This is a conversation that I have with clients frequently…

It’s the fear of missing out (FOMO) from food. Of not being able to enjoy the rest of that delicious lasagna, pizza, chocolate cake or insert your food of choice here.

I believe the FOMO of food really stems from a diet mentality. “I must eat it today because tomorrow I won’t be allowed” or maybe it’s “if I don’t eat it all now, I won’t be able (or allowed) to eat it later.”

But the truth is that for the majority of us in this country, there is an abundance of food available. Food is available on every corner, at every hour of the day.

Here’s how to end the Food-Based FOMO:

1. “I can have it some other time.” Researchers have found that this phrase can less the temptation to eat said food right now, because that you know it is available to you at any time.

2. Consider how the food makes you feel in your body. What are you aware of when you consume said food? Do you feel energized? Do you feel sluggish or have digestive upsets? As an adult, you make choices all day every so, at the end of the day, the choice to consume any food is yours.

3. Reflect on what the food is providing you. Why do you want this food? What are you truly seeking from food? Is this food providing you comfort in some way? What do you need besides food right now? What would be even more useful for the feeling you’re seeking?

4. If you choose to indulge in any food, try to do so mindfully. You may notice that when you slow down, sit with, and chew said food that you may even feel satisfied with less.

What to do next…

1. Any questions? Leave me a comment below.

2. Get access to our FREE Library stacked with healthy & delicious recipes, meal plans, challenges, on-demand trainings, e-guides and life-changing workbooks! Click here for access!

3. Come join me in the Nurtured Tribe Facebook Group and get access to exclusive content and trainings. Let’s keep in touch!

4. Need more support? Book your FREE Healthy & Joyful Strategy call today!

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects up to 20% of Canadians. IBS is considered a chronic condition, as treatment is focused on management of symptoms.

The key symptoms of IBS are:

1. abdominal pain

2. altered bowel habits (e.g. constipation, diarrhea, or a mixture of both)

Other symptoms can include:

• bloating

• abdominal distension

• gas

• urgency to defecate

• fatigue

IBS symptoms vary greatly from person to person!

Symptoms of IBS can improve or worsen over time, sometimes they can disappear altogether only to reappear later or new symptoms develop! This can be incredibly frustrating for people with IBS, as they may feel that there is nothing they can do to improve their symptoms… or even what helped them before, is making things worse now. That’s why working with a dietitian who focuses on digestive disorders, such as IBS, is so important.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome should not be self-diagnosed.

People should work with their primary care provider to rule out other possible causes of their unpleasant digestive symptoms, such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, or endometriosis. Diagnosing IBS will include a review of your medical history, physical exam, and/or investigative tests such as blood tests, stool samples, or a scope (e.g. colonoscopy or gastroscopy).

Unreliable tests for IBS that should be avoided (they are not helpful in diagnosis – save your time and money!), include:

There are certain ‘red flag’ symptoms that are very important to share with your primary care provider, if you have them:

• Blood in the stool

• Anemia

• Unintended weight loss

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Symptoms that are severe or getting progressively worse

• Daily diarrhea

• Nocturnal bowel movements

• Family history of other bowel diseases or bowel cancers

These ‘red flag’ symptoms can also be present in more serious bowel conditions, such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel diseases. That is why it is important to share with your primary care provider if you are experiencing them.

So what causes IBS?

The short answer is: we don’t really know. There are many theories about what causes IBS, but the most likely explanation is that it is probably multifactorial. Some of these factors may include (in no particular order):

• Gut hypersensitivity

• Altered gut motility and/or gut secretions

• Bacterial dysbiosis (an imbalance of “good” vs. “bad” bacteria in the gut)

• Physical or emotional stress

• Food allergies or sensitivities

• Poor dietary habits

• Use of systemic antibiotics for infection

• Bile acid malabsorption

• Acute infection or inflammation of the gut or ‘leaky gut’ (e.g. after traveller’s diarrhea)

• Physical exercise

• Chronic alcohol use

• Pelvic floor disorders

Many menstruating people may notice that their IBS symptoms change throughout their menstrual cycle. This is likely due to changing hormones throughout the menstrual cycle that affect gut transit time, or how long it takes food to move through the gut.

