How many times have you found when you’re in a hurry or when traveling, you grab whatever is quick just to satisfy your hunger?
So to make sure you have healthy, fat-burning options that taste delicious when you’re on-the-go or traveling, I made this quick video for you.
And here’s the recipe I mentioned in the video:
Enjoy!
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. If you enjoyed this video please share it with your friends and I always love to hear from you in the comments below too! What's your favorite healthy Summer snack?
Luckily, there are ways to increase your BMR and maintain a healthy weight!
One researcher breaks it down simple terms. If you want to increase your metabolic rate you should:
a. Do some aerobic exercise every day. You can do short bursts of aerobic exercises like H.I.I.T workouts provide.
b. Do some strength training to gain muscle mass.
Why building muscles helps you lose weight and fat?
A strong reason is that muscle mass and tissue helps to burn more calories than body fat, at rest.
Ten pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.
That explains it!
Your muscles during exercise
During physical activity that involves muscles, there's contraction and relaxation of muscles. Your body takes up the sugar that is in the muscles in the glycogen form for energy.
Glycogen is the storage form of glucose. This is the first source of fuel used. Once, this is used, fat stores become the second preferred fuel source.
But there's another thing that happens in your muscles: Wear and tear of your muscles due to movements.
To cope with this, body increases oxygen supply to muscles to heal and repair the tear. So, muscle building exercises help you grow bigger and stronger muscles as they heal.
Muscles take up the place of fat and as a result, you develop lean body mass.
It's clear, the more you strength train, you build more muscles which in turn has many benefits like it:
Keeps your metabolic rate high, so you burn more calories
Replaces unhealthy fat stores
Builds lean muscle mass
Keep in mind strength training is important as we get older when our metabolisms tend to slow down. Adding strength training to your workout at least a couple of times a week helps.
If you're ready to build more muscle and burn more fat then I invite you to workout with me every single day.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please pass this motivation to workout more along to your fitness loving friends and I want to hear more from you in the comments below. Did reading this article inspire you to work out more?
If potatoes are one of your favorite foods, you’re not alone.
Whether you make them mashed, baked, roasted, or even fried, they're a true comfort food. They’re so tasty and filling that it’s easy to think that they’re unhealthy.
Here’s the good news: potatoes can be a healthy addition to your diet.
In fact, if you’re an athlete, potatoes are a great choice of carbs for extra energy.
When you go to the market you’ll see potatoes of many colors.
In reality, there are only two basic types: white and sweet.
The benefits you get from eating them depends on the type of potato you pick. You can choose which is right for you by reading about the different nutrients they offer below. Better yet, choose both and get all the benefits!
White Potatoes
White potatoes have many vitamins and minerals. They’re a great source of fiber too.
They also contain antioxidants that can help your body fight inflammation and stress.
When we call a potato white, we’re comparing it to a sweet potato. There are many different colors and types of potato that fall into the “white” category. They include:
Common white
Red
Russet
Purple
Yellow
All the white potatoes contain compounds called phenols that fight degenerative diseases. The red and purple potatoes have the highest levels of these compounds.
The Purple Peruvian potato has the highest levels of phenols.
This's because they contain anthocyanins, the same flavonoid found in superfoods like blueberries and blackberries.
Potatoes that have white, yellow, or red skins have high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. They’re also high in potassium.
Not only is the flesh of white potatoes good for you, the skins are too. Potato skins contain both antioxidants and fiber.
One of the biggest problems with white potatoes is that they are normally served up with loads of cheese, butter and sour cream.
If you want to enjoy them and still mind your waistline, skip the cheese and opt for roasted garlic and chives for flavor and swap sour cream for Greek yogurt.
Sweet Potatoes
These are my go-to potatoes because they are lower on the GI Index than their white cousins. If you are focusing on weight loss, these should be your first choice.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of Vitamin A and beta carotene. This antioxidant is found in deeply colored foods like carrots and kale. Beta carotene helps provide healthy skin and eyes. It’s also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
A study conducted by the University of Vienna found that people who ate sweet potato twice a day for 5 months had better insulin sensitivity. They also had lower levels of a protein thought to contribute to hardening of the arteries.
