NUUA

According to the American Dietetics Association, it doesn’t matter how we combine our foods, as long as we eat proteins, carbohydrates, and some fat at each meal.. 🤔

Hmmm.. Well, I know from my own personal experience that proper food combination has had a vital role in optimizing my digestive process 🤷🏻‍♀️
According to Dr Robert Morse, a renowned Naturophatic Physician and Biochemist:
“ The philosophy shared by the American Dietetics Association is ridiculous and unscientific, and we all have suffered with gas, bloating and acidosis as a result. Chemistry does not support this approach” ✨
👉🏻 Here is what I have to say:
- The fewer types of food I combine in a meal, the better my digestion is.
- Simplicity is best.
- It’s not HOW MUCH you eat, but whether you can digest, absorb, utilize and eliminate what you have eaten ✨✨

I am not an expert in the topic of food combining, there are lots of books on this topic if you are interested in learning more 🤗, but I have found that adopting a basic approach to this philosophy as often as possible, has done wonders for my skin and overall health.
Below I have highlighted a few principles I do my best to remind myself daily:
☑️ Keep your diet simple and your life simple
☑️ Show appreciation for your meal through a little prayer
❌ Do not eat when angry or upset, as this causes elevated stomach acids that can neutralize your digestive efforts
☑️ Chew foods well, as the first stage of digestion takes place in your mouth
❌ Avoid drinking with meals
☑️ Make a whole meal of fruits and melons by themselves, these foods digest very quickly and contain high energy and cleansing properties that are important for detoxification.

Are you a fan of food combining? What are your thoughts on this topic? Share it below ❤️

Hi everyone 😊I wanted to say hi ✋🏼
it’s been awhile hey? 😉
These past couple of months a mix of learning overload coupled with a deep Unlearning process were simultaneously happening and taking most of my energy … It was overwhelming at times, but also incredibly enriching experience 🙏🏻.

I have been exploring in more depth the subjects of skin health + aging from within ( including food, mind, spirit nutrition) with enormous excitement. I used to deal with Cystic Acne (on and off for over 10 years), overcoming it became an absolute obsession in my life..😓 Also, coming from a modeling background, aging with grace in an industry that often “suggests” you “should omit the truth” about your age, was something that often intrigued me and frustrated the hell out of me 😒

The more knowledge I was gathering through more mainstream academic materials, the more I noticed my brain looking for complex solutions, and rejecting any solutions that were simple and that I knew had worked for me and other people 😳. It can’t be this simple, I would often say. Questions like:
How can I navigate and present my findings to clients in a simple way, so they in turn can make informed decisions on what they think is best suited for THEM?
SIMPLE solutions don’t equal EASY though, and that’s where I found myself feeling “stuck” and frankly doubting myself whether I really wanted to continue pursuing a career as a coach.
The French philosopher Voltaire has once stated:
✨“ The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing”

Having said that, what I do know, is that there certainly isn’t ONE route or one way to find the solutions to our ailments and/or suffering. One of my mentors has continually encouraged the idea of adopting the habit of playing what she calls the “ I wonder game”. Whenever you want to explore a feeling in more depth and challenge your own beliefs about something, coming from a place of curiosity as opposed to judgement often facilitates access to the solutions we seek. It’s a simple exercise but SO powerful 👊🏻
Continue in comments 👇🏼👇🏼

Worrying is something that we all do 🤷🏻‍♀️.. but when we worry excessively, we are simply not trusting in the natural flow and goodness of life. This totally disables us from actually living life in its present moment.⁣
I have listed below 5 ways you can move beyond worry into the flow of life💫⁣
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✨HAVE A WORRY SESSION⁣
Give yourself some time to worry. It could be 5,10, 15 mins worry sessions ☺️ Give yourself permission to have your worrisome thoughts, but try not do dwell on them. Make sure you are alone and feel safe. Use this time to think about the things that need resolutions and work towards creating them.⁣
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✨EMBRACE YOUR FEELINGS ⁣
When we embrace our feelings as part of our human experience, they become less scary or overwhelming.⁣
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✨PAY ATTENTION WHEN WORRYING BEGINS⁣
The key to making changes in our lives is having AWARENESS. When we bring more attention to our habits, we can then more easily recognize when it is happening again. We then have a chance to break the cycle or habit⁣
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✨ FOCUS ON THE HERE AND NOW⁣
Give your undivided attention to this moment, the ONLY moment that exists. It is said that when we dwell on the past, we get depressed and when we fixate on the future, we become anxious. Staying here in the moment helps us to realize that right now, everything is ok and tomorrow’s problems will take care of themselves. All we can do is our very best ⁣
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✨ WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL AND/OR JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP⁣
Having the support, guidance, accountability and/or relating to other people going through the same issue can be extremely helpful in making the worry less scary or overwhelming.⁣
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👉🏻 If you would like to join my 1:1 - Personalized and transformational 8 week program:⁣
“RESTORE YOUR GUT, REVIVE YOUR MIND” send me a DM or click on the link in my profile to book a free Discovery Call. I have a few spots opening up NOW 🙏🏻🎉🙏🏻⁣

