Benefits of Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh Root

Black cohosh is a root herb that is frequently used for menopausal symptoms, but it is a major help to fertility too.  Many women are trying to conceive at an older age, and thus are in perimenopause (the ten year period before menopause.) So black cohosh may just be the perfect herb for the older mama, and can benefit the younger mama too.

The mechanism with which black cohosh acts on female hormones is unclear.  It is documented to have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect on the body, but how it alleviates hot flashes is unclear.  It has been found to have an effect on the central nervous system and modulate dopamine and serotonin.  It is also observed to have an effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis (HPA), the command center of the endocrine system.

In a 2012 study by Nadaoka, Yasue, Sami, and Kitagawa, extract of black cohosh improved markers of acute stress handling.  Could it be that black cohosh, in helping your body handle stress, decrease inflammation and prevent oxidation allows for better hormone production?

In a 2013 study conducted in Egypt on 100 women with PCOS, Black Cohosh outperformed the fertility drug Clomid, producing more favorable changes in LH level and FSH/LH ratio. In women with PCOS, often the ratio of LH (luteinizing hormone) to FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) is 3:1, whereas in healthy women it is about 1:1. This change in the LH to FSH ratio in PCOS cases is enough to disrupt ovulation and fertility. 

Black cohosh has been used successfully for PMS, insomnia, menstrual cramps and menstrual irregularities.  

Due to modern stressors, today even women in their 20s can have hot flashes.  I think black cohosh is an herb worth exploring, especially if you’ve been told you have low estrogen or have experienced some of the symptoms I described above.

When we treat hormones, we always need to look at root causes as well.  If you have not yet taken our Hidden Hormone Stressors quiz, we invite you to do so here!

Sending Love for Your Hormones, Bridgit

Functional Medicine For Mold Toxicity With Dr. Ann Shippy

Our guest this week is Dr. Ann Shippy, MD, and we talk about mold toxicity and her approach to treating it.

Dr. Shippy is a former Chemical Engineer at IBM. She got sick and became frustrated that conventional medicine wasn't able to solve her health ailments. She sought possibilities on how to heal her body and decided to go to medical school.

She attended University of Texas Medical School and now has a thriving practice in Austin, Texas. She combines traditional medicine testing and functional testing to treat her patients. 

In this interview we talk about:

• How long she has been practising

• How she got into treating mold

• Symptoms of mold toxicity

• What other ailments she treats in her clinic

• Who she treats (and the ages of her patients)

• And so much more

Dr Shippy's educational background:

• Board Certified in Internal Medicine

• Board Certified in Functional Medicine

• Doctorate in Medicine – University of Texas

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering – Washington University

• Master of Science in Engineering – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

She is also the author of two books:

1. Mold Toxicity Workbook: Assess your Environment & Create a Recovery Plan

2. Shippy Paleo Essentials: A Medical Blueprint for Health

To learn more about her, visit her site here. 

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

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. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.

Let me help you start healing!

Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop

Recovery from Stillbirth: The Benefit of Yoga by Laura Devine

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, 1 out of every 160 pregnancies in the United States ends in stillbirth. Of these, First Candle.org highlights that more than 50% are full term and occur in otherwise healthy, low-risk pregnancies. To many this is a staggering statistic but to the mother of a stillborn child it is a sobering reality.  

On New Years Day 2014 it became my reality. During a perfectly healthy pregnancy full of plant-based whole foods, plenty of exercise and daily meditation, my daughter’s heart stopped at 40 weeks and three days gestation; a heartbreaking three days past her due date.

In my work as a fitness director for a local country club, clients were constantly telling me how easy my labor would be. While visiting my OB GYN at 40 weeks I was congratulated by the nurse practitioner for being one of the healthiest pregnant women she had ever seen. Though it might seem like I am bragging, I assure you that any hubris surrounding my pregnancy dissipated the moment the fetal doppler fell silent.  

“After learning my baby had died, all motherly effort expended over those nine long months seemed fruitless.”

— Laura Devine

Despite my best efforts the outcome was worse than any I could have imagined and I was left devastated and disillusioned. After 52 hours in labor and a very difficult delivery I realized the healthy measures taken during pregnancy could serve a greater purpose. I would need all the strength I could muster to physically and emotionally navigate the rough waters I was unwillingly pushed into, especially over the next several months. Many of the tools I had acquired as a fitness professional proved valuable. However, yoga was, and continues to be, my life raft.

Recovery from Stillbirth

Postpartum, the delivery of a stillborn is dramatically different than the delivery of a living child. The stresses of any new mother are manifold, but those of the grieving mother are much darker and less understood. Instead of learning how to breastfeed and sending out birth announcements, I was focused on stopping the flow of my milk and making funeral arrangements. This trying time was made all the more difficult by dramatic hormonal shifts. For many mothers this is a veritable recipe for postpartum depression. In fact, the Massachusetts General Hospital for Women’s Mental Health tells us the risk of postpartum depression is four times greater for the mother of a stillborn than the mother of a living baby.  

While there is still much to be learned in the world of women’s health and hormones, the value of exercise is one of the few things most experts agree on. I was fortunate to have exercise so integrated into my life that it naturally became my main coping mechanism, my first instinct being to run as fast and push as hard as I could. The emotions were strong and so was my urge to fight against them. After a few weeks of fight or flight motivated movement I was sleeping poorly, exhausted, and no closer to feeling better than when I began.

“Yoga is a unique form of exercise in that many postures are specifically designed to subtly massage certain glands, which may in turn help balance endocrine function.”

