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The trouble with Ego

Ego gets in the way of so many of life's major decisions. There are situations in your life that would be so different if you took your ego out of it. Find happiness without ego, find love without ego, find yourself without ego.
Release your fears of what other people think, how people will act and judge you. There are people who will always judge you, and they are judging you because they are afraid to look at themselves.
Be good to yourself and others, next time you find yourself in a tough situation with a person, place or thing, ask yourself "what would love do here?"

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Water

We have all heard that water is good for you, and how much it will help you and your body, well everything you have heard is true. Drinking water will help make your joints feel better, it will keep you feeling good, it keeps headaches at bay. Water helps our bodies to digest and eliminate toxins, process foods and get rid of wastes.

There are a few mental note to make when drinking your water.
1. it should never be cold, cold water "extinguishes" the stomachs acidity and makes digesting foods hard on the body, and creates a lot of gas and bloating
2. Should never be drunk with a meal again for the same reasons. If you must drink fluid with your meal drink small amounts of room temperature water.
3. Lemon and water is the best possible thing to drink in the morning, but not throughout the day, make it a morning thing
4. Water that you buy that is flavoured...not good hello aspartame!
5. Tap water is best when it is filtered as it does have metal in it, buy a filter instead of multiple plastic bottles
6. Before popping a painkiller for your head drink 500ml's of water and wait 20 minutes!

Quinoa

I have been giving a lot of people meal plans recently and there is a lot of questions and talk about Quinoa, Here's the scoop.

Quinoa pronounced (keen - wa) Is an ancient grain from South America, known for its filling qualities and high nutritional value, it is a very rugged hearty plant that grows up to 4000 meters above sea level, way up in the Andes. Its well knows for its protein content and has a very filling and grounding effect on the body.

Cooking Quinoa is just like cooking rice, it takes less time however. 2:1 Ratio of water to Quinoa. Put the pot on the stove, water and grains in together and bring it to a boil, lower the heat and watch as the quinoa absorbs it all.

Quinoa can be enjoyed for breakfast with a little maple syrup, lunch with a little teriyaki, dinner as a nice bed for a beautiful smoked salmon fillet.

Finding the Magic Chuckle

In life there are moments when you plead why did this happen to me, or what did I do to deserve this. I suggest you try and find the magic chuckle in this situation. There is always something to learn and something to laugh about. It might not happen instantly, but if you look hard enough you can find it in every situation. Try to see both sides, try to indulge in a laugh, a sweet release, a simple HAHAHA will help.
Don't use food to make yourself feel better, because it won't, love yourself and be happy with where you are, and where you are going, have patience. 

Nicola Gildersleeve - Personal Trainer

I would like to take the time to introduce Nicola Gildersleeve, a personal trainer who's passion and determination for success have rendered her well sought after and an asset to all who work with her. Nicola and I grew up together living 5 houses apart. Even as children we worked together, competed together and motivated each other to be the best that we could be, Nicola extends that same passion to her clients, supporting them every step of the way.

Nicola Gildersleeve is a Can-Fit-Pro certified Personal Trainer who holds a Bachelor in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia.

Nicola has a strong passion for health and fitness. She truly cares about the health and well-being of her clients. She will do whatever it takes to see that her clients achieve their goals, no matter how big they may seem. She understands that health and fitness is a lifestyle, not something one does every now and again to lose weight.

Not one to stand on the side lines, Nicola practices what she preaches and has been an athlete all her life. She stays fit and healthy by running, cycling, skiing, climbing, and adventuring in the North Shore Mountains. She has a passion for life that can not be replicated.

Nicola delivers high energy, challenging, and fun workouts in an environment that promotes success. She has experience training a wide variety of clientele (seniors, youth, athletes, weight loss, and rehabilitation).

To find out more about rates and programs, contact Nicola by email: ngildersleeve11@hotmail.com or by phone 604-812-8027.

