Author: Kasia Gendis

For years we were told by food industries and our doctors that fat is bad for us. We were advised to avoid fat as it could block our arteries and lead to heart attacks in the long term. So, that’s what we did. We avoided most fats, especially saturated fat, like butter. Instead, we were using vegetable oils that were supposed to be healthier for our heart health. Were they?

After many years of research, studies, as well as observing our society’s lack of health improvement, finally it is agreed that it wasn’t such a good advice after all. 

So, what should we do now?

First, let us look into what fat is. It is a main building block of our body. 15-30% of our bodies are made up of fat. Each of our 10 trillion cells needs fat to function. Our brain is built of about 60% of fat. Our brain cells need DHA fatty acids to communicate between each other. So, it’s very important to supply the body with healthy fats which improve our memory, learning abilities and overall happiness. 

But, not all fats are equal. 

The simplest division is into inflammatory and anti-inflammatory fats. As you probably know, inflammation in the body is a breeding ground for diseases, like diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia or cancer. We definitely should know which fats are anti-inflammatory hence, good for us.

We have all kinds of fats: saturated fats, unsaturated fats- monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans fats.

We will not take much time to talk about trans fats. There is no doubt that they are bad for you and you should avoid them at all costs. These are artificial fats, made by hydrogenation (hardening process) that gives them a very long shelf life. An example would be margarine.

Other fats that are not good for us are inflammatory vegetable oils. They are still very popular and are often used for frying like canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean oil. These fats oxidise very easily. 

What is the biggest problem with fats these days?

Our body needs to be supplied regularly with two main fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6. They also need to balance each other with a specific ratio. In the olden days, people’s diet supplied them with an equal ratio of omega 3 and omega 6. They were getting their omega 3 from wild game, fish and wild plants and their omega 6 from some seeds and nuts.

These days, this ratio is totally thrown out of balance. 

Omega 3 intake drastically went down. We do not eat so many wild animals, fish and plants anymore. Industrially grown meat has almost no omega 3. Instead, we increased our omega 6 intake by consuming excess amounts of vegetable oils and processed products which are made using them.

Our bodies are affected by inflammation and therefore, prone to diseases.

We need much more omega 3 in our diet (lots of people have a deficiency) and much less omega 6 compared to what we consume now. 

Omitting healthy fats is bad for our health but also for our weight.

There is an entire industry of low fat products that was created around the idea that fat is not good for us. 

Those products are made by taking fat out of them (fat that is not at all bad for us and could be easily used by the body) and  balancing the taste by adding carbohydrates from sugar or starch. 

We already know from previous blogs how sugar acts in the body. Blood sugar goes up, more insulin is released (leading to insulin resistance in the long term), too much sugar is not needed by the body for energy, it also can’t be stored in excess, so it is converted into body fat!

Low fat products essentially make you gain more weight because they have added sugar that triggers the process of

storing excess sugar as body fat. 

Our body needs good fat to function. Our cell walls, which are made out of good quality fats, metabolise insulin much better, which means that the balancing of blood sugar is more efficient. And, that also means that we don’t store as much sugar as body fat.

Body fat comes from sugar, not from fat. 

We need healthy fats to burn body fat. 

We also need it to prevent many diseases, improve our mood, our skin, our nails and our hair.  Anti-inflammatory fat will make you feel full longer, cutting hunger. 

When we try to restrict calories (also from good fats), our body goes into starvation mode, meaning that the metabolism slows down. This is an ancient mechanism built into our body. It was supposed to protect us from dying from starvation when there was no food. It still works the same way. If we restrict the calories and stop eating enough, the body will not lose any weight.  Our willpower will not help us for a very long time, as it can’t win over our body’s biology.

Instead of restricting ourselves and watching how much we eat, we should look at what we eat. The quality of food is important as well as the composition of our meals : fibre, healthy fat and protein. 

Which fats are anti-inflammatory?

The list is long: avocado, seeds: flax seed, chia, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin, nuts: walnuts, cashews, macadamia, Brazil nut, sea vegetables, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, small fatty fish:  mackerel, sardines, or wild salmon, grass fed or sustainably raised animal products, extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil or butter. 

