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My Daily Health Hacks

What Hacks Do You Use?
A study examining the various things Americans do to feel healthy found the average person attempts six “hacks” a week to boost their health and save time.

  • As a type 1, I supplement strategically with methylated B vitamins, CBD, probiotics, turmeric, fish oil, to name a few.
  • I drink ACV water before bed to improve my fasting blood sugar/gut health
  • I keep monthly notes on my phone for my cycle so I can best prepare for insulin changes and cravings.
  • Morning routine – I wake up before my kids.
  • I use a standup working desk
  • I bounce on a trampoline 3-5 minutes, most days – good for lymph, detox, immunity, and stress.
  • I eat 4-6 cups of vegetables a day.
  • I practice gratitude nightly before I fall asleep.
  • I eat mindfully, paying close attention to what (real food) my body wants and when it starts to feel satisfied.
  • I minimize snacking.
  • I pack my meals for road trips.
  • We use blackout curtains, low temperatures, and an eye mask for high-quality sleep.
  • I have and keep an organized kitchen.
  • I drink decaf coffee and matcha to keep my caffeine in check
  • I pamper myself monthly – from nails, girl night’s out, massage.
  • I read ~3 books a month.
  • I sleep with my phone in airplane mode (but I keep my Bluetooth on to stay connected to my Dexcom)
  • I immediately chop after I grocery shop – to have large salads and roasted veggies ready to go for future meals.
  • I do some form of a detox 4x a year
  • I keep the healthiest food options at eye level in the pantry and fridge.
  • I eat chocolate.
  • I schedule my workouts like a meeting; always showing up.
  • I time block projects to be more efficient with my time, aka stress level.
  • I shop on Thrive Market to save time (esp researching products) and money.
  • I have a water intake goal every day to improve my insulin efficiency, blood sugar control, and appetite.
  • I intermittent fast nearly every day. The summer my fasts are shorter.
  • We go camping multiple times a year. I certainly prefer glamping, but the grounding and gratitude that comes from nature are undeniable.
  • I periodically (depending on the season I am in) track my food to make sure I have tabs on my portions. I have the appetite of a teenage boy.
  • I get outside every day, no matter what.
  • If you are not cheating, you are not trying. I am kinda kidding, kinda not. But I will buy pre-riced cauliflower, salad kits, a premade meal when time is a priority over cost.
  • I throw money at the problem. I have this awesome workout app – and I may use it 1x a week. I purchase a year membership to the local yoga studio, I workout 500% more. I am a fan of throwing money at the problem of whatever hurdle I am trying to overcome.
  • I (try to) eat without distractions to ensure I am eating the amounts my appetite calls for.
  • I use a low carb diet to control my appetite and diabetes.
  • I walk/bike EVERY time I need to go somewhere and it’s within walking or biking distance.
  • I batch and prep meals ahead of time for the week. I also pack my kids lunches the night before to make the mornings go more smoothly.
  • I moderate my alcohol by only enjoying it on the weekends. I love being productive and wine during the week slows me down. Well, all wine with the exception of Dry Farm Wine.
  • I drink mixed greens every afternoon to increase my nutrient intake.
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Affirmations & Weight Loss – The Power of Positivity

Affirmations and Weight-loss - KSW - #weightlosstips #weightlossfacts #nutritionisttips #nutritionfacts #nutritiontips #healthylifestyletips #positivemindset #KSW #kellyschmidt #weightloss #howtoloseweight #mindsetiskey
Infographic designed and edited by Tayler Silfverduk, DTR

While we think our actions create our results, it’s really the thoughts we manage and create that lead us feeling a certain way, priming us to make certain choices and actions, therefore our results.

Our thoughts create our results.

How and what we think is a crucial element to our health and fat loss journey. This is why when I work with clients who want to lose weight, we spend time on the topic of affirmations.

Affirmations:  a statement about ourselves or our situation that’s phrased in the present tense as if the self-focused declaration is already true.

