Eat Well with Michelle

I am breaking down the macros over my next few posts and why each is essential for hormone balance. Let's start with fat! Fat gets a bad name; many are still scared to eat fat. We must stop all this misinformation about fat! Listen up, we need fat, and we need a decent amount! Why? When it comes to blood sugar balance for hormone balance, fats help by slowing the digestion process. Meaning they help stop the other foods we ate from spiking blood sugar levels. ... But it goes further than this, and this is where the type of fats you eat matters. Yes, there are good fats and bad fats when it comes to optimal health. I know we shouldn't "demonize" foods, but this is a fact. What are bad fats? We can determine this by how a specific fat functions with our cellular membranes. Every cell is made of a bi-lipid, protective, and permeable membrane. The type of fat we consume more of makes up what the bi-lipid layer consists of. Why does this matter? The "bad" fats create a ridged membrane; this makes an issue as we want a fluid cell membrane, which we get from eating "good" fats. Rigid cell membranes cause cells to become dehydrated, lose nutrients and electrolytes, causing us not to feel our best or function optimally. The cells with rigid membranes also have "gunked up" receptors. All cells have receptors on them for hormones and more! When these receptors get "gunked up," they cannot do their jobs; hormones, etc., cannot attach properly. Essentially, we become inflamed. We want fluid cell membranes, which happens by eating "good" fats. Fluid cell membranes allow for hydration, essential nutrients to come in, and more. Virtually all that we need to be healthy. The receptors on them are "clean," hormones attach easily and can do their job. "Good" fats are also essential as they are needed to produce hormones. Hormones are created from fat and cholesterol; without "good" fats, hormone production is nil. Essentially, without "good" fats, we cannot have balanced hormones. We also require "good" fats to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. If we are deficient in these vitamins, hormonal imbalances can occur. CON’T in comments #hormonebalance

How to eat for hormonal balance. Where do you start? You start with how you build your plate. It's easy, and no matter what diet you eat, you can follow this how-to build your plate method. When we prepare our meals using this formula and using a variety of foods, we are offering our bodies what it needs to thrivethis way of eating balances blood sugar, thus keeping insulin in check. How? When we balance our macros (protein, fat, carbs) in this way, it does not spike blood... sugar. But what does that mean? Everything we eat provides fuel for our bodies; this fuel is essentially glucose (affects blood sugar) or fatty acids (does not affect blood sugar). Carbs are our primary source of glucose. They can break down quickly in the body, and their glucose enters our blood sugar. When glucose in the blood goes up, insulin is released. It is released as insulin helps the glucose enter the cell to be used for energy. This is all good! The issue lies in eating a diet that breaks down too quickly to glucose. An unbalanced macro diet spikes blood sugar too often, releasing insulin too much, aka hyperinsulinemia/ insulin resistance. When insulin is high, this is when we start to see hormonal imbalances. Insulin receptors are on all of our cells, including our ovaries. Insulin then starts to "mess" with our hormones. It can affect everything from high androgens (think PCOS). It can also cause estrogen dominance, affect ovulation, and is also responsible for high inflammation levels, affecting our hormonal balance. Ok, I know what you are thinking, as everyone thinks this, but I don't have blood sugar issues. FACT- 1 in 3 Canadians are insulin resistant, are pre-diabetic, or have type 2 diabetes. Most don't even know! If you are one of the few that do not have an issue, eating this way will prevent it! Prevention is critical in all health matters! I will post next why each macro is essential! Should I do a post on signs of hyperinsulinemia/ insulin resistance? . . SAVE this post for easy reference! . . . . . #optimalhealth #hormonebalance #bloodsugarbalance #womensupportingwomen #perimenopause #menopause #menopauseweightloss #mealplans #insulinresistance

Food to Support Your Hormones - to understand how this works, you must know that significant contributions to hormonal imbalance are nutrient deficiencies and mismanaged blood sugar. So what's a gal to do? First, you must know that there is no one diet for all. So when we use food to heal, it can take time to understand what works for us. If you are lost, this is where working with a practitioner such as myself can be life-changing. But of course, I want to give you some tip...s to try yourself, as we know ourselves better than anyone, and taking control of your hormonal health as a woman is liberating and necessary! I talk a lot about eating for blood sugar balance; many disregard its importance as they feel it doesn't apply to them as they do not have diabetes. But it does, as there is something called the Hormonal Hierarchy. At the top of this is insulin (and cortisol, more on this later). When insulin is out of balance, it cascades and causes all other hormones to be unbalanced. So check my other posts on eating for blood sugar balance; balancing blood sugar is one way we can balance insulin. DM me, and I will send you a post to read. After you learn to eat for blood sugar and insulin balance, you can use foods to balance hormones. I will get into these foods in the next posts. Be sure to follow me and hit the notification button so you don't miss out! SAVE this post, SHARE it with a girlfriend! . . . . . . . #hormonebalance #insulinresistance #optimalhealth #foodheals #foodasmedicine #pmsproblems #menopause #perimenopause #hormonehealth #pcos #womenshealth #periodproblems #estrogendominance #nutritionmatters #holisticnutritionist #holistichealthcoach #nutritionaltherapy #functionalnutrition #eatingforhormones #onlinenutrition #mealplans #onlinediet #healyourself

I love seafood! It's a great way to get in high-quality protein & healthy fats! I'm excited to partner with @mscbluefish (again!) to share why seafood products that feature the MSC blue fish label are good for you and the ocean too!... @mscbluefish are a global science-based non-profit dedicated to ending overfishing worldwide. If you have followed me for a bit, you know I regularly share how I eat seafood with the #MSCbluefish label. I love this little blue fish label (see photos) as it is easy for me (and you!) to know that the seafood we are purchasing is certified sustainable, traceable, and wild-caught. Did you know that seafood is our last major source of food that's genuinely wild?! Crazy right! This is why it is worth preserving! I've created a dish for their virtual Healthy Oceans Too cookbook (link in bio) that is SUPER EASY to recreate at home and is a healthy dish for you and the ocean too! It is a fave in our house and is on regular rotation. I love how nutrient-dense it is, and my family loves how delicious it is! I know what you are thinking, that only seafood with this certification will probably cost a small fortune. GUESS WHAT- MSC Blue Fish certified seafood comes at all price points and a wide variety of retailers! The recipe I created uses delicious Omega 3 rich canned @clover_leaf_seafoods wild salmon! Yep, canned! Affordable and accessible! Head to the this link and check out the Healthy Oceans Too Cookbook. https://stories.msc.org/en-ca/healthy-oceans-cookbook/ Also contained within its pages is information on specific species, facts on what makes seafood a healthy dietary choice, and the environmental story behind the seafood we eat. A MUST BOOKMARK! Once you bookmark it, grab a can of MSC certified Wild Salmon and try out my tasty Chili Lime Salmon with Thai Peanut Noodles! Follow @MSCbluefish for more info, and check out their 'Contest Highlight' for a chance to win a $250 Healthy Oceans Too pantry starter pack! Choose a feel-good seafood option; always check for the MSC blue fish label! . . . . . . #HealthyOceansToo #MSCBlueFish #FeelGoodSeafood #BigBlueFuture #peanutsauce #noodlelover #seafoodlover #easyrecipe #nutritionist #pescatarian #feelgoodfood

G I V E A W A Y Head over to my Instagram and enter to WIN 2 tubs of Botanica Perfect Protein 1 Perfect Protein tub in Chocolate 1 Perfect Protein tub in Vanilla... ($120 value) ENTER HERE https://www.instagram.com/p/CJwaKhVB70F/?igshid=lpgs2nokfyxd

So thankful to have this opportunity! Thank you to @prompthealth for having me! BTS truth- you guys I was nervous AF! ... This is out of my comfort zone, but you know what they say: You gotta get uncomfortable to grow! I really hope you can check it out! We chat all things immune support and more than just supps! I am a HUGE believer that food, lifestyle and mindset are where to start when it comes to taking care of your health. And as we all know, PREVENTION IS KEY! So I hope you can have a listen, I shared so much and I hope you can take away a little from it! I had a lot of fun and hope to be able to do this again! PS- anyone else when you hear your voice you think, that’s how I sound Happy Monday! Find the recording under PROMPT HEALTH on your fave platform for podcasts! SAVE & SHARE this post! You have no idea how much it helps me out

I’m making my #dairyfree Cream of Mushroom Soup this week! I grabbed two huge baskets of mushrooms this weekend, so it’s perfect timing, plus it’s #soupseason I love cream of mushroom soup but canned ones are ewww and it’s hard to find a dairy free one that is actually creamy enough. And has good ingredients. Well I did it! Homemade, dairy free and extra creamy! ... AND SO SO DELICIOUS! Oh So Creamy Mushroom Soup 3 tbsp of avo oil @chosenfoods 2 yellow onion 4 cloves garlic 2 tsp each of fresh chopped rosemary and thyme 800 grams of mushrooms of choice, I used cremini, shiitake and oyster 5 cups veggie broth @preschoice 1 cup coconut cream @chasorganics 2 tsp chickpea miso @tradition_miso (the secret ingredient ) S & P Directions: heat oil in pan, add opinion and garlic saute till clear, med heat add in herbs and mushrooms, cover and cook for 10 mins add the rest of the ingredients, simmer low-med for 15 mins remove about 1.5 cups of soup and blend in blender till smooth. Add back to soup in pot, stir enjoy! tell me in the comments, who loves cream of mushroom soup?