Prevent, Reverse & Heal Autoimmunity
According to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association, “Approximately 50 million Americans, 20% of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected, 30 million people are women.”
An autoimmune condition develops when your immune system (which defends your body against disease) starts to recognize healthy cells as foreign. As a result, your immune system begins attacking healthy cells of various tissues depending on what type of autoimmunity you have.
Along with autoimmunity, either as a result of it or trigger for it, there are also a number of inflammatory conditions that correlate with being on an autoimmune spectrum such as:
- Acne
- Obesity
- Excess Weight
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Meaning, if you have any of these inflammatory conditions listed above and don’t have autoimmunity then these conditions increase your risk for it. Or if you have autoimmunity then these conditions can aggravate your autoimmune symptoms even more.
How does one wind up with an autoimmune condition?
Three factors have to be in place in order for autoimmunity to show up in the body:
- The gene for it = hereditary component
- Leaky gut = a suppressed immune system
- Environmental trigger(s) = things that inflict chronic inflammation
As Dr. Amy Myers points out in her book The Autoimmune Solution, twin studies have shown that only 25% of autoimmune disease is inheritable, meaning that 75% of it is related to environment and leaky gut.
Researchers estimate that about 80% of your immune system is in your gut.
Autoimmune issues are directly related to the health of your immune system, which is located in your gut. Therefore, the the health of your gut is the key to preventing, reversing and healing autoimmunity.
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about how improving gut health can help you prevent, reverse and heal autoimmune conditions.
As a person with an autoimmune condition (Hashimoto’s), maintaining my gut health has been a huge focal point of my health regimen. In fact, supporting the health of my gut to boost my immune system and to reduce inflammation is part of what has allowed me to ween off of my thyroid medication after just 4 months.
When I work with autoimmune clients, gut and digestive health are two of the very first things we address. The health of your gut greatly impacts your risk for autoimmunity and your ability to reverse or heal it for three main reasons.
Three reasons why gut health can prevent, reverse and heal autoimmune conditions.
#1 – Nutrient Absorption
When gut health is impaired, that means digestion and absorption of nutrients are also impaired. Without adequate nutrient absorption, the body is not receiving all of the valuable resources and support it needs to boost immunity, fight off inflammation, or to heal and repair. You could be eating the most healthy foods in the world and taking the best high quality supplements, but if your gut is leaky or damaged then you are not getting all of the preventative or healing benefits that you think you are. When gut health is improved, nutrient absorption goes up allowing for prevention and healing to happen.
#2 – Gut Invaders
It’s actually normal to have some amount of bacteria, yeast and even parasites living in your intestines, in fact it’s part of what keeps your gut flora balanced. However, when certain species of gut invaders grow too much, they pose a problem. They disrupt the normal balance and function of the gut, causing increases in inflammation and toxic waste. Additionally, some species, such as Klebsiella and H. Pylori bacteria, are known triggers for autoimmune disease, putting you at higher risk for developing one OR aggravating autoimmune systems if you already have a condition. Checking for gut invaders and eradicating them can prevent a potential trigger or reduction factors contributing to autoimmune issues.
#3 – Inflammation
Chronic stress and inflammation are the root of all disease, and also the catalyst for autoimmunity (as mentioned earlier). A leaky or damaged gut results in chronic inflammation and a depressed immune system. The more damaged your gut is, the more inflamed it becomes, and the more sensitive it will be to other inflammatory variables such as food and environmental toxins. By improving the health of the gut, inflammation is reduced and proper immune function can be restored.
To learn more about your gut health and how to optimize it, join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness
In this webinar I’ll cover in more detail:
- What leaky gut is and how it’s your most overlooked healing opportunity
- How leaky gut happens and 3 simple steps you can take to reverse it
- The link between healing your gut, hormones, improving health and overall sense of happiness
- Why candida or parasite cleanses go wrong and what you should be doing to heal your gut instead
Healing my gut has been a very personal part of my own health re-building program. I’ve alleviated my allergies, joint aches, migraines, back pain, and have balanced my energy, all by listening to the signals my body was giving me about my gut. Now it’s part of my personal mission to help others stop the pain and suffering by teaching them to do the same!
Join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness- Register Here!
The Most Bang For Your Buck…
Improving gut function is the cornerstone to rebuilding health, maintaining already good health and/or preventing disease.
One could arguably say that your gut is the most critical part of your body.
The gut continuously provides updates on the constant state of affairs in the body.
The gut is known as the “second brain” because, just like the brain, it actually has its own nervous system (the Enteric Nervous System) that acts as an information superhighway between itself and the brain (known as the brain-gut axis).
Research continues to show how instrumental the gut is in all aspects of your body. If I could, I would place my bets on the fact that the gut will soon be called the first brain, because as we are learning, the health of your gut is actually what determines the capacity and function of your brain.
As you might know, your gut is where nutrients are absorbed to fuel other functions of the body but it’s also where 80% of the immune system lives.
Your gut acts also your “second skin”, internally protecting you from toxic substances, bacteria and viruses. And it’s where the majority of mood stabilizing hormones such as serotonin and dopamine are created.
Functional medicine practitioners estimate that 80% of the population is walking around with a “leaky” or damaged gut, which likely includes you too.
So my question for you this week is…
Are you getting the most bang for your buck with what you’re putting in your mouth?
