You’ve heard me say many times that “you don’t need to live off raw kale and green juices to look and feel your best“. Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind: I still strongly believe that life is way too short to feel deprived and miserable. Nutrition can be sexy if you know how to master and combine the power of foods with the pleasure of eating, just like the French do.

However, many of my clients kept asking me to include juices in my nutrition programs. So I listened and I did it…

Did I say juices? Moi?  Well, not any kind of juices is welcome in my programs… Only the ones that follow 5 principles.

Principles that make those juices true anti-oxidants, nutrients, alkalising powerhouses!

Principle #1: no fruit juices, vegetable juices only.

About to make my green smoothies!

While most of us think juices are our best health allies, they actually are often our worst enemies!

We have all been brainwashed by the health halo that juices have. Since our childhood, we’ve been told that an orange (or other fruit) juice had to be part of our breakfasts. We were even advised to add fruit juices as great healthy options for our kids’ lunch boxes. Well, it’s time to totally shift our perception and look at juices for what they are: absolute sugar bombs that contribute to making our society fatter and sicker every day.

Am I exaggerating? An apple or orange or mango juice can contain as much sugar as a Coca-Cola. When we consume fruits without the pulp, we absorb the sugar straight away, generating a spike in our blood sugar, quickly followed by a crash that triggers a need for more sugar… The typical vicious circle of sugar addiction (weight gain, tooth decay amongst many other nasty things).

Consider fruit juices as treats just like cakes and make vegetable juices.

With vegetable juices, it’s also important to be careful. Most of them, even the so-called ‘green’ juices you’ll find in juice bars or even in health food stores are usually loaded with sugar as they mainly contain fruits like apples and a very little amount of vegetables. The best vegetable juices are the ones made mainly of leafy greens.

The solution? Make your own juices, with leafy greens and ONE serve of fruit (for 1 to 1.5 litre of juice) whether it’s one banana or one apple or one orange.

Principle #2: the best is in the pulp .

Even if your green juice is only made with leafy greens, it’s still only a juice, without fibre and nutrients that the pulp contents.

Without the pulp, your body won’t be able to process and make the most of the health benefits of the vegetables.

So here’s my simple rule: Instead of discarding the pulp, always add it to the juice. 

Principle #3: choose the most powerful leafy greens.

I hugely recommend choosing the leafy greens with the highest level of nutrients… And thank God for people like me who loathe kale, there are many other and better options as I explained in this article.  

The Centre for Disease Control ranked 47 powerhouse fruits and vegetables according to how much fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein and potassium they contain. Kale came at the 15th position ONLY with a ‘low’ nutrient density score of 49.07 out of 100! This means that we have 14 other options more nutritious (and with a better taste –  at least for me!) than kale!

Personally, I like spinach, rocket, parsley and cress. 

And of course, organic only, as the last thing you want is to drink a glass full of highly toxic pesticides.

Principle #4: make sure you can absorb all nutrients.

My just-made green smoothies.

These leafy greens are rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

This means that for these vitamins to be absorbed properly by your body, they need to be consumed with fat. So each time you make your green smoothie, always add a good quality fat (3 spoons for one litre) of olive oil to make the most of these very important vitamins.

It sounds odd and not very appealing but you won’t notice it once it’s blended with all the vegetables.

Also to make your smoothie even more alkaline, anti-oxidant and rejuvenating, add one big lemon (juice, pulp and white flesh!). It will not only add a rich flavour but also all the super benefits lemons bring – as explained in my article here.

Principle #5: take good care of your green juices.

Your green juices (with pulp!) have 3 enemies: heat, light and time. They all reduce the number of vitamins and nutrients considerably.

So as soon as you have made your juices, put them straight away in the fridge, don’t let them in the daylight and consume them within 3 days maximum.

The fresher, the colder, the better! Simple.

Here’s my recipe:

To make 1 to 1.5 litre of green juice, put all these ingredients (organic ONLY) in a blender and once done, store in 500ml glass bottles:

• one banana OR one apple
• 3 large handful of spinach
• 3 large handful of rocket
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 lemon: juice, pulp and white flesh
• 3 large spoons of olive oil
• add filtered water

I usually recommend my clients to at least have 500ml a day if they can’t manage to have enough leafy greens in their diet.

Have a beautiful green end of the week.

Yves

PS. Have your say! I’ve been pretty quiet on my blog over the last few months as I am super busy working on a few new nutrition programs to help heal specific conditions such as gut health, diabetes type 2 or meet specific goals such as slowing the ageing process, managing stress or adopting intermittent fasting safely. I would love to know what you think: simply tell me what programs could interest you by sending me a short message to yves@nutritionbyyves.com.au

Merci!

The post Green juices? Only if… appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

As you know, I LOVE soups. Delicious, satisfying, alkalising, packed with vegetables, minerals and vitamins, winter soups are an essential part of the traditional French diet and play definitely a critical role to make the French one of the healthiest and slimmest people on the planet.