— Laura Devine

Being a yoga instructor I did practice yoga daily but often at 3am as a substitute for sleep. During these late night/early morning practices it became apparent that although running was a great distraction, yoga was where the real healing happened. My practice brought me face to face with the feelings I was trying so hard to avoid which eventually led to feeling less anger and more compassion towards my body. By increasing time on the mat and simultaneously easing up on more vigorous workouts my body gradually shifted back towards balance. Intuitively I knew yoga helped but it was not until later that I realized how much of this was attributed to the positive effect it had on my wildly shifting hormones.

Many of these hormone-balancing poses are simple, safe, and can be performed at any fitness level. Even more encouraging is that, when practiced consistently, yoga strengthens the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting feelings of relaxation and proper adrenal function.

This enhanced relaxation response can partly be attributed to yoga raising gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the brain, a key factor in alleviating feelings of anxiety and depression. I felt powerless when, 5 months after the stillbirth of my daughter, my period had not yet returned. The doctor wanted to write me a prescription but I declined. Instead I relied on a combination of good nutrition, adaptogenic herbs, and yoga. The following month my cycle returned to normal and three months after that I conceived a son.

I encourage anyone in the midst of the difficult process of healing from stillbirth to seek out yoga. Even a short practice in the comfort of your own home can have a dramatic impact on hormonal balance and overall quality of life. By channeling the nurturance I would have lavished my daughter inward I was able to connect with a part of me that needed recognition in order to move forward.

While one never really “gets over” the loss of a child I believe it is truly possible for loss to be a gateway to greater care and compassion. After my experience I doubted I would be able to wholeheartedly promote exercise again. To my surprise I found the doorway to my heart was through my body, and yoga was the key.

FOUND THIS INTERESTING?

Laura Devine, 200 hr RYT, NASM CPT

Read more here https://getfitlit.com/

10 Truths About Your Bathroom Scale’s Lies by Krista Goncalves

Dear Bathroom Scale… Why are you such a pretty little liar?

Does your scale whisper sweet nothings into your freshly painted toes one day, then turn around and bite them the very next day?

Does this same toe-biting scale like to play double-dutch with its numbers from week-to-week? Five pounds up, four pounds down, five more up, three down. Aaaaahhhh!

If you're experiencing this kind of pathological lying behavior from your bathroom scale - what’s the deal? How do we make sense of these seemingly nonsensical numbers?

As a Nutritionist and former Personal Fitness Trainer, this issue comes up continuously with clients. It’s always a challenge to enlighten them with the reality that surrounds their scale-weighing woes.

10 Truths About Daily Weight Fluctuations

Here are 10 uplifting truths for you to share with clients (and yourself!) about those annoyingly normal daily weight fluctuations:

1)    It is NOT a true measurement of your health. The scale number is simply one of many parameters you should be taking into account to determine if you are maintaining or approaching your optimal body weight. 

Girth measurements & body composition/body fat testing are often better evaluations of health. Heck, even how your clothes fit can be a better indicator!

2)    When we wake up after fasting for at least 8 hours, we're completely dehydrated and at our lowest weight of the day. 

This is why it is recommended to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink anything, and after you have voided - that’s fancy-talk for "going potty".

3)    Speaking of voiding… you can experience daily weight fluctuations of 1-3+ lbs of waste that's been hanging out in your large colon. Who knew poop could be so heavy! 

Be sure to keep the bowels moving with plenty of fluids, plant-based fiber and targeted supplementation, if necessary.

4)    Your scale doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and as you just learned - fecal matter! When you lose "weight" - that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the average run-of-the-mill bathroom scale has no way of telling you what bodily tissues or substances you've lost.

As most of us know and have experienced first-hand, losing muscle is nothing to get excited about, because muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more energy or calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around.

That's one reason why a fit, active person (presumably with more muscle mass) is able to eat more food than the chronic dieter who is unknowingly breaking down and losing muscle. Weighing “skinny” on the scale does not always translate into healthy off the scale. This is what it means to be "skinny fat".

Generally speaking, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of pure fat per week as a pound of fat = 3500 calories. So when you severely restrict your calories, causing your weight to drop say 10 pounds in 7 days - it's nearly physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, muscle, and glycogen (or muscle sugar - see more about that in #6).

“The scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it.
It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength or love.”

— Steve Maraboli

5)    Another highlight of the scale's indiscriminate nature: it can't tell if you've gained muscle.

A pound of muscle is like a small, compact brick, whereas a pound of fat is like a bulky, lumpy pillow. So that's why when you gain muscle and lose fat, your silhouette is slimmer and your body is more firm. Hence, building muscle makes it possible to drop clothing sizes (and lose inches) without a significant change in scale weight.

Consider the example that after 3 months of doing that new "bikini-body boot-camp" program, the scale says you've lost 5 pounds. This may not sound like much (heck, I'd take it!), but what if you had actually lost 8 pounds of pure fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle? That would be a pretty nice improvement in your body composition. But you would be misled, not to mention disappointed, if you only used a bathroom scale to track your progress. Refer back to better evaluations of health in #1.

6)    What you eat during the days leading up to a weigh-in can dramatically influence the numbers.

• Booze. Enough said.

• Sodium. Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. 

Health Canada indicates that the recommended upper limit for daily salt intake is 2,300 mg sodium, which is easy to take in considering there's over 2,000 mg of sodium in a single teaspoon of table salt and upwards of 1,000 mg in the average can of soup!

Sodium is such a sneaky substance and the more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. Be a savvy label reader.

When preparing food, always use natural, unrefined salt like Himalayan Pink Salt.

• Excessive carbohydrates (carbs) – affect our glycogen or muscle sugar stores. 

As HealthDiscovery.net puts it:

"Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored in the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it's packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored.

Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with its associated water.

It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even in the absence of changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss..."

This is why physique competitors get rather obsessive not only about the scale leading up to their events, but especially with alcohol, salt and carb intake.

7)    For all the ladies out there...it's not you, it's your HORMONES! Yep, certain times of the month can be marked by less-than-pleasing numbers on the scale. 

Dr. Raquel Dardik, MD advises that some women can gain up to 10 lbs right before or during their period. 

This is because the natural drop in the hormone PROGESTERONE just before your period often causes digestive complaints like water retention and constipation. And remember how heavy poop can be?

Our bodies also tend to lose Magnesium in the days before menstruation, which drives our INSULIN levels up leading to an increase in food cravings - especially for sugar.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that keeps blood sugar levels in check but is also considered a fat storage hormone.

* It's a good idea to supplement daily with Magnesium as most of us are already deficient in this multi-tasking mineral. I generally recommend taking 200-400 mg of Magnesium Bisglycinate before bed as it can have a calming effect. Even better…soak in a hot Epsom salt bath before bed.

These hormonal drivers, along with overeating to feed the cravings, can contribute to weight gain.

8)    Birth control pills (that also mess up your hormones), and many medications like antidepressants (ex. Lyrica), beta-blockers, steroids and a host of others too numerous to list - can cause bloating, water retention, inflammation and hence, unintentional weight gain.

Discuss all of your medications with your Health Practitioner. Ask: are they absolutely necessary? And, am I on the correct medications/at the correct dosage?

9)    Long distance travel, especially air travel can cause dehydration & water retention, which may be reflected on the scale. 

Drink up and don't forget to replenish your electrolytes!

10)    Digital scales need to be re-calibrated every time they're moved. Learn How to Calibrate your Digital Scale.

Who knew? Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown my scales out – I should have just re-calibrated them!

So how do we deal with this pathological liar most of us consciously choose to live with? 

The key is to know, understand and believe the following...

Simply do your best to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle using the good ‘ol “80/20 approach”, which is basically eighty percent healthy choices mixed in with twenty percent of the fun stuff. 

✓    Drink plenty of water
✓    Reduce consumption of salty, processed, packaged and junk foods (including diet sodas)
✓    Improve your sleep habits
✓    Manage stress

If you’re already rocking your own version of an 80/20, or plan to be implementing a routine for a more balanced lifestyle, you must understand that these short-term ebb & flow patterns have nothing to do with your long-term progress and they are just part of the overall health journey.

Again, daily weight fluctuations are completely normal!

Best Practices Routine

However, when you do weigh yourself – consider this “best practices” routine:

    No more than once or twice weekly is recommended. (FYI - one study found that girls in particular experienced negative effects to their self-esteem levels by routinely tracking their scale numbers).
    Weigh yourself at a consistent time. It is often recommended to weigh yourself in the mornings, after voiding. 
    Wear the same thing each time you weigh, or nothing at all.
    Place the scale on the same surface and make sure it is calibrated properly.

This will all help to reduce some degree of fluctuation. Of course, be mindful of all the other possible reasons for daily weight fluctuations that were listed.

Final Thoughts:

Stop being a slave to the scale. It does not define you. You are worth so much more than THAT number!

FOUND THIS INTERESTING?

                 Krista Goncalves, CHN, RNC

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:

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My Pain: My Motivation For Changing The Lives of Women by Melissa Turner

I had endometriosis. It was unbelievably painful. It is a condition that affects over 176 million women around the world and yet most of us have never heard of the condition. In some cases women endure pain for years before realizing that what they are experiencing is far from normal. I did this too. I believed that my excruciating period pain was normal. I thought my swollen belly and my aching body was normal. I thought that regular PMS and erratic mood swings were normal. Gotta love those TV commercials that say all of this is just part of being a women… right?

Women are told from an early age that period pain is simply part of their cycle. Something they have to learn to deal with. That they shouldn’t be so weak or pathetic and that every women goes through this. This is why endometriosis can take over ten years to get properly diagnosed and in many cases it can dramatically effect the ability of women to get pregnant!

I had never heard of endometriosis. Have you?

The most common symptoms of endometriosis include painful periods and pain during sex. Endometriosis is a condition where the cells which are meant to remain in the uterus, spread into the abdominal cavity and grow and change along with the cycle. These eventually form adhesions and cysts, which cause incredible pain for many women. Though pain is a key indicator of endometriosis, some women don’t experience any pain or little pain as their cysts form in less obtrusive places.

I had pain though. I had pain from my very first period and it lasted for over 15 years. I followed all the best meaning advice and went to the best specialists I could find. Some were doctors, endometriosis specialists and gynaecologist. I went through seven operations, a number of hormone treatments putting my body through menopause or stopping my periods all together. I had a huge arrange of pain-killers and drugs to overcome all the side-effects of the hormone treatments. I had a huge handbag and it was not filled with typical girly things. Instead it was filled with pain-killers and drugs to help me to get through a typical day.

As much as I reached out for help, I never found any new insights or options from the typical medical sources.

“Something had to change, and it all began with me finally taking responsibility for myself and my health.”

— Melissa Turner

I began with throwing out all the junk in my life. The junk food, the junk relationships, the junk thoughts and all the chemicals I was adding into my body each and every day. I shifted my focus in a big way… it was about taking care of myself and my body. It was about providing for my body with real, nourishing foods. It was about filling my mind with positive and uplifting thoughts and it was about finally acknowledging and realizing my own strengths and loving myself.

I won’t lie. It wasn’t an easy journey. I certainly can relate to so many women who struggle to make the shift in using a holistic approach for their endometriosis. However, I can tell you that it has shifted more than my pain levels. I no longer experience pain or symptoms from endometriosis. I never believed that I could ever say that!

I also never believed that changing my thoughts, my food and my focus could shift me into a whole new life for myself. One filled with real fulfillment from my work and my relationships. I am finally open and energetically ready to do anything I wish to do in this world, without fear or limitation.

This is why I do what I do. I want more women to experience the shifts that I experienced when I finally started taking care of myself properly. It goes beyond simply eating a healthy diet or moving our bodies. It is about putting ourselves first and deciding that we are worth it. Truly worth it. Beyond beauty products and pretty dresses but worth taking care of in terms of our health and our personal well-being.

The REACH Technique©

I run an online business which supports women with endometriosis who are keen to use a holistic approach. I guide women on how to:

1. Eat for real nourishment

2. Move to help heal their bodies of anxiety and poor posture

3. Change their thinking and shift old emotional pain

4. Cleanse the body of contributors to developing endometriosis

I call it the REACH Technique© and you can get the full picture in my free online mini course.

Found This Interesting?

Sign up to find out more about the REACH Technique© and how you can successfully manage your endometriosis.

www.endoempowered.com

Endometriosis support group on Facebook 

Endometriosis Business page on Facebook

Melissa Turner on Twitter

Life Is About Choices By Rachel Adams

Many times we are faced with challenges and they can knock us down. There are things that happen in life that can literally rock you to your core and you simply have no control over that. The question then becomes, how do you choose to respond? 

Life is all about CHOICES. Everyday we have the chance to wake up and either decide to make it a good day, or let the little things that are going to happen ruin our day.

I made a decision about 4 years ago that I was only going to choose joy and happiness for my life. From that day, whenever things would get me down, I would allow just a short 5 minute pity party, embrace the feelings, and then move forward.

Sometimes big things happen in life. When fire burned down my parents' house of 38 years, we were incredibly sad. But I chose to look on the positive side. We supported each other the best way we could, gave lots of hugs to those around us, shared love & stories, and made plans of how to move forward. 

Life has a way of tossing us things we don't expect. But if we keep our eyes and hearts open, it can send beauty and love our way. Do you remember the moment you chose how you would lead your life? If you haven't, it's not too late! 

Why? Because the CHOICE is yours! 

Found This Interesting?

Sign up now to take the next step in changing your life!

www.lost2found90.com/the-program

Rachel Adams on Facebook

Lost to Found in 90 Days on Facebook

The Origins of Anxiety and Emotional Eating with Roy Nelson

I had a really amazing conversation with author and addiction counselor, Roy Nelson. Roy came from humble and violent beginnings. He joined the military and married at a young age.  Though he went on to have success in business, he was plagued by phobias, panic attacks and disordered eating.

He sought out help from psychologists to no avail. He finally had a breakdown/ breakthrough that gave him the realization that the source of his pain and suffering was feeling a separation from spirit.

For the next many years he sought out teachers and resources that help him reconnect with spirit. He found that when this connection was intact, disordered behaviors fell away.  Eventually people started coming to Roy and asking for help. He has spent the last 30 years helping others to overcome their own addictions.

"Disordered thinking leads to disordered living which leads to disordered eating." Roy Nelson

Even if you don't suffer from disordered eating or addictions, I think you will enjoy this interview. 

"This episode is really about the deep underlying thing that causes pain and fear in our lives." Bridgit Danner

Roy shares some things you can start to do right away to quiet your own anxieties.

Find out more about Roy's program for addiction here.

Find his book, Love Notes from Hell, here.

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

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

You are welcome to leave your comments below or to share this blog on social media!

How to Finally Reach Your Health Goals with Nanci Tunley

Nanci Tunley was already trained in Pilates, nutrition and functional medicine, but she felt like something was still missing from her practice.  She found the missing link in transformation coaching.  She uses this tool to help women overcome their blocks to reach their health goals.

In this interview, we cover:

• Something we can do right away to start to change

• Important questions that you may have never asked yourself

• A case study about weight loss

On the call I got to pin Nanci down and have her give the steps to transformation. Here's what she came up with:

1. State what you want

2. Step back

3. Let go as needed

4. Be able to say yes

5. Choose your beliefs

6. Take empowered action

A previous episode I mentioned on the show is Weight Loss Starts with Trust with Michelle Hastie Thompson.  Check out that one here.

To learn about private and group coaching with Nanci, visit her website here.

As mentioned on the show, the Fuel Your Fertility Summit is happening Jul 20-30, 2016.  It is completely free and highly recommended if you are trying to conceive.  I will be speaking, along with 20 other fertility experts.  Register here.

You can hear my interview with Nanci through the player below.  

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

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

You are welcome to leave your comments below or to share this blog on social media!

Recipe: Pinto Beans and Ham Hock

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"The most vivid memory I have of my grandmother’s kitchen is of hurriedly eating sandwiches of white bread and margarine over the sink. Despite her lack of culinary prowess, my grandmother did make one dish and one dish very well: pinto beans and ham hock. Its simple ingredients and easy approach make it perfect for a novice cook or a harried one.

The combination of ham hock’s natural sweet smokiness paired with the earthy and humble flavor of pinto beans make a satisfying, full-flavored meal."

RECIPE

• 3 cups dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed

• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon lard or bacon fat

• 1 white onion, peeled & chopped

• 2 ham hocks, about 2 pounds

• Finely ground sea salt

Pour the beans into a mixing bowl, cover with warm water by 2 inches, and stir in the baking soda. Soak for at least 8 and up to 18 hours, then drain and rinse them well.

Melt the lard in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir the onion into the hot fat and sauté it until fragrant and translucent, about 8 minutes. Drop the ham hocks into the pot and then stir in the beans. Pour enough water into the pot to cover its contents by 2 inches and simmer, covered,over medium-low heat until the beans are soft and the meat falls away easily from the bone, about 3 hours.

Remove the ham hock from the pot and, when it’s cool enough to handle, pull any meat that still clings to it off the bone, and stir it into the pot of beans. Season the beans with salt to taste, ladle into soup bowls, and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Recipe: Yucatán-style Lime Soup (sopa de lima)

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"On a visit to Mexico’s Yucatàn Peninsula, a place that offers a unique, lively cuisine steeped in both Mayan and Spanish culinary influence, my family climbed the vine-draped limestone ruins at Cobá, before our guide drove us along the winding orange-redroads through the jungle. We reached a cenote, a deep, naturally occurring limestone well filled with clean fresh water, where we swam until tired and worn. Now hungry from climbing and swimming, we headed to a small restaurant along the lake at Cobá, where they served traditional Yucatecan cooking, among the dishes they offered was a classic lime soup. Nearly every restaurant along the Yucatán Peninsula offers its own perfect version of lime soup, some with bell peppers and others touched with cinnamon and oregano. I favor the simplest approach with chicken, onion, rice, and limes. Simple foods often make the best foods, as their humble ingredients shine through without pomp or pretense."
 

Recipe

• Lard or coconut oil, for frying

• 1 (8-ounce) package corn tortillas, sliced into 1⁄4 by 1-inch strips

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 3 limes

• Jalapeños, for garnish

• Cotija cheese, for garnish

• Avocado slices, for garnish

• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Line a plate with a paper towel or a cotton kitchen towel.
Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Spoon enough lard into the skillet so that when it melts, it reaches about 1⁄2 inch up the side of the skillet, about 11⁄2 cups.

Once the fat melts completely and begins to shimmer in the skillet, test the oil by dropping a tortilla strip into the hot fat. If the tortilla sizzles immediately in the pan, crisping and turning a golden brown within about 30 seconds, the oil is ready. Working in batches, and taking care not to crowd the pan, fry the tortilla strips until crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortilla strips to the lined plate, and allow them to cool. Turn off the heat.

Place the whole chicken in a large stock pot. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the chicken by 2 inches. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and the meat shreds easily with a fork. Turn off the heat.

Carefully remove the chicken from the pot, setting it on a platter to allow it to cool until it’s comfortable enough to handle.Remove and discard the skin, pull the meat from the bone, and shred it with a fork.

Strain the broth in the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or jar, discarding the solids. Wipe out the pot to remove any stray debris, and then return the strained broth and reserved chicken meat to the pot. Stir in the onion and rice and then bring to a simmer over medium heat. While the soup warms, juice one of the limes and then stir the juice into the soup pot. Continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent and the chicken is warmed. While soup is cooking, finely chop the remaining 2 limes, peel and all.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with the chopped lime, sliced jalapeño, crumbled Cotija cheese, sliced avocado, and tortillastrips.  Serves 8.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Recipe: Chicken in Wine with Mushrooms, Peas, and Herbs

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny McGruther of the Nourished Kitchen. This recipe can be found in her new book, Broth and Stock, which is available now at Amazon or other online retailers.

"Spring arrives in my garden in a fit of sweet English peas, ready for shelling, and aromatic herbs. They marry well together,balanced by cream and mild-flavored button mushrooms. This dish, decidedly one of my favorites, is one I find myself making again and again. Elegant enough for company, but simple enough for a weeknight family dinner, it starts by browning chicken and then simmering it with wine, leeks, mushrooms, and peas until the meat falls off the bone. The broth, enhanced withcrème fraîche, makes a lovely sauce, and I serve this over potatoes."
 

Recipe

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into pieces

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 leeks, thinly sliced

• 1 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 11⁄2 pounds English peas in their shell, or 2 cups frozen peas

• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche

• 1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Warm the butter in the bottom of a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, add the chicken pieces to the pot and brown them, about 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and stir then stir in the leeks and mushrooms. Add the salt to the pot, cover it, and turn down the heat to medium-low. Allow the leeks and mushrooms to sweat together in the heat of the pot until tender, about 8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and then pour in the white wine.Simmer it all together over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.

If you’re using fresh peas still in their shell, shell them while the chicken cooks. Pour them into the pan and then continue simmering them all together until the peas soften and become tender, a further 20 minutes.

If you’re using frozen peas, continue cooking the chicken another 15 minutes and then pour in the peas, allowing them to warm, about 5 minutes more. Stir the parsley and chives into the pot. Turn off the heat, stir in the crème fraîche, season with sea salt, and serve hot.

Reprinted with permission from Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen, written and photographed by Jennifer McGruther, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Natural Solutions for Hormonal Imbalance with Dr. Carrie Jones

You are in for a treat with this interview with Dr. Carrie Jones!  Dr. Jones is a naturopathic physician who specializes in women's health.  She currently works as the full-time medical director for Precision Analytical, Inc, makers of the DUTCH test.  

You have heard me sing the praises of the DUTCH test on a past episode with functional medical practitioner, Ann Melin. DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test of Comprehensive Hormones.  I really like this test because it is a great way to measure adrenal function, female hormone status and detox capacity.

Dr. Jones has looked at many thousands of these tests, and she recaps the common patterns she sees on this episode. She also talks about why and when to take such a test.

Finally, she dishes on all her favorite herbs and supplements for female hormonal complaints.  We put this together in a handy sheet for you. You can get a copy by using the button below:

Click Here for the Hand-Out

Thanks for listening!

Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative

Two Healthy Habits You May Be Missing with Cate Stillman

Our guest Cate Stillman of yogahealer.com explains how modern life tends to create imbalance. When we are disconnected from the Earth and its rhythms, or disconnected from our communities or our values, symptoms can develop.

Though she had studied advanced Ayurvedic principles and yoga, Cate observed that each of her students and clients needed some basic habits in place if they were to heal. Cate has worked with thousands of women and men to help them develop the ten habits needed to thrive.  

She developed a book and program called Body Thrive, and we discuss two of the principles from the book here today.

I love these two practices because they are not commonly discussed or revered in our culture, and they are 'hidden gems' to create health.

Today we discuss the importance of:

• Eating three meals a day without snacking to be in 'rest and digest' mode as often as possible (thus avoiding feeling frazzled)

• Decluttering your space for a clear mind and less anxiety

This is a really fun conversation with both clear tips and strong foundational theory. Hope you enjoy it! 

Here are a few resources we mention on the show:

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Spark Joy by Mair Kondo

Body Thrive by Cate Stillman

How the World Sees You by Sally Hogshead

Body Thrive Webinar with Me and Cate

(free and happening July 13, 12 PM PST)

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

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

The Magic of Yoga and Travel with Alix Northup

My guest this week is an old friend and colleague, Alix Northup.  Alix is a very centered and peaceful person, who is dedicated to the journey of body and mind, and she loves to help others along their own paths as well.

Alix is a certified yoga instructor and a licensed massage therapist. As a teen, she dealt with severe scoliosis, wearing a brace and probably dealing with a lot of frustration around it.

Luckily her mom, who was an MD with holistic leanings, got her to try yoga. She took to it immediately, and stuck with it.

Along the way she also developed a love for travel.  She spent some time in Nepal a few years ago, and there began a seed of an idea to come back and teach.  After some slowdowns and changes, she is excited to be leading a small group on a yogic/ cultural/spiritual journey there soon.

To learn more about Alix, visit her site here.  She teaches yoga and practices massage locally in Portland, Oregon.

Information on her group tours to Nepal can be found here.  The tours to Nepal are happening in October 2016 as well as October 2017.

We also filmed a short, one-pose yoga video here.  This simple pose is great for back pain.

**To enter our iTunes Review raffle, go leave your review at iTunes, and then come back to this link to enter!  Ends 6/30/16.

Click on Image to Get Your Quiz

To get a new interview delivered to your phone weekly, subscribe to our podcast at iTunes or through most podcast players.

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

You Don't Have Adrenal Fatigue by Maria Claps

There are too many people walking around thinking that they have adrenal fatigue. This diagnosis was handed to them after a saliva test and a visit to a holistic clinician. I admit, I used to use this method of testing. I’ve ordered saliva tests on my clients and have coached them in recovering from the maladies of modern day lifestyles, and at that time I too called it adrenal fatigue. It was a good way to learn and it had some value, but the science of lab work is changing.

Many of my clients got better, because when we get adequate rest, deal with our stressors, eat nutrient dense food and take high quality supplements, our bodies usually respond well. But this didn’t mean that they had adrenal fatigue.

So if you don’t have adrenal fatigue, what do you have?

Most likely, you are experiencing a mismatch between your biology and your lifestyle. This shows up in two main ways. The first is nutrition. For the vast majority of our time on earth, we’ve consumed wild game, fish, vegetables, starchy tubers, nuts, seeds and fruit in season. Nowadays, the 6 most common foods in the modern diet are pizza, sugar sweetened beverages, beer, bread, grain based desserts, and fried chicken. This type of diet is inflammatory and is a factor in our modern day chronic unwellness.

The second, lesser known, mismatch between our bodies and our lifestyle is the activation of our stress response system. Our stress response system has two components, the sympathoadrenomedulary system (SAS) which is responsible for our immediate or short term stress response and the HPA axis, which is responsible for our intermediate or long term stress response. The HPA axis consists of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands (in the brain) and the adrenal glands (in the mid back). It helps us process threats to the body (whether those threats are a car accident or refined, nutrient poor food.)

Both of these stress response systems exist for our good. But the protective mechanisms they produce can become harmful over the long term if continually called upon.

Here’s the perfect scenario for understanding this: Imagine you're a hunter gatherer out for a walk on the savannah and all of a sudden a wild boar charges you. It's a good thing that your heart rate, blood pressure increase. It’s a crucial part of your physiology meant to ensure your escape and this your survival. But at the same time these survival mechanisms activate, your digestion and sex hormone production plummet. This is how it’s supposed to be, but it’s a problem when it rarely or never calms down.