The nutrients in the foods we eat provide amino acids, the biological building blocks for our neurotransmitters, which are responsible for thinking and feelings. Neurotransmitters are mood enhancing brain nutrients. ⁣
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Not having the proper nutrients through wholes foods and supplementation can create sub-optimal moods 😬⁣
Eating nutrient poor foods can further rob the body of the nutrition it needs.⁣
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Also, low blood sugar levels contribute to mood swings, so keeping levels even is really important. Those with blood sugar issues usually have CRAVINGS or experience a lift from sweets and alcohol, but later experience a drop in mood and energy after ingesting them. ⁣
Some symptoms of low blood blood sugar include:⁣
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🔘 jittery, nervousness, irritability, inattentiveness on and off throughout the day, feeling calmer after meals, forgetfulness and difficultly concentrating.⁣
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You can see how addressing nutritional needs as well as blood sugar levels are important hey?! 🙌🏻 I wish I knew about the importance of it years ago 🙏🏻 I spent years on a blood sugar rollercoaster, not knowing that the foods I was consuming or NOT consuming were also key players in contributing towards my state of mind, energy and overall wellbeing. ⁣
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I place a conscious effort in educating my clients on these topics and encourage them towards implementing a nutritional plan that provides the building blocks they may need to better support their body and mood throughout the day 💕✨💕⁣

The rise of mass-media has caused body image fixation and concerns to sky-rocket - specially amongst women 😞 Whereas men are often defined by their success in the workplace, women are often judged primarily by their appearance.⁣
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In general, women consistently believe that their body shape should be smaller than it is. ⁣
People often pursue personal grooming, personal adornment, and even plastic surgery ⁣
due to images of perfection in the media, which are unattainable by most people. This creates a MAJOR distortion of what bodies should look like.⁣
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Women would often tell me “ you’re so lucky, you’re thin”... I can tell you for a fact that not too long ago what I was mostly seeing were imperfections and what could be improved 😓 I didn’t feel lucky OR thin... it was a vicious cycle filled with judgement, comparison and anxiety. This unhealthy relationship with my body was one of the root causes of years battling acne, heartburn, acid reflux, fatigue.. YES, body image issues can lead to more symptoms than most of us are currently aware of. ⁣
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It took me years to understand how the foods I was consuming were likely affecting my hormones, neurotransmitters, blood sugar balance negatively .. how the information, traumas and beliefs I had acquired were shaping my decisions and how my personal, communal and environmental spirituality were totally disconnected. ⁣
ALL of these elements matter, ALL... that’s why I work in addressing ALL of these with my clients. 💕 You might be surprised how your skin can drastically improve and your weight can easily be maintained by addressing something deeper like your relationship with your body 🙌🏻❤️ ⁣

✨ Fasting for Women ✨⁣
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Intermittent and long-term fasting both have a range of health benefits and have become increasingly popular topics 🙌🏻 I have invited my dear friend Vanessa Ascencao to discuss the challenges, benefits, and misconceptions involved, specially when it comes to fasting + women.⁣
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Vanessa .nutrition is a renowned nutritional consultant, speaker and author. She is also incredibly experienced and knowledgeable on the topic of Fasting for women. You will not want to miss this LIVE!⁣
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If you have questions ahead of time please comment below 🌸🙌🏻💫⁣
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IG LIVE⁣
Date: TUESDAY, 25th MAY⁣
Time: 6:30 PM ⁣
Cape Town - SA (SAST/UCT +2)⁣
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Looking forward to seeing you LIVE! ❤️⁣
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Ana

Having spent years in the modeling industry having my hair pulled in every direction, shape or form you can imagine. As well as laddered with an array of products 😅🙈 I can say I learned a thing or two about how to keep my hair strong and able to deal with the almost daily “abuse” it used to endure 😬. Below I have compiled a few things I found to be super helpful in keeping my hair healthy 🙏🏻:⁣
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✔️ Start with a healthy scalp:⁣
Our scalp has more than 200 blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and 1000 nerve endings. Beautiful hair grows from healthy scalps:⁣
🔘 Dry itchy and flaky scalps ⁣
Essential oils of Rosemary, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Geranium are anti-bacterial anti-inflammatory. I use a few drops of oils when needed⁣
🔘 Avoid washing your hair with shampoos containing Sodium Laurel Sulfates and other harsh surfactants. They strip the hair of its natural oils. Switch to chemical-free options.⁣
🔘 Invest in a shower filter. Our water (depending where you are) can unfortunately be filled with chlorine and other added substances that dry out our skin and hair.⁣
🔘 Natural- bristle brushes and wooden combs feel so good on the scalp, prevent static, and distribute oils evenly throughout my hair⁣
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✔️Eat today for beautiful hair tomorrow: ⁣
🔘 Healthy fats support softness and high-gloss sheen. Quality olive oil, flaxseeds, walnuts and wild-caught cold water fish are great sources.⁣
🔘 Eat enough protein. Hair is made of protein and a deficiency of it will make your hair suffer. I favor pasture raised chickens and eggs, wild caught fish, grass-fed beef, lamb; organ meats, beans and legumes.⁣
🔘 Dark-green leafy vegetables are good sources of vitamins A&C, which the body needs to produce natural hair oils that keep the hair soft and shiny. ⁣
🔘 Avoid gluten, processed vegetable oils and non-fermented soy. These reduce nutrition, create inflammation in the gut, they can also put your thyroid in a tailspin. An under active thyroid is often the cause of dryness, thinning or loss of hair ⁣
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What are some of your secrets?! Share below ❤️🙏🏻⁣

The field of Epigenetics, which translates to “ upon the gene” and studies how our own genes react to our behavior, found that just about everything we eat, think, breathe, or do can, directly or indirectly, trickle down to touch our genes and affect its performance in some way. These effects are carried forward into the next generation, where they can be magnified. ⁣
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Not only does what we eat affect us down to the level of our genes, our physiques have been sculpted in part, by the foods our parents and grandparents ate (or didn’t eat) generations ago. (When I learned this I started grilling my Grannies with questions re their eating/living habits growing up 😅 they loved sharing all the info, it was actually a great bonding experience ❤️)⁣
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Evidence indicates that traditional cultures around the world accumulated vast collections of nutritional guidelines and placed it into a growing body of wisdom. They wouldn’t take the idea of falling pregnant casually. The production of healthy babies was necessary to the community’s long term survival, so their health was incredibly important. ⁣
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We have unfortunately lost a lot of this wisdom and have more recently relied mainly on guidelines created by organizations and individuals who have completely disregarded the incredible body of knowledge that a lot of traditional cultures have to offer. ⁣
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When working with female clients looking to prepare their bodies for pregnancy I work towards helping them incorporate the wisdom of the past with the science of modern day. I wholeheartedly believe that both realms have so much to offer 💫 and combined, they are incredibly powerful towards assisting us in producing healthy, vibrant, happy super babies ❤️❤️❤️⁣

Dairy products are controversial these days.⁣
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Join me Live next Tuesday 18 May at 1 pm (Cape Town SAST/UTC+2) for an Interview with Mary Ruddick CNC on the topic of Dairy.⁣
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We will be doing a deep dive on Dairy in relation to our health, including lots of practical tips on how to navigate it, as well as common misconceptions. ⁣
If you have any questions ahead of time please type it at the comments section, send me a DM or ask us LIVE! ⁣
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Looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday! ⁣
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Love ❤️ # # ⁣
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Ana

What is Emotional Intelligence? Why is it an important skill to develop? What are some ways to develop it? 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
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In a nutshell, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to be aware of and responsive to your own emotions, as well as the ability to recognize and acknowledge the emotions of others. We know now that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) may better predict success in life than mental Intelligence (IQ) does.⁣
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🌟 Learning to identify and express emotions in a healthy way (instead of numbing it) can help us:⁣
- Have deeper relationships and a more meaningful life ⁣
- Better control over our emotions, which in turn makes us feel more in control of our choices and life overall, as well as making us less likely to purposefully or accidentally traumatize others with our actions ⁣
- Suffer from fewer mental and physical disorders, have less systemic inflammation and be happier ⁣
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✔️ In “Emotional Intelligence 2.0”, authors Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves identify practical steps to develop Emotional Intelligence:⁣
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🔘 Nonjudgmentally observe your emotions. Don’t label them as “good” or “bad”⁣
🔘 Lean into discomfort in order to truly understand your negative emotions ⁣
🔘 Begin to associate physical feelings with your emotions ⁣
🔘 Journal about your emotions ⁣
🔘 Breathe deeply, with your belly⁣
🔘 Become aware of your tendencies in the face of extreme stress ⁣
🔘 List your values and evaluate whether your pattern of responses align with your values ⁣
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Of course, implementing all of these techniques at once is not recommended 😅. I would choose one at a time to really focus on before moving on to the next 🙏🏻💕⁣
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What are YOUR strategies towards building Emotional Intelligence?! 💫

Why is the concept of SPIRITUALITY so overlooked when it comes to overall health?⁣
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Mainstream medicine revolves around the scientific method. Until recently, there has been no scientific evidence supporting the existence of a spiritual realm. And therefore, to Western medical professionals, the soul is non-existent - or at least a non-factor - when it comes to physical health. The flawed standard is “ if you can’t measure it, it’s not real” 😒 No wonder many refer to Western medicine as “soulless”. Because it overlooks the soul, mainstream medicine misses the mark when it comes to comprehensive wellbeing.⁣
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Lately, according to high-ranking physicists, like British physicist Sir Roger Penrose, consciousness can live on after the body’s death due to quantum mechanics. Sir Roger’s team have uncovered protein-based microtubules that carry (sub-atomic) information. When a person dies, this quantum information is released from the microtubules into the universe where it may exist indefinitely.⁣
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Much more research is needed on this topic, but clearly we do a disservice to those who are sick by discounting the impact of the soul.⁣
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Spirituality integrates the physical, social and emotional aspects of an individual. It connects the whole person 🙏🏻 Not only is spirituality associated with improved health behaviors, it is also linked to better mental health, stronger community connections and optimism about the future. It meets the basic human need of connection, reduces stress and increases meaning in life.💕 ⁣
I personally feel the profound benefits of incorporating spiritual practices and fostering spiritual growth in my own life. Spirituality has been without a doubt my guide and support not only through challenging times but in every aspect of life✨⁣
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👉🏻 What’s YOUR take on Spirituality in connection to overall health? 💫⁣

I initially made this recipe with the idea of having it as snack or breakfast option for Blake but it turned out to become a hit amongst adults as well ☺️⁣
What’s better than a delicious muffin with no artificial sugar or nasties in it for breaky?! 😉⁣
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🌟Banana Bread Muffins🌟⁣
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✨ Makes 12⁣
- 2 ripe bananas⁣
- 250 g pumpkin/butternut, steamed ⁣
- 1/2 cup coconut flour ⁣
- 1/4 cup chia seeds⁣
- 2-3 dates (soaked in warm water, pitted)⁣
- 6 extra-large eggs⁣
- 2 drops vanilla extract ⁣
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted⁣
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon⁣
- 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)⁣
- 2 tbsp butter, softened ⁣
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👉🏻 Preheat the oven to 150C. Blend all the ingredients together except the butter and leave to stand for 15 mins while you grease a muffin tin with soft butter⁣
👉🏻 Fill each muffin cup halfway⁣
👉🏻 Bake for 20-25 mins or until the muffins are puffed up and golden. Insert a skewer into a muffin in the middle; it should come out dry ⁣
👉🏻 Remove from the oven and allow to cool before taking the muffins out of the pan.⁣
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Recipe inspired by the book Weaning Sense.⁣
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