All posts filed under: Nutrition

The Top 5 Not So Obvious Foods That Are Making You Bloated

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Feeling gassy, bloated and just down right uncomfortable?  I’m sure there was one point over the holidays you’ve wanted to change into your pyjamas to avoid the bulging bloated feeling in your clothing. I’m the first to admit that this was me after a big turkey dinner, some red wine and the platter of different desserts I taste-tested 😉  Oh boy was my tummy swollen! But it’s easy to chalk up your bloated feeling to overeating…and yes, that is a factor but what happens when this awful bloated feeling doesn’t go away and creeps up on you even when you’re eating healthy and balanced meals? We need to find out what is causing this so we can fit back into our pants! Pay attention to these not so obvious foods the could be causing your bloating. 1. Yogurt It’s played up for for its good-for your belly probiotics, but certain types of yogurt could actually be doing you more harm than good. That’s because dairy products contain varying levels of the sugar molecule lactose, which …

15 Reasons Why You Are Still Bloated When You’re Eating Healthy & Clean!

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As a Mom, Nutritionist and Weight Loss Coach, I’m obviously very health conscious and I choose to eat foods that make be feel good and give me energy for my busy days. So when I personally experience bloating or I have my clients experience bloating red flags go off! Holistic Nutritionist, Erin Gauthier and myself have come up with a detailed list of some of the ‘suspects’ of bloating even if you are eating healthy and clean. Next time your bloated run threw this list, and see if you can identify the culprit…FYI it could be one of these or a combination. You are Dehydrated. The body is holding on to water, or rather its holding onto sodium, in order to preserve water. This is also why chronic dehydration can cause hypertension (high blood pressure.) What to do about it? DRINK 3-4litres of water per day (depending on activity level). When the body is hydrated properly, it no longer holds onto sodium. allow your body to flush. bye bye water bloat. Are you taking a …

Enjoy Food. Don’t avoid food.

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Over the course of the last decade plus, I’ve experimented with countless of different eating styles and diets – Atkins, Vegan, Vegetarian, Octo-Lacto, Pescetarian, Macrobiotic, Paleo, Juicing, Cleansing, high fat, low fat, Intermittent Fasting, Bulletproof, etc. To this day I continue to try new things and research how I feel and how it applies to my life. Each eating style certainly has their benefits but, in my opinion, there is NO PERFECT WAY TO EAT because each and every single person on this planet is unique. There are different body types, people have different goals, different lifestyles, food sensitivities, live in different climates, geography and food availability could be an issue, age requires different nutrients, and even weather play a part in our food needs. Having countless food options increases your chances to achieve optimal health, vibrancy, and your own fitness goals. Whether it’s too much of a particular type of food or too little of certain nutrients, the best way to harmonize the body is by creating balance but as many of us know …

Slowdown The Effects Of Aging With Antioxidants

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Antioxidants are the vitamins and minerals that come from foods that we eat. These antioxidants fight free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules) which cause damage to the skin cells and other cells in the body. When your skin cells are “attacked” by free radicals, this will lead to bad skin conditions and of course, aging. Wrinkles will show and your skin will have a less youthful look to it. The good news is that there are things we can easily do to combat the effects of free radicals on our skin. There are some delicious foods that are rich in antioxidants, which will have a positive effect on your skin’s appearance and delay the aging process. As a nutritionist I believe that eating a diet high in antioxidant rich foods will slow down the development of wrinkles. This is logical, as your skin is being fed the nutritional vitamins that prolong its youthfulness and vitality, resulting in younger looking, firmer and more moisturized skin, and therefore fewer wrinkles. Some antioxidant rich anti-aging foods include garlic, onion, …

Top 5 Superfoods You Must Include In Your Diet To Boost Your Mood & Increase Your Energy

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Cranberries, kale, goji berries and spinach! We’ve all heard countless times that these foods are considered highly nutritious and are often referred to as “Superfoods!” I personally know how my body reacts to food because I pay close attention to how I feel after I eat all types of foods. If I feel bloated, lethargic or moody, I know my body does not need that particular food and I avoid it at all costs. On the contrary, there are foods that make me feel great. I have energy and I’m happy and satisfied. Then I know my body loves and needs those foods. Through becoming in touch with how I feel after I eat I have come up with my TOP 5 “Superfoods” that make me feel amazing and I never miss a day having them. Here is why: Goji berries – These orange-red tangy berries have been used by Chinese herbalists for centuries to treat visual ailments and poor circulation and to help boost the immune system. They are high in vitamins A and …

Why Soaking In A Little Sunshine Can Be A Good Thing

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Take a little time out in nature to soak in the rays. Studies have found that exposure to sunlight naturally boosts your mood. Sunlight triggers the release of hormones in your brain releasing a hormone called serotonin. This is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. Ultraviolet-B radiation in the sun’s rays also causes a person’s skin to create vitamin D. Generally, an hour per week is more than enough, but surprisingly, many people are still not exposed to enough sun to produce beneficial amounts of vitamin D. This could be because of our hectic sedentary lives, spending most of our time either in the car or at a desk during the peak hours of sunlight. Vitamin D is an important part of a healthy diet. New benefits of this vitamin are being discovered every day, but many people still do not receive enough vitamin D to reap the wonderful benefits it can provide to their health. Vitamin D is most famous for its contribution to joint and bone health …

Feeling Bloated?

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With today’s typical diet being low in nutrients and high in empty calories coupled with high levels of stress and added medication, it’s no wonder that more and more people are suffering from some kind of bloating. In addition to feeling discomfort bloating can come with every embracing symptoms such as gas or needing to go to the bathroom very quickly. So what are the most common symptoms of a bloated stomach? If your stomach protrudes outwards and you constantly feel uncomfortable because you have built up gas inside of you then this is a sign of bloating. In fact many sufferers from bloating even joke around saying how pregnant they feel because of the need to unbutton their pants when their bloating becomes severe. The great news is a bloated stomach is very different from actually gaining fat mass around your stomach since the bloating is temporary with air simply being stuck around your abdomen causing the tummy to distend outwards. Even better, stomach bloating can be rectified very quickly by simple changes to …

A Quick & Healthy Snack

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When you’re on the go. Don’t have your food prepared. Hungry. And just not sure what to have but know you want to stick to healthy choices. This is the snack for you! What you will need: 1 can of salmon – I use Wild Pacific Pink Salmon by Clover Leaf  1 tbsp Mayo 1 tbsp vinegar Sea sale and black pepper to taste cucumber Your favorite Kii Crisps  How to make it: mash salmon with a fork a add mayo, vinegar, sea salt and pepper and mix until combined slice cucumber top crisps with salmon spread and a slice of cucumber Enjoy!  

Is The Snack Trap Interfering With Your Weight Loss?

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We’ve all heard that snacking is great for the metabolism but I actually disagree with that notion especially if weight loss is your goal. Of course there are healthy snacks recommended such as almonds, avocado, crackers with peanut butter or cheese, cottage cheese, fruits, etc. and while these foods can certainly be high quality, excessive snacking can halt your weight loss results if your overall diet doesn’t fit into your body’s caloric deficit. In other words there are only so many calories that the body can have before it starts storing it as unwanted body fat so wven if you’re eating perfectly healthy meals and putting in your time at the gym, if your snacking is out of control then your results will be disappointing. Here’s what you need to know to avoid The Snack Trap: 1. Calories Count. Even when you’re snacking on “healthy” food, you’ve got to keep track of how many calories that you’re taking in. Almonds are healthy, but if you down 800 extra calories in them you’ll quickly gain weight. …

Fat Loss, Digestion, and Eating Slower

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When setting up a good nutrition program, most people are alarmed with the amount of food they are starting off to eat. Of course since the diet is all whole food sources, we are dealing with low calorie/high volume food versus high calorie/low volume junk food. Eating food creates a “demand” on our metabolism in the same manner as lifting weights puts a demand on our muscles to grow, become stronger, and take shape. By eating high quality whole foods, we are putting a demand on our metabolism to grow more powerful and oxidize our food more efficiently. With metabolism rising through eating, we also have increased body temperature which also require more oxygen uptake (just like fire needs oxygen). This is also where we get the old adage “starve a fever” when we’re sick. When we add digestion into the mix, the process of digestion is designed to break down food into microscopic morsels that it can be sent to your cells and combusted with your increased oxygen uptake for energy release (i.e. “oxidized”) which …