With the uprise in popularity, smoothie bowls are a great way to pack in a lot of nutrition. This smoothie bowl in particular is full of vitamins and minerals from the fruit and seeds.
Apricots in particular have 1 gram of protein, 8 grams of carbs, 34 calories, 0.27 gram of fat, 1.5 grams of fibre, 8% daily value (DV) of Vitamin A and C, and 4% DV of Vit E and potassium.
If you give this recipe a try be sure to tag me on instagram!
Ingredients: 1 Frozen apricot 1/3 cup Frozen cherries Juice of half a lemon Thumb sized piece of ginger 3 Ice cubes 9 oz of water
Directions: 1) Blend together all of the ingredients listed: apricot, cherries, lemon, ginger, ice cubes and water. Once smooth pour into a bowl. Add more ice if you would like a thicker smoothie. You can also add a protein powder if you would like to add more protein to your bowl. 2) Take your toppings and place them on top of your smoothie bowl in whichever fashion you would like.
There are a lot of blogs out there that are or have shared their wellness journey’s and I realize some of them can be construed as not health and wellness or they don’t need to be doing this journey because from the outside they look healthy and happy. Key phrase here is from the outside, we never know what someone is going through on the inside because we cannot see it.
This is actually a very vulnerable post for me, but I think if I am up front and honest about how I have been feeling the last few years then maybe it will help someone else have the strength to do the same. For those of you who do not know, I was diagnosed with celiac disease just over 3 years ago from this post date. The first year after being diagnosed I was relieved, and had a great year of feeling better then I have ever felt – I finally knew what it felt to be “normal.” But then I went out to eat one day and long story short I was given the wrong bread and I became ill for 8 months after. Since this incident I have not been able to get myself back on that high feeling, and instead I seem to have hit a plateau of, “things are the way they are and this I just how it is going to be from now on.” It seemed like no matter what I did my symptoms would get a bit better but then come back, for a lack of better words, in a raging shit storm. I have not been able to get my TTG levels to drop in my blood (antibody test for celiac disease) for over 2 years. This has discouraged me and made me unmotivated because it just seemed like, no matter what I did, my levels were not going to drop any lower and I would always have symptoms appear out of no where. One day I’d be happy go lucky and feeling great and the next it was like I had eaten the wrong bread again.
I guess the best way to describe this is by explaining what I used to be like. I was very active and loved it, I loved going to the gym and playing sports, I never stopped moving. I woke up excited about life and used to get up around 5:30-6:30am on my own without an alarm and never hit the snooze button. I would wake up and think, I’m going for a walk or just excited about what it was I was going to eat that morning.
Now, as I’m sure you can guess, it is the opposite. Over the last 2 and a bit years I have lost motivation and drive, I was always physically and mentally exhausted or not feeling well. It became very hard to get out of bed and I was always hitting the snooze button. I stopped being active and doing the things I used to live for, I became lost. I know having a physically demanding job that I absolutely love did not help with my motivation to be active, but I used to be able to look past this and still get to the gym and do something for me.
I really feel as though it took the pandemic and being forced to stop working for me to realize where I had brought myself. When I was forced to stop I then started to feel all my aches and pains in my body. My left shoulder keeps going numb with neck pain and my right hip will scream at me if I do too much sitting or moving. The kind of pain that will make you wince and look as though you have aged 50 years over night. As an Athletic Therapist I know and have seen this all too often with my patients and know that I have lost my strength, mobility and flexibility. Once I build these back up and correct my muscle imbalances, I will live up to my last name of Walker and be an unbeatable Jedi again. I have been on again, off again, bloated with mental challenges and brain fog, anxiety, decreased motivation and drive, and decreased focus. If there is anything I have noticed over the last few years it is that the gut brain connection is a true and serious thing.
However, with all of that being said, I am happy to state that as hard as things have been in the past they are improving and from this day forward I will not accept anything but. It is going to be challenging and I will of course still have off days – but I will not let them drive me away from my goal of becoming strong and happy again.
So you may be thinking, how are you going to do this? Excellent question, here is how:
Fitness: I will be working on my muscle imbalances and correcting my biomechanics. I will be doing this through mobility, flexibility and strength. There needs to be an equal amount of all of these to have a well balanced musculoskeletal system. So I will be making myself a fitness plan that will include all three of these components.