There are a lot of sources of really good fats for us. We should’t be scared of good, anti-inflammatory fats. Then, we don’t have to worry about weight loss. The body will adjust it all for us.

There is a lot of misconception around calorie counting. 

It is actually an outdated method that has been scientifically disproven.

It doesn’t really work, especially when hoping to achieve sustainable and healthy weight loss. 

However, it is still being used by a lot of industries who try to push the concept onto us. Let’s see why it doesn’t work.

Calories are not equal. 

Foods with the same amount of calories can be processed by our body completely differently, resulting in very different biological effects. This is due to completely different ratios of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat), as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). 

It’s very important to know, especially when we’re trying to lose weight.

To show you what I mean, I will use my usual example of an avocado (average size) versus a donut (basic donut).

They roughly have the same amount of calories – around 300.

Avocado – 300 calories, around 30 g of fat, 17 g carbs (mostly fiber, almost no sugar), 4 g of protein, potassium, magnesium, Vit C, Vit E, Vit K, smaller amounts of Vit B5, B6.

Donut – 300 calories, around 15 g of fat (different fat though), 30 g of carbs (mainly in a form of sugar) and 3 g of protein.

Now, on to the digestive process.

Let’s first look into the donut.

As you can see above, it has lots of sugar and fat, most probably refined fat, which isn’t going to serve our body very much, but we will talk about fats another time.

Let’s focus on the sugar part because that’s what the donut is mostly composed of (simple carbs – you can find more on that in my blog about carbohydrates). When we put simple carbs into our body, it gets absorbed quickly by the intestines and travels straight into our bloodstream. It spikes our blood sugar and then of course, soon after, it causes sugar/energy crash. 

Additionally, with such a high blood sugar levels, insulin rises to counter balance the sugar levels (it helps the glucose, in the sugar, enter the cells for energy use). But, if there is a lot of sugar at once in your bloodstream, a lot of insulin needs to be released. Insulin is often called a fat hormone. Constant high spikes of insulin results in belly fat, body inflammation, high blood pressure and even, in some cases, infertility in women. 

So much sugar at once increases your appetite. High levels of insulin tend to block the “feeling full” hormone, called leptin. Essentially, this means that we don’t actually feel full but instead, we continue to feel hungry and further crave sugar(referring here not only to pure sugar but any form of carb that consists of sugar). This is because your pleasure based reward centre is triggered, leading to an increase in your sugar addiction. 

Sugar consists of glucose and fructose. What we described above shows how glucose is processed by the body. Fructose is processed a little bit differently by the liver. Whatever excess that can’t be stored in the liver is stored as fat. That fat causes even bigger rises of insulin levels, that long term result in insulin resistance. If you get to that stage, whatever you eat will be turned mostly into belly fat. 

Now, let’s look at what happens when you eat an avocado. 

Also being around 300 calories, there is almost no sugar so, that whole process that I’ve just described above is not going to be triggered in this case. It will have no effect on your blood sugar levels and it has a low glycemic index, essentially meaning that it can be safely eaten even by people who have diabetes. 

Then, there is quite a lot of fat in avocado. 

I hear from clients, especially in my weight loss program, “Oh, you know, I can’t possibly eat an avocado, it has so much fat and I am trying to lose weight.” 

I agree, it does have a lot of fat, but it is good fat. Monounsaturated fatty acid. It can be used by the body. Every cell needs good fat to function, your brain needs good fat to perform properly, your whole system needs good fat to lose body fat! This kind of fat will help you prevent cardiovascular diseases, lower your bad cholesterol LDL and increase your HDL – good cholesterol. It also helps reduce overall inflammation in the body and supports cancer prevention. 

Avocado has a lot of carbohydrates found in the form of fibre. We need fibre. It makes us feel full for longer, its very important for our regular bowel movement, and it will help control blood sugar spikes, which is crucial if you are trying to lose weight or improve your metabolism. Avocado also has vitamins and minerals, for example, potassium that helps lowering the blood pressure. 

So, as you can see, 2 different types of food with exactly the same amount of calories have a totally different way of being processed by the body and have very different effects on the organism as a whole.

The avocado will be completely used by the body to function effectively, whereas the donut will mostly cause a lot of havoc in your body and will be stored as fat. 

I am not saying that you shouldn’t eat a donut. Please do, but be aware of the process and how you feel after. It is all about your choice.

I love what one of my teachers at the nutrition school said:” Food is not calories. It is coded information for our cells telling it what to do. It is information that our metabolism can use to either run efficiently or sluggishly.” -Dr. Mark Hyman

It’s not the calories, it’s the type and the quality of food that is important. 

The calorie counting approach does not take into account digestion, metabolism, absorption, hormone balance, or storage. 

We can actually be overfed, but still be undernourished. 

Lacking nutrients in the body. 

The quality of food we eat influences our metabolism, the rate at which we burn fat, your mood, your sleep, your energy, your mental clarity, and your longevity. That is why it is very important to look at it from that perspective rather than just as a calorie count.

Another aspect is that whole, real foods take longer to be processed by the body and will use more energy to do so, while processed foods don’t require the body to work as much, thus not using much energy and further contributing to the storage of fat.

Nourishing the body and not restricting is the way to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

I just came back from my short, but sweet holidays. 

I thought I would share a few thoughts with you on how to keep the balance when you are on holidays.  This topic comes up, especially now, really often in my conversations with friends, as well as with my coaching clients. 

It is summertime, a lot of us are travelling and wondering how to enjoy the holidays without compromising our healthy habits and ideal weight.

First of all, we know that holiday is a completely different time and we need to allow ourselves to loosen up a little bit. At the end we are there to enjoy, relax, recharge and not to be strict with ourselves. 

On the other hand our routine changes quite dramatically on holidays and a lot of our healthy habits, that serve us well on daily basis, are hard to keep up with. The routine changes, the way of eating changes. 

That leaves us sometimes feeling a little bit nervous and even guilty. And that is not what we want while we are trying to relax. 

We also might experience some physical symptoms like heaviness, bloating, some pains in the stomach and a general feeling of sluggishness. 

Even if we can handle it then, we know we’ll have to deal with it after we get back and that also can give us a little bit of an unpleasant feeling.

So what can we do to keep that balance between throwing all of our healthy habits out of the window and really enjoying ourselves and having fun?

Let me share a few tips I have used on my holidays just recently.

Tip # 1

BALANCE YOUR MEALS WELL

Very often when on holidays, we forget about eating balanced  meals. 

We need to supply our body with fibre, protein and healthy fat in each meal, even on holidays :). 

I know it might be a little bit more challenging when travelling, but at least give it your best. Try to eat your vegetables. Think about it in an exciting way. Maybe there are different vegetables where you travelled to in season now. Or even the same ones tasting slightly differently than at home.

Every time I travel to Greece I enjoy their super tasty and sweet tomatoes and onions, not to mention the fruits. 

They for sure taste differently than at home.

Vegetables have a lot of fibre.

We do need that fibre for regular bowel movements, for example. Especially when we travel, some of us tend to encounter problems with that. 

Also proteins are very important to keep you full for longer and control your cravings. You will feel satisfied faster, as protein fills you up more and helps to balance your blood sugar levels. 

Do not forget your healthy fats, as well. 

Try to incorporate all of the macronutrients that the body needs to function properly, weather on holidays or not.

Tip # 2

EAT REGULARLY

It’s connected to the tip #1. We eat balanced meals but we also should make sure that we eat regularly. We do not want to starve ourselves the whole day on the beach just running on breakfast and skipping lunch.  By the time dinner comes we will be so hungry that eating balanced meal will not be our priority. We will be eating whatever is fast and more that we actually need, to make up.  

That can cause the feelings of guilt to emerge again. 

The other extreme we tend to do when on holidays is eat even when we are not hungry, maybe because others are eating or maybe out of boredom or for any other reasons. Make sure you eat when your stomach is actually hungry, not your head. 

Tip # 3

GENTLE MOVEMENT

Again two spectrums, either we have a very intense movement routine on regular basis that is hard to keep up with on holidays, when we also have to keep in mind other people. Or we normally do not move much, so on holidays we will not be motivated either.

But in both cases a gentle moderate movement,  like a walk on the beach, a daily swim or a bike ride, will be needed but also sufficient and enjoyable.  

Tip # 4 

ALLOW GUILT FREE TREATS

We are talking here about finding the holiday balance. So it also means we shouldn’t  be too strict on ourselves and feel guilty about every indulgence. It is great to have an ice cream or some wine without feeling bad about it. 

My philosophy, not only for holidays but for every day as well, is to dedicate a little space in your life for treats. We can’t possibly eat 100% healthy during our whole life. It is not sustainable. That is why leaving about 20% to treat ourselves and feel like there is no restriction really is very healthy for our head. 

I use the same rule on holidays.

And if I follow tip#1 and #2 with balanced, regular meals I do not really need so many treats. I just have them when I want to enjoy myself not when I have cravings for it. 

And totally guilt free as it is a conscious choice.

Tip # 5

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER 

Especially in the summer when it is hot we should pay more attention to our water intake. When we feel the thirst, we

are already dehydrated. So it’s important to regularly sip your water.

Having water will also help you figure out if you are hungry or thirsty.

Sometimes our mind likes to trick us into being hungry. In that case  try water first, because it might be that you are just thirsty. If you are still hungry, then you need to eat. Listen to your body. It really helps to determine what it needs right now. 

Tip # 6

ENJOY THE MOMENT

This is the most important one. When on holidays we really want to enjoy ourselves, but often times our mind will not let us. 

Our physical body is on holidays but our mind is still running through some past events or concerns or complaining about things it doesn’t like where we are. We have more free time than normally and the mind is using it. 

We feel dissatisfied, but all we really want is to use that time to recharge, relax and chill. 

The best way is to just look around you, appreciate and enjoy all that you do not usually have in your daily routine, like sun, sand, water, mountains, lakes, breeze, nature, lovely local food. Inhaling the whole atmosphere around you. And just being present with each activity.  

Watch your thoughts and if they are not so nourishing remind yourself that you are on holidays. Notice the relaxing environment around you and appreciate this special time you can spend with your peeps or just with yourself.

While recently holidaying with my family I also, at times, had thoughts of what I will need to do when I come back. They were stressing me out of course but then I would immediately try to give the mind something pleasant to focus on. It would look in my head like this: “I can’t believe I’m here, sun, sand, sea. I love the sea. I miss it the whole year. And now I have it the whole day in front of me and I can jump in whenever I feel like it. I don’t have to do anything, I can just relax and do pleasant things. No work, no responsibilities. Just fun time. Finally. Let me not waste it. I need to really appreciate this time, right now.” 

PRACTICE TO TRY:

I would also like to share with you my five senses practice I used.

This particular experience was while I was swimming.

I went into the water and really tried to enjoy the swim with all the five senses. I would feel the water against my skin, as I was moving.

I would smell the distinctive sea water smell. Sometimes the water would come into my nose or onto my lips and I could taste the saltiness of it. I could hear the splish splash of the water. I admired the beautiful turquoise colour with sun rays reflecting in it. 

It was such a full rounded experience. It really helped me remember the “now”.  Even when I am writing about it I do vividly remember that moment. It is like a mental 5 senses picture. 

I really recommend trying that with any activity. 

It helps us stay in the moment, appreciate things more and hold gratitude in our hearts for our experiences.  

Then we really recharge and enjoy.

Are you ever grateful for your body?
Do you think about what it does for you daily? 
Do you wonder how it even functions?

Typically we do not think about it. 

We are often in a rushed routine, performing a lot of activities automatically with our head entangled in our thoughts, concerns, worries, plans, strategies etc.

On top of that, we demand for our body to keep up with us in perfect health, energy, strength as well as to be able to relax when we need it and the ability to lose weight sustainably right when we want it, without giving it proper conditions to achieve all that.

Usually we want fast results and quick fixes.

If we do not get it, we start blaming and shaming the body, restricting it of food, criticising it constantly, experiencing negative emotions towards it, not accepting it.

We go against its natural ways of functioning.

In that state, we also do not listen to the body and the signs it constantly gives us. We disconnect from it.

We are just about short term effects – like losing weight quickly with a restricting diet, having good skin without nursing it or relaxing only using stimulants, like alcohol – no matter what is the cost.

And the cost can be huge.

In that kind of environment, the body goes into chronic stress mode. It is dysregulated, tired, prone to getting sick, bloated, swollen, stiff, painful, inflamed (that creates a perfect ground for chronic diseases to develop), and holding on to weight. However, it still tries to do the best it can in these restricted conditions. It tries to keep us alive but it puts a lot of functions on the back burner, like digesting properly, regulating the metabolism or even getting pregnant and lots more.

So what could we do instead?

Love your body and accept it. That we know in our head but it is easier said than done.

That is why I would really love to suggest starting with wonderment towardsyour body. 

This is a yogic philosophy term I have learned from my teacher. In Sanscrit – Ascharya.

Be in the wonderment of your body!

Do you ever wonder what the body does for you all the time?

It breathes for you, makes sure your heart beats constantly, keeps the blood circulating, regulates your blood pressure, digests your food, detoxifies and so on. I am not even able to think or know all the functions it does for me right now. This is how wonderful it is. And we should connect to that. Be in a constant state of amazement about our body. It is an absolutely perfectly designed vehicle we get for our life on Earth. That is why we need to supply it with the perfect conditions for it to perform at its best.

The body will not thrive on over-stressing, restrictions, exhaustion, lack of sleep, lack of rest, processed food, skipping meals or not enough food.

What we can and should supply our body with is:

• regular and nutritious meals (best seasonal and local)
• clean water
• proper breath
• fresh air
• adequate movement
• tools for stress release
• positive thoughts

That is the basicsyou need to do for your body to function at its best. 

It will make your hair and skin look beautiful, it will supply steady energy throughout the day without afternoon crushes, it will make you feel rested,  it will make you feel strong, it will have a perfect weight and it will be able to achieve whatever goal you set for it.

Are you ready to start supplying your body with the best you can give it so it can give back the best it can as well?

I have been there. I do understand it very well. It took me a while to figure it all out but I have been successfully keeping my ideal weight for the last over 20 years. 

That is why I have decided to share with you some tips for losing or maintaining your optimal weight without starving and restricting yourself all the time.

If you have any questions you can always write to me on [email protected]

Watch this video, where I explain why proteins are so important for losing weight and maintaining it after.

In our modern world we are increasingly bombarded with toxins all day long. There are endless numbers of chemicals used in industry, such as: pollutants, chemicals, herbicides, pesticides and toxins. They find their way into our homes and into our bodies on daily basis. We might not even realise that radio waves from computers and cell phones are putting increasing strain on our bodies. And even if we eat unprocessed foods, we have constant stressors in life. Especially now in our new pandemic reality,  full of uncertainty, we tend to live in a state of permanently heightened stress. And stress, which triggers cortisol release, is the number one toxin. 

Detox is an ongoing process that is vital to our health, happiness, and immune system. The body has a sophisticated system in place to detox itself naturally through the colon, liver, lungs, lymphatic system, and the skin. But evolution simply cannot keep up with the increase of toxins we face. 

When the body is overburdened with toxins, excess mucus is created to protect the organs. This leads to inflammation that creates a breeding ground for all kind of chronic diseases. In my practice, I see clients suffering from hormonal issues, fatigue, food allergies, weight problems, digestive distress, skin problems, headaches, depression or autoimmune disorders.

