What Does Eating Well Mean? A Bioindividual Approach

Tell me if this internal monologue sounds familiar:

What should I eat? How should I eat? Should I try keto? Gluten free? Maybe I should be a vegan. I know I shouldn’t snack. Should I eat breakfast? What about intermittent fasting? Low fat? High fat? Low carb? 

Just writing this makes me feel a little panicky and I’m sure its overwhelming for some of you as well. So before we go any further: stop. Take a deep breath in and let that breath move out. 

The amount of diets, or ways of eating, are many, and are often overwhelming and contradict each other. And yet what we eat is so incredibly important. Food gives us energy, nourishes us, and can support managing disease and illness. Food that isn’t good for you (and I mean you as an individual, because foods have different affects on different people) can also contribute to us feeling fatigue, low energy, brain fog, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea, PMS, and really the list goes on. Food is also a source of comfort. Carbs and sugar cause us to feel physiologically better (in the short term), so if you turn to these foods when you are feeling stressed that makes sense! 

So what does eating well mean?

I coach from the perspective of bioindividuality. We are all different and not all eating plans will work for everyone. Balance is important. We shouldn’t label the vast majority of foods as “good” or “bad,” but strive for eating in a way that feels good to us, that works with the seasons, that nourishes us, and easily allows for flexibility and grace when you enjoy something that falls on the “bad” list. 

Generally speaking, eating lots of whole foods is a safe bet to feel good and nourished. Fill your plate with lots of vegetables and small amounts of grains, protein and healthy fats. In the winter and early spring, our bodies are still craving warming foods. Roasted root vegetables, soups, strews, bone broth, eggs and cooked warm cereals are all warming and nourishing. 

Figuring Out Your Bioindividual Diet

To learn more about specific foods and which ones your body feels the best eating can take a little navigating. This can change with the seasons, as well as with the seasons of our lives. One of my favorite ways to see what foods feel the best is an elimination diet. There are lots of different ways of doing this (Whole30 is a well know elimination diet), but it involves removing foods that are commonly irritating for many people. This list usually includes: gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, and sometimes includes eggs, nuts, and legumes.

The purpose of taking these foods out for a period of time is not to make you miserable, I promise! When we eat foods that don’t agree with our body, we can experience increased inflammation; leaky gut (damage to the gut lining); and uncomfortable symptoms such as foggy thinking, fatigue, bloating, gas, etc. If you experience some of these things, you might be so used to it that this feels normal to you. Taking irritating foods out allows your digestive system to heal. Most elimination diets are for two weeks to a month. The key with this is adding in the foods you’ve taken out one at a time and seeing how you feel. You might feel like there is no way beans are bothering you, and then when you add them back in, lo and behold, you can feel a direct affect in your body.

When you remove these irritating foods, you might feel much better. If this is the case, that is awesome! You’ve learned some valuable information about your body. I don’t think this means you can never eat this food again. But it might make it feel less worth it to you. If you notice extreme sensitivities, you might want to leave the food out of your diet for a few months and work on healing your gut and then retest. If you are less bothered, you now have good information so you can make food choices that best serve your body.  

If you try this, think of it as an experiment. Be interested and curious about what you can learn about yourself.

Reach out if you want health coaching support to try an elimination diet and figure out what foods are optimal for your health.

Herb Turkey Meatballs for Your Next Salad or Grain Bowl

These turkey meatballs are packed with herbs and are delicious on top of a fresh salad; as part of a bowl with grains, roasted sweet potatoes and arugula; with pasta and red sauce; or really any way you want to eat them. I’ve suggested a mix of herbs below, but feel free to experiment with your favorites (especially anything fresh cut from your garden).

Ingredients

1/2 half of a small onion or two shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 fresh sage leaves

8 fresh basil leaves

Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme

Leaves from a 5-inch sprig of rosemary

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1 large handful arugula

1 pound turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine onion, garlic, herbs, and arugula in a bowl. Mix with turkey, salt and pepper. Beat the egg and add to the mixture. Use your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients evenly and roll into balls. Place balls on baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.

Mix up the herbs with this recipe! If I don’t have the exact herbs, I just throw in what I have on hand and it’s worked out every time.

Feel Calm and Relaxed with These Quick, Simple Grounding Practices

We can all feel anxious and overwhelmed by our busy lives and troubles in the world around us over which we have no control (pandemic, anyone?). That’s why it’s so important to have some tools at our disposal to relieve our anxiety, relax and find a sense of calm. Fortunately, there are quick and easy grounding exercises to accomplish exactly that by connecting you with your body and to the present. Below, I’ve shared a few of my favorites that you can fit into your day in just 5 or 10 minutes. The next time you feel like you can’t keep up with it all or are overwhelmed, try one of these quick exercises. If you find the exercises helpful and want to learn more, reach out! There are so many ways to use grounding practices to feel better in your body and mind.

Here’s a simple practice to cultivate grounding and support.

Here are some simple stretches that feel good for your neck as well as support the nervous system.

Here is a short and sweet body check in.

Spicy Pork and Collard Soup

This soup is loaded with flavor and healthy nutrients thanks to a delicious mix of collards, scallions, ginger and spices to compliment the savory ground pork. I haven’t tried it with a protein other than pork, but I’m sure it would work well with ground turkey, beef or crumbled tofu, if you want a vegetarian option.

Ginger is widely used as a spice and as a digestive remedy. Additonally, ginger is antiinflammatory and antiviral. So it’s pretty much the perfect ingredient for winter time and with COVID floating around. Fresh ginger and honey in tea or water when I have a cold is my go to, but this soup has been my recent ginger favorite. The ginger adds warmth and spice, and this feels like the perfect, easy warming and nourishing meal for this time of year. Serves four (or two people who like to eat with some leftovers).

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin seeds lightly crushed

2 tbsp oil (I’ve used avocado, but use another if you like)

4 cups broth - vegetable or chicken

1 bunch collard greens

4 scallions, chopped

2 tbs gluten free soy sauce or Braggs amino acids

4 oz rice noodles

Instructions

Mix pork, garlic, ginger, red pepper and cumin in a medium bowl.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pork mixture and stir until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add collards, scallions and soy sauce and stir occasionally until greens are tender, about 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook rice noodles, drain and divide noodle among bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles and enjoy!

What Health Coaching Can Do for You

What is health coaching, and how can working with a health coach (such as me!) improve your wellness? I thought I would share a little bit about how I work with people to support their health and well-being.

I know what it’s like to not feel well. When I was struggling to get to the bottom of my health issues, and to slowly put the pieces in place to feel well, I found various healers and coaches that made up my “healing team.” Having this support network was really powerful in supporting my body’s capacity to heal. I learned so much through my journey, and it’s my hope that I can help others in feeling their best.

What we eat can be hugely impactful to our health, but it really only starts there. In a health coaching session, we will also look at your sleep habits, your stress levels and nervous system, exercise, and a variety of other things that can impact your overall health. When we work together, we work in a partnership, compassionately listening to your body and giving you the support you need.

You don’t need to want to lose weight or make drastic dietary changes to work with me. Most of my clients are pleasantly surprised that the changes we make are gentle and small (but add up over time to make a big impact in their well-being).

Health coaching can also be for people who already feel healthy but still want and can benefit from support. Health coaching can help you take your wellness to an optimal level.

How we work together:

• Start with a free discovery call where I learn more about what your goals are and if we are a good fit.

• Initial evaluation where we will go over in detail your goals and set up a plan for support. Your plan might include Pilates and somatic sessions, and might include bi-monthly or monthly health coaching sessions. This will really depend on your goals and what kind of support you would like.

• You’ll feel supported in your health goals and feel your best!

If you are curious about what working together is like, please reach out. I’d love to chat more and support you!