These days a trip to the grocery store can be more confusing than anything – you’re faced with so many different food options with an array of exciting and appealing claims. Welcome to the “free from” era, a time when food products display more claims and callouts about what they don’t contain compared to what they do. Examples of “free from” claims are gluten-free, free from sugar, free from colourants, and the list goes on. It’s so easy to notice these claims and overlook the entire nutritional profile of a snack food or ready meal.
How to read food labels
Food labels and nutrition tables don’t have to be overwhelming. They can be used as valuable tools to guide us in making the best choice. It’s important to understand how to read and interpret food labels and use them to your benefit. When comparing the nutritional content of food, always look at the nutritional content per 100 g – this helps you compare apples with apples. The serving size is also important to look at as this is the recommended amount that you should have in one sitting.
Health claims like “low in fat” and “fat-free” displayed on packaged foods may lead you to believe that these products are great choices, however, these foods are often loaded with fillers like sugar and carbohydrates to improve taste and texture. The ingredient list displays quantities of ingredients from the highest to the lowest amount. The closer “sugar” is to the top of the ingredient list, the higher the sugar content. Sugar is sometimes listed using other words: cane sugar, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, high-fructose corn syrup, syrup, honey, galactose, lactose, maltose, maltodextrin, rice syrup, corn sweetener and xylitol.
The consumption of excess salt can negatively affect your health as well as result in water retention and bloating. Look out for other names for high sodium ingredients: celery salt, garlic salt, meat/yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, (MSG), onion salt, rock salt, sea salt, sodium, sodium ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate/nitrite, stock cubes, vegetable salt.
Avoid food products that have a very long ingredient list of unfamiliar, processed ingredients. Try to choose products with fresh ingredients and minimal additives and preservatives. A shorter shelf life also shows you that a product is a fresher and healthier option.
By Sarah Braithwaite, Neuroscience-based Life and Integrative Health Coach of MindSight.
An introduction to the article
A holistic perspective on mental health explores the neuroscience of the brain body connection and practical tools to both manage and prevent mental illness. This article discusses the role of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin in the body, and how tools such as mindfulness, human connection, purposeful living, and nutrition influence one’s state of being. Mental health, is a topic that is finally being deconstructed of its identity around stigmatization, and entering a new paradigm of understanding where people are no longer victims of a diagnosis but instead have tools to proactively manage their environment and alleviate symptoms.
The brain body connection
Recent neuroscientific evidence has made abundantly clear that our previously distorted view that the brain and body are separate entities, is in fact false. According to Dr Tara Swart, Neuroscientist and Coach, the brain and body operate within one system where neurology and physiology are both intrinsically linked. The notion that mental health is only symptomatic of what is happening in the brain, is incorrect, especially since serotonin, a very vital mood stabilizing neurotransmitter, is in fact mostly produced in one’s gut, not one’s brain. Yes, you read correctly – up to as much as 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. Serotonin generates a sense of wellbeing which is essential to human functionality and can be boosted naturally by the consumption of fruits.
(Check out this blog on effective ways to improve your gut health).
Fascinating research by American stem cell Biologist Dr Bruce Lipton, further endorses the mind-body relationship. His medical research shows that our emotions and thoughts are altering our gene expression within our DNA sequence. New ways of thinking suggest that chronic suffers or borderline persons with depression or anxiety in addition to prescribed medical treatment, should prioritise nutrition, exercise, human connection, mindfulness, and meaning/purpose within their lives. With our perception of stress becoming increasingly challenging to manage, it is imperative for individuals to take ownership of emotional management and mental health before the arrival of a diagnosis.
The happy hormones and their role in mental health
Let us consider the most imperative mental health game players amongst the neurotransmitters, namely serotonin already mentioned, and dopamine and oxytocin. Dopamine relates to the reward centre of the brain as we produce it when something ‘feels good’. Functional, healthy human beings rely on a constant stream of dopamine production. To obtain it sustainably one should be engaging in genuine meaningful and purposeful life activities.
Think about your career, family life, hobbies, passions – do any of these generate a sense of valuable contribution to the world, hold real significance, or feel meaningful to you? For one this may be a high-powered job, and for another a love of gardening. When we are unfulfilled with authentic meaning and purpose, our brain will search for more dopamine in unhealthy ways, which manifests as addiction and/or mental illness.
Research shows that depression is evident in retired business men and women, who’s career-less identity prompts a loss of purpose in the world. Fast ‘dopamine kicks’ are very evident in social media where a single ‘like’ of a picture can cause a cascade of dopamine rushes, however, this is short lived and dangerous to some. Sustainable engagement in meaningful activities is essential to mental health and wellbeing, and because the bulk of one’s time is spent at work or with family, these two areas should be the driving sources.
Oxytocin, is the other important neurotransmitter, produced abundantly during connections – and no, not technology connections, but real human to human connection. This neurotransmitter allows us to trust one another, which is the basis of healthy relationships. Science has shown that for optimal mental health, one should have at least two meaningful connections a day, such as a coffee catch up, a walk and talk with a friend, or a positive conversation with a coworker. As humans we are wired for connection and cannot survive without it. With technology ‘connecting’ us more than ever globally, ironically loneliness is on the rise as becoming one of the biggest contributors to mental and physical health.
Tools such as mindfulness practice, stress management, nutrition, maintaining healthy connections, and meaningful activities, are all imperative in their role of influencing neurotransmitters and biochemistry in the body. How we think, behave, manage emotions, eat, and move all have a huge impact on our production of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, and because of the research of epigenetics (mentioned above) we cannot solely blame our genetic history on unwanted outcomes.
Mindfulness for mental health
Mindfulness is a scientifically validated, non-associative religious practice that has transformative effects not only on mental wellbeing, but on immune system regulation and functioning of the brain. Mindfulness can reduce anxiety, and in recent studies demonstrated the successful decline in recurrent depressive episodes of diagnosed patients.
Mindfulness practice brings the central nervous system into homeostasis, improving emotional regulation, and minimizes the prominence of the fear centre of the brain known as the amygdala. Fear, anxiety and stress connected to the amygdala are influential in the delicate balance of ‘threat’ and ‘reward’ in the brain which in turn affects one’s dopamine levels and overall mental state.
Nutritional quality is vitally important to mental health in that the mind gut communication occurs via the vagus nerve, and both overall gut health and the microbiome determine factors that influence mental health outcomes.
Equally important is stress management and exercise in reducing the stress hormone cortisol, and maintaining healthy levels of dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin.
Reference List:
Chopra, D., M.D, Tanzi, R. PH.D. (2015). Super Genes: The hidden keys to total well-being. Penguin Random House UK.
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., Urbanowski, F., Harrington, A., Bonus, K., & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation: Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 564–570. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.PSY.0000077505.67574.E3
Lipton, B. H. (2005). The biology of belief: Unleashing the power of consciousness, matter and miracles. Mountain of Love/Elite Books.
Swart, T., Chisholm, K., & Brown, P. (2015). Neuroscience for leadership: Harnessing the brain gain advantage
April 7, 2020Sarah BraithwaiteWork WellComments Off on THE BASICS OF MENTAL HEALTH: EXPLORING THE NEUROSCIENCE OF THE BRAIN BODY CONNECTION (PLUS TOOLS ON HOW TO MANAGE AND PREVENT MENTAL ILLNESS)
Self-image is more than what you see when you look in the mirror. It is defined as “the idea, the conception, or mental image one has of oneself.”
Your self-image is how you view your entire being, from your thoughts, feelings, actions and capabilities.
Is self-image the same as self-esteem?
Not entirely. The two concepts of the ‘self’ are somewhat different.
Self-esteem tends to go a little deeper than self-image. Self-esteem is your overall sense of respect for yourself.
Your self-image plays a role in your self-esteem – after all, how you see yourself significantly impacts how you feel about yourself.
Interesting fact
Your self-image is based on your own unique perceptions of reality that is built over a lifetime, these perceptions will continue to change as you learn and go through life.
The dimensions of self-image
Suzaan Oltmann, an independent distributor at one of South Africa’s FET Colleges, defines the dimensions of self-image as follows:
The three elements of a person’s self-image are:
The way a person perceives or thinks of him/herself.
The way a person interprets others’ perceptions (or what he thinks others think) of him/herself.
The way a person would like to be (his ideal self).
The six dimensions of a person’s self-image are:
Physical dimension: how a person evaluates his or her appearance
Psychological dimension: how a person evaluates his or her personality
Intellectual dimension: how a person evaluates his or her intelligence
Skills dimension: how a person evaluates his or her social and technical skills
Moral dimension: how a person evaluates his or her values and principles
Sexual dimension: how a person feels he or she fits into society’s masculine/feminine norms
(Oltmann, 2014)
Why self-image is important
Your self-image can play a significant role in your success and motivation throughout your life. Having a low self-image can lead to failure and missed opportunities as you doubt your capabilities.
A healthy self-image can help you to achieve great things as you navigate through life with an assertive and positive attitude, believing in yourself to accomplish your goals.
Self-talk and self-image
Our self-image stems from our thoughts which influence the way in which we view ourselves. Self-talk is the conversation you have with yourself.
Our thoughts, or the way that we talk to ourselves, are typically a combination of negative and positive thoughts.
We all have an inner critic. This inner voice can often drive us to reach our goals (for example, when we remind ourselves not to eat something unhealthy). However, this inner voice can sometimes do more harm than good.
The impact of negative self-talk on your brain and body
Negative thoughts indicate to our brains and bodies that we are going through a period of stress.
