fbpx
nutrition, supplements Permalink

Benefits of digestive enzymes

Many clients complain about indigestion or the feeling bloated after meals. There are a few reasons why this may happen: eating too fast, not chewing enough, or low digestive capacity.

 

Who should take supplemental acid

  • frequent belching and bloating, particularly following meals
  • feeling of fullness for an extended time after meals
  • getting full quickly
  • loss of appetite
  • nausea in the morning or after taking supplements
  • weak or brittle nails
  • undigested food in the stool
  • history of iron deficiency
  • vitamin B deficiency
  • anemia
  • history of taking acid-blocking drugs

 

Supplemental acid and digestive enzymes are safe to use for everyone except for people diagnosed with gastritis or ulcers.

How it works

First step to the digestive process starts in the mouth. While chewing, enzymes from your saliva helps to break down carbohydrates. Insufficient chewing and swallowing prematurely leaves particles too large for the stomach to break down parasites and fungi hiding inside the food. These small compounds will then be absorbed into the blood so it doesn’t irritate the small intestine and elicit an unfavourable immune response. Optimal digestive capacity is crucial for overall health. Here is what you need to know about enzymes and stomach acid:

 

Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are primarily produced by the pancreas, found in saliva and the small intestine. Digestive enzymes break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates into their constituents, amino acids, fatty acids and sugars. Sleep, processed foods, eating foods you are sensitive to, chronic stress, lack of sleep can all take a toll on digestive health.

 

Stomach Acid

HCl is a digestive enzyme that helps with breaking down bacteria, germs, fungi and parasites. Once it reaches the small intestine, which is less acidic than the stomach, they can start to lay eggs.

Small intestine is lined with receptors and is responsible for absorbing nutrients once the receptors have digested food. Nutrients are then sent through the portal vein to the liver for processing.

HCl is secreted by the stomach and breaks down protein molecules. It acts as a defense against pathogenic organisms, such as bacteria, yeast and viruses. HCl is required to absorb calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B12 and beta-carotene. It also plays a role in absorption of magnesium, zinc, chromium, copper, vanadium, selenium and manganese.

 

Using digestive enzymes to aid in improving digestive capacity

Enzymes and stomach acid is important for the breakdown of proteins and other macronutrients and for absorption of vitamins. It is also needed for proper pH balance and to reduce the likelihood of infection in order to obtain optimal health.

Need help correcting your digestion issues or unsure if enzymes or stomach acid is right for you? Contact our Exercise Coaches  to help you get started.

 lifestyle Permalink

Common mistakes for fat loss

Physical activity is at an all time low, there is an overconsumption of medical drugs, fast and processed foods, and elevated environmental toxicity makes fat loss harder for many people. Here are the common mistakes for fat loss.

 

    1. Throw your scales away. The scale cannot differentiate between fat and muscle, leading to mistakes such as cutting calories. Cutting calories is generally an unpreferred thing to do as it decreases the number of enzymes in the body that burn fat and increase the number of enzymes that store fat.
    2. Train smarter, not harder. Exercise is an energizing stimulus that triggers the growth and repair response that builds more muscle, increases metabolism and makes you stronger. Exercise should not be draining or causing injuries. Learn more about structural balance here.
    3. Spot reduction doesn’t usually work. Anyone with any basic physiology training understands that crunches cannot burn off the mid-section and will not reduce fat there. Learn more about spot reduction through nutrients here.
    4. Don’t overdo aerobic exercise. Aerobic based training works for some people, but does not work for all. Cardio training risks muscular imbalances and improper mechanics can lead to ankle, knee, hip and spinal injuries. Aerobic training causes the release of glucocorticoids, which are a stress hormone, providing you with the unwanted bulk that may be counterproductive to your goals.
    5. Build muscle. The more muscle one has, the more calorie they burn at rest. Do you like eating food? We sure do.
    6. Get proper programming. The body adapts to any given stimulus very quickly, and for best results, programs should be changed every 4-6 workouts. Learn more about how to overcome a training plateau here.

 

What to do from here

Achieving optimal body composition takes more than just counting calories in and calories out. At KX Yorkville, we have an holistic approach in health using nutrients, exercise and therapy. Let us help you get to your goal faster. Book a consultation to see how we can help you achieve your health goals.

 lifestyle Permalink

How to overcome constipation naturally

Often clients complain about how clean they eat but still experience mild gastrointestinal distress. You may be eating gluten, dairy, soy, corn, nightshade free, but still experience constipation or other gastrointestinal distress. Learn how to overcome constipation naturally.

