This question might be personal, but do you wake up to pee in the middle of the night?

And if you do, are you paying attention to the time when you wake up for a quick bathroom run before falling back asleep?

I would say that 90% of the people I’ve spoken to are in this late-night bathroom boat; waking up to pee usually between 1-3 a.m.

But here’s the thing, waking up to pee in the middle of the night is NOT normal.

Waking up to pee in the wee hours (pun intended! LOL) of the night or morning is actually a huge clue about your health.  

It can give you great insight about your blood sugar balance, detoxification organs, and emotional state – all of which ultimately dictate your energy levels and ability to lose weight and feel like your best self.

However, we’ve been conditioned to think that using the bathroom in the middle of the night is common; just a part of getting older and drinking too many fluids before bed.

Personally, I can take down over 8 ounces of water before bed and sleep soundly through the night.  And as I’ve aged, I haven’t developed a need to pee in the middle of the night.

I’ve also seen many of my clients turn their late-night potty runs into a thing of the past once they address the underlying issues triggering their body’s need to hit the head. 

Aside from waking up to pee providing a clue about your health status, this disruptive habit also interferes with your body’s ability to fully recover at night. This can leave you feeling less rested when you wake up, and more prone to cravings, weight gain, hormone imbalances, and other health issues down the road.

It’s time to re-potty train your body so you can sleep completely through the night, and wake up feeling like your best self.

In this week’s video and blog, I’m going to bust through these late-night bathroom break myths and give you my top tips for solid sleep so you can wake up rested and feel your best!

To start, let’s talk about why waking up to pee in the middle of the night is such a big health deal breaker in the first place.

According to your body’s internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm, the most optimal sleep time frame to feel like your best self is 10 pm to 4 am.

This internal clock is ruled by the sun and the moon cycles.  

When the sun rises in the morning, temperature and light increase, letting your body know it’s time to get up and get moving.  Morning is when you should have the most energy, and it will slowly taper off throughout the day into the evening in alignment with the sun cycle and your internal clock. 

When the sun sets in the evening, temperature and light decrease, signaling your body to prepare for sleep by dropping your energy levels, releasing the sleep hormone known as melatonin, and transitioning into the nervous system’s parasympathetic rest and digest mode.

In parasympathetic mode, your body sends all of its blood flow and resources inwards to organs that support digestion, detoxification, circulation, and restoration.

Based on this internal clock, your body does some massive repair work in the middle of the night while in peak parasympathetic mode from 10 pm to 4 am.  If you’re not sleeping, the parasympathetic process is interrupted and this work can’t happen, leaving you feeling tired and unrested the next morning. 

This is why if you go to sleep late or wake up in the middle of the night, you still feel tired no matter how much you slept in the next day or how many hours of sleep you got.

So now that you know how important it is to sleep through the night in order to wake up rested and feeling your best, let’s address re-potty training your body so you can get the critical window of sleep you need.

Waking up to pee in the middle of the night is strongly correlated with 3 different scenarios…

Scenario #1 – Your Blood Sugar Drops
This is the most common one I see.  When your blood sugar drops too low, your body releases the hormone cortisol to bring it back into balance.  

You might know of cortisol as your stress hormone, which it is, among other things.  Cortisol is also what spikes in the morning time when the sun rises as part of your circadian rhythm to give you energy to get up and get going.

When your blood sugar drops in the middle of the night, cortisol is released giving you this same boost of energy.  It’s like getting a shot of adrenaline, and what does everyone do instinctually when they wake up?…go to the bathroom!

So balancing your blood sugar is the first thing you can do to promote sleeping through the night.  

Eating the right ratios of proteins, carbs, and fat at each meal will help you to balance your blood sugar and get better sleep.  

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

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

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

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

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

Scenario #2 – Look at Your Liver
Balancing blood sugar usually resolves about 90% of the peeing at night problems I see, but when it doesn’t completely resolve the issue it’s time to look at your liver.

Based on your internal clock, your liver and other detoxification organs do their deepest detox work from about 1 to 3 am. 

If you find yourself waking up during this time, it could indicate a toxic build-up or detox traffic jam.  Your liver and detox organs could be burdened by too many toxins or the struggle to eliminate them.

In this scenario, beefing up your intake of detoxifying foods such as beets, grapefruit, lemon, and dandelion can give your liver the boost it needs to do its job.

A daily natural liver support supplement containing ingredients such as milk thistle, dandelion, artichoke leaf, and burdock root can be extremely beneficial given the number of toxins our body is bombarded with on a daily basis. 

Pairing this with balancing your blood sugar should do the trick and give you the best night’s sleep ever!

Scenario #3 – Emotional Influences
When you’ve tried loving your liver and balancing your blood sugar but still wake up in the middle of the night, it’s time to address emotional influences.

