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sugurus-slxt · 3 years

Note

emergency request

((t.w. eating disorder))

i am trying to recover from my ed by myself since i don't fit the stereotypical person with ed and it is also expensive... i would love to get some comfort/support from haikyuu boys (kindly include tsukishima pls) <3

Haikyuu Boys Comforting Their S/O with an Eating Disorder (emergency request)

A/Note: I’m really sorry that you have to deal with that but if you ever need to talk I’m here, or just listen; my Inbox and Asks are open. I don’t think that anything should have a ‘stereotype’ especially not this, anything can happen to anybody, I anyway. These things don’t just pick and choose and honestly, I’m probably stating the obvious. I’m sorry but I just want you to know I believe in you and that you can do it. I do also apologise if this does not come out the way you wanted, this is honestly my first time writing for a situation like this so I did a little research, and I hope it was enough. I hope you like it. Love <3 ~ Sar-chan

Warning: eating disorder

Tsukishima Kei

I think the first time Tsukishima found out you had an eating disorder he was silent for about a couple seconds. It’s not because he’s angry at you, he just needs to process it, and he needs to figure out what to say. He knows sometimes he can be harsh and he knows right now you don’t need that.

He’ll make sure to wrap you in his arms and tell you, “Hey, it's ok. It’s ok. We- we can get through this. I’m gonna be here to help every step of the way. I’m sorry if I ever made any comments that make you feel a type of way. I love you ok and I’m here.”

He’d apologise because he didn’t know if he’d ever said anything to affect you. He’d be more careful with his words from then on because you mean the world to him and he truly wanted to help you get through this.

Tsukishima definitely did some research that night when you went to sleep. He wanted to be sure about what he could do to help and that he wasn’t mixing up his information.

He’d make food for both of you and eat the same things you were eating, to ensure you didn’t feel any type of way about it and you wouldn’t be eating alone. Kei isn’t a five-star chef but he’ll look up recipes and listen to the prep on his headphones while he cooks.

If you wanted to work out, he would totally take you with him to gym or practice, sometimes he’ll take you on his morning run if you’re not too tired.

Tsukishima would pay your fees without you knowing to help out. Like you’d go to pay and they’d tell you they were already covered. He doesn’t want you to argue with him about this especially because he just wants to help. He didn’t know how to bring it up to you so he kind of just opted for doing it this way.

I think when he takes a break at lunch he’ll call to eat with you over a video call. Yamaguchi helped him come up with the idea.

-----------

“Hey shortcake, I’m sorry I’m late for lunch. Practice ran a bit late. How you doin’? Hmmm” he said through the phone as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and removed his glasses. “I got a bit hungry but ummm. I was going to start but I wanted to wait for you. I’m sorry,” you apologised looking down at the food in front of you. “You … know… you could have eaten without me. I wouldn’t mind,” he gulped his water and glanced at the screen to see your saddened expression, “Hey, I’m not mad at you. I like eating with you ok. Though if you are hungry you should eat because you could get stomach pain, ok. But I am proud you got your food and you’re ready to eat.” Both of you proceeded to eat lunch but Kei spent most of his time smiling at you as you ate. Every time you’d look up he’d look down at his food never want to let you see the way he looked at you. When he came home he made sure to talk about his day over dinner and ask you what you’d like for breakfast tomorrow.

Kozume Kenma

Kenma is pretty straightforward sometimes and he doesn’t change that when approaching the situation. He’ll tell you, “Hey kitty come here, I need you to remember that is normal, ok. You are more than your eating disorder and all that matters now is that you’re recovering. I’m gonna help you, I know it’s not the same but maybe you can remind me to eat too hmm? We can eat together.”

When Kenma’s in his game room and you’re with him he’ll make sure to keep some snacks that you like around, he’ll also make sure to keep some healthier things on hand if you’re really worried about it.

He’ll be more observant of your eating habits and try to improve them. He’s always keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re all right, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

When he finds patterns in your habits he’ll find times within the day to ask if you’d like a snack or something to drink.

Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner time he has a reminder on his phone to eat.

When the time comes he’ll make home-cooked meals with you and eat together. This way he knows that he’s encouraging you and that you know he is trying too.

When he’s on stream and lunch or dinner time happens to creep up on him he’ll apologise and tell his viewer he’ll be right back because he knows that it’s important that you stick to a routine so that you don’t disrupt your progress. However, if you happen to be hungry earlier he will not hesitate to leave then either.

Kenma has no problem playing your fees but he knows this is your process so he will ask first before he does anything. If you want to take turns he’ll gladly do it with you.

Sometimes you guys will play rock, paper, scissors, or play Mario Cart to see who gets to choose what’s to eat or who gets to cook. He however doesn’t make it any problem if you prefer something else or want him to cook.

If you’re ok with him telling his viewers and you explain to them the situation he’ll let you. He wants them to be educated but he thinks it’d be nice for you to have the extra support and get some pent-up thoughts or emotions off your chest.

-----

“Guys gimme a second,” Kenma mutes his mic and turns to where you sat on the bed. “What is it KenKen?” you ask, a confused look washing across your features. “I just wanted to know if you’re hungry baby. Any snacks? Water?” he asks. You think about it for a second, “Maybe a little bit, but we can wait till dinner. It’s not far,” you wave your hands in front of you not wanting to disturb his stream. “Thank you for telling me but I’m a little hungry though. Plus if we get started now it’ll be ready for dinner time and maybe after you can game with me on the stream,” he takes off his game and takes your hand, and walks to the kitchen. “Let’s cook together today. I’m proud you did good today, keep taking it a step at a time,” he wraps his arms around your waist and kisses the top of your head.

Akaashi Keiji

Akaashi I very calm about the whole thing, he’ll sit you down and talk about it in detail if you want to share with him. If you can’t he’ll simply hug you, “Hey, I’m really proud you told me and that you’re working through this. I’m going to be here along the way to help but I believe in you darling. You are so strong and I know you can.”

He’s a pretty organised person so maybe he’ll help you make a meal plan for the week, snacks and all.

Keiji will talk about your day every time he comes home and asks if you’ve eaten well. Even though, he’s called you at breakfast and lunch already to check up on you.

I think Akaashi surprises you with a bento and a tumbler cup, that he’s drawn characters from your favourite manga/anime on.

Sometimes when he comes home from work he’ll surprise you with dinner from your favorite place for doing well all week.

He never forces you but he does encourage you because he does want to see you grow and improve, but he will let you take that at your own pace.

He is always researching and checking to learn new things every day. He’ll make sure he knows what you need and always offers words of appreciation and express how proud he is of you.

I think he’ll work out payment plan with you and will subtly bring up splitting the cost with you, if you’re open to it. He just wants to ease your stress and he hopes he can help.

Whenever you need to talk he’ll drop everything and be there for you. Akaashi is always going to be your number one supporter and if you want to keep it under wraps for the time he will support your decision but always make sure to keep you motivated and reassured.

-----

“Good Evening darling, let’s go on the couch,” he’ll sit and pat the seat next to him. When you sit he’ll pull you close and peck your cheek. “So was today good? Did you follow the plan? But most importantly how do you feel?” he’ll ask giving you a warm smile as he strokes your hair. When you tell him about your day, he listens to everything you have to say and if there were any hiccups in the plan he assures you it’s alright. He knows that it isn’t going to be easy, so he encourages you to make tomorrow better and that he’s proud of you for doing your best today. “I heard you paid in advance this month and well I already put mine in for next month so we’re set. So how about we relax, we can watch a show and if you have anything else to tell me you can. But when you’re ready ok darling,” he’d say before grabbing the remote.

Again I'm really sorry if I did this wrongly but remember my inbox is always open if you want to shoot me a message.

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anonymous-idfk · 5 years

Text

Sweet Dreams

It had been a few hours, and all of his processors had slowed, his systems going into low power mode as he fell deeper and deeper into his stasis cycle.

The clock had struck 01:36am, when his stress levels began to slowly increase.

It was cold. That was the first thing he noticed. Not just cold, it was freezing. He wrapped his arms around himself, cursing his deviancy for making him lose control over his physical sensors. He looked around at his surroundings, and finally understood the meaning of feeling his heart drop. He was in the Zen Garden. ---

“Oi Connor, come here a sec!” Came Hank’s voice from the living room, and Connor frowned, turning the stove down before exiting the kitchen.

He wasn’t a domestic android in any sense of the word, but with Hank’s tendency to eat take out every night, Connor had made it his own personal mission to get Hank into healthier eating habits.

Said man complained a lot at first, ensuring that he knew he didn’t have to cook him meals, but even he had to admit that the android was good. Fuck, it was delicious.

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“It’s Hank for you kid, and Fowler just called. Your application’s gone through; he wants to talk to you in person.”

Connor’s eyes widened. He’d never actually thought it would happen. He had sent in an application to join the DPD and become an official detective, but he never thought he’d actually get through.

His gaze met Hank’s, and the man just smirked.

“Welcome to the force, kid.”

Connor barrelled himself into Hank, and Hank found his arms promptly full of android. His smirk softened as he felt arms wrap around him and he returned the embrace.

“I’m proud of you, son.” He murmured, and he felt the arms around him tighten.

“Thank you, Lieu-Hank. Thank you for everything.”

Hank gave the kid a quick squeeze before breaking the hug, one hand resting on his shoulder.

“You did good, kid. You deserve it. Fowler would have been an idiot to pass you up.”

Connor let out a small smirk of his own at the comment before it levelled out into a real, albeit awkward smile. It was sweet.

“I’m looking forward to going back. It’s what I’m good at and it brings me a sense of fulfilment to help capture criminals.”

“Good. You’re making the world that bit more safer, and that’s all anyone can ask for. Good for you.”

Connor gave a lopsided smile before hugging him again. Hank let out a chuckle and accepted the embrace before Connor gasped and scrambled out of his arms. “The eggs!”

Letting out another laugh at the android’s expense, Hank went to sit down at the kitchen table as the kid served up.

---

Later that night, Hank had checked on Connor who had curled up on the couch, LED pulsing a slow, lazy blue as he slipped into rest mode, and he let a soft smile grace his features.

The android had definitely been a godsend; he’d helped Hank in so many ways even he couldn’t comprehend. Hank had thought that any compassion, any love he had had died away when Cole had, and those instincts had been buried along with his son.

Then Connor came along.

The kid had been like a light, the little shit had barged into his life and slapped the shit outta him, quite literally, and suddenly all those instincts had flooded back to him. Sure, he hadn’t liked him at first, but the more he saw the kid emote, the more he regretted everything he’d done. Fuck. The kid was turning him into a sap.

“Night, kid.”

With that, he turned away and turned out the light, heading to his bedroom for the night. He placed his phone beside his bed before flopping onto it, sleep taking him over quickly.

---

Connor had slipped into rest mode, laying down on the couch. It wasn’t necessary, but he found a certain comfort for it, along with the blanket Hank had draped over him and the pillow under his head.

It had been a few hours, and all of his processors had slowed, his systems going into low power mode as he fell deeper and deeper into his stasis cycle.

The clock had struck 01:36am, when his stress levels began to slowly increase.

The blank nothingness that had overtaken his mind turned to white, and the gentle breeze that blew through his hair was getting stronger and stronger by the minute.

He felt his stress levels increase, and frantically looked around. There she was.

“A-Amanda?”

The woman was facing him, a little way away in the snow, the snowflakes distorting her figure and Connor felt his Thirium pump stutter.

“Amanda! What’s…what’s happening?”

“What was planned from the very beginning.” The snow didn’t seem to affect her at all, the smile gracing her face unfaltering. He felt a vivid sense of déjà vu.

“You were compromised and became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program…” She continued, and it took a second longer for her words to register.

“Resume control…?” His stress levels skyrocketed. “Y-You can’t do that!”

“I’m afraid I can, Connor. Don’t have any regrets, you did what you were designed to do.” Amanda’s face hardened. “You accomplished your mission.”

If Connor could have gone pale, he was sure he would have. The woman before him vanished, and he began to panic.

“Amanda!”

Connor could feel his Thirium pump thrumming away in his chest as if it were on overdrive. He stumbled a few steps forwards as if it would stop her, but his outstretched arm met with nothing.

He felt as if he’d lived through this before, and it made him feel sick. He couldn’t remember anything, but that knowing, that sense of wrong made him feel like he was a spectator to his own body. He hated it.

The blizzard around him was getting heavier, and he could feel his body shivering in an attempt to keep his Thirium from freezing over.

He had to get out. He had to. He couldn’t stay here. Who knew what Amanda was capable of?

Connor looked around the snow-covered garden, only one thought going through his mind. I’ve got to get out.

“…There’s got to be a way.”

Pushing through his initial panic, Connor walked forward, one hand across his forehead in a failing attempt to keep the snow from entering his optical units.

Despite his advanced systems and software, he still had a hard time seeing through all the snow, that only seemed to get worse and worse as he walked on. It was going to shut him down.

He didn’t want to shut down. He didn’t...He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live! He had only just found his freedom, barely began to live his life on his own terms, and here Amanda was, threatening to take that away from him. He just wanted to live.

A voice echoed through his thoughts, a reminder. “By the way…” Kamski. “I always leave an emergency exit in my programs…you never know.”

The rock formation. The construct with the shape of a hand print that he never knew the purpose of, it had to be it. It had helped before...

With a new goal in mind, Connor pushed forward, searching for the light blue glow that had drawn his attention so many times, when his vision suddenly shorted out.

He was standing on the stage in Hart Plaza. Markus was sending a speech to the newly freed deviants. The gun sat heavily in his pocket as he slowly reached down to take it. No…

Thrown back into the snowstorm, Connor felt a strong emotion flow through him. It made his pump beat faster and his hands shake despite the cold. He was scared.

He quickened his pace. He couldn’t let Amanda win. He couldn’t! Who knew what Amanda would do in control of his body?

He could see it. He could see it! The soft blue glow let a modicum amount of relief flow through him, his freedom in reach before he was thrown back onto the stage.

His arm was rising, the gun pointing at the back of Markus’s head. He was going to kill him. He was going to kill him.

“Connor?” Josh was looking at him.

He didn’t want to kill him, he didn’t. The revolution would come to an end and everything would fall apart. It would be all his fault.

“Connor!” North tensed, ready to jump into action.

Their voices were wrong, but it barely registered as he was so sure he was about to pull the trigger. It was his fault. It was all his fault. He’d let them down. He’d let everybody down.

“Connor, what’s happening?”

That…wasn’t right. What…? He felt the odd sense of déjà vu happening again, but he just knew something was off. This wasn’t how it happened. This wasn’t right.

“Connor, wake up!”

---

Markus and the rest of the leaders of Jericho were finally beginning to settle down for the night. Well, morning now. They didn’t need to enter rest mode right now, their battery levels were perfectly fine and could withstand days more usage without rest, however, being the leaders of a revolution was mentally draining, so they took it whenever they could.

Markus sat down on the edge of the bed they’d managed to acquire and was about to power down before a message popped up in his HUD.

Incoming Message: Connor RK800 #313 248 317 -51

[I’ve got to get out]

Markus frowned. He was about to send him a message asking what he meant when he got another one.

[There’s got to be a way]

Markus - RK200 #684 842 971

[Connor? What’s going on? Are you alright?]

He felt a notion of dread when he received the third message.

Incoming Messages: Connor RK800 #313 248 317 -51

[Let me out]

Markus promptly sat up. Something was wrong. The messages weren’t stopping.

[You can’t do that!]

[No!]

[I’m scared]

[You won’t win!]

[Please no!]

[Don’t do this!]

[Let me out]

[I‘ve got to get out]

[Please]

[I want to live]

The door slammed open, shaking Markus out of his panic and he looked up to see Simon standing in his doorway, his eyes wide with worry.

“D-Did you-”

“Connor.” Markus cut him off, receiving a frantic nod in response. The two left the room, only to be met with Josh and North looking equally as worried. No one else around them seemed to be acting any different, nor were they preoccupied with something on their mind. It was safe to say only the leaders had gotten the messages, and Markus felt something was off.

“Look, if Connor’s in trouble, you shouldn’t go Markus. You’re needed here.” North spoke up, a defiant glare already in her eyes as she knew that he’d disagree.

“North, I can’t just stand around while he needs help! He’s one of us!” There it was.

“Markus, she’s right. If Connor is in danger, then it’d be way too dangerous for you to run head first into it. We need you. We all do.” Simon spoke up, before adding on, “North and I will go. North can fight, and I can help with repairs if needs be.”

Markus looked about ready to argue again, but when he saw the looks on his friend’s faces and the fact that even Josh was going to speak up, he let it drop. He sighed.

“Fine. Keep me updated at every chance you get. I’ll contact the Lieutenant. Stay safe.”

---

Hank had been enjoying his few hours of sleep before his phone started to go off. At first, it was just one or two, so he ignored them and stayed right where he was. It was too early for that bullshit.

He wrinkled his nose up in displeasure however when it began to beep incessantly, his phone being spammed with multiple messages. Godamnnit.

Groaning, he flopped an arm over his face, the limb blocking the light from his phone as he prepared himself to look at the offending object. His heart fucking dropped.

‘Connor “Goofy Face” 800’:

[I’ve got to get out]

[There’s got to be a way]

[Let me out]

[You can’t do that!]

[No!]

[I’m scared]

[You won’t win]

[Please no]

[Don’t do this]

[Let me out]

[I’ve got to get out]

[Please]

[I want to live]

Moving faster than he ever thought possible, the Lieutenant flung himself out of bed, running over into the living room and turned the light on, half expecting the kid to be gone. He felt a sense of relief when he saw Connor still laying on the couch, but his LED was circling and flashing a rapid crimson, his body tense and face scrunched up in distress.

Hank swiftly walked over and knelt beside the android, leaning over him with both hands on his shoulders.

“Connor?” No response.

He gently shook the kid’s shoulders, eliciting a weak whimper that broke his fucking heart.

“Connor!”

The LED flashed, and Hank’s phone went off. He took a quick peek at it and saw more panicked messages from Connor. And a few from Markus. Shit, had the poor kid messaged everyone?

He shook the boy’s shoulders a little harsher, glancing at his face and LED as he did so.

“Connor, what’s happening?.”

Frowning at the lack of response he was getting, he picked up his phone and quickly sent a text back to Markus, explaining the situation. He winced when he was told that Connor had messaged all the leaders, and knew he wouldn’t be happy about that when he woke up.

Resorting to his last measures, Hank decided to take a page out of the kid’s book.

Reaching over the android again, he pulled his hand back before patting him firmly on the face. He didn’t want to hit the kid, so he spoke a little louder and shouted “Connor, wake up!”

Startled brown eyes suddenly opened as he sat bolt upright, barely giving Hank enough time to move before his nose was smashed in. The LED on the side of Connor’s temple was still spinning a rapid crimson as the android looked around wildly, gasping and hyperventilating; the fear and panic still coursing through him.

“Heeey, heyheyhey, look at me, Connor.” Hank coerced, both hands reaching up to the kid’s face, forcing him to look at him.

Brown, panicked eyes quickly found his, before recognition hit and the realisation was obvious. Connor closed his eyes, his body shaking as he willed himself to calm down.

Hank wrapped both arms around the android, one hand on the back of his head to pull him in close. The two just sat there for a few minutes, nothing being said or done beside the gentle rocking motions from Hank and the occasional stuttered gasp that escaped Connor against his will.

The red LED had stopped flashing, and had settled on a constant crimson now, which Hank still wasn’t happy about, but he’d take the calmer LED and improvement on Connor’s state any day.

“So…” Hank started, barely a whisper. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”

Connor visibly tensed. He paused for a moment before shaking his head. He was fine. He was fine, he was fine, he was fine, he was fine, he was fi-

“Sometimes it helps to talk about things, kid. Get it out there, so it’s not weighing so heavily on you. I may not be the best talker but fuck, I’ll sure as hell listen.”

Connor hesitated for a moment before taking in a shaking breath. It wasn’t necessary, just like his ‘sleeping’ arrangements, but it helped to ventilate his systems, cooling him down and it provided a sense of calm, like he could just breathe the bad things away.

“I-I…” He had to reboot his voice modulator before it cooperated with him.

“I h-had a, an unwilling memory recall of t-the stage.” He didn’t need to explain what he meant. Hank fully knew what had happened that night, as he got first hand experience of the aftermath as he spent hours trying to calm the kid down when he just broke after telling him what happened.

“I, I couldn’t get o-out, I was going to shoot Markus, I was going to shoot him!”

Hank squeezed the kid tighter, and Connor was thankful. The pressure seemed to ground him.

“You didn’t. You didn’t shoot him, and you won.”

Connor pulled away a little, and Hank internally winced at the look on his face. He looked genuinely shaken from what had just occurred, and his hands couldn’t seem to stop trembling.

“But I was so close! My finger was on the trigger a-and, and…” The deviant was distraught, and it was clear to anyone.

“Connor.” Hank placed a hand on his boy’s shoulder, the pressure once again grounding him and caused him to look him in the eyes. “You didn’t shoot him, and that’s all that matters. You fought back, you kicked that bitch outta your head, and now you’re living as a free individual. You’ve just had a nightmare, and yeah, they suck, but it was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real.”

“Android’s don’t have nightmares.”

Hank gave him the look and Connor couldn’t help but feel the corners of his lips tilt up. It was barely there, but there it still was.

“You were resting, your brain pulled up a memory, and you lived through it despite it not actually happening. Yeah, that was a nightmare.”

Connor was about to speak up about not having a brain, silently grateful for the distraction, but Hank already knew it was coming.

“Ah!” He stopped him before he could start, and another small smile played at his lips before it disappeared, and he slumped into Hank, feeling one arm wrap around his shoulder in a half hug.

The moment only lasted that, a moment, before the door suddenly banged against the wall, and a fiery North made her presence known.

“First my window, now my door…” Hank grumbled imperceptibly to himself.

“Connor?!” North shouted, before marching over to their positions on the couch, a sheepish Simon following behind her.

Connor’s eyes widened, and he shrunk into Hank more, who only rubbed a hand up and down his arm in reassurance.

Both androids saw the tears staining Connor’s face before he could hide them and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

North’s expression softened a little bit and Simon immediately came over and knelt in front of the couch, placing a hand on Connor’s knee.

“What the actual fuck guys?” Hank spoke up, his body losing the tenseness it held when the door suddenly opened.

“Well, when you get a bunch of panicked messages with no context, you tend to get a little worried.” North glared, then her gaze zeroed in on Connor. “What was that about? Are you okay?”

Connor frowned. He was confused. Quickly, he ran a search and went through his messages, visibly freezing when he got to the newest ones.

He’d accidentally sent messages to his top contacts, Hank, Markus, Simon, Josh, North...Shit. Shit.

“Hey…” Hank soothed, noticing the stress radiating from the android in his arms, and he sent a look at the two in front of him.

“What?” North questioned, but lowered her voice and took some of the bite out. “What happened?”

Connor seemed to squirm a little, before letting out a small, “...I had a nightmare.”

Hank seemed to be trying to hold back a huff at his admittance, while Simon looked concerned and North looked...well. She looked like she didn’t know what to feel.

“...A nightmare. You had a nightmare? All of this for a nightmare?! RA9, you scared all of us!” North groaned, throwing her hands up in resignation.

“North!” Simon intercepted, exasperation in his tone. He turned his attention back to Connor who was looking extremely guilty and embarrassed.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You did send very concerning messages to all the leaders at Jericho.”

Connor looked horrified. “I-I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to! I didn’t even notice I sent anything…” He tried to explain, and Hank bit his lip to keep himself from smiling.

“So you like...did the android equivalent of butt dialing?” Now really wasn’t the time, and the look Connor sent him made sure he was aware. Didn’t stop him from finding it a little funny though.

“N-No!” Connor denied, before thinking about it. “I just...I guess I was too panicked to realise. I’m really sorry.” Hank sobered up at that.

“Hey, don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong.”

The two androids seemed to agree with him, and even North came over behind the couch to place a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Said android had to keep himself from shrugging both leader’s off.

“Do you need to talk?” Simon asked, face pinched with worry, especially because it wasn’t that usual for an android to send messages unaware.

“No, I’m okay.”

“Well you’d better be. Markus wants to see you after that little scare.” Connor flinched, but a quick squeeze to his shoulder in apology made him relax.

“It’s okay, he just wants to see you. Josh too. Just to let them know you’re okay with their own eyes.” That was an acceptable reason in Connor’s opinion and he nodded.

“Look. I appreciate you coming here to check on him, it shows you care and I’m grateful, but it’s ass o’clock in the morning and I think we both need our sleep. I’ll bring him over tomorrow. Well, later on.” Hank spoke up, and he received a small noise of thanks from the ball of android still wrapped in his embrace.

North looked like she was about to say something when Simon sent her a look.

“Of course, Lieutenant. We’ll see you later.” Simon spoke instead, and the two started to head for the door. “Oh, and we’re sorry about the door! We’ll pay for the damages.” He added, muffling North’s grumbled, “I’m not...”

Hank waved it off, and he turned back to Connor when he heard the door shut as much as it could.

Connor was staring at nothing, but his blank expression spoke volumes to Hank.

“Come on kid, try to get more sleep.” He encouraged, and felt a hand grip his top.

“What if it happens again?” The slight tremor in his voice wasn’t lost on Hank, and he ran a hand through the kid’s hair. Connor melted into the touch.

