Changing our minds about ourselves

Every day is an opportunity to change our minds about how we see ourselves.   I have had some times recently this summer where I have felt "less than" because I gained some unsightly (unsightly to ME...my husband still thinks I am hot) fat and started feeling less than thrilled with my appearance.  Knowing intellectually that the way I look on the outside is no reflection of my internal self,  I made myself feel worse by giving myself a hard time about it.  Normal right?  NOT.  So I used a dry erase marker on my mirror a few days ago to write the words "Your thoughts create your reality".    In typical "Carmen" fashion I use every thought and experience in my life to find a way out of negative behavior and thinking.  This little message (so far)  has been a great tool for reminding me that I AM in charge of my life.  I can make it or break it "so to speak".
Every day is also a chance to change your mind about what your day will bring.   The most useful tool I have ever found is to be in the moment by stopping & centering yourself with three good breaths with my eyes closed and remembering a message that resonates with you (like my mirror mantra).  After you have done that only then should you make decisions, only then react to situations with your kids, only then speak with your spouse when they make you mad,  and only then tell yourself a story about how you look.  

 Too many times our minds are programmed to send us messages that we aren't even aware we are sending.  No amount of calorie restriction, no amount of meditation, no amount of praise from our spouses or partners will change how we feel about ourselves until we stop the damaging internal dialogue by stopping and being present for ourselves with a quiet awareness that allows us to praise ourselves.  Praise for what great parents we are, what wonderful husbands or wives we are (even when we are mad), what great friends we can be (even if we don't send a card for every birthday), what great kids we are (even if our parents have passed away we honor them by presenting ourselves to the world in a positive way), and what great humans we are by living honestly and ethically and lovingly on this earth.



This isn't a long post about health...it's just a reminder that no matter our gender or status in our community, no matter the size of our home or the kind of car we drive....we owe it to ourselves to be first and foremost loving and accepting of ourselves.  Our higher power would not be pleased if we acted any other way.  So as I wake tomorrow and get focus back in my eyes after putting my contacts in the message will be the same "Your thoughts create your reality".   I hope to go about my day with a sense of awareness that I have some control over my day.  I hope to breathe deeply and take time before I react or respond.  But if I don't?  I hope to not judge myself harshly either.

In peace,

Cfh

My life has taken on a new kind of busy since going back to school for integrative nutrition.  Two jobs, school, a young child and husband and 5 animals, a home to clean and food to cook are all on my lists of to do's every day.  When the weekend rolls in I get to scratch off one of the jobs and it feels like a vacation.  Wait...I forgot to mention myself.  Did I forget to say that I was on that list too?  Well I am...I make time every day to do something for me.  I work out 4 days a week, sit with a good book, pet my dogs, do my EmWave 2 and enjoy bringing stress down by breathing from my heart or just brew a cup of tea and sit listening to music.  

Taking time to concentrate on yourself is SO important.  It helps us Moms to not feel bitter about being sucked dry of all our energy.  It puts fuel back in our creative tank to decompress and not snap at our kids who are learning from our examples every day.   We are not supposed to give and give and give until we have nothing left for ourselves.  It has taken me many years to learn this and to know I am not a better mother or super woman if I don't stop and plug myself into the to do list.  

Some people may think it's selfish to spend time doing something you love thats completely for YOU and no one else.  I disagree and if you ask my family how much nicer mom is when she has had time for herself they would agree.  This is your permission slip to do something for you today....10 minutes is all you have?  It's plenty to unplug and gather your intentions.  Do it.  Your family will thank you.

In health,

Cfh

Joy thief

What is a joy thief? Something that we allow to steal the happiness from our lives.   The joy thief for women can come in the form of a scale and is followed by a thought that can make or break our day.

How did we get to be such an image obsessed society?  Obsessed with our weight, how we look, what we are wearing, how we look in comparison to another person or even to our OLD selves!  How did the outside become so much more important than the inside?   Having been a pretty scrawny kid I never really thought much about weight or how I looked compared to other kids.  I think it crept up on me when I got into junior high school and it stayed with me for the next 20+ years.  I remember when my obsession with losing weight started.  I was about 25 and had been living a pretty "hard" life for many years.  Drinking and eating whatever and whenever I wanted.  Working at Outback Steakhouse gave me free reign of whatever I wanted to eat...and whenever.  I tried to run away from the inevitable aging process as time went by.  I would end up working out over 3 hours a day.  Before I met my husband my routine was pretty brutal:  Get up at 4:00 a.m. go to spin class at 5:00, take a kickboxing class at 6:00 and then work until 5:00 and go back to the gym from 5:30-7:00 pm.  Did my body change?  Not much.  Was I in good shape?  Not as good as I should have been for all that exercise!  Since then I have learned so much about how damaging too much exercise can be.   Click here on articles about how too much exercise can be a bad idea

