10 tips for not eating your way through the lockdown

Amirite?

AKA how to not gain 19 lbs with COVID-19

First of all, let’s get one thing clear: It’s a perfectly natural response. It’s your Monkey Mind. You are anxious/worried/uncertain. In these times, we are not operating from our rational, thinking brain, but our primitive one. So,

Cut yourself some slack. 

Having said that, let’s talk about some ways we can try to operate a little more consciously to avoid a collective weight gain that will, in turn, cause so many more chronic health issues down the road.

1. Don’t buy crap in the supermarket!

   Seems simple enough, right? But when you’re in panic buying mode, this is what tends to happen. Again, here we are operating from the Monkey Mind. Take a moment. Breathe. Ask yourself, “If I felt safe in this moment, is this what I would choose?” No to the cheezies!

2. Get outside!

   Vitamin D is necessary for just about every metabolic process in the body. Nearly everyone is deficient at the best of times, don’t let it get worse now, when you need it more than ever.

3. Move!

   Get at least 30 min of exercise every day. Clinically proven to reduce appetite, it keeps you busy, and significantly reduces your desire to say, “just eff it!”, and head for the snack cupboard. 

4. Get Busy.

   The munchies are real at night time, aren’t they? Plan your “activities” at that time. We tend to have decent willpower during the day, so save the chores and to-do’s for the time when you might otherwise curl up with Netflix and carbs. 

5. Breathe & Meditate.

   Breathwork and Meditation help you to create that space between stimulus and response that allows you to make a better choice in the moment. Practice doesn’t make perfect but it certainly helps to broaden that space.

6. Nourish your Body and Mind.

   Get plenty of clean nutrition. Spend time making all the yummy homemade healthy alternatives that we usually just don’t have time for. Slow roast your own veggies. Make your own activated almonds and nut butters. Make a batch of slow cooker bone broth, veggie soup, curry or chili. Adapt Grandma’s recipes. Teach your kids these traditions and life skills. All made with love. YUM!

   At the same time, make sure you are feeding your mind with beautiful and healthy information as well. What a gift to have the time to read all these books you’ve been wanting to get to, and listen to all those podcasts you’ve stockpiled. Limit your media time, social and network.

7. Drink your water!

   You already know this is vital. Just do it already. Commit to drinking  at least 2 liters throughout the day, every day. More if you’re exercising heavily or live where it’s hot, like I do ;)

8. Sleep.

   For the love of all things celestial, use this time to start creating good sleep habits! Get at least 8 hours during this time. Take all the naps. ENJOY the freedom to do so! There’s no reason to stay up watching TV or going down the YouTube Vortex. Go. To. Bed. 

9. Self care.

   Take the time to really care for yourself right now. We need this. Again, What A Gift! Get grounded in what really matters. Make your own heavenly body scrub. Pamper yourself at home. Take a lovely long bath. Give yourself a mani-pedi. Let your kids paint your nails. Are you numbing out with food to try and avoid looking inward? This time is a beautiful invitation to do so - feel all the feelings. Let them flow. Let Go.

10. Reach out.

    To family, to close friends, to a coach, to me. Ask for help or just a virtual hug when you need it. This is vulnerability and it’s how we create true intimacy and deeper connection with each other, which is exactly what the world needs at this time. 💙 We heal in community.

Welcome to True North Wellness!

As many of you know, I have recently completed my Coaching Certification! (Fist Pump!)

I’m officially a Holistic Health Coach! This will come as no surprise to many as it’s basically the way I have been coaching the whole time, just now with a piece of paper with bases in nutrition & microbiology and psychology & spirituality behind it. After treating chronic disease for 20 years, it was time to take a broader approach to helping people, and incorporating my extensive knowledge of nutrition and fitness into my practice to better serve my clients, whether in the gym or the clinic. In doing so, I have broken it all down into

10 Pillars of Wellbeing

As we all know, life gets busy and hectic, and it becomes difficult to balance these 10 factors, but just like a building, if the majority of your pillars are strong, they will support you as you build the others back up to full potential. And then… you are pretty much unshakeable, indestructible, or as a couple of my mentors like to say, “unf*ckwithable”. In this regard I’m referring specifically to your health. Your immune system will get a boost and your susceptibility to inflammation and chronic disease including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and cancer will be significantly reduced. Not bad for just 10 items on the to do list.

