women's health Archives - Trish Tucker May

Top Tips To help you with emotional eating.

Written by trish on July 18, 2022. Posted in Brain Health, Gut Health, Hormone Health.

Do you suddenly feel hungry, stressed and overwhelmed?

Do you crave specifically unhealthy foods? Do you feel guilty or ashamed after eating?
Do you feel as though you have to eat immediately? Is your hunger satisfied when you’re full?

Physical hunger won’t make you feel shame about eating food, whereas emotional hunger is often linked with unpleasant emotions.

How to stop eating emotionally?

It can be difficult to stop emotional eating, especially when it’s become a habit over a long period of time. But don’t worry—it’s absolutely possible to address emotional eating and pay attention to your true hunger cues, allowing you to work through your emotions separately.

This will improve your physical and your mental wellbeing, and will be an important step to healing your gut and balancing your hormones.

If you feel hungry, drink water first.

Sometimes you can be dehydrated and confused about hunger sensations.

Wait five minutes before eating when you feel hungry.

Try to identify your emotions before eating. How are you feeling? How do you want to feel? If you are feeling tired, bored, lonely, angry, sad it can be helpful to find another way to sooth other than food.

Have a list of your tools in your toolkit and post it on the fridge. This could be a short walk, legs up the wall, lying down, calling a friend, or listening to your favourite music.

Keep track of your eating habits to identify your triggers.

My clients find it useful to track daily food in the client app – this helps with accountability.

Keep healthy snacks on hand for when you are physically hungry
Things like carrot sticks and hummus or a handful of nuts will help to satisfy true hunger – and if you don’t want to eat them, it’s a sign that you may not be physically hungry,

Incorporate healthy habits into your daily life

Go for walks – anything to get OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

Eat regular well-balanced meals – DON’T SKIP MEALS. This adds to stress.

Get enough sleep and

Connect with friends and family

All these will help to boost your mental health and help you to address your emotional eating.
Triggers such as boredom, sadness and stress can result in overeating—even positive emotions such as excitement and happiness can be a trigger, as well as using food as a reward.

By working to understand why you’re eating emotionally, you’ll be better able to recognise your trigger emotions and be able to actually work through them instead of reaching for food.

If you are struggling with bloating and emotional eating please download the free eBook.

To get started download the free eBook to beat the belly bloat and balance hormones. https://passion4juice.groovepages.com/

Tips to Help You Lose Weight over 40

Written by trish on March 10, 2022. Posted in Gut Health, Hormone Health.

I get asked about diets and weight loss all the time.

My best advice is to eat real food, not too much and balance your hormones by eating plenty of fat and protein at every meal. This helps with appetite control and blood sugar balance.

I often get asked whether a Keto Diet is best for perimenopause and weight loss.

The ketogenic diet involves a combination of food that allows the body to produce ketones in the liver to be used as energy.

It is also referred to as a low carb diet.

Let’s learn about the Keto diet and see how it can be your answer to weight loss.

How exactly does the Keto Diet work?

Since the glucose in your body is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed and are therefore stored. Typically, on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy. By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates.

Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the primary energy source. Optimal ketone levels offer many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

Weight Loss on a Keto Diet?

Before you can use a ketogenic diet for weight loss, it’s a good idea to have an understanding of how it works. Here are some important points about the ketogenic diet:

A ketogenic diet is centered around bringing the body into a state of ketosis.

Ketosis is metabolic process in which the body burns fat for energy instead of its primary fuel, carbohydrates.

When you drastically cut down on the amount of carbohydrates or calories you’re eating, and there aren’t enough carbohydrates from food to burn for energy, the body switches to the state of ketosis.

Once in ketosis, the liver uses the body’s fatty acids to make molecules known as ketones to burn for fuel. Those on a ketogenic diet eat a low amount of carbs to do just this.

Benefits of a Keto Diet for Weight Loss

Increased Fat Burn: When you eat low-carb and your body starts burning fat as its primary source of fuel, you’re essentially in a fasting state where your body is using your fat stores directly for energy. Those experiencing stalls in their weight loss or having trouble getting rid of unwanted fat can benefit from a ketogenic diet for this reason.

Hormone Regulation: Ketosis can help sustain weight loss by regulating hormones that affect weight. After you eat, the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is released by your intestines. CCK is responsible for stimulating fat and protein digestion and inhibits the emptying of the stomach, which reduces appetite. This makes CCK a great regulator of food intake.

Eating a ketogenic diet can also help you avoid cravings for food after losing weight, reducing the chance of gaining the weight back.

