Lovely sunbeams, bring on skirt day! Or is our body not quite ready for it yet? Hormone therapist Vivian Reijs gives you 5 tips to get your body summer ready.
Watch your stress
The stress hormone Cortisol can cause high blood sugar levels if it is disrupted. These have to be brought down again by the hormone insulin. If this remains out of balance for a long time, the body will store fat, especially around the abdominal area. So that little roll of fat that bothers you may be because you might be suffering from stress. It might be good to pay attention and possibly write down what causes you stress. By gaining insights, you may also be able to see what you can do about it and whether you can balance it by, for example; Go for a long walk, do yoga exercises (at home too), do breathing exercises, go to the sauna, meditate or have a chat with a friend. This is all stress reducing. Sometimes stress is unavoidable. So it is extra wise to compensate for it.
Double your portion of vegetables
Vegetables really are the basis of a healthy diet. Not only because of the high vitamin and mineral content, but also because of the fibers that promote intestinal function and act as a kind of prebiotics. Where the good bacteria (probiotics) can attach themselves again. When your bowel movements are smooth, you feel less bloated and feel more energetic. Because vegetables contain so much fiber, you will also notice that you have less appetite for unhealthy food. Vegetables are filling and too little vegetables means sniffing. Take a little raw vegetables or salad with the meal with a good splash of olive oil for the necessary good fats. Also read:Do you feel like eating all day long? Maybe you have Leptin resistance
Move every hour
It is said that sitting is the new smoking. And it has now been shown that a sedentary life is not beneficial to our health, and certainly not if we want to lose a few pounds, or if we want to be a bit tighter in our skin. You don't have to run marathons or spend hours in the gym, preferably not even because prolonged exercise throws our hormones out of balance. But moving every hour, such as walking up the stairs, walking for a while, doing a few squats, a few minutes on your children's trampoline and stretching exercises, promotes your muscle strength and blood circulation. Taking the stairs at a good pace a few times a day will increase your heart rate and your body will really thank you for these small/mini interval training sessions.
Skip your carbohydrates at breakfast
Too many carbohydrates in the morning, make you more hungry. To keep your blood sugar stable for as long as possible, you need whole foods. And these also contain fats and proteins. These keep blood sugar levels much more stable than carbohydrates. From fast carbohydrates at breakfast, such as Cruesli or muesli, your blood sugar level will rise quickly, so that you also get a huge dip and you are hungry again by 10:00. To prevent this, I advise you not to eat cereals and muesli or cruesli in the morning. But instead, for example, two boiled or fried eggs with some olive oil and an avocado. Or a green smoothie with lots of vegetables, avocado and possibly some vegetable protein powder, this ensures a very stable blood sugar level and that promotes weight loss. Read also:What is intermittent fasting?
Fixed 13 hours
Do not eat anything after 19:00 until 07:00 in the morning. Give your body about thirteen hours of rest to allow it to recover optimally. No one likes going to bed with a full stomach, especially your digestion. So give the body time for digestion and recovery. During digestion, there is little energy left for other processes. So a light form of intermittent fasting can help. This way you also give your pancreas a rest. This can also contribute to weight loss, but especially to a better energy level! And that's what we all want, healthier, happier and slimmer that summer. Good luck dear ladies! For more information about orthomolecular nutrition and hormone therapy, please contact Vivian Reijs.
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