These are only some of the signs that your body does not have enough of the right kind of fats. Did you know that women should be 28% made up of fats? Men should be about 18% fat. 60% of our fat needs to be constantly replaced. This is why it is important to have fats in our diets throughout the day, every day.
Eggs are an actual superfood, packed with protein, healthy fat, numerous vitamins, zinc, magnesium and more. Not only are they full of nutrients, these nutrients are also easy to digest. Raw egg yolks in particular are often equated with breastmilk in the ease of nutrient absorption basically without any digestion needing to be done first. For people with digestive issues, a food that needs almost no digestion in order to get the benefits is a huge win!
With talk of viruses so prevalent, many people have been introduced to the concept of zinc deficiency. However, this is not a new thing - in the 1930s zinc was found to be essential for humans. In the 1960s it was found that deficiency of zinc can cause several symptoms. More recently we have been finding more and more symptoms associated with zinc deficiency as the world seems in general very zinc deficient. Some estimates show that zinc is involved in more body functions than any other mineral.
How do you start feeding your baby so that you can give them the gift of health? When I had my first baby I was terrified that she would have a peanut allergy. It seemed like one of those things that just happened, like drawing the short end of the stick. I had no idea that what I allowed into my baby’s body would help determine whether or not she developed allergies, sensitivities and other health issues.
In the last post, I shared about mindsets to have (or not) that will help with successful habit change. This week I want to share about some of the habits I think are most important to consider integrating into your family. This is not an exhaustive list! These habits are simple and sound.
In 2006, a book was published that sought to give the reader a better understanding of where their food comes from. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan followed three major tracks, or sourcing, of food. The public reaction to this book was significant and varied, and it evoked discussion from vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.
Ever wondered about recommendations like "soaking," "sprouting," "fermenting," or "properly preparing" your nuts or grains? Ever wondered what that meant, or why it's better? I did! In fact, when I first heard about "sprouted bread," I thought it was made-up. But there are real reasons why eating properly prepared seeds is better for your body. Check out the video below to find out why.
Did that make sense?
This is just one example of why food preparation matters. And while food preparation techniques used to be passed on from generation to generation, our modern western culture has largely lost that heritage. But some do remember. And some do research. And some teach. And some write it down for us. That is the entire reason behind the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. Traditional ways to prepare foods in traditional recipes are recorded in this helpful resource. If we want to return to health, we need to start understanding these principles. Our health depends on it! Still have questions? Have another food preparation question? Ask it in the comments below.
Disclosure: The link in this post is an affiliate link. Links like this help support my blogging. Your trust is important to me, and I only recommend resources I trust.
Do you remember the old nursery rhyme/tongue twister about Betty Botter buying butter?
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter;“ But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter! If I put it in my batter It will make my batter bitter But a bit of better butter Will make my batter better.” So she bought a bit of butter Better than her bitter butter, Made her bitter batter better. So it was better Betty Botter Bought a bit of better butter.
(courtesy of Wikipedia)
Which begs the deep, philosophical question—was it actually important for her to buy better butter? Or did it just make the rhyme work?
Just kidding... ...or am I? Like many nursery rhymes, I believe this one also has a hidden meaning, a bit of wisdom that is being passed on through the "silly" childhood lines.
Wisdom that we should take to heart...
Not all food is created equal. Hopefully you have all had the chance to eat fresh food out of a garden. Now compare that to much of the produce you can buy at the store. Can you see, smell and taste the difference? But isn't it all the same foods? How can it be different? Well, let's consider the differing conditions of, for example, a tomato.
Grew in good soil vs growth forced by fertilizers
Cared for with love vs impersonally raised in mass
Picked when it was ripe vs ripening in a truck
It makes sense that all these things affect the taste, but does it really matter? Even if it's not as delicious, isn't it still basically a tomato? Doesn't it give us good nutrients that support our bodies?
Unfortunately, no. Taste, color and smell were put in place to show our bodies the quality and health of a plant. When the appeal is lacking, so is the nutrition. The same is true with all food. Meat, seafood, fruit, fats, dairy products, and any other single ingredient can be purchased at differing levels of quality. And when those ingredients are combined, the resulting dish can be bland or amazing! Top chefs know this. They know that ingredient selection is the most important factor in creating a delicious dish. You too can cook amazing food! Your kitchen skills matter some, but your ingredients matter more!
Additionally, when the food you are eating has higher nutritional content, you won't need to eat as much. When you are no longer a slave to processed food's addictive substances, or the sugar cravings of bad flora in your body, your body gives signals for eating properly. How does the body "properly" signal, you might ask.
When you eat nutrient-dense food, less will satisfy you!
Therefore, it is actually more efficient to eat higher-quality food, even if it costs more, because you will need to eat less of it.
The only time this does not give the appearance of being true is when you first start eating nutrient-dense food. When you begin giving your starving body the nutrients it so desperately needs in good-quality, real food, it will ask for that food often! This period of time often lasts one to three months long, although it can be longer. Don't worry, it's a good sign! Your eating will slowdown when your body has caught up. (Also as you add more fat into your diet. Fat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and it is incredibly satisfying.)
I know this is easier said than done. Next time we will talk about some ways that could make it possible for you to feed better quality food to yourself and your family. Y'all come on back now...
Onward!
In the last post we talked about habits and some different reasons why we may not be consistent with them. One of the reasons we discussed was that maybe the habit you have decided to establish is not the most helpful thing for you to put your energy toward. Your body may have different ideas about what is most important. Let’s stop for a moment and talk a little about your body, or body-partner.
What I am referring to is also called our innate intelligence. Innate intelligence is the idea that our body was born knowing what we need to be healthy and whole.
This may sound a bit out in the deep end, but hear me out. You already know this is true. Think about the time you skinned your knee as a child. Did you know how to heal it? Of course not! In fact, even as adults, there are very few who understand even the basics of how a wound is healed. So if we didn’t know how to heal it, how was our knee healed? The body already knew how to heal it.
Inside the cells of our body is a knowledge that we haven’t even begun to understand. But we can see the effects, so we can know it’s there. It is always working towards being more healthy, vibrant, and whole. And our body wants to work with us and help us understand how to get there. Innate intelligence helps us understand what’s best through senses & desires.
a desire for certain foods
tired and heavy eyes when we need to sleep
brain fog and fatigue when we’re sick
the urge go to the bathroom
a "gut" feeling about a decision or situation
And the list goes on... When we learn to listen to our body-partner, our communication becomes more fine-tuned and successful. (To learn more about this, I recommend reading Notes From a GAPS Practitioner, especially chapters 7 and 8.)
Ok, so back to the topic—how do you know what to prioritize for you? What’s the most important thing to focus on? There are so many good things to do. But what’s the most important thing for your healing journey right now? While the answer is not the same for everyone, following these steps should help you know what to focus on. Until later on, when the priority changes. When that happens, simply revisit these steps again. Each time you do this, it will get easier to know what to do! Hang with me here—there are a few steps! You can do it!
Read through a list of some of my top health change priorities. As you read through them, take note of the things that seem more important than others.
Eat more fat
Stop putting toxins on your skin and hair
Eat fermented foods daily
Consume meat stock daily
Stop drinking soda and energy drinks
Drink more water
Start moving a little every day
Eat more food
Stop eating sugar and processed foods
Switch to natural scents and cleaning products
Detox more regularly
Next, I want you to notice the things that are not on this list. Things like “30 min of cardio 5 days a week” or “take more vitamins and supplements,” or even “buy organic food.” Before we go on, throwaway all your preconceived ideas about what “healthy habits” are. These are not necessarily bad habits, but they may not the most important things to focus on.
Now, write down the things that jumped out to you from the list—first impression only, don’t over-think it! Limit your list to 3-5 items. Got them? Great. These things we are going to consider your body’s priorities, and put them on the Priority List. Think back to the concept of innate intelligence—your body knows how to heal itself. It also knows what things will help accomplish that goal, and it wants to let you know. This communication takes practice, but it's worth it! The more you partner with your body, the more effective change you will see.
Out of your body’s priorities decide which one seems the most important or most practical to start. That’s right—one! Unless they go together, like less soda and more water, I recommend working on only one at a time. And this is where your conscious decision and will comes in. For example, something like stopping processed foods and sugars may seem most important, but if you have tried and failed a hundred times, then I recommend that you pick another one from your Priority List. Perhaps eating more fat may be much easier to do consistently, and you may find that you are automatically eating less processed food by default. Even if that doesn’t happen, it is still better to set yourself up for success, because one success will help you with another. And remember, no good decision, however small, is ever wasted!
Make a plan for your change. "Detoxing more" is not possible to achieve unless you decide that “detoxing more” means “oil pulling daily” or “taking a detox bath on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.” Some of the things on the list are big, and should be broken into even smaller steps. It may take a while to feel like you are achieving the habit. But take heart! You are working on something that is one of the most important things to you. It’s worth all the time it takes to do it!
Accountability and support matters! Let the community know what your ONE thing is in the comments below, share your plan, and then go get ‘em! You are going to do great!
Onward!
Attention! Exciting announcement! I am announcing an exciting addition to help people on their journey to heal! I have officially expanded to have a primary care practice. I am able to fully function as a primary care provider (ordering labs, making referrals, doing well physicals) with the exception of prescribing or managing medications. But with diet and lifestyle changes, many medications may not be necessary. I would also like to share with you here, what I wrote about why I am who I am, and why I am doing what I am doing.
I am able to provide nursing care and support in a way I have desired and imagined since I first read biographies about Clara Barton (founded the Red Cross) and Florence Nightingale (“founder of modern nursing”) before I was ten! I loved the model of community health care, visiting nurses taking care of the sick and well, going from home to home doing baby weights, comforting the dying, and providing education. When I took community health in nursing school, I was disappointed at the changes that have occurred over the last hundred year. Developing countries have institutionalized the care of health–which we now call our health care system. Don’t get me wrong–we have had many great advances in medicine–surgery, procedures, life support–all these have lowered the death rate from accidents and other problems, and they are great!
But I had fallen in love with a different model of nursing, and although I loved my nursing job for many years, what I loved most about it was it looked like our history–when I felt that I was emulating my nursing “mothers.” I loved the idea of being able to be in a family’s world. To be with them through their most exciting and most difficult life events. Birth and death. Joy and sadness. To be there when the light bulb goes on, and they accept into their minds some new and previously foreign concept about sanitation, health, diet, immune support, whatever it may be. To provide the education that brought them to that point. To be accepted as part of their family–to be trusted with that humbling responsibility.
And this is what I love!
And this is why I am so excited to be where I am today. The pieces came together quickly in the end. I am still at times surprised and just trying to catch my breath. But when I look back at the last 10 years of my life, I see the pieces God put together in a wonderful design–and I feel so blessed! There are times when I am so tired (mostly from doing the business side of this), and then I receive a phone call from a mom, or individual who is seeking someone to listen to them, so afraid yet another person will tell them they are making it up. After listening, grieving with them about the hard journey they have been on, and then sharing some hope that was recently shared with me, my exhaustion melts away. I often hang up the phone, smiling, and exclaim out loud (usually to an empty room) “I love my job! I love what I do!” Because this is when I am refreshed and renewed. This is what I was made for!
I believe God has many plans for me, and many things for me to do throughout my life–both hard and easy. But I am so grateful that I am able to use this part of how I am made in such a big way! And that I get to take part in bringing a blessing to the lives of others.
Onward!
Starting a business while still fairly new to the GAPS diet. That’s a great idea…Said no one ever!
After a lifetime of taking care of people, 5 years of undergraduate work to become a nurse, 4 more years of graduate school to become a family nurse practitioner, and almost 6 years of dietary research for my own personal health reasons.
I was introduced to the GAPS diet less than a year ago, but because of the many answers I found in the science that Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explains, I quickly and naturally adapted it into my approach to healing. I did not have to learn a lot of new information, because this is a simple but comprehensive approach to the health issues rocking our nation. And I have been so excited to find a path of knowledge and research that has answered some deep questions I had developed, and answered many others I had not yet formed.
And so, it was born... and here is optimistic me looking forward to making an impact in the (un)health of the people that God puts in my path to help.
Are you wanting to join me on this journey? Onward!
