How to Shop Smarter
“Small changes will eventually build to larger habits. You determine if they’re good or bad”
#1 - Don’t shop when you are hungry
Be sure to eat a snack before going! Shopping while hungry can influence your food decisions and cause you to choose less healthy options
#2 - Shop the perimeter first
The perimeter is usually your produce, meats, and dairy, all essential foods for your daily diet. Many of the foods on the isles are pre-packaged foods with fewer nutrients and higher sodium
#3 - Plan ahead
By making a list ahead of time and selecting a few recipes to follow, you cut down the amount of time you spend browsing for foods that you may not actually need
#4 - Read the labels
Opt for ingredients you can easily pronounce and look at the %DV (daily value) for high vitamins and minerals and lower saturated and trans fats
Should you start the Carnivore Diet?
So what is the carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet is a type of keto diet that focuses on eating meat/animal products and water. Essentially, the goal of this diet is to completely cut out carbohydrates from the diet. The diet aims to force the body to switch from using glucose (from carbs) as energy to ketones (from fatty acids). This places the body into a state of “Ketosis” where it relies on burning fat due to the lack of carbs.
Claimed benefits include: reduced inflammation, stabilized blood sugar, and weight loss, but these have yet to be scientifically proven.
Side effects of ketosis and carnivore: fatigue, headaches, nausea, increased LDL (bad cholesterol), kidney stones, osteoporosis (brittle bones), and gout ( a type of arthritis)
Foods included: poultry, meat, fish, butter, eggs, some dairy, and black coffee
Foods not included: fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, alcohol, processed sweets
What you should do instead:
If you’re looking to lose weight and keep it off, you don't have to put yourself through the side effects of this diet. A large part of why the carnivore diet leads to weight loss is due to the limitation of processed foods and reduced sodium intake. This can be done by adding in some whole foods to your daily intake such as fruits and vegetables. This additionally helps reduce the amount of sodium you consume and adds much-needed vitamins and fiber, making your body feel better. By making these small changes you will begin to see the weight loss you desire, without the added pain.
Taking the steps towards better health can be intimidating. If you’re unsure where to start, book your FREE CONSULTATION today and get started!
Is My Cortisol Really the Problem?
The hot topic lately has been our cortisol levels and the impact it has on our body and our appearance. With so much noise, I wanted to provide some clarity on what cortisol is and what we do with it.
Cortisol is our body's flight or fight hormone. It is produced and released by the adrenal glands right above your kidneys. Cortisol is released in response to stress in the body, both good (exercise) and bad (illness). It’s responsible for regulating metabolism, blood pressure, blood sugar as well as our sleep and wake windows. It also contains anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressive properties.
Signs of high cortisol vary from person to person but typically consist of: weight gain in the face/abdomen, fatty deposits between shoulder blades, muscle weakness in upper arms and thighs, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and wide purple stretch marks on the abdomen.
Ways to lower cortisol levels
Get quality sleep
Exercise regularly
Try to limit stress / reduce stressful thinking patterns
Meditation.
Supplements should be discussed with your doctor before use. and if you believe there may be more of an issue, be sure to contact your provider.