Body Signals: Understanding Red Flags

It’s so easy when you’re busy to just keep pushing through. But while our mind may be frantically focused on making deadlines, keeping appointments and making time for other people, our body is usually trying to slow us back down to a more natural state. Body signals can take a variety of forms.

And what do we do instead of listening to what our body is saying? We reach for caffeine to cure our brain fog, sugar to energize us, makeup to cover the bags under our eyes – dead end roads that make how tired and stressed we feel even worse.

When you keep ignoring the subtle signals your body is sending, it will start shooting flares! I know, I’m coming out of one of those stressful weeks myself.

I was overcommitted, stuck in my head about silly drama and TOTALLY NOT in tune with my body. This was the time when my self-care was the most important, and unfortunately, I was super inconsistent. Boy, did I suffer!

When your system sends out an S.O.S., you gotta listen! So, I’ve put together a list of five common symptoms you experience when your body needs some TLC and how you can get your badass self back on track.

1) Holding On To Weight

When our cortisol levels are off, our body is in flight or fight mode. It will hold onto extra weight for fear of something drastic happening, like starvation.

If you think you’re doing everything right but you’re still struggling with weight loss, it’s your body trying to tell you something. The message could be a few different things, including that your metabolism has slowed, either due to age or not getting what it needs to run at its optimal level.  

Boost your metabolism naturally. Make sure to get enough sleep. Try out some adaptogenic herbs that can boost your adrenal glands. Be sure to stay hydrated! Spice up your dishes with some metabolism-boosting hot peppers, chili flakes, ginger, cayenne pepper and turmeric.

One of the most effective ways to boost your metabolism though is by maintaining a balanced diet, especially with lots of plant-based foods. A recent study found that plant-based eaters burn, on average, 300 more calories a day at rest. The other way is to get your body out of survival mode by lowering your stress levels. Make time to meditate (even if it’s just 5 minutes) or try this breathing exercise to help you get away, once a day.

2) Skin Irritation

We’ve all been there. You’ve got a big presentation, performance, date, whatever and suddenly, the morning of, your face breaks out!  What are the odds?

Pretty good, actually. Prolonged exposure to stress can cause a flare up in eczema, acne, heat rash, hives, and even shingles. Some of these cases can be seasonal or cyclical, for sure, but they are usually a sign that your body is feeling the stress BIG TIME.

To help keep your skin clear when you’re under the gun, steer clear of foods that cause inflammation, such as sugar, dairy, gluten, or processed foods (literally steer clear of the drive thru). ????  

Instead, consume foods that are high in Omega-3s, which reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure and hydrates the skin. I have recently been taking skate liver oil, which contains more Vitamins D and E than traditional cod liver oil.  There are also other ways to boost your immune system, like colloidal silver, Lypo-Spheric™ Vitamin C, which your body absorbs quickly, and eating plenty of foods high in Vitamin C like citrus and lots of greens.

3) Irritability

Man, oh man, did I use every f-#&!ng word in the book driving back and forth to appointments last week! I was definitely on my last nerve. I really had to check myself and take a little break to replenish myself.

Irritability comes from a combination of an unbalanced diet, a lack of rest, and a low-functioning immune system. So, no caffeine or alcohol, unless you like living on the edge. While alcohol is a depressive, it messes with your serotonin levels, and caffeine can screw with your cortisol levels.

Ashwagandha and magnesium are both adaptogenic supplements that will help balance your mood and lower your cortisol levels, and be sure to get some body and spirit centered exercise into your day, like yoga, even if it’s just some sun salutations outside. Finally, as I mentioned before, stay vigilant on having healthy whole meals. There’s no reason to ever go hangry again. ????

4) Waking Up Already Exhausted

This is one of the most common signs of stress. If you’re getting eight solid hours of sleep and still waking up groggy and feeling like a lead weight, your body is not regenerating and restoring when its at rest. If you have to have coffee in the morning to function, you’ve got a stress case on your hands.

So, again, seek out practices that reduce the tension, like yoga, meditation, taking a walk outside, even just sticking your feet in the sand or in the grass for a calm moment. And make sure to eliminate the blue light of electronics when you’re getting ready for bed. Give yourself a good hour or two before bed of tech-free time, so your circadian rhythms can adjust properly. You can also incorporate essential oils into your bedtime ritual, like lavender.

Inflammation can also lead to insomnia, so you may consider trying out an anti-inflammatory diet. Click here for my Top 5 Tips to reduce this chronic condition in your body without a prescription.

And don’t forget, you can also give yourself more time to sleep (duh!). Cancel a few plans and get some extra rest, girl!

5) Digestive Issues

If you’re having digestive issues, you’re body is holding onto toxins. (It can also relate to holding on to weight, fyi.) Many women brush these symptoms aside because they get so used to living with the discomfort, but if your elimination isn’t consistent, your body is sending you the ultimate sign of trouble! ????

There could be lots of causes for digestive trouble – medications, food sensitivities, bacteria – but stress is also a culprit. Our immunity starts with our gut health, so it’s important to do a little research and get the scoop on poop.

Look into adding high-quality probiotics and fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi into your diet to help create a welcome environment in your tummy for good bacteria to thrive. Make sure you get plenty of fiber, water and exercise to keep everything moving through your GI tract smoothly.

You can also try a gallbladder cleanse (also called a liver flush) to help remove some of the bile from your gallbladder (which can calcify into gallstones) and improve your digestion. I recommend that the first time you do this, you do it with a naturopath or health coach, since there are several “recipes” available.

Once I took a step back, made some space for self-care and canceled a few plans, I was able to get my body back on track. You know your body better than anyone, so it all comes down to listening to and honoring your internal signals.  If you need some help keeping track of your self-care routine, click here to download The Plante Life’s Self-Care Planner.

Is your body sending you signals recently? How have you been taking care of yourself to keep your body balanced? Let me know in the comments below.

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LOVE + an S.O.S. free week!