My family onion soup recipe… To die for!

I am a big fan of homemade soups and broths as most already-made soups you find in supermarkets are loaded with nasty ingredients that turn one of the healthiest dishes into a food to be avoided at all cost.

However, I know that we don’t have always the time to shop for the best vegetables, prepare and cook soups at home. So when I received a beautiful hamper from Amy’s Kitchen packed with their organic soups, I decided to make a quick review of the supermarket soups that I eat myself and recommend to my clients. I hope you’ll find this winter soups review useful.

I hope you’ll find this winter soups review useful.

Winter soups review: Pintago

Pintago soups: organic and delicious

Proudly based in New Zealand, Pintago is a very popular brand you can find in many supermarkets. They cleverly called themselves ‘the soups for the lazy foodie’!

The Free Range Spring Lamb is my favourite but many others are also absolutely delicious. I like the fact that they sustainably source their fresh ingredients from small, local growers. 

Without any added preservatives either, they have plenty organic, gluten-free and vegetarian options and contain several serves of vegetables per pack!

Almost as good as my list of homemade organic soups here.

Winter soups review: the Art of Whole Food

The Art of whole Food and Naked Locals soups: yummy!

Bone broths can make a huge difference on your health so if you don’t have the time to cook your own broth (you can find my family recipe here), the broths from the Art of Whole Food are the best option.

The Art of Whole Food is a small boutique Australian company run by a nutritionist with a passion for cooking and premium quality food, using only fresh, locally sourced grass-fed beef and free-range chicken and organic vegetables.

Great news! You can buy them online. A bit pricey but so worth it, if you’re serious about reclaiming your health as I explained in this blog.

Winter soups review: Naked Locals

‘Naked-cuisine without compromise’, Naked Locals pride themselves in using local and fresh produce. They also don’t use any added preservatives.

My favourite is the Windsor Mushroom soup with mushrooms from the Hawkesbury Valley.

These soups are cheaper as they are not organic. One thing I don’t like though: they contain canola oil, one of the worst oils…

Winter soups review: Amy’s Kitchen

Amy’s Kitchen: organic, delicious, affordable.

Who would have thought that I would recommend canned soups one day? Well, Amy’s Kitchen made me change my mind.

Amy’s Kitchen is a family business based in the US, deeply committed to producing yummy, convenient and affordable organic soups.

GMOs, dairy, wheat and gluten free, these vegetable soups are full of flavour, well balanced and the most affordable organic option of my winter soups review.

Very important, all their cans are BPA free, which makes them totally safe to use.

My favourites are the Quinoa and Red Lentil and the Split Pea soups.

One thing to watch: sodium!

Except for The Art of Whole Food, all soups from my review, with between 250 and 350 mg per 100 gr, are high in sodium.

So please don’t use salt at all, add some water and enjoy these soups with moderation.

Once again, while all these soups are super handy and easy, nothing is better, healthier and more delicious than a homemade soup. So if you want to master the art of homemade soups, have a look at my Delicious Sexy Soups Series on bone broth, healthy soups and soups for weight loss. You’ll love it!

Have a fantastic end of the week.

Yves

PS1. I’m not affiliated to any of these supermarket soups. I simply received a hamper with Amy’s Kitchen soups.

PS2. I’ll be in France for my annual (delicious!) Tour de France from the end of June for 3 weeks. See you mid-July!

The post Winter soups review appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

Parties, celebrations, drinks, lazy long summer lunches… I hope you enjoy the silly season as much as I do… You know me, I’m not at all going to ask you to stop! Never. However, we also need to face the reality: we all know these few days or even weeks for some (many?) are not the best thing for our health.

Our diet and lifestyle become hyper acidic (too much alcohol, too much sugar, too much food, less sleep, sometimes more stress), which has a direct negative impact on our body, health and waistline.

Good news! I have a few solutions for you.

The first thing you can do is to go back to my recent article here on my approach to an alkaline diet, the best way to feel better while losing weight.

You also can follow my 13 tips to navigate (and enjoy!) the silly season…

No need to use all of them… Try the ones that are the easiest for you. My advice? Focus on tips #4, #7, #12 and #13!

silly season tip #1: 

CHECK-IN WITH YOURSELF before a meal and assess your hunger. Decide how you want to feel at the end of the meal. You don’t have to leave the table stuffed and miserable.

silly season tip #2: 

DON’T RUSH your food and overeat. Remember, you will have many of these festive meals: there’s no need to fear missing out! Relax.

silly season tip #3: 

LIMIT triggers as much as you can: caffeine, alcohol (I know it’s hard!), refined sugars and packaged foods. The more you eat, the more you want.

silly season tip #4: 

IF YOU CAN, have a healthy substantial snack (made of proteins and low GI carbs) half an hour before big festive meals. A few of my clients eat 20 to 40% less when they follow this simple rule.

