“Naked carbs”—refined carbohydrates eaten alone without fat, fiber, or protein—are considered unhealthy because they are digested rapidly, causing sharp spikes in blood sugar and insulin. This leads to energy crashes, increased hunger, cravings, fat storage, and long-term risks like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

Without fiber or nutrients to slow digestion, naked carbs quickly turn into glucose, creating a rapid, high spike in blood sugar, followed by a sudden crash. Which is why you feel hungry.  Because they digest quickly, they do not provide satiety, causing hunger to return shortly after eating and promoting overeating.

If you are not hungry right away, try these tips to avoid that 11:00 AM crash:

1. The “Breakfast Appetizer”: Switch your morning snack and breakfast. Start with something small: a handful of almonds, a piece of fruit, or a single hard-boiled egg.
2. Go Liquid: If food makes you nauseous early in the morning, try a smoothie with protein powder and spinach. It’s easy on the stomach.
3. The 15-Minute Rule: If you are too rushed, set your alarm just 15 minutes earlier. A piece of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter is enough to stabilize your blood sugar.
4. Prioritize Protein: A high-protein breakfast (like Greek yogurt or eggs) keeps you full and stops those mid-morning hunger pangs.

Dressing the Carbs

Pairing simple, refined carbohydrates with protein, healthy fats, or fiber to slow digestion, curb blood sugar spikes, and increase satiety. Instead of eating carbohydrates alone (“naked”), add toppings like avocado, nuts, nut butter, Greek yogurt, eggs, or cheese to snacks and meals. 

How to Dress the Carbs

• Pair with Fat/Protein: Add avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butter, cheese, or eggs to toast, crackers, or fruits.
• Add Fiber: Combine carbohydrates with vegetables, chia seeds, or leafy greens to slow down glucose absorption.
• Order of Eating: Consume fiber (veggies) and protein/fat before the carbohydrates to significantly reduce blood glucose impact.
• Smart Swaps: Choose whole-grain options over white flour products. 

Examples of “Dressed” Carbohydrates

• Apple + Nut Butter: Combines fruit with healthy fat and protein.
• Toast + Avocado + Egg: Adds fiber and healthy fats to simple carbs.
• Pasta + Vegetables + Olive Oil/Protein: Adds fiber and fat to refined pasta.
• Yogurt + Fruit + Seeds: Adds protein and fiber to fruit sugars.

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Sleep deprivation hits women harder. Biological changes across women’s lifespan which are regulated by hormones like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause commonly impact sleep. Many of the female professionals I work with get less than 6 hours of sleep and often complain of waking up worrying about work, finances, and deadlines. Their health and well-being suffer because of lack of sleep.

The High Price of Insufficient Sleep: lack of sleep impacts our biological systems and can throw things out of whack. Even one night of insufficient sleep makes our brain fuzzy leading to poor decision-making, stress reactivity, irritability, and incapable to execute tasks. And here’s the real kicker: if we keep skimping on sleep over time, it’s been linked to some major health issues like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression.

Here are some practical tips to improve your sleep:

Develop a Strategy: Sleeping adequate hours consistently is a goal you can achieve by understanding what good sleep is by doing research, consulting with a wellness coach, and then implementing the science-backed techniques and measuring the results. Like anything worth striving for it’s a goal you can reach with a plan.

Prep the Room: The most vital part of sleep hygiene is to improve and take care of your sleep environment. The room you sleep in should be cool and dark. Excessive light disrupts the circadian rhythm. Blackout curtains or sleep masks are some good ways to avoid bright lights from outside.

Keep your room free of technological devices because these devices can keep your brain wired. The blue light from these devices suppresses the natural melatonin production in our body, making it hard to sleep. Try to disconnect at least an hour before going to bed. Keep your bedroom cool for optimal sleep. Research suggests keeping the room between 65 and 68 degrees.

