As a health and nutrition coach, I look into clients’ lifestyles to get to the root of their weight loss blockages. I do not claim that diet can cure mental health issues because there are a lot of individualized factors leading to them that need professional guidance. But I do know that diet is a controllable factor that can help to reduce symptoms. 

So, in this blog I’m going to discuss vitamins, minerals and nutrients that can decrease the burden of depressive disorders and what foods they can be found in.

I’m too busy to work out. I don’t have the time to think about nutrition nor prepare my food. My sleep is all over the place. I feel stressed ALL the time.

These are just a few things my health coaches and I hear regularly. If this is you, then read on. We can give you manageable tips to make more time in your day for doing the things you need to do to move the needle in the direction you desire. Building the foundations strong is how you sustain your health and therefore a body shape you no longer have to work for but can actually live in.

If I could permanently eliminate one myth from your mind it would be this: 

less calorie-in and more calorie-out = successful weight loss

This is a strategy 9 out of 10 individuals I talk to have tried, initially with some success, but quickly finding their way back to the same weight (or more) than what they weighed before starting. There’s so many factors that need to be taken into account when losing weight, from lifestyle habits and movement, to sex hormones, cortisol and thyroid hormones. So, I want to provide you some knowledge surrounding this strategy and educate you.

Why? This myth can be so damaging.

I get a lot of women coming to me with what they call a ‘slow metabolism’. Usually this is due to desiring weight loss or fat loss. However, there are many roles your metabolism plays in your health that are important to know including: converting food and drink into energy to sustain life, and bodily functions like building and repairing the body and getting rid of waste (all of which are directly affected by hormone regulation playing a role in fat distribution, appetite and energy burning). 

The biggest tip I can share for supporting fat loss: Eat for muscle gain vs fat loss.

If you are seeking fat loss to change the way your body looks, you have it ALL backwards.

Gaining muscle will change your body shape MUCH more than losing fat will. Not to mention, you’ll improve your hormones and metabolism too. Talk about a triple win.

Eating more fruit and veg is one of the most common areas for improvement I see, I call it micro-nourishment.

Most often, diets teach us to focus on how much we are eating, that "calories are king" and flexible dieting with macronutrients is queen. When we are busy it’s simpler to only look at calorie intake as we grab a quick working lunch but as a nutrition coach, I find clients usually have a lack of emphasis on what they’re consuming. I’m talking about nutrients, vitamins and minerals. They are what make the difference in weight loss.

I talk a lot about “What TO do” to sustain your weight loss, however some minds think better in “What NOT to do” - this is for you. Most of us make the same health and weight loss mistakes, and most of us repeat them for years before seeking a nutrition or fitness coach. You might not quite be at that stage, (reach out if you are!) so for now, let’s discuss the top 4 dieting mistakes.

Time and time again I see women turn to diets where they: Restrict foods they love, eliminate entire food groups, eat as little as possible and follow diets without understanding IF it’s right for their body and situation.

I see it leaves those same women high and dry without results, a worse relationship with food and a harder struggle the next time they try to get their body to respond.

Is this you too?

The internet is flooded with weight loss coaches and nutrition gurus but how do you know who to trust? Something that frustrates me as a holistic health coach, is the phrase ‘weight loss nutrition’. This is a myth. Let me teach you why and what nutrition coaching really is.

Not eating enough can lead to a TON of health problems: disrupted sleep, hair loss and hormone imbalance to name a few. I know that often what we eat, when and how much, gets put second behind our demanding job, busy mom-life and social commitments. But by not paying attention to our eating habits, such health problems can affect other aspects of our lives. Let me break down the importance of eating the right amount.