silly season tip #5: 

THINK FIBRE, FRESH, GREEN, CLEAN: unlimited amounts of organic leafy green vegetables: a spinach and lettuce leaf salad with a beautiful dressing.

silly season tip #6: 

DITCH the processed mayonnaise or dressing and other nasty pre-made sauces. Always choose: olive oil, sea salt, lemon, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard.

silly season tip #7: 

EAT MINDFULLY AND SLOWLY and savour your food. Meals with others always taste special and better, so don’t speed through them. You may want to go back to my last article. It could help your waistline a lot!

silly season tip #8: 

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, EVERY DAY: lemon juice (or 3 tbs apple cider vinegar) diluted in warm water. You can add 1 tbs of maple syrup or raw honey.

silly season tip #9: 

DRINK MORE THAN 2 LITRES a day of filtered water. I can see some of you frowning already… It’s non-negotiable, sorry! Alkaline water is my water of choice in particular during the silly season.

silly season tip #10: 

SWAP COFFEE (even if you love it like I do) for green tea as often as possible, or even better for coconut water.

Don’t be too silly! 2 glasses of water for each glass of Champagne!

silly season tip #11: 

ON THE DAYS BEFORE THE ‘BIG’ DAYS:

• Eat lots of green vegetables and fruit.
• Also include neutral and restoring foods like whole grains – brown rice, quinoa and couscous.

silly season tip #12: 

ON THE ‘BIG’ DAYS:

• Choose seafood and fish over meat.
• If you do eat meat, accompany it with plenty of mustard it helps break it down more easily.
• Don’t go for second servings, and certainly not third!
• Try to eat lots of leafy green vegetables and salads at each meal.
• Drink lemon in water during meals.
• Drink 2 large glasses of water for each glass of wine/Champagne/alcohol.
• Portion control: once again, relax. Remember that you will have many of these festive meals, there’s no need to fear missing out!
• To avoid binge eating, never sit down to a meal feeling super hungry: have a healthy snack before each big meal.

silly season tip #13: 

HAVE FUN, make memories, let go and relax: quality time with those we love reduces stress hormones and promotes health. Celebrate the good.

I also would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support during 2016. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my clients, my supporters and Facebook fans here in Australia and overseas…  It means a lot to me.

Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)!

Yves

PS1. I’ll be in France for the next few days celebrating Noël with my family. I can’t wait to see you… next year! I’m back to Sydney on 1/1 and will take new client appointments from 9/1.

PS2. Not receiving my newsletter with delicious nutrition tips yet? Sign up here, it’s FREE.

The post Silly season! appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

I have some great news for you, right in time for summer: you can lose weight without even trying… just like the French! And it’s much easier than you think. You might have never heard of it or might not believe it but trust me, it works.

My clients all love it.

While the French traditional diet will always play a key role in making the French one of the slimmest and healthiest people on the planet, they have a few best-kept secrets to sustaining a healthy weight – and lose a few kilos – which has nothing to do with their diet.

I called it the EBEL © approach: Eat Better to Eat Less © – and still feel satisfied without any frustration!

If you practice it every day, I GUARANTEE YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT –  even if you don’t change your diet.

Please read until the end of the article: weight-loss secret #5 is the most important and the most effective!

Weight-loss secret #1: FOCUS

Following the French approach to eating meals will help you feel your best: whenever you eat, EAT.

Focus. Yes, focus.

Be aware of your food: it feeds your cells, your body, your mind and makes you who you are.

Food is life so give the food the presence it deserves… at every meal.

Weight-loss secret #2: RELAX

Sit and relax…

Have you noticed that when you ‘stress eat’, you feel bloated and heavier after your meal? If you aren’t relaxed, the assimilation of nutrients is jeopardised.

If you aren’t relaxed, the assimilation of nutrients is jeopardised.

Sit and relax. Don’t eat on the go. Never.

Don’t eat on the go. Never.

Allow yourself, at least during your meals, to forget about your worries. Make each mealtime a stress-free experience.

Weight-loss secret #3: BREATHE before you eat

Oxygen is key to our metabolism and is known to promote the assimilation of nutrients.

Take long deep breaths before you eat: 5 is good, 10 is great, 15 is fantastic.

Weight-loss secret #4: LOOK

Look at your food.

LOOK at the colours, the texture, the fine details.

A few seconds are enough to make you appreciate the beauty of your meal.

Weight-loss secret #5: CHEW – the most important!

As we say in France, “ton estomac n’a pas de dents”: your stomach doesn’t have teeth!

Chewing before swallowing is critical to breaking down your food and optimising the digestion of nutrients. I know it’s difficult; sometimes I still need to remind myself to chew properly. It’s one of the keys to successful and sustained weight loss.

