The Real Life RD

helping you find peace with food and your natural body size

  • the RD & NP
  • Online Courses
  • Women’s Wellness
  • Speaking
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Eating Disorders, Nutrition, Stress

How Your Mindset Can Affect Your Physical Response To Food

January 9, 2018 By Robyn 33 Comments

You may have heard that your gut is your second brain. Your mindset and the way you feel can affect the feelings in your gut.

It might sound a little hokey. But it’s actually true. Like…it’s well established in the literature kind of true.

Ever had a nauseous feeling in a certain situation or butterflies when you’re nervous? Anxiety, anger, sadness, happiness, worry….all these feelings actually manifest themselves as physical sensations in your gut.

mindset

The brain has a direct affect on your gastrointestinal system because they are intimately connected by your vagus nerve – the longest cranial nerve in your body that travels from the brainstem to the lowest part of your intestines. Think of it like a highway of communication between your brain and gut. And the messaging goes two ways. If your GI system is impaired it can send signals to the brain. And if you brain is troubled it can send signals to the gut. So your GI issues can be the cause or the result of anxiety, stress, worry, depression, etc etc.

Since a large part of this space is devoted to eating disorders/disordered eating, we’re going to focus how how your emotions before/during/after eating can affect the physical sensations you experience in your digestive tract and body.

I wrote a lot about digestive health is this post back in July and went into detail about how eating disorders and disordered eating can actually cause digestive pathology. The rest of this post is going to focus on the psychology of digestive health.

I also mentioned in the above post the concept of functional gut disorders (FGD) and I think it’s important to note that a large majority of people with eating disorders or disordered eating have FGDs, which is a double whammy and makes the recovery process even harder. Sometimes it’s a chicken or the egg question – did the disordered eating cause impaired gut integrity or did digestive issues make someone vulnerable to developing disordered eating or an eating disorder? I’ve definitely seen both. And I think one of the worst things we can do as health practitioners is not inquire about someone’s relationship with food and their body when talking about digestive health – I’ve learned the hard way early on in my practice.

I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty details of digestive health here in this post because my take home point is really this….can we start to explore if it’s our feelings around food that contribute to digestive symptoms versus the food itself?

It’s something called psychosomatic symptoms. Essentially physical symptoms that occur for psychological reasons. So no, it’s not all in your head. It’s a true, physical feeling but what you’re experiencing is rooted in a psychological process. It shouldn’t be dismissed at all. But solving the issue might mean looking beyond the food.

Maybe you don’t have a “full blown” FGD like irritable bowel syndrome or gastric reflux – but this also includes things like bloating, constipation, diarrhea etc. Some of these symptoms can be a normal bodily process. Sometimes they happen on occasion and that’s your body doing its digestive thing. But sometimes these symptoms become frequent and begin to interfere with your life.

Often times those with FGDs and with disordered eating and eating disorders have similar underlying mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, high stress etc etc. These symptoms can also very much negatively impact body image, making the healing process that much more complicated.

mindset

Sometimes it is a particular food that might be causing a symptom. I don’t want to portray the message that it’s never about the food. It can be. But a lot of times, there are multiple factors at play – most notably anxiety and stress.

A stressed out mind/body usually leads to a stressed out gut. I have a close friend who was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance about 10 years ago. During that time she was more focused on her body, had disordered thoughts and behaviors around food and was below her natural set point. Years later, she’s now made a full recovery and has been living a very joyful life at peace with food and her body. Recently she began to question that gluten intolerance diagnosis (not that the original diagnosis wasn’t valid, but was it still an issue for her) and wanted to try incorporating it back into her life again. She started in small amounts and what she found is that so far, she feels totally fine.

I give that example not to say her story is the same for everyone else, but to illustrate how, in her case, it wasn’t really solely about the food. Her coming to peace with food diversified her diet – which we know improves gut integrity. She was far more relaxed and less anxious around the eating experience. And she learned, over time, a lot of healthy self care practices to help her live a less stressful life in general. All these things combined, over a long time, made for a more comfortable digestive process.

There is something called a nocebo effect. Meaning if you believe you will experience a certain feeling or sensation when xyz happens to you…you could very well feel/experience that even if whatever happened to you didn’t exert that effect. So in the instance of food, if you believe diary or gluten or sugar or whatever other food causes you to bloat and feel like crap…even if it doesn’t exert that effect on your body, you still might experience those sensations. Your mind is that powerful. Think about the gut brain connection we talked about in the beginning of this post.

mindset

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of research on how the power of the mindset has a physiological impact based on our assumptions of the food we are eating.

Imagine two different scenarios for a second.

  1. You are with good friends on a perfect summer day, feeling carefree and relaxed. You see an ice cream truck and everyone agrees they want ice cream. As you receive your cone and begin eating, you have no hesitations or negative thoughts about this ice cream cone and you bask in sheer enjoyment as you eat this cone.
  2. You are with good friends on a perfect summer day. You’re having an enjoyable time, but every so often negative thoughts about your body come in. For the most part though you’re able to stay present. Everyone suggests getting ice cream cones. You don’t say much, hoping they’ll decide against cones. Some anxiety hits about what this ice cream cone will do to your body. You push through, going along with the group and order a cone anyway. But the whole time you’re eating the cone, thoughts are running through your head about what it’s doing to your body, and how crappy you are going to feel afterward.

napa weekend

In both scenarios, you’re still eating the same ice cream cone. But because of the gut/brain connection alone, the person in scenario one is most likely going to experience better digestion than the person in scenario two. On a very basic level, your sympathetic nervous system, aka your “fight or flight” system, pulls blood away from the digestive tract. Your parasympathetic system, aka your “rest and digest” system, delivers blood to your digestive tract. You will almost always experience better digestion when you are calm and relaxed.

I’m not saying how you feel physically during and after eating has everything to do with your mindset. But I am saying it plays a large role.

Maybe you do some exploring with foods and how they make you feel. If you think you’ve had a negative reaction to a food or meal, what about creating a more calm and mindful experience around that food and seeing how it makes you feel in a different environment. Do you feel the same? Do you feel different?

Some ways to shift your mindset and make for a more relaxing and enjoyable eating experience 

Eliminate distractions so you can focus on enjoying the food itself.

If you have anxiety/stress around certain foods or experiences, practicing visualization around that experience can be helpful. Visualize yourself having a positive experience.

Choose a soothing mantra and repeat it to yourself before, during and after the experience to counter condition potential negative thoughts.

Eat with a good friend or your significant other and focus on being present in the conversation.

Eat slowly and savor your food. What is the texture and taste and smell – these all add to the eating experience.

Take 5-10 deep breaths before, during and after eating. Deep breathing helps stimulate your vagus nerve which counteracts your sympathetic nervous system to decrease anxiety.

I know I myself have experienced the nocebo effect before and over time as I’ve walked my own path with finding peace with food, find that foods I once thought made me feel “bad” actually have no negative impact at all.

Some food for thought hopefully 🙂 Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

 

 


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • The Perfect Diet Might Make Your Anxiety Worse, Not BetterThe Perfect Diet Might Make Your Anxiety Worse, Not Better
  • Wellness Is A Lot More Than Food & ExerciseWellness Is A Lot More Than Food & Exercise
  • Listening To Your Body Versus Pushing ThroughListening To Your Body Versus Pushing Through
  • What Is Causing My GI Issues?What Is Causing My GI Issues?

Filed Under: Eating Disorders, Nutrition, Stress

« Weekend Recap [Dinner Parties and Red Wine]
How To Appreciate and Care For Your Changing Body »

Comments

  1. Inês Calisto says

    January 9, 2018 at 8:32 am

    Hi Robyn,
    First of all, thank you for teaching so much once again today.
    I totally agree that our minds are very powerful and things are or will turn out the way we believe they will. The same applies to food: if you believe a specific food makes you feel like crap, even if it doesn’t exert that effect on your body, you will feel like crap after eating it.
    So, my mantra is visualizing myself having a wonderful experience, eating slowly and savoring every single bite.

