Do you have a clear picture of what you want your future self to look like? If not, now is the time to start creating it. The first step is to think about what your ideal self would be. What do you want to be like? What kind of lifestyle do you want to have? Once you have a good idea of your ideal self, you can start making lifestyle changes to work towards it.

Pretty much everyone knows that the holidays come with a few extra pounds by the end of the year. However, this does not have to be the case and this year you can save your New Year's resolutions for something else! 

Knowing you should eat more plants is easy, but incorporating more plants into your meal becomes difficult at times. Many people start by adding a salad to their lunch or dinner. While this is a great way to incorporate many different colors it can get boring and not work for every meal.

Stress, whether physical or mental, can impact our health, weight, and even food choices. Stress in small amounts can be beneficial to the body. Physical stress from running or lifting weights helps our body become stronger. However, long-term daily stress can have the opposite effects.

Most people who find themselves in a yo-yo weight loss start off by following a rapid weight loss diet. If the initial weight loss is faster than the body has time to adjust for, there will be a lag. The plateau occurs when the body finally catches up to your new weight. Many things happen at this point but a major one is a decrease in your metabolic rate to reflect your now lighter body. 

Injuries happen no matter how careful we try to be sometimes, and we have very little control of what happens during the injury event. However, we do have control of what we do to recover from our injury. Regardless of it being an accident or medical (ex. surgery), there are several nutritional changes we can make to help our body recover. 

Unfortunately, all this convenience came with a cost. In order for the food items to be shelf stable, not cake up, maintain texture, etc., chemical additives had to be used. Not to mention the use of artificial flavors and colors.

Just take a look at the ingredients list of a highly processed food item and you’ll see a whole paragraph of added preservatives, flavors, stabilizers, colors, etc. 

The newest diet movement in the last several years is to eat a whole food plant-based diet. However, what does it mean to eat whole food plant based? Is this a new name for a vegetarian or a vegan diet? The short answer is, yes it sort of is. The long answer is what this blog is about.

When we consume sugar, insulin is released from our pancreas into our bloodstream. Insulin acts as both a key and a transporter for sugar to our cells that then use it as energy. Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells become resistant to the action of insulin. Unfortunately, there are rarely any recognizable symptoms until insulin resistance develops into type 2 diabetes.

Increases in simple carbohydrates, saturated fat, sodium, and alcohol (for those that drink) are just half of the problems that come along with summer meals. It’s what’s missing from these meals that is the other half.

Decreased intake or none at all of fiber, healthy fats (mono- and poly-unsaturated) and nutrients (minerals, vitamins) is what really makes summer eating take a toll on the body.  

Why do we need to drink water and stay hydrated every day? Besides quenching our thirst and dry mouth, water has many essential roles in our body.

We need calories to fuel our body on a daily basis, however, we do not need the same amount everyday. Depending on your activities throughout the day, your calorie needs may increase or decrease. Unless you are consistent in your everyday activities, your calorie intake should fluctuate with each day.

Planning gives us control and helps keep our life organized. Meal planning can help reduce stress and keep us on track to meet our goals. Whether you're looking to lose weight, gain weight or even maintain weight, meal planning keeps you on target. 

Our body needs calories to power all of our functions and give us energy. Whether you’re trying to lose or gain weight you most likely have found yourself counting calories at some point. Calories are the amount of energy a food provides and by tracking them you are able to put yourself in a negative energy or positive energy balance. But is calorie counting actually worth the time and effort you have to put into it?

Creatine, it’s one of the most studied supplements and the benefits have been known by gym goers for decades. However, new evidence is showing that creatine is beneficial to our long-term health as well. 

Move. It’s something we do every day. It’s also something we do less and less of with each generation. We are constantly finding new ways of making our life more convenient and help save time. All at the cost of moving our bodies less.

The very cup of coffee you may have drank already or are drinking right now contains over a thousand different chemicals. Yes, there’s way more in that mug than just caffeine. It is these plant chemicals, many of them polyphenols and diterpenes, that provide us with the health benefits.

As I mentioned before, vegetables are nutrient packed low-calorie powerhouses. They provide our bodies with vitamins and minerals that we need for everyday functions. Fiber that keeps us regular and feeds our good gut bacteria. And phytochemicals, which are only found in plants, that help protect our body and prevent disease.

We have two ways to create a calorie deficit, eating less or exercising more. Ideally you do a little of both. This sounds pretty straight forward, and it is on paper, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, it does not always work as it should. 

Supplements can be useful if taken for the right reasons and in the right conditions. Many supplements make lofty claims and deliver little to no results. Knowing when, how, and why to use supplements is key to benefit from them and prevent injury.