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Elizabeth Pattalis Nutritionist

SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS & INTUITIVE EATING NUTRITIONIST

Basic Nutrition – Protein 101

February 27, 2020 By elizp Leave a Comment

Protein’s primary function is building, maintaining and repairing muscle. It is however involved in other processes such as immunity, hormone production and it’s needed to make brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin. We often forget, but protein is at the start of the chain when it comes to making brain neurotransmitters, so with mental illness on the rise, don’t forget it starts with the protein you eat.

Protein is one of the three macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein). It’s made up of 20 types of amino acids that bind together in various ways to create different kinds of protein.

The body can make 11 of the 20 amino acids. But for you to function optimally, you need to get the other nine amino acids from food (each amino acid has different functions).

Depending on what amino acids are in each protein, they can be considered complete or incomplete. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids. In contrast, incomplete proteins do not.

As a general rule – complete proteins come from an animal source with the exceptions of a few plant-based sources such as quinoa, buckwheat, soy, hemp and chia seeds.

Types of Protein:

Complete Proteins:

•   Animal protein: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy.

•   Plant proteins: tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame, quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seeds, chia seeds.

Incomplete Proteins:

•   Plant proteins: beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains (oats, rice, wheat, bulgur.)

Knowing some foods are complete or incomplete proteins is important as it helps understand why variety in the diet is important. Otherwise, you can end up in a deficiency in amino acids if you were to keep eating the same incomplete ones on repeat.

When planning a meal,  aim for about ¼ of your plate to be a protein source. 

If you were following a recipe on a meal plan that I have designed and it said use tuna, you could substitute with another protein from the above list such as eggs. 

Protein tends to help you feel fuller for longer as it takes more energy to digest in comparison to carbs. For this reason, it is useful if you are trying to lose weight to make it a priority to include protein at each meal.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

Guidelines suggest between 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams per kilo of body weight (1).

To calculate quickly, if you weighed 50 kg, then you need about 50 grams of protein.

Generally, people don’t have a problem ensuring they are eating enough protein unless they are on a muscle-building program. In this case, you are ramping up the protein to about 1.8 grams to 2 grams per kilo of body weight.

Example, if you weighed 100kg, and you wanted to put on muscle, you are then aiming at 200 grams of protein. An egg has 6 grams of protein in it. Therefore you can see the challenge. Now, imagine you are vegan, ½ a cup of beans if about 6 grams of protein and your choices are going to be limited when consuming protein. I encourage eating real foods first, but protein powders do have their places, in particular, where you have a goal to meet with muscle building.

Protein Content Of Common Foods:

Content of protein, in grams (2):

  • ½ cup edamame beans: 8
  • 1 egg: 6
  • ½ cup lentils: 9
  • ½ cup cannellini beans: 8
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter: 7
  • ¼ cup nuts: 4 to 6
  • ½ cup bran: 6
  • 100g cod: 21
  • 100g can salmon: 20
  • 120g sirlon cooked: 24
  • 100g chicken cooked: 28
  • 100g tempeh: 19
  • 200g natural low fat yogurt: 5
  • 1 cup milk: 10

For most of us who just want to be healthy, you don’t need to count your protein each day. Keep it simple: ¼ of your plate protein and rotate the type of proteins you are using.

For more information on the amino acid Lysine, read the post here. Lysine is typically one of the amino acids often deficient in vegan and vegetarian diets.

If you would like a personalised meal plan to ensure it meets your nutritional requirements, orders can be made here.

Filed Under: Digestion, Fat Loss, Food & Nutrients, Uncategorized

Moody? Short Fuse? Can’t Tolerate Stress? Is It Pyrroles?

November 27, 2019 By elizp 2 Comments

pyrroles

Have you always known you can’t handle stress very well? Or maybe you tend to be a ticking time bomb, when you get mad, geez don’t people know it!

Sometimes this type of behaviour can be diagnosed as anxiety or maybe bipolar. However, it may be a condition that has been gone undiagnosed.

This condition is called pyrrole disorder. It’s usually when something stressful happens in a person’s life that symptoms start to appear.