This results in the increased release of catecholamines (neurotransmitters released during stress) such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine.
Prolonged exposure to these hormones can create negative psychological and physical outcomes and create a negative feedback loop.
When your inner voice is always negative, this can prolong the stress hormone exposure which can physically rewire your brain and in turn, your mental and physical wellbeing, this is known as neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change throughout your life).
The negative feedback loop
Prolonged exposure to catecholamines can create negative psychological and physical outcomes. The prolonged-release of these neurotransmitters can affect your mood and create a negative feedback loop between your physiology and emotions.
These changes may result in chronic inflammation of your organs and the way the body and mind operates – leading to changes in behaviour, sleep issues, metabolic (weight gain) and cardiovascular disturbances.
How negative thoughts impact your health
Negative thoughts can lead to chronic stress, upsetting your body’s natural hormonal balance.
Chronic stress can deplete the brain of the chemicals it needs to feel happy, as well as damage your immune system.
It can also lead to decreased lifespan, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, infection and digestive disorders.
Interesting fact – Science has now identified that stress shortens our telomeres, the “end caps” of our DNA strands, which causes us to age more quickly
The impact of positive self-talk on the brain and body
The neurophysiology effects of positive self-talk
As we know, our minds are malleable. Meaning our self-talk and self-image has the potential to mould and sculpt our consciousness and our physical wellbeing.
Source: “Because of all the research and clinical testing being done and studied regarding the “mind-body” connection, the power of positive thinking is gaining documented scientific credibility and being used and harnessed to improve health on all levels.”
What flows through your mind (thoughts and neurotransmitters) sculpts your brain in permanent ways.
Source“What we think and what we feel has the potential to directly affect our bodies.”
Studies have shown that thoughts alone can improve vision, fitness, and strength.
Some other positive effects of positive thinking include:
Faster recovery from cardiovascular stress
Better sleep
Stronger immune system (fewer colds)
Greater sense of purpose and overall happiness
Greater sense of connection to others
How to break the negative feedback loop & improve your self-image
As humans, we are hard-wired to focus on the negative in an attempt to survive, helping us to stay vigilant in a somewhat stressful environment. This leads to something known as a ‘negativity bias’.
“Our “negativity bias” means that we spend too much time ruminating over the minor frustrations we experience—bad traffic or a disagreement with a loved one— and ignore the many chances we have to experience wonder, awe, and gratitude throughout the day.”
Some tips to offset the negative feedback loop and negativity bias
Be present – Pay attention to your sense perceptions as a mindfulness technique (what is your hand doing right now, why is your foot tapping?)
Stop your thoughts from running away – Become aware of your thoughts without turning them into a runaway train – “What am I thinking? What is the conversation in my head?” Repeat this a few times.
Challenge negative thoughts – This will reduce their emotional intensity and feelings of stress and panic. So ask yourself “Is that thought really true, right now in this moment? What is the likelihood of that really happening?”
Control the next thought – You can’t control a negative thought from popping up, but you can replace it with 3 positive ones.
Practical examples of positive self-image activities
A positive self-image takes hard work and commitment. It’s an ongoing journey to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. You need to stick to it and keep going through the bad days and the good ones.
Helpful hint – Many people will stop effective practices such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing when they feel their self-image and thinking have improved. The trick is to always keep going because you never know when something might happen to trigger negative emotions and send you back into the negative feedback loop.
1. Journalling
Journal your thoughts, your experiences and whether you feel like you dealt with them in a positive way. Take notes and notice trends in the ways that you talk to yourself.
2. Identifying triggers of negative thinking and stress
Recognise what people, places and things lead to negative emotions and thinking.
You cannot change certain situations, but you can change how you react to them and prepare yourself to handle them better.
Come up with strategies as to how you will better deal with your triggers.
3. Meditation
Your self-image can become a habit when you practice loving yourself on a daily basis.
4. Deep breathing
This can be an incredibly simple yet effective technique to change your thought patterns. When you notice a negative thought, you feel stressed or anxious, simply take 5 to 10 deep breaths. Breathe in for 4 counts and out for 5. Repeat this.
5. Self-appreciation breaks
Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this important question: what are 3 things I can appreciate about myself?
These can even be little things like personality traits or strengths. You can do this every morning or every evening.
6. Yoga
Yoga makes use of deep breathing and calming and fluid movements that can help lower your stress.
7. Mindfulness
Practise being mindful of your thoughts, your space, your senses and the present moment.
Source: “Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.”
8. Mantras
Mantras are commonly used in meditation and can have some powerful effects on your self-image. By saying a positive self-esteem mantra throughout your day, this will aid in rewiring your negative feedback loop.
Here are some examples:
I embrace my happy feelings and enjoy being content as I love and appreciate myself.
I deserve to be happy and feel good every day about all areas in my life.
