Healthy aging hack…
In a world obsessed with short term fixes to aging on the outside… we can overlook the importance of developing a few simple steps that will help us build up habits of “prevention” from diseases and illnesses that present themselves as we age.
In a world obsessed with short term fixes to aging on the outside… we can overlook the importance of developing a few simple steps that will help us build up habits of “prevention” from diseases and illnesses that present themselves as we age.
I learned the concept of Longevity (length of life) lifespan vs Health Span (quality of life) on a podcast with Dr Peter Attia. I love this!
The idea is that life isn’t about aging with a poor quality of life in which cognition, and physical ability are terrible. Health span speaks to the quality of our life - the things we are able to do, how happy and fulfilled we feel and the quality of our relationships. THIS is the goal for me.
I think about my mom, who died so young, just 53 years old. Although she was fit and tried to look after herself the one key component of this triad that suffered was her relationships. She had multiple, close, relationships that were strained and very challenging. So much of this has informed how I look at the people closest to me in life, family and work and in some cases, to make tough decisions to limit exposure or detach from toxic people. Having witnessed first hand the unbelievable amount of stress that puts on a persons well being, has overridden my desire to “please other people” at the risk of my own health.
There are 3 key areas to focus on are in establishing great health span which is about early prevention vs waiting until you are in your 40’s or 50’s and things mount up and multiply.
Cognitive function - this equates to brain health. One of the leading causes of death is neurological conditions like Alzheimers, dementia, Parkinson’s. One of the main things that leads to cognitive decline is vascular (heart) disease. We can do many things to set up early “prevention.” We do have some control over behaviours we can modify. Some healthy things we can do to prevent brain degeneration includes, reducing: smoking, alcohol, sleeping (7-9hrs), reducing head injuries and high blood pressure. Working out and lifting heavy weights or walking with weights (rucking) can decrease muscle loss and help boost brain health.
Physical health - what is your mobility as you age? What is your strength and balance like? How is your physical health and weight? Much of this can be prevented with healthy food choices, focusing on gut health, increasing protein intake at every meal to help build muscle and increase physical exercise - especially weight training and resistance.
Emotional health deterioration - what is the state of your relationships? The “quality of our life is the quality of our relationships.” How much joy and purpose do you have in your life? Are you happy - do you have the capacity to regulate your emotions? Are you surrounded by loving, supportive partners, family, friends and colleagues? Choosing to create healthy boundaries and enrich your current relationships are crucial to securing good emotional health.
Prevention is a great MOTIVATION to begin to implement healthy habits, healthy eating and exercise.
I run a program, that I also live by, which has put me in my best health at 54. This gut reset program includes key supplements that help boost health with synbiotics, Protien, superfood greens and vegan collagen (a major building block of bones, muscles, skin and tendons).
If you are interested in jumping in to the August gut reset click here for info and to join with a special 20% discount.
Grateful to be on this journey with you! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Thank you for being here.
Never forget one person can make a difference…. that one person is YOU.
With so much love,
Your friend,
Kim xo
How to Get A Grip on Menopause Changes
When I entered the peri-menopause phase of life I was so confused and bewildered.
My body was changing
My energy was changing
My waist line was changing
MY energy level was changing
When I entered the peri-menopause phase of life I was so confused and bewildered.
My body was changing
My energy was changing
My waist line was changing
MY energy level was changing
UGH!!! The things I did - how I ate and worked out that had always kept me looking and feeling healthy - suddenly wasn’t working anymore!
Anyone else felt utterly confused by what you read about “diet” “weight loss” “menopause” and the like?
I dove in to learning what I could and everywhere I looked - I was reading about the importance of eating in a “calorie deficit” and killing yourself with cardio!
NONE OF WHICH I ever did - nor is it the healthiest choice.
What I have discovered to be true at 54 years of age, is that you have to get rid of the old outdated ideas, adjust what you are doing (that has perhaps worked to keep you healthy until peri and post menopause) and stick with a few key factors:
1. Consider adding up to about 200 calories to your daily intake (DO NOT go into an extreme caloric DEFICIT) so your body stops HOLDING on to weight (especially around your mid section) & causing your metabolism to actually slow down!
2. STOP KILLING YOURSELF with crazy cardio - switch it out for lifting weights & resistance training to build muscle & actually burn more fat! You can do short S.I.T. workouts (SIT involves short bursts of high intensity exercise interspersed with low-intensity aerobic recovery intervals. SIT has been demonstrated effectiveness as time efficient method of improving insulin sensitivity and physical fitness)
3. Increase your Protien intake at every meal. (A mix of plant based protein - I use a high quality source of protein powder in my yogurt, protein balls and shakes as well as high quality fish and meats0
4. Get quality sleep! 7-9 hours per night (I’ve had a lot of work to do in this area - I didn’t always sleep much but I’ve made a huge effort this whole year so far to get my 7-9 hours) - Ashwaganda is a great adaptogen to use before bed.
5. Reduce your stress! Clear out any toxic relationships. The havoc stress creates on your body especially post-menopause is serious stuff so don’t take this lightly.
6. Get your mind set right. Speak lovingly to yourself - about yourself. Your body is listening to everything you think & say. Get this right and you’ll see and feel a big change.
7. Take a synbiotic probiotic to help keep your gut health regulated (it is where much of your hormones are regulated)
Plus a few more simple lifestyle habits to stay your healthiest as you age.
If you’re interested in learning more about my gut reset program that incorporates all of the above PLUS MORE including recipes - visit here: https://www.kimmacgregor.ca/gut-reset or send an email with the subject: HEALTHY to kimmacgregor@rogers.com
Grateful to be on this journey with you! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Thank you for being here.
Never forget one person can make a difference…. that one person is YOU.
With so much love,
Your friend,
Kim xo
Gut Health & The Magic of the Microbiome
Gut health, gut health programs and our microbiome are all the buzz lately and for good reason!
Did you know that our microbiome is the epicentre of much of our health? In fact, 70-80% of our immune system is in our gut. Our gut health can also impact our energy levels, mood, brain fog and healthy (or not-so-healthy) skin.
Gut health, gut health programs and our microbiome are all the buzz lately and for good reason!
Did you know that our microbiome is the epicentre of much of our health? In fact, 70-80% of our immune system is in our gut. Our gut health can also impact our energy levels, mood, brain fog and healthy (or not-so-healthy) skin.
“A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.” - Harvard Health
Needless to say, it’s important to get your gut health in check so you can maximize your overall health and well-being.
Here are 6 tips I follow to maintain a healthy gut:
Take a Synbiotic. This is a probiotic with a prebiotic (which is the food for the probiotic. They’re great for getting rid of bloating, adding billions of healthy bacteria to your gut, improving digestion and increasing regularity.
Drink lots of water. As warm/hot as you can - with lemon or lime. I had my first colonoscopy after m mom died of colon cancer when she was 53 and I was 29. After my colonoscopy, I got a letter to take home titled “How to have a healthy colon”. The top tip was to drink lots of HOT water throughout the day with lemon or lime to alkaline your system.
Move your body daily. We are made to MOVE. We live very sedentary lives today - working behind a desk or computer has contributed to increased obesity rates. Exercise, weights, and resistance training are all great. The most simple and effective thing you can do daily is walk! Walking outside is exceptional for body, mind and spirit and contributes to good mental health.
Avoid inflammatory foods & eat a healthy diet; especially alcohol, gluten, dairy & processed sugars. For most people, these foods cause inflammation. Even taking a break for 2 weeks or 30 days allows you to listen to your body by eliminating these inflammatory foods to see how your body responds (and how much better you feel).
Increase your fibre. Through sources of fibre including barley, chickpeas, lentils, berries, pears and more. A clean fibre supplement can be very helpful and an easy way to get your daily fibre.
Manage your stress. STRESS can do a number on your gut health. I know for me personally, I FEEL all of my stress in my stomach. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress left unchecked can contribute to a variety of health issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Ways to reduce stress that work for me include: meditating, affirmations, walking (number 3 above), reading, listening to positive and educational books on audio - podcasts and YouTube videos, managing boundaries with toxic people, and doing work that inspires and grows you.
Have you experienced any gut issues? If the answer is YES, then you are not alone!
Seven years ago I began to educate myself about gut health and make changes in my diet and I have felt my healthiest as a result. It’s a worthwhile investment in your overall health.
If you are interested in starting your gut health journey, click below to learn more about my #1 gut reset program
Grateful to be on this journey with you! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Thank you for being here.
Never forget one person can make a difference…. that one person is YOU.
With so much love,
Your friend,
Kim xo
Why I’m so passionate about healthy aging
I turned 53 in November 2021 and it has been an emotional and deeply meaningful year for me. I have pivoted a great deal from prioritizing everyone's health around me, to really listening to and paying attention to my body and how I feel - energy, joy, weight, my joints, how healthy are my relationships and mental clarity.
I lost my mom when I was 29 and she was 53. My mom was my best friend and the first example of strength, unconditional love and an unstoppable quest for learning.
While she was a fitness and wellness buff, she got breast cancer at 41 and died of colon cancer at 53.
I turned 53 in November 2021 and it has been an emotional and deeply meaningful year for me. I have pivoted a great deal from prioritizing everyone's health around me, to really listening to and paying attention to my body and how I feel - energy, joy, weight, my joints, how healthy are my relationships and mental clarity?
I fully believe that our health is not one single factor but a combination of things done right that creates overall VITALITY… and that is what I am going for - not just feeling OKAY but YOUTHFULNESS AND VITALITY!
These past 6 months I doubled down on my nutrition. While I have been using the most amazing supplements since I was 47, I would often give myself months of pure indulgence (I had a MAJOR sugar addiction that I didn’t truly identify before this time). Cutting out inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, alcohol and coffee was not difficult for me but cutting out processed sugars was my weakness.
As I assessed how I really truly felt - I realized that having the desserts and sugary treats in my 80/20 months was not benefiting me in the slightest.
I know what you’re thinking… Kim you have to live and enjoy. YES I do agree 100% and trust me I LIVE and I ENJOY - I have simply prioritized how I FEEL as an ongoing focus of mine -so having achy painful joints, bloating and feeling sleepy from sugar was NO LONGER worth it to me! I cut processed sugars out completely in Jan 2022 with the above inflammatory foods and I HAVE NOT MISSED IT one bit!
Here’s the thing I have learned (and I coach this to my clients)… your body doesn’t lie! It is telling you how it feels all the time - you just aren’t listening. It’s no longer enough for me to negotiate with MYSELF why it’s okay to have sugar simply because it’s MY RIGHT and I don’t want to FEEL deprived of what I want! DO you follow where I am going with this? It’s me against ME! I want to feel AMAZING, energetic, clear-minded, ZERO bloating in my gut, fit and healthy and I want my skin to glow! (I know demanding aren’t I! But WHY THE HECK NOT!)
So yes - I don’t eat inflammatory foods ANDDDD because I have helped my gut by incorporating supplements and nutrition - I NO LONGER CRAVE inflammatory foods OR sugar. The way our gut works - Our microbiome - is that it craves the state of the environment. So when we are living in a state of overgrowth of BAD bacteria (from eating inflammatory foods, stress and lack of exercise) we crave SUGAR, ALCOHOL, dairy all the things that clever but nasty bad bacteria FEED OFF OF!
By focusing on healing your gut health you get rid of the cravings that keep you in the loop of poor health, bloated belly, lack of energy, hormones feeling out of whack and brain fog…it all stems back to the gut!
I owe a great deal of my health at 53 - 6 years post menopause to my nutrition plan which is why I am OBSESSED with paying it forward to as many people as possible. People are willing to invest in their health - because it truly does matter what you feed your body. 70-80% of your immune system is in your gut. I am grateful to have coached hundreds of people through the program and of course, to lead from the front showing women what is possible when you prioritize YOUR HEALTH and invest in YOU. It’s the BEST investment you can make.
I know there’s a ton of confusion in the “diet culture” and please be clear, what I am talking about is NOT A FAD DIET - rather it is about developing a healthy LIFESTYLE - 2 very different things.
Next blog I will be talking about BOUNDARIES and how creating healthy boundaries in all areas of my life has made a massive positive difference.
Send me a DM on IG @kimmacgregor1 or an email at kimmacgregor@rogers.com with “I’M READY TO GET HEALTHY KIM” in the DM or subject line of the email so we can connect and I can coach you on your most precious health journey!
Thank you for being here.
Never forget one person can make a difference…. That one person is YOU.
With so much love,
Your friend,
Kim xo
Embrace Aging…it’s not as bad as you think!
So it happened!
FINALLY!
I turned 50!
Actually, I have to laugh at myself because I have been talking about it so much for the past 6 months that when “the day” FINALLY arrived it was all rather uneventful. My brother called from LA and asked if I felt different, and I replied that I didn’t. And I still don’t.
So it happened!
FINALLY!
I turned 50!
Actually, I have to laugh at myself because I have been talking about it so much for the past 6 months that when “the day” FINALLY arrived it was all rather uneventful. My brother called from LA and asked if I felt different, and I replied that I didn’t. And I still don’t.
Aging, like so many things, is a matter of mindset.
If I feel old….I will most certainly see myself as old and I will bet you that if I see myself as old, others will see me in that light too.
