What are you ingesting?
Aloha!
Besides ingesting heaps of salt water while swimming with the dolphins in Hawaii, I ingested warm sunshine, rainbows, the best fish burrito ever, a muddy hike, swimming with manta rays, seeing a whale breech and spending quality time with my fellow adventure seekers.
Before we headed out to swim, we had fresh papaya or star fruit and then we would create meals that helped us feel supported. We followed the 3-Steps and kept the Combined Meals at a minimum (most days:). One of my favorite meals that made my mind and body feel amazing, which I also brought leftovers on the plane and a fellow mermaid has already re-created, is this edamame pasta with pesto and portobello mushrooms. We bought organic edamame noodles from Costco along with their pesto. I added some homemade vegan pesto made with macadamia nuts, fresh basil, avocado oil, garlic, volcano sea salt and pepper. If you want to check out the local Hawaiian brands, head to this Instagram Post showing the gift bag treasures.
How do we know that what we are ingesting is right for us?
Should we eat fruit everyday? Should we NOT eat meat or only eat meat? She we eat all fat or no fat? Should we Intermittent Fast everyday or organically? (hint hint).
All of these have merit, however NOT just ONE of them is correct. If you are trying to follow a program perfectly and it is taking its toll on you, then you are ingesting TOO MUCH information which affects you mentally, emotionally and physically. I so remember when I spent ALL of my energy trying to eat perfectly. I wasn’t happy, didn’t feel great, always had aches and pains and was extra moody:) How about we try a new approach to discover what is right for our bodies at the RIGHT time. When we discover which one of these philosophies work for us in the present moment, we are GOLDEN.
Step 3: Heal:
Helps us connect to our bodies and digestion by observing our energy, sleep and bowel movements every day. After you eat you want to notice some of the same things I did when I ate the above pasta dish.
- My mouth was happy: Your taste buds want to experience VARIETY, pleasure and excitement. The freshness of the pesto with the texture of the noodles was a hit.
- My stomach felt flat: When you eat and notice you feel bloated right away, you are not breaking down that meal well in your stomach and your small intestine isn’t absorbing the nutrients. When you eat and feel your stomach is doing its job and you are not left bloated, your stomach acid and intestinal walls are less inflamed. Also, keep that meal in your weekly/bi-weekly rotation for awhile.
- You have extra energy to do the dishes: I was cooking like a wonder-woman during the retreat and each meal gave me more energy so I could keep cleaning and creating. If you want to lay down right away, no big deal, do so and lay on your left side. It may not be the meal but other variables such as stress, caffeine, some sugar that snuck in or just life.
- You poop right when you wake up: Every morning I woke up and looked out my window and said good morning Hawaii & ocean. There were a few mornings at the beginning I didn’t feel the urge, and then after our amazing meals and extra swimming, the urge was there and that makes for an extra great day. If you need coffee or other routines to get your bowel moving, that is ok, just try to add in extra water, probiotics, papaya or enzymes, laying on your left side and a piece of fruit to help your body go on its own.
- Glowing skin: When your insides are receiving nutrients then your skin will benefit. Besides the Hawaii vibe and humidity, my skin never felt better. How can we have this feeling all year around and no matter where you live? Use skin care products that are natural without ANY crappy ingredients. Be careful, so many products say they are natural and are not. Find someone you trust or tune into people who are making their own.
If you are ready to ingest more goodness, it is time for the Spring RESET! This 3-week program will help you clear out some food items, thoughts, beliefs and habits that are not supporting you. This program is for YOU to discover and learn more about how your body responds to certain foods. During week 1, we gently remove some foods that may causing inflammation and we focus on Protein Meals (VEGETARIAN friendly). During week 2, we focus on the Vegetarian Meals, while we add in self care practices and observe true hunger. Week 3, you bring some of your favorite foods back in and observe how they effect YOUR body.
