Suggested Practices
Body Journal - 30 days:
This is an in depth observation of your body and daily patterns. Keep either a little notebook with you or record voice notes and transcribe them at the end of the day. You'll want to have it all in writing, so whatever is most efficient for you.
Tune in with your body hourly, beginning as soon as you wake up. Each check-in should just take a couple minutes.
First you'll do an inward scan of your whole physical state of being. Take note of sensations such as:
- energy level
- appetite
- areas of pain/tension/discomfort or ease and relaxation
- temperature - areas of excess heat or cold
- areas of excess moisture or dryness
- visceral sense of emotions (ex: chest feels heavy or bubbly, fluttering in solar plexus, constriction in throat, etc)
- libido
- posture
- breathing
- digestion
- cravings
Then you'll do an outward scan of external and behavioral stimuli such as:
- what time you fell asleep and woke up, how many hours you slept and how well you slept (did you wake up in the night and if so, what time was it and for how long? what were the tones of your dreams, etc)
- what you've ingested (includes alcohol, tobacco, drugs, supplements, water...literally anything you've put in your body)
- what environment you're in (weather, allergens, air quality, lighting, sounds, smells, people, travel, etc)
- social interactions
- exercise
- sexual activity
- meditation
- time spent online staring at a screen
- finances
- sunlight exposure
- the clothes and shoes you're wearing
- state of the world
Daily Practice + Cirdadian/hormone reset
- Unplug from wifi and screens at sunset. Put phone on airplane mode if possible. One step further is to use candlelight at home.
- Rise with the sun (go to sleep 8 hrs before sunrise)
- Take some alone time to go outside and watch the sunrise. Meditate, practice qigong and yoga. Make it an intuitive free form practice that is less about "doing" and more about listening to how the body wants to move and what she wants to do. This may be a mix of yoga, dance and qigong. Attune with your energetic field and let that be what guides the movement, not your thoughts.
***Slow down. With everything. See what you can remove from your plate and all the areas where you can make space in your days. Take time to literally do nothing each day (zero stimuli). Attune with soft, open, receptivity.
- Caffeine (replace with Dandelion Root and/or Chicory Root)
- Alcohol
- Sugar - A litte raw honey, pure maple syrup or molasses is ok
- Synthetic ingredients/chemicals of any kind including skincare and toothpaste.
- Processed and GMO Foods
- Pesticides
- Dairy - organic butter and ghee are ok, good for high heat cooking
- Seed oils - the best oils are extra virgin, cold-pressed such as olive, avocado or coconut (coconut oil is good for high heat cooking , the others are best raw)
- Soy
- Nut or grain milks unless they are homemade (the packaged vegan milks usually are made with seed oils, thickeners like guar gum, etc and sugar).
- Wheat gluten
- Iodized salt (stick with sea salt)
- Nuts and seeds sparingly - ideally eat them raw, local, in season and in the quantity that nature would actually provide if you were picking them (ex: sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, etc in fall and winter). Avoid nut butters with the exception of organic black sesame tahini.
Food Suggestions
- Quality proteins (grass fed/organic meat and eggs from reliable farmers)
- Organic vegetables (steamed is best for nutrients - use good water and drink the water from the steamed veggies)
- Root vegetables (beets, sweet potato, yams, etc)
- Dark leafy greens (spinach, chard, beet greens, etc)
- Bitters (wild lettuce, dandelion greens, etc)
- Purple and black foods for kidneys (black sesame seeds, miso, figs, grapes, blueberries, plums, black beans, etc)
- Seaweed
- Bone broth
- Fish and veggie stew
- Buckwheat (bread, pasta, etc)
- Mung beans
- Kidney beans
- Aduki beans
- Millet
- Amaranth
- Fermented foods
- Sprouted grains
- Local, seasonal fruits
- Overall think fresh, whole foods that are local and in season. Keep it simple. Eat seasonal fruits in whole form instead of juices for the most part. Fruit is best eaten on an empty stomach. Carbs are best eaten separate from protein.
- Water/fluids are best consumed separate from food. No cold beverages. The body can only assimilate about 8-10 oz of water at a time. Give yourself about 30 minutes after drinking to eat (unless it's something light and watery like fruit), then wait about 1.5-2 hours after eating a meal to drink again (depends on how heavy the meal was, the idea is not to dilute stomach acid while digesting - work with the body)
- Regularly eat high quality seaweed (not the crispy snacks fried in seed oils). You can even get it straight from the ocean (any kind). It's great in fish soup or bone broth.
*** SPLEEN SUPPORT***
- Eat plenty of warm, cooked foods and soups with ingredients like sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, spinach, pumpkin, millet, etc.
- Avoid green juices and raw veggies.
- Take your time to eat slowly, chew your food, sit down and relax.
- Eat on a regular schedule (especially breakfast).
- Avoid stimulants and overstimulating environments or people.
- Take all things that aren't high priority off your plate. Make space in your life to relax and get your bare feet on the ground.
- Avoid too much screen time and cerebral activity. Practice embodiment and movement.
* Eat a nutrient dense meal with protein daily anytime between 7:30 - 9:30am when stomach qi is most vital. It does not need to be big, just very nourishing. Something like bone broth with a couple soft boiled eggs + steamed spinach and avocado. Or a chicken and veggie stew. Sit down and take your sweet time. This is to nourish your spleen and nervous system.
* Lunch is best when the sun is at its peak, can be the biggest meal.
* Light dinner before sunset
Adrenal Cocktail
(kidney and adrenal support)
1/2 fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice (1 orange or grapefruit)
1/2 coconut water
1 scoop of high quality Chlorella
A pinch of sea salt
Drink on an empty stomach.
This is a great for late afternoon between meals.
