Dr Libby Weaver - Dr Libby

Daily habits to help keep your gut healthy

June 18, 2019November 14, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

The health of the gut is central to every aspect of health.

It is through our digestive system that we absorb all of the goodness from our food, a process that is essential for life.

Yet today, many people suffer with an array of gut-based illnesses or dysfunction, which can have broad-reaching impacts on many other areas of our health – here are some gut friendly tips to incorporate into your daily life.

USE LEMON JUICE/APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TO STIMULATE DIGESTION
Due to numerous components in lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, they help to stimulate stomach acid and bile production. The digestive qualities of lemon juice/apple cider vinegar can also help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, heartburn and bloating. Begin your day with the juice from half a lemon in warm water or apple cider vinegar for digestive support.

BITTER FOODS
One of the most detrimental changes to our diet over the last century has been the continual sweetening of our foods, the result being that many people are now particularly sensitive or averse to bitter foods. Bitter foods stimulate the liver to produce bile, which is an important part of optimal digestion. Bile emulsifies fats and renders nutrients — especially fat-soluble ones such as vitamins A, D, E and K. A great way to eat more bitter foods is to include leafy greens, turmeric – and even a couple of squares of good quality dark chocolate.

MOVE REGULARLY
Healthy (as opposed to excessive or inadequate) movement such as walking, increases blood flow to our organs. Bringing more blood to the gastrointestinal tract results in stronger intestinal contractions and increase in digestive enzymes.

The stronger the contractions and the more those digestive juices flow, the more quickly and easily food waste will move through the colon and be excreted out of the body. A brisk 10 to 20 minute walk, can be incredibly helpful to promote a bowel movement and is a great option if you suffer from constipation. Strengthening your core muscles through exercises such as yoga and Pilates are also great for healthy gut function.

FIBRE
Dietary fibre is incredibly helpful for our gut. Soluble fibre essentially acts like a sponge, absorbing fluid and making the bowel contents softer. It also binds to toxic waste products, allowing them to be eliminated efficiently. Insoluble fibre acts as like a “bulking agent” which, with soluble fibre, helps to keep our bowel regular (although bowel regularity is often more complex than just dietary fibre consumption, movement and water).

Research indicates that animals that eat a fibre-rich diet tend to have a lower body weight and be less likely to develop type-2 diabetes, than animals fed a fibreless diet. Fibre is of particular benefit for our gut bacteria; both insoluble and soluble fibres have been shown to positively alter our gut bacteria in as little as two weeks. Obtain your dietary fibre from whole food plant sources.

EAT IN A CALM STATE
Most of us know it’s better to eat dinner at the dinner table away from the television, but what we often don’t consider is what sort of “state” we’re in. It’s always best to eat in a calm state. If you’ve just rushed through the door and are still thinking about the last task you were working on at work, it’s better to wait until you’re calm. Adrenaline, one of our stress hormones, interferes with our ability to effectively digest our food which can lead to indigestion, bloating and even aggravate an irritable bowel.

CHEW YOUR FOOD
As a consequence of often eating in a hurry many of us have forgotten that we actually need to chew our food. There are no teeth in your oesophagus – if you know you’re prone to food inhaling, put your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls. Chewing your food properly sounds obvious, but it can make a huge difference to your gut health!

10 foods that help sugar cravings

January 17, 2023October 20, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Sugar has been a topic of much debate over the past few years.

Countless people make great food choices for breakfast and lunch and then at 3 o’clock in the afternoon or after dinner, they feel like someone else has taken over their body. The desire for and subsequent consumption of sweet food can take hold without you really knowing why or what to do about it.

Too many people reach for sweet food that doesn’t serve their health; in fact, it may contain substances that actually have the potential to take away from their health, yet they feel powerless to live any differently, having tried to change their sweet food habits many times.

There are several ways you can reduce cravings for sugar; many start with dietary changes.

If you have a strong sweet tooth, or if you just want to work at removing refined sugar from your diet, there are a number of foods that are of benefit. Here are 10 foods that help manage sugar cravings.

LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

Leafy greens tend to be bitter, which helps reduce cravings for sugar. If you eat sugar when you’re feeling stressed and depressed, experiment with adding more leafy greens like silverbeet, kale, spinach and mustard greens to your meals every day.

SAUERKRAUT

Bacteria in the gut thrive on sugars and could be a contributing factor to your cravings. Fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut and kimchi, help the gut microbiome by introducing more good bacteria into your gut. You can buy beautiful sauerkraut or kimchi, or better still make your own.