When a person with pyrroles is stressed, the body will overproduce pyrroles or hydroxyhaemopyrrolin-2-one (HPL). HPL binds to several nutrients, making them unavailable for use by the body. These three nutrients are vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc. Copper levels tend to be high as well when suffering pyrroles.

Vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc are all required for the production of GABA, which is the calming neurotransmitter in the brain. Therefore if you have pyrroles, you possibly it hard to wind down, feel you suffer mood instability, or have anxiety or depression. It is low zinc that puts you at risk of high copper levels. Cooper overload causes the opposite of calm; it can be what makes a person appear to be having a tantrum.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pyrroles?

  • Poor stress tolerance
  • Apathy, low mood
  • Sensitivity to lights, odours and sounds
  • Highly irritable
  • Short temper
  • Mood swings
  • Inner tension
  • Poor mental focus
  • Pain in the spleen area (stitch feeling in the side)
  • White spots on fingernails
  • Morning nausea
  • Little morning appetite
  • Poor dream recall
  • Skin complaints (dry, dermatitis, keratosis pillaris)
  • IBS

Conditions Associated With Pyrroles

  • ADD
  • ADHD
  • Bipolar
  • Aggression
  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Gut Imbalances – without sufficient stomach acids or with SIBO, absorption of nutrients may be poor. You need B6 and Zinc for adequate stomach acids.
  • Adrenal Disorders – the inability to handle stress fatigues the body
  • Liver and Gallbladder Issues – bile flow is affected with low HCL

In addition, 60% of mental health patients have a methylation disorder (MTHFR & Genes – See previous post on methylation – you may want to have a DNA test)

Managing Pyrroles

Combined with a holistic nutritional approach, correct diagnosis of pyrrole disorder is critical to successful management of the condition. Long term supplementation of both B6 and zinc is likely necessary for ongoing suppression of HPL and to eliminate symptoms.

Symptoms usually improve quickly, within three months.

In assessing if you have pyrrole disorder, a thorough case history is necessary. If pyrrole condition is deemed likely, there is a urine test that tests for levels of pyrroles (1). Measurements of HPL at regular intervals help to determine maintenance dosages of nutrients.

What Can You Do Today

Food is the building blocks of your neurotransmitters, start here. Eating a diet rich in quality protein and healthy fat provides the body with the necessary building blocks. You require amino acids (broken down from protein) for synthesis of brain neurotransmitters and essential fatty acids for healthy cell membranes, which is necessary for healthy nerve function.

In addition to addressing the foundations by getting your diet in check, get in touch for a consultation. Pyrrole disorder is one part of the problem. It can be treated rather fast, however, there usually are other factors involved as explained above. Better to address each part for best results rather than a band-aid fix. Some additional test may be considered with the pyrrole urine test such as DNA testing, organic acids test, blood test and heavy metal testing.

Bookings can be made online both in in-clinic and online Australia wide.

Filed Under: Adrenals & Thyroid, Mental Health

On A Vegan Diet? Eat These Lysine Rich Foods

October 1, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

Lysine Rich Foods

 

On a vegan diet (or any diet), it isn’t just enough to reach your protein requirements, but it is also essential you are eating enough of each of the different amino acids.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 amino acids, 11 of which the body can make through the food eaten. The remainder 9 amino acids must consumed via the diet. These 9 amino acids are called Essential Amino Acids.

Lysine is one of those essential amino acids and it is one that is hardest to get through a plant based diet. It is important to ensure you are eating enough, a deficiency may not be notable right away, but in time it can lead to health problems.

Remember a person can meet their protein requirements, but not meet their amino acid requirements. Eg, a person could meet their protein requirements eating ten cups of brown rice. However, they would not reach their lysine amino acid requirements. Brown rice is not high in lysine.

Why Is Lysine Important?

  • Plays a role in the formation of collagen, a substance important for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendons, and cartilage.
  • It helps the body produce carnitine, which is important for using fat for energy.
  • It helps your body to absorb calcium, zinc and iron.

Deficiences can include fatigue, dizziness, muscle depletion, agitation, lack of concentration, red eyes and osteoporosis.

How much Lysine Do We Need?

An adult needs approximately 38 mg of lysine per 1 kg of body weight. 

Below are some lysine rich foods:

Tempeh:

  • Tempeh is a fermented soy product made from soybeans. It is good for your digestive tract due to the fermentation. It has a nutty taste and can be used in stir fries and salads.
  • 100 grams of tempeh provides about 18.2 grams of protein and 800 mg of lysine (1).

Lentils:

  • Lentils are the quickest legume to cook from dry making them convenient. Add them to curries, soups and stews.
  • 100 grams or 1/2 cup of cooked lentils provides about 7.3 grams protein and 530 mg lysine (2).

Chickpeas:

  • Chickpeas are another versatile legume. They can be used in curries, soups, stews, dips and for snacks. 
  • 136 grams of 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas provides about 6 grams of protein and 400 mg lysine (3).

Quinoa:

  • Quinoa contains all essential amino acids. It is the only grain (but technically a seed) that does, making it a complete protein. It can be used in a variety of ways including for breakfast, in stir fries and in salads.
  • 185 grams or 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains about 8.1 grams of protein and 442 grams of lysine (4).

Rolled Oats:

  • Oats are cheap and easy making them a vegan food staple.
  • 45 grams or 1/2 cup uncooked oats contains about 5.6 grams of protein and 242 mg of lysine (5).

Pumpkin Seeds:

  • Pumpkin seeds are another vegan must. Whilst being a fantastic protein source they are also high in zinc and iron. Pumpkin seeds can be added to smoothies, salads and porridge.
  • 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds contains about 8 grams of protein and 360 mg of lysine (6).

Soy Milk:

  • Soy milk has slighty nutty taste, it works well with coffee, smoothies and baked goods. It’s often fortified as well with calcium.
  • 1 cup of soy milk is about 7.9 grams of protein and 320 mg of lysine (7).

Pea Protein Powder:

  • Real foods are always better than powders. However, sometimes convenience trumps. Pea protein can be added to smoothies, oats and baked goods.
  • 1 serve is approximately 20 grams of protein and 1600 mg of lysine.

In Summary

It is easy enough to meet your lysine requirements once you understand what foods are better.  Understanding the basics and learning a few easy tips will make putting meals together much easier. 

  • Eat enough calories each day. If you are not eating enough over a day, you’re not going to meet your nutrient targets whether that is protein, or anything else.
  • Consume a variety of foods and include two serves of legumes each day.

Elizabeth is a vegan herself, since 2013. Therefore she lives and breathes plant food. For a consultation to ensure you are doing the right thing for your health, you can book directly online, alternatively contact Elizabeth directly.

Filed Under: Food & Nutrients, Vegan Health

The Body’s Natural Cycle – The Moon & Menstrual Cycle

August 20, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

menstrual cycle lunar phases
 
A women’s menstrual cycle is about the same length as a lunar cycle, around 28 – 29 days. In being in sync with the moon, the light of the full moon triggers ovulation and women would bleed at a new moon.
 
However in the western world today, we have somewhat lost our connection as women to both nature and the moon. We live in a man’s world.
 
Traditionally in many cultures, the moon holds sacred significance to the goddess and the female. Going back into time people lived in the open, amongst the trees, the stars, and the ocean. Today’s culture has become detached from this natural way of living, it has become very much artificial and at a cost to our health.

 

Menstrual Cycle

A woman’s cycle can be thoughts of as two phases:
  • The follicular phase – day 1 (first day of bleeding) to day 14 (ovulation).
  • The luteal phase – day 15 to day 28 (until next bleed).
If we track a woman’s mood, it can be further broken down, into four phases. If we work with these four phases, we can move with the cycles of the moon.
 

Moving With The Moon Phases

  • Phase 1 – dark moon or no moon – menstrual phase:
    • With no moon and the shedding of the uterus, ie, the bleeding, energy is low. It is natural to want to retreat and stay indoors. It represents winter. The body wants more sleep at this time.
    • This is the time to reflect, to go within. Reflect on the last month and let go of what isn’t serving you.
    • It is about physically cleansing, bleeding, and purging emotionally.
    • To honor this time, spend time alone, don’t plan any events to fall at this time, rest. You may ask your partner to take care of some of the chores, and de-load your workload at this time.
  • Phase 2 – waxing moon – pre-ovulation phase:
    • This is after menstruation has finished and is the lead up to ovulation, spring.  Energy is building up as hormones are rising.
    • The focus now is outward, you are driven, productive and focused.
    • This time is a good period to get onto any challenging work, the ‘big tasks’.
    • With exercise, you may want to go a bit harder, aim for the personal bests at this time.
  • Phase 3 – full moon – ovulation:
    • This is when a woman is fertile. With the full moon, it is summer, energy is high, and it is bright.
    • Energy is still outward but there are more nurturing elements. The time to do any big cleans may be now.
    • This time is about connecting to others, developing relationships and nurturing current relationships. It’s a great time to make a date, or treat yourself to something indulgent like a massage.
  • Phase 4 – waning moon – premenstrual phase:
    • This is when physical and emotional energy starts to decline, the autumn. Energy starts to shift inwards again as the moonlight becomes dark and empty.
    • Creativity can be higher as well as intuition. Perhaps if you have been sitting on the fence on something, now is the time to tune into what you need to do.
    • This is the time for less logical work and more creativity. It’s a time for self-care, to relax, let emotions calm, read a book and have a long bath.
    • With exercise, you may want to opt for gentle yoga practices and leave the high-intensity training to the led up to ovulation.
If you start to become aware of the phases, you can work with it rather than against it. There are positives to every phase.
 
Being in sync with nature is healing to both the body and mind. It is hard today as we do live in a world where a woman is on the go every day. Life seems to support a man in many ways. But it isn’t to say it isn’t possible to make it work for you. Tell your partner what the phases are so then he won’t go planning his boys night on day 1 and expect you to prepare the food. If you have a personal trainer, tell them too, they can plan your harder sessions at ovulation and de-load you at menstruation or the lead-up. If you are doing a diet where you need to take a break, to break a plateau, then have that break at phase 4 when willpower is lowest.
 
If you are having difficulties with a regular cycle and not sure where to start, you may find this article useful on seed cycling. It can help restore a cycle. Alternatively please get in touch for a consultation. 
 
Trust the body’s wisdom. It knows everything you need to know.

 

Filed Under: Body Kindness, Digestion, Exercise & Fitness, Fat Loss, Food & Nutrients, Gratitude & Inspiration, Hormonal Health, Mental Health, Relationships

The Best Way To Detox – A Nutritionists Approach

August 17, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

Needing to detox is a thing!
 
Sometimes people can have negative connotations with the idea of a detox diet.
 
But it’s not all nonsense. Studies have revealed that exposure to and accumulation of toxins play a significant role in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. In addition one’s dietary intake and environmental influences may have large bearing on the incidence of chronic disease. Therefore it would make sense that a protocol to reduce toxins whilst using food and supplements are used to enhance detoxification in the body (1).
 
However, just like other systems in the body, it sometimes needs some extra love and care.
 
Factors like genetics, chronic stress, unhealthy habits, certain health conditions physical inactivity and a diet high in refined sugars or processed foods contribute to increased production of toxins within the body and a poorer clearance of toxins.
 
Toxins come from everywhere. The body produces them like lactic acid and wastes are made by gut microbes. There are the toxins we ingest such as medication, pesticides, mercury in fish, alcohol or air pollution. Regardless, whatever the toxin, it needs to be processed or a person will get sick.
 
A poor detox program is one that is difficult to implement, low calories, few nutrients and teaches a person nothing. But they are not all like that.

What is a good detox program?

  • It recommends removing highly processed foods and foods which are more likely to cause negative reactions in the body such as dairy, gluten and red meat.
  • It encourages eating foods that help the organs involved in detoxification such as broccoli and cabbage for the liver, or fibre foods for the bowels.
  • It will help reduce the likelihood of a leaky gut and improve the gut microbiome.
  • It will further encourage the eating of foods that are high in antioxidants. This helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
  • It may recommend specific nutrients known to boost liver or kidney function.
  • It will go beyond diet and address lifestyle. Lifestyle choices can support detoxification, the most obvious being exercise or they can hinder it such as poor sleep habits.
  • It will teach the person how to avoid and minimise toxins. For example, in reducing your toxic exposure you would want to be avoiding Teflon nonstick pans and instead opt for stainless steel or glass.

