December Monthly Newsletter

Walker’s Functional Nutrition wishes you all

a happy and healthy holiday season!

Read about our latest updates and lifestyle tips for healthy living this holiday season.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

-Pablo Picasso 

 

"We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something." -Mother Theresa

What We’re Up To

I’m happy to report that Walker’s Functional Nutrition is now an investor at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce. I’m pleased to be a part of this generous entrepreneurial minded community that supports businesses in the area. The investor ambassadors have been awesome at helping my new business make connections with others. I genuinely feel they support my business's success and am grateful to be a part of this business network.

https://www.northamptonchamber.com/

 

Most people have never heard of Functional Nutrition, let alone what a Functional Nutrition Counselor does. As a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, I help people get to the root causes of their chronic illness, specifically those struggling with autoimmunity, digestive and mental health issues, using a three tier approach. My passion is to help address the epidemic of chronic diseases not getting better through conventional care, and to help people increase their healthspan through the principles of functional medicine. 

If you want more information on how I can help empower you naturally through personalized diet and lifestyle modification to heal, call me for a free consult. (413) 695 4564

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“There are precious few good things that are happening as a result of this coronavirus pandemic, but one of them - small as it may be - is that a lot of us are really experiencing the joys of eating together with family regularly.” 

-Sam Sifton, veteran food writer and currently assistant managing edit of the New York Times and author of "See You On Sunday: A Cookbook For Family And Friends."

 

Five benefits of eating home cooked meals, especially when you're trying to heal chronic illness.

 

1. By eating at home you are generally eating healthier without trying. At home you’re less likely to prepare your food using unhealthy methods of food preparation. A lot of people turn to baking or grilling food at home which means we are reducing the intake of unhealthy fats used in restaurants, and overall calories from eating fried foods. At home, you decide what fats you use and you likely won’t be adding the unhealthy additives, and artificial flavoring that is often in takeout orders. Your food will be fresher as the food you order from restaurants or other takeout services will mostly use canned or processed ingredients. Additionally, it’s easier to avoid allergic reactions when cooking at home. Early in my autoimmune healing journey I had eaten at a restaurant and asked if there was gluten in the meat and was told,  “no.”  When I had digestive distress immediately after eating the meal I got suspicious because my digestion had been so much better. I called to be sure of the ingredients in the meal. The manager told me there was gluten in the turkey burger that I ate. Ugh, I got glutened!

 

2. You’re eating smaller portions. If you’re looking to lose weight is easier to achieve when you're cooking your meals at home. A very important contributor to weight loss is portion control, and this is where restaurants are really doing our health a disservice—we usually end up eating way more than we need, just because there's a huge portion of food on our plate. When eating home cooked food, we have the option to not overload our plates. When making a plate I generally recommend a quarter of the plate have a clean protein, and three quarters plant based. 

 

3. Cooking at home allows for greater creativity and is a good creative outlet, which can reduce stress. You can discover new methods of cooking and try out different flavors. My son is a chef in NYC and I can attest to his use of creativity in his meal preparation. Food is his canvas by which he can create to engage the senses and create his meal as a delicious masterpiece. Cooking can be a good de-stressor, if you like cooking of course. Stress and certain coping mechanisms can numb out the senses, while cooking enliven the senses via aroma, taste, touch, and visual pleasantries and even the sound of sizzling. Experiment with your food color palate. Eat the rainbow!

 

4. Eating at home brings people together. It’s a way to stay connected, learn about a family member when cooking together, celebrate, learn about cultures and provide comfort. One of the great joys in my life is that my husband and I often cook meals together. We have a running joke when we are cooking ethnic meals to add variety to our meal repertoire. We joke to each other and say, “Just like our Indian, Asian Mexican, Italian grandmother used to make,”  or fill in the blank to whatever ethnic dish we are creating. Bonding with family members improves your mental health. Home cooking takes planning and effort, but it can also be an effective way to bring the family together around a relaxing shared activity to bring happiness, comfort and joy. I know for people living alone this is not the case, but it’s a good excuse to invite people over, enjoy their company and have them share a meal with you that you made as an offering. This act of generosity may increase purpose and meaning in your life by connecting over a meal. 

 

5. You’re saving money when you cook at home. Food prices are definitely on the rise. Dining out frequently can really eat up a huge chunk of your monthly food budget. There are so many ways to save on your grocery bill, like finding deals, meal planning, buying in bulk, batch cooking and cooking foods like soups and casseroles that can be eaten for several days in a row. Although leftovers may be a problem for people with histamine intolerance. In my household leftovers are frequently the next day’s breakfast or lunch, which saves money when you’re at work and don’t want to eat out. This is why home cooked food is more economical. I often provide information to my clients on how to save money eating healthily. 

STRESS

Let’s face it… The holidays can be stressful. Stress is a basic core lifestyle factor that I help my clients become aware of, how it impacts health and ways to off set it with wellness practices that reduce stress and promote resilience.

 

In eastern medicine, the practice of breathing is called pranayama. It is a Sanskrit word that means control your vital life force. It means that you’re breathing consciously with calm awareness. Focusing on your breath, can help you facilitate more mindful experiences.The physical benefits of deep breathing are often immediate. By breathing deeply, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and in turn, slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure—creating a feeling of calm.You also rely on your diaphragm instead of your chest, inviting your neck and chest muscles to relax and engage your abs and a larger amount of oxygen to reach your body’s cells and organs.

 

When your body is operating under “fight-flight-freeze-fawn” response or stress, it releases a surge of hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) that causes your breathing to speed up, increases your pulse and blood pressure, and puts you in a state of hypervigilance. Deep breathing can help reverse this response and relax your body. Breathing can help calm down the emotional turbulence in your mind and help you focus better. Breathwork can also be spiritual. When you practice, you can move beyond your body and mind, and connect with your core spirit—your Self.

 

Try this: There are many types of breath work, so experiment and learn what works best for you. If you want to keep it simple and effective, try box breathing, where you inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts.     

 

Another one is the 4-7-8 breath. This method was created by Dr. Andrew Weil, integrative medicine pioneer. Inhale for four seconds through your nose, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds through your mouth. Repeating this cycle a few times is often all that’s needed to notice a beneficial response. Dr. Weil recommends placing the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue behind your upper front teeth throughout this process, making a whooshing sound when exhaling. Doing this for a count of ten, three times a day can significantly help you deal with stress by relaxing your nervous system and getting yourself into a parasympathetic healing state. 

 

Check out this article from the Institute for Functional Medicine, How do Stress and Chronic Inflammation Contribute to Chronic disease? 

https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/inflam-stress-inflammation-contribute-chronic-disease/

 

If you’re interested in diving deeper into the power of breath and want to learn about the dangers of being a mouth breather, check out James Nestor’s work and his book "Breath".

Get in Touch

If you or someone you know is struggling with health issues and is interested in learning more about a therapeutic partnership of education and support to help uncover the roots of dis-ease dynamics and bring your body back into homeostasis, contact us to see if my three tier approach to wellness is a good fit for you. PEACE and wishes for a Happy New Year!

 
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413 695-4564

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