Waistline Patrol, I mean “control”! 6 tips.

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For many, the week between Xmas and NYE is often the time you munch mindlessly on leftover turkey and candies with the promise that the New Year will bring a New You — sound familiar? Whether you pack on more pounds or gain control of your eating and exercise habits is entirely up to you!  Even if you ate more mashed potatoes with gravy than those 5 glasses of wine will allow you to remember, you still have a whole entire week before 2010. Why not make this week great and bring in the New Year with a bang! Here are some easy tips to help get back on track:

Don’t be couch potato. Get out of the house. A sure-fire way to turn into a hippo is by staying inside the house. Simply getting up off the couch and out of the house for some fresh air will give you motivation to do more and boost your brain happy chemicals.  The added benefit is when you move, you improve your digestion and your circulation. This has more benefits than you may realize like having a healthy and satisfying….  ummm, yes, bowel movement! Nothing worse than having turkey rotting in your belly for 3 days!

Move your booty. Make a point of doing something everyday this week that gets your heart rate UP. Even if you don’t have an hour to spend at the gym — take 20 minutes every morning to go for a walk or climb a few sets of stairs. You will burn a few hundred calories and maybe that extra helping of pie.

Eat smaller portions. This is my secret to staying in control throughout the holidays. I try a little of everything I like, even homemade truffles that would have been a crime for me not to try! My rule of thumb is not to deny myself of anything, but have less and not go back for seconds.  This is key –  to avoid second helpings, because by the time you clear your plate the second time, you’re already stuffed like a turkey!

Hydrate. Drink water before a meal and after, NOT during to prevent overeating and diluting your digestive juices.  Herbal teas can be substituted for water (as long as they are caffeine free). These liquids will cut your appetite and help to flush toxins from your body. My fave is peppermint tea after a meal. This usually cuts the craving for a sweet and helps the digestive process.

Don’t starve all day to save your calories for the big meal. I hear people tell me they do this all the time! Don’t make this big mistake of putting your metabolism into super slow-mode because you will end up eating twice as much later on than if you had eaten healthfully all day. You’ll then be able to make better eating choices when you aren’t in starvation-mode.

Lastly, don’t deprive yourself. I have a friend who purposely goes on a diet around Christmas just so she has an excuse not to overindulge. This just seems crazy to me! The holidays are all about treating yourself, not deprivation. I say, live a little, but just don’t go overboard!

Want more tips to avoid holiday weight gain?

5 holiday eating tips: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/5-tips-to-avoid-holiday-weight-gain/

Eat fat to lose fat: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/its-not-fat-that-makes-you-fat/

Get your best body ever: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/get-your-best-body-ever-7/

Recipe: Cranberry Apricot Stuffing

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My recipe from That’sFit.ca

Hold the stuffing for a healthier holiday meal? No way! A holiday dinner without the stuffing to accompany your turkey would be missing a serious amount of festiveness, don’t you think? I LOVE stuffing, but being a nutritionist I must admit, I do sometimes hold off on the stuffing when it’s not my own homemade version (but shhh — don’t tell anyone — so far, no family members have noticed!) and save the calories for a small slice of pumpkin pie instead…

Here’s my joyous version of homemade stuffing minus the excessive calories, but big plus on the taste:

Cranberries & Apricot Health Stuffing with optional turkey or chicken sausage.

Little tip: If you plan on actually stuffing your turkey, never pack it too dense or else the juices and the deliciousness won’t cook the stuffing properly — cook the extra in a baking dish. Actually this is how I prefer stuffing because then it gets crusty on the top! For a vegetarian option omit the sausage and there is a gluten-free option in this recipe too.

EnJOY!

Joyous

The Love Hormone Oxytocin — Heart Health

NEW RESEARCH ALERT

I wrote an article back in May about the love hormone, oxytocin and the health benefits. I am in love with this hormone because it has anti-anxiety affects, reduces stress hormones (mainly cortisol), promotes feelings of well-being, increases trusting behaviour (intriguing), reduces blood pressure and promotes growth and healing — and all this can be achieved by physical contact — loving someone.

Scientists are still learning about this complex hormone and now a recent study has confirmed that oxytocin helps to heal a broken heart too. How? Oxytocin reduces cell deaths in an injured heart and reduces certain inflammatory factors that can slow healing of your heart.

How can you get some?

Unless you go into labour, the only way to get some oxytocin is skin-to-skin contact. This is why, as I’ve mentioned before — intimacy is extremely important (not just sex) to the health of your heart. And, it is the hormone that literally bonds lover to lover. This may be the science behind why some people stay in love after years have gone by because they’ve stayed affectionate with one another and why some couples do not and drift apart, perhaps they drifted apart literally before it affected them emotionally.

I love when science proves something we intuitively know is good for us, really is — like love.

So next time you are with your lover, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, make sure you show your love not just with words, but actual physical contact.

Water is essential to life: A Special Note from My 8 year Old Nephew

In many areas of Africa, there is a great need for a very basic necessity of survival that so many of us take for granted. I know when I turn on my tap and drink water or take a hot shower, I am not always mindful of how fortunate I am, until I take a moment and think about it. It blows my mind to think that something as simple as clean water free of bacteria, parasites and chemicals is simply not an option for millions around the globe. We have so much wealth in North America and the ability to give that I believe it’s our privelege to do so.

