Anti-Viral Respiratory Infection Protocol

COVID19- Supplement & Lifestyle Protocol

Below are 2 similar viral respiratory infection protocols (to shorten the sickness duration) that my 2 favorite root-cause/ functional medicine Doctors suggest. I am not affiliated with any of these supplement manufacturers, do not profit financially, and have personally purchased most that I didn’t already have.

You’ll notice the brands they suggest are from compounded pharmacies or high grade, respected sources. Notice the varied brands they suggest. Some are expensive & be mindful of 3rd party sellers that have jacked up the price on Amazon.

1. -DR WARDWELL’S RESPIRATORY INFECTION SUPPLEMENT & IMMUNITY PROTOCOL:

Vitamin D3 100,000 IU daily for 3 days only. You can find a liquid Vitamin D 1000 IU and take 100 drops or high potency capsules with 50,000 IU and take 2 daily. Vitamin D does build up in your system and taking high doses for prolonged times can cause liver failure. This can be additive with other medications that effect the liver so it is important to take this into consideration.

Viracid by Orthomolecular
2 tab every hour for 6 hours, repeat daily until symptoms are gone (usually 1-3 days).

Viracid contains the following nutraceuticals -(f this were on back order- purchase these separately): Black Elderberry (Sambucol brand is one that I have used in the past)- 2 teaspoons 4 times a day. This both boosts your immune system & is directly anti viral. L-Lysine 6 grams per day. This is an amino acid that inhibits viral replication. Andriographis, which is anti viral and boosts your immune system. Echinacea Purpura, which works by boosting your immune system.

Usually the combination of Viracid and high doses of Vitamin D3 does the trick for upper respiratory infections. Covid-19 is more lethal than the flu and I would not expect it to be as easy to treat as the usual common cold however.

The next most important therapies are:

Vitamin C (Ascorbate rather than Ascorbic acid is preferred)
I like the Perque Potent C Guard best.
3 grams 3 times a day if you are sick and 3 grams 1-2 times per day as a preventative. Vitamin C can help diminish the Cytokine storm that is from your body’s immune response to the virus and which causes much of the destruction in the lungs.
Another more potent therapy using primarily Vitamin C is an Intravenous drip. In Shanghai, they have been effectively treating Covid-19 using high dose

IV Vitamin C (15-30 grams 1-2 times/day for only a few days in row). If oral supplements were not working then this would be my next step up. This is not safe for patients with Sickle Cell or a G6PD deficiency.

Astragalus (Gaia makes a good Astragalus product)
This can help reduce binding of the virus to the lung tissue and it also helps to support the immune system.

Beta-Glucans from medicinal mushrooms such as Chaga, Turkey tail, Reishi and Shitake mushrooms. Orthomolecular Products makes a good extract version called Wholeimmune and Host Defense is another brand that makes a great blend called My Community. Beta Glucans increase Natural Killer cells that are a key part of the immune system that helps fight viruses. This would be a good preventative herbal medicine as well as a good inclusion in treatment. Some brands of medicinal mushrooms can have fungal contaminants or be contaminated with the fungicides that are used to prevent this. That is why for these products I would only stick with the two recommended brands listed above.

Zinc- I like Reacted Zinc by Orthomolecular products 1 tab /day Zinc is essential for your body to mount an immune response. I often find patients who have recurrent or chronic infections to be deficient in zinc and adding this can make all the difference at preventing the next infection or effectively treating the current one.

Vitamin A- 100,000 IU per day for 3 days. This is not safe for pregnant women and is not safe to continue for longer periods of time because it is a fat soluble vitamin that will build up in your body. Incorporating orange vegetables such as sweet potato or carrots can help increase your Vitamin A (1 sweet potato may contain about 20,000 IU of Vitamin A).

Oregano Oil and Thyme Oil – These have anti viral properties and one preparation that I have used in the past is called Candibactin AR by metagenics or Candicid Forte.

Berberine or Goldenseal- Candibactin BR by Metagenics contains berberine, which has anti viral properties and helps to reduce inflammation and improves detoxification pathways.

Silver Hydrosol- Silver has anti viral properties because it carries oxygen free radicals that work much like hydrogen peroxide or bleach but it is safe for human consumption. Argentyn 23 or the less potent Sovereign Silver are the only types of Silver Hydrosol that I would recommend as other forms of colloidal silver can contain contaminants that can permanently stain skin blue.
Follow the instructions on the bottle for how to take this.