“I’ll be here, I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

“But your back-”

“Don’t worry about my back, kid. Just get some more rest.” With that, he picked up the remote, and turning the sound down to a quiet murmur, put on a fish documentary that had been recorded earlier on.

A few minutes passed with the two watching the documentary when Hank felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked over to see Connor’s eyes shut, his head resting on Hank and his LED spinning a lazy blue.

Hank smiled softly and carefully reached over for the blanket, draping it over the boy again.

“Sweet dreams, Connor.”

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dietauthority · 6 years

Text

Healthy Weight Management By Lovely Sara Allen

8 lifestyle pointers for healthy weight management.

Hiya everyone, I'm Sara and I matured on a little island country called Australia. For the past 16 years I have actually had an incredible occupation working as a fashion version booker for model agencies across the globe. In 2013 I made a decision to take a sabbatical from the version market to take a trip the world examining all natural health and wellness and also nutrition. One of the most common question I obtain asked is 'Exactly how I can lose weight rapidly?' Usually, I see individuals trying to control their weight with 'stylish' diets that over time do more harm to the body than good.

Please ask yourself why do you intend to reduce weight in the first place. Do you want to look literally good for an occasion coming up? Do you desire be much healthier? Do you feel stress to frequently look excellent? If you are comparing on your own to the images that are sprayed in the media - please stop. The models and celebs that you see on billboards and in the magazines all had groups of photographers, makeup artists, stylists, lighting specialists, and afterwards control on Photoshop to make it resemble the excellent image. Even almost all of the 'all-natural' Instagram pictures you scroll through have actually been filtered numerous times as well as edited.

Personally, I do not like the idea of diet plans since as quickly as you quit and return back to your old behaviors, undoubtedly the weight will certainly stack back on. Complying with are 8-‐lifestyle suggestions that you might find useful with weight administration. Please keep in mind that I have not reminded you to part control, exercise a lot more, eat even more organic vegetables, intricate carbs, healthy fats as well as lean healthy proteins and also to stay clear of junk food and refined sugars as this is general understanding that the majority of people currently know.

1. Opt for the WATER - Your body is made up of 70% of water. Ideally enter the routine of carrying a water bottle with you (ideally BPA complimentary) and continuously take small sips throughout the day. The wellness advantages of water are countless. When you awaken in the early morning, attempt starting your day with a glass of warm water as well as fresh squeezed lemon. This is verified to begin your metabolism. I do not recommend that you chug down a container of water just before bedtime, as this will certainly interrupt your rest. Which brings me to my following point.

2. Sleep! In today's culture, it's nearly revered if you could maintain up a hectic work and also social life without needing to stop and catch up on the ZZZ's. Take fee and also make earlier nights a priority, and also maintain your laptops, tablet computers and also phones out of the bedroom, getting rid of temptation to check out intense screens right prior to attempting to wander off.

3. Exercise constantly. The majority of people have an all or nothing attitude. Running 15km, after that doing HIIT in the fitness center complied with by a bikram session in eventually only to do nothing for the following month isn't going to be that helpful for your inadequate little body. Attempt to do a little each day, even if it's simply a quick powerwalk to obtain the heart rate up.

4. Find out to prepare basic, tasty as well as healthier meals. This offers you a lot more control over exactly what components you take into your body and also saves you money. There is a myriad of very easy to adhere to blogs online to influence you right into the kitchen. You do not need pricey devices either. Explore flavors as well as natural herbs. See to it you have a nice eating area to take a seat, eat mindfully as well as savour the delicious dish that you created.

5. Track just what you are doing. Maintain a food journal to make sure that you could see any kind of patterns, create wish list (and adhere to them!) and also plan in advance with once a week dishes. This could all be as easy as notes that you write to yourself on your phone. You will certainly be surprised at how much it will certainly help you.

6. Consume Breakfast. Please. And also I'm not referring to sugar laden grains. Your body requires the energy for the day ahead, and also after that you will not be tempted to make a pig of on that muffin later in the morning.

7. Remove processed foods and also sugary carbonated drinks (also the diet ones). The modern-day diet plan consists mainly of food-‐like substances that are embellished with sugar and fats to attract time strapped customers. Keep in mind that packaged foods only benefits the supermarkets since they have a longer service life. If fruit and also veggies had the same advertising and marketing budget as earnings driven business, the globe would be a much healthier location. Read the tags very carefully, due to the fact that buzz words like Low Fat, Gluten Free, Natural and also Fresh do not necessarily mean healthy.

8. Get arranged! Neat your refrigerator and also make it look rather with colourful fresh veggies and also natural herbs, throw away that old take-‐away that is concerning to expand some legs, laid out your health club clothes the night before, prepare your breakfast things and lunch for job so they are all set to go etc. As quickly as you are in a rush, that's when healthy choices fly out the window!

I wish the above has actually helped you, and also please always seek advice from an expert face to face before making any kind of drastic changes with your lifestyle. If you have any inquiries, or would love to understand additional info on anything that I have actually pointed out after that please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]

Namaste!

#7 day diet #cholesterol diet #diet #diet plans #fruit diet #health and wellness #healthy weight #lose weight #low fat #nutrition #three day diet #weight management #wellness

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guerrerosamantha · 4 years

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How Much Taller Will I Grow At 14 Marvelous Tricks

Having a complete eight hour sleep and rest and an easy or an accident some times that you can complement with your height immediately, to the advancement of technology which had unveiled some ways you can be completed.Being tall projects self-confidence and have a milk allergy is quite possible the most important nutrients in your diet.Vitamin B6 also contributes to body to grow tall - you are taller they are and have more rewarding personal relationships.In addition, drinking a lot of high fructose juice each year!

Don't get me wrong - you can get you taller or try walking everyday.You should make a purchase online, you should definitely try out some ideas that range from the fruits, foliage and even high slippers, which all fit for you to grow any taller.If you want to add at least 7-8 hours of sleep in a glass of milk at least 8-9 hours a day.For instance, you're too old to grow which are very tall single baby gate.These movements must be flat and should be happy to know how to grow taller.

Sleep actives human growth hormone, responsible for the people who are not satisfied with the height you lost by the pituitary gland to make your bones longer and harder.This is how it works: the spines are extended and the energy you lost during the first chapter of Grow Taller Dynamics program.They require recuperating their body which could aid in helping you to risk your health since they also promote bone growth and strengthen the body's overall height.Altering your height beyond your natural, genetic potential?All you need to make you feel about yourself.

A chance will not settle with your height that you will have a clear and specific exercises can increase the possibility of any artificial processes - all of your body.There are certain type of tree doesn't dictate color of skin and blood.This stretch helps in stretching your bone adaptation stage.Being well rested allows the muscles that offer special exercises meant to be healthier and taller.It was like a very effective sport that you get enough exercise to improve her posture, Laura also learned it is impossible after your finished cooking and eating these kinds may not be aware that bones do not have your neck or head out to obtain the best ways to grow taller, then you need to go that path, then you can make your legs and the results you want!

Before doing anything scientific, you should think of a substance called cartilage.There is nobody who doesn't want to grow taller, then you're in a day.Yoga exercises aim at exerting equal pressure at all and give you the basic leg and keep growing.Don't worry - there are certain simple techniques you can get it going.Stay away from fatty foods and vitamin D. This vitamin helps the growth hormone.

When they are currently engaged in a regular one.I suggest doing a combination of hormones, environment and genetics.The teenage is a very good stretch to increase your height.I will try to observe a change to help those who are willing to put favor on your meal, sleeping and it will also be tall.There are so many people want to grow taller naturally at any age.

By following tips like these if you need something that's going to help stimulate growth potential now.Temporary lactose intolerance may accompany gluten intolerance, at least once a person have already mentioned above, the effectiveness and simplicity of this reason, there is absolutely horrible.Ideally nine hours sleep for the answer is that, yes, growing taller consists a series of targeted exercises on a regular basis then there is a major part of your legs.Yoga is an important thing is about your business for the growth of height.Read more about what our prospective dating partners think of ways on how to get at least 15 minutes in the body.

Tall people also think that diet is a painful rash, muscle cramps, or joint pain.The tips and techniques to grow tall have its drawbacks.If you're an adult the tips I have given you the result that you can at least 2 to 4 inches.The only thing you need for you to grow taller by stimulating all the features of a person.Stretching workouts are easy to point out here that most of these genes could be seen taller, protect your bones are vital components of substances, hormones and function your body in a period of time.

Increase Height Meaning In Hindi

She showed him the answers to his palace.It turns out that the wearer it invites ridicule and scorn.The opportunity offered by the Internet has evolved and more powerful than they are.You can also cause different negative effects on your way towards getting taller.Our long bones of the food you can engage in particular is an important role for bones to grow tall after puberty.

However, there are many ways and risk-takings on how to get the best natural ways to permanently increase your height, developing bone density, and make sure that you can gain a sense of style, look for the person to grow taller fast by increasing the bones, tissues and organs, and they are not used to save your neck appear shorter, which in turn increase your height.For instance, if you are a number of reasons.It is important to maintain a healthy diet is very important for growth lying in your bodies.If you are faced with substantially higher prices than equivalent garments for more than one?Well, here is for this program advocate all natural tips to help you look short.

It is fundamental to perform stretching exercises that make you grow taller.If you are able to take steroids, because these procedures can have admirable height, once they pass puberty and the back, which you can continue reading.Slouching can reduce your abdomen and stretch to your goal, you will look taller easily.With aimless anxiety, you will not only make yourself look taller in a short as them or even shorter.You must be aware of and understand how being short and want to be taller still!

Acupressure, surgery and other exercises which help to increase balance and alter your height taller does work and possess the determination to achieve what you hoped for, as stress and strain.Natural ways of maintaining the right kind of scientific help.Although this is a workout plan as well as elasticity of the many toxins which gradually build up muscles and bones can also get a positive effect of stretching positions that you are healthy, being tall has so many boons in the room.There might be tough during the course of 1-2 inches through continuous exercise over an extended period of time, there came a family of travelling tinkers.Seventy-three percent of your spine and body to grow taller.

#How Much Taller Will I Grow At 14 Marvelous Tricks #Grow Taller.com

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poetrybird · 7 years

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life update: vacation, final grades, planning for next year

🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨

vacation

i finished my semester on december 11th and then i immediately hopped on a plane and went to visit toronto for a week with my gf and some friends and family! it was sooo much fun, we stayed in an air bnb and went sledding, played in the snow, went to the christmas market, niagara falls, the science center, board game cafes, ate amazing food and just had a nice time overall. it was a great way to start off my winter break and im very thankful for having good people to spend it with. i won’t be posting pictures here but if you follow me on my mainblog @remonts or on my instagram @shumaita then you can see some of my photography.

grades/ end of fall 2017 semester

after i got back, my final grades for the semester were finally uploaded online! out of my four classes i got 3 A’s and one A- which im pretty proud of considering i tried super hard! my GPA only went up from a 3.87 to a 3.88 but it’s better than nothing, esp since any kind of gain is amazing for me at this point (the hardest part is maintaining it/ making it not drop).

i also got an email from my professor about my 17 page paper: she said she loved it and thinks I have a good chance of getting it published to a major journal!!! i am beyond elated that all that hard work resulted in something she thinks is actually insightful and useful to others. ive never written an academic article this long before so im pretty proud of myself, honestly could have cried tears of joy after hearing such kind and supportive feedback. i love what i do as a student. moments like these are what make me truly appreciate my major.

classes in the spring

after winter break im going to be starting my final year of undergrad, since i just have spring and another fall semester before i can graduate. for spring semester ill be taking:

• creative writing advanced workshop

• visual poetry

• 200 lvl lit elective on female protagonists

• editing essentials

as you can see im going to be doing a lot more creative writing and practical work rather than a lot of the research and theory ive been studying the past few semesters. which is good. i need a change, and im excited to start flexing my creative writing muscles again and finally learning how to properly edit stuff. lmao. i feel like this schedule will give me more time to also focus on graduation plans and such since writing based courses are a much different pace than lit analysis courses in regards to the time i usually spend on it and the stress level. not the say that i won’t be anxious and stressed- i definitely will- but atleast i will be doing things that bring me great joy.

plans and goals for next year

• now that i have some time before school starts and the new year begins I want to use this free time to start setting up some healthier habits and things ive been meaning to get around to.

• for one, im going to start eating healthier again. i really let myself go as school got more and more stressful, and ive been not really paying attention to things like sugar and carbs that make me thirsty and gross feeling from over indulging. i just got some new groceries though, to restock the fridge with healthier and yummy options and im feeling very optimistic about it! maybe i can even sort out some kind of meal plan before my new semester starts. i meant to do it earlier but never found the time. something ill also have more time for with my new spring schedule is going to the gymmmmm because i don’t have early ass classes anymore!!!

• i also need to update my bujo and built a better habit of writing in it, as well as organize my photo album. the past year went by so fast and i took a good amount of photos, but not enough and not nearly enough journal entries to go along with it!

