Want to Balance Your Hormones and Optimize your Weight? Take these 4 steps!

Hormonal balance requires a holistic approach, including:

  • DIET: nourishing your body with a nutrient-rich diet

  • EXERCISE: engaging in regular physical activity

  • REST & STRESS MANAGEMENT: prioritizing sleep + managing stress, and

  • MINIMIZING TOXIC LOAD: reducing exposure to environmental toxins (as well as internal toxins!); start by switching to cleaner household products, clean beauty, etc.

I delve quickly into each of these points, giving you actionable steps in each category so you can start to improve your hormonal balance and overall health ASAP!

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10 Coffee Alternatives for better hormonal health

Taking a break from caffeine can have HUGE positive benefits for our hormones and gut health. That being said, it can be hard to cut out coffee, and one thing that can make it easier is to have delicious, comforting alternatives to replace our usual coffee ritual.

Here are my favorite healthy coffee alternatives!

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10 Tips for an Excellent Postpartum Recovery

As I’m coming close to the end of my “4th trimester” after birthing my second baby, I want to share some tips to help with HEALING after giving birth (natural or c-section) - also applicable to help heal from any surgery or trauma. These are things that I myself applied and helped me immensely to have a great recovery.

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Easiest Protein Yogurt Chia Parfait

I’m sharing one of my favorite quick and easy healthy breakifasts for those days when you don’t have time to prep your usual breakfast.

NOTE: This recipe is amazing for both gut/digestive health and for balancing hormones (and is of course pregnancy and pospoartum friendly).

Yogurt Chia Almond Butter Berry Bowl

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 cup unsweetened vegan coconut yogurt OR plain Greek yogurt if you tolerate dairy

  • ½ - 1 scoop unflavored (or vanilla) protein powder or collagen peptides *(see note below)

  • 1 ½ tbsp chia seeds OR ¼ cup chia pudding *(see note below)

  • 1 to 1½ tbsp almond butter (option to swap for another nut/seed butter)

  • ½ cup frozen blueberries, strawberries OR cherries, microwaved for 30 seconds (can also use fresh!)

  • optional: 1-2 tablespoons low-glycemic granola

Instructions: Add all ingredients to a bowl and enjoy! *see blog for many tips, subsitutions, etc.

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Healthy dinner recipes - salmon with pesto, kale salad, and a quinoa-veggie salad

Today I’m sharing an entire 3-part menu (including four healthy recipes), which is perfect for a family lunch or dinner, or for hosting a few friends or another couple.

This menu is PACKED with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber, making it great for your digestion, for longevity, immunity, and for hormonal balance. It’s also very balanced in protein, healthy fats and healthy low-glycemic carbs, making it ideal for keeping blood sugar stable.

Menu (all gluten-free and dairy-free):

  • Kale, Fennel & Avocado Salad

  • Quinoa Bell Pepper Salad

  • Roasted Salmon with a Pumpkin & Hemp Seed Pesto

Watch the video to learn how to make these recipes easily, and get tons of cooking/prep tips! And check out my recipes below. Enjoy!

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A delicious, colorful & flavorful salad you'll love

I’m sharing one of my favorite salad bowl recipes - Mediterranean Salad Bowl (inspired by a BeingBrigid recipe) - that is packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats, but also rich in colorful, antioxidant-rich veggies that help promote longevity and better immunity (among many other benefits). It’s easy and delicious, and one of my favorite meals for a hot summer day, or when I’m ovulating.

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5 Foods to Combat Stress & Anxiety

When people think of stress, they think mostly of work and deadlines. But there are so many other forms of stress that are impacting your health. And one of the biggest ones comes from the FOOD that you’re putting into your body.

The foods you eat can affect your hormonal balance and create inflammation in your gut, all of which can stress out your body.

Generally, when your body experiences any type of stress, its primary focus becomes controlling that stress. Your body will secrete more cortisol and adrenaline, which tells your system to “restock on the energy supply” even if it’s not really depleted. As a result, it makes you hungry and encourages fat storage. Yikes! (This is why I say, “stress can make you fat!”) Note: everyone is different and people respond differently to stress, but this is what most commonly happens.

