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Most of us have heard that Omega 3 fatty acids are important to include in our diets.  Omega 3s are generally associated with heart health benefits, and they are also helpful in increasing HDL cholesterol, decreasing cancer, and improving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.  What you may not know that Omega 3s have weight loss and muscle recovery benefits, too!  Unfortunately, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough Omega 3s in your diet.

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It’s getting chilly out!  Warm yourself up from the inside out by making healthy soups, stews and chili with the abundance of veggies available to you during winter time!  In my opinion, soups are their own sort of weight loss superfood.  In addition to warming you up, soups are great for filling you up, especially if they’re full of nutritious legumes and root vegetables.  They’re great as meals or as a snack, and are generally low in calories.  Soups are also a great way to get your veggies, and you can use up whatever leftover veggies you have lying around in the fridge by just tossing them in!  Soups, stews and chili are also fairly easy to make, requiring little prep time.  They’re easy to pack for lunches, too – just buy yourself a good quality no-spill thermos!

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Yeah, it’s getting cold outside.  Sigh.  Winter is definitely on its way, bringing with it cravings for comfort foods.  The winter months are notorious for bringing on weight gain, and most of us acknowledge that we tend to eat more during these months.  What factors are at play here?  Are we genetically programmed to fatten up during winter months?  Does our metabolism actually slow down during winter?  What can we do to maintain our weight during this holiday season?

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We’ve all heard that the golden rule to weight loss and diet is ‘calories in, calories out.’  3500 calories equals a pound, so if we have a deficit of 3500 calories in a week, we’ll lose a pound that week, right?  Cool, so I can eat what I like and lose weight as long as I eat 500 calories less per day!?

Well, not quite.  Continue reading article →

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There are differing opinions all over the internet about just how much protein a woman needs in her diet to be healthy.  For example, the USDA recommends that adult women should get 46 grams of protein per day, but that doesn’t take into account activity level or fitness goals.  If you’re currently following an exercise plan like Athlean-XX for Women, and are looking to build a lean, strong physique, you may benefit from exceeding that USDA recommendation.

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