I feel secure in who I am, and do not need to compare myself to others.
You can permanently rewire your subconscious mind to accept these affirmations.
Self-love… We’ve all heard about it and we know we should be more mindful to actively engage in self-love but, and I know I am not alone in saying this, but self-love can certainly prove to be difficult.
Instagram is a haven for self-love hashtags and guides by influencers who are sometimes trying to help but for the most part, are just trying to sell their next batch of detox tea.
So where do you start? What even is self-love? This simple term sounds so easy but it can be one of the most difficult things to master.
Instead of jumping straight into some ideas on how to practice self-love, let’s start right at the beginning.
What is self-love?
Self-love is exactly what it sounds like, it’s all about loving yourself. But we don’t mean in the sense of indulging in that fourth brownie because “self-love and I deserve it”. I mean, you may deserve it but we’re getting off-topic.
Self-love is neither a synonym for self-obsession and vanity or the idea of being overly generous and self-sacrificing. Self-love is putting your happiness and needs above anything else and focusing on living a life that is authentically yours.
Self-love is truly about:
Embarking on a journey that is a little messy, unpredictable but authentic
Embracing uncertainty
Understanding your voice, the honesty of your stories and the magnificence of your being
Removing the things that hinder your speech or the hesitance in your voice when communicating your absolute truth
No longer confiding to the self-imposed beliefs and ideas that you have created about who you should be
Once you relieve yourself of the picture-perfect you and begin embracing who you are and start living a life you’re in love and obsessed with, that’s when you step into your innate power and truly find self-love.
Why is self-love so important?
Self-love can seem blown up or something isn’t of great importance but it truly is. Self-love motivates you to make healthy choices in life and live a life that you both love and are proud of.
When you hold yourself in high esteem, you’re more likely to choose things that nurture your well-being and feed your soul. These things may be in the form of eating healthy, exercising, doing things you love or having healthy relationships. Whatever it is, self-love is about finding your happiness in everything you do and surrounding yourself with people who support that.
Most of the time, when we’re being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we’re driven by a desire to excel and do everything right, all the time. This entails a lot of self-criticisms, and that nasty inner voice that constantly tells us how we could’ve done things better is a hallmark of perfectionism.
It’s time to let go of the idea of perfectionism and embrace who you are all that you’ve achieved because you really are doing amazing!
How to practice self-love
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to loving yourself. You need to find what works for you but it can be daunting in the beginning.
These are just a few tips to help you get started:
Start each day by telling yourself something really positive. How well you handled a situation, how lovely you look today. Anything that will make you smile.
Fill your body with food and drink that nourishes it and makes it thrive. For some ideas, check out this article.
Move your body every single day and learn to love the skin you’re in. You can’t hate your way into loving yourself. Take a look at this article for some guidance. Here’s a hint, if you wouldn’t say it to a friend or loved one, don’t say it to yourself.
Stop comparing yourself. This is such a tricky one but so important! Comparison is the killer of self-love. Unfollow and remove people who make you feel less than but also remember we’re on our own journies and everyone is different.
Celebrate your wins no matter how big or small. Pat yourself on the back and be proud of what you have achieved.
Take some time to relax and re-energise, we can’t love ourselves if we can barely keep up with what we’re doing. This article may be able to help with relaxation!
Step outside of your comfort zone and actively start living life!
These are just a few tips on how to get started but it’s truly up to you to let go of societies version of you and to embrace who you authentically are and fall in love with that version of yourself. Take care of yourself, you deserve it!
Have you heard about nutrient timing? Either from a fitness guru on Instagram or one of your friends who is always the first to try any of the latest and greatest health trends. The term sounds so legitimate and the way this term has been thrown around in the “fitness industry”, you probably feel like you need to know more about it.
So, let’s dive in shall we? What is nutrient timing? Is it necessary to eat at a certain time? And will it have an actual effect on your body?
Let’s take a look at the facts and fibs that surround this topic!
What is nutrient timing?
Simply put, nutrient timing involves eating foods at strategic times in order to achieve certain outcomes. It’s supposedly very important for muscle growth, sports performance and fat loss. If you’ve ever run for a scoop of peanut butter before a workout or panicked if you forgot to have your protein shake right after a workout – that is nutrient timing.
It surrounds the idea that your body will develop better or secure better results if you eat at certain times of the day and when it is more optimal. This way of eating has been used by bodybuilders and fitness competitors for up to 50 years now and many studies have been conducted on it.
One of the world’s leading researchers in carbohydrate timing, Dr John Ivy, has published many studies showing its potential benefits. In 2004, he published a book called Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition. This is just one of the many researchers who believe nutrient timing is key!
But like with anything, there are some doubts about the studies, for example:
Short-term blood markers: Many of the studies only measure short-term blood markers, which often fail to measure up with long-term benefits. Have a look at this article on the matter.