Did you know that humans can go without food for weeks, possibly even months, but just a few days without clean water, especially in a hot climate and your chances of survival diminish. You will die of dehydration before you die of starvation.

My nephew Jared, decided that he wants to make a difference in someone’s life for Christmas. He wrote this note. Please take 5 minutes to read it and pass this message of hope along. there is a link below if you would like to donate to help build a well in Africa. Thank you xo

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hi my name is Jared I am 8 years old. I am raising money so that I can put a well in Africa . I am doing this because there are many people in Africa who die because they don’t have clean water and I want to help them.

My project is called Pennies For Poverty. If everyone in Hamilton contributed three cents we would have enough to put a well in Africa .

I would like your help to raise this money. It is only possible if everyone helps. Here are some ways that you can help me:

1. Please pass this message along to everyone you can

2. Put a jar on your desk at work or at home and fill it with spare change

3. Challenge your friends and family to see who can fill the jar first

4. Do some work around the neighbourhood like shovelling driveways or walking dogs and donate the money you make

5. Donate online at my website:

https://catalogue.worldvision.ca/Gifts/Forms/EventHome.aspx?eventId=264522

Please help. Every penny counts. I believe that we can do this.

Sincerely,

Jared

Exercise is Anti-aging — At a Cellular Level

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Not only does exercise make you smarter and happier, but studies prove it makes you younger as well. Regardless of how old you are, glistening skin and red cheeks after a good workout says “youth” and “health”, wouldn’t you agree? But now, research shows that it’s more than just that afterglow that makes you seemingly younger, because exercise literally keeps you younger at a cellular level – and we now have molecular proof. Before you jump off the computer and go to the gym, read on to learn how it keeps you young — because it’s fascinating, not just for the science-brains.

Ever heard of a telomere? It is the the DNA that literally bookends the chromosomes and protect the ends from damage. Similar to the plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces that keep the laces from fraying, telomeres protect the chromosomes that carry genes, during cell division.

Telomeres speak the truth about the age of your cells.

Scientists received a Nobel Prize for discovering the nature of telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Basically, when telomeres shorten, you age — this is essentially like reading the biological clock of your body. Bring in cardiovascular exercise and you slow the process of the telomere shortening because it ignites the enzyme telomerase which in turn, stabilizes the telomere.

Here’s what the recent research on athletes engaged in running showed:
Intensive exercise prevented shortening of telomeres, a protective effect against aging of the cardiovascular system, according to research reported in the December 2009 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Not surprisingly, the athletes also had lower resting heart rates, lower blood pressure, and less body fat.

The Wow Factor.
According to the study, people who engaged in the most exercise had telomeres of similar length to inactive people up to 10 years younger.

“This is the first time it has been shown at the molecular level that exercising has an antiaging effect on the cardiovascular system,” Laufs says, MD, of Homburg, Germany’s Saarland University.

American Heart Association spokesman Barry Franklin, PhD, calls the new research “phenomenal.”

Now this study was conducted on professional athletes, but it would be correct to assume that exercise makes you younger not just because of the effect on your telomeres, but for a variety of reasons. The benefits of exercise are endless and here are my top 5 reasons for exercising 30-45 minutes everyday:

1. Increases your sex drive for both men and women
2. Lowers your body fat composition and increases lean tissue (muscle)
3. Improves circulation, which improves heart health
4. Reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer
5. Increases your confidence, mental and emotional well-being

If you are female and trying to conceive, be cautious not to overexercise because research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has shown it reduces fertility in women. Simply put, the body may not have enough energy to support both hard workouts and getting pregnant. The good news is that negative affects of overtraining do not appear to be long-term in the study.

If you currently don’t exercise, then here’s an article with tips on how to start simple:
http://www.thatsfit.ca/2009/12/04/exercise-makes-you-smarter-and-happier/

Want to get “skinny” sexy arms for your holiday dress? Here are some tips.

How to Get a Flat Belly Fast!

Achieving that coveted six pack in virtually no time at all sounds like a good deal, right? Well, I will bust the first myth right here. You cannot get a flat belly “fast,” but you can get a flat, fit belly over time and sustain it. Everyone wants a washboard stomach — in fact, this is easily the most exercised area of the body because people work on what they can see in the mirror when they jump out of the shower…. READ MORE HERE

It’s Not Fat that Makes You Fat.

This is an interesting study — Finally!  It’s not fat that makes you fat.

“Researchers looked at data on nearly 90,000 men and women from six different countries. Participants were followed for up to 10 years. Analyses that accounted for several factors found no relationship between how much weight people gained and how much fat they ate, or their intake of polyunsaturated fats versus saturated fats.” Reuters Dec 11, 2009

90,000 is a good amount of study participants from which to draw sound conclusions from. This is good news because the average person is “fat-phobic”. Eating fat at every meal and snack (choosing more “good” fat) is a sure fire way to LOSE weight. However, you do need good fat from a health perspective, to allow your cells to be permeable enough to push toxins out and allow nutrients in.

