Momma B: A Grand Plan Isn't Always the Answer - Small Adjustments Make the Greatest Difference

There was a time when my life consisted of daily headaches and regular migraines. No prescription medications, not even trial prescriptions, worked for me, and I began to feel helpless. When I took matters into my own hands and began researching headache and migraine triggers, I found a lot of information about food ingredients that can cause headaches. Since then, I’ve been reading food labels, knowing that MSG, artificial sweeteners, food colorings, and artificial flavors were all things that could make my headaches and migraines worse. I focused solely on the food and ingredients I needed to avoid, so I never thought about the foods I wasn’t eating and what adding to my diet could do for me. I was avoiding what I knew was bad, but for the most part, most of the food I ate still came in packages. Before I enrolled in IIN, I never considered eating whole, natural foods as a way to avoid headaches and migraines. Once I started to bring real food into my daily diet, I quickly noticed a difference.

Now I look at food very differently. My daily headaches and regular migraines were my body's way of communicating that it was not happy with what I had been feeding it. I just didn't realize it at the time. As I progressed through my IIN program, I started to learn how to nourish my body, not just feed it processed "foods", so my migraines started to get better. Thanks to my newfound relationship with my body, I had more energy, was taking less medication, and my focus improved too. It felt good to feel better, but I still had a nagging headache each morning as I left for work. I had reduced the packaged foods I ate, was eating mostly whole foods, but now that I knew how to communicate with my body, I understood that there was room for improvement if I still didn't feel my very best. Finally, I thought to read the ingredients label on my toothpaste. And there it was - artificial sweetener. I had been reading labels long before I enrolled in IIN and was so disappointed that I didn’t take the time to read that label until then. Since I’ve changed to a natural toothpaste, I no longer experience a daily headache. And because I’m eating real food now, it's been months since I last had a migraine.

Every small change makes a big difference. Listen to your body, and take the time to learn how to nourish it so you can feel your very best. When you feel your best, it manifests itself in the rest of your life.

To read more about developing your awareness of your body's reaction to what you feed it, check out my article The Food Mood Connection.

B Well,

Momma B.

Jennifer Hanway: Rest & Reset - The Importance of More Sleep for Less Stress

Wasn't the extra hour of sleep a blessing?  Not only does sleep make you feel wonderful, it has some pretty amazing health benefits too: 

To visit Jennifer's website and read more articles by her visit: http://jenniferhanway.com/

To visit Jennifer's website and read more articles by her visit: http://jenniferhanway.com/

  • It helps to control weight and improves body composition (ration of body fat to lean muscle) in two ways. Sleep regulates the hormones that effect appetite, and when we don't get enough sleep our bodies produce more of the hormone ghrelin which in turn leads us to make poor food choices and consume more calories. Research studies have also shown that lack of sleep leads to less energy output, i.e. we are less likely to exercise (or even walk around the block) due to tiredness and lack of motivation.
  • It increases your ability to handle both mental and physical stress. Not only this but sleep lowers both blood pressure levels and the stress hormone cortisol.
  • It has a beneficial effect on our mood and our thinking. Not only does it make us feel happier and less worried (studies show a long term sleep deficit can lead to depression and anxiety) good sleep increases cognitive function, leading to better judgement, improved focus and less tendency to takes risks.
  • It enables cell repair throughout the body, important for both repairing muscles post workout (we are at our weakest state post workout due to the breaking down of muscle fibers, they will repair and get stronger whilst we sleep) and beautiful skin (repair at the cellular level results in less fine lines and wrinkles, and gives us a glowing, even complexion).
  • It decreases inflammation: chronic inflammation is the source of many diseases, including cancer, obesity, and heart disease. We all need some level of inflammation in the body to help heal and fight off infections, but when too much inflammation is present (this can be caused by a myriad of things, from stress to bad food choices and poor gut health) it can cause the immune system to malfunction, relating in auto immune conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and arthritis.

