Why Optimal Magnesium Levels Matter with Kristen Bowen

In today's episode, Kristen Bowen, from Living the Good Life Naturally, is sharing the importance of optimal magnesium levels and how it affects the body. She also explains how we can know if we are deficient and how to get back to optimal levels to support our health.

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Questions answered in this episode…

How did you start helping people with their health and specifically focusing on magnesium?

Why do you think it’s so important for overall health to really own your own health journey? 

Let’s talk about magnesium for a bit: Why is magnesium so important and what does it do in the body?

Is magnesium deficiency common among women? How can someone know if they are deficient?

Can magnesium deficiency contribute to hormonal imbalances or reproductive challenges? 

What is transdermal magnesium and why is it better than an oral magnesium supplement?

Can Epsom salts help in a similar way to transdermal magnesium?

What protocol do you typically recommend for transdermal magnesium supplementation?

Where can people learn more about ordering magnesium? 

Resources mentioned in this episode: Magnesium soak, magnesium muscle cream, magnesium lotion - USE CODE HF10 for 10% off your order.
Living the Good Life Naturally youtube education videos; follow Kristen on Instagram

Find more from Kristen here.

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"My Endo Story": Rachel Daugherty and Cassie Lawson

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and in this episode, I'm sharing the stories of two more 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?

"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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Tips for Injury Prevention and Recovery with Dr. Blake Bohanan, DPT

Hey friends! In this episode, Dr. Blake Bohanan shares tips for preventing exercise-related injuries and best practices for recovering quickly should those injuries occur. He also shares about his journey into opening his own practice, Shift Performance PT, here in Knoxville, TN.

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Topics in this episode…

Why workout injuries are so common, especially this time of year. 

How to prevent common injuries from happening in the first place.

Best practices for recovering from exercise-related injuries

How the Shift Performance PT therapy model is different from traditional physical therapy.

Learn more about Shift Performance PT here.

How Oral Health is Connected to Overall Health with Melody Frank, RDH

Hi friends! In this episode of the #hfpodcast, my friend and Registered Dental Hygienist - Melody Frank, is sharing how our oral health directly affects the quality of our overall health. She is also sharing tips and recommendations for good dental home-care and periodontal disease prevention.

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Questions Answered in this Episode:

How is oral health connected to the overall health of the rest of the body?

What are some common things that we do that can be damaging to our oral health?

Are there things, besides normal brushing and flossing, that are supportive of our oral health? 

Give us all the deets about oral hygiene - how often should we really brush and floss? What are your tips for people who hate flossing? 

Resources Mentioned In this episode:

Ask the Dentist, Teeth Talk Girl

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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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What You Should Know About Essential Oils

Hi friends! In this episode, I’m talking about a topic that I really enjoy - Essential Oils! They have been all the rage for quite a while now, but today I really wanted to get into the basics of what they are, how they actually work, what safety considerations we need to follow, as well as what some of my favorite oils are and how I use them. 

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What are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are concentrated aromatic liquids that are derived from various parts of plants. They are the true essence of the plant and have many useful properties for the plant, like attracting pollinators, repelling pests, etc. but they also have useful properties for humans. Pure essential oils are harvested at their peak, properly distilled, and completely unaltered or added to in any way. 

It’s important to note that essential oils can not cure anything. They are meant to be used to ease common symptoms and support the body’s natural healing abilities. They are considered a form of alternative medicine but should not be used to replace prescription medications or other therapies prescribed by your physician. 

What should you look for in an essential oil?

The two things that matter most when considering essential oils are quality and purity. You’ll often hear about different grades of essential oils - therapeutic and food grade. What’s important to know here is that there is no official grading system for essential oils in the US (it’s often just a marketing tactic); however, there are a few markers of both quality and purity to look for. An essential oil should be clearly labeled with its full botanical name and not contain any additional ingredients, fillers, or something else that ers, or additives. The essential oil company should be completely transparent about their quality standards and the ingredients/processes that they use by providing a GC/MS report or an equivalent (this states exactly what is in the bottle of oil). It’s also important that the essential oil be stored in a glass bottle that protects the oil from light, such as an amber glass bottle. 

How do essential oils work? 

Essential oils can have many beneficial effects, which we’ll get into in a minute, but first I want to explain how they interact with the body. Inhaling essential oils interacts with the olfactory system in the body, which stimulates the limbic system, and then the hypothalamus in the brain. This, in turn, affects the cells in our body. For example, many essential oils help with emotional health by promoting relaxation, energy, focus, or reducing worry or nervous energy. This happens through this process of stimulating the limbic system, impacting the hypothalamus, and then triggering cell memory - especially when the scent is associated with feelings of calm or comfort. 

How do you use essential oils safely?

There are two main ways to use essential oils - inhalation and topical application. There are a few different ways to inhale essential oils but by far the easiest is by using a diffuser. This disperses the oil into the air which allows you to both enjoy the aroma of the oil but also experience the therapeutic effects through the process I just explained. Most aromatherapists suggest diffusing for about 30-minutes at a time. 

