GYM VLOG #4

Author: Julia Dulgerova

I know that we can all agree that our world tends to be extremely fast paced. You wake up, do your morning routine, go to work/school, come home, eat dinner, and go to bed. And there are many tasks that need to be done in between, like putting away laundry and buying groceries. We are constantly go go go, and we often forget to really take a minute to sit with our own minds and think about why we do what we do on a daily basis. We rush through our days like we are on autopilot and aren’t fully aware of all the things we are doing. 

I can attest to this. Sometimes I completely forget what I was about to grab from my room, or I do silly things like forget to take my jacket off by the door because I’m already thinking about the next thing. We forget things, eat without actually savoring our food and instead stare at a screen, get stuck on things we wish we had or hadn’t said, and so on.

So how can being mindful and doing things with intention help?

First, let’s go over the definitions. Mindful means focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, especially as part of a therapeutic or meditative technique. And intention means an aim or a plan.

In Tessa Watts book “Mindfulness”, she writes 

“Aware – of your body, your mind and the environment

 Present – in this moment; right here, right now

 Focused – more able to make choices about where you place your attention

 Embodied – being in your body; bringing your mind and body into synch

 Accepting – of yourself and other people”

Mindfulness has been something that has been encouraged in practice for thousands of years. Being present in the moment is something that can even makes us happier because it gets us in touch with our inner selves. Buddhism focuses on mindfulness as its core practice more than other religions. Buddhists have developed many training for the mind that make people more present, focused, and aware of the things in life. Current mindful training mostly stems from Buddhist tradition, for example meditation and breathing techniques, all of which are extremely wonderful for creating a healthy state of mind. But you don’t have to be Buddhist or any type of religion to practice mindfulness. 

In order to be mindful, the first thing you must do is become aware of how you are autopiloting through life. You might eat your lunch and get to your last spoon of meat stock without actually savoring the flavor and imagining how it’s healing your body. You might lay in bed about to fall asleep when you realize you forgot to submit your assignment. Then you go down a train of thought that you forgot to submit your work, you’ll get a zero and no chance to make it up, fail your class, not graduate, and never succeed. Our tendency to be so autopilot through life triggers feelings of stress and anxiety. Most of us have a pattern of thoughts that our brain leads us into especially when things don’t go as perfect as we had hoped. And we find ourselves upset and in a bad mood without even knowing how we got there.

Through mindfulness and intention, we can realize how we go through life on autopilot, and we get a chance to step out of that cycle and be in the present moment. As we begin to see what is actually happening around us, in our body, in our mind and our environment, we can make huge improvements in our daily lives.

It’s hard to make huge changes all at once so start small. 

Next time you eat (for example meat stock) don’t bring a screen along. Every spoonful you take, think about the flavor. Imagine how the warm stock is traveling through your body and getting to your stomach. Imagine how it’s nourishing you and healing your body. How it’s repairing the gut flora and allowing your body to finally get the nutrients it’s been craving. 

Meat stock is super high in different gelatin, collagens, vitamins and minerals. The connective tissue on the meat helps our own connective tissue including our gut and intestinal walls. Then adding ferments to your diet like cabbage and beet tonic helps add beneficial bacteria to your gut flora that will repair gaps and spaces in between microbes that could let through undigested food. 

When you go outside to get to the car or back into your home, take a minute to listen to the birds sing. You can even make it a game by trying to decipher the different bird songs and predict how many different birds are around. Look at the state of nature around you. Maybe it hasn’t rained in a bit and the earth is dry, or maybe you just got a rainstorm, and the greenery is flourishing. Feel the air on your skin. It may be cold or warm, or breezy or still.

It doesn’t take much time or energy to start implementing practices of mindfulness into your life.

It’s helpful to have an idea of your intentions before you begin being more mindful. When you reach tough parts of our journey, we can remember the initial thing that made you start and find the motivation to move forward and continue. See if you can think of something you wish you could do better. Maybe it’s how you feel in social situations, maybe it’s the anxiety you get from schoolwork, it could be anything. Mindfulness will help you and your mind in any situation. 

So sit down for a few minutes and bring awareness to your body. Feel your feet on the ground, your palms wherever they are rested, and the weight of your body on the surface you are on. And think about why you want to learn to be more mindful?  What brought you here? See what you realize to be your response, try to digest these thoughts and pick them apart so it’s easier for you to understand. You may want to practice mindfulness to be calmer, to better cope with anxiety and stress, prevent depression, concentrate and focus, become more accepting of yourself and others, and much more. 

