This podcast episode is sponsored by Nutrisense! I’ve been a huge fan of Nutrisense for over a year and am wearing a CGM right now 🙂 If you’d like to join me and get insight to your habits, your body, and make some healthy changes, sign up here. Use this link and the promo code TFP (stands for The Fitnessista Podcast) to get $30 off and 1 month of free dietitian support. 

Hi friends! I’ve got a new podcast episode up today and I’m chatting with Julie Davey about gut health, GI map testing, and food sensitivities. She’s a Nurse Practitioner and GI Mapping Specialist with so much knowledge and experience to share.

119: Gut health, GI map testing and food sensitivities with Julie Davey, RN, MSN, ACNP-C, ANP-C, IBBFA

Here’s what we discuss:

– How GI map testing works and who might benefit from it

– How our gut health affects many processes in the body, including our immune system function

– Food sensitivities and the difference between an IgE and an IgG reaction

– and so.much.more!

Here’s a bit more about Julie:

Julie is a nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience in healthcare. She received her undergraduate degree from the Medical College of Georgia and graduate degree from Emory University.  She holds a faculty position at Emory University educating future nurse practitioners.

In 2013, Julie became interested in a more holistic approach to wellness.  She began educating others on the power of food and natural medicine to heal the body. Today,  Julie owns a virtual consulting business helping clients get to the root cause of their symptoms through innovative clinical testing.  She is passionate about gut health and is the co-founder of Mastering GI MAPPING, a course teaching medical practitioners how to incorporate GI MAP testing into their practice. She takes a holistic approach to healing the issues uncovered through proper testing in order to restore energy, mental clarity, promote better sleep, skin, immunity, weight loss, and so much more! Julie is the co-host of the podcast “Take the Upgrade” which allows her to share her message with the masses.  Julie loves empowering others with the necessary tools to live a healthy and vibrant life. She believes that with the right support and daily habits, you will experience real progress and lasting change!

Connect with Julie on her website, listen to her podcast here, and find her on Instagram here.

Resources from this episode:

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It’s a long road to recovery following emotional abuse, manipulation, and gaslighting, but the following suggestions can help to ease that journey

Over the past couple of years, narcissistic abuse has become a social media buzzword – more and more people are becoming aware of the signs, and working to break free from it. Since 2017, I’ve been helping abuse survivors from all over the world to get back on their feet, regain their mental health, and recover who they were always meant to be.

Every person who walks through my door says something along the lines of, “I don’t know who I am any more.” Or, “I don’t recognise the person looking back at me in the mirror.” Some don’t even see anyone else at all. The complete loss of self, caused by the tactical erosion of identity, is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking consequences of narcissistic abuse.

The good news is that with the right tools, and the right support, you can find your way back to you, and when you do, this connection with yourself will be stronger than you could have ever imagined. So, how do you do it?

1. No contact (no ifs, no buts)

This is the most important rule of abuse recovery. Also, admittedly, one of the most difficult steps to take. If you stay connected, even if it’s keeping their number on your phone, just in case, you will not heal. Period.

Does this mean you’re selfish? Does this mean you’re a bad person? Does this mean you’re turning into a narcissist yourself? No, no, and no. No contact and narcissistic silent treatment are not the same at all. It serves your self-protection.

If no contact isn’t possible due to shared custody or legal proceedings, the contact needs to be highly modified and kept to the absolute minimum, with no personal touches at all, ideally through a neutral third party and/or apps such as OurFamilyWizard (ourfamilywizard.co.uk).

2. Take responsibility for your journey

It’s really easy to feel sorry for ourselves when we’ve experienced such unspeakable horrors and struggle with our mental health as a consequence. Is it fair? Absolutely not. The reality, however, is that we can’t change what has happened. All you can do is change how you feel about it. Can you take full responsibility for yourself and your recovery, make life happen, and feel empowered and in control? The decision is yours. Remember: you are the CEO of this operation!

3. Shift the focus

Shift the focus away from them, and what happened, and onto yourself and your healing. There is a time for reading books about narcissists and victim stories, and engaging in self-help groups, but eventually, you need to start to focus on yourself and begin to learn about things that actually will move you forward.

4. Self-care, self-care, self-care

I cannot stress enough the importance of self-care in finding yourself. This is something that very likely doesn’t come naturally to you. You’ve probably spent your whole life sacrificing yourself, and have always put others’ wellbeing before your own. Now is the time to change that. It’s like you putting your oxygen mask on first on the plane before you help others.

Self-care is whe

If you’re winding down for the year and are keen to take a moment for reflection, this guide is for you

How are you feeling as the end of the year approaches? If you’re anything like me, the word ‘tired’ may well come to mind. When this feeling comes over me, however, I try to embrace it. As I type this, I’m cocooned in a cosy jumper listening to acoustic Christmas songs. I’m making plans for rest and am ready to hibernate a little.

