Fast track to wellness - Part 1

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I've been away for a while because I finally get to enjoy life in wellness as it should be. Not trying to brag but I discovered something phenomenal that catapulted me into the best health I've had thus far. Really!!! If you've been following me on Social Media, you'll know what I'm talking about. I discovered fasting end of last year. After 6 months at it, I'm ready to give you guys an overview of how my wellness has improved since I added this practice to my mix. You ready to hear? Like many of the healing tools and practices out there, this too may sound extreme. If you've had any eating disorder challenges in the past and find this triggering, please stop reading NOW... and Hugs!  For the rest of you who're curious, here's the condense of how fasting has taken my health to another new level. Let me tell you how it seemed to have reset my body and even lessened my food sensitivity.

It all started with me catching a bit of stomach bug from my kid few days before Christmas, it wasn't a big deal, but with our Hawaii trip just around the corner, I wanted to be in tip-top shape for the travels. Afterall this was the first family vacay where I was in full remission. The timing must have been right as that's when I dove deep into the philosophy of a Toronto based Nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung  Have you heard of him?

Few years ago, when I was still having gut symptoms, I used to find a bowel rest helpful to let my digestion take a break so my body can focus on any repair it needed, I found this after my first colonoscopy, which involved some form of fasting to prep for it, or at least no solid food, my UC got a lot better. That was also why I didn't jump on the medicine right away.

So back to my fasting beginning, on Dec 20, I was really feeling the holiday sluggishness on top of hormonal imbalances too, being a peri-meno woman is always fun, right?  By Xmas eve, the stomach bug really hit me hard, I was feeling fatigued and stomach cramps.

Timing and intuition. Something inside told me to look into fasting seriously, so I did more research on what Dr. Fung has on the internet, skimmed through one of his books, The Obesity Code, and learned more about how to feel better during fasting. That's when things started turning around. I began a water only fast, actually right through Christmas dinner. Yes, you heard right. I was feeling so amazing that even being around all the holiday food didn't tempt me a bit. Crazy right?

I continued to feel better, lighter and more mental clarity on an alternate day fasting schedule after Christmas and all through my family vacation in Hawaii.

Being in Hawaii was, of course, something else. I'm sure anyone would experience a boost in healing being on an island filled with sunshine, fresh produces and of course the R and R. This was a pretty special trip where I was able to enjoy carefreely, for the first time while away from home, I seriously left my worries behind. I used to always have this hold on me, reservation keeping me from being in the moment. This time was different, was it because of my recent remission news or was it from the fasting the reset my entire body? The fasting practice became quite natural and easy. The most remarkable thing was my food sensitivities seemed to have subsided. I was able to have caffeine like coffee and tea, even tomatoes. Wow! With all the liquids I have to consume during fasting, plain water got boring fast. I added a splash of ACV ( apple cider vinegar)  to help with electrolytes and to add a little flavour but one morning, I decided to try some weak green tea... I waited for the usual effects from the past, jitters, mild heart race and generally out of sort... but it never came? Hmm... what has this fasting thing done to my body? I was intrigued. Next step, I decided to try some really diluted black coffee, while in Kona why not? Again, I waited... no effects? even when I had it in the afternoon. Perhaps by consuming the coffee black had something to do with it. Could it be my body has reset to neutral?

My body continued to lean out further, but this time I wasn't wasting away like when I lost weight from my UC flares. I noticed more muscle definition from all the TRX class I had been going to. It was like BAM the layer of security fat just melted away and HELLO muscles. Or a better description might be the layer of inflammation has disappeared.  I got super excited about learning all that I can about fasting.  I devoured the books and listened and watched to any podcast/ youtube I could get hands on. The alternate day 24 hrs fast was pretty easy to follow, I was eating lunch and dinner one day, the next I would only eat dinner. No problem.

When I returned home, I hopped on the scale and was shocked to see that I had dropped 10 lbs since I started my fasting practice. That was 2 1/2 weeks.

Did I regain the weight?

I've lost a few more lbs and now below my original goal weight. Now, my focuses are continue to swap body fat for muscles, improving stamina and just plain ol' building a STRONGER me.

