Meal Prep 101

Meal prepping is a beautiful thing! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it.

So let’s set you up for success.

Get Organized

For me, a crucial aspect of meal prepping is getting organized. This means before I step foot into the grocery store, I want to have all of my containers washed and ready to go.

I recommend using glass storage containers for food prepping and storage.  Glass containers last forever, are easy to clean and don’t contain harmful chemicals. Stay away from plastics! As well, look for a variety of sizes.

Also, make sure to invest in enough containers to last you all week.

You also want to make sure your containers are travel-friendly, so you don’t experience any spills along the way. 

Once you have your containers, it’s time to start the grocery list.

Make Your List

Checklist

I love making lists. This way, I don’t forget anything I need.  Lists also allow you to group like items together, so you’re not wasting time at the store going back and forth between aisles and departments. 

Before you can make your list, you need to know what you’re making.

How to find the recipes is really up to you. Some people like to peruse the internet and apps like Pinterest for tasty recipes throughout the week. Others enjoy looking through cookbooks while having their morning coffee.

While you’re likely to come across a ton of tasty sounding dishes, keep in mind too many recipes can also be overwhelming. To save time, and to go easy on your wallet, look for recipes with similar ingredients for the week.

If you’re new to cooking or meal prepping, there’s nothing wrong with starting with just a couple of recipes to prep for the week to get you going.

How Are You Prepping?

When it comes to how you meal prep, you have many options.

Types of meal prep include:

  • Full make-ahead meals: You cook an entire meal and store it in your fridge or freezer.
  • Batch cooking or freezing: Make multiple meals, then portion and store them. This approach is useful for recipes you can easily cook in large amounts (like big pots of soup, rice, or mashed sweet potatoes).
  • Meals for one: Prepare food and portion it in single-serving containers. (Usually enough to last a few days)
  • Ingredient prep: For people who like to cook and serve food all at once, just prep parts of recipes. Chop veggies, mix spices, or marinate meat in advance to save time when you’re ready to cook.

meal prepThe best part is you don’t have to choose just one option! 

While you’re prepping your lunches for the week, let’s say,  you know you’ll need chopped onions and carrots for at least one dinner. Prep everything at once and store the dinner ingredients separately. 

What a time-saver!

And Here Are Other Benefits To Meal Prepping

When done right, meal prep can save you money. Meal prepping allows you to save money by purchasing items in bulk and freezing for later use. Always stock up on staples like olive oil, spices, and condiments when they’re on sale. 

Meal prepping also helps you reduce waste. When you’re portioning out your servings for the week, you know exactly how much to make and how much you have. So, no more forgotten leftovers in the back of the fridge.

Finally, unlike processed meals, this method gives you total control over what goes into your food—perfect for anyone who wants to stay on track with their health goals.

Tips To Top It All Off

When you first start meal prepping, there are some mistakes I want to help you avoid.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many new or complex recipes with a long list of ingredients. It’s easy to get swept away with yummy and exotic-sounding new dishes—start simple, with recipes you already know how to make and know you like.

Make sure to plan meals that will help keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day. Look for recipes that offer you the right balance of your macros and micros.

Lastly, when planning for your prepping, keep your schedule in mind. You’ll need to set aside time to shop and prepare your meals.  This might take some reorganizing but it’s worth it!

It just takes a little time and practice but soon you’ll be a happy meal prepper!

 

Three Must Eat Breakfast Foods

Do you love your breakfast?  Do you have a short list of “go-to” recipes?  Do you need a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again?

If so, read on!

Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, metabolism and weight loss.  This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and uses up a bunch of calories to absorb and metabolize it.  So I’m going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats for your soon-to-be favourite new “go-to” breakfasts.

Breakfast Food #1: Eggs

Eggs are the “quintessential” breakfast food.  And for good reason!

No, I’m not talking about processed egg whites in a carton.  I mean actual whole “eggs”. 

Egg whites are mostly protein while the yolks are the real nutritional powerhouses.  Those yolks contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

Eggs have been shown to help you feel full, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help to stabilize blood sugar and insulin.

Not to mention how easy it is to boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in the fridge for a “grab and go” breakfast when you’re running short on time.

And…nope the cholesterol in eggs is not associated with an increased risk of arterial or heart diseases. 

One thing to consider is to try to prevent cooking the yolks at too high of a temperature because that can cause some of the cholesterol to become oxidized.  It’s the oxidized cholesterol that’s heart unhealthy.

Breakfast Food #2: Nuts and/or Seeds

Nuts and seeds contain protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  Nuts and/or seeds would make a great contribution to breakfast.

And I know you won’t be fooled by “candied” nuts, sweetened nut/seed butters, or chia “cereals” with added sugars – you know I’m talking about the real, whole, unsweetened food here.

Nuts and seeds are also the ultimate fast food if you’re running late in the mornings.  Grab a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds as you’re running out the door to start your day!

Not to mention how easy it is to add a spoonful of nut/seed butter into your morning breakfast smoothie.

Hint: If you like a creamy latte in the mornings try making one with nut or seed butter.  Just add your regular hot tea and a tablespoon or two of a creamy nut or seed butter into your blender & blend until frothy. 

Breakfast Food #3: Veggies

Yes, you already know you really should get protein at every meal including breakfast; but this also applies to veggies.  You know I would be remiss to not recommend veggies at every meal, right? 

Veggies are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fiber, and water.  You can’t go wrong adding them into every single meal of the day so if you don’t already you should definitely try them for breakfast! 

And no, you don’t need to have a salad or roasted veggies for breakfast if you don’t want to but you totally can!  You wouldn’t be breaking any “official” breakfast rules or anything like that.

Adding some protein to leftover veggies is a great combination for any meal.  Including breakfast.

I’ve included a delicious recipe below for you to try (and customize) for your next breakfast.

Recipe (Eggs & Veggies): Veggie Omelet

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 or 2 eggs (how hungry are you?)
  • ¼ cup veggies (grated zucchini and/or sliced mushrooms and/or diced peppers)
  • dash salt, pepper and/or turmeric

Directions

  1. Add coconut oil to a frying pan and melt on low-medium heat (cast-iron pans are preferred).
  2. In the meantime grab a bowl and beat the egg(s) with your vegetables of choice and the spices.
  3. Tilt pan to ensure the bottom is covered with the melted oil.  Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly fry the eggs without stirring.
  4. When the bottom is lightly done flip over in one side and cook until white is no longer runny.

Serve & Enjoy!

Tip:  Substitute grated, sliced, or diced portion of your favourite vegetable.  Try grated carrots, chopped broccoli or diced tomato.

References:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/eggs-worse-than-fast-food

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/eggs/

https://authoritynutrition.com/eating-healthy-eggs/

https://authoritynutrition.com/12-best-foods-to-eat-in-morning/

 

How Do I Keep My Blood Sugar Stable?

Oh, the words “blood sugar.”

Does it conjure up visions of restrictive eating, diabetes medications, or insulin injections?

Blood sugar is the measure of the amount of sugar in your blood. You need the right balance of sugar in your blood to fuel your brain and muscles.

The thing is, it can fluctuate. A lot.

This fluctuation is the natural balance between things that increase it; and things that decrease it. When you eat food with sugars or starches (“carbs”), then your digestive system absorbs sugar into your blood. When carbs are ingested and broken down into simple sugars, your body keeps blood sugar levels stable by secreting insulin. Insulin allows excess sugar to get it out of your bloodstream and into your muscle cells and other tissues for energy

Why keep my blood sugar stable?

Your body wants your blood sugar to be at an optimal level. It should be high enough, so you’re not light-headed, fatigued, and irritable. It should be low enough that your body isn’t scrambling to remove excess from the blood.

When blood sugar is too low, this is referred to as “hypoglycemia.”

When blood sugar is too high, it is referred to as hyperglycemia.  Prolonged periods of elevated blood sugar levels (chronic hyperglycemia) can lead to “insulin resistance.”

Insulin resistance is when your cells are just so bored of the excess insulin that they start ignoring (resisting) it, and that keeps your blood sugar levels too high.

Insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycemia can lead to inflammation.  And inflammation is a contributing factor in the development of cancer.

So let’s look at how you can optimize your food and lifestyle to keep your blood sugar stable.

Food for stable blood sugar

The simplest thing to do to balance your blood sugar is to reduce the number of refined sugars and starches you eat.  To do this, you can start by dumping sweet drinks and having smaller portions of dessert.

