You’re not good enough. This is the message we are barraged with daily from all media outlets, told that we have to live up to a standard that only photoshop can achieve. Though we consciously know these are unrealistic standards that no one can live up to, the sheer volume and consistency of these kinds of messages ensures that a sense of inadequacy sinks deep down into our core. We feel that we are broken and need to be instantly fixed by things like pills or surgery.
This constant need for instant gratification that is never sufficed leads to addictive behavior. For some people it is alcohol or cigarettes, for others it is sweet treats or coffee, for others it is shopping or gambling. These industries thrive because we are so distracted from the goings on of our own body that we constant seek external energy boosts. However, we have within us the ability to experience the same kind of energy, without any crash or constant desire for more.
On the healing journey, it is easy to slip into the pattern of trying to “fix” everything that is “wrong” with us. But it is important to remember that your body is perfect and everything that it has done is a necessary response to protect itself from stress. Often, excess weight is the storing of toxins in body fat or water that it doesn’t currently have the ability to safely detoxify. Instead of trying to restrict our body’s nourishment, we should reduce its toxic load and support the detoxification systems. Any negative emotion we express toward our body takes us away from the direction of health.
Feeling is healing
This is the key. Since our body is perfect, we don’t have to actively change anything, and to try and do so would be to deny the perfection. Instead, all we have to do is turn our attention inward. Pain is just our body trying to tell us that something is wrong. Once we have acknowledged the pain and taken action to reverse the cause, there will be no more need for it, and on its own it will melt away.
Though we tend to think of our body, mind and emotions as separate things, the entire human is an interconnected network. Often physical pain is the manifestation of emotional pain, or a physical tightness or inflexibility can cause a rigidness of thought. As we venture down the feeling path, it is normal when releasing tension to experience powerful emotions or feelings as well. It is important to just let these flow through you and just feel them as they pass.. There may be no deep rhyme or reason to your tension or pain, and it doesn’t help to make one up; remember feeling is healing and after you feel, you need only feel more.
It may be difficult at first, but the goal is to live your life from this state of feeling as opposed to thinking. It’s not that thinking is negative, but rather the true extent and depth of the body’s senses exceed the capabilities of the mind. In other words, tuning into feeling makes your more aware and sensitive to the true nature of what is happening around you. It is also a more efficient way of using bodily resources. The brain is the most energy intensive organ in the body, so it’s a good idea to give it a break every once in a while.
So how do you actually do this? See my Introduction to Feeling Meditation
 
 

 
Introduction to Feeling Meditation
It really helps to have a practical exercise in which to experience what I mean by feeling. Starting by sitting in a comfortable position, either at the edge of a chair or on a cushion on the floor with legs folded.
Lengthen your spine by sitting straight, slightly tucking the chin, sending the tailbone downward and sending the crown of your head to the sky. Imagine you are creating a straight line that starts from the center of the earth and extends all the way through your spine and comes out your head into the sky.
Become aware of how this body position affects your clarity of mind. Now gently close your eyes and tune into the breath. Imagine that with each in breath you are drawing it up your spine along the line we created and with each out breath, send the breath back down into the ground.
Your mind may begin to wander and that’s okay, when you notice it, just become aware of the thought and then gently guide the awareness back to the breath.
As physical discomfort or pain arises from holding this position, this is the key time to tune into feeling. Imagine you are an alien inside of a human body for the first time. Every sensation is new and exciting. When the pain or discomfort arises, explore it with childlike curiosity. Lean into the sensation and feel it fully. Tune into the pulse or breath of that area of the body. What would it feel like to have more space there? To let that stagnant energy flow?
Even just doing this exercise for one minute can change your perspective. 