COCONUT OIL

When you reduce or remove sugar from your diet, try bringing out flavour in your food with nourishing fats. Coconut oil has a slightly sweet taste and is composed predominantly of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Coconut oil, more specifically, contains lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral properties to support the immune system and healthy gut bacteria. It also slows the release of glucose into the blood meaning you feel satiated for longer.

HERBAL TEA

Keep some strongly flavoured teas like ginger or peppermint, or a naturally sweet one like liquorice, in your drawer at work. Liquorice tea is a great after-dinner tea, especially if this is when you tend to experience cravings. Try this for a week and notice if your cravings for chocolate or something sweet reduce.

BANANAS

Although fruit contains fructose (also known as fruit sugar), small amounts go a long way! Starchy bananas are great, especially paired with low-fructose berries. Use them to naturally sweeten smoothies or baking or make an alternative to ice cream by blending frozen berries and frozen bananas in a food processor. Bananas also combine well with nuts so try half a chopped banana with a handful of your favourite raw nuts as a snack.

KUMARA/SWEET POTATO

This sweet and starchy root vegetable is a great addition when you’re craving sugar. Try roasting kumara with a small amount of coconut or olive oil plus a pinch of cinnamon to enhance its natural sweetness.

AVOCADOS

These delicious fruits are filled with nourishing fats and are a great addition to a whole food way of eating, helping you feel satisfied for longer. Add them to smoothies to create a creamy blend with serious staying power. Half an avocado, with sauerkraut, a glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt is a delicious afternoon snack to help you keep you sustained through what is typically the time you crave sugar the most.

DATES

Dates are great to have on hand, especially for an afternoon snack. Dates are intensely sweet and rich, a little goes a long way! Plus ground dates can be swapped for sugar in baked goods. A neat snack idea is to remove the seed from two fresh dates, add two raw almonds to each date (from where you removed the seed) and you have a sweet, crunchy snack, full of nutrients.

DARK CHOCOLATE

I’m talking about 70 per cent cacao content and upwards! A little goes a long way and it’s full of antioxidants. The more bitter varieties of dark chocolate mean you are satisfied with one or two squares.

How stress impacts your food choices

July 25, 2023October 20, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

I have never believed that weight-loss or weight management is as simple as calories in versus calories out. Our bodies are not inert and what contributes to how we nourish ourselves includes what can be complex cultural, psychological and environmental factors. What, and how much you eat, as well as moving your body regularly aren’t the only things that impact your weight. Emotional and physical stress can also tip the balance of the nervous system and subsequently the scales. But it’s not always about weight gain, stress can also result in people losing weight – or changing their eating habits.

Driving the stress response

When you go through a period of prolonged stress your body is constantly producing adrenalin, as a result your energy tends to be inconsistent. You fire up and then you crash, and the choices you make when you crash can set you up to fire up again and quite often they are nutritionally of a poor quality. They will typically involve caffeine, sugars or starches, or all three. Let’s face it. You don’t polish off a packet of chocolate biscuits thinking you are going to feel amazing afterwards. You don’t do that from a lack of knowledge. You do it for biochemical or emotional reasons, or both. Consuming too much caffeine is a sure fire way to feel stressed/rushed as it results in the release of adrenalin, one of our body’s stress hormones. Many people feel tired, yet often describe themselves as being wired – yet they continue to consume coffee (which stimulates adrenalin production!) This is of particular importance if you feel jittery when you consume it. Swap coffee for green tea or if that’s just unbearable to you, ask for a single shot coffee, notice if you feel calmer and more energised after a week of doing this.

Stress and weight gain

Continual overproduction of cortisol (our long-term stress hormone) can lead to visceral fat gain, the type located inside our abdomen that is strongly linked to inflammation and an increased risk of many diseases. Stress has a tendency to make food feel more rewarding or comforting, and subsequently we can rely on food to ease our stress. Be mindful of when you’re eating to alleviate stress or when you’re eating because you’re hungry. Typically, the types of food you want will be the clue here! Not many people who are stressed crave a big bowl of kale.

Stress and weight loss

Many people describe that the mere thought of eating makes them feel nauseous in the midst of chronic stress and anxiety. There is a biochemical reason behind this. When our bodies produce stress hormones part of this ‘fight or flight’ response suppresses what it considers non-essential processes such as our digestion, therefore, digestive processes are compromised. Liquids are often beneficial for these people as they’re much easier to digest, try soups, smoothies and slow-cooked foods, such as casseroles.

It’s not all about food

The most effective strategy for modulating or even eliminating stress is to identify where the stress in your life is coming from, or if you are driving this physical response through your thoughts and perceptions of pressure and urgency. This is not often as obvious as it may seem. While there are obvious triggers such as work deadlines, financial pressure, relationship pressures and so on – there will also be situations in your life you may never have considered for example your daily commute, or people in your life that may cause you to feel stressed due to their very nature or your response to them. It may help to do an experiment where you monitor your state of mind regularly; when you start to feel stressed write down the cause, your thoughts and subsequently your mood. Once you can identify your source/s of stress you can develop your own plan for addressing these factors.

The most underrated nutritional powerhouse

June 18, 2019August 23, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Cabbage is a member of the prestigious brassica family, albeit an underrated one.

The brassica family have many health-promoting properties, namely the compound sulforaphane, which studies indicate is protective against many cancers. If you are trying to improve the nutrient density of your diet, cruciferous vegetables need to be at the very top of your shopping list. Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many adverse health conditions and research shows that New Zealanders just don’t eat enough vegetables, in particular.

Many studies have suggested that increasing our consumption of plant foods, such as cabbage, can decrease the risk of overall mortality while promoting improved health outcomes such as better energy, assisting with weight management and of course providing many key vitamins and minerals.

Cabbage is a good source of sulphur which is important for our body’s own antioxidant production (glutathione), it also plays important roles in the health of our cardiovascular system, central nervous system and also assists muscle function. Cabbage contains vitamin C and is a very good source of manganese. In terms of antioxidants in the phytonutrient category, cabbage is impressive, even among cruciferous vegetables. Polyphenols are at the top of the list for phytonutrient antioxidants in cabbage, which evidence suggests play a role preventative role in various diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

One group of researchers has described polyphenols as the primary factor in cabbage’s overall antioxidant capacity. Brassica vegetables such as cabbage, when eaten in conjunction with animal protein, have been shown to help reduce the formation of carcinogens that can form with meat through high temperature cooking.

Cabbage is wonderfully versatile and can be used raw or cooked in a number of ways. Cabbage can be cut into slices of varying thickness, grated by hand or shredded in a food processor. Cabbage can vary in colour from green to red and purple, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled. It is suitable to combine with many flavours from a delicious zesty coleslaw to being stir-fried with garlic, ginger and chilli (if tolerated), or with raw carrots, toasted nuts, currants dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Or make sauerkraut, a tangy fermented dish that goes with just about everything and is wonderfully nourishing for your gut health.

Feeling tired? Top tips to reignite your energy

June 18, 2019August 22, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

In all my years working with people on an individual level or in a group, regardless of their age, sex or current health status there is often one thing that unifies people’s health and wellness goals – energy and the desire for more.

When you ask someone how he or she is these days the most common response I tend to hear is “tired, so tired”. And hence our reliance on caffeine and refined sugars or anything that gives us more energy increases.

So how can we get more energy?

Eat more green vegetables

Eating green vegetables, particularly those with green leaves, is like eating sunshine. Green vegetables are a good source of antioxidants and contain a number of different vitamins and minerals needed for efficient intrinsic energy production. They’re also a good source of non-haem (vegetarian) iron, a critical mineral for effective oxygenation.

Drink green tea

Green tea is a wonderfully uplifting beverage to consume. It contains an amino acid called l-theanine which boosts energy levels but also helps to keep us calm, packed full of antioxidants it’s a health promoting alternative to coffee.

Check your iron levels

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common dietary deficiency in the world. Without healthy red blood cells, your body can’t get enough oxygen; the consequence of not having sufficient oxygen in the body is constant fatigue. Ask your GP to check your iron.

Incorporate muscle-building exercise

Incorporate more resistance training or muscle building exercise. This helps to build lean muscle mass. More muscle means more energy-producing mitochondria in our cells – resulting in a higher metabolic rate, which assists with body fat management as well as energy production.

Close open tabs

Work on closing what I call “open tabs”- these are tasks, emails or jobs that haven’t been resolved. It’s as if we walk around each day with so many tabs open – like websites sitting open on your computer screen, that it’s no wonder we feel drained or flattened. Schedule tasks instead of just listing them.

Explore your perception

Be conscious of how your perceptions influence your mood and energy state. Write a list of what makes you feel alive and energised, and what saps your energy – your “energy vampires.” Actively work on doing more of the things that make you feel energised whilst simultaneously reducing your energy vampires.

