12 Holiday Hormone Hacks!
It’s that holiday time of year again!
There’s an abundance of joy and gratitude going around this time of year, but…
By the end of it all, do you usually feel wiped out or wonder why you feel so fat, tired, and sick all the time?
It’s because your hormones took a hit!
The holidays can wreak havoc on your hormones as you tend to focus SO much on giving to others this time of year and not so much on giving to yourself as you run around from holiday parties, last-minute gift shopping, and visiting family or friends.
However, there is a way to still give this holiday season AND support your hormones at the same time.
To help you keep your hormones intact this holiday season and breathe life back into them for 2023, on December 12th I kicked off my annual Instagram and Facebook series called the “12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays”
Over 12 days on Instagram and Facebook, catch my videos and posts where I’m sharing simple tips for practical things you can do to keep your hormones balanced while you enjoy the holiday season!
Here’s a sneak peek at the simple tips I’ve lined up for you…
Day 1 – Fill Up With Fat
This likely sounds counterintuitive, but trust me, it’s not when it comes to your hormones, energy levels, and kicking cravings!
To make hormones the body needs healthy dietary fats that are broken down into LDL and cholesterol, along with other nutrients such as B vitamins. Yep, you heard me right. LDL and cholesterol are actually necessary for hormones. They have a reputation, but they’re not bad for you if sourced in a healthy way.
Filling up with healthy fats can also help balance blood sugar for longer-lasting energy, reduce inflammation, and kick cravings.
So what healthy fats should you indulge in during the holidays?
- Avocado on its own, as guacamole, or as an oil
- Full-fat coconut milk in your coffee, tea, or smoothies
- Organic, nitrate, and gluten-free bacon
- Cold-Pressed organic olive or coconut oil
- Grass-fed ghee instead of butter (less inflammatory)
- Fatty cuts of organic pasture-raised meats and eggs
One of my favorite fat-bomb beverages is a matcha latte or coffee with full-fat coconut milk and vanilla bean ghee. This keeps me feeling full and energized for 5 hours or more!
I always fill up on fat before I hit a holiday party or aim to eat the fattiest snacks while there, to keep my hormones happy and hunger under control.
Focus on filling up with healthy fats throughout the day and notice the way it makes you feel more full, more energized, and craving-free.
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Day 2 – Breathe Deeply
We’re constantly moving this time of year – decorating, planning, working, shopping, traveling, cooking, cleaning, and socializing. While all are necessary and some fun, it does take a toll on hormonal health.
Constant movement triggers our sympathetic nervous system eliciting a stress response, aka the fight or flight response. In a stressed state, our body uses a lot of valuable hormonal resources. Cortisol is a primary hormone at play but not the only one impacted in a negative way.
In stress mode, our body directs valuable resources outward for quick thinking and quick-moving, leaving little resources for critical functions in our body to take place keeping our health in line.
BUT in just 2 minutes or less, you can snap yourself out of stress mode and quickly into the rest and relaxation mode bringing your hormones back into balance so your body can heal from all the work it has been doing. Here’s how…
Deep Breathing.
It’s that simple. When we breathe deep and rhythmic like a relaxed person, we can instantly flip the switch from fight or flight mode into a more relaxed and healing state.
Try this ten times…
- Inhale for 5 seconds
- Hold the breath 5 seconds
- Exhale for 7 seconds
Use this simple breathing technique anytime you notice yourself moving too fast, when you’ve gone a long time without a break, or feel anxious to instantly bring cortisol and other hormones back into balance.
I do this in the morning, afternoon, and before bed. Set a reminder on your phone to stop at least once a day this holiday season to breathe deeply and promote hormone balance.
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Day 3 – Go Green
Inflammation is on the rise during the holidays as we indulge in different foods or beverages that might have a more inflammatory effect on the body. Other factors include toxins we encounter while traveling and any mental or emotional stress we might experience this time of year.
Inflammation is at the core of hormone dysfunction or any chronic health issue. It drives cortisol out of rhythm, creating a negative domino effect on other hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid. Over time, constant inflammation (even low levels) can overwhelm the immune system, eventually leading to autoimmunity or other chronic conditions.
Sure, you’re going to indulge during the holidays, and you can’t always control toxin exposure or the need to travel, but there are things you can do on a daily basis to calm the inflammatory fire.
To help you reduce inflammation daily – GO GREEN!
One cup of green tea has an abundance of anti-inflammatory effects that can positively impact your hormones and digestive health. EGCG is an active green tea ingredient that modulates genes to produce an anti-inflammatory effect.
To keep contain the inflammatory fire, aim to incorporate a cup of green tea daily during the holidays.
This is such an easy task! You can grab a cup of green tea almost anywhere while traveling, or pack it to always have with you. It’s the perfect drink to start your day or keep you warm when it’s cold outside.