Stay tuned for more about fasting

For more info on fasting check out these links

What is Fasting?

The Calorie Deception

Why wasn't Keto working anymore?

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A few years after starting keto, I got to a point in my health where I thought life was pretty good, my gut was under control,  I even got the word from my GI that my UC was actually in remission, I was ecstactic to hear of course, especially when I never imagined it would happen to me.

But by the Fall of 2017, Even with some peri-meno weight gain slowly creeping up lb by lb, I was still in a healthy weight.  But besides vanity getting to me, I knew that I can better my health to yet another level. Already feeling stronger is great. Am I just putting on muscle weight? No, I wasn't, my clothes were getting tighter. What to do? I have to admit that I was bothered by weight gain, but in comparison to how sick I was, I felt that I shouldn't focus on my body size. I should focus on how I felt but I knew I could feel better like have more energy and improve my mental sharpness.

So how do I get there? I thought keto was going to take me there. What's missing? A few years back, I slid fairly effortlessly from AIP to Wahls Paleo Plus a couple years ago. Check out my post about this transition. I increased my fat intake and cut down on my carbs, you know, the Low Carb High Fat rage? But even after I became fat adapted ( that's when I was mainly burning fat as fuel instead of glucose ), I thought I was supposed to continue eating a whole lot of fat whenever and where ever. My initial quick drop in weight slowed down and eventually stopped, then it was going back up. What gives?

So I let my way of eating go into autopilot and started increasing my exercise. I took up TRX classes at my local community center, push past some fears of stirring up old injuries and definitely gaining more strength and muscle tone. Yay!

By the end of the year, I discovered an amazing wellness tool that helped reset my body in more ways that weight set point ( the comfort zone in weight my body likes to hang out at). This tool is fasting. But this post is not about that. While learning how fasting can improve insulin resistance, I had my Ah-a moment... my biggest Keto mistake.

Too many Bulletproof drinks

All the rage about fatty drinks to extend Intermitent fasting periods apparently didn't work for me. Adding fats into my drink means I was still supplying my body with fuel. Bingo! I was consuming way too many fatty drinks throughout the day, when there's a surplus of fat being provided to the body as fuel, my body didn't need to tap into its own reserves, stored fat, for fuel. Check this link to learn more about Who needs to avoid fat bombs.

Now I also learned that fatty drinks were actually fasting crutches, some people might do fine having them but for my body, it didn't work.

Too much protein

Yup, apparently the body can turn extra protein into fat " Any protein eaten in excess needs to be converted to glucose or fat for storage" Check out this link to learn more about How much protein is excessive?  Now, when I eat, I always start with my veggies, before I dig into the protein. I always make sure I have enough fats on my plate too. Fattier meat cuts and of course avocados. Smoked Sardines or Oysters in Olive oil are also my fav quick protein to add to big salads.

So glad I've found the balance of what works for me now with the introduction of fasting in my routine. Stay tuned for more post on that to come.

How about you? Have you run into some keto stalls? How did you get past them?

Golden Healing Broth

Yup, I'm someone with mobile joints which means I can get injured easily. My challenge is to find an exercise that will strengthen the muscles to support my joints. It's been a battle trying to find ways of pushing myself just hard enough but not too much. I've been slowly getting stronger from my TRX class and even added heavier plates onto my free weights at home. So there's progress, but when I landed funny from the cardio portion in class, I heard a snap in my knee. Uh-Oh! it sounded bad. Luckily I had my essential oils with me, I immediately applied the first bottle I grabbed - Frankincense on it and eased up the rest of the class. The swelling appeared in the evening. The next day, I got in to see my chiropractor, he implied that it would take a while to heal - 6 weeks. Yikes! The adjustment helped set things into place but I know from experience that torn ligament takes time to heal. Unlike past injuries, this time I didn't wait. I did all the things to support the healing, I iced it daily, made some Golden Healing Broth with turmeric and applied my NHP ( Natural Health Products ) essential oils that can " help relieve joint or muscle pain associated with sprains, strains & rheumatoid arthritis." Did you know that there are over 30 Young Living essential oils and products approved by Health Canada as Natural Health Products? Helichrysum, Lemongrass, Celery Seed, the ones I used for my knee, are just three of many NHP you can use as natural alternative remedy to support your wellness. I was wowed by how quickly things improved. The swelling came down and seriously no pain! All I felt was weakness around the knee but pretty darn good compared to the day before. When I posted my quick and easy anti-inflammatory Golden Healing Broth on Instagram, many people asked if I've posted the recipe, so here it is.

 > This post may contain Affiliate or Referral link, please see Disclaimer 

To learn more about Young Living's Natural Remedies Guide click HERE

To see all of the Young Living's Natural Health Products click HERE

NHP FAQ
To learn how to order your own pure essential oils click HERE or contact me, I'll help you.

Makes 2 servings     Prep time 5 mins      

Ingredients

• 2 cups bone broth (see recipe HERE)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1-2 tbsp ginger,  peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut concentrate/ aka coconut manna
• Salt to taste 

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, bring bone broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer
2. Add garlic, ginger to bone broth and let simmer for 2-3 minutes
3. Remove from heat and pour into high speed blender like a Vitamix, THIS is the one I have
4. Add turmeric, coconut manna, parsley to blender
5. Blend at low to med speed until smooth, for 30 secs*
6. Pour and serve

* Make sure your blender can take hot liquids and be careful not to burn yourself 


ENJOY

2017 Reflection - my IBD journey

Photo by Takemaru Hirai on Unsplash

It's a dreary Sunday today, and I'm housebound with a sick teen, luckily, the little guy is still unaffected. So it's been a bone broth, garlic and essential oils, kind of day. I was getting a bit antsy but thought it'd be a good opportunity to chill and do some housekeeping on my computer. I started sorting through my overstuffed mailbox, and deleted a whole bunch of emails, actually about 2000 of them, you know how it is... when I came across one I wrote to my cousin back in January 2014. It was a bit hard to read and to believe where I was at only three years ago. Never would I imagine I'd be in remission with my Ulcerative Colitis as I am now. I'm sharing this with you because some of you might be at the same spot, a low in your journey, trying to make sense of what's going on with your body. If you're desperately seeking for answers and directions to regain health, try to set your fears aside, tuck away the uncertain thoughts and push the frustration away.  If you're on a rocky path in your healing, I hope this short little post will offer some hope and encouragement. The mind is powerful, the knowledge is out there, the community is growing stronger.  Let's focus on a brighter year, together,  where there'll be progress and new ideas. Let's manifest a 2018 that is filled with joy, abundance and health.  I'm excited to welcome great things to come with you. 

Wishing you the best year to come!

With gratitude

Astrid 


Excerpt from an email to my cousin on January 2014

"Sorry my visit was so brief and awkward. That 40 min nap was exactly what I needed and I couldn't chase the little one around anymore. I had help come for 2 days when all I could do was sleep 18 hrs a day. I 'm feeling better but just pushed myself too much today. It pains me to let auntie see me in this state but I just needed the help with the little one while big brother was at tutor. The progress is ever so slow but I'm hopeful. 

Went to see my GP yesterday and he offered no help. I just have to do my own research. "
 I did get a book from the library that has promising information about my condition. It's called Listen to Your Gut. It's actually by a woman who lives in Vancouver. She's living proof there're other ways to heal the condition other than drugs and surgery. 
 
My boys are pretty awesome. Big brother, being the older one, is always forced to grow up faster. I explained to him yesterday about how I really need his help with my health condition. It's not just earning points to buy toys, it's real life taking care of the family. He's really shown more maturity and understanding. The little one is still young, he has always been very independent but head strong. He is at the extremely inquisitive and boundaries testing age,  but he's so sweet. He kept bringing me the green oil saying it'll make me strong.

I look in the mirror and can hardly recognize myself sometimes. The upside is I can model more clothes from the store. LOL.

Auntie and Uncle will always worry.  I tried to hide my face under my jacket and scarf, but my weight loss is pretty obvious. At least I'm slowly consuming more day by day. 
Hope to catch up with you in better spirit next time."

Island travels + product review

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My recent Island family wedding not only filled me with joy, connected me with new friends, I was practically basking in warmth and love all weekend long. As an only child, I never got to watch the magic of siblings team work. Both the bride and the groom are from a large clan, the bride is one of 5 and the groom is one of 7. Impressive right? On the wellness angle, I'm going to relive how a trip away from the city refreshes us and how we can bring some of that getaway magic into our everyday lives? I also have a product review to share, discovering MCT oil powder from Perfect Keto was great for travels. So keep reading!

In this post, I'm going to dissect the magical weekend and break it down to how it gave me a better perspective on my healing progress through reconnecting with nature, foraging, and experiencing intuitive eating at it's best. My goal is to see if I can inject some of these elements into my day to day to keep me this machine of mine running smoothly after returning home. 

crushed shells beach and sea star

Put down the devices and turn on Nature

I know, we don't really need to turn "on" Nature, it's always there and around us, it's when we decide to turn it off because we're so consumed by technology that throws things out of balance. Remote areas can mean unreliable internet connections, which can be a good thing when you're trying to unplug. Recently I went to a wedding on one of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Galiano Island, since I had committed to enjoying my time without trying to work, I didn't stress about the shotty "connections". Funny thing is I found a different kind of connection that was running full force everywhere I looked. While on the island, I learned that simply by reconnecting with nature, I found fulfillment easily without social medias. Even being partially unplugged, I felt the freedom of not being tied to an invisible weight. During the day, we were out exploring the island, we walked along beaches, it was fascinating to see some were filled with crushed shells instead of the sand. I felt like a kid again jumping from rock to rock while trying not to step on the slippery seaweeds. It sure beats any "games" on the devices. Real life games are the best! One night, an 80 feet tree fell on my family's 20-acre property, so the next day, a few of us gathered and watched my cousin go to work.  He cut down the limbs to prep it for his freshly build band saw. Cracked me up when one of his sisters said, "... he's doing that just for a core workout." I can't decide which activity was my favourite, either watching the children play in a natural setting or my blackberries picking. I fully enjoyed soaking up nature's magic while basking under the sun, wading in the ocean, and roaming in the woods. How can I inject more nature into my city living? Being on the Westcoast, it's actually not that hard, the tricky part is the distraction from the device. A little trick I use now is set most of the apps on my phone to use Wifi only, adding that extra step to connect to the internet when I'm out will encourage me to explore my surroundings and enjoy the present betters.

Directions

AIP/ Paleo/ Keto Singapore Fried "Vermicelli"

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This recipe came from my memories of Mom's Ladies Luncheon, where the ladies got together with friends to chit chat and catch up on children and husbands, which I now see how important these little shindigs are for the moms' mental healths.  Mom told me that no matter which restaurant they went to, everytime someone will order this noodle dish. The funny thing is no one remembered whose this favourite dish was, they would always go back and forth trying to figure it out.  The original Singapore Fried Vermicelli uses curry powder and galangal for a mildly spicey flavour. Decades later, I've discovered my version with just enough turmeric to mimic the traditional taste. I purposely chose cabbage as the vermicelli substitute because it can stay dryer than other veggie noodles. Hope you enjoy it.

Makes 2 servings     Prep time 10 mins      Cook time 15 mins  

Ingredients

• 3 c thinly shredded white cabbage
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp galangal powder ( check your local Asian store or order it here
• 1/2 thinly sliced small red onion
• 1 stalk of green onions, cut into 1/2" 
• 1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c sliced cooked chicken breast or pork
• 1/8 tsp fish sauce ( I use Red Boat) 
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger for heat
• 2 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil

Instructions

1. Heat pan over medium heat
2. Dry fried the turmeric, galangal for a couple minutes until the spices smoke slightly
3. Add oil of your choice and heat for a couple minutes, turn heat up slightly say from a 4 to a 5
4. Fry grated ginger, celery, shredded white cabbage for 5 minutes or until cabbage starts to soften
5. If too much liquid is coming from the veggies, increase the heat another notch to dry it up.
6. Add cut green onions, sliced red onion and meat, stir fry together for 1 minute
7. Add fish sauce and toss to coat

Serve as a main dish or side.

Enjoy!

