Anyone stressed?

Whoa, I just felt all of the hands whoosh up into the air. Life lately has been anything but stress-free. For me personally, my bucketful of self-care items are getting dusty simply because of the lack of time, and yet I know that I’d benefit from using them more now than perhaps ever before. And we know stress is bad for us, which stresses me out even more, and I find myself needing to get off this self-propagated stress rollercoaster!

Cue…. deep breaths. We’ve all heard the age old saying TAKE A DEEP BREATH! But all breaths are not created equal. And in times of deep stress, I’d urge you to try a breath exercise that has a longer EXHALE than INHALE. Why? It is scientifically proven that breathing this way activates our parasympathetic nervous system and quiets our sympathetic nervous system.

Our sympathetic nerves control our fight-or-flight system, causing our heart rates and breathing to elevate and stress hormones like cortisol to be released. This is super useful when we are face-to-face with a real threat, like being chased by a Siberian Tiger, for example, but less than helpful, and even damaging, when the threat is of the “when is this pandemic going to end?!/ how do I quiet my children?!/ who will win the next election?!” varieties. In fact, too much fight-or-flight response can damage the delicate balance of hormones in your body and lower your immune system.

Our parasympathetic nerves control our rest, relax, and digest responses. When we activate our parasympathetic nervous system, our heart rate and blood pressure lowers, our breathing slows, and we feel more calm and are better able to heal. Who needs more of this? (There go those whooshing raised hands again.)

The easiest way to go parasympathetic is to inhale for a slightly shorter amount of time than exhale. For example, my go-to calming breath starts with an inhale of 2 and an exhale of 4, with a 1 count pause in-between. Now you try:

– To begin, find a comfortable but tall sitting position & close your eyes.
– Inhale through your nose for a count of two.
– Hold the breath for a count of one.
– Exhale through your mouth for a count of four.
– Hold the breath for a count of one.
– Repeat the above for about 5 minutes.

If you want to extend your exhale, go for it. But remember to keep your breath slow and controlled and calm. If you feel any tension or anxiety, try a shorter breath. And if you would rather breath through your mouth the whole time, thats a-ok too.

Here’s to better breathing and a lot less stress in our future,
Jenn

N O U R I S H

The New Year is HERE, which means millions of people around the world are making “resolutions” that focus on restriction and depletion, instead of gain.

Examples of depleting resolutions:
“I will lose 10 pounds”
“I will not eat food after dinner”
“I won’t have any refined sugar”
“I will cut my carb intake in half”
“I will adhere to my macro limits”

But, depleting resolutions do just that – they make us feel depleted and restricted, even if the goal in itself is supposed to positively impact your life and health.

What if, in 2020, we are kind to ourselves and frame our resolutions in a positive, nurturing way that ultimately serves us better?!!

I make New Year’s resolutions. They’re kind of like a dream board that just happen to fall at the beginning of the year. They help me tune into myself and my goals. But, I’m done with cutting myself down and depriving myself of ANYTHING. That’s what my 20’s were for…

I have several positive resolutions, now.

My first? NOURISH.
Each week I want to choose a nourishing ingredient (that I’ve maybe used before or perhaps not) to cook with. That’s it. It’s kind of simple but oftentimes, that’s better, no?

I’m getting a head start today by making a super-simple, but uber-delicious and NOURISHING veggie dish of roasted beets & sweet potato.

Root veggies like beets and sweet potatoes (and turnips, carrots, ginger, turmeric, rutabaga, onion, radish, celeriac, etc) are so warming and nutrient-dense. Perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Peel and dice veggies, toss in olive oil and sea salt and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. That’s it.

Happy NYE – cheers to nourishing resolutions.

– Jenn

Are you a bath person?

I wasn’t always, but now I love treating my body and spirit to some sort of detox bath at least twice a week. I’d take one every day if I could (darn children & general “life obligations”!).

I feel like I now curate a bath like I would a craft cocktail, drawing from various beneficial ingredients depending upon my body state, mind state, and my environment – including:

* epsom salt
* ginger
* bentonite clay
* apple cider vinegar
* essential oils (ranging from eucalyptus to cinnamon)
* sea salt
* baking soda
* almond milk
* coconut oil (be careful – that’s slippery business. I speak from experience!)

Today, for example, I felt a migraine coming on so, I went with my go-to epsom salt and bentonite clay combo.

Epsom salts are full of magnesium – which is a scientifically-proven must-have for migraine sufferers. And there is no better way to effectively and efficiently absorb magnesium than through your largest organ – your skin!

Bentonite clay also contains essential minerals – including magnesium, calcium, and iron – but, it is a go-to bath ingredient because of it’s amazing toxin-removing power. Some people even DRINK bentonite clay!

Here is my Epsom Salt + Bentonite Clay Bath recipe:
– 2 heaping cups epsom salt
– 1 cup bentonite clay

Fill the tub with hot (but, not scalding) water (I admit – I like it HOT. But, apparently, the benefits are best served in a non-scalding temperature). Then, soak as long as you can, but at least 15-20 minutes.
Finally, be sure to hydrate!

Do you have a favorite craft bath cocktail?