During the month of February we’re focused on how you can best give yourself a Valentine with some Self-Care. I know you’ll agree that some healthy, self-caring behaviors can deliver immediate results or in a very short term. For example, you might have some favorite music that you play that always cheers you up or a hobby that gives you a lot of joy and its not hard to make time for it.
 
There are also some areas of self-care, though, that deliver more results in the long term and can, for some people, seem like a tough choice in the moment. For many people, good nutrition is an example of this, especially if they’ve never experienced the long-term benefits before. People know they need to have good habits in this area to feel their best, but when it comes right down to it, they can struggle with making those sensible, long-term choices. We know this to be true because of the massive failure of dieting as a strategy for getting healthy. It turns out diets are hard to stick to!!
 
So what is going on? Well, two different parts of the brain are in a battle here.
 
The emotional part of the brain responds positively to instant gratification. It can seem so much more appealing in the short term to eat that brownie when you get home from work. After all, it tastes delicious and the sugar and processed flour give a bump to your feel-good brain chemicals. You are on a sugar high! Actually we humans are designed in our hard wiring to seek out high calorie foods so it is natural for us to want them.
The emotional brain says “Yes” to the brownie!
 
The logical part of the brain, though, tries to reason it out. It knows that you should just wait to eat a healthy dinner, that would be better for your long-term health and that you’ll feel better in the long run.
 
Unhealthy choices usually happen on impulse when the emotional part of your brain triumphs over the logical one.
So how do you keep your logical brain in the driver’s seat?
 
I’ve found that one of the biggest reasons for the emotional brain to be running the show is stress and overwhelm. The logical brain can only function well when you have some reserves in the tank. If you are run ragged emotionally and physically depleted, then there is a good chance you’ll be short on logic and behave more impulsively. It’s going to be really tough in these conditions to implement any healthy, new habits that will only pay you back in the long term.
 
Reducing stress and overwhelm by having a backdrop of regular self-care and ensuring that you include positive activities in your life that bring you joy, are essential to you being able to respond well in the moment.
 
Ways to do this could be hobbies, connecting and being present with loved ones, reading, regular exercise, yoga, massage therapy, daily meditation, daily affirmations, being organized, setting boundaries, essential oils or journaling. I am sure you have many other ideas so brainstorm your own list and start incorporating them in your routines.
 
Of course there are a number of other things you can do to increase your chances of success with transforming your unhealthy patterns. I love helping people figure out and implement these strategies. It’s a huge piece of the Break the Yoyo Diet Cycle Program and for many people it is foundational to being able to implement real and lasting change in their lives. After all, if it were easy to stick to a nutrition self-care plan more people would be doing it.
 
We’ve got some great deals this month to help you with Self-Care so please take a look, we’d love to help. <3

​So last time we talked about why it is so hard for people to stop eating sugar and what chemistry is at play that keeps us hooked. So this time I wanted to discuss why we should try to kick the habit.
I’m pretty sure everyone now realizes at this stage that eating sugar is not healthy.  It makes us fat, right?  Empty calories and all that.  Rots our teeth…we all know this.
Well that’s true but that makes us think that if we want to splurge on sugar then we just cut back on calories elsewhere or work a bit harder in the gym and all will be well. And we all brush and floss so what’s the problem?

Well the fact is, excess sugar consumption is detrimental to our health in many other ways that you may not be so aware of:

Glycation
I’m putting this one near the top to appeal to your vanity. It’s not the biggest but maybe it is a motivator for you. Sugar bonds with protein molecules and impairs functioning causing stickiness in joints. It is particularly drawn to collagen and elastin in the skin. Here’s a picture of glycated skin – pretty isn’t it?!

So one of the most crucial anti-aging steps you can take is to get off sugar.

Depletion of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
Here are a couple of specific examples that illustrate how sugar depletes our storage of minerals but know that mineral deficiencies can cause leg cramps, muscle tightness, low blood sugar, diabetes, low blood pressure, PMS, ADD, depression and many more!

• It takes 56 molecules of magnesium to metabolize on molecule of sugar leaving many of us magnesium depleted and a prevalence of high blood pressure, poor sleep, neurological problems and immune issues.
• Calcium stores are drawn on to neutralize the affects of sugar.  We see direct links between sugar consumption and osteopenia.