If you read them on a continual basis and stay persistent, combining them with regular physical activities and a real food diet, I guarantee that you WILL achieve your desired results. Pick an affirmation and own it for the next 30 days and see what happens,

Examples of weight loss and confidence affirmations to adopt:

  • I reached my weight loss goal.
  • My past doesn’t defy my future. I am achieving my goals.
  • Age has nothing to do with it. I am releasing this weight in a wise way.
  • I am taking care of myself.
  • I am so happy and grateful I weigh _________.
  • I feel hunger without fear, in fact, I appreciate it.
  • I eat just enough, without overeating.
  • I am showing up for myself and treating myself with respect.
  • I am grateful for my body and where it takes me.
  • I am proving my ability to change my habits and adopt new ones.
  • I am worthy.
  • I am enough.
  • I trust my body and it’s capabilities to heal and thrive.
  • I inhale life and exhale anxiety.
  • I am flexible to change.

How to Use Affirmations

Say them daily, aloud, for a larger impact. Repeat them 1-5x a day, and put them in your calendar, like a post-it on your mirror, in your pantry, on your desk and computer, and say the chosen affirmation with belief.

Our brain doesn’t know reality. It knows what our thoughts tell it, and an affirmation is an easy way to “fake it until I make it,” progressing to the results you want.

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3 Vital Methods of Improving You Heart Health

Each of us only gets one heart during the course of our lives. While there are extensive medical treatments that can support or potentially replace your heart problems, prevention is always worth plenty more in its curative potential. Improving heart health isn’t usually a singular act, the same as any other matter of health. However, with a little care and consideration, you can drastically reduce the statistical likelihood of contracting various ailments. Thankfully, you needn’t climb a mountain every day or find the strangest and most exotic solutions to improve your health in this manner.

This process can be relatively easy, provided you keep at it, prioritize this as something to take care of, and look to find what works for you. With the following tips, we’re certain you’ll get there with promising results:

Exercise

Without exercise, it is often extremely easy for your cardiovascular strength to suffer.  While the fit and healthy lifestyle is 20% exercise and 80% diet, that 20% is more essential than you might know.  Exercise trains your heart to be stronger, to deal with stress easier, to lower your resting heart rate, and to improve blood oxygen levels.  

Exercise can also help sleep, keep you disciplined which translates to diet positivity, it helps you keep a healthy weight, and decreases the effects of cardiovascular disease.  While exercise might differ depending on your needs, and while requirements might change depending on your age, weight, training aptitude, and medical needs, even professional cardiology services, with their range of offerings will often cite exercise as one of the most important things to take care of.

Stress

Lowering stress levels can lower your cortisol, which often contributes to a higher resting heart rate, strain on your heart and the intensity of panicked states.  It could be that applying meditation, lowering your working hours and filtering the chaos from your normal life could help you here significantly.

Stress can be mitigated through proper use of breathing techniques, exercise, correct sleep, social support, but sometimes targeted medication.  Be sure to speak with your healthcare professional about your own needs here.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most restorative natural activities we all must take part in.  It is the nightly mercy to refresh your mind, body and spirit. It also helps your heart lower its necessary BPM while your other organs are taken care of.  Sleep reduces stress, gives you more energy, and nourishes you. A distinct lack of this can put a severe strain on your heart, and longer-term lack of sleep can often result in a lower lifespan.  Sleep is the most necessary, important part of this list and is worth taking care of.

With these tips you are sure to benefit deeply from a renewed a heart health priority. After all, you deserve to live your healthiest life. Just remain sure that any help you ever implement is always verified by your healthcare practitioner.

 

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Why You Are Struggling With Weight Loss

Weight loss is a hot topic this time of year. Along with melting fat, women more so are looking to get lean! Which we absolutely love. As well, weight loss doesn’t always have to mean losing the pounds, it can mean swapping them for inches so do not obsess over the number on the scale. 

