Your gut is the host to an entire microbiome of bacteria – an estimated 100 trillion of them!
Keeping those bacteria happy, healthy, and in balance is a big part of a wellness lifestyle. As you can imagine, what you eat plays a very important role.
In this mini-guide, we’ll outline the basics of gut health. {Plus, you have access to lots of delicious recipes}. We hope you enjoy!
Your gut plays a huge role in your health, affecting not just your digestion but your mood, energy, aches and pains, and even your brain function.
You’ve heard these sayings before, for good reason:
“Listen to your gut.”
“Butterflies in your stomach.”
“Gut instinct.”
For centuries, we’ve known that our gut and our well-being are connected.
Right now, science is uncovering just HOW linked they really are.
First: your gut (aka digestive system) and the amazing trillions of microorganisms that live inside it – breaks down everything you eat.
This gives your body:
The fuel it needs to function.
The components of all the numerous hormones, enzymes and compounds that power your body’s processes.
The building blocks it needs to repair and recover.
Second: Your gut is a MAJOR part of your immune system
It serves as your body’s reception area, ushering in the good guys (all the nutrients and micronutrients in your foods) – and working hard to keep out intruders (pathogens, bacteria, and more).
It does both of these jobs thanks to a permeable lining called “gut associated lymphoid tissue” or GALT.
When your gut microbes are in balance and your GALT is working well, your gut will recognize a bad guy and attack it.
BUT… when your gut microbes are out of balance, those bad guys can start to push their way through the reception area, into the “inner sanctum” of your body – invading and growing.
This can cause all sorts of problems, from digestive upset to chronic inflammation and immune system issues.
If your gut has ever been out of balance, you know how uncomfortable this can be!
Over time, having an out-of-whack gut can raise real havoc with your energy, mood, and overall health.
What can cause a gut imbalance?
This is a huge area of study right now, but major players include:
Antibiotics
Infections
A poor diet (high sugar, low fiber, etc.)
Food sensitivities
Stress
Tainted food
And more
Simply put, a healthy gut starts with a healthy lifestyle – getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and exercising.
In addition, one of the most important factors involves what you FEED your gut!
It begins with cleaning out the stuff that isn’t serving you: mainly high-sugar, low-fibre, and processed foods.
And then it’s about feeding your microbiome with more of the GOOD stuff.
We’ll break it down into two basic parts.
Prebiotics feed the probiotics in your gut
Prebiotics are made up of indigestible fibers such as inulin.
These fibers are tough enough to make it through your stomach and small intestine undigested.
They end up in your colon, where the healthy microbes feed on them.
This is just one reason why adding fiber to your diet is so important – it keeps your gut happier, healthier and in balance.
These foods work together to create a healthy, happy gut microbiome.
Probiotics are the “good” microorganisms – such as bacteria and yeasts – that live in your intestines.
They help digest foods, destroy disease-causing microorganisms, and create vitamins.
Probiotics naturally occur in your gut, but you also can get them from fermented foods and some supplements.
Research is still ongoing into exactly which strains of probiotics are the best, since they all do different jobs inside your body.
These foods contain insoluble fibre (such as inulin) that can travel through the top part of your digestive tract without breaking down.
Apples
Asparagus
Bananas
Barley
Bran
Cocoa
Chicory root
Dandelion Greens
Flaxseed
Garlic, leek and onions
Jerusalem artichokes
Legumes (beans and peas)
Oats
You might not have heard of some of these foods (yet) but they all have one thing in common: they are fermented! The fermentation process creates gut-friendly “bugs”for your body.
Kefir
Kimchi
Kombucha
Miso
Natto
Pickles (picked with salt & water, not vinegar)
Sauerkraut
Tempeh
Yogurt
If you found this article helpful, the complete guide has some great recipe ideas and is the full article. Complete your details below for the free EBOOK
It’s tempting to think of your metabolism as an internal speedometer … or maybe like a hamster running on a wheel. The faster it goes, the faster you burn calories and fat.
But in reality, it’s a complex biochemical process that your body uses to convert what you eat and drink into energy.
Metabolism happens at its most basic level in your cells. That’s where the calories in everything you eat and drink are combined with oxygen. This process releases the energy your body needs to function.
Lifestyle Factors
Genetics. You don’t have much control over this, but some people are naturally fast “burners” and others burn calories more slowly.
Size. The bigger you are, the more energy your body requires to stay alive.
Age. As you get older, your metabolism naturally slows down. This can be due to hormonal shifts, being less active, muscle loss, genetics, or even health issues.
Body Composition (muscle vs. fat). Having more muscle can help you burn more calories.
Sex. Men burn calories at a faster rate than women.
Health Issues. Some conditions such as thyroid and diabetes disease can make you burn calories at a faster or slower rate.
Lifestyle. This includes stress, sleep, the foods you eat, and more.
Activity Level. The more active you are in general (not just workouts), the more calories you will burn.
Some of these you have more control over than others … but here’s the best news of all: YOU are in control over most of these factors!
And when you take control over them, not only will you fire up your metabolism, but you’ll FEEL better and have MORE ENERGY in your life.
Your body burns fuel (calories) in 3 basic ways:
1. Staying alive. This is the energy that’s required to keep your body’s systems running while you’re at rest. This is called your BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the number of calories you burn to keep your organs functioning.
2. Thermic effect of food. Digesting the food you eat requires energy. This accounts for about 10% of youroverall metabolism.
3. Activity. This actually can be broken down even further, into two specific categories, and depends on how active you are:
Energy burned during your workouts. This is pretty self-explanatory: it’s the fuel you burn while running, lifting weights, etc.
NEAT calories. This is the fuel you burn during normal daily life – walking to the car, brushing your teeth, standing instead of sitting at work, etc. NEAT stands for non-exercise-activity thermogenesis.
For most people, activity adds up toabout 10% to 30% of their total dailymetabolic burn.
None of these individual issues are make-or-break when it comes to resetting your metabolism. But together, they can add up to boost your overall daily burn.
SLEEP
A study done at the University of Chicago found that getting only 5 hours of sleep reduced the rate of fat loss by more than half!
Researchers had people eat a calorie-restricted diet. Everyone lost weight, but when people were allowed 8 hours of sleep a night, they burned significantly more fat than when they received only 5 hours of sleep.
Also: the researchers found that getting less sleep led to a spike in the level of ghrelin (a hormone), which affects both hunger and activity level.
DIET
PROBIOTICS. New research shows that some probiotics (found in fermented foods and beverages, and also supplements) might help with fat loss, and others might work to prevent weight gain. This area is still being studied but shows promise!
PROTEIN
Not only do studies show that protein helps you maintain more muscle if you’re losing weight, your body has to go through more steps to digest it – which means it burns more fuel.
Also, as a side note, eating protein can help keep you feeling fuller, longer.
Make sure you get adequate protein every day!
Dietary recommendations currently suggest getting between 10% to 35% of your daily calories from protein.
HYDRATION
WATER. Here’s another reason to make sure you get at least 8 glasses of water a day …
After drinking 500 ml (about 2 cups) of water, your metabolism is boosted by up to 30% for almost an hour after.
CAFFEINE
Research shows that 100 mg of caffeine (about the amount in a cup of coffee) can temporarily boost your resting metabolic rate as much as 3% to 11%!
Note: make sure you don’t add sugar or calorie-rich flavours to your beverages, since these can quickly undo any metabolic-boosting effects.
Bonus burn: Green tea containsmetabolism-boosting antioxidantscalled catechins.
EXCERCISE
First: the more your body moves, the more calories you burn, and exercise definitely helps with that.
But exercise also boosts your metabolism a few different ways beyond the immediate calories burned.