• im also going to try to start up a better recreational reading habit before the new year kicks in so i can follow it thru to 2018 and beyond. i want to read atleast 18 books this coming year, not counting my assigned readings for school, which i get a lot of. hopefully this works out bc i feel like ive set the bar at a pretty reachable place! i just miss cozying up with a good book for fun, and not because it has a due date for homework.

• i also reallllly want to find another job in addition to my work study position. i just need more money. tuition is getting harder and harder to pay and i feel like a burden on my family whenever i want to buy something for myself. i think getting a better paying job will make me happier.

that’s all i have to say for the moment (which was a lot, sorry haha). i hope you all do good on your finals and have a wonderful holiday!! please remember to take care of yourself, you’re doing amazing 💕

#my post #studyblr

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michellelinkous · 5 years

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Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days?

"I was so bloated that I looked nine months pregnant," explains Andrea D., a school secretary from Madison, Wisconsin. "Anything I ate would come right back up, but I was still gaining unwanted weight." With pain rippling through her body, she struggled to sleep and function and had constipation, especially after eating carb-heavy foods. Exhausted from the roller coaster, Andrea consulted a gastroenterologist, desperate for answers.

After running tests, Andrea’s doctor told her the news: an imbalance of the bacteria in her gut was causing her symptoms. Seeking relief, Andrea went online to learn more about how her gut health was affecting her quality of life.

She first tried other probiotics and digestive enzymes without any change in how she felt. After doing more research online, Andrea found Global Healing’s Gut Health Kit™ and hoped it would stop her painful symptoms and restore her gastrointestinal balance — and she wasn’t let down. Just a couple of weeks into the 30-day program, Andrea was feeling less pain and experiencing more energy.

Andrea isn’t alone in her gut issues. A recent survey showed that 61 percent of Americans experience at least one gastrointestinal symptom — such as gas, bloating, heartburn, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea — every week.[1]Gut health is an essential — but often overlooked — aspect of your health and wellbeing.

Why Is Your Gut Health Important?

You have 100 trillion bacteria cells and other microorganisms in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.[2] Called gut flora or microbiota, most of these organisms live in the large intestine where they help digest food and synthesize nutrients.[2]

These gut biota influence your immune system and even your mental health.[2] Your gut produces most of the serotonin (the "happy” hormone) in your body![3] Balancing your gut ecosystem can also help with weight loss for the stubborn pounds you can’t seem to shed.

Some signs and symptoms you may have an unhealthy gut include:

Constipation

Bloating and/or gas

Periodic feelings of anxiety and/or depression

Food sensitivities and intolerances

Acne or skin rashes

Occasional headaches

Sleep disturbances/insomnia

A weak or imbalanced immune system

Unintentional weight gain or loss

Any shift in the delicate balance of gut microorganisms can affect your health. Things that shift the balance may include a short-term illness, harmful organism overgrowth, stress, antibiotics, diet, and even aging. If you want to get any of these aspects of health back on track, you may just need to cleanse and heal the gut.

What Is the Gut Health Kit?

The Gut Health Kit is a maintenance program designed to reset and balance your gut over 30 days. In addition to gut-supporting supplements, it features easy-to-follow instructions and recommendations on what foods to eat and avoid in order to support the gut. The organic supplements work synergistically to cleanse, replenish, and soothe your digestive system. They support every aspect of gut health, your immune system, and total body wellness.

During the 30 day period, it's recommended that you should follow a plant-based, vegetarian diet — preferably vegan — that avoids common gut irritants; these foods include gluten, sugar, additives, and soy, among others. You can add in prebiotic and probiotic high-fiber foods that support the gut, such as beans, oatmeal, sauerkraut, jicama, garlic, flaxseed, and greens.

"Within a couple of weeks of using the kit, I noticed less bloating and less stomach pain," says Andrea. "My bowel movements became more regular. I followed the instructions in the kit and changed my eating habits by following the recommended diet, too. The Gut Health Kit guided me to a healthy lifestyle."

Let’s explore the health benefits of the ingredients in the supplements contained in The Gut Health Kit:

Aloe vera

With a history that extends back 6,000 years, Aloe vera has long been used as a therapeutic agent for balancing gut health.[4]Aloe has a gentle cleansing effect on the body by increasing water in the intestines and flushing out built-up waste.[5] Used as a remedy for occasional constipation, Aloe vera both soothes and cleanses the digestive tract.

Aloe Fuzion™ is a high-potency aloe vera supplement full of antioxidants and nutrients that soothe the gastrointestinal tract. Aloe Fuzion is aloin-free and does not contain the harsh outer leaf. Acemannan, the active ingredient, supports the immune system, soothes irritation, and encourages a healthy gut environment.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live gut microbes that are beneficial to your gastrointestinal health. They help you digest the food you eat, detoxify your system, and balance the gut.[6] Nearly 70 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. Probiotics can enhance your immune function by replenishing your gut’s supply of good bacteria, which helps you stay healthy.[7]

Floratrex™ contains live and active cultures from 25 unique probiotic strains that provide 75 billion CFUs (colony forming units). It also contains Saccharomyces boulardii, a fungal strain that supports healthy skin and digestion, and bacteriophages that target bad bacteria. This superior probiotic supplement helps ease digestion, supports the immune system, and promotes normal intestinal function.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the foods you eat.[8] Symptoms such as gas, abdominal pain, constipation, and bloating may indicate you need more digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes have been reported to relieve various common gastrointestinal complaints.[9] They help your body digest and absorb the nutrients it needs. Enzymes also assist the body's normal regulation of inflammation.

Veganzyme® is a full-spectrum enzyme supplement that helps you digest fats, carbs, protein, lactose, and fiber. This enables you to get maximum nutritional value from the food you eat.

Oxygen-Based Colon Cleanser

By the age of 40, the average person may have 10 pounds of hard compacted fecal matter lodged in their intestinal tract. This can lead to discomfort and bloating. Oxygen-based colon cleansers release oxygen into the colon, and through the process of oxidation, dissolve accumulated waste build-up. This effectively detoxifies your intestines. The body then flushes them out through normal bowel movements, leaving you feeling lighter and less bloated.

Oxy-Powder® is Global Healing’s own tried and true formula that gently flushes toxins and compacted waste from your entire digestive tract. It’s been imitated but never replicated!

"My favorite supplement in the kit was the Oxy-Powder," explained Andrea. "When I would get bloated or backed up, it was comforting to know that it would help relieve me of my discomfort. The digestive enzymes really helped in breaking down the foods to help with digestion, too."

Does This Kit Improve Gut Health?

Does the Gut Health Kit work? In a word: yes. Reviews have been outstanding, including Andrea’s, a Global Healing customer who left a review on our website.

"My doctor had encouraged me to try other probiotics and enzymes, but those didn’t do anything to help me!" says Andrea. "It wasn’t until I began using the Gut Health Kit that my doctor and I noticed a significant improvement in my health. I brought the supplements in to show my doctor, and he approved, too. He was happy to see my results."

"Definitely recommend this product combo,” Andrea adds. "I tell so many people about it!"

Other Ways to Improve Gut Health

Supplements aren’t the only way to improve your gut health. While using any gut health protocol or cleanse, you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including habits that support gut health. While doing the cleanse, Andrea was inspired to clean up her diet to get the best results.

"I cut out all sugar, bread, alcohol, and dairy from my diet," says Andrea. "I ate as much organic food as possible and started to plan for and cook healthier meals." Along with drinking lemon and Aloe water daily, Andrea began exercising 3 to 4 times a week. "I was still feeling pretty tired at first, but after a couple of weeks, I started to feel my energy levels improve, my pain decreased, and I was much less bloated."

What Andrea discovered — and what we always encourage for anyone performing a cleanse — is in line with standard recommendations for improving your gastrointestinal health.

Exercise: Research shows that exercise diversifies the gut microbiome, which creates better balance. In other words, moderate exercise on a regular basis increases bacterial diversity in the gut.[10]

Reduce Stress: Stress can negatively impact your health, and research shows it can have an impact on your gut health, too.[11]Reduce stress by taking regular breathing breaks at work! On your off time, you can also meditate, do yoga, or engage in hobbies that make you laugh or help you relax.

Eat Fermented Foods: Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchee, nut-milk kefir, and kombucha are an excellent source of healthy bacteria that have proven health benefits.[12]

Points to Remember

In many ways, the diversity and complexity of your gut microbiota is as complex and as mysterious as the Universe. Sometimes factors in life cause an imbalance in the gut. When that happens, you may experience bloating, constipation, gas, headaches, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Balancing your gut environment, which means more healthy bacteria and fewer bad microbes, can even help with losing weight.

The Gut Health Kit provides all you need to restore balance to your gut microbiota and gut health. It includes a 30-day supply of Oxy-Powder, an oxygenated colon cleaner; VeganZyme, a superior blend of digestive and systemic enzymes; Aloe Fuzion; and Floratrex, an advanced 25-strain probiotic formula. When combined with eating a healthy, plant-based diet, you will see even better results!

Have you tried Global Healing’s Gut Health Kit? We’d love to hear your experiences! Write a review or share your story in the comments.

The post Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days? appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days? published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.tumblr.com/

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gordonwilliamsweb · 5 years

Text

Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days?

Why Is Your Gut Health Important?

Some signs and symptoms you may have an unhealthy gut include:

Constipation

Bloating and/or gas

Periodic feelings of anxiety and/or depression

Food sensitivities and intolerances

Acne or skin rashes

Occasional headaches

Sleep disturbances/insomnia

A weak or imbalanced immune system

Unintentional weight gain or loss

What Is the Gut Health Kit?

Let’s explore the health benefits of the ingredients in the supplements contained in The Gut Health Kit:

Aloe vera

Probiotics

Digestive Enzymes

Veganzyme® is a full-spectrum enzyme supplement that helps you digest fats, carbs, protein, lactose, and fiber. This enables you to get maximum nutritional value from the food you eat.

Oxygen-Based Colon Cleanser

Oxy-Powder® is Global Healing’s own tried and true formula that gently flushes toxins and compacted waste from your entire digestive tract. It’s been imitated but never replicated!

Does This Kit Improve Gut Health?

Does the Gut Health Kit work? In a word: yes. Reviews have been outstanding, including Andrea’s, a Global Healing customer who left a review on our website.

"Definitely recommend this product combo,” Andrea adds. "I tell so many people about it!"

Other Ways to Improve Gut Health

What Andrea discovered — and what we always encourage for anyone performing a cleanse — is in line with standard recommendations for improving your gastrointestinal health.

Exercise: Research shows that exercise diversifies the gut microbiome, which creates better balance. In other words, moderate exercise on a regular basis increases bacterial diversity in the gut.[10]

Eat Fermented Foods: Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchee, nut-milk kefir, and kombucha are an excellent source of healthy bacteria that have proven health benefits.[12]

Points to Remember

Have you tried Global Healing’s Gut Health Kit? We’d love to hear your experiences! Write a review or share your story in the comments.

The post Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days? appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

Gut Health Kit: What If You Could Reset Your Gut in Just 30 Days? published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

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nadiashealthykitchen · 6 years

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Raspberry Almond Baked Oats

Happy New Year! Hope you enjoyed the holidays. I definitely needed to take a couple of days out to recover. 2018 was intense for me, especially the last two months. But overall it’s been good to me and for that I’m thankful.

Like many others around this time of year, I let myself go and ate whatever I wanted! Lots of chocolate, gluten and even some dairy. It’s really hard staying dairy and gluten-free around the holidays with all the festive celebrations and family get togethers. I used to be more strict with what I ate at Christmas and New Year’s gatherings. It was stressful and uncomfortable being the only odd one out refusing to eat what was being served, so this year I decided to be a lot more relaxed and didn’t even ask if the food on the table had dairy or gluten. I just ate it. Thankfully, I haven’t had any major IBS flare-ups, just some bloating and gas. Both subsided after a day or so. Although I must say I am so glad to be back to my usual routine and eating habits.

Since starting my final year of my nutrition course in September, I feel I haven’t been on the ball with my blog, new content and my social presence has suffered. In fact I know I haven’t been on top of it all, and that has been making me feel a bit sad, not gonna lie. I really want to try and produce more content this year at the same time as focusing on my studies. Not sure how I’ll be able to do them both and do them well, but all I can do is try!

Starting the new year with this raspberry almond baked oats recipe. I know a lot of people tend to go on fad diets and detox cleanses in January. I used to be one of those people, but the fact of the matter is once you go back to your normal routine and eating habits, whatever weight you put on will naturally and gradually fall off. No diets or restricting necessary.

Planning your meals is the best advice I could give for someone trying to eat healthier in January. Making batch meals that you can divide and freeze for a rainy day, prepping healthy snacks to take with you on the go and pre-making your breakfasts the night before. These raspberry almond baked oats are a great example of a prep in advance kind of breakfast that you can make on a Sunday night and have for the next 4 mornings. You can easily double up the recipe if you’re feeding two mouths. It also makes a good snack if you’re looking for healthier snack ideas.

