Ozone Therapy – Midway Check In

I finally decided that today was the day that I needed to sit down and catch people up on my ozone therapy!  👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 There’s been several things over the last week or so that I definitely could have blogged about but I was busy with clients, preparing to camp Labor Day weekend….and then I promised myself that I wasn’t going to get my laptop out while camping 🤷🏼‍♀️….so here I am, a week and a half after my last blog.  😊 All you moms totally understand where I’m coming from!

The first thing I want to catch you up on is where I am with my ozone treatments. I had my fifth treatment today so I’m already half way done!  🙌🏼 Woo-hoo!!  It really is going EXTREMELY fast!!  However, it doesn’t mean that I won’t have more.  I will have labs done after my 10th treatment (not looking forward to that 🙅🏼‍♀️) and Dr. Logan will be able to determine whether he wants me to continue with more.  I did have my thyroid labs ran last week and they came back normal.  There wasn’t any real reason as to why I had them done other than it was time to.  About a month ago I was due for a new prescription, so I had to get my levels tested.  But anyway, they came back normal, so I’m all good in the ozone and thyroid level departments! 👊🏼

Probably the biggest thing that I’ve wanted to share is some of the side affects that I have noticed throughout the weeks. Below is a list of some things I’ve experienced and I will go into more detail on some of them as well.

• Frustration 😩
• Irritability 😒
• Anger 😡
• ANNOYANCE 🙄
• Fatigue (especially right after) 😴
• Sore Throat (Strep is my highest infection) 😷
• Increased Anxiety 😰
• Late Cycle 🔴
• Acne around mouth 👄
• CRAVINGS 🍪🍿🎂🍟🍫
• Never Satiated 🍎🍉🍓🍇🥑🥥🥦🥒🍠🥕🥓🍗

IRRITABILITY

First, probably the worst side affect has been how easily irritated I’ve been.  Weeks one through four, my poor girls took the brunt of my bad mood 😞… I was easily frustrated, impatient, and irritated and no matter what I did to try and help, it just was what it was.  I prayed about it, went to yoga three to four times a week, meditated, did some cardio at the gym, tried breathing when I got angry, etc…it just didn’t work.  I tried several times to let them know what I was going through and that mommy had a short fuse, but at eight and seven, I know they didn’t fully understand.  I’m very happy to say that last week was much better!  🙌🏼 I’m hoping that the pattern will continue and that this week will be even better! 🙏🏼

I talked to Dr. Logan’s office about how I was experiencing irritability and they told me that I was essentially detoxing in two different ways.  Not only was the “die-off” of the infections causing me to detox, but eating an AIP diet was also putting me through a kind of detox.  As “clean” as I thought I was eating prior to these treatments, I wasn’t nearly as “clean” as I should have been.  So between my diet and the infection die-off, I was detoxing pretty good!

MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND ACNE

I also talked to them about (close your ears boys 👂 ) how late I was on my cycle.  For several years now, I’ve been on a very short cycle of about 25-26 days.  It started around the time that my training increased for the competitive CrossFit that I was doing.  Prior to that, I was a healthy, 28-29 day girl.  But I went beyond the 25-26 days, and beyond the 28-29 days, and I ended up at a 37 day cycle 😳.  Now I realize that for some people, this is actually a normal cycle for them, but for me, that’s about 11-12 days past my normal start time.  After talking to Dr. Logan’s office, I was reassured that this also is probably due to the detoxing and the affect it’s having on my hormones.

I’m going to continue to pay close attention to my hormones.  I’m trying to sit tight and be patient to see if my AIP diet helps to balance them out, as well as wait to finish the ozone treatments and see if that helps too.  If, after my treatments are over and I give AIP a good 12 weeks or more, I don’t see the acne disappear, my period doesn’t stay around 28 days, and I don’t see a change in my cravings (they’ve been SO bad), then I will probably ask to have labs done to see what my hormone levels look like.  I will also have labs to check for candida overgrowth but that’s another story.  Obviously my cycle is a pretty good indicator that some things are off but I also have a fair amount of acne around my mouth that is typically not there 😞. I’d like for that to go away as well! Deep down, I think if I’m patient and wait until I’m done with the ozone treatments and I give AIP time to work, I will see them pretty well balance out on their own.

