At the beginning of our quarantine, I felt determined not to gain weight and to continue with my healthy balanced diet. I had recently found that for me, a pescaterian/plant-based diet without a lot of dairy, wheat, or sugar, made me feel and look better than one high in fats and animal proteins; I was primarily eating pescaterian/plant-based until my slip-up last weekend.

Day 15 - Why it's Important to Feel Your Best During the CoronaVirus Crisis

I revealed to you in previous blogs, I had a few weak moments after baking Snickerdoodle cookies (I gave away the last dozen, so no more temptation for me). To be completely honest- For the last couple days, I have felt bloated, my skin has been dull, I have been more sluggish and less motivated.

I have been struggling to do the Miracle Morning and have been feeling less thankful, there are circles under my eyes, and I have definitely been experiencing more anxiety.

You might be thinking, WOW, all that from snickerdoodles? Yup, all that from a weak moment of cookies!

So why tell you all this?

Because I have had a profound revelation from my experience and I want to share it with you in hopes you don’t slip up as I did!

I am acutely aware of the above changes in me because these feelings, behaviors, and physical symptoms have been foreign to me since I have been eating clean.

What happened to my body after eating cookies

My snickerdoodle fiasco produced a spike in insulin, increased inflammation, and produced oxidative stress on my body and brain! Oxidative stress is the waste produced (the free radicals) when the body uses oxygen, which can damage our cells.

If I had continued feeding my body this high fat, high sugar combo, I would risk lowering my body’s ability to fight disease.

Feeding the gut with “good” bacteria

Yesterday we talked about how serotonin was produced in the gut. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, appetite, mood, and inhibits pain. The production of serotonin and the neurons lining our gut are dependent on our “good” gut bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome.

We need to feed the “good” bacteria in our gut healthy foods that do not destroy the good bacteria - so they can protect us from toxins and “bad” bacteria, limit inflammation, improve how we absorb nutrients from food, and activate neural pathways between the gut and the brain.

It is important to nurture and feed our gut the right foods. Besides, Eighty percent of our immune system is contained in the gastrointestinal system. It is not a good idea to be messing with our immune system during a pandemic!

Step #15

1. Continue to practice drinking plenty of water, being mindful while eating, tracking your food in a journal that also tracks your emotions and how you feel when you eat certain foods.

2. EAT CLEAN. Keep yourself healthy and in tip-top physical, emotional and spiritual health so you have the armor needed to be an overcomer during this time of crisis!

See the resources below for further information on the importance of clean eating and example CLEAN EATING programs:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-food-impact-health

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/what-does-it-mean-to-eat-clean/art-20270125

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/288643/14-day-clean-eating-meal-plan-1200-calories/

https://whole30.com/downloads/official-whole30-program-rules.pdf