Healthy Minute- The Best Fitness Routines For Perimenopause And Menopause

Healthy Minute- Vagus Nerve Hacks

Healthy Minute - God's Method of Healing from the Bible

Healthy Minute- The True Cause of Disease (Part 2)

Healthy Minute- The True Cause of Disease (Part 1)

Healthy Minute - Perimenopause

 There is a mysterious time in a woman's life that spans between 7 and 10 years that not many people know about. This time period is something that almost every woman will go through, and yet it isn't very studied or understood. Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35 and continue until menopause.

An indicator of perimenopause will be a very small change in your monthly cycle. It can be just a day or two shorter than usual for a few months, and then the fluctuations and changes begin. Many women go to their doctor and can only describe themselves as "not feeling right" or "something is wrong with me", and when they get checked out, they're told there's nothing physically wrong with them. This is a sign that you have entered the beginning stages of perimenopause. 

In perimenopause, first progesterone falters. This can give symptoms like not sleeping through the night, anxiety, and periods getting closer together. Then estrogen falters, and we experience more wrinkles, night sweats, low libido. A feeling of disinterest in life is actually a good indicator that you are going through perimenopause.

The symptoms of perimenopause are vast and differ for every woman. They include hot flashes, cold flashes, night sweats, excessive sweating, clammy feeling, weight gain, cholesterol level changes, heart palpitations, mood swings, sleep disruptions, headaches, hair loss, tinnitus, vertigo, frozen shoulder, joint pain, inflammation, headaches, irregular or skipped periods, itchy skin, rosacea, skin plaques, hormonal acne, decreased strength and muscle mass, bone loss, weakened fingernails, changes in the teeth health and gut health, brain fog, exhaustion, depression and anxiety, lack of focus, poor concentration, dizziness, constipation, incontinence, lack of or diminished sex drive, sore breasts, worsening allergies, change in body odor, and these are just a few of the stated symptoms that have recently been acknowledged. All of this from your hormone levels dropping.

The female system that has worked liked a well created timepiece is now stuttering. During your teenage years, your hormones ramp up. Your adrenals, pituitary glands, hypothalamus (HPA axis) along with your gonads (ovaries in women; testes in men), your thyroid, and your gut microbiome all do this amazing dance that cause us to develop the procreation system of the body. For a girl, this begins with the growth of breasts, and then the menses begin about a year after her breast buds show.

During perimenopause this dance winds down, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, testosterone levels drop, in fact, all the hormones are thrown into chaos. Estrobolome has a hard time getting rid of excess estrogen, especially the xenoestrogens that our bodies are accumulating, and estrogen dominance ushers in other heath conditions. Cortisol and thyroid are so out of whack that weight gain occurs. Adrenals mess up, insulin levels go haywire, and your ability to regulate stress falters. And this disorder continues until your ovulation has completely stopped.

Menopause is marked as "one year" of not having a cycle. This means you haven't had a period for an entire 12-months, and therefore you are considered to have gone through menopause. The rest of your life you are in PostMenopause.

Menopause and perimenopause study only get about .03% of the funding for research. The majority of funding is spent on fertility issues. This leaves a lot of women completely ignored in a sensitive time of their lives. 

There was a study done by the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) which was really was only searching for one answer- was hormone replacement therapy beneficial for cardiovascular disease. This study shouted only one result- hormone replacement therapy can cause cancer. This outcome was very constricted as far as the facts that were presented. First, the average age of the participants was 63 years old- these women were well into their menopause years. Next, they didn't look at the overall health of the participants. Many of them were already in poor health because of their age.

There were two different groups of women who were included in this study- women who still had a uterus and women who had a hysterectomy. Half of the women who had a uterus were given both estrogen and a synthetic progesterone. Half of the women who had a hysterectomy were given only estrogen. Half of both groups were given a placebo.

Women who have a uterus need progesterone along with estrogen because of endometrial cancer risks. The progesterone keeps the effects of the estrogen in check. Women without a uterus don't have this risk, and so they only need to be given estrogen.

The group of women on both estrogen and synthetic progesterone showed a slight increased risk in their chance for breast cancer. The numbers went from 4 women to 5 women out of 1,000 had a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Therefore, estrogen was blamed as the proponent that caused this increase since estrogen can feed breast cancer cells. Nothing was said about the synthetic progesterone.