CRAVINGS

I’ve also been experiencing some definite cravings, swinging from wanting something sweet one minute to something really salty the next.  Again, this could be hormone related and possibly due to the restriction of following AIP.  I’m honestly just trying to let my cravings lead the way and I’m ok with giving in to them right now…sorta 😬.  If I need something sweet, I might have an apple or some berries.  Sometimes I will have a piece of chocolate, 70% cacao or greater.  If I am looking for salt, I’ve been going with salted plantain chips.  And out of the two, sweet and salty, the salty plantain chips are the hardest to put down.  I know I’m not supposed to have chocolate on AIP so I try to really limit that and when I do have it, I only have one square.  It’s usually enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

HUNGER

But it’s not even really the cravings that are the hardest part.  I find myself hungry ALL. THE. TIME.  I’m trying to stay open to what’s causing this and not really blame it on any one particular thing.  However, I am wondering if doing IF (intermittent fasting) has played a factor.  I’ve been doing that for awhile and at first, I definitely noticed a difference in how satisfied I felt throughout the day and I didn’t feel the need to eat as much.  Now, I’m to a point where once I put food in my mouth, I can’t seem to stop!  I’ve done some reading about autoimmune conditions and IF and it sounds like, in plain English for those of us “not-so-sciencey” people, that possibly my “I’m hungry” and “I’m full” (leptin and grehlin) hormones have been desensitized some.  I don’t know that for sure, of course, but it’s a possibility that I’m keeping in the back of my mind.  So, I’m trying to get back to starting my day with a decent breakfast to see if that changes some things.  I’m about six days into having breakfast and I can’t say I’ve noticed anything just yet.  But I’m not sure I should expect to see a change yet anyway.

ANXIETY

Anxiety – so this is one of those things that I never dealt with until the same time period that I found out I was hypothyroid.  And it’s also one of the things that I want to go away….like 10 years ago! 😩  I usually am pretty good with anxiety.  It doesn’t creep up on me all too often.  But over the last week, it seems like the irritability and frustration have been replaced with a little more anxiety than normal.  The good thing is, I am able to acknowledge that it’s probably another side affect of the ozone treatments, breathe deeply, and get through it.  It’s probably more of an annoyance than anything and luckily none of the instances have turned into a panic attack.  If you are someone that struggles with anxiety, I can’t encourage you enough to research different breathing exercises and find a yoga class that you like.  It’s SO important.  Deep breathing is definitely the NUMBER ONE TOOL that has helped me to cope with anxious situations when my mind is playing tricks on me.

SORE THROAT

The last thing that I’ve been experiencing is a sore throat.  About two to three days after each of my treatments, I have had a sore throat.  It typically starts to come on in the afternoon, gets bad at bedtime, is sore all of the next day and then is gone by that night.  Luckily, just like the irritability and frustration, I didn’t notice this last week so I’m hoping this is gone as well.

So that’s a lot of stuff!! 😬 I know there is a lot here but I have to say, the only thing that has really been almost too much to handle has been the irritability. Thankfully it’s gone!  I just tried to remember that my body was getting rid of the bad stuff and doing what it is supposed to be doing.  I will continue to keep you all updated on how the treatments are going and definitely the end result!  Until next time….

Struggling to Stop Drinking Coffee?? Try This!!

My new favorite thing to drink in the afternoons!! Dandy Blend Herbal Beverage!! Check it out! 😊

Spring is in Bloom and Summer is Just Around the Corner!

With Spring finally here and summer around the corner,  I wanted to talk about seasonal crops and their nutritional value.  (*Little side-note, these are mid-western crops.) Some of the ones that are going to be popping up and ready to go in June are arugula, radishes, mustard greens, kale, lettuce, spinach, green onions, kohlrabi, zucchini, cucumbers, broccoli, beets, parsley, and chard.  Wheew!!  That’s a lot of veggies and greens!! 🙂  I LOVE this time of year because there are so many greens to choose from!

I know several of these, especially the greens, can be overwhelming at first.  You don’t know how to use them, they don’t sound appetizing, etc.  Because greens can be the most intimidating, we’re going to talk about those today.  There are two easy ways you can enjoy some of these greens.  First is in a smoothie.  I love throwing together some frozen berries, mix in Sun Warrior’s grain free plant-based protein powder, add in some superfoods (like cacao nibs/powder, flax/chia seeds, maca powder, etc.), throw in some sea vegetables like nori or dulse (you can’t taste them and they are good for those with thyroid conditions), and then of course, add in my favorite greens!!  However, I highly recommend you pick a piece of the green leaf first, taste it, and decide if the flavor is too strong for you.  Most of these will taste the exact same way in a smoothie.  For example, I will not put arugula or kale in my smoothie.  They both have pretty bold tastes that I don’t care for.  Spinach is PERFECT in a smoothie!  It doesn’t have much of a taste when eating it raw so you can’t taste it at all in a smoothie!

The second easy way is to saute them.  My favorite of all the greens mentioned above is spinach and chard, although I haven’t yet discovered a green that I don’t mind sauteed.  Even the ones that have pretty strong smells and pretty bitter tastes raw, have a much milder taste when sauteed.  Here is a quick and easy recipe:

EASY GREENS RECIPE
1/2 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 tsp Better than Bouillon, chicken flavored
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
2 cups greens, diced, stems separate from leaves IF the stems are a hard stem (like a chard).
Salt & Pepper to taste

Turn your burner to medium, add in the oil.  Once the oil is hot, add in your onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  If you are working with a green that has hard stems, such as a chard, you’ll want to put those in next.  Let those cook about 3-5 minutes (I prefer five because I prefer mine to be a little softer).  Then add the rest of the ingredients, cooking for another 3 minutes or until the leaves are wilted.  Bam, you’re done!  You can eat these as a side dish or throw additional vegetables on top.  I like to eat spinach with my sweet potato and eggs in my pre workout but I love to eat chard by itself.  If you are making some homemade soup, you can always add ins some spinach and kale, adding a lot of nutrients without changing the taste of the soup!

As always, enjoy finding ways to add in some of these delicious crops whenever you can.  It’s always more nourishing to your body to eat crops that are in season.  Oh, and there’s the added benefit of it being cheaper on your pocket book! 🙂

For additional benefits of eating in season, check out this link!!
https://www.rebootwithjoe.com/benefits-of-eating-seasonally/

“True love is when both people think they have the better half of the deal”

Being that it’s Valentine’s Day, my husband found this very fitting quote and sent it to me this morning. At first, I kind of laughed to myself knowing he got stuck with me. LOL! I definitely think he got the short end of the stick! But after a light-hearted response back, I actually thought about how great of a deal I got and how blessed I am to have him as my husband.

Love is so important. Not just romantic love between two people, but love between parents and children, between siblings, and between friends. Relationships play a huge role in our overall health and well-being. If we are in a bad relationship, fighting with our parents or children, or not speaking to siblings, the stress of the relationship can take a toll on us. As I have talked about before, stress can do a lot of damage to our body, even cause chronic illnesses and diseases. So, how do we have good, healthy relationships? Here’s my top five recommendations and what to do if they aren’t meeting your needs.

1. CommunicationI preach this to my kids all of the time (just ask my 19 yo) . If someone has to second-guess what you are thinking, it’s never going to end well. If you just keep hoping that things are going to change, they aren’t. If you think your significant other can read your mind, (s)he can’t. If you think your boss knows that (s)he is disrespectful, (s)he doesn’t. If you think your friend knows that (s)he hurt your feelings, (s)he doesn’t. If you think your coworker knows that (s)he is annoying you with countless stories every day while you are trying to work, they don’t. 🙄 You have to speak up. I don’t mean start an argument by telling them all of their faults, I mean, in a tactful way, explain to them how what they are doing doesn’t work for you. The more you communicate, the better the relationship you will have. 2. HonestyThis goes right along with communication. You have to be honest in a relationship. If you can’t be honest, then you are not only doing a disservice to yourself, but you aren’t allowing the other person to truly love YOU.3. SupportWe all have an inner child in us that still looks for acknowledgment. When you share your dreams with someone, share a story from work, share something that weighs heavy on your heart, you need someone who is willing to listen to you, know when giving advice isn’t necessary, and someone who builds you up when you are down. You need someone who is willing to hold your hand and walk through the fire with you. 4. RespectA lot of people believe that respect is earned. I see it differently… I don’t believe that you have to earn respect. I think respect is a God given right to every human being. You may not like someone, and you may disagree with their beliefs, but God created all of us to be different. You don’t have to agree with each other to respect each other. Therefore, any relationship should involve respect, without question.5. TrustI do believe that trust is earned. You have to be able to trust the other person in the relationship for it to last. If you do not trust them, ask your self why? If you have a valid reason for not trusting that person, would you be better off moving on?While there are many other qualities that meaningful relationships should have, these five are my essentials. So, what do you do if your relationship lacks any, or all of these?Well, first, start with number one. Communicate with the other person. If after communicating, and working to make changes, the relationship is still lacking in quality, then maybe it’s time to move on. Don’t ever feel obligated to be in a relationship with someone if the relationship causes you undo stress, even if it’s a family member. I don’t say that very easily. However, you have to take care of your self. If you have went above and beyond to have a healthy relationship with someone and they aren’t reciprocating the effort, then find a way to remove yourself from that relationship. At the very least, set boundaries between you and that person. Maybe you only except a phone call once a week, maybe it means you only see them once or twice a year, whatever it is that you need, don’t be afraid to enforce it. It might be hard to wrap your head around letting go of a relationship, but your body will thank you later.

Love is an amazing thing. I believe that everyone absolutely deserves it. While it’s not always easy, it is one of the building blocks of having a healthy life.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.”

1Corinthians 13 4-8

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE!

For more information on health coaching with me, shoot me an e-mail at StacyRawlings@mac.com

Relieving Pointless, Added Stress with a BUDGET

Frustrated with your budget??

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to talk about today.  I have several options listed on my “idea board” but none were calling to me.  Usually when I blog, I’m fired up about something and need to get it off my chest or it’s something that I’ve discovered is super helpful and I can’t wait to share it.  Then it occurred to me, every day I do things that are meant to help heal my autoimmune condition in some way or another….why not blog about one of the first things I did today that did just that?!?!  It’s something that I’ve come to enjoy and it’s super helpful in relieving stress.  So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!

Budget… another little depressing word…. at least it my dictionary.  Although, soon, I might have to change my definition for this word.  I’ve always found budgeting to be pointless.  I create a budget, set it aside, and then never look at it again, until I create my budget for the next month.  A process that has set me, and my family, up for failure when it comes to staying out of debt, saving for fun things, and living stress-free.

Before I continue, why am I talking about a budget when my blog is supposed to be about healing my Hashimoto’s symptoms?  Well, that’s because stress is HUGE in wrecking havoc on a person, regardless of whether you have an autoimmune condition or not.  And not having a budget and living financially careless, causes much unneeded stress… and you know you can’t disagree with me here!  Keeping your body in a constant state of stress can eventually lead to a burn out.  This could include constant migraines, stomach problems like cramping or nausea, anxiety and depression, adrenal fatigue, constant fatigue, high blood pressure, increased heart rate and potential for a heart attack, disruption of sex hormones, aches and pains of the joints, and two of the most obvious ones, increased or nonexistent hunger feelings and increased fat storage.  Stress can lower your immunity and cause you to be more susceptible to illnesses.  If you’re trying to heal any part of your body, an over abundance of stress is definitely not your friend.  So over withdrawing on your account… not having the money for taxes…. spending more money than you planned… not knowing where you money goes…. all keeping you up at night… adds stress to your already over stressed body.

When you’re trying to heal, which is what this blog is about, your body needs to be in it’s rest and digest state, turned on by your parasympathetic nervous system.  If you’re in a state of stress, you’ve triggered your “fight or flight” system, aka your sympathetic nervous system.  When you’ve triggered “fight or flight” mode, your body sends your blood supply away from your gut and, instead, to your muscles to prepare for the perceived emergency.  All of your resources are being used to expend energy for the fight at hand.  No healing can be done in this state.  When you are in “rest and digest” mode, your body is calm, sending your blood supply to the gut, which happens to be right on the other side of 80% of your immune system.  In this state, your body increases digestion (optimal for absorbing necessary nutrients), restores it’s resources and healing can take place.  The “rest and digest” mode should be our goal.  But all too often, it is not.

My goal, as someone wanting to heal symptoms from an autoimmune condition, is to find ways to relieve stress on a daily basis.  One of these ways has been to figure out how to enjoy creating and sticking to my depressing, and most frustrating, budget.

I’ve always done my budget by hand.  Which meant that I’d have to go back and manually write down how much I had spent and do the math to know what I had left.    This is WAY TOO time consuming for someone taking care of clients, in school, working out, writing a blog…. oh and trying to be a good wife and mom.  So, I googled “best budgeting apps” one day and stumbled upon a few.  I started with three possibilities and I’ve narrowed it down to two.  I’m still in the trial period with both but I know that I’m going to have a hard time deciding which to get rid of.  Here’s my personal opinion on the three I started with:

Mint

This was recommended as number one.  It was created by Intuit, the same company that created QuickBooks and TurboTax.  I almost immediately got rid of this one.  I’ve used QuickBooks for several years and Mint was about as user friendly as QuickBooks, which to me, is not much.  For people that need something relatively simple and easy to use, I don’t recommend Mint.  Apparently though, lots of people love it, so you may want to give it a try.

You Need A Budget

This one is probably my favorite if I had a gun to my head and had to choose.  It was recommended as the number one get-out-of-debt budget.  I find it very user friendly and can absolutely see how it can help one get out of debt.  I get e-mails almost daily, if not daily, from Jesse and Todd (from YNAB) giving me little tips and tricks on how to take advantage of the app and budgeting in general.  I’m not usually one to enjoy getting a ton of e-mails from companies but I’ve actually read every one of their e-mails and have found them very helpful and encouraging.  (Side note, I don’t know if these will continue after my trial period or not.)  You can hook up your bank account so transactions are easily imported.  Once you’ve matched a Payee up to a category, it automatically matches it in the future.  And if you want to change what it matches with, you can easily do that.  Another feature I love about YNAB is their goal setting section.  You can create goals and the app keeps track of how well you are doing.  For example, if I want $1,000 saved for a vacation by June of this year, once I set up my goal, YNAB keeps track of how much I need to save each month to reach my goal and adjusts accordingly should I save more or less.

Dave Ramsey’s Every Dollar

This one is my second favorite, right behind YNAB.  This one may even be more user friendly.  Just like YNAB you can set up your bank account to automatically import your transactions.  The only difference is, where you have to approve the transaction with YNAB, with EveryDollar, you just drag and drop the transaction in the proper category.  While YNAB has the goal setting feature, EveryDollar has the Debt Snowball and all of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps.  This is an amazing asset, especially if you are a big Dave Ramsey fan.  As you plug in your debt, EveryDollar tells you which debt you should pay off first and which debts it recommends you just pay the minimum balance.

Both YNAB and EveryDollar have reports and graphs that you can check to see where your money is going.  You can also do both online from your computer or from an app on your phone.  YNAB is an annual fee of $83.99 and EveryDollar is an annual fee of $99 OR you can do monthly payments of $14.99.

I recommend that you try out any of the three or look for one that works best for you.  The beginning of the year is always the slowest time for both Matt’s and my businesses.  I would have been overspending and putting us in the red had I not been using YNAB and EveryDollar.  (Yes, I’m still deciding!)  And even though we aren’t in the financial position we want to be in, we are already several steps ahead of where we’ve been in the past because we actually have a plan.  I’m not stressing (I take care of our finances so I usually carry this burden) because I’m not over withdrawing and I’m not using credit cards… I’m spending the money when we have it on what I’ve planned it for.  This has taken a huge burden off of my shoulders and I’ve actually come to enjoy checking my budget each day… allowing my body for some additional “rest and digest” time.  🙂

Until next Wednesday….

 

 

Are You Meditating Yet?

So meditation is one of those things that I thought I could never do. Let’s face it, in this day and age, we are always on the go, nonstop from one place to another, with 1 million things to do. Not only am I physically doing 1 million things, but my mind is as well. How could I possibly meditate?!?!

My mind is going nonstop all the time and quite frankly, it’s one of my worst enemies. It’s what tells me that I can’t do something, that I’m going to fail, I’m going to get sick, I’m the worst mom, this is going to be a bad day, what if I get lightheaded in this store and pass out, where’s the nearest bathroom, what if I have to get up in the middle of church and leave, what if one of my little girls has a serious illness, what if I’m the last one to finish this work out, what if, what if… WHAT IF.

One would think that with all the craziness in my head, meditation would be a no-brainer, easy solution for me. But it hasn’t been. I’ve always used all those thoughts in my head as a validation of why I couldn’t meditate. You know, the normal excuses… “There’s no way I could sit for that long.” “There’s no way I could quiet my brain like they want me to.” “I think too much.” “I have more important things to be doing.” “I don’t even know where to begin.” Those excuses made it very easy for me not to do it. And honestly, I just had no desire.

But, over the last 6 to 9 months I’ve been learning a lot, way more than I even knew I could. I’ve also been experimenting with healthy foods and different lifestyle changes. As you know, I have Hashimoto’s and I’m trying to heal my thyroid. I’ve learned tons of things but one of the things is how much stress can play a part of chronic illnesses. Meditation is one of the ways, one of many I might add, to help relieve stress and quiet your mind. One of the symptoms that comes along with Hashimoto’s, at least for me and many others, is anxiety. We all know how crazy our minds get when we are anxious. Using meditation to learn how to acknowledge those thoughts, not fight them, and then move on from them, is huge in creating a more peaceful environment in your head.

So I began a meditation practice. I have to say, I’m still at a point where I kind of fight myself on doing it. Just because I still have the urge to do other things. There is still that thought in my head about how I could be doing so much more, that there are other priorities. But, what I have learned, is that when I meditate, it changes the rest of my day. I can’t really even begin to describe some of the ways that meditating affects how I see situations differently. My day is more peaceful, my mind is more calm, and when situations occur that would otherwise normally get me fired up, I’m able to maintain more focus, clarity and peacefulness to get through them. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ever get angry, it just means I’m able to see the situation differently. It’s kind of like the “cup’s half full or half empty” scenario. It opens up my eyes and allows me to come from a place where my cup is half full.

Meditation also helps rejuvenate me. If we go back to the example of the cup, it’s so easy to have little things happen all day long that pick away at your cup. It’s almost like it has a leak and it’s dripping constantly. Sometimes not only is it leaking, but someone might come along and knock it over, thereby losing a lot at once. When I meditate, it’s like my cup is filled back up. I’m ready to go again.

The best part about meditation for me is the quieting of the mind. I’m learning how to not get frustrated with my thoughts. Instead, I’m learning to acknowledge them, label them as negative or positive, and let them go. And when you have anxiety, there’s something that you aren’t letting go. Learning how to let your thoughts move on is huge in helping to relieve your symptoms. I’m very new at meditation, but one thing I look forward to, is continuing the process of learning how to let the thoughts go. What a huge relief for my anxiety that will be!! I’m already practicing some of the techniques when I get anxious. And I’m already seeing positive results. I can’t wait to see what happens as I continue my practice.

If you aren’t meditating yet, I hope that I’m persuading you to either do it, or at least consider doing it. My personal favorite app for meditating is called Headspace (and they’re running a GREAT deal right now!).

https://www.headspace.com/buy/newyears?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=917256436&utm_content=51529947492&utm_term=238573809545&headspace&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7I2z9uDz2AIVg7bACh1GHwBdEAAYASAAEgJA__D_BwE

I have to admit, I’m a voice person and sometimes voices that are used for different apps annoy me quite a bit! I love Andy’s voice and find it perfect for meditating. I love what I am learning and find it easy to carry it over into my day. And when I was worried I couldn’t meditate for a long time, it was a relief to find out that my first 10 sessions would only be three minutes! I don’t care who you are, what you do, but you have three minutes to better your health. Headspace also has multiple packages that you can do relating to health, jobs, sports, all kinds of things! It even has little mini versions that you can do if you only have a couple of minutes and need to refresh. Have kids? It even has meditations for them! We use them at my house and they are awesome! I can’t speak highly enough about this app and I can’t encourage you enough to get out of your comfort zone and try to meditate.

If I’ve not convinced you, or you need more information, check out this article on the many ways meditating can improve your life.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5842870

If you are interested in taking steps to improve your health, would like support along your health journey, feel free to reach out to me!

StacyRawlings@mac.com

I would LOVE to help you! There is always light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to start taking the steps to get there. Until next time…

Morning Coffee ☕️

I love coffee. I mean I really LOVE coffee. So when I felt like my morning cup of joe was potentially a driving factor for my anxiety, and after a couple of years fighting myself on it, I gave up and decided to stop drinking I️t.

Not drinking coffee only lasted for a few days. I literally found myself walking in circles not knowing what to do because my coffee, and my morning routine, was gone. At that point I decided I wasn’t giving I️t up.

So I started drinking my coffee again, but I opted for decaf instead of caffeinated. I cannot begin to even tell you how much this helped my anxiety from day 1 of giving up the caffeine! I️t was crazy! Yes, I miss the boost in the morning (but I️ don’t miss the crash after) and sometimes I will have a half-caf in the afternoon, but how much less anxiety I have makes I️t completely worth I️t! ** So giving up caffeine was half my battle. The other half has been decreasing my sugar intake as well. And one of the places I was getting excess sugar was in my creamer. So lately, I’ve been doing my own version of Bulletproof coffee. *** I️ call I️t Bulletproof coffee but I️t really isn’t all that close. 😂 I thought I would share my version of this because I know lots of people who have a hard time giving up their lattes and their creamers. I️ love sugar so if I feel this is sweet enough, I promise I️t is!

My recipe:

I️ love a lot of coffee, I’m not going to lie. So I make about 20 oz of coffee. I fill my Yeti up and then have some left for a cup. My Yeti stays perfectly hot while I drink my first cup. 😊 But you can make this for any amount of coffee. Speaking of, as far as coffee goes, picking an organic, whole bean is best. Unfortunately, I don’t always have the time (or the patience), so we have ground coffee and a Keurig. After my coffee is brewed, I put I️t in a blender. I use a Vitamix and to be honest, I could write a whole blog on my Vitamix and what I do with I️t! And yes, before you ask, I️t has to be blended, not just stirred. That’s what helps to give I️t it’s “frothiness”.

Once I have my coffee in the blender, I add a tsp of coconut oil. I usually use Nutiva coconut oil. You want to make sure you use virgin or unrefined, cold-pressed. You can add up to 1 Tbsp, which I would much prefer, but as I said, I do count my macros so I keep an eye on my fats. Plus, adding much more than my 1 tsp would prevent me from wanting to eat (fat helps with satiety), and food is fuel! As you see above, I also put in a half scoop of PlantFusion chocolate protein. I always feared plant-based proteins because I thought they would taste “grassy” but this doesn’t at all! I️t actually is really good.

Once I have both those added to my coffee, I blend I️t on high for about :30. As it’s blending, I add a little bit of almond milk to it (I used to love lattes and this make me think of a latte). I don’t have an exact amount, but if I had to guess, I would say it’s about 1/4 of a cup. Turn the blender off after about :30 and you got yourself a fabulous cup of morning coffee!

Let me know if you try this or what your version of Bulletproof looks like! My next version, I will be adding Young Living’s peppermint oil to make a peppermint mocha! I can’t wait to try this for Christmas!!

** I should mention that coffee wasn’t the only thing that I changed. I also reached out to MacrosLab to change my nutrition. That also had a powerful affect on how I fueled my body creating more energy. Reach out to http://www.macroslab.com for more information and ask for Coach Stacy

*** For the actual recipe for Bulletproof coffee, click this link https://blog.bulletproof.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/