Healthy Eating Buzzwords and What You Actually Need to Know

There are so many buzzwords when it comes to healthy eating - clean, organic, non-GMO, etc.- but how do you know what these terms actually mean and if it’s something you should even pay attention to? Today we’re going to dive into what you need to know to make an informed decision for your family. 

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Have you ever found yourself wandering around the grocery store, trying to make healthy choices for your family, only to be confused by all of the labels placed all over the boxes or hanging over the aisle? Well, you aren’t alone. Food makers have started adding tons of different labels to their products - some of them are important and some are just marketing to fit into the latest health trend. So, how do you know which is which? Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as any of us wish that it was, but I’m hoping that what I share here with you today will help clear it up a bit. 

3 of the most confusing food labels:   

GMO - it means that this crop has been genetically altered to make it more resistant to environmental factors or pests. Concerns about GMOs are that they can add to overall body toxicity, allergies and sensitivities, and could possibly contribute to cancer risk.                                                                                                                                                   

A lot of packaged foods and ingredients are common GMO crops such as sugar, corn, soybean, canola, and cottonseed oils as well as ingredients commonly used in animal feed (so what your meat is eating). 

Organic - this term has a lot more complexities in what it can mean. There are many different artificial ingredients used in food production that come with concern especially for things like allergies and sensitivities, contributing to cancer risks and DNA damage, as well as an overall negative effect on gut health and detox pathways.

When referring to produce it means that only allowed synthetic chemicals or preservatives have been used (about 25 different ones allowed vs 900 allowed in conventional produce) and that any chemical used went through testing that proved that it wasn’t harmful to human health or the health of the environment, as well as that the farming practices used passed the organic standards set by the USDA. 

When referring to packaged foods it means that the products contain none of the following: artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, partially or hydrogenated oils, BHT/BHA (hormone), GMOs (specifically important with corn, sugar, soy, canola, and cotton), glyphosate sprayed crops, added hormones, antibiotics, glyphosate by-products or GMOs used for animal feed. It also means that if any herbicide/pesticide was used they followed organic standards and rules. 

Natural Flavors - this one is super confusing and seems to be in everything. It could consist of approximately 2500 different ingredients. The FDA has some standards that say it must be derived from an animal or plant, however, that’s a very broad category. It also means that GMOs or chemically treated ingredients can be included as “natural”. 

Other common labels to watch out for: 

Natural - this term is completely unregulated and therefore could mean anything or nothing. 

Zero / Low calorie or Zero / Low sugar - look at that label. In order to make something zero-calorie, it has most likely been stripped of any actual food or nutrients and is full of artificial ingredients instead. This also applies to low / no sugar labels. If they aren’t using sugar, what are they using to sweeten it? Most likely something artificial. 

High in protein - this is a completely subjective term so it could mean anything. It likely refers to a ratio of carbs to protein and means that it’s not super high in carbs compared to protein. A lot of people have different protein intake goals based on health goals, but generally for adults, specifically for women, I recommend shooting for 20-30g of protein per meal - so think about all of the components of that meal and what the total protein would be. That should get you in a generally good place for your overall daily protein intake.

Here are a few of my top tips for navigating these confusing terms:

1. Pay attention to the ingredient list, not just the nutrition facts. A lot of times we think we are making healthy decisions if the item has good protein or low sugar, but that isn’t always true. Do you recognize most of the ingredients as real food? Are there 30 ingredients? Are the first few ingredients one of those common GMO crops? If so, look for a better alternative. 

2. Stick to buying organic produce for the dirty dozen and don’t worry about the other produce items. This frees up money in your grocery budget for buying the organic versions of other foods like meat/dairy as well as those packaged foods that contain the commonly modified crops that we talked about earlier - sugar, corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oils, as well as any product containing wheat as it is not a GMO crop but it is one of the crops most commonly sprayed with glyphosate. 

3. If you’re buying a product that includes “natural flavors” which most do, make sure it also has an organic label so that you can at least know that a lot of the artificial things that we want to avoid like GMOs, dyes, preservatives, etc. can’t be it. 

There are so many more things that I could share about food labeling with you but I wanted to really focus on the most common ones today. If you’re wanting to hear more about healthy eating and how to make healthy - yet realistic - food choices, check out Episode 70 to learn how I do meal planning or Episode 90 for tips on making healthy eating choices at parties and in social settings. 

I hope that this has helped make food labels a little less confusing and you walk away from this episode feeling more educated and empowered to make food choices for your family. 

If you’re looking for more ideas for healthy meals, I have a few resources that I think you will love. You can download my Healing Foods Guide as well as my recipe ebook “Easy, Healthy Eats” by clicking here.

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What to Focus on to Improve Your Health in the New Year

Hi, friends, and Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and made some great memories. We had a sweet Christmas this year and really soaked up our last Christmas together as a family of three. We have a lot of new and exciting things coming up this new year, so I loved a little quiet downtime before all of that. Now, we’re switching gears and getting into that time of year when people are a little more focused on their health and often setting some new goals for themselves, so today, I want to share what I believe to be a few of the most effective ways to really improve your health in the new year. 

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Have you already set your goals for 2023? Most of the time when people, especially women, set goals for themselves, they include some kind of health-related goal. Often it can be related to weight or something about their bodies that they’re wanting to change. I love goal setting and think that when done in a healthy way, it can be really helpful and effective, but one thing that I’ve noticed working with women on their health, is that they often don’t really know what to focus on or they find themselves focusing on something that’s kind of arbitrary and often just leaves them frustrated and burnt out after a few weeks. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that I don’t love focusing on weight as a goal because weight is affected by so many things and a healthy weight doesn’t follow a perfect, easy formula, which leaves most women feeling frustrated. It’s also possible to lose a lot of weight and still be really unhealthy - not to mention how it can negatively affect body image and mental/emotional health. So, if focusing on weight isn’t a good idea, what should you focus on if you are really wanting to see improvements in your health? Well, I’m glad you asked because I have a few thoughts to share with you on that. :) 

Stabilize your blood sugar

The first area I believe should be prioritized is stabilizing your blood sugar. I talk about blood sugar a lot on this podcast and when working with my clients because it affects so many things in the body. Every cell in your body is dependent on glucose for energy and it fuels many functions of the body, but when it becomes dysregulated it can increase your risks for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, immune system dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, nerve damage, metabolism issues, decreased brain health, and so much more. It’s not something to ignore and can lead to serious health issues, yet many, many people walk around with very unstable blood sugar levels and don’t think much about it. You may not even know that you have dysregulated blood sugar but you may be more familiar with some of the common symptoms such as mid-day energy crashes, headaches, irritability, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, slow wound healing, skin issues, fatigue, dizziness, irregular menstrual cycles, fertility challenges, and more. 

Untreated blood sugar dysregulation can contribute to insulin resistance - a condition where the cells of the body become desensitized to insulin, leading the pancreas to produce more and more insulin in order for the cells to respond and be able to take in the needed glucose. This leads to high levels of both insulin and glucose in the body, which also leads to increased fat storage, blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. These dysfunctions within the body lead to an increased risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and just overall increased damage to the body. 

So you can see how this one area of your health that may seem like not a big deal can actually affect your health in really negative ways or when managed well can create a solid foundation for better overall health. 

I have a few other episodes about ways to improve blood sugar regulation, so I’m not going to go deep into that in this episode - go listen to episode 17 or check out my online course if you are looking for more info on how to do this. I also have a brand new resource that is a great tool for anyone, but especially anyone working on blood sugar regulation. You can download my new Healthy Eating Food Formula Guide for free on my website or in my Instagram bio. It gives you the exact formula to follow to create any meal or snack that will support blood sugar balance while also leaving you feeling full without energy crashes or cravings. My favorite thing about this new guide is that it gives you the tools to create healthy meals on your own, with the foods that you enjoy rather than giving you a strict regimen of foods to eat that leave you feeling dissatisfied and bored. Download the Healthy Eating Food Formula Guide here.

I could talk about blood sugar all day, but let’s move on! 

Improve your Gut Health 

The next area that I believe should be prioritized and will have one of the largest impacts on your overall health is prioritizing gut health. Is anyone surprised by this? Probably not! :)

You have heard me say this many times but you cannot have poor gut health and optimal overall health. It’s just not possible! The gut affects everything in the body - some areas are obvious like digestion and metabolism but a lot of areas that you may not think of, like mental health - depression, anxiety, mood imbalances; skin health - allergies, sensitivities, acne, eczema; immune health and autoimmunity; hormone health - hormonal conditions and imbalances, reproductive health and fertility; weight management and ability to regulate weight; even genetic patterns that can affect your kids and their kids. It’s unlikely to think of an area of health or function of the body that isn’t either directly or indirectly affected by gut health. 

So how do you know if your gut health needs attention or to be improved? Well if you’re breathing and haven’t already taken time to focus on improving your gut health, then this is most likely something that you can benefit from. Our “guts' ' run from our nose/mouth all the way through our digestive tract to the other end of us. It houses the majority of our microbiome - an ecosystem made up of trillions of microbes, including different viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms. Studies have proven that there are more of these microbes in our bodies than human DNA cells - isn’t that insane? Just like in any other ecosystem, there needs to be a balance of the types of microbes within our microbiome. Some are more beneficial and some are more opportunistic and can lead to dysfunction within the system when there is an imbalance (also called Dysbiosis). Our current lifestyles of processed foods, excessive sugar, chronic stress, lack of sleep, lack of nutrients - especially B vitamins and vitamin D, and increased usage of meds like antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and antacid/PPI meds all have detrimental effects on that balance and often wipe out the good or beneficial microbes, allowing the pathogenic or opportunistic ones to thrive. Even some things completely out of our control like how we were birthed and fed as babies can trigger an imbalance in our microbiome. 

When this imbalance occurs, it can lead to all kinds of uncomfortable symptoms that you may be familiar with: gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, abdominal pain, unexplained weight gain/loss, mood imbalances, brain fog, skin issues like acne or eczema, chronic yeast infections, hormonal imbalances, infertility. When left untreated dysbiosis can eventually contribute to more serious conditions that I mentioned above. 

The concept of improving your gut health may feel overwhelming or daunting but it really isn’t. Following the functional medicine protocol allows you to calm and heal any inflammation of the gut while also supporting the rebalancing of the microbiome. Working with a professional trained in gut health who can lead you through the process will make it even more simple. 

The last area of health that I want to talk about today may feel like a super simple one but it’s one that makes such a huge difference and that is…

Move your body

Moving your body. I know - exercise is something that every health professional talks about and tons of fitness programs are built on, and yet it’s something that a lot of us just overlook. Even knowing all of the benefits of moving my body, it’s always been a struggle for me to be consistent in exercising, but it’s also been one of the biggest “needle movers” for me. Not just in a weight goal or something like that, but regularly moving your body is one of the most effective ways to improve both your blood sugar balance and your gut health! It’s part of the “S” triad (Sweat -or moving your body, sleep, and stress management) that is included in my course - Move Forward, Feel Better (more on that later). I chose to focus on the “Sweat” portion of that triad here because exercise is one of the ways to improve sleep and help the body deal with stress. 

Exercise has just so many benefits. As I already mentioned it helps improve gut health and support healthy blood sugar - which if you remember affects most systems and functions of the body - but let’s just highlight a few benefits like increased energy, increased happiness, improved mood, improved detoxification, improved digestion, and gut motility, increased cardiovascular endurance and overall strength which leads to fewer injuries, improved immune response, improved mental clarity and an overall better outlook on life. 

We all need to be prioritizing moving our bodies each day for at least 10-15 minutes and building up to a longer amount of time. The beautiful thing about exercise is that it can look so many different ways. You can totally customize it to your preferences and schedule. Just make sure to prioritize it and have some accountability for it. You can find a lot more ideas and information on exercise in episodes 15, 46, 53, and 87. I’ll link to those in the show notes. 

So there you have it - three areas that I believe have the biggest impact on your overall health. If you’re looking to actually improve your health in 2023 and take action that has positive effects on your health and makes a lasting difference, I encourage you to focus on these three areas. Most likely whatever area of your health that you are wanting to improve or change will be positively affected and improved.

As a resource to help you know how to focus on these areas that I’ve talked about today, I’m offering 30% off of my Move Forward, Feel Better Course that walks you step-by-step through the process of how to stabilize blood sugar, improve gut health, prioritize those lifestyle factors that I mentioned like sleep, stress, and movement, as well as module all about having a healthy mindset and setting optimal health goals for yourself that will actually lead you to success. It’s a 4-module course that you can do at your own pace that fits your schedule and includes downloadable worksheets to help you apply what you learn to your life and health. For the next two weeks only, you can purchase the course for 30% off making it only $55! That’s the price of one nice meal out or a new sweater at your favorite boutique. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn the tools you need to improve your health! 

Easy Health Tips for a Busy Season

Hi friends! We are right in the middle of one of the busiest seasons of the year with Christmas just a couple of weeks away at this point, and I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, making healthy choices and prioritizing our health goes on the back-burner during this time. It usually becomes something that we just push off until January, right? Then we’ll really “get back on track”! Well, what if I told you that there are ways that you can continue to make decisions that support your health even in the hustle and bustle and it doesn’t require you to miss out on any of the fun? Today I’m sharing a few ideas with you to help you do just that, so let’s get into it! 

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I don’t know about you guys but I am running at full capacity most of the time during this season, so the thought of adding something else is not appealing to me - and I would imagine it probably isn’t to you either. The ideas that I have to share with you today, I’ve adapted from the 1-minute wellness mentality. It started with a book that I read years ago that helped change my perspective on what a healthy lifestyle looks like. It was built on the premise that instead of continually striving for perfection in our health or bodies, we just try to get 1% better every day. By choosing to take just one simple action we can make a positive impact on our health that really adds up over time. While these ideas may not only take “one minute” they are easy to incorporate into a busy day and take minimal effort.  

So here we go. Remember, we’re not trying to do all these things simultaneously. We’re choosing one or two to add to our daily routine. As it becomes a normal part of your life, you can add something else. Little by little adds up to a lot. 

Drink 6-8 oz of warm lemon water as soon as you wake up

Not only does this help rehydrate your body after waking up, it also helps your liver flush out toxins and gives your metabolism a boost!

Eat a balanced meal (carb + protein + fat) before or at least, alongside, your morning coffee

Coffee, while delicious and having some health benefits, raises your blood sugar, so without balancing it out with protein and fat, you’re more likely to experience cortisol/stress hormone issues and a major crash. Over time, this can also contribute to chronic blood sugar dysregulation. 

Switch out your coffee for green tea. 

Green tea has a ton of health benefits! While it still contains caffeine, it’s a bit less than coffee and it also contains many antioxidants and catechins that have been studied to contribute to many positive health outcomes like improved metabolism, increased brain function, decreased risk for heart disease and diabetes, and reduced inflammation. 

Get outside in the morning w/o sunglasses 

Morning light has the highest amounts of red light which help with circadian rhythm and adrenal health; in warmer months or climates, morning and midday sunlight can help with vitamin D absorption too. 

Add a handful of green veggies to every meal (raw or cooked) 

Especially in this season where there are parties every other day and delicious desserts everywhere, it’s easy to go days without eating any vegetables at all. Veggies contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that our bodies need as well as fiber that feed our good gut bugs and keep our digestive systems happy. So whatever you’re eating, add some veggies! Add a couple of your favorite options to your next grocery trip and then take 5 min to prep them when you get home so they are ready to go. 

Add protein to every meal or snack 

Most of us struggle to get enough protein throughout the day. This can be even harder during the holidays. Grab some easy protein options - think hard-boiled eggs, beef/turkey sticks, a bone broth protein powder, rotisserie chicken, etc to keep on hand. Then make sure to add one to every meal and snack. 

Give your body a break between meals.

This one can make a huge difference in your gut health and in helping to regulate blood sugar.   Aim for 3-4 hours in between without continually grazing through the day.

Drink a cup of bone broth daily 

Bone broth is full of amino acids that help support digestion and the integrity of our gut lining. This is a big deal and is a major first step in dealing with any gut health issues. This is a great thing to add to your daily routine during the holiday season when most things that we do/eat can be difficult for our guts. 

Take a probiotic daily 

Another great way to support overall gut health and therefore, overall health. This is a big deal for immune system support as well. 

Take a good quality, whole-food multivitamin 

Especially when we’re struggling to get quality nutrients into our diets, but really all of the time, we can benefit from a good quality multivitamin. Our food supply just isn’t what it used to be, unfortunately, and many of us are operating on less than optimal levels of a lot of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. You can find some of my favorite brands on the favorites page of my Fullscript Dispensary. You can also always find that link in my Instagram bio. 

Take magnesium baths 

Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins through food, environmental factors, stress, etc., and our livers/kidneys have a BIG job to do in order to filter and flush those toxins out. Magnesium baths are a great way to support your body, especially when you’re more stressed and have more sugar than usual (hello, holiday season). Adding Epsom salts also provides an extra level of liver support and up the relaxation factor. 

Magnesium is also huge immune system support - honestly, just an overall health supporter and most of us are deficient. Transdermal magnesium is a faster and easier way to increase those magnesium levels, so even more of a reason to add this into your routine. Not a bath person? You can also do a foot soak and get the same benefit. 

My favorite transdermal magnesium is from Living the Good Life Naturally. You can order some for yourself by clicking here or at the link in my Instagram bio. Save 10% on your order with the code HF10. 

Set some screen time boundaries

This time of year is overstimulating in and of itself. Even more so when we add in tons of screen time while traveling, waiting in lines, etc. Set a time in your day to unplug and be screen-free. This is especially after sundown to help with getting good sleep, so maybe make this part of your evening routine or start a “no screens at dinner” rule to bring a little more connection and peace to your family time. 

Practice meditating or a breathing exercise

Holidays are stressful sometimes - there’s no way around it. Help your body handle stress by incorporating a calming practice like meditation or square breathing. This is a great one to add in before bedtime or before a meal as stress can interfere with sleep and digestion. 

Gratitude journal in the mornings

We just celebrated Thanksgiving but that doesn’t mean that we stop being grateful, right? Practicing gratitude can help keep us feeling grounded and with a healthy perspective when the to-do list feels really long. 

Stretch for 5 minutes before bed

This can help promote more restful sleep, helps break the scrolling to fall asleep habit, and can help with tight and sore muscles in the mornings. It’s also so easy to do and just a great way to end your day. 

Okay, so those covered a lot of areas  - nutrition, gut health, stress management, and movement. Which one or two of those will you try to incorporate into your daily routine this season? I’m definitely keeping up with my magnesium baths most nights before bed and working on making sure I’m adding in those veggies with each meal. Whichever one you choose, I know that you’ll be glad that you did. 

I can’t believe we’re here at the end of 2022 already! I have one more episode coming out at the end of December to help us get ready for the new year and I’ve also been working on a new resource for you guys that will launch in January, so make sure that you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow me on Instagram, so you don’t miss anything! 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your families! Keep moving forward, go love your people well, and I’ll talk to you next time!

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"My Endo Story": Kellie Shortridge and Kayla Collins

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and in this episode, I'm sharing the stories of two of my friends who also have Endometriosis. As they share their symptoms, experiences with various forms of treatment, and how their lives have been affected, you will hear many complexities of this common condition. Please help us in continuing to spread awareness by sharing this episode with your friends and family members who may also be affected by Endometriosis.

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Resources mentioned in this episode: Endometriosis episodes on the Health Forward Podcast; Nancy's Nook Education Facebook Page

Topics in this episode:

When did you first start experiencing symptoms and what were they?

In what way did these symptoms affect your life?

How did you realize it was endo?

What course of treatment did you decide to do?

Where are you on the journey now? 

What do you wish more people knew about endo?

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How to Choose A Probiotic

Hi friends! Today’s episode is in response to a very common question that I’m asked, which is “which probiotic should I take? Which do you recommend?” I’ve talked about probiotics in several different episodes but I wanted to consolidate my thoughts into one episode for you.

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My guess is that you probably know that probiotics are beneficial to our gut health and you may even be taking one, but I often get questions about which kind of probiotic I recommend or think is best. 

Before I answer that question, I want to back up just a little bit and make sure we cover the why behind taking probiotics. I always want you to be educated on what you are putting into your body and why/if you even need it - so let’s start there.

Our gut microbiome is an ecosystem within our bodies that is made up of trillions of microbes - some that are beneficial to our health, and some that aren’t so much. Just as with any other kind of ecosystem, balance is key in order for it to thrive. The same is true for our microbiome. 

Many factors of our normal day-to-day lives work against this balance. For example, a few of the most common issues are:

• Standard American Diet (It’s referred to as SAD for a reason)

• Poor sleep quality

• Chronic stress 

• Overuse of medications like antibiotics, PPIs, and antidepressants (while these are necessary at times they are major contributors to an imbalanced microbiome)

There are many other factors that can contribute to imbalance in our guts, including genetics, that we can discuss in another episode. I just wanted to reiterate the point that most of us need to have probiotics in our daily regimen (whether from food sources or through a supplement).  

A few important things to look for in a probiotic supplement:

• Multi-strain blend that includes both lactobacillus and bifidobacterium strains

• CFU count above 5-billion (with a few exceptions) 

• Third-party tested for quality of ingredients and end result 

A couple of pro-tips taking a probiotic:

• Start with a small dose and build your way up to the recommended dosage of the package

• Rotate the blend that you are taking every few months to ensure you are including a wide variety of strains

A couple of my favorite brands for probiotics are Mary Ruth Organics and Klaire Labs. 

Mary Ruth Organics has both a general probiotic that every member of the family can take. It’s a raw probiotic, so you will notice that the CFU count is lower and that is okay in this case. It is also a tasteless liquid and shelf-stable so it’s super easy to take and very budget-friendly. 

They also have a few targeted probiotic blends that are pretty new but I haven’t personally tried those yet. 

Klaire Labs is my other go-to, especially for more targeted probiotic blends. Their Therbiotic-Complete formula is one of my absolute favorites and the one that I typically recommend for most of my clients while we are working together as it has a wide spectrum of strains and a high CFU count. They also have an antibiotic support blend that I love for anyone on or coming off of antibiotics, as well as a blend called Target gbX that is specifically designed with strains that support the gut-brain connection, which is great for just about everyone but especially for those who may be dealing with mood disorders or anxiety/depression. 

Both of these brands are third-party tested and you can find their products through their own websites and even have Amazon stores that include most of their products. 

Before I wrap up for today, I do want to mention one caveat when it comes to taking probiotics. If you have serious gut health issues like SIBO or Leaky Gut, it isn’t a good idea to just start taking a high dose of probiotics and assume that it will fix it. If you aren’t also doing some work to heal your intestinal lining, you may actually experience worsening of your symptoms, so please make sure you are working with a professional who is trained in gut health - someone like myself or maybe a functional medicine nutritionist or physician who can guide you through the process of healing your gut. 

Why Liver Health Matters

Hi friends! In today’s episode, we are talking about our livers and why it’s so important that we take good care of them! The health of our livers is probably not something that often crosses our minds, but it is one of the most important organs in our bodies both for everyday function and long-term health. So let’s get into talking about the liver…

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The liver is the unsung hero of our bodies. It performs over 500 essential functions and unless something is going wrong, it rarely ever gets noticed. Most people I know don’t go around thinking about their livers throughout the day, yet it’s functions are vital to all other body systems’ ability to function. 

For example, here are a few of the essential functions the liver is responsible for:

Digestion and absorption

Our livers help turn our food into energy. It stores and distributes both fat and glucose, as well as metabolizes both cholesterol and protein.  It produces bile which is vital for digestion and absorption of key vitamins and nutrients and then distributes those nutrients out to the body. It also produces key enzymes that are needed for other chemical reactions all over the body. In addition to distribution, it also stores vitamins and minerals that will be needed in the future. So just by listing these few things, this shows that our livers help regulate our blood sugar, cholesterol, and hormone levels. 

Immune Function

Our livers produce of certain proteins and components of the immune system such as cytokines as well as various other immune cells. Our livers maintain a certain amount of controlled inflammation which assists the body in detoxification, but when this becomes uncontrolled or dysregulated, it can lead to systemic inflammation which damages the immune system and can even lead to auto-immunity or cancer. 

Hormone Function

The liver is hugely important for hormone health. Our livers create proteins and cholesterol that carry hormones all over the body. In addition, it also helps deactivate hormones and assist with ridding our bodies of excess hormones, or ones that we no longer need. This process is vitally important. For example, with the hormone estrogen, our livers actually regulate which kind of estrogens our bodies produce, as well as help with the processes that remove excess estrogen from the body. Without this essential function, an excess of estrogens can build in the body leading to estrogen-dominant diseases and cancer.  

Detox 

The function that our livers are best know for is detoxification. The liver is responsible for the movement of the blood in our bodies. As a matter of fact, almost 1½ liters of blood pass through our liver every single minute in order to be filtered. Through this process it extracts toxins and stores nutrients for later use (which we discussed when talking about digestion and absorption). The liver detoxifies in three phases that must stay in sync with each other. 

Phase One is bioidentification. This is when your body sends out enzymes that put a red flag on all toxins. Phase two is conjugation. This is when the body attaches molecules to those flagged toxins to make them either water soluble or fat soluble. Phase three is elimination. This is when the body actually flushes the toxins from our bodies when we use the bathroom (and sometimes through sweat). If one of these phases isn’t working correctly, it can damage our body’s cells and allow the toxins to continue to circulate in our bodies, further taxing our livers and creating a loop of inflammation. Every single substance we breathe, ingest, or absorb through our skin will pass through our liver, which creates a huge workload for it every single day. 

The point here is that every other system in the body is dependent on the function of the liver and when our livers are healthy, and functioning well, this works great! However, the truth is that the majority of Americans are walking around with less-than-healthy livers. 

What happens when our livers aren’t healthy

It’s estimated that up to 90 million Americans (that’s almost ⅓ of the American population) has Fatty Liver Disease, which is basically inflammation of the liver that occurs when apprx. 5% of cells in the liver are replaced with fat cells. This causes the liver to be unable to keep up with it’s 500+ essential functions and add to systemic inflammation in the rest of the body, which can lead to other chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, even Alzheimers and Dementia. 

If Fatty Liver Disease is left untreated, it can progress into Fibrosis, and even Cirrhosis of the liver, which leads to liver failure (fatal). Liver Disease doesn’t just occur because of alcohol or drug use or Hepatitis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common form of liver disease and is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetics - most commonly high-starch/high-sugar diets, insufficient protein intake, intake of trans fats and artificial chemicals, unresolved emotions and trauma, lack of movement in the lymphatic system, and overexposure to environmental toxins. It’s not usually only too much fat, as the name would suggest.

Symptoms of an unhealthy liver or fatty liver disease

There aren’t always immediate symptoms, which can make it tricky. When symptoms do occur, some common ones are:

• Abdominal pain, fullness in the upper right side

• Nausea, loss of appetite (especially in the AM)

• Swelling in legs/abdomen

• Fatigue

• Brain Fog/confusion

• Waking up at night in the 2-3 am range regularly

You can ask your provider to run labs to check enzyme levels most commonly found in the liver ALT and AST. If either level is over 30, especially ALT, this can be indicative of a damaged liver. It’s important to note that by the time these levels are above normal, damage to the liver is already happening. So we don’t want to wait until then to care for and support the health of our liver. 

The good news is that livers regenerate and that our body has an amazing ability to heal. It will need some support from us, but an unhealthy liver, even most diseased livers, with the exception of cirrhosis, can be become healthy and well-functioning again. 

In the next episode, I am going to share ways that you can support your liver health to prevent an unhealthy, sluggish, or diseased liver, as well as ways that you can help your liver to heal if you are already experiencing liver dysfunction or disease. Make sure you stay tuned for that episode! 

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How to Protect Your Immune Health

Hi friends! Immune health and sickness have been on our minds a lot over the last two years and while the information I’m sharing today isn’t new, I wanted to give it a refresh because, let’s just be honest, there’s some misinformation, as well as just weird info out there right now on this topic. I understand that it’s easy to get caught up in fear and have so much advice thrown at you that you don’t really know who to trust sometimes. So today's episode is a few simple reminders of ways to support and protect your immune system’s ability to do its job.

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So right from the start, I want to say that what I’m talking about today isn’t a treatment protocol in any way. This is education about the immune system and how you can best support it and protects it so that it can do the job it was designed to do. Our bodies were created so intricately and intelligently, and our immune systems know what to do - just like our hearts know how to pump blood through our bodies and our stomachs know how to digest food, however that doesn’t mean we can and treat our bodies any ole way and expect them to function well, right?.  Just as with our cardiovascular health or our digestive health, the way we live our lives - what we eat and drink, how we sleep, how we manage stress, etc. all affect our immune health as well. 

So that brings us to what we can do to support our immune systems and help them function well. 

As with just about everything else, we have to start with the gut. Over 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut. Studies have shown that the immune system is actually influenced and taught by the gut microbiome. The microbiome helps determine the vitality of the immune system and its response to infection. We can easily conclude that poor gut health equals poor immune system function. So that is where I think we start. 

Support good gut health 

Two main aspects that I focus on when working on gut health are protecting the gut lining and supporting a healthy microbiome - both are crucial for good gut function and overall health. 

One of the main ways to protect the gut lining is to repair any current damage. Increased intestinal permeability (aka Leaky Gut) is more common than you may think and doesn’t always look like digestive symptoms, although it certainly can. When the gut lining is healthy, it creates a tight barrier all along our digestive tract, but when it is damaged large holes or openings can happen along the tract that allows food particles, toxins, bacteria, etc. to escape into the bloodstream. This causes chronic inflammation in the body which can make you more susceptible to illness and impair your immune response. 

One of the simplest ways to help repair the gut lining is by incorporating bone broth into your daily dietary intake either through drinking it or using a bone broth powder.

When it comes to the microbiome, the goal is to have a healthy balance of microbes. We are made up of trillions of tiny microbes, some good guys, and some not so much. When the bad guys (or pathogenic/opportunistic) outweigh the good guys, that’s called Dysbiosis. Research has linked dysbiosis to many common diseases as well as an altered, impaired immune response. 

A few ways to support a healthy microbiome are: repairing your gut lining, taking a quality, multi-strain probiotic; reducing food-related toxins like herbicides and pesticides, antibiotics in meat, etc.; promote healthy digestion and nutrient absorption by chewing thoroughly and not rushing through meals or eating when overly stressed. 

It’s also a good idea to eat a wide variety of high-fiber fruits and vegetables. One great way to expand your variety is by eating seasonally and trying 1 new fruit or veggie each time you buy groceries. 

Lastly in regard to gut health and food, remember to be mindful of your sugar intake, especially this time of year. I absolutely all the fall/holiday desserts and treats that come along with the holiday season, but the intake of sugar can quickly add up and start to cause inflammation in the body. Enjoy the season to the fullest while also being intentional. 

Mind your S’s

In addition to caring for your gut, a few other lifestyle factors have a huge impact on our immune health. I like to call them the 3 Ss - sweat, stress, and sleep. 

Sweat

We all know that we need to exercise regularly to keep our bodies functioning well, but I’m not sure that we often think of it in relation to our immune systems. When we exercise - move for an extended period of time and get our heart rates elevated a bit, it also helps to create movement in our lymphatic system - which helps our bodies get rid of toxins, it increases oxygen to all areas of our bodies - which increases healing, and helps to reduce stress and chronic inflammation. 

In addition to exercise, I also love the use of a combo of dry brushing and either regular detox baths or a sauna to induce sweating and release toxins from the body. This can be especially helpful when you start to feel sick and may not have the energy for exercise. 

Stress

Stress activates our fight or flight response, which when experienced in short-term situations, can actually activate the immune system to fight off an infection or “intruder” more quickly. Chronic stress experienced in a long-term situation, however, can have detrimental effects on the immune system by triggering chronic inflammation and altering the production of cytokines and T-cells which work to protect our bodies. 

So a couple of quick reminders on ways to reduce the effects of chronic stress on the body: 

Exercise, as we just talked about, can induce the good effects of short-term stress and activating the immune system, while also allowing cortisol (stress hormone) levels to regulate, which can help with inflammation. Practicing mindfulness and meditation, including deep breathing exercises can also help to regulate cortisol levels and allow the body to enter into the rest and digest state. Another great way to help your body deal with stress, and therefore support your immune system, is to get outside every day. In addition to the vitamin D, the fresh air often helps to reset mood and can also help with circadian rhythms, which can help with the last S that I want to mention today, sleep (Ideally, you can combine these three things together).

Sleep

Sleep is really one of the most important components of supporting good health in general, and especially of supporting and protecting the immune system. Getting enough good-quality sleep enables a well-balanced immune defense. Research has shown that during certain phases of sleep that immune function actually increases, which allows the body to more efficiently overcome illness and injury, as well as increase immune memory which allows the body to be better prepared to fend off future illness. 

The opposite is also true, lack of good-quality sleep can interfere with the healthy functioning of the immune system. Sleep deprivation has been linked to short-term illnesses such as viral infections, as well as long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as depression and even cancer. It is believed that this is connected to increased chronic inflammation levels in the body brought about by the lack of sleep. 

I have an entire episode on sleep that’s full of tips (episode 29) but I wanted to share a few quick ways to help prioritize good-quality sleep. 

Both exercise and managing stress which we just discussed go a long way in promoting good sleep at night. All three of these - sleep, stress, and exercise - work cyclically together, each one helping in the other areas. 

Also, having a good bedtime routine that you do consistently each night can help trigger the brain that it’s time for sleep. Avoiding blue light after dark and any kind of emotional stressor, as best as you can control it. Research shows that your body gets the most restorative sleep, in which the immune system can actually strengthen and renew itself, in the window of time about 3-4 hours after the sun goes down. This would mean that it’s important to be getting into bed well before this time so that you are sure to be asleep as this window of extra-restorative sleep begins.

These are truly the foundation of a healthy immune system - good gut health and solid lifestyle behaviors that support your body’s ability to function properly. 

Extra support 

In addition to that foundation, you may need some extra support, which in my opinion is where vitamins, minerals, and other supplements are helpful. 

I have another episode that dives more into each of these areas, so I’m not going to get very into it today, but I often get questions about what is helpful, so I want to briefly mention it. 

• Whole-food multivitamins to fill in nutritional gaps 

• Whole-food multimineral can also be helpful, especially with sleep (magnesium)

• Probiotics (multi-strain)

• Vitamin C (liposomal in time of stress or sickness) and vitamin D (especially in the winter months)

It’s true that the more intentional you are for caring for and supporting your body, the better it will function. That’s not to say you will never get sick, you will - and that’s okay. Your body is intelligent enough to know what to do. We just need to be sure that we are supporting it well and not living our lives in such a way that it hinders its ability to function well. 

I hope that this episode has been helpful to you and gave you some good reminders of how to support and protect your immune system, especially as we continue to manage life during a pandemic, and especially as we get into the fall and winter months. 

If you have any questions, email info@yourhealthforward.com.

I also have opened my schedule back up for a few new clients for the fall, and I would love to help you. Schedule a free health coaching discovery call here.

Reference: https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/gut-health-immune-response/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/;

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24798553/; https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/how-sleep-affects-immunity

*Disclaimer: Product links listed in this episode are affiliate links that provide a small commission to me with no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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PCOS 101

September is PCOS awareness month and so for today’s episode, I wanted to do a quick deep dive into some basics about PCOS. It is actually the number one hormonal imbalance condition among reproductive-aged women and sadly, the leading cause of female infertility. So, this condition affects a lot of women and like many other hormonal issues, it can take a long time to get a proper diagnosis. So I want you to be informed about what PCOS is, what some of the common symptoms are, and if you or someone you love has PCOS, what we can do to help with it!

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PCOS is a common hormone and metabolic condition that affects up to 15% of reproductive-age women. It is associated with a higher risk for long-term health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and infertility. Higher instances of insulin resistance, IBS, and depression/anxiety are also reported with PCOS. 

Symptoms often associated with this disorder are absent or infrequent menstrual cycles, excess weight gain or inability to lose weight, excess facial or body hair, head hair thinning or loss, severe acne, and often (but not always) insulin resistance and polycystic ovaries. 

PCOS is the most common form of hormonal imbalance and while experts know that it is rooted in inflammation and insulin dysregulation, what actually triggers PCOS is not understood. There seems to be a genetic factor, as women with moms or sisters diagnosed with PCOS are likely to have it as well. Also, as with any hormonal condition, gut health plays a major role. Some believe that it can possibly be linked with a combination of imbalanced gut flora and increased intestinal permeability, which leads to increased inflammation in the body. This can cause cells to become rigid and unable to receive the signal from insulin to let glucose into the cell (which leads to your pancreas continuing to pump out more insulin, and left untreated eventually becomes insulin resistance). Although ovaries do not become insulin resistant, when bombarded with insulin, the ovaries can respond by secreting testosterone. An excess of insulin can also inhibit the secretion of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) which is the protein that binds excess sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. This creates a perfect storm for these common PCOS symptoms.

PCOS is a clinical diagnosis, which means that it’s based on having a grouping of some PCOS symptoms and ruling out other diagnoses. Often a physician may want to perform an ultrasound to check the ovaries for cysts, but it is important to note not every woman with PCOS will have polycystic ovaries (despite the name). Most women with PCOS do have insulin resistance, but again - not all. It’s important that you work with your physician and be informed on the recommended lab tests that can be helpful for making a diagnosis. Functional medicine practitioners recommend a full thyroid panel, a full hormone panel including estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, SHBG, progesterone, prolactin, LH, FSH, and AMH, as well as a lipid panel and fasting blood glucose and insulin, and A1C. There may also be other tests as well as research about PCOS continues to be published. 

Once someone receives a PCOS diagnosis there really aren’t a lot of great conventional treatment options. The most common option is to take hormonal birth control and while that can help with symptoms, unfortunately, it doesn’t do anything to actually heal the cause of the symptoms. Not only that, but some believe that it may actually worsen the condition over time. Metformin is also a common medication given to women with PCOS. Just be sure to research and speak with your doctor about the common negative side effects that can be associated with it. 

While there is no cure for PCOS, there are things that a woman diagnosed with PCOS can do to help with symptoms as well as target the underlying known contributors to PCOS - blood sugar dysregulation, poor gut health, and inflammation. 

When I work with clients who have PCOS the first two things that we work on are supporting balanced blood sugar and healing their gut. So let’s talk about some foods, supplements, and lifestyle modifications that can help with those things.

When it comes to food, the first thing to remember is that your body needs to feel safe and know that it can count on adequate fuel throughout the day. The best way to do this is to eat a balanced meal (meaning fiber, protein, and fat) about every 3-4 hours. So that typically looks like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and at least 1 snack, maybe 2. You don’t want to eat continually or fall into grazing throughout the day, but also don’t skip meals or go long periods of time without eating. 

Some specific foods that can help:  

• clean sources of protein: wild-caught, omega-3 rich fish such as salmon, cod, trout or sardines; bone broth, grass-fed beef

• High fiber carbs:  cruciferous veggies, pumpkin, beans, rice, berries, goji, cherries, onion, parsley, garlic, freshly ground flax seeds 

• Healthy fats: walnuts, coconut, olives, 

• Herbs, spices, teas: cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, decaf green tea, Holy Basil tea, liver support teas - like milk thistle or dandelion 

There are some supplements that may also be helpful. I do just want to remind you that everyone’s body is different and may respond differently to herbs/supplements. It’s really best to work with a practitioner who is knowledgeable about these supplements and your particular healthy history. With that said, Vitamin D and methylated B-complex can be helpful because a lot of women (in general), especially with PCOS, are deficient in these. Herbs like Vitex, Dong Quai, saw palmetto, nettle root, and licorice can help with some of the common PCOS symptoms. Inositol is another common supplement given to help with insulin sensitivity and other common issues with PCOS.

There are also some lifestyle recommendations and alternative therapies that can be helpful as well. We all know that regular exercise is good for us, but especially for women with PCOS daily movement is vital for reducing inflammation, balancing blood sugar, and supporting gut and liver health. It’s also important to participate in weight training at least 2x per week (either bodyweight or added weights) which has been proven to help increase insulin sensitivity, allowing it to be more useful in the body. It’s also recommended that women with PCOS prioritize getting 8-9 hours of sleep each night and commit to stress-reducing routines like daily walks and downtime from social media and other emotional stressors. Acupuncture can also be helpful. Many women have also found seed cycling to be helpful - and that probably needs its own episode but essentially is eating certain types of seeds in the follicular phase of your cycle and then switching to other seeds in the second type of your cycle. This can help the body get rid of excess hormones more efficiently and may support more balanced hormone levels. It also provides a great source of fiber which is helpful for gut and liver health  

Ultimately, if you or someone you love has PCOS it’s important to know that even though there isn’t a cure, symptoms can be managed and your body can be supported in such a way that the condition doesn’t have to take over your life. Make sure to get a good team of healthcare professionals on your side that can help you with all aspects of your health and really take the time to learn about PCOS and about how your own body responds - what works for you and what doesn’t. 

Friends, I hope that this episode has been helpful for you. If you’re struggling with PCOS know that you aren’t in this alone and that there is help available for you. Start with some of these things that I’ve mentioned today and build a team of people around you that can support you in this journey. As always if you have any questions, you can send an email to info@yourhealthforward.com. 

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CBD: What You Need to Know

Hi friends! In today’s episode, we are talking about CBD. CBD can be a controversial topic (what isn’t these days?🙃 ). Some people have found it to be extremely helpful and rave about it, others are skeptical or downright condemning of it. I’m not here to be a CBD pusher, but I do want you to be educated as to what it is, how it works in the body, and how it may be beneficial for your health so that you can make an informed decision. 

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It’s common to think that CBD is a recent trend in the health/wellness world, but actually, various forms of the cannabis plant have been used for thousands and thousands of years. Chinese medicine textbooks, dating back to 2900 BC (like early Bible, pre-Abraham times) note its use for its healing properties, including pain relief, sleep aid, and anxiety reduction. Its use is also noted in medical texts from India and Greece dating back thousands of years ago. As a matter of fact, the cannabis plant was a commonly used medicine in the US in the 1800s (apparently they even prescribed it to help with baby’s teething pain) until fears about it began to circulate in the 1940s, and then it was actually banned in the US in 1970. CBD has now been made legal again at the federal level across the US and the FDA even approved its first CBD-derived medication in 2018. So even though it may feel new and trendy - it most certainly is not. 

What is CBD?

CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid, which means it’s a therapeutic substance derived from part of the cannabis plant. There are actually lots of different kinds of cannabinoids, and CBD along with many others primarily comes from the leaves and flowers of the Hemp plant (which is a type of cannabis plant). Hemp is also used to make clothing, paper, etc. 

Although CBD is the one we hear the most about, the hemp plant contains many different types of cannabinoids including CBG, CBN, and THC (which is likely what you know as the intoxicating component of hemp).

So, I think it's important to realize that these terms mean different things. CBD and hemp are not synonymous. CBD is one component of the hemp plant. CBD is not marijuana, although both can be derived from different parts of the hemp plant. 

Each component has a different way that it affects systems in the body. 

How does it work?

Our bodies actually house a system made up of neurotransmitters and receptors called the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are found all over the body (brain, skin, muscles, GI tract, immune cells, heart, and blood vessels - just to name a few) and respond to chemicals released by the endocannabinoid system naturally to help keep our bodies healthy. This system plays a part in regulating many different functions in the body, including mood, memory, gut health, hormone balance, pain, inflammation, immunity, and appetite. Its overall purpose is to keep our bodies in homeostasis- or a steady state of function. 

The different types of cannabinoids from the hemp plant, actually connect to our internal endocannabinoid receptors and cause them to release healing effects on the body. 

What are the health benefits of CBD?

When talking about CBD specifically, it connects to TR PV1 receptors in the body and can help in reducing anxiety, nausea, pain, and inflammation, it has also been reported to help with seizure disorders, improve sleep, aid digestion, and help with hormone balance. 

It helps our bodies move out of the “fight or flight” (sympathetic) state and into a more relaxed, “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) state so it’s great for dealing with stress. 

CBD is also an antioxidant that is believed to be more potent than even vitamin C and is protective of the brain as well.  

So as you can see, there are a lot of possible health benefits from taking CBD. So maybe you’re wondering if it would be good for you. There aren’t any known serious adverse effects of taking a pure CBD oil, although some have experienced GI upset, some drowsiness, and fatigue - although in a lot of those instances, it’s possible that the dosages were too high. 

Recommendations

It is recommended to take a full-spectrum CBD oil, that will include other types of cannabinoids (CBG, CBN) and terpenes, which all work together and each has receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This does mean that it will include THC, but only at or below the federally legal level of .3% - which means it will not cause any intoxication. 

There are also brands that are completely THC-free, just be aware that you may not get quite as many benefits from it as you would a full-spectrum option, but it would still be beneficial. 

For general wellness purposes, a daily dose of 10-50 mg is recommended. For dealing with chronic pain or inflammation, a daily dose of 10-100 mg is recommended. As with most herbal supplements, it’s best to start with a small dose and then work your way up until you feel it’s at a good level.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the Ancient Nutrition brand of CBD products. They have oil, capsules, and a powder option that is mixed with collagen peptides. All of their CBD products are organic and third-party tested, so you can trust that they are pure and completely safe to take. They are also full-spectrum CBD products that also include other inflammation-fighting ingredients like turmeric, black pepper, and MCT oil, so you get the maximum health benefits.

Q&A

On social media this week, I asked what questions you guys had about CBD, so I’m going to answer a few of those very quickly: 

Will CBD show up on a drug test? 

In order to be legal in this country, a CBD product must contain less than .3% THC, which means it should not show up on a drug test. However, I would think about a few things if this is something that concerns you or if you need to consider it for your job, etc.: A full-spectrum CBD product will contain THC, so there is always a small chance that it could show. If you are worried about that, I would just opt for the THC-free options, also known as a CBD isolate, which means that the whole hemp plant wasn’t used, only the Cannabidiol. Also, just be mindful of where you purchase CBD. Personally, I wouldn’t buy it from just any pop-up shop or tent on the side of the road :). I would only purchase for a source that I know does extensive third-party testing and guarantees a pure product. 

Is it really beneficial to consume CBD orally? 

I guess most of this episode has already answered this question but I also wanted to point out that there are also some brands that offer CBD-infused creams and lotions for topical pain relief. These can also be helpful, but you won’t get the systemic benefits that I mentioned before in just a topical product. Also, I would recommend opting for an organic option even in a topical option, because hemp plants can often be sprayed heavily with toxic chemicals, which then will be sitting on your skin.  

Is CBD good for a sleep aid? 

A great question! Overall, CBD is going to help your body be in a more relaxed state, which should naturally lend itself to better sleep. There is also specific research, a study done in 2020 by Digestive Disease and Sciences, that looked at people with a painful disease that caused insomnia who used CBD for relief and 87% of those participants said it improved their sleep.  So I think the chances of it helping are pretty high.

So ultimately, you have to decide if you feel that CBD is right for you and would be helpful for you, but now I hope you can confidently say that you understand what it is and how it works. I personally do take it and have felt that it’s been beneficial for me with dealing with anxiety, as well as dealing with inflammation and pain.

Giveaway

This is the 60th episode of the #HFpodcast, which I think deserves a little celebration, so I am going to be giving away a bottle of the Ancient Nutrition brand CBD oil, along with a couple other of my favorite stress-relieving favs to one of you!

In order to be entered into the drawing, make sure you are following me on Instagram, like the post talking about this episode, and tag a friend in the comments who may need to learn more about CBD. For a bonus entry, leave a rating and review of the podcast and share it on social media. All the details of the giveaway will be in the Instagram post, as well and the giveaway will run through next Wednesday,  6/9/20.

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Intermittent Fasting: Helpful or Harmful?

Hi friends! Today we are talking about Intermittent Fasting (IF). It’s been a buzzphrase in the health and wellness industry for a while and there are wildly different perspectives and opinions on it. In this episode, I want to look at exactly what IF is and what are the ways it can be helpful, as well as how it can be harmful and who may not benefit from it.  I’m also going to throw my own opinion into the mix and share why I haven’t adopted this practice for myself. Let’s get into it! 

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What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

Intermittent fasting is a term used to describe a certain approach to eating that includes abstaining from food for short periods of time. Time-restricted eating Is the most common method of intermittent fasting. For this type of in a minute fasting you eat during a shortened window of time during the day, which extends the amount of time you’re not eating overnight. This can be anywhere from a 12 hour fast to a 16 - 18 hour fast, and often includes skipping a meal either breakfast or dinner. You can choose to eat three meals while using this method but they will be closer together than usual. 

How it can be helpful:

A quick search on Google or Pinterest will list out multiple health benefits from intermittent fasting. Things such as helping with weight loss, burning fat for energy instead of glucose, lowering insulin levels, improving insulin sensitivity, benefiting cognitive abilities, and supporting the circadian rhythm and leading to better sleep.

Sounds amazing, huh? Well, before you decide to skip breakfast forever, let’s look at some of the ways IF can be harmful. 

How it can be harmful:

While it’s true that some people to do well with intermittent fasting, it’s also true that certain people may not do well with it, particularly women. Fasting, while possibly having short term benefits, can also lead to long-term ramifications. IF leads to higher amounts of cortisol to be produced in the body, which again can be good short term (like as in exercise), but in the long-term can lead to chronic inflammation (just as in exercising too much). This spike in stress hormones can cause the body to feel unsafe. Our bodies thrive and function their best when they feel safe. Food is a signal of safety to our bodies - that’s the way we are wired. So when we go longer amounts of time, or even days, without eating that can signal to our bodies that something is wrong and that we aren’t safe enough to eat. Again, this can lead to chronic inflammation in the long term, which is the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve. 

For this reason, IF can have negative effects on women’s hormone health and fertility. When a woman’s body does not feel safe, having a well functioning reproductive system is not a high priority. Some studies have shown that by simply extending the fasting window to 14 to 16 hours, or quickly reducing the amount of food that someone takes in during the day, the body can start to shut down some of the communication between the brain and the reproductive system. 

Also, while some say intermittent fasting can help with insulin resistance and blood sugar issues, the flipside to that is that it can also lead to blood sugar dysregulation in the long term. 

An increase in stress hormones can lower  insulin levels, but also increase blood sugar (glucose) levels. Insulin is the hormone that allows our body to use up glucose or blood sugar, so having an increase in glucose while also having a decrease in insulin can lead to having higher blood sugar levels overall - which again is the opposite of what we are wanting. 

The other issue that can sometimes happen with intermittent fasting is that because you’re eating your meals closer together, in a shorter window of time, this can sometimes lead to not having enough space in between meals for proper digestion and good gut health. 

In a healthy gut, the MMC (migrating motor complex) - sometimes also called the housekeeper of the gut - sweeps through the small intestine, moving any food or waste along into the large intestine for further digestion about every 90 minutes (Think of it as our gut’s clean up crew). The problem Is that any eating or drinking of something that has calories (even a cup of coffee) can interrupt that process. Ideally we would be spacing our meals apart about every 4 hours, but that becomes very difficult to do in an 8-hr or shorter window. 

When this mechanisms can operate as it should, it can create an environment for Dysbiosis, SIBO, and overall poor gut health. 

So as you can see, there are both possible pros and cons to intermittent fasting.

Why I don’t practice IF, personally: 

Personally, I’ve chosen not to practice structured IF. As a woman who has an inflammatory condition- an inflammatory hormonal condition, at that, the risks outweigh the possible benefits for me. I also don’t recommend it to most of my clients, as most are women also dealing with underlying chronic inflammation, gut issues, and hormonal imbalances.

Also, an Interesting note - an ISSA article states that most of the studies done on Intermittent Fasting have been done on men. It states that *“Out of seventy-one studies found in Harvard’s database for intermittent fasting, only thirteen include women at all. Beyond that, absolutely none of the controlled studies focus on the female population in general. There are no controlled studies that allow us to draw intelligent conclusions about how intermittent fasting affects the female population.” 

The article goes on to say that women are less likely to lose weight or experience positive health benefits from IF and seem to experience the best health when they maintain an unchanging flow of nutrient intake throughout the day. 

This is what I recommend to my clients and implement in my own life as well. I think a 12:12 model can work really well for women - a 12 hour eating window and a 12 hour fasting window at night. That pretty much follows our natural circadian rhythm of eating while it’s daylight. I advise my clients to eat a balanced meal that includes carbs/fiber, protein, and fat within an hour of waking - and then ideally eating balanced meals every 4 hours. I also think it’s important to listen to your body and follow your hunger cues. Again, it’s important to make your body feel safe, and restricting food will likely have the opposite effect. 

At the end of the day, remember that food is nourishment and fuel for the body. It’s not something to restrict and/or reward yourself with.

*https://www.issaonline.com/blog/index.cfm/2018/this-hot-diet-trend-is-not-recommended-for-women

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Ask Alaina: Q&A

In this week's episode, I'm answering your questions! Listen in to hear my answers about health, faith, the enneagram, and a few other random topics thrown in too, just for fun!

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Questions from this week’s episode:

What’s your favorite thing to teach?

Favorite worship song and why?

If you could trade places with anyone who would it be and why? 