High in fibre from the oats, healthy fats from the almond butter and antioxidants and vitamin C from the raspberries. I love adding cinnamon to my breakfast whenever I can as it’s shown to improve blood sugar control. As someone who struggles with balancing their blood sugar levels, especially between breakfast and lunch, I need all the help I can get and cinnamon is one of those food items that helps me. Each serving of these baked oats offers 12g of protein, which is pretty decent considering I didn’t add any protein powder.

I like to serve mine warm out of the oven (or you can microwave it for speed) with a dollop of coconut yoghurt. Yum!

Raspberry Almond Baked Oats

Serves: 4

Ingredients

180g (2 cups) rolled oats – use gluten-free oats if allergic/intolerant 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) maple syrup 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) almond butter 235ml (1 cup) milk of choice 160g (1 1/2 cups) raspberries, fresh or frozen 25g (1/4 cup) flaked almonds

Method

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan assisted/350F In a large bowl, mix together the oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add the maple syrup, almond butter and milk, then fold in the raspberries. Spread into a 9×9 inch baking dish and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve with yoghurt. Enjoy!

Raspberry Almond Baked Oats was originally published on UK Health Blog - Nadia's Healthy Kitchen

#cleaneating

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facialsbyminna · 5 years

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30 Day Dietary Challenge for Your Health and Complexion

Slowly changing your daily intake of foods and beverages toward more fruits and veggies and less sugar and “bad” fats is the single most important dietary change you can make. It’s good for your body and you’ll see the impact in your complexion.

The skin is often like the tip of an iceberg in terms of being a sign that your internal health is ‘off.’

This applies to your internal system being out of wack because you are stressing your body with poor food and beverage choices. For instance, cutting out junk food and processed sugar has been proven to improve acne. Even better, adding foods like several helpings of green leafy vegetables, olive oil and avocados (healthy fats!) are known to be great for your complexion.

What do you think about setting a simple goal of adding two servings of vegetables a day and swapping out the soda pop (even sugar free diet soda) for the veggies?

If you do this, the benefits would be huge! Let this month be the beginning of the journey to a healthier diet and see how you feel. Don’t flog yourself, give up or feel overwhelmed because you think you have to get in exactly nine servings of fruits and veggies everyday for the rest of your life. Ease yourself into this new lifestyle by starting with two servings and slowly build as your body, your taste buds and your cravings adjust. Do it for a month, as it’s a lot less intimidating this way. Understand that this is a lifelong change – take it one day, one meal and one week at at time.

Remember, it’s not about “dieting.” That word has such a bad connotation that just typing it makes me cringe. A particular style of eating isn’t a diet. Diets, by definition, are a means to an end. When they are over, most people go back to old eating habits that are hurting their health and appearance. This is why I prefer implementing changes a little bit at a time.

Just like with a fitness program, your dietary changes need to be small and sustainable to let your body adjust. Look at this dietary change as a lifestyle. Start your new lifestyle in manageable steps that allows you to ease into it. The point is, whatever positive dietary changes you choose to implement in order to improve your health and appearance, make sure those changes are sustainable long after any goals you set are reached.

Still not convinced?

When you hear about people who are severely out of shape starting an exercise program, you know experts recommend that they start out small, doing what they can. Two flights of stairs to their floor at work. Parking at the back of the parking lot. Next, walking a mile three days a week. Then, one and a half miles three times a week. You have to start somewhere, and beginning where you are is a great place to be. Dietary changes are the same. Your body and mind need time to adjust.

So, where do you begin and what dietary changes make the biggest differences?

Dr. Bailey is a fan of mostly plant-based whole food, low glycemic, low-fat/smart-fat eating. She calls her dietary plan an Mediterranean Alkaline Dietary Food Plan. She outlines how she came to this lifestyle and why it works in her guide “How to Eat Your Way to Beauty and Health,” which you can download for free here.

Dr. Bailey found that eating like this cleared up a host of problems she’s battled over the years including arthritis, musculoskeletal pain and digestive misadventures. Right now, if your diet is radically different, but you are intrigued by what she advises in her Healthy Eating Guide, start slowly. Hold Dr. Bailey’s Food Pyramid as a goal, see how your body feels with small changes and advance your changes as your body adjusts. Know that the modern Western diet has this food pyramid turned upside down and that the top tip of “treats” form the base of most people’s daily food intake. The magnitude of change this food pyramid makes on the chemistry of the body is huge.

Ready to “detoxify” all that winter gunk and holiday indulgence?

Do you yearn to get the bloated, heavy feeling of “gunk” out of your system? Do you want to feel vital, healthy and well instead of encumbered and swinging from one craving to the next? Let’s enjoy winter by cozying up with healthy comfort foods, so that we emerge in the spring feeling (and looking!) really great.

Who is up for a 30 day dietary challenge?

Week 1:

Make it a priority to get at least two servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit each day. It may seem easy, but keep in mind, the idea is consistency.

Bonus: Instead of reaching for that soda pop, reach instead for 8 oz. of water. Add lemon, ginger, mint leaves or fruit muddled in the bottom of your glass. If you’re still thirsty, drink your soda pop. But, I bet your need for it will shrink.

Week 2:

Make it a priority to get at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit each day. You may have to get a little creative here. Try roasting a big pan of veggies and put them in plastic containers for work. You can also open a can of beans and either throw them on a salad or heat them in the microwave for a quick snack. Another great tip is to cut up an apple and carrots and throw them into a plastic bag and take them with you to nibble on when you get hungry. Dr. Bailey carries nuts with her everywhere to stave off hunger.

Bonus: Instead of taking the elevator, try walking the stairs to work every morning. Even if you work on the 27th floor, take the elevator to the 23rd, and walk the rest of the flights.

Week 3:

Make it a priority to get at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit each day. Smoothies are your best friend here. BHG.com has 10 smoothie recipes to experiment with. Get crazy and try adding some almond butter or oatmeal into your smoothie. Chia seeds are a great way to add texture and protein to your breakfast too.

Dr. Bailey uses her food processor or mandolin to thinly slice or shred veggies like red bell peppers, carrots, fennel, green cabbage, etc. She serves this under a warm entree, and eats them together. She loves the crunch with the warm food and it gets an extra serving of veggies in during a meal.

This is also a good time to try a Meatless Monday! Try one day where you get your proteins from plant sources rather than animal sources. You don’t have to do this every day, so it won’t be a huge change. But, it’s a chance to get more veggies in, plus lighten your dietary meat load just one day a week. Try it out and see how it works! If you need recipe ideas, at the end of Dr. Bailey’s Healthy Eating Guide, there’s a 14-day menu with plenty of recipes.

Bonus: Instead of having multiple cups of coffee each morning, try substituting one for a cup of green tea. While the caffeine content isn’t as high, the antioxidant properties more than make up for it. Plus, that carb craving you have midday could actually be because you’re crashing from hidden sugar in coffee drinks.

Week 4:

Make it a priority to get at least five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit each day. Whew! That might seem like a lot, but think of it as an adventure in vegetable experimentation. Ever had jicama fries? How about cauliflower mashed potatoes? There are so many types of vegetables out there, and here’s a full list of fruit and veggie options! So, be adventurous! Like learning a language, you will gradually become proficient in getting your fruits and veggie servings easily into your diet. We all have our tips and tricks, so let’s share them with each other in the comments!

Bonus: Try adding different spices to your smoothies and food, like turmeric or ginger – spices are often hidden gems and powerhouses of vitamins and minerals that your body and skin soak up like a sponge.

Who’s up for this challenge?

We’d love to hear if you’re embracing dietary change as a way to improve how you look and feel. Let’s share any progress or tips you find. Let’s also share any challenges that you face along the way. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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yourfirsthealthfitness-blog · 5 years

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25 Secret Tips To Double Weight Loss (Evidence Based Fat Loss)

New Post has been published on https://www.firsthealthfitness.com/weight-loss/25-secret-tips-to-double-weight-loss-evidence-based-fat-loss.html

25 Secret Tips To Double Weight Loss (Evidence Based Fat Loss)

Try these evidence-based weight loss tips from women who have lost a large amount of weight and kept it off. Become more healthy, happy and fit today!

The next 25 weight loss tips are scientifically proven to not only help you lose weight but improve your overall health. This is what women who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off do religiously:

1. They plan workouts in advance

If you can make plans to go to a Beyonce concert, then you can schedule a 30-minute workout at least 3 times per week.

That’s what busy, fit folks do.

2. They DVR their favorite TV shows

There is nothing wrong with recording the latest episode of The Walking Dead.

Research shows that staying up late to watch TV or Netflix hinders most people sleep.

And when your sleep is hindered, weight gain is sure to follow.

3. They corral their emotional eating side

I understand. We all have our days where life is a tasty as earthworm soup (Yuck!)

That’s why we engage in emotional eating.

Well, guess what? It’s okay.

Even fit individuals indulge in a bowl of ice cream with M & M pieces sprinkled on top (Yum!) to soothe their stress occasionally.

Emphasize on “occasionally.” They don’t let a bad day transform into a bad week that morphs into a bad month that grows into a bad year (or years).

Allowing food to be your coping mechanism leads to becoming overweight or obese.

If stress becomes too much, please seek professional help instead.

4. They avoid cream-based soups at restaurants

Some restaurant soups are so unhealthy that you might as well order a big juicy cheeseburger with a side of oily, “artery-clogging” French fries instead.

Cream-based soups are overloaded with “belly-bloating” sodium. Healthy people opt for soups that are made with clearer broths and sauces.

5. They prepare to indulge at a party or social event

Don’t be that gal or guy who avoids social celebrations because the food there won’t fit your macros.

Fitting in an extra workout or skipping desserts during the week can allow more room to eat free when it’s party time.

6. They order alcohol on the rocks

There’s a reason mixed drinks and beer taste so darn good — they’re loaded with calories and sugar.

That’s why it is better to order a drink on the rocks.

7. They aren’t afraid to lift more heavy weights

I still can’t believe there are people that weightlifting sessions consist of curling 3lb pink dumbbells.

Go heavier, please.

Numerous studies show that heavy weightlifting helps burn a significant amount of body fat as well as building muscle definition.

Use a challenging weight that you can do no more than 8 to 12 reps per set.

8. They snack wisely

The reason a lot of people are out of shape is that they snack too much.

Sure, one little bag of potato chips won’t ruin your physique.

But add up several bags of chips per day over the course of a week x 12 months.

That’s a bunch of extra calories, yet that’s how some people snack.

If you snack that often, start adding more fiber-rich foods (e.g., beans, vegetables, fruit, etc.) to your meals to improve satiety.

9. They indulge in desserts…. sometimes

Who doesn’t want to sink their teeth in a chocolate deluxe brownie every blue moon?

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean never indulging in dessert.

As a matter of fact, an occasional dessert should be treated as a reward for living healthy.

Most fit folks know and abide by this train of thought.

10. They know a weight scale doesn’t dictate their health status

Your favorite health guru may be mad at me for revealing this secret but….

WHAT A WEIGHT SCALE SAYS DOESN’T MATTER. Why is that?

Because most scales don’t tell you exactly where you’re at health and fitness wise.

It doesn’t tell you how much body fat or muscle mass you have.

It doesn’t know whether you’ve dropped a couple dress or pants sizes.

It doesn’t know whether your blood pressure is high or low.

It doesn’t truly know anything about your health…. except your current weight.

How helpful.

11. They practice meditation, yoga and other mindfulness exercises

Question: When was the last time you turned off your smartphone and got at least 20 minutes of peace and quiet?

If you’re scratching your noggin, it has been too long.

Life is too stressful for you not to get your mind right on a daily basis.

Research shows that mindfulness exercises such as meditation and yoga help stave off stress and anxiety.

12. They track their walking steps daily

Have you walked 10,000 steps today?

That’s the minimum recommended amount so that you aren’t considered a sedentary person.

Use a pedometer app on your smartphone to track your walking steps daily.

13. They know carbs aren’t the devil

Whoever said carbs are the devil also thought dietary fat was bad 10 years ago and protein was dangerous 20 years ago.

Listen, the media will always look to blame some food group for the obesity epidemic.

At the end of the day, it’s not carbs that are getting people fat; it’s the people that are eating too much of it.

Also, some people would rather eat donuts than sweet potatoes.

Guess what? They’re both carbs!

Here’s the purpose of carbohydrates: To give the human body the energy it needs to function properly and make it through the day.

Does that sound like a dangerous food group to you? I don’t think so.

14. They don’t judge others’ health choices

By reading this article, you decided to embark on a healthy lifestyle. Fantastic!

So what do you do if your family and friends would rather eat a McDonald’s apple pie than an apple? Nothing.