You can also benefit from essential oils by applying them topically. Many essential oils are very beneficial for skin health, muscle pain, and some even believe they can help with inflammation. When using an essential oil topically, it’s extremely important to dilute the oil properly with a carrier oil/lotion. Most oils should have a dilution guide right on their label or at the very least on the company’s website. There are a lot choices to use for a carrier oil. My personal favorite is fractionated coconut oil, but jojoba oil, argan oil are all great choices.  You can also buy pre-diluted oils and lotions - just be careful to check the label for additives or unnecessary ingredients. 

It’s also important that if you are using oils around pets or children that you check to make sure that they are safe for that. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing, there are certain oils that aren’t safe during that time, so make sure you are doing your research. 

What are some of my favorite oils? 

I’m by no means an expert on essential oils, but I have been using them for several years and have found them to be so helpful! I don’t really get into the whole which brand is the best discussion because I feel like so much of it is marketing but obviously, as I shared before quality matters, so do research on the brand that you use and don’t just grab something from the shelf at the grocery store without reading about it first. Personally, I mostly use Plant Therapy oils. I really appreciate their transparency, their customer service, and educational resources, and I really love their prices. Again, that’s not to throw any shade at the other brands, that’s just what has worked the best for me and my family. 

Before I wrap up today, I want to share with you a few oils that I always try to keep on hand and why I love them so much. 

Lemon 

It’s such a bright and cheery scent. It can help with improving both your mood and ability to focus. It’s also great to use around the house for cleaning. I add it to my all-purpose cleaner, use it to scrub my sink, remove stickers and labels from bottles, and so much more. 

Lavender

It’s probably the most common essential oil and has endless benefits. It helps to promote relaxation and sleep. It can be used topically to soothe burns or other skin irritations and it has antimicrobial properties. 

Peppermint

Another really popular oil that is helpful for so much. It helps soothe skin by providing a cooling effect that is also really helpful for muscle pain. It is great for helping calm digestive discomfort and reducing nausea, as well as helping with tension headaches. It also is great for diffusing and promotes energy and mental clarity. 

Frankincense

This is a great oil for skin health. It can help with aging and improving skin elasticity. It has been shown to help support lung health and clear breathing. It can help ease aching joints and calm inflammation. It also has emotional health benefits by promoting a sense of calm. 

Clary Sage

This oil is one of my favorites and most used. It can promote a feeling of calm and reduce feelings of anxiety. It can also help with PMS symptoms by providing relief for cramps as well as helping to stabilize your mood. I consider this one a must-have. 

Germ Fighter

This is an essential oil blend from Plant Therapy (it is comparable to Thieves oil) and contains Lemon, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus Globulus, Cinnamon Cassia, and Rosemary oils. It’s great for supporting the immune system. I use this in our hand sanitizer, as well as apply topically when I feel like one of us is fighting something off. I also diffuse this regularly in our home, especially right now. I also just love the scent! It smells like Christmas to me!

I hope this has been helpful for you! Whether you are on the fence about essential oils and wondering what all the fuss is about or whether you’ve been using them for a while but didn’t really know all the details behind how they work, I hope you now feel more educated and empowered to use essential oils for yourself and your family. 

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A Few of My Favorite Less-Toxic Swaps

Hi friends! In today’s episode, I want to share a few of my favorite less-toxic swaps that I feel have made the biggest impact on me and my family. 

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When it comes to learning about toxins and how they can affect the body, it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed. Where do you start, how do you know what to swap, etc. I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I first started learning about all this stuff and kind of like I needed to just chuck everything I owned and start over. Obviously, that’s not realistic or even smart. The goal is never to bring more stress or fear/anxiety into your life bc those things are just as, if not more, toxic than all the chemicals. I have an entire episode dedicated to how to start the process of reducing toxin exposure in your life, so if you find yourself feeling that way, go back and give that one a listen. Today I just want to highlight three of my favorite swaps that we made and why I feel like they’ve had a big impact on my health and our home. 

Berkey Water Filter System

First, I want to start with the one we use the most often - the Berkey water filtration system. We use our Berkey every single day, multiple times a day - it even travels with us when we can take it. It is by far one of my favorite less-toxic investments that we have made. 

Let me back up and explain what it is: The Berkey Filtration system is a counter-top water purifying system that removes unhealthy contaminants and impurities from your tap water.  

We chose the Berkey because I wanted a filtered water option for our family and I wanted an option that was sustainable and affordable. Even though there is some government regulation on what is allowed in our tap water, I knew that it wasn’t really a safe option for drinking due to some testing we had done previously, but then I also looked up a contaminant report (from Berkey) for water coming from our water company and it found that 11 contaminants that exceeded the EWG’s guidelines and each of them were believed to be carcinogenic (increases risk for cancer). 

This wasn’t an overnight switch for us. We started by switching to bottled water, then a water cooler in the house, then finally the Berkey. For us, the final deciding factor was the amount of money we were spending each month just on water! The amount that we drink and use for cooking, etc. it saved us money, in the long run, to go ahead and invest in the Berkey system. 

Some of the things I love about it is that it doesn’t filter out minerals, which can lead to dehydration; it doesn’t require power,  so can be used in emergencies, and if there are unsafe water conditions in our area; it can be easily disassembled/reassembled so it can travel with us as well. 

I highly recommend switching to the Berkey! As of recording this a few of the sizes were sold out, so if you’re interested in getting one, I suggest you don’t wait! We have the Big Berkey which holds a little over 2 gallons at a time. 

Essential Oil Diffusers and Safe Candles 

The next less-toxic swap that I wanted to highlight today is essential oil diffusers - specifically switching them out for scented candles. I know… it’s about to be Fall, and candles are so cozy, especially those cute pumpkin ones that Target just put on the shelves. I hear you! But did you know that most regular candles actually pollute the air of your home? Most are made from paraffin when burned emits chemicals like benzene (which scores an F from the EWG with high concern for increased risk of cancer, genetic defects, reproductive issues in males, asthma, and much more), toluene (which scores a 10 also with reproductive and developmental concerns). Unfortunately, some of the soy candles aren’t much better because they are full of synthetic fragrances, which are often also made of petro-chemicals (petroleum-based just like paraffin - therefore having all the same carcinogenic and reproductive dangers) as well as phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors. Not to mention, the allergy/respiratory irritant factor associated with synthetic fragrances. 

I’ve always been extremely sensitive to fragrances and even when I used to buy conventional candles, there were only a couple of scents that I could tolerate without having a reaction.  So what do we do instead? 

The good news is that there are options that not only are good for our health but also can actually help clean the air in our homes. I love using essential oil diffusers in my home and personally, I feel like they are also cozy and inviting. I love that I can actually support the health of my family while making my home smell good! There are so many fun diffusers on the market, some with flickering effects, just like a candle. Some of my favorite scents to use are lavender, orange, and frankincense together, or just using Germ Fighter (or Thieves) which smells like a holiday candle to me! In my bedroom, I love using lavender, of course, but also Clary Sage - both smell amazing and help to induce deep, restful sleep. 

I’ve also recently learned about a few candle companies that are making safe candles from 100% beeswax (which actually cleans the air in your home by emitting negative ions) or another clean vegetable oil source, and scented purely with essential oils. I haven’t personally tried any of these yet, but I have my eye on a couple made by Fontana Candle Company that I want to try for the fall/holiday season. 

Laundry Detergent and Cleaning Products 

The last less-toxic swap I want to talk about today is laundry detergent and cleaning products. Laundry detergent is one of the first swaps I recommend to my clients because #1 - it’s a super easy switch and #2 - your clothes/sheets/towels are touching your body all day/every day. Most regular laundry detergents are full of chemicals like SLS, dioxane, ethoxylates, formaldehyde, and of course - synthetic fragrances. As we just talked about, these chemicals cause very serious concerns for things like endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, respiratory/skin irritation, and even cancer. Our skin is our biggest organ and our clothes sit on our skin all day long. So while many of us may love the lasting scents that may come from our favorite detergents, fragrance softeners, or scent boosters, we have to remember that all of those chemicals are sinking into our skin and into our bloodstream. It’s not worth it! 

Especially when there are so many less-toxic ingredients on the market. My favorite laundry detergent is currently the Thrive Market brand unscented powder (all ingredients score an A or B on EWG). I’ve been using it for probably close to a year and have zero complaints about it. It’s affordable, easy to use, and I just add a couple of drops of essential oils to the bag if I want it to be scented. I’ve also heard great things about the Molly Suds Laundry Powders (also scores an A on EWG) though I haven’t tried it myself. 

The same concerns are true for household cleaners as well. Though those usually don’t touch our skin regularly, we breathe them in while using them and the chemicals emitted from them pollute the air in our homes. Did you know that it’s estimated that the air in our homes is at least 2-5 times more toxic than the air outside? Think about that - with all the air quality issues we worry about polluting the environment outside, inside of our homes is typically worse! 

Branch Basics is a wonderful brand of cleaners (they also have laundry products) and they are an amazing resource for education about toxins in our products and the effects they can have on our health. Again, the Thrive brand has safe options, and personally, I’m a big fan of making my own cleaners. Mainly because it’s the most affordable option for us, and right now I’m in a season where I have the time to do it - not that it takes much time at all. I actually use @alittlelesstoxic’s recipe to make most of my cleaning products. I will link to those in the notes but they are very easy to find on her Instagram feed as well. There are many other clean, safe brands of cleaners out there as well but just be careful about actually looking at the ingredients. Just because something is marketed as being “all-natural” or “green” doesn’t mean it’s actually made with safe ingredients - a lot of that is just marketing. The EWG is my favorite resource for looking up ingredients - simply type in the name of the ingredient and then the word “EWG” into the google search and it should come right - usually the first or second search results listing. 

So those are a few of my favorite less-toxic swaps that I feel have made a huge impact on the health of our family and the air quality of our home. I hope this has been helpful for you and maybe gave you some things to think about. Again, remember the point here isn’t to freak you out or make you panic, but I do want you to be informed about the concerns associated with these toxic ingredients as well as the better, safer choices on the market.

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How I Supported My Body through Surgery

Hi friends!! In today’s episode, I’m sharing about my recent endometriosis surgery and some of the things that I did, both pre-op and post-op, to support my body through the process. My hope is that this episode will help those of you who may be looking at an endo-surgery for yourself or a friend/family member, but also for anyone who may have any kind of abdominal surgery, or really any surgery at all. Surgery is hard on the body and providing it with a little extra support can go a long way in speeding up recovery time and post-op symptoms.

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So in the last episode, I shared with you guys that I was going to be having another surgery for endometriosis and that I would update you on how everything went, as well as how I supported my body through the process. So today, I want to share those things with you. 

I’m about 1.5 months post-op at this point and thankfully, feeling really good! Overall, this was the smoothest and best surgery experience that I’ve had (of the 3) and I’m so grateful for that! I had a whole lot of people supporting me - praying for me and helping out - which I think has played a huge part in how smoothly I’ve recovered, but I also think that doing a few things both before and after surgery has really helped, as well. 

Pre-Op:

As anyone who has ever had surgery knows, it’s quite hard on the body. So, a few weeks before my surgery date I started doing a few things to both strengthen my immune system. I was already taking a prenatal vitamin as well as omega-3 supplements, CBD oil, and a probiotic daily - so I made sure to be very consistent with those. I also started taking an additional dose of liposomal vitamin c and vitamin d. I also tried to be really consistent with moving my body and getting good sleep. I even added melatonin to my regiment a few times a week, just to ensure that I was getting good, deep sleep and because it acts as an antioxidant. (Note- I did stop the omega 3s and melatonin one week before sx as they can thin the blood a bit). 

I also wanted to support my detox pathways as much as possible, knowing that I was going to be given a lot of medication (which I very gladly accepted), so I upped the times of week that dry-brushed and took detox baths. 

The surgery itself went very well. Going into it, I knew that I had cysts on both ovaries, and given that it had been 6 years since my last surgery, I honestly expected for it to be really severe. However, the surgery only took a little over an hour and there were very few lesions, at least in comparison to last time ((where I had stage 4 lesions). My doctor was also quite surprised and happy with that. As I said, I was given so much medication - more so than any other surgery prior, but again - I gladly accepted it. Thankfully, I had no complications (and had a very easy IV stick, which is usually not the case for me), so I was able to go home shortly after waking up. I will say that if you ever find yourself needing to have surgery, get yourself a BFF that’s a nurse to go with you! I basically had my own private nurse who took great care of me, kept me laughing and chatting all day, and was looking over everyone’s shoulder to make sure everything went according to plan. :) {Chrissy, you’re the real MVP here!} 

Post-Op:

So, once I got home, I was given meds to help with both pain and nausea. Thankfully, I didn’t experience that much nausea this time, but I did stay on top of it with the meds for the first 24 hours. Trust me when I tell you that puking and abdominal incisions DO NOT go well together. DO NOT RECOMMEND. I was pretty bloated and uncomfortable from the CO2 that they use to inflate the abdomen for surgery. This is a super common symptom after any kind of laparoscopic abdominal surgery and usually resolves in a day or less. 

The next few days looked like a lot of resting and sleeping as much as I could (hello, 3-yr old:)). I was pretty unsteady for about 24 hours and needed help getting up and down for a couple days. The pain stayed at a moderate level for 3-4 days and was easily manageable with the pain meds and I was able to wean down to just taking Aleve after about 3-4 days. 

During this time I did try to get in as much bone broth / bb protein as I could to start helping my gut recover from all the meds. I also upped my daily dose of probiotics since I was given antibiotics during surgery and also went back to taking the omega supplement as well as CBD, vitamin D, and extra vitamin C. 

Within a couple of days, I found myself wanting to move more, but I quickly had to learn to listen to my body because if I was walking around more than about 5 minutes, I would start bleeding more. That probably lasted for about 5ish days and then I was able to extend that time. 

One of the most challenging parts for me this time was the effect that the anesthesia (and possibly some of the meds) had on me emotionally/mentally. I felt super foggy and kind of just in a funk for about a week. I don’t remember that being an issue in previous surgeries. 

I would say that I was feeling back to myself, at least 90%, at about 2 weeks post-op, and now I am fully 100% back to normal, or honestly probably a little better than I was before surgery. I’m working my way into exercise, prioritizing my core strength and pelvic floor right now, so doing mainly Pilates for that. I’m also continuing with my vitamin/supplement regimen with the extra vitamin c and higher probiotic doses daily, as well as trying to get 3-4 dry brushing sessions and detox baths every week. 

My post-op appointment went really well and so we will resume trying on our own for baby #2 for a while. I will go back in for a follow-up in about 4-5 months, and I am starting acupuncture back next week (a couple of episodes on that if you want to know more - episode 32 and episode 54). So we’re hopeful and will just see what happens. Right now, I’m just really thankful to have the surgery behind me and to be feeling good, less inflamed, and more energetic. 

I hope that this episode has been helpful for you! If you have an upcoming surgery, I hope that you will use some of these tips and ideas as you prepare and recover. If you know someone with #endo or who may have surgery coming up, pass this episode along to them. It can be so unnerving not knowing what to expect or what recovery may look like, so I hope sharing my experience will help a little with that as well as empower you to know that there are things that you can do to help support your recovery. 

Before I leave you for today, I wanted to share with you a little encouragement - especially for those of you who may be facing surgery or any kind of concern over your health. The morning of surgery, I opened my Bible for a few minutes with God before heading to the hospital. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time, so I just randomly opened it, planning to just read a Psalm or Proverb. I opened it to Psalm 35, to a verse I don’t even remember reading before, that said “He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being” and it brought me so much peace. I hope it brings peace to you as well! 

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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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Strength Training Benefits for Women with Cassidy Tipton, CPT

In today's episode, Certified Personal Trainer - Cassidy Tipton shares with us some of the many benefits of strength training for women's health. Whether you would consider yourself to be a beginner or an experienced athlete, Cassidy offers simple and practical tips for incorporating strength training into your everyday life.

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Alaina: Welcome back to the Health Forward Podcast. Today we have a special guest with us, Certified Personal Trainer Cassidy Tipton. Cassidy, welcome to the podcast! We are so happy to have you.

Cassidy: Hello. Thank you so much, Alaina, for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Alaina: Yes - so I know you from our time working together at a local hospital here in Knoxville. We did that for a couple of years, but for people who don't know you, can you tell us a little more about yourself and your background?

Cassidy: Yes. Absolutely. So a little bit more about me. I kind of fell in love with strength training my sophomore summer of high school. I was one of those people while other girls were sitting there reading magazines like Vogue and Teen Spirit and all that stuff, I was sitting there reading magazines on, I don't know if you remember, the Oxygen magazine. I was a full subscriber to that. I loved it! I was engulfed in all of that. I loved the way those women looked - it was something so new to me. And so I was just taken in by that. I got started with strength training because I played softball in college and in high school, and so I needed to do strength training to help me get stronger with that. So that's where I fell in love with it. In college, I majored in exercise science, and it's funny because I literally changed my major four times when I was in college, and I always kept coming back to exercise science because that was what I truly loved. But other people are like, Oh, you know, you need to do this or that. Of course, I listened to them, but then I always came back to it. And so I did graduate from Carson Newman with an exercise science degree. Then after college, I started my first personal training gig, and I was there for about four years and loved every minute of it. During that time, I fell in love with lots of different types of strength training - working with different special populations of people, not just athletes, but people who were literally just wanting to better their lives, being able to do things with their grandkids. Then I received my ACE Personal Training certification as well as a CrossFit Level one certification. So I dabbled in CrossFit for a while and then also got my USAW Sports Performance certification, with which I competed nationally in Olympic lifting (fun fact for you guys)! So, I've kind of done all different spectrums of strength training.

Then, as Alaina said, we worked together at UT Medical Center - I loved it there! Now, I am currently not doing anything in the fitness realm and I miss it so much! Because of that, I had this strong pull to serve people in that aspect, so, I really started being active on my social media and just really pouring into people and serving people - showing them my workouts. I'm just trying to give that free stuff to people to help others since I don't do that anymore, but I miss it so much and I know that I have the tools and the background that I can help people with it So that is a little bit about me.

Alaina: Yeah, that's great! And you're a mama - you have a little girl. How old is she now?

Cassidy: She is two going on 20. It's like everybody else.

Alaina: I can't believe she's already two. When we stopped working together you had just had her!

Alaina: So, in today's episode, we're talking about strength training - specifically, as it relates to women's health. I think there's a lot of questions and stigma about women doing strength training. So, we are happy to listen to your expertise on this, both in your education and then in your life experience in it as well. So, can you tell us kind of an overview, what is strength training? Are there different types? What are those different types?

Cassidy: Yes, for sure. So strength training (you can also call it Resistance Training) is basically when you are performing some type of physical exercise in which you are working your muscles against some type of opposing force. Now, that force can be something like weights, resistance bands, or gravity (as in just using your body weight). So there are so many modalities of strength training that you can use with the sole purpose of building strength and endurance. Often, when we think of types of strength training, we think of pull-downs, resistance bands, and dumbbells, but it is a totally different meaning inside of strength training that is more of a form of weight training. Then, as you said, you can do plyometrics, barbells, so many different modalities. But when it comes to specific types of strength training, there are seven different types of strength training. I do want to preface what I'm about to say by saying that it's important that we do try to find a program that is encompassing all seven types of strength training just to help get a very well-rounded program. I'll also mention that, women sometimes gear more towards one type and forget others, so be mindful of that. I'll run through these really quick.

So, the first one is going to be agile strength. When we think of this, we think of football players cutting back and forth. We think of things that are very explosive and agility-type movements. So that's gonna be things like shuffles, shuttle runs, and skaters. What's cool is that we can incorporate those types of movements even when we say, "heck, there's no way I can do shuttle runs or skaters", you can still do different versions of that type of training.

The second type is one that women tend to often veer toward - endurance strength. This is where we have the ability to move lighter loads for longer periods of time. So it's more like that 12 - 20 rep range. What's great with endurance strength is this is gonna help us increase the amount of time before we fatigue, while not only exercising but in everyday life. So endurance is so important just to help us as we age so that we can keep doing the things we enjoy. As I said, I do feel that a lot of women, especially when they're starting out with strength training and are worried about the weights and stick to more of the endurance area. There's nothing wrong with that because that is still great. We need that endurance for our muscles and to help us get stronger.

The third type is going to be our explosive strength. So basically, this is going to be your muscle's ability to exert its maximum amount of force in the shortest time possible. This is along the lines of Olympic lifting, box jumps, and burpees. This type of strength is really important as we age because we can build this strength faster than any other. This is especially helpful for elderly clients. For example, in explosive strength we think of the box jumps but we alter them and work on sitting to stand, but doing them explosively. Even with different variations, you can still get that explosive benefit.

Next is maximum strength. This is going to not really be for just the normal everyday average person just wanting to work out, and better their life. This is gonna be more for someone who is trying to lift a single rip at the heaviest amount of possible weight. So this is going to apply more to athletes. However, we can do a variation of this where we're doing higher weight and lower reps - like the 2 to 6 rep range. So we can still get the benefits of what maximum strength that way.

A couple more - next is speed strength. That's basically just how fast you are. You know, this is going to be more useful in sports, but it is good to help us improve how quickly we can react to something. Because as we age, our reaction is something that declines, so it is important that we still are able to react quickly, whether it's when driving or being aware of our surroundings.

Then there's something called starting strengths. Starting strength is what you would see in a track runner in starting position. They are trying to produce as much force or quickness as possible out of a standstill position. We use this same type of strength by sitting up and getting out of a chair. As we get older, we see we see a lot of people struggle to do this - rocking back and then trying to stand up. When we focus on starting strength with compound movements like squats, lunges, etc., it can help build that kind of strength.

Then last, but not least, is relative strength. This is the strength to weight ratio. So, pound-for-pound, how strong you are compared to someone else. So my husband is gonna laugh - my husband is a big man. He is like 230# and very strong, but when we were doing Olympic lifting and I was at my prime, pound-for-pound, I was technically stronger than him. He doesn't like for me to admit that to too many people because he is known for his strength and being very strong. Strength is important but like I said, those are just a lot of different types of strength training.

A great program is going to have a little mixture of kind of each of those types of strength training.

Alaina: So you mentioned this a little bit, especially talking about aging, but how do those things translate into kind of our everyday lives? Where can we see a lot of those benefits - both in our endurance, our ability to move, agility, and things like that as we age, but also from a health side of things?

Cassidy: So a couple of these are beneficial not only just for the everyday person, but especially for women. Number one is definitely going to be that these things are going to build and maintain our muscle mass. So, fun fact for you (well, fun/scary fact), as females our muscle mass decreases 3-8% per decade after the age of 30. This rate declines even more after you hit 60. Okay? And so what stinks about that is this is what leads to an increased risk for falls or the loss of independent living as we age. Strength training is the number one thing that can help slow that process down of losing muscle mass. It also protects our bone health. So as women, we know that we are a lot more susceptible than men to developing osteopenia and osteoporosis. So doing strenth training with any kind of external resistance or weights will help lower our risk for that. Also, if you do already have some form of osteopenia or osteoporosis, it's gonna help slow that process down. Unfortunately, you cannot reverse those factors, but you absolutely can slow it down. My grandmother is an example of this - she has osteoporosis pretty bad. I started helping her with strength training and the slowing down of the process has been huge. So great that when she's gone back to the doctor, there's been a couple of times it's only changed like a fraction, whereas before it was a very big decline each time she went back in my check. That's a big deal because I know a lot of people worry about that as they get older and I don't think that's a commonly known fact that strength training builds bone mass.

Also, for women, strength training is going to help support weight loss and weight management. So when we lift weights, it's going to help us burn more calories and stored energy or fat more efficiently. One way it does that is by increasing lean muscle mass. So we have all heard that muscle burns more energy at rest. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories you would burn if you sat on the couch and watched Netflix all day. This number is higher if you have more muscle than fat. I think it's one lb. of muscle burns, 3% more than one lb. of fat. Muscle mass helps us to be efficient by increasing our metabolism and helping us burn more while we're literally doing nothing. So who doesn't want that?

Also, I am going to say this, I know that a big stigma around lifting weights for women is that a lot of women are scared that they're gonna get bulky. This is just a myth. The facts behind it are that the hormone testosterone is what makes that happen in the body and we have only about 10% of testosterone that men do. So there is physically no way that when we are lifting that we are going to get bulky as a man could.

We know that there are great benefits of strength training for everyone - better sleep, better energy, just more focus. It's going to help with blood markers like cholesterol and blood sugar. All those good things.

Another one that I think for women, especially and especially for moms is, it's gonna help increase our mental and emotional health., I know for me, working out is so much more than, than just how I look. But when I don't work out, within a few days, I can tell mentally. It is my one time that I can escape from everything else that's going on in my life and focus on me. It can help you have more mental clarity and give a good serotonin boost.

Alaina: Yeah, that's great. I think so many people don't know so many of those things. You know? They know that they'll feel better., but they don't really get down into knowing those details. So, I love that you shared that. I've talked a lot about how it helps from a hormonal health side with blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, but that mental-emotional component is so important too.

I think part of it, too, is that we feel stronger. When we're going to do a strength training workout, and we actually do it, not only are we physically stronger, but we walk away with more mental stamina as well, because it's like "I did that!", you know? So, I think that helps so much when you are facing chronic health issues or you are facing just normal life stress. It just gives you a little more confidence that you can manage things.

Cassidy: 100% agree with you for sure. Yeah, for me, it's just that feeling of going in and lifting just gives me that sense of accomplishment. I feel like if I can do this, then I can tackle anything, right?

Alaina: Exactly. So there are some common questions that come up when it comes to strength training. So I'm gonna ask you a few of those.

How many times per week? What is the goal when it comes to strength training versus overall exercise? We know the overall general recommendation of roughly 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week, but how much of that should be strength training?

Cassidy: Yes, so with strength training, it always depends on whether you are new to it as well as your goals. So if you are someone who is brand new to strength training, you've never done it before, and you're wanting to start off it is recommended that in conjunction with your cardio (75-250 minutes a week of moderate to high intensity) that you want to at least start with twice a week of a full-body workout - every other day type deal. You want to make sure you're hitting each major muscle group in that 10-15 rep range. Even if you are not new but say you just are wanting to maintain what you have, twice a week is what can give you results. You're not necessarily going to see the physique benefits at that frequency, but you're more going to see the benefits of improving your cholesterol, helping your joints, helping your bones, and those types of things. I

Now, depending on your goals and depending on if you are really wanting to change your physique, or maybe you have a specific sports goal, then I would say you need to start ramping up the days that you are in the gym doing your strength training. So I would say you need to be in the gym doing more of like a 4-5 day a week type thing and doing more of what's called a split in your workout. Maybe one day you come to the gym and do an upper-body routine. The next day you do lower-body. Then the next day you rest and then repeat the process. You could get even more specific and focus on only two muscle groups at a time, such as the chest and triceps. Then the next day would be back and biceps... next day legs, or something like that. And then obviously there's some abdominal work in there a couple of days a week too but that is just going to depend on your goal.

So, for example, when I was training for Olympic lifting, I was in the gym six days a week, two hours a day. And there is no way that I would do that right now because I don't have the time and that's not my goal. Now in the gym, I usually try to get some sort of strength training workout four days a week, and I'm doing more of a split style. I also really like doing more of a full-body workout to like more of a CrossFit type style workout, where I'm in my strength and my cardio kind of together. It's important that you are doing the right amount of days and everything, but the main thing is that you find something that you enjoy, because if you don't enjoy it, you're not going to do it and you're not going to show up.

So even if it's something that maybe is not ideal, who cares? The main thing is that you're there and that you're showing up. So whether it's Pilates, Barre, CrossFit, or just weightlifting, find what you enjoy and mix it up. Consistency is where you will get the results.

Alaina: Yes, I love that, and I love that you mentioned those different kinds of workouts. I think that's confusing for people. Sometimes they think strength training only means using machines or only using a barbell. You can incorporate strength training and a HIIT workout. You can incorporate strength training in Barre, Pilates - all that stuff. So, just like you said in the beginning, it depends on what your goals are for that and what you will stick to.

So, a couple of other questions? What would you recommend for someone who says, "Okay, I've tried strength training a few times, and every time I do it, I get very sore, and then I can't do it for three or four more days, and then I kind of just stop".

Cassidy: Absolutely. So, that's a great question. So what I would tell that person or what I would want to look at first is going to be some of their lifestyle factors. So with strength training, you know that is just one piece of the puzzle. But if they if that person is not getting enough sleep, if they're not getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, if they are not drinking enough water, if they are not fueling their body properly - especially enough protein and carbs to sustain that can be an issue. We also want to make sure that there is a good balance of fuel for the workout. Carbs are glycogen for our muscles and they are going to replenish and refuel our muscles after we work out. If they aren't eating within the first two hours after their workout, let's try throwing in a protein shake. How strength training works is that we do not get the benefits of strength training when we are doing the strength training. It's during our recovery process. So, if we are not going through that recovery process, then yes, we're going to be sore all the time. And so how it works is when we're working out, we create these tiny, small, little micro-tears in our muscles and our body, when we are at rest it goes through something called protein synthesis to repair our muscles. That requires both glycogen and protein. So if we are not giving our body enough protein there's no way we can repair properly. That often leads to injury and it can lead to chronic soreness.

Also, are they sleeping? Stretching? Stressed? When our cortisol is elevated, it can lead to injury, and it can lead to soreness because our body is not going to be able to go through that inflammation process of cleaning all that out and just repairing our muscles and everything. Also, making sure that we're drinking lots of water, you could even throw in some electrolytes in your water as well. One of my tried and true methods for soreness is foam rolling. So on your off-days, foam rolling your muscles will help get out that lactic acid build-up out and help your muscles go through that process of cleaning all the stuff out.

Alaina: Gotcha. That makes a lot of sense. I think that's a huge missing piece - the recovery. People think, "I did my work out - I'm done - I'm going to go on with my day", and then they don't give any thought to that recovery. So follow-up to that is, would you say, within 30 minutes or within an hour? What's that time frame that we need to make sure we're getting that good protein, protein, and carbs, but definitely protein?

Cassidy: So they call it "The window of gains". It is within an hour of your workout is typically what they're recommending, and they usually say you want a complete source of protein. They have done a lot of studies saying that the most quickly digested form of protein is going to be like an isolate or whey protein, but or any type of isolate type protein. So that's going to be something from like a protein shake. Now I know a lot of people might be sensitive to whey protein, so I mean any type of protein shake you could do, and I think that's going to get to your muscles a little bit quicker than a piece of chicken would. Now, if you come straight home from your workout and eat a well-rounded meal, that's still going to be fantastic for you. Sure, it just might not be quite as bioavailable as quickly.

Alaina: Now, what about collagen? Where does that come in because it's not an isolate?

Cassidy: So yes, to make a full, complete protein there have to be 21 essential amino acids in that protein. I think that collagen doesn't have every one of them - I think it's like 19 or something. So collagen is something that you could definitely put in your post-workout shake because it has great benefits, but it wouldn't be something that I would just put in water. It's not going to be sufficient by itself. Yes, but that's a great question.

That kind of brings me to the other point is the complete protein. So there's a lot of sources of proteins that are considered proteins, but are not full, complete proteins. It is important that after our workouts were looking for something with a complete protein, so that's gonna be found mostly in animal sources, right? So just be conscious of that.

Alaina: Cool. Okay, well, are there any resources that you would recommend for people? Maybe who are just starting out their new to strength training? Would you suggest they get a trainer? Are there programs they can do at home?

Cassidy: Yes. So my two favorite resources are going to be ACSM.org and then acefitness.org. That is who I got my personal training certification from, so both of those are the two I trust the most. They are the gold standard when it comes to health and specifically fitness and working out. They do a lot of studies, and they're just they are kind of the cream of the crop. I know specifically, ACEFitness has lots of blogs you can literally type in, "strength training for beginner" and there are thousands of articles that come up that have workout programs in it.

Another thing you can do is getting a personal trainer. I think that's a great idea as well. On those two websites, you can search their database for personal trainers in your area that are certified through them.

Alaina: Great! So if people would like to follow you online where you've been sharing a lot of your workouts and some tips, where can they find you?

Cassidy: Yes, So, on Instagram, they can find me at cass_tipton.

Alaina: I'll put all of that in the show notes so that people can easily find you and then also those two resources as well. Well, thanks so much for spending some of your day with us and sharing all this information with us. It was so helpful!

Cassidy: Yes, you're so welcome! Thank you so much for allowing me to do this and just share some stuff that I love.

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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 to Know About Women and Heart Disease

Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States? Surveys show that over half of us are unaware that heart disease is such a risk. We tend to think of things like cancer being more of a risk, and while we definitely need to be thinking about that, research shows that for most American women heart disease is the number one cause of death. 

In addition to the risk of Heart Disease being somewhat unknown, it’s also not well known that the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or another cardiac-related event can be very different for women than they are for men. 

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There are many factors that increase your risk for heart disease:

• High blood pressure 

• High triglycerides and low HDL

• Diabetes 

• Metabolic syndrome (Combination of high triglycerides/ low HDL, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess fat tissue around the waist. Harvard med says this is the biggest risk factor)

• Dysbiosis / poor gut health (Research shows that the gut microbiome influences many health parameters, including cardiometabolic health. One study provides evidence that certain families of gastrointestinal bacteria can either positively or negatively affect cardiovascular health. The microbiome is also known to affect metabolism and may contribute to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Other studies found a negative correlation between certain gut bacteria and arterial stiffness.)

• Smoking / Oral Birth control meds

• Chronic high inflammation levels or inflammatory disorders

• Sleep Apnea / poor quality sleep (Poor sleep quality was related to lower HDL-c and higher triglyceride levels in girls, suggesting the clinical importance of improving sleep hygiene to reduce metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents.)

• Family history 

Not only are the risks different for heart disease but the symptoms of a cardiac event, specifically a heart attack, are different for women, as well. While it is still common to have chest pain or pressure, some women never experience that. Other common symptoms include:

• Pain in jaw, neck, back, or upper arm

• Nausea or stomach pain 

• Dizziness or light-headed 

• Sweating

• Shortness of breath 

How can we minimize our risk or work to reverse some of the health issues we may already have?  

The good news is that a lot of the chronic health conditions that I listed above can be significantly improved or even reversed with lifestyle changes. We can do things to...

• Regulate blood sugar levels

• Lower triglycerides levels

• Increase HDL

• Improve microbiome

• Decrease inflammation

This leads you to ask me how - how can we practically do those things?

• Eat regular balanced meals throughout the day. No skipping meals / no stand-alone carbs or proteins (keep blood sugar levels stable)

• Eat lots of plants + omega -3 fats (decrease inflammation, feed good gut bugs, increase HDL, lower LDL) 

• Reduce artificial foods, trans fats, and refined sugars (decrease inflammation, lower triglycerides) 

• Exercise 30 min day (2 days strength at least - decrease inflammation, helps with sleep, improves gut health, decreases stress, helps with insulin sensitivity, increase HDL) 

• Deal with stress (breathing + exercise, talk it out, adaptogens - lowers inflammation, improves sleep, improves gut health, helps with adrenal function and hormone balance) 

• Prioritize sleep (deal with underlying issues, good sleep habits - inflammation, healing and restoration, cell turnover, mental health, stress) 

• Add quality supplements to fill in gaps (whole food multi, omega 3, probiotic + collagen/bone broth) 

So it’s easy to see how what we might consider just basic healthy lifestyle behaviors can really affect our long-term health over time. We tend to want to do the more extreme things, the more trendy things or to just take a supplement or whatever new product is on the market, but really when it comes to the optimal functioning of our bodies and our long-term health, the simple, basic steps really do make a difference. These are mostly the same behaviors and lifestyle changes that I talk about often - when talking about hormone health or gut health - just about any health issue, really. These are the fundamentals, the foundation, for good health, both now and when we are in our 80s. They matter and they make a difference. 

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.