How to Improve Your Gut Health After the Holidays

The holidays can bring with them beautiful celebrations and timeless traditions. This includes delicious food, snacks, drinks—and temptation.  

The desserts are plentiful. The meals are richer. And the struggle of loosening your belt or changing into sweatpants becomes all too real. The plate of cookies. That extra piece of pie. You don’t even want to admit what you did to all those buttery rolls.

And right now, you’re between two major holidays. One is under your belt (literally), and the other is around the corner. New Year’s Eve means one final round of holiday indulgences. 

And while a few treats won’t sabotage you, your gut health may have taken a holiday hit. Maybe you feel a little bloated...have some heartburn...or are making a few more trips to the bathroom than normal. 

Don’t worry—we have you covered with some easy tips to help you and your gut recover from the holidays.

The Importance of Gut Health

As Dr. Mark Hyman wrote, “having a healthy gut means more than simply being free of annoyances like bloating or heartburn. It is absolutely essential to your health. It is connected to everything that happens in your body.”

The health of your gut is linked to your whole body’s health. It determines what nutrients get absorbed. It also decides what toxins, microbes, or allergens are held at bay.

Your gut is home to 10-100 trillion bacteria that form a diverse ecosystem or “gut microbiome.” In order for you to be healthy, this ecosystem needs to be in balance. When in balance, your gut helps you digest food, regulate your hormones, produce healing compounds that keep you healthy, and get rid of toxins.

Your gut has a whole other slew of responsibilities. To name a few, your gut is:

• Connected to your immune system and can positively or negatively impact it.

• Provides nutrients and vitamins.

• In constant talk with your brain. (Did you know your gut has even more neurotransmitters than your brain?)

Your gut is quite the multi-tasker. And each of its roles is crucial to your health.

Improving Your Gut Health Naturally

When your gut is out of sorts, you become more prone to infections, inflammation, and immune disorders. You can also feel more upset in your stomach, such as bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea.

Fortunately, small steps make a difference, and doing them can help you to start feeling the benefits. And many of these steps don’t involve a trip to the doctor—they can be done naturally and practiced anywhere. So, with that, let’s “eat, drink, and be merry” our way to a healthier gut.

Eat: Foods for Gut Health

What you eat or drink is closely linked to your gut health. Studies have even shown that changing your diet can impact your gut microbiome in as little as 24 hours. This means that you can start impacting your gut relatively quickly. Here are some ways to help do that:

• Slow down and practice mindful eating. Enjoy your meal more by increasing awareness of each bite. Slowing your eating also helps you to hear your stomach when it’s full. This drops your chances of overeating.

• Consider taking a prebiotic and/or probiotic. These supplements can help support your digestion, immune system, and your good bacteria. Not all prebiotics and probiotics are equal in quality, so be sure to talk with your doctor about what would work best for you.

• Cut down on holiday sweets and processed foods. Eating low-fiber, highly processed, high-sugar, and high-calorie foods can feed the wrong bacteria or cause yeast to grow. One way to cut down your intake yet still enjoy is to choose between the cocktail or dessert instead of having both. Or consider choosing a mocktail over the cocktail.

• Bump up high fiber or fermented foods. If you know you’re going in for a marathon of rich eating, consider ramping up on your probiotic intake or adding fermented foods to your diet. Taking a drink or two of kefir early on in the day can help line your stomach with good bacteria. This helps with digestion and also reduces unwanted bloating.

Drink: Staying Hydrated

Often during the holidays, we choose foods and beverages that dehydrate us. Salty snacks, alcohol, and caffeine are a few of the guilty culprits. We can also have our fair share of high-calorie indulgences (eggnog, anyone?). Not having enough liquids not only dehydrates, but it can also cause a dip in your energy and slow down your digestive tract. 

To recover, make sure you load up on water (sparkling or flat). 100% vegetable juices are also a solid option. Chamomile tea is a great choice since it helps relax the gut, so you don’t feel as uncomfortable.

