A Holistic Route

Protein, protein, protein.

Chances are, you aren’t getting enough of it to support your metabolic needs.

Did you know, we need approximately 100g of protein per day?
Of course, this is bio-individual depending on your activity level.
Protein is essential for hormone balance, it is the building blocks for all of our cells
We use it to build muscle, collagen, hair, skin & nails, detoxify the liver, repair cells and for proper metabolic function
Additionally, protein provides the structural framework for our hormones
Low protein diets will result in low hormone protection
Most enzymes are made up of proteins and enzymes are necessary for nearly ALL metabolic functions in the body
Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are also essential for hormone balance
Phase 2 liver detox requires amino acids to function properly
Poor liver detox results in again, hormone imbalance
Protein is ABSOLUTELY foundation when it comes to hormone balance
Here are some of my favorite ways to add more protein into my diet to support my metabolism & hormones
Do you do any of these today?

Benefits of Red Light Therapy ❤️‍🔥
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🔅Stimulates Collagen Production:
Speeds up wound healing, improves skin texture, promotes hair growth
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🔅Regulates Circadian Rhythm:
A well regulated circadian rhythm leads to improved sleep - try getting red light as soon as you wake
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🔅Stimulates Mitochondrial Function:
Increases ATP production and metabolic function
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🔅Reduces Inflammation:
Works on a cellular level to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines
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Save this post & share with someone who would benefit from this medicine ✨

Movement is essential for our health - there is not doubt about that
That being said — there are tools to make our movement/exercise more efficient and **hormone friendly**
Once upon a time, I used to train on an empty stomach + a cup of coffee
This is a huge no, no and will lead to adrenal dysfunction
Remember that things are “good” and “bad” in context!
Make sure you’re using these tips and monitor how your body is feeling
At the end of the day, no one knows your body better than you do ✨

5 things you can do for FREE for better hormone health 🧚🏼‍♂️
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1. Get 8+ hours of restful sleep
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Sleep is an essential foundation for our health and getting too little sleep can put unwanted stress on the body
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2. Morning walks + sunlight
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Going for a walk + getting sunlight on your face first thing after waking will help regulate your circadian rhythm and hormones
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3. Take 5 deep breaths before each meal
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Deep breaths before meals will help lower stress and put you into a parasympathetic state which is necessary for proper digestion
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4. Eat breakfast within 1 hr of waking
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Eating breakfast within 1 hour of waking will jumpstart your metabolism, low stress hormone production and allow for proper blood sugar balance
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5. Bedtime routine
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Develop a bedtime routine that focuses on winding down - turn down blue lights, put down your cellphone, read a book or listen to soft music, incorporate breathwork/prayer

I’m sure you’ve heard people in the nutrition space say a million times over “chew your food” 😅
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It’s for a good reason, I promise
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Chewing your food is one of things that is totally FREE and can really make a big impact in the quality of your digestion
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If you’re always rushing through eating, you’ve probably experienced upset stomach a number of times
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Sometimes, it’s just as simple as slowing down
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Chewing your food will help with digestion & absorption of your nutrients, meanwhile, alleviating some of the work off the digestive organs
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Next time you have a meal, set yourself a timer for yourself and really prioritize chewing your food thoroughly
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It can make all the difference! ✨

