Dr. Alycia Lattanzio, ND

To support hormone health, you need a strong foundation.

To achieve a strong foundation, you need to nourish your body.

To nourish your body, you need to spend time learning about the required nutrition, appropriate food choices and how to execute it in a way that sticks.

If you have me in your healthcare circle, you know that I value education around diet.

I spend a healthy chunk of time in follow up visits educating each of my patients about the WHY and HOW to make smarter nutrition choices.

Emphasis on the WHY and HOW, because this is pivotal.

With diet (or anything for that matter), if you understand WHY you’ve been nudged to make change, the thing you’re changing becomes more achievable.

HOW to make that change becomes equally as important. I help you to make small changes to your diet vs big leaps. I’ll take into consideration the foods you love and spin them into healthier, hormone supporting options. I value your values around food and the influence of culture on your diet.

Together, we will brainstorm how to turn the foods your love (the foods that currently make up your diet) into balanced meals that support heath and hormones.

And if that isn’t enough, we will tackle any barriers that get in our way (digestive concerns, fatigue, mood changes, period problems, menopause etc).

To improve hormone health, you need to make diet and health changes stick.

To make diet and health changes stick, you need support, you need direction, you need education.

Let me be that for you.

Book a free virtual 15 minute consult through the link in my bio to learn more.

Book a 75 minute virtual or in-person Initial Naturopathic Consultation if you’re ready to jump right in.

Chances are, you’re heard a lot about PCOS.

Chances are you either have it, suspect you have it, or know someone who has it.

PCOS is a hormone related issue that is often the result of other “things” going on in your body.

These other “things” can include weight change, trouble metabolizing sugars, coming off the pill, being super stressed out, and having higher levels of inflammation.

When a specific cocktail of body processes go a little astray, it can result in polycystic ovaries, irregular or missed cycles, and higher androgens (male pattern hormones) that cause hair loss on the head, dark hair growth on the body, cystic acne around the jawline, and oily skin.

In order to figure out what type of PCOS you’re dealing with and how to treat it, we need to dive a little deeper with lab work and a detailed health history.

👉🏼If it’s the insulin resistance type: you need to focus on balancing the sugars in your diet and finding a balanced diet and exercise plan that helps promote sustainable weight loss.

👉🏽If it’s the inflammatory type: you need to focus on isolating the root cause of inflammation in the body and nip it in the butt through diet, lifestyle and supplements.

👉🏾If it’s the adrenal (stress) type: you need to focus on learning tools to help you manage stress, improve sleep and focus on gentle exercise.

👉🏿If it’s the post-pill type: you need diet, lifestyle and supplement support before and and after coming off the pill for a period of time.

The moral of the story here is that if you are or you suspect you are dealing with PCOS:

#1 So are 1.4 million other Canadians, you’re not alone.

#2 More often than not, there is a treatment plan waiting for you to help you feel like yourself again.

Let’s work together so you can feel better.

Do you feel like you need more direction with your diet?

Do you struggle with digestive issues even while choosing healthy foods?

Do you avoid “trigger foods” yet still seem to struggle with skin issues?

Do you even fantasize about what it would feel like to NOT be bloated, just for one day?

Do you suffer from the “big three”: hormonal-related issues, skin blemishes and digestive issues?

Most importantly, are YOU ready to prioritize YOU and start meeting your health goals?

If you answered frick ya to any of the above questions, hear me out.

You’ll likely benefit from an individualized ✨diet plan.✨

Emphasis on the ✨diet plan✨ here because it’s a lot more fabulous than a plain diet plan.

How? Because it’s totally individualized to you and your specific health goals.

I incorporate into your ✨diet plan✨ a combination of:
• Whole food options to choose and WHY.
• Daily serving sizes, macro goals and calorie goals with tracking instructions (if applicable/desired).
• Food as medicine suggestions (example: a handful of nuts a day to reduce cholesterol) to compliment your naturopathic treatment plan.
• Foods to avoid (if necessary) to support your unique health goals.
• Food pairing tips to effortlessly create balanced meals.
• Mindful eating techniques to support digestion.
• Tips and tricks for meal prepping and STICKING to it.
• Shopping lists that you can have on hand at the grocery store.
• Support around setting specific small diet goals that are achievable to prevent “diet drop out” and reinforce a positive relationship with food.

