The Power of Authentic Connection

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a women’s leadership retreat put on by Nameless Collaborative. The whole goal of the Magnitude retreat was to bring together thirty women in leadership in ministry or business (business can absolutely be a form of ministry) and simply pour into them. Incredible words of wisdom were shared throughout the weekend from women who are doing massive things around the world! As I got to talking to a number of the women, a common thread began to appear. All of these women had people in their lives, but some were still looking for true, authentic community!

2019 Magnitude retreat by nameless collaborative

Why do I share this with you? Many people would look into these boss babes’ lives, see all of the things that they are doing and think that surely these women have a tribe of like-minded women surrounding them, but that’s not always the case! As we’ve all heard “it can be lonely at the top”, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way and we were never created to thrive in that manner!

Authentic community impacts literally every aspect of life, but today I wanted to focus on how community impacts our health. Here are four ways that community plays a role in our overall well-being:

1) Support. Having a group of people whom we can share joys and sorrows with is extremely beneficial for our emotional well-being! Sometimes the simple act of sharing our thoughts and feelings can help us to process our emotions rather than bottling them up inside.

2) Influence. We become like the five people we spend the most time with! When we surround ourselves with people who are working to become better versions of themselves, it is a natural encouragement for us to do the same! Trying to be more active or make better health decisions? You’re way more likely to succeed if the people around you have a similar mindset.

3) Accountability. When we walk alongside others through the messiness of life, it gives us the ability to hold each other accountable. If someone else knows our goals or commitments, we are waaaay more likely to follow through on those things! In addition to that, it creates an environment for transparency where we can speak truth into one another’s lives if our observations of one another do not line up with what we know to be true of each other.

4) Knowledge. It is impossible to know all things about all things, and in addition to that there are differing opinions on almost every health topic. But when a community of people comes together, they also bring with them their knowledge and experience. This can be a powerful tool where people can use their strengths and know-how to help one another make better health decisions!

Ok that all sounds great in theory, but how does one find healthy community? The options are practically limitless, but here are a few suggestions from my personal experience.

1) Pray about it. God hears your desires and knows the ideal people to bring into your life, let Him!

2) Go do the healthy activities you love and interact with others who are there! Most likely they’re looking for community as well. (Yoga, Barre, Pilates, CrossFit, Camp Gladiator, Peloton, your local gym, cooking classes, church, bible study, conferences, and retreats are some activities off the top of my head.)

3) Keep showing up! As with all good things, developing community takes time and consistency.

Thanks to the Nameless Collaborative team, the thirty women who showed up to the Magnitude Retreat now have an opportunity to create new authentic community and/or grow the tribe we currently have. My encouragement for anyone reading this would be to do the same, show up and seek out people who are pursuing healthier versions of themselves and dive in! Please let us, at Renew & Restore Wellness, know if there is anything we can do to improve your health or that of your community!

Progress Over Perfection

The start of a new year can bring with it a great deal of pressure… pressure to make this your best year yet, outperform your peers, or even just appear as if you’re doing these things.

I don’t know about you, but so often I create this image in my mind of how things are going to go down and then when it doesn’t go EXACTLY as I had planned, it feels like a catastrophic fail. A perfect example for me was the first week of 2019. My home was a mess, my office was in disarray from a small move, my car was in the shop a week past what had been anticipated, I hadn’t done any form of meal planning or prep, I had barely worked out and I wasn’t feeling rested at all. While social media was painting pictures of “clean slates” and “new beginnings”, my reality felt more like a disastrous do-over, in which I was losing control. 

It would have been easy to throw in the towel and say “well I already blew it for this year, maybe 2020 will be better!” But I was able to take a step back and reassess the situation. I came to the conclusion that this year I’m striving for progress over perfection. I’m prioritizing a handful of things that fuel me and enable me to do the things that I believe God is calling me to do and I’m simply going to do the best I can with each given day. 

Looking down from the ledge of the Mussenden Temple in Northern Ireland.

It’s really easy to get caught up in waiting for the perfect opportunity, perfect timing, or perfect situation in which we can do something perfectly, but in reality there will never be that perfect moment! Like famous hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, once said,  "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.”

