Search Results for: sleep

5 Healthy Habits for Optimal Sleep

Baby AsleepMy clients are sometimes surprised to hear that I place so much emphasis on a good night’s sleep.

They wonder what sleep has to do with their food sensitivities and digestive health.

And that’s a great question!

When you think about the purpose of sleep, the primary role is to rest and repair – so that your body can function optimally come morning.

If you consistently go to bed too late, or wake up early, or your sleep is interrupted – your body can’t fully restore itself.

So you end up feeling sluggish and hungrier than usual, and start making poor food choices because your blood sugar is out of whack, and it’s all because you didn’t get enough sleep.

And yes – you might also gain weight!

(With a tendency to hang on to those extra pounds, no matter how hard you try to lose them).

Of course, nothing exists in a vacuum, and developing healthy sleep habits is just one part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

So pick one habit from the list below, and let’s get started!

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A “Sleepless In Seattle” Anomaly

Seattle MediumI was watching the movie “Sleepless In Seattle” the other day (for the umpteenth time) – and found myself caught up in the following exchange:

The Meg Ryan character, Annie Reed, was explaining to her mother how she met her fiancé Walter.

Seems there was a mix-up with their lunch orders.

Walter – who’s allergic to everything – had ordered a Tomato Sandwich on white bread.

Annie had ordered a Tomato Sandwich on whole wheat

According to Annie, here’s what happened:

“One day we both ordered sandwiches from the same place, and he got my Lettuce & Tomato on Whole Wheat – which, of course, he was allergic to – and I got his Lettuce & Tomato on White”

In other words, Walter was allergic to whole wheat bread, but not white bread.

I mean, is that even possible?

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How To Get a Good Night’s Sleep

candlestick from the bedAt the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England – there is an enormous bed on display.

It always attracts a crowd.

The bed is known as the “Great Bed of Ware”.

What makes it so fascinating?

Well, for starters, it’s particularly ornate and extremely old.

And it really is LARGE.

In fact, it was known to have slept up to ten people at one time!

Odd as that may sound, back in the late 16th century this wasn’t so unusual.

You see, the idea of a separate bedroom as we know it today, did not exist yet.

In fact, people typically spent every aspect of their day in one room – eating, living and sleeping.

A bed was multi-purpose, as was pretty much all furniture, and easily transportable.

(Except for the Great Bed of Ware, I’d venture to guess).

And why so many people in one bed, you might be wondering?

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5 Ways to Kick-Start Your Health

Almonds and avocado slicesSometimes it can feel downright overwhelming to get your health back on track!

You want to eat better – and you’ve tried – but despite your best efforts it still isn’t happening.

You try to go to bed earlier, but get sidelined watching a favorite late-night show on TV.

Or, you’re convinced that you do your best work late at night. (more on that later).

You have days, perhaps, when you really feel like crap – and that’s when you tell yourself (again) that you really, really need to get a handle on things.

We’ve all had days like that, right?

Yet even when you know better, it’s often hard to begin.

My advice?

Slow down. Take baby steps.

Pick one of the following, to start – yes, just 1! (After all, you have to start somewhere).

 

Clean Up Your Diet

This alone does several things, since removing inflammatory foods like gluten, sugar and even dairy helps to:
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3 Common Myths of Environmental Toxins

GMOThere are lots of myths out there about environmental toxins, detoxing, and whether or not it’s even a necessary thing to worry about.

So, let’s jump right in and discuss these, one by one. (and be sure to check out the Special Invite at the very end...)

 

MYTH #1

My Body Is Designed to Rid Itself of Toxins – Without Any Help From Me

This particular myth is, in part, true.

Your body is designed to detoxify it’s internal environment, and it accomplishes this task through various specific pathways:

  • Your Skin (i.e. sweat)
  • Your Digestive tract (i.e. elimination)
  • Your Kidneys
  • Your Liver

In fact, your liver is the powerhouse for the entire detoxification process.

However, it’s also where things can go wrong.

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W Is For Weakest Link

W - PINK WIG 2Halloween is behind us, yes – so why the pink wig?

After all, isn’t November about pumpkins, turkey and gratitude, as evidenced by Thanksgiving preparations?