If your gut is operating suboptimally, that means your digestion is impaired. When digestion is impaired, that means you can’t properly break down food into nutrients or adequately absorb them to fuel the rest of your body.
It’s very common for new clients to come to me frustrated, with a laundry list of supplements, medications, and diets that they’ve tried with little to no results. When we sit down to evaluate their health, it becomes very clear that the it wasn’t the supplements, medications or diets that failed them – it was their poor gut health.
You could literally be flushing money you spend on supplements, food and medications down the toilet.
When your digestion and gut health are in disarray you’re literally flushing money you spend on high quality food, supplements and medications down the toilet, because you can’t adequately absorb all of that good stuff.
This leaves your body deficient, tired and susceptible to disease and sickness.
In this week’s video and blog I help you assess if you’re getting the most bang for your buck with what you’re putting in your mouth and how to improve your digestive power.
Before I dive into how improve your gut health and digestive power, let me give you some background about how leaky gut happens in the first place…
Leaky gut does not happen overnight, it’s something that has been evolving for quite some time. With some of my clients we can trace it all the way back to their birth. If you were a c-section baby and/or didn’t receive breast milk as a child, then your gut didn’t get the essential healthy bacteria it needed in the first place to be set up for success.
But even those of us who were not c-section babies and who did receive breast milk can still run into gut health issues down the road.
Some of the most common contributors to an unhealthy and leaky gut include:
- Inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, soy and sugar
- Over the counter or prescription medication use
- Constant low grade emotional stress or traumatic events
- Parasites, bacteria and yeast overgrowth
- Toxic household cleaning products, tap water and non-organic foods
Over time with continued exposures to these contributing factors, the delicate lining of your gut begins to wear down. The more worn down the gut lining becomes, the more susceptible your are to the most common contributors of leaky gut and eventually the whole systems starts to shut down.
Some of the most common signs of an unhealthy and leaky gut include:
- GERD/Acid Reflux
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
- Chronic inflammation and pain
- Psoriasis, eczema, rashes and/or acne
- Anxiety, depression and/or mood swings
- Sudden weight gain or weight loss, or stubborn weight
- Trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night
- Hormone imbalances – estrogen, testosterone, thyroid etc.
If you’re suffering from any of the of signs and symptoms above then I can almost guarantee that you have a leaky gut to some degree, and you’re not getting the most bang for your buck with whatever remedies you’re trying.
Healing your gut is how you can really begin to heal your health and your life.
When you restore the health of your gut, you increase your digestive power, adequately absorb nutrients and can then fully reap all of the benefits from nutritious foods and supplements to further support your health.
Here are 4 simple steps you can take daily to support gut health and improve digestion:
- Cut the crap – avoid eating inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar and soy
- Chew on it – chew each bite 20 times to promote more digestive enzyme production
- Boost beneficial bacteria – take a high quality probiotic such as this one
- Slow down – take 5-10 deep breaths before eating to put your body into rest and digest mode
Depending on the depth of your leaky gut issues, it may take more than just these 4 simple steps to restore health to your gut. However, these simple daily strategies will pave the path for improved health.
To learn more about your gut health and how to optimize it, join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness
In this webinar I’ll cover in more detail:
- What leaky gut is and how it’s your most overlooked healing opportunity
- How leaky gut happens and 3 simple steps you can take to reverse it
- The link between healing your gut, hormones, improving health and overall sense of happiness
- Why candida or parasite cleanses go wrong and what you should be doing to heal your gut instead
Healing my gut has been a very personal part of my own health re-building program. I’ve alleviated my allergies, joint aches, migraines, back pain, and have balanced my energy, all by listening to the signals my body was giving me about my gut. Now it’s part of my personal mission to help others stop the pain and suffering by teaching them to do the same!
Join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness- Register Here!
P.S. Want to hear more about the importance of gut health and how it can help you get your life back? Check out the live video I did on Facebook recently here.
How Many Apples Would You Have To Eat?
How many apples would you have to eat a day to keep the doctor away?
In a recent training I was in it was said that you would have to eat 40 non-organic apples to equal the nutritional value of one organic apple.
Yes, I said forty – four zero. That is a LOT of apples. You might be wondering why is there such a large gap in the nutritional value of organic vs non-organic apples.
This article by the Earth Island Journal pretty much sums up the why…
“In the late 1990s, researcher Anne-Marie Mayer looked at data gathered by the British government from the 1930s to the 1980s on the mineral contents of 20 raw fruits and vegetables. She found that levels of calcium, magnesium, copper, and sodium in vegetables, and of magnesium, iron, copper, and potassium in fruit had dropped significantly.
The 50-year period of Mayer’s study coincides with the post World War II escalation of synthetic nitrogen and pesticide use on farms. These agri-chemicals allowed farmers to bypass the methods of maintaining soil fertility by replenishing soil organic matter with cover crops, manure, and compost, and of controlling pests with crop rotation and inter-cropping. Reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides became a defining characteristic of conventional farming, while farmers who eschewed the use of agri-chemicals came to be considered organic.”
Essentially the use of chemicals and the abandonment of traditional farming practices, such as crop rotation, have left the soil depleted of nutrients and minerals that would normally be used to create nutritious produce.
Conventional apples lacking in nutritional value is just one part of the problem.
For 6 years in a row now, apples have topped the list of the Environmental Working Group’s most pesticide contaminated produce known as the Dirty Dozen.
