What a 72-hour fast taught me…
Fasting has been getting a lot of press lately with the rise in popularity of the Keto diet which has shed light on the benefits of intermittent and prolonged fasting regiments.
In general, fasting can have a wide range of health benefits such as:
- Balancing blood sugar
- Promoting weight loss
- Reducing inflammation
- Regulating hormones that signal for hunger
- Healing the intestinal lining (leaky gut)
- And decomposing damaged cells and generating new ones (this is absolutely fascinating biology, geek out more on it here)
Fasting has been used for ages in eastern medicine philosophies to help reverse or prevent health conditions such as cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
If we think about fasting from a primal or ancestral standpoint, it has been around basically since the beginning of mankind. As hunter-gatherers, our primitive ancestors frequently went without food for periods of time in between successful hunting trips and during times of famine when food sources were low or hard to come by. They didn’t have the luxuries of fast food drive-thrus on almost every corner or food at their fingertips like we do today.
WARNING:
Fasting is NOT right for everyone. Before attempting to fast, you should consult with your health professional about known, or unknown, health conditions that might be contraindicated.
Fasting may not be right for you if:
- Have existing hormone imbalances (thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, etc.)
- Currently suffer with sleep issues
- Have underlying vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Your liver is already sluggish or overloaded
- Have heavy metals or other toxins built up in your body
- Avoid salt or don’t eat enough of it
However, even with some of these contraindications, you can still give fasting a try IF you do the right lab testing to understand what is going on in your body and then take action to best support it while fasting.
I decided to do a 72-hour fast as a way to heal my gut.
Fasting is one of the most effective ways to reset your gut health, to heal leaky gut and improve digestion. When given a break from digesting, the cells of your gut regenerate and produce a whole new lining within 3 days!
I’ve made a LOT of progress in the gut healing department over the years but I’d never tried fasting before in order to fully restore my gut.
I made the decision to try it ONLY after I confirmed my body was in a healthy place to thrive while fasting. I knew my body could finally handle a 72-hour fast when:
I was able to go prolonged periods of time without food while maintaining a high level of energy, indicating my body was “fat-adapted” (able to tap into fat stores for fuel easily).
My thyroid and other hormone tests consistently came back in optimal functional ranges.
I was consistently sleeping well through the night, had drastically reduced other variables of stress in my life and had a solid self-care regiment in place.
I felt 100% like myself on the regular – energetic, at home in my body and strong inside and out.
The physical results of my fast were amazing. I felt lighter, leaner and cleaner on the inside.
But what was most surprising was what I learned about my body and myself over the course of the 72-hours…
In this week’s video and blog, I’ll share exactly what 72-hours of fasting taught me and the insights you can gain about your health from my experience too.
If you’ve ever struggled with your weight, energy or any kind of health issues like me, then you know what it feels like to lose faith and trust in your body; and even if you come back from it, fear about losing it all again can still be constantly running in the background of your mind.
Aside from the physical benefits I got from fasting, it also helped me develop a healthier mindset, a relationship with my body and to finally get over the fear of losing it all again.
Here’s the priceless wisdom I gained from my experience with fasting…
Trust
Before starting the 72-hour fast, I asked my body to trust me. To trust that I wouldn’t push my limits and deplete myself like I had done in the past, and that I would abort the mission if my health or wellbeing suffered at any point in time.
I had to trust that my body was capable and healthy enough to handle a fast going into it. And coming out of it, I have more trust in my body than I’ve had in my entire life. We are truly best friends once again.
Resiliency
With a history of autoimmune disease (Hashimotos), a sluggish thyroid, other hormone imbalances and issues related to toxic mold, I’ve always questioned whether my body would fully bounce back to where it used to be; if I would ever get my physical strength back, be able to eat certain foods again without issues, have unlimited energy and be my 137 pound confident inside and out self again.
Well, I did.
Being able to do a 72-hour fast showed me just how resilient my body is because I couldn’t have done it without feeling all of these things! I proved by body is resilient enough to come back from whatever crisis I might face with my health or in life.
Faith
Faith is waking up still believing something will happen even if it didn’t the day before. Holding onto faith throughout my health journey hasn’t always been easy. You don’t always know how or when the results will come, but believing in the possibility and having faith is what matters. It’s what keeps you going.
Giving up crossed my mind countless times, but that would have meant having to settle for something less than what I deserved or desired so I held onto faith.
And as a result of having faith, here I am. In the best shape and health of my life, having completed a 72-hour fast as a result of being in such good health and using it as a tool to take my health to the next level.
So here’s what I hope you gain from my experience too…
- Understanding that health is as much of a mindset as it physical #healthisamindset
- Your body is capable or more than you could ever imagine so hold the space for that
- Believe in the impossible and have patience because there is a solution for you too
With the right lab tests and resources it is possible to find the missing pieces of your health puzzle, to actually fix what is wrong and finally get back to feeling like yourself again (or for the very first time)!
