fbpx

Category Archive Weight loss

Why Am I Always Hungry?

Why am I always hungry? There are many reasons to feel hungry. Of course, the most obvious one is that I am actually physically hungry. Perhaps your stomach is empty, your blood sugar has dropped, and your hunger hormones are having a party.

But other times, the hunger may not be physical hunger. It may be a craving, blood sugar imbalance or an emotional trigger. These are common reasons why some people eat too much. It could be brought on by a certain type of diet, stress, or other things going on in life.

It’s easy to mistake “psychological” hunger for “physical” hunger.

I’m going to talk about the difference between both of these types of hunger, and give you some tips how to figure out which is which.

And, of course, I will give you a very filling recipe too!

Physical hunger vs. psychological hunger

Your “physical” hunger is regulated by the body through your hunger hormones. And of course, it should be. You don’t want to be completely drained of fuel and nutrients for a long time. So, you’re programmed to seek food when your body physically needs it. Some of those physical needs are that your stomach is empty or your blood sugar has dropped.

“Psychological” or “emotional” hunger is eating to overcome boredom, sadness, stress, etc. It’s based on a thought or feeling. It’s what happens when you see a great food commercial or smell a bakery. It’s not from your empty stomach or low blood sugar.

So, here’s how to tell which is which.

Eight steps to figure out if you’re physically hungry or not

1 – The first thing you need to do is stop to evaluate. Scarfing down that protein bar at the first sign of hunger isn’t necessarily going to help you.

2 – Now that you’ve stopped. Pay attention to where this hunger is coming from. Can you actually feel or hear your stomach growling? Did you skip a meal, and haven’t eaten in hours? Or are you seeing and smelling something divinely delicious? Perhaps you’re bored, sad, or stressed? Take a peek into all these areas and really pay attention.

3 – Have a big glass of water. Now observe your hunger feeling for at least a minute. Really dig into the source of the feeling. It can be easy to jump to a conclusion, but that may or may not be the right one. So listen to your body and mind very deeply.

4 – If you do find that your feelings may be the source, then face them. Acknowledge and observe them. They may just be needing comfort and recognition, even if they sound like they need food. Try deep breathing, having a stretch, or going for a quick walk to release some of these emotions; this also gives your mind a chance to focus on something other than the feeling of hunger.

5 – If you’re pretty sure that your body physically needs nutrition, just wait a few more minutes to make sure.

6 – Now you can be fairly sure whether your hunger was from emotions, boredom, thirst, or actual physical hunger.

7 – If it’s physical hunger, feel free to eat healthy and nutritious food. To fill you up the food you eat should be high in protein, fibre, and water. Eat slowly and mindfully. Chew well and savour every bite of it.

8 – Rinse and repeat at the next sign of hunger.

To learn more about this, contact Kate for a free 15 minute breakthrough call.

Conclusion

The feeling of hunger can manifest for many reasons. Of course, if you’re physically hungry and need the food and nutrients, then this is what it’s for!

But often, there is an underlying psychological or emotional reason you might feel hungry.

Now you know my eight steps to figure out if your physical body is hungry, or if you’re bored, sad, or stressed.

Use this process over and over again to feed your body what it actually physically needs (and not overdo it).

Recipe (Filling): Slow-Cooker Roast Beef and Potatoes

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 onions, sliced (do this and go to step 1 before preparing the rest of the ingredients)

4 lb beef roast

1 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped

1 lb carrots, peeled & sliced

2 celery sticks, sliced

2pinches dried thyme or sage or parsley

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 pinches salt & pepper

Instructions

Place a layer of sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn up to high; this will start caramelizing the onions while you wash and slice the rest of the ingredients.

When all ingredients are ready, take off slow cooker lid and add meat and the prepared vegetables, garlic, herbs, and spices.

Cook on high for 3 – 5 hrs, or on low for 6 – 8hrs, or until done.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: You can substitute different vegetables if you like. For example, you can use sweet potatoes in place of the regular potatoes; or parsnips instead of carrots.

References:

https://authoritynutrition.com/ghrelin/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/dealing-with-mysterious-hunger
https://authoritynutrition.com/18-ways-reduce-hunger-appetite/
https://authoritynutrition.com/15-incredibly-filling-foods/

Photo by Gardie Design & Social Media Marketing on Unsplash

Creating a Mindset for Health

So much of health is all about habits and actions, but where do these all stem from? What if we don’t have to make as many changes as we think we do? What if there was one powerful thing that makes a lot of difference?

That thing is mindset.

Mindset is sometimes called “the story we tell ourselves.” It’s our attitude toward things in our life. And we have control over our mindset.

And research is showing that it may be far more powerful than we thought.

Very interesting health mindset study

Here’s a quick story about a fascinating study.

Researchers at Stanford University looked at a bunch of people’s health and wellness lifestyle habits, as well as health markers.

What they found was that the people who thought they were a lot less active than they actually were, had a higher risk of death than the general public. And, they also had up to 71% higher risk of death than people who thought they were more active. Even if the story they told themselves about being “not very active” wasn’t true!

How is this even possible that people who simply thought they were less active had higher risks, even if it wasn’t true?

There are a couple of ideas why. Firstly, one is that maybe if we feel like we’re less active, it may make us feel more stressed. And stress isn’t good for our mental or physical health. Secondly, there may be a bit of a mind-body connection where the body embodies what the mind visualises.

Researchers don’t know why, but what matters is that there is a good mindset.

This means that our mindset, the way we think about ourselves and our habits is extremely important…just as important as actually having good habits.

So, let me give you a couple of strategies to boost your mindset for health.

Health mindset strategy 1 – Aim for good enough

Almost no one eats perfectly seven days a week (not even me, and I’ll be the first to admit it). It’s inevitable that obsessing over the quality and quantity of everything we eat or drink isn’t necessarily a great mindset to have.

It can bring on binging, shame, and guilt – none of these are great ways to get healthy. We want to get healthier by making better choices and building better habits. And these are usually best done incrementally – one step at a time.

So, instead of having a black and white approach where everything is good or bad, why not try aiming for good enough to empower ourselves to make better choices, instead of perfect choices.

If it helps, tell yourself that you’re doing an experiment. Allow yourself to try out a new habit or way of eating and give yourself permission to experiment with it, instead of aiming for perfection. Sometimes you need to use this mind trick to get yourself over the hump of getting started and sticking to it.

Health mindset strategy 2 – Stop making trade-offs

When you try to “earn” a gluttonous weekend by eating clean during the week, you’re making a trade-off. You’re telling yourself that, as long as you’re good most of the week, you can go wild on the weekend.

And that’s not awesome because the mindset is jumping from one extreme to the other. You’re controlling what you do all week, and possibly thinking about how to indulge over the weekend. A better mindset is to live as though you’re trying to do well every single day. Like you care about your health and wellness. Caring about your health can still include the occasional treat. When you’re consistently doing your best, that’s good enough.

For support in creating a mindset for health contact Kate for a free 15 minute phone consultation.

Conclusion

Creating a mindset for health can be a powerful tool for better physical health. There’s a proven mind-body connection that research can measure.

Thinking positively, and dropping the black/white and good/bad labels, can help you reach your health goals.

How is your mindset for health? Which of these tips resonate with you the most? How are you going to implement them in your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Recipe (Hydrating mindset refresher): Chia Berry Water

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 tbsp chia seeds
¼ cup raspberries
¼ tsp mint
2.5 cups water

Instructions

Add the water, mint & raspberries to your blender and blend until combined (add ice, if desired). Fill your favourite water bottle with the mixture and add chia seeds. Shake before drinking.

Serve & enjoy! This is a great source of fiber and a refreshing tasty drink to have during the day.

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mind-over-matter-how-fit-you-think-you-are-versus-actual-fitness-2017081412282
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/making-health-decisions-mindsets-numbers-and-stories-201112123946
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/weekend-overeating

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

3 Must Eat Breakfast Foods

Do you love your breakfast? Do you have a short list of “go-to” recipes? Would you like a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again? Check out my 3 must eat breakfast foods.

Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, sustaining energy levels through the day and weight loss. This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and releases energy slowly through the day. So I’m going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats that will be your soon-to-be favourite new “go-to” breakfast foods.

Breakfast Food #1: Eggs

Yes, eggs are the “quintessential” breakfast food. And for good reason!

No, I’m not talking about processed egg whites in a carton. I mean actual whole “eggs”.

Egg whites are mostly protein while the yolks are the real nutritional powerhouses. Those yolks contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

Eggs have been shown to help you feel full, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help to stabilise blood sugar and insulin.

Not to mention how easy it is to boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in the fridge for a “grab and go” breakfast when you’re running short on time.