… And SUCCEED! (Photo Credit: vince Frost)

You might have tried to chew more before and given up, but please try again. Here’s how to do it:

After each bite, put your fork down and chew until the food is almost liquid in your mouth. Then swallow. It takes practice but if you’re persistent, it can quickly become a habit. You will naturally eat much less, which inevitably leads to losing weight, a lot of weight!

You easily can end up eating 20 to 30% less, without feeling deprived: that feeling of hunger stops 20 minutes after you start eating and chewing properly makes you slow down so when you reach 20 minutes, you won’t have had eaten as much as usual. You will feel satisfied so will stop eating.

Simple and super effective.

WITHOUT EVEN TRYING, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT.

100% guarantee.

ALL of my private clients who did not manage to change their diets lost weight by using and sticking to my EBEL © (Eat Better To Eat Less ©) method. A LOT of weight without feeling hungry and while still eating for pleasure.

It takes some practice, but IT WORKS. How does this sound?

As always, I’m here to help on your journey to optimum health (which is also about delicious food choices inspired by the time-tested French food wisdom -so easy to implement), so contact me if you have any question.

Have a beautiful end of the week.

Yves

The post Weight-loss secret appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

Food additives are a major concern for me and I know most of you feel the same. The simplest way to be safe is to only eat real, whole, local and fresh (ideally organic) food that you cook at home. But it’s not always possible…Even if food additives are approved by regulators (Food Standards Australia New Zealand here), recent studies conducted in Europe suggest that we need to be extremely cautious with at least some of them…

My advice? Read the labels… All of them. And if you see one of these additives listed below, run!…

these food Additives may cause cancer

E150c and E150d caramel colour additive are used in colas, balsamic vinegar, lollies, sauces… Research showed that after 2 years mouses suffer from lung cancer and leukaemia. No research has been made on humans yet…

The E320 antioxidant is widely used in chewing-gums, soups and mashes. Studies run by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France suggest that it could trigger cancers if you consume it every day for a few years. Even in small amounts, it also could have an impact on hormones, in particular for kids and teenagers who consume a lot of chewing-gums.

these food additives may cause allergies

E102 and E124 colorants, used in lollies, processed meats and drinks could cause skin allergies for some people… A study in Europe showed that the amount of E124 is often 4 to 10 times higher than the quantity allowed by regulators…

E220 to E228 preservatives  (or sulphites) can be found in alcoholic drinks (such as wine), caned vegetables, mustard, crackers… For people suffering from asthma, one dose only can generate headache, rashes, breathing difficulties.   With only one glass of wine, you can exceed the ‘healthy’ daily dose. If you want to enjoy wine, follow my advice here and drink organic wines, as they don’t have any sulphites.

these food Additives may cause hyperactivity in children

E102 and E124 again but also E104, E110, E122, E129 bring bright colours to lollies, sodas, processed meats. However they are on a watch list in Europe as they may play a critical role in kids’ hyperactivity. The best is to avoid them altogether.

these food Additives may cause numerous harms

These nanoparticles are simply… evil! E170 to 172 (white) colorants used in lollies and chewing-gums, E550 and E551 used in instant coffee or chocolate powder can be used in nanoparticles form. Many research suggest that they could leak into the liver, kidneys, heart and brain – and their safety hasn’t been proved yet…

There is a wealth of research on the potential negative impacts of aspartame (E951): cancers, headache, epilepsy,  weight gain, depression… The list is endless. Other studies show that the risk is quite limited as you would need to eat a lot to jeopardise your health… I made up my mind and for me, it’s quite simple: aspartame and all other artificial sweeteners are a big no-no. Only use natural sugar (with moderation!).

E433 and E466 are in many pastries, cakes and dairies. They actually could have a huge impact on your gut flora. Maintaining a very healthy gut flora is the key to optimum health as explained here, so please avoid these emulsifiers at all cost!

My last 3 tips to stay away from additives

To stay away from additives as much as possible:

• Read this very insightful and comprehensive article by Choice if you want to know more about the dangerous world of food additives.
• Reduce your intake of processed foods and choose products with 3 ingredients maximum.
• Prefer organic food.

And don’t forget: follow my motto Real Food + Pleasure = Health© and be happy and healthy!

Have a beautiful food-additive-free end of the week!

Yves

PS. Want to receive my FREE nutrition tips straight to your inbox? Sign up here!

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What if you could know how 10,000 people (yes, 10,000!) maintained a 15-kg weight loss over a year, with 87% of them for over 10 years? That would be quite something, wouldn’t it? So keep reading as this is exactly what the US National Weight Control Registry researched – one of the most interesting studies I’ve seen in years!

Very useful and very inspiring.

Take a minute to look at the key eight findings. If 10,000 people did it, so can you!

1. Healthy people make the transition from losing to maintaining as seamless as possible.

The optimal way to lose weight is a way in which the changes from weight loss to maintenance are minimised.