Ultra-endurance athletes: Many of the studies follow extreme endurance athletes, which do not necessarily represent the average everyday person.
For these reasons, the findings in much of the research that supports nutrient timing may not apply to everyone.
When should you be eating your meals?
We don’t mean just eating morning, noon and night.
Nutrient timing extends further than just eating before or after a workout. You probably have that one work colleague who is always going on about a new “health” trend. We guarantee that some point you’ve heard, “you shouldn’t eat carbs after 6 pm” or “you should eat more in the morning and less in the evening”.
Many people think that the reason you gain more weight if you eat late at night is that you have less opportunity to burn off those calories, but this is a very basic view. It’s often assumed that our bodies shut down when we sleep, but that’s not true. Our bodies work throughout the night while our minds rest.
BUT evidence suggests that more energy is used to process a meal when it’s eaten in the morning, compared to later in the day, so you do burn slightly more calories if you eat earlier. However, it’s still unclear how much of a difference this would make to your overall body weight.
This means that it may be a better idea to consume higher quantities of food earlier in the day and focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods later in the evening. For some healthy recipe ideas, take a look at this article.
So, what do we make of this?
Here’s the bottom-line, research isn’t always perfect or conclusive. There may be some accurate points of measure in these studies but there may be a few fibs along the way too.
We’ve come to understand that nutrient timing isn’t particularly important for most people trying to look and feel better. It may be more beneficial to those whose careers are centred around working out but so many really smart and hard-working people are getting lost in the finer points of nutrient timing.
Focusing on timing your meals while consistently missing out on sleep, or vegetables or other (slightly more important) health and lifestyle factors is more of detriment to your body. The other factors will yield you far more results in a healthy lifestyle in the long run than merely focusing on the timing of your meals.
A healthy lifestyle is a holistic approach with many factors to consider, if this is something you’re concerned about or if you need more information, we’d be happy to help!
Getting back into the swing of things at the beginning of the year is no easy task. Our minds tend to wander back to days next to the pool and we can’t stop longing for fun family activities instead of long meetings (that could have been an email instead). This can often lead to feelings of anxiety and stress because we are struggling to get our tasks done. We all know the struggle but the truth us, work doesn’t have to be like this.
Setting new goals, getting back into a routine and becoming more productive will leave you feeling accomplished at the end of every day. With just a few simple hacks, you’ll end each day feeling energised by your accomplishments!
There are only so many hours in the day, so it’s essential to make the most of your time. There are two ways to increase your productivity, you can either put in more hours or work smarter. We definitely prefer the latter!
Remember, being busy doesn’t always mean you are being productive. Just some food for thought.
Simple office hacks
1. Set small goals
Most of us look at goals as a tedious exercise because let’s be real, do any of us actually stick to them? It’s time to change your opinion on goal setting.
Goals don’t have to only be about where you see yourself in 5 years or the New Years Resolutions you recently set. Your goals can be small deadlines or to-do lists you make to hold yourself accountable each day. Setting goals will help you break down your calendar into smaller, less overwhelming tasks and make you more in control. This enables you to meet your goals and be more productive.
2. Take regular breaks – downtime is important
This sounds like the opposite of being more productive but hear me out. Taking scheduled breaks can actually help improve concentration. Research has shown that taking short breaks during long tasks or during a long day helps you to maintain a constant level of performance. Whereas working at a long task without any breaks leads to a steady decline in performance.
This little step will also ensure your quality of work is always at a maximum!
3. Avoid multitasking
It may feel more productive to be doing multiple tasks at once and we’re often taught that multitasking increases efficiency. This is far from the truth though.
Research shows that multitasking can make us up to 40% less productive – shocking! When multitasking, our focus is split into several tasks which means we do not complete each task at optimum capacity. This means you will take longer to complete tasks and more often than not, the quality of work you produce will slip.
4. Put the distractions away
Our phones are our biggest distractions. Keep your phone on silent while you’re completing tasks and keep it out of sight. This will limit your distractions and enable you to truly hone in on what you’re doing.
It might be beneficial for you to work with earphones in as well to limit the many distractions you can hear around you.
5. Keep active
Keeping active during the week may help improve productivity. This doesn’t mean spending hours on the treadmill at the gym but where possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or doing something active.
Getting your blood pumping could be just what’s needed to clear your head and get your focus back. You can even inspire your coworkers to do the same, take a look at this article for some tips!
6. Eat nutritious food throughout the day
The food we eat is extremely important in boosting our brainpower and impacting how productive we are at work. High sugar snacks can cause a decrease in your productivity and lead to energy crashes.
Keep healthy snacks at your office or create healthy meals to stay fueled for a productive day.
Not every day at the office will be a perfectly productive one. Make sure you don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, refocus your energy and implement these tips. Once you find what works for you, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can get done both in and out of the office.
