Have you ever had such a busy weekend that you’re more exhausted than rejuvenated once it’s over?
Or when you get back from a trip and feel like you “need a vacation from your vacation.” Have you been there?
What about when you’ve had to put in HOURS of overtime at work and you’re just SO burnt out?
My suggestion to you…is not to just push through these feelings of overwhelm. My suggestion to you is to take care of yourself. Listen to your body. Take a personal day. Dedicate a day to doing absolutely nothing.
It’s okay to not have productive days. The funny thing is, having non-productive days can make you have more productive days. Knowing when to give yourself a break is self-intuition. It’s self-care. Self-love.
Your body is talking to you always. You just need to love yourself enough to listen and give your body what it needs.
The majority of health issues these days are stress related. Which means they’re lifestyle related. Which means we have the power to take back control!
If you’re not sure what to do on your “personal day” here are some of the things I do:
1. Clean. Sometimes I just need a day to catch up on housework. Dishes, vacuuming, laundry. This isn’t exactly “doing nothing” but sometimes it’s really just what I need.
2. Stay in your pajamas ALL. DAY. LONG.
3. Sleep in. Or take an afternoon nap. Or both.
4. Indulge in some Netflix binging.
5. Aromatherapy. Breathe in relaxing essential oils like lavender, stress away, orange.
6. Yoga. It’s awful but when life gets busy, self-care practices are the first to go. But this is when we need it most! When I fall out of my yoga routine, my muscles tense up. My neck, back & shoulders especially. And after my body has had enough of my ignoring of this need, it screams for attention via a massive headache and very stiff neck.
It’s okay to have days where you do nothing. Don’t forget to treat yourself like someone you love, take care of yourself & give your body what it’s asking for.
If this was helpful for you, join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
So, we know skin health and gut health are closely related. Can we then make the connection that what we eat and the supplements we take can impact our skin health? Yes, absolutely!
Probiotics are huge. They’re not for everyone, especially those that are immunocompromised, like those with cancer. Anyone with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is better off without a probiotic as well. Other than that, being on a probiotic is a good idea for most people.
Why is that? Because probiotics feed the good bacteria in your gut. You have good bacteria and bad bacteria in your gut. This is normal, and it’s true for everyone.
The issue that comes in is when the bad outweighs the good. The Standard American Diet (yes, that’s a thing, and it’s ironic that it spells out the word ‘sad’) is notorious for feeding the bad bacteria. It’s filled with highly processed foods, large amounts of refined sugar & way too much salt.
This is why probiotics (and prebiotics – what the probiotics feed on) are so important. This is what nourishes your gut health, which we know impacts your skin health.
So, the next question might be where can you find a probiotic, or which one you should buy? This varies for everyone. Generally speaking, high quality probiotics usually require refrigeration. And some probiotics even contain prebiotics as well! (Remember? The stuff that feeds the probiotic.)
As far as where to purchase - you can find them online or at your local health food store. I usually don't advise getting supplements from Amazon or any "major" grocery store. My favorite brands are Young Living and Nature's Sunshine.
*Update: I started taking Seed in June 2023, and I love it. Probiotics, prebiotics, and it actually doesn't need refrigeration!*
You’ll know if a probiotic is working for you because usually, if you’re paying attention to your body and you have an idea of what ‘wellness’ feels like for you, you will be able to feel a difference. You may also see a difference in your skin.
Being on a probiotic also helps with regular bowel movements, so that’s also a sign it’s working.
If for some reason the particular probiotic you have chosen upsets your stomach, I’d stop taking it and try a different one.
Keep in mind when trying a new supplement (not just a probiotic), a good rule of thumb is to give it 3 months until you decide it’s “not doing anything.” It can take a bit for your body to catch up, and it takes 3 months for a cell to change.
Like any supplement, it’s important to be consistent. I take my probiotic at night, but if you remember better in the morning, that’s fine too. Find what works with you and stick with that!
If this was helpful for you, join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
I had been on a journey trying to figure out the root of my eczema for years before discovering the undeniable connections between skin issues and gut health.
I had absolutely no idea the two were related until my first health coach introduced the concept to me, and it made complete and total sense.
When there’s something wrong on the inside, it shows up on the outside. Eczema, acne, almost every single skin issue is a reflection of an imbalance within. A microbiome in dysbiosis (AKA an imbalanced gut) trickles down to almost every physical & emotional aspect of your body. Infertility, depression, anxiety, inflammation - it’s all related to the health of your gut! Your microbiome!
So what does that mean for your skin?
