A root cause approach to holistic gut healing
As a Holistic Health Coach, it’s quite amazing how many times comments are made directly to me about being perfect, ALWAYS eating just the right things and yada yada yada! Truth is, I’m human. Just like you! I’ve got seasons of struggle. Just like you! I’ve got seasons where things are going pretty smooth. Just like you!
This is a question that gets asked frequently along with the comment…”I don’t know why you do, you’re so skinny”.
Well friends, I’m about to get real frank, honest and maybe a little sarcastic. You were warned. 😉
Are you living your life in fear? Today my friend Brenna is sharing her story on how she found freedom and truth after living many years in fear!
Constipation is defined as having less than 1-2 DAILY bowel movements and/or having dry, hard or difficult ones. Constipation is also a symptom of something deeper that is going on. (Read more about what constipation is here.)
Believe it or not, grocery shopping is my favorite kind of shopping! Crazy, I know! 😉 I’m going to take you through my grocery shopping process and a few staples that are always on my list!
Gluten has become a popular topic in the news, do I eat it or do I not? If you are having digestive issues, there’s a good chance that you will benefit from eliminating gluten for a time. That’s not saying you can’t ever have it again! Since my gut is in a much better place, I can handle small amounts of gluten from time to time. (Freshly ground whole wheat and sprouted grains)
Let’s Talk Gluten.
Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, kamut, barley, spelt, and some oats. It is formed when the two proteins called Gliadin and Glutenin are combined with water. Gluten is touch and rubbery, and responsible for allowing bread o stretch and rise. Chances are you eat a lot of gluten, as the standard western diet consists of pizza, pasta, bread (to find out what is wrong with supermarket bread click HERE) , and processed foods- all very high in gluten.
Just Another Fad?
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now it seems like everyone is talking about going “gluten-free” and critics accuse it of being the new “fat-free” fad. And they are not entirely wrong. Food companies have indeed taken this opportunity to shell out tons of processed, sugary, crap food that are marketed as “gluten-free”.
Don’t buy into it, folks. If you want to live a gluten-free lifestyle, stick to real, whole foods. If you do this you can’t lose.
I have personally found so much success with being gluten-free. It wasn’t until I made this switch that I ditched the extra five-ten stubborn pounds, my brain fog hit the road, and my recurring rash completely disappeared.
So although being gluten-free can seem like the newest fad, this is much more serious than just a quick diet to lose weight. But if weight gain is your goal, eating gluten will sure get you there quickly.
Why Gluten Can Be Harmful:
Gluten intolerance and sensitivity affects millions of Americans, most of whom are unaware. These people complain of bloating, migraines, an inability to lose weight, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, rashes, and more. Many times this is simply an allergic reaction to gluten.
According to a review in The New England Journal of Medicine, there are 55 diseases that can be caused by eating gluten. (i) These include irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to anxiety, depression, (ii) schizophrenia, dementia, as well as autism. (iii)
Gluten is problematic for people with celiac disease, and for those with gluten sensitivities. Celiac disease is the most extreme, affecting an estimated three million Americans. (iv) A person with celiac disease is completely gluten intolerant and must eliminate gluten entirely from their diet.
The only way to find out if you have celiac disease is to get tested. The blood test is about 95% accurate, and it’s advised to get a biopsy to confirm. An important fact to remember is that you must be eating gluten for the test to be accurate. The removal of gluten for people with celiac disease must be a habit maintained for life.
Gluten is also detrimental to those with gluten sensitivity. It’s estimated that one-third of the American population is gluten sensitive. These people include those who have tested negative for celiac disease but have relief from problematic symptoms when gluten is avoided.
If you suffer from bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, rashes, joint pain, arthritis, depression, anxiety, migraines, constipation, or the inability to lose weight, I encourage you to go at least ten days without gluten to see if it could be the cause.
So What Are My Alternatives?
Your options are really limitless on this one! There are so many naturally gluten-free foods that are full of fiber and other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Naturally Gluten-Free Foods:
Beware of:
-Barley labeled under malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar, and brewer’s yeast.
– distilled vinegar
-soy sauce
Once again, remember to be a label detective. It’s very easy for gluten to hide in processed items and condiments, so the more you stick to real, whole foods, the easier it will be to avoid.
Happy to be Gluten-Free,
Health Coach Jenna
Jenna Longoria is a traveling yoga teacher and certified holistic health coach. She loves Ashtanga yoga, vegan cuisine, and could drink her weight in cold-pressed green juice. You can read more of her work on her website, Healthier Notions. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook!
Recently I did an interview with my dear friend, business coach, and Holistic Health Coach Paula Roelands. Read below to find out more about her, her coaching practice and her tips for a healthy lifestyle.
Introduce yourself.
Hey, I’m Paula Roelands! A transplant from Michigan to the Wild West in the desert of Colorado. I’m on a journey of recreating my world; focusing on health not only for myself but many others.
What led you to be a health coach?
I looked at the areas in my life that I loved the most, bundled the best of them together and viola, created a way to bring that into the world to empower and support people, and brings a wonderful ripple effect toward a healthier world that speaks to me deeply. While I have lived a fairly healthy life, I’ve had setbacks of my own which created the desire to support others in getting to the other side of them.. The terrain that you come across, expected or not, whether it’s your health or something else that changes your world upside down, building confidence and gaining tools that you will be able to handle whatever it is, is a pretty cool story to be able to develop.
Explain what being a health coach means to you and to your clients.
From my understanding of a health coach, it is someone who can walk alongside a person who wants to improve their health in general, in the holistic aspect being more than just the diet part of your life and help guide the individual to a better situation for their individual needs.
For me personally, I see it as individual empowerment for myself creating a very intentional conversation with my body and my life and creating what kind of live experience you want to have. And inviting your body along for the ride, cause you’re going to get one. Why not help our body be the best that it can be to get the best experience we can have?
Describe a typical coaching day in your practice.
When I wake up I have an agenda that I have set the day before; that includes self-care, family time, work time and individual coaching sessions. My self-care routine includes dry brushing, breathing, lemon water, then a walk with a friend. After that I have a veggie & protein filled breakfast and kick off my working day by about 8:30 or 9:00 depending on clients. I work on my programs/marketing for a couple of hours before my first clients session. I schedule my client session for an hour, with time right after to do follow-up notes before my next client. On a given coaching day I may have 2-3 clients. One of which will probably be in person and 2 will be by phone or Skype. By 3:00 I’m winding down and setting up for the next day, returning phone calls and doing up follow-up with my strategy sessions. Then chillax 🙂
Can you explain a little more in detail about your strategy sessions that you mentioned?
Because coaching is very much a trust kind of situation, I don’t actually start coaching someone until we’ve had an initial strategy session together. During that session, I spend an hour with them just figuring out what kind of support I can offer them, how interested they are in having that support and seeing what health things they are motivated to work on and really transform. We come up with a couple of action steps for them to implement in the next 2 weeks. This gives us both a chance to learn just how serious they are about making these changes. If they don’t follow up with me, most likely it’s that they are just not ready. And that’s totally ok, and good to know before either of us invest in the work. Where there’s follow through and small successes, that gives great clarity of the immense potential for a success and transformation in a coaching experience together.
Is there a certain area that you specialize in or tend to gravitate towards in your practice?
I have had great success working with clients who are dealing with time management and stress issues. That seems to be an area where we make a lot of progress quickly with sustainable results results that also ripple into shifts in dietary health as well. I also tend to attract people with autoimmune diseases, where I’ve had success in helping folks increase their body healing, reduce medications by shifting toward a whole foods type of diet. I’ve had success working with them to go off prescriptions and incorporating a whole foods type of diet. Thyroid issues, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia are the most common issues I have worked with.
What 3 tips do you have for someone who is wanting to start making healthy changes to their lifestyle?
*Hydrate. Drink more water. The standard I recommend ½ oz per lb of body weight. People notice a big increase of ability to focus and the amount of energy they have in a day. If you have trouble drinking straight water, you can squirt some fruit juice in it to create some flavor. The cleaner the better though. Tea works too, herbal is better than caffeinated.
*Get enough sleep. It sounds easy but this is very difficult for people. it is so important as that it is when your body does its repair work. I do have an article on sleep hygiene that I am sharing here>>>click here for those details.
*Move your body 30 minutes a day. If you have a desk job or sit down a lot, make sure to get up and move for 5 minutes every hour. Not only does it help your circulation, your brain and though patterns clear and re-energize for more effective, efficient work. Taking 5 will give you at least twice as much back.
Paula Roelands is a Holistic Health Coach who guides individuals nationwide to a vibrant, confident, fulfilled life. She also hosts popular hands-on workshops on fermented foods and digestive health as well as engaging presentations on thyroid health, stress management, and fatigue relief. Known as the family “granola girl,” Paula is humored in her culinary experimentation by her patient husband Peter and her children – budding chefs Anika, Pagiel, and Tyan. They enjoy hiking, camping, and skiing – living la vida healthy in the desert on the Colorado Western Slope. Find her on Facebook and check out more info on her website!
When I started Nutrition School back in 2013, one of the recommendations I got was to start drinking warm lemon water in the morning. Everyone was doing it and the information I had read on it seemed like a good thing to try so I added it to my morning routine, not realizing how much I would come to love it! 2 1/2 years later it is still something I do EVERY SINGLE DAY and recommend to all my clients! In fact, my morning feels off if I don’t do it! It has helped me on my journey of healing my gut and has created a ritual that is both calming & rejuvenating to my soul. Listed below are some health benefits of lemons and some tidbits about this ever popular morning habit.
Cut a nice slice out of an organic lemon, squeeze and drop it into your favorite mug . Fill the mug with water, half boiling and half cold to create that perfect warm temperature. If you’re lemon is not organic, just squeeze the juice out. Do not put the whole slice in there, as there is a waxy coating on the lemon, not to mention the pesticides that we don’t want to ingest. Go find your favorite chair, a blanket, your Bible and slowly enjoy your cup of warm lemon water! (That’s my favorite way:)
Fall has barely started and it seems people are starting to get the sniffles and sore throats already. 🙁 Mix up this herbal immune tea and keep it in the cupboard ready to pull out when you’re feeling a little sluggish or needing a boost!
I source all my teas for this recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are organic and have high quality sourcing. Get some here.
Source:http://foodfacts.mercola.com/elderberries.html
Source: Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Spring greens are in season now and with all the rain we have had lately, they are thick, luscious and plentiful!!
Greens are such an important part of our diet and most of us are not getting near enough. They are high-alkaline foods, rich in nutrients and fiber, they help create a strong immune system and protect us against life threatening diseases. When it comes to greens you can eat an unlimited amount! That’s how good they are for you!
