What You Eat vs. How Much You Eat

What You Eat vs. How Much You Eat

by | May 24, 2017 | Diets, Self-care, Weight Gain, Weight Loss

Tired of counting calories and obsessing about how much you eat? Consider focusing on what and how you eat instead!

There is no shortage of health information available on the internet, in the media, and from well-meaning family and friends.

But some of that information may be doing you more harm than good.

 

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.

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 try and aim for:

  • A colourful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. You need the fiber, 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?

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 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 – 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 fiber like ground flax or chia seeds.

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

Thanks for reading and keep well,

 

Tara

Internal Fat – What it is, and why it matters

Internal Fat – What it is, and why it matters

by | Mar 28, 2017 | Self-care, Uncategorized, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Women over 40

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

It can be too easy to think (or worry) about your weight.

But you know what? There is something else that may be more important when it comes to real health. That is your waist circumference.

That internal fat (AKA “visceral fat”) is known to release hormones and inflammatory compounds that can mess with your blood sugar, blood fats (i.e. triglycerides), and blood pressure.

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

Let’s look at your waist circumference….

 

Waist Circumference (AKA “Belly Fat”):

Do you remember the fruity body shape descriptions being like an “apple” or a “pear”? The apple is round around the middle 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)?

The 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 fiber. Fiber 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-fiber foods are Brussels 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.
  • Say goodbye to 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. I know this is a tough one. 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).

 

My final tip: Release any guilt you may have about your body shape. We are all born with a genetic propensity to have a body shape. Full-figured, pear-shaped women will never have slender thighs, and apple-shaped women will never have some hourglass shape or washboard abs … it is simply not possible, no matter how much you exercise or diet.

Try to follow some of the actionable tips to help reduce your ‘visceral’ fat. Remember, baby steps, every little change helps.

 

Keep well and thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Ways to Stop Overeating!

Three Ways to Stop Overeating!

by | Feb 28, 2017 | Diets, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Women over 40

We all overeat sometimes, the amazing aroma and delicious flavour gets the best of us.

Unfortunately, this can have a big impact on our weight, energy levels, and overall health and wellbeing.

Here are three tips to avoid overeating!

 

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 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.

Not only will the water start to fill 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 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), use a small plate, and rest your cutlery 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: fiber and water.

Fiber and water are known to help 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 mason jar in the morning.

If you can make these three things a regular habit and part of your daily routine you’ve got one up on the overeating cravings.

 

Thanks for reading, and keep well,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s All About your Metabolism

It’s All About your Metabolism

by | Feb 13, 2017 | Self-care, Uncategorized, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Women over 40

What is Metabolism?

Do “calories” really count?

 

Well, yes they do, but they’re not the only thing that matters when it comes to how much you weigh and how much energy you have. In other words it’s all about your 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. heartbeat, 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.

 

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 metabolize your food. This is called the “thermic effect of food” (TEF).

You can use it to your advantage when you understand how your body metabolizes 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.

 

You might have to do some experimenting, but rest assured there are a number of effective strategies for hitting your “metabolic reset” button—it’s just a matter of finding where yours is stuck.

 

Thanks for reading and keep well,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Fat Flush

The New Fat Flush

by | Nov 7, 2016 | Cleansing, Diets, Self-care, Uncategorized, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Women over 40

The New Fat Flush Plan Is Coming!

For over 25 years, The Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman has helped millions of people lose weight, reboot their metabolism, flush toxins, restore their liver, and change people’s lives for the better….myself included!

After reading The Fat Flush Plan, my passion for nutrition was ignited. Ann Louise inspired my journey into health and wellness, which led me to become a Health Coach. She is a true pioneer in her field and a wealth of knowledge for the community. She has been so instrumental in my own health and that of my family. We have a standing joke in our house; all products must be Ann Louise approved. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ann Louise on my Radiance Summit earlier this year and it was clear that she has such a passion for her work.

Ann Louise has updated her classic plan – The New Fat Flush Plan is now available for pre-order just in time for the holidays. I can’t wait to get my copy!!

Fat Flush revolutionized the detox and dieting concept and we are all standing on the shoulders of the Fat Flush Phenomenon.          -Mark Hyman, MD

Ann Louise Gittleman, the award-winning New York Times bestselling author, once again challenges conventional dietary wisdom to rewrite the rules of nutrition.  A trendsetter for decades, her Fat Flush Plan revolutionized weight loss by helping tens of thousands of people recognize the critical role the liver plays in the detox/diet connection and overall health.

Now, The New Fat Flush Plan follows in that same bold path.