Yet weight loss and fat loss is easier said than done. It doesn’t just take hard work, it takes a plan and strategy. Keep reading to discover how you can make the struggle with weight loss much easier!

You’re Trying The Wrong Diets

If you’re going to try and lose weight, you’re going to have to think about some sort of routine. Even if that means simply cutting out fatty foods that are high in sugar and salt, and swapping them for something a bit greener and leaner. That can be classed as a diet, you don’t have to follow some of the crazy crazes that there are out there. But if you’re going to, there are some that will work better, and quicker than others. The keto diet is one of them, and thousands of people around the world are on the diet right now. Ketogenic diet foods are easy to come by, so it’s not like this fancy diet is going to cost you a fortune. The diet works by reducing carbs to pretty much nothing, if not cutting them all out. This then encourages the liver to produce ketones which are then used as an energy source, these then break down fats. Once you reach an optimal weight, you then really slowly introduce foods higher in carbs, but still, stick to a whole real food diet!

Cheat Days Aren’t Banned

Cheat days definitely aren’t banned. The reason we feel that so many people fail when on a diet, is because they restrict themselves so much. It’s salads and fruits all the way, leaving your body to heavily crave the things you used to feed it with so much. This leads to massive binges on junk food, and it halts any weight loss progress. So, make every day a cheat day, and pick one item to have. A chocolate bar, a bag of crisps, whatever it may be. All you have to do is make sure you’re having one thing in terms of your cheat… and no that does not mean a massive Dairy Milk chocolate bar counts as one. That way, you always have a little treat to look forward to, and won’t feel the need to snack constantly.

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Weight Loss Hints for a Healthier You

When you improve your health and well-being, weight loss is often a byproduct. Consider what it takes to look after yourself and try to become healthier in everyday life.

There are various ways to improve your lifestyle, and your health and fitness. These are some of the best ways of keeping yourself in good shape as much as you can.

  • Drink More Water

Drinking more water is absolutely essential when it comes to keeping you hydrated and nourished. If you are serious about becoming healthier and boosting your fitness and well-being, you need to make sure you are drinking more water. There is a lot to keep in mind when it comes how much water you drink, and the accepted amount that you should be drinking is considered to be between 2 and 3 litres. Make sure you come up with plenty of great ideas to help you get into a routine of drinking more water right now.

  • Take up Fitness Classes

Another way of keeping yourself in top condition is to make sure you take up fitness classes. You need to stay in shape and do as much as possible to exercise on a regular basis. This is one of the reasons why a weight loss studio for women is one of the best ways of making sure you stay in shape and keep active. Fitness classes are so important, and they play a major role in the process of boosting fitness and staying healthy as much as possible.

  • Change Your Diet

Make sure you look at what you can do to change your diet and improve your diet. There are a lot of different diets that you could adopt, but it is also essential to make sure you have a balanced diet, focusing on real food and ensure you are tapping into your hunger to eat the right amounts. Making changes to your diet plays a massive part in the process of staying healthy. What’s my biggest tip? Avoid sugar and flour and do not view food as entertainment. Food is fuel. 

  • Kick the Habit

Everyone has bad habits that can affect their health in a negative sense, and you need to make sure you look at how you can kick such obstacles getting in your way.  Cut down on your drinking as much as possible.

There are a lot of things that have to happen if you want to be able to lose weight and stay in good shape. In fact, gaining or losing weight is a combination of small factors. Make small adjustments to your lifestyle and the accumulation of positive change will help you succeed. It’s not always what we are eating. It’s often what is eating us.

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5 Red Flags You Are Eating Too Much Sugar

Did you know there are ~20 grams of sugar in a bowl of tomato soup? The daily recommended limit when it comes to sugar is 30 grams. If you pair your soup with a salad, which the salad dressing either has dried fruit in it or a dressing with sugar, honey or syrup in it, you’ve likely blown the budget in one meal.