And what’s interesting is that certain foods contribute to stress on your body, while others help alleviate it.

What are the key foods that creates stress?  

Coffee, alcohol, sugar, and generally, all heavily processed foods. They increase your stress hormone levels, and will feed the bad bacteria in your gut, causing stress in both your hormones and your gut.

What are the foods that actually help your body stay healthy and combat stress? 

Read my blog for 5 categories of foods that help your body cope with stress and anxiety, from the inside out!

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Your new Favorite Healthy Tacos 3 ways: Fish, Shrimp & Vegan Tacos

I love to do “Taco Tuesdays” and alternate between fish tacos, shrimp tacos and vegan tacos. All three are delicious, and I keep them low-carb by using homemade almond flour tortillas (or I buy the Siete grain-free tortillas). Also, I make sure to ALWAYS add a healthy homemade sauce (my creamy cilantro sauce is vegan and delicious!) and some greens and/or veggies to keep them extra-nutritious, fiber-rich and balanced.

Read my blog for my 3 go-to Taco Recipes (FISH, SHRIMP and VEGAN tacos).

Note: all 3 recipes are high in protein, fiber and healthy fats to support optimal blood sugar balance (plus great for your gut and “anti-inflammatory” as they’re dairy-free and gluten-free).

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World Health Day: 4 ways to embrace it and support your health

Happy World Health Day - a special day (April 7th) that serves as a reminder to prioritize our physical, mental and social health and wellbeing.

For me personally, my definition and understanding of health has changed a lot over these past 20 years since I’ve been immersed in the health and wellness world.

Given my journey, personal experience and years as a health caoch, this year I’ve drawn 4 key conclusions on how we can best prioritize our health (and then I share 4 things you can start doing today to put in practice)!

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Five Reasons For Your Bloating & How to Cure It

I used to constantly struggle with a bloated belly, where I often felt like I was 3 months pregnant.  It was terrible, but nothing I did seemed to make it go away,  so it became normal for me.  I tried many diets, and maybe a 2 or 3 day juice cleanse would help temporarily, but of course, a few days back to my normal eating and the bloating would come back.  

It took me a long time - essentially one year of nutrition courses and lots of additional personal research and experimentation - to finally realize that the bloating was not normal, and was totally curable.  

So if you’re in the same camp as I was, struggling with constant bloating and maybe occasional gasiness, it’s important for you to know that there is a cure to get rid of this for good.  Like most things, it all starts with identifying the root cause behind your bloating.  So let’s take a look at what I have found to be the key triggers of bloating, gas and constipation:

  • Imbalance in your gut bacteria

  • Gut infections and/or Food sensitivities

  • Lack of digestive enzymes / low stomach acid

  • Lifestyle: Stress, Eating rushed, and Not chewing your food properly

  • Diet: Eating inflammatory foods, Improper food combinations and Not prepping/cooking your foods properly

Read more at my blog to discover the 5 steps to cure your gas and bloating both short and long term!

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March: National Nutrition Month - 6 nutrition tips for optimal health

March is National Nutrition Month, a month to help increase awareness about the importance of good nutrition for improving your overall health. Making healthy food choices and improving your eating habits (in combination with incorporating more physical activity and stress reduction into your lifestyle) can help prevent many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. And of course, it will help you LOOK and FEEL better, have more confidence and be happier!

Here are 6 of my best tips to help you make healthier nutrition choices (to minimize risk of disease, reach and maintain your ideal weight, and feel better in your body overall).

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Ready to Improve Your Health This Year? Start with these 7 Steps

If this year, you’ve realized YOUR HEALTH is a top priority, you know you want to positively and definitively upgrade your health this year (in a way that does not require suffering nor excess restriction, and actually LASTS), but you’re not sure where to start, I’m here to help!

After a decade of experience as a health coach, I can share 7 key steps to embark on a successful health journey.

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A Day of Detox Post-Thanksgiving: 9 Steps to Feel Lighter

After your Thanksgiving meal (or any large dinner) you will likely feel lower in energy, heavy, bloated and a bit guilty. I urge you to let go of the guilt, be thankful for your delicious meal, and instead, just focus on getting your body back on (a healthy) track.

