EAT

3 More Environmental Toxin Myths Debunked

September 16, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

There are lots of myths circulating about environmental toxicants, detoxing, and whether or not it’s even a necessary thing to worry about.

You can read Part I of this conversation here.

I like to be thorough, if nothing else – leaving no stone unturned!

MYTH #4 – I’ve Already Switched to BPA-Free Plastic

That’s wonderful – you’re already ahead of the curve!

Unfortunately, I fell for the exact same marketing spin when I first learned about BPA in plastic.

I went out and bought all new plastic containers – looking for the tell-tale stickers that said “BPA-Free”.

I thought I was safe.

But guess what?

Manufacturers are smart. They know to replace BPA with something else – other chemicals with names like BPF, or BPS.

Your Body’s Wisdom – Invitation or Threat?

August 5, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

“Symptoms are a signal from the body that it is imbalanced, in distress, or in need of support.”

Kelly Brogan, MD

Your body has it’s own innate inner wisdom.

In other words, with a little help from you – it has the ability to heal (you just need to give it what it needs).

How do you know what your body needs most?

You listen!

What signs and symptoms are your experiencing? How debilitating are they? Are you in pain, or is it more of a nagging discomfort that keeps you from enjoying your life to it’s fullest?

Got No Willpower?

July 8, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

When it comes to tempting treats – do you firmly believe you have zero willpower?

Are you convinced this lack of control mean you’re deficient as a human being?

Or equally bad, that there’s something terribly wrong with you?

Well, here’s the good news: there might be a perfectly logical explanation for your apparent ‘lack of willpower’!

And it all comes back to your diet and the state of your digestion.

Let me explain.

On a deep, physiological level, it’s possible that your body isn’t absorbing the nutrients it needs, and this can happen for a number of reasons.

The most common ones would be a poor diet, or a flawed digestive system – either one of which can lead to a leaky gut.

Not to mention a host of other problems – including nutrient deficiency! (You could literally be ‘starving’ – and not even know it.)

What You Know In Your Gut

June 10, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

We all know about gut instinct.

It’s that inner compass that guides you day in and day out – even when you choose to disregard it’s message.

Most of the time, it’s ‘spot on’ – helping you determine whether something might be harmful to you, or not – be it another person, a situation, or even the foods you choose to eat.

You can either honor that innate directive in the moment it occurs or ignore it completely.

All to often you might choose the latter – despite knowing, on a gut level that you really ought to pay attention!

The thing is, you have a direct gut-brain connection in your body – with these two seemingly distinct entities constantly in communication with each other.

Yet while your thinking brain knows how to separate fact from fiction – the brain in your gut (literally your 2nd brain) doesn’t have that ability.

Gluten-Sensitivity & Celiac Disease – Should You Be Tested?

May 13, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you regularly experience any of these symptoms?

Digestive Complaints
Cramps, Bloating or Gas
Constipation
Diarrhea
Headaches or Migraines
Sinus Congestion
Joint Pain
Rash or Itching
Insomnia
Chemical Sensitivity
Memory Loss
Osteoporosis
Weight Gain
Mood Swings

Perhaps you know others who do?

While this list is by no means comprehensive, the thing to note is that NONE of these symptoms are NORMAL!

It’s also why it’s critically important to take a closer look at what you’re eating – and to know whether you have Celiac Disease – or non-celiac Gluten sensitivity.

While food sensitivities would also be great to test for, you want to rule out gluten first and foremost.

Here’s why:

Gluten-Related Disorders are known to be the cause behind almost every disease, or symptom within the human body – neurological disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, – especially anything related to your thyroid – plus common age-related diseases such as osteoporosis.

3 Simple Reasons to Cook at Home

April 15, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you hate to cook?

Given a choice, would you far prefer to dine out than take time to prepare a healthy meal at home?

Better still, do you think it would be totally awesome if someone else did all the cooking for you?

That last one does sound awesome, I admit.

Yet the truth is, nothing beats cooking your own food! And here’s why:

You’ll Save Money

Do you balk at the price of organic produce?

Perhaps you’ve even convinced yourself that only the ‘elite’ can afford to eat “that way”?

Are You Starving?

March 18, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you ever have days when your cravings seem totally out of control?

Let’s say you’ve been gluten-free for awhile now, and you have no trouble sticking with that. You also try to steer clear of processed foods, and grains – either whole or refined – as much as possible.

Truth be told, you’re really proud of yourself for doing such an amazing job keeping your diet really ‘clean’!

But you’ve found there’s a catch.

If you decide to have a piece of gluten-free cake, you aren’t able to stop at just one slice.

If you buy potato chips, or bake cookies, you devour the entire bag (or batch) without skipping a beat. Chances are, you’re also REALLY hard on yourself afterwards, for caving to your cravings.

What’s going on?

In a nutshell, you could be starving!

Let’s Chew On This (or How to Take Care of Your 2nd Brain)

February 19, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Do you remember the mantra about taking time to chew your food?

Chances are, it was your grandmother who proffered this advice, the idea being that you chew thoroughly, at every meal. (My husband’s grandmother had a hard and fast rule to chew each bite exactly 33 times).

Do you scoff at the very thought? Do you also firmly believe that you don’t have TIME to chew every.single.bite – or you’d never leave the table?

Well, guess what?

It turns out your grandmother was right all along!

Chewing your food thoroughly is such a critical part of the digestive process, because it primes your stomach and your digestive juices for the task ahead.

Not only that, the entry point of your meal – your mouth – is also where the Gut-Brain connection happens!

What do I mean by that?

Your gut and your brain are closely connected – to the point that what happens in your gut affects your brain, and vice versa. [Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, HEALTH & WELLNESS Tagged With: chewing, digestion, digestive juices, gluten-free, gut health, gut-brain connection, indigestion, mealtime, second brain, stress, taste buds, weight loss

5 Simple Ways to Kick-Start Your Health

January 29, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

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).

Jump-start your digestion

Hardly a day goes by, that I don’t hear another tip for what you absolutely MUST do first thing in the morning.

Is Giving Up Gluten the Key to Weight Loss?

January 22, 2016 By Karen Leave a Comment

Have you been swept up in the first-of-the-year battle to lose weight?

Perhaps this has been a year-long struggle for you, but post holidays you’re not only 10 pounds heavier – you’re also bloated and still suffering from indigestion, due to all your holiday indulgences.

Given this common scenario, it’s no surprise that come January 1, a lot of people jump on the weight loss bandwagon.

The media will tell you that weight gain is all about calories and exercise and I’m here to tell you that just isn’t true.

The thing is, I’d like to see you actually lose weight this year!

And also banish those tummy troubles (instead of just talking about it).

Are you up for that?

If you’ve recently vowed that this is the year you’ll finally lose those extra pounds – welcome on board!

However, if you’ve also been told that the only sure-fire way to lose weight is to stop eating gluten, let me break this down for you.