This past week I took a much needed road trip up the California coast to relax and rejuvenate my mind, body and soul.

I laughed, played, meditated and connected with myself in ways that I hadn’t in a really long time.  I spent hours hiking and driving in places where cell service and WIFI literally don’t exist even in our modern day world.

Along the way, I had a lot of time to reflect on what has transpired in my health and in my life over the years, and I was reminded of a quote by JP Spears from the Human Longevity Project Documentary…

“Maybe life loves us enough to gift us with pain, to get our attention, when we’re not calibrated with our life purpose.”

In the Human Longevity Project, as my friend and health researcher, Jason Prall traveled the world to seek answers from the planet’s healthiest people, a few things became clear…

What these extraordinary people all had in common were things like gratitude, community, connection, and a sense of purpose – all of which I got even more in touch with on my recent trip.

These things seemed even more important than diet and exercise in most cases, because even if you’re doing “all the right things” when it comes to diet and exercise, if the rest of your life isn’t aligned with your health then all of your diet and exercise efforts can go to waste.

It was these intangible aligned elements that indeed played the biggest role in why the healthiest people were so happy and healthy … even into their 90s, 100s and beyond.

And they have also played a big part in helping me to restore hormone and gut health, reverse Hashimotos and overcome mold illness over the years.

If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, you should be, so let me fill you in…

My friend Jason began his global quest 3 years ago, to pursue something he calls, The Human Longevity Project.

During this journey, Jason not only spoke to, and learned from the most vibrant and healthy people on the planet, he also sat down with the leading functional medicine minds in the health and longevity industry.

Jason’s goal was to uncover the hidden mechanisms that contributed to remarkable health.

The result is a stunningly beautiful 9-part documentary.

Best of all, you can witness this journey and soak up all of the insights Jason uncovered for free!

The Human Longevity Project was released last spring, and I just heard that this is the very last time they’re releasing this series for free.

This one-of-kind event unlocks the secrets of the world’s healthiest and longest-lived people, and is certainly one you DON’T want to miss!

The series has brought so much perspective and affirmation into my own life, and I want you to get all of the information and benefits it has to offer you too.

I’ll certainly be watching it again, will you join me?

Get FREE access to the Human Longevity Project Series here.

Did you know that 1 in 3 women are estimated to have a thyroid disorder such as hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s?

According to the American Thyroid Association, “more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition.”

Those are some alarming numbers.  You could be sitting here reading this right now and not even realize that you could be part of those statistics.

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) in cooperation with the European Thyroid Association the Asia-Oceania Thyroid Association and the Latin American Thyroid Society, celebrated World Thyroid Day this past Saturday, May 25th, in an effort to bring focused attention to “the gland” that has been related to such widespread “dis-ease” throughout the globe.

As someone who was previously diagnosed with Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disorder, and fully recovered from it, World Thyroid Day is near and dear to my heart.

And not just because I’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid condition BUT because I think about all of the people like you, who may OR may not know that you have a thyroid issue too.

In honor of spreading the word about thyroid health issues, I had the pleasure of doing a Facebook Live Video with my fellow thyroid warrior and Functional Nutrition Specialist from New Zealand, Shelley Gawith!

Check out our Facebook Live video to learn more about your thyroid!

I’ve also written a TON of blogs about thyroid health and thyroid related health issues.

Check out some of my post popular and insightful blogs about your thyroid so you can prevent or potentially reverse any thyroid issues you might encounter….

Think You Have A Thyroid Problem? Read this
I dive into detail about how having a sluggish liver can greatly impact your thyroid function and what you can do to promote optimal thyroid hormone conversion!

1 in 3 Women Have This
I share the 1st major step I took to boost my thyroid health so I could feel like myself again – medication free, and that has helped others to do the same.

It’s Time To Part Ways
More info about getting over my thyroid fears, giving up my thyroid medication crutch and the new chapter of my health journey.

My mission is to support busy, health-minded people like you in getting your hands on the right lab tests and resources so you can have a super healthy thyroid, or so you can simply get back to feeling like yourself again.

If you want to explore the missing pieces of your health puzzle on a deeper level so you can actually fix what is wrong and feel your best, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here today!

Last week I shared one of my favorite topics with you – how to find the right diet for you, so you can have your ideal health and weight, and feel like your best self.

I also shared the Food & Body Language Log tool that I’ve personally used, and that I use with all my clients, to dial in the right diet. (download the Food & Body Language Log tool here if you didn’t already)

When you’re eating the right diet AND foods for your body, naturally you will feel more uplifted, motivated, energetic and lean.

AND when you feel this way, making food choices that are in alignment with your health goals and how you want to feel becomes second nature – there’s no question or challenge about it.

So in light of last week’s conversation, here’s a Throwback Thursday blog to help you get even more clear on what foods may, or may not be right for your body.

***

Did you know there is a difference between eating healthy and eating right for your body?

Eating right for your body will include healthy foods, but not all healthy foods are right for your body.

What makes a food “healthy” anyways?

According to the dictionary, the word “healthy” means…

“in good health.: “I feel fit and healthy” “the family is the basis of any healthy society”.

So how does that apply to food then?

We tend to lump a bunch of foods under the definition of healthy – ones that we’ve been told are healthy because of certain nutritional values they hold.  “Healthy” foods tend to be: high in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and sugar, and great sources of fiber and healthy fats according to whoever makes up these standards around healthy foods.