I’m off for a walk to refocus, how are you keeping productive today?
With the influx of new and trendy diets, it’s not only difficult to find one that suits you but it’s also difficult to understand the differences between them all. If you’ve researched new ways of eating, you’ve definitely stumbled across the words ‘keto’ and ‘paleo’ at one time or another. But what are these two diets and what makes them different from one another?
We’ve taken the time to discuss both of these lifestyles separately and include the pros and cons of each. This will enable you to decide for yourself which one (if any) of these diets will work for you.
Let’s dive right in!
What is Keto?
Keto is short for the ketogenic diet which is high in fat (70 – 80% of calories), moderate protein, and very low in carbs (20 – 50 grams per day). While it may seem like it’s new, it’s been used as a medical diet for over a century, it was originally used for children with epilepsy.
A keto diet shifts your body from a carb-burning one into a fat-burning one, a process called ketosis that produces ketone bodies. It’s these ketones that are thought to act on the brain to prevent seizures.
Reducing carbs low enough to hit the 20 – 50 g of carbs a day means that you’ll be getting the majority of your calories from fat (avocado, olive oil, cheese, cream, butter, nuts, seeds), some protein (eggs, meat, fish, seafood) which means you’ll need to avoid most sources of carbs, including grains, legumes, fruit, starchy vegetables (yes, some vegetables are high in carbs) and any sugar. Carbs are thus eaten in the form of nonstarchy vegetables, like broccoli, leafy greens, and zucchini.
The keto diet is not only used to aid children with epilepsy but a blog by Harvard Health points out that some people with type 2 diabetes are also using this diet to control their blood sugar levels.
What is Paleo?
Also known as the caveman diet, the paleo diet is where you’d opt for foods that are considered to have been eaten by Paleolithic-era people. Once eaten in a hunter-gatherer society, a paleo menu consists of very simple foods like meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots. On the other hand, you do not eat legumes, grains, most dairy products, and refined sugar.
Over time, the diet has become less strict, and some groups have expanded it to include foods like honey, maple syrup, or grass-fed butter. People who follow this diet plan focus on getting energy from animal products that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
The difference between the two
The ketogenic diet focuses on manipulating the three macronutrients: fat, carbs, and protein. The Paleo diet is more about food choices. You eliminate dairy, grains and processed foods, but balance the macronutrients any way you want.
Both the Keto and the paleo diet share their low-carb DNA but have been developed for vastly different purposes.
The main differences include:
The amount of fat differs. For the paleo diet, you consume a small amount of fat but fat is the main focus of the Keto diet.
Paleo doesn’t allow dairy and soy, while keto does, although certain types of dairy are better than others. For example, flavoured yoghurt is off-limits, but full-fat plain Greek yoghurt is okay occasionally. Meanwhile, you can eat as much high-fat cheese like feta and cheddar as you want.
Compared with keto, Paleo allows more veggie variety. That means you may do better on Paleo if you enjoy eating a lot of fruit and starchy vegetables.
There are many pros and cons to both diets but before you choose, think about which foods you are okay with giving up.
The problem with both of these approaches is sustainability. They similarly promote an almost carbohydrate-free-diet but the truth is your body needs carbohydrates to survive. Carbs provide glucose that balances the blood sugar and increases energy levels. Both the ketogenic and Paleo diets will promote weight loss, but keeping it off is a different story. Once you start eating carbs again, you run the risk of quicker weight gain.
Our final thoughts
Both lifestyles have proved effective in both men and women. Both can make you feel strong and healthy but it can be difficult concentrating on what you can’t eat and what you can. Often, a lifestyle with many restrictions can make you more obsessive and fixated on your food.
Depending on your requirements and your preferences, both of these diets can work well for you but a well-balanced meal plan that includes a variety of healthy foods and smaller portions can be just as effective and beneficial. If you’re still struggling with what will work best for you, contact us for a personal assessment.
Intermittent fasting is not about starving yourself or eating as little as possible, there is far more to it than that. This new lifestyle has quickly become increasingly popular as celebs, competitors and ordinary people embark on this new way of eating. The only struggle is perfecting this way of eating to ensure you feel your best while reaping all of the benefits.
A little bit about intermittent fasting…
Our article on intermittent fasting has the whole story on exactly how it all works but in short, intermittent fasting is famous for promoting good health and weight loss. It involves timing your meals and eating at certain times of the day. Just like the name suggests, you’ll fast for some part of the day and eat at a specific time. It is one of the few diet (for lack of a better word) plans that actually allows you to eat what you like (well, to a certain extent).
By lowering appetite and aiding burning of more calories, intermittent fasting can actually help you with weight loss, some research has found. A number of people have also reported having more energy.
The timing of meals can affect your 24-hour energy metabolism. Coordinating your meals with circadian rhythms can work as a powerful strategy for reducing appetite and improving metabolic health.
