What You Need to Know About Holistic Health

What do you think when you hear ‘holistic health’? Just a few years ago, this term would have been completely foreign to me. What I may not have realized is that I was already practicing holistic health to an extent without even realizing it. The simple intention of going to yoga to de-stress as part of my routine was a way of looking at my health holistically- I just didn’t know it!

If we completely unpack this term, here is what we get:

Holistic- the interconnectedness of the parts of an entity, for our purposes: ourselves

Health- the condition or state of something, for our purposes: a measure of our well-being

So, basically Holistic Health acknowledges that our wellness is based on the interconnectedness of our whole selves, including the mind, body and spirit.

That’s super vague, so how does this actually make a difference in how we look at our health?

This comes into play in a few different ways. First, we can think about our health holistically in that our different physical systems are interconnected. This is a huge shift in perspective because it causes us to consider that different issues or symptoms we are having may be stemmed from the same or a related root cause.

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It also means looking holistically at our physical and mental health and seeing the interconnectedness of our mind, body and spirit. When my digestion was at its worse, I was also the most stressed and anxious I had ever been in my life. Initially I didn’t recognize that they were connected, but now realize that the stress was probably making my already sensitive digestion even worse!

A major defining factor of holistic health for me is also that it includes different kinds of health practices. It isn't the same as the idea of “alternative medicine” because we aren’t ruling out Western medicine and only looking at alternatives. We are instead looking at merging different approaches to find the balance of what works for our unique bodies. I found this to be especially true when working on my fertility. I was open to the suggestions made by my OBGYN, while also incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.

What I love about holistic health is that it empowers us to get to the root cause of our health issues and feel the best we’ve ever felt by exploring and incorporating all different types of wellness practices.

How do you approach your health holistically? What are you hoping to improve in 2019?

Clean Eating Reset

What is the clean eating reset? I like to pick a window of time when I will be home and have time to cook and shop to do anywhere from a 3-10 day reset, eliminating foods that tend to make me feel bad and adding in the ones that help me feel great. The meals here can be mixed and matched for any number of days. I prefer to choose meals with similar ingredients that I can easily meal prep for a week (click to read more about meal prep). 

I do not believe in restrictive diets, especially based on physical goals (unless being necessary for health and being implemented with an expert). We already have enough pressure on women in society to make us feel like we need to look a certain way that is usually unrealistic or even unhealthy. This reset is meant to help boost immunity, digestion, and vitality which in turn will help you feel and look your best from the inside out!

Check out some sample recipes and meal ideas below. Make sure to listen to your body and eat when you are hungry, always! Also, drink plenty of water- something I always need to remind myself, which really helps when trying to detox and improve digestion. Adapt based on any of your own dietary restrictions and comment below with your own ideas!

Strawberry Avocado Smoothie Bowl

Morning

Start your day with a mug of hot water with lemon. Drink tea before or after breakfast. My favorites for digestion are turmeric/ginger or peppermint. For an overall detox tea I like Aether, Republic of Tea and Sakara Life detox teas. For matcha I like Panatea instant matcha, or if you have more time, try putting the matcha latte listed below under midday. 

Breakfast:

• Blueberry Cauliflower Smoothie Bowl

• Chocolatey Avocado Breakfast Mousse

• Strawberry Avocado Smoothie Bowl

• Thick rolled oats cooked in nut milk and topped with cacao nibs, berries, cinnamon and walnuts

• Overnight cold oats and chia seeds soaked with nut milk and vanilla extract and topped with peaches, blueberries, flax seeds and cinnamon

• Toast of choice with Basil Avocado Cream

Adaptogenic Matcha Latte (recipe below) - a good afternoon pick me up

Midday

These lunches are pretty light. I usually have a green juice or matcha latte a little later when I have a lighter lunch. I do not believe in juicing as a meal substitution but like to include an 8 oz glass of green juice a day when I am trying to detox. Look for or make your favorite combo juice including  ginger, lemon and/or burdock root which all help digestion and detoxification. You can also do the juice in the morning and try making an adaptogenic matcha latte to sneak in some more superfoods, which is also a little more filling. 

Lunch:

• Fruit Based Salad (sub grapefruit for peaches if not in season)

• Coconutty Corn Salad

• Stem to Root Carrot Salad

• Pesto Millet Bowl

• Herb Roasted Veggie and Goat Cheese Frittata (Sub goat for almond milk cheese for DF version)

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

Evening

When I get home from work I am always hungry and have to snack before or while preparing dinner.  Hummus is a great way to sneak in extra protein and veggies are a great way to make sure you are staying hydrated in addition to drinking plenty of water! Try cutting up veggies in advance and making a big batch of my Turmeric Carrot White Bean Hummus or Spring Thyme Hummus to enjoy all week. I like Mary's Gone Super Seed or Luke's Chia Seed crackers with hummus too. 

Dinner:

• Perfect Plant Based Pizza

• Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Salad

• Hemp Med Bowl

• Sesame Soba Bowl (Sub coconut aminos for tamari/fava beans for edamame to make it soy free)

• The Not So Nicoise

• Lemony Asparagus Salad

Coconut/cashew thickener free yogurt from LIFEbar

Dessert:

• A couple of dates stuffed with almond butter

• Some coconut yogurt and fruit

• Some clean chocolate like Addictive Wellness raw superherb sugar free chocolate with cashew butter

• Some banana nice cream (frozen bananas blended until they form an ice cream texture) topped with cacao nibs

New Year, New Beginnings

My Story

The past couple of years have brought many new opportunities for me, including the life-changing experience of being introduced to Family Scholar House. When I first learned of the non-profit that supports low-income, single parents access wrap around services, including housing, as they work towards their degree, I thought it was too good to be true. Programming for parents and young, impressionable children that inspired and scaffolded their becoming successful students and citizens... available to them for free? I was absolutely intrigued and eager to learn more.

Meeting with the "Chief Possibility Officer," Cathe Dykstra and VP of Programming, Kristie Adams, I learned more about the mission to break the cycle of poverty by empowering families with education. As aformer public school teacher in the DC area, I had spent years working with children and families in poverty wishing I could do more. I grew to understand that without family support and long lasting solutions, there was a brick wall that stood between education and hungry minds.  These were the first of hundreds of women, who would inspire me day after day in this rapidly growing, dynamic community.

Family Scholar House has partnered with the Petrino Family Foundation to encourage and teach mindfulness to the community. I started as a volunteer at Family Scholar House with one of my first events being an eight week mindfulness training with the Earth and Spirit Center. It moved me to watch how mindfulness could lift the heavy weights off participants' shoulders, even if it was just for a few quiet moments. Continuing as a full staff member, I now see how mindfulness is incorporated in so many practices of the program, including a Mindfulness Superhero day for kids where I got to connect my work to my passion of teaching children's yoga. This mindfulness practice has encouraged me to take the time to think about what has inspired me in 2016 and what will motivate me in the new 365 days to come. 

I can't put into words how inspired I am by the students I support. I often wonder if they know that they give me so much more than I could ever give them through the academic advocacy and support I provide in my role here. Instead of trying to do it for them, I would like to share two, of hundreds, of their inspiring stories of our participants which came across my desk this week while editing some scholarship essays. Seeing these familiar stories in their beautifully written words really resonates and allows for mindful reflection of how all of our journey's can be connected to a bigger and greater long lasting purpose. 

Their Stories

Being the Change

Transformation and gratitude hav been the keystones to my life and are what I want to share with the world.  My goal is to be the best woman I can be to myself, as a mother, as a student, as an educator, as a healer and an entrepreneur. Throughout this journey I have run into many obstacles. I had always been a workaholic, but after working eighty hours a week at a dead-end job for several months, I had to stop.  I had to reevaluate my views of money, which took me out of the work force for almost two years. During this time of soul searching, I also found myself to be homeless. After a while, I formed a relationship with a man who would later become the father of my children. The birth of my children, although they were not planned, were much need in my transformation. My babies reunited me with true unconditional love. 

Dealing with verbal domestic abuse from their father forced me to take a firm stand for myself and what I believed in. Being blessed with my children made me realize that I had to do something better than what I was currently doing to be able to provide a suitable home for them. I was tired of moving from place to place going from one person’s couch to another.  I started my own business, Let Me Help U. I use my skills as a system analyst to help other businesses, especially those owned by women, get organized and set up administratively and technologically. Being that I learned most of my skills on my own, I soon realized that I needed a degree to back my business and give me more credibility which in turn would bring in more business. So, I decided to put my business on hold while I go back to school for my degree. I found out about the Family Scholar House program which finally gave me and my children our own home! Finally! I just moved in on Halloween and it has been absolutely wonderful. 

“For years, I have been studying the history of how societies all over the world had made a gradual shift toward domination by men. Now the shift is going back. That does not mean for women to dominate men but for women to take back their proper places as leaders.”

For years, I have been studying the history of how societies all over the world had made a gradual shift toward domination by men. Now the shift is going back. That does not mean for women to dominate men but for women to take back their proper places as leaders. It is such a great honor to be part of this shift that is happening now all around us. Through it all, I have found that when obstacles or challenges arise in life, I must embrace them as an opportunity for me to be transformed to an even better, more refined version of myself to share with the world.

Coming Full Circle  

Life has never been easy for me, but I will beat the odds. I am my son's teacher, nurturer and mother. My goal is to lead by example for my child. At 15 I was diagnosed with Juvenile diabetes. My health has been an issue since and it is a daily struggle. My goal is to help other diabetic’s understand the disease and manage a healthy lifestyle. I am currently in school to become a Nurse Practitioner, with a GPA of a 3.8.

“Life has never been easy for me, but I will beat the odds.”

I became homeless at 18 years old, with nowhere to go, no source of income, and a high school dropout. I went to Salvation Army. My case worker had mentioned the YMCA Safe Place as a place I could go for a shower, clothes and food. With the support I had from the staff at the YMCA, I got a job, and my first apartment. I became a motivational speaker and leader for the YMCA Safe place. I speak at events and encourage young adults my age that where you are now, is not your future.

 During this time, I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea of how I was going to take care of this little heart beating inside of me.  I made a decision sitting there in the hospital that this child would never go without, or have to endure the pain and abandonment I had been through.

After having my son, I went back to high school and graduated on September 12, 2015. I spoke with my teachers about furthering my education. That same day I applied for Community College. I began school in January 2015 and have remained determined in continuing my education since.  My short term goal is to get my Associates in Science and get accepted into a university to get my BSN-PhD in Nursing. My long term goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner, work at a family office, and help diabetics who struggle with the disease.

My first semester of school, I worked full-time and went to school part-time. I received a 4.0 GPA. I am now a resident at Stoddard Johnson Family Scholar House. With my degree, I will educate and inform other diabetics that we can live healthy lives and achieve our full potential.