Mindfulness and intention can create a safe space away from the rush and busyness of life. Allowing times in your day where you can slow down for a moment and appreciate or even just acknowledge what is happening around you will ultimately bring you a peace of mind.

Here are some links to resources that may help you to practice mindfulness and intention!

Mindfulness Book

Mindfulness, Pre-Owned Hardcover 1606713310 9781606713310 Tessa Watt –   Walmart.com

Intention Book

The Little Book of Intentional Living : Manifest the Life You Want Through the Power of Intention (Paperback) – Walmart.com

Video About Mindfulness

The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger | Shauna Shapiro | TEDxWashingtonSquare – YouTube

Video About Intention

Living With Intent | Mallika Chopra | TEDxSanDiego – YouTube

GYM VLOG #3

Author: Julia Dulgerova

Blog Transcript Download

Anxiety Amongst Our Youth: You’re Not Alone!

Anxiety is something that is extremely common and on the rise within our youth, but thankfully we live in a time when it is talked about a lot more than in the past.

It is not uncommon to worry.

It is not uncommon to be uncomfortable in crowds of people.

It is not uncommon to be worried about new situations and change.

It is not uncommon, and we all have experienced it to some degree, no matter your age or circumstance.

You may get sweaty palms, or you may twitch your leg when you sit. However, your anxiety presents itself, we all cope with it in different ways and our symptoms are different.

I can’t emphasize enough that you are not alone. I’m in high school and simple things like when the teacher changes our seats, or walking through the hallways tend to make me nervous. And I admit that I often feel like this, thinking it must just be me feeling this way, and everyone else is outgoing so they must not feel like this. But what I can tell you for sure is that even the people that seem like they have their lives together and are too extroverted to have anxiety, can still experience anxiety.

Just like all things in this world, we all show our emotions and feelings in different ways. After all, we are all similar in many ways but also very unique.

An overwhelming amount of schoolwork and assignments, emotional trauma, unexpected change, financial and family concerns, and so much more can cause you to feel anxiety and you might think it’s something you will have to live with forever but that is so far from true!

First, it is important to get to the root cause of your anxiety.

Did something happen in your past?

Did you experience a sort of trauma?

It may even be difficult to understand exactly why your anxiety happens but by getting to the root of the issue, you can start the process of getting to know your brain a bit better. And truthfully, you might have no idea why you have anxiety and that’s when you must think about your body’s nutrition, sleeping patterns, and exercise. If these needs are not being met your body can be experiencing a sense of imbalance and anxiety could be your brain responding.

What have you been eating?

Things like processed foods, premade lunches, and fast food are very high in processed grains, MSG, seed oils, and more. These are all additives and ingredients that will throw off your body’s dynamic equilibrium and disrupt your gut biome. They make your body inflamed. By eating less of this junk processed food and more foods high in omega 3s, your inflammatory load will begin to decrease. Inflammation can actually affect the parts of your brain that are associated with reward and threat sensitivity, which means this can lead to symptoms of anxiety as well as low motivation. Even things like exercise are recommended and moving your body can work just as well as medication to decrease anxiety, so get your body moving and your blood pumping!

Now, your gut biome or microbiome is a family of microorganisms that live all through your digestive tract. You need them in order to absorb nutrients, digest food properly, and more. Your gut bacteria play a HUGE role in your mental health as many illnesses are born in your gut. So, it is crucial that you diversify your gut bacteria with fermented foods, meat stocks, and organ meats. There is even a whole nerve that runs from your gut all the way to your brain, like your gut and brain are literally connected! And there are cool exercises like diaphragmatic breathing, singing, and gargling that can improve the connection between your gut and brain. How incredible is that?

To learn about the important differences between meat stock and bone broth, here is a link to a wonderful article: Stock vs. Broth: Are You Confused? – Biodynamic Wellness. Preparing meat stock can be a fun place to start your healing, and it is very doable for most younger people to prepare.

Now I want to open the doors to you all to herbal medicine. A truly mind blowing and magical thing. Plants are so incredibly powerful, and not only can they heal things on the surface of our bodies, but they can also heal things under the surface of our bodies. A plant I will tell you guys about today is passionflower.

(P.S. Plants can have side effects so research and talk with your guardian or medical practitioner before you make any big moves.)

