The thought of ‘starving myself’ is unappealing. I’m sure you feel the same. However with all the discussion about intermittent fasting (IF) I’ve been excitedly drawn to the idea and in the past week have been experimenting (while doing my gentle cleanse). ‘What’s taken me SO long?’ I hear you say.
Hmmm thoughts like, how do I do it? I’d starve myself! I’ll get it wrong, It’s not for me etc etc!
Yet across the world in different cultures, some form of fasting has been practiced for spiritual and religious reasons for centuries. Touted as a way to refocus the mind and body, sometimes lasting 24 hours or more. Then go back a few hundred thousand years and fasting was a part of our day to day existence. It’s in our DNA.
An ancient practice or way of life that’s become the ‘new thing’ and in our world of abundance and over consumption of food perhaps for good reason.
If you have or you’ve been interested like me, here’s what I’ve discovered, but first… what exactly is it and what is autophagy?!
Intermittent Fasting.
Traditionally a fast is not eating food for consecutive days or even weeks. Intermittent fasting however, involves not eating food for just 12 to 16 hours a day and reducing the window of time you eat to an 8 to 12 hour period. That’s it.
The ideal timeframe for health benefits seems to be 16 hours.
The benefits to be gained are when fasting happens consistently over a longer period of time i.e. no quick fix (sorry)!
Benefits;
• promotes healthy weight
• improves blood sugar
• helps a healthy heart
• reduces inflammation
• reduces appetite
• protects cognitive (brain) health
• helps fight stress-induced cravings
“Intermittent fasting is hypothesised to influence metabolic regulation via effects on (a) circadian biology, (b) the gut microbiome, and (c) modifiable lifestyle behaviours, such as sleep. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28715993
Other benefits;
It simplifies a healthy lifestyle by reducing the food choices we need to make every day. As a Mum this is especially attractive!
Abstaining from food for longer than normal means we give the body a break from constant digestion, more time for rest and repair.
It’s easy. Intermittent fasting is straightforward. It doesn’t require any extra thought to menu planning or long shopping lists.
It kickstarts ketosis. A state that happens when we no longer have glucose to use as a fuel and we resort to burning fat for fuel so ‘retraining’ our systems to burn fat stores for fuel – our natural state. (as Naomi Whittle, Author & CEO says – “it is nature’s reset button”)
How it works.
One of the most exciting ways is a process called autophagy.
If you haven’t come across this term, in Greek auto means ‘self’ and phagy means ‘to eat’. Autophagy refers to a self-eating process within our cells that encourages the proliferation of new, healthy cells.
‘Fasting is a crucial component that ultimately controls inflammation in the body and activates autophagy’ ~ Yoshinori Ohsumi, 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Imagine, as our bodies aren’t working on digesting so much food, they get the chance to tend to cellular functions. Functions that include removing waste and toxins from the body. It gives our digestive system and body a chance to rest and repair. In doing this it takes ‘stress’ off the bodies important functions.
Without food, insulin levels in the blood decrease and can keep the body sensitive to insulin, which gives better blood sugar control. With blood sugars being managed better, and the stress on the body reduced, the body can then start to burn fat.
Hence it’s easy to see how IF helps with;
• Metabolism
• Weight management and consequently
• Better sleep (and all that goes along with these improvements)!
Note: enjoying nutrient rich drinks in the fasting timeframe, especially mineral rich drinks and some healthy fats, such as bone broth may assist the fasting benefits.
It may not be for everyone.
It seems that if our hormones need some love and attention or there are other imbalances, fasting may backfire e.g. I’ve worked with clients who fast and after losing weight initially their energy and weight can plateau. As soon as they introduce smaller more regular meals, their energy increases and sleep improves.
Support your liver and kidneys well before fasting. This is important. If our detox pathways are clogged, not detoxing efficiently we don’t want toxins recirculating throughout the body causing unwanted trouble.
And if you have trouble metabolising fats then it may be important to start very gently e.g. a 12-hour window of fasting rather than 16 hours and see how you feel.
We are all bio-individual and while something may work for one it may not work for another at a particular time and place. Listen to your body and do what’s right for you and always consult with your health practitioner.
