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Self-Care: Cultivating Healthy Habits

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This is YOUR Year for Self-Care

Happy New Year, everyone! January is the official month of wellness and self-care, and many people inadvertently seek to establish better lifestyle habits after a holiday season of indulging in festive foods and sparkling beverages.

(It’s okay—we’re all guilty!)

As a health and wellness coach, I love hearing about my clients’ strong desires to begin a path of healthy lifestyle choices—let’s begin this change together! Let’s take our health and wellness into our own hands and make conscious decisions together, one-step-at-a-time.

Documenting your goals, tracking your nutrition stats, and having a fitness routine established, is an essential way to stay on top of your new and improved lifestyle. You can do this with your own copy of My Wellness Journal, an organized strategy that I have created utilizing my professional knowledge and many years of training and expertise in wellness, fitness, nutrition, and goal setting.

You can pick up a copy here to get started!

I have separated the key areas to confront to achieve your health and wellness goals, below. Trust me, some very simple changes can create an enormous difference:

Diet

The number one thing most people think of in terms of self-care, is diet. When it comes to eating healthfully, I have come to live by this mantra: “Eat food. Not Too much. Mostly Plants.” These seven genius words of simplicity come from the book In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, and later aired as a PBS documentary based around the concept of “healthy-ish” eating habits.

I’m all about treating your mind and body with respect, which means that once in awhile you must give a little, and then you can get a little. For example, if you are planning on having a big steak for dinner with baked potato, melted butter, cheese and garlic bread, then maybe plan on a healthy smoothie for breakfast and salad for lunch.

There is no use in stressing out about what you eat from time to time, as it only increases your cortisol levels, which can make you gain weight (mostly in the belly, too). By implementing the “healthy-ish” philosophy, everything is best enjoyed in moderation—including moderation.

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene

Sleep deprivation is seriously the root of all evils. We all know the common side effects of little sleep: feeling groggy or sluggish in the afternoons, increased irritability, sore muscles, decreased work productivity, falling asleep while watching TV, requiring an alarm clock to wake, and continuous yawning throughout the day. The list goes on and one!

But did you realize that constant lack of adequate sleep can contribute to some serious health issues, such as heart disease, decrease in memory retention, increase risk of diabetes and obesity (adequate sleep is required for proper glucose processing and insulin regulation), and increases the risk of depression and other mental illness?

So: how can you practice good sleep hygiene (and therefore, better self-care)? There are all kinds of typical bad habits that need to be broken at bedtime. Screens need to be put away, no food or caffeine beyond a certain time, limited or no alcohol, and more. There’s a great article about practicing good sleep hygiene; and can be found here.

You can also try to implement new bedtime rituals like yoga to help balance your thoughts and promote calmness and relaxation. We found this amazing bedtime yoga routine: give it try to start improving your sleep tonight! If yoga isn’t your thing, here are eight natural ways to treat chronic poor sleep.

Another way to improve your sleep pattern, is to analyze your needs and know how many hours of sleep you require to function properly the next day. Each person has a unique and optimum number of hours that they need to rest, and one will require more sleep than another. To discover your optimal sleep pattern, creep your bedtime routine 15 minutes earlier every few days until you start waking up before your alarm, including on weekends. Once this occurs for a minimum of one week, you have found the sufficient number of hours of sleep you need.

Exercise

Without a doubt, a moderate exercise plan will be an important part of your self-care routine. There are various ways to exercise for all fitness levels that don’t necessarily have to include a gym membership, yet will still give you the results you’re looking for—just be sure to get started with a fitness instructor who will ensure you get proper guidance and training to avoid serious injury.

For people who may not be interested in a gym membership and don’t know what fitness level they are at (or where to even begin!), the professional help from a wellness coach or personal trainer is a smart way to get started.

Listen to your body and don’t push yourself too far, too fast. By doing that, you are at serious risk of getting injured. I can’t stress the importance of getting a coach and a good training plan. Fitness experts (like health coaches, fitness instructors and personal trainers) have the expertise to guide and inspire and don’t have to cost a fortune.

Mind and Spirit

Meditation

Having good mental health is essential in improving your self-care habits. Reducing stress and feeling content within yourself is crucial to beginning your journey down a path of health and wellness. Again, having a good wellness coach to mentor you, guide you, and encourage you through it all will ensure your success with your lifestyle changes.