IBS treatment focuses on symptom management, and can include:

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy

• Medications

• Supplements

• Psychological therapies (such as cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT] and hypnotherapy)

• Lifestyle & diet changes (such as the low FODMAP diet)

There is a lot of information out there about IBS that can unfortunately be overwhelming and confusing. If you want an evidence-based treatment approach to your health and nutrition, book an appointment with Alex today.

Questions? Comment below!

A pet is a great companion while in college. It keeps you company while you study and stroll around campus. It also offers emotional support, especially when you do not want to engage friends and relatives.

Pets require 24/7 care to guarantee their health and vibrant life. College, on the other hand, demands your attention since you have to attend lectures, complete assignments, and rest. How do you handle and care for a pet while still attending college? Here are expert tips to consider.

6 Tips On How to Take Care of Pets While Attending College

1. Hire homework help service

Homework help services will complete assignments, coursework, essays, and other academic exercises on your behalf. Other writing services offer test help so that you do not need to abandon your pet while studying or sitting for a test. You have more time to relax and take care of your pet.

Homework services also allow you to utilize your college years better. You have more time to practice your favorite sport, start a business, set up a blog, and get freelance gigs. The reduced workload also allows you to rest and avoid pressure from academic work. You will optimize your time in college by getting homework help.

Recommended: Can You Use Baby Diapers For Dogs?

2. Use homework tools

Homework tools are apps and websites that make it easier to complete assignments. Some will help you with typing, while others are perfect for editing. You can also use apps to capture the references you are using in your essays. 

Homework tools are useful based on the features you require. Check reviews of homework apps to determine their quality of service. You may also use trial versions to determine whether or not the app will give value for money. The apps will reduce the time it takes to deliver an assignment as well as enhance your accuracy. 

3. Reorganize your time 

Pets require attention. They need feeding, walking, playing, and medical care. Plan your life and time while consciously considering their welfare. The pets will remain healthy and provide the companionship you are looking for when keeping them.

Pick the best time to do your assignments, especially when the pet does not require your attention. You may choose to wake up earlier than the pet or stay late after it has slept to maximize your study hours.

Choose to complete your assignments at a time when the body and mind are fresh. You can do more within a short time. It helps you to complete the assignments faster.

4. Choose the right pet 

The choice of pet will determine its handling experience. Colleges and residential apartments also provide regulations on pet ownership. Choose a pet that can be accommodated in college. 

Are you living with friends in shared spaces like a dorm? Consider their needs, allergies, and comfort. The pet should be easier to handle so that it does not take up most of your time to the point of missing classes.

Recommended: Best Dog Training Collars With Automatic Bark Control: Top 10 Picks

5. Make the room pet friendly 

Modify your room to accommodate the pet. Pets require special structures like pens, feeding areas, kennels, and toilets. If the pet needs to get out of the house on its own, make provision for a door or window. The pet’s comfort and efficiency will help you achieve your desired pet goals. 

6. Have a budget for your pet 

Plan and budget for the pet since it will be a part of your life in college. Pets require special foods based on their species. They also need veterinary attention, exercise, and grooming. These provisions guarantee the healthiest pet.

Pets are valuable companions in college. However, effective care for pets requires choosing the right species, reorganizing your time, and getting help with your essays to create time for your pet. Budget your finances with the pet in mind to guarantee its good health and vibrant life.

Image Credit: Pexels

The medical information provided in this article is provided as an information resource only. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

What we eat impacts our health. How can your liver benefit from skipping meat and animal-based products, and following a plant-based diet instead?

According to a 2019 National Harris Poll, an estimated 4% of adult Americans follow either a vegetarian diet (no meat, fish, poultry, or seafood) or a vegan diet (no meat, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs, or dairy). (1) It also found that 46% of adults avoid animal-based products all or part of the time when dining out.

This makes it important to consider how following a plant-based diet may affect liver health. With that in mind, let’s start with the good news. If your diet is vegetarian or vegan right this moment, your liver might already be benefiting from this type of eating plan.

Vegetarian Diets and Fatty Liver Risk

A 2018 study looked at 1,274 people following a vegetarian diet, then compared them to 2,127 others who were non-vegetarian. (2) Based on the data collected, researchers reported that individuals who were on a vegetarian diet had lower chances of fatty liver. Additionally, if people following a vegetarian diet did have liver fibrosis, this fibrosis was less severe than in their non-vegetarian counterparts.

One reason cited for these results was that people eating a plant-based diet often have a lower body mass index or BMI. BMI has long been associated with disease risk, so having this number be in the healthier range should also equate to a lower risk of major disease—including diseases affecting the liver.

