Heather Allard

Wellness | Business | Lifestyle

Heather Allard

Colonoscopy Tips for First Timers

by on

I had my first routine colonoscopy today. Like most people, I’ve been dreading it for years.

Honestly though, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone says the prep is worse than the actual procedure, and they’re right. It took twenty hours of “cleansing” the day before and a mere twenty five minutes for the colonoscopy itself.

I didn’t know what to expect and I was pretty nervous about it, so I did some research beforehand.

I found these articles particularly useful, especially the advice about what foods to avoid (I eat almonds or almond butter every day, and was glad I saw to stop at least five days before!) and to bump up the start time of the prep. My colonoscopy schedule said to drink the first bottle of magnesium citrate at 5pm and the second at 8pm, but I drank the first at 1pm and the second at 4pm and it worked perfectly. I was pretty much “all clear” before I went to bed at 10pm, so I was able to get a good night’s sleep with just one trip to the bathroom at 3am. I finished the third bottle in the morning and had one final bathroom visit shortly after.

Good Articles:

Here are some other things that I did that might help you too:
  • On the advice of several people in-the-know, I purchased the grape flavor magnesium citrate. It comes in cherry and lemon-lime too, but apparently the grape is the best one. As I drank the first bottle of grape, I thought…ooooooh, this is actually yummy! By the second bottle, I was more like 🤮 and had to hold my nose as I sucked it down with a straw and brush my teeth immediately after.
  • Which leads me to my next tips – put the bottles of magnesium citrate in the fridge a few days before and drink it with a straw.
  • Make sure you wear comfortable pants that are easy to pull down when the urge to go strikes. 🤪
  • You will be wiping a LOT. Get good toilet paper, flushable wipes and something to soothe your butt like this calming spray and this diaper rash relief. Vaseline works fine too. Even better if you apply them before you start pooping.
  • Hunker down in the bathroom with some good books, podcasts or games. You’ll be there awhile.
  • Although you can drink any clear liquids the day before the colonoscopy, I quickly tired of sugary apple juice and Sprite and switched to chicken bone broth at “meal” times and then just ice water until midnight.
  • If you tend to be constipated, take probiotics (I take this one) for two weeks before to normalize your bowel movements before the colonoscopy prep. This PubMed article says, “Two weeks of probiotics pretreatment as part of bowel preparation significantly improves colonic mucosa visualization during colonoscopy and reduces preparation-related and postendoscopic gastrointestinal symptoms in constipated patients.”
  • Bring a portable essential oil diffuser in the bathroom with you during your prep to freshen the air and to ease anxiousness the morning of your colonoscopy. Wild orange essential oil is my favorite for cleansing and relaxing.

After the colonoscopy, I rested in a recovery room for a while and was encouraged to pass gas. This was definitely the first time in my life that tooting was acceptable in public. 😳 I also had some crackers and cranberry juice, which was a tasty treat after not eating for 24+ hours.

Post-colonoscopy tips:

  • If you still feel bloated after your colonoscopy, walk around a bit or try this wind relieving yoga pose. This should help release any residual gas.
  • Massage your abdomen with a gentle essential oil like frankincense or lavender.
  • Don’t worry if you don’t poop for a few days. Remember, your bowel was completely empty!
  • If you had any polyps removed (I had one), you may notice a little rectal bleeding for one or two days after. Don’t fret. (Of course, call your doctor right away if you have a lot of bleeding!)
  • Though you can usually resume your normal diet, you may want to ease back into eating. LOL.

After weeks (ok, years) of worrying about this middle age “rite of passage”, I’m so happy and grateful that the procedure went well and that everything was fine. I hope this helps make your first colonoscopy easier and less scary.

Weekend Reading : Stress Busting Edition

by on

Welcome to this week’s Weekend Reading! Here are a handful of things I think are worth sharing.

Weekend Reading : June 11, 2021

My mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia in early 2020, fell twice resulting in two back fractures, and has been in a nursing home since November. With truly divine timing, I became her trustee and power of attorney before the falls, and have been taking care of everything for her – paying bills, managing her care, speaking with doctors, etc. This has been the most stressful time in my entire life and I work overtime trying to manage my tension and anxiety. My essential oils have literally saved me from completely losing it, and I’ve found these two techniques to be the most helpful – this essential oil massage on the lymph node and Vagus nerve in the neck (I use my Frankincense Touch for this) and this “aromatic cue” practice that I created (forgive the funny voice and filter – I got the video just right while messing around on Snapchat 🤪).

Speaking of tension and anxiety…I’m holding so much stress in my body that some days, I can hardly move. I’ve returned to my Rodney Yee A.M. Yoga for Your Week DVD for relief. My favorite is the Monday Standing Poses sequence, but they’re all really good for stretching the body and mind.

