I’ve been asked, “What is inulin?” a lot lately, so I figured now was the time to address it….since I’ve been on such a FODMAP education kick.
The Truth About Greens and Gut Healing
I want to set it straight today with the truth about greens and gut healing.
What I Learned During 30 Days Strict AIP
I began a (mostly) strict, 30 days AIP on March 14, 2016. This means that today is day 31, so I wanted to share with you what I learned during 30-days strict AIP.
When the Jeans Don’t Fit
As women, we are told that when the jeans don’t fit, the solution is to go on a diet and lose weight.
Day 90: Vote Your Values
Take your healthy convictions to the polls. Share them with your elected representatives. Vote with your dollars, too, to support healthy products, companies and communities. Revolutionary Act #90, powered by Experience Life
I, too, believed this almost my whole life. That was until the point at which my gut began to heal, I resumed some sort of normalcy in the every day and found myself in a very happy place.
It had been almost a year since I last wore my outdoor ski pants and jacket. So when we were in Lake Tahoe a little over a week ago and I needed to wear both, it was a shock to me that both pieces were tight all around.
I won’t lie. For the first several minutes, my mind went to, “Definitely need to cut back and lose a few pounds.”
Those thoughts didn’t last long. They instead turned to, “No, you just need bigger ski pants and a jacket.”
There was a time when I had to unbutton my pants because my gut felt bloated and awful. Ironically, back then, the ski pants and jacket fit much better.
I no longer have to do this – ever. My stomach is, finally, at peace. I can’t tell you the last time I felt that bloat.
What I learned over the years with diets and wanting to lose weight (when it wasn’t medically necessary) is that all the years I wanted to do so were either because I thought it might “help my gut heal” or make me happier.
But gut healing is not a diet and back when I was 112-115 pounds I was definitely not very happy, no matter what it showed and looked like on the outside.
These days I’ve found so much peace with the ability to just eat without following a specific diet and without the intention to do anything but continue to heal my gut, be able to workout hard and enjoy food with family and friends at any given moment.
In doing so, I’ve also naturally craved less things, learned to eat when I’m hungry not when I’m full and I am at a place where I think my body has been desperately trying to get to for a very long time. And in this place, my digestive system functions the way it should and neither my weight nor emotions are a daily rollercoaster ride.
Ladies, the solution really is to simply buy clothes that fit, enjoy life and be who you are.
Life is far too short, and when we sit around wallowing in such insignificant things, we miss out on everything in life that matters.
Like this.
p.s. Join my 21-Day New Year, Wellness You Program. Your own freedom could be found in 2016!
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Xox,
SKH
To get involved in the #MyRevAct campaign, follow @ExperienceLifeMag on Instagram and post your own revolutionary ways to be healthy using #myrevact. In the meantime, read the best in healthy living at ExperienceLife.com.
Moringa
Moringa is one of the things I added when healing my perioral dermatitis naturally.
Moringa
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I was first introduced to Moringa in the summer of 2014.
From April – November, we go to our local Farmers’ Market every single Saturday. Opening day is like Christmas, closing day like a funeral. We love our daily Saturday ritual there because we know so many of the farmers now, and we love knowing where our food comes from.
I have a few favorite stands, and one of them is my predominantly Asian-cooking food stand. Whenever I see a green vegetable or herb I have not yet tried, I ask the girls about it. I then take it home, figure out how to cook it and report back to them. They were the first stand there to have Moringa, and at the time, it was kind of a secret herb. I’d hear people ask if they had any, and when they said, “Yes,” they also said, “we have only a few back here, and if you want one it will be $3.”
Back in the summer of 2014, I listened to that for a couple of weeks whileI admired the leafy, abundant green. I’d go home and do research (I had to Google it several times because when they say it, it sounds like, “Molinga,” which I called it for a very long time.)
It didn’t take long before I began thinking about how I needed Moringa in my life. Shortly after, I returned, bought a bunch of Moringa and I have never looked back.
What Is Moringa?
The Moringa Tree is,
often called the “the miracle tree” or the “tree of life.” In the Philippines, they call it a “mother’s best friend.” In Senegal, it’s the “never die tree.”
Every part of the Moringa Tree is edible. Its contains pods, leaves, seeds and roots.
A drought-resistant plant, it is highly sustainable. It “commonly tops 3 m — or even 5 m –within a year of the seed being placed in the ground. This tree is raised for food rather than forestry. And beyond edibles, it provides products that make village life more self-sufficient: lubricating oil, lamp oil, wood, paper, liquid fuel, skin treatments, and the means to help purify water, to name but a few.” (source)
According to Mercola Moringa is loaded with,
- 9 times the protein of yogurt
- 10 times the vitamin A of carrots
- 15 times the potassium of bananas
- 17 times the calcium of milk
- 12 times the vitamin C of oranges
- 25 times the iron of spinach
Moringa is Healing
Moringa offers many healing benefits, which is the prime reason I have incorporated it as often as possible. Here are some of them:
- treat inflammation
- treat infectious disorders
- aid in digestive functioning
- improve liver function
- enhance milk flow in nursing mothers
- reducing high blood pressure
- eliminating water weight
- lowering cholesterol
- help regulate thyroid function
Sources: The Healing Powers of Moringa, The 6 Benefits of Moringa and Why Moringa is the New Superfood You Need to Know About
What Do You Do With Moringa?
I enjoy sprinkling the leaves over most everything, but to get even more of a boost, I make my Moringa into a powder form (so that I can consume more). Here’s how I do it:
- I buy the Moringa leaves at the Farmers’ Market
- I bring them home and lay them out to dry in a cool area, as Moringa does not like to be hot. (You must make sure they don’t have any water on them or the moisture will get trapped while drying and mold.)
- They will dry out pretty well about 1.5-2 weeks later.
- Crunch the leaves of the stems, and place into a grinder.
- Grind into a powder.
- Store in a sealed glass jar.
- Sprinkle liberally over anything and everything.
I realize that not everyone can make their own Moringa powder. It’s widely available to purchase today. I like THIS Moringa and THIS Moringa.
I was slacking for a few months with my daily Moringa use, but I started up with full force again.
Yesterday I made some of my amazing bread and threw a ton of Moringa in the “batter.” I also sprinkled it over my jumbo salad and added it to my chia pudding mixture.
Moringa is not going anywhere. In fact, I think it’s going to become the “next big thing.”
Have you ever had it?
p.s. Moringa is a plant, but because of how I use it, I think of it like an herb. I’ve loved herbs and spices for a very long time. I use them in hundreds of ways. I have a Pinterest Board dedicated to them.
Xox,
SKH
21 Things to Do During a Colitis Flare Up
I run a private Facebook Group for people who have The Gutsy Girl’s Bible: an approach to healing the gut, and yesterday there was an interesting conversation about what not to eat while flaring, so I put together a list of 21 things to do during a Colitis flare up.
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