Answering Your Pregnancy Questions + HF Update

Hi friends! This episode is a little different in that I’m answering some of your questions and in that, this will be my last episode for a while! As of when this podcast is airing, I’m just a few days out from my due date with our second child and getting everything ready to meet him next week! I’ll give a little more info on what you can expect from the podcast over the summer as we transition into being a family of four. We’re excited for this new chapter for our family and while you won’t be hearing much from me over the next couple of months, I do have tons of resources and previous episodes (95 to be exact) for you to go back and listen to over the summer. I also have a new resource to share with you that I’ve been working on for a while and was finally able to finish. If you’re on my email list, you already got access to it in your inbox yesterday, but I wanted to share it here too. My new guide is called Little by Little: A Beginner’s Guide to Reducing Toxins. It’s a free download that walks you through the process of transitioning into a less-toxic lifestyle in a way that doesn’t stress you out. It starts with what I feel are the most important or highest priority products and things to transition and then moves through a list, helping you with the transition over time, rather than feeling like you have to do everything at once. I know when I first started learning about toxins and environmental exposures I felt super overwhelmed and discouraged because I just didn’t have the capacity or the budget to throw away everything and start over with less-toxic options. So I created this guide with that feeling in mind and I hope that it will take away that stress/overwhelmed element for you. It even includes an actual checklist for you that you can print out and stick on your fridge so that as you work through one area, you can see what’s next and hopefully will make the whole process feel more achievable. I’m excited to get to share that with you before I take a little time away. 

Okay, so let’s get into answering your questions about this pregnancy and what you can expect from me in the next few months! 

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I asked a while back what pregnancy-related questions you guys had and I’ve just compiled a list of some of the more common questions I’ve received over the past few months and want to talk through those now. Every pregnancy experience is different, even in the same woman, so I’m sure some of what I share you will relate with and probably some that you won’t and that’s fine too. I wanted to take just a few minutes to answer some of these questions before my mind gets super hazy with even less sleep and postpartum hormones. 🙂

How am I feeling? How has this pregnancy been in comparison to the last? 

This is probably the most common question and I so appreciate that people care to ask, but it’s always funny to answer because it changes from day to day. As of now, I’m feeling pretty uncomfortable and very ready for this little guy to be out, as I’d say most women feel at 39 weeks along. 

This pregnancy has been pretty different than my first pregnancy with our daughter. Of course, that was 6 years ago, so I don’t fully remember every detail about how I felt with her but there are some definite differences. I’ve had a whole lot more heartburn with this one than with her - especially during the first trimester and then of course, here at the end again. I honestly don’t remember having heartburn one time with my first but I’ve for sure made up for it this time. I also had some nausea in the first trimester, but not a lot. More just the heartburn. It was pretty smooth sailing during the second trimester until about 20 weeks and I started to experience severe hip pain, especially at night when trying to sleep. If you haven’t heard Remi’s birth story, I had a rough delivery with her and she was way bigger of a baby than any of us imagined. I had to do months of PT after her delivery and had been pretty good as if I had restored my core for the most part before getting pregnant this time, but as soon as my belly started growing and stretching things out, I started having a lot of pain in my back and pelvis. So, it’s been a much more challenging pregnancy physically than my first. All I can say is that I’m super thankful for my chiropractor. If you guys have listened to the last episode, you got to hear from her and all the benefits of receiving chiro care during pregnancy, but I can honestly say that I’m not sure how I would have made it through these last few months without treatment. I’m super thankful for that and outside of just typical discomforts and aches/pressure at this point, I’m feeling good. Just ready. :)

Did I experience infertility again this time? How long did it take? 

I’ve shared a lot about our infertility journey before our first pregnancy and having endometriosis/multiple surgeries, etc. but I guess I haven’t shared a whole lot about how things were this time around. Secondary infertility is less talked about and I think sometimes harder to define/diagnose because there are so many factors at play. So to answer the question, I would say yes - we did experience secondary infertility but it was quite different than the first time around. I did have to have another excision surgery for endometriosis, but it had been about 6 years since my last one and thankfully there were minimal lesions found and not near the amount of adhesions or scar tissue that was found before. We didn’t do any conventional fertility treatments this time around - just tried on our own. Right before I got pregnant, I was going to go in to have my tubes flushed, as this was one of the things that my fertility doc suggested since he said it wasn’t fully opened after surgery, but I got a positive test before doing that. From what I can tell, it seems like maybe because of that tube situation, I was likely having a successful release of an egg during ovulation every other month, so that likely contributed to the time it took us to conceive this time around. All in all, it was probably two-ish years of trying. As I said, it was very different this time around because we had a toddler, at the time who took a long time to sleep through the night and wean. Plus I had surgery in the middle of all of that, so I didn’t keep track of the time quite as rigidly as I did the first time around. Also, from an emotional perspective, I just knew what I was willing to put myself through, and not this time around. As I said, we didn’t do any treatments (outside of surgery and acupuncture) and I didn’t obsessively track things like I did the first time. I would do ovulation tests for a few months and be really on top of things and then when I felt myself burning out, we’d take some time off from being as intentional about it. So because of that, it’s hard to define “how long it took” but it did take some time and there were really hard moments along the way. Especially when Remi would ask for a sibling or why she didn’t have one. But as we’ve learned time and time again, the Lord was faithful during all of it and brought peace to just rest in Him when we needed it and strength to try again when we needed it. I heard someone say one time that God gives you the strength and grace that you need for today - not for tomorrow, or next week, or next year - but for today, so don’t waste your time worrying about something that may happen down the road that you haven’t been given grace for yet. It’s sufficient for today - so rest in that and know that whatever comes in the future, His grace will be sufficient for that day too. I can say that I didn’t perfectly model that this time around but many days were easier because I’ve learned that God will give me what I need and that I can trust Him with our family.  

What prenatal vitamins am I taking? 

This entire pregnancy and even for probably about a year before I got pregnant, I’ve been taking Needed’s prenatal vitamins. First, I was taking their multi-capsules, which is their full-strength supplement, and then during the first and second trimesters, I just took their essentials, which is a paired-down option that is only a couple of capsules because that’s about all I could handle. Then once I finished those, I’ve gone back to their full-strength version for the third tri and added in their probiotic, as well. I’ve also tried to take an omega-3 supplement throughout my pregnancy, but haven’t been super consistent with that. If you’re looking for a prenatal supplement - I highly recommend Needed. I interviewed one of their founders earlier in the year. You can go back and learn more about why their products are different than the industry standard but I’ve really appreciated working with them and just truly believe that they have one of the best options available for perinatal health - preconception - postpartum. You can save 20% off any order with them by using the code HEALTHFORWARD.

What are some of my favorite pregnancy support products, supplements, etc?

I just put together a guide sharing some of my favorite products and things that I’ve used during this pregnancy and what I feel has helped me feel as good as I could. I’ll share that below, but I’ll mention just a few things here as well:

• Genexa Antacids - I told yall about the heartburn. These things have saved me on multiple occasions, especially during the middle of the night. I love that they have the same active ingredient as TUMS but without all of the other flavoring, colorings, and other junk that you get with that. 

• Electrolytes are another big one that I feel has made a big difference. I especially noticed the difference early on when I was dealing with some nausea and just sheer exhaustion, I would feel so much better when I would incorporate minerals and electrolytes. I started using the Pickleball brand several months ago because they are one of the brands highest in potassium, and I feel like it makes a huge difference. I will also sometimes use coconut water or aloe leaf in my drinks as well, but I love the pickleball packets, it has a lot of minerals that I need already put together and I don’t have to measure, etc. I also plan to keep incorporating this throughout postpartum and breastfeeding to keep myself hydrated. 

• I’ve already talked about how much I’ve relied on chiropractic treatment - so that’s been a big one but also taking magnesium soaks/baths. You guys listen, I don’t know how any woman makes it through pregnancy without a bathtub. I know some of you aren’t bath people, but I just cannot understand. That is the only place where I feel comfortable these days and truly cannot imagine life without it 😀The magnesium also helps with relaxing my muscles as I’ve dealt with some Restless Leg Syndrome this last trimester and helping me get better sleep. Not to mention, it’s just good support for my body and especially for my liver as everything is working extra hard these days. 

How long am I taking off? What will work look like when I’m back? 

Well, the short answer is - at least the summer. This will be the last podcast episode and I won’t be producing any regular content or working with clients at all this summer. I’m sure I’ll be on social here and there and sharing some things there, especially after the haze of the first few weeks wears off, but I won’t be “working” per se. I’m not exactly sure when the podcast will be back when regular content will start to flow again or exactly what it will look like. As of now, I’m thinking likely in the beginning of September but I’m not holding myself to that. I’ve never had two kids before and honestly just don't know what life will look like being home with them and trying to run a business. So, we’ll just see. 

The good news is that all of my previous episodes will stay right here and you have 95 episodes worth of my voice to go back and listen to if you start missing me ;) 

My Foundations of Health course - Move Forward, Feel Better will also still be available, so if you’re looking for some health coaching between now and when I’m back, that is a great resource for you that you can access at any time.

Well, that answers all the questions that I have and pretty much wraps things up for today. Everything is linked in today’s show notes and always over in my Instagram bio as well. I’ll miss sharing with you guys this summer but I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me again soon! As always keep moving forward, go love your people well, and I’ll talk to you next time! 

Pregnancy Faves

Amazon Black Romper // Genexa Antacids // LTGL Magnesium Soak (HF10 to save 10%) // Primally Pure Baby Balm (yourhealthforward10 to save 10%) // Needed Prenatal Vitamins (healthforward to save 20%) // Reduce Insulated Tumber // Pickleball Electrolyte Powder // Amazon Maternity Leggings // Amazon Pregnancy Pillow

The Benefits of Nervous System-Based Chiropractic Care with Dr. Rebecca Young, DC

In today's episode, Dr. Rebecca Young, DC of Freedom Chiropractic is sharing the benefits of nervous system-based chiropractic care. She also shares how regular chiropractic care can have numerous health benefits for both prenatal and postnatal women as well as for children of all ages.

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QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE…

What is chiropractic care? Specifically, what is nervous system-focused chiropractic care and how may it differ from other chiropractic care that people may be more familiar with?

Who needs chiropractic care? Is it only for those with injury and back pain or are there other reasons to seek treatment?

What are some of the benefits of chiro treatment for women - specifically for hormone health, fertility, and pregnancy? 

What are some of the benefits of treatment for children? 