Sinus Rinses can be very effective at reducing the viral load in your sinuses, which reduces the amount that drips down into your lungs. The Xlear nasal spray or rinse has xyllitol and some preparations have grapefuit seed extract or rosemary and thyme oil. These are directly anti-viral and can be used 2-3 spray/ nostril 3-4 times per day.

IN CASE OF BACK ORDERS, HERE ARE NATURAL ANTI-VIRAL LIFESTYLE SUGGESTIONS:

Water!
Water is a natural anti-histamine and drinking water regularly throughout the day reduces the contamination from the sinuses into the lungs by washing the virus into the stomach where the stomach acid will kill it. Try to drink 3 liters of water a day if you are sick and at least 2 liters a day if you are not.

Diet!
When patients are sick, I recommend following an Alkaline Way diet. In general, avoiding alcohol, coffee, grains and breads, dairy and red meat during an active cold can help reduce the amount of mucous and phlegm and maintaining are more alkaline state can help to boost immunity. Green Tea is a great substitute for coffee if you are sick. The number one thing to avoid if you are hoping to avoid getting sick or are already sick is Sugar. It is a potent immunosuppressant. Alcohol is also an immunosuppressant so be sure to avoid this as well.

Sleep!
Be sure to get to sleep before midnight. if you do not sleep, your immune system will be compromised. This can mean using Benadryl to knock you out, which may also help reduce some symptoms of a cold such as sinus congestion. I have also found Magnolia bark extract (a product called Sedalin by Xymogen, you can order from their website using my practitioner code: SFIIRM1341 ) to be very effective for inducing sleep because it works by lowering cortisol, which is usually responsible for an over active mind in bed. CBD can also be effective at inducing sleep and there are tinctures that blend that with passionflower, lemon balm and other mild herbal sedatives that can be a good approach to inducing a restorative sleep.

Stress Reduction!
These are stressful times. Deep breaths, Imagine everything works out. Unplugging from your phone and the news can be necessary. Maybe check once a day when it is important but don’t spend all day obsessing about it.
Another exercise can be to just lay on the earth in the grass or on a rock or going for a walk in nature. These can all help to get our minds and bodies back into a more natural state and out of the buzz and hum of the modern era that can be more stress inducing than our ancient mind and bodies were made to endure for extended periods of time.

Exercise!
If you are actively sick, exercise is not likely to be indicated. As a preventative, high intensity interval training is a great way of improving your blood flow, lymphatic drainage, anabolic hormone production, autonomic nervous system tone and due to all of these factors, improve your immune system.

2. FUNCTIONALMEDICINESF FOUNDER DR DANIEL’S COVID19 SUPPLEMENT & IMMUNITY PROTOCOL:

PREVENTION
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1. Vitamin D3: 5000 IUs daily is an appropriate for most adults. Use this with food containing fat.
Option: Thorne Vitamin D/K2 Liquid, product code T00018.

2. Vitamin A: 5000-10,000 IUs is an appropriate dose for most adults, but please limit to 5000 IUs if you are pregnant. Use this with food containing fat. Option: Klaire Labs Micellized Vitamin A, product code ACELL.

3. Zinc piconlinate: 30-60 mg per day.
Option: Thorne, 60 caps T20022 and 180 caps T21029

4. Andrographis: 1 dropperful twice per day
Option: Wise Woman Herbals or Earth Ashram Herbals on Etsy. (Do not use in pregnancy).

5. NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine): 500 mg twice a day.
Option: Thorne NAC, product code T60029.

6. Argentyn Silver Throat Spray:
Option: Bioactive Silver Hydrosyl Throat Spray, 1 ounce is product code A31296 and 2 oz is ARGS2.

7. Beyond Balance IMN-V: Start with 3–5 drops, 2 times a day. Gradually increase to 12–15 drops, 2 times a day. (Do not use in pregnancy).

*8. Low Dose Naltrexone (compounded RX): 0.5-4.5 mg per day (has immunomodulating properties, which may prevent infection or severity of infection).

9. Alinia - Nitazoxanide (RX for high risk population only): 500 mg twice a day (this is an anti-parasitic which was effective for SARS). (Do not use in pregnancy). * = require prescriptions should you have a provider whom you can ask about these.

TREATMENT
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1. Vitamin C: 1000 mg every 15-30 minutes to bowel tolerance. If symptoms not reversing in 12-24 hours, then increase to 2000 mg every 15-30 minutes to bowel tolerance. If possible, can also use IV Vitamin C, 25 grams once a day for 7 days. There are services like IV Doc that offer in home treatment for instance.
Option: Designs for Health Buffered Vitamin C, product code BUF15.