A good program isn’t a program that is focused on deprivation, it is about adding to your health in conjunction with educating.

Elizabeth’s 6-week detox program involves all of the above. It identifies the foods to avoid, and the foods to eat more of. It is simple but effective in enhancing detoxification within the body. It is a health reset.
Best of all, unlike other detox diets, this kind of cleanse won’t drain your energy levels or leave you feeling worn down. Instead, it offers a boost of energy and vitality, restored motivation and an overall improvement in wellbeing.
 
This program is for the person interested in health care, not a quick fix ‘depriving diet’, for an overnight change in body weight.
 
Get access to this online 6-week detox program today.
 
This is the ultimate health reset, it’s your body’s vacation time to restore. It is 6 weeks – enough time to create new healthy habits and give your body the care it needs for increased vitality.
Online Detox
 

Filed Under: Detox & Toxins, Fat Loss, Food & Nutrients, Hormonal Health

Why Detox – And How To Do It

August 12, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

why detox - beetroot

Research over the last several decades indicates that the pathology of almost all age-related or chronic diseases is caused by multifactorial elements such as diet, exposure to environmental agents (toxins), and genetic risks. The data suggests that nutrition, as well as lifestyle changes, can modify the pathologies of chronic diseases including those associated with toxic build-up (1).

Toxins come from everywhere – air pollution, plastic packaging, canned goods, pesticides, in our food supply such as mercury in fish, cosmetics, medications, toys, flame retardants, and the list goes on. Some people would argue that levels of individual toxins found in our food and environment are not significant enough to cause harm. Evidence is suggesting otherwise, low doses of toxicity are a concern as are compounded effects of multiple exposures which is the greatest concern.

Toxins like to be stored in fat cells. A person who is overweight potentially will carry high loads of toxins. The body in an attempt to rid of them becomes depleted in antioxidants and this is a contribution to inflammatory states (cardiovascular disease, IBS, arthritic conditions, mental health disorders, etc).

The toxins disrupt the bodies endocrine function i.e. hormone function. They can mimic naturally occurring hormones in the body like estrogen’s, androgens and thyroid hormones. The body ultimately suffers from altered metabolism and hormone imbalances (2).

It isn’t just the liver and kidneys that assist in detoxification. The gut is a major player as well. It is estimated about 25% of detoxification processes are within the gut. A lot of the toxins that enter the body comes from food and if a person has a “leaky gut”, ” these toxins aren’t being detoxified in the gut. Instead, they are entering the body’s bloodstream and potentially produce unwanted symptoms.

Furthermore, if a person has too many of the undesirable microbes in the gut, they will also produce more toxins. Healing the gut, therefore is important, maintaining the integrity of the gut lining and ensuring there is the right balance of good and bad gut bacteria.

If wastes build up in the body, a person gets sick. Toxicity is linked to almost every disease thus it is imperative detoxification is working well.

The key to detox can be summarised into three areas:

  1. Enhance the body’s capacity to detoxify.
  2. Get rid of the wastes effectively
  3. Reduce exposure to toxins.

In enhancing the body’s detox capacity, nutritional intervention has been shown to result in demonstrable improvements in health by lowering the toxicant burden of people (3).

Following some guidelines, a person can improve their bodies detoxification capabilities to help eliminate toxins, wastes and reduce inflammation.

Fantastic foods for detoxification include:

  • Brussel sprouts: Brussel sprouts contain good fibre to promote elimination and they boost liver detoxification increasing enzyme activity (4).
  • Beetroot: Beetroot contains an array for vitamins and minerals for enhanced detoxification. It boosts the key enzyme in the liver and reduces cell damage (5)
  • Chia seeds: Chia seeds are loaded in fibre allowing wastes to be excreted from the body easier. They also are high in antioxidants helping protect the liver.
  • Nuts: Nuts are a nutritionally dense food with an array of nutrients. Particularly rich in antioxidants and fibre they help fight free radicals and keep you regular (6)
  • Green tea: Green tea has numerous demonstrated health effects, including antioxidant functions and enhancement of the detoxification liver enzymes (7)

Eating in a way that supports your body’s detoxification pathways every day is the best way to ensure optimal health. However, no one is perfect all the time. Modern-day life also makes it difficult, toxins cannot be avoided completely. Genetics is another issue. If a person has gene variations in the ones relating to detoxification, they need to be more careful than others.

