CBD: What You Need to Know

Hi friends! In today’s episode, we are talking about CBD. CBD can be a controversial topic (what isn’t these days?🙃 ). Some people have found it to be extremely helpful and rave about it, others are skeptical or downright condemning of it. I’m not here to be a CBD pusher, but I do want you to be educated as to what it is, how it works in the body, and how it may be beneficial for your health so that you can make an informed decision. 

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It’s common to think that CBD is a recent trend in the health/wellness world, but actually, various forms of the cannabis plant have been used for thousands and thousands of years. Chinese medicine textbooks, dating back to 2900 BC (like early Bible, pre-Abraham times) note its use for its healing properties, including pain relief, sleep aid, and anxiety reduction. Its use is also noted in medical texts from India and Greece dating back thousands of years ago. As a matter of fact, the cannabis plant was a commonly used medicine in the US in the 1800s (apparently they even prescribed it to help with baby’s teething pain) until fears about it began to circulate in the 1940s, and then it was actually banned in the US in 1970. CBD has now been made legal again at the federal level across the US and the FDA even approved its first CBD-derived medication in 2018. So even though it may feel new and trendy - it most certainly is not. 

What is CBD?

CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid, which means it’s a therapeutic substance derived from part of the cannabis plant. There are actually lots of different kinds of cannabinoids, and CBD along with many others primarily comes from the leaves and flowers of the Hemp plant (which is a type of cannabis plant). Hemp is also used to make clothing, paper, etc. 

Although CBD is the one we hear the most about, the hemp plant contains many different types of cannabinoids including CBG, CBN, and THC (which is likely what you know as the intoxicating component of hemp).

So, I think it's important to realize that these terms mean different things. CBD and hemp are not synonymous. CBD is one component of the hemp plant. CBD is not marijuana, although both can be derived from different parts of the hemp plant. 

Each component has a different way that it affects systems in the body. 

How does it work?

Our bodies actually house a system made up of neurotransmitters and receptors called the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are found all over the body (brain, skin, muscles, GI tract, immune cells, heart, and blood vessels - just to name a few) and respond to chemicals released by the endocannabinoid system naturally to help keep our bodies healthy. This system plays a part in regulating many different functions in the body, including mood, memory, gut health, hormone balance, pain, inflammation, immunity, and appetite. Its overall purpose is to keep our bodies in homeostasis- or a steady state of function. 

The different types of cannabinoids from the hemp plant, actually connect to our internal endocannabinoid receptors and cause them to release healing effects on the body. 

What are the health benefits of CBD?

When talking about CBD specifically, it connects to TR PV1 receptors in the body and can help in reducing anxiety, nausea, pain, and inflammation, it has also been reported to help with seizure disorders, improve sleep, aid digestion, and help with hormone balance. 

It helps our bodies move out of the “fight or flight” (sympathetic) state and into a more relaxed, “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) state so it’s great for dealing with stress. 

CBD is also an antioxidant that is believed to be more potent than even vitamin C and is protective of the brain as well.  

So as you can see, there are a lot of possible health benefits from taking CBD. So maybe you’re wondering if it would be good for you. There aren’t any known serious adverse effects of taking a pure CBD oil, although some have experienced GI upset, some drowsiness, and fatigue - although in a lot of those instances, it’s possible that the dosages were too high. 

Recommendations

It is recommended to take a full-spectrum CBD oil, that will include other types of cannabinoids (CBG, CBN) and terpenes, which all work together and each has receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This does mean that it will include THC, but only at or below the federally legal level of .3% - which means it will not cause any intoxication. 

There are also brands that are completely THC-free, just be aware that you may not get quite as many benefits from it as you would a full-spectrum option, but it would still be beneficial. 

For general wellness purposes, a daily dose of 10-50 mg is recommended. For dealing with chronic pain or inflammation, a daily dose of 10-100 mg is recommended. As with most herbal supplements, it’s best to start with a small dose and then work your way up until you feel it’s at a good level.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the Ancient Nutrition brand of CBD products. They have oil, capsules, and a powder option that is mixed with collagen peptides. All of their CBD products are organic and third-party tested, so you can trust that they are pure and completely safe to take. They are also full-spectrum CBD products that also include other inflammation-fighting ingredients like turmeric, black pepper, and MCT oil, so you get the maximum health benefits.

Q&A

On social media this week, I asked what questions you guys had about CBD, so I’m going to answer a few of those very quickly: 

Will CBD show up on a drug test? 

In order to be legal in this country, a CBD product must contain less than .3% THC, which means it should not show up on a drug test. However, I would think about a few things if this is something that concerns you or if you need to consider it for your job, etc.: A full-spectrum CBD product will contain THC, so there is always a small chance that it could show. If you are worried about that, I would just opt for the THC-free options, also known as a CBD isolate, which means that the whole hemp plant wasn’t used, only the Cannabidiol. Also, just be mindful of where you purchase CBD. Personally, I wouldn’t buy it from just any pop-up shop or tent on the side of the road :). I would only purchase for a source that I know does extensive third-party testing and guarantees a pure product. 

Is it really beneficial to consume CBD orally? 

I guess most of this episode has already answered this question but I also wanted to point out that there are also some brands that offer CBD-infused creams and lotions for topical pain relief. These can also be helpful, but you won’t get the systemic benefits that I mentioned before in just a topical product. Also, I would recommend opting for an organic option even in a topical option, because hemp plants can often be sprayed heavily with toxic chemicals, which then will be sitting on your skin.  

Is CBD good for a sleep aid? 

A great question! Overall, CBD is going to help your body be in a more relaxed state, which should naturally lend itself to better sleep. There is also specific research, a study done in 2020 by Digestive Disease and Sciences, that looked at people with a painful disease that caused insomnia who used CBD for relief and 87% of those participants said it improved their sleep.  So I think the chances of it helping are pretty high.

So ultimately, you have to decide if you feel that CBD is right for you and would be helpful for you, but now I hope you can confidently say that you understand what it is and how it works. I personally do take it and have felt that it’s been beneficial for me with dealing with anxiety, as well as dealing with inflammation and pain.

Giveaway

This is the 60th episode of the #HFpodcast, which I think deserves a little celebration, so I am going to be giving away a bottle of the Ancient Nutrition brand CBD oil, along with a couple other of my favorite stress-relieving favs to one of you!

In order to be entered into the drawing, make sure you are following me on Instagram, like the post talking about this episode, and tag a friend in the comments who may need to learn more about CBD. For a bonus entry, leave a rating and review of the podcast and share it on social media. All the details of the giveaway will be in the Instagram post, as well and the giveaway will run through next Wednesday,  6/9/20.

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Book Review | Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons

Hi friends! in today’s episode, I’m reviewing one of my absolute favorite books - Rhythms of Renewal. This book has been out for a while but I have found myself going back to it again and again as it is just so full of wisdom and practical advice. I know you will find it so helpful and encouraging as well. Let’s get into it! 

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Rhythms of Renewal is a book written by Rebekah Lyons in which she shares her personal experience of walking through intense seasons of anxiety in her life and the rhythms she has used in her own life to return to purpose and peace. I actually read this book when it first came out a few years ago but have found myself referencing it again and again. I have often recommended this book to my clients because of the way that it beautifully explains the holistic nature of how physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health overlap. 

The book is divided up into four Rhythms - Rest, Restore, Connect, and Create so I thought I’d share a few of my biggest takeaways from each of those sections. 

Rest Rhythm 

This section starts off saying something so simple but makes such a great point - “We are restless when we rest less. We weren't created for this nonstop pace. We were designed in God’s image, and even God himself rested.” As I said, this idea is so simple but also so countercultural right now. Rest is not the thing that is prioritized - hustle is prioritized and set as some kind of gold standard. Rest is often seen as a weakness. The old saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” comes to mind. 

She goes on to say that “Rest precedes blessing. We don’t have to earn rest; we run fueled by a posture of rest.” I love this idea - we work from rest, not rest from work. It totally flips our normal perspective on its head and leaves us with a fresh priority for rest. 

She encourages us to learn to prioritize the rhythm of rest by taking inventory of our lives - taking a deeper look at what’s working and what’s not; silencing some of the noise all around us by participating in a tech detox and setting up healthy boundaries for the media input into our lives; getting reacquainted with silence and learning to be comfortable with ourselves - our thoughts, dreams, failures, and desires; and doing the heart work of confessing and healing many of the things we stuffed down for too long. 

She closes this section by talking about practicing a weekly Sabbath. In one of my favorite parts of that chapter she says, “We cannot run if we cannot rest. Taking a rest isn’t a sign of weakness. Yet our culture whispers the opposite: if we try harder, work smarter, make the right career moves, get that next degree, work overtime, connect with influencers, and go for our dreams, we just might live a life of significance. But God declares we are already chosen, beloved, appointed, and set apart. He ordered our lives with purpose and intention. We don’t need to hustle to prove something God says is already true. Your value as a human being isn’t found in what you produce; it’s found in who you are in Christ - a person designed in the image of God to glorify him forever. From the beginning, God designed his creation to be more abundant, fulfilled, and joyful when we work from a place of rest and renewal.” 

Restore Rhythm 

“Once we have embraced a consistent rhythm of rest, we find the potential to be restored”. The next several chapters explore ways to renew, replenish, and pour back into our now rested selves. 

Starting with giving ourselves permission to let go of some control and learn to play again. One of my favorite quotes from this chapter says, “It’s play that breaks us out of our stressful routines and rejuvenates us. It’s play that so often stores our freedom and joy.” “We can allow play to show us that everything won’t fall apart when we let go and give ourselves a little space and freedom.” 

In this section, she also shares how caring for her body by fueling it with healthy foods and releasing things through working out and walking helped restore her mental and emotional health. 

The first two rhythms, rest and restore, are input rhythms - ways that we pour into ourselves; and the last two rhythms, connect and create, are output rhythms - ways that we pour into others. 

Connect Rhythm 

Once we begin to feel the rewards of rest and restoration, we will then have something to offer others around us. Something that fuels our ability to connect. As Rebekah says in the intro of this section, “we were created for connection, and when we are closely knit within our community, we are at our best, flourishing and full of life.” 

She encourages us to be the friend that we wish we had rather than feeling sorry for ourselves or getting caught up in what we feel that we lack in our friendships. She shares a time when she was craving a deep, authentic connection with others and in a season of feeling lonely. She says “If I wanted a trusted circle, I’d need to be trustworthy myself. If I wanted an authentic friend, I’d need to be authentic myself.” 