Now you know what it is, how do you make it work?
Tips to make intermittent fasting work for you
1. Plan plan plan
As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail”. Ideas come and go but until we plan exactly how we’re going to implement these ideas into action, it’s not going to happen.
Take a look at the various types of intermittent fasting and choose a time period that suits you best. From there you should plan when you’re going to eat and exactly what you’ll be eating too. By having a detailed plan and by meal prepping some meals, you will be more inclined to follow the plan and remain consistent.
2. Stay hydrated
Drink lots of water and calorie-free drinks, such as herbal teas, throughout the day. This will curb any feelings of hunger and will keep you from snacking or breaking your fast.
3. Don’t obsess about your food
Plan plenty of distractions on fasting days to avoid thinking about food, such as catching up on some work, working out or going to see a movie. This will ensure you don’t sit around thinking about food and how you ‘can’t’ have it. This is something that requires some getting used to because we are programmed to want to eat any time we experience a bit of hunger.
You need to be able to fight past the feelings of hunger!
4. Try not to overindulge – strive to eat clean
‘Strive to eat clean’ – we don’t mean that your first meal should be a salad and a glass of water (then what’s the point in fasting?). What we mean is you should try to make every calorie count by selecting nutrient-dense foods that are rich in protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Examples include beans, lentils, eggs, fish, nuts, and avocado. By doing this, you will feel full and satisfied for longer. You can see some examples of these meals here.
5. Be consistent
It takes a while to establish a new routine and get used to doing something different. Every new diet or lifestyle will take time to reflect changes on your body. You have to follow it religiously and consistently for at least a few weeks for it to work and for you to become accustomed to eating that way.
6. Exercise regularly
Exercise is a great way to increase endorphins and make you feel great. Now we don’t mean spending countless hours at the gym torturing yourself on the treadmill.
Intermittent fasting comes with the added benefit of making you feel healthier (as it involves syncing your mealtimes with your body’s circadian rhythm). Combining it with exercising is going to be all the more beneficial in terms of making you feel healthy and burning calories. Regular exercise can include going for walks, hiking, working out with a friend (etc), you can make it something you’re excited about rather than something you hate.
Intermittent fasting is just like any other new thing you try, you need to remain consistent with it and fight through some of the uncomfortable feelings you may experience. When your body is used to a certain lifestyle, it takes a while for it to adjust and feel good again. But remember, every diet is different and the outcome is unique to each individual so be sure to do what’s best for you!
The holiday season is often a time when we invite unwanted guests, anxiety, stress and even a little depression into our homes and our lives. There’s a sort of expectation that we should feel happy and positive during this time of the year, but this is often not the case. And the thing is, when we feel down, agitated, somewhat depressed and stressed during this time of year, we tend to put additional stress onto our emotional wellbeing and beat ourselves up for being down in the dumps.
Times have changed
Since when did the holiday period shift from us running around like kids with our cousins we only saw once a year to us suddenly trying to ‘adult’, buy gifts, make food (who even knows how to make a moist turkey in any case?) and endless socialising.
It’s not fair, is it? Why does the festive period bring with it the stress of entertaining friends and family, trying to find the perfect gifts, cook delicious food your grandmother is proud of and trying to get enough sleep?
We go from working hard throughout the year to try and make ends meet, to running around like headless turkeys trying to make everyone happy during the holidays.
Well, this year we say “no more!”
Here is our ultimate guide to surviving the holidays
1. Breathe in deep
Now, this pointer might seem a little obvious but hear us out.
Did you know that when you stress, you have a tendency to hold your breath? This means that less oxygen is getting to your brain. As a result of this, your body’s fight-or-flight response kicks in which releases hormones to help you combat a stressful situation. And cooking the turkey is not exactly a fight-or-flight situation, but our brains might perceive it to be one based on the anxiety and stress we are experiencing as a result of our current situation.
Some therapists recommend wearing an elastic band around your wrist. When things start to feel a little overwhelming, gently pull back on this elastic and let it snap back on your wrist. This little snap will bring you back into the present moment and will serve as a reminder to breathe deeply. Just 4 deep breaths are enough to change your entire mindset.
Have a look at some deep breathing techniques here.
2. Don’t force yourself to be happy
There’s an expectation around this time of year for it to truly be ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ But this doesn’t mean every single day has to be filled with magic. It’s normal to feel sadness, grief or stress during this time of the year. Embrace and express your emotions in order to properly deal with them.
3. Stop negative thoughts in their place
When you catch yourself caught in a whirlwind of negative emotions, try to bring your awareness to the room and the space around you. This is known as grounding yourself. It can be as simple as placing your feet on the floor and feeling the weight of your body pressing on your feet and the floor supporting your weight.