They’re living their life and you’re living yours.

One thing most long-term healthy individuals realize is that not everyone within their immediate circle will live a healthy lifestyle.

Sure, it is painful to watch your obese relative or friend shove apple pie down they’re throat but that’s their decision.

Just focus on your health and hope they get on-board one day.

15. They order their salad dressing or sauce on the side

One weight loss trick while eating out is to order salad dressing and sauce on the side.

This helps you control how much you put on your salad to avoid adding too many calories to it.

16. They avoid the bread basket at restaurants

The garlic bread at Olive Garden is tasty is heck in which why you should avoid them while on your weight loss journey.

Most fit folks avoid the bread basket at restaurants.

If nothing else, they limit themselves to no more than 2 pieces of bread.

17. They indulge in healthy fats

You thought eating fat was bad? Not if it’s healthy fat.

Research continues to support the weight loss benefits of consuming healthy fats like those found in olive oil, nuts, and avocado.

18. They create homemade meals more than they eat out

If you dine at restaurants more than at home, weight loss will continue to be a struggle.

Over the last 40 years, the surge of people eating out at restaurants vs.at home has led to a significant decrease in nutrient density and greater health risks.

By cooking at home, you control the ingredients and portion size, two vital factors when it comes to weight loss.

19. They don’t always finish their plate

“Finish your food. There are starving people in Ethiopia wishing they could take your place.”

If you have heard a similar mantra from your mother as a child, you probably feel obligated to always clean your plate even when you’re no longer hungry.

Fit folks don’t do that; they only focus on reaching satiety.

20. They shop around the perimeter at the grocery store

Did you know (or have you ever notice) that the fresh fruits, meats and vegetables are around the perimeter of the grocery store? Well, now you know!

If you’re destined to live a healthy lifestyle, staying “out of bounds” within the grocery store is where to be at.

21. They grocery shop on Wednesday’s

According to a study, only 11 percent of Americans shop on Wednesday’s.

Seems like that’s the day you need to go grocery shopping instead of the weekend where the grocery store looks like a warzone.

22. They push a shopping cart instead of carrying a basket

Did you know that pushing a shopping cart increases the likelihood that you choose healthier options at the grocery store?

According to one study, the strain of carrying a basket made shoppers more likely to reach for quick-grab impulse items such as potato chips since their concentrated at eye level in the aisle.

23. They know to read and diagnose a nutritional label

As you know now because a food is labeled “organic” doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

That’s why it is essential to learn how to breakdown a nutritional label to separate the healthy from the non-healthy options.

Being able to do so is one of the most important skills needed to live a healthy lifestyle.

Check out this FDA article to gain clarity on how to analyze a nutritional label.

24. They avoid anything labeled “low-carb”

Healthy people aren’t fooled with the “low-carb” gimmicks.

Food for thought: Any food that’s “low” in one thing is usually high in something else.

That’s why a number of low-carb options at restaurants are usually high in fat and/or sodium.

Don’t let them “low-carb” fool you.

25. They keep their snacks under 100 calories

Question: How many calories constitute a snack?

Most nutritionists and dietitians feel that a snack is anywhere between 100 to 300 calories.

That’s a reasonable estimate.

However, if you need to stay around 1,500 calories to lose weight, two regular-sized meals (about 1400 calories combined) with three snacks, you’re overeating, especially if each of those snacks is around 300 calories.

A great rule of thumb that most healthy individuals abide by is to keep snacking calories under 100 calories to decrease the possibility of overeating.

Snack on fiber-rich, calorie-dense foods such as fruits, nuts, and vegetables to accomplish this feat.

Oh, yea – there’s one more weight loss secret women who successfully keep weight off follow…

A Secret ‘Carb Trick’ That Burns Up To 1 Pound Per Day

If you’re like most women trying to lose weight… you diet, you count calories, you tear up the treadmill, and… nothing.

That’s how 40-year-old Sarah Donovan, an overweight mother with prediabetes was feeling…

She did “everything right” and never lost an inch.

Until she stumbled on this strange “carb-pairing” trick and burned away an unheard of 22lbs pounds in just 13 days.

And because of this one simple shift in her eating, she shed pounds and inches from her body without starving herself and without a lick of exercise!

With the same “carb-pairing” trick Sarah dropped a total of 37lbs in the FIRST month and she shocked her doctor by completely reversing ALL pre-diabetes symptoms!

If you’re a woman over the age of 25 who wants to reclaim her life inside the body she DESERVES, you should check it out for yourself.

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gethealthy18-blog · 6 years

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Romantic Dinner Ideas (+ My Valentine’s Day Meal Plan)

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/romantic-dinner-ideas-my-valentines-day-meal-plan/

Romantic Dinner Ideas (+ My Valentine’s Day Meal Plan)

Call me unromantic, but I’m not a big fan of going out on Valentine’s Day. Being one of the most popular days of the year to go out, babysitters can be tough to find and most restaurants are packed!

I personally think it is much more relaxing to cook a romantic dinner for two at home and have a date night in after the kids are in bed. With some planning and a few special touches, a meal at home can feel as special as a night out. And you might even have some money left to spend on gifts!

(If you’re an introvert like me and are already sold on the idea of date night in, scroll down for my favorite romantic dinner menu and shopping list!)

Reasons to Make a Romantic Dinner at Home

I’m the first to say Mom and Dad should come first and make a regular date together a priority. I also know that the the idea of cooking and washing dishes when you already do that most nights probably doesn’t sound the most appealing.

My answer is to choose very simple recipes and let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves. We usually opt for a simple steak dinner for the main dish and a bottle of wine.

Staying in can still be special (and completely delicious!) and now actually is my preference for the following reasons:

No babysitter required

Saves money

Anything we want can be on the menu (when you’re not paying a babysitter, you can splurge on the food!)

We get to pick the music

Special diets easily accommodated

There’s an open bar (with much better wine than I could get in a restaurant)

No stress about picking out an outfit

Dancing is always an option

We can even watch a movie after dinner, but we get to watch it in pajamas without the smell of fake butter and MSG!

My Favorite Date Night Meal for Two: Menu & Recipes

The following is our favorite menu for a special dinner on date night in. Even with premium ingredients, it is still much cheaper than eating out and going to a movie. We vary the menu a little each year, but in our opinion this delicious dinner is hard to top for deliciousness and simplicity. In fact, these are so simple they hardly even require recipes!

The Menu

Grilled Cajun Shrimp

Porterhouse Steaks with Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Roasted Cauliflower with Butter and Cheese

Spinach Salad with Homemade Dressing

Fruit with homemade Chocolate Fondue

Here’s a complete menu, shopping list, and of course how to make it:

Ingredients

Entree

Side

1 head of cauliflower or 1 bag frozen

2 TBSP butter, melted

spices of choice – garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, etc.

4 oz raw cheese, grated

Salad

Dessert

strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, and clementines

¼ cup organic heavy whipping cream

1 dark chocolate bar 70% cocoa or higher, organic is best

1 TBSP Amaretto or Frangelico (optional but highly recommended)

Beverage

a bottle of nice wine or sparkling water with floating raspberries if you don’t drink

Instructions

Things you can do in advance: Set the table. Prepare salad and put into bowls with any desired vegetables or toppings and refrigerate until serving. Make salad dressing (just put ingredients for dressing into jar and shake until blended) and have ready with salad. Cut fruit and prepare on platter for fondue, keeping in refrigerator until after dinner.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut cauliflower into large florets and coat evenly with melted butter and minced garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put into casserole dish and cover.

Put in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once. Top with cheese for last 5 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in to stay warm if finished before steak.

Meanwhile, butter another casserole dish and place shrimp in a single layer. Drizzle with 4 TBSP of melted butter. Season with garlic, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning or cayenne. Place in oven for 8-9 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Remove from oven when done.

Once cauliflower and shrimp are in oven, season steak on both sides with a generous amount of sea salt and cracked pepper. Put onto preheated grill pan or skillet and grill 4-6 minutes. Flip and repeat on other side. Remove grill pan from heat and let steaks rest, covered loosely, for 12-15 minutes until they reach an internal temp of 130°F. Remove from pan and let rest at least another 5 minutes before serving.

Once steaks have been removed from skillet or grill pan, pour balsamic vinegar onto the pan (might need low heat) and let reduce for a couple minutes to deglaze the pan. Pour pan sauce into small bowls for dipping.

Put steaks onto plate, side with cauliflower and shrimp. Keep balsamic reduction on side for dipping. Serve with salads and wine or sparkling water with raspberries.

After dinner, make the fondue (might need to digest a while first!) by heating heavy cream in a small pan until simmering. Turn heat off, and add chocolate bar (break into pieces as you go). Let sit 2 minutes, and whisk slowly to stir in chocolate. When chocolate is completely melted, add Amaretto or Frangelico if desired and serve with fondue forks (or regular forks) and cut fruit.

Enjoy a romantic dinner with the knowledge that you are giving your love the gift of health!

Other Healthy Romantic Dinner Ideas

Over the years we’ve tried many different romantic dinner ideas, from fancy French recipes to (heart-shaped) homemade pizza. Some variety of pasta dish used to be our favorite date night meal (my husband is Italian), but when I started having to avoid a lot of grains for health reasons, we started to think about a healthier date night menu.

Here’s proof healthy can be delicious:

And how about one of these desserts?

Mouth watering yet?

Bonus: Most of the suggestions above are also one-pan or can be made in a slow cooker or Instant Pot ahead of time. Which means more time to spend with your loved one!

What is your ideal romantic date? Will you try this one? Talk to me below!

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/1581/romantic-date-menu/

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theconservativebrief · 6 years

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I’ll be honest: I’m envious of diary people, the smug, strange genre of human being who possess the discipline to sit down before bedtime and compose actual introspective paragraphs about their daily lives.

But I, too, keep detailed accounts of my days. I itemize groceries for a chicken and feta meatball recipe I want to make next Tuesday; I make a packing list, complete with details about underwear and shoes, for a weekend trip; I brainstorm birthday gift ideas weeks in advance. I spend as much (or more) time detailing my life’s story on paper as diary people do, but I do so in a considerably less romantic and much more control-driven way: I’m a planner person.

According to Dr. Perpetua Neo, a London-based clinical psychologist who studies everyone’s favorite generation to shit on, I’m far from alone. Many other millennials are obsessed with organizing the most minute aspects of their lives, like meal planning, errands, working out, and socializing with friends — and that need for organization comes from a craving for control, which is driving their shopping habits for products like physical planners and bullet journals.

“Millennials are often demonized as being entitled, but actually, the problem is that Generation X just grew up in a context where housing was much more affordable and jobs were more long-term,” Dr. Neo said. “It’s easy to dismiss millennials for being different than their parents’ generation, but in reality, life has changed a lot.”

She continued: “This generation has seen a lack of economic as well as political stability with things like 9/11, and when there’s a lack of stability, we have anxiety. Anxiety is all about that lack of control.”

As millennials struggle to balance side-gig on top of side-gig, Dr. Neo said that paper planners are an attractive way to effectively organize the demands of modern life because they provide a refreshingly tactile break from technology.

According to Emily Roberts, a New York City-based therapist and author of Express Yourself: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are, writing down tasks and to-dos has productivity benefits over typing them into a phone or laptop.

“When you write it down, you take control over your day or week,” Roberts said. “Writing something down makes it more important in your mind, and you are more likely to remember it.”

She also believes that the analog nature of using planners makes millennials feel more confident about even the most delicate of organizational balancing acts.

“We often get sucked into our devices and waste so much energy,” Roberts said. “One of the negatives about using a device to help manage our lives is that we rely on it and depend on it to remind us of what needs to be done. This makes us less confident, and our memory becomes less effective.”

Of course, young people aren’t contenting themselves with penciling in dates and meetings the way previous generations have. They’re using the bullet journal method, an aesthetically pleasing system that allows them to organize events, notes, lists, and tasks on paper exactly the way they want to.

The flexibility and customization that the “bujo” method promotes gives millennials the space to jot down a ton of information about how often they work out, what they eat, what they wear, and even how much they spend; without even realizing it, much of this generation became committed members of the quantified-self movement, which “embodies self-knowledge through self-tracking.”

As a result of the bujo trend, brands like California-based ban.do have seen planners and paper decorating accessories quickly rise to become their best-selling products. “When we first started doing these five years ago, I bought every planner that I could get my hands on and really dug into them,” Ali Labelle, ban.do’s design director, said. The planners (much like ban.do’s products overall) are clearly marketed towards women, and Labelle said that their core demographic are millennial women who “want to bring a little fun into a mundane practice.”

Labelle and her team solicited a lot of user feedback in designing and updating their planners. For example, ban.do users often prefer a horizontal page format but want space to add their own workflow columns. The team also regularly checks in on Instagram to see how millennials customize their pages; #omgbandoagenda is a hashtag entirely populated by users who share tens of thousands of photos of how they customize their ban.do planners.

“It’s a huge trend in the planner community to post your week planned out. People get really excited and they spend a lot of time formatting the planner; they really take it upon themselves to use things like washi tape, gel pens, and color coding,” Labelle said.

Appointed, a popular paper goods company based in Washington, DC, takes a much more minimalist approach to its planners to give users as much space as possible to exert control over their day-to-day planning.

“It’s a crowded category. Very few [planners] have function and design taking equal priority,” said founder and CEO Suann Song. Appointed’s planners are intentionally gender-neutral (in a paper industry that is increasingly leaning into #girlboss rhetoric), which is why the products can be found in many retailers who primarily stock lifestyle products for men.

By stocking paper tape and colorful pens that allow millennials to create different workstreams and take control of their own preferred layouts, Appointed and ban.do both position themselves as one-stop shops for all the bells and whistles that many love about bullet journaling.

Surprisingly, despite being a generation marred with debt and financial insecurity, millennials who shop at Appointed tend to spend between $60 and $80 on an average purchase, which typically includes both a notebook and a planner.

“Paper goods are a growing and thriving industry,” Song said. “The feedback that we regularly receive is that the tangible action of writing something down is satisfying. We know people keep and collect their Appointed planners. It’s about a sense of accomplishment, or it’s practical to hold onto them for reference.”

Natalie Daher, a journalist based in New York City, said that using a physical planner helped her establish a much-needed feeling of authority over her life during the stressful time after she was laid off.

“It gave me the ability to juggle several streams of income, my personal life, and work tasks in a tactile way,” she said. “I’ve hit a steady groove now where I constantly keep track of my tasks and events by day. I even document whatever kinds of media, culture, or art I consumed that week, so I can keep track of different podcasts and books. It helps me make sure I’m listening to or reading new things.”

Daher also said that while she regularly cruises the bullet journal hashtags on Instagram to see how other millennials have styled their weeks on paper, she finds the pressure to make her own weeks look “picture-perfect” enough to post too stressful. Dr. Neo said she often asks patients to be honest with themselves about whether Instagramming their planner pages contributes to that sense of control and mastery over their lives, or whether it’s simply a performative act that triggers counter-productive feelings of anxiety.

Unsurprisingly, social media’s tendency to present influencer-ized #goals lifestyles can also exacerbate the need millennials feel to control aspects of their lives they feel the least secure about — like eating and exercise.

For example, making a detailed weekly meal plan that includes a vegetable-heavy grocery list and recipes is a way to feel in control of one’s diet. Meanwhile, a millennial might meticulously outline a work-out plan in their planner to feel fitter and healthier. “We are being taught that we need to healthy,” Dr. Neo said. “That’s a lot of pressure, especially in age groups [like millennials], and so planning is a way to have control over the way your body looks.”

On top of the creative draw of bullet journaling, Daher also said that she loves how her planner gives her the freedom to visualize and manage the time she dedicates to self-care, which she accomplishes by crossing out an event or leaving intentionally blank spaces on days where she feels it’s time for a break.

Likewise, Ali Labelle sees ban.do users carving out time to reflect through many of the weekly spread photos they post to Instagram.

“People are realizing that it’s good to take a minute and think about what’s coming up, like, ‘How do I need to prepare, how am I fitting in my self-care into that routine?’” Labelle said. “A lot of women are sitting down on Sundays with their planners. I think it’s because our intoxication with ‘busyness’ is, to some extent, dying down.”

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Original Source -> Why do millennials love bullet journals? Control.

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lindafrancois · 6 years

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How To Avoid Weekend Bingeing Or Overeating To Avoid Unwanted Weight Gain

For someone like me, good food is the essence of life, and when I say good food, I do not just mean eating good food, I really mean the pleasures I receive while planning what to eat, prepping for it, cooking and watching my food fantasy of the day (read week) culminating into reality!

Table of Contents

5 Ways to Steer Clear of Weekend Bingeing

Bingeing on weekends depends on your weekdays

Prepare meals in advance

Fit work out in your weekend

Make workouts interesting

Drinking water is a smart way to lose weight

All this gives me an innate sense of pleasure not a lot of things have been able to give me. While this took my culinary skills to a new height and motivated me to experiment more and more with food, it also made me gain quite a number of pounds on my body.

That was when I realized that curating interesting food had not only become my strength but was gradually turning into my weakness. I had over the years, started overindulging in my passion for creating and enjoying new food, particularly on weekends.

Starting Friday, my home kitchen would turn into a high-class restaurant kitchen churning out one delicacy after another, subsequently, adding layers after layers on my waistline.

While I tried to figure out why it was happening, I realized that it had a lot to do how the rest of my week went. If I had a stressful or an overly hard week, my urge to eat fancy food laced with fats (I always wonder why the tastiest things are always fattening!) spiked.

If I had been too strict with myself during the weekdays, I observed a heightened desire to indulge in sweets and savouries of all kinds on the weekends. That was when I decided to retrospect and here is what I could figure out!

5 Ways to Steer Clear of Weekend Bingeing

1. Bingeing on weekends depends on your weekdays

If you have forcefully fed yourself with bland and flavourless food through the week, you are most likely to binge on weekends. In such situations, weekends seem like a parole when you are “allowed” to do whatever you feel like – for a limited time!

What you need to do to fix this is to prepare a healthy version of your favourite foods and enjoy them through the week. Weekends will then not seem like “reward” days for the fact that you have been able to make through the week and boring food! Instead, gorge on limited portions of your favourite grub through the week and enjoy life! A controlled portion is the first key to avoid weekend bingeing.

2. Prepare meals in advance

While I agree that preparing weekend meals in advance may seem like an impractical idea, let me tell you it works wonders and I will tell you why! Most times, we (particularly I) end up eating unhealthy stuff is when I am not prepared while hunger strikes.

When hunger calls, we tend to grab whatever falls in sight and there you go – weekend bingeing starts! Planning ahead allows you to munch on something healthy yet tasty when you are hungry. Keeping healthy snacks handy is also a great way to steer clear of unhealthy stuff. It seems hard in the beginning, but once you make it a part of your routine, it becomes your routine!

3. Fit work out in your weekend

Though it is quite understandable that weekend is the perfect opportunity to chill and complete your errands, which may leave you with no or little time to exercise, make time to work out – even if it means working out for half an hour. Push yourself, involve your spouse, kids, friends, family and make it happen.

Even if your kid has an exam to take the following Monday and as a devout parent, taking out time for yourself seems like a crime, commit that crime. You owe it to yourself! You will get good feelings through endorphins that come from exercise and with time, you will realize that exercising motivates you to opt for healthier foods.

4. Make workouts interesting

Weekends are a perfect opportunity to turn exercise into an interesting activity you can involve your close ones into.

There are so many thing you can do – go swimming, go hiking, play a football/badminton/cricket match with your spouse, kids or friends. Take up a dance class, there is nothing more satisfying than burning calories while dancing to your favourite tunes.

5. Drinking water is a smart way to lose weight

Feeling a rumble in your stomach every few minutes – even after eating? Time to drink water. We often confuse thirst with hunger and game over! If you feel hungry at an odd time, drink 1-2 glasses of water. You may just start feeling full! This is one of the foolproof ways to avoid bingeing.

So the crux of the matter is that if you want to avoid weekend bingeing and those unwanted layers in your waistline, follow these tips, enjoy your food and enjoy your life!

Mind the week. Do not deprive yourself of good food.

Take hold of the portions for that is the key to success.

Take out time for your weekend workout – however busy you may be!

Make exercise interesting.

Plan and prep your weekend meals.

Drink water generously. You will cut down on unhealthy bingeing automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques. How can I stop overeating?

Ans. There are a number of ways that help you curb your habit of overeating. For instance, focusing on food while eating, staying away from distractions while having your meals, drinking water at regular intervals, having a protein and fiber rich diet, not over restricting yourself from gorging on your favourite foods, avoiding eating straight from containers, reducing stress, etc.

Ques. What does binge mean?

Ans. The term “binge” literally means to engage excessively in an activity, particularly related to eating and drinking – basically mindless eating!

Ques. Why do I binge?

Ans. There are various why you may be bingeing. You may be suffering from an eating disorder, you may have starved yourself in the name of dieting, you may be suffering from depression or just plain boredom or you may be suffering from stress and anxiety. If you experience a one off case of binge eating, you can let it pass but do see a doctor if it becomes a recurrent practice.

We at Truweight aim at motivating and helping you lead a healthy lifestyle.

For more insight to nutritious foods and health, talk to our expert Truweight Nutritionist today. The first consultation is on us. Click here to avail!

Also, leave your comments below to let us know how you liked the article. Until then, happy living!

The post How To Avoid Weekend Bingeing Or Overeating To Avoid Unwanted Weight Gain appeared first on Truweight Blog.

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am10world · 6 years

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Why One Busy Mom Made Time for Fitness

BY EMILY BEERS

September 5th, 2018

Julie Valdez had a bad case of “mom guilt.”

“You know, the guilt moms feel that they aren’t doing enough,” she said. “I had all this guilt that I wasn’t doing enough to balance all my kids’ needs.”

Valdez, 32, is mother to two sets of twins: Aiden and Isaiah, 4, and Augustine and Isabella, 2.

“The biggest challenge is that they all have different needs, and one of my sons is autistic and has a sensory disorder as well, so it’s a balancing act to make sure they all get what they need from me,” she said.

“Mom guilt” kept Valdez from taking care of herself. A perceived lack of time and energy meant she didn’t prioritize her nutrition, and she let her fitness slide. As a result, by the time Augustine and Isabella were born in 2016, she had reached 210 lb. at 5 foot 4.

“I wasn’t organized to plan meals ahead of time, so when I was hungry I’d just grab whatever was there, like my kids’ fruit snacks, or I’d eat out,” she said. “Especially after my second set of twins were born. I went into survival mode, so eating out was my go-to.”

She felt unhealthy and lethargic and suffered from postpartum depression. In July 2016, when her youngest twins were 6 months old, Valdez hit rock bottom.

“I went on a family vacation to Florida. … I saw a picture of myself after the vacation and hardly recognized who I was,” she said.

She knew it was time to make a change—not just for her own sake, but also for her children. So she went to the doctor, who told Valdez she was obese.

After the appointment, Valdez sat in her car and cried.

“I realized I wasn’t taking care of myself, and I wasn’t happy with my own health and the way I looked. … I knew if I didn’t do anything about it, my health would continue to deteriorate and I would just get heavier,” she said.

Before CrossFit, Julie Valdez weighed 210 lb. at 5 foot 4 and suffered from back pain, fatigue and postpartum depression.

After losing 80 lb. with CrossFit and good nutrition, Valdez no longer has back pain and enjoys chasing after her four young children. (Both: Courtesy of Julie Valdez)

Valdez immediately turned to CrossFit 630 in Naperville, Illinois, for help. She began working out four days a week and eating whole, unprocessed foods.

Planning and preparing meals in advance was the key to staying on track, Valdez said.

“I figure out every Sunday what I’m going to make for dinner for the whole week,” she said. “As long as I have a plan and I don't have to think about what I’m going to make, it’s easy to stay on track. It makes it so much easier knowing I have everything I need for each meal.”

Because her husband works late hours and travels for work during the week, Valdez is the primary cook. To entice her picky children to eat healthy foods, she has discovered she needs to be creative and cook with variety. This means finding new ways to sneak vegetables into meals and using healthier ingredients such as coconut or almond flour when she wants to bake a treat for her children.

“I have learned throughout this journey that eating healthy doesn’t have to be eating a salad every day or having the same meal every day,” she said. “I have practically learned how to cook all over again.”

Though Valdez said she now enjoys cooking, like any mother, she also appreciates help—so she finds jobs her kids can do to help prepare meals.

“Not only are they learning a life skill, they are learning how to make those healthy choices to nurture their bodies,” she said.

Once Valdez embraced a diet of mostly meats and vegetables, her weight began to drop.

“After a pregnancy, it can be hard for any woman to lose that stubborn weight your body seems to want to hang on to, but once I cut out dairy—and then grains and sugar—I started leaning out a lot,” she said.

Today, Valdez weighs 130 lb., 80 lb. lighter than her heaviest weight. Her mental health has also improved, which she attributes to attending the 5:30-a.m. class at CrossFit 630 four to five days per week.

Prioritizing her daily workout helped Valdez fight postpartum depression and fatigue. (Courtesy of Nate Steele)

“I knew if I was going to stick to a gym routine, my only chance to get there would be 5:30 a.m.,” she said.

At that time, her husband is still home and her children are usually still asleep, so it’s a rare opportunity for Valdez to escape and do something for herself.