For more daily inspiration and motivation like this, follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Last chance to participate [ends Sept. 30th]
Time is ticking for you to participate in my Tackle the Toxins Challenge and win a FREE DUTCH Hormone Test and Consultation with me ($750+ value)!!!
Many of the chemicals found in personal care products have been classified as carcinogens – meaning they cause cancer, or as endocrine disruptors – meaning they disrupt hormones and can lead to infertility issues (in both men and women), painful or irregular periods, more intense PMS symptoms, acne, headaches, night sweats, low energy, insomnia, hyper or hypothyroidism, autoimmunity and much more.
I know it can be tough to give up your old reliable personal care products. Once upon a time, I decided to break up with my M.A.C. cosmetics, Aveda haircare and big brand labels, too, in order to support my health on a greater level.
It took time to find the right replacements and alternative brands that I could trust. Now, I have a completely non-toxic line of beauty, skin and hair products that I love.
This is why I’m challenging you to “Tackle the Toxins” in your personal care products and incentivizing you to do it!
By transitioning your personal care products to non-toxic brands and minimizing the toxic load on your body, you can start to reverse any existing health issues, improve your energy, lose weight and get back to feeling like yourself again!
Here’s how the challenge works…
For each non-toxic BeautyCounter product you purchase (to replace something toxic that you’re using) using my link through September 30th, you will receive one entry into a raffle to win a DUTCH Complete Hormone Test, plus a 90-minute results review and recommendation session with me ($750+ value).
The DUTCH test is one of the most comprehensive sex hormone and adrenal test on the market for understanding what is happening in the body as it relates to hormone balance, losing weight, getting your energy back and feeling like yourself again.
This test has all of the critical markers to truly evaluate your adrenal function and hormone balance including:
- DHEA-S, Daily Free Cortisol and Cortisone Patterns
- Testosterone, DHT, DHEA (PLUS their androgens and metabolites)
- Estrogen and Progesterone (PLUS their metabolites and pathways)
- Melatonin, Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepi/Epinephrine and Oxidative Stress
- And nutritional elements related to hormones such as Glutathione, B12 and B6
With the test, you’ll also get an in-depth 90-minute results review session with me to go over your results and personalized diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction and supplement recommendations for you to improve or maintain your adrenal and hormone health so you can finally shed the weight and feel great in your body again!
Just to recap…here’s how the challenge works…
For each non-toxic BeautyCounter product you purchase (to replace something toxic that you’re using) using my link through September 30th, you will receive one entry into a raffle to win a DUTCH Complete Hormone Test, plus a 90-minute results review and recommendation session with me ($750+ value).
- Buy one product = 1 raffle entry
- Buy three products = 3 raffle entries
- Buy five products = 5 raffle entries!
It’s that simple!
I selected BeautyCounter’s products as part of this Tackle the Toxins Challenge for a number of reasons…
- Out of all the non-toxic brands I’ve tried, I love the quality and consistency of BeautyCounter’s the most.
- From an ethical standpoint, they are a brand I can get behind; they advocate for stricter product guidelines, give back to the community and are a certified B-Corp.
- Their ingredient list is the strictest one in the industry and they are fully transparent about it.
- They require certificates of purity from their partners and require them to use non-GMO and non-toxic materials.
- Every product is tested every 3 months at a minimum, and every single batch of color cosmetics is tested for hidden heavy metals.
Some of my personal favorite BeautyCounter products include:
- No. 1 Brightening Facial (and the balancing one)
- Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation Linen
- All eye shadows and powder blushes
- Touch Up Skin Concealer Pen
- Nourishing Cream Cleanser
- Rejuvenating Face Cleanser
- Nourishing Day Cream
- Charcoal Face Mask
- Eye Liner Pencil
- And Bronzer
They have a ton of great kids’ and men’s products too!
The more non-toxic BeautyCounter products you purchase to replace your old and toxic ones, the greater your chances of winning!
To participate in the challenge and for a chance to win, purchase your non-toxic BeautyCounter products here by September 30th.
Glyphosate found guilty…
Did you hear?
Glyphosate was recently found guilty by a California jury for causing cancer in a school groundskeeper, who was repeatedly exposed to it in his line of work.
Glyphosate is the primary ingredient found in a pesticide known as Roundup, made by Monsanto, and it’s the most heavily used pesticide in the U.S.
The good news is…
This verdict was a big win in relation to raising awareness around how pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals deemed to be “safe” are actually harmful to our health.
The bad news is…
Every year more than 250 millions pounds of Roundup are used on conventionally grown U.S. crops and in other places around the world. As a result, Glyphosate has been found in all levels of the food chain including water, plants, animals and even in humans.
It has even been found in some organic foods due to water run off and cross contamination.
As a chemical, Glyphosate has been classified as a carcinogen, meaning it causes cancer, and as an endocrine disruptor, meaning it disrupts the glands that produce hormones, that convert hormones and keep them in balance.
Glyphosate was introduced back in the 1970’s and it’s just one of over 120,000+ chemicals that have been introduced in our environment since World War II, most of which haven’t been studied long enough to even know what the long-term impacts are on our health.
In this modern day world, our bodies are facing the largest toxic burden ever known to humankind. Before now, there has never been a time in human existence when so many chemicals existed.
As chemical production and use has increased over the years, we have also seen a steady rise in chemical related health disorders such as:
- Cancer
- Infertility
- Hormone imbalances
- Autoimmune conditions
- Seasonal allergies, colds and flus
- Brain fog and dementia-like conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome and general digestive upset
Everywhere you turn, toxins and chemicals are lurking. In your water, food, air, furniture, personal care and cleaning products.
But we can’t live in a bubble, so what can we do to support our body during these burdensome times?
In this week’s video and blog, I break down exactly what the toxins are doing to your body and how you can offset your exposure to them.
Let’s first explore exactly what toxic chemicals can do to your body using Glyphosate as an example…
It can immobilize certain nutrients and alter the nutritional makeup of the treated crop, meaning you won’t really get any vitamins, minerals or other nutrients from food exposed to Glyphosate.
It decreases the availability of essential amino acids (aka protein building blocks) needed to maintain muscle mass and rebuild cells that the body can only get from food sources.
It contributes to imbalances with good and bad gut bacteria leading to leaky gut, various food allergies or sensitivities.
It increases inflammation, which overloads the immune system rendering it too weak to fight off the common allergies, cold and flu viruses.
It shuts down detoxifying enzymes in the body, and therefore enhances the damaging impacts of other food-borne chemical residues or environmental toxins, and burdens the liver.
It promotes the creation of ammonia in the body which can lead to brain inflammation which has been associated with autism, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and other cognitive impairments.
And some studies have also shown how Glyphosate disrupts progesterone production, negatively impacts female egg availability and development, alters estrogen levels promoting breast cancer, and disturbs overall steroid hormone balance.
Ugh. It seems overwhelmingly bad, I know, but there is hope. There is a lot you can do to reduce the impacts that Glyphosate and other chemicals have on your body.
To reduce exposure and the damaging effects of Glyphosate (and other pesticides or herbicides) you can:
- Eat organic and non-GMO foods as much as possible
- Drink and cook with only filtered water
- Take a daily liver support supplement
- Avoid food crops most commonly contaminated with glyphosate (even if organic) such as corn, soybean, wheat, barley, rye and beans
Even small exposures to toxins and chemicals have a large impact on your overall health and can contribute to weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive upset, autoimmune issues, hormone imbalances and much more.
Taking action to reduce toxic exposures as much as possible will result in long-lasting positive effects on your health and wellbeing.
If you’ve been eating healthy, exercising and “doing all of the right things” will little to no weight loss or health improvements, then toxins such as Glyphosate might be tripping you up, causing hormone imbalances, leaky gut and overwhelming the immune system, and keeping you from getting results.
This is why I’m challenging you to Tackle the Toxins this month!
The challenge is going on now through September 30th, to encourage you to take control of toxins where you can and swap out some of your potentially toxic personal care products for non-toxic health-friendly ones to promote hormone balance, a healthy gut and liver, and to prevent future diseases such as cancer.
Here’s how the challenge works…
For each non-toxic BeautyCounter product you purchase (to replace something toxic that you’re using) using my link through September 30th, you will receive one entry into a raffle to win a DUTCH Complete Hormone Test, plus a 90-minute results review and recommendation session with me ($750+ value).
Buy one product = 1 raffle entry
Buy three products = 3 raffle entries
Buy five products = 5 raffle entries!
To participate and for a chance to win, purchase your non-toxic BeautyCounter products here by September 30th.
#TBT My One Big Message
It’s time for another Throwback Thursday blog!
But before you jump into the blog, I wanted to remind you about my Tackle the Toxins Challenge!
The challenge is going on now through September 30th, to encourage you to swap out some of your potentially toxic personal care products for non-toxic health-friendly ones to promote hormone balance, a healthy gut and liver, and to prevent future diseases such as cancer.
Here’s how the challenge works…
For each non-toxic BeautyCounter product you purchase (to replace something toxic that you’re using) using my link through September 30th, you will receive one entry into a raffle to win a DUTCH Complete Hormone Test, plus a 90-minute results review and recommendation session with me ($750+ value).
Buy one product = 1 raffle entry
Buy three products = 3 raffle entries
Buy five products = 5 raffle entries!
To participate and for a chance to win, purchase your non-toxic BeautyCounter products here by September 30th.
The challenge is directly related to what I talk about in this week’s #TBT blog 🙂
Ok, now on to the most important thing I want you to know in order to achieve or support your ideal health and weight…
***
You hear me cover a lot of different types of topics in my weekly emails and blog – everything from the latest science about hormone testing and diet to sleep, exercise, meditation and spirituality.
It may not always seem as if these topics have anything in common, but they do. They are all addressing different types of stress that we encounter throughout our day and how to combat it.
Stress isn’t just the mental or emotional stress that we initially think of in relation to work, relationships or traumatic events. Stress is much more than that.