 The older I get, the more things head south (GRAVITY sucks!)  and the less control I have over hormonal havoc on my midsection....the more damaging it is for me to focus so much on the external.  It is extremely stressful to our mind and body to worry so much about the way we look.   Of course I still have hang ups...things I wouldn't mind to be different about my body.  But what I am realizing is that I only want these things to be different when I am comparing myself with others or thinking about what others must think of me!   When I am going about my day; walking my dogs, playing with my kid, hanging out with my husband, working with clients I feel completely fine about myself with no hang ups at all.  It's the more vulnerable times like at the pool around other people, dressed up to go out with friends who have much better fashion sense than me, being at an event where looking good is "required".  Those are the times where the joy thief sneaks in and grabs my happiness.  Well I am working hard to change that from here on out.  I know I don't need a compliment from someone else to make me feel good about myself...instead I will continue to work out appropriately and be grateful for my body's ability to lift heavy things.  I don't have to have expensive trendy clothes like most women...instead I will be grateful I HAVE clothes when so many people struggle to afford anything nice to wear.  I will stop looking at other women and wondering how they look so good eating junk and doing nothing...instead I will be thankful that I have so much knowledge to be healthy and know how to nourish my body properly.  Last but not least when I get a compliment I will not automatically think of the other things that my body needs help with...I will be grateful and say thank you.  At least I will try.

The body believes the mind....so if you're mind tells your body it is fat, unattractive and flabby the body will never change.  Let's make a collective effort to change our minds...shall we?

Molly Galbraith has struggled with her weight and has some great blog posts about it here and here
This one I recently shared on my Facebook page is worth reading. Find it here

In good health,

Cfh

Eat real food....

I get a lot of questions about food and health.  A LOT.  Nutrition and health are such complex subjects I fear I may relay the wrong information if I don't verify my facts so my famous line is "Let me get back to you" when those moments arise.  Being a certified wellness coach and student of integrative nutrition only helps me to be an avenue of information for anyone wanting to learn...but by no means makes me an expert.  I too am a student of life...learning every day.  So I am writing this post to break things down a little.  I am going to use the famous quote by Greg Glassman the founder of Crossfit.

"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.  Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat"

Simple enough?

The very first thing I want to cover before diving into that sentence is digestion.  If your digestion is unhealthy you can eat a perfect food plan every day and it won't matter.  The nutrients won't reach the cells if digestion is compromised.  The basic steps to good digestion are as follows:

1.  Sit and eat.  The very first step in digestion is for your brain to acknowledge your food so the proper signals can be sent out to start creating enzymes.
2.  Chew.  Yep....chewing is super important.  Breaking down the food for digestion by chewing properly helps your digestive tract to not work as hard and can help you save your energy for other things.
3.  Don't drink while you eat.  Drinking while you eat reduces the important stomach acid that helps to break everything down.
4.  Remove top inflammatory foods to secure the integrity of your gut lining:  gluten, sugar, seed oils, soy, other grains.

Rule of thumb:  If you can't see through the package you probably shouldn't eat it.  If it comes in a package it should have minimal whole food ingredients.

5.  Recognize and treat any digestive issues. This may come in the form of constipation or diarrhea, gas or bloating after meals.  It is not normal to go more than a day without a quality movement and it is not normal to have gas after eating...even after eating cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli.
Digestive issues can also show up in other areas such as joint pain, rashes, acne and fatigue.

To ensure digestive health reduce stress, especially while eating.  Being stressed takes a lot of energy from the body and there is less left for digestion.  It also reduces stomach acid.

If you suffer from recurring infections, auto immune disease, allergies or even mood disorders such as depression look at the gut.  75% of your immune system resides in the gut and 90% or more of your serotonin is made in the gut (not the brain after all!).  So do you have a sick gut?  You may have a sick immune system and sick brain too.

So let's move on to the first part of Glassmans statement where he says:

"Eat Meat and Vegetables"

Macronutrients and why they matter:

Macronutrient #1:  

Protein

 This is a nutrient that is needed by the body for maintenance and growth.  Proteins are the MOST abundant molecule in the body and can be found in almost every cell.  Protein is especially important for muscle growth.

Where to get it:  
Animal products hands down are the best sources of protein.