Good sources of fat:

• Nuts, seeds, nut butters (excluding peanuts)
• Legumes
• Avocado
• Olives and olive oil
• Cheese (in moderation)
• Kefir, organic yogurt (in moderation)
• Flax seed oil and ground flax seeds
• Chia seeds (Milled or ground)
• Organic butter (in moderation)
• Organic coconut oil

Bad Fats:

• All hydrogenated oils
• Margarine (even if the label states it is made from olive oil — it’s still highly processed to the point of losing all the beneficial properties of the oil)
• Soy, corn and safflower oils
• Cottonseed oil
• Canola oil
• All fats heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying

Joy McCarthy is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, health writer and an inspirational speaker on all things health. For more nutrition sizzle, see my RECIPES page or my SERVICES page if you want some one-on-one attention to take your health to a joyous new level.

5 Foods to Eat and Avoid at Parties

The last 2 weekends have been full of festive-ness and social activities with friends and family. This equates to good times. BUT… Social gatherings always present people with an opportunity to stuff themselves to the point of feeling like humpty dumpty — yikes, and before they know it January rolls around and they are 10lbs plumpified. However, never fear because you can navigate the party and make some great choices, just like I did these past 2 weekends.

When I go to a party, these are the 5 foods/drinks I AVOID: CHIPS, FATTY HOR DOURVES, MYSTERY DIPS, SWEETS, SUGARY DRINKS.

1. Chips. Even if they are so-called “trans-fat” free. This is pretty meaningless when they are frying those little flaky taters in sunflower oil which is an extremely UNSTABLE polyunsaturated fat that will become RANCID at high temperatures — this is food chemistry 101. These type of fats when fried or baked at a high temp (such as sunflower and safflower) are like a key that doesn’t fit,  meaning, it doesn’t jive with your cells.

I know these big food manufacturers are trying to be do-gooders by making chips “trans-fat free, but they really need to take it one step further and consider the fact they are contributing to some serious health issues such as inflammation due to excessive omega 6 fatty acid consumption, even worse, rancid omega 6 fats. Baked chips (unless made by you), are no better. In fact, often they are worse than their fried counterparts because they have more ingredients created in a lab than grown in the ground — if there are items on the label you don’t recognize, they don’t belong in your body, plain and simple.

2. Sausage rolls, mini-quiches, deep fried spring rolls. Yikes, avoid these little calorie dense, trans-fat, sodium-rich hor dourves that will surely sabotage your weight loss and/or maintenance goals. You might be surprised to know, that one or two little sausage rolls will top off your sodium intake for the day and may have the same amount of calories as a small bowl of ice cream.

3. Mystery Dips. Often a hidden source of MSG. I won’t name any brand names here because tis the season after all. But I will tell you to read your labels. Chip, veggie dips and liquid cheeses are a common source of MSG, which is a neurotoxin. So your headache or twitching eyelid the next day may not be attributed to stress, but the dip you were delighted about the night before. I avoid MSG like the plague and I’m a total label whore because MSG was the cause of my migraine headaches as a child and for many people I know. Not only that, but just the simple fact it’s tricking me into thinking something tastes better than it really does is totally ridiculous. I want to eat food that tastes good not because of some chemical that was manufactured in a lab!

4. The Sweet Platter. I have a sweet tooth. But I know from personal experience, once I start, I won’t stop. Here’s what happens inside my body. I eat a sweet and I send my blood sugar skyrocketing, only to drop back down from a flood of insulin to save the day. What happens next? Well, I crave MORE sweets because my blood sugar drops too low (the body is darn smart) and so the yo-yo’ing begins. Sugar in excess in the bloodstream turns to fat. Excess sugar in the blood and this yo-yo effect mimics Attention Deficit Disorder and mood problems. Interesting isn’t it? If you want to kick your sugar habit, here are more tips.

5. Sugary Drinks. Pop, martinis, cocktails, mixed drinks. Same reason as above.

Now that you have 5 to avoid, here are 5 to EAT!

1. Veggies & dip: This is obvious I know. But interestingly, many people don’t put this sort of thing out for their guests. However, I have noticed whenever this option is available, it’s usually the first platter to go! Vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber to keep you fuller longer. I have an AMAZING homemade veggie dip recipe my dad has been making for years. It’s so easy, you could totally mess up the quantities of each ingredient and it would STILL taste great!

2. Pita or whole wheat crackers & hummus: More and more I’m seeing this option at parties. I think it’s wonderful and soooo delish. A very well-balanced snack with all 3 macronutrients to keep you satisfied and cravings away — complex carb (pita/crackers), fat/protein (hummus).

3. Crackers & Cheese. Yes, you can have some cheese (if you aren’t on a dairy-free diet) and enjoy it too. I’m all for the less processed cheeses — brie, goat cheese, old cheddar etc. In the case of cheese, less is more. Cheese is high fat and can contain a lot of sodium, so be watchful of this. But a little goes a long way, you only need a few slices with a whole wheat cracker to satisfy your love of cheese, just don’t stand by the platter and mindlessly munch.

4. Olives. Fantastic source of good fat – “monounsaturated” fat which is wonderful for hormonal balance (your skin). I LOVE LOVE LOVE olives, black or green, they belong in my belly. The beauty with olives is that because they are a source of fat, you feel more satisfied eating them and therefore, will have better self-control.

5. Red Wine. If you haven’t read my article about the French Paradox and Resveratrol, please check it out. Red wine has been touted by Europeans for many years as being the reason they are healthier than North Americans. They might be onto something here. I am not suggesting you drink red wine every night, but if you are at a party this is a great choice — fewer calories and less sugar than your most popular cocktail. Here are some non-alcoholic options as well.