I think most of us would agree that these foods would fall under the definition of healthy because of their nutritional value…

• Organic vegetables
• Organic fruits
• Organic meats, poultry and fish
• Organic nuts, seeds, beans and legumes

Yet, not all of the foods in these categories are right for my body and they may not be right for yours either.

Last week I was reminded of this lesson when I ate something that appeared to be healthy on the outside but wasn’t quite right for my body on the inside.

Check out the Facebook Live Video where I share my experience, the friendly reminders my body gave me and how to know what healthy foods may not be right for you…

From the outside, the food that I ate last week looked super healthy.  It had clean ingredients, it was certified gluten free, Paleo, vegan, Whole30 approved and all that jazz.

Initially after eating this apparently healthy food for dinner, I felt fine.  But the next morning was a different story. My body gave me all kinds of signs that this apparently healthy food, or combination of ingredients was not working for me.

After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2016, I started eating a modified Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet to reduce inflammation, lower my thyroid antibodies and to allow my body to heal. After about 3 months my antibodies were down, I had lost some weight, I was feeling great and I was able to reintroduce some foods I had been avoiding.

Upon reintroducing foods, I quickly realized that some of the healthy foods I used to eat, such as bell peppers, chia seeds and walnuts, didn’t agree with me, although they are “healthy”.  Over time, as my gut has healed more, I’ve been able to add certain foods back in small amounts while still feeling great BUT red bell peppers and chia seeds still aren’t my friends.

I was able to figure this out by simply paying attention to how my body responds to certain foods and by using functional lab testing to identify what foods my body needs to function at its potential.

If you feel as though you “eat healthy” but aren’t getting the results you want, have tried every diet and they don’t work, or just plain stuck when it comes to losing weight or improving your health, then it’s likely because there is a difference between eating healthy and eating right for your body.

You could be eating the healthiest foods in the world BUT if they aren’t right for you, you won’t get the results you are looking for.

To figure out what foods are right for you…

1 – Tune Into Your Body

Often we are eating on autopilot and not recognizing or connecting with how foods make us feel.  Reactions to foods can happen immediately or be delayed for as long as 72 hours. Reactions to foods can show up in various ways – not just as digestive upset.  Check in with yourself 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating a meal to assess your mood, energy and how your physical body feels. If you feel anxious, tired, bloated, gassy or just “off”, this could be a result of something you ate.

These same symptoms can also show up over the course of 3 days after eating something that doesn’t agree with you.  If I get “glutened” (secretly slipped some wheat) then I’m guaranteed to have anxiety for the next day or two.

Other signs of food reactions can also include: acne, eczema, psoriasis, irregular menstrual cycles, joint aches and pains, issues sleeping and more!  If your symptoms come and go, start tracking them along with what you ate and see what you can correlate!

2 – Test Don’t Guess

Tuning into your body to find out what foods serve you best is the key, but sometimes the signs may not be super clear.  Food sensitivity testing can pinpoint exactly what foods your body is reacting to so you can take empowered action to support your body with the foods you need.

Generally, food sensitivities are a result of having a leaky gut and they only need to be avoided for a period of time to help the gut heal.  Once your gut is in a better place, you can retest your food sensitivities to see which ones have improved for those that can be added back in, and which ones still might not be right for your body.

Don’t be fooled by “eating healthy.”

Simply eat right for your body, and take the time to understand what healthy means for you.

***

If you want help figuring out what foods ARE right for your body, OR how to heal your gut so you can enjoy some of your favorite foods again, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here today!

And don’t forget to, download my Food & Body Language Log, log 6-10 meals for food ratio feedback and then send me an email, or message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know what you discover about the right diet for you!

Do you know what diet is right for you?

Do you feel overwhelmed or confused about all the diet info circulating the internet?

Are you tired of feeling bloated, low on energy or not losing weight no matter what you eat?

Have you tried eating a Paleo, Keto, AIP, Whole30, vegan or other type of diet but didn’t get the results you were hoping for?

These are some of the same questions and frustrations my clients also have when they start working with me. The first thing we focus on in our work together is figuring out what diet is right for their body so they can feel their best, and I want to help you figure this out too.

Naturally you will feel more uplifted, motivated, energetic and lean when you’re eating a diet that is right for your body.

AND when you feel this way, making food choices that are in alignment with your health goals and how you want to feel becomes second nature – there’s no question or challenge about it.

The truth is, you are unique and therefore your diet should be too.

This concept is grossly overlooked when trying to figure out what diet is right for you, but it’s the most important one because what works for one person does not necessarily work for all.

How many times have you felt frustrated about a diet because you’ve compared yourself to others who are getting results from the same diet you’re doing, even though you’re not?

Here are some BIG reasons why your dieting efforts might not be working for you:

• You’re eating the wrong ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body
• You have not-so-obvious food sensitivities or intolerances causing inflammation
• You have underlying hormone imbalances preventing your diet from being effective
• Your digestive system is a disaster resulting in poor nutrient absorption and overall bodily function

Simply changing your diet without understanding what diet is right for you won’t help you get to the bottom of these bigger result blocking issues.

BUT when you do know what diet is right for you, it can help to resolve food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, digestive dysfunction and ultimately help you get your energy back, lose weight, sleep great and feel like yourself again.

In this week’s video and blog, I want to help you figure out what diet is right for your body so you can get back to feeling like yourself again, or for the very first time.

The number one reason why most dietary approaches don’t work for people like you, is because you’re usually eating the wrong ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body.

