Just so you don't get the wrong idea, this blog post isn't about bowel movements, constipation or anything that might be happening in that area. Not today. What I am writing about is the other kind of flow. Your universal flow. How you feel your life is going, your job, your relationships, and so forth. Today I'm explaining this as a first hand observer, and frankly, the whole experience was quite remarkable.

My partner Asa is also a naturopath and a nutritionist like me. He is 36 years old and has played semi-professional soccer for the majority of his adult life. He is fit and healthy, but like most guys, does enjoy the occasional night out with the lads. And it was one such night that demonstrated to us just how important your diet and lifestyle are in your general energetic flow.

For background information, recently Asa has been feeling really good- physically, mentally and emotionally. Everything was flowing. He felt prosperous, relaxed, happy and in control. And then he went out with the soccer boys to celebrate the end of the their season...

Feeling so fantastic can sometimes cause us to think "Oh I'm so healthy right now, I can really indulge and I'm sure I'll bounce right back". I know this is what Asa thought when he left on Saturday afternoon. He came home some time the next day having thoroughly 'enjoyed' himself to excess. On Sunday he slept and lay around feeling very sorry for himself. He was queasy all day and only ate in the evening, choosing greasy pies from the local shop because he couldn't face anything healthier. Feeling so nauseous, he drank only a little water, maybe about a litre. He then perked up a bit of the evening and went to bed around 11pm, not feeling tired due to all his sleep during the day.

Monday morning came around and he woke exhausted. As he hadn't done his usual Sunday jobs, he ended up rushing around like a mad man before work, trying to do a million things at once and not really getting anything done. Late for work and worn out, he grabbed a caffeinated tea and a few slices of toast with tonnes of butter- still feeling the need to line the stomach.

The pattern continued for a few days, he felt he was constantly behind, not organised, out of control, feeling tired, feeling low, feeling stressed and feeling like nothing was going right and everything was a mess. For someone who is usually always positive, his headspace and outlook was very negative for almost a week. He felt like rubbish. He hated his work. He felt miserable and couldn’t figure out why. It wasn't till the following weekend that he had a chance to really get himself together and catch up on sleep and relaxation. Even so, it still took him another few days to shake off the negative mental space.

So in the end he suffered through almost 2 weeks of feeling 'ugh' for one huge night of fun. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a peeved girlfriend who has written this to bad mouth a night out with the boys. I think we all need crazy nights out like this with our friends. It was simply very interesting to observe the whole series of events. When Asa was starting to feel better, we talked about it naturopathically and were both blown away by how much of an effect a single night out on the booze affected his whole life. On a physical level, emotionally, energetically, and how his business went.

So many people feel the negative emotions Asa experienced every single day, then on weekends they might choose to go out and drink away their problems in an effort to 'feel better'. This is behaviour that is totally accepted and viewed as normal in Australia. But watching the effects first hand made us wonder how many people out there are simply stuck in this vicious cycle of negative lifestyle choices, not realising that these choices are actually causing some of their health issues.

I know plenty of people who feel 'stuck' in life. They might hate their jobs, be under stress from relationships, debts, unsure as to where their life is going or where a better future might lie. And I also know that so many people don't give a seconds thought to what they put in their bodies. It’s amazing to think that simply changing diet and lifestyle habits for four weeks, could radically change their outlook on life. Please feel free to contact me if you want to review your diet and lifestyle, and see if it is these simple things could be blocking your flow.

Special thanks to Asa for allowing me to share his story. :) xx