This pandemic thing has been going on for months now, and it has brought on a wave of emotions; everything from feeling grateful, to resentful, happy and disappointed.

Oddly enough, what it reminds me most of are the times I’ve made significant changes to my diet, and most recently when I committed to an Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet to reverse my Hashimotos (an autoimmune thyroid disorder).

As I sit here now, writing this in remission with Hashimotos and living my best life, I can honestly say the significant dietary changes were well worth it.

Going on an AIP diet wasn’t just about doing a diet.  It taught me so much about my body, my health, myself and what really mattered in life – similar to what this pandemic is doing for all of us right now. 

So consider this your pandemic diet plan…if you’re open to it, it will also teach you SO MUCH about your body, your health, yourself and what really matters.

Sure in the beginning it felt restrictive and maybe it still does even, just like starting a diet… 

…eliminating some of your favorite foods in order to do what’s right for your body sucks, you miss them.  Just like not being able to go to your favorite places during this pandemic.

But after a while, you find a new groove; a new way of eating, a new routine and even some new foods that you love just as much as the old ones.  Similar to how we are all finding a new way of being during this pandemic.

You also start to feel better once you are eating in alignment with what your body needs; your energy increases, you sleep better at night, you can think clearly again, you start shedding pounds and overall you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Eventually eating in this new way just becomes part of what you do; you no longer have to work hard or think about it too much, it just comes naturally. 

You can see the difference in how you feel, how you look at the world and your health. You have healed.  

And if you look back over the last few months, I’m sure you can see how much you have grown or changed along with this pandemic. 

In this week’s video and blog, I share my top tips and insights for getting through changing your diet that will help you not only get through this pandemic but also come out the other side feeling more comfortable in your own skin.

When talking about making changes to their diet, I often hear clients say…

 “I don’t want to be ‘that’ person at the dinner table making special food requests.”  

To which I will reply, “what’s more important to you, not being ‘that person’ or feeling like your best self?”

Every choice you make will either build your health or break it down.  And I get it, when others are making certain choices, the fear of missing out (FOMO) can hit you hard. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while doing an AIP diet was this…

Food or alcohol doesn’t make the moment or the experience, I do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a foodie and a wine lover so when I committed to avoiding alcohol and AIP foods for however long it took to get my body back, I missed those things; but I also didn’t avoid social events or sit in the corner feeling sorry for myself because I was missing out on them either.

Instead, I found other ways to enjoy the moments and create experiences.  

I explored making creative mocktails and dishes that I could have and bring with me to social gatherings.  I made a point to be more present and engaged in conversations, to really connect with people and really be in the moment.  I found other ways to treat myself at the end of a long week with activities such as massages, tea with a friend, taking a spiritual class or spending time outside. 

An AIP diet is what some would call very restrictive, and while yes it did require me to avoid a longer list of foods, it also challenged me to find a deeper sense of self and connection. 

It encouraged me on a deeper level to really think about:

• What I was putting in my body and how it responded to it? 
• Were my choices in alignment with how I wanted to be feeling?
• How did I want to spend my time and my energy?
• What really were my priorities – health, work, food, family, me?

To sum it up, it made me pay attention to what I was ignoring before. 

As I said when this whole pandemic thing started…

Life gives us exactly what we need when we need it, we just have to be open to receiving it.

The recent events are forcing change.  They are forcing us to change the way we look at the world, the way we look at our health and what we prioritize in our lives.

It seems as if this pandemic is encouraging us to…

• Slow down
• Let go of being busy
• Look inward instead of out
• Be with yourself and those closest to you
• Practice patience and hold space for health
• Take time to create and contemplate what is really important

Interestingly, these are also basic practices that help you to build and maintain your health, and they were pivotal parts of my health journey that helped me to reverse Hashimotos, balance my hormones, restore my energy and get back to my ideal body. 