There are many simple ways to improve the quality of our sleep, below are five easy to implement health habits:

  • Introduce a caffeine curfew: for me this time is 3.30pm, for others it may be later or earlier, depending on your tolerance for caffeine. If you find your mind racing the minute you close your eyes start moving your caffeine curfew back by half an hour to see if it helps.
  • Get outside in daylight: as the days become shorter we can find ourselves not seeing the daylight hours. By taking just a 10-15 minute walk outside at lunchtime you can normalize your circadian rhythm, letting your body know it is time to ‘wind down’ when the sun goes down.
  • Ensure adequate magnesium levels: due to our modern diets and extra environmental stresses the majority of us are magnesium deficient. Magnesium is needed in over 300 metabolic processes in the body, and is vital for ensuring a restful nights sleep .
  • Do not take the phone into the bedroom! Use an old fashioned alarm clock, or if you must use your phone turn the wifi off and switch to airplane mode for good measure. The electrical signals will have a negative impact on quality of sleep, even if you do not wake up.
  • Consider supplements for sleep: they are many natural supplements available that can help aid sleep, my favorite is a product called RestoREM from the Poliquin Group. RestoREM contains the nutrients 5-HTP, Phenibut and melatonin and to improves serotonin levels, resulting in better sleep patterns to leave you feeling refreshed and energised when you wake (https://main.poliquinstore.com/?___store=usw&acc=cd00692c3bfe59267d5ecfac5310286c).

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of less stress and more sleep, I would love for you to join me at my informal, intimate Wellness Talk next Tuesday 10th November at 7pm at 715 Boylston Street, Boston, MA. You will leave with easy to implement nutrition, lifestyle and supplement strategies and have the opportunity to voice your concerns and questions to myself and the group.

We will also be joined by leading meditation expert Charity Collier who specializes in bringing meditation into the lives of busy people. Charity will be leading us through a 5 minute mediation at the end of the talk to help us leave relaxed, refreshed and ready to implement our new healthy habits.

Tickets are $12 and spaces are limited. Attendees will receive a gift bag and 10% of ticket sales go to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

For booking and more information please visit:

https://www.movewith.com/events/rest-and-reset-with-jennifer-hanway

Momma B: Always Judge a Food By It's Cover

“The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!”
Challenging myself to eat food with only five ingredients or less is how I got started on my journey to eating real food. Before that, the idea of purchasing kale or anything else from the produce section was so foreign to me because these foods didn't come in a package with preparation instructions. The changes in my health and lifestyle have been dramatic since I started eating real food - foods that are grown and raised close to home - here's how you can get started:
“Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.”
To start the transition, focus on avoiding anything with ingredients you don't recognize or can't pronounce. By slowly working out those artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives as food options, you will eventually find your way to the outer perimeters of the grocery store - the produce section. It's intimidating at first though! It's hard to be creative and find recipes that keep you on track. In the beginning, it was common for me to not use the new foods I had bought at all, and I'd end up wasting them; but I knew these things I wasted were great for my body, so I didn't stop trying. Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.
Even if you don't notice a difference in how you feel right away, just remember that what you eat creates your cells, becomes your blood and influences your mind. These are all long term processes, which are the results of long term behavior, so stay committed to your transition to a happier, healthier lifestyle. The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!

5 Reasons I Drink Warm Lemon Water Every Morning

When I (hesitantly) roll out of bed in the wee hours of the morning (I do it for YOU my faithful 6-AM-er’s!), the first thing I do to start my day is prepare my warm mug of lemon water. I turn on my Keurig, chop a lemon in half, squeeze the lemon into a mug, then throw the mug under the Keurig, (which I just run without putting a K-cup inside so that the water comes out pure and warm - #LifeHack!!). Then, I sip on my warm, tart beverage as I go through my morning routine.

The other day, I had that nagging feeling you get when you forget to do something - like brush your teeth or put on deodorant. I was half way through my 2nd session of the day when my voice went horse and my throat felt scratchy. That's when I realized what part of my routine I had forgotten: my warm lemon water. That's your answer right there – I drink warm lemon water daily because I scream and holler while I sweat alongside you beasts. I teach at least 12 classes a week, and the warm lemon water soothes my throat.

Cool story, right?! Ok, ok, well that's why I started drinking it, and it totally worked – but I've noticed a list of other amazing benefits. They're significant enough that I now recommend everyone add this habit to their morning routine, even you. Check it out:

I'm better hydrated. The nutrients and electrolytes wake up my cells and replenish my body first thing. This gets my metabolism ready to function so that the rest of the fuel and water I consume gets processed efficiently and effectively. Thanks to that, the rest of this list is true.

I'm “regular”. TMI! I know :( Ugh, it's so embarrassing to talk about, but I need to keep it real. Your body’s ability to eliminate waste is so important – especially for weight loss.  Why do you think detoxes are all the craze right now?! Along with sweating, your pit stops throughout the day are your body's natural way of detoxing. The nutrients in lemon juice aid your digestion processes, helping you detox, making you regular, and creating ideal conditions in your body for fat loss.

My skin is healthier! Your appearance changes from the inside out. Thanks to this daily habit, my body is better at detoxing, so now the cells that build my skin are healthier because of it. Also, the nutrients in lemon juice enhance skin elasticity. Do you know what this means?! Less wrinkles and no sagging, that's what it means. Pretty great, huh?!

Did you know that you have 4 layers to your skin? In your younger years, it takes just 28 days for the deepest layer of skin cells to die and work their way to the surface. Yes, the layer of skin we can see is entirely dead cells. Ew. As you age, this same process can take up to 120 days. The reason I think this is important to understand is that, in order to see a difference in your skin, you need to do this regularly for 2-5 months, and then maintain the habit to maintain the results.

My immune system is stronger. Lemons contain a high Vitamin C content, which is essential for immunity from pathogenic diseases and viruses. In addition to Vitamin C, lemon itself is an antibacterial. This means that consuming it could eliminate the bacteria that cause illness from your body before your immune system even needs to react. This is probably why I powered through the unimaginable Boston Winter of 2015 without ever contracting the cold or flu. Take that New England!

I'm less achy. Working as a full time fitness professional, I get a lot of activity and don't always get proper recovery. The build up of lactic acid, lack of stretching, and repetition of this multiple times a day often leaves my body tight and my joints achy. Lemons are alkaline, meaning they help balance pH levels in your body. This helps my body drain lactic acid from my muscles and uric acid from my joints to reduce the tension and inflammation that create aches and pains.

There are so many more benefits to consuming warm lemon water daily. I wanted to share the ways it has significantly impacted my own personal health and well-being, but this list is just the beginning. Invest in some lemons and give it a try! Tell me what you're hoping to improve and keep me updated on your results on Twitter @cassiebstrong #BWell.

B Well,

Cassie B.

Momma B Well: The Best Diet For... Everything

Momma B:

I remember the days of buying every magazine in the grocery check-out line that claimed to know the “best” ways to lose weight, increase energy, or cure headaches and migraines. Little did I know, the “best” solution for someone else's body wouldn't necessarily be the best for my own. Some of the diets even made me feel poorly. Ultimately, I had to find my own unique “diet” - sustainable, healthy eating habits - in order to feel my very best.

Have you ever felt that way? Disappointed that the diet that worked for your friend didn't do anything for you. Or the magazine article that promised you would lose 10lbs in 10 days didn't work. Want to know the “secret”? As a professional Health Coach I call it “Bio-Individuality”.  What it means is: you don't need a book to give you a plan - you need to develop a relationship with your body. Recently, in “Decoding Your Cravings”, I explained that the way you feel is your body's way of communicating its reaction to what you fuel it with. Your body already tells you what it needs, (and what it doesn't), to function at it's highest potential. Tuning in and listening to your body, you will cultivate the ability to eat intuitively, trusting your body to guide you to the foods that best support you and your lifestyle.

“You don’t need a book to give you a plan - you need to develop a relationship with your body.”

This is far more challenging than following a prepared plan from the latest media-hyped fad diet, but in the end it will be far more effective. Plus, the process is way more rewarding! To learn how to tune in to your body check out my recent article “The Food Mood Connection”. Instead of following a plan, follow your body’s guidance to understand your own nutritional needs. You will arrive at a place of lasting health and physical well-being.