How is the weather where you are? We have been having a warm stretch and I have been enjoying it and not on here writing the posts I had planned. Sorry! However November is Native American Heritage Month and I love Native American culture and what to share it with you!! This year instead of doing research on Native American history and finding books, etc. I have changed it up by sharing Native American business owners and their businesses with you. This year has been tough on so many of us and especially on our small businesses. I am hoping by sharing these businesses with you, you will help support them! Last week we learned about Diane Tells His Name and her dolls and for Indigenous Peoples' Day I shared some of Aaron Carapella's posters from Tribal Nations Maps. Today I want you to meet Rachel Sage Carapella. She owns Native Sage Nutrition. In this post you will learn a bit about Rachel and her business and she provides some tips for us to stay healthy as flu season starts up among the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rachel was born and raised in Estes Park, Colorado (home of the Rocky Mountains National Park). She is Cherokee and Choctaw. She moved to Oklahoma in 2010. Her family has been in Oklahoma for generations. For as long as she can remember her parents taught her and her siblings to be proud of their Native American heritage. She gets the Cherokee from both sides and the Choctaw from her mother's side. Her mother's father raised her mother the way she raised Rachel and her brother and sister. He made it important to her to embrace that part of who she was. She would always tell stories of her father and her grandmother who was full blood Choctaw and how she learned the ways and beliefs of our people. When Rachel was younger her parents were involved in Native American Ministries which involved a lot of traveling. The kids got to tag along and go to so many reservations and Native communities. They learned from so many elders, held their own pow wows, spent their summers camping in their family teepee while their parents served the Native communities and individuals. Rachel learned so much about her culture and heritage and what it means to be Native. Observing elders and others practice traditional ways and learning from them at such a young age was something amazing to her. She was a sponge and thrived on the knowledge that was being passed down to her. As an adult, those beliefs and ways that she has held onto so tightly are very much apparent and alive in her life today. One of the biggest that she feel that impacted her the most was the respect and love that her people have for mother earth. She was taught to always respect this earth, give thanks to it for providing so much for us. And she also learned that the earth is medicine. It provides healing and sustainability that we have forgotten about in these times. Which has been a factor of what has led her to where she is at today.
Native Sage Nutrition is a holistic wellness business. Rachel is a Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Coach. With holistic wellness, we focus not only on nutrition but on the body as a whole. Mind, body, and spirit. So different things led ger to this lifestyle and passion. The first was when she was about 5-6 years old her mother was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. She was put on so many medications that hurt her more than helped. It hurt the entire family and Rachel saw the damage that medications could do and knew there had to be a better way.
Then in my early 20's Rachel struggled with anxiety, panic attacks, and unhealthy coping strategies. She isolated herself, lost an unhealthy amount of weight, and fell into depression. She didn't want to do anything but go to work and then straight home. She refused to have any sort of social life outside of work and she was lost. Rachel got to a point where she knew she needed to do something before she fell too far down the rabbit hole. She was not going to allow herself to wither away like that.
So one night Rachel sat on the floor of her little apartment and did some yoga. She mainly did it to just get a good stretch in as she has been a dancer all her life and knew at least stretching would make her body less achy. But once Rachel settled in she found a sense of peace in her mind and in her heart. She went through moments in her life that pushed her to the point she was at and each one she was just able to let go. As Rachel moved through her yoga flow things just became more clear in her head and her sense of purpose was revealing itself to her. She continued this every night and with each night she felt more and more free, confident, her anxiety lessened, her self-esteem and awareness were heightened and she was becoming another person.
Once Rachel discovered the power of food and other holistic remedies she knew this was where she wanted to be not only to help her mother but to help others discover their healthiest self, mind, body, and spirit through nutrition and overall wellness. Before she jumped into her studies her wonderful husband, Aaron, gifted her a book that was filled with herbs and natural medicines that the Natives used traditionally. It is her favorite book and it goes to show you that we don't need pills shoved down our throats that can lead to addiction and other very harmful side effects. It also brought back her heritage and culture full circle for her and was just another sign that this is what she is supposed to do.
With the world’s population ever-increasingly becoming unhealthy, it is time in general that our health and wellness be taken more seriously. Rising populations have required more streamlined approaches to feeding societies, therefore many times food sources contain preservatives, chemicals and are over-processed. As people and societies have changed as time goes, we've lost our most pure way of living and nourishing. Living holistically isn't just about healthy foods and exercise. It's about connecting with yourself on a deeper level, connecting with the earth and what it has provided for us for so many generations. Seeing life through a different lens where we learn to appreciate our existence and the power that our bodies and minds hold when we nourish them the right way with the right things. Mental and spiritual awareness is just as important as staying fit and eating nourishing foods. You can be the most healthy person physically, but if your mind and spirit are not also being fed, your life as a whole is not healthy and you aren't living up to your highest potential. Rachel feels like as humans, very busy humans, we forget about our mental health, our spiritual health and so many times that has led us to not living a happy and full life and Rachel just wants to make it normal for people to be okay to talk about it and to nourish it.
As a Holistic Nutrition and Wellness coach Rachel is dedicated to teaching people once again how to nourish their bodies with fresh natural foods and ingredients while shining a light on the body as a whole. Her purpose is to inspire and educate on what a holistic lifestyle of wellness means and how one can obtain that balance of mind, body, and spirit.She wants to bring the joy and importance back into cooking healthy, back into preparing powerful nutritious foods, and back into taking care of one’s overall wellness and giving my clients the confidence and tools to do so. It’s easy to let go and not care due to the business of life. Everyone has somewhere to be, something to get done and it is easier to not think about what you eat and whether or not you exercise or take care of your mental health. Native Sage Nutrition and Wellness helps those who want to learn and implement healthier habits into their lifestyle to create a balance that fuels happiness and inspire others to do the same.
With her personalized approach, Rachel is able to take each client as an individual, providing them with the exact tools and mindset that THEIR body needs. She knows that people just want to be heard and understood without fear of judgment and she strives to create a nurturing atmosphere where they can do just that. With specialized plans, she is able to give those who come to her a new sense of purpose with the encouragement and partnership that they need. Doctor offices and clinics can be intimidating for some and expensive. People don’t need someone lecturing them or shoving demands, instructions, and medication down their throats. They need an advocate. They need someone to say “Hey, I understand where you are coming from and I am here to walk by your side up this hill and help you reach the top.”
The most rewarding thing about this business is being able to be that person for someone. To be able to share the knowledge and see the transformations that can happen to an individual and ultimately, having a helping hand in creating a healthier community that can thrive off natural healing and wellness. That is the goal of Native Sage Nutrition and Wellness. This is what sets them apart from other companies and businesses. She offers competitive prices to ensure that anyone is able to take advantage of the services. She believes that no one should have to be turned down or walk away from an opportunity to achieve ultimate happiness from a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Her business isn't where she can cure or diagnose any illness. It's for an overall lifestyle change. She is not a doctor and will never tell anyone to stop taking any medication that the client may be taking. It's for those who want to find overall balance in every aspect of their life and do it in a healthy and natural way.
Her business isn't where she can cure or diagnose any illness. It's for an overall lifestyle change. Rachel is not a doctor and will never tell anyone to stop taking any medication that the client may be taking. It's for those who want to find overall balance in every aspect of their life and do it in a healthy and natural way.
Stay active. Dedicate time every day or every other day to some type of workout
Add immune-boosting foods to your diet. Some of these would include, citrus foods, red bell peppers, broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach, yogurt, almonds, sunflower seeds, green tea, papaya, kiwi, poultry, shellfish.
Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins-I cannot stress this enough!! Your gut is the cornerstone of the immune system so we HAVE to take care of it. The immune system is a system, not a single entity and there is no single solution. To function well, your immune system requires balance and harmony...in your gut. Over 70% of your immune system's cells are connected to your digestive tract.
Healing your gut is the first and most important step to protecting yourself against viruses and harmful bacteria. When balanced, your intestinal microflora (your gut) fights off harmful bacteria that cause illness. Daily supplementation with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics is a great immunity-boosting tool! So, probiotics, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin B- If you feel any sniffles, sore throat, or sinus issues coming on, I would suggest before turning to an over the counter medicine to try some hot green tea with apple cider vinegar, honey, and lemon. Apple cider vinegar is a powerhouse for health and helps fight infections and boost your immune system. Plus it's a great drink to warm up to in the colder months
- Keep washing hands, sanitize, don't touch the face, etc.
- Reducing stress and developing healthy coping mechanisms. Include activities in your daily life that help you handle stress. Meditations, exercise, spending time with loved ones, hobbies, writing in a journal, things of that nature.
I hope you and your family are staying healthy!! Have a great week!