What could someone new to chiropractic care expect on their first visit? Can you describe what an adjustment feels like?

Where can people learn more about chiropractic in general and for those who are local, Freedom Chiro? 

Resources mentioned in this episode: To learn more about nervous system-based chiropractic care - pxdocs.com; to learn more about prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care - icpa4kids.com

To find out more about Freedom Chiropractic and Dr. Becca - Freedom Knox website; Freedom Chiro Instagram

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Healthy Eating Buzzwords and What You Actually Need to Know

There are so many buzzwords when it comes to healthy eating - clean, organic, non-GMO, etc.- but how do you know what these terms actually mean and if it’s something you should even pay attention to? Today we’re going to dive into what you need to know to make an informed decision for your family. 

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Have you ever found yourself wandering around the grocery store, trying to make healthy choices for your family, only to be confused by all of the labels placed all over the boxes or hanging over the aisle? Well, you aren’t alone. Food makers have started adding tons of different labels to their products - some of them are important and some are just marketing to fit into the latest health trend. So, how do you know which is which? Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as any of us wish that it was, but I’m hoping that what I share here with you today will help clear it up a bit. 

3 of the most confusing food labels:   

GMO - it means that this crop has been genetically altered to make it more resistant to environmental factors or pests. Concerns about GMOs are that they can add to overall body toxicity, allergies and sensitivities, and could possibly contribute to cancer risk.                                                                                                                                                   

A lot of packaged foods and ingredients are common GMO crops such as sugar, corn, soybean, canola, and cottonseed oils as well as ingredients commonly used in animal feed (so what your meat is eating). 

Organic - this term has a lot more complexities in what it can mean. There are many different artificial ingredients used in food production that come with concern especially for things like allergies and sensitivities, contributing to cancer risks and DNA damage, as well as an overall negative effect on gut health and detox pathways.

When referring to produce it means that only allowed synthetic chemicals or preservatives have been used (about 25 different ones allowed vs 900 allowed in conventional produce) and that any chemical used went through testing that proved that it wasn’t harmful to human health or the health of the environment, as well as that the farming practices used passed the organic standards set by the USDA. 

When referring to packaged foods it means that the products contain none of the following: artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, partially or hydrogenated oils, BHT/BHA (hormone), GMOs (specifically important with corn, sugar, soy, canola, and cotton), glyphosate sprayed crops, added hormones, antibiotics, glyphosate by-products or GMOs used for animal feed. It also means that if any herbicide/pesticide was used they followed organic standards and rules. 

Natural Flavors - this one is super confusing and seems to be in everything. It could consist of approximately 2500 different ingredients. The FDA has some standards that say it must be derived from an animal or plant, however, that’s a very broad category. It also means that GMOs or chemically treated ingredients can be included as “natural”. 

Other common labels to watch out for: 

Natural - this term is completely unregulated and therefore could mean anything or nothing. 

Zero / Low calorie or Zero / Low sugar - look at that label. In order to make something zero-calorie, it has most likely been stripped of any actual food or nutrients and is full of artificial ingredients instead. This also applies to low / no sugar labels. If they aren’t using sugar, what are they using to sweeten it? Most likely something artificial. 

High in protein - this is a completely subjective term so it could mean anything. It likely refers to a ratio of carbs to protein and means that it’s not super high in carbs compared to protein. A lot of people have different protein intake goals based on health goals, but generally for adults, specifically for women, I recommend shooting for 20-30g of protein per meal - so think about all of the components of that meal and what the total protein would be. That should get you in a generally good place for your overall daily protein intake.

Here are a few of my top tips for navigating these confusing terms:

1. Pay attention to the ingredient list, not just the nutrition facts. A lot of times we think we are making healthy decisions if the item has good protein or low sugar, but that isn’t always true. Do you recognize most of the ingredients as real food? Are there 30 ingredients? Are the first few ingredients one of those common GMO crops? If so, look for a better alternative. 

2. Stick to buying organic produce for the dirty dozen and don’t worry about the other produce items. This frees up money in your grocery budget for buying the organic versions of other foods like meat/dairy as well as those packaged foods that contain the commonly modified crops that we talked about earlier - sugar, corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oils, as well as any product containing wheat as it is not a GMO crop but it is one of the crops most commonly sprayed with glyphosate. 

3. If you’re buying a product that includes “natural flavors” which most do, make sure it also has an organic label so that you can at least know that a lot of the artificial things that we want to avoid like GMOs, dyes, preservatives, etc. can’t be it. 

There are so many more things that I could share about food labeling with you but I wanted to really focus on the most common ones today. If you’re wanting to hear more about healthy eating and how to make healthy - yet realistic - food choices, check out Episode 70 to learn how I do meal planning or Episode 90 for tips on making healthy eating choices at parties and in social settings. 

I hope that this has helped make food labels a little less confusing and you walk away from this episode feeling more educated and empowered to make food choices for your family. 

If you’re looking for more ideas for healthy meals, I have a few resources that I think you will love. You can download my Healing Foods Guide as well as my recipe ebook “Easy, Healthy Eats” by clicking here.

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What to Focus on to Improve Your Health in the New Year

Hi, friends, and Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and made some great memories. We had a sweet Christmas this year and really soaked up our last Christmas together as a family of three. We have a lot of new and exciting things coming up this new year, so I loved a little quiet downtime before all of that. Now, we’re switching gears and getting into that time of year when people are a little more focused on their health and often setting some new goals for themselves, so today, I want to share what I believe to be a few of the most effective ways to really improve your health in the new year. 

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Have you already set your goals for 2023? Most of the time when people, especially women, set goals for themselves, they include some kind of health-related goal. Often it can be related to weight or something about their bodies that they’re wanting to change. I love goal setting and think that when done in a healthy way, it can be really helpful and effective, but one thing that I’ve noticed working with women on their health, is that they often don’t really know what to focus on or they find themselves focusing on something that’s kind of arbitrary and often just leaves them frustrated and burnt out after a few weeks. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that I don’t love focusing on weight as a goal because weight is affected by so many things and a healthy weight doesn’t follow a perfect, easy formula, which leaves most women feeling frustrated. It’s also possible to lose a lot of weight and still be really unhealthy - not to mention how it can negatively affect body image and mental/emotional health. So, if focusing on weight isn’t a good idea, what should you focus on if you are really wanting to see improvements in your health? Well, I’m glad you asked because I have a few thoughts to share with you on that. :) 

Stabilize your blood sugar

The first area I believe should be prioritized is stabilizing your blood sugar. I talk about blood sugar a lot on this podcast and when working with my clients because it affects so many things in the body. Every cell in your body is dependent on glucose for energy and it fuels many functions of the body, but when it becomes dysregulated it can increase your risks for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, immune system dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, nerve damage, metabolism issues, decreased brain health, and so much more. It’s not something to ignore and can lead to serious health issues, yet many, many people walk around with very unstable blood sugar levels and don’t think much about it. You may not even know that you have dysregulated blood sugar but you may be more familiar with some of the common symptoms such as mid-day energy crashes, headaches, irritability, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, slow wound healing, skin issues, fatigue, dizziness, irregular menstrual cycles, fertility challenges, and more. 

Untreated blood sugar dysregulation can contribute to insulin resistance - a condition where the cells of the body become desensitized to insulin, leading the pancreas to produce more and more insulin in order for the cells to respond and be able to take in the needed glucose. This leads to high levels of both insulin and glucose in the body, which also leads to increased fat storage, blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. These dysfunctions within the body lead to an increased risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and just overall increased damage to the body. 

So you can see how this one area of your health that may seem like not a big deal can actually affect your health in really negative ways or when managed well can create a solid foundation for better overall health. 

I have a few other episodes about ways to improve blood sugar regulation, so I’m not going to go deep into that in this episode - go listen to episode 17 or check out my online course if you are looking for more info on how to do this. I also have a brand new resource that is a great tool for anyone, but especially anyone working on blood sugar regulation. You can download my new Healthy Eating Food Formula Guide for free on my website or in my Instagram bio. It gives you the exact formula to follow to create any meal or snack that will support blood sugar balance while also leaving you feeling full without energy crashes or cravings. My favorite thing about this new guide is that it gives you the tools to create healthy meals on your own, with the foods that you enjoy rather than giving you a strict regimen of foods to eat that leave you feeling dissatisfied and bored. Download the Healthy Eating Food Formula Guide here.

I could talk about blood sugar all day, but let’s move on! 

Improve your Gut Health 

The next area that I believe should be prioritized and will have one of the largest impacts on your overall health is prioritizing gut health. Is anyone surprised by this? Probably not! :)

You have heard me say this many times but you cannot have poor gut health and optimal overall health. It’s just not possible! The gut affects everything in the body - some areas are obvious like digestion and metabolism but a lot of areas that you may not think of, like mental health - depression, anxiety, mood imbalances; skin health - allergies, sensitivities, acne, eczema; immune health and autoimmunity; hormone health - hormonal conditions and imbalances, reproductive health and fertility; weight management and ability to regulate weight; even genetic patterns that can affect your kids and their kids. It’s unlikely to think of an area of health or function of the body that isn’t either directly or indirectly affected by gut health. 

So how do you know if your gut health needs attention or to be improved? Well if you’re breathing and haven’t already taken time to focus on improving your gut health, then this is most likely something that you can benefit from. Our “guts' ' run from our nose/mouth all the way through our digestive tract to the other end of us. It houses the majority of our microbiome - an ecosystem made up of trillions of microbes, including different viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms. Studies have proven that there are more of these microbes in our bodies than human DNA cells - isn’t that insane? Just like in any other ecosystem, there needs to be a balance of the types of microbes within our microbiome. Some are more beneficial and some are more opportunistic and can lead to dysfunction within the system when there is an imbalance (also called Dysbiosis). Our current lifestyles of processed foods, excessive sugar, chronic stress, lack of sleep, lack of nutrients - especially B vitamins and vitamin D, and increased usage of meds like antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and antacid/PPI meds all have detrimental effects on that balance and often wipe out the good or beneficial microbes, allowing the pathogenic or opportunistic ones to thrive. Even some things completely out of our control like how we were birthed and fed as babies can trigger an imbalance in our microbiome. 

When this imbalance occurs, it can lead to all kinds of uncomfortable symptoms that you may be familiar with: gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, abdominal pain, unexplained weight gain/loss, mood imbalances, brain fog, skin issues like acne or eczema, chronic yeast infections, hormonal imbalances, infertility. When left untreated dysbiosis can eventually contribute to more serious conditions that I mentioned above. 

The concept of improving your gut health may feel overwhelming or daunting but it really isn’t. Following the functional medicine protocol allows you to calm and heal any inflammation of the gut while also supporting the rebalancing of the microbiome. Working with a professional trained in gut health who can lead you through the process will make it even more simple. 

The last area of health that I want to talk about today may feel like a super simple one but it’s one that makes such a huge difference and that is…

Move your body

Moving your body. I know - exercise is something that every health professional talks about and tons of fitness programs are built on, and yet it’s something that a lot of us just overlook. Even knowing all of the benefits of moving my body, it’s always been a struggle for me to be consistent in exercising, but it’s also been one of the biggest “needle movers” for me. Not just in a weight goal or something like that, but regularly moving your body is one of the most effective ways to improve both your blood sugar balance and your gut health! It’s part of the “S” triad (Sweat -or moving your body, sleep, and stress management) that is included in my course - Move Forward, Feel Better (more on that later). I chose to focus on the “Sweat” portion of that triad here because exercise is one of the ways to improve sleep and help the body deal with stress. 

Exercise has just so many benefits. As I already mentioned it helps improve gut health and support healthy blood sugar - which if you remember affects most systems and functions of the body - but let’s just highlight a few benefits like increased energy, increased happiness, improved mood, improved detoxification, improved digestion, and gut motility, increased cardiovascular endurance and overall strength which leads to fewer injuries, improved immune response, improved mental clarity and an overall better outlook on life. 

We all need to be prioritizing moving our bodies each day for at least 10-15 minutes and building up to a longer amount of time. The beautiful thing about exercise is that it can look so many different ways. You can totally customize it to your preferences and schedule. Just make sure to prioritize it and have some accountability for it. You can find a lot more ideas and information on exercise in episodes 15, 46, 53, and 87. I’ll link to those in the show notes. 

So there you have it - three areas that I believe have the biggest impact on your overall health. If you’re looking to actually improve your health in 2023 and take action that has positive effects on your health and makes a lasting difference, I encourage you to focus on these three areas. Most likely whatever area of your health that you are wanting to improve or change will be positively affected and improved.

As a resource to help you know how to focus on these areas that I’ve talked about today, I’m offering 30% off of my Move Forward, Feel Better Course that walks you step-by-step through the process of how to stabilize blood sugar, improve gut health, prioritize those lifestyle factors that I mentioned like sleep, stress, and movement, as well as module all about having a healthy mindset and setting optimal health goals for yourself that will actually lead you to success. It’s a 4-module course that you can do at your own pace that fits your schedule and includes downloadable worksheets to help you apply what you learn to your life and health. For the next two weeks only, you can purchase the course for 30% off making it only $55! That’s the price of one nice meal out or a new sweater at your favorite boutique. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn the tools you need to improve your health! 

Easy Health Tips for a Busy Season

Hi friends! We are right in the middle of one of the busiest seasons of the year with Christmas just a couple of weeks away at this point, and I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, making healthy choices and prioritizing our health goes on the back-burner during this time. It usually becomes something that we just push off until January, right? Then we’ll really “get back on track”! Well, what if I told you that there are ways that you can continue to make decisions that support your health even in the hustle and bustle and it doesn’t require you to miss out on any of the fun? Today I’m sharing a few ideas with you to help you do just that, so let’s get into it! 

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I don’t know about you guys but I am running at full capacity most of the time during this season, so the thought of adding something else is not appealing to me - and I would imagine it probably isn’t to you either. The ideas that I have to share with you today, I’ve adapted from the 1-minute wellness mentality. It started with a book that I read years ago that helped change my perspective on what a healthy lifestyle looks like. It was built on the premise that instead of continually striving for perfection in our health or bodies, we just try to get 1% better every day. By choosing to take just one simple action we can make a positive impact on our health that really adds up over time. While these ideas may not only take “one minute” they are easy to incorporate into a busy day and take minimal effort.  

So here we go. Remember, we’re not trying to do all these things simultaneously. We’re choosing one or two to add to our daily routine. As it becomes a normal part of your life, you can add something else. Little by little adds up to a lot. 

Drink 6-8 oz of warm lemon water as soon as you wake up

Not only does this help rehydrate your body after waking up, it also helps your liver flush out toxins and gives your metabolism a boost!

Eat a balanced meal (carb + protein + fat) before or at least, alongside, your morning coffee

Coffee, while delicious and having some health benefits, raises your blood sugar, so without balancing it out with protein and fat, you’re more likely to experience cortisol/stress hormone issues and a major crash. Over time, this can also contribute to chronic blood sugar dysregulation. 

Switch out your coffee for green tea. 

Green tea has a ton of health benefits! While it still contains caffeine, it’s a bit less than coffee and it also contains many antioxidants and catechins that have been studied to contribute to many positive health outcomes like improved metabolism, increased brain function, decreased risk for heart disease and diabetes, and reduced inflammation. 

Get outside in the morning w/o sunglasses 

Morning light has the highest amounts of red light which help with circadian rhythm and adrenal health; in warmer months or climates, morning and midday sunlight can help with vitamin D absorption too. 

Add a handful of green veggies to every meal (raw or cooked) 

Especially in this season where there are parties every other day and delicious desserts everywhere, it’s easy to go days without eating any vegetables at all. Veggies contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that our bodies need as well as fiber that feed our good gut bugs and keep our digestive systems happy. So whatever you’re eating, add some veggies! Add a couple of your favorite options to your next grocery trip and then take 5 min to prep them when you get home so they are ready to go. 

Add protein to every meal or snack 

Most of us struggle to get enough protein throughout the day. This can be even harder during the holidays. Grab some easy protein options - think hard-boiled eggs, beef/turkey sticks, a bone broth protein powder, rotisserie chicken, etc to keep on hand. Then make sure to add one to every meal and snack. 

Give your body a break between meals.

This one can make a huge difference in your gut health and in helping to regulate blood sugar.   Aim for 3-4 hours in between without continually grazing through the day.

Drink a cup of bone broth daily 

Bone broth is full of amino acids that help support digestion and the integrity of our gut lining. This is a big deal and is a major first step in dealing with any gut health issues. This is a great thing to add to your daily routine during the holiday season when most things that we do/eat can be difficult for our guts. 

Take a probiotic daily 

Another great way to support overall gut health and therefore, overall health. This is a big deal for immune system support as well. 

Take a good quality, whole-food multivitamin 

Especially when we’re struggling to get quality nutrients into our diets, but really all of the time, we can benefit from a good quality multivitamin. Our food supply just isn’t what it used to be, unfortunately, and many of us are operating on less than optimal levels of a lot of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. You can find some of my favorite brands on the favorites page of my Fullscript Dispensary. You can also always find that link in my Instagram bio. 

Take magnesium baths 

Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins through food, environmental factors, stress, etc., and our livers/kidneys have a BIG job to do in order to filter and flush those toxins out. Magnesium baths are a great way to support your body, especially when you’re more stressed and have more sugar than usual (hello, holiday season). Adding Epsom salts also provides an extra level of liver support and up the relaxation factor. 

Magnesium is also huge immune system support - honestly, just an overall health supporter and most of us are deficient. Transdermal magnesium is a faster and easier way to increase those magnesium levels, so even more of a reason to add this into your routine. Not a bath person? You can also do a foot soak and get the same benefit. 

My favorite transdermal magnesium is from Living the Good Life Naturally. You can order some for yourself by clicking here or at the link in my Instagram bio. Save 10% on your order with the code HF10. 

Set some screen time boundaries

This time of year is overstimulating in and of itself. Even more so when we add in tons of screen time while traveling, waiting in lines, etc. Set a time in your day to unplug and be screen-free. This is especially after sundown to help with getting good sleep, so maybe make this part of your evening routine or start a “no screens at dinner” rule to bring a little more connection and peace to your family time. 

Practice meditating or a breathing exercise

Holidays are stressful sometimes - there’s no way around it. Help your body handle stress by incorporating a calming practice like meditation or square breathing. This is a great one to add in before bedtime or before a meal as stress can interfere with sleep and digestion. 

Gratitude journal in the mornings

We just celebrated Thanksgiving but that doesn’t mean that we stop being grateful, right? Practicing gratitude can help keep us feeling grounded and with a healthy perspective when the to-do list feels really long. 

Stretch for 5 minutes before bed

This can help promote more restful sleep, helps break the scrolling to fall asleep habit, and can help with tight and sore muscles in the mornings. It’s also so easy to do and just a great way to end your day. 

Okay, so those covered a lot of areas  - nutrition, gut health, stress management, and movement. Which one or two of those will you try to incorporate into your daily routine this season? I’m definitely keeping up with my magnesium baths most nights before bed and working on making sure I’m adding in those veggies with each meal. Whichever one you choose, I know that you’ll be glad that you did. 

I can’t believe we’re here at the end of 2022 already! I have one more episode coming out at the end of December to help us get ready for the new year and I’ve also been working on a new resource for you guys that will launch in January, so make sure that you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow me on Instagram, so you don’t miss anything! 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your families! Keep moving forward, go love your people well, and I’ll talk to you next time!

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Plan Your Plate! Healthy Eating Tips for Your Next Get-Together.

Hi friends! Fall is here and it brings so many things that I love, including lots of get-togethers for football parties, holiday parties - and for us our anniversary and our daughter’s birthday. It’s basically one big party all season, which is both wonderfully fun and totally exhausting lol. 

Fall also brings with it so many cozy flavors and a lot of concentration on delicious foods. This combo of tons of social events and get-togethers plus tons of pumpkin-spice-laden treats can leave us feeling a little stressed about making healthy eating choices. 

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Fall!! It truly is my favorite season.  As an enneagram 9, it’s hard for me to choose a favorite in anything, but I love fall so much that it’s the obvious choice. 

I know so many other people who love all things fall too, but I also know that fall can bring with it some stress or maybe even worry about making healthy eating choices. Fall leads right into the holidays and for anyone who is trying to make health-conscious decisions or may be worried about their weight, there seems to be a little nagging voice in our heads that’s a little stressed out about all of the food. 

So today, I want to give you a few practical tips to quiet those nagging thoughts and help give you confidence in making healthy choices while still completely enjoying the season. 

Adjust your expectations 

We have to live in reality, friends. How often do we go to a party or some kind of holiday get-together thinking we just won’t eat anything or we’ll just pass on the dessert? First of all, that sounds miserable, doesn’t it? Secondly, it’s hardly realistic for most of us! The reality is that dessert, snacks, and whatever else that you are thinking of avoiding will be there, and you’re going to want to eat it, and that’s okay. So let’s just adjust our expectations, that avoidance isn’t really realistic in most cases and it’s probably not the best idea anyway. 

Decide what a “healthy choice” means for you. 

This doesn’t always look the same for everyone and it doesn’t look the same in every season. Spend a little time thinking about what foods work best for your body, what makes you feel bad, and what foods you love and can’t wait to enjoy. For some people, this may look like not eating certain foods, and for some this may mean eating healthy portions of everything! Don’t follow the crowd on this. Be intentional (but remember those realistic expectations). 

Quit with the guilt. 

 We need to be conscious of unhealthy patterns when it comes to eating - and I’m not at all talking about food. I’m talking about unhealthy patterns when it comes to our mindset. One of the most common ones is feeling guilty when we eat something that feels indulgent or something that may not be the most nutritious. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve worked with who find themselves caught up in this pattern of eating something that they’ve deemed “bad” and then spend the night or next day feeling guilty about it and sometimes even punishing themselves or trying to “make up for it” with extra long workouts or by barely eating anything the next day. There are not any bad foods. Food is amoral. It is both physically and mentally unhealthy for us to assign morality to certain foods and immorality to others and it has led to some really deep rooted issues with food in our society. So when you catch yourself feeling guilty or saying something like “I’m going to have walk off this dinner” or “run an extra mile tomorrow because of this dessert” try to change that narrative to something like “I’m thankful that I get to enjoy this meal”. Also, one more thing on this - remember that while food is fuel for our bodies, there is also an emotional component to food that is connected with the pleasure centers in our brain - and that’s a gift. God didn’t have to give us taste buds or allow us to enjoy our food, but He did, so let’s not rob ourselves of that. 

Always Balance It Out (carb + protein + fat)  

Remember that one of the major factors supporting your health is blood sugar balance, so make that a priority over counting calories or another arbitrary focus. Some examples of how this may look at a party: choose hummus and guac with chips; add some chicken or a few meatballs to your plate along with all of those starchy carbs; when it’s time for dessert, add some high-quality half-and-half or higher protein nut milk to your coffee, or add a handful of nuts to your plate along with the brownies. This starts with making sure that you are familiar with some good protein and healthy fat options that you enjoy. Download my Foods that Heal List for some ideas - also a new resource for this coming soon!) 

Support Your Digestion

This is important all of the time, but especially so when we’re eating different foods or foods that are very rich and can cause some digestive upset. Try to eat your meals when you’re seated, calm, and can really enjoy your food. When we’re hyped up or upset, we often have a lot of adrenaline and stress hormones pumping through our bodies which makes digestion and nutrient absorption, so when possible eat at a more calm time in the get-together. Also, avoid grazing throughout the entire event. Our bodies digest best when we have at least 90 minutes in-between eating, so enjoy your meal and then give your gut a break. This will help to avoid or reduce unwanted symptoms like bloating. 

Bring an Alternative 

Bring something that you know you enjoy and will make you feel good. Ideally, something with protein or nutritious ingredients. One way to be sure there are foods there that you feel good about eating is to bring them yourself. This is especially important for those with food allergies or sensitivities. 

I hope these tips help you enjoy this season to the fullest while still making decisions that prioritize your health!

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Listener Question Mini-Series: What Are Your Recommendations for Exercise?

Hi friends! Today is the second episode of our summer mini-series where I’m answering your questions and talking about topics that you want to discuss. A few weeks ago I reached out on Instagram and asked what questions you had for me. Y’all had quite a few questions about exercise, so today I’m going to answer those! Let’s get into it! 

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Exercise is something that we all have heard is good for us and know that we would be better off doing, but it’s also something that I often get questions about - specifically how much and what kind of exercise is best.

That’s exactly what a few of you asked and then also a bit more of a specific question - “Are cyclical exercises good for women?”

So let’s talk about basic recommendations first. 

General Exercise Recommendations:

The ACSM, WHO, and AHA- basically all the overseeing medical organizations - recommend at least 150 minutes of structured exercise per week. This definition of exercise is an increase in energy expenditure and elevated heart rate for a sustained amount of time. This can be broken up however best fits your life and schedule. For example - you could choose to do 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week, 20 minutes per day, 7 days per week, or even 1 hour per day, 3 days per week. You can really choose any combination that works for you as long as you are hitting at least 150 minutes per week and up to 300 minutes per week.

It’s also recommended that included in that time, there be at least 2 days of weight-bearing exercise or strength training. This can be done with just body weight or with added weight (i.e. dumbbells, bars, machines, etc.) 

As far as the method of exercise is concerned, that really is up to you and based on what your goals and exercise preferences are. Cyclical exercise can refer to two different things and I’m not sure which one this question is referring to, so I’ll just speak to both. 

Cyclical exercise is a type of interval training where you have a short period of very vigorous and intense exercise, then a rest period where you allow your heart rate to slow back to a resting rate. It’s very similar to HIIT-style workouts, with the difference being a longer recovery period in between exercises. This style of exercise is great for some people and can be very effective for building endurance and increasing heart rate variability, which most health professionals believe leads to better overall health. It isn’t for everyone though and can be too intense for those just starting out or those with certain medical conditions. 

Then there’s also the type of cyclical exercise which is a method where a woman chooses the type or style of exercise that you do based on what phase of the menstrual cycle she is in. Women’s bodies operate on a 28(ish) day cycle where multiple hormone levels fluctuate throughout the cycle. Many believe that women may be more inclined to enjoy certain types of exercise during certain phases of their cycle. For example, engaging in more intense or challenging type workouts during the latter part of the follicular phase, prior to ovulation, then choosing less intense, more restorative type exercises during the luteal phase of the cycle. 

This is a really interesting theory and actually extends far beyond just exercise recommendations. There are theories for syncing your cycle with types of food, productivity at work, creativity, and more. I could probably do an entire episode on that actually, so if that’s something you would like to know more about, let me know. 

As with anything health-related, there are tons of opinions and theories on exercise, but let’s just review the bottom line of what really matters when it comes to exercise. 

Does exercise really matter?

The one thing that everyone agrees on is that exercise improves all areas of our health. Strength training builds bone and muscle mass, which becomes more and more important as we age.  Building muscle burns more calories, which helps with weight loss. Exercise helps move the lymph in our bodies which increases efficiency of our detox pathways (this helps our livers, hormones, cognitive health, and so much more). Exercise improves cardiovascular health and mental health, as well as supports overall mood and decreases feelings of stress. Exercises also decreases chronic inflammation which helps everything in the body function better. I really could go on and on, but the point is that it matters and it’s worth the time and effort. 

How can we make exercise work for us?

So, how do we make it work for us? This is where things typically break down and we struggle to exercise consistently, despite what we know to be true. Here are a few tips that I think are helpful for making exercise work for us.

• Schedule it and put solid yellow lines around it (just like when driving, solid yellow lines means do not pass). 

• Add a friend. You’re much more likely to follow through if your friend is there waiting for you. 

• Choose an exercise that you enjoy! If you hate it, you won’t do it! 

• Don’t start with too much, too fast. If you injure yourself or even just end up super sore for a week, you’re less likely to go back and do it again. Start slow - just get moving! 

• Don’t underestimate the power of a walk! I guarantee you that if you go walk for just 10 minutes you will feel better than you did before. 

Some of my favorite at-home workout resources are Lindsey Bomgren’s online workout program at Nourish, Move, Love, and Robin Long’s online fitness community at Lindeywell. Another great option, especially if you’re struggling with body image or just need some extra encouragement in the area of exercise and health is Jess Connolly’s Good Body Gals online community workouts.

Also, if you have a gym membership, look for group classes (body pump, barre, group yoga, etc.) at your gym! Participating in a class increases the likelihood that you will be consistent by checking off a lot of the tips that I mentioned before. Joining my local body pump class has done wonders in helping me to be more consistent in exercising!

It’s always good to be reminded about the importance of exercise and I hope you’ll implement a few of the tips that I shared here today. If you want more information about exercise I have a few other full-length episodes dedicated to different aspects of exercise - The Benefits of Strength Training for Women with Cassidy Tipton, CPT and well as Exercise as Medicine with Amy Shafer, CPT

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Listener Question Mini-Series:

Hi friends!  Today’s episode kicks off a mini-series of shorter podcast episodes where I’m answering your questions and talking about topics that you suggested. Today’s question is a great one and provides me with an opportunity to talk about what I do as an Integrative Women’s Health Coach and some of the biggest blessings of my job. 

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A couple of weeks ago I asked you guys if there were topics you wanted me to talk about or questions that you’d like me to answer on the podcast, and I received great responses from you guys, so for the next few episodes, I’ll be covering those topics. 

The first question I had was what would I consider the biggest blessing about my job to be. I love this question because it’s totally outside the box of what I was expecting you guys to ask about and it provides me with an opportunity to talk about aspects of my job that I don’t talk about a lot on the podcast. 

So in case you aren’t aware, in addition to hosting this podcast, I am also an Integrative Women’s Health Coach. I work with women - usually in a one to one setting - to come alongside them and help support them with their health. This can look really general, with someone needing mainly support in strategizing or learning how to overcome obstacles that they’re facing with living a healthy lifestyle, or it can be more complex with someone dealing with chronic symptoms or a specific health issue - typically hormone or inflammation related. 

I truly love what I do and I had no idea what this would look like when I started my business but I’ve had the opportunity to serve some wonderful clients. 

I think the biggest blessing of my job is when I’m working with a client who experiences that “light bulb” moment when she’s able to connect the dots of something she’s been struggling with for a long time. Maybe it’s understanding that a lot of her symptoms are related and that there are things she can do to support healing in her body. Maybe it’s helping a client break free from some really toxic thoughts and beliefs she’s had about her body or her health. Maybe it’s empowering a mom in knowing how she can still take care of her own health and take care of her kids too. It can look very different depending on the client and what her personal obstacles are, but I just love that moment when she reaches a new level of understanding and confidence in how she cares for her health. 

As a health coach, “success” with a client doesn’t always look like a certain amount of weight lost or a particular fitness goal reached, but rather in seeing a woman take ownership over her health and truly see her health and body as gifts to steward and be thankful for, rather than a negative thing that she has to endure in this life. 

I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I have to pursue this dream that I had and what I feel God has called me to in this season. God has provided for me in so many ways to be able to do this work and to be in control of my time, especially when my daughter is young and at home with me. I’m just really thankful for all of it. 

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Thanks for this question. It was an excellent reminder of how much I love my job and am thankful for it. If you are interested in knowing more about becoming a client, you can find more information and schedule a free consult call with me here.

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Health Tips for Traveling

Hi friends! It is officially summer vacation season - the kids are on summer break and most of you probably have a trip of some kind coming up. My family just got back from a wonderful week at the beach and we’re looking forward to another trip coming up in about a little later in the summer, so traveling is on our minds around here. Whether you’re traveling for a full week or just a long weekend, I’m going to give you some tips to keep your health a priority without letting it become the main focus of your vacation!

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Summer is finally just around the corner and for many of us, that means it’s time to do some traveling and take a break from our usual routines. Traveling to a new place is one of my favorite things to do but it can also provide some challenges that seem a bit overwhelming, especially if you are working on some health goals or have made some progress in your health journey and are worried that a week of “vacation food” may set you back or somehow lead you “off track”. 

So today I wanted to share a few tips for ways that you can continue to prioritize your health while on vacation, but in a way that doesn't become the main focus of your trip or keeps you from fully enjoying yourself in any way! One of the best things you can do for your health is to give yourself time to rest and just enjoy your life, outside of the stress of your day-to-day, so let’s talk about a few ways you can prepare ahead of time to set yourself up for a vacation that’s good for your whole self - body, mind, and soul. 

Set yourself up for an easier trip by packing well

• Pack balanced snacks for the time in the car. Fun snacks like chips, crackers, etc. that have good ingredients paired with easy protein and fat options like beef jerky sticks or hummus cups. Prep-ahead snacks like energy balls or hard-boiled eggs are great to keep in a cooler and add to more carb-heavy snacks and treats as well. This will keep everyone feeling full and less hangry, which is essential for a long road trip with kids. There is nothing worse than an exhausted, screen-crazed kid in a sugar crash during the last hour of the car ride.

• Prep and take all vitamins, supplements, protein powders, etc. to keep up your regiment while you’re gone. Take digestive enzymes to help your body digest and absorb the foods you don’t normally eat or that may be a little harder on your digestion.

• Take things from home that help you get movement in during a normal week. Include things like a yoga mat or tennis shoes and workout clothes will make it more likely that you catch a beach-yoga class or go for a morning walk. Also, be sure to pack your electrolyte powder and water bottles to make sure that everyone stays hydrated.

Allow yourself to enjoy the trip

• Think about vacation meals ahead of time:

  • If the place that you’re staying allows for it, plan to have some of your meals there. Don’t make it hard on yourself, but rather choose easy and nutritious, whole-food ingredients that you can have stocked in your rental for quick breakfasts, lunch, or snacks. (Money/time hack: get staple stuff before you leave and take it with you as groceries in tourist destinations seem to be more expensive.)

  • Place a grocery order for pick up on your way to your Airbnb or rental (or have it delivered when you get there). It feels so good to have a kitchen full of food without having to spend time actually going into the store when you would rather be having fun with your family. 

• Rest! Make your best effort to leave work at home. Turn off notifications on your phone, set your out-of-office email, and take “fun” reads instead of self-help or educational books. Ensure that you will be able to sleep well by taking sleep support items (sound machines, oils, bath stuff, melatonin if you struggle to sleep away from home). 

• Enjoy yourself and don’t stress! The best thing you can do for your health is to give yourself a break. Don’t worry about whether you're gaining weight or losing progress. Just let yourself enjoy the food, enjoy the slower pace, and be present with your family. The stress that comes with those kinds of thoughts and worries is far more harmful to your body than any meal or dessert that you’re going to have. Your body needs to know that it’s safe in order to thrive and relaxing, enjoying yourself, savoring your food, and having fun with your people are great ways to do that!

Plan for re-entry into reality

• Plan re-entry much like you planned your trip. Clean your house before you leave so that you come home to a nice, peaceful environment. If you have access to a washer/dryer, do your laundry before you come home. Place a pick-up grocery order on your way home to pick up when you get home or the next morning so that you can ease your way back into reality. 

I hope these tips help you to keep your health a priority as you travel this summer and also enjoy every minute of it!

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Prioritizing Your Health as a Mom

Hi friends! This past Sunday was Mother’s Day so in honor of that, this week’s #hfpodcast episode is focused on prioritizing your health as a mom. This can be such a struggle and takes intentional planning and effort that if we’re being honest, oftentimes we don’t feel that we have the energy for. Today I want to encourage and hopefully inspire you to think through some ways that you can support your health and care for your body so that you can continue to love and serve your family well for years to come!

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I reached out to my followers on Instagram and asked them what some of their obstacles were to prioritizing their health as a mom and here are the most common responses that I got:

• Time 

• Hectic schedules

• Exhaustion 

• Lack of motivation 

• Body image struggles 

• Guilt when taking time for yourself

I think all of us moms can relate to pretty much all of that!

The thing we need to remember is that we are all in this together. Most of us who are caretakers in any capacity, moms or not, but especially when you have tiny humans that you are responsible for 24/7 can relate to the struggle of knowing that it’s best for us to take care of ourselves and do things that support our health and figuring out how to actually do it. 

It’s also helpful to remember that this is just a season - not forever. We’re just not going to get to it all every day no matter how organized and planned we are and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean that we don’t try to do things that we know will help us, but we’re going to agree here together to stop beating ourselves up about it when it’s not all done, okay? Deal! 

Here are a few tips and ideas that I hope will encourage and inspire you to take the time and be intentional about caring for your body and supporting your health:

• Spend time with Jesus every day in any way that you can. This will look different in every season, maybe even from day today. The truth is that we just simply cannot care for other people well and pour out of a cup that’s empty. Mothering well requires amounts of patience, wisdom, and care that I just simply do not have without the help of the Holy Spirit. I literally need help with it and I can tangibly feel a difference in my parenting on the days that I don’t prioritize this. 

• Take a little time for yourself. This can be so incredibly difficult to do, but I truly believe that it makes a difference in our mental and emotional health. This may mean asking for help or trying to get up a little earlier before the kids do, or maybe choosing 10 minutes of time to decompress instead of doing the dishes {again}. Get creative - it’s worth it.

• Eat actual meals that are for you (protein+carb+fat, every 3-4 hours, including snacks). The key here is to have a plan but know that it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Stick to the basics and make it work for your season. For ideas or help with this, grab my Foods that Heal Guide and my Easy, Healthy Eats Recipe eBook.

• Try to have food before coffee - I know. 🙈 Here’s the deal - coffee (while amazing) spikes one of our stress hormones- Cortisol - and can make your blood sugar unstable as well as put stress on your adrenals and hormones. Essentially, it can make you have less energy and more irritable. Bad combo for a mom (well, anyone - but you get what I’m saying). So simply adding a small balanced meal or snack before your morning cup of coffee can help to stabilize your blood sugar and support your energy levels and mood.

• Prioritize your sleep. I’m well aware that our kids do not care about our sleep at all. However, a long-term lack of sleep can take such a toll on our health (if you want to hear my personal experience with this, make sure you listen to the whole episode). There is some lack of sleep that comes with parenthood, especially in the newborn days, but I want to encourage you that it’s worth the money, effort, time, whatever you need to do to help your kids to sleep well and independently so that you can too! Also, choose sleep over an extra hour of work or even scrolling. I know that it feels like you’ve earned some numb-out time (and you have) but if it’s a choice between staying up really late to “escape” or get more sleep, the sleep will serve you better every single time. 

• Have a plan for moving your body. This is one of those areas that really has to adapt after having kids but it’s still totally doable. We just need a plan and realistic expectations! Find ways to make it work for your schedule and season of life. You can include the kids by letting them join you in your workout if they’re old enough or let them have a little screen time will you fit in a workout at home. Go for a walk and take them in the stroller or let them ride their bikes or scooter along side you. If your budget allows, joing a gym that provides childcare - this will give you a little alone time and you can fit in a workout - win win! Just be realistic with your expecations of what it will look like. It won’t happen everyday, but if you make it part of your daily plan and shoot for it, you will at least hit it some days. 

• Give yourself some grace. Choose the priorities from this list and don’t try to do everything! Remember, living a healthy lifestyle is really about balance, it’s more like juggling. So choose a couple things that you can focus on and feel good about. Also, learn to let go of some things. Maybe the house isn’t perfectly clean all the time, maybe you have to ask for help, maybe you can’t go to every event you’re invited to. Spend some time thinking through what is most important and what you actually feel called to, and be okay saying no to other things. 

• Don’t give up when you have an off day (or week, even month). It’s not starting over, it’s not getting back on the wagon,  it’s just living your life and tomorrow is a brand new day!

Mama- friends, it’s okay to take care of you too. You will love and serve better if you aren’t trying to pour out without ever taking the time to refill. Think through what you know will help you the most a prioritize a few of these things we’ve talked about today.

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Making Family Meals Less Stressful with Ashley Smith, MPH, RD, LD

In today's episode, Ashley Smith, RD from Veggies and Virtue, is sharing practical and encouraging tips to help take the stress out of family meals. She offers resources and strategies to empower both kids and parents to overcome the challenges of picky eating and mealtime drama.

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Questions answered in this episode…

How did you decide to specialize in pediatric nutrition?

What are some of the most common challenges you see in working with families? 

What is the division of responsibility and how does that apply to feeding our kids?

It seems so common for meal times to be chaotic and a source of stress with young children, especially when they are of age to express their opinions. One of my absolute favorite things that I’ve learned from you over the past couple of years is your Love It, Like It, Learn It method for preparing a child’s plate. Can you share what that is and how it helps to alleviate a lot of this mealtime stress?

Another tip that I learned from you is how you set up your snack drawer/snack availability for your kids. Can you share more about that?

What are a few other helpful tips that you use to make mealtimes less stressful, especially with kids who really like to eat the same things all the time or maybe are hesitant to try new foods?

What advice would you give to the mom listening who is really concerned about their kid’s nutrient intake or how they are/aren’t eating?

You have a ton of resources on your website - both free downloads and a store - and you just recently just started a podcast as well. Tell us a little bit about that as well as what people can find on your site. 

Resources mentioned in this episode: Veggie and Virtue Combination Cards; The Veggies and Virtue Podcast

Find more from Ashley here.

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What Weight Loss Is Really About with Camille Martin, RD

Hi friends! I’m excited to share today’s episode with you as I think it’s a topic that many of us can relate to - weight loss. Camille Martin of Love to Lose is our guest on today’s show. She is a registered dietitian and public health writer who has dedicated her career to helping women get off of the dieting merry-go-round and actually set helpful goals for their health. You guys know that I talk about goals and mindset often and it’s something that I think is so important in anyone’s health journey, so I think Camille’s perspective on how those things affect weight loss is going to be helpful for you!

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Topics in this episode…

Weight loss is a common goal for most women, whether it's just a few lbs or a major weight loss goal. You say that in reality, it’s not about the actual weight, right? Can you explain what you mean by that and what you believe it is about instead?

How do mindset and the kind of goals we set affect whether or not we experience progress in our health journey? 

How does this affect women who are dealing with specific health issues? How can they focus on improving their symptoms without becoming obsessed with their health?

What is one practical action step that women can take today that will actually help move them forward with their health goals?

Learn more about Camille Martin of Love to Lose.

Not Seeing Results with Your Health Goals? This Could Be Why!

Hi friends! It’s the end of February and a lot of us are feeling 1 of 2 ways with our new year’s health goals - either confident and excited to keep going or frustrated and ready to call it quits. In this episode, I’m sharing some of the most common reasons that we tend to hit a wall this time of year and stop seeing the results that we think we should be seeing in our health - whether that’s weight loss or another health factor we are wanting to improve. I think this is going to be super practical and helpful for you, so let’s get into it! 

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While there are a lot of factors that can go into why we may feel that way, I have found that when people are feeling stuck or frustrated with a lack of results, there are usually some common culprits. So before you call it quits, evaluate how you’re doing in these 5 areas. 

Not enough quality sleep

Most of us don’t get enough sleep. We prioritize productivity over rest and we’re damaging our health. The recommendation is 7-9 hours of sleep and 2 hours of deep sleep (most of this happens before midnight). So really get intentional about your sleep - track it (Apple watch / Oura ring, Garmin smartwatch), set some hard boundaries, etc. (more ideas for optimizing sleep in episodes 29 and 69). 

Inadequate calorie/protein intake

Often when we think about weight loss or health goals, we think about eating less (which occasionally may be warranted) but I’ve found the opposite to be true more often than not. So many times when someone is experiencing difficulty losing weight or regulating blood sugar, healing their hormones, etc. - it’s because they aren’t eating enough. Not enough calories, or not often enough throughout the day, or even both! It’s also very common for women to not eat enough protein. 

I’m not a proponent of counting calories because I think we set ourselves up for an unhealthy obsession with our bodies and an unhealthy relationship with food by doing that; however, having said that sometimes it can be helpful to track for a couple of days (ONLY) just to gauge how much food we’re getting. Somewhere along the way, we’ve adopted this mindset that we should only be eating 1200 calories a day or something ridiculous, and for 99% of us, that is way under what our bodies need to actually function. Now, this is different for everyone, and I don’t want you to mishear what I’m saying and think that I’m saying that weight loss is the most important goal or that it’s as simple as kcals in/out because if you know me or have been around here for a while, you know that I don’t teach that at all. BUT I do believe that understanding the science behind how our bodies use food as energy is helpful. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to just basically function - you can find out this amount by using a BMR calculator. It will show you the number of kcals you need to just sit still and breathe. s the algorithm explains, this energy will be used only to maintain vital organs, which include the heart, lungs, kidneys, nervous system, intestines, liver, lungs, sex organs, muscles, and skin. For most people, upwards of 70% of the total energy burned each day is used for upkeep.

If you want energy to move or do anything at all you will need more and the calculator will base that on how active you are, if you’re pregnant, nursing, etc. Again, this isn’t as simple as this math equation, but it does provide a basic frame of understanding and supports the idea that major calorie restriction is not a good idea.

It’s also super common to not have enough intake of protein and have too high of an intake of either simple carbs or fats. A really simple rule of thumb here is to make sure that you’re not having any meal or snack that is just a carb (or just a protein, for that matter). The inclusion of all three macronutrients is important for stable blood sugar and metabolism. Somewhere around 25-30g protein per meal is a good goal and using the palm of your hand as a guide is a super easy, sustainable way to track this.

Too much or too little exercise

Another common issue I see often when someone isn’t seeing the progress that they want is an imbalance in their physical activity - either too much/too intense exercise or too little exercise. 

Regularly moving our bodies for somewhere between 15-45 minutes daily supports the function of our bodies in so many ways! It helps our bodies manage stress levels, helps promote deep sleep, aids in digestion and good gut motility, reduces chronic inflammation levels, increases oxygen, and therefore healing, to the body, helps with cognitive ability, supports stable hormones, and so much more. It’s a vital component of a healthy lifestyle! 

On the flip side, overtraining or doing too intense of a workout, or even too long of an intense workout can have some of the opposite effects leaving us feeling more exhausted and depleted; it can also raise inflammation levels, have a draining effect on our adrenal health and therefore hormone health, lead to digestive issues including bloating and constipation, add to insomnia, and when paired with a too restrictive way of eating, leave our bodies starving for energy. 

As with most things, there is a sweet spot for exercise, especially for women. 

Misaligned Mindset and Goals

I’ve talked about this a lot because this is one of the most common issues that I see and one that most of us simply overlook. I actually have a guest interview episode all about this that comes out in a couple of weeks, so I’m not going to go super deep into this, but I do want to give you a couple of things to think about. 

When we are setting goals from a place of negative feelings or feelings of shame about our bodies, we are likely keeping ourselves stuck right where we are. Those feelings may motivate you for a day or two, but most of the time they are going to lead you to feel like giving up or crashing on the couch instead of taking proactive steps to improve your health. 

However, if we can switch our mindset to setting goals tied to something we love or a dream we have for the future, we are much more likely to feel motivated to take those action steps. 

Behavior is driven by our mindset, not the other way around. 

There’s so much more to be said on this topic and as I said, I actually have an entire guest interview about this coming up in the next episode, so make sure you are subscribed and keep a lookout for that. 

I also have a youtube video dedicated to a healthy mindset and goal setting that you can watch. I’ll link that in the show notes so that you can get to it easily. It’s actually a clip from my Move Forward, Feel Better course and dives much more in-depth into how we can align our mindsets with the truth of who God made us to be. I truly believe that this is the missing piece for so many women who find themselves stuck in a cycle of dieting and frustration with their bodies. 

Have any of these common issues resonated with you? If so, I hope that you have found this episode helpful and it has given you some ideas to think through. The good news is that in each of these examples, we can easily make changes to address what’s going on. I encourage you to spend some time evaluating these areas of your lifestyle and brainstorming 2-3 very achievable steps that you can take to move forward. You’re doing a great job, friend! Just by taking the time to listen to this episode and give intentional thought to your health, you are moving forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it! 

Tips for Injury Prevention and Recovery with Dr. Blake Bohanan, DPT

Hey friends! In this episode, Dr. Blake Bohanan shares tips for preventing exercise-related injuries and best practices for recovering quickly should those injuries occur. He also shares about his journey into opening his own practice, Shift Performance PT, here in Knoxville, TN.

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Topics in this episode…

Why workout injuries are so common, especially this time of year. 

How to prevent common injuries from happening in the first place.

Best practices for recovering from exercise-related injuries

How the Shift Performance PT therapy model is different from traditional physical therapy.

Learn more about Shift Performance PT here.

"Balancing" A Healthy Lifestyle

Hi friends! Today we are jumping into the topic of “balancing” a healthy lifestyle and how I believe this idea of “balance” is leading a lot of us to burn out and or leaving us feeling stuck. Let’s get into it! 

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I think we’ve gotten too attached to the idea of balance, especially when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle or maintaining healthy habits. So often when I ask people what they’re most frustrated with or what they’re struggling with in regards to their health, I get a lot of responses about frustration with inconsistency with working out or how they’re eating as well as a lot of frustration with not being able to balance it all. The question - “how do I do all of this” comes up a lot. Sometimes a “healthy lifestyle” can feel like a whole lot of boxes to check, which really feels like a whole lot of work! Right? 

I mean, that’s why so many of the fad diets become so popular, even though they often aren’t actually good for your health long-term, but they promise a result without all the work. 

I think we have made the ideal “healthy lifestyle” into something that is actually not realistically attainable. In reality, who can get 8 hours of sleep (2 of those being deep sleep, at the optimal time of night) every night, wake before the sun, drink 32 oz of perfectly filtered, lemon water, eat a nutritious large breakfast with the optimal amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat within an hour of waking + 15 different vitamins/supplements; practice complete mindfulness while getting completely ready for the day; spend time outside; space perfectly portioned and balanced meals out all throughout the day the day; stand for 10 minutes every hour; get 10k+ steps; get an hour workout in; be totally present and accessible for your family; feed your kids a beautiful, nutritious dinner; avoid too much caffeine or screen time; keep your home completely clean and laundry caught up; get everyone to bed at the ideal time of evening…. And then turn around and do it all the next day! Oh and did you notice I didn’t even mention anything about actually working a job or having any obligations or responsibilities… 

You hear me say all of this and think it sounds ridiculous - and it does! But how often do we subconsciously hold ourselves to this kind of standard and then feel like we just can’t “balance” it all when we don’t measure up. I have 100% felt this way and tried so hard attain this kind of “balance”. 

So what do we do? If we aren’t looking for balance, what are we looking for? 

I think that living a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining healthy behaviors/habits, looks a lot like a balanced scale and a lot more like juggling. 

Do we want to build a solid foundation for our health? Yes. Do we need to focus on all the different areas of a healthy lifestyle - sleep, stress, exercise, nourishment, relationships… yes - but not all at the same time. And I think that shift in mindset is what makes the difference between someone who is able to settle into participating in healthy behaviors, steadily making progress in their health, and someone who sets a goal, is all “into it” for about two weeks or a month, and then burns out. 

Think of someone who is juggling 5 bowling pins -  is he aware that all 5 are there? Yes. Is he focusing on all 5 of them at the same time? No! Just the ones in his hand at that moment and then his focus shifts as it needs to in order to keep all of the pins in the air. 

It’s just not possible for us to focus on all aspects of our health at the same time. I kind of wish that it were! My personality’s bend toward perfectionism wishes that I could master all of these areas of health and check off every box, but the thing is that I’ve tried it and it just doesn’t work! 

When we allow ourselves to focus on 1-2 areas of our health or 1-2 healthy habits at a time, it prevents us from becoming overwhelmed and burnt out so quickly. Then when we feel confident in one area, we can move onto another. This allows us to actually feel successful and to make real forward progress - it may be slower than we want to go, but it greatly increases the odds of us actually achieving our goals.  

So think about the most pressing or needed change that you need to make for your health. Is it sleep? Is it hydration? Is it eating more plants and veggies? Maybe it’s cutting out processed, chemical-full foods? 

I asked you guys on Instagram earlier in the week to give me an example of just one thing you feel like you need to focus on for your health and I would walk through what this practically looks like in the episode. Several of you said exercising consistently or being more active - something like that.

That’s a great one and super common. So let’s talk through some ideas of what that may look like practically:

• Make an appropriate goal - to move your body 5 days a week (not to work out every single day and lose 10 lbs.). The goal is simply to move your body. 

• Make it work for you:

  • Figure out what activity/exercise you actually enjoy

  • Decide if you do better alone or do you need someone to keep you accountable? Would you enjoy a group activity more than a solo workout? 

  • Brainstorm your usual excuses - time, energy, soreness? What has prevented you from being consistent in the past?

  • Schedule it ,but be flexible. Your week won’t go exactly as planned, so you need to be able to not be completely thrown off. (This may look like planning to walk M,W,F and do Barre or Pilates on T/R but it is 12 degrees outside or it’s raining all week, so you do a quick youtube workout or stick to pilates/barre every day instead.) You have to be able to pivot or you’ll never stick with it.

  • Track your activity with an app or watch to give yourself a little extra accountability. 

Do you see how changing your focus from 5 goals or areas of focus to just this 1 could lead to more successful progress? It’s like a snowball effect. A little change and progress leads to another change, which leads to another, and another. Before you know it, you look back and things look completely different. 

Here’s the thing - consistency and success in one behavior or habit usually crosses over into another. For example, when you’re feeling good about how you’re moving your body, you will likely naturally be more intentional about what you are eating and if you’re hydrated. Or maybe you’ll notice that your sleep starts to naturally improve and you start to pay more attention to the quality of your sleep overall. Success usually breeds success leaving you feeling more confident in how you’re caring for your health. Which is really the goal at the end of the day anyway. 

So I hope that you will try adjusting how you approach living a healthy lifestyle and choose to focus on 1-2 things at a time. I believe it will be a game-changer for you. 

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What's Coming in 2022 + Some Thoughts from the Heart

Hi friends! In today’s episode, I want to give a little of a preview of some things coming in Q1 of 2022, as well as share some things that have been on my heart recently.

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2021 has been a great year in a lot of ways and there have still been some pretty difficult parts, right? It felt like it lasted forever, to me at least! I love new beginnings and thinking about the potential of the future, so the end of the year and coming new year is always an exciting time for me. I’m really looking forward to 2022 both in my personal life and for what’s coming for the Health Forward community. So I wanted to share a just a few things that are coming in Q1 of next year that you can be watching for:

• A new round of HF group coaching is starting in mid-January 2022. This is one of my absolute favorite things to do. It’s the perfect way to get health education and coaching at a lower cost and time commitment - and you get to be part of a community of women with similar goals and struggles as you!

• The Move Forward, Feel Better Course is live on my site again! This is a perfect option for the DIY-er or someone wanting more education about how to support their health but may not have the budget or schedule capacity for personalized health coaching.

• The #hfpodcast will be back again with a new season starting in January but will now feature new episodes every other week. This will allow me to devote more of my attention to working with clients while still providing quality healthy-living education and encouragement for you on the podcast.

I wanted to leave you with a few thoughts today that I’ve just been thinking about for a while. This question of “does it even matter to spend time/energy on my health” just keeps coming up for me, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one. 

Especially for those of us who follow Jesus,  is this something we should even be concerned with? 

I keep being reminded of this idea of Struggle and progress. While there is absolutely no perfection on this side of heaven and we will never be able to outrun the curse (my pastor recently said if Mother Teresa and Jack Lalanne couldn’t escape death, none of us have a chance! It was a super encouraging sermon {jokes - it actually was}), but I don’t think that means that we just decide to not care. I hear a lot of people say “well I’m gonna die of something” as an excuse to treat their bodies really poorly. I know that they are mostly kidding, but in reality, I think that way of thinking subconsciously affects the way that a lot of people see their health. I feel like there can be a huge disconnect between Christians and not caring for their bodies. By no means am I trying to equate some level of holiness with good health or living a healthy lifestyle? You are not more godly because you are fit or a certain size, or because you don’t have __ health problems. The opposite is also true - you aren’t more godly because you disregard the “earthly”, physical, and focus solely on the spiritual. As with most things, there is tension here. So many things in life aren’t either/or but both/and - and I think our mindset when it comes to our health and the caring of our physical bodies falls under this category as well.

Should we be trying to perfect our bodies/find the fountain of youth/become obsessed with how our bodies look or even feel?? No - that’s both very self-centered and pretty pointless, honestly. Are we going to be symptom-free, disease-free, problem-free in this life? No. As a matter of fact, we can pretty much expect the opposite. 

Does that mean that we shouldn’t care about the health of our bodies? Should we abuse the bodies that God gave us with food/drinks/substances that damage them, fill our minds with toxic junk, and just generally ignore our health? No! That’s not stewarding the gift of these bodies that God gave us to experience this life with. I don’t believe that’s what we need to do either.

Will there always be struggle? Yes. Can there also be progress and improvement too? Absolutely yes. 

I really believe this in the depths of my heart. This is what makes my approach to health and what I do different. I am coaching you to know how your body works and to care for it as the gift that it is. Not to lose a certain amount of weight or look a certain way. Not to look or even feel perfect - that isn’t a real possibility anyway.

I often get asked what program I follow and the simple answer is that I don’t. I don’t do “programs'' or sell products. I just teach real-life, sustainable, actionable steps to support the health of your body. If you’re looking for a quick-fix, super easy (also hear me say - likely unsustainable and maybe even unhealthy) way to make changes to your body or your health, then I’m not it. I’m passionate about this stuff because I think it matters and I encounter so many unhelpful theories about health that I want to offer you something different. 

If this is something that resonates with you, check out my course or enroll in this upcoming round of group coaching coming up in January. 

I hope that this episode encouraged you or gave you a different perspective. I’m excited for what’s to come in 2022 and continuing to support you in your health journey.

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How Oral Health is Connected to Overall Health with Melody Frank, RDH

Hi friends! In this episode of the #hfpodcast, my friend and Registered Dental Hygienist - Melody Frank, is sharing how our oral health directly affects the quality of our overall health. She is also sharing tips and recommendations for good dental home-care and periodontal disease prevention.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER

Questions Answered in this Episode:

How is oral health connected to the overall health of the rest of the body?

What are some common things that we do that can be damaging to our oral health?

Are there things, besides normal brushing and flossing, that are supportive of our oral health? 

Give us all the deets about oral hygiene - how often should we really brush and floss? What are your tips for people who hate flossing? 

Resources Mentioned In this episode:

Ask the Dentist, Teeth Talk Girl

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How to Support Your Liver Health

Hi friends! Today’s episode is kind of a “part 2” to last week’s episode on liver health. In that episode, we covered what the liver does and a few of the really important roles that it plays in our overall health, as well as what can happen when we don’t support our liver health. In this episode, I’m sharing practical ways that we can support the health of our livers as they support the rest of our bodies. 

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There are a number of ways that we can help support the health and function of our livers and most of them can be done from the comfort of our homes! So that’s great news! I’ve broken these down into a couple of categories to hopefully help it be easier for you to remember (you can always go to the show notes as well). 

The very first thing that we can do to support the health of our livers is… can anybody guess it?? You know what I’m going to say...

Improve gut health

I know that I sound like a broken record here, but I’m not exaggerating when I say that the health of our gut affects just about everything else in our bodies - especially our livers. If our guts aren’t healthy, toxins can be recirculated right back into the liver, instead of being excreted as they are designed to be. 

So if you are experiencing a lot of gut health issues, work with a professional trained in gut health to address the root cause. If you struggle with constipation or regular bowel movements, this is something that needs to be addressed ASAP with a treatment that will address the root cause and not just force your body to go. Unfortunately, these kinds of medications, while necessary at times (for short-term use), do nothing to heal to cause of constipation, and can harm the balance of the microbiome even more, which just perpetuates the problem. 

Here are a few ideas to help, if this is something you are struggling with: 

• High-quality bone broth daily 

• Deep breathing/box breathing before all meals

• Eating every 3-4 hours (fiber, protein, and fat)

• Add more variety to your meals (change out produce often)

• Gargle every day (start small and build up to 2-3 minutes at a time)

• Take a multi-strain probiotic (best to start this after a few weeks of the daily bone broth)

• Hydrate!! (½ body weight in oz of filtered, mineral water daily; can also add electrolytes to help)

Prioritize key nutrients 

Your liver is dependent on certain nutrients to function effectively. It needs protein to supply amino acids which assist with detoxification. It also needs liver-friendly nutrients including vitamin C and B vitamins, zinc, and selenium,  as well as antioxidants found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale, for example. Healing foods like garlic and turmeric can also support liver function by assisting with the production of liver enzymes.

One simple tip for increasing the intake of these essential nutrients is to aim for half a plate of vegetables at every meal, making sure to include some/all of the cruciferous ones that I just mentioned. If you’re also working on your gut health, most of these veggies are more easily digested when cooked (sauteed, roasted, steamed, etc.).

There are some other nutrients and herbs that may also be helpful in supporting the liver: 

• NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) and Glutathione are both antioxidants that have been shown to support the liver 

• Milk Thistle, dandelion root, and astragalus are commonly used to nourish the liver and assist in healing, especially for those with congested/fatty livers. You can often find Liver Support Teas that are made of a blend of these herbs. 

Increase lymphatic movement

Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump to keep things moving. It is dependent on the movement of your muscles and tissue to move the lymph around to different lymph nodes in the body to be filtered and then recirculated.

Moving our bodies every day for even just 10-15 minutes can help increase circulation as well as movement within the lymphatic system. Dry Brushing is also a helpful tool for increasing lymph movement in the body and can be done daily or several times a week before showering or taking a bath. 

Reduce toxic burden

One major way that we can help support the health of our livers is by reducing our exposure to toxins. As I’ve talked about many times, the body - specifically speaking here about the liver - is designed to filter toxins, so we don’t need to try to be 100% toxin-free or live in a pure bubble, however, we can place an undue burden on the liver when the number of toxins we are exposed to and the rate at which we are exposed to toxins is really high. Remember how in the last episode we talked about how every single thing we breathe, digest, or absorb has to be filtered through the liver. So when we are continually eating, breathing, and absorbing things that are full of chemicals that are harmful to our bodies, we have created a huge workload for our livers. 

