What is your body telling you?

I believe our bodies are perfect. They constantly give us signals, or whispers, but the question is “Are we listening”?  Most of us don’t wake up one morning and feel lousy.  Instead, we start feeling minor symptoms, often caused by silent inflammation, that we ignore.  Over time, inflammation builds up and ultimately causes annoying symptoms and possibly disease.  For example, do you toss and turn every night? Do you have intermittent stomach pains, bloating and gas? Is your skin not as clear as you would like or does more hair fall out than you’d like? Do you experience fatigue, brain fog and/or headaches? Many assume these are a normal part of aging, but I disagree!

I truly believe that most of us want to be healthy, but we aren’t sure how to get there.  Like everything else, it’s a journey. With the daily stresses of life, I used to turn to diet coke and pretzels as my ‘comfort foods’.  I didn’t understand why I was tired, lethargic and itchy all the time.  When I started feeling tired, I reached for another diet coke to give me the jolt I needed and the vicious circle continued!

When I finally started listening to my body, I realized that the chemicals in diet coke and the gluten in pretzels were causing my intermittent stomach pains and skin rashes.  But I was addicted and honestly, I didn’t think I could ever live without diet coke and pretzels! I slowly started reducing my intake and replacing it with seltzer and healthier snack alternatives.  After about 3 months, I was no longer drinking diet coke or eating pretzels and my skin rashes, hives and stomach pains vanished.

Sometimes, it takes huge wake up call for us to start listening to our bodies. I believe that this is how many of us end up suffering from chronic health symptoms.  I’m not suggesting that a chronic illness is around the corner, but I am suggesting you take the time to listen to the ‘whispers’ of your body. Slowly decreasing my diet coke intake was very difficult. But when I look at the results I have achieved, it was well worth the short term discomfort!

If you would like to start listening to the murmurs of your own body, join my guided, group Spring Healthy Eating Challenge beginning on June 4^th, just in time to get ready for the beach! You will be amazed with the changes you notice in just 4 weeks! This is not a diet, it’s learning new ways to nourish and fuel your body while reducing silent inflammation. You are worth it!

If you’ve been debating on improving your health, this is this is the perfect time to do it. Check out the results other participants have experienced during the Healthy Eating Challenge. Click here for more information and to register!

RECIPE
Since it’s Spring and the time to start grilling, I am sharing one of my favorite salmon recipes, Ginger Garlic Salmon. This can be cooked under the broiler or on the grill. The ginger and garlic add the perfect kick!

EVENTS
May 17^th: Summit Downtown Farmer’s Market – stop down and say hello! I will be hosting a table with Brain Balance of Summit. Brain Balance offers an integrated service to help parents understand their children’s struggles with cognitive/academic, social, and/or behavioral issues.

May 20^th: Reiki I class begins at the Elila Center. Learn the tools for self care and experience more peace and balance. It’s a great complement to the Healthy Eating Challenge. I will be participating in this class.

June 4^th: Guided Group Healthy Eating Challenge begins – just in time to get ready for the beach!

June 11^th: Twin Maples, Summit. I will be exhibiting at the B.I.G. Expo of Women Entrepreneurs. Come find out about the products and services of local women entrepreneurs.

June 12^th: Smoothie Demo – Summit.

MONTHLY CHALLENGE
I challenge you to take the time to listen to your body – while it’s whispering instead of yelling!  Perhaps you can make a few small changes, like increasing your water intake or your vegetable intake this month. Here’s to making some small, positive changes!

I would love to support your journey to pure, simple wellness!

Elizabeth Girouard, CHHC, CWWA
www.PureSimpleWellness.com