[My Rant] How many doctors does it take to get healthy?
I know someone who went to over 30 doctors and specialists before he finally started feeling better. Funny thing though, not one of those doctors is the reason why he finally started getting better; his turning point was when he took his health into his own hands.
He did his research, educated himself and got his hands on the right lab tests and resources to find the missing pieces to his health puzzle.
This is a perfect example of why I’m hosting the free webinar “Why Typical Blood Tests Don’t Tell You Squat (and what tests to run instead)” on January 16th at 5pm PT/8pm ET Register for the webinar here.
I left the gym life as a personal trainer and general manager back in 2009 because I could see how diet and exercise alone were failing to help people achieve a better state of health.
I then got into Corporate Wellness because I thought I could have a bigger impact with employee populations using a broader approach. But over time I morally started to have a conflict with that, too. We were preaching the standard government recommendations for food and health to people and they weren’t getting healthier.
I became (and still am) so sick and tired of people placing government regulated health standards and doctors on a pedestal- taking their word as the word of God when it comes to health and watching it not work.
You are the one who holds all of the answers to your health in your body.
In 2013, I became a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and started working with people one-on-one so I could help them get their hands on the right lab tests and resources to find the missing pieces to their health so they could finally start feeling like themselves again (or for the first time ever).
I help my clients do 3 simple things that most health practitioners don’t:
- Understand what foods are right for their body so it can function at its optimal potential
- Uncover hidden healing opportunities within the hormone, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous systems using functional lab testing
- Learn how to connect with their body at any given time so they can give it exactly what it needs to feel their best
None of this is rocket science. It’s simply getting back to the basic principles of health.
Most doctors or health practitioners are selling us solutions that are not in our best interest, but in theirs (because of the money they make off of the pharmaceuticals or solutions they sell). You don’t make money off of recommending dietary changes, more sleep or reductions for stress, so why would they do that, right?
But I’m also tired of seeing people accept less than they deserve when it comes to their health and well being – accepting that “this is just the way it is” or the concept of getting old and therefore my health will naturally decline.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many clients I’ve worked with who were told to ignore their symptoms, that they were fine, or that nothing could be done or found when they obviously didn’t feel like themselves.
Many of these clients had no idea they had underlying hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions, issues with digestion or infections. All they knew was that they felt tired all the time, had suddenly put on weight they couldn’t get rid of, felt like they were in a constant state of brain fog, were battling bouts of depression or mood swings, and overall just didn’t feel like themselves.
One client came to me with thyroid antibody levels at 425- anything over 10 is when thyroid autoimmunity can be clinically diagnosed. Her doctor just wanted to “keep an eye” on it and gave her zero recommendations on how to bring them down even though she was suffering with digestive issues, brain fog, weight gain, dry skin and mouth amongst other symptoms that correlated with Hashimoto’s. After a few short weeks of implementing the lifestyle changes I suggested, her energy was up, she was thinking more clearly and bloat free.
Another client who came to me was only able to eat 6 foods. Could you imagine living life only being able to eat 6 things??? After a battery of tests and doctors she still was left without an answer. It wasn’t until we started working together and under my guidance did she finally get her doctors to run the right tests, she was diagnosed with Celiac’s disease and within 6 weeks was eating up to 23 different foods.
Conventional doctors aren’t the only ones who are missing the mark. I’ve seen plenty of clients who have previously worked with other health professionals who are falling short too.
One such client had been suffering for over a year with extreme fatigue. She practically quit working and sought out a naturopathic doctor who treated her for adrenal dysfunction and food sensitivities but never checked her digestive or thyroid health even though her sister had a thyroid autoimmune condition. To no avail, the treatments fell short. She eventually landed with me and we ran the right tests. Lo and behold, she had a plethora of gut bugs, her thyroid antibodies for autoimmunity were through the roof and she was living in a house with mold! After just 2 months, her thyroid antibodies were back down to healthy ranges.
It’s absolute BS how the media, certain health practitioners, marketing and so called “health” products companies have preyed on all of us after we have been beaten down, told we don’t know anything about our health or it’s “too complicated” for us to understand.
In this week’s video and blog I’m going to make figuring out what’s going on with your health so simple that a monkey could figure it out for you.
The reality is that your health is really simple.
When we focus on fulfilling our body’s basic needs with adequate food, sleep, exercise, the right nutrients and reducing stress, we can heal ourselves.
There is no such thing as “one thing” that is going to fix your health or get you back in touch with yourself. Having your best health and feeling like yourself requires work in multiple areas of your body and life.
However, we do need to take ownership in advocating for ourselves, in how we have treated our bodies, and in acknowledging what needs to change.
You can’t keep doing the same thing over again and expect a different result.
You don’t need to diet harder or exercise more. In fact in some cases you need to exercise less. There is no magic pill or supplement that will “fix it all.”
In two words, I can tell you want is wrong with your health:
- STRESS
- INFLAMMATION
Symptoms such as…
- Headaches, fatigue or low energy
- Gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea
- Anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD or mood swings
- Ovarian cysts, thyroid or hormone imbalances
- High blood pressure or cholesterol
- Weight gain or inability to lose weight
- Joint and/or muscle pain
- Autoimmune conditions
- Acid reflux or GERD
- Skin rashes, acne, eczema or psoriasis
- Period pain, cramps, hot flashes and night sweats
- Congestion, allergies, sinus issues
- And restless sleep
All of these are symptoms of stress. The stress has created some kind of metabolic chaos which leads to inflammation and dysfunction in the bodily systems which are then producing the symptom(s) you’re experiencing.
If you want to reverse the dysfunction, you simply need to do two things:
- Identify what is stressing the body and remove it
- Reduce inflammation
In order to see the big picture of stress, inflammation, and metabolic chaos that is occuring in the body, you need to run the right lab tests and/or they need to be interpreted from a functional viewpoint to help you connect all the dots.
For example, a high triglyceride ratio is a good marker for insulin resistance which points carbohydrates and sugars as being stress culprits. Or another example is when certain red blood cell components are elevated, it’s a sign of intestinal parasites and these guys can cause all kinds of chaos and stress internally!
It’s time to put a stop to this confusion and to become educated about what your lab tests are really saying or to figure out the right labs to run so you can become your own advocate and take back control of your health.
Join me, January 16th at 5pm PT/8pm ET for a free webinar:
Why Typical Blood Tests Don’t Tell You Squat (and what tests to run instead).
In this webinar I’ll uncover these truths about lab tests as it relates to your health:
- How blood and saliva tests don’t tell the full story about your hormones and what health secrets are hiding in your urine
- What’s wrong with lab reference ranges, how they could be lying about your health and what optimal ranges look like
- How markers on a comprehensive blood panel all give you clues about your gut health
- Why you should be running functional (not conventional) lab tests to find the missing pieces to your health puzzle
Register for the webinar here.
You don’t have to see over 30 doctors or health practitioners to get to where you want to be. It is possible for you to have better energy, mental clarity, clear skin, a flat stomach, to feel good in your body again and be in control of your health.
Learn about the right lab tests and resources to give you the clues so you you need to find the missing pieces to your health puzzle so you can get back to feeling like yourself again (or for the first time!).
Join me, January 16th at 5pm PT/8pm ET for a free webinar:
Why Typical Blood Tests Don’t Tell You Squat (and what tests to run instead).
3 Reasons why you look good on paper, but feel like crap
For the longest time I was the picture of perfect health, according to my doctor and most people. My health markers looked great on paper: cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, etc. But for some reason, I still felt like crap.
I struggled to maintain my weight, even though I exercised and watched what I ate
My mind wasn’t sharp. It was like I was in a fog most of the time
I could hardly keep my eyes open in the afternoon, even after a double Americano
It seemed like everything I ate left me feeling bloated or puffy in the face
My emotions were like a roller coaster that I couldn’t get off
But my doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with me.
My paper game was on point, though. Not only did I have “excellent” health markers but my career was on fire. I landed my dream job straight out of college and quickly climbed the professional ladder. Before I knew it, I was 24 years old,managing a multi-million dollar facility and practically making 6-figures.
I had it all, but something just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like myself.
This is exactly where most of my clients are when they come to me, too- successful in life, but not so much in how they feel or in their health. How much of this can you also relate to?
You’ve been through the mill of health professionals in search of that magic thing that is going to turn back the hands of time and help you feel energized, sharp, strong, alive, pain-free and like yourself again (or for the first time).
You look great on paper professionally and medically, but you still feel like crap.
You’ve let your success guide you in life, only to wake up day after day feeling like something is missing but you can’t quite put your finger on it. You start noticing how your body doesn’t seem to respond in the same ways it used to. You get down on yourself for feeling tired, unable to manage your weight, and weak mentally and/or physically.
You chalk it up to “just getting old,” but secretly you wish that wasn’t the case so you keep searching for solutions. All the searching, agonizing and money spending starts to make you crazy.
Let me tell you, you’re not crazy!
I am so sick and tired of hearing how doctors and health professions are telling people they look like the picture of perfect health on paper when they feel like crap.
Symptoms such as…
Headaches
Fatigue or low energy
Gas and bloating
Mood swings
Anxiety and depression
ADD/ADHD
Ovarian cysts
Thyroid or hormone imbalances
High blood pressure or cholesterol
Restless sleep
Weight gain or inability to lose weight
Joint and/or muscle pain
Autoimmune conditions
Acid reflux or GERD
Skin rashes, acne, eczema or psoriasis
Hot flashes and night sweats
Congestion, allergies, sinus issues
Constipation and diarrhea
Are all common, but they are NOT normal!!!
And don’t give me that BS about genetics. Your genes only determine about 20% of your health, the rest is all based on lifestyle choices. So just because your parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles or whoever else in your family suffered from some health ailment, doesn’t mean you have to.
In this week’s video, I give you the answers you’ve finally have been looking for and the top 3 reasons why you might look good on paper but still feel like crap.
Time and time again, I hear clients, friends or family members saying “my doctor ran all of these tests and everything looks fine but I still don’t feel like myself.”
You’re not crazy, there likely is something out of whack with your health but your doctor just isn’t running the right tests or the results aren’t being interpreted from the standpoint of what optimal health should look like. There is a BIG difference when comparing your health markers to those of the general population (who are generally not that healthy overall) versus a healthy person whom you’d like to be like.
Running an incomplete lab test is the #1 reason why I see so many people who say they look great on paper but feel like crap. Their health professional is simply running a basic test and not getting the full picture of what is happening.
Case in point:
They are running a thyroid test that only looks at some markers such as TSH, T4 and T3. Missing pieces to the puzzle to truly evaluate thyroid function, include Free T4, Free T3, T3 Update, Reverse T3, Thyroperoxidase (TPO) and Thyroglobulin antibodies.
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve helped uncover thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity in our work because their health professional didn’t run a full thyroid panel.
Running the wrong type of test is the #2 reason why I see so many people who say they look great on paper but feel like crap. Different types of test have different pro’s and con’s to them, but there is not one type of test that will give you all of the clues you need.
Case in point:
Blood, saliva and urine testing for hormones can all provide valuable clues about what is going on with you but not a single one of these tests will paint the whole picture. Blood tests show both “bound” and “free” forms of hormones in their values. If the hormone is bound, it’s not giving clues about what is actually available for use in the body. Alternately, a urine test shows only “free” hormones that are available for use. So your problem may not be how much hormone you have in total, but how much is actually available for use and, therefore, a urine test would be a better indicator about your health.
Looking at one piece of the body, instead of the whole body, is the #3 reason why I see so many people who say they look great on paper but feel like crap. They go to an endocrinologist, gastrologist, chiropractor, acupuncturist or other health professional who specializes in one area of the body so the dots aren’t being connected.
Case in point:
Your liver plays a HUGE role in balancing hormones. It converts thyroid T4 to T3 hormone. It excretes excess estrogen hormones. And it helps to regulate insulin hormone, as just a few examples. Your gut is another good example of this since it’s where we absorb nutrients from food and also where a lot of hormones are either converted or regulated. But when you see an endocrinologist who specializes in hormones, they aren’t typically looking at your liver or gut function to see if that is part of the problem.
It’s time to put a stop to this confusion and to become educated about what your lab tests are really saying or to figure out the right labs to run based on the answers you are looking for.
Join me, January 16th at 5pm PT/8pm ET for a free webinar:
Why Typical Blood Tests Don’t Tell You Squat (and what tests to run instead).
In this webinar I’ll uncover these truths about lab tests as it relates to your health:
- How blood and saliva tests don’t tell the full story about your hormones and what health secrets are hiding in your urine
- What’s wrong with lab reference ranges, how they could be lying about your health and what optimal ranges look like
- How markers on a comprehensive blood panel all give you clues about your gut health
- Why you should be running functional (not conventional) lab tests to find the missing pieces to your health puzzle
Register for the webinar here.
It is possible for you to have better energy, mental clarity, clear skin, a flat stomach and/or to feel good in your body again. You just need the right lab tests and resources to give you the right clues so you can find the missing pieces to your health puzzle and get back to feeling like yourself again (or for the first time!).
Get the replay! [12 Healthy Hormone Hacks]
Have you been missing out on my simple tips to keep your hormones balanced during the holidays?
I’ve been giving away all kinds of knowledge goodies over the past 9 days in regards to practical things you can do to keep hormones (such as cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, melatonin, insulin and leptin) balanced during the holiday season.
The holidays can wreak havoc on our hormones as we tend to focus SO much on giving to others this time of year and not so much to ourselves, running around from holiday parties, last minute gift shopping and visiting family or friends.
By the end of it all, we usually feel wiped out, wondering why we feel so fat, tired and sick all the time. It’s because your hormones took a hit!
To help you keep your hormones intact this holiday season, I kicked off a Facebook and Instagram live series last week called “12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays.”
Over the course of 12 days around 2-3pm PT/5-6pm ET on Facebook and Instagram Live, I have been delivering simple tips for practical things you can do to keep your hormones balanced while you enjoy the holiday season!
Here’s a sneak peak of what you might have missed…
Day 6: Bank Some Sleep
Sleep is the first thing to go out the window during the holiday season. We stay up late doing a variety of things this time of year…
Burning the midnight oil to meet last minute work deadlines
Wrapping presents when our kids or loved ones are asleep
Dancing or socializing the night away at holiday parties
Waiting for Santa or loved ones to arrive
Or by taking red eye flights to save a few bucks
But you might have noticed that even when you get 8 hours of sleep or allow yourself to sleep in after a late night, you just don’t seem to wake up feeling as rested as you could if you had gone to bed at a more reasonable time.
That’s because every 1 hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of rest!
Our body is on an internal time clock according to the sun and moon cycles, and based on this internal timer, our body has specific times of day when it does some really critical functions to help keep our hormones in balance.
