During my journey with intermittent fasting I was able to lose the weight I wanted to but also was able to identify many non-scale victories along the way. I’m sure there will be more to come as my journey progresses but here are those I have already discovered.

The biggest non-scale victory for me was the improvement in my health markers. My main motivation in beginning intermittent fasting was to reduce my blood sugar levels and lower my A1C. I had just had blood work done before beginning my intermittent fasting journey and with the elevated readings knew I had to make some changes. With the support of my doctor I decided that I wanted to use food and lifestyle as a means to change my health. I declined the use of any medications and went to work. Within 1 1/2 years I cut my A1C in half and reduced my blood sugars both to within the non-diabetic ranges. I continue today to see improvements in my health and remain medications free.

But wait that’s not all …….

There are many physical benefits to adding in exercise and movement to your lifestyle. Our organs and bodily systems benefit greatly from physical activity. The cardiovascular, digestive, muscular, nervous, lymphatic, respiratory, and skeletal systems all benefit in a variety of ways from moving our bodies.

Our emotional health is improved by adding in exercise as well.  When you exercise, your body produces “feel good” endorphins which can help you manage stress and can reduce depression and anxiety. Movement also can increase your self-esteem and give you a greater confidence.

Physical activity also offers many cognitive benefits, including boosting intelligence, improving memory, it may delay or slow Alzheimer’s disease, and reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Although much of the research focuses on the physical, mental and emotional benefit of physical activity there is one other aspect. Self-connection is enhanced allowing you to feel more present in your body. This self-connection can help you make choices that are more in line with your personal needs and values.

Reach out and find what brings you joy and excitement so that you will continue to move your body. If your exercising with other people and enjoy spending time with them you will also benefit from which nourishing your relationships and social life.

Making time for exercise and movement can greatly improve your quality of life and daily functioning.

Let me how you plan on adding in some physical activity into your daily life.

Enjoy!

Wishing you wellness always,

Donna

Colorful plant-based foods contain large amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also include something called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds found within the plants that protect them from bugs, germs, fungi, and other threats. These phytonutrients are good not only for the plants, but they are also good for people too and help keep us healthy. These phytonutrients affect our cellular structure and can help prevent disease while keeping us functioning at our best.

Overall studies show that we don’t eat as many fruits and vegetables as recommended even though we may be trying to eat a healthy diet. When our plates lack a colorful array these foods, it is a sure sign we are lacking the phytonutrient power that our body needs to feel nourished and heal itself. Many of our plates contain too many white foods (often depleted of nutrients), or brown foods (often fried or overcooked), or yellow foods (often highly processed carbohydrates). By adding in the colorful foods, you will crowd out the less nutritional foods and be on your way to feeling great and improving your overall wellness.

By eating the colors of the rainbow and choosing brightly colored fruits and vegetables you will help your body in many ways. Not only does it help you add more variety to your diet but keeps foods interesting and fun. Challenge yourself to eat 30 different fruits and vegetables in 30 days. This is a great way to try new foods and you also get a wide variety of nutrients to improve your health.

• Reduces chronic disease risk. Many phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables have anti-inflammatory and/or epigenetic benefits. These can help you reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, weight issues and more.
• Gut health maintenance.  A healthy gut is key to immune system health and function. Many colorful fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols that contribute to a healthy gut by maintaining the gut-microbial balance.
• Increased nutrient intake. By eating a variety of colored fruits and vegetables you will be increasing the amount of key nutrients that will benefit your overall health. These different colored foods offer unique disease fighting compounds to help you feel your best.
• Reduce psychological distress and improved well-being. Studies have shown that people who ate a variety of fruits and vegetables for 13 consecutive days enjoyed an increase in happiness, creativity, and showed an improved quality of life. Eating the rainbow has also shown to improve your brain power and cognitive tasks. Eating the rainbow adds more variety to your diet but also keeps foods interesting and fun. Challenge yourself to eat 30 different fruits and vegetables in 30 days. This is a great way to try new foods and you also get a wide variety of nutrients to improve your health. This proves to be a winning situation for us all.

