Detox, Functional Medicine, Personal care, Women's Health, Stress Management, Fertility, Supplements for Detox
Bridgit Danner
Ten Conditions That Benefit from CoQ10

I was introduced to CoQ10 as an supplement about 4 years ago. At the time, I was in the middle of detoxing from mold, and I had already spent a lot of money on trying to heal. I was skeptical to try yet another thing, but the truth was that I was only about 50% better, which is not enough at all. So I tried it…

Detox, Essential Oils, Foods, Functional Medicine, Hormone Health, Personal care, Women's Health, Gut Health, Detox Techniques
Bridgit Danner
15 Low-Cost Ways to Detox the Liver

The liver is responsible for hundreds of tasks in your body, including elimination of waste products, regulating energy, supporting metabolism, balancing hormones, and so much more. Read on to learn the symptoms of a toxic liver, and my top low-cost ways to detox your liver!

Detox, Stress Management, Functional Medicine, Detox Techniques
Bridgit Danner
Benefits of Light Detox: Red Light vs. ...

Do you know that incredible feeling you get when you tilt your head back, close your eyes, and just let the sunlight warm you for a few minutes? This is a form of light therapy! In this article, we’ll explore red light and near-infrared light, and how to use them for inflammation, blood flow, cellular health, and more!

Detox, Functional Medicine, Personal care, Essential Oils, Toxic Mold Recovery
Bridgit Danner
4 Simple Steps to Identify and Eliminate Toxic ...

Toxic molds are specific types of molds that produce mycotoxins. “Toxic Mold Syndrome” is a diagnosis associated with exposure to mold-contaminated environments. Read on to learn the four simple steps to properly identifying and eliminating toxic mold exposure!

Gut Health, Functional Medicine, Detox, Hormone Health, Women's Health, Personal care, Supplements for Detox
Bridgit Danner
Supplements for People Who Can't Take Pills

I love supplements, but I don’t like swallowing a pile of pills in a day. Some people really struggle to swallow pills at all. Most kids won’t swallow pills. And then many people are so sensitive to new substances that whole pills might be too much. Read on to learn my solution to all these issues!

Women's Health

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Cool Summer Symptoms with Seasonal Eating 

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It’s summer and it’s hot! And hot weather can flame your internal heat, causing irritating symptoms. 

Sometimes just the outdoor heat alone is enough to flare your temper. Try getting stuck in a summer traffic jam with no AC in your car and two whining kids in the backseat. You have to have some serious zen to stay ‘cool’ and calm.

If you have excessive internal heat already, summertime can mean a flare up of ‘hot’ symptoms like:

  • Acne

  • Skin rash

  • Moodiness (could be anger, depression or anxiety)

  • Migraines

  • Insomnia

  • Loss of Appetite

  • Constipation.

Things like:

  • Eating spicy foods or inflammatory foods

  • Poor detoxification

  • Poor nutrition (ie: not enough healthy fats and water)

Can cause this excess heat. 

Let’s look at how you can use the traditional wisdom of eating with the seasons to cool your heat and get your feeling more balanced this summer.

Many of us now live in heated and cooled homes, with a supermarket within short distance. But it wasn’t so long ago that we lived in caves and huts, hunting, farming and foraging for food.  

In those days, living within the natural rhythms of the season came, well, naturally.  Observing the gifts of each season was the framework in which the early traditions of medicine were born.

In Chinese medicine, five seasons were observed, and the five elements of water, earth, fire, wind and metal pair with the five seasons. 

You may be wondering, “wait, what is this other season?” It’s late summer, and it corresponds with the Earth element. This does not being until late August. As I write this in late July, we are still in ‘regular summer,’ with the element of Fire dominating.

In Ayurvedic medicine, which originated in India, there are five elements as well and three seasons.  These three seasons represent harvest seasons, with Spring being a lean time without a harvest.  The three seasons also match the three doshas (constitutional types). The three seasons of Ayurveda represent two elements interacting; in the case of summer they are fire and water.

Summer, according to Ayurveda, is dominated by Pitta dosha- that hot, irritable, competitive and inflamed type. But I shouldn’t cast Pitta in too negative a light. We all need the fiery nature of Pitta to drive us forward, to digest our food, to energize us.

Ayurveda teaches that heat needs to be cooled with water, but not only plain water, also other cooling, watery things can tame heat.

Here are some foods that can cool you in summer:

  • Fresh, seasonal, organic fruit

  • Lots of filtered water

  • Bitter greens

  • Basmati rice

  • Cucumber

  • Bok choy

  • Lettuce

  • Mint

  • Cilantro

  • Fish and seafood

  • Aloe vera juice or gel

You’ll also want to avoid these foods:

  • Fried foods

  • Heavy, greasy meats

  • Dairy products

  • Spicy foods

Eat a lighter diet in the summer, with salads and steamed foods predominating.  Don’t overeat in the summertime, as this can lead to indigestion.

Chinese medicine has some similar ways to look at controlling heat. Again water tames fire, but note that wood feeds fire. If you have summertime symptoms, you do not want to feed your fire!

Wood has to do with spring season and the body system of your liver. 

What foods burden your liver? 

  • Alcohol

  • Coffee

  • Sugar

  • Food Additives

  • Lack of healthy fats

  • Dehydration

  • Xenoestrogens and other toxins

To avoid caffeine but still have a pleasant summertime drink, try:

  • Keep a pitcher of iced lemon water in the the fridge

  • Try chrysanthemum tea, from the Chinese tradition (more information)

  • Try a Pitta balancing tea, like this one I found online, with hibiscus and shatavari (an herb that is great for women’s health too!)

We have a special podcast, courtesy of Cate Stillman from the Yoga Healer podcast, featuring Cate’s Ayurvedic expertise on summertime, as well of that of her guests Dr. John Doulliard and Kate O’Donnell. Check it out here!

Do you have any tips on keeping cool with diet in the summertime?  We’d love to hear them!

Bridgit.png

Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

3 Reasons You Probably Shouldn't Be Giving Up on Sports

The huge changes in your body that inevitably come with middle age suggest that you're locked out of a lot of activities you've always wanted to try, especially some of the more demanding sports. This fact, however, could also come as a greater incentive and a source of motivation to pursue a sport that could potentially force you to push limits you never thought you could get to. The benefits that sports can provide for your physical, mental and emotional health are ultimately endless.

Finding a good coach and seeking advice from a medical professional will help you set realistic goals in the sport that you want to take up or go back to. This would also ensure your safety, as the risk of injury is real and completely different from when you were younger.

More importantly, having the right information about your body will let you play and get better without having to worry too much—so that you can enjoy the things that sports can do for you at this point in life, which include the following:

 

1. Sports Makes You Look Younger

This article on Health.com points out how good posture will do more to keep you younger than a face-lift or botox. A weak posture seems to naturally deteriorate with age but this doesn't have to be the case. Andrea Atkins wrote an article for the Huffington Post suggesting the definition of "good posture” as being keeping your body in proper alignment, improving your balance and maintaining that alignment as you move.

This leads to a whole range of benefits from giving you a more youthful appearance to keeping you from cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases that are common in older people.

Sports pushes the muscles to work to stabilize the spine and keep the body upright during movements. Because there is progress to track, sports double the incentive for exercising all the things that your body is still able to do. The stress that movement puts on the bones also encourages an increase in density, enabling them to support your body and let you stand as tall as you can.

 

2. Sports Makes Food Taste Better

Physical activity and movement promote better appetite because your body becomes more sensitive to the effects of what you eat. While this means that unhealthy food will definitely make you feel sluggish and unstable, it also means that you'll be able to actually enjoy food that's good for you.

This is especially true for sports, as the reward lies in the visible signs of the progress that you make. This article by Jess Goulart, a regular contributor to specialist tennis website Play Your Court, points out that complex physical activities help people develop a sense of how food affects their performance. Little by little, you will discover which kinds of food do the most for your energy levels, focus, stamina, and—more importantly—how you feel. Truly good food, regardless of whether you're following a diet plan or not, will make you feel generally happy and confident about yourself.

Be sure too keep your expectations realistic, however. Trying to make too big of a change can do a lot to make you feel disappointed. Keep track of your gains, and don't dwell on the moments you find yourself falling short. It happens to the best of us.

 

3. Sports Can Help You Cope

Sports promotes good blood circulation along with proper posture and breathing. You'll be surprised at how much this can do for your mental and emotional stability. Purposeful physical activity exposes you to a tolerable amount of stress, along with an immediate reward—say, a score or a successful shot.

According to an article by Brain Flux, this teaches the body and brain to develop a healthier relationship with stress enabling them to deal with it better. In contrast with other situations in our day-to-day lives such as a difficult day at work or an uncomfortable commute, sports stimulates your stress response in a way that engages all, and not just one, of the body's faculties.

Considering how the emotions we feel in our bodies determine how we see ourselves and the world around us, sports doesn't just change your body. It can, on a modest and practical level, change your life.

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Why You're at Risk for Thyroid Disease After 40

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Peri-menopause - the 5-10 years leading up to menopause - is a common time to be diagnosed with a thyroid condition.

In this article, I’d like to address these questions:

• Why then?

• Why more in women?

• What can be done?

Peri-menopause may begin in your late 30s or early or mid 40s.  You may notice that your PMS is worse. You may have spotting between periods. Over time, your periods will likely get more dramatic, with missed periods and heavy periods.  

Other symptoms may be popping up too, like anxiety, brain fog and weight gain. You may be thinking, “these sound like thyroid symptoms,” and you could be right!

But before we explore the thyroid connection, let’s cover what is normally happening during peri-menopause.

What is Peri-menopause?

Peri-menopause is, in short, the opposite of puberty. In puberty your ovaries are waking up to start your reproductive years. Your brain and ovaries are learning to work together to coordinate a monthly cycle, and often the first few reproductive years are hormonally unstable.

In peri-menopause, the brain-ovary relationship is starting to shut down. The ovaries are closing up shop, but the brain keeps knocking at the door, trying to get the shopkeeper working again.   

The sex hormone that needs to rise sufficiently in the first half of the month is estrogen. It is produced by the ovaries as they also grow eggs. If you produce enough estrogen and release an egg, you’ll ovulate.  And if that egg is healthy and hearty, you’ll produce a good amount of progesterone in the second half of your cycle. (The egg sac, or corpus luteum, makes progesterone after ovulation.)

How Your Thyroid Could Be Impacted in Peri-menopause

Even though both estrogen and progesterone are declining in peri-menopause, progesterone declines more dramatically in this stage. This leads to a condition called ‘estrogen dominance.’

Too much estrogen can prevent the thyroid hormone from getting to where it needs to go and can prevent it from converting to its active form. For some women, their thyroid symptoms are simply a result of this high estrogen interfering with thyroid hormone activity.  We’ll talk about how to address estrogen dominance shortly.  

Another thing estrogen effects is the immune system. Estrogen is associated with stimulating the TH2 branch of the immune system (1).  TH2 is short for T Helper cell type 2, a lymphocyte (immune cell). TH2 is part of the adaptive immune system, which mounts a specific attack against pathogens.+  Adaptive immunity is usually a good thing, but it can also lead to autoimmunity if the antigen activity is directed towards itself.

As estrogen is the dominant sex hormone in women, this helps to explain why autoimmunity and thyroid disease is more common in women.  

As we age, we also experience decreased immunity, and a tendency towards TH2 response.  

“In the aged, however, naive cells are less likely to become effectors. In those that do, there is a documented shift towards a Th2 cytokine response.

The elderly have impaired ability to achieve immunization but much higher levels of circulating autoantibodies, (due to the lack of naive effectors) impaired response to viral infections, increased risk of bacterial infections, and increased risk of both neoplastic and autoimmune disease.” (3)

However, there is hope and action we can take to keep estrogen in check!

What To Do

1. Improve Gut Health

If you’ve studied the thyroid, you know that gut health is key to prevent an autoimmune response and to convert thyroid hormone effectively.  Did you know it’s also important to clear estrogen dominance?  One way your gut helps clear estrogen is through the estrobolome, “the aggregate of enteric bacterial genes whose products are capable of metabolizing estrogens.” (4)

You can be friendly to your gut by avoiding:

• Genetically modified foods (GMO) - These kill off friendly bacteria

• Sugars - These feed troublesome bacteria

• Unnecessary antibiotic use - This kills everything, with bacterial imbalance often resulting in its wake

You can be friendly to your gut by including:

• Small amounts of fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi

• A wide variety of fibers from salad greens, fresh spices, berries, etc.

• A long period from an early dinner to breakfast - lets your gut bacteria grow in peace!

2. Boost Progesterone

Progesterone helps keep estrogen in check, so boost it by giving your body ingredients to make hormones.

• Hemp Oil - I’ve been very impressed with how 1 T of hemp oil a day helps my own peri-menopausal hormones

• Borage Oil - This oil, usually in pill form, has gamma linoleic acid (GLA) to spark hormone production

• Maca- This adaptogenic root herb helps boosts hormone production and can benefit your energy levels and sex drive

 

3.  Help Out Your Immune System

If aberrant immunity could be a problem in your case, add some components that can balance your TH2 activity:

• Omega 3 - Omega fatty acids have a balancing effect on the immune system and decreases inflammation. (5)  Quality matters with omega 3, so do research to find a good brand.

• Vitamin D- Vitamin D deficiency is found at higher levels in people with autoimmune thyroid disease.  (6) Talk to your doctor about getting your vitamin D tested and restoring it to a level around 60-80 NG/DL through sunshine and vitamin D3 supplementation.

Learn more about the thyroid at perimenopause from experts like Dana Trentini, Dr. Tom O’Bryan and Heather Dubé at the free, online Hormone Balance After 40 Summit!  

The summit happens live June 5-11, 2017, but recordings will live on after the live summit.

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Hormone Balance After 40 Part 2 with Dr. Ronda Nelson

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We're back for part 2 of the interview with Dr. Ronda Nelson about hormone balance after 40 and dealing with some of the symptoms that can come as result of your hormones changing with age.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Hormone Balance After 40 Part 1 with Dr. Ronda Nelson."

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 02:15 The transition from perimenopause to menopause

Min 05:30 Hot flushes & night sweats and when they start showing up

Min 07:00 Why we need to support the ovaries

Min 10:05 Taking care of the adrenals before perimenopause

Min 13:35 Night sweats

Min 16:10 Caring for the hypothalamus

Min 19:00 Benefits of Black cohosh & Sage

Min 20:50 Insomnia & Dr. Nelson's tips to help with sleep

Min 33:10 Irritated bladder problems & dealing with them

Min 39:45 Loss of integrity in the skin & Dr. Nelson’s remedies

 

To learn more about Dr. Ronda Nelson, you can visit her website here and follow her on social:

LEARN MY 25 SUPERFOODS FOR HORMONE SUPPORT!

Balancing your health and hormones can be about adding foods that taste great and give your body a boost, rather than just focusing on what you take away. As you fill your day with these delicious superfoods, you feel more satisfied and have less cravings. 

Grab the guide now and watch your hormones start to hum!

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Hormone Balance After 40 Part 1 with Dr. Ronda Nelson

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Dr. Ronda Nelson is a functional nutritionist who works with thyroid, endocrine and digestive issues. She’s our guest this week and we're talking about hormones and menopause.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Hormone Balance After 40 Part 1 with Dr. Ronda Nelson."

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 02:00 Introduction to Dr. Ronda Nelson & her practice

Min 06:45 Dr. Ronda healing her daughter's cancer

Min 11:40 Root causes & generational risks

Min 13:50 Lifestyle factors while entering menopause

Min 17:20 Supporting the adrenal glands

Min 18:10 Weight gain and adrenal dysfunction

Min 25:45 Estrogen (E2, E1 & E3)

Min 28:50 Forgetfulness in perimenopausal women

Min 32:50 Tribulus herb & how it works

Min 35:15 Vaginal dryness and Dr. Ronda's recommended remedies

Min 41:00 Bio-identical hormones & their effects

Min 47:40 Lab tests for hormone overdose & taking a woman out of bio-identical hormones

To learn more about Dr. Ronda Nelson, you can visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Pinterest

Learn My 25 Superfoods for Hormone Support!

Balancing your health and hormones can be about adding foods that taste great and give your body a boost, rather than just focusing on what you take away. As you fill your day with these delicious superfoods, you feel more satisfied and have less cravings. 

Grab the guide now and watch your hormones start to hum!

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Natural Birth Control with Victoria Zimmerman

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Victoria Zimmerman is our guest this week and on this episode we'll talk about running an online business, the art of minimalism and natural birth control.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Natural Birth Control with Victoria Zimmerman."

Hormone Balance After 40 Summit

BUY the Hormone Balance After 40 Summit package here!

Hear 32 expert lectures on improving metabolism, balancing moods, increasing sex drive and more!

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 01:30 Introduction to Victoria Zimmerman & birth control

Min 07:20 Transitioning to online business

Min 10:00 Enjoying travel & living a minimalist life

Min 16:15 Getting off the birth control pill & its related fears

Min 22:25 FAM Fertility Method & how to use it

Min 24:40 Charting & natural birth control

Min 32:00 Side effects of the birth control methods

Min 33:50 Victoria's recommended apps & devices

Min 37:45 Victoria's courses and services

Please click here to listen to a previous episode I did with Andrea Thorpe about the effects of long-term use of birth control.

Victoria’s Recommended Devices & Apps: 

Daysy

Kindara app

Clue app

Victoria’s Courses: 

Chart Your Cycle

Ditch the Pill

Menstrual Coaching

To learn more about Victoria Zimmerman, visit her website here and follow her on social media:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Instagram

Pinterest

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Perfect Periods Program

Click here to learn about our Perfect Periods Program and find out how it will help you identify and treat the root causes of your hormone imbalance, so not only will your period problems go away, but you’ll notice other improvements in your health too!

Back to Natural Living With Natacha Moitinho

Our guest this week is Natacha Moitinho, an author from Portugal, who will be sharing her life story and her book about natural living "Back to Natural – How to Wake Up From Your Toxic Life, Tune in to Your Body, and Create Healthy, Loving Habits".

We also launched our new one-on-one coaching program "Restore Your Radiance" last month. Click here learn more about it.

 

 

 

Click here to download an mp3 of "Back to Natural Living with Natacha Mointinho".

Here's what you'll hear:

Min 03:00 Introduction to Natacha
Min 04:00 Natacha's early work and career in Journalism
Min 12:20 Natacha's experience as a volunteer in different countries
Min 16:00 Natacha's health and lifestyle in her younger days
Min 20:30 Women's struggles with health and diet
Min 22:30 New life in The Azores
Min 27:00 Taking the Pill
Min 29:00 Eating and living organic
Min 32:50 Details about Natacha's book
Min 37:50 Small changes we can make to improve our lives

Click here to learn more about Natacha's book. You can also visit her website here to find out more about her and follow her on social media:

Facebook
LinkedIn

Sign Up For Our Newsletter 

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

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Menstrual Cramps With Bridgit Danner

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This is a quick episode about menstrual cramps. I'm planning on doing more of these in-depth instructional reports about hormone conditions. I'll talk about initial supplements and protocols that I would recommend for cramps and get into all the strange and unusual reasons why you may have menstrual cramps and how I approach it.

Also, we've launched our one-on-one coaching program "Restore Your Radiance" this month and it's in its beta version which means we're offering some hefty discounts for you to be one of the first people who go through the program. Learn more about it here.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Menstrual Cramps with Bridgit Danner."

Here's what you'll hear:

Min 02:00 Introduction to the Hormone Report and Menstrual Cramps
Min 03:00 The uterus and what triggeres menstrual cramps
Min 04:00 The 4 things that help with menstrual cramps, their sources and recommended amounts
Min 07:10 Unusual causes of menstrual cramps

That's all for today. Next week we'll have Dr. J Davidson talking about Lyme disease and its co-infections.

If you're looking for support for hormones, auto-immunity, and digestive health you should check out our current coaching options here.

 

Sign Up For Our Newsletter 

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

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Restore Your Radiance With Ann Melin & Bridgit Dannerf

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Ann Melin is my colleague and new partner. She is a Clinical Nutritionist and Holistic Health Practitioner specializing in restoring functional health and balancing common dysfunctions in the hormone, immune, digestion, and detoxification systems.

This interview is a bit different because it's about Ann and me talking about our health philosophies and how we're coming together in our collaborative coaching program Restore Your Radiance. **While we are no longer offering this particular program, we have other private coaching options that you can check out on this page.

Click here to download an mp3 of "Restore Your Radiance with Ann Melin & Bridgit Danner."

Here's what you'll hear: 

Min 1:00 Introduction to Ann Melin
Min 7:00 WWC & Ann Melin's activities and challenges
Min 11:20 Ann's training and how she got into herbal medicine
Min 18:50 Bridgit's training in acupuncture and chinese medicine
Min 23:00 Ann's vision for the Restore Your Radiance Program
Min 28:10 Bridgit's vision and plan for the program
Min 30:00 Blocks to good health
Min 32:00 What it would be like to work with us and our treatment steps
Min 38:50 Health conditions we help with
Min 46:40 The beta launch of our Restore Your Radiance program and the BIG discount on the for the initial consult

To learn more about Ann Melin, visit her website here and follow her on Facebook.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter 

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

How Emotional Health Affects Physical Health With Megan Buer

Megan Buer is an Emotion Code practitioner from Virginia and a mother of 3. Her son was diagnosed with autism and while trying to look for information to help her son, she stopped taking care of herself and was eventually diagnosed with Hashimoto’s.

Megan was introduced to Emotion Code by a friend and it greatly helped her because despite having a great diet, taking expensive supplements and exercising there was just this piece missing and she wasn't getting where she needed to be.

Click here to download an mp3 of “How Emotional Health Affects Physical Health With Megan Buer”

Free E-Book: Notes From Mental Health Month

We put all information from Megan Buer and notes from the other speakers on Mental Health Month together in an E-Book for you. You can get a copy by clicking the image below:

What You Will Learn:

  1. How the Emotion Code works

  2. Fixing physical and emotional health

  3. Mindset shift for healthy living

  4. How our bodies communicate to us

  5. Making intuitive choices

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

To learn more about Megan Buer, click here to visit her website and follow her on social media:

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest

Google +

 

Megan’s Resources:

The Handbook for Healing

Keys to Calm – The Secrets to Healing Anxiety

E-course: Transforming Your Relationship with Food

Subscribe to Our Podcast

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly and so you don't miss out on any of our great and informative shows, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

Thanks for listening,

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

Meditation Challenge

During this Mental Health Month, I'll be doing a free Meditation Challenge meant to challenge you to meditate every day for a month and have support while doing it. And you don't have to do any huge amount of meditation; even just 1 min per day is fine because meditation is a great tool that can help us find peace of mind! Grab this chance to meditate with a supportive community.

Click here to learn more about this free challenge and if you'd like to join, please share you name and your goal in the blog comments below, or on our private Facebook group.

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Effects of Childhood Trauma on Women's Health With Nikki Gratrix

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Nikki Gratrix is our second guest on Mental Health Month and we're talking about the effect of childhood trauma on women's health. This is a great under-talked about epidemic that affects many people for years. And these childhood traumas could go from the very severe to the much less severe. But the good thing is that we can reverse them with interventions we can employ today. So this is a very interesting talk packed with facts and suggestions.

Nikki is an amazing speaker who has done a lot of research into the connection between childhood trauma and illness. She studied and was working in banking, economics & finance before moving to the health industry. She wanted to do something with more meaning and to help people directly.

Nikki trained and worked as a Clinical Nutritionist in the UK, and during this time she became more of a mind-body expert rather than just looking at nutrition and functional nutrition.

Click here to download an mp3 of “Effects of Childhood Trauma on Women's Health With Nikki Gratrix”

Free E-Book: Notes From Mental Health Month

We put all information from Nikki Gratrix and notes from the other speakers on Mental Health Month together in an E-Book for you. You can get a copy by clicking the image below:

What You Will Hear:

  1. How often emotional trauma and history plays a part in women’s illness

  2. The correlation between adverse childhood events and risk of disease onset in later life

  3. Types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

  4. Diseases in relation to ACEs

  5. Emotional trauma and fertility

  6. The identity level of childhood traumas

  7. Steps to healing emotional traumas and recharge rituals

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!

Resources:

The Enneagram System

ACE Score

Free Report: 7 Steps to Healing Emotional Trauma

 

To learn more about Nikki Gratrix, click here to visit her website and follow her on social media:

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Subscribe to Our Podcast

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly and so you don't miss out on any of our great and informative shows, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

Thanks for listening

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

Meditation Challenge

During this Mental Health Month, I'll be doing a free Meditation Challenge meant to challenge you to meditate every day for a month and have support while doing it. And you don't have to do any huge amount of meditation; even just 1 min per day is fine because meditation is a great tool that can help us find peace of mind! Grab this chance to meditate with a supportive community.

Click here to learn more about this free challenge and if you'd like to join, please share you name and your goal in the blog comments below, or on our private Facebook group.

January Meditation Challenge

Do you meditate?  Would you like to start, or be more consistent?  Or just be a part of a community that is meditating together?

The Benefits of Meditation

When I challenge myself to meditate daily, I notice the benefits more, and I tend to want to continue.

Meditation can decrease feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. It can increase focus and lower blood pressure.  It can lower inflammation, and reign in the symptoms of pain, PMS and menopausal fluctuations.  

It can increase energy and balance blood sugar.  It can increase feelings of love and connection in your relationships.

In short, meditation can improve just about whatever ails you!  In my opinion, it's best to just do it, and see what happens.  When I was young and meditating, I was always waiting for some dramatic effect.  But really it's the subtle things that you'll notice first, like that you're not yelling as much, or feeling as worried.

How to Do This Meditation Challenge

This meditation challenge is flexible.  The main goal is that you meditate everyday for a month. 

You can start today, or start tomorrow.  You can meditate in silence, or with a guided audio track or music. You can sit or lay down. You can even walk peacefully outside.

It is recommended to use a timer to mark the start and end of your meditation. This creates a clear framework for the experience.

If you are coming to this blog as a new meditator, or a new mom, or a self-diagnosed ADD busy lady, you can start this meditation challenge with just 1 minute a day if you want! Even with that, you are creating awareness and starting a new habit.  If you choose to go longer, you certainly may, but don't feel obligated.

If you are a more experienced meditator, you may want to challenge yourself to meditate a little longer, or twice a day. If you are a sporadic meditator like me, just challenging yourself to be a daily meditator will have value.  

There is no value is comparing yourself to others in this challenge!  We are all in a different place, and simply here to support one another and be in community.  

How to Create a Habit

The best way to create a habit is to do it at the same time and place, as much as is possible.  If you travel or have a change of schedule, you'll need to think ahead to be sure to remember to do your meditation.

An example of meditating in the same environment could be: "Every morning after the kids leave for the school bus, I will get a cup of tea and my egg timer, sit in the comfy chair by the window, and meditate for 15 minutes."

This way when you realize the kids have left, you'll go do your meditation.  Now, you might be tempted to clean the kitchen instead, or want to check your phone.  But you've dedicated yourself to your routine, you will resist that urge!

If you do decide over time that you'd like to clean the kitchen first, just change your sequence and stick to it.

Another example:  "Every time after I brush my teeth at night, I will dim the lights, crawl into bed, and use the meditation app on my phone for at least 5 minutes." 

Meditation Resources

I wanted to share the app I usually use to meditate. It's called Insight Timer, and I have it on my Android phone, but it's on iPhone too.  It's a free app.

Insight Timer can be used as a straight timer, and there are many guided and musical meditations.

If I am feeling a certain emotion, I look for a meditation to address it. Here are a few meditations I like:

womanresting

  • Setting Intentions for the New Year by Tatjana Mesar

  • Innocent Sleep - Calming the Mental Body by Rama Inacio

  • Just for Today by Tom Evans

  • Favourite Place of Relaxation by Andrew Johnson

  • Manifestation Meditation by Melissa Ambrosini

You can search for any of these within the app.  

If you use another app or resource, feel free to share it in the comments below.  

Pledge Yourself!

If you'd like to join the challenge, please share you name and your goal in the blog comments below, or on our private Facebook group.

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My Best Worst Year: My Journey with Mold

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2016 was a hard year for a lot of people, and I was no exception. I'd like to share my health journey with you, in the hopes that you will find a gem of knowledge or wisdom that helps.

This story actually starts the day after Thanksgiving 2015. I had just returned from traveling, and woke up hacking green phlegm. I was surprised and a little frustrated because this was my third cold that Fall. 

This cold quickly progressed to a raging sore throat, severe enough to send me to urgent care. I shared with nurse practitioner that I felt like I had Epstein Barr again, something I had dealt with about 4 years earlier.  She swabbed my throat and assured me that I did not have a throat infection, and that I'd likely be better within a week.  She also said that there are a couple strains of Epstein Barr virus, and once we get them we don't get them again (I'd also had Epstein Barr at 17).

In a week I was not better, despite swallowing and spraying several expensive herbal remedies.  I went this time to another urgent care, and the physician there could visibly see the infection happily thriving in my throat. I left with my first course of antibiotics in over 20 years.

This all was poor timing as I had just hired a new acupuncturist to take my place at the clinic I own, Blue Sky Wellness Studio in Portland, Oregon.  I hired her so that I could focus on my online business, especially to prepare for a big online event I was hosting in April 2016, Hormones: A Women's Wellness Summit.

I was embarrassed that I was too sick to finish training the new acupuncturist, but I was determined to get well for this new exciting phase of my career.  The antibiotics had worked for my throat but done a number on my gut. And I was tired all the time.

I returned to a therapy I had used with success when I last had Epstein Barr: intravenous vitamins. This treatment can be get for supporting the immune system, energizing the body, and getting nutrients to your cells directly. I got these treatments at the National University of Natural Medicine clinic in Portland, OR. 

The IV clinic is mainly for administration of treatment and not for diagnosis. But after 2-3 treatments and no improvement, I asked the physician (and her interns, as it’s a teaching clinic) if they could help figure out what was going on with me.

I had recently gotten my first positive antibodies for Hashimoto's, which freaked me out but they did not seem too concerned. If you have autoimmune antibodies out of range, that is always significant, so don’t listen if it’s dismissed. They also ran some new tests of autoimmunity, a test for cat allergies (I had a new cat) and an Epstein Barr screening.

They had to run a second type of test for Epstein Barr, and the physician said it was inconclusive. For some reason I never saw the test, and that was a mistake.  When you have a test run, always get a copy. If you don't know how to interpret it, get online and research, or find a functional medicine doctor who specializes in that area and get help.

One thing the physician asked about that proved very helpful and also life-changing was about our house. I can't recall all her questions, but I recall answering, “yes, I had a musty basement that had recently gotten a new wet area due to heavy rains last month.”  I was also visiting the basement more often, as our new cat's things were down there.  She suggested we could test for mold.  

I shared this with my husband and he was keen to test.  He had felt this was a strong possibility, and he wondered if this had contributed to illnesses in both of us.  I was less keen to test, knowing there would be major implications if we found mold.  We tested, there was mold, and that was the beginning of the end.

Oh the things that lurk behind our walls.

Oh the things that lurk behind our walls.

Our inspector, Garrett Dayfield from Mold Testing Services of Oregon, was great.  He searched all over and found lots of stuff we didn't know about.  Our front gutters were on wrong, and that caused the new wet spot in the basement.  We had mold in a basement closet we didn't know about, and the source of that leak was still unknown. We also had moisture under the siding of our house, and he suggested we look into that at some point.  Per test results, we had three types of toxic mold in our home:  aspergillus, penicillum, and stachybotrys.  

We hired a mold remediator to begin to remove the damaged carpet and drywall in the basement. He told us he would section off the area in plastic and use an air scrubber so that the toxic mold spores would not get into the rest of the house. We now know this doesn't really work. It may contain most of the spores, but the spores release toxins- which are really what makes you sick- and these release in droves when the mold is disturbed.

We also didn't know to move out of the house during this process, so we were still living there.  Once the mold remediator was done in the basement, he took me downstairs to show me his work.  My throat immediately closed up.  He assured me all the mold was gone and he seemed genuinely confused by my reaction.  

After all this, and busy with my event planning, I was not interested in removing our siding.  But my husband was, and he took out a huge loan so we can afford to do this. I was now working full-time in our home, our toxic home, and my symptom list was growing.

I was more tired than ever, my eye twitched, and I could barely think straight. I would look for the eggs in the dishes cabinet, realize they weren't there, and then do it all over again. One day I had an important phone call and couldn't find my phone.  I circled the house like a maniac for 25 minutes before finding it tucked away in the tea drawer.

Amazingly I still hosted a successful event in this state. It was based on sheer willpower, financial necessity, and adapting to the way my brain worked under the influence of mold. Once the siding work started, it was noisy and not ideal for recording videos for my event.  But still I didn't want to move. I know have learned this is common when a person is under the influence of toxic mold.  We are too sick, tired and unmotivated to want to make the effort.

My husband was again more motivated than I was, and we moved into my parents' home about 30 minutes away.  This initially was good for our health- to be away from the mold. But we still did not really understand mold toxins then, and made the mistake of bringing too many of our toxic belongings into a clean environment.

These hazmat suits don't protect you 100%, but at least they look cool.

These hazmat suits don't protect you 100%, but at least they look cool.

By May 2016, my event was over and I had a bit more time to learn about mold.  My husband had been saying that his clothes made him sick, that his car made him sick.  To be honest I thought he was being paranoid. He started making us take off our clothes at the door, and other new habits that were completely annoying.

It turns out he was right. I finally started to learn about the toxins that are released from mold, and how these toxins contaminate everything.  My husband was very sensitive to his clothes. I was very sensitive to papers. These toxins can't be washed or scrubbed out.  They can be reduced a bit, and I bought some special cleaning products to wash our clothes and clean my parents' houseIt would help our symptoms temporarily to clean the house with these products, but then the feelings of confusion and fatigue would return.

Beyond confusion and fatigue, I had a few suicidal thoughts. This is called "suicidal ideation", which I think would be great name for a band. All jokes aside, it's pretty scary to have thoughts of ending your life. For me, I think I was just so exhausted to the core that there was a part of me that wanted to sleep forever.  

I never actually tried to execute these fleeting ideas, thankfully. I think I spent January - May being in my first true state of depression. I was emotionless despite the fact that I was going through a very stressful time. I was usually quite emotional, so it was a weird feeling!

I finally admitted these suicidal ideas to my husband, crying as I did so.  I figured he would be shocked and scared.  Turns out that he'd been seeing things that weren't there, so he wasn't too surprised by my suicidal ideation.

My husband and I had a good number of arguments about what to do with the house and our health. But I am thankful, in a way, that he was sick too, because at least we could relate to each other. 

I think we were both getting sick slowly for many years in that home.  I had had Esptein Barr, insomnia and mood swings.  He had had a gut infection and extreme fatigue. The symptoms would ebb and flow, and I regret beating myself up for not being "healthy enough", when really I had these unknown or poorly understood sources of illness.

With my new study of mold toxins, I was able to learn of a mold toxic test for the body.  My husband, who kept having strong instincts about what to do about this mold, wanted us to get away for the summer to a dry climate. So we ran a urine test from Real Time Laboratories to see if we could document his mold illness and get him a medical leave from work.

He did have gliotoxins per his urine test (a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus), and we scheduled with a new naturopathic physician that had experience treating mold. To my surprise, she was very focused on treating mold through treating Epstein Barr virus. She said that when you have mold, you often have chronic Epstein Barr virus taxing your system and not allowing your body to clear the mold toxins. She confirmed that I was indeed having an acute Epstein Barr episode.

My husband was able to get a medical leave pretty easily, and we probably didn’t even need the $700 urine test after all!  With his new found freedom, he was able to work on overseeing the remodeling of our house.  Our house had lovely new siding now, but needed new gutters, a new deck and a new carpet to get ready to sell it.  Yes, we had decided it wasn’t worth risking moving back into it.

My entrpenrenourial skills were in swing at the ongoing yard sale.

My entrpenrenourial skills were in swing at the ongoing yard sale.

We also had decided to get rid of most of our belongings. Every time we were back at the house we could feel the toxic effects.  We ordered a huge dumpster and used it dispose of many of our things. We also gave books to the library and items to Goodwill.  We sold things on Craig’s List and had many yard sales. We became yard sale experts.

You might be thinking, “why did you sell that moldy stuff?” To other people, these items were fine and caused no reaction.  It was just for us that it was so bad.

This was a childhood toy of my husband's that was in a dank chest in the basement. Iccckkk.

This was a childhood toy of my husband's that was in a dank chest in the basement. Iccckkk.

It was difficult to part with so many of our things. For our 7 year old son, it was hard too.  We really could not keep his stuffed animals, which were like magnets for toxins.  We also had found a motherhood of a mold colony literally under the floorboards where his bed was.  So we were not too interested in keeping items from his room. But we did keep two small storage units of our prized possessions, in the hopes that we could have them again.

I am very thankful that my son displayed no symptoms, and believed and had true concern for his mom and dad.

By now we were really in debt, and my husband was on a reduced salary.  I wasn’t able to work much because of the house ordeal and my brain fog. We were also preparing to go away for the summer, so I didn’t see how I could take on new work projects.  

I would estimate that, at the time of writing this, we spent $60,000 on the house, lost $15,000 in value of our belongings, lost $5,000 in having to trade in two cars that had been exposed to mold, and spent $8,000 on our health.  $88,000 and counting.  

It’s a lot of money, and it was stressful, but at least we can be grateful that we able to manage it and take out loans.  We were lucky to have my parents’ house to stay in, even though it made for a horrible commute for us.

Our house went on the market on July 6, 2016. We were counting on our house selling for a good profit and quickly, and luckily it did. We didn’t get the money for another two months, but it was a load off our shoulders.

My son was in heaven in the back of the van.

My son was in heaven in the back of the van.

We were already out of town when our house went up for sale. We had bought a used mini-van and hit the road.  Our first stop was Bend, Oregon.  We have some family there, but they were out of town. That was probably for the best, because we had a big detox reaction in Bend and were having ‘mold rage’ and headaches.  

We had spent the last few weeks of June with a lot of time in our old house.  That was not our ideal plan, but we really didn’t have the resources to hire someone to clean out our entire house. So we got up close and personal with the mold toxins all over again. I’ve since learned that altitude change is a trigger for toxins dislodging, and we had plenty of that coming over the Cascade mountains.  

Our first visit to the Grand Canyon!

Our first visit to the Grand Canyon!

After this we spent a month in Phoenix, and then another month traveling. I had some stresses dealing with my clinic back in Portland, and it was hard to keep on with my online business while on the road. But looking back now, these two months were a true gift.  Our little family was together nearly all the time, seeing new places, visiting old friends and sharing laughs.

Our health definitely improved while we were gone. We took some supplements for Epstein Barr and mold, but really we didn’t have our recovery too dialed in yet, as we would soon learn.

In early August I had to come back to Portland to take care of my clinic affairs for a few days. I immediately got a urinary tract infection, my first ever.  My husband theorized it was because I was back at my parents’ house.  At the time I disagreed, but I think he may have been right.  The mold re-exposure weakened my immunity, and I couldn’t kick the infection with herbs and supplements. I was back on antibiotics, and the first course I took didn’t work, and I had to get on a stronger second course.  

This nagging issue left me feeling fatigued, but we were still having fun exploring the Western states in our family van.  When we got back to Portland in late August, the sh*t hit the fan all over again.

Back in Portland, our plan was to live at my parents’ until we could find a mold-free rental home.  But my husband soon felt that their house was making him sick again, and he insisted on moving out.  

The day this move went down happened to be my birthday.  My parents had some friends over, and they were in full entertainment mode. The friends, who knew me since I was a baby, wanted to hear that we were now all better.  That’s basically what everyone wanted to hear after witnessing our ordeal over the last 9 months.  

But instead we were looking for a cheap hotel that could take pets and awkwardly making our exit. I was extremely embarrassed. The next day was the first day of school for our son.  I was balling my eyes out at Target as I tried to buy him school supplies and snacks at the last minute. We ate my birthday dinner at a nearby Ikea store and it was the start of a rough couple weeks.

My husband started back to work and felt that his work building, and especially his computer lab, were making him sick.  Meanwhile I was driving around in our old car we had gotten out of storage, and it was making me sick.  

A rare happy moment in the hotel.

A rare happy moment in the hotel.

My son did not like living in a hotel (nor did I), and my parents took over his care. I was house-hunting and not finding many options in a city full of old houses that we no longer found charming. It was expensive to stay in a hotel day after day, and my husband was changing his opinion on a daily basis on whether we should stay or go.  

Emotionally it was an extremely hard time. Over the summer we had escaped the hardship of the mold, and now we were right back in it. My husband, who always had a better nose for mold, was not happy. His friends and family suggested he had PTSD. We probably both did.

We spent our anniversary arguing about which rental to choose and whether or not to buy furniture. I said I needed nice furniture to feel grounded and at home again.  He didn’t want to invest in nice furniture in case we’d have to move, or get rid of all our belongings again.

We had a small miracle in finding a beautiful new townhouse to rent in the 11th hour. We moved in, but did not commit to much furniture.

I started therapy to help process all that had happened.  I had basically been absent from my life in Portland as I dealt with sickness, a water-damaged house, a big event, living far out of town, and then traveling all summer.  I had disappeared from the people in my life and felt that asking to be let back in again was too hard.  

The subject of buying a couch or not came up a lot in therapy, and one day I had a severe panic attack about couch issue. The couch was a symbol of commitment to a new life here, and it was so hard to make that commitment after all we had gone through.

My husband and I struggled with the ‘stay or go’ question. He started to work in a new building, but still had some doubts and bad days.  We traded in the car I was driving, but I was sicker than I had been in months.  My glands were swollen, I had a sore throat and chills most of the time. I felt like I could barely leave the house because I was so overwhelmed and ill.

The therapy really helped me, though my health was still off.  I made a breakthrough though, when I read this article, The Mysteries of the Thyroid, by Anthony William. The article described how Epstein Barr virus lives in the body and goes through different stages of dormancy and activity, and affects different organs. It sounded just like me.  

I was taking some supplements and herbs for Epstein Barr but was still sick all the time.  I remembered that over the summer our doctor had prescribed me some medication to take for the virus. I tried it then and it made me wired, so I figured I’d stick with the herbs.  But after reading this article, I wanted to try again.

After the first week on the Valacyclovir, the side effects minimized and I started to feel better- better than I had in a long, long time. I wasn't having those constant flu-like symptoms and my energy was way better. My brain wasn’t working fully yet, but I was thrilled to have found this medication.  I was finally able to get out a bit more, and even go to yoga class for the first time in a year.

Meanwhile my husband started therapy, and started avoiding me. I knew something was up, and he finally admitted that he hadn’t been happy in our marriage ‘in years’ and that he thought that a trial separation might help.

I was floored. I was just starting to get some grounding in ‘our new life’, even if it wasn’t complete.  We were spending more time with friends, and I was able to think and work better. The thought of losing my family now was too much. I had suicidal thoughts again, and this time for a different reason.

But I also knew that, despite his deep wounds and our arguments, we weren’t a bad couple. It was painful at times to discuss this with him, but I kept at it. I felt like I needed to be a champion for our family and our relationship. This is hardest thing to share of this whole story, but I know that many people struggle in marriage; it’s a challenging thing to have two lives so intertwined, especially with careers and kids and sickness.

The story of 2016, of our health and home and marriage, is not over.  We may move to the desert next summer.  We found out we have a MARCONS infection in our noses and we have to treat for that. Our marriage is feeling better, but it still feels scary at times.

So why in the world am I calling this my ‘best’ worst year?

As I write this I am filled with gratitude for this year.  It was a year that I was completely pulled out of my imperfect comfort zone, and forced to consider what I really valued. 

This year my husband and I had to make many hard decisions and to re-evaluate how we interact, but we did it together and I am proud of us. I think we have the chance to make something much better of our lives together.

This year I had a lot of tough experiences with my businesses (some I did not share here) and these made me stronger and more self-reliant. But I did not give up on collaborating and identifying the people that will support me in my next chapter. I am slowly getting better at forgiving and moving on from perceived hurts.

I also was forced to spend a lot of time away from my businesses, and it made me less obsessed and more balanced.  Now when I have a snow day with my kid, I know it’s not the end of the world.

As a health care practitioner, I took a whole year away from treating clients.  I honestly did not know if I could ever go back, since I was so exhausted from it all. But as I start to have energy again, I find I have a fresh perspective thanks to my time away. I put less pressure on myself to ‘fix everything’ and instead appreciate my healing presence.

I also learned a lot about the ‘weird’ causes of disease that I did not know about. I learned about genetics, heavy metals, mold toxins, Lyme disease, and Epstein Barr virus. I am anxious to know as much as I can to help clients and teach practitioners.

Having been through a hard-to-diagnosis disease, I have a lot of sympathy for those going through it. I know that not everything is an easy fix.  I know it takes time to learn and find the right solutions. I know you have to thankful for the good days and endure the bad days as best you can. I now offer lab testing and supplements based on my own research and experience here.

I know that having hard times is when you find best yourself. I am encouraged to take more risks now because, hey, I made it through all this alright. I have found a quiet, true confidence I had been looking for for years. 

Bring it, 2017.

Please shares your experiences or comments below. We'd love to hear them! If you think this article would help your community, please use the sharing link below.

Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold

You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. I can personally say these supplements helped me heal and some of them currently support my daily self-care.

Let me help you start healing!


Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and toxic mold recovery and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

Top Ten Podcasts of 2016

As the year comes to a close, I want to celebrate ALL the guest experts we had on Women's Wellness Radio this year, and our listening community.  It was a great year of growth, both in knowledge and in community building.

Today I'm sharing the top ten most downloaded episodes, in case you want to catch one or two that you missed.  Here we go:

1. Why Your Probiotic Supplement Isn't Working With Kiran Krishnan

This episode I saved for many months to make it out 100th episode! This interview with Kiran Krishnan, microbiologist and founder of Megaspore Probiotics, is super fascinating. This conversation breaks through confusion about the gut and myths about probiotics.

2. Natural Solutions for Hormonal Problems with Dr. Carrie Jones   

This was a very popular episode right away!  Dr. Carrie has great insights on hormone labs and why our hormones go haywire. She also shares some of her favorite supplements. Don't miss the free handout on the page.

3. The Hormonal Imbalances That Make You Gain Weight With Cammi Balleck  

Well, I didn't know this show was so popular 'til today!  It suggests to me that lots of women in our community are dealing with hormonally-based weight issues, so I'll bring more resources to you on this subject.

4. Seven Keys to Fertility Into Your 40s With Dr. Anna Cabeca       

This was an interesting one for me too!  I am fascinated with the topic of optimizing fertility at an older age, and Dr. Cabeca is both an inspiring and knowledgeable expert in this area.

5.  The Autoimmune Fix With Dr. Tom O'Bryan   

This was less of a surprise.  Dr. Tom O'Bryan is a well-known expert in the field of gluten intolerance and autoimmunity, and many women in our community are dealing with autoimmunity. What wowed me in this interview was what a talented presenter Dr. Tom is.  

6. Easy Essential Oils for Women's Health with Dr. Mariza Snyder   

I had no idea this episode was creeping up the ranks.  It suggests to me that you all are hungry for more practical, simple solutions. Let's do it!

7.  A Holistic Approach To Adrenal Healing With Kelly Graham 

I also did not know this one was faring so well!  But adrenal dys-regulation is so prevalent today, I shouldn't be surprised. What I loved about Kelly's presentation was her insight on how we put ourselves into this box.

8. Nutrition And More For A Healthy Cycle With Caroline Zwickson   

Y'all love to learn about your cycles!  Caroline brings some clear explanation and great tips with this one.

9. Why You Need to Support Your Mitochondria With Susanne Bennett    

We have a tie for #9 with the exact same number of downloads.  Dr. Bennett gives a rarely-heard and much-needed explanation of the importance of our mitochondria.  This one is good for chronic disease and infertility.  

9. Interpreting Your Period Symptoms with Rachel Eyre      

I loved this episode with Rachel Eyre and I'm so glad it made the top ten.  We cover some detailed stuff like uterine positioning and clots in menstrual blood...and vaginal steaming!

10.  A Healthy Dose of Productivity with Laura McClellan  

And I'm so happy this episode squeaked in there, because I'm a big fan of Laura. She is not in the 'health space', but she an incredibly wise teacher on the important subject of getting sh*t done with wearing yourself out.  She has great presence. 

I am filled with gratitude as I write this for our experts and our listeners. Looking back and remembering all these amazing conversations gives me energy for the year to come!

If you are not yet a subscriber, you can subscribe by searching 'womens wellness radio' on most podcast player apps. Here is the iTunes link. Get a new episode very week!

If you want to share a favorite episode, speaker, take-away or memory from the podcast this past year, I'd really love to read it below!

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What to Do About Menstrual Cramps

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I’ve have gotten a few questions in a row about menstrual cramps, so thank you for guiding me on what information you want!

There are two types of menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), primary and secondary.  I’ll first give some tips on dealing with primary dysmenorrhea, and then cover the sources of secondary dysmenorrhea.  

Primary Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea is caused from the normal process of shedding your uterine lining each month with your period.  But the degree of pain and cramping varies for each woman, and you can influence the level of pain naturally.  

Here’s a bit of background on why menstrual cramps happen from the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine: 

“In the 1960s, it became evident that chemicals called prostaglandins are a central part of the problem. These chemicals are made from the traces of fat stored in cell membranes, and they promote inflammation. They are also involved in muscle contractions, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting, and pain.

Shortly before a period begins, the endometrial cells that form the lining of the uterus make large amounts of prostaglandins. When these cells break down during menstruation, the prostaglandins are released. They constrict the blood vessels in the uterus and make its muscle layer contract, causing painful cramps. Some of the prostaglandins also enter the bloodstream, causing headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Researchers have measured the amount of prostaglandins produced by the endometrial cells and found that it is higher in women with menstrual pain than for women who have little or no pain.”

The article goes on to explain a way to lower prostaglandins through food. How can this be done? Because prostaglandins are produced in the endometrium (aka endometrial lining) of the uterus, and because the endometrium grows in response to estrogen, if we can keep estrogen within a healthy range, then that lining will not overgrow, causing an overproduction in prostaglandins.  Pretty cool, right?  

Tips for Menstrual Cramps

1.  Magnesium for Menstrual Cramps

Your uterus is smooth muscle, and it requires magnesium to cramp smoothly. This is true for labor as well as your monthly period.  In addition to relaxing the muscles, it helps calcium be absorbed, and calcium is important for proper muscle function as well.

Due to insufficient minerals in the soil, insufficient greens and healthy foods in the diet and increased mineral need due to bodily stress, most of us are not getting nearly enough magnesium.

When I ask women if they are taking magnesium, they usually say, “Well I’m taking a multivitamin.”

Unless you are taking a multivitamin with several pills included, the chances are you are not getting enough magnesium for your supplementation.

Magnesium is very bulky, and it requires usually four pills to reach the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of 400 mg.  If you don’t want to take a handful of pills, there is also magnesium powder that you can mix up with water. If you want a magnesium that is highly absorbable and effective, check out my new favorite magnesium powder here!

Also note the RDA of 400 mg may not be quite enough for you.  You can experiment with taking more, and can safely do so long as it does not cause diarrhea.  Of course always ask your physician first if you are taking medication or have special conditions.

2. Drink Enough Water

A handful of clients have told me that just drinking more water cured their cramps.  It’s a basic, un-sexy tip, but water is important for tissue hydration and detoxification, so it makes sense that it can help.

The usual guideline for how much water to drink is half your body weight in ounces of water.  So if you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water per day.  I think there is wiggle room here for less water if you are in cold climate and are no active, and more water if you are in a hot climate and more active.  

If you are actively detoxing, you may need more water.  That can include the natural process of detoxification that happens in the days before and during your period, and also if you are doing a detoxification protocol with a practitioner. 

Please try to drink filtered water, and don’t count coffee, juice or other heavier beverages in your ounces per day.  Note that coffee and other caffeinated beverages are actually de-hydrating because they act as a diuretic.  

Drink water away from meals as too much fluid with meals dilutes your digestive fluids.  Try to sip water to not overwhelm your body with fluid by gulping it down.  First thing is the morning is a great time to get hydrated and have a big glass of water.  Room temperature and warm is best, and you can add a generous squeeze of lemon of you like.

3.  Omega 3 for Menstrual Cramps

Whenever we have pain, including with menstrual cramps, there is usually inflammation. 

Omega 3 is great anti-inflammatory substance.  It has the ability to manage inflammation over the long-term and also in acute situations. (Source)

For a standard maintenance dosage, 2 soft gel capsules are enough. But if you are coming from a background of lots of inflammation and you’ve never taken omega 3 before, you may want to take 3,000 mg a day for a month. 

It’s not well known that omega 3 can be used acutely at higher doses than 1,000 mg.  For example if you feel a flu coming on, you can take 3,000 + mg of omega 3 a day, as it fortifies your cells’ walls so they don’t pass the virus.  For cramps, you can take a higher dose to help reduce the inflammatory prostaglandin activity.  

Another benefit of omega 3 is its ability to regulate the immune system in cases of autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are more common in women, and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid disease, can contribute to estrogen dominance and resulting heavy periods and cramps.

Check out my favorite quality Omega 3 here!

If you are allergic to fish or on a vegetarian diet, you can take a DHA / EPA oil (these are two types of beneficial fat found in fish oil) made from algae instead of fish.

4.  Anti-inflammatory Diet

Please don’t follow tips 1 - 3 without also creating a stable base with an anti-inflammatory diet. A big, big reason that women have menstrual pain is due to tissue inflammation from an inflammatory diet. Inflammation blocked hormone receptors, causing hormone imbalance.

Foods to avoid:

  • The whites- white bread, pasta, pastries and sugar

  • The drinks- wine, beer, juices, sodas, sweetened coffees and teas

  • The oils- seed oils like canola oil are inflammatory are found in most processed foods and restaurant foods

Foods to increase include:

  • Fatty fish like wild salmon and anchovies

  • Green vegetables

  • Berries like raspberry and blueberry

  • Fresh nuts and seeds like chia seeds and walnuts

  • Herbs like clove, ginger, cinnamon and rosemary

Foods high in fiber help clear excess circulating estrogen through the gut. As you learned earlier, keeping estrogen levels in a healthy range can reduce menstrual cramps caused by high prostaglandins.  

Other Reason for Menstrual Cramps (Secondary Dysmenorrhea)

A. Uterine Positioning

As you can hear about in my interview with Rachel Eyre, if your uterus is adhered to other tissues and can’t move freely, it is forced to twist which can cause you pain.  But you can treat that with specialized massage, castor oil packs or yoni steams, as Rachel explains.  

The whole interview is great, but I’ll point out that at minute 22 we start to talk about cramps, and at minute 35 we talk about techniques that can help.

B.  Endometriosis

Endometriosis can cause extreme pain, and also pain with intercourse, or bowel pain.  If your cramps require prescription painkillers and days off work, you may need to find a practitioner to help determine if you have endometriosis.  

Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissue (the tissue that lines your inner uterus) is found outside the uterus.  This misplaced tissue adheres to other tissues, and the endometrial tissue also responds to changes in your hormone levels with bleeding and inflammation.

Here is an article by our friend Melissa Turner at Endo Empowered about how to ready yourself for your period if you do have endometriosis.  Some of the tips match mine above, but she has some great new ones too, including using warming herbs and exercise.  Melissa and I also recorded a video on turmeric, which is another herb she uses to reduce inflammation and pain.  

 

C.  Adenomyosis

In this condition, the endometrial lining embeds within the uterine muscle, causing period pain or lingering pain after sex.  Risk factors for adenomyosis are genetics, estrogen dominance, childbirth or a surgical cut into the uterus.  An ultrasound or MRI scan can help with diagnosis.

D.  Fibroids

Fibroids are tumors of the uterus that are non-cancerous 99% of the time.  Up to 80% of women experience fibroids, and most women will be symptom free.  Dark-skinned women have a greater chance of having fibroids.  This is theorized to be related to low vitamin D levels in dark-skinned women, emphasizing the importance of vitamin D to our hormonal balance.

The mechanism of fibroids is not totally understood, but they grow under the influence of estrogen, so women with estrogen dominance are susceptible.  Estrogen dominance is very common as women approach menopause, so women in their 40s are prone to fibroids.

Uterine fibroids can occur within the walls of the uterus, inside the uterus or outside the uterus. Fibroids can cause menstrual pain, pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, abnormal bleeding, fatigue and anemia.

We have a great interview on the subject with Dr. Allan Warshowsky here.

E.  Copper IUD (Intrauterine Device)

I use a copper IUD for birth control and have very rarely experienced pain from it.  But I have heard stories from other women in which they reacted very poorly to their IUD, having pain and heavy bleeding.  This seems to be more common in younger women who have not gone through childbirth.

If you recently got a copper IUD, you may need a few months to adjust.  If you suspect it is still a problem, consult with your physician.  Also consider following my four tips above before you throw in the towel.

F.  Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

If you have an untreated infection it can cause increased pain with your periods. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease occurs mainly due to STD (sexually transmitted disease), but can also occur after childbirth and pelvic surgeries, including abortions.  It can cause cause infertility and can seriously stress your other body systems. According to Wed MD, one million American women experience PID each year.

Other symptoms of PID could be abdominal pain, painful urination, pain after sex, yellow or green vaginal discharge, chills/fever and nausea/vomiting.  If you suspect a PID, see a doctor.  And always practice protected sex with an untested partner. (Source)

G.  Cervical Stenosis

I have never encountered this cause in my years or work, but it is a possible cause so I will share it. Cervical stenosis is a narrow or narrowing of the cervix, the lower portion of the uterus.  If this area is narrow and your menstrual blood is trying to pass, this can case increased pain.

H. Uterine Shape

Some women have an irregularly shaped uterus that can lead to increased menstrual pain.  These abnormalities are:   bicornuate uterus (two uteri that lead to one cervix), septate uterus (normal uterus with a fibrous band of tissue bisecting it), unicornuate uterus (a uterus that develops from only one mullerian duct), uterus didelphys (two uteri, two cervices, and a septum, or membrane, dividing the vaginal canal).  (Source)

These conditions can be diagnosed by medical imaging, and are sometimes diagnosed during a C section.

I hope this article helps you get out of some monthly distress!  

How to Reduce Inflammation: the Inflammation Repair Kit

Are you ready to get rid of inflammation? The Inflammation Repair Kit includes three products that work together to strongly reduce inflammation and get you on the road to better health.

  • Omega Concentrate

  • Pure PC

  • Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate

These are the most effective anti-inflammatory supplements I have ever found and I used them in my recovery from toxin mold. These are effective for headaches, menstrual cramps, joint or muscle pain, and more. This kit is also helpful for general detox support.

Have you discovered some tips that helps with mentrual cramps? Share them with is in the comments below!

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How to Curb Your Hormotions & Improve Your Mood By Krista Goncalves

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First, it may be prudent to speak to a qualified and knowledgeable health practitioner who specializes in hormones and can do the proper testing for hormones & neurotransmitters. Often the testing available through your MD is not going to give you the full picture!

So how can your treatment truly be defined and customized for you?

Hormone & Neurotransmitter Testing

Once you’ve done proper testing, there are many natural options available to help re-balance hormones, including Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Again, be sure to seek out a professional who is experienced in administering BHRT or other supplementation.

When these important bio-chemicals are in balance, it can set the stage for restoring your health back to an optimal, more youthful, less hormotional place! Your brain and nervous system will once again send strong signals to the rest of your body resulting in: 

  1. Better appetite control

  2. Increased sex drive

  3. A more stable mood

  4. Increased energy levels

Eat More Real Food, Eat More Real Fat

You don’t need a Nutritionist telling you that packaged, processed foods with little to no nutritional value harm us in more ways than just expanding our waistlines – that’s just common knowledge. But what may not be widely known is that they can seriously mess up our hormones and cause excessive irritability and crankiness!

Ditch the crap! Say no to junk! Banish the sugar and un-pronounceable ingredients!

Here are the best combinations of whole foods that help re-balance hormones, stabilize our mood, and keep those extra pounds from topping off the muffin.

Hormone Balancing Food Combos = Mood Food

Food Suggestions

These are energizing, hormone-balancing, inflammation-quenching super-food combos that can be included in your “good mood food” diet:

1) Kale/leafy greens + ghee
Why? Always pair your greens with a bit of “good fat” to help your body assimilate the nutrients. Kale, like broccoli, is a cruciferous veggie that contains indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) and sulforaphane – two key phytonutrients noted for their detoxifying and “bad estrogen” flushing abilities.

Suggested serving: lightly "wilt” 3 cups of greens (2 big handfuls) by sauteing them in a pan with ghee, minced fresh garlic & a pinch of pink salt over medium heat. Be careful not to burn garlic. 

2) Cacao powder + coconut oil
Why? Raw, unprocessed cacao is full of magnesium and coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid known to increase metabolism and basal body temperature, which is good for those with low thyroid (which we know can cause fatigue and depression).

Suggested serving: make your own chocolates! Raw Chocolate Macaroons

3) Salmon + hemp seeds
Why? You'll get plenty of Omega 3’s!
Suggested serving: baked salmon fillets with a hemp seed “crust” – recipe from Dr.Oz

4) Mushrooms (exposed to UV light) + olive oil + quinoa
Why? You'll get Vitamin D, essential fatty acids & manganese! 
Vitamin D is another key part of “mood maintenance” because it helps regulate the brain’s neurotransmitters (serotonin, melatonin and dopamine) which have a profound impact on mood.

Studies have found that the likelihood of having depression is significantly higher in people deficient in Vitamin D compared to those who have normal levels. It is hard to get enough D3 (the active form) through food sources, so supplementation may be necessary, especially in the darker winter months.

Suggested serving: Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin so it’s important to supplement it in liquid D3 form (that is suspended in a fat source) or lightly cook your mushrooms in a little good fat like extra virgin olive oil, on low heat, being careful not to burn. Serve on a bed of cooked quinoa (made in homemade bone broth would be a bonus). It is rich in protein, fiber and manganese, all important in energy production and hormone balance.

Read Top 10 Hormone Balancing Foods

Do you notice a commonality in each combo?

It’s HEALTHY FAT!

Why Fat is Necessary for Hormone Health

Dr. Christiane Northup, MD & Women’s Health Expert reported that her patients complained of sallow skin, brittle hair and nails, susceptibility to infection, inability to concentrate, irritability and weight gain despite their rigid diets. She concluded that none of these women were getting enough healthy fat.

Essential fatty acids (EFA’s), namely omega–3’s, are needed for the body to perform many important functions, including those of the brain and nervous system. Good sources of EFA’s include:

  1. Free range eggs

  2. Avocados

  3. High-quality flax seeds (fresh ground)

  4. Walnuts

  5. Wild-caught cold water fish

Hormone Balancing & Mood Stabilizing Supplements

Targeted supplementation with key nutrients like B-vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium and fish oil may be necessary for hormonal balancing. Ensure you speak to a qualified health practitioner or holistic Pharmacist before beginning supplementation. Not all “natural” or herbal products are necessary and safe.

The best way to obtain any type of nutrient is from food. But if your diet isn’t up to par quite yet, or you have gut issues that may be affecting nutrient absorption, then high-quality supplements are widely available.

Other Ways to Lift Your Mood

Just a few other ways to squeeze some mood lifters into your day…

  1. Exercise regularly, and break a sweat often! Bedroom gymnastics perhaps? Just a suggestion.

  2. Mindfulness based practices = yoga &/or meditative practices &/or breathing exercises

  3. Daily self-care rituals

  4. Be positive and surround yourself with positive people. Negative people suck.

  5. Connect with nature. Get off your i-device and go outside!

  6. Play with your kids, dog, and spouse in the leaves, at the gym, or in the park.

  7. Get more sleep. Nothing makes you crankier, hangrier, or more off your game than poor sleep.

  8. Organize something…your hall closet, your kitchen cabinets, your fridge, your junk drawer or your home office.

  9. Have an Epsom salt bath with your favorite essential oil(s), light some candles and play some quiet music. Breathe deeply and take in the experience. 

  10. Speaking of music, listen to it. Something light and upbeat. Or dark & raunchy – whatever lifts you up!

So if you’ve noticed that you’re feeling especially “hormotional” these days, try the above suggestions and be sure to seek out a network of friends & family who can help you with the emotional support side of things.

There’s no need to surrender to thinking that your destiny is to become just another cranky old bat living out her life. I remember my Doctor saying to me, “what you’re feeling is just a normal part of aging”, and that I would need to just “learn how to live with it”, and then I was offered a prescription for an anti-depressant. That was NOT the type of support I needed!

This post is Part 2 of the guest post by Krista Goncalves on hormone and emotions management. You can read Part 1 here.

found this interesting?

A former marine biologist, Krista is now a Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CHN) and Registered Nutritional Counselor (RNC) – a qualified practitioner who provides guidance for building and maintaining nutritional well-being.

Krista likes to say that she's having a culinary love affair with food and is captivated by how it fuels, nourishes and energizes us. She believes your food should work for you, not against you. 

The mantra of “what you put in, is what you'll get out” supports her belief that real food, along with some high-quality supplements, can help heal us from many health conditions, or even prevent us from having certain ones in the first place - like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

With over 20 years of diverse professional teaching experience and a deep passion for promoting balanced, healthy living, she feels her contribution to the rapidly expanding and ever-evolving field of "functional health" is not only important, but incredibly rewarding.

Krista is also a women's health writer and you'll find her blogging regularly on MakingLemonade.ca ~ Empow(her)ed Health & Nutrition!

CONNECT WITH KRISTA:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Our first annual Super Sale is finally here!

It will ONLY be running from November 22-28, 2016 and you'll be getting good deals you’ll probably never see again! Take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on our great products and services. I would love for you to get the help you need so that you feel great about your body. Don't miss out! 

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Take Advantage of Our First Annual Super Sale! (November 22 -28, 2016)

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This sale starts today and ends Monday, 11/28. But you don't have to wait to the last minute to snap up some deals!

We have great offerings if you are a practitioner, if you are struggling to find the best routine to keep hormonal symptoms in check. I want YOU to head into the new year with the tools you need to succeed!

Here's what we've got for you:

1. Hormones: A Women's Wellness Summit $59 (normally $99)

If you missed our huge event last April, I interviewed 42 experts in women's health, on topics from Hashimoto's to Hormone Replacement. This is an excellent library of information, for practitioners or any woman. There are also hundreds of dollars of bonuses, including a hormone detox, 10 Tips to Bust Your Sugar Cravings and a ton more. Check it out here.

2. Perfect Periods Program $67 (normally $297)

If you are struggling with weird cycles and annoying monthly symptoms, this is the course for you. Your menstrual symptoms indicate deeper health issues affecting your hormones. You will be able to identify and address these root cause through this course. This self-study program also includes a private Facebook group and live Q and A with me. (The next Live Q and A is November 29.) If you feel you have a very complex case and have 'tried everything,' I would suggest the consult below. Register here.

3. Quick Consultation $50 (new service!)

We are currently developing a supplement line. It's not quite ready, but I'm so excited about it that I've set up these 30 minutes consultations to discuss your health concerns and your current supplements and habits. We'll then adjust/design the best supplement protocol for you. For U.S. customers, we can ship supplements to you. For international clients, I cannot ship to you, but I can advise you on what to look for in your home country. This is a one-to-one consultation via Skype. You are not obligated to buy supplements on this call.  It is 30 minutes of private time to discuss your case. Purchase here.

4. Business Consultation $50 (new service!)

I am an acupuncturist who moved my business online. Especially following my successful Hormones summit (30,000 people participated), I got a lot of questions from people seeking advice on online business. I'm excited to beta test this new service. This great price on a 50 minute consult won't last forever! Purchase here.

5. Kindle Fertility Books $2.99 each

If you are looking to improve your fertility, it's a great time to buy my books, Making Super Sperm and Amazing Eggs. Once you've read them and review them on Amazon, you can enter to win a private, in-depth case evaluation with me, valued at $395! Shop and learn more here. Raffle closes 11/30/16.

If you have ANY questions on these products or services, please email me at bridgit@bridgitdanner.com and I'll get right back to you.  

Also, feel free to stock up and buy more than one thing!  We won't host this sale again for a year!

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Learn Your Most Fertile Window With Justina Thompson

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Justina Thompson

Welcome to Day 7 of Fertility Week!

Justina Thompson is a Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) coach and is our last guest for Fertility Week. She took a 2-year certification program with Sarah Naomi Bly and has successfully been using FAM to prevent pregnancy for 7 years. It is a natural birth control method free from side effects.

She learnt more about the importance of FAM for couples trying to get pregnantduring her 2 years training and while in internship.  A large portion of her training involved understanding how hormones work for the female body from the scientific level.  The focus for the program was to support hormonal health with lifestyle, nutrition and environmental factors.

Couples are often told by their doctors that unless they’ve been trying to conceive for more than 12 months, then they should keep trying which kind of leaves them in the dark. But with FAM and other types of charting like the BBT, which is very popular, the method targets the time when the woman is most fertile and more capable of conceiving.

In this episode, Justina talks about:

  1. Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) and how it works

  2. Signs of fertility in women - cervical fluid, BBT charting and cervical position

  3. Factors that trigger early or late ovulation

  4. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)

  5. Common problems and frustrations in charting

Access Today's Interview

You can listen to today's interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio.  Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

Today's Raffle

Today we are raffling another amazing Nutribullet blender, plus a care kit from Healthy Hoohoo.

Healthy HooHoo is a mild, PH- balanced, chemical free feminine wash.  Founder Stacy Lyon has generously donated 3 foaming wash cleansers (enough for one year) and 3 travel packs of wipes. Maintaining a normal vaginal PH is important for fertility, and keeping the endocrine-disrupting toxins found in most washes away from your body is important too!

About Justina

If you want to learn more about Justina Thompson, click here to visit her website.

You can also follow her on:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

PS: I'm going to do a webinar called "Perfect Periods for Fertility" this coming Wednesday Nov.16 at 4.00 PM Pacific Time. So be sure to mark it on your calendar and join me.

We put all of Justina's information together in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

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Managing Emotions During Fertility Challenges With Stephanie Risinger

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Stephanie Risinger

Welcome to Day 6 of Fertility Week!

Our guest today is Stephanie Risinger, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and host of the "Holistic Fertility & Wellness Podcast" . The podcast is geared around providing information to women about their holistic options for improving fertility as well as providing support for the emotional and relationship challenges that tend to come along when dealing with fertility challenges. The podcast came about as a result of Stephanie’s personal and professional experiences.

Today we're talking about managing some of the emotions associated with fertility. I was on Stephanie's podcast some time back and you can listen to it here.

In this episode, we’re discussing:

  1. How our emotions are connected to one another

  2. Our beliefs and emotions

  3. Why it’s important to feel emotions

  4. Healthy ways to experience emotions

  5. Tips for recurring negative thoughts

  6. Importance of self-care

When we compare we miss out on the little things we can be joyful of even when things are hard. You are perfect just as you are.

Access Today's Interview

You can listen to today's interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio.  Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

Today's Raffle

Today we are raffling a Nutribullet blender to make yummy fertility smoothies, and yummy, all-natural skin care, free of toxins that mess up your hormones!

The Balance Travel Kit is courtesy of AnnMarie Gianni Skin Care, and it's made for normal skin types, with the highest quality ingredients.

AnnMarie is also offering a generous discount to EVERY woman reading this. Get a sample kit for your skin type for just $10, plus get a $10 coupon towards a future purchase, plus a Toxin Free Home Guide (very important for fertility) too.

About Stephanie

To learn more about Stephanie Risinger, click here to visit her website. You can also follow her on:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

ITunes

We put all of Stephanie's information together in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

“We welcome your comments and questions below!”
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Are Food Sensitivities Preventing Your Pregnancy? With Sarah Clark

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Welcome to Day 2 of Fertility Week!

Sarah Clark is a certified life coach with accreditation from the International Coaches Federation and a health coach with training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. At 28 years old, she was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and accepted the diagnosis and had both of her kids through IVF. Years later she realized the root cause of her infertility was food intolerance.

Later, while working in HR, she took life and health coaching courses because she was bringing coaching to the corporate environment and found out how food affects the body. She learnt that she had food sensitivity and changed her diet and lifestyle, and in a few months her health began to improve.

Sarah Clark is the author of Fabulously Fertile: Supercharge Your Fertility Naturally, a fertility cookbook for couples struggling with infertility.

Access Today's Interview

You can listen to today's interview through the player below, or through our podcast channel, Women's Wellness Radio.  Our podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and other podcast players as well.

In this interview, we talk about:

1. What happens to our bodies when we eat food we are intolerant to

2. Tests for food sensitivity/intolerance i.e. Ige test, Igg test, MRT test, ALCAT test

3. Involvement of male partners in the fertility journey

4. Restoring/healing a damaged system

5. Gut healing foods and Sarah's recommendation for probiotics

6. Tips for home cooking

7. Which kind of fish to eat

8. The connection between gluten and premature ovarian failure

Daily Raffle:

For today’s raffle, Sarah Clark will be giving away her Fertility Preparation Program valued at $297. It includes professional gourmet chef prepared recipes, supplement and essential oil recommendations. 

Nutribullet is also giving away a free 'nutrient extractor' in the daily raffle. Thanks, Nutribullet!

Sarah Clark’s Resources:

1.    Free 3-Day Fertility Diet Challenge

2.  Fab Fertile Support Group on Facebook

3.    A recently launched Free Guided fertility Visualization download

We put all of Sarah Clark's information together in a handy sheet, print-able for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

Thanks for listening!  Feel free to post any comments or questions below.

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative.