Tuning Up Your Inner Circuitry

Tuning Up Your Inner Circuitry

Written by our new Emotional Wellness and Alignment Coach, Erin Chourey

Welcome friends, colleagues, and comrades! I feel so blessed to be here in this moment, alive and well, writing this first blog to share my new endeavor with you all. We’ve all been through so much change these past few years and we are all continuing to learn, grow and evolve in ways we may never have even imagined before!

As for me, before the lockdown in March 2020, I owned a business, Skyheart Aging, supporting individuals, families and professionals with the aging process as a Care Manager, a Coach and a Death Doula. As engaged as I was with this work, I promptly needed to turn my attention toward my child at home to support him with on-line school during the first year of the pandemic, which shifted my focus quite a bit, as it did for so many of us. I basically stopped doing that work.

During the initial months of this time, a colleague friend gave me a tip that a mental health start up business, Lyra Health, was hiring Certified Coaches to provide a Cognitive Behavioral approach of coaching to clients on-line. This job was a true gift because I was able to work with the flexibility and abundance I needed, as the demand for mental health support increased so steadily in our world. Lyra’s clients are big companies such as Google, Starbucks, Facebook (now Meta), Nike, etc. and the employees of these companies were feeling more stress, anxieties, struggles with depression, difficulties with relationships, understanding their emotions and processing life’s uncertainties than ever before.

To me, ‘The Great Pause’ in the beginning of the pandemic felt like the world really slowed down in a sense. Although it was disorienting as our reality changed, it also felt re-orienting to have more space and time to focus on what was essential and most important to us. Of course, we experienced shocking panic and fear of getting sick, some of us getting sick and staying sick, grief at the loss of those we love dying, and social isolation that re-calibrated our social needs in different ways.

As time went on, we began to acclimate to the constancy of change and things not being in our control. Many of us began to realize that the way of living we considered “normal” was not returning. More recently, some things in life have resumed with a sense of familiarity of how we previously functioned in our lives pre-pandemic, and we continue to confront personal and collective challenges, to cope, to awaken, to unearth, to heal, to adapt to new normals, and to evolve to meet the challenges of our time.

So, here we are. Here I am, beginning a new chapter in my work with a renewed sense of purpose in this world, along with a perpetual curiosity of what we all need to live truly meaningful lives. My business is now Erin Chourey, LLC, Emotional Wellness and Alignment Coach. I am focusing on supporting my clients on their personal growth journey to tune inward, to regard their emotions as messengers, to learn to meet themselves and others with greater compassion and to clarify their values as guideposts to align their intentions, goals and dreams in wholeness. I’ve seen so many of my coaching clients make significant progress toward feeling better, and become more clear about who they are, what they want, when they are going to make it happen, where they need support and why it’s important to them.

One way we can think of what my coaching can do for you is this thinking of it as a “Tuning up of Your Inner Circuitry.” This begins with a question of how do you currently function and how do you want to function? Let’s consider it like getting your car tuned up at the shop after an eventful summer of roadtrips before the winter months kick in:

First, we open the hood to take a look at what’s happening inside. We can call this “going inward” or becoming mindful by bringing attention to your inner workings, or getting an overall picture of what’s under the surface and what attention it needs from you. We might notice that the ‘spark’ plugs need cleaning or replacement, bringing more joy into your life. We may see that the oil needs to be changed for a smoother running engine, shifting your mindset or thoughts to liberate pathways. Likely, we will need your fuel and fluids filled or topped off, nourishing your energy and regulation tanks. When you take care of these parts, you can fire your engine back up and listen to it purr, feeling good that you have met yourself with respect and compassion and given yourself the attention and love you need. You might then feel how all these important elements function together to align to get you where you want to go. Finally, you can collect and organize the tools you have learned to use and have them ready to pick up when you need them, for the next tune up or for when something in the system needs your attention again.

It will be my pleasure to be your partner in this tuning up process! I will be with you each step of the way as you tune up your body, you mind, your heart and your spirit and will sit in the passenger’s seat when you are ready to drive. The destination is yours. I will help you navigate and keep you company while you focus on the road in front of you. If you still aren’t sure where you want to go, we will figure that out too, and test it out together, until you feel ready to drive yourself in that direction confidently on your own!