This “Ancestral Healing” diffuser blend I created is heaven. In your diffuser, put 2 drops Douglas Fir + 2 drops Black Spruce + 2 drops Frankincense + 2 drops Wild Orange. (Need essential oils? Email me at heather [at] heatherallard [dot] com and I’ll hook you up!)

If there’s an uptick in kohlrabi sales, it might be because of me. I got an organic farm share from What’s Good and just had kohlrabi for the first time. I’ve been telling everyone I know about it since! I roasted it at 450 degrees for about 35 minutes, and it was SO good! Check out What’s Good and see if they’re in your area.

While we’re on the subject of vegetables, try this “super Caesar”. Add thinly sliced kale and cole slaw mix (Whole Foods has an organic one!) to your regular romaine Caesar salad recipe for a super food boost! Shhhh…your kids will never know!

This Spelling Bee game is my favorite way to spend some down time and do something good for my brain. Each day, you’re given a “hive” containing seven letters and you have to create as many words as possible using those letters. The words have to be a minimum of four letters and every word has to contain the center letter. You score more points with longer words and can progress all the way to Genius Level, my personal daily goal. :)

As a longtime online entrepreneur and mother of three kids who did a ton of Zoom-ing over the past year, I loved these tips for setting digital boundaries from Laura Jane Jones.

At 52 years old, I can really appreciate this saying from Teddy Roosevelt: “Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.”

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Reading : Lockdown Edition

by on

Welcome to this week’s Weekend Reading! Here are a handful of things I think are worth sharing.

I love this quote from Mark Twain, especially now at week seven of the pandemic:

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” –Mark Twain

On Facebook, a friend asked for everyone’s favorite books of 2019. I read more books in 2019 than I have in years, and these were my top picks:

Speaking of books, this blog post from Tim Ferriss was intriguing. In it, he references Peter Drucker’s suggestion to look for single decisions that eliminate hundreds or thousands of other decisions. In my own life, I’ve made a few of those decisions (see 1, 2, and 3 in this post), and I’m always looking for more.

Last summer, I discovered What’s Good, an online marketplace that brings farmer’s market fare to your doorstep.

Since then, I’ve been ordering organic eggs, green juice, bakery cookies, fresh seafood and more. I especially appreciate them now when food can be scarce and we’re supposed to limit our trips outside the house.

I switched to Brave for my web browser, and really dig it. I was tired of the countless ads that followed me from site to site to site, the strain on my CPU when I had a few tabs open (pretty much always), and having my privacy compromised.

Next, I’m going to check out Duck Duck Go search engine. Also, here’s an awesome checklist of ways to protect yourself and your information online.

Exit the warrior…

It’s been so long since I’ve written a blog post that I haven’t expressed how sad I was when I learned that Neil Peart, my all-time favorite drummer and lyricist (from Rush, my favorite band) passed away in January after a battle with brain cancer.

My love of Rush, and particularly Neil’s lyrics, has spanned four decades. My brother was a drummer in a band, and I grew up listening to them play Rush songs down in our basement. Years later, my son Brendan started drumming and became obsessed with Neil Peart, and I smiled ear-to-ear hearing him play Rush songs too.

I saw Rush in concert many times, beginning with the Hold Your Fire tour in 1987 when I was a freshman at Providence College. In 2013, my husband and I were fortunate enough to take Brendan to the Clockwork Angels tour when he was only 6, and we took all three of our kids to Rush’s final R40 tour in 2015.

I am forever grateful that Rush was such a big part of my life, and I will always cherish my memories of them. Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world, Neil. Rest in peace.

[Photo by Adrien Delforge on Unsplash]

Weekend Reading : Heal Thyself Edition

by on

Welcome to this week’s Weekend Reading! Here are a handful of things I think are worth sharing.

In June, I read The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry and it changed my life.

Last September, I started eating pumpkin seeds every day as a snack and in my daily lunch salad. Around the same time, I developed what looked like rosacea on my cheeks and nose, as well as chronic sinus issues. For the life of me, I could NOT figure out what was causing my skin and sinuses!

My sinus issues got so bad, that I was treated with antibiotics for not one, not two, but THREE sinus infections between October and January! (Coincidentally, that’s when I started experiencing bad panic attacks and anxiety.)

When I read The Plant Paradox and discovered that pumpkin seeds were likely the cause of my skin and sinus problems, I stopped eating them immediately. Within a week, both my skin and sinuses cleared!

