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So many people suffer from digestive problems. They may have been put on super restrictive diets that were hard to follow. Like most people, I have experienced different gut issues. Today I want to share some ideas of foods you can eat to help you build up the healthy gut bacteria and reduce the overabundance of bad gut bacteria that sets a person up for trouble.

Prebiotics and probiotics contain the healthy bacteria that help your intestinal tract remain clean and keep your immune system functioning better. You can go into a whole lot of detail with nutrition science on this topic, but I want to keep it simple and offer ideas of foods you can choose to eat daily to help your gut get healthier. Remember, it’s always advisable to eat a variety of foods and colors of fruits and vegetables.

The goal is to first heal the lining and then to repopulate the intestines with beneficial bacteria. A great food to heal the lining is collagen-rich bone broth. You can make your own at home or buy it pre-made, or even get it as a protein powder you can easily mix into a smoothie. If I buy broth in the store, I look for the low sodium packages. Then you can add in foods that are high in fiber, like cruciferous vegetables, which are very helpful. I try to eat a serving of broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage several times a week. Along with that, it’s good to add fermented foods to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.

So, here’s a quick list of things to remember. Eat more plant based meals (I’m not pushing vegetarianism but it’s helpful not to eat meat 3x per day), choose clean whole foods in season, minimize sugars in your diet, along with refined, processed and hydrogenated oils. Include fiber and high quality proteins and fats. Many people would feel better in their gut if they ate gluten-free. Many also have problems with dairy.

Fermented foods are a great addition to your daily diet to help keep your gut operating smoothly. I try to get at least one serving a day of a fermented food. Always look for the low sugar options within fermented foods, like the plain version of Greek yogurt or kefir. I mix those into smoothies. I often drink a glass of lower sugar kombucha at lunchtime, along with my salad, that may have 1/4 cup of raw Bubbies-brand sauerkraut or their pickles. It can be easy to incorporate these into your daily diet.

Let me know if you have any questions on this topic. I encourage you to try adding in fermented foods in your daily diet and see how it makes you feel.

Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!

*** Be Still and Know ***

You have probably all wondered at one time or another if you should do a detox. While a detox can be helpful to get you back on track it is not the end all that will fix an unhealthy lifestyle. Here are a few myths you may have heard:

1. A fast or restrictive diet will jumpstart your weight loss – While you may lose weight, it is probably not weight that will stay off once you resume normal eating. The weight loss will mainly be water weight and not result in fat loss. It also has the potential to mess with your metabolism. If you are seriously considering a detox, I’d suggest you work with a nutritionist that can help you do it safely.
2. Fruit and veggie juices are all nutritious – When you juice, you typically get rid of the fiber and many nutrients. Most people juice too much fruit and very little green veggies that can be much healthier. It’s better to eat your fruit and vegetables with the fiber intact.
3. Detox diets are a miracle cure – You may have heard claims that a certain detox can eliminate chronic pain, erase an autoimmune disorder, or cause your high blood pressure to come back to normal. Trendy detox diets can be dangerous and leave you with less benefits and more problems. Work with a professional if undertaking this.

What might be a better approach?

Your body absorbs toxins from things like pollution, pesticides, and food additives. Your body is designed to heal itself when taken care of. Your kidneys and liver filter what you take in and get rid of waste when you use the restroom. Whatever you eat or drink goes through your body’s own personal cleansing system, which is designed to get rid of unnecessary stuff so you can flush it away naturally.

However, there are things you can do to increase your body’s natural detoxing plans. You can use more natural cleaning products in your home. I like Young Living’s Thieves products . Click here for more information. Eat more organic foods, and pay attention to all the personal care products you use.

Long term lifestyle changes may include eating less non organic meat, avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners, plus eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Drink more filtered water, herbal tea or eat water rich foods like melons and cucumber, which will also help you flush out your system. Yoga and other forms of exercise have the added benefit of reducing stress, which is hard on your health. For more information on working with me on Yoga, Click Here. I love sharing yoga and other forms of exercise with people in both 1:1 format and small groups.

I’m here to support you in your journey into greater health and quality of life. Let me know if I can help.

Make today a healthy day!

*** Be Still and Know **

It seems every article you read at the beginning of a new year is about Resolutions, which makes most people feel like they fall short. I prefer to think of setting new intentions that nurture and care for my body and soul. It involves growth in all areas of life, but you get to decide what growth means to you. Let go of comparison and self judgement. And start by honoring your body. When you honor your body you honor your soul.

Most of my clients are striving to be their best. They want to grow and push themselves, sometimes, much too hard. Your body needs time to catch up. Many times when our bodies get sick or have an injury it can be a wake up call to take better care of ourselves. Be kind to yourself and give your body and mind what it needs.

I’ve had many overuse injuries over the years by working in fitness. Yoga has helped me learn to listen to my body, and in the process I learn what my soul needs. We have to slow down and realize that our body is our ally and it needs to be cared for. Unlike a car, we only get one body in a lifetime. Many people treat their cars better than they do their own body. Tune into your body. Listen. Are you feeling stiff? Is there pain? On days when your body isn’t feeling well, ask yourself how you can better nourish it. Maybe it’s eating more vegetables and fruits and giving your body a break from heavier foods. Maybe it’s going for a walk and doing some yoga instead of a hard core HIIT class. Your body will give you signals of what it needs, and when it needs it.