I’m offering sessions both online an in-person at The Flourish Center. Use this link to peruse my website and schedule your free 30-minute consultation.

Breakfast for Insulin Resistance

Breakfast for Insulin Resistance

Written by our Medical Assistant in the Flourish clinic, Martine:

Hi everyone! Jen has allowed me to write a blog this week to discuss something I’m really passionate about: breakfast!

Some of you know this but before I started working for Jen, I was her patient. Initially I came to see Jen because I was so exhausted all the time. Sometimes I would sleep from 7pm to 7am and still slug through my day as if I hadn’t slept a wink.

I had new and stubborn abdominal fat that I assumed was just the pandemic weight that most of us seemed to gain. And my mood was just…off. I consider myself a happy, positive person but I felt like there was a dark cloud hovering above me that I just couldn’t shake.

 

After some testing, Jen diagnosed me with insulin resistance. She told me that one of the most important things you can do to help this process is eating protein. You want to eat protein every few hours throughout the day, eat a high protein breakfast, and always have protein at your meals and with any carbs that you eat. By doing that, you’re going to stabilize your blood sugar level in your blood and you’re going to reduce the insulin resistance for those cells.

The other thing that really helps do this is healthy fats.The right fats increase metabolism, stimulate fat burning, cut hunger, optimize your cholesterol profile and can reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk for heart disease. There’s a great book you can read to learn more by Dr Mark Hyman called “Eat Fat, Get Thin”.

 

Here are three easy breakfasts I make for my husband and myself. They’re all very customizable based on your dietary needs and preferences. All three do include avocado. If you’re not a fan and you need another way to get some good fat, try having some walnuts or Brazil nuts on the side. If you can have dairy, Greek or Nordic yogourt is also a great choice. A drizzle of flax or hemp oil would also be amazing.

Eating breakfasts like this have really been a game changer for me. I have more energy, I’m losing weight, and feeling so much better!

 

Air Fryer Classic Breakfast

Dairy-free, gluten-free, can be soy-free, can be vegan. 

This is a good one for when you’re in a hurry—everything comes together in the air fryer with very minimal effort. You could do the same thing in a regular frying pan as well!

What you’ll need:

Frozen sweet potato fries/tots/cubes

Breakfast sausage (made of whatever you like! Pork, turkey, or meatless)

1-2 eggs depending on how hungry you are

1/2 of an avocado or guacamole 

Put the sweet potato and the breakfast sausage in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 5 minutes. You don’t need to add any oil. After that, crack two eggs into the air fryer and season everything with salt and pepper. Feel free to add other spices like paprika, garlic, turmeric, chilli powder, etc.

5 minutes later the egg whites should be set but the yolks should still be soft. Scoop everything out of the air fryer and top with avocado/guacamole.

 

Lentil Oatmeal Bowl

Dairy-free, glute- free, soy-free, vegan.

This is another easy one and leftovers store pretty well in the fridge. Adapted from the beautiful: https://ohsheglows.com 

What you’ll need:

⅓ of a cup red lentils

¼ of a cup oatmeal 

1 ½ cup of broth

Combine lentils, oats, and broth in a pot. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened. Add any herbs and spices you like. You could add tempeh bacon or turkey bacon crumbles as well.

Top with whatever you like! I personally mix in some nutritional yeast, some arugula, and then top with avocado. 

 

White Bean + Avocado Toast

Dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, can be gluten-free.

Avocado toast is so good on it’s own but blending in some white beans gives it a big extra boost of protein.

What you’ll need:

Cooked and cooled white beans

An avocado (you can use just half if you’d prefer)

Greens of your choice

Bread of your choice

Mash up white beans and avocado. Spread it on your toast and top with greens and a drizzle of oil and spices of your choice. You could also add other veggies like a slice of tomato, or a fried egg. I like to make a little tofu scramble and eat it on the side (that would obviously negate the soy free part).

 

I hope this helps you see that breakfast can be fun and delicious while supporting your health and wellness goals!

~Martine Fleming, M.A.

