8 THINGS AFFECTING YOUR HEALTH THAT YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF (Part 2)
While processed foods can be a highly convenient option for a meal, they unfortunately are not the best for your health. Processed food causes increased Inflammation in the body. Think of inflammation as “noise”. When there is increased noise, this disrupts the communication our hormones and neurotransmitters are trying to give the cell. When there is improper communication, you can experience any number of symptoms.
When we eat a properly balanced meal with fiber, protein, fat, complex carbohydrates, this helps keep our blood sugar stable. When our blood sugar is stable this can keep us with sustained energy rather than the up and down rollercoaster of sugar cravings. An unstable blood sugar can contribute to anxiety therefore affecting your mood and energy levels.
Fiber, found in your fruits, veggies, and complex carbohydrates help feed our gut microbes which helps keep them happy and flourishing. When we feed our gut microbes, they produce post-biotics which are anti-inflammatory molecules that help lower inflammation and keep you healthy.
Solution Idea: This may sound trivial, but if your veggie fruit intake is low. Just start with 1 serving of a vegetable a day until you are able to build up to 5-7. 1 serving of a vegetable is ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Most individuals we see in clinic are severely deficient in vegetables :).
If you are eating in a rush, your digestion is not optimal. When we eat in a rush, our body senses threat. Everything comes down to what your body perceives! So if it perceives a threat, the blood flow goes away from the gut, because why digest your food when there is a tiger in the room? The blood flow needs to go to your extremities to run away from the tiger, not digest your food. So your body is smart, it downregulates your acid and enzyme production to conserve energy and directs it towards running. This is why healthy digestion requires adequate chewing which takes time (but also signals safety to the system), sitting cross-legged (so the blood flow can go to your gut), and
Solution Idea: Take 5 slow inhales and exhales before your meal to help shift you into parasympathetic aka “rest and digest” mode.
We are creatives! Everyone of us. However, oftentimes in our busy schedules, we often do not have time for creativity. Creativity was a way for us to express our emotions. Without expression, we are suppressing our emotions which is leading to major health issues. If we look at numerous cultures around the world, music, dance, chanting with community were built into daily lives. These were all non-cognitive ways to express our emotions and help mitigate the stressors of the day. With creativity and play, you are activating the ventral vagal portion of the nervous system which helps give the signal of safety to your nervous system. This allows you to repair properly.
Solution Idea: just put on any music you like and freestyle dance, sing, hum, or try drawing, painting, playing an instrument.
Oftentimes people think emotions are signs of weakness but they are brilliant messengers that are interpreting the environment and your interactions. They give us important information about our internal state. Emotions are not just some “fluffy” concept. There is a chemical component to them which have a very real physiological response in our bodies. Oftentimes we ignore the sensations and feelings in our body in the face of productivity or to mask it to not seem weak.
Solution Idea: Check in with yourself, a couple times a day just to feel what you are feeling in your body. No need to label anything or get cognitive about it. This simple exercise is building your brain/body connection and giving you a chance to tune into yourself.
Start your journey to a healthier, balanced life by enrolling in our course to heal your symptoms and understand your nervous system
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