Sweet potatoes have high levels of potassium and manganese, as well as of Vitamin B6.
Practical Potato Tips
Storing Potatoes
Potatoes are cheap and easy to keep.
When buying potatoes, look for the ones that don’t have green spots, sprouts or bruises. They should be hard and firm with no soft spots.
Potatoes are best kept in a cool, dark dry place. Kept in this way, they can last for weeks.
Prepping Potatoes
Cooking potatoes in a healthy way isn’t hard. Baking, roasting, boiling and grilling are all great. The only problem comes when you fry them!
When possible, potatoes should be cooked whole – if you cube or slice them before boiling them they will lose a lot of their minerals and vitamins. This is true of both white potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Here’s a recipe for a healthy version of “fries” that you can make with white potatoes or sweet potatoes:
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Pass this good potato mojo along to your friends by sharing this article and I want to hear from you in the comments below. Which variety of potatoes do you usually buy?
When you list life’s pleasures, there’s a good chance that good sex is high on the list.
But did you know that beyond the obvious benefits, it's also a boon to your weight loss efforts?
You don’t need your partner to chase you around the bedroom to have your sex life help you shed a pound or two. Here are some eye-opening facts about sex.
What you learn about its impact on weight loss may make “dancing between the sheets” your favorite form of exercise!
6 Healthy Reasons to Get Busy in the Bedroom
1. Sex Burns Calories
You might not have thought about this before, but this just makes sense. When you’re having sex instead of lying there in bed (or sitting on the couch), you’re exercising in the same way that you would if you were riding a bike or going for a brisk walk.
Just sitting around doing nothing burns around 70 calories per hour.
Half an hour of sex burns about 150 calories – more if your sex is extremely active!
Sex is just another form of aerobic exercise – when done right, it should get your heart pounding.
And as an added bonus, it’s free! You don’t need to invest in special shoes, a gym membership, or cute workout clothes.
2. Sex Staves Off Cravings
When you can’t stop eating high carb, high-fat foods, it’s usually because your cortisol levels are high.
Cortisol is the hormone that we make when we’re feeling anxious, and having sex is a great counter to stress. It lowers your blood pressure and makes you feel calmer, short-circuiting any diet sabotaging cravings you may have.
3. Sex Helps You Sleep Like a Baby
There is a ton of research that ties poor sleep to gaining weight. When you're sleep deprived your body makes too much of the hormone that makes you hungry and not enough of the hormone that helps you know when you’re full.
Satisfying sex bumps up your levels of oxytocin and helps you sleep well.
4. Sex Makes You Feel Good About Yourself (and your body)
When you’re feeling sexy and desired, you are likely to have a much more positive body image and higher levels of self-confidence. Both of these things can help you stick to a healthy eating plan. It can also encourage you to exercise.
5. Real Good Sex Tones Muscles
Depending on the positions you choose, sex can help you tone and strengthen a variety of muscles. Arms, shoulders, thighs and glutes are just a few of the areas that can get a good workout!
6. Having Sex Creates a Positive Weight Loss Cycle
If you're in the midst of a weight loss mission and have already lost a few pounds, there’s a good chance that you are enjoying sex more than you did before.
Losing even a little bit of weight has a big impact on your ability to enjoy sex whether you’re male or female. Males who lose weight have higher testosterone levels, while women who lose weight have better orgasms and are more easily aroused.
P.S. Please share the good news with your friends and lovers! I welcome your comments below too. Did you already know all this good news about sex and weight loss?
Think about what your favorite food is. For most of us, it's not the healthiest things that come to mind first.
Healthy or unhealthy, foods do turn you nostalgic which is a strong emotional trigger. Most of us give in to that hankering for french fries or ice cream and regret it later.
But, I have some good hacks to share today so that you can make your unhealthy favorite into a healthy one with simple tricks and tweaks.
So, how is that?
Here are the golden rules, if you play by these you can change any recipe into a healthy one.
You may need to tweak slightly based on your own needs and once you start thinking this way, you'll come up with your own tricks.
5 Cooking Hacks to Make Unhealthy Foods Healthier
1. Use Sprouted Flour
Substitute refined flour with gluten free sprouted flour for your baking needs. You can find plenty of sprouted varieties that keep their nutrients, unlike the refined flours.
Coconut flour is a great replacement for wheat flour and refined flour. It's excellent for baking cookies and for making pancakes or pizza crust.
Almond flour is great for making bread, cake and muffins.
Other gluten-free flours you can try for baking are amaranth flour and oat flour.
You can even whip up your own oat flour by dropping your dry oats in a blender for a minute or two.
2. Make Your Mac & Cheese Creamy Without the Cheese
Cashew Cream Mac & Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk (canned makes it really creamy)
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
1 pound quinoa pasta
DIRECTIONS:
1. Soak 1 cup cashews in 2 cups of water for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.
3. Drain cashew water.
4. In a blender, add all ingredients except pasta and blend well.
5. Pour ‘cheese’ over warm pasta.
Enjoy!
May be stored up to 6 day in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
3. Make Your French Fries Guilt Free
Who can resist French fries! But the grease and the fact that they're not the most weight loss friendly food makes you want to resist.
Good news: a simple swap with sweet potato and baking instead of frying does the trick.
3 large sweet potatoes, sliced into thin strips 1/4 cup melted coconut oil Spices of choice (sea salt, pepper, basil, oregano, or thyme) Mix all ingredients and bake at 400 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until crispy.
4. Skip the Dairy in Your Ice Cream
Swap milk with vegan options for a healthier version of ice cream.
A cup of raw cashews soaked overnight does the magic for you.
Combine a cup of soaked cashews with a cup of water in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add vanilla essence, one-third cup of maple syrup for sweetness and continue to blend. Cool in refrigerator for 2 hours or until it is thick and serve.
If you don't want to wait while the cashews soak overnight, my Banana Nice Cream Recipe is guaranteed to satisfy!
5. Make Your Own Dips and Dressing
Store bought dips and dressing are mostly pure junk but you and your waistline will feel a lot better about making your own.
Combine a teaspoon of minced garlic with 3/4th cup of garbanzo flour.
Add 2 tablespoons of Tahini (sesame seed butter) and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Finish it with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and Himalayan salt for a great tasting dip or dressing.
Use it in your wraps and salads. This has protein and fiber, unlike conventional salad dressings that are just empty calories.
Most importantly these hacks are full of flavor and soon you'll learn to prefer them! Enjoy and let me know how you liked them.
Oh, and if you like these cooking hacks, you will LOVE the recipes in my Bikini Body Recipes book!
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Share these cooking hacks with a friend or co worker and help them make a healthier choice and remember to leave me a comment below too! Do you have a go-to healthy cooking hack?
If you do then you probably know that it’s a great first aid for healing cooking burns.
But did you know that this tropical plant is credited for a lot of other health benefits?
From stopping hair loss and healing acne to helping with weight loss and boosting your immune system, aloe is one of nature’s most perfect substances!
The Aloe Vera Plant
Even if you don’t have your own aloe plant, you’ve no doubt seen them. They have tall, ash green leaves that grow straight up and that are shaped like blades.
These leaves have spiky edges and grow to about two feet tall. The leaves are fleshy, and when you cut them open you’ll find a gooey clear gel.
It’s this gel that contains all of the plant’s health benefits. That gel is chock full of nutrients.
It’s mostly water, but also contains a protein that holds 18 amino acids found in the body. It also contains vitamins A, B, and E and a carbohydrate called “acemannan.”
Acemannan is the real powerhouse of the aloe vera plant that both provides nourishment and strips out toxins.
It is for this reason that aloe vera has been highly prized as a natural healer for centuries.
4 Powerful Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice
Though the gel is what most people use to heal burns, cuts, and skin conditions, aloe vera juice is also made using the outer leaf.
The entire leaf is crushed and ground up, the purified and filtered to make a juice that can then be drunk plain or mixed with other ingredients.
There are a load of benefits to drinking and using aloe vera juice, including:
1. Cures Constipation
Aloe is a great way to keep hydrated. It keeps your liver healthy and keeps fluid levels in your intestines high. The more water that is in your intestines, the more they are stimulated, and you can pass stool easily.
2. Clears Skin
Though aloe gel is a good topical treatment for pimples, drinking the juice is good for your skin too. It has lots of antioxidants and vitamins that can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
In addition to protein and vitamins, aloe vera juice contains important minerals that your body needs. These include:
calcium
copper
magnesium
potassium
When you include aloe vera juice in your diet, it boosts your immune system and gives you an extra source of protein to keep your muscles strong and your energy levels high.
It’s also said to speed up metabolism, which helps you burn extra fat and calories.
4. Heartburn Relief
If you struggle with indigestion, drinking aloe vera juice can help. It’s been shown to heal gastric ulcers and control the amount of acid that your stomach releases.
So Where Do I Find Aloe Vera Juice?
You can buy aloe vera juice at most stores these days. You can also buy your own aloe vera leaves in stores where Latin produce is sold and make your own.
Just cut a leave into 4” sections and slice off the spikes. Then cut off the green skin, leaving as much of the clear flesh as you can. Lay the pieces flat and remove the clear flesh, making sure you get rid of all the green parts. Rinse the flesh to get rid of extra gel, then drain.
You can dice the flesh up and then use it to make the aloe lemonade below.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word about aloe vera by sharing this and I always love to hear from you in the comments below too! Have you tried drinking aloe vera juice yet?
You spend a lot of time focusing on what you eat and how it impacts your health. But there’s more to being healthy than what we put into our stomachs.
Here are just a few of the essentials:
You need to give your body the right amount of rest.
You need to stimulate your mind and expose yourself to beauty.
You need to make sure that the air that you breathe is healthy and clean.
Did you know that there are house plants that can meet all those needs? It’s true!
No matter how well you clean your home or how organic the products you buy, toxins in the air are hard to wipe away.
Some can cause allergic reactions and illness. But there are houseplants that remove impurities from the air while they help add to the warmth and serenity of your environment.
They're easy to find and inexpensive too!
By adding any of these green beauties to your home you can give yourself greater peace of mind and cleaner air to breathe.
1. Boston Fern
Boston Ferns are the most efficient air filtering plant you can buy.
They're also available for purchase everywhere… chances are good that if your supermarket sells plants, they will sell Boston Ferns.
Keeping a Boston Fern healthy is pretty simple. Give it a dose of plant food once a month and water it regularly. If you live in a dry area, you should mist it once a day too.
2. Palm Trees
These tropical beauties are very good at removing toxins like formaldehyde from the air.
The Dwarf Date is best of all, but other good choices include the Parlor Palm, a Bamboo Palm or a Lady Palm. Palm Trees will flourish in a sunny spot in your home.
3. Rubber Plant
If you think your home doesn’t get enough light to sustain a plant, try a Rubber Plant or a “Janet Craig.”
They don’t need much sun and they do a great job of cleaning the air.
4. English Ivy
This is another plant that is sold just about everywhere.
Though most people think of English Ivy as a climbing plant that lives outdoors, if you keep it inside it will stay pretty compact.
It needs very little care – just water and mist once a week or so – and it will keep your air free of toxins and mold.
In fact, a study showed that it cuts airborne mold by 94%.
5. Peace Lily
There are a lot of good reasons for choosing a Peace Lily for your home.
This beautiful plant needs very little light and will bloom all year long. It is good at removing all types of harsh gases, and even adds humidity to the air.
6. Aloe Vera
This spiky succulent is not only good at improving your air quality: you can also use the gel that flows through its leaves to help speed healing.
It's an especially good plant to keep in the kitchen to quickly soothe the pain from burns.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word about these healthy houseplants by sharing this and don't forget to leave me a comment below! Do you have a green thumb?
You've heard a lot about thyroid glands! They're important to keep you energetic and healthy.
You may have also heard that if you're struggling with body weight, your thyroids could be a reason too.
Here is a quick overview of this gland and how it functions. This can help you plan your weight loss efforts better.
What is a thyroid gland and what does it do?
It's a butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck. You can feel it as a small bump in the base of your neck.
To feel this gland place the index and middle finger of both your hands an inch apart. Be sure to keep them about half way between your chin and collarbone to feel your thyroids.
