the secret to staying healthy after 30: be curious, not fearful.

Hello, friends! Writing for my blog has taken a bit of a backseat recently because I’m doing so much writing for clients (woot woot!). From now on I will be posting once a month instead of weekly, which feels more sustainable. Follow me on Instagram if you like inspirational quotes and little peeks inside my life; I post there often. Now, onto today’s blog entry.

I recently noticed a pattern. A pattern in how my body shifts and changes every year. Especially in winter. When the days become shorter, the temperatures becomes cooler, and I skimp on my exercise routine. I notice a change in my breast tissue. I feel my heart skip a beat. And I experience blood sugar dips. All daily, weekly, or monthly occurrences that sometimes electrify me with fear.

Oh no, what is wrong with me?

In our society, we’re taught to be fearful of changes like these. Because it could be cancer or worse. And it’s best to catch things early. I totally get that and I agree. But how we view our precious bodies needs to change. We don’t need to be afraid. We need to be curious.

Hmm, I wonder what my body needs that I’m not giving it.

In my case–after speaking to my acupuncturist, getting blood work done, and consulting with a functional medical doctor–I am deficient in iron, iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. I was not getting enough protein in my diet. And I wasn’t supporting my circulatory system with enough exercise.

So, here’s what I’ve been doing to bring my health back to being great.

1. Adding grass fed beef to my plate 2x a month. For the past 5+ years, I’ve been mostly pescetarian–someone who eats a highly plant-based diet with some fish. This was a personal choice because I am against the factory farming industry and animal cruelty. When I realized eating beef was something that would give my body what it needed, I felt conflicted. I didn’t want to support an industry I’m against, but I also didn’t want to deprive my body. So, I chose to eat beef sparingly, while only choosing grass fed cow beef because it is much more humanely raised than conventional cows. My body has definitely thanked me because the heart palpitations have ceased and I feel much stronger.

2. Eating sea veggies regularly. Late last year, I learned that iodine is a super important for women’s breast health. And most of us are deficient. Fibrous lumps are an indicator of that. The best way to get this precious mineral is not in the form of a supplement, but the food with the highest iodine content: seaweed. Just one serving of Kelp, Dulse, Kombu, or Wakame contains 4 times our daily requirement. Seaweed and I have gotten pretty friendly over the past couple of months. I’ve been making miso soup (super easy!), and sprinkling kelp in my salads. I’ve noticed that the lumpiness in my right breast has totally dissipated, my breast tenderness overall has decreased, and my energy has improved.

3. Supplementing with Vitamin D and B12. These are the two vitamins most of us are deficient in. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps them absorb calcium; it strengthens the immune system’s response to bacteria and viruses; and it also helps relieve the winter “blues.” Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that supports the production of red blood cells and a healthy nervous system. A deficiency in this can result in anemia, which causes red blood cells to not function properly. This can lead to feelings of weakness, light-headedness, and a fast, irregular heart beat. Since I started adding these power houses back into my daily routine, the feelings of weakness and fatigue have practically disappeared.

4. Doing yoga stretches and cardio. My body has been feeling stiff and stagnant since the holidays simply because I haven’t regularly been hitting workout classes or the yoga studio. Being an entrepreneur means I can’t shell out hundreds of dollars a month on memberships. So before I start my day, I spend 20 minutes doing various yoga poses and stretches. Specifically for my calves, hamstrings, shoulders, side abdomen, and lower back. This has without a doubt not only made me more flexible, but I feel more spacious and open. My main form of cardio has been walking. I walk everywhere in NYC. But I haven’t necessarily been breaking a sweat. So now I do a 30 minute power walk first thing in the morning and I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my mental clarity and energy.

5. Upped my self-care routine. I have been working non-stop. I’m talking 10-12 hours days and weekends. Working from home makes it too easy to dive right into emails and writing assignments without eating breakfast or taking care of myself. And late nights often lead to less sleep. So I’ve been more conscientous of scheduling time to take hot mineral baths, monthly acupuncture sessions, healthy meals, and an earlier bedtime so that I feel totally fueled to get things done. I’ve also started giving myself evening breast massages with a this special oil. This is a great practice to increase blood flow to your breasts and support the lymphatic system.

I feel so grateful to be tuned in to what my body needs and to have the power to change how I feel. The truth is, we all have this power. Because the root of any condition arises from very simple things: stress, nutrient deficiency, dehydration, inflammation, or lack of exercise. All things that we can adjust, change, and improve. It’s our responsibility to notice when things feel off and address them right away. Doing so in a state of curiosity instead of fear not only feels better, but it’s much more empowering.

I’d love to hear from you! What changes have you had to make to your diet or lifestyle to feel healthier?