More muscle. Resistance training helps you build more muscle, and muscle tissue burns more fuel, even at rest.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are short workouts that are done with intensity, and they can elevate your calorie burn for hours after your workout. The more intense, the higher the burn!
Resistance training workouts (lifting weights) also give you a modest post-workout burn, elevating your metabolism for a couple hours post-exercise.
STRESS
When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones to help you deal with the stress. And that’s a good thing – it’s actually part of your body’s survival “fight or flight” mechanism!
The problem occurs when you’re under CHRONIC stress.
The hormonal changes that are designed to help you power through quick stress can, over time, lower your metabolism.
In fact, a study done in 2015 at Ohio State found that women who reported a lot of stress the day before burned 104 fewer calories after they ate a high-calorie meal the next day.
Note to oneself 😎 You can be in charge of your weight loss, there are ways to Reboot your Metabolic System.
This blog information is from part of My Free 5 Day Metabolic Jumpstart Challenge – Interested? fill out the contact form below to be notified when the next Free 5 Day Metabolic Jumpstart Challenge begins’
What Actually Is a Plateau? This article may help you to break through.
If you’re reading this guide, you might have firsthand experience with the following scenario:
You’ve been working hard following a plan to help you lose weight – and you’ve been getting steady and consistent results.
And even better, you feel GREAT! But then suddenly…
STUCK! All of your progress suddenly stops. The scale doesn’t budge, and it’s as if your body REFUSES to lose more weight.
It might feel more like a brick wall – and it’s blocking you from reaching your goals.
It’s frustrating, to say the least. And it’s also absolutely normal.
“Everyone plateaus, it’s what you do next that counts” Noah Kagan
So what causes a plateau?
Many factors contribute to weight loss or lack of here are the most common
1. Water Weight
The quick drop of weight when you first start eating a healthier diet can actually be water weight (not fat).
This happens because when you eat less or eat fewer carbohydrates, your body taps into its glycogen stores to get the energy it needs. Glycogen is stored in your muscles and liver.
It’s partly made of water, so when your body burns glycogen for energy, that water gets released. That can translate into quickly dropping a few to several pounds. This effect is just temporary, though.
2. Your Metabolism has slowed down
When you lose weight, you lose some muscle along with fat.
In fact, it’s estimated that up to 25% of the body tissue lost during weight loss comes from muscle! (We’re going to talk more about this later.)
This affects your metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat. It’s a small difference, but multiplied over time with many diets, it can really add up.
3. Your Food Choices
Some foods can cause your body to retain water, especially for women. Top offenders are foods high in carbohydrates and sodium.
4. Your Portion Sizes have crept up – (even slightly)
Changing your body composition is a marathon, not a sprint! It takes time to safely lose weight, and that also means that over time, it’s pretty normal for even the most conscientious person to unconsciously start adding a little extra to their snacks or meals.
Again, those extra calories add up.
5. Hormones, Stress & More!
Our bodies are incredibly complex.
Everything from our stress level to how much sleep we are getting can create hormonal shifts that affect how our body functions – and how our body uses the food we eat.
6. Your Body has adjusted to your workouts/plan
This is a good news – bad news situation.
This can be a sign that you’ve gotten FITTER because your program is no longer challenging your body the way it used to.
But it also can be a sign that you have to mix things up and change what you’re doing!
It might not require a complete overhaul, but it could mean layering in more intense workouts, different kinds of workouts, or more rest days, etc.
First, ask yourself: is it REALLY a plateau?
Has your progress actually stalled? Or has the scale simply stayed the same for a few weeks?
When you first start eating less, you can experience a sudden quick loss of weight, which eventually settles down into ½ kg to 1 kg a week. But getting a week (or two) of no scale movement doesn’t mean your plan isn’t working. Your weight doesn’t always respond in a linear fashion to your efforts.
You might be losing body fat (and inches) while the scale doesn’t budge! Is it frustrating sometimes? YES….
