Should You Practice Fasting?

Should you try fasting this year?

That’s a hot topic question right now!

Fasting is a practice that has been implemented for thousands of years for a variety of reasons. It isn’t a dieting trend, though it is often misunderstood as another weight loss quick fix. While there are plenty health experts promoting it as a great option to bring balance to your body, optimize insulin sensitivity and support digestion, there are others who treat fasting as if it’s a type of starvation tool that will lead to an eating disorder.

This is why fasting must be addressed with an individualized approach – what I teach in my Feast 2 Fast program!

Most people can benefit from different types of fasts, whether it is a true water fast, or fat fast, or even a bone broth fast. It is a good way to improve your health, and it can be a beneficial spiritual discipline as well.

The majority of studies on the trendy 16:8 style of intermittent fasting have been done on men and postmenopausal women, so it’s important for women who still have a menstrual cycle to nourish hormones and not restrict food too much at all cycle phases. That can really backfire and cause stress to your body!

My advice? Start with a 12 hour fast. Everyone can benefit from a 12 hour break between their last meal and first meal. And hey – if you’re sleeping 8 hours at night most of your fasting will happen then, which makes it even easier!

Want to make fasting work for you, while also learning how to incorporate more nutrient density into your real life? Join my four week Feast 2 Fast program that starts January 4!

This program is one of the most science-based approaches to health I have seen! But we don’t just target physical health; that’s secondary. Every day you will receive nourishment for your soul in the form of a short devotional. We even meet weekly on Zoom to individualize our approaches to even more!

For more details, and to sign up, click here.

Past Participants Say This:

“Through Feast 2 Fast I learned to listen to the natural cues from my body. After years of dieting I had stopped listening to the natural cues like hunger. Feast 2 Fast slowed me down and forced me to listen and learn what is best for my body and not just follow it because some ‘diet’ tells me it’s right. It literally brought joy back to my relationship with food!!” – Jen

“The feast to fast program allowed me to stop and really think about the way food affects me. It was truly like a reset and I now feel more in-tune with my body and mind! I lost a lot more weight than I expected and gained confidence in my ability to listen to my body!! That is priceless!” – Laura

Join the program here!

Why Can’t I Lose Weight? Breaking Down Diet and Weight Loss Myths

You’ve heard me say it a thousand times – there are no one-size-fits-all plans for weight loss. If anyone tries to convince you of that, question it. If I ever start heading down that road, feel free to call me out.

Before you start a new plan or detox or resolution for the new year, take a listen to my latest podcast episode. The way we as humans have the ability to store weight or lose weight is a fascinating topic, and not as simple as “move more, eat less.” There are many factors that contribute to weight loss or weight gain.

If you find yourself struggling to lose weight, or never able to sustain a smaller size due to dieting, you’re not alone. Studies show that 95% of people who lose weight will gain it back in 2-5 years and over 50% will gain more. Chances are, you are one of them. It’s a frustrating reality. Cutting calories alone will not work, and it may actually damage your metabolism in the long run.

Smaller size doesn’t always equal greater health. Just because a person is losing weight or in a smaller body, doesn’t mean they are “healthier.” Just because a person has a perfect BMI, doesn’t mean they are free of health issues.

Then you factor in the fact that our fat cells store toxins, stress drives of inflammation, gut dysbiosis affects cravings, and it’s clear that the topic of weight loss is not a simple one.

It’s time to take a new approach to health and weight loss. I want to help YOU find what’s right for YOU this new year.

Listen to this podcast episode here or download and listen wherever you get podcasts.

Key topics include: the calorie counting myth, my take on the “obesity epidemic” (there’s not one), types of fat, the role of gut health, weight gain as a symptom, and how to learn to trust your body.

Maybe you used to be able to diet and lose weight, and now you can’t. Maybe you’re setting resolutions and trying to figure out what’s right for you. Maybe you’re sick of people trying to put you on their program and telling you what’s best for YOUR unique body.

Before you start anything new, listen to this episode.

And if you are looking for guided assistance in nutrition with a flexible plan that can be tailored to your needs, check out my Feast 2 Fast program, which starts January 4.

Master Your Health and Know What Healthy Feels Like

I’m just over one year into the wonderful world of podcasting. With more than five million downloads in that short timeframe, there are numerous episodes interviewing renowned health experts. I’ve been honored to sit down and pick the brains of the best of the best. But what I also love is interviewing the non-famous experts, the people who have been passionate about holistic health for decades and let it infiltrate every area of their lives.

My friend Emily Hill is one of those people. She has been a connoisseur of all things health and wellness for the better part of two decades and currently works as a holistic nutritionist in Dallas, Texas. She has spoken to many audiences on the topics of nutrition, supplementation, and holistic living and has so much wisdom to share when navigating these tricky health issues.

In this episode we cover all things related to individualizing nutrition for optimal health and avoiding “diet dogma.” We even get into the great meat debate! Emily is a wealth of health info, and her belief that there is no one sized fits all gives a refreshing perspective in the midst of endless nutrition debates that often make incorporating healthy habits completely overwhelming.