When you eat the wrong ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body, it can leaving you feeling:

• Tired, anxious, irritable or needing to nap
• Snacky, stomach heavy or craving sweets
• Brain foggy, wired but tired or physically full but still hungry

These are all signs that your ratios are off, your blood sugar is likely not balanced as a result, and the nutrients in the food you ate was inadequate.

Aside from the Keto diet, most dietary approaches don’t actually address the ratios of proteins, carbs or fats that you should be considering for each meal or throughout the day. And the ratios associated with Keto definitely aren’t right for everyone – especially if you have a thyroid or other type of hormone imbalance.

Most diets fall into what’s called an “elimination diet” approach; telling you what foods to avoid and what foods are considered ok.

For example, Paleo and Whole30 diets promote eating whole, unprocessed animal and plant foods, and they avoid processed foods such as sugar, dairy, grains and soy.  The Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet adds another layer of elimination to the Paleo diet by also excluding foods containing lectins such as eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and nightshade vegetables.  But all three of these diets are non-specific in regards to the ratio of protein, carbs or fats that you should eat in each meal.

Vegan or vegetarian diets are also based on elimination.  They exclude certain animal products, but don’t address food ratios.  As a vegan or vegetarian you might need a higher ratio of protein sourced from plants to feel your best, but you probably don’t hear many people talking about this.

To sum it up, an elimination diet alone won’t typically get you the results you’re looking for.  However, elimination diets do provide a great foundation to help you to figure out what diet is right for you.

Elimination diets help you to avoid foods that commonly cause inflammation such as processed foods, grains, dairy, sugar, soy or those that contain lectins.  Implementing an elimination diet to reduce inflammation means you are taking one BIG step in the right direction.

The next BIG step to figuring out what diet is right for you requires dialing in your ratios of proteins, carbs and fats so your body can get the fuel it needs to function at its potential.

When you’re eating the right ratio of protein, carbs and fats per meal you will:

• Be able to go 3-5 hours or more without feeling hungry
• Have energy for hours and feel recharged
• Think clearly, feel uplifted and be more positive

You can use the elimination diet of your choice as a guide to create a clear list of foods you can eat and those you should avoid.  Then take it one step further by customizing the ratio of protein, carbs and fats included in each meal so you can feel your best.

Figuring out your food ratios is actually pretty simple.  All you need to do is:

1. Tune into your body 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating
2. Notice how it’s responding to what you ate
3. Adjust your food ratios until you get the perfect response!

To help you figure out what ratios are right for your body, click here to get my Food & Body Language Log.

Dialing in my food ratios has been a game changer for me, and my clients too!

I would love to hear how dialing in your food ratios has been a game changer too.

Download my Food & Body Language Log, log 6-10 meals for food ratio feedback and then send me an email, or message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know what you discover about the right diet for you!

If you’re anything like me then traveling is a big part of your life whether it’s for work, vacation, or both.

I’m currently in the midst of one of my busiest travel times of the year with back to back conferences, events and of course a few personal vacays in between.

And let me tell you, my body is feeling it.

You probably don’t normally notice the true toll that traveling takes on your body because…

…if it’s work related you, tend to see it as “just part of the job” and so you continue to push through…

…and if it’s vacation related, well, then it must be all good right?

Traveling is a type of stress we just don’t typically address.

Think about it.  How many times have you come home from a trip and:

• Come down with the worst cold or flu ever
• Felt extremely exhausted even if your trip was a vacation
• Had a flare up of muscle or joint aches and pains
• Struggled to get your sleep back on track
• Noticed your weight shot up
• Or experienced a relapse in your autoimmune condition, anxiety, skin breakouts or other health issues

These are all signs of the stress your body experienced while traveling.

Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling and I would never give it up, but over the years I’ve learned to notice how it can take a toll on my body and how I can be proactive so that it doesn’t create a huge health set back for me.

Stress is anything that places a burden on your body resulting in inflammation which leads to any of the health issues you might encounter.  Stressors can include the foods you’re eating that aren’t right for your body, getting inadequate sleep, over or under exercising, emotional or physical stress, toxins that you encounter and hidden stressors such as parasites, bacteria or yeast overgrowth in the gut, hormone imbalances, liver congestion and more.

The not so obvious, but typical types of stressors you encounter when traveling are:

• Having less options for food and water quality
• Not so supportive beds or environments which negatively impact sleep quality
• Sitting for prolonged periods of time or getting less movement in general
• Dehydration from flying or not being in your normal routine
• Crossing time zones and messing with your natural hormone balance
• And an abundance of toxins circulating the air in airports and hotels

These stressors can add up quickly while traveling.  As your stress load increases, it can suppress your immune system making you more susceptible to getting sick, disrupting your natural hormone balance which drains your energy and mood, overloading your liver causing a backup of toxins in your body and destroying your gut resulting in digestive upset.

You may not have complete control over these travel time stressors BUT you can reduce their impact on your body when you take the right steps.

In this week’s video and blog, I help you identify the toll that traveling might be taking on your body and provide you with proactive tips so it doesn’t set you back.

In the game of living a healthy life, the key to your success is NOT living in a bubble and avoiding all “unhealthy” things, but the trick is learning to navigate life differently so your body and health are more supported.

As I already pointed out, there are quite a few types of stressors you are typically encountering while traveling; some might be within your control and some may not be.