Part of the reason why people get sick is because we are so busy or we ignore what our body is trying to tell us.  Think about how many times you or people you know have…

• Come to work sick
• Pushed through the pain
• And kept going till burn out

All because there was “too much to do.”  And all of which suppresses your immune system, making you susceptible to the common cold, flu, chronic illness and pandemic type viruses such as COVID-19.

So as we continue to move through this pandemic diet for life experience together, ask yourself…

• What is important to you?
• What do you need to eliminate that has been robbing you of time, money and energy?
• What have you been ignoring that needs your attention?
• How can you find ways to make every moment count and create your own experience?

And in the end of all of this, you’ll realize change was needed and it actually feels better just like I did at the end of my AIP diet plan.

Now I eat mostly AIP to continue supporting my body in the ways it needs it most, and I have a greater understanding of what supporting my body really means. 

Similarly, this pandemic has shown me that I don’t need constant access to all the “busy things” or luxuries that were at my fingertips before.  This different way of living is actually supporting my best health, self and growth. 

P.S. If you want more guidance on how to find the RIGHT DIET for you during this pandemic, click here to get my Food & Body Language Log Tool

I’m curious…what do you remember about your middle or high school health class?

I vaguely remember learning the basics about nutrition (aka. the misleading food guide pyramid known as the plate now), anatomy and sex.

Isn’t it funny that our health is something we have to take care of and manage our whole lives yet most of us only had one measly semester long class to prepare us for this? 

I want to change this, for all the women (and even men) who have gone before us and for the ones who come after us.

I certainly didn’t learn what I really needed to know in order to manage my health let alone my hormones or my menstrual cycle.  And as a result of being ill-informed, I quickly found myself taking birth control to regulate painful and irregular periods which turned into a 17 year marathon of wrecking the delicate balance of my body.

A recent survey of 2,000 women (age 30 to 60) found that nearly half of them have experienced one or more symptoms of hormone imbalances, and 72% only later understood the causes of their hormone issues.

Some of the most common symptoms they experienced included:

• Low energy
• Weight gain
• Mood swings
• Sleep disturbances
• Urinary incontinence
• Memory loss and brain fog
• Anxiety, depression and lost of interest in daily activities

I can only imagine how much money, time and angst those 72% spent trying to find a fix for their health issues, not even realizing it was all related to their hormones because they don’t fully understand how their body works.

How many of those symptoms can you relate to?

In my functional health coaching practice, I’ve worked with too many young women struggling with the same issues I had; some fearful or frustrated about not being able to get pregnant.  Then there are the numerous pre- and post-menopausal women I’ve worked with who are trying to untangle their hormone issues so they can gracefully get through menopause or restore the life they had once before their hormones got out of whack.

All with one thing usually in common… a prescription for birth control or hormone replacement therapy without a conversation about the side-effects, potential risk factors or lifestyle changes they could make to build health and balance their hormones.

Did your doctor ever tell you that taking birth control could increase your risk for an autoimmune condition, let alone a slew of other hormonal, liver and health issues?  Mine sure didn’t; not the one who prescribed it to me or the various primary care doctors I saw for annual physicals over the next 17 years. 

As Dr. Jolene Brighten shares in her book Beyond the Pill, “there is a 300 percent increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease if you take the pill” but not many people are talking about the health issues related to hormone treatments, or how to balance your hormones naturally. 

My friend and functional medicine-minded OBGYN Shawn Tassone put the overuse of birth control into such clear perspective once by saying, “birth control is prescribed to females for things such as acne which can often be fixed by changing their diet. Would you prescribe birth control to a teenage boy with acne?  No, then why is it being prescribed for females so frequently when there are other options.”

Hormones control many major bodily functions; emotions, cancer risk and even memory loss.

Imagine what your life, and our world would be like if we all received more education about health and hormones at a younger age, or had access to better resources throughout our lifespan.

In this week’s video and blog, I share more about my mission to provide adequate hormone education and resources for women regardless of income, insurance coverage, demographics or social status; allowing women to embrace their bodies, hormones and be in control of their health to live their fullest life.

We all deserve easier access to hormone education and resources so you can live your fullest life, and so you can give the generations to come a better quality of life too.

I didn’t really start to understand how my body worked as a woman until my 30’s. 

Reaching rock bottom with my long-time hormone-imbalance battle led me down the road to a higher health education.  Had I known as a teenager what I know now, I could have prevented the 17+ years of irregular periods, chronic fatigue, weight gain woes, allergies, brain fog, waves of depression and anxiety, Hashimotos, disrupting the precious balance of my body with birth control and so much more.

I’ll never forget what my client Dee said about receiving her DUTCH hormone test results and data-guided recommendations for diet, rest, exercise, stress reduction and supplements…

“It was like Christmas.  I was so excited to hear the results because we tested for things no one else was interested in…how amazing would it be to give this gift to every woman.”

She had been on a diet her whole life trying to lose weight with limited success; trying everything from Beach Body to Weight Watchers and Keto. She even explored Cross Fit for a while.

As she entered her 40’s, she gave up on weight loss as her focus shifted to how she felt with menopause kicking into gear – which led her to uninsured hormone replacement therapy, expensive acupuncture treatments and various other hormone therapies.  None of which fully resolved her health issues and got her back to feeling like herself again.  She felt helpless when it came to her hormone health.

For the longest time, it felt as though I didn’t have control over my hormones either; dating all the way back to my adolescence as my body shifted and my hormones seemed to rip through me emotionally and physically.  A feeling both Dee and I shared, as I’m sure most women do.  

A false feeling conjured up by a lack of understanding around our hormones.

I’m happy to report that after working together and getting access to the right lab tests and resources to better understand her body and hormones, Dee has lost weight, her hormones are balanced and she feels great!

Dee’s story is just one of the many I see.  In fact, two of my newest clients have a very similar story; one has been on birth control for over 40 years and prescribed multiple medications to control side effects likely linked to hormone imbalances and who has been struggling with weight gain and fatigue for years.  

Dee’s comment sparked an idea that could change the course for women’s hormone education forever. 

What if every woman regardless of income, insurance coverage, demographics or social status could have access to the right lab tests, resources and education to:

• Gracefully get through menopause or any stage of hormone change
• Advocate for themselves and collaborate with their health professionals
• Formulate a lifestyle and health plan that worked for their unique body

Women all over would stop suffering, and start living fuller lives.  They would be better daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, moms, partners, leaders and teachers – and the men in their lives would greatly benefit from this too.

And so H.E.R For Women was born! – Hormone Education and Resources for Women for Life.

Last week, my dream of starting a non-profit organization that would provide hormone education and resources, such as the DUTCH test, to women regardless of income, insurance coverage, demographics or social status while allowing women to embrace their bodies, hormones and be in control of their health to live their fullest life became official!!! 

This project is in the beginning stages but it holds incredible power. 

I personally wish I would have known my body better earlier in life to avoid some of the health challenges I have faced, but my journey and the journey I have helped other women through has inspired this project so that the future of women’s health will be better.

Thank you to all my sisters, and even brothers, out there who have inspired and supported this mission.

Stay tuned for more information as this project develops and how you can take advantage of it or contribute to it.

In the meantime, if you want to get the gift of the right lab tests and resources to live your fullest life like Dee did, click here to schedule an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session.

I just got back from a weekend road trip up the coast of California and it was SO refreshing to get out on the open road, and to catch up on some of my favorite podcasts along the way.

The official first day of Summer is coming up with the solstice happening in just a few days.  

Are you ready to embark on a Summer road trip or vacation?

Whether you’re road-tripping, flying or staycation-ing, you’re going to need some good podcasts, hardbacks or audiobooks this Summer

Check out some of my recent podcast interviews to dive deeper into topics such as…

How To Navigate Back to Health

Busy lives often means that most individuals compromise their health. However, being equipped with the right tools and knowledge when it comes to your health can be empowering and can help you to be successful in your career too. Listen as Functional Coach Jenn Malecha give you powerful information about navigating back to health.

A Functional Map To Clear Skin With FDN Practitioner Jenn Malecha

In this episode of the Journey To Glow podcast, I talk to FDN practitioner Jenn Malecha about the functional approach to identifying the root cause of a skin imbalance and creating a map to follow, each step leading to clear glowing skin.

Couch Talk: How to Conquer Your Acid Reflux w/Jenn Malecha

Acid reflux and GERD is a chronic stomach issue for many Americans.  Jenn Malecha, a holistic health coach, joins Dr. Anna Cabeca to talk about why people get GERD and how they can correct their stomach issues.

Summer Podcast Playlist

And here are some of my recent favorite books about health and living your best life…

• Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten
• Someday is Not a Day in the Week by Sam Horn 
• Estrogeneration by Anthony G. Jay
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• The Thyroid Connection by Amy Myers
• The Autoimmune Solution by Amy Myers

I’m going to need some new podcasts and books for my Summer playlist too, add a comment below and let me know what some of your recent favorites have been!

I admittedly don’t have the answers for what is going on in the world right now.  I have been doing my best to listen, observe, learn and explore all of this to gain a better understanding of how to move forward in a more positive direction.

But there is one thing I do know…

…the heaviness of all of this could be affecting your health.

As I’ve talked to many friends, family members and clients over the past weeks of all ages, ethnicities and social status, what we’ve all had in common is the stir of emotions and stress related to the recent events. 

Life will continue to happen and you can’t always predict or avoid stressful situations, but how you choose to navigate them is what makes a difference when it comes to your health.

And whatever stance you take on the current issues, or even if you are choosing to not participate, your health plays a vital role in your ability to live, breathe and speak your truth.

It’s difficult to see clearly, to communicate your truth and navigate for a better future when you are rundown, tired, irritable and not feeling like yourself.

In order for change to happen, we have to make intentional choices to change, and being in a healthy space supports your ability to do just that. 

The story I’m about to tell you by no means represents exactly what has been going on recently, however it is an example of how stressful moments in life can sweep you up and leave you feeling depleted in the aftermath… 

Not that long ago, my mom had a near death experience after years of alcoholism.  I ran myself ragged trying to fix her and then trying to save her life; arguing with the doctors, trying to control everything and putting too much responsibility for work, home and her on my plate.

For nearly 3 months, I drove 5+ hours through Los Angeles traffic to see her and fight for her life every weekend. 

She lived, but I barely did.  

I was a shadow of health that I used to know, and it took quite some time for me to recover from all the stress.  I fought on the premise of possibility, and I would do it again for the same reason; I would just do it differently for myself.  

Through all of that, I realized the only real control I had was over myself, how I responded to the situation and supported health.

Since then, part of improving and maintaining my health has been learning how to let go of the things I can’t control and controlling the things I can.  This can be tough when it means making myself a priority over even my loved ones, but I know it’s necessary for my own survival.

The emotional load from what has been going on between COVID-19 and the recent events following George Floyd’s death could be taking a HUGE toll on your health and you may not even realize it.

For example, emotional stress can:

• Diminish digestive power and your ability to absorb nutrients from food resulting in nutrient deficiencies 
• Alter sleep quality leaving you feeling foggy headed, irritable and not fully recovered in the morning to bounce out of bed or get through the day
• Increase cortisol hormone production leading to other hormone imbalances, food cravings and weight gain

What is going on in the world is of great importance, and so is your health. 

In this week’s video and blog, I’m sharing 3 tips to help you find calm in the storm of change so you can live, breathe and speak your truth in the midst of any stressful scenario.

Being able to identify the burden of stress on the body at any point in time and knowing how to take action to reduce it, is the main message I teach all of my health-coaching clients to help them become their own Health Boss and it’s one that I practice personally.

