Last week’s post was all about how our bodies need a primarily alkaline based atmosphere in order to fight through inflammation & to create energy + promote healing.
Today is pt. 2 which is a simple, balanced alkalizing healing plan + stress management journal.
Balance & simplicity go hand in hand with nutrition. Our bodies do not need a lot, but it’s important that we do give them the nutrients that they need!
Nutrition Based on Your Unique Body
When it comes to nutrition, quality over quantity is key. More is not better. Deriving our nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements is the goal. I am in no way a fan of “one-size-fits-all” diets. Every single person’s body type and history is different. Dieting can often separate us from our bodies. The goal is to become in tune with your body and dieting does not always allow us to listen to our bodies needs. Unless we are on a diet for medical reasons, I think it is important not to jump around from diet to diet just because. Instead, we need to be open to listening to what our bodies need on any given day. I think simplicity is a lost art, including our nutrition and health. I would, for one, encourage keeping a food journal for 30 days to get a good idea of what you consume. Detail everything you eat, drink, your quality of sleep, your day-to-day moods, your energy levels from 1-10, and your fitness regimen if it applies. The longer you keep a food journal, the more in tune you become with your body.
Over-complicating things can be frustrating and lead us to try out a myriad of different fad diets that lead nowhere. Along with understanding the importance of an alkaline vs. acid based diet, I have highlighted a few key nutrition points that I think make an extremely beneficial basis for starting your nutrition journey. I believe it is important to understand pesticides and their effects on your nervous system, as well as inflammatory foods and how they react with your body.
Alkalizing Healing Plan (The Greatest Energy Prevails, Dr. Henele E’ale)
(Do this for a 28-day cycle!)
Organic Nutrition
Eat something organic, green or chlorophyll-rich every day. Eat 80% or more organic. One supplement I will highly recommend is liquid chlorophyll. You can find it online or in just about any health food store. It is wonderful to take if you are just not getting enough greens (which is so important!) in your diet. It is like a breath of fresh air to your bloodstream as it delivers oxygen rich minerals.
Get excited about a new health food store! Find one and make it your happy place. You’d be surprised at the amount of fantastic alternatives (for just about anything!) that you’ll find.
Try a different type of milk- Oat, almond, rice, coconut, etc.
Practice calorie restriction for at least a week. All alkalizing foods, one major meal. Stick with a day or two of intermittent fasting also! Pick an 8 hour window to eat (ex. 11am-7pm) and give your body 16 hours where you fast from eating in order to let your body rest, recover, and eliminate junk.
No fast food, caffeine, sugar for at least a week. Your energy levels will soar!
Breathing Practice
Upon waking and before starting your morning routine, breathe silently and through your diaphragm for 10-15 min. Diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing helps to create an oxygen-rich atmosphere in the body. To breathe through your diaphragm, picture how a child breathes. Their bellies slowly rise and fall. In this breathing, the belly expands and rises rather than chest. You can literally feel stress melting away when you breathe this way for a few minutes!
Stretching
Stretching is soo underrated. Start and end your day with full body stretches for at least 10 min. 30 minutes of yoga or stretching is ideal though!
Exercise
Exercise with whatever method you see fit. The goal is to exercise for 30 minutes after you start to perspire, 3-5 times per week.
Sleep
Give yourself at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night or choose one day to sleep for as long as your body needs to sleep.
Positive Internal Dialogue
Find something good in every day. Before you fall asleep, reflect on four things that happened during your day that made you feel good. During your day when you find yourself thinking about something stressful, change and find something positive instead.
Stress Management Journal
What stresses you out?
How can you work towards minimizing some of the distractions in your life?
Record thoughts and moods after stretching for 10-15 min before bed.
What does your body see as stress? Are you aware of eating habits, etc that your body resists?
How long (minutes) does it take to get you to sleep?
What would you like to do to your bedroom to help maximize both the calming and restorative power of your bedroom?
Start the stop-clock on cell phone, close your eyes, begin breathing through the diaphragm & when you start to salivate press the stop button.
How long did it take you to salivate from breathing?
Salivation is the activation of the parasympathetics. The goal is to salivate within 3 breaths. Make space and time to engage in deep breathing for at least 5-10 minutes a day.
You'll be surprised at the changes you experience!
Try to minimize time in front of a screen before falling asleep!
Reflection
The bottom line is that nutrition should be simple and strengthening.
Don't feel pressure to change everything about the way you eat at once. A gradual shift into energy giving foods and a decrease in the energy draining is just fine. Stressing yourself out over what to add and take away defeats the purpose.
Greens everyday, no processed foods (organic as often as possible!) very low caffeine/alcohol and sugar intake, mindful of the meat you eat, fresh water, and elimination tests with dairy and gluten to determine any sensitivities. It’s truly about simplifying and creating an alkalizing atmosphere in your body.
Simplicity is key and your mind and body will thank you for the fantastic energy levels you will experience!
Some of this is a little bit of a repeat from last week, but so necessary to remember!
Peace,
Lo
