A friend was telling me her co-worker eats 1/2 a chocolate chip cookie every day. She gently nudges him to eat the whole cookie. I asked if he is healthy and has she noticed if he is losing body fat? She said no, he doesn’t look any different. Does practicing moderation support him toward his goals or keep him from them?
Read More
I am going to be taking my nutrition up another notch. I am having trouble purchasing pre-made foods containing canola oil, other processed oils and preservatives. These oils and preservatives can cause slight inflammation, which accumulates daily and over time can be harmful to your body’s detoxifying processes.
Read More
Table sugar is also known as sucrose, and sucrose contains one molecule of fructose and one molecule of glucose bound together.
Fructose activates a key enzyme, fructokinase, which in turn activates another enzyme that causes cells to accumulate fat. When this enzyme is blocked, fat cannot be stored in the cell. This is the exact same “switch” animals use to fatten up in the fall and to burn fat during the winter. Fructose is the dietary ingredient that turns on this “switch,” causing cells to accumulate fat, both in animals and in humans.
Read More
I was having a conversation with a colleague regarding how our clients are hard enough on themselves already, so applying added pressure wasn’t our strategy. I prefer a more gentle approach with many gentle nudges:)
We tend to set expectations that we can not attain in a realistic amount of time. Some goals are placed up on a pedestal that you are constantly stressing to “get” toward and achieve.
Here are a few tips to assist you in goal setting with more consciousness.
Read More
This is the time of year when we tend to take our physical well being up a notch.
Ten tips to get rid of the last 10 pounds:
1. Begin your day with warm water & one lemon.
2. Drink 12 ounces of vegetable juice daily (Celery, cucumber, beet, carrot & spinach).
3. Rotate between whole eggs and eggwhites, add veggies for more fiber.
4. Eat 20-30 grams of protein two to three times a day for women, 30-40 grams for men: White fish, salmon, buffalo, high-quality protein powders.
5. Two cups of vegetables per meal: broccoli, leafy greens, Brussel sprouts, onions, and cabbage.
Read More
Yep, I am going there again! A good friend asked me what I believe is important for us to observe to be the healthiest versions of ourselves.
#1 Poop #2 Sleep
The average person generates 5 tons of stool through out their lifetime. Your stool is made up of 75% water, fiber, dead & live bacteria, and mucus.
What to look for:
1. Going daily within an hour of waking and after meal times
2. Medium to dark brown, smooth & soft, formed in one long shape
3. About 2 inches wide and 18 inches long
4. S-Shaped like your small intestine
5. Doesn’t smell good, but not too bad
6. Dives gently into the bowl and sinks slowly
Signs of unhealthy digestion:
1. Soft stools and diarrhea can be caused from lactose intolerance, sensitivity to sugar substitutes and gluten.
2. Dry, and hard to pass, is from dehydration and lack of healthy fats in the diet.
3. Yellow stool can be a sign of gallbladder dysfunction.
4. Increased mucus can be a sign of inflammation in your bowels.
5. Black & tarry stools can be caused from medications or bleeding in the tract.
Please visit a qualified health care provider, preferably someone who has had your similar predicament and doesn’t have it any more.
Take a peak,
Heather Fleming, Joyful Food Expert
Founder of the Conscious Nutrition Program
& Author of the Have it ALL Diet
“Click HERE to Have it ALL”
Have you ever eaten too much and had food coma, after? What is your body trying to tell you?
Food coma, or medically known as postprandial somnolence, happens after eating a large meal that stimulates activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells your body to slow down and digest. The more food you consume, the more the parasympathetic nervous system fires up, causing your body to focus the bulk of its energy on digestion. That is also why your body gets chilly after eating, the blood flows more in the core of your body and less in your extremities.
As food breaks down into glucose, the simplest form of sugar your body uses as fuel, you will experience a surge in blood sugar. To counter this spike, your body releases the hormone insulin. Insulin helps to reduce glucose in the blood and returns levels to normal. The increase in insulin also causes your brain to produce more serotonin and melatonin, two neurotransmitters that can leave you feeling drowsy.
Glu-Coma is a word my friend Matthew R. made up after eating too much gluten, which turns into sugar very quickly in the body. How do we counter balance this effect?
1. Chew slower & more thoroughly to aid the body in the digestive process.
2. Lay on your left side after consuming a large meal to help the stomach do its duties.
3. Drink herbal tea or lemon water 20-30 minutes after the meal
4. Balance high carbohydrate meals with healthy fat to slow down the glucose spike.
5. Eat lighter the next meal or next day to help the liver clear out the extra glucose.
The Conscious Nutrition Spring RESET program begins next Monday, April 15th @ 6 pm PST. This is a great way to give your digestive process a break. The teleconferences will be recorded for your convenience.
“Click Here to Sign up for the RESET “
Also, Conscious Nutrition has it’s own website to sign up for Metagenics products. Please contact us if you have any questions on what supplements would best support your needs.