Many foods have hidden sugars in, so it can be difficult to know how much you’re consuming. However, various health problems can usually serve as an indicator that you’re consuming too much sugar including the following. 

Tooth decay

Tooth decay is the most obvious sign excess sugar in the diet (or it could be insulin resistance/inflammation) – or that you’re not brushing your teeth thoroughly enough. Sugar provides the perfect breeding ground for enamel-eating bacteria, which leads to cavities. Rigorous brushing can stop sugar rotting the teeth – it could be worth taking a visit to your local dental office to get your teeth professionally cleaned to prevent any current cavities from getting worse. Of course, assessing your diet with a food journal or support of a dietitian can make an impact.

Spots/acne

Whilst acne can be a genetic condition, a number of other factors can also come into play such as personal cleanliness and diet. Sugar causes our bodies to produce more insulin, which in turn can cause unnecessary inflammation around the body such as acne on the skin. If you suffer from acne, it could be worth reducing your sugar and increasing your water. Unrelated to what we eat, stress can do funny things to our body, including blemishes. Make sure you are taking many deep breaths throughout the day and finding an outlet to unwind. 

Excess weight

Sugar can lead to weight gain. Whilst sugar is low in calories, it is a carbohydrate – carbs have the biggest impact on blood sugar and insulin. When blood sugars are moving up and down, it will lead to weight gain and fluctuations in appetite. If you’re overweight and you eat lots of sugary foods, you may want to consider lowering your intake to help lose weight. The only time you may want to up your sugar intake is when doing aerobic exercise as sugar can provide useful energy to burn off – otherwise, you should keep it to a minimum.

Lack of energy

Relating to weight gain, sugar can cause a sense of an energy boost, but this is only short-term. The more sugar you feast on in one sitting, the bigger the comedown. If you feel tired all the time and you’re getting enough sleep at night, you may want to consider your sugar intake and evaluating how much caffeine you are running on.

High blood pressure

Salt is often blamed as the cause of high blood pressure (it actually only affects 20% of people), but sugar is the bigger villain. Sugar releases insulin, which in turn cause the blood pressure to rise. Constant high blood pressure can take a strain on the heart and arteries leading to potentially lethal problems such as strokes and heart attacks. If you’ve got high blood pressure, try lowering your sugar intake to see if this helps return your pressure to a normal level.

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Investing In Your Health: How You Can & Why You Should

Health is wealth. I think of the Lady Gaga documentary while writing this post. She is incredibly talented and wealthy but she has to tend to her autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, and it can suck up her time and get in the way of her work, let alone life. Money might make life easier for you but if you haven’t got your health, what have you got?

Choosing to invest in your health is crucial. If you don’t, who else is going to do so for you? As much as you can look to your doctor to take the lead, they have a full plate of their own. Rather than focusing on 1 area (coming from a dietitian, I am thinking diet), look at your wellness from a bird’s-eye view. 

Health insurance is a must-have

If you are serious about being mindful of your health and investing in it, then health insurance is a must-have. It’s crucial that you take out the best health insurance that you can afford, as one day, should you get sick, you will want to have that specialist medical cover in place.

In addition to normal medical insurance, you might want to purchase supplemental insurance to top up your cover. This cover is put in place to ensure that medical problems that your normal health insurance excludes are covered. 

Invest in good-quality food

A large number of people skimp on the food that they eat, buying poor-quality food to cut costs and make life cheaper. If you want to give yourself the best chance possible of leading a longer and healthier life, it’s essential that you take what you eat more seriously.

Take your exercise regime seriously

While you might be able to go it alone with exercise, some of us (myself included) need to consider investing in some expert help. Let it be hiring a personal trainer to help you get back to feeling your best, heading to an Orange Theory Fitness, etc? There are plenty of options, it’s just a case of finding the one that is the best fit for you.

There you have it, a guide to enlighten you on how to invest in your health.

