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Fight or flight and how it works and how to counteract it?

Well that’s a title!

Your body goes into fight or flight when it is needed to run, jump into action or fight something. But in modern day life most of us are in this state each day and that keeps us in an unhealthy acid state where our cells are inflamed no matter how “healthy” we are. Things like watching mind numbing TV and violent dramtic bad news, pushing your body beyond it’s capacity, living or working in an emotional state or bad environment or dealing with less desirable people, living with child on the spectrum or with a disability, all these situations can put and keep you this state of fight or flight and beyond what is a healthy response.

How does it all work?

My Mickel Therapy taught me to break down this response and by understanding it I could stop it and reverse it. I learnt that I can control my response and I can control how I react to a situation and that although my body naturally puts me in to this fight or flight state to protect me or make me respond, it does not have to live here and I can bring myself back down. To produce the fight or flight response, the hypothalamus gland activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system. The sympathetic nervous system uses nerve pathways to ignite or fire on reactions in the body, and the adrenal-cortical system uses the bloodstream. The combined effects of these two systems are the fight or flight response.

When the hypothalamus tells the sympathetic nervous system to kick into gear, the overall effect is that the body speeds up, tenses up and becomes generally very alert often the body finds strength and power it did not know it had. If your baby is stuck up a tree you are going to have to take action and fast even if you cannot climb trees or are afraid of heights! The sympathetic nervous system sends out impulses to glands and muscles and tells the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) into the bloodstream. These “stress hormones” cause several changes in the body, including an increase in heart rate and blood presure. You often hear of mothers lifting cars of their trapped babies. Of course in a relaxed state this would be near impossible.

Introvert_12parasympaheticsystem_zpseb7a2579So once you have gone into a flight or fight response, how do you return to a relaxed state and return to your parasympathetic nervous system?

Well if your body has just dealt with an emergency or had to run away from danger. Naturally your body will adjust and calm it self down. But if your in fight or flight continuously through what we spoke about earlier, then this process is much harder and needs balance to force it self into a relaxed state. Which is why some people find shavasana and mediation so hard, their bodies are just not used to relaxing and need to train their brain to send chemicals to counteract this and learn how.

We know your muscle get activated and tighten– so to counteract this, sitting calmly or using shavasana or child’s pose will help to unwind the muscles. If you can have a warm bath or a hot shower this will help too. Using certain essential oils may help in this process.

We know your breath gets short and rushed and your respiratory system shuts down– so breathing deeply and slowly in for the count of 5 and out for the count of 8 will help control the breath and bring oxygen back to the muscles and relax the body and the digestion system.

We know the body goes into fear– so the moment the fear has gone you must not give momentum to the fear but to flip it to a positive vibe. How do you do this? See the positives in what just happened. Stop telling the story. Stop reliving the drama. Once it is over breath and let it go. Do not keep reliving what happened over and over as it keeps you in that place of fear and negative feelings. Instead think ‘oh gosh that could have been worst’ or ‘at least that didn’t get worst’ or ‘I can see how I can learn from this and move on to be a better vibration’ or ‘I will learn from this and not respond like that again’ What is a ‘Health Coach’ and how can they help you achieve your goals?

We know your body takes momentum from your current emotion- so do not allow others to push your buttons, control how you react to others words or actions. Remove yourself from situations and places that keep you in a negative space or in an angry, jealous, upset space. do not give momentum to the issue and keep your self at that lower vibration. To do this, balance is key! For every bad situation find a positive one. For each bad energy or negative person in your life find a positive person or situation to balance it out. For each stressful conversation walk in nature, or go to a tai-chi class or yin yoga class or meditation evening. For each physical exertion balance it with a yin movement and cleansing fuelling foods. Balancing out the impact to stress is vital as when you are in fight or flight the body shuts down and stops nutrients getting to the cells the body absorbing water and the brain getting oxygen. Which will cause fatigue on the body and the adrenal gland to crash. When you an action you are coming from a higher place and a higher vibration and far from a place of fear. How do you get more oxygen when you’re stressed? Walk, take an action, exercise gently, eat green leafy vegetables, feel and think positive thoughts, mediation, laugh and dance!

We know cortisol is released when you are in fight or flight– so to quieten your system and encourage the endorphines to take over from the cortisol and other fear induced chemicals is to calm your usual reactions to fear. The four A’s can help you do this and they are Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept. This is a good rule to live by! Remember accepting the situation you are in and to make peace and let go, does not mean you cannot change it and involve from it.

We know your digestions stops when you are in fight or flight – so look to your diet to help with this. Dietary choices or lack of nutrition can provoke and increase a sense of anxiety and worry if you’re lacking in healthy nutrients, have blood sugar swings, and if you’re fueling up on unhealthy foods most of the time. Caffeine and sugar are culprits in fueling your flight or fight responses. Decreasing anxiety through food can be achieved by increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates ie lots of fruit and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, eating smaller more frequent meals, drinking plenty of water away from food, and limiting or better still avoiding the intake of caffeine, sugar and alcohol. and not eating to late at night. Be careful to avoid food sensitivities as these can heighten your sense of anxiety and fear if you have a reaction to them. Increase your intake of foods that are high in tryptophan. Tryptophan helps boost your brain’s calm mood and relaxes you. Try such foods as bananas, organic chicken, nuts, natural peanut butter and sesame seeds. eating good healthy fats will help fuel your brain as it is made from 60% fat and needs good omega 3-6 and 9 to regenerate and be at it’s full potential. I have found many of my young ASD clients improve there anxiety and stress levels and stimming so fast upon introducing good fats to their diets. There’s a difference between choosing healthy foods to help quell stress responses and “stress or emotional eating”. If you notice that you’re turning to “comfort foods” to relieve stress, or after a tough situation, be mindful choose an action instead like walking, breathing or laughing or talking to a friend who brings your vibration up (not one who will help you stay in the lower vibration i.e. talking about the issue over and over and fishing for the drama). Blood sugar level swings will feed fear because you lack strength and energy as a result of them, causing you to feel physically weaker. As your blood sugar soars, you feel exuberant but as it crashes, your sense of fear will return and leave you feeling irritable, unresolved, and worried. Hence making it all worst. Never eat when you are stressed or upset the body will not digest the food. Once you are calm then eat mindfully. A simple guide to understanding Nutrition and the part it plays on your body, and how to heal your own body!

We know your brain goes to the primal back brain when you are in a fight or flight mode– so to move the energy back to your pre frontal cortex and not allow your body to leak energy. Plan your time and plan your strategy and do not make decisions from a place of fear, id advise you not to contact or speak to people from this negative place, as I know very well it will back fire on you. Fuel your brain with healthy good fats and water and clean air. Only make decisions when you are calm and in the right brain function. Breathe and be in the present and make choices from this place, not the fear based impulse that can cause drama and keep the issues alive.

Harnessing your energy and stopping leaks of energy will happen if you follow the rules above. I hope you find this helpful.

“Mental energy and focus is your greatest asset”

What does “Mindful Eating” really mean and how can it help your food intolerance?

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The Truth About Sugar and Fruit . . .

So is fruit good or bad for you? It makes you fat right?

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Well here is the truth about fruit and why it’s got such a bad wrap over the years.

Fruit is a whole food containing an abundance of antioxidants and healthful nutrients, and the cellular scaffolding to fuel the body, it’s packed with protein and they hold enzymes and nutrients for your body and is instant energy for your cells and brain.

In the modern word it’s a super food! So why the bad wrap? I’m glad you asked . . . it is because most of us was eating it at the wrong time, with the wrong foods and out of season old or unripe fruits.

You see fruit digested very quickly so it must be eating on it’s own, preferable on an empty stomach to not cause fermentation in the gut . . . for example watermelon digest in 15 minutes and if you combine that with an apple that takes around 45-55 minutes this will cause gasses to be produced in the gut. Then the poor apple get’s the blame. Or mixing fruit with meat which takes 24-48 hrs to digest . . . you see it’s not the fruit it’s the combination of food. If you are following a GAPS Diet or strict Paleo Diet then you must keep your fruit consumption low as your meat and fats are so high and the combination is very bad for the body causing candida to thrive candida grows from fats and starches not complex sugars. Once you move away from the strict gut protocols after healing has take place and you have more freedom then follow the rules below. or just fill up on fruits and vegetables and your don’t have to worry as much about mixing foods.

Now later I will explain how to get the optimum out of your fruit by eaten certain fruits with others or avoiding certain combinations this will take your health to the next level. But if you take anything away from this article, the rule is to have fruit on it’s own without nuts or any other foods and have it at least 1 hour away from other meals. This goes for water too ( I can see your eyes rolling) without getting distracted, drinking water is great for the body but no animal or human is designed to drink gallons of water and especially with food it then just washes out the nutrients and stops the stomach producing the bile it needs to break it down. Drink water only when you are thirsty (listen to your body health seekers, listen!) more on hot day and drink water away from food as it will stop the digestion process completely.

How much water is good for you, and why you should never take it with food?

fruitBack to FRUIT!

All sugars are NOT the same. Don’t be afraid of fruit sugar. There is a big difference between a simple sugar and a complex sugar.

Every cell in the body requires sugar!!!! 

Sugar = carbon. That is why we call foods high in sugar, carbo-hy-drates, carbon chained constituents.
Carbon is essential, over fats and proteins (amino acids). They are essential to creating ATP, what we call cell ENERGY. We are charging the battery of the cell.

Our body is made of carbon cells that feed and eliminate, just as every living thing on the planet does.

“The magnetic electrical research field will come to prove that the human body is an electrical being and our health (strength and endurance) depends on the ENERGY currents which run through the body.” – Dr. George S. White, M.D.

Each cell must have sufficient oxygen and fructose/glucose to convert the simple sugar into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is pure ENERGY for the life processes of the cell, through aerobic oxidation.
A delicately balanced distribution of sodium and potassium in and around the cells must be maintained at all times.

Fruits are higher in antioxidants and astringents and will move your lymphatic system far better than vegetables. This is why we see a lymphatic response when a fruit is consumed, and that is what we WANT to see.

Fruits, also being a simple sugar, are even superior for diabetics, pancreatitis, hepatitis, and all other gastric and intestinal conditions. Fructose does not require insulin or extensive digestive enzymes. It needs no conversion.

Fructose is not broken down into glucose; it absorbs directly into the bloodstream ready to be used. It enters the cell by diffusion. Fruits’ magnetic (electrical) ENERGY is the highest of all foods, making them the superior brain and nerve foods. They will bring ENERGY to the body, where most other foods take it away.

Our body is not meant for complex sugars (starches), complex carbohydrates, processed foods full of chemicals, toxins, refined and processed sugars (like corn syrup, which in no way resembles a simple sugar). It has been so processed and concentrated it is poison and unrecognizable to the body.

Simplicity in digestion and absorption is key. Simple sugars such as fructose and glucose found in fruits, berries, melons, greens, and vegetables are what the body requires to thrive.

Simplicity…

Sugars of the highest quality.

How do you now what fruit goes with what?

Well there’s a few simple rules and using charts like the one below can help. Until I learnt this I had it on fridge to always check the combinations.

The rule is: sweet fruit never with acid fruit –  so banana and pineapple is a no go! But a sub-acid fruit like a plum can go with a sweet fruit like a banana. BINGO!

Then there’s melons ALL melons should be eaten on there own away from all other fruits and foods, so that’s the 80’s parma ham melon dish is out!

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We start our day with watermelon or have it late in the afternoon at least 1 hour after a salad and at least 1 hour before dinner. Watermelon digest very fast in 15-20 minute and as I know far too well if you eat it after a meal you get a very bloated gassy stomach as it is fermenting on top of grains, meat, starchy vegetables and causes a whole heap of trouble for your poor system. We need to go back to simple eating, mono foods (one food at a time) and simple combinations as our guts aren’t designed to have 10-15 ingredients at each meal and then a meal every 2-3 hours with a new 10-15 ingredients. Without being another person saying to look back to primal eating . . . but look at monkeys they eat 1-5 foods without combining them, when they do eat meat they eat it on it’s own. When we used to farm the lands we ate grains as meals without loads of combinations and cooked them well after soaking. often starches for boring and proteins for dinner only eating 1-2 meals a day. We now eat many meals on top of each other without digesting the last and with bad combinations, and the result is disease and sickness.

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So leave the meats, fats, nuts, legumes away from fruit but these can be paired with starchy vegetables and non starchy vegetables.  Food combining and why is it essential for health!-chart.

Grains and starches should also be away from fruit so no porridge and fruit or paleo granola and fruit, but also away from proteins like meat, nuts and legumes as this is also a bad combination on the digestive system. Non starchy vegetables are fine with grains. So,  Why no grains you ask?

Grains and greens yes! Fruits and greens yes! Protein and greens yes! Starches and greens yes! Greens and fats yes! Acid fruits and fats yes!

Starches and fats no! Proteins and fats no! Starches and proteins no! Grains and starches no!

Fruits and anything but greens . . . no way!

Food-combining

I share this information not to get you into a panic about fruit but to show you fruit is a super food and should be in all of your diets as it is turned in to glucose which is what our brains and cells feed off. Often candida is caused by fruits and fats not being combined properly not the natural sugar in fruit. Those who have done candida cleanses and still find they have problems will agree with me. As they don’t address the food combinations, they just remove most fruits which helps for a while but then when they come off the cleanse or elimination diet the issues return back again.

In regards to ‘fruit is just sugar and will make me fat’ I will address that here briefly but I explain in more detail in this blog about good and bad carbohydrates and how to eat the right types and when to eat for your body:  https://nourishtohealth.com.au/2016/01/26/carbs-carbs-crabs-good-bad-and-how-many-is-right-for-you/

Fruit has sugar in it, your right but it is not a refined sugar that switches on receptors in the brain and makes you addicted like refined flour products (even gluten free), nor does it damage cells and cause insulin resistance (diabetes) like simple refined sugars do. Fruit has fibre which makes us feel full and provides other metabolic benefits. When you bite into an apple, for example, the fruit’s fiber helps slow your absorption of fructose (fruit sugar). Which is why fruit juices and dried fruit are causing issues with blood sugars and insulin as there is not the fibre to stabilise it in the blood and move the energy to the cells, so it just spikes and then your adrenals kick in to contract it. As long as you eat it away from other foods so it can digest and not ferment in the gut it will not make you fat but fuel your body and feed your brain with the much needed glucose it needs to function. You see any fat monkey’s and chimps in the wild? No, but you do see it in zoo’s where they feed fruit with nuts, grains and soy products to bulk their diet’s out! Don’t mess with nature human kind . . . it’s on it already and we survive for umpteen years before man come in trying to cook, change and create unnatural foods. Unnaturafying foods. I am sure that is not a word but I am rolling with it!

Studies have found that introducing fruit daily, eaten at the right times as per above have helped heal diabetes and obesity. (Again I will mention this in my Carbohydrate blog) diabetes can be healed very very quickly with the removing all unnatural foods and replaced with a high fruit and vegetable lifestyle with low healthy fats from nuts, avocado and seeds.

So what are you waiting for grab an apple and start eating fruit again and feel the life force return to your body!

 

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Here is my food digestion chart to show you why foods can not be combined like the do on most peoples plates without causing gut rot and purification-gas, bloating, pain and wind.

DIGESTION TIME OF VARIOUS FOODS: This is approximately the time spent in the stomach before emptying into the intestines and bowels.

Pure Distilled Filtered Water is Alkaline.

When the stomach is empty, it leaves immediately and goes into intestines.
Cold Pressed Juices is Alkaline

Fruit, vegetables, vegetable broth – 15 to 20 minutes.
Semi-liquid is Alkaline.