Having good mental health also means mindfulness. Being mindful of your surroundings, being aware of what you eat and drink and what you do during the day is by far the best way to start. You must be mentally, emotionally and spiritually ready to welcome healthy habits into your lifestyle!

The practice of meditation will allow your mind to open, and goes very well with mindfulness. Once you’ve trained yourself on noticing your environment, teaching yourself to relax with meditation will become a little easier. Many yoga classes will have 10 minutes dedicated at the end of class to do just that—it’s called savasana. This is a great introductory to the art of meditation!

If you’re seeking increased wellness this January and would like the professional help of a highly trained and experienced health and wellness coach, I would love to hear from you.

Visit my website or contact me directly and let’s get started together. Love, Sophie.

The Top 5 Health Benefits of Vitamin D

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Health Benefits of Vitamin D

It may finally be summer, but in Ottawa, we sure wait for it for a long time! The positive psychological effects that the sun has on our brains is well-known, but what about the psychological and physiological effects of vitamin D? The health benefits of vitamin D are incredible, and we should know what they are.

And what is vitamin D, anyway?

Turns out, vitamin D is not actually a vitamin—it’s a hormone, and our bodies make it when our skin is exposed to the sunshine. In areas of the world where sunshine is not a guaranteed luxury all the time (Ottawa), this means that our bodies don’t naturally make this very necessary hormone on a continual, consistent basis, and that can be detrimental to our health.

Here are the top 5 health benefits of vitamin D, and reasons why they play an important role in our health and wellness:

Vitamin D Makes Us Happy

Commonly known as the ‘happy hormone’, vitamin D contributes to feelings of joy and fulfillment. The Vitamin D Council explains:

“Exactly how vitamin D works in the brain isn’t fully understood. One theory is that vitamin D affects the amount of chemicals called monoamines, such as serotonin, and how they work in the brain.5 Many anti-depressant medications work by increasing the amount of monoamines in the brain. Therefore, researchers have suggested that vitamin D may also increase the amount of monoamines, which may help treat depression.”

Vitamin D Strengthens Our Bones, Teeth, Nails, and Hair

When your body properly absorbs sufficient amounts of vitamin D, you are able to sustain normal growth and development of bones, teeth, nails and hair. When you don’t get enough, the opposite occurs.

(If you’ve noticed excessive hair loss, brittle nails, and porous teeth, you may just need to speak to a dietician about increasing your dosage of vitamin D!)

Vitamin D Helps Prevent Disease

According to Healthline, vitamin D is key in preventing certain diseases, and reducing your risk for others. These include:

  • Reducing your risk of developing multiple sclerosis
  • Decreasing your chance of developing heart disease
  • Greatly reducing your likelihood of contracting the flu and other viruses

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Vitamin D Assists in Weight Loss

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, participants who took both vitamin D and calcium supplements in conjunction with one another were able to lose more weight than subjects who took placebo pills.

Vitamin D Enhances Athletic Performance and Recovery

“In a 2011 study conducted by the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers concluded that “vitamin D may play a significant role in muscle structure and function.”

By improving muscle recovery after exercise, vitamin D works well in the role of enhancing athletic performance and helping the body heal quickly after a workout. So if you’re an athlete, vitamin D might be one of the most important supplements for you to consider taking.

And there you have it! Although there are many health benefits of vitamin D, the 5 above are the most important, and the ones you should know about. If you don’t think you receive enough vitamin D in your life, consider taking a quality supplement and eating foods that are fortified with vitamin D.

If you’re not sure how much to take or what foods have vitamin D typically added to them, please ask me! I might be able to help you. Contact me HERE.

Stay well, health and wellness community!

Weight Loss Supplements: Are Fat Burners Really Worth It?

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Commercial weight loss supplements are often filled with caffeine and one or more of the following natural extracts reported to have “fat burning” effects: green tea extract, green coffee bean, raspberry ketone, and garcinia cambogia. This article will describe what these compounds are all about, their effectiveness and safety.