According to Chinese Medicine, each organ of the body is associated with a certain emotion, and as we just discussed in scenario #2, organs do deep work during a certain time of the night based on your internal clock.

We can put these two clues together to uncover emotional influences waking you up at night.

For example, if you’re waking up in the window of 1 to 3 a.m. associated with the detox organs (i.e. liver and gallbladder), the emotions connected to these can be grief, anger, fear, and depression.

Doing some journaling, meditation, or seeking counseling around these emotions can quickly put your sleep issues to rest.  Sometimes we don’t suspect we’re dealing with these emotions, but we are.  Grief, for example, isn’t always related to the loss of a loved one. It could be related to a recent job change, as we grieve leaving behind the old ways even with excitement for what is to come. 

Bottom line, waking up to pee in the middle of the night is NOT normal and it disrupts your ability to wake up rested and feeling like your best self.

I’ve yet to see a client who can’t sleep through the night when we address these three scenarios, and as I said, most of the time we knock it out with just one.

I’d love to know what you found most helpful about the information I’ve shared.  

Comment below with your biggest aha, insight, or takeaway! 

Bacon is not only approved, it’s actually encouraged during my Cleanse Challenge. 

That might sound odd since most cleanse or detox programs require you to cut out just about every fun food on the planet.  However, cutting out foods that contain protein, such as bacon, is where most cleanse programs go wrong.  

There are 3 phases of detoxification that your body goes through 24/7 to help you flush out toxins that you come in contact with daily. Protein is a vital nutrient needed during phase 1 and 2 in order to breakdown and package up toxins for elimination.

Plus, deprivation is never fun.  

When we deprive ourselves, we usually end up giving into temptation, fall off the wagon, and find it harder to get back on track.

My Cleanse Challenge is NOT about deprivation. 

It’s about using whole, organic, and nourishing foods to promote the body’s natural detoxification process. 

Enrollment closes TODAY/MAY 6TH.  The Challenge starts MAY 13TH.

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL FOR JUST $1 PER DAY

Don’t just take my word for it, see what some of the past participants have had to say…

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to engage the materials and participate. Not to mention that I lost 8 lbs! That was truly an amazing bonus. I’ve adopted many of the skills we learned during the cleanse, and I’m totally on board for the next one.”- Beverly S

“This was the first cleanse I’ve ever done. What intrigued me about this cleanse was the fact that I could still eat food! I was nervous about cutting out foods I love for 30 days but it was surprisingly easier than I thought. I have found new (healthier) foods that I love now! I’m also able to make healthier choices every day, especially when eating out.” – Jodi V.

“It was so empowering because it taught me more about what my body needs to flush toxins.  The best part? No deprivation! I look forward to making the cleanse challenge a regular part of my health maintenance.” – Mary C

The Cleanse Challenge is designed to help you:

• Get back on the clean eating train
• Ramp up your workout routine
• Rest and restore your body nightly
• Flush out any built-up toxins
• And make meditation or any other healthy habit a routine again

All so you can…

• Have more energy to enjoy life and keep up with its daily demands
• Lose those last few pounds, get trim, and stay that way
• Blast away the belly bloat for good
• Improve your memory, learning ability, and mood
• Sleep better so that you can wake up feeling rested
• Be more productive at work and in life
• Have higher quality workouts because you’ll have the energy to do so
• Improved the conversion of thyroid hormone Free T4 to Free T3
• Boost your immunity and digestion to heal leaky gut
• Increase your ability to handle stress to lessen anxiety and depression
• Look younger and have clear skin!

Here’s how the 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, and reduce belly bloat & inflammation
• Incorporate the highest naturally detoxifying foods (beets, grapefruit, and 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 tips to sweat out those toxins
• Get accountability to work out regularly,  drink plenty of water, and get quality sleep in order to support the body’s cleansing and healing process
• Receive 30-minute recorded weekly educational webinars and be part of a special Facebook group for support
• Get recipes and a checklist to guide you along your journey

AND I’m including a special BONUS ASK THE EXPERT SESSION with one of my health expert team members!

Have questions about whether this is the right program or if this will work for you?  Feel free to shoot me an email, and I’ll give you my honest feedback about if my Seasonal Cleanse Challenge is right for you – [email protected]

And here are some of the frequently asked questions…

Q:  What if I’m traveling during the cleanse?
A:  No problem!  Many past participants have been traveling during the cleanse, even internationally.  The beauty of the cleanse is that you’re not restricting yourself of all foods so it makes it easy to eat on the road and you’ll get support from the webinars, Facebook group, and me on how to make good choices on-the-go.

Q:  What exactly do I have to cut out of my diet?
A:  During the cleanse you will focus on minimizing or eliminating gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, and alcohol.  I will give you recommendations and guidance on how to do this and provide you with great alternatives. Plus, you get TWO recipe guides to help you out.

