As we approach the end of 2018, the last 2 months of the year are an opportunity to decompress, reflect, recalibrate and declutter that ever expansive, developing, neuroplastic mind of yours.

I have compiled 7 considerations for you so that you’re either at your best next year, or on your way to. It’s time for clarity. Mind, Body, Spirit Style.

Just like you would spring clean your home this is a KEEP vs THROW evaluation. What nurtures, expands and aligns with your values and worth is a keep, and what minimises your values or weighs you down is a big fat THROW or a casual  ‘k thanks byeee.’

KEEP the lessons:  The soul journey to realisation, actualisation of your potential, growth, self accountability & awareness.

THROW the attachment to the lessons: The Ego Burger lot of blame, shame, guilt, anger, control & Pain.

Ok, Here we go

Day One   GLUTEN

Getting clear on your goals starts with getting clear on your diet.
Initially intended as a nice picture, my gluttonous pun intended instinct beat me to the punch. Starring, my half bitten paleo gluten free toast.
Labelled a ‘fad,’ The Gluten free diet has copped some criticism as of late, but did you know that Gluten is a gut disruptor ? Gliadin (the protein components of gluten) increase Zonulin concentrations in the gut. Increased Zonulin in the gut then opens up the tight junctions that protect your gut from the outside world and if unmanaged can render your gut leaky! Some systems can then become inundated with matter it didn’t ask for and that process can create inflammation in the body.
Think of gluten as a broken down truck at 5pm on a Friday afternoon on the harbour bridge. It can be problematic.
Consider the gluten free option – Ideally paleo but hey, that’s a story in itself.
This Zonulin discovery was made by Dr Alessio Fasano, a Paediatric gastroenterologist and research scientist.
The recently acknowledged connection of your gut to your brain is also a factor as Zonulin also increases blood brain barrier permeability – a traffic jam on the road to mental clarity.

Day Two  OH DAIRY

Coming in strong with the dad jokes

This one’s a bit controversial. 🤷🏾‍♀️
Many of us have a significantly reduced ability to digest lactose after the age of 5, some are intolerant to the casein component of dairy, are generally digestively uncomfortable, the pesticides, antibiotics, the whole process ethically.. the list continues.
Dairy consumption has been linked to weight gain, allergies cardiovascular disease, cancer, irritable bowels, acne, womens hormonal complaints.
Essentially dairy contributes to making the body acidic and strains the system.
While you may be thinking – What about calcium? Ma Bones!
Countries who have comparatively higher dairy consumptions have higher rates of osteoporosis. We are finding that Calcium consumption in isolation is not the only player in the bone mineral density game.
As a side, you can generally support healthy bone mineral density needs by keeping your lifestyle alkaline and cleaning up your diet.
1. Avoid processed and junk food in your diet, consume lots of green leafy veggies
2. Manage stress – links back to systemic acidity.
3. Keep those muscles strong with regular resistance exercise
4. Maintain healthy vitamin D + K2 levels
Yes, even that splash of milk in your coffee, that dash in the piccolo.
No, please don’t substitute for SOY. Don’t get me started 😂 that requires another post altogether.
Yes – try almond, coconut or rice substitutes. 😉
This doesn’t supplement health advice from your practitioner because everyone has bio-individuality that needs to be considered and assessed, it’s just food for thought.

Day Three   Making Friends with Salad

Lord, Give me a sign!
Erm, uh, not that sign

Ever had one of these moments?
This one may seem obvious but nutrition isn’t all these elaborately packaged expensive superfoods. Our industry is becoming saturated with all these processed goods making promises. It’s so simple, back to basics.
Save your cash by purchasing fresh produce over packet food. Veggies are packed with antioxidants, fibre, vitamins & minerals. Spinach is really the finest superfood around and some of these trendy acai bowls masquerading as a healthy snack have almost as much sugar as a can of cola. Your local growers market is where the party is at. It’s fun, fresh and socially interactive with community.
Hearing Dr Terry Wahls speak in Sydney this year, this major babe credits eating 6- 9 cups of veggies daily as one of the keys to going into remission from Multiple Sclerosis. Food is medicine.

Day Four         Breathe to Energize

Experience anxiety? Does your external environment affect your internal landscape? Craving calm? This one is for you.
Take a second out of your day, focus on your space. Inhale. Are you up in your chest? Shallow breathing. Are you filling your tummy space ? Deep breathing.
Breath is the seed of life.
In the chaos of modern society, our survival mechanism is to send our systems into sympathetic nervous system dominance (run from the lion caveman!). This switched on in excess fatigues the system, contributes to anxiety and worsens responsiveness to stressors.
Diaphragmatic breathing (into your tummy) switches up the game. It downregulates the sympathetic nervous system and switches to our parasympathetic rest and digest state. You’ve got this.
Conscious breath in the form of deep breathing not only oxygenates and detoxifies, but spiritually/mentally creates a space for you to process feelings, anchors and grounds you.
Shoutout to the Breathe Me Team for your amazing peak stage experience sessions.
Engage your breath as much as possible throughout the day. I will expand on this message next year.
Breath is your superpower.

Day Five         Thankyou.

You might be thinking – how is gratitude going to be good for my health? How does saying ‘thankyou’ change my agitation?
Blame, guilt and shame are very damaging to the physical body, affecting our posture, which affects the breath , affecting our confidence relating to others which affects the mood and can result in social isolation & anxiety. We now know that unresolved emotion can manifest as physical disease in many ways.
Frustration is a normal human emotion, but you decide how long it stays. Expressing appreciation for life cannot coexist with anger. One of them has to go, and I hope you choose to say ‘thanks,’ because holding onto anger of any kind is a waste of your precious capacity to shine.
Gratitude starts by seeking the meaning behind the challenge.
To do this for yourself instead of asking: “Why is this situation happening to me?’ ask: “What is this situation trying to teach me ?” Express gratitude when things don’t go as you had hoped because the universe is crafty and usually materialises uncomfortable and sometimes incredibly painful changes to steer you to your path of truth.
The universe doesn’t bring you anything you can’t handle, if you believe that you can’t handle it, doesn’t actually mean that you can’t. Thats just a thought, and you can change yours.
The universe is actually trying to bring you situations that actualise your potential as a human being. What you choose to do with that opportunity is on you.
Be brave, face the uncomfortable, take accountability for your part in the situations that challenge you, to propel you to productive growth and your truth.
For the spiritual, if you are that way inclined, this is a way of saying that resentment cannot exist when you are in a state of deep and sincere prayer. We are human beings, we all cling to comfort and stability, I have at many times in my life, however I’ve learnt this year that nothing is guaranteed except uncertainty, and to be fluid when change becons us to our next chapter. There is a gift in this.
Thankyou opens up your heart.
Your best life is lived when it’s open.

Day Six    Oh Honey Honey

Finale      Let. It. Go

The Alternate Ending.

Surprise! Sometimes the princess doesn’t live happily ever after in the castle. Sometimes she has to fight through lions, dragons, gets her elbows scraped, knees dirty, heart broken and gets lost in the jungle of life.  She fills her life with knowledge and adventure and dusts the dirt off her knee and keeps walking. We don’t always win. Sometimes we will. Victory!

After consulting with a trusted colleague and very experienced doctor at an event last night, I asked him what he though the key to building health resilience was as his parents are in their late 90’s.- robust and versatile. So what is the key here?
‘They just let things go.’ He said
Sincerely, and quickly. They don’t hold onto things too much, or get worn by details.
Ruminate whilst you must, but let it go as soon as possible. The only aspect that is useful to hang onto from difficulty is the lesson, not the pain nor the emotional baggage. It’s likely that if something was important enough to you, that you’ve done your best. The best connections in life are nurtured in the great spirit of freedom and the absence of judgement. A mind at peace supports your body physically to do what it does best and naturally without conscious input; work miracles. Life is ever changing and fluid. We live in evocative scary and uncertain times. Emotions stagnate in the body so shake them off, breathe deeply, stretch it out or confide in a friend or professional. Be fluid as there is no straight line.  Balance the spirit of flexibility in outcomes with vehement adherence to your personal truths and values otherwise you get swept in a current or worse – into somebody else’s.

Consider what is good for you. Often not the quick fix or the convenient option. Often the greatest rewards require sacrifice, inconvenient decision making & discomfort. 

Your values are stabilising, the oars to steer your canoe through life. We can’t control our external environment, but our core values are foundational. We can definitely change our thoughts & manage our beliefs but if something challenges your core value to a point where you would betray yourself engaging, seriously consider the value of engaging and whether that is good for you.

Thats it for our preparation for 2019. There is so much more to consider, but this is a great place to start to get you to a healthier YOU. More from me next year friends.. Much more. Let’s learn together.

Every sunrise is the promise of a new day, why wait for the clock to strike midnight 2019 when tomorrow awaits.

Love Reem

xx

This post is dedicated to our brilliantly intelligent & creative musician Liam Goodwin in the sky. Liam Goodwin; guardian of our family. It has been 1 year since we lost you. This post is dedicated to your memory, to spread your message of helping & supporting others. You are eternally remembered, unconditionally loved and forever missed. Happy 19th Birthday Zou Zou. 

©reemasaabnaturopathy