How I Stick To My Physical Activity Goals…and You Can Too!

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We’ve all said it: I’ll go to the gym tomorrow. 

It’s so hard to get into the habit of movement when you’re tired, and you’ve been away from it for a while. And maybe like myself you’re not naturally athletic and feel like a dork when you try to do something.

It’s okay, I’m with you.

So today I’m sharing the 3 secrets I’ve been having success with in staying motivated to move my body to keep my physical Self-care on point!

https://youtu.be/cCvrf_VYTps

My 3 Secrets to Sticking With Physical Activity

1. Get Clear on Your Why

Ask yourself why you want to be more physically active. Getting clear on your why is in my mind, the best motivator. But the thing is, it has to go beyond the important but easy to push aside reasons:

I want to lose 10 lbs.

I want to gain 10 lbs.

I want to run a marathon.

Those are all great milestones to achieve – but why do you want to do any of those?

How will losing 10 lbs, gaining 10 lbs or running a marathon change your life? Make your life better?

What will achieving those goals help you do?

Not sure what I mean?

Think about these reasons why you could choose to work out:

I wanna have energy to play with my kids.

I wanna be able to walk up the stairs without huffing and puffing.

I wanna have the energy to play with my grandkids for a long time to come.

I wanna feel fabulous and like my Self again, when I look at myself in the mirror.

I think you get the picture now. Because those reasons aren’t so easy to push aside. Those reasons mean something to you.  So make your “why” a real and meaningful reason for you.

What do you want, really want in life that getting more active will help you accomplish?

Journal it or write that down and stick it somewhere you can see it every day.

Set a realistic goal

Set a realistic goal meaning make it something you can achieve, even though it will be a challenge at first. Commit to walking 2 times per week and increase it to 3 times after you’ve done that for a couple of weeks. While it’s tempting to get all excited and think “go big or go home” – start small, check of those goals and keep expanding on it week by week. Celebrate that goal when you reach it and raise it so you keep challenging your body and your Self.

Track your success

Use your fave smartphone app to remind, track and motivate you to stick with your health goals. I’ve gone through a few, and what’s working for me right now are:

GoogleCalendar which will easily allow you to set a goal, just like you’d set a reminder or an event. It will let you customize it to running, walking, yoga – whatever. You can set how many times per week you want to do it and it’ll ask you when you’d like to start. It will ask you “Ready for your workout?” and you have the option to click “done” or “later”. And it feels so good to check off done, and gives you a good reminder when you have to check off later!  You can also link it to the next app I’m using a lot right now which is GoogleFit.

GoogleFit is neat because it also allows you to set the frequency of various types of exercise per week and gives you a graph to see how you’re doing, which is helpful if you’re more visual. For instance, you can set it with a goal to do yoga 2 times per week, HIIT 2 times per week, monitor step count and total minutes of physical activity per week. Super helpful, if you like to see overall progress and improvement.

More of a pen & paper gal?

No problem! Kick it old school and give yourself a gold star for every workout you do – on a real paper calendar!

It feels so rewarding to look back on the month before and try to top what you did the next month! You can simply write in the workout (as much or as little detail as you like), or give yourself a little checkmark or…you can also use stickers!

I’m serious.

And I do this.

The Bottom Line

In reality, it doesn’t matter what method of tracking you use – just use something that will help you see how much you’ve progressed. It’ll feel great and keep you motivated to keep on moving for your why!

One more video to go in our Self-care Reboot Series…see you next week for it.

Take good care of your Self until then!

Self-care Reboot: Blood Tests as Self-care?!

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So you know Self-care is important but you have no idea how to fit it in.

 

Especially when you’re busy – like say, the first week of September, doing your best to get the kids & yourself out of summer mode and into school/work routine mode!

 

You say to yourself: I definitely don’t have time for Self-care right now.

 

And you’d be right.

 

Wait what?

 

At least not the Self-care you think I’m gonna recommend.

 

You know, the Self-care perfection where you need to get up for 5:30 am treadmill before the kids get up, abdominal breathing every night and of course perfectly meal-planned packable lunches and dinners.

 

I can feel you stressing out & feeling overwhelmed just at the thought that the above is what your Self-care should be.

 

We do not need perfect Self-care robots!

 

So what’s the solution?

