Metabolism. We know metabolism has to do with maintaining weight, sometimes gaining and sometimes losing – but do we really understand what it is outside of the love pouch that may have magically appeared in adulthood and won’t disappear? It is true that being inactive, getting older and losing muscle mass may contribute to a slow metabolism – but don’t worry, there are many things you can do to give your good ol’ metabolism a boost.

SO WHAT IS METABOLISM ANYWAY? 

Metabolism is essentially your body’s way of converting food and drink (calories) into the energy you need to do, well, everything. As we know all too well, a fast metabolism burns through food (fuel) more quickly and slow metabolism works quite the opposite. A slow metabolism doesn’t need as much food for fuel because essentially, the body isn’t using that much energy. 

METABOLISM’S ROLE IN PRODUCING ENERGY, BUILDING AND REPAIRNG

To understand metabolism, it is important to know that it consists of two processes. The first process is called anabolism, a process that requires energy to grow and build. It consumes energy and builds molecules the body needs. An example of anabolism is tissue building and muscle gain. The second process is called catabolism and it happens when you digest food and it’s broken down for energy. An example of this is when you consume a piece of bread and your body breaks it down into simple nutrients it can use like glucose (blood sugar).

These processes work together to produce energy, repair cells and to essentially help the body sustain itself and keep you alive and well. Not only does metabolism physically power the body, it is the mechanism that provides our bodies with energy to live our daily lives.

SPEED OF METABOLISM

Next, when understanding metabolism we also need to know about oxidation. Oxidation is the rate that you burn nutrients within your food – otherwise referred to as the metabolism.  Essentially, the rate at which your body ‘oxidizes’ will determine the speed of your metabolism and how slow or quickly it converts food into energy.

To break it down even further: there are varying types of ‘oxidizers’ – fast oxidizers and slow oxidizers. Fast oxidizers convert energy at a faster rate, like your ‘lean green bean’ friend who never seems to gain any weight. They need the extra protein and carbs to help them feel full and to give them energy throughout the day as well as to sustain blood sugar. Foods like fish, seafood, whole grains, leafy greens, beans, peas, lentils and nuts like almonds and walnuts are best for the fast oxidizer. It should be noted that a fast oxidizer really needs healthy fats (ie: coconut oil, nuts, seeds). If their diet is low in fat it can affect their metabolic needs for cholesterol and the endocrine system (aka hormones – fun times!).

On the other hand, slow oxidizers convert food into energy at a slower rate, meaning they burn through nutrients more slowly. They do better on complex carbohydrates like whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, sweet potatoes as well as lower to moderate plant fats in the diet. Slow oxidizers benefit from this mix of healthy complex carbohydrates and protein for energy and to help with the oxidation rate. While healthy fats for everyone are recommended, slow oxidizers don’t need as much fat in their diet.  Their plate should consist of cooked vegetables, a moderate amount of animal protein, a small amount of complex carbohydrates and fat coming mostly from protein sources.

So in a nutshell, slow oxidizers may find it difficult at times to lose weight whereas fast oxidizers can seemingly eat as much as they want and never gain weight. Luck of the draw it seems, right? Well there’s still hope for your metabolism to step up its game.

EAT AND ENJOY

A common thought is that giving the body less food will help with weight loss and metabolism – but this thought couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, if we don’t fill up our ‘tank’ or don’t eat for several hours, we’re not giving the body the amount of food or ‘fuel’ it needs to fully function. If we give our bodies several small and healthy meals throughout the day we are actually activating our metabolism by keeping our digestive system up and running. Most of us wouldn’t run too long on an empty tank of gas in our cars since the car would eventually stall, so why would we let our bodies run on empty? 

EAT PROTEIN LIKE A PRO

Incorporating protein is key to helping out our metabolism.  Protein helps us feel full for longer and gives us the energy we need to get through the day. Having adequate amounts of protein can help stabilize our blood sugar by slowing digestion and preventing post meal blood sugar spikes. Protein is food for our muscles in that it helps us build and maintain muscle, and keep in mind that protein increases metabolism –  so power up on protein!