Q:  What if I fall off track, I don’t want to feel like a failure?
A:  There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.  First off, the cleanse is a point system so you can pick and choose the things you want to abide by, and if you miss points in one area you can make up for them in another, or with the bonus point opportunities that help you to create balance.  If you fall off track, that’s just a sign of needing a new strategy to keep you on track. You’ll have the weekly webinars, Facebook group, and your one-on-one session with me for tips, encouragement, and accountability!

Let’s be honest, eating and drinking habits have probably been less than ideal this past year as we’ve all been trying to strike a balance amidst the new COVID-19 normal.

However, restrictions are being lifted and summer is right around the corner, so it’s time to get back on track, cleanse the Corona crap, and get back to feeling like your best self. 

Will you join me and many others to shed pounds, boost your energy naturally and cleanse the Corona crap?

Enrollment closes TODAY/MAY 6TH.  The Challenge starts MAY 13TH.

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL FOR JUST $1 PER DAY

For years I counted calories, tried diet after diet and exercised excessively; yet I always felt tired and frustrated trying to shed pounds, just like so many of my clients…until I found the missing pieces of the puzzle.

I hear so many people talk about their frustrations with their body, energy and their health – “I eat healthy and exercise so I don’t understand why…” 

• I can’t drop weight
• I don’t have any energy
• My health isn’t improving

The truth is, there’s more to health and weight loss than just diet and exercise.

The body is a complex system and most people are ignoring some really important pieces of the puzzle, one of which is cleansing the body of toxins that contribute to a sluggish liver!

The liver plays a HUGE role in eliminating toxins, and when it’s overloaded with this work, it can’t convert hormones or regulate our metabolism like it’s supposed to in order for us to shed pounds and have energy.  

To help you tackle this piece of the puzzle, I’m hosting a FREE Online Workshop TODAY – The Daily Detox: No Juices, Gimmicks or Supplements Required!

Date: TODAY – Thursday, April 29th
Time: 5pm PST / 8pm EST
Location: REGISTER HERE

(If you can’t make it live, register to get the replay!)

Do you struggle with shedding pounds and feeling comfortable in your body?

I used to get so frustrated with the scale when I was counting calories and putting in hours of cardio. I would tell myself it was “just water weight” that I was hanging onto or that my genetics were holding me back. In reality, the age-old strategy of calories in vs. calories out just wasn’t doing the trick. 

So what gives? – at what point are diet and exercise not enough?

Age and genetics do play a small role, but I’ll tell you that I’ve seen many clients successfully lose weight at any age and with all different genetics. 

So what’s happening with people like us who diet like crazy, go to Crossfit daily, yet still don’t lose weight as we want?

When diet and exercise aren’t getting you results, you have to look at the other pieces of the puzzle, and quite possibly the biggest key player is your liver.

In this week’s video and blog, I talk more about the role your liver plays in weight loss and how to boost its function to shed those pounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL2QD5TLQl

We are exposed daily to high levels of toxins through food, water, air, home and personal care products. These toxins get filtered through the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system and are stored in fat tissue. Toxic build-up prevents the uptake and utilization of nutrients, carbohydrates, and proteins.

When your liver is so busy working to filter out all these toxins it has very little energy left to filter blood, drugs and hormones; let alone do its other job as a digestive organ – thus many find shedding pounds more difficult.

Your liver is also in charge of converting and excreting excess hormones. If liver function is sub-optimal, then hormones such as estrogen can build up. This can lead to estrogen dominance, which can cause excess weight, hot flashes and an increased risk for cancer. 

The liver is also where a huge chunk of thyroid hormone conversion takes place, and an imbalance in thyroid slows your metabolism resulting in weight gain. 

If you’re exercising, your muscles need fuel and your liver helps produce that fuel. However, a clogged liver won’t, and when that happens, excess glucose gets stored as fat.

Here are 10 common signs your liver needs cleansing:

1. Abdominal bloating
2. Menstrual irregularities
3. Abdominal fat; pot belly; that “spare tire” effect
4. Joint and muscle pain
5. Low energy or fatigue
6. Acid reflux/heartburn
7. Body odor
8. Overheating of the body & excessive perspiration
9. Acne/Rosacea or itchy, blotchy skin
10. Unexplained weight gain and inability to lose weight even with calorie restriction

Keeping your liver in working order is a matter of reducing its stressful toxic load AND supporting its natural detox ability.  You can do this several ways…

1.   Reduce your exposure to toxins
2.   Eat powerful detoxifying foods; beets, grapefruit, dandelion greens
3.   Do a detox cleanse 1-2 times per year

If you’ve hit a wall with your body or suspect that your liver could use some love, then you are in luck!

