Navigating the New Year: Clearing Space for Wellness

Episode #216: Navigating the New Year: Clearing Space for Wellness

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In this episode, I dive into some end of the year reflections with my biggest takeaways and reflections to support you moving forward on your own health journey. 

Plus, I shared my top 5 episodes with a reminder of my 7 pillars to create a foundation for your health. 

Join me as I share insights with you to consider as you map out the new year for your own wellness intentions. 

End of Year Reflections – Clearing Space for Growth

As the holiday season winds down, I’ve taken this time to rest, reflect, and focus on my family. This period has been a valuable opportunity to assess the past year—what worked well (like helping more people improve their gut health) and what didn’t (my experience on Instagram). I’m still in the midst of this evaluation, so there’s more to come.

This year has been about recalibrating and stabilizing after several years of transition for my family and me.

One of the highlights of my year was growing a small garden for the first time in five years and joining a local CSA, which brought me joy for half the year.

As I enter my 15th year practicing functional nutrition, with only one child still at home, I'm planning to strengthen my business foundations and become more organized. Navigating life as a single mom has been a wild ride, especially after challenging times and recovering from the devastation of mold. I’m optimistic that this year will be more harmonious and productive, and I hope to finally take my family on a much-needed vacation.

I’m sure you’re reflecting on your own year as well. By assessing what worked and what didn’t, we can clear space for growth.

As a Virgo sun with a Sagittarius rising and an Aries moon, I thrive on meticulous planning, adventure, and a fiery drive to push forward. In this post, I’ll share personal insights, unpack lessons learned over the past year, and lay the groundwork for an intentional new year.

My Biggest Takeaways: Overconsumption and Energetic Space

This year, I’ve felt the weight of overconsumption—not just in terms of food, but also in the mental and emotional realms. With so much available in the buffet of life, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Excess can create chaos, as we’re seeing with mass production and environmental issues.

I’ve had to tighten my boundaries and recognize how the consumption of information and media drains my energy and mental bandwidth. Recently, someone asked if I knew about podcasts on fasting, particularly “fasting like a girl.” While I don’t have expertise in that area, I believe fasting should extend beyond food. It’s about taking a break from anything that drains our energy—social media, TV, news, and unfulfilling social engagements.

It’s like the saying: “Get a filter or become the filter.” We need to apply this concept not only to what we eat and drink but also to our broader consumption.

Going forward, I plan to fast from these excesses while continuing to listen to my body’s hunger cues. Nutrition shouldn’t be overly complicated; we must reconnect with nature’s wisdom.

By simplifying and filtering our lives, we create space for insight, creativity, and clarity.

I encourage you to reflect on this question: What do you truly need to nourish yourself?

Foundations of Growth

In my recent episodes and throughout this year, I’ve emphasized the importance of building a strong foundation for your health. As we wrap up this year and look ahead, take a moment to evaluate where you stand in relation to my **seven pillars of health**:

1. Sun/Light
2. Water
3. Air/Breath
4. Food/Nourishment
5. Movement
6. Community/Connection
7. Purpose/Embodied Self

These pillars are fundamental to human health and well-being. Each one interacts with essential elements like minerals, microbes, and mycelium, as well as seasonal cycles, creating a holistic approach to health grounded in nature’s ecosystem.

Just when you think your foundations are solid, there’s always more to explore. Think of it like digging deeper into the soil; each layer reveals new nutrients for growth.

As we enter the new year, let’s resist the urge to chase after new trends. There will undoubtedly be an influx of flashy diets, gadgets, and modalities that may tempt us into thinking they’re the magic bullet for our health. With advancements in technology and research, the noise will only grow louder. However, it’s impossible to implement and integrate everything at the speed it arrives. I can’t tell you how many times people have shared the latest health trends with me this year—trends I was blissfully unaware of. This is what I call JOMO: the Joy of Missing Out. We must prioritize what truly matters to us and conserve our precious life force.

So, what foundations do you need to strengthen now instead of jumping on new bandwagons in 2025?

The Right Environment

I recently reflected on what success means to me and the environments we cultivate. Success isn’t solely about achievements; it’s about creating the right physical and energetic environment. I considered how our ancestors viewed success before the industrial age—success would have involved creating a nurturing environment for families and future generations, rather than simply accumulating wealth or status. Unfortunately, many modern humans seem to have lost sight of this perspective.

The environment you inhabit significantly impacts your health and well-being. Take a look around your living and working spaces; identify areas that may not support your well-being and consider how you can make changes. Sometimes these adjustments require substantial shifts—often it’s the very thing keeping you up at night that needs attention.

Consider how you can enhance your environment, including your living situation, workplace, and social circles.

Clearing Space

I’ve been inspired by my neighbor, who purchased a rundown house and is now clearing the space to rebuild. He began by assessing the entire property, then phased the clearing process to level the land for better access to the house, ultimately gutting it to reveal the structure’s bones. The house had suffered from neglect, and the clearing process has been intense.

Many of us find ourselves in similar situations with our health. If we don’t take the time to assess the collective damage caused by unaddressed clutter—both physical and emotional—we won’t be able to recover.

This act of clearing isn’t just about physical space; it symbolizes the emotional and mental clutter we need to remove to foster growth. Fasting from unnecessary elements in our lives allows us to see what truly needs clearing. In the health and wellness space, we often discuss detoxing, but we rarely consider detoxing from the excesses of modern life.

Why Some People Don’t Progress

Why do certain individuals seem to remain stagnant in their personal growth? Often, it comes down to a lack of space—both physically and emotionally—to heal and recover deeply.

Creating that space is essential for progress. Without a commitment to carve out this space, it becomes challenging to focus on healing. While taking supplements and maintaining a clean diet are great first steps, if the rest of your life—your environment, other consumables, and your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being—aren’t also addressed, progress will be limited. For example, if you’re stuck in a stressful job you despise, no amount of gut protocols will lead you to health; you must also tackle the stress from your job. It’s akin to trying to bail water from a sinking boat with a small bucket while ignoring the holes.

Mapping Our Journey

This brings us to the topic of New Year’s resolutions. I’m not particularly fond of them, but I do appreciate the opportunity to honestly assess what’s working and what isn’t. This reflection allows us to understand where we stand, what we desire, and what we want to avoid, preventing us from moving through life without intention.

To reach a new destination, we first need to identify our starting point. This is where I assist individuals—by clarifying what isn’t working, what obstacles exist, and where there’s room for change. Once we define our goals, we can create a roadmap for the journey ahead.

As we approach the new year, it’s an excellent time to take stock and plot our course. This process isn’t solely about setting goals; it’s also about recognizing our current state and identifying what we need to navigate forward.

Top 5 Podcast Episodes of 2024

Now, let’s reflect on my top five episodes from this year:

1. Let’s Talk About Probiotics 
A deep dive into the importance of probiotics in our modern lives. This episode offers valuable insights to help you consider the bigger picture of your health when thinking about probiotic use.

2. Let’s Talk About Leaky Gut 
A core topic for optimizing health. Gut repair is at the forefront of my practice, focusing on rebuilding the mucosal barrier and rebalancing microbes rather than merely implementing another parasite-killing protocol.

3. Histamine and the Gut
An exploration of histamine intolerance and its impact on gut health. Having dealt with this issue myself, I aim to raise awareness and provide actionable steps for recovery.

4. POV: Minerals in the Spotlight
A discussion on the growing importance of minerals and mineral balancing. I share my philosophy and address the confusion surrounding current paradigms, advocating for a more natural approach to health.

5. Is It Mom Guilt or Mom Grief? How We Shape Our Children’s Health
A heartfelt conversation about the challenges of raising healthy children today. I encourage mothers to reflect on the deeper emotions behind their feelings of guilt as they strive to do right by their kids.

These conversations have been pivotal, and I look forward to expanding on them in the new year.

Looking Ahead

What can you expect in the new year? Get ready for more in-depth explorations of holistic wellness on the podcast, with a shift to weekly episodes. I’ll also be offering mentorship for holistic practitioners working with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) in their practices, along with updates to my client course portal and new openings for clients eager to deepen their health journey. I’m truly excited about what’s to come this year!

Closing Thoughts: Health is a Habit

As we wrap up, I want to leave you with a powerful reminder: “We cannot limit ourselves to treating a disease. We must go further and deeper to understand the processes and causative factors.” Illness can be our ally if we learn to embrace it rather than fight against it.

Healing isn’t just about addressing issues when we’re unwell; it’s about nurturing our health every day. Remember, health is a daily habit. Don’t wait until you’re struggling or facing serious complications to take action.

“Do not mistake the acquisition of mere knowledge for power. Like food, these things must be digested and assimilated to become life or force. Learning is not wisdom; knowledge is not necessarily vital energy. The student who has to cram through a school or a college course, who has made himself merely a receptacle for the teacher’s thoughts and ideas, is not educated; he has not gained much. He is a reservoir, not a fountain. One retains, the other gives forth. Unless his knowledge is converted into wisdom, into faculty, it will become stagnant like still water.”
— Leaves of Gold, J.E. Dinger

Wrapping Up: Call to Action

Thank you for joining me in this end-of-year reflection. I hope you found inspiration to create space for your own growth as we transition into the new year. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

If you need support on your journey in 2025, you can learn more about my offerings HERE.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported me this past year—whether by listening to the podcast, sharing your feedback, emailing to express your appreciation, purchasing products and services, or following along on social media. I couldn’t do this without you! I look forward to another year of podcasting, sharing, and supporting those on a mission to rewild themselves, overcome chronic health issues, and build stronger foundations for themselves and their families. Here’s to building back better in 2025!

Until next time, stay wild and well!