There’s a good chance if you are over forty and finding yourself staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m., or just waking up far too early every morning, you feel like you’re going crazy. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to work an eight hour day feeling so groggy and tired. If you could just get some decent sleep all would be right in your world. It’s also possible that you’ve tried everything from Gravol to alcohol to over-the-counter sleep aids just to get you over the hump. Unfortunately these things don’t solve your problem and usually leave you feeling shaky or grumpy for most of th ..read more

The Myth of Quick Fix Weight Loss We’ve heard it all, “lose 10 pounds in one week”, “this secret ingredient will help you achieve the beach body of your dreams”, “3 simple steps that will give you that bikini body in no time”, “these superfoods are the secret to losing those final 15 pounds”, so on and so forth. If you’re like me, your tired of all the media-induced, shoved-down-your-throat propaganda that fails to take in the best part of being human, living. So for the next few minutes, let’s just chat like old friends, have an open space to talk about weight. Self-Reflect Take this ti ..read more

I believe CORTISOL is the peskiest hormone. Left to its own devices it causes a world of trouble. Yup, that’s right, cortisol is your stress hormone and stress is the number 1 cause of disease in the body. I would maintain that leaving high cortisol levels unchecked is tantamount to eating Twinkies for breakfast for the rest of your life. Cortisol is designed to give you a quick boost of energy when you need to fight or flee a dangerous situation like running from a Saber-toothed tiger. In our modern chaotic society we often run around with our bodies reacting to everything as a thr ..read more

It’s that time of year again folks! As a dietitian, I kind of  get shunned at Christmas time. People don’t really want to know that that the average person consumes about 6,000 calories on Christmas day – about three times more the daily average. I want you to know however that just like you, I struggle with eating healthy during the holidays especially now that I’m over 50. I seem to crave carbs more than usual and if I look at a Christmas shortbread I gain 2 lbs. But before before you hide your head in a mountain of potatoes, I have some tips so you can actually ENJOY your food without ..read more

Hey there! Have you ever gone on a diet but found yourself unable to stop eating sugar and junk food? Have you ever felt powerless over your sugar cravings?  At the end of a long day, you find yourself stressed and compelled to grab anything quick from the cupboard. Given the choice of heading to bed early or reading a good book, why does it seem like ice cream and Netflix always win? It’s not as if you don’t know which option will move you towards your goal of losing weight and regaining your energy. So why do you choose the chocolate, wine, and TV over the self-care? The truth is o ..read more

So, Halloween is back and so are all the monsters that go howling through the night…..and our gut. Last time we learned about Ghrelin, a hormone which makes you feel hungry. Today, we’re going to talk about the bacteria in our gut. What is the Gut Microbiome? Our gut (including the stomach and intestines) houses thousands of types of bacteria, called the microbiome, all playing important roles for our body. From what research has found, their help ranges from nutrient metabolism, immune function to intestinal nerve function. Our gut microbiome is developed through our genetics, early-life bact ..read more

Maybe you’ve just read my blog about the hormone Leptin and how it’s sabotaging your weight loss efforts. Now I need to give you a heads up about another hormone that affects your weight, calorie intake, and those darned sugar cravings. Most importantly, I want to tell you what you can do about it. Ghrelin is a wonderful hormone that says, “Hey feed me. It’s time to eat.” Ghrelin gets your gastric acid juices flowing in preparation to eat. Found mainly in the gut, ghrelin increases before a meal and, when all things are right in the world, decreases after a meal. The gist of it is ghrelin make ..read more

Let’s talk about Sara. Sara was going along, doing okay, sleeping okay, maintaining a healthy weight, appreciating her body, learning to care for herself, to say no, and set important boundaries. Then out of nowhere, life threw Sara not one but several curve balls. Now, she is overwhelmed, burnt out, and cannot sleep. Maybe you can relate to this scenario? You are dog-tired, can’t sleep through the night, are experiencing night sweats, intense carbohydrate cravings, and your once happy demeanour has been replaced with low-grade irritability. If you’re in your late 40s or early 50s, chances are ..read more

Hey there hormone sister. I am going to let you in on a secret. I’ve struggled with emotional eating for most of my life. I learned at a very early age that eating calms me down, so I eat when I’m angry or mildly unhappy. On the other hand, I don’t eat when I’m going through something really rough like the loss of a loved one. It all depends on the type of stress. Two Strategies to Deal with Stress or Emotional Eating There are two strategies I use to deal with stress eating. One is very practical and quite easy, and the other is deeper, highly individual, and takes a longer period. One you ca ..read more

Do you feel like you’re actually addicted to carbs? I hear this from many of my clients and I try to talk them off the ledge. There are many things that can help you if you feel like you just can’t stop eating sugar or carbs. If you’ve been battling with your weight, I want to help you pinpoint WHY that may be happening, so you can stop struggling and finally release those excess pounds.I want to help you pinpoint WHY that may be happening, so you can finally release that unwanted weight. Before I dig into this, here’s a quiz for you… Quiz: Are You a Sugar & Carb Addict? If you’re like mos ..read more