55: 5 Steps to Rebalancing your Gut Health

Gut health is at the centre of human health and it’s no wonder that the gastrointestinal system is often referenced as our second brain and the body’s first line of defence against illness.  To get well, lose weight, or fix digestion, often it’s about looking deeper at healing your gut where the hidden underlying root causes of imbalance typically reside. Until you fix your gut, your immune system specifically takes the biggest hit. A condition called leaky gut happens when the lining of the gut walls becomes compromised overtime, the gut flora is imbalanced, and proteins from foods spill over into the bloodstream acting as foreign objects. All triggering the immune system to be reactive.  It is only after rebalancing the mircrobiome and the removal of fungal, bacterial overgrowth, parasites, or pathogens, that you’ll be able to fully reduce inflammation.

The long-term benefits of rebalancing the gut can include:

• Improved digestion and nutrient absorption

• Clearer thinking

• Deeper sleep

• Vibrant skin

• Increased Energy

• Weight Balance

There are several common symptoms of gut dysbiosis, a condition where the bacterial colonies of the gastrointestinal system are out of balance, which is closely associated with several other conditions including: IBS, colitis, candida, celiac disease, leaky gut, PCOS, chronic UTIs, as well as skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

General symptoms of gut dysfunction often include:

• Weight gain

• Diarrhea

• Fatigue

• Vaginal or rectal itching

• Craving for sweets & carbs

• Bloating

• Heartburn

• Mood disorders

• Difficulty urinating

• Joint pain

• Hormone imbalance

• Gas

• Bad breath

• Anxiety

• Brain fog

• Low libido

• Muscle weakness

• Constipation

• Headaches

• Depression

• Lack of concentration

• Chronic allergies

• Sinus congestion

Step #1 to rebalancing the gut: don’t guess, test

One of the best courses of action, and the first places to start is with a wellness blood panel . This is truly the prerequisite step in order to have an overview of your health. Looking at bloodwork from an optimal functional perspective allows a great window into your gut health uncovering key deficiencies and early red flags. In addition there are some benefits to also looking at other functional medical lab testing.  It is the only way to really know what imbalances you are dealing with in the gut and to start building a holistic plan back to health.  Functional GI testing can uncover abnormal levels of bacteria such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida, yeast, fungal overgrowth, H. Pylori, or other pathogens and parasites often associated with gut permeability problems.

It can take years of trials and errors and what I like to call, holistic Band-Aids such as, turmeric, frankincense, green tea powder, all in the attempt to reduce symptoms of inflammation; However, a nutritional and herbal plan alone is often not enough to get your gut back to a state of healthy balance.

Once you get the results back from the lab tests, you will then know exactly where you need to start, what you need to remove, and then work on sealing back up the gut walls.

More information: Blood Chem Panels + Functional Medicine Lab Service

Step #2 to rebalancing the gut: remove foods that harm and proceed with an appropriate yeast, bacterial, fungal, or parasite protocol 

There are certain foods in the list below that aren’t ideal for gut health which can feed unhealthy levels of overgrowth and pathogens.

Foods to Avoid

• Excessive amounts of saturated animal fats, high-fat foods, trans fats, hydrogenated fats

• Fried foods

• Dairy

• Food dyes

• Condiments and sauces

• Wheat and Gluten grains (barley, kamut, rye, spelt)

• Yeast-raised baked goods

• Alcohol

• Artificial additives and preservatives

• Processed nuts

• Carbonated beverages

• Processed and smoked meats

• Packaged and processed foods

Once you have your lab test results, you can work on removing the overgrowth and rebalancing the gut microbiome through a specific protocol such as a candida bacteria overgrowth CBO, SIBO, H. Pylori, or other parasite protocol.  These protocols work to specifically remove the biofilm and access the actual yeast, bacterial, or parasite overgrowth.  Otherwise, it is very difficult with herbal remedies or nutritional support alone to fully remove the imbalance.   Eating well can temporarily help, but often a relapse will occur since it isn’t strong enough to sustainably kill the unwanted pathogens to healthy levels.

Lab tests can also uncover other levels of toxicity such as heavy metals or mould, as well as, vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  From here, it is easier to come up with a personalized and timely plan to rebalance health through nutrition, replenish deficiencies, and remove toxins in the body.

Once you have rebalanced the gut, and sealed up the gut walls, you may find that you have less food sensitivities and that you can go back to eating a healthy balanced variety of foods.  Once you have completed your protocols, you can try reintroducing healthy foods one-by-one over a 3-day windows to observe how your body reacts.

Other Foods that May Need to be Temporarily Eliminated

• Gluten-free grains (oats, rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat)

• Nightshades; eggplants, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes

• Nuts and seeds (except hemp)

• High-lectin foods: beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, squash

• Bananas and high glycemic fruit: watermelon, mangos, papaya, pineapple

• Soy

• Corn

• Histamine foods: fermented foods, fermented vegetables, kombucha

Reset your Gut by implementing the 3 Day RESET guide and continue implementing it for 4-6 weeks for best results.

Step #3 to rebalancing the gut: include easy to-digest foods that heal

It takes a very strong and healthy digestive system to thrive on a raw plant based-diet.  Therefore until the gut is rebalanced, it can be beneficial to heat, blend, and stew to help breakdown nutrients so that they are more accessible, easier to digest, and assimilate. Since 30% of our energy is used to digest and breakdown foods, opting for a breakfast smoothie is one of the best ways to get in a good portion of the daily fruit and vegetable servings while reserving energy for heavier protein meals later on in the day.

When sourcing foods to rebalance the gut, it is really important to alleviate the toxic burden on the body while replenishing nutritional deficiencies by:

• Choosing organic, non-GMO varieties of produce and foods whenever possible;

• Opting for sustainable animal proteins such as grass-fed, pastured meat and wild caught, low mercury fish;

• Eating a rainbow of 7-9 servings of vegetables/day (60-70% vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit/day (lower fructose and lower glycemic options);

• Consuming lower amounts of overall protein, about 10-15%; and

• Restricting fat to 10-20% of healthy options such as: avocado, coconut, extra-virgin, first cold pressed olive oil.

Try some Gut Healing Nutrient Dense Recipes from my SOUP GUIDE: 15 healthy ideas!

