Have you ever stopped to consider what your relationship with hunger? What your view on food is and why do you have this view? I was listening to a podcast today and he briefly spoke on our relationship with hunger and I found it so interesting as I had never stopped to consider this question. Once I started to consider it, I also was struck by how I view food. If I stop and think about hunger and what it actually is, which is your bodies physiological need to eat, I wondered how often I felt hungry through the day, which I boiled down to just before meal times. But how often was I eating outside the concept of being hungry? When I was living an unhealthy lifestyle, I can tell you my eating was terrible. Fast food, freezer meals and junk where just a few “go to” and I know I was eating outside the hunger pangs I was feeling as I was an emotional eater and would often eat when bored. Now that I am living a healthier lifestyle, I feel I eat my set out meals for the day and really try not to deviate from this plan. Since it is filled with healthy fats, proteins and is considered a plant-based diet, I find I am not hungry outside my set meals. When I do feel those hunger pangs coming on, I am learning to deny them to teach myself that I don’t need to eat just because I have pangs. I guess you could say my relationship with hunger has changed between the two life styles and if you don’t stop to take a second to ponder your relationship with hunger it’s probably something you would have never considered. Take a minute to think about this relationship right now… Do you need to make a change to your relationship with hunger or do you have a healthy relationship with hunger? Like every relationship in our lives, they all need nurturing and so does this relationship. If you have determined it is an unhealthy relationship, now think about ways you can make changes. Looking at this from a biblical standpoint, we are to consider our bodies as temples and we are stewards of this body, therefore the relationship with hunger is very important. We can’t let hunger dominate us, our thinking and our lives. One solution when you feel the need to satisfy hunger outside your daily caloric intake or to satisfy your hunger with food that will not nourish your body is to stop and pray, ask for the strength. You could also fast for a day or even a couple of meals to get control of your hunger. Many times, we eat more then we need to and its ok for our body to be hungry through the day as this allows our body to work through the food in our intestines. Do you know there are body who go days without feeling hungry? Have you ever done this? This fact amazed me but is an epidemic that faces so many people in our culture today. I really encourage to take a couple days to think over the relationship with hunger. Start to own your hunger pangs and be in control of them. It’s truly not the end of the world to be hungry, especially the individuals who have excess weight, as there is stored fuel that can be used to provide energy through those pangs. You goal is to get your body into a ketogenic state. Ketosis is a state at which the body has an extremely high fat-burning rate. Even the brain runs on fat, via ketone bodies. These are energy molecules in the blood (like blood sugar) which become fuel for our brains after being converted from fat by the liver. I really encourage you to do your own research, become a master of your body, find out for yourself what works for you and then share this information with others. This has been on my mind and I am still working through what my relationship with hunger and food. If you have defined your relationship with hunger, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below. I think the more we hear from others it will help us develop our own. Tiffany Ashmeade YOU & HUNGER are ONE
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Like most life changes, it isn’t so easy at first and I can honestly say by setting short and long-term goals, you are able to maximise your success. This works for beginner’s right up to experts and professionals.
The 90-day challenge is a great way to get some reasonable and tangible results showing your efforts are paying off. Three months gives your body time to adapt to the lifestyle changes and you can begin to form new habits. You also give yourself time for mistakes and setbacks, as we are human and they happen, thus it makes sense to factor mistakes and setbacks in to best prepare yourself for success. Fitness, like most challenging things is very mental and psychological. Thinking a year or more down the road can be overwhelming and intimidating, even thinking about sticking to a program or regime for six months can feel like a lot, especially for first timers. This overwhelming feeling can lead to failure and is the main reason most people quit. 90 days is that “ideal” time period that most people can commit to and through that period they will see results to feel accomplished and motivated to continue! So give yourself a 90 day challenge to; gain, lose, get stronger, trim inches, get faster, jump higher, swim strong or run further….whatever it is, just keep challenging yourself and pushing yourself to your fullest potential. At the end of it, you can say you did your best and gave it your all! If you are interested in starting a 90-day challenge, email me and I would be happy to help you set up it. Tiffany@ashmeadefitness.com Tiff Everyone keeps telling Dan that hes weird because he doesn’t eat dairy. The truth is he did as a child and is happy he doesn’t anymore. For all you cheese lovers out there, you might not like this blog but remember everything in moderation. I know there are times where I eat something that isn’t the best for me; we are all human, so if you have a little cheese from time to time it’s your choice and not the end of the world. What I’m presenting are some facts on the problems with dairy and then show you some healthy alternatives so you can get the same if not more of the same nutrients found in dairy products. I like keeping things short and sweet because like you I’m sure you don’t have time to read though a massive list of information. I have narrowed it down to the top 3 reasons why milk is a big no no!
Different from both allergies and lactose intolerance, some people have sensitivity to the casein (a type of protein) in milk. This sensitivity can trigger inflammation throughout the body, which may produce symptoms such as sinus congestion, acne flares, skin rash and migraines (Medical News Today). Calcium, potassium, Vitamin D and protein are the top nutrients found in milk and the good news is that you can find these in many other foods. High calcium foods include dark leafy greens, cheese, low fat milk and yogurt, bok choy, fortified tofu, okra, broccoli, green beans, almonds, and fish canned with their bones. Food that are packed with potassium include; Winter squash, sweet potato, white beans, halibut, ,100% orange juice, broccoli, cantaloupe, banana, pork tenderloin, lentils, salmon, pistachios, raisins ,chicken breast, and tuna. Vitamin D is the easiest, JUST GO OUTSIDE IN THE SUN! Vitamin D is naturally made by your body when you expose your skin to the sun, and that’s why it is called the sun-shine vitamin. Some natural foods high in vitamin D include fish oils, fatty fish, mushrooms, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. Finally protein (the most important to me!) can come from a variety of meat and plant based foods. High protein foods include meat, fish, cheese, tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds and protein isolates. So as you can see there are many foods that you can eat that are pack with all the essential vitamins and minerals. I am suggesting you keep dairy to a minimum or eliminate it completely! Trust me your body will thank you. Until next time! 3 Rules and Top 6 Power Foods
Hey everyone, today I’m going to talk about some general rules for good eating habits and also Ashmeade’s top 6 power foods. The reason that I say general is because when it comes to nutrition we as human beings can almost eat whatever we want. We just need to be conscious of portion size, frequency and nutritional balance. Here are some easy rules to stick to and the best part is there are only three. #1 Eat live, fresh, REAL foods. I don’t mean you have to eat “organic,” what I mean is simply eat foods that were once alive. If it swam in the oceans, lakes or rivers walked on the earth, climbed trees, grew from the soil or flew in the sky…EAT IT. Stay away from foods that are in boxes, cans and bags! Also try to eat cooked foods as little as possible. Most of the nutrients and vitamins are lost during the cooking process. 50% or more of your foods should be fresh and not cooked in every meal. #2 Stay Away from Dairy. There are many studies and tests that prove dairy products are not good for us but I will leave that for another blog. I want to give you some reasons that I see and from first-hand experience that you should not eat dairy. First of all we are the only animals that drink milk after infancy, our bodies are not made to process milk and over 70% of humans are lactose intolerance. When I used to consume dairy products, I had many stomach and digestion problems. This is something shared by many of my clients, friends and family. If you’re worried about your bones, you can get all the calcium, and other vitamins and minerals from other foods such as sardines and leafy greens like, spinach and kale. Lastly milk these days is packed with sugar, making it even worse for you. I would suggest staying away from dairy as much as possible. #3 No to Sugar and Yes to Fats. This one is simple…STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR!!! I’m talking about refined sugar. I don’t need to get specific, basically any food that MAN has made. (Refer to rule #1) Secondly, increase your healthy “Good” fats intake. “Good” fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats because they lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Here are the Top 5 foods that you should add to your diet. These foods are packed with the most essential vitamins and minerals for the body and are some of the best examples of foods in macro nutrient intake. #1 Spirulina- is a plant based Protein that is even better than hemp seeds. Dried spirulina contains about 51–71% protein. It is a fresh water micro plant that is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids. Being a plant based protein; you don’t have to cook it which reduces the amount of protein in the process. Spirulina is one of the only plant based complete protein. You can find it in the health food store and even Bulk Barn in pill or powder form. #2 Spinach- Spinach is a super food loaded with tons of nutrients in a low calorie package. Dark leafy greens like spinach are important for skin and hair, bone health, and provide protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. Spinach has 15 out of 21 of the most essential vitamins needed for human function and optimal health. You can add them to your omelettes, make it the base of salads and blend them into your morning shake. #3 Sunflower seeds- Sunflower seeds provide a rich source of vitamins E and B-1, as well as copper. Adding nuts and seeds to your diet benefits your health. They are easy and convenient, plus can be added to any salad or meal. These are the perfect emergency food when you are on the run or working in a situation where you can’t sit down and eat. Have a shake with a handful of nuts or seeds and that will hold you over until the next meal. #4 Coconut Oil- Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought. Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype. Coconut oil is the highest source out of all the oils and tastes amazing on salads and in smoothies. It is a little more expensive due to the high quality but you don’t need to use as much because of its concentration. #5 Goji Berries- Their history as a medicinal plant has roots in ancient China, where goji berries still are used to treat eye, liver, and kidney ailments. A host of additional nutritional and medical claims have made the fruit very popular. Goji berries are high in vitamin C and fibre, and low in calories. They are also a good source of iron and vitamin A. One serving of about four ounces of goji berries even provides nearly 10 percent of the suggested amount of dietary protein, a surprising amount for a fruit. They make a perfect addition to cereals, oatmeal, fruit salad or regular salads, also great in trail mix. #5 Cocoa- I saved the best for last! Cocoa is such an amazing food that it at times is considered a medicinal. According to Elson Hass in his book “Staying Healthy with Nutrition,” cocoa may provide antidepressant benefits. Cocoa may also have the ability to boost endorphins, which act as natural “happy” opiates. Finally, cocoa may boost serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that antidepressants target in order to boost overall happiness levels. On top of this Cocoa also contains approximately 43.6 mg of flavonoids per gram. Flavonoids are part of a powerful group of antioxidants known as polyphenols, and according to Medical News Today, cocoa is one of the highest polyphenol-containing foods. In addition to the above possible health benefits of cocoa powder, cocoa may lower LDL cholesterol, reduce the risk of blood clots, increase blood flow to the arteries, lower high blood pressure, boost cognitive performance and provide essential minerals such as calcium and potassium…. And it’s chocolate!! I’m not telling you to start eating all kinds of chocolate, remember everything in moderation. I also want you to have cocoa in power form without the sugar, not the mars bar…lol The main thing I want to mention is to focus on adding things to your diet instead of subtract. If you keep adding good stuff to your diet, eventually you will have less room for the bad stuff and you won’t want it anymore. It’s all about small changes to improve your overall nutrition habits and lifestyle. Food was created for us to eat and treat, but like all things it can be abused so stay in control and enjoy using food as fuel to charge your body, mind and soul. We have had a lot of people asking for tips about our nutrition and what we eat. We thought it was a good idea to give you some tips about grocery shopping
These are tips which will help you towards "eating clean" We hope you find these tips helpful and if you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below Thanks Tiffany & Daniel Here are some tips to help you achieve your health eating goals
1 year…365 days…52 weeks…8760 hours…of no scale…no weigh in’s! I have decided that I am not going to weight myself for the next year to prove the scale has no power over me. The last time I weighed in was June 30 2016…my goal June 30 2017! Do you think you would have the will power to do this with me? I felt on a very big high before I left for Africa, I had pushed hard and had really started to see that dreaded belly fat go down. After eating a diet I was not use to while in Africa, which consisted of many carbohydrates, I felt very gross once I was home. It has taken over 2 weeks to get back to feeling like myself again. During those two weeks, I felt very down, as if I had dropped the ball, as if I had gained a gazillion pounds and really wanted to give up on this “stupid journey”. It took a melt down with Dan on the weekend and some motivation from him to realize that eating a different diet in Africa was not our choice, I have not gained a gazillion pounds and what I did gain was sitting in my body which I have not gotten rid of thanks to a boat load of salads and lastly that this is my lifestyle, “so let’s clam down and get back at it!” We killed it at the gym on the weekend and I feel like I can do this! So with this goal in mind, I am going to continue to work hard, eat clean and watch my body change rather than hoping for a change on the sale. So pointers which help me out on this journey have been…
I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any other helpful tips please post them below in the comments. This is my goal…365 days…will you join me? If you are interested please post below your last weigh in day and we will work away at that year together! Tiffany Ashmeade Another great blog from Dan that I have decided to repost... I am so glad that our society has recognised the need for women to be fit and healthy. Not the old thinking that women have to be “thin” or “skinny” because that just promotes young girls to starve themselves, do too much cardio and become malnourished. Society has now shifted to the right way of thinking, which is, women need to be fit and lift weights just like men. This teaches a healthy lifestyle and encourages women to have functional goals that are more attainable, helps mobility and boost your self-confidence. The main reason I got into strength training/body building was to see how strong I could become and control the way my body worked. I wanted to look and feel like a super hero (The Hulk to be specific) and that has always been my “strive for greatness”. Now that I am going to compete in my first powerlifting competition, I will be able to test my potential and see just how strong I am. I feel everyone including women, should be focused on building muscle and gaining strength. With this is a focus of building muscle mass all of us will see a huge positive change in performance and aesthetics. You will notice you dance a little better, swim a little stronger and run a little faster. With the idea that all woman need to be lifting weights and gaining muscle mass I have listed some reasons as to why I feel “Ladies need to Lift”
Those are just a few reasons why Ladies need to lift and I hope you have learned how important it is to incorporate weight lifting into your gym routine. Tiffany's Max Deadlift! 245LBS Tiff and Stef killing a deadlife day!
Like most life changes, it isn’t so easy at first and I can honestly say by setting short and long-term goals, you are able to maximise your success. This works for beginner’s right up to experts and professionals. The 90-day challenge is a great way to get some reasonable and tangible results showing your efforts are paying off. Three months gives your body time to adapt to the lifestyle changes and you can begin to form new habits. You also give yourself time for mistakes and setbacks, as we are human and they happen, thus it makes sense to factor them in to best prepare yourself for success. Fitness, like most challenging things is very mental and psychological. Thinking a year or more down the road can be overwhelming and intimidating, even thinking about sticking to a program or regime for six months can feel like a lot, especially for first timers. This overwhelming feeling can lead to failure and is the main reason most people quit. 90 days is that “ideal” time period that most people can commit to and through that period they will see results to feel accomplished and motivated to continue! So give yourself a 90 day challenge to; gain, lose, get stronger, trim inches, get faster, jump higher, swim strong or run further….whatever it is, just keep challenging yourself and pushing yourself to your fullest potential. At the end of it, you can say you did your best and gave it your all! If you are interested in starting a 90-day challenge, email me and I would be happy to help you get started. tiffany@ashmeadefitness.com If I have said it ones I have said it a million times...The scale is garbage! Try to focus on the inches you have lost over the lbs you are not loosing. Take photos of your self (Front, side and back) every month so you can watch and have record of your body changing. Stay focused on working out 3-5 days per week and eating clean. When we talk about eating clean, our general guidelines are "no boxes, can or bags". If you can follow this you are generally eating clean. Set out goals for yourself every 3 months. It generally takes 21 days to form a new habit. Choose some areas in your life you want to change, decide which are a priority and change those first. Make a new change each month. In the last 2 years I have lost 98 inches over all! I have written down some tips I use what may be helpful to you and will help you see those small victories and ultimately reach your final goal.
Try implementing 1 of these tips each month over the next couple months. All of these small steps show I am taking control of my fitness, my life, my journey! |
"MADE NEW"
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