Another smaller-scale study, this one published in 2021, also made a positive connection between plant-based eating and reduced incidences of fatty liver. (3) This one involved 26 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), all of whom agreed to follow a vegan diet for six months.

After the six months ended, participants lost a mean of 5 kg of body weight (11.02 pounds), reduced their BMI by 1.6 points, and improved their liver enzymes. In 76.9% of the patients, their liver function normalized.

Studies such as these suggest that following a vegetarian or vegan diet may help both prevent and treat fatty liver disease. But there are a couple of additional steps you can take if you want to boost your liver health even more.

How Vegetarian and Vegan Eaters May Improve Their Liver Health

The 2018 study mentioned above also broke down fatty liver risk based on certain foods. Specifically, it noted that when one serving of refined grains was consumed instead of a serving of whole grains, the risk of fatty liver increased between 3% and 12%. (2)

Whole grains contain all parts of the grain kernel. This includes the outer layer of the grain (the bran), the middle layer (the endosperm), and the core (the germ).
Refined grains have no bran or germ as both of these are removed during the milling process. The reason this is an issue is that a large portion of the nutrients in grains—including various B vitamins, fiber, and iron—are in the bran and germ. (4)

So, replacing refined grains such as white flour, white rice, and white bread with whole grains may do some good. Whole grains to consider including in your diet, potentially reducing your risk of fatty liver, are:

• whole-grain bread, cereal, or pasta
• steel cut oats
• brown or wild rice
• quinoa
• popcorn (unsalted and air-popped)

Eating Plant-Based Sometimes May Still Offer Liver Benefits

What if you’re one of the 46% of Americans who only eats vegetarian or vegan some of the time, such as when eating out? Although it may seem minimal, this can offer benefits to your liver as well.

Again, going back to the 2018 study, it found that when one serving of meat or fish was consumed instead of one serving of soy, the risk of fatty liver increased between 12% and 13%. (2) This suggests that substituting soy for meat and fish for only a portion of your meals might still provide positive effects.

If you’ve never eaten soy, many compare its taste to that of a white bean. You can swap out your beef in chili and stews with a textured soy product or turn on the grill and cook up some extra-firm tofu.

You can even eat tofu as a snack. It will generally take on whatever flavor you use on it, so you can marinate it in your favorite flavoring or dressing mix, then snack on it when your stomach starts to rumble.

You can also roast soy nuts and put them on top of your salad. This adds another taste and texture without also adding animal-based products—potentially improving your liver health at the same time.

Corn is Good for Weight Loss

This is how you can eat corn flour to lose weight. It also has many health benefits. You may have eaten cornbread at home, hot corn. This corn flour is beneficial for your health in many ways. 

Maize flour is very beneficial in food and it keeps the digestive system healthy and prevents indigestion.

Along with this, bones also remain strong. Maize flour itself is very beneficial for treating the symptoms of heart disease and diabetes, but do you know that regular consumption of corn flour.

Maize flour can also help you lose weight. In fact, many people are very concerned about their increased weight and are on the lookout for any such food.

So that their body can get nutrients and also help in losing weight. There are many ways you can incorporate corn flour for this.

It contains calories, protein, carbs, fiber, vitamin C, E antioxidants and lutein. Let’s know the benefits and recipes of corn flour for weight loss.

1. Constipation Will Not Occur

Constipation problems cause many people to not digest food properly and find it very difficult to control their weight. Also, it can cause other stomach problems, but with the help of fiber found in corn flour, your food is digested properly and bowel movements are not disturbed. You can make many dishes with cornflour.

2. High Calorie Will Lead To Fatigue

Many times we think of something to eat because we are tired or hungry. In such a condition you start eating at irregular times, so you start gaining weight suddenly. Also, if you work from home or have a sedentary job, the problem can be compounded, but cornmeal is high in calories, which will keep you full throughout the day and not get hungry again. Vitamin B also promotes metabolism.

3. Gain A Healthy Weight

Many times we eliminate many nutrients from our diet to lose weight, which weakens our body. At the same time, you will be surprised to know that instead of losing weight, it suddenly starts gaining and the body does not develop properly, while corn flour contains a variety of vitamins, proteins, fiber and other nutrients. You lose weight in a healthy way and get a toned body shape.

