As women approach their late 30s and beyond, many start to notice changes in their body—especially when it comes to weight, energy levels, and overall health. While many of these shifts are often chalked up to aging, one often-overlooked factor plays a significant role: hormones.

Hormonal fluctuations can affect everything from metabolism and appetite to sleep patterns and stress levels. For women aged 35-55, the hormonal transitions that come with perimenopause and menopause can make maintaining a healthy weight and feeling energized more challenging. The good news is that understanding these changes and working with your body can help you take control of your health.

The Hormone-Weight Connection

Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and insulin are vital for regulating key processes like metabolism, fat storage, and muscle maintenance. As we age, estrogen levels start to decline, which can result in increased fat storage, especially around the abdominal area. Similar...

As a female personal trainer and coach, I’m passionate about helping women achieve their health and fitness goals. One area that often gets overlooked is the menstrual cycle, a vital part of our health that can significantly influence how we feel and perform. Thankfully, technology is here to help! Apps like Ovia and Lively can provide valuable insights into your cycle journey, empowering you to understand your body better and make informed decisions about your health.

Tracking your menstrual cycle isn’t just about knowing when your period will arrive. It’s about understanding the hormonal changes that affect your mood, energy levels, and even your workout performance. With the right app, you can gain insight into your unique cycle patterns, allowing you to align your fitness routines with your body’s natural rhythms. For instance, during the follicular phase, many women experience increased energy and strength, making it a great time to push through intense workouts. Conversely, duri...

Do you struggle to achieve and stick to the health goals you set for yourself? You are not alone. Accountability is one of the top reasons people are unable to stick with and achieve the health goals they set for themselves.

The definition of accountability is: the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. For example, if you take responsibility for your own actions, you show accountability. 

This applies to almost every aspect within our lives. You can take these steps and apply them to other areas in your life as you see fit! Here is how to become accountable for your health goals:

1.  Set clear and concise goals: it is very important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Be specific - i.e. "I want to be able to run 10km in under 50mins." Write it down somewhere you can see it all the time - the visual component really helps. 
2.  Keep a pulse: track what you are doing and review your progress, this is helpful to see where you may need to make chang...

Back to school is in full swing! A few weeks in, take some time to reflect on how it is going - Are you settling into a new routine easily? Do things feel more chaotic than usual? Are you craving some changes to optimize how everyone feels as a family? Whether big changes need to be made, or small ones for everyone to feel like a healthier family unit - this happens with small steps, conscious effort and setting goals. Let’s look at how you can achieve a healthier family unit for this new school year. 

Food

The best way to achieve your healthier food goals is to make a plan. Find your families favourite go to meals and create a meal rolodex that you can rotate through to have a plan for the meals you will eat. You can add to this as new recipes come your way. 

Plan your meals for the upcoming week and shop accordingly - Make the menu visible so you can remember to take out what is needed the night before, or note if you need to pick anything fresh up.

Bulk prep food - Cook ahead...

You want to eat healthy and feel energized, but it is so much effort…sounds familiar right? One of the biggest obstacles to achieving this for many of us is the minimal time we have to plan and prepare our food. Let me take some of the time and planing energy off your plate! Here is a complied list of foods that pack the best nutrient punch, why they are so good, and ways to eat them:

Dark, leafy greens - they are an excellent source of nutrients, including folate, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin c and fibre. Some examples are kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens and spinach. They are great added to soups, salads, smoothies and stir-fries.

Berries - a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. The most common berries falling into this category are raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries. They are delicious with yogurt and oatmeal, in salads and smoothies and of course just on their own!

Eggs - rich in vitamin B and A, c...

Are you worried that your hard work and healthy lifestyle might take the back seat over the summer months? With all the the festivals, vacations, lazy days and BBQ’s it can feel like food and drink are always taking the front seat! It is however, totally possible to keep it healthy and balanced at the endless events. 

Here are some of my favourite health-conscious food swaps that can be made at your next BBQ, or any summer-time event really! 

•  Choose lean cuts of poultry, such as skinless chicken breast or turkey - these options can significantly reduce saturated fat intake. 
•  Opt for fish, like salmon or tuna - they are excellent, as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
•  Swap out the bun on your hamburger, hot dog or sandwich with fresh and crunchy lettuce!
•  Go for the fruit platter for dessert over the sweets, but ice cream can still be a nice treat from time to time :)
•  When there is an appetizer spread out in advance of the main BBQ meal, snack on the veggies.
•  Fill your ...

If you have a reproductive system, this one is for you! About half of the worlds population will experience Menopause on different levels at a point in their life. It is extremely important that we talk about it and share our knowledge to help each other understand what it is and how to navigate it. 

Let’s define menopause: It is the time of life when a woman’s ovaries stop producing hormones and menstrual periods stop. A woman is said to be in menopause when she hasn't had a period for 12 months in a row.

The menopausal transition affects each woman uniquely and in ways that vary from woman to woman. The body begins to use energy differently, fat cells change, and women may gain weight more easily. There may be changes in your bone or heart health, your body shape and composition, or your physical function. 

While consulting a physician is never a bad idea, as you may require treatments like hormonal therapy, vaginal estrogen, low-dose anti-depressants etc., there are also several ...

It is becoming increasingly known that our mental and physical health are closely intertwined. There are multiple connections between mental health and chronic physical conditions that significantly impact people’s quality of life. The mind-body connection is very complex and yet, at the same time, so simple. The way we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us can both have a direct impact on our physical body and on our minds. 

Maintaining good physical health can have a significant impact on mental health. Regular physical exercise is known to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce stress and increase overall mood. Physical exercise increases the release of endorphins in the brain, which helps to relieve tension in the body and increase mood.

Having a mental health problem doesn’t mean it’s inevitable that you will develop a physical health problem. There are things you can do to give yourself the best chance of staying physically well. These things includ...

Fibre, where do we even start?! This topic is hot and there is a lot to cover, so let’s dive right in! 

What is fibre and what role does it play? Fibre is made up of the indigestible parts or compounds of plants, which pass relatively unchanged through our stomach and intestines and is mainly a carbohydrate. The main role of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy.

How do you know if you are getting enough fibre? Here are the signs that you are not: 

• You're hungry soon after eating

• You are constipated

• You constantly feel tired and sluggish

• You have high cholesterol

• You have hemorrhoids

• You are having a hard time losing weight

What is the recommended amount of fibre to get in our diets each day? Although there is no dietary reference intake for insoluble or soluble fibre, many experts recommend a total dietary fibre intake of 25 to 30 grams per day with about one-fourth — 6 to 8 grams per day — coming from soluble fibre. 

Soluble fibre is foun...

Heading into Spring, are you ready to up your movement game?! There is something about the warmer weather that makes us want to get up off the couch and moving our bodies more. There are some really great workout styles out there, with something for everybody! The best part is you can pick workouts based off your goals, mood, energy level and abilities, even how much time you have! You can find different types of workouts online to do from the comfort of home or on the road, or you can join a class, working within your budget. You really can curate your workout experience to suit your lifestyle!

In need of some inspiration? It is good to have a small ‘library of workout ideas’ for what types of workouts you like based off of what you are trying to achieve and any other motivation you may have for working out and moving your body. A variety is ideal so you can switch it up and work different muscles. 

Here is an overview of some of the popular workout styles: 

• HIIT - High-intensity...