As mentioned on tip day 1, filling up with fats supports hormones and one of my favorite fat-bomb beverages is a matcha green tea latte with full-fat coconut milk and vanilla bean ghee. This keeps me feeling full and energized for at least 5 hours, plus has all the added anti-inflammatory benefits.
You can’t go wrong by going green this holiday season to keep your hormones happy.
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Make sure you’re following me closely on Instagram and Facebook to catch all of my, 12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays!
P.S. Turn on your Facebook and/or Instagram notifications for my pages so you don’t miss a single simple tip to keep your hormones intact this holiday season, AND remember to save the posts for future reference because these tips can help balance hormones all year long!
Healthy Holiday Gift Guide [2022]
Gift-giving season is in full force, and what better gift is there than the gift of health so you and your loved ones can live your best life?
I know what you’re probably thinking… Healthy gifts aren’t sexy or exciting like getting a new iPhone, piece of jewelry, or gadget.
And while this might be true, health-supporting gifts are the ones that will keep on giving long after the holidays are gone. The past few years have really taken a toll on everyone’s health across the globe and it has shown us that we need to take better care of ourselves.
No one wants to ask for healthy things for the holidays because it’s too taboo, but it’s what we all really want and need in the long run.
A new iPhone or gadget eventually becomes outdated. A piece of jewelry eventually loses its appeal. Clothes get old and go out of style.
But your health is something you’ll have for the rest of your life, and in order to make the most out of the rest of your life, you need your health.
In this week’s video and blog, I’m sharing some of my all-time favorite health-supporting tools to help you give yourself and your loved ones the gift of health this holiday season, and beyond!
Whether you’re shopping for yourself (like I do this time of year LOL) or someone else, these health-supporting tools are perfect and I’ll tell you why…
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doTerra Essential Oils (click to shop)
Essential oils can be used for a WIDE variety of health-related reasons. In our house, we regularly use:
- Lavender before bed to relax for more restful sleep
- Peppermint to relieve headaches and boost energy
- OnGuard as a non-toxic cleaning solution, to get rid of workout clothes stank and to fight off the common cold or virus
I’ve even used essential oils for cooking! The best thing about essential oils is that a little bit goes a long way, giving this gift greater value than what you might expect at first glance.
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Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Pack (click to shop)
Castor oil packs have been a critical part of healing my Hashimotos, mold illness, and weight loss journey for years now. I continue to use one regularly to maintain the results I’ve achieved. Castor oil packs may not sound sexy but they are life-changing! This is the perfect gift for you or loved ones who struggle with bloating, constipation, hormone imbalances, and pain.
I use my castor oil pack about 3 times a week to reduce inflammation, support proper digestion, balance hormones, reduce stress levels, and boost detoxification. Whatever your health goals are, or healthy actions you are taking, castor oil packs can help you get 10 X the results!
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LMNT Electrolytes (click to shop)
Talk about a great incentive to drink more water and an awesome hydrating cocktail mixer all in one. LMNT electrolytes are part of my daily routine and an essential element to my prolonged 72-hour fasts to ensure my body is always hydrated so it can function optimally and I can feel great. Plus, their fun, natural flavors can be mixed with club soda to make a magnificent mocktail or cocktail.
These are the perfect stocking stuffers to boost hydration and promote more energy, weight loss, hormone balance, and more!
Plus they have a limited-time Chocolate Medley box for the holidays with Mint and Caramel Chocolate! (can you say yummy holiday hot chocolate and it’s amazing over coconut milk vanilla ice cream!)
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Pique Tea (click to shop)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received tea as a gift, and not to sound unappreciative but my only wish is that it would have been tea that was actually good for me. Pique tea is 100% organic and triple-screened for pesticides, heavy metals, and molds to make sure it’s of the highest quality (if you didn’t know, tea can be highly contaminated with toxins!). Aside from being super high quality, Pique tea is also jam-packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients to boost energy, balance blood sugar, and heal your gut.
One of the best features of this tea brand is that the tea comes in powder form so there’s no messy tea bag or steeper. They can be mixed in cold or hot water, and they are easy to travel with.
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Keto-Mojo (click to shop)
Blood sugar imbalances are the number one robber of energy, sleep, and weight loss. When your blood sugar is on a roller coaster of highs and lows, so is the rest of your life. The secret to having stable energy, sleep, and weight is stabilizing your blood sugar and Keto-Mojo is the perfect tool to help you dial this in and get your mojo back! I personally use the Keto-Mojo to spot-check my blood sugar responses to food and to ensure my body is in a fat-burning ketosis mode.
This is the perfect tool to kick off those new year health improvement and weight loss resolutions!
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Pluck Seasoning (click to shop)
Ok, this one is going to sound odd but stick with me here…Organ meats are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They have a ton of important vitamins – including Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K and essential minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. PLUS, the nutrients in organ meats are bioavailable – which means they’re more easily accessed and absorbed by your body.
But, let’s be honest…organ meats are an acquired taste and difficult to cook…which is why I use Pluck Seasoning.
Pluck is an organ-based seasoning that delivers all the benefits of organ meats in a pinch. I sprinkle it on roasted veggies and salads!
Why does this make the perfect gift? Because these essential nutrients will help boost energy, weight loss, and overall better health in a pinch!
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BeautyCounter Skin & Body Products (click to shop)
Every year I get some kind of beauty, skin, or body care product from someone; a bar of soap, lotion, eye makeup, or even perfume. And just like tea, I wish the products were good for me but most of the time they aren’t; so they get donated after the holidays. But with BeautyCounter products, you can’t go wrong.
This product line is a foundation in our household. All of my skincare and makeup products are from BeautyCounter, and my husband even uses their men’s line. Aside from being a cleaner, safer skin and body-care line, BeautyCounter is also a B-Corporation, meaning they support nonprofits that align with their mission and invest in a cleaner future by partnering with leading scientists in the search for safer ingredients that will make up the better products for tomorrow.
You can grab individual items or full skincare sets for great gifts!
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SaunaSpace Infrared Sauna (click to shop)
This is the ultimate gift! Think of deep relaxation and an in-home spa experience for you and/or your loved ones. We bought a sauna years ago. Between my husband and I, it gets used every day if not twice a day. An infrared sauna is like having a personal spa escape in your home, where you can check out and boost your health at the same time. And unlike most infrared saunas, SaunaSpace ones also protect you from harmful EMF’s while you restore and relax.
Our household sauna has been another essential tool for healing my Hashimotos, mold illness, and weight loss journey, and I continue to use one regularly to maintain the results I’ve achieved.
If an infrared sauna isn’t in your budget, check out their photon lights and their special health effects!
(P.S. SaunaSpace is doing 12 days of Xmas deals Dec. 12th-23rd!)
***
That wraps it up for my healthy holiday gift guide for 2022, so you can feel your best in 2023!
And remember when you question whether you should buy these things for yourself or someone else…
…your health is something you’ll have for the rest of your life, and in order to make the most out of the rest of your life, you need your health.
And to also help you feel like your best self this holiday season, make sure to follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook for my 12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks series starting December 12th so you can manage your weight and energy better into the new year!
Your holiday playlist…
I just got done planning travel for this holiday season. I’m staying put for Thanksgiving, taking a road trip to see one side of the family in early December, and flying to Oregon for Christmas to spend time with other family members.
Are you ready to get the holiday season started?
Whether you’re road-tripping, flying, or staying home to enjoy time off, you’re going to need some good podcasts, hardbacks, or audiobooks this holiday season 🙂
Check out some of my recent podcast interviews to dive deeper into topics such as…
And here are some of my favorite books about health and living your best life…
- The Freedom Transmissions: A Pathway to Peace by Carissa Schumacher
- Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten
- Estrogeneration by Anthony G. Jay
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- The Thyroid Connection by Amy Myers
- The Autoimmune Solution by Amy Myers
I’m going to need some new podcasts and books for my holiday travel playlist too.
Comment below and let me know what some of your recent favorites have been!
Why diet and exercise aren’t enough anymore
For years I counted calories, tried diet after diet, and exercised excessively; yet I always felt tired and frustrated trying to shed pounds, just like so many of my clients…until I found the missing pieces of the puzzle.
I hear so many people talk about their frustrations with their body, energy, and health – “I eat healthy and exercise so I don’t understand why…”
- I can’t drop weight
- I don’t have any energy
- My health isn’t improving
Can you relate?
The truth is, diet and exercise aren’t enough.
The body is a complex system and most people are ignoring some really important pieces of the puzzle, one of which is cleansing the body of toxins that contribute to a sluggish liver!
The liver plays a HUGE role in eliminating toxins, and when it’s overloaded with this work, it can’t convert hormones or regulate our metabolism like it’s supposed to in order for us to shed pounds and have energy.
We are exposed daily to high levels of toxins through food, water, air, home, and personal care products. These toxins get filtered through the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system and are stored in fat tissue.
It’s said our body is burdened with over 2 pounds of toxins per day!
When your liver is so busy working to filter out all these toxins, it has very little energy left to filter blood, drugs, and hormones; let alone do its other job as a digestive organ – thus many find shedding pounds more difficult.
Your liver is also in charge of converting and excreting excess hormones. If liver function is sub-optimal, then hormones such as estrogen can build up. This can lead to estrogen dominance, which can cause excess weight, hot flashes, and an increased risk for cancer.
The liver is also where a huge chunk of thyroid hormone conversion takes place, and an imbalance in the thyroid slows your metabolism resulting in weight gain.
If you’re exercising, your muscles need fuel and your liver helps produce that fuel. However, a clogged liver won’t, and when that happens, excess glucose gets stored as fat.
Here are 10 common signs your liver needs cleansing:
- Abdominal bloating
- Menstrual irregularities
- Abdominal fat; pot belly; that “spare tire” effect
- Joint and muscle pain
- Low energy or fatigue
- Acid reflux/heartburn
- Body odor
- Overheating of the body & excessive perspiration
- Acne/Rosacea or itchy, blotchy skin
- Unexplained weight gain and inability to lose weight even with calorie restriction
Keeping your liver in working order is a matter of reducing its stressful toxic load AND supporting its natural detox ability.
This is just ONE example of a missing piece to your health puzzle or so-called “root cause.”
It can be incredibly difficult to find the root causes of chronic health issues. They sometimes get overlooked by even the best practitioners.
If you’re frustrated because you continue to struggle with weight, digestive concerns, autoimmune conditions, inflammation, or chronic illness of any kind… then there’s a unique event designed just for you that I’m speaking at…
The Root Causes, Rapid Results event is online and FREE from November 14-20!
Not only does this event bring together over 40 of the world’s leading experts on hidden root causes, but you’ll also get access to a liver stagnation self-assessment and training to find out if liver congestion is contributing to your chronic health challenges!
Event host Sinclair Kennally is a personal friend and colleague who I’ve hired to resolve some of my own root causes.
She’s a survivor of a complex chronic illness herself. After an almost decade-long struggle to overcome her symptoms – without answers from her doctors and after countless hours of research – her partner, Michael Spandel (who was suffering from his own chronic symptoms), was able to identify and remove the toxic stressors from their food, home and work – which led to complete recovery for both of them.
Sinclair is here to share what she learned and help you reclaim your full vitality.
The Root Causes, Rapid Results event could help you:
- Determine which root causes could be affecting you personally
- Find out which energy drainers you need to remove to increase your energy
- Understand which modalities could help you resolve your symptoms for good
- And so much more!
Your body is brilliant. And with the right information and action plan, it’s never too late to reclaim your health.
Root Causes, Rapid Results is about gathering information, but it’s also about taking action.
Click here to register for this unique event!
Be sure to mark your calendar for November 14-20, 2022!
P.S. When you register for Root Causes, Rapid Results, you’ll also unlock early-access interviews, complimentary guides, and helpful eBooks about living your most resilient life!
Getting to the root gets results…
It is so fascinating that all diseases, health issues, and conditions such as weight gain, thyroid imbalances, adrenal fatigue, low energy, high cholesterol, cancer, Alzheimer’s, brain fog, and more have one thing in common.
INFLAMMATION.
Inflammation is the root of all diseases. It slowly and silently brings people to their wit’s end about their health, and can even kill.
“The presence of inflammation is what makes most diseases perceptible to an individual. It can and often does occur for years before it exists at levels sufficient to be apparent or clinically significant. How long it has been smoldering really determines the degree of severity of a disease and often the prognosis assuming the inflammation can be controlled. One could also argue that without inflammation, most diseases would not even exist.” – Dr. Mercola
Inflammation is not something widely talked about in your typical doctor’s office unless it relates to a fractured bone, bruise, concussion, or other physical injuries. Yet inflammation is the body’s number one response to any kind of invader in the body (viruses, colds, flu, gut bugs, mold, heavy metals, etc.) and a signal that something just isn’t right!
What’s challenging is that dangerous inflammation can not always be seen, felt, or heard so it often goes undetected and overlooked.
There are two kinds of inflammation:
- Acute – a brief response to injury or illness lasting only a few days
- Chronic- when it stops being acute and remains as a low level constant response to ongoing stress on the body
Acute inflammation is a healthy response that allows your body to repair and heal, but when it becomes chronic is when it becomes problematic.
Chronic inflammation is when your body is so overwhelmed by the causes of inflammation that it loses its ability to turn off the inflammatory response. This overly active inflammatory response leads to damaged tissue, resulting in conditions such as leaky gut, autoimmunity, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and much more.
In addition, your cortisol hormone (also known as your stress hormone) is your body’s natural anti-inflammatory agent. When inflammation is high and chronic, this disrupts the natural cortisol balance triggering a domino effect on other hormones such as thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone which disrupt your sleep, cause weight gain and drain your energy.
But the real question is, what is causing inflammation in the body?
Getting to the root causes of inflammation is when you get real results.
Identifying the causes of inflammation in my body is how I finally:
- Lost stubborn weight
- Got my energy back for good
- Regulated my menstrual cycle
- Stopped being affected by seasonal allergies
- Reversed Hashimotos and healed mold illness
It can be incredibly difficult to find the root causes of chronic health issues. They sometimes get overlooked by even the best practitioners.
If you’re frustrated because you continue to struggle with weight, digestive concerns, autoimmune conditions, inflammation, or chronic illness of any kind… then there’s a unique event designed just for you that I’m speaking at.
Not only does this event bring together over 40 of the world’s leading experts on hidden root causes, but each day you’ll get a new tool to assess how big of an issue these root causes are for you.
The Root Causes, Rapid Results event could help you:
- Determine which root causes could be affecting you personally
- Find out which energy drainers you need to remove to increase your energy
- Understand which modalities could help you resolve your symptoms for good
- And so much more!
Your body is brilliant. And with the right information and action plan, it’s never too late to reclaim your health.
Root Causes, Rapid Results is about gathering information, but it’s also about taking action.
Click here to register for this unique event!
Be sure to mark your calendar for November 14-20, 2022!
P.S. Event host Sinclair Kennally is a personal friend and colleague who I’ve hired to resolve some of my own root causes. She’s a survivor of a complex chronic illness herself. After an almost decade-long struggle to overcome her symptoms – without answers from her doctors and after countless hours of research – her partner, Michael Spandel (who was suffering from his own chronic symptoms), was able to identify and remove the toxic stressors from their food, home and work – which led to complete recovery for both of them.
Sinclair is here to share what she learned and help you reclaim your full vitality.
When you register for Root Causes, Rapid Results, you’ll also unlock early-access interviews, complimentary guides, and helpful eBooks about living your most resilient life!
Is eating healthy really healthy?
I’m curious, what does eating healthy mean to you?
When I graduated from college after studying fitness, nutrition, and health for 4 years, I thought eating healthy meant you should…
- Create a calorie deficit by eating less and moving more
- Have a snack or meal every 2 hours
- Always eat 3 solid meals per day
- Eat low fat, lean meats, veggies, fruits, dairy, starches, and whole grains according to the food guide pyramid now known as the “plate”
So I did exactly what I was taught and I felt like crap instead of feeling great and having my ideal health and weight.
It turns out, there’s a LOT more to eating healthy than what we were taught in school or what you might have read on your own about diets and nutrition.
In fact, some so-called healthy foods aren’t healthy for you.
It took me years to figure out what foods were healthy for my body. When I finally figured it out, it made getting the results I desired so much easier! So I want to help you cut to the chase and get to the bottom of what foods are healthy for you so you can feel like your best self too, instead of wasting time trying to figure it out.
I see so many clients and people feeling frustrated about food and eating healthy. They’ve tried just about everything with little to no results. They’ll literally say…
I’m eating healthy but I’m not getting any results!
Do you find yourself feeling frustrated like this too?
In theory, they are “eating healthy.” They are often eating a Paleo, Whole30, Keto, or a generally well-rounded and clean diet. In some cases, they are eating mostly organic foods, good sources of meats, and even avoiding some of the well-known inflammatory foods.
But they still aren’t getting results. They still struggle with digestive upset, weight, anxiety, hormone imbalances, or other nagging health issues.
All because eating healthy isn’t always healthy for YOU.
In this week’s video and blog, I’ll reveal why some of the healthy foods you’re eating might not be healthy for you, and give you tips to figure out what is healthy for YOU.
There’s a difference between eating healthy and eating right for your body.
Eating right for your body will incorporate healthy foods, but not all healthy foods are right for your body.
Most diet approaches tend to focus on food elimination, which is good considering that oftentimes it means eliminating the top inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, alcohol, and even other grains or foods containing lectins.
However, most dietary approaches fail to consider two key components to eating healthy for your body:
- Macronutrient (protein, carb, and fat) balance
- Specific food sensitivities
Eating the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats gives your body the right ratios of fuel so it can function at its potential. Understanding and eating according to your macronutrient needs can instantly:
- Reduce digestive stress
- Increase energy
- Fight off food cravings
But you can still run into issues when eating the right balance of macronutrients if you’re eating foods that you’re sensitive to.
Food sensitivities aren’t always obvious. They don’t always show up as digestive upset, which is why you might think you don’t have any. Other common food sensitivity symptoms can include:
- Anxiety
- Skin breakouts
- Low energy or fatigue
- Poor sleep
- Weight gain or resistant weight loss
Food sensitivities or poor macronutrient balance could certainly be secretly sabotaging your healthy eating efforts and results!
As I’ve shared before, take a banana for example. Around the world, most would agree it’s healthy food but if you have a sensitivity to bananas OR they contain too many carbs and sugars for what your body can tolerate in one sitting, then they aren’t a healthy food for you.
When you eat something like a banana that has these negative effects on you, it spikes blood sugar and inflammation, reduces nutrient absorption, disrupts hormone balance, messes with your sleep and energy, and leaves you craving more food to get another energy bump.
When my husband found out he was sensitive to beef he lost 5 pounds within a week of removing it from his diet.
Beyond these two key components, there could be even more to consider such as high oxalates and FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols)
Oxalates are a naturally occurring element in foods and in the body, but an abundance of oxalates leads to kidney stones, chronic joint pain, mineral deficiencies, and more. Oxalates can especially become problematic when Candida or yeast overgrowth is going on the body.
