Helllloooo all <3 writing in from Santa Barbara today with the family. Sipping on some coconut lemon turmeric bone broth (heavenly) - need to remake this when I get home! Cooking and laughing with family this week has been so healing.
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I hope you too are having a beautiful week, and eating LOTS of good food. Keep sending me pics of your food in The Gut Feelings Group Chat & tagging me, it makes my day every day!
SOME OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS!!!!!
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Without further ado… let’s get some of your questions answered! If I didn’t answer your question, ask away in the The Gut Feelings Group Chat or leave a comment on this post and I will get it answered in the next Segment :)
ASK ELLA
Best tips for nervous system regulation?
One of the most amazing things for my nervous system has been slow mornings & intentional self time. Time with myself, without all the noise of the outside world. This brings me clarity and helps me redefine my values so I can act intentionally and think about all I am grateful for.
When you are going a mile a minute it’s easy to get caught up in everything and lose sight of the present. This intentional “me” time helps ground me and move forward with intent. One. Step. At. A. Time. Enjoying the process & the present. Alsooooo these are tips I try to incorporate daily:
GROUNDING. Putting feet in the grass, in the sand, getting out in nature is an instant regulator.
Start creating instead of consuming. Get off that phone and stop scrolling. Put that energy and time into a creative activity: writing, drawing, reading, baking. Start a passion project.
Journaling. Journaling has helped me SO much with getting my thoughts and feelings out on paper. Just put pen to paper and write, anything and everything.
Deep Intentional Breathwork. Some of my favorite breathwork practices are here:
Walking, Stretching, and Yoga.
Rise with the sun, rest when the sun goes down. Prioritize candlelight, red lights and soft lights instead of fluorescent and blue light when the sun goes down.
Create a list of energy givers & energy takers, and begin to incorporate more of those energy givers into your every day.
Surround yourself with people who help you grow + give you energy.
Belly laugh.
Get clear on your values, and match your actions in accordance to these values.
Build consistent respect and love for YOURSELF and make sure you are sticking true to yourself and not losing yourself in others (people-pleasing).
Eat REAL food.
Prioritize rest + sleep.
Practice acceptance + forgiveness.
Cultivate a daily gratitude practice.
Live in an abundance mindset vs. a scarcity mindset.
Avoid living in negative emotions (fear, guilt and anger), by practicing all the above.
Fav foods always in your cart, fav movement + fave self care?
I love this question.
Fav foods (always) in my cart: raw milk + cheese, pasture-raised eggs, sourdough bread, ginger, seasonal produce (loving apples and persimmons right now). My FAVORITE meal is grilled cheese (made with sourdough, butter, raw cheddar, and sometimes I add in either apple or prosciutto) and then tomato soup. Ugh, heaven.
Fav movement: I honestly love walking + deep stretching. I always feel SO good afterward. Incline walking if I want it to be more intense. Otherwise, if I am to go to a workout class, pilates!
Fav self care: Gosh self care can mean so many things, but I will address my ideal way to wind down. A STEAMING hot shower, then a face mask (this is my fav), a good beverage, and either a fire thriller book or reality TV (guilty pleasure).
Dating Advice?
Define your values (be clear on these!)
Match your actions in accordance to these values
Build consistent respect & love for YOURSELF
When you are confident & in love with yourself, independent + living in accordance to your values, that is when you will attract the right person. People FEEL that energy. Stop focusing outward and focus inward. Think about where you’re spending your time (are these places that would attract the partner you are looking for?). Make sure you are staying true to yourself, and not losing yourself in others. Don’t fall into people pleasing + desperate energy. Find opportunities to give back. Focus on things that give you energy. Cultivate an abundance mindset. Most importantly, be present. Enjoy the singleness. What a wonderful opportunity to work on yourself, cultivate beautiful friendships and have fun!
Favorite Skincare Products?
I believe a lot of skin care comes from within. Your gut and hormone health is directly related to your skin health, and your skin is a window into imbalances within the body. If you are having issues with your skin, take note and ask questions to figure out what is going on. Your body is trying to tell you something. Other than that, these are some of my fav products to optimize skin health.
Dr. Dennis Gross Red Light Mask
Trustworthy Companies I love that create products that WORK
Herbal Face Food (discount GlowWithElla)
Primally Pure (discount 15ELLA)
I also talk more about skin health + a deep dive into tips here:
How do you know which supplement brands you can trust as far as their product quality?
Look if they are transparent with the sourcing + quality of their ingredients. Also make sure they aren’t adding any BS additional ingredients. A lot of supplements have toxic fillers in them that negate any benefits OR they’ve been bought out by big companies that don’t care about the quality anymore. Prioritize smaller family owned companies that prioritize TRANSPARENCY. My favorite supplement brand is Cymbiotika (discount is ELLA15). A good website that kind of “does the work for you” sort of thing is HERE.
When re-incorporating meat, how to get over the fear of cooking it?
Mindset when eating is incredibly important. If you have fear in your body while you are eating, you are in fight or flight, and your body will not digest food properly. It is really important to be present and intentional when you are eating.
That being said, when I first started reincorporating meat it was not something I handled on my own. I was not used to cooking meat and since I was so new with it, it was not something I was comfortable with. I would always buy pre-made meat. Then once I became more accustomed to reincorporating meat into my daily life, I started with something I knew I would be comfortable making. I think the first thing I ever made myself with raw meat was turkey burgers. This was super approachable so it made it easy.
Slowly I experimented with more as I was comfortable! I never forced anything but I did allow myself to try things out of my comfort zone. I now cook basically every type of meat in my home (& it is always so delicious homemade). Cooking meat by yourself is not something to be afraid of! Choose something you are comfortable making (ground meat is always the easiest for me! You don’t have to touch it with your hands to prepare it which helps), start by following a recipe by someone you trust, and enjoy!
I will chat with you guys on Sunday!!! Have an amazing rest of the week, so grateful that you are here :) Xo - Ella