Wellness Works!

Good Ol' Fibre Wins Again!

This week I want to share some creative, innovative research findings about just how fantastic FIBRE is for us and how powerful the human body is.

Dr. Oz (Oprah's health expert) recently showed new research on food myths and this one is great, I had to share it with you! In the research study, two truck drivers were used who consumed a very-low fibre diet (typically food you can eat when you're on the road is usually processed, fast-food and thus has little fibre). To begin, researchers wanted to know how slow their digestive systems were and so they used a pill w/ a transmitter so they could track the transit time (yes, that's from one end to another!). With their current low-fibre diet, the transmitter took almost one full day for one subject and 42 hours for the second!

Next, the intervention. The two subjects went on a week-long dietary change which included whole grain cereal bars, fruit with the skin on and whole grain breads. The result? Amazing. The transit time for both subjects improved substantially - in fact, the one gentlemen who was at 42 hours went down to 12 hours!

So, what does all this mean - they are just pooping faster?! Well yes, but more importantly - because fibre has an immediate affect on moving the 'waste' through our colon, that also means that it is removing toxins at a faster rate thus reducing one's risk for colon cancer. In addition, it also helps move bile (which turns to cholesterol when absorbed in the bowels) - so the faster you suck the bile out, the lower the cholesterol. It also helps get rid of sugar - another huge plus. All in all, with just one week of changing one's diet - the results are fantastic. Now that's what I call a magic bullet - good ol' fibre!

How much do we need? Women generally need 25grams of fibre a day, men about 35grams. Unfortunately, the average person only consumes approximately 7grams a day! So, let's up our servings of fruits/vegetables (7-10 servings/day will do the trick) as well as our intake of whole grains and let's get our bowels dancing again! :)

Taking a Mental Health Day

In our busy, very stressful lives, we often get so wrapped up in our 'to do ' list that we tend to lose sight of that illusive balance between work and home. Or more so - the balance between getting things done and actually enjoying your life! I know many can relate to that feeling that the inbox will never empty and that there is always something to do. We've all been there and some of us live in that state for days and even years!

Unfortunately, as we get swallowed further into the depths of 'work', our mental health tends to go with it, in that our zest for life, happiness and overall satisfaction tends to teeter. I completely understand. As a small business owner, I often feel like there is so much to do and never enough time. Add on to that a Type A, over-achiever that I am, and you've got yourself a real state of imbalance!

So, in order to regain control and find that balance, I personally MAKE and TAKE time, or as I call it, a 'Mental Health' Day (or even an hour!) to really reset my system and refocus on what is important. I truly believe we all need to do this - some more than others - in order to remember the 'big picture'. Funny, someone said to me recently, 'you know, when I die I don't want to be thinking about what else I had on my 'to do' list - I want to know that I was happy, fulfilled and worked hard but also loved life just as much' - how wise. We've heard the saying 'People don't regret what they DID do, its what they DIDN'T do' - what are you not getting enough of in your life? Too much work, not enough family time? Physical fitness? Hobbies? These are all so vital and important for our mental/emotional health & overall well-being, is it essential.

Interestingly, I find that when I put work first and get out of balance, my body lets me know right away. That may be a low back ache or headache (from sitting at the computer too long!), less than great sleep etc. - that's when I know I need to get back on track. We need to be conscious and aware of what our bodies are telling us. Symptoms are often signals for us to change.

So for those who are all stressed up and nowhere to go - take some time, a mental health day and remember what is important, what your purpose is and what you can do to bring more joy into your life!

WIsing you Good Physical & Mental Health Always.

Yummy Hummus!

Recently I tried out a fantastic recipe from the book, Living the G.I. Diet by Rick Gallop and I wanted to share it with you all this week! I know getting in your 5-10 servings of fruits/vegetables a day can be challenging (yes, it IS 5-10 - most of us get 1-3!) so here is a quick and easy hummus recipe that can be made in less than five minutes and is a great dip for cut up veggies as an after-school snack or the 3pm slump!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can Chickpeas, drained/rinsed

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

In a food processor, on pulse setting, combine chickpeas, peppers, tahini, cumin and salt. As the food processor is running, add oil and water until smooth. Pulse in lemon juice and garlic.

Voila! Makes 1 1/2 cups which can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Enjoy with veggies! 

3 Ways to Stay Warm & Happy over Winter!

Greetings readers! I am in the lovely nation's capital Ottawa this week and let me just say, it is freezing here! I definitely am very 'done' with winter! (if you're reading this blogpost from somewhere hot - wish I was there!) In order to survive this cold, long season, here are a few tips to get you through the day and night!

1. Drink hot beverages instead of water throughout the day - now, before you think I've given you the green light to drink coffee non-stop, let me add that I recommend a non-caffeinated or low-caffeine beverage such as green tea, white tea or even hot water and lemon - these will all 'count' towards your daily water consumption without the calories (cream/sugar) or caffeine found in coffee or black tea. I know during these cold times it can be tempting to go to the local coffee shop and get a whipped-frapped-double-caramel something or other, but those drinks can run you the same calorically as a whole meal! Not to mention the sugar, fat and caffeine! So, stick with clear teas as a great way to warm up - and if you'd like, treat yourself to a low-fat version of your fave coffee shop drink on Fridays!

2. Hot Water bottle in bed - Don't you love the feeling of getting into a nice warm bed? Well, there's no better way to keep warm at night then putting a hot water bottle or gel pack in your bed 5-10minutes before hitting the hay. Just tuck it in between your sheets, brush your teeth etc. and welcome to a little piece of heaven! Just be sure to wrap the gelpack or watch your feet so they don't get burned!

3. Get your Vitamin D levels checked! I cannot stress the importance of Vitamin D, especially in the winter! To illustrate - here is an interesting story: I supplement with 1000IU of Vitamin D most days of the week in the fall/winter and I recently had my Vit D status checked with my fabulous family MD and guess what, I was mildly deficient! Needless to say, as the research has shown us, if you are of darker skin and live in a northern climate with limited sun exposure, you may be deficient - which may put you at risk for several degenerative diseases, according to recent studies. So get checked and pick up some Vitamin D from the Health food store! (remember it must be in D3 form!)

Hope these tips help keep you warm and cozy during the day, at night and feeling good all winter long!