1.  Grass fed and pastured sources of meat are recommended for the nutrient value, humane treatment and omega 3 content.   This includes grassfed beef and bison, pastured pork, chickens and eggs.
Grass fed and pastured means the animal has not been caged and has been allowed to eat their natural diet (grain is NOT natural to these animals!) and that they have lived a peaceful life.  If you have to go with conventional meats from the grocery store make sure it's a lean cut to minimize the amount of omega 6's.  It's not that you want to completely avoid omega 6 fatty acids...you just needs a good balance.  Keeping iron stores up is important and "heme" or animal based products are the best source of iron.

2.  Wild Caught fish and seafood are preferable to farm raised.  Wild caught seafood is allowed to live in their natural environment and not fed protein filled pellets and sprayed with pesticides and chemicals.

3.  Vegetarian sources would be things like fermented soy products, Spirulina and Quinoa (only if you tolerate grains). I recommend avoiding unfermented soy products whenever possible.  Soy is a phytoestrogen that mimics estrogen in humans.  The last thing you want is too much estrogen!  If you need proof that soy is bad for you read "The Whole Soy Story" by Kayla Daniels

4.  Dairy is another source of protein but only if you tolerate it.  If you suffer from digestive distress of any kind after eating dairy explore lactose intolerance.
Otherwise quality grassfed cheese and high fat yogurt are good choices.

5.  Protein Powder falls under supplements which I will address in that section.

How much protein:  
This is very individual.  How much a person needs depends on their level of activity and overall state of health.  A very active person needs more protein than a sedentary person.  Elderly and injured people need more protein as well.  The go to rule for athletes is 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  If you don't see the muscle gains you want increase it a bit...closer to the 2 grams.  If you are having digestive upset...decrease it to a comfortable level.

Macronutrient #2 

Fat

What it is:  
Fat is an essential nutrient that insulates our organs, regulates our hormones and protects our brains.  There are several types of fat but the kind of fat we are concerned with today is saturated fat.
The body prefers fat for fuel. The kind of fat I am talking about is saturated fat and Medium Chain Triglycerides. like grass fed meats, lard, butter, ghee, coconut and palm oil.  I like to say that "Vegetables are the vehicle for fat".  I love me some butter.

There is SO much to say about fat and the myths that surround it but I am going to let the experts tell you all about why eating fat does not make you fat or cause heart disease.  Sugar and refined carbs, lack of exercise and an imbalance of omega 3 to 6's cause heart disease.
Learn more about fat


Macronutrient #3

Carbohydrates

I am sure the first thing people think of when the word carbohydrate or carbs comes up is breads, crackers, cookies, donuts.  Those aren't on THIS list friends. Here's a little factoid for you:  One slice of whole grain bread has more sugar than a snickers bar.  But let's eat bread...shall we?  NOT.

What they are:
This macronutrient is solely to be used for energy.  Eat more than your body needs and guess what happens?  The excess turns to fat, causes higher insulin and inflammation in the body.  Don't eat enough and your energy will nose dive.

Where to get them:
NO you don't get  them at Shipleys!  Look to your nutrient antioxidant rich sources like squash, bananas, sweet potatoes, tubers, jicama, zucchini, berries.


The second part of Glassmans statement says:

"nuts and seeds"

Nuts and seeds can be great additives to your nutrition...that is.....if you don't overdo it.  High in omega 6's too many nuts can throw off that precious balance of omegas we are working so hard to maintain.  The best way to eat nuts and seeds is raw or soaked and roasted at home.  Nuts contain phytic acid which bind to the minerals and make these tasty morsels hard to digest.  Stick with a handful per day and don't over do the baked nut flour goodies.

"some fruits"

Fruit IS sugar.  Fructose to be exact.  One of my clients favorite questions is 'Why am I not losing weight?  I eat plenty of fruits and veggies!"  Too much fruit can cause weight gain, higher levels of cortisol and increase the hunger hormone "ghrelin" which encourages us to continue looking for food even if we aren't hungry.  Keep fruit to a minimum of one cup or less (preferably the high antioxidant dark berry variety) and eat it during your most metabolically active time of day before noon.

"Little Starch"

Athletes especially afford to eat  more starch than most.  Starch in the form of sweet potatoes, cassava, yams and white rice are best.   When I say "White rice" it often puts people in a state of shock.  We aren't supposed to eat anything white!  White rice is an exception because it has less phytates than brown and is easier to digest.  Yep...phytates are those nasty nutrient stealing compounds.  If you are trying to lose weight limit your starches considerably.

"No sugar"

This is one I have trouble with.  Probably because I enjoy my paleo baked goodies and my avocado chocolate pudding...but anyway.  If you have severe sugar cravings I highly recommend doing a detox plan like The 21 day sugar detox by Diane Sanfilipo

It has three levels and allows NO sugar on level three.  Tough but sometimes needed for the seriously addicted!

