You deserve a personally tailored diet
Have you had your saliva, hair or blood cells analyzed under a microscope or in a lab to discover your imbalances, food allergies or other ailments? At first the new personally tailored program that included lists of supplements, what to eat and what not to eat may have offered some physical and mental relief. However, after a couple of months did you notice some of the initial symptoms return or are you still feeling uncertain about what to do next?
When I study my clients comprehensive lab results, I notice similar issues across the board. The most common are acute stress, essential fatty acid deficiency, malabsorption of minerals, a variety of digestive issues, dehydration, liver congestion, lack of quality sleep, low stomach acid and metabolic disorders. These all lead to the main culprits, adrenal fatigue, hormone imbalances, low energy, thyroid issues, high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, lack of mental cognition and a few other symptoms that lead to chronic disease. Instead of trying to focus on fixing the specific issues, try to support your body to gently adjust and heal.
For example, let’s look at digestion, my favorite and specialty. You eat something and are instantly bloated, craving sugar and have an energy slump. Was it just what you ate or an accumulation of things?
This amazing TED talk (below) nailed it! It is a combination of nutrition, microbes, LIFESTYLE and then genetics. They had 1,000 people log what they ate and tracked their individual blood glucose levels after meals. When different people ate the same food they each had different results, even with WHITE bread! It just wasn’t about how good each person was at handling glucose levels, it included the above variables. It isn’t just about the FOOD, it is ALL about the person. And get this, more people spiked eating rice THAN ice cream!
Our responses to food are personal. That is why Step 1: FEEL is so important. (Click here if you haven’t downloaded the 3-Steps) When you tune into your body and start observing the subtle sensations, these signals will start to let you know if today is a yes or no for ice cream.
For instance, my yes for ice cream usually includes:
- Haven’t consumed a lot of dairy for awhile.
- It is in the middle of the day and I haven’t eaten large meals.
- My stomach feels empty and my blood sugar feels balanced.
- I am with friends versus eating alone and stuffing down an emotion (which can be ok too:)
- It is fricken hot.
- It just feels right.
As you practice less judgement, you will be able to begin to FEEL your fears, emotions and thoughts that keep causing stress and resistance in your body ALL day long, and this isn’t just about the ice cream.
There are so many people following strict diets that take out fruit, starch, fat, meat and you name it. We deserve a wide spectrum of nutrition. Maybe just not the whole enchilada all in one day. (Now, I am craving an enchilada:)
How do we create your algorithm?
- JOURNAL: My favorite tool to help my clients become more intimate with their emotions and dietary needs is journaling. This tool can help you observe what days, weeks or months your body has different demands. For example, there is about 4-5 days of the month where I am hungrier or two days of the month where I want dates, now that these craves are in my awareness, I don’t judge them, control them or feel guilty, instead I get to eat! Try to feel the emotions and the different feelings you notice when you are hungry. Download the Conscious Nutrition journal here!
- Eat DIRTY! Change your bacteria: Dramatic changes (especially from stress) in your gut bacteria or microbiome cause weight gain. Bad bugs produce toxins called lipopolysacchardies (LPS) that trigger inflammation, insulin resistance or pre-diabetes and therefore, promote weight gain. Add in the good bacteria like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria from fermented veggies, MCT oils (Coconut oil), RAW and fresh veggies that make up minimum 50% of your plate and nuts and seeds that contain a special fiber called glucomannan. My favorite way to support my good bugs is a spoonful of fermented veggies during the day, especially when I feel a bit dehydrated and hungry.
- Measuring your glucose after meals: This idea may be off putting as it was for me at first. I have only tested my Fasting Blood Sugar first thing in the morning. But after one week I switched it up by meditating and drinking 16 oz of water first and this reduced my blood sugar by 10 points. Needless to say, my water and meditation practice are even more important to me. Now, after watching this Ted Talk from Eran Segal, I am excited to try testing my blood sugar after meals during the 2nd and 3rd week of the RESET. If you are not ready to take this on, no worries, you can still journal and observe if you notice any blood sugar changes by observing your mood and energy levels.
Please share any of your takeaways from this video, so we can all keep creating our own algorithms!
Cheers to the whole enchilada, yum.
Heather Fleming, C.C.N.
P.S. Let me know if you have any questions about how you can best approach the RESET for you!
P.S.S. For the ladies!! I am so excited to be a part of this amazing summit!
This summit is the one to sign up for!
For so long we have just been dealing with not feeling our best in hopes that someday it would all just go away and we would feel better.
But hormones don’t go away. Hormones fluctuate throughout the month and over the years. That is why it’s super important for our overall well-being and our sanity to support our hormones!
So when my friends Katie Bressack and Stasha Washburn asked me to be a part of their interview series the Womb Wellness Summit, I was overjoyed to not only share my message of Conscious Nutrition but to invite all of you to learn from other amazing experts in the women’s health and wellness field to help you feel supported and empowered on your journey.
Join us here to save your spot in the Womb Wellness Summit starting on Monday, October 1st.
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- Feel, Meal, Heal
- Vagus nerve as information superhighway
- How to handle cravings – feel those emotions first
- Shameless eating, lose the guilt!
- What to do when you’re afraid you’ll get fat