GET THEM ZZZ’S

We all know getting more sleep is essential but did you know that getting regular amounts of sleep actually helps our endocrine system and therefore our metabolism? Poor sleep increases our cortisol levels which raises our blood sugar and can eventually lead to major health issues like Type 2 diabetes. Increased cortisol, also present during times of stress, leads to craving all those comfort foods and an increase in appetite in general. As well, a lack of sleep affects our ‘hunger hormones’, increasing ghrelin, the hormone which makes you feel hungry, and decreasing leptin, the hormone which makes you feel full. So diving into a deeper sleep will not only help you feel refreshed, it will also help control your hormones and keep your metabolism in check.

METABOLISM BOOSTING FOODS

There are many foods which can support your metabolism.  

As a rule of thumb, high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body. For this reason, foods like cinnamon help the metabolism by stabilizing blood sugar and preventing this increased storage of fat. Add cinnamon to your oatmeal or consider taking it in supplementation form for a higher concentration.

Healthy fats found in foods like avocados can help your metabolism as they promote satiety.  Add some avocado to your salad or even your smoothies for a creamy texture and you’ll notice you will feel more full for longer. Avocados can also reduce metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that happen together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Adding ginger to meals could increase body temperature and metabolic rate, and help control appetite, keeping you more full for an extended period of time. Ginger also promotes healthy digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties. Make a tea with ginger or an elixir with fresh ginger, lemon and honey for an immune and metabolism boost!

Are you feeling overwhelmed with where to start on eating foods to increase your metabolism?  Contact us to help. We know life gets busy and it can be hard to plan and prep foods that will help your nutritional and health goals – but that’s exactly what we’re here for.

 

This blog post is meant to educate on the foods and practices for a healthy metabolism. If you are taking supplements for these nutrients or are having blood sugar issues, it is important to see your doctor so you get the correct dosage for you. 

 

 Written by Amber Bechard, student of IHN. 

Amber Bechard is a sales enthusiast and blogger who loves to share knowledge through education and laughter

 

Whether you’re trying to get pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s key to remember to keep balance, moderation and variety in your diet.  What you eat during pregnancy can have a profound effect on the health and wellbeing of you and your little one. Regardless of if you’re planning on conceiving or if the bun is already in the oven, eating a well balanced diet before, during and after pregnancy can make all the difference. 

If you think about it, it’s pretty amazing that your body is capable of creating another human being. It’s possible that your baby is doing acrobats in your tummy and the last thing you are thinking of is food –  but we’ve got some tips for you on some of the nutrients to squeeze in for an optimal pregnancy.

GET YOUR DHA, MAMA!

Maybe you are juggling parenting duties already or you are just busy adulting – with your brain running a million miles a minute. DHA to the rescue! Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is found in food sources like fish and algae. DHA is important for brain and cognitive function and the baby’s brain.  It may not be able to help you juggle all the balls you have in the air as a busy mama, but DHA can help with focus and concentration. It’s also needed for baby’s actual brain development as well as development of their eyes and nervous system. Make sure your food sources for DHA omega-3 are lower in mercury including fish like salmon, sardines and anchovies. Additionally, walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds can help you load up on Omega 3.  If you do not eat fish, these foods might not be enough and it might be time to consider taking a DHA supplement.

Seaweed is a source of DHA rich in fibre – which can also be helpful at reducing constipation. While pregnant, red and green seaweed can be eaten more than brown seaweed since they’ve got a more moderate amount of iodine. Adequate amounts of iodine are important but it’s equally important not to overdo iodine while pregnant.  Please consult your doctor on the adequate amounts for you. On the flip side, did you know that seaweed is a great source of B12? This is great news if you’re vegan or vegetarian as it can be tricky to get enough B12.  Not sure how to eat seaweed? Make a seaweed salad. Add rice vinegar, sesame oil, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, and sesame seeds with seaweed for a fun and nutritious salad, or you can also add it to a nice warm broth of miso soup!

EAT YOUR CHOLINE

There are other nutrients that are often overlooked in pregnancy such as choline. Choline helps protect your developing baby against neural tube defects. It also helps the baby’s brain and central nervous system development. Taking a prenatal supplement is recommended and offers some choline but it’s also good to include foods that have choline such as eggs, lean meat, quinoa and potatoes.

 

NOT TOO LATE FOR FOLATE

On the same team as choline is folate. While the two are not the same, they both share functions of supporting healthy brain and spinal cord development and protects against neural tube defects.  In an ideal world, increasing folate intake three months before conceiving is preferred but incorporating it while pregnant is a good idea as it can also help with decreasing nausea. Foods that have high folate are lentils, dark leafy greens and beans.

PROTEIN, BABY

The power and importance of protein is underrated as it is essential for baby’s growth, including brain and heart development. Think of your baby as a miniature bodybuilder, building its body with the foods you feed it such as protein. Protein is the building block of your own body too, repairing tissues and building muscle, hair, skin and nails.  Sources of protein are lean meats, fish, eggs, red kidney beans, black beans and chickpeas to name a few. If you are vegan or vegetarian, now is the time to make sure you’re consuming adequate amounts of protein – besides legumes, other sources are soy (tofu and tempeh), nuts and seeds, and quinoa, which is a complete protein. What that means is that it has all the essential amino acids. 

PUMPING IRON IS NOT JUST FOR THE GYM

When planning for pregnancy, it’s a good idea to test for iron levels, as iron deficiency is common when pregnant. Iron is crucial as it helps keep your red blood cells healthy as they carry oxygen to your body’s cells, as these are needed for your health as you are growing a little human and your baby’s growth. If you are planning for parenthood, building up your iron stores before you get pregnant is a very proactive thing to do and adding iron food sources during pregnancy is great too, so you can have more energy during your days. As low iron during pregnancy can lead to low energy, weakness and fatigue.  Nutrients that we just mentioned being very important during pregnancy, folate as well as B12 are also key in preventing low iron or even anemia during pregnancy.

There are lots of ways to get iron, even if you are eating a plant based diet.  For example, white beans, kidney beans and lentils are iron sourced foods. And dark, leafy greens are your friends as they are loaded with iron. Are you so sick of eating greens just as they are? Blend them in a smoothie for a vibrant green colour drink and extra nutrients such as calcium, iron and folic acid. Try making kale chips or pesto for some tasty and healthy snacks. Tired of greens and craving something sweet? Even dark chocolate has iron! Get your iron and sweet tooth fix at once, sweet mama.

HYDRATE

We know what you’re thinking: how can you possibly have MORE water while your baby is bouncing on your bladder like a gymnast doing flips on a trampoline? The truth is though, pregnant women need anywhere from 10 to 12 cups of water a day. This is to help blood flow to the baby, to reduce their risk of fluid retention while also helping the amniotic fluid around your baby.

Are you tired of boring old water or maybe feeling nauseous and or/vomiting?

Pour yourself some hot water, chop up some ginger and add cinnamon, honey and even fresh mint to give the extra boost for digestion.  Ginger can alleviate nausea and prevent vomiting. It’s also a digestive aid, helps relieve gas, boosts your immune system and can relieve those sore, achy muscles aches from pregnancy

Are you feeling overwhelmed with making nutritious dishes to feed yourself or your family while you’re growing your human?  Contact us to help. We’re happy to feed you with foods that will help support you during this sacred time before or after your bundle of joy is here. We’ve got meal plans that will help keep you full, balance mood and hormones and keep you balanced during your first few weeks of being a new parent. 

This blog post is meant to educate on the nutrients important for pregnancy and how to incorporate them with food sources. If you are taking supplements for these nutrients, it is important to see your doctor, so you get the correct dosage for you. 