Some of the foods highest in oxalates include:
- Dark chocolate
- Nuts
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Beets
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchini and other summer squashes
- Dark leafy greens such as spinach and certain kinds of kale
Just about every one of them is considered a healthy food!
And FODMAP foods can be problematic with an overly inflamed or leaky digestive system making it hard to break down these foods leading to fermentation and bacteria overgrowth in the gut.
Some of the highest FODMAP foods are:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Fruits
- Grains
- Certain nuts and legumes
See how you could be eating so-called healthy foods that aren’t actually healthy for YOU?
The best healthy eating plan considers your body’s specific needs and combines the elements related to macronutrient balance, food sensitivities, and other physiological factors.
When working with clients to figure out what foods are right for their bodies, we always do a series of functional lab tests to uncover all of the pieces to their health puzzle and then use that data to guide recommendations for how to eat healthy for their body.
The series of tests will often include a:
- Food sensitivity test to pinpoint specific foods they are reactive to
- Metabolic typing test to assess ideal macronutrient balance
- Stool sample test to evaluate digestive and intestinal health
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to eating healthy for YOUR body.
If you want to explore what foods are right for your body, click here to get my Food & Body Language Log to start dialing in your macronutrient balance.
P.S. Don’t forget, this year’s Total Wellness Mastery Show goes live soon! Join me and a panel of 20 other health professionals for this totally free and virtual event as we share powerful secrets to finally lose weight, boost your energy and naturally heal your pain. Click here to redeem your FREE access to this event as my special guest!
Ways to release stubborn pounds [inside]
Despite the fact that we have…
more information,
more diets,
more gyms,
more tools than ever before
…as a society, we’re also more overweight, overstressed, and overmedicated than ever.
As this study pointed out, “It is frequently stated that it takes an average of 17 years for research evidence to reach clinical practice.”
That means on average, it takes 17 years for new research and advancements in health and medicine to actually reach your doctor and be put into practice. By the time it hits their desk, it’s already outdated.
You need to become your own health boss, assume responsibility, and take back control of your health.
I know this first hand. The conventional medical system has failed me in many ways over the years…
It prescribed me birth control at a young age to mask a painful and irregular period.
It told me to eat a standard American diet, which inflamed my body.
It overlooked health risk factors and markers, which led to skin cancer.
Routine lab tests painted me as the picture of health, but my body was an internal mess.
Various doctors dismissed my symptoms and told me to “wait it out” while suffering.
No one checked me for Hashimoto’s, I had to discover it myself.
And forget about the mold toxicity, because in conventional medicine, it doesn’t even exist.
I refused to live a life full of pain, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and suffering. I wasn’t going to let a broken and outdated system get the best of me when we live in a world where information is available immediately on our phones and at our fingertips.
I became a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner because I knew there was more to be known about our health. Educating myself has helped me to overcome and heal every single health issue I have faced, and now I help my clients do the same.
Sometimes the challenge though is with an abundance of information also comes an equally staggering amount of misinformation.
My new friend and fellow health expert Lauren Sanchez believes that far too many people are “victims of what they don’t know when it comes to taking care of their health.” I admire and share her passion for changing that.
So I’m thrilled to invite you to an event I’ll be speaking in next month hosted by Lauren called:
This is the 6th season of this annual event and it’s all about supporting you in figuring out the best food and lifestyle plan for your goals and overall health!
Click here to redeem your FREE access to this event as my special guest!
Whether you want to improve energy, prevent disease, reduce pain and inflammation, improve body composition and metabolism, or are looking for a general health upgrade, this free event will help you sort through the noise and misinformation on everything from nutrition and eating styles, to lifestyle approaches for increasing your energy and resilience to stress.
As part of the event, you’ll have access to a panel of over 20 functional medicine doctors and me, nutritionists, healers, fitness experts, personal development leaders, and educators as we each share the latest information and insights on how to heal, slim down, and live a healthy life you absolutely love!
The event will cover a wide variety of topics such as:
- Ways to heal your body with food and herbs
- How to break through weight loss resistance to drop body and belly fat
- Tips for feeding your brain, boosting your mood, and creating resilience to stress
- Strategies for healing your gut, reducing inflammation, and detoxifying your body
- How programmed thoughts and feelings impact our health & ability to heal
- Fun and practical non-dietary ways to get healthy, and prevent or heal illness
- Surprising reasons for pain, brain fog, cravings, low energy, or weight gain — and what to do about it!
It’s time to take back control of your health and wellness! The insider advice you’ll receive from these top health and wellness experts is invaluable.
Click here to redeem your FREE access to this event as my special guest!
Good health is your gateway to a happier, more meaningful life. You owe it to yourself to check it out!
I look forward to “seeing” you there!
P.S. This incredible annual show goes LIVE on Monday, October 10th. So be sure to redeem your free access. Here’s the link again
Why going gluten-free doesn’t work…
Have you tried going gluten-free and it didn’t help you feel better?
It didn’t banish your bloating, solve your digestive upset, clear up skin rashes, help you shed pounds, or do any of the other things a gluten-free lifestyle promises.
You’re not the only one.
I hear this all the time from clients who have tried a gluten-free lifestyle with little to no results. When I first went gluten-free, it didn’t free me of all my health issues either.
So what gives when going gluten-free doesn’t work?
That’s exactly what I’m here to reveal – the top 3 reasons why a gluten-free diet doesn’t work.
Let’s first explore what the deal is with gluten in the first place and why it could be a big contributor to whatever health issue is ailing you.
FACT: Everyone is negatively impacted by gluten, regardless if you have been diagnosed with sensitivity or not. Gluten molecules are larger than most food particles making them harder to digest. This increased stress on the digestive system can lead to inflammation and eventually destruction of the intestinal lining.
These larger, inflammatory gluten food particles increase something called intestinal permeability for up to 5 hours, meaning elements such as toxins or undigested food pieces that aren’t supposed to cross the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream can. When these foreigners cross the gut barrier, the body goes on attack, increasing inflammation, even more, resulting in food sensitivities and toxic overload.
Wheat, the most popular gluten-containing product, is also one of the most pesticide-contaminated and genetically modified foods. Milling of wheat actually embeds pesticides in small fractions of the food particles, making it more contaminated than most other food sources!
These toxic pesticides come with a variety of health side effects which can also lead to bloating, weight gain, skin issues, hormone imbalances, digestive upset and so much more.
These are just a few of the ways that gluten directly impacts your health every time you come across it.
One bite of gluten is the same as eating the whole slice of bread. There’s really no such thing as being “gluten-reduced.”
On average, it can take 3-6 months for the intestinal lining to heal from a gluten encounter; whether it was one bite or one slice. And this healing process can take even longer for individuals who are experiencing stress…but aren’t we all under some level of stress all of the time in this modern-day world?
Eating gluten certainly isn’t going to help you reach your health goals, so let’s explore why you may not be getting great results when cutting it out.
In this week’s video and blog, I’ll reveal the top 3 reasons why a gluten-free diet might not be working for you and what you can do to get the results you’re looking for.
First, I want to applaud you on your efforts to go gluten-free in pursuit of resolving your health issues, and also say that if it didn’t work, it’s not your fault.
Going gluten-free isn’t as clear-cut as avoiding wheat, barley and rye as it appears to be; there’s just more to truly being gluten-free.
Here are the top 3 reasons why going gluten-free probably didn’t work for you.
#1 – Sneaky Ingredients
Gluten is a sneaky little ingredient hidden in soy sauce, other condiments, medications, and even your personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and makeup. Why is gluten added to these things? Because it’s used as a thickening agent, binder, or filler. So when you thought you were gluten-free, you probably weren’t.
You may have been eating gluten-free and still being exposed to it in the most unlikely of places. Give going gluten-free a go again and this time double check food labels for “contains wheat”, medication formulas for fillers, and personal-care products for “hydrolyzed wheat protein.”
To learn more about hidden gluten, check out this Sneaky Little Ingredient blog I wrote.
#2 – Cross-Reactive Foods
You could be eating gluten imposters that are tricking your body into thinking you’re eating gluten when you’re really not. These foods are called gluten cross-reactive foods. They have similar protein structures as gluten, so when your body sees them it responds as if you ate gluten!
The top gluten cross-reactive foods are:
- Dairy
- Corn
- Oats
- Millet
- Rice
- Quinoa
Often these are the exact foods found in all of those alternative gluten-free products you were so excited to find!
If you tried going gluten-free but didn’t cut these guys out too, your body was likely still reacting as if you were eating gluten and therefore tricking you into thinking going gluten-free didn’t work.
Try taking your gluten-free approach to the next level by going grain-free to really see if gluten and its cross-reactive friends are part of the problem for you.
#3 – Deeper Dysfunction
As I’ve said many times before, if the diet isn’t working, there’s likely something going on underneath the hood rendering it ineffective. Going gluten-free is a right step in the right direction, and if you pay close attention, I’m sure you’ll probably see some improvements even if it doesn’t completely resolve your primary health issue.
And if it doesn’t completely solve your health problems, that means it’s time to dig deeper. Symptoms can be far removed from the root cause.
Bloating, weight gain, skin issues, digestive upset, or whatever else you’re dealing with can also be related to hormone imbalances, liver congestion, food sensitivities, parasites, bacteria, yeast overgrowth, or a combo of other physiological aspects.
Testing is the best way to stop guessing, get to the bottom of your health issues once and for all, and heal them for good. And not just any tests, but functional lab tests that will look in-depth at the hormones, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy, and nervous system to give you the full picture of what is going on with your body.
Going gluten-free helped me take a positive step forward toward feeling better, and using functional lab testing to uncover other hidden healing opportunities is what finally helped me get back to feeling like myself again, and it’s the key to helping my clients do the same thing.
So don’t give up on being gluten-free, dig deeper, take the next step and uncover more healing opportunities!
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 click here to get on my waiting list for an Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me (and get an awesome list of practitioner referrals if you want to take action now)!
Have you tried these yet?
Health products have come a long way over the years, but it can still be hard to find ones that actually work or taste good.
I’ve tried my fair share of health products along my health journey, as I’m sure you have too, and there definitely have been ones I wished I could get my money, time or energy back from, and then there are others I just can’t live without.
Some of the products I’ve found along the way have been pivotal in helping me reverse Hashimotos, restore hormone balance, get my energy back, and feel at home in my body again.
This week I’m sharing some of the health-supporting products I LOVE to help YOU go from feeling fat, sick, and tired all the time to energize, vibrant, and completely comfortable in your body…
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Shop & Eat AIP with Ease!
Eating an Autoimmune Paleo diet can be tricky until you get the hang of it, but that’s why Sandra Dorst founded Shop AIP, an online food store that specializes in AIP-friendly foods. Now you can find AIP-friendly foods without having to read every ingredient or research every food you’re interested in.
Check out some of my favorite products such as the rosemary lamb jerky, pizza crust mix, Paleo Jack’s cookies, and KC Natural’s condiments 🙂
Get 10% off August 24th-28th with code LABORDAYSPECIALS
Start shopping AIP with ease here!
Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Pack
I started using castor oil as part of my health routine over 9 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-free and Hashimotos in remission.
I LOVE castor oil 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.
See what a Castor Oil pack is all about and get one here
Real Plans
This tool literally takes the thinking out of menu planning for me each week and it’s 100% customizable to fit all of your menu planning needs; personalize your dietary needs (such as Paleo, AIP, Whole30, etc.), how many recipes you want per week, how much time you want to spend cooking each day, and how many servings you want to make.
Then, get weekly recipes and a grocery list according to your specs and where you live for seasonal availability of ingredients!
Try Real Plans and take the work out of menu planning here!
LMNT Electrolytes
I take LMNT electrolytes at least once a day to ensure I’m getting enough minerals and electrolytes to stay hydrated, and twice a day if I’m doing a longer fast or have been more active than usual.
Electrolytes are essential for every action in the body – they keep us properly hydrated, assist in hormone balance, muscle contractions, and so much more! Most people don’t realize how deficient they are in electrolytes from eating a low-carb diet or poor food quality. This is why LMNT electrolytes are a part of my daily morning routine to ensure optimal levels, and I recommend them to everyone for the same reason.
Stay hydrated and grab your LMNT Electrolytes here!
Pique Tea
Now that my hormones and energy have been back in balance for a while, I do a quarterly 72-hour gut rest fasting routine using Pique Tea as an essential element to get me through the 3 days, and for its health-boosting benefits! Pique Tea has the highest quality and purity standards. This pure, organic, and convenient tea has 12x the antioxidants compared to others and is triple screened for pesticides, heavy metals, and mold.
Even if you’re not fasting, teas are packed with all kinds of health benefits. They contain high amounts of polyphenols which support digestion and microbiome (beneficial gut bacteria) balance, antioxidants known as catechins, and EGCG that reduces inflammation. Green tea can also help with satiety to prevent food cravings.
Peak your energy, health, and taste buds with Pique Tea here!
Get Your Mojo Back
Blood sugar imbalances are the number one robber of energy, sleep, and weight loss. When your blood sugar is on a roller coaster of highs and lows, so is the rest of your life. The secret to having stable energy, sleep, and weight is stabilizing your blood sugar and Keto-Mojo is the perfect tool to help you dial this in and get your mojo back! I personally use the Keto-Mojo to spot-check my blood sugar responses to food and to ensure my body is in a fat-burning ketosis mode.
Click here to easily check and track your blood sugar and ketones to feel your best!
Boost Your B Vitamins Naturally!
Did you know organ meats are one of the richest sources of B vitamins which are essential for hormone balance, energy, detoxification, and so many other bodily functions? But eating organ meats regularly isn’t exactly easy or appetizing. That’s why I’m so glad I found Pluck – an organ-based seasoning making it so simple to get all the vitamins and benefits of organ meats daily!
Pluck is a simple and delicious way to increase the nutritional value of everything you eat.
Click here to check out Pluck and boost your B vitamin intake naturally!
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I can’t imagine my life without these products. They have been so crucial to getting my body back and feeling like myself again. They continue to support my ability to feel like my best every single day, and I know they can do the same for you too!
Give one or some of them a try and let me know what you think!
Reduce bloating overnight!
What if I told you it was possible to reduce bloating, boost your energy, balance your hormones, regulate your bowel movements, and 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 9 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 is that it doesn’t take you much time, effort, or money for it to work its 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 its 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 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 the 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, and 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 your 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 break down 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 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.
