journaling your way to health

As you are going through your day, do you find that you feel tired or queasy, or are visiting the restroom often? Do you feel like you have brain fog and can't concentrate? It may be the food that you are putting into your body. Most people know that you need food and that it helps fuel your body, but food is so much more. What you eat affects your moods, your skin, your energy, your immune system, your concentration and more.

Did you know that it is estimated that 40 million people are lactose intolerant? And that gluten intolerance is the most undiagnosed disorder in the US? You should feel great after eating and if you are not, then you need to find out why.

The best way I have found to find out if I have a food intolerance is to journal. I kept a food journal for about 6 - 9 months and boy did I learn a lot about my body. I learned more than the medical doctors could tell me. Here is what you do:

1. Go out and get yourself a spiral notebook like you are going back to school or download a food journal template from the internet.
2. Figure out what is it that you want to figure out :) This means identify your symptoms. If you are having horrible acne, you will want to note what your skin looks like each day along with what your are eating. If you spend more time in pain or in the bathroom than enjoying life, write it down.
3. Be consistent - write down the same topics each day. Make headings so you can do this. Examples are food, time, symptoms, etc. This way you are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.
4. I would recommend keeping track of your moods too just for fun! This could be an extra bonus finding out what literally makes you tick. Do you feel like a ticking time bomb or does the food you ate make you super fun to be with! Perhaps you had a really yummy spaghetti meal, but within an hour you find you are hungry, tired, and have turned into a grizzly bear! Yikes! Maybe save that meal for when you will be alone and can take a nap.
5. Make note of your bowel movements. I know this thought makes some queasy just reading the words, but seriously, your poop can tell you so much. Write down the frequency, the color, the consistency and anything else interesting about it. I'll tell you more about interpreting your poop on a different day. It is a skill that you will want to learn.
6. Write down the medications that you take and when. How do you feel after taking them? My medical doctors insist that I have IBS. They put me on psyllium husks to increase my fiber. I was quite regular, but I felt awful. I had some serious gas going on and most of the time, it was stuck, painful and I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Once I stopped taking it, I felt a lot better. I think I am more regular now! Weird. I figured this out by writing it down.

Take a couple of weeks to write it all down. Check back with me, and I'll let you know what to do with all of this info! Until then, eat well and be well!

Looking to Renew Your Life?

I am so excited to share with each of you something new and positive that is helping to uplift my spirit and life!

I have started my training for my new career as a holistic health coach. I am enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I decided to train to become a holistic health coach because I have experienced how essential nutrition and fitness are to one's well-being. Because of the "sickness" that I have endured combined with my passion to offer support and guidance to people so they can achieve health and happiness, I feel like this is my calling. I will be starting my business Be Free To Heal - Holistic Health Coaching.

As I go through this training program, I will be working with clients to help them renew themselves and create a happier and healthier life. I believe that every person is unique and each person has different nutritional and lifestyle requirements. Because we all are unique, we each have different health and wellness goals. To achieve true happiness and health, a nurturing and supportive environment is needed. As a health coach, I will offer this type of environment and assist people in identifying their nutritional needs, health goals and alternative healing therapies.

My first step in training is to provide initial health history consultations (which are free - bonus!). This is an opportunity for people to talk about their life, what they have dreamed of and the goals that they would like to achieve for their health and well-being. It is an opportunity to be heard and to get a sense of what it feels like to be supported in a nurturing environment. People will also learn how to reach their goals by working with me in my health coaching program.

On a personal note - I would like to invite each of you to join me in this journey towards health and happiness. I would love to be your support through your renewal. It is a confidential session and very well may be a turning point in your life. I am open to talking to you in person (if close by) or by phone, which ever you prefer. If you would like to start your renewal, please feel free to email me (befreetoheal@gmail.com) and we can figure out a time that will work for you.

It is your time to be free to heal!

Natural Beauty

I was at our local farmer's market last night and watching my son play with a couple kids. They were using their imagination and pretending to be a circus act. Oh to be young and so carefree!

 I took this moment to be aware of my surroundings. I used all of my senses. I closed my eyes and felt the sun's warmth soaking into my skin. I could feel the light breeze blowing through my hair and I felt uplifted. I tasted the cool water on my lips as I drank my water and renewed my body. I could smell the flowers, the homemade food, and vegetables surrounding me. It made my tummy hungry. I listened to the laughter of the children and the chirping of the birds. All of this together made me smile. I felt so grateful that I get to live in such a wonderful place. I am glad that I made myself slow down and took the time to experience the life.  I love moments like this because it makes me feel like I am healing from the natural beauty that surrounds me.

Looking for True, Fresh Produce

Ok, I need to vent and then share an inspired dream....

I was at the grocery store this weekend. I try to buy our allergy free foods and basic stuff at a grocery store nearby that has lower prices. I refuse to buy our produce there as most often I am disgusted by the lack of quality. Nothing makes me cringe more than pulling an apple out that looks good and then seeing a brown, soft spot, worm holes or just plain, black rotten areas. Or seeing that lying right next to the apple that I picked up is one that fits the disgusting description above. So to help me not be disgusted, I decided that I would go to a coop and buy my produce.

Let me set the stage for you. I am once again looking at the organic apples. I am feeling a little disappointed as these organic apples are not as perfect as I was hoping, but are edible. As I am searching through the apples, across the produce and on the melon side are 2 workers at this coop. Here is what I over hear them saying in a very quiet voice (I am assuming they did not want me to hear):

"What do you think of this melon?" (the first worker is holding a muskmelon in his hand)
the second worker says, " It looks fine."
The first worker says, "What should I do about the mold on it?"
The second worker says, "Just wipe it off and put it back on there. It looks fine."
The first worker says (and I want to believe his good morals are sending off red flags of warning), "I don't know if it feels ok though."
The second worker says, " Just wipe it off and put it on. It is fine."

At this point, I decided to walk away. I had chosen 3 apples that were in a bag in my hand. I walked away and continued to think about these apples. Did these have mold too? Were they wiped off? How old is the produce here? Why do they think it is ok to wipe off mold and sell produce? Do they not care that this could make people sick? I placed my apples in the spinach section and walked out.

Thankfully, there are farmer's markets. It is so refreshing to be able to walk up to the table, select what I am interested in and actually talk to the farmer. The farmers can tell me how they grew the produce (what do they use to grow it as well as keep the bugs away), how they harvest it, how they store it and how long ago they harvested it. I don't see things with mold at the farmer's markets. I see farmers who are proud of their crops and want people to be healthy. I love local farmers and their crops. I feel better buying from them and knowing what I feed my family.

My experience at the grocery store and coops have made me leery of buying produce there. Too many unanswered questions. Too many gross looking items.  Besides, I enjoy supporting my local farmers and the food tastes better. I know it was harvested not log ago, sometimes just that morning. Thank you farmers! Inside me, I have this hope or maybe it is a wish, that maybe someday, I  or someone else nearby can open a fresh produce store that will support local famrers. I would like a store that only has local produce and sells items that are in season. That would not only help the farmers, but help our bodies stay healthy and in rhythm with nature. It's a dream, but nothing ever happens if we don't dream :)