wellness

Give Yourself a Head to Toe Makeover This Year

March 13, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

If the year hasn’t gotten off to a very good start and it’s hard to make achieve those new year’s resolutions, why not cheer yourself up with a bit of pampering instead? Self-care is just as important and you need to make time for you. Give yourself a head to toe makeover to boost your self-confidence this year.

Hair trends

Consider freshening up your look with a new color or highlights this year. Balayage is trending right now and it’s very popular with all hair types. The technique is brushing on color to give a natural effect that grows out nicely. For a more youthful look, go for warmer tones. These will suit this season as well now hopefully the spring sunshine is finally coming out.

If you’re bored of always having the same hair why not get it cut in a different way for a change. Find out which haircut best suits your face shape and hair type.

Make-up trends

Full, healthy eyebrows are in this year and they make your face much softer and younger. Invest in an eyebrow powder, or powder pencil combo as this will allow you to define your eyebrows in a more subtle way rather than a harsh pencil line. If you want a little more pampering you could go for and HD brow treatment, which will give you a full service of shaping and tinting. Full eyelash extension is also trending, for a fun, flirty look this season.

There are many new fun make up trends this spring. Go for glitter, neon colors, and eye embellishment instead of subtle eye makeup. Classic red lipstick is still in this year as well.

Wellness Trends

Don’t ignore your physical and mental health and these should be above and foremost. Have you been keeping on top of your health by going to the doctor and dentist regularly? It might be time to get that nagging toothache checked as you could need dental implant surgery. Don’t worry as this is a routine procedure and there are many experts dentists out there.

To focus on your psychological wellbeing, trending at the moment is the art of mindfulness. This is highly based on meditation and positive thinking but the great thing is you can do it at home on your own, after following a couple of online video tutorials. With a few minutes a day of quiet focus, you’ll soon learn how to tackle your problems with a calm optimism.

A change is as good as a rest so why not try out a new hobby to improve your wellness? This could be anything you like. Gardening is another popular wellness trend at the moment. Now that the weather’s changing, brave the outside and get planting, whether you’ve got a big yard or a modest window box. Bring some plants and flowers inside the house as well to cheer up the place. There are many low maintenance species if you’re not the most green-thumbed of people.

Thank you for reading!

Health

How to Feel At Your Best

January 9, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

How nice it would be if we could wake up and know that it’s going to be a great day, because we’re feeling at our best, feeling on top of the world? While there are days when this just happens, there are also the days when the opposite is true, when we feel very far from the top of the world. But what if we could push the chances of a great day in our favor? Below, we take a look at a few tried and tested methods for looking at your best. Incorporate the below, and you’ll never be too far from feeling fantastic!

Pexels – CC0 Licence

Working Up a Sweat

The idea of putting on your gym clothes and working up a sweat might not sound appealing when you’re lazing on the couch, but take our word for it: it will be worth it. Not only do we feel much better when we know we’re at our healthiest best, but exercise has also been shown to have other benefits, too — it makes us feel better. So be sure to override the side of your brain that wants you to binge-watch television, and hit the gym. You’ll be glowing for the rest of the day once you’re finished.

Stretch It Out

Did you know that in 1900, only a small percentage of people brushed their teeth each day? Today’s equivalent could be yoga. While it’s popular, the vast majority of people don’t practice it. But there are a lot of good reasons why you might want to consider it. For one, it’ll make your body feel as it was supposed to feel. You probably spend more time than you realize sitting down or in an otherwise “tight” position. Yoga stretches you out, and gets rid of all the tension. After a good yoga class, you’ll be walking on clouds.

Common Issues

There are some issues that are a product of our lifestyles, such as feeling stiff, while there are others that lie deeper within us. Alas, these common medical issues do have the power to disrupt the quality of your life. You could be hitting it out of the park in virtually all areas of your life, but if you have to contend with an annoying issue that affects your body, then you’ll find it difficult to live your best life. It’s important to remember, however, that there are always things you can do to relieve your pain. If you have ringing in your ears, then you can look at tinnitus relief solutions. If you have back pain that stops you from being as mobile as you’d like, then you can look at specific stretches and exercises to manage the pain. While issues related to your body can feel deeply personal, they might be more common than you think, which means there are remedies available.