If you feel you need extra detox support check out Elizabeth’s Detox 6 Week Program,

it is your health reset, the foundation to better health. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to read more on detoxification read the post here. on the signs of poor liver detoxification. 

Filed Under: Detox & Toxins, Digestion, Fat Loss, Food & Nutrients, Hormonal Health, Mental Health

7 Signs You Need To Detox

August 1, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

 
 
Do you consider yourself healthy but experience moodiness, dull skin, constant tiredness, brain fog, body pains, bloating and/or maybe headaches? These types of ailments are common enough and considered ‘normal’ even, so we don’t tend to make a trip to the doctor about it. An all too often remark is ‘it’s called getting old’. But it can have nothing to do with age.
 
The good news is you don’t have to live with it. Wouldn’t it be better to be vibrant and have clarity of mind?
They all may be symptoms of too many toxins in your body. Let’s dig deeper into some of the signs and symptoms of a body that is experiencing too many toxins.

 

Stubborn body fat.

Plastics contain what are called xenoestrogens. These mimic real estrogens and unfortunately, this means fat for the body as we can start to have ‘estrogen dominance’. The detoxification pathways excrete our hormones but if the body is overworked or not functioning optimally (poor diet, alcohol, genes, stress, medication, etc), then we may end up with a build-up of estrogen and a build-up of toxins. Another key point to remember is that toxins love fat. The toxins prefer to accumulate in the fat cells rather than the bloodstream. Therefore it only makes sense the body may hang onto your excess fat because to lose it, would mean the toxins then get released into the body. It serves as a protective mechanism as well.

Fatigue and lack of focus.

If you can’t get out of bed in the morning and feeling ‘foggy’ this is a classic symptom of toxicity. Your body is exhausted from the toxic overload, probably in body and also in mind.

Toxins increase inflammation and our brains get inflamed too, “leaky brain syndrome”. In addition to brain fog, lack of concentration it can impact our moods. Sometimes conditions such as depression and anxiety are due to brain inflammation.

You smell.

A nutritionist will always ask what is going on in the mouth. Bad breath and unusual patterns on the tongue can be strong indicators of toxic overload. Undesirable bacteria in the gut produce toxins and gas. The gas has to go somewhere, that may be in the form of bad breath. It’s worth remember kidneys are one of the organs that participate in detoxification. If the kidneys aren’t working well enough the breathe may smell like sulfur or you may smell an ammonia scent in your sweat or urine. 

Constipation.

The bowels get rid of a lot of toxins every day of our lives. When we’re constipated, we’re storing up all those toxins, allowing them to negatively affect our bodies. Bowel movements should be happening every day, any less and you’re building up toxins and may have further gut issues as well such as bloating, and wind.

Muscle aches and pains.

If you are constantly sore, stiff, and achy for no real reason, it’s a big red flag for inflammation. The toxins in your life are working away at your muscles and joints. Headaches can present themselves as well.

Skin reactions.

The skin plays a role in detoxification. It is one of the ways toxins can leave the body by sweat. Acne, rashes, and other skin problems may signal a toxic overload.

Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack.

Hormones are made in the body and they are also eliminated by the body. PMS, heavy periods, hot flushes, migraines, anxiety, blood sugar problems, stomach fat, and infertility, are all conditions associated with hormone imbalance issues. When we have a hormonal issue we need to ask ourselves why? If your detoxifications pathways aren’t working as well as they should for whatever reason your hormones aren’t going to play nice.
Maintaining a clean diet isn’t always enough. Toxic overload can happen to us all and is.
 
Detoxification can be a simple process. If you answered yes to any of these points you need to up your detox game. Instead of doing some crash detox, try a detox that is more sustainable and make your lifestyle cleansing.
 