Interview with Mary B. Lapp

Have you ever talked to someone and immediately feel a sense of calmness? I recently had the priviledge to interview Mary B. Lapp, Transformational Stress Coach and Nutritional Therapist and I left the conversation feeling really good about myself. In this interview, Mary points out the different ways she can help her clients navigate health by "finding creative solutions for their life and health"
I completely agree when Mary says  "...in order to support your body's natural senses of healing, we must pay attention to selfcare, otherwise no supplements can make you feel better. "

A: Hi Mary, How are you? Can you tell me how your work help people feel better about themselves?

M: I love that you asked that, because helping people feel better is what I love to do best!  There are a myriad of ways that I help people in my life feel better – cooking them delicious and nutritious food, helping them, etc…  But when it comes to clients, I help them find creative solutions for their life and health, which offers them hope (coaching).  I also help them find healing through supporting their organs (nutritional therapy/diet/supplements/essential oils/lifestyle shifts.)

A: That sounds really nice, so what kind of help can your clients expect to get from you? 

• People (usually women) reach out to me for help!  They talk to me about which of my services would be most helpful – and we decide together based on their needs and budget.  I have programs full spectrum from free to high end.
• Next, they buy a program.
• Programs Include:
• Physical Support: Nutritional therapy with hair tissue mineral analysis (which supplies information on organ health).  Supplements, dietary and lifestyle shifts.  Essential oils for organ support.
• Emotional Support: Individual or group coaching sessions with lifestyle and essential oil recommendations.
• How does your area of expertise support or offer relief to someone with chronic/acute conditions?
• There is a grief process that people go through when they feel betrayed by their body.  I don’t think bodies intentionally betray us, I just think they get sick and confused.  
• When this first happens, often people need to make a lot of changes – both in how we live, and how we think.  It is astonishing how difficult and overwhelming that process can be.
• I cannot only help navigate the process of finding healing solutions, but I can also help navigate the grief process so that hope is found.

A: So what can someone expect to feel during your sessions?

M: I am a very grounded person, and my clients typically feel better after having spent an hour with me.  But for that to really last, they need to go home and start doing the things that we talk about in our session.  Sometimes those action steps are tiny, sometimes they are big – but they are what we both feel would be the most beneficial – and are a way for your body and mind to feel cared for.

A: How quickly can they expect to feel improvement?

M: Emotional relief usually comes very quickly.  Physical relief can take time – but how long is dependent on the issue.  

A: How often should they repeat and commit to their sessions with you?

M: I like at least 4 sessions with clients – but after that, it depends on what the client’s needs are.  

Through our chat, I learned that Mary is also an essential oils user, so I asked her if and why she uses them in her practice. She also shared her favorite oils to pack for travels.  

M: For emotional healing, I like to let people use whatever oil they are most drawn to.  My husband lost his brother unexpectedly and was dealing with some intense grief.  He was drawn to lime oil - so we put it on his heart center and diffused it.  It was so helpful!  Later, we discovered that lime oil is especially good for those who need their heart restored.  It brings forth courage, cheer, and revitalizes people above the mire of grief.  It was just what he was needing.  I especially love lime diffused with bergamot and find that it is incredibly energizing and uplifting - even if you aren't grieving.

I was also pleased to learn that Mary is also an essential oil lover, so I asked her for her favourite oils to pack for travelling.

M: As for my favorite Young Living Essential Oils for Travel

Peppermint

• Rub on roof of mouth for occasional head discomfort
• Dilute and rub on belly for digestive support.
• Rub on any minor achey areas for support.
• Sniff for uplifting energy.

Lavender

• Rub on belly if you feel you may be reacting to something.
• Rub on a minor bug bite to calm it.
• Rub on belly or bottom of feet for gentle sleep support.

Lemon

• Sniff for uplifting energy.
• Rub over liver for occasional detoxification support.

Thieves

• Rub on belly or bottom of feet to support a healthy immune system.

Mary concludes that for her clients to find success in healing their bodies, they need to do the work. Self care is a good place to start like getting enough sleep, spending some time doing meal planning and home cooking and find a way to manage stress level.


Here's how to connect with Mary to get more of her edifying support. 
maryblountlapp.com.
To Schedule a Free Discovery Session: Click Here or Call 717-823-8334