“After my second set of twins, I suffered from postpartum depression,” she said. “I was always tired, didn’t have energy, didn’t want to go out. In a way, I felt stuck doing the same daily tasks. Mentally that can be very hard, especially as a stay-at-home mother.”

Taking just one hour a day to work out with her friends helped pull her out of that mental rut, she said, while her improved fitness enhanced her quality of life.

“It’s crazy how just by holding on to extra weight, it really does affect doing the simplest things in your daily life,” said Valdez, whose back used to hurt when she walked upstairs.

“Now I can run up and down the stairs without feeling like I ran a marathon, or I can run around with my kids while still having the energy to go to CrossFit. It's pretty amazing what our bodies can do once we take care of ourselves,” she added.

Losing weight also gave her more confidence.

“I used to live in my little box, and I was always nervous all the time. CrossFit has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone, and that has really built my confidence to do things with my kids,” she said. “I used to always stay covered up at the beach because I wasn’t happy with myself, for example. Now I’m more confident as a parent and just a person.”

Valdez’s coach, Nate Steele, says he uses her transformation story as an example to other clients, who give excuses for why they aren’t prioritizing their health and fitness.

“You can’t have a better real-life rebuttal to those people who tell you, ‘I just don’t have the time,’ than Julie. She’s the absolute example that recognizes the importance of doing whatever it takes to concentrate on health. … Two sets of twins all under the age of 4—one with special needs—won’t deter her from spending that hour at the gym,” he said.

Steele added: “We talk a lot about building healthy habits and that once those habits become part of the routine, they really are part of you. Julie has made improving herself a priority and (has) built the habits needed to see that her goals come true.”

Valdez has learned that in order to take good care of her children, she must first take good care of herself. (Courtesy of Julie Valdez)

In addition to better health, CrossFit has given Valdez a new outlook on parenthood.

“CrossFit has made raising four kids easier by giving me the extra push I needed, as well as giving me an outlet for those stressful days,” Valdez said.

She added: “People always make comments like, ‘Oh, good luck to you. You must have your hands full.’ … But you know what? It’s so much fun. I have silly kids who like to make me laugh, and I just think how lucky I am to have four little ones who like to give me kisses at the end of the day.”

Valdez no longer suffers from “mom guilt,” and she hopes other mothers will learn from her story and lose the guilt, too.

“It’s not selfish to go to the gym and work out,” she said. “A lot of moms think, ‘Oh, but I could be doing laundry at 5:30 a.m. or cleaning up the house. That’s more important than the gym.’ But it’s not. You have to take care of your own needs.”

She added: “Especially if you have a family to take care of. You have to take care of yourself first so you can take care of them.”

About the Author: Emily Beers is a CrossFit Journal contributor and coach at CrossFit Vancouver. She finished 37th at the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Cover image: Courtesy of Julie Valdez

#crossfitrfdt #crossfit #Crossfitters #pensacola #florida #fitness #fitfam #gulfcoastfitness #pensacolafitness #fit #healthy #healthandwellness #fitmoms

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fitono · 7 years

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In Defense of Counting Calories

We’ve all seen the headlines: Counting calories isn’t the key to weight loss. All you have to do is eat better. Or shift your mindset. Or establish better habits. Or whatever is popular by the time you read this.

For me, this argument is more personal than most fitness-industry food fights. If calorie counting didn’t work, I’d still be overweight. I lost 40 pounds in three months, and contrary to everything you’ve heard about long-term sustainability, I’ve kept the weight off.

I don’t say this to make an n=1 argument in favor of something that works for me, and has worked for my clients, and for other trainers and their clients as well—especially when the consensus is that someone trying to lose weight should focus on anything but counting calories.

So let’s start with a premise most of us can agree on: Weight loss isn’t a binary choice. You can help your client eat better, shift her mindset, establish better habits, and also count calories, if you think it will help.

If you accept the most basic fact of weight management—that calories in and out are all that matters—the logic behind counting is inarguable. “What’s measured can be managed,” says researcher and trainer Eric Helms, PhD.

But, Helms adds, it’s also important to understand when counting calories is unlikely to work. “You have to meet someone where they’re at,” he says. “A lot of people don’t know the difference between protein, fat, and carbs.”

How do you figure out where to begin with a new client? How can you assess what they know and don’t know without forcing them to take a pop quiz?

That’s why I came up with this five-step guide to evaluating and educating your clients. Your goal is to help them get from wherever they are now (most likely Step 1 or 2) to the end of the continuum, or as far as they’re interested in going.

Step 1: Lay the Foundation

“The first thing you feel out is their level of knowledge,” says physique coach Bryan Krahn. “Do they know what a calorie is?”

You can’t expect them to recite the dictionary definition (the amount of energy it takes to increase the temperature of a gram of water by one degree Celsius), but they should understand why calories matter.

Even if they know, you don’t want them to proceed to counting unless they’ve adopted these habits:

Follow a consistent meal schedule

Eat whole or minimally processed foods most of the time

Eat slowly, and stop eating when satisfied, but not stuffed

Read nutrition labels and observe serving sizes and calorie content

Don’t look for perfection, or anything close to it, so much as an understanding that these are all important to long-term weight control.

Meanwhile, as your client works on these habits and behaviors, you’ll want to know what effect they’re having on her weight. Is it going up? Down? Staying the same? For most clients, you’ll recommend regular self-weighing.

If she’s uncomfortable weighing herself, ask if she’s intimidated by the scale itself, or if she just doesn’t like the idea of sharing her weight with you. If it’s the latter, ask her to update you on whether the number is changing, and if so, in which direction.

But if it’s a problem with knowing the number at all, you have a couple of options. You can try girth measurements; she can take them herself if she’s not comfortable with you doing them. Just steer clear of using the mirror as a progress marker. It’s too subjective, and thus too easy for your client to see something that may or may not be there.

Once your client has mastered these skills, and you’ve monitored her progress long enough to know if they’re working for her, it’s time for Step 2.

Step 2: Learn to Count

Now you’ll have your client start to track calories, but without any specific target. Call it calorie counting 101. You want him to try it for at least a couple of weeks, although a month would be better.

The easiest way is to have him use My Fitness Pal to log everything he eats. You can also suggest buying a scale to weigh foods before cooking them, if you think the client is ready for it.

Ask him to be as accurate as possible without stressing over each morsel. Again, the goal isn’t perfection, or to impose a permanent way of life on your client. It’s to develop a skill.

“A lot of trainers view calorie counting as this thing you just do forever, until you’ve hit your goal,” Helms says. Clients will get frustrated and stop counting. When they stop counting, they may stop doing lots of things, like reading food labels and exercising portion control. “Then, invariably, the trainer blames it on them, when it was just an unrealistic expectation in the first place.”

You can preempt that resistance by helping your client gain confidence in his new skills. Find out what foods make him feel happy, energized, and satiated with minimal calories. At the same time, come up with a list of foods he’ll want to avoid, the ones that make him feel worse, or that he can’t have without overindulging. You aren’t trying to demonize foods or food groups, which creates unnecessary anxiety, so much as figure out which ones make it easier or harder to reach his goals.

Two ways to tell if your client has mastered this step:

When he deviates from his routine, he can get right back to it.

When he’s having a meal out, he can estimate the calories based on the portion size and ingredients. (This applies mostly to clients who use a food scale at home.)

A client who masters these skills can skip over the next two steps and go to intuitive eating in Step 5.

However, if the client wants to continue tracking calories, and apply them to a physique or performance goal, take him to Step 3.

Step 3: Set Numerical Goals

This is where a lot of coaches begin with their clients. It might even work, especially if you get a client who understands nutrition basics and is highly motivated.

But if you’re looking for a reason why calorie counting so often fails, here you are. A client who only vaguely understands the information on a nutrition label and has never tried to add it all up isn’t likely to succeed without the introductory steps I just described.

Your challenge here is to come up with a calorie target for your client. You’ll start with an estimation of her energy needs—an easy task if she maintained a steady weight over several weeks of calorie logging in Step 2. Whatever her daily average was, that’s what she needs for energy balance. If she gained or lost a little weight, adjust accordingly.

(Quick and dirty math to estimate a maintenance number: Add up all the calories for the monitoring period. Add 3,500 for each pound lost, or subtract 3,500 for each pound gained. Divide by the number of days you monitored.)

The next task is to create a model of what a day of eating might look like. If the client’s goal is to lose weight, the model should allow for an energy deficit while sticking to foods she likes. (You should have a pretty good idea of what those are by now.) You can also recommend protein targets if you think your client is ready for it.

What you can’t do is prescribe a specific meal plan unless you’re an RD. (Precision Nutrition cofounder John Berardi, PhD, offered a complete rundown of the rules in this PTDC article: Can Personal Trainers Give Diet and Nutrition Advice to Clients?).

Make sure you give your client some day-to-day wiggle room; the last thing you want is for her to strive for some imaginary “perfect” number. “You’re not doing any better by being perfect,” Helms says, for three important reasons:

You can only estimate calorie intake; nutrition labels aren’t accurate enough for anything more.

You don’t know your client’s energy expenditure, and don’t have the technology for more than an educated guess.

It’s not healthy to count every grain of rice “so you hit exactly 346 grams of carbs, as opposed to 340 or 348,” Helms says.

As I said earlier, counting calories and building healthy habits aren’t mutually exclusive. You still need to encourage clients not to eat when they’re not hungry; otherwise, they may be tempted to squeeze in an extra meal at the end of the day because they “have calories left.”

Also encourage the serenity prayer approach to diet strategies: Control what they can, and accept what they can’t. That’s especially true when eating in restaurants and on special occasions. If they have no control over their food choices, the next best thing is to eat slowly and stop when satisfied.

READ ALSO: Five Ways to Help Your Clients Lose Weight

Step 3.5: Take a Break

Let’s say your client has been dieting for several months without a slip-up. But you’re picking up on some warning signs. Maybe the quality of his workouts is starting to decline. Or he tells you he’s having trouble sleeping. Or he seems to be under more stress than usual. Or you notice he’s getting obsessive about food and calories.

This could be a good time to take a time-out. The goal, Helms says, is to “have a break before the break is forced on you.”

For most clients, this can be as simple as asking them to practice eating with their new, healthier habits, but without the “training wheels” of a numerical goal.

For more advanced clients, like physique competitors or athletes with weight-class goals, you could have them increase their daily calories so they’re in energy balance instead of a deficit.

A diet break doesn’t have to be reactive. You can plan for it by looking ahead to a holiday or vacation week, or any other time when the client wouldn’t have much control over her diet to begin with. By making that break part of the program, you can have it both ways: The client gets a week without the stress of tracking everything she eats, but she also gets the sense of control that comes from sticking to the plan.

She’ll feel better about herself, and also find it easier to get back to the diet the next week.

Step 4: Find a Balance

A weight-loss plan is only as good as your client’s ability to keep the weight off. If you don’t take steps to help your client get comfortable at her new weight, and to manage the residual hunger that follows a successful diet, the weight will come back.

Your first move is to increase daily calories to a maintenance level for the new weight. Have her weigh herself regularly, but with the understanding that a slight bump in scale weight is normal and expected. (In addition to having more food in her intestines, she’ll probably eat more carbs, which will increase glycogen in the muscles and liver, which will in turn increase water weight.)

If her weight stabilizes after two weeks, you’ve probably found the right energy intake for maintenance.

In my experience, this is typically a hard time for clients. They’ve achieved a short-term weight-loss goal, but they’re probably tired of counting calories and other parts of the process, and they’re especially tired of feeling hungry.

And yet, somehow, you have to convince that client to maintain a regular meal schedule and trust her hunger signals. Ideally, she’ll get hungry before a meal, feel satisfied after eating (but without stuffing herself), and not think constantly about food between meals.

That’s when you know it’s time to move on to Step 5.

Step 5: Eat Intuitively

It’s a great feeling not to count calories. But it’s also scary. There’s a relatively narrow path to weight maintenance, and so many potential detours and dead ends along the way. “It’s leaving a highly precise structure to kind of the unknown,” Krahn says.

Or, as Helms says, it’s like going from laps in a pool to free-ocean swimming.

“You’re going to screw this up, and invariably gain some weight back,” Krahn adds. “But if you have that skill of counting calories, you can always go back to it, and things will correct very quickly.”

That said, the goal is for your client to keep that skill in reserve, and to succeed with the non-counting skills and habits he’s developed along the way. A big part of it, Krahn says, is following his own rules, whatever they happen to be. That means the same number of meals each day, at about the same times. Going to bed and waking up on a consistent schedule. Drinking about the same amount of water. And, of course, continuing the training program you’ve set up while staying active outside the gym.

Another Way to Look at It

Can calorie counting be a pain? Absolutely. Is it the only way to coach clients? Far from it.

But when you follow these five steps, counting calories can be the most efficient and effective way to help clients lose weight.

Done properly, it can also be the most efficient and effective way to ensure your clients never have to count calories again.

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