For some detoxification tips on what food to eat please check out this post here.
 

Filed Under: Detox & Toxins, Digestion, Fat Loss, Hormonal Health

How To Create Effortless Healthy Habits

July 20, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

 
A lot of our daily actions are automatic. Your brain likes autopilot. It requires less energy. For better or for worse, our habits shape us.
 
The more you do an action, the more you strengthen the pathway, “neurons that fire together, wire together”.
 
What are your automatic habits? Some examples could be: taking the same route to work each day, oats for breakfast, brushing your teeth morning and night, going for a walk every day at 6 am, making your bed as soon as I get up. These things require zero debate. There is no willpower involved.You can then apply this further, for example, if I go to the supermarket, I don’t walk down the biscuit aisle. I don’t eat biscuits, I eat healthy fresh food. I don’t decide what take out to eat for lunch, I know because I always pack a lunch box.
Again, there is no decision, it is what one does.
 
Do something enough and you don’t need discipline.
 
To change a habit, a bad one to a better one, it is hard. It requires brain energy. It also requires you to stick with it long enough so that you can strengthen those pathways, your brain will want to go back to what it knows it can do easily.
 
This is why we often fail, it is too hard. But isn’t it easier to do it right now, than to give up and try again later?
 
So, I ask you, what can you do to improve your current situation? What bad habits do you need to get rid of? Then commit to it, make the decision and commit. How do you do that? Replace it with a different better habit. For example, if you drink wine every night, change it to a tea. The second thing is, you need to reward yourself. Positive reinforcement is super important. It releases dopamine in your brain, and when you release dopamine, your brain wants it again. It will start to want tea. Give yourself some guidelines, eg you’ll have wine at most one night per week, and when you achieve that for two weeks you will reward yourself by getting a massage. Don’t neglect the reward part.Have a plan made in advance. Eg, such as packing your lunch before the work day starts. Or if you must buy your lunch, know what you are buying before you get to the food court.

Accountability is also important. Tell people and write down your new goals. Both are important. Reflect on the goals every morning, feed your mind with good thoughts so set yourself up for the day. When it comes to weight loss, how many times have you tried and not gotten anywhere? How about doing it right this time and then you don’t have to keep wasting energy retrying and worrying about food and your weight?
 
Almost all of us think too much. It is tiring. We worry we worry about the fact we over worry. We can’t get out of our heads, it’s no wonder we can sometimes just give in and then binge eat at night mindlessly. Our minds are exhausted.
 
Give your mind a break, a mind vacation. Do things to calm and be present more. Exercise is probably one of the best things for that. Consider Pilates or Yoga. In Pilates, you focus on the muscles, and your breathing. It is highly therapeutic, quieting the mind.
 
Consistency is what will help you get better. You need to do something often enough.  It also needs to be simple which is why you need a strategy and accountability. You may fail, and you need to have that person to get you going again. With anything in life, the start is the hardest, but once you get momentum it is much easier. Once you have momentum, you can’t stop! It’s like pushing a heavy load in a will borrow, when you first push it is super hard, but once it is rolling, easier :)

31 DAYS OF WELLNESS

Little things you can do each day for better health.

For the month of August, Elizabeth has created a series of 31 daily tips to help you focus on the little things each day that contribute to better health.

The tips are created to help you live a healthier, happier and more energised life.

Each morning open up your email and you’ll find an email with your health advice for the day. It’s as easy as that.

It’s free, all you need to do is register.

https://www.elizabethpattalis.com/31daysofwellness/

Filed Under: Body Kindness, Exercise & Fitness, Gratitude & Inspiration, Mental Health

Seed Cycling To Rebalance Your Hormones

July 17, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

Seed Cycling

If you have an irregular cycle, this is where seed cycling can be particularly helpful. Seed cycling is a method to create hormonal balance for a woman. It works using the nutrients found in seeds – boosting estrogen in the first phase and then boosting progesterone in the second phase.