Look at the whole picture

Remember how you eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe and perceive all impact how you show up each day. Your biochemistry, the nutrients you consume, as well as your beliefs impact whether you experience energy or not. We must give our body what it needs to create the conditions inside of us that allow us to feel energised.

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Nutrition

June 18, 2019July 4, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

It’s what you do everyday that impacts your health, not what you do sometimes. When it comes to improving your nutrition, small changes can result in large impacts to your overall health, particularly overtime. Let’s explore a few easy tweaks you can make to improve your diet.

Buy local produce
Locally grown food is not only better for you – it generally tastes better too. It’s more likely to be picked at or closer to its peak, for the best nutritional value and flavour. Also it’s less likely to have had a long journey, which results in nutritional degradation and a reduction in flavour. The shorter the journey between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food. Food imported from overseas is older, has travelled and also sat in warehouses before it gets to your plate. Buying local produce is also a great way to support our local producers and reward their hard work.

Grow your own herbs and greens
Adding more greens and herbs is not only a wonderful way to boost the nutritive value of your meals, it can be made that much easier by having them on your balcony, or in your backyard. You can grow spray-free greens such as silverbeet, spinach and kale and herbs so easily, it’s also a fantastic way to teach children about where food comes from.

Use a food processor
You can easily increase your consumption of vegetables by using your food processor – they’re also a great way to speed up your vegetables preparation. You can make coleslaws, and quickly grate or chop any vegetables using this machine. Another great food waste tip is to save your broccoli stalks and process them in the food processor, add them to you salads, stews, or soups for additional nutrition.

Limit your consumption of takeaways
This is certainly one of the easiest ways to automatically improve your nutrition. While there are a number of wonderful and nourishing additions to our takeaway options now, generally speaking takeaways tend to be higher in refined sugar, poor quality fats, salt and less likely to contain enough vegetables. If you need to buy takeaways because of time consider a 15-minute meal such as a frittata, soup, salad, or I’ve you’re really desperate avocado on good quality bread – it’s likely this will still be more nourishing than a take-away option.

Join up with a group of friends or colleagues to do a lunch or dinner together
It’s fair to say that time is becoming increasingly more precious for us especially when it comes to after work tasks such as preparing dinner. If it appeals to you join with a group of friends or colleagues and commit to bringing in healthy lunches/or dinners. If you cook enough for let’s say five people, then it reduces your preparation time significantly – and you get to look forward to what the other person is preparing. It can help to commit to the recipes together, or have a favourite cookbook you cook from – to ensure that the recipes chosen are nutritious.

Nourishing Rituals

January 4, 2023July 4, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Our daily habits powerfully impact your quality of life. You may not do things consciously but if you pause you will see they are there. If you don’t have any rituals that uplift you, stop and ponder what nourishes your soul. Take time in your day where you can put things on hold and take a moment to reflect and create an experience that you can truly savour. Regularly finding space so that you can nourish you soul is one of the best health investments you can make.

1. Wake 30 minutes earlier than your household

Rise early to make the most of the peacefulness morning brings. Boil the kettle and make yourself a lovely cup of your favourite hot drink – find a comfortable spot where you can sit and ease gently into the morning. This is a beautiful way to set your intentions for the day and allows you time to wake without the interpretations and the hustle and bustle of early morning in your household. Do this for a week and notice how much more calm and centred you feel before you start your day.

2. A 15 minute meditation before bedtime

Many of us have little to no transition into rest. We simply put our head on the pillow and expect to switch off. A simple meditation focusing on your breath is a lovely way to ease into rest. Simply lie in savasana or sit supported in a chair, whatever you prefer – there is no right or wrong way to do it. Bring your focus to your breath moving in and out of the nose. If you need additional help there are many wonderful guided meditation videos available online, particularly through the Chopra centre. Use these videos as a guide to help you find what works for you.

3. Walk barefoot on the beach

If you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach this is a beautiful ritual to do regularly – if not it can be a lovely excursion. It’s a wonderful way to feel grounded and connected to the earth. It’s also a great way to process things you may need some extra space to consider. The sound of the waves crashing and the beautiful sea breeze are all additional soul nourishing features.

4. Book yourself a facial or massage or create your own experience at home

Sometimes there’s nothing nicer than pampering you. Allow yourself to fully commit and accept this time of relaxation, focusing on recharging your energy. If possible try not to make commitments around the experience so you can ease into the real world again. Or create your own pampering experience at home, which can be as simple as lighting a candle and soaking in some beautiful essential oils.

5. Prepare yourself a nourishing smoothie, juice or soup

Soul nourishment can also come from nourishing your body. Preparing a smoothie or juice packed full of vitamins, minerals and good fats – and stopping to savour it. Make yourself beautiful berry nut milk, with cashews, dates and your favourite berry. Or try a supercharged green smoothie with spinach, kale, coconut water and your favourite fruit.

6. Light a beautifully scented candle

The fragrance and dim light provide a relaxing ambiance. This can become a lovely ritual to evoke a transition for example from the working day to the evening.

7. Practice some yoga poses outside

Maintaining a yoga practice can be a great way to reduce stress, stay in shape and calm the mind. Yoga is a wonderful way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and repair.) Take your mat down to a local park or simply go outside and enjoy the sun on your face in the process.

8. Draw or write in a journal

Unleash your creative side. By journal writing about what you believe in, why you believe it, how you feel about it and your goals – you are more likely to gain clarity. It’s particularly good for problem solving, as often we fret about forgetting details. Journals are also a great place for reflection, on how far you’ve come and how you have felt at various stages of your life.

9. Catch up with a beloved friend for a walk or a cup of tea

Catching up with a friend can be all the soul nourishment you need, especially when you have the time to truly indulge in a good catch up. Allow yourself the time to truly catch up without mobile phones or other distractions – laughter is one of the best ways to feel uplifted.

10. Book yourself two hours on the weekend to read, write, sleep, cook or whatever it is that makes you feel nourished

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when the last person you allocate time to is yourself. Finding two hours on the weekend might sound like a luxury but it’s actually a necessity. It will allow you to recharge and refocus for the next week – but also give you more energy to care for those around you.

Glutathione, the silent helper!

June 18, 2019June 2, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Glutathione is one of the most potent antioxidants produced by the human body – yet it’s often not discussed. Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks the amino acids cysteine, glycine and glutamine. Numerous structures and functions in the body benefit from maintaining normal levels of glutathione, such as our liver, pulmonary health, immune function, bowel health, carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and eye health. Glutathione is found and manufactured in every cell in the body, but is found in highest concentrations in the heart, muscle tissue and the liver. The liver offers the largest storage for glutathione in the body. A potent antioxidant, glutathione is essential for phase one and phase two liver detoxification processes.

Glutathione also acts to prevent oxidative stress in most cells and helps to trap free radicals that can damage DNA, critical to prevent accelerated ageing and degeneration.

Research has shown that increased glutathione levels are highly beneficial for athletes, as this can help to decrease muscle damage, speed up muscle recovery time, increase endurance and assist muscle development.

Glutathione can be depleted by poor nutrition, pollution, some medications, stress, infection and trauma – to name just a few factors. The good news is that you can do many things to support your own production and levels of this important molecule in your body. Here are a number of ways you can naturally support glutathione balance:

Support your liver function

Reduce alcohol consumption and consider taking a liver-supporting herb such as St Mary’s Thistle, which helps boost glutathione levels. Always seek advice from a qualified health professional when considering supplementation.

Consume sulphur-rich foods

Such as the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, watercress, etc), garlic, onions and eggs (the yolk contains sulphur).

Eat plenty of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables

These are good sources of vitamin A, C and E, which work together to recycle glutathione.

Eat brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are a good source of selenium. This important mineral helps our body to produce and recycle glutathione.

Movement supports glutathione levels

And therefore helps to support the immune system, and improve our own detoxification processes. If you’re not currently moving, start slow and remember that any movement is better than none at all. Sit less. Strength training is also important, so consider including this in your movement rituals.

Explore methylation nutrients such as folate, B6 and B12

Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. It can be helpful to have your folate and vitamin B12 levels tested to make sure you aren’t compromising your body’s ability to create optimal wellness.

Eat with your health in mind

June 18, 2019June 2, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Eating a nourishing diet doesn’t have to be hard. Often people make a commitment to their health and do well for a few days or a couple of weeks, but then revert back to old, and generally, not-so-great habits. When you make a commitment like this, it’s important to be prepared with plenty of options so you can be flexible with your choices without compromising your health.

If you have food options at home that support your health, you are far less likely to eat the contents of the pantry in search of nourishment. Dedicate time at the beginning of each week to plan some healthy food choices for your coming week and make sure you have the right ingredients ready and available. Often people compromise their choices when they are hungry.