And…nope the cholesterol in eggs is not associated with an increased risk of arterial or heart diseases.

One thing to consider is to try to prevent cooking the yolks at too high of a temperature because that can cause some of the cholesterol to become oxidised. It’s the oxidised cholesterol that’s unhealthy for the heart.

The healthiest way to cook eggs is to poach them in boiling water for 5 minutes so the egg yolk is still runny. Frying, scrambling and boiling are also ok too.

Breakfast Food #2: Nuts and/or Seeds

Nuts and seeds contain protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Nuts and/or seeds would make a great contribution to breakfast.

You won’t be fooled by “sugared” nuts, sweetened nut/seed butters, or chia “cereals” with added sugars – you know I’m talking about the real, whole, unsweetened food here.

Nuts and seeds are also the ultimate fast food if you’re running late in the mornings. Grab a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds as you’re running out the door; you can nosh on them while you’re commuting.

Not to mention how easy it is to add a spoonful of nut/seed butter into your morning breakfast smoothie.

They’re also great in granola or muesli, or chopped up on your porridge.

Hint: If you like a creamy latte in the mornings try making one with nut or seed butter. Just add your regular hot tea and a tablespoon or two of a creamy nut or seed butter into your blender & blend until frothy.

Breakfast Food #3: Veggies

Yes, you already know you really should get protein at every meal including breakfast; but this also applies to veggies. You know I would be remiss to not recommend veggies at every meal, right?

Veggies are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre, and water. You can’t go wrong adding them into every single meal of the day so if you don’t already you should definitely try them for breakfast!

And no, you don’t need to have a salad or roasted veggies for breakfast if you don’t want to but you totally can! You wouldn’t be breaking any “official” breakfast rules or anything like that.

Adding some protein to leftover veggies is a great combination for any meal. Including breakfast.

If you like me to look over your diet and give you more healthy breakfast ideas, book an appointment on the contact page here.

I’ve included a delicious recipe below for you to try (and customise) for your next breakfast.

Recipe: Veggie Omelette

Serves 1

1 teaspoon coconut oil

2-3 eggs

¼ cup veggies (grated zucchini and/or sliced mushrooms and/or diced peppers)

Pinch salt, pepper and/or turmeric

Add coconut oil to a frying pan and melt on low-medium heat (cast-iron pans are preferred).

In the meantime grab a bowl and beat the egg(s) with your vegetables of choice and the spices.

Tilt pan to ensure the bottom is covered with the melted oil. Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly fry the eggs without stirring.

When the bottom is lightly done flip over in one side and cook until white is no longer runny.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip: Substitute grated, sliced, or diced portion of your favourite vegetable. Try grated carrots, chopped broccoli or diced tomato.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/eggs-worse-than-fast-food

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/eggs/

https://authoritynutrition.com/eating-healthy-eggs/

https://authoritynutrition.com/12-best-foods-to-eat-in-morning/

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

3 Ways to Avoid Overeating at Christmas

Sometimes those Christmas feasts are just amazing.

And it’s not just the abundance of delicious food but also the people, the decorations, and the ambiance.

It is way too easy (and common) to indulge on those days.

But it doesn’t always stop there.

Sometimes we overeat on regular days. Or at regular meals. Or All. The. Time.

Here are 3 ways to avoid overeating at Christmas.

(Psst, turn these into habits and ditch the willpower!)

Tip #1: Start with some water

When your stomach is growling and you smell amazingly delicious food it’s too easy to fill a plate (or grab some samples with your bare hands) and dive into the food.

But did you know that it’s possible to sometimes confuse the feeling of thirst with that of hunger? Your stomach may actually be craving a big glass of water rather than a feast.

Some studies have shown that drinking a glass or two of water before a meal can help reduce the amount of food eaten. And this super-simple tip may even help with weight loss (…just sayin’).

Not only will the water start to fill up your stomach before you get to the buffet, leaving less room for the feast but drinking enough water has been shown to slightly increase your metabolism.

Win-win!

For more advice on how to avoid overindulging at Christmas and for weight loss, contact Nutritionist Kate.

Tip #2: Try eating “mindfully”

You’ve heard of mindfulness but have you applied that to your eating habits?

This can totally help you avoid overeating as well as having the added bonus of helping your digestion.

Just as being mindful when you meditate helps to focus your attention on your breathing and the present moment being mindful when you eat helps to focus your attention on your meal.