If you lose weight on a very unusual diet, for example where you’re only eating one type of food or you’re on a liquid meal plan, it can make it more difficult to transition to maintenance. You maybe know what to do for weight loss, but then you have to relearn what to do to eat a normal healthy diet. As if you needed another reason not to try the grapefruit diet! Exactly what I’ve preaching for years with my formula Real Food + Pleasure = Health©.

Instead, learning right off the bat what it feels like to consume a more wholesome diet and incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine will help build healthier patterns that truly last.

2. Healthy people are active. Really active.

The average maintainer logs at least 3,5 hours a week of physical activity. There’s limited data currently as to what kind of role the type of exercise plays; what’s more important is simply moving more, even if it’s just brisk walking – as recommended in my last article HERE.

In fact, successful maintainers may be even more active than people who have always been at a healthy weight, according to a previous research. In that study, participants who had always been at a healthy weight were more likely to engage in 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity, where more maintainers sweated it out for more than 60 minutes at a time. So… go for a walk. Now!

3. Healthy people don’t spend as much time in front of the TV.

How do they find the time to fit in all that fitness? Part of it appears to be coming from decreased screen time, particularly with television viewing. They log less than 10 hours of TV time a week, while the average American adult watches more like 28 – pretty much similar to what we see here in Australia or New Zealand, scary, isn’t it?

But limited time on the couch is important for another reason: for many of us, TV time also means snack time. By cutting down on TV time and increasing physical activity there may be a duel benefit of additional calorie burn and also potentially reducing eating that would otherwise occur.

4. Healthy people find support.

Accomplishing just about any goal feels more attainable with a team of cheerleaders by your side. Social support has been linked to weight loss and maintenance in research and anecdotally among couples, friends and groups who tackle their goals together. Whether it’s making a date with a gym buddy, a nutrition coach or checking in with a fitness-tracking app, sharing maintenance plans with a support team can help you stay accountable.

Most of my clients told me the regular one-on-one Skype calls they have with me is critical to find the support they needed and stick to my (delicious) nutrition coaching program.

5. Healthy people stay positive.

Anecdotally maintainers tend to concentrate on the good. They have a real focus on the positive, the benefits of weight loss.

Successful maintainers focus on how much better they feel, how they’re able to do more physically than before or that they’re finding more enjoyment in life. They talk about how they’ve gotten so many benefits and it’s been such a positive experience that they can’t imagine going back to old habits.

Whether those reactions are based on the ways in which they’ve lost the weight or an intrinsic rosy outlook, maintenance does get a little easier over time, at least: the longer a person maintained weight loss, the less effort and attention it took.

6. Healthy people get enough sleep.

Although the sleep habits of maintainers have yet to be researched, there’s an abundance of evidence showing that when we don’t get enough sleep, we rely on more food to energise our days. It’s that simple.

And, unfortunately, our sleep-deprived cravings are not usually for the most nutritious options.

7. Healthy people track their progress…

Maintainers weigh themselves on the regular, with 38% saying they weigh in daily and 75% at least weekly. Doing so makes it possible to detect any weight gain while it stays relatively small, before it becomes a much bigger problem.

Also keeping a food journal plays a key role. I see it ALL THE TIME with my clients – but it’s true that I’m a little bit bossy as I ask for their journal every week . Research (and my experience!) shows that it can help you lose 2 to 3 kilos and keep it off!

8. … But they don’t judge what they see on the scale.

Successful maintainers keep the number on the scale in perspective. It’s important to be able to see the weight on the scale primarily as information and not as how you should feel about yourself for the day. 

With anybody, there’s going to be fluctuations of up to a few pounds from day to day based on factors other than changes in fat tissue. Fluid balance, for example, can produce a change in weight of up to a few pounds from day to day. You’re not necessarily interpreting any change in a single day or two to be highly significant. Rather, you’re looking at the trend over the course of weeks. You’re using it as information to guide behaviour and not as a way to determine self-worth.

So… Do you think you can do the same? Tell me!

Have a beautiful end of the week.

Yves

The post 10,000 healthy people did it. appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

Sustaining a healthy life style can quickly become difficult. Between our work life, family, kids, friends, it’s easy -and totally understandable, it happens to me too!- to step outside our health routine and choose what’s easy, hassle-free and convenient: for some it will be opting for take-away or processed food instead of cooking, for others it will be watching TV while browsing Facebook instead of going for a run or a swim and for others it will be… both! Sounds familiar?

So what can you do when you’re time-poor to eat healthy and exercise while looking after your family and your loved ones and performing at work?

Here are 2 of the tips I give to my super busy clients, in particular when they need to get back on track or simply when they feel overwhelmed.

2 tips amongst many but enough to help you go back to your health routine… Believe me (and my clients!), it’s much more easier than you think.

Health routine TIP 1: PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, it will save you time.