There will always be obstacles, another job you need to do or a reason why you need to pick up a snack/lunch on the run but if you are seriously committed to maintaining your health, you have to prioritise your nourishment needs. Here are a few habits you can introduce now. Remember that good things, consistently done, can produce extraordinary results.

Eat more vegetables

You can always eat more vegetables. In the rush of life, a few days can slip by where we might not have consumed enough vegetables. Establish some regular habits such as drinking a vegetable juice or green smoothie, adding a salad to your lunch, or ordering a side of vegetables when dining out. With habits like this, you’re able to amp up your vegetable intake while still juggling the many aspects of life.

Snack on nuts

Nuts are a wonderfully nourishing snack. Raw nuts are the best nutritionally as roasting tends to result in a reduction of some of the vitamins. Walnuts in particular contain a high content of long-chain plant fats that are extremely good for the heart and brain. Take some to work for morning or afternoon tea.

Eat at the table

Sitting down to eat, without distractions such as computers, mobile phones or the TV, helps to create healthy eating habits. It also means you’re less likely to overeat, as you’re able to focus on what you’re eating rather than getting distracted by your phone or what’s on the TV. If we’re distracted while eating we can miss the signs our body gives us to indicate it’s satisfied and doesn’t need more food.

Be mindful of your food-related language

If you tend to say to yourself that you ‘don’t have time’ to eat well, try changing that phrase to ‘eating well is just not a priority for me right now’ and see how

that feels. Notice if it leads you to change your food behaviours. Or perhaps you typically say to yourself that you ‘don’t know how to eat well’. If so, make this the year that you learn how to cook or the year that you learn new ways to better nourish yourself. There is nothing on the planet that replaces a great way of eating.

Why the dieting mentality can prevent you from losing weight

July 16, 2024May 11, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Recently I overhead two elderly ladies discussing how every morning they weigh themselves and because of course they’re not happy with the number, that this motivates them to be really “good.” They were so sweet and kind, and I’m sure all of us can relate to this well-meaning sentiment at some stage of our lives. However, I couldn’t help but think how many of us, women in particular – let our moods be dictated by a numerical value which in no way reflects who we are. In my experience it does not ‘motivate’ us to take better care of ourselves – it actually tends to perpetuate a guilt spiral, which is a contributing factor to issues with weight in the first place.

When we consider food as either “good” or “bad”, often we extrapolate this to imply that we are either “good” or “bad.” For example, the previous conversation, I’m “good” when I am eating well, and I am “bad” when I choose foods that aren’t so nourishing for me. This black and white approach is what causes people to fall off the wagon – they’re all in, or they’re well and truly all out! But real life happens in the grey. It is daily habits and choices that will get you closer to your health and wellness goals, not being “good.” There is no wagon to actually fall off.

Combine this with what can often be an obsession of weighing yourself, and we have a modern day dilemma of dieting mentality. While on one hand weighing yourself provides a measure with which you can compare your efforts, you are actually far better to use waist circumference than weight to assess weight loss/fat deposition. Personally, I prefer people to use their clothes and their physical health as an indicator – and particularly their energy – as the currency of health.

I want to encourage you to view any weight loss goals/plans/ideas or concepts with a long-term focus on health. Instead of creating goals such as I want to be ‘xyz’ weight – consider, I want to have more energy, I want to be physically fitter, stronger, able to run around with my grandchildren/children/pet, and so on.

It also reminded me of a lovely lady I met a number of years ago, who I was lucky enough to spend some time with. I wanted to share this with you because I feel this is a sentiment that many people can relate to:

“Before meeting you my day was dictated by the number that appeared on the scales. My choices, my attitude, my self-esteem, my everything depended on how I felt about my weight. Despite being extremely rigid with my diet and exercise regime (I’m talking about 12km runs most days) I felt like I could never trust my body and that one day I would wake up 4kg heavier for no reason. I mean I can see now it was disordered eating and body image. You told me to drop the weight thing and boy oh boy was it hard – but it worked. I am smaller than I ever have been and it’s effortless. I make choices based on what nourishes me (this includes my favourite corn chips, the occasional glass of wine and coffee and of course chocolate) but I love that these foods no longer make me feel guilty.”

Bring awareness to how much your weight dedicates your mood. Please remember that life is precious, you are precious and to treat yourself accordingly.

For more support, take a look at my online weight loss course, Weight Loss Redefined. We only run a few intakes per year. You’ll be supported and guided for nine weeks as I teach you the things you need to know about your body and the levers to pull that can help it achieve long-term, sustainable weight loss.