Picture this: your menstrual cycle is coming up — you’ve got terrible PMS symptoms, debilitating cramps, hormonal acne, extreme moodiness and you’re feeling pretty desperate
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You’ve likely been to your doctor and have asked the question “what can I do to improve my hormonal symptoms?”
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Your doctor says one thing, ‘birth control’; you pick up your prescription and the rest is history
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If this is you — were you fully downloaded on the mechanism behind birth control before getting on it?
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I know I wasn’t.
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[Disclaimer: I am not against BC but I am for *informed consent* which is why I feel the need to share this with you]
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The thing us women need to stop asking is “what” when we should be asking “why”
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Why do my hormones suck?
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When you ask why, you will likely get to root of your issue
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Now let’s talk about birth control and why it is not going to resolve your hormonal issues
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Have you ever heard the phrase “putting a band-aid on a bullet wound” 🩹
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That’s essentially what the birth control pill is doing
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It suppresses your bodies innate ability to produce hormones which MAY provide you with temporary relief, meanwhile..
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You are creating further dysfunction because you aren’t actually addressing the underlying issue ‼️
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That’s why so many women feel like 💩 when they come off the pill and can take YEARS for their cycles to regulate
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The pill prevents ovulation by shutting off the communication from our brain to our ovaries
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Ovulation IS the star of the show and is absolutely NECESSARY for hormonal balance
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So why would we even consider birth control when our end goal is to balance our hormones? 🤯
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Additionally, the hormones in the pill are synthetic and not naturally produced by the ovaries
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So essentially, the pill is designed to override the natural rhythm of our bodies which can lead to much larger issues down the road
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If you want to improve hormonal balance from a root cause perspective, look into these areas first:
- stress
- blood sugar imbalance
- nutritional deficiencies
- liver & GB function
- digestive issues
- pathogens
- sleep
- toxic chemicals
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Remember to look into the “why” bc this is where we you will find success ⚡️

Blood sugar regulation is step 1 in hormone balancing ⚡️
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Our hormones never work in isolation and are always influence by the stress in our lives
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Remember that the body will ALWAYS prioritize the stress response because that means keeping us alive
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Remember that the body isn’t able to differentiate the types of stress in our lives
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Stress is stress
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When our fight or flight hormones are being prioritized, our s*x hormones fall to the wayside
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Welp, bring on the sh*tty period and mood swings
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One major stressor on the body is blood sugar imbalance, which is something I see with almost all of my clients
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I always suggest starting here because there is no such a thing as healthy hormones without blood sugar regulation
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These are my top 6 tips, make sure to save this post for later!

Protein is essential for hormone balance
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If you missed my post on “why you need adequate protein for hormone balance” go and check that out
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75-100g of protein can seem challenging for some women, but if you’re eating carbs/fat/protein at every meal, it can be fairly easy to achieve
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Here is a sample day of eating to demonstrate how I get my 100g of protein
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I don’t eat the same every day, but this is a good example!
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If you’re the type of person who doesn’t eat protein often because it doesn’t sit well with you, it may be a sign of a bigger issue such as low stomach acid
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If this is you, work with a practitioner to get you on proper digestive supports!

As I’ve mentioned many times, liver function is key to healthy hormone balance 🔑
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The liver is responsible for breaking down excess hormones and helping to excrete them out of the body
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When the liver is sluggish, it can fall back on this very important role and result in hormone imbalance, such as estrogen dominance
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Luckily, there are a number of ways to support our liver
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Nutrient dense foods will always be #1 priority
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Beef-liver is one of my favorite foods for hormone balance because it contains many nutrients that help our liver detoxify such as retinol (true vitamin a) b vitamins, minerals and amino acids
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Herbs are another great practice to include into your routine to help boost your liver function
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And as always, creating healthy lifestyle practices that reduce stress by eating enough & frequently, lowering toxin load and addressing GI issues
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Make sure to share with friends & save this point for later!

Nutritional therapy is centered around the concept of bio-individuality
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Bio-individuality is what makes you, YOU.
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It evaluates a person holistically and takes all aspects of life into consideration
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It honors our differences and creates an approach based on just that
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Bio-individuality is a key component in achieving healing success
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That’s why we should never look at the person next to us and assume that their way of eating is right for us
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While one person may be thriving off x (let’s just say avocados) we could be highly sensitive to them, which will hinder our success
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Another reason why I am NOT a fan of diet culture and subscribing to a particular diet blindly
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We are complex beings — when given the right protocol which is highly tailored to our unique biology, one can yield tremendous results
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Have you worked with a practitioner who focused on your bio-individuality?

It’s that time of the year again, folks ✨
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New resolutions will be made and health will likely be a major one for many people
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This year, I encourage you to change your perspective on what being “healthy” means
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Spoiler: detox packages and juice cleanses are NOT it
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Detoxification is *not* a particular food or supplement, it is a biological process that happens EVERYDAY
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Health is not packaged conveniently in a 7 day juice cleanse
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Wish it were that simple.
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Why is it that health resolutions are often fueled by radical changes?
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Going from 0-100 REAL quick 💨
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Dec 31 you go from eating pizza + wine to Jan 1 — just juice 🤦🏻‍♀️
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Have you noticed that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with change when it’s SO drastic?
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Instead of making big changes this year, why not focus on the small things that can make a big impact?
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For instance, instead of creating that laundry list of “foods you cannot eat” why not focus on the nutrient dense foods you can add back in?
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Can your sleep schedule improve? Can you try to get to sleep one hour earlier?
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Are you rushing through your meals? Can you take 10 minutes to eat mindfully?
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Are you focusing on perfection rather than progress? Can you let go of your unrealistic expectations?
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How can you add in activities that bring you joy? Like playing with your dog for 5 minutes, or calling your best friend.
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Can you scroll a little bit less and be present a little bit more?
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Can you get just 10 minutes of sunlight per day?
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These are all changes that seem to be small but are WAY more effective than spending hundreds of dollars on detox packages
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How about this year we say screw you to yo-yo dieting and honor our body’s cues and intuition?
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2021 will bring new diet trends — but let’s no be blindsided once again
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As a famous person once said: Live. Love. Laugh. 🤪
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Let’s not over complicate it 👍🏽

I’ve been down the rabbit hole of diet culture for what seems like my whole adult life
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Doing all the “right things”
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I’ve been vegan, vegetarian, paleo, keto..
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But for some reason, my symptoms would never resolve
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So my next thought would be, how can I restrict even more? Should I add in intermittent fasting?
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The thing with diet culture is that it focuses heavily on restriction
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Eating for your hormones is completely opposite — it’s about eating for NOURISHMENT
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What does it mean to eat for nourishment?
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▫️ focus on adding nutrients back IN — high quality dairy, meat, butter, cheese
▫️ eat to balance blood sugar and lower stress
〰️carb, protein, fat at every meal
〰️eat every 3-4 hours
〰️STOP skipping meals
▫️ EAT your damn carbs — they are needed for proper thyroid function and hormone health
▫️ put down the salad and eat a steak — why? The steak will contain way more bio-available nutrients and will be much easier on your digestion than a fibrous salad
▫️stop fearing fruit — it contains easy to digest sugars that can be used by the body for quick energy and will boost the metabolism + thyroid function
▫️enjoy your food — if you hate eating it, it’s never going to work out for you
▫️ eat REAL food — would your ancestors eat it? They weren’t cooking with canola oil, they were using butter, tallow, lard, etc.
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Eating for nourishment isn’t a diet, it’s simply how we used to eat as humans
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So the next time you’re tempted to hop on a new diet trend, remember that it’s a TREND
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Eating a nutrient dense diet will always serve you + your hormones best
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Listen to your body, stop ignoring it’s cues.
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If you’re hungry, EAT.
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If you’re craving ice cream, HAVE it.
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Live your life. Worrying about a diet will keep you in a state of stress. You’ll find it hard to break free from hormone issues.

Multivitamins ✨ it’s one of those things you THINK you should be on, right?
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Most people go to the store, purchase a multivitamin blindly, take it daily but don’t do much research past that
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What if I told you that multivitamins weren’t the *magic pill* you thought they were.. and that they can actually be harming you?
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Multivitamins contain a laundry list of ingredients — doesn’t it make you wonder how they can fit so many ingredients at a decent price?
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Bc the quality is 💩
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Some ingredients in multivitamins are naturally derived but many are synthetic
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The thing about synthetic nutrients is that they are not incredibly bio-available
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Nutrients extracted from WHOLE FOOD sources are compatible with human physiology and contain co-factors + other natural compounds that are necessary for absorption
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Synthetic nutrients lack this
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Many multivitamins also contain the wrong form of nutrients for instance vitamin A
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Beta-carotene is often found in multivitamins, but guess what? It’s not true vitamin A, but a precursor to it
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Beta-carotene has to be converted to vitamin A, which depending on the status of your gut health, may not result in much vitamin A at all
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That means, the efficacy of your multivitamin may not even be worth the price tag $
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Additionally, multivitamins often do not contain ideal ratios which may end up throwing the body out of balance and contribute to nutrient imbalances
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Many multivitamins also contain fillers and additives that irritate the gut, causing further damage
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So what the heck should we do?!
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This is where Mother Nature comes into play, she is the perfect formulator 💫
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Everything found in nature is packaged in ideal ratios and in their most bio-available form
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For that reason, I lean towards whole food sourced supplements such as grass-fed beef liver + oyster
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If you can eat these foods, EVEN better! If you’re not so keen on them, I highly recommend desiccated pill form

Raise your hand if you don’t know a damn thing about your menstrual cycle 🙋🏻‍♀️
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Not going to lie, this was me about two years ago
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Most women go through life getting their period every month without really understanding the why/how/when
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This is such an important time for us to be tuned in with our bodies!
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We can use the health of our periods to determine the status of our hormones, but we don’t because we were never taught this
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We associate certain symptoms like cramping and mood swings as normal and just accept them as part of the process
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There is definitely a stigma around talking about our periods
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Well I’m here to say screw that and let’s normalize talking about periods 🙌🏽
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Every woman has the right to know what goes on in her body during different parts of her cycle
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So here you are ladies! A brief synopsis of what is going on during your menstrual cycle 🩸
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Share this will all your lady friends!
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The more we talk, the more empowered we become 💪🏽

Disclaimer: your house will smell like a perfect fall day 🍂
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Ingredients:
〰️ 1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas
〰️ 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
〰️ 3 large eggs
〰️ 1 tsp vanilla extract
〰️ 1 cup cassava flour
〰️ 2 tsp baking powder
〰️ 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
〰️ 1 tsp cinnamon
〰️ 1/2 tsp salt
〰️ 1/4 cup of chocolate chips
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Instructions:
〰️Preheat oven to 350 degrees
〰️ Mash bananas with a fork in a medium size bowl
〰️ Add in pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, whisk until smooth
〰️ Add in remaining ingredients
〰️ Grease a 8x4 baking ban then add in the mixture
〰️ Add some extra chocolate chips on top
〰️ Bake for 45 minutes
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Enjoy! 💕

The adrenal/thyroid connection - ya’ll ready for this?
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The adrenal and thyroid glands are both part of the endocrine system and have an antagonistic relationship
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That means, when cortisol is up ⬆️ thyroid is down ⬇️
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This is important.
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Our adrenals are our stress handling system and they secrete the all famous “cortisol” hormone
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When our stress is elevated, cortisol production is prioritized over thyroid hormone production
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The body does this to conserve energy and lower metabolism in order to fuel our survival and cortisol hormone pathway
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This is a phenomenal back up system when we actually are in a life threatening scenario
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The things is, now a day stress has become so integrated in our lives that its part of the ~ daily grind ~
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Being in a chronic state of stress leads to chronic metabolic suppression
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When metabolism is low, all other bodily functions will suffer
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A low functioning thyroid can manifest is various symptoms, some of the most common including:
*hair loss
*cold hands and feet
*weight gain
*constipation
*insomnia
*fatigue
*brain fog
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In order to support our thyroid, we need to lower stress
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And I’m not just talking about emotional stress
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When need to lower all types of stressors, such as:
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*under-eating
*over exercising
*lack of exercise
*blood sugar imbalance
*poor sleep
*EMF exposure
*over-working
*negative self talk
*negative relationships
*emotional trauma
*financial stress
*high cholesterol
*pathogens such as parasites, bacteria + fungus
*digestive issues
*food sensitivities
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What are some stressors your can eliminate today?

The adrenal/thyroid connection - ya’ll ready for this?
-
The adrenal and thyroid glands are both part of the endocrine system and have an antagonistic relationship
-
That means, when cortisol is up ⬆️ thyroid is down ⬇️
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This is important.
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Our adrenals are our stress handling system and they secrete the all famous “cortisol” hormone
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When our stress is elevated, cortisol production is prioritized over thyroid hormone production
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The body does this to conserve energy and lower metabolism in order to fuel our survival and cortisol hormone pathway
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This is a phenomenal back up system when we actually are in a life threatening scenario
-
The things is, now a day stress has become so integrated in our lives that its part of the ~ daily grind ~
-
Being in a chronic state of stress leads to chronic metabolic suppression
-
When metabolism is low, all other bodily functions will suffer
-
A low functioning thyroid can manifest is various symptoms, some of the most common including:
*hair loss
*cold hands and feet
*weight gain
*constipation
*insomnia
*fatigue
*brain fog
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In order to support our thyroid, we need to lower stress
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And I’m not just talking about emotional stress
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When need to lower all types of stressors, such as:
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*under-eating
*over exercising
*lack of exercise
*blood sugar imbalance
*poor sleep
*EMF exposure
*over-working
*negative self talk
*negative relationships
*emotional trauma
*financial stress
*pathogens such as parasites, bacteria + fungus
*digestive issues
*food sensitivities
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What are some stressors your can eliminate today?

Our liver is a badass, are you aware of that!? 🤟🏽
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The liver plays over 500 roles in the body, true *MVP* over here
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One of its very important roles is hormone conjugation (breaking down hormones to be excreted out of the body)
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The thing is, many people are dealing with sluggish liver function
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This can result from:
• a poor diet
• under-eating
• toxic self care/household products
• prescription medications
• stress
• blood sugar imbalance
• nutrient deficiencies
• excess alcohol consumption
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When the liver is sluggish, our hormone clearance will be sluggish as well
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AKA the liver won’t be able to keep with your body’s hormone demands and will not be able to excrete them efficiently
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This is a common cause of the very popular: estrogen dominance
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((Read my post on estrogen dominance to get a list of common symptoms))
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The liver plays such a pivotal role in hormone balance
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So much so, that when we look to support hormones, supporting liver should be of TOP priority
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Want to support your liver?
• eat regular meals and don’t restrict calories
• minimize stress (remember, stress = cortisol and the liver plays a role in regulating this process)
• eat balanced meals: carbs, fats, proteins
• eat your PROTEIN
• eat bitter foods
• roots + fruits
• get quality sleep (8+ hrs)
• limit toxin exposure
• eat your damn beef liver!

Wait, you mean I don’t have to eat salads everyday?
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YUP ⚡️
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There are SO many misconceptions around weight loss
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Unfortunately a lot of them are being promoted on instagram
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See your fav celeb promoting a flat tummy tea?
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Or your fav “health conscious” influencer doing intermittent fasting?
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Or your fav personal trainer promoting a calorie deficit?
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It’s so easy to get caught up in the “next” new thing
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Especially, when you are desperate because you can’t find anything that works
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In this situation, we’re so quick to want to do more, more, more
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At this point, you’re probably
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What most people often neglect is the connection between ~ stress and weight loss ~
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When stress is high, your body is not prioritizing weight loss
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It’s prioritizing keeping you alive
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If you’re getting chased by a lion, is your body going to feel safe letting go of extra pounds?
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Nah, girl. It will hold onto it as insurance
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Through diet and lifestyle, the goal should be to reduce stress from all areas of life
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That looks like:
✔️ eating enough food, not adding stress but cutting calories
✔️ eating high quality food (not pesticide + antibiotic laden foods)
✔️ sleep! your body is regenerating, building muscle and detoxifying during this time
✔️ optimize digestion: chew your food thoroughly, take a few deep breaths before eating, don’t drink while eating
✔️ eat carbs, fat and protein at each meal
✔️ exercise, but don’t overdo it! Too much exercise is a stress on the body
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I know it sounds tempting to always want to try the new *fad diet* but trust me when I say been there, done that
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Treat your body with care, respect + love
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Focus on nourishment over calories
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Prioritize self care, doing the things you love, being with the people you love
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Trust + love your body though the process
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When your body feels *balanced* the weight will come off

