1. Drink more water. Our bodies can confuse thirst signals for hunger. Before you grab some food, make sure you've been keeping well hydrated.

2. Don't be fooled that exercise is the key to weight loss. While it is important, what you eat is even more so.

3. Make sure you are eating enough healthy fat and protein. These help to curb cravings and satisfy our appetite throughout the day.

4. Keep junk food out of the house. We all know that if it is there, we will eat it. Why tempt yourself?

5. Avoid anything that is refined, including any type of refined grain or sugar. You will be surprised how many foods this cuts out and it will force variety, creativity, and whole food eating.

6. Be cognizant while you eat. This means to first, sit, relax and enjoy your food, and second, not to eat for boredom, tiredness, or emotions sake. And on that note, make sure to get enough sleep!

7. Don't be too hard on yourself. If healthy weight maintenance seems to be an elusive subject to you, there could be some other things going on that require more than lifestyle changes. For example, some areas that could be explored include thyroid, adrenal, hormones, the digestive tract, allergies, mental health, and blood sugar.
@drkatherinemasters #TuesdayMorningTid

Whether it's Valentine's Day or any other day of the year, it's nice to have more of those feel-good chemicals moving through our bodies, isn't it? 

Endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are substances our bodies produce whether we are aware of it our not and they can influence our mood and behaviour.

But did you know we can influence the release of some of those happy molecules?

Here are a few easy ways:

--> Let some sunshine hit your skin
--> Laugh
--> Exercise, dance, move
--> Listen to music
--> Eat foods rich in tyrosine such as spirulina, cottage cheese, turkey & mustard greens 
--> Enjoy touch, acupuncture, or massage 
--> Challenge yourself with something new

​Have a happy day :)

​@drkatherinemasters #TuesdayMorningTidbit

Are you taking an oral contraceptive? Do you drink alcohol? Is your digestive tract functioning sub-par? Are you elderly? Feeling tired or stressed? 
If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be deficient in a few essential nutrients!
The Lowdown: 
B Vitamins are water soluble, which means we excrete any unused amounts each day. Thus, we need to ingest these vitamins from a variety of whole foods on a daily basis in order for our bodies to function well. 
Unfortunately, a sub-optimal diet, a poorly functioning digestive tract, certain medications, OCPs, and alcohol can lead to deficiencies and leave us feeling less than our best. But the good news is that it is an easy fix! If you have a B Vitamin deficiency, eating the right foods will do wonders for you.
A Few Fast Facts:
--> Taking oral contraceptives? You may need some extra riboflavin, folic acid, B6, & B12. (Food sources: eggs, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, green leafy’s, fruit, beets)
--> Drink a lot of alcohol? You may need some extra thiamin, riboflavin, & B6. (Food sources: legumes, nuts, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, green leafy’s, fruit)
--> Feeling anxious, stressed or depressed? You may need some extra riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, B6 & B12. (Food sources: eggs, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, green leafy’s, beets, fruit)
--> Eat a lot of raw egg whites? You may need some extra biotin. (Food sources: egg yolk, liver, meat, some veggies)
--> Vegan? A long-term psyllium user? On proton pump inhibitors, aspirin, or metformin? You may need some extra B12. (Food sources: meat, poultry, fish, eggs)
But what are the symptoms of a B Vitamin Deficiency??? 
I've listed a few below:
-Thiamin (B1): fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, lowered mental capacity
-Riboflavin (B2): weakness, depression, cheilosis, glossitis
-Niacin (B3): nervousness, apprehension, forgetfulness, headaches
-Folic acid: anemia, depression, anxiety, fatigue, neuropathy
-Pantothenic acid (B5): burning feet sensation, fatigue, muscle weakness, hair loss
-Pyridoxine (B6) – nervousness, depression, insomnia, irritability, confusion, abdominal pain, weakness, seizures, carpal tunnel, kidney stones, PMS
-Biotin – brittle nails, alopecia, scaly dermatitis, lethargy
-Methylcobalamin (B12) – anemia, neurological disorders, psychiatric symptoms, orthostatic hypotension
Bottom Line:
Get your digestive tract working so you can absorb the nutrients you need. Avoid drugs and alcohol where you can. Eat your greens, eggs, legumes, meat, fish, veggies and fruit for better energy, brain function, strength, and calmness of mind.

@drkatherinemasters #TuesdayMorningTidbit

Did you know that depression and other mental illnesses are not merely a psychological or a brain chemical issue? (As much as the drug companies would want you to believe it.) 
Did you know that it might just be your body’s way of telling you that something is off?
According to Kelly Brogan MD - Holistic Psychiatrist, thinking that you can correct your depression by taking a chemical pill “is about as misguided as taking aspirin for a nail stuck in your foot”.
Did you know that antidepressants can actually worsen mental illness over the long term? And that they are very difficult to come off of? And that they contain risks such as liver damage, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction?
Wondering where to start looking for the cause of your depression if not the brain?
Here are a few areas to get you started that your health care provider should be able to look into for you: 
-thyroid dysfunction, gastrointestinal health & flora, inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, nutritional deficiencies, adrenal function, birth control methods, immune system dysfunction, genetic risk factors, lifestyle risk factors, toxic exposures.
A diagnosis can sometimes be like a lazy boy chair that is hard to get out of. But it may be time to stand up, to reclaim your health and vitality, and to take charge of your future. Please don’t get so comfortable in your diagnosis that you forget that it doesn’t have to be this way, that there is hope, and that you can heal. 
“Iron rusts from disuse;
water loses its purity from stagnation…
even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.”
-Leonardo da Vinci
​@drkatherinemasters #TuesdayMorningTidbit