Jump Start Your Health Today

Happy weekend!!

This page was hacked weeks ago and after having no luck with FB support or even allowing me to change the page name, I'm deactivating this page and I created a new one - Lisa Zimmerman - Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

I apologize for the inconvenience, but can you like and follow my new page?

https://bit.ly/47BcHc5

I moved all of my posts from this page to it and just posted asking for salmon recipes to share. (Below)

Thank you so much!!
I'm currently taking two new courses and a masterclass to become certified in Metabolic Weight Loss, Hair, Tissue, Mineral Testing, and learning about MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase)
The enzyme that activates folate (vitamin B9) into methylfolate in a process called methylation.
When you have a variation in this enzyme, it means you
have slower methylation or slower conversion of folate
into activated folate (methylfolate)
This affects approximately 50% of the population, and sadly, I'm one of them.

I'll share what I'm learning on my new page, and I hope to provide more healthy recipes to help us all make eating healthy easier.

Also, if you prefer Instagram, my account is lisaz_integrativenutrition
https://www.instagram.com/lisaz_integrativenutrition/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/NqAGKGxVQWNfC1xn/

🍣 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 🍣

One of the most challenging goals for me is to eat more salmon.
Wild salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and antioxidants, and it is low in mercury.
Avoid farmed salmon. They're often highly contaminated with toxins and antibiotics that are harmful to human health. They're fed plant-based diets deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, negatively affecting their overall fat composition, and require an input of synthetic additives to become pink in color. Without the dye, farmed salmon would be grey. Wild salmon eat shrimp and krill. Both are rich in an antioxidant called astaxanthin, a bright red carotenoid. This wild diet naturally gives wild salmon some of its antioxidant properties and signature color.

Eating salmon weekly reduces your risk of heart attack, arrhythmia, stroke, high blood pressure, and triglycerides. Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for optimal brain function and vision and for lowering inflammation.

Before I started limiting my sugar intake, I used to eat it smothered in brown sugar, soy sauce, or sweet mango salsa to mask any fish flavor.
I'm desperate to find other ways to "smother it" besides the classic olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper method.
⭐️ If you have a healthy way to prepare it, please share your recipes with us in the comments.

I found this quick and easy recipe to share but haven't made it yet.
I also started a Pinterest board for salmon recipes as I find them:
https://pin.it/2pS1dWXyh

Wild Salmon Filet (1-2/person)
Pecans: you can substitute with almonds or walnuts if you don't have pecans
Parsley: fresh herbs always add so much flavor and taste. You can use fresh chives, basil, or oregano if you have them instead. If you need to use dried herbs, substitute with 2 tsp of spice instead
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Tips:

Wash your salmon and pat it dry before you coat it with olive oil
Roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until it's cooked through
The salmon is ready when it is flaky with a fork, so check it before eating

How to Store:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Use leftover salmon and top a salad for protein the next day.

Woo Hoo!!
It's official. I received my Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

I'm also taking two other courses now to be certified as a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Professional, and I'm taking a Metabolic Weight Loss Course.

I LOVE learning about health, healing, and holistic well-being.

Thanks for supporting me. 😘

🔵🔴 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝐄𝐕𝐄!! 🔴🔵

If you like to start new changes on the first of the month OR on a Monday, tomorrow is your day.

Let's start July with a bang. 🧨

♦️🔹♦️🔹♦️🔹♦️🔹♦️🔹♦️

✧ Eat nutritious food made by nature, not a factory

✧ Enjoy and appreciate nature

✧ Get 7+ hrs of sleep

✧ Get at least 15 minutes of morning sunlight, preferably barefoot

✧ Walk 45 - 60 minutes/day, preferably after a meal

✧ Weight resistance/squats/lunges - aim for 45 minutes 4X/week - it doesn't have to be in a gym. Your muscles don't know you're in your living room

✧ Hydrate with salt & electrolytes

✧ Remove negative people and connect with the positive, authentic ones

✧ Only 10% of all diseases are genetic, 90% are from lifestyle choices

✧You're only as old as your daily habits

Take care of your body.
Unless you're Shirley MacLaine, we only have one wild and precious life. 🙋🏼‍♀️

𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦

If I'm not working, sleeping, studying for a nutrition exam, or reading a psychological thriller, I'm listening to a nutrition podcast or a nutrition audiobook.

What's one of the most frequent recommendations from every evidence-based functional or integrative doctor?
MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is a miracle mineral responsible for more than 600 enzyme reactions in the body. It's critical for your cells to make energy. It impacts our mood, muscles, and nerves, lowers blood pressure, improves headaches and blood sugar levels, improves digestive health and brain function—the list goes on and on.

Our soils have been depleted of this mineral over the last fifty years from factors such as acid rain, water scarcity, soil waterlogging, elevated temperatures, and picking crops prior to maturation, which doesn't allow for full nutrient absorption.
This causes most fruits and vegetables to lack the same nutrient content as those of our grandparents and parents.

You can eat foods that contain magnesium, like:

Dark greens
Flaxseed
Chia seeds and other seeds
Almonds
Cashews and other nuts
Avocado
Pumpkin seeds
Edamame
Spinach
Black Beans
Tofu
Tempeh (cooked)
Chickpeas

OR

If you want to ensure you are getting enough, take a supplement nightly to help you relax and sleep better.

For:

Sleep - Glycinate
Soreness - Sulfate
Blood Pressure - Taurate
Heart - Orotate
Cognition - Threonate
Muscles - Malate
Constipation - Citrate
Leg Cramps - Bisglycinate
Digestion - Chloride

OR

I take BIOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough, which contains seven high-quality forms of magnesium, no synthetic ingredients, and is fast-absorbing.
It's also vegan, soy, and gluten-free.
The doctors I follow recommend it, and I have slept much better since taking it.

Amazon ✦ https://amzn.to/3XxC6QV

I've spent the last year taking courses to become a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach as well as a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.
I'm also currently taking a course to become a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Test Professional, and I'm about to begin a new program to become an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Board Certified Practitioner, which will allow me to order functional lab tests and interpret the results for my clients. I've learned so much about my health through comprehensive lab tests and can't wait to help others proactively correct issues before they become a problem.
It hasn't been easy for this former Hershey Chocolate Sales Rep. and buttercreamfrostingaholic to embrace sugar-free, clean eating, but it's been worth it. So, when a friend asked me to join her at this recently opened immersive wellness retreat, I was excited, curious, and a little nervous to try it.

I want to thank the energetic and patient staff at The Ranch Hudson Valley for an incredible four-day retreat filled with daily strenuous mountain hikes, gourmet gluten-free, dairy-free, organic plant-based meals, well-earned massages, and unplugging from this chaotic world both physically and mentally. Attending a wellness boot camp in a gorgeous renovated property resembling Downton Abbey is way more enjoyable than a REI tent.

Downside: Waking up at 5:30 am every morning.
Upside: A stretch class at 6:00 am, a delicious breakfast at 7:00 am, and a hike up the mountain at 7:30 am before the sun heated the mountain trails.

My biggest thanks go to Michelle Fuller, who has not only been one of my best friends for the last 35 years but is also a luxury travel advisor with Fora. She's great at gently nudging my homebody tendencies out of my comfort zone, and I've never regretted it.

For future travel plans, you won't find a more knowledgeable and trustworthy memory maker who can provide personalized recommendations, safe, reliable itinerary planning, unbelievable hotel upgrades, and perks—all for the same price as doing the stressful, time-consuming work yourself.
Check out her website:
https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/michelle-fuller

𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐒

Nuts are a great source of healthy, anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fats. They contain antioxidants and minerals like zinc and magnesium in abundance.

𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐋 𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐒: Brazil nuts are valued mostly for their high levels of selenium, an important mineral for our metabolism, digestive health, thyroid function, detoxification, and protection against arthritis.
Only eat up to three per day. You CAN have too much selenium.

𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐒: Walnuts are good for everything from bone health to cancer prevention to blood sugar control, but the main benefit is for our arterial function. They also contain a good dose of omega-3 fats (ALA, or alpha-linoleic acid).

𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐒: Pecans are high in minerals (especially manganese and copper) and are as powerful as walnuts in cancer-fighting antioxidants. They've also been associated with favorable cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐒: Like walnuts, hazelnuts are good for endothelial function (the single cell layer that lines all the blood vessels) and keep bad cholesterol from oxidizing. Their total antioxidant capacity is more than double that of almonds.

𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐒: Arginine is an amino acid found in meat, fish, shellfish, and seeds, and it is abundant in pistachios. It produces nitric oxide in the body, which improves arterial function and blood flow.

𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐒: Unlike most nuts, macadamias contain the same monounsaturated fats as olive oil and can improve overall cholesterol.

**𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒: Almonds lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease; the magnesium they contain lessens the chance of sudden heart attack; they prevent diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar, and they deliver minerals like copper and manganese, along with antioxidants such as vitamin E.

**I had to stop eating almonds because unless they're BLANCHED or MARCONA, they're sadly high in lectins, which destroy the gut lining. Also, avoid eating cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or peanuts if you have gut issues.

I'm working on a future post about my gut healing journey and transitioning into eating lectin-free after being diagnosed with a leaky gut. Huge sigh.

As with any food, don’t overeat.
Aim for about 1/2 cup/day.

I've increased my consumption of healthy nuts, which in turn has increased my use of dental floss. 😉

🥚 𝐄𝐠𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝🥚

One of the reasons I hesitated in the past to become a nutrition coach is the ever-changing information on what's ok to eat and what we should avoid.

Eggs are the perfect example.

We were told to limit egg consumption for years due to the cholesterol content and its potential link to heart disease.

Then, research confirmed that eggs are a nutrient-dense food valued for their high-quality protein and beneficial nutrients like choline and lutein, but to limit them.

The latest research says that eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, with studies suggesting they can help with weight management and satiety. They're a great source of vitamins, including B12, minerals, antioxidants, and even improve eye health due to their lutein and zeaxanthin content. A large egg contains about 6 grams of protein.

Do you know what the different labels on egg cartons mean?
Here's a quick guide to help you navigate the egg aisle:

🌿 Pasture-Raised Eggs:
These eggs come from hens that can roam freely outdoors, foraging for their natural diet, which often includes grass, bugs, and seeds. This results in eggs that are higher in nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and E.

🏠 Cage-Free Eggs:
Cage-free hens are not kept in cages and can move around within a barn or other enclosed area. While they have more freedom of movement than caged hens, their access to the outdoors may be limited or nonexistent.

🚜 Free-Range Eggs:
Free-range hens have access to the outdoors, but the amount and quality of outdoor space can vary widely. They may still spend a significant amount of time indoors.

🐔 Organic Eggs:
Organic eggs come from hens fed organic feed and aren't treated with antibiotics or synthetic hormones. While organic certification does not guarantee hens have access to the outdoors, many organic farms prioritize outdoor access for their hens.

🥚 Conventional Eggs:
These are the standard eggs in most grocery stores. The hens may be kept in cages or indoor housing, and they are typically fed a diet of conventional feed that may contain antibiotics or synthetic hormones.

When choosing eggs, consider your priorities, whether it's supporting more humane farming practices, reducing environmental impact, or maximizing nutritional content.
I understand pasture-raised eggs are more expensive, but the health benefits and the chickens' happier lives are worth it to me.

𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: The color of the eggs is determined by the pigment of the hen that lays them. White hens produce white eggs, and reddish-brown hens produce brown eggs. No matter what color of eggs you choose, they have the same relative nutritional benefits.

Farms

I passed my certification for my Functional Nutrition training!!!
The exam had took hours and some of the questions were tricky.
Ironically I was dipping Siete potato chips in organic sour cream while giving answers about optimal nutrition. 🙄😀

I'm now enrolled in an accelerated (12 months of work in six months) certification program to be an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Classes started last Monday with 2 modules, but I was studying for this exam and then I’ll receive 2 more modules on Monday.
I feel like Lucille Ball at the candy factory trying to catch up.

After I do, I promise to get back to posting health tips on my Jump Start Your Health Today account and I’m still trying to think of a better/clever name. All the fun ones are taken.

Here are the links if you aren’t already following me:

Facebook:
bit.ly/45RT4KZ

Instagram:
bit.ly/3EHEZ71

Have a great rest of your weekend!!

I promise I’ll start posting more tips again soon.
I’ve been taking some Master classes, working on a clean ingredient, healthy shopping list and creating a Venn diagram of what foods are allowed for healing a leaky gut, anti-inflammatory, and mostly clean keto.

Holiday eating was all fun and games until trying to zip my pants in 2024. 😉

𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞

I'm sure you've been hearing a lot about it since it's recently been called "Nature's Ozempic."

Berberine is an alkaloid found in various plants' roots, stems, barks, and seeds, such as Oregon Grape, Barberry, Goldenseal, and Coptis.
Herbalists use these herbs for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
Berberine has been used in traditional medicine for ages. It helps your body use glucose efficiently for healthy blood sugar and insulin levels.

Most of the current research about this nutrient is focused on its potential use in diabetes, obesity/healthy fat metabolism, heart disease, PCOS, fatty liver, and cancer.�

The benefits of berberine include:

➜ Lowers blood sugar levels along with enhancement of mitochondrial function.
➜ Beneficial changes to the microbiome.
➜ Positive effects on the immune system.
➜ Lowers blood pressure.
➜ Improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels
➜ Prevents the development of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in your arteries).
➜ It can also aid in weight loss.

I take two capsules 20-30 minutes before my breakfast every day.

I wanted to share the benefits with everyone before we all indulge in tempting holiday treats. (I know, we're already indulging.) 🙋🏼‍♀️
Again, I'm not the fun police. I know part of the holiday fun is tasting the cookies, eating the chocolate, and drinking the holiday cocktails.
If you know you are going to a party with mostly unhealthy food, maybe eat beforehand or have a healthy snack so you won't overindulge.
Drink at least 8 oz. of water before meals, snacks, or the gathering.
If having a pre-party meal, try to eat the items in this order - fiber, like non-starchy vegetables, proteins/fats, and then save the starch for the party. This will slow down your glucose absorption and help curb your hunger.

Here are some clean ingredient Brands of Berberine:

✦ Swanson:
https://amzn.to/3tllBuq
✦ Luma Nutrition: https://amzn.to/3v13EBT
✦ Natural Factors: https://amzn.to/3GLbW3p

Happy Holidays!!
I'm going on a social media diet to spend time with my kids so I'll also wish you a Happy (and safe) New Year. 😘

😉

𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞

The photo below is obviously a joke. So, let's talk about how you can eat some Halloween candy.

As most of you know, one of my favorite jobs was working as a Sales Representative for Hershey Chocolate. I thought I was helping to promote joy and fun holiday memories. I knew candy gave us cavities, cellulite, and weight gain, and as an occasional treat, that dopamine high is hard to beat, but you don't know what you don't know.
As research became more specific, I learned that sugar causes inflammation in the body, fuels cancer and heart disease, drives hormonal changes, slows metabolism, and shuts down the body's ability to burn fat. Sugar is highly addictive: the more we eat, the more we want.

We were told in the past that fat makes you fat, so if you were like me in the 90s, you were eating a whole box of Snackwell Fat-Free cookies thinking we were cheating the system.
I've already written about sugar in an earlier post, but I'd also like to remind everyone that food manufacturers sneak sugar into products that you wouldn't think to check. Did you know Prego tomato sauce has more sugar per serving than two Oreo cookies? It's ridiculous.

Okay, back to Halloween and eventually Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter.
A piece of candy now and again is fine. Like I said in my first post, try to aim for progress, not perfection, because if we look at certain treats as off-limits, it tends to make them more desirable. If you think of cheat meals or treats as a reward, you unconsciously sabotage yourself and your mindset.
The saying, "What you eat in private, shows up in public," could also be edited to add that it makes you happy while eating but then like crap afterward.
Sadly, you'll crave it even more.
I now realize that I know how tired, bloated, and brain-foggish I am after eating a lot of sugar, and I have to decide if it's worth it or not.

𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬:

✦ Buy candy that's not yours or your family's favorites, so you're not as tempted to grab a few for yourself. Do you ever shake your head at Target, Walmart, or your grocery store for putting out the themed candy so far in advance? Candy companies know that most people will buy it, eat the entire bag themselves, and then have to buy more.

✦ I feel the need to advise you to hand out glow sticks, spooky-themed pencils, spider rings, or toys vs. candy, but I know you might not want to be "that house."

✦ Never eat candy or dessert on an empty stomach. When you eat carbs on their own, they go straight to your bloodstream, spiking your glucose levels.

✦ Before your kids go door to door Tuesday evening, feed them a healthy dinner - preferably, in this order - fiber, like non-starchy vegetables, then proteins/fats, and then little to no starch. This will slow down their glucose absorption and help curb their hunger so they're not as tempted to eat the candy in their bags as they are walking house to house.

✦ As an adult eating candy, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a cup of room-temperature water 15-20 min before eating it. This will help reduce your glucose spike by up to 30%. (To learn more about this, see my earlier post about ACV).

On the bright side, taking your kids out trick or treating by walking the neighborhood is using your muscles, which helps to reduce glucose response significantly. When you move your body, your muscles use up remaining glucose in your bloodstream, which reduces insulin resistance.
If you're the adult at home handing out the treats after dinner and are using the candy in the bowl as dessert, walk around the house between doorbells and avoid just sitting on your porch to hand out the treats.

Please stay safe, and I hope everyone has a great Halloween. 🎃

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧."

The most important system in your body is your gut.
We eat pounds of food daily and rely on this ONE system to take in all the good stuff and eliminate all the bad stuff. That's a huge job.

The gut is often referred to as the "second brain."
The brain talks to the gut through the vagus nerve (involved in digestion, absorption, metabolism of nutrients, and gut permeability.)
I was surprised to learn that 95% of the "feel-good" neurotransmitter serotonin is produced in your gut, not your brain. This helps explain getting "butterflies in your stomach."

The gut contains your microbiome (the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live inside us), which sends direct signals to your brain. It can impact your cognitive and emotional well-being and houses 70% of the cells that make up your immune system in its walls.
It dynamically interacts together to determine the quality of your health. This is where the source of most of our inflammatory problems comes from. If your gut-associated immune system is constantly activated, it can lead to body-wide alertness, causing your immune cells to secrete messenger molecules that result in inflammation, fat deposition in your belly, weight gain, and systemic diseases like autoimmune diseases.
An unhealthy microbiome can increase your risk of depression and anxiety.
As a culture, we've also massively messed up our guts with our industrial processed diet, lack of fiber, lack of phytochemicals and polyphenols, too much gluten, and overuse of antibiotics and gut-busting drugs like Advil and Aspirin.

The best way to heal and maintain a healthy gut is to avoid or limit ultra-processed food, starchy carbs, and refined sugars and increase your intake of high-fiber, organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO foods.
"You are what you ate has eaten" is a great reminder to buy grass-fed, grass-finished meat, chicken, turkey, and organic eggs from cage-free hens fed a natural, free-range diet rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

Drink lots of water and herbal teas, and try incorporating fermented foods (little to no-sugar-added yogurt, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, etc.), take prebiotic and probiotic supplements, and maybe have bone broth at least once a week.
Also, try adding a resistant starch that isn't absorbed by the body and doesn't get used as calories or fuel.
Some examples are plantains, green bananas, lentils, and some artichokes. If eaten regularly, they help create a better gut environment.

Lastly, exercise to boost your immune system and get good quality sleep. Studies indicate that poor sleep can also negatively affect the gut microbiome.

This post was extra science-ish, but I hope it was informative.
If you're like me and grew up in the '70s, I could totally see Schoolhouse Rock doing a song with this information and the illustrated photo below. 😉✌🏻

Do you crave salty snacks? 🙋🏼‍♀️

The marketing for Garden Veggie Straws tricks us into believing we are choosing a healthy option. Sadly, it's not.

The package says it has 30% less fat, no artificial flavors or preservatives, non-GMO, 0g trans fat, is gluten-free, certified Kosher, and vegan.
Sounds great, right? And for goodness sake, it has "Garden Veggie" in the title. How can it not be a healthy choice?
We always have to look past the packaging and read the actual ingredients.
I'll put the larger photos of the ingredients in the comments.

Veggie Straws has corn starch, which is high in calories and carbs and can spike blood sugar, leading to an increased insulin and inflammatory response.
It has sugar, which, if you read my earlier post, is bad all around.
It's made with highly inflammatory and processed canola oil, safflower oil, and/or sunflower oil. 😳

For a better and yummy option, try Siete's Serrano Sea Salt & Vinegar chips made with avocado oil or Boulder Canyon Avocado or Olive Oil Kettle Style Chips. Trader Joe's has an avocado kettle chip that's great, too.
Of course, they still have carbs, but they aren't inflammatory, and who in the world puts sugar in potato chips?
That's crazy.

😳 INFLAMMAGING 😳

I’m sorry I took a break from posting. My laptop won’t charge or turn on, my classes are getting harder and more science-y, and I went out of town over the weekend.

I did get a 💯 on my quiz yesterday and now I’m learning about chronic inflammation.

This may be one of the most important subjects I want to share with you, but there is so much information, I need to break it down in a few posts.

Our modern way of eating and lifestyles have created “inflammaging.”
This low-grade, continual inflammation is the root of most chronic conditions. It contributes to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia, depression, and cancer. Also, any condition ending in “-itis” like arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, and gastritis.

It’s due to the over consumption of ultra-processed products, diets high in starch, sugar, refined oils, additives, pesticides, herbicides, emulsifiers, thickeners, additives, artificial sweeteners, and environmental toxins.
Don’t put a band-aid on the problem by taking ibuprofen, aspirin, or steroids.

Some tips to reduce inflammation:

⁣⁣ ✦ Eat a whole food, high fiber, mostly plant-based diet.
Include ginger, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, and garlic as often as possible.⁣

✦ Eat healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, avocados, and omega-3 fats from small fish like sardines, herring, sable, and wild salmon.⁣⁣
I still occasionally eat red meat, but grass-fed and grass-finished meat which is healthier.

✦ Exercise.⁣⁣ Walking is free and your muscles don't know if they’re in a fancy gym or in your living room.

✦ Learn to actively relax to engage your vagus nerve, the powerful nerve that relaxes your whole body and lowers inflammation, by doing yoga, meditation, deep breathing or even taking a hot bath, preferably with Epsom salts.

✦ If you have food allergies, find out what they are and stop eating them.⁣⁣ Examples are gluten, dairy, wheat, soybeans, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, or peanuts which are not a nut, but a legume.

✦ Take probiotics (“good bacteria”) daily to help your digestion and to improve the healthy bacteria in your gut.

✦ Take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.

I’ll do a post soon on inflammatory oils. You’d be surprised how many of the foods we assume are healthy because of clever marketing are horrible for us and are the cause of bloating, inflammation, and weight gain.

I hope I’m helping even a little bit and I’m not all doom and gloom.
Remember it’s better and cheaper to pay the farmer vs. the pharmacy.

I ran across this free cookbook and thought I'd share it with anyone suffering from IBS.

IBS Cookbook: 40+ Soup, Pizza, and Side Dishes recipes designed for IBS diet IBS Cookbook: 40+ Soup, Pizza, and Side Dishes recipes designed for IBS diet

𝐏𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Happy Friday Eve!!

Whew! What a busy week.
End of the month reports, your kid's sports activities, waking up at the butt crack of dawn. Sigh.

If you're a wine drinker, Friday evenings are the perfect time to wine(d) down. We all have our favorites, but did you know some healthier versions are available?

If you are a $20-ish/bottle connoisseur, three years ago, Cameron Diaz and her friend, Kathryn Power, created a 100% organically farmed wine with no unnecessary additives and clear transparency by listing ingredients and nutritional information on the front and back labels. It's called Avaline.
It's low in sugar, and you most likely won't wake up with wine flu and a furred tongue. 🥹
They sell it at Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, etc.

If you allot more money for your wine budget and every day is Winesday, you might consider Dry Farms Wine.

In 2015, Dry Farm's creator, Todd White, wanted to eat healthier, improve his longevity, and feel better. When he couldn't find any wine that wasn't loaded with sugar, his friend suggested he try Natural Farm Wine. He took it to a local wine lab, and through testing and tasting them, he developed a strict set of criteria: only organically farmed, sugar-free, additive-free, lower alcohol, lower sulfite, lab-tested wines. Through this process, he eventually created Dry Farm Wines.

Dry Farming is the practice of not irrigating vines. Instead, the vines' roots grow deep to find a natural water source. It's better for the planet and the vine and produces nutrient-rich fruit. It saves roughly 700 million gallons of water annually.

Here are the links below if you want to check them out.

If you drink other wines with higher sugar content, be sure to have protein/fats (like cheese, nuts, or meats) and/or fiber (like tomatoes and vegetables) to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking as high as they would if you drank wine by itself.

Avaline's website:
https://drinkavaline.com/pages/about-avaline

Find Avaline in a store near you:
https://drinkavaline.com/pages/find-avaline

Dry Farm Wines:
https://bit.ly/48vshWG