Passion flowers are not only beautiful but extraordinarily powerful. They have been used for centuries to treat conditions from anxiety to insomnia to asthma to narcotic withdrawal, and the list goes on. Plants have an ingredient called “flavonoids” and these are the components that affect our bodies in different ways. Passionflower has many flavonoids like “chrysin: ” and “benzoflavone”.  These are the main and primary ones that can help reduce anxiety. Standard anxiety medication has the goal of increasing something called gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA) inside of our brains. To simplify it, GABA is a neurotransmitter that blocks signals to our brain that could make us worried or sad. By blocking them we are instead calm and feel safe. And passion flowers do just this! They increase the amount of GABA in our brains, so anxiety could decrease immensely.

Anxiety is super common for people of all ages, and youth are no exception, but this doesn’t mean that we need to live with this and let it take a toll on our lives. We must take action and learn about our bodies, heal our gut, and remember that we are not alone! The GYM is an incredible team, and we help, support, and stand up for others and ourselves. Anxiety has NOTHING on us! 

Here are some links to resources that may help!

Mindfulness

• What is Mental Health Herbalism? – Monica Cassani (beyondmeds.com)

Setting Yourself up for Success Actions

• 8 Ways To Set Yourself Up For Success – National Association For Continence (nafc.org)

Journaling to help find the root of your anxiety or stress in your particular situation.\

• How to Journal for Anxiety and Mental Health Benefits (healthmatch.io)

Grounding Techniques for Anxiety

• How to use Grounding Techniques | Kati Morton

Fermentation and Meat Stock Info

• Stock vs. Broth: Are You Confused? – Biodynamic Wellness

Learn about the Body’s Circadian Rhythm

• Circadian Rhythms (nih.gov)

Easy steps to take to begin to learn what causes stress and how to manage it.

• Stress Management – HelpGuide.org

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GYM VLOG #2

Author: Julia Dulgerova

Blog Transcript Download

Clearing Your space and Creating Routines

Do you ever walk into your room and feel like you can’t progress with your day because everything is a mess? Or maybe you left dirty dishes in the sink and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. Or you left your house and forgot to throw your clothes in the dryer.

When we have to constantly remind ourselves that these things need to be done, we begin to worry. Especially if we already have a million thoughts firing away in our brains.

Things that seem simple like making your bed or putting away your laundry can drastically impact your day, especially when these are things you constantly see in your home.

I often think of a million little tasks I need to do, like submitting that homework assignment, cleaning my junk drawer (we all have one), or changing my sheets. In my family we like to call these things “elephants” because they sit in your brain and take up a lot of space, but they are tasks that are fairly simple and quick to do.

And that’s when the “Pit List” comes in handy. I learned about the Pit List from Shaye Elliot and Angela Reed of “Homemaker Chic Podcast”. The Pit List can be created by anyone. It’s just a list of the little things you have to do that sit in your brain, but when you finally have the time to do them, you can’t think of what you wanted to do because you can’t remember! (this happened to me ALL the time)

So, create a Pit List of your own, and anytime you think of that little thing you just cannot forget to do, but don’t have the time at the moment, write it down on your list. I can’t express enough how much this can help with anxiety, and I’m speaking from personal experience. First off, it clears your mind of the repetitive thoughts of these tasks because now they are documented on paper, and you don’t have to rack your brain when you forget what you wanted to do when you got home.

So, make a list!

Making a Pit List clears your brain but physically clearing your space is just as important.

As I mentioned earlier, making your bed takes about a minute or two but the feeling you get when you walk into your room after school or work and see your nicely made bed is worth the small amount of time by a million. Doing things like this will eventually turn into a habit, and it will habitually make you feel better and decrease your anxiety every time you walk into your room and see your bed made. 

Similarly, don’t let those dirty socks rot and ferment on your floor! Put them in your laundry basket! 

It may seem like it’s not that big of a deal, and you may even convince yourself that you don’t care, or you don’t see them, but trust me when I say the smallest things can trigger our brains and clutter can make us anxious on its own or make anxiety that already exists even worse.

So, clear your space!

Giving yourself the permission to indulge in self-care without guilt should be a daily routine for us all.