Don’t Snooze the Alarm: It is very challenging for our body and brain to get accustomed to a sleep routine if we have irregular sleep patterns. With a regular sleep schedule, you will experience enhanced focus, better cognition, and better mood regulation. This rule applies to weekends and holidays when you might be tempted to sleep in. Consistency is all about feeling refreshed and taking on the day with charged-up battery.

Get Some Sunshine: Our bodies have this cool thing called the circadian rhythm, and it gets all regulated by light exposure. Sunlight is like the superstar of this whole sleep cycle thing. Try to spend at least 30 minutes outside during the day. A healthy dose of natural light will reset your internal clock.

Relax Before Bed: One of the reasons we can’t sleep and stay asleep is because our brain is still active at night thinking about work deadlines or team conflicts. These stressors keep the sympathetic nervous system, the reactive branch of our autonomic nervous system active. It’s much easier to fall asleep if you are relaxed and your mind is calm.

Here are some ways to relax: read a book, try some controlled breathing, listen to chill music, take a bomb bath, or get into some super relaxing yoga poses. Speaking of yoga, even simple moves like the forward fold, legs up the wall, and downward dog can help get your blood flowing to your heart and head. This activates the “rest and digest” side of your automatic nervous system (aka the parasympathetic branch). So not only will these activities help you catch some z’s, but they’ll also keep you sleeping like a champ!

An optimal amount of restorative sleep is vital for health and wellbeing. Try the above suggestions for a good night’s rest. Let me know in the comments how you like to sleep better.

The post 5 Game-Changing Steps to A Perfect Night’s Sleep 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

The holiday season can be a wonderful time filled with joy, celebration, and spending time with loved ones. However, it can also bring added stress, pressure, and overwhelming emotions.

According to a study conducted by NAMI, it was found that 64% of individuals experience worsened mental health symptoms during the holiday season. Especially if you family has gone through a change this year like loss of a family member or an unexpected health diagnosis. Add in the work stress to this mix and we have a recipe for poor mental wellbeing.

Here are some strategies to help you with managing mental health during holidays:

Set Realistic Expectations

Recognize that perfection is not the goal. Embrace the imperfections and be realistic about what you can accomplish and how you want to feel during the holidays. Set realistic expectations for yourself and others to avoid unnecessary pressure and stress.

Prioritize Your Wellbeing

Take a moment to accept and acknowledge your needs. It’s essential to prioritize your own mental and physical well-being. Be kind to yourself and put yourself first. Take the time to recognize what triggers your stress and anxiety during the holiday season. Are you overwhelmed by shopping for gifts? Do certain situations leave you feeling physically and mentally agitated? Once you become aware of these triggers, you can take proactive steps to avoid or cope with the stress they may cause. Remember, self-care and self-awareness are key to maintaining your well-being during this time.

Set Boundaries

It’s crucial to set boundaries during the holiday season. Learn to say no to activities or events that overwhelm you or interfere with your well-being. Prioritize your mental health by setting clear boundaries with both yourself, your social circle, and at work. Making a day-to-day schedule helps ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks and deadlines.

Take Breaks

Holiday festivities and obligations can be overwhelming. Remember to take breaks and give yourself space to rest and recharge. Schedule in downtime, even if it’s just a few minutes to yourself. Use this time to practice deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness to help reduce stress and increase relaxation. Try the breathing exercises on my YouTube channel.

Offer Thanks

Boost your mental health during the holiday season by practicing gratitude. Take a few moments to reflect on the things in your life that you are grateful for and create a gratitude list. Consider the people, experiences, and opportunities that have brought joy, love, and fulfillment into your life. Once you’ve identified these things, take the time to express your gratitude to those who have been a support system throughout the year. It could be a friend, colleague, or family member who has had a positive impact on you. Research has shown that practicing gratitude can lead to significant improvements in mental health, including increased feelings of happiness and decreased symptoms of depression.

