I call these my “grin and bear it” clients because they suffer day in and day out, while clenching their teeth and waiting for their belly flare-up to pass, only to return to their same fast paced schedule as soon as the flare-up is over.

Are you a “Grin and Bear It” person?  Do you simply wait for the flare-up to end and then go about your usual routine?  This mistake is part of what is keeping you stuck in the cycle of regular flare-ups! And there IS a solution…

And that is…The Belly Soothing Toolkit, which doesn’t have to take up a ton of your time and isn’t expensive.

You may realize that in order to soothe your stomach and prevent your belly from constant flare-ups that you need to include more “self-care” into your day, but how do you actually put this into practice?

Say you are feeling stressed or are having a flare-up and itʼs all you can focus on.  It is awfully hard in those situations to think of what to do to “soothe” your belly, let alone go to the store to buy your ginger tea or soothing foods, or organize yourself enough to do anything but crawl into bed (or zone out at work and just stare at your computer, pretending to work to try to get through the day).

Thatʼs were the toolkit comes in.

When you have everything you need to pamper yourself right at your fingertips you are much more likely to DO IT.  It brings the concept of “self-care” out of the realm of the abstract into the concrete where you can put it into practice.

Thatʼs why have a toolkit is so helpful.  It not only prepares you to take care of yourself at any time without having to think about it in your worst moments, but it also helps you regularly de-stress so that you are less likely to have a flare-up in the first place.

More often than not our “self-care” gets pushed to the back burner because we havenʼt clearly defined what it means for ourselves, and don’t realize the VALUE in practicing self-care.

There are TWO components of a Belly Soothing Toolkit:
1. Your Nourishment Menu: This is a LIST of relaxing, fun and juicy activities you can do that light you up and make you feel great. Let your imagination go wild and be creative.
They can directly relate to relaxing your belly (i.e. hot water bottle on your stomach) or not at all (going out dancing). Whatever you do to pamper yourself will benefit your belly health!

Nourishment Menu Examples:
Lie down with a hot water bottle on your belly and breathe deeply
Get out in nature for a quiet, mindful walk
Go out dancing with friends or dance alone in your living room!

2. Your Tools:  These are the actual items that youʼll use when you want to relax or when you are having a flare-up.  I recommend heading out to Target or my fave The Container Store and getting yourself an actual basket or cool storage container. Then fill it with everything you need to pamper yourself.

Tool Examples:
Hot water bottle
Yoga mat
Journal
Candles
Book: “5 Good Minutes In Your Body” by Brantley & Millstine

How To Use Your Belly Soothing Toolkit:
There are two ways to use your toolkit. The beauty of this is that it will help you soothe your stomach as it hurts, but will also help you prevent your next attack from coming on!
1. Do 1 thing every day from your Nourishment Menu. Turn this into a daily ritual. I like to start my day with something from my Nourishment menu.
2. Use your toolkit in the event of a flare-up. When you need to soothe your belly pull out your list and do something that you know will quickly relax you. If you are at work, do your best to get through the flare-up then take yourself home ASAP or get to a quiet place where you can do a more focused relaxation time. This is like having an “emergency” self-care ritual.

Whatever our challenge is with asking for help, when we avoid reaching out we can ultimately damage our self-respect and end up feeling like we are not worthy of love and success.

So why is asking for help so hard?

Here’s what often stands in our way:

• We are afraid of looking stupid if we admit we don’t know something
• We don’t know WHO to ask for help
• We don’t know HOW to ask for help
• We think we are almost there and just need to try a little harder on our own
• We may not know we even need help
• We don’t want to be a bother

If you don’t ask for support you are denying yourself of getting what you need.  And then you may wonder why you can’t ever seem to really follow through with your own personal goals.  You may wonder why you can’t ever seem to really follow through personal goals.  You may wonder why you’re always “hanging on by a thread” or never find the time for YOU.