Blended smoothies and salads, vegetables or fruits – 20 to 30 minutes.
Fruits is Alkaline.

Watermelon – 20 minutes.
Other melons – cantaloupe, honeydew etc. – 30 minutes.
Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, persimmons, papaya, pawpaw, grapes, cherries, berries etc.- 40 minutes.
Fruits is Acidic

Orange, lemons, limes, strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit – 30 minutes.
Raw Vegetables is Alkaline.

Raw salads and vegetables – tomato, lettuces, cucumber, celery, red or green pepper, other succulent vegetables – 30 to 40 minutes.
Steamed or cooked vegetables without oil is Alkaline.

Leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, greens etc.- 40 minutes.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob – 45 minutes.
Steamed or cooked vegetables with oil is Acidic.
Leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, greens etc. – 65 minutes.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob – 70 minutes.
Cooked root vegetables without oil Alkaline.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).

Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. – 50 minutes.
Cooked root vegetables with oil is Acidic.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).
Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. – 1hr 15 minutes.
Semi-Concentrated Carbohydrates (Starches) is Alkaline.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).

Artichokes, butternut squashes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, chestnuts – 60 minutes.
Concentrated Carbohydrates – Grains is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion.
Brown rice, millet, buckwheat, cornmeal, oats – 90 minutes.
Legumes & Beans is Acidic

Not recommended for good digestion, but in moderation in good combinations can be tolerated especially when sprouted.
Lentils, lima beans, chickpeas, yellow peas, kidney beans, etc. – 90 minutes.
Soy beans – 120 minutes.
Seeds & Nuts is Alkaline.

In moderation in good combinations.
Seeds, sunflower, hemp seeds, pumpkin, pepitas, sesame – 2 hours.
Nuts, Almonds, macadamias, peanuts (raw), cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans etc. – 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Raw Fats is Alkaline

In moderation in good combinations.
Avocado, coconut, nut butters – 3 hours.
Cooked or extracted fats is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion
Trans fats, olive oils, coconut oil, butter, canola oil, rice bran oil, rapeseed oil etc. – 6 hours.
Dairy Acidic

Really not recommended for good digestion
Skim milk, soft cheese, low fat pot cheese or ricotta – 90 minutes.
Whole milk soft cheese – 120 min.
Whole milk hard cheese – 4 to 5 hours.
Animal proteins is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion
Whole egg – 45 min.
Fish, cod, snapper, flounder, sole, seafood ect. – 30 minutes.
Fish – salmon, salmon trout, herring, (more fatty fish) – 45 to 60 minutes.
Chicken – 11/2 to 2 hours (without skin).
Turkey – 2 to 2 1/4 hours (without skin).
Beef, lamb – 3 to 4 hours.
Pork – 41/2 to 5 hours.
Animal proteins is Alkaline when eaten alone.

Egg yolk – 30 minutes.
Remember this is leaving your stomach. These foods can sit in your colon for up to 4 days if your digestion is not good or you have poor food combinations, especially meat. For the best digestion choose easy to digest foods and in the right combinations.

Happy food combining!

What does “Mindful Eating” really mean and how can it help your food intolerance?

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What does “Mindful Eating” really mean and how can it help your food intolerance?

For years I put everything into what I was eating and the quality of the food without ever thinking about the words I used around food and the way I spoke to my self when I ate that food or even prepared my food. Now I truly know the power of words and thoughts and how they can effect everything you eat and how your body responds to the food on a cellular level and if it will react to it or not.

So how the hell does a word effect if you react to tomatoes or not? Well in one way it doesn’t . . . but in another way it does. By using positive words, mindful eating and affirmations daily you raise the vibration of your body and when you are vibrating at a higher frequency your body heals it self. Your cells rejuvenate faster, repair more efficiently and cope with foods better as it’s not in a state of inflammation.

So what is “Mindful Eating” it’s banded around so often in blogs, but what does it really mean?

 

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What it means is to slow down when eating and take some care over what you fuel your body with. When you are busy and running around at work or with kids or shopping, your in fight or flight mode, most of us live in this state 90% of the time. We are at a very anxious level all day and can not switch off. Then when we eat we inhale our food throwing it in our mouths. So not only do we not digest in fight or flight but also as we have eaten to fast it puts an added burden on our bodies. To digest our food we must switch back into our parasympathetic nervous system ‘repair and digest” or there is not point eating at all, as all it does is laden the body with a burden you don’t get the minerals and benefits from eating food.

wen you cook your food think about how much it went through to get to you. Thank the farmers, the animal that sacrificed it’s life, or the earth, sea or tree for providing it to you. When you have it in front of you touch, taste and smell it to start appreciating it. When you eat it, smell it to start the saliva in your mouth, which tells the brain to start activating the juices in your stomach, and prepare your body to start the digestion process. An example of the reverse of this is inhaling a burger in a few bites and that burger sitting in your stomach unable to be digested, as the body has had no warning signs it was coming. But if you cut ripe water melon and smell it and lick your fingers, your body is aware of what your about to eat and it gets excited as it pulls up that memory of eating it. You feel grateful for this watermelon and say to yourself ‘this will replenish my body and hydrate me, this is exactly what I need right now’ your body will digest this very easily.

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How you talk to yourself and feel makes a big affect on your digestion system and how the body takes nutrients to the cells too. An example of this is: ‘This food will heal me’ ‘This food is nourishing my body’ or ‘I’m so grateful for this food’.

The opposite to this is: ‘This isn’t very good for me’ ‘I shouldn’t really eat this’ or ‘I’ll have to pay for this tomorrow and have to go to the gym for 2 hours’

One is telling your body this is great food to eat and the other is saying don’t digest this it will harm you and the body will send out white blood cells to eradicate it. Now this doesn’t mean you can eat junk food with positive affirmations, as junk food is junk food at it serves no purpose in your body and causes inflammation . . . but it means not to beat yourself up when you have an indulgent healthy treat as that will be worst than the treat on the body and your everyday food should be eaten with appreciation and in a slow mindful manner. CHEW CHEW CHEW!! Oh and CHEW!

Your posture can play a part in this too up right strong and happy or slumped tired and unhappy? Choosing a positive mindset

Another level of this is: choosing the right “diet” or way of eating for your body. There are so many celebrities out there who indorse their way of life. But we have all got different bodies and our bodies all react differently to food, environment have certain genes are switched on or not. Just because it worked for that celebrity it may not be right for you. So how do you know what “diet” I hate that word . . . is right for you?

Well if you eat meat and your body feels heavy, sluggish and you feel guilt for eating an animal, then maybe that’s not right for you no matter what fade “diet” is in at the time. Or maybe you eat meat and it gives you so much energy and makes you fit and lean and you have no issue eating an animal, then maybe it is right for you.

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Your mindset when going into a new way of eating is so important. If you believe in it and feel it is right than it most likely will be right, as your mindset is in alignment. If you go into a new fade diet and you say to yourself ‘this will be a hassle’ or ‘it will be hard and I wont be able to stick to it.’ Or something I hear all the time ‘my kids wont eat that!” . . then you guessed it, it will be hard and not work as you have set your self up for failing before you started you are sending out that vibration and you and your kids will pick up on that. Go in to any thing in life with the right mindset and alignment and things will fall into place and work for you.

The food it self is vibrational and a plant just picked or a fruit just picked will have a high vibration that will help to keep your body vibrating at a high level and running efficiently. If you choose food that is void of vibrations and a dead food like an over cooked burger which hold no life force in it at all. All it will do is dull your body’s energy and flow of life force, over time this plays its price on your body and inflammation and disease.

So is it mambo jumbo or scientific fact? Try it and see! Think about the way you talk to your body and how you feel when you eat a food and they way you talk to your self after eating a food and see if you can twist it positively and see any changes. I used this to overcome my fear of food as so many foods I used to react to. I just kept saying before I ate a food ‘oh I will react to this’ and low and behold I did! When I started to say ‘I love this food and I’m going to eat it and have fun and be relaxed’ suddenly foods I couldn’t eat caused me no problem. Even some foods I eat everyday might cause a reaction if I’m in the wrong mindset as my conscious ego pops up and says ‘oh don’t eat that your eyes will come up’ NO NO NO they won’t hahahah!

