Radiant Mommy: The 3 week program to feel healthier, happier and balanced

By Ixiana H. Wilmot

Have you lost yourself in motherhood? 
Are you tired, cranky, overwhelmed, and overworked?
If you are ready to find yourself in health, joy, and balance, this book will get you started today.

Mommy burnout symptoms are widespread, and should not be viewed as a set of pains to endure hopelessly. You are not

• Language: English
• Publisher: Radiant Mami LLC
• Release date: Apr 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734680010

Ixiana H. Wilmot

Ixiana H. Wilmot is a trained health and nutrition specialist with a passion for helping moms live their best life. Her research and experience with stress, hormones, and motherhood led her to create Radiant Mami, a wellness brand dedicated to assisting women in balancing their bodies so they can feel and look fabulous in motherhood and beyond. Ixiana has a master's of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Health Coaching degree.

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Copyright © 2020 by Ixiana H. Wilmot All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Strenuous attempts have been made to credit all copyrighted materials used in this book. All such materials and trademarks, which are referenced in this book, are the full property of their respective copyright owners. Every effort has been made to obtain copyright permission for material quoted in this book. Any omissions will be rectified in future editions.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2020

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-7346800-0-3

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-7346800-1-0

Radiant Mami LLC

Clarksburg, MD 20871

www.radiantmami.com

CONTENTS

Dedication

Disclaimer

Introduction

Part One: What Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Stress

CHAPTER ONE: Motherhood and Stress – Why Should You Care?

Enter the HPA Axis and the Stress Response

Tending to Your Garden

Diagnosing Stressors

CHAPTER TWO: Stress, the Elephant in the Room

Perceived Stress

Circadian Disruption

Sugar Imbalances

Inflammatory Signals

CHAPTER THREE: The Balancing Act

Creating Balance

Sleep

Detoxification

Nourishment

Part Two: The Root of Health

CHAPTER FOUR: The Power of Self-Love

So What Is Self-Love Exactly and What Does It Have to Do with Health?

Connection to Self Leads to Self-Love

2-Minute Connection

CHAPTER FIVE: Training the Mind and Creating Habits for Success

Tools for Creating a Positive Mindset

CHAPTER SIX: Accountability

Part Three: The Radiant Energy Program

CHAPTER SEVEN: Setting Up Goals

CHAPTER EIGHT: Week One: Restore Sleep

Step One: Set Up Your Bedroom

Step Two: Establish a Bedtime Routine

Step Three: Time Your Meals

Step Four: Balance Light Exposure

Step Five: Practice Gratitude

CHAPTER NINE: Week Two: Detoxification

Step One: Reduce Toxic Foods

Key Points About Sugar

Step Two: Reduce Your Toxic Load

Step Three: Be Mindful

Step Four: Hydrate

Step Five: Exercise

CHAPTER TEN: Week Three: Nourishment

Step One: Eat Colorfully

Step Two: Include Lots of Leafy Greens

Step Three: Supplement

Food Sources of Vitamin D

Step Four: Explore Food Sensitivities

Step Five: Do One Thing You Love That is Only for You

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Menu Planning

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks

Transitional Foods

Part Four: Feel Amazing and Live Amazingly

CHAPTER TWELVE: Radiant Mommy

Connecting to the Goddess Within

The Investment and the Payoff

The Ripple Effect for You and Your Children

Recipes

Breakfast Recipes

Lunch Recipes

Dinner Recipes

Beverages and Broths for Radiant Skin

About/Bio

Resources

Glossary of Terms

End Notes

Index

DEDICATION

To my grandmas, Ceci and Abuelita María, the strongest, fiercest women I know. To Terri, who has taken me as one of her own and lifts me up everyday with her kindness and support. But especially to my Madre Querida, my first love and the original Radiant Mami. Thank you for loving me so and teaching me to love myself.

DISCLAIMER

I am not a doctor. The information in this book is educational. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and it is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician if you suffer from any condition that requires you to follow a specialized diet or lifestyle protocol.

INTRODUCTION

Becoming a mother is an incredible thing, both beautiful and painful. It is the ultimate love affair sprinkled with unfathomable joy and a ton of WTFs?! Being a mom will have you feeling all the feels, all the time. It truly is a privilege and a superpower. For all the love and dedication you are going to put in for the rest of your days, you will have a legacy in this big world. You might have already heard that with great power comes great responsibility. If you are a mom, you know that is an understatement.

My favorite comedian, Jim Gaffigan, described parenthood by saying: Imagine you’re drowning and someone hands you a baby. This always resonated with me because all the hopes, dreams, and magic that come with motherhood are accompanied by an absurd amount of work. Sometimes it can feel like you are drowning. Sleepless nights, constant worrying, cooking, cleaning, organizing, negotiating, emotional availability, tech support, explaining, explaining again, finding items invisible to the naked eye, medical assistance, event coordinating, and overall supplier of all needs, are just a few of the jobs you will perform as a mother on a daily basis. It is stressful and can be lonely. You will be performing tasks to care for those around you every day and all that work will often go unnoticed. This invisible load of motherhood is often the cause of huge amounts of stress. And stress, particularly in huge amounts, will wreck your health.

When I became a mother, a part of me died. This sounds dramatic, but it is true. I slowly lost my sense of self, and that made it impossible for the new version of me that had been born with my child to grow. I was stuck and my health declined. One day, years later (I confess, it took me years to love my life as a mom), as I looked at my two children, something clicked. I do not know how to explain it, but I suddenly realized that the tired, cranky, sad, and uninspired version of me had to go. I wanted to be there with and for those kids I love so freaking much. I had to allow my new self to rise and I was determined to learn how. My life began to improve right then and there, and over the years I learned a lot about how to live my best life. With the support of my family, I went back to school to study nutrition and health. I became fascinated with how the body works. I especially loved learning about how hormones rule the body and how stress can throw a perfectly orchestrated hormonal system out of whack. It was incredible and empowering because within the process of learning I found myself again. I want to share this information with you because I want you to live your best life too. We do not need to do it the same way, but I hope the material in this book will help you find your own way. Maybe you got a little lost somewhere between that blissful moment you were handed your perfect baby and this morning when you ate a breakfast based on whatever your kids refused to eat. And as you look around exhausted and confused at the disaster zone that is your kitchen, you might be wondering: How did I get here?

You are not alone. Please know that you are not destined to a life without zest, energy, joy, and lovely skin. You are radiant and if you have lost some, or a lot, of that shine – chin up! – you can find yourself again in health.

Part of my journey led me to focus on stress and its repercussions on health. In my studies, I learned that the body regulates your response to stress via a system known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or HPA axis. This system is involved in the fight or flight response, which helps your body act appropriately in case of an emergency. But the functions of the HPA axis are not limited to responding to stressors. The axis is also a part of energy production, temperature modulation, immune function, digestion, sexuality, and hormone balance. Mood, energy, libido, metabolism, immunity, cognitive function, and skin health are all affected by the HPA axis. If you feel like you need caffeine to get you through the day, if you feel uninspired, if you feel your skin has aged at the speed of light, and your kids are one Mom! away from becoming property of your in-laws, you could be suffering from poor HPA function.

HPA axis dysfunction is not talked about in Mommy and Me circles. It is not part of your yearly checkup protocol. And it is not the latest health news trend. I would like to help you get familiar with it because it is not uncommon and it could be affecting you.

This book will guide you on your journey to health. You will learn about the things that create stress in your body, how they affect your well-being and how to fix them in real and specific ways. I will explain the reasoning for each suggestion and give you the tools you need to take all the steps. The Radiant Energy program was designed by me based on my experiences with motherhood, what I learned