Michelle Breau, Virtual Holistic Nutritionist
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Michelle Breau, Virtual Holistic Nutritionist
eat well, live well, be well.
 
 

redefine

Wellness

 
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Restore Your Gut is officially LIVE!

 
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What is a Holistic Nutritionist?

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Philosophy

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Wondering whether Holistic Nutrition is right for you? Let’s chat! Book your FREE 15-minute discovery call now!

 

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3 ways to practice REAL SELF-LOVE: • (I know you already know about things like affirmations, gratitude and letting go of comparison, so let's dive DEEPER, shall we?) • 1. Forgive yourself: Listen - None of us are perfect. We all have experiences or moments from our past that bring us some level of guilt, sadness, or shame. I get it. (Self-proclaimed guilt queen over here! 👑) But there isn’t much we can do about the past, and holding onto those feelings forever will only serve to create more pain and sorrow. Allow yourself to feel the emotion of your past experiences, and then let that shit go. 🙋 This can sometimes be easier said than done, so take as much time as you need and understand that we are ALL (yourself included!) doing the best we can with the information we have at that time. Trust me: Self-forgiveness is sexy. • • 2. Practice saying no: Are you that person who will drop everything to help a friend, or to take work off of someone else's hands for them despite your already crammed schedule, or to sign up for that extra job that you actually had ZERO time or interest in doing? Listen sis, saying no is hard, and fearing the idea of not being there for friends or letting down our peers sucks. I get it. But do you know what is SO liberating? Loving yourself enough to set boundaries on what you DO and do NOT say yes to so you don't burn out! 🙅 Putting you first, and getting really comfy cozy in your ability to say, "Thanks for thinking of me, but my schedule's already booked!" (This isnt always easy, but mastering it is EVERYTHING.) • 3. Make both your physical and emotional health a priority: Is there anything sweeter than the feeling of a fully stocked fridge of delicious, nourishing meals, prepped and ready to go for the week? What about ACTUALLY getting your butt to that yoga class you’ve been promising yourself for months? What about booking the damn massage already!? What about being true to yourself and what you need in THIS exact moment? (Quick tip: Sometimes eating something that is NOT the epitome of health IS healthy in that moment. And that’s totally okay.) • I’d love to hear how you practice self-love. Is this something you struggle with?
Just in case you needed to hear this today. 🌠
HOT SALADS on repeat over here. 😬 . I had a bit of leftover broccoli, parsnip, celery and organic chicken sausage that I sauteed for last night's din with avocado oil and a whole bunch of herbs, so I re-heated it in a pan, then tossed it in a bowl with a whole lotta greens & cukes, some @bubbiespickles fermented sauerkraut, and a little sauce made of mashed avocado, tahini and the juice & zest of 1/2 a lemon. 🤤 Topped it with hemp hearts long enough to take a nice pic then stirred it all around until it looked like a hot delicious mess and DEVOURED every dang bite! If you don't fancy yourself a salad person, try adding a COOKED or WARM element, add some flavour kicks (dressing, fermented stuff, nuts, seeds, etc!) and you will have a whole other respect for this epic dish! 🥗 PS: There are TWELVE different kinds of plants in this meal and diversity = KING for good gut health! 🙌 Do you find yourself going back to the same foods often, or do you like to change it up? . . . . . . . #nutraphoria #petawawa #pembrokeontario #ottawavalley #guthealth #healthyfoodshare #todayfood #holisticnutritionist #whole30recipes #ottawabloggers #fermentedfoods #probiotics #instagramfood #huffposttaste #eeeeeats #feedfeedglutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #vscofood #eatclean #wholefoods #mindbodygram #prebiotics #goodmoodfood #foodblogger #beautifulcuisines #forkyeah #paleo
