2022: A New You ✨ with Better Poo! 💩

If you’re one to make New Year’s resolutions, the list may look something like this:

1. Lose weight
2. Improve cholesterol
3. Gain better control over blood sugar
4. Reduce bloating
5. Fit into my clothes better, look and feel great!

Instead of taking a shotgun approach to improving our health, focus on one simple thing (which is one of America’s top health issues) and poo better. Everyday. If you can improve your digestion and get the garbage out of your body better during the next 365 days, you are bound to see beneficial changes in your digestion, weight, skin, cholesterol levels and more.

So, my constipated comrades, let’s start the new year off by pooping like pros!

You see, by just focusing on having a good poo each day, you can reap the benefits of better blood sugar regulation, lower cholesterol, and a decrease in bloating and body weight. It also lends itself to having better energy when you don’t have a bunch of garbage in your gut.

We’ve explained it to children as young as 2 and to adults; assuming a healthy digestive capacity, when you eat food, your body absorbs the nutrients and sends the remainder to the colon. It’s imperative to take out household trash regularly and so it is with getting the garbage out of our bodies. Hence, pooping.

Bowel movements are a completely necessary bodily function that, in removing waste, also create more space in the digestion system. Like emptying your bathroom wastebasket regularly allows room for you to put more stuff into it.

The act of defecation has both physiological (it stimulates the pudendal and vagus nerves) and psychological beneficial effects. A really morning good poo can make you feel like a brand new person, ready to conquer the world.

So how do we accomplish better poos in 2022? Easy.

1. Start by noticing the frequency and quality of your poos. Use the Bristol Stool Chart to keep notes.
2. Learn the elements necessary to have the perfect poo.
3. Implement tools to deal with stress. The body doesn’t do its trash-removing duty well during periods of Sturm und Drang, heightened emotions and stress.
4. Set up a morning routine which includes bowel-stimulating drinks or food as well as time to sit and have a Good Morning Poo

Remember that you may need to address any underlying thyroid issues, food sensitivities, stress sources and managment, and sleep quality. Always speak with your doctor or healthcare provider if you notice bloody stool, severe constipation or abdominal pain, and other troublesome symtoms.

This ONE change of having better poo can set you up for this year, and many to come, in helping you achieve your goals of attaining better health and taking better care of your body.

Haven’t joined our Go with your Gut Facebook group? Now’s the time. Need results sooner?

Our 10-day Express Detox will guide you through the process of removing extra sources of toxins from your diet (and hygiene products) along with and assisting your body’s detoxification processes. The whole-foods, plant-based approach is a great jumpstart into your new year.

We have formulated the daily menu plans and built the process into easy-to-follow steps. By removing most of the major food allergens and incorporating a plethora of nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, and legumes, the 10-Day Detox assists the body in ‘rebooting’ in a healthy way. Our masterclass takes place on January 2nd so you can make healthy changes in early 2022!

Client Spotlight: Lost 90lbs! 🎉

“I bought a size 8 in pants today. I used to be a size 18. I’ve dropped 90lbs (the same weight as my 12 year old!) and my last 5 pounds took a month to lose.

I feel wiser and I really appreciate you helping me think things through. When I started the program the first time, it was with the goal to lose weight as quickly as possible and stop feeling so bad about myself. I lost weight and slowly regained it because my mindset had not changed. This time around I realized that I needed the deeper healing approach and boy has it worked!

I cook much more than I used to and once a month I have a crazy meal where I have whatever I want. The weird thing is that I don’t treat it like I did before when I’d almost binge on my cheat day. I have what I want and move on with my day. Also, my taste buds have changed and old fast food favorites like a chicken sandwich and fries aren’t as good as I thought. Oh, and I think I’m getting to the point where I don’t like sugar. I avoided the cookie aisle but walked down it recently and nothing really appealed to me. I looked at soft chewy cookies, mint chocolate milanos, and Oreos but didn’t want them without milk. I left them all on the shelf and this would never have happened before. My last sweet was a doughnut from work and it took me a couple days to eat it. Because I don’t restrict myself, I don’t eat too much. I can eat soup or pizza for dinner and I feel good about my choices.

