Jessica Faissal's Diet and Fitness tips.

06/06/2024

When it comes to weight loss, how many calories you consume might be more important than when you consume them, challenging the popularity of intermittent fasting, according to a new study of time-restricted eating by researchers at Johns Hopkins University published in the last two months.

Moreover, another study of over 20,000 adults found that those who followed an 8-hour time-restricted eating schedule, a type of intermittent fasting, had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
People with heart disease or cancer also had an increased risk of cardiovascular death.

Compared with a standard schedule of eating across 12-16 hours per day, limiting food intake to less than 8 hours per day was not associated with living longer.

So, is intermittent fasting safe?

There’s no simple answer to this question. Randomized controlled trials have shown it appears a safe option for weight loss in the short term.

However, people in the NHANES dataset who eat within a limited period of the day appear to be at higher risk of dying from heart disease. Of course, many other factors could be causing them to eat in this way, and influence the results.

When faced with conflicting data, it’s generally agreed among scientists that randomized controlled trials provide a higher level of evidence. There are too many unknowns to accept the conclusions of an epidemiological study like this one without asking questions. Unsurprisingly, it has been subject to criticism.

That said, to gain a better understanding of the long-term safety of intermittent fasting, we need to be able follow up individuals in over five or ten years.

05/22/2024

Salmon with Zaatar and feta x baked veggies with cumin and 🥔

03/11/2024

Is your salad healthy? Whether you’re ordering out or tossing your own, here are common mistakes to avoid.
• Skipping protein- People who just have a veggie salad for lunch to cut back on calories are looking for a snack a couple of hours later because they’re hungry
• Adding too much dressing and using packed dressings
• Too much croutons
• Using light greens like iceberg lettuce 🥬 in comparison to the nutrients in darker greens like spinach and kale. A cup of spinach provides almost 30 mg of calcium and .8 mg of iron, while a cup of iceberg lettuce has just 10.3 mg of calcium and .2 mg of iron

02/10/2024

When you think about having a strong core, the first thing that comes to mind is chiseled abs. While this can be a motivating goal, having a strong core goes deeper. Your core is much more than your ab muscles.

🤰Postpartum can also be a factor in reducing your core strength. Besides the obvious baby bump and weight gain, the musculoskeletal system undergoes many unseen changes during pregnancy. The pelvic structure loosens so the hips can widen, which can also lead to a bit of external rotation of the hips. During my postpartum journey, I experienced some lower back pain which was due to a weakened core after C-section.
Planks, bird dog, pelvic tilt, bicycle crunches are great exercises to strengthen your core. Most importantly, it is highly recommended to consult a physical therapist to assess your needs and goals. Try to be patient with yourself and know that it might take you longer to recover, and that’s fine.

01/12/2024

Happy 2024! ⭐️

If your top goal for the year includes significant weight loss, then you might be considering subscribing to a commercial weight loss plan.

These programs usually include clear guidelines, pre-packaged meals, individual support and a way to track progress around weight loss goals. When choosing a commercial program, it’s a good idea to ask yourself how important pre-packaged meals may be to your success, as many of the programs without a pre-packaged meal plan require planning, prepping and cooking daily.

Moreover, commercial weight loss programs are not usually reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means their claims are unsubstantiated by a reliable third party.

If followed properly, people can safely lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week. If the commercial weight loss program you’re considering promises anything more than that, it’s best to proceed with caution and talk with your doctor.

While not everyone needs a commercial weight loss plan to lose weight, they can be very effective, especially for people with busy schedules. Weight loss plans do much of the heavy lifting in terms of food choices and meal planning, plus most include snacks to help you avoid between-meal temptations.

In conclusion, the effectiveness of any weight loss plan has a lot to do with the individual. Long-term weight loss is generally much harder to achieve than short-term results.

12/31/2023

Grateful for this memorable year 💛Wishing you all a beautiful 2024 filled with joy and health, and lots of fun workouts. 🏹

11/23/2023

10/30/2023

Toddler drinks or milks are powdered products that are usually sold by baby formula companies. Three drinks are marketed specifically for children ages 12 to 36 months who are transitioning from breast milk or formula feeding to solid foods.