Stress is anything that places a burden on the body.
Whether it’s inflammatory foods such as gluten, not getting adequate rest or sleep, under exercising or over exercising when your body is already fatigued, toxins in your environment, or physical ailments from misalignments in bones and muscles – it all equates to stress on the body.
When I went through my Functional Diagnostic Nutrition training program, we were taught to identify H.I.D.D.E.N. stressors, or malfunctions in the…
- Hormone
- Immune
- Digestion
- Detoxification
- Energy Production
- Nervous System
Looking at these different systems of the body and recognizing malfunction help me to also identify healing opportunities.
But in order to help someone heal and restore health to these systems of the body, I have to know what is causing the malfunction in the first place – stress.
To alleviate stress, I guide my clients in “coaching down contributors to stress, and coaching up function of the body” as my mentor Reed Davis says.
In all of the blogging and work that I do, my one big message for you is…
“I want you to be able to recognize the burden of stress on your body at any point in time and to know what to do about it in order to achieve your ideal health.”
Having a better understanding of what is contributing to a stress burden on your body leading to dysfunction, and taking action to minimize the stress is the secret to optimal health that we are all looking for.
In this week’s video and blog, I talk more about the different types of stressors, how to coach down the contributors and coach up function.
Our bodies are a miracle in and of themselves if you think about all that they do for us on a daily basis with little to no effort on our part: pumping blood and oxygen, breaking down and rebuilding cells, breathing, and giving us the ability to be mobile.
What we don’t realize is that those daily functions require a lot of work and energy from our body already, so we tend to pile on additional tasks, toxins and responsibilities that force our body to work harder.
Our body will essentially do anything we ask it to, but that doesn’t mean we should.
It’s rare that your body will tell you ‘no.’ It will climb to the peak of mountain tops, work through the night to meet a deadline for us and eat almost anything we feed it. But that doesn’t mean we should ask it do those things, especially if it’s already burdened with H.I.D.D.E.N. stressors that we can’t see or aren’t aware of.
Know that stress can be…
- The inflammatory or pesticide laden foods in our diet
- Eating foods that are not in alignment with our nutritional needs
- Staying up late at night consistently or not getting enough sleep
- Exercising at a high intensity or for long durations when the body is tired
- Perceived mental or emotional stress from work, relationships and traumatic events
- Lack of nutrients in the body for functions to actually take place
- Toxins in our environment which burden the liver, alter cells and disrupt hormones
- And there are many more
For the longest time, exercise was actually one of my biggest stressors. As a naturally active individual with a personal training background, exercising was not only a passion but something I was intrinsically driven to do. I was constantly pushing my body to do more, get stronger or go longer.
A huge turning point leading to my remission with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune thyroid disorder) was turning down the volume on my workout routine a lot, to relieve an unnecessary stress I was placing on my body and allow it to heal. As soon as I cut back on lifting weights and running, and focused more on walking and yoga, my body started to heal more rapidly.
I look back now and I can see many points in my life where I pushed way too hard when it came to exercise. I vividly remember running my first marathon and at mile 22 my body simply refused to keep running, but I kept pushing- an obvious moment in time when the burden of stress on my body was high and likely contributed to dysfunction that I probably never fully recovered from. Now I know better and I would never put my body in that position again.
If I go to bed late, get a crappy night of sleep, cheat on my diet, am traveling or doing anything else that might create extra stress on my body, I’m very mindful about striking a balance by doing things such as skipping my usual workout for something that is more restorative, going to bed early the next day and taking a full weekend to eat healthy and rest.
Using functional lab testing, I’m able to help clients see where dysfunction exists in the hormone, immune, digestive, detoxification, energy production and nervous system BUT the bigger question is what do you do about it.
The secret to restoring balance and health is working towards eliminating the things that are causing stress on the body and giving it the support it needs to function at a higher level.
Just fixing your diet won’t do it. It’s one aspect of healing but not the catch-all solution most hope it would be.
Coaching up function in the body and achieving optimal health requires a multifaceted approach, one that involves:
- Diet
- Rest
- Exercise
- Stress Reduction (of all kinds)
- And Supplementation to support and restore bodily functions while you eliminate the stressors
I have found in my many years of doing this work that the mindset and spirituality components are just as critical as any of the physiological and science aspects. One will only be able to reach a limited level of optimal health without incorporating both and addressing all the burdens of potential stress.
Rebuilding the relationship with your body, taking responsibility and treating it with respect will help you forge forward in optimizing your health. If you don’t change your mindset and the relationship with your body, you’ll continue to beat it down and run into a wall with your health.
So I’ll leave you with this… think about how much stress is on your body at this moment in time as you are reading this blog…
Are there toxins in your environment that you can’t see, hear or feel?
Did you get a crappy night’s sleep?
What was the last thing you ate and was it nutritious or not?
Did your force yourself to work out today or push too hard?
Are you stressed at work or in your relationships?
What else might be contributing to a burden of stress in your life?
Remember to weigh your stress burden regularly and then you can quickly take action to reduce it before it reduces your health.
***
The average adult uses 9 or more personal care products each day, exposing themselves to over 126 unique chemical ingredients – that’s a huge burden of daily stress on the body!
Reduce your body’s daily burden by swapping out your toxic personal care products and participating in my Tackle the Toxins Challenge!
To participate and for a chance to win, purchase your non-toxic BeautyCounter products here by September 30th.
P.S. To access the Activate And Upgrade Your Autoimmune Healing webinar replay that I mention in the video go here
Regardless of whether you have an autoimmune issue or not, this webinar replay can help you to up-level your health. In the webinar, Molly Hamill and I will share best practices that we use on ourselves and with our clients to identify stress on the body, how to take responsibility for it, and how to take action to promote healing.
Tackle-The-Toxins Challenge!
Did you know that average adult uses 9 or more personal care products each day, exposing themselves to over 126 unique chemical ingredients?
Have you ever checked your personal care products to see how many chemicals you might be exposing yourself to on a daily basis?
Even small doses of chemical exposures can cause symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, light sensitivity, hormone imbalances and fatigue.
Many of the chemicals found in personal care products have been classified as carcinogens, meaning they cause cancer, or as endocrine disruptors, meaning they disrupt hormones and can lead to infertility issues (in both men and women), painful or irregular periods, more intense PMS symptoms, acne, headaches, night sweats, low energy, insomnia, hyper or hypothyroidism, autoimmunity and much more.
I know it can be tough to give up your old reliable personal care products. Once upon a time, I decided to break up with my M.A.C. cosmetics, Aveda haircare and big brand labels, too, in order to support my health on a greater level.
It took time to find the right replacements and alternative brands that I could trust. Now, I have a completely non-toxic line of beauty, skin and hair products that I love.
This is why I’m challenging you to “Tackle the Toxins” in your personal care products and incentivizing you to do it!
By transitioning your personal care products to non-toxic brands and minimizing the toxic load on your body, you can start to reverse any existing health issues and promote preventing them in the future.
Here’s how the challenge works…
For each non-toxic BeautyCounter product you purchase (to replace something toxic that you’re using) through September 30th, you will receive one entry into a raffle to win a DUTCH Complete Hormone Test, plus a 90-minute results review and recommendation session with me ($750+ value).
Buy one product = 1 raffle entry
Buy three products = 3 raffle entries
Buy five products = 5 raffle entries!
It’s that simple!
I selected BeautyCounter’s products as part of this Tackle the Toxins Challenge for a number of reasons…
- Out of all the non-toxic brands I’ve tried, I love the quality and consistency of BeautyCounter’s the most.
- From an ethical standpoint, they are a brand I can get behind; they advocate for stricter product guidelines, give back to the community and are a certified B-Corp.
- Their ingredient list is the strictest one in the industry and they are fully transparent about it.
- They require certificates of purity from their partners and require them to use non-GMO and non-toxic materials.
- Every product is tested every 3 months at a minimum and every single batch of color cosmetics is tested for hidden heavy metals.
Some of my personal favorite BeautyCounter products include:
- No. 1 Brightening Facial (and the balancing one)
- Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation Linen
- All eye shadows and powder blushes
- Touch Up Skin Concealer Pen
- Nourishing Cream Cleanser
- Rejuvenating Face Cleanser
- Nourishing Day Cream
- Charcoal Face Mask
- Eye Liner Pencil
- And Bronzer
They have a ton of great kid’s and men’s products too!
Now, you might be wondering, what is so great about the DUTCH Complete Hormone Test giveaway?
The DUTCH test is one of the most comprehensive sex hormone and adrenal test on the market for understanding what is happening in the body as it relates to hormone balance.
This test has all of the critical markers to truly evaluate your adrenal function and hormone balance including:
- DHEA-S, Daily Free Cortisol and Cortisone Patterns
- Testosterone, DHT, DHEA (PLUS their androgens and metabolites)
- Estrogen and Progesterone (PLUS their metabolites and pathways)
- Melatonin, Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepi/Epinephrine and Oxidative Stress
- And nutritional elements related to hormones such as Glutathione, B12 and B6
Along with the test, you’ll also get to meet with me via phone or video call for an in-depth 90-minute results review session to go over your results and my personalized recommendations for you in regards to diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction and supplements to improve or maintain your cortisol and hormone health!
All you have to do to win is Tackle the Toxins in your personal care products!
The more non-toxic BeautyCounter products you purchase to replace your old and toxic ones, the greater your chances of winning!
To participate in the challenge and for a chance to win, purchase your non-toxic BeautyCounter products here by September 30th.
To learn more about the toxins that might be lurking your personal care products, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database…
And this exclusive webinar I recently did for my clients about Clean Personal Care Products. Access the webinar here.
Let me know if you have questions about what toxins might be lurking in your products and which alternative non-toxic ones you might want to try!
What your forehead says about your health…
I’ll never forget the day I wore my hair pulled back with a headband and my coworker called me out for having a big forehead.