Travel and Nutrition

I have done an extensive amount of travelling in my years and nutrition was always the hardest when you are being served hostel food and trying your best to stay on a budget, eating anything as long as its free. The thing that I found most frustrating was the amount of bread and cheese and the lack of fruits and vegetables. What I have learned is its best to take a multi-vitamin with you on your travels, one that has your omega 3, 6, 9's in it as your essential fats will be non-existant during your travels. Try to order a salad at every opportunity and treat yourself to a least one if not two pieces of fruit everyday. Depending on where it is you are travelling be prepared to wash your fruit and vegetables 10 times more than normal.. hand sanitizer in between washes is your best and cleanest bet. If you are on a tight budget like I was and your making you free breakfast into a free lunch, treat yourself to a inexpensive vegetable filled dinner. 

For Women - Iron is very important during your travels, if you are taking a multi with you make sure that it has a large amount of Iron in it.

For Men - Zinc is most important, make sure you either take a multi with you or include zinc tablets into your travel budget.

For Children - The most important thing for kids is their essential fatty acids, find a children's multi that includes their daily needs of EFA's 

Just some food for thought

I'm fine

Its two simple words really, we suppress everything that we are feeling, we don't want to be vulnerable, we don't want people to think we are high maintenance or debbie downers all the time. What we need to realize is that its okay to be not okay sometimes. Crying is an amazing release for your body, mind, spirit and soul. People are afraid of being made fun of, or showing their weaknesses, I say bring it on and share away! I fully feel that people are accepting and comforting and able to handle emotion.

 The truth behind suppressing the tears and emotions is that it harbours itself in the kidneys, creating water retention and can lead to infections, bladder issues and incontinence. Sometimes a good cry is all the body is asking for. So next time you feel that burning sensation behind your eyes and that tingle in your nose, let it out, feel the emotion, allow it for a short time to completely encompass you. Feel and take pleasure in the release that it brings, love yourself and others will love you too.

Margarine or Butter

I was sitting in the doctors office and picked up one of the many flyers that litter the various tables and chairs in the waiting room. I figured that is was a good/important one to read as it was on Dietary Fat and Cholesterol based from the heart and stroke foundation. First fold I read intrigued me, not only did it tell me to eat margarine but told me to stay away from butter.  Margarines are basically a molecule away from being plastic, when the margarine comes out of the machine it is grey, so to make it more appealing, as most people don't want to spread grey paste onto their bread, they bleach it and then proceed to dye it that yellowish butter colour. So next time you are spreading nice easy margarine onto your bread or watching it melt onto your baked potato, take pleasure in the fact that you are eating grey almost plastic bleach paste.

Butter is so much better for you, or it can be, buying butter from an organic or local farmers market is the best way to ensure that you know whats in your butter. Or take the kids and make your own butter, a science lesson, family bonding, and healthy meal all in one go. Treat your body well.

Also, in regards to this pamphlet, canola oil is not good for you, and coconut oil is good for you... choose a natural product that your great grandparents would recognize, not these horrible processed foods that are easier, don't be lazy be healthy!

Whats in your pantry

So not only is the liver one of the most important organs, it is also the one that gets abused all the time. Not only through drinking, and smoking, the liver is harmed everyday by toxins in the food we eat, processed foods that are full of artificial colours and ingredients. We abuse our liver until it can't handle it anymore and we end up with liver disease, fatty liver, toxic liver and so many more wonderful things (insert sarcasm here).

Read the labels of the products you are buying. don't just buy them because they are inexpensive, or have cool designs on the box, or are advertised as 100 calorie packs. Read the ingredients and see if the first three ingredients are Sugar based... anything ending in OSE.... see if there are words you cannot pronounce, or can pronounce but have no idea what they are. Why would you put a  foreign substance into your body? People are so paranoid about dirt on their fruit and vegetables and how many hands have touched it before they bought it, and yet will so happily buy a 100 calorie pack of little chocolate bars because they are only 100 calories! Have you ever looked at whats in your food? Perhaps you should make it a goal this week, to read the labels in all your favourite products... you'll be disgustingly surprised at what you find in the foods you eat and where else you can find that product and what it can and is used for.  

Filling the Void

Have you ever had one of those days where you just eat and eat and eat and nothing can stop you, or those really sad moments in your life when you turn to food... mainly chocolate and carbs because your friends say its ok to eat your feelings. Truth is, those foods aren't going to make you feel any better, they aren't going to fill that hole you feel in your body... nothing can fill that but time and patience. There is a lot you can do to your body to do damage, indulgence and over eating is one of those things, which goes hand in hand with eating your feelings. Soon after then indulgence happens the guilt follows suit which makes us feel worse and worse and then we don't know how to stop eating.