I’m also making plans for quiet reflection. The end of a year naturally lends itself to this, giving us a clear endpoint to pause and look back at the last 12 months. I do this every year and it helps me appreciate what I’ve experienced, learn any necessary lessons and grieve for what didn’t go to plan. It also serves as a jumping-off point for setting intentions and hopes for the year ahead.

If you’re keen to try an end of year reflection, here are some steps to make it both meaningful and enjoyable.

Set the scene

The first step is to carve out time and space for reflection. Plan a morning, afternoon or evening and schedule it in your calendar like you would any other important appointment. When you get to it, make it special. Play your favourite music, light a candle, have a beverage and snack nearby (I personally opt for a glass of red and a mince pie) and get a writing tool of choice (pen and paper, notes app on your phone, computer, voice memo – whatever works for you).

Take a couple of deep breaths to centre yourself. Let go of what’s happened so far today/this week. Engage your senses and root yourself in the present moment. We have to arrive where we are before we look back.

If you had to describe the year in one word, what would it be?

To start with, it can be helpful to really zoom out for a bird’s eye view of the year. Thinking of it as a whole, can you think of one word that encapsulates the year? This can be a helpful starting point before digging deeper.

What felt tough this year?

I personally like to start with the lows so I can end on a high, but you may prefer to switch this order. Whenever you come to it, ask yourself what was difficult about this year. You may have a lot to note here, or not as much as you think. Remember, we all have different capacities for stress, so what feels difficult for one person may not feel difficult for others. So try not to compare yourself to others who may have had it ‘worse’. This is about you and how you experienced the year.

What lessons were learnt?

The lessons from the tough moments of the year may be obvious, or they may still elude you. They may have reminded you how important self-compassion is. They may have strengthened or weakened relationships. They may have helped you see what’s important to you in your life. They may have simply reminded you that this life is a wild ride sometimes and all we can do is hold on until things settle.

Who gave you what you needed this year?

Taking a moment to thi

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal is filled with soft apple slices, a sprinkling of brown sugar and spices, and oats cooked until tender.

As you know, we love Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and it has been one of my personal favorites for years. But when my boys requested oatmeal for the third time in a week, I decided to make something new.

Apple Pie Oatmeal

This oatmeal is a warm, comforting way to start the day, especially when you pair it with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or Cafe Con Leche. The aroma that the oatmeal creates in the house as it bakes is absolutely heavenly.

It’s so satisfying to eat a slice of this baked apple oatmeal in the morning and it makes a nice change from a regular bowl of oatmeal. It’s hearty enough to be breakfast all on its own but is also a welcome addition to any big weekend brunch spread.

For the record, I’ve yet to meet a version of baked oatmeal that I didn’t like and this Apple Pie Oatmeal is no different.

Baked Oatmeal with Apples

Baked Oatmeal is one of our all-time favorite breakfasts in this household. Baked oatmeal with apples? That’s a home run.

Apple slices are folded into the oats to bake along with all the other ingredients. I love the way the apples release their juices into the oatmeal as they bake, adding delicious flavor to every bite.

For this recipe, I upped the apple flavors by adding applesauce to the oat mixture instead of the usual oil. The applesauce provides that same level of moisture while taking the “apple-y” taste to the next level.

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This raw chocolate tart, made with cashews and cocoa and an almond coconut crust is a decadent gluten-free dessert that doesn’t require any cooking!

What if I told you that you can make a decadent chocolate dessert that doesn’t require any cooking?

This raw chocolate tart is one of my favorite chocolate-y desserts. Not only is it made with real food ingredients, but it is also vegan, gluten-free, and raw-diet friendly. Remember when I got certified as a raw chef? (It feels like a lifetime ago) I actually posted this recipe years ago, but the pieces were hidden amongst random blurry photos and word soup and it really, really deserved its own post. It’s one of my top recipes I’ve posted on the blog ever!

Note: this tarte is not nut-free, but the nuts and coconut give it that decadent flavor.

This recipe can also be made ahead of time if you’re making it for a special occasion – simply store it in the fridge!

You can top it with fresh raspberries, sea salt, or coconut whipped cream – whatever your heart desires. Enjoy 🙂

The Best Raw Chocolate Tart

Ingredients for the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1 1/2 cups coconut
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 dates, pitted
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. almond extract – optional

1. Measure the almonds, then in a Vitamix or a food processor, grind into a fine flour.
2. Add the dates and chop with the almonds.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the maple syrup, almond/date mixture, melted coconut oil, vanilla, coconut, sea salt and extract (optional – I used almond). Add in about 1/2 cup more coconut if you need it – this mixture was a little too wet.
4. Press the mixture into a large tart pan, or mini tart pans and dehydrate for 1 hour at 105 degrees. If you don’t have a dehydrator, place the tart crust in the oven on the lowest setting for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the Filling:

• 2 1/2 cups soaked raw cashews
• 1 1/2 cups cacao powder
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil

1. In a Vitamix blender, add the cashews, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, sea salt and water. Blend well until smooth and creamy.
2.  Add the cacao powder and blend until mixture is