I LOVE this illustration and quote from Dr. Alejandro Junger, “Your intuition, your ‘gut feeling,’ has its hardware in and around the intestines, a brain larger than the one in your skull. If your gut is not healthy your ‘gut feelings’ won’t be accurate, which is like being an explorer with a broken compass… “

Dr Junger’s quote and this illustration offers the kind of information that always gets me thinking.

Because I’ve spent much time studying with Anthony Robbins and other success guides, I find myself circling back to the point that Dr. Junger offers us with questions I’ve had about the accessibility for creating success IF we indeed suffer from poor health. That is, if our gut health is awry in ways that impede even our intuition, how can we “create state,” how can we create success with lasting and meaningful results, as Anthony Robbins teaches us, if we are biochemically off? How can, as Darren Hardy, editor of Success magazine and author of The Compound Effect, a daily commitment to small, seemingly insignificant practices  produce the ginormous results he describes as possible in his book, if we are tripping physically, mentally and/or emotionally from poor gut health?

Restoring the health of our gut is pivotal, and is the foundation of my work, the foundation of my efforts as a health coach simply because I personally know how poor gut health can thwart our efforts in achieving success in other areas of life because our ‘our machine’ is ‘out of whack.’ Indeed, this IS the very reason why I say it is NOT about food (my mission as a health coach), but about living life fully. Personal experience and tireless research makes clear how poor gut health does indeed get in the way of creating our selves and our life fully. I always say to clients, we can pray all day long, we can grow ourselves professionally, financially, physically and personally… day in and day out. We can even have the most opulent home and luxurious car, shoes, watch, BUT, if we are bio-chemcially off, if our bodies are not functioning as were designed to function, if we are NOT healthy, the question then emerges, have we really achieved all that we are capable of achieving? How can we know if the life we are living is the richest, the fullest the most vital, if everything we’ve done emanates from a ‘dis-eased,’ ‘broken context?’ It’s like a house of cards, or icing on a mud-pie. If our digestion is off, if our minds are not clear, if we are constrained by illness, even seemingly unrelated illness, and the neurotransmission in our gut fails to connect our ‘inner’ circuits to our brain, all that was possible for us may very well elude us.

Optimizing or restoring the health of our gut is essential for proper digestion, proper absorption and proper elimination to occur. If one of these processes fails to function optimally,   our overall health will suffer, even our intuitive gut feelings.

To restore the health of our gut we begin with “crowding out” toxic food, drink and lifestyle practices that cause inflammation and an overly acidic body. Add in healthy, healing whole foods, like 80% raw vegetables (especially green) and low-sugared fruits. Eliminate ALL processed foods. Take a probiotic and eat probiotic-rich foods like raw-fermented vegetables. Go for a walk and take in some Vitamin D. Breathe deeply. Research repeatedly shows that we create great health and vitality when we practice our health care from a holistic health-care approach. This course of action will set the stage for greater health and well-being in all areas of  life. If you want additional support in healing your gut with whole, nutrient-dense foods, from a well-rounded holistic perspective, please contact me at  carol@carol-egan.com

So many take mood-enhancing drugs today. Gosh, I remember my heart just breaking the first time I heard someone say that their child was taking a medication that altered their mood. Their child? The rate at which “we” acquiesce to taking medications like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil is startling. Perhaps what is more startling is the rate at which they are prescribed.

My research continues to point to the ways the health of our gut has everything to do with the state of our mind, the balance of our mood, the cognitive ability we possess, or not. According to Dr. Alejandro Junger, our “gut” is more than our body’s digestive tube. Our “gut,” includes the healthy intestinal flora inside the lining of our digestive tract, the immune system and the nervous system. What is most important is research now clearly shows that our gut is akin to a “second brain” in our body, which makes perfect sense because of the close bio-physical communication and relationship these two major organs share.

For years, the medical world has been trying to figure out what causes our moods to change and what causes common problems like stress, anxiety, and even depression. We now know that the common problems that many of us experience like these are directly linked to serotonin production, the neurotransmitter that triggers feelings of happiness and wellbeing. What you may not know is that 90% of this “feel-good” serotonin isn’t even produced in the brain. Serotonin is largely produced in our gut. Because the gut primarily produces this bio-chemical process of the neurotransmitter serotonin to interact with our brain, problems we experience with our gut, undoubtedly show up with problems in our emotional health.

What we put inside our belly directly correlates to our emotional health. Hands down. Because of the proximity of our nervous system around the gut wall of our digestive system, if our gut is out of balance, our brain will be out of balance. Our nervous system surrounds our digestive tract and stages direct communication to our brain.  Have you ever had an upset stomach because your mind was so stressed?

Important to note too, our body contains 10x more bacteria than cells. Yes. Our body houses 37 trillion cells, but a hundred trillion bacteria (think the size of a quadricep)… and this bacteria (known as the friendly flora in the mucosal lining of our gut) not only acts like a “satellite liver” to neutralize about 40% of the toxins we take in through our food, it too communicates closely with our brain. Maintaining a balance of healthy gut flora is critical far beyond just the health of our gut. It impacts our overall wellbeing, including emotional balance and mood. Many scientific studies now point to gut problems behind the mood problems many experience today, and vice versa.

The best way to make sure your body has healthy bacteria is to eat live foods rich in healthy bacteria, oxygen and enzymes. Begin your healing, healthy nourishment program with lots of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits and add probiotic-rich foods, like raw fermented sauerkraut, raw fermented vegetables, coconut kefir. and probiotic-rich drinks like fermented tea, Kombucha. You can also include probiotic supplements to your daily protocols. Indeed, many health practitioners with me recommend this supplement as a solid healthy, daily practice. Keeping gut-health in check will help you to digest food properly, absorb vital nutrients, eliminate health-fully and maintain a healthy state of mind. Follow this protocol, with an alkaline-forming, high plant-based diet, and your body will begin to thrive in no time!

Mineral deficiency continues to show up on my desk. As I delve deeper into the theory of acid/alkaline balance, gut health, cognitive function, even the health of our skin and bones, proper mineral balance looms in the background as a very important, yet very underrated variable for creating vibrant health.

Hello glorious sea vegetables! Why? First because sea vegetables (or seaweeds) offers us the broadest range of minerals in any food, including calcium, iron and iodine, which help balance hormone and thyroid levels and every other bodily function. Secondly, that our bodies process whole-food nutrition so much more readily than pill-form supplementation, sea vegetables offer us a broad range of minerals and all its cofactors in a whole food form. I advocate whole foods nutrition precisely because each food that we choose to eat offers a specific set of co-factors and enzymes that work synergistically with the the vitamins, phytochemicals and minerals of that food. And in this case, the minerals in sea vegetables are more bioavailable because of the high concentrations of Vitamin C and Vitamins B1 and B2.

In Chinese medicine, sea vegetables correlate to the winter season and to the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder and reproductive organs. The strengthening, balancing and cleansing properties of sea vegetables are known to help these organs as well as the hair, skin and nails.  Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in a lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty or sugary foods. Adding sea vegetables to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings. Here is one very easy go-to recipe that I lean on quite regularly, simply put, because it is so easy and so nutritious! But do please note that there are endless ways that you can use sea vegetables every day. One other very easy way is to stock kelp, nori or another sea vegetable in flake form, to season and nutritionally fortify any dish you serve!

Mighty Miso Soup

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

4-5 cups spring water

1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water until softened

1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)

2-3 teaspoons barley miso (add more or less to your palate).

2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1.  Chop soaked wakame.

2. Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals (your plants will love it!).

3. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.

4. Add root vegetables first and simmer lightly (maintain firmness for nutritional value).

5. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes (leave firm again, to maintain nutritional value).

6. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.

7. Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth (you will destroy the gut-promoting enzymes and healthy bacteria).

8. Allow soup to cook 2-3 minutes.

9. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Note:

Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:

• onion-daikon: cleansing
• onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale: mildly sweet
• onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime
• leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime

Variations:

• Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
• Add bean sprouts toward the end.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.

Enjoy! 

Do you suffer from symptoms that no one can seem to explain why you experience them? Brain fog? Belly bloat? Multiple allergies? Skin conditions? Constipation? Auto-immune disease? If so, the elimination diet could quite possibly offer you the most easily available answers to your problems in a very short amount of time, in spite of the lack of diagnosis available to you thus far.

I liken the elimination diet to an experiment, with you, with your body as the test model. There is no risk. No blood work. No expensive tests. You simply remove all the foods that commonly cause allergic and inflammatory responses in the human body and add alkalizing, nutrient dense choices instead, to quell inflammation and restore proper digestion.  By eliminating the foods that commonly cause an allergic response for a window of time, you gain perspective on ingredients that can literally be robbing you of your health and vitality, even though you may think you are already living and eating healthfully.

Considered the “second brain” in our body, the gut is teeming with neurotransmitters, hormones and chemical messengers, with the majority of our immune system surrounding the gut walls. In the elimination diet, you start by eliminating common culprits of digestive upset and common food allergens. You dial down your daily meals and snacks so that you are only eating whole, nutrient dense foods that quell inflammation and promote calm and balance. To begin to heal your gut with a proper elimination diet, the categories of food to eliminate are:

• Grains – The foundation of the Food Pyramid for decades, now is under suspect, since it is now discovered that so many people experience great difficulty digesting grains, including corn.
• Processed Foods – There are many toxic chemicals (like MSG, artificial colors, and flavorings) and other undesirable ingredients (like GMOs, trans fats, and HFCS) in processed food that can impede digestion and cause havoc in multitudes of ways.
• High Glycemic Foods – Large amounts of starches and added sugars can feed a bacterial overgrowth and other gut dysbiosis problems.
• Gluten and Fructans – Found in many grains, gluten has been found to be one of the causes of leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune diseases. Fructans are found in FODMAPS (short-chain carbohydrates) and can also feed those bad bugs in your gut.
• Unrefined Oils – These can cause inflammation throughout your body.
• Feedlot Meats and Dairy – Meats and dairy from the conventional food system are full of hormones, antibiotics, and even poisons such as arsenic.
• Eggs, Peanuts, and Shellfish – All are common food allergens.
• Gut Irritants – Caffeine and alcohol wreak havoc on your gut. Avoid these while you are healing.

You will know, as you begin to add foods back in, what works for you and what doesn’t for you. I suggest adding foods back in slowly; give the diet a few weeks to quell inflammation and restore inner calm and balance, and then start adding foods back in one at a time. If a food or ingredient causes you to experience symptoms on 3 different occasions, you will know that you are sensitive to that food and to avoid it for a while. Try again later. Ultimately,  you will come up with a plan that you know is good for your body, because your energy will soar, your Spirit will feel lighter, your health will radiate from the inside out. Everyone is different and finding what works best for you will change the course of  your whole life!

Every month I offer an online elimination group detox that offers a wonderful dynamic of challenge and learning. If interested, please do check it out here.

Hello 2014! Filled with new possibilities. Filled with new opportunities to learn, to grow, to expand, to challenge ourselves. How do we move into this New Year ahead in ways that we open to all that awaits us on our horizon?

5 Things I know matter, no matter what:

1. Health matters. Yes, no dodging this one. We are biochemical machines. That is, because our body functions on nerve impulses and a chemical exchange of vital nutrients, we must honor this process of creating health and vitality, if we want to produce lasting results in all areas of our life. Creating healthy eating and healthy lifestyle practices builds a solid, healthy foundation for us to produce big giant success and overcome challenges that we encounter in our lives!

2. 100% Accountabilty matters. Have you ever heard anyone say that a relationship is 50-50? Consider this. If I am in relationship with you,

3. and I hold myself accountable for only 50% of the relationship, then I hold a backdoor open, to leave, to give up, to blame, to throw in the towel. How does that build a solid foundation of relationship, of trust? Now imagine that I am in relationship with you and you know that I am in 100%. Surely the foundation is different. Surely, if you know I am a 100% kind of girl, well then, that is going to show up in all areas of life very differently. Yes? What is possible then?

3. Action matters. We can talk all day long about what we care about, about what we want to do, about what we are committed to and what we treasure, but until rubber meets the road, until we get off the bleachers and onto the court of our life, well, it’s just talk. It’s cheerleading. It’s not playing full out! Action is where life happens. And yes, that means a formidable measure of a highly regarded and very underrated action, self-discipline!

4. Reflection and breath work matter. Many of us feel as though there is virtually no time to add a healthy New Year’s practice into our daily lives. We have some how created a “reason” system that keeps us from getting to the things that matter, that give us joy and enrich our lives. Reflection. Breathwork. Meditation. Call it what you like, but time alone, to powerfully center ourselves with our breath, with our heartbeat, with our “truest-selves” draws us closer to this Universal Force that gives us the gift of life. If even for only 5 minutes in the morning, and 5 minutes at night we draw inward and connect to this Force, we discover strengths we never knew we had, love we thought was not possible, kindness that seemed impossible. Taking time to center ourselves not only floods our body with vital oxygen, it ushers in creative energy because we’ve taken the time to simply be. On a very physical level, our body responds to this honoring, this commitment, in often very surprising ways.

5. Know your purpose matters. We can make pages and pages of goals we are committed to causing in 2014, but if we do not know why we are committed to causing them, our well-intentioned goals will bottom-out. Why do we want to lose weight? Why do we want a new job? Why do we want to go on vacation, get flat abs, make more money, be happier? When we get powerfully related to “our why” in everything and anything we do, major shifts WILL occur.

To a year of endless extraordinary possibilities!

Ahhh … Balance. That seemingly ever-elusive state of being that we all aspire to create in our lives. You know, that growing conversation about balancing our mind, body, Spirit and soul to create happiness within ourselves and within our lives. Yet, despite all of the ways that we take on to create balance, to create grace and ease in our lives, the events of daily life often pull us away from our grander intentions, leaving us feeling depleted, stressed, and acting in ways far less than our best selves.

Fortunately, many experts from a variety of different fields offer us ideas about how to create balance amidst the busy lives we all lead. More often than not, ideas from success gurus intersect with Spiritual seekers, meditation practitioners with business leaders. For example, Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, and author of The Compound Effect suggests an equation in his book; “small, smart choices + consistency + time = radical difference,” as a proactive approach to radically improve our life. Janice Lynn Lundy, author, Spiritual Director, and editor of Buddha Chick Life (buddhachicklife.com) offers us one example of this equation to transform the quality of our lives, but from a different perspective. Lundy believes that by consistently taking time every day to meditate to create inner-calm, even if only for five minutes, we develop greater clarity about who we are and what we want in life. From this place of clarity, Lundy says we access our inner wisdom to choose and create our lives more powerfully. We create balance and inner calm, to access our “truest” selves.

In this spirit of “value from all,” we offer you all sorts of ideas to explore and experiment with, to create balance in your life. Perhaps a breathing technique or visualization exercise from authors Sharon Salzberg or Diana Lang will resonate as your starting place. Perhaps advice from success guru Darren Hardy or motivational speaker Anthony Robbins will prompt you to create an action plan as your rooting exercise. Perhaps guidance about how to decompress from your hectic schedule from Dr. Frank Lipman, or tips about creating inner-harmony with an alkaline-based diet from Dr. Robert O. Young or Kris Carr, or fitness tips from triathlete Brendan Brazier will make clear what you need most in your life to create, balance, health and vitality. Or, perhaps you will hear the value of incorporating a bit of all of what we offer here into your daily lives, to increase your energy and vitality, to grow greater personal and professional success, and to develop your understanding of conscious living and living life fully, from a place of balance and clarity.