Here’s what we have to lose in denying ourselves help:

• Increased happiness through making our lives easier
• Creating a social network that supports you and challenges you to get what you want
• New perspectives and point of view that we’re unaware of
• A deeper connection to others
• More likeability- as Benjamin Franklin said “if you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor”
• Allowing others to feel respected and have the pure joy of the act of giving to someone else

6 easy steps to asking for help:

1. Being by thinking of your persistent complaints.  What do you find yourself struggling with week after week?
2. In these areas think of what you need help with most and make a list
3. Write down the names of people who have offered to help in the past; friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, etc.
4. Match people with tasks based on their interests, strengths, time flexibility and your comfort level with the, given the intimacy of the task.
5. Pick just one thing on the list and contact the person you’ve chosen.  Be direct– no passive aggressive pleas for help allowed!  Instead of “if I only knew someone who could pick up a prescription for me” ask outright “can you pick a prescription for me?  I’m not well enough to go out.”
6. The odds are high that the person you’ve asked will be thrilled to be asked for help.  Remember: it’s your gift to them and it gives them a way to not feel helpless in the face or your health challenges.

Two final thoughts:

We may feel that we are placing a burden on others, however it is helpful to think back to how you felt when others have opened up to you and asked for help.  Did you feel burdened?  Or were you happy to help?

One of the skills that asking for help cultivates is giving yourself permission to be worthy of another person’s help.  If you struggle with the limiting belief that you aren’t worthy of receiving help, remind yourself of times when you have been helped and what that was like.  This can help to transform this belief to a more realistic and positive view point.

Maybe you can relate…I used to feel like I could never really have pleasure when my belly hurt all the time.  I would focus on how much I was missing out on.  I was so fed up with my body that the thought of “living in the moment” and feeling free to have fun was so far from my reality.  Sure, I would do things with friends, but it was always with my old pal Stomach Pain lurking in the background (guaranteed to show up at the party eventually).

I was cut off from the idea of pleasure so much that I actually was cut off from parts of myself.  I was cut off from my creativity, and spontaneity.  It was like I was a shadow of who I really was.

What I didn’t understand at the time was that pleasure wasn’t just a luxury, something I might be able to have when I was cured, but a KEY ingredient in my healing and getting me OUT of my chronic belly problems.

Once I let go of the “I can’t have pleasure until my belly is cured” mindset I was able to make huge leaps in my healing.  And you can too.

That’s why I’m excited to share my ALL NEW program!  Introducing…

Get Fit and Feel Fabulous…6 Week Celebration To A New You In The New Year!

I’m teaming up with talented health coach Michele Pauker to bring you the strategies that will show you how to get fit and feel fabulous…for good.  No diets, no fasting, no suffering.  You’ll discover what REALLY works.

Stay tuned for just a bit longer, we’ll be announcing all the details very soon!

In this week’s article read about how pleasure could change everything for you… and how to USE it to get fit and heal your body.

Taming your tummy trouble,

Megan

Here’s the problem with that: you will always be stuck in waiting. 

We become trapped in this conditional way of thinking about pleasure that we miss what is already there.  Often pleasure is sitting right under our noses.  We are just so distracted by our “conditionals” that we miss the chances to discover what’s good about right now. 

Some common conditionals of pleasure:

“I must lose 10 pounds and then I can love my body and be free to have more fun in my life.”

“I must cure my IBS, I can never be happy when I could have a flare-up at any second.”

“When I finally get into an exercise routine then I’ll allow myself to really enjoy food again.

“When I make more money then I’ll be able to be happy.”

The sucky thing is that we can live like this for years.  There will always be those to-do’s, those so-called “flaws” to which we attach our self-worth and deservability.

And it’s a shame to feel like we don’t deserve pleasure because our bodies are not the way we want them. 

The truth is that we have it backwards.  We need pleasure in order to reach our goals, not the other way around.  Pleasure keeps us engaged.  It keeps us going back for more.  It ensures that we will follow through. 

 It also makes our bodies function better.  When we are in a state of pleasure and relaxation our food digests properly (fewer tummy aches!), and we are less likely to eat in response to boredom or overwhelming emotions.

The secret of pleasure is that it is always there within you; it is a mindset to cultivate and practice.  It is an awareness.  It is not about what you have, what you do or accomplish.  It is an attitude.    

Instead of thinking “I’ll be able to be happy when my belly is cured, or when I lose the weight” try “how can I infuse my life with pleasure NOW?”

3 Strategies To Have Pleasure NOW

1. Keep a pleasure journal.  In order to see that pleasure is around you and to participate in it you must cultivate your awareness.  Begin writing down small moments that felt great even if they feel small.  I start off most of my coaching sessions with a “new & good.”  Often clients will have trouble finding anything good that has happened recently.  And I’ll say “Really? Nothing is good?  That’s pretty extreme.  There must be something.”   Let go of the reluctance to share what’s going well.   