Step #4 to rebalancing the gut: reduce emotional, psychological, physical stress 

The gastrointestinal system is especially sensitive to stress.  The fight or flight response specifically diverts energy to deal with whatever the source of incoming stress may be.  This is a survival mechanism that shifts energy away from digestion to instead deal with the perceived immediate danger, either fight or run away fast. Consequently, the digestive processes shut down which shows up as lower levels of digestive enzymes and stomach acids required to breakdown food, as well as less saliva production.  This can result in stagnation, issues related to nutrient absorption, slow or hyperactive bowel activity, and hormone dysfunction.

Balancing daily routines and exercise with more calming YIN styles, or parasympathetic nervous system activities can help soothe and restore the digestive function. Here are some examples that can greatly improve the body’s ability to move into more of a rest, restore, and digest state:

• Prayer

• Breath work

• Meditation

• Soft martial arts

• Nature walks

• Massage

• Stretching

• Low-impact exercise

Step #5 to rebalancing the gut: supplement with nutrients that rebuild overall health

Very often it is still not enough to have a healthy routine of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and de-stressing even after completing one of the gut balancing protocols. The last element to the equation is to give the body a boost in terms of nutrients in order to continue healing, regenerating, and ultimately living in more of a thriving rather than surviving state.

Due to the accumulation over the years of toxic foods, substances, overuse of antibiotics, various stressors, nutritional sensitivities, and deficiencies, imbalances within the GI tract can worsen and reoccur.  Sometimes it can take years to feel balanced from this kind of damage unless given a boost with nutrients from whole foods and specific nutritional supplements.

A good foundational support may include:

• A daily activated multi-vitamin and mineral support

• Plant-based phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber

• Probiotics

• Vitamin D3-K

• OMEGA3

• A Digestive enzyme support

Book a free consultation to learn how to get started on rebalancing your gut health, get back the life, health, and body you want, book a free call with me here today!

54: Lean Strength Training: What I Wish I Knew Starting Out.

The backstory…

I started off exploring the traditional gym space with the major intention of wanting to fix my body.

I didn’t like the way I looked.

This stemmed from years of feeling insecure about my weight or lack there of, major self-confidence and anxiety issues for most of childhood to teen years that never really went away. I had this tremendous self-doubt and fear of others and what they were thinking ALL of the TIME.

So in my mid thirties, I finally built up enough courage to take charge of this problem once and for all. I signed up for a gym. I was going to fix the way I looked.

My idea of fixing the problem was specifically changing my body type to look more muscular fit and attractive. That was it!

So I signed up for a body transformation program where I did learn some of the foundations of strength training of which I am very grateful for. I learned how to Romanian deadlift, dead lift, and goblet squat. But I also drank raw egg whey protein dense shakes, took anabolic supplements, and consumed up towards the 4000 calories a day, it was the typical transform the ectomorph body into a more mesomorphic body frame and type.

It didn’t take very long down this path to understand and realize intuitively that this was not the path for me for a number of reasons. However, I have always continued to build on those original core basic strength training moves and continue with variations of the following today.

8 Foundational Strength Moves

• Push

• Pull

• Row

• Squat

• Lunge

• Step Up

• Dips

• Plank/Core

1.Body Weight before Weights

The number one reason I prefer body weight before weights is to prevent Injury. When we use our body weight it forces us to stay within our physical strength ability since we can’t unnaturally push past the resistance threshold of managing our own body. Just look up advanced callisthenics for some inspiration. The level of strength and ability of some of these athletes is absolutely incredible and inspired!

2. Resistance Bands before Barbells

Resistance bands are a classic variation of gradually graduating difficulty and resistance without going to heavy and presenting unnecessary load and physical stress on your joints and skeletal system. Resistance bands help promote and train proper form while performing some of the above mentioned 8 foundational moves. I mean you may find that you never even need to touch a barbell.

Pick up a set of super loop and small loop resistance bands and try out some new variations to your existing workouts. For example, the barbell squat adding on the barbell squat overhead push press with a super loop resistance band.

Also, bands are super versatile, you can bring them with you while traveling or on a walk to get in a few sets of resistance training.

3. You don’t need a GYM

The world is our gym! It starts with moving past the physical 4 walls of a gym, getting outside, really embracing, and loving spending more time outside in nature. This can be some of the most productive time to balance our nervous system, mental health, and physical body. Think about walking, jogging, paddle boarding, biking, roller-skating, working out with the park equipment or finding a random bench. Maybe it starts with bringing your bands or yoga mat out in nature.

4. You don’t need a lot to get started (favourite tools)

You really don’t need a lot of resources and things to get started. The number one reasons why people don’t get started, is typically because of mind block barriers relating to time, money, gym access or not having the space/resources to set up your own personal gym. However, in my view, we literally don’t need anything except for our body to get started so there’s really no excuse.

Investment Pieces:

• Home built Outdoor Calisthenics Gym

• Indoor Basement Workout Studio

• NordicTrack Incline Treadmill

• InfraRed Sauna by Sauna Ray

Low-Cost Get Started Today:

• Resistance Bands

• Stability Ball

• Dumbells/Kettlebells

• Equilizer Bars

• Gymnastic Rings/TRX/Yoga Swing

• Bosu

• Wall Bars

5. Infradian Rhythm

Most of the expert advice we get on exercise, frequency, training volume, and which type is best for us is generally geared towards optimizing male fitness and not optimized to female bio chemistry.

Menstruating women, with normal hormone function, are operating on a 28-day cycle. In the first half of our cycle (follicular phase), we burn fat easier and gain lean muscle. This is when we can ramp up our intensity training with intervals, and HIIT workouts, spin, and cardio to see more weight loss. The second half of our cycle, (luteal phase) we can really afford and benefit from skipping the cardio/high intensity training and shift towards more resistance, strength, flexibility, and recovery.

During mensuration, hormone/energy levels are at the lowest so any type of high intensity, strength, power yoga etc. can actually really backfire turning on fat storage, muscle wasting, and adding unnecessary stress to our cardiovascular and nervous system.

For more information on cycle syncing your life in other areas besides exercise, work and focus, nutrition, socialization, and love-making, check out the work of Alisa Vitti, In The Flow and the accompanying app to track your cycle and tap into your second clock, the Infradian Rhythm.

The Teacher Appears When the Student is Ready.

What I Really Wish I knew earlier on in my life….

I wish I had the mindset teachings, emotional balance strategies, spiritual education, tools, and mentors earlier.

I was 37 when I walked into my first ever exercise class. I didn’t know what I was doing.

I was a late bloomer perhaps, but some people never ever walk into that class or whatever it is that leads them to realizing that the real work is an inside job.

Health and Transformation is an inside job.

To change the exterior world, it starts with our interior world.

My final point here today is to say that it’s never too late, you’re never a late bloomer, everything has its time, everything has its place, and we are just beginners at much in life.

With gratitude,

Stephanie

47: Train Smarter Not Harder

I would argue that the majority of people are training Harder and not Smarter.

Living in harmony is about having more of a wholistic mindful awareness about which activities are depleting vs. rejuvenating your body and mind. 

Enjoy this week's resources on How to start setting up your Smart Training Schedule.

❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Identify Your Levels of Stress

In order to rejuvenate your body, you must take in more energy than you give out for a period of time.

Develop a sense of awareness around how much energy you are giving out vs. taking in.

Evaluate your current level of stress with the Holmes-Rahe Stress Test below before you start designing your ideal Training Schedule.

What is your score?

2. What to Eat on the Smart Training Schedule?

Low calorie long term diets place more added stress on the body, so we aim for a maintenance plan of 3 whole food meals/day.

Let's be mindful of all the factors that are putting stress on our adrenals below:

3. Sleep and Recovery Tracking

Tracking the physical signs of stress is so important to see how your body is adapting. 

How fast you recovery IS the Main GOAL within the Smart Training Schedule.  It's about building the body up instead of breaking it down.  

Clinical Signs of Stress

• High resting HR/BPM (70+)

• High BP (130/85+)

• Low body temperature (<98 ̊)

• Flu-like symptoms after exercise or stressful event

• Erratic HRV

• Dilated/Pinpoint Pupils

Functional Medicine Lab Testing Markers

• High/Low cortisol/thyroid

• High/Low electrolytes

• High/Low blood sugar

• High CRP, homocysteine, LDH, potassium on blood work

• Gut permeability & digestive issues

See my previous episode #41 here on how to build your home Doctor's office.

Sleep and Recovery tracking with the OuraRing has been my simple solution over the last 6 months. 
Each morning I wake up with a "readiness score" that is taking into consideration how much sleep, REM, DEEP sleep, bed timing, restfulness, night time body temperature, heart rate,  and heart rate variability.  It monitors how long it takes for my heart rate to stabilize at night which is a major indicator of recovery. 

Honestly, it's been a game-changer.

See more here on HRV tracking tools, such as the Elite HRV here. (episode #26)

4.  Balance Yin vs. Yang Mind and Body Activities

Which activities give you more energy (Yin) vs. deplete your energy (Yang).

Review your Holmes-Rahe Stress Test score and Assess your YIN:YANG ratio of current activities in a Day, in a week.

Yin (depleting) SNS activities

Hard, Long, Intense Workouts
Waking up to an alarm, Disturbed Sleep, Less than 7hours of sleep
Bright flashing lights, loud noise, crowds
Stuck in traffic, Running late
Getting kids ready
Arguments (work/relationships)
Gut problems,Viruses & infections
Planning social events
Anything causes pain (mind or body)

Yang (rejuvenation) PNS activities

Meditation
Walking Meditation
Binaural beats
Infrared Sauna
Gentle/medium pressure massage
Dry Brushing
Acupuncture
Playing with Children
Walking the dog
Hatha and Restorative Yoga
Hiking
Reading
Float tank
Listening to podcasts and taking notes

5.  Design your Smart Training Schedule

Foundations to a Successful SMARTER Training Schedule

• Reduce caffeine (wean off)

• Top Stress reducing supplements: B Vitamins, Magnesium, Melatonin, and Adaptogens

• Make to-do list the night before

• Ideally asleep before 10:30 PM

• Plan fun activities and buffer times in your week

• Exercise at least every other day

• Walk 10,000 steps a day outside

• Meditate (even just 5-minutes a day upon waking and/or before bed)

• Take a full-day off from work every week (Sunday)
   

This ideal workout week schedule (Advanced)

For those that are looking to maximize their time and exercise routine to balance all aspects of training.

Methods of Exercise

Walking Days = 7 (10,000 steps total per day)
Resistance Training Days = 3
Cardio Days = 2
Formal Yoga or Stretching Class = 2

Sample Weekly Schedule
Monday: Resistance training workout #1 
Tuesday: Cardio workout #1 (bike, run, row, sprint, etc.)

Wednesday: Resistance training workout #2 
Thursday: Gentle Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Stretching Class, or Rest
 (Infra Red, Float Tank, Foam Rolling)
Friday: Resistance training workout #3
Saturday: Cardio workout #2 (bike, run, row, sprint, etc.)

Sunday: Gentle Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Stretching Class or Rest
 

This is my IDEAL Everyday athlete perfect world training week that balances soft and hard forms of movement and is perfect for almost anyone that is not competing for a specific goal (bodybuilding, powerlifting, sport specific).

Remember, it’s something to strive for even if you can only do half of what’s listed!”

I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter/blog and don't forget to check out our brand new podcast version of the Freedom 5 weekly.

Happy Smart Training Scheduling!

Stephanie

 

If you would like support over the next month, 3 months, 6 months, contact us today to get started on a personalized plan to rebalance your health. 
 

Book your complementary consultation today.

45: Adopting a Healing and Recovery Mindset

Edition 45: Adopting a Healing and Recovery Mindset
 

This week I discuss 8 Key Principles on overcoming and working through addictions with food and other substances.

With gratitude,

❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. What do these 6 substances have in common?

When I polled my audience this week, many answered:

Inflammation
Lower Immune function
Causes/Contributes to intestinal impermeability/leaky gut
Makes us feel sick and tired
Speeds up the aging process

All True.  But I was looking for a specific answer.  They are all:

Highly Addictive

When dealing with any type of mental illness, depression, anxiety, ADHD, Addiction, there are 2 main causes:

Psychological and Biochemical factors and recovery typically requires a very multidisciplinary and holistic approach. 

I used to always separate drug and alcohol addiction with food based addictions as being totally different beasts.  But I feel like there isn't a difference, there's variation and levels to addiction, but it's still an addiction.