 Written by Amber Bechard, student of IHN. 

Amber Bechard is a sales enthusiast and blogger who loves to share knowledge and laughter.

TO CLEANSE OR NOT TO CLEANSE?

Now that Spring is here, it’s normal to feel the need to ‘spring clean’ your body by ‘detoxing’.  Maybe you fed your tummy excessive sugary treats and now it’s acting out with as much angst as a rebellious teenager.   Maybe you’ve had too much to drink over the past few months and it’s got you and your liver feeling lazy and sluggish.  It could be that your tummy and liver have teamed up against you and now you’ve come to think it’s detox time – but it’s important to note that your body is actually one step ahead of you. It’s always detoxing. 

With advertising everywhere to buy detox kits or jump on a juice cleanse, it’s tempting to hop on the cleanse bandwagon.  What we may not think of is that detoxification is a natural process our bodies go through around the clock. Our kidneys, liver, lungs and skin are constantly working overtime to break down toxins.  The challenge arises when we disrupt our body’s natural detoxification functionalities. That’s when things like yo-yo dieting come into play: you win some, you lose some – then you win some, and the perpetual cycle continues. Often strict detox diets can be unsustainable long term so learning to have a balanced diet is key to successful weight loss/maintenance and detoxification.

The body has two liver pathways in the liver detoxification process. In ‘Phase 1’, the liver breaks down the toxins. In ‘Phase 2’, the liver takes these toxins and makes them water soluble so that they can be excreted from the body. There are many foods we can eat to help support the liver as it works diligently at purifying itself during ‘Phase 2’. 

Brassica vegetables, otherwise known as cruciferous vegetables or members of the cabbage family, are naturally cleansing foods. Vegetables such as brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli contain sulfur which helps enhance ‘Phase 2’ of liver detoxification. Eating sulfur-rich foods, such as brassica, aids your body to make more glutathione. Glutathione is your body’s superhero – it’s the body’s most powerful antioxidant that comes to the rescue to take down the bad guys, aka the toxins. Essentially, when the liver is able to tackle the toxins and detox itself successfully, hormones and cholesterol levels become more balanced and, generally speaking, result in a happier liver. A happier liver can equate to a happier you.

Brassica vegetables are also high in fiber which is necessary for ridding toxins from the body. Essentially, toxins bind to fiber and are flushed out of the system. Think of fiber as the broom that sweeps our digestive tract clean. For this reason, relying solely on juice cleanses to detox can be tricky because much of the fiber is removed in the juicing process. As a result, toxins have a more difficult time being flushed out if only juice is being consumed. 

There are also many other ways you can support your body’s natural detoxification process:

CREATE NEW HABITS

They say it takes between 21 and 66 days to form a new habit – but the good news is you can get started on your new habit immediately.

Try to incorporate more water into your daily routine. Bored of plain old water? Add mint and cucumber or cherries and lime to it. Experiment with fruit and fresh herbs in your water for extra flavour and antioxidants. 

Try to make a habit of ‘eating the rainbow’ to kill off free radicals and to create a stronger immune system. Eating the colours of the rainbow is also a great way to increase more fruits and vegetables. Opt for organic wherever possible to be kinder to your liver and lessen toxic overload.

WHEN IN DOUBT, DRY BRUSH

Did you know dry brushing can give you softer and more radiant looking skin and also help you detox? Dry brushing helps increase blood circulation, stimulates your lymphatic system and promotes lymph drainage. And of course, it exfoliates your skin and improves elasticity.

TONGUE SCRAPING

Your tongue is like a book that can tell part of the story of your body’s health. A thick coating on your tongue can be indicative of numerous things, including poor digestion. Tongue scraping is not just for oral hygiene, it helps in stopping toxins from reabsorbing back into the body. It also releases these toxins and other bacteria from your mouth.

While self-indulgence or just a keen interest in maintaining health has brought you to the point of considering a detox, it’s good to remember your body has built in mechanisms to clean itself. That being said, we can show our bodies some love by supporting it with nutritious foods and by creating new, fun and healthy habits.