In the chapter on leading with vulnerability, she says this quote that I think is so helpful when thinking about the importance of connecting with others: “The enemy of our souls wants us to be isolated and alone. He knows that when we’re isolated, we’re easy prey. Why? When we’re alone and vulnerable, we feel afraid. When we’re together and vulnerable, we become brave. A brave group of vulnerable people acting together in faith is not easily overcome by anxiety and stress.” 

The chapters on face-to-face interaction and the importance of physical touch were such good reminders - especially after what feels like the longest year where we couldn’t do those things. She says, “All of us need physical touch. We were made for connection, and when feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression start to creep in, our bodies long for a touch more than ever. A hug can go a long way, and science bears this out. When we hug, our brain released the neurotransmitter oxytocin, which promotes feelings of contentment and reduces anxiety and stress. In addition, hugging stimulates dopamine and serotonin production in the body and keeps depression at bay.” She goes on to say that, “Momentary touches - whether an exuberant high five, or a warm hand of the shoulder, can communicate an even wider range of emotion than gestures or expressions, and some times do so more quickly and accurately than words.” 

Create Rhythm

The last rhythm Rebekah explains is the create rhythm. In this section, she talks about using our specific talents, skills, and passions to live deeper into our God-given purpose and to create something that blesses Him and the world around us. 

In the chapter about learning to dream again, she says, “Much of our anxiety and stress is created by the purposelessness of our lives. In that purposelessness, we drift from entertainment to entertainment, never finding the peace and fulfillment that we need. We lose time and energy because busyness distracts us from the most important things. But if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that we were made for more. We were designed to dream and to take responsibility for those dreams. We were made for meaning. 

She also states in the chapter on Recovering Your Passion, “Each of us is made for something specific, given a particular passion by God so we can partner with him in creating and constructing the Kingdom. It’s a belief backed by Scripture, which indicates that each of us has a different role, a different passion. When we discover that passion when we live into it, we become more alive.”

She also shares in the final few chapters of the book about the effects that working with our hands and learning new skills have on anxiety. She shares a quote from Psychology Today that says, “Research has shown that hand activity from knitting to woodworking to growing vegetables or chopping them are useful for decreasing stress, relieving anxiety, and modifying depression. Functioning hands also foster a flow in the mind that leads to spontaneous joyful, creative thought.” She shares that “In a very real way, working with our hands relives the mind.”

If you can’t tell - I love so much about this book! I love that it’s filled with ways to care for all areas of our health, bringing peace and purpose back into our lives, but done so from a Kingdom perspective and based on Scripture. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it. You can find it on Amazon or Audible, if audiobooks are more your jam. You can also find her Rhythms of Renewal 90-day Planner that helps you put each of these rhythms into practice in your day-to-day life. 

I’ll leave you today with this encouragement that Rebekah wrote in the final chapter of the book, “Let’s live into these blessed rhythms to rest, restore, connect, and create. Let’s quiet inner chaos and make room for flourishing. Let’s establish daily habits that keep up mentally and physically strong. When we do, we cultivate the vibrant life we were meant to live. We take charge of our emotional health and inspire our loved ones to do the same. We find joy through restored relationships in our families and communities. If we partner together, we can make a difference in the world around us. We can walk in confidence as we offer our unique gifts to one another. We can become the carriers of peace our world longs to see.” 

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Intermittent Fasting: Helpful or Harmful?

Hi friends! Today we are talking about Intermittent Fasting (IF). It’s been a buzzphrase in the health and wellness industry for a while and there are wildly different perspectives and opinions on it. In this episode, I want to look at exactly what IF is and what are the ways it can be helpful, as well as how it can be harmful and who may not benefit from it.  I’m also going to throw my own opinion into the mix and share why I haven’t adopted this practice for myself. Let’s get into it! 

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What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

Intermittent fasting is a term used to describe a certain approach to eating that includes abstaining from food for short periods of time. Time-restricted eating Is the most common method of intermittent fasting. For this type of in a minute fasting you eat during a shortened window of time during the day, which extends the amount of time you’re not eating overnight. This can be anywhere from a 12 hour fast to a 16 - 18 hour fast, and often includes skipping a meal either breakfast or dinner. You can choose to eat three meals while using this method but they will be closer together than usual. 

How it can be helpful:

A quick search on Google or Pinterest will list out multiple health benefits from intermittent fasting. Things such as helping with weight loss, burning fat for energy instead of glucose, lowering insulin levels, improving insulin sensitivity, benefiting cognitive abilities, and supporting the circadian rhythm and leading to better sleep.

Sounds amazing, huh? Well, before you decide to skip breakfast forever, let’s look at some of the ways IF can be harmful. 

How it can be harmful:

While it’s true that some people to do well with intermittent fasting, it’s also true that certain people may not do well with it, particularly women. Fasting, while possibly having short term benefits, can also lead to long-term ramifications. IF leads to higher amounts of cortisol to be produced in the body, which again can be good short term (like as in exercise), but in the long-term can lead to chronic inflammation (just as in exercising too much). This spike in stress hormones can cause the body to feel unsafe. Our bodies thrive and function their best when they feel safe. Food is a signal of safety to our bodies - that’s the way we are wired. So when we go longer amounts of time, or even days, without eating that can signal to our bodies that something is wrong and that we aren’t safe enough to eat. Again, this can lead to chronic inflammation in the long term, which is the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve. 

For this reason, IF can have negative effects on women’s hormone health and fertility. When a woman’s body does not feel safe, having a well functioning reproductive system is not a high priority. Some studies have shown that by simply extending the fasting window to 14 to 16 hours, or quickly reducing the amount of food that someone takes in during the day, the body can start to shut down some of the communication between the brain and the reproductive system. 

Also, while some say intermittent fasting can help with insulin resistance and blood sugar issues, the flipside to that is that it can also lead to blood sugar dysregulation in the long term. 

An increase in stress hormones can lower  insulin levels, but also increase blood sugar (glucose) levels. Insulin is the hormone that allows our body to use up glucose or blood sugar, so having an increase in glucose while also having a decrease in insulin can lead to having higher blood sugar levels overall - which again is the opposite of what we are wanting. 

The other issue that can sometimes happen with intermittent fasting is that because you’re eating your meals closer together, in a shorter window of time, this can sometimes lead to not having enough space in between meals for proper digestion and good gut health. 

In a healthy gut, the MMC (migrating motor complex) - sometimes also called the housekeeper of the gut - sweeps through the small intestine, moving any food or waste along into the large intestine for further digestion about every 90 minutes (Think of it as our gut’s clean up crew). The problem Is that any eating or drinking of something that has calories (even a cup of coffee) can interrupt that process. Ideally we would be spacing our meals apart about every 4 hours, but that becomes very difficult to do in an 8-hr or shorter window. 

When this mechanisms can operate as it should, it can create an environment for Dysbiosis, SIBO, and overall poor gut health. 

So as you can see, there are both possible pros and cons to intermittent fasting.

Why I don’t practice IF, personally: 

Personally, I’ve chosen not to practice structured IF. As a woman who has an inflammatory condition- an inflammatory hormonal condition, at that, the risks outweigh the possible benefits for me. I also don’t recommend it to most of my clients, as most are women also dealing with underlying chronic inflammation, gut issues, and hormonal imbalances.

Also, an Interesting note - an ISSA article states that most of the studies done on Intermittent Fasting have been done on men. It states that *“Out of seventy-one studies found in Harvard’s database for intermittent fasting, only thirteen include women at all. Beyond that, absolutely none of the controlled studies focus on the female population in general. There are no controlled studies that allow us to draw intelligent conclusions about how intermittent fasting affects the female population.” 

The article goes on to say that women are less likely to lose weight or experience positive health benefits from IF and seem to experience the best health when they maintain an unchanging flow of nutrient intake throughout the day. 

This is what I recommend to my clients and implement in my own life as well. I think a 12:12 model can work really well for women - a 12 hour eating window and a 12 hour fasting window at night. That pretty much follows our natural circadian rhythm of eating while it’s daylight. I advise my clients to eat a balanced meal that includes carbs/fiber, protein, and fat within an hour of waking - and then ideally eating balanced meals every 4 hours. I also think it’s important to listen to your body and follow your hunger cues. Again, it’s important to make your body feel safe, and restricting food will likely have the opposite effect. 

At the end of the day, remember that food is nourishment and fuel for the body. It’s not something to restrict and/or reward yourself with.

*https://www.issaonline.com/blog/index.cfm/2018/this-hot-diet-trend-is-not-recommended-for-women

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Why We Struggle with Consistency

How often have you heard “consistency is key”? It’s everywhere, right? In a lot of instances, I think this is absolutely true, but I want us to go a little deeper today because consistency is often a pain point for people when it comes to their health. Often when I ask my friends or even my Instagram followers what they are struggling with the most or where they feel like they need the most support, every single time the overwhelming popular response is “consistency”. Consistency in exercising, getting good sleep, eating nutritious food, not eating junk food every night, and on and on it goes. I would venture to guess, you’ve probably had a few of those thoughts yourself and I would say “me too”. I have found myself feeling the same frustration - “ugh! Why can’t I stay consistent in this?!”

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Recently I’ve been doing some work that’s prompted me to dig deeper into the idea of body image and diet culture - and why we so often feel like we are failing in this area of consistency. One thing that has come up for me and that I think may be one of the biggest contributors to this common struggle is a misalignment between our mindset and our goal. 

I know that sounds a little philosophical, but hear me out on this. 

When the goal (our desired result) is to lose weight, get our bodies “summer-ready”, change sizes or “tone up” a certain area, or even to feel “good” or get back to feeling energetic like we did 5 or 10 years ago, etc. - we will get overwhelmed. First of all, those things are not always in our control. We can do all the “right things” - follow all the principles of living a healthy lifestyle and sometimes still not lose a pound, or still not get pregnant, or still have a disorder or disease. So that’s going to feel really frustrating and we’re probably going to give up. We will also often give up because of the massiveness of the goal. It doesn’t seem attainable - it feels so far out of reach, so we often won’t see the value in sticking to whatever plan we had made for ourselves. 

However, when the goal is something attainable, something we can control, something that is directly and immediately affected by our choices, it makes following the plan easier, therefore allowing us to be “consistent” in our behavior. 

