I personally like to start my day with some type of cardio. Not to burn calories, but to promote a more positive hormonal profile. Getting my body moving in the morning will release mood boosting hormones, as well as result in a higher cortisol output. Cortisol should be naturally high in the morning and...
There is so much misinformation out there when it comes to health and fitness, from quick fixes to unrealistic ideas of what “healthy” or “fit” really is and what it should look like. My goal has always been to give real people realistic goals, and share accurate information along the way. It’s important to know...
Exercising more and cutting your calories isn’t sustainable. Simply put: If you drastically cut your calories and exercise more, your metabolism WILL slow down and your body will try and hold on to every bit of fat, because it thinks it is in “starvation” mode. Cutting your calories may yield weight loss, but it...
What you need to know about Hormonal Birth Control: Hormonal Birth Control works by overriding the normal hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian hormonal axis and suppresses ovulation. When you’re not ovulating, your body thinks you are pregnant. When you start taking the placebo pills, estrogen levels drop and your body begins to menstruate. Basically, this unnatural cycle causes...
I’m sure a lot of you have heard the saying “you are what you eat” but have you ever heard “you are what you eat ate”? A lot of companies are now making it public that they are switching over to “antibiotic/hormone free meat”. Why? What these animals eat and how they are raised...
Regulated blood sugar levels can play a major role in your journey of achieving optimal health! What is the Glycemic Index? It’s a system that ranks foods based on their effect on blood sugar levels. Consistent levels of high blood sugar levels can lead to damage to vessels that supply blood to your major...
I love the taste of bbq’d meats and vegetables (as do a lot of people) but unfortunately grilling on the BBQ does increase the amount of carcinogens in your meats. I personally don’t think you have to completely avoid the using the bbq – but there are definitely ways on how you can decrease...
All protein isn’t created equal. Consuming 30g of protein from a chicken breast is not the same as consuming 30g of protein from a protein shake. Are you consuming the majority of your protein macros as shakes and wondering why you aren’t seeing the results you want? Why? 1. Absorption rate. A protein shake...
Calorie counting may work in the short term, but more times than not – it is just a “quick fix” based on restriction. Plain and simple: Solely focusing on calories in vs calories out is not a sustainable way of living. Don’t get me wrong, I believe being aware, reading nutrition labels and learning...
One of the first things I do as soon as I wake up is drink water! Even if you don’t feel thirsty, you just went (hopefully) 8 hours without drinking any water. Drinking more water aids in the detoxification and elimination process. Our kidneys are the real MVPs (our filtration system) but they NEED...
Plain and simple: What you choose to eat to break your fast (doesn’t necessarily need to be breakfast) sets your tone for your metabolism and how you are going to utilize energy for the day. What should you eat? This depends on your metabolism and your health goals, but ensuring that your first meal...
Consuming enough healthy dietary fats is REQUIRED for optimal hormonal health. In order to maintain and regulate proper hormone function, we need specific healthy fats – as they are the foundation of important hormones like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol and DHEA. Ensuring you are consuming enough healthy fats can actually prevent cravings and keep us...
I am sure you have probably heard of “eating the rainbow” before. If you haven’t, this means ensuring your diet consists of an array of different coloured whole foods to increase your intake of nutrients and healthful food components. Certain colours of certain foods indicate specific nutrients. Yellow and Orange fruits and vegetables are...