The day after your big meal, follow these 9 tips to boost your metabolism, aid your digestion, and get yourself feeling light again!

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WHY ITS HELPFUL TO REMOVE CERTAIN FOODS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME

While I am a big believer in an inclusive, varied and balanced diet, there are times when we are unknowingly consuming foods that are taxing our beautiful bodies and causing us to gain weight or just not feel our best.

For this reason, I am also a big believer in doing a periodic cleanse (like my 10 day detox) as a mini RESET, and an opportunity to check in with our bodies and see what might be affecting us.

The thing is, many of the foods we eat every day contain a ton of pesticides, and/or have an acidifying effect on the body, and/or are mucus-forming, and/or are simply difficult to digest. By avoiding these foods for 10+ days, you give your digestion a pause from these potentially inflammatory foods (while nourishing your body with an extra dose of superfoods, vitamins, minerals and proteins that help your body detox), and will be in a good place to re-introduce potentially triggering foods and see how they affect you.

LEARN MORE about what we eliminate and WHY (it’s useful info so don’t miss out!) in today’s blog…

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A Healthy, Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!! This is such a fun time especially for the kids, but candies and sugary treats are floating around everywhere, and the sugar temptation is huge! It's once a year, so enjoy this funky spooky holiday... but make this year a HEALTHIER one - for both you and your family.

It CAN be done with just a bit more AWARENESS. Today I’m sharing TIPS on keeping your body healthy this Halloween, plus better alternatives to traditional Halloween candy (and more). Check out all my links, and please share with your family and friends so they can stay healthy, too!

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How to Eat Carbs Without Fear

Carbs can be found in SO many foods, ranging from highly processed foods (with NO meaningful nutrition!), to vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains that are rich in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.

Some carbs are definitely more beneficial than others - though many factors play a role in determining this, including portion sizes, presentation, preparation, and even your own gut. To keep it simple, generally, the less refined the food, the better.

It’s important to remember that in moderate amounts, whole food carbs like fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes and whole grains can be excellent for our overall health, especially if we eat them right.

Read my blog to learn the different categories of carbs in terms of how often to eat them (ranging from always, often, less often to avoid) and TIPS for eating them to better support our metabolic health.

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A Key Element for a Healthy, Happy Brain (and 5 steps to take now)

The gut-brain connection is extremely powerful, which means that a huge part of having a healthy mind is having a healthy “gut”.

If you’ve ever felt butterflies in your stomach when nervous, or nauseous when scared, you KNOW your gut is sensitive to your emotions and stress. And the reverse is also true. The health of our gut has a direct effect on our brain and mood. Poor digestion from too much processed foods, bad food combinations, or poor elimination (ex. not pooping properly) can have a huge negative impact on your mood, energy levels, mental clarity (and more!).

SO if you want to have a healthy, happy brain, you need to start by having a healthy GUT! Here are 5 steps to get you started…

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Low Sugar Smoothie Bowl for Energy, good Digestion and Immunity

How you start off your morning HUGELY impacts how you feel the rest of the day - in terms of digestion, energy, motivation and your metabolism/weight.

Today I’m sharing a delicious smoothe bowl recipe that helps STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR, BOOST ENERGY, BALANCE HORMONES, IMPROVE IMMUNITY and can support WEIGHT LOSS.

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4 steps to make a delicious SATISFYING smoothie

I’m a huge fan of smoothies for breakfast, but only because I’ve found how to make them delicious yet still super healthy, low-glycemic and most importantly: FILLING. What’s my trick?

I always add these 4 ingredients (in good quantities)… Read my blog for the 4 important elements to a healthy, delicious, metabolism-boosting, hormone-balancing, satisfying and FILLING smoothie.

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I tried a CGM and here is what I learned + 8 tips to avoid glucose spikes

I'm sharing my experience with testing out a LEVELS Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) to help me learn what caused increases in my blood sugar, and what helped me keep it stable. Based on my experience and research, I'm sharing 8 tips for balancing your blood sugar, to help with weight loss, balanced hormones and better overall health.

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