Category: Respect - Active Gut Therapy

You are what you digest.

Active Gut Therapy

What I Learned In My 20s Lesson 4

3/8/2016

What I learned in my 20s Lesson 4: Intuition Is Not Intuition Until You Check It Out

Growing up I believed intuition was this mystical thing that just hit you with insight out of no where. I have learned along the way in my 20s that intuition is really just another word for being mindful and truly present in the moment with what is. In Graduate School when my Family and Therapy Teacher spoke the above words, Intuition Is Not Intuition Until You Check It Out, my perception of intuition has changed forever.

When we feel called to respond to a situation in a certain way we can slow down and tune in to our body and explore the emotions that might be arising for us. We can often be responding in the present from how we used to respond in the past. Or we can be reacting out of fear to a situation that feels similar to a moment we have been through and scared of the same results happening.

Let's say you just entered into a new relationship and you are feeling anxiety or fear that this isn't the "right" relationship for you. In these moments, we can explore how does this situation remind us of our past and are we thinking these thoughts to avoid feeling the fear of the unknown and showing up with another human being vulnerably.

Every single reaction we have can offer us information for how we are processing our life. We are all powerful mirrors and teachers for one another. In any moment we can ask what is this moment or this person here to teach me? How is this person being a strong mirror for me right now in what I am perhaps still working on within myself? What can I learn about myself in this moment and what patterns or reactions do I want to engage in that might actually not serve me or feel respectful to another individual?

So the next time you hear someone say, "just listen to your intuition," get curious around what you want that to mean to you. How do you want to define intuition for yourself?

Setting Boundaries with Food Around the Holidays

11/5/2014

I used to always be a yes girl. I said yes to everything. Yes I will hang out, yes I will take on 4 jobs, yes I will eat that cookie, o you made me a brownie for my birthday-yes I will eat that. I took me a long time to learn that a healthy no is not only important it is crucial for your own health and vibrancy.

Of course it wasn't until my body was in pain that I was forced to learn how to say no. No I will not eat that dairy, it is not worth the pain. No I will not eat that sugar, it is not worth the emotional upheaval. It can be especially hard to say a healthy no around the holidays when there is constantly candy, treats, and people bringing in food to work. The treats are everywhere and they are screaming for you to say yes to eating them.

So here are a couple things to keep in mind on how to create healthy boundaries for yourself and stay embodied and grounded this holiday season.

1. Just say NO. Your grandma is going to ask you to try the brownies she made especially for you, your co-workers are going to bring in pies to celebrate, your partner may bring you chocolates. Sugar, sugar, sugar will leave your head spinning and more susceptible to inflammation and sickness this winter. What is the common theme here? It is all acts of love. Everyone around is just trying to spread the love and they are doing that through food. You can thank them for the offer and just say no thanks. They may continue to try and get you to eat the food that you know inside doesn't feel good in your body and you may have to say no thanks again. Sometimes when setting boundaries you'll have to sound like a broken record because others around you may not be used to you saying NO. Then you'll get to choose other things to eat that feel good in your body and let you stay focused on other things in the moment besides food.

2. Be fed by the moment. Like I mentioned above, cooking and feeding others is an act of love. We can thank others for the love they are offering and not have to eat all the food in front of us. We can be fed and nourished by the environment, the people, the smells, the laughter. Instead of focusing on all the foods you are trying to avoid or worried about overeating or feeling guilty about perhaps all that you have already eaten, come back to the present moment and be nourished by all that is around you. Come back to the feeling of gratefulness. When we are fed emotionally by the moment, the act of eating becomes less important because we can feel so filled up by love.

3. It is not really about you. If you find yourself in a moment where others are trying to force food on you just remember it is not really about you. Others may feel insecure about what they made and they may want to make sure it tastes good. Or someone offering you more food when you are already full may feel self conscious about eating so much so they are trying to perhaps make themselves not feel so guilty and that others are eating a lot too. When you say no you are also setting an example for others that they can say no too. Eating pounds and pounds of food can be easy around the holidays as it becomes a mindless act. When you bring mindfulness into the meal and respect your body you allow others to do the same. So when you say no, you are just respecting yourself and if others feel bad you have done nothing wrong.

It can be difficult around the holidays to set boundaries but with practice saying no will become easier. The whole holiday season has so much more meaning than just what we cook and eat. It is about being with family, loved ones, cultivating gratefulness for what we have, and spreading the love. I wish you a happy holiday season and I am grateful for all of you!

5 Digestive Tips to the Rescue!

9/7/2014

Dealing with years of digestive pain, I definitely found tricks and tips of how to soothe an upset tummy. And while I am no longer in constant pain now, I find that when I want to feel adventurous or test out a food on my digestive tract, these tricks still come in handy.

So when you first feel a twinge of pain, ate too much, ate something you know your sensitive to but just couldn't resist (it happens!) here are some tricks you can try to bring your tummy back into balance.

1. Digestive Enzymes- I don't always suggest digestive enzymes as I have seen a lot of individuals dealing with digestive troubles begin to rely on them and get hooked on them. This leads the body to think that it doesn't have to work so hard producing digestive enzymes so getting off of them can be difficult if you're eating multiple at every meal. But, this handy supplement can support a troubled digestive tract for a short amount of time or an evening. When you find you have eaten a large amount of food or something just isn't sitting quite right, digestive enzymes can be an aid to boost your digestive power to break something down in your stomach that is having a hard time digesting.

2. Apple cider vinegar- ACV really just is a cure all for so many ailments. I have read so many articles recently on just how wonderful ACV truly is for our body. Often times, acid reflux or difficulties digesting a high protein meal can actually mean that you need more acid in your stomach to break down your food (not less, throw out those Tums!). Putting a 1 tsp-tbsp. of ACV diluted in a glass of water and sipping it before or after a meal can add some acid power to your stomach to help break down a meal and diminish any pain. You can even add a few drops of liquid stevia to it to make a refreshing drink. Yum!

3. Ginger- Ginger tea, ginger root, ginger capsules, ginger syrup. There are many ways to get your ginger in. Ginger stimulates the digestive system to produce more enzymes to facilitate digestion. It also helps stimulate more bile production, which can aid in making any digestive pain go away by increasing your ability to break down your food. When I travel abroad I take ginger capsules with me and they work fairly quickly in helping with a digestive woe. You can also make sure you have some ginger tea with you or if you're home break out some ginger root and start chewing. I would just suggest to stay away from ginger chews with the added sugar; the sugar takes away from the benefits of the ginger.

4. Deep breathing- Much of the time digestive pains can be due to trapped gas from possibly eating too fast. When I was going through the worst of my digestive troubles, you could often find me face down, lying on the carpet breathing into my belly. Deep belly breathing can begin to relax the muscles of your stomach switching your whole body into a relaxation response, which is what is needed to turn on digestion. When you're going through any kind of digestive upset, try to remember to breath through it. The added thoughts of "Ow, this hurts, I wish this would go away, why is this happening" causes the body to tighten even more which can in turn worsen the pain. Try lying on the ground, placing your hands on your belly, and just focusing on watching the rise and fall of your belly and feeling the support of the floor beneath you. This too shall pass.

5. Activated Charcoal- Speaking of trapped gas....activated charcoal will be your little miracle worker. It will bind and absorb to any chemicals or gas or whatever it is that is upsetting your stomach thus diminishing the stress being put on your digestive tract and decreasing pain. Just make sure that if you're taking any medications to take this away from your medications as it will decrease the efficiency of your medications being absorbed as well. Its powerful stuff!

Just remember to add in some extra self love when you're going through any digestive pain. Loving yourself up through the process of learning what does and does not work for your body will help you to move forward from any digestive and eating experience with so much compassion and patience for your unique journey living in a body.

I would love to hear from you! What have you found has worked to help you when you're having a digestive upset?

Robin Williams Passing and My Own Journey with Depression

8/13/2014

I have taken Robin Williams death pretty hard. I have definitely cried more than once.
I felt like I grew up with this man, that he was a part of my family, and brought my family together through his movies (I have seen Birdcage more times than I care to admit). Here is a man who brought so much joy to the world and who secretly struggled with bringing that same joy into his own life. I relate to that on so many levels.

Part of being a counselor is about showing up. I have tried to show up more authentically in this past year in particular because I also hide behind a wall, a facade of put together, confident, happy, and thriving. When I was in Grad School in therapy, my therapist actually asked me to draw that wall. What did it look like? What was it made out of?

To my surprise the wall I drew was made out of glass. She responded when I was done that it was interesting my wall was made out glass because then couldn't people see me? I hide yet I want to be seen. I want to see and observe life but I fear participating. I have dealt with depression most of my life. I have seen members in my family deal with depression most of their life. I have gone to the depths of my soul mucked around, lied on the carpet of my room in my mother's house for two weeks straight before, and I always come back .

I have experienced how depression takes you away from other people, it puts you in a tiny black box where perspective is hard to be seen. I am lucky enough to have a few close individuals and a mother who were always there for long phone calls, crying, and telling me it is time to get out of bed. I have had to come to terms that the hole of depression never really goes away. Some try to fill that hole with medication, some use supplements, or food, or drugs, but it is still always there.

As part of being a nutritional counselor, I know I can use my experience with depression as a strength. I can sit with my clients in the muck, in the dark, in the depth of their soul and see the beauty and wisdom that is there. I see often in my work how so many are tying to fill this void, this hole with food. It unfortunately can't be filled with food, trust me I have also tried.

I share my experience with depression and that it still hovers around me from time to time to connect with you my reader. You are not alone in your struggles. I believe so many, including myself, were shocked about Robin William's death because we just had no idea the struggles and the depth of depression he went through on a daily basis. I believe it was a triumph that he lived for as long as he could with a secret dark cloud hanging over his head and a smile on his face.

I may not know you, but I welcome anyone to reach out. I have always found the thing that brings me out of my own darkness and into the light is connecting with others and lifting our spirits together.

Your Body Digests Your Words

7/23/2014

Sometimes when my digestion starts to act up, I have to take a look at the things I am telling myself internally and not necessarily the food I am eating. When my internal critic speaks up (and sometimes it can be really loud), I know that my whole body goes into a stress response, my gut cramps, digestion shuts down, and my ability to digest food and my life diminishes.

Meals that I could digest fine when my thoughts are kind and peaceful are suddenly not assimilating as well. Our body reacts and responds to the words and the statements we are creating internally. So if we are telling ourselves harsh words, putting ourselves down, judging ourselves, we are digesting those thoughts and those words along with the food we are eating.

Often I talk about what digests and assimilates well in terms of food, but for a moment think about how the word hate would digest in your body. Or what about the word ugly. How would the statement I am not good enough digest in your system? I know that even as I am typing these specific words I can feel my body tense up.

When we think loving thoughts, let go of expectations, and just show up as we are in the moment, our body will go into a relaxation response and your ability to assimilate your food and your experiences will increase. I know that I have had moments where I made a conscious decision to shift my internal thoughts to ones of love and appreciation for myself and then heard my stomach gurgle. I took that as a thank you from my gut. Thank you for feeding me love, thank you for nourishing me with appreciation, thank you for these thoughts so I can do my job properly.

I would love to hear from you! Have you noticed a difference in your body's ability to function when your thoughts are positive? Have you experienced your digestion change when you under a lot of stress and thinking stressful thoughts?

Love Where You Are With Your Relationship With Food

7/15/2014

When people find out that I am a nutritional counselor, I suddenly feel like they are nervous to eat in front of me. Like I have all the answers and what they are doing is supposedly wrong. I want to dispel that right now, that I never judge what someone else is eating.

I have learned through my journey and relationship with food that what works for me isn't going to work for everyone else. I don't live in your body, I don't truly know what your body needs from moment to moment (I do however love teaching how to learn to communicate with your unique body).

At the beginning of my gut healing journey, I was told how mucus forming dairy was and that it could be causing some of my issues. You want me to give up my yogurt!? I loved my sugary added yogurts and the first time I heard this I was not ready to take that advice.

I tell you this story because it took me another 3 years to actually experiment with completely taking dairy out of my daily eating habits to find out that indeed dairy and I are not friends. When we are ready to deepen in our relationship with food and ourselves we will. What I have learned through my client's and my own process with the gut is to be patient and to give yourself plenty of time.

Embrace where you are now with your relationship with food. Sometimes it may just be too intense to look at how you are nourishing yourself because it may be a protective blanket covering up some intense emotions that you are just not ready to deal with yet. And that is totally fine! Love yourself up and know that you are doing the best you can in this moment to take the very best care of yourself.

I wish I had been told this more on my journey to heal my gut. Every time I had a digestive upset I felt like a failure and that all my effort to heal was for nothing. But every decision, every effort, every choice I made in the direction of listening, of tuning in to myself, especially in the moments that I was in pain and I didn't want to listen, brought me closer to myself and to my body and what it truly wanted.

So if you find yourself eating in front of me, just know that all I wish for you is an enjoyable experience with that food. We are all at different phases and stages in our relationship with food and I find the journey beautiful and full of deep wisdom and knowledge for who we are and the stories we bring with us from childhood. It is all right there on our plate.

Bodies are constantly changing

7/9/2014

The stomach lining changes over about every 5 days, your taste buds change every two weeks, every day you shed over a million skin cells, the uterine wall for a woman sheds every month. We are constantly changing and from day to day we are never living in the same body. How will you begin the process of coming into relationship with your body and your gut for who they are and what they need today?

What to do after a big meal

7/5/2014

Happy Day after July 4th! You might have gone to a big BBQ yesterday, ate a lot of food, and now today feel perhaps sluggish, tired, bloated, and gassy. Additionally, often times after a large meal there is a judgmental voice that pops up. "Why did you do that?" "You are such a failure for eating that much." "I have to restrict what I eat today to make up for yesterday." "I have to go to the gym today and work this all off."

Do any of these sound familiar to you? This list goes on in terms of what that voice can say, but it is a voice that is loud, mean, and not looking after your health and well being.

So here are a couple of steps you can take after eating a big meal:

1. Focus on Emotional Nourishment

Being with friends and family nourishes us in a similar and different way than food. We can get filled up by the experience of being around loved ones. Chatting, catching up, funny stories, playing games, effect the way we digest our food. When you are being emotionally nourished by the situation your body is in a relaxation response and your digestive tract can handle any input of food easier. So as those voices pop up, redirect your thoughts toward how you were nourished by the situation. Often big meals are eaten in the company of others. Instead of focusing on how much you ate, reflect on how the people, the situation, the environment was ultimately very fulfilling.

2. Be gentle with yourself

Think of the negative, harsh, internal voice that arises after a large meal as your inner child. The more you ignore the fact they are whining, the louder they get. Listen to what your inner child is saying, rub their back, and tell them everything is going to be alright. The voices may still be there but you can acknowledge them and choose not to do anything about them. This can be an opportunity to delve deeper into what the voices are really trying to say. Is eating a large meal mean you deserve less love? Is feeling overly full mean that people won't like you anymore? Be super gentle with yourself after a large meal and think about what you can emotionally nourish yourself with throughout the day that doesn't have to do with restriction or self punishment. Take a bath, take a walk, listen to some music, call a friend, do something that nourishes your soul. It is all about coming back to self love.

3. Eat something fermented/take your probiotics

I of course had to add this in! After a big meal, there might have been a lot of sweets, sugar, or carbs that were consumed. By eating some kimchee, sauerkraut, taking a probiotic, drinking some Kevita, you will be flooding your gut with beneficial bacteria which will go to work to make sure those foods are not sitting in your stomach and fermenting. Getting in the good bacteria after a big meal will help keep your mood up and aid your belly in digesting all the yummy food you just ate. Additionally if you take your probiotic with a glass of water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in it you will increase your stomach acid to also help break down the large meal.

And just remember every time we eat is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves. Every meal is a chance to explore our relationship with food and others. There is no judgment here. Be curious like a child and explore the situation with fascination and inquiry.

Cultivating Acceptance for All Ways of Eating

6/23/2014

I was a double major in theatre and psychology in Undergrad. My first day in one of my psychology classes, written in bold on the black board was do not diagnose yourself, others, your friends, or your family. The teacher went on to explain that by the end of this course we will think we have every disorder and so does everyone around us. It was a great way to start the course and remind us that knowledge is power but it can be misinterpreted and abused.

There is so much information on nutrition out there on the internet and in books that those who have not gone to school for nutrition are starting to give advice to those around them on what they should be eating. Sure, there is the basic advice like eat more whole foods and vegetables that can be helpful. But, lets face it. We honestly don't know all the facets of what causes health in a human being.

I have had to break out of "giving too much advice" myself and learn to rely on my own client's gut intuition and body wisdom for what they know does and does not work for them. We hear stories every day of individuals living until they are 100 and they did nothing special in particular to live that long. We have studied centenarian cultures and the reasons they live so long are a mixture of components, nutrition only being a small piece.

Several people I've known in the health and nutrition world, who ate well, practiced yoga, and meditated got cancer and passed away. So the next time you read the latest health article, take it with a grain of salt. The very next day, month, year the same researchers may come out with another research contradicting everything they once said. Thus, there is no need to compare the way we eat to another human being. What causes health for one person may cause sickness for another.

So let's stop comparing, judging, and shaming others for what they choose to nourish themselves with. The only person who knows what is best for them is that person.

Are you nourished by conversation?

6/6/2014

I get really excited about things. Ethan, my boyfriend, often compares me to a dog when I get really excited because I can't contain myself. I want to pounce on the opportunity, the conversation, the situation. I get so wrapped up in the moment that I can forget about waiting my turn to speak and being patient with my surroundings.

Furthermore, I grew up in a family where I am the youngest of 3 and the only girl. So I constantly felt like I had to interrupt to be heard over two very entertaining and loud brothers. This continues to show up in my life now.

I try to be kind and compassionate with myself when I notice I am getting super excited and want to speak when it is not my turn or feeling the urge to interrupt someone else to make sure I get my point across. I'll admit, this is a constant practice for me, both to pause and take a breath and to be kind and compassionate toward myself. But, something that has helped (besides talking to myself to either calm myself down or tell my inner child that they will be heard eventually) is to start to focus on what the other person is saying.

I teach my clients that we are not just nourished by what we are eating but also by our surroundings and environment. A conversation can satiate you just the same way a meal can when you are really hungry. When we slow down, not just with our meals, but with our friends and family we get the chance to enjoy their company and truly listen to what they are saying. When we sit and listen to what someone else has to say we can then process that information easier and digest that experience thoroughly because we were truly present and not in our heads thinking about the next things that we want to say.

Greek Philosopher Epictetus said: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

When I am able to listen with both my ears, my excitement does not diminish but it gets contained; it becomes more manageable in the moment so that I can stay present with myself and those around me. This feels more nourishing in the end. When we are able to be nourished and satiated by our conversation with others, we feel connected to our surroundings and thus more connected to ourselves.