It will move up and down again when you drink a glass of water or swallow.
This is how your thyroid works for you.
An overview of how your thyroid works helps you understand how it influences weight loss.
Your thyroid is like a thermostat, it:
regulates your body temperature
determines how fast or slow your metabolism is
regulates the rate at which your body uses up energy (calories you burn)
helps manufacture protein and other hormones
Two key hormones produced by thyroids are T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).
They travel via the bloodstream to the cells and reach all through the body. Their job is to convert oxygen and calories into energy.
The energy produced becomes the fuel for digestion, thinking, mood regulation, and cognitive skills.
They also influence the production of sex hormones like testosterone and are key for fertility.
It's clear that the thyroid gland controls many aspects of your body function.
Your:
metabolism
hormones
ability to reproduce
digestive system
ALLdepend on thyroid health.
In certain conditions, the thyroid glands may not pump enough hormones or make too much.
Both scenarios present a problem regulating your appetite, mood, digestion and energy levels.
These problems with your thyroid can happen due to poor intake of nutrients, excess toxins in the body or due to hereditary reasons.
One important aspect of thyroid issue is body weight. Overproduction and under production result in weight issues.
Overproduction of thyroid hormones leads to unexplained weight loss.
Underproduction leads to weight gain.
Issues that can affect your thyroid glands:
Running too fast (hyperthyroid, Grave’s disease)
Running too slow (hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)
Thyroid nodules (small lumps or growths on the thyroid)
Cancer of thyroid glands
Causes of Hyperthyroidism
In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid glands are too active and produce too much of thyroxine. Many conditions, including Graves' disease and thyroiditis, can cause hyperthyroidism
Symptoms to look for in hyperthyroidism
Sudden weight loss ? increased appetite ? sweating nervousness ?
In hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroxine, a thyroid hormone. When thyroxine levels are low, body's functions also slow down.
Hypothyroidism can occur if the thyroid gland fails to do its regular work. It can also happen if the thyroid gland is not stimulated by the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
Symptoms to look for in hypothyroidism
Fatigue ? intolerance to cold ? joint and muscle pain ? dry skin ? thinning hair ? depression ? poor memory ? weight gain ? protruding eyes ? rapid pulse
Causes of Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid nodules do not present symptoms and are not serious. A thyroid nodule is a soft lump, filled with fluid.
You'll know you have a nodule only from a routine check from your doctor. In rare cases, thyroid nodules present as cancers.
Symptoms of thyroid nodules
Hard to swallow or breathe ? shortness of breath ? excessive sweating ? irregular heartbeat
Causes of Thyroid Cancer
The exact cause of thyroid cancer is not known. Risk factors include inherited factors, age, gender, diet and lifestyle.
Thyroid cancer is three times more common in women than in men for unclear reasons.
The risk peaks in women after the age of forty and in men between the age of sixty to seventy.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer
Lumps or Swelling in the neck ? pain ? hoarseness of voice ? trouble breathing or swallowing ? constant cough not caused by a cold
Tests for Determining Thyroid Problems
If you're experiencing these symptoms, you should see your doctor about your thyroid. The following blood tests can help determine an underlying thyroid problem:
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Anti-TPO and
Antithyroglobulin
Some may need a thyroid scan or ultrasound to help determine the type of thyroid problem.
How Thyroid Issues Affect Your Weight Loss?
Symptoms like weight gain, brain fog and sluggishness are common in hypothyroidism.
In hypothyroidism, there is a clear drop in the body's basal metabolic rate (BMR).
A low basal metabolic rate means you won't be able to burn as many calories for fuel.
Because of this, your body saves the unused calories in the form of fat resulting in weight gain. The more severe the hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) the greater the gain in weight.
In some, hyperthyroidism mimics the symptoms of hypothyroidism, which can lead to weight gain. But, this kind of scenario is less common and diagnosis can be hard.
More women suffer from under active thyroids than men. Since the body's basal metabolic rate drops, weight gain occurs despite efforts to lose.
Among women thyroid problems do not surface until they show signs of hormonal imbalance. This is why you'll notice thyroid issues and menopause go together.