Instead of stressing about finding the perfect place, food and toxin free environments while traveling, here are some simple steps that I take, and that you can take too, in order to proactively support your body and prevent any health setbacks…

Prioritize Food & Water

1. Make eating gluten- and dairy-free your #1 priority to reduce inflammatory food factors
2. Increase your water intake 1 day before and while traveling to prevent dehydration
3. Be mindful of your alcohol intake – if tired or jet lagged, opt for a mocktail instead

Sleep Soundly

1. At night set your room to 68 degrees for optimal sleep temperature
2. Cover all ambient lights such as alarm clocks, and smoke alarms, and tightly seal curtains shut (Ninja trick! Pack electrical tape to cover smoke alarm lights and place pillows against curtains to seal the cracks)
3. Get sunlight exposure upon waking up to balance your circadian rhythm

Reduce Physical Stress

1. Stretch, stretch and stretch!  Daily and intermittently on the plane for long flights
2. Opt for less intense exercise such as walking or yoga
3. Schedule a massage, acupuncture and/or chiropractic adjustment within 1 day of returning home

Decompress and Revitalize

1. Pack lavender essential oil to use anytime you need to unwind throughout your trip
2. Start and/or end your day with a cycle of deep breaths, meditation or journaling
3. Schedule some time at the spa or book a massage to relax and restore your body

Tone Down Toxins

1. Pack a travel-size salt lamp to help purify air, reduce allergens and negative ions
2. Drink purified bottled water ONLY – grab Life Water when you can and look for glass bottled water in restaurants such as Pellegrino
3. Get in touch with nature – open windows when possible, get outside daily and even put your bare feet in grass or dirt to offset toxin exposure

I love helping my coaching clients learn how to navigate life differently so they can enjoy traveling AND have their ideal health and weight at the same time.

If you’re a busy, health-minded professional who travels a ton and wants to learn how to support your body better while doing it, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here.

Traditionally, this time of year is SUPER busy for me as I head into a circuit of awesome health conferences and events such as Paleo f(x), the Mindshare Mastermind retreat and the National Association of Nutrition Professionals annual conference.

As I’m gearing up for my back-to-back weeks of travel with a million and one tasks to do, I’ve been noticing how the old sense of overwhelm from too much to do is gone. I’m not losing track of things or my mind.

I can handle stress with ease.  Nothing throws me off balance, and all because I don’t have brain fog anymore.

But that wasn’t always the case.  It wasn’t very long ago that I was suffering from brain fog; forgetting things, getting overwhelmed with too much to do, lacking creativity and simply feeling mentally tapped out.

So this week I’m bringing you a #ThrowbackThursday blog about my story of brain fog, and what I’ve done to get my mind and sanity back so you can too if you’re dealing with brain fog also.  Enjoy!

***

I never would have said I had brain fog, not until now at least.

Brain fog is a term that is not typically recognized by most traditional health professionals, yet it is extremely prevalent.

It’s a phrase that basically sums up a collection of symptoms or feelings that can include:

• Forgetfulness or confusion
• Trouble concentrating
• Lack of focus or mental clarity
• Inability to handle stressful situations
• Difficulty recalling words or putting words together
• Feeling “frazzled”
• Mental fatigue
• Feeling “less productive” than before
• Struggling creatively

All of which are very common but NOT NORMAL.

As someone who has always excelled in any job I ever had, who is hard working and likes to have multiple projects going on at the same time, I never stopped for a moment to think I might be suffering from brain fog.

I simply kept working towards my personal and business goals, thinking it was normal to need so many lists or post-it-notes lying around to keep everything straight.

It wasn’t until my brain fog lifted that I realized it had been there.

These days I’m sharp as a tack, super clear, mentally tough and I’m bursting with creativity. I’m managing multiple program launches at one time, I hardly need a list for the little things anymore, I can easily recall details, I’m knocking out tasks left and right without feeling physically or mentally exhausted, and I have energy to spare for social activities.

I am 100% back to being my go-getter self and I am more productive than ever before!

Sometimes we only know what we know until we experience something different. It took getting out of the fog for me to realize I had been in it for so long.

The fog crept up on me the same way it slowly rolls in off the coast line.  Super stealthy, low to the ground, until wham! You can’t even see two feet in front of you.

I had become so used to living in the fog, I didn’t even know it existed.  I adapted to my less efficient ways of functioning and thinking by creating more lists, using more post-it-notes, engaging in less social activities and taking on less work.

Some of which I needed to do to heal, but before I knew I needed that, I adapted because I couldn’t keep up.

Typically we tend to brush off symptoms like brain fog and associate them with “just getting older.”  But what we don’t realize is that these symptoms are NOT a part of getting older, rather they are a sign that something isn’t right in our body.

These subtle signs of brain fog can actually be early indicators of brain inflammation, and left unattended to, they can increase our risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s, other degenerative diseases and larger scale health conditions such as autoimmunity or even cancer.

In this week’s video and blog, I help you uncover what might be contributing to your brain fog and how to lift it.

Just like any other dysfunction, disease or condition, inflammation is at the core of brain fog.

It is believed that high levels of inflammation alter 3 primary hormones that dictate brain function:

1. Serotonin – your happy hormone
2. Dopamine – your wellbeing hormone
3. Cortisol – your stress, anti-inflammatory, energy, blood sugar and sleep cycle balancing hormone

And inflammation in the gut particularly has a huge effect on brain function since it can directly interfere with the gut-brain axis.

The key to lifting brain fog is figuring out what’s fueling the inflammatory fire.

