Today’s Gut Health Tip

Reading...get to it!

Are you currently reading a book you can't put down?

Or can't remember the last time you felt that way about a book?

 

Now is the perfect time to really get into a book and let it take you away.

 

How to find that book?  here are some ideas:

1. Download the GoodReads app.  You can create a list of books you have read and rate them.  The alogrithm in the app will then make suggestions based on books you loved.

2. Ask a friend.  Or some friends who like the same sort of books you do.  My mom, my sister and I trade alot of books.

3. Ask an employee at your favorite bookstore.  They are usually super knowledgeable.

 

If not of those work for you then just read something in the top 10 on the NY Times Bestseller List.... all those people can't be wrong!

 

Reading is the perfect summertime escape!

 

 

Get on the floor (this is not a JLo song)

The challenge for the week is to look at leisure time differently.

Watching tv...while doing a little bit of yoga.

Scrolling Instagram....and stretch on the floor.

Talking on the phone...walk up and down the hall or the stairs.

Just get moving!

Shop Local When You Can!

Yesterday I talked about Amazon.com and their smile program which allows you to donate a small percentage of your purchases to the charity of your choice...but I also wanted to remind you that your small local businesses need your support now more than ever!

You can enroll your American Express card in their shop local program and save $5 on a purchase of $10 or more at a participating local store.  That's like savings of %50 on a $10 item!

https://bit.ly/AmexLocalGuud 

You have to enroll by 7-26-2020 so get to it.

If you shop on Amazon.com

Not so much a health tip but if you consider that charity brings peace of mind which is necessary for wellness....

If you are shopping on Amazon please make sure to elect a charity to receive a small percentage of your shopping totals on Amazon.com in the Amazon Smile Program.

1. Visit smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials

3. Choose a charitable organization to receive donations, or search for the charity of your choice

4. Select your charity

Start shopping!

Also be sure to check the settings in your mobile app.  You will need to turn on Amazon smile in the mobile app to connect your account.  Do that in the setting section of the Amazon mobile app.

 

The OURA Ring Wellness Tracker

I love my Oura ring.  www.ouraring.com

It tracks so many health points: sleep, respiration, activity, body temperature, heart rate.

It talks to my apple watch and my iphone combining all of my date to spit out a readiness score each day based on how I've slept, how I have recovered from exercise, my body temperature and heart rate variability.

The app does a spectacular job of explaining all of this to you with easy to understand charts and diagrams.

You will even get a weekly report of how you are doing overall.  

I've been using it for 9 months now and use it as a general guide to what's happening in my body.  If my readiness score is low I try to take it easy or get more sleep.  Very interesting to see how a stressful day, a long run or drinking alcohol can really affect your daily readiness.

I'm a big fan.  Check it out!

Get FRESH

It's summer and summer flavors are spectacular.

Fruits and vegetables have their most nutritional value when freshly picked.

Find a farmer's market near you.  Know who grows your eggs.  Support your local farmer.

Find your local market or farm here: https://bit.ly/GuudFarmMarkets

Morning Sun in the Eyes

Good Morning!

Did you know that getting some direct sunlight (meaning not thru sunglasses or windows) into your eyes can help you to reset your circadian rhythm and ensure you produce melatonin which helps with the sleep-wake cycle?

It's true. 

Remember you don't want to look directly at the sun as that can hurt but looking up into the sky can do wonders for resetting your internal clock.

I ALWAYS feel better when I do this.  Bonus points if you can get your barefeet on the earth (Grounding) while you do this.

Ask for what you want & need

If you aren't satisfied with life, with what you have/where you are/who you are with/what's getting done ASK FOR HELP or ask for more.

It is such a super simple life tip....ask for it.

Outloud.

Communicate.

Name it.

Don't be afraid you won't get what you want because it is a possibility that your ask will go unmet.  Then you will simply need to ask in a way that is heard.

Getting what you want requires patience.  Sometimes asking multiple times in more than one way.  

 

When there is no visibility

Excuse the heavy breathing....I recorded this at the end of a beach run this morning.

I am thinking about the parallel between my foggy morning run with no visibility...and this damn Corona virus.  

It's scary, unclear, hard to know which way to go but we just keep moving forward...it really is all we can do.

Stay well friends....and get some movement in today.  You won't regret it.

UV Exposure to your back body

Just a thought....we have talked about upping your vitamin D levels with exposure to the sun.  10-15 minutes midday with no sunscreen should do it.  You don't want to even get pink.  Just a little everyday.

If you are nervous about getting sun on your face and chest consider tanning your back body.  The back of your body has much thicker skin and will absorb just as much sunlight as your front.

Grab a towel, find a sunny spot and get horizontal for a little while.  Perhaps for even a cat nap.

Why Fat Matters and which fat is most important

Our cleanest source of fuel for our bodies is fat though our bodies prefer to burn glucose or sugar for quick energy - in the absence of sugar or carbohydrates our bodies turn to fat.  That is why Intermittent Fasting works so well...we deny our bodies any source of energy for 16-18 hours and it will have no choice but to burn our own stores of body fat for energy.

I recently came across Dr. Cate Shanahan who wrote "The Fat Burn Fix"  

She writes about the danger of bad fats on our metabolism espeically in this time of Covid.  These bad fats are seed oils or PUFA's (poly unsaturated fatty acids) which are so common in our diets and are disrupting our metabolisms and forcing our immune system to produce dangerous levels of inflammation.  She claims it is why older people and people who have horrible diets are dying more often from Covid 19.

What are the Hateful Eight?

Canola Oil

Corn Oil

Cottonseed Oil

Sunflower Seed Oil

Safflower Seed Oil

Soy Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Rice Bran Oil

Remember how I talk about avoiding anything in a bag or a box (body bags for food!?) - it is because they are loaded with these unstable and highly reactive fats.  An easy way to remember them are 3 C's 3 S's grape & rice. 

Want to listen to Dave Asprey and Dr Cate talk fat: https://blog.daveasprey.com/cate-shanahan-713/ 

Scan your pantry folks.  Avoid commercial bakeries.  Start using butter in your baked goods and skip the vegetable oil.  This diagram makes it easy to remember.  Please share this with the ones you love:

All the wellness folks are saying this....

www.chriskresser.com

Sign up for his newsletters.

He is talking about the pandemic being a long haul and how we know older people or people with co-morbidities or pre-existing conditions are 6 times more likely to be hospitalized and 12x more likely to die than people who were healthy when they contracted Covid19.

On the flip side it is also being shown that reversing your pre-existing conditions can reduce your risk of Covid-associated death.

It means that your best defense is a good offense. We need to stay well and take control of our wellness.

Simple changes and better choices.....

Daily Movement - get the glazed donut look.

Water - clean, pure, filtered - copious.

Eat well.  Clean.  Real foods, not bagged or boxed.

Sleep.

All of the things I talk about on the daily.

If you are doing these things and feeling great HOORAY!!!!  Please encourage those you love to do the same.  And if they need a kick in the wellness booty - send em my way.

 

Happy 4th of July

Celebrations will look a bit different this year.

Reminder to stay well, stay home and safe, choose good sun protection (https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/) , and find a new way to make fun.  We bought some sparklers for the kiddos and will have a good old American BBQ with hamburgers and hot dogs this year.  Fireworks have been cancelled so we will just have to make our own fun!

Cheers!

Remember there are archives + could please leave me a review?

Reminder that there are over 725 episodes of Today's Health Tip all archived in iTunes.  If you usually listen on Alexa and have heard me talk about show notes...that's for iTunes.  You can find back episodes here: https://bit.ly/GuudCoPodcast

Also, wherever you listen if you could take 2 minutes to leave me a review I would be so appreciative.  It's the best way for people to learn about my work.  You can drop a comment here on Amazon: https://bit.ly/AlexaGuudFB 

Let's connect!

I'm on Instagram @theguudcompany

and Facebook too!  https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheGuudCompany/

More about me: https://about.me/melissahallklepacki 

 

Tick Checks Please.

If you are spending time outdoors especially in gardens or woods this info is for you.

Each and every time you come in from the outdoors please shower immediately.  Strip down and use a hand mirror. Check your groin, back, behind your knees and your whole back body.

You don't want to give a tick a chance to bite and transmit bacteria.

www.tickreport.com offers a service to test a tick for bacteria.  If you have been bitten you can mail the tick to them for testing for a small fee.  That way you will know what bacteria your doctor will need to treat if you feel unwell.

stay well, stay safe.

Wellness Challenge: No Bag/No Box

Here's a wellness challenge for today: Eat nothing from a bag or box; body bags for food an old professor once said.

Today eat from the fridge, eat from the farm just don't eat things that aren't in their original form.

Bread in a bag is loaded with preservatives, a fresh loaf from a bakery is a better choice.

Think salads, fruits and veggies, lots of water, skip the sugar.

It's one day...I'm in.  Who is with me?

Sneakers + Toothbrushes

Today I am talking about sneakers and toothbrushes.  Not as shown in the photo where you use an old toothbrush to clean your sneakers...though its a great idea and works wonders on grout too...

Two things that might need replacing.

Listen in for how to know if it's time to replace your toothbrush or your sneakers.

Also, I have recorded about 900 episodes and I am running out of things to talk about.  How can I help you?  What would you like to learn more about in the field of Wellness?  Send me a DM on Insta @theguudcompany or over on Facebook.

If you want it, you can do it. It is that simple.

What is it you want to work on?  Name it and do it.

It really is that simple.

It's one day at a time.  Every damn day.

Wellness is a daily practice.  Simple changes and better choices will get us there.

Happy weekend peeps....see you back here on Monday.

Better Sleep Hygiene and My Favorite Sleep Supplement.

How are you sleeping lately?  If you are struggling it's time to revisit your sleep hygiene.

How do you prepare for sleep.  You need a wind down routine.  If you have access to a bath tub a hot epsom salt bath can do wonders to relax your body.  Brushing teeth and washing your face is part of your nighttime ritual as should be changing into some sleep wear.

If you struggle with sleep you might like to try my favorite sleep supplement: Restful Sleep gummies by Olly.  A combination of melatonin and botanicals it really helps me to get a good nights rest.

check them out here: https://www.olly.com/products/sleep