What’s Good May
Contents:
Life Update: Springs ends like a lion
GFT Body: Movement Nutrients
GFT Mind: Examining False Beliefs
GFT Spirit: Getting in Nature
Nutrition Corner - Adrenal Cocktail
Life Update: Last month (reminder) I was plagued by what I deduced to be adrenal fatigue. I took swift and well educated action to remedy my energy supply and I am happy to report that I am bounding off the gym floors and packing up my house with zest as any 29 year old, I mean 42 year old might have.
It was a blow to my Ego (I’m the health expert and suppose to be healthy all the time) to be taken down to with this magnitude. When I see myself doing ALL THE THINGS that I know to be right for health only to be stricken with such an ailment, such a state of dis-ease in the body.
Thing is, the physical body makes more senses to my analytical mind. I can reason, deduce, add/subtract and manipulate my daily dietary consumptions and movement modalities, to make my body “bend to my will” so to speak.
The emotional body though, is much more elusive for me. I have so be quiet in order to hear, allow time to have messages be communicated, soften and feel. When you are not familiar with something, what do we do? Avoidance, distraction, denial…all the things. I’ve learned thought this (and other pervious experiences) that this emotional body is the thing that needs the most loving attention. Trapped emotions, unrealized traumas, daily stressors that trigger our hearts and rock our truth. I am happy to report that I am making headway to understanding this wholeness of me (I want to say part of me but its more emotions are a thing that, feeling my life adds to who I am). It’s how my inner spirt can connect and communicate with me. And it’s a very large part of me that I had been neglecting.
How to make emotional Headway? Daily journaling, Kundalini, The Class, Emotion Code and more recently IFS Therapy Meditations have each been extremely helpful for me. They in allow a portal to connect with, release and move energy within my emotional body. These are the widgets with which I can allow inner/self connection, to hear / listening / feel what is taking place (even if it might be scary). The emotional body does not communicate in words, it doesn’t know the language. It rather talks with sending sensations, feelings throughout the body. Mapping an area of your body that is holding a tension or sensation and just being curious with it. Asking what it wants you to know, letting it know that you are here with it. This is something I learning with IFS especially and I think that is what’s been most helpful this month. Performing guided IFS meditations within the audiobook No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz PhD, and also I’e been engaging with some therapy sessions, this I believe has been most helpful for me to heal my self and restore my inner energy. I have a desire to go deeper in IFS but sessions are $175 for 50 mins and, well, with selling the house, trying to find a new house…I don’t have that right now. Better help is another option, but again $67/wk. I have found support with healing springs and in spending more time with myself.
To share a little about Kundalini and other movement modalities like The Class, those are better for moving the energy without completely engaging with it, without being aware of the why’s or how’s these emotional blockages happen. I don’t have to know all the why’s in order to release it. And I really love that!! Emotional for me can be very overwhelming and by surrendering into a movement geared towards release… it makes sense to my biology brain. Fist of anger = releasing anger! YES! Kundalini is ancient technology passed down over generations. The body tends to hold certain groups of emotions is distinct regions. By engaging in my shoulders I can clear any emotions around responsibilities, the back of my legs are where my water element flows, allowing for more fun.
Course I am also still working to manipulate my physical body to have physical strength. Hot/cold therapy, supplements for my adrenals, a morning cocktail, infrared saunas 4x/wk, strict diet of no sugar, no caffeine, no gluten, no simple carbs… which after this, my physical body “feels better” but has not budged in its pH to be the desired alkalinity. Maybe longer? Maybe I have something that requires more time to heal from, maybe it’s not my physical body that aches at all.
All’s I know is, for me Spring came in like a lamb but I’m leaving spring feeling like a Lion!
GFT Body: Are you getting enough Nutritious Movements?
What are nutritious movements you ask? They are various movement inputs that we can engage with to nourish our muscles, joints and ligaments to form good functional movement patterns. Just like a high nutrient in diet will give you more dietary health, a high nutrient movement lifestyle will give you a solid base of physical fitness and resilience.
Our bodies respond to inputs from our environments in a process called mechanotransduction.
Like foods is an input for digestion, when the cells of our body receive a mechanical stressor (input) it sends a chemical signals that elicits an adaptive response. The more freely your body can receive inputs and the more diversity we can have engaging with these inputs, the healthier our movement diet.
To give a good example, if we are engaging with one movement pattern repeatedly, the body becomes adapt to doing just that one movement, say looking down at an electronic device. The more time we spend engaging with this one movement pattern, the surrounding and converse muscles begin to grow weaker, you begin creating adaptations to conform your body to make that one movement pattern easier, less energy demanding. A nutritious movement here would be to engage in the inverse of the movement, actively stretching your head back and up to counteract the repeated strain. Katy Bowman, expert biomechanist and founder of the Nutritious Movement movement calls this move the Head Ramp and it can be very effective to alleviate against “tech neck.”
Wanna lean more about Movement and other high Nutritious Movements moves? > click for my full blog post.
GFT Mind: Challenging Your Beliefs, especially those false ones
Beliefs. Acquiring beliefs is a complex process influenced by various factors. They are formed during our personal experiences (positive and negative moments influence our perspectives and shape our understanding of the world), in social interactions (Family, friends, colleagues, and society as a whole can shape our beliefs through discussions, debates, and shared values. We often adopt beliefs that coincide with our social groups to establish a sense of belonging and acceptance.), from our culture (traditions are deeply ingrained and passed down from generation to generation. Cultural factors such as religion, nationality, ethnicity, and regional customs can significantly impact our belief systems.), based on our level of education (Schools, educational institutions, and teachers impart knowledge, ideologies, and values that can influence our perspectives. Family upbringing, moral teachings, and parental guidance also contribute to the formation of our beliefs.), Inspired thought Media (news outlets, social media, books, and online platforms shape our understanding of various subjects) and how we process information (we acquire beliefs through rationality and critical thinking. By examining evidence, evaluating arguments, and reasoning logically, people can form beliefs based on careful analysis and reflection).
But what about beliefs that aren’t true? Who says they aren’t true? What is your perspective on the manner?
At its core a belief is “an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. It’s “a subjective attitude” towards a person, place or thing. Beliefs are not always based on objective truth or evidence. They can be influenced by biases, emotions, and subjective interpretations of information.
There exists false beliefs. Michael Bernard Beckwith calls these “Mind Pollution.” Left unchecked, these false beliefs can create a toxic internal environment stricken with lies of negativity, doubt, lack, unworthiness, loneliness, powerlessness (insert other bad adjectives here) which become our inner dialogue, our mind pollution. Without gaining truth in the matter, this can lead someone in a place of confusion, questioning their worth, lack of confidence and most certainly depression.
Developing an open-minded and flexible approach to beliefs allows for growth, learning, and the possibility of changing or updating beliefs when new evidence or perspectives arise. Click the button to learn more about false beliefs and how you can combat your mind from them.
GFT Spirit: GET with Nature!
Cuz really nature lives inside of you every minute of ever day. If you think about it, humans are just another type of plant. We are forms of life just like a blade of grass that grows in a meadow or like a beautiful flower that has its own unique bloom and fragrance. Sure we are much more complex than plants, I’ve never herd a plant say hello. But we are not that far away from the basic concept of life. We are born, we grow, we mature, we reproduce and we die. Its the circle of life that connects us all.
So when we take moments of time to be with this natural nature cycle, we when take time our of our day to either appreciate or better yet, be out in it…. that is where we have leaps and bound gains in our health and wellness.
Soooo many positive health benefits; like lower heart rate, blood pressure, HVR, reduced Stress levels, Inflammation, Anxiety and Depression. Increases in moods, our sense of gratitude and willingness to help others, just to name a few.
But How and for How Long? What’s the best things to do out there? What about when my kids don’t want to, I don’t want to battle with them…. I cover all these goodies and more in this post
Nutrition Corner - Adrenal Cocktail
You know me, I’m all about optimizing my consumptions to heal and support my body. While I have been navigating this adrenal issue I discovered a highly popular cocktail that has some wonderful supportive factors for these powerful glands.
First off, resting above your kidneys, the adrenal glands are responsible for producing most of our hormones; cortisol, aldosterone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline all which play a crucial role in regulating stress responses, metabolism, and energy levels. They also make your bodies sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. To support them you want to make sure you’re providing a happy environment for them to live and also supplying them with all the ingredients they need to produce these necessary hormones.
Cue Adrenal Cocktail. The theory behind this is that by consuming this combination of nutrients, it can they help support the adrenal glands and optimize their function. These cocktails typically contain a combination of citrus juices, electrolytes and sea salt, and most importantly natural sources of vitamin C and B vitamins.
To maximize the benefits, you want to consume this cocktail first thing in the morning (right after awaking) as a way to kickstart the day and provide a boost of energy.
The benefits? Proponents claim that it can help with energy levels (especially if you are cutting out caffeine which is somewhat toxic for our adrenals). It can reduce fatigue, support immune function (cuz of the antioxidants), and improve overall adrenal health. Its supports hormonal balance, HPA Axis Health and aids in blood sugar regulation. There is a lack of specific scientific evidence to supporting these claims mostly because much of the mainstream medical communities do not believe “adrenal fatigue” is a diagnosable condition. More they just haven’t found the right test to confirm and the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t developed a band-aide for it yet. This is just my belief anyway, its not a fact.
The originator of this cocktail comes from Susan Blackard, NP, ND, Ph.D., at the Rejuvenation Health Center, in Springfield, MO, as a potential way to help balance hormones (like cortisol production).
What you’ll need?
Orange juice- Contributes vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
Coconut water- Provides potassium, magnesium, and sodium. If you’re not a fan of coconut water, you can use watermelon juice or sparkling mineral water.
Sea salt- Sodium plays a critical role in maintaining a proper balance of water and minerals.
Lemon or lime juice- Adds vitamin C, folate, potassium and calcium.
Coconut milk- (Optional) This adds healthy fats, which may help with blood sugar regulation.
Optional- You can add more like a pinch of cream of tartar (for potassium and other trace minerals), or collagen powder, for added protein.
Her Recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut water (or sparkling mineral water)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1/2 a lemon)
pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
Add the orange juice, coconut water (or mineral water), lemon juice, and salt to a glass, with or without ice. Stir well and enjoy right away.
My Recipe:
Run 1-2 Orange thought a Juicer.
Add 4oz Coconut Water (I used Coconut milk too, which made it taste like a creamsicle).
Add a Generous pinch of pink sea salt.
Use milk frother or spoon to combine all the ingredients then slug it down.
note: in later versions I added a scoop of collagen. It did not impact the flavor or drinkability.
That’s it for this month, I hope you enjoyed this version of what’s good. If so please comment below what you’re biggest takeaway was and maybe share it with someone you love who could use some good things in their lives. Stayed tuned for June, I know I’m looking forward to a whole month of good stuff.