2. Quercetin: 1000-2000 mg three times daily (acts as a zinc ionophore preventing viral replication inside the cell).
Option: Jarrow Quercetin, product code J40528. (Do not use in pregnancy).

4. Beyond Balance IMN-VII: Start with 1–2 drops, 2 times a day. Gradually increase by 1–2 drops, 2 times a day until desired results are achieved. Dosage does not usually exceed 12–15 drops, 2 times a day. (Do not use in pregnancy).

For sensitive people: You may need to start with 1 drop every 3–5 days. Gradually increase weekly until 1 drop a day is tolerated. You may then repeat process to accommodate second dose per day. Dosage does not usually exceed 12–15 drops, 2 times a day.

5. Colloidal Silver in a Nebulizer: still clarifying dosage.
Option: Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol, 32 ounces is product code A3138.

6. Melatonin: use 10-50 mg at bedtime.
Option: Vital Nutrients Melatonin 10 mg, product code is MEL20. (Do not use in pregnancy).

7. Increase Vitamin D3 to 50000 IUs x 3 days only then reduce dose again (can become toxic if high doses for prolonged period of time).

8. Increase Vitamin A to 50,000-100,000 x 3 days only then reduce again (can become toxic if high doses for prolonged period of time). (Do not use in pregnancy).

9. Hydroxychloroquine - Plaquenil (400 mg twice a day x 1 day then 200 mg twice a day x 4 more days) (this is an. anti-malarial drug used commonly for certain autoimmune diseases like RA and lupus that appears to act as a zinc ionophore preventing viral replication inside the cell). (Do not use in pregnancy).

10. Alinia - Nitazoxanide: 500 mg twice a day (this is an anti-parasitic which was effective for SARS). (Do not use in pregnancy).

IF/WHEN TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL:

It is important to know when home care is not working and when it is time to head in to an urgent care for a chest x-ray and evaluation or when to head to the Emergency Room. Waiting too long to do this in hopes that any home remedies will help you turn the corner can be hazardous to your health. If your condition is worsening, you are having trouble breathing, high fevers, extreme fatigue and you are concerned for your health, then you should contact your doctor’s office and if nothing else put on your surgical mask and head into the the urgent care or ER to be evaluated. While quarantine and minimizing public exposure is important, there is a time when it is right to be evaluated for other interventions, such as treating a bacterial superinfection in the lungs or when a patient might need to be intubated. Please use your best judgement and if your are uncertain contact you doctor for guidance on when this is right in your case.

My hope in providing this information to you is that it will help give you a further sense of control and thus reduce your stress. It is very likely that new therapies will emerge for treatment, such as anti viral medicines and prevention, such as a vaccine, that will help make the Coronavirus much like the measles or at worst like the Influenza virus. Until then, following the guidelines that the WHO and the CDC have recommended, which are largely mitigation practices of hygiene and social distancing and adding the therapies listed above when indicated can help to keep our hospitals available to the patients who will need it the most.

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This sugar baby survived a 2 week cleanse

Two weeks into my blended raw veggie, superfood cleanse and…

1.     EVERYDAY WORKS:

Everything in my closet fits and daily life is easier. My thoughts are clearer, anxiety largely gone, reactions are better, and mood is balanced.

There’s no random bloating, intense cravings, evening cramping, IBS, or constipation. There’s no time taken out to recover from odd meals, sugar spikes, or toxins from the night before.

I don't fear the dark corners of my mind as toxins spike my chronic inflammation, steal B vitamins and magnesium, and leave me without a mental life preserver when stress happens. 

I hadn’t anticipated the 'life is just easier' benefit of this Vitalist cleanse.

2.     I NOTICE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD 

With my cells being fed and blood sugar balanced, I’m not actually hungry. BUT I still very much crave sugar to get me through dull moments and distract with a high. The lack of option is liberating and over time the cravings went down.

It’s nice to have the decision already made, to just feel the urge and notice it without struggling with whether or not to cave to it. My brain slowed down it's ADD search for sugary escape once it knew it wasn't an option. I enjoyed more natural focus.

3.     I'M LEARNING BALANCE 

After doing the first week by the book, I detected a craving from my body for animal protein. I had been on the easy to digest, raw, vegan, masterfully combined superfood blends. I had done the herbs, the castor packs, the tummy massages, the oil drinking, the rest, and even the dreaded coffee enema. It all felt medically good for cleanse purposes but not necessarily perfect for my body chemistry daily.

