The first thing to know about living a sustainably healthy lifestyle is just that - it needs to be sustainable.
Holidays are filled with savory foods and sweet treats we don’t eat on any normal day. Enjoying a bit of all your holiday favorites a few days out of the year is NOT a big deal in the grand scheme of things!
Being healthy definitely has to do with the foods you eat, but the health of your soul is equally - if not more - important. Gathering with friends and family around the holidays can be SO nurturing to your soul. If you put the pressure on yourself that you “can’t eat this” or “shouldn’t eat that” - are you going to enjoy yourself as much? Of course not!
With that in mind, there are definitely quick, easy swaps you can make in recipes to make them a bit more healthful.
When it comes to dairy, I always prefer organic. Butter, milk, sour cream. It’s cleaner and higher quality.
When it comes to meat, I always prefer free range and organic. If you’re feeding 10+ people for example and you’re preparing a much larger than normal amount of meat - obviously cost matters. If the organic, free range option is just not financially realistic for the holiday, that’s okay. Don’t go broke over this!
When it comes to sugar/sweetener I always prefer natural options like pure maple syrup or honey. Coconut sugar is also a more healthful option than “normal” sugar.
When it comes to salt, I always prefer sea salt over regular table salt or iodized salt.
When it comes to corn products, choose non-GMO! GMOs wreak havoc on your gut.
Lastly, when you’re getting any kind of ingredient for a recipe or a boxed good, flip it over and check the ingredients. So often, there are unnecessary unhealthy ingredients added to something you’d least expect.
In the end, just enjoy your holiday! You can follow the suggestions above to feel better about the dishes you prepare yourself, but don’t beat yourself up over indulging in holiday foods on a special occasion! But maybe keep some digestive enzymes on hand just in case. :)
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.
There are different kinds of eczema. It doesn’t look the same for everyone. But it’s embarrassing and painful. That much is the same across the board.
For me, eczema looked like I was wearing gloves. Every single person thought it was SO odd that there was such a defined line right at my wrist. My hands would get beet red when I had a really bad flare up, and that was more often than not. This was so bad that I was asked it if was sunburn several times. Nope, it’s eczema. But it sure does burn.
If I was really lucky, the back of my hands, my knuckles, and even my fingers would crack almost like winter skin. But it was year round.
It was downright awful. And I had no idea what was causing it. The worst part? Neither did the dermatologists. They ran some tests and determined it was environmental. I was instructed to stay away from products with Fragrance, and I was prescribed a topical steroid ointment and cream.
The ointment and cream really did help a lot, but the eczema kept coming back. And those topicals were not cheap. So it came time for another prescription refill, and in an act of frustration and desperation, I decided to figure out for myself what was causing my eczema. Naturally I turned to Google: “Causes of eczema.” (And for the record, I do believe if one finds herself dependent on a prescription to cover up a symptom, she at least owes it to herself to try to find the root of the problem.)
Something came up that caught my eye. It’s called Leaky Gut. What they don’t tell you in western medical practices is that eczema is totally and completely related to the health of your gut. This blew my mind. This was a complete game changer. But this was just the beginning of the road.
This started my journey of healing my gut. For me, this looked like working with a Health Coach in her Gut Health workshop. I cut way down on processed foods, started changing out products in my home for plant-based options without chemicals, and took healing supplements like probiotics, hemp oil & detoxers.
I learned about the bacteria in your gut. How you have good bacteria and bad bacteria, and this is normal. But when the bad bacteria outweigh the good bacteria, that’s when you have issues like eczema, acne, infertility, anxiety, depression, fatigue. You know that saying about a “gut feeling”? There’s truth to that because your gut is truly your second brain. Some would argue it’s your first. When there's something in your body that feels "off," healing your gut will likely solve a lot of your problems.
I was mind. blown. when I found out everything gut health impacts. (I was also a bit upset - "WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS BEFORE?") And like any health journey, it wasn’t quite linear for me. I still had work to do. There were still some missing pieces I had to pull together. But we’ll save that for next week.
For me, eczema looked like I was wearing gloves. Every single person thought it was SO odd that there was such a defined line right at my wrist. My hands would get beet red when I had a really bad flare up, and that was more often than not. This was so bad that I was asked it if was sunburn several times. Nope, it’s eczema. But it sure does burn.
If I was really lucky, the back of my hands, my knuckles, and even my fingers would crack almost like winter skin. But it was year round.
It was downright awful. And I had no idea what was causing it. The worst part? Neither did the dermatologists. They ran some tests and determined it was environmental. I was instructed to stay away from products with Fragrance, and I was prescribed a topical steroid ointment and cream.
The ointment and cream really did help a lot, but the eczema kept coming back. And those topicals were not cheap. So it came time for another prescription refill, and in an act of frustration and desperation, I decided to figure out for myself what was causing my eczema. Naturally I turned to Google: “Causes of eczema.” (And for the record, I do believe if one finds herself dependent on a prescription to cover up a symptom, she at least owes it to herself to try to find the root of the problem.)
Something came up that caught my eye. It’s called Leaky Gut. What they don’t tell you in western medical practices is that eczema is totally and completely related to the health of your gut. This blew my mind. This was a complete game changer. But this was just the beginning of the road.
This started my journey of healing my gut. For me, this looked like working with a Health Coach in her Gut Health workshop. I cut way down on processed foods, started changing out products in my home for plant-based options without chemicals, and took healing supplements like probiotics, hemp oil & detoxers.
I learned about the bacteria in your gut. How you have good bacteria and bad bacteria, and this is normal. But when the bad bacteria outweigh the good bacteria, that’s when you have issues like eczema, acne, infertility, anxiety, depression, fatigue. You know that saying about a “gut feeling”? There’s truth to that because your gut is truly your second brain. Some would argue it’s your first. When there's something in your body that feels "off," healing your gut will likely solve a lot of your problems.
I was mind. blown. when I found out everything gut health impacts. (I was also a bit upset - "WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS BEFORE?") And like any health journey, it wasn’t quite linear for me. I still had work to do. There were still some missing pieces I had to pull together. But we’ll save that for next week.
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.
We live in a world of go, go, go. A global pandemic forced us all to take a pause for a little while, but a lot of us are back to being busy. A lot.
First of all, if you haven’t seen this said anywhere else yet: being busy is not a badge of honor. Being SO busy that you don’t have time to cook for yourself is not a badge of honor.
Being SO busy that you don’t have time to get 7-9 hours of sleep at night is not a badge of honor.
Being SO busy that you don’t have time to exercise or take the dog for a walk is NOT a badge of honor.
In fact, it’s a really great way to make yourself sick.
What do I mean by that? A state of constant stress wreaks havoc on your immune system.
Have you ever been fighting off a cold, but you have so much going on that you didn’t take the time to slow down and give your body the rest it needed to fight whatever bug off, so you ended up getting sick? Your immune system was under too much stress to do its job.
I recently learned that when a doctor performs an organ transplant, the patient is given a stress hormone that our bodies produce when under massive stress IN ORDER TO SHUT DOWN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM so the body doesn’t reject the new organ.
If that doesn’t paint a picture of the insane destruction stress has over our bodies, I don’t know what will!
Another saying you’ve probably heard is “you are what you eat.” Well, in health coaching I learned this saying should actually go “you are what you absorb.” If your body isn’t digesting properly, it won’t absorb properly.
In order to ensure optimal digestion, your body needs to be in a state of calm.
Your body is EITHER in “Fight or Flight” OR “Rest & Digest.” Can you guess which one you want to be in when you’re eating?
Fight or Flight is great if you’re being chased by a bear, but we don’t want or need that adrenaline rush when we’re eating.
In order to digest our food properly, our bodies need to be in Rest & Digest. This means making mealtimes sacred. This means turning off screens. This means NOT eating dinner in front of the TV or while scrolling instagram.
REST & digest. Give your body the chance it needs to calm down so it can function the way it was designed to.
First of all, if you haven’t seen this said anywhere else yet: being busy is not a badge of honor. Being SO busy that you don’t have time to cook for yourself is not a badge of honor.
Being SO busy that you don’t have time to get 7-9 hours of sleep at night is not a badge of honor.
Being SO busy that you don’t have time to exercise or take the dog for a walk is NOT a badge of honor.
In fact, it’s a really great way to make yourself sick.
What do I mean by that? A state of constant stress wreaks havoc on your immune system.
Have you ever been fighting off a cold, but you have so much going on that you didn’t take the time to slow down and give your body the rest it needed to fight whatever bug off, so you ended up getting sick? Your immune system was under too much stress to do its job.
I recently learned that when a doctor performs an organ transplant, the patient is given a stress hormone that our bodies produce when under massive stress IN ORDER TO SHUT DOWN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM so the body doesn’t reject the new organ.
If that doesn’t paint a picture of the insane destruction stress has over our bodies, I don’t know what will!
Another saying you’ve probably heard is “you are what you eat.” Well, in health coaching I learned this saying should actually go “you are what you absorb.” If your body isn’t digesting properly, it won’t absorb properly.
In order to ensure optimal digestion, your body needs to be in a state of calm.
Your body is EITHER in “Fight or Flight” OR “Rest & Digest.” Can you guess which one you want to be in when you’re eating?
Fight or Flight is great if you’re being chased by a bear, but we don’t want or need that adrenaline rush when we’re eating.
In order to digest our food properly, our bodies need to be in Rest & Digest. This means making mealtimes sacred. This means turning off screens. This means NOT eating dinner in front of the TV or while scrolling instagram.
REST & digest. Give your body the chance it needs to calm down so it can function the way it was designed to.
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 you want to be healthy. That’s awesome! Good for you. So where do you start?
If you completely change your entire routine (the “cold turkey” route) your chances of success are much lower.
You can’t go from fast food, Cheetos, soda & zero exercise every day to organic tofu, broccoli & an hour workout every day. This isn’t sustainable. It will be a shock to your system and your taste buds.
Let’s also talk about calorie counting for a minute. I’m not a calorie counter. Never have been. Never will be.
Do you actually expect to continue counting calories for the rest of your life? Probably not. So the moment you reach your end goal (whatever that is), chances are you’ll go right back to the way you used to be.
More likely than not, you’ll end up gaining all the weight back and then some from all the deprivation you put yourself through.
I’m a health coach but I eat cheesecake. I’m a health coach but I eat French fries. I’m a health coach but I eat donuts.
Do I do this all the time? Absolutely not! It’s all about balance and you do NOT have to give up the foods you love to be healthy.
Here’s what’s sustainable: one step at a time, one choice at a time. First, work on getting more vegetables into each meal. This was key in my weight loss journey. Just. Eat. More. Veggies.
The more vegetables you eat, the fuller you get. So you’ll have less room for the less healthy but maybe more indulgent foods, so you’ll eat less of them!
Next, take a look at how much processed food you’re eating. How much processed food is in your pantry? How much of your breakfast is processed food? Your lunch? Your dinner? It’s kind of a gross term but these are “dead foods”. If you want the vitality drained out of you, this is what you eat. These are chips, cookies, pop tarts, beef sticks - anything in a package with an ingredient list basically. Anything made in a factory.
If you want to feel energized and light and happy, stick with the “living foods”. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Whole Foods. Whole grains. Organic meats. Beans. Nuts and seeds.
Again, please do not go cold turkey. Just keep these tips in mind during your next shopping trip. Get one less bag of chips and replace it with carrots and hummus. Or apples and peanut butter. Or both! Variety is a very good thing.
One healthy decision will lead to another and soon your body won’t even accept your old way of living anymore. You’ll try to give yourself a fast food burger for dinner in a pinch and you’ll feel like you’re going to throw up - at least that’s what happened to me!
Your body will tell you what makes it feel good. You just have to be paying close enough attention to notice what it’s trying to say. Then act accordingly.
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.
Stress management is huge. It impacts your whole world. How you talk to others, how you talk to yourself, how your food digests, the overall health of your body.
A body with well-managed stress is a lot healthier than a body that’s in fight or flight all the time.
And if you’re having gut health issues (eczema, acne, anxiety, headaches, fatigue), it’s that much more important to get your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest.
Not to mention you just FEEL a million times better when you’re managing your stress appropriately.
Here are some of my favorite ways to manage stress:
1. Meditation
This is something I’ve only just started doing, but I’m already a huge fan. I’ve been starting with a 10 minute guided meditation, and I notice a massive difference in my stress (and patience) levels. I’m less likely to be triggered by things that usually annoy the heck out of me when I’ve done my meditation that morning. And I’m only 4 days in.
2. Yoga
It’s the stretching and the breath work. I have a feeling of zen I carry with me when I finish my yoga practice.
3. Connect with the Earth
Take your shoes and socks off, stand in the grass & just feel for a few minutes.
4. Essential oils
There are the obvious ones like Stress Away and Lavender, but Palo Santo and other tree oils are very grounding. Frankincense is another one that’s earthy and grounding. Valor and Peace & Calming are great ones to use too. Diffuse them, rub a couple drops together in your palms and take the scent in, put a drop or two on your wrists - there’s really no wrong way to do it. As long as you’re breathing in the scent, it’s working.
5. Sleep
Sometimes, you just need a good sleep. Take a nap, get 8-9 hours in, or just get under the covers and rest your eyes.
If you can find a way to work these into your daily routine, you'll be much better off - I promise! Which of these do you see yourself working into your morning routine? Your wind down routine? What are some of your favorite ways to manage stress? Let me know in the comments below.
A body with well-managed stress is a lot healthier than a body that’s in fight or flight all the time.
And if you’re having gut health issues (eczema, acne, anxiety, headaches, fatigue), it’s that much more important to get your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest.
Not to mention you just FEEL a million times better when you’re managing your stress appropriately.
Here are some of my favorite ways to manage stress:
1. Meditation
This is something I’ve only just started doing, but I’m already a huge fan. I’ve been starting with a 10 minute guided meditation, and I notice a massive difference in my stress (and patience) levels. I’m less likely to be triggered by things that usually annoy the heck out of me when I’ve done my meditation that morning. And I’m only 4 days in.
2. Yoga
It’s the stretching and the breath work. I have a feeling of zen I carry with me when I finish my yoga practice.
3. Connect with the Earth
Take your shoes and socks off, stand in the grass & just feel for a few minutes.
4. Essential oils
There are the obvious ones like Stress Away and Lavender, but Palo Santo and other tree oils are very grounding. Frankincense is another one that’s earthy and grounding. Valor and Peace & Calming are great ones to use too. Diffuse them, rub a couple drops together in your palms and take the scent in, put a drop or two on your wrists - there’s really no wrong way to do it. As long as you’re breathing in the scent, it’s working.
5. Sleep
Sometimes, you just need a good sleep. Take a nap, get 8-9 hours in, or just get under the covers and rest your eyes.
If you can find a way to work these into your daily routine, you'll be much better off - I promise! Which of these do you see yourself working into your morning routine? Your wind down routine? What are some of your favorite ways to manage stress? Let me know in the comments below.
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.
