Every year I see an influx of people trying to loose weight in January.  Partly due to New Years Resolutions, partly due to the 1/2 stone gained over Christmas.

So how do you avoid the dreaded holiday weight without becoming a Buzzkill?

It's simple!  Don't go crazy!  And I don't mean don't let loose, what I mean is don't try to eat everything you see! 

My favourite thing in January is when I see clients who started on their plans before Christmas, they are dreading it, that moment when I ask them to get up on the scales.  That sounds wrong, the part I love is when they realise they didn't gain their usual Christmas weight, even though they initially feel they didn't stick to the program.   I'll tell you why:

• indulge but don't over indulge - have a slice of Christmas cake and enjoy it rather than gorging on half the cake.  
• watch the portions - don't end up in a coma Christmas day.  Have a bit of everything, just don't pile the plate to the ceiling
• keep a healthy attitude - just because it's Christmas doesn't mean that everything that passes your lips should be sweet, sticky or alcoholic. 
• eat healthy in between - enjoy your Christmas fare but in between keep it clean.  
• juice it up - 1 juice a day will boost nutrients - when you eat more sugar, more alcohol etc you will find you r cravings increase.  This is partly due to foods and drinks lacking in nutrients.  A lack of nutrients will increase cravings.  The juice will boost back in the nutrients and help cut the cravings.

The main thing is don't put yourself under pressure, it's one day so enjoy it.

​Merry Christmas everyone :)

If you are looking for help with your nutrition, health or weight, contact Carina to start your plan for January

New Year’s resolutions are made on January 1st and often abandoned by January 21st.  Mainly because we loose enthusiasm, loose direction or struggle to keep up an extreme diet.
 
Every year there are new Health, Weight-loss and Wellness trends.  2020 will be no different. 
 
It looks like some of those trends for 2020 will be

• Plant based diets – vegan
• Ethical eating – buying form small local producers
• Clean eating – little to no processed foods, using fresh produce.

 
 
I would agree with all of these options, they all promote health and wellness in their own way, but only if you know how to follow them properly, and to remember that no one diet works for everyone. 
 
So what would I advise this year to help you meet your health, weight and wellness goals?  Simple, make it about YOU.

• Ask yourself what’s your GOAL – is it weight loss, health, energy, sleep, confidence?
• Then ask yourself WHY.  Why do you want to do this, what would it mean to you?
• Then ask yourself is your WHY a good enough reason to keep you on track, if it’s not strong enough you’ll give in to temptations
• Then make a plan or get a professional plan put together.  If you think you are likely to give in at the usual 21st January then book on a program where you will be supervised and encouraged to stay on track.
• See how you feel, if it is the right option for you, you should start to notice you feel better, more energized, better sleep, weight balancing and less cravings.

 
The main thing to remember this year is stop trying the fads and trends that are extreme and generally only yield short term results.  The definition of madness is to keep doing the same thing and to keep expecting a different result, so this year try a different approach for better results
 
Some of the diet trends that have made headlines in recent years have merit for different people but when they are executed badly they become unhealthy, hard to keep up and downright boring.
 
Vegan and Gluten Free diets are a prime example of this.  There are so many products on the market for both of these diets, the vegan and Gluten Free market has exploded.  What this means is that you can now follow these diets now with highly processed foods, which eventually leads to poor health. 
 
Whatever eating plan you decide to adopt make sure it is:

• Healthy – providing the nutrients you need to be healthy – removing food groups completely is not a great option.  It’s not about Calories, it’s all about nutrients
• Balanced – extremes rarely work in the long term.  You may get quick results but they will quickly unravel, this then leads to yoyo dieting and this can be bad for your health.
• Fresh food – eating lots of bars, drinking lots of branded shakes or eating a lot of processed foods (even if they are low fat/salt/sugar etc) is not the approach I would choose as a nutritional therapist.
• You are cooking  – if cooking scares you take a short cooking course.  My approach to cooking is often to just give it a go and see if it works.

 
So this year make it all about YOU!  If you need help with a healthy diet that works for YOU or are thinking of trying Veganuary, contact Carina, get a tailored plan, full support and expert advice. 
 
This year set yourself up to succeed!
 #YearOfYou
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

​ 
Lots of people I am seeing in clinic at the moment are fighting phlegmy coughs.  That feeling of something stuck in the back of the throat.
 
It can be really irritating, especially when you are somewhere you need peace and quiet.
 
So, I’ll share with you what I tell my clients.
 
For every problem there is often a simple solution, if you only know it.
 
My go to for shifting a build up of phlegm is this yummy drink:
 
Phlegm fighter
 
Ingredients
1 Cup of boiling water
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 inch of peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp manuka honey
1/ 2 lemon juiced
crushed berries optional
 
Method
Boil the water and add all the other ingredients into the cup and allow it to steep for 10 minutes, top up with boiling water if you rather drink it hotter
 
 
The apple cider vinegar will cut through the phlegm
The ginger is a great clearer
The manuka is nice and sweet and will help fight of germs and bacteria that could be causing the phlegm
Lemon juice like the apple cider vinegar will cut through the phlegm
 
If the issue is long-term and persistent call Carina to make an appointment, see if you can get to the root of the issue.  A common cause for long-term sinus, cattarhal and phlegm related issues can be digestive issues.
 
 
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

There are many eating trends out there.  From ketogenic, eat right 4 your blood-type, Atkins, meat free Mondays, plant based, Paleo, whole 30, the list is endless.
 
As a Nutritional therapist and Naturopath, my view on diets are quite simple.  No one diet fits all and the best way to achieve health or weight goals is to simply eat healthy.  This is the simplest yet most effective way to ensure long-term results.
 
Clean eating is exactly what it sounds like:

• Eat organic where you can – pesticides are another thing for your body to process.
• Eat local where possible – nutrient contents of locally grown fruits and vegetables are likely to be higher as they have been allowed to grow to maturation.
• Remove processed foods – freshly cooked foods are more likely to have a better nutrient content, natural nutrients rather than chemically added
• Remove sugar – processed sugar has been linked to many health issues, from cancer to weight gain, to cholesterol and beyond.
• Reduce dairy and processed wheat products – more and more people are testing positive to dairy, wheat and gluten intolerances.

 
Clean eating is all about nourishing your body while reducing the toxic load you place on it.  To some this seems extreme but when you think about it, this was the norm only 30 years ago.
 
Could you go back to eating more simply to move your health forward?
 
I see overall wellbeing improve in at little as 1 week with a good healthy diet, improved energy, sleep, skin, mood, reduced bloating and more.
 
 
If you need help with your diet, contact Carina for an appointment
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922