The truth is LIFE, VITALITY, ENERGY, JOY is timeless. It defies age – really and truly – defies age. I don’t mean to assume that you are going to look exactly the same at 50 that you did at 20, that would be unreasonable to expect and I actually don’t want to look the same. Nothing about me is the same…I’ve grown so much as a person! BUT I DO BELIEVE that you can be more radiant, more glowing and certainly feel better from the inside – out. Particularly if you make a commitment to look after yourself. To work on your relationships, to work on your mind, to be healthier, to take better care of YOU…mentally, physically and emotionally! To lead your life with a greater sense of meaning than ever before…because I do believe that meaning gives your life more beauty and depth and purpose.
So this whole 50 -thing – this aging thing…I am really rather liking it. I am grateful to be ALIVE and to be healthy and to be getting healthier every day and every year. My beautiful mother-in-law who is about to turn 80 (but actually looks like she’s in her early 60’s) told me that she liked her 50’s but that her 60’s and 70’s have been her favourite decades so far. Isn’t that awesome to hear! I could see how that could happen too.
I have found this magical elixir to life that oddly, has come to me partially from the brand I represent, Arbonne. It sounds so silly to say, but what we put on our skin impacts our health. What we put in our GUT (which is our second brain) affects our health…our clarity of mind, focus, brain-fog, bloating, inflammation, our skin. If you think you can keep living on coffee and bagels and cheat yourself to a healthier body you’re sadly kidding yourself. Luckily I clued in to that at 42 …but at ANY age you can make changes that will buy back YEARS of health and literally help to turn back the hands of time.
WHO KNEW?
If you have decided that 2019 is going to be YOUR year (regardless of your age) and you are ready for a healthy nutrition reboot (we have an AMAZING 30 day reboot nutrition program that is my SECRET weapon – I am on now and LOVING the energy, reduced inflammation and bloating and glowing skin), or to chart a NEW more meaningful path, to stretch out of your comfort zone and start an online business…wherever you are at, whatever you are looking for to make this year BETTER…I would love to have a conversation with you and see how I can serve you on your journey. You never know what magic you can create until you try NEW THINGS!
I wish you health, love and adventure this month…this year…and for all the days of your life. YOU deserve to live your most amazing life!
Always remember one person can make a difference…that one person is you.
With much love always,
Kim xo
Join me on my FB page: Kim MacGregor – Live Your Most Amazing Life
And on Instagram: @kimmacgregor1
Countdown to the big 50…
I have attempted to make a comeback a few times over and can’t make any excuses for what happened other than a clear lack of “Consistency.” Man oh man have I done a lot of living, learning and growing over the past several years….well now I am BACK with more to share than ever before!
Maybe it’s age and the wisdom that comes with that…I am 18 days away-and counting- from turning 50 and I have a new perspective on life and what it means to me to grow older.
Hello there!
Wow it has been a long while since I have written here.
I have attempted to make a comeback a few times over and can’t make any excuses for what happened other than a clear lack of “Consistency.” Man oh man have I done a lot of living, learning and growing over the past several years….well now I am BACK with more to share than ever before!
Maybe it’s age and the wisdom that comes with that…I am 18 days away-and counting- from turning 50 and I have a new perspective on life and what it means to me to grow older.
Picture by the amazing Helen Tansey
Maybe it’s the ongoing journey of self-actualization that I am on…and how getting to know yourself and challenge yourself to BE YOUR BEST NO EXCUSES really is like cracking a code on the other things we long for.
Maybe it’s my focus on what matters most, in my heart and in my soul…. my marriage that I have worked hard on, through many storms, to create bliss…my children and the recognition that in order to leave my next generation stronger and more equipped for life – I have to work on myself so I can model it for them and walk my talk.
Maybe it’s the success of my digital business…a success that came as a result of hard work and years of dedication but that is far greater than anything in my career, corporate or entrepreneurial, that I have ever experienced before.
Maybe it’s my passion to empower others, especially women, to see how they can truly HAVE IT ALL, but that it WILL look totally different than you thought, than you studied for, or even than society told you it would be.
Weekly, I will be sharing bits and pieces of my journey from trials and challenges to profound joy and “success” measured in a variety of ways, not just the typical ones but all the markers that make for a truly GOOD LIFE.
So stay tuned…get ready to learn and go on the adventure of a LIFETIME together as I continue to grow, expand and share the joy of life through…relationships, parenthood, healthy living and entrepreneurship amongst ohhh so many other things.
Let’s do this!!!
Always remember one person can make a difference…that one person is you.
With much love always,
Kim xo