How to listen to our bodies to give them what they truly need to thrive, is not something we were ever taught. Pain and symptoms are our body’s way of sending signals that some attention is needed. Our bodies want to feel good. It is our brain’s job to keep us safe and in return, feeling healthy, energized and full of life. When we don’t feel well, it is our job to tune into the signals our body is trying to give us and make a change. The hard part is learning what that change needs to be and sticking to it.
There’s a reason we are told to listen to our gut and to do so we must nourish it accordingly. 70-75% of your immune system is housed in your gut – which is why it’s so important to take care of it. Your gut regulates blood pressure and promotes brain health. 95% of your serotonin (which is linked to depression and anxiety) is created in the gut. Hippocrates believed all disease starts within the gut. When your gut is off, everything is off – your skin, your mood, your brain, your energy. To help keep your gut feeling good, it’s key to feed it with healthy bacteria and the easiest way to do this is to eat whole real foods from the Earth (lean protein, fruit, veggies, healthy fats, water) over processed foods. It’s all about mindful eating in a way that makes you feel good.
Disclaimer – we will never talk about the perfect diet, it doesn’t exist. However, we will provide you with ideas of nutrient-dense foods and ideas for incorporating foods that are great for your gut health. In general, aim for a variety of fruits and vegetables with each meal. Some specific ideas for gut health include: apples, raspberries, artichokes, onions, green peas, blueberries, almond, broccoli, lentils, pistachios, and beans (kidney, pinto and white). Also, fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and tempeh are great for your gut. They reduce the amount of disease-causing bacteria in the intestines.
Brooke –
I have spent the last 4 years trying to figure out what my gut is trying to tell me. I spend a majority of my day focusing on, dreading, and planning what I am going to eat that isn’t going to ruin my whole day. These last 4 years, I have been trying to tune into my body to learn the root cause of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing and can’t seem to alleviate. It all started four years ago. I was living in Florida for a summer internship and what seemed like overnight, started developing some crazy symptoms. I was constipated, bloated, hormonal, and experiencing awful fatigue and brain fog. Everything I ate upset my stomach and I couldn’t figure out why. Doctor after doctor diagnosed me with stress and IBS. I’d tell them, “Yes I’m stressed because I don’t feel well. This is causing me stress!!” I was told to keep a food journal and relax. I had a semester left of college and went from a girl who was go-go-go, 8ams, internships, volunteering, working multiple jobs, social butterfly, to the girl that couldn’t get out of bed. These past 4 years I have tried what seems like everything to find a solution. I have completely changed my diet, going gluten and dairy-free. I’ve noticed with cutting out gluten, my energy level improves, and with cutting out dairy, I am less bloated and I have less breakouts, but I still don’t feel 100%. I have given up sugar, caffeine, lectins (anything covered in skin i.e., apples, potatoes, peppers), spinach and avocados to rule out a histamine intolerance. I have been tested for parasites, celiac, IBD, you name it…
I have also had food sensitivity testing and put on antidepressants in hopes of calming the mind to help calm the gut (the mind-body connection). I have tried Whole 30, which I have had the most luck with thus far. It is essentially cutting out all inflammatory foods for 30 days and reintroducing them back into your diet one at a time to help discover food sensitivities. The purpose of it is to also help with one’s relationship with food, which is something that these last 4 years have caused me to struggle with. It’s no secret food can be so overwhelming and it can affect us all in different ways. This is why Andrea and I firmly believe there is no one diet fits all, the perfect diet does not exist.
All in all, I have seen over 40 doctors, all of differently specialities, who have changed my birth control, stuck needles in me, gave me pills that made me crazy, and took test after test all in which came back negative. It has been a long, frustrating journey, but it has showed me how overwhelming our healthcare system is and health in general. This is why I have started a journey on my own, experimenting with alternative medicine like Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs and acupuncture. My experience has taught me that my message in the mess is to help others break it down and simplify the space.
Although I don’t have an answer to my medical mystery yet, I can share with you what I have learned. I’ve learned that what makes me feel my best is eating whole real foods from the Earth, getting quality sleep (and keeping a consistent sleep routine), meditating, exercise and leaning on my support system. I cannot stress enough how important it to have people who you can turn to when you feel like you can’t keep going. For anyone who knows someone who is struggling – my best advice is to simply be present with them. Let them know you are there, and although you don’t understand fully what they are going through, you care and are there for them. Ask them what piece of pain you can carry for them today. Show up with compassion and empathy, and without judgment. Don’t bombard them with solutions, just simply be there.
I have also learned that if you feel off, it’s because you are. You know you’re body better than anyone and although it is hard to advocate for yourself when you don’t feel well and doctors are dismissing your symptoms, you need to keep pushing and shopping for the right doctor, the right team. When you can’t align your body and mind together and you’re trying to find an answer – it’s a full time job. When you don’t feel good you’re desperate for any answer, any solution.
I have also come to know the strength of the mind-body connection. When you’re experiencing anxiety, your sympathetic nervous system is trying to protect you and sends you into fight or flight mode. Our parasympathetic nervous system tells our body it’s time to rest and digest. One thing we can do to help relax and tell our brain we are okay is to stimulate our vagus nerve. The vagus nerve send signals from our stomach to our brain and is governed by our parasympathetic nervous system. Activating the vagus nerve is a powerful tool (that we have control over) and can be activated by some simple things – meditation, deep breathing, gargling, focusing on a single point and walking backwards shaking your head no.
My hopes for sharing my story is not to tell anyone what they should be trying or doing but rather to see if my experience can help somebody else and vice versa. And it’s important to share your story. Andrea and I hope to create a community to share resources and provide endless support. We want to help you create a life that’s true to you.
Andrea & Brooke –
We’ll be sharing what Brooke’s trying, what’s working and what’s not working. And to anyone who is struggling – we want you to know that what you’re feeling is real. You know your body better than any. And you deserve to feel your best and have answers. It’s not always easy finding them but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. On the days you feel like you can’t keep going, know there are always someone or some place you can go. No matter what your scenario is, what preferences you have, a key to starting to be more mindful is to have a plan and asking yourself, “How did this make me feel. Do I want to feel this way?”
Please seek clinical or professional guidance if you are struggling with your gut health or relationship with food.
We are all about trying new things, different things. You think you know all the answers… no one does. We like to think about what’s healing. Which is why something we want to do every week is provide healing foods. We’ll provide information on why it’s healing, different ways to cook it, fun facts.
Healing Food of the Week-
Did you know?
Carrots have incredible healing power!
The carrot provides the highest source of provitamin A carotenes of all the commonly consumed vegetables and a great source of antioxidant compounds. Carrots help protect against cardiovascular disease, improves eye sight, and decreases rates of cancers especially, lung and breast cancer.
𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭: The earliest varieties of carrots were not orange but mostly purple or black in color.
Let’s Get Cooking!
www.rasamalaysia.com/garlic-parmesan-roasted-carrot
Don’t forget to tag us in your pictures and let us know how you’re incorporating carrots into your cooking!
IVY UNLEASHED
Behind-the-Scenes Video
3 Gold Stars
1. Just because it worked for someone, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for everyone – experiment with information you find to see what truly works best for you and what your body needs to thrive.
2. Eat whole real foods – incorporate a salad or a heavy veggie meal 5 times a week.
3. Listen to your body and how it feels after what you eat – keep a food journal to help you track symptoms and find food sensitivities
Ivy Reflections
- If my body could send me a message, what would it say?
- How am I doing? Really.
- Write out “I want…”, “I need…”, “I’m ready for…”, “I am…” – close your eyes, take a deep breath and fill in the blanks with what comes to your mind first.
Piece of Gold
Listen to your body. Nourish it accordingly.
Marta Valverde
RESOURCES
- Gut Health Resource: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/improve-gut-bacteria
- 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘔.𝘋. 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩 𝘗𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘰 𝘕.𝘋. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘰 𝘔.𝘈., 𝘓.𝘔.𝘛.
- Healthline.com – health and wellness information from accredited academic research institutes and medically reviewed studies
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Listen to your truth and go chase your gold.
– Gold Ivy Health Co.
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