Positively and positive words raise Serotonin and reduces Histamine in the body. Help regulate the glands and lowers the white blood count. I.e. inflammation!

So how do you actually eat mindfully?

You need to prepare your body for food. Shovelling food into the body and not chewing properly stops digestion and if the body is working hard on digestion it will take energy away from other functions and you will feel sluggish and tired and bloated after you eat . . . (Christmas dinner anyone?). You are supposed to feel energised and light after food. If you are not re think the food you are eating!

So do the following before you eat always!

  • Take 10 deep belly breaths
  • Be grateful for the food
  • Smell your food
  • Touch your food
  • Thank the farmers or who ever made it for you

By this stage your mouth will be watering sending signals to the gut to start the digestive juices and the enzymes that are needed to break down the food. Digestion starts in the mouth!

CHEW CHEW CHEW CHEW CHEW 30 times each mouthful!

  • Savour each mouthful
  • Thank your body for digesting this food.
  • Be grateful for how lucky you are for having great food and the time to eat it-if you have not got time to eat re think your priorities and work on the balance in your life like what we spoke about earlier.

The other side to mindful eating is knowing where your food comes from and looking after the planet.

  • How was it raised and killed?
  • What part of the world did it come from?
  • What has it been through to get here?
  • What the life force or vibration of this food?
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Hannah’s Gut Healing Protocol.

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Remove

Removing is the first step: by removing harmful foods, toxins and stresses on the body you give it the best chance to heal. If you imagine your body as a large cooking pot and each toxin, junk food, chemical, truama or stressful day goes into fill up that pot, eventualy that pot will over flow and you can try to put a lid on it (medication) but you are just supressing the inevitable of it exploding and spilling over (disease and illness). Foods like spices, cooked foods, meats and flesh, alcohol, packaged foods, coffee and chocolate are stimulants to the body and will stop it healing. The body can only heal when it has no pressures on the system and is getting adequate sleep.

Below is what you need to remove without cheating or using as a “treat food”

Things in moderation does not apply to good nutrition and healing the body. A small amount of harmful unnatural foods are still damaging for the body. Large amounts are more damaging!

  • alcohol, coffee, cacao, chocolate
  • soda and canned drinks, fruit juices and cartoon drinks, UHT milks and juices and nut milks
  • cooked foods
  • sweets, lollies, candies, pop corn and packaged treats and biscuits
  • chocolate (even raw if you have Adreanal or Chronic Fatigue)
  • spices and spicy foods
  • sugars and natural sugars like agave, maple, honey, coconut sugar
  • trans fat, crisps, chips, fried foods and packaged and canned foods
  • jared, tinned and pre-made foods
  • wheat, gluten and grains (some grains and seeds like quinoa, buckwheat and millet can be added back in once the healing has been done)
  • canned beans, legumes, meats, broths and dairy
  • stress and toxic relationships
  • work pressures
  • the need to be right
  • the need to be perfect
  • badly combined foods
  • eating late meals
  • reducing nightshades like tomatoes, eggplants, capsicum and starchy vegetables like parsnips, carrots, beets and white potatoes some may need to remove completely but can be returned after the skin has healed
  • remove all parastite and yeast over growths by doing cleanses or probiotic protocols
  • tap water and bottled water and drinking when you are not thirsty
  • chemicals, toxins from your skin care and home cleaning products-supermarket supplements
  • moulds from your home
  • stresses and environmental stresses including work and relationships
  • antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication – ibuprofen, Oral contraceptive pill and thrush medication-all mediation safely.
  • chiropractic adjustments, saunas, vigorous rough massage, excessive exercise that exhausts you and anything else that stimulates the nervous system
  • salt and pepper

This list may seem overwhelming and too much to remove but you will not achive healing if you are still using chemicals on your skin or toxins in your home or having weekend treats of raw deserts, chips, cakes and chocolate or eating foods that are cooked to often in your diet. You must go through a strict removing stage to allow your body to expel the inflammation and re-program itself to start the healing process. It’s not to say if you do slip up (we are all human and life happens) that you have undone all you have worked hard on so far. It’s about getting back on the horse and trying again. Each time you do this your body will recover faster and eventualy it will signal you don’t need those foods anymore and it will show you how to get what you need from natural healthy foods and your environment.

HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU TO GET BETTER? 

For example I used to suffer from migrains and as soon as I felt one coming on I would reach for my migraine tablets and have a chocolate craving. Well what my body was telling me is that I needed magnesium and it was trying to detoxify my system. So now when I feel a mild headache come on I have some almonds or a banana and take double dose of my magnesium powder, or I fast to allow my body to remove the toxins efficiently, I listen to my body instead of supressing the signals it’s telling me.

Your body is very clever, it’s equipt with everything it needs and signals to you what it wants or needs to function. We have become so far removed from our bodies and we are used to suppressing or stimulating it with junk foods or medication we have lost the abilty to read it and understand what it needs. ‘You don’t eat for hunger but to fuel your cells’.

Repair

Repairing is the second but most important step: once you have removed these foods and environmental toxins, it allows the pressure to come off the sympathetic nervous systems which primary process is to stimulate the body’s fight-or-flight response and return to the Parasympathetic nervous system which primary process is to calm and relax the body and allow healing to happen. Healing will not be able to happen if you are in the fight-or-flight response your body does not digest from this state and it can not heal from this state. Eating mindfully is important and eating mono (one food meals) at first will help your digestion repair faster. Having a meal of just one fruit can really help kick the digestion back in.

 How do you repair you body?

These foods below you should be eating daily if possible and be incorporated into your weekly nutrition where possible, try to eat a large amount of organic or low spray greens and vegetables daily and get most of your nutrients and calories from ripe in season fruits. which is our primary source of energy. Nuts and seeds can be added in the right food combinations and depending on your level of leaky gut. Nuts and seeds and the truth about digesting them . . .

“Coffee to a healthy strong body can be productive in small doses sparingly, coffee to a person with leaky gut, stress, hormone unbalances and adrenal fatigue can be a killer and is not a health food.”

Healing healthy foods are essential as is the right environment for healing and repairing cells.

  • bio-individual probiotics if needed until the gut is healed
  • prebiotics rich foods like sweet potato, papaya and lemon
  • bio-individual natural supplements like zinc, magnesium, iodine, glutamine, B vitamins, D vitamins and trace minerals, adaptogens.
  • organic essential oils
  • large amounts of green leafy vegetables daily
  • aloe vera and beetroot juice – for constipation
  • barley grass powder for minerals
  • liquid chlorophyll
  • ripe fruits in abundance
  • sunshine daily on bare skin
  • grounding into the earth bare footed
  • ocean, forest or mountain air regularly
  • silica (diatomaceous earth) -for diarrhoea
  •  activated charcoal – for food allergies or reactions
  

 

  • mesquite powder -zinc, magnesium
  • zinc rich foods like – brazil nuts figs and pumpkin seeds.
  • vitamin A/beta carotene rich foods like- orange root vegetables
  • good natural saturated fats like avocado, walnuts and whole coconuts in small amounts
  • balancing hormones with diet and supplements like maca powder
  • iodine rich foods like seaweed
  • magnesium baths with sea salt and bi-carb to pull out toxins
  • correct food combining is essential to gut health
  • love and friendship
  • mediation daily
  • green juice on a empty stomach
  • only drink when you are thirsty
  • try to stay as raw as possible and only have cooked foods for dinner

The truth about fruit . . . and Carbs carbs carbs . . . good, bad and how many is right for you? may help you too . . .

Renew

This step is the third step: but one of the most important as it seals your new healthy life change and keeps your body able to protect itself and keep growing and healing the cells promoting anti-ageing and high energy levels.

