Thanksgiving is a few weeks away and I’m already hearing such a mixed bag about how people are feeling in anticipation. Holidays always bring up more emotions (being around people or family members with whom you choose not to see at other times of the year; sometimes conversations that range from slightly awkward to deeply uncomfortable; and then, of course, add tempting foods into the mix).
Whatever you are feeling right now, please take a moment and hold space for yourself and whatever feelings you are having.
Take some slow, deep breaths and just be with yourself in this moment. 



Let’s consider what taking care of yourself this Thanksgiving may look like. It may be that you are gathering with new or different people or making and eating different foods than you usually do.

What does taking care of yourself this holiday mean for you? Who would you most like to spend it with? What conversations could you have ahead of time to create a space that feels loving and inviting?

Creating resilience around stressors in life is one of the most important practices we can put in place.
Left unchecked, stress HUGELY impacts your gut health.  When you experience stress, worry, anger, frustration and similar feelings, these feelings change your hormones and your nervous system. It’s amazing actually how instantly stress can have a negative impact on your gut. And your gut is at the root of all disease so managing your stress just became the #1 most important way that you can sustain or improve your health.

Using tools that I will be sharing in today’s newsletter, you can build resilience so that you are better able to handle challenges (physically, mentally and emotionally).

Why am I telling you this? Because my passion is to work with people like you whose health symptoms–like gut/digestive issues, excess weight, low energy, and skin & sleep problems–are getting in the way of you living life fully and with a sense of freedom in your body. Helping you to regain your health allows you to enjoy your life more fully and bounce back from challenges more quickly.

Holiday Care Tip

I’d like to invite you to approach this holiday season a little differently than you may have been. For starters, I’d love for you to feed yourself mentally and emotionally starting now so that it’s not all about the food. Let me give you an example. Thanksgiving used to be all about the food for me (especially mashed potatoes…in the past, I’ve overeaten them to the point of being in physical pain–that was a hard lesson!). Though I still really enjoy eating, that’s not what Thanksgiving is about for me anymore. We started a new tradition awhile back where we take a gratitude hike before the festivities begin.
Now I had to rearrange some things to make this possible. One is that I decided that I don’t need to enjoy all of the holiday foods in one day. It takes a lot of time and energy when you try to make one meal “perfect”. In order to be able to feel at ease taking the time to hike and experience gratitude fully, I had to let the myth of perfection go.
So I changed what perfection meant to me. It meant not being in the kitchen most of the day on my holiday! It meant not making 12 different things to eat. It meant enjoying some of my favorite dishes like garlic almond green beans earlier in the week, roasted Brussels sprouts the day before…and keeping the day of to a few yummy side dishes. What’s great about this besides the time, energy, and sanity savings? It makes it EASY to eat a reasonable portion of food! So your gut wins: you aren’t as stressed and you aren’t overburdening your digestion.

The other great thing about this is that doing the gratitude hike beforehand is awesome for hormone health and your nervous system! Being in a state of gratitude decreases stress hormones, increases reparative hormones like DHEA, and improves your parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” system).

What might this look like for you? It doesn’t have to be a hike. It could be a short walk, journaling, calling a friend or family member you adore, putting on fun music and dancing…whatever makes YOU feel grateful. Do something to nourish your mental and emotional wellness this Thanksgiving.

Bonus tip!

Now another bonus tip I have for you today is to try upgrading any of your holiday menu items that aren’t healthy. I’ve got some great ideas and recipes that you can check out here. Swapping out sugar and processed starch for healthier (and still delicious) options is a powerful way you can create traditions that will help you keep your gut healthy and you and your loved ones healthier and happier.

And lastly, take breathing breaks and space as needed. Managing stress isn’t a “one and done” thing. We need to reset often. Sometimes resetting is as simple as taking a few slow, deep breaths. Sometimes we need to exercise, or cry, or laugh, or get out in nature. There are many tools you can use to support yourself (click here and here for more of my top recommendations).

Until next time, I’m wishing you unstoppable health and a wonderful holiday!

~Rebecca

P.S. Are you or someone you know struggling with weight, digestion/gut, or energy?
I’m here to help!  Set up a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session with me here. The holidays are actually a great time to get some support.