Want more help with your health and wellness journey?

Check out my website to see how you can work with me! 

Introducing the “Excuse Busters” Mini-Series! 🎉 

Join us for our special mini-series: 5 episodes jam-packed with awesome insights. We’re going to tackle those pesky excuses that prevent you from staying consistent in your healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Each episode of “Excuse Busters” will unveil a different excuse and give you practical strategies to overcome it. 

PART 1: I’m too busy

In Part 1, we’re addressing the excuse  “I’m too busy’… to eat healthy, to cook healthy food, to exercise, etc. Let’s face it… life is busy. As soon as one thing finishes, there are 10 more things ready to take its place. It’s not going to change any time soon, and in the meantime, your health and waistline are suffering the consequences of your excuses!

We’re here to show you that nothing can stand in your way… listen/watch now to see how you can bust through this excuse once and for all. 🎙️💪

You can watch this episode (and others) on Youtube

You can listen to this episode and others on Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Sarah’s Blue Speckled Mug

Paulette’s Blue Mindful Moments Mug

Here are a couple of recipes that will help you bust the ‘I don’t have time’ excuse!

Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

Smoothie Recipe (we didn’t mention this specific recipe but it’s one of my favourites for you to try!)

Ep. #7: Part 2 ‘my family won’t eat what I’m eating (and I don’t want to make multiple meals)’

Here, in Part 2, we dive into the common excuse of not sticking to YOUR healthy eating plan because of family preferences. We share our favorite tips and tricks to overcome this challenge while still enjoying nutritious meals.

*Sarah also realizes at some point during the episode that her drinking glass has a chip in it, and the glass is in her mouth 😲 but she tries not to draw attention to it

We share smart solutions to simplify meal preparation without compromising anyone’s preferences, including our favourite lower carb substitutes for pasta and bread that are so delicious, your family might just want to eat what you’re eating!

Of course we believe that it’s important to occasionally indulge in personal favorites because sometimes you just want to eat the greasy, delicious pizza that the rest of your family eating. And that’s ok!!

Throughout the episode, they celebrate the benefits of investing in an air fryer, which enables faster cooking and tastier results. It proves to be a game-changer for preparing delicious and healthy meals without much effort.

By incorporating a little creativity and the strategies we offer, you can bust the excuse of multiple meals and enjoy nutritious dishes that satisfy everyone at the table.

 

Watch us on Youtube

Listen on Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Sarah’s Fish Glass: https://paulettekydd.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/podcast/sarah+fish+glass+ep+7.png

Paulette’s Favourite Kid Mug: https://paulettekydd.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/podcast/Favourite+kid+mug+ep+7.png

 

Ep. #8: Part 3: You’re telling me not to eat apples???

In this episode, we’re tackling the controversial topic of whether a lower carb diet is truly healthy. We understand that some of you may have concerns about avoiding certain high-sugar, high-starch fruits and veggies. But fear not, because we’re here to provide clarity on the matter!

Let’s shift our focus away from what we can’t eat and instead embrace the wide variety of delicious foods that align with a lower carb lifestyle. The key is finding the right balance and timing.

By being mindful of high-carb foods, especially in the morning when our body’s response to carbohydrates is more sensitive, we can maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid unpleasant spikes. Pairing carbs with protein or fat can also make a significant difference in how our bodies process them.

Trust us, it’s all about finding the sweet spot.

And while we’re at it, we’ll share some of our favourite ways to enjoy healthy foods including a surprising way to prepare cauliflower.

So, grab your favourite mug, brew a cup of deliciousness, and get ready to challenge misconceptions, shift perspectives, and uncover the secrets of timing and pairing in a lower carb lifestyle. Cheers to healthy eating and breaking free from limitations!

Watch us on Youtube

Listen on Spotify

 

Mentioned in this episode:

Pu’erh Tea: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/tea/tea-by-type/puerh-tea/

Sarah’s Mug: https://paulettekydd.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/podcast/ep+8+Sarah.png

Paulette’s Mug: https://paulettekydd.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/podcast/ep+8+paulette.png

 

Ep. #9: Part 4: ‘I can’t give up my bread/pasta/rice!’

Are you hesitant to embark on a healthier, lower carb diet because the mere thought of saying goodbye to your beloved pasta, rice, bread, and baked goods fills you with dread?

Fear not, dear listener, for in this episode, we share our own transformational experiences:  how our taste buds changed, how we began to crave healthier foods (yep, it happens!!) and  how we discovered delicious alternatives that not only satisfied our cravings but surpassed our wildest expectations.

Prepare to be inspired as we debunk the notion that change means sacrificing flavour and indulgence.

Join us as we explore the vast array of innovative ingredients and cooking techniques that will make your healthy eating a breeze. Our hope is to ignite a spark of possibility within you, proving that embracing change is not only possible, but fun and delicious too.

Get inspired, get excited, and get ready to revolutionize your relationship with healthy, metabolism-friendly food!