The group of women who only took estrogen, however, saw a decrease in the risk of getting breast cancer. Estrogen doesn't cause cancer. But the mindset regarding estrogen replacement therapy was never questioned or changed. According to a leading researcher for the WHI project, “good science became corrupted and eventually caused substantial and ongoing harm to women for whom proper and useful therapy was either terminated or never began.”

Some people say that HRT can cause blot clots, but this risk can be bypassed by taking a form of estrogen that isn't oral and therefore doesn't go through the liver.

Women who can find a doctor who listens can find help. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is not something to be feared or shied away from. Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone replacement therapy have been shown to enhance the quality of life for many women. Women who start hormone therapy in perimenopause actually see benefits in almost every area of their health- bone, mind, skin, mood, and more.

Note, that a woman has more testosterone in their body than any other hormone. It's just that men have such a higher rate than women that it's looked at as a male hormone.

What to look out for with HRT are more intense headaches, vaginal bleeding (apart from period), or rashes. This is where you start asking if HRT is right for you.

Seeing as how nearly every woman will go through this, what can we do to help besides hormone replacement therapy?

The first thing that I would recommend is for you to get a hormone panel done in your twenties. If you have to pick one day, do it around day 21 or 22 of your cycle, and when you aren't pregnant or breastfeeding or on birth control. This will give your doctor a benchmark for what is normal for your body.

Dr. Sara Gottfried prefers urinary hormone levels and salivary cortisol levels to get the best information. "Sex hormones that I commonly test include estrogen (estradiol), progesterone (tested on day 21 of your menstrual cycle), cortisol (the stress hormone), and testosterone. Additionally, I like to measure the ratio of testosterone to estradiol. For peak estradiol, check on day 12 of your cycle. If your cycles are very irregular, test day 21-22 after a period."

Micronutrients play a huge roll in your hormone production, along with a lot of other functions in the body. Adding in Magnesium and Baja salt can help with your nutrition. If you have trouble with digestion, add in a digestive enzyme.

Exercise is so important. Strength training is great to help with bone density. Also adding in pilates and yoga help with flexibility and balance issues. It can also be great for your stress levels.

Grounding is a wonderful way to help your stress levels. Plus, it gives you a chance to get sunshine and fresh air. 

Add in creatine to your supplement routine. This helps with your bones and muscles.

Get plenty of protein. Most women need at least 70 grams daily.

Eat good fats- avocado, coconut oil, bone broth, eggs, butter, nut and seeds.

Avoid foods that cause inflammation, like added sugars and artificial flavors, and enriched flours. Eat food and not food-like-products.

Intermittent fasting will also help. The recommended fasting is 16 hours of fasting, followed by an 8-hour eating window. Work up to this timeframe slowly by increasing the time 15 minutes until you can achieve 16-hours without feeling like you're starving! Remember, fasting is not for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia or other health disorders that can be affected by long periods without food.

There are a few supplements that can help during this time.

Over time, consistently high cortisol is linked high blood pressure, prediabetes and diabetes, increased belly fat, brain changes such as atrophy of the hippocampus (where memory is synthesized), depression, suicide, insomnia, and poor wound healing.

To help with cortisol:

Eat dark chocolate! Just a couple square with little sugar. You could even eat a couple cacao beans daily.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is another supplement that is a chemical that is important for many functions in the human body, especially in the brain where it protects brain cells and supports memory and cognitive functions. 

Rhodiola Rosea can help with anxiety, fatigue, and depression. Some studies have shown that it may inhibit the growth of lung, bladder, gastric, and colon cancer cells.

Fish oil helps both your heart and your brain. Along with Omega 3's it also contains Vitamins A and D. It also helps your skin health and reduces inflammation.

Taking a little time for yourself daily to destress is also important. Take a bath. Breathe. Whatever you need to do for about 15 to 20 minutes to let yourself relax.

To help your thyroid:

Take Vitamin D plus Vitamin K daily. Most people are chronically deficient in Vitamin D, and this is needed for so many actions in the body.

Add a daily multivitamin with methylated B vitamins. This is very important, especially if you have the MTHFR genetic mutation.

Add 1/4 tsp of Baja Gold Salt to one of your meals. This will provide the trace minerals your thyroid needs for regulation.

You can try the yoga pose Shoulder Stand to help with the blood flow to the thyroid.

To help with estrogen regulation:

Get at least 25 grams of fiber daily. This will keep your gut microbiome healthy which helps get excess estrogen and other toxins out of the body.

DIM helps with getting rid of excess estrogen.

Adding Beets to your diet to help detoxify the liver is another great way to support your estrogen.

