When the body says “enough”

You don’t feel right.

You may have gained weight in a rush over the holidays or have morphed into a different person after the last decade (or several), and now have a new wardrobe; it fits a body that is somehow yours—but not.

There are so many women that see their hair is thinning and their energy for life (including for sex) is low. Fertility seems to have waned. These ladies may have rashes, lackluster skin and suffer from sneak attacks of moodiness.

These women—we women— may have eyes with dark circles or puffy pouches underneath, whether they get good sleep (do you have any memory of that) or not.

It is like “mommy brain,” often associated with a pregnant mother, all the time; we feel foggy, forgetful, and some unhappiness we cannot put our finger on… We may have depression, allergies, and headaches that have become “regulars” at our place.

She is talking to you.

The holy she, your primary residence, the body that is “you.” She may be asking for less of this or more of that, but how can you tell?

The best way to get clarity is to turn down the noise. Noise is often an over packed schedule, too much sitting and not enough walking, stretching or other natural movement, and it always includes the type of nourishment you choose each day.

I am going to zoom in on the last one, as it is our first and best medicine.

Elimination diets are not just for breastfeeding mothers, though that is a wonderful time to start watching how food makes you and your baby feel. Elimination diets work in any season of life and will take out the noise that keeps you from healing and losing weight, keeps you in pain, and tuned-out of life.

If there are bigger issues that require more than food, those will become clearer to you as well.

Some of the best diet and life-style shifts that work long-term for women and their families turn down the noise by eliminating foods that trigger our immune systems. By flipping the switch on inflammation you will get very clear on what foods work with your body, and what foods turn on an inflammatory response that make you feel—not you.

The Whole 30, Paleo, Brightline Eating, Keto, J.J. Virgin, Eat for Health, Eat Fat, Get Thin and other diets are not one size fits all. However, they heal large groups of people and for some, they swear by the diet. They claim their minds cleared, their bodies healed and for once they felt at home in their skin.

There is a reason they all work.

The common thread is that they remove inflammatory foods. Maybe not all, but certainly many or most. And from there you can see the degree of healing that can be achieved.

J.J Virgin, for instance, recommends removing wheat, dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, sugar, coffee and alcohol. If you really want to go for the gold, Aviva Romm M.D. recommends removing beans and all grains—including whole grains or in a flour form. Brightline Eating is a program that removes addictive foods, guess what those are? Any sugar (not including whole fruits) or flour.

“You just named what I eat in a day,” you say.

I know.

I used to live there.

And having been over the cliff myself, watching Krispy Kreme’s light flick on and flinching in the driver’s seat, I can tell you that a food elimination diet may be the most difficult thing you have ever undertaken.

Keep your eye on this: eliminating these foods is your get out of jail card.

Your mind and your body might just pass “go” again and collect the $200.

But, to quote Trevor Moward, IT TAKES WHAT IT TAKES.

(There are no shortcuts for doing the work.)

Check out my course, Practical Magic: how eating real food will change your life.

You will arrive at a place where you feel clear on what foods take you down to those dark foggy places, and which ones turn your light on. You will learn how to nourish each cell in your body so that you age well, sleep well, and feel like you again.