But remember…
If you’ve been consistently doing challenging workouts (especially resistance training), you also are changing the SHAPE of your body and making it stronger!
This is a major player in your results.
PLUS … if you’re struggling to lose those “last 5 kg’s,” it’s not necessarily a weight-loss plateau. You might be at a weight that’s healthy and natural for your body. Losing those last kg’s can take extra effort – as can keeping them off once you hit your goal.
Now that we’ve identified some of the reasons you might be experiencing a plateau, let’s talk about the things you can actually DO to break through to the other side!
(HINT: It’s a lot easier than you think!)
Here’s a list of strategies and actions you can take to restart your results.
1. Start Tracking Your Food.
Yes, using a food log can be tedious and it takes time, in the short term. But in the long term, it will give you valuable information that can actually SAVE time by speeding up your results.
You will learn how many calories you actually are taking in vs. how many you think you are eating. You’ll see a big picture of your food choices, and whether you are eating enough nutrient-dense foods (i.e., rich in vitamins and minerals vs. calories). It can be a valuable check-in on your portion sizes.
Some online food trackers to try: MyFitnessPal, and the Fitbit app. Google search usually brings up a good variety.
2. Check Your Activity Level
The daily activity you do outside of your workouts makes a huge contribution (as much as 30%!) toward your overall daily calorie burn.
This means sitting vs. lying down, standing vs. sitting, walking vs. parking close to the entrance, doing household tasks vs. watching TV for an hour.
This does more than simply burn calories. It can help keep your body’s fat-burning pump primed!
The enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) plays a major role in your body’s ability to burn fat for energy. But when you’re sedentary, you don’t have as much of it in your system.
Moving throughout the day can keep your LPL level up, which means your body is able to burn more fat.
Using an activity tracker (like a FitBit or Apple Watch) can help you monitor your daily activity.
3. Eat Enough Protein
When it comes to weight loss, getting enough protein in your diet can be a game-changer.
It boosts your body’s metabolism more than either fat or carbs because it requires more energy to digest.
Protein signals your body to release hormones that reduce your appetite and keep you feeling full.
It protects your body from losing muscle mass (and a related dip in your metabolic rate) as you lose weight.
A qualified coach can help you develop strategies for adding protein to your meals in a way that works with your lifestyle.
4. Reduce Alcohol
Here’s the sneaky truth about drinking alcohol: it actually has more of an impact on your body (and your results) than simply the empty calories it contains.
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which means you are more likely to 1) overeat or 2) eat foods you normally wouldn’t.
Not only that, but research suggests it affects your body’s ability to burn fat,
and it might also lead to an increase in belly fat. The best bet for breaking a plateau: enjoy alcohol sparingly (if at all). Watch your alcohol intake
5. Eliminate Sneaky Sugar in Beverages
Sugar has a way of finding itself into your diet – especially via beverages like soda, fruit juices, and flavoured coffee and teas.
Make sure you read labels (even of beverages you pick up at a coffee shop).
The problem with sugary beverages is that your brain doesn’t compensate for the calories they contain by making you eat less of other foods. So, not only are you taking in those empty calories, you end up eating more overall.
FIRST If you’re not following a workout plan, it’s time to start!
And if you already have a workout program, working out another 1-2 days a week OR increasing the intensity or length of your existing workouts can help rev up your metabolism.
6. Change Up Your Workouts
So can adding resistance (strength) training to your routine. Research suggests it might be the best form of exercise if you want to lose weight.
Resistance workouts help your body maintain its muscle mass, which not only keeps you feeling fit and strong but also helps boost your metabolism.
This is where it can be especially helpful to work with a coach who can help you create a plan that challenges your body just enough, without overstressing your body.
7. Stress
Having an overload of stress in your life can really put a damper on your results.
First, it can trigger food cravings and make you want to eat for comfort.
It also can disrupt your sleep (more on that shortly).
But it also works on a more insidious level, increasing your body’s production of cortisol (a stress hormone).
When you have too much cortisol in your bloodstream for too long, it can make your body store belly fat (especially in women).
Stress is inevitable, but research has shown that learning HOW to manage stress can help with weight loss.
Coaches can help you identify what’s stressing you, as well as assist in creating a plan to manage it -before it manages you!
8. Sleep More
Not getting enough sleep is like a triple whammy for your results.
It can lower your metabolic rate.
It can release hormones that make you feel hungry.
It helps promote fat storage.
Do your best to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, which seems to be the sweet spot for keeping your hormones balanced.
9. Your Body Needs a Break
If you’ve been in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than your body would normally need) for a long time (several months), your body might need a little break to reset.
This doesn’t mean STOPPING your plan. The goal is to MAINTAIN your results for a month or two, and then restart again when your body is rested.
10. Check With Your Doctor
If everything checks out – your food intake, your workouts and activity level, your stress, sleep, etc. – and you’re still not seeing progress, it can be worth making an appointment with your doctor to see if you have an underlying condition affecting your results.
Possible issues that can affect weight loss include thyroid or adrenal gland problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), sleep apnea, menopause, breastfeeding, and quitting smoking.
Looking for a coach? contact me for an obligation free chat
Have you noticed it becoming more difficult to maintain your ideal weight since entering menopause? Whether you are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause, weight management suddenly becomes more challenging. Body fat starts to accumulate, making it harder to shed those extra kilos. You might feel like you haven’t changed your routine, but have you? One common concern among women in this age group is the so-called “menopause belly.” This excess weight around the midsection becomes a common issue for women in their forties and beyond. The drop in estrogen levels during menopause often leads to the accumulation of belly fat, which can have serious health implications. Excess weight around the abdomen can increase inflammation levels, raising the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Hormones Important Role in your Health
Hormones are chemicals produced within and sent throughout your body to help regulate and control your body’s development. They play a large part in many of our daily functions as well as critical life milestones.
Hormones affect everything from blood sugar to blood pressure, growth and fertility, sex drive, metabolism, and even sleep. Their influence goes as far as changing the way we think and act day to day. There is no doubt that hormones are powerful.
Why are Women more Affected by Hormones?
There are quite a few major life events driven by hormonal changes in the female body—including puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. While men have the same hormones as women, they do not experience high levels or intense fluctuations (except at puberty).
Women experience more sudden and frequent hormonal changes. For some, these changes can cause difficult symptoms.
If you’re looking to tackle the menopause belly, here are some strategies to help you shed that stubborn belly fat.
Hormone Health Starts with the Right Nutrients!
Here are 5 key nutrients that help support hormone production:
Magnesium: This powerful mineral helps regulate estrogen and progesterone balance. It even supports progesterone production by nourishing the pituitary gland and can reduce cramps and mood symptoms related to the menstrual cycle.
Zinc: Vital for hormone production, including estrogen and progesterone, zinc is essential for hormone metabolism and overall enzyme function.
Vitamin D: Often called a steroid hormone, vitamin D is crucial for maintaining healthy testosterone levels.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These essential fats help balance estrogen levels and play a role in hormone production.
Iron: Iron is essential for red blood cell production and oxygenation, which is key for hormone production and overall bodily function.
Find Your Trigger Foods
If you’re not already eating a well-balanced diet, menopause is a perfect time to start! Start to fend off sugars and look for the foods that trigger your symptoms, and avoid these foods.
Have a well-rounded diet incorporate foods such as: healthy snacks, including fresh fruits, fish rich in omega 3s, lean protein and of course, lots of vegetables! A diet like this will help you both manage your blood sugar levels and keep your stress levels low.
Tell Stress To “Take A Walk!”
Any kind of exercise is beneficial in decreasing stress levels, but studies show that women who go on walks regularly have less menopausal symptoms than women who didn’t.