Manage Finances Wisely

Financial strain can significantly impact your mental health during the holidays. Set a realistic budget and stick to it. Avoid getting caught up in the pressure to overspend and focus on meaningful, thoughtful gifts or experiences rather than materialistic ones. Seek alternatives like homemade gifts or organizing group activities to reduce financial stress.

Seek Support

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or struggling with your mental health during the holidays, reach out for support. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional. They can provide guidance, a listening ear, and help you navigate any difficult emotions or challenges you may be experiencing.

Remember, taking care of your mental health during the holidays is crucial for your overall well-being. By setting realistic expectations, practicing self-care, setting boundaries, offering thanks, managing finances wisely, and seeking support, you can create a healthier and more enjoyable holiday season for yourself.

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It’s without a doubt an important part of our physical and mental health but a lot of times we don’t know how to adopt a good posture. As soon as I walk into a room to present a workshop and introduce myself as a posture specialist, people suck their bellies in, throw back their shoulders, and become rigid. This type of posture can lead to fatigue and isn’t sustainable.

There are numerous myths and misconceptions surrounding posture. To understand proper posture, it is necessary to debunk these myths and misconceptions. Let’s dive into top five posture myths my clients often believe.

Posture Myths

Sit and Stand as Straight as Possible

Proper posture doesn’t mean mimicking a soldier’s stance. This rigid posture can lead to muscle tension and fatigue overtime. Our spine is not rigid and straight. It has three distinctive curves, the inward cervical curve, the outward thoracic curve, and the inward lumbar curve.

It’s important to recognize that a proper posture should support these natural curves of our spine.

We all have unique bodies, with wide or narrow hips and flexible or tight muscles. Proper posture is the natural alignment, which is different for different individuals. There are some general guidelines to follow like head aligned over the spine, shoulders soft, and aligned over hips but they don’t look the same for everyone. When it comes to adopting proper posture, comfort and individuality is key.

Holding Still is Key

Many people believe, forcing our body to stay in one position, which is considered an ideal position, will, over time, improve their posture. Honestly, reverse is true.

The main reason for muscle imbalances is holding our bodies in the hunched over deskbound posture for a long period of time. Whenever a client complains of pain in a certain region, it’s because they are holding a certain stance for extended period without moving.

Our bodies are built to move. To find your natural posture and avoid imbalances we need to move often. It might be taking more frequent bathroom breaks, switching position from seated to standing, and going for short leisurely walks. Our body and spine crave motion, which leads to proper posture.

Standing Desk Will be The Fix it All

Standing desks are a great way to improve posture but they are not a fix it all. It’s best to change your positions often. That means taking a break from standing as well.

I see many clients who have standing desks but have no relief of back, neck or shoulder pain.

I’m a big proponent of standing desks as they allow breaking your work hours between sitting and standing. But standing all day can lead to muscle tension and posture dysfunction if done for a long time. Standing in one position can lead to plantar fasciitis, vascular issues, and pelvic shift on your dominant side to name a few issues.

The key lies in switching positions from time to time.

My Bad Posture Is Genetic

There are genetic posture issues, but they are not as common as we’d like to believe. Having a genetic posture anomaly doesn’t mean that you can’t work on it.

Did you know that Usain bolt has scoliosis? Scoliosis is a genetic disorder which causes an abnormal sideways curve of the spine. Scoliosis most often limits people’s life with the only hope that a spinal surgery would cure it. It didn’t limit Bolt. He used the knowledge of his condition as a power. He says he keeps his core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn’t really bother him.

If the fastest man on earth with a genetic postural anomaly can break world records by making changes in his life, then so can you. There are many exercises that can be done to make having good posture easier. Once you are fix your muscle imbalances and good posture will become an easy habit to adopt for you.

Posture Dysfunction Can be Fixed Overnight

Posture isn’t something that we develop in a short period of time. Instead, the posture we hold today was developed gradually overtime due to our work habits and emotional state.

Finding your natural posture takes time. Although it’s tempting to believe in quick fixes, like wearing a back brace but that’s not true. Reverting to your natural posture requires correct assessment, care, and consistent action.

