Your body is a Work of A.R.T.

The leaves are falling, the air is cooling off, and as much as I hate to admit it, winter is coming (or if you look outside this week, it feels like it’s already here). I like to think of the change in season as mother nature preparing to reset. In the fall she purges the old, winter she rests, and in spring she starts fresh so that by summer she can be in full bloom.

Human beings are intrinsically connected with nature. We see it in the way our cravings change with the seasons, or how our energy levels are affected by the sunlight. Much the same way that nature clears out the old in the fall, our body’s can benefit from cleansing and detoxing at this time of year. As we experience change and purging all around us, we can support our bodies natural detoxifying processes and benefit from working synergistically with nature.

When I say that we can support our body’s natural detoxification, I am not talking about a drastic cleansing protocol like fasting or following a regimented program that involves natural laxatives (yikes!). Alternatively, helping your body to detoxify with the change of seasons can be very simple, and very beneficial! Here are some tips to help naturally support your body’s detoxification processes this fall:

• Eliminate processed foods: Aim to avoid these foods for 2-weeks, but reducing the intake of processed foods is also an excellent practice for the long term.
• Consume seasonal fruits and veggies: The fresher your produce, the better the nutrient content, so eating things that are in season and locally obtained will nourish your body more completely. Just another example of how nature works with us!
• Reduce or eliminate sugars: I’m talking added or refined sugars; naturally occurring sugars from fruits and other foods are absolutely fine!
• Eat light: Consume foods that don’t strain the digestive system like meals that are heavy in red meats or that combine heavy proteins with starchy carbs. (For more info on what foods strain your digestive system, feel free to reach out)
• Drink plenty of water: This one is a no-brainer, your body needs water for all its processes. The blood circulating throughout your body, that gets filtered by your kidneys is largely water, and the better hydrated you are, the more efficiently your body will run. A good rule of thumb is anywhere from 2 – 4 litres of water per day. For added detox support, add lemon to your water, this helps support the liver’s natural detoxification processes.
• Take a steam: Steam rooms, saunas, or even hot baths, are a great way to help increase detoxification. Sweating helps your body get rid of toxins, and as a bonus, steam also helps remove impurities from your skin!

A gentle detox can be done over the period of 10 days to 2 weeks, this is a good length of time especially if these changes are very new to you. As well, many of these changes, like reducing refined sugars and processed foods are great practices to get in the habit of for your overall health.

For any questions about detoxing, or other health and wellness information, feel free to reach out. I’d love to help you get started on your path to a healthy lifestyle.

It has been gorgeous out the last few days, and overall I’d say we’ve had a beautiful summer so far!

I find that in the summertime, we tend to indulge a bit more regularly than during the rest of the year. The patios are open, we have camping trips, backyard barbeques, vacations, weddings, and a whole list of other reasons to go out for a couple of drinks with good friends.

I have always been of the belief that enjoying food, and the experiences surrounding food, is almost as important as making healthy food choices, and I constantly preach that food should be a source of pleasure, not a source of stress. However, I realize that I’ve failed to mention, there are instances when although what we are consuming brings us pleasure, sometimes it can be a cause of PHYSICAL stress, without us even knowing!

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If you’ve been following my activities over the past few weeks, you may know that I’ve committed to biking to work during these warmer months. As I’ve been cycling each day, in addition to my normal activities, including running, my regular workouts, and just being on my feet most of the day, I’ve been finding myself feeling incredibly hungry.

I always say that the body is incredible, it’s intuitive and it knows what is best for us, and me feeling super hungry was a big reminder that my body needs more food to keep up with my increased level of activity, and I wasn’t eating enough. I wanted to share this insight, because if it’s something that could slip my mind, as a fitness and nutrition professional, then it might just be happening to others. (more…)