Inflammatory factors can be different for everyone.  For me, in my time of brain fog, toxic mold in my home was a huge inflammatory factor along with contaminated tap water, food sensitivities and a variety of intestinal parasites, bacteria and yeast overgrowth

For others, brain fog and inflammation might be fueled by:

• Eating inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and alcohol
• Unknown food sensitivities or reactions (not allergies)
• Hidden heavy metals, chemicals or other toxic contaminants
• A leaky and inflamed gut
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Various hormone imbalances
• Side effects of autoimmunity
• Over exercising when the body is already depleted

For some, lifting the fog can be as simple as avoiding the top 5 inflammatory foods, eating organic and getting to bed by 10pm.

And as I discovered, even once you start to lift the fog, there is an endless possibility for how much better you can actually feel.

Remember, you only know what you know until you know something different. So if you want to feel exceptional, then lifting the fog may just be the start of it and clearing the fog completely is your end goal.

Here are my 6 steps to bust through brain fog so you can think clearly and feel like yourself again…

1. Avoid the top 5 inflammatory foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and alcohol
2. Be asleep by 10pm to balance cortisol and the circadian rhythm
3. Exercise at an intensity that is invigorating but not exhausting
4. Give your brain a break with a daily dose of meditation or deep breathing
5. Investigate and eliminate toxins in your home and work environment
6. Test your hormone, gut and liver function for hidden sources of inflammation and healing opportunities

If you take action in these 6 areas and find yourself still struggling with brain fog, then it just means you might need to dig deeper, investigate further and identify other contributing factors for inflammation like I did.

Don’t just suck it up and see signs of brain fog as “ getting older” OR let them get diagnosed as something else paired with a quick fix medication, leaving you settling for a lower quality of life or just getting by but still not feeling like yourself.

Do me a favor… don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve (which is the world plus some BTW) when it comes to your health and wellbeing.

Don’t let the signs your body is giving you go unnoticed.

***

If you need help getting your hands on the right lab tests and resources to lift your brain fog so you can feel like yourself again, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here today!

What popular diet are you into these days?  Take your pick…

Keto
Paleo
Vegan
Carnivore
Vegetarian
The Whole30
Autoimmune Paleo

I’m sure that by eating according to one of these diets, you think you’re eating healthy…but are you really?

There once was a time when I thought I was eating “healthy” too, but despite my healthy eating efforts, I still struggled to lose weight, my energy tanked every afternoon, and I didn’t feel like myself in many other ways.

The same is true for so many clients I’ve worked with over the years.  They wind up reaching out to me frustrated and defeated because no matter what diet they try, they just can’t seem to get the weight off, get their energy back, get their autoimmune issues under control, or get back to feeling like themselves again.

One of my favorite quotes by Ann Wigmore says…

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

The food you’re eating may not be as healthy for you as you think, for a variety of reasons.  In fact, food could be at the core of your low energy, weight woes, restless nights, autoimmune issues, skin breakouts and feeling uncomfortable in your own skin.

Because the truth is, the food your feasting on could be:

• The wrong combination of proteins, carbs, and fats your body needs to function at its potential
• Contaminated with pesticides, metals or other toxins disrupting the delicate balance of your body
• Packed full of synthetic hormones that are tipping the hormonal scale and burdening your liver
• Infused with antibiotics or antibiotic resistant superbugs that are wreaking havoc on your digestive health and suppressing your immune system
• Or simply foods that you’re unknowingly sensitive to which can trigger anything from anxiety, to digestive upset, energy dips or even skin breakouts

As I often say…

“There is a difference between eating healthy and eating right for your body.  Eating right for your body will include healthy foods, but not every healthy food is right for your body.”

In this week’s video and blog, I want to help you make sure your food is NOT slowly poisoning you, but that it’s the safest and most powerful form of medicine you’re getting as it should be!

Eating healthy might be a simple term, but with our complex food choices these days, the act of eating healthy is not as simple as it seems.

Thousands of food commercials and packages lining the grocery store shelves make claims about being healthy, but they can be extremely misleading.

For example, the word “natural” can be used on any food label as long as the product does not contain any artificial ingredients, added color, and if its minimally processed (processed meaning it doesn’t fundamentally alter the product) – which is fairly vague honestly.  Natural labeling doesn’t address any pesticides, hormones or antibiotics that might have been involved in the farming of the food, or make it void of processing all together.

Another example is beef labeled simply as “grass-fed.” This indicates that the cow was fed grass for 80% of its life, and the other 20% of its food sources can be anything else.  This also doesn’t rule out the use of antibiotics or hormones.

Do you see now how some of your supposedly healthy foods might be slowly poisoning you?

Don’t fret.  I want to help you navigate foods so your body can get all the nutritional benefits without all of the poisonous side effects.

When it comes to food quality, here’s what you want to aim for…

• USDA certified organic produce, especially at home where you have more control
• 100% grass-fed beef and organic for extra bonus points!
• Local free-range eggs, chicken, turkey or other poultry
• Certified human and pasture raised pork free of nitrates and hormones
• And wild-caught fresh fish and other seafood

Making these food choices will drastically reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides, added hormones, antibiotics, heavy metals or other toxic substances found in conventionally farmed or produced foods.

If you’ve improved the quality of your food choices and you still aren’t seeing the results you’re looking for, then it’s time to dive deeper and investigate hidden food sensitivities and/or your ratios of proteins, carbs and fats contained in each meal.

To investigate these potential food issues:

• Start a food and body language log
• 30-120 minutes after eating check in to see how your body is responding
• Note any changes in your energy, mood, digestion, your overall sense of well-being and if you have cravings

Based on any negative changes you might experience, you can review your log and start to trace your symptoms back to certain meals you’ve had and notice trends in what foods or combination of foods might have caused them.

When you’re eating foods that are right for your body, you should have an abundance of energy, be able to go 3-5 hours or more between meals without getting hungry, and be anxiety, craving, bloat or any other symptom free!

And if you want to skip the food logging and just cut to the chase, you can do an easy at-home food sensitivity and metabolic typing test to reveal any hidden food sensitivities and dial in your food ratios ASAP.

Cleaning up my food sources, eliminating food sensitivities and eating the right food ratios for my body changed my perspective about what “eating healthy” really meant for my body, and it put me on the right path to feeling like myself again.

And I’ve seen these steps do the same thing for my clients over, and over, and over again.  Within a matter of days or weeks, they experience limitless energy, restful nights, weight loss and so much more!

Let food be thy medicine, when you’re eating the right food 😉

If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources to figure out what foods are right for your body so it can function at its potential, then click here to schedule an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session.

Are you feeling overweight, low on energy, anxious and/or depressed?

If you are, you’re not alone.

There was a point in my life when I felt this way too.  No matter what I did or ate, nothing seemed to change. I was beyond uncomfortable in my clothes, I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and all I wanted was to feel like my energetic, lean and easy-going self again.

I tried changing my diet, different workout routines, detox regimens, meditations and a variety of supplements trying to get my body and my mind back.  Sometimes it seemed as if something was working, but it was always short-lived.

I went from doctor to doctor, health expert to expert, searching for answers that seemed to be so hard to find.

I racked my brain trying to figure out what had changed.  For the longest time, everything had stayed the same; my eating, drinking, exercise routine and weight hardly ever varied.

Was this just a part of getting older?

No.

This was my body telling me something wasn’t right.

If you’re feeling overweight, low on energy, anxious and/or depressed, then chances are your body is trying to tell you something too.

The problem is that these signs and symptoms can be far removed from the actual cause, and they can be related to variety of metabolic imbalances occuring in the body.

Did you know that low energy and weight gain can correlate with:

• Trouble sleeping or poor quality sleep
• Not exercising or moving enough
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Chaotic cortisol rhythms
• Elevated estrogen levels
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Toxin exposures

Anxiety can be linked to:

• Food sensitivities
• Low progesterone
• Elevated estrogen levels
• Chaotic cortisol rhythms
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Poor gut or digestive function

And depression can be related to literally all of the above, and more.

The good news is, no matter what the cause of your symptoms might be, you can have a positive effect on them with the right combination of food, sleep, exercise, stress reduction and supplements for YOUR body.

In this week’s video and blog, I’ll share with you how I untangled the web of weight gain, low energy, anxiety and depression so you can too!

In order to untangle the web of your weight gain, low energy, anxiety and depression, you first have to realize this didn’t happen overnight.  What you’re experiencing now is likely a culmination of things that have taken place over the timeline of your life.

For example, if you were a c-section baby or not breastfed, or both, then your immune and digestive system didn’t receive the vital nutrients or bacteria needed to set up your health for long-term success.  This slight setback could now be catching up to you as your immune and digestive system have had to work so much harder over the years to compensate for what they missed out on when you entered the world.

Just because you have a pile of wood doesn’t mean you have a fire.  You still need friction, a match or a lighter to create a spark and fuel in the form of oxygen, wood or gas to get the fire going and keep it roaring.

The same is true for the health fires happening in your body – somewhere you had the perfect start to a fire, something or things, triggered the fire and a variety of things are continuing to fuel it.

Remember that song from your childhood…

The leg bone’s connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone,
Now shake dem skeleton bones!

The body is a network of systems and functions just like that childhood song indicates. Therefore there is no such thing as one singular root cause for your health issues at hand because when one system or function goes down, they all start to fall.

High levels of estrogen were at the core of my weight gain, low energy, anxiety and depression, but it wasn’t the root cause.

Whatever the diagnosis is, or what you think the root cause might be, you have to ask yourself why is that happening in the first place?  What are the chain of events or cumulative factors that have lead to this scenario.

For me, there were a variety of factors.  I had been on birth control for 17 years suppressing my ovaries and negatively impacting all of my hormones.  Stealthy toxic mold had been brewing in our home burdening my liver’s detox capacity and wreaking havoc on my gut.  And despite how crappy I was feeling, I continued to push my body to workout at the same level I always had been.

As a result, the inflammatory fire burned out of control taking down my thyroid along with it and igniting Hashimoto’s.

And although I was eating healthy compared to the average person, working out regularly and taking supplements – I needed to approach these healthy habits differently based on what my body was dealing with.

Running a few simple at-home functional lab tests to look at my hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous systems gave me the insights I needed to create a health, re-building plan that was more customized to my body’s specific needs.

By supporting all systems and functions of my body, I was able to get my weight under control, my energy back, and put a stop to the anxiety and depression – and ultimately get back to feeling like myself again comfortably in my own skin.

None of which happened when I previously focused on diet, exercise, sleep or supplements alone.

The best part is that I get to use what I’ve learned to help busy health-minded people like you also find the missing pieces to your health puzzle and to see the bigger picture, so you can feel like yourself again too!

