Practical Steps to Health
Let’s review what we have learned recently.
Sugar is not the devil. We need carbs coming in throughout the day, starting 30 minutes after we wake up, and concluding 30 minutes to 1 hour before we go to bed. This signals to the body that our environment is optimal for a high metabolism. A high metabolism means energy production will rise and we will be able to have optimal hormone production (thyroid, progesterone, testosterone, etc), lower stress hormones, resulting in a stable mood, an alert mind, good sleep, weight loss and digestive health. More energy means our bodies will have the resources to detoxify, repair and regenerate. See here, here and here.
Seed oils ARE the devil. PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) from seed oils (vegetable oils) are absolutely 100% the main toxin in our environment, period. They destroy your cardiovascular system, destroy your nervous system, destroy your mitochondria and make you fat and diabetic. Avoid them with extreme prejudice. More here.
It all starts with the gut. Your GI tract is responsible for digesting your food into the nutrients (protein, fats, carbs, and other micronutrients) that your body needs. This should mostly take place in the stomach and small intestine, leaving the colon to deal with the waste. If your body is struggling in this area you must fix it in order to reduce your endotoxin exposure, which is deadly for mitochondria. Fixing your metabolism will help your gut tremendously, but sometimes healing requires patience plus even more direct approaches (which we will discuss in the future). But you should be eating easily digestible foods, not highly fermentable ones. Read about that here.
Ok, that’s all well and good, but how do we apply these steps practically?
There are two great resources I recommend. Both require a monthly fee, but you get access to training and even (in Jay Feldman’s case) one-on-one conversations. Check them out, and choose one based on your budget.
Ashley Armstrong’s “Rooted in Resilience” program
Jay Feldman’s “Energy Balance Course”
These courses will teach you how to apply all the knowledge I have been sharing with you lately, and how to best incorporate them into your lifestyle. Each comes with eating plans, guides, videos and steps to help you fix your metabolism.
How do we do this ourselves?
In the meantime, I will share with you some of the things we have been doing. But keep in mind, these changes are based on our own individual makeup and goals and may not fit your body type or what issues you are presently having.
First, go buy some juice! It needs to be organic and NOT from concentrate. At the beginning, stay away from fermentable sugars (apple, pear, peach, apricot, prune and the other fruits that are high in pectin). Stick to orange juice - we get a brand called Uncle Matt’s - and other tropical fruits (which can be harder to find). Our favorite for nighttime is tart cherry juice. We also found this great blend from Smart Juice Organic called “Antioxidant Blend” that we love.
Drink the orange juice in the morning within 30 minutes of waking up. This will lower stress hormones almost immediately. At first you may feel kind of sleepy as your body relaxes and the stress hormones lower, but this will adjust with time. Try to incorporate juice with every meal to increase your carbs. Try the tart cherry about 30-45 minutes before bed.
Second, go buy some organic raw honey and organic maple syrup! I like to put about a tablespoon (yes, that much) of maple syrup in my coffee (which you need to save until AFTER you eat breakfast) along with about a tablespoon of raw A2/A2 heavy cream. Use the raw honey after every meal to up your carbs. Then have a large tablespoon of the raw honey right before bed.
Third, make the raw carrot salad! Go buy bags of organic shredded carrots, take one bag, empty it into a bowl, and toss it with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar and coconut oil (melted). Have a small bowl with breakfast and dinner. I like to have a plain raw carrot with lunch as well. This will start to heal the gut, bind toxins, improve motility and help balance your microbiome.
Fourth, add more whole fruit to your diet! At first, be careful with adding too much fermentable starches. You want to give your gut time to adapt and heal. I am currently sticking to just oranges. I have one with every meal. But if you can add berries or other whole fruits without causing GI distress, by all means do it.
There are lots of other changes that we have made that you can incorporate in your life (and we will share these in later posts), but for now let’s stick to these four things. Try it and see how you feel.
Here’s just some of what happened to me (Sarah):
Deeper, more restful sleep with no waking up in the night
Sustained energy throughout the day
Lower resting heart rate than I have had in a decade
Plus, even though I gained about 5-8 pounds when I first started this, I have now lost 10 and am still going down. This is weight that I have held for YEARS on a low carb diet.
What happened to Doug:
Has gained about 7 pounds of muscle
Has been able to train intensely 6 days a week (he recently hired a coach) with no drop off in energy.
Lower heart rate during exercise.
It’s been quite eye-opening and we can’t wait to talk more about this “bioenergic approach” to health again next time!