What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a plant! More specifically, a small evergreen shrub and it grows in India, Africa and parts of the Middle East. It is the root and berries of this incredible shrub that are edible and used medicinally. They contain chemicals that have been shown to calm the brain, reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system! Predominately, this ancient medicinal herb is used as an adaptogen (a natural product that is used to support the body in adapting to certain stressors and normalize different body processes).

How is it consumed?

Ashwagandha is usually consumed as a fine powder that can be mixed with ghee (clarified butter), honey and water. Alternatively, the powder is placed in a capsule and taken in pill form. Studies have shown that consuming 240 mg of the dose form of Ashwagandha daily over 60 days significantly improves symptoms of stress among other things. When using as a medicinal herb it is best to consume in pill form.

This is Kelly Carter Nutrition's Health Living Cornerstones! All you need to know In 3... 2... 1...

1. Continuous water intake

Your top priority when moving towards a healthy lifestyle should be achieving optimal hydration levels. It is not just about getting a few glasses in a day – you should be focusing on having around 500ml every hour or two, consistently throughout the day. Cutting out other forms of high caloric fluids will come more naturally when you begin to focus on proper hydration. Here are a few benefits that occur when you start hydrating appropriately:

• Increased energy and fatigue relief
• Promotes weight loss
• Flushes out toxins
• Improves immune system
• Helps to maintain regularity

Tip: keep a glass or bottle of water by your bed – as soon as you wake up have a glass or two!

2. Count colours...

Calcium has always seemed to be a hot topic especially when it comes to bone health. What exactly is Calcium? Calcium is a mineral in our body that is essential in the formation of bones, prevention of osteoporosis, nerve transmission and helps prevent blood clotting. Calcium is also very important in maintaining healthy blood pressure.

Society and the dairy industry has told us that dairy products must absolutely be a part of our diet in order to get enough calcium daily. While it is true that milk products do contain a lot of calcium, they are often poorly absorbed by the human body.

Recent studies have shown a very large increase in lactose intolerance and sensitivity in the American population over the last few years. Did you know by the age of 4, 90% of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose or the sugars in milk) is naturally depleted from the...

There are not too many things that you can control in the world, but for women the general health of your baby is one of them. What you consume on a daily basis while pregnant will determine the development and health of your baby for years to come.

Common sense would show that a diet full of nutrients and lack of chemicals/processed foods would support a healthy pregnancy. And this could not be more right. The following foods to avoid are those that are more susceptible to toxins and chemicals that can pass through to the baby in the uterus.

Raw eggs and poultry: no more runny eggs (must be cooked all the way through) and internal temperature of chicken should be 180F and reheated to 172F

Pate, soft and blue cheeses: commonly unpasteurized. Avoid blue, brie, camembert, stilton, Roquefort, soft goat/sheep cheese and feta

Raw shellfish ash sushi: may contain parasites. Can always opt for vegetarian sushi Deli meats: contain nitrates and possibly Listeria as well. This includes...

Did you know that a healthy human can consume up to 48 glasses of water in a single day (1)?! Water is necessary for human life! It makes up around 70% of our body weight and is responsible for many functions in the body. From weight loss to increased energy levels, disease prevention or increased athletic performance water truly is the elixir of life. Hydration levels will ultimately affect the balance of our body fluids, which in turn affects how our organ systems run.

When we do not consume enough water on a daily basis it can affect:

• Digestion
• Absorption
• Circulation
• Transportation of nutrition around the body
• Maintaining body temperature

How much water do you need to consume on a daily basis? It really depends on your age, body type and your lifestyle. The older we get our sense of thirst lessens and body water content decreases by up to 15% (2). This can put elderly people at higher risk for severe dehydration. Therefore the intake of water becomes much more necessary the...

Whether its the first 20lbs or the last 10lbs in order to achieve sustainable fat loss you must develop a healthy lifestyle routine! Here are my 10 Tips to Sustainable Fat Loss. 

Do not drink your calories!

Here we are referring to fruit juices, pops, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages. There has been a lot of evidence to support that the brain processes liquid calories differently in the body than consuming solid foods. The act of chewing triggers satiety signals in the brain. Apple juice is high in sugar containing calories and lacks fiber (which mostly comes from its peel). When you drink apple juice you most likely will not feel full after an 8oz glass. This will lead to the consumption of either more liquid or solid foods. Studies show that people consuming sugary beverages don’t compensate this high caloric intake by eating less food.

Follow the 1 in 10 rule

If you are one to purchase packaged foods, focus on being a smart label reader – it may save you...

Energy Bites (with a few variations)

What a simple and delicious snack! Energy bites come in all different ingredients and health benefits. These are what I like to call healthy donut holes – because they are shaped just like one (ball-shaped) and only contain whole foods and always refined sugar free! There are thousands of different variations but the most classic one that never fails to satisfy is:

PB and Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ cup ground flax seeds
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup unpasteurized honey
• 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You can switch out the peanut butter for any other nut butter or a seed butter/ WOW butter if you would like this to be an allergy free snack. As well, raisins, Craisins or coconut flakes instead of the chocolate chips. And if you do not like honey try agave!

Here is another variation:

Goji Berry Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1...

What's With Sugar?

The standard American diet is full of sugar – and a lot of the time it is hidden sugars in foods that are marketed as “healthy”. It has become so prevalent that if you removed all the items containing it from your grocery store shelves just 20% of items would remain. Most of the sugar that we are consuming is not natural – but added highly refined sugar. How did we get to this point?

The history of sugar:

• The first reports of sugar came from New Guiney in 8000 BC! Sugar eventually migrated to India
• In the 12th century sugar arrived in Europe. It was loved so much and became a staple for Royalty (Queen Elizabeth I loved sugar so much that her teeth rotted and all fell out)
• At the turn of the 20th century sugar was still seen as a treat – but in 1955 an event occurred that significantly changed the amount of sugar we eat today
• The issue of heart disease came about in 1955 and 2 theories arose:
• An American scientist (Ansel...

Organic has unfortunately become a buzz word with many negative aspects to it. It is a term that has been manipulated by so many people you either love to choose organic or don't care to. The increase in knowledge we are receiving on how our food is being prepared (grown and harvested) is the reason why organic living has become popular. Hormones, pesticides and antibiotics are a large part of conventional farming and the effects that these chemicals have on our health is not fully understood! With that being said these chemicals have become a part our food for the past few decades in order to increase the volume of food produced to feed our growing population (most argue that it is a must).

So many people ask whether or not organic is worth the money, as it is usually considerably more than the conventional food. There is also the debate on if it is truly organic because of farms near by or non-organic businesses around farms leaching into the "organic" soil. When...

If you are going to consume breakfast every morning it should be a nutritious meal to fuel the body for the day ahead. Most choices are heavily influenced by grains and dairy, such as cereal and milk, bagels and cream cheese or yogurt and granola. The more processed a food item is the less nutrition it will carry. As well Here are some other super nutritious breakfast ideas to begin the day.

1. Breakfast Smoothie:

Typically for smoothies you need the following:

• Liquid base: I prefer a nut milk (almond/cashew) but you can do coconut water, milk or water
• Protein: a plant-based protein source is best (better absorbed in the body) but you can use protein powder or Greek yogurt
• Greens: most of my smoothies have spinach or kale for super nutrients
• Fruit: to sweeten the smoothie naturally
• Booster: added benefits to a smoothie (I use chia or flaxseed, spirulina, bee pollen vitamin C powder, nutriSea omega 3)

By following these must haves you can make any smoothie you like! Here are...