If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests, resources and customized plan so you can get your weight under control, your energy back, and/or put a stop to anxiety and depression, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here!

In our modern fast pace society, we have a tendency to underestimate the amount of stress we are under on a daily basis.

In the work I do with clients, one of the first things I asked them to do is re-define the word “stress”.

“Stress is anything that places a burden on the body resulting in inflammation or imbalance.”

Typically when we hear the word “stress” we think of mental or emotional stress, and common things such as challenges within our relationships or family, tough to deal with bosses, crappy coworkers, traffic, the loss of a loved one or friend, trying to meet expectations and deadlines.

But stress can also be:

• Foods you’re eating that aren’t right for your body or that cause inflammation
• Going to bed late or getting a bad night’s sleep (especially consistently)
• Over exercising or intense exercise when the body is already stressed
• Not exercising or moving your body enough regularly
• Toxins that you can’t alway see, hear or feel in your environment
• Nutrient deficiencies that you might be unaware of
• Tight muscle or joints that are out of alignment (specifically the spin)
• Traveling and crossing different time zones

No matter what the stressor might be, the body reacts in the same way, activating the sympathetic nervous system, more commonly known as your “fight or flight response.”

The fight or flight response is a brilliant but old primal instinct, that was originally developed to keep us safe from harm.  This mechanism was developed to help us deal with acute, or short-term stress, not the low-grade constant stress we now encounter on a daily basis.

Here is the classic textbook example of this instinctual response…

If you were to encounter a lion on your lunch break, your body would activate the flight or fight response instantly, sending blood flow to your arms and legs for quick moving, and to your brain for quick thinking so you could find a way to outrun or out-smart the lion.  You don’t have to think for a second about this, your body just does it – brilliant right?

While we don’t encounter lions on our lunch break, or in our daily lives at all (unless you’re at the Zoo or on a safari breaking the rules, LOL) –  the body responds to our modern day stressors just the same – directing blood flow outward for quick action, leaving little resources for digestion or the vital actions needed to actually heal the body.

The smallest things in our daily routine can trigger the fight or flight response resulting in a decreased ability to digest food, combat colds and the flu, and which can ultimately add up leading to weight gain, hormone imbalances, low energy, poor sleep and generally not feeling like yourself.

Stuff that could be triggering the stress response in your body might be things you wouldn’t even think of such as watching the news, sitting in traffic during your typical commute even though your enjoying your favorite podcast, and working through your lunch break.

We underestimate the stress response because these actions or behaviors are so common.

In this week’s video and blog, I help you to identify if you’re underestimating the daily demands of stress on your body, and simple things you can do to destress, boost digestion and healing!

Let’s take a look at where you might be encountering subtle stress throughout the day without even realizing it…

Are you always on the run, stacked back-to-back with meetings, trying to get from one place to another on time, or feel like you’re “on” in your job or as a parent from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed?

Moving fast through life like this activates the fight or flight response all day long.

Do you find yourself drinking your smoothie or eating breakfast on the way to work, working through your lunch break, or rushing to get dinner on the table or eating dinner fast so you clean up after and get on with the rest of your nightly routine?

All of these actions induce the fight or flight response also.

Do you get worked up about our political climate, watching the news, scrolling Facebook or social media – all of these elicit the fight or flight response too.

See how quickly the amount of stress our body deals with on a daily basis can add up, without you even realizing it?

Constant subtle stressors add up quickly throughout the day, keeping the body in a constant fight or flight mode, resulting in minimal resources to aid in digestion and healing, leaving the body depleted, and eventually leading to a lack of energy, hormone imbalances, digestive upset and other health issues.

Imagine a red solo cup, and for every stressor you encounter one drop goes into your cup. If you don’t do something to minimize the number of drops or empty the cup it will eventually overflow.  We can’t always control all of the stressors we encounter, but we can aim to minimize them as much as possible and to empty our cup throughout the day.

In order to maximize digestion and for the body to heal, you must be in a relaxed state.

Typically the only time we’re in a totally relaxed state in this modern day world is when we’re asleep, and that’s only if you’re a great sleeper.  If you struggle with insomnia then your relaxed time is drastically diminished.

But even a good night’s rest isn’t enough anymore to combat the rising number of stressors and demands our body faces on a daily basis.

To support your ideal health and weight, you want to look for opportunities to slow down in your daily life so you can empty your stress cup and allow the body to heal and digest.

Here are a few ways you can easily empty your stress cup throughout the day:

• Do some deep breathing; inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5 and exhale for 7
• Schedule breaks to get outside, get some fresh air and breath
• Chew bites 20 times or put down your fork in between bites to slow eating
• Create a daily meditation, journaling or tapping routine
• Cuddle or exchange hugs to boost oxytocin hormone which decreases stress hormones

These are super simple acts, that don’t require much effort, but can make a BIG difference in your overall health.

Other actions that help to reduce the overall stress burden include:

• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet
• Sleeping during the hours of 10pm – 6am
• Exercising at an intensity that is right for you
• And minimizing your exposure to stress inducing environmental toxins

Lastly, start to notice how stress shows up in your body, because it’s different for everyone.  It could be in the form of aches and pains, skin rashes or breakouts, losing your hair, low energy, disrupted sleep, weight gain and more.

Once you get in tune with the signs of stress in your body, you can take quick action to empty your cup.

And if you’re not sure about how much stress your body might be dealing with, you can test instead of guessing by doing a dried urine total comprehensive hormone test to look at your stress hormone, cortisol, as well as other sex and steroid hormones that will reveal insights about the overall burden of stress your body is under.

If you’d like to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources to measure your body’s stress burden and strategies to reduce it, then click here to schedule an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me.

I was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 26, and I just spent a whole week fearlessly soaking up the sun in Maui.

At the time of my diagnosis, from the outside, I looked like your typical healthy person…

I ate “healthy” – low calorie, lean meats, vegetables, fruits, yogurts and sweets only occasionally.

I exercised daily doing a mix of weight lifting, cardio, training for fitness shows and half or full marathons.

On paper I even looked perfect; normal cholesterol, heart rate, blood pressure etc.  I was a skilled personal trainer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fitness, Nutrition and Health who (at the time) thought I knew all there was to know about being healthy and losing weight.

Despite doing all the right “healthy” things, prior to my skin cancer diagnosis, the intensity of my seasonal allergies had progressed to the point of wiping me out for days or weeks, migraines became more frequent, “normal” joint aches or muscle soreness seemed to linger longer and longer, and it was getting tougher to lose or maintain my weight.

I slowly started to question my health and what I had been taught all those years in school.

Skin cancer was my body waving a BIG red flag about something deeper going on.

Being diagnosed with skin cancer at such a young age sparked an undeniable urge to get to the bottom of my own health issues and use my knowledge to help others.

I practically had zero risk factors associated with skin cancer – no family history of any cancers related to melanoma, and sure I used a tanning bed or spent time in the sun without sunscreen from time to time, but I wasn’t your typical frequent tanner who was putting themselves at risk for skin cancer by any means.

The pieces of the puzzle just didn’t seem to add up.  I was “healthy”, had minimal risk factors and was young, yet for some reason cancer cropped up.  I knew there had to be more to the story.

Shortly after my diagnosis, I enrolled in the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® (FDN) Course to dig deeper into my own health issues, to get to the bottom of them once and for all.  And with my newly acquired knowledge, I aspired to help others also struggling with chronic health issues and weight loss despite the fact that they were eating right and working out.

The FDN training taught me a whole new way of looking at weight loss, health and disease.

As I started digging deeper I found A LOT of cellular damage, hormone imbalances, liver congestion and gut dysfunction…

No wonder why cancer had found itself at home in my body!

As part of the FDN training I was required to run functional lab tests on myself to look at my hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous systems.  These functional lab tests are very different than your typical blood tests. Most of these tests are done using saliva, urine and stool to take a closer look at how the body is actually functioning (or not) in real time.

My test results revealed a flurry of Metabolic Chaos®.

My hormones were going haywire causing deep dips in my energy, making it difficult to manage my weight or to keep inflammation under control resulting in those intensified seasonal allergies, aches and pains.

My liver was overloaded and unable to move cancer-causing toxins out of my body effectively, coupled with high oxidative stress (i.e. cellular/DNA damage) making me the perfect candidate for cancer.

The good news is this story has a happy ending.  I’m now over 10 years skin cancer free.

And I’m not afraid of skin cancer anymore, or any other health condition for that matter.

In this week’s video and blog, I share how I overcame skin cancer, what I’m doing to prevent getting it again and how I’ve kicked seasonal allergies, migraines, aches and pains, and weight gain all at the same time.

Testing allowed me to stop guessing about what was going on in my body exactly, and it gave me valuable insights about what I could do to restore balance, prevent future cancer and other chronic disease scares.

As an added bonus, I also discovered how to put a stop to my seasonal allergies, migraines, frequent aches and pains, and the struggle to lose or maintain my weight.

With the data in hand, I set out to create a personalized health rebuilding plan that met my unique needs, one that included:

• Foods that were right for my body
• Adequate sleep during the most critical times of night
• Health boosting exercise intensity and types (instead of depleting)
• Various modalities to reduce physical and emotional stress
• Specific supplements to support my body in the ways it needed
• Transitioning to a non/less-toxic living environment

All geared towards a goal of restoring hormone balance, efficient liver function, boosting digestive health and reducing oxidative stress to prevent further cancer growth, and so I could get my energy back, lose weight and be allergy, migraine and pain free!

As Dr. Nasha Winters, author of the Metabolic Approach To Cancer, once said “you are what you don’t poop.”

Cancer-causing toxins are eliminated through stool, urine and sweat so if you’re not doing those things regularly or well, your risk for cancers and other chronic diseases escalates.

And in order to eliminate toxins well you need to have all of your systems running efficiently; hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous systems.

Upon implementing my health re-building plan, I felt immediate relief from seasonal allergies, migraines, aches and pains, and I lost weight – all signs that my body was healing and regaining its balance.

I now feel 100% like my energetic, strong and lean self again.  I’m not afraid of skin cancer because I’ve restored my health, I know what to do in order to prevent it, and I’ve been over 10 years skin cancer free to prove it.

I no longer rely on typical blood tests anymore to gauge my health.  Instead, I pay close attention to what is going on with my body and every year I run a series of functional lab tests to make sure all systems of my body are firing; to monitor my liver function and oxidative stress levels for potential cancer risks, and to make any minor adjustments needed to my lifestyle to support my best self.

Now I confidently soak up the sun on a regular basis because I feel great in my body and I know skin cancer has nothing on this #HEALTHBOSS.

As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, I help health-mind people like you to also investigate the unanswered or puzzling pieces of your health story so you too can feel your best and live life to the fullest!

If you want 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 an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session.