If after reading my tips, you decide not to follow any of my suggestions, then I’m here in the New Year should you decide you need to get on a detox program after your holiday indulging! But really, I would rather you eat and drink smart so you stay feeling fabulous and looking gorgeous at all your holiday parties!

Happy Holidays!

How to Get “Skinny” Sexy Arms for Your Holiday Dress

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I use the term “skinny” loosely because skinny means sexy for many women and now that I have your attention I’m going to share with you my top secrets for sexy toned healthy arms. Every woman — young or old would like to have sexy arms. Would you all agree? Toned, sexy arms equate to a bit of muscle — not Madonna-sized-pipes or skin covering bone only — but a bit of meat and no turkey flaps for triceps. The question I get from many women is how to spot reduce their turkey flap arms and get killer sexy arms to make every woman envious at your next holiday party.

If you start today, you will be well on your way to sexy arms for the holidays and New Years Eve. The nice thing about your arm muscles is that they are one of the quickest changing muscles, as soon as you pay a little more attention to them and try out these tips.

Tip 1: Resistance Train with Free Weights

First off, you CANNOT spot reduce. So if you think that doing 1000 tricep dips between now and Christmas day is going to give you sexy arms, you are mistaken. However, when you increase your muscle mass, you will RAISE your metabolic rate. Translation: You will burn more fat doing nothing with more muscle on your body. Also, remember this: muscle takes up far LESS space than fat. So less overall fat on your body, means eliminating/reducing those turkey flaps and tighter, sexier arms.

Here’s the drill:

Every other day: 2 sets of 12 triceps dips,  2  sets of 12 wall push ups, 2 sets of 12 overhead presses (step-by-step instructions for these basic exercises can be found online). It’s not all about the bicep either, sexy arms start with sexy shoulders. Do this for 10 days and you will see a difference. Do this for 4-6 weeks along with my other tips and you will reveal your sexiest arms ever!

Tip 2: Eliminate these 4 foods:

1. White rice — eat quinoa instead
2. White pasta — eat whole wheat or spelt or brown rice flour pasta instead
3. White bread — eat brown rice bread, spelt, ezikiel, whole grain (if it really is “whole grain”)
4. Fried foods — fries, chips, tempura (just because it’s veggies covered with fried batter, does not mean it’s good for you), onion rings

The above list includes muffins, cookies, cakes, rice cakes, sushi, lasagna (hidden source for white pasta), casseroles (same comment as lasagna), pancakes (unless you use this recipe), scones, some granola bars (read labels) and anything that uses any of the above items as the MAIN ingredients. Sugar is a given (meaning, eliminate this from your diet), but you already knew that right?

Tip 3: Do cardio.

Cardiovascular exercise is as important to sexy arms as is eating the whole egg, not just the white part of the egg — the yolk for good fat! (A little Nutritionist humour there). Cardio will aid in fat loss and those muscles won’t get sexified if they’re covered by a layer of fat. If you are a newbie, always start slow – 20 to 30 minutes a day – and increase from there.

With these tips, you will have sexier arms in just a couple of weeks. Keep it up after the holidays are over and you will have Madonna knocking on your door asking your secret to sexy arms.

New Recipes – Holiday Cookies and More!

It’s been about a week since my last post because I’ve been busy in my kitchen testing out new recipes, which is one of my favourite things to do. My love of baking started out at a very young age when my mom *silly woman* would let me create my own recipes from scratch and she would always be my taste-tester. Admittedly, some were complete rubbery flops and other concoctions were incredibly mouth-watering delicious. However, it was pretty cute that no matter what I made, she would tell me it was delightful. My brother kept me honest though… and often he would say “Joy, these taste healthy“. So I have learned, when something tastes “healthy” or like “tree bark” this is NOT a compliment.

Here are the latest and greatest recipes I’ve written for That’s Fit  and I’m super excited to share with you. Whether you are going to  holiday parties and want to impress the pants off your friends with these delighful cookies or staying at home, try them out and let me know what you think! I promise they don’t taste “healthy” or anything like “tree bark”. I’ve added a few other recipes that are sure to delight your tastebuds

• TAHINI CRANBERRY COOKIES
• ORGANIC SPELT FLOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
• SLEEPY-HAPPY SMOOTHIE
• CRANBERRY BANANA PANCAKES
• CHICKEN SOUP “FOR THE SOUL”

EnJOY!

Guess What? Exercise Makes You Smarter

And… science says so! Check out this article on That’s Fit:

http://www.thatsfit.ca/2009/12/04/exercise-makes-you-smarter-and-happier/

We Are Obsessed With Skinny

Everyday I read the headlines on Yahoo (Canada) News because it’s my internet homepage, but today really caught my attention because the media and the general population who fuels the media’s fire, are totally out of control. The photo of Jessica Simpson is everywhere. And this was the caption I just read:

“Jessica Simpson attended her sister Ashlee’s Broadway debut in “Chicago” in New York City earlier this week and boy, did she make an entrance. Holy shiny overload! This tight, slinky dress is not a flattering choice for Jessica. Someone who’s as large in the chest as she is would look much better in a more structured piece to give her support and break-up her lines a bit. This is clearly a case of shiny fabric drawing attention to all the wrong places. A dress in more than one colour that isn’t so snug would be a much better look for her. What do you think about this outfit?” (Bryan Bedder/Wireimage.com)

This was one of the kinder responses that I read. Many of them outright called her a fat cow. I’m not even going to post some of the “other” nasty things. What is happening to us as a society? This is totally outrageous. I’m all for a healthy fit body and if you have some curves and want to show it off, then more power to you Jessica! To me, that says confidence and happiness with her body.

