Weight Loss And Fitness Blog

The keto diet has been gaining a lot of attention recently, and for good reasons - it is a simple, satisfying, effective style of eating (that allows for a lot of eggs and cheese!) At its core, the keto diet aims to push you into a state of ketosis, making you use ketones for energy. This happens because you’re drastically reducing your carb intake (below 10% of total calories) which also depletes your glycogen stores. To some of you, this might sound counterproductive, but the keto diet is just a variation of the ‘if it fits your macros (IIFYM)’ style of eating. The main difference is that on the keto diet, you eat very few carbs and your fat intake is increased. This gives your body a steady stream of energy throughout the day (there are no energy highs and crashes, commonly seen in carb-rich diets) and each meal is more satisfying and more filling (both protein and fats take longer for the body to break down into usable energy). With that said, if you want to ensure that you sta...

Everyone’s talking about the keto diet right now. People ask us all the time if it’s really different than IIFYM… and it’s not. It has a different macro ratio split, but ultimately you are still tracking your macros and eating the foods you want to eat inside those ratios. How do you calculate keto macros? It varies from person to person (and expert to expert), but usually the macro ratio falls within the following range: 60-80% of calories from fat 15-30% of calories from protein 5-10% of calories from net carbs (net carbs are your grams of carbs minus the grams of fiber… so you can still eat lots of veggies!) Regardless of the ketogenic macro ratio you use, your goal should be to eat as few carbs as possible, and the carbs you do eat should be high in fiber. Why should you consider a ketogenic diet? Your body uses carbohydrates (sugar) as fuel. By strictly limiting your carbohydrate intake you can force your body to burn fat instead. This new energy will come ...

During menopause, as a your body completes its fertile years, your hormone levels will start to fluctuate and you may experience symptoms like mood swings, hot flashes and weight gain. Your estrogen levels begin to drop and eventually reach an all-time low and stay there for the rest of your life. Low estrogen levels greatly increase your risk for health conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease. Many of these symptoms can be addressed by making some simple changes to your eating habits and you might be able to ease a lot of the discomfort while keeping your body healthier as you age. Start with the most direct approach – reduce calories and focus on low-calorie, nutrient dense foods. While this may seem like the hardest part, that’s actually where a macros-based diet shines. Committing to an IIFYM diet can help you succeed at losing weight during menopause, because counting your macros and planning your “treats” like pre-packaged junk foods, fried foods, alcohol and sugar...

Though it doesn’t get talked about as much as it should, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a relatively common hormonal disorder in women of childbearing years that, if left untreated, can lead to problems with fertility. Women who suffer from PCOS have increased levels of androgens , or male hormones, but are also " insulin-resistant ," meaning their cells no longer respond to insulin acting as the “key” to allowing glucose into the cell to be used as fuel. This glucose remains in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of diabetes, and is eventually converted to stored fat, resulting in obesity. ​ Losing as little as 10% of your body weight can greatly relieve symptoms of PCOS while also improving insulin sensitivity, allowing for additional weight loss . In general, a high fiber, anti inflammatory IIFYM diet rich in fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates will promote healthy weight loss. ​Here are ten foods that can help you lose weight with PCOS: ...

​ Food plays a vital role in the health of our thyroid , even more so if you have an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s. Here are five foods you should include and five foods you should avoid to maintain a healthy weight and support thyroid function if you have Hashimoto’s or another autoimmune disease. ​5 Best Foods If you Have Hashimoto's Disease: ​1. Seaweed ​Seaweed contains more iodine than any other food, and iodine is essential for thyroid function. Seaweed is also a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals while low in calories. The most widely used seaweed varieties include kombu kelp, wakame and nori, and are used in soups and sushi. If you are already getting a lot of iodine from elsewhere, though, be sure you aren’t eating too much seaweed. It can be confusing, but too much iodine can be just as detrimental to thyroid health as too little iodine. ​2. Iodized Salt While not technically a “food”, iodized salt can support healthy th...

We’re pretty well known around here for boldly proclaiming that sugar is not evil (and we stand by it!), but when you have diabetes, carbs really can seem like the devil. As a diabetic, you’ve probably been told that a lower carbohydrate diet is your best option… and depending on your source, what “low carb” means varies widely. Low-carb and Keto diets have come under the spotlight recently and have been recommended in a lot of diet spaces as good options for people with type 2 diabetes. But, a recent study suggests that low-carb dieting is only effective in the short term and doesn’t provide any value over a high-carb diet in the long run. While this new research doesn’t mean you should run out and eat a package of Oreos, there are a wide variety of carbohydrates that can be a part of a healthy diet that keeps your blood sugar in check. Now, when it comes to choosing your carb sources, you need to be careful as some foods are inherently better than others. But which carbs are ...

So you’re rummaging your cabinets, flipping through recipe books, googling all the words and calling up your grandma wondering what you can do to get more protein in your diet. We get it and we’re here to help. Protein is important for optimal health, it is vital for muscle growth, muscle strength, weight loss, and it is critical in many of your body’s biochemical functions. When people think protein they tend to think meat, but there’s a whole universe of other vegetarian and vegan protein sources out there that can be excellent to help keep you full, build muscle and help with weight loss. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, proud meat eater, or anywhere in the middle, these seven healthy and delicious vegan protein sources can help spice up your kitchen and keep your protein macros on point. ​Seitan / Wheat Meat (pictured above) Vegetarians and vegans cherish this plant-based meat substitute. Seitan comes from gluten, a protein found in abundance in wheat, rye, and other...