Healing is a journey, not a destination. It's a beautiful, empowering path filled with twists, turns, and moments of pure sunshine. But let's be honest, there are also those inevitable rainy days when you slip and slide a bit.

If you're reading this blog, you are likely already on a healing journey or contemplating one. The realm I work in is one that supports people as they heal their bodies. And I have come to recognize that the steps one must take are important for success!

The good news? There's a handy model called the "Transtheoretical Model of Change" , or more simply, the 5 Stages of Change, that perfectly captures the emotional rollercoaster of adopting (and sticking to!) a healing protocol. I like to share with my clients how  each stage applies to your healing journey:

1. Precontemplation: The "Nah, I'm Good" Phase

Maybe you haven't quite connected the dots between your current lifestyle and your health. Perhaps that doctor's appointment with the not-so-great test result feels like an overreaction. It's okay! Denial is a common first step. But even a tiny seed of curiosity about feeling better can be the spark for change.

*Troubleshooting this phase can involve self exploration and examining your belief systems. 

2. Contemplation: Weighing the Pros and Cons

This is where things get interesting! You start asking friends and family who've embarked on their own health journeys for advice. You might even be scribbling down a pros and cons list about embracing a new way of eating and moving. This "information gathering" phase is crucial.

*Troubleshooting this phase involves weighing  the pros and cons of making a change to your health or lifestyle. 

3. Preparation: Gearing Up for Change

Now you're ready to take action! You're researching heart-healthy meal plans, checking out different exercise programs, and maybe even gathering some inspirational cookbooks. This "planning and preparation" stage sets the foundation for your success. This is the time to order your supplements, shop for new healthier versions of the foods that will nourish you and buy the walking shoes. What differentiates this phase from contemplation is ACTION. So lump these new actions in with something you already do daily! 

*Troubleshooting this phase can involve identifying your forms of support(social etc) to determine that you have a support system in place to make necessary changes. 

4. Action: Taking the Leap!

This is where the rubber meets the road! You've swapped out those processed snacks for vibrant veggies, you're lacing up your sneakers for a daily workout and your starting your supplements and tracking your progress. It's exciting, challenging, and oh-so-rewarding! Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Be kind to yourself as you navigate this new routine.

*Action phase is recommended for 3-6 months for ideal support. 

5. Maintenance: Building Your Radiant Reality

As healthy habits become second nature, you might consider joining a support group to stay motivated and share experiences. This is the "maintenance" stage, where you solidify your new lifestyle. Remember, it's okay to have a slip-up here and there. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on track!

*Reinforcement of internal rewards is helpful during this phase.

The All-Important Bonus Stage: There's No Such Thing as "Starting Over"

Here's the beautiful secret: There's no "starting over" in healing. Every experience, every slip-up, is a valuable lesson that helps you refine your approach. Think of it like this: You wouldn't expect to climb Mount Everest in a single, perfect ascent. You might take a detour, encounter some bad weather, but ultimately, you keep moving towards the summit. If you are in a bonus stage,  is the time to recreate "cues" that will help you reestablish a healthier rhythm. This includes, moving your supplements to your bedside table to take before sleep or pulling out the food mood poop journal to start tracking your routine again. It is helpful to state when you will do things and write it down with a time and date to create a more effective routine. 

So, embrace the stages of change. Celebrate your victories, big and small.

I work is to support clients every step of the way on their journey to radiant health so feel free to reach out with questions.

Wishing you a radiant reality!

Tennee

This winter is one for the books. The exposure to RSV, Influenza A and COVID also known as the “triple-demic of 2022” is unparalleled and taking many peoples immune systems to the cleaners. 

Given the serious nature of the sicknesses of the season, I am sharing some strategies to boost your immune system.

It is important to understand that the different flus and upper respiratory illnesses set into the body in different ways. 

While RSV and COVID, symptoms tend to be more gradual and last longer, the flu tends to hit harder quickly yet resolves faster as well.

As a Functional Diagnostic nutrition practitioner and  a student of chinese medicine, I would recommend two steps. First and foremost I would recommend using functional nutrition to support your system to prevent sickness from developing in the first place. This involves putting in place nutritive support to keep your system strong and resilient.

Second, if you have been exposed and are experiencing symptoms, I would recommend altering your supportive treatments specific for your needs. TCM can be an incredible tool to help you with this.

When applying Chinese medicine principles to healing, keep in mind, chinese medicine always advocates for striving for balance in the system. 

This means you may want to attend to a cold or infection in a more specific way based on your constitution. 

Ahhh spring! The blossoms on the trees remind me of a new cycle of growth that comes with sunshine and rain. That new cycle is also happening in our bodies and spring is an amazing time to support the bodies capacity to detoxify so we can stay healthy. 

Chinese medicine has always proclaimed spring to be an important time for liver and gall bladder support as we are coming out of winter and spring is a natural time for cleaning, hence “spring cleaning”. 

One of the reasons for supporting the liver at this time is that the liver and gall bladder are part of our internal infrastructure that is designed to keep us healthy and help us detoxify our bodies.

The livers role specifically is to process waste of all sorts while also cleaning our blood and managing the storage of sugar and filtering our hormones. With all of its jobs, it can easily get overwhelmed. 

Eating processed food, processing chemicals and toxins and incurring stress etc will affect the liver and may result in toxin overload which often shows signs in ways such as:

*constipation

*headaches

*fatigue

*hormone disregulation

*acne

One of my favorite tools for self care is called a Castor oil pack. It’s an inexpensive form of support that I recommend to clients when they are going through any hormone detoxification or gut repair program. 

A castor oil pack can be done easily and is very inexpensive.

The day to day grind of modern life is busier than ever and we navigate a world full of distractions that pull our focus in many different directions. The use of Nootropics or “smart drugs”  has exploded in response to this reality. Nootropics are compounds that support the brain and nervous system which results in improvements in cognitive function, focus, mood and motivation. Some nootropics are already firmly embedded in our daily routines ie…caffeine, while others require a lot of research and secret handshakes to obtain. 

What are Nootropics?

Nootropics are classically defined as substances that enhance cognition, memory, learning, concentration, energy and motivation. These compounds are also known as smart drugs and have been used to enhance performance since the dawn of time. There is a wide range of nootropics in circulation today including many herbs, vitamins and prescriptive drugs.

Nootropics have been made mainstream by biohackers such as Dave Asprey who famously hacked his own biology using nootropics as a cognitive catalyst. The awareness that he and many other brilliant biohackers and health care professionals have brought to the field of cognitive research opened the door for many to nootropics. (I honestly don’t think silicon valley would still be standing if it weren’t for many of these compounds). 

If it feels like you are still slogging though times of uncertainty, apprehension and exhaustion, you are most certainly not alone. After 10 months of living through social distancing protocols, working from home, and cold winter months inside, most people are quite simply “over it”. I know I am. 

“Lockdown fatigue” is a common term used to describe the sluggish, lack of energy, and low moods that have a grip on many of us during these tedious and uncertain times.

While short periods of lethargy and inactivity are not harmful, long periods will age the body in unfavorable ways.  This may show up in the form of symptoms such as unwanted weight gain, brain fog and depression to name a few. 

With spring just a few steps ahead, this is the perfect time to reboot your health to support better moods, energy and sleep. Do this easily by making small changes to your day to day life.