Be Merry: Improve Your Wellbeing

While diet is a large contributor to your gut health, here are a few other ways to lend your gut a helping hand:

• Ditch the stress. It’s no secret that holidays can cause tension or anxiety. Remember how the brain and gut are closely connected? This means that when you feel stress, your gut also feels it. Increased stress can slow or stop the digestive tract so that the energy flows to where the body thinks the threat is. Try taking some deep breaths, meditating, or playing with your family’s pets—pursue calmness by finding what works best for you.

• Take a walk. After your meal, hold off on napping (as tempting as it may be) and go for a short walk. Napping after a heavy, rich meal can increase reflux or indigestion. It also may not set you up for quality sleep since your body is focused on digesting instead of getting rest.  So, grab your shoes and a loved one, and go for a stroll.

Don’t Let Your Gut Be a Grinch

The holidays can be a fantastic time of visiting family or friends and celebrating age-old traditions. Part of that is enjoying special treats or sneaking in a few extra cookies to hold you over until this time next year.

As you start to recover from this holiday season, try out a couple of these ideas to help get your gut health back on track. If you have any questions or want to talk through ideas or products that support your gut, give our office a call. We are here to support you.

We at Renew & Restore Wellness wish you a Happy New Year and a blessed 2020!

Sources

1. (n.d.). How to Fix Your Gut: 7 Steps to Intestinal Health - Gaiam. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health

2. Ibid.

3. (2016, August 19). Revised Estimates for the Number of .... Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991899/

4. (n.d.). How to Fix Your Gut: 7 Steps to Intestinal Health - Gaiam. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health

5. (2018, July 2). What's an Unhealthy Gut? How Gut Health .... Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/gut-health

6. (2017, May 16). Introduction to the human gut microbiota - NCBI. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5433529/

7. (n.d.). How to Fix Your Gut: 7 Steps to Intestinal Health - Gaiam. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health

8. (2016, March 18). Probiotics and Prebiotics: Present Status and Future ... - NCBI. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808900/

9. (2017, April 8). Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and .... Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5385025/

10. (2019, September 18). Understanding probiotics and their benefits: an ISAPP .... Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/understanding-probiotics-and-their-benefits-an-isapp-infographic/

11. (n.d.). How to Fix Your Gut: 7 Steps to Intestinal Health - Gaiam. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health

12. (2019, August 21). Stress and the sensitive gut - Harvard Health. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/stress-and-the-sensitive-gut

Why Every Expecting Mom Needs to See a Chiropractor

Being pregnant is an exciting, wonderful time.  You post weekly shots of your baby bump to Instagram.  You pour over articles and download apps. You secretly (or not so secretly) start buying all the things for your baby’s nursery.

And while you’re planning for your baby’s grand entry, your body continues to go through a huge amount of change.  Your belly grows. Maybe you start to feel morning sickness. Fatigue. Back pain. These can become all too familiar experiences as you move throughout your pregnancy.

What can you do to help these symptoms?  How can you get relief in a way that’s healthy for both you and your baby?

How Does Chiropractic Care Help Pregnancy?

The body goes through countless changes during pregnancy—you’re creating and nurturing new life, after all.  It helps to not go through this journey alone. “It takes a village to raise a child,” and it takes a village to prepare for the child.  Having a team will help get you ready mentally, emotionally, and physically as you move closer to giving birth. This team can include:

• Your family, friends, or partner 

• OBGYN

• Nutritionist

• Massage therapist

• Acupuncturist

• Midwife

• Doula

• Chiropractor

Yes, you read that last line right.  A chiropractor can help you during (and after) your pregnancy.

At its core, chiropractic care is a “licensed health care profession that emphasizes the body’s ability to heal itself.”1  It focuses on supporting the health of the spine, discs, related nerves, and skeletal system without the use of drugs or surgery.2

This means that going to a chiropractor can help bring you relief and prepare you for delivery—without the concerns of taking pills or having a procedure.

Great.  Chiropractors help their patients using natural techniques.  But how can they help you?

Relief for Your Back Pain

If you are pregnant and your back hurts, you are not alone.  70 percent of pregnant women report having lower back pain, while 32 percent report hip pain.3  And 85 percent of women who experience back pain during pregnancy will experience it again in a future pregnancy.4

Why is back pain so common while pregnant?

• As your baby grows and you gain weight, your center of gravity starts to shift forward.  To help keep you balanced, you might overcorrect and lean back a bit too far.5   This curve or sway can cause strain in your lower back and compression in your lumbar spine and pelvis.

• Pregnancy hormones can also flare up low back pain.6  More on hormones in a moment.

A good chiropractor will take the time to understand your history and your symptoms.  Part of this includes a physical analysis and a look at your movement. Chiropractors can then give an adjustment that will help improve your mobility and lessen your discomfort.  And they do this in a way that takes into account your growing belly.

Do your muscles feel tight?  Chiropractors can also stretch and release certain muscles in your lower back area.  This can reduce the stress around your uterus and ligaments.  They can also show you pregnancy-friendly stretches to help between your appointments.

Reducing Morning Sickness and Sciatica

Back pain may not be the only thing bothering you.  Here are a couple of other symptoms that chiropractors can treat:

• Nausea.  Morning sickness affects many women during pregnancy.  It can certainly make your first trimester feel awful. Morning sickness is thought to be caused, in part, by the change of hormones in your body.  A chiropractor can help lessen your nausea by realigning your spine. An aligned spine can improve your nervous system function, which allows your hormones to have a healthier balance.

• Sciatica.  Your belly grows, and your body begins to shift.  Maybe your baby changes position. These things can place extra pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing shooting pain or numbness and tingling from your hip down to your foot.  This can make even the simplest of activities, like walking, excruciating. It’s a literal pain in the rear. Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the compression of the sciatic nerve and bring you much-needed relief.7

Realign Your Pelvis

Pelvic discomfort can occur as your baby grows and your hormones change.  As your body begins preparing for labor and delivery, it will release a hormone called relaxin.  Relaxin does exactly as its name implies—it relaxes, or loosens, the joints and ligaments around your pelvis.  

Relaxin makes your bones and joints more flexible8, which can also mean they can go out of alignment easier.  Being out of alignment can cause you pain with walking or even rolling over in your bed.

Chiropractors can give you exercises and stretches to help with this.  They can also provide an adjustment to help align the spine and stabilize the pelvis.  Keeping your pelvis balanced lessens your discomfort and helps prepare your baby for delivery.

Prepare for Delivery

When it comes time to deliver, the best position for your baby is to be head-down.  This position makes it safer and easier for your baby to move through the birth canal.9  But what does this have to do with chiropractors?

Chiropractors who specialize in prenatal chiropractic care may also get certified in the Webster technique.  This technique was developed in the 1980s, specifically “for laboring women to help with the ease of birth.”10  It’s a method that helps to correct sacral subluxation, which when left unchecked can contribute to difficult labor.

The goal of the Webster technique is to restore the balance and function to the pelvis.11  It optimizes the room in the pelvis so that the baby can move naturally into the head-down position.  A balanced pelvis lowers the chance of your baby going into the breech position.  A breech position happens when a baby is bottom-first (or feet-first).

When your chiropractor is certified in the Webster technique, it signals trust.  It means your chiropractor has been trained by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) to better serve you and your family.

Adjustments can also benefit the actual delivery.  Being in alignment helps to make sure your nerves are working at their best.  Nerves are responsible for controlling contractions. And having optimal nerve health can help you experience faster labor.  It can also help make your delivery easier and with less pain.

Include a Chiropractor on Your Pregnancy Team

Being pregnant is truly an exciting journey. Your body goes through so many changes as you prepare for your baby. Discomfort or pain can also come with creating this new life.  

Talk with your health care provider about including a chiropractor as part of your pregnancy support team.  Doing so can help both you and your baby. Regular chiropractic adjustments are beneficial in reducing back pain, keeping your pelvis in line, and even helping prepare you for delivery.

