Category: Mental Health

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Food Choices for Weight Loss: What Can Work for You?

What foods work with a healthier lifestyle in Canada? Foods That Help with Weight Loss

If you want to manage your weight, consider reducing your calorie intake. However, be cautious about going too low, as it can negatively impact your health. Instead, focus on healthier foods, a more effective weight loss approach. Read on to discover some foods that can aid in your weight loss journey. If you’ve ever thought about the best food choices for weight loss, then this article will set you on the right route.

The Role of Food in Weight Loss

Certain foods can positively influence your hunger hormones. Protein, for example, can help you feel full for an extended period. If you exercise regularly, it’s essential to include ample protein in your diet to replenish and support muscle growth. Dietary fibre slows digestion, leading to a gradual increase in blood glucose levels and a slower insulin release. This results in a longer-lasting feeling of fullness, preventing overeating and reducing overall calorie intake.

On the other hand, ultra-processed foods, which lack nutrients and fibre, are quickly digested. Consuming these foods causes a rapid spike in blood glucose levels, triggering a swift insulin release. Insulin works to clear glucose from your bloodstream rapidly, causing most of the calories from these processed foods to be stored in your fat cells.

Foods that Aid in Weight Loss

Eggs 

Eggs are highly nutrient-dense and rich in protein and healthy fats, helping you stay satiated longer. They also contain nearly every essential vitamin and some minerals.

Lean Protein 

Meats like chicken, turkey, and lean beef help keep you full, reduce cravings, and stabilize blood sugar. Plant-based protein sources like beans, legumes, and lentils offer similar benefits and are fibre-rich.

Avocados 

Although avocados are calorie-dense, they are packed with nutrients and fibre that contribute to a feeling of fullness, making them a valuable addition to your diet.

Salmon

Salmon is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, a type of heart-healthy fat that can reduce inflammation and support brain health. Fish, in general, can help you stay satisfied and full longer than other proteins like eggs and beef.

Vegetables 

Vegetables are among the best foods for weight loss. Choices like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are high in fibre and vitamins, aiding in reducing digestive issues. Dark green leafy vegetables provide protein and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

In Summary – The right food choices for weight loss

Numerous foods can support your weight loss journey. Opting for a balanced diet that includes adequate protein and fibre is a significant step toward healthy weight loss. These foods are easy to incorporate into your daily meals. Begin by making small dietary changes and becoming more mindful of your eating habits. 

Try a food intolerance test today to identify the right food choices to begin your weight loss journey.

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Exploring the Different Types of Food Intolerance Tests: Which One is Right for You?

Which intolerance test is right for you?

If you regularly experience headaches, stomach pains, bloating and fatigue on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to rule out a food sensitivity. Although these symptoms could be caused by other factors such as dehydration, eating too much and feeling stressed, it’s worth discovering whether your diet makes you feel unwell. A food intolerance test will help you to identify items that your body has difficulty digesting so you know what to eliminate from your meals in the future.

But with so many tests on the market, how do you know which one is best for you? In this blog, we look at what a food intolerance test is and look at the different Canada Food Intolerance tests available to help you choose the right one for you and your family.

What is a food intolerance test?

A food intolerance test is a straightforward, non-invasive process that helps identify your body’s response to various components. Simply send in 4/5 stands of your hair to the US Food Intolerance lab with a submission form, and we’ll test their cells to see how they react to a variety of food and non-food items. Once the process is complete, a report will be emailed to you with a breakdown of your body’s sensitivity to the items it has been tested against. This will help you plan your diet so you know which ingredients to avoid in the future to reduce any symptoms you experience.

Core intolerance test

A great choice if you’re on a budget but want to get to the bottom of your food intolerance symptoms, our Core Test assesses your reactivity against 300 items. Both gluten and lactose products are included in the compounds we test because we know these are some of the most common food sensitivities to suffer from. Although this option doesn’t include a vitamin and mineral imbalance test, the broad range of items that are covered will give you a good indication of whether your body has difficulty digesting certain foods. You’ll also have the option of upgrading to a 48-hour priority service, so if you don’t want to wait for your food intolerance test results, we can accommodate your needs.