I’m going to do a weekly post, pertaining to different aspects of wellness that I sincerely hope you will follow along with. My hope is that within these 10 weeks then, you will come to find yourself in a much more healthful place, upon heeding this advice. Likely none of this information will be new to you. But perhaps knowing that making just 10 small changes in your life could completely alter your health and happiness, your satisfaction and contentment, you just might take the necessary steps towards them.

So what are the 10 things? Well you’re going to have to stay tuned to find out!

If you know me at all, it will likely come as no surprise to you that I will begin this 10 week journey by talking about… Movement. You guessed it; Fitness. Again, if you know me personally, and let’s face it, if you’re reading this first post, it’s probably because you do, 😊 and I am SO thankful for your support!

I might know you from a high school, University, or community sports team, from a workplace team building race or fitness class, from one of my first gyms, (OMG remember Spa Lady & the DiscMan? Geez I’m old), from myriad races, in salt and fresh water, on and off road, on foot and cycle, or from any of the community or corporate gyms I have coached, been coached, competed, won, lost, or sweat in.

Movement has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is our most natural state of freedom and happiness. Remember being a kid and running around playing outside from sunrise to sunset? Stopping only when your Mom called you in for dinner? I am fortunate enough to have grown up during that era, and it’s still the way I prefer to spend my days – outdoors and free, whether it’s on the water, on the mountains, or in the forest. (I still break for food – more on that in the coming weeks.)

I’m going to encourage you, this week, to get off your duff and out into nature, or the gym, or even just around the block. Have you found yourself in a rut that takes you from bed to desk to couch and back to bed? And subsequently you’re just “too exhausted” to even think about exercise? Been there. Here’s a secret that I’ve learned in my many years of coaching. Ready? IT IS NOT EASY FOR ANY OF US. Sometimes my clients say,“yeah, but for you it’s just simple because you love it…”  Ummm, what? Erm…nope. Sometimes I want to stay in bed, curl up with a good book, binge watch the latest series, the list goes on. I don’t want to do it, but I DO IT ANYWAY. We have to cultivate the self-discipline to do the stuff we don’t want to do in that moment. The easiest and best way to break that behavior chain is to JUST START. Start easy, Start small, JUST START. Day One is the toughest day. By day 10 you’ll be chomping at the bit to lift that weight, and by week 10, you’ll be wondering how you ever managed without this daily dose of freedom and fun. I promise. And what’s more, next time you fall into a rut, because… life, it will be that much easier to get out of because you’ll remember that feeling of freedom and fun you are cultivating, starting NOW.

Let me hear what you get up to! I’m excited to hear all about the ways you’re moving these days! And it will also really help those lacking inspiration for how to get back on that horse. We are all  rooting for you! Thank you in advance for sharing your struggles and your wins! We all benefit from knowing we aren’t alone. That’s the whole point of this awesome community.

Head on over to Facebook to join us!

Get Out There!

“Nature itself is the best physician”

— Hippocrates

There's no better way to feel an immediate sense of calm, and of connectedness to each other, to humanity, and to the bigger picture than to get out into nature. There truly is no better medicine.

What’s more, we’re adding in the “Community” factor. Get out and meet people - outside! Not in a bar, not in a coffee shop… outside! We are stronger and better taken care of in community. It’s in our nature.

“The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital”

— Dr. Mark Hyman

Once a week I host a walking/ hiking/ outdoor fitness session. Ideally you’re getting outside everyday, but the reality is, we often lived a “boxed life” - we go from one box to the next - our home, our car, our office, possibly a gym, a restaurant, a mall, and back to our home. It’s no wonder more than half of the population is deficient in Vitamin D.

Start a group in your own neighbourhood or workplace!