The Foundations of Health

I hear it all the time- I’ve just been diagnosed with XYZ- where do I start??

Start with the foundations of health!

You can focus on the foundations of health while you’re saving up to work with a practitioner. Or if you’re on a practitioner’s waitlist. Or if you just want to take control of your health.

Don’t waste your time and money on supplements if you haven’t focused on the foundations of health first. There are certain things that can’t be “out supplemented” no matter how hard you try.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not demonizing supplementation, supplements are very beneficial when used correctly. However, if you don’t have your foundations covered first, then you’re just throwing your money down the drain. Don’t make the mistake of jumping the gun on supplementation since it seems like the “easy” route compared to changing habits and lifestyle.

These are the basics that have to be covered before supplementation is even considered

• A nutrient dense diet full of real whole foods

  Diversifying your diet and cutting out highly processed foods will help you start to heal the gut. If you don’t know where to start stick to mainly foods without an ingredient list (fruits and vegetables, meats, nuts, and seeds). This will help you make sure the gut is populated with lots of good gut bacteria through a diverse diet with lots of macronutrients. If you don’t know where to start with your diet you can download my good gut grocery guide here.

• Hydration- drinking half your body weight in ounces every day

  Hydration is so important for digestion but also making sure that you are properly flushing toxins out of your body. To figure out how much water you should drink take your body weight and divide it in half- that is how many ounces you need every day! Even more water if you are an active person. Also make sure to add minerals(or mineral salt) to your water so you’re absorbing it on a cellular level. The minerals I like are CT minerals from Cellcore (DM me for my patient code) or to add a pinch of Redmond’s real salt or Celtic sea salt to my water!

• Moving your body

  Stagnation is the silent killer! Make sure that every day you are getting adequate movement in- whatever that looks like for you. Move in a way that feels good for your body that day! Even if you work out regularly, make sure you are going on walks to get adequate movement in.

• Reducing stress

  I know this is one of the hardest ones, especially since we live such go go go lifestyles and spend lots of time on our phones. However stress keeps the body in a state of fight or flight, and when your body is in a sympathetic response it simply cannot heal. So your body won’t be absorbing any of the nutrients of your food or supplements if you’re stressed constantly!

• Getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night

  Sleep is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle! When we sleep our body and many or our organs can regenerate and recharge. Your phone can’t run on low power mode forever- so don’t let your body!

• Reducing your toxin load by swapping out personal care products

  Finally reduce your toxic load by swapping out your personal care products. We live in a world where we are constantly exposed to toxins, which wreck havoc on our liver and gut. So you may as well control the quality of the products that you are putting in your body. I always say start slow with things you use every day like deodorant or hand soap or shampoo/conditioner/body wash. My favorite brands are beautycounter, primally pure, and frank & whit.

If you’re finding one of these hard to implement maybe it’s time to work with a practitioner to help you get foundations covered!