Leslie, my oldest sister, has multiple health issues, including psoriatic arthritis, and she’s in a tremendous amount of pain. I sent the book to her and she texted me a few days into reading it saying that her mind was absolutely blown. She started the eating “protocol” right away and within two weeks, was able to come off four of the eight medications she takes ! And for the first time in five years, she was able to work in her garden for hours – until she followed The Plant Paradox protocol, she couldn’t even hold a garden tool because the arthritis was so bad!

She found two farms near her in Connecticut that sell organic vegetables and pasture-raised meat, eggs, and milk, which prompted me to see what was available here in Rhode Island…

After some googling, I found What’s Good, an online marketplace that connects customers with local farmers. Basically, they bring farmer’s markets to your doorstep.

Last week, I placed my first What’s Good order (pastured eggs, swordfish, and scallops) and was highly impressed with the process from start-to-finish. They’re in 20+ states now, so if you want to eat local easily…check out What’s Good!

I saw this quote on the back of Inward by Yung Peublo and believe it 100%.

I’ve been listening to this Flow State Spoken Word with Elena Brower every morning for the past two weeks and it’s sooooo beautifully healing and powerful. Set aside some quiet time and give it a listen.

My husband, kids, and I saw Bohemian Rhapsody in the theater last winter and we have watched it nearly a dozen times since HBO aired it this summer.

Every time I see it, I get chills and am so inspired by Freddie Mercury. He was no doubt one of the greatest entertainers of our time, but more than that, he was unabashedly himself despite the challenges of being an immigrant, having extra teeth that he was embarrassed about, and struggling with his sexuality.

One of my favorite quotes is when he tells his Queen bandmates that he has AIDS. He says:

“If any of you fuss about it or frown about it, or worst of all, if you bore me with your sympathy, that’s just seconds wasted. Seconds that could be used making music, which is all I want to do with the time I have left. I don’t have time to be anybody’s victim, AIDS poster boy or cautionary tale. No, I decide who I am. I’m going to be what I was born to be: a performer that gives the people what they want: a touch of the heavens! Freddie f***ing Mercury.”

On that note…I wish you the courage to be whatever YOU were born to be!

XO,
Heather

My Journey Through Anxiety

by on

During the last half of 2018, and for the first time in my life, I experienced overwhelming anxiety and panic attacks.

In a nutshell, here’s how it happened:

Aging + sending my firstborn to college + perimenopause + being sick multiple times + taking antibiotics three times in three months + too much time Googling

All of this landed me in my doctor’s office on the morning of Christmas Eve, and I walked out with a prescription for Lexapro. I took the meds for six weeks before deciding that it just wasn’t right for me.

You see, normally, I cry at everything – greeting cards, commercials, dog rescue videos, songs, poems, etc. On Lexapro, I cried at nothing. I felt completely numb and disconnected. So, I weaned myself off and committed to doing the work of healing myself.

First though, a disclaimer. I’m not a doctor or a psychologist. And I’m not you. I’m just a middle aged mom sharing my story and what helped me in my journey through anxiety. :)

My Journey Through Anxiety

Talking about it:

Until Christmas Eve, I hadn’t told anyone about what I was feeling. I kept it all inside, which only fueled the endless loop of anxiety.

I finally told my husband and kids, my mom, and my siblings. Just that made me feel so much better, like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. When I told my best friends, they were so kind and shared their own experiences with anxiety.

I also found great comfort in reading about others’ experiences with anxiety on Drugs.com and Mayo Clinic Connect. Both are great resources for people who don’t have a support system in their friends and family. And, the information I read on Drugs.com about what to expect when you taper off anti-anxiety medication was invaluable. I felt confident and well-prepared after reading it, and grateful to have found it.

Listening to these podcasts:

These podcasts from Rob Bell (and his wife, Kristen) and Tara Brach gave me so much hope and insight.

Taking these vitamins and supplements:

In my research on anxiety, I discovered that it can sometimes be caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies (particularly vitamin B, vitamin D, and magnesium) and by hormonal issues with the thyroid or pituitary gland, and during perimenopause / menopause when hormone levels fluctuate.

I had my vitamin D level tested and was at the low end of “normal” (43 out of the normal range of 30.0 – 100.0 ng/ml), and also had my thyroid and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) tested, which both came back normal. My 50th birthday is this year and I’m likely in perimenopause with the night sweats, anxiety, and trouble sleeping to show for it. (Here’s a great article by Dr. Christiane Northrup about the perimenopause transition – I was both shocked and consoled by the number of women who commented and described the same sudden onset of anxiety and panic attacks that I’d experienced!)