Nutrition: I have been dabbing into this component for the last 2 months already and I am happy to state that following the diet I have been doing has helped to decrease my TTG antibody levels in my blood and increased my iron. There is still a lot to improve in this department but it is a start! For the first 3 weeks I followed the hypoallergenic diet without consuming any grains. I was to cut out processed foods, dairy, certain meats, eggs, soy, peanuts, corn, tomatoes, artificial butters and sweeteners, refined sugars, and glutinous grains (obviously for me) but the naturopath had me cut out all grains just for the first 3 weeks. I followed this to a T and even continued it past the 3 weeks because of how much better I felt, but then, my digestion started to go wonky again and my energy has dropped. This is why I feel these full on restrictive diets are not meant to be eaten forever (other than the food you have to avoid for health reasons).
Science actually shows that if you are under eating you will have immune problems and digestion issues. It may seem like you have a food intolerance but in reality your restrictive eating will cause digestive issues because the digestive system is not receiving enough energy, and if it does not get enough energy it cannot properly extract the nutrients your body needs to function. Mind.Blown. Therefore, I have decided that following a very restrictive and paleo diet long term is not the way to go for me. I believe my TTG levels being high is due to cross contamination in food that is processed and made in restaurants that are not careful. Also, having a very restrictive diet has made me very anxious around food, I’m always afraid whatever it is that I am eating will cause food intolerance symptoms. I know I do have some food intolerances because after eating certain things like corn and oats, I instantly have full body autoimmune symptoms. However, I do wonder, if I get my TTG levels to lower to zero, will these intolerances go away? Because technically once I get those levels to zero, that means my gut lining has finally healed and it will be able to digest food properly again. So as long as I stay away from my kryptonite, gluten, I should be okay to eat a variety of food again without feeing sick. That thought actually makes me so excited and pumped to get my gut lining healed.
Mindfulness: This one is HUGE! I have been trained in transcendental meditation and started doing it back when I was in university as I used to have a huge amount of exam anxiety. This technique helped me get through my certification exams, and to be honest, I stopped doing it, and that was a big mistake. I told myself I was way too busy and did not have the time to sit and meditate for 20 minutes twice a day, but this is the exact person that needs to make time for exactly this as they typically need it the most. Since I have started meditating again, I cannot even begin to explain the benefits I have experienced in my everyday life. My thoughts are clearer, I do not snap as much if at all, I’m positive, focused and motivated. Mindfulness does not just have to do with meditation, it also includes living intuitively. If you have a negative thought come into your head, change it right away for a more positive one. If you are overworked, cut your hours. Our bodies need us to start living more intuitively because we all need to start listening to our bodies and giving it what it wants and needs.
These are the three ingredients to not just my wellness journey, but I believe everyone’s. If the health of our mind, nutrition and fitness does not exist, then we are more likely to develop muscle imbalances that will cause injuries. We may have a leaky gut or improperly functioning digestive system because we are not fuelling it properly or moving to help stools pass through your bowels or have a horrible gut brain connection where now the health of your gut effects your mental health and vice versa. All three of these components are absolutely essential for an overall well balanced health and wellness plan, you cannot do one without the other. It only took me siting down and writing this blog for me to truly make this connection. I always tell my patients to include all three but it has really clicked with me as to why.
Regardless if you are on a wellness journey of your own or want to see me through mine, I hope you find what it is you are looking for, because the sun really is brighter on the other side.
Please Keep This Disclaimer in Mind:
Articles are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. We cannot and do not provide medical advice or specific advice on products related to treatments of a disease or illness.
You must not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers.
You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on our website.
It is your responsibility to consult with your professional health care providers before starting any diet changes, exercise or supplementation program, and before taking; varying the dosage and / or ceasing to take any medication.
We do not collect any personal information or store cookies. You can turn off cookies on your web browsers.
We all know that having vitamins and minerals in our diets daily is essential for living a healthy life. But did you know that you can take too many vitamins to a point of toxicity in your body? I learned this at school but never thought I would ever reach those levels. I mean they are vitamins, the essential ingredient to everyday life, they can’t hurt me right? I learned this the hard way.
