On Nutrition.
The science of nutrition is voluminous and the concept of food being medicine is absolutely worthy of our attention. Especially for those suffering from chronic symptoms that haven’t responded to allopathic medical regimens. You’ve been to so many doctors and specialists and no one has helped. If you’re in that difficult place, Im sorry you’re going through it.
its not easy to navigate back to feeling well - and i’m sure you’ve been to every specialist under the sun.
A chef by profession, I love to cook and nourish folks. I sure don’t turn my health-oriented nose up at indulgent, occasionally sinful meals. Food should be enjoyed and celebrated. The emotional experience around eating is just as important as the actual ingredients. Being obsessively orthorexic is maybe not such a great thing. Food for thought.
So many posts on social media these days overwhelm with facts and figures about how we need to tweak our vitamins, supplements, super-food intake, get our hormones tested, thyroids checked, microbiomes analyzed, new exercise regimens, ancient exercise practices and rituals, more sunlight, sunscreen, less blue light, less coffee, more green tea and matcha, juicing and on and on…
It can be so overwhelming in fact, that many just throw up their hands and throw in the towel.
Hey, I’ve experimented with all of it and more. A lot of this stuff has merit. But it all shouldn't be so complicated. And don’t take my coffee. :-)
Health coaches come in all sizes, shapes and flavors and can help or further complicate matters. It’s just the truth.
I’ve studied this field for decades and have experienced the whole gamut. It all can be very transformative if you’re in the right place mentally to make changes. That’s easier said than done, though. Timing is everything and so is free will and choice.
Every now and then I’ll drop a basic idea here that will seem so simple that its not possible it could catalyze a profound change. But these are the foundational strategies you need to start taking back your health. These will be called your Sunday Flambes - something to try for the new week starting on Mondays if you like.
Maybe try it for one day, two days - or the whole week. Let me know how it feels, ok? You know what a flambe is, right? A burst of flames. Like a boom. An inspiration. Lightbulb. A little light.
Number One:
Most of us eat too much. Period.
The stomach and digestive tract are incredibly complex, with enzymatic and hormonal loops that are intricate and miraculously orchestrated.
Make a fist and look at your hand with the clenched fist, curled finger side pointing towards you. Tuck in your thumb. This is the anatomical size of this critically important organ in the middle of your body. Your stomach.
If you are consistently eating eating meals and drinking loads of liquids that are larger than your fist, you are consistently stretching and needlessly overburdening your stomach and the rest of your digestive system. it doesn’t matter if the food is the freshest, cleanest most nutritious gold out there. too much will blow you up and the associated organs, your liver, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys and intestines will be working overtime.
So of course its sore and hurts all the time. There may be other factors involved, but let’s start here at square one.
Be mindful of this amazingly strong muscular, chemical producing, glandular miracle that’s deep inside of you, - waiting patiently for you to engage in its delicate care-taking.
xo,
Nikki