What to feed our bodies is a whole other can of worms that we often open up, but once it’s open, we rarely know how to approach it.

A good starting point, as many of you may know, is focusing on our diets and what we actually feed our bodies. Food really is medicine and the more we honour this, the more our bodies have a chance of operating at its highest frequency and to its optimal potential.

For me, I’ve found that;

• Going Gluten-Free
• Going Dairy-Free
• Limiting carbs and grains

has really had a huge impact on the inflammatory state of my body and also my energy-levels. I am not saying that this is what you need to be doing, but experimenting with what works for you, is a good idea to see what your body functions best on.

I absolutely LOVE my food and I consider myself eating a healthy & balanced diet. Healthy to me doesn’t meant never eating sweets, but majority of the time my plate will be filled with high-quality organic or local vegetables, alongside some amazing fats and some sort of protein; mainly fish, as I don’t eat much red meat or chicken – I find them too hard on my digestion.

I also do try and get my sweets from a more nutritious and natural source like homemade raw chocolates, nuts, bliss-balls or fruits.

However, we are human and we live a human-life – part of the fun is going out to have dinners where you disregard all of the above as well. I try to eat as my body craves, this means I’ll never really deny it anything.

And as much as I eat a varied diet, I do like to get some help from added vitamins and natural supplements to my diet. It fascinates me that we can derive ingredients from nature that can help our bodies even further in feeling well, and I truly believe that there are ways in which we can also heal our bodies, naturally. Of course, prevention is always going to be the better option, so taking care of our bodies really is so important.

Vitamins & Supplements

is a very individual approach, and it’s important to look at what your body is lacking and what it’s got enough of. Sometimes, it’s even nice to top those levels up a little more, so we can reach that level of feeling our very best, and this is really where these helpers come into your life.

This leads me to Vitally – Vitally is a New Zealand owned and based online personalised Vitamin brand that tailor premium quality vitamins & nutritional supplements to based on your individual needs & lifestyle. It arrives on your doorstep every single month, and the vitamin & supplements is packaged into daily individual little sachets, so you just need to focus on that one pack to hit your daily needs you’ve chosen for yourself.

Vitally is formulated by an expert panel and is made from raw ingredients where possible. The vitamins and supplements have been tested for purity, quality and to verify the amounts and bioavailability. Vitally also avoid using artificial chemical binders, fillers and extraction processes to ensure maximum absorption of active ingredients.

Where possible, products are also made Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan Friendly and Organic.

Disclaimer: always check with a health professional about vitamins & supplements.
Vitamins & Supplements should only be an addition to your diet and not substitute it at any point. 

Read more about Vitally here.

Take the Vitally Questionnaire here.

Anna xx

The post Which Vitamins & Supplements Are Right For You? Find out here. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD normally approaches when the months become colder and there’s less light exposure during the day. People who are ‘diagnosed’ with SAD produce more of a chemical called SERT, which lowers levels of serotonin, the happy hormone. So it’s even more important for people who experience these seasonal changes to get outdoors more and get exposed to as much natural light as possible. Something like infrared sauna’s and light-boxes that imitate natural light, if you live in an area that is mostly dark, can be really useful, too.

Whilst this disorder is becoming a lot more known, what I really want to talk about today is how & why Seasonal Changes affects our entire body & mind and why something like Bio Individuality comes into play and should be a known way of life by a lot more people than what it currently is.

Bio-Individuality:

Bio-individuality is the concept that no one diet or lifestyle works for everyone. People have their own unique needs and will have a way of eating and living that works best for them. Your perfect diet could make someone else gain weight or feel lethargic, while someone else’s morning run could leave your body feeling weak and depleted.

In addition, your needs will likely change over time. Exactly what you’re doing now probably won’t work in the same way as you and your life evolve. You’ll have to keep checking in to see what’s working for you as you go through changes like moving, getting a new job, or having children.

Some factors to consider when seeing what works for your bio-individuality are lifestyle, occupation, geographic area, available resources, body type, age, culture, and religion.

Your health is a journey not a destination, and this is where Bio-Individuality comes into play more than ever. It is a lifestyle that adapts to your changing needs and the world around you.

Bio-Individuality & Season Changes:

This is where I believe bio-individuality is more important than ever throughout the year. If you’re anything like me and feel the season changes on your own body and mind very deeply, this could be a new approach that may work very well for you.

For me; bio-individuality and season changes mean that I adapt my lifestyle to the changing nature around me.

It’s officially Winter in Australia tomorrow, and in some ways we’re lucky to mainly have warm months instead cold. However, we do get cold winters in Australia – today it’s 5 degrees as I got up this morning. We also don’t have insulation or radiators like they do in Europe, so it’s very cold inside and out for 3-4 months, roughly.

It makes sense to change your lifestyle to fit with the nature around us, for the pure and simple reason that we ARE nature ourselves. When we adapt and bring ourselves into our natural state of consciousness, we’re aligning ourselves with the vibrations of the earth and the frequency of the universe.

 – We FEEL better when we’re eating as close to a whole food diet as we can.

 – We feel more alive when we get exposed to sun, rain & wind.

 – We breathe deeper when we take a moment to centre ourselves and fine-tune our connection with our deep truth within, which is the same frequency that aligns with where you come from; The Universe.

Whenever we consciously choose to honour the nature around us and look to it for guidance, I truly believe we feel happier and healthier as physical human-beings. Our mindsets, too.

If you still find it hard to believe that seasonal changes and the nature around us has a say in how we feel, how about this:

– The Moon has gravity of its own, which pulls the oceans (and us) towards it. 

 – The Sun warms our seas, stirs our atmosphere, generates our weather patterns, and gives energy to the growing green plants that provide the food and oxygen for life on Earth.

 –  All life on Earth is calibrated to the frequency of the planet. Everything from our brain waves and biorhythms to our states of consciousness are directly correlated to the Earth’s frequencies.

How can we adapt?

It’s not as hard as it may sound. Just like the bears go into hibernation over winter, we as human beings needs to do something a little similar. Now, I know that we can’t go away for 4 months and just sleep, but taking inspiration from animals around us, as we are simply an extant member of of the subtribe Hominina (chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans), the more I believe our bodies will thrive, especially in the colder months.

So, think about slowing the overall pace of your life down. Substitute habits and foods with something else that will serve you more in winter. It’s not about eliminating things or making restrictions, it’s about finding what works for you and your body.

Here are some suggestions:

• Swap Cold Foods for Warm Foods: think soups, stews, casseroles. Think steaming, boiling, stir-frying, heating, baking. Transition over to cooked foods instead of raw and cold foods.
• Warm Energy Foods: Eat foods with warming energy like walnuts, sunflower seeds, turmeric, nutmeg, coconut, dates, clove, fresh ginger, coriander, cinnamon, red capsicum, rice milk, parsley, cayenne.
• Warm Drinks: avoid cold drinks and opt for room-temperature water and warm fluids that will keep your body balanced. Think broths, herbal teas and matcha/turmeric lattes.
•  Up Your Protein: make sure you have enough protein as protein is an important source of energy & heat. Make sure, if eating meat, that it’s organic and/or free-range and if you’re vegetarian or vegan, make sure you get enough quality plant-based protein.
• Change Your Workouts: this may not go for everyone, but I enjoy slowing down my pace in Winter to give my body some time & rest to adjust to the colder weather and to allow it’s energy to be spent on my mood and heating up my body. I swap some of my HIIT classes for hot yoga flows, pilates or barre classes.
• Rise With The Sun: as the winter-sun rises much later, so should we, if we have the option to do so. Letting your body rise naturally when the sun awakens, is the best possible way that you can let your body & mind start the day. Sleep without the blinds, so that the sun can start to trigger the serotonin levels in your body as soon as it rises and in return, let you feel nice and rested when you wake up.
• Get Outside First Thing In The Morning: we need the morning-light to trigger our serotonin levels so that we can both wake up, but also feel ‘better’ for the day ahead. As there’s far less light and a decrease in the strength of light, too, we should be going for a walk or spend a bit of time first thing in the morning, if possible.

Now, I know that all of the above may not be feasible for everyone, but that’s where bio-individuality comes in again. You have to consider so many underlying factors as before mentioned like lifestyle, occupation, geographic area, available resources, body type, age, culture, religion etc.

But what I CAN say is that I’ve felt an incredible shift when I do honour the nature around me and allow it to help me transition through the seasonal changes – body, mind and spirit wise.

Anna xx

The post How Seasonal Changes Affect Our Body, Mind & Spirit. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

Seeing we’re now mid-way through May, I wanted to update you all on my Gut Health Journey so far. You can read about my beginning right here if you haven’t read it already.

For the last 6 months I’ve focused on healing my gut the natural way. I could take the ‘easy’ way out and go on antibiotics to ‘kill’ the bad bacteria in my stomach, but western medicine and treatment are part of the reasons as to why my gut has been ruined in the first place, so it hasn’t been an option I’d like to take.

My motto has been “Food is Medicine” and in the last few months I’ve really realised how true this is. Coming from a past of disordered eating, this has really helped me understand even further that what we put in and on our bodies plays a massive role in how we feel – emotionally, psychologically and physically.

Through this journey, I’ve been confirmed even further in the fact that the gut is the epicentre of our overall health and wellbeing. Everything originates from there, and chances are, if you have anything wrong with you, whether it’d be eczema, psoriasis, cystic acne, hormonal imbalances, mood swings, PMS, arthritis etc., there will be a link back to you gut microbiome and the state it’s in.

My first step has been an elimination diet to starve the bad bacteria in my gut and introduce foods that would promote good bacteria + a 500 billion/day prescribed probiotics treatment. Again, you can read more about that here.

I was following this diet strictly for 8 weeks. Which, in the beginning was easier than what it became. As I wasn’t ‘allowed’ starchy vegetables, grains, dairy, gluten, fructose (fruit) or any sugar at all, it made it very hard to be social and eat out. As you all know, I’m a huge foodie and I eat out multiple times a week. I did find myself retracting quite a lot, and so I discussed these symptoms with my Nutritionist Katherine Hay to come up with a solution that would work for me and my gut, but without being so compromised.

It was important for me to catch this early, as I do come from a disordered eating past and it can still play mind-tricks on me from time to time.

Instead we agreed on that a little bit here and there was better than ruling it out completely for my mental health. It just meant that my gut-healing would take a little longer, but in the overall grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter.

I genuinely cannot express how amazing I felt on this ‘diet’. Cutting down on starchy vegetables, grains & bread (in particular), sugar and fructose made me feel a million bucks. I also quickly realised how addicted I was to sugar and this would go for most people. Without the bread and grains and heavy carbs my energy levels would rise and I wouldn’t feel so sluggish and tired like I used to.

I want to summarise really efficiently what I’ve focused on the last few months:

• Eating a varied, mainly, plantbased diet with the addition of fresh fish & sometimes chicken.
• Keeping starchy vegetables to a minimum and only having grains once or twice a week. Best options for me is quinoa, a bit of brown rice, and sprouted bread.
• I’ve had a bit of fruit here and there and have tried to keep it at berries, pineapple and low-fructose fruits.
• No gluten and dairy – if I have this, I can feel it the next day instantly. I’m either on the toilet all the time or I can’t go at all.
• Taking the right strain of probiotics is so important for your gut. If you take the wrong one, you could add fuel to the fire if that’s the wrong strain for your gut health.
• Supplementing is necessary for healing. I can’t rely on food only although it’s my approach. Natural supplementing has to take place and in the right manner in order for my gut to heal and function properly.
• Current supplementing includes: Calcium D-Glucarate, Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics, Zinc, GI Powder, Collagen, Adaptogens, Medicinal Mushrooms.
• Topical Magnesium from Abundant Natural Health has been a lifesaver when I’ve been bloated or had stomach cramps & pains. It’s also helped rebuild my gut-lining, making it stronger when it’s come to viruses and bad bacteria. I’ve been using the Gel, Spray & now Bath Soap Bar that is so convenient and easy to carry with me.
• Aloe Vera Juice is amazing for soothing the stomach if I have a stomach-ache.
• Stress is a massive culprit in my life and I know when I let stress get to me, my gut suffers, so remembering my self-care routines like meditation, time alone, walks in nature, cuddles with my dog Archie, intimacy with Pash and so on, is really important for my presence and mindset.

I’m doing another assessment round with Katherine Hay (clinical nutritionist) soon to see what we now need to focus on.

As I’m currently sick with the flu & a chest-infection, I’ve had to succumb to antibiotics as it just wouldn’t budge for 2,5 weeks. Because I’m doing antibiotics and they kill everything in you (unfortunately it doesn’t just pick the bad bacteria), I’m doing another round of the intensive 14-day 500 billion strain probiotics treatment to help my gut recover from the antibiotics.

For me, my goal this year is to continue working on my gut-health, I’ve just started studying Health & Nutrition and am excited about helping others heal. Another goal of mine is also to keep challenging my thoughts and ideas around food and clean out in old thought-patterns around diets and health.

I am so passionate about gut-health and helping others feel their very best selves. I know, from my own journey, that it’s not easy figuring out what’s wrong with yourself and sometimes you wonder if it’s all in your head.

I’m telling you this; it’s not all in your head and if you are questioning your health and if you’re feeling okay, chances are you are not. Don’t delay seeing someone about this, because a happy gut is a happy body.

The average Australian sees about 8-10 specialists and spends thousands of dollars before they’re diagnosed. I know this and my friend and clinical Nutritionist Katherine Hay knows this, so to help you in your journey and getting to the bottom of the root-cause of your health issues, we’ve created a GUT HEALTH EVENT that’ we’d love for your to come along to.

It will be a very informative & intimate 2 hours with Katherine & myself, so that you can walk away feeling supported and knowing how to tackle your gut-health issues moving forward.

We also have an amazing goodie-bag lined up for you worth over $350.

You can get your tickets here

The post My Gut Health Journey Halfway Through 2019. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

Everything in your body is linked, and your gut has a huge influence on your health. I think we’ve established this already?

If you are new to following me, then you might not know that I’ve been dealing with poor health and, gut-health in particular, for about 14 years. I’m now on the road to recovery and continuing to unveil & discover more as to why I’ve been feeling & acting a certain way for years, due to the destroyed natural flora in my microbiome by doing much more testing and working together with dedicated gut-health specialists.

You can read more about that here..

The Brain-Gut Connection:

Your gut is not only responsible for the breakdown and absorption of food, but everything, really. Incredibly, your gut has neural tissue and neurotransmitters in the gut-lining-walls, that make and release hormones such as serotonin (happy hormone). Your gut microbiome is just as fascinating: the colony of bacteria cells that live in your colon actually outnumber the entirety of your human cells by 10 times.

Your gut and brain communicate in two main ways:

• Through the vagus nerve – it’s the longest nerve in your body, extending from skull to your stomach. The vagus nerve is communicates both sensory information and movement commands. As it lines such a large section of your body, the vagus nerve has many functions, including the stimulation of the muscles in your heart to make it beat. But the vagus nerve also stimulates the movement of your gut in order to digest food.
  Your gut also uses the vagus nerve to send information up to your brain. The brainstem of the vagus nerve interacts with your hypothalamus and limbic system which then controls the regulation of your emotions. This is why there are studies done on anxiety & depression being higher in people with gut-health issues.

• Through hormones. Your gut microbiome also has a say in triggering the release of hormones or producing them. The bacteria can communicate with your nervous system, and certain types affect your production of serotonin. By reducing your serotonin levels, the gut bacteria can interfere with your sleep. Your brain and your guts can enter a vicious circle when it comes to sleep, as poor sleep can have a bad effect on your gut health.

As you can see, the gut-brain-sleep connection goes both ways. If you have a few days of bad sleep it will ultimately start to impact your gut-health and, if continuous, spread to your overall health. Likewise, if you’re dealing with poor gut-health you might find that your sleep is lacking as well. This can be the start of a never-ending cycle that will only continue to worsen unless you become aware of it and take action.

How to improve your gut-health & sleep:

1. Eat foods that support a healthy microbiome & aids in the production of melatonin (the hormone that helps us fall asleep:

What to eat: Walnuts & almonds, green leafy vegetables, fish & seafood, variety of good fats, bone broth, Vitamin D supplement
What to avoid: refined sugars, caffeine, dark chocolate (because of the caffeine), heavy & greasy food, alcohol.

In order for us to produce melatonin, we have to produce serotonin which is an important building-block in melatonin itself. And as we’ve learnt, serotonin is the ‘feel-good’ hormone that is also produced in the gut. It’s all linked.

2. Regulate your circadian rhythm:

As humans, we work on an internal body-clock. This clock or righteously, Circadian Rhythm, is what determines our sleep, wake-up times, when we eat and even our cognitive skills (memory, orientation, attention etc.).

Interestingly, research is now beginning to show that our microbiome has a cycle of its own, which is generally synced up with our circadian rhythms. Disruptions in our own rhythm, in turn, affect the rhythm of our microbiome. This can impact the balance of our microbial friends and cause gut disturbances.

What to do:

– Shut off your TV & Phone at least an hour before bed. The light from the screen of your computer, tablet or phone is blue spectrum light, and it’s particularly dangerous because it tells the brain to stop producing melatonin.

– Create a peaceful bedroom where you can relax and rewind. Keep phones out of the bedroom if you’re one of those who have a hard time letting it go, and sleep with only light blinds so that the sun can naturally wake you up as it rises.

– Use the help of lavender – either fresh or as an aromatic oil – to make you feel relaxed. Or have a warm tonic of some relaxing Ashwaghanda or Holy Basil (adaptogens) to help you de-stress before bedtime. Chamomile-tea will do the trick too.

3. Relax your stressed brain & gut:

Chances are you’re a bit of a stress-head, but then again, who isn’t in this day & age we live in? It’s sometimes hard to get it all done, and as emotional beings, we take a lot of stresses home with us.

What to do:

– Have a magnesium bath & use magnesium gel to help you relax. Magnesium is absorbed much more efficiently through the skin than taking it orally, so combining a magnesium bath + a magnesium spray afterward on your gut can really do wonders for a good sleep.

– Write down your worries & concerns and then leave them in your diary. Ask yourself; will this really matter if I don’t deal with it right now? Alternatively ask yourself; will this really matter or have an impact on me in 1, 3, 5 years time? We tend to get too caught up in the moment, so take a breath and realise that (most) things aren’t as important as we make them out to be in our heads.

– Go for a light walk around the block after dinner. It can really help your mind to connect with nature but it will also help your digestion to move a bit around before bed-time. If we eat too much and our digestion is a bit sluggish, sleeping with an overfull tummy won’t help our sleep. So, if you can, walk barefoot around the block, and give yourself time to breathe.

– Have an evening-meditation, breathing exercise or stretch. Sitting in stillness and/or stretching your body lightly before bedtime can help reduce stress and bring your heart-rate down enormously. Incorporating a few yin-poses before bedtime can even help signal to your brain that it’s time to hit the ZzZz-button.

Happy Snoozing xx

The post Why Sleep & Gut-Health Impacts Each Other + Tips To Improve Both. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

A lot of you have frequently asked me what I’m eating on this Gut-Health Diet I’ve been on for 2,5 weeks now, so I thought I’d share a collective look into my ‘Day On A Plate‘, but just the Gut-Health Version.

Remember that I’m working together with a qualified Clinical Nutritionist & Gut-Health Specialist on this, so if you are experiencing gut-health issues or other health issues, then I suggest you liaise with a professional first and draw inspiration from this.

Morning:

As I wake up I start my day with Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar + 1/2 Fresh Lemon + Water & drink that before heading off to training. With me I bring a 500ml water bottle with 15ml Chlorophyll.

Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day, and I enjoy cooking it at home.

For breakfast I have:

• 2 free-range eggs fried in coconut oil. (If your stomach is really sensitive try to cook the white completely)
• Steamed veggies seasoned w/ salt&pepper, turmeric, flaxseed oil & pepitas/hemp seeds (zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, green beans)
• 1/2 avocado
• 3 roasted cherry tomatoes
• Small pieces of smoked salmon-fillet
• 1 tsp Hummus (some tummies might not like this, so be careful)

This breakfast will keep me full for about 3-4 hours, but we’re all different, so please eat when you’re hungry. Some days I’ll eat more, some days less. My aim is to eat mindfully and intuitively.

After my breakfast I have my Calcium-D-glucarate + Glutagenics + Enzymes.

Lunch:

For lunch I like to keep the majority of my plate full of vegetables and normally without animal-protein, however sometimes I do have some tinned salmon if I feel like it.

Again, I’ll try to focus on the good vegetables that I can have – I cannot have starchy vegetables or grains at the moment, so I fill up on cruciferous veggies a lot which I adore.

I like to make a stirfry of:

• 1/2 zucchini, sliced
• 3 florets of broccoli
• 3 florets of cauliflower
• 2 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 red capsicum, sliced
• 1/4 cup of red cabbage, sliced
• 1/4 cup of white cabbage, sliced
• 3 stalks of kale, torn
• 5 snowpeas, sliced
• Homemade Guacamole or Avocado
• Sesame Oil & Sesame Seeds
• Spices of choice
• Salt & Pepper
• Coconut Oil
• Lemon

Just add coconut-oil to a hot pan and stirfry it all until soft, but with a bite to it. Add your preferred herbs; I like turmeric for anti-inflammatory properties & fennel-seeds. Add to a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds, sesame oil, add avocado & lemon.

After this I’ll have another round of Calcium-D-glucarate + Enzymes.

Afternoon:

This is normally when my cravings set-in for something sweet or hearty. As I am also trying my best to cut out sugar & fructose I’m a little bit limited, however that said, if I really crave it, I’ll have something like Pineapple, an apple or a piece of 100% raw Cacao which you can get from a good health-food shop (make sure they don’t add fruit-sweetener or anything artificial)

I also like to take myself up to Orchard Street and treat myself for a cup of Raw Cacao + Espresso tonic with some herbs that’ll be made on homemade cashew & coconut milk (without any sweetener).

Sometimes I’ll make a raw cacao at home, myself. All you need is 1/2 cup of nutmilk, 1/2 cup of boiling water, 1 tbsp raw cacao, liquid stevia & 1/2 tsp maca. Heat the milk and add to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend on high for 5 seconds. It’ll be nice, creamy & thick. Perfect treat to enjoy.

Night:

For dinner I keep it simple again. This diet is really about dialling it back to basics. It’s about cutting out processed & shelf-stable items that just aren’t fresh and in a whole-foods format.

I normally cook up a stirfry again or make a green salad with a piece of crispy-skin salmon or crispy-skin barramundi. I always buy fresh fish from the fish-butcher and I always buy it on the day I’ll eat it. I can also have something like tempeh, tofu, chicken or meat, but I don’t really like meat & chicken much, so I stick to fish or plant-based meals all together.

That said, I do like a bolognese sometimes, so the other night I cooked Pash and I a bolognese and made zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti as I can’t have gluten, starches or grain as I mentioned before. I am also completely dairy-free.

I always make sure I have good fats for dinner as well as I find myself being more satisfied and I sleep better without feeling heavy.

Notes:

• I add ACV to most of my meals and splash it on top of food as it helps to my digestive system break down the fibre easier.
• For snacks I also have lots of nut-butters, nuts and tahini.
• I completely avoid eating raw vegetables as its too harsh for my digestion.
• I drink chlorophyll throughout the day
• I enjoy teas like Earl Grey, Peppermint, Chamomile, Licorice etc.
• I’ve started having a tiny bit of starches like 1/4 cup of sweet potato or cooked quinoa if I really crave it.
• I incorporate lots of bitter vegetables to encourage hydrochloric acid production (stomach acid) to help breakdown the food I’m are eating for proper digestion and absorption.

You can read more about my Gut-Health Supplements here & about my ACV Ritual here.

Love, Anna xx

The post My Day On A Plate – Gut-Health Reset Version. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

Apple cider vinegar is a fermented liquid made mostly of apple juice. Most people don’t know how wonderful vinegar is. Its cleansing properties are known to aid digestion by stimulating the flow of enzymes and saliva in the mouth. It’s used to reduce inflammation & detoxify. Yeast is added to turn the fruit sugar in the apple juice into alcohol, which is what is known as fermentation. The bacteria in the alcohol then becomes acetic acid, which gives the vinegar its strong smell and sour taste & makes it full of raw enzymes, potassium & nutrients.

It’s an incredible supplement to incorporate into your diet if you’re suffering from digestive issues & are trying to restore your gut back to a balanced level of bacteria in your microbiome.

Just make sure you buy the Raw Unfiltered ‘With The Mother’ Apple Cider Vinegars as otherwise you wont reap the benefits.

Let’s take a look at some of the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar:

1. Keep a healthy pH balance in the body for proper digestion and function. Homeostasis or proper equilibrium is what the body is constantly working on to keep everything just right, ACV helps allow the body to do this.
   This process takes most of its energy during digestion and other processes in the body
2. Low stomach acid is a common contributor to SIBO and heartburn. SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, looks a lot like irritable bowel syndrome, and may occur alongside of it.
   A dilution of apple cider vinegar before a meal helps relieve these symptoms by increasing the acidity in your stomach. Apple cider vinegar also contains prebiotics — indigestible carbs that help balance your gut microbiome and keep bad guys like H. pylori in check.
3. Acetic acid can increase your ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium from your food. This is especially beneficial when your nutrients come from whole foods. Reap this benefit by adding vinegar to your meal or sipping an apple cider vinegar tonic.
4. Because of its antibacterial properties, apple cider vinegar makes an effective home remedy for sore throats.
   Sipping or gargling a diluted ACV tonic can help relieve pain, but make sure to rinse your mouth with water to protect your tooth enamel as it’s pretty harsh on teeth otherwise.
5. The ability of ACV to help maintain normal blood sugar is actually one of the most well-studied apple cider vinegar benefits. ACV may also increase insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the tissues where it can be used as fuel. Sustaining high levels of insulin can cause insulin resistance, which reduces its effectiveness and can lead to high blood sugar and diabetes.
6. ACV doesn’t just help with your internal health; ACV has also been shown to treat acne and reduce scarring. Certain strains of bacteria often contribute to the development of acne.
   Vinegar is well-known for its antibacterial properties and has been shown to be effective against many strains of harmful bacteria.
   ACV also contains specific components like acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid and citric acid, all of which have been shown to inhibit the growth of Propionibacterium acnes, the specific strain of bacteria responsible for causing acne.
7. ACV works to detoxify your liver for better overall health and bodily functions. Also, it helps build a healthy lymphatic system that nurtures proper circulation of lymph. This is the body’s garbage disposal.

How do I take ACV?

There are so many ways, but how I like to take it, is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to help with upping my stomach acid production and help with my digestive system for the day ahead.

It’s very easy, all you have to do is dilute 1 tbsp ACV with 50ml of hot water & 1/2 squeezed lemon. Sip on it with a straw to protect your enamel, and rinse your mouth with water after you’ve finished.

You can also add it to your stir-fried veggies, salads or meals to help breaking down the nutrients more efficiently as ACV contains raw enzymes. It’ll help take the heavy load off your digestive system, especially if you’re finding it hard for your body to process whole foods or are in the midst of healing your gut.

Read more about Natural Remedies for Bloating & Stomach Cramps here.

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Today, I want to share more about BLOATING, STOMACH CRAMPS & PAINS stemming from a poor gut and what you can do to help ease these symptoms by using natural remedies because, as you’d know by now, I’m not much into non-natural products, however in some areas, of course, it serves its time & place in some cases (western medicine).

But, for now, please stop reaching out for the painkillers and read this post if you want help with healing your gut naturally and gently.

So, let’s dive into it.

1. Heat-Packs:

When heat over 40 degrees is applied to the skin, heat receptors deeper down, where the pain is, are switched on. The heat receptors in turn block the effect of chemical messengers that cause pain to be detected by the body.

The heat doesn’t just provide comfort and have a placebo effect – it actually deactivates the pain at a molecular level in much the same way as pharmaceutical painkillers work.

For quicker relief of pain & discomfort caused by gas and bloating, lie down with a hot heat-pack across your stomach. Allow its heat and weight to help the gas leave your body and the pressure to subside. It also aids digestive organs with a soothing circulation boost – just lie back, preferably with a pillow under your knees, and relax for at least 10 minutes.

2. Peppermint:

Whether you have it as a tea, essential oil rubbed on your stomach or as a supplement, peppermint can be really beneficial for stomach discomfort, and help soothe your digestive system quicker.

Peppermint has relaxant and antispasmodic properties and can help relieve cramps and spasms in the gastrointestinal tract, bile duct and gallbladder. This will help improve the passage of food through the digestive tract, allowing them to go through smoothly and without pain or discomfort.

The volatile oils in peppermint also stimulate the gallbladder to release bile that your body uses to digest fats.
The flow of bile to the liver can also be increased by the compounds in peppermint tea. A well functioning liver is another key element & vital to overall digestive health and therefore reducing bloating & stomach problems.

Please buy real peppermint-tea and not a product that has artificially flavoured peppermint in it as it won’t have any benefits to your health.

3. Magnesium:

Magnesium is a mineral that is naturally found in your body, as well as in several different foods. It’s a required element of energy production, and it is also present in over 300 enzyme systems in your body. This mineral plays a vital role in almost all of the systems in your body. It helps keep your bones strong, regulates your digestive system, protects your brain from oxidative stress and stimulates energy production.

You’d have seen me absolutely rave about Magnesium before, and I’ve been a big believer in Magnesium for many, many years. However, it wasn’t up until about 6 months ago that I started using Topical Magnesium and I cannot tell you how many beneficial effects it’s had on my body and how diverse it is in its usage-methods.

You see, your muscles need magnesium to relax. Without it, you get a buildup of lactic acid, which causes cramping. This goes for your digestive system, too.

For women, magnesium spray can reduce cramps, migraines and symptoms of PMS like bloating and moodiness.

And, did you know, Magnesium Spray is absorbed better topically through the skin than it is when you take it orally? Mindblown, right?

I use Abundant Natural Health Magnesium Sport Spray & Magnesium Ache Gel on my stomach – it’s 99.9% natural, certified organic, contains Australian salt & cucumber and is Australian made.

You can try a free sample here and use my code CAROLINE15 for 15% off.

4. Digestive Enzymes:

Your pancreas can secrete up to eight cups of pancreatic enzymes each day, and these enzymes are vital in helping your body break down and process carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Lipase breaks fat molecules down so your body can absorb them. Protease breaks down proteins and helps regulate bacteria levels. Finally, Amylase works to break down starch or carbohydrates so your body can absorb them more quickly.

And, if you’re suffering from Leaky Gut then your digestive tract experiences a lot of inflammation. Researchers performed a study that showed having adequate amounts of pancreatic enzymes in your body can help heal inflammation. It does this by taking a lot of strain off of your intestines by breaking down the nutrients so your body can absorb them better.

5. Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

DGL has many medicinal properties that can help you internally and I love and swear by this, especially if I have a bit of reflux and heartburn as well, I’ll pop a DGL pill (I find the chewable version best) and swallow the rest with some water.

One trial took 17 participants with various digestive issues and had them take DGL a few times a day for a period of six days. The patients that got DGL reported less pain and irritation in their symptoms. DGL is important for helping your body maintain the mucosal lining in your stomach and intestines, as well as soothing irritation and inflammation.

6. Stop Stressing:

One of the biggest factors that plays a significant role in whether you will feel bloated & with a painful stomach or nicely balanced after a meal is.. STRESS.

It can be about little or big things, but as soon as you bring further stress and frustrations into your body with every bite you take, you stomach will immediately react. I’m a big supporter and believer of the gut-brain connection and a lot of our food-patterns are grounded and rooted in our emotional subconscious mind. This can manifest itself in the stomach and cause stress-induced pain & bloating.

To soothe your stress and racing mind, try to add in some stress-reducing practices like yoga, meditation, calming herbs like Ashwaghanda, listening to a podcast, reading a book or even exercising or a walk to get your digestive system moving.

Remember, the mind-body connection goes both ways – I know that when my gut feels healthy & thriving, my mind will be a lot happier as well. This is because 90% of your overall serotonin (the happiness hormone) is found within your intestines, along with 50% of your dopamine, which is involved in your motivation.

7. ACV & Lemon:

When the body is unable to produce enough stomach acid, it is unable to digest protein molecules and key minerals. These partially digested protein molecules get into the small intestine and create significant stress on the pancreas to produce adequate enzymes to metabolise the protein effectively.

If this occurs repeatedly over time, it will wear down the pancreatic enzyme storage and cause stress and irritation to the intestinal lining.

When we digest our food poorly it leads to increased inflammatory activity which depletes key minerals and anti-oxidants throughout the body. This mineral depletion leads to an inability to form stomach acid and the vicious cycle of poor digestion and chronic inflammation continues

So, start your day, on an empty stomach, with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother), Lemon Juice & warm water. Drink it with a straw so it doesn’t ruin the enamel on your teeth.

This will help your body to have the resources it needs to produce adequate stomach acid in the future.  When you improve stomach acid levels, it makes a huge difference on your overall health.

As I always say; we’re all different. We have different bodies, we live different lives. No human being contains the exact same cells as another human and so our diets and approach to health should be tailored to suit us.

I hope you can find inspiration to help soothe your bloating, stomach pain and cramps naturally, but please remember to go see someone about your overall gut-health if symptoms persist and you continue with pain and discomfort.

Lots of love, Anna xx

The post Stomach Cramps, Pain & Bloating? Use These Natural Remedies For Soothing & Prevention appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

Thanks for tuning in once again to keep me company on my – what seems – never-ending journey to restoring my gut back to a healthy, functioning and pain-free state. Something that I’ve been chasing for many, many years and many, many moons, but now, it seems we might have a breakthrough.

About 1,5 months ago I was led to a beautiful woman called Katherine Hay. She was recommended to me through a dear friend of mine, but naturally, I was hesitant because I’ve been through the mill of medical professionals and natural therapists through the years and my hope was swindling by the day.

However, I was still determined to give it another go, to try and speak with Katherine to see if she could help me figure out why I’m lethargic, fatigued, hormonal, anxious, depressed, bloated, in pain and so much more.

From the instant I met Katherine – on FaceTime because she’s in Byron and I’m in Sydney #YayTechnology – I felt at ease, safe and very connected with her energy and beliefs.

After our consult I felt like I potentially could figure out what was wrong with me, and for the first time – maybe ever – I had a person who believed in my symptoms, who believed my pain and wanted to help me.

The Test:

Fast forward a few weeks, and I did a stool-test. It’s very easy and I did it in the comfort of my own home. Basically the lab, in which Katherine had booked in my stool test at, sent me a home-kit and it all goes through the mail (don’t worry, it’s not that gross) – 3 weeks later you have your test-results back.

Now, I’m not at the liberty to be able to do extended blood-tests and more tests purely because I just can’t afford the money-aspect of it. The stool-test itself was already $390AUD, however, truly all the money worth (and more!).

I received a comprehensive analysis from the stool-test that showed a multitude of things like; whether I had parasites, candida or yeast (negative), overgrowth of certain bacterias (positive), remnants of food in my stool (positive), poor digestion (positive), not producing stomach-acid (positive), re-cycling of hormones (massively positive!) and much more.

By looking at these results, we could now actually target the problems within my gut and body.

For the first time in 14 years, I felt relieved. Relieved that it wasn’t only on my head that I was “sick”. Relieved that someone believed in me (Katherine), relieved that I potentially could be pain-free and live a free life. I balled my eyes out most of that day. It was tears of happiness though.

So, how do I heal my body?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

Katherine and myself both wholeheartedly believe in ‘Food is Medicine’ and want to treat my body that way. Antibiotics, and conventional medicine played a large role as to why I’m even like this in the first place, so the thought of having to go back to that isn’t appealing to me what.so.ever.

Because of the different overgrowth of bacteria in my gut and how they literally feed of certain types of foods – even healthy foods – I’m having to be on a bit of a restricted diet for the next 6-8 weeks.

The restricted diet means:

• No Starchy Vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, potato, peas, corn, beetroot, pumpkin, parsnip etc.)
• No Grains (bread, rice, barley, oatmeal, millet, pasta, crackers etc.)
• No Fructose (basically all fruits, honey, cane sugar, pastries, lollies etc.)
• No Dairy
• No Gluten

What CAN I eat:

• Loads of vegetables, especially those that are bitter as they’ll help produce more stomach acid for me (radish, endive, rocket, watercress, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale etc.)
• Protein (fish, seafood, lamb, chicken, red meat, eggs – although I’ll mainly keep it at fish, seafood & eggs as I’m not a fan of red meat & chicken much)
• Extremely limited Fruits (I can have a handful of berries here and there but very limited – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
• Sweets (chia seed pudding with nut-milks)
• Extremely limited grains (I can have about 1/2 cup of quinoa every 2nd day if I really need to)

Supplements I’m on:

• Probiotics
• Glutagenics (heal, seal & repair the gut)
• Enzymes (tablet after every meal to help with digestion)
• Calcium-D-Glucarate (to decrease the enzyme beta glucaronidase from my gut that re-activates oestrogen.)
• Collagen, Ashwagandha & Mucuna Pruriens (I’ve added these myself)

I’ve slowly eased into this diet last week, and I had my 1st day yesterday on this diet fully & wholeheartedly committed and last night; well, I had so much energy I couldn’t sleep (mindblown)

Katherine has mentioned that my tummy might get really bloated or it might not, but it’s a potential as the good and bad bacteria have a bit of a fight in my stomach whilst we basically starve out the bad bacteria that was previously being fed by the starch, grains, fructose etc.

***DISCLAIMER: I wan’t to reassure you that there is nothing wrong with grains, fructose and starchy vegetables if your body is thriving on them. I would like to re-introduce some of these items once my gut is hopefully healed and back to normal. That is my hope and wish for myself, to live a life fully free from being ruled by food, but I also want to feel the very best me and heal, hence why this diet is currently necessary for me.

Thank you for following my journey. I’ll continue to share my learnings & how I’m feeling,
what progress or set-backs I might have, as I go along the way.

Also, you can see more about Katherine here.

Love your GUTS, Anna xx 

The post My New Gut Health Journey – Part 1. appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

About 3 months ago I started feeling really unwell. I was extremely fatigued (so much I could hardly stand up), I was breaking out with rashes and hives all over my body, I was having headaches (I’m 29 and I’ve only ever had a handful of headaches my entire life), I was depressed, anxious, overwhelmed. I was constantly bloated and felt like food would ‘sit in my throat’ despite hours in between meals. I was breaking out severely with acne on my face. All in all, I just felt like a shell of a human. Far from my days of feeling really good.

I decided that something had to change and started doing my own research into gut-health, the microbiome, our inner eco-system, parasites, candida, yeast-infections – you name it, I’ve read about it. I started following highly-regarded scientists, holistic doctors, naturopaths and nutritionists and read loads of case-studies that had been done on the brain-gut connection over the years. And with each page read, the more I found myself nodding yes, yes, yes to everything.

It was especially when I came across the term Leaky Gut that I felt a huge lightbulb moment occur. It felt like that what these researchers, scientists, naturopaths etc was talking about was everything (and more) that I was experiencing in my life.
Maybe this could be the root-case to all my issues and problems I’ve faced for almost 18 years of my life?

After reading further into what Leaky Gut entails, the symptoms and why we develop a leaky gut in the first place, I instantly started to take the way that I was feeling a lot more seriously. I’d like to mention that I don’t have the liberty to go see a multitude of doctors and get diagnosed with expensive tests, so doing my own research and trying to heal my own body has for a long time been the only choice I’ve had.

Gluten:

One of the major culprits for Leaky Gut is Gluten..  According to some scientists, nutritionists and holistic health professionals, gluten is incredibly damaging to our gut-lining and intestinal walls, creating havoc in our bodies across the globe.

“Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, spelt and barley, is derived from the Latin word for “glue”, which makes sense because this sticky, gooey protein acts like an adhesive to hold foods together. Gluten in a flour-and-water mixture gives dough its elastic qualities and allows breads to rise during the baking process. Yet we lack the specific enzymes to fully break down and absorb gluten. Large blocks of undigested protein find their way into the small intestine, where they slow the absorption of other valuable nutrients. Our immune systems view gluten as foreign bacteria and reach en masse, causing collateral damage to the intestinal wall in the process, creating the perfect conditions for zonulin to unlock the wall’s tight junctions. This means, these gluten molecules go straight through the intestine, priming us for a variety of diseases and digestive troubles.

Zonulin is a protein (found in gluten) that signals the tight junctions to open and close – the only known substance in the body to do so. By controlling zonulin, scientists can open and close the tight junctions almost at will. For hundreds of years, this zonulin response was an essential part of the body’s defence mechanism, – a way of flushing out the bad bacteria we may encounter. But our modern world has drastically increased the number of triggers for Zonulin, leaving the gates of our gut wide open all the time. What was once a defence mechanism for our immune systems have developed into a constant battle causing our bodies to become chronically inflamed and vulnerable to illness.

The hybridisation of wheat, as well as its inclusion in almost all processed food products has increased our consumption of gluten, which created conditions in the body that encourage a near-constant release of zonulin.”∗

This is exactly why many of the autoimmune diseases many are experiencing can often be directly linked to leaky-gut.

You have to remember that we’re living in a developed world far from the ancient times. Gluten can now be hidden in everything, not just baked goods and breads. I challenge you to go to your fridge and pantry and see which products says: ‘contains gluten’ or ‘contains wheat’ and you’ll be gobsmacked.

Our bodies were never built to eat gluten 24/7 and by our rapidly changing lifestyles, moving further away from nature as it was meant for us, the more illness we seem to be experiencing in our bodies and the more people develop intolerances and auto-immune diseases.

If you’re experiencing gut-issues, then I would highly recommend trying to cut out gluten. And I don’t just mean for a few days. Start with a few weeks, and then try to have a small meal containing gluten and I promise you’ll notice a massive difference almost right away.

If we can reduce our exposure to these triggers, like Zonulin and other damaging particles in our bodies, we’ll be able to reduce our inflammation and heal our leaky gut.

However, this is just one of the steps – albeit a huge one – towards repairing your gut.

Dairy:

I’m going to begin with this; I was raise drinking cow’s milk. Every single day. And up until 2 months ago, I was drinking milk and having dairy products multiple times a day. I love dairy and I still do to this day. However, I love my body and health more.

There was nothing wrong with drinking dairy 100, 200, 300 years ago.. There’s a problem with drinking dairy now, because of how we’re altering the type of dairy that’s being consumed worldwide.

“If you’re consuming milk, yoghurt, butter, and cheesed that’ve been produced from conventionally raised cows that are fed a steady stream of antibiotics your dairy might be playing a role in antibiotic resistance. The pasteurisation that most conventional dairy products undergo destroys essential enzymes and probiotics, as well as alters vital amino acids. Nearly all commercial milk is also homogenised, a process that oxidises fats and create free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are known to weaken the immune system and result in intestinal inflammation, leading to leaky gut.