Most importantly, your ✨diet plan✨will be achievable AND sustainable, unlike restricting fad diets.

Want to learn more? Book a 15 minute consult with me through direct message or the link in bio.

Stop scrolling and take a second.

Read through this checklist and ask yourself:

How many of these did you check off?🚩

It’s okay if you checked off more than 50% of this checklist.

Why?

Because you’re not the only one who checked off more than 50% of this checklist.

If you’re a busy, hard working, multitasking type-A personality - these are probably very normal meal time habits that you engage in regularly.

Why is this a problem?

Because it’s affecting your gut health.

In fact, you’re probably suffering from some variation of digestive issues. Heartburn, bloating, IBS, nausea, belching, stomach cramping, indigestion you name it.

And if that isn’t enough, your digestive issues could very well be contributing to hormonal issues.

If this sounds like you…

Hear me out, I did a thing. 💡

A thing that will help you take control of your digestion, rather than letting your digestion take control of you. 🙅🏼‍♀️

Stay tuned for a virtual wellness session sign up link to learn all things about the mind gut connection: what to eat, how to eat, and ways to execute it.

Rise and shine, hormones.🌥

You’ve been sleeping for a while, let me help you wake up on the right side of the bed.

If you’ve recently come off the pill OR are thinking of the coming off the pill, you need support.

You need support to help make that transition from synthetic hormones to your own hormones a bit smoother.

You need education around what your body is going through, and how to work with it (not against it).

You need treatment ESPECIALLY if you’ve been on the pill to fix a problem like PCOS, PMS/PMDD, endometriosis, heavy bleeding, acne, and crazy cramps.

That support looks a little different for everyone, but here are some of the basics:
🌥 Eat the right foods, in the right quantity at the right times to support hormone production and function.
🌥 Learn what kind of exercise is best at the different stages of your cycle.
🌥 Support your gut microbiome, because the pill can mess with this.
🌥 Treat the underlying disorder (i.e. the reason why you went on the pill in the first place).
🌥 Restore any vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies that the pill depletes.

This information is NOT meant to deter you from using or staying on the pill. In some cases or specific goals it’s actually quite useful.

Rather, if you’re someone who has been:
🌥 Offered the pill (and the pill alone) as the solution to your health concern and wish to explore other option.
🌥 Has been thinking of getting off the pill and addressing the root cause of your symptoms.
🌥 Have been off the pill for a little while and not feeling your best.
🌥 Want to learn more about working WITH your cycle, and not against it.

I. Am. Here. For. You.

I’m just one DM or free 15 minute consult away!🥰

Are you looking to harness your hormones and have no clue where to start? Have you read about things like PMS, PMDD, PCOS, burnout, endometriosis, infertility or peri-menopause and suspect you might have it? Are you feeling like your symptoms are being brushed off by other health care providers?

If this is you, I’d love to help!👋🏽

➡️Scroll through to see what my first few visits are like when I work with patients who are ready to be the boss of their hormones and thrive in their own skin.

Let me help you:
🤍 Unravel your health history to figure out why you’re not feeling your best.
🤍 Unpack your symptoms and find manageable, long lasting solutions for them.
🤍 Review or order lab work to better understand your symptoms and develop a treatment plan.
🤍 Create an individualized diet plan that supports you and your health goals.
🤍 Recognize that your health journey is as unique as your fingerprint, and your concerns deserve to be heard and treated respectively.

Let’s re-write the story you have on loop and create one that served you.

Accepting new patients virtually and in-person (Ontario residents) via the booking link in bio. 💌

What does your 💩 say about you?

If you’re familiar with the quote “the eyes are the window to your soul.” You won’t have a hard time digesting this (no pun intended):

Your bowel movements are the window to your health.

If you’ve seen me in practice, you know that I ask about 💩 at every first visit.

I decided to post about this because I’ve heard this response too many times:

“I don’t know, I never look.”