    However, I would like to leave a question on this matter: I absolutely love Milka whole nuts chocolate but although I always have a positive experience having it, my face always blows with acne. Maybe it’s the chocolate itself causing this? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

    A thousand kisses from the Azores, Portugal

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:18 pm

      I love visualizing too Ines! I’m not sure what exactly is causing it since I don’t know all the factors around eating the chocolate. It could be the food itself in this instance..I’m not sure. I’d talk to your health care provider. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Hillary says

    January 9, 2018 at 10:08 am

    I have definitely experienced this. I was diagnosed with IBS as a child and anorexia when I was 14. Throughout the 16 years of my eating disorder my digestion and IBS symptoms got worse and worse. Following a low FODMAP diet helped, but my symptoms were still debilitating. Now, as I have made huge strides into recovery, my IBS has drastically improved. I definitely still have IBS (and now that I have periods again and am producing hormones, there are noticeable periods of IBS flares throughout my cycle), but I have slowly, with the help of my dietitian, adding back in some of the higher FODMAP foods and have been tolerating most really well! I had so many doctors tell me that my gastrointestinal issues were mostly related to my eating disorder, but I did not want to believe them. I wanted a diagnosis that would require medication or physical therapy or a specific food to cut out. Something that would allow me to stay in my eating disorder, but fix my gut. I have friends who are very much stuck in the diet mentality and some who are very disordered who talk about their digestive distress and their lackluster skin and hair. Their answers are always a new cleanse or detox or cutting out gluten (it’s always gluten these days), dairy, sugar, etc. I so badly just want to nudge them in the direction of not cutting out food, but eating it. Nourishing their bodies so their guts have the energy to put into digesting and healing. My hope is that everyone who struggles with EDs and/or disordered eating and exercise addiction can come to some of the realizations that I have.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:17 pm

      “I had so many doctors tell me that my gastrointestinal issues were mostly related to my eating disorder, but I did not want to believe them. I wanted a diagnosis that would require medication or physical therapy or a specific food to cut out. Something that would allow me to stay in my eating disorder, but fix my gut.” –> thank you for being so honest Hillary! I know many can relate. I hope many come to see the other side as well <3

      Reply
  3. Kalee says

    January 9, 2018 at 10:09 am

    I love thjs! I most definitely believe this is true. I am recovering from disordered eating and experience a lot of bloating and discomfort. But, now that i think about it, the bloating and discomfort is far less when i am with family or distracted by studying instead of being anxious over how my body will react to a certain food i have deemed “bad”. Thank you for this post. I love your perspective.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      I’m glad you were able to think about it a bit and maybe make a connection – thinking of you in this journey! <3

      Reply
  4. Lucia says

    January 9, 2018 at 11:03 am

    I love this post.
    So much !

    I’m a dietitian looking to learn more about the link between digestion, anxiety, stress, and eating disorders, etc….do you have any articles or books you would recommend reading ?

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      search pubmed! That’s a great resource. Also Marci Evans has lots of podcasts on Eds and GI stuff that are helpful – she’s a wealth of info!

      Reply
  5. Anna says

    January 9, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I really appreciated this! I was diagnosed with IBS when I was a freshman in college and tried to do a low FODMAP, GF/DF diet and I was so obsessed with food. I thought I was doing the best thing for my GI system, but really all that stress of meal prepping and missing social events caused me to become isolated and anxious. Now I have dealt with my emotional crap, changed some things about my lifestyle, and reintroduced all foods. I now realize that, while I know if I eat a lot of fiber or a lot of rich food in a day, I won’t feel so great, my body can handle pretty much everything if I let it. But I had to eat normally for awhile to let my digestion sort itself out and I’m so glad I pushed through that initial emotional/physical discomfort. Thanks for this!

    Reply
  6. Amber @ Bloom Nutrition Therapy says

    January 9, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    This is so true! I know I have suffered from chronic gastric reflux in the past. Over the counter meds, prescription and everything in between was absolutely no help! Instead, I started focusing on WHEN I would experience discomfort and I noticed it most occurred early in the morning, before I had even had anything to eat at all. Usually by the time I got to work I was already miserable and didn’t even feel like eating breakfast. What I noticed the most is that my reflux would “act up” on days that I was running late to work. I began realizing this experience was really stressing me out every morning and the stress itself was causing my upset stomach. Once I made better plans to get out the door on time, the reflux symptoms literally disappeared. It’s amazing how much stress can impact everything!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:15 pm

      Wow. Thanks for sharing Amber! Taking a step back and looking at the whole picture can be really helpful!

      Reply
  7. Lauren says

    January 9, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    I totally resonate with this. I’ve fully felt the nocebo effect many times in the past when I used to believe gluten was “bad for me” and causing all my “digestion issues”. When I fully made peace with food and fully believde gluten is NOT bad for me, the “gluten intolerance” went away… Mind, gut connection is really powerful I think!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:14 pm

      I have experienced nocebo too. can relate!