First, let me give you a rundown of my nighttime routine as an example. At around 8pm is when I begin winding down for the night. I try to finish or find a place to stop whatever I have been working on like homework (or this blog post!). I find it very important to stop yourself at certain times because you may be like me, and just go on and on and work but not notice how much time has stopped. So, by 8pm I like to tie my work up. Then, I’ll go downstairs and drink a tall glass of water, and then I take a shower and put on my cozy pajamas. Then, on the weekend me and my dad will sometimes watch a movie but on the weekdays, I’ll go to my mom’s room, and we will talk about our days while we Gua Sha our face with some oils. Using a Gua Sha is great for blood circulation, lymphatic massaging, and reducing inflammation. Plus, it’s quality time with my mom. I forgot to mention that I try not to look at my phone or any screens after 8pm, because not only does it delay the time we fall asleep because we just can’t get enough, but our body’s circadian rhythm gets confused. And by 9:30pm, I am in bed and ready to read my book for a bit before I go to sleep. Reading before bed gives you a peaceful sort of entertainment without constant stimulation from social media or screens.

Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that regulates many internal functions for example sleep, metabolism, hormone secretion, digestion, immunity, cognition, and neurobehavior. All of which are crucial for not only the functioning of our bodies but also for our own survival. If this internal clock is disrupted by things like screen, late night snacks, etc. our body’s functioning is unbalanced and can cause issues in many parts of your life. The way that it works is that our brain receives signals based on the environment and activates the production of certain hormones, changes our body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you awake and alert or to make you sleepy and ready for bed. Maintaining healthy routines in your daily life makes you respond better to the natural rhythm of your body’s internal clock.

Things like salt lamps, lymph massages, and fascia release are great examples of things that you can add to your self-care routine, and they are extremely beneficial for our bodies.

Salt lamps are what’s called “natural ionizers”. This means that they change the electrical charge of the air that circulates around them. Ions carry a charge, and this is because they have an unbalanced number of protons or electrons. When a change occurs in the atmosphere by things like waterfalls, storms, heat, and salt lamps etc. ions are produced in the air, and they secrete different energies. Salt lamps produce ions because they attract water to themselves that evaporates off them producing ions. Salt lamps improve air quality, can boost your mood, help you sleep, and create a nice ambiance in your space.

Lymphatic drainage and massages are great for draining waste and toxins from the body.  The lymph system is very interesting. Our body has vessel systems that carry our blood to and from the tissue, well the lymph system is equally as important because it is a system of vessels that removes cell waste, proteins, excess fluid, viruses, and bacteria. It’s kind of like a filtration system that picks up fluids and waste from in between our cells and filters and cleans them. Just like a water filter, our lymph system can start to build up in the toxins it’s filtering out and can cause all sorts of issues like swelling, sluggishness, infections, and more.  The vessels of our lymphatic system are all throughout our body, but about 70 percent are just below our skin!  This means that by massages with light pressure, circular motions we can stimulate our lymph system to work better and move filtered lymph fluids back to the heart. These massages are great for things like acne, post exercise recovery, cellulite, and eczema which are all things the lymph system can be responsible for. Many toxins can build up in lymph fluid and massages can be done to release these toxins. 

Similarly, massages and stretches can be done for fascia release. Fascia is what gives our body structural support and protects our muscles. This fascia is usually able to move easily, except for when certain trauma or injuries occur, and your fascia can lose its flexibility. This makes it tight and rigid and can lead to pain and make it hard to move around. Fascia release can reduce the soreness in the muscles after exercise and can be used as a tool to recover faster, so you won’t feel as sore after working out or doing lots of physical movement. 

So, take some time to turn on a salt lamp and do lymphatic drainage and fascia release!

You may feel selfish when you take this time for yourself, whether that’s in the evening or in the morning, or like you are being high maintenance. But It is so important for our bodies’ healing that we create this time and space in our schedules and give ourselves permission to do these things. And care for yourself with intention as it puts you in the mindset of healing, and it’s not extra or bougee. Having a mindset of positivity and wellness plays a very significant role in our bodies ability to heal. These routines are something you can look forward to as your time and space and design it how you would like to honor your individual person. Also, routines for self-care are a great independence practice to have especially if you feel like you are constantly under someone’s watchful eye. So, create this block of time in your day to prioritize yourself and your health as you learn more about who you are and what is important for you. It isn’t by chance that we get the greatest ideas when we are showering because it’s a time when we are forced to be with our own selves and our own mind without any distractions. Creating space in your brain, and in your life, while implementing self-care routines flows positively into other areas of your life and opens the door for creativity and self-discovery.

Here are some links to resources that may help you to clear your space and create routines for wellbeing!

Lymphatic Drainage Massaging

• https://youtu.be/6laR5c_y2IA

Gua Sha Face Massager

• Amazon.com: BAIMEI Jade Roller & Gua Sha Set Face Roller and Gua Sha Facial Tools for Skin Care Routine and Puffiness-Green : Beauty & Personal Care

Fascia Release 

• (1) 5 Fascia Release Exercises Everyone Needs to do Every Day – YouTube

Fascia Muscle Roller

• Amazon.com: Coolife Fascia Muscle Roller – Cellulite Massager – Fascia Roller for Cellulite and Sore Muscles – Neck, Leg, Back, Body Roller Deep Tissue Massage Stick Tools – 3 Balls Size Version : Health & Household

Notepad for Pit Lists

• Amazon.com : To Do List Notepad: With Multiple Functional Sections – 6.5 x 9.8″ 60 Sheets – Spiral Daily Planner Notebook – Task CheckList Organizer Agenda Pad for Work – Note and Todo Organization : Office Products

Learn about the Body’s Circadian Rhythm

• Circadian Rhythms (nih.gov)

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GYM VLOG #1

Author: Julia Dulgerova

Blog Transcript Download

Welcome to the GAPS Youth Movement! (GYM for short)!

My name is Julia Dulgerova and I’m the GYM Outreach Coordinator, which is a pretty fancy name but essentially I’m going to be sharing fun GYM information with subscribers through blog/vlog posts and social media!  In a time where many young people are struggling with health challenges, mental and physical, the GYM platform will help our youth (young people like yourself, ages 10-28) move from young adolescence to adulthood with a strong foundation of health by simply making better food and lifestyle choices. And as we build this community and more and more of us connect, there will be many opportunities to interact, and there might even be a possibility to form a local GYM group of your own, eventually take a GAPS training course to become a Certified GAPS Coach (CGC) or Practitioner (CGP)! So, the GYM is super awesome and it can be something fun to do to take care of your health, or it could turn into a future career or business. If it sounds like I’m rambling and nothing is making sense, this first blog post will answer some of your burning questions about GYM and GAPS, and then I’ll tell you a bit about Dr. Natasha and myself, so here we go!

What is the GYM?

The GYM is a new project that is in its beginning stages of development. The goal of the movement is to create a worldwide network of young people, ages 10 to 28 who connect to learn about and implement the GAPS Lifestyle. You people can get involved by forming a cooking club at school or home, starting a garden program, volunteering at local co-ops and CSA farms, or simply by following along on Instagram, YouTube, and more!

What is GAPS?

GAPS stands for “Gut and Psychology or Physiology Syndrome. GAPS conditions originate in the digestive system. This system is a long tube; what you fill that tube with has a direct effect on its well-being. That is why the diet is the most important and the number one treatment. The protocol includes the GAPS diet, supplementation, detoxification and life-style changes. Once your digestive system starts working properly, you will be amazed how quickly your symptoms, far removed from the gut, start melting away: your joints and muscles stop hurting, hormonal problems go away, your skin clears, your energy comes back, you start sleeping well, your memory and ability to concentrate improve, you find long-lost stamina to accomplish your daily tasks, your constant colds become a thing of the past, your asthma disappears, you realize by the middle of summer that you had no hay fever this year, your headaches go away, your chronic cystitis vanishes, etc., etc. All the symptoms, which you have never connected with the state of your digestive system, on their way out will tell you that you have done the right thing in healing your gut! And the GAPS Diet has the ability to heal us and our gut in a magical way! GAPS was created by Dr. Natasha, so here’s a bit about her.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride graduated with Honors as a Medical Doctor in 1984 from Bashkir Medical University in Russia. In the following years she gained a Postgraduate MMedSci Degree in Neurology.Dr Campbell-McBride developed her theories on the relationship between neurological disorders and nutrition, and completed a second Postgraduate Degree in Human Nutrition at Sheffield University, UK. She practiced in the UK as a nutritionist and not as a medical doctor.Having trained thousands of Certified GAPS Practitioners around the world, Dr Natasha decided to close her clinic to focus on writing and teaching. As a nutritionist she has specialized in using a nutritional approach as a treatment, and has become recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in treating children and adults with learning disabilities and other mental disorders, as well as children and adults with digestive, immune, and other physiological disorders.

How Do I Get Involved in the GYM?

