Category Archives: fitness

If you are thinking about food all day, it’s not a willpower issue. It’s a RESTRICTION issue.

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One of the questions within my coaching program in the weekly-check in form: “How is your hunger? Are you constantly thinking about food? Do you feel hunger and fullness cues throughout the day? “

I ask this question because: When your body is properly FED, so is your mind.☺️
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I will never forget how it felt to restrict myself.
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Not just of food…of fun experiences, I will never, get back.
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I will never forget HOW STRESSED I would be, if I’d be gone from the house for any length of time and I didn’t have food with me. Most of the time, I’d pack my lunch box and be eating cold chicken and asparagus out of plastic containers no matter where I went.

I’ll never forget, when I was following a strict meal plan, told to eat 6 small meals per day, & having to set a timer for 2.5 hours, to allow myself to eat again. My meals were SO SMALL ~250 calories, I’d be so hungry, I’d have to force myself to wait until it was time to eat again. (this is NOT okay)
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I will never forget thinking ‘I can’t wait for that one moment where I can eat a burger…for my re-feed, because I earned it for all the work I have done’.
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They said:
“Your body is #goals!”
“I wish I could be like you! How do you do it?”

I was celebrated for depriving myself, I got in stage in a tiny bikini & won trophies for this “willpower”. 🏆

I was so wrong.
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I was starving.
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Your body is smart. It KNOWS when you are underfed & overdoing it. You cannot outsmart it, no matter what you do.
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For many people, a yearning for food, longing for that next meal & daydreaming about food, is not a sign of a lack of ‘willpower’ or a mindset issue.
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It’s your body screaming at you to feed it.
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When we are properly fueled, it has a beautiful in flow effect throughout our entire system…& that includes your mind.
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Imagine CLARITY about what you actually WANT & NEED to eat.
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Imagine FOCUS on life outside of your next meal.
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Imagine achieving BALANCE, not because your TOLD you must, but because your body TELLS you itself.
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And the only way to get there, is to stop restricting and start nourishing.

Is bloating a normal symptom?

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Reposted from Sam Miller Science

One of the most common biofeedback complaints is about bloat, distention, or other maladies pertaining to digestive discomfort.

Let’s start with then basics: You eat food to nourish our cells. If you make poor food choices or if your body cannot digest, absorb and utilize the food due to poor digestive function you might develop signs, symptoms and/or a diagnosable illness.


As I spent more and more time in the trenches with clients, I realized that many folks considered things to be “fine” even if they were bloated, or considered good digestion to be going to the bathroom a few times per week.

Gut dysfunction and digestive disarray does not only influence “gut health” but a myriad of other aspects of health.
Persistent bloat is not only NOT normal, it can be unhealthy, and a biofeedback indicator that something else is off.


Remember: Digestive insufficiencies contribute to a wide range of health issues including headaches, depression, arthritis, foggy thinking, autoimmune illness, autism, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and more.
Bloat, distention, and poop problems can point to:

  • Inadequate fiber & water intake.
  • Excessive fiber intake.
  • Disrupted circadian rhythm.
  • Nutrient deficiencies.
  • Immune problems.
  • Hormone imbalance.
  • Potential Medication Side Effects

This is why tracking digestion is imperative, along with other lifestyle practices like, well, CHEWING your food adequately! 😂

5 Fundamentals of Eating for a healthy Metabolism

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All the awesome tidbits of info, health tips and hacks can feel overwhelming if we don’t have the core fundamentals down.

And eating for cellular health really shouldn’t be complicated- so I created this blog to help you focus on the core 5 fundamentals of supporting your metabolic function.

5 Fundamentals of Eating for a Healthy Metabolism:

1️. Ditch Poor Quality Fats aka Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)these “winter” fats translate to the body: slow down, cool down and prepare to conserve. This is why bears and squirrels load up on nuts and fatty fish before hibernation. If we want to be a 98.6 degree, high functioning human, we need to eat fats that align with this- aka saturated and full of fat soluble vitamins.⁠⁠ ⁠

2. Eat Bioavailable Animal Proteins: Amino acids are the building block of our tissues: gut, skin, liver, organs, etc. need a wide variety of amino acids to function optimally. Plant proteins are very hard to digest, absorb and assimilate, which is why we don’t rely upon them during a time of healing. We want to provide an variety of easy to digest “building blocks”. Focus on eggs, high quality dairy, grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, wild fish and shellfish, bone broth, collagen and gelatin.

3️. Eat Easy to Digest Carbs: Where amino acids provide structure, carbs provide glucose aka ENERGY. We need both to function optimally. Specifically the brain and nervous system, which will flood over into our endocrine system. When the body doesn’t have enough glucose, this IS a stressor and the body reacts accordingly. ⁠Make sure to get plenty of high quality dairy, fruits, root vegetables, squashes, raw honey & maple syrup.

4️. Get As Many Nutrients from Food As Possible: Instead of focusing on all the foods to restrict, we need to focus on getting all the raw materials our body needs to function. This is when we start to value nutrient dense foods like fruits and organ meats and rich broths and shellfish and raw cream. Fat soluble vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are needed in abundance.⁠

5. Be Mindful of Digestibility Always: This goes with the point above. It doesn’t matter if a food has all the nutrients in the world, if there are bunch of anti-nutrients that bind to minerals and proteins in the gut and prevent you from digesting and absorbing them, the food may be causing more burden than benefit. You are not a cow, nor do you have 3 stomachs to digest like a cow. Nuts, Seeds, Beans, Grains & Leaves should be sprouted, cooked, soaked or prepared in a way that allows us to receive benefit from them.⁠ Keep in mind, food is simply information and tells our body about its environment- then, the body acts accordingly.⁠ If we want our body acting in a certain way, we eat and live a certain way.

Can coffee support metabolic function & hormones?

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The answer is YES. 🙌🏼

There is conflicting information about consuming coffee, and if you do, how it should be done. A lot of my clients think they should be drinking their coffee black or not at all! 🙅🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

☕️ First off, coffee is a pro-metabolic thermogenic food that supports the thyroid, boosts the metabolism and increases the oxidation of fatty acids. It is a nutrient powerhouse- rich in manganese, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid which has a potent ability to eliminate heavy metals. 💥

🤔 Let’s understand the science of HOW exactly coffee impacts our body & hormones and then decide what is best for yourself:

1️⃣Caffeinated coffee causes a release of the stress hormone, cortisol. That leads to a stress response within the body, when stressed, the body does not prioritize hormone production.

2️⃣The rise in cortisol leads to our livers breaking down stored sugar (from our muscles) for energy in response to the stress. This leads to a rise in blood sugar, and followed by a drop.

3️⃣Caffeinated coffee depletes magnesium, so make sure you eat magnesium rich foods daily if you are a regular drinker. Magnesium is one of the main building block of our sex hormones. 🧬

⚠️COFFEE IS NOT BREAKFAST- and the negative effects of coffee like feeling anxious or shaky/jittery after drinking coffee is from a lack of nutrients, which causes low blood sugar. Remember when I said coffee speeds up your metabolism? That means you have an increased need for fuel. ⛽️

How to make coffee Pro-metabolic:
•Drink coffee with your breakfast or very soon after.
•Add a source of protein, carb and fat (real milk, collagen, sugar, real cream)
•Opt for decaf or low caf coffee
•Drink responsibly– limit to 1-2 cups per day.

🤎Tag a friend who loves ☕️ and needs this info 🤎

#coffee#hormonebalance#stress#stressmanagement#health#prometabolic#ilovecoffee#nourish#science#onlinepersonaltrainer#onlinehealthcoach#onlinecoach

Diets vs Pro-metabolic Nutrition

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Throughout my career, I’ve seen clients who have tried it all.  Weight Watchers, Fad diets, yo-yo diets resulting in irrational fears around foods, and not learning much in the process.

In the pro-metabolic community, we eat to nourish our bodies. By prioritizing your health as a means of losing weight, because a body in balance can do amazing things.  
When on-boarding new clients, a lot say:

•”What foods should I avoid? Is this food ok?”

•”I’ll do whatever you say, I’m so frustrated with how I look in the mirror” 

I get it, we all seek certainty & clarity. “Tell me the rules, I’ll be good and follow! Sell me that product- I’ll do anything BUT trust in my self and the process so I can put the work in.” 

You see, this is why diet culture fails you, These diets/approaches including harsh rules. restriction, avoiding certain foods . Not how to support and to nourish YOUR body.

Pro-metabolic community flipped my world upside down. Rather than excluding foods, it’s all about inclusion, nose-to-tail animal consumption, broths, more nutrient-dense sugars, and eating saturated fats – foods that have either been neglected or demonized by mainstream health and fitness. 

These foods have more bioavailable nutrients. They are easier to digest. And they don’t contain anti-nutrients that inhibit the processes within the body. This is how to support your metabolism. (Your metabolism is all the chemical processes that occur within your body.) And these foods enable all these processes to happen easier with less inflammation and fewer issues. They improve pulses, body temperature and biofeedback like digestion, sleep, stress, energy, mood, etc. This means your body is functioning in the best way possible 

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An emphasis is placed on grass-fed, humane certified protein sources, root veggies, quality dairy, ripe fruits, and all-natural sweeteners (like raw honey).  Please, do what you can afford.

You are eating to nourish. Providing for your body out of self-respect. Pro-metabolic eating may combat the reason you may be experiencing the binge-restrict cycle. When your body gets what it needs, you don’t experience cravings anymore. 

 When working with clients, they create their own nutrition plans based on my guidance and week to week We adjust it, to improve their symptoms, ultimately to reach their goals and find their OPTIMAL – that will look different for everyone. This is why education, monitoring biofeedback and intentionally nourishing our bodies are game changer. 

BENEFITS OF WALKING

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Walking is the most underrated physical activity! Not only is it an effective cardio strategy for weight loss, it has a lot of other health benefits! 🥳

🚶🏻‍♀️LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE & CHOLESTEROL 🩺
Regular walking was linked to a 7 percent reduced risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

🚶🏻‍♀️ENHANCES CIRCULATION ♥️
Regular walking can help to lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke. And it doesn’t take much: Walking briskly for just 30 minutes a day is enough to improve heart health.

🚶🏻‍♀️STRENGTHENS BONES 🦴
Walking can help strengthen bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. One study found that women who walked for a minimum of 4 hours a week saw a 40% reduced risk of hip fractures. While other forms of vigorous exercise such as running, jumping and weightlifting offer bone-strengthening benefits, the good news is that walking appears to do the same. That’s great news for those just starting a workout routine, people who must complete low-impact exercise due to joint issues.

🚶🏻‍♀️BOOSTS MOOD 🙌🏼
Having a rough day? Walk it off. Numerous studies have linked walking for exercise with improved mood and reduced stress levels. And it’s even better if you can take a stroll through nature — walking outdoors near greenery has been shown to help reduce feelings of frustration and may even help put your brain into a state of meditation. Walking stimulates the production of neurotransmitters in the brain (such as endorphins) that help improve your mental state. 🌳

🚶🏻SHARPENS YOUR 🧠
Walking for exercise may become increasingly important as we age and our risk for dementia and other brain disorders increases. It can even help reverse the effects of aging. One study published in the Annals of Neurology found that the 69 participants ages 55–88 who who met the exercise guidelines set by the American Heart Association showed a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

☠️ To improve your cognition even more, try walking backward. 🔙 One Dutch study found that walking backward helped subjects literally think faster on their feet. 💨

Is fruit bad for you?

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The answer is: NO!
I feel bad for fruit, it’s gotten such a bad reputation over the years! 🤪 It is nature’s candy after all 🍬😁

🍉Evidence suggests that fructose can cause harm when consumed in excess. However, there is not enough fructose in fruit to cause concern.

🍎Whole fruits take time to chew and digest. Because of this, you feel fuller and your body can easily tolerate the small amounts of fructose.

🍉When you’re craving sugar- it’s likely your body needs it. Try incorporating fruits, root veggies and other healthy sugars like raw honey, coconut sugar and maple syrup in your diet.

🍊Ripe, seasonal fruits, tropical fruits, stewed and cooked fruits, jams and jellies are packed full of bioavailable goodness.

