Week 3 Nourish to Flourish update

We are now over half way through our challenge and we are all definitely getting the hang of listening to our bodies.

Did you know that every structure and function of the body depends upon nutrients.  So, on that note I want to add in the day of "IMPENDING DOOM"!

What do I mean by the day of IMPENDING DOOM?

It's that day when you wake up feeling completely unsettled and unnerved, like something terrible is going to happen, and you cannot work out why.  Usually within 48hrs of this it becomes apparent - your period has started!

This usually explains the emotional days, the crabbit days, the less than patient, take no crap days!  And is it just me that suffers from amnesia every 28 days? Because this emotional rollercoaster always comes as a surprise to me.  Then I forget about it again until the next month.  

Our hormones are greatly influenced by our nourishment and what we chose to put into our bodies. The more I follow my metabolic typing the less aggressive my cycle becomes with less peaks and troughs leading up to it (feelings of low, weepy).  I no longer get cramps or headaches and am much less tetchy (although I feel that may be contested in our house).  I feel as though my mind and body is in much more balance.

The more I work with woman the more I see these huge hormone imbalances.  They are unable to control a whole host of symptoms such as weight gain, migraines, depression, lethargy, thyroid/adrenal issues, IBS, endometrioses, the list goes on!  

Please be aware of what your body is saying to you.  It says it for a reason, the fist time will be a punch the second comes in with a sledge hammer. 

This weeks updates:

Another positive move forward.

Natasha has found she has not suffered from indigestion this week so has not needed to take her medication (I might add at this point, her medication is self medicated and I have had no influence or advice on this).  What has pleased her the most is getting back into her size 10 jeans.  We had discussed the weigh ins and she has not weighed herself - she has gone on how well her clothes fit.  Natasha's energy is still good.  The meat test I set her is still be completed so we will go through that next week.  Natasha had a go at making her own Rye bread - she said it was a fair bit of work - but good.

As for myself,  trying not to inhale my food was a huge challenge - with a busy week in the clinic I was chasing my tale so I do have to keep on top of that.  This week I have again felt less bloated and thoroughly enjoying feeling fresh.  Goals for next week.  Must keep on track of planning and preparing meals, especially lunches, so as I don't rush.

Sam :)

Over to Aileen:

At the beginning of last week I was feeling fairly confident that I was getting the hang of this metabolic typing lark- that was until I had a "moment of muffin madness"!  I was out with my mum last Friday and we decided to "treat" ourselves to coffee and a snack.  In a moment of weakness I opted for a muffin and couldn't wait to tuck into that delicious sweet treat.  What I wasn't prepared for was the almost instant feeling of guilt followed by a slow but most definite spiral back into my sugar-filled, carb-heavy ways!  I though that since I had started the day off in a bad way I might as well continue!  Needless to say that by that evening I felt bloated, lethargic, annoyed and full of regret.  My sugar/carb hangover cast a shadow over my weekend but I am only human after all - and will hopefully learn from this mistake.  We all fall off the wagon at some point but the important thing to remember is to get back on as soon as you have the strength - and that in itself is sometimes a very difficult thing to muster.  Don't be too hard on yourself!  You will get there in the end.

Nourish to Flourish - Week 2 Update!

We are halfway through our Nourish to Flourish Challenge - how did that happen??  It's now time to focus on the exercise aspect of our challenge.   

It is a well known statistic that health = 80% nutrition and 20% exercise.  So how can we make the most of that 20%! 

Firstly we need to make sure that our energy expenditure (exercise) is equal or greater than our energy input (food).  This simple equation is the fundamental principle in weight loss.  You probably already know this.  However, it is so much harder to reduce your "input" without failing off the wagon because all you can think about is food!  It is much easier to gradually increase the amount of exercise you are doing!

Next we need to realise that movement increases our metabolism.  ANY MOVEMENT.  It is easy to increase the amount of physical activity you do by just actually moving your body more - walking is so underrated!  

In my opinion the most effective way to increase your metabolism through exercise is to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  That means doing very intense exercise for a short period of time followed by a quick rest (the interval part) repeated as many times as required e.g 4 lots of exercises preformed for 45 seconds with a 15 second rest.  The exercises could be anything from power squats to sprints on an exercise bike.

Exercise also diverts your blood supply away from your digestive tract and towards the active muscles.  This helps reduce the feeling of hunger.  So next time you feel hunger and don't have a sensible snack to hand, try doing some exercise to see if it helps you beat that pang! 

Finally, did you know that the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate? The Human body naturally burns more calories each day to maintain a pound of muscle than it does to maintain a pound of fat.  Therefore, the more muscle you build, the more calories your body will naturally burn each day at rest.  Ok, it is only a tiny fraction more but every little helps!

So how are we all getting on with the challenge?

My verdict of this week - 

I am beginning to really notice the effect sugar has on my body.  This has made me try really hard to avoid eating anything that is too high in it - does make finding a quick snack hard if you are not a home (or prepared!).  Bananas and nuts are almost a permanent fixture in my bag now.  Otherwise I feel like I have a more consistent supply energy of  and am definitely sleeping better.  It is still a challenge not to give into cravings though, especially when I am having a very active day.!  I feel like I have made a positive change to my health and am really enjoying discovering what new combinations of food work for me.

Aileenxxx

Now for the other girls!

Sam-  Ah! the week without coffee;bear with a sore head! I had felt very tired and foggy for the first few days.  It was nice to have my substitute, more from a psychological point of view.  Now that I am into week two, I feel an immense difference.  I wake feeling fresh and not knackered, dragging myself about in order to get going in the morning.  I have loved my HITT training this week Aileen, Thank you.  It really gives you a buzz the following morning. So much so I have been out running at 6am!!!!!!!!

I also thought it would be good to give you a typical day of food for me.
Waking 500ml (approx.) of water
30mins later Breakfast - 2x scrambled egg and half an avocado (sometimes a lamb chop, I just listen to my body if I need more protein).

Snack - banana and nuts - but not always needed.

Lunch - homemade lamb burgers stuffed with feta and green salad.

Dinner - Steak/chicken with steamed green veg and butter over the top.

I am quite regimented with my water, 30 mins before I eat and 2 hrs after I've eaten.

Also goats cheese - I know this is a dairy product and I have been avoiding dairy, however, feta does not sit in your stomach for hours the way cheddar cheese does.  Feta will move through in 30 minutes.

My Goal - Portion Control! I am going to eat slower and not inhale my food.  Allowing my body to release enzymes and identify food correctly and not as a foreign object because it hits my stomach in lumps! Therefore my body has to fit incredibly hard to digest it and many more negative responses to not chewing food properly.

Natasha - she is feeling more energetic and positive.  Her skin feels better, bowels move better and she feels lighter (I might add Natasha has not weighed herself as this is not something I encourage).  Natasha has had a very positive experience with her food this week and has been cooking away frantically to get it right for herself and her family.

This week her goals are to experiment with more recipes, we looked out a few together and we shall share all next week. Also this week Natasha is going to do a food test for me, which I shall also reveal in next weeks update. Finally, bake a family treat that they can all eat.  Life is for living! -

Sam :)

Nourish to Flourish - Week 1 Update!

This week 3 of us commenced our Nourish to Flourish Journey.

When you chose to change your lifestyle - it takes energy.  It is harder to change than it is to stay the same.  FACT!  I have observed many people who live in discomfort and pain, yet their ability to change is not there as they feel it is just not possible.  

For the first few weeks of working with a new client I try to keep things simple.  There is undoubtedly a lot to think about and I don't wan to overwhelm them so I make sure that I never add anything beyond their ability.

So this week we all concentrate on our own specific diet sheets.  These sheets gave us a list of foods we could and shouldn't eat, in order to gain optimal health.  For every meal we must have all the major food groups - Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat.  It is the ratios of these macronutrients that we need to get right in order to make us feel better.  Additionally, since we all metabolise food in a different way, we needed to pay attention to the particular forms of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats within our diet.  For example, if I were to eat  a chicken fillet at lunch time I would be looking for something to eat about 2 hrs later.  Natasha could eat chicken fillet for lunch and be satisfied until dinner.