What’s your opinion on probiotics? Real food vs supplement? 

What are some ways to incorporate good fats into your diet (not a fan of avocados)?

When people say “do your own research” what does that mean? Google? Pubmed? 

What is your enneagram number?

If you could shout one thing that the whole world would hear, what would it be?

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Alternative Treatment Options for Chronic Pain

Hey friends! Today’s episode is all about alternative treatment options for chronic pain management. As I mentioned in the last episode, March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and if you know anything about the disease, then you know that the most commonly associated symptom of Endo is chronic pain, often debilitating pain. So that’s what inspired the thought behind today’s episode, but these treatment options apply to all different types of chronic pain. It’s been estimated that chronic pain affects around 50 million Americans - 20 million of whom have such debilitating pain that it has altered their everyday lives. It has been linked to an increased risk of major mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This is a topic that affects a lot of people and I think it’s important to talk about.

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What is pain? It’s your body communicating to you - trying to tell you that something isn’t right. Listen and treat the cause, don’t just silence the symptom. Often when the pain is chronic, the cause is inflammation of some sort. Other times it’s something like dehydration and occasionally something more serious. Whatever the cause, we want to actually address the root of the issue and not just slap a bandaid on it - especially when some of our most commonly used “bandaids” can end up causing more problems in the long term. 

Some of our “go-to” pain relievers can have negative effects on the body, especially when used long-term. Tylenol or acetaminophen can be very hard on the liver because it reduces levels of glutathione in the body, which is the body’s master antioxidant and is very important for neutralizing harmful free radicals, which when left unchecked can cause inflammation and disease. In high doses or chronic use, it can also lead to increased intestinal permeability - which as we know leads to all kinds of other negative health issues, including increased inflammation (which usually equals more pain).

Other common pain relievers such as NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin do actually help to reduce inflammation, but when used often can cause damage to the gut, including negatively affecting the microbiome and creating an imbalance of the good gut bugs vs the opportunistic ones, increasing intestinal permeability, and possibly leading to ulcers, GERD, and sometimes even IBD or colitis. 

Opioids are also often prescribed for chronic pain, which in addition to all the same side effects just mentioned can lead to addiction (leading cause of death in people under 50 years old in the US) and major changes in brain chemistry and function. We are in a horrible opioid epidemic in this country and it’s absolutely ruining people’s lives and families. Things have got to change when it comes to first-line of defense when dealing with chronic pain! 

So what are some alternative pain management techniques? Here are a few ideas that can not only help manage symptoms but often can help heal the root of the issue altogether. And even better, each of these options works with your body, helping it to function better as opposed to working against it and possibly creating unwanted side effects and new problems to address. 

Hands-On Therapies 

Acupuncture is great for treating chronic pain (especially Endometriosis - more on that here) by increasing circulation (faster healing) but also thought to stimulate nerves, muscles, and tissue which can help the body release its own pain-relieving hormones and neurotransmitters. It’s been proven effective for pain and general wellness for thousands of years. 

Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Care can both help to correct structural issues and treat the root cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain. These modalities work great in conjunction with each other.

Essential Oils

Oils like peppermint, frankincense, lavender, and evening primrose oils all help to reduce inflammation and pain. Using these oils topically (with the proper dilution) can be greatly beneficial for healing and relief as well as diffusing, which can have similar effects, plus help with mental clarity and mood. 

CBD 

Cannabidiol is one type of cannabinoid from the cannabis (hemp) plant.  It is non-psychoactive (it won’t get you high) but has been used (for thousands of years) to help a wide range of health issues, including chronic pain. It helps to reduce inflammation and put your body in a more relaxed state (rest and digest mode) so that it can heal more easily. CBD has also been shown to be a neuroprotective antioxidant - which means it helps to safeguard the health of your brain. It can help reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and even be beneficial for gut health. Do make sure that you get CBD oil from a trusted, verified source that isn’t loaded with additives and extras like sugar, dyes, etc. 

Lifestyle changes

Ensuring that we are properly hydrated (water + optimal electrolytes), moving our bodies regularly (increases blood flow and healing), eating anti-inflammatory foods (some faves: leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, pumpkin, berries, bone broth, wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, avocados, olive oil, coconut oil/milk, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, green tea, turmeric, ginger, garlic), and prioritizing good sleep (allows for repair and renewal of the body) will all reduce chronic inflammation and promote healing.

Supplements 

One of my favorite supplements for pain and inflammation is PRANA by Leefy Organics. It’s a potent combination of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper formulated in a way that allows for max absorption into the bloodstream, making for quick-relief and benefit. It helps lower inflammation, reduces pain, helps with digestive health and brain function. 

Another important supplement (food, really) when thinking about inflammation is Bone Broth and Collagen powder. Our health starts in the gut - we can’t ignore it! Bone broth helps to rebuild the gut lining which helps to lower inflammation but also to increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and antioxidants, which help your body to be able to optimally create and use pain-relieving neurotransmitters. Both bone broth and collagen can also help with joint health, which can be a common source of chronic pain. 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids have also been shown to reduce inflammation, provide proper lubrication for joints, and increases blood flow allowing for faster healing. 

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a lot of really important roles in the body including helping with circulation and blood pressure, immune system function, nerve and muscle function, and many more. A lot of people are deficient in magnesium, so taking a supplemental form of magnesium (specifically magnesium glycinate) can be really helpful for dealing with muscle soreness and cramps, menstrual cycle pain, headaches and migraines, and even neuropathy. 

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So as you can see there are a lot of alternatives when it comes to dealing with pain. Am I saying that we should never take an over-the-counter pain reliever ever again- especially for something acute? No! That’s just not realistic. However, what I am saying is that there are many safe and just-as-effective options that we can use as a first-line defense that will actually work with our bodies and help our bodies function optimally without causing negative side effects.

One thing that I try to help my clients think about is that everything we do in relation to our health - everything we eat, everything we take - has an effect on the body both short-term and long-term. Sometimes it’s just easier to look at the short-term because we are so wired for instant gratification, but we can’t forget that these things also affect our bodies long-term. So let’s educate ourselves and consider how something will affect us in 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years, down the road. I think that principle especially applies when we are deciding how to deal with chronic pain. 

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5 Tips for Managing Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an inflammatory hormonal condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is found in other parts of the body outside of the uterus. This tissue responds to hormonal shifts of the menstrual cycle (just the same as the tissue within the uterus) and as such causes inflammation, pain, and often scar tissue/adhesions. It is estimated that about 200 million women worldwide have endometriosis. It is a complex disorder, and because of the wide variety of symptoms that can be associated with it, it can often take several years and multiple providers to actually receive an endometriosis diagnosis. 

If you want to know more about Endo including the symptoms, what we know (and don’t) about possible causes, and current treatment options, I recorded a podcast all about that last year - it is episode 30. I also have a few other endo-related episodes including more of my personal journey with it, as well as an episode all about acupuncture and helpful it can be for managing endo. 

This leads me to the topic for today - 5 Tips for Managing Endometriosis. Whether you have already received an endo diagnosis or maybe just suspect that you have it, there are some things that you need to know that can help you along your journey. 

Be an advocate for your health 

Unfortunately, it can take multiple years, sometimes even a decade, and multiple doctors and providers to get a receive an Endo diagnosis. Sadly a lot of endo symptoms are often overlooked, downplayed, or even dismissed and labeled as just being tired, overwhelmed, or dramatic. Hopefully, this will not be your experience but know going in that you are going to need to be your own health advocate. Even with the most skilled and compassionate providers, no one knows your body or your symptoms the way that you do. 

Make a list of questions before each appointment and be willing to voice your concerns if you aren’t comfortable with a particular treatment plan. 

Remember that your provider is there to help you but they can’t read your mind - so you have to speak up, and they don’t have the final say about your care. If you feel uncomfortable or dismissed, find another provider. 

When it comes to symptoms, deal with the root cause

There is not yet an agreed-upon root cause of Endo. There are several theories that are being researched but as of now, that is all that they are. What we do know is that women with endometriosis often also have poor gut health, stagnation within both the circulatory and lymphatic systems, and hormonal imbalances as well as chronic inflammation. So while we don’t know what thing/things triggered the condition, we can address these other issues. 

Working on gut health by addressing leaky gut or any gut lining issues, as well as ensuring a good balance of gut flora, can be a great place to start as all other processes and systems of the body are affected by our microbiome. 

Acupuncture can also be a great starting place as it can benefit stagnation, hormone imbalances, and inflammation.  

Create a support system 

A condition like Endometriosis affects your entire life, not just part of it, so you will likely need to address each area with multiple providers. Creating a care team may involve many different types of providers including a surgeon (this will often be someone like a Reproductive Endocrinologist that is specifically trained in excision surgery for Endo), acupuncturist, pelvic health physical therapist, health coach, or a nutritionist trained in hormone health, and often a  mental health professional or licensed therapist. Your care team may have more or fewer providers, but it’s important to remember that this is a complex condition, so it’s good to support yourself in all of these different areas - it doesn’t make you extra. 

In addition, to have different trained providers, it’s also important to surround yourself with friends and family that can support you along your journey. Endometriosis can be a lonely diagnosis because it’s still such a hush-hush topic. Some still think of it as a period problem when in reality it is so much more. When trying to manage a chronic condition of any kind, you will need an outlet. A small group of people that you can share your worries, struggles, and feelings with. 

Design a plan that works for you

Similar to the last tip, you need to create a plan to deal with your specific symptoms that is helpful for you. Although there are many shared symptoms among those with Endo, every case is unique and individualized. No two women are exactly the same - they have different genetic makeups, different environmental factors, different lifestyles. So what may help one person may not be the golden ticket for another. 

Pay attention to the signals (symptoms) that your body is giving you and do some research into what may help that also work with your phase of life, schedule, etc. For example, if you deal with chronic fatigue, waking up at 5 am and working out first thing in the morning may not be a good idea for you, even if it seems to be working just fine for your friend. We can always learn from other people, but be careful when comparing your journey with someone else. 

Be gracious with yourself 

As I mentioned before, apart from divine healing, there is currently no “cure” for Endo. However, that doesn’t mean that there can’t be relief or a reversal of symptoms, maybe even a state of remission, but it’s not something that is “cured” and you never have to think about it again. 

So make sure to set realistic expectations for yourself when making changes to your lifestyle. Remember that healing isn’t linear. This is a common frustration for those with any chronic condition. Healing is a process of ups and downs. Doing really well for a while, having a setback, learning how things affect your body, adjusting, and on and on it goes. Try to remember this when you start to feel frustrated with your body. 

Another common thought that those dealing with chronic pain or a condition can be the feeling that their body is betraying them. I just want to encourage you to really work on your mindset around this. You are not defective. Your body isn’t betraying you. You were fearfully and wonderfully made - just like everyone else. We just live in a fallen world where pain and disease still exist, and your body needs some extra support. Your journey isn’t going to be like someone else’s and that is a good thing! It’s uniquely yours. Be gracious with yourself and find gratitude in the ways that your body serves you every day. 

I hope that this has helped to encourage you. If you know someone who has endometriosis, check on them and see how they’re doing. Send them this podcast - odds are that they probably need some encouragement too! 

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What Is the Deal with Gluten?

Welcome back, friends! Today I want to spend a few minutes talking about gluten and why everyone seems to be hating on it. For the past several years this topic has become more and more popular and just about every health and fitness guru out there has contributed their two-cents to the conversation. While there are no shortages of opinions on the matter, what I do seem to not find nearly as often is simple information that explains what gluten is, why it’s been labeled as “bad”, and how you can determine if you should cut out gluten or not. So that’s exactly what I want to provide for you in this episode. You know me - I like simple, clear info so let me just jump right in! 

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What is gluten? 

Gluten is the main storage protein found in wheat grains. It’s most often found in products containing wheat, barley, and rye, as well as occasionally in oat products. Think of it as the component to most bread, pasta, and baked goods that give a stretchy, soft texture. Gluten can also be added to several different foods like soups or sauces to increase the thickness or volume, processed foods to make them more filling, and even seemingly random things like soy sauce.  

Why has gluten been labeled as “bad”?

There are a few different factors that have caused some in the health and wellness field to have a concern regarding the regular consumption of gluten-containing foods. Gluten intolerances can vary from mild to severe. 

Those with Celiac Disease have an allergic, inflammatory response to gluten in which their bodies attack their intestines and create an autoimmune response. However, in the past several years, it’s become more well-known that those with Celiac Disease are not the only ones who can have negative reactions or side effects from consuming gluten. 

Gluten has been found to be highly inflammatory for a lot of people. Those with non-celiac gluten sensitivities or intolerances experience symptoms like bloating and digestive discomfort, brain fog, headaches, joint pain, anxiety and/or depression, and often eczema or other skin issues after consuming gluten, but these symptoms typically go away when gluten-containing foods are removed from their diet. 

It’s not exactly known yet why gluten can be so inflammatory. Research has shown that when gluten is consumed (by anyone) it causes a temporary increase in the production of Zonulin - a protein that regulates intestinal permeability. So it can be assumed that high consumption of gluten would lead to chronically increased intestinal permeability (sometimes known as leaky gut). This allows gluten, plus other organisms, to be released into the bloodstream, which triggers inflammation in the body.

One of the most common questions I have heard in regards to eating gluten is “if people have been eating gluten for centuries, why is it just now become an issue? Isn’t it just a trend?”. 

This is just my opinion, but in a lot of cases I feel like gluten - or really most food sensitivities - may just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. As I’ve talked about before, our bodies were made to handle small amounts of inflammation - we have pathways designed into the functionality of our bodies for that kind of thing. However, due to the lifestyle of the majority of us, we have a much higher level of exposure to inflammation-inducing foods and experiences than ever before. Never has there been so many processed foods available and consumed on a regular basis. Never has there been this constant exposure to stressors both physical - like environmental toxins and emotional - like 60-hour workweeks, social media, and 24/7 news. 

I don’t think that gluten, by itself, is the issue. I think it’s that we have all these other issues going on, and in our Standard American Diet, we consume a lot of it. 

How can I determine if I should go gluten-free?

There are lab tests that can be done to look for certain antibodies but personally, I think that an elimination diet is often the easiest way to determine if you have a sensitivity. An elimination diet is just like how it sounds: you eliminate all gluten-containing foods from your diet for at least 30 days (60 is ideal). During this time you note your symptoms and how you feel. Then after the elimination time is up, you add gluten back into your diet and note how you feel. If your symptoms return or you feel worse, then you know that you have a sensitivity. 

If I cut out gluten, what can I eat?

Lots of things! There is a learning curve to going gluten-free, however, there are a lot of great alternatives out there. Our meals should be a combination of high-fiber carbohydrates, mainly vegetables, and healthy protein and fat. 

There are a lot of gluten-free alternatives available now like GF noodles, flours, crackers, bread, baking mixes, etc. You do need to make sure you are looking at the ingredients as sometimes those items can be full of unhealthy ingredients. Just because it’s gluten-free does not mean it’s healthy.

I’ve created a free guide with some of my fav gluten-free alternatives  - download it here. 

If I go gluten-free, does that mean I can never eat it again?

It depends. If you have celiac disease, then you really shouldn’t be consuming gluten at all, ever. However, sometimes those with just a mild sensitivity can occasionally eat gluten after they have allowed their gut to heal and worked to decrease inflammation in their bodies. In my experience, after following an elimination diet, those with gluten sensitivity prefer to avoid gluten long-term because they feel so much better. 

The Bottom Line

Gluten is not “bad”. Foods are amoral - they cannot be good or bad. We really need to change our way of thinking around this. Gluten is a hot topic because it is known to be inflammatory for the majority of people - likely due to other lifestyle factors in combination with the overconsumption of gluten. So, it’s not the enemy, but it can contribute to inflammation in the body and poor gut health, and in my opinion, that makes the idea of eliminating it something worth considering.

5 Simple Tips for Happy & Healthy Hormones

We all know that hormones can affect how we feel, for better or worse (most of us have experienced the negative side of this from time to time, right?). So, it’s no surprise that our hormones also affect the function of our bodies. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few of the simplest and most effective ways we can support our endocrine system and get back to having happy, healthy hormones! 

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I think when most of us hear that word we automatically think of the negative side effects that we may have experienced from out of control hormones or hormonal imbalance like hot flashes and rollercoaster emotions, but really our hormones are responsible for so many functions in our bodies, and when well-balanced can help us feel energized, happy, and motivated as well as relaxed and calm.  

Hormones work as chemical messengers released from different organs and glands in our bodies. These hormonal messages are received by hormone receptors throughout the body that then signals a specific response. The entire endocrine system works together to control the level of hormones that circulate through our bodies and when just one of these hormones is even slightly imbalanced, it can easily cause other imbalances and trigger widespread health problems.

So what are some of the most effective things we can do to naturally support healthy hormone function? 

1. Get good quality sleep

Sleep is essential to our bodies’ ability to recover and regenerate. For example, Cortisol, one of our major stress hormones, is regulated in our bodies when we are sleeping (around midnight). So if we are staying up super late or really restless throughout the night, it can be difficult for our bodies to get out of the “fight or flight” response that cortisol creates. Sleep deprivation can also contribute to blood sugar dysregulation, which can lead to hormonal imbalance (which often only adds to sleep problems). Find tips for optimizing and protecting your sleep in Episode 29. 

2. Balance your blood sugar 

Blood sugar balance is so important for optimal hormone function. Unchecked blood sugar dysregulation often leads to insulin resistance, which often leads to hormone imbalances and sadly, often disease. One of the best ways to help regulate your blood sugar levels is to eat your meals at regular intervals (breakfast, lunch, dinner - no skipping) and be sure to include healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fat in every single meal and snack. This keeps the blood sugar (and insulin) from spiking and then crashing - which only creates a state of chaos in the body. Hormones do not like chaos! 

3. Eat a nutrient-rich diet 

Vitamins B6, B12, E, and D, as well as Folate, Iron, Zinc, and Magnesium, are just a few examples of essential nutrients that are necessary for proper hormone function and fertility. Unfortunately, a lot of women are often deficient in these nutrients. In addition, hormonal birth control and other common medications can deplete essential nutrients stores in the body. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important for us to make sure our meals are full of nutrient-rich foods like leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables; high-fiber fruits like berries; clean protein sources like fatty fish, grass-fed beef, and pastured eggs; healthy fats from nuts and seeds, avocados, as well as anti-inflammatory oils like coconut and olive. In addition, taking a high-quality probiotic will help improve the ability of your gut to absorb all of these nutrients. 

4. Manage physical and mental stress regularly

Stress is one of the most common factors of hormonal imbalance and can have detrimental consequences when left unmanaged. As I’ve already mentioned, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline in response to both physical and emotional stressors, which puts our nervous system in the “fight or flight” (sympathetic) state. While this is helpful for dealing with danger or an acute crisis, other crucial functions of our bodies like growth and reproductive hormone production, digestion, and tissue repair are all put on hold until we return to a calm “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) state.  Due to the nature of our lives, it can be easy for us to stay in this chronically stressed mode, especially if we aren’t actively managing the stress. 

In addition to getting quality sleep each night, a few other ways to help manage stress and return your body to a more relaxed state are things like engaging in gentle movement such as yoga or walking, being in nature, practicing deep breathing (boxed breathing is my favorite method - 4-second inhale / 4-second hold / 4-second exhale), enjoying prayer and peaceful music, or participating in a hobby that you enjoy. The key is to be aware of your body and actively work to return to a relaxed state.  

5. Reduce exposure to environmental toxins 

Environmental toxins like parabens, chemicals in plastics, and artificial fragrances (to just name a few). often create chemical responses in the body that can quickly lead the body into estrogen dominance and chronic inflammation. (I’ve devoted an entire podcast episode to this topic if you want to know more about common environmental toxins and how they affect our health). 

Using an app like Think Dirty or EWG to scan products, especially the ones you put on your body and clean your home with, will help make sure you aren’t exposing yourself to harmful chemicals that can disrupt your hormones. 

Here are a few easy switches that will help reduce your exposure: switch from plastic to glass or stainless steel for water bottles and food storage containers; use essential oils instead of artificial fragrances for personal care and cleaning products; ditch the fabric softener and use white vinegar in the rinse cycle instead (ditch those dryer sheets too!). 

An added bonus of all of these lifestyle changes is that they will also help to improve your gut health which is absolutely foundational for optimal hormone function. A lot of hormones are produced and transmitted in the gut, making it basically impossible to have poor gut health and healthy hormones. 

In addition to these tips, I also highly suggest working with a functional medicine practitioner, especially if you know you have a hormonal imbalance or inflammatory disease. This can often look like a team of professionals to help you get to the root of the dysfunction in your body as well as give you guidance for supplements and vitamins specific to your body’s needs. 

I love supporting clients as they learn to pinpoint and heal the root cause of their hormonal imbalance. They often notice such an improvement in their symptoms simply by adjusting their lifestyle and making changes specific to their body’s needs.

Learn how you too can improve your health and get back to having happy, healthy hormones! Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call with me where we will work together to identify your specific health goals to help you move forward in your health journey.

Endometriosis Awareness: Part Two - My #Endo Story

Welcome back, friends! Today is part two of the Endometriosis Awareness series and in this episode, I’m sharing my story with Endometriosis. 

I want to mention in the beginning of this episode that this is my story and how Endometriosis has affected my life and the things that have been helpful for me, so while some of these things may also be true for you, and may even be helpful for you, make sure you are working with a physician and other health professionals that can help you implement any changes you want to make or treatment methods you’d like to try. 

So here is my story: 

I was diagnosed with Endometriosis in 2014 after an exploratory laparoscopy - I had just turned 26. Although I had been having symptoms of hormonal imbalance and even a PCOS diagnosis a few years before, I hadn’t even really known anything about Endometriosis. I didn’t have chronic pain and at that time I would say I really had no symptoms at all (once I learned more about it I realized that I had been having symptoms just not the bad cramping or heavy periods that were so often thought to accompany Endo). 

The summer before my first surgery I experienced my first severe pain episode. I don’t remember a lot about it but I do remember yelling for my husband from the bathroom because I had never felt pain that intensely before and I had no idea what was happening. After an hour or so it finally eased off and I went right back to my normal life without missing a beat. 

The next time it happened was probably several months later but that time, the pain was unbearable. It came on suddenly again and I can distinctly remember rolling around my bed in pain. Again, I had no idea what was happening but thankfully I had a good friend who was a nurse and suggested that maybe it was a cyst rupturing and I needed to see my Dr. That time the intense pain lasted for an hour or two, but I couldn’t stand up straight afterward without having sharp pains in my lower abdomen. I went in for an ultrasound the next day and I remember being scared out of my mind! Was it a tumor? Ectopic pregnancy? Was it going to happen again? 

I remember crying during the ultrasound and the tech trying to calm me down but seeming very concerned herself. The ultrasound didn’t reveal much other than that there was a large cyst on my ovary and that I likely needed surgery to see what was going on. 

So as I already mentioned, I had that surgery a few weeks later which revealed that I had Stage 4 -Endometriosis, with lots of adhesions and several of my reproductive organs stuck together. My doctor told my parents that it was so severe that there was basically zero chance of conceiving if I hadn’t had the surgery. I actually remember being relieved in my very foggy post-op state that it was Endometriosis because I was terrified that it was a tumor. And while I’m so thankful it wasn’t cancer, I had no idea the weight of a Endometriosis diagnosis. 

I recovered pretty quickly from that surgery and the next several months following that are really fuzzy to me. I don’t think my surgeon / OB really explained much to me other than if we wanted to get pregnant, we needed to start trying as soon as I was healed from surgery. 

I ended up changing physicians during that time because of a friend’s recommendation that this doctor was experienced with Endometriosis management. At my first visit with her, she ran a few lab tests, including the antibody marker CA-125 which can sometimes show endometriosis in the body. I was so surprised when she called me a week later to say that my levels were already high again and that she was going to refer me to a Reproductive Endocrinologist. I was so frustrated because it hadn’t even been a year since my surgery and it was already back. 

One of the blessings of my Endo story is that I didn’t have the chronic pain that I know so many women experience, but in this case, it was also a curse because I had very little ability to monitor what was going on inside my body. 

After seeing my new RE, I had my second surgery in July 2015. This one was way harder for me. I was under anesthesia a lot longer (which is a whole other story in itself) and even though it hadn’t even been a year, I already had a lot of adhesions and endometrial tissue growing again, and my organs were getting stuck to each other again. Recovery was more difficult physically, because of the invasiveness of the procedure in order to get it all, as well as some allergic reactions and other complications I developed. In addition to that, this surgery was harder on me mentally as well. 

I distinctly remember the feeling that my body was betraying me - that it was doing all these things and I had absolutely zero control over it. I didn’t know why it was happening or what was causing it and I felt like there was nothing I could do to fix it. As a type A, fix-it, kind of girl this was very, very hard for me. I felt like I was doing all the things - I was trying to eat healthily, I was getting chiropractic adjustments, I was exercising, I was following my doctor’s recommendations - and yet this disease was still growing in my body. If it were not for my faith, my relationship with Jesus and the comfort and peace he allowed me to have, and the encouragement and support of my husband, my friends, and family - I don’t know how I would have gotten through that time.  Just as a side note, that is my number one piece of advice for someone with Endometriosis (or any chronic illness, really) don’t try to do this alone. It’s so much harder that way. That is one of the number one tools of satan - the enemy of our souls - to make us feel isolated, especially as women. To make us doubt God’s goodness, to make us think that no one could possibly understand or that no one really cares - and none of those things are true! So I just want to encourage you, fight back against that. Don’t isolate - find someone to talk to. Let people in, tell your friends, talk to your family about it, see a counselor. Endometriosis is a physical condition but just like so many other things in this life, it also wreaks havoc on your mind and your emotions. 

Following that surgery, we immediately started trying to conceive and I was regularly seeing my Reproductive Endocrinologist for that. We tried IUI and a few other of the conventional medicine options but unfortunately, were still not able to conceive. 

It was really at this time that my desire to really dive into more of an integrative/alternative medicine approach increased and I started researching as much as I could. I changed my diet, read books and articles constantly, took all kinds of different supplements, but I was just kind of lost in it all. I really needed someone to guide me and help me figure out what my body really needed. 

I had a friend of a friend that had a very similar story to mine and she had gone to see an herbalist in North Carolina and had drastic improvements and was even able to get pregnant and it just kept popping into my head that maybe this was something to try. To be honest, I had a lot of reservations about it. I definitely had zero understanding of what an herbalist did or how they were trained and I was extremely skeptical, but at this point, I figured it couldn’t hurt anything. So in the fall of 2016, I made an appointment and drove the two hours to see her. Honestly, the whole experience was so crazy and I will maybe have to do an entire episode about that experience because it’s way too much info for this episode, but to sum it up I’ll just say that I was totally caught off guard. This sweet lady starting explaining things to me about how the body worked that I had never heard before - and they made sense. Before even reading my medical history she was telling me that I had stagnation in my reproductive organs and all kinds of digestive issues that were driving a lot of my hormonal imbalances and inflammation - just by looking at my eyes and doing some muscle testing. She told me that I had an overgrowth of Candida in my gut and I needed to make changes to my diet and prescribed several different herbs and vitamins that I needed to take for the next 3-6 months. I’ve never experienced anything like it but I took her word for it and followed her recommendations. 

During this time I had also heard a lot of good things about acupuncture and how it could be beneficial for Endometriosis as well as aid in fertility. So around December of that year, I also started seeing a reproductive acupuncturist (spoiler: more on that soon!). 

I noticed a lot of my GI symptoms started to improve and I felt less stressed about everything. I realize now that it was a combination of the supplements, acupuncture, and really being able to release the control and fear over to God. And in February 2017, 4 months after seeing the herbalist and following her protocol and after two cycles of acupuncture, I found out I was pregnant (on valentine’s day)! Shocked is a major understatement for sure! I was able to have a healthy pregnancy with zero complications and delivered a very healthy baby girl. 

I can’t tell you what exactly it was that made the difference for me - was it the herbs? The acupuncture? Divine healing?  I honestly don’t think it was any one thing. I think that it all worked together! I think the surgery removed the adhesions and put things back in their proper place, the combination of the herbs and the diet helped to heal my gut and some inflammation, I think acupuncture helped my body relax and also helped with the hormone imbalance and inflammation. I know that God was in control of the whole thing - from start to finish. He has blessed us with science and medicine, and holistic healing modalities like acupuncture and plants/herbs and I think the whole time he was working on my heart to learn to trust Him. 

As far as where I am today with my Endometriosis story - the honest answer is that I don’t fully know. I had labs done again about a year ago and my hormone levels were good and my CA-125 levels were still low, which I’m so happy about but that isn’t 100% reliable. I still follow an anti-inflammatory diet and try to really preserve my gut health which I am sure is helping, but being someone that doesn’t have extreme symptoms from Endo, I can’t gage 100%. I plan to continue with this lifestyle and monitor my labs and go from there! We do hope to have more children, so I’m sure that will reveal more about how things are functioning for me. 

I hope that my story has just given you a little insight into the life of someone with endometriosis - and really, I’m one of the luckier ones. I’ve for sure had my fair share of difficulties with it, but not to the degree that a lot of women suffer. So many women live in chronic daily pain and have unbearable pain and horrible symptoms and debilitating anxiety every month. Many women have to miss work and school regularly because of their symptoms. It is a major financial burden and takes a huge emotional toll. If they are also trying to conceive, even more so. If you are someone with endometriosis, I hope my story has just given you a little hope to know that you aren’t alone, you aren’t crazy for feeling the way that you do, and that there are options out there to try that may help you. No one’s story is exactly the same but there is something for us to learn from each of our stories and I appreciate you taking the time to listen to mine. 

If you’d like to do your own research and maybe try some of these things I’ve mentioned for yourself, here are a few helpful links and resources: 

Integrative Women's Health Institute: https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/?s=Endometriosis+

Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/causes-endometriosis-5-natural-treatment-strategies/

Natural Fertility Info: https://natural-fertility-info.com/?s=Endometriosis+

Acupuncture for Endometriosis Relief: https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1770-acupuncture-beats-drug-for-endometriosis-relief

Tennessee Center for Reproductive Acupuncture: https://www.tennesseereproductiveacupuncture.com/phone/index.html

Sunshine Herbs and Vitamins Clinic in Asheville, NC: http://sunshineherbsandvitamins.com/practice.html

If you know someone who has endometriosis, share this episode with them! It was always helpful for me to read other people’s stories so I know it will be helpful for them too! 

Endometriosis Awareness: Part One - Endo 101

Hi friends! Today I’m going to be talking about a topic that is really significant to me and something that I’ve spent a lot of time over the past 5-6 years learning about - Endometriosis. March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month and as someone who has been diagnosed with Endo, I want to really take some time to provide some education and awareness around the topic. Unfortunately, there seem to be a lot more questions about endometriosis than there are answers, currently, but the more we can educate women about what we do know about it, the more people can hopefully find some relief and improvement in the symptoms of this condition. 

1 in 10 women are estimated to have been diagnosed with Endometriosis in the US, and really it’s expected that the number is actually much higher than that due to the fact that a lot of women go years with symptoms of endometriosis without having an actual diagnosis. 

So what is Endometriosis? 

An inflammatory hormonal condition that causes tissue similar to the tissue that lines the uterus (endometrium) to grow in other places of the body where it is not supposed to be. This tissue then bleeds on a monthly cycle just like the tissue inside the uterus but the blood has no exit from the body. This is severely irritating to the nerves, especially the abdomen and leads to severe pain and increased inflammation in the body. Over time, this irritation and inflammation lead to scar tissue that can cause the pelvic and abdominal organs to develop adhesions—meaning the organs can all stick together. This can cause bladder and bowel pain, constipation, pain with ovulation, severe menstrual cramping and pain, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and pain with sex.

What causes Endometriosis? 

Unfortunately, there is not an agreed-upon root cause yet - there are a few different theories that are being studied. However, what we do know is that once developed, it is an inflammatory condition with an abnormal immune response.  Find more information about possible causes of endo here

What are the most common symptoms and how can it be diagnosed? 

Endometriosis is complicated for a lot of reasons but the variability in symptoms and difficulties in diagnosing are some of the most frustrating ones. Symptoms can vary so much from woman to woman. Some women can have extremely painful, heavy periods with a lot of cramping, sometimes even being debilitating to the point that they have to stay home from work or school. Some women have G.I. symptoms specifically around the time of their period - IBS symptoms or constipation, or pain with bowel movements. For some women, they have no pain at all, or at least very little pain. Infertility is also a very common symptom of endometriosis, and sometimes is the first indication that there is some kind of dysfunction in the reproductive system. A few other symptoms are upper leg pain, joint pain, extreme bloating in the lower abdomen (known as Endo-belly) and ovarian cysts known as Endometriomas.

As far as diagnosing Endometriosis, there isn’t an easy answer here either. The only way to be absolutely sure that a woman has Endometriosis is through an exploratory laparoscopy (a surgical procedure where they make a tiny incision and use a scope to explore the abdomen for endometrial tissue). Obviously, this is a pretty invasive diagnostic measure and definitely comes with the risk of anesthesia, plus risk of creating even more scar tissue from the incision. 

Doctors can sometimes make an educated guess based on symptoms and there are a few studies that show that the use of certain lab markers may indicate endometriosis in the body, but that isn’t a widely accepted method for diagnosis. 

The other major issue with diagnosing Endometriosis is how often it’s missed. Because the most common symptom is painful periods, often the patient is just dismissed as having a low pain threshold or being overly dramatic about what they consider “normal PMS symptoms”. Also, it has become an easy-fix to just prescribe pain meds or an oral contraceptive to help with the pain rather than actually exploring the cause or assuming that it may be abnormal. Unfortunately, neither of these options actually fix the problem or provide long-term solutions to the pain. 

What are the treatment or management options? 

Again, there isn’t a super simple answer for this either. There hasn’t been one single treatment that has been found to be effective for everyone. 

One common treatment option is surgical excision, as I mentioned before. Once the operation is done to look for Endometriosis, if found, they go ahead and remove any endometrial tissue they find, as well as adhesions. Even though this option often does provide temporary relief from the symptoms, the endometrial tissue often regrows and the surgery has to be repeated. 

Some women who are not trying to become pregnant may choose a hormonal therapy option, such as oral contraceptives or other medications that suppress ovulation completely, but often still find that they deal with recurring symptoms. Some may even choose a hysterectomy, often out of desperation to find some relief.

It honestly can be such a debilitating and horribly frustrating condition because for many women it just comes back over and over, despite using one of these treatment options. 

The good news, however, is that there are some alternative treatments that have shown to be very helpful in the management of symptoms as well as in reducing the overall inflammation in the body, which helps to address the root cause. 

Based on what has been learned about how the role of a healthy microbiome, or good gut health, plays in hormonal balance and inflammation in the body, we know that taking steps to improve gut health is a great place to start. 

Living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle has also been shown to have positive effects on symptoms and addressing the root inflammation. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet filled with a lot of vegetables (8 cups a day of leafy greens and other fiber-rich veggies), healthy fats like avocado and nuts, and clean protein from fish and plant-sources like legumes is very effective. Also avoiding known inflammatory foods like dairy, gluten, corn, beef, and sometimes even caffeine can help calm inflammation and allow the gut to heal more quickly. Taking a quality, whole-food multivitamin and omega-3 supplement also help to reduce inflammation. 

Also, working to reduce and manage stress levels, getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night, and moving the body for 20-30 minutes a day have also been shown to reduce inflammation and improve symptoms. 

In addition, there are other alternative methods like using herbal supplementation and acupuncture that are hugely beneficial to supporting the body’s ability to heal and dealing with painful symptoms. 

The other factor that has shown to be very important in dealing with Endometriosis is reducing exposure to environmental toxins. Whether from non-organic foods - especially meat, plastics, toxic beauty or personal care items, household cleaners, etc. - all of these toxic exposure increase inflammation in the body, are known endocrine disruptors, and greatly increase the toxic load on our liver and other detox pathways in the body. These exposures can lead to increased levels of estrogen in the body which can further create hormonal imbalance and again lead to more inflammation.

There is no question about it - however, you choose to treat Endometriosis, it will take work. It’s estimated that someone with endometriosis will end up spending the same amount in healthcare expenses as someone with diabetes. It is a very real, very difficult condition and for those who are dealing with it on a daily basis, it can become all-consuming. 

There is hope though! There is a lot of research being done and a lot of the alternative treatments that I mentioned are helping so many women regain control of their health and providing relief for them! If you know someone who has Endo, reach out to them this week and let them know you care for them and that you love them. I guarantee you they can use your encouragement! 

In the next episode, released later this week, I’m going to be sharing my story with Endo and the things that have helped me.

Here are a few of my favorite resources for learning about Endometriosis and how some of these alternative therapies may help you:

Integrative Women's Health Institute: https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/?s=Endometriosis+

Nancy’s Nook Education Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NancysNookEndoEd/

Dr. Jolene Brighten: https://drbrighten.com/causes-endometriosis-5-natural-treatment-strategies/

Natural Fertility Info: https://natural-fertility-info.com/?s=Endometriosis+

Acupuncture for Endometriosis Relief: https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1770-acupuncture-beats-drug-for-endometriosis-relief

Tennessee Center for Reproductive Acupuncture: https://www.tennesseereproductiveacupuncture.com/phone/index.html

027 - The Secret to Healthy Skin Starts from Within

Welcome back, friends!  Today we are talking about healthy skin! We all deal with skin issues from time to time but for some of us it’s a major source of frustration that can really mess with our confidence and self-esteem. Especially when we can’t seem to get to the bottom of it no matter what we do! 

Well, today’s post won’t answer all your skin health-related questions, but hopefully, it will give you some helpful knowledge about what your skin may be trying to tell you and how you can help keep it looking and feeling healthy! Let’s get into it! 

It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that healthy skin starts from within our bodies. We tend to want to focus on products and things we can put on our skin from the outside - and we will get into that a little later - but really, we need to start by focusing on what we put into our bodies and what is going on with the function of the inside of our bodies first. That’s where the big difference is made. 

So often when we experience one of these skin issues, or maybe even cyclical hormonal breakouts, we tend to jump to what we can take or apply that might fix the problem. We think of it as only going skin-deep, so to speak. But really it’s likely giving you a clue of some other dysfunction or imbalance in the body. 

Our skin is our largest organ, one of our strongest defenses, and it’s also one of our few detox pathways - so it has a lot of functions that affect our whole bodies and visa versa.

There seem to be three main dysfunctions in the body that tend to show up in the skin. 

An overloaded, congested liver - which can often result in acne; poor gut health, either an imbalance in the microbiome or leaky gut syndrome - which can also result in both acne and eczema, as well as cause plenty of other health issues. And the other is blood sugar dysregulation or chronically high insulin levels - which leads to high levels of inflammation in the body and can show up as skin issues like cyclical breakouts, acne, etc. This will often be associated with other hormonal imbalance symptoms as well, maybe even PCOS. 

There can definitely be other causes as well but those are the three that are most common. So if you are dealing with any those issues, it’s worth it to take a look at your liver health,  as well as your gut health and make sure your glucose and insulin levels are where they should be as well. 

So now that we’ve talked about some common causes let’s talk about what you can do to help with these issues! 

Focus on what you are eating 

The first thing is to focus on what you are eating. The common thread in a lot of these skin issues is inflammation, so choosing to remove inflammatory foods (processed foods, sugar, refined grains, oftentimes dairy) will help and then also following an anti-inflammatory diet. This is going to look like a lot of plants - veggies and fruits high in antioxidants and fiber (think leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries, acerola cherries, strawberries), healthy fats (like avocados, coconut products, nuts like almonds and cashews, olive oil) and then clean, organic proteins (like wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, lentils, and beans, etc). 

Make sure you are well hydrated

Also drinking a LOT of water. Like a lot. Your gut and liver depend on you doing this in order to function well. This is key in helping to flush toxins from your body, as well as adding the hydration needed for the skin. Remember, your goal is half your body weight in ounces every day (weight in lbs.  / 2 = # of ounces you need to drink daily)

Take skin-loving supplements to boost your nutrient levels

Adding in key supplements like collagen (either in bone broth which is healing for your whole body or through a protein powder, like collagen peptides). Collagen is one of the main proteins in our bodies - it helps make up our skin, hair, nails, joints, gut lining, etc. so it’s important that we have enough! Also anti-inflammatory supplements like fish oil / omega-3 and curcumin (found in turmeric) can help lower overall inflammation in the body. Also, adrenal healing herbs like ashwagandha and ginseng can also help to help regulate cortisol in the body, which will help with the inflammation as well. And then, of course, you know that I’m all about getting good probiotics in - whether through fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir or through a supplement, like a soil-based probiotics, or one of my current favs MaryRuth Organics Raw Liquid probiotics. 

Live an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle

In addition to eating an anti-inflammatory diet, the other thing that will help is also living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. This means getting good, restorative sleep (7-9 hours every night - this is when your body rebuilds and repairs) and also lowering your emotional stress (this has a huge effect on your gut health and adrenal health), so try to find ways to actively pursue peace in your life.

The other side to having healthy skin is obviously going to be what you put on it and what you expose it to.

Use clean skincare products 

Did you know that your skin has a microbiome, or ecosystem of bacteria, just like your gut? We need to be careful that what we are applying to our skin, to clean or moisturize isn’t something that will strip the skin or kill the food bacteria. Also, make sure that it isn’t full of parabens, sulfates, and artificial fragrances that contain who knows what kind of chemicals. Not only are those things damaging to our skin but they also absorb into our bloodstreams and only create more problems for our livers and gut, creating more inflammation. 

Look for products that are made of ingredients that you recognize, that are naturally sourced, and if you want fragrance, use natural sources for that too, like essential oils. 

You can use the Think Dirty or EWG apps to search for products that are safe for your whole body. I know that Beautycounter and Primally Pure are both really safe, clean options. I’ve also heard some great things about Honest Beauty brand, and Acure, although I haven’t used those myself. Even my girl, MaryRuth has a few facial masks and other skincare products you can check out. 

The good news is that most common skin-issues can be resolved! You may need to do a little digging into what is actually causing it and what may not be functioning well in your body - but that will only help to make you healthier overall, not just help your skin! It’s a much better option than just trying to treat symptoms and cover things up! 

If you have any questions about today’s episode or feel like you need some specific, personalized help - please reach out. I’d love to help you! 

007 - Part 3: The Top Four Reasons Women Struggle to Lose Weight - Underlying Health Conditions

Hey friends! Welcome back to part 3 of the month-long series on The Top Four Reasons Women Struggle to Lose Weight. In today’s episode, we are focusing on underlying health conditions that could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

There are several conditions that can do this but in order to keep this episode from being super long, I’m just going to focus on two conditions that many people deal with and often aren’t even aware that they are having an issue.

Poor Gut Health

A healthy gut is the foundation of overall health. Hippocrates, who is known as the Father of Medicine, said that “all disease begins in the gut”. This topic is becoming more and more discussed and studied in the medical field, but a lot of people still just think of the gut as the stomach, the place where their food goes when they eat, or the place they would like to lose a few inches, but it is so much more! So many of the functions of our bodies are dependent on what happens in our gut. So, what exactly do I mean when I’m talking about the gut or gut health? Let’s do a quick recap of the anatomy of our digestive tract and why it’s relevant to our overall health. 

When someone refers to the “gut”, they are referring to the digestive tract as a whole. This starts in the mouth, where you chew your food, and then includes the esophagus, the stomach, and both the small and large intestines. When we talk about “gut health”, usually that is in reference to the microbiome, which is the ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that lives inside of our bodies. It is estimated that the average adult has trillions of these microbes living on our skin and in our digestive tract. As a matter of fact, there are more bacteria cells in us than human cells! Crazy, right? What’s more, is that there are estimated to be up to 1,000 different species of bacteria in our gut microbiome and each plays a different role in our bodies. 

Some of these gut bugs are good guys and are vital to our health. They help us do things like absorb nutrients, make and regulate hormones, and produce neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin, which we know as an antidepressant neurotransmitter). They also are vital to immune function, regulating blood sugar balance, increasing healthy cholesterol levels and keeping our skin clear and healthy.

The microbiome is amazing, but when this ecosystem gets out of balance and there are more bad guys than good guys (Dysbiosis), it can cause a lot of health issues, including making it very difficult to lose weight. 

Another common issue with gut health is increased intestinal permeability (aka Leaky Gut). Our intestines are naturally semi-permeable to let tiny micro-nutrients pass through and into our bloodstream - it’s how we absorb the nutrients from our food. However, certain external factors, like unhealthy foods, infections, toxins, and stress can break apart the tight junctions in the intestinal wall, which causes a leaky gut. This allows things that were never meant to get through the intestinal wall like toxins, microbes, and undigested food particles to escape into our bloodstream. Our immune system then marks those as foreign invaders and attacks them creating an inflammatory state in our bodies. The combination of imbalanced gut flora and a leaky gut causes an array of symptoms, most of which also make weight loss more difficult. 

So, what can we do to keep our microbiome balanced and healthy? As I mentioned before, this is a complex issue and if you are having severe symptoms, I highly suggest you work with a professional one on one, but here are just a few tips to improve gut health overall:

• Remove irritating or inflammatory foods from your diet

We’ve talked about these quite a bit in the last few episodes, so I won’t list them all here but this for sure includes processed junk foods, foods with added sugar or artificial ingredients, trans fats, and for some gluten and dairy. 

• Add fiber to your diet

Most of us aren’t getting even close to the recommended amount of fiber per day (at least 25-30 grams). An easy way to do this is to fill half your plate with high-fiber veggies like dark leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower, brussel sprouts and asparagus. Also, apples and berries are great fruits to add in for some extra fiber without raising your blood sugar levels too much. 

• Chew your food

It is recommended that we chew around 25-30 times per bite! That is A LOT but properly chewing helps to kick-start the digestion process before our food ever gets to our stomachs. This will help the entire process and support nutrient absorption. 

• Repair your intestinal wall

If you feel pretty sure that you have Leaky Gut (by the way, most of us do), you need to help your intestinal wall become strong again. A great way to do this is by drinking Bone Broth - either chicken or beef, from a quality source. I usually recommend that my clients start out drinking 1-2 cups per day. One of the great things about bone broth is that it contains many different amino acids from the bones including gelatin, glycine, and glutamine. Each of these helps to strengthen and rebuild the mucosal layer of the intestines, which will help reduce permeability. Bone broth has also been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which will help the gut to heal more quickly. 

You can make your own bone broth at home or there are a few great companies out there that make really high-quality bone broth. I suggest not using the regular stuff you get at Kroger or Trader Joe’s for therapeutic use. It’s great to use for cooking but the gelatin content is lower, which is not what you want for repair. Here is a recipe for my favorite  homemade bone broth and a link to my favorite store-bought brand as well.

• Rebuild your microbiome

Taking quality probiotics will help to replenish the good bacteria in your gut, which will keep the bad guys in check. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a brand of probiotics - it should have multiple strains of bacteria - not just one - and contain at least 20 billion CFUs for a regular adult dosage (this dose will need to be higher if you are treating something like leaky gut or IBS). Ideally, it’s best to take probiotics at the beginning of a meal, which will help them survive the stomach acid and make their way to the intestines. There are specific types of probiotics, like spore or soil-based, as well as live and raw probiotics, that will have a lower amount of CFUs which is totally fine. They are sourced differently and don’t have as difficult of a time getting to the intestines as a normal probiotic will, so you don’t need to worry about the higher CFU count or taking them with a meal.  Be sure to rotate the types of probiotics you take (the combination of strains) every 3-4 months to ensure a good balance. Here are a few of my favorite brands: 

• Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Complete Probiotic

• Organic Liquid Probiotic by Mary Ruth’s Organics

• Klaire Labs Biospora Probiotic 

Hormone Imbalance

The other health condition that can be making it feel impossible for you to lose weight is hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance can wreak havoc on our physical and mental health, but often it has been going on for a long time before the symptoms get bad enough for us to even notice. We explain away things like chronic fatigue, recurring headaches, anxiety or depression, and that stubborn weight around the waist as just a normal part of life - but what if it’s not? Everyone has hormonal fluctuations and most will experience an imbalance at some point in their lives, but when it becomes chronic or the new normal,  and especially when we aren’t even aware of it, it can become detrimental to our health. 

There are three hormones, that I want to talk about in this episode, that are the major players when it comes to our health - thyroid hormones, insulin, and cortisol. Most of the time when people talk about hormones or hormone imbalance, they are referring to reproductive hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, but those are what some call “downstream” hormones. While those are important, they aren’t ever going to be balanced if we don’t get these other three balanced first. 

The thyroid produces hormones (T3 and T4) that affect the metabolism of every single cell in the body. A well functioning thyroid is critical to a well functioning body. It regulates so many things including overall metabolism - which means, if your thyroid is out of whack, it is extremely difficult to control your weight. When the thyroid hormones are imbalanced, this can lead to either hypothyroidism (which is when your thyroid is producing too little thyroid hormones) or hyperthyroidism (when the thyroid is producing too much). Hypothyroidism, or a sluggish thyroid, is more common in the US than hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain or inability to lose weight, puffiness around the face, sensitivity to cold, dry skin and hair thinning, irregular periods, and depression.  If you can relate to these symptoms, it is so important to work with your physician to begin to restore balance to your thyroid. It’s important to ask for a full thyroid panel - including a check of your thyroid antibodies, as well as T3 and T4 levels, not just TSH - to ensure the correct diagnosis is made. Also, for the mamas and mamas-to-be out there, it’s a great idea to have your thyroid checked before trying to conceive, as thyroid health can affect your fertility and the health of your pregnancy. You should also have it rechecked in the postpartum phase, as pregnancy can alter those hormones and it can be common to have an imbalance during that time. This can really make things like postpartum anxiety or depression much worse, so it’s not something to ignore. 

The next hormone that has a huge impact on just about everything in the body is Insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to help your cells use the glucose in your blood and to stabilize blood sugar levels. When blood glucose levels are elevated on a regular basis, often due to inflammation from any number of things including diet and stress, the pancreas has to secrete an increased amount of insulin and repeatedly. If this becomes a chronic or recurring thing, the insulin receptors on our cells become desensitized to insulin, meaning they can no longer trigger the cells to metabolize the glucose. This is what as known as Insulin Resistance. This creates both elevated levels of glucose and insulin in the blood and when left untreated, will lead to Type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and hormonal diseases like PCOS. 

The last hormone that I want to cover today is Cortisol. If you remember, in Episode 2, I talked about how Cortisol is the main stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands and affects almost every cell in our bodies. These effects include controlling the body’s blood sugar levels (which means, it affects the insulin that we just talked about), acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation and blood pressure - just to name a few.  Just like insulin, while an essential hormone, too much for too long leads to dysfunction in our bodies. Also, just like insulin, our cells have receptors on them for cortisol, and if our cells become desensitized to it, due to too much exposure, inflammation levels in our bodies actually increase. This leads to things like adrenal fatigue, a sluggish metabolism, reduced immune function and a cascade of other hormonal imbalances. If you are living in chronic stress, your body is continually producing cortisol, which means it isn’t metabolizing properly, it isn’t resting properly, and you can bet that more hormone imbalance is just around the corner. Common symptoms are being “tired and wired”, weight gain - especially around the midsection, acne, amenorrhea or irregular cycles, insulin resistance, brain fog, anxiety, and depression. 

So, what should you do if you relate to any of these hormonal imbalances that I’ve mentioned? First thing is to work with a physician you trust and you feel has the desire and the time to really help you explore what may be going on in your body. Labs are a good place to start, especially for checking thyroid hormone and insulin levels. Finding and treating the root cause is the most important step to restoring balance to your hormones! 

In addition, here are a few other things you can do to nourish your body and support your hormones:

• Take care of your gut health 

Your gut helps you make hormones as well as get rid of any excess hormones that you no longer need.

• Give your liver some love 

Your liver not only helps filter out toxins from the body but excess hormones too and it can’t do that if it’s sluggish and bogged down. Doing things like drinking lots of water, reducing toxin intake and eating more fiber can help give your liver a little boost. 

• Follow an anti-inflammatory diet 

The same principles apply here that I mentioned before when talking about gut health. If it’s good for your gut, it’s good for your hormones too! 

• Work hard at reducing stress 

A few ideas are to set boundaries, create margin in your time, create self-care rituals, move your body for 30 minutes a day (by doing an activity that you enjoy), practice deep breathing (4 seconds breathing in, 4 seconds holding, and 4 seconds breathing out). 

• Get more sleep 

The recommended amount is 7-9 hours every night - make this a priority! Refer back to Episode 2 for more sleep tips.

I know that today’s episode has been full of a lot of information, but my goal is to help you have the knowledge and understanding of how your body is designed to function and what might be interfering in that process! Your health is one of your greatest gifts and assets in this life, so please give it the time and attention that it deserves! 

As always, if you have questions, feel free to reach out to me - you can find me here on Insta or Facebook. If you want to take the next step in getting more support on your health journey, there are still a few spots left in my Fall Group Coaching Program. Click here to find out more or to sign up! 

Enjoy the rest of your day!