 

Other symptoms of gastrointestinal malfunction may be:

  • gas
  • bloating
  • headache
  • burping
  • reflux
  • neck, shoulder, middle and lower back pain
  • fatigue after eating
  • abdominal distension
  • constant hunger
  • bowel irregularity
  • muscle and joint aches

 These symptoms are not part of normal digestion. If you experience any of these symptoms, try ruling out the causes below:

1. Dehydration

Dry mouth is an indication that you’re dehydrated and it’s already too late! Once the body is dehydrated, it will draw water from vital organs, such as the mucus membrane in the stomach, small and large intestine which can inhibit digestion.

When mucus membrane of the colon is dehydrated, there is not enough lubrication in the mucus membrane, making bowel movements hard to pass, leading to constipation. The large intestine is primarily responsible for recycling water from feces as needed, dehydration on any level will result in more water extraction. You can also add a pinch of coloured salt to your water to increase absorption of water and aid in HCl production.

Solution: Drink at least half your bodyweight in kg in ounces per day, or equivalently, body weight in kg x 0.033 in litres.

 

2. Drinking too much liquid during your meals

Drinking water during your meals actually dilutes the HCl concentration in your stomach.

Solution: Avoid dilution by drinking water 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after your meal. Food is about 80% water, focus on chewing your food until it turns to slush.

 

3. Stress

Stress disrupts digestion by activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), which can lease to decreased digestive capacity. When you start your day by rushing to prepare for work, the digestive system shuts down. If you find you are too busy to have a good lunch mid day, and you battle traffic when you return home just to listen to the news, you further escalate your stress response, often resulting in constipation.

Solution: Enjoy your meals. Take your time, put your smartphones and laptops away, chew your food, and eat in a quiet, peaceful setting.

 

4. Food intolerances

Food intolerance commonly causes inflammation in the gut. The greater level of inflammation in your digestive system, the more difficult to achieve optimal body composition. There are numerous companies that can conduct blood testing to determine food allergy and food sensitivity.

Solution: Get a food sensitivity test and avoid foods you are intolerant to.

 

A healthy functioning gut is required for nutrient absorption, lowering inflammation and maintaining your energy level. If you experience any of these symptoms and it’s not getting better, book an appointment in order to make sure your digestive system is fully functional.

 meat, recipes Permalink

Easy Roast Chicken Recipe

When roasting vegetables, we like to leave the skin on. Just give them a quick wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic into cloves, also leaving the skin on. We use organic chicken, which is typically leaner and we leave the skin on. Leave all the skin on.

We prefer dark meat, but this recipe can be used for whole chicken, thigh, or breast. By preheating the oven at 475°F and lowering it to 400°F, it provides a nice crispy skin leaving the meat tender and juicy. This recipe takes under 10 minutes to prepare. Pop the chicken in the oven and have dinner ready in under an hour. Try this easy roast chicken recipe tonight.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg organic chicken (whole, thighs or breast)
  • Aromatics: carrots, celery, onions
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 small bunch herbs: fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or a mixture

Method

  1. Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven.
  2. Preheat your oven to 475°F. There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.
  3. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife
  4. To cook your chicken, place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 55 – 65 minutes.
  5. Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the vegetables look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning.
  6. Rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside.

 

 exercise, program design Permalink

Steady state cardio can make you fat

For the general public, most of us exercise to improve our physical appearance or improve general health and prevent disease.

What does the general population do to get to their goal? We often hear: running, cycling, swimming, or any other moderate-intensity, prolonged, steady-state aerobic activity. You can easily spot this demographic walking into any commercial or residential gym. Those who continue to run, swim, and cycle further and more frequently are losing muscle; and as it continues to  decline they’re (1) storing fat, (2) losing strength and (3) reducing their resting metabolic rate.

1. Prolonged cardio leads to excess cortisol.

During exercise, cortisol, a stress hormone, is secreted as soon as a workout starts and continues to rise until completion. This stress response creates a catabolic, “muscle wasting” effect. To have a muscle building effect, we want a high testosterone to cortisol environment, generally found in high intensity, short bouts of stimulus.

2. Prolonged cardio leads to loss in muscle mass.

Another way aerobic or endurance exercise leads to muscle loss. Jogging may be accelerating the muscle loss, fiber shift, and fat storage that’s normally associated with aging.

3. Prolonged cardio leads to decline in resting metabolic rate (RMR).

Most people continue to believe obtaining a better physique requires consuming less calories, burning more calories, or a combination of the two. Unfortunately, the body is a beautiful machine and can adjust for the low intake during caloric restriction or a high caloric output during exercise, further hanging on to fat to store for future needs. You are essentially making your body less efficient at fat burning and more efficient at fat storing.

Exercise to build, not to burn.