The safest sweeteners for baking or using minimally are Stevia (preferably the green organic stevia), raw honey or maple syrup.

Many people complain about sugar cravings.  Here are a few reasons to explore if you are one of them:
*lack of sleep
*dehydration
*caffeine crash
hunger or not enough nutrients or protein

How to handle cravings?
*eat nutrient rich foods
* get plenty of quality sleep
*exercise
*explore emotional health and attachments to food

The last part of Glassmans statement says:

"keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat"

Remember that excess macronutrients will be stored as fat.  It's pretty tough to overdo the non starchy veggies and protein so just keep a check on the starches.  Find your happy place.  One thing I want to make sure to remind you of:  Stressing about food too much can hinder all progress you make with a healthy lifestyle.  I am not a fan of measuring food, reading labels for fat and sugars (because if you are eating the right food there is no label), weighing food, tracking diaries (unless you are asking for input from someone).  These are all things that create STRESS and over vigilant behaviors about food are going to cause problems.

Notice Greg says nothing about legumes and grains.  I will touch briefly on gluten but legumes are a whole other day.  Just be mindful that they share similar properties that make them hard to digest.

Gluten:

Just what IS gluten??  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley rye and other common grains.  It contains anti nutrients such as lectins which are not broken down in the normal digestion process.  This leaves you with large intact proteins in your gut.  Let's go further...why is this a problem?  They can cause intestinal damage and this allows them free access to our bloodstream.  These proteins (not to mention the free pass the OTHER proteins have gotten from those nice holes caused by gluten!) are not recognized by the body...so an attack is sent out and the process of inflammation begins.
We can NOT digest gluten.  We were not meant to.  The bread Jesus broke at The Last Supper is nothing like the overheated over processed grains we are being killed with (sorry but we are) today.
Why do we crave breads and cookies?  Because gluten fits into the same opiate receptors that other addictive drugs do.  Nice huh?

What happens if you eat it every once in awhile?  You need only be exposed to gluten once every 10-15 days to keep your gut damaged.  It can take up to 6 months to a year to undo that damage.  I often hear people say they are "gluten free....except for the one piece of bread I ate last week"  You either are or you aren't.  If you aren't reading every label do NOT consider yourself gluten free.  Kind of like being pregnant.  You can't do it halfway!

Supplements I recommend:  

What is a supplement:  "Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency or extend or strengthen the whole"
Supplements should be treated as such.


1.  Fermented Cod Liver oil.  There are way too many benefits to explain so here are a few (source:  WAP):

• Cod liver oil contributes to bone health, preventing bone and muscle pain and joint pain.
• Vitamin-rich cod liver oil has been shown to support the health of pregnant women by improving the fatty acid profile of their breast milk to optimize brain health in the infant.
• Traditionally, infants were given cod liver oil to support immune health until Dr. Spock began to recommend vaccinations  in its place.
• Vitamin A has long been shown to aid in vision health in diabetics and non-diabetics alike.
• FCLO promotes proper absorption of calcium and magnesium, thereby helping to normalize blood pressure.
• Inflammatory conditions like colitis and Crohn’s have been shown to improve with the type of omega 3s in FCLO moreso than to medications often prescribed.
• Taken orally or applied topically, fermented cod liver oil helps to improve the quality of skin, both on the face and for issues of rashes, diaper rash, wrinkles, and more.
• The vitamin A in fermented cod liver oil has been shown to be protective against cancer.

Take a look here Everything you need to know about FCLO
The link to buy it  is here and don't try to buy a cheaper form of FCLO....they are NOT the same.

2.  Vitamin D3:  Important for the absorption of calcium (which is imperative for our bones to be healthy) and an important booster for our immune system.  Does anyone have a friend in Alaska?  Any of those cold wet dark places?  Aren't they a little...ummmm...more edgy or sad when fall rolls around?  It's because there is NO sunshine feeding their cells the vitamin D hormone that we typically call the "happiness supplement".  They usually suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.  I have a dear friend in Washington State and bless her heart (there's the southern girl in me) she always feels worse in the darker months.  I begged her to get her vitamin D checked and it was literally non existent.  Without proper exposure to the sun we can't be happy.  Period.   Think about how our ancestors lived...circadian lifestyle all the way!), up with the sun...napped when not hunting...back out in the sun late day for dinner and off to bed when the sun went down.  THAT my friends is how we need to be living!  If you aren't already following a circadian lifestyle (with modern day tweaks of course!) adopt one asap.  If you aren't sure what that means email me at mindfulnessinhealth@gmail.com and I will send you info on it. It IS that important. So get out in the sun with NO sunscreen (obviously not during the hottest part of the day) and expose your arms and legs to the sun, get your vitamin D levels checked at least once a year and supplement if needed.

3.  Magnesium:  Now this is another powerhouse supplement that most people are lacking in.  Magnesium supports relaxation of the muscles, cardiovascular health by regulating blood pressure and heart rate and aids in calcium absorption.  The other good stuff that comes with magnesium is that it helps you sleep and go to the bathroom if you are constipated.  LOVE it.  This is the kind I like and you can buy it on Vitacost.com or amazon for a reasonable price.  If it gives you loose bowel movements start with a lower dose or use chelated magnesium.

4.  Probiotics:  Since we aren't getting all kinds of bacteria from dirt like our ancestors did (think about it...they never cleaned their fruits or veggies) we are usually lacking the beneficial bacteria for our gut that they had.  SO how does modern man fix this?  The number one way to add in beneficial bacteria is to eat fermented foods-kraut, pickles, kim chi, kefir, kombucha.  You can also risk your neighbors thinking you are nuts and the possible ingestion of all kinds of toxins and just eat the dirt.  Or....save yourselves the embarrassments and possible parasites and just take the probiotic.  There are some experts that say taking a prebiotic is a better idea but as of today I have not extensively read into this so I am sticking with taking probiotics after sickness or during times of stress especially.  Make sure you change up the probiotic every now and then.  

Option one soil based probiotic

Option two

5.  Protein Powder:  Yes it is considered a supplement. Let me reiterate that the best place to get protein is through animal products.  BUT, there are instances where people may need more protein in their diet and noshing on red meat just isn't practical.  IN this case and every now and then protein powder is fine.  Just don't replace your REAL food with it too often.  You can go with a whey protein isolate which is 100% pure protein with no lactose but this is a more processed brand with a heavier price tag.
Whey protein concentrate is less processed but contains fat and lactose so this is not a good choice for lactose intolerant people.  The grams of protein you decide on are going to be individual according to weight, activity level etc.

So this is probably the longest blog EVER...but I had a lot to cover.  I hope this has been helpful in the most practical terms.  Remember to eat real food!

In health,

CFH

A few of my favorite things....

I can't tell you how many times I get requests for a list of my favorite foods etc.  I am not Oprah and what I love may not mean much to you but I can almost guarantee that my items will taste better, be better for you and sustain your healthy life.  BUT if you are looking for trendy clothes of jewelry or even a monogrammed dog sweater...you won't get that from me (EVER).  I am saving myself time here and creating this blog so when people ask I will say "See my blog" and save myself a ton of time (I hope).

I will start by saying this:  Shop locally first.  The best place to go May 18-Oct. 19 is the downtown market in Clarksville, TN. on Saturday mornings.   Click here for more information on the downtown market. Here are a few links to some local farmers that I recommend.

Tennesee Grass fed is a local farm that delivers to Co-op and the downtown market or you can pick up at their farm.  Their bacon is AWEsome but is usually on back order so I ALWAYS keep a running order of bacon in.  YES....pastured bacon IS that important.  Click here for Tennessee Grass Fed

Jolly Barnyard is a small farm in Ashland City.  They sell massive pieces of bone in chicken that I love to use for bone broth. Click here for Jolly Barnyard  they verified that they no longer use a GMO grain mill for their chickens.  The chicken can be a little tough (because those guys are out running around getting all muscled up and not sitting in some small cage getting sick), so I like to crock pot it or marinate it for 24 hours.

Great resource for fish and they are at the clarksville downtown market on Saturdays: Wild & Local

Clarksville Co op and CSA guide (covers more counties as well) is a good place to find vegetables, herbs etc.  Perfect for people who don't have their own garden.  You can purchase shares of crops.
Click here for Co -op and CSA guide

JD Farms sells pastured milk.  It's not RAW (which would be better...IMO but we are in Clarksville so maybe in the next 20 years we will see that happen. :)  They also sell cream, buttermilk and flavored yogurt etc.  If you frequent the Minnonite pantry in Guthrie (awesome resource for spices, eggs etc) or the Chopping Block you can find it at either place.  They give you money back for bottles and will be at the downtown market as well.
Click here for milk  Click here for directions and pantry info

Eggs:  H and H Farms phone number:  931-546-8068 is out toward Tobacco Road and exit 1.  Holland Farms is off 41 A 931-358-2801

Ok...so that is about it for local resources.  Again we are in Clarksville (this community is a tad bit behind on food that I would recommend).   If you explore the co op link it can give you more details on organics and sustainable farming etc.


On to my favorites online...and BOY do I shop online.  

I use US Wellness Meats when I want more variety in my choices.  Their pork sausage is divine and they have a variety of organ meats and steaks, chicken and pork, dairy and snacks.  A GO TO site for everything.  Click here for US Wellness Meats

I LOVED turkey jerky when I wasn't a red meat eater...and now I loooove beef jerky...but mainly from Nicks Sticks.  I have tried other pastured sticks and jerks and this guys has the best flavor and no gamey after taste (ewwwww).  I also love that we are on automatic delivery monthly!  YEA no thinking about it. Click for Nicks Sticks

Coffee....love it or hate it.  I have an intimate relationship with it and ADORE it. Always have.  But it doesn't love me.  I believed for a long time I wasn't meant to have it...I gave it up for three months...I longed for it...I tried substitutes.  Nothing worked to fill that void.  Back to it..and back to the jitters and intolerance symptoms.  I then came across the holy grail of coffee...the golden path to happiness.  Bulletproof Coffee.  (Insert the heavens opening up sound).  It is expensive.  It is delicious.  It is lacking in the micotoxins that were making me feel like crap so it is worth every penny!  Now?  I drink it with NO side effects, no jitters...nothing but a spoonful of butter some fat from my coconut milk and the feeling of pure bliss.  Their MCT oil is awesome too.  Check out Bulletproof coffee

One of the most common questions I get from clients:  "What protein or protein bar can I use?"  First I don't advocate using protein for ANYthing except added protein to a meal.  TO A MEAL.  Not to replace a meal.  Food first.  My new mantra.  Protein requires fat to work properly in the body.  But if you want protein...then get the good kind.  I like DEEP 30 because it is mixed with whey,  goat whey, probiotics and bio available ingredients...and it is more digestible than plain whey.  They have different flavors too.  Click here for DEEP 30   Ask them for samples!  The protein bar I recommend is free of all the bad stuff that most bars have in them:  soy, gluten, syrups and fillers and full of the good stuff:  HIGH bio available protein and a short label you can actually pronounce.   They send samples too! Quest bars  Again, automatic delivery!

I hate peanut butter.  Well let me say this...I LOVE the taste but not whats in it.   I used to eat a lot of it until I found out how bad it is for you.  We have it in the house bc kids love it and every once in a blue moon my kid wants a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich on GF bread.  He gets it every time bc he eats so well otherwise.  If you don't believe peanut butter is bad for you take a peek HERE .  Ok so now I am going to give you an alternative to Peanut butter that would make you wonder WHY OH WHY you EVER liked it when you could have this yummy stuff instead??  Meenut Butter- otherwise called by me OMG Butter

Where do I get my flours and cacao etc?  If you haven't received an invitation from Vitacost from ME and saved your $10.00 yet send me an email at mindfulnessinhealth@gmail.com and get on it b/c I save $10.00 too!  This site has EVERYthing!   Shipping is reasonable and even free after a certain amount.   Everything you can imagine at Vitacost  Some of favorite items are:  coconut oil, coconut manna, coconut butter, almond flour, coconut flour, raw nuts, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, Betty Lou's raspberry bars for my kid, almond butter, a mixture of make up,  Raw Cacao, Native Forest coconut milk FULL fat.  I love when I see the big Vitacost box on my porch.

I just ordered some pasta from this place because I am TIRED of rice pasta and rice is a grain so I typically don't get excited about it and usually end up skipping it altogether.  I haven't tasted it yet but will remove this part of my blog if it stinks!  NOT rice pasta!

I am a HUGE fan of making my own granola, trail mix bags etc but if you are short on time and want someone else to do the work Steves Paleo Goods are a good source.  Snacks

So if you follow me on facebook or are an existing client you KNOW the only butter I recommend that you can get locally is Kerrygold.  Walmart has it for $2.83 and it's worth the trip there (ugh).  Kroger $5.99 (INSANE and yes I have complained), and Publix is mid range in price.  You can order it on Us Wellness meats but here's a picture of what you are looking for if you are new to the Gold and Silver wrappers. Kerrygold  Kerrygold also has good cheese and Sams sells a massive block of it.  If you're into cheese.  Which I am not.  But my husband is half mouse so we buy it.

Fermented Cod Liver oil....if you told me I had one supplement I could keep but everything else had to go this would be it.  Don't let me try and tell you why it's so good for you... just read here


I am a dipper..always have been. You can ask my dear friend Marty about the first time we went to eat together when we were both pregnant...we went to Chik Fil A (UGH) before child birth class and I got grilled chicken with:  Ketchup, BBQ, honey mustard, Polynesia sauce and ranch. For one meal.  So of course..I had to find a reliable yummy source for dressings and sauces.   Tessamaes is it!