Calming the Mind

If you’re going to feel at your best, then it’s important to dedicate some time towards ensuring that your mind is calm, peaceful, and stress-free. It’s impossible to live life to the fullest if you’re feeling the strain. Even the positive moments in your life can lose their magic if your mind isn’t quite right. It’s as important as your physical health! We’ve gotten pretty good at understanding what we need to be at our best. If you have meditation, exercise, and healthy eating as integral parts of your schedule, then you’ll be on the right path. It’s also good to practice how to communicate your feelings, especially for when things aren’t going well. You’ll learn that just talking through your problems can often reduce the impact they have on your life.

A Good Night’s Rest

You probably already know how much more you enjoy life when you’re well-rested. If you’re running on virtually an empty tank, then everything is more difficult — and it’s not fun. If you find that it’s difficult to hit the hay each night, then look at making some changes. Setting up a bedroom that’s cozy, comfortable, and quiet will be a good start, as will calming your mind in the hour leading up to bed. Look at meditating and reading , rather than using your smartphone.

Limiting the Bad Things

Finally, be sure to reduce the bad influences that can compromise your enjoyment of life! It can be nice to have a few drinks with friends, but if you’re consuming too much alcohol, then you’ll begin to feel it in your body. Take a break, and life will seem a lot brighter.

This post was a collaboration.

Health

Family Matters – Oldest to Youngest

July 14, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

No one likes to think about something terrible happening to their family, and often, that is why millions of us are unprepared. We all want to take care of our families, to provide for them in the long and short-term. With each new addition that joins your family, a lot of love follows them – but so do financial responsibilities.

Those responsibilities aren’t just yours; they belong to everyone. However, it is essential that you do everything you can to make sure it all goes as smoothly as possible.

Photo by Jake Thacker on Unsplash

Smallest

The beautiful thing about children is that you have a clean slate. You can start saving for them; you can start growing a nest egg. A simple savings account with a few dollars a month can help your children pay towards college, books, meals, travel, and more when they reach an age that they really need it.

The most important thing and the one money can’t buy is, of course, time. We all have free time that we don’t always use to the best of our ability. Moreover, is there anything better than spending it on the smallest members of your family? Maybe they are your kids, and perhaps they aren’t – but spend the time, and you will feel those rewards for years to come.

Middles

There are probably more family members in the 18-58 age bracket. Usually, this age group has the most modern pressures. The young end of that spectrum have exams, job stress, trying to afford a home, and sometimes they can feel like others are too busy being successful, or living their own lives to check-in. So take the time to say hi, grab a coffee, and just listen.

It is nice to ask ‘Are you okay?’ it’s more helpful to ask ‘hey, do you need help with anything, what can I do?’.

Emotional and mental support is a big deal, and all it takes is to make sure that you are there. Also, the kind offer of helping with week of grocery shopping, or even a monetary offer, usually won’t go amiss.

Elders

The elder members of your family need just as much love and support as the younger ones – but it might need to be in a different form. The 58+ bracket sadly comes with more ailments and illnesses. If you can, start talking about their will, and if they don’t have one, it might be time to get one written up. Talk about what might happen if they can no longer care for themselves, and check out in home health care professionals so that they can stay in a place they are happy.

It isn’t a surprise really, but the best way to take care of people is to be there for them, through the good and the bad.

•How do you and your family take care of each other? Please share below in the comments section!

Thank you for reading!

Events Fitness Nutrition SoCal

How I Champion Women’s Wellness with thinkThin® (+ Sunrise Yoga!)

August 27, 2015 By lyndsinreallife 3 Comments

This post is sponsored by Women’s Forum and thinkThin®. All opinions are 100% my own.

If I had to choose only one thing I am passionate about, it’s wellness. To me, wellness means feeling happy, healthy, energized, and having an all-around feeling of contentment. To obtain this, I balance nutrition, yoga, meditation, writing, and outdoor adventures.

