Dis-ease Within the Body Begins in the Gut
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You actually have control over the good bacteria in your gut: what you eat, the medications take, and your stress levels all impact your gut microbiota. Inflammation that happens in the gut is usually from food sensitivities (VERY different from food allergies). Food sensitivities can create a pro-inflammatory environment that causes bloating/gas/diarrhea or even constipation. Gut health also impacts your mood. 80%-90% of serotonin made in the body is made in the small intestine. This means that the neurotransmitter that makes you happy can be significantly diminished if you have a high amount of inflammation. Immunity lives in the gut as well: 2/3 of immune cells reside in the gut. This means that gut health can significantly positively impact your immunity.
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Chewing is one of the most important aspects of digestion and the only one that we actually have physical control over. When we take the time to chew our food before it travels down into the stomach, the smaller pieces are easier to digest and ultimately absorb. Larger chunks of food rely more on our digestive tract to do the work and larger undigested particles of food have a larger chance of disrupting our system.
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As you saw from your chocolate experiment, we have the tendency to put in the first bite before the next one is swallowed. Slow down today and chew. Enjoy.
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Action
What foods do you know immediately hurt your stomach? Are there certain foods or meals that you know hurt your body, but you ingest anyway?
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Questions to consider:
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What are your connections to these types of food?
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Is it the taste that you love?
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Is it connected to a beloved memory that you cherish?
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When your stomach hurts after eating, do you notice that perhaps you ate very fast without chewing?
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Think about where you are usually eating when your stomach hurts. In the car? At the dining room table? In front of the television or phone?
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Meal Plan Support
Tonight's dinner is the curried cauliflower soup and if you're finding yourself on a hot summer day that might not sound so good. Give it try cold or just slightly warmed. Or you can move to the PNW with JKB and eat soup year-round while wearing your puffy vest.
Mindfulness
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Dream Boarding
I love making a physical dream board; searching for the perfect words & images but that can take time. Instead, try a virtual dream board that can become a motivation lock screen or computer background. Being able to see your dreams as often as possible will help your focus and keep you motivated.
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Here's a great article with several options. I have personally used Canva in the past! Happy creating!
Self Care
Exercise is a great way to honor the power and strength of the physical body. It's can also be quick, cumulative, systematic, and FUN. Here are a few ways to add more exercise sneakily:
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10 counter push-ups every time you head to the bathroom!
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Dance party dinner prep!
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Wall sit while brushing your teeth!
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Lunge walk down a specific hallway!
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Park in the back of the lot and walk.
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Head to a playground and get involved in a game! Tag, soccer, football, swing, climb!
Health Hacks
Make a game around eating slowly. Talk about the importance of chewing with your kids. Put the fork down between bites and make sure you really chew each bite.
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How many bites does it take for your food to disappear?
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How small can you make your food before you swallow it?
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The slowest eater wins tonight's meal!
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