Our offices in Southlake and Las Colinas, Texas specialize in prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care.  Dr. Nikki is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, has received certification in the Webster technique, and has additional credentials through the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics.  She has the training and certifications needed to help you with the aches and pains of pregnancy.

Let us help you find relief  Give our office a call or click “Book an Appointment” at the top of this page to see how we can help you and your growing baby.

Sources

1. (2019, April 30). Chiropractic | NCCIH. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/chiropractic

2. (n.d.). Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy: Safety and Benefits. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/chiropractic-care-during-pregnancy/

3. (2018, November 19). Musculoskeletal pain and symptoms in pregnancy: a ... - NCBI. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262502/

4. (n.d.). Pregnancy-related low back pain - NCBI. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306025/

5. (2014, September 11). Back Pain and Pregnancy: Ways to Minimize Strain – Mayo .... Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/back-pain-and-pregnancy-ways-to-minimize-strain/

6. (n.d.). Back Pain During Pregnancy - ACOG. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://m.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Back-Pain-During-Pregnancy

7. (2017, May 2). Pregnancy Sciatica: 5 Ways to Find Pain Relief Without Drugs. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy-sciatica-5-natural-pain-relief-methods-without-drugs

8. (n.d.). The Magnificent Maternal Ecosystem – Pre And Post-Birth .... Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://americanpregnancy.org/uncategorized/maternal-ecosystem-pre-and-post-birth/

9. (2018, September 25). Your baby in the birth canal: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002060.htm

10. (n.d.). About the Webster Technique - ICPA. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://icpa4kids.com/training/webster-certification/webster-technique/

11. (2012, May 10). The Webster Technique - ICPA. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://icpa4kids.com/media/1160/webster_technique.pdf

Lessons Learned in Zimbabwe

Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” And if I had to use one phrase to sum up my time in Zimbabwe, I think Mr. Emerson says it best.

I know I’ve already been back in the US over a month, but it has taken that long for me to process everything I saw and experienced. To be honest, there were moments I found myself asking “what am I doing here?”. I think ,often times, we go on trips like these to gain answers; however, I came away from Gutu with more questions than answers and with those questions came a burning desire to truly make a difference… but how?  See, another question. 

So while there are some things in the works to help answer that last question (more details to come soon), today I wanted to share a few of the things I learned.

1. Joy is not dependent on any physical or material thing.

How do I know this? With this blog post I have attached a link for a video of photos from my trip. In this video, you will see photos of conditions that even the poorest of people do not experience here in the United States. Gutu is a very rural area of Zimbabwe that is approximately 2 to 6 hours south of the capital, Harare. Why such a wide range of time? Well, if the bus drivers miss a turn it can take 3 hours and if a bus breaks down it can take 6 hours, I know from personal experience.

Locals walked multiple kilometers to come wait in line for medical care. In fact, when we arrived, there were already people waiting who had been camped out overnight. Every night people slept out in the cold, waiting their turn to come into the clinic for treatment. Despite the conditions, these people radiate with joy! We were greeted with nothing but smiles and waves and the days were highlighted with singing and dancing. I would look around and think to myself “these people literally have nothing,” but the people of Gutu have joy. When I think I’m having a bad day, I’m quickly reminded by my memories that joy is decision, not a circumstance.

2. Serving others is just as impactful on the person serving as it is the one being served. 

While our team was in Gutu, we served just shy of 13,000 people… yes, you read that correctly, thirteen thousand. We provided medical care, urgent care, dental cleanings and extractions, eye exams and readers, child care, prayer, and even delivered 3 babies! While I know this care made a difference in the health of those individuals, it also gave me, a fresher perspective, a clearer vision, and a deeper level of empathy than I ever would have anticipated. I’ve seen things I can’t unsee and I’ve experienced things I can’t un-experience and I pray everyday that I would never return to the person I was before I stepped on that plane. When we know better, we do better and it is privilege to have that responsibility. 