Weight gain in under active thyroid is not always due to fat accumulation.
Researchers affirm that weight gain in under active thyroid is not always due to fat.
In some people, it occurs due to excess salt and water retention. The American Thyroid Association states about five to ten pounds of body weight is due to thyroid. This depends on the severity of the under active thyroid issue.
If weight gain is the only symptom of an underactive thyroid, it is less likely that it is due to a thyroid issue.
Weight gain due to a thyroid malfunction usually presents with other problems too.
Keep in mind weight gain is one of the symptoms and is not a sole cause for thyroid issues. If you have trouble losing weight a holistic approach is the best way. Yet, weight loss efforts that do not address a related thyroid issue can fail.
A holistic natural approach that encourages and nurtures thyroid health should be your plan. Be sure to make exercise, and eating clean an integral part of your weight loss efforts.
5 Natural Ways to Boost Thyroid Function
1. Address nutritional deficiencies
Selenium: Selenium is an important trace mineral that helps your thyroid to function well.
A diet that is poor in selenium can be a trigger factor for thyroid related issues. Selenium balances the secretion of T4 levels in your body. This is crucial to keep your thyroid working well.
Eat foods high in selenium like Brazil nuts, grass fed beef, egg, spinach, and yellowfin tuna.
Vitamin B12:
A deficiency of B vitamins, Vitamin B 12 and Thiamine can affect the way your thyroid works.
B vitamins have a role in energy release from food. Vitamin B 12 is also crucial for hormonal balance. Eat enough of these nutrients to improve your thyroid health.
Good sources of B 12 include raw milk, raw cheese, cottage cheese, wild caught salmon and grass fed beef. Thiamine is abundant in Crimini mushrooms, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, and ground flaxseed.
Probiotics: Probiotics are foods that contain good bacteria that support your gut health.
These fermented foods lower inflammation in the body and heal leaky gut.
Make Kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, raw cheese, Kombucha, Kefir as part of your menu.
Lowering inflammation protects your thyroid and prevents further damage.
2. Detox on a regular basis:
Thyroid issues occur due to deficiencies of certain nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies can result due to poor intake and also due to toxins.
Environmental toxins like heavy metals can influence nutritional deficiencies.
Here are a few examples:
Chlorine, fluorine, perchlorate, bromine that are common in toothpaste, tap water and cleaning agents. These toxins can interfere with iodine uptake.
Bromine is another toxin that can displace iodine and inhibit thyroid activity.
Soy and its products impair the conversion of T4 to T3, which impacts thyroid activity.
Heavy metals from amalgam fillings can affect your thyroids and disrupt hormones.
If you have amalgam fillings get rid of them by visiting a holistic dentist and seek safe alternatives.
Follow a regular detox regimen a few times a year to cleanse your body of toxins.
Ashwagandha: It helps balance your hormone levels and is the first choice in Ayurveda.
The herb is useful for under active and over active thyroid issues. Ashwagandha is also an immune strengthening herb.
It also helps with anxiety, stress and insomnia. Take this herb to stimulate a sluggish metabolism and for weight loss benefits.
Tulsi: Tulsi or Holy Basil is also an adaptogenic herb like ashwagandha. Other herbs that help include licorice root, rhodiola and ginseng.
Black walnut hull: It's a natural remedy for treating goiter and hypothyroidism. The herb is rich in iodine and is a natural detoxifying agent.
It also helps with candida, bloating and leaky-gut. These symptoms are common in people with thyroid issues.
4. Lifestyle changes
Lower stress: Stress can over exert your endocrine glands which include your thyroid. Staying in a constant ”fight-flight” mode increases the levels of adrenaline and cortisol. This, in turn, creates negative effects in the body such as –
narrowing of blood vessels
release of inflammatory proteins
release antibodies that suppress immune system
damage both adrenal and thyroid glands
Lower stress by dedicating time for exercise, meditation and deep breathing techniques.
Get enough sleep, improve your sun exposure to reset your circadian rhythm.
Go to bed at a regular time every day to improve sleep habits.
5. Practice yoga
Certain yoga poses help stimulate the function of thyroid glands. The following yoga poses are helpful for anyone with thyroid issues.