Eating more fiber is helpful too. Fiber helps to slow down the amount of sugar absorbed from your meal; it reduces the “spike” in your blood sugar level.  Fiber is found in plant-based foods (as long as they are eaten in their natural state, processing foods removed fiber).  Eating nuts, seeds and whole fruits and veggies (not juiced) is a great way to increase your fiber intake.

FUN FACT: Cinnamon has been shown to help cells increase insulin sensitivity. Not to mention it’s a delicious spice that can be used in place of sugar. (HINT: It’s in the recipe below)

Lifestyle for stable blood sugar

Exercise also helps to improve your insulin sensitivity; this means that your cells don’t ignore insulin’s call to get excess sugar out of the blood.  Not to mention, when you exercise, your muscles are using up that sugar they absorbed from your blood. But you already knew that exercise is healthy, didn’t you?

Would you believe that stress affects your blood sugar levels? Yup! Stress hormones increase your blood sugar levels. If you think about the “fight or flight” stress response, what fuel do your brain and muscles need to “fight” or “flee”? Sugar! When you are stressed signals are sent to release stored forms of sugar back into the bloodstream, increasing blood sugar levels.  So, try to reduce the stress you’re under and manage it more effectively. Simple tips are meditation, deep breathing, or gentle movement.

Sleep goes hand-in-hand with stress. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, you tend to release stress hormones, have a higher appetite, and even get sugar cravings. Sleep is crucial, often overlooked, factor when it comes to keeping your blood sugar stable. Make sleep more of a priority – it will do your blood sugar (and the rest of your physical and mental health) good.

Conclusion

Your body is on a constant 24-hour quest to keep your blood sugar stable. The body has mechanisms in place to do this, but those mechanisms can get tired (resistant).  Long-term blood sugar issues can spell trouble.

There are many nutrition and lifestyle approaches you can take to help keep your blood sugar stable. Minimizing excessive carbs, and eating more fiber, exercising, reducing stress, and improving sleep are all key to having stable blood sugar (and overall good health).

Recipe (blood sugar balancing): Cinnamon Apples 

Serves 4

  • 2 apples, chopped
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Place chopped apples into a small saucepan with 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes the apples will become slightly soft, and water will be absorbed.

Add 1 tbsp coconut oil. Stir apples and oil together.

Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.

Add cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Stir well.

Cook for another few minutes, stirring until the apples reach your desired softness!

Serve and enjoy!

Tip: Keeping the peel on increases the fiber, which is even better for stabilizing your blood sugar.

References:

https://authoritynutrition.com/15-ways-to-lower-blood-sugar/

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/research-review-blood-sugar

 

Not Sleeping Well? Maybe You Need To Eat More!

Consider this: We sleep for about 1/3 of our life.  That, my friends, is a significant amount of time!

So, what happens when we sleep?

Have you ever thought about it?

Well I’m here to tell you that there is a world of action going on as we lay supine bridging one day to the next.

Brain Action

While we sleep our brain is working hard to process what we’ve learned during the day. Research also shows that sleep may promote the removal of waste products from brain cells.  Effectively this means that while we sleep our brains are detoxifying.brain

Detoxifying and Repairing

While we sleep our body is also hard at work detoxifying other areas of our body, as well as repairing it.

Our liver is at its peak detox stage between 1 and 3 am and our lungs around 4am.

And during sleep our body repairs cells, tissues and muscles. It synthesizes proteins and releases hormones.

Immune System

While we sleep our immune system is hard at work defending us.  It releases cytokines (proteins that fight inflammation and infection) as well as antibodies and immune cells that work to fight off harmful germs and infection.

So, as I am sure you can surmise, sleep is not a passive passage of time.  It’s an essential piece of our health puzzle.

Sleep Disruptors

There are many things to take a look at when you are trying to figure out why you may not be getting a good night’s sleep:

  • Poor sleep habits like not going to bed at a consistent time each night
  • Stress
  • Certain medications
  • External light
  • Room Temperaturesleep

And I am going to offer up one more.  A reason not often considered.

Are you consuming enough good quality food each and every day?  If not, this could be a contributing factor to poor sleep.

You need to provide your body with enough of the essential nutrients that it requires to have the energy it needs to perform all of those tasks that I mentioned above.  It’s vital for a restful sleep.

Our activity level, metabolism, body weight and how much we sleep each night are key factors in determining how many calories we burn while we sleep.

You can turn to calculators like https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-sleeping-calculator/ to help you determine more precisely how many calories you burn while sleeping but to put things into a bit of perspective here, a person weighing 150lbs may burn 400 calories during 8 hours of sleep while someone who is 185lbs may in the area of 500 calories.

It’s significant isn’t it?

I’m seeing this issue pop up more and more, especially in people who are experimenting with some form of fasting.  Fasting can be a great tool if done properly.  But it is not for everyone and definitely should be discussed with a practitioner who has experience in this area.

So here is a parting tip for you if you are trying to improve your sleep.

Keep a daily food journal.  Record what and how much you eat every day.

What you learn from it may surprise you!

References

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-sleep-clears-brain

https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-sleep#restoration

https://www.healthline.com/health/calories-burned-sleeping

 

Your Nails Can Give You Insight in to Your Health

Through symptomology our bodies are always telling us the story of our health.  What we need to learn is how to understand the story being told.

Within this space, a well-studied area is fingernails.  Most symptoms reflected by our nails are innocuous.  But others can be indicative of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Our fingernails are composed layers of a protein called keratin.  Healthy fingernails are smooth, uniform in colour and without pits or grooves.

What Your Nails Might be Telling You

Yellow Nails

Nails may yellow with age or develop through the use of acrylic nails or nail polish. Smoking can also stain nails yellow.

If your nails are thick, crumbly, and yellow, it could be due to a fungal infection. 

In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

Pale Nails

Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of serious illness such as:

  • Anemia
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Liver disease
  • Malnutrition

 White Nails

If nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can be indicative of liver issues such as hepatitis.

Bluish Nails

Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn’t getting enough oxygen. This could be a sign of a lung problem such as emphysema. Some heart problems can be associated with bluish nails.

Dry, Cracked or Brittle Nails

Dry, cracked or brittle nails can be simply a result of lifestyle factors such as having  your hands in water frequently, excessive use of nail polish remover or exposure to other harsh chemicals.  Low humidity can also be a contributing factor.

However, in some cases, dry, brittle nails that frequently crack or split can be linked to a thyroid disease.

Clubbing Nails

Clubbing is when your fingertips become enlarged and the nail becomes curved downward. This can be a sign of low oxygen in your blood and is associated with lung disease. Clubbing can also be related to liver or kidney disease, heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Spoon Nails

This describes nails that curve upward at the edges.  This may be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia, hemochromatosis (excess iron absorption), heart disease or hypothyroidism.

Pitting Nails

Nails that have multiple pits or dents could be a sign of psoriasis. Nail pitting may also be due to connective tissue disorders or alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Dark Discolourations

Black streaks or painful growths on your nail (or nails) needs to be taken seriously, as they may be due to melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

Tips to Keep Your Nails Healthy

Do Not Cut Your Cuticles

The cuticle of the nail is a natural protection against bacteria and fungi. Cutting them could leave you exposed to infections of the nail bed.  What you can do is moisturize overgrown cuticles and encourage them back with a cuticle brush.

Moisturize and Massage Your Nails and Cuticles

Massaging your nails regularly will improve blood circulation making your nails stronger and healthier.

Using olive oil to massage your nails is a wonderful way to moisturize!

Soak Your Nails in Green Tea

Green tea can help to make your nails strong and healthy. The antioxidants in green tea can help prevent brittle nails. Green tea can also help get rid of yellow discolouring.

  • Brew a cup of green tea and allow it to cool. Soak your nails in it for 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a week.

Eat Foods Containing Biotin

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin that helps to build healthy nails.  Foods rich in biotin include salmon, carrots, eggs, lentils, sweet potatoes and almonds.

Eat Adequate Protein

As mentioned earlier, nails are made of a protein called keratin.  Eating adequate protein daily will provide the building blocks for growing strong and healthy nails.

References

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-nails-and-health

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/12/07/10-nail-symptoms.aspx

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/nails/art-20044954

https://healthiack.com/beauty/5-tips-on-how-to-get-healthy-nails-naturally

https://www.top10homeremedies.com/how-to/how-to-make-your-nails-stronger.html