Whether that’s by taking action to:

• Eat in alignment with what your body needs
• Get adequate sleep and rest over all else
• Turn down the exercise intensity, even when your ego says “no”
• Support the body with proper supplements until it can support itself
• Notice when a situation is causing emotional or mental stress and changing course
• Reduce toxic exposures as much as possible and enhance the body’s natural detox capacity

You need strength to fight the good fight (whatever that means for you right now) or to weather the storm as an observer, and these 3 tips will help you do just that during these ever-changing times…

Consume Consciously
It’s easy to get sucked into all the information being broadcasted on social media and the news.  Before you know it, hours have gone by leaving you less time to take care of yourself in the ways that you want to and with a larger bag of emotional baggage to carry.  And to top it off, all that screen time also stimulates the release of cortisol hormone which can lead to other hormone imbalances, food cravings, disrupted sleep and weight gain.

It’s possible to stay informed without letting it derail your whole life. Be conscious of how much time you are spending consuming information.  Set healthy boundaries around information consumption time.  Pay attention to weekly screen time reports provided by your devices or download an app to keep track and remind you when time is up. 

Sleep On It
Sleep is more valuable than diet and exercise when it comes to your health.  Poor sleep will quickly cancel out your exercise and healthy eating efforts because without quality sleep during the right times, your body can’t fully recover at night to make the most of your healthy choices.  

When you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to be irritable, make hasty judgements, get angry, crave foods and make poor choices.

Make a commitment to turn off the lights and be asleep by 10pm so you can wake up feeling rested, focused and motivated to get your message out, to take care of yourself and your loved ones. 

Check Yourself
We’ve become a generation of living zombies, roaming through life on autopilot numb to what is going on around us or inside of us and in my opinion this is a BIG reason why we are where we are today as humankind and when it comes to poor health.  

Check in with yourself daily to see what YOU need.  Maybe it’s a good cry, to let go of anger by screaming at the top of your lungs, a hug, a nap, something to eat because you didn’t realize you were starving or a moment of silence to gather your thoughts. 

Bottled-up emotions and ignored needs are a breeding ground for disease and dysfunction.  

The best way to care for others is to first care for yourself.  Because when you care for yourself you can show up bigger, brighter and better for others.

I will humbly admit I have been fairly silent in the wake of events following George Floyd’s death. Not because I didn’t want to speak up, but because I didn’t know what to say and quite honestly I’ve been just taking it all in and trying to understand how I could do better and use my voice while supporting my health at the same time. 

The truth is, I’ve been ignorant to the depths of inequality that still exists.  The statistics and reports I have seen in the past week or so have been outraging. 

It’s easy to turn a blind eye when it doesn’t directly affect you, but that doesn’t make it right; so I am committed to no longer doing it to the best of my ability.

In order to stay awake to what is going on in the world, I will continue to support my health so I can have the strength to be present, to live, breathe and speak my truth to enact change.

I hope in some way this encourages you to do the same.

Memorial day is the unofficial start of summer but is your body feeling summer-ready?

Summer is supposed to be carefree, fun and full of adventure!

If a little extra fluff around the middle or belly bloat has you feeling down, insecure or uncomfortable in your own skin then I’ve got you covered.

The Summer Solstice is officially the start to summer and it’s just around the corner so there’s still time for you to get a flat stomach so you can wear your summer wardrobe carefree.

And it doesn’t require counting calories, crash dieting or spending hours at the gym.  

Because the fact of the matter is, belly fat or bloating is NOT always from eating too much and exercising too little.  In fact, calories-in versus calories-out is a dying school of thought.

I previously wrote a calorie counting blog showing just how broken the calorie-counting and crash-dieting approach is.  In fact, cutting calories and crash dieting can actually cause weight gain long-term.

Everywhere you turn you’ll see all kinds of marketing, promotional products and advertising geared towards the calories-in versus calories-out method for weight-loss and finding that flat stomach.

And yet, people still struggle to lose or regulate weight, even when they’ve tried almost every diet and exercise routine out there.

And what about the people who have stick-skinny arms and legs but are round in the middle – what’s their story?

What’s up with that belly fat or bloating that just won’t budge?!

The accumulation of fat, particularly around the midsection, and bloating is way more complex than what is portrayed in mainstream health.

Calories and exercise actually play a small role in your overall health with all things considered.  In some cases, eating “healthy” and exercising can even contribute to fat accumulation and bloating. 

The biggest contributors to pudgy tummy and bloating are:

1. Inflammation
2. Digestive upset
3. Stress

In this week’s video and blog, I give you 3 steps to getting a flat stomach instantly so you can feel comfortable in your own skin and have carefree fun all summer long!

As I said before, calories aren’t the culprit but what you’re eating could be.  

The first two steps to a flat stomach do involve your diet as it relates to inflammation and digestive upset which alone can cause bloating but also contribute to inflammation. 

When I work with clients, figuring out what foods are right for their body so it can function at its potential is the first thing we focus on.  And as a result they always immediately notice a reduction in their waistline and an increase in energy. 

Step #1 is to avoid inflammatory foods.  

You are unique therefore the foods that cause inflammation for you would be unique too.  Doing a food sensitivity test is the best way to pinpoint foods that aren’t doing you justice. 

But there are some foods out there that are inflammatory for everyone and should be avoided based on their molecular structure, how they interact with the body and the load of toxins they contain.

The top inflammatory foods for everyone, regardless of a sensitivity, to avoid are:

1. Gluten
2. Dairy
3. Sugar
4. Soy

Cutting these foods out completely will quickly get you one step closer to that flat stomach for summer.  Keep in mind it can take a few days to get these toxic and inflammatory foods out of your system completely, but once you do you’ll definitely notice a difference!

Step #2 is to eat the right ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body.

Eating the wrong ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body can cause digestive upset leading to bloating and inflammation resulting in that spare tire feel.  Plus, this could be a big source of your energy and sleep struggles which don’t help your flat stomach game either. 

When you eat the right ratios you can avoid digestive upset, boost your energy and ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to achieve your health goals. 

So how do you know what the right ratios are?  Lucky for you I’ve put together a food and body language log to help you figure this out and dial it in.

Click here to get the log and lock in your ratios for a flat stomach. 

Step #3 is to de-stress, especially around meal time.

Stress in general can lead to a pudgy tummy, and especially stress around meal times.

Stress of any kind triggers your body to release the hormone cortisol, and too much cortisol causes your body to deposit fat right where you don’t want it, around your midsection.  

And if you’re eating while stressed then you can’t adequately digest your food resulting in that uncomfortable belly bloat, food cravings and low energy.  

Stress de-activates the digestive system as your body’s way of conserving resources to deal with the stressor, which is a brilliant mechanism if there was a true threat trigger you needed your fight or flight response for, but even low-grade stress from watching the news, sitting in traffic or having a tough conversation with a loved one sends your body into stress fighting action.

The cool thing is that you can turn off the stress response to aid in digestion, banish bloating and flatten your stomach just as quickly as it was activated.  All you have to do is adopt the deep, rhythmic breathing patterns of a relaxed person and voila!

To do this…

Inhale for the count of 5 seconds
Hold for the count of 5 seconds
Exhale for the count of 7 seconds

And repeat 5-10 times. 

Do these 3 steps and I promise your stomach will look and feel flatter in less than a week!

And keep doing them to look and feel your best for the long run

Remember, you don’t have to count a single calorie or run yourself into the ground working out to get the results you’re looking for.  There are many pieces to the puzzle to consider. 

If you’d like to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources so you can find the missing pieces to your health puzzle and get back to feeling like yourself again, click here to schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session.