Mom On The Glow: May 2015

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Health After Kids - A Wellness Blueprint for Busy Moms!

As a busy mom myself I understand the importance of creating
a system or ‘blueprint’ to follow on a daily basis to keep myself on track. I
find that many moms are putting themselves on the bottom of the list when it
comes to their own health – skipping meals while preparing healthy foods for
their kids, driving the kids to their sporting events while not exercising
themselves, and not taking the time to organize their own days while scheduling
the rest of the family! This is an easy trap, but with a few small changes we
can make a significant difference to our own health – amazing energy,
weight-loss and improved mood (the things that most of my female patients are
looking for!). 
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Think Protein!</div>

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From my experience, protein is one of the
most overlooked macronutrients in women. Chances are that if you are
experiencing cravings (especially for sweets), feeling an energy dip
mid-morning or mid-afternoon, feeling hungry soon after meals and are generally
not feeling ‘satisfied’ then you are most likely not getting enough protein!
Protein is not only a building block for tissue (especially muscle), but
provides you with essential amino acids that your body cannot make on its own. Protein
repairs damaged tissue and also improves the health of skin, hair and nails. But
probably what you’ll appreciate most is that protein will give you the energy
that you need to keep up with the kids! When you add protein to your meals it
allows for a steady release of energy (or glucose) into the blood stream,
helping you maintain consistent energy the entire day. When putting a meal
together, ask yourself ‘what is my protein’ as a place to start. When selecting
protein look to healthy options such as lean cuts of meat or poultry, fish,
eggs, legumes, nut or seed butters, hemp hearts, organic greek yogurt, tempeh
or tofu. A simple tip is to use a protein smoothie for breakfast or as a
mini-meal. Your requirement for protein depends on your activity level, but as
general rule of thumb aim for at least 25g of protein at each of your 3 meals.</div>

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Another area that I often see lacking when
reviewing a patients diet diary is the healthy fats. Over the last few years we
have increased our awareness of the many important roles that fats have in our
bodies, but we often are still not getting enough! The reason healthy fats are
so important for all the moms out there is that they are the building block of
healthy hormones, a good mood, and once again – stable, consistent energy! If
you are experiencing hormonal fluctuations, irritability, joint pain or
stiffness, anxiety or low moods, be sure to add this important macronutrient
into your diet as a place to start the healing process. Add healthy fats to at
least three of your meals. You can choose to get your fats from cold pressed
Olive oil, organic coconut oil, avocado, cold-water fish (like salmon or
sardines), raw nuts and seeds (or nut butters), flax seeds, hemp hearts or chia
seeds. I love to add 1-2 TBSP of a mixture of ground flax, chia and hemp hearts
to my morning oatmeal (adding not only healthy fats but also fiber!). </div>

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Cut the Sugars</div>

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I know this sounds really obvious and most
of know that eating sugars leads to a rise in blood glucose followed shortly by
a CRASH…which leads to low energy, more cravings, irritability and over-eating
at the next meal. However what I want to briefly share with you is how the
‘hidden’ sugars in your diet are not only impacting your energy levels but also
how they are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts (because most of the moms I
see are either working hard at maintain a healthy weight, or are still trying
to lose those last few pounds). All carbohydrates eventually convert to glucose
in our blood stream, the question is how long it takes. Simple sugars like
candy and cookies can do so rapidly, while more complex carbohydrates like
sweet potato, brown rice or steel cut oats can do it more gradually (thus
having less impact on blood sugar levels). My approach to recommending
carbohydrates really depends on a person’s goal (weight-loss vs. fitness vs.
energy), but I always recommend at least consuming your carbohydrate with a
protein source. Keep in mind that even fruit when consumed in excess may be
sabotaging your efforts at keeping your sugars in check – I recommend focusing
on increasing vegetable intake and minimizing fruit to what’s in your smoothie!</div>

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Most moms are strapped for time, but we all
know the importance of exercise! This is why I love recommending high intensity
interval training (HIIT) for those that can only dedicate 10-20 minutes on
those busy days. Try adding 3 sessions of HIIT weekly to your routine for
amazing cardiovascular and metabolic-boosting results. Start with 4-6 sets of
30 seconds of ‘all-out’ exercise (running, skipping, jumping jacks etc.) with a
60 second rest between sets. You’ll work up to an increase in sets, with a
decrease in rest time over a few weeks. You’ll be energized (and burning fat)
the rest of the day! 
 
This article was written for Nourish Magazine for their Winter 2014 Edition, available at Goodness Me! locations.</div>

Health After Kids - A Wellness Blueprint for Busy Moms!

As a busy mom myself I understand the importance of creating a system or ‘blueprint’ to follow on a daily basis to keep myself on track. I f...

