Hormone health is all the rage these days. It’s almost become trendy in some ways! You may have heard about eating to balance your hunger hormones, reproductive hormones, and blood sugar hormones. But what about your thyroid hormones? You might not think much about how food relates to your thyroid unless, of course, you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder - then you tend to really become aware of your lifestyle choices and personal environment. The thyroid is responsibl

Low Carb Diet 101 Low carb diets have been popular on and off since the dawn of the Atkins fame (and maybe even earlier?). But, what exactly defines low carb? Does eating this way actually help with weight loss? Are there any other health benefits (or risks) to eating fewer carbs? Let’s see. What is a carb? A carb, or carbohydrate, is one of our three main macronutrients. Carbs, along with protein and fat that are needed for optimal health in quantities larger than vitamins a

In a nutshell, intermittent fasting is just that: fasting intermittently. It's limiting calorie intake during certain hours/day or days/week. It's more of an eating pattern than a diet. It limits when to eat, and not so much what to eat. And that’s part of it’s appeal to people who don’t want to count calories or use their food log to track everything. Some would say that it's a more natural way to eat because humans evolved without refrigerators, drive-throughs, or 24-hour c

Your Thyroid: Foods and Nutrients to Help The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that releases hormones. Thyroid hormones help your body regulate a few things - not a big deal - just the metabolism of ALL cells. And this is critical for maintaining a healthy body weight and having the energy to live your life. (Yes, your thyroid IS a big deal!) It’s estimated that at least 3.7% of US adults have an underactive thyroid. When you don’t have enough thyroid hormone,

Ketogenic Diet 101 The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, very high-fat diet. It has recently gained a lot of popularity in the wellness sphere because of some of its health benefits. A ketogenic diet has been shown to help some people lose weight (yes, even with high fat). It can also help improve certain health conditions, like epilepsy in children. Read on for some of the lowdown on how it reprograms your metabolism (for “ketosis”), and whether or not it’s something for yo

Mindfulness and Meditation...Do They Really Work? Well...yes, they do really work. The fact is, science shows definite health benefits for people who use mindfulness and meditation. Before we dive in, let’s just make sure we’re on the same page when we say “mindfulness” and “meditation.” “Meditation” is the ancient practice of connecting the body and mind to become more self-aware and present. It’s often used to calm the mind, ease stress, and relax the body. Practicing “mind

Stressed? Tired? Craving sugar? Can’t sleep? All of these can be related to the constant stress we feel in our lives. We know that stress can have a huge impact on our health and wellness. And, since your adrenal glands produce stress hormones, adrenal fatigue (or “HPA Axis Dysregulation,”) is a popular theme lately. Your adrenal glands look like walnuts that live on top of both of your kidneys. These important glands produce many hormones, including stress hormones. But what

Five Weight-Loss Friendly Snacks You Will Love The words “weight-loss” and “snacks” often appear in the same sentence. But that might also bring thoughts of "tasteless," "cardboard," and "completely unsatisfying." Right? Let me give you my best weight-loss friendly snacks that aren't just nutritious but also delicious! What’s my criteria you ask? They have to be nutrient-dense whole foods where a little goes a long way; foods that contain protein and/or fibre. 1 - Nuts It’s

Here is a HIIT workout that has basic exercises but done with a high intensity. You must warm-up prior to work out Make sure you go over all exercises prior to start, so you know what your doing and you dont have to stop.....at all (except for a sip of water, taking no longer than 15 sec) Your going to complete the following exercises 5x without stopping except for a quick 15 sec break for a total of 15 minutes! Mountain climbers 30 sec Rest 15 sec Body weight squats (air squ

I decided to use today’s motivation post to honor a client who has had many obstacles (from diabetes to bony aliments) to overcome her quest for a healthier life style. I’ve known Amy for a few years and she has always felt that she was working out hard and eating healthy. Yes, she was exercising, but it was just not enough to get the results she needed. After seeing her doctor, Amy came to me in September very upset with what her doctor had to say. She asked me if I would h