You have done the hard part by removing the foods and making the lifestyle changes. By now you should be used to eating a healthy diet and learning to listen to your body’s signals.

These practices below will help you stick to this lifestyle and allow your body to cope with the everyday stresses that arise:

  • a healthy diet balanced in small amounts of good omega 3 fats, high amounts of natural complex carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) iodine rich foods like green leafy vegetables and seaweed, nuts, seeds and an abundance of colour from natures foods, and clean filtered distilled water eaten away from food.
  • a daily practice of 10 minutes meditation twice a day will keep your anxiety down and help you think clearly and make decisions in every day life.
  • essential oils to help bring your into your body and relax you.
  • regular soft massage will help remove toxins and help relax your body.
  • Qi-gong or Ti chi or Yoga daily or at least 3 times a week will balance hormones, remove toxins, help with weight loss and distress your mind.
  • walking in nature as often as possible helps ground you (bare foot if you can).
  • practicing mindful-living will help keep you in the present moment and not living in the future or past thus keeping anxiety and worry down
  • setting values up around you and making sure you lifestyle choices are always in keep with these values will allow you to stay on your path.
  • boundaries and communication is vital to your health, if your body feels hard done by or stressed because of others it will show up in physical symptoms. By having open communication to those close to you and always putting yourself first and not over stepping your boundaries you will keep your body feeling safe.
  • chew chew chew your food slowly and spend time appreciating your food. It is fueling your body -do not just throw I down your throat. What does “Mindful Eating” really mean and how can it help your food intolerance?
  • breathing this is the most important thing we can learn as humans and the one thing we all do so badly at because of course we breath or we would be dead right? Well most of us don’t breath deeply enough and shallow breath can cause stress on the body. Take the time to deep breath in for 3 seconds hold for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds at least 5 minutes of each hour every day. I do this every time I stop at a red light or sit on the toilet. Find a place and time that suits you and make it a daily practice. Mediation and Breathing techniques for beginners!

Regrow

The final step to healing your body:

Once you are at this stage you would have changed as a person, your body will be thanking you with clear skin, sleeping well, no aches and pains and no inflamation, an alert mind and clear thinking – sounds blissfull right!

The final step is to address any of lifes hurts. This stage is the most difficult to overcome and most of us are still on this journey even the most enlightened guru’s have their past hurts or backage to overcome.

Through Coaching or Mickel Therpay or CBT or Theta Healing or your chosen way, I suggest dealing with any pain you have been caused or any pain you cuurently have in your life. This can unblock years of trauma you have pushed down causing your body physical symptoms. This is something I can help you with at a one to one coaching session. What is ‘Theta Healing’ and how can it help you?

Each persons story will be different and at first you might not want to open up about painfull past issues, but if you can make the connection beween you constant neck pain and your issue with your mother then you start to see the importance of doing so.

Have you ever returned from a family lunch with a headche or shoulder pain that you didn’t have before? Or met a friend for lunch and not felt listen to or he/she didn’t ask about your life or how you are and you come away feeling down and then go to the shops or eat something to make yourself feel better and just push that emotion down?

Do you see the connection between supressing emotions and physical pain and do you see that suppressing your body with food will cause more symptoms. Even if you have overcome this as an adult and you no longer let others effect. And you and you don’t absorb their pain or issues as your own (well done you) dealing with your past hurts can be prodcutive for your physical body. A simple guide to understanding Nutrition and the part it plays on your body, and how to heal your own body!

I recommend these books to help with this and to find a counselor or therpist you feel comfortable with:

‘You Were Not Born To Suffer’ -by Blake D Bauer

‘Your Can Heal Your Life’ -Louise Hay

‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ – Susan Jeffers

 

I leave you with this point that healing the body isn’t just about food or supplements, but about a whole body-mind approach and that the balance of life has to be right to achieve total happiness.

Please contact me if you need more support and guidance through your Gut-healing Protocol as doing it alone can be hard.

What is a ‘Health Coach’ and how can they help you achieve your goals?

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Understanding The Gut-Brain Connection and Behaviours.

Each food you eat either fuels your body and benefits your cells healing and reproducing new healthy cells. Or it harms your body causing inflammation and deficiencies and thus behavioral issues like Depression, Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Bi-Polar Disorder, or inflammation illness like; Arthritis, Diabetes, ME, MS, Heart Conditions, Crohn’s, Eczema, psoriasis, Asthma, Epilepsy and Auto-immune diseases. It’s vital to understand eating the right foods and living in the right environment for your body so it can heal itself and do what it is designed to do without medication and intervention.

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The “Mind-Gut Connection”

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body, collectively called the microbiome, are estimated to weigh two to six pounds. Up to twice the weight of the average human brain (No wonder we call the Gut the second Brain) Most of them live in the gut and intestines, where they help us to digest food, synthesize vitamins and ward off infection. Studies have linked the gut microbiome to a range of complex behaviours, such as mood and emotion, appetite, and even learning and memory. Not only does the gut microbiome appear to help maintain brain function, but it may also influence the risk of psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression and autism.

  • Gut microbiota help break down certain nutrients.
  • Gut microbiota produce brain chemicals such as,
  • GABA, tryptophan, serotonin, histamine and
  • Dopamine (all needed to function and stay happy and balanced)
  • 70-80% of your brain chemicals are made in the gut!

Disruption of the gut barrier:

  • Dysbiosis “leaky gut” – toxicity
  • Parasites and over-growths of yeast
  • Inflammatory bowel disorders

Microbiota Disturbance

There are many things that can upset this delicate balance, from family genes passed on from blood lines, to environment, toxins and of course most important is the food you nourish your body with.

  • Environment – pesticides, herbicides, synthetic hormones and pollutions.
  • Foods – intolerances, processed foods, white sugar, trans fat, wheat, gluten and food chemicals, preservatives and additives. (Gluten can cause opening of the cell junctions, open it up to toxins and bacteria entering the blood stream causing Leaky Gut)
  • Under-active digestion (low stomach acid)
  • Stress and emotional trauma. (Causing diarrhoea or constipation, bloating, wind, reflux, low stomach acid, ulcers in the digestive tract, disruption in motility, bacterial imbalance, when stressed there are tendencies to eat more sugar and refined carbohydrates when under pressure)
  • Medication -painkillers, sleeping tablets, thrush treatments, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory e.g. Nurofen, Cortisone, Voltaren.

Many factors come in to play to stop our cells from talking to each other and growing healthily or reproducing:

  • Inflammation
  • Food sensitivities – e.g. gluten intolerance
  • Oxidative Stress (toxicity of cells)
  • Hormones – e.g. Cortisol (stress)
  • Leaky gut

What is “Leaky Gut”?

The lining of our digestive tract acts as a barrier with tiny holes that should only allow small, harmless particles to pass through while preventing waste particles and undigested food from escaping. However, if this lining becomes compromised or more porous than normal, undigested food particles and waste products can get through and enter the bloodstream. When undigested food particles and waste seep into the bloodstream, the immune system responds with inflammation throughout the body, leading to leaky gut syndrome (coined my Naturopaths). Inflammation can then lead to symptoms like bloating, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, fatigue, rashes, achy joints, allergies, and more. These symptoms, in addition to chemicals produced during this immune response, are contributing factors for kids who struggle with behavior, focus, and learning difficulties. Kids with leaky gut syndrome may also experience vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to poor absorption, which can further exacerbate learning or behavioral struggles. While it is widely accepted that people with Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) often experience leaky gut syndrome, the idea that kids with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Autism and Dyslexia and other neuro-developmental disorders may also be affected is gaining traction thanks to Dr Natasha Mc Bride ‘The GAPS Diet’.

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Hannah’s Gut Healing Protocol.

Hormones

Hormones play such an important role in your body and its healing ability, if one is out or low or too high it can cause many long-term health issues. If your lacking in any of these hormones or your body is imbalanced you can get symptoms of depression, learning difficulties or leaky gut. Here I break down each one and the importance of them:

Neurotransmitters

These act as messengers for the brain and nervous system:

  • They either “excite” or “inhibit”
  • Keep you in a “fight or flight response”

Noradrenaline

Helps with:

  • Alertness, concentration, memory and mood:
  • Overproduction can result in high stress – panic attacks or anxiety and not being able to switch off at night

Acetyl Choline

Helps with memory and learning, signs and symptoms of a deficiency include:

  • Poor concentration
  • Light sleep
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Highly reactive to stress

Serotonin

Helps with regulating sleep, mood and eating behaviours. Signs and symptoms of a deficiency include:

  • 95% of serotonin in the body is in the GUT! – Gluten effects serotonin production
  • Aggressiveness
  • Bad temper
  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks

(so if your guts not right your not going to feel happy)

Dopamine

Helps with motivation, mood regulation, memory and movement. Signs and symptoms of a deficiency include:

  • Restless legs (Fibromyalgia)
  • Low libido
  • Depression/low mood
  • Dull boring dreams or no memory of dreams

GABA

Helps with sleep maintenance and our main inhibitory brain chemical “stops excitatory brain chemicals” signs and symptoms of deficiency include:

  • Anxiety/panic attacks
  • Alcohol cravings
  • Insomnia or struggles to fall asleep/waking during the night with a rushing mind

Cortisol.

Too much elevated Cortisol levels can interfere with every aspect of your health. Signs and symptoms include:

  • Learning and memory difficulties
  • Lowered immune function
  • Bone density
  • Increase weight gain or unable to loose weight even when under eating and exercising
  • Blood pressure issues
  • Cholesterol
  • Heart disease
  • Keeps you in chronic stress
  • Increase risk for depression
  • Mental illness
  • Lower life expectancy
  • Inflammation in the body
  • Burn out your Adrenal Glands

Histamine

Helps with your immune system, proper digestion, and your central nervous system. As a neurotransmitter, it communicates important messages from your body to your brain. It is also a component of stomach acid, which is what helps you break down food in your stomach. Too much Histamine can cause:

  • Leaky Gut
  • DEO deficiencies
  • GI bleeding

Too little Histamine can cause:

  •       Arousal and wakefulness
  •       Loss of appetite
  •       Low stomach acid
  •       Food allergies
  •       Binge eating and cravings
  •       Dry skin allergies
  •       Tissue swelling
  •       Difficulty regulating temperature
  •       Fatigue
  •       Cramping around menstruation
  •       Anxiety
  •       Nasal congestion, sneezing,          difficulty breathing
  •     Vertigo or dizziness
  •       Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate

Parasites

Parasites can cause many issues when untreated and stop the healing process. The body becomes Malnutritioned and they can cause Leaky Gut and Fat Malabsorption, meaning the body doesn’t get the nutrients from the food you are eating as they take it all first. This then affects the Gut Flora and Microbiome and other deficiencies accrue. We all have parasites to some level but some are able to expel them natural without it causing them harm whilst others need medical help. Parasite can be picked up through:

  • Travel to other countries – e.g. “Bali Belly”
  • Weakened immune system
  • Pets and animals
  • Lack of hygiene

Signs and symptoms of them include:

  • Diarrhoea
  • Wind
  • Bloating
  • Indigestion
  • Pain
  • Nausea
  • Weight gain or weight loss

Parasites can be passed through salvia and bodily fluids and from changing nappies so if one family member has them you all have them. Testing can be hard but worth persisting to find out which ones you have and the right treatment for them. Treatment can take up to 1 year and there are foods to help with expelling them as well as natural cleansers.

Candidia Yeast Overgrowths and Sibo

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (or SIBO) is a chronic bacterial (and/or yeast) infection of the small intestine, where excessive number and/or abnormal type of bacteria (and yeasts) growing in a part of the gastrointestinal tract that normal contains relatively few microorganisms.  These bacteria can cause a variety of problems by interfering with digestion and absorption of nutrients and by damaging the lining of the gut, causing a “Leaky Gut” Symptoms of bacterial overgrowth include abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, gas, belching, flatulence, chronic diarrhoea, and chronic constipation.  These symptoms are due to the large volume of bacteria the digestive tract (alive and dead, as they read the end of their lifecycle) and the large amount of gas and metabolic waste that they produce.  Many more symptoms of SIBO are a direct effect of nutrient mal-absorption (the body being starved even though you are eating). This arises either from the bacteria metabolizing those nutrients before we can absorb them or by the bacteria causing enough inflammation in the lining of the gut that it the gut can’t work properly anymore. The bacteria preferentially consume iron and vitamin B12, causing anemia.  The bacteria decrease fat absorption by de-conjugating bile, leading to deficiencies of vitamins A & D and causing fatty floating pale stools.  As the gut lining becomes increasingly inflamed and leaky, larger and not fully digested food particles enter the body, causing an immune reaction, which leads to food allergies and food sensitivities.  Bacteria themselves can enter the blood stream causing systemic inflammation and immune reactions that can lead to autoantibody formation and autoimmune diseases. The truth about fruit . . .

Read about my gut healing protocol here; Hannah’s Gut Healing Protocol.

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Knowing you have to make changes, but your feeling scared and overwhelmed?

Are you looking for the answer to better health in your self and your family?

Especially if you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

But don’t know where to start or why there is the need for such dramatic changes?

That’s completely understandable, it can mean a massive change to your lifestyle. And if autism is in your family, you’ll know exactly how challenging change can be. or maybe you have become unwell your self and your life is centred around how sick your feel.

A simple guide to understanding Nutrition and the part it plays on your body, and how to heal your own body!

But, if your family is impacted by autism or health issues, you’ll also understand that it’s often the things that make our children (and us) feel the most uncomfortable that bring about the biggest gains in the long run. Nothing that is right is easy.

Take their therapies for example. By challenging our kids, bit-by-bit, they start to make inroads and soon we’ve shifted to a new normal – a better normal that, at the start, we didn’t think possible.

The same goes for our changing your family’s diet. And, perhaps the key to making the change is to think that starting a raw vegan diet as just another necessary therapy needed on your path to better outcomes for your child, allowing all the therapies to work better and give you your lives back, as it did mine.

For our family, starting changes in our nutrition didn’t feel like a choice, it felt much more like a necessity. Does it feel like that to you?

WHY RAW LIVING FOODS! For Healing Diseases and Autism. . .

Our eldest child’s behaviours had been challenging, even when he was tiny and long before his ASD diagnosis. And it was early on that we began to realise that foods were impacting on his little body and his behaviour.

 

I had worked in the organic health food industry prior to having children, so I felt I had great knowledge about foods. But even foods that I had previously considered healthy, like carrots, were causes obvious tummy upsets, and I was at my wits end.

It was only after months of research and trying different approaches at home did we land into the world of the GAPS Diet and then moved to Raw Vegan where we found most of our gains and continue to thrive getting cleaner and healthier each month. We had already removed gluten and dairy and seen great improvements in William’s health and behaviour, but still we faced the daily tummy upsets, as well as challenging behaviour. Raw vegan lifestyle gave us our sons health back. And mine!

Autism needs advanced nutrition and full focus to heal. It is not an easy road nor short but you will be rewarded beyond your dreams, if you work hard on their nutrition, your mindset and create a clean, chemical free healthy environment.

But when we came across dietary changes and learned more about the ‘leaky gut’ syndrome, it all started making sense. We then made a choice, and for our family, and it has been the best choice we could have made.

Choosing a positive mindset

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But – I know for some it may seem too hard, too restrictive and too much work. Let me reassure you, the first weeks are tough, but once you discover your routine – both preparation and tastebud wise – it gets much, much easier. Theres is no cooking and it is so easy!

And you don’t have to go cold turkey. You can start by ‘crowding out’ the unhealthy foods and replacing them with healthier options. That way, you can make the change little by littlest using the right food combinations. Food combining and why is it essential for health!-chart.

So before you put the ‘Raw Living Vegan Diet’ in the too hard basket. Think about the possible outcomes – healthier children and who begin to calm as the diet starts to heal the gut and toxins are eliminated from their bodies. Healthier parents, happy family?

What is a ‘Health Coach’ and how can they help you achieve your goals?

And isn’t that the whole point? Isn’t that what you’re looking for? A healthy child that has the emotional space to live, learn and experience life?

That’s what I was searching for, and I’m proud to say that’s where we’re headed now.

I am here to help you achieve this x x

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Choosing a positive mindset

When life isn’t going to plan it can be easy to slip into feeling that things are just not going to get any better, especially when you’re faced with issues that seem out of your control, like the health of your children or yourself.

After our son William was diagnosed with autism, aged 2, I experienced a deep depression.

It wasn’t just the result of William’s diagnosis and the grief I felt for the loss of the future I’d imagined for my family and the diagnosis came after two years of struggling every day in what felt like battle zone.

For two years William’s behavior had challenged us, even when he was tiny he screamed every day. Add to this a difficult pregnancy with my second child, and my onset of chromic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and then our second son Edward was diagnosed with a global developmental delay.

I lost all hope. I felt that nothing good was ever going to happen for my family. I felt completely overwhelmed, i lost the will to live.

But, somehow, amongst the chaos that our lives had become, I chose to let go of the negative mindset I had developed and instead tried very hard to see my world with a positive mindset.

I chose to see the good in our lives. I chose to look past the negatives and appreciate each of the gains my boys made – no matter how small they were. I chose to investigate ways to live a healthier lifestyle. I chose a positive mindset, and I haven’t looked back each day I get stronger and more positive. I am now strong in my mind and live each day asa happy confident woman with a healthy family. That is somewhere back then I could never see happening.

Mindset is definitely a choice. Anyone can choose to focus on the positives and anticipate happiness, health and success – and be much better for it.

A positive mindset can give you the feeling that anything is possible and allows you to look forward with hope. It also gives you freedom to look innovatively at the challenges you face and find solutions that a negative mindset may have not allowed you to see.

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Thinking positively also gives you an opportunity to see the help being offered by others, and to embrace it.

Alternatively, by choosing to think negatively you can be left feeling that the world is against you, people are there to hurt you, that there are no positives on the horizon and you may find yourself drawn to conflict or combative situations.

For families with autistic children, your day-to-day struggles will continue to overwhelm you and you may not have the strength to help you family make the best of every situation.

Is it time you chose a positive mindset and gave yourself permission to feel happy, recognise your achievements and look forward to the future with hope?

You can do this and I’m here if you would like me to help you and your family along the way.

Please contact me for a free consultation on how I can help you on your pathway to health. Mindset is the key!

 

Blessings x x

Hannah@nourishtohealth.com.au

0414967763

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Trusting your Instincts and how it can help you find your path to health.

As a new parent you’re bombarded with information and advice about the ‘best’ way or the ‘right’ way of looking after your child.

But what do you do if that advice conflicts with your instincts? What do you do, if you know in your gut, that following all the ‘good’ advice is not what’s best for your family?

Society seems to want to condition us to conform to a ‘normal’ way of parenting, a ‘normal’ way of eating and a ‘normal’ way of thinking. But how can we be normal when everyone has their own brand of ‘normal’.

You need to feel confident in trusting your instincts, even if your instincts lead you beyond what you already know.

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For me, I learned the value of trusting my instincts in finding the path to better health, nutrition and wellbeing when I began to look for answers to ease physical, behavioral and digestive symptoms being experienced by our then-toddler son William, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at aged two years old.

In those early days I had applied my own brand of ‘normal’ to transitioning William to solid food, and I was quite certain I had it right. After all, I had worked in the organic food industry, food was my passion and being healthy was a conscious goal.

But, as I applied my knowledge to feeding my child, my gut, my instinct as a mother, told me that something was not right.

I had always fed William organic home-cooked foods that I thought to be healthy but the more I read and saw others’ journeys, the more I realised that was far from what I was doing. At one point he was eating three or four safe foods and a carrot or tomato was causing him skin reactions, tummy pain, behavioral issues and sleepless night. How could this be!

Instinctively I knew that there were more answers to be found.

So we followed our instincts and started working with a Biomedical Doctor who guided us thorough the midfield that is food sensitivity, intolerances and food allergies. We used supplements to build up what his body was lacking. And the results were clear, our gut instincts had taken us on the right path and we were beginning to see results.

That’s when we moved from working instinctively to purposefully seeking answers.

Soon we came across the GAPS Diet and, after the initial hard Intro stage and changing our mindset about grains and dairy and lots of detox, we started seeing massive improvements cognitively and behaviorally with William, and our younger son Edward.

Our instincts were right. Our instincts have taken us down the right path for now and have led to happier, healthier life for my family, and a way of eating that has seen William’s stress levels within his body ease, giving him the space to make the most of early childhood intervention therapies. But then my instincts kicked in again and I could see this Gaps Diet was masking and suppressing not healing and very against my ethical view asa vegan and wanting my family to be vegan to. So we started searching and I went on as many Nutrition courses studying over 100 diets and cultures,  and we found the RAW Vegan- high carb, low fat way of eating based upon the 80 10 10 philosophy from Dr Dough Graham. This lifestyle took us to further healing and to a lifestyle we adore and that fills us with joy and is easy and fun. I have then studied Natural Hygienics which is based upon the work from Dr Herbert Shelton this is a true understanding of what the body needs from a physical, mental and energetic level and be cohesive to the planet. My instincts also showed me the path away from mainstream schooling to our blessed Steiner School where the boys can be held and celebrated for all there quirks differences and needs.

But best of all, easing the stress within William has given him the opportunity to see beyond the anxiety that autism brings, and has made him calmer so he can now embrace emotionally family, friends and is thriving at school. All of this from a boy, who we were told would never feel empathy, be social or be able to love. We are blessed and my instincts led us there . . .

Thank goodness I trusted my instincts!

If you need help to start this path to health for your children please contact me for a consultation in your mindset and how to get your family started on this natural lifestyle.

hannah@nourishtohealth.com.au

0414967763

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The Hairdresser that lost her hair . . .

As an ex Hairdresser and trained Tricholgist, when I started to loose my hair and my eyebrows I was so alarmed and it caused me massive self esteem issues. I’d always had thick curly hair and most of my life I wished for thinner hair and spent hours straightening and flattening it so it wasn’t so big. Suddenly I was adding volume and putting rollers in to to make it seem big . . .

At the same time I and lost a lot of weight and was very malnutritioned due to by body failing me with Hypothyroidism, Adrenal Fatigue and Mast Cell Disease so it was not a surprise.

But recently as I’m returning to health my weight is equalising,  my body and cells are healthy so my hair has started growing thick and strong and my eye brows are there!!

It made me want to share with you all why this happens and how you can stop or prevent it if it’s happening to you. It can range from the simple and temporary issue like a vitamin deficiency, to the more complex like an underlying health condition.

Firstly I think the best way to look at it is your blood carries nutrients to each cell in your body, and if your under stress or have inflammation the body concentrates on the vital organs and fighting inflammation. So the hair, skin and nails are not as import and and tend to be the first thing the suffer. Which is why ladies when you are pregnant your blood supple increases and you have thick luscious hair and your nails grow like crazy and then you have baby and the body goes into repair and feeding mode and your hair nails and skin suffer. It’s not far I know . . .

Your hair goes through life cycles too and will not always be the same, for example hair has a programmed life cycle, a growth phase, rest phase and shedding phase. It also sheds more in the Autumn/Winter again due to the blood supple, and as does your skin loose more layers. But if outside of these normal stages you are thinning and its not normal you may want to look at the following to see if you have an underlying issue that may be causing your hair loss.

  • Thyroid Function (Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism: Hair, nails, and skin may become more brittle and break more easily if your thyroid is producing to many hormones or not enough hormones. 90% of hair loss in women is to do with their thyroid. A blood test will determine this and i’d advise that if your have more than a few symptoms of either Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism, but your test result come back in the ‘normal range’ to take them to a Naturopath as you can be out of range but still have issues.
  • Iron Levels: Women who have heavy periods or don’t eat enough iron-rich foods may be prone to iron deficiency especially after child birth. This is because the blood doesn’t have enough red blood cells and red blood cells transport oxygen to cells throughout your body, giving you the energy you need which is why it can cause extreme fatigue, weakness, and pale skin. You may also notice headaches, difficulty concentrating, cold hands and feet, and hair loss.  Ask you Doctor for a blood test to measure ferritin, the protein that stores iron in your body, is usually needed to diagnose iron-deficiency anaemia. By eating iron-rich foods such as beef, pork, fish, leafy greens preferably, along with foods rich in vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption. And steering clear of food that prohibit iron being absorbed like dairy, alcohol, coffee and black tea, soy, and eggs (not to say you can’t eat these but just don’t pare them with iron rich foods have them as stand alone foods.)
  • Inflammation: Inflammation on the body can cause each cell to be under stress and causes scalp and skin issues like seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), psoriasis fungal infections. By healing your gut you will reduce inflammation in the body and repair your scalp and skin. See my post of healing Leaky Guts.
  • Iodine, zinc and magnesuim levels: The thyroid gland relies on iodine to make the hormones necessary for the growth of healthy hair, teeth and bones. When we are deficient in these nutrients, such as iodine, magnesium and zinc the health of our hair can suffer, leading to hair weakness or total hair loss. Taking a safe nascent iodine supplement recommended by your Naturopath or Doctor and eating iodine and zinc rich foods may boost hair health and growth, and may event prevent or reverse hair loss. it has been a massive help to me.
  • Fat Malabsorption: If your bodies not absorbing important nutrients and fluids like proteins, carbohydrates and espically fats your skin and hair will suffer. The problem may be caused by inflammation or an auto-immune disease. Sometimes, the condition may be the result of the body’s failure to produce enzymes needed to digest some foods and taking digestive enzymes can help along with healing the gut lining. Talking to your doctor about taking a stool test to see if this is happening is the best choice here.
  • Your diet: plays a massive part, and of course if you are not putting the good stuff in your body will not be able to function and your hair will suffer. A diet rich in greens, protein and good healthy fats is essential for good hair growth. Supplementing with iodine, magnesium, grass fed collagen and MSM will help boost hair and nail growth.
  • Low B vitamins but high vitamin A: A deficiency or excess of any vitamin will upset the balance of the body but vitamin B-12 plays a big role in many parts of the body, including the liver, eyes, skin and hair. One possible symptom of vitamin B-12 deficiency is hair loss, because cells need to divide constantly to produce new hair, a process that requires production of new DNA. Without enough B-12, hair grow slows or stops and existing hair starts to fall out. Hair loss that is accompanied by symptoms of malnutrition and gastrointestinal disorders should be checked for deficiencies of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B-12. On the flip side to much synthetic vitamin A can cause hair loos too.
  • Stress: Any kind of physical trauma, surgery, a car accident, emotional stress or trauma or a severe illness, even the flu can cause temporary hair loss. This can trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. as I said hair has a programmed life cycle, a growth phase, rest phase and shedding phase. When you have a really stressful event, it can shock the hair cycle, (pushing) more hair into the shedding phase. Hair loss often becomes noticeable 3-6 months after the trauma. Which is why mothers loose hair 3-6 months after giving birth. But if this is your case your hair will go full cycle and grow back to be thick again. Mediation and self care will help balance your life and allow your body to equalise and repair.

If your hair is failing out your body is not nourished and is in need of proper nutrition. Part of the detoxification stage you may also loose hair and this is normal as your body sheds and rebuilds, it will regrow as mine did. Please contact me and I can guide you through changing your health!

 

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What is a ‘Health Coach’ and how can they help you achieve your goals?

If you have heard the term “Health Coaching,” or “Wellness Coaching” and find yourself wondering what a health coach does and how engaging health coach can help you, then this is the answer . . . Health Coaches support people to help them work towards un-achieved goals in all areas of life, they keep you moving forward not in the past talking over old hurts. Health coaching is different to life coaching which is often solely goals based and does not look at you holistically. It may be nutrition, career, overcoming autism or auto-immune conditions, finance, relationship, exercise and health or any other aspect of their life that they do not feel fulfilled in. It’s my belief that all aspects of your life have to be in balance for true happiness and healing to occur. If one aspect is out it can throw out the others I have tools and personal experience that helps you see this and we work through it together. How I do this is by guiding and creating an environment for you to be empowered to achieve small steps toward your goals. Anything is possible with the right mindset and a supporting guide!

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I work by empowering my clients to embark on this journey to health for themselves, for you to feel excited by Nutrition and see the importance of loving your body enough to fuel it correctly, and take charge of healing YOUR own body, mind and spirit. I teach you the skills to build your mindset with daily practices to become able to deal with any of life’s up’s and down’s and not need another person, place or thing to “fix” you.

Goals and lifestyle changes I can help with are:

  • to empower you to achieve your goals
  • to up-skill you
  • to show you ways that have worked for my family in healing
  • help you find a pathway to heal autism or and auto-immune conditions
  • to save you the 7 years of study and personal ups and downs I had
  • to build up your self esteem and teach you how to love yourself
  • to advise you on your bio-individual nutrition needs
  • to teach you how to use professionals to get results
  • to work alongside your doctor or naturopath to understand result and treatment options
  • to support your whole family and there health and work on getting everyone on board
  • to improve your self-management
  • to teach you how to stay motivated
  • to show you how to live mindfully and a chemical free lifestyle
  • to understand the reason or blockage of why your not where you want to be in life
  • to give you tools to improve your wellbeing
  • to be someone to talk too and someone who will listen un-judgmentally to you
  • to believe and encourage you
  • to have a positive body image just the way you are
  • to strengthen your mind
  • to be someone to make you work hard on your goals
  • to teach you how to incorporate meditation and mindfulness in to everyday busy life

But a Health Coach is not:

  • a shrink
  • a personal trainer
  • a gym teacher
  • a yoga instructor
  • someone telling you what to do
  • someone telling you what your goals should be
  • someone who will make magic happen without hard work from yourself
  • someone who know it all

Only YOU can heal your body. I am just guide to help you see your own power!

Bio-individuality is the most important key to health and wellness. We are not all the same and one lifestyle will not fit us all. This belief leads to despondency and disappointment when you try a diet or exercise and it does not give you the results you wanted. How I work at ‘Nourish To Health’ is to mentor you find your path and to work through your goals in a safe confidential way. I recommend Plant Based Nutritional science based diets, lifestyle choices and exercises that suit your needs at that given time. I work with you to emotionally unblock painful situations that could be causing you to keep failing in your goals and teach you how to plan realistic, manageable goals and achieve them over a time frame we plan together. I do not do the work for you but empower you to achieve them with me guiding you. If you choose to work with me I would take you on a journey to achieve your goals working closely with you on a one to one or via Skype.  I recommend working together between 3-6 months, as there is always highs and lows in a wellness journey and often you get despondent after an initial excitement and need to be encourage to stick to health goals. Weight loss, food intolerances, and depression or nutritional deficiencies take time to correct as does lifestyle changes that are needed to achieve these. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve the health and wellness you deserve. Much love and successes on your health journey and I hope we get to work together when your ready.

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If you connect with my message and approach and feel I could help you on your health journey please email me today on hannah@nourishtohealth.com.au and we can arrange a free 20 minutes Skype consultation to see how we fit together and I will create a plan for you. I work globally via Skype 🌏

Please also join my ‘Detoxing Families – supporting ASD & Behaviours with Raw Foods’ private group too for more advice and a safe sound board to ask questions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/974279649338594/

Blessings and love on whatever path you are on, and what ever stage of the journey you are on . . . we all must start somewhere! 🦋

Hannah Miles

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