The best thing to turn to is your friends, family or counsellor to talk through your feelings let them go and give them time to heal. Exercise really helps too as it provides your body with natural endorphins, even going for a walk can get those endorphins out. Support helps the most, but time heals all. Be patient with your body and your feelings.

Fear of taking the plunge

I know that it can be scary deciding to do something completely out of your comfort zone. Sometimes we give ourselves all the excuses that we need to convince ourselves that we are happy just where we are and thats ok.  Wether its weight loss or buying a new car, there are tough choices in life that must be made, and there is no one that can make the right decision for you. It takes time to listen to your heart, body and your passion. Ask yourself what will make you happy. Push your comfort zone a little.

When it comes to eating right and weight loss its a scary world, with so many options available to you, from Cleansing pills and detox kits to fad diets of no carbs and no sugar... People often get carried away with seeing the results that people have achieved and think that they are going to see the same results. Truth be told, there is no magic pill that is going to make you skinny when you wake up.... With exercise and diet, determination and passion and having the upmost compassion for yourself you can achieve the results you want to see. Once again support is what you need to succeed, so find someone who can support you the way that you need to be supported.

Diet is 70% of weight loss, let me help you with the kind of support you need. I approach each new client with care and a gentle understanding. Thank you for your time.

Stress Eating...or lack there of

Some people eat their feelings, while others use stress to fuel them and to not eat. Both have extremely negative results on the body. Over eating puts stress on the liver to process all the food that is coming in, as most of it isn't healthy. The liver can't handle all that food in one go so it pushes it into other places in our body, like the skin as acne and rashes, into our joints creating aches and pains, into our brains creating fog and exhaustion. Not eating puts stress on the entire body, but extreme amounts on the adrenal glands, which work to keep the body in homeostasis, or happily balanced. When the body is relying on them totally they eventually burnout creating intense exhaustion. When your adrenals burn out your Thyroid takes over, creating weight issues and thyroid problems. So please no matter what kind of stress you are under, listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs.

Oatmeal is very grounding and keeps your body naturally in homeostasis, add some cinnamon and coconut oil and you have yourself a blood sugar balancing full protein, carb and fat meal that will keep you satiated for a fair amount of time.

Positive thinking

Sometimes we feel its hopeless, eating right, exercising, loosing that weight. Sometimes we say and think its not worth it, we can't succeed because we haven't before, we will fall off the wagon time and time again. What makes this time different then last time?

I feel that we physic ourselves up for monday... "I'll start monday" and it never happens... and then ten monday have gone by and you are still not at the gym and still reaching for that chocolate bar at 3:00.

Try to be positive about the changes you are going to make, and set realistic results, and know that it is not going to happen over night! Be patient with yourself and know that you will fall off the band wagon, but having the strength power and motivation to get right back on the wagon again, instead of throwing your hands up in the air and saying "its too hard, I give up!" Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed and help you to get back on track, support you. Find a gym buddy or a partner to train with, Personal Trainers are often willing to partner train... I know a few if you need any good ones!

The most important thing is to have positive support around you, but also within you. Don't beat yourself up for not going to the gym one day, don't eat something and then regret it. Regret in the body will manifest itself and the food won't be digested properly, instead it will be turned into fat and stored. So if you are going to eat something unhealthy choose to eat it... don't sit there thinking about how bad it is for you and how bad it is that you are eating it, and how you regret eating it.. ect.

A positive outlook will do wonders for the body, mind and spirit! Nourish yourself.

Supplements

Everyone always wants to know about supplements and if they should be taking them. I believe that there are good ones and bad ones and depends totally on your body's need. Everyone should be taking a probiotic, not only the kind you get in Yogurt... Pill form from your Natural Health food store. Buy the ones that are in the fridge, acidophilus bifidus.