Are you feeling stuck with your diet and need a nudge in the right direction?  Contact us to help. We’re always here to help you stay accountable to your goals by way of delightful dishes.

 

Written by Amber Bechard, student of IHN. 

 

Amber has a passion for laughter, wellness and writing.

 

@raizholisticnutrition

www.raizholisticnutrition.com

Raíz Holistic Nutrition is thrilled to be offering WeWork members healthy and nutritious lunches every Tuesday at Bentall III and Thursdays at Bentall II. Menus are designed and prepared by Monica Nelson, Holistic Nutritionist, private chef and founder of the Vancouver meal prep service.

Every week, we will have two options for you to order from with an option to make it vegan/vegetarian or include animal protein, always free-range and sustainably sourced, of course.

How it works:

Every week, we will publish a rotating menu on our site, where you can pre-order your food. The cut off for ordering your food will be on Monday’s at 12pm, prior to each Tuesday at Bentall III and Tuesday’s at 12pm for Bentall II.

Lunch will be served at the WeWork office by 12:00pm each day, respectively so you can have a nourishing, fresh lunch every week.

Upcoming menu’s: August 20th and 22nd

Loaded Taco Salad

Romaine lettuce, roasted yams, roasted beans, charred corn, served with avocado dressing topped with cilantro. Option for chicken tinga or jackfruit tinga.

Pre order: Chicken tinga $14.50 >> here <<
Pre order: Jackfruit tinga $12.50 >> here <<

Salad Rolls

Carrots, cucumber, cabbage, tofu, rice noddles and cilantro served with peanut sauce.

Pre order: Salad rolls $6.50 >> here <<

Remember that the deadline to order is Monday’s at 12pm, prior to each Tuesday at Bentall III and Tuesday’s at 12pm for Bentall II.

Please email monica@raizholisticnutrition if you have any dietary restrictions we should be aware of, and we will do the best to accomodate.

Past Menus

August 6th & 8th:

Taco tuesday
Chicken Al Pastor Tacos with Tropical Kale Slaw Salad Two chicken tacos, served with pineapple salsa, salsa verde and tropical slaw salad. $12.00

Veggie Tacos with Tropical Kale Slaw Portobellos mushroom, red pepper and onion tacos with pineapple salsa, salsa verde and tropical slaw salad. $12.00

Single taco $3.50

Side Salad $5.00

August 13th & 15th

Wheat Berry Salad
Wheat berries, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mint, radish, feta salad and red wine vinaigrette.

• 

Glory Bowls

Build your own glory bowl: Wild rice, baked yams, roasted beets, shredded carrots, wild greens, sauerkraut with carrot miso dressing. Option of chicken or smoked tofu.

July 31st:

Vegan Caesar Salad $12.50
sub tempeh for herbed chicken strips + $4.00
Kale, romaine and radicciho with crispy chickpeas, croutons, walnut parm and a lemon wedge, served with cashew-based caesar dressing.
Pre-order: Vegan Caesar Salad $12.50
Caesar salad with chicken subs $16.50

Almond Pad Thai Zucchini Noodle Bowl $12.50
sub smoked tofu for ginger garlic shrimp + $4.00
Zucchini noodles, rice noodles, carrots, cabbage, daikon, edamame, cilantro, green onion and smoked tofu with almond butter sauce and lime wedge.

Raíz Holistic Nutrition is a meal prep and wellness company founded by Monica Nelson, CNP. Raíz provides meal prep services for busy professionals and families who care about staying healthy, and lack the time to prepare their own food. They prefer to invest their free time they don’t spend cooking, on things they value most. These meal plans are individualized to client’s nutritional needs and health goals. Raíz also provides private cheffing for retreats, private parties, platters and catering for events. To learn more visit: https://www.raizholisticnutrition.com/ and check out her work on Instagram @raizholisticnutrition.