Coloring Your Microbiome

To improve your mental and physical wellbeing and extend your healthspan, it is important to eat real food!

This month, we spotlight the very important, foundational theme for your overall wellbeing. No matter where you are on your health journey, we all share this in common. It is imperative to eat real food!

Let’s start with a fun game: can you identify the foods with the following ingredients lists?

Food #2

organic avocado

How’d you do? I’m guessing you were able to correctly identify the second food (avocado) from its ingredients list, but what about the first one? That could be frozen pizza dough, donuts, some type of cereal, can you tell? The difficulty is you CAN’T tell just from the ingredients list what you are about to ingest, because it’s NOT real food, it is a food-like substance. So, should we really be putting that into our bodies?

Our industrial food system drives many of the chronic disease problems we see today by enabling a national diet of sugary, starchy, overly processed, nutrient-depleted foods laden with pesticides, hormones, and other harmful chemicals.  Our goal this month is to begin reversing this trend we have of eating food-like items, and begin eating real food!

REAL FOOD IS FOUND IN NATURE AND IS FOOD THAT YOU CAN PICK, HUNT, OR GATHER. REAL FOOD HAS AN INGREDIENT LIST THAT IS ONE ITEM LONG, OR A COMBINATION OF ONE-ITEM INGREDIENTS.

Steak and eggs, broccoli, sweet potatoes, pecans, apples and cinnamon cooked in coconut oil… notice how you can pronounce all of those and know what they are? That’s real food!

Oh, and the answer to what is food #1 above? Twinkies. Which by the way, come in at 35 grams of sugar per single cake serving, so 70 grams of sugar for the package of two! Needless to say, Twinkies and most bake goods found in the store are significantly over our 8 grams of sugar per serving or less rule from our “Eliminate Ultra-Processed Foods” challenge!  And for sure NOT part of our “Eating Real Food” challenge for this month!

We all know that food can harm. We know that drinking soda and eating junk food is bad for us. But did you know that food can heal? Did you know that food can cure depression, diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune disease, headaches, fatigue, and insomnia?

FOOD IS MEDICINE.

Food is the most powerful drug on the planet! It can improve the expression of thousands of genes, balance dozens of hormones, optimize tens of thousands of protein networks, reduce inflammation, and optimize the microbiome in your gut with every single bite.

Food has been scientifically proven to cure most chronic diseases; it works faster, better, and cheaper than any drug ever discovered; and the only side effects to eating real food are good ones – prevention, reversal, and even treatment of disease.

Food exists specifically to energize, heal, and uplift us. Every bite you take is a powerful opportunity to create health or promote disease. We must connect the dots between what is on our plate and our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Food is not just calories; it’s medicine!

This year, don’t make a resolution: make a habit!

Skeptical of resolutions? So are we! Research shows that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail within the first three weeks. But, if you can make it to two and a half months (66 days, to be exact), then you can turn that resolution into a habit.

According to research, in 66 days you can actually rewire the way your nervous system works, influence the way your body’s hormones are controlled and shared, and use your desired changes to actually make them a habit. So, how do you do that today?

STEP 1: FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU’RE AT.

You can’t get to where you want to go if you don’t know where you’re at. Yet year after year many of us take on lofty health goals only to see them come crashing down as soon as too many external stressors press upon us. A large part of this stems from never taking the time to first assess where we are. If you asked us how to get to Seattle, we’d first have to ask: “where are you starting from?” 

Healthy Is Wellness provides a comprehensive look at where you are in our monthly coaching sessions, so we recommend starting there. But, if nothing else, analyze what it is that you want to change and what has stopped you from making that change in the past. Answering those two questions will help significantly with giving you a starting point from which to launch into your desired habit.

STEP 2: DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

This doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Simply write down the answers to the following questions:

• What is my goal?
• What is going to stand in the way of reaching that goal?
• What is going to help me reach my goal?

We call the last two barriers and accelerators. The most common barriers we see are a lack of time, lack of social support from those closest to you, and the inconvenience of making a change. Accelerators, on the other hand, look like people, rules, or certain tools that will help you reach your goal. The more honest you are about each of these, the better you are going to be at addressing them in your plan.

STEP 3: MAKE A PLAN.

Again, this doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Simply do the following three things:

• Make a list of your accelerators and write out how you’re going to use them in creating your new habit and achieving your goal.
• Make a list of barriers and write out how you’re going to navigate them or address them in creating your new habit and achieving your goal.
• Decide when you’re going to start your new habit to help you reach your goal, and make a plan on your calendar of when you’re going to do this behavior each day.

Bonus: Healthy Is Wellness coaches are trained in this behavior change process and would love to help you out! If you’ve never been to a coach or just have a quick question, shoot us an email at [email protected].

STEP 4: DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS!

Did you know you are twice as likely to succeed by having an accountability partner? Research shows that you have a significantly higher chance to succeed in reaching your goals when receiving social support. You’re also 600% more likely to start your new habit if you share it with someone close to you!

So, decide now: who are you going to share your goals with to double your chances of success, and who are you going to support in their Track to 66 journey?

According to Brian Tracy, the author of perhaps the best selling book ever on achieving your goals (called “Goals!” if you’d like to check it out): “If I was given only five minutes to speak to you and I could convey only one thought that would help you be more successful, I would tell you this: WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS, make a plan to achieve them, and work on your plans every single day.”

With the holidays in full swing, it’s a great time to focus on giving back.

And let’s not forget, it’s also cold & flu season, so we’ll be giving you tactics to support your immune system, too! Each of the challenges below not only helps with your mental health and ability to give back to those around you, but also has scientific benefits proven to boost your health.

Healthy Is a Simple Act of Kindness

A simple act of kindness completed regularly has been scientifically proven to produce more serotonin and dopamine throughout our bodies. Both of these are neurotransmitters – chemicals released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. Science shows that simple acts of kindness reduce cortisol and adrenal stress, decrease pain, eliminate signs of depression and anxiety, and lower blood pressure.

Commit to performing a simple act of kindness for one person per day, and do the same for yourself!

Healthy Is No Flour or Sugar for Breakfast

Whenever you “break your fast” in the morning, your first calories of the day are setting your body up for steady energy and proper hormone regulation. However, if that meal contains too much added sugar or flour, it can set you up for a day of moodiness, cravings, and hormone disruption. Avoid this by avoiding sugar and flour for breakfast, and try prioritizing protein and fiber instead!

Healthy Is a Thankfulness Challenge

In one of the largest and longest studies ever done on wellbeing, with over 85 years of data, one of the strongest predictors of physical and mental wellness was the relationships we have with others. For 30 days, begin your day by writing a two-minute positive email, text, or letter praising or thanking someone you know, doing it for a different person each day.

Finish strong.

As we approach the New Year, let’s not only get ready to accomplish our goals in 2024 – let’s make sure we finish 2023 on a high note. Sign up for your next coaching session and our team of coaches will help!

Prioritizing your mental health is of utmost importance.

Most of us know this, but here’s the problem: a lot of us don’t know how to actually do it. This month, we’re covering 3 different strategies proven to help, all of which are easy to add into your routine.

HEALTHY IS A GRATITUDE PRACTICE

Scientific studies show that practicing gratitude increases happiness, has a significant impact on long-term success, and even improves numerous health outcomes. Implementing a daily gratitude practice can lead to health benefits such as a stronger immune system, reduced blood pressure, and a reduction in pain of almost 60%.

Each day, try documenting three things you are grateful for in a notebook, on a napkin, or by typing them into your phone. They don’t have to be profound. It could be a good cup of coffee, the warmth of a sunny day, or listening to your favorite song.

HEALTHY IS A DIGITAL FAST

Our digital devices make us more connected than ever, but the amount of time and frequency with which we’re using them may be causing more health problems than we realize. 80% of us check our phones within 15 minutes of waking up. When the first thing you do is look at your phone, which contains messages, emails, and notifications that act as stressors to your brain, it robs your brain of the slow, natural priming it requires to manage stress and other functions in your body and nervous system. Try waiting at least an hour before checking your phone each morning and build other blocks of time into your day that are phone-free.

HEALTHY IS 5-MINUTE JOURNALING

Do you ever take the time to reflect on your day and write about it? If not, you could be missing out on some remarkable mental and physical health benefits that come from journaling – and it doesn’t have to take long. Taking the time to write for 5 minutes a day about your experiences can reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, help with focus, and improve your critical thinking and memory.

Simple changes, big impacts.

Come see us at our November events to learn more about these strategies, or to receive our support and guidance with any of your personal health goals! We’re here to walk with you through your health journey, every step of the way.

Improve your cardiovascular health, improve your life.

No matter where you’re at on your health journey, we have tips and tricks that will fit your lifestyle. Getting active to improve cardiovascular strength is always a great tactic, but if that isn’t a great fit for your life right now, no worries! Here are some other strategies to implement this month.

HEALTHY IS SWEATING

The body uses a process called hormesis to respond to stressors in a manner that allows it to come back even stronger than it was before the stressor. This is why working out leads to muscles getting stronger, and why using heat stressors in the form of exercise or a sauna actually leads to major benefits such as:

• Stimulation of the immune system
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduction of inflammation
• Increase in cardiovascular strength
• Antidepressant and mood boosting effects

HEALTHY IS A CALM MORNING

When you first wake up, cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” is at a high point in your daily hormonal rhythm as a natural way of preparing for the day ahead. Adding additional stress during this time can spike your cortisol, causing your blood sugar to rise and leading to negative long-term effects such as decreased energy, fatigue, and headaches as well as a lowered immune system. Start your day by making your bed, stepping outside to get some fresh air, or writing down three things you’re grateful for.

HEALTHY IS GENIUS FOODS

Our brains use nutrients from foods just like our bodies do. Giving your brain the right nutrients will supercharge it, allowing you to learn faster, feel refreshed, and give your brain the boost it needs to fight major ailments like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Examples of genius foods are below, and if you’re craving something sweeter, dark chocolate is considered a genius food as long as it has 80% cacao!

MEAT & SEAFOOD

Wild Salmon

Pasture-Raised Eggs

Free-Range Poultry

Bison

Shellfish

Take control of your health.

Join us this month to learn more strategies for implementing these tactics into your daily routine, and check in with our Wellness Coaches about any of your health goals. We’re here to help!