Christina Anstead - The Wellness Remodel: A Guide to Rebooting How You Eat, Move, and Feed Your Soul

Contents

We dedicate this book to our readers
and their first steps on the path
to believing in themselves.

Contents

Christina: Anyone who knows meor watches my HGTV shows Flip or Flop and Christina on the Coastwould probably use the same word to describe my life: BUSY. I work full-time (okay, who are we kidding, overtime) transforming not-so-amazing houses into incredible homes, plus hosting and filming the entire process, all the while keeping up with my three kids. And while Ive spent seven years, eight seasons, and more than a hundred episodes making life look just a little more beautiful for the owners of my lovingly renovated and designed homes, Ilike many women who are struggling to balance it allhavent always been sharing that love with myself. I was over-caffeinating and under-eating. I lived on juices, protein bars, and coffee; and I was really scared of fatsany fats. On a daily basis my body felt sluggish, my brain was fuzzy, and bloating and indigestion were the norm. I attributed it to stress, but later found out that my symptoms were actually the result of two autoimmune disorders, Hashimotos disease and polycystic ovary syndrome. Im hardly alone when it comes to these issuesan estimated fifty million Americans suffer from autoimmune problems, and about 75 percent of them are women. So I know that a lot of you reading this can identify with what it feels like to struggle through each day, keeping fatigue and other symptoms at bay but not really thriving, focusing on taking care of everyone else, and putting your own needs last.

Thats the reason I wanted to write this book. Ever since I first appeared on television, the number one question people have asked me has been, How do you take care of yourself? The reality is, for a long time, I didnt. But now I do. And while Ive never really opened up about my health challenges before, my hope is that letting people into my life and sharing the tools Ive used to transform my health can help improve the lives of other people struggling to feel their best. The most important thing Ive learned on this journey is how to listen to my bodyit seems so simple, but its so easy to overlook. Your body is always talking to you. It knows what it wants and what it needsyou just have to learn how to listen.

This book is a compilation of all the lessons Ive learned, distilled into one easy-to-read guide with advice that fits into any life, at any time. The way Ive learned to approach diet (as in what I eat, not following a strict set of rules) and all the other elements of wellness that create a more balanced, healthy me doesnt actually take a lot of work. Because its about a change in attitude and basic practices rather than some rigid, impossible-to-stick-to program, it can follow me everywhere, whether Im at work, on vacation with my kids, out for a date night, or enjoying the holidays.

Ill include my personal regimen for how Ive been able to eat, move, and breathe my way toward a healthier, more energized life. I promise that this is an anti-gimmick, anti-diet, pro-feeling-amazing book that reconnects you with real food in an approachable, sustainable way so that you can maintain a healthy weight without depriving yourself, fend off chronic illness or keep your symptoms at bay, and have a more even-keeled, peaceful relationship with the ups and downs of life. Its comprised of three main sections:

GUT REHAB: This is your new plan for eating intuitively. That means no fads, no all-or-nothing dieting, no off-limits food groupsjust real food that makes your body look and feel like the best version of itselfand no rules other than learning how to tune in to your own hunger and craving cues. Youll hear a lot more about what you should eat rather than what you shouldnt. Ill walk you through the 14-Day Reset, our kickoff detox that will help you shed some of your negative eating habits, nourish the power center of your health (the gut!), and start creating a more energizing and wholesome sense of balance in your life. Once youve hit the refresh button, youll be able to clearly hear what your body is asking for, and what doesnt make it feel so great. Remember, your body is your truest, most honest guide!

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION: While eating a balanced, nourishing diet is the cornerstone to overall wellness, moving your body is a crucial piece, too. In this section of the book Ill share my secrets to finding an effectiveand enjoyableexercise routine that fits into an on-the-go life. No hour-long, high-intensity, punishing workouts requiredthirty to forty-five minutes of even moderate movement is plenty to see results and get a hit of feel-good endorphins. Who has time for more than that, anyway?!

THE REWIRE: Finally, well discuss the most important element of all: reconnecting with your spirit and feeding your soul. Ive experienced firsthand that your feelings can affect your physical body just as much as anything you eat. So its important to work on your mental and emotional health in addition to your physical health. For me, faith and prayer combined with gentle yoga and meditation (were talking ten to fifteen minutes before bed) does the trick; and Ill help you find whatever it is that grounds you, whether its following a religious or spiritual practice, writing in a journal, or dancing around in your underwear (no judgment!).

Luckily, I have an incredible partner in wellnessand best friendto help me with this mission. Cara Clark is pretty much the most awesome person I know. She manages to run her hugely successful businesses as a nutritionist and wellness coach while raising four kidsand kicks my butt at just about every workout we do together! Like me, shes a dreamer and a lover, and with her help, I was able to completely turn around not just my health but my whole life.

I met Cara in 2013, shortly after my ex-husband, Tarek, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer (now thankfully in remission), and I needed meal plans for his doctor-prescribed diet. Cara was super knowledgeable and supportive, and she asked me about my own diet. At the time, I felt pretty confident that I was eating good food, but one look at my intake form and Cara had other ideas. She told me that I needed to start eating more, especially healthy fats and unprocessed carbs. She also suggested that I was way too stressed. We ended up meeting for breakfast one day, and it was clear from the moment we both ordered our triple-shot espressos that we had an instant connection. Our breakfast turned into a workoutshes one of the only people I know who loves doing the stairs at Thousand Steps Beach in Laguna as much as I do!which turned into us becoming fast friends.

With Cara by my side Ive learned how to look and feel my best by adding, not taking away. That translated into more food, more activities I enjoy, more laughter, more balance, and more peace. She truly helped me heal my body, mind, and spirit. And in this book, shell be by my side once more, dishing out her signature no-nonsense advice on how to connect with the best version of you. But Ill let her tell you for herself!