One of the main issues many women have in their quest to eat more healthily is -

TIME!

I know how busy women are, especially if they’re over 40 with family, work and other commitments. It’s a big challenge juggling all the things we have to do!

Sometimes looking after yourself comes way down the list. That often means grabbing something quick and easy to eat, that may not be the most healthy option. 

You can’t get away from the fact that to feed your hormones well, you do need to choose fresh real food that isn’t ready made or packaged (as much as possible). 

BUT here are some big time-savers:

• Batch cooking - bulk cooking a few dishes in advance (say on a weekend) and freezing into portions makes it super easy to heat something up during the week.
• Upsize the recipes - never just make one batch of anything. Double or treble the quantities, use as leftovers for lunch the next day or evening and freeze the rest. This includes side dishes and veg - they can all be added to salads or new dishes.
• Use some ‘healthy processed foods’ - there is such a thing! I like to use ready cooked quinoa, rice and lentils to save time. Just make sure you use trusted brands and check the ingredients for any vegetable oils or additives.
• Prepare your smoothie the night before - throw your smoothie ingredients into your blender jug the night before (without the liquid) and pop into the fridge. Pour in your liquid in the morning - blend and go!
• Prepare your lunch - chop up your salad or lunch ingredients the night before, throw them together in the morning for a quick and easy packed lunch. If you have an oven or microwave at work, take in your pre-cooked soup to warm up.
• Get your shopping delivered - if you’re not set up for online shopping yet, this will save you loads of time. Have a 'favourites' list so you can quickly do your weekly shop. You can always top up during the week if you miss going to the store!
• Stock up on your store cupboard essentials - these are the items you don’t want to be running out of when you need to make a quick recipe - such as olive oil, coconut oil, spices, herbs, tomato passata, brown rice, quinoa, nuts, seeds, GF pasta/noodles.

I hope there are some useful time saving tips there to help you.

Are you planning on doing some batch cooking this weekend?

Understanding Cravings

Cravings for certain foods are nothing unusual nowadays. Everyone now and then has a craving for sweet or salty foods which isn ́t something bad unless cravings become part of your everyday life and have a negative impact on your health and wellbeing.

If you want to live a healthy lifestyle understanding your cravings is an essential part of it.

Cravings are seen as something negative, something we should suppress and are fighting against as much as possible – until we gave in and binge on whatever we are craving.

But actually, cravings are something positive. It ́s your body or your mind telling you it needs something. The key to understand cravings is to listen to yourself and find out if your body is lacking certain nutrients or if it ́s just your mind.

Instead of suppressing your cravings find out what the source of them is. It can be due to lack of nutrients, especially minerals and vitamins or sometimes because of bad food choices like fast food or processed foods which aren ́t nutritious and make our bodies crave more and more to get the nutrition it needs.

Cravings can also occur if you are not happy. You don ́t have to be physically hungry, you can also be emotionally hungry. The cause of certain cravings can be a bad relationship, not enough love, stress, depression, exhaustion or dissatisfaction.

Finding out what is the source of your food cravings is the first step of reducing them and helping you to find a healthy balance. 

Morning Routines for a Happier Life

If the sound of your alarm in the mornings is worse to you than nails on a chalkboard, and if the thought of sunbeams through your window is cringe- inducing, I’m here to help!

Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you can’t create a morning routine. In fact, a good morning routine will make you more productive during the day!

Here are my top tips for creating a morning routine for success!

1. Exercise or stretch. If you are an outdoors person, you could jog or take a walk for 10-20 minutes

2. If you are an indoors person, you could do 5 minutes of yoga, stretch your body or do a few sets of push ups.

3. Say “I love you” to yourself in the mirror. Just say it.

4. Start your morning the night before with preparation

5. Allow natural light to come in through the windows, turn on the lights!

6. Change your alarm to a pleasant song or sound

7. Stop hitting the snooze button, it makes you sleepier

8. Drink something warm when you first wake up to cleanse

9. Brush your teeth straight away to feel clean and awake

How you start your morning has a huge impact on the rest of the day and sets the tone for how your morning will progress. If you start it off sleepy and struggling to get out of bed, then there is a high chance the rest of your day will be a struggle.

Try and work out a good morning routine for yourself that puts you in a good mood and makes you feel good! Not only will your personal life be easier and happier, so will your working life too. 

My 7 Best Hormone Balancing Foods

Your hormones are essentially your body's control system. But in a time when hormone-disrupting chemicals are everywhere (processed foods, shampoos, and even scented candles and air fresheners) it doesn't take much to throw off the delicate balance. Imbalanced hormones could affect almost every part of your health.

Here I will give you my top 7 foods for balancing your hormones to include in your diet every day:

1. Dried plums (prunes)
Dried plums help to balance oestrogen levels, improving bone strength, decreasing the risk of breast cancer and encouraging a more regular cycle. Soaked prunes are also good for digestion.

2. Wild salmon
Omega 3 fatty acids are important for maintaining hormonal balance in our body and wild salmon is one of the best sources omega 3.

3. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the best foods to balance insulin.

4. Coconut oil
When it comes to balancing hormones coconut oil is by far the most beneficial one. It supports the thyroid and boosts metabolism.

5. Eggs (yolk)
Eggs have a positive effect on cortisol and help to keep the nervous system balanced.

6. Avocados
They are rich in fibre, potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and B and folic acid which are important for balancing hormones. 

7. Spices which support hormones
Ginger, turmeric, cayenne, garlic, cumin and cinnamon

Foods for Weight Loss

The easiest way to lose weight is to incorporate foods with a low calorie density into your diet. It ́s not about eating less, it ́s about eating the right kind of foods and more of them. Fruits and vegetables have a very low calorie density and are stuffed with water, fibre, minerals and vitamins – not with calories.

You can eat as much of these foods without worrying about gaining weight.

Cucumber
Cucumbers have antidiabetic and antioxidant properties and have a cleansing and detoxifying effect on the body. With 95% water cucumbers are one of the vegetables with the highest water content. They offer valuable vitamins and minerals but are extremely low in calories (only 16 calories per cup).

Celery
One large stalk of celery contains only 10 calories but provides you with many important nutrients like vitamin K, A, B6, potassium and folate. Being low in calorie and detoxifying celery is one of the best foods to eat when losing weight.

Watermelon
Watermelon is lower in carbohydrates than many other fruits. The high water amount in watermelons make you feel full and keep you hydrated which is important if you want to lose weight.

Lemon
Lemons have strong antibacterial and immune-boosting powers. They support weight loss because they are a great digestive aid and powerful liver cleanser which is important for losing or maintaining weight. Start every morning with a glass of warm water with juice of 1⁄2 a lemon.

Other low calorie foods include: 

Peppers, Tomatoes, Courgettes, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Turnips, Limes, Broccoli, Carrots, Grapefruit, Oranges, Kale, Spinach, Apples