This is a super belated post, as I have been up visiting my family. It was a really nice visit but I was super distracted with everybody having all the fun times with little Davey! I was proud of myself for getting this work out in on Wednesday after coming home from an all day continuing education course but after that, time got away from me and I have not been able to keep up. I am hoping to get in tomorrows workout in the morning but we are traveling over to Michigan for a close friends wedding and I not sure that time will allow that either. It is important for me to stay on schedule and it does hurt my soul a little each time I don’t get to put a sticker in my binder. It is also important for me to intermittently take a step back and realize that sometimes life just gets busy, especially with a young baby and I will not always be able to do what I had planned and that is ok.
Let’s rewind back to my day on Wednesday. I woke up bright and early handed Davey off to my dad to watch for the day and headed off to my course. The course was titled “The Gut Brain Connection” hosted by INR seminars and taught by Dr. Willett. She did and absolutely amazing job covering the topics and keeping us engaged in what was arguably some pretty heavy learning. The course was packed full of information regarding how the health of our gut directly impacts the health of not only our bodies but our minds as well. I found it especially intriguing as one of the main points she continually circled back to was the value of maintaining a healthy Microbiota (a variety of microorganisms living inside of our intestinal tract) in order to stay healthy. The diversity and number of these organisms present aide in improving our overall immunity, brain health, metabolism and emotional wellbeing. I couldn’t help but stare at the Shakeology I had brought with me (Chocolate yum!) and wonder if there was even more to it than simply getting the nutrients my body needed.
As the course dug into the advantages of certain probiotics and prebiotics I began to look at the packet of powder as more than just my midmorning snack but a wellness creating powerhouse, helping fight off all sorts of potential future ailments from diabetes and cardiovascular disease all the way to anxiety and depression, possibly even alzheimers! I have been coping with many forms of anxiety since late in high school and have resorted to many lets just say “alternative” coping mechanisms to try and reduce the symptoms. With the birth of my son I knew I needed to make a change and stay ahead of the ball when it came to managing my anxiety as I was at a higher risk for suffering from post partum depression (PPD). While in the hospital I received a low dose prescription for Zoloft and have been taking it religiously since the day I got home. I think it is helping? I certainly don’t feel any more anxious than normal which is surprising with a new baby, but I do wonder if it was actually necessary. Here is the catch though, I am scared to death to get off of the medication just in case it is the only thing keeping the darkness of PPD at bay. I plan on starting some cognitive behavioral therapy which I have read to be one of the most effective forms of therapy with managing anxiety but I was intrigued that maybe making some small adjustments to my diet could also play a major role in my overall mental health.
I know this was super heavy this week everybody, thank you for hanging in there. I guess I should mention the workout went great, I was much more confident as I had anticipated after being more familiar with the routine. I probably won’t be reaching out until Sunday or Monday so have a great weekend everybody! Remember we are all working to be happy and healthy so be nice to one another.