I forgot that this section typically has a header
Happy Sunday! I am pleased as punch that my friend Nicole Maffuccio is here guest writing Five Things. Nicole is a relatively new friend, but friendship with her feels old because she’s not afraid to ask meaningful questions. Nicole is a jewel.
Nicole is a wellness girl, but not in an Instagram way. In a I-will-order-the-pizza-at-Caffeteria-when-we-go-out-to-lunch-and-feel-no-kind-of-way way, which is exactly my kind of wellness friend, and friend in general. (Sometimes I get out of control with the hyphens. That’s what I like about having my own newsletter.) I can be myself with Nicole.
Disclaimer: If you have a history of disordered body image (throw a rock, hit a person…) I, Katherine Corliss, feel really good about you reading Five Things today - there’s nothing about weight or BMI in here, I checked. But if, for any reason, you’re having an especially obsessive day, or maybe your history involves really caring about mineral intake in a way that gets in the way of you having a good day/healthy relationships; take a beat, ask yourself if will be helpful to learn about poop, and maybe come back to it. Love you, mean it.
Anyway, I’m so grateful that Nicole is here guest writing. If you would like to guest write Five Things, get in touch!
I wrote this sentence that contains a link to my instagram. My Nuuly referral link. My Outdoor Voices link. And a tender reminder that you can support this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber. I hope today is beautiful for you.
Nicole, I’ll allow you to introduce yourself.
Nicole here! Happy to be a guest writer with Five Things and hopefully share some snippets to fuel the way you nourish you and yours or at the very least remind folks to eat breakfast. I work as a Wellness Coach and Maternity Nutrition Consultant, though these days work has shifted as I was recently a part of Oracle/Cerner’s downsizing …so shameless plug to reach out if you could use either services. I feel most alive when I am wandering grocery aisles or soaking up sunshine outside. With all the questions I get about health and wellness my biggest hope is for people to be encouraged by this: Adding even just one consistent practice to your wellness will have greater impact than figuring out all the things you should NOT eat or NOT do. You can find more of that at Nourish by Nicole
Number One: The pyramid scheme where everybody wins and I make no money.
With the sheer amount of times I recommend LMNT and Adrenal Cocktail you would think I was trying to reach platinum club status in an MLM but I assure you that I don’t get any royalties. I just believe in these hydration solutions that much. Everyone is well aware of the standard 8 glasses of water a day spiel. It's time to up the ante and add minerals in to ensure that we are hydrating effectively. Think Gatorade, sans coloring and lesser forms of minerals. (I am not anti-Gatorade but pro-quality and optimizing especially for things we are looking to do on the daily). Minerals are the spark plugs in our body to ensure hydration is happening on a cellular level. Products like LMNT, Adrenal Cocktail are helpful bases to keep it easy and take on-the-go. Most experience benefits to this daily addition pretty soon after incorporating them. Look forward to shifts in energy, headaches, digestion, and skin. I love this because it is low effort compared to the impact it can have on your day to day health. Tell all your friends!
If you’re looking for a DIY solution try the recipe below. You can also find more information and recipes here “Mineral Mocktail.” Sounds fancy which hopefully makes it fun but can be simple.
¼ t Quality sodium source (meaning ingredient list should only read: salt)
Redmond’s Real
Sea Salt
Himalayan Pink Salt
Potassium
¼ t Cream of Tartar (that spice collecting dust in the back of your cabinet finally gets a bump forward, because who is making snickerdoodles regularly?)
Coconut Water
Aloe Vera Juice
Vitamin C
Real Food Vitamin C Powder
Orange Juice or any other juice high in Vitamin C
Magnesium
Unflavored Magnesium Malate or Glycinate Powders
Flavored Magnesium Powder like this
Number Two: Boost your breakfast!
In a culture that is constantly doing diet “gymanstics” this might sound old school, but breakfast is still an important opportunity for your health. Start slow with something simple within an hour or so of rising. Some places to start: Greek yogurt with honey, berries, granola, an egg and toast, protein smoothie. If this is new to you it may take time for your appetite to come back. Our bodies are incredibly smart and self programmed so it will find another way to get the necessary fuel in lieu of a meal, and the first place it looks to begin breaking down is your precious muscle! When boosting your breakfast the main objective is to emphasize protein, fat, and carbohydrates or color. And while you’re at it, eat more in general. Our bodies rely on fuel and if we are not providing it our digestion, healing, muscle building etc are taking a hit.
Number Three: Bristol Stool chart is the new Enneagram
Here’s a hot take, this chart can tell you more about yourself than the Enneagram ever will. Maybe slightly kidding, but it is a helpful real-time check-in on what your body is up to. And sometimes it may desperately be screaming for your attention. “You are what you eat” is pretty inaccurate and also cultivates a dogma around food as bad or good that is also inaccurate and unhelpful. A truer truth is that you are what you digest and absorb.
The Bristol Stool chart can help us interrupt the signals our body is trying to give us in regards to our digestion and absorption. The 3-4 range is gold standard. If you know, you know. When we fall out of that range the chart can help us take a deeper look to understand potential causes rather than always writing it off as something weird you ate or your body hating you.
#1 on this list is a helpful place to start in supporting more gold standard in your bowl..life.
For fun:
Picture source: Practical Paleo 2nd Edition
Number Four: The Supplement Everybody needs
A dose of essentialism. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. Apologies if I am the first to break it to you but when it comes to supplements, more is not always better. Supplements can absolutely be a supportive aspect of your health and wellness. So can what and who we surround ourselves with, our rhythms, and whether or not they support rest and recharge.
To up your dosage of essentialism in your supplement game consider working with a provider to get personalized data about your unique status and needs to hone in on strategic and targeted supplementation rather than applying all “good ideas” to your supplement regime. Labs to consider depending on your unique needs: Standard blood panels, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), stool testing.
When we narrow in on what we personally and uniquely need it allows us to invest more in fewer, quality products.
Number Five: Reframe your mindset on your health and wellness spend
Health is wealth. Cheesy but true. What would it look like if our spending and lifestyle reflected this truth? Often food and gym spending is the first to get cut when evaluating budgets. Second, to sleep, food is one of the few things we do day in and out. Consider the long term gains of investing in this steadily. Unfortunately there is such a markup on “health foods” and most all convenience foods are greatly cheaper but it doesn’t always mean spending more. To take a note from essentialism again, what if it means investing on fewer items that have greater impact. Or simply seeing the meals you make and food you eat as an investment in your health rather than a high cost category.
I have worked with many clients that love a good Planet Fitness deal, but more often than not that $10 deal is not enough to get them in the door, especially on nights where it's looking like bedtime is already at 5:15 pm. Instead, what if you gave yourself permission to invest in a movement outlet that felt refreshing and F U N at a place you were genuinely excited to be at? (Katherine here, when’s the last time I talked about being obsessed with the Y? Do I need to talk about it again?) Again, consider the long term gains of investing in this steadily. Planet Fitness does work out for some! For those whose vibe is not purple and yellow everything, there are other low cost ways to explore movements that feel most fun and supportive to your goals. Most studios offer some sort of new student discount, with the purpose of letting you try before you buy. Taking advantage of these in a 10 or so mile radius of where you live could easily get you through the year. That may seem fun and refreshing or chaotic and cluttered. Class Pass is another opportunity to explore different classes and studies, which from my understanding, longtime Five Things readers are well aware of. :)