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Clean Livin'

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:14:22 GMT

What you use on the outside of your body is as important as what you put inside your body.

By now you know I want help people improve the quality of their food choices. What you may not know is that I make lifestyle recommendations as well. Some of these include tips for increasing exercise or improving sleep but I also educate clients about many harmful ingredients in everyday items we use. My goal when I work with clients is to meet my clients where there are by addressing what changes they are comfortable making to their lifestyle that will improve their overall wellness.

These lifestyle recommends aren’t about spending a ton of money to overhaul your house. This is too expensive and leads to a lot of waste…two things I am against! This is about making a slow transition so when you run out of a product or something breaks, you know what a better options are available for purchase. Below are a few of my favorite household upgrades.

STOP with the plastic food containers!

Whenever you have the opportunity, store food in glass containers. Drink out of glass at home or use a glass water bottle when you are on the go. WHY? Plastic is chemicals. Chemicals can leech into our food and water ESPECIALLY if they are heated.

You heat your leftovers in a plastic container in the microwave, you have also infused your food with chemicals. YUM! You drink out of a plastic water bottle…that sits in the sun in your car, you now have chemical infused water…TASTY! You get my point.

How can you fox this?

Transfer your food to a dish for reheating.

Look to products you buy that come in glass. For example, I love Artisana nut butters. After I finish a jar, I can easily peel off the label, clean it and now I have a new food storage container.

If you do need a new water bottle, you can obviously purchase a glass one or if you are at the store and need water, only purchase a brand in a glass bottle, when done, wash and reuse…now you have a new glass water bottle.

Clean up your laundry!

Detergent reinvented

Did you know laundry detergent is mostly water?! Maybe you like lugging the larger plastic jugs home and you count it as part of your workout. NO? Me neither! Now I use Earth Breeze laundry sheets. They removed all that water and condensed the actually cleaning agents into a small sheet. They come in unscented or scented. They ship for free in regular mail with minimal packaging. The packaging they do use is recyclable. They work well. If you want to check earth breeze out for yourself, check out this link .

Dryer sheets reinvented

Say goodbye to dryer sheets and hello to wool dryer balls. Anything that is reusable is worth checking out. It means less impact on our planet but dryers balls are a double whammy because it also means fewer chemicals and synthetics in your life…and laundry. Wool is a natural fiber and will absorb moisture from the clothing. The movement of the dryer balls throughout the cycle help to soften clothing.

So what is the take away? Wool dryer balls are reusable and shorten drying time (i.e. energy) because they absorb moisture from clothing, a positive for the planet. Wool dryer balls are a natural fiber that will soften clothes with no chemicals or synthetics, a positive for us!

What you use on the outside is just as important as what you put inside your body.

Your skin is your LARGEST organ. Yes, it is an organ and many times an overlooked one. I do recommend people look to clean skin care when they run out of their current toiletries.

My primary recommendations when it is time to purchase new skin care include face cream and deodorant. These items are on your skin everyday and should be of the best quality. Replacing your beloved items will be a process. I have purchased MANY products that are ‘gentle’ or for ‘sensitive’ skin that are made with high quality ingredients but they just haven’t been a good fit for me so patience is a must! When you find a brand that works though it is a game changer!

About Face!

For face cream, I truly enjoy Ursa Major products out of Vermont. I specifically like their Forest Alchemy Eye Cream and their Golden Hour Recovery Cream. They are committed to product quality which for them means, powerful active ingredients, natural aromas, no suspect chemicals. They never use petrochemicals, SLS, SLES, parabens, synthetic fragrance or color, silicones or PEGs. I also like that they are constantly evaluating their packaging to improve it so it is sustainable. They are one of the first plastic negative skincare companies.

Ursa Major is also a B Corp certified, B Corp certified companies meet rigorous standards of corporate and social responsibility. Everything from a company’s workers, suppliers, community and environmental impact is assessed for a company to be certified.

Stay fresh as a daisy!

Deodorant is where it’s at these days. Stop with the antiperspirants and start with a quality deodorant. I will say this is a process…and maybe one that should be done in the winter when sweating isn’t at its peak due to cooler temperatures. Ursa Major does have a deodorant that I recently received a sample of called Hoppin’ Fresh Deodorant which is sure to get you going in the morning due to the mix of peppermint, eucalyptus and rosemary. So far, I have enjoyed using it.

Why switch?

1) Antiperspirants are loaded with chemicals so the more we can limit our chemicals exposure, the better.

2) Did you realize sweating is an excellent form of detox? It is one of the ways we release toxins from our body so letting yourself sweat is actually a positive if you want to improve your overall wellness!

So to recap we want to perspire, even sweat, but no one wants to stink!

If you want to see all the products Ursa Major has to offer and give them a try, click here to check out their website.

We all deserve to feel well. This doesn’t mean just eating nutrient dense foods, it also means doing the best we can with our lifestyle choices to set ourselves up for success. I think it is important to remember that this doesn’t mean spending an excessive amount of money or trying every fad. It means making little changes where you can and letting them add up so you can feel good on the inside and outside! When we make these slow and steady changes, we help ourselves and the environment!

#educatedwellness

Acceptance does not mean giving up!

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 15:37:51 GMT

It means you are ready to move onward and upward!

I do think acceptance is a positive step in moving forward but please do not think it means you are giving up or giving in!

This can relate to many different scenarios in our lives but I will focus on how it relates to our health and wellness.

We all have nagging issues. Maybe your sleep quality has deteriorated. Maybe you have put on a few pounds. Maybe you are experiencing more acne or joint pain in the past year than you can remember. I think many people just ignore signs and signals their body is trying to give them and push it off as ‘getting older’ and accept that this is the way life will be from now on. BUT WHY?!

If joint pain is a new phenomenon for you why would you dismiss it as getting older? If you have acne unlike anything you had as a teenager isn’t the logical choice that something in your lifestyle has changed to spark this issue? Yet so many of us think, this is just the way things are now. We accept it and feel miserable but don’t do anything to change our situation.

I want people to ACCEPT changes that are happening and THEN decide if they approve of them. Are you ok with that joint pain? No? Ok, take some time, to evaluate the situation knowing that you are NOT on a straight path. This will take time and patience.

When did this joint pain start?

What time of day is it the worst?

What did I do before that time of day?

What did I eat before it was the worst?

These are all starter questions. As you are able to answer these, it can open up a whole new level of questions. This is all a positive. The more honest and open you can be able answering these questions for yourself, the more power you have to make changes. You may be able to see a pattern develop and can now work to disrupt that pattern. You can pass this information along to a doctor or a functional nutritionist like me and we can further drilling down into the heart of your issue. How do you put this into practice though. Below I offer an example.

You eat a turkey and cheese sandwich everyday and every afternoon your joint pain flares up. So you stop eating turkey and cheese sandwiches and it goes away. Excellent, but what really caused the joint pain because that sandwich has multiple ingredients? So you experiment and eat a salad with turkey and cheese on it and no joint pain. Then after a few days, you go back to your regular sandwich and joint pain comes back. Well, I would say that is a pretty clear sign that the bread you eat is an issue for your joints.

Now that you have this information you can really start to experiment. What happens if you have pasta for dinner? If you still have joint pain, you now have insight that processed carbohydrates are an issue for you, specifically, gluten.

If you DON’T have joint pain after eating pasta, then maybe it is an ingredient in the bread you normally eat that is causing an issue. Look to the bread’s ingredients list for more clues. What oils do they use? Many inexpensive oils that are used in baked items are so overly processed with chemicals and heat that they are rancid before they are bottled (yes, it is true). What about other sugars and additives listed? Processed and fake ingredients can wreak havoc on our bodies. Make sure you can read all the ingredients listed, if it is too difficult because it is a word with a number of syllables, just put it down! That product can no longer be considered food.

Going through this process does take time and patience but it does give us control. Control over our health and wellness and that is absolutely priceless!

So remember ACCEPTANCE is the beginning step towards regaining control so you can feel like yourself again!

Do you feel like you need guidance on how to make improvements to your lifestyle and diet so you can feel better and be better? Feel free to reach out to me and we can talk. You health and happiness ALWAYS matters.

Does success only equal weight loss?

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:02:56 GMT

How to have a healthier perspective on your wellness journey.

We think the number on the scale is the end all be all! Who hasn’t thought, if I could just fit into that smaller size dress everything will be great.

I have to admit I fall victim to this mentality as well but I am actively trying to change my perspective. I am trying to look at a larger picture of my wellness so I have a complete view of what is going well and what still needs improvement so I can move forward on my wellness journey. How can we do this? Read below!

Make a list of health concerns you currently have and would like to address.

Do you normally suffer from joint pain or muscle aches? Does your hair not grow very quickly or your nails are weak? Is sleep a constant issue? What about your digestion? Do you rarely go to the bathroom? Is your urine a very dark yellow? What about your skin? Is it often dry or do you regularly have rashes? To me, these are all signs that something is not functioning well in your body. Your overall wellness is imbalanced. So if you are only focusing on the number on the scale it doesn’t necessarily mean you will feel good even if that number goes down. You still may have joint pain or you still may have low energy levels. I believe there is a better approach to addressing the concerns of weight gain. In fact, I am in the midst of addressing this right now for myself.

I will admit I have gained a few pounds recently that I’m not happy about at all. I was starting to beat myself up, which is all too easy to do. Then I decided to stop myself and evaluate some other things about my wellness. I have always had terrible nails. They were weak. I used to bite them and pick up my cuticles constantly. I have just noticed this summer how strong my nails are and how frequently I have to cut them, something. This is a sign that something is in balance in my body if my normally weak nails are strong and grow quickly. I have also noticed my skin isn’t as dry. It does help that it is summer and the humidity levels are higher but mineral sunscreens and chlorine in pools can be drying and I’m not reaching for the lotion as often as I normally have to this time of year. Again, this is a sign that something is going right in and is well balanced in my body.

It is important to recognize the positive takeaways and go on from there. It doesn’t mean I’m happy that I’ve gained a few pounds but it shows that I am doing a few things right and now I can focus on what is going wrong. I can do that without beating myself up and negatively affecting my progress.

So where am I going wrong?

Vegetables. I don’t think I’m eating enough fibrous vegetables which are key to good digestion because they help build up the good bacteria in your gut. It’s summer, gardens are flourishing, it should be easy to get lots of vegetables in my body. I need to focus on trying to get an additional vegetable on my plate for both lunch and dinner.

Alcohol. It’s summer. It’s warm. You see friends, you’re out and about. I've honestly indulged in a few too many glasses of rosé. Cutting back is something that I know I can easily curb and instantly see positive results. Partially because it means I will consume fewer EMPTY calories. I also know that no or less alcohol will improve the quality of my sleep. Pro-tip…a rose or white wine spritzer is a great way to have a cocktail but not get out of control.

More MOVEMENT! I have committed to improving not only my exercise but also increasing my daily movement. I tend to work out five days a week and have always thought that was enough. I’m not sedentary on the weekends. Normally there are multiple dog walks and some yard work and other work around the house but I don’t think it is enough if I want to lose those few pounds. This doesn’t mean I’m going to start running 10 miles a day but it does mean I’m going to pick up two extra workouts a week, being sure to incorporate some different types of exercise such as HIIT or yoga classes. I am not going to stress out about it too much, just commit to two additional 20-30 minute workouts each week. If I go too big, I will just set myself for failure.

I believe these three tweaks to my routine will help me feel better and in turn, help the number on the scale go down. It is worth a shot and all of these changes are healthy and can only make me feel better. I am NOT focusing on extremes, which never work in the long run because of burn out. I am focusing on manageable, healthy change so I achieve manageable, healthy results.

Do you want to make long lasting changes that move your overall health in a positive direction? Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? Maybe it’s time you try a new approach to managing your health, a functional approach that gets to the root cause of your symptoms and allows you to heal. Always feel free to reach out to me, your FNTP.

UPDATE 7/20/21: I started writing this blog over a week ago. I have been incorporating these changes for just over a week as well. I am down 5 pounds. To be clear, I do not think this is all "real weight" I have lost, i.e. some is excess water. I do KNOW it is extra "junk weight" from too much alcohol. Incorporating extra veggies is also helping with my digestion to improve my elimination. More movement never hurts either!

Baby steps do lead to big changes!!

Can weight gain be a symptom of stress?

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 17:33:18 GMT

You bet your scale it can!

When people gain weight, they get upset with themselves which adds extra stress to the situation. Healthy eating and exercise are important factors to overall wellness including reducing our stress level but seemingly unexplained weight gain can be a sign from your body that it needs help. It is important to start by evaluating your lifestyle…AND be honest with yourself.

Evaluate stress levels in all aspects of your life. The top three areas include:

Work. Has something changed with your job? It may be a positive, such as a promotion, but the adjustment period has been more difficult than you thought it would be. You think you should be happy but instead you are just stressed.

Home life. This can change on a dime! Everything is going well for months, then the roof starts leaking and you get an email your son is failing a class. Stress levels sky rocket immediately!

Personal relationships. Is all well or is a fight from 2 months ago still weighing you down?

Once you have had a chance to evaluate these aspects of your life, you can step back and see how elevated stress levels are affecting you…and causing even more stress to your body.

Stress can lead to sleep disturbances. Are you prioritizing your sleep to make sure your body gets the rest it needs to restore itself each night? Why is this so important? If your body does not get the rest it needs to restore and repair itself, then additional stress will be put on your systems. Everything from your endocrine system, your blood sugar regulation and your digestive system will take a hit. Quality sleep is essential to our health. 

Stress can also affect our eating habits. When stress levels are high do you need some comfort? Hello,1/2 gallon of your favorite ice cream or maybe it is a bag of salty chips you crave. You sit on the couch and before you know it, it is gone and you really don’t feel much comfort and many times you feel a little sick. The truth is you were looking for emotional comfort and you were relying on food to help. It is a common trap we all fall into when we look to food for comfort and usually not from the best sources.

Why is it so difficult to resist some foods? Well, the more processed foods we eat, the more we crave them. This is truly by design from the manufacturers. Their products are engineered to make them hyper-palatable. This keeps you craving them and purchasing them. They also want to keep their profit margins as high as possible so they focus on keeping costs down. Check out the ingredients list on your favorite processed food, I guarantee it includes poor quality oils (fats), ingredients from GMO crops, excessive amounts of sugar or salt and a good dose of chemicals and preservatives to keep the shelf life as long as possible. All of this works well for the manufacturer but leaves your body confused about how to process these ‘frankenfoods.’

Our body uses food as fuel. When the body doesn’t know what to do with a substance it can’t identify as food (i.e. processed foods), it simply stores it in your fat tissue. Our fat tissues have an unlimited amount of storage capabilities…hence weight gain!

So if you feel like you can’t live without a particular processed food, it isn’t your fault, your taste buds have been hijacked. It will take effort to stop eating them but the reward is your health.

Too much exercise can put additional stress on your body. Believe it or not, if you are already experiencing stress, adding a stressful workout routine to your list could hurt you more than it helps. So many people say, ‘I am so stressed, I just want to sweat it out.' I get that sentiment and some days that workout routine is essential to clearing your head and feeling good. It also needs to be balanced with less stressful forms of exercise such as restorative yoga, walking and stretching so your body doesn’t go into stress overload.

Why is all this true? How is it possible that we can contribute to our stress levels with not getting enough rest, our eating habits and our exercise routines? It goes back to our primitive selves, our ‘fight or flight’ protective response which is still deeply ingrained in each of us.

Back in the time of cavemen, ‘fight or flight’ meant a tiger was chasing you. It was a SERIOUS life threatening event. Today, most of us operate on a daily basis at an elevated stress level. Have you ever felt ‘stressed’ because your phone is ringing, you hear a ding from your inbox and you are being asked a question? While yes, that is a lot going on, I think we need to reevaluate if it is worth our time to call it a stressful situation, more likely it was just overwhelming for a minute.

Reframing the definition of stress is important because when we are continually in a ‘fight or flight’ mode, our adrenal glands are working overtime. They can’t handle this continued stress so they begin to release the hormone cortisol to try to help manage this stress. Cortisol is nicknamed the fat storage hormone…hence weight gain!  

Not all stress is in our control, of course, but I think if you take the time to step back and evaluate where your sources of stress are coming from, you may be able to see what steps you can take to alleviate stress or where you need to work to reframe what is actually considered stressful. It isn’t easy but it is important to do the work so you can make adjustments to your lifestyle to relieve stress and improve your wellness because your health and happiness is always important!

What goes up must come down

Tue, 11 May 2021 12:47:01 GMT

Why is blood sugar regulation so important to our health?

Blood Sugar. It is a term often said but I don’t believe fully understood or really thought about yet when understood it explains a lot about energy levels and maintaining a healthy weight…and so much more.

We have sugar (or glucose) in our blood. We NEED a healthy range of glucose in our blood, about 70-100 mg/dL, to help regulate our energy levels. If we stay in this range, we will have a calm and consistent wave of energy throughout the day. That wave will dip when we haven’t eaten for a few hours and will rise up when we eat but the goal is to stay within that range. Why is it so important? How can we help maintain a healthy range?

First let me explain how our body regulates blood sugar. It is actually regulated by two hormones, insulin and glucagon. When glucose levels are high, your pancreas releases insulin to help to store excess glucose in your liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue (fat tissue)-in that specific order. When glucose levels drop, your pancreas releases glucagon which signals your cells to release glucose and fat for energy in the same specific order—liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Here is the kicker, your liver and skeletal muscle can only store a finite amount of glucose so once those stores are full, the rest goes into your adipose tissue which can store an UNLIMITED amount of glucose. This explanation of blood sugar regulation is simplistic but I think it is impressive to think about how accurate our body systems are and how hard our body works to keep us in balance.

So why is it important to keep our blood sugar in the 70-100 mg/ dL range? It means balance for our body. When we are balanced, our body doesn’t have to work as hard. The following are a few examples BUT there are so many more reasons why we want to level our blood sugar. These examples just scrape the surface.

Our emotions are regulated

Have you ever been ‘hangry?’ It is real, right!? You are so hungry you can’t think straight and if anyone talks to you, you are not responsible if you scream at them. Hangry is a sign your blood sugar is too low, it has dipped below the low normal range.

Have you ever had a sugar high? This is when you have so much sugar in your system, you are excited, jittery or have the inability to focus.

In both these scenarios, we aren’t in control of our emotions, our blood sugar levels are in control. When we work to stay in the normal range, we can stay calm, cool and collected.

Our weight fluctuates minimally

Remember when I mentioned above that our liver and skeletal muscle can only store a finite amount of glucose and our adipose tissue can store an unlimited amount? This is where weight gain comes into play. The more glucose you eat, the more will be stored in adipose tissue, the more it will expand. If you eat more energy than you exert, your body may never have the need to tap into your fat storage for energy.

To be clear, I am NOT concerned about a person who is getting their glucose from broccoli or eggplant (yes, these are carbohydrates and turn to glucose in your blood). I am concerned about those who are eating a lot of bread, sweets or packaged snacks. Why is this? First, they are less nutrient dense than fruits and vegetables. Second, processed sweets and snacks tend to be filled with poor quality fats such as soybean oil or canola oil and chemicals to make these foods shelf-stable and hyper-palatable. These foods can sit on a shelf for YEARS in a store and hijack your tastebuds and make you continually crave more and more! The manufacturer can just sit back and watch their profits rise all the while our body doesn’t know what to do with the poor quality fats and chemicals so it just pushes them into your adipose tissue…once stored, it is very hard for us to release.

Our sleep improves

Yes, it is true. Balanced blood sugar means better sleep. Do you wake up continually between 2-3AM? This is a classic sign of blood sugar dysregulation. Our body forces itself awake because our blood sugar has dropped and it thinks something is truly wrong so it wants you conscious, think fight or flight. If this happens to you repeatedly, take note of what you ate and drank after 4PM that day. What else do you have to do? You are lying awake in the dark! Are you eating pasta and having a few glasses of wine? That meal would primarily turn to glucose in your body, so hours later after it is digested, your blood sugar would dip so much that it would go below the normal range and cause your undesirable wake up.

Our energy is regulated

Do you want to feel good throughout the day and not need to grab an energy drink or a cup of coffee at 3PM? Help yourself out and eat a meal that has nutrient dense carbohydrates-vegetables and balance that with a healthy dose of high quality protein and fat. I promise you, you will feel good throughout your day.

The truth is, our bodies are trying to tell us what it needs all day, every day. When are you going to start listening?

Are you unsure where to start or what your body is trying to tell you? As G.I. Joe said, ‘Knowing is half the battle.’ and I am here to guide you through the process if you are ready to make some changes to improve your health. Reach out to me, your FNTP!

What if you didn't diet?

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 17:38:35 GMT

Instead, choose to nourish your body and mind!

According to Merriam-Webster ‘diet’ has a few definitions, the two I want to focus on are

-food and drink regularly provided or consumed and

-a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight

I wish we could FORGET the second definition completely and use the word diet to refer to eating and drinking regularly.

For many of us the word ‘diet' might as well mean deprivation. It makes us think of everything we need to give up and how we will feel hungry and miserable the entire time we are on the diet.

When you decide to do a fad diet, how does it go? How long does it last? Do you think longingly about foods you have given up? How long does it take for you to give in and binge on those foods you love?

This is not sustainable.

So what is the answer? Eating to properly nourish and fuel your body and mind.

This means we need to change our mindset. It isn’t easy, our brain is extremely powerful. We need to take time to evaluate what needs to change. This is a bio-individual list and deserves some thought. It can range from weight loss to joint pain to dry skin. No symptom is too small or too big, if it affects your life, it is worth being addressed.

We need to take a very long and honest look at our current food choices. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and be honest with the answers.

1) How much of it is actually nutrient dense food and how much comes out of a box and has a long ingredient list?

Processed foods are nutrient poor. Many nutrients are stripped during processing. Poor quality and inexpensive ingredients are also used to create a higher profit margin for the manufacturer. For example, you will find canola oil in the ingredients list, not olive oil or avocado oil. For sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup would be used, not sugar, honey or maple syrup.

We need to wake up and realize that the manufacturers want us addicted to these foods so they are loaded with salt and fake sugars. The excess sugar and salt make these foods hyper-palatable making you constantly crave more. This is great for their sales numbers but not for your health. Processed foods lead to so many health issues ranging from acne to cholesterol to diabetes. The fewer the ingredients the better…it means you are eating whole foods that are nutrient dense.

Some people use the “5 and 5” rule when shopping. This means the products can have no more than 5 ingredients and no more that 5 grams of sugar per serving.

Staying in the outer perimeter of the supermarket will also help. The interior aisles are filled with long-term, shelf stable items filled with nutrient poor ingredients-that’s what keeps them shelf stable for so long!

2) Do you eat the same short list of food regularly and rarely deviate?

Our bodies need a wide array of vitamins and minerals. There is a short list of vitamins our bodies can synthesize but most are considered “essential.” Essential in this instance means we MUST get these vitamins and minerals from outside sources…i.e. from food, specifically, nutrient dense whole food.

When we eat a limited amount of food, we are also limiting the number of vitamins, mineral and fat sources we consume.

An example to illustrate my point is that many of us are magnesium deficient. Magnesium facilitates so many actions in the body. It helps to make proteins and to utilize energy. Everything in our body is a protein or made by proteins. Everything you do, even sleeping requires energy! So yes, if you aren’t eating magnesium rich foods, you are most likely operating below your optimal levels.

Once the quality of your food has been addressed, you can evaluate the why behind your eating.

3) Why do you eat?

We all need to eat to stay alive, this is a fact. When it is 9pm and you have already eaten dinner but you still get off the couch to grab a pint of ice cream and finish it off this is not about nourishing your body.

There are many reasons why this scenario occurs and the majority of them have nothing to do with hunger.

Boredom. Stress. Loneliness. These are the first three reasons that come to mind. We are looking to food to fill an emotional void not a hunger void. Next time you are about to reach for the snack, take 10 seconds to just think of the why behind it. Boredom? Go do something different. Stress? Maybe read or turn on a comedy to help laugh the stress off a little. Loneliness? Give a friend or family member a call.

It is important to note that eating hyper-palatable foods later at night can affect the quality of our sleep, cause weight gain and inflammation. All of these cause extra stress on our body and lead to illness.

The questions listed above can be tough questions to ask yourself. Even acknowledging that you need to make changes is a fantastic step in the right direction so give yourself some credit.

It can take outside perspective to help you sort through these questions. This is where my expertise as a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) can help you to see patterns, address underlying issues and lead through the steps to make realistic changes that will stay with you so they become part of your lifestyle, not just a diet you follow for 2 weeks.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 20:16:02 GMT

Take the time to connect to how what you eat (and drink) makes you feel.

There are so many ways to connect and the truth of the matter is COVID-19 has not made connecting physically or emotionally easy. One person we have had more time with lately is ourselves. For better or worse, right!?

