Our Love Hate Relationship with Dairy

April 20, 2013

North Americans love dairy.  Cheese, cheese sauces, milk, yogurt, and ice cream are commonly found in the majority of food diaries that I see…and lots of it.  Many people eat cheese 3 meals a day as a main source of protein (bagel and cheese, pizza, pasta and cheese).  Others are drinking milk like…

Are Unnecessary Beverages Filling Up Your Bucket?

April 7, 2013

Last week we got you thinking about your bucket.  That is the empty bucket inside your body determined by your genetics.  Fill it up with chemicals, alcohol, stress and other threats to our cells and it can overflow leading to chronic inflammation and illness.  Empty your bucket with healthy habits…

Inflammation – An Epidemic

March 31, 2013

Allergies, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, skin disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and many other common illnesses and health challenges are closely linked to chronic inflammation. Inflammation is now considered to be a more important risk factor for heart disease than high cholesterol levels.…

Leucine and Weight Loss

February 12, 2013

Here at Healthy Habits we like to stress the importance of a diet low in carbohydrates for weight loss.  Often we see clients who need to significantly reduce starchy carbohydrates, especially the processed white stuff, and increase good quality protein in their diet. There is much research to…

Happy New Year!

January 11, 2013

Traditionally it is the time of year to make resolutions.  Unfortunately for most we find ourselves making the same resolutions again January 2014.  To help you keep yours here’s a tip... Make sure your resolution is a WANT and not a SHOULD.  For example, everyone wants to be healthier because…

Is Your Nutrition Getting in the Way of Good Posture?

September 12, 2012

At Healthy Habits we help people permanently thrive through posture and alignment, as the root of lasting physical improvement.  So why do we offer nutritional services?  How does nutrition link to postureandalignment?   Since the foods we eat affect the health of all soft tissue and bone it…

WATER FOR ENERGY!!

September 5, 2012

Water For Energy!! In our blog Recharge After Exercise – But Not With Chocolate Milk! Posted Wednesday July 25, 2012 we challenged the belief that chocolate milk is a great post-recovery drink.  For the majority of exercisers water still stands out as the ideal beverage for recovery and for…

Saving Your Low Back

August 23, 2012

  Our last post, “Activate Those Glutes! Stretch Your Psoas” dated Friday August 12, 2012 talked about how to activate the glutes.  An important motivator for using your gluteal muscles (your buttocks) is to avoid lower back injuries.  Not using your glutes places too much strain on your…

Activate Those Glutes! Stretch Your Psoas

August 17, 2012

When exercising with a professional you’ll often be asked to activate your glutes.  The gluteal muscles are the three muscles that make up the buttocks: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles.  Often they are underutilized, during every day activities and during exercise,…

SATURATED FAT – THE MYTH

August 8, 2012

This week I’d like to expand on an earlier topic, the butter is bad myth (see blog, Stop Eating Dry Toast, from Monday, July 2, 2012).   The butter is bad myth is directly related to the myth that all saturated fats are bad for us.  For disease prevention we’ve been told to get no more than…

Weight-Loss, Diet, Exercise and Sleep

August 2, 2012

Getting enough quality sleep a night is an important component of a weight loss plan yet it is often overlooked.  The recommended number of hours of sleep a night for an adult is 7 to 9, but in our fast-paced and often over-scheduled days many adults do not get enough. When you sleep your body is…

Recharge After Exercise – But Not With Chocolate Milk!

July 25, 2012

Statistics provided by the Dairy Farmers of Canada show that 63% of males reported drinking chocolate milk to recover after a workout in June 2011 compared to 23% in November 2008 (Globe and Mail, July2,2012).  Why the jump?  In 2008 an advertising campaign was launched by the Dairy Farmers of…

Hydration for Summer Sports

July 8, 2012

Don’t believe the hype – chocolate milk is NOT for exercise recovery. It is being promoted by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and research is centered on elite athletes. Unless you are travelling to Lon

July 2, 2012

Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and the connection to Foods we eat. Acidosis – acidity weakens all body systems. When excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in aweakened condition.   pH – potential of hydrogen is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of…

STOP EATING DRY TOAST

July 2, 2012

The myths about butter being bad for us have misled people long enough.  Stop eating dry toast!  Avoiding butter is unnecessary and can actually be hazardous to your health. We learn that butter is bad because it is a saturated fat, and that saturated fats have a negative impact on our blood…

Bloated Again

June 15, 2012

You may notice that by the end of the day your pants are tighter, could it be that you are a regular sufferer of bloating?  Abdominal discomfort isn’t always linked to a holiday feast, although overeating is surely a contributor.  Bloating can occur for a number of other reasons such as swallowing…

Raising Your Blood Cholesterol: Eggs or Lemonade

June 6, 2012

You may be surprised to learn that research linking blood cholesterol levels and heart disease is weak.  This is surprising because in the media and in the doctor’s office there is much focus around keeping blood cholesterol levels less than 200 mg/dl.  Many cholesterol lowering medications are…

May 30, 2012

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/bad-eating-habits-and-how-to-break-them.aspx check out this article by: Kathleen Chu

Safe Summer Grilling

May 14, 2012

Cooking meat, poultry or fish at high temperatures when grilling (broiling or frying too) creates chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs).  HCAs are carcinogenic. These carcinogens may increase the risk of certain cancers. Fat dripping onto hot coals, stones or burners creates additional…

To Carbohydrate Load or NOT?

May 9, 2012

This is the season when we see swells of 'runners' take to the roads.  The sunshine inspires and compels so many of us to take on physical challenges, like running road races.  The recreational runner is a special breed. One that deserves unsung praises. Firstly it is the recreational runner's race…

Cut the Foods that Make you Fat

September 19, 2011

Sorry I've been away for so long. I had no idea that there was a group out there following this blog. Thank-you for your interest. When you have the chance please sign up for our blog so we know you are out

Aerobic versus Anaerobic Training

July 19, 2011

When I first started training and coaching regular individuals (as opposed to athletes) there was a well entrenched notion for weight loss. Long, slow, distance was believed to be the only way to burn excess fat.

Cholesterol Readings

June 22, 2011

Statin drug therapy decreases the level of LDL (low density lipoproteins) circulating in the blood. This has been the accepted measurement for determining 'risk' of future heart disease.  However consensus regarding LDL indicators for heart disease is not universal.  Before statin drugs were…

The FAMOUS ROTATION DIET

June 14, 2011

Metabolism is an intricate dance between glands,(pineal, thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, pancreas, gonads), fluids that are intracellular and extracellular, muscle activity, and the liver and kidneys. Rotation diets are an easy way to integrate essential nutrients that support the glands (endocrine…

Correcting Posture Imbalances

June 14, 2011

Muscles and movement are integrated into body-wide fascial webbing. Myofascia refers to muscle tissue and its web of connective(fascial)tissue.

Dignitas Cycling Fund Raiser

June 8, 2011

Milne Cycling and Melissa Putt cheerleadingSunday June 5, 2011 Healthy Habits Team participated in a fund raiser for HIV/AIDS treatment in Malawi.Fun was had by all and we were one of the top fund raisers

Food and Mood

June 2, 2011

The contents of your last meal affect which neurotransmitters are predominant in your brain. Neurotransmitters are tiny proteins that electrically interconnect the nerve cells in the brain. At any given

May 31, 2011

Fats are not the villian to your diet. Saturated fats from coconut, lard, palm, and tallow are much needed nutrients to any balanced diet. In fact, saturated fats have less calories than the unsaturated