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It's Not Just About Water

20/6/2018

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It's finally dropping hints that it is indeed Spring, heading into summer on the East Coast of Canada! Wildflowers can be found in full bloom along the coast and trails and the sun has made an appearance on several occasions now. ( Just don't forget your rain jacket... ever!) 

One other thing to not forget during the next few months is to up your hydration. Staying well-hydrated benefits us right down to the cellular level.  

Water promotes cardiovascular health.
Dehydration lowers your blood volume, so your heart must work harder to pump the reduced amount of blood and get enough oxygen to your cells, which makes everyday activities like walking up stairs–as well as exercise–more difficult.

Water helps muscles and joints work better.
When you’re well-hydrated, the water inside and outside the cells of contracting muscles provides adequate nutrients and removes waste efficiently so you perform better. Water is also important for lubricating joints.

Hydration is key for mental Focus
Even a 2% reduction in optimal hydration status has been shown to reduce focus and accuracy in performance sports. This can carry over into school & professional life all the same. 

Water keeps your body cool.
Your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the skin’s surface (this is why your face gets red during exercise), resulting in more blood flow and more heat dissipated into the air. When you’re dehydrated, however, it takes a higher environmental temperature to trigger blood vessels to widen, so you stay hotter.

Water keeps skin supple.
When a person is dehydrated, skin is less elastic. It may appear as more lines and wrinkles that don't rebound as well. This is different than dry skin, which is usually the result of soap, hot water and exposure to dry air. Keeping well hydrated helps to give that radiant summer glow that we all want to wear year-round.

Water helps cleanse your body — inside and out.
Your kidneys need water to filter waste from the blood and excrete it in urine. Keeping hydrated may also help prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones. If you are severely dehydrated, your kidneys may stop working, causing toxins to build up in your body.

It's not just about drinking more H2O, it's about hydrating well, if you're exercising or sweating, it's just as important to replace electrolytes that are lost through sweat.

This might even be a good idea for everyone as certain minerals have been depleted in the soil where we used to get them through food, as well as our diets have from a natural whole food diet to more processed and refined foods containing lower content of minerals and our bodies actually needed higher amounts to process these types food stuffs. 

Electrolyte are essential minerals that can be replaced naturally. The major electrolytes in the body include: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate and sulfate.

While many Sports drinks contain a few of these electrolytes, they are usually very low quality and I believe some to be toxic! Avoiding store bought sports drinks that commonly have High Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial colours and preservatives in them, you'll ensure that you are rehydrating well, without adding chemicals for your body to deal with. 

There are some simple, at home recipes you can make.

Super Simple Electrolyte Drink
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 Coconut water
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cups of filtered water
  • 2-4 tablespoons Maple Syrup, to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (to taste)

This combination shouldn't taste too sweet or salty, add more water/ juice to temper flavours. 

*Note Coconut water, by itself or in combination can be a great replenisher of some of these minerals. Try different juices like organic cherry or pineapple.

Tart cherry juice is high in potassium and has been studied in its effects of lowering inflammation, decreasing oxidative stress, and is beneficial for speedier recovery post workout.

Directions: In a blender, blend all of the ingredients together until the maple syrup or sugar is dissolved. Taste test and adjust as needed. Enjoy.

It's also important to eat more hydrating foods through summer, "adding to the pool" so to say. Cucumbers, watermelon, fresh tomatoes, celery, watercress, berries and so many other yummy foods.  Think about whatever leaves a big soppy mess on the cutting board, and add it into the rotation! 

Magnesium; Spinach, mustard greens, arugula, other leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and quinoa.

Potassium; Watermelon, Swiss chard, avocado, cucumber, pomegranate seeds.

Chloride; Celery, seaweed, tomatoes, olives, leafy greens.

Calcium; Dark leafy greens, blackstrap molasses, bok choy.

Sodium; Sea vegetables, unrefined Himalayan or sea salt. 

Try this summer fresh tabouli salad recipe packed with a few of these mineral-rich plants and let me know what you think!

While these simple tips are a great place to start on a health journey, if you are thinking about diving deeper in uncovering the root of ill health or need more support on your journey to better health and wellness I'll be taking new clients starting in July. 

Whether you live in Nova Scotia or anywhere else in Canada, I work one-on-one with clients from across the country that want support with Functional Nutrition. 

Contact the office via email or call during business hours to book your free 20 min consultation to see how Functional Nutrition can support your wellness goals. 