Individuals that work on building muscle always look better than those that focus on burning calories. Not only because a toned muscular body is more aesthetically pleasing, but because muscle increases our resting metabolic rate. At KX Yorkville, we believe we need the right amount of stimulus to allow the body to shed fat and obtain optimal body composition. Overtraining and undertraining will both lead to fat storing, under or overeating will also lead to fat gain. That’s why we are here to work with you to find the balanced equation, specific to your body type. Book a consultation with our Exercise Coaches to get started.

 

Train smarter, not harder.

 lifestyle, natural products Permalink

The best natural deodorant

Summer is around the corner and effective natural deodorant would be helpful in the scorching Toronto heat.

 

Endocrine disruption with drug store deodorant

Most people don’t realize that one of the many reasons why some people fail to lose weight is due to the toxins stored in fat. The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients daily.

The primary ingredient used in most antiperspirants is aluminum. Aluminum is a metal, which is used in antiperspirants to help block the sweat from escaping the pores. Aluminum has been linked to breast cancer in women and has also been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Several studies have shown a link between increasing antiperspirant use and rising rates of female breast cancer and prostate cancer in men. However, the FDA has not committed to classifying it as a carcinogen.

 

The best natural deodorant

There is an abundance of lymph nodes under your armpit and by preventing sweat from escaping your pores is a cause for disaster. We’ve tried plenty of natural deodorants in the market and we’ve found the best one for you. We highly recommend Leaves of Trees Deodorant- undoubtedly the best natural deodorant available. Leaves of Trees deodorant is made from natural ingredients with antibacterial properties, using neem tree oil and essential oils. We love this product because it does not have any artificial fragrances or artificial preservatives. This is not an antiperspirant so it wont interfere with the natural sweating process. Sweat doesn’t have an unpleasant odour until bacteria is on the surface of your skin and it decomposes into foul compounds. The antibacterial properties prevent the odour from breeding. In addition, this deodorant also contains baking soda to keep you smelling fresh, as well as a fine clay, which absorbs moisture to keep you drier.

 

How to use

Just squeeze out ⅛”-¼” of the product per arm will last you a good day. It has no visible residue so it won’t stain on your clothes.

 

You can beat the heat with natural deodorant! Come pick up your tube at KX Yorkville today or learn how beauty products can be the reason you’re not losing fat.

 lifestyle, nutrition Permalink

How to overcome sugar cravings

 

Sugar is an extraordinarily destructive substance that tends to be overconsumed by most people. Sugar is highly addictive substance that plays a pivotal role in the development of many of the devastating illnesses we fear most, namely heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, just to name a few. Granted the body does need trace amounts of sugar to function, but the average Canadian is eating sugar by the pound, not the molecule. Some estimates put the average adult intake close to 130 pounds of sugar a year. We can help you overcome sugar cravings.

 

Here are a few tips to help you get rid of the sugar cravings:

  1. Eat regularly and choose whole foods. Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks.
  2. Have protein and fat with each meal. This helps sustain blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each.
  3. Take  good quality supplements. Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse and the fewer nutrient deficiencies we have, the fewer cravings. Certain nutrients seem to improve blood sugar control including chromium, vitamin B3 and magnesium.
  4. Exercise, dance or stretch. Moving energizes your body and decreases your need for a sugar lift.
  5. Get to sleep by 10:30pm. When we are tired we often use sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion.
  6. Learn to read labels. Become familiar with sugar terminology and recognize that all of these are sweeteners: agave, corn syrup, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, cane sugar, cane crystals, fruit juice concentrates, molasses, turbinado sugar and brown sugar.
  7. Sugar in disguise. Remember that most of the “complex” carbohydrates we consume like bread (including whole wheat), bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all. They are usually highly refined and metabolizes like refined sugar.
  8. Supplement on L-Glutamine: 1000-2000 mg every couple of hours as necessary. It often relieves sugar cravings as the brain uses it for fuel.
  9. Stay hydrated. Sometimes what we perceive as a food craving is really thirst. Drink ½ of body weight in ounces of water per day.

Try cutting sugar out for 2 weeks–it may just be the reason why you’re hanging on to your love handles. Eliminate all forms of sugar including sugary drinks, bread, pasta, fruits, thick-skinned vegetables and opt in for low glycemic vegetables. Book an appointment to get appropriate guidance to shedding the stubborn fat. Read more about Biosignature Modulation and Five Important Rules Fat Loss here.

 

 exercise Permalink

Optimizing performance with pre workout

There are many different supplements marketed as performance enhancers in the world of sports nutrition. Among the list of popular pre workout supplements, there are: nitric oxide, caffeine, creatine, glycerol and many more. Here are our top three favourite pre and intra workout supplements to take your results from 0 to 100.

