Exercise
Go for a run, take a bike ride, create a backyard circuit, climb the stairs, or do some yoga. Stuck indoors? Then live stream an exercise class. If you do not have weights, use your body weight to continue building strength. Read More→
Archive for Nutrition and Exercise
If you have difficulty managing your waistline no matter how much exercise you do, the answer could be with balancing your cortisol, not increasing your workouts.Cortisol is a hormone related to stress that specifically targets the fat cells in the abdominal area. Constant stress produces chronic levels of cortisol, and this could be the very reason that you continue to battle your waistline. Read More→
The Life Changing Workout is a program that is guaranteed to improve body composition, alleviate mood, boost energy, promote better sleep, improve sex, and combat health conditions and diseases. Would you like to know what this workout is? The Life Changing Workout is any physical activity that you can do consistently, not only for a week or for the month, but regularly over the long term. Read More→
Staying Motivated and sticking with your workout plan isn’t always easy.
Here’s how to stay motivated into the cooler months. (Excuses & Solutions)
Excuse “It’s too hard to get out of bed on cold, dark mornings!”
Solutions:
● Create Heat – make sure the room is warm when you get up. Or better yet, put your workout clothes on the radiator so they are warm and ready to go.
● Find a Friend – find someone who will commit to joining you in the morning for walks or workouts and hold you accountable for showing up. Accountability can make all the difference!
Excuse “I may be out of bed but I still don’t want to workout.”
Solution:
● Dress the Part – the truth is there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices. If you’ve balked at the cost of higher-priced outdoor gear, just ask anyone who’s used them: The price is easily offset by the increase in enjoyment, comfort, and enthusiasm. Or, maybe it’s time to treat yourself: New gear might be the bribe you need to get outdoors.
Excuse “It’s too much hassle”
Solution:
● Keep it Simple, Smarty (K.I.S.S.) – the best way to overcome our excuses is not to create them in the first place. If you have to drive too far in the snow or ride a cold subway across town, you’re creating extra hurdles that will attract excuses.
Go for a 25 minute run around the office block at lunch, do 3 laps of your neighbourhood first thing, or switch things up at the gym by using only the machines you don’t have to wait for. You’ll finish a quality workout with less hassle and at a pace that feels rewarding.
Excuse “I can’t find the same passion or fire to do it regularly”
Solution:
● Use mini-goals for major rewards – set small targets that create the focus and discipline to stay on track. Always write your goals down, making them specific, measurable and achievable, and track progress so you can reward yourself for the results.
Excuse “I’m bored with my workouts”
Solution:
● Step out of the ordinary – take a Yoga or Pilates class. They are easy on the joints and provide great lasting benefits. Do you need a mental break from a tough season? Cross train with a different sport that doesn’t require a stop watch or a power meter. This will help ease your mind from information overload so you can stay active without stressing over stats.
Maybe you’re working two jobs and find it hard to fit in a good night’s sleep, let alone make multiple trips to the grocery store every week. Or you and your partner have wildly different schedules and cooking for one just doesn’t sound like fun. Or perhaps your mom was a microwave maven and you simply never learned how to cook. Read More→
The average person gains 2 to 5 pounds in the month of December.
Most of that is due to dietary choices in food and drink. Being active will help burn those extra calories. Here are some tips to help you this month:
- Exercise does not have to be in the gym. Try some winter activities like skating, snowshoeing or even walking at night to look at lights.
- A short workout is better than no workout.Trust us, even 20 minutes of exercise will make you
“feel” better and sleep better. Do 20 minutes of cardio in a HIIT format. (high intensity interval training). - Can’t do your usual 5 times a week? Don’t throw your hands up and quit, go twice.
- Can’t get to a gym? Try stretching for 15 minutes and 20 sit-ups and 20 push ups.
- Enjoy time with family and friends and don’t stress about missing your workouts, we will be
here to help get you back on track in January!
Rainy dark days, shorter hours of daylight, less sunshine; November can be an emotionally challenging month for many people.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SADs) makes up about 10% of depression cases and woman seem to be more affected than men1 . Eating a whole foods diet, while avoiding refined foods and sugar can help to alleviate symptoms.
Common symptoms of SADs are: Read More→
How to keep a cold at bay…
Support your Immune System
Cold and flu season is coming, but that doesn’t mean your family has to get sick! If you’re determined to stay cold and flu free, there are some simple steps you can take that might help you dodge those bugs. Bolster your natural defenses with our practical and tasty suggestions.
Eat lots of brightly colored fruit and vegetables
Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beetroot are rich in beta-carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. We need vitamin A to keep the mucosal linings in our nose and lungs robust enough to defend against infection. Other foods to include are orange and red fruits such as oranges, mango, apricots and melon.
Add Garlic & Onion to Dishes
This amazing family of vegetables contain potent oils that have an anti-microbial action, so they may help protect against bacterial and viral infections. They also support good gut health as prebiotics by promoting the growth of healthy bacteria.
Eat enough vitamin C
Studies suggest that high doses of vitamin C are most relevant for people exposed to brief periods of intense physical stress such as endurance athletes, or those living in very cold environments.
Eating plenty of fruit and veggies every day should give us enough vitamin C to support the healthy function of the immune system.
Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D is thought to protect against respiratory infections by boosting levels of antimicrobial peptides – natural antibiotic-like substances – in the lungs.
While certain foods such as oily fish contain vitamin D, most of it is obtained through sunlight on the skin! Everyone should “consider” taking supplements during the autumn and winter months to protect against upper respiratory infections.
Drink some Tea
Try a cup of green tea with lemon and honey. Drinking tea and breathing in steam stimulates the cilia—the hair follicles in the nose—to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus, and honey is antibacterial.”
Drink More Water
The cold and flu season is no fun. The sniffling, sneezing and headaches add up to a big discomfort for many. By drinking adequate amounts of water, water helps to wash germs and viruses out of your immune system and keeps the body hydrated. Drink according to your size, weight, activity level and gender.
Stay Active
When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body.
The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. This includes (but is certainly not limited to) seasonal colds and influenza.
Get a Protein Fix
Diets that are too low in protein can deplete the immune system. So make sure to get protein-rich foods throughout the day, especially fish, eggs and yogurt.“ Beans are another high source of protein to compliment your diet.
Sanitize your office space
Try and keep your office space clean with a good disinfectant at least once a week. It’s just basic hygiene. Rhinoviruses can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours!
Wash Your Hands Frequently
Handwashing is the best way to prevent colds and other respiratory and infectious diseases that are transmitted by hand to mouth or hand to nose and eye contact. Soap acts as a vehicle to trap the germs that are loosened by the act of rubbing your hands together under water. These germs can then be rinsed away by the water.”
Get Some Sleep
Research shows that our bodies need seven to eight hours of sleep in order to stimulate an immune response from our ‘natural killer cells,’ which attack viruses. Sleep is my most reliable defense against infection.”
References
https://www.readersdigest.ca/health/conditions/10-ways-beat-cold/
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19530973/10-ways-to-stop-a-cold-in-its-tracks/
By Louis Baker
We often focus on foods to help fuel the body, but what about healthy foods to fuel the brain?
Lack of good nutrition can be detrimental to brain health and mental well-being. There is a strong link between a high sugar, processed foods diet and impaired memory function and depression.
Scientists are now calling Alzheimer’s Type 3 diabetes! Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769828/
A diet that focuses on brain health should include the following foods.
- Monounsaturated Fatty Acids – MUFAs are good fats that increase the levels of acetylcholine – an essential brain chemical required for learning and memory. Olive oils and avocados are a great source of MUFAs.
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids – a major component of the cell membrane that forms the nerve cell. Good sources of omega 3 fatty acids are sardines, salmon, and mackerel. Plant based sources are flax seed, hemp seeds, chia seeds, broccoli, brussel sprouts and walnuts.
- Anti-inflammatory foods – curcumin the key chemical in turmeric, is a potent anti-inflammatory for the brain. Turmeric can be used in cooking or for making a delicious turmeric latte. Another strong anti-inflammatory food for the brain is cacao, the raw form of chocolate. So, indulge in that piece of dark chocolate. It’s good for the brain!
- L-theanine produces the brain chemical GABA which can promote brain clarity. Green tea and matcha tea are good sources of L-theanine.
- Antioxidants and flavonoids – Found in colorful fruits and vegetables. They help to combat everyday oxidative stress and free radicals our cells are exposed to on a daily basis. They also decrease damage to nerve cells. Berries, especially blueberries, are a great source of antioxidants.
Prevention is the key to any illness so support your brain health by consuming the above foods on a daily basis.
I always think September feels more like a ‘new year’ than January. The feel of fall in the air, shorter days, cooler evenings, the back to school schedule, new sports teams and activities starting. With all of this comes packing lunches, ensuring healthy snacks are available and often less time to prepare dinners.
Making healthy nutritional choices can be difficult when time and energy are not on your side. Being prepared and recognizing the importance of nutrient dense fuel for the brain and the body can make the tasks a little easier.
Below are some tips for starting September off on the right nutritional foot and feeling the benefits:
- Plan ahead. Whether you like to batch cook or simply have the ingredients available in your kitchen, knowing what you are having for meals ahead of time is imperative. Some people work well with meal planning for the whole week, others plan a few days in advance. Whatever your preference, knowing what you are going to eat ahead of time limits the fast food and take out options.
- Make more than you need. When preparing dinners, make extra. A few additional chicken breasts or a larger pot of turkey chili means left overs for lunches and possibly tomorrow’s dinner.
- Prepare breakfast the night before. Overnight oats, egg muffins, chia pudding, smoothie, to name a few, can all be prepared the night before so breakfast isn’t forgotten or picked up at your local coffee spot. A nutritious protein rich breakfast helps to balance blood sugar levels and will keep you satiated.
- Pack lunches the night before. Leftovers from dinner make great lunches. While cleaning up from dinner pack away the leftovers in your lunch containers. Mason jar salads are another easy lunch that can be prepared the night before. Add the leftover protein from your dinner to the salad.
- Have the kids help with their lunches. Get creative and let the kids come up with some healthy foods they can take for snacks and lunches. Be open minded and have only healthy choices available for them. It’s their lunch. If they help prepare it they may even eat it! Doing this the night before is much saner then early in the morning when you are pressed for time.
- When grocery shopping purchase items that can be used for more than one meal. The tomatoes you purchase can be used in the sauce one night, sliced up for a greek salad the following, and can also be eaten as a snack.
- When preparing dinner slice up extra vegetables and store them so that they are an easy go to snack. Opening the fridge and finding the carrots, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes etc already washed and sliced means the kids are more likely to eat them. Of course, you will need to have some hummus for dipping!
- Homemade energy bars are a quick pre-activity snack and you control the ingredients your kids (or you) are consuming. Choose recipes that use raw honey or maple syrup instead of sugar and nuts, hemp seeds or nut butters for a protein component. Make extra and keep them in the freezer. Most bars or protein balls keep for weeks in the freezer.
- If time is an issue when it comes to grocery shopping there are many options for you. Most grocery stores have a delivery service. Many companies offer online shopping that delivers to your door. You can do your grocery shopping in your pajamas with your cup of chamomile tea!
- There are meal preparation companies that can make your life easier. Use them a few days a week. You can choose food that comes fresh and ready to cook, precooked meals or even meals that are prepared for you in your kitchen! HelloFresh, Fresh Prep, CHOMP, Real Meals, Eat Your Cake, Fresh in Your Fridge, are a few to check out.
Eating healthy should not be difficult or stressful. Being prepared and organized and finding a plan that works for you and your family is the key.
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