Live Well Podcast | Episode 2 - Navigating Conflicting Dietary Advice With Mickey Trescott

In episode 2 of the Live Well Podcast, I got to talk with the amazing Mickey Trescott about navigating conflicting dietary advice. Mickey Trescott is author of the best-selling book, The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, co-author of The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook and co-host of The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast with Angie, as well as the creator of the video-based cooking program, AIP Batch Cook. 

LISTEN BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)

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I asked Mickey the question, “How do you deal with all of the conflicting information out there with dietary fads and differing theories?" because it’s something that comes up with every single one of my coaching clients, and it's something I’ve grappled with myself.

Maybe you have an inkling that your diet might be affecting whether you have a chronic illness or not? Or you’ve begun to dive into the research, have tried a few things and bought a million supplements and have come up overwhelmed and confused?

There's SO much information out there, which is great. But depending on what you read and who you speak to, you'll get a different answer for how to improve your symptoms and feel better. So how do you know what’s best?

THE SHORT ANSWER: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

“Listen to your body” might be an annoying phrase that you can’t quite wrap your head around. It’s in the same family as, “reduce your stress” or “self-care” or other phrases that sound so nice and simple, but can be hard to pin down when you’re actually trying to achieve them.

Listening to our bodies has become a vague and somewhat challenging task because we've gotten so used to looking outside of ourselves for information and guidance on how to feel better.

Instead of constantly searching and looking outside of ourselves for the answers, I want to talk about how to look within as the only way to really figure out what works best for you and your beautiful body.

HERE ARE THREE WAYS TO START THIS PROCESS OF TUNING IN:

1. 5 second body scans before meals to ask yourself these questions:

   1. How am I feeling?

   2. Where am I holding tension?

   3. What are my symptoms?

   4. What is my energy level?

2. Getting quiet. Silence isn’t empty. It's full of answers. Breathing and meditating allows us to clear mental clutter so we can more fully listen to the signs and signals our bodies are trying to give us. I like the apps Calm or Insight for introductory meditation, or I practice my favorite 4-7-8 breathing technique.

3. Complete a 5-day food/symptom journal to start the process of noticing how what you put in your body makes you feel. You can download it by clicking here >>

This is a process and it's like strengthening a muscle, so be patient with yourself! Let me know in the comments where you're at with this process of tuning in. What do you notice right now if you do a 5 second body scan? What comes up? If you complete your 5-day food journal and come up with some interesting insights, let me know!

If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.

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P.S. I always offer free 30-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and what’s standing in your way.

We are all unique and will implement each of these strategies differently, so contact me to set up a consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

In Health, 

Christina Tidwell, MN, RN, CHC

The Live Well Podcast | Episode 5 - Emily V Gordon on Managing her Chronic Autoimmune Disease

I'm excited to announce that I've recently started a podcast! The Live Well Podcast is dedicated to helping those with autoimmune disease get control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.

Today I'd like to share my most recent episode where I chat with Emily V Gordon, co-author of the movie The Big Sick. In this episode Emily opens up about her life with chronic autoimmune disease, how her husband Kumail Nanjiani supports her, and her views on health as a basic human right. 

Listen below (and don't forget to subscribe so you'll never miss out!)

Click here to listen in iTunes

Click here to listen in Stitcher

Or if you’d like to play the episode right now in your browser, use the player below!

Show Notes:

• 0:00 Introduction

• 1:50 Introducing Emily V Gordon

  • About Emily

  • Emily’s book – Super You: Release Your Inner Superhero

• 2:30 What happened after Emily was out of her coma and discharged from the hospital

  • “It was  little less cinematic”

  • The range of emotions that chronic disease brings

• 3:53 How Emily felt physically

  • Joint pain

  • Muscle weakness

  • Fatigue

• 4:40 Not getting the right care from her team at the right time

• 5:30 Additional Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) diagnosis along with Still’s Disease

• 7:50 What are the things that have been the most helpful for you in trying to get to the root cause of disease?