Sure this dress may not be MY choice of style because I wouldn’t be caught dead in sequins and perhaps it accentuates her curvy physique but this is precisely one of the many reasons why so many young women have unrealistic expectations and insecurities about their body because this type of body is considered “fat”.

Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse if we are not willing to take a stand and quit fuelling these gossip mongers who perpetuate our obsession with skinny. A skinny body has not a thing to do with health. Health is not only the absence of disease, but it’s feeling energetic, having clear skin and having a healthy body fat composition. In fact, many so-called “super-models” by definition of body fat % are actually considered “obese”. And furthermore, I have met more young women over the last 2 years who are underweight and have NO sex drive, than ever before. You need to eat good fat for your hormones to work properly and this is a very good indication of overall health. I don’t want to put these women down, because I believe ALL women to be beautiful. But, perhaps we need to change our perception of beauty and equate health to beauty. When we equate health to beauty, I believe there will be far fewer sick people than there currently are.

If you feel vibrant health every day (not just “some” days), then you are doing something right! If you think that health is merely the absence of disease and having your scale show you a low number is health, then you are mistaken.

Ask yourself these 2 questions, as they are wonderful indicators of your health?

1. Do you have a strong sex drive?

2. Do you have sustainable balanced energy all day long?

If you answered no to either of those questions, then you should book a free 15 minute assessment with me at 889 Yonge Yoga & Holistic Lifestyle Center in Toronto. 416.925.7206

5 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

The season to be joyous and jolly has finally arrived! It’s the first week of December and for many, this means the holiday festivities begin with indulging, drinking and being merry. Here are my top 5 tips for staying in control and fitting into your jeans come January. It’s easier than you think!

1. Stay Hydrated. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily, including one glass before every meal. This will prevent you from overeating and more in control of your food consumption. Water helps flush toxins from your cells and aids in fat loss.
2. Ditch the defeatist attitude. We all fall off the wagon sometimes, but you can get back on! If you succumb to indulging in one too many sausage rolls or more martinis than you can remember, don’t think “Well, I’ve already been bad, so I might as well continue eating and drinking what I want.” Instead, enjoy the occasional indulgence and then return to your healthy eating ways the next day.
3. Don’t wait till January to start an exercise regime. Get off the couch today. Aim to exercise 30-45 minutes everyday. Exercise can be cumulative — so park further away from the shopping mall, take the stairs, walk to your holiday party. Exercises boosts your mood and your metabolism.
4. Never go to a party hungry. Eat a meal or a light snack BEFORE the holiday party. This will prevent you from overeating those calorie-rich appetizers such as cheese sticks and holiday cookies.
5. Fill up on fiber rich snacks. Choose the party snacks that are richest in minerals, vitamins and fiber. Fiber keeps you fuller longer. Good choices are veggies and dip, pita and hummus, baked spring rolls, salsa and blue corn chips. Avoid trans-fat laden mini quiches, sausage rolls, bread with mayo-based dips and sugar packed snacks.

You can still enjoy the holiday parties and treat yourself a little without gaining weight, just don’t go overboard. You won’t sabatage your weight loss goals if you have a small piece of your aunt’s famous carrot cake. Practice these 5 tips and don’t deprive yourself. EnJOY and be MERRY!

Let the festivities begin.

Joy McCarthy is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, health writer and an inspirational speaker on all things health. For more nutrition sizzle, see my RECIPES page or my SERVICES page if you want some one-on-one attention to take your health to a joyous new level.

Get Your Best Body Ever Tip #7

I hope you’ve been following my tips for getting your best body! Here’s a quick summary of the last 6:

1. Eliminate everything white in your diet for 2 weeks.
2. Don’t do mindless cardio. Lift weights too.
3. Alcohol = Empty Calories
4. Eat breakfast like a KING, lunch like a PRINCE & dinner like a PAUPER.
5. Get someone to hold you accountable.
6. Be Happy!

Now for tip number 7: Do YOGA

I went to a great seminar last night put on by a fabulous Naturopathic Doctor here in Toronto — Dr. Karen Hack. She spoke about the impact that stress has on our body and our mind. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of taking time to relax and rejuvenate. The media gets us a bit obsessed with quick-fix fad diets that do nothing more than stress our bodies out further and turn on the appetite hormones! These quick fixes do nothing more put us further away from our goals.

Now I want you to take 5 deep BREATHS before you continue reading….

1…. 2…. 3…..4…. 5….

There, don’t you feel better already?

So, my tip for getting your best body ever is to engage in activities that calm your central nervous system. When you are in a calm state of mind, this is when you CAN lose weight. You cannot lose weight effectively if you are jacked on caffeine, stressed from your office job and arguing with your spouse. The last thing your body will do is release excess body fat.

Practicing yoga is an incredible way to lose weight, but more importantly lose weight and not even think about it. Over the years when I have personal trained clients, the ones who are total TYPE A, super stressed out no matter how much they exercise or how well they eat, NEVER lose fat. The answer is simple and they can’t lose weight because they are stressed.

This isn’t rocket science and studies prove time and time again that a calm spirit, leads to a body less stressed and a body willing to shed excess pounds. Yoga is an incredible way to relax, rejuvenate and learn how to breathe properly.

If you want to learn more about the powerful combination of yoga and nutrition, then please check out my EAT WELL FEEL WELL program starting in January. Alternatively, if you want to start right now and you live in Toronto then come to www.889yonge.com and do a yoga class. The space is inspiring and you will feel happier the moment you walk in the door.

Kick These 3 Bad Habits to Stay Healthy

According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) the flu season does not hit it’s peak until January or February. This has been proven in previous years despite the fact that this fall has seen a huge increase in the number of people catching the flu. So keep in mind we have a few more months to get through before we are really in the clear.

I have an ongoing theme in my posts about the flu and it is fairly simple. Keep your immune system strong and avoid getting bit by the bug by kicking 3 bad habits!

1. Kick your sugar habit. Sugar is a bank robber of vitamins and minerals, suppresses your immune system for up to 5 hours (based on a small glass of juice or can of pop), depresses the function of your white blood cells to fight infection and more http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/sugar-consumption-linked-to-low-immunity/. Dr. Mercola lists the metabolic consequences of sugar,  all 76 of them, on his website with properly sited references and studies.

2. Kick your smoking habit. Not only does one puff of cigarette smoke contain more than 250 proven poisonous chemicals (ONE PUFF!), it damages the blood vessels and decreases blood circulation. Smokers tend to get sick more often with lung infections, colds and flus.

This just comes down to common sense really — because how can we expect our body to function optimally and fight infection if we are filling it with free radicals and chemical poisons everyday?

Smoking also harms some of our body’s first lines of defense — the tissues of the mouth and throat. When these barriers are compromised, infection can get into our bodies more easily and make us sick. Smoking also induces vitamin A deficiency which is extremely important to have optimal levels for cancer prevention. Bladder and liver cancer is very common among smokers, its not just lung cancer you want to worry about.

3. Kick your Drinking habit. Holiday season is upon us and this means we may be having a few more glasses of wine or indulging in cocktails more than other times of the year. It’s not the occasional drink that is the problem. It is the weekend binge drinking that really suppresses our immune system. It literally slows down special immune cells called cytokines that act as messengers to tell the body when to mount a defence against an infection. Alcohol must be detoxed by the liver using vitamins B and C. Remember vitamin C is absolutely critical for a healthy functioning immune system and if we are using it up detoxing the alcohol we may not have enough to beef up our white blood cells to fight in fection.

Chronic abuse of alcohol wreaks its own havoc on immunity (not just the common cold and flu) but more serious concerns putting alcoholics at heightened susceptibility to some cancers, bacterial infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis.

What exactly is the immune system?

When most people here the words “immune system” they think of a system in the body that  fights colds and flus. What you may not realize is the importance of the immune system in preventing cancer and other more serious diseases. The immune systems job is to recognize foreign invaders, attack them and kill them so that they do not cause illness in your body. This requires a complex network of cells that all have very unique jobs to perform. When we overload our body with the bad habits mentioned above, our immune system cannot fully and completely do it’s job to keep us healthy because it’s constantly being bombarded with other chemicals and killing cancer cells is going to take a backseat.

Here are some other tips for keeping your immune system strong like a bull!

1. http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/keep-kids-healthy/

2. http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/more-tips-to-boost-immunity-and-not-get-the-flu/

3. http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/avoid-the-swine-flu-boost-your-immune-system/

EnJOY!

Joy McCarthy is a nutritional consultant, health writer and an inspirational speaker on all things health. For more nutrition sizzle, see my RECIPES page or my SERVICES page if you want some one-on-one attention to take your health to a joyous new level.

Eat Chocolate, The Good Kind.

By the age of 10, my love affair with chocolate had grown into a full-blown loyal loving relationship with a daily dose of a few KitKat sticks or half a Twix.

Sadly for me, the love affair came to a very abrupt ending at 13 when everytime I would eat processed chocolate, I would get a migraine. We are not talking a “manageable” migraine where you pop a pill a you are well on your way to a fabulous day. We are talking, barfing your guts out, throbbing pain and 3-4 days off school kind of migraine. For most kids this would be enjoyable – a few days off school? Hooray! No way, it was HORRIBLE. It was so awful that even a chocolate chip triggered a migraine! So my loyalties to chocolate bars ended and it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I tried my luck again.

This time, I bought myself a decadent dark chocolate bar with almonds – about 75% cocoa. I remember this moment like it was yesterday. The anticipation of eating chocolate again, the smooth texture melting on my tongue coupled with the fright of wondering what it would do to me.