While you are filling your plate with all the colorful fruits and vegetables you don’t have to avoid all the other great foods. You can still add in the protein, fats, and healthy carbohydrates.

Tips and Tricks for brightening up your plate.

• Start small and make changes manageable and sustainable. Remember that by filling your plate first with the colorful foods you will crowd out other food options. Try to eat a variety of colors each week but worry about adding too many colors in in one day.
• Variety is the spice of life. Try all the variety of colored vegetables. Carrots are not only orange but also come in purple and white. Eat not only cooked vegetables but also raw. For example, beta-carotene absorption is higher in cooked versus raw carrots.
• Gradually increase the colors of your fruits and vegetables. Combine 2 or 3 colors in smaller amounts at each meal. Adding in a variety of color is more impactful than eating a larger amount of only one color.
• Be adventurous. Try a new fruit or vegetable weekly. Eat seasonally or try a farmers’ market and ask the farmers questions.  Seek out new recipes and enjoy the delicious new foods you have discovered.

Enjoy the benefits you will feel while you crowd out those less nutritious foods and fill your plate with all those beautiful colors of the rainbow.

Enjoy!

Wishing you wellness always,

Donna

So, maybe you have started Intermittent Fasting to improve your health and lose weight? You hear that fasting improves insulin resistance but don’t really know what that means. I hope the following helps you to become more educated on this important topic.

First let’s start with insulin. Insulin plays a big part in your weight as well as your wellness. Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas. This hormone regulates blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels in the body. By doing this it plays a big part in impacting our health.

When we eat or drink, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose which enters our bloodstream. The pancreas then detects the increase in glucose and releases insulin into the bloodstream. This signals the cells in the muscles, fat and liver to pick up the glucose from the blood to be used for energy or storage. To help you visualize this process think of insulin as a lock and key. Insulin then unlocks the “cell” doors, which allows the glucose to enter.

With weight gain the high levels of insulin and glucose in the bloodstream signal the body to convert the excess glucose to fat for long-term storage. Many times, this is the visceral fat (intra-abdominal), which surrounds our vital organs and can lead to serious health problems.

There are many factors that lead to insulin resistance, but the primary cause is frequent eating patterns of highly processed carbohydrates that have been stripped of their fiber and nutrients.

Unfortunately, we are not even aware of what is going on in our body until symptoms alert us. An insulin resistance level, called a fasting insulin test, is not routinely done by most physicians. Our healthcare systems test for blood glucose more routinely but by the time you have a abnormal blood glucose or A1C you probably have had insulin resistance for many years. If a fasting insulin test was more routinely done, patients and physicians would be alerted, and lifestyle changes could be made in efforts to reverse the metabolic processes that cause many of the diseases that would follow if left untreated.

Here’s the good news! Intermittent Fasting reduces your insulin resistance and lowers your blood glucose naturally. Every time you eat or drink you spike your insulin causing your blood glucose to rise. Think of those times when you sipped a soda or sweet creamy coffee throughout the morning or afternoon hours or snacked multiple times throughout the day. Both habits kept your insulin and glucose levels elevated which increases insulin resistance and eventually Type 2 diabetes. By allowing your body the time to rest and digest you are allowing those glucose levels to decrease and improving your insulin resistance as well as your overall metabolic health. What a winning solution to improving your overall wellness.

Want to learn more or get started on your own journey to wellness just check out the services I offer on my website or send me a message.

I am here to help you become more metabolically healthy. If I can do it, I know you can too. Join me in creating ripples of wellness felt across the world.

Wishing you wellness always,

Donna

Join me as I help you connect to your inner wisdom. You are much more than you are giving yourself credit for. It’s time to slow down, listen and simply breathe.

Listen to the whisper of your heart. Love who your are right now. You are magnificent, capable, and nothing can stop you.

Then together we will design the path, find the solutions, implement those changes, and adapt as needed to allow you to thrive in every area of your life. You deserve to live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life. Let me show you how you can. Join me on your journey to Encompassing Your Wellness.

Feel free to reach out and contact me for questions.

Wishing you wellness always,

Donna