3. Where we are weak, God is strong. 

In full transparency, I left for Gutu with the expectation that I was going to be practicing chiropractic the entire time I was there… when I arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, I learned that my credentialing had not been submitted in enough time for my licensing to get approved. Long story short, adaptability is not in my top 5 strengths and I was devastated. While I did get to see a handful of patients (under the radar) each day, what felt like a huge disappointment ended being a bigger blessing. I was able to serve and assist in more departments than one person has ever done in one week before. I had the privilege of seeing the clinic from a variety of angles as well as interacting with patients on multiple levels. I prayed with people in the front lines while a local congregation leader translated, I ran the eye and readers department for a day and a half, I assisted the head coordinator of the medical tent, I taught the kids how to play musical chairs and volleyball, I stepped in as a doula for a young girl in labor, and I helped with the front lines. This allowed me to have rich conversations with local workers and patients and it showed me that I am able to adapt and do it well. Where I thought I was weak, God showed me He is strong and that strength allowed me to do more than I ever thought possible. 

While I could go on and on about Gutu, I will leave it at that. I hope you see the joy, gratitude and strength that I see in these images. And Zimbabwe… this isn’t a “goodbye”, it’s simply a “see you again soon”. 

Deets on Detox

What’s the point of a detox or cleanse?

Detoxes and cleanses are quite trendy these days… and in full transparency, I’m a little over a week into a 3 week detox. But rather than jumping on a cleanse because everyone else is doing it, I think it’s important to understand why a cleanse or detox may be necessary.

Every day, our bodies are involuntarily and voluntarily exposed to millions of different chemicals! These chemicals come from pollution in our environment, food, beverages, medication, food additives, personal care products, cleaning products and a variety of other sources. The human body has a number of built-in mechanisms to help get rid of these pollutants, but it’s not able to completely remove all of them. This results in  a slow accumulation of pollutants in the body which eventually affect its function. Some of the ways that toxin build-up manifests itself include fatigue, headaches, digestive issues and neurological symptoms.

One of the areas of the body that is most greatly impacted by the build-up of toxins is the liver. Studies have shown that toxins can actually inhibit the activity of different enzymes in the liver, therefore reducing the liver’s ability to detoxify properly. Essentially what happens is that those enzymes typically take fat-soluble chemicals and transform them into water-soluble compounds that can be eliminated from the body through urine, sweat, or bile. If those enzymes aren’t working properly then these fat-soluble chemicals start to accumulate in different tissues of the body, especially fat and connective tissue. 

To remove these embedded toxins, they must be released from the tissue first before they can enter into the detoxication pathways and that is where a detoxification program comes in! Not all detoxes are created equally, so it is important that you do this under the guidance of a licensed healthcare professional.

The one that I am currently doing is called the Clearvite Basic Program from Apex Energetics. It’s a 3 week program where I’m taking Clearvite (a powder-based supplement) in the morning before breakfast and then the rest is simply dietary changes. I’m eating lots of healthy whole foods and eliminating a list of foods that tend to be irritating to the digestive system or require the liver to work extra hard. 

What can I expect from a detox?

Depending on the amount of toxins that have accumulated, some people may feel slightly under the weather as those toxins go from the connective tissue and enter into the detoxification pathways. Common symptoms include headache, irritability and tiredness. The good news is that as those toxins begin to be eliminated from the body, people start to experience improved focus, increased energy, better digestion, less aches and pains and numerous other benefits!

In addition to the physical benefits of a detoxification, I find that it can positively impact our mindset around food. A dietary detox causes us to read labels and look at the ingredients in the foods we are consuming, it causes us to slow down as we prepare meals from whole foods rather than packages, and it challenges us to ask ourselves “why am I craving what I’m craving right now?” so that we can address that root reason. 

If you’ve been contemplating doing a detox or would like to learn more, please feel free to reach out! At Renew and Restore Wellness it’s our pleasure to guide you in this journey to a healthier you!

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!