We need to unlearn the old neural patterns and develop new ones for our muscles and ligaments to adopt the new position. This can be accomplished by exercises, stretches, and lifestyle adjustments. Checkout my fifteen minutes a day posture program in my book Unhunched: Discover Wellness Through Posture.

Bottom Line

While it’s not uncommon for these myths to be believed by many, it’s important to note that most of them are simply exaggerations of the truth. The key takeaway here is that your posture should ultimately feel comfortable, rather than strained and rigid. If you’ve tried to improve your posture but continue to experience discomfort or pain, it may be beneficial to seek guidance from a skilled movement specialist who can provide personalized assistance.

The post Posture Myths Busted: Revealing the Truth! 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

Many of my clients tell me that they can’t find time to exercise and eat healthy while working the nine to five grind. I agree the hectic modern-day schedule leaves us with little time for a movement that makes us feel better and is good for our health.

A few years back, when I was suffering from perfectionism- yes, I’m a recovering perfectionist, my healthy-to-do list was a mile long; cut down carbs, count my macros, lose weight, build muscle, build mileage, turn off devices before bed, blackout the room at night, and on and on it went.

Honestly, just sticking to the list started stressing me out more than anything else. I wanted to have time to check all these things. I’m glad I walked away from that approach and have started keeping things simple, like eating whole foods, going slow with my running mileage, and including recovery days in my training cycle.

The good news is, that you don’t have to be deadlifting 300 pounds, counting carbs, and working out 60 minutes a day to live a healthy and non-sedentary life. Research suggests that small bouts of exercise are as effective as continuous exercise over a period.

A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing.

How Much Exercise is Good Enough?

A meta-analysis of research studies shows that 75 minutes of exercise per week, which could be just a 15-minute walk or jog every day, resulted in a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease (1).

If you consider the intensity of the exercise, then just five minutes a day of physically strenuous exercise provides many benefits. A study conducted on runners found that participants who ran 10 minutes a day weren’t different than those who ran 150 minutes a week (2). This means as little as 10 minutes of vigorous exercise can give the same health benefits as a longer exercise duration.

The bottom line is to work out as much as you can. If you don’t work out at all, start moving a few minutes a day. If you walk 10 to 15 minutes a day, then do more.

How to Fit Exercise in the Busy Workday?

High-Intensity Interval Training-

HIIT or High-intensity interval training, is an easy solution for getting your workouts in a short amount of time.

A research study shows that low volume, high-intensity workouts of only 28 minutes per week- two 14-minute workouts per week led to significant improvement in VO2max scores, blood pressure, and waist circumference (3).

Workouts don’t have to be high impact if you are worried about joint pain. There are many options of high-intensity exercises to choose from.

Get a Healthy Dose of Nature-

It’s not all about high intensity, though. Low-intensity exercise is equally good for you. Nature is medicine, especially when combined with movement. The use of outdoor natural environments for physical activity and health is not new. We are born to move in the outdoor environment, and we still share the innate affiliation with the great outdoors (4).

Get some green exercise every day for 10 to 15 minutes. You will get your daily movement and an enhanced mood because of the elevated serotonin levels.

We are born to move in the outdoor environment, and we still share the innate affiliation with the great outdoors

Don’t Underestimate Household Chores-

Although following a regular exercise plan is good for consistency and health benefits, don’t underestimate the daily movement you get from household chores. Research shows that the incidental exercise you get from walking in a grocery store, going up and down the stairs, gardening, landscaping, and cleaning the house account for movement for better health too.

Conclusion

It might sound like a new exercise trend, but research strongly suggests that you can enjoy the health benefits of exercise by moving as little as 10 to 15 minutes a day. Try the three exercise modes to get more movement in your busy workdays.

References –

1-      https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.010710

2-      https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058

3-      3-https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02592-6

4-      doi: 10.1186/2046-7648-2-3

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