#1 Madison's Monthly: Dropping Off Social and Planting Seeds

A monthly wrap-up of new learnings, recipes, and thoughts

Mar 19, 2023

I’ve been on an accidental Instagram detox. It started when my phone began malfunctioning due to being out of storage and I was forced to delete the app. Well, one day without Instagram has turned into 2.5 weeks. But, I won’t lie, I’ve peaked a time or two on my desktop browser.

The point is that not having Instagram has been good for my soul. It’s forced me to fill my free time, or time being “bored”, with books, walks, and deep conversation. Instead of impulsively opening the app and scrolling without even realizing I was doing it, I’ve had to be more intentional.

This has involved laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, and petting my dogs. It looks like walks around the garden beds, watering my plants that look as if they are begging for another drop of water. On my walks, I’ve been enjoying the scent of fresh violet bushes blooming and gazing at them in admiration.

Basically, no Instagram has been good for my old soul whose been begging my brain to soak up the small moments that bring so much joy.

But there’s a problem.

Instagram is where I connect with my favorite people in the wellness and fitness community. I learn from so many people there like @wellnesswithlinds, @organic_olivia, and @growing.in.the.garden. This is where I talk to all of my internet friends who share the same passion I do. I don’t want to cut off that social interaction!

I haven’t figured out a permanent solution yet or what I’m going to do about Instagram long-term, but for now, I love the time away. But I do miss sharing more of my daily life and the thoughts I have. I mean who do I have to share my mid-walk ponders, new recipes tried, or daily habits with if not for my Instagram friends!?

I decided to start a new monthly series called “Madison’s Monthly” where I share what I’ve been up to. From some beautiful nature spots I’ve explored to health hacks I’ve been loving, I figured I could give a wrap-of of the things I’m dying to share here.

Wim Hof Breathwork and Cold Showers

Last week Sebastian and I officially joined Optimyze, a wellness center in the Phoenix area. They have infrared saunas, recovery technologies, and cold plunges. It’s owned by the same man who walked us through a Wim Hof class a few weeks ago. I wrote a whole newsletter on what this is and the benefits behind it if you are interested.

The cold plunges have really been a game-changer for me. It’s pretty awesome to see what I am capable of if I just control my breathing. Last week we did two minutes in a 43-degree bath which felt way colder than the 48-degree one. And, we did not only one two-minute cold plunge, but two. And right after 20min in the sauna. My recovery on my Whoop was green the few days following. My body felt energized!

Bye Bye Sugary Beverages

No, I am not talking about soda. I haven’t drunk soda since I was 16. But I have developed a sweet tooth for kombucha, artisan lattes, and Olipops. As part of the wellness group at work, I am being challenged to drink lemon water each morning, give up sugary beverages, and eat cruciferous vegetables every day. Honestly, they’ve all been fairly easy.

I’ve enjoyed lemon water more than I thought I would (I always thought it was a gimic to drink it first thing on an empty stomach). I’ve been meal-prepping cauliflower and broccoli at the beginning of each week to have with all of my lunches. And I’ve replaced my nightly kombucha with a yummy cup of loose-leaf chai I found at the farmer’s market.

I have to say- it’s really made me realize that my addiction to artisan lattes (Sebastian and I have high standards when it comes to coffee shops) really might just be a sugar addiction. I haven’t been craving coffee the way I was before because I have only been allowing myself to order plain lattes without any syrups or honey.

Take action: What in your daily routine could have some sneaky added sugar? Your coffee? Your glass of wine? Try giving it up for a week.

Planting Seeds (literally)

This entire week I have received the message about planting seeds. While the messages I’ve been given from my yoga instructor and podcasts are about theoretical planting seeds, I’ve literally been in my garden planting seeds! And boy have they taught me to be patient.

Every morning I check on my garden bed and stare at the soil intensely to see if a new sprout has popped up. I was staring for a good 5 days before not seeing anything and accepting I was a failure. Then, miraculously, yesterday I woke up to 10 or so sprouts! Patience is a virtue, my friends. When you least expect it, the seeds you put so much love into sowing will sprout.

Tuna Melts (without the bread)

I’ve been very uninspired with my lunches lately. I don’t eat chicken or turkey, which definitely limits my options of things I can cook for lunch. The other day I stumbled upon a tuna melt recipe from Ambitious Kitchen and decided to give it a go.

I loved the idea of using pepper instead of bread! I find all of my favorite lunches include sourdough, which is delicious, but sometimes I want something lighter. I’m really trying to tune into lower-carb meals during my ——- phase.

Anyways, the recipe turned out great! I used Wild Planet tuna and local sheep cheese from the farmer’s market (which contains A2 beta casein so it’s great for those who are dairy-sensitive). I topped it with some broccoli sprouts for hormone health and a side of raw carrots with vinegar to help detox excess estrogen.

Fasting for Women

Fasting was a craze I loved when it first became popular. Then I realized that fasting actually isn’t great for women because of our hormones. At certain times in our cycle, it is important to nourish our bodies rather than putting it under additional stress. When I heard about the book “Fast Like a Girl” by Dr. Mindy Pelz, I was instantly intrigued. I knew fasting can be great for you because of how it promotes autophagy, but I needed to know how to time it right with my hormones.

This book was great for learning the benefits of different length fasts and figuring out when to fast. Turns out the right time to do it is during your period, or the first 10 days of your cycle! Most people tend to think this is the time to take it easy, but it is actually our “power phase”. It’s the week before our period that we need to take it easy. The more you know!

I’m doing my first fast today actually. Sebastian will join me and we will go 24 hours without food. I will report back on how it went and how I feel afterward!

Castor Oil Pack

I also finally took the plunge and ordered myself a castor oil pack. This was something my hormone practitioner recommended to me a while ago, but I was skeptical. Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more about them so I wanted to test them out for myself. I ordered the one from Queen of Thrones, which came highly recommended by some of my favorite wellness “influencers”.

If you aren’t familiar with castor oil packs, they are a mechanism of castor oil and a light, organic cloth. You apply the oil to the cloth and then that cloth to your body. You’re supposed to do it for at least an hour but I recommend just wearing it overnight. Because castor oil has such a small molecular weight, it soaks into your body helping to detox your liver, lower inflammation, and make your bowels more regular.

I have had great sleep when I’ve had it on, but I’ve been getting great sleep without it too. I’ll continue to use it regularly and let you know what I think!

I leave you with some photos of a beautiful waterfall hike we did in the Superstition Mountains a few weeks ago…

The name is Massacre Falls if you are interested. Make sure you go early! I recommend timing the start of it with sunrise to avoid crowds and keep your peace.

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