With the new year upon us, it's so easy to be swept up in the fads of diets, exercise routines and change. We are eager to change. We WANT to change and be better. Our mindset is hopeful, but we have to be realistic and set ourselves up for WINNING. That means choosing one thing to change, focus, master it and THEN add something else to the list. When we put too much on our plate, we set ourselves up for disaster, overwhelm and then we feel like a failure. Not this year. Let's be smart. You know yourself.
For me, I wanted to share a few self care tips that have helped me the past couple years. If you don't know me too well, I have battled depression and anxiety for years. I have lyme disease that leaves my immune system compromised as times. But through what I'm about to share with you, I've been able to feel really amazing when I still to the self care routines below! (NOTE: I am no doctor nor do I want to be. I have experimented with these things myself and just sharing my testimony)
1. PARASITE CLEANSE: it sounds so much more intense than it actually is. But one thing that has kept my Lyme's at bay and keep inflammation down is doing a parasite cleanse routinely. I've been doing it on and off for a few years, and when I go too long without it I can tell (*note to self take a dosage tonight*). We encounter parasites in all sorts of ways: through travel, food, water. We all have them. Some of us who experience brain fog, fatigue, inflammation, tight joints etc. may have a parasite that is taking up energy in our body which leads to those symptoms. EW right? But don't worry--with the help of herbs straight from mother nature herself, in capsule form, you're able to rid these pesky parasites and feel much better. What I love about this is that you don't have to change ANYTHING about your lifestyle if you don't want to and you'll see significant improvements if you follow it through!
I personally use Dr Clark's para cleanse, and will be trying Organic Olivia's formula (follow her on IG STAT!) after that dosage is out!
2. CBD OIL: It wasn't until the end of 2018 that I found I wanted to try CBD oil. Sometimes with my anxiety or depression, my cortisol levels and physical self feel super stressed. When that happens its SO hard to come down from. I am sensitive to stress, feel fatigue and just can't calm down. Even though my mind is calm, it's a different breed trying to tame the body. That is when I started researching and asking IG about what they liked about it and got AMAZING feedback. Thankfully an amazing start up company, Cloud Nine CBD, reached out to me to tell me about their product. The small business is very knowledgeable about the oil (which is great because I had a lot of questions like AM I GONNA GET HIGH!?) and I've been using their oil since December and LOVE it!!
If you are interested in supporting a small business who knows their shit, check out their website and you can even save some money (20% OFF) when you use discount code JACQ20
3. CELERY JUICE: I'm sure you've seen this going around but I'm a believer!!!! Medical Medium is sweeping the world with his simple protocol of drinking celery juice on an empty stomach. The only downfall is cleaning the damn juicer, but the benefits outweigh that ya'll! I felt my digestion was better, energy up, and just lighter when I drank it daily. Beware that your grocery store will jack up celery prices or be sold out because of it though! Totally recommend this :) Read all the benefits here
4. GO OUTSIDE: I can't tell you how important this is for not only people with autoimmune disease but in general! Growing up in PA, I would spend NO time outside during the winter. No wonder I had seasonal depression. Now that I live in Wyoming, and the community around me is outside during the winter, that means I am too! And Ya'll it makes all the difference. So find a friend and go for a walk, grab a dog, and soak up the sun with the hours you can and you'll find yourself much happier!
5. EXERCISE: this is a no brainer but if you have any autoimmune disease movement is so important. When I don't workout for a certain period of time I feel creaky, stiff and low energy. But when I do move, I feel like my joints are greased up and have much more energy! Now because I have Lyme's, my energy can shift day to day. Some days I want to do yoga, some days cardio, and my body LOVES to lift weights! I don't go to the gym because the commute would be too long and I don't want to get germs from all the sweat and bodies in there (yuck). The past six years I have been doing at home workouts that are led by celebrity trainers. I've lost 15lbs and kept it off. Most importantly there are over 600 workouts that I can choose from based on my schedule and how I feel that day! The best part is you can get access to these workouts for MUCH cheaper than a gym membership (less that $9/mo) and do it in the comfort of your home.
My biggest advice when its comes to your health is be OPEN. Experiment. There is no one size fits all. I found out what works for me by trial and error. None of this was advised to me by a doctor, but for some reason it's whats worked for me best! So do your research and never stop learning my friend!