Enter the modern lifestyle….traffic, work deadlines, inflammatory food, over-exercise, or its opposite, couch potato syndrome, smoking, OTC drug abuse, lack of rejuvenating activities. The list goes on…I’m sure you get it.

The constant activation of the stress response via the SAS and HPA pathways erodes resilience and paves the way for metabolic breakdown.

The loss of resilience is associated with the modern day disease epidemic and is why stress contributes to so many conditions.

SOME CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC HPA AXIS STIMULATION:

• Depression

• Fibromyalgia

• Excessive exercise

• Diabetes

• Central obesity

• Asthma

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Eczema

• PMS

• Thyroid disease

If you’ve gone to a holistically minded doctor and you’ve got any number of these problems and a saliva test, you’ve probably been handed an adrenal fatigue diagnosis.

The adrenal fatigue model is loosely based on the work of Hans Selye and his general adaptation syndrome theory. Selye explained the progression of stress over time in 3 stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

THE ADRENAL FATIGUE MODEL WITH THE THREE STAGES OF ADRENAL BURNOUT IS LOOSELY BASED ON THIS MODEL:

• Stage 1 of adrenal fatigue is high cortisol with DHEA on its way down.

• Stage 2 of adrenal fatigue is falling cortisol (which is sometimes in the normal range) and decreasing levels of DHEA

• Stage 3 is even lower cortisol and lower DHEA.

“But is the adrenal fatigue concept really accurate?”

— Maria Claps, HHC, FDNP

Not really. Consider two problems with the “adrenal fatigue” diagnosis:

Most people with “adrenal fatigue” don’t have low cortisol levels. The assessment of adrenal fatigue has depended on saliva measurement of cortisol taken at 4 distinct points throughout the day. Cortisol measured in saliva is only 2-5% of our total cortisol production. The vast majority (around 70%) of our cortisol is excreted in urine. This measurement is called metabolized cortisol. Free (salivary) cortisol is NOT the best marker for cortisol production. Metabolized cortisol, however, is a good marker for overall cortisol production.

This would not matter if free and metabolized cortisol was the same. But often, they are quite different.

It’s possible to have low free cortisol and high metabolized cortisol.

Some conditions with associated with low free cortisol and high total (aka metabolized) cortisol:

• Obesity

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Insulin resistance

• Hyperthyroidism

• Active stress response

• Long term glucocorticoid use

Also, it is possible to have high free cortisol and low metabolized cortisol. This is commonly seen in liver damage and hypothyroidism.

***Special note for hypothyroid sufferers: If you get a DUTCH test and it shows up as high free cortisol and low total (aka metabolized) cortisol, you might be getting overdosed on your thyroid medication***

Therefore, a saliva test is an incomplete picture of true cortisol production.

Even when total cortisol is low, it's rarely because the adrenals are tired and unable to produce it. The control mechanisms for cortisol production reside in the brain and central nervous system, not the adrenal glands themselves. The adrenals produce cortisol but the regulatory mechanisms are primarily outside the adrenal glands. Therefore we should not be calling the problem of low cortisol adrenal fatigue, but instead it should simply be called “low cortisol mechanisms”.

Here are two reasons why cortisol production can drop:

1) Down regulation of the HPA axis – when we are exposed to stress for a long time, there can be a down regulation in cortisol receptor sensitivity. This is the body’s attempt to protect itself from the damaging effects of chronically high cortisol levels. The problem with this is that it actually ends up hampering the body’s ability to produce cortisol. This is an adaptive short term mechanism that becomes harmful in the long-term.

2) Impaired cortisol signaling – High cortisol levels will lead to cortisol resistance. This can be caused by a decrease in cortisol receptor sensitivity and/or a decrease in cortisol receptor expression.

With the DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) method of testing, which tests both free and metabolized cortisol, we have a greater understanding of the health of the adrenal glands. (We also get to look at sex hormone production and estrogen metabolite breakdown.)

True adrenal fatigue, if the term is to be used at all, should be reserved for those who have Addison’s disease, an autoimmune inability to produce cortisol.

But for the vast majority of us, our “adrenal fatigue” is simply a miscommunication between the brain/adrenals exacerbated by how we were designed to live (nutrient dense food, infrequent activation of the stress response, plenty of exposure to sunlight, connection with nature) and how many of us actually live (too much exposure to electronic screens, nutrient poor food and go-go-go lifestyles).

So what’s a woman to do?

You can get your adrenal hormones accurately (key word here!) and this is called the DUTCH test. This test uses dried urine to measure hormone levels. Precision Analytical laboratory in Oregon is the maker of this test.

Maria Claps, HHC, FDNP

Found This Interesting? Want To See More?

Sign up to get my guide on fixing your perimenopause hormones because knowledge is power.

This guide has everything I wish I knew when I went into perimenopause. Stuff even your holistic and integrative doctor may not be telling you.

You can get it at www.mariascopes.com.

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Estrogen Boosting Crackers by Magdalena Wszelaki

Magdalena Wszelaki, Certified Nutrition Coach, has shared some great recipes with us for our seed cycling challenge!! 

Try out this Estrogen Boosting Recipe!!

Magdalena Wszelaki

Progesterone Boosting Crackers by Magdalena Wszelaki

Magdalena Wszelaki, Certified Nutrition Coach, has shared some great recipes with us for our seed cycling challenge!! 

Try these Progesterone Boosting Crackers:

Magdalena Wszelaki

Food Sensitivities and Food Allergy Testing with Dr. Carri Drzyga

Food sensitivities are sometimes called "the great mimicker," as they can present so many ways, from brain fog to skin rashes.

According to our guest Dr. Carri Drzyzga, the best way to find out what you are sensitive to is to do an elimination diet.  

Two books we mention as great resources to do your own elimination diet are:

The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas 

The Elimination Diet by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten

We also talk about the pros and cons of blood testing for food allergies and food sensitivities.  There are different labs to consider, and Dr. Carri's favorite is Cyrex labs, as they measure both the cooked and raw version of a food, not just the raw version. The test I like is by Oxford Biomedical, called the LEAP test.

Just to make things more confusing, there are also food intolerances, meaning foods that you don't digest well.  A common one you hear about is lactose (dairy protein) intolerance, which can actually be a sign of SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth.)

We also talk about:

• Gluten and leaky gut

• Stool testing for pathogens

• Food rotation and allergy avoidance

• Dr. Carri's favorite healing supplements

Dr. Carri Drzyzga is known internationally as ‘The Functional Medicine Doc’. She is committed to helping patients find the root cause of their health problems and fix the cause with natural treatments so they can feel normal again.

Her last name is pronounced ‘Driz’-ga’ (it’s Polish), but everyone calls her Dr. Carri.

She has been in private practice since 1996, and is founder of Functional Medicine Ontario in Ottawa, Ontario.

Dr. Carri holds two doctoral degrees—Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine. Additionally, she has training in Functional Medicine and The Kalish Method, and is a Certified Gluten Practitioner. Always an avid learner, Dr. Carri has obtained a level of expertise in her profession that no other doctor in Canada has achieved to date.  

She is currently studying functional neurology.  If you'd like to learn more about functional neurology, check out our past episode with Dr. Peter Kan.

Connect with Dr. Carri at: www.FunctionalMedicineOntario.com.  She can see clients over Skype.  She also hosts a functional medicine podcast you can learn more about here.

To register for the webinar I mentioned on this episode, please go here.

It's happening Saturday 6/18/16 10 AM, PST 1 PM EST.  

This webinar gives you a chance to learn about your cycle and ask questions.  It is also a preview to our upcoming Path to Perfect Periods program.  The deadline to join that program is 6/20/16 here.

Thanks!  Bridgit

Interpreting Your Period Symptoms with Rachel Eyre

Rachel Eyre is a young woman who is of the generation of women that may get their periods quite young due to environmental factors.  Rachel got her period at age 8 or 9, and they came on heavy and painful.  She proceeded to develop an array of troubling symptoms, including severe migraines, and was taking 40 medications at day by age 28.

Luckily for her and us, she turned to natural medicine and educated herself on the causes of women's health woes.  She is now a wealth of knowledge on the following topics:

• What that weird menstrual color means

• Why you might have clots

• A reason behind menstrual headaches

• A reason behind frequent urination

• Alternatives to hormonal birth control

• Uterine positioning and "dancing fallopian tubes"

• The link between dioxin and endometriosis

She will also cover some cool solutions that you can do at home such as:

• Yoni steams

• Castor oil packs

• Abdominal massage

Rachel taught me a LOT on this interview, and I think you'll learn a lot too!

Links:

Rachel's site: thehealthywomb.com

Research site about progesterone and more: cemcor.ca 

Listen here:

The best way to listen to all our expert interviews is to be subscribed through iTunes or most podcast players.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Thanks! Bridgit

Skin Care: Dangers and Possibilities with Denie Hiestand

Denie Hiestand is a natural health consultant, author, research expert, and former successful New Zealand dairy farmer. Denie has spent decades studying the skin and toxins/chemicals in everyday cosmetics and personal care products and identified a strong link between the high usage of chemical personal care products and the growing rates of cancers, infertility, hormone imbalances, allergies and various other modern day illnesses.

In response to his patient’s requests, Denie set about to create a completely pure and natural range of skincare products which not only contained none of the harmful additives found in the majority of commercial products, but equally importantly, contained life-giving, cell nourishing ingredients which feed and nourish the skin.

It took him eight years, many attempts and a big investment of his own money (including selling his wife's car out from under her!) to develop his skincare line, called The Cream.

Denie has a no-nonsense "New Zealand farm boy" style in his communication.  His passion to prevent women from using dangerous skin care products, and his passion to formulate alternative, effective products is evident in this interview.

Here are a few things he shared about conventional skincare:

• Chemicals in skin cream are designed to enter through skin 

• This makes them the #1 source of toxin ingestion- absorbing up to 2.6 lbs a year

• 99% of disease involves toxins 

• 90% of chemicals in use are used in cosmetics

• One month on commercial skincare is worse 10 years of smoking

• In reproductive women, toxins are stored in the fatty acid reserves, which the fetus lives off of in the 1st trimester

• In menopausal women, storage is more in the organs such as the breast

Denie's skincare line is colostrum-based. Colostrum is produced in lactating mammals the first 72 hours after giving birth.  

These days colostrum is being used more a health supplement.  Denie was already aware of the power of colostrum from his experience as a dairy farmer. Colostrum activates the cells, the immune system, and has "electric and zeta potential." It stimulates growth hormone.

Their colostrum is sourced from healthy, grass-fed, antibiotic-free New Zealand dairy cows. The cows produce a surplus, so collecting it is no detriment to their offspring.

Denie and his staff are extending a 20% discount plus free shipping to our listeners through June 30, 2016 with the code HEALTHYSKIN at check-out.  Shop and explore at TheCream.com.  

You can listen to the interview below, and be sure to subscribe to a podcast at iTunes or most podcast players.