Nurture Your Metabolism
How do we nurture our Metabolism through the holiday season and beyond?
I say Metabolism with a capital "M" because I think of this concept as far more than simply metabolizing the food we eat. Metabolism also refers to how we process all that we ingest – family dynamics, heightened political environment, social media.
Some say we have cold and flu season. I say we have Halloween candy season, pie season and Christmas cookie season. Not to mention, for some the holidays are joyful, and others, the holidays can feel isolating, bring the surface losses of family members and be downright stressful.
How can we enhance our immunity and digestion at this time of year that inherently stretches us in so many ways?
Here are a few loving suggestions for you.
- Limit social media consumption. While it can be a useful tool, we all know it can also be a huge time suck that creates amplifies our anxiety. To support healthy sleep cycles, ditch having the phone in your bedroom at night. Stop looking at it after 8:00 pm and wait a full hour when you wake up before looking at it.
- Minimize sugar intake. Curb sugar cravings by paying special attention to getting enough protein. What is enough is a whole different conversation, but in the moment, notice when you are craving sugar and ask yourself two questions. 1. Do I need more protein? 2. Where am I craving more sweetness in my life, and consider if what you actually are craving is CONNECTION.
- Get small bursts of exercise when you can. At a family gathering, see if there is one person at your family gatherings who would be willing to sneak away for a fifteen minute walk with you. You can walk about a mile in 15 minutes. That means if we walked for just 15 minutes a day, we would walk an extra 30 miles per month. Sure, longer walks are great, AND let’s strive for good enough!
- Get prebiotics in your diet. Especially if you find yourself in perimenopause. When our estrogen declines, so does our beneficial gut bacteria, which can then impact our estrogen metabolism and elimination pathways, leading to hot flashes, bloating and constipation. Healthy gut flora improves bone health by enhancing assimiliation of minerals and sleep by promoting release of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Food sources of prebiotics include oats, flax, bananas, garlic and onions. Triphala is a powerhouse of an ayurvedic herb that is a potent prebiotic. An important if you happen to be using HRT as well. It is a essential with HRT to have healthy elimination, meaning that you are moving your bowels at LEAST once a day.
One of my favorite tried and true prebiotics is an ayurvedic product called Triphala, that is a blend of three different vedic plants. I have used it myself and recommend it all the time. The holidays are a great time to start. You can use the code CHAYA15 to get a fifteen percent discount.
This holiday season I am offering a Masterclass in nervous system support:
Calm & Connected: Nourishing a Nurtured Nervous System
We will explore three pillars of nervous system support:
Good Sleep
Healthy Digestion and Elimination
Energy Medicine
Friday, December 12th at 9:00 am
Live and Virtual with replay access within 24 hours
These days my lens is through perimenopause, so we will focus our attention around how to support these pillars specifically in perimenopause. This information will apply to you in your mid thirties and beyond.