FACT: When you consume a meal, what's going on in your HEAD matters just as much as what's going on in your stomach. 😲 . When you consume a meal, if you're scrolling through social media, watching the news or thinking about a big deadline you've got happening at work, your PHYSIOLOGY changes. Blood flow leaves the organs that help you to digest & detoxify and moves into the limbs! This is often referred to as the "fight-or-flight" response, and it's your body's natural defense mechanism to help you fight or flee from a predator. It may be an important response for when things go south, but our bodies were not designed to be in this state for long periods of time. It's also estimated that we are in a stressed physiological state more than 70% of our ENTIRE LIVES. That's a lot of stress! On the flipside, something incredible happens when we consume a meal in a calm, relaxed state. Stomach acid production increases and our bodies can actually absorb MORE of the important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from your meal! 😱 Its almost as though your cells UNDERSTAND that they are safe and can go ahead and do what they need to do. How COOL is that? . So YEP! It turns out it's not just about WHAT you eat, but HOW you feel when you eat it! 🌱 . This is just one teensy concept from my new 8 week program, "Restore Your Gut Health" - The only 100% online gut restoration program of its kind! If you want to understand the incredible power of the human body like never before while following chef-approved meal plans and learning from some of the most epic functional medicine practitioners of our time, head over to the link in my bio to learn more before early bird registration ends! . I'm CURIOUS: Do you notice a difference in your digestion if you eat when you're stressed? . . . . . #holisticnutritionist #pembrokeontario #ottawavalley #arnprior #guthealth #ottawabloggers #guthealing #leakygut #functionalnutrition #functionalmedicine #nutraphoria #thatsdarling #iamwellandgood #glutensensitive #eliminationdiet #autoimmune #ans #autoimmuneproblems #fightorflight #thechalkboardmag #eeeeeats #goop #mindshare #mindbodygram
Hi 🙋 friends! There are quite a few new faces around here, so I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself and to share 10 random facts about me so we could get to know each other. . 1. I'm a Holistic Nutritionist with a 100% virtual practice. The closest client I work with lives just up the street from me, and the farthest lives in Europe! . 2. I live in Ontario, Canada, but I'm originally from Nova Scotia. I grew up near the ocean, chasing hermit crabs and fish along the shore. I have a piece of coral in my coat pocket at all times! . 3. I have a 2 year old boy named Nate and he's 100% a mama's boy! Ironically enough, one of the most popular things on my Instagram feed is when I share what I feed him (which has nothing to do with what I specialize in!). Wanna know what a holistic nutritionist feeds her toddler? Head over to my story highlights to find out! 👩🧒 . 4. One of my biggest passions is to grow things. Veggies, houseplants, and microbes (fermented food!). I even have names for a few of my houseplants! Blanche the monstera, Ruth the aloe plant, and Herman the cactus. 😂 I mean, plants are people too...right? . 5. I feel awkward in a dress, I don't know how to match my clothes to my shoes and I don't like wearing fancy makeup. I would rather have dirt from my garden under my nails than paint on top of them. 🤘 I may not be an ultra girly-girl, but I'm comfortable in my own skin and happy to be who I am. To me that's all that matters! . 6. I LOVE reading books and read well over 100 books in 2018. My current favourites are, "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" by @drchristianenorthrup, "Milk and Honey" by @rupikaur_ and "The Untethered Soul" by Michael A. Singer. . 7. In a few weeks I'll be celebrating my 1 year practice-versary, and I'll be kicking things off with the launch of my new online signature program, "Restor Your Gut Health." Have a peek at what I've been working on over at www.michellebreau.com/restore and let me know what you think! 😍 . 👇See the comments for the last 3 random facts!👇
"I don't have any digestive issues...Should I still be doing anything to take care of my gut?" 🤔 . Short answer 👉 YES. . Long answer 👉 An imbalance in the gut does not always manifest itself as constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or bloating! Sometimes it looks like anxiety, brain fog, depression, memory issues, eczema, acne, joint pain, thyroid issues....You name it, and it's likely linked to digestive health. . And it kind of makes sense if you think about it. We have 10X as many microbial cells (The critters that make up our microbiome) as we do human cells. They make up about 70% of our immune system, and they produce neurotransmitters that impact our mood and energy balance. You think you're running the ship? Think again. 🤷 . The good news is, there is SO MUCH we can do to support the gut and build a solid foundation for health! 