I believe this is a positive. We are so busy and so overwhelmed that I think many of us have lost the connection to ourselves. I specifically want to discuss the connection to food and how it makes us feel.

When clients sign on to work with me, there is some paperwork I require them to fill out. Each completed piece of paperwork is a valuable puzzle piece for me which gives me insight into their current wellness picture and what underlying issues may need to be addressed. Eczema is a symptom of something larger. Chronic constipation is a symptom of something larger. Sleepless nights are a symptom of something larger…are you starting to see a pattern? The list goes on. In modern medicine the three symptoms I listed above are considered nuances issues, nothing a pill or lotion can’t solve. I completely disagree! They are symptoms of a greater wellness issue and I believe should be addressed head on.

The Food & Mood Journal that I ask clients to complete I often find the most fascinating to review and study. What I love about this form is that it asks you to write down what you eat and drink. More interesting to me is that it also asks you to write down how you feel throughout the day as well as your digestive reactions. For many, this is the first time in a LONG time they even think to connect how food makes them feel. Does it give them energy or make them tired. Do they have to run to the bathroom 30 minutes after eating or maybe they don’t go at all.

A great example of this is a former client who ate dairy regularly. This person also experienced quite a bit of diarrhea and abdominal cramping. It was close to clockwork…ate yogurt, 30 minutes later diarrhea. Ate cheese, experienced cramping and then diarrhea. On paper, this pattern became obvious and clear but when I pointed the pattern out to my client, it was a huge surprise. As they told me, “I never thought about this before. It has been going on so long, I thought it was normal.”

Long story short, we worked to find swaps for dairy they couldn’t do without. Coconut milk instead of cow milk because they loved their morning coffee but didn’t like plain coffee. Cashew yogurt instead of dairy yogurt. And I will be honest, they did need to give up some dairy that they weren’t very happy about BUT after two weeks and no more diarrhea, the client felt so good, they didn’t care. Their normal had completely changed!

After a few months, the client was much more in tune with how food made them feel that we determined it was time to test dairy again. Guess what, they were able to learn if they limited their dairy and made sure the dairy they ate came from quality sources (full-fat and grass-fed), they could still eat it without terrible consequences to their digestion.

We go through our days in ‘GO’ mode so we don’t take the few extra seconds it takes to step back and make mind-body connections. The less time we take to explore and make these connections means that we end up losing them completely.

An example of me making a food/ mood connection is pasta. I don’t like to eat pasta too regularly. It sits in my stomach like a rock and makes me sleepy. So now, when we have pasta night I make myself zucchini pappardelle or spaghetti squash. We all get to enjoy our family’s pasta night. Having said that, if I am going to a great restaurant and they make their own pasta and the description sounds delicious, if it is for dinner, I will probably order it. If it was at lunchtime and I had a busy afternoon ahead of me, I wouldn’t order it. I am not scared of pasta, but I do put thought into when I want to have it now because I have made that food/ mood connection.

For the rest of March, I encourage you to start making connections to what you eat and how it makes you feel, this includes energy levels and digestive reactions. It is all an experiment but you get to be in complete control. It is about asking questions and being honest about the answer because sometimes you won’t like what you realize! The reward is feeling better and having more energy so I believe it is well worth it!

If you are ready to improve your wellness and start addressing your symptoms. Maybe it is time to book a 20 minute free consultation call to see if working with an FNTP is right for you.

Self-care is ALWAYS important

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 16:56:55 GMT

Taking care of yourself allows you to help more and do more.

When life gets crazy and everything starts going to ��, is when we need to dig deep and focus on self-care.

Does this seem counterintuitive to you? Well, let me explain what I mean!

When life strays from our normal day to day routine, maybe because a family member is sick or a major problem at work erupts, we focus all of our attention on how to fix the situation to get things back to some form of normal. Many times at all costs.

Instead of forgetting ourselves during these difficult times, I challenge you to actually think about yourself. When we give all of our effort to something or someone else, it can lead to us feeling run down, overtired and stressed. This trifecta is the perfect storm for us to get sick or burned out. What was well-intentioned and admirable of going the extra mile to help others or solve a problem ends up having negative results for us personally.

This isn’t to say that I don’t think we should put in the extra effort to help others or chip in when problems arise. I AM saying this is not the time to ignore ourselves. Self-care is about keeping you strong, keeping you balanced and keeping you WELL, both mentally and physically.

Let yourself get rest! Sleep is when our body repairs and restores itself…i.e. immunity boost! Sleep matters and yet we don’t prioritize it. Instead we stare at our phones or stay up way too late to stream a show…which we could just stream tomorrow, right?!

Food choices matter. Not every night can be a Michelin star meal but if we continually sacrifice quality food and look to drive-thrus and packaged meals as a regular source of nourishment, we are going to quicken the timeline for us to get sick. These meals are nutritionally void because they use poor quality ingredients including the oils many of these food are made with or cooked in. In the short-term, you may catch a cold because you aren’t getting important nutrients and add a few pounds to your waistline. More concerning are the long-term consequences of heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, just to give a few examples.

An easy way to make a simple meal is to focus on a high-quality protein such as pastured chicken or grass-fed beef and then add 2 vegetables. Anything you want! Roast brussel sprouts with ghee, salt and pepper and bake a potato and then add some grass-fed butter and a little salt and pepper. Look to whole foods for nourishment and OMIT processed carbs and sugars from your diet. You will be shocked by how different you feel. Real food is nourishing both to our body and mind.

Stay balanced? Balance can be both a mental and physically feeling and in my opinion they can be intertwined. If I don’t get exercise, I don’t physically feel too great about myself and that is when those negative thoughts just keep coming. When we are in the midst of a crisis or problem we are trying to remedy, you may not be able to maintain your normal exercise routine but it is important to make sure you continue to incorporate movement into your daily life. A 20 minute walk. 1 minute of squats, 1 minute of push ups, 1 minute of sit ups and repeat 3 times through out the day. Something, anything to give your body movement each day because you are WORTH it! It can also be an excellent way to clear your mind and help you focus.

Stay positive! I know this piece of the puzzle is so much easier said than done. If your attitude is negative you’re never going to climb out of the hole that is your current situation. At times a positive attitude may be the only thing you can control and it can help you face the problem at hand. The first step is to actually acknowledge that the current situation is bad, upsetting, horrible. It doesn’t mean you want to accept it, it just means you are acknowledging it exists. Now step 2 is to look for ways to improve the situation. No improvement is too small and celebrate each of them. Baby steps lead to big changes.

Give yourself a break. We can only be pulled in so many directions. Know when you are at your limit. This may mean you need some time to yourself or need to pull in another resource to help you. It doesn’t mean you are backing down from the issue at hand, it means you are smart and are in tune with yourself and when you need assistance.

You are important. Your self-care is important. The truth of the matter is keeping yourself well means you feel good and therefore you are able to help and support others. So the next time the going seems particularly rough, double down on your self-care so you are strong and can help solve whatever problem is ahead of you!

What have they done for you lately?

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 18:37:58 GMT

MAYBE IT IS TIME TO REEVALUATE SOME OF YOUR HABITS

Habits. They are just something you do on a regular basis. Some are positive, some negative and some help to keep order and rhythm in our daily lives.

Instead of creating New Year’s resolutions this year maybe it’s time to reevaluate your habits-all of them. This gives you the opportunity to explore what habits are actually working for you and what habits are no longer working, and in fact, maybe even be effecting you negatively.

Things to consider when evaluating your habits, which make you feel good, which help to keep you grounded, which have started to add more stress to your life and which are not making you feel good any longer. I will give an example for each.

Every morning, I fill a large glass with 24 oz of filtered cool water, 1 squeeze half a lemon and half a lime into it and add a hearty pinch of sea salt. Before, I eat or drink anything else, I finish this drink. I LOVE it. It helps wake me up with the tart citrus and the water and sea salt combo help to hydrate me after hours of not drinking water while sleeping. This habit makes me feel good.

Family dinner makes me feel grounded. Of course, I can’t claim that this happens 365 nights/ year but it happens much more than not. To me, sitting down with my family, enjoying a meal (whether it is home cooked, take out or in a restaurant) gives us a chance to catch up, be together and start to unwind from the busy day. Of course, some dinners are more exciting than others. I don’t mean intellectual debate, which sometimes does happen but you can add a fair dose of bickering and complaining into the mix. All the same, it is a habit I protect as much as possible because I see the benefit of how it grounds my family when we have this time together.

