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Booze For Stress Relief

A few Fridays ago my guts were tied up in knots. It had been a busy week and I had company landing in for the weekend.

My stomach and chest felt painfully tight. It was similar to how you’d feel before going for a big job interview or before a public speaking gig.

I tried going for a short walk and doing some conscious breathing but nothing seemed to be working.

 

I know these feelings well (as do most people, I suspect) and it always happens when I drop the stress ball.

Since I felt pressed for time, I was really tempted to use booze as my de-stressor (not one of my prouder moments).

Brandy or bourbon both work well at loosening the knot for me, and they work fast!

Don’t get me wrong, I love wine and an occasional glass of brandy after a delicious meal when it’s part of a healthy, social context.

But turning to alcohol to relieve my stress is a slippery slope. Alcoholism doesn’t just run in my family, it gallops.

 

I decided to practice what I preach.

I excused myself, closed the living room door, stuck in my earbuds and sat down with a guided meditation.

It took a full 25 minutes to completely dissolve the knot, but it worked. And I don’t think my guests even noticed I was gone.

My takeaway: don’t let the stress build up to the point where my guts feels like they’re about to split.

I know that when I manage my stress incrementally, in small chunks throughout the day and week, it doesn’t get to the point where I’m desperate for relief.

For me this means:
regular short meditations,
pausing between tasks,
less multi-tasking,
walking, yoga or running,
hanging out in nature,
staying off social median (post and ghost),
getting to bed early,
mindful anything (eating mindfully, brushing my teeth mindfully, showering mindfully, walking mindfully…)
basically, anything that allows me to slow the hamster wheel and be a bit more present.

I never manage all of the things, but remembering to do some of them, helps.

It’s a work in progress.

Here’s the meditation that helped me unwind my guts on that particular Friday.

If you don’t like it, find one that works for you. Here is a great free resource

Where do you feel stress in your body?

If you’re serious about losing weight and your pattern is to turn to food when the tension gets high, learning to manage your stress is going to be foundational.

Share this with someone you love.

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Client Highlight; Meet Daphné

Daphné reached out to me with energy issues and cravings.

Her sleep wasn’t great and she occasionally felt foggy and forgetful, especially if she was feeling hungry or skipped a meal.

Daphné is a beautiful and dedicated young teacher that loves her new career.

While discussing her goals, she made it clear that she didn’t want a restrictive program and didn’t want to feel deprived.

Upon reviewing her forms, she reported some digestive complaints as well some minor skin issues that were bothering her. She also experienced occasional tingling and numbness in her legs.

We started out by working on prioritizing sleep and integrating a few simple lifestyle things into her routine.

As a culture that puts a lot of value on doing, we tend to undervalue sleep. Sleep is where healing and regeneration occurs and it’s foundational to overall health.

We also looked at her stress picture which was exceptionally high considering the fact that she was juggling a full time teaching position as well as completing Master’s level studies .

The focus of our work was balancing insulin levels, supporting her gut and ensuring that she was giving her body nutrient-dense fuel.

All of that was wrapped up in a bit more mindfulness and self-love ❤️

Shining a light on her stress allowed Daphné to really see how much of an impact it had on digestion and energy levels.

This helped her create some boundaries in order to prioritize herself and her energy.

2 months in, she dropped 10 lbs.

The weight loss was not intentional but moving towards more stable insulin levels and higher quality foods allowed her body to naturally release extra weight and achieve those stable energy levels that she was looking for.

By supporting her gut with wholesome foods and probiotics, her brain fog lifted and her cravings went away.

Prioritizing healthy fats and crowding out inflammatory fats had a positive impact on her skin and the tingling and numbness in her legs.

Daphné is proactive, self-responsible and engaged in her own healing.

What’s more, she enjoys her new eating style and sees it as something that she’ll be able to maintain long-term.