To help with low progesterone:

Taking 150 IU of natural Vitamin E can increase progesterone levels.

Using ProGest cream, about a pea sized amount at nighttime for the last 7 to 10 days of your cycle, can also help with upping your progesterone, which helps with PMS, menopause symptoms, and osteoporosis. Progesterone and thyroid hormone help regulate metabolism and normalize the pituitary gland.

For the adrenals:

An adrenal complex can help to support the endocrine system.

Adding in Greens can also help provide the nutrients the adrenals need. They provide magnesium and also help with cortisol levels, which can ease the job of the adrenals.

Some people find that they must cut out caffeine because it further stresses the endocrine system and doesn't allow it time to recover.

Other supplements shown to help with hormones are:

Vitex, or chasteberry, helps with progesterone levels, as well as helping to balance the HPA axis. And it supports progesterone.

Maca helps with libido and energy and can help to balance hormones and decrease hot flashes.

Dr. Anna's Wild Yam Cream is a topical way to help your body balance hormones. Many women claim that it helps with mood, sleep, and bone health. It can be used by both men and women to help your body balance its own hormones, whether something is too high or too low.

Evening Primrose Oil and essential fatty acids to help with skin and joint health.

SAM-e is an amino acid that’s found in foods like egg whites, wild-caught fish, oats and sesame seeds. Your body needs it to make certain chemicals and is an energy-producing compound that acts as a source of fuel within our cells.  It acts on a number of important molecules including hormones, neurotransmitters, fatty acids, DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. In the United States, SAM-e is marketed as a supplement to enhance mood, brain and neural function, joint mobility, and liver detoxification. WARNING, people who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder should avoid SAM-e supplementation as it could make the manic symptoms worse!

As with all supplements, begin with low dose. If it doesn't make you feel right (if you become agitated or have any physical reactions), it may not be for you. If you have any health issues or are taking prescription medication, talk with your doctor first.

 Some good resources for women going through Perimenopause are:

The Pause Blog

Dr Sara Gottfried's Blog

Recommended Physicians

North American Menopause Society

Healthy Minute - The Hormone System and the Female Cycle

This is the most simplistic and yet in depth explanation I've ever heard regarding the female cycle and hormones.

Healthy Minute- Train Like A Lady

 Previously, I did a post on how the female cycle impacted our life. As women, our nutritional needs vary throughout the month. The same goes with our physical fitness needs.

I am going to list some of the best workouts for women. These workouts are great as your body cycles through the hormones. They will take advantage of the highs and lows and also help your body as you age.

Before I get into the workouts, however, we need to talk about heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is what your body can handle without doing damage. It's generally measured in beats per minute. The best formula to find your personal maximum heart rate is to take your age and multiply it by 0.88, now subtract your answer from 206. You now have your maximum heart rate.

Example, if my heart rate maximum is 166 beats per minute, then 80% of  my maximum heart rate would be 133 beats per minute. If I'm giving it 100% My heart rate should go no higher than 170 beats per minute. Then I should take a rest and let it drop to at least 75% of my maximum heart rate (or 124 beats per minute) before pushing it any further.

As with any workout, you want to listen to your body. Do you have the energy to push yourself? Are you nursing a sickness or an injury? Ignoring these will not help you; it may end up costing you! Find what your body needs and do that.

The first workout that I'd like to talk about is HIIT. This stands for high intensity interval training. With this type of exercise, you want to bring your heart rate to 80% or more of your maximum rate. With HIIT the intervals are between 1 to 5 minutes long with 30 second rests between sets. You can extend this rest period up to 2 minutes if your body needs longer.

With HIIT, you will notice that it helps with calorie burn, boosts your metabolism, improves blood vessel function, helps muscle integrity, and can help Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which can help with learning and memory.

Another workout that is close to HIIT only more intense is SIT- sprint interval training. With this exercise you will get your heart rate to 100% in a short period of time. It's an all out sprint usually lasting only 30 seconds or shorter with long rest periods between sets that allow your heart rate to return to normal (for me that's about 80 beats per minute). You would do between 4 to 8 rounds of this at each workout.

The benefits of SIT are wonderful! This type of workout helps your muscles to update glucose. It'll increase lean mass while decreasing fat store. You'll also see improvement in your endurance and reaction time, which is great as you age and find yourself getting a little clumsy.

Probably the one that is most focused on is resistance, or strength training. Lifting with weights or using bands to create resistance is one of the more popular workout types out there. And it does have some great benefits! No, you will not get bulky without outside help (like metabolic hormones). But you will find that it helps with strength, stability, and bone mineral density, as well as increasing lean muscle mass while decreasing visceral fat. 

