Counting Macros

We hear you... You have spent hours figuring out macros and tracking what you eat, and yet still are not seeing any changes, and aren’t even sure if you’re on the right path😵‍💫.  

Sure, calories play a role in body composition, and so does the make up of WHAT you are eating (stay tuned for more on that next). 

But, have you ever tried paying attention to HOW you eat?  

💥 are you shoving in breakfast as you run out the door for work or to take kids to school? 

💥 are you multitasking through lunch while eating, working, catching up on social media, AND scheduling your next haircut? 

💥 are you inhaling whatever you can find in the afternoon between work and soccer carpool?  

💥 does dinner feel more like a battleground sometimes than a family meal? 

💥 are you noticing the first time you finally stop in the day is when you are shoving in dark chocolate long after the kitchen has closed? 

If your brain is constantly going, and constantly in fight or flight mode (anyone else feel seen 🙋🏻‍♀️), then your digestive tract, your thyroid function, and your liver detox processes, among tons of other processes are NOT prepared to efficiently break down, absorb, and detox food.  Often that means you might be spinning your wheels to figure out your perfect macros, but never actually SITTING DOWN to eat your meal, meaning your perfect plan might not be so perfect after all.  

Now to be clear, focusing on HOW you eat is not the whole answer in and of itself. But it is a piece of the puzzle that clients often come to us having missed. And when you finally find a way to eat that helps calm down your nervous system in the process you will likely note an improvement in cravings, satiety, and more.  

Why decision fatigue is important to us as Dietitians

Decision fatigue is defined as "mental exhaustion resulting from the large number of decisions we make daily, leading to difficulty making decisions, or at least making good decisions."

Sound familiar?

Why do we, as dietitians, care about decision fatigue? Because whether you are deciding what to make for dinner, which to camp to send your kids to, or when you are actually going to have time to move your body, all decisions add up in the same way to your brain. Add to that questions like what diet you should be following, how much protein you actually need, and whether or not you should be fasting, it can start to feel like you can't stop the spinning.

All this overwhelm from too many decisions to make can not only lead to reduced self-control and impulsive choices, but can negatively affect your health by impacting adrenal function, sleep, hormone production, mental health, and blood sugar control.

So, how do we stop all that spinning?

To start, we want to you to remember that perfect is the enemy of good. Ask yourself what is the "good enough" option in this situation.

And then, we recommend identifying ways you can begin to lighten your mental load when it comes to feeding yourself and your family.

Here are a few tips that help our clients:

1. Keep a 'go-to' list of take-out, store-bought, or easy to assemble meals that require virtually no prep work and are easy for you to access. See our recent instagram post below for ideas.

2. Stock a backup supply of a few frozen meals. The Kevin's brand meals are our favorites! But this also might include meals you have prepared and frozen for busier weeks.

3. Plan your movement for the week. Schedule a repeating appointment with yourself to look to the week ahead and schedule your movement. Then follow through like you would any other appointment and try not to overthink it.

4. Keep a running list of your favorite staple foods that allow you to create quick meals - some of our favorites are eggs, greek yogurt/cottage cheese, canned tuna & salmon, frozen shrimp, chicken sausage, canned beans, frozen veggies, high protein pasta, and instant rice.

5. Be boring. Yes, we're all about variety and diversity, but not when it causes more stress in your life. Save the creativity for seasons of life when you have space for it. When life gets chaotic, choose just 1-3 options for each meal and run it back as often as you need to, using sauces, fresh herbs, and simple swaps for variety.

6. Use our favorite Meal Mapping strategy - meaning choose a theme or type of meal and assign it to a certain night each week. Mix up what that looks like as much as you want, but take the mental load of deciding what to eat on which nights off your plate. Some of our go-to's are sheet pan meals, pasta night, tacos or Mexican night, charcuterie board dinner, breakfast for dinner, bowls or salad night, and so on!

Reasons you aren't seeing results

We know you're exhausted - from life and from changes that feel out of your control. And we want to help you have some wins.

Here are a few reasons we see client's hard work not paying off:

1. Following a plan that is too intense for you. Most likely, you've already got a ton going on in this phase of life, so more and more intensity is often NOT the answer to physical change. Too long or frequent fasting windows, extended super low carb diets, excessive cardio or HIIT training, or calorie restrictions that are just too extreme or go on for too long all tend to back fire for women that we work with.