Ultimate intolerance test

Our Ultimate Test provides you with a full digestive health MOT. It covers vitamin and mineral imbalance testing as well as assessing your body’s response to 900 food and non-food items (including lactose and gluten). Because food additives can play havoc with your digestion, this test also looks at your cells’ reactivity to E-numbers so you can eliminate them from your diet if they’re to blame for your onset of symptoms. The Ultimate test also reviews your gut biome (microorganisms that live in the digestive tract), which can also impact the health of your digestive system.   

Family Intolerance Test

If you’re concerned that someone else in your home has a food sensitivity, or you want to make sure that your family are eating a diet that meets their needs, we have an option to suit you. Our family testing kit contains five food intolerance tests to help you find out whether your nearest and dearest are sensitive to certain foods. All the tests included come with the health benefits of the Ultimate Test, so the whole family can learn about the unique needs of their bodies.

An intolerance test gives your answers about your body quickly

Regardless of your food intolerance test, your results will help you get to the root of the problem quickly. This is a much faster process than an elimination diet, which involves cutting out certain foods that you suspect your body has difficulty tolerating. They are then re-introduced one at a time, while you monitor the re-occurrence of symptoms. While there is nothing wrong with adopting this approach, it isn’t always a quick process because identifying a link between foods and symptoms can be difficult, especially when the reaction can occur hours or even days later. Taking a food intolerance test gets results much quicker and will shine a spotlight on the ingredients that affect your health.

Speak to us for more information about our tests

If you’d like some advice on choosing the right food intolerance test for you or your family, please email [email protected] or fill out the contact form on our website. We also have an FAQs page that you might find helpful. Please remember that while we are happy to advise you on our products, you should always speak to a medical professional if you’re concerned about your health or if your symptoms persist.

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Eating without knowing what is making you ill

Eating without knowing what food is making you ill.

When you discover you have a food sensitivity, you might assume you’re in store for a significant lifestyle change. Although it can feel intimidating that you may have to rethink your diet, it’s essential to know your food sensitivities and the reason behind the onset of symptoms. The worst thing about being sensitive to certain foods is not the adjustments you must make; it’s not knowing you’re exposed to them in the first place. Find out what food is making you ill by using our tests and getting to the bottom of your problematic diet. 

Get to the bottom of symptoms caused by food sensitivity

Food sensitivity symptoms vary in severity but include digestive complaints such as feeling bloated, stomach cramps, fatigue, and skin irritation. However, these are not unusual problems to suffer from and can easily be attributed to ‘eating too late,’ ‘being overtired’, or ‘feeling anxious.’ Individuals with food sensitivity can experience these physical symptoms for months or even years without knowing the cause.

What food is making you ill?

As well as being unpleasant to live with, this can impact your physical and mental health, social life and sleep quality. Once you know the problem and its reason, you have the power and knowledge to do something about it. Find out what food is potentially making you ill, and learn from us about how we can improve your lifestyle, diet, and health. 

Change your diet to suit the needs of your body

If you take one of our food sensitivity tests, you’ll receive a full report and detailed breakdown of the food and non-food items that your body reacts to. This will give you the information you need to change your diet and cut out foods that cause your health to suffer. If you’re sensitive to lactose, for example, you can try different kinds of milk in your hot drinks that are better suited to your digestive system.

Without taking a food sensitivity test, it can be hard to pinpoint what items trigger the onset of symptoms, so it’s entirely possible you could be eating the offending ingredient for a long time to come. Getting the result may require some adaptation, but it’s better to know what foods to avoid than to continue eating or drinking something that will make you feel unwell.

Understanding your sensitivities helps you plan ahead

As much as we may think that eating out with food sensitivity can be complicated, it’s much more challenging when you feel you could be sensitive to specific ingredients but isn’t sure what they are. How do you know what to order off a menu if you think a meal might contain an item that triggers your symptoms? By better understanding your food sensitivity, you’ll be able to choose dishes you can enjoy and won’t cause your body to react.