The key is to avoid falling back into bad habits. The solution? Plan, plan, plan:

• First of all, know how to shop. It sounds a bit patronising, I know, but if you follow this advice by the letter in particular if you’re uber busy, your waistline will thank you for ever. Sit down, make a shopping list and stick to it (and never do your grocery shopping when you’re hungry!).
• 

  Easy, quick, healthy and delicious.

  Always have versatile delicious real foods in your pantry like carrots, tomatoes, parsley, rocket, eggs, brown rice or quinoa. They are perfect to make nutritious salads and easy meals without having to spend hours in the kitchen!

• Think frozen vegetables and fruits already peeled and ready to use. I would usually go for fresh but frozen is ideal if you can’t shop a few times a week.
• Forget about biscuits and other sweet nasties. Choose nuts instead, or try my super healthy snacks ideas here.
• Each time you cook a meal, cook enough for a few days and freeze what you don’t eat on the day. It doesn’t take more time and you’re sure to have a healthy meal ready in your fridge and to keep your family happy and healthy.

With all these options, you’ll forget about the pre-made meals and take-away options, always loaded with sugar and bad fats. No more excuse to eat lollies all day or to skip a meal!

Health routine TIP 2: do like the French, it will save your life (and money).

It can be difficult to find an activity you can practice easily when you even struggle to find 2 minutes to enjoy a latte.

Do like the French: walk! The French aren’t super obsessed with going to the gym, running marathons or doing weights or cycling classes, but they are fit and one of the healthiest and slimmest countries on the planet. One of their secrets is walking. They walk to go to work, to the shops, to pick up their kids from school. They take their cars only when it is impossible to walk.

We are not designed to sit all the time, we’re meant to be active. Sitting is damaging our health, our waistline and is scientifically proven to shorten our lifespan. In the past, men used to walk between 10-20km a day, and women, between 4-6km! Yes, every day. We now tend to be sedentary for 60% of our day, mostly sitting.

Take every opportunity to stand and move every day:

• Break-up with your car – I know, it’s sad but you won’t regret it.
• Take the stairs and not the escalators or the lift.
• If you have to sit all day, go for a brief walk every hour.
• Get off the bus or the train one stop early.
• During a long meeting, stand up from time to time.
• If you have to drive, park further away from your destination.

Every step counts. Walking is critical to reduce anxiety, stress and depression, closely linked to weight gain. See all the benefits of walking in the infographic from the US Everybody Walk! campaign at the end of this article – impressive!

And you, what is your best way to stick to your health routine when you’re very busy? Let me know in the blue reply box below!

Have a beautiful weekend.

Yves

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“Organic Food: Century’s Greatest Scam” was the recent title of a very popular European magazine. Well, some journalists tend to love these bold statements, convinced they will hook more readers – and therefore attract more advertisers.Unfortunately in some cases these statements aren’t backed up by facts, which happens to be the case for organic foods.

Needless to say it upsets me. A lot.

Let’s get this right: if you’re serious about your health, organic foods can help you. A lot.

If you’re not convinced, here are four myths I want to debunk today, four myths that some use to stop you from buying organic foods.

Organic food myth #1: it is expensive.

Organic food costs more to produce so it can be more expensive to buy: it requires more time and more manpower as it is based on less intensive farming methods.

However if you adopt a (delicious) diet for optimum health, you end up eating less animal food, which means that you’ll spend way less on food – in particular if you follow one of my principles: real, fresh, local food, which is always less expensive. Finally if you go to your local farmers market or go directly to the farmers, you’ll again save money.

No, a healthy organic diet won’t break the bank, and yes, you can afford organic food on a budget. My clients know how to do it every day.

Organic food myth #2: it is not more nutrient-dense.

Organic Food as seen by our grandparents…

Some magazines regularly publish studies showing that organic food doesn’t contain more nutrients than conventional food. Totally untrue!

A wealth of reliable research have proved many times that organic food can provide up to 30% more nutrients such as vitamins or minerals. Yes, 30% more!

In addition, one of the benefits of eating organic vegetables and fruits is that you can (should) eat the skin, the most nutrient-dense part. If you don’t eat organic, forget about eating the skin – and all its benefits- as it is loaded in pesticides and other chemicals (even if you wash them) causing a lot of harm to your health and waistline.

Organic food myth #3: it’s not healthier.

So true!

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Organic farmers usually don’t use pesticides, artificial fertilisers, GMO and feed their animals with organic food only and don’t use antibiotics or hormones.

Therefore their products are much higher in antioxidants vitamins A, B, C, critical to protect the cells against free radicals, roots of many diet-related diseases. In addition, no artificial additives, colorants, conservatives can be used so you can be sure you don’t end up with a lot of nasties.

Organic food myth #4: you need to eat 100% organic to get the benefits.

Not at all.

If I encourage my clients to eat as much organic as they can, I know it’s not always possible or affordable.