 

You need a practical step by step approach to Self-care – and that’s what we’re gonna start with today.

 

And you may be surprised to hear I’m not going to just tell you to eat more veggies, breathe and exercise.

 

Of course, that’s all important.

 

But you know that already, don’t you?

 

What you don’t know is how to create a Self-care routine that works for you.

 

That’s why for the whole month of September I’ve chosen to share the tips you probably are not thinking about when it comes to Self-care – tips on how to get started and how to stick with your Self-care even when (and especially when) you’re super stressed.

 

That’s why this the Self-care Reboot. You get a do-over, get to press the restart button: control, alt, delete on your multi-tasking mind that gets so overloaded you become paralyzed thinking of everything on your to-do list.

 

If you’re ready to remix this Self-care business, watch this video to get started.

 

https://youtu.be/87rjNOxJ6m8

 

There’s a common misconception that Self-care is just about positive thinking, relaxation and Self-love. And yes, it can be all of those things, but we also need practical Self-care motivation – something concrete that reminds us why Self-care is so important.

 

Enter the annual check-up and blood work.

 

But why?

 

3 Reasons Getting Your Annual Check-up is Good Self-care

 

  1. Objective results like blood test results and body composition measurements can be an excellent motivator for change.
  2. It gives us a baseline of physical health, a starting point so we know where you’re at now. It also gives us something to compare your progress to. Having a measurable starting point, helps us determine if your nutrition, lifestyle changes, and treatment plan are working for you or if they need to be adjusted.
  3. It helps lead us closer to the cause or factors that play a role in your health concerns.

 

Today’s Self-care Challenge:

Book your annual appointment with your health care team

 

  1. Make an appointment with your family doctor this week and book in your annual physical with blood work, PAP smear (I know, no one likes them, but they are a must for cervical health) and breast examination.
  2. Make an appointment with your naturopathic doctor for your annual naturopathic check-up. Are you still taking the supplements they recommended you take for 3 months, but you were feeling so good that you never followed up and just kept taking them? Make sure you check in with them to see if you still need them & that they’re still effective & safe for you. Do you need additional blood work or someone to explain your blood test results for you? Are you interested in more specialized testing, for example, additional hormone blood tests, salivary hormone testing, DUTCH hormone testing, or food sensitivity testing? Your ND can help with all of these requests and help you determine what tests are worthwhile now and what tests you can order at later date.
  3. Make a follow-up appointment with your specialist. When was the last time you saw your nephrologist if you have kidney disease? Or your endocrinologist, if you have hormone-related conditions like hypothyroidism? Or your gynecologist if you have endometriosis or fibroids? If you were supposed to do follow up testing or imaging with your specialist, now is the time to do it. 

 

What happens after your annual check-up & testing?

 

After you get your annual assessments done with your health care team, I cannot stress how important it is to understand what your test results mean for your health. I talked about this in last month’s video series, so take a look here in case you missed it.

 

Depending on the results – you may want to take a proactive approach to your physical Self-care and get help when you’ve exhausted the help of Dr. Google (or preferably before to make sure that what Dr. Google is saying is right for you J )

 

Bottom line:

Now is the time to check in with your health care team for your health. Summer’s on it’s way out, everyone’s back into their routines – no more delays or reasons to put it off. It’s time to get your Self-care back on track.

 

Take the first step in your Self-care Reboot: make those appointments & do them for your Self!

 

Next week we’ll get more into physical Self – specifically looking at nutrition & movement and how we can get you all doing the things you want to do as part of your Self-care routine, but often feel like you don’t have time to do.

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

Wanna make sure you don’t miss any Self-care videos? 

Click the button below to join Dr. Odette’s FREE Self-care Warrior e-mail list and you’ll receive her Self-care videos, articles and inspiration right in your inbox! 

 

YES! I’m ready to take care of my Self!

 

 

 

 

 

What Does Borderline Blood Sugar Levels Mean?

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Blood sugar balance.

 

I know you’ve heard of it and maybe you’ve had yours tested and told your blood sugar was borderline high – but you don’t know exactly how high or what that even means.

 

Today I’m going to help you make sense of your blood sugar test values so we can get focused on preventing conditions like diabetes and pre-diabetes.

 

What you’ll learn in this video:

0:35 What is fasting glucose?

1:44 What do the different ranges of fasting glucose mean?

2:44 The importance of knowing your fasting glucose values

3:20 How often should you get your blood sugar tested & who should get it tested?

4:11 How to know if your blood sugar levels are optimal for you

4:44 How to proactively address impaired fasting glucose levels

5:21 What is hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)?

6:25 What do the different ranges for HbA1C values mean?

6:55 A naturopathic approach to improving blood sugar levels

7:46 Other testing for blood sugar balance

8:37 A naturopathic approach to blood sugar testing & management

 

 

https://youtu.be/9d2kT3sI4DQ

 

 

Fasting glucose – also known as Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) or Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)

 

Fasting glucose gives us an idea of how your body handles blood sugar. This tells us how well your body responds to insulin one of the main hormones involved in blood sugar balance. If you want to know more about insulin please make sure you watch this video about insulin from my Know Your Hormone Series. For fasting glucose testing, you need to fast (no food or drink) for at least 8 hours before the test. (1)

 

So let’s talk about fasting glucose values:

Normal Range Fasting Glucose: 3.6 – 6.0 mmol/L (2)

Pre-diabetes or Impaired Fasting Glucose: 6.1 – 6.9 mmol/L (2, 3)

Diabetes Fasting Glucose: ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (2, 3)

 

So what is borderline high blood sugar?

When your doctor tells you that you have borderline high blood sugar – they could mean that you’re in the impaired fasting glucose range or they could mean you’re right at 6.0 mmol/L. You see, you really don’t know which it is unless you get a copy of your blood work or ask your doctor for the actual number and write it down or take a picture of the results with your phone.

 

Compare your blood sugar test results over the years

If last year, your fasting glucose was 4.0 mmol/L and this year it’s 5.8 mmol/L which is still in the normal range, I would definitely ask some questions around food intake, exercise and stress since all of these can affect your body’s ability to handle blood sugar.

 

In my experience, there’s no need to wait until your fasting glucose rises to 6.3 mmol/L (impaired fasting glucose) to get motivated to do something about it. If you wait and do nothing because you’re told everything’s normal, the chances of that number coming back down into an optimal normal range while eating and exercising (or not exercising) the same as you always have, is not very good.

 

Remember, these blood tests are a sign of what’s going on inside your body, which is a good indication of how well you are taking care of your body.

 

Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

Now the next test for blood sugar levels that we want to discuss is HbA1C. I know a lot of you have had this test done and have no idea what it is, or how it’s related to blood sugar levels. So I’m going to explain it to you.

 

Hemoglobin A1C gives us an idea of your blood sugar levels over the last 2-3 months (1). You don’t have to be fasting to have this test done, but it’s fine if you have fasted, as this is often ordered with fasting glucose. Now if you watched my video from week 2, then the word hemoglobin should sound familiar. It’s a crucial protein in our red blood cells. From a chemistry point of view, glucose is a pretty large molecule and if the levels get too high in your bloodstream it can stick to things like protein. Hemoglobin is a protein, and if glucose levels are high enough in the blood, it will stick to the hemoglobin. If we want to get fancy we call it glycated hemoglobin – and that is what HbA1c is (1). It’s a percentage of hemoglobin that has glucose stuck to it – which we do not want, because when glucose sticks to something then that molecule can’t work efficiently.

 

So let’s talk about normal HbA1C ranges:

Normal range HbA1C < 5.5% (2, 3)

At risk HbA1C: 5.5 – 5.9% the body is having trouble utilizing blood sugar levels (2, 3)

Pre-diabetes: 6.0 – 6.4% the body is having even more trouble utilizing blood sugar levels (2, 3)

Diabetes: ≥ 6.5% (2, 3)

 

So knowing those ranges, if you are told your HbA1C is 6.0% which is pre-diabetic, that’s going to be a pretty good motivator to change some nutrition & lifestyle habits.

 

But what about if it’s 5.5%?

 

Would you watch and wait until next year or do something about it?

 

The choice is really up to you. But for my patients – I encourage them to do something about it, and we create a plan that helps them do just that.

 

What other testing should I consider?

 

The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measures how well you manage blood sugar after consuming a specific amount of sugar. It reflects post-prandial blood sugar levels, or blood sugar levels after a meal providing a good idea for how well your body secretes and responds to insulin.