I had been self-conscious about it before, but that day made me feel ultra self-conscious moving forward. My dreams of growing out my bangs for more long, luscious locks around my face and less work in the hairstyling department quickly vanished.
At the time, I had no idea how insightful my forehead would be about my health.
Sometimes what we take for granted or hate most about our bodies can hold the most valuable clues about our health.
For example, the extra weight you might have put on around the middle can be a big clue for blood sugar imbalances, toxic exposures, chronic stress and cortisol hormone dysfunction.
Or weight gain in your “lady parts” (aka breast, hips and butt) strongly correlates with excess estrogen circulating in the body, which can be true for both women and men.
And early signs of gray hair is linked to high stress and low levels of glutathione in the body, which is the body’s master antioxidant and detoxification nutrient.
When is comes to your ideal health and weight, your body holds all of the answers.
Western medicine takes more of a “let’s stop the issue” and take this pill for that approach instead of checking in with the body to understand where it’s coming from or what is causing it.
That’s why it’s so common to get prescribed a medication, such as birth control for acne, only to have it partially resolve the issue and for something new to pop up. It’s like chasing holes in a sinking boat!
This western approach works perfectly in acute and serious situations such as car accidents or catastrophic events when measures need to be taken immediately to stop the bleeding and save a limb or life. But they aren’t effective for the common chronic health and weight issues that most of us face on a daily basis.
We could spend hours breaking down all of your body parts and what clues they hold about your health. Correlating body parts with symptoms and nerve meridians have been a main focus in eastern medicine practices such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries.
For today, let’s just focus on the little nuggets about your health that your forehead might have to share
In this week’s video and blog, I share 3 super clues that your forehead might be holding about your health and what you can do with the information.
These 3 clues will give you insights about your digestion, liver and detox capacity, hormonal balance and thyroid function.
Super Clue #1 – Metabolism & Thyroid Function
I first learned about the forehead’s correlation with your health status when I started studying thyroid conditions on a deeper level.
Hair loss in the “widow’s peak” area of the hairline or forehead points to a sluggish thyroid usually indicating hypothyroidism or Hashimotos.
Missing the outer 3rd portion of your eyebrows (also in the forehead region) is another strong clue indicating low thyroid function that should be investigated.
Super Clue #2 – Digestion & Gluten Sensitivity
I was fascinated when I heard Dr. Tom O’Bryan (one of the pioneers in gluten sensitivity research) quote a study that connected the dots between the size of your forehead and your susceptibility for gluten sensitivity.
In the study, they found that a large forehead directly correlates with having Celiac’s disease and/or gluten sensitivity, so much so that the study stated, “This sign along with the presence of other clinical signs and symptoms, should alert a physician to test a patient for celiac disease.”
I had cut out gluten long before hearing this, and I was never diagnosed as being Celiac, but after hearing this is all made sense. I had a large forehead indication and increased sensitivity or potential autoimmunity related to gluten, and that’s why I felt so much better with gluten out of my life.
Super Clue #3 – Liver & Detoxification
You may have heard the old-wise tale about how acne in specific areas of the face can correlate with your diet, stress, dirty hands and allergic reactions.
Well there’s actually some truth to this.
According to the nerve meridians used in eastern medicine, the area of your forehead is linked to your major detoxification organs such as you liver, gallbladder, kidneys and bladder.
Acne on your forehead can indicate a back-up in your body’s ability to detox and process toxins or excess hormones, such as estrogen, adequately.
When I was in the throws of healing Hashimotos, detoxing from toxic mold and estrogen dominance I had forehead acne for the first time in my life.
And even more interesting, on an emotional level forehead acne can be related to anger, anxiety, fear, frustration, worry and grief!
On top of it all, all of these clues can also be connected!
In order for your thyroid to function at full steam, your digestive tract and detox organs need to be running effectively.
An inflamed digestive system from gluten sensitivity will allow more toxins into your bloodstream, leading to liver overload and then taking your thyroid down with it.
And the vicious cycle could go on and on and on.
Next time you look in the mirror, take a closer look at your forehead to see what it might be saying about your health.
If you notice any of these clues that I mentioned, you’ll want to…
- Do a food sensitivity and gluten reactivity test to verify if these are issues for you
- Test your thyroid to see if your thyroid hormones are in optimal ranges
- Boost your detox capacity with some high quality liver support supplements and naturally detoxifying food such as beets, dandelion greens and cruciferous vegetables
I’ve learned to love the size of my forehead because of the valuable insights and empowerment it’s given me about my health.
And as many of my clients and I have experienced, it may not be possible to change the size of your forehead but you can learn to appreciate the health knowledge it has to offer, and it is possible to get your thyroid, digestion and detoxification back on track so you can have your luscious hair and clear skin back.
Share this with a family member or friend who might find it useful too!
And as always, if you want to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources so you can find the missing pieces of your health puzzle and get back to feeling like yourself again, schedule an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me today here.
