Beef bone broth is one of my favorite things to make this time of year. It is full of minerals, vitamins, amino-acids and various other nutrients in a very bio-available form. Meat stock aids digestion and has been know for centuries as a healing folk remedy for the digestive tract. Nothing like a hot mug full after walking my dog Tanner as the weather is a tad wet and cold, it satisfies my whole being right to the core, walla I am nourished 🙂
Did you know that stress either mental, emotional or physical can cause digestive issues?
When you are experiencing stress or feeling fearful, anxious or worried the sympathetic (flight or fight) nerves slow down the digestive process. In extreme stress they shut down digestion.
When you feel relaxed your parasympathetic nervous system signals gut secretions and walla your digestion works easily. Able to digest, absorb, assimilate and eliminate.
But when you are stressed, eating on the run or eating while driving in traffic your digestive capacity is comprised. Continued stress or unmanaged stress in your body or mind affects the body’s ability to heal and perform.The digestive tract repairs and replaces itself every few days and it is one of the first places where our bodies alert us that all is not well. upset tummy 🙁
Like I said at the beginning of this post, stress and emotions play a major role in many digestive problems such as:
ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea and GERD, allergies and skin issues.
Stress also plays a role in autoimmune issues because the nervous-immune system begins reacting to normal foods and environmental triggers as if they were dangerous.
Rest and relaxation help to restore nervous-immune balance.
Basically under stress your digestion does not work, shuts down. So even if you are eating whole, organic, real food your digestion can not digest, absorb or assimilate the vital nutrients to fuel you for energy.
So here are some tidbits to help reduce stress for better digestion:
Breathing exercies – you can do this anywhere and anytime
k ready let’s go
close your eyes – breathe in deeply through your nose filling up your belly on a count of 1-2-3-4 in breathing in peace
breathe out through your mouth on a count of 1-2-3-4-5-6 breathing out all your stressors
do a few of these and you will feel calmer, it releases toxins from your body and will reduce your stress
k how do you feel? better 🙂
Exercise – walking, running, dancing, swimming, skating, skiing, curling, vollyball, soccer, basketball, bicycling etc…
Get outside – a brisk walk in the crisp cool air will lower your stress level and increase your energy
Journal – getting it on paper helps to empty your mind of clutter, even if you only write a sentence or two – I have been journalling for over 25 years and wow major emotional healing for sure – be thankful, write down what you are thankful for
Smile at strangers 🙂
Listen to music that is soothing and encouraging – dance in your living room
Forgive – this brings healing to your celluar level
Prayer/Meditation – spending time in nature
Yoga or thai-chi, helps to ground your nervous system and balance out your moods, keeps you in the present
Laughing – I like watching Big Bang Theory
Be mindful when eating – sit down at a table and give thanks, create a peaceful, fun and enjoyable environment for eating
Make time for yourself – take up a hobby like guitar or painting
Turn off the cell, tv and computer, light some candles and just ‘be’
Bath with epson salts and lavender – very relaxing and epson salts has magnisum which sooths and calms your muscles
Chamomile, lavender, holy basil tea – very calming and restful
Calcium and Magnesium before bed – helps to relax your nerves and muscles
Ok there you have a bit of digestive information
If you have any comments or questions, please post and I will be happy to answer
Here is to a healthy functioning digestive system
blessings 🙂
I love this time of year. The leaves changing colors and the air is crisp and clear. I was at my cabin this past weekend, what a joy and a blessing to have a place to go to in the woods. The colors of the tress and the wind blowing them, watching as they dance to the ground, simply beautiful. What I love the most about my cabin is the quiet, the sound of the trees when the wind is blowing, sounds like a waterfall, peaceful. Did I mention how quiet it is.
Also entertaining up there as we bring up family and friends and I cook for them all, on my wood stove, totally loving it. My husband Jack and his chainsaw, well you could imagine huge grin and off he goes up the hill, releasing testosterone.
We all need to ‘get away’ to refresh, restore, renew, relax and rejuvenate. This time of year seems to be the time to plan and prepare and do. Which is really exciting and exhilarating. But, we tend to go, go, go and may loose our momentum. So, we need to take time to ‘nourish’ our soul and you don’t need a ‘cabin’ to get away. I would like to share some practical tidbits for you to help ‘nourish’ your soul:
if your a bath person this is a great one – is sure works for me – a hot bath in the pm adding epson salts with essential lavender oil, very relaxing, light some lavender candles
getting fresh air – go walking for a good 20-30 minutes, briskly
take a trip around Stanley Park, this time of year is quiet and while walking around the area take time to listen to the woods, the crunch of the leaves beneath your feet, breathe in the ocean air
get up to Seymour mountain take some lunch with you and enjoy the amazing view, hike or just sit and eat and look up at the clouds
take the water taxi from Science World go to Granville Island
get your favorite book and sit by the ocean or lake and just read while you enjoy the cool crisp air
have a picnic in the park
go to a corn maze
circle farm tour
wine tours – my favorite one is Fort Wine Company
one of all time favorites things – invite a few friends over connecting and unwinding while enjoying a meal that either you cooked or have a potluck, nice glass of fine red wine, lots of candles and great conversation – make it a pj party too!
At our cabin, we had some friends up there and I cooked bison chili, yummy. Below is the recipe for you to enjoy, don’t have to have a wood stove to cook this 🙂 you can even put it in the oven slow roasting it if you like.
Chili:
Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
1 pound of ground beef, turkey, chicken or bison
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño or other hot pepper like cayanne or fresno (optional)
1 zuchinni, chopped
handful of mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika or regular
Sea salt
4-6 tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed or 2 c soaked beans or a mixed blend of beans
2 tbsp molasses
Water or broth – depends on how thick you want your chili – I like mine thick
½ c red dry wine (optional)
Greens – spinach, kale, arugula
Method:
Heat oil in large pot add onions, saute a bit add spices and jalapeno if using add more oil if needed add garlic
Add meat, cook till no pink
Add rest of ingredients
Simmer for about 30 min or so
Adjust seasoning
Add greens just before serving
Top with cilantro and limes and avocado
Enjoy 🙂
Welcome Sun! Now that she has graced us with her presence, thank you. Let’s be wise in how to enjoy the sunshine.
Try not to be in the full sun between 11:00 – 3:00. If you must wear a hat and maybe a light breezing shirt.
If you do get a sunburn, drink lots of water and use aloe vera gel. Cover up if you are at the beach or lake if there is no shade.
Bring an umbrella to the beach or lake.
Pack your own pinic with lots of fresh watery fruits and veggies, like berries, watermelon, cucumber, celery, apples, oranges. Water with lemon, I know I love lemon. 🙂 Visit your local farmer’s market to get your goodies.
Do get full sun in the early am and evening, this helps you get your Vitamin D.
Be outside as much as possible, swim, bike, walk, hike and BBQ.
A couple of good natural sunscreen sources: Green Beaver and Badger. Or coconut oil or shea butter. A good website for more information on sunscreens is http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/
Keep hydrated. Coconut water with lemon. Water with lemon. Fresh fruit smoothies. Fresh veggies smoothies.
A nice refreshing salad:
Watermelon and Cucumber with mint and fresh lime juice and a pinch of sea salt
Watermelons are high in water content and contain vitamins B and C and a great antioxidant.
Cucumbers aslo have a high water content and contain vitamins A, B and C minerals iodine, manganese and sulfur, they are diuretic and anti-inflammatory.
Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable, memory filled summer.
Well it is officially summer and today is the longest day of the year. How will you be celebrating it? Be outside as long as you can and savor the sights and sounds and smell of the new season.