I take the following vitamins and supplements to support my body as I age, go through menopause, and mitigate anxiety:

  • Daily Nutrient Pack (this is a multivitamin and omega combo pack)
  • Bone Nutrient Complex (this complex has vitamins C and D, plus biotin, calcium, magnesium, and other trace minerals)
  • PB Assist Probiotic Defense Formula (this is a probiotic that I take every day, especially after three rounds of antibiotics in three months)
  • Vitamin D 1000IU (because my vitamin D level was on the low end of normal, I take one of these daily in addition to the others above)

Reading these books (for very different reasons):

Brain Body Diet: 40 Days to a Lean, Calm, Energized and Happy Self by Dr. Sara Gottfried – this whole book is fascinating, and the chapter on anxiety is especially helpful for me. When I saw my doctor about my anxiety and panic attacks, I asked her if it could be caused by a gut imbalance due to three courses of antibiotics, but she didn’t think so. Then I read this from the chapter on anxiety and knew otherwise: “Antibiotics wipe out the bad bacteria, but they also kill the good bugs that can keep you calm and content. Repeated courses of antibiotics are associated with a 17 to 44 percent increased risk of anxiety (!!!!), and 23 to 56 percent greater rate of depression.” 

Upstream by Mary Oliver – this is a collection of beautiful poems and essays on nature and literature. I read a few pages before bed each night to relax and unwind. When I’m done with Upstream, I’m going to read Inward by Yung Pueblo.

Brain Games Large Print Find-A-Word – I leave this book on the couch in the living room and do one or two each day. Searching for words has a way of distracting anxious thoughts and strengthening my brain at the same time.

Creating an aromatic anchor:

You know how when you smell coffee brewing in the morning, you think, “Time to wake up“? That’s because our brains and noses are intricately connected. I’ll explain what I mean about this connection with a quote from doTERRA’s Emotional Benefits of Aromatherapy ebook.

“Because our sense of smell is so closely connected to the part of our brain that stores memories and emotions, it is easy to see why specific aromas elicit specific emotions or feelings. The idea behind using aromatherapy for emotional benefit is that the user chooses certain essential oils to trigger desired feelings and emotions, particularly when aiming to combat or dispel negative emotions.”

I had heard someone speak about creating an “aromatic anchor” that would signal to her brain that it was time to go to sleep, so I figured I could create one to signal to my brain that everything is ok and there is nothing to fear.

Anytime I was feeling anxious, I would roll on a combination of rose, frankincense, and peppermint over my heart and inhale deeply. I chose this trio because these scents are grounding and soothing to me. This blend helped me get through the day we moved my oldest daughter into college without having a breakdown, though I did have to roll racing stripes of it up and down my body. ;)

Making dietary changes:

  • Reduced caffeine – between perimenopause and anxiety, caffeine started to make me feel jittery and anxious. And I read that it affects hormones, so I went from drinking three cups of coffee per day (before noon) to just one cup in the morning.
  • Reduced alcohol – even though having a glass of wine or a cocktail can be relaxing in the moment, it’s not a long term remedy for anxiety. I found that it affected my sleep and made me feel even more anxious the next day.
  • Reduced sugar – I don’t eat a ton of sugary things, but noticed that I felt “revved up” when I did, so I avoided my holiday favorites like homemade fudge and sugar cookies.
  • Increased water – I drink a lot of water anyway, but increased my daily intake to 3-4 liters to cleanse and hydrate my body.

Making lifestyle changes:

  • Social media: I actively spent more time with my family and less time on social media on my phone and desktop. I’ve found that spending too much time on social media has a negative impact on me and during my anxiety and panic attacks, even more so. I read this article about Facebook moderators and felt deeply saddened for them, and for all of us who experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder from what we witness online.
  • Phone: My nervous system was shot, and the slightest sound would have me on high alert, so I made sure all notifications on my phone were turned off and kept my ringer off as well.
  • Bedtime: I honored myself with a 9pm bedtime each night (still do) so my body could rest and restore
  • Morning gratitude: When you’re in the midst of anxiety, it can seem like nothing good is happening. So each morning, I thank God for ten things I’m grateful for and it starts my day off on a positive note.
  • Observation > meditation: Meditation is supposed to be good for anxiety, but I have a really hard time doing it. Instead, I’ve been “observing” my surroundings when I walk with James (my dog) and drive to pick up the kids at school. Just this simple practice of noticing quiets my mind and calms my body, and has been a great alternative to meditation.

Finding the gifts in anxiety:

Never in a million years would I think that I’d be grateful for anxiety, but I am because it presented me with these gifts:

  • Deep compassion for myself, and for anyone struggling with anxiety and panic attacks
  • A not-so-gentle nudge that it was time to change some things and take better care of myself
  • The opportunity to help others by sharing my experience and what I learned from it
  • The reminder to always be my own advocate

Blowing my own mind:

Anyone who has anxiety knows how your mind can make you believe that something bad is going to happen or that something is really wrong with you.