Here are three of many very simple tips I give them:

1. Eggs, milk, butter, oil: always buy organic as conventional products are simply toxic, in particular if you eat a lot of them.
2. Vegetables and fruits: follow the guide provided by EWG which gives you the Dirty Dozen (vegetables and fruits you need to buy organic) and the Clean 15 (vegetables and fruits you don’t need to buy organic).
3. Use the directions below to wash vegetables and fruits that you don’t buy organic to get rid of the pesticides on the skin.
   

   Non organic food? Here’s one of the solutions.

Have a wonderful (and organic!) end of the week!

Yves

The post Organic Food: Scam? appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

It’s almost the end of my Tour de France 2015 and after 4 weeks spent in Paris, Bordeaux, Aurillac and on the Ile de Re, I’m happy to see that the French are still slim and fit… Traditional French food wisdom – the backbone of my approach –is instrumental in keeping them healthy.

So today as I know that some of you are thinking of going on a diet to feel and look better for summer, I wanted to share 7 mistakes most of the French don’t make when it comes to weight loss. 7 mistakes that can sabotage your hard work, prevent you from shedding those extra winter kilos and trigger the yo yo effect that most dieters unfortunately know!

I also could not resist the temptation to share the yummiest food photos of my trip. I hope you don’t mind… Bon appetit!

Mistake #1: deprive yourself.

Veuve on the Ile de Re.

This one is not negotiable for the French. Pleasure when eating is key. This is the only way to lose weight and keep it off. The recipe? Cherish your body, don’t punish it. Never feel deprived. Never deny yourself. If you follow a few principles that I cover extensively in my nutrition coaching programs, you can eat supposedly harmful or fattening foods such as butter, chocolate or cheese yet still be and stay slim…

My signature strategy Real Food + Pleasure = Health© has helped many of my clients embrace the positive approach to food and life of the French… desserts included! If 60 million French can do it, so can you!

Mistake #2: sweat on a dread-mill.

The best tomatoes from all shapes and colours.

Don’t get me wrong: exercising is critical for your health, your heart, your happiness. So please don’t stop! However when it comes to weight loss, it’s all about what you eat.

The fitness industry doesn’t like it and doesn’t want you to know it but it’s a fact: 70% of a summer body is made in the kitchen and 30% at the gym. Swimming, yoga, walking, dancing will help a lot but if you still eat rubbish (or if you eat more because you exercise!) you won’t see any results.

So if you want to make the most of the beach season, focus on your diet first.

Mistake #3: no gluten, no dairy, no grains, no sugar…

Saint Nectaire, Cantal and purple wild figs.

Unless you’re gluten or lactose intolerant or suffer from food allergies, there is no sensible reason to cut any food groups.

Ask any Parisians: none of them follow these kinds of unsustainable rules yet most of them are slim and healthy. “What kind of life is it if you can’t enjoy fresh wholemeal bread, delicious cheese, yummy desserts and a glass of red wine? Boring!” they would all tell you.

As long as those foods are real foods and part of a balanced diet, you’ll be fine… and happy!

Mistake #4: eat low-fat.

Clams, white wine, onions, parsley.

You need fat to lose fat. Period.

I know, it’s hard to believe. We’ve been brainwashed for decades about fat being our biggest enemy. We know now that we need fat for our brain, our skin, our organs, our cells.

However the trick is to know what types of fats to choose, as some are very healthy while others are super toxic (generally the ones used in processed foods, take-aways and most restaurants!).

Do like the French: enjoy olive oil (more about olive oil HERE), grass-fed butter and duck fat.

Mistake #5: skip breakfast.

Le Tourteau: very light French cheese cake.

Everywhere in France over the last 4 weeks I saw people religiously having breakfast.

I’m sure you’ve heard it many times before – even your mum might have told you this every morning. A wealth of research shows that starting the day with a good nutritious breakfast is the MOST important thing to do to beat cravings, lose weight and give you the focus and energy you need to function properly, whatever your day holds.

A recent study confirmed that 3/4 of people who managed to lose weight for good had breakfast every day.

So… DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST.

Mistake #6: eat salads.

Raw tuna, avocado, mango.

What? Salads make you fat? Well, not exactly… The dressing does! So many of my clients do this mistake: they don’t pay attention to the dressing, use way too much or not the right one. For instance did you know that a Caesar salad is one of the most fattening dishes? It is even included in my very popular food traps list!

Avoid supermarket dressings and sauces at all cost. They are all loaded with very bad fats (see mistake #4), sugar and other nasties. Always make your own.

For some ideas of the best dressings used by the French every day, check out my recipes HERE.

Mistake #7: be on a diet.

Roasted camembert with jambon.

Raw, paleo, no-sugar, green juices, 5:2… You might have tried many of those fads. As covered by the Sydney Morning Herald (see summary of the article HERE), most of those diets don’t work. Worse: they trigger the yo yo effect. There is a wealth of research showing that 90 to 99% of people on a diet end up putting the weight back on within a year. The more people try different diets, the more likely they will put the weight back on later. Cutting particular food groups, counting calories or avoiding fat are the yoyo effect best friends.

