Heal your gut. Heal your life.
I originally published this post, “7 Ways to Spring Detox” in 2012. It needed a big boost of refreshing because it’s important. It’s mostly important this year, our first year back in Minnesota when spring truly means something.
If you open your eyes (and your mind), it’s easy to see how our everyday habits become a metaphor for life. For me, this past week….habits, coffee cups, healing.
When I cut back on coffee, I simply changed the coffee cup I was using each day in order to feel like I was still drinking the same amount when I knew I wasn’t. I went from the standard large coffee cup to our classy, Apilco Beaded Hemstitch Porcelain Cups from Williams-Sonoma (which actually could be more of an Espresso cup).
We got this dish set for our wedding, but like my desire to cling to the “newness” of traditional towels, I was too scared to use the cups for a very long time.
I pulled them out this past year and began using them daily. They are lined up, stacked 2 high in my shabby chic cabinet. There are 12 of them, but each morning I use the same cup (or nearly each morning). The reason is because after final use of it the day before, I wash it then leave it out to dry on our drying rack. I don’t know why, but I never seem to put my coffee cup away. Instead, I leave it there for the next morning, when I can do it all over again.
That was until very recently.
I began to notice that that one cup is starting to get a little discolored (you know, like how your teeth do after years of drinking coffee).
It happened fairly quickly, relatively speaking, because I use it every single day, and fill the cup 2-3 times with fresh, super dark coffee.
I realized what a creature of habit I am. And then I realized how this is both okay and then again not okay.
Simultaneously, I began realizing how much better I felt when I ate a little of many things vs. a few things many times. Did you know that by eating a particular food over-and-over again you can become intolerant to it?
For so many years I was afraid of food. Subsequently, I stuck with eating approximately 10 different things, and ultimately many of those things I became intolerant to for a very long time.
Upon truly feeling the pinch of the situation from my coffee cup experience, I began buying a little of many things. My trips to the grocery store and Farmer’s Market look so much different these days. Additionally, I subscribed to a Farm Fresh to You box every other week.
At any given moment, you will find a wide variety of all food groups in our kitchen. I still won’t do gluten and rarely ever dairy, but everything else is fair game, even if it’s just once in awhile. (p.s. I still believe in the early days of healing, you must adhere to everything I teach via The Gutsy Girl’s Bible, but those teachings should not last for life.)
For dinner on Saturday night, we had ‘Taco Bowls.” Romaine lettuce, onion, Heirloom tomatoes, red pepper, ground beef, cilantro, parsley, basil, avocado and a Cilantro dressing. This, of course, meant I had nightshades, high FODMAP foods, vegetables, meat and more. But I had a little of many things vs. bowls and bowls of the same thing.
I woke up on Sunday morning feeling fantastic.
I grabbed my coffee cup (not one I had used during the previous week), poured a cup of coffee, added coconut milk and honey, then headed outside to the porch to enjoy the peace, quiet, and stillness of the morning.
Through coffee cups and healing, I am learning so much more about habits and about life.
Xox,
SKH
Disclosure: My 4 Fitness Alternatives for Fall post was sponsored by Target® C9 through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Target® C9, all opinions are my own.
Fall is my favorite. It always has been, and it always will be.
I crave the cooler days and cozier moments.
Enjoying these last few days of summer and heading towards fall reminds me of change. I recently stumbled across an article in Experience Life written by Bahram Akradi called, “Change Artist.” The article is about, you guessed it –> change.
I am an advocate for change. I’ve been saying, “nothing changes if nothing changes” far before it was ever popular. But in the article, Bahram says something so spot on that I immediately had to share it with friends and family and now you….
And this, of course, reminds me of current life circumstances and of all the reasons why I love this fall so much.
Alternatives (to the past year or so) are serving me better.
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Prior to this fall: We live in an extremely hot and dry place in California. I used to love it, but the older I get, the less I enjoy it. Consequently, I don’t spend much time doing outdoor workouts from June through August.
Current alternative: Now that fall is upon us, I will take Samarah out for even more walks. I have also started jogging with her, which she loves (ahhh….the thrill of moving faster!)
Prior to this fall: One thing I learned during my cardio hiatus is that, even though I love it, long-distance running and long cardio sessions, in general, must still be put on the back burner. They did nothing for my gut healing, nor did they help the injuries my body has accrued over time.
Current alternative: I also learned that I missed cardio, mostly running. And because fall allows me to train outside once again, I’ve taken up sprints and challenged myself to get faster and stronger in 20-ish minutes or less. I recently did a track workout that consisted of:
I was sore for 4 days after, confirming that this alternative is definitely going to serve me better.
The takeaway for you: This fall, take a form of cardio you’ve always done and mix it up. You never know how it might impact your fitness routines or overall well-being.
Prior to this fall: I spent several months healing injuries (not fun, by the way) while learning new ways of training to work with vs. against my body. I kept most exercises lower weight within a 10-12 rep range.
Current alternative: I had to stop doing lifts like squats and deadlifts, but most things I can do. A couple years ago I focused on getting stronger. It seems like it has been forever since that was my focus, but I am so excited to be doing just that now. I started with Nia Shank’s 12 Week Dumbbell and Bodyweight Program, and when I found my passion in the weight room again just kept going. And I’m starting to see muscle again – finally!
And yes, I have a million Target® C9 sports bras. The racer back sports bras are by far my favorite.
The takeaway for you: Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you can’t have goals heading into the end of the year. If there is something you want to do in the gym, work for it, little-by-little and day-by-day. (Side note: and learn how to work with vs. against your body 🙂 )
And finally, “fitness” isn’t just about planned events. It’s also about the day-to-day in living and moving. We stay active all fall season by making it a priority to be at the Farmers’ Market each Saturday, and by traveling as a family as often as possible which has us out and about, exploring and enjoying life.
Let this fall lead you to a change for your own (better) alternatives. You might be surprised with the outcome.
Xox,
SKH
Since my 101 Days of Intense Gut Healing ended on October 16, 2013, I have learned even more…..including 6 ways to get rid of bloat.
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years came and went. And along with the entire holiday season, so went even more bloat. It was the first time in my life that I survived a holiday season with zero bloat. In fact, since those miserable days at the end of June/beginning of July, I have dropped over 10+ pounds in bloat.
I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad (I look the same as I did before, only I feel a million times better) or to have you wondering why you might have gained a few extra holiday pounds. Who cares?! Really…..who cares?! I’m telling you this so you know for certain that if you want it to be, 2014 can be YOUR YEAR TO HEAL, too!
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I’ve continued to heal in a huge way because I understand (and have lived through) full Proctitis to healing. I speak, write e-books like THIS, practice and teach based on sound knowledge married with real-life experience. This is a rarity from those who preach digestive health. I promise you that.
Xox,
SKH
Funny that I’m going to show you how to drink or eat more Green Tea today considering the fact that I hate Green Tea.
On July 8, I began 101 days of intense gut healing. Today I have the 14 things I learned during my 101 days of intense gut healing.
[Read more…] about 14 Things I Learned During My 101 Days of Intense Gut Healing