Shoulder stand pose: This is the most important pose to stimulate thyroid gland. The pose helps blood flow from legs to head due to the inverted condition and helps control thyroxin.
Surya Namaskar: The various Sun salutations help to lower thyroid symptoms and rejuvenates you.
Bridge Pose: Called Sethubandh asana, this is an important pose for thyroids. If you succeed in forming a good bridge pose, your neck gets ample stretch. This is good for stimulating thyroid glands and regulating hormone production.
Headstand pose: Sirshasana or head stand pose is one of the best to manage thyroid gland. Sirshasana acts on the thyroid glands, helps to balance the metabolic functions. It improves alertness, without causing nervousness.
Dhanurasana (The Bow pose): The bow pose helps massage the thyroids. It regulates the gland to produce the right amount of hormone.
Bhujangasana (The cobra poses): The pose causes compression and stretching in the neck. This helps in regulating thyroid glands.
Learn the correct yoga techniques from a certified instructor to reap its benefits. Consult your doctor before you begin a new exercise regime.
Thyroid Health in a Nut Shell
Your thyroid is important for many vital roles from burning calories to improving libido.
Hypo and hyperthyroidism are the two most common thyroid issues.
Symptoms of thyroid issues can overlap with other conditions. Always work with your health care practitioner for correct diagnosis. A careful diagnosis is important to begin the right treatment protocol.
Improve your diet. Eat to correct nutritional deficiencies that can lead to thyroid issues. If you have inflammatory problems like leaky gut address them right away. This can help prevent and reduce inflammatory damage to thyroid glands.
Make healthy lifestyle changes, practice exercise or yoga.
Avoid exposure to unwanted chemicals. Keep away from amalgam fillings, chlorine and fluorine and common household cleaning agents.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Please share this important article with your loved ones and I always love to hear from you in the comments below! Do you suspect or know you have a thyroid disorder?
It’s almost the definition of something not making sense: having to eat more to lose more weight.
But there’s a good chance that if you’re dieting and you’ve hit a plateau, that could be your problem.
It hardly seems fair, but research shows that when your weight loss focus is on cutting the amount of food you’re eating, your body may resist your efforts. It cuts its own metabolic activity because it thinks that it’s starving.
Your body relies on food to survive.
What you eat is much more than just something that makes you gain weight.
Just like you need to give yourself fuel to power your exercise session, you need fuel to digest and process your food.
When you cut back on the fuel you give your body, it turns to fat for energy. That’s a good thing.
But if you cut back on food too much, your body has no choice but to break down lean muscle to keep going.
When that happens it’s like an alarm goes off inside of you: all the internal operations slow down to cut down on how much fuel is needed. That’s when you stop losing weight.
That’s the number one reason that you need to make sure that you’re eating enough, even when you’re on a diet. There are other perfectly good reasons.
If you deprive yourself so much that you’re always hungry, it's much harder to hold yourself back from the foods that are going to sabotage your diet.
You may think that skipping a morning yogurt or smoothie is a good idea, but it makes you much more likely to inhale a fat-filled Danish in the break room.
You probably have a pretty good idea when you’re not eating enough but there are some signs your body will send you to make the message clear.
7 Signs You Need to Eat More
1. You can’t stop thinking about food. This is not just a question of not having willpower. It’s your brain telling you that something is wrong. 2. You’ve cut out meals or snacks so that you’re only eating a few small meals a day. 3. You stop getting your period. 4. You have headaches all the time – and they’re really bad. 5. You have no energy for a workout – and if you do go out and exercise, you’re exhausted afterward. 6. You’re cranky all the time. 7. When you do eat, you always wish you’d eaten more.
You may think you’re being clever and speeding up your weight loss by skipping meals and only taking tiny portions – but you’re really working against yourself.
The best way to avoid these issues is to make sure you’re giving yourself enough healthy food to keep your body performing properly.
Avoid high fat, high salt, highly processed foods, and let yourself have enough high protein high fiber snacks between meals to keep you satisfied.
That’s how you’ll stick with your plan, stay healthy and energized, and reach your weight loss goals.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
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