But how many have realized that if our minds can can make us think bad things, can’t it also make us think good things? Can’t our minds also convince us that good things are going to happen and that everything is right with us?

I had that thought one day while walking with my dog and blew my own damn mind. I’m serious. Our minds are powerful! If you have anxiety like I do, learn how to harness your mind’s power for good.

More on the mind:

Your turn:

It’s been a few months now since anxiety had me in its hold, and I’m feeling better every day. I hope what I’ve shared here can help even one person. Have you experienced anxiety? What things helped you the most?

Getting Off Our Phones

by on

Is it just me or is everyone on their phone?

Everywhere I look lately, people are head down, staring at their phones. When they’re alone or with people. At restaurants, beaches, and malls. On sidewalks, bikes and mountaintops. Now that I’ve noticed this, I can’t stop thinking about it. I mean, it’s crazy…isn’t it?

The other day, I was driving through the park with my teenage daughter and I spotted four different groups of people – two groups of three and two groups of two – and EVERY one of them was on their phone! I pointed it out to my daughter, and she shrugged her shoulders and went back to scrolling through Instagram.

I’m sometimes guilty of this myself and I’ve been actively working to change that. I found the following articles, apps, books, and podcasts about getting off your phone (which I believe starts with getting off or reducing social media) and thought they might be helpful for you, too.

p.s. If you ask me, the tongue-in-cheek video below by Alex Cornell, a former Facebook designer, doesn’t seem too far from reality.

Getting Off Our Phones

Cal Newport | Digital Minimalism (I consider this required reading for anyone who wants to live a better life. I’ve dogeared at least every other page in this book – it’s that good! What I love most about Cal’s book is that he doesn’t just tell you to get off your phone or computer, he also provides solid ways to spend less time on your phone (or computer) and more time in your real life.)

Freedom.to | Freedom app (I learned about this app through Digital Minimalism and it’s awesome! Freedom is an app and website blocker for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS, that blocks distracting websites and apps on your desktop, tablet or phone so you can be focused and productive.)

Rob Bell Podcast | A Brief Guide to the Undernet, A Brief Guide to the Undernet – Part 2, A Brief Guide to the Undernet – Part 3 – I Was Alive in the 1900s (These podcasts are powerful, and I’ve listened to each one several times.)

The New York Times | Do Not Disturb: How I Ditched My Phone and Unbroke My Brain

GQ | Cal Newport on Why We’ll Look Back at Our Smartphones Like Cigarettes

Derek Sivers | Why I’m not on Facebook

Paul Jarvis | On the Facebook Like Button

Wandering Aimfully | Do A Social Media Detox

Madison Fischer | Why Ditching Instagram Earned Me the Podium

Gizmodo | Teens and Young Adults Are More Depressed Now Than in the Mid-2000’s

c|net | How to delete your Facebook account once and for all

Cal Newport | Join Analog Social Media

Medium | While Everyone Is Distracted By Social Media, Successful People Double Down On An Underrated Skill

The Verge | The Trauma Floor – The Secret Lives of Facebook Moderators in America (This article isn’t about getting off your phone, but I wanted to include it because I think it’s so important to realize that, while these are paid Facebook moderators who are exposed to this traumatic content, every one of us who uses Facebook is exposed to the same type of content on a smaller level. Also, I found it horrifying that these poor people are paid so little, treated so poorly, and likely have lifelong trauma from working there.)

alt_TOGETHER | Stop Scrolling Challenge

Thrillist | 13 Ways to Break Your iPhone Addiction

BBC | Seven Rules to Stop Your Phone Taking Over Your Life

Lifehack | Addicted to Your Mobile Phone?

BuzzFeed | 22 Ways to Break Up with Your Cell Phone

The Next Web | How to Stop Checking Your Phone Like an Addict

Alexandra Franzen | Is it possible to run a business without using social media? (As an entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses using social media, this was a big concern of mine. I felt pulled to minimize the role social media plays in my marketing plan, but wondered if not using it was really possible. Alexandra shows that it is.)

CNBC | I quit Instagram and Facebook and it made me a lot happier – and that’s a big problem for social media companies

Vox | Is our constant use of digital technologies affecting our brain health? We asked 11 experts.

Vox | What smartphone photography is doing to our memories

NBC News | Social media linked to rise in mental health disorders in teens, survey finds

Delete Facebook | Permanent Account Deletion

Sean Bonner | On Leaving Facebook