Audacious Health

 

Scientific evidence suggests that the health of your gut effects other organs and systems in your body, including the endocrine system.  The below tips can help improve your mental clarity, increase focus and boost happiness whilst reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue, weight fluctuations, skin disorders, pms and hot flushes….

 

1. Activate your gut…. Start your day with a glass of water with a dessert spoon of apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of lemon.  Ideally the water has been boiled and allowed to cool down.  The vinegar and lemon have the ability to wake up your salivary glands, which sends signals to your gut to rise and shine.

 

2. Keep your gut warm… Throughout the winter’s day, consider drinking a warm, anti-inflammatory beverage of ginger / mint / rosehip herbal tea or try a turmeric latte. These times of drinks will wake up and nurture the mind.

 

3. Keep your gut nourished… Fuel up on quality protein.  Protein is the building block of our hormones, bones, cartilage, nails, skin and muscles and will also keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.  For those on plant based diets, this includes Tofu, tempeh, edamame, green peas, lentils, chickpeas and most legumes and ancient grains (, spelt, barley, sorghum, einkorn, and faro).  For others, this includes grass-fed chicken, wild-caught salmon, mackerel, and tuna. These foods will help deter sugar cravings and afternoon energy slumps.

 

4. Keep your gut microbiome happy… eat fermented foods that your healthy gut bugs like and naturally contain probiotics.  Such foods include kefir, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha.   Avoid inflammatory foods eg highly processed foods (white bread, cakes, gluten, sugar, processed meats, fried foods). Inflammation caused by a high diet of processed unhealthy foods can increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and atherosclerosis, to name a few.

5. Not all fats are bad for your gut…  Healthy fats can be found in eggs, avocado, tahini, walnuts, brazil nuts, chia seeds, olive oil. These are important for maintaining good cell membrane structures and functioning and hormones eg oestrogen and testosterone.

Previously we talked about five top tips for Healthy Eating Habits, i.e. Eat your food slowly; Sit whilst you eat; Enjoy what you eat; Plan your meals; and Portion control your meals....  How did you go?  Were you already following these habits?  Below we've listed another five healthy eating habits to help you with "spring cleaning" your health this Spring.  

* AVOID OVEREATING

Eating slowly and controlling portions will help with avoiding eating too much.  Overeating can also happen when we've eaten a meal that hasn't satisfied us and therefore we reach for an after meal snack.  Or are you eating too many snacks between meals?  Spread your meals out throughout the day.

Where possible, cook your meals, using fresh, raw ingredients.  This way you know exactly what has gone into your meal and you've decreased the amount of additives and preservatives in your meal.  When you cook your meals, enjoy the process, touch the ingredients, taste test things, enjoy the aromas.  Don't know how to cook?  There are plenty of fun ways to learn these days - check out your local or online options.  

Drinking too much with a meal will reduce enzyme activity. Drink up to 2 litres of water a day between meals.

Exercise needs to go hand in hand with healthy eating habits.  Consider regular exercise (3-4 times per week) like yoga or qi gong.  This type of exercise massages the intestines and thereby invigorates the digestion and gets the blood flowing, regulates appetite, metabolism and blood sugars.

When did you last clean out your pantry.  Is it full of out of date items?  Your fridge and freezer items should also be checked regularly. Keep supplies fresh and keep healthy snack options on hand.

We have all heard the expression "you are what you eat".  So, making healthy food choices, i.e. what we eat, is important.  And just as important is "how we eat" or i.e. our eating habits.  good eating habits will support us to stay on track with maintaining our diets and digestive systems.  Below we've listed our top Healthy Eating Habits for you to consider if you aren't already doing this...

* EAT YOUR FOOD SLOWLY  Chewing your food versus scoffing it down makes a difference. For starters, it aids in the digestive process.  An increased amount of air is taken in if you eat too quickly as well as the portion size of the food is likely to be larger, leading to inadequate digestion and an increase in gas production.  When you eat slowly, you increase your chance of feeling full (and avoid overeating).  Unless you have gotten your meal portion sizing down pat, remember to stop eating before you feel full and allow a few minutes to see if you need to keep eating or if you are full.

* SIT WHILST YOU EAT  Standing and eating or eating on the run is counter-productive to good digestive processes.  Relax for a few minutes before you eat.  Choose to sit at the dining table, without the distraction of tv, and eat nice and slowly and with gratitude for the meal.  Eating with awareness helps with metabolism. 

* ENJOY WHAT YOU EAT  We are so lucky to have so many great foods available to us, lots of good quality foods, lots of variety and choices.  If you do choose to indulge in a little treat, then make the calouries count and enjoy it.  The odd treat to sooth the mind and soul or to satisfy you socially is ok.  Avoid stressing out "when eating something you shouldn't" as feelings of guilt or negativity don't serve you well.  Consider 90% for the body and 10% for the soul.  And remember, good healthy food doesn't have to be boring or unsatisfying - it may just require some pre-thought, commitment and organisation.

* PLAN YOUR MEALS and shopping list.  This will help avoid the last minute buying take-away meals which are hefty on the waistline as well as the budget, and increase your chances of cooking and eating healthier meals.  Plan your meals for the week, factoring in your schedule's activities.  Set aside a morning or afternoon to cook up healthy meals that can be frozen for eating later in the week.

*PORTION CONTROL YOUR MEALS  Learn to cook your meals with fresh ingredients, decreasing your intake of additives and preservatives. If you've cooked too much, save extras for left overs versus piling up your plate and feeling you must eat it all. Eating too much puts a strain on the digestive system and stresses the liver

 

Well.  Winter is here and I’ll not go on about the cold.  Needless to say warming, nourishing foods are the go.  Rest is recommended.  Chinese Medicine says wearing a singlet (camisole for the feminine fashionistas) will help to keep your kidneys warm and it’s what my Mum always said so it must be true.

 

But what about the emotional aspects of Winter?  Shorter days, less warmth and less sunlight can create a challenging situation….   In the world of TCM (Traditional Chines Medicine) and acupuncture we see more people with sadness, “the blues” and receiving a diagnosis of depression from their doctor in Winter.

 

Well before our modern understanding of conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Chinese Medicine identified a disturbance in the Kidney energy due to Winter cold effected out mood.

 

Whilst we don’t have long, wet winters here (leave that for England) we do have a life that is often centred around outdoor activities.  In short we love to be out in the sun having fun and cold short days don't help in that regard.

 

So here are our top 5 tips for starting a Winter day

 

1.     Resist the urge to sleep in; get up and be active– activity on waking helps set you up for the day.

2.     Hydrate – In winter we still need to hydrate with quality fluids after waking.  Soup for breakfast?

3.     Sunshine.  There might be less of it but it’s important to get out in the sun in the morning (as soon as possible after waking) to keep your sleep cycle synced up.

4.     Eat a healthy breakfast.  So important in Winter.

5.     Implement self care early.  Meditate, exercise do whatever you do to help yourself first so it doesn't get missed in a short Winter day.

Winter is on its way.  Autumn may have had a bit of a false start but the Winter chill is now upon us…

Here are 5 key tips for Winter

 

1.     Understand that you may have lower energy.  We just don’t have as much energy in Winter as we do in Summer.  Some clients feel more energized as they don’t have to battle the Summer heat but at the heart of it you have less energy.

2.     Cut out the cold foods.  Chinese Medicine never favours cold foods.  As we transition to Winter it is critical not to indulge in cold foods such as ice cream and cold drinks.

3.     Focus on nourishing, easy to digest foods.  Bring on the soups – we just don’t digest as well in Winter as we do in Summer so cooking foods well takes some of the workload off your digestive system.

4.     Sleep well.  We need more sleep in Winter so earlier nights and later mornings.

5.     Relax.  As the change of season challenges your system it’s great to remember to look after yourself, schedule time out from work and enjoy being.

This August, we are reminding ourselves of all that we are grateful for and all the abundance we have.  

With this in mind.....

How are you going with achieving the dreams or resolutions you set for yourself at the beginning of the year?  Yes, can you believe it is August already?!!  If you haven't already, you might like to do the following to help maintain your focus on your goals:-

Your goal may seem small to others but may be big for you.  It is your goal!  Oh, and remember, as much as possible, inject some fun into your goal strategies.

Modern science has found, proved and revised many links between what we eat and our health.  Recent research has also established links between what we eat and our moods and emotions.

None of this is news to Traditional Chinese Medicine  (TCM) that has long explored the connection between the food we eat and our energetic systems.

Foods in TCM are categorised based on factors such as:

Food is a particularly interesting topic in TCM that we will look at further in future posts.  The first step to using food for health is to observe the relationship between what you eat and your energy, general health and any specific conditions you experience.

Simply observing what foods impact your health and making adjustments can often produce great results.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners long ago observed the relationship between the seasons and the conditions they would see in clients.  This observation evolved into a system of advice for the seasons to support the specific needs associated with that season.

Autumn in Traditional Chinese Medicine is related to the energy of the Lungs and Large Intestine.

When the Lung and Large Intestines are impaired, ailments may include bronchitis, shortness of breath, cough, allergies, nasal congestion, emphysema, colds, sore throat, constipation, diarrhoea, spastic colon, and abdominal pain. These physical imbalances can then compound our emotions leading to depression, stubbornness (inability to “let go”), isolation, and negativity.  

Take things one step at a time and remember to congratulate yourself when you finish things on your to do list.

Autumn is a great time to treat the Lung and Large Intestine energy as it is at it's peak at this time so come on in for some acupuncture if you'd like a Lung and Large Intestine pick me up.

Already we see evidence that spring has arrive from the sun coming up earlier and staying longer to flowers blooming. You may have also noticed the shift in our body's energy with these seasonal changes.

Spring is the season of the liver and gallbladder in TCM, with these organs responsible for regulating the smooth flow of energy throughout the body and mind. When this flow isn't smooth and soothing we experience irritation, frustration, anger, depression, insomnia, indecisiveness, and are more prone to headaches, joint pain, muscle strains. So keeping the liver and gallbladder energies in balance is important!

We can help prevent blockages to our smooth flow of energy through our diet and lifestyle choices. We want to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals and poor quality fats and denatured foods.

Spring is associated with the colour green. For nourishing and rejuvenating the liver we suggest getting some greens like kale, Swiss chard, and parsley into your diet. I find the easiest way to do that is in a green smoothie.

Or lightly fry some shredded silverbeet as a side to any meal. I like this with a little tamari and poached egg for breakfast. Lightly steamed/simmered 'el dente' vegetables are a good way to go in Spring.

You could try starting the day, to help cleanse the liver and gallbladder, by having a cup of warm water with a slice of lemon or a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

Consider swapping that coffee for a cup of peppermint tea.

For most of us we notice that eating dairy, high fat fried foods and large quantities of nut fats causes us to feel sluggish. These heavy foods exacerbate sluggishness in the liver. More 'pungent' immune boosting foods such as garlic, ginger, watercress, mustard greens, turmeric, basil, cardamom, marjoram, cumin, and fennel are beneficial to our diet. These help to ease the transition into spring when changes in weather make us susceptible to allergies, flus and acute illness.

To deal with inflammation and problematic heat in the liver, or for dealing with springtime allergies try including bitter foods in your diet including - romaine lettuce, asparagus, amaranth, quinoa, radish leaves, citrus peel, dandelion, chamomile, milk thistle seeds, and Oregon grape root - all have liver cleansing capabilities. These foods will also benefit red, swollen joints.

Blend below .... enjoy :)

Ingredients:

*1 organic cucumber

*1 head California endive, ends trimmed off

*4 organic kale leaves

*2 organic green apples

*1 lemon, preferably a Meyer lemon

*1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger