Kat Grosshaupt

This past weekend I traveled to sunny Southern California to Crossfit Fly, an all-women’s gym, to present a Birth Basics seminar with Dr. Lindsey Mathews of BirthFit. This was my first time to travel out of state to present and it was a really amazing experience. It was a jam packed 3 days, I was sick the whole time, I had to drive in crazy L.A. traffic…. But I wouldn’t change a thing! 

I tagged along with Logan Geilbrich, of #fakegym notoriety on Friday while Lindsey was at work. I got to get in a workout on the infamous “Bluffs” of Santa Monica- complete with a crazy photo at the end :)  Logan and Dannie are hard at work opening their “real” gym in Venice called Deuce Gym and I got to take a tour while I was there. It reminds me of Red Black Gym here in Austin. It’s gonna be sick! They have a great thing going and will, undoubtedly be uber successful.

Saturday morning at Crossfit Fly we had a group of ladies from all different walks- which is exactly what we always hope will happen. We had 

• 2 pregnant women 
• 1 mom of two who wants to get into Birth work
• 3 coaches (2 were moms who work with women clients, 1 is trying to conceive)
• 2 of the coaches are also gym owners
• 1 woman is a gym owner AND involved in Birth work
• 1 has a child and is the owner of a business for Natural dental care and coaching- how cool is that?!

Lindsey and I have a vision of women helping women. Women being surrounded by other supportive women during pre-conception, pregnancy, and motherhood. It’s so important to build a community so you have people to lean on, ask questions, and learn from. Each workshop I do tends to be a little different, and this one was no exception. These ladies came with an open mind and an open heart. They asked questions, got to know each other, laughed, shared stories as well as heartbreak. That’s what it’s all about. 

Yes, this is a seminar for learning how to keep healthy and fit during pregnancy. But Birth is not so cut and dry. That’s where we come in. Over the past 5 years that I have been working with Pregnant women, I have gained so much knowledge and experience from such a wide variety of sources- attending births (45 and counting!), seminars, real talk with mamas, teaching, and most importantly observation. 

The biggest take-away from the weekend?

This is, undoubtedly, what I am supposed to be doing. This is my Path. This is my Passion. I can’t do anything else. All roads have led me to this and it’s only the beginning.

I had a really interesting conversation this weekend with my neighbor at our Block Party. Yeah, a block party! It was so much fun- people need to do that more often- get outside, meet the neighbors, eat some BBQ. 

Anyway, We got on the conversation of Birth and Pregnancy (as tends to happen when I’m around!) She was telling me about her struggles to get pregnant over the past year and how frustrating it has been. As we continued to chat, we also started talking nutrition. She told me about how she had been dealing with Leaky Gut over the past year and some of the various things she had been doing to heal her gut. She said it was so bad she couldn’t eat anything without it hurting her stomach. Been there! As someone with Leaky Gut myself, I could totally relate to her story and we talked for quite a while about it. Around the time of all the leaky gut issues, she stopped trying to conceive and focused on healing her gut with a Naturopath. Now she’s much better and feeling great. All of the sudden I had an A-ha moment. Here’s what I started thinking:

What if her Leaky Gut was part of her fertility problem?

Here’s the deal: Our bodies are a carefully calibrated machine. If one part is off balance, it throws lots of other things off balance. Fertility and Reproductive health being one of them.  If her body was dealing with so much inflammation in her gut, it probably wanted to put having a baby on hold until her system was more stable. After all, growing a human is pretty serious business!  

This also goes for weight loss, immunity, thyroid function, adrenals, performance- all of it. If one part of the system is out of whack, chances are you’ll see other things start to present themselves. No. You aren’t just “getting old” or whatever. Dig a little deeper. chances are, if you go see your family doc, he’ll run some tests and say “oh, you’re fine. Here, take this antidepressant.”

My advice: Go a different route.  Go see a  Naturopath or Nutritional Therapist like Crystal Bold.  Get some answers!

We have to remember how much everything is inter-connected in our bodies. I’m no doctor or medical professional in any way, but my hunch is that very soon my neighbor will be pregnant :)

My beautiful friend, Carli, who is due any day now. Photo courtesy of Inked Fingers!

I’m taking a break from my ranting about floors and feet to talk about Pregnancy- my other favorite topic. Last night I had a discussion with a Pregnant Mom who just took my Hypnobirthing class. She is thinking about switching from her OB/hospital  to a Midwife and birthing center and wanted my opinion. 

As opinionated as I am about most things in Life, when it comes to decisions regarding pregnancy, birth, and parenthood, I would much rather be a sounding board or a Guide rather than overtake a conversation with my own opinions and preferences. I firmly believe that everyone comes from a different place, has different backgrounds, expectations, support structures, and it’s not my place to tell them they are wrong or try to convince them to do something that I believe in. I am only here to be a resource, a devil’s advocate sometimes, and help them make decisions that will best resonate with them so that they can have the best possible birthing experience.

What I have noticed is that people tend to fall into 3 categories:

1. Those who feel most comfortable in the Hospital setting
2. Those who feel most comfortable outside of the Hospital
3. Those who are on the fence

I want to, once again, reiterate the fact that Birth is 90% mental. Your birthing environment plays a big part in your mental and emotional comfort level. Let’s look at Jessica- my friend and old college roommate. Jessica is a Podiatrist and took my class 2 years ago. She made an excellent point during class one night that I’ll never forget as it gave me a different perspective on where people are coming from. She basically stated that, because of her background in medicine and her Life’s work as a doctor, she feels extremely comfortable in a hospital setting. She is familiar with the terminology, procedures, and just feels a certain sense of ease in the hospital. 

A hospital birth was the most logical and most comforting place for Jessica to have her baby. 

Let’s look at myself. I had a hospital birth in Japan. Back in Austin and pregnant for the second time, I had a not so great experience with an OB and decided I wanted a more personal experience than I was getting. When I met April, my midwife, I knew she was the one for me. I felt way more comfortable in the home-like setting of the birthing center under the care of my midwife. My birthing experience ended up being everything I wanted it to be and more.

The Midwifery Model and birthing center was the best place for me. However, I would never try to convince Jessica that she should have an out of hospital birth. Just because it was right for me doesn’t mean it was right for her. This is a very important concept that so many people don’t “get.” 

Going back to the Mom who called me last night. We talked about the pros and cons of both. She asked lots of important questions and I answered as best I could. My best advice to her and to anyone else who is either on the fence about where to have their baby or is even just a wee bit curious about birthing centers and/or the midwife model of  care is this:

Go visit a birthing center. Schedule an interview/consultation with a midwife. Just like I told the Mom last night- you’ll know. You’ll know, in your gut, if it feels right or not. You’ll know if you feel a sense of comfort or a sense of anxiety. You’ll know if you click or not with the midwife and her style. And also know this: the most important decision in your pregnancy is your care provider. So take the time to choose someone- OB or midwife- who you feel comfortable with and who is on the same page as you regarding your birthing preferences. (That’s another blog post altogether. )

Trust your gut. 

Listen to your instincts. 

Remember- this is YOUR experience. No one else’s. Some people will question your decisions, but you know what? Welcome to Parenthood. People will be questioning your decisions for the next 18+ years. May as well start to get a thick skin now.

And if you need a sounding board, call me :)

This is about how I feel about cleaning!

Today’s topic: Vinegar. Plain old white $.99 vinegar. 

It really is some amazing stuff. Let’s go back a minute to when I told you my 6 month old daughter was licking the floor…

I had mopped earlier in the day and, at the time, was using an Eco-friendly cleaner that I probably paid way too much for. I looked over and lo and behold my baby girl was licking the floor. Now you all know how I feel about floors in general, so this was a bit disturbing to me. It got me thinking about what was in my Eco-friendly cleaners and what else I was using around my home.

After some Internet reading, I found a website all about the many uses of Vinegar. Here’s a little excerpt:

“White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of acidity. Cleaning with vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals. You’ll be also glad to know it’s environmentally friendly and very economical.”

BOOM! You had me at Mold…

From that day on, I’ve been making my own mixture of 1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water with a splash of essential oil or two in a spray bottle from Target. Here are a few of my faves:

• Lavender: Is actually antiviral, antiseptic, antimicrobial, fungicidal
• Grapefruit: Uplifting, blends well w/Lavender
• Peppermint: Increases alterness; antiseptic
• Lemon: Cuts through grease and grime; uplifting
• Orange: antiseptic, antibacterial, mixes well w/Lavender
• Tea Tree: the Super Oil! Kills just about anything. Pretty strong smell, so mix with Lavender and/or Orange

Play around with what works for you and your smell preferences. Don’t worry, the vinegar smell dissipates so all you’ll end up smelling is the Oils.

Part 2: Yes! There’s more…

Vinegar can also be used as Fabric softener. Just pour it in your machine where you would normally add the liquid fabric softener. It not only acts as a fabric softener, it keeps your machine from getting moldy. AND…………

IT KEEPS YOUR WORKOUT GEAR FROM GETTING THAT WEIRD FUNKY MUSTY SMELL IN THE SUMMER!

Finally, I use vinegar in the dishwasher instead of the Blue chemically Rinse agent stuff. Works like a charm.

So I know I joke a lot and try to be funny about all this stuff, but here’s the deal: We eat super clean daily. We take excellent care of our bodies and spend a ton of time and money on good, quality food. So why turn around and use harsh chemicals in our Home and on our Bodies? It just doesn’t make sense. You shouldn’t have to air out your house after you clean it so that you don’t pass out from the fumes. That is just scary and wrong! PLUS, we don’t know the long term effects of some of these cleaners and chemicals. So give it a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And don’t forget to take off your shoes :)

“If you don’t go ahead and remove your shoes, I’m gonna wrestle you to the ground. Thanks!”

Ok maybe I don’t have a problem with your feet, per se, but your shoes.

I don’t wear shoes in my house- or anyone’s house for that matter. I have a real issue with shoes in the house and it’s almost, ok it is pretty OCD on my part.

See, I used to live in Japan where we all know people don’t wear shoes in the house. At first that custom annoyed me, but as I lived there longer and really contemplated the reasoning behind it, it totally made sense and became something I incorporated in my life even back in the good ol’ USA.

I want you to think about what you walk on during your day. Let’s just list a few good ones:

• Parking lots (who knows what you’ll step on there!)
• Public Bathrooms (namely Men’s bathrooms- eeewwww)
• Grass (loaded with pesticides, cat pee, and who knows what)
• The Gym
• Gas Stations

Ok, you get the picture. Number one- do you REALLY want to track all that disgustingness all throughout your home?! Number two- if you have kids- especially babies or toddlers who inadvertently eat off the floor or crawl around on the floor- do you really want them getting all that nastiness on them?

Sure, we don’t want to be ultra crazy about germs- we do need a little toughening up of the immune system. But I don’t think that needs to involve the floor of the men’s bathroom. Word?

Here’s one of the other reasons Japanese people take their shoes off upon entering the Home. This one I really like:  It’s a way of shifting gears from Work to Home. Taking “off” the work shoes as a symbol of leaving that part of the day behind and being present to Home Life. Amen to that.

Maybe I should put my phone inside my works shoes, too…

Next time: What happened when my 6 month old daughter licked the floor and how it changed me. Sure to inform and entertain.

We’re all a bit red-faced, but jeez! Mine is pretty bad.

For the past 8 years I’ve been in a constant battle with my face. Around the time I gave birth to my daughter in 2005 I developed what I thought was Rosacea. My ancestry is English, Irish, and German- Rosacea typically presents itself among people with this northern European background, and it usually presents itself in your 30s. I was 29.

As someone who has always had clear skin, even in the teen years, this whole problematic skin thing was new to me. My Rosacea was also coupled with acne, so the combination of the two really threw me for a loop. I began to be extremely self-concious about my face- after all, it is the first thing people see, and I have no clue how to “do” makeup!

In true “Katherine” fashion, I researched the crap out of Rosacea, consulted my aesthetician friend and bought a gazillion products for Sensitive/Rosacea skin. All to no avail. I am not one to use a lot of Western medicine but I did seek the advice of a dermatologist or two as a frustrated last resort.  They all wanted to give me antibiotics, creams, and potions and basically said I’d be using these topical antibiotics forever as it’s something I just had to manage. 

So I bought some makeup and kept searching for answers.

At this point in my life, I hadn’t discovered Crossfit or Paleo or given much thought to my food choices. I ate what I considered “healthy” but now, looking back, I’m sure the gluten, dairy, sugar, and various other inflammatory foods contributed to the worsening of my Rosacea and acne.

My philosophy about most things in Life goes like this:

JUST BECAUSE 98% OF PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING IS SO, THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE RIGHT! THERE’S ALWAYS A SOLUTION, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE WILLING TO WORK HARD TO FIND IT.

My biggest peeve is when people are presented with a problem and then shrug their shoulders and say “Oh well. That’s just how it is I guess.”  This goes for hanging onto extra weight after having a baby, the job or career path you have chosen, and in my case, having a skin condition that most people just live with for the remainder of their lives. This is your HEALTH! Don’t just think you can take a pill and fix it!

Fast forward to 2009 and my intro into the world of Crossfit and nutrition. In the past 3+ years I have taken a whole other path to finding out about Rosacea and how dietary choices relate to this autoimmune disorder- a new term for me and a new way of looking at my “inflamed” skin.

I have learned about how the gut has EVERYTHING to do with skin health, and that I most likely have Leaky Gut and Adrenal Fatigue. Once the Leaky Gut is healed, my skin will appear less inflamed as well as a whole host of other issues will be resolved in my body.  There is also a possibility that it’s not even Rosacea and that it’s more of a Lupus- type thing. Hmmm. Peel that onion back some more!

Anyway, also in true Katherine fashion, this post has become way longer than anticipated!

After listening to around 75 Balanced Bites Podcasts and hearing Liz Wolfe talk about Oil Cleansing, I decided to give it a try.

HOLY MOLY!    My skin has never looked better!

I basically have ditched any sort of chemical-based product for my face. My skincare routine is the following:

1. As I’m prepping for bed, I pour a ratio 1 to 3 of castor oil and grapeseed oil into my palm, rub it around, and massage into my face for about 15 seconds.

2. I let it sit on my face as I go prepare my Natural Calm, brush my teeth, take my probiotic, etc.

3. I turn on the faucet to pretty hot and get a washcloth wet. I steam my face with the cloth, rinse and repeat about 5 times, gently patting.

4. I pat my face dry. Then put a pea sized amount of Jojoba Oil in my palm and use it as a moisturizer. You can also use Coconut Oil.

5. In the morning I pour some baking soda in my palm and make a watery paste then rub it over my face as an exfoliator- it also gets rid of excess oil from the night.

6. Finish off with some Jojoba oil and I’m done!

I can’t even tell you how different my skin looks and feels. It is WAY less red and I’ve had people tell me it looks better- yay! I would’ve never guessed in a million years that cleaning my face with OIL of all things would be the way to go, but apparently it is one of the things that is going to help me figure out this whole Rosacea/Lupus thing. (That and working with Crystal Bold on my digestive issues.)

If you have an issue you’ve been dealing with like this, KEEP SEARCHING for answers! If it sounds weird, give it a try. You never know what you’ll find.

I heard an interview on the Balanced Bites podcast last week with Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple and The Primal Blueprint. Mark is pretty big in the Paleo/Crossfit world but the only thing I really knew about him was that A) He is kinda hot for an older guy, and B) he’s really into the Primal lifestyle.

So I was really interested to hear him talk about his new book, The Primal Connection, with the ladies of Balanced Bites. I just ordered it for myself, so I haven’t actually read it yet. BUT this is exactly the type of book I think we all need to read. Here’s why:

The word “Paleo” is everywhere. Just now, on Amazon, I was amazed at how many books there are now about Paleo this and that. There are numerous blogs, podcasts, you name it.

But what does being “Paleo” mean exactly?

I, for one, hate to even use the word anymore. It has become a word associated with elitism, dogma, and just overall really annoying conversations.

“Is that Paleo?”

“You eat Paleo? So is all your meat raw? Isn’t that how cavemen ate?”  (sarcastic undertone)

“Yeah, I’ll take that triple chocolate banana bread cupcake with coconut icing and non-dairy ice cream on the side…. yeah, it’s Paleo”  

**** Eyeroll *****

A lot of people now just say they “eat clean” which I like way more. But this post isn’t about the ins and outs of Paleo. This is about what you are doing OUTSIDE of your diet- which is what Mark’s book is about and is a topic I’ve become pretty passionate about.

It’s always interesting to me when I see people who are hard core into “Paleo” but they use 653 other types of chemicals in their daily lives in other areas. Our mouths aren’t the only way chemicals and toxins enter our bodies. Take a minute to think about what you use in each of these areas:

Skincare- soap, makeup, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste

Cleaning Products- laundry soap, dryer sheets or liquid, household cleaners, air fresheners

Kitchen - plastic containers, plastic wrap, microwaves

Food- organic vs. conventional, grass-fed, pasture-raised, etc.

Wow. This may have to be a multi- part post…..!

My point is this: Do you eat really well and “clean” but put a billion chemicals on your skin and in your home? Take stock of what is in and around your home. Are you eating really clean but still having skin problems, allergies, or headaches?

Your skin is your biggest organ. Are you using skincare products that are the cheapest? Even some of the most expensive brands are laden with chemicals. Does your skincare product(s) contain any of the following:

Parabens

Phthalates

Fragrance (could mean any of up to 4,000 different chemicals)

Isopropyl Alcohol

Triclosan

Do you have kids? What are you using on them? The typical Johnson’s & Johnson’s products that smell good but are chock full of endocrine disrupting chemicals?

In my next post, I’m going to give you some alternatives to all of these unnecessary chemical- laden products that I have researched over the years. Big Plus… it’s cheaper too!

To end this really long post/rant, my whole point was that in Mark Sisson’s book, The Primal Connection, he talks about things like this. How we can get back to basics- not just in what we are eating but in every other area of our lives. Slowing it down. Getting Dis-connected from technology. Tuning in to our bodies and our surroundings. 

Sounds like a good plan to me :)

Everybody has their own reasons for why they train. Losing weight. Competition. Training for a Sport. Everyone shows up with an agenda.

At least you should.

If you don’t know why you are training so hard- getting so many callouses, dealing with sore muscles, and sweating your ass off- maybe you need to ask yourself what you’re really doing and why. 

This is where I’ve been lately: Why am I training? What is my purpose for working so hard? I’m not training for the Games. I don’t plan on trying out for a spot on the Team. I’m not really trying to lose weight….

For me, I need a purpose. With anything I do. That’s just how I operate. If I”m going to put in a lot of effort towards something, it needs to be with a goal in mind, and for the past few months, I haven’t had a Goal with my training.

And what I’ve noticed is that I haven’t progressed as much as I probably could have. I’ve put training and showing up for class in 2nd or 3rd place. I don’t necesarrily think there’s anything wrong with that. I think, with everything we do, there is a “season.” And this “season” in my Life is focused on my Kids and my business. And I’m ok with that.

I’m still making gains. I’ve PRd on most lifts in the last month or so. I feel good. I’ve gained weight which is frustrating, but I think that is a side effect of those PRs- and, with the help of Melisa Rehm, I’m dialing in on my nutrition and maybe I’ll be able to fit into my pants again :) 

But what I have come to realize is that my training Goal is in the area of Focus and Concentration and Self Talk. 

Not exactly a traditional fitness-oriented goal, but at this point in my Life, with so many exciting things on the horizon both professionally and personally, the “muscle” that needs the most development is my brain. And that may sound really dumb but with the intensity of the workouts I do at Red Black- it takes some pretty intense concentration and self-talk! And the crazy thing is that I notice a difference in my mind lately. I feel more confident. I feel more focused. I feel more accomplished. 

It can be hard  when you train with people who are super focused on training for competition. You can easily get caught up in comparing yourself to them and their accomplishments. But just know that it’s OK to have different goals. And it’s even better to train with people who are better than you. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and makes you step things up. And who knows- in 2 years I’ll be in the Master’s division- gulp….. who knows what the next few years will hold.

I’ve got to be laser sharp over the next 6 months to a year- at least- so for this Games season I’m flexing my biggest muscle and we’ll see what happens. It won’t get my very far on the Leaderboard but I think in the long run, that might just be ok for me.

Labor is a funny thing. It’s always different. It’s always surprising. It’s always transformational. It’s always emotional. And it’s always a chance to learn.

About Life, Love, Relationships, Self-growth, the Strength of Women, the growth of their Partners, Passion, Fear, Perseverance, Joy, Gratitude, and the miracle of the Human Body.

Being a Doula is not what I thought it would be. I assumed I would help couples in their birth and then I would go home. Right now I am waiting to hear from my current client who has been in Early Labor for about 36 hours. We’ve been talking every so often for the past few days. I’ve been speaking with her husband and giving them advice about what to do, things to try, etc. It’s a fine line I walk. It’s important for them to navigate this early part on their own. I want them to be confident in their ability and support each other through this process. I am here and have offered to join them whenever they feel they need me. As of now, they are choosing to just be together, as a couple, and so I am being respectful of their wishes. (She has spoken with her doctor numerous times and is totally fine and safe by the way)

Birth has its own timeline, that’s for sure! 

Training to be a Doula is truly an on-the-job training. Very few laboring women want an apprenticing Doula in the room along with their partner, Doula, and whoever else. So much of what I have learned has been in the Labor room with my clients or through the wonderful Doula network we have here in Austin.

See, Birth is a completely intimate experience. A woman’s body is both delicate and strong at the same time. If a laboring woman does not feel safe, if she feels pressured by her care provider to “speed things up”, or if she has an overly-anxious mother in her ear- all of these things can contribute to a lengthy labor. 

In order for the body to do what it needs to do to dilate and push a Baby out, a Woman needs Patience, Encouragement, and a feeling of Safety and Confidence.

As a Doula, I see my job as one of “Environmental Control”- I make sure she is surrounded by only people who will help her emotionally. I make sure her Partner feels taken care of- wether it’s grabbing him some food or coffee or showing him where to massage. I play Translator between the laboring couple and the Staff. I do not speak for the Mom, but I remind her of her Birthing Preferences and provide a 3rd set of eyes and ears in making decisions throughout the laboring process. I help with comfort measures, positional changes, and do lots of Relaxation with the Mom.

But sometimes I am just there. I am the calm energy in the room. I reassure her that her body is doing exactly what it needs to be doing. That she is Strong and that she CAN do it.

Seeing a woman go through Labor is one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed. It is literally a Rite of Passage. No matter what kind of birth she has, she is a changed Woman. And she has learned something about herself, her Partner and her Relationship. She often comes away with a renewed sense of Self and of her powerful and miraculous Body.

I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do what I do, and I encourage anyone who is pregnant to really consider having a Doula at their Birth. If you have any questions about Doulas or are looking for a Doula in your area, please email me at FitLifeAustin@gmail.com.