The Flourish Way™ Experience

The Flourish Way™ Experience

In the summer of 2021, I had been contemplating a way to bring together all of my knowledge and gifts in a way that I could help more people. I love being a healthcare provider, and what I love the most are the times when I get to help someone overcome whatever is holding them back. This might be a belief about themselves, an old thought pattern, judgement they’re putting on themselves, or a myriad of other blocks to feeling and living their best. Usually, the solution isn’t that complicated and when these blocks shift, life changes for good.

I set an intention to be shown how I could package deep transformations in a way that was accessible, affordable, and maybe even fun! I wanted to be able to present new ways of thinking and being in a way that was easy to learn and implement, while being able to offer personal support along the way. One day, after a long meditation, I understood exactly how to do this and my online program for women, The Flourish Way™ Experience was born.

This program has blown my mind. The members have shown up fully to do the work and support one another, and the transformations have been profound! One member realized her life purpose and is now starting her own business, while another got a promotion at her job. Several members report better communication in their relationships and more satisfying sex lives. Two members have overcome long-term anxiety and feel more secure knowing they have tools to handle it if it returns. Others report feeling more connected to themselves. They take more time for rest and self-care without feeling guilty. I could go on and on.

During these past few years with the pandemic, political unrest, and a general uncertainty for what the future holds, I’ve seen stress levels higher than ever before. Now more than ever, we need regular support. We need stress reduction techniques beyond yoga and chamomile tea. We need to understand ourselves, our reactions to all the noise, and how we can effectively live our best lives despite the chaos. This is what the program is all about.

If you’re not feeling happy and you feel like you “should” be happy, if you know your relationship and the intimacy with your partner could be more optimal, if you feel like you’re being constantly affected by the events of the world or the people in your life, if you feel like you just know there’s more for you….then The Flourish Way™ Experience program is for you.

This is a 12-week program where you’ll learn how to unwind and unlearn from all the stress and the patterns you’ve adapted to over the years. You’ll restore and replenish your energy, your vitality, and your connection with yourself. And finally, you’ll expand and emerge into a more full, satisfied, and aligned version of yourself. I knew these things would happen when we started and now after coaching the women in the group for a full year, I’ve seen it all come to fruition.

Registration is now open for the fall cohort of new members. The program will open for you on September 4 with our first online Zoom session on September 11. I will be limiting the number of participants, so if you know you’re ready to do things a new way in your life, please register soon. A substantial “early bird” discount is available until August 22.

Please reach out if we can answer any questions for you, otherwise, I look forward to being your guide.

Learn more and reserve your spot here.

~Jen Owen, N.P.

 

P.S Because we use my pelvic bowl healing techniques as one of the foundations of our work in the program, The Flourish Way™ Experience is open only to those born with female anatomy.

 

The Benefits of Your Annual Physical Exam

The Benefits of Your Annual Physical Exam

Each year, every major insurance plan allows you one Annual Physical Exam included in your plan with no co-pay to you. Are you taking advantage of this helpful benefit?

In the past, I haven’t been great about requiring this of my patients. I’ve tried to pack in their wellness checks with other visits, or I’ve tried to handle multiple problems at the annual physical visit. Neither way is optimal.

When we try to handle screenings at “problem” visits (what they are called in the billing world), screenings get missed. When we try to pack in “problems” at the annual visit, both the patient and I end up feeling rushed and again, the screenings get missed.

One of my favorite parts of conventional healthcare is screening exams. We have solid systems for finding issues early so that multiple treatment options are available. For example, if polyps are found during a colonoscopy, we can take a deep dive into gut health, possible “leaky gut”, make dietary changes that support the gut, etc. If you don’t’ get your screening and find out later that there is cancer in the bowel, the options are more limited for treatment.

The same goes for pap smears, mammograms, and routine labs. When we find issues early, we can use natural medicine or conventional medicine or a combination to treat them. You have more choices when you find out early.

At an annual physical exam, we focus on prevention and do many things to support your health:

  1. Update your personal history and family history.
  2. Update your medication and supplement lists.
  3. Take vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respirations)
  4. Do a complete physical exam, including a pap smear for females as needed.
  5. Order routine lab testing.
  6. Order routine screening exams, such as colonoscopy, mammogram, bone density screening.
  7. Renew prescription medications., if needed.
  8. Talk about your health and well-being and lifestyle choices.