So in this second week of 2019, my encouragement to you (and myself) is to simply start! Be ok with the fact that it won’t be perfect and it might feel messy, but as my Peloton yoga instructors say “be comfortable with the idea of falling” because if you're never pushing yourself to the brink of falling, you’re never putting yourself in a position to progress and grow. If we can choose progress each day, rather than beating ourselves up over perfection, I feel very confident that when 2020 arrives, we will be looking in the mirror at a better version of our current selves!

Take a deep breath… the pressure is off!

Powerful Produce

Throughout any given day we are exposed to a plethora of toxins which result in oxidative stress within the body and cause bad molecules, known as free radicals, to form. These free radicals go around attacking and attaching to healthy atoms, causing damage to cells, proteins, and DNA! While you probably arent’t looking for a chemistry lesson, I want to paint a picture of why it’s important that we do what we can to prevent and get rid of free radicals! This is where antioxidants enter the scene, preventing the free radicals from causing damage throughout the body.

So how do we get antioxidants? Antioxidants are not something that our bodies can make, but are found in a variety of foods!
A food that is seriously jam-packed with antioxidant power is turmeric! Widely known as an ingredient in Indian foods, turmeric is a root that looks similar to ginger but has a rich orange/yellow coloring to it. You can find turmeric in powder form in the spice aisle of your local grocery store or in whole-root form in the produce section of stores such as Whole Foods and Central Market.

The active compound found in turmeric is called curcumin. Curcumin is a very potent antioxidant that is extremely beneficial in preventing cellular damage as well as helping our bodies to detoxify. The only problem is that our bodies aren’t very good at absorbing curcumin by itself. Fortunately, adding a few ingredients to some turmeric and we’re able to enjoy ALL of the benefits of this antioxidant-rich root!

What are these three necessary ingredients? Great question! One of the elements necessary for us to absorb curcumin is called quercetin. Quercetin is a plant pigment found in red onions, capers, cranberries, kale, blueberries, romaine lettuce and apples (to list a few). Another element which increases the bioavailability of curcumin for our bodies is called piperine. Found in black pepper, piperine increases the bioavailability of curcumin (turmeric) by 2000%!! No that is not a typo, two thousand percent!! The final ingredient that is extremely helpful in our absorbing curcumin is a healthy fat. By consuming turmeric with a healthy fat we are able to absorb curcumin directly into the bloodstream through the lymphatic system, rather than it having to be filtered through the liver first!

These may sound like some random ingredients to throw together in order to have better health, but a little concoction called a Turmeric Tonic (see recipe) does just the trick! In the video below, I show you how to make a turmeric tonic and the benefits of each ingredient that goes into it!

Turmeric root in the produce section at Whole Foods

Turmeric Tonic Recipe:

• 2 cups of coconut water

• 2 inches of turmeric root

• 1 drop of food quality black pepper essential oil

• 1 inch of ginger root

• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of local honey

• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

• Juice of 1/2 lemmon

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until the consistency of a juice. Pour and enjoy! Makes 2 servings.

Making a recipe that calls for turmeric? Throw in a dash of black pepper and you’re automatically making your meal a natural detoxifier! What are your favorite ways to cook with turmeric? We would love to hear how you integrate this power-house antioxidant into your daily routine!

A Pediatrician Will Come to Me?!?

As I've talked about in previous videos and blog posts, picking a prenatal team is an extremely important part of pregnancy! In addition to prenatal professionals, a pediatrician is crucial to have on your team and ideally lined up before your newest family member is here! That is why this month I asked pediatrician, Dr. Andrea Wadley, to discuss the benefits of hiring a home-visit pediatrician, especially with a newborn. Here are Dr. Wadley's top 5 reasons home visits are great for a newborn:   

1. Less stress on mom and her healing body. The last thing you want to do after you have gotten home from the hospital or birthing center is to leave the house again. A pediatrician who comes to see your baby in the first few days of life allows mom to stay home in the comfort of her own environment and not have to worry about who will drive her to a doctor's appointment. 

2. Improves breastfeeding. The best place to receive help with breastfeeding is the comfort of your own home. This is the place where you will spend the most time breastfeeding. A home visit pediatrician with extra lactation training allows you to learn and practice this important skill in your quiet home environment. 

3. Shelters your baby from germs. Sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's office with your newborn exposes them to sick children and their germs. Home visits allow you to keep your newborn protected. 