98% of apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue. Other fruits and veggies that topped the list included: strawberries, nectarines, peaches, celery and grapes.
Pesticides are designed to be toxic in order to kill insects, plants and other organisms considered “pests.”
The U.S. and international government agencies have even acknowledged that different pesticides have been linked to various health issues such as:
- Hormonal imbalances
- Brain and nervous system issues
- Skin, eye and respiratory irritation
- Cancer
Is the conventional apple-a-day motto really keeping the doctor away or just making you sick?
It’s virtually impossible to eat organic 100% of the time. Especially if you enjoy traveling or going out to dinner and socializing. I have been known to grab an apple at the airport when the food choices are slim.
In this week’s video and blog I discuss how to strike a balance when it comes to eating organically, what you can do to boost your nutrition and how to protect your body when you do eat conventionally raised foods.
To ensure that you’re getting enough vital nutrients from your food, your goal should be to eat organic as much as possible. In some cases this might be more expensive, but if you’re smart about it you can eat organic even on the tightest of budgets.
Tips for a budget friendly organic diet:
- Prioritize buying organic produce – use the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list
- Shop seasonally – produce that is in season is always cheaper
- Stock up on sales – buy organic meats and produce on sale in bulk and freeze them
- Online price comparison – check out online grocers and delivery services such as Amazon Now, Amazonfresh, Instacart and local CSA programs for more availability in prices and food variety
Aiming to eat organic is one piece of the puzzle. What about those times when you’re traveling or out for dinner and you don’t have access to organic food?
In those scenarios you run the risk of not only eating less nutritional food, but you also expose yourself to toxic pesticides and food additives – all of which can impact your health in a majorly negative way by contributing to inflammation, overloading your liver with more toxins to detox and disrupting your digestive system.
To help you with this piece of the puzzle, I’ve created my Seasonal Cleanse Challenge!
Let’s be realistic, you can’t be perfect all year long, so why not take advantage of the best times of year to cleanse your body of the harmful toxins, chemicals and pesticides that you come in contact with? Spring and Fall are the most effective times of year to detox your body in preparation for Summer and Winter.
I’ve used the principles of my Seasonal Cleanse Challenge over and over again with clients, and myself, to improve and maintain health.
Here’s how the Seasonal Cleanse Challenge works. Over the course of 28 days you will…
- Learn what ratio of proteins, carbs and fats are best for your body to boost your energy, weight loss, balance hormones, reduce belly bloat and inflammation
- Incorporate the highest naturally detoxify foods (beets, grapefruit, dandelion greens) into your daily routine to promote the body’s natural cleansing systems
- Focus on minimizing your intake of the top inflammatory and hormone disrupting foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and alcohol
- Try simple DIY proven liver flushing techniques to push out those built up toxins!
- Receive weekly workout routine video tip – sweat out those toxins!
- Get accountability to work out regularly, to drink plenty of water and to get quality sleep in order to support the body’s cleansing and healing process
- Receive 30-minute live or recorded weekly educational webinars and be part of a special Facebook group for support
- Receive recipes and a checklist to guide you along your journey
- Get a quick-start goodie bag to get you moving in the right direction
AND I’m include a special BONUS ASK THE EXPERT SESSION with yours truly 🙂
The great thing about this program is that you get to make it work for you. Each program defined “cleansing activity” is worth points daily or weekly, so you get to pick and choose what works best for you in any moment to get the results that you desire! At the end of each week, and the challenge, you will qualify for prizes based on the number of points that you have earned.
SAVE $20 AND GET ALL OF THIS FOR $89 IF YOU ENROLL BY MARCH 10TH!!! – use code ‘challengeme’
There are only 50 spots available. Challenge Starts March 23rd. Last day to enroll is March 16th.
Don’t let imperfection, diet and exercise hold you back from achieving your ideal health and weight, learn to love your liver and it will love you back.
Sweating It Out (LITERALLY!)
I would typically tell you not to sweat the small stuff in life because the adverse affects of the stress on your health just aren’t worth it.
However, the there are a TON of health benefits related to the actual act of sweating and there is one thing you should be sweating over, literally, no matter how small it may be.
I’m referring to Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals, aka EDC’s.
Studies show that even tiny amounts of these hazardous chemicals can have a huge influence on your overall health.
These chemicals have been categorized as EDC’s because they specifically affect your Endocrine System which houses these extremely important organs:
- Thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Pituitary gland
- Ovaries
- Testes
- Adrenal glands
- Pineal gland and pancreas
- Hypothalamus and thymus glands
This network of glands and organs known as the Endocrine System are responsible for everything from fertility and sex drive, to weight loss, energy levels, mood balance, hair loss or growth, body temperature and much more!
When you’re endocrine system is on the fritz, it takes the whole body down with it. EDC’s and disruption of the endocrine system can cause thyroid issues, infertility, diabetes, cancerous tumors, birth defects, other developmental disorders and a long list of other health issues.
The most commonly known endocrine disrupting chemical is BPA which is widely found in a variety of plastic products, as well as canned foods and even cash register receipt paper.
But EDC’s can also be found in:
- Personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners and lotions
- Unfiltered cooking or drinking water
- Household cleaning products
- Non-organic produce and meat products
If you’ve been feeling sluggish, un-motivated, bloated or just not like yourself, then EDC’s could certainly be at play disrupting your endocrine system and hormonal balance.