Let me put this in a practical context and use this for an example: 

Scenario - It’s 9:45 pm and you can’t stop thinking about the ice cream in the freezer. 
Goal: Be able to fit back into the jeans you wore two summers ago (the pre-covid ones :P)

Your thinking will most likely go something like this: “ugh - this sucks! I bet ____ doesn’t have to worry about not eating ice cream.”, or “meh! Who cares? I’ll never get back in those jeans anyway”, or “I’ve already fallen off the wagon the past few days, what’s one more treat? I’ll do better tomorrow”... and then you either deprive yourself and don’t eat it while inducing shame and judgment on yourself and others; or you do eat the ice cream and immediately feel regret or apathy about the goal you set for yourself. This leads you to the question, “Why can’t I be consistent in what I’m eating?!” Does that sound familiar?

Now contrast that with the same scenario but a different goal:

Scenario - It’s 9:45 pm and you can’t stop thinking about the ice cream in the freezer. 
Goal: To feel good about how you are caring for your body 

Can you already feel the difference? In this scenario, your thinking may go something like this: “hmmm… well, every time I eat that ice cream, my stomach gets so bloated and I feel miserable for hours. I don’t think it’s worth that. What else do we have instead?” , or “I love that ice cream - that sounds so good, but it is going to probably spike my blood sugar pretty high. What can I eat with it to help stabilize my blood sugar?”, or maybe even “Ah yes! I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to try that ice cream and I know it’s made with good ingredients. Let’s go for it!”. So either you choose to eat the ice cream or you don’t, but you make a conscious decision that won’t be followed by guilt or regret. 

The difference is that with the second goal, you are making a decision from a place of loving and caring for your body right now, just as it is, rather than making a decision from a place of shame or apathy while putting a ridiculous amount of pressure and expectation on yourself. 

One of the biggest enemies of consistency is unrealistic expectations. 

There is definitely something to be said about being intentional and scheduling things into your day or week like prioritizing sleep and exercise. There is a practical, logical piece of actually planning things into your calendar or schedule because if you don’t, it probably won’t happen. But again, we are much more likely to make choices that support our wellbeing when we are operating from a goal of caring for our bodies and stewarding them well. 

So I want to challenge you to take a look at your goal or your lack of goal. If you are feeling discontent or wanting to change something about your health, what is your goal? Is it to take good care of your body, to love it well, and to support it in functioning well? If not, consider making it your goal. It will change how you make decisions. It will change how you feel the decisions you make. It will change how you feel about yourself. 

If this idea rubs you the wrong way or you find yourself rolling your eyes a little bit while listening to this, ask yourself why. Dig in a little bit. Does the idea of loving your body, caring for your body, or stewarding your body well seem weird or even wrong to you? Do you feel like your body is subpar or broken or maybe shouldn’t even be considered at all? If so, why? Where did that idea come from? 

If you find yourself feeling this way - let me ask you a few questions that I hope will change your perspective. Do you believe that your body was created by God? The same God that created the sky and the ocean, and the sun and the moon. Do you remember that after He created man and woman - their bodies - He said that it was good? Do you actually think that He could make something that is bad or subpar? If you find yourself thinking that about your body that way or talking about your body that way, isn’t that insulting your Creator? 

Please know that I don’t ask you these questions to put shame on you, if anything I want to help pull shame off of you. Friends, we think that our biggest problem or struggle or obstacle is not being consistent, but in reality, our biggest obstacle is that we have a misalignment between our mindset and our goal. 

When we view our bodies as something to be fixed, or a project that always needs to be improved, or even as just a tool, or really anything other than a good creation of the Father in which we get to experience this life and experience Him, we will not be motivated to be consistent in caring for our bodies. It will feel useless, pointless, we might even find ourselves believing that it’s vain. 

I’m not saying any of this as someone who has conquered this or figured it all out but as someone who is right there with you. I’ve been working through some of these thoughts and feelings myself over the past few weeks. I’ve had to dig deep and ask myself these same questions about what I believe about my body and the One who made it. I can honestly say that realigning my mindset with what God says and focusing on the goal of caring for my body out of a place of love, gratitude, and stewardship, has made a huge difference for me and I believe it will make a difference for you too. 

It’s easy to get caught up in what culture says about health or about what we should look like, eat like, workout like but as believers, as women who follow Jesus, that is not where we find truth and direction for our lives. 

If you feel frustrated with yourself because you don’t feel that you can “stay consistent” or because you lack motivation, ask yourself these questions. Check your mindset and focus on the goal of caring for your body, being kind to and grateful for your body instead of trying to make it into something or make it look a certain way. 

If you feel like you need to do some work around the issue of body image or body shame, or if you would just like to know more about a kingdom mindset about health and body image, I encourage you to check out Jess Connolly’s Good Body Gals community. I have found it incredibly helpful for my own soul as well as helping me think about how I teach and coach other women. You can find all the information about it in her Instagram bio or by searching for the tag #goodbodygals. 

If you feel like you need one-on-one support in this area or in knowing what steps to take, what being kind to your body looks like, what a healthy lifestyle looks like for you, I’d love to help you with that. I offer a free initial consultation where I learn about your specific needs, goals, and current obstacles and together we can come up with a plan to help. You can learn more about that by going to yourhealthforward.com. 

That does it for me today, friends. Thanks for spending some of your day here with me. Keep moving forward, go love your people well and I’ll talk with you next time!

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Ask Alaina: Q&A

In this week's episode, I'm answering your questions! Listen in to hear my answers about health, faith, the enneagram, and a few other random topics thrown in too, just for fun!

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Questions from this week’s episode:

What’s your favorite thing to teach?

Favorite worship song and why?

If you could trade places with anyone who would it be and why? 

What’s your opinion on probiotics? Real food vs supplement? 

What are some ways to incorporate good fats into your diet (not a fan of avocados)?

When people say “do your own research” what does that mean? Google? Pubmed? 

What is your enneagram number?

If you could shout one thing that the whole world would hear, what would it be?

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What I Wish I Could Have Known at the Beginning of Our Infertility Journey

Infertility can be a long journey and as with anything difficult or challenging, there are certain things that you learn as you go through it. So often I hear people say, “if I only knew then what I know now”, so as we observe #infertilityawarenessweek, I want to share some things that I wish I could have known at the beginning of my infertility journey. Not because I think it will change your outcome or really even your timeline, but because I hope that it will help you find a little more joy in the journey (and yes, I do believe that is possible) and because I hope it will encourage your heart, whether you are walking through infertility or some other hard time in your life. 

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What I Wish I Could Have Known

Some things about myself...

• My body isn’t broken. My body, my health, and my fertility are not projects. While there are things I can do to support the functions of my body, that’s not my sole purpose in life. 

• It’s better to have all the information instead of spending time being too scared to find out. Just go ahead and get the labs done, make the fertility appointment, see what the options are, and then make an informed decision. 

• I am a whole person, outside of being a mom. Infertility doesn’t define me and neither will motherhood.

Some things about marriage… 

This is going to be very hard on our marriage, but we can choose to be all in, no matter how ugly and challenging it may get, and have a stronger marriage because of it. Do the work and don’t expect it to just be okay. 

• Go to counseling

• Have open communication with each other without expecting one another to handle things perfectly. Don’t try to fix each other. 

• Learn to be okay with the other person not being okay sometimes - just be there for each other

• Keep intimacy fun and not only for purposes of “trying”

• Enjoy being with each other and doing all the things that come easier without kids - take the trips, never skip date night, do home projects, etc. While wonderful in every single way, a baby makes everything more complicated.

• Don’t miss what we have now because we are so focused on the future.  

Some things about other relationships...

• I cannot do this by myself. I need to let some people into it to walk along with me. They won’t completely understand and that’s okay. Your people will love you even when you aren’t okay. 

• Finding a support group or at least another couple or two that are walking the same road is so helpful (online resources if none local) 

• Take some of the pressure off. I don’t have to attend every single baby shower or gender reveal party. I don’t need to isolate and wallow in self-pity but I also can’t hold myself to an impossible standard either. I can love people well and still hold healthy boundaries. 

Some things about God...

• God isn’t being cruel or holding out on me and He isn’t punishing me for something. He doesn’t treat his kids like that. My grief and heartbreak break His heart too. 

• God made my body good because it’s made in His image. Even if the brokenness of this world is affecting the way it’s functioning, it is still a creation of the Father, and He cannot make bad things. 

• There is beauty within this pain and if I lean into trusting God through it, there is treasure on the other side of this journey. I can trust Him with this deep desire. 

• That void that I feel, that hole in my heart - it’s a God-shaped hole and only He can fill it.

Friend, there is nothing that I can say that will make this journey easy. Nothing that will take the pain away but my hope and prayer is that something I’ve said here today will resonate with you and help you know that you aren’t alone. You are seen and loved and there are a lot of other people out there feeling the same way that you do. 

If you ever need to reach out and connect with someone who understands, feel free to send me an email or a DM on Instagram. I’d be happy to connect with you. 

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How Acupuncture Can Improve Fertility with Sarah Prater, L.Ac

Hi friends! I’m so excited to welcome Sarah Prater back to the podcast today! Sarah is a Reproductive Acupuncturist specializing in infertility. She the founder and acupuncturist at the TN Center for Reproductive Acupuncture here in Knoxville and is just an amazing resource for those navigating their infertility journeys. 

Sarah has been a huge part of my personal journey with both infertility and endometriosis, so I asked to her share the effect acupuncture can have on fertility as well as any other health benefits that can come from it. She also explains the details of what an acupuncture appointment is like as well as what kind of fertility journeys are best paired with treatment by a licensed acupuncturist.

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Questions found in this episode:

What is acupuncture?

How does acupuncture affect fertility? What are the benefits?

Does acupuncture only work with natural cycles or can it help with advanced reproductive treatment options as well?

Can you give us an idea of what a typical cycle with acupuncture would look like?

Is there anyone that acupuncture may not be a good choice for?

Are there any other resources you suggest for those walking through infertility?

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Strength Training Benefits for Women with Cassidy Tipton, CPT

In today's episode, Certified Personal Trainer - Cassidy Tipton shares with us some of the many benefits of strength training for women's health. Whether you would consider yourself to be a beginner or an experienced athlete, Cassidy offers simple and practical tips for incorporating strength training into your everyday life.

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Alaina: Welcome back to the Health Forward Podcast. Today we have a special guest with us, Certified Personal Trainer Cassidy Tipton. Cassidy, welcome to the podcast! We are so happy to have you.

Cassidy: Hello. Thank you so much, Alaina, for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Alaina: Yes - so I know you from our time working together at a local hospital here in Knoxville. We did that for a couple of years, but for people who don't know you, can you tell us a little more about yourself and your background?