4. Lower Cholesterol

The fiber present in cornflour helps in reducing the level of low-density lipoprotein, which helps to reduce bad cholesterol in the blood and reduce excess body fat. Therefore, fat does not accumulate in many parts of the body and near the stomach. Apart from this, it helps in reducing the symptoms of heart related diseases.

5. Get Plenty Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is very beneficial for your body and skin. It helps detoxify your body and flush out waste products. This can help in reducing body weight.

Use Corn Flour To Lose Weight

Using cornflour to make oats You can cook cornflour in milk and eat it with a variety of dry fruits and fruits. This helps in weight loss.

You can use cornflour to make cakes or cupcakes. With the help of this you can also avoid the side effects of flour.

You can also use cornflour to thicken pasta and noodles. With this you can have healthy carbs.

Apart from this, you can eat corn flour bread for breakfast and dinner. You can include green vegetables in this.

You can also make its bread and keep it.

Also, if you have trouble with wheat flour, you can use cornflour.

Maize flour is beneficial for health in many ways, but consuming too much of it can increase the risk of diabetes. Also, it can cause stomach problems and weight gain, so always include a balanced amount in your diet.

Discover all of the health benefits of drinking bone broth! Some include improved cardiovascular health, healthier skin, hair and nails, and stronger joints. Moreover, find out what the heck bone broth is, what’s in it, and how you can even make your own.

Some of the best health remedies come from natural sources. Herbs and spices are great examples of this. So is bone broth. If you’re not familiar with what bone broth is, we explain that here. We also share a few benefits of incorporating this nutrient-rich liquid into your diet, even providing a bone broth recipe if you feel inspired to make your own.

What Is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is the liquid that’s left after boiling animal bones and connective tissues with a little bit of meat. Some refer to bone broth as stock and use it in recipes for various soups, gravies, and sauces. You can make it from the bones of chickens, cows, turkeys, or almost any other type of animal.

If you’re having a hard time envisioning bone broth, the Food Network refers to it as “chicken soup – minus all the noodles and vegetables.” (1) Not only is it tasty, but you can also use this broth to help boost your health due to the substances it contains.

What’s In Bone Broth?

One of the primary substances found in bone broth is collagen, which accounts for almost one-third of the body’s protein. (2) Collagen is important to the health of your musculoskeletal system, which includes your bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and more.

It’s also important to the health of your skin. The skin uses collagen to replace old, dead cells and help new ones grow. Collagen also makes the skin more elastic and stronger. Internally, this protein assists with blot clotting, even giving our organs a protective covering.

Another type of substance found in bone broth is free amino acids (FAAs). In fact, researchers have found 18 different FAAs in broth samples. (3) Free amino acids are amino acids not bound in proteins. According to the American Society for Nutrition, FAAs are absorbed more rapidly and are more readily available than intact proteins. (4)

Bone broth contains minerals as well. If you make bone broth with beef, for instance, a roughly half-cup serving will supply up to 8.5% of your daily value (DV) of calcium, 21.2% of your DV of magnesium, and as much as 12.9% of your DV of iron. (5) And the longer you allow the bones, connective tissues, and meat to simmer, the more minerals will be in the broth. (3)

Research has connected the collagen and amino acids in bone broth with numerous health benefits. Among them are: (6, 7)

1. Improved cardiovascular and gut health
2. Healthier skin, hair, and nails
3. Stronger joints and connective tissues
4. Better immune system function
5. More effective wound healing
6. Relief from diarrhea

How to Make Bone Broth

Making homemade bone broth is easy. Some recipes have you boil the bones for 20 minutes, then drain the water to remove any impurities. Others skip this step and simply have you bring the bones to a boil, then simmer them on low for anywhere from four to 48 hours. (Remember: longer cook time means more minerals in the broth.)

If you add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and juice from a squeezed lemon, this helps draw more collagen from the bones and into the broth. (7) You can also add aromatics for extra flavor, such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.

Once you’re done cooking the bones and any aromatics, remove them from the pot and throw them away. Strain the broth, then let it cool. It will stay in the fridge for up to five days, or you can place it in the freezer where it will be good for several months.

If you’re interested in boosting your collagen intake, another option is to take a dietary supplement. Natural Wellness offers Collagen Peptides, which provide 20 grams of hydrolyzed collagen peptides per serving. This product is free from sugar, dairy, wheat, corn, soy, and gluten. It also contains no preservatives or artificial colors or flavors.