Today I talk with you about what had to happen for me to recover from bulimia. The thoughts I had as I Googled “how to recover from bulimia”, my limiting beliefs, and things I didn’t know about the health of my body.

Show notes: 

Giveaway: Leave a review for the Stress-Free Living Show and win money! Send me an email with the name you left your review! Winners are announced each month on the show and FB page. 

Email: [email protected]

FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/stressfreelivingshow/

Free 50 minute Health Session: 

https://forms.gle/L9LF2kBxbzdiQy4w5

Join the discussion with Dr. Ben and I as we cover the MOST important holistic elements of eating disorder recovery and stress management!

Show notes: 

Connect w/ Dr. Ben and Veritas Medical!

Website: www.Veritasmedical.com

Youtube: Veritas Wellness

Telegram: Veritas Medical

Giveaway: Leave a review for the Stress-Free Living Show and win money! Send me an email with the name you left your review! Winners are announced each month on the show and FB page. 

Email: [email protected]

FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/stressfreelivingshow/

Free 50 minute Health Session: 

https://forms.gle/L9LF2kBxbzdiQy4w5

Today, I’m turning 30 years old and reflecting on the most important lessons I’ve learned for balancing life, managing stress and finding my inner peace.

Show notes: 

Giveaway: Leave a review for the Stress-Free Living Show and win money! Send me an email with the name you left your review! Winners are announced each month on the show and FB page. 

Email: [email protected]

FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/stressfreelivingshow/

Free 50 minute Health Session: 

https://forms.gle/L9LF2kBxbzdiQy4w5

Today we discuss the top 10 ways to value yourself more! Learn simple things you can do to improve your self-esteem, increase your self-confidence, and create a ripple effect with your friends, family and the community around you.

Show notes: 

Giveaway: Leave a review for the Stress-Free Living Show and win money! Send me an email with the name you left your review! Winners are announced each month on the show and FB page. 

Email: [email protected]

FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/stressfreelivingshow/

Free 50 minute Health Session: 

https://forms.gle/L9LF2kBxbzdiQy4w5

We live in a world where the majority of our food and beverage choices have loads of added sugars in them. Many of these foods have sugar added to them even if they don’t taste sweet, aka white bread, plain cereal.  Today we uncover why it’s important to think about this, even if you don’t have diabetes, struggle with weight or heart disease. 

Added sugar is often:

Cane juice and cane syrupCorn sweetener and high-fructose corn syrupFruit juice concentrate and nectarHoneyMaltMaple syrupMolasses

(21:21) Helpful, Non-Insulin Alternative Sweeteners**

ErythritolAlluloseSteviaMonkfruit Extract

(25:10) AVOID / Minimize due to chemically processed quality:

AspartameSucralose

(29:00) What about honey, agave, and coconut sugar?

RECIPE: How to make sugar-free, low glycemic and non-insulin simple syrup for drinks, cocktails and recipes:

Take 1 part water and 1.5 part granulated alternative sweetener (Side note: my favorite ones to use in this recipe are allulose or monk fruit extract)

2. Add them to a little sauce pan over Low heat, stirring and watching closely. 

3. When it starts to simmer, stir every minute or so and let it simmer for a minimum of 3 minutes to 7 minutes to allow it to thicken a little and take on the consistency of syrup. 

4. Let cool and replace your simple syrup in coffee or cocktails with this! It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

So that is if you want to make a bigger batch because you’re making margaritas later, make 1 cup of water to 1.5 cups of sweetener is the ratio. You can also play around with it and increase or decrease the amount of water and sweetener to your taste preference. 

**Disclaimer: Sweeteners discussed in this episode have limited research on the human body and it’s long-term effects, but effect on blood sugar has been studied and confirmed.

Show notes: 

Favorite alternative sweeteners: 

1.Allulose (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Allulose-Crystalline-Diabetic-Replacement-Sweetener/dp/B07Q38VBH1

2.Monk Fruit Extract Sweetener (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Monk-Fruit-Raw-Keto-Certified-Erythritol/dp/B08CC1FMJQ

FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/stressfreelivingshow/

Apply for 1:1 Coaching here: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf8tON7PFJ6c25Qiiyk9RBSdTPWZ-RhnhIy1CAgJLEUkUUOA/viewform

Sources: 

1.www.CDC.gov

2.www.USDA.gov

3.Sugar and Chronic Disease: Rippe, J. M., & Angelopoulos, T. J. (2016). Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding. Nutrients, 8(11), 697. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8110697

4.Aspartame and Cancer: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet#:~:text=Aspartame

5.Aspartame Vs. Sucralose: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sucralose-vs-aspartame#which-is-better

Stepping Out Into the Unknown and how to handle Stress of Uncertainty w/ David Loos.