Cassidy: Yes. Absolutely. So a little bit more about me. I kind of fell in love with strength training my sophomore summer of high school. I was one of those people while other girls were sitting there reading magazines like Vogue and Teen Spirit and all that stuff, I was sitting there reading magazines on, I don't know if you remember, the Oxygen magazine. I was a full subscriber to that. I loved it! I was engulfed in all of that. I loved the way those women looked - it was something so new to me. And so I was just taken in by that. I got started with strength training because I played softball in college and in high school, and so I needed to do strength training to help me get stronger with that. So that's where I fell in love with it. In college, I majored in exercise science, and it's funny because I literally changed my major four times when I was in college, and I always kept coming back to exercise science because that was what I truly loved. But other people are like, Oh, you know, you need to do this or that. Of course, I listened to them, but then I always came back to it. And so I did graduate from Carson Newman with an exercise science degree. Then after college, I started my first personal training gig, and I was there for about four years and loved every minute of it. During that time, I fell in love with lots of different types of strength training - working with different special populations of people, not just athletes, but people who were literally just wanting to better their lives, being able to do things with their grandkids. Then I received my ACE Personal Training certification as well as a CrossFit Level one certification. So I dabbled in CrossFit for a while and then also got my USAW Sports Performance certification, with which I competed nationally in Olympic lifting (fun fact for you guys)! So, I've kind of done all different spectrums of strength training.

Then, as Alaina said, we worked together at UT Medical Center - I loved it there! Now, I am currently not doing anything in the fitness realm and I miss it so much! Because of that, I had this strong pull to serve people in that aspect, so, I really started being active on my social media and just really pouring into people and serving people - showing them my workouts. I'm just trying to give that free stuff to people to help others since I don't do that anymore, but I miss it so much and I know that I have the tools and the background that I can help people with it So that is a little bit about me.

Alaina: Yeah, that's great! And you're a mama - you have a little girl. How old is she now?

Cassidy: She is two going on 20. It's like everybody else.

Alaina: I can't believe she's already two. When we stopped working together you had just had her!

Alaina: So, in today's episode, we're talking about strength training - specifically, as it relates to women's health. I think there's a lot of questions and stigma about women doing strength training. So, we are happy to listen to your expertise on this, both in your education and then in your life experience in it as well. So, can you tell us kind of an overview, what is strength training? Are there different types? What are those different types?

Cassidy: Yes, for sure. So strength training (you can also call it Resistance Training) is basically when you are performing some type of physical exercise in which you are working your muscles against some type of opposing force. Now, that force can be something like weights, resistance bands, or gravity (as in just using your body weight). So there are so many modalities of strength training that you can use with the sole purpose of building strength and endurance. Often, when we think of types of strength training, we think of pull-downs, resistance bands, and dumbbells, but it is a totally different meaning inside of strength training that is more of a form of weight training. Then, as you said, you can do plyometrics, barbells, so many different modalities. But when it comes to specific types of strength training, there are seven different types of strength training. I do want to preface what I'm about to say by saying that it's important that we do try to find a program that is encompassing all seven types of strength training just to help get a very well-rounded program. I'll also mention that, women sometimes gear more towards one type and forget others, so be mindful of that. I'll run through these really quick.

So, the first one is going to be agile strength. When we think of this, we think of football players cutting back and forth. We think of things that are very explosive and agility-type movements. So that's gonna be things like shuffles, shuttle runs, and skaters. What's cool is that we can incorporate those types of movements even when we say, "heck, there's no way I can do shuttle runs or skaters", you can still do different versions of that type of training.

The second type is one that women tend to often veer toward - endurance strength. This is where we have the ability to move lighter loads for longer periods of time. So it's more like that 12 - 20 rep range. What's great with endurance strength is this is gonna help us increase the amount of time before we fatigue, while not only exercising but in everyday life. So endurance is so important just to help us as we age so that we can keep doing the things we enjoy. As I said, I do feel that a lot of women, especially when they're starting out with strength training and are worried about the weights and stick to more of the endurance area. There's nothing wrong with that because that is still great. We need that endurance for our muscles and to help us get stronger.

The third type is going to be our explosive strength. So basically, this is going to be your muscle's ability to exert its maximum amount of force in the shortest time possible. This is along the lines of Olympic lifting, box jumps, and burpees. This type of strength is really important as we age because we can build this strength faster than any other. This is especially helpful for elderly clients. For example, in explosive strength we think of the box jumps but we alter them and work on sitting to stand, but doing them explosively. Even with different variations, you can still get that explosive benefit.

Next is maximum strength. This is going to not really be for just the normal everyday average person just wanting to work out, and better their life. This is gonna be more for someone who is trying to lift a single rip at the heaviest amount of possible weight. So this is going to apply more to athletes. However, we can do a variation of this where we're doing higher weight and lower reps - like the 2 to 6 rep range. So we can still get the benefits of what maximum strength that way.

A couple more - next is speed strength. That's basically just how fast you are. You know, this is going to be more useful in sports, but it is good to help us improve how quickly we can react to something. Because as we age, our reaction is something that declines, so it is important that we still are able to react quickly, whether it's when driving or being aware of our surroundings.

Then there's something called starting strengths. Starting strength is what you would see in a track runner in starting position. They are trying to produce as much force or quickness as possible out of a standstill position. We use this same type of strength by sitting up and getting out of a chair. As we get older, we see we see a lot of people struggle to do this - rocking back and then trying to stand up. When we focus on starting strength with compound movements like squats, lunges, etc., it can help build that kind of strength.

Then last, but not least, is relative strength. This is the strength to weight ratio. So, pound-for-pound, how strong you are compared to someone else. So my husband is gonna laugh - my husband is a big man. He is like 230# and very strong, but when we were doing Olympic lifting and I was at my prime, pound-for-pound, I was technically stronger than him. He doesn't like for me to admit that to too many people because he is known for his strength and being very strong. Strength is important but like I said, those are just a lot of different types of strength training.

A great program is going to have a little mixture of kind of each of those types of strength training.

Alaina: So you mentioned this a little bit, especially talking about aging, but how do those things translate into kind of our everyday lives? Where can we see a lot of those benefits - both in our endurance, our ability to move, agility, and things like that as we age, but also from a health side of things?

Cassidy: So a couple of these are beneficial not only just for the everyday person, but especially for women. Number one is definitely going to be that these things are going to build and maintain our muscle mass. So, fun fact for you (well, fun/scary fact), as females our muscle mass decreases 3-8% per decade after the age of 30. This rate declines even more after you hit 60. Okay? And so what stinks about that is this is what leads to an increased risk for falls or the loss of independent living as we age. Strength training is the number one thing that can help slow that process down of losing muscle mass. It also protects our bone health. So as women, we know that we are a lot more susceptible than men to developing osteopenia and osteoporosis. So doing strenth training with any kind of external resistance or weights will help lower our risk for that. Also, if you do already have some form of osteopenia or osteoporosis, it's gonna help slow that process down. Unfortunately, you cannot reverse those factors, but you absolutely can slow it down. My grandmother is an example of this - she has osteoporosis pretty bad. I started helping her with strength training and the slowing down of the process has been huge. So great that when she's gone back to the doctor, there's been a couple of times it's only changed like a fraction, whereas before it was a very big decline each time she went back in my check. That's a big deal because I know a lot of people worry about that as they get older and I don't think that's a commonly known fact that strength training builds bone mass.

Also, for women, strength training is going to help support weight loss and weight management. So when we lift weights, it's going to help us burn more calories and stored energy or fat more efficiently. One way it does that is by increasing lean muscle mass. So we have all heard that muscle burns more energy at rest. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories you would burn if you sat on the couch and watched Netflix all day. This number is higher if you have more muscle than fat. I think it's one lb. of muscle burns, 3% more than one lb. of fat. Muscle mass helps us to be efficient by increasing our metabolism and helping us burn more while we're literally doing nothing. So who doesn't want that?

Also, I am going to say this, I know that a big stigma around lifting weights for women is that a lot of women are scared that they're gonna get bulky. This is just a myth. The facts behind it are that the hormone testosterone is what makes that happen in the body and we have only about 10% of testosterone that men do. So there is physically no way that when we are lifting that we are going to get bulky as a man could.

We know that there are great benefits of strength training for everyone - better sleep, better energy, just more focus. It's going to help with blood markers like cholesterol and blood sugar. All those good things.

Another one that I think for women, especially and especially for moms is, it's gonna help increase our mental and emotional health., I know for me, working out is so much more than, than just how I look. But when I don't work out, within a few days, I can tell mentally. It is my one time that I can escape from everything else that's going on in my life and focus on me. It can help you have more mental clarity and give a good serotonin boost.

Alaina: Yeah, that's great. I think so many people don't know so many of those things. You know? They know that they'll feel better., but they don't really get down into knowing those details. So, I love that you shared that. I've talked a lot about how it helps from a hormonal health side with blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, but that mental-emotional component is so important too.

I think part of it, too, is that we feel stronger. When we're going to do a strength training workout, and we actually do it, not only are we physically stronger, but we walk away with more mental stamina as well, because it's like "I did that!", you know? So, I think that helps so much when you are facing chronic health issues or you are facing just normal life stress. It just gives you a little more confidence that you can manage things.

Cassidy: 100% agree with you for sure. Yeah, for me, it's just that feeling of going in and lifting just gives me that sense of accomplishment. I feel like if I can do this, then I can tackle anything, right?

Alaina: Exactly. So there are some common questions that come up when it comes to strength training. So I'm gonna ask you a few of those.

How many times per week? What is the goal when it comes to strength training versus overall exercise? We know the overall general recommendation of roughly 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week, but how much of that should be strength training?

Cassidy: Yes, so with strength training, it always depends on whether you are new to it as well as your goals. So if you are someone who is brand new to strength training, you've never done it before, and you're wanting to start off it is recommended that in conjunction with your cardio (75-250 minutes a week of moderate to high intensity) that you want to at least start with twice a week of a full-body workout - every other day type deal. You want to make sure you're hitting each major muscle group in that 10-15 rep range. Even if you are not new but say you just are wanting to maintain what you have, twice a week is what can give you results. You're not necessarily going to see the physique benefits at that frequency, but you're more going to see the benefits of improving your cholesterol, helping your joints, helping your bones, and those types of things. I

Now, depending on your goals and depending on if you are really wanting to change your physique, or maybe you have a specific sports goal, then I would say you need to start ramping up the days that you are in the gym doing your strength training. So I would say you need to be in the gym doing more of like a 4-5 day a week type thing and doing more of what's called a split in your workout. Maybe one day you come to the gym and do an upper-body routine. The next day you do lower-body. Then the next day you rest and then repeat the process. You could get even more specific and focus on only two muscle groups at a time, such as the chest and triceps. Then the next day would be back and biceps... next day legs, or something like that. And then obviously there's some abdominal work in there a couple of days a week too but that is just going to depend on your goal.

So, for example, when I was training for Olympic lifting, I was in the gym six days a week, two hours a day. And there is no way that I would do that right now because I don't have the time and that's not my goal. Now in the gym, I usually try to get some sort of strength training workout four days a week, and I'm doing more of a split style. I also really like doing more of a full-body workout to like more of a CrossFit type style workout, where I'm in my strength and my cardio kind of together. It's important that you are doing the right amount of days and everything, but the main thing is that you find something that you enjoy, because if you don't enjoy it, you're not going to do it and you're not going to show up.

So even if it's something that maybe is not ideal, who cares? The main thing is that you're there and that you're showing up. So whether it's Pilates, Barre, CrossFit, or just weightlifting, find what you enjoy and mix it up. Consistency is where you will get the results.

Alaina: Yes, I love that, and I love that you mentioned those different kinds of workouts. I think that's confusing for people. Sometimes they think strength training only means using machines or only using a barbell. You can incorporate strength training and a HIIT workout. You can incorporate strength training in Barre, Pilates - all that stuff. So, just like you said in the beginning, it depends on what your goals are for that and what you will stick to.

So, a couple of other questions? What would you recommend for someone who says, "Okay, I've tried strength training a few times, and every time I do it, I get very sore, and then I can't do it for three or four more days, and then I kind of just stop".

Cassidy: Absolutely. So, that's a great question. So what I would tell that person or what I would want to look at first is going to be some of their lifestyle factors. So with strength training, you know that is just one piece of the puzzle. But if they if that person is not getting enough sleep, if they're not getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, if they are not drinking enough water, if they are not fueling their body properly - especially enough protein and carbs to sustain that can be an issue. We also want to make sure that there is a good balance of fuel for the workout. Carbs are glycogen for our muscles and they are going to replenish and refuel our muscles after we work out. If they aren't eating within the first two hours after their workout, let's try throwing in a protein shake. How strength training works is that we do not get the benefits of strength training when we are doing the strength training. It's during our recovery process. So, if we are not going through that recovery process, then yes, we're going to be sore all the time. And so how it works is when we're working out, we create these tiny, small, little micro-tears in our muscles and our body, when we are at rest it goes through something called protein synthesis to repair our muscles. That requires both glycogen and protein. So if we are not giving our body enough protein there's no way we can repair properly. That often leads to injury and it can lead to chronic soreness.

Also, are they sleeping? Stretching? Stressed? When our cortisol is elevated, it can lead to injury, and it can lead to soreness because our body is not going to be able to go through that inflammation process of cleaning all that out and just repairing our muscles and everything. Also, making sure that we're drinking lots of water, you could even throw in some electrolytes in your water as well. One of my tried and true methods for soreness is foam rolling. So on your off-days, foam rolling your muscles will help get out that lactic acid build-up out and help your muscles go through that process of cleaning all the stuff out.

Alaina: Gotcha. That makes a lot of sense. I think that's a huge missing piece - the recovery. People think, "I did my work out - I'm done - I'm going to go on with my day", and then they don't give any thought to that recovery. So follow-up to that is, would you say, within 30 minutes or within an hour? What's that time frame that we need to make sure we're getting that good protein, protein, and carbs, but definitely protein?

Cassidy: So they call it "The window of gains". It is within an hour of your workout is typically what they're recommending, and they usually say you want a complete source of protein. They have done a lot of studies saying that the most quickly digested form of protein is going to be like an isolate or whey protein, but or any type of isolate type protein. So that's going to be something from like a protein shake. Now I know a lot of people might be sensitive to whey protein, so I mean any type of protein shake you could do, and I think that's going to get to your muscles a little bit quicker than a piece of chicken would. Now, if you come straight home from your workout and eat a well-rounded meal, that's still going to be fantastic for you. Sure, it just might not be quite as bioavailable as quickly.

Alaina: Now, what about collagen? Where does that come in because it's not an isolate?

Cassidy: So yes, to make a full, complete protein there have to be 21 essential amino acids in that protein. I think that collagen doesn't have every one of them - I think it's like 19 or something. So collagen is something that you could definitely put in your post-workout shake because it has great benefits, but it wouldn't be something that I would just put in water. It's not going to be sufficient by itself. Yes, but that's a great question.

That kind of brings me to the other point is the complete protein. So there's a lot of sources of proteins that are considered proteins, but are not full, complete proteins. It is important that after our workouts were looking for something with a complete protein, so that's gonna be found mostly in animal sources, right? So just be conscious of that.

Alaina: Cool. Okay, well, are there any resources that you would recommend for people? Maybe who are just starting out their new to strength training? Would you suggest they get a trainer? Are there programs they can do at home?

Cassidy: Yes. So my two favorite resources are going to be ACSM.org and then acefitness.org. That is who I got my personal training certification from, so both of those are the two I trust the most. They are the gold standard when it comes to health and specifically fitness and working out. They do a lot of studies, and they're just they are kind of the cream of the crop. I know specifically, ACEFitness has lots of blogs you can literally type in, "strength training for beginner" and there are thousands of articles that come up that have workout programs in it.

Another thing you can do is getting a personal trainer. I think that's a great idea as well. On those two websites, you can search their database for personal trainers in your area that are certified through them.

Alaina: Great! So if people would like to follow you online where you've been sharing a lot of your workouts and some tips, where can they find you?

Cassidy: Yes, So, on Instagram, they can find me at cass_tipton.

Alaina: I'll put all of that in the show notes so that people can easily find you and then also those two resources as well. Well, thanks so much for spending some of your day with us and sharing all this information with us. It was so helpful!

Cassidy: Yes, you're so welcome! Thank you so much for allowing me to do this and just share some stuff that I love.

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Alternative Treatment Options for Chronic Pain

Hey friends! Today’s episode is all about alternative treatment options for chronic pain management. As I mentioned in the last episode, March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and if you know anything about the disease, then you know that the most commonly associated symptom of Endo is chronic pain, often debilitating pain. So that’s what inspired the thought behind today’s episode, but these treatment options apply to all different types of chronic pain. It’s been estimated that chronic pain affects around 50 million Americans - 20 million of whom have such debilitating pain that it has altered their everyday lives. It has been linked to an increased risk of major mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This is a topic that affects a lot of people and I think it’s important to talk about.

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What is pain? It’s your body communicating to you - trying to tell you that something isn’t right. Listen and treat the cause, don’t just silence the symptom. Often when the pain is chronic, the cause is inflammation of some sort. Other times it’s something like dehydration and occasionally something more serious. Whatever the cause, we want to actually address the root of the issue and not just slap a bandaid on it - especially when some of our most commonly used “bandaids” can end up causing more problems in the long term. 

Some of our “go-to” pain relievers can have negative effects on the body, especially when used long-term. Tylenol or acetaminophen can be very hard on the liver because it reduces levels of glutathione in the body, which is the body’s master antioxidant and is very important for neutralizing harmful free radicals, which when left unchecked can cause inflammation and disease. In high doses or chronic use, it can also lead to increased intestinal permeability - which as we know leads to all kinds of other negative health issues, including increased inflammation (which usually equals more pain).

Other common pain relievers such as NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin do actually help to reduce inflammation, but when used often can cause damage to the gut, including negatively affecting the microbiome and creating an imbalance of the good gut bugs vs the opportunistic ones, increasing intestinal permeability, and possibly leading to ulcers, GERD, and sometimes even IBD or colitis. 

Opioids are also often prescribed for chronic pain, which in addition to all the same side effects just mentioned can lead to addiction (leading cause of death in people under 50 years old in the US) and major changes in brain chemistry and function. We are in a horrible opioid epidemic in this country and it’s absolutely ruining people’s lives and families. Things have got to change when it comes to first-line of defense when dealing with chronic pain! 

So what are some alternative pain management techniques? Here are a few ideas that can not only help manage symptoms but often can help heal the root of the issue altogether. And even better, each of these options works with your body, helping it to function better as opposed to working against it and possibly creating unwanted side effects and new problems to address. 

Hands-On Therapies 

Acupuncture is great for treating chronic pain (especially Endometriosis - more on that here) by increasing circulation (faster healing) but also thought to stimulate nerves, muscles, and tissue which can help the body release its own pain-relieving hormones and neurotransmitters. It’s been proven effective for pain and general wellness for thousands of years. 

Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care can both help to correct structural issues and treat the root cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain. These modalities work great in conjunction with each other.

Essential Oils

Oils like peppermint, frankincense, lavender, and evening primrose oils all help to reduce inflammation and pain. Using these oils topically (with the proper dilution) can be greatly beneficial for healing and relief as well as diffusing, which can have similar effects, plus help with mental clarity and mood. 

CBD 

Cannabidiol is one type of cannabinoid from the cannabis (hemp) plant.  It is non-psychoactive (it won’t get you high) but has been used (for thousands of years) to help a wide range of health issues, including chronic pain. It helps to reduce inflammation and put your body in a more relaxed state (rest and digest mode) so that it can heal more easily. CBD has also been shown to be a neuroprotective antioxidant - which means it helps to safeguard the health of your brain. It can help reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and even be beneficial for gut health. Do make sure that you get CBD oil from a trusted, verified source that isn’t loaded with additives and extras like sugar, dyes, etc. 

Lifestyle changes

Ensuring that we are properly hydrated (water + optimal electrolytes), moving our bodies regularly (increases blood flow and healing), eating anti-inflammatory foods (some faves: leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, pumpkin, berries, bone broth, wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil/milk, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, green tea, turmeric, ginger, garlic), and prioritizing good sleep (allows for repair and renewal of the body) will all reduce chronic inflammation and promote healing.

Supplements 

One of my favorite supplements for pain and inflammation is PRANA by Leefy Organics. It’s a potent combination of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper formulated in a way that allows for max absorption into the bloodstream, making for quick-relief and benefit. It helps lower inflammation, reduces pain, helps with digestive health and brain function. 

Another important supplement (food, really) when thinking about inflammation is Bone Broth and Collagen powder. Our health starts in the gut - we can’t ignore it! Bone broth helps to rebuild the gut lining which helps to lower inflammation but also to increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and antioxidants, which help your body to be able to optimally create and use pain-relieving neurotransmitters. Both bone broth and collagen can also help with joint health, which can be a common source of chronic pain. 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids have also been shown to reduce inflammation, provide proper lubrication for joints, and increases blood flow allowing for faster healing. 

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a lot of really important roles in the body including helping with circulation and blood pressure, immune system function, nerve and muscle function, and many more. A lot of people are deficient in magnesium, so taking a supplemental form of magnesium (specifically magnesium glycinate) can be really helpful for dealing with muscle soreness and cramps, menstrual cycle pain, headaches and migraines, and even neuropathy. 

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So as you can see there are a lot of alternatives when it comes to dealing with pain. Am I saying that we should never take an over-the-counter pain reliever ever again- especially for something acute? No! That’s just not realistic. However, what I am saying is that there are many safe and just-as-effective options that we can use as a first-line defense that will actually work with our bodies and help our bodies function optimally without causing negative side effects.

One thing that I try to help my clients think about is that everything we do in relation to our health - everything we eat, everything we take - has an effect on the body both short-term and long-term. Sometimes it’s just easier to look at the short-term because we are so wired for instant gratification, but we can’t forget that these things also affect our bodies long-term. So let’s educate ourselves and consider how something will affect us in 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years, down the road. I think that principle especially applies when we are deciding how to deal with chronic pain. 

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5 Tips for Managing Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an inflammatory hormonal condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is found in other parts of the body outside of the uterus. This tissue responds to hormonal shifts of the menstrual cycle (just the same as the tissue within the uterus) and as such causes inflammation, pain, and often scar tissue/adhesions. It is estimated that about 200 million women worldwide have endometriosis. It is a complex disorder, and because of the wide variety of symptoms that can be associated with it, it can often take several years and multiple providers to actually receive an endometriosis diagnosis. 

If you want to know more about Endo including the symptoms, what we know (and don’t) about possible causes, and current treatment options, I recorded a podcast all about that last year - it is episode 30. I also have a few other endo-related episodes including more of my personal journey with it, as well as an episode all about acupuncture and helpful it can be for managing endo. 

This leads me to the topic for today - 5 Tips for Managing Endometriosis. Whether you have already received an endo diagnosis or maybe just suspect that you have it, there are some things that you need to know that can help you along your journey. 

Be an advocate for your health 

Unfortunately, it can take multiple years, sometimes even a decade, and multiple doctors and providers to get a receive an Endo diagnosis. Sadly a lot of endo symptoms are often overlooked, downplayed, or even dismissed and labeled as just being tired, overwhelmed, or dramatic. Hopefully, this will not be your experience but know going in that you are going to need to be your own health advocate. Even with the most skilled and compassionate providers, no one knows your body or your symptoms the way that you do. 

Make a list of questions before each appointment and be willing to voice your concerns if you aren’t comfortable with a particular treatment plan. 

Remember that your provider is there to help you but they can’t read your mind - so you have to speak up, and they don’t have the final say about your care. If you feel uncomfortable or dismissed, find another provider. 

When it comes to symptoms, deal with the root cause

There is not yet an agreed-upon root cause of Endo. There are several theories that are being researched but as of now, that is all that they are. What we do know is that women with endometriosis often also have poor gut health, stagnation within both the circulatory and lymphatic systems, and hormonal imbalances as well as chronic inflammation. So while we don’t know what thing/things triggered the condition, we can address these other issues. 

Working on gut health by addressing leaky gut or any gut lining issues, as well as ensuring a good balance of gut flora, can be a great place to start as all other processes and systems of the body are affected by our microbiome. 

Acupuncture can also be a great starting place as it can benefit stagnation, hormone imbalances, and inflammation.  

Create a support system 

A condition like Endometriosis affects your entire life, not just part of it, so you will likely need to address each area with multiple providers. Creating a care team may involve many different types of providers including a surgeon (this will often be someone like a Reproductive Endocrinologist that is specifically trained in excision surgery for Endo), acupuncturist, pelvic health physical therapist, health coach, or a nutritionist trained in hormone health, and often a  mental health professional or licensed therapist. Your care team may have more or fewer providers, but it’s important to remember that this is a complex condition, so it’s good to support yourself in all of these different areas - it doesn’t make you extra. 

In addition, to have different trained providers, it’s also important to surround yourself with friends and family that can support you along your journey. Endometriosis can be a lonely diagnosis because it’s still such a hush-hush topic. Some still think of it as a period problem when in reality it is so much more. When trying to manage a chronic condition of any kind, you will need an outlet. A small group of people that you can share your worries, struggles, and feelings with. 

Design a plan that works for you

Similar to the last tip, you need to create a plan to deal with your specific symptoms that is helpful for you. Although there are many shared symptoms among those with Endo, every case is unique and individualized. No two women are exactly the same - they have different genetic makeups, different environmental factors, different lifestyles. So what may help one person may not be the golden ticket for another. 

Pay attention to the signals (symptoms) that your body is giving you and do some research into what may help that also work with your phase of life, schedule, etc. For example, if you deal with chronic fatigue, waking up at 5 am and working out first thing in the morning may not be a good idea for you, even if it seems to be working just fine for your friend. We can always learn from other people, but be careful when comparing your journey with someone else. 

Be gracious with yourself 

As I mentioned before, apart from divine healing, there is currently no “cure” for Endo. However, that doesn’t mean that there can’t be relief or a reversal of symptoms, maybe even a state of remission, but it’s not something that is “cured” and you never have to think about it again. 

So make sure to set realistic expectations for yourself when making changes to your lifestyle. Remember that healing isn’t linear. This is a common frustration for those with any chronic condition. Healing is a process of ups and downs. Doing really well for a while, having a setback, learning how things affect your body, adjusting, and on and on it goes. Try to remember this when you start to feel frustrated with your body. 

Another common thought that those dealing with chronic pain or a condition can be the feeling that their body is betraying them. I just want to encourage you to really work on your mindset around this. You are not defective. Your body isn’t betraying you. You were fearfully and wonderfully made - just like everyone else. We just live in a fallen world where pain and disease still exist, and your body needs some extra support. Your journey isn’t going to be like someone else’s and that is a good thing! It’s uniquely yours. Be gracious with yourself and find gratitude in the ways that your body serves you every day. 

I hope that this has helped to encourage you. If you know someone who has endometriosis, check on them and see how they’re doing. Send them this podcast - odds are that they probably need some encouragement too! 

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What to Know About Women and Heart Disease

Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States? Surveys show that over half of us are unaware that heart disease is such a risk. We tend to think of things like cancer being more of a risk, and while we definitely need to be thinking about that, research shows that for most American women heart disease is the number one cause of death. 

In addition to the risk of Heart Disease being somewhat unknown, it’s also not well known that the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or another cardiac-related event can be very different for women than they are for men. 

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There are many factors that increase your risk for heart disease:

• High blood pressure 

• High triglycerides and low HDL

• Diabetes 

• Metabolic syndrome (Combination of high triglycerides/ low HDL, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess fat tissue around the waist. Harvard med says this is the biggest risk factor)

• Dysbiosis / poor gut health (Research shows that the gut microbiome influences many health parameters, including cardiometabolic health. One study provides evidence that certain families of gastrointestinal bacteria can either positively or negatively affect cardiovascular health. The microbiome is also known to affect metabolism and may contribute to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Other studies found a negative correlation between certain gut bacteria and arterial stiffness.)

• Smoking / Oral Birth control meds

• Chronic high inflammation levels or inflammatory disorders

• Sleep Apnea / poor quality sleep (Poor sleep quality was related to lower HDL-c and higher triglyceride levels in girls, suggesting the clinical importance of improving sleep hygiene to reduce metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents.)

• Family history 

Not only are the risks different for heart disease but the symptoms of a cardiac event, specifically a heart attack, are different for women, as well. While it is still common to have chest pain or pressure, some women never experience that. Other common symptoms include:

• Pain in jaw, neck, back, or upper arm

• Nausea or stomach pain 

• Dizziness or light-headed 

• Sweating

• Shortness of breath 

How can we minimize our risk or work to reverse some of the health issues we may already have?  

The good news is that a lot of the chronic health conditions that I listed above can be significantly improved or even reversed with lifestyle changes. We can do things to...

• Regulate blood sugar levels

• Lower triglycerides levels

• Increase HDL

• Improve microbiome

• Decrease inflammation

This leads you to ask me how - how can we practically do those things?

• Eat regular balanced meals throughout the day. No skipping meals / no stand-alone carbs or proteins (keep blood sugar levels stable)

• Eat lots of plants + omega -3 fats (decrease inflammation, feed good gut bugs, increase HDL, lower LDL) 

• Reduce artificial foods, trans fats, and refined sugars (decrease inflammation, lower triglycerides) 

• Exercise 30 min day (2 days strength at least - decrease inflammation, helps with sleep, improves gut health, decreases stress, helps with insulin sensitivity, increase HDL) 

• Deal with stress (breathing + exercise, talk it out, adaptogens - lowers inflammation, improves sleep, improves gut health, helps with adrenal function and hormone balance) 

• Prioritize sleep (deal with underlying issues, good sleep habits - inflammation, healing and restoration, cell turnover, mental health, stress) 

• Add quality supplements to fill in gaps (whole food multi, omega 3, probiotic + collagen/bone broth) 

So it’s easy to see how what we might consider just basic healthy lifestyle behaviors can really affect our long-term health over time. We tend to want to do the more extreme things, the more trendy things or to just take a supplement or whatever new product is on the market, but really when it comes to the optimal functioning of our bodies and our long-term health, the simple, basic steps really do make a difference. These are mostly the same behaviors and lifestyle changes that I talk about often - when talking about hormone health or gut health - just about any health issue, really. These are the fundamentals, the foundation, for good health, both now and when we are in our 80s. They matter and they make a difference. 

Gratitude Matters

Research has shown that gratitude has a positive effect on many different aspects of our health.  In today's episode, I'm sharing a few ways that gratitude can change our health for the better as well as simple tips for incorporating a gratitude practice into our daily lives. 

The Harvard Medical School defines gratitude as “a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals–whether to other people, nature, or a higher power”. When we think of gratitude, we typically think of saying “thank you”, which is obviously important, but gratitude is more than just an action or a trite thing we say. It is an emotion that actually creates a biological response in our bodies. 

Gratitude affects our health in so many positive ways. 

• Eases depression and anxiety (study) (enhances dopamine and serotonin) 

• Improves sleep

• Reduces burn out and stress 

• Helps regulate blood pressure 

• Helps strengthen the immune system 

• Lessens physical aches and pains 

• Helps to break the pattern of toxic thoughts 

• Helps you to be more empathetic 

• Can positively affect relationships

• Helps you to be more likable 

• Builds personal resilience (#2020, right?!)

Regularly expressing gratitude can make you more sensitive and aware of the experience of gratitude in the future. Isn’t it amazing that we have the ability to actually change our brains?! (You can find more about this in episode 47!)

Simple ways to practice gratitude:

• Start a gratitude journal

• Add gratitude to your quiet time routine 

• Write letters of gratitude to friends and family, pastors, teachers, medical staff, etc. 

• Make a gratitude jar or tree

• Pray a Prayer of Gratitude before bed

• Practice saying thank you 

• Be present and aware (put down your phone)

• Create a gratitude ritual with your kids at dinner or before bed

I hope that this has resonated with you and maybe has sparked some ideas for ways that you can practice gratitude in your life. I want to put this to practice now and say that I’m so grateful for you! I so appreciate that you guys listen in, that you support the podcast and share it with your friends, and ultimately that you have allowed me to speak into your lives and support you in your health journey! I truly love what I do and it’s an honor to get to do it!

I want to leave you with this encouragement from God’s word as you go into Thanksgiving and the rest of 2020, whatever it may hold. It’s from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - “give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Infertility and the Holidays

Hey friends! Today’s episode is geared towards those walking through infertility or for those who have close friends or family experiencing infertility. As I’ve shared from my own experience and from the experiences of several friends who have also dealt with infertility, it’s a very challenging and difficult experience - physically, emotionally, financially, relationally - really it affects all aspects of your life. This is especially true during the holiday season. 

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While the holidays are a joyful time, often filled with fun and celebration, they can also be incredibly difficult for those dealing with infertility. This is true for pretty much every holiday, but especially so during this time of year with Thanksgiving and Christmas so close together. The emphasis on family traditions, making fun memories, etc. that come with these particular holidays can really highlight the void and lack that couples with infertility can find themselves feeling. 

I wanted to share a few ideas of things that helped us as well as things that friends have shared with me that were helpful to them.

Acknowledge that it’s hard

If you’re walking through infertility, acknowledge when you’re having a hard time. It can feel tempting to just suck it up and act like everything is fine, but that is only going to make things harder on you emotionally. It’s okay for you to feel how you feel. If this season isn’t hard for you, that’s fine too! Just take the pressure off of yourself to feel a certain way. 

If your family member or friend is dealing with infertility, acknowledge that this is probably a difficult time for them. Be intentional about checking on them, giving them a little extra love, and making yourself available for them to talk to you about it if they want to (without pressuring them). A simple text that says “Hey - I know this can be a tough time of year. Just wanted you to know I’m always here to listen if you want to talk.” can be a huge encouragement to them - just to know that you haven’t forgotten them and what they are going through. 

Remove expectations

This is going to look like giving yourself (or your friend/family member) lots and lots of grace. If you don’t feel like going to the Christmas party where everyone brings their kids, be okay politely saying no. If you know that certain “holiday” things are going to be triggering for you, maybe just skip those this time. If something is going to cause you to be in an unhealthy place, it’s okay to say no. This also applies to social media! The comparison game is difficult with social media regardless, but I feel like it’s even more difficult during the holiday season, especially if you are dealing with infertility. It may be a good time to take a social media break through the holidays and come back to it in January (or not :P). 

If your friend or family member is the one dealing with infertility, just make sure you’re being considerate. It’s not that anyone expects or wants you to walk on eggshells around them or never invite them to be around your kids, etc. Just be conscious that it may be difficult for them and don’t place extra pressure on them to come to things or be okay. On that note, don’t just not invite them either. I know that feels a little complicated but there is a balance there. Just be gracious. Invite them to the party, feel free to talk to them about your life, your kids, your pregnancy, etc. Just consider their feelings and ask them how they are feeling about things. One of the things that make infertility even more difficult is how isolating it can feel, so don’t let them feel alone - make sure they know you are there for them. They likely feel like they need to act okay even when they aren’t, so make sure they know that they are supported regardless of how they feel. 

Have your ‘safe place’

This one is more for those actually experiencing infertility - make sure you and your spouse have a ‘safe place’. (If you have seen the movie “Four Christmases” think of the scene where they agree on a safe word before they see their families for Christmas - that’s kind of where I’m going with this!) Family get-togethers can get uncomfortable (for everyone at times), especially during a time like this, so talk about these things before the holidays really get started. Agree on a ‘safe word’ if one of you just really needs to go. Have a ‘safe place’ where you both are free to express your emotions and frustrations without judgment or needing to “fix” the other person - where you can just vent (you know, when Aunt Bertha asks for the tenth time, “well when’s that baby coming?”, or Uncle Fred asks, “do y’all need a reminder on where babies come from?”).

I think it’s also helpful to have a friend or two, other than your spouse, that you can really be open with. Maybe someone who has walked a similar road before or someone who you can just be very vulnerable with, who will listen to you vent, but then who will lovingly remind you of truth, pray for you, cover for you if you need a minute away, etc. Remember, this journey is way harder when you try to go it alone. Find your people and let them in. 

Find a way to make the holidays fun

Even though this season can be tough doesn’t mean that it can’t also be fun and joyful too. Plan some holiday activities that you can do - just you and your spouse or maybe with a group of friends - that are fun! Think of the things that you can do that would be way more challenging if you did have small kids right now. Remember that this a season and chapter in your life - not the whole thing - so enjoy what you have right now. Go Black Friday shopping at 2 AM (safely, of course - maybe virtually this year :P), plan a super romantic Christmas date, spoil your spouse or friends with gifts, take a trip, etc. It doesn’t take away the pain, but joy and sadness can coexist, so let yourself have fun and find some things to get excited about!

Give to and serve others

This is a big one. Listen, I know firsthand that you may not feel like giving and serving during the holidays, but we were created to give and serve. We were made in the image of God and something in us comes alive and more joyful when we are reflecting His character. Giving to and serving others is a big part of that. 

There are tons of opportunities for giving and serving during the holiday season, but one of the main ones that come to mind for me is Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan’s Purse. This year, you can pack a shoebox by either physically shopping for items to fill your shoebox with or pack one virtually through their online portal. It’s such a great opportunity to love on a sweet child that may not get to experience the joy of opening gifts at Christmas. There are also tons of toy drives, coat drives, food pantry needs, etc. during this time of year. 

Maybe there are some kids in your family or friend group who could use some extra love and attention this time of year. Ask if you can buy them gifts or take them to do something fun and give the parents a break. There are always people who need our help and support - especially during the holidays. 

Lastly, I just want to encourage you to keep your focus on the reason and meaning for these holidays. I know it sounds cliche - “the reason for the season” and all - but it’s still true. Where we place our focus matters… what we allow our minds to dwell on matters. As I’ve already said, I’m in no way saying ignore your feelings or just “be happy”, “fake it til you make it” or any other garbage advice like that. The truth though is that both Thanksgiving and Christmas have a purpose, they aren’t purely just for fun. Even in the midst of some of the hardest, darkest day of our lives, we still have things to be thankful for. Research shows that gratitude has a positive effect on our brains, maybe even lessening the effects of depression. It also changes our perspective and shifts our focus from what we may feel that we lack (even as significant as it is) to what we have been blessed with. And the entire point of Christmas is that we all were given an incredible gift that we can never deserve - the gift of a Savior, of one who will bear our burdens and never leave us in our heartache, who will fill our longing and lack, if we will simply choose to accept Him. So this holiday season, make the time to focus on the meaning. Maybe start a gratitude journal, do an Advent study, read through the Christmas story - just do something that shifts your focus. 

I want to wrap up this episode with a little advice from someone other than me. I reached out to a few friends who have also experienced infertility and asked if they had advice for those of you who have close friends and family that you may see this holiday season who are also experiencing infertility. Here’s what they said:

• Don’t say things like “You can always adopt”, “Just relax! It will happen when you least expect it.”, “Don’t stress about it.”, and the most infamous “When are YOU going to have a baby?” 

• Don’t go into the holidays expecting a pregnancy announcement even though those can be common at holiday gatherings

• Don’t add any pressure for couples to have more children, just because their child has gotten older. Secondary infertility is just as real and painful. 

• Overall, just be considerate of your words and how they may make someone else feel. Think before you speak. 

I truly hope that this episode has helped you and given you some ideas of ways that you can enjoy this holiday season or ways to encourage your friends or family through what may be an extra difficult time. If you are personally walking through infertility, please know that you are not alone, you aren’t forgotten, you aren’t being punished or intentionally left out. You are seen, you are loved, you are valuable. Always feel free to reach out to me on social media, if you need someone to talk to that has been there. You can most easily find me on Instagram or send me an email.

If you want to hear more of my personal journey with infertility and endometriosis, check out Episode 31, and for a panel interview about what it’s like to experience infertility, check out Episode 35.

Book Review | Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen

Hi friends! Today’s episode is a little different than anything I’ve done before - I am reviewing a book that I just recently read with my small group and all of us loved it so much and found it so helpful, so I wanted to share it with you as well. 

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The book is called “Get Out of Your Head - Stop the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts” by Jennie Allen. It’s a book about how God designed our minds to work, how we form thoughts, and how those thoughts can then affect everything in our lives. It talks specifically about negative thought patterns and common triggers that tend to send us down into toxic thought spirals and how we can use truth from God’s word to fight these spirals and disrupt the consequences of our negative patterns of thinking. This book is full of science and scripture which I absolutely love! 

The book is so well laid out. It’s broken down into three parts different parts, so I’m going to share a few things that really stuck out to me from each part. 

In part one Jennie goes into detail about how our thoughts are formed and influenced by our environment or our own past experiences, and how those thoughts then go on to form what we believe and shape how we live. She explains the pattern like this “Our emotions were leading us to thoughts, and those thoughts were dictating our decisions, and our decisions were determining our behaviors, and then the behaviors were shaping our relationships, all of which would take us back to healthy or unhealthy thoughts.” 

In chapter two, she digs further into explaining how a lot of our thoughts can be based on lies we believe about ourselves, which are ultimately rooted in what we believe to be true about God. All of this information is leading the reader to the realization that our thoughts (especially the negative ones - 70%) can create strongholds in our lives that we need to fight back against, but before we can do that we have to learn how to recognize them and stop the spiral.

In the second part of the book, she walks us through exactly how to do that. Side note - I highly recommend getting the study guide to go along with the book. It provides prompts and space to dive deeper into the methods she shares for tearing down strongholds and regaining control of our thoughts. 

The entire process of fighting back hinges on this one truth - that we have a choice. We don’t have to stay stuck in these toxic spirals. We can disrupt them. As Jesus-followers, we have been given all the tools we need to be able to break free. Throughout the entire second part of the book, Jennie walks through common negative emotions and thoughts that we often find ourselves gravitating towards and then provides us with another option - a way to stop the spiral, using truths from God’s word. 

We can fight self-importance with humility

We can fight noise with silence

We can fight cynicism with delight

We can fight isolation with connection

We can fight complacency with intentionality

We can fight victimhood with gratefulness

We can fight anxiety with trust

Then in part three, Jennie wraps up the book reminding us of who Jesus is and as believers, who we are in Him. I just love the reminders that she gives in this section and want to read this part she wrote, specifically what God says about Himself and about you: (from pg 214-216)

I am who I am. (Exodus 3:14)

I am the beginning and the end. I am the first, and I am the last. (Revelation 22:13)

I am light; in Me, there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

My hand lay the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth. (Isaiah 48:13)

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. (Jeremiah 1:5)

I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my Name, He may give it to you. (John 15:16)

I am He who blots out your transgressions. I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

To all who receive Me, who believe in My Name, I give the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

 Do you not know that you are God‘s temple and that God‘s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

My spirit is within you. (Ezekiel 36:27)

I will not leave you. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

I will equip you for every good work I’ve planned. (Hebrews 13:21)

I gave you a spirit not of fear but of power and of love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I will build my church through you, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)

I will comfort you as you wait. (Isaiah 66:13)

I will remind you this is all real. (John 14:26)

I am on my way. (Revelation 3:11)

My steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 138:8)

In just a little while… I am coming and I will take you to the place where I am.  (Hebrews 10:27; John 14:3)

You will inherit the earth. (Psalm 25:13)

You will be with Me. I will wipe every tear from your eyes, and death will be no more. Behold, I am making all things new. (Revelation 21:3-5)

My kingdom is coming. My Will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

“God has declared these truths about Himself and about me. All these things are true for you and for anyone who loves and follows Jesus. This is who we are because of Whose we are. We make our choices based on these truths. And our God doesn’t change and always delivers on His promises.”

This book was so helpful for me and I honestly believe that it would be helpful to anyone who reads it. Battling a negative mindset or getting caught up in toxic thought patterns isn’t something that only affects a few people - it affects everyone I know, and consequently, it can affect our entire lives. 

I have often talked about how important it is to take care of our mental and emotional health, but I don’t know that I’ve ever felt the true significance of that like I have this past year. As I’ve seen in my own life and in the lives of my clients, if we aren’t paying attention to and caring for our mental/emotional state, we will not be able to be physically healthy. We just won’t have the motivation, the will, or even the capacity to care about it. I truly believe that caring for our mental health and emotional wellbeing starts here - in understanding that we were created in God’s image, as spiritual beings and there is a war going on for our minds. Our mind and our thoughts are the deepest core of who we are and if we aren’t paying attention and being intentional about caring for that part of us, filling ourselves with truth, actively fighting against these lies that are so tempting to believe and often being pushed at us from every angle, it’s going to affect the rest of our lives, our relationships, our health. 

I really can’t recommend this book enough!  You can find both the book and the study guide at Target or most anywhere books are sold - be sure to grab one for yourself and maybe a friend too!

Exercise As Medicine with Amy Shafer

Hi friends! In today’s episode, I’m joined by my friend, Amy Shafer. Amy is a Certified Personal Trainer, a Cancer Exercise Specialist, the Fitness Manager at UT Medical Center, and the Chair of the Wellness Council for the employees of the medical center. Today, she is sharing her knowledge and expertise around the idea of Exercise as Medicine with practical advice that you can start applying to your health journey today! Listen to the full episode below or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Questions you will find in this episode:

So, I talk a lot about food as medicine and how we can help our bodies heal and function properly through what we eat and how we live. Tell us a little about this idea of “exercise as medicine” and some of the medical benefits of regular exercise as well as the “real life” or lifestyle benefits. 

There are some very common reasons people seem to struggle with consistent exercise - one major one is time and working exercise into an already busy schedule. Can you give us some practical tips on ways to work exercise into our day-to-day lives? 

Another common obstacle or hesitation for exercise right now is this pandemic we are in, which comes with a whole list of fears and concerns about the gym, being around other people, wearing a mask while working out, etc. What are some ways that we can work around or through these concerns?

What are some of the other common obstacles you see for people when it comes to exercising regularly and what advice do you have for them to overcome those obstacles?

Why Throwing Out Your Scale Is a Good Idea

Hi friends! In today’s episode, I wanted to share a quick tip with you that is guaranteed to have a positive effect on your health - throw out your bathroom scale! For real. 

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Okay, maybe you don’t have to throw it away but do get it out of your bathroom. Maybe put in the back of your closet or under your dresser - somewhere where you won’t see it every day. 

This topic has been coming up often in my coaching sessions lately. Almost everyone I’ve talked to recently has been frustrated because they’ve gained a few pounds over the past few months and don’t see it coming back off, and I’m going to tell you some of the same things that I shared with them. 

• These past few months have been strange for everyone. COVID = stress, and when we are stressed our bodies go into “fight or flight mode”. Losing weight is not a priority for your body when it’s stressed - surviving is. Our bodies can’t tell the difference between being stressed about a pandemic and being chased by a wild animal. It just produces stress hormones and acts accordingly, which often leads to our bodies holding onto weight for protection. This will likely resolve once the stress has calmed down or we learn how to manage it and our bodies can return to a more relaxed state. 

• Weighing every day will only frustrate you! Our weight fluctuates for many different reasons throughout the day, week, and month. For example, hormones, salt or water intake, and inflammation can all make our weight shift up or down a bit and that is completely normal. Most of us would never even notice it, but if you are weighing every day, you will likely see that fluctuation and think that it’s due to something you did or didn’t do. 

• Weighing every day will make you focus on the wrong things. It is not emotionally or physically healthy to obsess about our weight or every single thing we eat, but if you find yourself continually worrying about the number on the scale, that is likely what you will do. This can lead to an unhealthy obsession and more stress (read - more weight gain).

Weighing every day will most likely sabotage your weight loss goals.

If you are going to weigh yourself or wanting to use your weight as a measurement for progress, I personally recommend only weighing yourself 1 x per month or at the very most every 2 weeks (When you do weigh yourself, make sure you are weighing at the same time of day, day of the month, wearing the same amount of clothing, etc.)

Ultimately focus on non-scale victories to track success and progress. A few examples are:

• The way your clothes fit

• The way your rings fit

• The condition/growth of your skin, hair, and nails

• Your energy level

• Your mental/emotional state

• Your amount of cravings for sweet/greasy foods

• If you are consistently doing things that help you to feel good

Remember, you could reach your goal weight and still be miserable and not feel good. A number is not the goal. A number doesn’t define health. You get to define that for yourself. You are worth far more than a number. 

Listen to your body. Appreciate your body and the gift of health. Go throw out your scale! 

Prioritizing Your Health as a Nurse with Chrissy Williams

Hey friends! In this week’s episode, I get to interview one of my very best friends, Chrissy Williams. She shares her perspective of learning to prioritize her health while working as a Labor and Delivery nurse for the past nine years! Listen to the full episode below!

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A few of the questions from this episode:

When we think of healthcare, we often just assume that our providers don’t struggle with the same health struggles that we do, but in reality, our doctors and nurses face a lot of the same obstacles we do, and due to their schedules, maybe even more with burn out, etc. Can you share a little about the common obstacles you and your coworkers have experienced? 

What are some of the ways you have been able to work around or overcome these obstacles? 

What advice would you give to a nurse that may be listening? Especially a brand new nurse just getting started in their career and wants to make sure they keep their health a priority? 

Prioritizing Your Health as a Young Professional

Hi friends! In today’s episode, my friend Kellie Shortridge shares how she prioritizes her health as a young healthcare professional. She shares practical, helpful tips that we can apply to our own health journeys. Listen to the full episode below.

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Some questions from this episode:

As your friend, I know that you’ve been in the process of prioritizing your health over the last few years. What do you feel are some of the more beneficial changes you’ve made and what differences have you seen in your overall wellness? 

Being a young working professional in a health care setting what are some of the obstacles to living a healthy lifestyle that you’ve encountered? 

I think a lot of people that live by themselves often feel overwhelmed by the idea of meal planning and prep - especially when most recipes seem to be geared toward multiple servings. How have you navigated that for yourself? 

What advice do you have for others who may have similar situations as yourself and are wanting to improve their health, but really not sure where to start? 

Prioritizing Your Health as a Pastor with David Williams

Hey friends! In today’s episode, I’m interviewing another good friend of mine, David Williams. David serves as the Worship and Communications Pastor at Fountain City Church and today he is sharing his health journey, how he has learned to prioritize his health, and the impact that those changes have had on his ability to care for and lead our church family. Listen to the full episode below!

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Here are a few of the questions from this interview:

I think anyone who knows anything about ministry knows that being a pastor can be a very stressful job - especially now in this super weird season that we’re currently in. What are some ways that you prioritize your health and manage stress? 

Each different area of our health - physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual - affects the others. How have you seen that play out in your life and in your work?

What would be your advice or encouragement to someone in a similar situation as you, that is wanting to make changes to improve their health? 

Prioritizing Your Health as a Teacher with Savannah Pratt

Welcome, friends! In today’s episode, I’m interviewing my good friend Savannah Pratt. Savannah is sharing with us how she has learned to prioritize her health while navigating the challenges that come from her rewarding, yet very demanding and stressful job as an Elementary School Special Education Teacher. She shares tips for how to start making your health a priority as well as encouragement for others with similar demanding work schedules. Listen to the full episode below!

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As a teacher, who is also trying to improve your health, what are some obstacles you often encounter?

Do your coworkers seem to share in those same obstacles? 

What are a few things you have done to overcome or work around these challenges?

Do you feel that prioritizing your health has allowed you to be more focused or more productive in your work? 

What would be your encouragement to anyone listening who is either a teacher or in another stressful, demanding role and wanting to improve their health?