For anyone with food sensitivities – diagnosed or not – the holidays can present a landmine of challenges. (Challenges or Opportunities? I’ll let you decide….)

Could you be one of those ‘unlucky’ ones, doomed by your genetic blueprint?

Here’s the ONE BIG take-away I have for you today:   your genes are completely malleable!

Yes, its true! Your genes literally get turned ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ by various things in your environment, be it from food, lack of sleep or chemical exposure. This is where personal vulnerability comes in – as in “W is for Weakest Link”.

As you’ll discover in this video, your ‘weakest link’ could be your:

  • Thyroid
  • Hormones
  • Joints
  • Gut
  • Brain
  • Weight

What will it be for YOU? (Of course, it’s a bit of a catch-22, since you won’t actually know until symptoms appear).

To learn more, & receive the most up-to-date, in-depth information regarding all things related to Gluten SensitivityAutoimmune Disease, Inflammation & more – be sure to watch my educational video series “A Gluten Primer – Everything You Wanted to Know From A – Z“. It’s available FREE on my bi-weekly newsletter, but you can have immediate access to all 26 videos – plus a full, 2-hour Tutorial here.

U Is For Unaware

U - UNAWAREThis past weekend, I listened to an amazing interview with Joe Cross.

In case his name doesn’t ring a bell, Joe Cross is the hero of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead – he turned his life around by going on a juice fast.

As he puts it, the food you put in your body is information. If you’re starving yourself of the RIGHT fuel (aka food), is it any surprise that things go wrong?

The thing is, 70% of all disease is caused by lifestyle choices – not your genes!

What are those choices? They include things like: what you eat and drink, what your sleep patterns are, how much exercise you get (or not), whether you smoke – and also how you manage stress.

Which leads me to this question:

How connected are YOU to how you’re living your life?

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Is Removing Gluten Always The Answer?

Celiac Disease concept. Book with stethoscope and pills.Should you remove gluten from your diet? (I get asked this question a lot).

The short answer is “It depends”.

What do I mean by this? In a nutshell, it depends on what’s going on in your body.

It depends on the signs and symptoms you’re experiencing.

And it also depends on your test results!

Of course, if your tests come back negative, then you’re in the clear – at least for the time being – more on that later.

But it’s super important that you get the RIGHT tests!

You don’t want to stop there, either.

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How To Find Your Path & Stick With It

Tree blocking the roadDoes this sound like you?

First of the year, you vowed to lose a few pounds – and transition to a healthier way of eating.

But nine months later, you’re exactly where you were on Day 1.

To make matters worse, you just got back from vacation – and all your health goals seemingly fell by the wayside.

You’re beyond frustrated (yet again) that you ate all this junky food and now feel like crap from the over-indulgence – too many desserts, snack foods, and alcohol.

Now you’re regretting it big-time!

Chances are your digestive system is also out of whack because you’ve been eating things you wouldn’t normally eat. You’re paying for it with daily heartburn, indigestion – and an extra 10 pounds.

All this despite your goal this year, to do at least ONE of the following:

  • Make healthier food choices
  • Transition to an anti-inflammatory diet, by removing gluten & sugar (because you know you’ll feel better)
  • Identify which foods you’re sensitive to – to help calm your immune system
  • Lose weight
  • Mange stress by focusing on self-care (e. all of the above)

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Pros & Cons of the Paleo Diet

Fresh raw salmon fillets on cutting boardSeems hardly a day goes by, that I don’t hear of someone else who’s embarked on the Whole 30 diet, or ‘gone Paleo.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Paleo trend, it’s based on the concept that you’re going back to an ancestral diet – the way Nature intended you to be eating all along.

In other words, you’re eating the way your long-ago ancestors ate prior to the introduction of agriculture.

What this translates to – is that you’re foregoing many modern foods you’ve become accustomed to eating, in particular grains, legumes, and – depending on the plan you choose to follow – an absence of potatoes, alcohol and sugar.

If that seems overwhelming to you, I’ve been hearing over and over of the positive experiences people are having.

More energy. Less inflammation. Fewer aches and pains.

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