I’m dedicated to walking nearly every day and have looked for more adventures like exploring trails with friends. I know myself better too. My gym workout has to be in the morning or it doesn’t get done and I fight myself the rest of the day. I love the life binder you suggested and am trying to incorporate it more consistently. I love the structure of my mornings, my recipes, to-do list, and journaling. It’s repetitive probably but I like my meal options and not having to plan something on the fly.

What I love about working with you is that you help me get in to my own body and to examine my thoughts. What I carry with me is when you told me to trust the process and my journey, which has taken time. It felt like being pregnant and giving birth to my new self. Sometimes I felt like I was flying high and the weight was just melting off but other times I felt stuck at a plateau and was discouraged thinking I wouldn’t be able to move past it. You were able to guide me no matter the stage I was in and I always left our appointments feeling encouraged and ready to do my “homework.” This was never a Diet and you never let me give up on wanting better for myself.

My self-talk is healthier, my sleep is really good and menstrual cycles are better. I realize that in working with you that it was never about the weight I wanted to lose, it was about the life that I wanted to live and now am living. I love myself more and act like it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Name withheld

Columbus, Ohio

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This client is a gem and a double-winner. The first time we worked together, this client was fresh off another ‘diet’ (read: deprivation state). She thought she needed less calories, more rigid meal-planning, harsher exercise – more of everything that was mean to herself in order to lose weight. Though she did lose weight the first time, the method wasn’t sustainable. As we often say, you can’t really hate your way into sustainable weight loss, but you CAN love yourself there. It was a message that wasn’t ready to be heard at the time, but in this last year we’ve seen the biggest, most beautiful transformation of this woman’s mind and SOUL…and the body has followed. When you’re ready to ditch diet mentality and love yourself into the body and life you want, we invite you to a complimentary, 20-minute Discovery Call to get started.

‘Crap-e’ Diem! 5 Tips for AM Poo

What partially inspired this topic was an experience we had while in our dietetic internship (for those unfamiliar, to be a registered dietitian-nutritionist one has 4 years of medical training and then a year of paying, not paid, internship). Between our collective stress as a cohort and our lifestyle factors, which included adult beverages and dancing at bars on weekends, it’s no wonder that, while walking with a friend to meet with our program director, she had a grimace on her face. When asked what was wrong, she grouchily responded, “I haven’t had my morning poo”. We were flabbergasted. Though we were far from the Bridgerton-era of delicate sensibilities, no one talked about poo. Ever. She helped to change that, as her simple statement helped illustrate how integral a morning routine, with a healthy bowel movement, could be. Lest you ever find yourself grimacing because you too have not had a good morning poo, we’ve got you, boo.

Pooping is a common problem in the United States, affecting all ages and populations. About 16% of adults, and 33% of adults 60 and older have symptoms of constipation.

What are symptoms of constipation?

< 3 bowel movements per week

stools that are hard, small and difficult to pass

a feeling of having incomplete bowel movements

Who could be at risk for Constipation?

Pretty much everyone. But more specifically:

• Pregnant women and those who have recently given birth

• People who are not getting enough fiber

• Those taking certain supplements or medications (including iron supplements or diuretics, calcium channel blockers, depression, and pain medication)

• If you’re stressed you’re probably not going to be pooping very well

• Those with certain health conditions or gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. IBS)

Constipation can be a sign of a medical problem so you’re going to want to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider to rule more serious issues out.

5 Tips for a Good Morning Poo

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links or discount codes, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may make a commission.

1. As a general principle, you want to ensure you are drinking enough water. This seems basic and so many people skip over this, but don’t. When the body isn’t properly hydrated, it draws water out of the colon, which results in hard, dry stools.

2. This goes along with #1; get enough fiber into your diet. Plant foods are a great way to achieve this; however, if you increase your fiber intake without getting enough water, you’re going to have more ‘plumbing’ issues. Adults should get at least 25 grams of fiber per day.

3. Move your body and get your bowels moving. Whether it’s a light morning jog, walk, or even jumping jacks, this could help move things along your digestive tract.

4. Hot beverages. The heat from tea, coffee, or hot water and lemon can help stimulate a bowel movement. The high levels of caffeine in coffee are known to stimulate the bowels. A word of caution, you don’t want to have to rely on this.

5. Squat it out. A toilet stool or Squatty Potty can put your body in a position to make elimination easier.

Remember, talk with your friendly registered dietitian-nutritionist to investigate the amounts and types of fiber in your diet as well as to plan more fiber-rich meals.

So try these tips and ‘Crap-e’ Diem everyday!

A Case for Morning Routines

Have a better tomorrow by learning about morning routines then building and implementing your own! (Video version available here in our Go with your Gut free Facebook group).

Benefits of a Morning Routine

1. With a set morning routine, you’re on auto-pilot and the morning flows fairly seamlessly. The alternative is jumping all over the place as you feed the dog, get dressed, check your voicemail, and look for your keys.

2. Peace is a result of a well-planned morning routine; instead of feeling scattered and stressed, you can enjoy your cup of coffee or tea and know that you are ready for the day.

3. Feeling organized about your day – you can see your appointments and activities laid out, and you have a plan to achieve your most important goals, even building in self-care!

Life before a AM Routine

We’re speaking for ourselves here, but you can likely relate.

1. Inconsistent wake (and sleep) times. Sometimes we’d wake at 6am, or 8:45am or 11am…this left us feeling discombobulated and stressed as we struggled to fit in all our appointments and to-do tasks. Even worse, we’d work into the night and then create a self-perpetuating problem of inconsistent waking times.

2. Adrenaline rushes. Running around grabbing work materials, finding the outfit we planned on wearing was in the laundry hamper and having to figure out an alternative, looking for keys or an umbrella…and then hoping and praying traffic to get to meetings on time. Mornings were full of stress and anxiety.

3. Forgetting water and/or lunch. This lead to us either skipping lunch or buying a $13-20 lunch when we had perfectly good food at home. What typically followed was both food waste and money waste (from lost groceries and eating out).

This way of living cost us time, peace, and money. Something needed to change. Tired of the results we were getting, we decided, “No more of this chaos, we’re getting organized with our mornings.”

Our First Attempts at a Morning Routine

We’ve read all these articles about successful people who wake up at 4am or 5am, so we decided to enlist willpower and sign ourselves up for a 6am boxing class (during the snowy/icy winter season). Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. Why? For one, it didn’t work with our life and sleep schedule. We don’t go to bed at 8pm or 9pm typically and so we were always tired in the mornings. For two, we like food; the problem was fueling ourselves around this class. If we skipped breakfast, we’d typically feel faint during the 1-hour high-intensity workout. If we ate even a small snack 15-30 minutes ahead of time, we felt nauseous.

Reading about the great achievers, such as Richard Branson and Tony Robbins, showed me that some of these morning routines were 2-3 hours long. That was never going to work with our lifestyle so we had to create our own flexible 30 minute AM routine with exercise included. We’ve changed it throughout the years and kept it flexible to support where we are in life. Here’s what it looks like now (we’re big fans of alliteration, as you’ll see):

1. Wash and water – we brush our teeth first thing and then drink 1 cup of water before jumping into exercise…

2. Strength-training and skincare – we’ll play a very short podcast and bust out squats, full push-ups, ab work, bridges, ‘superhumaning’ (laying on the belly and lifting arms and legs), and pull-ups. All done in about 6 minutes! Then we’ll typically wash our face and body and get dressed.

3. Bunnies (pets) and breakfast – we have two (unbonded) bunnies and we’ll let one out as we prep our coffee or tea and breakfast. About halfway through, we switch them out. Typically we’ll also do our ‘mental/spiritual gym’ exercises. For your purposes, insert dog/cat/kid(s) where we have bunnies listed.

4. Launch into life – we go into the office and check the day’s calendar and our most important goals; we set alarms and put the phone on airplane mode (as needed); we’ll also take breaks to do household activities (e.g. laundry) during the day

This is not a *perfect* morning routine. Use this for inspiration to create your own routine. Now that we’ve created a customized morning routine, the only regret we have is not starting earlier in life. High school, college, and post-college could have been SO much easier and not filled with stress and anxiety. Peace is a gift we can give ourselves with a simple morning routine. The key is to make it work for YOU!

So what do you think? Do you already have a morning routine? Is there a way to improve your mornings by putting them on auto-pilot?

My 30 Min. Morning Routine

Good morning, Adrienne here. We’ve had quite a few clients and friends relay both a desire to exercise and a frustration that it just never seems to get done, with their plan to walk or get to the gym being usurped by other duties or unforeseen issues.

“I wish I had the willpower of my neighbor/best friend/former President who got up every morning to exercise.”

“The problem is that I don’t have time, with all of the work and running around in the evenings, my best intentions to exercise fall apart. I’m just too tired in the evenings.”

“I don’t like to exercise, but I know I should do it.”

What does obstacles with exercise have to do with a morning routine? Glad you asked – everything. Particularly as a solution for all of the obstacles listed above. A hot yoga studio instructor once shared this maxim: “at 6 A.M., the only obstacle standing between me and my workout is ME; by 6 P.M. all sorts of obstacles exist to prevent me from working out.” We’ve taken this to heart and pushed our perfectionist tendency out of the way in order to create a personalized morning routine that works.

How we Started

You may remember our Experiment in Early Rising & Exercise during which I, and a couple of associates, woke up early in order to get our 6am boxing class in. Even with the tremendous benefits of better energy and feeling accomplished with having knocked out our exercise, it wasn’t sustainable for us. Why? Well, the day doesn’t often end to where being in bed and sleeping by 9pm is very feasible. Waking up at 5am and not being able to eat much before a strenuous workout and driving to and from the gym, especially in the cold weather, make it oh-so-unappealing. Sure, we got past it a few times, with the help of short-lived WILLPOWER, but it didn’t last and it wasn’t long before staying in bed longer won out. At the same time, I set up all sorts of good intentions to exercise in the evenings. Riiiight.

Typical story, right? We’re all human. We rationalize and make promises and tell ourselves “the diet/exercise starts on Monday, for real this time.”

What’s the Solution?

Well we learned about all sorts of fancy morning routines from CEOs of companies like Virgin to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins…and some of these were 2-3 hours long(!!) – definitely not reasonable for most of us. So I created my own ‘perfect,’ flexible morning routine. Here’s what I’ve been doing for over the past month in the 30 minutes between waking up and being ready to go:

At 7am – alarm goes off, do morning hygiene routine
7:05am – without allowing myself to think about this for long (and find excuses), I begin with my strength-training routine. On this day it was the following:

• 25 squats
• 12 full push-ups
• 35 sit-up combo -as seen in this video

I did 2 sets of these. It took less than 6 minutes; I no longer have any excuses not to do this.

On this day, my hair was an easy fix and so I washed my face, did a hot towel scrub, and applied my favorite face cream. (4 minutes)

7:15am – let face cream soak in as I meditate for 5 minutes
7:20am – gather water bottle, purse, work bag, and breakfast and/or lunch
7:30am – ready to go

Variations

Though I’m generally now an early riser, I frequently adjust my wake time to 30 minutes before I need to leave the house.  So if I get to ‘sleep in’ until 7:30am or even 8am, I’ll adjust waking time accordingly.

I have my basic skincare routine & hair routine down to a science. Skincare routine is 3 minutes (washing face and applying my favorite face cream); my current haircut works with my hair and so a basic combing may be all that is needed. I seldom wear makeup anymore but this would add another 3-5 minutes.

Hot towel scrub versus a shower; determine which you need on any given day. For me, a shower is a 10-minute affair. To ensure still leaving on time, I’d have breakfast prepared the night before.

Breakfast; if I have time to eat at home, I will. Otherwise I typically make a smoothie or prep muesli the night before to bring with me. For when I have an extra glorious 5-10 minutes and the ingredients on hand, I might have avocado toast….or even moka pot coffee.

Weekdays vs. weekends. This is generally my weekday routine; my weekend one can stretch to about 2 hours, especially with some reading involved and freshly-made breakfast.

Conclusion

Now that I’ve created a customized morning routine, I’m sad I didn’t begin it earlier in life (oh, to have missed out on the frantic running around looking for keys, skipping breakfast and/or lunch, and road aggravation at the drivers in front of me who were ‘blocking my way’ to getting to somewhere on time). Peace, my dear friends and clients, is a gift we can give ourselves with a morning routine.

The key is making your morning routine work for YOU. If you need 45 minutes or an hour to incorporate a leisurely breakfast, straightening your hair, or reading an inspiring text, do it.

Have you started your own morning routine? How does yours run?

Curious and want to capitalize on your mornings? We’ll help you build your own morning routine, whether in a future session or upcoming blog, so stay tuned!

5 Spice Hot ‘Choffee’

Cold mornings require some extra effort and incentive to get out of bed. This warming, caffeinated, chocolate-y drink will help provide a firm boost as you launch into your day!

