Your Start Here Guide to a Happier Body
Over the years I've become more and more interested in nutrition. The more I learn , the more fascinated I become by food's effect on how we look, feel and function. We put our bodies through a lot - not sleeping enough, eating poorly, stress of all kinds - but even so, our body is always trying to get back into balance. We need to help it out by giving it the right foods and treating it well.
My own health journey started when I entered my 30's, my body started to change in ways that really turned my world upside down. Seemingly out of nowhere I started getting frequent migraines, melasma on my face, Raynauds syndrome and a major hormonal imbalance. I was tired all the time, was dealing with terrible anxiety and honestly didn't know where to even turn for help. I'd been gluten free three years at that point, so clearly food wasn't the issue, right? Well, one day I was visiting a friend out of town and she started talking about podcasts and that they're great to listen to on road trips. I found a few episodes of a podcast that had interviewed Dr. Sara Gottfried who's book I'd recently read about balancing hormones. She'd been interviewed by the ladies at Balanced Bites so I downloaded the episodes and on my trip home, I listened to a few episodes in a row and honestly couldn't get enough. At first it was confusing. Why was a Paleo podcast talking about hormones? But I kept listening and finally started to get it. Paleo was not just a diet for weight loss. Its more of a healing diet. When we eliminate foods that are problematic for us AND add in the right foods, we can reduce inflammation and our body can start to balance itself. Rebalancing your body through nutrition can help with just about any issue from arthritis to hormonal imbalances to weight loss to headaches to skin issues like psoriasis, eczema and acne.
That was four years ago, but along the way I continued to listen to podcasts and follow health and wellness websites and eventually heard about the Nutritional Therapy Association. NTA offers a certification program for anyone interested in nutrition and teaches all about rebalancing the body with unprocessed, whole foods. For two years, I've been thinking about attending NTA and finally joined in early 2016. I started with NTA in February and have been learning all about how the food we eat effects the way our body functions. For the last six months, my mind has been blown so many times by things we're learning. My passion for this is real. I'm so excited to be heading in a new direction with my health and career! Now I feel empowered to make changes to my own health and help others get to the root of their issues. I want everyone to feel empowered to make changes in their own life and know that you do have some say in how you feel. Its not all genetics. We can do a lot to improve how we look and feel.
This month, I'll be sharing a series to introduce, what Nutritional Therapy refers to as, The Foundations. We believe that poor nutrition leads to weaknesses in the body's foundations and that by simply addressing these areas with unprocessed, whole foods and sometimes supplements, we can correct imbalances. There are six foundations, in this series I'll focus on the first three. Each week I'll focus on a different foundation, the three I consider to be the most important and a good starting point for any health issue. These include Getting off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster, why you should include Good Fats in the Diet and probably the most important and often overlooked, Digestion 101.
When we look at things like allergies, rashes, headaches, trouble sleeping, joint pain, bloating, heartburn and so many other issues, we start by looking at the foundations. They're the basis for a healthy body. By getting these areas back in to balance, other issues often tend to correct themselves. For example, if you struggle with skin issues, balancing the digestive system can help. Or maybe you're tired all the time, constantly hungry or dealing with stubborn weight that won't come off? Experience the 3:00 slump every afternoon, find yourself reaching for coffee or a sugary snack to keep going? Well the Blood Sugar regulation is key! Think of this series as your "Start Here Guide" for your own health journey.
You can do a lot to make changes in your own life just by eating the right foods and reducing
stress and getting enough sleep, but sometimes we need more help. If you're looking for more guidance or professional care, a Nutritional Therapy Consultant (NTC) or Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) is a great option. NTCs and NTPs work with a range of tools and techniques that help identify and correct imbalances in the body. By focusing on properly prepared whole foods, it's possible to "restore balance and enhance the ability to heal". I'm currently in the Nutritional Therapy Consultant program, and I plan to share much of what I've learned here on Prepared Simply. In November 2016, I'll be available to work one-on-one with clients who are looking for help. Get on my email list below if you'd like to get on my Nutritional Therapy client Interest list.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit Prepared Simply! Please comment below with any thoughts or let me know what you'd like to hear more about. Your feedback is truly appreciated! The first post in the series will focus on the importance of Blood Sugar regulation plus tips for finding out if you're a "Sugar Burner" or a "Fat Burner" and some tips to get out of Sugar Burning mode. So please check out that post next week!
Resources
Quote by Ann Wigmore