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Why I gave up gluten + dairy while pregnant + over the holidays…my answer may surprise you.

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Ever since I had my first child, my body felt off. I felt great for most of my pregnancy, and then I gained 30 pounds in the last 6 weeks. And the weight didn’t melt off while I was nursing – in fact, I kept gaining more. My energy was so low I felt depressed most of the time, and it felt like all the things I used to do before I had kids weren’t working, like working out 3 times a week and eating tons of greens and veggies – shouldn’t that be enough!?   

It became clear to me that I needed to take on a whole new level of taking care of my body, but I just felt too tired and overwhelmed to take that on.  

I ignored my body’s signals for a long time, getting used to the low energy, constant stuffy nose and sneezing, mood swings and constipation. I was too busy supporting my family, raising two kids under two, and managing our home to do anything about it. I actually just expected my body to show up for my busy life, despite her lagging behind.  

It wasn’t until I moved to Massachusetts from San Francisco that I realized how much my mood and lethargy were affecting me. Part of me thought that this huge life change and moving to the country would inspire endless energy and happiness, but I still felt foggy, down, and stuffed up.  I knew that I had to find the time and focus to dig into what was going on with my body, even though I felt like I had much more important things to do, so I hired a Functional Medicine Practitioner. And then, during the 3 weeks in between booking her and our first appointment, I found out I was pregnant. Part of me wanted to bail on my body again. Making any changes with the inevitable nausea and exhaustion felt like way too much.  

The truth was, I’d been putting my responsibilities above my health for years, and I could continue with the same pattern, or stop waiting for the perfect time to dive in. So I went for it.

Right away my functional medicine practitioner told me to go off of gluten. I started to notice subtle changes in my energy and bloating. Then a month later I went off of dairy, and HOLY COW!! I felt like a different woman.

Now, changing the way I ate wasn’t straightforward. I spent two weeks prepping for the change, gathering recipes, noticing when I went to grab a dairy snack (I was a total yogurt addict), and making plans for what I would go for instead. Most importantly, I prayed, journaled and meditated everyday with my body to connect with her and what she needed.  

Changing the way I ate became a sacred practice, not one of punishment or pressure.

My incessant sneezing, congestion, and constipation went away. I felt happier and more alive.  The coolest part? After just a month of going off dairy, I felt more intuitive and connected to the web of magic that exists in all things. This was the biggest gift for me.  

I’m telling you this because I see so many women falling into two traps:

  1. Obsessing about what you look like and trying everything under the sun to look perfect, while ignoring how you FEEL on the inside. And thinking that if you look thin, then you’ll automatically feel good.
  2. Embracing your body wherever she’s at (awesome) but using it as an excuse to eat a lot of crap (not so awesome). It’s really hard to love your body long-term when you feel like shit.

So here’s what I’ve learned: when I start with how I feel and really connect to all the ways my body is struggling, I can make healing decisions from an educated and sacred perspective.  

When I feel great, I always love how I look, no matter how much it changes, because my beauty bubbles up through my skin, sourced from my inner experience of feeling alive, vibrant, and healthy.  

In a few weeks, I’m hosting a workshop to help you create space for a deeper level of taking care of your body (and other things that are important to you), so if you find you’re too busy, tired, or overwhelmed to take on creating a state of vibrant health, you’ll want to be there. It’s totally free, and you can sign up here: sarahjenks.wpengine.com/freeworkshop

I can’t wait to dive into this topic deeper with you. Our bodies are so valuable, and as we get older, they require deeper dedication than I ever imagined. But I can’t even begin to tell you the difference it’s made in my life, and I so get the resistance to making a change. I can’t wait to talk about it with you.  

You can sign up for the free workshop here: sarahjenks.wpengine.com/freeworkshop

Love,
Sarah

P.S. When you attend the workshop live at 7pm ET, you’ll receive my “Sacred Living” Playlist! 100 songs to add more magic and inspiration to your daily life.  All those songs you hear on my Instastories, now in one place for you to download and use in your life. To reserve your spot for free and get your playlist, CLICK HERE.

 

Events at the Moon Lodge!

Yoga Every Wednesday from 9:30am-10:30am.
Get details here.

Sensual Yoga Every Friday from 10:00am-11:00am
Get details here.

6-Week Yoga Series hosted by Melissa Holm: March 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 9:30am-10:30am
It’s not too late to join! For more information, email: [email protected]

Ignite Your Intuition Workshop hosted by Chantelle Williamson on Saturday, March 24th, 1:00pm-3:30pm
Sign up here: https://squareup.com/store/intention-retreats

Sacred Business Circle Retreat on Friday, April 20 9:00am-6:00pm
Get details and register here to join in person or via livestream.

Detox Workshop with Functional Nutritionist + Yoga Teacher, Erin Holt on Saturday, April 24th,
12:00pm-3:00pm
Sign up here: http://www.erinholthealth.com/events/


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