Do you believe that your body has the ability to heal? 💫
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Like, do you REALLY believe it?
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I’m asking you this question because I didn’t always believe it myself
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For a long part of my journey, I accepted the fact that I was broken and this would be my new reality
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I was so discouraged, tried everything and didn’t get results, so I blamed my body for not being able to recover
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This mindset really set me back in my journey — negative self talk can be just as detrimental as being chased by a lion
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At the end of the day, *stress is stress* and the body doesn’t have the ability to differentiate this type of stress vs. that type
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If only I knew then what I know now [that the human body is RESILIENT] I would have been more gentle with my thoughts + accepting of my body
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I’m bringing this up to remind you how important this piece of the puzzle is 🧩
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The diet is always talked about, but the emotional aspect is equally, if not MORE important for healing
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Step one in your journey is to tell yourself, everyday, that you ARE strong
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What you are dealing with right not does NOT define you
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Your body haven’t given up on you
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You are NOT broken
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You DO have the ability to overcome this
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You are where you are in your journey for a reason
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God wouldn’t bring you to it if he couldn’t guide you through it
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Speak to yourself with words of hope + encouragement 🤍
**k

Are you a chronic under-eater?
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Do you have a history of dieting?
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I sure as hell do 🤚🏽
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It seems like I’ve tried every diet in the book, you can ask my husband, he’ll tell you 😅
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What I’ve realized along the way is that none of those diets ever got me the results I wanted — why?
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Because I was severely under-eating
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Before I became a practitioner, I had very disordered eating habits
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I feared food like you wouldn’t believe
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Partly because I was dealing with SEVERE GI issues that made almost all foods offenders to my body
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And because I always had this idea in my head that women should be eating 1200 calories a day
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All those years of dieting sure took a toll on me 🤦🏻‍♀️
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My metabolism was completely shot — waking up with body temps around 96F
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My energy was low ⬇️
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My face was looking gaunt 💀
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I was dealing with hypothyroidism, despite the fact that I was “eating clean”
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My sleep was poor
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I appeared to be doing all the right things but I wasn’t *h e a l t h y *
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I feel like this is a common trend among many women today
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You can appear to be eating right, maintain a lean figure but still feel like S**T
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I’m telling you ladies, you 👏🏽 need 👏🏽 to 👏🏽 eat
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Your metabolism isn’t going to increase by under-eating, it will increase by eating ENOUGH
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Did you know? The metabolism is the energy conductor of your body + truly affects every single cell
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A compromised metabolism means a compromised everything
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Don’t sacrifice long term health for short term “gain” — If you can even call it that
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Start listening to your body. Your hunger cues are your body’s way of communicating to you!
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Don’t be shameful of your appetite
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Love on your body. Fuel your body. Honor your body’s cues. And trust me, your body will take care of you
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If weight loss is your goal, under-eating will only put you further away from where you want to be
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Many people will lose the water weight initially, then plateau. Why?
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Because your body doesn’t feel safe enough to let go of your fat because it needs to store as much fuel (since you’re not giving your body enough) for the future
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Your metabolism will slow down + weight loss will be impossible
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