In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with holistic nutritionist Cristina Tahoces about Love-Led Nourishment. Learn how the intentional choice towards live food helps you connect to your own positive feelings of love and self-worth. Stuck in a cycle of mindless binge eating or feeling deprived? If you don’t have a positive relationship with food, you’re not alone. This episode is for you.
“The only why that is strong enough to counter stress and the voice of the inner critic is love”
Cristina Tahoces
Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice, a global online wellness business focused on building physical and mental health resilience to stress through a nutritional approach she calls “love-led nourishment”. A former corporate banker, Cristina turned to nutrition to help herself heal from chronic allergies & adrenal fatigue. Over the years, she has helped clients with high stress profiles improve sleep, immunity & energy levels, relieve irritable bowel symptoms and reverse high blood pressure – all through her in-depth knowledge about how to use food therapeutically. In 2017, she shared her nutritional strategy “Sleep Love Poop” on the TEDx stage as part of the TED Women’s Global Conference. She uses the themes of Sleep Love Poop to help her clients both in private consultation and through her group programs, which she runs several times a year.
In this episode, we cover:
How the food choices we make, especially under stress, are dictated by emotion instead of logic
The importance of asking yourself what you could choose to eat that would show yourself love, kindness, compassion and respect
The difference between “live” food and “dead” food and their impact on your energy
How to get your kids excited about live foods like fruit and how to make an apple doughnut
The key to pressing pause on your inner critic and increasing self-compassion
How practicing is more important than knowing
The importance of re-labelling dinner time as an investment in your physical and mental health instead of a chore
How to trade up your food with nutrient dense foods to feel satiated and prevent overeating or feeling deprived
The importance of switching from fight or flight mode to rest and digest mode in order to practice intuitive eating and Love-Led Nourishment
Vagus nerve breathing exercise: inhale to count of 4, pause for count of 3, exhale through the mouth to count of 8
How drinking water can massively impact your mental clarity and energy level
The importance of protein and a variety of vegetables with every meal
Thrive & AmyA Fitness Bootcamps: where the best in mindful fitness & nutrition is combined to give you the results you want on a platter. New Bootcamp coming in October.
Women. Lead. Now.: a leadership coaching masterclass series for women looking to rewrite the rules of leadership and lead with clarity, confidence, competence and courage. Starts October 5th.
Cristina loves being glued to her 600ml Lifefactory glass water bottle instead of her phone and her Kitchenaid mini food processor for chopping veggies, dips and sauces.
Dr. Lisa is a big fan of super comfortable Smash and Tess Rompers.
Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing info session for expecting parents looking to trust their instincts and their body during labour and birth is September 27. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register
Dr. Lisa’s Wild Collective begins again in Fall 2021: get on the waitlist: wildcollectivetoronto.com
We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.
Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.
The majority of your health, energy and vitality is determined by the small, consistent habits that you incorporate daily. In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni “go back to the basics” and uncover 10 simple (and free!) things you can do to support energy, immunity, hormone balance, mood, digestion, disease prevention and more. Pick 1 or 2 health habits that resonate with you and that are easy to incorporate. Every little bit helps!
In this episode, we cover:
Deep breathing
Prioritizing sleep
Drinking water
Practicing Hydrotherapy
Adding fresh herbs and spices to your food
Eating more veggies
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Connecting to nature
Practicing gratitude
Being a part of a community
Deep Breathing
Dr. Lisa’s favourite technique is Box Breathing aka 4-4-4-4 Breath
This technique is simple and easy. You can notice benefits of box breathing even after 1-2 minutes
You can practice deep breathing while you are showering, working, walking, watching tv, driving or stressful transitions with your kids, like bedtime
It helps to reduce stress, anxiety, possibly blood pressure and cortisol
Boosts feeling of well being and ability to be calm and present
Dr. Toni’s enjoys repurposing the HypnoBirthing Calm Breath (inhale to count of 4, pause, exhale to count of 6-8) in addition to the HypnoBirthing guided relaxation track available on HypnoBirthing Institute website as a free download
Prioritizing sleep – aim for about 7-8 hours
Sleep is essential for mental and emotional health, in addition to proper metabolism and immune system function
Give yourself permission to make sleep a priority over other things you could be doing – let yourself sleep!
Add in an afternoon nap if you need to (especially if you have little ones still napping)
Drinking Water
Hydration first thing in morning can make a huge difference in your energy, reduce your frequency of headaches and migraines, improve your digestion function and bowel movements
You can increase the quality of your tap water by using a filtration system
Adding lemon or other citrus fruit can add in flavour and more benefits for your health:
D-limonene is the essential oil found in the rind of citrus shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties, plus in animal studies shown to reduce triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, protect against stomach ulcers
Practicing Hydrotherapy aka “water therapy”
30-60 seconds cold water spray at end of your shower
Boosts your alertness, energy and mood
Helps your skin and hair to have a healthy glow (flattens follicles)
Supports your immunity and circulation to our internal organs
May support your weight loss with the production of more brown fat that produces heat, increasing your metabolism and temperature
Reduces your muscle soreness and can speed up your recovery post-workout
Other hydrotherapy options include cold spray on your feet while waiting for shower water to warm up or wet warming socks at the first sign of a cold
You can check out the free mini-class online by Wim Hof with focus on breathing, cold showers and power of your mind
Adding spices and fresh herbs to your food
Provides extra antioxidants for a quick and easy win for your health
Cinnamon can lower your blood sugar level and reduce inflammation
Ginger – supports digestion, good for nausea (even in pregnancy), can reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, migraines and menstrual cramps
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger to your chia pudding, yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie in the morning
Oregano – antibacterial properties, helps prevent against damage to your DNA and cells, plus has nutrients like calcium, vitamin K, manganese, iron, tryptophan
Add oregano and thyme to pasta sauces
Turmeric- used to reduce pain and inflammation for menstrual cramps, arthritis, may help to prevent against cancer and dementia
Add turmeric powder to hummus, baba ghanouj, scrambled eggs or omelettes with some black pepper and/or a bit of healthy fat)
Garlic – antimicrobial properties can help treat and prevent candida, fungus and other infections, support cardiovascular health
Enjoy roasted whole and spread on bread or crackers
Add garlic, parsley and cilantro to salad dressings with lemon juice, olive oil, coconut aminos, salt and pepper
Add dill to homemade coleslaw or salads
Add rosemary to barbequed meat to reduce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and roasted veggies like squash, sweet potato and potatoes
Eating more vegetables
Aim for at least 8 servings a day with a rainbow of colours
More variety of veggies provides more nutrients
Higher fruit and vegetable intake (5 servings or more) is linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, especially:
Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale
Also provides more fibre for improved digestion, balanced blood sugar and can help prevent hypertension, diabetes, cancer
How can you get more in? Try one new veggie per week
Add spinach or greens to smoothies or “green eggs”
Switch out a serving of pasta, rice, bread for cauliflower rice, vegetable pasta or konjac noodles/rice
Research shows that intake of starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with more weight gain
Getting in “exercise snacks” throughout the day
Great for switching up your emotional state, maintaining your muscle mass, your cardiovascular and lymphatic health, and spending time with your kids
Walking or running, outside or doing stairs or laps inside!
Indoor dance party in your living room
Set a timer to do some push ups, lunges and/or squats for 1-2 minutes every hour to reduce the amount of time you’re sitting during the day
Connecting to Nature
calming, connects me with something bigger than myself and my little problems, simple as being mindful and observing the trees in the yard and the neighbourhood park, grateful to live with large pine trees in front and back yard
Aim for at least 20 minutes 2 times a week
Studies show getting outside can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels while boosting mood and memory
Induces calm and relaxation by reducing rumination
Can be done alone or with others (while physically distance as necessary)
Can include taking a nature walk in a park, forest bathing, sitting in your backyard or balcony, listening to nature sounds, looking at pictures of nature scenes or hugging trees (as they were urged to do in Iceland to help overcome social isolation
Doctors are starting to write prescriptions for getting out in nature
Practicing gratitude
Research shows that grateful people experience less pain and depression, plus better sleep and self-esteem
Can be as simple as feeling thankful for hugs from family, connecting to family and friends online, summer weather, having time to listen to a podcast for new information or getting to drink your coffee or tea while it’s hot!
Gratitude practice can include a gratitude journal or mental review in the shower or in bed before sleep
“Where your attention goes, your energy flows”
Being part of a community
Social isolation and loneliness has a bigger health impact than smoking on your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease
Reduces stress and anxiety
Options include:
Talking with friends and family over phone, WhatsApp or Zoom
Playing games with friends online
Online book clubs
Online groups like Mom Halo, Mamas and Co, Camp Hoo-ha, Business Networking International (BNI)
Volunteering
Today’s Mama Must Have:
Dr. Toni is thankful to have Arnica homeopathic pellets and ointment to safely manage the inevitable falls, bumps and bruises that happen in daily life with a toddler.
Dr. Lisa finds a real benefit from a gratitude journal and writing down what she’s grateful for in a regular ringed notebook from the dollar store. In the morning, she reflects on, and writes down: what would make today great; three amazing things that happened yesterday; plus people and opportunities that she’s grateful for.
Thank you for joining us today!
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Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!
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