We all differ with how many languages we speak, how well we speak them and how phonetically inclined we are.   We all, however, share in common a distinct “body language”.

Our bodies are constantly speaking to us.  How well we learn to listen can set the stage for our health outcomes.  Wether we thrive, fight illness or deal with chronic conditions may all depend on the type of body language listener we choose to be.

When I eat legumes, my feet swell.  When I drink beer, I get a stomach ache.  When I have MSG, I get congested.  When I take too much Vitamin D, I get heart palpitations.  When I have young dairy like mozzarella cheese or ice cream, I feel bloated.  When I eat vegetable oils, I feel sluggish.

Do you have such a list?  Do you have a list of strange body phenomena that you chalk up to being par for the course of every day life?   What I know is that listening reveals patterns and these seemingly flighty body messages are rarely random.

Being a better body listener reveal...

What does “depletion” look like?  In my mind, the opposite of depletion is “being at the top of your game”.  Your best self physically, emotionally, spiritually, athletically, socially…thid is the opposite of depletion.  When trying to picture what depletion looks like, it’s easier to identify what it “isn’t” because there are so many ways it could present.

A recent exercise-induced run-in with a severe electrolyte imbalance (depletion) gave me a glimpse of what this looks like when it’s extreme.  Heartbeat irregularities, fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, sluggish thinking, dizziness, anxiety and sleep difficulty.  My experience was severe but short-lived.  I’m kind of grateful for it because it got me thinking about how many people have a version of some or all of these symptoms all the time, with varying intensity.

It got me thinking that maybe sleep problems, anxiety, fatigue sluggish thinking weakness and heart-related symptoms can and may all be related to some form of de...

We all have a picture-perfect notion of our potential (whether we admit it or not).  We know what our ideal health looks like and you are all clear on what you wish you were doing.  Then why aren’t you doing it?

When we’re kids we have the utmost confidence in our bodies and in what our we’re potentially capable of. 

I’m sure I wasn’t the only 5 year who thought she could fly or breath underwater or become invisible.  As kids, we could run around all day, without running out of energy…having so much fun we’d forget to eat and go pee.  Unless we were down and out…we were on the move!

And then we grew up.  We became busy and stressed and tired…at least that’s we talk about.

We have a genetic requirement to walk at least 20 minutes per day, to drink water, to eat real food and to manage our stress.  The further we move away from these requirements, the closer we move toward disease.  We’re inundated with information, research and outreach programs on how to move well, eat well and thi...