Dr. Natasha and the GAPS Team invites you to sign up for the GAPS mailing list to receive project updates, but as we develop this community you can get involved by forming a cooking club in your school or at home, starting a garden program, volunteering at local co-ops and CSA farms, or simply by following us on Instagram and YouTube.

What Topics Will be Covered?

We will cover lots of topics, and I am sure that as you share stories of your own and ask questions, more topic ideas will arise. Below is a short list of common symptoms and struggles young people experience. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to possible topics we plan to share and discuss on future podcast episodes and social media content, so get excited!

• mental health
• digestive issues
• fatigue
• lack of motivation
• eating disorder
• healthy hair skin and nails
• body weight and image issues
• diet in general
• building muscle… and SO much more!

Where Can I Find More GYM Content?

You can find GYM content on here (our blog), our Instagram channel, @gapsyouthmovement, and our YouTube channel, @GAPSYouthMovement. We are starting with these three platforms but as time goes on we may include more and share content in new ways. Plus, nowadays social media apps have multiple functions like YouTube shorts, Instagram reels, regular videos, podcasts, and there’s probably other ways that I just don’t know about yet. But that’s the gist.

Okay, now I’m going to tell you a bit about myself and how I got here, since you’re gonna be stuck with me.

As you know, my name is Julia Dulgerova. I’m 17 going onto 18. I live in Pennsylvania USA but I dream of living in Kentucky. My family is from Ukraine and I have two older brothers.

Ever since I was little I loved the idea of homesteading and gardening and it became a big dream of mine. When my family moved from the city to the suburbs during my elementary school years, my dreams slowly started becoming a reality.

I I watched lots of homesteading families on YouTube and that really helped me envision my dreams and goals. YouTube was my first visual introduction to homesteading, and me and my mom loved the idea of gardening and growing our own food, so we decided to give it a try!

We started with just planting some tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. It was awesome and we felt so fulfilled and satisfied, but we wanted to do something more.

Once we established the garden a bit, the next step was to get chickens. So we went to a feed store and bought 13 little baby chicks, of all different breeds and colors.

This was all starting to feel more real! We now had a garden AND chickens! Starting this homestead journey made me so sooo happy! Because I never really felt like I fit in in school (that sounds cliche but it’s true), I had friends but never friends that had common hobbies and interests with me like homesteading. Finally I felt like I had a hobby that actually made me happy and that I felt committed to but in a good way. I was and still am a homebody and I LOVE being with my family, so keeping chickens and a garden gave me something to do while being at home with the people I love most.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that if you start homesteading and you start getting animals you CANNOT stop and it becomes a never ending cycle (this is a warning!), but a lot of homesteaders have cows, which I knew we didn’t have enough land for, but I also saw that some kept goats. Goats of all sorts like nubians, nigerian dwarfs, etc. I knew that they would fit on our acre just fine and they would be a great source of milk too. I talked to my parents and my mom was onboard right away but my dad was like, “NO!”. So, I slowly started to convince him. Like literally I’m not joking, to show my dedication I would walk around the house going BHEEEE like a goal because that’s what I thought would convince my dad (I was in middle school so give me some grace). Eventually he agreed, so my goat bleating worked!

I saved up all my money from my 14th birthday and started searching for goats and building supplies like fence posts and housing materials. I found a farmer named Bill who kept a Nigerian dwarf goat and he was amazing. He said he would sell us any baby goats we wanted and we picked 2 but had to wait until they grew up a bit to actually bring them home. Me and my brothers spent the summer putting up a fence and a shelter for the baby goats that would soon be ours!

Meanwhile I was researching everyday about how to keep goats, what they need to eat, common deficiencies they could have, signs of sickness, all the ins and outs, and I kept a hefty binder of information. Soon enough we brought the goats home. We named them Millie and Luna and as they grew up we prepared to breed them since we wanted milk. When they were old enough, we took them to their “boyfriends”, if you will, and both of them became pregnant and had one baby each! This was an adventure in and of itself, especially when Millie was giving birth while I was home alone and the baby got stuck and I had to reach in (if you know what I mean) and turn the bay to pull it out!  That’s a story for a different time though. The goats had babies and then I started milking them for many months.

The problem was, I was in middle school and in one year I would be in highschool. I was already waking up at 6:00 am so I would have time to milk before school, and then after school I would also have to milk. I knew that in high school I would have to wake up even earlier and it would be difficult to balance school work, a job, and the goats. So, unfortunately we had to sell Millie and Luna as well as their babies.Thankfully, everyone went to a good family and we are still in contact with the people who bought the goats.