If you’ve been dealing with a thyroid issue, adrenal fatigue and/or leaky gut then EDC’s are definitely a factor for you and eliminating them is a HUGE healing opportunity.
In this week’s video and blog, I sweat out endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the sauna while diving into more detail about how to minimize your exposure and support your body’s natural detoxification of these toxic chemicals.
***insert video and images linking back to blog***
It’s practically impossible to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals in this day and age. They are hidden everywhere: plastic water bottles, paper receipts, commercial cleaning products, etc.
But there are ways to minimize your exposure and to support your body’s natural process of detoxification to help move these harmful particles out of your body.
To minimize exposure to EDC’s you can do simple things such as:
- Ditching plastic and using glass or stainless steel instead
- Swapping out your personal care products for BPA, paraben and allergen free ones
- Opting for electronic receipts when possible and BPA free canned goods
- Eating organic and hormone free meat products
- Stocking your home with natural and environmentally friendly cleaning products
Getting your sweat on daily is one of the biggest ways you can help to move these harmful endocrine-disrupting chemicals out of your body.
To support your body further in detoxing EDC’s and other chemicals you can also:
- Do dry body brushing regularly
- Eat the most powerful detoxifying foods such as beets, grapefruit and dandelion greens
- Take a daily liver support supplement
- Sit in an infrared sauna a few times per week
- Alternate cold and hot water in the shower for a “flushing” effect
- Exercise daily
Minimizing and detoxing EDC’s has been a huge part of healing my adrenal fatigue, leaky gut, Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune thyroid disorder), restoring balance to my hormones and journey towards optimal health. It’s also a main cornerstone in the health re-building programs that I create for my clients.
To learn more about EDC’s, other toxins, how they impact your health and what you can do about them, join me tonight!!!!
FREE Online Workshop – The Truth About Toxins & How To Detox Them
When: TONIGHT! March 2nd at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET
What we’ll cover:
- How toxins are draining your energy by contributing to thyroid, adrenal, gut and overall health dysfunction
- Where toxins are hiding in your home and what you can do about it
- Why juicing doesn’t work for detoxing toxins and what you should be doing instead
- How to support your body’s daily detoxing abilities without expensive supplements and juices
REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP HERE!
You’ll definitely want to attend this webinar if…
- You suffer from a thyroid condition, adrenal fatigue or gut issues and possibly other unexplained health problems
- You need caffeine to make it through the day and constantly crave carbs or sweets
- You’re ready to get rid of stubborn and embarrassing belly bloat for good!
- You’ve put on a few pounds (or more!), don’t know why and no matter what you do for exercise and diet they won’t budge
- You want to cleanse your body but fear giving up your favorite foods, investing in expensive juices or supplements
If you can’t make it live, no worries! A recording will be made available to everyone who registers.
Think You Have A Thyroid Problem? Read This…
According to the American Thyroid Association “more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime. An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease and up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition.”
Those are some alarming numbers. You could be sitting here reading this right now and not even realize that you could be part of those statistics.
Thyroid conditions are one of the most common health issues that I see in my practice, and one of the most overlooked, because the symptoms can look like so many other things…
Weight gain – typical thought is, not exercising enough or eating too much?
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Hair loss – typical thought, is this part of aging or genetics?
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Constipation – typical thought, is it something you ate or IBS?
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Constant fatigue – typical thought, is it lack of sleep, over scheduled life or insomnia?
This is also a thyroid symptom.
This list goes on and on.
But is the thyroid really the problem? Or could it be something else…
We have to ask the question – what is causing all of these thyroid conditions in the first place? Why do the numbers keep rising?
Bear with me while I set the stage for you…
The two most important thyroid hormones are T4 and T3. Your thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone T4 which is then convert into T3. These two hormones control everything from your metabolic rate, energy, body temperature, hair growth and loss, and weight.
T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone that is actually used by your cells. The majority of T4 is NOT converted in the thyroid gland.
About 20% of T4 is converted to T3 in the liver.
Twenty percent is a lot in the big scheme of things. If your liver isn’t converting thyroid hormone like it is supposed to that means you could see a 20% decrease in the availability of T3. Low T3 levels can lead to:
- Constant fatigue not relieved by sleep
- Depression and anxiety
- Feeling bloated, puffy or weight gain
- Dry skin and hair, and hair loss
So again I’ll ask you, is the thyroid really a problem? Or could it be the liver?
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about how having sluggish liver can greatly impact your thyroid function and what you can do to for optimal conversion!
With 20% of thyroid hormone T4 relying on the liver to be converted T3 there is certainly a huge healing opportunity here if you are already suffering from a thyroid imbalance, or even if you’re trying to prevent one.
But we must dig deeper…
Why wouldn’t the liver be able to convert T4 to T3 optimally in the first place?
About 30% of U.S. adults have non-alcoholic fatty livers. This slows down the function of the liver which means it can’t convert thyroid hormone or do any of its other important functions very well.
The liver is also important for balancing cortisol and sex hormones, both of which can also trigger thyroid issues if they are out of balance
Let’s look at things that slow down liver function:
- Eating foods high in sugar, simple carbs or processed foods
- Chronic inflammation from injuries and stress
- Exposures to environmental toxins that overload the liver’s detoxing abilities
- Insulin resistance or irregular blood sugar levels
- Intestinal parasites, bacteria and yeast waste products
The biggest liver offenders are toxins that we come across daily. Aside from converting hormones, the liver’s number one most important job is keeping the body clean by breaking down harmful substances, such as toxins, to be excreted by way of stool and urine.
Since the 1940’s, over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND toxic chemicals have been released into our environment. Could you imagine taking on 100,000 new tasks without any extra pay or hours in the day? That’s basically what we have asked our livers to do.
If you want to improve your thyroid health, or to prevent a future thyroid condition, it’s crucial to start paying attention to the burden you’re knowingly or unknowingly placing on your liver.
The good news is that you do have some control over the toxins you are exposed to AND there are some simple daily activities that you can do to support your liver function naturally!
Want to learn more about toxins- how they impact your thyroid, liver, and what you can do about them?
FREE Online Workshop – The Truth About Toxins & How To Detox Them
When: March 2nd at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET
What we’ll cover:
- How toxins are draining your energy by contributing to thyroid, adrenal, gut and overall health dysfunction
- Where toxins are hiding in your home and what you can do about it
- Why juicing doesn’t work for detoxing toxins and what you should be doing instead
- How to support your body’s daily detoxing abilities without expensive supplements and juices
REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP HERE!
If you can’t make it live, no worries! A recording will be made available to everyone who registered.
The Link Between Teflon, Thyroid & Birds
I’ve gotta hand it to technology and evolution. It has allowed us to create some pretty amazing things such as prosthetic legs that give people the ability to walk again, and smartphones that can secure the safety of our home and deliver information to us in just one touch.
Technology continues to thrive on the demand for smarter, more convenient devices and products.
What we may not be aware of though, is how some of these advancements in technology are wreaking havoc on our health.
Take teflon for example.
This seemingly harmless convenient cookware coating was introduced in 1945 and at first glance it seems amazing, right?
No more food crusted pans, pots or cookie sheets to scrub. Teflon has made life more convenient by reducing the time and energy needed to wash dishes and to clean ovens.
Teflon is a type of PFC (poly-fluorochemical) used to make water, grease and stain resistant coatings. Among non-stick cookware you can also find Teflon or PFC’s in many fast food or to-go containers used widely in all different types of food establishments.
For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently published a study showing the percentage of food packaging items containing PFC’s. Some favorite food establishments that topped the list included:
- Starbucks – 21 items tested and 76% contained PFC’s
- Chipotle – 17 items tested and 65% contained PFC’s
- Panera – 23 items tested and 43% contained PFC’s
- Local Restaurants – 7 items tested and 43% contained PFC’s
What is scary though is that exposure to Teflon and other PFC’s has been linked to…
- Abnormal thyroid hormone levels
- High Cholesterol
- Pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia
- Obesity
- Kidney and testicular cancer
Veterinarians specializing in birds have known about the hazardous effects of Teflon-coated and non-stick cookware for decades.
In 1986 is was discovered that “Teflon toxicosis” was a leading cause of death for hundreds of birds that were exposed to fumes and particles being emitted by the use of Teflon cookware in the kitchen.
Birds might be small example in comparison to humans, but how is Teflon affecting your thyroid and overall health?
In this week’s blog and video I talk more about the hazards of non-stick cookware, Teflon, and what you can do to protect thyroid and overall health.
The biggest risk factors when it comes to PFC’s involves your thyroid.
Research has shown that PFC’s (aka Teflon) affect thyroid hormones by competing for binding proteins and altering Free T4 levels in the blood. Free T4 is converted into Free T3, so PFC’s lower overall thyroid hormone availability and production.
Your thyroid isn’t the only thing that is affected. Your liver takes a hit, too.
PFC’s also act like free fatty acids which means they can also bind to liver proteins as well as other hormone proteins such as sex hormone–binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin, which greatly impacts the overall function of your endocrine system and hormonal balance.
It probably isn’t realistic to throw out all of your non-stick cookware and replace it with something less toxic right away, or to think that you’ll never eat out of a to-go container again.
Here’s what you can easily do now to reduce your exposure to PFC’s:
- Bring your own to-go mug to Starbucks – this is my favorite non-toxic tumbler cup by Healthy Human
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to provide a protective layer
- Slowly start swapping out pots, pans and baking sheets for stainless steel or cast iron – this is my favorite cast iron brand
What matters is that you become aware of these toxins in your environment, you take action to reduce your exposure where you can and support your body’s natural detoxification ability to excrete the toxins that you are exposed to. Making small shifts like this can greatly improve your health and healing.
Want to learn more about toxins, how they impact your thyroid, adrenal and gut health, and what you can do about them?
FREE Online Workshop – The Truth About Toxins & How To Detox Them
When: March 2nd at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET
What we’ll cover:
- How toxins are draining your energy by contributing to thyroid, adrenal, gut and overall health dysfunction
- Where toxins are hiding in your home and what you can do about it
- Why juicing doesn’t work for detoxing toxins and what you should be doing instead
- How to support your body’s daily detoxing abilities without expensive supplements and juices
REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP HERE!
If you can’t make it live, no worries! A recording will be made available to everyone who registered.
Not In The Mood? Here’s Why…
February is supposed to be the month of love and romance, but does your sex drive feel like a sinking ship?
Studies suggest that 34% of women and 15% of men experience a decrease in sexual interest often or most of the time.
Losing your libido is a new age problem triggered by both mental and physical factors. In this day and age the number of physical and mental stressors in our life far exceeds what our ancestors ever experienced.
We are constantly connected to our devices.
We work longer hours than past generations.
We commute farther and sit in more traffic.
We cart multiple kids around to various activities.
We have more commitments and responsibilities.
We eat processed foods, drink less water and move less.
We are exposed to thousands of toxins every day that alter our hormones.
And the list goes on…
All of this happens at the expense of our energy, health, and our sex life.
Being “in the mood” requires being in a mental space that allows the lust to flow, but it also needs assistance from your hormones.
Hormones are what drive our sexual desires. Testosterone is the most influential one in both men and women, but estrogen, progesterone and even oxytocin (the “love” hormone) all play a role in arousal. These hormones work together to start the engine and steer your sex drive.
Beyond the distractions and stress of everyday life, there is actually something more going on behind the scenes that causes a loss of libido – Pregnenolone Steal.
Misfiring hormones contribute to approximately 70% of low sex drive.
When we are under constant stress our body is continuously releasing cortisol hormone in response. Eventually the demand for cortisol becomes so great, or so chronic, that the body can no longer keep up with the demand.
Over time as cortisol becomes dysregulated, the body starts stealing resources, such as the hormone pregnenolone, in order to produce cortisol. The loss of these resources leaves our storage for testosterone, estrogen and progesterone dry.
In this week’s video and blog I show you what happens during pregnenolone steal, how it sucks your sexual desire dry and what you can do to reverse it.
In addition to diminishing testosterone, estrogen and progesterone resources, a high output of cortisol also suppresses our love hormone oxytocin.
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone that is released during childbirth (to make you forget all the pain you just went through, LOL), with orgasm, while playing, laughing, hugging and giving.
A low libido life is not without hope, though!
There is certainly hope for those feeling hopeless about their sex drive. It is possible to get it back, no matter how long it’s been gone for or how old you are.
To get your vavavoom back you just have to reduce the demand for cortisol and turn up the volume for oxytocin.
How can you do that, you might ask? Here’s how…
Hug, laugh and play more!
These actions instantly boost your oxytocin levels. Even doing something as simple as looking deeply into someone’s eyes, smiling or expressing gratitude can create a surge in oxytocin levels. Oxytocin also helps to lower cortisol levels naturally, too!
Take time to meditate, do deep breathing or get upside down.
All of these activities instantly turn off the valve for cortisol, take you out of “fight or flight” mode and instantly relieve stress. Even just a few minutes once or twice a day can have a huge impact!
To reduce even more chronic stress and cortisol output, you can also:
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet free of gluten, dairy, sugar and soy
- Get to sleep by 10pm most nights of the week
- Turn down your exercise intensity and/or add in a weekly yoga class
To better understand your cortisol and hormone balance as it relates to your sex drive, you can also do a simple urine test in the comfort of your own home.
Testing your cortisol and sex hormones gives you insights on how to strategically balance your body using diet, sleep, exercise, stress reducing tools and supplements.
However, hormone tests are not all created equal. To truly evaluate cortisol balance you need to be able to see the rhythm of your cortisol throughout the day. A urine or saliva based test is best as they allow you to take several different samples during the day to see the rhythm and flow versus a blood test that only shows one snapshot in time.
Understanding the health of your cortisol balance will assist you in getting your groove back!
Four Essential Travel and Health Maintenance Tips
Traveling is my favorite pastime. This year I kicked off my travel circuit with a business and pleasure retreat to Belize. Last year I took 15 trips and I travelled to 7 different countries.
Traveling allows me to escape my day-to-day routine, to rest, relax and rejuvenate my body. It also helps me to cultivate creativity, get more in touch with myself, with nature and all of the joy that can be found in this world.
As much as I love traveling, and all the amazing things it has to offer, travel does have its downsides when it comes to your health.
Often times we tend to focus on the physical side effects of traveling– how tight and sore we feel after sitting in a car, plane or train for hours, or the lack of physical activity we’ve been able to get.
But beyond how it impacts the external body, traveling can also create a lot of internal chaos, disrupting the flow of the body that we don’t necessarily recognize until later on down the road.
Traveling can negatively impact your health by:
- Disrupting your sleep and wake patterns
- Causing chronic or severe dehydration
- Contributing to acute or chronic inflammation
- Exposing you to different and dangerous toxins
- Hijacking your healthy eating and therefore the availability of nutrients to your body
- Depressing the immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, flus and viruses
Whether you are a frequent traveler like I am or not, the health side effects of traveling can really wear down the body. Even just a one-time trip can have a huge impact your body’s natural rhythms.
This can be easily seen if you’ve ever experienced jet lag or know someone who has. Jet lag, also known as desynchronosis and flight fatigue, is a temporary disorder in the body that can result in fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms that most commonly happen when traveling across different time zones. Jet lag is essentially a disruption of the internal body clock that leads to circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
Traveling across different time zones is not the only cause of jet lag. Lack of hydration, physical activity, toxins, stress and long nights can all contribute to jet lag as well. However, again, jet lag is just one example of how traveling can impact your body’s natural rhythm and flow.
Obviously I’m not suggesting that you don’t travel, as it is my personal favorite pastime. In fact I think everyone should actually get out and travel more.