Ingredients

8oz coffee
4 oz non-dairy milk (coconut milk or almond milk)
1 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
1 or 2 anise pods
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp honey
optional (cloves)

Instructions

Prepare coffee as per usual (we used a moka pot) and heat milk on stove top along with cacao or cocoa powder, cayenne, cinnamon stick, black pepper, anise pods and honey. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add milk to coffee.

Mean Girl? Respect Yourself.

photo source: http://www.theverge.com

“You’re ugly, your thighs are fat, these people are all better than you (and probably hate you), and you’re a complete loser”

Have you said these words to another person recently? Most people could never imagine saying any of this to a stranger, much less someone we love. But….have you said this to yourself?

Blam! In working with clients, this question around negative self-talk usually hits a nerve. Stunned and with tears forming in the corners of their eyes, they will admit how hard they are on themselves for not following their (idea of a perfect) diet, having a pinterest-pretty life, and for their bodies betraying them by not adhering to what they “should” look like. Ow.

Part of the work here is not about nutrition at all. It’s about helping people see themselves, first as they really are, in that moment, and helping to change their mindset on the way to advancing to a more whole life. What does this involve? It involves treating yourself kindly and learning to be your own best friend. It involves respecting yourself and your body – in self-talk, with exercise & sleep, and how you feed it.

Life is hectic and we often push ourselves and our needs to the wayside. So now, more than ever, is the time to remind yourself to give your body the respect it deserves. A healthy self-indulgence does not mean you are selfish. You are worthy of nourishing yourself with proper nutrition, body movement, and time for self-reflection and quietude. Here is your challenge: incorporate some of these ideas into your life today.

1. Create a nourishing morning routine. If you find that most mornings are a rush -to find the shirt you were going to wear only to find it’s in the laundry, grabbing an energy bar for lunch, and feeling your heart race as you realize you’ll be late for work- realize there’s another way. Make time to eat a healthy breakfast, do some exercise or read quietly over some hot tea before you start the rest of the day.

2. Don’t over-commit. Sure, 6 nights of social gatherings a week sounds fun, but consider how depleted you may feel without having much time to yourself. Particularly if you’re an introvert you may find that you may need more downtime than the more party-til-dawn extrovert types. Honor your needs and act accordingly. Sometimes a hot bath and a book is where it’s at.

3. No one defines your boundaries but you. The flip side of this: unless you set boundaries, others are bound to walk all over you. Be clear about what you want and don’t want – in a career, relationship, or life experience. Listening to others tell you what you ‘should’ do will often only muddy the water.

4. Find something that excites you. If you’re not passionate about your job, is there a hobby that gets your creative juices flowing? Explore salsa dancing, stand-up paddleboarding, crochet, vegan cooking, or painting as avenues that make you smile and fill your heart with joy.

5. If you do nothing else, learn to say no. We cannot stress how importance this is, especially to those who have more people-pleasing, co-dependent tendencies. Strong, respected people get clear and kindly decline activities that don’t suit them.

6. Accept that you are ‘slightly irregular’. We all are! There is a quirkiness to each of us that differentiates us from other people creates curiosity about us. Part of your job is to accept yourself- perceived weirdness and all. Own your unique sense of humor, mannerisms, and weltanschauung as a strength.

7. Celebrate your daily accomplishments. We’d like to move mountains, finish writing books, move head financially at break-neck speed, and have mastered the art of French cooking. But guess what? Today you did contributed at work, walked the dog, paid the bills, made your friend laugh, and prepared dinner. These activities deserve some accolades. Secret note: appreciating your progress will only encourage more progress.

8. Respect yourself and others enough to apologize. If you did harm to someone, apologize without qualifying it or being passive aggressive. Bonus: do this for yourself for when you mess up and then move on. The ability to forgive is the mark of a great human.

9. Write a love note. You’ve likely done it for others; now it’s time to catalog some of those qualities you adore about yourself. Keep them handy for days when you’re feeling less-than-stellar.

10. Fill your pitcher first. Undoubtedly this seems hardest for moms (who are used to putting their little ones before their own needs) but it’s difficult for most of us. An empty pitcher is a sign that something is awry; resentment is soon to follow. When you refill your pitcher -with nourishing food and relationships, fun activities, and self-care- you are better able to ‘pour out’ your time, energy, and care into others’ glasses.