Do this by taking smaller bites, eating more slowly, chewing more thoroughly, and savouring every mouthful. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe.

This can help prevent overeating because eating slower often means eating less.

When you eat quickly you can easily overeat because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full.

So take your time, pay attention to your food and enjoy every bite.

Bonus points: Eat at a table (not in front of the screen), off of a small plate, and put your fork down between bites.

Tip #3: Start with the salad

You may be yearning for that rich, creamy main dish.

But don’t start there.

(Don’t worry, you can have some…just after you’ve eaten your salad).

Veggies are a great way to start any meal because they’re full of not only vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and health-promoting phytochemicals but they also have some secret satiety weapons: fibre and water.

Fibre and water are known to help fill you up and make you feel fuller. They’re “satiating”.

And these secret weapons are great to have on your side when you’re about to indulge in a large meal.

Summary:

Have your glass of water, eat mindfully, and start with your salad to help avoid overeating at meals.

Recipe (Water): Tasty (and beautiful) Pre-Meal Water Ideas

If you’re not much of a plain water drinker or need your water to be more appealing to your senses here are five delicious (and beautiful looking) fruit combos to add to your large glass of water:

  • Slices of lemon & ginger

  • Slices of strawberries & orange

  • Slices of apple & a cinnamon stick

  • Chopped pineapple & mango

  • Blueberries & raspberries

Tip: You can buy a bag (or several bags) of frozen chopped fruit and throw those into your cup, thermos, or uber-cool mason jar in the morning. They’re already washed and cut and will help keep your water colder longer.

References:

https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-of-water/

http://summertomato.com/the-science-behind-mindful-eating-what-happens-to-your-body-during-a-mindful-meal

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

5 Quick Ways to Lose Weight after a Holiday Binge

We all tend to overindulge over Christmas with all the chocolates and mince pies available. It is okay to enjoy Christmas treats as long as you get back on track afterwards. I will share my 5 quick ways to lose weight after a holiday binge so you can get back in shape fast!

5 Quick Ways to Lose Weight after a Holiday Binge

  • Drink more water – when you drink water it suppresses your appetite and flushes out toxins from your binge. People often mistake thirst for hunger, so make sure you are hydrated. Drinking water also helps you to feel full so drink a glass of water before eating a meal.
  • Eat 3 meals per day – focus of nutrient-dense meals that are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals e.g. salads, green smoothies, lean white meat and fish.
  • Start your day with lemon in warm water –  this helps to stimulate your digestion and kick start your liver to detox toxins from your binge. Make sure you drink the lemon in warm water through a straw so the acidic lemon does not damage your teeth.
  • Do more exercise – go to an aerobics class or turn on some Christmas music and dance off the excess calories! Even light exercise such as going for a 15 minute walk every day will help.
  • Eat more fibre – when you eat more fibre with adequate water intake, it helps to move the binge foods and toxins through your system more quickly.

Copyright: stockbroker / 123RF Stock Photo

How To Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Many people believe that dieting is the best way to lose weight. They have tried all the popular diets such as the Atkins diet, 5:2 diet and juice fast diet. Somehow they always end up putting the weight back on and more after finishing the diet. Why is this? When you suddenly fast your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. When you eventually give in to your body’s signal to eat, your body holds on to more fat in case there is a famine again. This is a negative cycle of dieting and putting on weight. So now I will explain how to lose weight and keep it off.

The best way to lose weight is to eat healthily. Making gradually changes to your diet including reducing processed, sugary foods and increasing the amount of vegetables and protein in your diet will help to support your body in losing weight and keeping it off. Make it a long-term lifestyle change, not a fad diet.

Here I will tell you how to lose weight and keep it off with my foods to eat and foods to avoid for weight loss:

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Foods to avoid for weight loss:

  • Replace refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and rice, pastries, pies, pizzas for whole grain brown bread, pasta and rice.
  • Avoid artificial sweeteners especially aspartame which puts a strain on the liver and can slow weight loss.
  • Reduce foods high in sugar, which converts to fat inside the body if it is not used up during exercise.
  • Avoid chocolates as they are highly acid-forming. The occasional piece of dark chocolate is fine.
  • Avoid all margarines, full-fat milk and full-fat cheeses.

 

Friendly foods for weight loss:

  • Eat more organic foods, which contain fewer pesticides. Pesticides are stored in fat tissue and are really hard to eliminate.
  • Increase fruit and vegetable consumption to 5-10 portions per day. Onions, ginger, spring greens, spinach, pak choy, celery, pineapple and apples are all great foods for assisting weight loss.
  • Eat at least 1 portion of good quality protein per day at breakfast or lunchtime such as beef, lamb, venison, fish, eggs, chicken or fermented tofu, as protein balances blood sugar for a longer period.
  • Always eat breakfast. A good option is  a couple of poached eggs on wholemeal toast or organic porridge made with almond milk and a few raisins to sweeten.
  • Drink lots of herbal teas and at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. Water suppresses the appetite and prevents fat depositing in the body.

 

Weight Loss Plate

Make your meal plate in these proportions for weight loss.

    • 10% protein e.g. chicken, fish, eggs
    • 20% good fats e.g. avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds
    • 20% carbohydrates e.g. wholegrains, brown bread, brown pasta, brown rice
    • 50% fruits and vegetables

 

 

Weight Loss Meal Plan Ideas

When you calorie count it stresses you out and does not work in the long-term. Eat 3 meals per day and a few healthy snacks to give your body all the nutrients it needs.

Day 1

  • Breakfast porridge with 1 apple and raisins to sweeten.
  • Lunch tinned mackerel on 1 slice wholemeal toast.
  • Snack 1 sugar-free yoghurt.
  • Dinner chicken with roast potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.

 

Day 2

  • Breakfast 2 poached eggs on 1 slice wholemeal toast.
  • Lunch Greek salad.
  • Snack 3 oatcakes with hummus or cottage cheese.
  • Dinner salmon with broccoli, cauliflower and quinoa.

 

Day 3

  • Breakfast sugar- free granola with almond milk and yoghurt.
  • Homemade vegetable soup with wholemeal bread
  • Snack handful of nuts and an apple or a pear.
  • Dinner chicken curry with spinach, tomato, cauliflower and brown rice.

If you would like a personalised diet plan for weight loss, contact Kate on 07652 868342 or info@kateoriordan.com for more information.

Top 10 Tips for Detoxing

It’s the new year! January is a great time to detox your body so that you are fresh as the new year begins. I have written these 10 steps as a guide to help you to achieve your new year’s resolution of detoxing. Here are my top 10 tips for detoxing including simple but effective ways to detox.

Top 1o Tips for Detoxing

  • Eat more organic food – reduce your exposure to toxic pesticides by eating organic as much as possible. When you consume pesticides, they are stored in your body as fat and are very difficult to eliminate.
  • Reduce processed foods that are high in sugar – when you eat sugar it converts to fat inside the body if not used up during exercise. Sugar is also highly acid and can cause inflammation in the body.
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine – when you drink alcohol it poisons your body and puts the liver under stress to clear it from your body. If you consume caffeinated drinks such as coffee and black tea, it stimulates your adrenals depleting your body of nutrients. They also dehydrate the body. Avoid these body stressors and drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
  • Drink plenty of water – Make sure you drink lots of herbal teas and at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. Water suppresses the appetite and prevents fat depositing in the body. It also reduces water retention and encourages toxins to be flushed through the body.
  • Green smoothies – you can pack your smoothie full of antioxidants and nutrients to help you detox. Try making a green smoothie with this recipe: handful of spinach, 1 apple, 1 banana, half an avocado, half a cucumber and 1 litre of water. This recipe make 2 500ml glasses of green smoothie.
  • Zeolite powder – zeolite is a powdered clay that has an affinity for binding to heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. It clasps to these toxic metals and flushes them out of your body.
  • Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – increase your fruit and vegetable consumption to 5-10 portions per day to alkalise the body. Onions, ginger, spring greens, spinach, pak choy, celery, pineapple and apples are all great foods for detoxing. Radicchio, chicory, fennel, celeriac, rocket and bitter foods help to cleanse the liver, which aids detoxification.
  • Vegetarian diet – reduce your consumption of meat, dairy and other animal products which are acidic and mucus forming in the body. Increase your intake of vegetables, legumes and whole grains. When you are on a healthy vegetarian diet, you naturally lose weight and detoxify your body.
  • Exercise regularly – when you exercise regularly it improves your circulation which helps to move toxins out of the body.

 

I hope my top 10 tips for detoxing have inspired you to start cleansing your body. If you would like more information on detoxing, contact Kate on 07562 868342 for a free 15 minute nutrition consultation.