One more thing, food and the preparation of food in our homes has magical qualities in how it brings us together and nourishes us. It’s important we always continue enjoying food in this way and the love, thought and preparation that goes into sharing it with those around us.
In summary
It takes time. While the lure of immediate weight loss is attractive, it’s not healthy. Far better to do it gradually and IF seems to have the good results when done over a longer period of time and while still enjoying a nutrient rich, real food diet, without ‘empty’ calories.
Personally, at the end of the week I’ve enjoyed a renewed energy, clarity of thought and calmness. I love my gentle cleanse and do it a couple of times a year. This time I did it with my hubby which was a really great experience and more enjoyable. Just until this Sunday the 13th of February, 2019 you can download the cleanse manual for free here and join me on a LIVE call as I walk you through it for even better outcomes.
And now I’m looking forward to experimenting more with IF and seeing how it works best for me. If you’ve fasted before or done my cleanse let me know how it went? I’d love to hear.
References
https://www.naomiwhittel.com, ‘Glow 15’
https://www.mercola.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bAkvnvX0W8 Yoshinori Ohsumi
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6128599/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28715993
‘Is giving up the carbs’ something you’ve committed to? Are you feeling an extra need for carbs with the change of seasons & maybe feeling guilty?
Cutting back or giving up carbs is something we know we need to do BUT… in reality is hard! (Especially those sneaky mid afternoon chocolate fixes)?!
Carbohydrate (carb) cravings might feel like;
So how do we kick these cravings and live a little more?…
Three things;
Great. So how do we do that?!
Firstly let’s look at blood sugars.
We understand how simple carbs can send our blood sugars on a crazy rollercoaster ride – you know the ones i.e. pasta, rice, pizza, bread, biscuits, generally highly refined and processed foods and grains that the body can use quickly for fuel.
This conversation with my son and analogy about twigs v logs will help.
Twigs v logs.
I’m not sure how the conversation started. We were sitting at the family dinner table when our youngest stated he wanted to eat more pasta and pizza because it was good for him?!
He was ‘fishing’ for a bite that’s for sure. I reckon he got a bit more than he could chew!!
Stay with me because this might help your family too.
About to jump up and down and correct his misguidance, I caught myself and kept quiet for a moment (not so easy to do)!
With my hubby’s support, I explained …
It’s like keeping a good fire burning.
To make a good fire what do we use? ‘Logs and twigs’.
What gets it started, by making it burn fast and hot? Twigs.
So what makes the fire burn steadier and for longer? ‘logs’.
What happens if we used just twigs and no logs? ‘We need to keep adding twigs constantly’!
So there are 3 types of energy our bodies use for fuel; fats, carbs and protein (macro nutrients).
Fats and protein are like the logs – add them to the fire, or our metabolism and they give us good, sustaining, steady energy for a longer time.
Simple carbohydrate is like the twigs. When added to the fire (or our metabolic system) alone, they’re burnt up super quickly. We need to add more and more twigs to the fire to keep it alight!
It’s an over-simplified analogy of energy production but he totally got this. And maybe it’ll help you and your family too.
So getting back to our blood sugars. It’s like the twigs.
The twigs burn quickly, and quickly need to be replenished to stop the fire going out. It’s the same for us. Eating a lot of simple carbohydrates means we need to keep replenishing the fire. If we don’t, our blood sugars swing and cravings kick in (we need energy). It’s almost always leading to excess energy and fat storage i.e. weight gain.
Eat more sustaining fuel i.e. protein and fats and our blood sugars are more stable, (this doesn’t necessarily apply to type 1 diabetics).
An interesting fact about these sources of energy is that fats and protein are essential to our diet. We need to get these energy sources from our food. Carbohydrate on the other hand is non-essential i.e. our body metabolises (makes) glucose (a product of carbohydrate) from fats and protein as and when required. Carbohydrate therefore is a non-essential dietary fuel – i.e. we actually don’t need much in our diet.
Secondly, what’s driving the craving?
Let’s assume you’ve stabilised your blood sugars but you’re still guiltily reaching for the bowl of pasta or slice of cake! Stop. Before eating the cake, take a moment to think about WHY you’re reaching for it? Is it boredom, tiredness, stress, lack of movement, self care, time outside, the need for comfort etc? Or is there a microbiome imbalance driving the need for simple carbohydrates & create further imbalance? This article, ‘parasites, the silent epidemic‘ might help answer this for you.
When we crave foods, it’s more likely there is a deeper spiritual or emotional need not being met. To help identify this though we need awareness and we can only have awareness if we stop, slow down and take a moment to notice or feel what it is our bodies are really asking for?
Thirdly, is it seasonal?
Through the winter months and the transitioning of the seasons, we can naturally crave more comforting, heartier or starchier foods. It may be that your body needs a few more of these whole foods and complex carbs such as basmati rice, sweet potato, quinoa and other unprocessed, gluten free whole foods. At times women (and our hormones) can especially benefit from adding more of these foods into the day. If this resonates for you, perhaps experiment and see how you feel.
So in summary HOW do we manage cravings?
13 ways to kick the cravings.
The body is complex and there is a lot to consider other than food alone in the production of energy and to curb cravings, (something I go into far more detail in my 21 day foundational program, ‘Get-up & GLOW with Kate‘)
Commonly these 12 ideas make a great difference;
Cravings can infact be an invitation to continue our personal evolution to becoming the best version of ourselves.
Try any one of the above for 2 – 4 days and the cravings will pass. As you nourish your mind and body more deeply, blood sugars will begin to stabilise and your mood improve as your body returns to balance or homeostasis.
Making change and new choices is more enjoyable and successful with community, knowledge and accountability. If you’re looking for a super quick reset grab my free copy of A Gentle Cleanse and register for my upcoming call! Grab it and register here.
Or for more lasting lifestyle unleveling join me in my next round of Get-up and Glow! Where we go into this topic in more detail and create new healthFUL habits for life. We start on the 30th of August for 21 days to inner and outer radiance. It’s our foundational detox program. You can join me through this link!
And, ‘never give up because great things take time’.
Along with the excitement and busyness of this time of year there’s a potential danger ahead!
In fact it might already be ‘weighing’ you down…
Self sabotage.
Unfortunately those healthier choices you’ve been enjoying and worked hard at, may start to go by the wayside (or is that weighside), leaving you bereft and a few too many kilo’s heavier.
That’s not how you want to start a New Year!
So how in the world do you stay on track while STILL enjoying this special time of year?
… By feeling good.
It’s not about denial or deprivation. No way. It IS about how you FEEL about your choices, and, feeling good within yourself.
You might be thinking, ‘hmmm… easier said than done!’
It’s true but my 12 simple tactics make it easily said and done.
I Promise!
1. Rather than do … be.
Rather than busily or distractedly eating and drinking try being more in the moment e.g. sipping your drink slowly, chewing mindfully – taste and think about it – challenge yourself to being fully engaged in conversation at the same time.
Being more present and aware means we absorb our food better, feel full quicker and consequently eat less. And most importantly have far more engaging interactions with friends and family – win, win, win.
2. Stay hydrated + Wedge.
If you’re having a drink, remember to wedge in a glass of water in between drinks and remember how good you’re going to feel tomorrow. Stay well hydrated with good quality water – always.
3. Fuel up.
When you’re going out take time to fuel up with good wholesome food throughout the day or prior to going out. You’ll be less hungry and won’t feel the need to fill up on foods you know don’t work for you. And you’re going to feel good the next day. For lots of quick snacks and great ideas visit my website https://www.katebarnes.com.au
4. Stock the pantry.
You’ll be on the go, shopping for holidays and festivities, finishing up work commitments and going out. Keep the pantry, fridge and freezer stocked with essentials so you can create healthy food choices quickly and easily.
5. Commit to activities that make you feel good first thing in the morning.
When we do this we immediately put our mind in the right space and feel more in control, making good choices easier.
For example;
Other choices that will lift our vibe and strengthen our mind;
6. Resting or napping.
7. Getting quality sleep.
8. Spending time outside and in the sunshine.
9. Guarding time.
Time is our most valuable asset especially at this time of year, question choices. Do we really need to attend that event? or go shopping at that time? clean those windows now? Question your choices, say ‘no thank you’ when you can, we understand.
10. Supplementing.
If you feel your body is going to need a vitality boost there are a couple of supplements that can help manage stress and deplete when we’re busy e.g. a good quality magnesium, b vitamins, vitamin c or msm (natural sulphur). Always check with your health practitioner before supplementing.
Using essential oils such as frankincense, vetiver and serenity can also be great for getting us out of our busy minds and into our bodies.
11. Stressing less.
Then if sticking to ‘the plan’ is stressing you then please try not to. It’s so much more important to thoroughly enjoy the choices you make and the special time you have catching up with family and friends.
No guilt or regret – those feelings are worse than that bowl of christmas pud or that extra glass of champers!
12. Breathing.
When we’re busy it’s easy not to. However it’s possibly the best and quickest hack to feeling good. Remember to breathe – deeply.
It’s easy to neglect these fundamental ‘feel good’ choices when there’s lots on, yet it’s actually the most important time to commit to them.
These simple choices will position your mind in a way that makes it easier to cope with stressors and/or self sabotage when they come to play and in many ways are inevitable at this time of year.
Be prepared and I hope you … feel good!
What one, simple choice that you know is right for you, can you commit to? The one thing that’s non negotiable because it makes you feel good and you’re going to enter the New Year feeling healthy, happy and light – mind and body!
‘If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath’
~ Amit Ray
We’ve all heard it or said it, more often in a state of worry, frustration, anger, or to calm the kids or our nearest and dearest…
‘take a breathe’
It’s only been in the past couple of years I’ve realised HOW potent this simple act is.
You may be thinking, ‘Of course, it’s automatic, it’s the basis of life, what more?’
It’s just that.
Breathing is so automatic and instinctual it’s easy to take this healing force of nature for granted.
When was the last time you took a moment to really notice HOW you breathe?…
Take a moment now.
Do you breathe through your nose or through your mouth? Does your tummy or does your chest raise when you breathe? Do you have a shallow or deep breathe? Is your breathe long or short? How often do you sigh or yawn? Then, for those of you with children, how do your children breathe?
Your answers will give you clues as to whether your breathe is optimising or diminishing your wellbeing. (And if you or your children have difficulty breathing optimally and haven’t explored a root cause, perhaps see a health practitioner who can help).
Among many healing attributes our breathe also helps us tolerate stress, improve our brain function and increase our energy reserves.
Movement is the mechanism, the essence of who we are as human beings and our moving breathe helps enable this essential mechanism.
In Hindu, prana refers to breathe & ‘life force’.
We know this but it’s easy to neglect our breathe, yet our breathe may be the missing link to very simply managing our full & often stressful lives.
Here’s why…
When I learnt that shallow breathing from the chest and mouth breathing initiates the sympathetic nervous system i.e. the fight and flight or stress response and that deep, diaphragmatic breathe or through the nostrils initiates the parasympathetic nervous system i.e. rest and digest – I started paying close attention.
Can it be that simple? Yes.
If we allow it, how we breathe has the power to mitigate stress in an instant. It can bring us into the present moment, quieten our minds, give objectivity to our thoughts, change our state of mind and importantly allow us to enjoy & sense each precious moment.
A friend and colleague, Silvia Gonzalez-Quinones at the fabulous, Be Alive Physiotherapy has this analogy,
‘Our breathe is the gateway to the nervous system’. It’s true.
When 90% of illness can relate to stress (in its many different forms), a quick hack to reset our nerves (& stress) can be the golden ticket.
When our nervous system is balanced i.e. in homeostasis, our health and wellbeing elevates. We;
In doses, stress is good for us, however in todays world it can be unrelenting. For example;
Along with other emotional and mental stressors, these can all place stress on our body at any one time. So if we can manage stressors that can easily be controlled / managed in any given moment, it’s worth doing.
Three quick 30 second stress hacks using the breathe…
1. 3 deep breathes.
Take 3 long, deep breathes through your nostrils, into your diaphragm, (so it distends), and with each breathe lasting approximately 10 seconds e.g. in for 3 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, out for 3 seconds.
2. The 4-7-8 breathing exercise by Dr Andrew Weil:
3. While doing an activity on ‘auto-pilot’ try to come back into the present moment by focusing on HOW you breathe. Long, slow, deep breathes through the nose, into the tummy and out e.g. next time you’re driving, walking, listening to the kids, in a meeting, packing lunch boxes, folding washing etc.
Try one now. Choose one of the three above and give it a go.
Then importantly, when you finish take 5 seconds to notice how you FEEL. What do you notice?
Other ideas that take a bit longer and I love;
There are lots more. If this feels right and you know it can help, make it happen, it can take 30 seconds and feels great.
“When we breathe, we feel. When we feel we heal”
I remember when I thought I didn’t have time for anything but a quick lunch of cheese and tomato on toast with a pinch of S&P!
It was when the kids were younger, my energy was lagging, immunity low and get up and go sadly lacking. That’s when I knew I had to change my ways…
I was skipping the essentials.
It’s easy to do, yet skipping essential nutrients is a BIG mistake, especially when life is full and we’re raising our families. Yet this is commonly the time bad habits become a new normal. Running on not much more than adrenaline, we can cope… for a year or two.
Until one day that tired, lack lustre feeling includes:
Nutrients that are essential, are essential because we can only get them from our food. For our bodies to function, these essential nutrients – are essential!
It seems obvious, but I see too many people skipping the essentials or not getting enough in the food they’re eating or they assume is ‘healthy’, and it’s not.
It’s not intentional, often from habit, lack of time, lack of thought, fear of change, a lack of priority etc.
Yet, by making better choices we instantly start to FEEL so much better, our energy, our mood, our sleep. We gain time and our joi de vivre returns!
‘… when you know better, you can do better’
Load up on the essentials. It’s just one of my many energy hacks for busy mama’s. In this short video with Andrea Tegan at Wholehearted Family Health we discuss my top 5 hacks for more energy and importantly HOW to get around those behaviours that STOP us in our tracks. If you haven’t come across Andreas fabulous work, check it out at https://www.wholeheartedfamilyhealth.com. It’s THE wellness hub for busy mama’s.
My top 5 Energy Hacks with Andrea Tegan
Or maybe you’re thinking… ‘that sounds way too hard’ or ‘too time consuming’ or ‘I don’t have time right now’?
It’s not true.
Here’s the thing. You’re already taking time to make a choice or to prepare food, even if it is toast and cheese.
Think of it as ‘upgrading’ the choice you’re already making. Same amount of time, same thought power, different choice. You can do that.
The ideal food to eat is grown in a healthy soil and freshly picked, jam-packed full of nutrients and good bacteria. This isn’t always possible and that’s why farmers markets or deliveries are a great option.
Wherever possible choose organic foods that don’t carry a toxic burden and weigh you down even more.
If this all makes sense and you’re ready to make a change AND at the same time transform your energy and your wellbeing then join me in Get-up & Glow with Kate the ultimate vitality reset. We start on Monday, 3rd September (With our recorded pre – glow call this Friday 31st)!
It’s the gentle upgrade you’ve been looking for – no extra effort required. Plus you’ll enjoy weekly meal plans to help take away the ‘mental load’ about WHAT to eat for you & your family!
Spring is the perfect time to tend our inner garden, mind, body and soul, come and join me.
Have you heard this word before?
I hadn’t. Yet it’s important. It’s a word every mother, new mother and mother to be, needs to know.
The definition above doesn’t evoke too much interest. However… after chatting with Dr Oscar Serrallach recently, I learnt otherwise.
Dr Serrallach is an expert in post natal depletion and the author of the recently published book, ‘The Post Natal Depletion Cure – a complete guide to rebuilding your health and reclaiming your energy’. Through his work he is on a mission to revive motherhood.
Post natal depletion is a syndrome coined by Dr Serrallach that’s the common phenomenon of fatigue and exhaustion combined with ‘baby brain’ experienced by Mothers. It can last from anywhere between birth of the child, up to 7 – 10 years.
He believes post natal depletion may be affecting up to 50% of Mothers! A western phenomenon in epidemic proportions. It can happen when Matresence goes wrong.
I wrote about my own version of post natal depletion and what I experienced awhile ago.
Watch or listen to our interview here.
Matresence can be as little as 4 – 6 weeks, often longer, following the birth of a child. It occurs over a window of time completely dedicated to bonding with our babies, feeding, nurturing, replenishing our bodies and honouring our transformation, ready for child rearing and creating a fulfilling transition into motherhood while discovering a new sense of self.
Dr Serrallach defines matresence as the transformation of becoming a mother.
The consequences of not honouring this process / transformation include feelings of depletion emotionally, physically and mentally, exhaustion and overwhelm.
Why isn’t Matresence part of our everyday vocabulary?
You’ll learn lots more in my chat with Oscar.
We also discuss:
This is a discussion for every Mother and Mother to be. I hope it helps mothers feel more at peace with their role and the incredible contribution they’re making to their families and their communities.
My mission is to nourish the hearts of women for a happier, healthier world (starting with myself and my family).
With new food and lifestyle choices and emotional support most of the women who come to me tired and overwhelmed start to feel better in as little as a week! All from the comfort of their own homes and with their families. My enriched mama programis for depleted mums. It is a perfect place to begin.
Along with Dr Serrallachs’ book which gives a big maternal hug with information that’s practical, reliable and has stood the test of time. A trustworthy hand-book for every mother, parent and mother to be.
If you are struggling – you are not alone. Please seek support from friends, family or health professionals. It is not a weakness or a sign of failure, it’s a necessity.
How we feel is real. When we feel we heal.
Yet this isn’t imaginary.
It’s our families reality and if it’s not yours already, it can be.
We recently had our first hospital visit with my 13 year old daughter for a broken finger.
We were asked to name our family Doctor. I gave the name of a friend as we don’t have a family Doctor.
Our children have had antibiotics once or twice when they were very little, they are 11 and 13.
As a family we rarely get sick. Unusual in todays world, yet not lucky.
Conventional medicine is very effective at treating the symptom and the cause of disease, which lies in a ‘part’ of the body. However, there is more to the story…
There is something our bodies are exposed to emotionally or physically that triggers illness e.g. we might get a cold due to a low immunity:
Simple questions with complex answers, mental, emotional, physical and / or spiritual answers. Answers that in the long term foster longevity and vitality and can prevent illness, but can take longer to resolve.
Bugs are everywhere all the time. If we live a life of treating the bug or the symptom without treating the root cause or nourishing the body deeply and gently detoxifying, we are simply adding to the complexity of the issue, burying the clues deeper, making it harder and more complex to discover the root cause.
The earlier (younger) we support out bodies holistically, the easier and quicker our bodies respond and thrive.
We must look holistically at wellbeing. To manage not just the symptom, but the whole being, mind, body and soul, and discover the root cause.
The good news is, it’s’ not hard, infact, it may seem too simple to be true.
It begins in our homes, in our hearts and at our tables. With knowledge that’s stood the test of time which means… it’s free.
The challenge is…
It feels hard. Hard to;
Concerns that make it easier not to change or to opt for the quick fix instead.
It’s how we’ve been conditioned to act, without thinking twice, even though we know deep down, it’s not the answer.
It’s exactly what my clients learn about and overcome everyday, creating wellbeing from within their homes, simply, naturally, cost effectively, without overwhelm, confusion or conflict.
It’s why I created Our Happy Children – my online and LIVE short course.
If you’re sick and tired of going from Doctor to Doctor, Specialist to Specialist or want to know exactly what does work and you’re ready to discover food and lifestyle choices that give foundations for a well-being and prevent illness – Our Happy Children is for you and your family.
Doors close for 2018, this Saturday the 19th of May. Be quick.
You don’t want to miss this life changing program https://katebarnes.com.au/our-happy-children/
A word from participants:
The knowledge we have as women in regard to wellbeing and what it involves, directly affects not only the state of our own health and happiness, but the state of health in our children and in our families.
It is knowledge (wisdom) that for generations was handed down from one to the next and built upon as we evolved. Yet through more recent generations, this knowledge has been questioned and eroded, even dismissed and so much so, it’s now very difficult to know what is right and what is not?
Deep down, I believe we do know.
I see it in the women I work with who want to find the answers they know are there to help overcome their childrens health issues, who are suffering and who want to safeguard their future. I know because I’ve been there to. It feels hard to trust our inner voice, gently guiding us to take a road that’s less travelled, and the one we instinctively know is what our families need.
It’s an uncertainty that’s born from a modern, industrialised culture that’s taught us to rely on convenience for answers and to deflect responsibility for our own wellbeing to others, to the experts who ‘know better’. And often they do know better on a physical or theoretical sense, however, we cannot dismiss the incredible emotional connection and knowing we have as Mothers for our families needs.
‘The bond between mothers and their children is a spiritual force that can never be broken. Mothers know their children better than anyone else can or ever will… A mother’s gut instinct overrides all clinical systems set in place to diagnose children’ ~ Anthony William, Author, Medical Medium.
When we trust this knowing (our intuition or our ‘gut’) and we begin to be more curious, to ask questions, we find answers.
However, in our busy modern lives, we don’t have the time or space to listen to this maternal instinct, this inner knowing, let alone trust it. To trust what our families need.
Disconnected from this knowing leaves us feeling confused, overwhelmed or unsure.
There’s a great quote I heard a few years ago…
‘Our children are our future. Take care of our children, and the future takes care of itself’.
However I know now, this isn’t quite right. Rather – I’ve extended it to:
‘Our children are our future. Nourish the hearts of our women who nourish our children and the future takes care of itself’
As mothers and parents our energy is contagious. When we’re happy, they’re happy.
And this from the late Jim Rohn, Entrepreneur, Author and Motivational Speaker…
‘Your own self-development and wellbeing is the greatest gift you can give to your children. Not self sacrifice. Self development. Self sacrifice earns contempt. Self development and investment earns respect. The best contribution anyone can do for anyone else is their own personal development. If parents multiply their own personal value what will that do for their children? ‘
It’s not easy. I know. It’s work in progress – me too, (although we’re continually work in progress, a journey rather than a destination). Yet there’s lots of easy things we can do to learn to trust our intuition.
The first step is to gift ourselves space and time. To look after ourselves.
Try introducing one small thing to begin e.g. it could be as simple as getting up a little earlier to enjoy some quiet or a cup of tea. It could be taking 5 minutes to sit in the sunshine or 10 minutes to chat with a friend or it might be getting to bed a bit earlier. Or perhaps it’s chatting to yourself … more kindly. Whatever you decide, try it, experiment, be curious and when you hear that inner knowing, that excited feeling that comes with ‘knowing’ … Listen and Trust.
And if you know you’re serious about learning more about how to safeguard your families wellbeing – join me in one of my coaching programs or my very special program, Our Happy Children . A ground breaking, 4 week holistic education program for the whole family, no matter where you’re at or how busy you are. We start on the 21st of May, 2018 https://www.katebarnes.com.au/our-happy-children/
Do you ever get just a little tired of hearing the constant call of kids announcing, “I’m hungry ,” or ”What can I have to eat, Mum?” I know I sure do, and if you’re not prepared, it can be frustrating, relentless and annoying to say the least. In order to save your sanity, I’ve got a few quick and easy strategies that are guaranteed to lower your stress levels, and ensure you’re not stuck for an answer … ever again! As a parent, you know that preparation is the key to keeping things from going haywire.
So when that proclamation, “Mum… I’m hungry” is made in your house – you’ll be ready. You’ll be armed with the most nutritious, satisfying food imaginable and a few sneaky back-up strategies too. Plus there’s a bonus.
This is for all of us – not just the kids.
When you yourself are in need of a snack or want to treat yourself, use the same nourishing, simple strategies, and notice how you feel? And… how you look? It won’t be long before you look and feel better yourself. Now, that’s multi-tasking taken to a whole new level!
12 Simple Strategies:
The key to succeeding with many of these strategies is to include good quality fats and proteins in their whole forms. These foods in the right quantities provide great sustenance and leave our blood sugars stable. When these foods are regularly incorporated into our day, many of the reasons for hunger disappear. The more we cram these good nutrient rich foods in, the less the desire for sweetness and the more we recalibrate our taste buds to appreciate a more natural level of sweetness in our day.
We all know kids can be resistant to change & trying new things. Here are some ideas to help encourage your kids:
Experiment with one or two strategies and see how they work. How does your family respond? How does it affect the mood of the family? And then consider adding in another strategy, and so on, until those constant naggings of “I’m Hungry!” become a thing of the past or at least a LOT less often.
To be honest, it’s been an exhausting and emotional couple of days.
Our 13 year old fractured her finger and ended up at the public childrens hospital, Princess Margaret. It was our first visit and for which we’re very grateful was for such a ‘minor’ incident.
As many of you might already appreciate, it was a very long visit i.e. 7:30pm – 1:30am! It was a Tuesday night, and sadly, very busy (although it’s commonly like this), head traumas, car accidents, respiratory problems, high fevers, broken bones etc.
As our daughter noticed, many parents were prepared with snacks, water bottles and overnight bags, having travelled this road before. Not us… a long 6 hours sitting, waiting.
Seeing so many sick young children and the tireless commitment of the nurses and Doctors doing all they could to ease the distress of each child and their parents was humbling and emotional.
And there was so much fear for the families.
Fear of the unknown. Fear of not being able to help. Fear of sickness.
Screams of terror from young children that I’ve never heard anything like before. Heart breaking. It’s an experience I’d be very happy not to have to experience again. Following the visit to hospital, I’m now working on strengthening our daughters immunity and gut health.
Treatment.
Our daughter’s treatment involved a local anaesthetic to reset the fracture along with 4 different x-rays. Straightforward enough.
These interventions along with a couple of late nights and the mental and emotional stress she has experienced, although not obviously, definitely compromised her immunity and her gut health.
Even though it’s a ‘local’ anaesthetic, my belief is the body is a whole and once the needle is inserted into the blood stream and tissue, chemicals circulate throughout the body.
For example, some of the “temporary adverse effects that are cited and can affect people include:
Some people may have an allergic reaction. The patient could develop hives, itching, and breathing difficulties” Some of the research showed these effects were more common in ‘higher risk’ patients. References below.
It seems to me, even though the anaesthetic is ‘local’ as the term implies, the chemical must circulate throughout the entire body as demonstrated with the reactions given above.
Immunity.
So in the past two – three days I’ve worked hard on rebuilding her immunity and her gut health. Something that is super important, especially with Easter here and (a little) more sugar than she’s used to. Because as we know sugar is a Master at compromising immunity. And the arrival of winter coughs, colds and flu is just around the corner. I want her immunity strong and healthy.
Why?
She is totally fine and from all accounts very healthy. So why would I bother? Because while generally our bodies are resilient, it (chemicals, toxins, stress) all adds up.
Once you know what works and the body needs, it takes very little effort to flood the body with nutrients and to rebuild health, so why not. You never know what’s around the corner. And prevention really is better than the cure.
Lessons.
Sometimes it’s hard to know if all the healthy ‘stuff’ you’re doing is really worth it? Is it making a difference or is it really worth the expense or the feelings of isolation we can sometimes feel making healthier choices.
Yes. It is.
After this week, it has reinforced to me the great importance of making good food and lifestyle choices. Of having the knowledge to rebuild the gut and strong immunity. It is SO important and it does make a difference. Rest assured that any effort you’re putting into your family to keep them strong and healthy… is invaluable.
We’ve been lucky not to experience trauma before, however I don’t think it’s luck that we haven’t had to rush children to hospital in the middle of the night with fevers or unexplained symptoms. Healthy is a lifestyle and illness is not something we need to fear.
To learn more join me at my online and live workshops, ‘No More Sick Kids’! Natural remedies to build strong immunity and healthy tummies this Winter.
References.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265689.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2148940/