4. Learn to say no
Remember that you have worked all year and deserve a little time off. This means that it’s okay to say no to some social obligations. Set some time aside to do something special for yourself. It can be taking a drive out to somewhere beautiful, going for a long beach walk when your family wanted you to stay for lunch or just lying in a bath and listening to some good music. You do you. And don’t forget to always be kind to yourself.
Keep in mind that there is a limit to how much you can accomplish during the holidays. You can’t please everyone, but you can please yourself.
5. Take some time out to exercise
You know what they say “you are only one workout away from a better mood.” Take some time out to go for a run, attend a yoga class or dance class. No matter what kind of exercise you like to get involved in now is the time to do it.
Plus, we have put together a guide on how to stay healthy and fit during the holiday season.
Bonus tip: turn off your social media!
Talk about a detox diet that really works – disconnect from social media for a few days during the holidays. Trust us on this one, it really works.
Your gut health is more important than you think! In fact, maintaining a healthy gut is vital for mental and physical health, your immunity and much, much more.
But just how do you go about improving the healthy bacteria in your gut? Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s first explain what your gut health refers to.
What is a healthy gut?
Good question.
Basically, your gut health refers to the balance of microorganisms living in your digestive tract. Your gut flora or gut microbiome refers to the bacteria and fungi that inhabit your gastrointestinal tract. These microorganisms have a big influence on your metabolism, weight, your body’s ability to defend itself against invading bacteria and viruses, your appetite and your mood.
It’s crazy to think that the little organisms in our guts play a role in our mood and our weight, but it’s true! When we start to look at it this way, it makes sense as to why it’s important for us to ensure our guts are healthy.
And here are 5 ways to do so…
1. Eat more fermented foods and take a daily probiotic
An article in Harvard Health examines the benefits of probiotics for our health. Probiotics have a range of benefits and gut health is the biggest of the lot!
Probiotics are known as good bacteria, they are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt or you can also take them in the form of supplements.
Probiotic supplements are a great way to ensure you are getting enough healthy bacteria in your diet. A number of people have found probiotics to be beneficial for effect on the gut in alleviating issues such as diarrhoea, IBS, bladder infections and even eczema in kids.
It’s a good idea to chat with your pharmacist or doctor regarding what probiotic you should take.
Fermented foods include:
Kefir
Kimchi
Tempeh
Kombucha
Sauerkraut
Miso
While you’re here, have a look at our article on supplements you need to add to your daily vitamin list (hint – we chat about probiotics here!).
2. Eat more fibre
You need to include a wide range of fruits, veggies and whole grains in your diet. It turns out, your mom was right when she told you to eat your greens!
Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fibre. What’s interesting is that your body cannot digest fibre, but it can be digested by certain bacteria found in your gut and fibre stimulates the growth of these healthy bacteria.
Some fibre-rich foods include:
Artichokes
Lentils
Chickpeas
Kidney beans
Whole grains (whole grain oats, pasta and bread)
Brocolli
Green peas
Raspberries
A great idea is to start your day with a blended shake!
Put half a cup of dry oats, some frozen raspberries and protein shake powder into the blender with a cup of your milk of choice (yoghurt would also be great for probiotics). Blend and enjoy!
3. Stay away from artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners have an adverse effect on your gut health and can cause an imbalance of gut microbes.
A study done on rats found that aspartame (an artificial sweetener found in a number of fizzy drinks) was able to reduce their weight gain but increased their blood sugar levels and impaired their body’s response to insulin. Yikes! So the next time you’re craving a Coke Zero, rather have a glass of water with lemon and mint.
Or better yet, make your own ice tea! Here are some great recipes to try!
4. Reduce your stress levels
Now, I get that this is always easier said than done, but managing your stress is important for a variety of vital aspects of your health, one of these is your gut health.
Managing your stress can be done through a number of ways. Here are some easy ones to implement in your daily life:
Get more sleep – You need to get 6 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.
Workout – Regular exercise will not only boost your mood, confidence and your mental wellbeing, but you will also get better sleep and feel great! We chat about this in the next point.
Meditate – Download Calm or Headspace and prepare to have your entire mindset changed.
Breathing techniques – The next time you feel anxious or stressed, breathe in deep for 4 seconds and out for 4 seconds. Repeat this as many times as you need to.
Regular exercise contributes to weight loss, weight maintenance, good heart health and great gut health.
Studies have found that regular exercise helps create a wide variety of good bacteria in your gut. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week with at least 2 strength training activities on 2 or more days a week.
Need some expert help? Have a look at why it pays to have a wellness coach in this blog.
What it comes down to
Your gut bacteria play an important role in many aspects of your health. The best way to maintain a healthy gut is to eat right, get enough sleep, reduce your stress and take part in regular exercise.
The trick is to create a healthy lifestyle as opposed to the ‘get-fit-fast’ or ‘lose-weight-now’ approach. And it all starts with a healthy and determined mindset.
