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“Solitude is a human presumption. Every quiet step is thunder to beetle life underfoot, a tug of impalpable thread on the web pulling mate to mate and predator to prey, a beginning or an end. Every choice is a world made new for the chosen."
Barbara Kingsolver
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Hello there,
How have you been?
Really, ask yourself - right now. How have you been since I last landed in your inbox, two weeks ago on the full moon?
What feelings emerge, what descriptive language lends itself to your life at the current moment?
Pause. Check in. Be honest.
This simple practice of calling attention to how we're feeling, to reflecting on what's really been going on for us behind the distraction of screen time, the facade of social media posts, and expressions hidden by face masks, can be quite productive.
I'll be candid with you - in this moment as I write, I feel tired; drained. Life feels a little scattered, and I'm feeling an internal pressure welling up to be productive. And by productive, I mean take action and make shit happen for myself, my business, and my biggest hopes and dreams for the world. Maybe you can relate?
I usually love writing, but today, this feels much more like work than pleasure. And that's okay. However you feel, whatever your check in presented, that's okay, too.
My Letter today is going to reflect how my life feels: scattered. I have several different directions I could take this Letter today, and I'm going to just ride them all out. So apologies if this doesn't feel super cohesive, but I want to share all of these intriguing resources with you that I've had the pleasure of engaging with over the past two weeks.
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What I'm currently reading & who I'd recommend it for:
Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body, and Defy Aging by Ben Greenfield
For the health nut, the wellness professional, or the generally curious human desiring a solid education on all things health and wellness.
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
For the nature lover, summer lover, or the lover of love stories.
Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat by Diana Rodgers, RD and Robb Wolf
For the agriculturalists, Meatless Mondayer's, the "I don't eat beef because it's better for the environment" crowd, vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, carnivores, and any other category of people who eat food (sorry breatharians).
Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten
For any woman who is currently on the pill, has ever been on the pill, or is thinking of going on or coming off of the pill. Also for anyone who is a woman, at any age, or any stage of their life. Ladies, please read this book!
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If you are a human with a skull, you should listen to this podcast...especially if you enjoy evolutionary biology, biomechanics, anatomy, and general nerding out over the human body.
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Speaking of teeth, do you chew your food well enough to avoid digestive issues and ensure optimal nutrient absorption of your food? After receiving lab results that indicate possible malabsorption issues, I've been cleaning up my eating habits, as in, I'm now following a few simple steps that can help anyone be a better eater.
1. Drink a majority of your daily water consumption in between meals, not with your meals. A few sips of water during a meal is okay, but gulping down a glass of water with dinner literally waters down your stomach acid content, and our stomach's need to be acidic to breakdown and digest our food's nutrients properly.
2. Use a digestive bitter, or include bitter tasting foods on your plate. A few drops of a digestive bitter on the tongue before a meal stimulates your digestive system, as does munching on some bitter dandelion greens or an arugula salad at the beginning of your meal. I've been using my mugwort tincture as a digestive bitter and am making a new digestive bitter blend loosely following this recipe using lavender I harvested from my front yard and yarrow I harvested during spring turkey hunts.
3. Relax, and take your time while eating. We want to be operating from the "rest and digest" or parasympathetic nervous system while eating. A few deep breaths and a moment of gratitude before your meal can help you align with this important piece of the digestive puzzle. Chew your food well, I mean, really well...like nearly liquid well. If you have ANY kind of digestive issue, make sure you take this thorough chewing to heart, or well, mouth.
Happy eating!
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Pause.
Check in.
Breathe.
Begin again.
Luminous love,
Jessica
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