And guess what? ….NOT A THING! No migraine. (JOYOUS SMILE)

The key difference was the fact that I was eating unprocessed chocolate free of harmful preservatives, additives and excessive amount of refined sugar that could very easily trigger a migraine. My taste buds had aged perhaps, and I began to enjoy the finer things in life, like dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is in the news every Christmas, Valentine’s and Easter. The candy producing manufacturers have a “hay day” touting the health benefits of chocolate, but I’m here to set the record straight. If you are going to eat chocolate, then make sure it’s DARK, at least 75% cocoa to actually get the health benefits including:

• Brain happy hormones: It stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure and it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
• May lower “bad” estrogen: Dr. Turner spoke about this benefit at a seminar I attended a few weeks ago. This is important for women with estrogen dominance, a very common health problem
• Heart Health: Dark chocolate contains flavanoids, antioxidants which protect the heart from free radical damage. In fact, some studies say dark chocolate contains nearly 8 times the amount of antioxidants than strawberries!
• Lower blood pressure: Flavanoids help to lower blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide which balances certain hormones in the body.
• Lower cholesterol: Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent.

What about the fat in chocolate?

The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:

• Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil.
• Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
• Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is not ideal, but you aren’t scarfing down KitKat and Twix bars are you? Well, I hope not, after reading this post.

How much chocolate is enough?

The health benefits mentioned above can be achieved with 4 small squares. Keep it as a treat!

These are my favourite chocolate bars:

• Cocoa Camino — Fair trade, organic, many different varieties. My personal faves are the dark chocolate with almonds and dark chocolate with coconut.
• Green & Blacks — Organic, decadent chocolate. My fave is ginger dark chocolate.

My mouth is watering now… I better go eat some chocolate!n

EnJOY,

Joyous

Joy McCarthy is a nutritional consultant, health writer and an inspirational speaker on all things health. For more nutrition sizzle, see my RECIPES page or my SERVICES page if you want some one-on-one attention to take your health to a joyous new level.

Joyous Tip #3: Going to Bed Late May Make You Fat.

Yes, this statement is a bold one, but there is a lot of truth to it. And the truth, resides in your hormonal balance.

Whatever your reason is for staying up late with the lights on, using the computer, talking on the phone or watching TV hours after the sun has gone down fools your body into believing it is still daytime and stimulates your central nervous system. This results in an increase in the hormones, cortisol and insulin which makes you want to eat! And you aren’t going to want to chow down on a grilled piece of salmon and veggie sticks.

Studies prove, you will crave carbohydrates and this leads to typical late-night snacking on cookies, chips, cereal – you  name it, you probably eat it if you are a night owl.

As Dr. Natasha Turner explains in her book The Hormone Diet, our hormones are so very intimately connected to circadian rhythm and when we ignore the simple fact that night follows day and this means sleep, we mess up the rhythm which can lead to hormonal imbalance.

Why does eating late mean you gain weight, specifically body fat?

Excess carbs will increase the blood glucose levels and this excess will eventually convert to fat. Even if you do not snack, staying up late regularly causes cortisol to release a nightly dose of sugar into the bloodstream for energy, insulin then rises to store that sugar as fat. Constantly high levels of insulin are a a risk factor in developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

What time should you hit the sack?

Ideally well before midnight, by 10:30pm because it lowers your night-time cortisol and insulin levels, and raises your melatonin levels. Melatonin has incredible anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits. There is a lot of truth to the old saying “beauty sleep”. I speak from personal experience. When I am burning the candle at both ends (as my mother would tell me!) I don’t look as joyous. My skin doesn’t glow and I look “haggard”. lol. So, I make my best efforts to get to bed early.

Remember that it is key to sleep in complete darkness. Light disrupts the pineal gland in your brain that is responsible for releasing melatonin. If you often sleep in front of the TV or with the light on you may be missing out on very important cancer-fighting ability and your best anti-aging remedy – sleep.

Be well,

Joyous

Worst Cereals & Best Breakfasts

As I was eating my absolute fave meal of the day this morning – breakfast, I was doing another favourite! Reading MERCOLA.com for my weekend healthy nutrition “shizzle”.

Are you a breakfast-cereal-eater? Many of you make your best efforts to eat a healthy breakfast, but did you know what the worst cereals for your health might be? You will be surprised when you read this. It is enlightening. Now, before you freak out and say “Joy, what the heck am I supposed to eat then?”… don’t worry. I’ve got some great options for you.

 

I am going to post my breakie faves after these “bad boys”.

According to Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score), which was developed based on the best available science, in consultation with a steering committee of experts in nutrition, marketing, and public health, the 10 worst breakfast cereals based on nutrition score are:

1. Kellogg – Corn Pops (or Pops) – Chocolate Peanut Butter
2. Quaker – Cap’n Crunch – w/ Crunchberries
3. Kellogg – Special K – Chocolatey Delight
4. Kellogg – Special K – Blueberry
5. General Mills – Reese’s Puffs
6. General Mills – Fiber One – Caramel Delight
7. Kellogg – Cocoa Krispies – Choconilla
8. General Mills – Golden Grahams
9. General Mills – Cinnamon Toast Crunch
10. Kellogg – Corn Pops

Now some of these are glaringly obvious because you KNOW that Cap’n Crunch and Chocolate Peanut Butter Corn Pops are going to be loaded with more sugar than a candy bar. But the not-so-obvious cereals are the ones to watch out for, such as Special K. I used to eat this years ago drowned in my non-organic cow’s milk and some form of artifical sweetener to keep my waistline slim, or so I thought, yikes.