I will tell the world of IG the same thing I tell patients. It’s time to start LOOKING. I don’t expect you to take point form notes after every 🚽 visit, but I do expect you to be able to recognize when something is off with your💩.

A healthy bowel movement is passed easily 1-3x per day without straining. It passes in one large smooth 🐍 piece (type 4), is chocolate brown in colour, sinks to the bottom of the bowl, requires minimal wiping and doesn’t leave you searching for the air freshener.

If you aren’t having a type 3-4 bowel movement regularly, this is a sign that something deeper is going on.

Not all bowel movement are perfect, but figuring out where the average bowel movements falls on this scale is imperative to isolating the root cause of your symptoms and developing your treatment plan.

So, if you’ve been considering seeing an ND. You might want to start 👀 in the 🚽 before your first visit!

Do you want to get more in tune with your cycle?🌊

Let’s take a deep dive into the basics:

Menstruation phase (days 1-7)🌊
The first day you bleed marks day one of your cycle. Your estrogen and progesterone are both low here. The amount of days you spend bleeding averages around 3-7, but can be less or more in some people. If you suffer from PMS symptoms, you may notice them improving by days 3-4. If you experience cycle related headaches, you may feel your worst on day 1.

Follicular phase (days 1-13)🌊
Estrogen is the star of the show. Increasing estrogen levels build the lining of the uterus to prepare the body for pregnancy/implantation. At this time of your cycle you may not experience PMS symptoms, you may have higher energy levels with quicker recovery (Do your HIIT training here!), and your metabolism slows so you can expect less hunger/cravings. Once estrogen peaks, the body experiences an “LH surge” that triggers the next phase.

Ovulation (day 14)🌊
The LH surge triggers the release of an egg into the Fallopian tubes. Some women experience normal ovarian cramping associated with egg release here. Keep in mind that the date of ovulation is not reproducibly day 14. If you track your cycles with free apps, they will calculate your ovulation window based on your cycle length (this is when you are most fertile).

Luteal phase (days 15-menstruation)🌊
Progesterone takes charge here. At this point of the cycle, the body either ramps up progesterone to support implantation (pregnancy) or decreases along with estrogen to prompt shedding of the endometrial tissues. If you experience PMS, it will pop up in this phase. Your metabolism speeds up here, so you may feel more hunger and cravings. A drop on estrogen and progesterone at this stage means that gentle movement (yoga, mild cardio) is encouraged to match your energy levels and prevent working against your natural hormone rhythm.

And then it happens all over again.

Isn’t it awesome how a few curvy lines on a graph can dictate so much about how we act and feel? Our hormones mean business - which is why we need to educate ourselves about them so we can work with them!

Hungry girls, allow me to reintroduce ✨salad.✨

This isn’t the same old tired salad you’re used to.

It won’t leave you unsatisfied or peckish in an hour.

It won’t feel like a chore to choke down.

You won’t let your green wilt away in the fridge because any other option sounds more palatable than rabbit food.

I want you to be EXCITED about salads, not bored.

Because the truth is: salads are so versatile and painfully quick to execute. You can build a hungry girl salad in minutes, stay satiated for hours and feel damn good about hitting your carb/fat/protein goals.

My favourite hungry girl salad:
🥬 Mixed greens with arugula
🍗 Grilled chicken breast
🌾1/2 cup quinoa
🍠 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato
🥜 Toasted pine nuts
🥗 Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey dressing

How would you build your hungry girl salad? Share in the comments below for all hungry girls alike.

Yes, you’re reading that right.

If you suffer from menstrual cramps, you have other options.

See ya never Advil.
Move the heck over Tylenol.
The pill? Don’t know her.

💁🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️

Let’s let some of these natural therapies take the spotlight, shall we?

GINGER: At high doses, research shows that ginger is just as effective as two routinely prescribed pain meds for women with cramps.

CURCUMIN: An extract of turmeric, when taken 7 days before flow for 3 consecutive months reduces the severity of cramps before they start.

MAGNESIUM: When taken consistently at high doses can reduce menstrual cramping along with PMS and menstrual migraines.