For women, you want to focus on heavier loads and lower rep counts along with working multiple muscle groups- both large and small. Start with something light, say 3 to 5 pound dumbbells, and see how many reps you can get in. Don't call this the final weight until you see how you feel the next day. Are you sore? Then stick with that weight until you no longer have muscle soreness the next day. Did you feel nothing? Increase your weight until you do. You want to feel like you've used your muscles, not abused them!

Another great workout, that is often overlooked unless you're an athlete is power training. This type of workout increases speed and power. It's usually explosive, hard movements. Think plyometrics- jump squats, medicine ball slam, Plyo pushups, Banded jumps, box jumps, etc.

Why would you want this? Because it helps with muscle quality, mitochondria, bone mineral density, and allows you to absorb impact without excessive damage. The more you incorporate this workout the less likely you will be seriously injured during a fall- which is something we should all care about as we age.

Last, but not least is movement training, or functional movement training. This is something that not many people actively seek out. But when you move your body in various positions through fluid motions in all different ranges and directions, you are helping your mobility and agility. 

How often do you pick something up off the floor and put it up high so that a child doesn't get it? Well, do you focus on proper muscle control while doing that? Movement training can strengthen your body through graceful flowing, dance-like or animal-like movements that help you when you need to squat down or jump to the side, or even move your head quickly so as not to get it knocked on something.

More movement training can keep your joints loose and pliable and your reactions time quicker with fewer injuries. It's important for people of all ages!

You can sign up for a workout program, go to a gym, or workout at home. However you decide to train, you should make sure that you train appropriately for not only how you feel, but also for your level of fitness and personal needs.

Aligning your training with the phases of your monthly cycle may seem a bit daunting, but once you can identify which phase you are in, you can then tailor your training to your energy levels, mood, and physical needs thereby getting the most out of your workout sessions.

There are really four basic types of workouts that you will focus on- Prime, Build, Maintain, and Recover. 

Prime is where we begin; it can be day one or three of your menstrual cycle or even a few days before your cycle begins. It's all about individuality. You are gently transitioning your body out of recovery and into the strength building portion of your workouts. You don't just jump from one to the next, that's where you can injure yourself. It's a lighter/ scaled back version of our strength training workouts which give your body a sort of "warm up" for the days ahead. Concentrate of your form more than your weight or rep numbers.

Build is when your body is ready to move from "warm up" into giving it your all. This is where you will build muscle and stamina while growing your endurance and agility; that means hard workouts more frequently in the week- at least two HIIT or SIT workouts weekly, daily strength training where you are alternating which body parts you are focusing each day on can be achieved, and Power training can also be thrown in once or twice a week if you have the energy! Your motivation should be raring to go and you should be seeing great recovery times after each workout. Don't forget to listen to your body- if you need a rest day then take it. Again, this is as unique as you are.

At or around ovulation, you may notice that you don't feel as strong or as ready to hit it hard. This is when you will transition to the Maintenance phase. In this phase you don't push yourself to fatigue; it's all about maintaining what you've built. Depending on how you feel you may want to lower the weight of the dumbbells with an increase in repetition, or throw a couple rest days between each workout session. Add in more cardio (about three workouts a week) or get some movement training sessions in (yoga and pilates are great during this phase). 

Your body is more focused on the possibility of a baby during this time and that is where it is sending most of its resources. You can do great harm by pushing yourself to the extreme during this phase. Nutrition is at its most important during this time. Listen to your body, recognize its needs, and change your routine as necessary.

Recovery will come at the end of this phase before your cycle begins again. It's a time for movement training to become the star of the show. Rest is a vital part of growth and just as important as training. You should be giving your body the care it needs. Take epsom salt baths and get some time outside (grounding yourself with your toes in the sand or grass) to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Try some Wim Hoff breathing exercises. Gentle activities that help you recharge are the focus of this phase.

If you are going through perimenopause or menopause, then it is more important for you really assess how you feel since your hormones are all over the place. If you feel strong and motivated then go for it up with a build phase workout; if you feel tired and uninspired then pick a workout from the Maintain phase.

If you understand where you are then you can set realistic expectations for your body. Hormonal shifts affect every part of our body- nutritionally, spiritually, and even the way you train. Be mindful of where you are and make adjustments where and how needed. Flexibility is a lady's best friend.

