What if I told you that you could help balance out all of your hormones and restore your health by focusing on just one thing? I bet you would be really interested in finding out what the one thing you needed to focus on was. Well, you are in luck! No matter who I talk to it seems each and every one of us (present company included) struggle to keep our stress loads down. 

Now, for those of you who think stress is no big deal let me show you just how wrong you are! While stress is a normal part of our day-to-day lives and even helps keep us alert when unwanted threats or dangers pop up. Excess stress has taken over all of our lives, including our children! Stress is often the first domino to fall that causes things to steer off track and our health to rapidly decline.

It All Adds Up

To those of you who feel like you are never stressed (honestly, these tend to be the people who are on the brink of burnout from excess stress) take a solid five minutes to think about everything you currently have on your to-do list. The odds are the more you think about everything we are constantly juggling in our non-stop lives the more you realize that destressing needs to be a priority.

When we experience a stressor, such as excess work, looming deadlines, pandemics, etc our bodies treat this external stressor the same way it would be cut or exposed to an unknown pathogen. The first thing our bodies do is increase inflammation throughout the body and activate a number of hormones. Cortisol (aka the stress hormone) is released first, which then activates at least fifteen other hormones throughout your body. These hormones then prep your body to react in a number of ways such as fight, flight, or freeze. 

Stressed Out

However, our bodies are designed to handle short bursts of stress and it can even help to stimulate our immune systems by placing our bodies on high alert. There is an exchange of energetic focus when this happens. During stressful periods (regardless of duration) our bodies shut down areas that are not vital to immediate survival. This means that things like reproduction, growth, and development tend to take a hit. The energy that is redirected goes towards heightening our senses and shortening our reaction times. 

While short bursts of stress are beneficial to our health excess stress is catastrophic to our health. Some of the most common issues that appear due to excess or prolonged stress are adrenal fatigue, liver failure/damage, kidney failure/damage, thyroid issues, digestive issues, increased risk of autoimmune disease, and even fertility problems!

Life With Excess

If the last few years have taught us anything it is the fact that stress is not going anywhere any time soon. That means we NEED to come up with better ways to reduce our stress naturally and balance out our abundance in our lives. One of the best ways to do just that is by detoxing naturally and regularly. Honestly, I have never come across someone who could not benefit from a detox. But here’s the thing, when you are choosing a detox you need to shop smarter not harder!

Take a look around there are a TON of options out there. However, not all are built the same. When choosing a detox program the goal is for something that is at least three weeks (sometimes longer). It should have a prep period, detoxing period, and a transitioning-out timeframe. Try to find an option that uses nutrition as its backbone. Steer clear of anything that says cleanse or is a juice-only situation. For the record, a cleanse should only be done with a doctor and for no longer than 2-3 days.

Detox VS Cleanse

When it comes to the word cleanse think of it as a blowout sell. Everything must go, the good, bad, and the ugly. And when I say blow out I mean it is coming out hard and fast. Just like when you prep for a colonoscopy. A detox, however, is like going through your closet and pulling out the clothes that no longer fit you, or you just no longer wear. It also tends to take longer to sift through everything. Think of it like decluttering your whole house. You don’t do all the rooms at once, you move from room to room one at a time until everything is done.

Knowing When To Detox

How often you detox is going to be based on your own personal preference. Personally, I suggest to my clients to do a detox at least once a season. If you are looking to keep the frequency in which you will need to detox down, I would highly suggest eating seasonal foods. Not only is this a great way to save cash, but the food is higher in nutrient value as well as taste! Don’t believe me? I do a live cooking class every Friday on Instagram with the lovely Mrs. Brittinie Wick and we highlight a different seasonal food each time. It’s free to join us on the lives and you just might learn something new.

One Step At A Time

Taking back control of your health and happiness shouldn’t be some complex equation. In fact, it should be something each and every one of us can achieve on our own in the comfort of our own homes. The biggest hurdle I have found is education. I was in med school and they NEVER taught me just how powerful food can be. Let alone, that it was possible to eat your way to the body of your dreams. If you are interested in learning what your body is trying to tell you and how to provide it with the building blocks it needs to thrive rather than struggle to just survive connect with me today!