Key Topics:

Emily’s holistic health journey and various certifcations
Favorite health hacks and supplements
Why nutrition dogma is such a problem
How to individualize nutrition while staying away from diets
Emily’s philosophy: “if it comes from the ground, it’s way more sound.”
Should we be concerned about lectins and grains?
How to give our livers a break
Meat or no meat – what’s the concern with eating meat?
Movement and weight lifting for women
How “women need a constant reminder of how strong they are.”

Download the episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re in Dallas-Fort Worth area, check out Aum Integral Wellness here.

My Favorite Cranberry Salsa

To be fair, I have a lot of favorite food items. I wonder how many of my recipes have the word “favorite” in the title. And realistically, I’ve never had cranberry salsa before this recipe so it’s technically the only cranberry salsa I’ve tried. Easy to make something a favorite when you haven’t tried other variations.

Anyway, my mom used to make homemade cranberry sauce for the holidays, and this is similar, but with a bit of a Tex-Mex twist to it. Salsa is always a fridge staple at our house, so why not make this cranberry salsa a holiday staple?

What sets this recipe apart from others I’ve seen is the fact that I use monk fruit sweetener instead of regular cane sugar to cut the bitterness of the cranberries. Monk fruit is not an artificial sweetener, and it has actually been used for thousands of years for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It doesn’t impact blood sugar levels the way regular sugar and those chemically artificial sweeteners do (don’t get me started on those).

This salsa is so versatile. It can be eaten by itself, with tortilla chips, or my kids’ favorite – spoon it over goat cheese and eat with crackers. I recently discovered that it is delicious on top of a baked sweet potato, paired with a side of scrambled eggs for breakfast!

Disclaimer: this recipe is not an original creation of mine, unlike the other recipes on this page. I’m not quite sure where the original came from, or I would give a proper shout-out. What I have changed is the sweetener used and I also use a jalapeno with seeds intact because my people like things spicy! (P.S. – I know there is a tilde over the n in jalapeno, but I can’t figure out how to correct that on my laptop.)

To see the Instagram video of the process, scroll to the end.

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries
3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (I use this one)
1 jalapeno, seeded if you don’t want too much spice
1/2 cup cilantro
4 green onions
2 tablespoons lime juice
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Throw everything in a food professor or high powered blender and blend to desired consistency. You want it to be chunky.
Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving – I think the flavors taste best the second day.

Happy Thanksgiving week! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this version of the recipe. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know!

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A post shared by Erin Kerry | Holistic Health (@sparkingwholeness)

Biohacking Hunger Hormones and Blood Sugar to Survive the Holidays

Steve Welch is a nutrition research expert and past guest on the show. He is the co-author of the book, The Ketogenic Key. In our first episode, he shared why fat is good and doesn’t impact cholesterol the way we have been told. In this episode, we discuss why people get stuck in the cravings cycle over the holidays and how to combat that with a few easy tricks!

Key Topics:

steve headshot asae

How to avoid the temptation of sugary treats
How fat keeps you full and optimizes hunger hormones
What leptin and ghrelin are and how they regulate your eating and influence your urge to overeat
The importance of nutrient density vs fueling on processed carbs
The science behind a post-meal walk
Brain-boosting benefits of exercise
Benefits of fasted exercise
Best post-workout fuel
The impact of ketones on our immune system

Learn more about Steve at his website here.

Don’t forget to use the code whole20 for 20% off your vitamin and supplement needs at http://www.Swanson.com

Stop Fearing Fat!

Have you been told to stay away from egg yolks? Are you trying a low fat diet to improve your cholesterol? Is cholesterol a good indicator of health or a risk factor for disease?

We go there in this episode!

“Cholesterol is so important that your body will manufacture it if you don’t eat enough of it.” – Steve Welch

Steve is a NESTA certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and former publisher of the world renowned medical journal CHEST. His background in medical publishing provides him with insights into assessing medical and nutrition research, which he uses to educate others to improve their own health and fitness.

He is coauthor of the new book “The Ketogenic Key,” which is available in stores now.

In this episode we cover:

– Why we fear fat

– The history of low fat diets and why the data is skewed

– Why our bodies need fat to function

– The cholesterol conversation

– Carbohydrates, cholesterol, and inflammation

– How cutting extreme calories can backfire

– Individualizing the approach for YOU

This is such a fascinating interview that I hope you enjoy and learn from as much as I did!

Learn more about Steve at http://www.ketosteve.net or on Twitter at @ketosteve.

Feast 2 Fast: A Groundbreaking Nutrition Program Teaching YOU Metabolic Flexibility

Get ready! I have a BRAND NEW nutritional program starting August 17 called Feast 2 Fast. It was developed by Chelsea Blackbird (aka “The Christian Nutritionist”). You may remember Chelsea from a past podcast episode called “Busting Common Health and Diet Myths.” img_0079-1

This program helps people reach metabolic flexibility while also gaining freedom and flexibility in food choices. It truly is a place where “real food meets real life.”

You know me. You know I don’t promote diet plans. But I do promote supporting health – body, mind, and spirit. This group tackles all three! Registration for this 4 week program starts on August 3. You can learn more and sign up by clicking here.