You’re invited to cleanse your liver and feel like your best self again…

SEASONAL CLEANSE CHALLENGE ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN!! ENROLL HERE

This challenge will help you boost your liver function naturally using foods and gentle cleansing methods so that you can:

• Lose those stubborn pounds
• Boost your energy
• Enhance your hormones and overall health

This 28-day challenge starts May 13th, and you can participate for just $1 per day!

Summer is right around the corner, so it’s time to get back on track, cleanse the Corona crap, and get back to feeling like your best self.

Will you join me and many others to shed pounds and boost your energy naturally?

ENROLL HERE

We live in a world where more and more toxins are being released into the environment every day, week, month, and year. There are far more than we can ever fathom, and our bodies have taken on a huge burden as a result.

During the pandemic, your toxin exposure has increased tenfold as a result of being confined indoors more than before, in addition to the heightened use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers.

The air inside your home alone is said to be up to 100% more toxic than the air outside due to paint, sealants, fire retardants, and cleaning products. 

In 2016, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released a report from a year-long study showing that 420 chemicals, which are known or likely known to cause cancer, were found in the human body across different populations.

Let me repeat that…420 chemicals that can cause cancer have been found in our bodies!

Cancer might be the worst scenario regarding toxins, but what about what they do to your body on a daily basis?

Pesticides found in food and water have been linked to weight gain and insulin resistance in children and rodents.

A classification of toxins called Endocrine Disruptors are known to disrupt the Endocrine System, which houses your thyroid, adrenals, and other glands that regulate metabolism, growth, development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood, and other bodily functions.

Toxins cause inflammation and dysregulate the immune system making you more susceptible to autoimmune disorders, other chronic diseases, and illnesses such as colds, the flu, and allergies.

Exposure to Obesogen toxins alters cells that would become bones or other types of tissues into fat, contributing to osteoporosis and making your body biased towards burning carbs instead of fat for fuel.

So are we doomed to be a society of sick and toxic people?

Not exactly.

You do have a built-in and very sophisticated detoxification system.  Your liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, and skin are always working hard behind the scenes to flush out as many toxins from your body as possible.

However, your detoxification system and organs could use some support since they are being required to work harder than ever before with this increase in environmental toxins.

In this week’s video and blog, I dive into how these toxins are taking a toll on your health and the best way to support your built-in detoxification system so you can feel your best.

There are a lot of “detoxing” or cleansing programs on the market these days claiming to boost your energy and help you lose weight as a result of flushing toxins from your body.

But are these programs as effective as they claim to be, or are you just flushing your money down the toilet (literally)?

Let’s examine some of the biggest myths around detoxing your body from the toxic burden and what you should know or be doing instead…

MYTH #1 –Juice Cleansing Is The Best Way To Detox
FACT – It’s a waste of money if you’re not eating protein.  Protein is required for your body to actually move toxic elements through the different phases of detoxification in order to eliminate them.

MYTH #2 – Diet & Exercise Are The Key To Weight Loss & Eliminating Toxins
FACT – Diet and exercise aren’t really enough.  The liver is the powerhouse when it comes to eliminating toxins, regulating your metabolism and energy.  You need to show your liver some love in order to get the results you’re looking for, and one of the best ways to support your liver is sleeping from 10 pm to 4 am. 

MYTH #3 – Detoxing Requires Expensive Supplements
FACT – Supplements help, but aren’t the ultimate answer.  You have to decrease the toxic stuff coming in and increase the toxic stuff going out consistently.  Otherwise, supplements are just keeping you afloat, but not helping you to actually get ahead.

MYTH #4 – Detoxing / Cleansing Means Deprivation
FACT – No, it doesn’t at all!  There are simple ways to detox your body daily using food, water, sleep, exercise, and at-home liver supporting techniques that allow you to enjoy food and life.

Reducing your body’s daily toxic burden is fairly simple once you know how to identify toxins in your environment, and by putting some simple healthy habits in place to support your body’s natural elimination process.

We could all use a serious toxin cleanse after being cooped up for so long during the pandemic.

And let’s be honest, your eating and drinking habits have probably been less than ideal this past year.  Summer is right around the corner so it’s time to get back on track, detox the corona crap, and get back to feeling like your best self. 

Attend my upcoming FREE webinar…The Daily Detox: No Juices, Gimmicks or Supplements Required! 

Date: Thursday, April 29th
Time: 5pm PST / 8pm EST
Location: REGISTER HERE

During this webinar, I’ll be going into even more detail about how you can detox your body daily and naturally so you can unburden your body, boost your energy, shed some pounds, and get back to feeling like your less toxic self again!

Plus, when you register for the webinar you’ll get my Toxins Checklist instantly! 

REGISTER HERE

P.S.  For those who have been asking about the next Seasonal Cleanse Challenge, I’ll be revealing the enrollment dates during the webinar.  There are only 50 spots available on a first come first serve basis 🙂