NOURISHMENT & Trauma Work

 If you follow my feeds, you know that I've experience quite a bit of "big T" and "little T" trauma in my 56+ yrs on this beautiful earth. As such, I've once again embarked on healing work.

As I'm in a safer space (physically) now, deep held secrets are coming forth as remembrances. Knowings are popping up and, fortunately, my varied background is proving its usefulness as I strip away the leaves to get to the heart of this artichoke (a much more pleasant and representative analogy than an onion).

Without going into too much detail, here is a gentle reminder that NOURISHMENT IS KEY WHEN DOING TRAUMA WORK.

Research continues to show that our gut is another brain, with more "wisdom" than we fully understand. Science also knows that gut health largely impacts mental wellbeing.

Meaning, what you eat can affect your mental wellbeing as much as your traumas impact your gut health (think stress and GI upset). We can dig into all that later, for now I just want to share some key reminders how to NOURISH our physical beings while dealing with stress:
1. Stay hydrated! We are water and energy. Our cells need water to conduct all their lovely functions. Our bodies work harder when we are stressed making hydration even more crucial. Plus, water helps us detox physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. 
1B. Seriously consider adding electrolytes to your daily self-nourishment. You can make your own with 1/8 - 1/4tspn Celtic sea salt, a few squeezes of lemon juice, 6-8oz of water, a splash of maple syrup (real maple syrup for the minerals) or by adding in coconut water, which is natures hydration drink (perfectly balanced to our body's needs). Or, try Trace Minerals mixes. 
2. Eat unprocessed foods as often as possible! Fruits, veggies, nuts, chicken, fish, steak etc. as close to nature as you can. I know many folks swear by raw diets, but here is the thing, when the body is stressed the GI often takes a hit. As fight, flight, freeze, fawn hormones pour into the system, GI function can get knocked out of whack so I strongly encourage you to listen to your body. I find cooked foods are much more supportive for me during times of stress and healing, as do most folks! 
3. Eat your protein. Amino acids found in protein are the building blocks of our cells. Depending on your size and physical activity, think 20-30+ grams per meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Also, at snack time!
4. DO NOT SKIP THE CARBS! Listen, I know the stress hormones cause the body to puff up (cortisol), but this is NOT the time to cut back the carbs. Your body actually needs that fuel to keep functioning during stressful times. BUT, please focus on complex carbs like white rice (easier for the body to digest), whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes.
5. Enjoy dark chocolate or cacao cocos! Dark chocolate is mineral dense, including containing high levels of magnesium - one of the elixir minerals needed for cellular and nervous system functioning. Plus, it feels indulgent (much needed when doing the hard work of clearing trauma) and is lower in sugar than other chocolates. Also, HEALTHY FATS are crucial for brain health and optimal energy.
6. Make time to rest & restore. Not just sleep, which can be more elusive during times of stress/healing, but relaxing doing something you truly enjoy. Mindless TV - great! A book - wonderful! Nature strolls - ideal! A hot cup of tea in silence-now you're getting it! Whatever works for YOU! It can be a few minutes a day (think kitchen dance party while your baking your potatoes!).
7. Be mindful of your activity! Yes, it can feel amazing to "burn off the stress". Yet, it can also signal your already overwrought system to dump more cortisol, epinephrine into your system - fight or flight - having the exact opposite effect of what you're looking for during times of stress and healing. This is especially true of women in our peri & menopausal years. Here, instead of pushing to the max to burn it out, we are walking more, adding gentle and yin yoga to our practices. We are nourishing while healing.
8. Mind matters. Since 80% of the data we receive daily comes through our bodies and flows up to the mind, while 20% goes from brain to body, we're not really able to think our way through the trauma and stress. Ever notice how you feel overwhelmed and just can't make a decision sometimes? That's your body and its hormones clouding your brain (80% feels moving up to the noggin). So, it's crucial to find ways to feel your emotions so that they flow through the body and OUT of your nervous system. One simply way is to sit with whatever you're feeling, acknowledge the feeling and love yourself through it - "I feel anxious. I love myself for feeling sooooo anxious." "I'm pissed off! I love, appreciate and accept myself for feeling this much anger", etc. - say this on repeat until you feel that emotion subside. (When we are 'regulated' in our nervous system, it takes about 90 seconds for us to process through an emotion, when they get stuck in our bodies due to trauma and constant stress, they pop-up unexpectedly at random times and may take a bit longer to move through. Giving them space and time to do that opens us to receiving more good in our bodies and lives, rewiring our nervous system).
9. This goes with #8; please try meditation, prayer, gratitude and/or abundance practices. Insight Timer has a free version where you can enjoy guided meditations in as little as 3-5 minutes (or much longer)! A prayer can be as simple as "Thank you." "I need guidance." "Show me my way." Journaling is also a wonderful meditative tool and can help us pour out even our darkest emotions in safe ways! Gratitude practice could be writing down 3-5 things each night that you are thankful for and Abundances are those little joys that surprise us during the day - time that opened up when a meeting was postponed, finding a quarter in the dryer, a day of sunshine, or listening to the kids playing. 
10.Try ancient modalities and high-tech tools like reiki, acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, frequency, x39! Support systems that are safe, natural, no chemicals involved. 

​Oh, yeah, BE KIND TO YOURSELF! When we are doing the deep work of healing, we need more love, attention, affection, appreciation and acceptance FROM OURSELVES. This is our chance to be parented the way we wanted to be raised. This is our chance to give ourselves what others couldn't. This is our chance to be our quirky, truest selves and love ourselves in daily actions like no one else can! And, we can ask others to help us co-regulate by asking for what we want or need (remember, they don't always do it, but it's healthy for us to ask safe people and understand their "nos" are about THEM not us). 

This is by no means a comprehensive list or full plan. But, it is a great reminder that our bodies, minds, spirits and energies are all interconnected and healing from trauma work means nourishing ourselves on all our levels. It doesn't have to be complex (except for the carbs!), but it should be more comprehensive than most approaches are. REMEMBER - you are NOT alone. We're here, holding space, lifting you up and offering support. 

If you'd like to chat about this, want to share some "tips" or have questions, email: [email protected], or find me on Insta @NourishedPath. 

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