Wellness Update February 2022

Can you believe it’s 2020? Anyone else think they would thrive at their hobbies when covid hit and we would all be well rounded and masters of our time? Ha! Well, I am still frazzled and trying to balance it all. Always reminding myself that I have enough time to do everything God has planned for me. I just often try to throw in my own plans into the mix.

Anyways, I thought I would be a blogging rock star by the end of that whole covid mess. But I was wrong. I think I had the least posts ever this last year. So my goal is to get moving on the post train and here is a little wellness update to give you a sneak peak into how things are going over here.

Here is me these days (in a nutshell):

What I’m eating:

Wow, I think I should have been posting all this time about my food journey because it’s been a crazy long road. I’ll sum it up as much as possible though. I went on a super strict elimination diet to see if I could get my digestive issues under control. I am usually a fan of variety in one’s diet. However, I was having a lot of digestive pains. So, I pretty much eliminated EVERYTHING but grass fed beef (broth, steaks, liver etc…). Then after feeling FANTASTIC (digestive wise) added things back in. I have found some culprits such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage (so sad since I LOVE these). I can have them in small quantities but not much at all. Raw veggies are also a struggle for me. And dairy of course (I knew that already but still ate it over holidays. Sigh… so addicting! While I’m sad to see some of these foods go (or at least learn how to eat them in smaller quantities) I am happy to know what was causing some of my digestive discomfort.

Our family did a sugar fast to kick off the new year in January. I pretty much eat zero sugar anyways, so I also cut out stevia, monk fruit, and dairy as well. I feel so much better and have no sugar cravings when I’m not using any sweeteners.

I have also been eating a keto diet the majority of the time but cycling out of it from time to time by adding carbs during certain times of the month or when I want a little boost of energy (like on days we played kickball last fall). I have found that becoming fat adapted (where my body burns fat as it’s primary source of energy rather than constantly “chasing glucose”) has helped me to not feel so “hangry” 3 hours after a meal and eased me into my new love…

Autophogy Fasting! I have been dabbling with short fasts (intermittent 16 hour fasts) and longer 24 plus hour fasts. I will have to do a more in depth post on this later. I have been using fasting (among other strategies) to battle the long hauler covid like symptoms I have experienced since what I believe was my first bout with covid over a year ago (when they were not testing regularly). My symptoms have improved a ton. This brings me to….

What I’m reading:

I just finished Fast This Way, Obesity Code, and The Dietitians Dilemma. All super interesting books that I started reading after finding success through incorperating fasting into my lifestyle. I loved Fast This Way so much that my hubby bought it for me for Christmas.

Oh, and my hubby just bought me “Boundless” as well and I’m loving that. I’m currently learning about “breath work” which I will touch on later in this post.

My workouts:

I’ve cut down to lifting 4 days a week (5 days tops) rather than 6. This is in an attempt to cut down on stress in my life. I also run interval sprints once a week and walk a ton. I try to get outside in the sunshine as much as possible. In the winter I go out on walks if it’s warm enough. I use my treadmill if not. I also like to use the sauna at least once a week if not much more in the winter. We invested in a home gym and sauna when covid hit. We were spending a TON on a gym membership pre covid so when the gyms closed we saved that money and put it towards our own equipment.

How I’m Feeling:

I don’t think I’ll every feel zero stress but I’m constantly working towards slowing down. I have been working on “breathwork” to either amp myself up before a workout or relax during yoga or before bed. I’m making sleep a priotity as well. I have a bedtime routine and make sure to wear my blue blocking glasses if I’m using screens at night. I also do a little yoga, foam rolling, and read for a little bit before going to sleep.

Getting outside as much as possible is so helpful, but winter is tough. We had a nice break for Christmas in Georgia. It was 75 degrees in December. In Atlanta, they tied for a record high while we were there. We played cards on the patio, went to the zoo, walked around the park. It was also SO great to see family. Now I’m trying to enjoy the things that make winter enjoyable…. snuggling up with a good book by the fire, lighting candles when we do read alouds during home school, taking the kiddos ice skating. I’m trying my very best to embrace the season.

What I’ve Been Diffusing:

I’m loving “At Peace” and I’m super excited to try this new blend “Lucky Dragon“. It contains the rare oil Moldavian Dragonhead which is well-known for its wide range of benefits, including supporting emotional health. I just bought this cute diffuser that is perfect for next to my bed on our night stand.

What I’m excited about:

I bought a red light to start some red light therapy. I’ve started using it for about 10 minutes each morning after my workout with calming breath work. I find that this time helps me to transition from my workout to calm as I start my day and help lower my cortisol levels.

So there you have it. A little wellness update. How have you all been? Any new exciting workout routines, equipment, or wellness activities you want to share with me? Feel free to comment in the section below.

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