When I was working in sales and business development, I often said, “It’s what you don’t know that will kill you" (meaning the deal). This is really true. What we don’t know can and may actually kill you.
I have clients who want health coaching for all different reasons. They want to get unstuck or have a chronic illness and have gone to so many doctors without relief and ask, “What’s wrong with me.”
I have clients who want health coaching for all different reasons. They want to get unstuck or have a chronic illness and have gone to so many doctors without relief and ask, “What’s wrong with me.”
If you want different answer then you need to ask a different question!
Instead, I ask, “What’s right with you? What is your loving and self healing and self repairing body trying to tell you?” Symptoms should be recognized and analyzed, not masked or hidden. Masking symptoms does not solve the problem. It’s also not productive or helpful to feel shame or guilt. It’s merely your body’s way of communicating with you. Like a baby. When a baby cries it needs something, food, diaper change, to be soothed or comforted. It’s up to Mom to figure it out. But we don’t do this for the beautiful baby inside our body. We just tell the baby to stop crying and put a muffle on the baby inside. We mask the voice with aspirin or Motrin that actually has longterm serious side effects. These OTC medications can damage the gastrointestinal lining affecting your immune system.
Many clients tell me they prophylactically take Motrin or aspirin before playing golf, tennis or a workout because they want to mask pain. I have clients who do this before physical therapy. How are you going to know your limit if you’ve deadened your sensors? How are you going to take right action for your body? How do you know what you need to nourish and support your unique body? How can you build optimal health and strength if you are interfering with the healing process?
Instead, I ask, “What’s right with you? What is your loving and self healing and self repairing body trying to tell you?” Symptoms should be recognized and analyzed, not masked or hidden. Masking symptoms does not solve the problem. It’s also not productive or helpful to feel shame or guilt. It’s merely your body’s way of communicating with you. Like a baby. When a baby cries it needs something, food, diaper change, to be soothed or comforted. It’s up to Mom to figure it out. But we don’t do this for the beautiful baby inside our body. We just tell the baby to stop crying and put a muffle on the baby inside. We mask the voice with aspirin or Motrin that actually has longterm serious side effects. These OTC medications can damage the gastrointestinal lining affecting your immune system.
Many clients tell me they prophylactically take Motrin or aspirin before playing golf, tennis or a workout because they want to mask pain. I have clients who do this before physical therapy. How are you going to know your limit if you’ve deadened your sensors? How are you going to take right action for your body? How do you know what you need to nourish and support your unique body? How can you build optimal health and strength if you are interfering with the healing process?
This can take courage and compassion. To say, “I need to rest now. I need to rest and repair my muscles.” To acknowledge that you may need to stop powering through another email and simply go to bed. To nourish your body so you can be the best you can be tomorrow. Most of us don’t do this.
Functional Medicine goes upstream to find the root cause of your dis-ease. To uncover the reason the baby inside is crying. For instance why are you having chronic pain, trouble sleeping or a headache? Are you sleeping well and waking up rested? Do you need magnesium or other electrolytes? Did you sweat too much and need electrolytes? Is this a tension headache? Do you have tight tense muscles, or are you stressed over a mental or emotional issue? Did you eat something that you have a food sensitivity to? Do you have gut dysbiosis that is waking you up in the middle of the night? Are you having sugar crashes or low cortisol? Did you have a glass of wine to relax which may be affecting hormones and/or causing bacterial overgrowth in the gut?
Speaking of wine. Many of us self medicate at night with a glass or two of wine to unwind and calm down. Many women find this may actually interfere with sleep and exasperates menopause, peri-menopause or PMS symptoms. This week I was collaborating with a physician colleague who shared this article with me.
California wines were tested and found that 100% tested (including organic) had glyphosate in them. This is roundup. One of the most widely used toxic herbicides today sprayed on fruits and vegetables. Monsanto genetically engineered corn by putting bacteria into the DNA so that it would resist Roundup. Glyphosate is actually an antibiotic that kills microbes in the gut flora of animals that eat food treated with it. It first causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Why would we want to damage our gut lining by eating foods sprayed with glyphosate? Could this be the culprit to your inflammation and gastrointestinal issues? I remember smelling the fungicide while driving past vineyards in California highways last month. We wonder why there's an epidemic in obesity, gastrointestinal issues, autoimmune disease and cancers?
Why would we want to damage our gut lining by eating foods sprayed with glyphosate? Could this be the culprit to your inflammation and gastrointestinal issues? I remember smelling the fungicide while driving past vineyards in California highways last month. We wonder why there's an epidemic in obesity, gastrointestinal issues, autoimmune disease and cancers?
According to the article:
Monsanto’s own research supports the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determination that glyphosate is a Class 2A “probable human carcinogen” — a determination Monsanto is now trying to get retracted. Other research has shown glyphosate may:
- Stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells [10]
- Have endocrine-disrupting effects and affect human reproduction and fetal development [11]
- Induce oxidative damage and neurotoxicity in the brain [12]
- Modify the balance of sex hormones [13]
- Cause birth defects [14]
Glyphosate was also found in German beer tested. What we don’t know can slowly kill us.
Information is power.
How to avoid it, limit exposure, and help rid the body of this toxic herbicide?
- Visit your local farmers market and ask and buy organic. (I personally love the Great Falls Farmers Market on Saturday Mornings.)
- Eat fermented cruciferous vegetables like Kimchi. Email me if you would like my favorite recipe that is part of my KickStart to Wellness Program.
- Add diversity in the diet and try kombucha, iced green tea with lemon and herbs, cucumber infused water, or turmeric tea for refreshing beverages.
This holiday weekend, will you relax, rest and celebrate with clean, organic, healthy food that will nourish your mind, body and soul? Will you share a photo or recipe on your favorite new traditional memorial day food? As you honor those who fought for our lives, and your past loved ones, can you send this same love and attention to you?
Carpe Diem!
Lisa
Lisa is an author, functional nutrition and functional medicine trained health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to "Inspire, Educate and Empower" individuals to heal from within.
Lisa
About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, AFMC
Lisa is an author, functional nutrition and functional medicine trained health coach, yoga teacher, and retired Registered Nurse with the mission to "Inspire, Educate and Empower" individuals to heal from within.
Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive is a self-health book offering her Seven Steps to Optimal Health.
When she is not coaching, or speaking, you can find Lisa joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance or playing with her two grandchildren. She is the mother of four adult children and believes, "Optimal health should not be a secret."