🍐Consumption of carbs is essential for a robust hormonal function.

Fruit is:
•Rich in minerals
•Superior Hydration
•Vitamin C-very important for immune function
•High in Fiber: Fiber, especially soluble fiber, has many benefits, including reduced cholesterol levels, slowed absorption of carbs and increased satiety. Plus, studies have shown that soluble fiber can help you lose weight 🙌🏼

•Antioxidants: Various vitamins and minerals are called antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. ✨

•Nutrients. fruits tend to be high in several vitamins and minerals that many people don’t get enough of, including vitamin C, potassium and folate.

🍍Fructose stimulates only modest insulin secretion and does not require the presence of insulin to enter cells. And Can help the body use glucose better.

🍒In closing, there is plenty of evidence that shows that a high fruit intake is associated with a lower risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

#eatyourfruit#fruitislife#fruit#healthylifestyle#nutritionist#nutrition#onlinepersonaltrainer#onlinetraining#onlinenutritioncoach

Many aspects of your workout difficulty is ON YOU!

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A lot of my clients have a history of exercise programs that were actually counterproductive to their goals. They have done so much volume training over the years that they are now physically exhausted and nervous system is overwhelmed – with not much to show for it in the form of strength & muscle gains for all the hours they’ve spent training. Typically, it’s the lack of recovery and low energy availability that holding them back.

Saying a workout is too easy or not challenging enough for you based on a feeling of exhausted based on volume alone (number of exercises, sets and/or reps), is an incorrect measurement approach.

The biggest difference between a program that makes you tired & a program that actually improves & gives you results is SMART PROGRESSION.

What we are seeking is the MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE.
Building muscle isn’t about doing as much as you CAN each workout. It’s about doing as much as you NEED. 💪🏼

So, let’s talk about What is under YOUR CONTROL:⁣

👉🏻The weight you choose to use to challenge yourself⁣. It takes awhile to learn how to navigate RPE and RIR scales. According to several studies, when females (trained & untrained) self-select their training loads, they’re not heavy enough to optimize strength

👉🏻How much you think about mind muscle connection, and squeezing each target muscle⁣

👉🏻The tempo you use each rep, which changes the length of the set and overall time under tension (a big contributor to hypertrophy🙌🏻)

⁣👉🏻How much you control the eccentrics, versus letting the weight control you⁣

👉🏻How much you pay attention to form, and really leading with the target muscle and avoiding using others or swinging/using momentum

👉🏻How much you truly try to hit close to your wall within the target reps (ex choosing a weight you can truly only do 10-12 reps with, not a weight you can do 30 reps with)⁣⁣ The researchers also indicated that the subjects didn’t appear to approach failure on any set & their ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were identified as only ‘somewhat hard’ (likely not enough intensity of effort to optimize muscle hypertrophy)

The load lifted doesn’t matter as much for optimizing muscle mass as long as effort is high (each set needs to be taken to near failure)

This would suggest the RPE on each set should be interpreted as ‘very very hard’ or ‘very hard’

In these studies, the RPE was only ‘somewhat hard’. Hence, muscle hypertrophy wasn’t optimized

TLTR: Taking your workouts to 7, 8, 10+ exercises per workout still can be “too easy” if you aren’t executing your lifts correctly. Conversely, you can leave the gym crippled after just 3-4 exercises with the right intensity😳⁣⁣

And what’s more, if you start approaching your sets with the correct mindset, focus and intensity: YOU WILL SEE WAY MORE & FASTER PROGRESS🙌🏻🙌🏻🎉

Who wouldn’t want that?!⁣⁣The next time you feel like a workout isn’t hard enough, run through this list of all the elements within your control and challenge yourself with the question: Is there any more I can do here?! 💪🏻⁣

SOURCE: PMID = 15142014; 17313286; 28118310

You’ve got to EARN your right to diet….

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Most of new clients hire a personal trainer wanting to lose weight.
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But ☝️ we usually have to enter into a different kind of diet before we can actually “diet”.⁣
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Here’s why this process is important:
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Most people come from a place of chronic dieting with only short periods of over eating…when they get sick of this yo yo approach to “dieting”⁣
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It’s not unheard of for new clients to have been attempting a calorie deficit (and typically over-exercising) for 90% of their “fitness journey” 👉 meaning that their bodies are already in a stressed out, down-regulated state.⁣ (This was me up until May 2020. )

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Instead of exacerbating this stress with MORE exercise and LOWER calories…⁣
⁣Our first goal is an optimal psychological and physiological baseline.⁣


⁣This is where you “earn the right” to diet; think of it like your buy in.

This could mean building/finding a sustainable maintenance calorie intake and amount of exercise.⁣
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For others it might mean even pushing past this and eating in a small surplus to create an environment that’s extra supportive of muscle building for a period of time.⁣
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*USUALLY* this looks like a progressive, structured increase in calories and revamping workout programming to be more focused on strength training instead of mostly cardio-based 🏃‍♀️⁣

So where to start? Use the chart below to get an idea of daily calorie amounts, 1800-2100 calories per day, 25-30% coming from Protein. Focus on eating enough food, tracking your biofeedback (Sleep, Hunger, Recovery, Energy, Digestion, Stress) and see how all that improves.
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Chronic dieting and over exercising often comes with the need for mindset shifts FIRST.⁣

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Jumping into more dieting when you have already been dieting frequently, or if you’ve even just dieted too recently, can quickly lead to you spinning your wheels:⁣
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🚫more metabolic adaptations (not good)⁣
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🚫muscle loss (really not good)⁣
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🚫no progress being made, even perhaps when taking things to extremes.⁣
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The “diet before the diet” is just as important than the diet itself when it comes to mind & body changes over time.⁣
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Please spend just as much, if not more, time optimizing your metabolism, building muscle, and living your life, so that when the time does come to diet down, things will be easier & allow for HEALTHY progress 💞⁣

Thank you Coach Kasey Jo for original post and inspiring this content.

Want more free content and support? Join my free FB support group for free resources

What cravings really mean….

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▫️Cravings are how the body meets and communicates its nutrient needs.⁠

▫️The body is causing our brain to become obsessed or consumed with the need, until we seek it out, find it and meet that need.⁠

▫️Does this mean we indulge in every craving or whim? Not necessarily.⁠
But it’s in our best interests to listen.⁠👂

🧂 Salty⁠
⁠Do we need high quality sodium? Our adrenals burn through sodium when we are stressed, fasting, eating low carb, are pregnant and breastfeeding. High quality sea salt is a great place to start.⁠

🍞 Refined Breads & Baked Goods⁠
⁠Do we need more carbs? Fruits, roots, fruit juices, squashes, soaked/sprouted grains, etc.?⁠

🍰Sugary Sweets⁠
Are we providing our body with the above? Allowing honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar into the diet?⁠

💦Always Thirsty⁠
⁠If we drink plenty of water and it doesn’t quench our thirst, we should check in on if we’re getting enough minerals! Broths, coconut water, juices and milk are amazing sources of electrolytes.⁠

🍟Fatty Foods/Fried Foods⁠
⁠Are we eating high quality saturated fats? Full-fat Dairy, ghee, butter, tallow, coconut oil, high quality olive oil, etc.⁠

🍴Acidic: Vinegar or Sour⁠
How’s our stomach acid and digestion? Sometimes cravings for acidic/vinegary things can be a sign our digestion needs work⁠. Try incorporating a pre-meal ritual including breathwork and relaxation techniques, + gelatin snacks with your meals, or digestive bitters 15 min before eating.

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🍩Junk Food⁠
⁠Sometimes our body just needs MORE. More energy, more calories. And sometimes, when it’s only gotten an energy rich diet through junk, it craves junk. Usually eating enough and paying attention to all the above helps with this.⁠

🙏Thank you to Jessica Ash Wellness for all she taught me in her Fully Nourished program! I am no longer struggling with cravings or binging.

🤍Listening to our bodies is huge! Intuition relies on feelings, what do I feel like? Practicing nourishing with intention goes a little bit deeper… What does my body need? What am I craving? What sounds good? It’s a fusion between body, brain and feelings all being met. 🧭