Healthy Minute- Reset Your Hormones

 So, this post took a long time to actually get written. It was a few years of personal living, trying, failing, and learning before I got somewhere that actually helped.

About five years ago I realized something was wrong with my body. I just felt tired all the time, my hair was thinning, and deodorant quit working. I knew I needed some help, but I didn't know where to turn. So, I went to my doctor and told her all these things. She ordered blood tests, hormone panels, and did a female exam. The diagnosis? You are the picture of health! You're probably feeling tired because you have kids.

That was annoying, because I knew something was off. Yeah, I ate healthy. I took supplements. I exercised and got sunshine. I just went back to living life as best as I could with the hand I was dealt. And I slowly got more tired, my joints started to ache, I didn't heal like I should or it took much longer than it should to heal, and I started to pack on the pounds. 

After not being able to walk for a week because I overdid it one day and wasn't healing properly, and  needing to buy new clothing because I had put on 25 pounds, I decided to try another doctor. This time I got some clues. She said that I had a hormonal imbalance and nutritional deficiencies, and that there was a lack of good gut bacteria in my body.

Well, I started doing some research. I read Super Gut by William Davis and started making my own homemade yogurt. I also started adding in scoops off fiber to my diet. Along with these steps, I started to take some probiotics that he suggested. I even added in a modified exercise program to build some muscle and endurance.

While I did notice some benefits, I was still a stuck overweight and the scale was only climbing! Plus, if I worked out too hard, I would find myself  hurting for days while my muscles tried to recover. Then I read the Hormone Reset Diet by Sara Gottfried.

She gave a 21-day hormone reset diet to "defrag" the hormonal hard drive. I figured, "Why not?" I'd already tried going vegan, doing keto, a juice cleanse, and a colon cleanse. What could it hurt?

Here's the basics of it. You eliminate one food group every three days, and continue leaving it out for the duration of the diet. Each group removed correlated to a specific hormone reset.

Days 1-3: Estrogen

• Forgo beef, pork, and alcohol.
• Eat 1 pound of organic veggies daily
• Increase your fiber intake
• Add in good fats

Days 4-6: Insulin

• Limit carbs to between 20g to 49g net daily (subtract your fiber grams from your total carb grams)
• Cut sugar (no more than 15g of natural sugar daily; the kind you find in fruits and veggies)
• Consume clean protein with each meal
• Eat probiotic foods

 Days 7-9: Leptin

• Restrict fructose intake to 20g or less veggies and fruits daily
• Restrict fruits to berries, coconut, avocado, and olives
• Start your day with protein within 30 minutes of waking
• Stop snacking and eat only 3 meals a day

Days 10-12: Cortisol

• Eliminate all caffeine
• No more than one ounce of 80% or higher dark chocolate
• Get at least 20 minutes of sunlight in the morning hours
• Exercise after dinner, but 2 hours before bed (30 minutes; 4 days a week)

Days 13-15: Thyroid

• Cut out all grains
• Eat half of your veggies cooked and half of them raw
• Avoid night shade fruits and veggies
• Only whole fermented, non GMO soy (like natto) is allowed, but limit to twice weekly

Days 16-18: Growth hormone

• Remove all dairy products (including yogurt and kefir)
• Substitute butter with ghee
• Eat your largest meal at lunchtime
• Try to incorporate HIIT workouts

Days 19-21: Testosterone

• Replace toxic products like personal cleansing products, perfumes, and cleaning products
• Start your day with a glass of hot water with lemon juice
• Add in a good multivitamin, magnesium, etc. for what you may be deficient in
• Use real salt and other mineral containing ingredients when preparing your food

It's a pretty easy protocol to follow. And even though it is a little restrictive, it's only 3 weeks long. I decided to do a rotation of four simple salads for lunch and four simple soups for dinner, along with eggs and some veggies for breakfast.

Even though I generally eat very clean and healthy, I do have some areas that need work. My breakfasts generally consist of two eggs made in real butter. My lunches are an Orgain plant-based protein shake with an IQ Bar. I make my own yogurt and fiber blend. And my dinners are generally homemade and contain mostly whole foods but this is where I get most of my dairy in the form of cheese and my simple carbs in the form of rice, white potatoes, and pasta. Changing things up really wasn't that difficult for me since I was already accustomed to cooking my meals from scratch. The biggest challenge would be meal prepping soups and salads to get more veggies into my daily meals. I did have to add in an Orgain shake and an IQ bar just to get all my necessary calories; without them I was barely eating 1,200 a day!