With the primary focus, still on the liver’s role as the #1 fat burning organ, The New Fat Flush delves deeper into the latest research-based causes of weight loss resistance and expands into the 10 Hidden Weight Gain Factors.  Ann Louise presents targeted regimens to correct sneaky saboteurs that are frequently overlooked like missing magnesium, fattening chemicals, a messy microbiome, hidden hitchhikers, and a sluggish or non-existent gallbladder.

Fat Flush stands apart from Paleo, Primal, Ketogenic, and Vegan diets by making the case that diet without detox is doomed to fail thanks to the unprecedented number of current toxins and hormone disruptors we face every day. The book promotes a daily detox eating plan that features surprisingly delicious Fat Flushing fruits, vegetables, oils, quality proteins, cleansing Fat Flush water, Fat Flush bone broth, and healing spices – all showcased in four weeks of easy menus and tasty recipes for the whole family.

Fat Flush has a time-tested and proven track record of success, with thousands of individuals who have lost weight and achieved overall health and relief from autoimmune and degenerative disease as a byproduct. The New Fat Flush Plan builds on this success for even more effortless weight loss.

In addition, The New Fat Flush presents:

      • NEW Three-Day Ultra Fat Flush Tune-Upfor quicker cleansing and results
      • NEW health revelationslinking the gallbladder and liver to thyroid health
      • NEW hidden weight gain factors that explain why it’s not your fault you’re fat
      • NEW meals, menus, and shopping lists
      • NEW tips for managing insulin, hormone, and stress levels
      • NEW slimming smart fats and sweeteners
      • NEW gluten-free tips for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance

The New Fat Flush Plan also includes over 75 recipes including slow cooker means, crunchy snacks, satisfying soups and healthy desserts that are more easy-to-follow and family-friendly, plus, an updated brand name shopping list.

Here is a link to pre-order on Amazon.

Here is a link that details how to access the gift bundle that she is giving away with all verified pre-orders.

Here’s where you can find Ann Louise:

Ann Louise’s website.

Ann Louise’s Facebook.

Ann Louise’s Twitter.

 

Thanks for reading and keep well,

 

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Cook at Home and Tantalize Your Taste Buds

Cook at Home and Tantalize Your Taste Buds

by | Jun 14, 2016 | Diets, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Women over 40

Cooking your own meals affords you the peace of mind that goes along with having complete control over the type and quality of ingredients in your meals and to control portion sizes. Restaurant and other commercially prepared foods are notoriously high in fat, salt, and sugar. Preparing meals at home also allows you to easily accommodate family members or guests who have allergies or food intolerances.

 

Reclaim your kitchen. Throw away items with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats or sugar, and those with a list of ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Fill your shelves with real, fresh, whole, local foods when possible. Plant a garden if you have a green thumb, or if you’re like me who unfortunately doesn’t, you can join a local CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – click here for more information on how to do that.

 

Try to avoid frying foods by learning to roast or bake or even by adding more raw foods to boost flavour and reduce extra calories.  Experiment with herbs and spices to reduce your salt intake. You can also incorporate lemons and limes to add flavour.

 

Not only is eating at home kinder to your waistline, but it is also kinder to your wallet.  Eating at restaurants even just a few times a week can easily cost more than a full weeks’ worth of groceries.  The key to maximizing your savings is being organized.  Plan your week’s meal in advance and write a grocery list and remember NOT to shop on an empty stomach. If you don’t have time to eat a meal prior to going to the grocery shop, then make sure you have some healthy snacks. You can make this a family activity. You don’t have to make elaborate labour intensive meals, keep it fast and simple.

 

Cooking at home also teaches you to savor the food you have made.  The act of preparing and cooking your own meals can help everyone who is involved learn to appreciate and enjoy the food.  Learning to savor your food can help you tune into the act of eating, making you less likely to overeat and thereby less likely to become overweight.

 

Children benefit greatly from the ritual of eating meals together.  Family meals provide opportunities for sharing the day’s events.  Cooking meals at home and involving your children in food preparation is the best way to teach them healthy eating habits as found in this article from Dr. Mercola.

 

The most important and the most powerful tool you have to change your health and the world is your fork.  

Dr. Mark Hyman

 

 

Tip:  Don’t forget about left-over’s, they are a great time-saver.  For example, if you make one large pot of quinoa in the morning you can eat it for breakfast to substitute your sugary cereal, mix it with a salad for lunch, and use what’s left to add to a stir-fry for dinner.

 

Please reach out and let me know if there are any specific topics you would like me to blog about. I would to hear your thoughts.

 

Keep well and thanks for reading.

 

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