“Conscious Nutrition’s Metagenics Store”
Happy Spring Cleaning,
Heather Fleming, Joyful Food Expert
Founder of the Conscious Nutrition Program
& Author of the Have it ALL Diet
“Click HERE to Have it ALL”
Our bodies can tolerate a great amount of stress. Either from what we are doing or what we are not providing it.
Here are a few symptoms to notice when your body needs a time out:
1. Wake up every morning more tired then when you went to bed.
2. Excess sweating & yellow in the whites of your eyes
3. Abdominal bloating, constipation, and heartburn
4. Not seeing any fitness results at the gym
5. Headaches, dehydration, and dry skin on the upper backs of your arms
These symptoms relate to a variety of imbalances. The majority come from liver stagnation and lack of intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals.
A couple quick tips to get your body more efficient are:
1. 5 deep breaths before you eat and Daily Meditation
2. Drink warm water with lemon 30 minutes before or after meals to enhance digestion
3. Eat vegetables with every meal. Cooked if you have digestive issues, raw if you don’t, and both if you like variety.
Of course, a liver De-stress plan is always essential, especially twice a year. Spring is the perfect time to recalibrate your nutrition plan. We will be offering the Conscious Nutrition 3-week RESET program beginning Monday, April 15th (TAX’d Day), @ 6 pm PST. Also, if you live in the San Diego area we are including a meet up prior to week two to encourage more individual and group support.
“Click Here to Sign up”
Stay calm & carry on,
Heather Fleming, Joyful Food Expert
Founder of the Conscious Nutrition Program
& Author of the Have it ALL Diet
“Click HERE to Have it ALL”
The meaning of the word diet as a verb is “to feed”. Your diet consists of foods considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on your health. I receive many questions regarding how people can release weight. It is through upgrading your current “diet” with foods that support your body to give your systems and organs the nutrients they need to function optimally.
Here are a few diet myths I would like to address:
True or False?
1. Drink 2 glasses of water before every meal to fill up your stomach: FALSE
This was a quick fix idea to help people feel full. However, this can dilute digestive juices and cause digestive disturbances. Drink liquids throughout the entire day, and monitor during meal times.
2. Don’t eat dinner after 7 pm: FALSE (kinda:)
When the days become longer, we tend to want to absorb the outdoors. It is totally ok to have a relaxing dinner later than 7 pm. Many other cultures have perfected this and remain healthy. However, if you tend to over eat late @ night, it is due to an imbalance of Macronutrients through out the day or maybe emotional. The liver performs a majority of it functions in the middle of the night, so having less to digest prior to bed will support the liver’s duties.
3. Rotating your conscious breakfast meals daily supports longevity? TRUE
Many people eat the same breakfast 5-7 days a week, especially oatmeal. I recommend to add a rotation of quality breakfast meals, such as eggs with veggies, Vegetable juice & salmon, and Protein shake with spinach.
Diet is about feeding your body correctly to prevent blood sugar drops, mood swings, and dis-ease.
Cheers to you & your diet,
Heather Fleming, Joyful Food Expert
Founder of the Conscious Nutrition Program
& Author of the Have it ALL Diet
“Click HERE to Have it ALL”
P.S. The Have it ALL Diet is a practice manual for you to become more aware of what you are and are not eating.
P.S.S. My new service is “Nutrition Supporter on Retainer”, this includes all email support, and monthly phone calls. E-mail me or call me to chat about it.
I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be. ~ Albert Einstein
I had a blast teaching @ Rancho la Puerta in Tecate, Mexico for the last 5 weeks. I had amazing participants at my post lunch nutrition lectures.
“Rancho la Puerta”
The Ranch guests are brilliant individuals, however like all of us, they can develop habits that are non-supportive.
A few breakthroughs that changed what they believed included:
1. Waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom is NOT normal
2. Vegetables for breakfast will take your current diet to an extraordinary diet. Such as vegetable juice, veggie omelet, & add spinach or kale to your protein shake.
3. Eating the same breakfast every day is NOT ideal. We recommend variety and rotating. Not oatmeal everyday:)
4. Water with lemon is wonderful to have PRIOR to coffee or tea, then eating a balanced veggie breakfast.
5. If you are tired or craving sweets after you ate a meal, then what you ate was missing or too much of a Macronutrient; protein, carbohydrates, and fat. (Big hint: it is usually too much refined carbohydrates, too little quality protein or healthy fat)
If you are wanting to create a healthier lifestyle and version of yourself, begin with observing your thoughts and habits, and make sure they are supporting you versus sabotaging your well-being. Read quality information, and experiment with your current daily diet by upgrading certain foods into your “usual” meals.
Blessings,
Heather Fleming, Joyful Food Expert
Founder of the Conscious Nutrition Program
& Author of the Have it ALL Diet
“Click HERE to Have it ALL”