I went live yesterday…
I’ve basically been a high performer right out of the womb.
When I was in kindergarten, I remember getting mad at my teacher for writing my name on my paper because I knew how to write my name already when the rest of the class didn’t.
I was student body president in 6th grade. I took advanced classes in elementary, middle and high school while playing varsity sports and graduating with straight A’s.
In college I juggled a full time class schedule, internship, social life and part time job – I was “doing it all.”
And I’ve always excelled in every job I’ve had, climbing the management and career ladder quicker than most of my peers on top of throwing some of the best social gatherings and taking care of a sick mother.
Can you relate?
Now that I know what I know now about health, and how “doing it all” is what drove my hormones, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous system into the ground, I would certainly go back and do things a little differently.
It’s easy to get caught up in this fast pace millennial world pursuing success and peak performance while sacrificing your health. It almost seems expected in order to make something of yourself.
But I’m here to tell you, there is a way to have it all without sacrificing your health completely, and yesterday I went live on the Driven Millennial Summit with Mia Christina Sarno to give you tips about how you can do life differently so you can perform and preserve your health at the same time.
And you’re in luck, you can still catch my live interview for the next 24 hours!
Let me introduce you to the passionate powerhouse, Mia Christina Sarno, who is driven to change the way millennials, and those of us impacted by the millennial age, prioritize our health.
She started Firewave Wellness, a digital platform for healing, vitality, and holistic health and I totally resonate with the movement… she’s supporting people around the world in decreasing stressful habits and transforming their mindset around health to make being productive (while maintaining health) easier.
You see, Mia also experience burnout, just like I did, as a result of trying to “do it all” – getting good grades, climbing the career ladder, being strong for others and striving for the ideal body.
We both recognize how the mode of the millennial age can drive people like you and me into health catastrophes.
This summer, Mia and I collaborated to provide you with super fast and simple tips to help you keep your health at the forefront while pursuing success in your career and peak performance in your life.
As you know, I want to support you and provide valuable insight whenever I can.
Mia has started a new show, The Driven Millennial: Fast and Easy Tips for Peak Performance without Burn Out, where I and other health experts get to share our stories and passion for health in a unique format that will encourage your heart and leave you with real TOOLS FOR HEALTH.
So let me ask you…
Do you want to go down the same road Mia and I did, or would you like to take a shortcut to the successful healthier super highway?
Or would you like to re-route yourself in that direction and reverse the health issues you might already be facing?
And what would it be worth for you to get better performance in your career, family, life? Even 1 take-away can change the way you perceive health. It’s that easy.
You can get access to the Fast and Easy Tips for Peak Performance Without Burnout show here
You can do all the diet and exercising in the world, but if you’re still operating from a millennial state of mind, as we all are guilty of doing sometimes, then getting results and improving your health will be harder than you’d like.
Just hit the easy button and listen to the tips that Mia and I have collaborated on for you 🙂
Let’s try something new together…
How often do you hear or say the phrase… “it must be a millennial thing”?
Whether you’re a millennial or not, your health has been impacted by the technology and social advancements of the millennial age.
Let me ask you a few questions…
- Would you like to do more faster, with more peace?
- Would you like to have the time to actually accomplish all the things you want to do?
- Would you like to have the energy to jump out of bed, EXCITED for the day ahead?
If you said yes to any of these then you’re suffering from the impacts of the millennial age, even if you aren’t a millennial, and there’s a very important person you need to meet.
Let me introduce you to a passionate powerhouse, Mia Christina Sarno, who is driven to change the way millennials, and those of us impacted by the millennial age, prioritize our health.
She started Firewave Wellness, a digital platform for healing, vitality, and holistic health and I totally resonate with the movement… she’s supporting people around the world in decreasing stressful habits and transforming their mindset around health to make being productive (while maintaining health) easier.
You see, Mia also experience burnout, just like I did, as a result of trying to “do it all” – getting good grades, climbing the career ladder, being strong for others and striving for the ideal body.
We both recognize how the mode of the millennial age can drive people like you and me into health catastrophes.
This summer, Mia and I collaborated to provide you with super fast and simple tips to help you keep your health at the forefront while pursuing success in your career and peak performance in your life.
As you know, I want to support you and provide valuable insight whenever I can.
Mia has started a new show, The Driven Millennial: Fast and Easy Tips for Peak Performance without Burn Out, where I and other health experts get to share our stories and passion for health in a unique format that will encourage your heart and leave you with real TOOLS FOR HEALTH.
So let me ask you…
What would it be worth for you to get better performance in your career, family, life? Even 1 take-away can change the way you perceive health.It’s that easy.
You can get access to the Fast and Easy Tips for Peak Performance Without Burnout show here
You can do all the diet and exercising in the world, but if you’re still operating from a millennial state of mind, as we all are guilty of doing sometimes, then getting results and improving your health will be harder than you’d like.
Just hit the easy button and listen to the tips that Mia and I have collaborated on for you 🙂
Listen to this!
Podcasts are all the rage these days, and why wouldn’t they be?
They are one of the easiest ways to ingest information in the fast-paced world we live in, they help us to connect with others that we can relate to and get in touch with experts on specialized topics that pique our interest.
I’ve been honored to be a guest on some extraordinary podcasts lately with people who are doing the groundwork so that people like you can access the info you need about health, wellbeing and personal self growth so that you can feel like your best self.
In these podcasts, I’ve had a chance to share tips, tools and resources on a variety of topics.
I’ve touched on everything from lab testing, to mindset, mold, eliminating toxic exposures, the courage of ease, living confidently and how food can heal.
So this week, instead of my usual blog, I encourage you to catch all the info you can from one or more of my recent podcast appearances!
Click here to see all of my podcast appearances and listen away!
Banish bloating overnight!
What if I told you it was possible to banish bloating, boost your energy, balance your hormones, regulate your bowel movements, reduce inflammation and stress all while you were sleeping?
And that it didn’t require changing your diet, workout, sleep, daily routine, or investing in fad products, supplements and health foods.
In fact, it would only take 2 minutes of your day to help yourself get all of these amazing results.
Well, it’s true.
So true that the benefits of the health tool I’m about to tell you about can be traced all the way back to 1500 b.c. when Egyptian doctors used it.
I’m talking about good ‘ol castor oil.
Castor oil has been used medicinally for thousands of years to cure everything from constipation to heartburn, to induce labor, promote hair growth, and boost liver function.
I personally started using castor oil as part of my health routine over 7 years ago and it has been a staple in helping me to get my energy back, get my hormones on track and to keep my skin cancer and Hashimotos in remission.
The coolest thing about castor oil that it doesn’t take you much time, effort or money for it to work it’s magic.
Castor oil helps with a WIDE range of health issues such as:
- Bloating and weight loss
- PCOS and uterine fibroids
- Constipation and digestion
- Muscle or joint aches and pains
- Skin rashes/issues and hair loss
- Trouble sleeping, anxiety and depression
- Cortisol, thyroid and other hormone imbalances
And so much more!
Castor oil is so effective because it contains natural healing properties such as fatty acids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, amino acids, terpenoids and phytosterols which help to reduce inflammation, increase antioxidants, protect the liver, heal wounds and produce antimicrobial effects.
In this week’s video and blog, I share more about how you can use castor oil to banish bloating overnight and improve your overall health.
Typically castor oil is used topically in the form of a “castor oil pack” in order to soak up all of it’s healing benefits.
This involves getting yourself some wool flannel and organic castor oil in a glass bottle (so it’s toxin free) to make your castor oil “pack”, and some saran wrap to secure the pack on your body and to prevent the oil from leaking out and staining your clothes or furniture.
Or you can get a done-for-you hassle and mess free Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Pack here.
To sum up how castor oil is so effective for banishing bloating and boosting your overall health, my dear friend, naturopathic doctor, castor oil expert and Queen of Thrones founder Dr. Marisol came up with this witty acronym… FAITH.
Function.
Castor oil packs improve the function of the digestive tract by strengthening the intestinal barrier (aka healing leaky gut) which improves absorption of nutrients. Plus castor oil packs help to regulate bowel movements which help you eliminate unwanted toxins, and excess hormones.
Antioxidants.
Castor oil boosts your antioxidant status because it’s a source of Omega 6, Omega 9, vitamin E and supports prostaglandins in the body which are the end result of consuming Omega 3’s. Castor oil packs are a great way to get more antioxidants topically, through the skin, especially if you might be deficient or have digestive issues and can’t absorb them well through food sources. It also supports Glutathione production which is you master detoxification agent.
Inflammation.
Castor oil can be used to target and reduce inflammation in specific areas of the body. You can use it to reduce stomach inflammation, related to that “spare tire” effect, back pain or anywhere else that might be inflamed! Once inflammation is reduced, other processes can return to normal.
Tension.
Castor oil also triggers the creation of Oxytocin, known as your love hormone, which reduces your stress hormone cortisol and gives you a sense of stress relief and an improved sense of well being. Dopamine, your feel “good hormone”, also increases with the use of castor oil packs, all resulting in less tension and feeling more relaxed.
Host.
Lastly, castor oil helps breakdown biofilms, candida and bad bacteria that you might be hosting to ultimately reduce your body’s stress burden and improve overall health.
Essentially castor oil packs help restore faith in your body’s natural abilities 🙂
Castor oil can also be used orally for oiling pulling to improve dental hygiene and in some cases it can be ingested (but definitely check with your health practitioner before consuming it!).
The benefits of castor oil go way beyond banishing bloating for you overnight. It’s a fantastic and simple tool you can implement easily into your life to improve your results and enhance the benefits of anything else you might be doing for your health.
If you want to dive deeper into the healing benefits of castor oil, check out the recent Facebook Live video I did with Dr. Marisol, the Queen of Thrones, and one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to castor oil.
And don’t forget, you can get a done-for-you hassle and mess free Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Pack here.