What I see most often is people with Zinc and Vitamin B deficiencies as well as most people
are lacking in EFA's. A great multi-vitamin can be found at the health food store, there are 
ones specifically for men and woman, providing each sex with the essential vitamins and 
minerals they may need. Fish oil capsules are great forms of EFA's but you are better off 
eating fish and actually getting the EFA'S from the source rather than enzyme depleted 
capsules. When purchasing Vitamin B items, be sure to get a B complex as the B Vitamins need each other to be absorbed into the body.

Before you go out and buy these, a proper test can be done to see where your deficiencies are. Contact me for more information on how I can help you.

As my Client What to expect

Hello Everyone,

 I would like you all to know what it is I do, and how I can help you. I start by sending you a Nutritional Profile form to fill out, as well as a lifestyle assessment form. When those two are completed I take the time to go over them throughly and find where the areas in your body that are needing immediate help, followed by the areas that will benefit from a nice internal tidy up. From there we will meet up and I will go over my findings with you as well as provide you with a diet plan specifically catered to you and your bodies needs. Weather you are looking to loose weight, gain energy, feel better, stop painful PMS and cramps (ladies only) I can help. Don't hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns or queries you may have about what exactly a Holistic Nutritionist is.  Thank you for your time.

Upset Stomach

Do you often reach for the Peptobismol? or crunch down two horribly tasting Tums after a meal? Well STOP!!! There is a reason your body is reacting the way that it is, when your stomach is hurting it means that there is something that is wrong. Choking down an antacid isn't making the problem better, its not solving the reason why your stomach is hurting in the first place.... its simply masking the pain and tricking your body into thinking its ok while really those medications are hurting your insides and making problems worse. There are a few things that you can do that will support your body and your digestion to prevent the searing pain of acid reflux and upset stomachs.
1. Don't drink cold liquids before, during or directly after eating. This is because cold fluids extinguish the digestive juices that your body naturally produces creating a very poor environment for digestion.
2. If you are having pains in you stomach or acid reflux, look at what you ate. Take note of the items that were on your plate and remember them. Next time the pain returns look over what you ate again and compare, you could have a sensitivity that your body is trying to make you aware of.
3. if your stomach is really bad drink Ginger tea, peppermint tea or a tablespoon of raw honey will naturally help everything to settle providing you with relief.

Good Fats

Fat has become this horrible thing that people avoid at all costs, not realizing that there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. Fats including oils are very important in every diet. Fat builds the tissues, enhances the fluid metabolism and directs nutrients into the nervous system. This being said too much fat can be just as devastating on the body. Be sure to have Omega 3, 6 and 9 in your diet daily, good fats come from things like Avocados, fish, seeds and nuts. Stay away from Transfat and hydrogenated fats! that come from items like margarine and deep fried foods.  

Liver Cleansing

Some people think that cleansing means no food for a few days and only drinking water. Well I would like to tell you that there are many simple forms of liver cleanses that you can do. Like 1/2 a lemon squeezed into a cup of room temp or warm water as soon as you wake up, then wait 30 minutes before eating breakfast. Not only does this cleanse your liver but it always gets your digestive tract awake and ready for your first meal of the day. See now that was easy.

Childhood Nutrition

In this era our children's diet and lifestyle is more stressed than ever. Children go from Hockey to school, to swimming to soccer, finally home exhausted to the television to bed, only to wake up and do it all over again. Children are eating on the run constantly and never stopping. Family dinners don't happen as often as they used too and processed pre-packaged foods are dominating the shelves and tables. Children don't need to be busy all the time, they don't want to have activity after activity, without realizing it they are burning out, and will get sick. Children need down time other than watching television, relaxing things like reading, drawing, crafts and just playing imaginative games alone. Children are incredibly creative and capable of entertaining themselves if they are just allowed too. Let your children be children, the need time to just play, eat and relax. Think back to your fondest childhood memory and see where your favourite memories are. Make nutrition an important part of childhood, make your own granola bars, dinners filled with protein, carbs and fat, family time. Be healthy, be nourished.  

The damaged insides

Sure we all have the same organs, but our ways of handling stress, anger, sadness and many other emotions changes the way those organs function. What we fail to see in that all these diets they are not helping the greater problem which is ourselves. We suppress feelings and they appear as road rage, or suddenly flipping out at someone for no good reason, our bodies are desperately trying to heal and repair the damage within. Release the emotions and gain a sense of self, feel pride in your honesty with yourself and others, know that its ok to be vulnerable and cry. These emotions are all ways that your body is cleansing itself. So instead of going out and buying an expensive cleansing diet kit, go join a boxing club and punch out your anger and frustrations, or better go chop some wood. Do yoga and relax your mind and open the channels, take a candle into a quiet place and sit there for ten minutes feeling sorry for yourself, cry yell, express your poor me's. These are the best cleansing methods out there, don't fall for those cleansing kits, you and expressing your emotions is the ultimate cleanser. Thank you for reading.

Cravings

Cravings aer the body's way of telling you that nutritionally there is somthing missing in your diet. Our body's are amazing machines that are giving us life clues everyday, listen to them and see what your body is truely asking for.

Soy

Soy is such a over used product, it causes sever hormone fluctuations, mood swings and acne. Read the labels before you buy anything. If there are ingredients you can't pronounce then don't buy it. anything that says enriched, basically means that its been completely stripped of all good nutrients and then they are put back in... be lable aware!

Healing From within

Sometimes we wake up still tired even after an 8 hour sleep, so we reach for the coffee a quick energy fix, that wears off and we realize that we haven't eaten breakfast yet because the coffee supressed our need for food. So we go to the break room grab a doughnut and another cup of coffee. Then the sugar high kicks in and then crash, down you come again...coffee with lunch or maybe just pasta... lunch sits heavily and doesn't give you that energy burst that you get from sugar, so you grab the chocolate at 3pm which helps you through until you get home and want nothing to do with anything.,, find yourself mad at everything and frustrated with simple things that typicall wouldn't bother you. This is a classic case of blood spikes. What you have done is caused a rush of insulin to be released and your body doesn\t know how to hadle the spikes, once the insulin has done its job and leveled your blood sugar you feel tired and low energy. The reason for this low is that your body is tired as it has yet to have any nutrients come in. Please respect your body, eat a nice healthy breakfast within an hour of waking up. Have oatmel with cinnamon and coconut oil, which gives you protien, fat and complex carbs which keep your body feeling fuller longer, the cinnamon keeps your blood sugar stable, and the coconut oil is amazing for all areas of your body.

Fitness and Food

A lot of people find themselves saying to themselves, well I did work out today.... so I can eat this.... Truth is you need to eat to exercise not exercise to eat! Your best option is to have a bigger meal 4 hours before your workout and then a small something 2 hours before your workout. Many people eat right before working out and that is a huge mistake that causes more harm than good.

Carbs

Carbs are required by your body to function optimally. Cutting out carbs can cause your body to hold onto all fat and everything that gets eaten will be stored. Having the right balance of carbs, protein and fat is the best way to loose weight and feel great!

Gas and Bloating

Gas and Bloating has affected us all at one point in our lives. If you find yourself continually bloated ask yourself these main questions...

Did I drink a cold beverage with my meal?
Was I eating too quickly?
Did I have a piece of fruit for dessert?
Did I over indulge a little too much?

These are the top reasons people become bloated and suffer. Chew lots, eat slowly, if you must drink with your meal, small sips of room temp water is best, if you want a piece of fruit eat it 30 mins before a meal, and remember to put your fork down in between bites and listen to your body when it tells you its full.

Hot Topic - Acne

Today I am going to talk about Acne. The thing about Acne that people focus on is getting rid of it, what people don't realize is what is causing it that is the most important thing to look at. Acne is the body's way of expressing a food allergy/sensitivity, stagnation in the body's major organs, as well as hormone fluctuations due to overeating. Acne can be cleared up within three weeks by simply changing your diet to one of whole foods and fresh, local options. If you suffer from acne then write to me and I can help you to figure out what is causing it, instead of you trying unsucessful attempts to get rid of it.

First Day

Today I would like to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Melanie and I am a Holistic Nutritionist. My passion is learning about you and how I can adapt and format a specialized eating plan just for you. I will provide you with a detailed overview using a lifestyle assessment form and analyzing your current diet through a Nutritional Profile. I will work with you, support you and together we will reach your goals. I look forward to working with you.

Melanie