In Health & Happiness,
Rebecca



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Spring is a Natural Time of Change & Starting New Healthy Habits

16/6/2018

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When it comes to eating, we have strong habits. Some are good ("I always eat veggie at every meal"), and some are not so good ("I always treat myself to cake at the end of hard day"). Although many of our eating habits were established and strongly bound in childhood, it doesn't mean it's too late to change them and become a mindful eater. 

I'm not one to promote "dieting", ever.

Even if weight does need to be balanced for health. In my experience encouraging lifestyle changes and addressing trigger connections with negative food habits, permanently improves eating habits by requiring a thoughtful approach in which you Reflect, Replace, and Reinforce the positive new habits that replace those that no longer serve you.

Here's some of the simple but effective strategies I use with clients when they want to start but don't exactly know where. 

The Three Rs of Healthy Habits
  • REFLECT on all of your specific eating habits, both bad and good; and, your common triggers for unhealthy eating.
  • REPLACE your unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones.
  • REINFORCE your new, healthier eating habits.

A Process for Improving Healthier Eating Habits

Create a list of your eating habits. Keeping a food diary for a few days is crucial. you will write down everything you eat and the time of day you ate it, will help you uncover your habits. You would be surprised how many people tell me they thought they knew what negative triggers might be associated until they reviewed the diary. Make sure to keep it unadulterated, this is for you! Discover your baseline and why bad habits happen.

For example, you might discover that you always seek a sweet snack to get you through the mid-afternoon energy slump. Using the Food & Mood Tracker to help start recognizing patterns. It's good to note how you were feeling when you decided to eat, especially if you were eating when not hungry. Were you tired? Stressed out?

Highlight the habits on your list that may be leading you to unhealthy  eating habit. 
  • Eating too fast and not connecting with your food
  • Always cleaning your plate, because your parents told you too right?
  • Eating when not hungry but thinking about a stressful situation
  • Eating while standing up (may lead to eating mindlessly or too quickly)
  • Always eating dessert
  • Skipping meals (or maybe just breakfast)

Look at the healthy & unhealthy eating habits you've highlighted. Be sure you've identified all the triggers that cause you to engage in those habits. Identify a few you'd like to work on improving first. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back for the things you're doing right. Maybe you almost always eat fruit for dessert, or you eat breakfast every morning, these are good habits! Recognizing your successes!


Create a list of "cues" by reviewing your food diary to become more mindful of when and where you're "triggered" to eat for reasons other than hunger. Note how you are typically feeling at those times. Often an environmental "cue", or a particular emotional state, is what encourages eating for non-hunger reasons.

Common triggers for eating when not hungry are:
  • Thirst
  • Emotionally tied triggers
  • Unplanned meals (thinking of what's for dinner when you're already hungry)
  • Bad Habit enablers ("lets just grab drive through")

Noting the common cues might help you assess what needs to change. 


Here are more ideas to help you replace unhealthy habits:


  • Drink enough water, people often mistake thirst cues with hunger.
  • Plan meals ahead of time to ensure that you eat a healthy well-balanced meal.
  • Eat more slowly. turn off the phone, TV, or anything destreacting. Connect with your food, the nourishment and building block of you..
  • Eat only when you're truly hungry instead of when you are tired, anxious, or feeling an emotion besides hunger. If you find yourself eating when you are experiencing an emotion besides hunger, such as boredom or anxiety, try to find a non-eating activity to do instead. You may find a quick walk or phone call with a friend helps you feel better.
  • Reinforce your new, healthy habits and be patient with yourself. Habits take time to develop. It doesn't happen overnight. When you do find yourself engaging in an unhealthy habit, stop as quickly as possible and ask yourself: Why do I do this? When did I start doing this? What changes do I need to make? Be careful not to berate yourself or think that one mistake "blows" a whole day's worth of healthy habits. You can do it! And yes, cake on a Sunday morning with friends or drive thru happens, and in this life if definitely should! it is the other 90% of the time you are making choices that counts! 
  • Creating a mindset of abundance will allow you to say no to unhealthy treats, knowing that there will always be more,  there is always enough, and you my friend are fabulous and enough!


It just takes one small change at a time to create a big healthy lifestyle!
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    Rebecca L. Thornton

    I wanted a venue to share my thoughts on what I have learned and lived  in life. 

Wild Seed Holistic Health respectfully acknowledges that we work, live & play in the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet), and Passamaquoddy Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1726. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wəlastəkwiyik (Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.