Stupid school lunches! Why are they so stressful!? Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful my kids are in school right now. The morning just always seems so rushed with getting myself ready for the day, breakfast, taking the dog out, getting kids out the door and getting those lunches packed. UGH! So now, whatever can be packed the night before officially is. Veggie and fruits cut and packed. Dry goods such as crackers or pretzels packed. It really is so stupid simple but it makes my mornings so much easier. I do all this while I am already in the kitchen cooking dinner so it really isn’t taking any extra time. Better yet, get those kids in the kitchen to help pack their own lunches!

That glass of wine (or 2 or 3!) a night was a habit that was starting to not make me feel good anymore. I noticed I wasn’t sleeping well. I would fall asleep just fine…but come 2AM…my eyes would open wide and I would be awake for HOURS. I decided to do “dry January.” Already on January 6th, I can tell you my sleep is greatly improved. It is much more sound and deep. I can’t say I am jumping out of bed each morning BUT getting out of bed isn’t as painful. Hey, it is cold and dark out there and my bed is snuggly and warm! I am sure this is not the end of me enjoying wine but I did feel as though I needed a reset and I am glad I am pushing myself to do.

These are four examples from me but they not even be remotely related to you or your habits but I wanted to get you thinking so you could make it your own. To become more aware of how your actions (i.e. habits) effect you can be eye opening and informative. Think about why did this habit even start? What was the root cause of this habit? Is it still helping me? These questions can help to put your habit into perspective and help you decided if they still are useful to your lifestyle. Life is short, anything not useful in some way should be kicked to the curb.

The truth is you may take the time to evaluate your habits and decide you don’t want to change one thing. Or you made decide changes are necessary, but now is not the time. This is all OK! My point is that we all slip into habits but it is important to step back every once in a while and evaluate what is working for you…and what isn’t. We are ever evolving creatures and our needs and therefore our habits will have to evolve from time to time too.

Happy 2021 to ALL!

Why work with an FNTP?

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 18:17:20 GMT

Are you concerned I am going to make you give up EVERYTHING you love and you can only eat celery?

The quick answer, because it is all about YOU. When we look to fix a problem-health related or not, we seek out advice. Options include an internet search to see how close you can get to a solution for the problem you are trying to solve. Maybe read a self-help book whose subject is closest but NOT exactly what you personally need help solving so you draw your own conclusions and piece together a plan that MAY work.

What if your problem is health related and you have done your research and read, and read but still don’t seem to have a good path to follow. This is where working one-on-one with an FNTP can be invaluable.

My goal is to LEARN from you about your health concerns. What conditions or symptoms you may be struggling with at present. How do you want to improve your wellness. Wellness to me means your overall health through nutrition, movement and mindfulness. So how do we start?

First there is paperwork. Yes…we have to start somewhere! This paperwork is different! It asks targeted questions to help reveal underlying conditions and deficiencies that may be connected to your health challenges. We then meet to discuss your concerns and needs so I have complete picture of your wellness and what changes you would like see and feel in your health.

Then I dive in to come up with a DETAILED plan for YOU! You are a unique individual and your wellness plan needs to be just as unique.

What is best part of working with an FNTP? You have input into your wellness plan. I meet you where you are in life and give you actionable steps to improve your wellness. For example, if you love your morning coffee with non-fat milk and 5 pumps of vanilla syrup…I wouldn’t ask you to go cold turkey and give up your coffee altogether. Instead, I would ask that you replace the non-fat milk with a healthier option, grass-fed whole milk while reducing the amount of vanilla syrup. I would also work to find a good substitute for the vanilla flavor you love.

On the flip side, if you are a person that needs to be all in, then I would ask you to make bigger, more drastic changes to your lifestyle. Again, it is all about YOU. What you want balanced with what your body needs to feel better.

When I make recommendations, I also explain WHY. I never want someone to just do what I say, I want you to be EDUCATED on why executing my recommendations will improve your health. I want you to learn about easy swaps and wellness tips to make your life better. Maybe that means reducing inflammation so you have less joint pain. Maybe it means working to find a solution to your eczema outbreaks. Maybe you are simply sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

The point is that I set you up for SUCCESS. I am working FOR you to HELP you improve your wellness.

I take a FOOD FIRST approach to your wellness. That is right! I want you to eat REAL, WHOLE food and learn how to prepare it properly and most importantly - ENJOY it! If you are truly depleted in nutrients, I can recommend supplements..but only if you are interested. It is not required.

The truth is, I love puzzles. I get a lot of satisfaction from solving puzzles. Improving your health is a puzzle that must be solved because you deserve to feel GOOD.

Once we are on a path to improved wellness, we will add and tweak recommendations to keep you on your unique wellness path. We will work together for about 3 months. It is WORK but the most rewarding kind because it will make you feel (and look) good!

So when you are ready for a targeted plan to address your health concerns or simply want to learn more about how to fuel your body for optimal wellness-whether that means keeping illness at bay OR learning how to eat properly while training for a marathon, consider reaching out to me, your local FNTP. I am here to answer questions so we can both determine if working with me is the correct path for you.

Eat, Sleep, Move and Be Merry

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 14:15:24 GMT

How to stay healthy during the holiday season

This sounds easy right? WRONG! The holidays are a time when people tend to get off track with EVERYTHING. Food, sleep, exercise. “Be merry” is usually the one attribute of the holiday season we can get behind, champagne, mulled wine…that extra piece of pie. You know I’m right! So I want to address how we can get through the holiday season in one piece AND feel good.

EAT

If there is one thing you can do for yourself, it is to eat REAL FOOD. Stay away from packaged and processed EVERYTHING. These items are filled with sugar, salt and unhealthy transfats so that they can sit in a package on a shelf for months (or years) and still taste fresh! This includes sweet treats as well as savory. Would it really be so terrible at the next holiday party to just grab a few slices of cheese off the platter? Do you really need a processed cracker to go with it? The answer is: NO! If you are craving something sweet, find a recipe that uses dark chocolate and quality fat to curb that craving. I enjoy making this recipe from Dr. Mark Hyman.

Don’t like this one, no problem. Google is your best friend for recipe searches. What are you craving? Chocolate and nuts? Google: dark chocolate and almond recipes…and more options will come up than you could ever make.

SLEEP

As much as you may want to stay up late and party, it is important to acknowledge you need sleep. Sleep is when our bodies repair themselves. In fact, it takes SO MUCH work for our bodies to repair and restore ourselves that we can only do this when we are asleep. This includes both mental and physical repair. Most important to note, sleep is when our immune system does most of its work to keep us healthy. So now you understand why you feel rundown by the holidays? Chances are you have not been getting enough sleep.

MOVE

First I want to explain the difference between exercise and movement because I think it will remove some stress from the topic. Exercise is more formal form of movement. For example, taking a class, making sure you sweat, getting your heart rate up. This is of course important to our health BUT what if during the holiday season you start to focus on MOVEMENT not exercise. I am not going to deny it, the holidays are busy and they are accompanied by some stresses. Movement is key to helping you alleviate stress. During this busy time, maybe you cannot commit to your regular exercise routine BUT you can commit to making sure you MOVE each day. What does this look like? Walk your dog for 20 minutes, not 10. Can’t do that, maybe three shorter 10 minute walks is doable. 20 jumping jacks, park your car in the furthest spot of the store, 50 squats between virtual meetings. None of these options will take up too much of your time BUT it will get you moving, get your heart rate up and give yourself a much needed break from the monotony of your regular work day, especially if that involved sitting at a desk, staring at a screen.

BE MERRY

This should be easy but it isn’t always. We might look for an extra cocktail to help us loosen up. Maybe that comfort food of pecan pie will do the trick. Let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t feel like being merry…that’s ok! Sometimes being forced into a group setting is the opposite of what we need at the holiday season. It doesn’t mean you can’t visit with others (although I know Covid is making that more difficult these days). If a friend is hosting a small gathering and you don’t feel up for it but want to still have time with them, decline the event but ask if you can take them out for coffee to hear about how the gathering went. Ask them if they want to go on a walk together to catch up. Feeling happy doesn’t need to revolve around food, drink or parties. Maybe it is time to flip the script by taking care of yourself first. Focus on what you need, maybe it means creating boundaries that make you feel good and connecting with friends and family on a more individual basis. If that’s what you need, go for it!

The holidays are supposed to be fun. I think they can be fun if we take a little extra time to set ourselves up for success. EAT nutrient dense whole food. Protect your SLEEP so your mind and body can repair itself. MOVE your body each day, outside, if the weather permits. Sunshine, fresh air and movement is essential for our mental and physical well-being. Connect with family and friends in a way that make YOU feel merry and be ok with the idea that doesn’t necessarily mean attending every event BUT doing what you can to connect with those you love.

Happy Holidays to all!

GET YOUR MACROS

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 12:46:20 GMT

WHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

We need four basic things in our diet: water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats fall under the broader term, MACRONUTRIENTS, which this post will focus on. Water and hydration are a huge topic that I will focus on it in its own post.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates fall into two categories Complex and Simple. Once broken down and digested in our bodies, these carbohydrates are known as glucose…aka sugar!

Simple carbohydrates can include both natural and refined foods but it is easiest to think of them more as processed foods such as breads, packaged snacks and sweets. They include simple sugars which are easier to absorb in our digestive tract and sugar alcohols which are known to be difficult for us to digest.

Complex carbohydrates are still sugars but are in a natural state and unprocessed such as fruits, vegetable and whole grains such as bran or wheat.

So if it is all converted into glucose, then who needs fruits and vegetables? Why not just eat cake, chips and other delicious processed snack foods?

Well, complex carbohydrates are further broken down into starches, insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Soluble and insoluble fibers aid in digestion since they require our friendly gut bacteria to break down fibers and in the process enable us to digest many essential byproducts including vitamins and minerals and short chain fatty acids that are necessary for good health. In fact, soluble fibers tend to delay our digestive process and decrease glucose absorption while insoluble fibers speed up our digestive system and increase fecal bulk.

On the other hand, simple carbohydrates can provide quick fuel if we are about to do a sprint BUT if we DON’T burn them, they are absorbed by our adipose tissue…FAT tissue(!) and are happy to sit there, collecting more glucose so the cells can get larger and larger.

Proteins

Protein is the building block for our entire body. Proteins build tissue, organs, muscle and more!

Protein

- is the basic building blocks for enzymes which are the catalyst for biochemical reactions

composes the structure of antibodies which help to fight infections

the base of hemoglobin, found in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout our body

is the all important component in peptide hormones (or protein-based hormones)-most notably insulin and glucagon, our hormones that aid in digestion and blood sugar regulation aka glucose!

Just like carbohydrates, we want high quality proteins in our diet from wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry and eggs and non-GMO soybeans.

FATS

Maybe the scariest four letter word to most but it really shouldn’t be! High quality fats are essential to fueling your body.

High quality fat

-increases our satiety which means you will eat less, not more food

-regulates the speed we digest food

-enables us to absorb essential fat soluble vitamins including Vitamins A, D, E and K

-provides a source of long, slow burning energy to keep us going during our busy day

Again, not all fats are equal. Fats fall three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The distinction between these fat sources are the number of double bonds between carbon atoms and have the most hydrogen bonds. Saturated Fats- 0 double bonds, Monounsaturated Fats - 1 double bond and Polyunsaturated Fats - two or more double bonds.

Saturated fats are mostly solid at room temperature therefore they do not go rancid easily making them the safest for cooking at high temperature. These are animal fats and tropical oils, i.e. coconut oil.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in produce such as olives, avocados and some nuts. They are considered less stable because of their 1 (mono) double bond so they can be used for low-temperature cooking, such as sautéing. To lengthen their shelf life, they should be stored in dark containers.

Polyunsaturated fats are the most unstable due to the multiple double bonds. These unstable fats are highly reactive and must be store away from light, heat and oxygen. Examples include fish, some nuts, seeds and flax and are best eaten raw to get the most benefits from these fats.

There are benefits from eating each of these fat sources and they should all be consumed and in fact, most fat sources have a varied combination of the three fats listed above.

It is important to note that our fat tissue can actually store toxins so it is best to get our fat from quality sources such as grass-fed animals, pasture-raised eggs, organic, cold-pressed oils. I now cook with grass-fed ghee and duck fat. It is delicious and nourishing!

We should avoid processed sometimes called “refined” fats such as much as possible including margarine, industrial seed oils such as corn and canola oils, trans fats (fats that are unsaturated due to the hydrogenation process-those double bonds coming into play again!) and hydrogenated fats (fats that have had as much hydrogen added as possible to make them a solid at room temperature).

We need balance of our Macronutrients, a good RANGE to have in mind is 45-60% carbohydrates, 20-35% protein and 10-35% fats. That word “range" is important, as we bio-individuals so what works for one person, will not necessarily work for another. It can be tough to know what your macronutrient ranges are because the truth is many foods straddle two macronutrients, grass-fed meat is both a protein and fat source, for example. If you have an interest in tracking your macros there are two great apps out there that can help, Cronometer or MyFitnessPal. Of course, the more detail you put in, the more accurate information you will receive. This could be interesting to do for a few days to see where you are with your macronutrient intake.

What I find most interesting is if you begin to evaluate for food intake to your mood. On a day you when you consumed too many refined carbs, did you feel good or were you lethargic? When more healthy fats were added to your day did you notice any changes? Maybe you weren’t quite as hungry at dinner because you had enough of that slow-burning fuel from healthy fats to help you through the day.

When your macronutrients are balanced in a ratio that works for YOU from high-quality sources, you will feel better! Our bodies are intuitive, they know what they need to feel good and to be healthy. Trust yourself!

Let Your Intuition Be Your Guide

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 13:28:02 GMT

Solve the problem, don't put a band-aid on it!

I got a rash on my face and neck. It was red, inflamed and I just wanted to scratch off my skin…that would have felt better. My first thought was get to the drug store and purchase as many soothing, itch relief products as I could, layer them on top of each other and start to feel amazing. Or maybe a prescription cream from my doctor would be better. Then I realized…considering the rash was only on my face and neck…it probably was something that I was putting ON this area of my skin that started this problem so maybe it was time to take a step back to actually SOLVE the problem and not just put a band-aid on it.

I got to thinking, what has changed? Well, I did start a new skincare line using their cleansing oil and serum but that was a few months ago. Then I remembered, I more recently add their toner to my regiment-that was added more like 2-3 weeks ago, could that have been the culprit? Sometimes it does take your body multiple exposures before an allergic reaction begins. After I would use the toner, I did notice my skin felt tingling, I thought that was a good thing…maybe that was actually my skin trying to tell me…"THIS DOES NOT FEEL GOOD!!!”

Then there was also the day I forgot my “face” sunblock and used a body sunblock I had in my tennis bag-a different brand than my face sunblock…could that be the issue? It is possible, I use a particular face sunblock because it is so gentle but had figured no sunburn was better than getting burned, especially with my fair skin!

So now I had an idea of a few products to omit but how could I get my skin to calm down? Well, I needed to get whatever the skin on my face and neck, considered toxic OUT. What is the best natural way to detox-WATER! I increased my water in and therefore increased my water out. By increasing my water intake (always with a pinch of good sea salt for added electrolytes) I would be helping to flush my system of toxins. Nothing gets water and toxins OUT like a good ol’ sweat session. This means exercise or even a steam or sauna session. Don’t underestimate these two easy methods of detox.

Finally, how could I make my skin feel less itchy, I decided to just wash my face with cool water. I would splash it on my face and then also soaked a washcloth in cool water and leave it on my face for a minute. It felt delightful! Thankfully it has been so humid out that I could skip lotion for a few days. I wore a hat and avoided the sun since the sun made my skin feel even worse. At night, I washed my face again with cool water and used a product call “un-petroleum jelly” by alba botanica. It was thick and moisturizing and more importantly soothing for my skin.

After 1 day, my face wasn’t on fire BUT the rash was still there. After 2 days the rash was completing gone. I have gone back to using my former face cleanser and moisturizer, I just want to give my skin a break for a while.

My point of sharing my tale of woe is that I think we need to take a step back, be more intuitive and trust ourselves. I knew what to do but ever present advertising made me think I need a prescription and lotions and potions to heal myself. What I really needed was to listen to what my body was telling me and change methods to help myself get better.

Can you relate to this story? It may not be a rash that is your ailment but something else?

Here’s another example, after your morning coffee with milk, you have diarrhea. You had pizza for lunch and then you had diarrhea. As a snack you ate a few pieces of cheese and then you had diarrhea…GUESS WHAT?! I think you may have an issue digesting dairy! And you know what else, I think you probably know this but giving up dairy seems impossible so it is just easier to deal with the diarrhea…there are so many helpful over the counter products these days. The truth is relying on over the counter products is no way to live, in fact, it can damage your digestive tract and make matters much worse…but that is an entirely different blog post!

So for now, slow down and remember to trust yourself. You do know what is best for you!

"You are what you eat eats too." -Michael Pollan

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 20:48:01 GMT

Read that quote 1 more time!

This sentence blew my mind! I had to reread it a few times to make sure I understood it and it sunk in. It is such a simple and important statement that Michael Pollan made in his book, In the Defense of Food yet not something I believe we think about very much. BUT we should be thinking about it every time we buy food.

Why should we be thinking about what we eat eats? Because the quality of our food is at the root of our overall health and wellness. This is important for both plant and animal foods we consume.

Let’s start with plants. It is important to note that our bodies can’t synthesize minerals, we MUST ingest them, vegetables and fruits supply us with many minerals. The more nutrient rich the soil, the more the plants will thrive. This was the basis for crop rotation in traditional farming. The soil needed a break to replenish its nutrients so it could once again support a crop. In modern day farming, the mindset shifted from quality to quantity; grow more, grow fast, sell more. This meant the idea of leaving a field empty for a growing season for it to recharge itself was preposterous. Instead, just add chemical fertilizers to enrich the soil, easy peasy, right?! NO, now instead of our fruits and vegetables drawing on the nutrients in the soil to help them grow, they suck up these chemical fertilizers and we are ingesting them. Top it off with pesticides to help the plants ward off insects and disease and your chemical cocktail intake from your summer squash is at an all time high.

Now we can move onto our animal foods, this includes not only any meat you eat but eggs and dairy. Traditionally, animals lived in large open fields where they were able to eat grass, bugs, worms, whatever deliciousness they could find in the field. Animals were never traditionally fed grains BUT after World War II, farms stopped diversifying their crops and tended to focus on one crop. This led to an abundance of corn and grains that needed somewhere to go…so enter livestock feed. Corn and grains fatten up animals quickly (because it is NOT their intended diet) and instead of having to pasture raise them which took up space and effort to move them regularly, you could have them penned up for their entire lives. This is a lot less work helping to increase profit margins but the end result is more nutrient poor. Think of it, if we ate one thing all the time, were stuck in a small room and never saw the sun, we would not be very healthy…so it is not surprising that the animals aren’t healthy either. To make these animals healthy, they are often given antibiotics, which again, you are ingesting.

There is hope! There is a new style of farming called Regenerative Farming which is a throw back to original farming practices. These farmers embrace crop rotation, allowing soil to replenish its nutrients naturally and pasture raising animals. They use natural fertilizers such as manure. Regenerative farming is actually is a perfect circle of use and regeneration, a field is left empty to regenerate, animals are allowed to roam that field, eating insects and weeds or grass that pop up, their manure becomes fertilizer for the soil. Nature is truly amazing!

If you would like to learn more, read Michael Pollan’s books, The Omnivore’s Dilemma that explains how crops like corn have become king as well as follows traditional farm, Polyface Farms and explains why traditional farming practices are so important for our food quality. Polyface is actually in Swoope, VA…field trip! Checkout Polyface Farm for yourself and load up on some great food while you are there. In Defense of Food, also by Michael Pollan, which I drew the opening quote from is also an excellent source for information.

Also keep in mind, we are so fortunate where we live! We actually have access to farms, farmers markets and farm stands. Use these as much as you can and NEVER be afraid to ask your farmer questions. Ask if they use chemical fertilizers and pesticides on their crops. Ask if the animals are pasture raised. Ask what the animals are fed. Farmers who are passionate will welcome these questions. Be picky about what you eat, your life is depending on it!

FOOD LABELS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:46:27 GMT

HOW TO DISSECT CONFUSING FOOD LABELS

There is so much jargon and terminology out there today, it can all get pretty confusing. Let’s demystify some of these terms so you can make better food purchases and choices!

Conventional

When you see “conventional” listed next to a fruit, vegetable or animal product know that it means it is grown with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The product can be a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)-more on this term below. These products can be given hormones and antibiotics. The use of chemicals allow for a higher production of crops and larger animals to increase profit margin.

Organic

Organic in the United States (this does change from country to country) means that no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used. Instead, they would use plant or animal based fertilizers and pesticides. No GMOs are involved. No hormones or antibiotics are used. These farms/ companies are required to go through annual audits to maintain their organic certification.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

According to the NonGMOProject website, a GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

While you may think of this as mostly affecting crops such a corn and soy, you need to keep in mind that most livestock is fed corn, therefore, your steak dinner with corn on cob as a side can be laden with GMOs! According to the NonGMOProject website, there is still controversy as to whether GMOs are safe for us. It is interesting to note that by 2022, a number of products will be required by law to be label if they contains GMOs.

Regenerative Agriculture

This is a newer term and maybe the most exciting one out there (ok, maybe only exciting if you are becoming a nutrition nerd like me!). These are farms that are going BEYOND organic and look at their farms as a whole ecosystem that can be maintained through practices such as crop rotation to keep soil nutrient dense, allowing animals to eat their intended food source (example: historically cows have always eaten grass…why would anyone feed them corn?), allowing these animals to live as intended, pasture-raised, using animal waste as fertilizer and embracing diversity of crops and animals to allow the land to naturally sustain itself.

Pastured-Raised

These are animals that live primarily outside and have access to their intended food source yet their diet is supplemented with grain, if necessary, i.e. there is a foot of snow on the ground and the cows can’t get to grass. Therefore, pastured-raised refers more towards where the animal lives then what they are fed.

Grass-Fed

These are ruminant animals that eat their nature intended diet of grass. Please note that this is not a highly regulated term. Grass-fed animals can be finished on grain the last few months of its life. Therefore, you may want to look for labels reading, 100% Grass Fed.

Cage-Free

Sounds great, correct? No! These are animals (primarily chickens) who may not be in a cage but are kept indoors, in tight quarters with no fresh air or sunlight meaning they also cannot eat their intended diet of insects and instead are given grains.

Free-Range

This seems like a step in the right direction but free-range really just means there is an open door in that overcrowded barn the chickens can walk through, if they want. You have no idea if the chicken your eggs came from ever stepped outside to have the sun warm its feathers or the quality of the outdoor space.

Wild caught

This sea animal was harvested from its natural habitat, the ocean. It is good to keep in mind, you should eat smaller fish, they have absorbed less toxins from the ocean.

Farm Raised

Exactly what it sounds like, sea animals raised on a farm. Think of overcrowded tanks and believe it or not, some farm raised fish are being fed grains as well! Neither of these are nature intended!

Refined

Refined grain means they have removed the bran and germ from the grain and unfortunately also removing dietary fiber, iron and many B vitamins all of which are vital to proper function of our bodies.

Whole Grains

These products have kept the germ and bran intact and therefore salvaging some of the nutrients.

Natural

Although “natural” in the food industry usually means the product is minimally process and doesn’t have artificial ingredients or preservatives, keep in mind the product still could have been exposed to chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Dirty Dozen

This reference to the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residue because they absorb pesticides through their skins. It is always best to purchase the following 12 foods from an organic source:

Strawberries

Spinach

Necterines

Apples

Peaches

Pears

Cherries

Grapes

Celery

Tomatoes

Sweet Bell Peppers

Potatoes

This is a lot of information but as you become familiar with these terms it will become second nature and you can choose what is important to you when you are selecting food. We are lucky we are surrounded by farm land, I recommend trying to take advantage of these farms as much as possible, Visit farmer’s markets for fresh, seasonal produce and meats. Sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program to receive a wide variety of seasonal produce. Maybe go in with a friend or two and purchase a whole pig, cow, or lamb. When you do this you have control over the cuts you receive. We are also fortunate to have some great shops that work with local farms, which I have listed below.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions from farmers or shop owners. As Michael Pollen, author of Ominvore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food states, “We are what what you eat eats too.” So take some time to give your food choices some thought. Your health is dependent on it!

References

Non GMO Project. (2019). What is a GMO? Retrieved from https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/

Pollen, Michael. (2008). In Defense of Food. New York, NY: The Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Local Resources

Gentle Harvest, Marshall, VA https://www.gentleharvest.com/

Locke Store, Millwood, VA https://lockestore.com/

The Market at Blue Water Kitchen, Upperville, VA https://www.bwkitchen.com/

Mt. Airy Farmers Market, Boyce, VA http://www.mountairymarket.com/

The Whole Ox, Marshall, VA https://thewholeox.com/

Farmer’s Markets

Fauquier County Farmer’s Markets, https://www.fauquiercounty.gov/government/departments-a-g/agricultural-development/farmers-markets

Loudoun Valley Farmer’s Markets, https://loudounfarmersmarkets.org/markets

Middleburg Farmer’s Market, https://www.middleburgva.gov/257/Farmers-Market-Vendor-Info

CSA Finder

USDA, https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/csas

Local Harvest https://www.localharvest.org/csa/

HYDRATION...HOW AND WHY?

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 12:45:58 GMT

WHY IS PROPER HYDRATION SO IMPORTANT?

Water can be considered the most important nutrient for our bodies. Conversely, water is often the most common nutritional deficiency we experience. Why is this nutrient so important and how do you ensure you are not only drinking water but actually absorbing it?

We can live for a WEEK without food but only DAYS without water. This is because our bodies are 55-60% water. Water is responsible for many important functions within our bodies including flushing out toxins, cushioning and lubricating joints, improves oxygen delivery to cells, transports nutrients throughout our body which in turn helps to remove waste, assists in our healing process when we are hurt or sick and helps maintain the electrical properties of our cells. Believe it or not, this is actually an abbreviated list but I think you get the point. Water is extremely important to our health and well-being.

Have you ever been so thirsty you chug a giant glass of water. You feel so much better, what a relief…wait nope, you are still really thirsty so you fill that glass up again and chug it right down, that’s better, except 20 minutes later you are still so thirsty. This the perfect example of drinking water but not absorbing it. Remember how I noted above that drinking water and staying hydrated helps maintain the electrical properties of our cells? It is sort of cool to think about…we are electrical beings, we are energy. Therefore we not only need to drink water, but we need to ABSORB it. How can we ensure we are absorbing water?

Water depends on electrolytes for proper absorption into our cells. When dissolved in water, electrolytes are actually minerals that are capable of conducting electricity. Electrolytes help maintain our pH balance, control the osmosis of water within our body and carry electrical currents.

So how do we maintain optimal hydration? Limit dehydrating beverages. This includes coffee, teas, packaged fruit juice, soda and alcohol. If this seems impossible, I get it! I do love coffee in the morning and some wine with dinner. Please do NOT reach for sugar, totally terrible for you packaged electrolyte beverages (trust me, I’ll discuss blood sugar regulation next month)! Instead get ready for this simple and mind blowing tip…to ensure you are getting enough electrolytes, do yourself a favor and add a PINCH of good sea salt to your water. Quality sea salt is filled with electrolytes. A pinch won’t be enough to make your water taste terrible BUT it will be enough to add some natural electrolytes to your body. Also, keep in mind this simple equation:

BODY WEIGHT = # of oz. of water you should drink EVERY DAY

For each 8 oz. of dehydrating beverage you drink, add an additional 12oz (8oz x 1.5) to that number

So maybe now you are saying to yourself, I drink plenty of water, I am fine. Please note the common early signs of dehydration and then ask yourself if you still are drinking enough water. An abbreviated list of early signs include: headaches, irritability, depression, cravings, cramps and fatigue. More advanced signs of dehydration include constipation, joint pain, migraines and heartburn…again an abbreviated list. None of these make your feel good. Isn’t to just better to drink water and feel good everyday?

To sum up, to be properly hydrated, increase your water intake, add a pinch of quality sea salt to your water and avoid sugary drinks that are advertised as hydrating.

SO NOW WHAT?!

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 15:33:48 GMT

SO NOW WHAT!?

All signs are pointing to us being able to return to life somewhat as we know it as we emerge out of the quarantine. We can dine in at restaurants, see friends, and even return to Native Barre Studios classes! Yippee!

Before we fully move forward, I ask you to take a few minutes to look back. These past few months have been at times, boring, trying and lonely BUT I have to think we have all found one or two positives to come from being stuck at home. I ask that you think about these positives and see how you could incorporate them into your life on a regular basis instead of throwing them away.

Maybe you were able to implement a more consistent sleep schedule that has left you feeling more well rested. Stick with it! Quality sleep improves your immunity!

Maybe you gave your dog an extra walk a day. Maintain it! Movement benefits you both. It can give you an energy boost if you are feeling tired from staring at your computer screen. It can aid with digestion if done after a meal. Unless it is pouring rain, I don’t know anyone who has said, I regret getting outside and getting some fresh air.

Did you set up a few Zoom happy hours with friends or family…I can’t believe we never thought to do this before! Now I get to visit with my sisters once a week when before it was limited to holidays and a week in the summer! Those laughs about our family and the craziness of a household of 9 kids and 2 parents has definitely lifted my mood more than once!

My point is, we were all forced to slow down a bit these past few months but it is worth taking the time to evaluate and celebrate whatever successes came out of quarantine no matter how big or small. It is these successes that got us through a rough patch so maybe it is worth ensuring we don’t discard them and make them a habit. They have made us better, healthier, more motivated and maybe even helped us keep our sanity at times!

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:57:40 GMT

Tips for living in a parasympathetic state.

These are crazy times for sure! One thing that isn’t going to make anyone feel better mentally or physically is to live in a sympathetic state. What exactly is a sympathetic state? It is our fight or flight reflex, our response to a stressful situation. Looking back to our ancestors, this reflex came into action when they were being chased by wild game and their life was on the line, it was not an everyday, every hour occurrence that many people experience today. Today, with our stressful lives, our phones and computers that seem to ding constantly, our 24 hour news cycle (I am unsure if it is supposed to make us feel better or worse!), and diets that are filled with refined and processed foods, our fight or flight reflex is triggered multiple times a day. Basically we give into whatever stress present, all the time, every time. A constant sympathetic reaction to whatever “devil” is present in front of us.

So what should we be doing? Try our best to live in a parasympathetic state or in plainer terms, our “rest and digest” state. Especially in these challenge times, we need to give ourselves a break and support our mental and physically well-being. I know this can be easier said than done but even baby steps can lead to big changes. I have outlined a few options, maybe all these sound terrible to you but I hope it at least gets your creative juices flowing and helps you think of some options that could work well for you.

For work

-No longer have a commute because you are working at home? Why not give yourself a commute by taking at 10-15 minute walk before you sit down to work and another 10-15 minute walk to wind down and after you are done for the day. The fresh air and sun can do wonders to help us relax and shift our mood.

-Put your computer/ phone away at night. For everyone this timing will differ. I do my best not to look at my phone after 9PM. I understand this may not work for your schedule but maybe there is a timeframe that is appropriate for you.

For meals

Did you know digestion starts in the brain!? The sight and smell of food trigger salvia production which begins the chemical breakdown of your food. Your teeth are responsible for the mechanical breakdown of food. So…

-Sit down to eat! This is very important for good digestion. How could you possibly digest a meal and feel nourished if you are in fight or flight state? The parasympathetic state is also know as “rest and digest” for a reason!

-Take 5 deep breaths before you start to eat to help you transition into a parasympathetic state.

For self

-BE NICE! Self-hating and negative comments impact our mental state. If you can’t be nice to yourself, then who can? When a negative thought enters your head, try to turn it around. For example, “I am so fat, I haven’t worked out”…change the comment to be, “I don’t feel good, I know it is because I haven’t exercised, I need to change that tomorrow.

-Start small to set yourself up for success. Saying you are going to start to work out is a big step. Set goals that are realistic, you can’t go from couch potato to marathon runner in a week. It is more realistic to go from couch potato to walking for 10 minutes a day for a week and then slowly adding on time.

-Try mediation. There are so many free apps now, maybe one with resonate with you.

-A simple breath technique to incorporate into daily life if you are feeling stress build is the 4-7-8 technique

-Inhale through your nose for a count of 4

-Hold your breath for a count of 7

-Exhale through your mouth for a count of 8

-Movement is essential! Did you know you could do Native Barre classes at home through Native on Demand? If your internet isn’t great, take a walk or run! Just MOVE!!

I ask that you take a few minutes to figure out what may work for you. Does making a favorite recipe help to calm you? Try to incorporate cooking into your lifestyle 2-3 times a week. Does being able to sit still for 15 minutes and stare out a window feel good to clear your head…then do it.

We are all unique individuals and handle stress much differently but it is important that we take time everyday to find a parasympathetic state. It essential for our mental and physical well being.