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Getting Back to Exercise with a Baby in Tow

When you’ve just had a baby, you’ve got a lot to think about and do. Your main focuses are feeding and looking after your baby and getting some sleep. Yet, despite everything else that we’ve got going on, many of us worry about our weight and getting back into our pre-pregnancy jeans. You might also worry about boosting your fitness levels and increasing your stamina.

To start with, it’s crucial to give yourself a break. Concentrate on your baby and your health, eat well, drink lots of water, and give yourself grace. Get as much rest as you can, and remember, it took you ten months to gain your baby weight, it’s okay if it takes just as long to lose it. Don’t rush yourself. Your body has been through considerable stress. Not just giving birth, the whole of your pregnancy has been tough on your body, and it deserves a rest.

But, as soon as you are feeling able, and your doctor has given you the all clear, exercise can be a great idea. Don’t worry about your weight, and don’t push yourself too hard, but getting a little exercise can be good for your health and your mood. It can give you a little much needed time on your own, and it can help you to get some rest. So, how do you manage this with a baby in tow? It doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think.

Get Organized

If you want time to exercise, you might need to get a little more organized. Order diapers, shop in bulk, get into a routine as soon as you can, and get your partner helping out as much as possible.

Start Walking

 

When you’ve got a young baby, walking is the best way to exercise for two reasons. Firstly, it’s relatively easy on your body. Doing more steps each day helps you to burn more calories, works your muscles and helps to boost your fitness levels, without pushing your body too hard. Secondly, you don’t need to find time on your own. Put your baby in their stroller or a sling and take them out with you.

Home Workouts

There are so many workouts on YouTube. Many of which are aimed at new moms. Try yoga and gentle pilates if you want to relax, stretch out and work your muscles. Or have a go at a gentle aerobic routine if you want to get a cardio workout. Start with 10-minute videos, make sure you stretch and increase the length of your workouts when you are able.

If you don’t fancy any proper videos, simple stretches while holding your baby, or dancing around the kitchen with them can be a great workout.

Join a Class or Club

Have a look for new mom exercise classes at your local gym or community center, some of these offer creche services. Alternatively, look at notice boards or social media accounts for your local park. Many play host to moms and strollers groups, where new moms walk and stretch together with their babies. This is a great way to meet new people, get some fresh air and get back into exercise.

 

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Easy Lunchbox Ideas For Kids

 

If you have kids, you’ll likely agree it can be a big challenge to get them to eat their meals. Many times, they change their minds on what they want to eat or they spend the lunch hour chatting, and they will either leave the food or throw it away during the day. But don’t fret: there are many different meals you can add to your child’s lunchbox which will make them more interesting and desirable, and here are easy recipes and tricks to try out this week.

Bento box

If you want to try and use cool lunch boxes as a lure for the kids to eat their dinner this week, there are some great choices out there for them to use. One of the best out there right now is known as a Bento Box and this is a lunchbox which is filled with several compartments as well as a dip tub. What person doesn’t love dipping their food? You can separate out a snack, the main lunch, and a sweet treat and this can be a great thing for those picky eaters out there.

DIY lunchables

As we think about our own childhood lunches, do Lunchables come to mind? These little meals were the epitome of childhood spirit and always welcome in the schoolyard. But to step up the game a little for your kids, you can use cheese which is actually tasty, fresh ham and some real food/real ingredient crackers. It is something easy which they can make for themselves each day and it can be a wonderful option to keep them interested.

Fruit animals

If you have a particularly young child who you are packing lunch for, you might want to lure them into eating more produce by creating pieces of artwork with them. For example, use half a tangerine and use a toothpick to place a grape to act as a head. You can then add more grapes to act as arms and legs and you immediately have a cute fruit turtle to add to their lunchbox! Take a look online for more fruit animal ideas.

Easy pizza pocket

Something which will never fail to be popular with children is pizza, and although you likely can’t pack a whole slice of pizza into your child’s lunchbox, you can make a less messy option for them to enjoy. All you will need for this is a tortilla wrap, marinara sauce, pepperoni (or any other topping) and mozzarella cheese.