The first thing my dermatologist told me to do was stop using products with fragrance. This one piece of information completely rocked my world.
Do you know what fragrance is in?
Literally almost everything in the personal care product section of the grocery store.
Do you know what fragrance does?
Not only is it a skin irritant (which is why any doctor will tell you to avoid it when dealing with eczema – or even a UTI) but it’s an endocrine disrupter.
What does this mean?
It means it makes a mess of your hormones, and many of your hormones are housed in your gut. If your gut is out of whack, this shows up on your skin. You can read more about this in my blog post “Why I Never Buy Products with Fragrance.” Acne & eczema are the biggest examples I give for this because that’s what I’ve struggled with most in my life.
For the past 5 years or so, I’ve become much more aware of the ingredients in the personal care products I use. And I’ve been much happier using more natural products! It just makes sense to me. So - go check the products in your bathroom! Do any of them include fragrance? Switch them out one by one, and reference my previous blog post as needed. :)
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here.
You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here.
Do you drink enough water?
There are a lot of opinions around how much water a person should drink per day. Some say only drink when you’re thirsty. Some say drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Some say drink a gallon a day.
What my health coach told me, what I go by, what makes most sense to me & what I recommend to others is this: half your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you weight 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water daily. And of that, at least 8 ounces should be first thing in the morning.
This makes the most sense because this is the most bio-individual way to account for your water intake. It’s not just “men should drink this much; women should drink that much.” It’s taking into account your own personal body weight and therefore what your body needs to function optimally.
When you first wake up in the morning, your body is dehydrated – it needs water! (In fact, most people are dehydrated most of the time, period. And they don’t even know it.) The absolute BEST way to wake up your digestive system is with a squeeze of lemon in hot water.
If that sounds downright revolting to you, at least squeeze your lemon in room temperature water. If you can’t get yourself to do this either, and you just NEED to drink your water cold – it’s not the most optimal way to wake up your digestive system (you’ll actually give it a bit of a shock) but that’s better than not starting your day with any water! And yes, I said start your day with water, not coffee. That will come after, and you can actually read more on that on this blog post here.
And here’s the other thing: measure it out! Take out a pitcher and show yourself what half your body weight in ounces LOOKS like.
You might be thinking, “Mary, if I drink that much water, I’ll be running to the bathroom every 20 minutes.” Don’t worry! Yes, that might happen at first if your body isn’t used to it. But you’ll adjust and everything will be okay.
My top tip for making sure you’re getting enough water in is this: Bring a reusable bottle with you EVERYWHERE. Not only will that encourage you to drink more water, but you’ll also be saving the planet.
Stay away from plastic when you can – not only for environmental reasons, but also because it’s filled with chemicals that get into the water. Stainless steel and glass bottles are the way to go! Treat yourself and get a cute, insulated one for yourself!
Let me know how you feel once you start drinking half your body weight in ounces daily! I’m sure it will give you a kick of energy and have you feeling great. I’d love to hear about the differences you find. Leave a comment below to let me know how it goes!
Give it a try and let me know what you thought in the comments below! You can also join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
My number one weight loss tip & what I have noticed made (and continues to make) a huge difference in how I look and feel is so easy you might not believe it.
Eating. More. Vegetables. In the Health Coaching world we call this “crowding out” because it’s not about what you’re not eating or what you’re avoiding – it’s about what you’re filling yourself up with. What you’re eating first. What you’re eating most of. What you’re snacking on.
When possible, organic, local produce is the absolute best. I LOVE to shop at the farmers market for my vegetables. Not only do you get to see exactly who is growing your food, but you get to support local businesses and get a high quality product! You can also be sure the produce you’re buying is in season when you’re at the farmers market.
Out of season, conventional (non-organic) & far-traveled fruits & veggies do not have the nutrients that in-season, organic & local fruits & veggies have. I never went to the farmers market before I became a Health Coach. I highly recommend it!
Nutrition and your overall health is much more than what’s on your plate.
When you go to the farmers market, it’s a social event & it’s good for your soul. You can grab a coffee from a local business’s tent & then go for a smoothie! You hear live music, see people from around town & socialize! It’s also a REALLY good reason to get you out of bed in the morning on the weekends.
Something else to look into would be local farmstands! They may not show up at the farmers market, but they still have locally grown produce for sale! And their hours are usually better than the 4 hours one day a week the farmers market holds. :)
Give it a try and let me know what you thought in the comments below! You can also join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
You can also grab my free guide on 3 Easy Steps to Lose Weight and Feel Amazing here.
