Hey folks! In this week\u2019s Ask a Health Coach, Erin is answering your questions about eating primally on the road, what to do when you feel like you\u2019re forcing yourself to exercise, and the role coherent breathing plays in reducing anxiety. Got a question for Erin? Post it below or over in our Mark\u2019s Daily Apple Facebook group.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Angela asked:<\/p>\n \u201cI have a predicament. I\u2019m a small business owner and drive a lot during my day. I don\u2019t get a lot of time for lunch, I just eat when I\u2019m driving, so for the last 3 months I\u2019ve been eating sandwiches (NOT primal, at all). All of my symptoms have come back in full force (migraines, acid reflux, etc.), and today I stepped on the scale and have gained 20 lbs!! What can I pack for lunch that can be eaten while also driving?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ok, so I\u2019m dying to know. If you own the business, can\u2019t you schedule time to eat? My guess is that you\u2019re the one who makes the schedule. So, in theory, you could arrange to give yourself a 30-minute break in the middle of the day for a satisfying, satiating meal, where you\u2019re not driving, multi-tasking, or taxing your central nervous system with added stress.<\/p>\n Each of us has a built-in on-off switch for our digestive and metabolic systems. Driving around, urgently eating sandwiches (or any food, really; let\u2019s not blame the sandwiches for this) turns on your sympathetic nervous system, also known as the fight or flight response. This response kicks in anytime you experience stress \u2014 both real and perceived. Thinking about an urgent meeting? Worried about traffic? Judging yourself for the extra 20 pounds? These are all stressors. And they all signal your body to sub-optimally digest food, which can lead to acid reflux, bloating, and yes, weight gain.<\/p>\n Eating on the go is a recipe for digestive dysfunction, regardless of if lunch is a sandwich or meat on a stick.<\/strong> Wherever possible, it\u2019s best to have your body in a parasympathetic state to properly digest food. Even just the sight and smell of food triggers your brain to start releasing digestive enzymes. Plus, when you\u2019re relaxed, you\u2019re more apt to chew your food versus snarfing it down because you\u2019re short on time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Hear me out, because sometimes I know it\u2019s simply a reality that we will be super busy and eating on the run. I just ask that it\u2019s the exception, not the norm, wherever possible. I don\u2019t have a handy list of hand-held Primal lunches you can eat while driving, and here\u2019s why: Call it self-care, self-love, or respecting yourself enough to make time for a supportive meal, when you say you need to the world\u2019s fastest and easiest meal idea, what I hear is: \u201cI\u2019m not an important enough line item on my own To Do list.\u201d I hear that staying in a steady stream of stress is more important to you than allowing your body to embark on the miraculous process of digestion.<\/p>\n Your awareness around your migraines and acid reflux is awesome. But swapping bread for a lettuce wrap isn\u2019t the (only) answer you need. Getting grains and processed food back out of your diet will be a big part of feeling better, but it\u2019s only part of the equation. Figure out how to make time for a proper lunch \u2014 one where you\u2019re not stressing out behind the wheel. Since you\u2019re the boss of your own small business, my question back to you is: can you set aside even 30 minutes to forage for something more nourishing?<\/p>\n Lauren asked:<\/p>\n \u201cI know I should be exercising more (I still have about 15 lbs to lose), but I constantly feel frazzled with zero energy to put toward workouts and even less interest in going to the gym. Any tips for helping me get reinspired?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The \u201cshould\u201d rears its ugly head. \u201cI should have lost this weight,\u201d \u201cI should be exercising more,\u201d \u201cI should make time.\u201d Often what we\u2019re really saying to ourselves is that \u201cI should be more like someone else.\u201d The word should<\/em> is an illusion designed to shame us into a false sense of self.<\/p>\n Every time you force yourself to do something (which is what you\u2019re doing whenever you do something because you think you \u201cshould\u201d), you\u2019re consciously draining your energy. Each time you act in a way that\u2019s out of alignment with what intuitively feels right to you, you\u2019re neglecting who you are on an authentic level. And most importantly, using the word should<\/em> implies that you\u2019re not being accepting of who you are \u2014 you\u2019re rejecting yourself on the most basic level.<\/strong><\/p>\n Since your question is not about exercise advice, but is about getting reinspired to move more, let\u2019s try this. Instead of forcing more time on the treadmill or in the weight room, take a step back to see where these feelings are coming from. In my experience, it\u2019s often lurking in one of two places:<\/p>\n Right now, you feel the pressure to exercise more. But it\u2019s not about getting to the gym or losing the weight, is it? The word should<\/em> indicates regret and rejection, and it\u2019s often rooted in negativity and critical thinking. I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m much more productive when I operate about of a place of self-compassion and positivity. I\u2019m much more apt to do something that brings me joy rather than wallow in self-criticism.<\/p>\n Research proves that self-compassion can lead to making healthier food choices, mitigate the effects of regret, and even promote self-improvement efforts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n What if you put the weight loss aside and treated yourself with kindness instead of negativity? What if you loved and appreciated your body for the miracle it is? What if you practiced a little self-compassion?<\/p>\n When you remove the energy-draining pressure of all the shoulds<\/em> from your life, you\u2019ll start to notice that you naturally have more motivation to do whatever it is you want to do. Heck, once the pressure\u2019s off, you might even like going to the gym.<\/p>\n Brian asked:<\/p>\n \u201cMy office is starting to implement a hybrid work model, and as much as I hate to admit it, I\u2019m feeling anxious about going back. What can I do to help get over it?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Post-pandemic anxiety is a real thing, so as much as you might be looking for ways to \u201cget over it,\u201d it\u2019s important to cover a few basic things first.<\/p>\n For a lot of people, not knowing what\u2019s around the corner is a huge source of anxiety, fear, and stress. The brain is constantly making judgements about what\u2019s safe and what isn\u2019t based on your existing beliefs. And if it isn\u2019t sure what\u2019s happening next, it can\u2019t do its job of protecting you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Depending on how you\u2019re wired, your brain may also like to assume the worst, jumping to fear-based conclusions, overestimating threats, and underestimating your ability to handle them. You can thank your innate survival instincts for that.<\/p>\n Your thoughts are just thoughts \u2014 they\u2019re not truth. And just because your brain is thinking them, it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re stuck with them. Research shows that changing how you breathe can send a signal to the brain that adjusts the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system.<\/strong> By breathing a certain way, you can slow down your heart rate, improve digestion, boost your immune system, and reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol.<\/p>\n Studies also prove that breathing can positively affect chronic issues like insomnia, PTSD, depression, ADD, and anxiety.<\/p>\n While there are plenty of breathing techniques out there (and just as many apps to guide you through it), the one I recommend is called coherent breathing where you breathe through your nose at a rate of 5 breaths per minute . Do this quick exercise with me and bookmark this page so you can come back to it when you need it:<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never practiced coherent breathing before, you may have to work up to the 6-second count, but it\u2019s worth it if you want to wrangle your thoughts, calm your anxiety, and get to a place where the thought of going back to work doesn\u2019t make you want to hide under the covers.<\/p>\n Do you make time for self-care? Let me know in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
You\u2019ve Got to Rest to Digest<\/h3>\n
I Don\u2019t Love the \u201cOn-the-Go\u201d Meal<\/h3>\n
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Enter Self-Compassion<\/h3>\n
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Uncertainty = Anxiety<\/h3>\n
How Breathing Can Override Your Thoughts<\/h3>\n
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