I champion women’s wellness through nutrition with thinkThin® lifestyle bars and oatmeal! The bars are the perfect pick-me-up for my super busy days (which is practically every day). I’m not often in a place where I can refrigerate snacks or meals, so having a high protein, low sugar bar in my bag is essential. The best part? I don’t have to choose between healthy and delicious; these bars are both!

I had the privilege of trying the oatmeal at the Sunrise Yoga event with fitness expert Andrea Metcalf (hosted by Women’s Forum and thinkThin®). The Farmer’s Market Berry Crumble oatmeal was SO GOOD! It’s my new go-to breakfast. It’s seriously so delicious; the fact that it’s healthy makes it that much better! thinkThin® knows what’s up. 😉

So, more about this Sunrise Yoga event. It was held a few weeks ago (Thursday, Aug. 6) at The Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. Andrea led a 30 minute yoga session (starting at 7 a.m.) followed by breakfast and the opportunity to talk with Andrea/other yogis! Andrea is full of energy and happiness; she inspired us to thinkPostive®. She is the definition of the modern-day health and wellness woman.

How @balancebrunette champions women’s wellness w/ @thinkproducts + Sunrise #Yoga w/ @andreametcalf recap! http://ctt.ec/qSHcB+ #sponsored

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The women who participated in the sunrise yoga event were confident, strong, positive, supportive, and full of gratitude. The atmosphere was uplifting and the view was beautiful!

It was such a privilege doing yoga with Andrea Metcalf and the beautiful LA yogis! I left feeling excited and optimistic about women’s wellness.

thinkThin® inspires (and nourishes) me to live a balanced lifestyle; after all, I am The Balanced Brunette!

What helps you live a balanced life? What does wellness mean for you?

#LiveLoveInspire

Follow thinkThin® on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and thinkproducts.com.

How @balancebrunette champions women’s wellness w/ @thinkproducts + Sunrise #Yoga w/ @andreametcalf recap! http://ctt.ec/qSHcB+ #sponsored

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Thank you for reading!

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Personal

It’s My First Blogiversary!

December 11, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 9 Comments

Yesterday was a very exciting today — It was my blogiversary! (Although I am celebrating today)

I started blogging one year ago (December 10, 2013) mainly as an outlet to express my thoughts and feelings on the connection between physical and mental health. I was health coaching at the time and found that the people I wanted to help most were those struggling emotionally/mentally. I have this desire to “save” people who need guidance, mainly because when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 6 years ago, I needed saving. It was an incredibly difficult and lonely time. But I got through it. And now, I want to help everyone I can! I realize this is not possible, but even if I can help one person, it’s definitely worth it.

As my blogging progressed, I started looking at it more as a business than a hobby. I love writing — I’ve been journaling and writing stories/poetry since the third grade. My original major in college was journalism (I switched due to lack of jobs). So I joined blogging/fitness groups like Fit Approach (#sweatpink), I’m Fit Possible (which is no longer around), Fitfluential, and so many more. It opened up a new world for me!

Prior to these groups, I didn’t have many friends because I was (and still am) fairly new to LA. Even though it was online, it was great having a community of such wonderful people! I was involved with an MLM (multi-level marketing) for a year and a half prior, and even though I had lost my passion for it, I was afraid to leave. I didn’t want to feel like I didn’t belong anywhere. But these groups helped me leave, and I’m forever grateful! Plus, the opportunities I’ve had have been life-changing.

Now that my first year of blogging has passed, I feel like it’s time to step it up. I’m not totally sure how yet, but I’m excited to create it! Maybe it’ll be posting more regularly, or DIY/crafts, or printables, or how I manage bipolar with a positive outlook. Clearly I have many ideas! My mind is flowing with creativity — now to bring that to light!

Thank you to everyone who has helped make my first blogging year so amazing and memorable! I appreciate you all so, so much. <3

What inspired you to start blogging?
What would you like to see on this blog?

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Events Lifestyle Personal

It’s My SITS Day; Welcome!

November 10, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 20 Comments

Today is my feature day on The SITS Girls! I am SO excited, and wanted to welcome everyone who stops by! 🙂

My name is Lyndsay, and I’m a 26-year-old writer living in Los Angeles, CA (originally from Cleveland, OH). I’m also a nanny, dog-sitter, brand ambassador, and affiliate marketer. I love keeping busy, what can I say? 🙂

I’ve been blogging since December 2013, but writing since age 8. I originally went to college for journalism, and was the editor-in-chief of my college’s newspaper. I loved it! I ended up graduating with a BA in speech-language pathology and audiology.

The Balanced Brunette is a blog that focuses on health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and SoCal living. I started this blog as an outlet to share my thoughts about the correlation between mental and physical health. That is still the primary focus, but I’ve added in product reviews, events in Southern California, things to do in Los Angeles, and so on! TBB is sort of in a transition phase, as I’m going through a transition in my life.

I like to blog about bipolar disorder, as well. I was diagnosed in 2008. I am very in-tune with it, plus I am a pretty positive person! I’ve found that I connect with people the most when I share about my experiences, and it’s one of my favorite topics to write about.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who stops by The Balanced Brunette today!! Leave a comment on this post or any other post, and I will be sure to check out your blog and return the love! 🙂

Have a wonderful Monday!

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Nutrition Reviews

Juice That Looks Like Water + Is Sugar/Calorie-Free

September 17, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 4 Comments

Disclosure: I received two bottles of Koa in the hopes that I would mention it on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

One night, while watching Shark Tank, I stumbled upon an email from Well + Good. They have the best health and wellness articles, so I make sure to look through the emails no matter what. On this particular night, Well + Good had an article about juice that looks like water, plus has zero sugar and calories. Naturally, I was intrigued! So I read on.

The clear juice is called Koa Natural Olakino. It’s the first product of its kind, and it is absolutely amazing! Before I go into detail about it, here’s a picture so you have an idea of what it looks like:

I totally love the packaging, too! It’s really clean, chic, and simple.

**This juice isn’t to be confused with juice cleanses that you see everywhere. That’s not what Koa is. It’s not a meal replacement, a cleanse, or anything of that sort. It’s simply juice that you can add to your regular daily nutrition. It is complementary.

So, what is Koa?

“Purified by nature and squeezed from 12 fresh fruits and vegetables. Koa is unlike anything else, redefining our ideas about healthy living. Koa delivers only the healthy part of fruits and vegetables. Koa is a natural Olakino. Olakino is the healthiest parts squeezed from fruits & veggies. Olakino retains the natural goodness but skips the bad stuff. That means Koa can boast naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and anti-oxidants without any additives or calories” (source).

Image Source

What Does It Taste Like?

“Olakino is made from fresh-pressed pomegranates, bamboo, mint, lime, amla fruit, annatto, guava, holy basil, red sea lettuce, lemongrass, carrot, and lemons. But… during a centrifugal filtration process it turns clear, explains co-founder Adam Louras – and loses its sugar and calories on the way” (source).

The mint, cucumber, and citrus stands out the most in my opinion. I love detox water (mint, cucumber, lemon), so I really love Koa! If you don’t like mint, you might not like it. But if you do like mint, it’s definitely for you! Plus it’s very hydrating, healthy, and has been called uber coconut water. I LOVE coconut water, and Koa is something that, while similar, does not contain the sugar and calories coconut water does. It’s a win-win!

The production of Koa is through a private facility in California. The people at Koa call it the ‘black box.’ They run the facility and are the only ones who know how to use the equipment. It is not created in a lab, because it is 100% natural! With this process, the juice ends up being a clear color, with 74 minerals, 9 vitamins, 0 calories, and 0 sugar. Adam Louras was told a natural, sugar-free juice could not be done. But he and Wes Wells did it, and it is awesome!

Image Source

Another great thing about Koa is that it’s made with sustainably grown fruits and vegetables, cooperatively processed to minimize waste, and the bottle is 100% biodegradable and recyclable! It’s a great product not only for you, but for the environment, as well.

Speaking of, when Wes sent me the bottles to try, the letter I received was made of paper that could be PLANTED. You read that right, planted. There are seeds in the paper, and the paper is biodegradable, so you just put it in some soil and water it, and voila, plants! Seriously so awesome. I’ve never seen anything like it!

Where To Buy:

As of now, Koa can be found in a few locations on the East coast, Texas, and one location in Napa, California. You can find specific locations here. They have plans to be available on the West coast, but nothing is set in stone yet. Koa is currently not available for delivery, BUT it’s coming soon!! You’ll be able to order a case of 15 ($59.99) either as a one-time order, or a subscription. You can read more about that here.

Keep In Touch:

Koa can be found on these social media sites:

Because of my sugar addiction, I am always looking for a healthier drink option. Being able to get 74 minerals and 9 vitamins from a juice that contains zero sugar naturally is definitely a favorite in my book. I want to say THANK YOU to Wes and Adam from Koa for the opportunity to sample such an amazing drink! You guys are definitely doing it right.

So tell me,

Have you ever heard of or tried Koa? Is it something you’d be interested in trying?
What do you look for in your juices/drinks?

Thank you so much for reading my blog! Please keep in touch through Instagram + Twitter. 🙂

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XO

Lyndsay

Bipolar Disorder Fitness Nutrition Personal

After An Entire Year, My Mindset Is Finally In Alignment

May 28, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 40 Comments

I have so much excitement and happiness, I don’t even know where to begin! The past year has been wonderful, but very rough. I moved to Los Angeles from Cleveland in February 2013, and the life event threw me into the worst bipolar depression I have ever experienced. It hit me hard at the end of April/beginning of May 2013. I barely left my apartment for five months. I laid on our mattress.. in my living room.. on the floor.. in the AC.. with the blinds closed.. for FIVE MONTHS. I watched 14 seasons of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. That takes serious dedication (to my living room floor).

During this time, I didn’t care about my physical health. When my mental health is that messy, it’s hard for me to even shower (my boyfriend can vouch for this). As hard as it was to admit, I gained a lot of weight. I ate the worst possible foods, and my addiction to soda showed up again (I had given it up for good that past December).

Fast forward to today. I read somewhere that our mindset needs to be in alignment with our nutrition plan, or we won’t stick to it. Well, guess what? My mindset is finally in alignment with my goals! Oh my gosh, it feels SO good! I have had a serious sugar addiction that seemed almost impossible to get through. I’m currently detoxing and withdrawing from sugar, and these are the symptoms I am experiencing right now:

itchy ears (how weird, right?!)
itchy eyes
sinus congestion (immune system becomes suppressed)
severe migraine (withdrawal is no joke, I have no idea how I’m even looking at a computer screen lol)
hives

But it is worth it. Because these symptoms will eventually go away, and I am finally able to not have soda! I’m finally able to not have chocolate, or ice cream, or grains, or refined sugars/carbs. Yeah, it’s still challenging, but my mind is so clear on my goals that I am able to not have those things! I so badly want to be healthy. I want my digestive issues (candida, leaky gut, etc) to be better. I want to lose this weight (not necessarily to look better, but to feel better). I want to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) this year. I want to be able to somewhat control my moods and emotions.

I posted this status on Facebook yesterday:

“It’s an amazing thing, when you REALLY start to pay attention to how certain foods affect your body. Something that is healthy for one individual may not be as healthy for another individual. I always ate what I perceived to be “healthy” and never truly paid attention to how my body was affected by it. This is why one “diet” (diet meaning what you eat.. the actual meaning of the word) is not best for everyone. I follow mostly a paleo diet, however there are certain paleo-approved foods that I cannot have (and certain non-paleo foods I can have). Tailor your diet/nutrition to whatever fuels YOUR body best.”

Life is completely different when you learn to eat for your health, as opposed to weight loss. When you learn how to have a sustainable diet (again, diet meaning what we eat). I am even learning how to cook and enjoying it! I have never liked cooking haha.

cookbooks

I am loving my Practical Paleo and 21-Day Sugar Detox cookbooks from Balanced Bites! I used them to make dinner for my boyfriend yesterday (which he loved!). *Side note: the 21-Day Sugar Detox comes in two parts: the cookbook and the guide book.

I am learning to love my body and myself each and every day. People who say “I’ll be happy when I am this weight.. this size.. this wealthy..” and so on, those people will not find happiness. Not authentically, anyway. I used to be one of them. But we get to live in the moment, and love ourselves every single day, as we are.

Photo of me at a self-love yoga session with my friend & mentor Elyse

So my point of all this is that it feels so good to have my mindset on track after an entire year! I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice self-love and personal development (read books, go to therapy, join a support group, whatever it is for you), and also to really listen to your body. Pay attention to the foods that serve you and the foods that don’t. Eat for your health. Our bodies are so incredible, they fight so hard for us, don’t we want to fuel it properly?

xo, Lyndsay

How do you get your mindset in alignment with your goals?
Was it easy for you, or a struggle? Share below in the comments! 🙂

Ambassador Fitness Nutrition

What Being An I’m Fit Possible Ambassador Means To Me

May 1, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 24 Comments

UPDATE: I’m Fit Possible ended their ambassador program in September 2014.

I announced this a few weeks ago on here, but I’m sharing it again: I am an I’m Fit Possible Ambassador!! I love the community of supportive, energetic, happy people who share the same passion of health and fitness. It’s an amazing feeling, being able to get online in the morning and have posts and comments from fellow ambassadors on Facebook, my blog, Instagram, Twitter, etc.! Who doesn’t love a supportive community?

One of the biggest reasons why I love I’m Fit Possible is because it’s all about being real. This is who we are (borrowed from the I’m Fit Possible website):

“We are social, big hearted, creative fitness enthusiasts.

We believe in unplugging and heading outside.

We believe that the best workouts are the ones done with family and friends.

We try and sweat every day, but if we don’t we won’t sweat about it.

We love to try new things and if we love something, you’ll hear about it.

Oh and smiles, hugs and high fives are not negotiable.

Most importantly, we agree:

Together is BETTER

Being SOCIAL is way cool

Real stories by real people MATTER

Opinions COUNT

YOU define what is healthy for you.”

Just like it says, to me, being fit possible doesn’t mean you have to have a 6 pack or a thigh gap, or can run the fastest mile, or whatever. To me, being fit possible means anyone can be fit. And that definition of fit is different for everyone! As long as we are trying to be a little bit better each day, and we’re moving our bodies and trying to eat healthy foods, then we are fit possible.

HOWEVER, if having a 6 pack or thigh gap or running the fastest mile is what makes you feel fit possible, THEN PERFECT!! That’s the amazing thing about the I’m Fit Possible community- we all have different goals, and we all support each other with those goals.

I want to shout out Tara, the founder of I’m Fit Possible. She is absolutely wonderful!! She is funny, witty, sassy, beautiful, inspirational, supportive.. I could go on and on. She has made me (and all the ambassadors) feel super welcomed since the very beginning! Tara wanted to do something nice for the ambassadors, so she sent out a gift to everyone:

How amazing is that?! It’s a tea bottle (has an infuser at the top) that obviously says I’m Fit Possible, a sample of Tisano tea (I received mint cacao!), a sticker (where should I put it?!), and a hand-written note welcoming me! It seriously made my day. And I use the bottle every single day! So Tara, THANK YOU so so much for allowing me to be a part of this family, and for recognizing that we can be “fit” even if we don’t have a 6 pack!

Check out I’m Fit Possible on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see what all the ambassadors are up to!

Do you want to become an #imfitpossible ambassador? Apply here! 🙂

Bipolar Disorder Nutrition Personal

My Current Nutrition Plan, & Why It Has Nothing To Do With Anyone But Myself

April 26, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 16 Comments

There are two main reasons for this post.

To hold me accountable and to document my progress with my new nutrition plan
To clear up any confusion as to WHY I am doing this nutrition plan

Let’s start with what the plan is. It’s called the GAPS diet. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Basically, my digestive system is in poor health. When I am stressed, I eat a lot of sugar and refined carbs. Read my previous post about my sugar addiction for a little bit of a background. In addition to this, I have bipolar disorder. I don’t want to take medication for the rest of my life, and I am very aware that good nutrition and regular fitness are very important for both physical and mental health. I decided to take a mental health coaching program from a holistic wellness coach who has bipolar disorder, and has successfully managed her bipolar without medication for one year.

I started the program with her almost two weeks ago, and officially started the GAPS diet this past Wednesday. My coach, Nellie, recommended this nutrition plan for me because I need to get my digestion under control. Every symptom I’ve been having is directly related to an unhealthy gut. I have candida, which is a fungus that overgrows when we consume too much sugar and refined carbs. I have almost every single symptom of it (and now it all makes sense!):

chronic fatigue
digestive issues
difficulty concentrating/foggy brain
irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety
seasonal allergies and itchy ears (I’ve never had itchy ears before- so weird)
strong sugar and refined carb cravings (oh my gosh, it’s awful)
skin rashes — I have had hives 3 times in the past 4 weeks. A couple nights ago, I woke up at 4:30 am with severe hives on both my arms. Here’s a picture (it was not pleasant and rather scary, actually):

It’s not only physical, but also mental. The GAPS diet is used for people with various mental health conditions, like depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, and so on. Having bipolar disorder, the GAPS diet is perfect. I told Nellie that I would be completely open and be the client (I’m used to being the health coach), and try out what she recommended for me. It has worked for her (and countless others), and I am really excited to see how it helps my mental stability! And of course the healthy body and weight loss will be great. 🙂

It really is a different feeling when you’re eating for health as opposed to eating for weight loss. It’s so much easier. Don’t get me wrong though, it is by no means EASY. It’s been four days and I am struggling. Sugar addiction is no joke. I crave it and I get really moody when I don’t have it. But I am finding alternatives, and today has been a really great nutrition day! So I feel optimistic about it.

While on the GAPS diet (however long I decide to be on it- at least five weeks), I cannot have grains/gluten, dairy, sugar, anything processed, and soy.

This leads me to the second point of this post.

I have been a health coach with Herbalife for exactly one and a half years in May. Herbalife has completely changed my life, and I am forever grateful for the company, the products, and the people who have helped me lose weight and go after my dreams! However, Herbalife meal replacement shakes contain soy. It was never a problem for me (like I said, it helped me to lose weight and feel amazing!), but I told Nellie I would be completely open, so that means stopping Herbalife for the five weeks or so that I am her client. I was hesitant about it at first, but not only am I paying my coach for the mental health coaching, I am committed to finding ways to treat my bipolar disorder holistically. Why would I do this program, and spend the entire however many weeks/months not doing what my coach asked me to do? As a coach, I know how frustrating that is! Having clients who you spend time on and give your all to, but they just won’t do what you ask them to do. I would be a hypocrite. It’s like what Seth Godin (my favorite blogger) said,

“If you don’t have the time to do it right the first time, then you don’t have the time to do it over.”

Because I am doing a nutrition plan that does not allow soy (which therefore does not allow Herbalife meal replacement shakes, except allergen-free, which is totally fine), I do not feel authentic when talking about it at this time. I get that some people will not understand this. That since I have been with Herbalife (and I am successful with it), I should only promote Herbalife, no matter what. And okay, I do get that for some people. But it doesn’t feel right in my heart promoting something that I am not currently doing. It is not authentic. It denies me integrity.

I will eventually introduce certain foods back into my diet, like my Herbalife shakes (trust me, I miss them!). I still love the products, I can still share about my experiences with them, and I still love the company. My current nutrition has nothing to do with Herbalife as a company or even a product. My current nutrition/situation has nothing to do with anyone or anything BUT ME.

I am still coaching clients. I am still building a team in Ohio. I feel good about the decision I’ve made, and I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. I just figured I’d clear a few things up. 🙂

I will be posting updates about my mental health coaching and GAPS diet weekly!

Working Up a Sweat

Stretch It Out

Common Issues

Calming the Mind

A Good Night’s Rest

Limiting the Bad Things

Smallest

Middles

Elders

What helps you live a balanced life? What does wellness mean for you?

#LiveLoveInspire

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