As I continued to go through high school I knew something involving homesteading and a holistic path would be my life’s focus. I still garden, keep chickens, and have added some bees to the “farm”, and I’m very interested in learning about holistic nutrition and herbalism.That’s what I want my life to involve. I didn’t know how I would do this though, since those aren’t the usual college career paths.

That’s when I found the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA) in 10th grade. I instantly knew that that’s where I would go for schooling but I wasn’t sure how I would implement that education into a career. It was something I couldn’t figure out and I was a little worried about it. I didn’t know how I would share the things I learned. I thought about a YouTube channel or a blog and I thought I would try these after I graduate highschool.

I always enjoyed listening to podcasts and they really inspired me, so I thought, yep, that’s what I’ll do after I graduate but my senior year was approaching and everyone was applying to colleges so basically the pressure was ON. I needed to figure out what I was going to do with my life and I thought “ok, I know I love nutrition and I also love sauerkraut, kombucha, raw milk, and raw butter, as well as grass fed meats and meat stocks”, so I came to the conclusion that there had to be a diet that goes along with all this, right?

So I simply Googled it.

And guess what? Yea, it totally exists, and it’s called the “GAPS Diet”! Many of the components of the GAPS diet is what I was already doing and it turns out there’s a training program for the GAPS diet, so I started researching the program. I learned that in order to go through their program I needed a certain certification, and the Nutritional Therapy Association could give me that. This was perfect since I was already planning to go to the NTA. I decided that I would get my NTA certification to become a Nutritional Therapist and then I would go through the Certified GAPS Practitioner (CGP) Training.

But I wanted to learn more, so I went on the GAPSTraining.com website and emailed one of the staff members named Jennifer (She’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet and now we are on the same work team, which is crazy!).

Meanwhile, I was already working on starting my podcast because I thought, why wait until I graduate to start it, so I might as well start now. I had emailed Jennifer and basically just asked her about her story, how she got into GAPS, and what brought her there. She told me her story, and said GAPS Training would be happy to accept me into a certification program after the NTA no problem. I also shared my podcast with her because she asked what I have been working on. I was absolutely thrilled because I was finally starting to see clarity in my post-high school life.

A few weeks later, I got an email from Jennifer that my work on the podcast had inspired the GAPS training program to start the GAPS Youth Movement and she was asking if I wanted to be the head of this movement and to take on a GAPS internship too. I was SO excited to have this opportunity! It all felt like such a blessing!

Meanwhile, I was searching for a job to do after school and I simply searched “Herbalists near me” because I wanted to do something in this field. Well, a place called “Barefoot Botanicals” showed up. I called them and asked if I could come help on their farm, even if it’s just volunteer work and they agreed! I worked as a field hand for about 2 months, and then they hired me as part of their staff. It has been such a great learning experience working there and I get to be around healing plants and be outside in the fresh air. I couldn’t ask for anything more!

And here we are! I’m only a few more months away from graduation (two months to be exact).  I have lots of goals and aspirations and I just can’t wait to see where it all takes me. I’m excited to move into the next phase of life after high school, and I know there is so much ahead. I want to move to Kentucky and start a homestead or ranch after graduation. First I want to raise animals for me and my family and later sell what we produce online or in a local store. I want lots of kids and a beautiful family, and a small cottage surrounded by a french potager garden and a market style garden. I want to keep a family jersey milking cow, as well as a few goats to remind me of my childhood, and lots of chickens for egg production and meat, and some sheep and pigs.

Basically I want to live in the middle of nowhere on a farm, live off the land, and be happy. I want to teach people how to grow their own food and how to use that food to get the greatest health benefits through GAPS. And of course, how to implement herbal medicine into the mix.

My blessing of a job here at GAPS and working at the herbal farm has been incredible in helping me gain experience and knowledge from so many intelligent people, which is bringing me closer to my dreams every day and I’m forever thankful.

And you know what? You guys have the front row seat on this journey!

Whether you have similar dreams or completely different ideas of eternal happiness, the GYM is a place for all youth!

We only get one body in this lifetime and we must care for it through our diet, mindset, and good lifestyle choices.  Everyone is welcome in the GYM, no matter how far along you are in your journey, because our bodies and our minds are important and they seek the support of our diets and lifestyle at all ages. Come and join the GYM!  It’s never too early or too late to start getting healthy.

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