I cannot emphasis enough - EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

So how did we all get on adapting to our new food changes.

My verdict of this week - being a High Fat/High Protein type metaboliser I have loved being back in the flow of analysing my feelings with food.  I got a real buzz from not deviating off my food plan as I end up being drained of energy if I do.  This week for me has shown that I really have to stay away from the dairy and keep up my good meats and fats.  Loved it.  I have slept well and had a clearer mind.

My goal for next week - COME OFF THE COFFEE COMPLETELY! I'm not saying it is bad for YOU, I'm saying I know I do better without it.  Coffee is similar to the way sugar effects the body.  It triggers an insulin response within the body and makes it work mega hard to combat it.  So, I reckon I will be a bit tired at the start of the week.  I have recently found Dandelion Coffee and Barley Rye - both of which you can use as a substitute hot drink, natural and with no caffeine.  So this is what I shall have instead.  Another step closer to a refreshing me!

Now for the other girls!

Aileen -  Aileen was pleases that she didn't suffer from the hunger pangs she was dreading and actually found it quite empowering knowing that she was nourishing her body rather than depriving it of sweet treats!  She found breakfast and lunch easy to adjust too but is struggling a bit more with dinner as she eats at the same time as her children, who obviously only ever want carbs!  To combat this she is substituting her usual pasta/potatoes for quinoa or extra spinach.  Aileen still needs to eat regularly though and has admitted that she is a bit more stumped when it comes to quick, nutritional snacks - they always seem to take that bit more effort to make!  So next week she aims to keep on track with her main meals and do a bit more research on how to make tasty filling snacks!  I'm sure she will share any fantastic recipes with us!

Natasha - This week Natasha has felt she had more energy, slept better and felt less bloated.  Her diet needed to be tweaked mid week as she felt she was eating the same things to try and stick with the diet sheet. Her goals for the next seven days are to stick with the foods on the diet sheet as Natasha is a Mixed type, which means its important for her to get her food combinations right as well as her macronutrient ratios (protein, carb and fat).  She loves to cook and what was on her diet plan was no different to what she would normally eat it was just getting the combinations right.  Having spoken with her last night, she may well be experiencing a detox - with an upset stomach.  This is the body's way of eliminating toxins.  This can also have the symptoms of sore heads, flu like feeling, bad breath or body odour or sometimes even sickness.  However this process usually is short lived.  Another step closer to a cleaner healthier you!

Sam xxx

Nourish to Flourish Nerves

Tomorrow sees the start of our Nourish to Flourish challenge and I am beginning to feel the nerves!

My attitude to exercise and nutrition growing up was "I can eat that slice of chocolate cake because I have just been for a run".

WRONG!  

I now know that you can't out exercise a bad diet but I would be lying to you if I told you I had perfect eating habits (I just can't shake my sweet tooth!).

So this challenge is just what I need to kick start my new approach to food and to start to really nourish MY body.  I am delighted to be starting this nutritional journey with Sam, Natasha and Suzy but I am scared!

I'm scared because:

1. My Metabolic Type suggests foods that I have never heard of!
2. How am I going to copy when hunger strikes!
3. I am going camping with my family this weekend (surely that means eating toasted marshmallows).
4. It's my husband's birthday this week (arrgh I will be faced with cake and booze).

Life is real though!

I know that this week is going to be about "eating less wrong and more right" as Sam has told me. 

So my aim for the first week is:

1. Increase water consumption (a proven tactic to help deal with hunger pangs).
2. Decrease the amount of carbs I eat - and to make sure the ones I do eat are the correct type for me.
3. Include protein in all my meals.

Fitness wise I'm not so nervous as I know that I need to focus more on my core to increase both my strength and function.

These exercises will concentrate on going back to basics and working the body from the inside out - look at them as the foundations of a building.

I also hope to do at least one session that involves more resistance training - i.e weights!!!!

So there you have it folks!

I'll keep you posted!