Everything these cows get injected with goes straight into their milk. This is important to remember because the oxidised fats present in homogenised milk often pass through the gut wall, carrying the hormones, steroids, drugs and other compounds into the bloodstream and off to the rest of the body.”∗

How do I feel after cutting out gluten & dairy?

Given, it took a few weeks to feel the full effects of cutting out gluten & wheat from my diet, however these are just some of the benefits I’ve seen & felt from it:

• I’m not chronically bloated anymore; if I bloat, it’s because there’s snug in gluten that I was unaware of (eating out) or I’ll eat something that triggers my gut still.
• I look slimmer in my face and all over my body; gluten & wheat is known for making you look puffy because your body is constantly in an inflamed state. The huge difference I’ve seen in my body  is incredible. My face has been far less swollen & puffy, as well as the rest of my body.
• My brain is a lot clearer; before I was so ‘foggy’ all the time. It was hard to concentrate and keeping my concentration for longer than 10 minutes, and now I seem to have far less problems with sitting down and getting things done. Everything just feels so much clearer.
• My energy-levels have improved massively; before I would literally crash around 1-2pm and that would be my day for me. Now, there’s a few times a week where I’ll get to bed at 10pm and I’ll still be too awake to actually sleep.
• I’m having regular bowel-movements & less flatulence; not the nicest subject to talk about, but you’d be surprised about how many people think it’s ‘normal’ to only go to the toilet every 2-3 days. I used to be one of them. Now I go every single day.
• My skin has cleared up; sure I still get the occasional breakout (seriously we all do), but my overall skin and shine it has to it, is so much better.
• My mental health is better; I feel less moody, anxious, depressed, sad, overwhelmed etc.
• I can control my eating a lot better; I have become a lot better at actually feeling when I’m hungry and when I’m not. The signals and overall connection to my body has greatly improved, and I’m finding I’m having a lot less cravings for sugar as well.

Just remember, that just because a packet of something says ‘gluten-free’, it doesn’t make it healthy. It can still contain additives, preservatives, sugars etc. I will just encourage you to incorporate more plants into your diet. Incorporate more wholefoods. And then feel the difference. Get back to our roots of nature.

I want to reiterate that I’m not a trained medic or health professional. This blog-post has been created by myself doing extensive research into gluten & dairy conducted by highly regarded analysts, scientists etc. along with discussing gluten & dairy with health professionals. I’m also speaking from own trial and error – these two things are what have truly helped me gain my health back on the right track.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or message me.

Anna xx

∗ “Eat Dirt’ by Dr. Josh Axe

The post THE REASON I CUT OUT GLUTEN & DAIRY FROM MY DIET & WHY I FEEL BETTER BECAUSE OF IT appeared first on Anna Høgh Groth.

I have done Bulletproof’s for about 2 years now – I was first introduced to it back in 2015 and I never even drank coffee for 25 years! 2 years later and I’m obsessed.

Now, if you haven’t ever heard of Bulletproof Coffee – which is a part of the Bulletproof diet – let me tell you a little bit about it.

Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee was ‘invented’ by Dave Asprey back in 2009 after travelling to Tibet and tasting yak-butter tea drinks. Come 2014 and Bulletproof was trademarked and is now a brand boasting a complete product line and original Bulletproof cafe’s in Los Angeles (Santa Monica & Downtown LA).

What is it exactly? 

Bulletproof coffee or the many other names it may go by: keto coffee, butter coffee, fat coffee – is a drink, very simply, containing coffee, butter & oil.

Separately those ingredients don’t exactly tick any health boxes, but together they are the three components you need to make Bulletproof coffee – a frothy, energy-igniting drink that has a multitude of health benefits including triggering weight loss by way of ketosis, a metabolic state triggered by a lack of carbs that kicks fat-burning into overdrive; it kills pesky cravings; and it boosts cognitive function, mainlining a shining dose of mental clarity throughout the day instead of the highs and lows you get from drinking ‘normal coffee’.

How do you drink it?

The things is, if you do have a bulletproof coffee, you will have it in the morning and it will substitute your breakfast as it is a meal in itself because of the high intake of fat and oils that will put your body into a fat-burning state – this state can’t be reached if you eat with this drink as well.

Have it first thing in the morning as you rise, and then have a snack as you normally would mid-morning, continuing onto eating normally throughout the day.

If you are further wanting to burn fat in particular, you can follow the bulletproof diet which, again, is a diet focused on eating foods high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. I personally don’t follow this diet but simply eat a variety of fresh, organic (when can), healthy and highly nutritional produce mainly focused on vegetables, but I have no strictness around it.

The original recipe:

Ingredients:

• At least 1-2tbs unsalted organic grass-fed butter.
• 1-2tbs of Brain Octane Oil or XCT Oil (these are 18x and 6x stronger than coconut oil, with no flavour.)
• 1-2 cups (250-500ml) of hot coffee brewed with low-toxin beans.

1. Make Coffee:

Brew coffee as you normally would.  Make sure it’s the right kind of coffee.  If you haven’t purchased Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee beans, you can get a great organic roast form your local health-store.

2. Pre-heat blender:

Boil extra water and pour it into a blender while your coffee brews to pre-heat the blender.

3. Froth:

Empty out the hot water from the now pre-heated blender and add the brewed coffee, butter, and Brain Octane oil.  Blend until there is a thick layer of foam on top like a latte. The stronger the blender, the better. A spoon won’t work as it won’t dissolve the butter or make it frothy.

4. Optional:

Add cinnamon or a sweetener like Stevia. Don’t use honey or agave as it messes with the components of the ketosis.

My recipe and how I make it:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp unsalted, organic grass-fed butter
• 1 cap of Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
• 1 cup brewed coffee from roasted, organic coffee beans
• 1 tbsp Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate
• 1 tsp organic, raw cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp Amazonia Raw protein isolate (natural)
• Organic, liquid Stevia to taste

Follow the above instructions and add all ingredients to blender – blend on high and drink straight away.

This method is much more of a comprehensive meal and you certainly won’t feel like you need breakfast after this either. It will keep you going for hours at a steady pace without the spikes that a normal caffeinated coffee-drink will provide you with.

I often also have a bullet (short for bulletproof) if I have a big presentation or an important meeting as part of the benefits are enhanced brain function and clarity to think and act better and quicker.

Take it with you in your keep-cup, and you help the environment, too.

Hope you love it! Cx

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