According to the analysis  published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association, found that children’s cereals have more sugar, sodium, carbohydrates, and calories per gram than cereals not marketed to kids. Of the 161 cereal brands reviewed, one serving of cereal equated to 11 percent of the daily limit of added sugar for active boys, aged 14 to 18 years old, and an astounding 92 percent of the daily sugar intake for sedentary girls aged 9 to 13.

Unfortunately, breakfast cereals, which were initially developed for convenience, have mostly morphed into nothing more than “highly processed sweetened grains sprinkled with synthetic vitamins”, says Dr. Mercola.

So what can you do as a parent or as someone wanting to eat your cereal for breakfast? Here’s my fave quick & easy breakfast ideas in no particular order because they are all healthy, joyous and delicious:

• Joyous Homemade Muesli
• Oatcakes, delicious bundles of joy
• Power Breakfast Smoothie
• Bob’s Red Mill Muesli
• Steel Cut oats with berries and cinnamon (you can soak the oats overnight to cook them faster)
• Stephano’s Granola. You can buy this in bulk at most health food stores. Caution: Check the sugar content.
• Brown rice pecan raisin toast with almond butter and 1 soft boiled organic egg

FOR MORE RECIPES, VISIT MY RECIPE PAGE

EnJOY!

Joy

Attn: Diet Soda/Pop Drinkers. Be Kind To Your Kidneys & Kick Your Pop Habit

You may be damaging your kidneys if you drink diet soda/pop.  In fact, research on 3,000 women found that two or more artificially sweetened drinks a day doubled the risk of a faster-than-average decline in kidney function.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1224610/Diet-drinks-harm-kidneys.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0WTJWiaPa

I hope that you have read my previous post about the effects of artificial sweeteners: http://joyoushealth.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/simple-change-2-avoid-artificial-sweeteners/

These simple changes like kicking your pop habit just come down to common sense, don’t you think? Artificial sweeteners are a chemical additive, developed in a lab. Food should not be developed in a lab, it should come from a farm!

Be kind to your kidneys please,

Joyous

Simple Change #2: Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Many diabetics and people wanting to limit sugar in their diet will resort to eating artificial sweeteners thinking they are doing their waistline a favour and keeping them free from the damaging effects of refined sugar. Unfortunately, it may do the exact opposite.

Artificial sweeteners may cause weight gain.

Why? Published in the American Psychological Association’s Behavioral Neuroscience journal researchers state it is possible that artificial sweeteners confuse the body’s natural attempt to keep track of calories based on the sweetness of the food being consumed. Basically, this means that when the brain detects a sweet taste on the tongue (like from a splenda-infused-baked good), it expects nutrition. “Nutrition” coming from that of a carbohydrate source including vitamins and minerals. When it does not receive any nutrients from this chemical source, it turns on the appetite and you eat MORE. The body is smart.

More studies linking weight gain.

Researchers at Purdue University did two groups of studies on rats and found that those fed yogurt sweetened with saccharin, a zero-calorie sweetener, ate more and “gained significantly more weight” than those that ate the same food containing regular sugar.  The researchers state that artificial sweeteners may change the body’s response to food and may distort the ability to control calorie consumption.

May cause adverse health affects.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center’s Department of Pharmacology studied the affects of Splenda, a processed artificial sweetener made from sucralose on rats over a 12-week period. Results showed the following:

• Lowered microflora (good bacteria in the intestines)
• Increased fecal pH (associated with digestive problems and cancer)
• Elevated levels of P-gp proteins and CYP enzymes both known to limit the absorption of nutrients

FDA admits that it receives the most complaints on artificial sweeteners.

Did you know of all the foods and food additives on the market, the FDA reports more health complaints on artificial sweeteners, than any other food and yet it is still on the “Generally Regarded As Safe” list despite its strong association with brain tumours and seizures.  Of all the 90 different health complaints, these are the most common; headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, memory loss and joint pain. Aspartame, one of the most popular sweeteners is a synthetic compound made up of Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid held in a chemical bond by Methanol, which breaks down into Formic Acid, Formaldehyde and Diketopiperazine (DKP). It is the DKP that may cause brain tumours.

A few personal stories.

About 3 years ago I was coaching a client who was a bank manager and suffered from headaches EVERY single day. It was really affecting his life and his family (he was married with 2 young kids). After doing an intake on him, I discovered he was drinking Diet Coke every day with his lunch. I suggested he slowly cut back and as soon as he was down to no diet drinks at all, his headaches were gone. I came back to see him after about 3 weeks and he was BEAMING. It was a really nice feeling to help this guy, his smile was worth it!

Years ago when I used to add “Equal” to my morning tea and chew gum, those would be the days I would get headaches and have a dry mouth. Now it took me some time to actually make the link, because back then I just wasn’t as “body-aware” as I am now. However, when I came to my senses and stopped with those little blue packets in my tea and stopped chewing gum with artificial sweeteners, my headaches went away immediately.

The good news is that there are no shortage of studies that can be researched online or at your local library linking severe to moderate health concerns with artificial sweeteners. If you consume artificial sweeteners and are still not convinced, I encourage you to do your research because in this post, I have barely scratched the service of the dangers to your health associated with this most profitable and popular additive.

If these reasons listed above don’t sound too appetizing, then try one of these alternatives:

• organic unpasteurized honey
• pure maple syrup
• brown rice syrup
• stevia
• agave nectar
• sucanat (my favourite for baking)