In order to make walking an effective exercise, one that burns calories and tones muscles, you have to get your heart rate up. You cannot just go for a leisurely stroll, you need to vamp it up and give your body a challenge.
Looking for some additional motivation for walking? joining a walking group is a great way to do this. I hike every Friday night, it’s a great way to end the working week and destress ready for the weekend. Our group is always ready to welcome new members.
Focus on getting a Good Night’s Sleep
\When you’re going through menopause, getting a good night’s sleep can sound like an impossible dream! There you are…tired but wired, tossing and turning with hot flashes and insomnia. Maybe you’re waking up at 3 am, and can’t get back to sleep, causing you to be irritable and short-tempered the next day.
But getting a good night’s sleep is critical for weight loss, healthy aging, and elevated moods.
To help ensure peaceful dreams, try this tip… Before you slip into your sheets, wind down, reduce your screen time half and hour before you turn in, take a warm bath, lather on your favourite cream or lotion, and play relaxing music, read a book or listen to your favourite audio book or podcast, Make it a ritual…just like brushing your teeth!
Keep Your Cortisol In Check
Cortisol serves three primary purposes: regulating immune function, increasing blood sugar for fight-or-flight responses, and elevating blood pressure. While it can be beneficial in certain situations, like reacting to sudden traffic incidents, prolonged presence due to stress can be problematic.
Excess cortisol, particularly when fuelled by stress, can be detrimental. Belly fat cells have a higher concentration of cortisol receptors compared to other cells, intensifying the impact of elevated cortisol levels, especially on midsection fat.
Participating in physical activity and movement is beneficial for reducing stress on both the body and mind, leading to a decrease in cortisol levels. For mature women, exercises involving resistance training utilising body weight or free weights are highly recommended. Additionally, both meditation and yoga serve as excellent methods for relaxation and stress relief.
If you need assistance, my fitness programs cater to mature women, while my weight loss programs are specifically tailored for menopausal women.
Some time ago, I launched one of my most popular programs called “The Little Black Dress Project,” which led to numerous success stories due to its effectiveness.
Another well-received program of mine is “Eat Revitalise Reboot,” which also delivers remarkable results because it works.
While both programs received positive feedback, there was a missing element in each of them.
“The Little Black Dress Project” mainly focuses on realigning your eating habits, customizing meal plans to your current needs, and improving your overall eating habits through detailed meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, and a useful manual. However, it does not address the underlying factors contributing to weight gain and the struggle to lose weight.
This is where “Eat Revitalise Reboot” comes in; it concentrates on these underlying factors such as daily routines, time management, mindset, daily habits, stress management, motivation, and navigating through menopause.
To bridge this gap, I have merged the two programs to create a 12-week comprehensive program that tackles all these aspects while ensuring the journey remains enjoyable and straightforward.
If any of the below scenarios fit you, it’s time you looked at a more natural approach, one that is not ‘one size fits all’ diet fad
You see… while most diets reduce portion sizes and cut out carbs to trim down, they neglect the most important part… our hormone health and how it affects the metabolism for fat burning! They also don’t take into consideration our AGE….
Most dieters do this….
🔸They under eat so they can lose weight, but it’s resulting in binge cycles and food cravings
🔸They cut out entire food groups leading to more belly fat
🔸They don’t have breakfast which reduces the ability to burn fat efficiently for the rest of the day
🔸They jump from diet to diet damaging their metabolism along the way
🔸They don’t understand the connection between hormone health and the metabolism for successful weight loss.
🔸Finally the big one ……. One diet does not suit all, even Keto diets needs to be personalised to suit you.
And with each attempt, you starve yourself, only to lose a kg or two, without being able to get consistent results.
Super frustrating and soul-crushing, right?
Interested?
Sign up for my newsletter or more information, including when we are starting or click on this link to take you to the Reboot your Body and Mind – 12 Week Weight Loss Program
