I felt crappy and exhausted last Tuesday morning, and it quickly became a cold and fever on Wednesday.

I bounced back really quickly, and today I want to share exactly what I ate and what supplements I took to get there.

But first, a little caveat —

I’m an intuitive eater and feel energized and healthy 95% of the time, but of course there are times when I simply feel terrible after ignoring my intuition (it happens!), not getting the food I need because of some outside circumstance like a travel delay, or being sick.

A lot of people in the nutrition and weight loss space appear to always make perfect choices at every single meal and snack. But that’s not reality – and that’s ok.

There are times you’re gonna feel less than great, and you want tools to feel better as quickly as possible so you can step up with enthusiasm at work and in your relationships.

Everyone wants to feel good so they can truly live their lives, and no one wants to diet.

So what do you do?

You hone your intuitive eating skills while also building up a stash of bounce-back tools for when things go wrong.

Last week my throat was super sore and I had a fever.

Now, I believe that sickness is often spiritual and it comes along to move old energy out of our body and make room for expansion.

I don’t think it ALWAYS has to do with poor food choices. But that’s a different topic for a different day.

Regardless, there are always tons of food and lifestyle tools you can use to get back to 100%.

So today I want to share exactly what I ate – and what supplements I took – to quickly get better and bounce back to full energy.

I would follow a similar plan if I had made a food choice that left me feeling icky, or was out of it for some other reason.

Keep in mind that this is not a diet recommendation or a blanket fix for everyone.

This is what worked for me last week, and I’m sharing it as a reference point and inspiration for you to experiment to find your own comeback formula:
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Breakfast: Oatmeal with flax, chia seeds, almond butter, a little raw honey, and sea salt.

Morning supplements: Probiotics, turmeric, nettle, zinc, echinacea, fish oil, vitamin D, oregano oil, buffered C, Adrenal Support (herbal Chinese medicine), digestive enzymes.

I know this is a lot – I only take this many when I’m sick.

Drink: My favorite white earl grey tea from Harney and Sons.

Lunch: Chicken soup with quinoa and veggies. Some random all-good* bacon from Hu Kitchen.

Afternoon supplements: Buffered C, adrenal support, digestive enzymes.

Drink: Another white tea. Mmm.

Drink: Organic, grass-fed beef-ginger bone broth. This is KEY to a quick comeback. Try it.

Dinner: Wild seared salmon with butter and sage, arugula salad with olive-oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, and sweet potato mash with more butter and sage. Delicious and so nourishing.

Nightcap: Peppermint tea, and extra kisses & cuddles from my man.

*Organic, humanely-sourced, etc.
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You’ll notice that this day is low on sugar, and doesn’t include any coffee or alcohol.

These things drain my energy rather than giving me energy, so when I’m trying to rebuild my system after feeling sick, I avoid them.

You might find you’re the same, or perhaps they don’t affect you as much.

Experiment with different amounts of stimulants (sugar, caffeine, alcohol), and notice what makes you feel best. Then honor that.

I’m so curious, how do you bounce back when you feel crappy and exhausted?

What piece(s) of my approach will you experiment with?

Share with me in the comments below.

Have a friend who gets sick a lot? Share this post with them – they’ll thank you for it.

Much love,
Lula

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Photo: Francesco Sapienza