2. Following a generic plan that wasn't created for your specific health, personality, and lifestyle needs. Sure there are themes, but following a generic plan that isn't based on a personalized and unique understanding of both your historical and current health status (ideally through testing and 1:1 work), opportunities and challenges in your day to day life, and your goals, values, and strengths is likely not going to work for long.

3. Not having support or direction to know if what you are following is even right for you. Not only do we want to create a plan based on your unique needs, we also want to help support you in learning how to implement that plan and what to watch for. Having wins along the way, even if tiny, can be incredibly helpful in keeping you motivated. In our work we have weekly check in tools, and are constantly evaluating how things are going in order to know whether we're on the right path.

Fiber 2.0

Hopefully after our previous fiber post, you now know that fiber doesn't just come from cereal and Metamucil. But, did you know there are different types of fiber? And, the often-overlooked-superstar (in our opinion) isn't what's found in broccoli and brussels sprouts.

So often our clients come to us after hearing fiber was good for them, and subsequently doubling down on their greens and veggies, only to get constipated or more bloated. Increasing fiber is a delicate game! But even more importantly, we want you to focus on ALL types of fiber, not just the roughage.

In fact, we are BIG FANS of soluble fiber for it's ability to help regulate cholesterol, feed beneficial bacteria, improve the gut microbiome and motility, and support balanced blood sugar. What's more, many times we work with clients who aren't getting enough of this type of fiber because of carb restriction.

Check out more below and let us know in the comments your favorite way to get soluble fiber!

Soluble Fiber:

1. Dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance in your gut.

2. Helps regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion.

3. Aids in lowering LDL cholesterol, keeping your heart happy.

4. Found in starchy root veggies, oats, ground flaxseed, asparagus, artichoke, okra, fruits, and legumes.

Insoluble Fiber:

1. Doesn't dissolve in water, adding bulk to your stool.

2. Keeps things moving smoothly through your digestive system.

3. Supports gut health by preventing constipation.

4. Found in leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cucumber, celery, nuts & seeds, fruits with skin, and grains

Wondering why restriction isn't giving you the results you want in perimenopause?

Because the more frequently and intensely you restrict, the SLOWER your metabolism becomes.  We know this is hard to believe but we see it every week wtih clients.   

Losing fat is risky business for your body, and your brain is not about to support this process until it feels safe.  We hope you feel safe when it comes to moving through your life, in your relationships and community, but does your body feel safe when you are constantly under nourishing it ?!  

We know, talking about stress and your nervous system is not the type of conversation you want to have or address when it comes to changing your body.  But, we’re here to say that time after time, the answer to helping you reach your goals is first supporting your nervous system.  And it's even MORE important for those of you in perimenopause when your sex hormone rhythm just isn't what it used to be.

Now to be clear, that doesn’t mean we expect you to eliminate all stress in your life. Nor do we think there isn't a time and place for intentionally eating less.

But instead of focusing on MORE restriction (which likely isn't work for you), we want to teach you how to support your nervous system better by balancing blood sugar, eating enough, truly nourishing your body and mind, moving your body in an appropriate way and time, and learning some easy support tools that you can implement immediately. 

Sound like the missing piece you’ve been looking for?  

Insurance

We know health is important to you. But, we also know you have plenty of expenses in life right now. Trust us, we've seen our own grocery costs sky rocket!

We have 13 years of experience working with women just like you and know it's not easy to navigate your health on your own. Whether it's figuring out what to eat to get more energy, solving hormone or gut challenges, navigating perimenopause transitions, improving metabolism and blood sugar, or just knowing what is normal and what you can hope for, we are HERE FOR YOU.

And the best news is that some - or ALL - of your visit might be covered by insurance. In fact, most BCBS plans (even high deductible plans!!) cover nutrition visits at 100% with NO copay (not even kidding!).

🎉We are in network with both United and BCBS!

If your goal is more Energy

If your goal is more ENERGY, stop doing this one thing ...

(caption)

We know. You are already overwhelmed from an annoying amount of conflicting information. But, here’s the thing - every body is different.  So, while we know that not each of you needs the same support, there are definitely themes that we see in practice.  

And, one of the behaviors that we see most frequently leading to low energy is 

waiting too long to eat breakfast. 

Sure, we believe that fasting has value when used appropriately. Sometimes it can be a game changer for metabolism. And, we want most of you to aim for a 12 hour fast between dinner and breakfast.  

BUT, here’s what we see happening all too often: 

Dragging yourself out of bed, 

Spending frenetic hours in the morning getting everyone else out the door, 

Chugging coffee for energy,

Realizing you never made time for breakfast, and either grabbing a bite of leftovers from your kids’ breakfast, or throwing down a granola bar,

Feeling shaky and starving by the time you get to lunch because you are running off nothing but stress hormones and caffeine, 

Then crashing mid afternoon with erratic blood sugars and zero energy left,

Leading to afternoon cravings that you blame on a lack of willpower and ultimately give in to, leaving you feeling crappy again…  

Sound familiar? 

We can give you the data, both from our own client work and from research, showing that almost always, clients report more stable moods, better blood sugar control, easier fat loss, and dramatically more energy when they start their day with a solid breakfast.  

Sure, we know this isn't easy given the chaos in your morning, but we promise, pushing through as long as you can to avoid eating is NOT the answer to your metabolism or energy problems.  

What, When or How Much YOU need to eat will likely be a personalized conversation, but that’s what we’re here to help with. 

Dietitians thoughts on Fiber

With all of our clients we discuss the importance of eating Protein, Fat AND FIBER when it comes to building a balanced meal or snacks. Read on about why we think Fiber is a a critical part of this trio ⤵️

1. Feeds the good bacteria in our digestive tract and helps promote regular bowel movements: Fiber adds bulk while also softening the stool. It also feeds beneficial bacteria, all of which helps promote gut health, and improve regularity & motility.

2. Balances Cholesterol Levels: Soluble fiber, found in foods like oats, beans, potatoes, and flaxseeds, forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. This gel binds to cholesterol, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream and helps to remove it from the body.

3. Balances & Maintains Blood Sugar levels: Fiber slows down the digestion and absorption of carbs, preventing rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar levels

4. Metabolizing & Detoxing Hormones: Certain types of fiber, like flaxseeds, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, are important for the metabolism and excretion of estrogen. By supporting detoxification pathways, fiber helps maintain hormonal balance.

5. Supports Satiety: Fiber-rich foods are inherently filling and satisfying, which can help keep you full and reduce cravings.

The daily recommended intake for women is 25 g/day and for men 38 g/day.

Is your Poop healthy?

Everyone's favorite question!! Are you shooting for poop perfection?!

Assessing bowel movements is often one of the first things we discuss with patients as it gives us tons of insight into whole body health, and can affect hormones, brain health, glucose management, metabolism, skin, and more.

So how do you know if your poops are healthy? Well we can't really know without testing, but here are some signs and symptoms we want you to be watching for:

1. Frequency: At minimum you should be having 1 bowel movement a day, if you are not your are holding on to waste (eek!!) and this can cause all kinds of symptoms but also provide the perfect environment for brewing more and more bacteria and microbs. Pooping up to 3 times/ day is considered ideal for most of you (as long as they also meet criteria for #2&3). And you know what's an even better sign? Pooping at the same time every day indicates your body is in a great rhythm. We even encourage clients to try to create this rhythm in their day.

2. Color: Any shade of brown is considered normal. Some foods can change the color of your poop (ie beets!), but as long as this is infrequent there is no warrant for concern. Poop that is super dark, pale or light grey, puke green or yellow is not what we are looking for.

3. Consistency: Your poop should be easy to pass without too much effort, long, sausage shapes, sinking, and hold its shape once fully eliminated. Stool that is loose, diarrhea, seems like rabbit poop, has undigested food pieces, or is floating is a no-no. Pro-tip: We are big fans of using a squatty potty or something similar if this helps with consistency.

Storing Herbs

When it comes to meeting goals, sometimes being a little boring wtih your meals can help with consistency. But sometimes that means you lack variety and things get dull. Enter FRESH HERBS! One of our favorite ways to easily incorporate flavor and variety into your meals is by using fresh herbs. Adding even just a small handful of fresh herbs helps boost flavor and color on your plate, and change things up a bit without having to create a new meal. Next time you're at the store or market, check out the herbs and consider bringing a bunch or two home - parsley, basil, cilantro, green onions, dill, thyme, or chives - the options are endless!

But who wants to spend money on fresh herbs that get slimy in a matter of days?! Here's where our favorite tip comes in handy. The easiest way we have found to store herbs is by storing them in the fridge upright in a glass of water. Not only does this help to keep them fresh and extend their life, but it also keeps them front and center in your fridge. No more getting lost in the bottom of your vegetable drawer until you find the mess (we all do it).