So what are some simple ways to reduce our exposure: (have entire episodes about this 24, 64, and 65)

• Choosing organic produce (for the dirty dozen) and organic, antibiotic-free meats dramatically reduce the number of herbicides and pesticides we are exposed to.

• Increase awareness of the ingredients in personal care products and cleaning products. (EWG)

• Decrease foods/substances that create a greater workload for the liver such as alcohol/drugs, sugar, caffeine, high-starch carbohydrates (especially w/o protein and fat). 

Use Alternative therapies

There are a few other ways to support the liver that I wanted to mention:

• The use of a castor oil pack over the liver is believed to increase circulation to the liver as well as help in the production of one of our master antioxidants - glutathione. 

• Epsom salt baths are helpful for many things, especially in relief from sore muscles and even in reducing stress. Some also believe that the absorption of magnesium sulfate from the epsom salts can also support the liver. 

• Acupuncture has been shown to improve circulation and therefore decrease stagnation. There are many studies showing that acupuncture is helpful for liver function. 

• TCM believes there to be a direct link between unresolved feelings of anger or sadness and poor liver health. We know unresolved emotions and trauma can also lead to chronic inflammation and even poor adrenal health as well. So all the more reason to be sure you are paying attention to your emotional health as well, managing stress well, as well as seeing a counselor if you feel that you need some additional support navigating through past experiences or feelings (most of us do). 

Adding in a combination of few of these ideas into your daily and weekly rhythms will help support not only your liver health but your overall health as well.

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Why Liver Health Matters

Hi friends! In today’s episode, we are talking about our livers and why it’s so important that we take good care of them! The health of our livers is probably not something that often crosses our minds, but it is one of the most important organs in our bodies both for everyday function and long-term health. So let’s get into talking about the liver…

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The liver is the unsung hero of our bodies. It performs over 500 essential functions and unless something is going wrong, it rarely ever gets noticed. Most people I know don’t go around thinking about their livers throughout the day, yet it’s functions are vital to all other body systems’ ability to function. 

For example, here are a few of the essential functions the liver is responsible for:

Digestion and absorption

Our livers help turn our food into energy. It stores and distributes both fat and glucose, as well as metabolizes both cholesterol and protein.  It produces bile which is vital for digestion and absorption of key vitamins and nutrients and then distributes those nutrients out to the body. It also produces key enzymes that are needed for other chemical reactions all over the body. In addition to distribution, it also stores vitamins and minerals that will be needed in the future. So just by listing these few things, this shows that our livers help regulate our blood sugar, cholesterol, and hormone levels. 

Immune Function

Our livers produce of certain proteins and components of the immune system such as cytokines as well as various other immune cells. Our livers maintain a certain amount of controlled inflammation which assists the body in detoxification, but when this becomes uncontrolled or dysregulated, it can lead to systemic inflammation which damages the immune system and can even lead to auto-immunity or cancer. 

Hormone Function

The liver is hugely important for hormone health. Our livers create proteins and cholesterol that carry hormones all over the body. In addition, it also helps deactivate hormones and assist with ridding our bodies of excess hormones, or ones that we no longer need. This process is vitally important. For example, with the hormone estrogen, our livers actually regulate which kind of estrogens our bodies produce, as well as help with the processes that remove excess estrogen from the body. Without this essential function, an excess of estrogens can build in the body leading to estrogen-dominant diseases and cancer.  

Detox 

The function that our livers are best know for is detoxification. The liver is responsible for the movement of the blood in our bodies. As a matter of fact, almost 1½ liters of blood pass through our liver every single minute in order to be filtered. Through this process it extracts toxins and stores nutrients for later use (which we discussed when talking about digestion and absorption). The liver detoxifies in three phases that must stay in sync with each other. 

Phase One is bioidentification. This is when your body sends out enzymes that put a red flag on all toxins. Phase two is conjugation. This is when the body attaches molecules to those flagged toxins to make them either water soluble or fat soluble. Phase three is elimination. This is when the body actually flushes the toxins from our bodies when we use the bathroom (and sometimes through sweat). If one of these phases isn’t working correctly, it can damage our body’s cells and allow the toxins to continue to circulate in our bodies, further taxing our livers and creating a loop of inflammation. Every single substance we breathe, ingest, or absorb through our skin will pass through our liver, which creates a huge workload for it every single day. 

The point here is that every other system in the body is dependent on the function of the liver and when our livers are healthy, and functioning well, this works great! However, the truth is that the majority of Americans are walking around with less-than-healthy livers. 

What happens when our livers aren’t healthy

It’s estimated that up to 90 million Americans (that’s almost ⅓ of the American population) has Fatty Liver Disease, which is basically inflammation of the liver that occurs when apprx. 5% of cells in the liver are replaced with fat cells. This causes the liver to be unable to keep up with it’s 500+ essential functions and add to systemic inflammation in the rest of the body, which can lead to other chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, even Alzheimers and Dementia. 

If Fatty Liver Disease is left untreated, it can progress into Fibrosis, and even Cirrhosis of the liver, which leads to liver failure (fatal). Liver Disease doesn’t just occur because of alcohol or drug use or Hepatitis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common form of liver disease and is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetics - most commonly high-starch/high-sugar diets, insufficient protein intake, intake of trans fats and artificial chemicals, unresolved emotions and trauma, lack of movement in the lymphatic system, and overexposure to environmental toxins. It’s not usually only too much fat, as the name would suggest.

Symptoms of an unhealthy liver or fatty liver disease

There aren’t always immediate symptoms, which can make it tricky. When symptoms do occur, some common ones are:

• Abdominal pain, fullness in the upper right side

• Nausea, loss of appetite (especially in the AM)

• Swelling in legs/abdomen

• Fatigue

• Brain Fog/confusion

• Waking up at night in the 2-3 am range regularly

You can ask your provider to run labs to check enzyme levels most commonly found in the liver ALT and AST. If either level is over 30, especially ALT, this can be indicative of a damaged liver. It’s important to note that by the time these levels are above normal, damage to the liver is already happening. So we don’t want to wait until then to care for and support the health of our liver. 

The good news is that livers regenerate and that our body has an amazing ability to heal. It will need some support from us, but an unhealthy liver, even most diseased livers, with the exception of cirrhosis, can be become healthy and well-functioning again. 

In the next episode, I am going to share ways that you can support your liver health to prevent an unhealthy, sluggish, or diseased liver, as well as ways that you can help your liver to heal if you are already experiencing liver dysfunction or disease. Make sure you stay tuned for that episode! 

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My Simple Method for Meal Planning

Hi friends! In today’s episode, we are talking about meal planning. There are many different methods and ways to meal plan, so this is not necessarily a “how-to” or a list of things you “should” do, this is just me sharing how I do things in this current season of life that I am in. I’ve had other podcast episodes about meal planning - tips for meal planning, the importance of it, etc., and even since recording those episodes, things in my life have changed and I don’t do things exactly the way that I did then. That’s just normal and a part of life. Everyone has to learn how to shift how they do things based on the season that they’re in. So today I’m sharing what is currently working for me and I hope that it gives you new inspiration or ideas, as well as give you permission to meal plan in a way that best serves you. 

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A little something you may or may not know about me, depending on how long you’ve been around the podcast, is that I am an Enneagram 9w1. (If you don’t know what that is it’s a personality test that I often reference because I think it’s super helpful.) So, that basically means my mind is a complicated, sometimes contradictory place. So I love all things organizing, order, planning, ideas, and future, but I don’t always love executing said plans, and I’m not very good at motivating myself to carry out a plan that I’m not “feeling” in the moment. I also don’t like chaos or feeling stressed about what we’re having for dinner, regretting an impulse choice, etc. (like I said, it’s complicated). So, as you can imagine, meal planning is extremely important, for me. I have tried many times to go without some kind of meal plan in place for the week and it always turns out badly. I most often end up stressed, and really frustrated with myself for not just taking the time to have a plan in place, get groceries, and get ahead of things rather than feeling like I’m constantly playing catch-up or regretting my choices. You may have a totally different personality and be absolutely fine to just go with the flow and not really need a plan in place, but that is most certainly not me. Also, from my experience working with clients, it seems that most people do better with some kind of plan in place, especially if they’re trying to be intentional about what they are eating.

There isn’t one certain way that is “right” when it comes to planning meals for yourself or your family, and there are tons of different methods that are great! Depending on your personality, the season of life you’re in, and your schedule, you may find some methods more helpful than others. I encourage you to be open to trying new ways of doing things, as well as willing to change methods of meal planning if what you have been doing is no longer serving you. 

For example, I have previously used methods where I meal plan and grocery shop two weeks at a time, or even a month at a time, but in my current season of life, I do not have the mental capacity or time to devote to doing that. Currently, I only plan meals about a week at a time, and instead of using a particular system or journal like I did before, I simply use my notes app on my phone. 

As I said in the title, my current method is super simple: 

• I start by looking at my calendar to see how many meals we will be able to eat at home that week.

• Then, I plan any themes/special things that we have going on. For example, we try to stick to something taco-ish on Tuesdays and we always do pizza Fridays - sometimes out at a restaurant and sometimes at home. 

• Next, I look for inspiration for recipes. I’m not a person who enjoys eating the same things over and over, so I’m often looking for a new recipe, something we haven’t had in a while, or a new spin on something we love. I mostly use Pinterest and a couple of my favorite Instagram accounts (Real Food Dieticians, Shawna from A Little Less Toxic, my own recipe highlights) to choose new recipes. 

• Once I’ve assigned meals to certain days (very loosely), then I add any needed ingredients to my grocery list (which I keep in the same document in my notes app) and add any items that I can to my online grocery order.  

• Currently, I’ve been getting the majority of my groceries through Kroger’s online pick-up or through Thrive Market.  On occasion, if I have time and mental capacity, I’ll go to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods for meat and specialty type items but that’s pretty rare these days. 

The key here is to do what works for you in the season that you’re in.

I have a couple of free resources that may be helpful for you: The Foods that Heal Guide is a list of my favorite nourishing and nutrient-dense foods to keep your fridge and pantry stocked for easy meal prep; and the Easy, Healthy Eats recipe e-book has a few of my go-to recipes with ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.