  • Found a new doctor who had a better therapeutic relationship

  • IVIG antibody treatment

  • Self-advocacy

• 10:40 How Emily balances a high-profile career and managing her autoimmune disease

  • Understanding limiting beliefs about burn out and success

  • Self-advocate for scheduled rest

  • Boundaries

• 15:45 Guilt about not being able to have the energy to do certain things

• 19:10 How her husband Kumail Nanjiani supports her

  • His first reaction was guilt for not noticing

  • His role as a fierce protector in ways that were “beautiful and way too much”

• 21:50 How chronic illness affects those around us

• 24:00 How our parents dealt with a child with chronic autoimmune disease

• 26:30 Emily speaks about writing the Apple series Little America and delves into the fundamental pillars of health and wellbeing

  • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

  • Barriers to getting healthcare

  • How poverty and oppression affect our health

• 35:45 Emily’s advice on how to move forward with managing your chronic illness

• 37:50 Outro

If you loved this episode I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.

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P.S. I always offer free 30-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and what’s standing in your way.

We are all unique and will implement each of these strategies differently, so contact me to set up a consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

In Health, 

Christina Tidwell, MN, RN, CHC

Cassava Flour "Breaded" Fish Recipe [AIP, GF]

Have you tried cassava flour yet? Cassava flour is made from cassava or yucca, a root veggie used widely in South America and parts of Asia and Africa. The flour is made by peeling, drying and grinding the root itself. It's gaining popularity as a gluten-free flour alternative and I've been having fun experimenting with it! I should note that some people who have a gluten sensitivity don't tolerate cassava. As with any food, note how it works for you and adjust accordingly.

I made this "breaded" fish recipe and it's now a household favorite. Honestly I think the cassava flour is a better addition than standard breadcrumbs. I hope you enjoy it! 

Cassava Flour "Breaded" Fish

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces (4-6 pieces) or another thicker white fish

5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Lemon Juice Mixture 

5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp melted ghee (omit if following elimination phase of AIP and substitute with more oil)

Dry Mixture 

1/3 cup cassava flour (I like this brand) 

3/4 tsp salt

(Can add other spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika) 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

In another shallow bowl, mix cassava flour and salt (and other spices if adding in). 

Pat fish fillet dry. Dip fish in the lemon juice mixture then dip in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour.

Heat 2 tbsp cooking fat (coconut oil or ghee) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and sear on each side to give it some color, but do not fully cook (1-2 minutes on each side) Remove from heat.

Add the minced garlic to the remaining lemon juice mixture and mix. Drizzle all over the fish.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the fish begins to flake easily with a fork. Remove from heat and sprinkle on chopped parsley. I like to serve this with a nice big salad and some roast veggies or with some sauteed bok choy!

Want some more gluten-free, AIP recipes? Get the rest of the 7-day AIP meal plan for free by clicking here! >>

In my free Autoimmune Paleo Batch Cooking Meal Plan you will receive: 

+ 7 day meal plan
+ Step by step instructions for how to cook an entire week’s worth of food in just two, 2-hour sessions (life changing)
+ Grocery lists
+ Twelve of my favorite, easy, AIP compliant recipes!

Enjoy making delicious and nutritious meals in way less time.  

How To Eat For Energy - Step 5: Set Energizing Boundaries

Today we're on to step five of eating for energy and getting rid of that 3 PM "crash."

Last week we talked about the important impact that caffeine has on our energy levels and getting out of that energy zapping cycle. If you missed steps 1-4, join in and read about them here:

STEP 1: Balancing Your Blood Sugar >>

STEP 2: Eat real, whole foods >>

STEP 3: Eat balanced meals >>

STEP 4: Consider Caffeine >>

So far we’ve been focused on what we're putting inside of our bodies as fuel. Now I want to focus on the ways in which we let our energy out. Watch the short video below or read on to learn about burnout and how to set energizing boundaries to preserve that precious energy of yours!

As a society in general, we're constantly busy, switched on all the time, and connected in ways we haven’t been before. We're working harder than ever, and we're tired. When you talk to someone at work and you ask how they're doing, more often than not, their answer has something to do with how tired they are or how they didn't sleep enough or how busy they are or how crazy their schedule has been.

I feel this personally as well! I run a business and also work as a healthcare professional and I'm really, really busy. I'm also someone that has an autoimmune disease, and throughout all my life, I've learned that I need to sleep, rest and care for myself more than most people do.

Last month I was feeling fatigued and burnt out. I was in a place where my body was asking me to rest and recharge. I felt like if I canceled clients for a day, or if I called in sick, or if I wasn't able to produce or do my work, that everything would crumble around me. I felt like I wouldn't be able to keep everything up.

When I was in that place, I was thinking about all the different ways that we expend our energy. Energy is such a valuable resource, especially for those of us who've dealt with chronic fatigue issues or autoimmune issues and don't have a ton of it to give. When our boundaries are weak, unguarded, or unclear, we let in all sorts of stuff that isn’t actually our stuff, and we give away our own personal energy unconsciously.

It’s important to look at all of the areas in which we're hemorrhaging or expending our energy so that we can set some good energizing boundaries for ourselves. You could be eating the most beautiful diet in the world, balancing your meals perfectly, sipping on chamomile tea, but if you're hemorrhaging energy because you don't have good boundaries in place, than you're going to burn out.

3ways to set powerful, energizing boundaries:

Step 1: Say “No”

Look ahead at your calendar for this next week. Is there anything you see that gives you a feeling of anxiety or stress right away? If there is, it's likely that it's something that's taking a lot of your energy. I know if you have families and kids and obligations, than not everything in your schedule is going to be in your control, and that's fine. But look ahead and see if there are places where you can say no and give yourself a little bit more space.

Instead of scheduling your whole weekend out, can you have days or periods of time where there's nothing, where you can give yourself some space and time?

Step 2: Schedule time to do nothing

By this I mean actually marking time on your calendar to do nothing. This doesn't have to be scheduling spa days. It can literally be scheduling 10 minutes of silence for yourself. You could breathe, meditate, go to a yoga class, have a tea date with a friend, or stare at a wall if you want. It doesn't matter as long as it’s something that gives you energy. It’s necessary to give ourselves designated time to rest and recharge, and sometimes we have to schedule it in to make sure that it happens.

Here's a beautiful meditation that I've been listening to that talks about resting and recharging as the natural cycles of life. A flower doesn't bloom all of the time. It needs to take time to draw its energy back within itself and so that it can bloom again when the time is right. As humans we're the same. We can't constantly be on and blooming. We need time to go inward and to rest and restore as well.

Listen to the meditation here >>

Step 3: Get mindful about technology

This is one of the first things I address with many of my clients because technology can be a huge energy suck! If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in an Instagram deep dive, scrolling mindlessly through pictures and you come up 30 minutes later feeling drained, inadequate and insecure, then you know how much our social media consumption can affect us.

Putting some gentle boundaries on how you use and consume technology is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to preserve energy.

I recommend setting morning and evening boundaries. This can mean waking up in the morning and not grabbing your phone until you are done with your morning routine. I like to say, “Tell yourself who you are before the rest of the world does.” It’s amazing what this can do for your overall mindset and well-being.

In addition to limiting distractions with social media, limiting blue light and screen time in the evenings can positively influence our circadian rhythms and help to improve our sleep. [1] 

Now you have all five steps of eating for energy and getting rid of that 3 PM "crash” to integrate into your own life. I hope you've enjoyed considering all of the ways that you can supercharge your energy so you can get back to being your fabulous, energized self!

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If you want to talk more about what this looks like in your life specifically, I always offer free 30-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and what’s standing in your way.

We are all unique and will implement each of these strategies differently, so contact me to set up a consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

In Health, 

Christina Tidwell, MN, RN, CHC

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