So I played with balance. I promised myself I'd focus on the wins.

I celebrated my exhibition of more discipline than I thought possible for my rebellious, impulsive, use-sugar-as-a-drug spirit.

Off alcohol and sugar the last month+ to prep and build slowly, I was able to celebrate how big of a deal that was and allow modifications the second week with total self love.

After the big liver and gallbladder flush, I observed a rebellion against the 5x/day herbs. I wanted to sneak in a deviled egg or cooked soup stripped of its original enzymes. I wanted spice intensive, flavorful, sugary curry.

And so 2nd week, I allowed myself, and I watched.

A bit of bloat creeped back in with harder to digest choices and less fluids but I retained a desire to continue mostly blended superfoods 70% of the time for ease and comfort.

I felt a welling pride that I was shifting my flexibility around previous all or nothing thinking and could hear my body's preferences.  I knew I could go back to 5 days of herbs and all blended before the next liver flush and really appreciated the ease these food combinations were bringing to my life.

I liked having the blueprint AND noticing where my wiggle room was on the spectrum. I was celebrating wins instead of counting personal errors.

Halle-friggin-lujah!

I love that my food spectrum no longer includes slurpees, ice cream snickers bars, or cheetos. Sugar and starchy processed carbs are my Achilles heel. Others may struggle with dairy or meat, but I really get worked over by blood sugar spikes.

A recent habitnutrition.com blood test had confirmed what I already intuitively knew: I had sensitive pancreatic cells struggling to release insulin so often. I am prone to diabetes if I eat common sugary desserts – even more so as my activity level downshifts with age.

Plus, like many people, I have chronic inflammation from fast living and high toxin exposure compounded with intense internal dialogue ~ {I suspect originating from early trauma and attempts to system override to prove worth through "productivity."} My already high cortisol levels don't need sugar's 'helpful boost' and the path I was on is ripe for an autoimmune disease.

Even knowing about inflammation's damage, I feared letting go of my sugary security blanket and frankly doubted I could. I had asked the universe for a done for me, easy, delicious way to break my patterning. And doing this first step FEELS HUGE! :)

I know I don't really have the luxury to continue to treat food like an escapist drug rather than information for my cells so I'm super grateful these blended drinks weren't gross. I had to find a better coping mechanism than sugar and the delicious Vitalist superfood blends made exploring this transition possible. The chocolate chia protein powder nut milk blend mimics a cold chocolate mousse and got me through cravings.

The Takeaway 

Experimenting with truly balanced blood sugar for 2 weeks has been such a gift. Having clearer thoughts, needing less sleep, feeling lighter in my body, enjoying a svelte physique, and reducing decision fatigue in the food arena has been great. I suspect the aloe in my favorite 'Aloe Detox' blended drink has also helped repair leaky gut damages to my intestinal walls. That drink will forever be found in my fridge.

Pretty excited to be past the all liquid part so I can get back to the Unicorn nutballs and the nut cheese, jalapeno chip Nachos. I love food and want to feel good and sometimes that's a tough balance for this sugar baby.

Could Stress be making you fat???

Stress in our environment (fear, anger, shame, anxiety, urgency) and toxins in our food trigger our adrenal glands to release stress hormone cortisol.

This keeps us ready to react to the stressor in a way that our body thinks may save our lives. It's an outdated formula and with modern fast pace and high stimulation, the very chemicals that kept our ancestors alive, are keeping us fat.

Digestion is harmed

When we're stressed, we can't digest our food properly and we don't absorb all of our nutrients. Our body shoots it through to ditch any blood flow distractions not necessary to get us out of that jam. Hence why people in super scary situations have the sudden intense urge 'to go'.

High Cortisol = Tummy Fat retention

Beyond our body not metabolizing our food, chronically high cortisol goes from being a performance enhancer, to a serious liability. The body holds onto tummy fat in the presence of cortisol incase it needs future caloric energy reserves and as a protective buffer for our organs.

Cortisol may save our lives in extreme situations, but it doesn't help get us ready for bikini season. The body releases fat stores when it's calm, breathing in oxygen, and sending the messaging to the brain that everything is A-ok.

Toxins stress the body & are stored in fat cells!

If you're sleeping, meditating, breathing, and chilling but the weight isn't releasing, look at internal trapped toxins that could be creating a state of constant inflammation.