4. Allows the pediatrician to educate you on baby safety by examining your home environment. It's easier to discuss safe sleep when your pediatrician can see where your baby is actually sleeping. 

5. No waiting rooms. You spend time with your pediatrician instead of spending time waiting in the waiting room. Home visits provide more personalized and efficient care for your new baby. 

If you would like to have a pediatrician who comes to see your baby in your home, give Dr. Wadley a call at 817.476.0675 or email at DrWadley@127pediatrics.com. 

You can visit 127 Pediatric’s Website here.

Sharp Curve Ahead

This afternoon, my co-pilot pup, Rocky, and I went out for walk along the Trinity Trail. As we strolled along, we came across a sign that said “Sharp Curve Ahead”. I found myself thinking
”Wouldn’t it be nice if we had signs like that for life??” You know, signs that said “job loss ahead” or “cross-country move ahead” or even “illness ahead”. One of the biggest unexpected “sharp curves” that come up in life are health issues. I wonder if we knew ahead of time that a specific disease was headed our way, we would live our lives a little differently? Often times, we spend the first half of our lives chasing wealth to then spend the second half of our lives chasing health.

The good news is that while we may not have a sign telling us what lies ahead in regards to our health, we can make decisions on a daily basis to prolong our years with a healthier life! Here are five basics that we can all implement right away. While they may seem simple, I find myself needing reminders on all of these at some point throughout a given day, week or month.

1) Get sleep! Sleep is imperative for our brain and body to heal. It also greatly impacts our immune function and cognitive ability. 7 - 8 hours of sleep per night is a great goal!

2) Hydrate! Our bodies are over 55% water and we use it in every single cell, organ and tissue. It is essential for the regulation of all bodily functions. Aim for 50% of your body weight in ounces of water per day!

3) Taste the Rainbow! Getting a variety of fruits and veggies in our diet is essential. By including a “rainbow” of colors in produce on our plate, we are increasing the amount and variety of vitamins and minerals that we are consuming.

4) Stay Active! Maybe crushing a workout at the gym isn’t your thing, that’s ok! Whether it’s going for a 20 minute walk, going for a bike ride, taking the stairs, trying a pilates or barre class or simply letting loose and dancing, movement is the key!

5) Find Your Tribe! As humans, we were created to be social. I know some of the introverts may be cringing right now, but it’s true! Make sure you have one or two people who you can bounce things off of and just do life with! It doesn’t need to be a quest for popularity, just a few people to hold one another accountable and lift each other up in times of need.

While I didn’t include chiropractic care in the 5 basic tips, regular chiropractic adjustments are extremely beneficial in maintaining proper function of the spine and nervous system. Since this is what allows our brain to talk to our body and our body to talk to our brain, it’s kind of important! To schedule your next appointment with Dr. Nikki, click here and if you have any questions about any of the other tips for staying healthy, we would love to hear from you!

Conquering Candy

There’s something contagious about the excitement of kids during the month of October. The Fall weather, the Halloween costumes, and massive amounts of candy… oh the mounds of candy! While I’m not a parent and won’t even attempt to pretend I’m an expert on the topic of parenting, I do know that Halloween candy can be a big stressor for parents. Consuming processed sugars not only has an impact on a child’s behavior, appetite, sleep, and general health, but it also contributes to dental issues! With that being said, I made it my mission to come up with some tips to deal with the dreaded Halloween candy invasion that is coming soon to a home near you.

In my quest for tips, I reached out to local dentist, Dr. Pickett of Pickett Family Dental, to see what his suggestions were for dealing with Halloween candy. Here’s what I learned:

1. Pickett Family Dental offers a candy buy-back each year. You can contact them directly to learn how to participate!

2. Come to peace with the idea that you may not be able to stop all intake of sweets, but know that it’s better for their teeth to eat more at once instead of spreading consumption out throughout the day.

3. Rinse with water, but do not brush for 30 mins afterwards because candy-eating makes the enamel softer for that amount of time.  

4. Avoid sticky candy that’s acidic (sour). That’s the worse kind for decay. 

In life, we are constantly faced with making the healthiest decision we can in a given situation or circumstance. A Halloween candy buy-back provides kids an opportunity to experience healthy decision-making and to reap the benefits of making a healthier choice! To find a Halloween candy buy-back near you, click here.

This article is a part of our October Newsletter. To check out the entire newsletter, click here.