2. Drop the guilt.  You’ve got to let go of the conditions around pleasure.  You deserve to feel pleasure now, regardless of how much you’ve accomplished, exercised, eaten right, etc.  To practice this one you’ll need to catch the guilt in the moment you are feeling it or thinking it.  This is when you have the most power to change the thought pattern.   

3. Redefine pleasure: Think through what is really pleasurable for you.  Does eating yourself numb feel truly pleasurable?  Maybe for the first bite, but then probably not after that.  Does eating what you KNOW will result in days of gut wrenching belly symptoms sound like pleasure?  Most likely no.  Pleasure isn’t the same thing as indulgence.  It takes mindfulness to identify what it is you really want, rather than what would just feel good RIGHT NOW.  Real pleasure may mean that you actually say no to something you think you want.  Or it may mean speaking up and asking for something you do want even if it feels scary or bold.  It also means not apologizing for yourself. 

4. Love what YOU love, be who YOU are.  Sorry to sound cliché, but this isn’t about tapping into what someone else finds pleasurable or what all your friends are doing.  This is about tapping into what turns YOU on.  Only you can figure that out.  But you have to give yourself permission to do so.  

What step can you start taking RIGHT NOW exactly as you are? 

Want more strategies for using pleasure toward getting what you want?

Join me and my talented colleague Michele Pauker in our BRAND NEW program:

Get Fit & Feel Fabulous…6 Week Celebration to a New You in the New Year!

All the details coming very soon!

You may not know this but I’m having my first baby in June!  (I’ll include pics soon…)

As I get farther into my pregnancy I’m realizing more and more how crucial it is to have my “tribe” of people around me to help me adjust to the huge changes I’m going through and keep me active and healthy.

Where in your health do you need more accountability?  More people around you to stretch you to keep your word?  One of the biggest reasons we fall off track is because we don’t have support!  Not because we’re lazy or unmotivated, but simply because we just can’t do it alone.

This January join an amazing group of women, along with my colleague Michele Pauker and myself as we give you the tools to Get Fit, Feel Fabulous and Add Sizzle To Your Life all without punishing 5am workouts and giving up chocolate.  And we’ll celebrate our way to the results you want in the new year.

***Save The Date***  because you’re invited!

Join us in January to…

Get Fit And Feel Fabulous…A 6 Week Celebration To A New You In The New Year!

Stay tuned for all the details and how to register for this brand new program…

Read on, because in this week’s article I’m sharing with you my surprising pregnancy journey so far as well as giving you a sneak peek at one the of the pillars we’ll be teaching you in our Get Fit and Feel Fabulous Program.
Taming your tummy trouble,

Megan

Some of my habits became so different that my husband started exclaiming “I don’t even know you anymore!”

I pride myself on my “healthy” habits and helping people eat optimally, I cook most of my own food, I stay away from a lot of sweets and have been mostly dairy free for years. 

Needless to say, the changes I’ve seen in myself are pretty shocking...

-Dairy, dairy, dairy– I’ve wanted it in all forms and haven’t had belly trouble!

-I’ve craved bagels with cream cheese

-I’ve wanted pub food like burgers and fries (a lot)

-For several months I couldn’t stomach most vegetables, especially the sweet ones that I used to LOVE- sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin

-I need a nap every day

-I had to get up at 4am sometimes to eat

-I have to go to bed by 9:30 most nights

So what have I done in response?  First I felt guilty for not doing what I thought was most healthful for my growing baby.  Then I went out and got some high quality bagels, dragged my husband to local bars to get burgers and fries (which he happily obliged), napped every day, and just didn’t eat that many veggies for awhile.  Now in my fifth month I’m back on the veggie train, am regaining my energy and continue to go with the flow.

What I’ve most struggled with throughout this process is this–

COULD I GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO LET GO AND DO WHAT MY BODY WAS TELLING ME?

So how is this related to you?

This article isn’t going to just be about my pregnancy, it brings me to a few questions for you–

Can you really listen to your body and act accordingly?  Can you be the expert of your own body and let go of what you think it “right” and “wrong”?  Can you approach your eating habits with curiosity and desire to honor your body rather than with criticism and “shoulds”

What comes up frequently for my clients is wondering which nutrition information is valid.  Wondering “who to trust” and which health claims are the correct ones.  There are so many nutritional theories and so much advice that they don’t know who to trust but often don’t think to trust their body first.

In the words of one of my mentors, Marc David,  we are on a “high fact diet.”

What would it mean to you to just simply put the trust in your body?  Now, facts of course have their place and I’m not discounting the importance of the science behind nutrition, but the risk is that we allow someone else to define our body’s unique experience. 

Remember that no one diet works for everyone.  We all have intuitive knowledge about what works for us.  It is there, it just gets covered up, ignored, confused.

You can tap into this inner wisdom not by “thinking” and guessing but by feeling what is going on in your body.  I know this concept can sound a little vague and woo-woo but trust me, once you start practicing this it becomes much more concrete and you’ll know better when you need a rest, are really craving some fresh veggies rather than chocolate (I know, gasp), would welcome some exercise or need to get something checked out by your doctor. 

So HOW do you become the expert of your own body?

1. Slow down and listen– to practice this take a few seconds throughout the day, stop, be quiet, close your eyes, breathe and notice how your body is feeling.  What do you want to eat?  Any aches or pains?  Are you tired?  Do you have to go to the bathroom?  What is going on in there??

2. Be mindful of what you put in your body- make conscious choices of what you eat (rather than reacting to your situation and grabbing whatever is in front of your or whatever your friends/family are eating).

3. Abandon Labels- take food out of those “good” and “bad” labels and instead approach your food with curiosity about how it might affect your body.  You may discover all sorts of new things about what foods work for you.

4. Delight in YOUR body- no one diet works for everyone.  Pay attention to the reactions certain foods give your body and act accordingly (reducing foods that give you symptoms and increasing foods that give you energy.)

5. Be your own researcher- You DO have a say in your own healthcare!  Look into what is ailing you and when you consult with your doctor or other practitioners also be sure to consult with your own body.  And don’t wait until you are sick to take care of your body. 

Get Fit and Feel Fabulous…A 6 Week Celebration To A New You In The New Year!

Stay tuned for details…

How are you feeling post-holiday?  If you read my blog you’ve struggled with belly pain; perhaps IBS or another chronic, belly aching problem.  And that can make it impossible to stay connected with your friends, feel fit, healthy and in shape and feel sexy in your skin.  All of that goes out the window when you are stuck nursing your belly day in and day out.

If you read my blog you may also know that not only do I believe in finding the right foods to help your belly, but also using strategies that nourish your whole body and soul.

This winter I’m broadening my repertoire and teaming up with fellow health coach Michele Pauker to share with your how you can get fit, feel fabulous and add more sizzle to your life in just 6 weeks, without painful 5am workouts or giving up chocolate!

And what’s more, what if you could have a group of other fabulous women supporting you along the way making sure you stay on track and have a blast in the process?

***Save The Date***

…because this January Michele and I are inviting you to our

“6 Week Get Fit and Feel Fabulous 6 Week Celebration To A New You In The New Year!”

This group is for amazing women who know they deserve more from life than chronic diets, hating their bodies, punishing exercise, and being last on their priority list.  Time for a new approach and just in time to avoid those energy zapping winter blues!

Stay tuned because I’ll be sharing more information about this exciting group in the weeks to come!

In the meantime get a head start on partying your way to getting fit because in this week’s ALL NEW article I’m sharing a new perspective on winter exercise that doesn’t involve punishing yourself.

Taming your tummy trouble,

Megan

• Promotes circulation
• Enhances our immunity (which we need this time of year)
• Increases energy and endurance
• Improves skin health
• Stabilizes weight 

With our constant mental diet of advertising, news, media, work and rush it is a relief to have a quiet, slow meal.  Taking time with our food, beginning with chewing, allows us to enjoy the whole experience of eating: the smells, tastes and textures.  It also helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance we have in our lives and develops patience and self-control.  Try chewing 30 times per bit of food and try to eat without reading or watching TV.  Or at least for the Thanksgiving meal shut off the parade or the football game while eating so you can really be with the ones you love and the food you’ve created.  Rather than rushing through eating, what a shift it can be to savor and enjoy this thing we do all day, every day.