The solution? “It’s not about a diet, it’s a lifestyle”, as my clients describe my approach. It’s about empowering you with the knowledge to know what to eat, how to source it, how to cook it, and most importantly how to ALWAYS enjoy it. Simple, cheap, easy and… delicious!

If like the French you don’t make these mistakes and use my 3 tips from last week’s article (link), you’re on your way to make the most of summer!

Have a fabulous week!

Yves

The post How to avoid the yo yo effect. appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.

What can I do?  How can I find the time to eat healthy and exercise while looking after my family and/or my career? Is it even possible? I hear you! I know how overwhelming it can be… and often is. You’re not alone. This is one of my clients’ main concerns. 

So here are my 3 tips to start calming down and navigating your uber busy life. There are many other things you could implement but this is a good start and it’s much more easier than you think!

TIP 1 for time-poor people: PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, it will save you time.

The key is to minimise the number of times when you end up cooking and eating whatever you can find. The solution? Plan, plan, plan.

• 

  To keep calm: plan, plan, plan.

  First of all, know how to shop. Sit down, make a shopping list and stick to it (and never do your grocery shopping when you’re hungry!).

• Forget about pre-made meals and take-away options, always loaded with sugar and bad fats.
• Always have versatile delicious real foods in your pantry like carrots, tomatoes, rocket, eggs, brown rice or quinoa. They are perfect to make nutritious salads and easy meals without having to spend hours in the kitchen! Even if I’m a big fan of fresh, local and in season, frozen vegetables and fruits already peeled and ready to use can be a good option for you.
• Forget about biscuits and other sweet nasties for your snacks. Choose nuts and dried fruits instead. Or get some inspiration from my list of healthy snacks HERE.
• Each time you cook a meal, cook enough for a few days and freeze what you don’t eat on the day. It doesn’t take more time and you’re sure to have a healthy meal ready in your fridge and to keep your family happy and healthy.

With all these options, there’s no excuse to eat lollies all day, to skip a meal or to order a pizza every day for your family!

TIP 2 for time-poor people: WALK, WALK, WALK, it will save your life (and money).

The challenge here is to find an activity you like and you can practice any time without having to dedicate some extra time you actually don’t have (the best recipe for failure!).

Walking (or running) is perfect as you can do it whenever and wherever you want. No need to spend a fortune at the gym or in sport equipment.

Walking more is also one of the easiest solutions to balance out our modern-day sitting culture, which is literally killing us: sitting is damaging our health, our waistline and is scientifically proven to shorten our lifespan. You have to take every opportunity to stand and move every day.

The French for instance aren’t super obsessed with going to the gym, running marathons or doing weights or cycling classes, but they are fit and one of the slimmest and healthiest countries on the planet. One of their secrets is walking and it partly explains the French Paradox. They walk to go to work, to the shops, to pick up their kids from school. Many of them take their cars only when it is impossible to walk.

Break up with your car (even if it’s vintage)!

Do like the French… and stay fit and slim:

• Break-up with your car.
• Seize any opportunity to stand and walk.
• Take the stairs and not the escalators or the lift.
• If you have to sit all day, go for a brief walk every hour.
• Get off the bus or the train one stop early.
• During a long meeting, stand up from time to time.
• If you have to drive, park further away from your destination.

TIP 3 for time-poor people: RELAX, RELAX, RELAX, it will make you happy.

Being a good mother or father AND exercising AND eating healthy can be overwhelming if not very stressful. Stress is linked to our instinctive fight-flight response. This instinct produces cortisol in the body, used to find the energy to react to stress. Cortisol can be a good thing­ but in moderate doses only!

We aren’t designed to live with chronic stress, which many of us experience these days. With chronic stress our DNA gets confused and some of our genes are turned on while others are turned off, leading to increased body fat – particularly stomach fat, decreased muscle mass, weakened immune system, acidity in the body, greater susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases, decreased libido and poor sleep.

Time-poor? 5 min a day is enough.

The solution? Start meditating, even if it’s 5 minutes a day. It brings calmness and emotional balance. What monks have known for centuries about the benefits of meditation: alkalinity, anti-inflammation, increased immunity, increased fertility, decreased blood pressure, improved digestion. It’s not about beliefs anymore. It’s scientifically proven. In fact, many experts agree that meditation will be the next public health revolution! Simply download a free meditation app on your smart phone and start with 5 minutes of guided mediation every day.

It could change your life… like it changed mine and many of my clients.

PLAN, WALK AND RELAX… Easy, simple and cheap. 3 first steps to help you keep healthy and fit even if you are super buzy.

And you, what is your best way to eat healthy and exercise while looking after my family and/or my career?

Have a great Thursday and talk to you next week!

Yves

The post Time-Poor? This is for you. appeared first on Healing Nutrition by Yves.