The 3 Wellness Tools I Use (Almost) Every Day

Today I'm going to be sharing the three tools that are a part of my daily routine. I use them to support my body and because they make me feel my best!

If we're going to talk about "wellness" tools, let's define wellness.

The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as "an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence."

Wellness is more than just diet and exercise (physical). It also includes emotional, social, occupational, spiritual, financial, and environmental health. Looking at your health in a holistic way -- including all of these dimensions -- is vital to overall well-being.

Face roller, dry brush, and tongue scraper.

These are the tools that help me on an emotional and physical level. I use all three as a form of self-care and supporting my body's natural functions.

Tool #1 - The Dry Brush

Garshana, better known as dry brushing, is an Ayurvedic lymphatic massage. Many cultures have used this practice for centuries including the ancient Greeks and Egyptians.

Dry brushing mainly stimulates the lymphatic system since it does not have its own pump like the circulatory system does (the heart). The lymphatic system lies just below the surface of the skin, our largest organ, which makes dry brushing an easy way to get the lymph moving.

The lymphatic system helps the body to get rid of waste and toxins, and is a major component of the immune system. It is super important to keep the lymphatic system moving to support the detoxification of pathogens and toxins. Other activities that help move the lymph include exercise, rebounding, and massages.

Try to dry brush right before you shower, although it's not absolutely necessary. I usually dry brush in the mornings, or after I work out before the shower -- make sure you're not sweating still!

Benefits:

• Improves circulation

• Stimulates the lymphatic system

• Supports the body's ability to detoxify toxins

• Exfoliates dead skin cells

• Feels amazing

How to:

1. Pick a dry brush that has natural bristles like this or this.

2. Start at the feet and move up towards the torso, then stomach and back, then hands to shoulders

3. Use long sweeping strokes on your arms and legs always towards your heart; use circular strokes on your stomach (clockwise), back and joints.

4. Avoid sensitive areas with thin skin or any injury.

5. NEVER dry brush with wet skin. Always make sure your skin is completely dry.

6. Then shower to clean off all of the dead skin cells.

7. Finish with your favorite body oil or lotion.

8. Clean your dry brush every 3-5 uses with warm water and soap. I use Dr. Bronner's.

Tool #2 - The Tongue Scraper

The health of the mouth mirrors the overall health of the body. Oral diseases have been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease.

Tongue scraping is another ancient practice that has been used by civilizations for thousands of years. Daily tongue scraping removes dead skin cells, bacteria, and food that can build up on the surface of the tongue. This is a great way to get rid of toxins before you swallow them and to combat bad breath.

**A white, coated tongue can also indicate rare infections like Leukoplakia and Oral Thrush. Check with your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms like burning, bleeding, loss of taste, or painful gums.

Benefits:

• Removal of toxins

• Improves sense of taste

• Reduces bad breath

• May improve overall health

How to:

1. Purchase a pure stainless steel or copper tongue scraper like this.

2. Scrape from the back of the tongue to the front 10-15 times until most of the coating is gone.

3. You can rinse the scraper in between strokes if there is too much build up on it.

4. Do this twice a day -- when you brush your teeth in the morning (before drinking or eating anything) and at night.

5. When first starting out, you might need to use less pressure until your tongue gets used to it.

6. Rinse and dry after every use.

Tool #3 - The Face Roller

Face rollers are said to have been used by the elite in 17th century China. More recently they have made a trendy comeback as a "cure-all" to wrinkles, puffiness, and fine lines (not all true).

The face roller has similar benefits to dry brushing and are most often made from jade or rose quartz. Also pictured is a gua sha tool that actually came with my roller, which works similarly but I just haven't tried using it yet!

Location of lymph nodes

There is a high concentration of lymph nodes in the neck and around the collarbone. Lymph nodes filter the lymphatic fluid that carries immune cells that trap pathogens. A face roller helps drain the lymphatic fluid from the face and down the neck.

Our facial muscles can hold a lot of tension. Without realizing it, you may have your tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth right now... this is also a form of tension. Face rolling and gua sha helps relieve tension that can build up and help you feel more relaxed.

You can add in face rolling in the morning or at night. Or you can do both if you feel like it. Stick the roller in the refrigerator for a nice cooling sensation.

Benefits:

• Increases circulation

• Decreases puffiness

• Helps your skin to absorb your face oils better

• Helps circulate lymphatic fluid in your face and neck

• The release of tension in the face muscles and jaw

• Relaxation

How to:

• Find a high quality 100% jade or rose quartz roller like this or this.

• Cleanse your face using the oil cleansing method.

• Apply a high quality facial oil.

• With gentle pressure, start from the side of the nose and roll towards the ear; roll 3-4 times. Repeat on the opposite side.

• Don't roll backwards once you reach the ear - pick up the roller and place it back by the nose.

• On the forehead, start from the center, roll out and then down over the temple. Repeat on the opposite side.

• At the bottom of the face, start at the chin, roll towards the ear and then turn the roller vertical and roll down the neck.

• Make sure you clean your roller after every use with warm soapy water. You don't want bacteria growing on it!

The Importance of a Routine

Having a daily ritual or routine can have a powerful impact on your day. It can help you feel grounded in the morning and is also a great way to wind down at the end of the day.

Rituals are also a perfect time to focus on YOU. Giving yourself time without any distractions in the morning and at night is crucial to self-care and protecting your energy.

Why You Need to Relax + Chew Your Food

Digestion is the number one healing priority of the body. If we can't digest the food we eat, we won't properly absorb the nutrients in our food that we need for so many vital processes in the body.

We aren't what we eat - we are what we absorb!

I'm planning a longer post on the entire digestive system, but today I want to talk about why being calm and chewing your food is so important.

The Beginning of the Digestive System

Think of digestion as a North to South process (from the head to the anus).

Most people think that digestion starts in the mouth because that is where food first goes but it actually begins in the brain.

The sight and smell of food triggers the release of saliva and digestive juices. We need to be relaxed in order for our body to do this. This is called the parasympathetic, or rest-and-digest, state of the Autonomic Nervous System.

Take 5 deep breaths before you eat your meal so you can get into the parasympathetic state.

The digestive system from mouth to anus.

The next step is the mouth. When we chew, we are mechanically and chemically breaking down food.

• Mechanical - chewing, or mastication, breaks the food into smaller, more easily digestible pieces.

• Chemical - our saliva contains salivary amylase, which is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates. Saliva also makes it easier to swallow.

You want to chew 30-40 times before you swallow. You shouldn't be swallowing any pieces of food. It should be a smooth paste or liquid. Gross to think about, but true!

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What Happens When You Don't Relax

Your body will either be in rest + digest (parasympathetic) or fight-or-flight (sympathetic) mode. In order to digest properly, you need to be in a parasympathetic state. Period. You MUST relax before every single meal.

When you eat while feeling stressed, on the go, in the car, quickly at your desk while also doing work, or while multitasking (reading, watching TV...), your body won't receive the signal to start preparing for digestion. When you are in fight-or-flight mode, blood is shuttled away from the organs of digestion to the limbs. This is why digestion is compromised when you are stressed.

When your body does not release enough saliva, there isn't enough salivary amylase to begin the chemical breakdown of carbs. Your pancreas will eventually releases amylase in the small intestine to help, but it won't be enough. This can cause the undigested carbs to hang out in your small intestine and ferment, which can cause dysbiosis in the colon.

What Happens When You Don't Chew

Not chewing your food well enough forces the stomach to do most of the work! This isn't a good thing...

The stomach secretes stomach acid (HCl) that is primarily responsible for breaking down proteins. It also kills any bacteria or parasites that may be in the food. Think of the stomach as the first line of defense against pathogens. Stomach acid mixes with the food to create an acidic paste called chyme.

Most people are actually deficient in stomach acid due to stress, certain medications, and deficiencies in zinc and chloride. (Reflux actually occurs when the body produces too LITTLE stomach acid - I'll write a post on this soon).

If we already have low stomach acid and we swallow larger chunks of food, the food won't be broken down properly. This is an issue because there is a very specific pH that the chyme needs to be to trigger the small intestine to open - 1.5-3 to be exact. Then the chyme just sits there and putrefies since it's not acidic enough to trigger the next phase of digestion.

Further down the digestive system, these undigested bits of food can irritate the lining of the small intestine which can cause intestinal permeability (also known as leaky gut). This irritation can lead to food sensitivities and dysbiosis. Issues like constipation, dysbiosis, acid reflux, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), bloating, and gas are more likely to occur.

Ways to Support Digestion

Get into a parasympathetic state before each meal:

• Take 5 deep breaths before you begin to eat

• You can use this blend to help get you into the parasympathetic state

• Give thanks for your meal

• Sit while you eat

Chew your food properly:

• Take smaller bites

• Cut your food into smaller pieces

• When drinking a smoothie or eating soup, do it slowly - too much liquid at one time will dilute your stomach acid

• Roast or steam your veggies to make it easier to chew and digest them

• Slow cook proteins like chicken and beef

Support your ability to properly break down food:

• Digestive bitters are one of my favorite supplements. Take a full dropper 10-15 minutes before a meal to stimulate the release of stomach acid. My favorite brands are Herb Pharm and Urban Moonshine. If you are pregnant, look for pregnancy safe digestive bitters.

• Digestive enzymes compliment the enzymes your body naturally releases to break down carbs, proteins, fats, and veggies. Enzymedica is my favorite brand.

• You can take bitters and enzymes when you're about to eat a larger meal full of proteins, carbs and fats. *Check with your doctor first before using any bitters or enzymes.

Support the production of stomach acid:

• Drink a glass of warm filtered water with lemon and a pinch of real sea salt first thing (before food or coffee) every morning - the chloride in the salt will help build stomach acid

• Drink 2-4 ounces of warm water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon OR 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar 20 minutes before a meal (instead of digestive bitters)

• Eat foods high in zinc like ground beef, oysters, dark chocolate, and pumpkin seeds. Zinc is necessary for the production of stomach acid.

Stay hydrated:

• Saliva is 99.5% water

• Water is vital to avoiding constipation

• Take your body weight and divide it by 2 to get the ounces of water you should be drinking per day - this is your baseline, increase this number if you are exercising or drinking diuretics

• Drink filtered water and avoid too many diuretics.

Check out my guide on hydration to learn more!

Final Words

Lowering stress is key to improving digestion and supporting your adrenals, blood sugar regulation, and healthy sleep patterns. Eat in a relaxed state as often as possible and chew your food really, really well.