So if you wonder why I believe so deeply in pastured and grass fed foods read this: Grass Fed Basics


If you are new to this blog please visit my old blog for a ton of posts on other health related topics.  Old Blog


I am sure I will remember and add some things as time goes on....Hope this is helpful in leading you toward a more humane and healthy life!

In health,

cfh

"What you think of me is none of my business"...

    The importance of self esteem, self acceptance and internal beauty is a subject that has been written about in every magazine possible and talked about in therapy a million times over  I am sure.   (Insert p.s. this will be more of a rant...so if you want to skip my tirade scoot down to the links at the bottom that are SO worth reading! ) Ridiculously they usually have the thinnest woman with the most perfect skin on the cover.  Or how about the super lean muscled up man in his underwear (which I totally enjoy so don't get me wrong) on the cover of a mens health magazine and then an article inside about how you can still be healthy and be a clydesdale size guy?  This world is consumed with physical appearances.  We are exercising 5-7 days a week for hours at a time, running miles and miles trying to shed a tiny pound (BAD idea by the way), buying the most trendy clothes, having dangerous surgeries, eating NON food diet programs and going into debt to keep up appearances.   It's a list as long as my arm.....and its not changing anytime soon.
   
     How did we stray so far from the things that are most important?  I used to think the important "life" list was similar for most humans:  family, friends, happiness in a career and a healthy body...but I am starting to doubt it.    I know of people who spend hours shopping for the most perfect outfit for their kid yet complain they "don't have enough time" to cook a healthy meal for their family.  How about the women who say they can't afford organic food but they spend hundreds of dollars on clothes, nails and hair?  These are usually the same women who end up popping diet pills or going on some fad caffeine laden diet that causes even more irritability, eventual weight gain and even depression.  Where are our priorities!!!??

     Another  question I have is "Why is THIN and SKINNY considered a compliment??"  When I was my thinnest a couple years ago I got more compliments than I have ever gotten.  "You look so SKINNY!  What do I have to do to look like that?"  At first it felt good to hear these things....but then I realized  how twisted it was that people thought I looked good because I was thin?  WTH?  Never mind that I work hard at eating right, I move my body in a healthy way and try to enjoy my life.

    I train beautiful women of all shapes and sizes every day and I know I see them in a totally different way then they see themselves.  I see strong, hard working, kind and funny women yet I hear "I hate my stomach, how can I get rid of this flabby arm etc".  I wish I could help them see how their beauty shines through in so many ways.   A healthy image of ourselves is so much more important than what other people think of us yet that is what most women focus on...."what others will think".  I can't remember where I read this before but it's one of my favorite quotes "What other people think of me is none of my business".  I don't want to know if you think I have gained weight (I have...damn peri menopause!), or if I look tired, or if my clothes are from Target (many times they are!).  I don't really care....because to me....it's more important if I am kind, generous, helpful, compassionate, hard working and invested in my relationships.  I think I am all of those things...and what I wear and what I weigh doesn't make me any less of any of them.

     I am working harder at self acceptance myself...we all have room for improvement there...no matter our weight, clothing choice or how ragged our nails are.  The reason I wanted to address this subject briefly is because I am sick and tired of the world around us determining how we feel about ourselves and putting my frustrations in writing is always helpful for me.  I hope anyone who reads this will sit in self acceptance every day if even for a few minutes and be grateful and kind to yourself.    A couple great articles in the links below may help you to do just that!

Why women need fat


A refreshing post!



In health,

Cfh

Big Changes!

    Have you ever made a change in your life that was so big you wanted to tell everyone and no one at the same time?  You wanted support but at the same time you don’t want to tell anyone because what if the change was a bad one for you or it didn’t work out???   Well a few weeks ago I took the giant leap of eating red meat again for the first time in 23 years.  For you existing meat eaters it may not sound like a big deal….for me?  It was huge, colossal, gigantic!  And here’s why…..

     When I was in college I was in a philosophy class that had an entire section of the semester dedicated to ethical treatment of animals.  I was already an animal lover (most of you who know me know how deeply passionate I am about animals…all of them), but this particular class had an assignment that pushed me over the edge into animal loving.  I mean shoved!   We were to read a story about “Downed Cows” and write a paper on it.  I remember so clearly sitting on my couch in my apartment reading the story about how cows were taken to slaughter.  Back then there was no Temple Grandin speaking for the animals, no huge movement on eating grassfed humanely raised beef  (insert link) leading the way.  The story told of the workers in the field putting the cows into a large truck….just shoving them all in on top of each other and when they reached the destination at the slaughter house they opened the back and some of the cows had broken legs from overcrowded conditions.  They explained how the last cow had been so crushed that they had to put a rope around his neck and a tree and drive away to get him out of the truck…therefore when he “fell” out of the truck he broke his pelvis and was rendered useless since they couldn’t move him.  He died a terrible suffering death.  I cried until I couldn’t even see the paper.  Remembering this story (it is forever burned in my brain) has me tearing up today….23 years later.  It’s a terrible story but one I wanted to tell because it gives you an idea of WHY I was completely committed to NEVER eating beef or pork (the pig story was equally disturbing) again.  I stuck to my convictions for almost a quarter of a century…until my health demanded a change.

     Fast forward to my life today where I am struggling with low iron regularly. When I stopped supplementing my iron it would drop again over and over. Without good iron my thyroid medicine won’t work…it’s a tricky balance for me.  Add to that a host of other issues that accompany a low functioning thyroid and I decided to evaluate my diet again.  I had to figure out where I was going wrong.  Bio hack my health even deeper if you will.  I took inventory:  I sleep 9 hours a night, do relaxation and meditation for stress relief, have fun in my life and trust me when I tell you my diet is pretty damn good.  I eat a paleo style template -loads of veggies, good fats, very little fruit and all our food is raised humanely and organic etc.  So what was wrong with my iron?  Why wasn’t it staying in the cells for use or was it even penetrating the cells for long enough to help me be well?
 
      I did some research and found out I wasn’t eating enough animal protein.  Protein is an essential macronutrient that our bodies can’t make on it’s own.  Iron comes in two forms:  Heme (found in meat products) and non heme (found in non meat products).  The body uses heme much more efficiently and helps to prevent anemia.  I read more about that and knew I had to make a change.  Being a person who does not eat red meat was not serving me…and chances are it’s not serving you.  I ate fish and poultry all those years and it was not enough. 

   
     I started prepping myself for this life change a few months ago.  Teasing the idea of eating steaks and burgers around in my mind, extensively reading about “killing animals” and the inhumanity of it etc.  I found out eating ruminant pastured animals might be LESS cruel than a vegan diet and it wasn’t isolated to meat eaters.  “Animals living in and around agricultural fields are killed during field activities and the greater the number of field activities, the greater the number of field animals that die.  A partial list of animals of the field in the USA include opossum, rock dove, house sparrow, European starling, black rat, Norway rat, house mouse, Chukar, gray partridge, ring-necked pheasant, wild turkey, cottontail rabbit, gray-tailed vole, and numerous species of amphibians (Edge, 2000).  In addition, Edge (2000) says, "production of most crops requires multiple field operations that may include plowing, disking, harrowing, planting, cultivating, applying herbicides and pesticides as well as harvesting."  These practices have negative effects on the populations of the animals living in the fields.” (insert scream and reference: https://www.morehouse.edu/facstaff/nnobis/papers/Davis-LeastHarm.htm)  The more I read the less guilt I started to have over beginning a red meat diet again and the more conflicted I felt about tractors (ha).

     I took my first bite of a grassfed (Come on...you know you want to know what grass fed means! click here!) burger one night after taking enzymes for a few weeks in preparation.  My husband sat watching me as if I might throw the burger down and say “I CAN’T DO IT!!!” and run off in tears.  Instead…I slowly chewed, cried (yep…through the entire meal) and gave thanks to the animal I was eating.  I felt it was important to show gratitude for the sacrifice that was given so I could continue to live my optimal life even though this animal had lost his.  That was a few weeks ago and while I am not a HUGE meat eater I am eating it at least 3 times a week and will be watching my iron levels for improvement.  I stopped taking supplemental iron and hope to see a stabilization in my ferritin, TIBC, UIBC, Serum and saturation percentages.  Want to know more about iron?  Iron information

     This blog ended up being a LOT longer than I anticipated but I wanted to be sure I completely explained my choices in life and how they have affected my health.  Make no mistake this decision did not come easily to me.  I am including a link by author Lierre Keith that totally opened my eyes to eating meat (she herself was a vegan for almost 20 years) and helped me to find peace with the changes.  Sometimes we have to do what we don’t want to do and said we would NEVER do in order to be healthy.  This was a big change for me and I applaud myself for making it.  I can’t imagine sitting idle and being “content” with suboptimal health when I KNOW it’s in my hands to change my circumstances.  Being tired, irritable, achy and anemic is no fun and it’s unnecessary.

I am on a mission to be off thyroid meds, to be as healthy as I can be with no medical intervention using food and lifestyle changes to get there….will it happen anytime soon?  Who knows but my life is worth the effort no matter how long it takes.  What big change are you willing to make for an off the charts life?!


In Health,


CFH