If you love food, hate diets, and want to learn how to support your health goals in a balanced way, this program is for you. This program aims to develop metabolic flexibility and overall health while also supporting mental health and your relationship with food through daily encouragement.

The program includes:

An online participant portal to access all content
Over 100 recipes that are easy and delicious
A supportive community on Facebook
Access to ME an my support and encouragement whenever you need it
Short instructional videos on optimizing nutrition for OPTIMAL health
Daily spiritual encouragement and reminders to nourish your soul

The cost of the program is $179, and I assure you, it is WELL worth it. This program checks all the boxes I look for when I want to really get to the root of food and mood!

Targeted nutritional support can be a catalyst for whole body health. Through this program, you will learn how to become empowered with your nutritional choices and how to individualize your nutrition for your lifestyle and your health goals.

Oh – and did I mention the side effects of better sleep, clear skin, decreased cravings, and super-charging your body into fat-burning mode?

I can’t wait to get started with you on this journey! We are going to learn so much together. Sign up here.

How Food is Mood – Interview with Ali Miller, RD

Ali Miller is a registered dietitian, integrative functional medicine practitioner, and author of Naturally Nourished, The Anti-Anxiety Diet, and The Anti-Anxiety Diet Cookbook.

In this episode we discuss the concept of food as mood, how neurotransmitters play a role in gut health, and how your stress response affects your overall health – from mental wellness to reproductive function to immune health.

She explains the 6 approaches she takes to restoring our bodies to their rightful state, how to biohack our bodies and create metabolic flexibility – and simple tools to reducing panic and anxiety during times of stress.

Key topics covered in this episode:

Blood sugar regulation is key to balancing mood.
The imbalance of our stress response in the HPA axis and how “the body has to feel safe to do well.”
Reduce inflammation, reset the microbiome, repair the gut lining, restore micronutrients, rebound the adrenal glands, and rebalance neurotransmitters.
What excessive screen time does for our dopamine.
How 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut and why probiotics can be nature’s Prozac.
Breath is the most powerful way to harness the HPA axis and how to use mantras.
How she uses a strategic ketogenic approach with her clients and the reasons it has been beneficial for so many of them.

To download and listen to the full episode, click here. For the link to iTunes, click here.

To learn more about Ali and her work, head to http://www.alimillerrd.com or check out her podcast at http://www.naturallynourishedrd.com.

Easy and Delicious Bacon Bruschetta Chicken

Who’s sick of cooking the same old, same old and is ready for something new and EASY? You can’t tell, but I’m raising my hand. I am currently in training for a new whole food nutritional program I will be launching soon, so I’ve been playing with some recipes, changing things up, and throwing together new things to incorporate (as usual) as many colorful veggies as I can in one meal.

The original version of this recipe I received courtesy of my friend Megan, from a detox program I ran a few years ago. It’s versatile, because it works for people who have issues with gluten or dairy, and it’s so easy and fast – who doesn’t love that?

Even my picky three-year-old loves this recipe! He likes it with jasmine rice, which is a pantry staple in our house!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought (dairy or nut free? Use basil paste or fresh basil)
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, season chicken liberally with salt and pepper.
Layer chicken, seasoning, garlic, basil pesto, tomato, and bacon.
Place lid on top and cook in oven for 1-1 1/2 hours until chicken is cooked through.
Serve with rice, pasta, or my favorite – cauliflower rice!

*For crock pot option, follow directions above and cook 4-6 hours.

That’s IT. Now, if you are like me, it will need more seasonings than the recommended amount above. So play with it; add what you like. And as always – let me know what you think!

Healthy Holiday Sides with Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

Carrot souffle and sweet potato bake that are grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free? Yes, please!

Now, before you head to the recipes, I have to say one quick thing. I know it’s a pain when you are looking for a recipe and the blogger spends all this time with the description and build up and pictures and you’re like, “Just get to the dang ingredients, Karen!”

But after I say this I’ll be done – and you can go on your merry way to try out these recipes.

I get annoyed with the phrase “healthy” in regards to food choices during the holidays. Holidays are celebratory, and if you’re stressing out about whether something is “healthy” or not, and you’re panicked about every ingredient in your meal, you’re less likely to be able to digest the nutrients from that meal.

Stressing about food is the opposite of health, in my opinion.

That being said, it seems to me that every year I get busier with celebrations. We have countless parties, and all of them feature lots of food and lots of alcohol. Because monitoring my mental health is always priority for me, and I will do whatever I can to fight seasonal depression, eating loads of sugar and drinking sugary alcoholic beverages can be taxing on my mental stability.

Consuming lots of sweet treats and drinking alcohol frequently during the month of December will throw off my sleep, make me less well-rested the following day, and then cause my cravings to skyrocket – perpetuating the cycle. So while I don’t want to stress about my food, I do want to be MINDFUL about what I’m choosing and how those choices will make me feel afterward. (For more on eating for mental health and my thoughts on that, check out the Sparking Wholeness podcast episode 10.)

Which leads me to the recipes.