 

Watch us on Youtube

Listen on Spotify

See all the items mentioned in this episode here: https://paulettekydd.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/podcast/All+the+fun+stuff+from+Episode+9.pdf

Ep. #10: Series: Excuse Busters Part 5 ‘It’s too expensive to eat healthy!’

 In this episode, #5 in the series, we tackle the excuse ‘it’s too expensive to eat healthy’… and while it IS true that the cost of food keeps going up… there are ways to make your dollar go further.

We do a price comparison of typical meals, healthy and not-so-healthy, as well as the non-money costs of junk food that might change your perspective.

Join us as we put healthy eating on a budget to the test and decide for yourself if eating healthy is too expensive… it’s your choice!

Watch us on Youtube

Listen on Spotify 

Mentioned in this episode:

Sarah’s Teal Mason Jar Mug

Paulette’s Cupcake Mason Jar Mug

Want more help with your health and wellness journey?

Check out my website to see how you can work with me!

#soiwaslisteningtothispodcast #fatfoggyfatigued #paulettekydd #metabolism #cravings #goals #smallsteps #selfsabotage #stresseater #emotionaleater

Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Heart Health…are saturated fat and cholesterol bad for you?

 

I’ll be honest, I’ve been avoiding writing this post. This is a question that I’m asked all the time. When people want to know about a high fat low carb diet, they want to know if all that fat, especially saturated fat, is ok to eat. Most of their lives they’ve been told to eat a low fat diet, avoid saturated fat and cut back on foods that are high in cholesterol.

 

I’ve been avoiding this blog post because it’s such a HUGE TOPIC and it’s hard to know where to start!

  

Cholesterol and saturated fat are often feared as causes of heart disease and potentially death. However, they are both widely misunderstood.  It would be too simplistic to say they are bad or good since there are so many factors. It’s quite a complex matter.

 

Lots of experts have written about saturated fat, cholesterol and health. One of my favourites is an article on HealthLine.com that explains everything really well, in a thorough but very ‘readable’ way,  and includes links to all of the supporting research. For this reason, I will simply give a summary here, and provide the link to the article below if you would like more in-depth information. No sense ‘re-inventing the wheel’.

 

Eggs contain cholesterol and many people feel they need to avoid them for that reason.

Cholesterol is not the villain it’s been made out to be.

 

It is essential for life. In fact, it’s so essential that your body will make its own cholesterol if you don’t eat it in your diet. That’s right. And when you eat cholesterol,  your body will make less of it to compensate for that intake. That being said, some people have a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia that prevents the body from getting rid of extra cholesterol. This leads to a build-up in the blood, and subsequent heart disease.  These people need to reduce their consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, and often need to take medication. The rest of us don’t need to worry as much about our cholesterol intake from food.

 

What is Cholesterol?

 

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty compound that serves several functions in the body including the manufacturing of vitamin D and hormones. Another of its major functions is as a healing substance. When your cells are damaged (such as the lining of your arteries), your liver sends out cholesterol to help repair the cells. LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol) is the ‘vehicle’ that brings the cholesterol to the cells. When the repair is complete, HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) brings the cholesterol back to the liver. So, when your LDL is high, that’s a sign that your body is in repair mode and perhaps you should try to figure out what your body is trying to tell you (perhaps it’s saying ‘quit eating so much sugar!’).

 

Diet-Heart Hypothesis

 

In the early 20^th century there was a significant increase in heart disease which lead to a theory.

 

Researchers already knew that eating saturated fat seemed to increase cholesterol levels in the blood. They also knew that having a high cholesterol was linked to an increased risk of heart disease. The ‘diet-heart hypothesis‘ suggested that if saturated fat raises cholesterol, and high cholesterol causes heart disease, then saturated fat must cause heart disease.

 

However, this was not based on human experiments and current research demonstrates that these assumptions were wrong. Nevertheless, it became public policy in the 1970s and the low-fat hysteria was born.

 

 

  

Does Saturated Fat Raise Cholesterol?

 

Saturated fat can, in fact, raise cholesterol. It raises both HDL (good) and LDL (bad) thereby raising TOTAL cholesterol, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that the total cholesterol number doesn’t give enough information. If the ratio between HDL and LDL doesn’t change, the risk doesn’t change. If HDL goes up along with LDL, the risk of disease doesn’t necessarily go up with it. Remember, higher HDL levels are good!

 

To further complicate things, there are different types of LDL cholesterol particles. The small, dense LDL can contribute to heart disease but the large LDL particles don’t. So this means that the important information to know is actually the number and type of LDL particles.  AND furthermore….saturated fat changes the LDL particles from small to large, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease!

 

It’s important to note that the obesity epidemic has skyrocketed since the low-fat guidelines were implemented and heart disease has continued to rise as well. So, it seems that changing to a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet doesn’t reduce the risk of disease as the theory proposed. It’s a complex process that involves more than just saturated fat and cholesterol.

 

 

If you’d like more detailed information with links to supporting research, check out this great article: Saturated Fat: Good or Bad.

 

You might also like: High Fat Low Carb and Cancer and Calorie Counting is Not the Answer or Cereal is Making You Tired and Fat