What thoughts do you notice circling your thought space when you’re stepping out into the unknown on a new journey?

Common feelings include:

FearStressUncertaintyAnxiety

David Loos joins us on the show today to talk about how to manage feelings of stress during times of uncertainty where you have no idea what’s next. He highlights his most effective tools and wisdom in today’s episode and it re-opened my mind!

Another reason you’ll definitely want to tune in for is his unique perspective being a man when it comes to getting organized — which I so appreciated!

Can’t wait for you to take a listen!

-Kara

Show notes:

Guest: David Loos

Podcast: https://illuminatingmyceliumpodcast.com/?fbclid=IwAR2vjcNNGeF9TyLaTTTxJcrNOhtc5_Rs43ufP4xYt_GIRdKCtwTCCM7UUHY

Facebook: Illuminating mycelium

Instagram: @ illuminatingmyceliumpod

RE-Vitalize 1:1 Coaching Application: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf8tON7PFJ6c25Qiiyk9RBSdTPWZ-RhnhIy1CAgJLEUkUUOA/viewform

Aventino Watches 15% Off Code:  ‘vitality.consulting15’ www.aventinowatches.com

Welcome back to another episode on the Stress-Free Living Show where we have invited a very special guest today, someone I’ve been so excited to interview for weeks now.

Introducing….

His name is Dr. Pimentel, and he is an MD at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is instrumental in research of the gastrointestinal system, particularly the gut microbiome. He researches how to improve irritable bowel syndrome.

By now, we can for sure acknowledge how critical this system affects our entire body, organ systems. As an RN, I think back to my education and I feel that I didn’t get a good understanding of of the importance it holds. That was until I had my own health crisis going on, and delved into personal research on how to heal myself. 

3:20 – Dr. Pimentel explains is role as Executive Medical Director of the MAST Program at CSMC and how he became interested in this field of medicine.

Q&A

I asked the listeners of the podcast what questions they had for Dr. Pimentel. Below I’ve listened those out and the timestamps of where you can find it in the recording:

what would be your first piece of advice to correct acid reflux? – 7:50Flatulence, what would you recommend they do? – 10:10How important are probiotics in a persons life? / Conversation around Irritable Bowel Disease & Solutions for that – 13:00What problems have you seen corrected by a probiotic regimen – 18:10When considering the Impact of Covid 19, how has it affected the gastrointestinal system In those recovering / Conversation around Moderna, Pfizer & Johnson & Johnson vaccine – 20:47When it comes to the blood brain barrier, how does the health of the gut play a role in the health of our brain and nervous system? – 26:25

Show notes: 

Dr. Mark Pimentel https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/research/labs/pimentel.html

MAST program: https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/research/areas/science-tech.html

Donate to the program here: 

https://support.cedars-sinai.edu/fundraiser/2127909?_ga=2.121299087.662139591.1619197538-1642484514.1616518456

If you have any questions, contact [email protected] or call 310-423-3277.

RE-Vitalize 1:1 Coaching Application: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf8tON7PFJ6c25Qiiyk9RBSdTPWZ-RhnhIy1CAgJLEUkUUOA/viewform

Dealing w/ STRESS. How to manage ANXIETY. Signs of BURNOUT. Does your Google search history look anything like this?

We’ve all been there at some point.

As I’m going through it currently in a few areas, I’m exploring God’s grace, gratitude, healing prayers and thoughts and the power of focusing on what IS going well and how to actually keep my headspace open for positivity.

Show notes:

Matt Jones Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mattjonescomedy

RE-Vitalize 1:1 Coaching Application: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf8tON7PFJ6c25Qiiyk9RBSdTPWZ-RhnhIy1CAgJLEUkUUOA/viewform

Probiotics 

Probiotic only

Start with this one for 3 months. Then order Vitalbiome with more strains.

https://plexusworldwide.com/karaboyer/product/plexus-probio-5

Vitalbiome ——> https://shop.plexusworldwide.com/karaboyer/product/plexus-vitalbiome

Appetite Balancing + Weight Loss + Cleanse + Probiotic: https://plexusworldwide.com/karaboyer/product/plexus-triplex-hunger-control-combo

Plexus selection guide: 

(This is a guide to help guide you on which decision to make for probiotics) https://drive.google.com/file/d/10bAMoeh43jWlQO_FDRBXTDmEN3DYX1XK/view?usp=sharing

Aventino Watches 15% Off Code:  

‘vitality.consulting15’

IG: Aventino Watches

www.aventinowatches.com

In today’s episode, let’s talk about how to manage feelings, emotions and allllll that stuff when you’re gaining weight. Before I started healing my gut and hormones, it was challenging to heal my body image.

This is for you that are currently struggling with

binge-eatingbulimiaother eating disorders.body dysmorphia, and the like.

This is also for you if you’re not struggling with those behaviors but are just feeling frustrated with weight gain and how your body looks. 

I want to say that if you’re currently in a place where where you are gaining weight, let’s normalize that.

Let’s normalize that for a couple of reasons. 

I don’t know if you’ve ever been told this, or if you’ve never heard it at all…but let me just say it. Despite how you might FEEL regarding weight, your size, weight and appearance IT DOES NOT = your value + your worth. Sometimes we just gain weight in natural response to something. This seems to happen to EVERYBODY at some point in their lives, others many. Stress, pregnancy, putting on muscle, intentional fat gain, unintentional fat gain, recovering from something, rest seasons. Pandemics. We all gain and lose weight throughout our lives.

There are a lot of voices around us in 2021.

It can get confusing for those of us who are trying to establish that strong sense of self and live the healthiest lives that we can. We hear voices saying “embrace how you look at any size and accept it” and then others that tell us that“being healthy means looking toned and lean”.

So what are we supposed to do? Why are there 2 different narratives, and which one is the most right? 

It completely depends, you guys.

There is nothing wrong with vibing with either of those. What does matter though is which one gives you the most long-lasting truth & peace and most positive life change in each area?

Spiritual, Physical and Mental?  

To help further illustrate this, I’ll share with you a beautiful quote  by Gabourey Sidibe that I’ve been enjoying and that has been helping shape my body image and how beautiful I feel. 

“One day I decided that I was beautiful and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see.”– Gabourey Sibide

This presents the truth that it’s how we FEEL about ourselves that creates how confident beautiful we are.

 Another one that I heard once by Ellen Degeneres:

To me, beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin, It’s about knowing and accepting who you are. – Ellen Degeneres– Ellen Degeneres

Why is this so beautiful?

This is absolutely lovely and empowering no matter who you are, which gender identification you go by, it promotes acceptance of YOU as a whole.

You see, most body image issues comes from believing there is something wrong with us. We get deceived by society and the voices of the enemy that we are not good enough and then we get sucked into the belief that if we just make our bodies look perfect, we will be.

That is just the furthest thing from the truth! 

You guys know how much I love talking about what God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit has done for me in my life. So in the last 6-8 months, I’ve been learning about my identity. I went through a season where I was having a hormonal imbalance  and it was dreadful because some of the month I struggled with knowing “who I am”. I felt so out of place and I felt aimless and unsure of my self.

So what did I do?

I just have to be real with you all for an episode. I want you to know that I’m human too. Also to talk about my struggles so that if you’re dealing with the same ones, you won’t feel alone. I want to talk with you about how you can manage stress when life gets busy.

The last 2 months of this year have been a challenge. It’s been testing my strength and my resilience.

Hormonal imbalance

Podcast and nursing job

Relationships, showing up to spend quality time

Learning how to be generous

Taking care of my health (stress, sleeping more, finding exercise that I actually like doing. Balancing the fun foods and intuitive eating with the food that make me feel my best)

Moving and unexpected reparis . 

Body image and being frustrated w/ my body sometimes

Financial changes and adjusting to a new budget

I’ve had to remind myself to let go and stop expecting perfection out of myself.

I think that when I let go of that perfect image, I allow the course of my life to breath and naturally fall Ito what I’m nurturing. Which is healthy habits for stress management, consistency with healthy habits, and rituals like sleep and morning routines that help me be grounded and reminded of God’s presence in my life.

Rembering that I am not on my own. Sometimes God is not going to feel as close as other times.

There have been moments where I’m not so sure I’m on the right track and I start to feel like “oh shit am I really doing what I’m supposed to be doing?’ 

I pray.

Then in the last week I went to Austin TX and Matt, my boyfriend who is the most wonderful perfect guy for me, he was focused on his work and I felt like I had to grow up in those moments and realize I wasn’t going to be receiving his undivided attention during last week.

See you guys, you know we all get those thoughts that get us down in the dumps and really discouraged and sometimes these thoughts prevent us from becoming who we are meant to be or taking those steps forward in our purpose. 

Many times we just think that we are “off” or having an off day, but unfortunately the devil can speak to us through our thinking and our thoughts and it can be toxic to our whole day, self, and energy. 

The book of Ephesians..

I would invite you to open up to this verse. If you don’t have a Bible I would go over to the App Store on your phone and download a bible app. This is how easy it is to access one these days guys. And I would just invite you to open up to this passage. Ephesians 6 13-17 and just read it.

3 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ask God for help.

And that he speaks to you in a way that you need. And that touches you with His Holy Spirit. I ask for understanding and peace for you as you read it and meditate on this passage.

Many of us have been turned off to the idea of God or him as a Heavenly Father because of a religious upbringing that made living with Jesus in our hearts sound impossible and came with a huge set of rules we were bound to fail at keeping. 

Put th