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.
Spoiler Alert: You don’t need to count your calories to lose weight.
As a Health Coach, I do not agree with the rule of “burn more calories than you consume.” I’ve never been a calorie counter, and you don’t have to be either.
Do you think 100 calories of soda and 100 calories of broccoli are processed the same by your body? Not at all! It’s time we think less about calorie intake and more about the quality of food that goes into our bodies.
I actually don’t look at the calorie count on ANYTHING I buy. I simply don’t care.
I DO look at the ingredient list.
How long is the list? Does it contain dyes? Are there really long words I don’t know how to pronounce?
Good rule of thumb: The less ingredients the better. This applies to literally everything.
You want your food to come FROM a plant, not be produced IN a plant.
Eating as close to the source as possible is ideal. More whole foods, less processed foods.
Make half your plate vegetables at lunch and dinner! Snack on carrots or apple slices and peanut butter instead of potato chips.
Counting calories puts emphasis on the wrong thing. It can also lead to obsessive behaviors and eating disorders. That’s not our end goal! And it’s not sustainable. Do you really want to be counting calories in and calories out for the rest of your life? Of course not!
All you need to do is eat more foods with less ingredients. Eat REAL food. Not the fat-free, sugar-free junk you see on store shelves. On that note, I only buy whole milk for my family because the reduced-fat versions are filled with chemicals (the fat has to be replaced with something!).
Same with sugar-free items. The sugar is replaced with chemicals. If you think soda is poison, diet soda is even worse.
Don’t think about it too hard. Look at the ingredient list and see if you recognize the ingredients. If you can pronounce them. Extra bonus points if there’s no ingredient list at all!
Stop counting your calories & start enjoying your life. Just eat real food.
We live in a culture where it’s a badge of honor to run on little sleep and much caffeine. The reality is this is not a sustainable way of living, and one way or another, your body will cry out for help.
I used to looooooove coffee. In college I would get a triple espresso to keep my engine running. Nowadays I hardly ever have coffee. I still love the smell! And I still think it tastes great! But my body has become so accustomed to little to no caffeine that even a cup of coffee can be too much for my body to handle.
I’m not saying you need to give up your coffee. Not at all. I’m saying you don’t have to be so dependent on it. You can have your coffee just because it tastes good. Not because you won’t be able to function throughout your day or complete sentences otherwise.
Every body is different. In the health coaching world, we call this bioindividuality. What works for one person may not work for the next. This is a huge reason why I don’t believe one particular diet is the answer to a healthy population. But that’s another story for another day. :) That in mind, I do believe the general steps below will work for most, if not all, people to achieve a more energized life without depending on caffeine:
1. Sleep
First of all, we need to stop wearing our lack of sleep as a badge of honor. Your body needs sleep. Accept this, adjust & watch your life change. Sleep changes EVERYTHING. Shoot for 7-9 hours every night. And if you can, be in bed before 10. It makes a difference.
2. Hydrate
First thing in the morning, drink at least 8 oz of WATER. Hot coffee should not be the first thing your body receives each day. Room temperature to hot water with lemon in it is your ideal out-of-bed drink. Cold water can be a shock to your system, but if that’s what will get you to drink water, do it. Hot water with lemon is especially detoxifying to your system, can help break up phlegm & makes for a happy liver.
3. Breakfast
Ideally, 30 grams of protein to start your day. The easiest way to get this in is with a protein shake. If this terminology rubs you the wrong way, just call it a smoothie. Nature’s Sunshine and Truvani are a couple of my favorite brands – some other ones can be junk. Throw plenty of organic greens in there and not too much fruit. Maybe 1/3 cup or so. Hemp seeds are also a great additional source of protein to throw in there.
4. Your morning beverage of choice
By the time you’ve finished your water and smoothie, you’ll eventually get to the point where that’s enough and you don’t need your coffee anymore. Or maybe you’ll switch to tea. But this is the point where you’ll have your coffee if it’s still calling your name.
Was this helpful for you? Let me know in the comments below! You can also join my Facebook group where you can find more wellness tips – free of charge. <3