Likewise, if you know you are sensitive to an identified food and plan to eat at someone’s home, you’ll be able to inform them in advance what ingredients you need to avoid. Finally, by finding out what foods kick-start your symptoms, you can make the most of social events without worrying about how your body will respond to the dishes you consume. 

Learn more about what food is making you ill

If you want to learn more about food sensitivity or order one of our Food Intolerance tests, you can email [email protected] or send a message through the contact form on our website.  

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Is Laughter Really The Best Medicine?

Laughter

There are many common sayings we hear about our health, but is there some truth in them?

When I was young, my grandmother always told me, if I ate all my carrots, I’d be able to see in the dark. But all sayings come from somewhere, right?

In fact, carrots contain Vitamin A which the body needs for normal eye function but doesn’t necessarily improve your sight but can maintain it, so grandma wasn’t totally wrong, I guess.

My personal favourite is “Laughter is the best medicine” because in some cases the best medicine is likely to be antibiotics, but there are vast benefits to a little laughter. It is not uncommon to hear people say that it’s good for the soul, and anyone suffering with poor mental health will say they felt better after watching some comedy or spending time with friends.

The Science Behind The Saying

A study by two professors at Loma Linda University in California showed some amazing results in the health benefits of laughter. Lower blood pressure was seen resulting in a reduction of risk of stroke or heart attack. Unsurprisingly, a reduction in stress hormone production was also seen, a god send for poor mental health sufferers. In turn, this may increase immune system performance due to the increase in T-cell function.

Adding laughter to your abdominal exercise routine can be beneficial, having a good hearty laugh causes the muscles in the abdomen to expand and contract much like during a workout, allowing the muscles you are not using to relax. Similarly, your cardiac health can strengthen with a chuckle here and there as it can get your heart pumping, and much more enjoyable than a run on a treadmill.

We all hear about chocolate and exercise releasing the feel good hormones called endorphins, but laughter releases the exact same hormones which are nature’s own painkillers, so anyone with pain would definitely enjoy a laugh and joke to ease the discomfort.

More Laughter Benefits

Many are seeing the benefits of laughter, so much so that Laughter Yoga (Hasyayoga) is becoming more and more popular in the health and wellbeing sector. It is believed that voluntary laughter has incredibly similar psychological and physiological benefits to involuntary laughter.

Best of all, laughter is free! So, find a funny TV show to watch, a comedy film or a good comedy book and get ready to feel fabulous both physically and mentally.

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Does Clean Eating = Clean Thinking?

Intolerance testing from Canada

A burning question for us all, why do you need to test your intolerance to certain foods? All the answers below. Clean eating = clean living. You get the point. Read on below:

Why is it important to test your intolerance?

Stressors to your mental health have never been more prominent. Changes in environment and society have seen a sharp rise in reported cases of ailments such as anxiety, depression, stress, chemical imbalance and worry. However it is labelled, it is safe to say it is becoming an epidemic.

In many cases the symptoms are uncontrollable. How people react to certain stressors will never be able to be explained away in a blog like this.

But, in my experiences, the effects can be lessened to an extent. Think of it as a car running at 100mph, sometimes you are Lewis Hamilton fully in control, and then sometimes you are a 4-year-old toddler yanking at the wheel!

The effects a clean diet can have.

Ever heard the phrase “a tidy desk is a tidy mind” Well I follow the same concept but the desk is my mind, my personal workspace. Positive eating is a positive mind. Your gut is directly linked to the brain. Look it up… brain freezes anyone? It’s also known as brain fog by the way…

Your plate of food has a direct correlation on your mood. If you eat something that is bad for YOU chances are the symptoms are going to include, fatigue which in turn means agitation, which in turn means lack of concentration, which in turn means lack of production. The snowball is now giving Lewis Hamilton a run for his money.

Control what you can control. Lessen the impact your diet has on you and your mental outlook, it is basic psychology. In the words of the great Deion Sanders “If you look good, you feel good, If you feel good, you play good, If you play good, they pay well.”

Remember, mind body and soul……………………In that Order. But before that, make sure you test your intolerance.