Chronic high inflammation reads as stress to the body. The body releases cortisol to manage the inflammatory incident. Inflammation, when acute is quite healing. But longterm, it's extremely damaging. It's a sign to the body that there is something to fight, something wrong. Chronic inflammation puts the body in a state of internal war as immune system soldiers get mixed signals and often friendly fire bringing on autoimmune diseases. The body often holds onto protective fat. 

The body also manages toxins (chemical stressor) by getting them out of circulation and stored away IN FAT CELLS. This means the more toxins, the more the body holds onto fat cells as protective cubbies keeping toxins from damaging parts of the body.

The body is not going to burn important toxin cubholes (fat cells) when you exercise. It does not want to re-release toxins into the system. People that have stored toxins and lose weight too quickly often see a panicked body recruit even more fat cells and quickly put weight back on to get those toxins again out of blood circulation. Resulting in EVEN MORE WEIGHT GAIN!

Here's the GetHSH Weight Release Program I wrote to address this 20th century stress syndrome and give us a real chance to be our body type's ideal happy, healthy weight.

Stress releasing slimming system with the 9 free recipe, workout, and mood enhancing bonuses

Exercising harder doesn't work when our hormones are off and our toxins are being stored in fat cells. Let this book show you how to lower your stress & systemic inflammation and release trapped fat.

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BONUS VIDEOS:  Stress keeps us tired & fat

Dr. Steph from Functional Medicine SF breaks down what stress really does to you, what Adrenal Fatigue is, and what you can do about it. Get HealthySexyHappy interviews top experts to help us look & feel our best.

We know how important sleep is and it's frustrating to miss out on essential healing, restoring beauty zzz's. Dr. Steph from Functional Medicine SF breaks down what's been getting in the way between you and a blissful night's sleep.

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My personal supplement protocol

Focus. Energy. Clarity. Calm.

In pursuit of a brain that works and a mood that's happy, I've tried a ton of things.

My supplement cabinet is now filled with nutritional hacks for PMS relief, focus, mood boost, and hangover avoidance. I prefer trusted brands that have good sourcing and come recommended by friend and functional medicine superstar Dr. Stephanie Daniel. Her suggestion toward Julia Ross's book on amino acid therapy kept me off anti-depressants during a tough time. I am now convinced that one trigger for depression is a depleted brain.

When the nutrient suggestions started getting overwhelming, I created a graph to keep them organized. I color coded the supplements so I could see which colors/nutrients played a role in multiple benefits. Notice how green Omega3 is involved in everything.

Everyday I make sure to get my Bs, Cs, Ds, Omega3s, minerals, and amino acids. Here's why:

Amino Acids are building blocks that help make our skinny/pretty/happy hormones and brain chemicals. B vitamins pull double duty in the body!! They are the mechanics that help convert these building blocks into hormones and are also the soldiers that buffer against stress. If we're stressed, we often don't have enough Bs left over to make enough feel good chemicals. With that workload, we go through a lot of Bs and many of us require a converted "methylated" form. Vitamin B injections work well for many and I love them.

Vitamin D3 is the energy, happiness, thyroid function, appetite suppression, bone strength, and immune system 'super hormone' that most of us are low in. I like Vital Nutrients D for when I travel and an under the tongue spray for home.

Omega 3s are the good fat our brain craves. Mood and clear thinking are directly tied to Omega3 fatty acids present in the body. The aging brain needs even more.

Minerals are the cofactors that make sure the important reaction in the body take place. Magnesium, the calming mineral that is crucial in the brain is involved with over 300 chemical processes in the body!

Probiotics are the good gut bacteria linked to happy mood, manageable waistline, and possibly everything else! Fiber feeds our good bacteria, sugar feeds the bad bacteria, and probiotics refill the ranks giving us more of the good. Helpful if our partying lifestyle, stress, or antibiotics have killed off our good guys. Below are the daily 5 I take.

I start my morning with a ton of lemon water to flush my organs and get my adrenal, immune, and skin supporting Vitamin C.  I take my brain and mood supporting amino acids on an empty stomach. If I want extra focus, I'll take a Neurothera or a NooTroo nootropic. If it's a tea/coffee day, I like the bullet proof executive style of blending nutrient rich grass fed butter into my tea for delicious brain food.

After a couple of hours of fasted work time and flushing of my system, it's time for a protein rich meal with eggs or salmon. Here is where I take the fat soluble supplements like B, D, and Omega 3 that absorb best in the presence of fat. 

If the work morning has left me anxious, I'll take a calming NeuroCalm filled with Taurine, GABA, Magnesium, and L-Theanine.

Because my stress hormone cortisol is unfortunately high, I also take a daily adaptagen formula that builds back my buffers giving me more stress resilience. I wrote the FreeTheFat weight loss program around this product after seeing stress' connection to stubborn weight retention.

The desire to feel focused but calm while lowering both my inflammation and cortisol inspired the CALM HAPPY FOCUSED bundled. Neurothera is the addition here with it's cognitive amino acids and mood boosting herbs.

The rest of the bundles are found on the supplements page and shown below.

Notice that the same 5 supplements are put into different combinations for desired mood effect. These are my favorite addon to my daily essential 5. I like the CALM HAPPY FOCUSED 4 pack -which is the same as buying Calm Pack + Happy Pack (but cheaper when bought together). Not until I venture out of mood / stress  and into beauty / hangover helper do new supplements emerge from the antioxidant family.

If I've been partying alot, I take the 3 antioxidant rich blends found in the BEAUTY BLEND. The hair/skin nails for beauty, antioxidant formula for anti-aging and the liver detox to support my liver.

If I'm running low in general, I'll restock with the biggest bundle THE WORKS that comes with wonderful digestive enzymes to get the most out of my food and free radical destroying antioxidants to help with aging and hangovers. This has the highest overall savings but still feels like a huge sticker shock even though I can do the math logically.

And finally, my super secret for when I'm truly depleted: IV therapy. 

Dr. Ahluwalia of Dryp.com has locations all over the bay. At $200-$300 a pop it gets pricey but man does it work to put you back in the game. I love the master antioxidant Glutathione add on!! Come flu season, opt for the extra zinc and selenium.

Love to hear your tips and tricks!

Here are a few other helpful graphs I put together along this journey to feel good.

Amino Acids and their Benefit:

Nutrient Benefits

Always open to new nutrient suggestions, leave yours in the comments below.

This one change helped me start the New Year svelte.

This was the first holiday season I found myself without alcohol. Managing family holidays with out vodka soda is something I would NEVER normally recommend. Your sanity is essential after all & most of our families keep the fun in disFUNctional. 

Here's how I found myself sober through the season and the awesome result come January 1st 2016!

Dec 15th LA Work Event

This year, on a mid-December trip to LA, I got the annual sinus infection. Lots of exercise, little sleep, colder weather combined with Halloween > Bermuda > overindulging at Thanksgiving and I wasn't exactly shocked my immune system gave me the bird. 

It started with a headache and by end of week had turned into a punishing ear infection.

Now, ice pick to-the-ear pain is usually something I hop on antibiotics for --- but I've been doing the whole probiotics, bone broth, L-Glutamine thing to build back my good gut bacteria. And antibiotics would negate much, if not ALL of my progress.

Like most, I have leaky gut- a dangerous separation of the intestinal wall cells. This single cell barrier on the intestinal wall is what helps absorb nutrients through the gut lining and keeps toxins and food particles from seeping into the rest of our system. Inflammatory immune system reactions and food allergies pop up when food particles & toxins seep through this barrier. My favorite foods could possibly make me sick moving forward - not ok. Gotta seal that gap.

I was scared & grossed out enough to lower my toxins and commit to resealing the bonds between these gut lining cells. The immune system related illnesses like Rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid problems are becoming unfortunately common in modern day culture & my joints have gotten really achy as I push my body to the limit with my high inflammation lifestyle. 

Another fun celebratory December tradition:  boozy, blissful, all you can eat Guardsman charity Crab Feed 

When I say "committed," I don't mean I was ready to give up alcohol or even sugar for that matter. Two huge inflammation offenders I rely on as lifestyle coping mechanisms. I was starting with the good probiotics in and decided to worry about getting the bad food out later. I know I know, both are necessary...

Santa Con San Francisco- 2016

LA Family Holiday Celebration

But this damn ear infection and my refusal to go on antibiotics made for a hard new reality. Processed foods, sugar, and alcohol had to beat it during the most sugar filled, drunk part of the year. To get my immune system strong enough to kick this bugger, I had to hydrate and sleep a whole lot more while ditching the weakening toxins. Waaaaa!?

My alcohol-fueled holiday cheer marathon was getting majorly f'd with. Could I do it?

If I wasn't being reminded hourly by a friendly stab to the side of the head, there's not a chance I would have made it. Spiked egg nog & hot toddies are too delicious. Without pain pounding me into submission, I likely wouldn't have stayed strong. I also married into a particularly fun family who know what to do with a dance floor & our friend group of stylish, event planning, marketing mavens make for a non stop party.

I was in big trouble.

However, holiday party 7 came and went & outside of a faked shot of vodka at a fun fam white elephant, I managed to go without alcohol hitting my lips.

Then New Year's in Tahoe approached and thanks to the cold, dry 10 degree weather and the occassional ear stabs,  being further dehydrated and dry did not appeal. I managed to stay sober even on the costumed dance floor. I was starting to feel invincible. Maybe I could release my attachment to a favorite coping mechanism after all. Even if I didn't really have a choice, and shouldn't be overly patting my own back, this was real progress! What a fun realization and a confidence boost of the possibilities! 

Here's what I noticed come Jan 1st, 13 days after kicking booze:

*My skin is clearer, tighter, and I'm way less bloated / puffy. I'm sure the sleep & extra hydration along with ditching alcohols dehydrating side effects were a power combo.

* I'm noticeably leaner. Starting the year with lean, toned thighs is not a resolution I set, but I'm bikini season ready mid winter!! This.Is.Incredible. I'm grabbing by bun / thigh crease in magical wonder. My credit card may be maxed out, but my body is not!

*I can see my abs- that helpful little cushioning layer is vacationing allowing for a flat tummy.

*I think clearer and have less fatigue. My mood is more even. Depression and brain fog are gone and I can handle stress with more grace. I'm not depleted and fumbling around for a sugar fix wondering which obscure amino acid or enzyme my body really needs. I don't feel crazy!

*I'm calmer and can focus better. With more rest and less stimulating sugar and alcohol pumped through my holiday month, I hit January with more dopamine receptors! This allows smaller tasks to be able to release the same brain chemical blitz of motivating goodness that usually requires more stimulation to achieve. 

*I'm motivated to keep it clean, green, & hydrated. Momentum is real and starting the New Year not feeling bloated & behind is just wonderful. This may be game changing enough to make Dec 15th my last drinking day of the year moving forward. I KNOW, CRAZY! I can't say enough good things about how different & empowering this year's start feels. 

WHAT A CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR'S BLOG POST!

i highly recommend taking 14 days of little sugar and no alcohol to reset your mind, mood, and waistline. Add in more sleep, more Lemon water, and 3/week sweat sessions in the sauna or spin bike for a heavy dose of feel good.

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YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD!

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**GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula for happiness & health. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.

how to ditch the Holiday Blues

This holiday is magical for many with stockings, snow ball fights, santa's lap shots, and classic Chevy Chase movies. But there's a dark side to the season that some of the GetHSH community may be struggling with.

If you've been boozing and indulging in holiday treats the last three weeks you might be finding yourself with a hint of apathy masking as depression mixed with fatigue that heightens end of year anxiety. So here's a few steps that help me snap out of a cold weather, sugar binge, holiday party marathon coma and start to get back on track and hit the New Year energized & inspired.

1. Realize it's the food and the weather.

The sugar of the holiday season really throws our system off. We're already craving more fatty sugary foods with the colder weather trying to pack on our pounds to insulate from the weather. Add the abundance of treats and we can quickly find ourselves addicted to the insulin cycle which induces depression making us literally a victim of the SUGAR BLUES.

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2. Focus on your body when your head starts to run amok.

Start your morning connecting to your body. A couple morning moves make a big difference in starting the day right.

A)Grab your 3" massage balls, lay on your back, and roll out your glutes, sacrum, and spine. Sends blood flow to waking muscles, creates presence and perspective.

B) Hamstring Stretch into spinal twist. Lying on our back grabbing each calf. Then, grab one knee at a time and twist across the body to wake the spine and internal organs.

C) Ab Stabilizers: Lying on your back with your hands over your head pressing palms into the wall, lift one bent knee to 90 degrees slowly dropping it down to a toe tap on the floor and gently repeating on the other side. It wakes up the abs and reminds the brain of all the miraculous ways the body moves and stabilizes. It's the one move that gets me out of my head & appreciating my body.

3. Get back on the lemon water > Vitamins > Protein Shake > Greens train... Especially if you really don't want to

A two day cleanse of sugar and alcohol + 30 minutes of cardio & a little stretching do wonders for mood and jump start the will to power through the last of December.  .

