Did you know that you have more bacteria living in your gut than cells in your body!? No but really; isn’t that crazy!? That’s why it’s so important that we talk about gut health today because it’s not talked about enough and it plays a HUGE part in your overall health! Not to mention if you have an autoimmune.
The key is, we need to care for our gut bacteria especially with the level of toxins, diseased soil and stress that is present in our world. Our body is constantly taking in toxins and its our job to do what we can to minimize the levels. So how do we do that?
Well there are a lot of different ways to do that; let’s dive into two here!
Probiotics are a great place to start. Foods such as tempeh, kombucha, miso, kefir, and yogurt, as well as in powdered forms – probiotics are one sure-fire way to kick-start your gut health. I use non-dairy kefir and yogurt as conventional dairy does not do well for most people, including myself.
Probiotics help regulate the amount of bacteria in your gut and support immunity. They inhibit pathogens from adhering to the intestinal surface and effecting your immune system.
Together with a healthy diet and reducing your toxic load (such as the substances found in fillers, food dyes, processed foods, and sweeteners), you can reduce the toxic build up in your body.
Believe it or not, but breath work can do wonders as well! Deep breathing, can assist our body to re-energize and revitalize our organs from our brain down to our stomach. Adding deep breathing to your daily routine can aid in increased concentration, blood flow, and improved muscle circulation which aids in relaxing your digestive system. I highly recommend adding breathing techniques to your routine for 10-minutes every day and you will start to see the health benefits associated!
Grab my gut health freebie here to learn more about ways to improve your gut health!
We talked about this last week but we're talking about it again, and probably every week for quite some time 💖
Let’s talk about one we don't hear a ton about: vitamin e.
Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a crucial role in protecting cells from oxidative damage.
This is an important part of the vitamin E aspect, because if you look up where to find E, you might see that they say vegetable oils, which are a big no no. In fact unrefined vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which actually deplete the body of vitamin E.
Commercial refined vegetables oils have been stripped of vitamin E to begin with, so consumption of these products greatly increases the body's vitamin E requirements.
There are many foods that have this fat soluble vitamin👇
🥜 Nuts and Seeds:
Almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts are excellent sources of vitamin E. Snacking on a handful of almonds or incorporating sunflower seeds into salads and yogurt can boost your vitamin E intake. Bonus for sprouted nuts!
🥦 Green Leafy Vegetables:
Spinach, Swiss chard, and kale are examples of green leafy vegetables that contain vitamin E. These can be incorporated into salads, stir-fries, or smoothies.
🐟 Fish:
Certain fish, such as salmon and rainbow trout, contain vitamin E. Including these fish in your diet not only provides vitamin E but also offers omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health.
🥭 Fruits:
Fruits like kiwi, mango, and blackberries contain moderate amounts of vitamin E. Enjoying a variety of fruits as part of your diet provides a range of essential nutrients, including vitamin E.
🫑 Vegetables:
Bell peppers, particularly the red variety, are a good source of vitamin E. Including a variety of colorful vegetables in your meals ensures a diverse range of nutrients.
🥜 Nut Butters:
Peanut butter and almond butter are good sources of vitamin E. Spread nut butter on whole-grain toast or use it as a dip for fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, so consuming it with a small amount of healthy fat can enhance absorption.
It is also really helpful when it comes to maintaining the gut barrier function. This barrier is crucial for preventing the entry of harmful substances, such as bacteria and toxins, into the bloodstream. Vitamin E may contribute to the maintenance of gut barrier function, helping to preserve the integrity of the intestinal lining and reduce the risk of leaky gut syndrome.🤯
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The biggest mistake I see people make after birthing their baby is not giving their body the rest it needs. Your body just went through a crazy experience these last nine months and it’s important to give it time to heal and restore itself. I heard many different stories about recovery after birth from my mom’s of ‘I was walking up and down three floors right after birth’ to staying put and not getting out of the house for 40 days. I knew I wanted something in-between these two aspects and learned about the 5-5-5 rule.
5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed.
This gives you a solid two weeks of focused intentional rest. Framing it 5 days at a time can sometimes be really helpful for not just the mom, but for those around her who might be confused why she's resting so much. This prevents you from overworking your body or pushing yourself too hard. The #1 goal is simply to rest!
It also helps to get your priorities in order when it comes to those eager visitors. They will get to see the baby, but they don't get to make the rules (don’t get me started on this!). If you’re respecting your body and taking the time to rest, it will cause others to respect your time as well.
I wouldn't at all say that 15 days is the only postpartum time you need for rest and recovery, but I thought the concept was cool! You no doubt need more time, but it’s a great place to start.
I didn’t end up moving from my bedroom for over a week and when I did, I would walk downstairs and not go back up until the end of the night to not overdo it and let my body heal.
What did you do after birth? A long recovery or right back at it?
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Morning sickness is common among pregnant women, but I don’t think it’s talked about enough!I just read this article about it and thought it was really interesting! I didn't have too much morning sickness, but I know a lot of women do!
One possible explanation for pregnancy nausea is lack of bile. The body makes bile (which is needed to digest fats) and sex hormones out of cholesterol. If not enough cholesterol is available to handle the excess requirements of pregnancy, as most available cholesterol is focused on the production of estrogen and progesterone, this might mean that there is not enough available for the production of bile. When there is not enough bile, eating fatty foods can sometimes cause that nausea.
Now it's not that this is 100% the cause of all morning sickness for all women, but it is a possibility!
So what do you do?
Well what you can do is make sure you are consuming cholesterol. (the old me would be really confused by this sentence but believe it or not my masters held a lot of excellent knowledge about this!).
The 'problem' with cholesterol is not so much the actual cholesterol, but the oxidation of the cholesterol cells which comes from the sourcing of animal products and stress.
👉foods to avoid with cholesterol:
🍖fried foods
🍔fast food
🌭processed meats
🍰sometimes desserts
Research has linked high added sugar intake to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental decline, and certain cancers. Plus, these foods often lack nutrients your body needs to thrive, such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats.
It’s important to consume foods with good cholesterol, even if though the foods above sound appetizing!
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You can't go wrong with a yummy chocolate treat with ingredients that you can feel good about serving to your family.
Ingredients:
- 3 large organic avocados peeled and pitted
- 1 ½ cup organic raw unsweetened cocoa powder (this is one that I use)
- ¾ cup organic maple syrup
- ½ cup organic raw agave (I left this out when I made it because I didn’t feel I needed it, but it was there in the original recipe)
- 1 15oz can of coconut cream (refrigerated overnight)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 drops cinnamon bark vitality oil (or you can use 8 drops of orange vitality if that’s your desired flavor profile)
- 1 pinch finely ground pink himalayan salt
Instructions:
- Place avocados in a food processor with blade attachment and puree
- Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, agave syrup, vanilla powder, Cinnamon Bark Vitality Oil (or Orange Vitality Oil) and salt
- Mix until all ingredients are combined and smooth
- In a separate bowl whip the coconut whipping cream until fluffy
- Gently fold the chocolate mixture and whipped cream together until all chocolate mixture is incorporated
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve
Recipe derived from https://www.recipeswithessentialoils.com/dark-chocolate-cinnamon-mousse/