Start off by cutting the tortilla wrap in half. You can then fold the half into a cone and use a mix of flour and water to seal the edges. Fill with a small amount of sauce, cheese, and topping and seal the top to form a triangle. Place in a toastie bag in the toaster for 3-4 minutes until done, pack it up and let your child take it to school!

Classic BLT

For a fairly nutritious meal idea for your child when they go to school, a great idea would be a take the classic paleo BLT and add some extra fiber and healthy fat. You’ll need:

  •         2 slices/leaves of romaine
  •         healthy mayo
  •         half an avocado, sliced
  •         2 slices bacon
  •         3 slices of tomato
  •          mustard

For this, you will want to grill the bacon or cook it in the microwave with a paper towel. Use the romaine as the “bread” slices, layer on the bacon, tomato, and avocado, press down and cut into 2 pieces. This is a healthy meal which will keep the kids satisfied for the rest of the day!

Pasta salad

Pasta is the ultimate comfort food for kids and some of the latest options are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A simple pasta salad can be an amazing option for all kids and they will be able to enjoy a meal which is fun and filling. This is an example of a simple chicken pasta salad:

  •         1 breast chicken, grilled and sliced
  •         70g pasta (try lentil or black bean based pasta options)
  •         1 tbsp pesto
  •         6-8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  •         50g spinach
  •         1 tbsp cheese for sprinkling (optional)

Cook off the chicken and a pasta of your choice. Add spinach into the chicken pan just before it finishes cooking to allow it to wilt. Combine all ingredients apart from cheese in a bowl. Place cheese into a small dip contained so that your child can add this at lunchtime.

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Are You Getting Enough Water?

 

Staying hydrated is essential for almost every bodily function.  In fact, getting the optimum amount of H20 could make you heal faster, sleep better, age slower, concentrate more clearly and improve physical strength and endurance. Here’s a brief guide to help you work out whether you should be drinking more.

What do the guidelines say?

Most guides online will tell you to follow the ‘8 x 8 rule’ – which basically means eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. This roughly equates to 1.9 liters of water.

How much should we really be drinking?

If 1.9 liters of water sounds a lot, you may be shocked to hear that this figure is actually too low. The body can get by on 1.9 liters of water per day, but actually, we need more than that to perform at optimum ability. The National Academy of Sciences suggests that women consume 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of water per day and that men consume 3.7 liters (125 ounces) of water per day.

125 ounces equates to 15 ½ 8-ounce glasses of water per day. But don’t worry – if drinking 15 ½ glasses of water per day sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is. A lot of the food we eat contains water as do other drinks. In fact, studies suggest that the average person consumes 3.5 liters of water in food alone.

It might be common sense, but worthy of mentioning, if the weather is warm or you’re active, your needs will be increased.

Are there any foods and drinks that dehydrate us?

Believe it or not, but there are actually foods and drinks that can dehydrate you.

The most serious offender is alcoholic drinks. Alcohol decreases the body’s production of anti-diuretic hormones, which causes us to go to want to urinate more. In doing so, the body loses vital amount of water that should have been absorbed by the body. If you are enjoying a drink, make sure to load up on water during or after.

Too much sugar and salt can also lead to dehydration by increasing thirst and are urge to pee. Cutting down on soft drinks and consuming fruit flavored water could prevent this, as could going without sugar in your tea or coffee. As for salt, try to avoid too many salty snacks and experiment with other forms of seasoning when cooking rather than adding salt.

What are the signs of dehydration?

Often it’s best to simply drink water once you start noticing the symptoms of dehydration.

Feeling thirsty is the most obvious one. When it comes to chronic dehydration (not drinking enough over a prolonged period of time) look out for dry skin, bags under the eyes and dark colored urine – if you’ve got all these signs, you could need to start drinking more each day.