FAT BURNERS

Several weight loss supplements are marketed as being “fat burners”. The “fat burn” refers to (in a more scientific term): a specific biochemical process called fat oxidation, where body fat (“lipids”) are broken down (“lipolysis”) and used by the body as an energy source, or alternatively released as heat2. Today’s weight loss supplements promise to enhance this process, to cut the fat and pounds, upon ingestion of the following compounds:

  1. Green Tea Extract. Rich in catechins, green tea extract is reported to enhance fat oxidation by increasing the availability of noradrenaline within the blood3. Noradrenaline is a hormone with many roles, which includes stimulating fat oxidation for energy purposes. This is the same chemical our bodies release during the “fight-or-flight” response when we are placed in a seemingly harmful or stressful situation. Some studies have also suggested that catechins reduce the absorption of fat from our diet.

 

  1. Green Coffee Bean. A biologically active component found within green coffee beans is chlorogenic acid (CGA). CGA stimulates fat oxidation in a similar fashion as catechins Additionally, a recent study suggests that CGA may have anti-diabetic properties as it was shown to regulate blood sugar levels4. Unfortunately, coffee drinkers may not receive these benefits, as the roasting of green coffee beans produces another compound called HAQ, which supposedly reduces the beneficial effects of CGA.

 

  1. Raspberry Ketone. A compound found within red raspberries, used in several processed foods and cosmetic products to add flavoring and aroma. The use of raspberry ketone in weight loss gained popularity in 2012 when it was showcased on the Dr. Oz show. Just like green tea and green coffee bean extracts, raspberry ketone also increases noradrenaline levels.

 

  1. Garcinia Cambogia. This is a type of small tamarind fruit that hails from Southeast Asia. Garcinia cambogia is stipulated to reduce the accumulation of body fat via the inhibition of citric acid lyase, which is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of fat. This effect is due to the high content of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) that is found within the fruit. Some studies also report that HCA causes weight loss by increasing the release of serotonin, a hormone known to boost one’s mood and reduce appetite5.

EFFICACY AND SAFETY

The research shows large variability in the effectiveness of these compounds to actually increase fat oxidation rates and reduce fat mass. While some studies show significant reductions in weight (up to 5% of total body weight) over a 3 month period, other studies show absolutely no effect. The variability arises due to differences in supplements used during the clinical studies, as well as the types of individuals tested (i.e. we all respond differently due to our genetics, composition and lifestyle). Thus, while one product may be useful for one person in improving body composition, in another person there will be no significant changes.

The most worrisome fact about these weight loss supplements is the effects they have on other parts of the body. As mentioned above, most of the “fat burning” components act to increase noradrenaline levels. Noradrenaline not only has effects on fat tissues within our bodies, but also on our lungs, brain, muscles, heart, etc. While these effects are useful during the “fight-or-flight” response (or similarly during exercise) to allow us to escape quickly (or workout harder and faster), chronically heightened levels of noradrenaline is extremely harmful. Consequently, studies done on both animals and humans have reported side effects that include dry mouth, headaches, insomnia, vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors, adverse cardiovascular events (e.g. high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms), kidney failure, psychological disorders, and seizures.

THE SKINNY ON FAT BURNERS
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Before you consider using a weight loss supplement, even one as harmless sounding as “garcinia cambogia”,  think about how you’ll feel if the product does not work for you, the money you may have wasted or the potential side effects. Best bet is to discuss with your doctor first, and consult with a health and fitness coach on healthier, more natural ways to lose the fat and excess pounds. Always be critical before trying a new health supplement, and understand that the promises that the companies selling these products make often do not match up with the findings from unbiased research studies.

 

REFERENCES

1 Marks (2004). Obesity in America: It’s getting worse. Clinical Diabetes 22(1):1-2

2 Thermogenesis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 23(8):1009-1010 Retrieved from: ajcn.nutrition.org/content/23/8/1009.full.pdf

3 Westerp-Plantenga et al. (2006). Metabolic effects of spices, teas, and caffeine. Physiology and behavior 89(1):85-91

4Ong Wei et al. (2013). Anti-diabetic and anti-lipidemic effects of chlorogenic acid are mediated by AMPK activation. Biochemical Pharmacology 85: 1341-1351

5Onakpoya et al. (2011). The use of garcinia extract (hydroxycitric acid) as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Obesity 2011, article ID 509038

 

AMANDA CHEO

Amanda is a recent Master’s graduate from the University of Ottawa, where she completed exercise physiology-related research within the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. In her free time, you can find her out running the Rideau canal in Ottawa or at the gym for her favorite group exercise classes.