Let me tell you, the caffeine was the hardest hit for me! I was up to four cups a day just to make it through to bedtime. So, when I first read the book, I took a few weeks to slowly wean myself off before beginning the protocol. I started by replacing my fourth cup around 3PM with decaff. Next, I drank only one cup of regular in the morning instead of two. After a few days, I dropped the 3PM decaff. Then, I switched my cup of coffee at work to decaff. By this step, I was ready to begin the diet. The final step was to eliminate my work cup of coffee, and then convert my morning cup of coffee to decaff. By day 10, I quit drinking it all together and was right where I should be with the protocol.

I've been using Limelife skincare products, so I didn't need to remove any toxic skincare. However, the my cleaning products were in need for a reset, so I used the first few days to research which would work for me and then replaced them slowly as our budget could afford.

I found myself with less energy than usual, so I did old school Callanetics along with just a few synergistic weighted exercises (modified for my own health and physical needs). I didn't workout every day because I generally feel pretty tired or I'm surrounded with children and I don't want to be swinging weights or laying down on the floor to get trampled.

I also incorporated a few days of  "grounding"(going outside without shoes and letting my body "connect" with the earth), however in the South, you just get attacked by bugs whenever you're out too long, so I didn't get to do too much of that! 

At night time, I did about 15 minutes of Wim Hoff breathing exercises after my prayers and before trying to falling asleep; I usually prayed throughout doing these when I would remember something I had forgotten to mention earlier.

My last doctor had given me the name of a great multi-vitamin and urged me to take it along with a few other vitamin and mineral supplements. So, I was getting my nutrition covered with the extra Vitamin C and D, plus magnesium and iron. She also encouraged me to include a digestive enzyme into my day so that I could get all the goodies in my food. Let's just say the last 3 days were a breeze!

I got this food journal to help with logging everything. And I used My Fitness Pal app to get the calories, carbs, fat, and protein in each food item. Yes, I did weigh  some of my fresh veggies on a food scale to get an accurate amount for my calculations.

I know that you're probably wondering about the results.

I didn't lose a ton of weight, though the scale did go down about 5 pounds. This is significant because up until this point it has only gone up! I did sleep about an average of 8 hours each night with few wake up period throughout the night, and those were very small compared to the usual half and hour or longer that I was waking. 

My deep sleep isn't the greatest. That's probably because I'm going through perimenopause. You're suppose to get at least an hour and a half of deep sleep so that your body can heal, and I generally don't get much at all. On this protocol I was averaging about 45 minutes of deep sleep.

Would I do this diet again? Yes. I think it's probably a good idea to try at least once a year, if not a few times a year to give your diet and lifestyle a reboot. I'm also incorporating some of these changes into my everyday life, like salads for lunch and more veggies in my dinner.

Who knew messed up hormones could cause so much trouble! I learned so much about working with my cycle to find the balance my body needed. I hope my journey encourages and helps you!

Healthy Minute- The Female Cycle

 

The world today is very backwards. It says that men and women are the same. They are not. It says that they are equal when they are different. What affects a man does not necessarily have the same effect on a woman, and vice versa.

Men were created to work long hard hours in the sun to provide for their family. Their hormone cycle is a lot like the sun. In the early hours of life they start to produce male hormones that wax greater as the sun does towards the noon hours. A man's hormones peak around midlife, and just as the sun slowly slips down towards the horizon, so does a man's hormones in the later years of life.

A woman was made to nurture and flow. Her abilities and priorities change as the family grows, or the children age, etc. Her hormones follow the moon. Just as the moon grows full and then slowly fades to nothing, so too do her hormones each month.

You can view the monthly cycle sort of like the seasons. When you're bleeding you are in the dead of winter. Very few hormones. Things may seem dark and depressing. Then light breaks forth and the rains bring flowers of spring. This is when your body is preparing for the ability to bring forth life. Summer comes following bringing with it the egg that is ready for fertilization. This leads to fall where you gather in your harvest and prepare your family (or your body) for the next season (or pregnancy where you're in a 9 month season of nurturing and growth).

A woman who tries to push herself hard like a man every day will eventually do damage to her body. She needs to learn how to flow with the daily needs of her cycle like the ocean tides flow with the moon. They change throughout the month, and for her health she should also change certain things throughout the month. 

The most important thing is to track your cycle and listen to your body. If you need rest, take it. If you have energy, utilize it. Cravings? Find a healthy way to fulfill them. Stressed? Meditate or try a breathing exercise. Work with your cycle, not against it.

This is my research on this matter and is not be considered medical advice.

Take note of your skin. Not only will your diet and exercise regimen change, but so might your skincare needs. Try to use things with natural ingredients. Notice the signals your skin is giving you. If it burns or makes you break out in angry sores, you shouldn't use it.

Try to consume high quality whole foods throughout all phases, ensure adequate nightly sleep, and get some fresh air and sunshine daily! Take time to breathe throughout the day. Sometimes we just need a quiet moment to gather ourselves.

Please note that the days listed in the graphic above are estimates. Your cycle could be longer or shorter. Your ovulation period may come earlier or later. Try to track your cycle by marking the days of your period. From day 1 of your period to the day before the first day of your period is your cycle. Mine is generally a 27 day cycle. Basal body temperature is also a great way to track your cycle.

Just as the new moon reflects no light, the Menstrual phase (also the Early Follicular Phase) is when your estrogen and progesterone drop, the steroid hormone fluctuates, and you begin to bleed. The beginning is a good time to stretch and relax, but toward the last few days it's a great time for SIT (strength interval training) workouts and strength training with weights. Take individual period symptoms into account for your readiness to train. Moderate to high intensity strength and endurance training is appropriate.

Your diet should be  nourishing foods that build iron and are anti-inflammatory to fight cramps. Think of warm soups, high quality proteins, and healthy fats. It would include bone broth, grass fed beef, wild caught fish, organic chicken, liver, oysters, spinach, chard, kale, collard greens, broccoli, kelp, mushrooms, beets, bell peppers, lentils, adzuki beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, flaxseeds, citrus fruits, strawberries, cherries, pineapple, mango, papaya, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom, cumin, garlic, parsley, curry, liquid aminos, and teas like red raspberry leaf or nettle leaf. It's also a good idea to eat high iron foods with vitamin C during this time.

Eat at least 1 gram of protein for each pound of your ideal body weight. If you want to weigh 120 pounds, then you should eat 120 grams of protein daily. Also, make sure you get some easily accessible carbs around your training sessions along with healthy fats to help fuel your body through your workout.

If you're looking to lose weight this is when you would cut calories. A calorie deficit during this time is most beneficial for weight management. However, being a woman means that your body can easily slip into "starvation mode" where it will pack it on to be able to provide for later. So make certain that your deficit is no more than 10% fewer calories- if you eat 2,000 calories a day, that would be 200 calories less each day.

If you find yourself having heavy period flow due to estrogen dominance (more estrogen than progesterone), add in quercetin and probiotics and avoid dairy. If you're having large clots, try adding in omega 3's, DIM, zinc, and magnesium to your diet; not just during this phase, but continually throughout the month.

It's a good idea to get your hormones check throughout the month to see what is happening with them. If you believe your hormones are off, you will want to get them checked you should aim for these days following the first date of your period according to Dr. Sara Gottfried:

• Estradiol and FSH on day 3
• Estradiol on day 12
• Estradiol and progesterone on day 21 or 22

Since your hormones are at their lowest, self-care is vital during this phase. You may notice that your skin seems dull or that your skin is more dry during this time. Focus on reducing inflammation and encouraging cell turnover. You'll want to use a cleanser that works to not only clear your pores, but also hydrate your skin, possibly an oil cleanser. Add in a witch hazel or apple cider vinegar toner. You may want to add a resurfacing product containing lactic acid. Follow with a good moisturizer.

Next comes the Late Follicular phase. This is after your period ends but before you ovulate. It's like the time as the moon starts waxing towards full. Your hormones are still low, and the pituitary gland releases the follicle stimulating hormones. As estrogen starts to rise and progesterone remains low, moderate to high intensity strength and endurance training is appropriate. This is a good time for very active Yoga, Cardio, Plyometrics, and anything that gets you moving and sweating! The rise in estrogen can help you work harder and recover quicker.

With estrogen, we want to use it and lose it. Ovulation overwhelm, or anxiety during ovulation, happens when your estrogen surges and crashes and isn't countered properly by progesterone. This is common during perimenopause because of the hormones going all over the place.

You can help your body to calm down by doing physiological sighs (exhale stimulation) or Wim Hoff breathing (inhale stimulation) which can help calm the nervous system.

To help you lose estrogen, you should focus on the liver and kidneys as well as the gut since they detox estrogen. So avoid alcohol, get properly hydrated, avoid endocrine disruptors (check the EWG app or website to see the toxicity of common household products), and add some good gut friendly foods like fiber, fermented probiotic foods, and cruciferous veggies.