Immune System Repression
White blood cells do not function well in a sugary environment.  It depresses our ability to fight viruses, cancer and parasites and especially bacteria.  1 tsp of sugar depresses the immune system for 5 hours.  Continued sugar consumption results in immune suppression and opens the door to infections and degenerative disease.
In a battle to gain entry to the cell, sugar wins over vitamin C which most of us know is one of our main immune boosting vitamins.

Feeding Cancer Cells
As adults we do not have many actively growing cells in our bodies except for cancer cells. Cancer cells move through each of us all the time and when we have a high sugar levels they gobble it up for growth. Remove the food for cancer cells and it is going to have a harder time taking a grip.

Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
When our system is continually bombarded with excess sugar our cells start to become resistant to the insulin produced to deliver the glucose. The body tries to compensate by producing more insulin in the battle to get circulating blood sugar levels lowered (high blood sugar is toxic). When insulin is raised continually, the body is storing fat and there is weight gain. The consequent high blood sugar is also causing damage to the nervous system, suppressing the immune system and all that we talked about above.

Stress on the system
High blood sugar causes adrenaline production, which puts stress on the adrenals and the entire system. Many of us live in a constant state of stress anyway so our adrenals are already exhausted.  When your adrenals are working overtime they may be using up resources needed for other systems like digestion, sex hormones, thyroid hormones etc.

Inflammation
Sugar is one of the main causes of inflammation in the body. We’ve talked about it before so I’ll keep it brief here. Inflammation shows up as diabetes, autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, and even autism, ADD, ADHD, eczema, asthma—even anger and aggression.

Candida
Candida is a fungal organism that is sometimes known as thrush or a yeast infection. The yeast is always moderately present in your intestinal tract but it can actually loom elsewhere in your body. Candida yeast cells live among the bacterial flora present in the gastrointestinal tract, mucosa, esophagus, small intestine, as well as on the body’s surface. In a balanced healthy state, candida is controlled and mitigated by beneficial bacteria and your immune system. Candida is a sugar-fermenting organism, feeding on blood sugar so it becomes problematic when we eat a high sugar diet. Also it can be a problem if we have a weakened immunity or we possess low levels of beneficial bacteria. Women are typically more susceptible to yeast growth but everyone has a potential to develop a yeast condition.


Does that all motivate you or depress you? It’s a tough one I know! Shifting something in your diet is not easy and particularly with sugar because of its addictive nature and prevalence, not to mention it is wrapped up with so many emotional connections (rewards, treats, celebrations). Most people need help to make lasting change in this area and sometimes it is helpful to check your nutrient levels to have something to really motivate you.  We offer support in these areas so please reach out if you need us.

One of the biggest issues I find with clients is their addiction to sugar.  They know they need to stop eating it but try as they might it lures them back in every time. Understanding why is always the first step to figuring out what to do about a problem.  So I’ll tell you…

It’s all about Blood Sugar Control and Brain Chemistry!

You can learn more about how sugar gets us hooked if you keep reading my full article.  In my next blog I’ll look at the other negative health consequences of a sugar laden diet to give you some real motivation to change.

Breaking the cycle can be a challenge and most people need some guidance and support through the process.  We can work with you to find other ways to support you with blood sugar stabilization and healthy brain chemistry.

So here are the addictive aspects of sugar that plague us. Maybe you identify with some of the symptoms of situations I talk about. 

Blood Sugar
Many people are feasting throughout the whole day on sugar (and white processed foods) that turn to blood sugar quickly.  When they wake in the morning their blood sugar is low.  The grab their sugar laden morning coffee and muffin which causes their blood sugar to shoot through the roof.  There is a temporary good feeling and a burst of energy.

The blood sugar spike is a warning signal to the body that causes it to pump out adrenaline.  When this is going on throughout the day the adrenals can become over worked and a consequence can be adrenal fatigue.

But back to the coffee and muffin story….Soon after the high, the blood sugar crashes back down again quickly. Someone who is affected by low blood sugar may experience tiredness, restlessness, confusion, forgetfulness, poor concentration, irritability and anger.  Low blood sugar is a danger situation for the body and triggers it to look for their next sugary carb fix.  And so the pattern continues.

Serotonin
This is the feel good chemical that our body produces. People low in serotonin are often fretful, anxious, depressed, short in attention span, scattered, angry or aggressive.

Blood sugar assists with driving tryptophan across the blood brain barrier to make serotonin. Of course we need serotonin and we want to have some glucose in our system to do that.  But the reason doctors prescribe so many SSRI anti-depressants is not because people are lacking in sugar intake!  The trouble comes with too much sugar which gives a temporary serotonin rush but stresses the adrenals as we said before and so ultimately depletes us.  It’s one of the reasons we get hooked to sugar.

