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 Experience with the DUTCH Test by Precision Analytical

Hi friends! Several months ago - back in the spring - I told you guys that I was taking the DUTCH Complete test and then life got crazy and I never really mentioned it again, so in today’s episode, I’m going to give you an update on my experience with the DUTCH test, what I’ve learned from it, and how it’s benefited my health.  

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The DUTCH test is a functional hormone test made by a company called Precision Analytical, a CLIA-certified laboratory. DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones and as the name indicates, their tests evaluate various hormone levels. Some of their tests evaluate sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone (as well as their metabolites - more on this later), and some look at adrenal hormones like cortisol and DHEA-S, and some tests look at all of it. Their tests also evaluate oxidative stress markers as well as certain vitamin and organic acid markers. 

My Experience

I chose to go with the DUTCH complete test as it was the most comprehensive test at the time. I wanted an overall look at my sex hormones as well as my adrenal hormones. Some of you may remember that I posted a few stories on Instagram right before I sent my test back in where I showed you what all was included in the test, what it looks like, etc. (those are still in my Endo highlight if you’d like to go back and see those). As I mentioned, this is a dried urine test, so the kit includes cards for you to collect several urine samples over a 24-hour period. It also includes a health history form for all of your medical history as well as places for you to indicate any symptoms you’re experiencing or concerns that you have. Once you’ve completed all of your samples, you seal everything up and mail it back to Precision Analytical in a prepaid package envelope. It’s honestly very easy to do and the instructions are very detailed and clear. 

My full report with my results was emailed to me within two weeks of when I mailed in the test.

Who is the DUTCH test for?

In my opinion, this test can be beneficial for anyone, because I always think that more information about your body and how it’s functioning is helpful. Mainly, I think that the DUTCH test can be very helpful for anyone experiencing hormonal imbalance symptoms or a hormone-driven condition like PCOS, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, infertility, etc. Also, this test can be helpful for anyone with a history of estrogen-driven cancer in their families such as breast or prostate cancer, or anyone who is concerned about their risk.

DUTCH Results Report

I’m going to walk you through some of my results so you can better understand what this test looks like and how you can use the results to support your health. I will say that this is a very in-depth report, so unless you are trained in hormone health and detox pathways, you will need the help of a physician trained in these areas - likely a functional medicine doctor. The report does provide a summary at the end of each section of the results, but for an in-depth understanding and how to address/treat any issues that are found, you will need the support of someone trained in this. I do have a few functional med Drs that I can refer you to, if you’d like to send me an email or DM, I can help you with that. 

• The first page starts with a summary of the main 3 sex hormones - Estradiol (E2), progesterone, and testosterone - and adrenal hormones - total DHEA and free Cortisol. (So for me, it showed that my overall estrogen was on the high end of normal, my progesterone was on the low end of normal, and my testosterone was right in the middle of the normal range. My cortisol pattern looked good, although the free cortisol was a little more on the low end. My total DHEA also looked good. No real surprises here for me - it’s pretty much what I expected)

• Page 2 of the report lists the hormone metabolites (the liver breaks down active hormones into water-soluble metabolites in order to be excreted from the body). There are different metabolites for each hormone and measuring these helps you to know how your body is clearing excess hormones. If your body isn’t doing this well, it can increase your risk for hormone-driven disease and cancer. For example, the hormone estrogen actually has 3 primary forms - Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), and Estriol (E3) and each can be broken down and pass through a few different metabolite pathways to be eventually excreted from the body. The ideal pathway is called the 2-OH pathway and it is considered the safest or most protective, meaning it’s the least likely to bind to something it shouldn’t or cause any damage to your DNA on its way out. On the other hand, there is the 4-OH pathway that is the least desired pathway because when not properly detoxified these metabolites are more likely to cause damage. When your body seems to prefer this pathway and doesn’t do a good job of detoxification, this can increase your risk of estrogen-driven cancer, specifically breast cancer. This is a big deal and something that is important to know. There are ways that you can support your body’s detoxification pathways but you need to know as soon as possible, rather than waiting until it’s becoming a problem to address it.

• Page 3 is a visual representation of each hormone and its metabolites and their pathways. It also allows you to see how your body prefers to metabolize hormones. 

• Pages 4 and 5 give you a similar structure as 3-4 but with adrenal hormones as well as a helpful diagram that shows the process of how our stress hormones are triggered and the pathways that they follow throughout the body. 

• Page 6 lists the organic acids that are tested which include markers for vitamins B12 and B6, and glutathione (a major antioxidant that is very important for detoxification) as well as metabolites for dopamine, norepinephrine/epinephrine, melatonin, and a marker for oxidative stress/DNA damage. 

• The remaining pages provide a summary of a few clinical notes that would be made on any out-of-range results that you have, as well as explanations for each marker and how to read the report. 

As you can see, this is a very in-depth report that goes into way more detail than a normal hormone panel that your PCP or GYN would order. I also love the fact that since this test is measured with urine, it can look at how your body is detoxing the hormones. This is something that a serum or blood test can’t evaluate in the same way. 

Again, I highly recommend this test for anyone who feels that there is something off with their hormones as well as anyone who knows that they have estrogen dominance issues or who may have elevated risk factors for hormone-driven disease or cancer/has a family history of breast or prostate cancers. 

You can order the test through a DUTCH-affiliated provider by searching their website or you can order the test online for yourself and have it sent to your home. DUTCH gave me a coupon code to share with you if you want to order it for yourself - use the code adhc100 for $100 off the cost of the test. 

If you have any questions about the test or need help getting in touch with a physician that could help interpret your results, feel free to send an email to info@yourhealthforward.com or send me a DM on Instagram. 

Listener Question Mini-Series: Hormone Cycles

Hi friends! We have one last episode left of our summer - listener question series where I have been answering questions that you sent in for me to discuss here on the podcast. I’ve really enjoyed this series and hearing the questions that you guys have and the topics that you want to talk about. Today’s question is about hormones, which oddly enough is a topic that I really enjoy talking about! So let’s dive in!

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This listener asked a very intriguing question. She said she had seen a post talking about men’s hormones being compared to the sun’s cycle and women’s hormones being compared to the moon’s and was wondering if there was any truth to that. 

So here’s the deal. Women’s hormones and our hormone cycle are discussed a lot, but many people don’t realize that men also have a hormone cycle. They also don’t realize that men have the same main sex hormones as women - estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone - in very different amounts. 

So let’s talk about the male hormone cycle for a minute. Unlike women, men’s hormones operate on a 24-hour cycle and their primary sex hormone is testosterone. Generally speaking, a man’s testosterone levels peak in the morning, shortly after waking, and then gradually decline throughout the day, with their lowest levels occurring in the evening. Then their cycle starts all over the next day. However, in men, testosterone levels can be affected by their environment and emotions as well, so there can be fluctuations in levels during the day due to external circumstances. 

Women’s hormone cycles are quite a bit more complex. Generally speaking, women’s hormones operate on a 28-day cycle (although we know that number can fluctuate quite a bit) and estrogen and progesterone are the star players. Our cycles are broken down into 3 main phases: 

• The follicular phase begins on cycle day 1, or the first day of our period. During this phase, estrogen levels are rising and typically peak around cycle days 10-17. Testosterone levels also typically rise within this time leading up to ovulation. 

• Ovulation is the second phase of our cycle and only lasts for 1 day or a 24-hour period.

• After ovulation comes to the third phase which is called the luteal phase. During this phase, progesterone starts to peak and there is another rise in estrogen. If fertilization doesn’t occur, then all hormone levels decrease to their lowest points which triggers menstruation, and the cycle starts all over again. 

So in this way, the analogy used in this question is decently accurate. Men’s hormone cycles are often compared to the sun’s 24-hour cycle and a women’s is often compared to the 28-day cycle of moon phases. 

If you are interested in learning more about hormone health and specific hormonal conditions, check out these past episodes on PCOS, Endometriosis, and Infertility.