​When people experience health challenges, it is a common rationale to blame any discomfort or difficulty on genetics. Not only does this shed any personal responsibility for the problem at hand, but it inherently eliminates the potential to change things for the better, because they were “just born that way”. This is a relief to the mind because then it doesn’t have to tackle the difficult issues of addressing underlying patterns that cause the problem. Therefore, no one has to go through the discomfort of doing things differently, and confronting difficult emotions or situations.
Luckily, the new science of epigenetics is here to dispel these myths. Epigenetics is the study of how genes are activated in our DNA. We may be born with a certain set of genes, but some will be completely inactive within us at any given time. Here, it is the immediate environment that controls who we are. Radical changes and adaptations to an environment don’t happen gradually over countless generations, but happen within one, two or three generations. When looking at centenarians (people who live to be more than 100), scientists have found that these people do indeed have certain genes that increase disease risk and early death. What allows these people to live so long is that those negative genes are turned off and rendered inactive
A great example of the power of epigenetics in humans comes from a study of 200 years of harvest records from a town in Sweden. There was a distinct correlation between the food abundance during one generation and the incidence of disease in following generations. In other words, if a grandfather experienced famine before they went through puberty, his children and grandchildren were less likely to develop diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The theory is that if the grandfather experienced an abundance of food during childhood and overate, this would activate certain genetic markers that would then be passed down to his children and grandchildren.
New findings in epigenetics suggest that our genes can be switched on or off on minute a minute to minute basis. Every part of our environment can affect them, whether it’s the constant, low-level stress of modern life, the genetically-modified foods that make up the bulk of the American food system, or the excessive electromagnetic frequencies being emitted from our cell phones and wifi routers. The concept of epigenetics is relevant to all living things, but humans have a unique characteristic that makes epigenetics particularly important for us to recognize.
Humans have to ability to form complex thoughts. Many people don’t realize that these thoughts are also part of our environment. Your body can’t tell the difference between a stressful morning in traffic and the threat of a tiger lurking nearby. It only feels the reverberations of your thoughts. While this may be a surprising or overwhelming initially, this is ultimately the key to freedom:
A thought can change your DNA.
What this means is we have to take responsibility for the world we create, not only externally but internally. Most of what we experience is a result of how we have lived our lives up until this point. If for some reason, your experience is not what you would like it to be, it is no one’s fault but your own, and you have all the power in the world to do something about it.
Change is inevitable, what we do have influence over is the direction of that change. This influence isn’t optional, but inherent to the way our body functions. If you choose to ignore your power, you will create a life of ignorance and powerlessness. However, when you take control of how you think, feel and act, there are no limits for the abundance you can create in this world.

1. Yoga: Yoga is a great way to stretch your body and relax your mind. If you are new to yoga, and like group classes, check out your local yoga studio. Many places will offer your first class or first week for free. You can also find yoga classes at your local recreation center. If you are prefer to do yoga out of your home, there are many YouTube channels that offer yoga for free! Just search “Yoga” in YouTube. 

2. Acupuncture

3. Meditation: There are many ways that people can meditate. Meditation is a sacred and personal thing and it’s all about finding the type of meditation for you. If you are new to meditation, here are some ideas of how you can start and find the best way that works for you. 

1. Silent Meditation: Take ten minutes every day to be in silence.  Taking this time to sit, be focused and concentrating on your own being can really help to center yourself and eliminate stress for the day. During this time, you will focus on your breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Making sure to take deep, long breaths. 
   
   
2. Guided Meditation: There are many applications, videos and recordings for guided meditations. These can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Some of these meditations can be more spiritual than others. Again, it’s about finding what is right for you. If you are new to meditation, one that we really like and recommend is called Headspace. You can find this as an application on your smart phone or iPad. Other places to find guided meditations would be through podcasts (search: guided meditation), on YouTube or you can pay for mP3s. Here is a link of one that we also like, it is more spiritually based. 
   
   
3. Visual Meditation: Visual meditation can be done in many different ways. The main thing is concentrating on being present and to not think about the past or the future. During this type of meditation, some people will visualize colors. Thinking about breathing in a certain color and breathing out another color.  Or, visualizing yourself surrounded by light, feeling safe, secure and grounded. Another way, is to visualize yourself in a field of flowers. Visualizing the smells, the feelings and being relaxed. And lastly, you can visualize yourself accomplishing something that you desire. “I see myself….doing xyz with ease and effort” 
   
   
4. Mantras: Coming up your own mantra based on something you feel in your life and concentrating on that saying for 10 minutes. With your eyes closed, say your mantra over and over and visualize yourself in those words. Here are some examples: “I am open and receptive to my highest good now.” “I am abundant and prosperous.” “I am healthy and energized.” “I am full of love and light.” “I am with peace and pure bliss.”
   
   

4. Oils: Essential oils not only smell great but they also have a neurological response inside your body! The most simple way to receive the benefits from essential oils, is to put a drop in your hand, rub your hands together, cup over your nose and inhale. Take 3 deep breaths. Again, it’s finding what essential oil works best for you and your body. Here is a list of essential oils to start with: 

1. Lavender: Is the “gateway” to essential oils. Lavender is great for all things calming, relaxing and anti-stress. It is very grounding without causing you to be sleepy.
   
   
2. Frankincense: This oil has been used for a very long time! It is referenced in the bible many time and can be found in many spiritual places. This oil is commonly used for meditation and grounding.
   
   
3. Chamomile: This oil has calming and relaxing properties. This oil can help reduce anxiety, anger and negative emotions.  
   
   
4. Bergamont: This oil has calming properties. It is citrus based. 
   
   
5. Geranium: Geranium is an essential oil that helps relieve tension, stress and release negative memories (it works with the liver chakra to release toxins from the body)
   
   
6. Wild Orange: Is a natural antidepressant and mood elevator. 
   
   
7. Sadalwood: This oil is used in many cultures for yoga and meditation. It works to balance the emotions.
   
   
8. Ylang Ylang: This oil is considered an aphrodisiac. It works differently on different people. This oil can be either stimulating or calming.  
   
   
9. Vetiver: Vetiver oil is psychologically grounding, calming, and stabilizing
   
   
10. Cedarwood: This oil stimulates the limbic region of the brain (centre of emotions) and the pineal gland, which releases melatonin. 
    
    

5. Go to bed early and get 8-9 hours of sleep

6. Journal:  a morning journal can be extremely beneficial to productivity as well as releasing emotions. You can write in the morning about your feelings, your dreams or what you want to accomplish during the day. Some people like “to-do” lists, which help to release the feelings of overwhelm. Another thing you can write down in the morning, are 5 things you are grateful for accomplishing during your day that have not even happened yet. This is the practicing the “Law of Attraction” and expressing gratitude. 

7. Expressing Gratitude: Expressing Gratitude is simply thanking the “Universe” for all that you are and all that you having in your life. Even if you are stuck in feelings of lack and feel this is impossible, simply by changing your verbage and outlook on life can start to shift your awareness and bring more to you. By saying or writing down: “I am grateful for a day full of ease and bliss,” “I am grateful for my health and safety,” “I am grateful for new opportunities today.” If you are new to “The Law of Attraction”, this might seem a little crazy to you, but changing your outlook on life and focusing on what you are grateful for, rather than what you lack, will actually bring more positive things to your life. 

8. Read: Spending a few moments during the day to read something for knowledge or enjoyment can help to reduce stress. So often we get caught up in what we “have” to do that we forget to take a few moments and enjoy the small things. 

9. Drink a hot beverage or bone broth:  A hot cup of tea or water with lemon is warming, soothing and nourishing. You can have this be a tea that has herbs for relaxing or add a drop of essential oil to help your body relax as well (Chamomile is suggested)

10. Epsom salt bath or foot bath: Using Epsom salts in a foot bath or full body bath will help draw out toxins and replenish magnesium in our bodies.  A foot bath is a great suggestion for those who are busy or just don’t like baths.  The skin pores in our feet are the largest in our bodies which makes this technique a quick way to pull toxins out and feel the benefits of the essential oils. Adding essential oils such as lavender or geranium are added benefits for reducing stress! 


Disclaimer: Please remember that anything discussed here does not constitute medical advice and cannot substitute for appropriate medical care. Where essential oils are mentioned, it’s recommended you use only pure, unadulterated therapeutic grade essential oils and follow the safety directions of the manufacturer.

It is really easy to be unhealthy in the modern world. If you’re ever hungry you can just drive up to a window, pay very little money and be instantly rewarded with a greasy and salty meal to fill the belly. It doesn’t always feel great later, but when the blood sugar is low, we don’t always make the best decisions. It is much more difficult to make sure you get everything you need from the farmer’s market, plan ahead, prepare and cook healthy meals three times a day. For some people, eating healthy could even be considered a full time job!

If we truly want to heal and nourish our bodies, we have to take the steps to always have good food around, but this doesn’t have to be a chore; in fact, there are many steps we can take to make this much more fun and easy. I want to talk about some simple systems to introduce into your food repertoire to significantly reduce the amount of time you spend buying and preparing food, so you can spend more time enjoying your food and the rest of your life!

Find your go to meals:

Every person who regularly cooks for herself tends to have those five meals that satisfy the taste buds and come together quickly and easily. For me some examples are simple salads with canned fish, veggie soup with leftover meat scraps, stir fries, or what I like to call sloppy beef (ground beef simmered in broth with veggies and mustard). All of these things require minimal effort and time to prepare and can be made by things that I always tend to have around. When transitioning from the standard American diet where the staples are breads, pastas, and other grain-based foods, it is important to try new things to find out what can serve the function. I find that upping the amount of vegetables I eat, particularly things like squash or root vegetables can really complete a meal without having to add a difficult to digest, grain-based starch. So find the things that work for you! And look out for videos in the future of some of my quick-to-come-together meals.

Buy in bulk:

When you start to get a sense of your favorite healthy foods, seek out ways that you can buy them in bulk. Not only does this save money, but it’s one less thing to worry about during your regular shopping sessions. If you have a chest freezer (definitely recommended), you can even buy meat and vegetables in bulk. Having consistent access to high quality proteins was one of the biggest steps I made toward being able to eat well all the time. A freezer full of grass fed ground beef is a true source of food security! You can also buy big bags of frozen mixed vegetables or berries so that every day you can get all your servings of vegetables and fruits.

If you don’t have a freezer, there are dry goods you can purchase with long shelf lives. Simple things like high quality sea salt or raw apple cider vinegars are incredibly utilitarian and a good idea to always have around. Saturated fats like, ghee, tallow, lard, and coconut oil are all very stable at room temperature and are packed with nutrition. Even some canned foods like canned fish or coconut milk can be a good option.

I’ve been known to buy 25 lb bags of dried coconut. This not only meant I had plenty of coconut for adding to meals and making healthy treats, but it also encouraged me to start making my own coconut milk and butter from scratch. This is really an opportunity to get creative and to play with processing your own food.

Organize your kitchen:

After working in multiple professional kitchens, one observation I had was that the most successful kitchens are the one with enough space for the stuff they have. Novice cooks will often seek the newest kitchen gadget in an effort to make more delicious food. But it isn’t the hardware that makes a nice meal, it’s the care, love and attention that goes into seeking quality ingredients, preparing them respectfully and presenting them nicely that makes a meal truly nourishing.

In fact the most valuable kitchen asset is counter space. With plenty of counter space, you can work more efficiently. A bit of a kitchen minimalist myself, I always value space more than stuff. It’s really great that you got that 12 in crepe pan or quesadilla maker on sale, but do you really use it often enough to justify taking up the space? Will there ever be a time when you make it through that jug of rancid Jamaican jerk spice or eat that four year old can of spam?

As an exercise, you can take everything out of the kitchen and put it into another room temporarily. Live your life as you do and as you cook all your food, bring in the tools and pantry items you use and find an easy to reach place for the most commonly used items, trying to keep your counters as clear as possible. After a week or so, it will become clear what you actually use on a regular basis. Then, look at the pile of the stuff in the other room and see just how much you can let go of, then put the rest into storage or to the less accessible parts of your kitchen. If you have empty cupboards or space, let it be empty for as long as possible. Oftentimes we put things places just to fill space rather than with any intention. What you are ultimately left with is a kitchen that actually works. You won’t have to dig through mountains of pots and pans just to get to your favorite one. You will actually be able to find the things you are looking for quickly and easily. Cooking and especially cleaning will be magnitudes less stressful and there will be a sense of lightness and clarity that can only be achieved with minimal clutter.

Keep it simple:

We are in this for the long haul, and that means you need to find a way to feed yourself that is sustainable. You can’t be making elegant, five-course, fine dining meals every day. We want to enjoy our food, but it doesn’t have to be fancy to be enjoyable. In fact, I recommend keeping your meals as simple as possible most of the time. Challenge yourself to see how few ingredients you can put together to make something that tastes great. With flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs and medicinal plants like fresh ginger, turmeric and garlic or favorite sauces like mustards, tapenades or pestos, meals come together very quickly. If you are feeding a larger number of people, things like soups and stews are a great way to make simple ingredients go a long way, and they can be made in big batches to freeze some for later. Fermenting a large batch of vegetables into sauerkraut means you always have another way to add vegetables and probiotics to the plate. Humble vegetables like carrots, onions and celery are cheap even when organic and incredibly versatile and useful. Find the things that work for you without too much stress, and constantly seek to make them simpler.

Be grateful

It really is worth it to work for your food. As one of our most basic needs, it is something to which we should devote as much time as we can. We’ve become so distracted by modernism and technology that we’ve forgotten how gratifying and truly nourishing it can be to actively take care of yourself and prepare the food that goes into your body. Not only do you have more control of the quality of ingredients, you develop a relationship with the things that are going to become part of you, and you are inviting them in with more awareness and intent. You may get strange stares from the people who aren’t yet ready to do what you’re doing, but you can be grateful for the intimate awareness you have of your body and the foods that affect it.

There is abundant research on the power of practicing gratitude and its ability to inspire happiness. In order to really get the most out of your food, you should spend at least as much time appreciating a meal as it took to prepare it. After you finish eating, take a minute to sink your awareness inside and feel the fullness within you. Feel the food asking to become part of you and graciously accept its request. Sit in the feelings of gratitude and happiness for as long as you like and feel the deep, fulfilling energy that comes from true appreciation. 

Author: Brad “Bee” Zayac B.S., C.N.C.

Psychology B.S, Certified Nutritional Consultant, CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Permaculture Design Certificate

With so many people overweight and main-street media telling us we need to eat fat-free to stay healthy, many of us have developed an unhealthy fear of eating foods that contain fats.  Everywhere you go you see fat-free foods, but you have to understand that not all fats are created equal.  One of my primary goals as a nutritionist is to teach you the importance of quality fats. 

While carbohydrates are the main source of fuel in your body, your system turns to fat as a backup energy source when carbohydrates are not available.  Fat is a concentrated source of energy.  One gram of fat has nine calories, more than twice the calories in the same amount of carbohydrates or protein. 

Some types of vitamins require fat for absorption and storage.  Vitamins A, D, E and K, the main fat-soluble vitamins, cannot function without adequate daily fat intake.  These vitamins are essential daily needs.  Vitamin A keeps your eyes healthy and promotes good vision, vitamin D assists in keeping your bones strong by boosting calcium absorption.  Vitamin E protects cells by neutralizing free radicals, and vitamin K is important for blood clotting.  If you don't meet your daily fat intake because you follow a low-fat diet, you may be lacking sufficient levels of these important vitamins.

Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body's functions.  Fats regulate the production of sex hormones and stress hormones.  Fats are important for healthy skin.   One of the more obvious signs of fatty acid deficiency is dry, flaky skin.  In addition to giving skin its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) acts as the body's insulation to help maintain body temperature.  Fat forms a protective cushion for your organs.  Many of your vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines, are cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold them in place. (True, some of us "overprotect" our bodies.)  As a consequence of the body’s internal wisdom, this protective fat is the last to be used up when the body's energy reserves are being consumed.

With so many products to choose from, how do you know which fat sources are healthy?  My rule of thumb when buying fats is to consider how much processing is employed to obtain the fat from its original source.  The best fats generally are those which can be simply and easily extracted through pressing or separated by another natural process.  Olive oil, coconut oil and butter fall into this category.  At the other end of the spectrum are fats extracted by a chemical or other complex, unnatural process, processes so rigorous that the extracted fats are rancid or nearly so before you even open the container.  These fats were absent from our foods prior to the early 1900’s when these methods were first devised.  Now you will find these fats in the oils used in practically all processed food, from salad dressing to mayonnaise to conventionally grown nuts and seeds.  These fats are in all vegetable oils (canola, soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, etc.) as well as in the margarines made from them.  They are some of the most chemically altered foods in our diets and some of the most harmful substances you can put into your body, and yet they are almost always promoted as healthy!  Even when you shop at one of the “natural” big-box grocery stores, you will find the majority of their pre-packaged foods contains canola oil.  

Rancidity

Frequently we hear people refer to fats that are or have become rancid.  Rancid fats are fats that have spoiled.  Spoilage can occur for a number of reasons.  For instance, all fats have a smoke point which is just what it sounds like—a sufficiently high temperature at which the fat/oil will begin to smoke.  Most of us have been taught to avoid this condition for safety reasons when cooking because a fat heated to its smoke point is fast approaching the temperature at which it will ignite!  But there is also a health reason to avoid hot fats.  Over-heating fats breaks them down chemically, destroys nutritional quality and instantly turns them rancid.  That is why I seldom use fats in high-temperature cooking.  

Why are rancid fats bad for you?  Well, a rancid fat is actually a free radical.  This means it needs an antioxidant to make it usable in the body.  An important nutritional goal is to maintain an abundant supply of antioxidants in the body.  Every free radical, however, reduces your antioxidant stores.  For most of us, our antioxidants are already depleted because of our low quality diet and the harsh physical environment in which we live.  Whenever you select oil for cooking or other food preparation, chose high quality oils and cook on low heat.  Do not continue to use any oil that has started to smoke.  Discard it and start over.  Butter and ghee can withstand higher heat so they are actually better choices when it comes to cooking.  Buy butter from grass-fed sources if possible, and use a variety of non-vegetable oils such as coconut, olive, and palm. 

In summary, I would encourage you to avoid: 

Canola oil
Corn oil
Soybean oil
Vegetable oil
Peanut oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Cottonseed oil
Grapeseed oil
Margarine and other butter substitutes
Shortening
Any imitation butter or vegetable oil products

Instead, use these:
Butter (grass-fed sources, and only if you do not have dairy sensitivities/intolerances)
Ghee (grass-fed sources)
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Nut oils (no peanuts; it’s not a nut but a legume, and it’s full of mold)
Flax oil
Hemp seed oil
Coconut oil (I use this in moderation because I prefer local, seasonal products; coconut isn’t local for me)
Lard and bacon grease (contrary to what we have been led to believe, so long as the original animal source was good quality and grass-fed) 

One of the easiest changes you can make in your kitchen is to add quality fats and eliminate unhealthy fats.  Then to be sure those good fats make it from your refrigerator shelf into your body, use them often as in this quick and easy recipe for a fresh, zesty salad dressing:


Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing 

•  juice of 4 limes (about 2/3 cup)
  
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  

Just combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 20 to 30 seconds. 

Finally, remember that all fats, including the good ones, are perishable and do go bad.  Buy and store them in dark glass containers, not plastic ones.  Refrigerate fats and all nuts and seeds to prolong their life.  If your oil smells bad, toss it, and replace it with fresh. 

For more information on fats, visit:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/why-trans-fat-so-bad-–-and-what-it-anyway

http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/the-oiling-of-america?qh=YTo4OntpOjA7czo1OiJ0cmFucyI7aToxO3M6NDoidHJhbiI7aToyO3M6MzoiZmF0IjtpOjM7czo0OiJmYXRzIjtpOjQ7czo3OiJmYXRuZXNzIjtpOjU7czo0OiInZmF0IjtpOjY7czo1OiJmYXQncyI7aTo3O3M6OToidHJhbnMgZmF0Ijt9

If you still think real butter is bad, take a look at:

http://holisticsquid.com/butter-is-better/

Why I Dislike the Phrase, Everything in Moderation. 
I hear people say all the time, “Everything is OK in moderation.”  Here’s my opinion and my opinion only.  After studying nutrition and working with people and seeing their results, this phrase is a load of BS.  Now, we all want to feel as though we aren’t restricted so we can enjoy our lives and not be stressed about food every time we go out the door.  That’s fine; that’s understandable, and I totally believe that excess stress can be more detrimental than a poor diet.  But here’s my concern.  There are some foods that just don’t work for some people, and what works for one person may not work at all for someone else.  Everyone is different.  There is no one diet, no one formula, and we are constantly learning that science is not always solid.  Changes in “official” recommendations add confusion.  But on a practical, everyday level, I have seen over and over that some foods just don’t make people feel good.  The reason I hate the phrase, everything in moderation, is this.  I think it gives some people permission to not take care of themselves and to not fully eliminate some foods that really are not helpful to them.  Someone whose body has a reaction to, for example, eggs will be taxing her body every time she puts eggs in her mouth even if she does it in moderation only.  Certainly, some feel worse than others when they make poor food choices.  To each their own, but whenever you identify a food that bothers you, I strongly suggest that you do everything in your power to avoid it entirely.  Sure we all have slip-ups or eat something we didn’t know had an offending ingredient in it.  I will be the first to say that obsessing and worrying about it is not going to be healthful either.  The brain is powerful, and the best we can do is accept and move forward.  Don’t think of avoiding your unhealthy foods as a deprivation.  Try to view it instead as a challenge and an opportunity to seek out and find other fulfilling things in life that will have a positive effect on your body.

Toxins. Let's talk about toxins in your body and where they come from. 

Our bodies are exposed to over 2 million different toxins a day! This comes from the air you breathe, your food, beverages, environment, products that you use in your home and on your body and even from emotional feelings. 

In my own research that I have done for myself and my family, I have found out that our bodies are not designed to eliminate that many toxins. 

So what can you do? 

• You can change the way you eat. Make sure you prepare all your own meals with grass-fed an organic as much as possible. 
  
• You can make better choices with your beverages. Again, all natural, organic, non processed as much as possible. 
  
• You can change the products you use in your home. I like to make a lot of my own products. This can save you money and the products feel better, smell better and are better for you! 
  
• You can choose to not use the microwave.
  
• Feelings of sadness or depression can cause toxins inside your body, so finding ways to relax and be stress free
  

I realize that in the world we live it, it's hard to eliminate so many toxins and I don't want you to be afraid to do anything because it might have "toxins" but I am just saying that there are things you can do to eliminate how many toxins you allow into your body. And just a final reminder... our bodies are designed to eliminate toxins. That is their job! Let's just help them to not have to work on over-time :)

Do you have balanced blood sugar? Are you eating foods for breakfast that cause your blood sugar to be unbalanced?

Symptoms of low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar are many and varied.  They can be associated with a variety of other health problems as well.  Blood sugar imbalance may be responsible for the following:  waking up not hungry; waking up in the middle of the night; night sweats; daily napping; being hungry between meals; feeling nauseated during the day (especially in the morning); and generally lacking energy. Blood sugar is the first step I take before any others. 

• A few symptoms of hypoglycemia may include:
• Confusion
• Weakness
• Pale skin
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Feeling shaky
• Poor concentration
• Numbness in mouth and tongue
• Hunger
• Irritability
• Passing out
• Headaches
• Nightmares or bad dreams
• Trembling
• Pounding heart; racing pulse
• Poor coordination
• Coma
• Specific symptoms of hyperglycemia may include:
• Increased thirst and urination
• Sweet odor to the breath
• Fatigue
• Agitation and confusion
• High levels of ketones in the urine
• Weight gain 
  

So often people are mislead with dieting and the first thing they want to eliminate from their diet is FAT. We live in a "Fat-Free", "Low-Fat", "Fat-phobic" society. When the truth is, fat is a stable part of our nutrition. 

What if we told you that fat isn't culprit that you think it is? What if we told you that fat doesn't make you fat? What if we told you that fat is an important macro-nutrient?

Here is a video blog about fat: