We have been doing a 7-day sugar detox this week in my Facebook group.
Do you eat too much sugar?
Have you ever tried to cut it out completely?
Here are some excellent reasons for you to consider if not cutting it out entirely, at least limiting how much you consume.
- When you consume sugar, it is immediately absorbed by the body into the blood stream and is stored as fat. As a result, cutting sugar from your diet can help you lose weight.
- Consuming sugar may increase your risk of developing diabetes. When you consume sugar and you get a spike in blood sugar your body releases insulin. This constant release of insulin is not good for your body and can cause insulin resistance.
- Sugar contributes to inflammation in the arteries which also increases your risk for cardiovascular disease. Studies show that inflammation in the body can lead to many issues.
- And did you know that sugar causes you to age faster? It has been shown to contribute to premature aging.
- Sugar is not good on your liver; it can lead to the condition known as fatty liver.
There are so many other things that sugar does to our bodies. If you would like to learn more here is a great article I found on WebMd. You can check it out here.
Hippocrates said that good health resides in your gut and I totally believe this to be true. If your gut is not healthy, you are not healthy.
What are some signs that our gut is not healthy?
- Frequent stomach pain.
- A high sugar diet. If you are eating a diet high in sugar it can decrease the amount of good bacteria in your gut. When there is an imbalance of good bacteria in your gut it can increase sugar cravings and becomes a viscous cycle. Try giving up sugar if possible. Sugar has been linked to increased inflammation in the body.
- Sleep disturbances. Most of the bodies Serotonin is produced in the gut. Serotonin is a hormone that affects sleep.
- Skin Irritations. Skin issues can be linked to bad gut health. Our liver works to get rid of the toxins that we are exposed to daily. If it is not working properly and the normal routes that our body uses to get rid of toxins is compromised then our body will try other routes to rid it of toxins. Hence, we react with skin issues.
- Autoimmune conditions can be a result of our gut not being healthy.
- Food intolerances. If we do not have the good bacteria or the right enzymes in our digestive system it has a hard time digesting the food we eat and can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, and nausea.
How can we improve our gut health?
- Eat raw fruits and vegetables.
- Eat foods that are fermented like sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir.
- Avoid Sugar.
- Lower your stress levels.
- Increase your water intake so that your digestive system has an easier time digesting the food you eat.
- Take a prebiotic or a probiotic. Find foods that contain both.
- Supplement with high quality enzymes.
What are some things you do to improve gut health? Do you agree that gut health is important for your overall health?
Remember I am not a doctor and I am not here to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness. The ideas here are things that I have personally experienced in my journey to better wellness. It is always a great idea to do your own research into what is best for you!
Blessings,
Anna
There are so many things you can do to support your immune system! Here are five things we do regularly.
- High Quality Supplements: Taking high quality supplements along with a healthy diet of fruits and veggies. Do you take supplements? It’s so important to choose good quality. Did you know that most supplements have only a 30% absorption rate? The supplements we have found are infused with Essential Oils and they have an 80% absorption rate. That is a whopping 50% increase! This tells me you get way more bang for your buck and the supplements will be that much more effective!
- Superfoods: Eating foods referred to as superfoods is so great for you! I found an amazing antioxidant drink that we love! It is full of superfoods and is a whole-body supplement. Do you eat superfoods! I also like to make smoothies for my kids! So nutritious and tasty too! Our fave is Strawberry. Add blueberries for an amazing boost! Blueberries are one amazing super food! Other superfoods are leafy greens, nuts, and all berries.
- Sleep: Getting a good night’s sleep is so important for your immunity. Your body needs sleep to recover. In a recent study, scientists say they discovered that quality sleep can bolster the T cells in your body that fight off infection.
- Essential Oils: Essential Oils are great for your immune system. Our faves are Thieves, Immupro, Raven, and Eucalyptus. We try to diffuse Thieves Essential Oil every night in Fall and Winter! We also carry a roller bottle with Thieves with us to use whenever we feel the need!
- Exercise: And last but not least get your body moving! Exercise is great for your immune system!
Blessings,
Anna
As I was out walking last evening, I thought about all the division I see in todays world. Does it bother you that people get on Facebook and throw out their opinion which sometimes is purposely done to point their finger at someone with the opposite opinion? I know it does for me. I see these posts that say something like “Come on people you’re smarter than that” well you know what they probably think the same way as you on the other side of the coin. Why do we always bash another’s opinion? How do you know they are wrong, and you are right? And does it matter if they are wrong? Really, is it hurting you if they believe that way?
I have a sister that is completely on the other side of the political spectrum from me. Do I love visiting with her? Yes. We must avoid politics, but we have so many things in common. She is extremely passionate about holistic health just like me and I love listening to her ideas and sharing mine with her. Do we sometimes go off on politics with each other? Yes. But I still love her even if I completely disagree with her. And it is not that I disagree with all of her points, I just disagree with who makes the best leader to put those things in place.
And back to Facebook, my question is, “would you say what you are writing directly to someone else in person?” Maybe you would, I do not know, but I personally think we should listen to the other person with an open mind and let them tell us why they think that way. Instead of just going after them and totally disagreeing and telling them they are stupid. We all come to our own conclusions about things and it is okay, we do not have to agree.
I know it is exceedingly difficult to do especially if it is something you are extremely passionate about. But if you take the time to give your side and the reasons why you feel the way you do instead of bashing someone else, maybe just maybe they will see and change their opinion. Maybe they do not have all the information you do. Then again maybe they will not but at least you have tried in a way that they can see you care. Caring goes a long way. Even if they still disagree, if you are kind and explain things from your point a view, who knows maybe they will think about what you said and do their own research. Maybe, just maybe they will change their way of thinking. You just never know. But I can guarantee that if you call them an idiot they are going to completely shut down and not hear a thing you have to say.
So, let us all go out and spread kindness and love for our fellow human beings.
Blessings,
Anna
A healthy habit is any behavior that benefits your physical, mental, and emotional health.
I think we often think of healthy habits as only those that effect our physical health, such as exercise and eating a healthy diet. These are so important for your whole health, but do you ever consider your mental and emotional health and the things that affect them?
What kinds of things do you do to improve your mental health? Eating right of course is great for mental health, but there is so much more you can do.
Here are some great things to put into practice today to improve your mental health.
- Practice positive thinking. Research shows that how you think can have a powerful effect on how you feel. Try to pay attention to those running thoughts that are always playing in the back of your mind. When you think something negative, stop! Make yourself change it to something positive.
- Take time to relax and do something you enjoy. You will feel so much better if you can spend some time every week doing something you enjoy doing.
- Make someone else’s day. Even if it’s as simple as giving out a compliment. Making someone else happy can make you happy too. You know that feeling…
- Get a good night’s sleep. I don’t know about you but if I am sleep deprived, I tend to be crabby. And when I’ve had good sleep, I wake up feeling much happier.
- Start a daily gratitude journal. I took a class at the beginning of 2020 and she had us write down 10 things everyday that we were thankful for. At first I struggled with ten, but as I got going it got easier. There are so many things to be thankful for even when you are struggling. Like at the beginning of all the changes we have encountered since March. Even the little things like waking up to see a new day! Try it you might be surprised. Start with just 3 things you are grateful for.
For more ways to start your day out right check out this blog post here.
Happy Oiling,
Anna
