You can't out train a bad diet!

 We've all heard this saying but what does it really mean?  You have been hitting the gym, working hard, pushing your body to the limits, yet still not reaching your goals.  Why?

Physical activity definitely is very important to a healthy lifestyle.  But it is only one piece of the puzzle.  Being physically active promotes proper circulation, cardiovascular health, proper motor function, bone development, better sleep, healthier state of mind, improved digestion and much more.  Sounds great right?  BUT...Physical activity also needs an important synergistic component in order for you to attain all the health benefits that come with it and then some.

We all know what that component is, but do we know how important it truly is for reaching our goals?  Quality nutrition contributes to 80% of our overall picture of health and wellness.   80% is a huge number yet even seasoned professional athletes are guilty of ignoring this connection as well as falling for and/or supporting the use of unnecessary sport supplements, drinks and processed proteins.   Continuing to eat the wrong foods can cause weight gain (including inability to lose weight or keep it off), inflammation (one of the leading causes to most chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases), digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, mental health issues, decreased immune function even while keeping an active workout schedule.   What can eating the right foods do?   It can prevent, reduce and even reverse the effects of those conditions, it improves the way our body functions especially how it functions during physical activity.  It also impacts your endurance, your ability to build muscle and to burn fat.   Healthy nutritious eating impacts your body in very intricate ways. In fact, food has been used medicinally for thousands of years.  Yet it is the hardest concept for people to get on board with and continuously overlooked.   

So the big question, where do I start? Here are 5 points to help get you started:

• 90% of what you drink should be water.
• Drop the sugar
• Don't over eat. Avoid eating more than your Estimated Energy Requirements. To find out what your EER is see a nutritionist, many apps under calculate and this can lead to malnutrition and damage to metabolism.
• Read labels.
• Don't use bad food choices as rewards or to make you feel better, only consume them during special events such as seasonal holidays, birthdays (preferably yours only), anniversaries and be sure to only have one small serving.

It is important to include healthy eating in your training program and to get your information from reliable sources. There are a lot of fad diets and 'easy fixes' out there but how you eat is a lifestyle that should be beneficial to your unique needs.  My best advice when seeking help, always look for proper credentials when reading articles or seeking professional advice, be sure the person has a background in nutrition and the information they are sharing is legit.

Dana Clark, CNHP, CHN, CHC owner of From the Roots Holistic

Lesson learned: Revisiting foods that make you go blah!

I am not a fan of radishes, I dont hate them just not a fan!  However just today I revisited radishes and found a way to enjoy them.  We have half a share with My Vegi Box and our lovely local farming family has been sending us radishes and I have been putting them aside because it’s not a vegetable I particularly enjoy.   In spite of this after another bundle of very lovely radishes was given to us I decided I could not let all that hard work go to waste.   I grabbed the  spring salad mix, the sprouts, the green onions (all from our share) and the radishes and made a toss salad and topped it with my own homemade coconut Thai curry sauce.   I was waiting for that overly bitter taste but instead the taste blended in with the creamy coconut and curry and even complimented the flavour.   I am thrilled to say I can now enjoy radishes and will continue to experiment with them.   Sometimes when we dislike a food especially a healthy one like radishes it’s worth thinking about the work our farmers put into growing them, appreciating the health benefit and getting creative to make it acceptable to our pallet.   Don’t give up on those healthy foods that you can’t tolerate just try and get creative before tossing them to the compost! 


Dana Clark, CNHP, CHN, CHC owner of From the Roots Holistic

Shake it off!

Are you on a mission to change your life?  Get healthy?  Congratulations for taking your health into your own hands!   Healthy eating is a major component in overall health and wellness.  It has an impact on our health in more ways than many realise, including inflammation, the source behind many chronic diseases and illnesses.

Shakes and smoothies are very common when people are looking to get healthy.  Premade smoothie and shake mixes are marketed very well by various companies as the easy answer to achieving your goals.   I am a huge fan of shakes and smoothies, but the difference between the smoothies my clients, family and myself consume are that they are prepared from whole foods, not a package you can tear open and pour into your blender.  

I’m going to break down for you some of the most common mistakes people make when introducing smoothies and shakes to their diet:

Mistake # 1 - Focusing on fruits and not enough on leafy greens and vegetables.  

You want your shake and smoothie to consist of mostly leafy greens and other veggies.  Fruits can be used for flavour or just leave it out.   As adults we should be consuming more vegetables and leafy greens than fruits.

Mistake # 2 - Using protein powders that consisted of protein isolates and concentrates.   

The processing of proteins into concentrate or isolates takes away the benefits of the synergistic components found in whole protein sources and leaves you with a denatured food item which rarely is healthy.   On top of this, some companies use chemicals to make concentrates and isolates..   When consuming proteins the best source is whole food sources not concentrates and isolates.   I recommend using nuts, seeds and hemp as a wholefood source of protein.  Plus they contain both protein and healthy fats making them even more nutritious.

MIstake # 3 - Purchasing premade shakes & smoothies.

Here is the bad news - most shakes out on the market today contain unhealthy ingredients and combinations which actually are counterproductive to your goals.

These ingredients include:

• Fructose & other hidden sugars.
• Too much fruit not enough veggies & greens.  
• Natural flavour - Watch out for this one!   Technically MSG is a “natural flavour” and we know how bad MSG is for you.  There is no official definition of this term in fact it’s considered  GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe Ingredient).  I recommend clients stay away from most items on the GRAS list.
• Extracts - these ingredients can be very tricky. I personally call and question the companies on their extraction methodology.  Some extraction processes are wonderful while others use chemicals that may in fact deteriorate the nutritional quality as well as delicate phytochemicals (phytochemicals are what make foods medicinal).  
• Concentrates - The process to make a liquid into a concentrate usually includes using high heat and chemicals.  After processing methods like these,  all that is left is sugar and very little nutrients.
• Protein isolates and concentrates.   You want whole food protein not altered protein sources as mentioned above, you want a synergistic effect .
• Powdered ingredients -  These include items such as powdered sunflower oil.  We need to question how do they get an oil into a powder?  Yes, it can be just as simple as dehydration and milling (common methods used for spirulina and other sea greens for example which is fine).  However some companies use chemical processes to do this and we have no clue if there is any residue left or the effect it can have on nutrients and phytochemicals.  Are we just ending up with sugars again or unhealthy processed fats?
• List of ingredients that are way too long.  What is the purpose to have all  these ingredients? Are they there just to make the product look good? Meanwhile there are just too many ingredients packed into these scoops, very little of each component to really have any benefit at all.   
• Ingredients that you are not familiar with.  A great rule of thumb, if you don’t know it, if you can’t pronounce it, maybe it shouldn’t be going in your body.

Most of us already know that processed foods have no health benefits for us.  We need to see pre-made shake or smoothie formulas for what they really are, a processed food .  Making your own shake can be just as simple and easy with a little prep ahead of time.  Here are my three best pieces of advice when making your own shakes and smoothies:

1. Buy quality ingredients focus on whole foods that are locally and organically produced if possible.  
2. Clean and chop up lots of veggies and fruit for flavour for the next 3 days for your shakes, and smoothies.  
3. When making your shakes and smoothies,  add your greens (spinach, kale, collard greens) first.  Include any fresh herbs like fennel, cilantro, for flavour then add in your veggies/fruits, add in your proteins and fats with some hemp powder/hearts, seeds or nuts.   Add in some water or a plant based milk and blend enjoy as soon as possible, or refrigerate and consume within a  few hours to reap the full benefits.   

Dana Clark, CNHP, CHN, CHC owner of From the Roots Holistic