For example, in the window of 10pm-2am the body releases human growth hormone which helps to repair damaged tissues or cells, and create new cells. During this time is also when cortisol levels are supposed to be at their lowest and melatonin hormone is at its peak to support restful sleep. And during the window of 2am-4am is when the liver and gallbladder get to work cleansing and detoxifying to release toxins which promotes hormone balance.
If we miss these windows of sleep, our body does not shift its internal clock on our behalf, we simply miss out on these important functions being performed as they should be, and our hormones take a hit as a result. Constantly staying up late can completely flip your cortisol rhythm, mess with melatonin production and disrupt the rest of your hormones as a result.
Obviously there are some very fun-filled and valid reasons to maybe miss some shut eye this time of year, but you can make up for lost time by banking your sleep on the days that you are able to get to bed at a more reasonable hour.
Remember that every 1 hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of rest!
So on the nights when you don’t have holiday obligations or commitments, aim to be in bed by 10pm or earlier to bank some sleep for late nights you might have ahead or to make up for ones you already had.
Getting in good quality sleep at the optimal times as much as you can will help to keep your cortisol and melatonin in sync, and allow human growth hormone to get to work on your behalf so you can wake up feeling rested and make it through the holidays without your hormones getting completely out of whack.
***
Day 5: Crush Some Cruciferous Veggies
It’s the last full weekend before Christmas and all through the town, christmas cocktails are flowing… meaning estrogen levels are on the rise.
One alcoholic beverage can increase estrogen levels in the body for up to 24 hours, but this time of year there’s bound to be more than one drink had and with back-to-back holiday festivities our bodies may not get a full 24 hour break for estrogen levels to fall back to normal.
Aside from alcohol, there is a whole category of toxins called xenoestrogens, such as certain plastics, that we are likely to come in contact with more frequently this time of year.
Alcohol and plastic can increase estrogen
Constantly elevated estrogen levels from alcohol consumption or toxin exposures, can lead to estrogen dominance which can in turn trigger thyroid imbalances, sleep issues and mood swings.
But don’t worry, you can still indulge this holiday season and not worry about every plastic you touch if you focus on crushing some cruciferous veggies when you sit down to eat.
Cruciferous vegetables are a staple in an anti-estrogenic type of diet or lifestyle. They contain a compound called DIM (3’3 diindonylmethane) which helps your body to remove estrogen through the liver.
DIM isn’t only reason why cruciferous veggies are anti-estrogenic. Most of them also contain chlorophyll (found in the green leaves) which is also aids in reducing estrogen through improved liver health.
Next time you go out to eat or cook at home, see where you can incorporate some of these cruciferous veggies…
- Arugula
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Collard Greens
- Kale
- Mustard greens
- Radish
- Turnip
- Watercress
Some of my favorite holiday side dishes include different styles of roasted brussel sprouts and kale salads. Brussel sprouts in general are a big trend these days for appetizers so look to add them to your meal when eating out. Or double the benefits with some saurkraut to get in your cabbage to lower estrogen AND promote better gut health.
Keep that estrogen in check by crushing some cruciferous veggies as we wind down the year!
***
Day 4: Wake Up with Warm Water
Baby it’s cold outside ❄️ so why wouldn’t you want to start your day off with some warm lemon-salted water while you wait to brew your usual cup of joe or tea?
Beyond just warming you up, your hormones can hugely benefit by starting your day off with warm water enhanced with a slice of lemon and pinch of Himalayan or sea salt.
Lemons have been shown to help detoxify the liver, and the liver is where we either convert hormones (such as thyroid T4 to T3) or excrete excess hormones (such as estrogen) which can lead to weight gain, sleep and and mood issues if it builds up.
A pinch of Himalayan or sea salt promotes better hydration and electrolyte balance which is important for hormone and bodily functions. Plus, the magnesium, sodium and potassium in the salt nourishes the adrenal glands which largely produce cortisol and DHEA hormone but also contribute to the production of adrenaline, estrogen and other hormones as well.
Warm or room temperature water aids in the absorption of the lemon and salt nutrients into the body in addition to promoting digestive function and bowel movements (which is how we excrete toxins that can impact hormone balance or excess hormones themselves). Essentially, warm water gives the insides of your body a gentle nudge to get going instead of a cold electric shock to get out of bed – warm water sound much more pleasing, right?
During the craziness of the holidays, we are more likely to forget to drink water throughout the day and then we indulge in other activities such as drinking alcohol, extra coffee and traveling, which dehydrate and rob of us nutrients even more.
I always aim to drink at least 20-32 ounces of warm lemon-salted water before 10am. This wasn’t easy at first because I was so attached to my morning coffee, but little by little I made the switch and now I wake up craving my warm water and have no need for coffee anymore.
This holiday season, see if you can add in a cup of warm lemon-salted water to your morning to give your hormones a healthy boost to start your day!
***
Head on over to my (W)holistic Health Boss Facebook Page to catch replays on the tips I’ve shared so far!
For the next few days, make sure to tune in with me on Facebook and Instagram between 2-3pm PT/ 5-6pm ET to catch the rest of my live series, “12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays”
P.S. Turn on your notifications so you don’t miss a single practical tip to keep your hormones intact this holiday season and to share the knowledge with others.
12 Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays!
We are in the thick of the holiday season!
The holidays can wreak havoc on our hormones as we tend to focus SO much on giving to others this time of year and not so much to ourselves, running around from holiday parties, last minute gift shopping and visiting family or friends.
By the end of it all, we usually feel wiped out, wondering why we feel so fat, tired and sick all the time – it’s because your hormones took a hit!
To help you keep your hormones in tact this holiday season, I kicked off a Facebook and Instagram live series called “12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays”
Over the course of 12 days around 2-3pm PT/5-6pm ET on Facebook and Instagram Live, I will be delivering simple tips for practical things you can do to keep your hormones balanced while you enjoy the holiday season!
Here is what I’ve posted so far…
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!
In order for the body to make hormones, it needs you to eat healthy dietary fats that are broken down into LDL and cholesterols to make hormones along with other nutrients such as B vitamins. Yep, you heard me right. LDL and cholesterol are actually necessary to make hormones. They get a bad rap, but they are not bad for you if sourced in a healthy way.
Filling up with healthy fats can also help to balance your blood sugar for longer lasting energy, to reduce inflammation and to kick cravings.
So what kinds of 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 and/or smoothies
- Organic, nitrate and gluten free bacon
- Cold Pressed and organic olive or coconut oil in cooked or baked goods
- Grass fed ghee instead of butter (less inflammatory)
- Fatty cuts of organic and pasture raised meats and eggs
One of my favorite fat bomb beverages is a matcha green tea latte with full fat coconut milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean ghee. This keeps me feeling full and energized for at least 4 hours.
I always fill up on fat before I hit a holiday party. or aim to eat the fattiest snacks while I’m there, to keep my hormones happy and my hunger under control.
Focus on filling up with healthy fats at least once a day and notice the way it makes you feel more full, more energized and craving free.
***
Day 2 – Breathe Deeply
This time of year we are in constant movement – decorating, planning, working, shopping, traveling, cooking, cleaning and socializing. While all of that is necessary and some of it is fun, it does take a toll on our hormonal health.
Constant movement triggers our sympathetic nervous system and elicits a stress response in the body, aka the fight or flight response. In a stressed state, our body uses a lot of valuable hormonal resources. Cortisol is one of the primary hormones at play but not the only one impacted in a negative way.
In fight or flight mode, our body directs all of its valuable resources outward for quick thinking and quick moving, leaving little resources left for the rest of the critical functions in our body to take place to keep our health in line.
BUT there is something you can do that takes 2 minutes or less to snap yourself out of this reactive place and quickly into more of a rest and relaxation mode so your hormones can come back into balance and your body can heal from all the work it has been doing…
Deep Breathing.
It’s as simple as that. When we adopt the deep, rhythmic breathing patterns of a relaxed person, we can automatically and instantly flip the switch from being in fight or flight mode into a more relaxed state.
Try this ten times…
- Inhale for a count of 5
- Hold the breath for a count of 5
- Exhale for a count of 7
You can use this simple breathing technique anytime you notice yourself moving too fast or when you’ve gone a long time without taking a break, to instantly bring cortisol and other hormones back into balance.
I often do this once in the morning, afternoon and before bed. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stop at least once a day this holiday season to breathe deeply and promote hormone balance.
***
Day 3 – Go Green (going live on this today)
During the holidays, inflammation is on the rise as we indulge in different foods or beverages that might have a more inflammatory effect on the body, from toxins we encounter while traveling and as a result of any mental or emotional stress we might experience this time of year.
Inflammation is at the root of all hormone dysfunction or any chronic disease. It drives cortisol out of rhythm, creating a negative domino effect on other hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid. And over time, chronic inflammation, even at low grade levels, can overwhelm the immune system, kicking it into overdrive and eventually leading to autoimmunity or other chronic conditions.
Sure you’re going to indulge, it being the holidays, and you can’t always control your exposure to toxins or the need to travel, but there are things you can do on a daily basis to calm down the inflammatory fire.
To help you reduce inflammation on a daily basis – GO GREEN!
One cup of green tea has an abundance of anti-inflammatory effects that can positively impact your hormones and even your gut health. EGCG is the active ingredient in green tea which modulates genes to produce an anti-inflammatory effect.
To keep that inflammation fire contained, 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 on the road or in an airport, or pack your favorite green tea brand to always have with you. It’s the perfect drink to start your day or keep you warm when it’s cold outside.
As I mentioned on Day 1 when talking about filling up with fats to keep your hormones healthy, one of my favorite fat bomb beverages is a matcha green tea latte with full fat coconut milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean ghee. This keeps me feeling full and energized for at least 4 hours, plus has all the added anti-inflammatory benefits.
Go with green tea this holiday season to keep that inflammation under control for healthy hormones.
***
Head on over to my (W)holistic Health Boss Facebook Page to catch replays on the first few days of tips.
For the next 8 days, make sure to tune in with me on Facebook and Instagram between 2-3pm PT/ 5-6pm ET to catch the rest of my live series, “12 Days of Healthy Hormone Hacks for the Holidays”
P.S. Turn on your notifications so you don’t miss a single practical tip to keep your hormones intact this holiday season and to share the knowledge with others.
Take empowered action now!
Are you tired of feeling stuck, frustrated and like you don’t have any options when it comes to your healthcare?
Do you feel as though you are handcuffed by your health insurance, you worry about health expenses but want access to alternative and holistic health practices?
Do you know something just isn’t right with your body, and you need help investigating and interpreting what it needs and what to do?
Are you feeling a lack of confidence or disempowered when it comes to asking your doctors to run the test that you want, for alternative treatments and for the support you need?
It’s insurance open enrollment season, the time of year to take empowered action when it comes to your health!
I have been through the health insurance ringer myself and I know how frustrating the “system” can be, how it can leave you feeling like you’re out of options and out of luck.
I’ve grown to know the insurance system over the years more intimately than I had ever intentionally planned from dealing with various health conditions such as skin cancer, ear infections, allergies, hormone imbalances, Hashimoto’s and mold illness.
I was fortunate enough to gain a deeper understanding of insurance plans when I worked as the VP of Strategic Wellness Planning back in my corporate wellness days.
After sitting through long hours of repetitive open enrollment presentations for the corporate wellness company accounts that I oversaw back then, I finally had a better grasp of how to become more empowered in my health insurance options and therefore in my health.
Before I dive into how you can take empowered action with your health insurance and become more empowered in your health, let’s get a few things straight…
#1 Trust your body – nobody knows it like you do. Nobody!
Your body wants to be in balance. It wants to work for you, not against you. Symptoms are the last signs to show up in a disease or dysfunctional state and can be FAR REMOVED from the cause or contributing factors.
If something “doesn’t feel right”, or you “just don’t feel like yourself”, don’t let anyone tell you you’re fine. For the longest time I was the picture of perfect health according to my typical primary care conventional doctor even though I didn’t feel like myself, and come to find out there was an unhealthy storm brewing in my body leading to skin cancer, Hashimoto’s and hormone imbalances. Once I started trusting in my body and not taking no for an answer, I finally gained the courage to seek the therapies I needed to get well again.
#2 Stand up to the system – start viewing doctors just as any other service provider
Sure doctors have gone to school to specialize in medicine but that doesn’t mean they know everything or that they specialize in what you need them to specialize in. On average it takes 18 years for new research to hit mainstream medicine, and even more time for physicians to put that new information in play.
You have a right to choose a doctor that serves your greater good, to fire them if they aren’t doing a good job and to find one who meets your needs better.
You also have a right to be educated, to share your knowledge with your doctor and for them to respect it.
If you got a bad massage or haircut, chances are you wouldn’t go back to that service provider. We should start holding the same standards for our health care providers. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve when it comes to your health and wellbeing.
Once you get a handle on these two very important aspect of health empowerment, you’ll be ready to take on the system and take more empowered action when it comes to your healthcare.
In this week’s video I give you more tips to navigate the health insurance system and resources to find the right health practitioner to meet your needs.
Having the right type of health insurance to back you up is a big piece of the empowerment puzzle when it comes to your healthcare. I find that most people have no idea what kind of insurance they have, let alone what benefits they have with it.
In the U.S. there are two basic types of insurance plans and one can come with a huge optional bonus benefit…
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
- Biggest Advantage- premiums are generally lower, there is a low or no deductible
- Biggest DISadvantage – less flexibility with coverage, no coverage outside the HMO network and need a referral from PCP (primary care physician) for any speciality
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
- Biggest Advantage- more flexibility and coverage outside of the immediate network
- Biggest DISadvantage – premiums tend to be higher and it’s common for there to be a deductible
HSA High Deductible PPO
- BONUS Benefit – a tax-advantage medical savings account called a health savings account (HSA)
- Biggest Advantage- set aside pre-tax dollars for health costs that you keep forever (not a use it or lose it account like a FSA), some employers will match funds, funds can be used for diagnostic tests, prescriptions and most alternative therapies such as acupuncture, supplements and more
- Biggest DISadvantage- high deductible PPO, however you use your HSA funds to cover this
When shopping for or changing your insurance, you’ll want to consider:
- What is most important to you – having flexibility to see the doctors you want when you want (PPO) or saving money monthly (HMO)?
- Do you want coverage for alternative treatments (PPO) or not (most HMO)?
- Would setting aside money (HSA) help when things “pop up” or give you worry-free spending money to do what you want?
- Reviewing the full plan of explanation of benefits and exclusions to make sure it meets your needs
Knowledge is power, and with technology these days we have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips to help empower us about our health. Get to know your benefit options and choose one that gives you what you need.
For example, by doing a simple google search for “what thyroid markers indicate Hashimoto’s”, there are a plethora of links and resources indicating that TSH and T4 aren’t the best indicators, yet most conventional doctors are still using those tests and missing the mark for Hashimoto’s.
The final piece to being truly empowered is making sure you have a health practitioner partner who has you in mind. I always say that finding the right one is like dating. You have to date a few to see if they are the right fit for you and if they meet all of your needs. This is true for any doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, personal trainer, massage therapist, health coach or other health practitioner you might be looking for.
The most important things I want my personal health practitioners to value are:
- Collaboration – we need to work together on my health
- Teamwork – they have to be willing to work with other specialists for my benefit
- Respect – they must respect my choices, even if they don’t agree with them
- Willingness – to try new methods as research evolves
- Attentive – attention to detail! I want to feel as if they know me and they care
Now you know a little bit more to help you take back control of your health, to take empowered action and to be your own health boss!
Take advantage of this open enrollment season to either change your insurance benefits to actually benefit you, or to educate yourself more about the ones you have and how you can get the most of them, and to make sure you have the right health practitioner by your side.
Know there are hundreds, if not thousands, of the health practitioners like myself who are cheering you on and want you to feel empowered in your choices 🙂
If you’re looking for a health practitioner who has your best interest in mind, then let’s chat to see how I can help! Schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Consultation here.
As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, I help health-minded people get access to the right lab testing so they can find the missing pieces to their health puzzle, create a personalized health rebuilding lifestyle and get back to feeling like themselves again.
P.S. For more resources to find functional and holistic-minded health practitioners ,check out the Paleo Physicians Network or the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Network
I never talk about this [Alcoholism and Autoimmunity]
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of losing my mom to alcoholism.
I never talk about this, but enough time and healing has happened for me to be ready to share this part of my story with you. My growing gratitude for this experience with my mom has shed so much light on opportunities for me to not only create greater health and happiness for myself, but to also inspire others to do the same.
So here goes…
I’m not quite sure where my genetic predisposition to autoimmunity came from. I suspect that both of my grandmothers had some kind of thyroid dysfunction, but they lived in an era when nobody was looking for or talking about autoimmunity.
In order to have an active autoimmune condition, three things must be in place:
- You have the gene for it – a genetic risk factor or pre-disposition
- You have a leaky gut – impaired digestion and immune system function
- You’ve come in contact with a trigger – various triggers include things such as gluten, environmental toxins, certain parasites, bacteria or yeast overgrowth in the gut, viruses such as mono/Epstein Barr or different Herpes strains and more
My mom didn’t have an autoimmune condition, at least not that I know of, but the effects of her alcoholism certainly played a role in why I do.
Autoimmunity can be detected 10 years before a clinical diagnosis is ever given.
Antibodies are the markers for autoimmune activity in the body, and there are blood tests to detect antibody activity in the early stages. Yet, doctor’s don’t preventatively look for autoimmunity. They only test for it once someone is visibly suffering from what looks to be an autoimmune condition, which usually means the person is at the point of a clinical diagnosis.
However, when autoimmunity is caught early on, reversing it is much easier.
I can look back now and practically pinpoint the time when my autoimmune process likely started occurring more than 20 years ago.
I was the girl who had it all together – straight A’s all throughout grade school, I hung out with the cool kids, went off to college, I excelled in every job I had, and quickly climbed the career ladder into high level management positions.
All the while, I was sacrificing my health for acceptance and success.
The effects of addiction on friends and family members is not something most people openly talk about. Those who have been affected carry a lot of shame and guilt with them or a fear of being abandoned if people really knew their family situation.
I carried the burden of these feelings for a long time, and as a result I didn’t always make the right choices to support my health.
As I know now, and as the research of epigenetics shows us, our lifestyle choices directly alter the cells in our body to either create illness or to support health.
In the past, the ways in which I chose to cope with my mom’s drinking habits and the feelings related to it were very unhealthy:
- I started drinking in high school to be “cool” and accepted by others
- I found myself in a string of codependent and unhealthy relationships
- I was a control freak about everything (this is a signature trait of a child raised by an alcoholic)
- I engaged in full on screaming matches with my mom over her drinking that left me completely emotionally drained
- I used work as a distraction and a means to validate my worth – my career success covered up my family dysfunction
- I hustled all week working 12 hour days or 50 plus hours a week, and socially binged on the weekends, never leaving time for me
Over the years, my body was giving me clear signs on just how much my mom’s addiction and my reactions to it were impacting my health:
- I had painful and irregular periods right from the start, and birth control was the bandaid I was given – a red flag for estrogen and progesterone imbalances
- Waves of fatigue followed in high school and became more constant in college and thereafter – adrenal dysfunction was setting in and maybe a case of undiagnosed mono
- I developed allergies out of nowhere and sensitivities to fragrances or chemicals in my early twenties – a huge clue for leaky gut!
- I was diagnosed with skin cancer at the early age of 25 – a sign my cells were sick
However, according to my conventional doctor, on paper I was the picture of perfect health. Once I became a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, about 15 years into my mom’s alcoholism, I was able to get my hands on the right lab tests which showed just how dysfunctional my health had become due to the choices I had been making.
My test results showed:
- Severe adrenal dysfunction
- Poor liver and detoxification function
- High levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage
- A gut full of bacteria, parasites and yeast overgrowth and a weakened immune system
These were all early signs of an autoimmune process being in place. Had I run a test to look at autoimmunity specifically at the time I’m almost certain I would have had elevated antibody markers too.
In this week’s video I share more about the link between alcoholism and autoimmunity and what I’ve done to overcome it.
“When we focus on others, our lives become unmanageable” – a teaching from the Twelve Steps of Adult Children workbook
In response to my mom’s addiction, I had become so focused on managing her and her condition that my own personal life was unmanageable in a sense.
Almost everything I did centered around a reaction or direct action related to her condition in order to keep the peace, assimilate a sense of control in otherwise chaotic circumstances or to cover up what I didn’t want people to know.
The desire to be the opposite of an alcoholic was my priority, not my health.
It wasn’t until my mom had a near death experience 6 years before she actually passed away that I decided my health needed to be my priority. I realized I had sacrificed myself enough and life was certainly too short to keep going down that road.
Shortly after that realization is when I started to immerse myself in more functional and holistic health practices. I reversed my adrenal dysfunction, started healing my gut, and supporting my detoxification system better.
I was doing all of the “right” things from a scientific perspective – eating a Paleo style diet, exercising, taking supplements and getting satisfying sleep. But some of my old behavior patterns around control, how I dealt with emotional situations and lack of self worth persisted.
Having your best health and feeling like yourself requires work in all areas of life.
By the time I started to work on my physical health by changing my diet, getting more rest, taking the right supplements and reducing stress, the autoimmune process was already in place and through the physiology of epigenetics my mindset kept feeding it. You have to get your mind right to get your body right.
Part of untangling the autoimmune web for me has been addressing the effects that my mother’s addiction has had on how I handle life. I have learned to:
- Make choices from a conscious place to maintain my health as a priority
- Own my story without guilt or shame, but rather with compassion and gratitude
- To let go more and care less about the little things so I can focus on myself
- Forgive my imperfections and use them as tools to walk away from what is not me and find what is me
These are just a few of the changes I’ve made in my life to create greater health and reverse my autoimmune condition over the years.
Molly Hamill and I did a great webinar earlier this year talking more in-depth about how to activate and upgrade your healing process from the physiological and energetic aspects. You can check out the replay of the webinar here.
All of us have grown up in unique situations or experienced some kind of crisis in our lives. Alcohol addiction is only one example of this, but how we choose to deal with those situations can be the differentiating factor between having perfect or poor health.
In my 1:1 client coaching programs, I work with people to identify the physiological aspects contributing to poor health by running lab tests to look for underlying imbalances in the body, and by addressing old behavior patterns or beliefs that keep them from taking care of themselves like they want to be.
By doing this work on myself, I now have a better relationship with my mom and her situation than I ever did when she was alive. I am extremely grateful for what I have been exposed to, what I have learned and how I can share my experience to help others.
If you want to finally get to the bottom of what is keeping you from feeling like your best self and having your best health, then let’s see how I can help. Schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here.
[Quick Video] Why I’m grateful for you…
I wanted to pop by your inbox really quick today to share two messages of gratitude with you in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.
My two messages for you are…
- Why I’m grateful for you specifically
- How you can find gratitude in your health and life experiences to create better health, more wealth and happiness
Watch this quick video to hear my messages to you today
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving or average Thursday, wherever you are in the world!
My Favorite Fixer Upper
For the past 5 months I’ve been living in a real life episode of Fixer Upper as we’ve been remodeling our home. As seen on TV, we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs, unexpected costs and great opportunities to make our home beautiful.
This remodel has given me the chance to create my dream home. And I have been particularly excited to also create a cleaner, more environmentally safe and health supporting household.
During the demo phase, my mind and body were put at ease when no additional water damage or mold were found, and knowing the majority of the materials (wood flooring, carpet, paint etc.) in our home which had been exposed to toxic mold were being replaced.
I have absolutely fallen in love with every decor detail from the paint colors, glass tiled fireplace and waterfall backsplash and our huge pocket sliding door to give our home an indoor/outdoor living space.
But…
My favorite remodel upgrade is my new whole house water filtration system!
I can now drink water safely from any faucet in my home, and shower without worrying about toxins disrupting my hormone balance.
Water is the most essential element for our survival. On average 60% of the body is made of water. We drink water, cook with water and bath with water. Water is vital in every aspect of our life.
Yet water is the number one place where harmful toxins are lurking.
We have been told our tap water is safe, but what does safe really mean? As we’ve seen with the Flint, Michigan water crisis tap water isn’t always as safe or clean as we would like to think.
The general rule of thumb for health is to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, or half of your body weight in ounces. If you’re abiding by those rules, or aiming to, and drinking tap or bottled water you could actually be causing your body more harm than good.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently did a study and compiled a tap water database using 28 million water records collected from 50,000 water utility companies that serve all 50 states in the U.S. and this is what they found:
- 40,000 or 81% of water systems had contaminants linked to cancer
- 250 million or 77% of water sources contained hexavalent chromium (the “Erin Brockovich” chemical)
- 7 million contained nitrate, a fertilizer
- 19,000 contained lead levels harmful for children
- A total of 250 chemicals overall (and counting) were identified
- 160 contaminants that the Federal Government has yet to set limits on
These statistics are staggering and down right scary. And those Brita Filters you have don’t even begin to put a dent in filtering out these types of chemicals.
Drinking or cooking with toxic water isn’t your only concern either.
We tend to overlook the health concerns associated with bathing in contaminated water. You also absorb toxins through your skin. Plus if you’re like me and love a hot shower, all of those toxins become airborne in the steam and you run the risk of inhaling them.
Cleaning up my water sources is one of the ways I started to restore balance to my hormones, reverse hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about what’s lurking in your water that’s harmful to your health and how you can protect yourself.
The majority of the toxins lurking in your water can be classified into 3 different health harming categories:
- Obesogens – these toxins turns cells meant to be other tissue such as bone into fat cells
- Endocrine Disruptors – these toxins disrupt estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid and all of the other hormones and gland parts of the endocrine system
- Xenoestrogens – these toxins mimic estrogen in the body, raising estrogen levels or overloading the estrogen pathways
For anyone who is struggling with weight loss or weight gain, and having hormonal issues, the toxins in your water could be a huge piece to your healing puzzle. And for those who aren’t currently struggle with these health issues, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. These toxins could be contributing to health issues you’ll be faced with down the road.
The 3 most toxic chemicals when it comes to thyroid health, for example, are found in our water sources:
- Chlorine
- Bromine
- Fluoride
These 3 little chemicals are known as endocrine disruptors and they can wreak a lot of havoc, particularly on your thyroid function. These toxins can bind to thyroid hormone making it inactive or block the receptor sites used to receive thyroid hormone so it can’t be put it to use for vital functions in the body.
If your thyroid becomes sluggish, it starts a chain reaction taking down your other hormones.
Your thyroid plays a huge role keeping your weight balanced, regulating body temperature, energy, mood and keeping your other hormones in check too.
When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, a thyroid autoimmune disorder, I was regularly showering in chlorine contaminated water and I wasn’t very diligent about always cooking with or drinking filtered water. This wasn’t the cause of my thyroid condition, but it certainly was a contributing factor keeping me from having good thyroid health.
Chlorine, fluoride and bromine were originally introduced as a way to kill bacteria and improve dental health, but as new research emerges we are now beginning to understand their negative impact on our bodies.
As I mentioned earlier, simply buying a drinking water filter just isn’t enough. Most of the popular water filter brands don’t even begin to scrape the surface when it comes to filtering out all the toxins in our water.
Buying bottled water doesn’t really do the trick either. Bottled water has its own risk of toxins such as BPA plastic, the number one xenoestrogen toxin out in the market place.
And if you’re showing in water laden with toxic chemicals, it can have just as much of a negative impact. In fact, the most common way these endocrine disrupting chemicals get into our body is in the shower. We inhale them from the steam and they go straight into our bloodstream.
Aside from these toxins turning your hormonal balance upside down, they also greatly burden the liver. The liver is responsible for eliminating all toxins that we consume, absorb through our skin or inhale. The liver also plays a part in keeping our hormones in balance and supporting weight maintenance; it helps to convert thyroid hormone, regulates insulin and blood sugar levels, and filters out excess estrogen.
I get it though, it’s impossible to control your water sources all of the time. I love to travel and I certainly have less control over water when I’m on the road.
However, by controlling your water sources at home you can create a cleaner, safer and more health supporting environment for yourself and your family. And there are even ways to have more control when you’re on the road.
Aquasana is one of my favorite safe water supporting companies. They have many wonderful water filtration options, are very knowledgeable about water filter needs based on where you live and have great customer service in my experience.
Here’s how you can take back control of your health by implementing some safe water sources:
- Get a water bottle with a filter that you can take with you everywhere
- Upgrade your home with a whole house water filtration system
- At a minimum install a shower filter and get a good quality countertop or kitchen sink filter
- If bottled water is the option, opt for brands that come in glass bottles such as Pellegrino or Perrier and BPA free plastic such as Fiji
To check the specific toxic element details about your local water check out the EWG’s Water Database.
And if you’re interested in doing your own home water test check out microtraceminerals.com
Cleaning up your water may seem like a small drop in the bucket in relation to your overall health BUT small shifts can result in large changes. We tend to think we have to be exposed to large amounts of chemicals for them to be dangerous and that just isn’t the case.
As Chris Kresser pointed out during his toxins presentation at Paleo F(x) this past Spring, even the smallest amounts of toxins (1 teaspoon in comparison to an olympic swimming pool) have the same negative impact on our health as large amounts do.
Do your body favor, and drink or use water safely.
If you want to uncover more hidden health stressors that are negatively impacting your body like toxic water and figure out the missing pieces to your health story, then schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here.
10 lbs Lighter – 1 Year Later
I thought this day would never come. I finally lost the 10 pounds I have been working towards over the past year.
For most of my adult life I hovered somewhere between 133-137 pounds. In my twenties I once dwindled down to 126 lbs for a fitness show, a number I had always dreamed of, but it’s not where I felt or looked my best.
I had come to accept my body as it was – 135 lbs was my sweet spot.
But I haven’t seen the number 135 in almost 2 years at this point. Slowly over time the pounds started to pack on…
At first I didn’t notice it at all. I crept up to 137 but brushed it off – I thought I just had eaten too many carbs or didn’t exercise enough that week. Then next thing I knew I was on the scale and it read 142!
I thought the batteries in the scale must have been dying, or it needed to be re-calibrated. After all I wasn’t one to watch the scale, my body always stayed in that same range of 133-137.
Yet my weight continued to climb. And the strangest part was that all my clothes still fit the same. I told myself that as long as my clothes still fit there was nothing to worry about. This was just a part of getting older, more curvy and “filling out” in my thirties.
I was shocked when the scale read 150 and then 152 lbs.
WTF!?
I was doing everything right…
I was eating a mostly gluten, dairy, sugar and soy free diet
I had cut back on my weekend alcohol intake
I was in bed early almost every night of the week
I lifted weights 3-4 times a week and ran 3-4 times a week
I did yoga on a weekly basis
I was even meditating once or twice a day at this point
I left my stressful corporate job and didn’t commute to work anymore
I was consciously swapping out toxic products in my home
I was stumped about what was happening with my body. Maybe I was just destined to be this way. After all most of the women in my family were heavy set, so genetics must be at play.
As the weight slowly climbed, I started to beat myself up about it more and more. I felt disgusted when I looked in the mirror. My once trim and toned physique was now fluffy and soft. I didn’t want to wear fitted clothing and I just didn’t feel comfortable in anything.
I pushed myself to work out harder. I found the biggest hill by my house and did rounds of sprints up it once a week. I lifted heavier weights and ran longer distances. Even though I felt tired in the morning or achy, I forced myself to work through it.
Aside from the weight, other things started to change too. I developed acne out of the blue, started having irregular periods and breast tenderness, was moody and felt like a foreigner in my own body.
I searched and researched, and finally figured out I was estrogen dominant.
I went to various doctors and health practitioners but no one could figure out what was wrong with me. I even had one doctor (mind you a “women’s specialist” in one of the most pristine hospital organizations here in San Diego) tell me that I likely just put on 10 pounds of muscle.
She obviously has little concept about the female body because it’s challenging enough for a bodybuilder type to put on 10 lbs. and I certainly wasn’t training to that caliber, nor did I look like it.
I stumbled upon the answer on my own. I ran my own tests, the same ones I use on my clients, to investigate the root cause or contributing factors to this unusual weight gain. It turned out I was estrogen dominant and I also had a combination of parasites, bacteria and yeast in my gut (which had previously been completely clean!).
I was so pleased to finally have an answer! I had faith the weight would come off now. I thought if I did all the right things to restore balance to my body I would be back feeling like myself again in a matter of weeks!
I never would have anticipated that it would take a whole year to lose ten pounds, but like I always say…
You have to get healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to get healthy.
In this week’s video and blog I share more about why it took me so long to finally shed 10 pounds and what I’ve learned along the way.
The Estrogen Dominance was a sign of something else – toxic mold and Hashimoto’s.
Apart from the toxic mold needing to go, I knew I couldn’t keep living the same way I was living while expecting different results from my body. I had to create space for my body to heal.
The toxic mold had created a very stressful burden on my body, toyed with my hormones and negatively impacted my immune system. But I also had to take responsibility for how I had added fuel to the fire; by forcing and pushing my body to work harder, not being as compliant as I could be with eating foods that were best for me and beating myself up mentally all the time – all of which just add more stress!
Sure you can force and push for results, but it doesn’t really work that way. And when you do force or push, you have to consider what you are doing to your body along the way that will impact your health moving forward.
Your body can only heal in a relaxed state.
I had to honestly address the ways in which I had been treating my body and make some significant changes to allow for more relaxation and healing to happen…
I drastically cut back on my exercise intensity and engaged in more restorative movement
I committed to cutting out all foods 100% that were fueling the inflammation fire
I worked on forgiving myself and creating more positive conversation in my head
I made more room for down time and was more mindful about getting good sleep
Most importantly I stopped forcing the results to come.
I dropped a few pounds at first, but hit a plateau for a long period of time. Even though the weight was taking its sweet time to come off, all along the way my body showed me other ways it was healing. I went back to being acne and anxiety free, having perfectly timed menstrual cycles without PMS, had more mental clarity and I was able to handle stress without shedding tears or losing my sh*t.
I even went into remission with my Hashimoto’s after 6 short months of taking medication and changing my lifestyle to reverse the condition. I thought surely the weight would fall off then, but it didn’t.
I kept my faith that the weight loss would come when my body was ready.
Over the summer my hormones started to fully return to back to balance. My estrogen went back down to normal, my testosterone went back up to normal, cortisol was stable and my inflammatory markers for mold illness finally dropped.
On November 30th, it will be the 1-year anniversary of the toxic mold being removed from my home, and a little over a year from learning about my Hashimoto’s.
Since late September I have been steadily losing weight, finally, and lost a total of 10 lbs. at this point.
This experience has brought me a lot of perspective about the body and how important creating space to heal is. It has also really driven home my motto about having to get healthy in order to lose weight, and not losing weight to get healthy.
Here are some other major things I’ve learned along the way…
- Thyroid function can be reduced by as much as 30% when caloric deficits are too high over the course of just a few days
- Women’s hormones are ultra sensitive to food deprivation and toxins
- Toxins have a much bigger impact on our health that we can even begin to imagine and they are very silent disruptors
- The conversation I have with my body on a daily basis is more empowering than any compliment I’ll ever receive
- To be a better listener for what my body needs and what it’s trying to tell me
- I don’t have to be tough all the time and “push through it.” It’s ok to take a day, or even multiple days at a time off to heal
Most importantly, this experience has shown me that our body truly does have all of the answers. When we give it the right food, rest, exercise, reduce stress, support it with the proper supplements and space when needed, the body knows how to return back to balance.
I’m in the business of empowering the whole body naturally.
I share this milestone in my own health journey not to boast about the weight that I have lost but to shed some light on similar frustrations you might have and on how the body really works.
If you’ve been feeling stuck or frustrated in your health or body in some way and can’t seem to find the missing pieces, then let me help you! I’ve been in your shoes, and trust me there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here to investigate what’s going on in your health and how you can take back control.
Eating Healthy In Asia (and around the world!)
This week’s blog is being brought to you by a special request from one of my Instagram followers – she posted a very good question in response to my pictures and recent blog post about my trip to Thailand (catch that blog here), and this is what she asked…
“Please tell us how you managed the food topic in Asia, you know gluten, dairy, soy, etc. Also what do you take to support the Adrenals during trips?” XOXO”
I absolutely love this question because it’s about real life applications for healthy living while living life to the fullest!
If you’ve been following me at all on Facebook, Instagram or my blogs, you know I LOVE to travel. But feeling at home in my body while doing it is also very important to me.
To me, there is no point in traveling if you don’t have the health to fully enjoy it.
My health is what supports my passion for traveling. If I’m going to invest money and time to get somewhere, you bet I’m going to make the most of every minute and seek out every cool adventure to take part in.
I can’t say I’ve been in perfect health for every trip I’ve ever taken. I wish I could, but life just isn’t perfect that way. When I’ve traveled with a lower quality of health, the feelings of fatigue, cloudy thinking or uncomfortableness in my own skin definitely limited the activities I participated in, my ability to be present and my overall enjoyment of the trip.
I don’t regret those trips or those moments. In fact, those moments have served as great motivating factors to keep working on my health when I wanted to give up, and as friendly reminders about why it is important for me to maintain the health that I have. They put things into perspective for me.
However, my favorite trips and places that I’ve traveled to certainly correlate directly with how well I was feeling at the time. When I feel at home in my body, have an abundance of energy and don’t feel anxious or overwhelmed I am much more spontaneous, adventurous, curious and present to the place I am visiting.
Eating right for my body has played a MAJOR role in helping me get back to the healthy place I am in today and amplified my travel experiences. Over the past year I went on a strict AIP diet for 4-6 months to reverse my Hashimoto’s and heal from a toxic mold exposure. Now I still avoid gluten as much as possible and I limit my intake of grains, dairy, sugar, soy, alcohol and a few other things that don’t agree with me.
Food is not what makes the experience. I am.
Sure, food adds to any travel experience (and I am definitely a huge foodie too), but food does not make the experience. I do. With all that I have dealt with in my health, and the various dietary changes I have had to make to support it and get back to feeling like me again, I have learned to not allow food to dictate the experience I am having.
If I choose so, I am able to enjoy any city around the world or simply sit amongst friends and still have an awesome time without partaking in foods or drinks that aren’t in alignment with what my body needs from me.
Eating in Asia or around the world for your dietary needs boils down to mindset.
Say what?!
I’m sure that sounds like an over-simplification. Once you get down to the nitty gritty of why you might indulge in foods that hinder your health instead of supporting it, it really all boils down to mindset.
Sometimes we forget that we always have a choice in any situation. We may not be able to choose what food is in front of us or what will be served at a social gathering, but we can choose how we decide to deal with it, how we perceive the situation and what we make it mean about us.
In this week’s video and blog I share my best mindset practices and food friendly tools that help me eat healthy with enjoyment while traveling the world.
I am not saying that I never eat a food that isn’t right for my body, because I have and sometimes I still do. On the rare occasion when I do eat something that maybe I shouldn’t, I make sure it’s a conscious choice and I know how to support my body after.
For example, during the first 24 hours or so of my trip to Thailand I openly ate some of the local foods and consciously chose to ignore the list of ingredients or to ask too many questions about them because I wanted to just embrace it all. I even knowingly ate a local cuisine with some gluten and my body let me know.
I listened, evaluated the value of the food in comparison to how I was feeling (bloated, upset stomach like, foggy, tired) and decided for the rest of the trip, it wasn’t worth it. I wanted to feel my best and to make the most out of my trip, so I was back on my A-game making sure my food choices were right for me.
My traveling partners on the other hand kept eating what I wouldn’t eat but not once did I feel left out or sorry for myself. I felt quite the opposite – confident, energetic, proud, satisfied and joyful about my food choices because my body was feeling great!
Why do we use food to fit in?
This is a really great question to ask ourselves when challenged to make a choice between eating right for yourself or eating what everyone else is eating. The reality is, our friends, family and co-workers won’t disown us if we don’t eat what they eat.
What comes up when you think about this question?…
I don’t want to make a scene
I don’t want to be “that” person who asks for gluten free etc.
I’ll feel guilty or disrespectful if I don’t eat what is provided
Everyone else is eating it, so why can’t I
In my own personal experience and in working with clients, I find that these responses tend to come from a place of lack – meaning there is some other void you’re feeling in your life that wants to be filled.
When we tap into our well of fullness and satisfaction, that is all we need.
When we fill ourselves up with goodness, the desire to eat foods that aren’t right for us slowly starts to diminish and can almost disappear completely. This goodness can come in the form of eating foods that actually do make you feel good, meditating to build up positive energy or even in simple acts of taking time for yourself daily, all of which lead to feeling more satisfied in your life and less searching for satisfaction in food (mindset!).
Easier said than done, right?
So let me give you some practical tips for how you can start making the shift, and my best practices for eating healthfully in Asia or anywhere around the world…
Find Me Gluten Free App
This handy little tool has helped me find yummy places to eat in some of even the most remote of places. Although it didn’t list a lot for Thailand, I was surprised to see how gluten free friendly Hong Kong was! This app gives me options so that I can guarantee at least 1 or 2 meals of my day will be guaranteed gluten free without having to ask too many questions. It takes some of the guesswork out of it.
Balancing Back at Home
Because I love to travel so much and let loose a little bit when I do, so I make sure to create as much balance for my body when I am at home. I abide by my dietary needs 100% when I’m home. If I have an upcoming trip, I load up on sleep, hydrate a ton and reduce or avoid alcohol altogether (knowing I’ll get less satisfying sleep while away, flying dehydrates me and I’ll probably want a few cocktails on vacay). By creating balance and consistency at home with my health, my less than perfect habits while I’m away won’t have as much as an effect on me.
Voice My Needs
I am confident I can find something to eat on practically any menu and this is the same confidence I aim to teach my clients. Modifications might be in order, but who cares? Being “that” person who asks for gluten free doesn’t bother me (anymore) because feeling good in my own skin is much more valuable than the short-lived embarrassment by asking a bunch of gluten or dairy free questions. The more you voice your needs, the stronger your voice will grow. Every time I voiced my food needs to my family, friends or the server, my voice grew stronger, and I was greatly rewarded by my body feeling good after eating every single time.
Choosing Consciously (without guilt!)
As I mentioned before, sometimes I knowingly eat something I probably shouldn’t (like the dish with gluten in Thailand). But before diving in, I check in with myself, take a gauge on how I’m feeling in that moment and if the food I’m about to eat is worth the price I might pay. If I’m already feeling a little fatigued or exhausted from travel, I’m less likely to add insult to injury by eating something inflammatory, but if I’m feeling in tip top shape I just might give it a taste. Most importantly, whatever I decide I don’t beat myself up about it. That negative mindset just adds to sickness in the body and if I’m going to eat it, I’m going to enjoy every bite and savor every flavor.
Fill Yourself Up First
I always make sure I’m coming from a place of abundance now instead of lack. When we feel lack, it’s easy to see food as a way to fill the void, even if it’s not really what we are lacking in. When I’m home or traveling I always engage in activities early in the day that fill up my cup of joy and carry me through the day. I typically start my day off with a meditation and getting outside or doing some exercise. This makes me feel purposeful and full, so when I sit down to eat I’m not searching for something on a menu to give my day purpose.
Aside from these best practices, and to answer my Instagram follower’s question more directly, through my travels and by trial-and-error I have learned what things have gluten, dairy or other inflammatory ingredients in them, and I figure this out primarily by voicing my needs. This time around in Thailand, I figured out that oyster sauce also has wheat in it and is used in a LOT of Thai dishes, so I learned to ask for dishes without it.
I’ve also come to know that wheat products in Europe don’t really bother me because the breads and pastas are ground properly or fermented the old fashioned way to break down the gluten, unlike here in the United States.
Understanding what works for my body, constantly checking in about what is creating stress on my body (such as food, lack of sleep, work, toxins, etc.) and working to alleviate or balance that stress is how I support my adrenals, thyroid, gut and overall health while I’m in flight or at home.
Just like traveling, life and health is a journey. Once you get to one destination you’ll likely want to go to the next. So I just continue traveling, tuning into my body and making adjustments as needed 🙂