Healthy cells provide the foundation for a healthy body. Your cells need the following to thrive: 

• Oxygen
• Unprocessed foods containing nutrients and minerals
• Hydration
• Well-functioning detoxification pathways

Diseases and pour well being exist in a state of imbalance. Detoxing regularly allows your body to maintain a state of healthy balance, effectively releases the toxins that have found their way into your organs, fatty tissues and blood. Your body resets on a deep cellular level, paving the way for improved vitality, digestion, weight loss and immune health. 

It is Spring time! Great time to cleanse your house but also your body!

If you would like more info about our seasonal group detoxes you can e mail me at [email protected].

Most of us have experienced restricting diets that we have gone on for a certain period of time to lose weight to fit into our last year’s dress to attend a wedding party or another function.

Yes, you will lose weight on those diets but, it is almost impossible to keep that weight off longterm. Studies show that 90 percent of people who lose weight on restricting diets gain it back within 1-5 years.

When you diet often, you restrict yourself from eating certain products for longer periods of time. Our body does not get all the nutrients it needs from such a depriving way of eating. In a long run, we start having vitamin and mineral deficiencies in our body such as magnesium, Vit A,C,D,E, and omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for our body to function properly. 

Getting on and off restricting diets, cutting calories and depriving our body of needed nutrients can lead to increased weight loss problems as well as can make us more prone to chronic diseases. 

Furthermore following this manner of eating we fall into a constant yo-yo effect. We lose weight by dieting, while we are starved and deprived of foods. Once we are done we eagerly get back to our usual eating habits and that results in a quick return to the previous weight. Soon we start all over again. 

Sounds familiar?

These types of restricting and depriving behaviours are not only bad longterm for our weight loss, but also have a huge mental impact on us. They create a controlling relationship with food, ultimately leading to eating disorders. Eating disorders very often are not very obvious to us. They could be not eating enough, bingeing late at night after restricting ourselves all day, feeling guilty about every calorie, eating to avoid feelings or obsessive thinking about food while restricting ourselves from eating.

These kinds of relationships with food can not be healthy for us physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.

So what can we do then? We all want to have our perfect healthy and fit body that we feel fabulous in.

Before we start embarking down the dieting route, it is very important to shift our mindset about food. 

We need to tune into our body’s needs more and heal our relationship with food.

Listening to body’s cues for hunger and fullness is a very important part of it. 

We need to eat for body’s physical needs and nourish it properly with balanced meals.

Ask yourself:” Am I really hungry? Is it my stomach that is calling for food or is it my emotions talking?  How can I address those emotions without having to ignore them and prevent eating over them while I’m actually full?”

Making those little changes by tuning in with your body and listening to its cues is the first step in succeeding with weight loss and never having to worry about it again.

Then, we also make sure we feed our body nutrients it needs to function optimally.

With that awareness, we make small changes, one at a time in our daily habits. 

That is the best recipe for longterm weight loss success.

If you have been struggling with weight loss and you would like to talk about it, apply for a free consultation call with me. I would be happy to help.

For most of us 2020 was a challenging time. 

We need to take a deep breath and exhale loooong…..

Sadly it seems like we are still in that same uncertainty and we can not change what is happening around us. But the good news is we can change the way we react to all that is coming at us daily. We can also chose to still focus on the positive things life brings us.

Setting intentions for small changes in our Life is very important not only in the New Year but anytime. 

And by intentions I do not mean goals. I mean that what really expresses the changes we desire to make in our life.

It could be any change in your life whether it is a new eating habit, more patience, more self love, more resilience to stress, losing weight, starting an exercise routine, better sleep. 

Whatever will bring a breath of fresh air for you.

What is that you really need to change in the New Year to support you??

Take a blank paper and just write it down!

For me it is very important to slow down and just be more present to the Life directly around me. 

We all need to live it right now! Give our daily actions more awareness.

Also as every year I will keep the intention of having balanced eating and lifestyle habits support me throughout the year. 

Lets turn more within to get more grounded and resilient. Whatever we set out will ensure the change we desire can be manifested into our lives. 

If you would like to explore more the idea of intention setting check out my practice on IGTV taking you through different aspects of your Life and setting intentions in each one of them.

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I wish you all you have been asking for to manifest in this New Year.

Health&Wonderment