Just as we need to detox our bodies with healing foods, we also need to detox our minds by letting go of negative self talk. There is a time for growth and a time for rest. There is a season for pushing ourselves and a season to nurture ourselves. Be careful what you read and watch on TV. Is it nurturing your soul and helping you be your best?

When you take time to honor the needs of your body, you are taking the time to respect the needs of your soul.

My intentions in 2020 are to enter with awareness. I will take action on what I want more of in my life. I will let go of what no longer serves me, and I will show compassion to myself in the same way I’d offer it to someone else.

Yoga is a huge part of my self care. I love doing it on my own, teaching it to others in classes and in working with people 1:1.

Let me know if you’d like help getting started with your yoga journey.

Another holiday is in full swing. Today I want to offer you some tips to make this a better season for you and your family.

Remember what the holidays are really about. It’s about spending quality time with family, friends and loved ones. It’s about giving love and joy to others. Watch your expectations; make sure they are realistic. We try for perfection during the holidays and we tend to forget what the holidays are really about.

Take care of yourself during this month. We worry so much about setting a nice table; buying and cooking the food; decorating the house; buying the presents; etc., we forget to take a time out and spend some quiet time alone. If we aren’t feeling mentally, physically and emotionally healthy, how we will be able to have a good holiday?

Gratitude- this is the time of year that we should spend more time counting our blessings, remembering what we have instead of worrying about what we don’t. Instead of “Keeping up with the Jones’s,” take a minute to appreciate the abundance of love, health, family, and friends. Teach your kids about abundance. They should know that the most important things in life are the things that make us the happiest: good relationships with family and friends, a partner we can share our life with and a full schedule of social activities that involve lots of smiling and laughing

Be upfront financially- tell family and friends what you can and can’t do early on. If you know this will be a tough financial holiday season, then recommend other options such as: buying for the kids only, a grab bag, the charity option (everyone gives to a charity – whatever they can afford) instead of a gift, play a fun game like Yankee Swap where everyone buys one gift (set a value for it), or learn from our children – homemade gifts!

As much as possible, enjoy all the special moments this month brings, and let go of what doesn’t go so well. In just a few weeks, we will enter another new year full of fresh opportunities to begin again. Try to spend some time this month reflecting on the past year and thinking about what you want to bring into the next year.

Happy Holidays to each of you my friends. I’ll be taking a break from this blog until the new year.

I love drinking my morning coffee out of my new mug above. It’s such a great “first thing in the morning” reminder of how I want my day to begin.Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays because it draws people together with such a positive purpose – to be reminded of all of our blessings.

I’ve really tried to make gratitude a priority in my life. Regardless of your daily struggles and heartaches, there is probably plenty you can give thanks for. Did you know that a grateful heart can actually improve your health?

The connection between health and gratitude actually goes back a long ways. Throughout history, philosophers and religious leaders have shown that gratitude is integral to a person’s health and well being. Mental health professionals in the emerging field of positive psychology, are taking a closer look at how gratitude can benefit our health with some positive results.

“Grateful people are those who perceive gratitude as a permanent trait vs. a temporary state of mind. They have an edge over those less grateful when it comes to their health” according to Web MD’s research of gratitude. Gratitude helps to lower stress levels, which have been shown to be connected with cardiovascular disease and cancer. Gratitude provides this benefit by helping people cope better with their stress.

“There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function,” says Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. In one, researchers comparing the immune systems of healthy, first-year law students under stress found that, by midterm, students characterized as optimistic (based on survey responses) maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system, compared with their more pessimistic classmates.

These are just some of the health benefits of gratitude. Another interesting find was that it wasn’t material things that provided the greatest life satisfaction. It’s more about your perspective on life. People with very little, as well as those with money, could be found equally grateful. I think this is good news and I believe we need to be thankful right where we’re at today. I recall being very happy in my 20’s and 30’s when money was very tight.

It’s about connection and a positive attitude, even when things don’t look so great.You are your happiest when you decide to be. I wish for you this season to have a grateful heart filled with thanksgiving! Blessings my friends.

Today, I’ll sum up the month of October’s Yoga Home Practice discussions by offering you 3 sample classes you can try and see how they work for you. I chose 2 very short practices and a 23 minute class taught by the founder of YogaFaith.
We all come with slightly different world views, and that’s okay. I’m offering a 10 minute beginner secular morning stretch for you to try if you prefer no faith in a class. It’s a nice way to start your day feeling stretched out. Click below.
10 Minute Beginner’s Morning Stretch

Some of you may question practicing yoga as a Christian. If you prefer a faith-based class, I’m offering you two different class options. The first one is a video I found on You-Tube. I’ve done her classes before and it is a nice gentle way to start your day. Click below.
Christian Gentle 12 Minute Yoga Flow

This 3rd option is created by Michelle Thielen, founder of YogaFaith, where I’m working on my 500 Hour level of education. I’ve been 200 hour trained for many years and thought it would be fun to take my yoga up a notch and get trained with a different style that includes faith. Michelle is an amazing, outgoing, loving Christian woman that will make you feel at home right away. Click below.
YogaFaith 23 Minute Beginner’s Workout with Founder Michelle Thielen

If you take the time to try any of these classes, please let me know your thoughts. My goal is to offer you something you can do in the comfort of your own home for free.

I’d love to hear your feedback.

*** Be Still and Know ***