      Reply
  8. Joelle says

    January 9, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    I can absolutely testify to this effect. When I was in the thick of my disordered eating, I would frequently (multiple times a week) have extreme digestive pain, and was basically always bloated. I thought that it was due to different foods I would eat, so would eliminate more and more, but when I would go back to eating that food, the anxiety I felt around it made the pain return.

    Now rarely will get anything close to that pain, even though I will eat basically everything I used to forbid myself . When I do have some sort of pain, it is a good flag to help me think back about when I last ate and what the conditions were so I can keep learning about what works best.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      Thank you for sharing Joelle – I know many can relate! I’m so glad you’ve found healing <3

      Reply
  9. Gemma says

    January 9, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    I really believe my mindset around food has a BUG impact on my digestion. I’m in recovery from anorexia and I’ve found when I was in a stressful environment like the hospital my digestion was terrible and my mindset/body image sucked. Keeping in mind positive affirmations and mantras really makes meal times easier both before, during and after. Bloating is not all in my head … it is a real painful experience that happens to me sometimes. However, I can decrease this symptom if I feel calm when going into a meal. Thank you for providing the scientific evidence behind what I am truly living and going through! It helps a lot 🙂❤️

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Yes I love how you pointed out that indeed – the symptom is REAL. It’s not in your head. But our mindset can have huge impacts. I’m glad you found it helpful Gemma!

      Reply
  10. Emily Swanson says

    January 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    I have completely experienced this; I’ve experienced more of a stomach ache when I start to let the thoughts creep in after dessert or when I’m eating alone. It’s often much better when I’m eating with others or eating slowly and really savoring the flavors instead of thinking about the worry or fear that I have about it; savoring the food and thinking about the nourishment and the gift of food has really changed my body’s reaction to SOOOO many foods. It’s so cool to me how God created us wholistic beings that NEED stable minds and stable bodies and stable souls, and you can’t just have one without the other. The mind gut connection is super awesome to learn about; thank you so much for thinking through and sharing your knowledge about this Robyn; so blessed by this.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      thank you for sharing your story Emily! I know it’s helpful for others 🙂

      Reply
  11. emily vardy says

    January 10, 2018 at 7:10 am

    So true. I’ve heard people say before that if you worry about having a bad trip or a bad experience the first time you do drugs, you’re way more likely to have an awful time. Same kinda thing with food. I know if I’m stressing or focusing on how “bad” a fear food is, I always feel so much more bloated and uncomfortable after eating.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Ha, good analogy. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Kelly says

    January 10, 2018 at 9:25 am

    Robyn, your writing just eloquently gets the point across. I love it! This now explains why in grad school I had so many GI issues, hello most stressful time of my life, and now almost two years post grad I’m completely normal again. Can’t wait to reshare this! 🙂

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      Thank you Kelly! Stress plays such a huge role in GI health – can totally relate to grad school stress!

      Reply
  13. Leanne says

    January 10, 2018 at 12:41 pm

    I am definitely in agreement with you on this topic! I think many people just assume that they have gluten or dairy issues if they are bloated one day, then they wait for it to happen in response to these foods in the future.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      January 10, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      great point Leanne

      Reply
  14. Katherine says

    January 12, 2018 at 9:06 am

    Thank you for this post!! This is super helpful for me!

    Reply
  15. Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off says

    January 16, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    This is SO interesting; thank you for sharing! Davida’s podcast talked about something similar recently, and I found it to make so much sense, yet no one really talks about it. I definitely think that people are too quick these days to overdiagnose themselves with food intolerances when in reality, food intolerances are SO MUCH more rare than that.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Friday Favorites #31 says:
    January 12, 2018 at 6:00 am

    […] How your mindset can affect your physical response to food via The Real Life RD […]

    Reply
  2. The Weekender 1/13 - Oats & Rows says:
    January 13, 2018 at 9:53 am

    […] Devotional: You are Worth More Than a Sack of Potatoes via Running Myself Together How Your Mindset Can Affect Your Physical Response to Food via The Real Life RD Intuitive Eating Can Be Messy via Bucket List Tummy Using “I Feel […]

    Reply
  3. A Little Somethin' Sunday #105 - Sinful Nutrition says:
    January 14, 2018 at 7:00 am

    […] Mindset Can Directly Affect Your Digestive System – The Real Life RD  […]

    Reply
  4. The Weekender says:
    January 22, 2018 at 1:09 am

    […] – How Your Mindset Can Affect Your Physical Response to Food […]

    Reply
  5. Health at Every Size: Why and How it Works (BONUS: Free Webinar) says:
    February 5, 2018 at 9:04 am

    […] stress and stigma around daily decisions like what to eat or if/how to move, which can actually affect your digestive health as well. Taking steps towards size acceptance and learning about the science behind HAES allows you […]

    Reply
  6. Accepting My Body: What I've Learned - Wellness with Edie says:
    February 4, 2020 at 6:01 pm

    […] How your mindset can affect your physical response to food […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

More On Lady Hormones

How Birth Control Methods Affect Your Hormones, Period and Fertility

What Your Cervical Fluid Can Tell You About Your Reproductive Health

women's reproductive health

Women’s Reproductive Health 101

I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

* indicates required

Categories

Get in Touch!

Follow Me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

I talk a lot about moving, eating, and living intuitively so you can be well hormonally and live a fulfilling life in line with your values

The Real Life RD on Pinterest

Follow Me on Pinterest
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
.
I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
.
But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
.
Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
.
I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙
Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our famil Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our family at 12:48am on Wednesday after a quick and swift labor & birth at home 💙 Thank you Father for another healthy baby boy & your abundant, tender love for us. What an undeserved gift.
Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his due date, but also....LET’S GO DUDE. Still over here eating dates (check out the @ebbirth article on the research showing dates can help ripen (aka soften) your cervix, reduce the need for medical intervention in labor and can overall, improve birth outcomes) drinking red raspberry leaf tea and sleeping as much as possible with a 19 month old running around. And also trying to survive July in VA without public pools or splash pads bc it is BLAZIN HERE (and I’m a wuss with the heat 🤪)
#AlignPartner A huge plus of transitioning from ti #AlignPartner A huge plus of transitioning from tiny-apartment-city-living to house living is this screened in porch. This little oasis sold me on renting this house when we moved from Boston to Virginia back in November. I dreamed about this becoming our outdoor living room for at least half the year (because also, summer comes earlier and stays later down here - which has a its pros and cons 😆)  During Cal’s afternoon nap, I set up shop out here with my computer + something refreshing to drink and get a little bit of work done before my brain turns to mush and/or a find myself napping instead of working. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can only drink so much water during the hot months before I’m over it so I’ve been mixing it up with either seltzer + juice, iced tea or @alignprobiotic’s new Kombucha On-the-Go powder sticks - all you do is mix one of the packets into ice cold water and stir. Then sip!  With quarantine life, we aren’t on-the-go much these days, but it’s still nice to have a nonperishable drink option always around. Flavor wise, it’s like a fizzy iced tea with a zingy, refreshing lemon ginger flavor.  I think it’s important to know that not all probiotic supplements are created equal. They all aren’t backed by evidence, but the Align brand is and could be something helpful for you if you feel like you need some digestive support - but talk to your healthcare provider first. I try to incorporate probiotics into what I eat - and that mostly comes in drink vs food form. Tell me how you’re staying hydrated in the comments ...because these days, it’s the little things 🤪 #AlignProbiotic **Use as Directed
Lunches for the past month or so have been some re Lunches for the past month or so have been some rendition of a sandwich + chips + fruit. SUMMERTIME 😎I’ve switched to open faced only bc there just ain’t much room left in there for food at 38.5 weeks 🤰🏻90% of the time at the end of a meal, no matter how “small” the portion, I’m feeling stuffed and like the food is in my throat (just what you wanted to read on this lovely Tuesday afternoon 🤪) but my point here is...intuitive eating doesn’t mean find-the-perfect-fullness and eat-only-when-hungry. Sometimes it means eating when you’re not hungry and feeling overly full often and trying to eat foods lower in fiber and higher in calories.
Found this photo on my camera roll today from a wa Found this photo on my camera roll today from a walk I took a month or so ago. Between quarantine and spending my days with a toddler, life is much less hurried and a lot more mundane these days. But those two things are helping me to stop & notice and to chill out on checking things off my to do list and instead just being present with whatever is in front of me. I want to have the curiosity & wonder my 18 month old has as I go about my day - with my surroundings and people I encounter and really, everything. Life is way more meaningful that way. Ending my evening with that reminder and a white chocolate chip cinnamon blondie covered in vanilla ice cream before I go take an Epsom salt bath and read.

Copyright © 2021 · The Real RD· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer


Terms and Conditions | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy