areas of focus

Everybody is different and every body is different.  All lifestyles are different and all goals are different, which is why I use a personalized approach to reach your goals. Learning YOUR specific body and what goes on in your mind is the only way to lasting results.

Through my 1-on-1 nutrition and wellness programs I support and guide you using my Mind-Body Nutrition method to feel more energized, balanced and confident in your body. Together, we will find your ideal program made specifically for you.  

Here are the some of the areas of focus:

While learning a macros based approach, we will also be addressing your thoughts, actions, and motivations that play an essential role in sustaining long-term weight loss.

If you want to create lasting results in weight loss then you have to step into the mind-body nutrition connection of weight loss. 

Here are just some of the Mind-Body Nutrition Dimensions that I help my clients learn during our sessions together:

1. Stress – ‘When you are stressed you don’t digest’, remember that saying! Stress has a direct impact on our ability to lose weight. When we experience stress, whether internal or external, our cortisol (stress hormone) levels go up. When cortisol is high, fat storage increases. This is because it's in a survival response. Our body will not release weight when in survival mode, it’s going to slow down our metabolism so that we have extra energy stores in case they're in need.

2.  Joy – ‘What brings you joy to your life and what voids are you filling with food?’ Joy is essentially a shortcut to shifting our body from sympathetic nervous system activation (fight or flight response) to a parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response). Joy brings us into the moment of enjoyment of our food. But if we're not in the moment or not mindful of what's going on, our food choices can turn sideways.  Instead of focusing solely on the food, what if we look at what voids are missing in your life? 

3.  Behavior - “Drink more water, eat more greens, cook at home, don’t eat out, reduce processed foods,” the list goes on. These are behaviors that change what actually gets consumed. And it’s true that behaviors are fundamental to creating healthy habits, however, underneath our behaviors are values, feelings, and beliefs. The foundation of our behavior is our psychology. If we don’t believe that we can actually impact our health in a positive way, it’s unlikely that our healthy behavior will become a habit. If we don’t feel that we deserve to be happy, we’re less likely to take action that supports and champions our health and well-being. We can be offered a list of 100 or even 1000 tips to help us lose the weight, but until our feelings and beliefs are in alignment with our desire to feel our best, it’s unlikely we’ll follow through with these well-intentioned health tips. We think it’s about will power, but it’s not. Don’t ever think that YOU have a willpower problem, you don’t.  We are complex beings in a complex world, and we need compassionate support on the deeper levels of our feelings, thoughts and beliefs when it comes to being able to release weight in a healthy way that lasts.  

As you can see, its not just about the numbers!  

Take my Mind-Body Nutrition weight loss quiz and see if you have some blocks to losing weight.  Answer yes or no to the following: 

1. Have you lost weight on a diet and gained it back more than once? 

2. Do you find you are stressed on a daily basis? 

3. Do you have trouble sleeping at night? (going to sleep, staying asleep) 

4. Is your menstrual cycle irregular? (outside of the 28 day range) 

5. Do you find that the majority of your calories are consumed from 3pm onwards in the day?

6. Do you find you have a sugar or energy low mid-afternoon? 

7. Do you consume sugar/refined carbs/processed carbs daily? 

8. Do you consume more than 2 cups of coffee or a caffeinated product daily? 

9. Do you consume more than 3 alcoholic beverages weekly? 

10. Do you struggle with body image? 

If you have answered 6 of the questions ‘YES’, request a free consultation with me so that I can help you uncover what is truly blocking you from losing weight.

Life these days is stressful, exhausting and complicated and if you are finding yourself on this page, I’m going to guess that you'd agree? 

Welcome to adrenal fatigue!

Your adrenals are 2 walnut shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys and their function is to produce hormones. One of their most important jobs is to ramp up production of stress hormones when you are under stress.  All it takes is a few months of stress in your life to start taxing your adrenals and show the signs of a hormone imbalance. 

Unfortunately, we don’t notice this until we are so deep in the trenches that it starts to affect everything in our lives.  All the sudden we are struggling with brain fog, exhaustion, over eating, sugar cravings, 3pm lows, anxiety, gut issues and weight gain where the burden of it all has us come crashing down, feeling lost and alone.   

If you find yourself saying ‘I’m so stressed’ or ‘I’m so exhausted’ on a daily basis, maybe even teary eyed or anxious often and think you just can’t handle this all anymore, you might just be suffering from adrenal burnout….or well on your way there. 

Take the quiz and find out if you are suffering from adrenal fatigue.  Answer Yes or No: 

1.   Do you suffer from brain fog or have trouble concentrating? 

2.   Do you have an afternoon low where you need a nap, caffeine or sugar? 

3.   Do you get stressed easily, irritable or impatient? 

4.   Do you have trouble getting or staying asleep? 

5.   Do you have chronic stuffy/runny nose, bloating or sore/mucus throat? 

6.   Do you have poor digestion, IBS or heartburn? 

7.   Do you consider yourself an overly cautious person or perfectionist? 

8.   Do you wake up tired in the morning even after sufficient sleep? 

9.   Do you feel tired but wired? 

10. Has someone told you need to slow down, take a break or you need a vacation? 

If you have answered yes to 6 or more of these questions you are most likely suffering with some level of adrenal fatigue or possibly in the burnout phase. Want to learn how to heal your adrenal fatigue? Contact me for a free consultation 

Emotional eating is the practice of using food to make yourself feel better or fill emotional needs, rather than address hunger. You might turn to food when feeling sad or stressed out, or even as a reward. Emotional eating doesn’t fix the underlying issue and can leave you feeling worse in the long run.

We don’t always eat just to satisfy physical hunger. Many of us also turn to food for comfort, stress relief, or to reward ourselves. And when we do, we tend to reach for junk food, sweets, and other comforting but unhealthy foods. You might reach for a pint of ice cream when you’re feeling down, order a pizza if you’re bored or lonely, or swing by the drive-through after a stressful day at work.  Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better—to fill emotional needs, rather than your stomach. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. In fact, it usually makes you feel worse. Afterward, not only does the original emotional issue remain, but you also feel guilty for overeating.

Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. Eating may feel good in the moment, but the feelings that triggered the eating are still there. And you often feel worse than you did before because of the unnecessary calories you’ve just consumed. You beat yourself for messing up and not having more willpower.  Compounding the problem, you stop learning healthier ways to deal with your emotions, you have a harder and harder time controlling your weight, and you feel increasingly powerless over both food and your feelings. But no matter how powerless you feel over food and your feelings, it is possible to make a positive change. You can learn healthier ways to deal with your emotions, avoid triggers, conquer cravings, and finally put a stop to emotional eating.  

Take the Emotional Eating quiz. Answer Yes or No

1. I eat large amounts of food in a short period of time

2. I spend large amounts of time thinking about eating or not eating

3. I feel powerless when it comes to controlling my eating

4. I feel embarrassment, disgust, or guilt after I overeat

5. I tend to be a perfectionist

6. I tend to avoid social activities where food is present

7. Family gatherings, holidays, or parties where food is present can give me stress

8. I tend to eat certain foods whenever I am anxious, depressed, or my feelings are hurt.

9. Frequently, I overeat when I’m bored or lonely.

10. I tend to overeat when I’m alone; I eat much less than I want when I’m with other people.

If you answered Yes to 6 or more of the above, you might be struggling with emotional eating.

Your body contains trillions of bacteria and the majority of them are located in your intestines. Our gut is considered our second brain and sends us messages that we need to pay attention to in order to keep us healthy. It can also affect how different foods are digested and produce chemicals that help make you feel full. As a result, this can affect your weight loss goals. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria in your intestines. While some may cause disease, most of them carry out essential tasks to keep you healthy. 

Since your gut bacteria line your intestines, they come into contact with the food you eat. This may affect what nutrients you absorb and how energy is stored in your body.  If you suffer with low energy, it might be because your body is not absorbing the proper nutrients. If you find that you bloat or feel ill after eating, it might be because your intestinal lining has lesions where the food you are eating are seeping through into your bloodstream. 

Our intestinal lining can also become inflamed.  Inflammation occurs when your body has to activate your immune system in order to fight infection.  Inflammation can also be caused by an unhealthy diet containing too much sugar, chemicals, processed foods and unhealthy fats that can seep into the bloodstream and contribute to weight gain.  Notice the scale go up?  It could be the inflammation your body is holding onto. If you are sick or fighting and infection, you might notice that your weight goes up or won’t budge.  That is because your body is trying to fight and heal.  If you are consuming inflammatory foods and notice the scale go up, it might not be the actual caloric intake that is causing the scale to go up and rather the inflammation its causing in your body. 

Symptoms of an unhealthy gut include, stomach discomfort, fatigue, food cravings, unintentional weight changes, skin irritations, mood changes and even migraines.  

A healthy gut bacteria is important for maintaining a healthy weight. 

Take my ‘Gut Healthy’ Quiz here. For each statement, answer: 1 – 2 – 3 - 4  

How would you best describe your eating habits?

1. Meh – food, I take it or leave it, if I could take a pill to eat I would. 

2. Fast – I eat food on the go and in a rush. 

3. Grazer – I pick all day long and have a tendency towards sweet or salty foods. 

4. Pretty normal – I eat pretty nutritional meals at the same time most days.  

Belly – what is your type? 

1. Bloated – always! Throughout the day, at night and when I wake in the morning. 

2. Flabby – My belly is flabby and mushy, maybe some bloating in there but don’t know. 

3. Inconsistent – some days bloated, some days good.  

4. Flat – No matter what time of the day my belly stays flat.

How do you usually feel after a meal? 

1. Uncomfortable – I get bloated, gassy or have indigestion. 

2. Acidic – I often have reflux and heartburn, and have to take something for it. 

3. Craving – I’m immediately looking for something sweet after finishing a meal. 

4. Great – I feel relaxed and satisfied.  

Wind – the great social inconvenience. Are you: 

1. Embarrassed – always very gassy 

2. Pretty average – medium level of gas 

3. Depends on what I've eaten – worse after sweet or sugary foods 

4. Like roses – not excessive   

Medications and substances? 

1.  I rattle – I take a lot of pharmaceuticals and medication for numerous things. 

2.  Frequent antibiotics – seems like every year I am on them.

3. Antibiotics – I’ve been on antibiotics about a handful of times in my life, nothing major

4. I’m quite healthy – nothing major, but I do take some natural supplements.  

How regular are you? 

1. Infrequent – a few times each week. Super inconsistent. 

2. Urgency – when I need to go, I need to go! 

3. No rhythm – it’s anyone’s guess how many times I will go today. Sometimes it takes ages, but other times it’s an emergency. I often don’t feel empty. 

4. One to three times daily – At least once a day like clockwork and I’m left feeling comfortable.  

CHECK YOUR RESULTS 

Simply count up which number you’ve chosen the most and see what it says about you. If your results are mixed, it may indicate you have more than one digestive disorder.  

THE RESULTS You scored… 

MOSTLY 1s 

Your body might be having a tough time breaking down its food.  Your digestion is not in a good spot and your enzyme production is probably low. This can cause bloating, irregular bowel movements or constipation where fecal matter is sitting in your intestines too long, allowing toxins to be reabsorbed, which puts stress on your liver.  

MOSTLY 2s 

Slow down! The speed you live your life is directly related to the speed you eat your food.  You need to allow yourself more time to eat. Life can be busy, so we often find ourselves eating on the go, such as while driving or working.   Eating too fast can cause our food to not break down properly and can get pushed through our digestive system too quickly.  When we eat too fast our bodies don’t recognize that we have ate enough causing us to want to eat more which results in excess body fat. Where can you slowdown in your life? 

MOSTLY 3s 

Everything in life needs to have a rhythm.  Our sleep, our cycle and our eating; they all need to have rhythm.  Our inconsistency with eating, resulting in grazing, right down to our inconsistent bowel movements, plays a large role in our gut health and weight loss.  These all point to a little extra friendly bacteria needed in your system. Medications such as antibiotics can stay in your system for an extra 6 months after taking them.  They will also decrease the friendly bacteria in your gut, leaving you more susceptible to yeast infections, lesions in the intestinal lining (leaky gut) and contribute to candida. Support your gut bacteria by consuming enough fiber, avoiding sugary foods and de-stressing.  

MOSTLY 4s 

You seem to have your gut function sorted. Stay on top of it with a healthy balanced diet that contains enough fiber and vegetables. Just because you have a current lack of, or very few symptoms doesn’t mean that you’re invincible. Sometimes our bodies feel great, but what if they could be even greater?   

Want to learn how to maintain an optimal balance?  Contact me for a free consultation.

Despite what we’ve long been told, and how society has allowed food and fat-shaming to become common in our culture, the number on the scale isn’t always a simple reflection of the number of calories we consume vs. the number of calories we burn.  

In fact, this is just a small part of what goes into someone wanting to lose weight. Everything from our stress, sleep, cycle, medications, environment and our own beliefs can and will cause weight gain. Often the real key to losing those unwanted pounds, and gaining a toned body, energy, clarity, and a better mood lies within where our hormone health. 

If we have a hormone imbalance, that can have a great effect on our weight—not to mention our mood and happiness. 

What if I were to tell you that the calorie-in/calorie-out theory is one of the greatest misconceptions that women believe in the diet industry?  Yes, calories do matter, some more to others but your hormones are just as important. 

Common scenario, you are a female, 30’s to 40's who has struggled with weight loss for as long as you can remember.  For years you have tried all the diets out there, mainly an ‘eat less, exercise more’ approach.  Over the years of following these diets you became more and more defeated; you need more self-control, you constantly fail, everyone else can lose, why can’t you? 

What can happen when your hormones start to regulate? Your mood will improve, your patience will increase, be happier, your confidence will increase, energy levels will soar, acne will improve, and food will be used differently in your body….all resulting in a change on the scale.  

If you struggle with weight loss you more than likely struggle with a hormonal imbalance. Here's a few things to consider if you are wondering about any imbalance. 

1. Do you have fat deposits around the belly, muffin top?

2. Tired but wired and always on edge?

3. Constantly ravenous and overeat? 

4. Hair loss?

5. Retaining fluid?  

6. Do you get enough sleep in the night? 

7. Is your menstrual cycle regular?

8. Do you exercise too much and constantly feel the need to workout?

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions, you might have a hormone imbalance.  Want to learn more about it?  Contact me for a free consultation.