To give you a bit of a background, I have celiac disease and have known for just over 3 years. The biggest thing with celiac disease is it can cause malnutrition in the body due to the decreased absorption rate in the small intestine. However, once your small intestine starts to heal on a gluten free diet, you start to be able to absorb nutrients at a regular rate. I did not keep this in mind when I went through my most recent diet venture. I get my blood tested every three months to check TTG levels (celiac test) and iron levels. I have not been able to decrease my TTG levels and my iron keeps fluctuating. My most recent test came back, and yet again, my TTG was up a level and my iron had dropped significantly. I have been keeping an eye on this for the past two years and the TTG is always high (when it should be low) and the iron is always going up or down but never out of the iron deficiency range. Point of my story, this is what drove me to do what I have now done.
When I was first diagnosed I went on a paleo based diet called the hypoallergenic diet, where you cut out processed foods, dairy, certain meats and refined sugars along with caffeine, we temporarily cut out grains as well considering my condition. You can however eat certain fish and meat, fruit, vegetables, some starches, nuts and seeds and natural sugars. Along with this diet I took a nutrition powder to help boost my vitamin and mineral levels, I only took one scoop of it a day for a month. I tell you, I felt better then I have in years while on this diet. It all started going downhill when I started eating processed foods and going out to eat again. I had the brilliant idea, let’s do this diet again and fix my blood levels once and for all.
I’m not sure if it was because I was so motivated to feel better or that I had the thought that I could not be taking too many vitamins because I still have active celiac disease, but I made a big mistake that I thankfully caught quickly.
I started the diet just over a week ago, and I started to feel good, then I got a lot worse. I started to have symptoms of being tired, bloated, gas, sharp abdominal pains, hair felt brittle and was falling out some, I became constipated, was not sleeping well, and just in the last day and a half (brace yourself, this is a bit gross) I have been having mushy, yellowish, foul smelling stool that sticks to the toilet bowl. Now I have seen this before because the same thing can happen with someone who has celiac disease, but I know I have not eaten gluten lately so this is what started to make me question the last week. Keeping in mind the change in diet could be a factor as well, but the last day and a half I have not taken any supplements (other then a digestive enzyme before meals and a probiotic at night) and continued with the same diet and my digestion has improved, no sharp pains or bloating and bowel movements are becoming normal.
Over the last 9 days, I was taking the nutritional powder supplement twice a day, a multivitamin, an iron supplement, vitamin D, and biotin…now that I look back at this; past Lauren; you were taking way too many vitamins! I guess I was just thinking, “it can’t hurt right?”
All of the products in this photo are fantastic and I will continue to take them when I need too, but only ONE AT A TIME and once a day.
Recommended Dietary Allowance / Adequate Intake / Tolerable Upper Intake Level: What does this all mean?
The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and the AI (Adequate Intake) are the amounts of vitamins and minerals you need to keep healthy and nourished. They’re tailored to specific ages of women and men.
The UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) is the maximum amount of daily vitamins and minerals that you can safely take without risk of an overdose or serious side effects.
How Much Is Too Much?
Take a look at the UL (tolerable upper intake level), and do not exceed it. “There are some vitamins and minerals that you can safely take a dose much higher then the RDA or DV without coming close to the UL” WebMD. “With some vitamins and minerals, the upper limit is pretty close to the RDA. So it’s easy to get too much. For example, a man who takes just over three times the RDA of vitamin A would get more than the upper limit. High doses of vitamin A — and other fat-soluble vitamins like E and K — can build up in the body and become toxic. Other risky supplements include the minerals iron and selenium” WebMD. Personally, I would not exceed the RDA and not go near the UL to play it safe.
For an example of the possible symptoms, here is a quote from one of WebMD’s articles: “Too much vitamin C or zinc could cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Too much selenium could lead to hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, and mild nerve damage.”
An Important Message: Supplements are designed to be an addition to your everyday diet. You should be getting as many nutrients from the food you eat as you can so you do not have to take a supplement. Supplements should only be an addition to your everyday routine if you are not getting certain vitamins and minerals naturally from the food you eat. You should eat a well balanced diet and only take supplements to fill the nutritional gaps. Following a whole food diet will be sufficient enough for most people without having to resort to an expensive supplement that you will essentially be peeing away. However, in some cases supplements are necessary, for example, malnutrition from celiac disease or iron deficiency. But even in those cases you should just take them to a point that the nutrients you were missing are now level. After they become level, stop taking the supplement and continue getting it from it’s natural food sources. The end goal is to always get you off of supplements for the long-term, or until they are needed again.
So, just how many vitamins was I taking?