Once screenings are completed, if anything is abnormal with your results, I will ask to see you again to discuss.

You can certainly bring any problems you’re having to your annual physical to be sure that we add any labs or other testing to our plan. We will then follow-up at another visit once those additional tests are completed to discuss results and design a treatment plan.

One area of confusion for females is when they go to a gyn for their breast exam and pap smear. In the billing world, this is called a “well-woman visit”. If you choose to do your well-woman visit with a gyn, you are still allowed an annual physical with your primary care provider (PCP). Some PCPs don’t do well-woman visits. At Flourish we can do your well-woman visit at your annual physical, or you can choose to do that part elsewhere.

Basically, females can have both a well-woman visit and an annual physical or just an annual physical that combines the well-woman visit.

It’s helpful to think of your annual physical exam like one of your dental cleaning visits. They do preventative care (cleaning) on your teeth, update your chart, and give you the tips and tools for better dental health. If they find a problem, you return on another day to treat the problem.

I hope this makes sense and helps you see why your annual physical exam with your provider is so important to your health and wellness. I love focusing on prevention so that problems are less likely to occur, and so that we have every possible option for supporting you through any abnormal findings.

Are you a patient at Flourish? Schedule your Annual Physical Exam here.

If not, take a moment now to schedule your Annual Physical Exam with your provider now.

Could you have a “leaky gut”?

Could you have a “leaky gut”?

In integrative medicine, we consider the gut to be the root of all health. When there’s imbalance in the gut, a myriad of symptoms can occur.

Most people think of the gut for obvious gut-related symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, heartburn, etc.

Most don’t think of the gut for more systemic issues such as rashes and other skin disorders, joint pain, headaches, trouble concentrating, depression, fatigue, and more. 

Often, the gut IS the root cause of all of the above symptoms and even more chronic diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, and autoimmune disorders. 

If you have any symptoms that typical western treatments haven’t been able to erradicate, then you might just have a leaky gut. 

 

What is leaky gut?

A more technical term for leaky gut is intestinal permeability.

In a normal functioning small intestine, there are tight junctions between all of the cells along the lining. These junctions hold the cells together and keep everything in the gut that is supposed to stay in the gut.

When this lining gets damaged, it thins causing microscopic substances to cross the intestinal lining into the blood stream. This causes a response from the immune system and a cascade of events that cause many different symptoms.

What causes leaky gut?

Leaky gut is caused by anything that can cause an insult to the gut lining. The most common things that do this include: 

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen (NSAIDs)
  • Poor diet
  • Poor digestion
  • Alcohol intake
  • Infections
  • Imbalance of good/bad bacteria
  • Antibiotics and other drugs
  • Toxins

How is leaky gut diagnosed?

If you have gut issues or any other chronic symptoms, it’s safe to assume you have a leaky gut. 

In my clinic, I like to use the GI Effects Comprehensive Stool Analysis to diagnosis leaky gut and other underlying gastrointestinal concerns.

This testing uses biomarkers to determine the overall health of the gut, including digestion/absorption, inflammation/immunology, and the health of the gut microbiome (aka do you have the right balance of good/bad bacteria). 

When there is a leaky gut, we can use these biomarkers to understand whether or not you have a leaky gut. 

How is leaky gut treated?

The main goal of treating leaky gut is to tighten the cell junctions along the gut. 

In order to do that, we follow these steps: 

  1. Remove the invading causes.
  2. Treat any infections, such as bacteria, yeast, and parasites (will be revealed on the stool testing).
  3. Use herbs and other supplements to heal the gut lining.
  4. Replenish the good bacteria. 

 

Healing leaky gut isn’t complicated and often doesn’t take more than 6-12 months to diminish many symptoms. 

It does take dedicated effort and often expert support. 

 

To learn more, come on in to The Flourish Center this coming Tuesday, June 7 from 6:15-7pm for a free community presentation. 

And, if you know you want testing and support, schedule an appointment with me, Jen Owen, N.P. now. 

 

Please share this post widely because likely your friends and family are dealing with this, too.