I’m suggesting that you travel smarter, to maintain the natural rhythm of your body.
In this week’s video and blog I talk more about how different aspects of travel can disrupt the body, and I share my four essential travel and health maintenance tips that can help you keep your health in tip-top shape.
Traveling smarter means taking simple steps to protect your body against the harmful effects of travel.
Understanding how travel impacts your body and knowing the risk factors you might be exposed to is the first step in being able to protect it and recover better from it.
Focusing on getting adequate sleep, water and good quality foods are key for maintaining your health during and after travel. However, your traveling circumstances may not always allow for this.
The good news is that you can take some simple proactive steps to protect your body from harmful travel effects while on the road and also upon your return.
Here are my Four Essential Travel and Health Maintenance Tips:
Take Oil of Oregano.
Oil of oregano is one of the most protective herbs you can take in supplement form. This powerful plant oil has natural anti parasitic, bacterial and fungal properties. Traveling can expose you to all different types of organisms and viruses that your body is not used to and may not be able to defend against. By ingesting oil of oregano a few times per day during travel you can naturally protect yourself from contracting any unwanted germs and gut bugs. It’s like adding an extra protective layer to your immune system. When I travel I take 2 capsules 3 times a day of my favorite oil of oregano brand Designs for Health.
Pack Activated Charcoal.
You don’t want to be caught without this! Activated charcoal is one of the primary ingredients found in Pepto-Bismol to help sooth a bubbly gut, but it actually has more healing powers than just that. Activated charcoal also has the ability to bind to toxins in the body to assist in removing them through stool. I take activated charcoal preventatively while traveling whenever I question food or water quality, when I drink alcohol or if my stomach starts to feel upset for any reason. It’s important to take high quality activated charcoal, and to not take too much as it can lead to constipation. I will pop 2 capsules, as needed, of my favorite activated charcoal by Integrative Theraputics.
Attend To Your Adrenals.
Cortisol hormone is produced by the adrenal glands. It regulates your sleep/wake cycles, gives you energy and is your natural anti-inflammatory agent. Cortisol should reach its highest in the morning, giving you energy to start your day, and be lowest at nighttime allowing melatonin to be released for you to sleep. The cycle of the sun and exposure to light is what determines when cortisol is released. Traveling across different time zones, having to adjust to new sun cycles and late nights, can disrupt your normal cortisol rhythm. When cortisol loses its rhythm it will affect your energy, ability to sleep well and negatively impact other hormones such as thyroid, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If you travel frequently, I recommend checking your cortisol rhythm 1-2 times per year to re-balance it as needed. Get more info about testing your cortisol here.
Check Your Gut.
Your gut is where your immune system is housed, where you absorb nutrients, and where mood-balancing hormones such as serotonin and dopamine are made (among a ton of other important things). Traveling exposes you to all different types of organisms such as parasites, bacteria and yeast that are not otherwise found in your daily environment. Plus, your defense system to fight off these organisms can be suppressed during times of travel from stress, eating certain foods, lack of sleep and various other factors. These organisms can be found in the food you eat, water you drink and various surfaces you touch while traveling. Left untreated, these organisms can lead to leaky gut, IBS, acid reflux, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, they can trigger autoimmunity and other serious health conditions. If you travel frequently, and especially internationally, I also recommend checking your gut 1-2 times per year as a means of prevention and to maintain your overall health. Get more info more about testing your gut health here.
Next time you plan a trip, consider these tips. You and your body will be glad you did!
Are you aware of your thyroid?
January is Thyroid Awareness Month! I wonder, how aware of your thyroid are you?
Do you know how hard your thyroid works for you on a daily basis and what it needs to function at its best? My guess is that you might be somewhat aware of what the thyroid does, but knowing more about this hard working gland could completely change your life and your health.
Your thyroid gland is kind of a big deal. Just look at all the important things it does for you:
- Plays a role in all functions in the body including all organs and systems
- Regulates energy availability, body temperature and hair growth
- Assists with wound healing and recovery from exercise
- Controls the metabolic rate of the of the systems in control of your health
According to the American Thyroid Association an estimated 20 million Americans have some sort of thyroid disorder, up to 60% of those people are unaware of it, and women are 5 to 8 times more likely to develop a thyroid disorder than men.
Some of the most common signs of less than optimal thyroid function include:
- Bouts of constipation
- Dry skin and/or eyes
- Depression and/or anxiety
- Prone to infections
- Fatigue not relieved by sleep
- Hair loss or an increase in facial hair
- Cold all the time when others are not
- Thinning eyebrows, especially the outer 3rd portion
- Unexplained weight gain or inability to lose weight
Chances are, if your doctor has tested your thyroid it was likely tested all wrong.
Unfortunately most conventional or western medicine doctors only test Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (aka TSH) when they are evaluating thyroid function.
What’s wrong about testing TSH? It sounds like the right thing to test, right?
TSH is actually a marker for pituitary gland function, not the thyroid.
Think of the pituitary gland as being the VP of operations, your hypothalamus gland as the CEO, and the thyroid is the director of operations.
The hypothalamus receives information and directs the pituitary on what needs to happen. The pituitary hands down the information to the thyroid via TSH hormone and the thyroid gets to work initiating the operations.
To truly evaluate thyroid function you need to test the actual hormones that the thyroid produces and uses to initiate its operations such as; total T4, total T3, free T4, free T3, and even reverse T3 in some cases.