 

Here are a few words from her:

”Before meeting Kim, I was experiencing unstable energy levels, cravings, bloating, brain fog and fatigue, to name a few.

I had been observing these symptoms forever, thinking this was normal.

These states of mind kept going on and on until I finally decided it was enough. One day I reached out to Kim, not knowing this would be a gift to my mind and body.

When Kim asked me to fill in lifestyle forms and questionnaires to draw a portrait of my health profile, the results were speaking.

My score was relatively high for one of them, which meant something was up.

Working with her allowed me to reconstruct my idea of food. This experience has not only taught me about food and its impact on the body, but it has also taught me what my body needs.

She gave me tools and handy advice that are useful daily.

About three months in, I feel like the symptoms bothering me have diminished or disappeared.

I no longer crave sugar and have stable energy throughout the day. I learned to listen to my body and to be aware of the messages sent from it.

Believe me, Kim can make your life much more enjoyable!”

Thank you Daphné, for sharing your inspiring story and congratulations on taking charge of your health.
oxo
Kim

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Friends With Benefits

The friends I’m referring to are the bacteria and microorganisms that make up your gut microbiome. What were you thinking?

We possess more of these microorganisms than we have cells in our entire body.

More and more research is coming out revealing just how much clout these friends with benefits have over us.

Specifically how they affect our brain, behavior and mood. They even play a part in the regulation of compounds like serotonin, our feel-good neurotransmitter.

Conversely, our gut bacteria are intimately affected by our diet, a poor night’s sleep, stress levels or even by emotions such as anger.

There is a new term that’s been coined called Psychobiotics, (microbiota interventions) to help treat a variety of mental health conditions.

 

Here’s a small sampling of some of the research:

–Studies have shown that a specific strain of gut bacteria appear to improve the mood of anxious and depressed mice.
–Germ-free mice and rats without any microbes in their guts, (raised in sterile environments) are more likely to be anxious and are less sociable.
–Mice given antibiotics (well known to interfere with gut bacteria) are more prone to hyperactivity, risky behavior and have more trouble remembering and learning.
–A study done on people experiencing mild to moderate depression showed that those receiving probiotics experienced an improvement in mood compared to those taking a placebo.
–In a large study, those that received antibiotics (disrupting gut bacteria), scored lower on cognitive tests and the effect carried over for several years.
–Elderly with more diverse microbiomes have much better health outcomes and less cognitive decline
–Prebiotics (food for beneficial gut microbes) improved cognitive function and problem solving in people with psychosis.

Get the complete article HERE

 

So here’s the thing; things like stress, antibiotic use (personal and in our agricultural systems), processed food, over sanitization and even increases in c-section births ALL have an impact on the diversity of our microbiomes.

 

Less gut diversity has been linked to conditions like diabetes, MS, irritable bowel disease and even obesity.

The good news is there is a lot you can do:

-Eat a variety of fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt, kombucha, miso… rotate them and get some in DAILY. Consider a probiotic supplement if you won’t eat fermented foods.
-Eat a wide variety of seasonal, whole foods like vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruit. MIX IT UP. Wider variety of foods equals a wider variety of gut microbes.
-Take in some extra fiber like chia, psyllium or ground flax, work in more legumes. Your gut bugs love fiber.
-Skip the packaged or processed foods, although your taste buds may be addicted, the additives and chemicals are poison for your gut bugs.
-Connect with people, hug, shake hands, touch. We were not designed to live isolated, sterile lives.
-Move your body. Exercise affects your gut bacteria and people that exercise show a wider diversity of gut flora than peeps that are sedentary.
-Manage your stress, even a few minutes of mindfulness everyday will help on many levels 😉

 

Funny how the most powerful solutions always bring us right back to the basics.

I hope this inspires you. Consider sharing this with someone you love.

Kim

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No Shame

A couple of brave clients reached out recently.

They screwed up their courage and confessed that they’d regained a bit of weight after finishing up our sessions together and they wanted to nip it in the bud.

They both used the word ‘shame’ in their messages.

As in; ‘I’ve been too embarrassed to call because I was feeling a little ashamed…’

My response:

 

Nooooooooooooo shame!!

 

Changing diet is HUGE and it’s a process.

Anyone that’s worked with me knows that it’s a lot of stuff to integrate.

Holy hell, I’m still integrating it.

How you eat is a pretty deep groove as far as habits go. You’re bound to slip back into old familiar patterns now and then.

The good news; it gets easier.

But, until the ease part comes in, you’ve got to put all of the odds in your favor.

If you’re struggling or if you’ve backtracked; don’t waste precious time and energy beating yourself up. It. Doesn’t. Work.

Call me to do a little fine-tuning and get back on.

Over time, this stuff will become second nature. I PROMISE.

In the meanwhile, cut yourself a little slack.

Reach out.
ox
Kim

P.S. Stay tuned for some maintenance tips.

P.S.S. Share this with someone who could use this

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I’m Not Buying Into Your B.S.

I have a couple of clients that are currently going through similar stuff. They’re unrelated and in different parts of the country.

I decided to write this because I know they aren’t alone with this issue.

 

 

They both struggle with long-standing weight issues and all of the other things that come with it: inflammation, digestive issues, lab values that have been getting progressively worse over time…

They both got off to a great start, were motivated and saw great results.

Then they both started ghosting me.

Both of these gals are incredibly intelligent, capable, kind and deserving.

They don’t lack willpower and they’ve both accomplished pretty amazing things in their lives.

What I suspect they both have in common is that they’re buying into their stories.

Stories like: You can’t do this, you aren’t good enough, you aren’t worthy enough, this is never going to work, it’s never worked before, who the heck do you think you are…

Full disclosure, I’m guessing here because I’m not in their heads… but these are examples that I hear an awful lot.

They were both on the verge of making serious progress. The kind of progress that would mean that permanent change was actually possible and they’d have to rewrite that story.

That’s when the voices started getting very loud.

And they listened.

Like clockwork, things started happening; stress, drama and overwhelm got really high.

This makes me incredibly sad.

As someone on the outside looking in, it’s as clear as day that the stories are bullshit.

Both of these beautiful gals are more than capable and they were doing everything right.

 

We all have these voices, I call it the loop that plays on repeat in your mind.

Most of us don’t even notice it because it’s such a part of our incessant mental chatter.

So it turns out that the voices, also called saboteurs, hate change.

Their job is to maintain the status quo at all costs.

When you’re on the brink of making real change happen, the voices get really noisy.

Drama gets created, stress levels soar and the self-fulfilling prophesy gets cemented.

 

A self-fulfilling prophesy is defined as an expectation or belief that can influence your behaviours thereby causing the belief to come true.

In other words, you have a belief about how the future is going to go down, that leads you to behave in a certain way, that ultimately brings about the anticipated outcome. You can read some interesting stuff about it HERE.

 

To my amazing clients, I want to say that I’m not buying into the bullshit.

Take all of the time you need, I’ll be here when you’re ready.

You WILL make this happen.

Love Kim

P.S. Please share this with someone struggling with their own saboteurs

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I Am Not A Luxury

The pandemic was an eye opener.

Looking back has really allowed me to see just how much of a hit I took, like so many small businesses.

I’m getting back up, but my business legs still feel wobbly and vulnerable. I’m guessing that a lot of that stems from fear.

Fear because my livelihood was jeopardized in what felt like an instant and because it brought up a big question:

Are my services considered a luxury?

Our culture, system, dialogue… whatever you want to call it, still doesn’t value or prioritize prevention and self-responsibility when it comes to health… YET!

What I mean by that is there is a disconnect between where our personal responsibility lies and what can just be chalked up to genetics, bad luck… stuff outside of our control. The solution always seem to be to take a pill.

If you’re still reading, you likely lean more towards taking personal responsibility for your health.

However, despite attracting very self-responsible clients, I’m still surprised at how many people DON’T believe that they have much control over their inflammation, weight, energy, digestion, sleep quality, how they deal with stress…

I don’t mean for this to be an accusation if you are struggling with any of the above health issues or take pills.

This is NOT about being self-righteous or dogmatic in the belief that everything is preventable or reversible. The picture is much more nuanced and complicated than that.

I’m saying that laying a solid foundation for optimal health starts with your nutrition. Your fuel.

Investing a little bit in yourself will pay off in a big way. Read what clients have to say here.

When I ask clients to reflect on what had the most impact, I almost always get the same answer:

”I thought I was eating pretty well…”

Health is wealth and your birthright.

It is not a luxury.

I get that looking into tweaking your diet can be scary AF. Everyone is at a different place, with different needs, time, skills, budget…

My job is to adjust to YOU, not the other way around.

To see if we’re a good fit, I offer a free 30 minute discovery call where we’ll discuss your needs and if it’s appropriate, come up with a game plan that works for you.

Email me or reach out via my website to book a no strings attached chat.

I look forward to connecting.

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High Test or Regular?

I have a friend that owns a beautiful luxury car and she always gasses up with the expensive, high-test fuel.

Sometimes when we go on long car trips, Hughie puts the high test stuff in our car, and we don’t drive a luxury car.

He tells me that it helps clean out the motor, avoid gunky buildup and prevent engine trouble.

What are you doing to prevent problems and gunky buildup?

Dude – your food is your fuel.

Your food gets broken down into the nutrients (the fuel) that your body machine needs to run optimally.

You wouldn’t pour muddy water into the gas tank of your car.

Fast food, packaged food and sugary manufactured foods are like muddy water for your body machine.

How can you expect your body to perform at its best (without fatigue, illness, depression, aches and pains…) when you’re dumping in transformed, refined or chemically-laden food?

Most people think they eat pretty well until they realize what’s slipping past their radar.

Your body machine has evolved alongside natural, seasonal, whole foods.

None of us have had the time to develop the enzymes or tools necessary to breakdown or eliminate the massive quantities of gunk-forming, life-sucking ingredients that we’re commonly dumping into our tanks.

If you don’t believe me, read a label sometime. If you can’t pronounce it – there’s a big chance your body doesn’t know what to do with it.

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Intuitive Eating

Diet mentality is pervasive and insidious.

Because of this, navigating the topic of weight loss is understandably fraught with all kinds of conflicting emotions and push-back.

Weight loss gets associated with dieting which is commonly associated with the toxic cycle of deprivation and then bingeing. This can then lead to low self confidence, b.s. stories about lack of will power, hateful self talk and negative body image.

Can I just say that there’s a big part of the story that’s missing in this conversation.

Processed foods.

These products are engineered to be hyper-palatable, addictive, toxic and they seriously mess with your hormones and internal signals.

Neglecting to acknowledge the damage that processed foods have on the system is causing the perfect storm or diet hell that so many people are finally pushing against.

You may have heard the term intuitive eating brandied about. Intuitive eating and tuning in is actually a big part of the work I do with clients.

But it never, ever happens before we’ve removed processed foods from the diet.

Someone eating a whole foods diet with a balanced metabolism can confidently tune in and listen to the signals that their body is giving them.

Attempting intuitive eating without first looking at the quality of the food going in to the body is going to result in serious weight gain, uncontrollable cravings and the inevitable vicious loop of hateful self-talk and body shaming.

Intuitive eating is NOT for someone that is still eating a processed food diet.

I never thought that I would call myself a weight loss coach. When I started off on this journey it was with the noble intention of preventing disease before it took root.

It turns out that prevention isn’t very sexy.

I can count on one hand the amount of people that have reached out with their eye on prevention over the last 8 years.

What people are looking for is a sustainable and healthy way to manage their weight and reduce their inflammation.

Weight loss brings people to the conversation.

Once the door has been opened and they begin to (truly) nourish their bodies; folks invariable notice how great they feel.

Basically we’re just sneaking prevention in through the back door… I’m cool with that.

The moral of this story is that a body that is nourished with whole foods without the messed up messages that come from chemicals, preservatives and sugar will be able to trust internal signals of hunger and satiety. But getting to that place of balance will require a little work.

 

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Client Highlight; Meet Sherrill

Sherrill is a beautiful vibrant nurse, wife, mom, new grandmother, sister and friend.

She reached out about a year ago because she was dealing with pretty extreme abdominal pain caused by diverticulitis.

Her diverticulitis flare-ups would land her in the hospital requiring antibiotic treatments once or twice a year. This had been going on for the last five years or so.

Along with the diverticulitis Sherrill struggled with gallbladder issues. Upon investigation, her doctors were recommending gallbladder removal.

She had several trigger foods, the worst of which were cucumbers, which caused such a severe reaction that she had to go to the hospital.

Other foods that caused her abdominal pain and that she avoided were blueberries, tomatoes, melons, strawberries, popcorn, and more recently she was starting to react to eggs and chicken.

Finally to top it all off, Sherrill was struggling with gluten sensitivity (that resulted in headaches, blood in her stool and diarrhea), hot flashes (that caused disrupted sleep) and she wanted to lose a little bit of weight.

The gallbladder is a small organ that is used to store and recycle excess bile between meals. The proper delivery of bile at the right moment is crucial to keep digestion running smoothly and for avoiding deficiencies.

Our gallbladders enable fat digestion and the absorption of essential fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D and K.

This little organ also helps in the removal of cholesterol and toxins that have been broken down by the liver.

Bottom line, you can survive without a gallbladder, but you will be more prone to fatty liver, indigestion, diarrhea, bloating and deficiencies.

 

We decided to proceed with a Metabolic Balance program.

Upon starting her program Sherrill ranked her abdominal pain at a 4 / 5 (the score 5 being the worst, most extreme pain and 1 being the best)

Two weeks in, she rated her pain at a 1.5 / 5 and her hot flashes reduced from 7- 10 per day to 1 or 2

One month in, she lost 16 lbs. and she rated her pain at a 1 or not present at all.

With her doctor’s consent, she was able to discontinue her proton pump inhibitor medication (Omeprazole) and she was enjoying much more restorative sleep with only occasional hot flashes at night. She made the association of more hot flashes when she deviated from her plan and ate more processed or transformed foods.

5½ months in she was very happy to report much improved digestion and was able to eat pretty freely.

She was able to reintroduce all of her trigger foods including cucumbers (remember, cucumbers used to land her in the hospital) without issues or pain.

She was able to eat a great quality sprouted grain, sourdough breads and pasta without issues (all contain gluten).

Best of all, a scan of her gallbladder revealed that she had no gallbladder issues and was no longer at risk of having that important little organ removed.

Almost one year later, Sherrill is continuing to apply the foundational principles that she has learned to support her digestion and fully nourish her body.

She continues to test and pay attention to how processed and transformed foods trigger her and is learning how resilient her body is by testing the limits with the occasional treats and indulgences.

Sherrill is proof that eating healthy doesn’t have to be arduous or strict.

She’s learning that there is a lot of room for flexibility and has reintroduced all of her old favorites with the exception of certain highly processed foods that her body rejects.

I admire Sherrill for her determination to follow through with this work and to seek out natural alternatives rather than simply squashing symptoms.

Food is powerful and our bodies are resilient and want to heal.

Thank you Sherrill for sharing your journey.

 

Here are a few words from Sherrill:

 

”I had been dealing with stomach issues for the last 10 years; gluten intolerance, diverticulitis and for the last 3 years a dysfunctional gallbladder.

I had stomach pain quite often and my doctor said I might need gallbladder surgery and part of intestines removed.

I was also going through menopause with weight gain and hot flashes. I had heard about Kim from a few friends who said the Metabolic Balance program helped them 100%.

It was then I decided to reach out to Kim for help.

Phase 1 and phase 2 were quite challenging but it did not take long to begin to see changes. I lost 4 pounds just in the first 2 days.

Cravings went away and I felt less bloated. I experienced less joint pain and after 3 weeks, I had no more pain from my gallbladder or my diverticulitis.

After 3 weeks I had lost 16 pounds.

6 months after starting the program I went for a scan and there was no more signs of problems with my gallbladder.

Kim was great to work with. She’s very informative about the program and got back to me very quickly if I had any questions. She gave me great tips and recipes that were very helpful in this journey.

I had thought this program was more geared towards weight loss but can honestly say it has been the only thing that has helped me with my stomach issues.

I have not felt this good in years. So whether your goal is weight loss, stomach issues or struggles with menopause this program is extremely effective. I would definitely encourage anyone to try it.’

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THE One Food to Combat Cold and Flu Season

 

Scurvy, the disease that wiped out thousands of sailors is caused by a lack of vitamin C.

The 18th century explorer, James Cook was the first explorer to beat the scurvy epidemic that plagued long ocean voyages.

How did he do it?

Sauerkraut baby!

Nowadays scurvy is pretty low on our radar as far diseases go. However, we’ve all heard of the benefits of vitamin C for the immune system.

The vitamin C content of cabbage is pretty normal but once that cabbage gets fermented, the vitamin C content skyrockets.

The fermentation process that is used to make sauerkraut also brings with it other kinds of magic like:

it contains several strains of beneficial probiotics that do wonders for the immune system
it helps naturally curb sugar cravings
it is AMAZING for digestion
it contains tons of antioxidants
it is antimicrobial and antifungal
it contains isothiocyanates that may help protect against cancer
it is a prebiotic, which means it feeds the good bugs

So hopefully I’ve convinced you that sauerkraut is a serious superfood.

But the taste…

Perhaps you tried it and promptly gave away your jar? I hear that one a lot.

I’ve converted many, many kraut haters.

Here’s what you’ll do:

👉Mix it into salads. This mitigates the strong flavor. You can also blend sauerkraut into salad dressings reducing the amount of vinegar needed. See my Happy Gut Salad Dressing

👉Use it as a soup topper. I love adding kraut to a hearty vegetable soup or even to chowders to give a little zip. It’s a must on French onion soup.

👉Mix it into cream cheese. This is delicious and actually is tasty enough to serve as a hors d’oeuvre on crostini or crackers. My daughter mixes her sauerkraut in cottage cheese and has it for breakfast.

👉Mix it into hummus. This is a favorite breakfast of mine. It’s delicious on crisp bread or toast with some avocado and a bit of sharp mustard.

👉Mix it into ketchup. I particularly like this with eggs, burgers, dogs or tourtière. I also like adding in a little sriracha for some kick. See my Eggs With Greens Recipe.

👉Mix into salsa. The sour flavor of the kraut happily replaces some of the acid in any salsa recipe. I haven’t met a kid that won’t gobble this up with some nachos. I’m talking about my Quick Tasty Salsa Recipe

👉Mix it into tartar sauce to have with fish, poultry, in wraps or even legumes. Have you ever combined mayo and relish to make tartar sauce? Try elevating your tartar sauce by adding in some chopped kraut. See Kim’s Famous Tartar Recipe.

 

The way I see it, you have no more excuses to not incorporate this super food into your diet. particularly when our need for vitamin C is high.

Trust me when I tell you that it is an acquired taste and that in a very short time you will be craving it.

Cheers to making healthy delicious ❤️Consider sharing this with someone you love.

Reach out if you want more.

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