First things first, there are water-soluble vitamins (they dissolve in water) and fat-soluble vitamins (do not dissolve in water). Water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted from the body, while fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in tissues. Fat-soluble vitamins are more likely to cause toxicity, although water-soluble vitamins can do so as well.
Fat-Soluble
What I consumed
RDA
UL
Vitamin A
1355 mcg
700 mcg RAE
3000 mcg
Vitamin D
50-75 mcg
15 mcg
100 mcg
Vitamin E
117.3 MG
15 MG
1000 MG
Vitamin K
0
90 mcg
N/A
The following water-soluble vitamins have set ULs, as they can cause adverse side effects when taken in high doses:
Water-Soluble
What I consumed
RDA
UL
Vitamin C
625 MG
75 MG
2000 MG
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
38 MG
14 MG
35 MG
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
45 MG
1.3 MG
100 MG
Vitamin B9 (folate)
2550 mcg
400 mcg
1000 mcg
Mineral
What I consumed
RDA
UL
Selenium
270 mcg
55 mcg
400 mcg
Zinc
50 MG
8 MG
40 MG
Iron
63 MG
18 MG
45 MG
The calculations above are some of the vitamins and minerals that can potentially cause damage in the body, I was taking everyday for 9 days. I went just a bit over or WAY over the RDA and just a few I went over the UL. After researching the side effects of taking too many of just these vitamins, it explains why I was getting the symptoms I was the last few days. This is not even including the vitamins and minerals I was getting from the food I was eating. Moral of the story, do not take over the RDA of vitamins and minerals in a day (again, unless your doctor has told you so for deficiency reasons).
What have I learned?
Your multivitamin may have more then the RDA of a vitamin or a mineral within it. Which means, if it is a water-soluble vitamin, you are just peeing the unneeded amount out. They can potentially be a waste of money, unless you are deficient in that vitamin or mineral, your body will soak up all it needs in that case.
Harmful symptoms can occur if you take too many vitamins and minerals everyday, and it may hit you by about day 3 or 4, and just get worse as you continue to take them.
Unless you have a deficiency in a vitamin or a mineral, or have an underlying condition that is preventing you from absorbing the correct nutrients from your diet (like say celiac disease), taking a multivitamin everyday may be a waste of money as most of the nutrients and your money will be going down the toilet.
Articles are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. We cannot and do not provide medical advice or specific advice on products related to treatments of a disease or illness.
You must not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers.
You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on our website.
It is your responsibility to consult with your professional health care providers before starting any diet changes, exercise or supplementation program, and before taking; varying the dosage and / or ceasing to take any medication.
We do not collect any personal information or store cookies. You can turn off cookies on your web browsers.
It is 5 am, and you have just been woken up by a visit from mother nature and you feel as though there are 1000 kittens clawing at your insides. We have all been there one too many times, but did you know you could make this feel better or worse through diet?
From my research online, I am here to give you the coles notes version of which foods will make your time of the month, a walk in the park or like a snowball’s chance in hell.
Sugar: Yes, we all have the sugar crave around this time of the month. Fun fact, this is because our stress hormone, cortisol spikes just before our periods come and serotonin, our mood balancing hormone, tends to dip. This deadly combination results in cravings for sweets, carbs and fatty foods. However, eating this type of food will actually disrupt our natural blood sugar levels. With a spike in blood sugar levels, you will get higher mood swings and more tension within the body.
Refined Food and Processed Foods: First of all, refined foods have been highly processed so that the natural grain is no longer intact and stripped of all nutritional value. They include but are not limited to: white bread, white pasta, white rice, white sugar, breakfast cereals, and bagels. They are all simple carbohydrates and are hidden with a load of sugar, this is why our bodies crave it over and over again. It gives the body a quick huge spike in sugar and this is followed by an even larger crash. Same thing goes for processed foods such as cakes, cookies, crackers and chips. Due to how they are made and what they are made with, it will cause havoc within your body and therefore increase inflammation.
Fried foods: According to a study by the Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, fried foods such as pizza, fries, and donuts will all cause inflammation in the body, and this can be linked to an increase in period pain. I get it, we all need carbs at this time of the month, so maybe go for a piece of whole grain toast or 23g of carbs from a banana instead.
Saturated Fats: These consist of fatty cuts of meat, dark meat, high fat dairy foods, tropical oils such as: coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter. Not only is high amounts of this food bad for your health, but they will cause inflammation within the body. As we already discussed above, an increase in inflammation will increase menstrual pain.
Dairy: I’m not bashing dairy, this is a great source of calcium, however, if you go over board on that block of cheese and all of a sudden there is only one slice left…you may be in trouble. According to Healthline, dairy can cause your menstrual pain to worsen due to the bloating, gas and diarrhea that it can cause within the body.
Fizzy drinks: This is due to the bloating and gas they can cause within the body, therefore, inflammation. This includes: pop, carbonated water, beer, and alcoholic drinks. This actually leads me to my next item on the list.
Alcohol: According to the New York Times, alcohol can make PMS symptoms worse and prolong the menstrual cramping. So it may be a good idea to put down that glass of red wine this week.
Red Meat: Yes, we as women are often told to eat more of this to decrease anemia or iron deficiency. However, this is often loaded with saturated fat, and this can cause inflammation within the body, which in turn, can lead to cramps. Maybe opt the red meat out for a omega rich food such as salmon, as this has healthy nutrients your body needs. If you do not eat meat, dark leafy greens it is!
Salt: Too much of something, is never a good thing, especially when this comes to salt. Too much salt will cause bloating and this will increase menstrual pain.
Legumes: Did you know beans can cause you to bloat, yup, this is the cause of the adverse reaction that will clear a room. So while on your period avoid beans such as black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils and peas.
What do all of these foods have in common? Inflammation – they are all infamous for causing inflammation in the body. You are probably thinking…so what do you eat instead to decrease this lovely natural movement in the body?
Bananas: This magical fruit is amazing during that time of the month. Being rich in fibre will help to cause a bowel movement, which in turn will help decrease bloating and less pain. As an added bonus, they contain magnesium, this will help to relax the muscles from cramping. Just keep in mind that they do contain a lot of sugar so try to not go over board.
Lemons: They contain vitamin C and at this time of the month you want to get a lot of this in your diet. This being because vitamin C helps the body absorb iron better, and if you are absorbing iron better, you will have more energy. They also contain fibre and this will help with muscle spasms.
Oranges: This is the top food for anyone with period pain. Not only does it contain more vitamin C then lemons, it also contains magnesium, potassium, and vitamin D. All nutrients that will help your body through anything it may be battling.
Watermelon: This is a great fruit to consume during your time of the month because of how hydrating it is. Hydration is important to decrease muscle spasms along with the magnesium you can get from the other foods mentioned above.
Drinks: Water, Chamomile, ginger tea, peppermint tea, raspberry leaf tea – all great for hydrating, decreasing bloating, soothing your bowels, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
So sticking to whole foods like fruit, vegetables, lean meats, and digestible grains can help to decrease the inflammation caused in the body. Whole foods contain nutrients that will help your nerves, hormones and muscles relax at this time of the month. This in turn, will help with all around health within your beautiful body.
Articles are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. We cannot and do not provide medical advice or specific advice on products related to treatments of a disease or illness.
You must not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers.
You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on our website.
It is your responsibility to consult with your professional health care providers before starting any diet changes, exercise or supplementation program, and before taking; varying the dosage and / or ceasing to take any medication.
We do not collect any personal information or store cookies. You can turn off cookies on your web browsers.
Avocados are a heart-healthy, nutrient-dense superfood and are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids
They contain good fats and are naturally sodium, sugar and cholesterol-free
Avocados have dietary fibre. Fun fact, fibre is very important for overall gut health
They contain more potassium then bananas
The healthy fat content found in them may help you absorb nutrients from plant foods
They are loaded with antioxidants that can protect your eyes
An avocado MAY help with preventing cancer
Avocado extract MAY help to relieve symptoms of arthritis
Eating this amazing fruit MAY help to shed some weight
In a 100g serving of avocado, there is 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats. It contains 9 grams of carbs, and 7 of those are fibre.
All in all, this is an amazing source of nutrients and it is delicious to boot! So give one a try before it is too late…get it? Maybe this photo will help you:
Please Keep This Disclaimer in Mind:
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. We cannot provide medical advice or specific advice on products related to treatments of a disease or illness. You must consult with your professional health care provider before starting any diet changes, exercise or supplementation program, and before taking, varying the dosage of or ceasing to take any medication.
LEW's Life 