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Body & Lifestyle Transformation - next session starts June 1, 2015!!

Ok ladies, I know you ALL want to look AND feel amazing this summer...so jump on board our next session date for my 14 day Body & Lifestyle Transformation program - this is a unique program that will ignite your metabolism by teaching you how to put your meals together, give you delicious recipes AND give you the most effective exercises to get you strong and lean! This will be the LAST session until next Fall. Here's some more info about the program: 
 
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14 Day Body & Lifestyle Transformation

Get lean, Energized & Glowing! 
Join Dr. Anna Falkowski, Naturopathic Doctor & Wellness educator, in
 a 2 week program designed specifically for the needs of a 
busy mom - Enjoy delicious guilt-free recipes that will ignite your 
metabolism and leave you feeling fabulous! You will have access to Dr. 
Anna’s coaching in a private group setting throughout the duration of 
the program. Dr. Anna will provide you with a detailed program, recipes 
and even a fitness component to help you achieve amazing health!
 
What’s included:
 
 
<ul>
<li>Dr. Anna’s ‘Mom on the Glow’ 14 Day Body & Lifestyle Transformation Package via 40 page E-book:</li>
<li>Menu Guide</li>
<li>Meal Plan</li>
<li>Recipes</li>
<li>Fitness component</li>
<li>BONUS 14 day Relaxation guide and gratitude journal</li>
</ul>

Access to a PRIVATE Facebook page where you will have all your questions
 answered by Dr. Anna on a daily basis, support from the entire 
participating group and additional resources to help you during the 
program. 
 
COST: $99

Body & Lifestyle Transformation - next session starts June 1, 2015!!

Ok ladies, I know you ALL want to look AND feel amazing this summer...so jump on board our next session date for my 14 day Body & Lifest...

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Routine, Routine, Routine!

I wanted to take a moment to write about something SO simple, yet very much overlooked by many of the moms (and patients) that I see in my practice - ROUTINE! 
 
Your body loves it, your hormones love it, and your schedule loves it. When I assess a person's lifestyle I tend to spend a lot of time asking them about their daily habits, work schedule, eating patterns and sleep schedule. These things are KEY for me to helping me understand where imbalances exist and where I need to focus on taking the stress off a person's body. 
 
Working with women I find that I can't avoid the topic of routine, because it's about 90% of the 'treatment' when it comes to hormone imbalance (including menstrual irregularities, irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, thyroid abnormalities and weight gain). 
 
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU2dJzngG91-_MqQXxFrFtL_FCSCTgKuc3D06n6ynLkDGkVhDsA_NPFDiz2oIQqUnrlPAMM0EzWb_QfgZ7cGe_T1j9Hcfy2Uime0ee5qkvFg-d0HufqzlhQGI_XfnsoqVXfixT7VDBFcH/s1600/Anna-1038-horizontal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU2dJzngG91-_MqQXxFrFtL_FCSCTgKuc3D06n6ynLkDGkVhDsA_NPFDiz2oIQqUnrlPAMM0EzWb_QfgZ7cGe_T1j9Hcfy2Uime0ee5qkvFg-d0HufqzlhQGI_XfnsoqVXfixT7VDBFcH/s320/Anna-1038-horizontal.jpg" width="320" /></a>Your body likes to know when things are going to happen, including meal times and sleep times...when you miss these targets, the stress hormone 'cortisol' may be released leading to a plethora of negative effects on the body, including the dreaded waist expansion:) 
 
I know it sounds boring, but keeping things 'predictable' can be a simple solution to some complex problems. I'm a stickler for regular meal times and an early bedtime in my own life, and I try to encourage the same for my patients where possible (yes, I go to bed between 9:30-10pm MOST nights...sounds lame BUT my days are super busy and productive, and this is what my body needs! I also wake up early and get things 'out of the way' like exercise and food prep, which keeps me on track). 
 
I sometimes hear that peoples schedules are 'all over the place' and they find it impossible to create structure. I will often take 'chaos' in a person's life and help them create a pattern that they can follow to help make their actions more routine and predictable - even if it's not perfect or ideal, it's always helpful. I encourage you to look at your life and decide whether you're flying by the seat of your pants most days, or is there a plan or system that you live by - if there isn't, start with a few small modifications (like including breakfast at a certain time, or adding a workout in the mornings) that starts to become the foundation for a healthy routine!

Routine, Routine, Routine!

I wanted to take a moment to write about something SO simple, yet very much overlooked by many of the moms (and patients) that I see in my p...

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Health After Kids - A Wellness Blueprint for Busy Moms!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Body & Lifestyle Transformation - next session starts June 1, 2015!!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Routine, Routine, Routine!

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