I outline here today 8 principles of an overall recovery and healing mindset to conquer any type of addiction:
 

1. Admit and Acknowledge your addictions.  Do you have control and power over the certain external substances such as: drugs, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, gluten, dairy?  Do you have full control and willpower to say NO? Have you tried abstaining? 75 days, 30 days, 3 days, 1 day?

2. Know your WHY.  What are the deep reasons WHY you want better? Better health, a better body, a better life, greater purpose?  WHY change.

3. Start with ONE DAY. Don’t think of forever. Just focus on winning the day! 

4. Feel to Heal.  To go without is to go within. 

5. Put in the work. Daily.

6. Acknowledge a force of healing and recovery greater than yourself.

7. Continue to seek guidance, support, and help along the way.

8. Heal yourself, Heal Others, Change the World

2. Six Nutritional factors that may be responsible for addiction, dependence, anxiety, depression, and mental illnesses overall.

Melvin Werbach, M.D., author of Nutritional Influences on Mental Illness , wrote that these six nutritional factors play a big role on anxiety, elevated levels of lactic acid, and mental illness overall:

1. Alcohol 

2. Caffeine 

3. Sugar 

4. Deficiency of the B vitamins niacin, pyridoxine, and thiamine 

5. Deficiency of calcium or magnesium 

6. Food allergens

Source: Werbach M. Nutritional influences on mental illness: a sourcebook of clinical research. Tarzana, Calif.: Third Line Press, 1991. 

3. Adopt the ONE DAY mindset

Check out this episode here. 
 

We can do anything for ONE DAY.

If you can do it for ONE DAY you can do it forever.

But don’t think about it forever.

THINK about ONE DAY AT A TIME.

Put in to practice something for ONE DAY and keep going.

Within a short period of time you have multiple days, multiple weeks, multiple months.

What you get is the accumulation of consistent action.

Low calorie diets, restrictive eating, and extreme diets where you are eliminating one of the 3 key macro nutrients long-term perpetuate a falling off the wagon, binging, spiralling behaviours, and just feeling deprived and miserable.  Many do not thrive on diets.

Within the context of healing and recovery, eliminating and abstaining from certain addictive substances for a period of time takes on the goal of getting to the root cause of addictions to things like alcohol, drugs, sugar, caffeine, baked goods, or other behaviours.

After a set period of time you need to assess your ability to sustain a healthy relationship with these substances and if the desire is there to yes reintroduce these substances and/or behaviours or to possibly continue abstinence. 

One Day at a Time.

Classic 12 Steps of the 12 Step Addiction Recovery Programs

4.  To Go Without is to Go Within (Feel to Heal)

As I woke up on day number 42 of my latest 9th attempt of the 75 hard program realizing that I forgot to read my pages,  WOW! Really Really!?

Feeling like the worlds biggest looser and a fraud.  I just sat with it.  I processed it for an entire week.  Don’t be too quick to jump back on the horse.  

Sit with it. Process it. Ask WHY. Meditate.  Go IN.

I had lost way before day 40.  I had been sneaking bits of forbidden foods the whole time.  Principle #1 admit and acknowledge your addictions. So today I’m day 7 being CLEAN (the six substances) No Alcohol, Drugs, Caffeine, Added Sugar, Gluten, or Dairy.  None of it.  

I feel great.  I feel clear and I have no interference. 

But it's still not easy.
 

1. Identify your triggers: stress, emotions, mental state.

2. Feel to heal. Sit with the discomfort. Sit with the hunger and the cravings.

3. Learn and adapt to go without.  Eliminating these substances contributes to healing your inner biochemistry.  

4. Build and Strengthen your mental muscles: willpower, saying NO, abstaining. 

5. The G word.

I can’t think of one single recovery and healing story where there wasn’t the presence of the G Word.  GOD.  A higher force outside of yourself.  A higher level of consciousness, prayer, inner knowing, inner wisdom, inner knowledge. 
 

Sometimes we have to eliminate something to get to the life god intended us to live.  A life of meaning and happiness.  

I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter/blog and don't forget to check out our brand new podcast version of the Freedom 5 weekly.

 

If you would like support over the next month, 3 months, 6 months, contact us today to get started on a personalized plan to rebalance your health. 
 

Book your complementary consultation today.

Contact us today to get started!

42: Commit to these 5 health pillars everyday forever and 5 Lessons for a Sustainable Success Mindset

 🧠 Edition 42: Don't wait for Motivation

Lessons from my 75 hard program.  There is never a convenient time to start.  There's been a lot of day ones and a lot of lessons in the daily journey.  And that is the biggest take away to date: Release the expectation of getting to the last day.  
 

Take as much time needed and slow down enough to hear the lessons in the daily human struggle of meeting your goals and desires. But don't stop.  Stay in the game, because it's the daily lessons of the journey that are the true WINS!

Here are 5 main lessons in the journey so far that I want to share:

1. Discipline is different than motivation.  Stop waiting for motivation to show up.  Staying disciplined and committed to the daily follow-through is what brings success. AND the follow-through is the highest form of self respect and reprogramming there is. 

2. Enjoyment vs. Awefulizing the process.  This is a big one! The internal dialogue of dreading and monumentalizing, I can't believe how I would work myself up, but once I just started, it was never that bad.  Also if you don't like something, like running, then don't run. Find daily movement activities that you enjoy.  Face the fact that it's not going to be 100% enjoyment the whole time. 

3. Efficiency.  Just get it done.  Another big one!  Time is one of the biggest excuses of the book.  From start to finish, it's max 2 hours out of 24 hours to dedicate to exercise and reading which I don't think is unreasonable.  Eating healthy, drinking water, and snapping a picture don't really take much time.  It's more about planning and mindfulness.  Again, go back to observing and changing  the mind chatter.  There's time to do this!

4. Define your standards.  There's levels to this.  Acknowledge the level of acceptable personal standards and start where you're at without comparing other people's program.  If it's just doing 75 days of 1.5 hours of walking daily, then start there.  We are not training for a body transformation competition here!  It's never about burnout, but consistency and follow-through. Same with the nutrition plan, decide what your standards are and stick to them.  Another life metaphor!

