7 Things + July Meal Plan
WINNER WINNER - YEAR-LONG SUBSCRIPTION WINNER:
In this post, I asked you to guess what meal spiked my blood sugar the highest. There were a lot of answers, but the closest was Emily B., who said white rice.
The meal was sushi, so we’ll consider that close enough.
Congratulations Emily! You’ve won year-long access to The Weekly Fill!
Your Monthly Fill: July
I might still be trying to figure out exactly what this space should look like—something that helps you and encourages you but something that also allows you to know me.
Truth be told, I’m still on this healing journey. We all are, always and forever, healing. The temptation may be to believe people have it figured out, and perhaps they’ve been living the art of healing for some time, which appears more natural. But they’re still healing. We all are. Always and forever.
Life is a constant state of healing. One that should and can be quite enjoyable and pleasurable if we let it.
That’s why I thought it would be fun to share tools that heal. Inside The Monthly Fill, you’ll find:
A June Recap: Don’t worry about missing a beat around here. I have all the links you need.
A Dear Alexa Column (I secretly dream of being the next Abby from Dear Abby): I answer many questions and thought you might find value in hearing the answer.
7 Things: I share my favorite health tips, recipes, current struggles, therapy tips, and book club recommendations.
July Challenge: Seeking a life of growth means embracing a good challenge! Let me give you something to boost your healing this month.
July Meal Ideas: Seasonal, fresh, and something you don’t have to think about!
These are just a few of the ideas I’m trying out. But I would love your feedback. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see in these monthly newsletters.
Let’s dive in!
June Recap: How To Get Healthy
Things You Might Have Missed Here:
Taking care of this 10% is your only requirement! Learn what that 10% is here.
Your hormone problem isn’t what you think. The secret to getting healthy is inside this post.
My results from wearing a continuous glucose monitor for 30 days.
Want to heal? Learn how here!
Things You Might Have Missed at The Living Well:
Three places you’re not putting sunscreen that you should be.
Twenty-one summer weight loss tips (that don’t revolve around food).
Dear Abby Alexa:
How much water should I be drinking? I know the metabolic diet world says not to overdrink but most other challenges make me feel like I must drink half my body weight in ounces. What do you think?
I always err on the side of listening to your body - drink when you're thirsty. Thirst is a powerful and natural biofeedback signal that most people notice. The problem with rules and measuring how much you drink is that it shifts our attention away from the body and onto an external marker. Leaving you to ignore whether what you're drinking is hydrating your cells or just filling you up.
The best thing you can do is learn to differentiate between good hydration and fluid consumption. Good hydration is hydration that penetrates the cells and often requires healthy minerals to do so. Fluid hydration is simply liquid consumption without regard to what that liquid is doing inside your body.
Most people are overconsuming liquids while living dehydrated. Drinking too much straight H20, sugary beverages and caffeinated drinks can all have this effect. I'm not asking you to eliminate these things, but make sure you're creating balance with hydrating liquids.
Here are a few tips to make sure you are staying properly hydrated:
Add a pinch of salt to your water a few times a day.
Eat water-rich foods like fruits and watery vegetables.
Put a squeeze of citrus juice in your water.
Stop guzzling water and learn to sip it.
Incorporate herbal teas.
Add trace mineral drops to your water.
Your urine should be a mild yellow color - not clear!
I’ve always struggled with my weight but managed to keep it in the healthy range. But the last few years, especially after turning 40, it feels like no matter what I do the weight creeps on. I’ve been trying to follow your metabolic eating recommendations but I have to say, I’m worried things might get worse if I jump into that path. What do you recommend?