Sometimes 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:
- Put out the fire in your belly
- Heal your digestion
- Boost your energy (although it can take awhile to get there)
- Leave you with clear, glowing skin
- And lots more…
I share about gluten throughout A Gluten Primer – Everything You Wanted to Know From A-Z, my educational video series that’s meant to teach about the many ways that gluten can undermine your health. One of the key signaling pathways in your digestive tract is actually triggered every time you eat gluten – this pathway is controlled by a protein called Zonulin. It sounds like a new-agey thing or a visitor from Mars, but I assure you it is neither.
Rather, zonulin controls the opening and closing of the tight junctions in your gut, that determine which substances can pass through or not. Remember: you want only the RIGHT nutrients to pass through your gut lining – not undigested molecules of food, bacteria or toxins.
In this respect, zonulin is the ultimate gate-keeper – and removing gluten from your diet can be a game-changer!
Fall in love with your Kitchen
Probably the best thing you could for your body – hands down – is to cook your own food at home.
I wrote about this at length here, but the important thing to remember is that preparing homemade meals does these 3 things for you:
- You’ll save money – surprising, but it’s true. (It also means you’ll be able to afford organic produce)
- You’ll know exactly what you’re eating – absolutely essential if you have Celiac disease, or food sensitivities and need to avoid those harmful foods at all costs
- Your digestion will improve! (Are you noticing a theme, here?)
Having that level of control over everything you eat is a very good thing – especially when your health is at stake.
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins
This is a big one.
It’s also a rather broad category – not unlike overhauling your entire diet.
In other words, the very subject can seem so overwhelming that it’s easy to tell yourself “a little bit can’t hurt”.
Wrong!
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again – a little bit can indeed hurt.
Especially when it comes to certain chemicals in your environment – the very ones that trick your hormones into misbehaving, causing weight gain and all kinds of havoc – that’s where you really want to pay attention.
If you were lucky enough to tune into my webinar “The Skinny On Chemicals & Weight Gain – Why Everyday Products could Be Making You Fat” – you’re already a few steps ahead. (Awesome, indeed!)
This is one area where I really love to step into your kitchen, so to speak – and take stock.
It’s also where an Extreme Pantry Makeover comes in.
Why not leave the hard work to an expert? (Please contact me to schedule)
Get plenty of sleep!
Yes, that means going to bed on time!
I cover this, at length, in my Healthy Aging Toolkit – so this might be a good time for you to go back and review
Real quick though, if you’re on your computer, or watching TV late into the night – a chemical reaction takes place in your body, that is counter-productive to a good night’s sleep.
In short, your brain gets confused, and is tricked into thinking it’s morning – when it isn’t!
(If you’ve ever gotten a “second wind” late at night – this is exactly why).
In the moment, you feel so energized, you feel like it’s a good thing; in fact, you could easily stay up for another hour or two.
Maybe more.
But that’s the WORST thing you could do – especially if you’re trying to lose weight!
Make a commitment to yourself to turn off all devices – and I do mean all – at least one hour before bed.
Give yourself time to simply relax, and unwind from the events of your day.
Open your windows
Would it surprise you to hear that indoor air pollution can be up to 50% worse than outdoor air pollution?
It’s true!
Although an exception might be for those who live in the heart of a big city, or near an industrial factory, my point is this:
Newer homes especially, are built to be air-tight – all in the interest of energy efficiency.
And while there’s nothing wrong with that kind of environmental awareness – what’s happening as a result, is that you may have inadvertently created a rather toxic indoor environment.
What’s contributing to this indoor air pollution?
Everything from your paint, carpet, cleaning supplies, toiletries, electronics and lots more – either through the effects of “off-gassing” or a series of chemical reactions going on 24/7 that break things down into house dust.
In other words – you’re breathing it in all the time. (It’s why I place so much emphasis on reducing your exposure.)
Starting today, why not begin a new habit and open your windows?
Bring in the fresh air!
Or – in a metaphorical sense – why not welcome in the opportunities that await you?
To learn more, & receive the most up-to-date, in-depth information regarding all things related to Gluten Sensitivity, Autoimmune 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.
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