5. Ego.  Release the excuses coming from the Ego in a place of fixed vs. growth mindset.  Each time that I've "failed", I find myself criticizing the program saying things like "it's designed to break you physically, it's too restrictive, this is not healthy, you're going to damage your adrenals, it's too stressful" etc.  But the truth is that none of that is true.  It boils down to learning better time management, planning, mindset, and listening to your body of when you need to scale back the difficulty.  It's the difference between scaling back vs. quitting. Remember just walking counts.   Look at failure as feedback, we are only learning or winning, never losing.  So when you feel yourself criticizing, blaming, or making excuses, it is usually from a place of EGO which holds us back, protects, keeps us from achieving new levels, higher standards, and overall growth.

Have a look at the 5 pillars to the 75 hard program.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Commit to a Nutrition Plan: Define and Put Nutrition Standards in Place.

2. Commit to Moving your Body: EVERY DAY rain or shine.

3. Commit to Hydration: Start each day with Natural Gatorade (Lemon/Lime + Pink/Sea Salt) and continue with 6-7 glasses of clean water.

4. Commit to Reading Self Development

5. Commit to Tracking Progress

“Think less about how your leaders are leading your world, and more about how you are leading your life. Our leaders reflect our consciousness. While there are steps we can take to improve our leaders, the first step is to upgrade our own walk.

Your power to change the world begins with your power to change yourself.  What is within you is greater than what is around you.”

- The Tao Made Easy by Alan Cohen
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That is my WHY I commit.   I just DECIDE to make the daily commitment to an upgraded walk.  To do these 5 things of the 75 Hard Program and as I take this very personal journey, I am touching and teaching others along the way. 

You can do it too.  

Enjoy this week! and Commit.  Don't wait for motivation or a convenient time. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨🙏❤️
Stephanie
#thefreedomtolive

40: Gut Health, Mostly Plants, Relaxation Techniques, Stories we Tell Ourselves, Exercise and Longevity

🧠 Edition 40 Back to Health Basics 🌱
 

This week is all about reviewing and implementing the basic HEALTH pillars. Let's Do this! 

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Health Starts in the GUT: 5 steps to rebalancing your gut health.

Gut health is at the centre of human health and it’s no wonder that the gastrointestinal system is often referenced as our second brain and the body’s first line of defence against illness.  To get well, lose weight, or fix digestion, often it’s about looking deeper at healing your gut where the hidden underlying root causes of imbalance typically reside. Until you fix your gut, your immune system is going to be imbalanced as proteins spill over into the bloodstream acting as foreign objects.  It is only after the removal of fungal, bacterial overgrowth, parasites, or pathogens, that you’ll be able to fully reduce inflammation.

The long-term benefits of rebalancing the gut can include:

• Improved digestion and nutrient absorption

• Clearer thinking

• Deeper sleep

• Vibrant skin

• Increased Energy

• Weight loss

There are several common symptoms of gut dysbiosis, a condition where the bacterial colonies of the gastrointestinal system are out of balance, which is closely associated with several other conditions including: IBS, colitis, candida, celiac disease, leaky gut, PCOS, chronic UTIs, as well as skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Read the full article here: 5 Steps to Rebalancing your Gut Health by Stephanie Jackson

2. Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much.

Michael Pollan summed up in seven words, everything he's learned about food and health, : "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

"Eat food" refers to real food: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, wild fish and grass-fed meat  and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances".

Here are Michael Pollan's 7 golden guidelines:

1. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. 

2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

3. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. 

4. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. 

5. It is not just what you eat but how you eat. Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. 

6. Eat as a family/with people you love at a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. 

7. Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. 

3.  Rebalance the Sympathetic : Parasympathetic Nervous System with Relaxation Techniques.

Book a 1 hour Full Integrative Health Assessment today that covers all the pillars of the IHP system: nutrition, exercise, recovery, biochemistry, emotional, mindset and spiritual balance and start on your personalized action plan.

Earn your edge, get well, and live longer!

Schedule Your Session Today!

4. Mindset & Emotional Balance

5. Exercise

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDby7OMHKpr/

Researchers have estimated that for every hour of exercise, there is a two-hour increase in longevity.
 

Murray, Michael T.,Pizzorno, Joseph. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine Third Edition (p. 207). Atria Books. Kindle Edition.

37: Environment vs. Genetics, The Functional Medicine Difference, Create the Space for Wellness, Detox Soups, Build Immunity, Attract Like-Minds

🧠 Edition 37: All About Your Environment

Enjoy this week's tips, resources, and strategies all about creating the ideal environment for your health, wellness, and inner peace.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. The Difference

I AM literally the PICTURE PERFECT IMAGE of HEALTH. 
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I eat, sleep, breath health, and am definitely considered above the average by my conventional medical doctor's standards:
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• Bloodwork is normal

• Hormones are normal

• Tests are normal

• Lifestyle and Mindset on point

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So when I walk in to my conventional medicine doctor appointments with a list of subtle digestive and hormonal dis-ease symptoms, I am left with either of the 3 options:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

1. A prescription to band-aid my pains,

2. A referral to a specialist, or simply

3. "you're tests are all showing up as normal", there's nothing further to be done. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I can walk away and accept this, or I can continue to seek answers.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
THE DIFFERENCE between conventional and functional medicine lab testing is that:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

1. There is ALWAYS a reason WHY. 

2. Symptoms are not to be JUST accepted as a way of life, and 

3. What is NORMAL is not necessarily OPTIMAL.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This healthy lifestyle, an integrative approach, and yearly functional lab testing is the path I chose to live the rest of my life and in the process I'm able to help guide my family, children, and others who are seeking answers.

If you or someone you know is struggling or still seeking answers, I invite you to set up a complimentary call today.
 

Book Now

2. Environment is Everything

The many LESSONS from plants.

My #1 lesson so far in this new gardening life and newfound love for growing plants 🌱 is that it's all about the ENVIRONMENT.  

Continuously cultivate and create the environment of health, wellness, and inner peace so that balance will be restored.  You will THRIVE.

3. Nutrition: Create a Detox Lifestyle with Soups

Soups are easy to digest, gut-healing, nutrient-dense, and full of delicious properties to aid in a constant detox lifestyle.

This recipe/method can act as a template to mix and match a variety of ingredients and spices to suit your tastebuds or to accommodate whatever you have on hand.

The Insta Pot Method

Since getting my insta pot, it has saved me so much time and money in the kitchen and I'm more inclined to make healthy batches of soups, stews, grains, legumes etc. from scratch

Sweet Potato Squash Soup

1. Choose a base: onions, garlic, fennel, leaks, celery
2. Choose some spices: turmeric, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, curry
3. **Choose main ingredients: sweet potato and kabocha squash
4. Add veg stock or filtered water
5. Choose some garnish: fresh herbs, hemp hearts 

• **Pressure cook the squash and sweet potatoes, 8-10 minutes, first to easily remove skins.

• Sauté step 1 ingredients 3-4 minutes

• Add in spices and sauté for another 3-4 minutes

• Add stock + cooked sweet potatoes and squash, pressure cook on soup mode for 15 minutes

• Remove lid and blend with a hand blender.

• Garnish with some basil and hemp hearts.

  • 3 TBS of hemp hearts = 10g of protein.

Let me know if you try this recipe or make up your own. 

4. Build an Environment of Immunity

5. Connect with a like-minded Community

This week we spoke about building the strength, courage, and bravery to live more in your truth.  Create the confidence to make any step towards your truth. 
👉   Click here to watch this week's episode 

Enjoy your week!

Wishing ✌️peace 💪 strength ❤️ love and  ⚖️ balance.

Stephanie

35: Restore Balance: Nutrition, Mindset, Technology

⚖️ Edition 35: Restore Balance

Enjoy this week's tips, resources, and strategies all about restoring balance and taking a step back from the noise.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Nutrition: 3 Balanced Meals/Day

3 Balanced whole food meals/day is what minimizes cravings, restores deficiencies, and maintains satiation, energy, and balance within the body and mind.

Sticking with 3 balanced meals is the perfect structure to the day regulating circadian rhythms for children and adults, especially during summer months. 

For our younger house guest this week, the strategy was to add in more vegetables to familiar foods.  We ended up adding cauliflower, spinach, and even sweet potatoes to our morning BF smoothies and they were loved by all! 

2. Wellness vs. Weight Loss: Reject DIET and adopt the LIFESTYLE

3. Remove/Limit Activities that Drain Energy

4. Mindset: The Law of Balance

The entire philosophy of functional medicine is based on balance. When a person's biochemistry, physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual body is out of balance, this is when dis-ease of the body occurs.⁣ ⁣
THE LAW OF BALANCE⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
Finding The Middle Way⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
If gravity is the glue⁣
that holds the universe together,⁣
balance is the key⁣
that unlocks its secrets.⁣
Balance applies⁣
to our body, mind, and emotions,⁣
to all levels of our being.⁣
It reminds us that anything we do,⁣
we can overdo or underdo,⁣
and that if the pendulum⁣
of our lives or habits⁣
swings too far to one side,⁣
it will inevitably swing to the other.⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
By Dan Millman from The Laws of Spirit, A Tale of Transformation⁣

5. Perspective: Take a step back from the noise.

Author of Dirty Genes, and one of my favourite Integrative Health Naturopathic Doctors, Dr. Ben Lynch, who isn't afraid to take a step back from the noice and voice a bigger and more positive perspective; Check out some of his videos here 👉  @drbenlynch 

Enjoy your week!

❤️ Stephanie ⚖️

34: Physical Signs of Deficiencies, Medical Freedom, EMF, Black Bean Recipe, Plant the Seeds of Desire, Meditational Movement

Edition 34: Plant the Seeds

Enjoy this week's tips, resources, and strategies, a mix of body mind health from a root-cause level.  Everything starts by planting the seeds of desire...

❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Physical Signs of Deficiencies (5 examples)

1. Hair 

• Brittle, Thin, Loss, Not growing can indicate overall B vitamins, B2, B5, Biotin, Zinc, Vitamin C, Collagen, Omega-3, and Protein consumption deficiency, as well as, a sign of Low Thyroid (iodine, selenium, iron.

• Grey Hair can be a sign of a lack of Zinc + Copper.  Copper is found in shell fish, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, and prunes which is what allows for Melanin production and the slowing of grey hair.  

2. Lips

• Cracking is a sign of B12, B vitamins, and/or Zinc deficiencies.

3. Nails

• Vertical ridges are a sign of weakened digestion.

• Horizontal ridges are a sign of fungal or bacterial overgrowth in the gut.

• White Spots can show up as a sign of a Zinc and/or Calcium deficiency.

4. Cold Sores

• Often triggered by stress or viral based, and are a tell-tale sign of low Vitamin C, Zinc, B vitamins (niacin, B12, Folate), and possibly the amino acid Lysine.

5. Dark Circles around the Eyes

• Typically indicate several things, such as a lack of sleep, stress, or allergies.

• This is a Vata imbalance, meaning poor circulation or some type of circulatory disturbance which is usually worsened with increased inflammation in the body. 

• Low B vitamins which are needed for stress and vitamin C and antioxidants which are needed for repair.  A good liver detox may also be beneficial. 

2. Real Dangers to Health and Freedom

Are you having a difficult time finding answers to your health questions that don’t involve drug-based treatments?

Dr. Joseph Mercola describes the many ways Google and other entities are chipping away at our personal freedoms and manipulating what we see and read on the Internet in this Living 4D podcast.

Listen here + Get all the show note resources: https://chekinstitute.com/podcast-episode-notes/ep-81-dr-joseph-mercola/

3. Nutrition: Upgrades (Black Bean Brownie Recipe)

Prep (5 minutes)
Cook (25 minutes)

Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Vegan

Ingredients

2 cups of black beans (1 can of organic black beans thoroughly rinsed/ or cooked dried beans)

2 Flax eggs = 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp of filtered water

3 Tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup cacao powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 Tbsp of raw honey

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Method

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or pulse in a blender until mixed.
Lightly grease a square pan/muffin tins with coconut oil.
Cook for 25 minutes +/- at 350 degrees F

4. Mindset: Plant the Seeds of Desire

Everything starts with a seed of desire.

When you get clear on your core values and what you really want in life, this is your path.  Because the lessons in the daily human struggle of achieving your desires is your purpose.  

Everything you desire is meant for you.

5. Meditations + Movement

✨Daily Affirmations + Daily Movements🤸‍♀️⁣
⁣
"What's meant for you won't pass by you.⁣
You will not have to force something that's real,⁣
genuine and something that's meant to be.⁣
Everything is always happening for us in divine right time,⁣
in divine order.⁣
If it comes, let it come.⁣
If it goes, let it go."⁣
⁣
-Lukas Notes 

For more guided meditations, check out my favourite resource here by the Chopra Centre. 👉  guided meditations 

Enjoy your week!

❤️ Stephanie ☀️🌴

32: Boost Brain Health, Sleep Tips, Gratitude, Best Exercise for Brain Health

Edition 32 🧠 Brain Health
Get your brain right and health will follow. - Dr. Daniel G. Amen

Enjoy this week's tips, resources, and strategies all about prioritizing brain health.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Brain Health

The TOP 5 detriments to brain health include:

1. Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs, Prescription Drugs

2. Caffeine (Stimulant) over 300 mg/day.  

3. Processed, High refined sugar foods and especially **chemical sugars: sugar alcohol, Splenda 

4. Low omega 3 + High Saturated Fat + Processed Diet

5. Physical inactivity and being overweight or obese

Nutritional and Lifestyle Factors to Boost Brain Health

Diet (80/20) 

1. Eat Smart:  Low inflammatory, quality protein, low-glycemic, high-fibre, antioxidant-rich food.

2. Redefine treats.  Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, unless you have histamine issues, a dark chocolate treat greater than 75%  can be very beneficial.

3. Swap out occasionally the coffee with a green tea/matcha. Caffeine/coffee isn't entirely bad, just know what amount works for you avoiding levels over 300mg/day.

4. Wild blueberries (dark berries) are low glycemic and high in antioxidants which are good for nervous and brain health.  

5. Focus on the good fats (Omega-3) to balance saturated fats.   EPA found in small fatty fish counteracts Arachidonic acid which is the highest in peanut oils and animal products.  Look at consuming SMASH fish (Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon, Herring) or a high-quality fish oil supplement.

Lifestyle

1. Sleep; Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep time.  

2. Manage Stress;  Herbal adaptogens can help tone down the stress response in the body ie) Rhodiola, Ashwaghanda, L-thenanine, Phosphatidylserine, Adrenal soothe; Ginko, Ginsing, Magnesium.

3. Moderate Exercise; Overexercise can be neurodegenerative causing more stress and inflammation.  

Upcoming Topic with Chef Collin, Mondays at 11EST on Instagram Live.  
Follow me on Instagram here to tune in to our weekly conversations.  

Monday, June 15: 👉 Top 5 causes of inflammation⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
Upcoming Topics:⁣
Physical signs of Vitamin D deficiencies⁣
Histamine Intolerances and 5 main causes⁣

2. Sleep is #1 to rebalance health

🧠 "One of the fastest ways to hurt your brain is to get fewer than 7 or 8 hours sleep at night. People who typically get 6 hours or fewer of sleep have lower overall blood flow to the brain, which hurts its function.⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
Researchers from the Walter Road Army Institute of Research and the University of Pennsylvania found that chronically getting fewer than 8 hours of sleep was associated with cognitive decline." ⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
Unleash the Power of the Female Brain by Dr. Daniel G. Amen⁣

5 tips

1. Dark Room (blackout blinds)
2. Cool Temperature
3. Remove/Reduce Technology: No screens 2 hours before bed; or use blue blocker glasses. Turn off wifi router for the night.
4. Magnesium or other sleep support supplements
5. Stop eating 3-4 hours before bed

Bonus: Shut down the Monkey Mind: Celebrate daily wins (I did do list), gratitude, write down 3 intentions for the following day

3. Mindset: Always Return to Gratitude

The Best Exercise for Brain Health

Moderate Exercise Daily for life is the best for long-term brain health!  

Simply just walk.  

A steps prescription is commonly specifically used as part of a treatment protocol in traumatic brain injury recovery.  Increased steps has shown to increase neuroplasticity (brain growth) whereas a sedentary lifestyle shows bad blood flow to the brain.  

Aim and work up to a daily goal of 10 000 steps.

Enjoy the upcoming week.

❤️ Stephanie

31: Grounding, Cold Water Therapy, Metabolism & Weight Balance, Toxicity Quiz, Exercise Planning

Edition 31 ⏚ Staying Grounded

How to stay grounded in a perceived world of chaos.
Enjoy this week's tips, resources, and strategies.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Grounding!

Literally and Simply! kick off your shoes and socks and connect your feet to the ground.   Sand, dirt, pavement, it doesn't matter, but, preferably pesticide free grass! 

Grounding, or Earthing is one of the simplest overlooked practices out there to simply have skin contact with the negative ions of the earth. Just being grounded, changes our nervous system state from sympathetic mode (fight-flight) to parasympathetic (rest, recover, digest), it lowers your heart rate and energetically calms the body.  

In the electrical world, everything is grounded for safety.  I think we need to visualize this for ourselves, and start a daily grounding practice to the physical earth.

The first morning dew is a perfect time and place to get started!!! 

Maybe take your morning routine outside this week.

More on grounding here: Grounding the Human Body: The Healing Benefits of Earthing

2. Cold Water Therapy

This is one of the fastest ways to literally throw yourself in to the present moment and get out of your head is with a cold plunge.  It forces you to breathe.  Once you get past the first 20 seconds, the initial shock of it, you can begin to breathe through it using a variety of breath techniques, or simply, box breathing: breathe out to the count of 4, breathe in to the count of 4 and repeat. 

The cold is always uncomfortable, it never gets easier, and there is always the desire to escape it.   But overtime it strengthens the mind with a physical and mental practice.  

Cold water therapy has been used for decades in athletic training recovery to calm sore and overworked muscles, reduce inflammation, but also helps with immunity, circulation, aging, cellular-energy, and much more.  

Cold plunging, however, is not for everyone especially for individuals who are in a heightened stress nervous system state.  It can do more harm than good.  It isn't a good idea to further shock the body.

Like anything, this is a graduated process and practice.  Start small and build.  

Cold showers are also a good way to get started.

Check out my outdoor DIY garden hose shower! I'm using this as part of my morning routines (faster than filling a tub), for post-workouts, or rinsing off on hot days. 

3. Nutrition Factors: Improve Metabolism & Weight Balance

Low calorie are low-energy diets and they are not a long-term solution. These “solutions” are often nutrient deficient and/or are missing major food group categories. ⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
The main danger of the low-cal “lifestyle” over the long-term is that metabolic rate can be significantly affected. Because energy intake below needs can depress resting metabolic rates by 10%-20%, or the equivalent of 100-400 kcal/day. ⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
This drop in basal needs, as a consequence, decreases the amount of energy needed to maintain weight.

The discussion almost always involves more than calories in calories out, sure this is important, but how are nutrition plans supporting these 5 important factors below? ⁣
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
1. Thyroid;⁣
2. Iron;⁣
3. Blood Sugar and Cholesterol;⁣
4. Liver;⁣
5. Cortisol and Stress.⁣

How is thyroid being supported? Have you tested the full panel including antibodies?  What about Iron?Often symptoms of low energy, low motivation, low thyroid can be related to a deficiency in iron.  Then what about vitamin C! this vitamin helps the absorption and bioavailability of iron.  See how there are so many factors, always the "fix" is not one thing, but a collection of lifestyle and nutritional practices.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
If you are unsure about where to start, I invite you to book either a 30 minute nutrition consult, or a 1hour integrative health assessment.  Both services include a detailed symptoms questionnaire done prior to the session to really dive into underlying imbalances to help you build a plan and blueprint to live by.  

Book Now!

Upcoming Topic with Chef Collin, Mondays at 11EST on Instagram Live.  Follow me on Instagram here to tune in to our weekly conversations.  

👉 How to boost brain function with 5 foods and lifestyle factors⁣

4. Toxicity Quiz

The whole premises of my practice is the Functional and Integrative Medicine approach: Remove Toxicity and Replenish Deficiencies to Rebalance the body. 

1. Remove
2. Replenish
3. Rebalance

Start here with taking 10 minutes to look at your toxicity load with this questionnaire.  

If you need help with your results, please set up a complimentary call by emailing, or texting back.

stephanie@thefreedomtolive.ca
647-838-7833

5. Exercise: Plan it. Set Up. Do it. Enjoy it. 

This is the conclusion. The more I set the intentions, plan, physically get the gear ready the night before. Actually do it and stop "awefulizing" it in my head....lol It's a never ending journey.  Might as well fall in love with the process and so I repeat:   Enjoy the journey!

I hope this email newsletter blog has inspired you to go in to next week with more grounding techniques.  

The world is definitely a little cooky right now and more then ever we need to get back down to earth.

Enjoy the upcoming week.

❤️ Stephanie

28: Liver Health, Alkaline vs. Acidic Foods, Graduated Exercise with Kettlebells

Edition 28: Spring Cleaning the Body

Focus on what you CAN do and not what you can't do.

This week is all about spring cleaning the body and looking at supporting our LIVER HEALTH. 

Enjoy this week.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
❤️ Stephanie 🧠✨🤸‍♂️🌱

The Freedom to Live 5 things Friday 

Every Friday, 5 things of value from the integrative health sciences.
The best of the best functional medicine, educational resources, research, quotes, books, tips, advice etc. all from the key pillars of the integrative health system.

1. Liver Health: WHY this concerns EVERYONE.

For the the last two weeks on Chef Collin's channel, every Monday, Live at 11:00AM EST we’ve been discussing the WHYs of eliminating gluten and dairy to reset immunity and overall health.  Naturally, the next phase to this conversation is looking at liver health.

Traditionally liver detoxification is done in the spring and fall when temperatures are moderate and fresh greens are plentiful.

On detox plans we avoid anything inflammatory, processed or white: sugar bread, alcohol, aged, pickled or spices that can trigger allergies or histamine reactions.

A good way to start is to look at food in terms of Alkaline vs. Acidic and to aim for a ratio of +/- 80% alkaline 20% acidic.

Section 8 of my integrative health assessment asks about liver and gallbladder health specifically.

These symptoms are communication messenger that your body/liver is telling you that it needs support.  

How many boxes do you check here below: ?

2. What is Liver Detox? How to Reset?

The word Detox, has been so overly mis-marketed as a quick-fix product or crash diet plan.  

Truthfully, detoxification is a very in-depth and scientific process that the body does naturally to release toxins through our 4 main detox pathway channels: breath, sweat, urine, faces.  But in order to expel toxins out of the body through our kidneys, colon, lungs, and skin, most toxins being fat-soluble, need to be converted over to water-soluble toxins to then be released with the help of different nutrients as shown in the image above. (phase 1 + phase 2).

A lot of "detox" products on the market do not contain these nutrients, therefore there is really no assurance that your body is properly getting rid of toxins.  Toxins can actually get stuck between phase 1 and phase 2, an intermediate phase if the proper phase 2 nutrients are missing from diet as well as a detox formula.

Just removing a toxin, like sugar, doesn't mean you are detoxing. The proper term would be a "sugar elimination".  Although eliminations are good, by just removing the triggers, this can still be a band-aid approach by not actually getting at the underlying root cause of the issue.  

Detoxing is a true physical, chemical, mind, and emotional process of releasing toxicity. 

Most toxins are stored in our adipose (fat tissues) because toxins are mostly fat-soluble compounds, and this shows up predominantly in the mid section.  

As a protection mechanism, our bodies will hold on to toxic water or fat weight as opposed to just dumping these toxins into the blood stream.  This is one of the main reasons no matter how much calories in/calories out, the body will not release this weight. 

By choosing a detox nutrition plan and formulation (functional medicine detox) that includes all these nutrients, we are setting the body up to be able to safely remove any stored toxic water and fat weight.  

Remember the 3-day reset? That is the basic detox nutrition plan that I use with clients on our 15-day integrative detox.  Click the image below to save/print a copy.

If you are interested in completing this 15-day plan, email us to get started.

stephanie@thefreedomtolive.ca

 

3. Mindset: Perspective

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAImTA6j3qH/

Graduated Exercise: Bringing in the Kettlebells

Kettlebells are so versatile and easily incorporated into daily functional full body workout flows. ⁣They are a perfect tool to increase weight and resistance into your workouts, and they are a fun novelty.

The goal of any GEP: Graduated Exercise Program is to gradually increasing the number of reps, sets, and weights weekly or biweekly without burning out or overtraining. ⁣
⁣
🙏


Have a good week and Happy Spring Cleaning your Health.

❤️ Stephanie