CRAMPBARK: An herb used traditionally to relax the muscles of the uterus and reduce menstrual cramps when taken a few days before flow until cramps usually subside.

Keep in mind that natural does not always equal safe. This information is strictly for educational purposes.

Please speak to your healthcare provider or book an appointment for a comprehensive health review to figure out if these supplements can help you.

Hormone imbalance is a symptom, not a diagnosis.

Hormone dysfunction doesn’t just happen on it’s own. It’s often a manifestation of other issues that are going on. What I like to call the “root cause(s).”

Maybe your gut health needs a little TLC, maybe your suffering from chronic stress, maybe your diet needs a little shaping to curb blood sugar spikes.

Whatever the root cause may be, THAT is where treatment should be directed.

Focusing on testing and shifting hormone levels is only a piece of the puzzle.

“Great, we know which hormones are out of whack and we probably have a supplement for that,” but will this approach promote sustainable change?

Not alone, nope.

In order to achieve hormone balance, we so desperately need to know “WHY” the dysfunction exists in the first place.

Taking a thorough health review is the first step to isolating the root cause. What this uncovers is a road map of diet, exercise, sleep, stress and environmental impact that ultimately defines where your at right now. Making changes within these pillars is the best way to achieve hormone balance that lasts, with numerous other health benefits to boot!

Let’s put it all into perspective:

Think of the pillars of health as a new, unfurnished home. Then think of supplements, herbals and pharmaceuticals as furniture, lamps, paintings and other embellishments to the home. You can’t furnish your home if you don’t have the roots first!

So, when strong foundations of health and targeted supplements unite, voila! You have an optimal treatment plan to address hormonal imbalances.

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Leaving toxic diet culture and unrealistic body image expectations behind in 2021👋🏽

Who’s with me?

Setting resolutions are great. Sometimes.

That is, when they’re not driven by restriction, control or the desire to change that number on the scale.

I’m more than guilty of this, and I bet a few readers here will be too.

How did it turn out for us in the past?

Probably not well. Like “fall off the wagon” second week of January well.

Despite my “good” intentions, I never followed through with weight loss resolutions. In fact, I gave up quite easily.

Why?

Weight loss resolutions are not born with very good intentions. They’re often the product of defeat, disgust and negativity.

Like many others, I was determined to make a “healthy” new year change. Losing weight is great for your health right?

It can be. But not when your fighting irritability from caloric restrictions. Definitely not when your hyper-fixated on food cause your so damn hungry. And truly, not when your negative self talk metaphorically beats you to the ground.

Instead, try to channel that determination for change and direct them towards something that will foster personal growth, happiness, and fulfillment.

Here are a few of my goals for 2022. Feel free to steal a few or share yours in the comments, let’s inspire each other!

Wondering where to start on your hormone balancing journey?

It’s right under your nose, three times a day.

Your plate🍽

The foods we choose to fuel our body matter. What we eat ultimately affects the production of hormones and their signalling pathways.

Here are a few examples of what a healthy hormone plate could look like. If this peaks your interest, read on to learn why each component contributors to hormone health:

PROTEIN: Eating good quality protein provides your body with the building blocks for hormone production, amino acids. Research has also shown that protein influences the release of hormones that control appetite and food intake. Protein essentially helps build hormones and keep us full (amongst other great things).

HEALTHY FATS: Fats are not the enemy! Like protein, healthy fats contribute to making hormones. Healthy fats help you feel full longer, balance blood sugar and regulate hormones.

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE: Colloquially known as “slow” carbs. This food source is the first choice for energy production in the body. “Slow” carbs are preferred over “fast” carbs (white breads, cereals, pastas) because they don’t spike your blood sugar and keep you satiated longer.

FIBRE: Underrated, but nonetheless important. As we increase fibre in our diet, we decrease the levels of estrogen if too much is kicking around. Fibre also increases the sensitivity of insulin and regulates appetite.

Keep in mind that diet changes are a key piece of a larger puzzle that is required to balance hormones. Other lifestyle changes and supplements may be recommended depending on your unique case.