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If you're like me and feel like a little waddling sausage thanks to past poor party food choices, email me at gethealthysexyhappy@gmail.com to be added to our accountability cleanse group through the end of the year. I need a reason greater than myself to put down the 10th bite of Christmas chocolate.

BREATH WORK is an energy booster the yogis use to increase life force / pranayama. Try breathing through one nostril at a time by closing the other creating a cycle of focused oxygen. Start with 10 breaths on each side for an invigorating reset. 

4. Don't overthink the New Years Resolutions thing.

A New Year does not need to equal a new you. You have complete permission to be just as unique and awesome as you currently are while slowly working toward meaningful goals. Let's get through December together, realize the winter blues are a fleeting thing and connected motivation will return, rock the holiday parties in sequined fabulousness, embrace the cheer of traditions, and get back on the sleep, nutrition, exercise, breath work train.

Because we deserve to feel good... damn it!

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GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.

3 things I learned about food that changed how I ate

1. Food is information before it's calories

2. Sugar is the enemy in large amounts at one time

3. Thinking of food like an orgasm may help you indulge less and enjoy more.

1. Food is Information:

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When I realized food was  a coding message / language inside my body, I stopped looking at it as just calories for fuel.

Food is actually happy or sad, yes or no, messengers that turn certain hormonal release switches on or off. These switches are how our body stays regulated and how our systems talk to each other.  

 I stopped counting calories and started counting number of green things I ate. Even if I ate more calories in green veggies than I would in a single candy bar, I wouldn't be harming my hungry / satisfied switch (ghrelin / lectin) leading to me eating more later. Nor was I raising my inflammation levels by eating toxins that make it harder to lose belly fat or absorb nutrients.

2. Sugar is the key that opens up the fat storage container door:

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Keeping our blood sugar levels even throughout the day is the key.

When we eat too much sugar at one time, we force our bodies to release tons of insulin to handle this blood sugar crisis (to avoid Diabetic Coma). This insulin quickly shoves sugar into fat cells for storage to get it out of the blood.

way more sugar and fat get stored during these spikes. We can slow this fat storing process by eating less sugar at one time and by mixing fiber with our sugar intake.

This realization changed how I saw dessert or starchy carbs during a meal. Sure I could eat them, but not right next to or with a meal that had tons of fat.

Sugar alone would make me tired, foggy headed, moody, and up my chances for diabetes and other blood sugar imbalance disorders.. But sugar + fat, and I become an efficient fat storing machine.

Any meal that had lots of sugar and lots of fat present would have to have fiber involved and the portion cut in half. I feel better when i Have the butter or coconut oil but ditch the bread. (which has the whole gluten issue on top of simple sugar breakdown).

SIDE NOTE: SUGAR IS QUITE ADDICTIVE & YOU WILL FEEL A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE BY CUTTING OUT ALL PROCESSED SUGAR AND STARCHY BREADY CARBS LEAVING ONLY FRUIT WITH PEEL AND VEGGIES IN YOUR CARB SELECTION.

SUGAR CAN BE HARDER TO DO IN MODERATION BUT FIBER REALLY HELPS AS DOES GETTING MORE SLEEP TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN CUTTING DOWN. IT TAKES MANY OF US FULL 3 DAY DETOXES TO CURB CRAVINGS AND GET BACK ON TRACK. BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF IN YOUR PROCESS.

3. Eating Bad food isn't a deal breaker

I used to get hung up on being rigid with my eating as if that bag of cheetohs was going to end my self worth or future chance for happiness and success. This kind of pressure and cyclical thinking leads to the vicious eating disorder cycle.

Because we are freaking out about caving to a very normal craving, we then binge eat way more than is even enjoyable as we capitalize on our fallen angel status. This not only makes us feel badly about ourselves and worried for our future self control, it also spikes our blood sugar way higher than if we had just enjoyed our chips without the next 4 bags of sabotage.

I now treat food like an Orgasm. The first bite is awesome as is the second and third... Upon the 10th bite, it's not so awesome- so i stop.  I wait until I'm hungry again and can enjoy the awesomeness again maximizing food's pleasure.

Eating slowly & staying present to the pleasure allows us to get the most out of our "splurge food" choices and really maximize our experience while eating half the calories and avoiding a big spike. We'll enjoy it more and give our brain's time to release the "full tummy" signal saving the rest for later when we can love it again.

Don't aim for perfection- it gives food too much power. Aim to correct course as soon as possible & avoid the toxins when we can.

we Deserve to Feel Good.