SELF-LOVE WITH DR. LANA WELLNESS
I figured since we are approaching the end of Self-Love Month that we'd dive into some self-care with one of my favorite female entrepreneurs and dear friend, the smart as f* and gorgeous Dr. Lana of Dr. Lana Wellness.
I met Dr. Lana yearsss ago when I was experiencing some pretty serious fatigue and anxiety from teaching indoor cycling and running the business. She has helped me with my energy and hormones, she's stuck needles and cups all over my body (I'll never forget the 3" needle she stuck in my butt cheek), she's listened to my problems which usually lead to me crying in her office, the list goes on. I've learned so much from her and I wanted to bring her knowledge to YOU so without further ado, here's a little Q&A sesh we had.
Dr. Lana (and her cat Tchoups) in our CRACKED Leggings
Thirteen Fit Apparel: From a holistic/naturopathic perspective, what does self-love and self-care mean to you?
Dr. Lana Wellness: Self-love and self-care mean LISTENING to your body's cues. Our bodies are smarter than we ever give them credit for; when you are tired, sleep. When you are thirsty, drink water. When you are cranky, nap. When you need to use the restroom, don't hold it.
Seems easy, but when you ignore any off the above, you set yourself up for imbalance down the road. Not enough hours of sleep, you become more easily stressed, you choose higher glycemic foods to keep your brain energized, you lash out at others and you don't show up as good as you could to your work/job/relationships, and of course you also lag at the gym.
TFA: If you had to choose one self-care practice for your clients/patients or anyone who doesn't know where to start - what would it be?
DLW: MOVE. We were built to move. We are composed of all sorts of magical slow + fast twitch fibers just waiting to be used, recruited and fine-tuned. Movement stimulates the immune system (our body's internal immune system) by promoting the flow of lymph, which is comprised of muscle metabolites, lactic acid and lymphocytes (a special type of WBC). This fluid is flushed out out of the muscles/organs and into circulation to be eliminated from the body. The only way the lymph system works, is by your skeletal muscles creating a pumping system.
Movement facilitates the organs of detoxification (liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin), known as emunctories. Without moving, our detox pathways get backed up and sluggish, in the form of constipation, acne and inflammatory skin conditions, foul smelling underarm sweat, URIs and even jaundice.
Movement creates neurotransmitters - feel good brain chemicals that keep your calm, happy synapses firing and works to quell your anxieties and stress response.
TFA: As a healthcare provider, what do YOU do to practice self-love?
DLW: I get up within the same 90m window every morning, even on weekends. I workout at least 4 days a week. When I get cranky, I remove myself from social situations, then drink a large glass of water and put myself down for a nap, time/schedule permitting.
Isn't it funny how it all seems so easy? - but it's also so easy to neglect the easy things.
Xo,
Paige