Beta-Endorphins
Beta-endorphins are the body’s pain killer.  Those with low levels experience self esteem issues, poor coping skills, feelings of inadequacy and isolation, a sense of being stuck, have a victim mentality and an extreme response to criticism.  Heroin is a beta endorphin and addicts can take up to six months to deal with their feelings of low self esteem which is why recovery rates are low.

Sugar can also affect beta-endorphin levels.  Not surprisingly people who have low levels of beta-endorphins reach for sugar.  It is actually just the taste of the sugar that activates the beta-endorphins, not it’s effect on the body, so eating other foods that give pleasure will produce the same affect.

Dopamine
Sugar’s taste ultimately leads to dopamine being released, which provides us with motivation, concentration, alertness, euphoria – the long term planning chemical that allows us to work hard now for something that will benefit us later.


Let us know how you relate to this and what worked for you if you managed to get off your sugar habit.

​Sometimes being healthier is just a matter of an easy switch over from something unhealthy to a better alternative and doesn't have to be about deprivation or dieting.  Here's one that is simple; a great way to raise your micronutrient intake and reduce your exposure to toxins.

The goal of a cleanse is to detoxify the body and restore optimal health. A cleanse is beneficial because a toxic environment can wreak havoc on your health. Your natural detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed and toxins build up in the body.


Consider the list of questions below to assess your toxicity and determine how far you are from "Ideal". 
I find this list a useful reminder of the areas where I am less than perfect so I thought I would share.

If you have significant work to do to get to the ideal responses on most of these questions then I recommend that you start working on a cleanse program to reduce your toxic exposure and help your body eliminate some of the toxins that have built up. I believe this is best done in a way that is gentle and realistic for you so that you can make some lasting lifestyle changes.

Please contact us if you’d like some support with detoxifying your body and your life.
Questions to help you figure out your toxicity level

• How many bowel movements do you have? Ideal 1-3 daily
• How is your skin? Ideal = Balanced (neither oily or dry)
• How many rounds of antibiotics have you taken in past five years? Ideal = 0
• How often do you experience significant gas and bloating? Ideal = rarely (<1 per week)
• Do you have a diagnosed thyroid condition like hypothyroidism, Hashimotos, or Graves? Ideal = no 
• Describe your gallbladder health. Ideal = never had gallstones 
• How would you rate the growth of your hair and nails? Ideal = excellent
• How many servings of organic protein do you consume weekly? Ideal = >10
• How often do you consume conventionally raised meat, farm-raised fish, and non-organic dairy servings weekly? Ideal = 0-1
• How many glasses of purified water or spring water do you drink per day (not from the tap)? Ideal = 8+ 
• Do you feel tired or lack energy? Ideal = rarely
• How many cups of caffeinated coffee or energy drinks do you drink per day? Ideal = 0
• Do you work with commercial solvents, household cleaners, or paints? How often are you exposed to these items?  
Ideal = rarely
• How many silver (amalgam) fillings do you have in your teeth? Ideal = 0
• How often do you use conventional personal care products with non-organic ingredients? Ideal = rarely
• Have you had a flu shot or vaccine in the past five years? Ideal = no
• How many medications do you take daily? Ideal = 0
• How many servings of vegetables and fruits do you consume each day? Ideal = 7+servings
• How many hours per week of focused exercise do you perform each week?
Ideal = 5+hours
• How many pounds overweight are you? Ideal = 0-5lbs
• Do you ever experience joint stiffness or a lack of flexibility? Ideal = rarely 
• How many times do you miss work or school each year due to not feeling well? Ideal = 0-1 time
• How much sunlight do you get each week? Ideal = 2+hours
• How many times a week do you consume artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin? Ideal = never
• On average, how many hours do you sleep per night? Ideal = 8+hours
• During the past month, how many days have you felt unusually sad or down? Ideal = 0-3

One of the things I’ve noticed over the many years I’ve been helping people implement change in their lifestyle is that what many need is simply more support and education.  Most of our clients come to us at a point in their life where they are ready for change.  They are willing to put in the work to make adjustments to shopping, cooking, what they are eating, when, their exercise routine and so on but it is just tough to figure out what changes to make for the best and how to implement the change effectively.  Many of them have already tried to go it alone and not had much success.

There is so much information out there that many people are suffering from nutrition confusion.  Maybe they are following whatever Dr. Oz is recommending this week – that can be hard to keep up with!!  Or perhaps they are trying to follow the government’s dietary guidelines and not getting results.  Everything seems so contradictory!  Typically people need some education and direction to figure out what their priorities should be because there is no “one size fits all” solution.

The next step after making a plan is implementation.  It almost seems obvious that support would be helpful in making significant change in our lifestyle but we do tend to forget it.  I know I am guilty of trying to do a lot of things in my life on my own even though I don’t always have the knowledge, skills or time to figure it all out.  It can be exhausting to struggle alone with things and get nowhere!  When I finally breakdown and get help it is always such a relief.

Add to this the fact that our habits around our food and lifestyle have developed over our entire life.  Many factors play in to what we eat and why as well as how we think about our health.  To name a few:  culture, family, friends, education, location, work.  You can probably think of more in your own life.  Changing habits is incredibly hard.  It is tough to undo our established programing and to do something different.  Often the food that we are eating is also contributing to physical cravings as well.  This is a double whammy!

If this rings true to you then let us sift through the science for you and offer practical, real-world solutions that work for you, your body and your life.  We hold you accountable and work with you ongoing to make sure you are staying on track.  We empower you with you’re the tools you need for success!

Are you ready to get the support you need to reach your health goals in 2015?

Book your initial Basic “Optimal You” Nutrition Plan before January 16th 2015 and you save $50.

Here’s to a happy and successful New Year!

For most of us the holidays are a time for gathering with friends and family, enjoying special foods and drinking more than usual.  The shopping, cooking, planning, family gatherings etc. can add an additional layer of stress to your already full life.  Love it or hate it, this period poses a number of different challenges for your health and your weight.

When our body is stressed it actually responds by raising our blood sugar and putting us into fat storage mode.  Of course stress can also cause difficulties with digestion and abdominal pain, headaches, raised blood pressure and so on.  In other words, your health can really take a hit if you don’t pay attention!

So what can you do?  These are some of my thoughts and suggestions on how to support yourself so you can arrive at 2015 ready to tackle the New Year with enthusiasm and without an extra 5lbs of body fat to deal with.

• ·Don’t give up your exercise routine.   If you are away from home and can’t stick to your usual routine, do something!  I mean it!  Exercise should be top of your list!  This is one of the best ways to help your body handle stress and allows you to work off some of the extra calories.

• ·      Make sure you pay attention to how much sleep you are getting.  Sleep is so important for our body and if you don’t get enough sleep your body is essentially running on empty.  Typically people might use coffee or other caffeine containing drinks to get through the day when they don’t sleep.  Basically this just pushes your body more…. more stress!  Another go to is sugary food, which gives you a quick boost of energy but results in more fat storage.  If you do decide to stay late at a party, then try to catch up later whether by having a couple of early nights or a nap the next day.

• ·      If everything going on has you all wound up then you may need to find some techniques to wind down that are simple to build in to your day.  This could be listening to music that you enjoy, spending a few minutes quietly taking some deep breaths or calling a friend.  Make a plan for what you will do in stressful situations so that when you get there you don’t just eat ice-cream out of the tub and feel sorry for yourself.

• ·      Don’t set yourself unrealistic goals and deprive yourself.  The more you try to abstain from everything, the more you will want to indulge.  Then it’s just a case of how much willpower you can exercise, and most of us have a limited supply of that.

• ·      It is best to plan ahead for an event where there will be a lot of food and alcohol.  If you can, decide ahead of time where you will indulge because it’s worth it to you.  I have been gluten free for a year but at Thanksgiving I decided I would have a slice of pie because it was worth it to me.  I lived to tell the tale!!  But be moderate!  It doesn’t have to be a huge slice of pie, right?  The first two mouthfuls taste the best anyway.  And if you want to have a glass of two of wine maybe you should abstain from the bread.

• ·      Keep a regular eating schedule – our metabolism rebels if we starve it all day so we can pig out on a big meal in the evening.  Instead, make it a goal to have a lot of healthy options around that you like so that you can fuel up on those.

​

• ·      I am a big believer in supplementation to support the body.  It is so hard even on a regular day to give your body the nutrition it needs.  At this time of year it is even more challenging.  My favorites for the holidays are included in my December 12th 2014 newsletter with a 15% discount by rebate as my holiday gift to you!  If you’re not on my newsletter list please contact me and I’d be happy to email it out to you.  We also offer complimentary sessions to help you design a healthy wellness focused supplement regime.

Have a Happy, Healthy Holiday!