🙌 This is EXACTLY why I created Restore Your Gut, my new online 8-week program. You wanna know the tools YOU need to keep your microbiome happy, reduce brain fog, have healthier skin, a happier thyroid and liver, strong digestion and a robust AF immune system? You want actual meal plans, recipe guides, shopping lists and a ton of educational resources to boot? Wanna learn from my amazing functional medicine practitioners who will be sharing some of their wisdom with us too? 🤩 I've got your back! (And BTW - Early bird pricing is still available! Mark your calendars - Program begins on February 04th!) Head over to the link in my bio to learn more! . . . . . . . #guthealing #guthealth #sibo #autoimmuneproblems #aip #brainfog #psoraisis #ibs #leakygut #leakygutdiet #leakygutsyndrome #healingleakygut #adrenalfatigue #functionalnutrition #microbiome #holistichealing ##cysticacne #functionalmedicine #probiotics #naturaltherapies #bacteria #sibodiet #bacterialinfection #fodmap #lowfodmapdiet #plantbased #aippaleo #paleodiet
Here's a simple & affordable HEALTH HACK for better oral health, and thus, better digestive health: Oil pulling! 😁 . Oil pulling is the ancient Ayruvedic practice of cleansing the mouth of bacteria and other nasties using OIL. It can be amazing for gut health, because after all - The mouth is in fact part of the gut! 😉 If there is an imbalance in the microbiome that lives within the mouth for any kind of reason, it can absolutely make its way farther down the digestive system, which is why many practitioners in the world of gut health are toting the importance of oral health right along with it! To oil pull, simply grab yourself a quality coconut or olive oil (I've been using this @silkenycoconutoil #organicoconutoil as of late), and swish about a teaspoon or so all through your mouth. Many people say you can do this for anywhere from 5-20 minutes, but a good place to start would be to simply oil pull while getting ready in the morning! When you're done, spit the oil into the garbage (don't spit it in the sink or you'll be left with quite the mess!), and brush as usual. You can even get fancy and add some specific essential oils as well! Give this awesome, easy and affordable practice a try, and enjoy a whiter smile, fresh breath, less inflammation, and stronger, healthier teeth! 🙌 Have you ever tried oil pulling before? If so, what were your thoughts? . . . . . [PS Shout out to @vistamagcanada for sending me these #healthyfats so I could share more on oil pulling! 😎 #LDL #vistamagcanadav#vistaambassadors]
*ANNOUNCEMENT - KEEP READING TO THE END* These words escaped my mouth on a number of occasions through my healing journey. . First, when I went to my doctor and asked to see a gastroenterologist, but was declined this request and told to go home, drink more water and eat more fiber (Hi doc. I'm a nutritionist. 🤨) . Next, a few months later when my symptoms were much worse - Scary, in fact. I was told I'd be placed on a waitlist to see a gastroenterologist in FOURTEEN MONTHS, all while my organs were showing signs that I was going septic. 😳 And finally, I can't forget the time I ended up in the ER with kidney issues (all linking back to my gut btw) when my doctor said, "I'm not sure...I've heard that 'KAM-BOOCHA' stuff can be good for you Why don't you try that?" 🧐😂 . Within a few years, I had seen many conventional and holistic practitioners who did all sorts of testing and cost all kinds of dollars, only to never really find ANYTHING on paper that could explain why my body was so sick. It wasn't until I found functional medicine and some amazing practitioners who finally knew THE RIGHT methods of testing and treatment for me that things started to change. This is a whole other way of looking at health and it changed my life and the lives of dozens of my friends, family and clients TBH. It changed EVERYTHING. 🙏 . Finally, pieces of the puzzle started making sense! I am still on my healing journey but I've come a very long way, and I think I had to take this difficult road because I NEEDED to see how hard it is for the average person to get support when they have issues linking to digestive health! It is what compelled me to reach out to my practitioners and ask them to be part of Restore Your Gut - My new online 8-week program! Yes friends - You can expect a juicy little bonus when the program launches - On top of the program itself, the learning materials, recipe guides and meal plans, you'll also have the opportunity to learn from my functional medicine family at @becomeproof! Learn more about Restore Your Gut at the link in my bio. This is one you're not going to want to miss! ♥️
Here it is! The most cozy galaxy inspired turmeric elixir, with plenty of anti-inflammatory goodness and a flavour similar to a chai latte. 🌌🍵 TO MAKE: Heat 1.5 cups of coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Using a whisk, add 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric powder and ceylon cinnamon (I like @chasorganics brand for both), and 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger. You can also grate fresh turmeric & ginger and it tastes just as awesome, but feel free to use the powder for those busy mornings when you're short on time! When milk is hot and all ingredients are whisked in, turn off the heat and add a teaspoon of raw, unpasteurized honey. Whisk again until well combined, pour in a mug, and swirl a little extra cinnamon over top for a bit of a GALAXY factor. 😏 You could also use monkfruit sweetener, or roll without any sweetness if you so choose! The spices provide plenty of flavour, so give this one a try and see what you think! Turmeric is definitely an acquired taste, but I love it! What about you? . . . . . . . #turmericlatte #turmeric #antiinflammatory #inflammation #ottawavalley #goldenmilk #613 #thechalkboardeats #iamwellandgood #foodstyling #wellandgoodeats #elixir #todayfood #theeverygirlcooks #notadiet #beautifulcuisines #guthealing #guthealth #microbiome #ibs #tcm #sibo #eeeeeats #digestivefire #heresmyfood #ceyloncinnamon #pembrokeontario
It's no secret. I'm a little bit obsessed about learning about the brain-gut connection (which, BTW, is more deeply intertwined than anyone has ever led you to believe!) 🤯 . When a client tells me they have chronic digestive issues, they almost always also report that they experience depression or anxiety in some way, shape or form. So why the correlation? 🤔 . It turns out our gut carries a huge number of neurotransmitters that contribute to how we FEEL (Happy, sad, fearful, tired, etc). SO if you experience anxiety or depression and also digestive issues, it's a good time to consider what could be happening in the gut! . The connection between the brain and the gut sends signals BOTH ways too, which means anxiety, stress or depression can be a trigger for digestive issues, and digestive issues can be a trigger for anxiety, stress or depression too! 😲 . And if you haven't checked out my new 8-week online gut health program, RESTORE, head over to the link in my bio to take a look! We cover this very important topic in one of our bi-weekly modules, and we break down the WHY, the HOW and WHAT the heck you can start to do about it! . Do you ever notice a correlation between your mood and your digestion? Share your thoughts below! . . . . . . . #guthealing #guthealth #mentalhealthawareness #anxietyattacks #ans #fightorflight #autonomicnervoussystem #holisticnutritionist #nutraphoria #efttapping #tapping #eft #thatsdarling #mindbodygram #restanddigest #unplug #sibo #ibs #petawawa #ibsproblems #ottawavalley #cobden #renfrew #arnprior #pembrokeontario #microbiome #functionalmedicine #functionalnutrition
"I've been experiencing some digestive issues so I started eating lots of sauerkraut... but it actually made me feel WORSE! What gives, Michelle?" 😲 . I hear this question often in my practice. Here's why: Fermented foods can provide a wealth of benefits to the body, ESPECIALLY in terms of digestive health, but for some people they may not be the best option depending on where they are in their journey. The same thing goes for many other foods that are "intuitively" healthy, such as beets, kale, coconut, eggs, bone broth and even quinoa! (Side note: One of my favourite people to follow on IG, @dr.jess.md speaks of this often, too! It's really the concept of bioindividuality - What works for one person might not be right for another!👏 Give her a follow for tons of unreal content!) . So now that you're armed with this knowledge, the question becomes, "How do I figure out what's right for MY unique blueprint?" 🤔 If you want to begin to understand your body like never before, join me on Feb 04th as we embark on an 8-week and 100% online gut rebuilding journey together with Restore Your Gut! Learn more and register at the link in my bio! . 👉 What about you? Are there any seemingly healthy foods that your body just doesn't seem to like? . . . . . . . #guthealth #sauerkraut #guthealing #ibs #ibsproblems #sibo #holisticnutritiomist #healthcoach #hormonalacne #bloating #glutensensitive #glutenfree #celiacdisease #celiac #functionalnutrition #microbiome #nutraphoria #goodmoodfood #womwnshealth #newyearnewyou #fermentedfoods #fermented #fermenting #histamine #fermentation #functionalmedicine #oxalates #ibd