Pursue Wellness - Kelly Lutman

09/26/2025

You probably don’t think much about how your eyes move during the day. But your nervous system does. Those quick glances, darting movements, or fixed stares -- they’re not just random. They’re part of how your body processes stress, safety, and everything in between.

Your eyes are directly connected to your brain through cranial nerves, which means how they move can impact how you feel. When you’re overwhelmed or hyper-focused, your eyes tend to lock into narrow, fixed positions -- often on a screen, a problem, or a threat. That kind of visual tunnel can send a signal to your brain that something isn’t safe.

But here’s the quiet power of eye movement: it can help bring your nervous system back into balance. Therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) use rhythmic, side-to-side eye motions to support emotional processing. But you don’t need to be in a therapist’s office to benefit. Simple shifts in where and how you direct your gaze can have a surprisingly calming effect.

Try one of these simple practices when you’re feeling tense or overstimulated:

• Soft focus. Let your gaze rest gently on something neutral across the room. No staring, no effort. Just soften your eyes and let your body follow.
• Look to the horizon. If you’ve been glued to a screen or stuck in your thoughts, pause. Look out a window or toward a distant object.
• Side-to-side eye movement. Slowly move your eyes left and right. Don’t rush. This gentle rhythm can help settle your body, especially when you feel stuck or frozen.

It may seem too simple to matter, but your eyes are powerful messengers. They help your brain gauge the environment. And when your brain gets the signal that there’s no immediate threat, your whole system can begin to soften.

09/26/2025

Did you know that your hair holds valuable information for supporting your health?

09/25/2025

09/23/2025

Each season carries a message, and over the years, I’ve learned to listen.

In summer, my body naturally wakes with the early light. I find myself craving movement and crisp, refreshing foods -- berries, cucumbers, watermelon, herbs. There’s a certain openness to this time of year. Nature is in full bloom, and I often feel that same expansive energy in myself. It’s a season that invites motion, spontaneity, and soaking in the warmth, both literally and emotionally.

When autumn rolls around, everything begins to slow down. The light shifts, the air cools, and my energy softens. I start cooking heartier meals like roasted vegetables, soups, stews, and warm spices like cinnamon and turmeric. I feel a stronger pull inward. I naturally spend more time at home, settling into routines, craving more consistency and quiet. It’s the season of preparation and reflection.

Then comes winter, the season of true stillness. I’ve learned not to push productivity during this time. My body often wants more sleep, more rest, and more softness. I focus on simple, nourishing meals and quieter activities like journaling, stretching and playing with puzzles. I give myself permission to be still, to hibernate in my own way, knowing this rest has a purpose.

And then, just when the stillness feels like it might last forever, spring arrives. Slowly, gently, something shifts. I feel the urge to move again, to clear space, to start fresh. My meals get lighter, filled with greens and sprouts. I open windows, take longer walks, and shake off the dust of winter. It’s not a rush but a reawakening.

Tuning into the seasons helps me stop fighting myself. It reminds me that there’s a rhythm to everything, and when I honor that, I feel more grounded and more alive. Have you noticed your body’s shifts with the seasons?

09/22/2025

Not all fatigue comes from lack of sleep. Sometimes, you get your eight hours and still wake up feeling foggy, heavy, or just… off. Your body’s not asking for more rest—it’s asking for more nourishment.

And often, what it’s missing isn’t more food or caffeine. It’s minerals -- the quiet, behind-the-scenes nutrients that keep everything running smoothly.

These nutrients don’t get the same attention as protein, carbs, or calories, but they’re essential to how you function and feel. Your energy, focus, sleep, mood, and even hormones are all influenced by your mineral intake. And if your meals have been a little repetitive or you’ve been reaching for coffee more than clarity, you might be missing some of these quiet but powerful players.

Here are a few mineral-rich foods worth working back into your meals:

• Pumpkin Seeds: Just a small handful gives you a solid dose of magnesium, which helps ease stress, relax muscles, and support better sleep.
• Lentils and White Beans: Inexpensive, nourishing, and packed with iron -- especially important if you’re often cold, low on energy, or dealing with brain fog.
• Brazil Nuts: Just one or two a day provides all the selenium you need, which supports thyroid health and protects your cells from oxidative stress.
• Tofu: A great source of both calcium and iron (especially if made with calcium salts - check the label). It’s a versatile, plant-based addition to meals.
• Bananas and Dried Apricots: High in potassium, which helps with muscle function, hydration, and blood pressure regulation -- especially helpful if you’re feeling crampy or bloated.
• Chia Seeds: Tiny but mighty, with magnesium, calcium, and iron. Add to smoothies, yogurt, or oats for an easy boost.
• Seaweed: A rich source of iodine, crucial for thyroid function. Sprinkle it into rice dishes or soups.
• Dark Leafy Greens: Spinach, chard, kale -- they’re full of magnesium and calcium to support your nervous system and bone health.

You don’t need to change everything. Just start folding a few of these in.

09/20/2025

You’ve been doing your best to stay composed throughout the day, balancing deadlines, tending to the needs of others, and managing the ongoing flow of thoughts in your mind. When you finally take a moment to enjoy a nourishing meal, you may find that your stomach feels heavy, bloated, and uncomfortable. It's important to acknowledge that this is a common experience. Post-stress bloating is a real phenomenon, and your body is not malfunctioning; rather, it is responding to the stresses you've been handling.

When you’re under emotional or mental pressure, your nervous system shifts into fight-or-flight mode. That’s the state designed to protect you in a crisis. In that mode, digestion becomes a low priority. Your body reroutes energy to muscles and the brain to help you stay alert. Stomach acid production drops, digestive enzymes slow, and blood flow shifts away from your gut. The result is food lingers. Digestion gets sluggish. And the bloating, gas, or discomfort that follows is your body waving a quiet white flag.

Here’s why this matters:

Your gut and brain are in constant communication -- a relationship often called the gut-brain axis. When stress is high, your gut becomes more reactive and sensitive. Even a simple, healthy meal can feel “off” if your system hasn’t downshifted yet.

And if stress becomes chronic, it starts affecting your microbiome -- the community of bacteria that supports digestion, mood, and immune function. A dysregulated nervous system doesn’t just make you feel stressed, it changes how your body processes and responds to food.

So what helps?

• Slow down before meals. Sit. Take three deep, slow breaths. Give your body a moment to transition.
• Chew thoroughly. Really. Chew lots of times. Digestion starts in the mouth.
• Tune in. Notice what stress feels like in your belly -- tightness, butterflies, heaviness -- and meet it with compassion.
• Support regulation. Gentle walks, breathing exercises, or five minutes of quiet can help your nervous system shift back into “rest and digest.”

Your digestion isn’t broken, it just needs space to breathe.

09/19/2025

Did your Momma tell you to eat your vegetables? You would be wise to listen even if it was years ago that she said it.

If you take probiotics now, but aren’t eating vegetables, the beneficial bacteria you are consuming are starving in your gut! Start with one added serving with each meal - potato chips and fries don’t count.

What will you add?

09/18/2025

I have heard many people - friends and clients - express frustration that their body feels like it is falling apart ... bailing on them. But is that really the case?

Read on ...

Is Your Body Bailing Out On You? You're not imagining things. And it’s not just in your head. Your body isn’t bailing out on you.

09/17/2025

Balancing your blood sugar isn't dependent on medications. I teach my clients strategies to lower their blood sugar and help increase the insulin sensitivity of your cells.

Your medications aren't fixing the root problem. Wouldn't you rather work on the resolving the root cause so that you can live free of the downhill slide of diabetes? I can help!

09/15/2025

When everyone’s hungry, time is tight, and I don’t have the energy for a full recipe, I skip the complicated dinner plans and go straight to a build-your-own meal bar. It’s become one of the easiest, most reliable ways to get something nourishing on the table, especially when feeding both adults and kids with different tastes and needs.

Here’s how I set it up:

1. Start with a Base
Cooked grains like quinoa, brown rice, or whole-grain pasta create the foundation. They offer complex carbs for steady energy and digestion-friendly fiber. Sometimes, I mix in a little olive oil or fresh herbs for added flavor without any fuss.

2. Add Protein Options
Grilled chicken, beans, and tofu are my usual trio. Chicken is familiar and quick. Beans are hearty and easy. Tofu adds plant-based protein and brings in gentle, hormone-supportive nutrients.

3. Pile on the Veggies
I keep it simple: chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and whatever steamed or roasted veggies I have on hand -- usually broccoli or carrots. The goal is color and crunch, not perfection.

4. Include Healthy Fats
I always add a few sliced avocados, some pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of good olive oil. These fats support mood and hormone health and help everyone feel more satisfied.

5. Keep Flavor Customizable
A couple of sauces or toppers -- maybe a tahini drizzle, lemon wedges, or chopped herbs -- give everyone a chance to make their meal their own. It also makes the whole thing feel a little more fun, a little less routine.

It’s quick, it’s flexible, and it adapts to what we have on hand. More importantly, it gives everyone at the table a little autonomy and a gentle way to learn what a balanced, satisfying plate looks like.

09/13/2025

You know that feeling. You’re not exactly anxious, but not calm either. A little off. A little hollow. You’re restless, but you can’t quite name why. That’s the moment when the pull to check your phone feels strongest. A quick scroll, a flash of distraction -- it feels like a relief. But more often than not, it leaves you feeling even more scattered than before.

Next time that moment hits, try this instead: pause. Just for a breath.

Here’s a simple reset you can do in under a minute:
• Gently close your eyes if it feels safe.
• Inhale slowly through your nose. Let your belly rise.
• Exhale even more slowly through your mouth, like you’re blowing out a candle.
• Repeat a few more times. No rush. No goal. Just breath moving through your body.

That’s it. Just you, in your body, with your breath. Simple but powerful.
This kind of pause taps into your body’s natural calming system. It moves you out of the overstimulated, alert state that constant scrolling feeds and into something quieter. Something steadier.

Even 30 seconds of this can shift something. It’s not about giving up your phone completely. It’s about giving yourself a choice before the autopilot takes over.

So the next time you feel off, instead of checking out -- check in. With yourself.

09/12/2025

Imagine waking up without the brain fog, sugar crashes, or that nagging dependence on meds.

So many of my clients start out feeling stuck — battling cravings, low energy, and the looming risk of complications like heart issues or vision loss. But as they learn to steady their blood sugar, they notice something powerful: energy comes back, cravings quiet down, the scale starts to shift, and their labs finally move in the right direction.

If you’ve been told that type 2 diabetes only gets worse, I want you to know — there IS another way.

👉 Message me if you’re ready to talk about what’s possible for your health and your future.