Podcast Episode 3: Actionable Gut Health Tips, Easy Eating Hacks for The Whole Family and More with Ashley of Wheatgrass Warrior

 Listen to this podcast on Spotify or Itunes.

Today I am speaking with Ashley Iovinelli of Wheatgrass Warrior on her journey to reversing IBS and other chronic conditions with nutrition, her journey to creating her brand with over 20 thousand followers, and more!

She is giving her 5 top gut health tips, her food philosophy that helped turn her life around, how she created her brand in the digital space and her advice for growing your brand the authentic way. 

Ashley dealt with chronic conditions in her early 20s such as IBS and asthma. Doctors prescribed medications, but they never truly solved the problem. Acting as temporary band-aid fixes, she remembers experiencing the side effects more so than actual relief.

Eventually Ashley thought enough was enough. This is when she started her own to research and dove in to fully understand how to heal naturally. And that is exactly what happened. Ashley was able to reverse her chronic conditions through nutrition.

Ashley realized that if she could heal herself from these conditions, she could heal others.

Listen in to this inspirational episode, and don’t forget to peep the below show notes for reference!

On Ashley’s food philosophy:

Embrace the real food diet – by focusing on organic, whole foods, and a lot of produce like fruits and veggies. Limit processed foods and find ways to enjoy home-made cleaner versions of processed foods. No matter what, there should always be a focus on organic whole foods to create whatever you are craving.

On how to juggle healthy eating and feeding picky kids:

The number one thing is planning. Too many people don’t put much thought into what they are eating. If you can write out a list even for one day or the night before – create a basic list of what you want for each meal can make all the difference. By doing a bit of planning you are more likely to stick to it.

Easy hacks to eating well:

Create a shared plate for the family – Create communal plates of fruits and veggies and create a beautiful display. When our kids see us eat it, they eat it. When I put it on my sons plate he doesn’t eat it, but when we create a community plate and they see us eating it, then they are more likely to eat it.

Smoothies – Smoothies for kids is another great secret. You can sneak in so much good stuff like fruits and veggies, and they love it!

On her top gut health tips:

Gut health is here to stay because it’s so important and the basis of so many illnesses. Here is what I always focus on:

Probiotics – Everyone should find a good one, and not every probiotic works the same for everybody. There are so many different options out there and you have to look until you find something that works for you – once you find one that gives you results stick to it.

Eat prebiotic foods – Prebiotics help feed the good bacteria in our gut. These are crucial to help feed the probiotics to do their job. Garlic, asparagus, apples, bananas, onions, and dandelion greens are all great options.

Eat organic whenever possible – With all the pesticides and chemicals out there in conventional food today, it’s simply not meant for our digestive system. When we eat these in abundance, our stomachs don’t know how to handle it so it can create all sorts of issues. If you are eating conventional food all day long every day, this adds up to different chemicals getting mixed up in your gut. Our bodies just don’t know what to do with it. Eating organic can’t be something that everyone can do, but any little bit counts.

Managing stress – Such a big one and often overlooked. Managing stress is very important for gut health and immune system. When we are super stressed, it increases inflammation and slows down digestion.

Look into elimination diet – Take a look at what you’re eating every day and eliminate possible triggers. This will also help you keep track of what you are eating on a daily basis. 

On her favorite holistic health practices:

Meditation is number one: 5-10 minutes a day is all you need to get started and experience benefits. As you get further into your practice you will be able to extend your meditation experience. There are so many great guided meditations on youtube that you can get started with. Other apps like Calm and Headspace are also great for beginners. 

Essential oils: Diffusing oils can really help balance yourself out. Especially before bed you can use ones like lavender to help calm the house down.

Journaling and gratitude: This one can really change your life. Keeping a gratitude journal every day when you wake up and making lists of what you are grateful for can be really life changing. The more you practice feelings of gratitude, the more you can attract into your life. 

Business tips: Starting at 24 minutes.

On how she created her business:

Social media was the first place where I put my time and energy with facebook and instagram. It was all passion based and something I enjoyed and I was connecting with people. It became almost a relief for me from the stress in my life and when I was experiencing all these health symptoms. I was able to escape to these platforms. Then I created a website to offer more resources. From there it step by step snowballed slowly. I didn’t just launch everything at once, I slowly evolved and grew. I added different components instead of doing it all at once because it can become overwhelming.  

Her advice for business owners that want to increase their engagement on social media:

The algorithm does matter and it does affect small businesses. It’s important to not make it all about that. As long as you don’t let that be your reason for why you are doing things in the first place, you will be ok. Focus on real connections and you will grow authentically. Establish true connections and communication, look for other people that relate to your business and have real authentic exchanges. Instead of just following people, give true organic comments and create real relationships.

Remember why you are doing this, If you come from a place of service with your social media and ask yourself how can I help others? Keep this in mind as you create content and as you have exchanges and the growth will come. Come back to your authentic “why” for your business, and let go of the worry that is related to numbers – this can really get in the way of your growth. 

On how she embraces the Balanced Babe lifestyle?

  • Boundaries are number one: I cannot stress enough how important setting healthy boundaries are for maintaining balance for yourself and your family. Boundaries are not easy because a lot of times the receiver of the boundary you are about to set is usually not happy that the boundary is being set in place. Making sure you know when to say no. The more you practice boundaries, the easier it is to say no. When you are always focusing on others, you start to abandon your own needs. 
  • Scheduling: I’m old school and I write everything down on a calendar in addition to my phone. Writing down lists for the day, to do lists and what not. Crossing them off when complete helps me feel accomplished. These all help me stay focused and balanced so that I’m focusing on the priorities for the day. 
  • Scheduling self care: when you wear a lot of hats in life, you need to schedule your own self care. Excuses can come up, but when you put it on your calendar you have to follow through. You also need to communicate this to your partner or spouse so that there is a balance there to help support you during your dedicated self-care time. 

If you loved this episode you can follow ashley on instagram: @wheatgrass_warrior

Wheatgrasswarrior.com 

Questions? Feel free to comment on this episode page or send me an email at sarah@sbsimage.com and we can continue the conversation!!

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