48 Hours to a Happier Belly

Happy Monday! I know Monday’s can be a little daunting, but they can also be a chance for a fresh start, and a fresh start is exactly what I need this morning! After spending time in Napa, the hubs and I consumed more calories in food and drink then I would like to admit, and with Cory’s surgery coming directly after, a trip to Vegas for work, and my in-laws coming to visit, the gluttonous behavior continued for about two SOLID weeks. Finally ending last night with an Italian feast complete with pignoli cookies, tiramisu and lobster tail. As you know, I love food. I love the food experience. I love cream, butter and wine, not exclusively in that order, and usually in moderation. I like to live my life 80/20, but time and availability of fresh, whole foods can be limited while on the road, at family gatherings, and in a hotel!

I have a big job with Hanes on Wednesday, and since it is my first time, I want to be on my A game. I have 48 hours to get my body back on track. You see, when I gain a few lb’s, I do not freak out, because I have learned what works for my body, and 48 hours is plenty of time to cut the bloat, and feel comfortable in my own skin again, but it will take work. There have been studies that show that stress and anxiety can lead to bloating and bloating and weight gain can be directly related to mild depression. For everyone, ‘the gut’ is essentially the powerhouse of of body. Having an unhealthy gut for long periods of time can lead to: Diabetes, Obesity, Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue and more! If my gut is off balance, I feel it. My hubby on the other hand, never has an issue with eating. He may gain weight, and still feel great! I on the other hand get thrown off balance a little too easy. So, how will I get back on team ‘happy belly’, well I will let you know in a second. Before that, I just want to tell you that if you have been having an event filled summer, fueled with cocktails, bbq’s and sunshine, please enjoy every minute of it because you can never get those times back! Kids grow up fast, friendships grow and change, but if you can live in the moment, Monday will be here soon enough, and you will, yet again, have another opportunity to press RESET!

Here is how I reset:

TEA: I love detox tea’s. Right now, I have a specific herbal blend from my Chinese Medicine doctor, but on Sunday night I try to drink a strong ginger probiotic, detox or mild laxative tea. If I only have a small cup of stimulant tea, and steep it for 10 minutes only, I have very little discomfort, and it helps to get the digestive juices flowing. Click here for one of my favorite tea’s.

Meal Plan: This week I received my first shipment of food from, Sunbasket, an organic cooking service, that makes healthy cooking easy! On saturday, I made my first meal, a wholewheat flatbread you may have seen on Ista. This week I will also be making Salmon and Eggplant Parmesan. All very low-carb and full of flavor. It really is nice not to have to think about what to cook for dinner. You can simply follow the recipe and utilize your pre-portioned ingredients. The other two nights I can whip up a salad or a lean protein with veggies in no time flat. I can also stick to my usual morning of bulletproof coffee pre-workout and egg and avocado toast-post workout.

My favorite items to prep for a week of healthy cookings include: Chia seed pudding, overnight oats, quinoa and grilled chicken. I also like to cut all my fruit and veggies to have them ready to go for smoothies and snacking.

Cut It Out: Cut out refined sugar and carbs. This will help decrease gut yeast and yield a happier, flatter tummy. Carbs are very important to sustain your energy. You can even consider carb cycling, which in its simplest form is low/no carb on Mon,Wed and Fri and increased carbs on Tues and Thurs or vice versa. The carbs should be as unrefined as possible…for example: sweet potato, quinoa or sprouted bread like ezekiel. High carb days should be on your training days, and low carb on your non-training or rest days.

Probiotics: I swear by Dr. Mercola probiotics. Remember this post? I have tried a lot of different brands, but for me, these work the best. They minimize bloating and keep me regular, especially while traveling. Make sure there are over 7 billion organisms and somewhere on the package it says it can make its way though bile or stomach and actually make it to your intestines.

Find a buddy and/or Plan Your Workouts: It is so easy to give up on working out. So I like to plan my workouts and find a buddy or two  to sweat with. Today, I have a Soul Cycle date and I have to teach class. Although I don’t do the entire class, I definitely break a sweat while teaching, but I may have to give a little more energy today. I would encourage a two-a-day schedule. First thing in the morning, train hard, to keep burning more calories throughout the day. After dinner try yoga,  a brisk walk or jog around the neighborhood.

H20: Water, water and more water should be the name of the game! Add some lemon, cucumber or fruit if needed, and chug, chug, chug! If you do nothing else, chug water, you will be much happier for it.

Even writing this blog, I feel a sense of responsibility to get my gut back on track. These are minor changes that can yield great rewards to feel more comfortable in your own skin. If there is something that adds to your weekly routine, feel free to share it below!