 

Fasting insulin is another test to consider as it can provide more information as to how insulin is functioning when you are not quite at the diabetes stage. I find it most helpful when there is high normal fasting glucose or impaired fasting glucose, at risk or pre-diabetes HbA1C or other conditions with suspected insulin resistance like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

 

 

My proactive naturopathic approach to blood sugar testing

My goal with patients is always to work proactively:

  1. Identify increasing levels of fasting glucose and HbA1C
  2. Improve nutrition and exercise habits. A LOT can be done with nutrition and exercise – but you need someone to help you individualize what your body needs and help you determine what’s going to work best for you.
  3. Introduce nutritional supplements and/or herbs to help improve your body’s ability to balance blood sugars if necessary.
  4. Retest fasting glucose and HbA1C in 3-6 months depending on your individual test results and see adjust your treatment as necessary.

 

 

Who needs to be screened for pre-diabetes and diabetes?

  • Anyone with the classic signs of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia):
    • Increased appetite
    • Increased thirst
    • Increased urination
    • Fatigue (1)
    • Blurred vision (1)
    • Slow-healing infections (1)
  • Family history of diabetes: parents, sibling
  • History of gestational diabetes (diabetes when pregnant)
  • Cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack)
  • Women with/or with suspected polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • People who are overweight with other signs of insulin resistance (1, 2)

 

 

Thank you

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s Lab Tests Explained video series and found the motivation to take control of your health! Thank you to all who have taken the time to watch, share and comment on these videos. You can always connect with me on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube to let me know what you think. And if there are any ideas you would like to see for future video series, I’d love to hear it!

 

Join me next week for a new video series that you’re not going to want to miss!

 

Take care until then!

 

 

References
  1. https://labtestsonline.org/tests/hemoglobin-a1c
  2. LifeLabs normal blood value ranges
  3. http://guidelines.diabetes.ca/docs/CPG-quick-reference-guide-web-EN.pdf#page=2

 

 

 

Your Lab Tests Explained: Your CBC is “Normal” – So Why Are You Still Tired?

If you’ve told your doctor you’ve felt low energy and more tired than usual they probably screened you for anemia. If you were diagnosed with anemia and it was due to iron deficiency they may have prescribed iron pills, which helped bring your blood work back into normal limits so you were no longer anemic…but what if you still felt tired when all your blood work was normal?

 

If that sounds familiar, this short video will help you understand why and what you can do about it.

 

https://youtu.be/8jL7cOpgPW4

 

What is Anemia?

Anemia is a condition in which there is not enough red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood.

 

Red Blood Cells (RBCs)

From last week’s video, you’ll remember that RBCs are important because they carry oxygen around the body – and all of our organs, from our brain to our hearts need oxygen to function.

 

  • Red blood cell (RBC) count: the number of red blood cells in your blood sample

 

Hemoglobin (Hb)

  • Hemoglobin: the protein in red blood cells that allows it to carry oxygen around the body. Hemoglobin contains iron as part of its structure, which helps hemoglobin bind oxygen.

 

To screen for anemia, hemoglobin and RBC count are measured as part a complete blood count (CBC for short) which also provides important information like:

  • Hematocrit (Hct): the proportion of your blood that is actually made of red blood cells
  • White blood cell count: to check for infection
  • Platelet count: to check for clotting ability

 

In the case of anemia, we focus on hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBC count which will all likely be below the normal range. The CBC is ordered on your annual blood work – so no excuses ladies – go out and book your annual physical with your MD &/or ND.

 

Common signs of anemia include:

  • General fatigue
  • Low energy
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness/feeling lightheaded
  • Pale complexion
  • Headaches

 

If you watched last week’s video on iron, these symptoms should sound familiar!

 

Is your hemoglobin “normal” or optimal?

Now the normal ranges of CBC values, including hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBC count vary slightly from lab to lab so I won’t go through those here. But one thing I check for all of my patients is that their lab values aren’t just within the normal range – but are optimal. This means they’re not just above the lower end of normal. I check to make sure their values are about mid-range. I also compare their values to previous years so I can analyze any trends that may show a decrease early enough that we can prevent anemia if necessary. At the end of the day, if the values are low normal and you’re still feeling very fatigued, it’s worth investigating possible causes of anemia.

 

Why is my CBC normal but I still feel super tired?

Some common causes of anemia include the following (not an exhaustive list!):

  • Decreased RBC production
    • Iron, B12 or folate deficiency
      • Low intake: No red meat or other foods rich in iron? Vegetarian? Vegan?
    • Reduced absorption of minerals and/or vitamins (also known as malabsorption)
      • Digestive conditions, for example, Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease
      • Medications: proton-pump inhibitors e.g. pantoprazole) for heartburn (GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disorder)
    • Chronic kidney disease
  • Increased RBC loss
    • Heavy periods for menstruating women
    • Bleeding stomach ulcers
    • Bleeding anywhere in the body

 

The bottom line

If you experience borderline or recurrent anemia, talk to your naturopathic doctor or medical doctor about further investigation and treatment for the above causes.

 

Join me next week for an important discussion about testing that all women need to know about if they are interested in a healthy weight, metabolism & hormones.

 

Until then, take good care!

Your Lab Tests Explained: Iron – Is “Normal” Good Enough for You?

So you’ve recently had some blood work done and since you haven’t received a call to discuss any abnormal results you assume everything is normal. After all, no news is good news, right?

 

Or is it?

 

Over the next month, we’re going to discuss 4 tests women will want to know the actual results for because I’ll explain why normal, may not just be good enough.

 

What you really deserve are the optimal results for you.

 

The first test I need to discuss is a test for iron levels. If you’re a woman and you’ve felt tired, you may have heard that iron is important – and it totally is.

 

Common signs of iron deficiency include:

  • Chronic fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
  • Dizziness/feeling lightheaded
  • Weakness
  • Pale complexion
  • Headaches

 

https://youtu.be/4rxmZUywOI4

 

Iron is an important part of our red blood cells, which carry oxygen around in the body. If we don’t have enough iron, we can’t make enough red blood cells. This means we can’t get enough oxygen to our brains, muscles, hearts, lungs and general circulation, over time resulting in many of the above symptoms.

 

Did you know?

The best test for iron deficiency isn’t actually blood (serum) levels of iron!

 

Many women are surprised when I tell them that the most important test for iron is ferritin, a protein that contains iron, and the main storage form of iron in our bodies. This is because ferritin levels decrease before blood iron levels do. When we don’t eat enough foods with iron or aren’t able to absorb them, it’s our stored iron – our ferritin – that gets used to make more red blood cells.

 

In this way, ferritin can serve as an early sign of iron deficiency – because it actually decreases before blood levels of iron do.

 

The problem with the normal range for ferritin is that it is huge!

 

There is some variation between labs, but using my most recent blood work results which was at the start of 2018, the range was 5-272 ug/L.

 

This means that in theory you could be at 10 and be considered normal. Or you could be at 260 and be considered normal.

 

Both being at the low normal or high normal range is a warning sign that iron levels are not optimal, even though they may be “normal”.

 

From my clinical experience, women do better (meaning their energy & other symptoms improves) when ferritin levels are in the 75 – 150 ug/L range.

 

And again, this is individual – because every woman is unique.

 

One woman may feel better at 75 ug/L, and another may feel better at 100 ug/L.

 

When I see sub-optimal ferritin levels – even if they are within normal limits for example 35 ug/L, I have observed women’s symptoms improve with iron supplementation and/or increasing iron-rich foods. I also know that if we don’t do anything to improve these “normal” ferritin levels, it’s just a matter of time before symptoms worsen and the ferritin levels becoming completely deficient. Besides supplementation, it is always important to determine the cause of low or sub-optimal levels. For women, a common cause we need to address includes regulating heavy periods (heavy blood loss depletes iron over time).

 

The bottom line

If you still experience signs of iron deficiency despite having a “normal” ferritin level, ask your doctor what your ferritin levels actually are or better yet get a copy of the results and bring it to a health care professional who can explain if it is optimal for you.  In practice, I recommend my patients always get a copy of their test results and bring them in so we can review if they are optimal for them.

 

Bonus Tip

If you have been supplementing iron, make sure you get your ferritin retested after 3 months to see if your levels improve. If not, the cause of your low iron may be more to do with absorption or blood loss.

 

Next week, I’ll discuss a test that’s often done in conjunction with ferritin levels to help determine causes of fatigue.

 

Until then, take good care!