  1. Beta alanine. Beta-alanine is the building block of carnosine, a molecule that helps to buffer acid in muscles, increasing physical performance in the hypertrophy and muscular endurance (60-240 second) range. Carnosine appears to be an anti-oxidant and anti-aging compound. Many people report to push an extra one to two additional reps when training between 8-15 repetition. Beta-alanine can also aid lean mass gain.
  1. BCAA. BCAA are specific amino acids that have the most significant role in stimulating protein synthesis. High quality BCAA should occur in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine : isoleucine : valine. Supplementing on BCAA prevents damages to muscle during exercise, preventing muscle soreness and faster recovery.
  1. Electrolytes. When you shift to a low-carb diet, your body ends up excreting more sodium and water. This can lead to mineral imbalances, lower blood pressure and sluggishness. Supplementing daily with 3 to 5 grams of sodium and 2 to 3 grams of potassium allowed subjects who were exercising on a low-carb diet to maintain circulation and avoid losing muscle mass. Take electrolytes to get both sodium and potassium together. Cooking with meat broths and using Celtic or Himalayan salt on your food or add a pinch of salt in your water can also help.

Pre workout and intra workouts depends on your activity, program and end goal. Want to enhance your workouts and get results faster? Learn how to supplement with food and nutrients to improve physical performance and body composition. Book in with one of our exercise coaches for a complimentary assessment  to see how we can help.

 

 exercise, structural balance Permalink

What you need to know before starting a program

Most people we see want to drop x% of body fat and look good naked. Guess what? Your posture is half the battle.

A good trainer will be able to help you achieve your goal, but should also be able to identify, as well as modify exercises and correct structural imbalances to avoid potential injury. When a muscle becomes locked short and tight, the antagonist (opposite) muscle often becomes locked long and weak. For example, in the common slouching in front of the computer posture, the trapezius is ‘locked long’, eccentrically loaded and strained, while the pectoralis minor will be ‘locked short’, concentrically loaded and bunched. This creates imbalance in the body and increases fascial bonding and thixotropy of the surrounding intercellular matrix. In layman’s terms, the body often will reinforce these faulty recruitment patterns and lay down more collagen fibers around the awful position you sit in.

 

What is the danger of neglecting structural balance?

Now, imagine putting muscle on a structurally imbalanced person, lets say, with typical forward head posture from tight anterior chain, and weak, under active posterior chain. You will start building muscle on the imbalanced foundation, displacing the spine more anteriorly, and putting pressure on the joints and ligaments. The long and weak muscles will be weaker and the short and tight muscles will become tighter. poor desk posture

No one should be doing plyometrics if they are not structurally balanced or able to squat 1.5x their body weight. Maybe you’ll see it performed by Instagram “fitness enthusiasts”, but that typically does not work for the general structurally imbalanced population who are doing jump squats with underactive gluteuses who slouch in front of their desk 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

 

Our team of exercise coaches and therapists, we will help you reach your goals faster.

Do you experience nagging shoulder pain? Weak upper back? Tight neck or hips? We’ll fix that first. Before an exercise program is created, we first assess your structural balance with functional movement patterns and static posture. Then we send you off to our Chiropractor for an orthopedic assessment and spinal analysis. Using all the given information and your goals in mind, we then create a customized training program tailored for you.

 

So, will it take longer to reach my goal?

Absolutely not. Our clients typically drop 1-2% body fat every 2 weeks, demonstrate better posture, energy and lower their risk of injuries. If you want to experience it for yourself, come in for a complimentary consultation and a training session, on us. Limited spots available.

 

You’re only as strong as your weakest link. Train smarter, not harder.

 

 chiropractic, therapy Permalink

Text neck from poor posture

Text neck is a term we are all guilty of practicing. Prolonged used of smartphone use causes an  increase in forward pressure and load on the cervical spine. Forward neck posture causes an increase pressure on the small cervical muscles, joints and disc. Kenneth Hansraj, a New York back surgeon, stated, “As the head tilts forward the forces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees.”

Poor posture can lead to excessive weight on joints, muscle, and discs. Degeneration can lead to arthritis manifesting as neck pain.

Four ways to avoid text neck:

  1. Avoid prolonged texting
  2. Use microphone option
  3. Use voice recognition
  4. Alter texting positions
  5. Strengthen long and weak muscles and lengthen short and tight muscles through exercise and therapy.

The domino effect of poor posture

The effect of posture on health is becoming more evident. Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, heart rate and lung capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture. One of the most common postural problem caused by text neck is forward head carriage.  Forward head carriage requires constant neck muscle effort to keep your head upright this has a domino effect down the entire body and spine.

Maintaining  good posture is essential for optimal health. With a little effort guidance from your Chiropractor, you can be prevent pain and injury caused by poor posture. Take advantage of our complimentary postural and spinal analysis to see if you have become a victim to the Text Neck!

—

Dr. Sabaa Aziz
Chiropractor, Acupuncture, Craniosacral