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about how important your thyroid is and how to make sure it’s running optimally to support your best health.
Knowing that your thyroid is involved in all functions of the body means it is pretty important, right?
Of course! We need this mighty little gland to be working at its best in order for the rest of the body to function at its best!
For your thyroid to carry out the order of operations, as directed by the hypothalamus and pituitary, it needs the right tools (aka nutrients) to do so.
The most critical nutrients for thyroid function include:
- Iodine
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Vitamin D, A and a variety of B’s
- Protein – to specifically get the amino acid tyrosine
In order to get adequate amounts of these nutrients for your thyroid 3 things need to happen:
- You have to eat foods high in good quality nutrients (go organic!)
- Take supplements to support what you can’t get in your food
- Have a healthy gut that allows optimal nutrient absorption
Having a healthy gut is where I see the most missed healing opportunities for a healthy thyroid.
You could be eating the healthiest foods in the world and taking a variety of supplements BUT still be suffering from suboptimal thyroid function. You aren’t getting the most bang for your buck with what you’re putting in your mouth if you have a leaky or unhealthy gut.
Your gut is where all nutrients are absorbed and made available for use in the body.
Checking your gut health is SO IMPORTANT if you have any kind of thyroid imbalance or disorder to make sure your thyroid has all the nutrients and support it needs to do its job well.
To help you assess your gut health and support your thyroid function better, or to help resolve any other health issue you might be dealing with, I’ve designed a special and affordable In-Depth Gut Health Test Package!
With this Gut Test offer you’ll be able to take a deep dive look at your gut health. This test will have all of the critical markers to truly evaluate your gut function and leaky gut including:
- Intestinal Parasites
- Bacteria Overgrowth
- Candida and Other Yeast Infections
- Immune and Inflammatory Markers SigA and Calprotectin
- Degree of Gluten Sensitivity
Along with the test, you’ll also get to meet with me via phone or video call for an in-depth 90-minute results review session to go over your results and my personalized recommendations for you in regards to diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction and supplements to improve or maintain your thyroid health!
You and your health are worth investing in. Take an empowered step towards realizing your full health potential by checking your gut, thyroid and adrenal health!
Test, don’t guess! Check out these new Special Packages designed just for you!
P.S. Know someone else who is suffering from suboptimal thyroid function and struggling to get it back in balance? Feel free forward them this email so they can unlock answers to their thyroid health like so many others who have worked with me.
The Root Of All Disease
It is so fascinating that all disease, 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 disease. 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 disease 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 disease 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, flus, gut bugs) and a signal that something just isn’t right!
What’s tough is that dangerous inflammation can not always be seen, felt or heard so it often times 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 is 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 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.
In this week’s video and blog I help you determine if chronic inflammation is playing a role in your biggest health issues and what you can do to reverse it!
You might be wondering why don’t we have a cure for everything if we know that inflammation is the root of all disease?
Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to that question. However, I can tell you that when I address inflammation in my clients, they start feeling better immediately and eventually are even able to reverse their health conditions.
How do you know if chronic inflammation is affecting you?
Any of the following symptoms could be signs of chronic inflammation, especially if you have two or more:
- Allergies or asthma (especially if it progressively gets worse)
- Constant body aches and pains (muscle and joint)
- High blood pressure or cholesterol
- Restless sleep, fatigue and/or lethargy
- Diagnosed with any autoimmune disorder (Hashimoto’s, Colitis, Celiac, Crohn’s, etc.)
- Get sick with a cold, flu or virus multiple times a year
- Bouts of anxiety and/or depression
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
- Skin rashes, acne and breakouts
All of us suffer from some inflammation from time to time. You might even be able to pinpoint times when it is worse such as during a full moon when extra fluid is being pulled in your body by the extra gravitational pull with the full moon.
But as Dr. Mercola said “It (inflammation) can and often does occur for years before it exists at levels sufficient to be apparent or clinically significant.”
The accumulation of triggers for inflammation over time burden the body, eventually resulting in chronic inflammation. This is why we feel it more as we get older, not just because we are getting older, but because more time has passed for inflammation to accumulate.
How can you reverse the effects of chronic inflammation?
Reducing inflammation for each person can be different depending on what their top triggers are, but in general( for everyone) here are the most important things you can do to reduce your inflammation daily:
- Avoid inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, soy, added sugar and alcohol
- Eat organic fruits and veggies free of herbicides and pesticides
- Minimize environmental toxins in drinking water, air, personal care and cleaning products
- Have an outlet for mental/emotional stress such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing
Understanding what triggers inflammation for you and taking steps to reduce it is one of the ways you can unlock answers about your health, reduce your risk for disease and prolong your life.
Join me TODAY, January 19th at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET for a FREE ONLINE CLASS Map Your Symptoms & Unlock Answers To Your Health where we’ll be diving into more detail about signs and symptoms of chronic inflammation, triggers and what you can do to reverse it!
In this free online class you will:
- Decipher your symptoms and what your body is trying to tell you
- Map out and connect the dots to look at the big picture of your health
- Understand your healing opportunities related to adrenal, thyroid and gut function
- Get clear on exactly what you can do next to restore balance and start feeling like yourself again
It’s time to get clear on what’s making you feel fat, sick and tired all the time so you can finally fix what’s wrong and get back to feeling like yourself again, too!