Appetite Suppression: Yep, ketogenic low-carb diets may be helpful in reducing appetite by altering the concentrations of hormones and nutrients that affect hunger. It’s no wonder ketosis is used as a strategy for weight loss; it removes the need to eat more or respond to cravings for unhealthy foods. This means you can better listen to your body’s true hunger signals without worrying about counting calories or going hungry.

Blood Sugar Regulation: When you’re eating a ketogenic diet full of healthy fats and proteins plus an abundance of vegetables, you experience more stabilized blood sugar. This is much better than traditional diet foods that are usually high in refined sugars and other carbohydrates, leading to a spike in blood sugar that leaves you feeling hungry again soon after.

Finally, your answer to weight loss without starvation, but still being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Increase the chance of maintaining weight loss, reducing cravings, and eliminating the need to stress and obsess over every calorie or food portions.

If you are over 40 and struggling with your weight book a free call here https://p.bttr.to/2MZVUKN

What is the best diet to support healthy hormones and weight loss?

Written by trish on October 28, 2020. Posted in Hormone Health.

Are you thinking about starting a diet but don’t know where to start?

Maybe you have heard all about the keto diet and want to know more.

This blog will help give you a rundown of the basics of a ketogenic diet so you can decide if this is your next step toward overall health.

A ketogenic diet is essentially a low-carb, high-fat diet which has myriad health benefits, from weight loss and appetite control to better maintenance of blood sugar levels. It may reverse the development of type 2 diabetes and helps control the onset of epileptic seizures.

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as “the keto,” is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves a drastic reduction of carbohydrates, replacing them with high-fat foods.

This reduction in carbs makes the body to go into the metabolic state known as ketosis, hence the name. In ketosis, our body becomes more efficient at burning fat to release energy by turning fat cells into ketones in the liver, which are helpful for supplying energy to the brain. Ketogenic diets have numerous health benefits; here are just a few:

Benefits of Ketogenic Diet

Weight loss

The ketogenic diet promotes weight loss by turning your body into a fat-burning machine. An increased speed of fat burning and a drop in insulin levels creates the ideal circumstance for weight loss without excessive hunger.

Balancing hormones

A Keto diet can help with hormone imbalances by improving insulin performance. Insulin resistance is extremely common, but most people are unaware of the problem until they develop serious chronic health issues. The Keto diet affects cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone released by your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands sit above your kidneys and release hormones into your bloodstream and respond to feedback from other hormones and chemicals in your body.

You can cause adrenal exhaustion from putting stress on your adrenals from a glucose response when we eat carbohydrates. Keto can help women with PCOS and other hormone imbalances including PMS, Endometriosis, and menopause.

Boosted energy levels and mental performance

A ketogenic diet stimulates the flow of ketones to the brain, which enhances brain focus and performance. It also boosts energy levels as the heavy fat cells that cause lethargy are burned.

Appetite control

A ketogenic diet supports better appetite control. As the body burns fat throughout the day, you have constant access to energy, which results in reduced feelings of hunger. This makes it possible for you to eat less and lose excess weight more easily while balancing your blood sugar levels.

Blood Sugar Control

The ketogenic diet controls blood sugar levels and may help reverse the development of type 2 diabetes. This happens as ketosis lowers blood sugar levels while reducing the negative effects of higher insulin levels. It may also be helpful in preventing the onset of pre-diabetes.

Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet has been shown as an effective therapy for epilepsy because it may reduce seizures while helping to reduce the side effects of some anti-epilepsy drugs.

Enhanced physical endurance

A ketogenic diet can improve physical endurance by providing constant access to energy by continuously burning fat.

Foods to eat

A ketogenic diet includes increasing the amount of the following foods in your diet plan.

Fatty fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, etc.
Meat: Red meat, steak, chicken, turkey, etc.
Eggs
Butter and cream
Unprocessed cheese
Nuts and seeds, including almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Healthy oils: virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil
Avocados
Low-carb veggies
Seasonings, including salts, spices, and herbs.

Foods to avoid

Foods high in carbohydrates should be avoided or limited. The following foods should be reduced or completely avoided while on a ketogenic diet.

Sugary and processed foods
Grains or starches
Fruit, with the exception of berries
Low-fat or diet products
Beans or legumes
Root vegetables
Condiments that contain sugar
Unhealthy fats
Alcohol
Sugar-free diet foods

How to tell if you are in ketosis?

When a person is in nutritional ketosis, they will have blood ketone levels of 0.5–3 millimoles per liter. Alternatively, people can use a breath analyzer to test for ketones in their breath, or they may use indicator strips to check their urinary levels. Ketone testing kits are available to purchase online.

The ketogenic diet offers plenty of benefits, but, as with many eating plans, requires a change in mindset. Consider giving it a test run for a few weeks to see if it is for you and reap the rewards!

What I recommend for healthy hormones and a happy gut.

Eat unprocessed food, avoid sugar, alcohol and too much caffeine. Make sure you are adequately hydrated and get plenty of omega 3 in your diet.

If you want to know more about eating to manage your hormones, lets talk.

Book a free half hour consultation with me if you are struggling and confused about what to eat. Find a time to suit here https://trishtuckermaycalendar.as.me/

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker May

PS If you would like to learn more about my gut and hormone balancing 8 week program just click here https://trishtuckermay.com/8-week-feeling-fabulous-gut-healing-program/

It may be the support you are looking for right now.

Go into 2021 feeling energized, brighter and lighter.

What are the best foods to easily reduce cellulite?

Written by trish on September 22, 2020. Posted in Hormone Health.

Cellulite can be stubborn, but it is not impossible to get rid of especially once we reach the peri-menopausal phase of life.

Cellulite is caused by fat cells that have expanded beneath our skin, and they look uneven because they push against our tissues. The normal dimpling of the skin occurs as the subcutaneous fat breaks past the cell wall and into the connective tissue. Topical use of essential oils can be very beneficial especially when combined with dry skin brushing.

Adding grapefruit, wild orange, lavender, lemon and cinnamon combinations of oils to your dry skin brushing brings extra circulation to the cells beneath the skin.

Cellulite Eraser Cream

1/4 cup Cold pressed coconut oil

1/2 cup Organic Shea butter

3 Tbsp Olive oil

30 drops Grapefruit

20 drops Wild Orange

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Lemon

Melt coconut oil & shea butter. Add all other ingredients. Let harden slightly & whip. Store in glass container.

Dry brush skin in circular motion on affected areas.

Apply cream & massage over areas previously dry brushed.

*consistency is key* apply daily!

I know ladies who come to my treatment room who worry about the appearance of cellulite and feel that it has become more obvious during peri-menopause.

Cellulite is commonly found in the thigh area, at the back of our arms, and on our butts. Adding some of these foods to your diet may help you reduce your cellulite and prevent more. Including these techniques into your self-care regime will also reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Sunflower seeds:

Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins E and B6, zinc, and potassium. These nutrients help repair tissue connections by metabolizing the protein in your body. They can also help remove excess water from your body, which is responsible for making your cellulite look more visible and prominent. As a side note, sunflower seeds are very salty and can make your mouth dry; be sure to hydrate appropriately.

Salmon:

Salmon is beneficial for your overall health, including toward eliminating the cellulite on your body. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which strength, and repair tissue connections. They also contain properties that reduce inflammation in your body and curb your appetite. Salmon can remove toxins that build up in your bloodstream and in your tissues.

Dark-coloured berries:

Dark berries like blueberries and blackberries come in handy for trying to get rid of body cellulite. These berries stimulate the production of collagen, which is responsible for creating new skin tissue and maintaining its colour and texture. These berries and their antioxidant properties can also break down the fat that is attached to the connective tissue due to their antioxidant properties. This allows the skin to push fat cells below the surface so that your skin does not appear lumpy and uneven.

Hot peppers and chili:

Hot peppers contain vitamin B6, which helps restore the health of your connective tissues. Their antioxidant and metabolism-boosting properties can help burn the fat cells responsible for cellulite. Hot peppers and chili can also flush out toxins from your body and reduce fat storages by regulating the flow of your blood circulation.

Herbal teas and water:

Herbal teas and water are the best and the easiest way to flush out harmful toxins and reduce those lumpy fat storages in cellulite. Make it a habit to drink loads of water throughout the day and drink green tea or any other herbal tea after each meal to help get rid of those uneven and lumpy fat cells stuck beneath your tissues.

Dark chocolate:

Dark chocolate can be beneficial for your health if eaten first thing in the morning. Dark chocolate is not only delicious, but it can play a huge role in firing up your metabolism and aiding in your weight loss and fat loss. It contains antioxidant properties that help break down fat cells, improve the overall functioning of your cells, and help build new cells.

In addition to these foods, you can also add other foods that contain antioxidant properties like hummus, olive oil, saffron, apple cider vinegar, cranberry juice, broccoli, oranges, turmeric, garlic, watermelon, grapefruit, apricots, and tomatoes.

If you would like to learn more about my 8 weeks to FEELING FABULOUS gut and hormone balancing program click here