Toddler drinks are not the same as supplemental nutrition drinks for children. The latter usually come pre-mixed in a variety of flavors and are used as medical nutrition supplements for children with a specific medical need. These drinks are higher in calories than powdered toddler drinks and regular milk.

There is no literature to support the claim that toddler milks are necessary or warranted for a developmentally neurotypical child. If your child is eating a regular diet and consuming age-appropriate solid foods, there’s no reason they should need a toddler drink.

10/05/2023

What is the link between nutrition and breast cancer?

There are many nutrition and lifestyle choices women can make every day to increase their protection from breast cancer.

1. Healthy weight

Being overweight is a strong risk factor for breast cancer and any weight gain beyond the age of 18, even a 10% weight gain can strongly increase the chances of breast cancer as well as a cancer recurrence. (That’s only 15 pounds in a 150 lb woman.)

It is important to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight through daily exercise and a low fat plant-based diet.

2. Eat a plant-based diet

Plant foods are rich sources of fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been shown to decrease the risk of cancer and protect the body from other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Choose whole grains and legumes as well as at least 6-9 servings from a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily.

3. Soy

Soy is an excellent source of protein, fiber, B Vitamins, iron, calcium and isoflavones which can possibly help bind estrogen and may decrease the risk of hormone related cancers such as breast and prostate. Soy may also protect bones.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol is a strong risk factor for many cancers, including breast cancer. Despite the benefits of resveratrol, a phytochemical in red wine and grapes, experts recommend avoiding alcohol as there appears to be no safe level for prevention of cancer.

5. Bone health and vitamin D

It's important for women of all ages to consume adequate amounts of calcium and Vitamin D to maintain bone health and this may be even more crucial for postmenopausal women due to their increased risk of osteoporosis.

09/15/2023

Some research suggests listening to music during exercise can distract people from pain and delay fatigue, elevate mood, increase endurance and performance, reduce perceived effort and may even boost power and strength. So don’t forget your headphones!

Exercise also improves brain function. As blood pumps to the brain during physical activity, it can help us think more clearly, leaving us feeling more focused after a workout. Exercise also increases the size of the hippocampus – the part of the brain responsible for memory – as well as the connections between nerve cells in the brain, helping guard against brain injury and disease.

08/23/2023

The perfect balance: quinoa, avocado, beets, tomato, corn, green beans and arugula. 🥙

08/02/2023

So proud of my client’s transformation from 142.8 pounds to 130. Online consultations are just as successful. Keep it up 🙌🎊

07/10/2023

Drugs Like Ozempic and Wegovy cut cravings and turn down ‘Food Noise’:
🥞🍕🍟🥖🍰🍿
While food noise is not a medical term, experts define it as compulsively thinking about and being distracted by food.

Experts say there are also ways to silence food noise without using medication.

Are there ways to silence food noise without drugs?

Foods that are higher in protein, fat, and fiber. Moreover , avoiding getting overly hungry and starting a meal with protein and vegetables can help as well. Getting adequate sleep will keep appetite-regulating hormones stable and reduce the risk of food noise. Regular exercise, which raises natural endorphins and adrenaline can also help increase fullness.

Healthy eating is a combination of eating healthy foods and having a healthy relationship with food.

The biggest concern with weight loss drugs is that the people taking them may not make any healthy lifestyle changes, such as learning to eat healthy and exercise daily.

Another issue is that because they have not created any healthy lifestyle changes, as soon as they stop taking the weight loss drug, they will gain the weight back, and typically gain even more back than they lost.

06/03/2023

By eating a variety of food groups, you can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium.

To get enough protein throughout the day and maintain muscle, try adding seafood, dairy, or fortified soy products along with beans, peas, and lentils to your meals.

Add sliced or chopped fruits and vegetables to meals.
Try foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as some cereals, or talk to your doctor about taking a B12 supplement.
Reduce sodium intake by seasoning foods with herbs and citrus such as lemon juice.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help stay hydrated and aid in the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.

05/12/2023

The Benefits of Homemade Baby Food:

Although it is more time consuming to prepare your baby’s food at home, there are plenty of benefits to doing so, such as:
1- Low sodium and sugar
2- Less exposure to heavy metals
3- More affordable than ready to buy jars
4- Baby gets exposed to more flavors and textures

Sample meal plan 🍎
Breakfast

Option 1: Whole Ancient Grain Baby Cereal

Option 2: Mashed avocado

Option 3: Avocado and Pea Puree

Option 4: Apple and acorn squash mash (pureed apples and squash mixed)

Option 5: Pureed peaches or soft cooked pears

Lunch

Option 1: Root Vegetable Puree

Option 2: Unsweetened whole milk yogurt

Option 3: Avocado and Pea Puree

Option 4: Pureed apples

Option 5: Quinoa cereal

04/21/2023

A research model of dietary intake in 184 countries, developed by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at , estimates that poor diet contributed to over 14.1 million cases of type 2 in 2018, representing over 70% of new diagnoses globally.

Of the 11 dietary factors considered, three had an outsized contribution to the rising global incidence of type 2 diabetes: Insufficient intake of whole grains, excesses of refined rice and wheat, and the overconsumption of processed meat. Factors such as drinking too much fruit juice and not eating enough non-starchy vegetables, nuts, or seeds, had less of an impact on new cases of the disease.

Left unchecked and with incidence only projected to rise, type 2 diabetes will continue to impact population health, economic productivity, health care system capacity, and drive heath inequities worldwide.

03/20/2023

I love farm to table restaurants🍽️.
Restaurants that source their ingredients from local farms and gardens can take advantage of the fresh flavors that these ingredients offer. Rather than needing to preserve, freeze, or otherwise extend the useful life of these ingredients, your dish will taste fresh because it truly is fresh. 🫑🥑🍗🍔

03/14/2023

Wondering how to eat healthy while on a getaway or vacation?

While it can be challenging to stay focused and not get tempted to overindulge, you and your family can keep your eating habits in balance and still enjoy your vacation.

An easy way to stay on track is to bring your own healthy snacks, splurge once a day, walk everywhere and stay hydrated. The trick is to monitor your portions, eat slowly and savor every bite. 🧈🧀🥯🥐🍳

03/09/2023

Happy ! I am grateful to have the privilege to make the world a healthier place. Here’s a few snippets of my early days as a dietitian. Can’t believe it’s been a decade already…🥙🫐🍇

02/22/2023

Depending on your personal goals, gym accessibility and what kind of exercise you enjoy doing (i.e. running, weight lifting, Pilates), your workout schedule may look different from someone else’s. But this is the workout schedule I generally recommend to improve overall health and fitness.

3x/week: Full-body strength training
2x/week: Cardio
Pilates core work on strength-training days and yoga and/or stretching on cardio days.

If your goal is to lose weight, participating in at least two days of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or another aerobic activity (like spinning, swimming or fast walking) is what I recommend for my weight-loss clients.

02/10/2023

Although the recommended breakdown of carbohydrate, protein, and fat are the same for both genders, because men generally need more calories, they also require higher total intake of each of the macronutrients. Women need fewer calories than men, but in many cases, they have higher vitamin and mineral needs.

🧈🍖🥩Protein: For protein-dense foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or beans, use a palm-sized serving.
• For men: two palm-sized portions with each meal.
• For women: one palm-sized portion with each meal.

🥒🥬🥦Vegetables: For veggies like broccoli, spinach, salad, carrots, etc. use a fist-sized serving.
• For men: two fist-sized portions of vegetables with each meal.
• For women: one fist-sized portion of vegetables with each meal.
🥪🍕🥖Measuring Carbohydrates: If you’re including extra carbohydrates in a meal — like grains, starches or fruits — use a cupped hand to determine your serving size.
• For men: two cupped-hand sized portions of other carbohydrates.
• For women: one cupped-hand sized portion of other carbohydrates.
🧀🫒🥑Measuring Fat: If you’re including extra fats in a meal – like oils, butters, nut butters, nuts/seeds – use your entire thumb to determine your serving size.
• For men: two thumb-sized portions of extra fats.
• For women: one thumb-sized portion of extra fats.

01/31/2023

Challenge of the day 🧘‍♀️ with a little help from Emma 👶

01/23/2023

Your cholesterol numbers are important because they help you know your risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol is a type of fat that helps your body perform many important functions. But too much cholesterol in your blood is bad for you. It can lead to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque (hardened deposits).

If you’re suffering from high cholesterol levels

, you can take action to lower your numbers.

Follow your provider’s guidance on how to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Some general tips include:

Add more exercise to your daily routine.
Avoid smoking and all to***co products.
Keep a weight that’s healthy for you.
Learn how food impacts your cholesterol, and start with small changes to your diet.
Manage high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
Learn new strategies for dealing with stress.
Take your medications as prescribed.

Message me for more info on meal plans 🥬

01/20/2023

01/12/2023

Stoked to be back to regular exercise.
~One of the main benefits of working out while pregnant is a fast post-delivery recovery.

The more you increase your pregnancy fitness, the faster you’ll recover physically after childbirth, the more fit you’ll be after delivery. In a study, women who exercised recovered faster after labor (even after controlling for the type of delivery), resuming household chores more quickly than those who didn’t exercise.

The benefits are incremental, which means that some exercise — even if you don’t hit that 150-minute goal — is better than none. Anything that raises your heart rate and gets your muscles engaged counts — including walking, jogging, yoga, Pilates, dance, aerobics and swimming.

01/02/2023

Happy 2023 everyone! 🎆🥂
Had to welcome the new year with cheese 🧀 and wine 🍷

The challenge with wine and cheese consumption isn't necessarily the eating and drinking itself, it's how much of them people tend to consume in one sitting that may affect your health. It is best to embrace the ‘everything in moderation’ as the top tip worth following.

Some facts on cheese:

It’s recommended that we should only be consuming about 40g of cheese a day, so a cheese board binge is not encouraged.

Cheese is a good source of calcium and phosphorus - important to maintain strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps with muscles, heart health and nerves.
It's regarded as a high-quality protein.
Most cheese is low in lactose - but people with cow's milk allergy aren’t advised to consume those made from cow’s milk.
Cheese tends to be high in sodium, calories and saturated fat, low fat cheeses like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, feta, and goat cheese, and low-fat cream cheese should contain less than 15g of fat per 100g serving.
Non-dairy cheese such as soy cheese, are suitable for people who do not consume dairy products, but they are highly processed.
Fat-free cheese is not recommended as a regular part of the diet, even for those looking to reduce calories or fat because of extreme processing.

12/13/2022

Salmon and avocado salad x Boursin 🧀 with crackers.
2 tablespoons of Boursin contain 120 calories and 2g of protein, so make sure to boost the protein in the salad 🥗

11/29/2022

Tomato bulgur pilaf which is known in Arabic as “burghul w banadoura” can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. It is often served with yogurt to add more protein.

Ingredients:
3 cups coarse ground bulgur, washed and drained
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
3 large onions, chopped
9 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Cooking Instructions:

In a pan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onions until they turn golden. Mix in the bulgur and stir for a few minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, dissolved tomato paste, black pepper, white pepper, salt and 3 cups of water.

Let it simmer for 20 min over low heat with the lid on until the bulgur is well cooked. Add more water if necessary.

Remove from heat and allow it to rest for 10 min.

Add in the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil and mix well.

Serve hot with plain yogurt next to it.

11/20/2022

Favorite postpartum meals- by my amazing mum ♥️

If you’re breastfeeding, you're giving your baby nutrients that will promote growth and health.

You might need to eat a little more — about an additional 330 to 400 calories a day — to give you the energy and nutrition to produce milk.

Focus on making healthy choices to help fuel your milk production. Opt for protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury. Choose a variety of whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables.

Eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding will change the flavor of your breast milk. This will expose your baby to different tastes, which might help him or her more easily accept solid foods down the road.

Drink when you are thirsty, and drink more if your urine appears dark yellow. You might drink a glass of water or another beverage every time you breastfeed.