Rigatoni With Fennel

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 6

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped White Onion (1 Large)
• 3 Cups Chopped Fennel (1 Large Bulb)
• 4 Vegan Apple Sage Sausages
• 2 tsp minced Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Ground Fennel Seed
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup whole fat coconut milk
• 2/3 cup coconut cream
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pound Gluten-Free Rigatoni
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a large heavy pot heat up the oil over medium heat. Add in fennel and onions allow cooking for 7 minutes stirring occasionally. Next, add in sausage and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Add in garlic, ground fennel, pepper flakes, 2 tsp sea salt, and 1 tsp black pepper and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, add in the milk, cream, and paste. Bring the mixture back up to a boil and lower to a simmer to cook for 20 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Cook pasta as directed on the box drain and add to the sauce. Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes to allow the pasta to take on the sauce. Remove from heat and add cheese and parsley. Stir and serve.

Orange Cauliflower Chicken

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Serves 3

• 3 cups of Cauliflower florets (2 small heads)
• Coconut Oil to Fry in

Batter:

• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 3/4 Cup room temp Water
• 1 tsp Sea Salt

Breading:

• 1/2 Cup Almond Meal
• 1 1/2 Cup Gluten-free Bread Crumbs

Sauce:

• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Orange zest
• 4 Tbsp Agave Syrup
• 3 Tbsp Coconut Amino
• 2 Tbsp room temp Water

Slurry:

• 4 Tbsp room temp Water
• 2 Tbsp Corn Starch

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl combine ingredients for slurry and mix well then set aside. To prepare the glaze combine all ingredients into a measuring cup and mix well then set aside. In a large bowl combine batter ingredients and mix well set next to your breading station. To prep, your breading combine ingredients into a shallow dish mix well adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Next, coat the cauliflower starting with batter then breading, and back again for crisper florets. You will want to do this one floret at a time, it is easy to keep one hand for wet and one for dry ingredients. Once coated toss in coconut oil and place onto a baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure to flip halfway through.

For the glaze combine all ingredients into a pan and cook over medium-high heat. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Once it starts to boil lower the heat back down to a simmer and stir in the slurry (make sure to stir slurry prior). Remove from heat and toss in florets to the sauce mix. Evenly coat florets and top with orange slices, sesame seeds, and green onions. Serve over white rice.

Braised Turnip Rice Bowl

Gluten-free, Vegan, Serves 4

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
• 3 Star Anise
• 1 Tbsp Ginger minced
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 4 Scallions
• 8 oz Vegan Sausage of choice
• 1 1/2 pounds Turnip peeled and cubed
• 8 Shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1 Tbsp Rice wine
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Amino
• 1/2 tsp Stevia Monk Fruit Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch
• Steamed Rice to serve

Directions:

In a wok over low heat add oil, anise, and peppercorns. Let them infuse the oil for 10 minutes making sure not to burn them. Remove anise and peppercorns from oil. Add in ginger, garlic, and the white part of the scallions. Bring the heat up to medium and stir for a minute or so. Add in meat and cook until brown. Next, add mushrooms and turnips. Make sure to stir frequently. Add wine, salt, amino, Worcestershire, sugar, and water. Mix everything together cover and let simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat until turnips are translucent. Create a slurry with starch and set it aside. Once the turnips are cooked add in the slurry and turn up the heat. Once the sauce starts to thicken remove from heat and add green scallions. Sever over rice.

Get Started Today

Keeping your body free of toxins and free radicals is necessary to maintain a healthy life and a healthy mind. There are tons of foods you can add to your regular diet to help your body with its critical detoxifying processes. If you are looking for a safe and all-natural way to detox your body at home be sure to check out my Balancing Abundance Program. Because detoxing is so important and realistically everyone should be doing it on at least a seasonal basis I have taken the time to put together a program to help you do just that. Here’s the thing, I know working with me one-on-one can seem difficult to get into (due to limited space) and I wanted to be able to give everyone an additional solution that has no limits. You deserve to be happy, healthy, and successful at everything you do so here are some recipes to help set you up for success!

 Need A Hand?

A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. We all have to deal with our health daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day, you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help, I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as acting as a sounding board, do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected], or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!