How To Do Seed Cycling

  • The Follicular Phase – Days 1  to 14 (day 1 is the first day of your period) – Consume the following:
    • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
    •  1 tablespoon ground pumpkin seeds
    • fish oil (optional, but recommended – Vegans can use an algae omega 3 oil as a replacement)
  • The Luteal Phase – Days 15 to 28, (day 15 is the day after ovulation) – Consume the following:
    • 1 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon ground sunflower seeds
    • evening primrose oil (optional, but recommended) 

The seeds in the follicular stage support estrogen production and the seeds in the luteal supports progesterone production.

Ideally, it is best to ground the seeds daily, this optimises freshness. Seeds can go rancid easily. The seeds should be kept in the fridge or if you want to ground a larger amount, freeze the grounded seeds and take out daily.

You can consume the seeds how you like, for some suggestions – add them to your breakfast oats, yogurt or smoothies. Do not heat them up, although you can sprinkle them on hot foods.

Note – sometimes women worry about phytoestrogens found in seeds, fearing it will make estrogen dominance worse. It is important to remember not all estrogen is equal. Estradiol is the type that tends to be higher in an ‘estrogen dominant’ person. Seed rotation helps suppress estradiol production, and it also helps the metabolism of estradiol in the right direction, generating a higher ratio of the healthier metabolite 2-hydroxy-estrone versus the more harmful 16-hydroxy-estrone. The more harmful 16-hydroxy-estrone is linked to cancers such as breast cancer (1). Also, being estrogen dominant is about having too much estrogen in comparison to progesterone. The seed cycling will promote better progesterone levels (For testing on the types of estrogen – See DUTCH).

The Moon and Your Cycle

Our bodies have a natural rhythm. We have a 24-hour circadian rhythm and we have a monthly one. Before artificial light, our bodies very much were in tune with the moon. One lunar cycle is about 28 days which is close to the length of a menstrual cycle. We are supposed to be most fertile during the full moon and the least fertile during the new moon. Seed cycling embodies this natural rhythm. Therefore the follicular phase should begin on a new moon and the luteal phase begins on the full moon. It is okay if you are not in sync. But it is useful to know if you are trying to get your cycle back. If you don’t know where you are in your cycle, start this on the new moon.

How You Can Benefit From Seed Cycling

Seed cycling can help relieve PMS, improve libido, thyroid issues, increase fertility, acne, ease pain from conditions like ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and PCOS, and regulate irregular cycles. 

  • High estrogen can be the cause of mood swings, heavy periods, hair loss, weight gain, fibroids, breast tenderness, endometriosis, breast and ovarian cysts, and even breast and ovarian cancer.
  • Low progesterone levels can be associated with infertility, miscarriages, anxiety, not being able to fall or stay asleep and mid-cycle spotting.

Remember it isn’t a quick fix, it can take 3 to 4 months before your cycle becomes regular. However, you may notice the benefits quicker.

If you would like more information on how to balance hormones you can book online for a consultation or contact Elizabeth directly.

Filed Under: Detox & Toxins, Hormonal Health

Mint and Coriander Vegan Pesto

July 14, 2019 By elizp Leave a Comment

Vegan Mint and Coriander Pesto
2019-07-13 17:57:19
Great as a sauce with a protein, in salads or as a sandwich spread.
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Total Time
5 min
Total Time
5 min
Ingredients
  1. bunch coriander
  2. 1/2 bunch mint
  3. 1/2 cup cashews (or use what you have - I have used sunflower seeds & hemp seeds too)
  4. 1 tbps lemon juice
  5. 1 tbsp flaxseed oil
  6. 1 clove garlic minced
  7. salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients until creamy.
Elizabeth Pattalis Nutritionist https://elizabethpattalis.com/

Filed Under: Recipes

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Elizabeth Pattalis

Elizabeth Pattalis

As a holistic nutritionist, I am passionate about making a difference in people’s lives through nutrition and natural medicine. My aim is to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to create optimum health now and in the future. I have a keen interest in fat loss, mental health, hormonal health and genomics.

@ Copyright 2022 - Elizabeth Pattalis - Five Dock | Concord | Online Clinic Sydney

DISCLAIMER: The content on this website is for information purposes only. No information on this page is to be used as health or medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition. Always seek advice of a qualified health practitioner for any specific health concerns and for individual tailored advice.

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