Did you know that $700,000,000 is spent on laxatives every year!

That’s a lot of money down the toilet (pun intended). There’s one thing I know for sure and that is if you are constipated then it’s going to be much harder for you to lose weight and clean out your system.

Let me ask you a rather personal question… do you have a satisfying bowel movement daily? Yes, daily as in every single day? If not then you may be constipated. It doesn’t matter if you’ve always had this problem… it’s still a problem.

Chronic constipation can occur with a wide variety of intestinal and systemic illnesses that directly or indirectly slow the movement of fecal material through the large bowel.

Nervous system diseases and endocrine disorders frequently lead to chronic constipation. In some cases, constipation may precede other more specific symptoms of the underlying disease like hypothyroidism and Type II Diabetes.

You are considered constipated if you have two or more of the following for at least 3 months:

• Straining during a bowel movement more than 25% of the time
• Hard stools more than 25% of the time
• Incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time
• Two or fewer bowel movements in a week
  
  

One of the reasons I promote cleansing with real food is to give your digestive system a break. This is necessary so you can better eliminate the toxins that have been stored inside you.  Although there are mixed reports on the link between constipation and colon cancer, it is believed that the toxins your body is trying to eliminate through a bowel movement can get reabsorbed into the body if you are constipated.

Today I’m sharing a recipe from my Detox 101 - Workshop with you. This recipe has helped many of my clients get things moving in the right direction.

Liquid Plumber

1 apple, chopped
2 stalks celery
1 tbsp cinnamon
3 dried figs, soaked in advance
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
water, enough for desired consistency

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender. It won’t be completely smooth. That’s ok - you want it a little more fibrous than a smoothie. Enjoy!

You can find many more recipes like this one in my Detox 101 - Workshop.  Details coming soon. 

Constipation is a serious problem especially when you are trying to lose weight and nothing else seems to be working. Give this recipe a try and let me know if you problem resolves itself. 

In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, CPCC, Personal Trainer

From a health standpoint, vegetables are an unbeatable food: naturally nutrient-rich; better tasting than a vitamin pill; low in calories; high in fibre and packed with disease-fighting phytonutrients. All types of vegetables can be nourishing and delicious – fresh, frozen, canned and juiced.

To maximize your health with vegetables, nutrition experts suggest at least 3 to 5 servings per day – but why stop there? With so many ways to enjoy spring-time goodness, you could easily eat vegetables at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  Here are a dozen daily ways to treat yourself to good health!

• Asparagus: Saute in olive oil with garlic and a hit of lemon zest for a refreshing and seasonal dish. Roasted asparagus is a great finger food for snacking on!
  
• Broccoli and cauliflower: Versatile and very healthful – eat them raw (with dip if you like) or cooked, in a salad or even a slaw.
  
• Carrots: Sweet, crunchy, good for your teeth, eyes and heart! Perfect raw (as a snack or salad) or cooked in a stew.
  
• Peppers: Green, red, yellow, orange or even purple!  Enjoy peppers in a salad, stir-fry, casserole or as a snack.  They are great roasted too.
  
• Spinach: A salad of baby spinach leaves with pears or apples can turn anyone into a real spinach lover. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle goat cheese on top, mmmmm.
  
• Onions: The zesty onion family (scallions, leeks and garlic, too!) offers some powerful antioxidant nutrients.
  
• Peas: Fresh or frozen, peas are a treat to eat and they are very popular with small children.  I like to eat them freshly picked, right out of the pod.
  
• Beets: If you’ve never liked beets, try them in a new way – like roasted, grilled or lightly steamed in the microwave.  They increase inflammation-fighting nitric oxide. 
  
• Mushrooms: Just a mushroom or two adds rich flavor to a casserole, soup, stew, stir-fry or even a tossed green salad.  Asian mushrooms are loaded with anti-cancer nutrients.
  
• Leaf and romaine lettuce: Rule of thumb for a healthy salad – the darker the color of the lettuce leaves, the more nutrients you get.
  
• Green, yellow or purple beans: Like their pea ‘cousins,’ beans offer some fibre and a little bit of protein, along with vitamins and minerals.
  
• Tomatoes: Cooking increases the availability of some tomato nutrients – so enjoy canned sauce, paste and chunks.
  

Many people don't eat vegetables until dinner. Make a commit to your health - Check off the new ways you want to try to enjoy more veggies during the day:

I can add vegetables at breakfast by:

□ Adding vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, onion, green or red peppers to an omelet

I can add vegetables at lunch and snack by:

□ Adding leafy greens, cucumber, or peppers to sandwiches
□ Adding different vegetables to a green salad, like broccoli, green beans, asparagus or peas
□ Adding a bag of sugar snap peas, carrots, peppers, celery and/or zucchini sticks to my snack
□ Adding extra vegetables to soup
□  Choosing kale chips or nori instead of potato chips


Leave a comment below and let me know how you enjoy your favourite veggies.

In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, CPCC, Personal Trainer

We all do it, I am guilty of it too: not allowing enough time (or any for that matter) on ourselves. We are busy people, always rushing from here to there, running errands, trying to drop the kids off on time, preparing food, cleaning the house, walking the dog - making sure that everyone else is happy. But where does that leave us? Usually overtired and somewhat unhappy.

This Mother’s Day I challenge you to take some time for yourself and increase your happiness factor. I don’t mean taking an hour to sleep in on exactly Sunday the 11th of May – I mean scheduling time for yourself on an ongoing basis. How can this be done? Well, by starting out slow, creating time and then rekindling something that you have put on the backburner.

1. Find your “MAGIC” time - Lori Kennedy RHN, and founder of WOW Weight Loss, describes this time as, “The time when you are most creative, free from distractions and able to get things done.” For some it is the time after the kids go to bed.  For me, sometimes it's before everyone else gets up, or it's at 8:30 once they've all left for school. I knock a few things off my to do list, which gives me clarity and takes off a bit of stress.

2. Improve your sleep - Improving your sleep can be accomplished in a couple of ways. First, turn off your smartphone and laptop 1 hour before bed time. The blue screen from these devices tricks your brain into thinking it is still day-time and makes it harder to fall asleep. Second, download all that info that is swirling around in your brain – that is, make a to-do list before bed, or just write down the things that are bothering you, so they won’t keep you up at night. I call it a brain dump and really helps.

3. Spend one hour doing something that you love - Knitting, gardening, baking, reading, chatting with a friend, drawing, dancing, singing, cuddling, walking, biking, soaking up some rays…the sky is the limit. By incorporating something into your day that you left behind once the kids came around you will start to feel like you are yourself again – boosting your happiness.

I know some days are harder than others, and that we all are super busy, but taking these small steps will help you in the long run, and your improved mood will also reduce the stress level in your house, bumping that happiness factor up even more.

Mother’s Day Self-Care Maca Balls Recipe

Makes 12 balls

1 heaping cup of dried dates
1 cup of shredded coconut
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1/4 cup of maca powder
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Process the dates and coconut in a food processor until they start to clump together
2. Add the maca powder and salt, then melt the coconut oil until it becomes liquid
3. Turn the food processor on and drizzle in the coconut oil until well combined
4. Remove the mixture from the food processor and roll into balls

Notes

1. Kept in the fridge, these should last at least a week if not longer. They could also be frozen.

 
Recipe from http://keepinghealthygettingstylish.com/2013/10/recipe-coconut-maca-snack-balls-hormonal-balance.html