The diet here is more fresh and light. Healthy fats, iron, and zinc are especially important during this phase. You'll need energizing foods to help with that activity. Eat  grass fed Beef, wild caught fish, organic chicken and turkey, pastured lamb, free range eggs, chia seeds, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, banana, apple, apricot, kiwi, blueberries, sugar snap peas, kale, green beans, green peas, carrots, sprouts, artichoke, parsley, beets, sweet potato, brown rice, complex carbs, flax seeds, along with probiotic-rich fermented and pickled veggies, sauerkraut, kimchi, and holy basil. A good drink to add in would be milk thistle tea.

You may notice that your skin is glowing during this phase. Most of the time this phase is when our skin looks its best! Focus on skin nourishment and skin treatments during this phase. Think about adding in an exfoliating scrub once or twice a week. A gentle cleanser, a mask with vitamin C, keep up the lactic acid treatments, moisturize, and don't forget your sunscreen!

Like a full moon shining brightly, now comes ovulation which kicks off the luteal phase. This day is not always the exact center of your cycle. I tend to have a shorter follicular phase and a longer luteal phase. There's a slight rise in body temperature. The main thing you will notice is that you are "wet" (your discharge is almost egg white consistency) and you may need to wear a liner and change it often. This is due to a rise in estrogen and a spike of testosterone. While estrogen and testosterone are at their peak take advantage with your strength training by utilizing max effort, low volume. Bring your endurance training to moderate effort while focusing on proper form to mitigate the increased risk of injury during this phase- HIIT, zone 2 training (longer/ slower workouts) yoga.

You will need more calories during this time- around 100 to 300 daily. Eat your complex carbs before your workouts. And get some Lucien rich protein within 30 minutes of your workout- salmon, chickpeas, eggs, nuts, and beef. Try eating grass fed beef, wild caught fish, free range eggs, shellfish, quinoa, red lentils, cauliflower, broccoli, all greens, tomatoes, asparagus, brussel sprouts, chard, okra, dandelion, bell pepper,  eggplant, zucchini, squash, lettuce, cucumber, radish, watermelon, coconut, grapefruit, papaya, berries, goji berry, maca, ginger, micro-greens, spirulina, turmeric, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, chia seeds and teas containing burdock root and dandelion root and add in detoxifying and fermented foods.

The same skincare rules will apply here in the ovulation face as you followed in the follicular phase. 

After ovulation there is a huge flood in progesterone and a bump in estrogen. The beginning of the moon waning back to quiet night. If you aren't pregnant, this is where you can get bloating and all those icky PMS symptoms. During the last part your serotonin will drop making you feel emotional and down. As progesterone rises and work output beings to feel more difficult lower the weight and increase the repetitions per set. Longer endurance training with less intensity. You'll want a light to moderate workout like hiking, pilates, or yoga. Use more of your body weight instead of actual dumbbells.

Try cooling the palms of your hands between exercise sets, get in the sauna post exercise, or take a hot shower/ bath before bed. Tart cherry juice and tryptophan can be taken for better sleep. And you can get low angle light in the morning for between 10-30 minutes. This is unfiltered blue/ yellow contrast of the early morning that helps with your circadian rhythm. Also avoid bright lights and electronics after the sun goes down.

If you find recovery is not that great you can use box breathing, massage, or 5 to 10 mg of creatine monohydrate daily. This will pull water back into the cell. It can be taken all throughout your cycle for recovery.

Your diet needs to contain a lot of liquid because there will be a decrease in your blood plasma volume, good sources of calcium and magnesium rich foods, good quality fats, and keeping that 100 to 300 more calories daily. Don't forget your complex carbs before your workouts followed by Lucien rich protein within 30 minutes of completing your workout. You need to increase your intake of Vitamin D during this time- think of adding in cod liver oil and egg yolks. You'll still want the detox foods but add in dark chocolate and up your protein to assist in maintaining muscle and strength as your body prepares to bleed! Your diet should contain Bone broth, grass fed beef, wild caught tuna and salmon, organic chicken, shellfish, kale, chard, arugula, cabbage, avocado, figs, raspberry, oats, sweet potato, carrots, banana, plantain, quinoa, brown rice, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds pistachios, maca, black beans, chickpeas, great northern beans, navy beans, dark leafy greens. Good teas would be red raspberry leaf or ginger spice. 

The late luteal phase, right before you begin your period, can be problematic for some women. Our bodies have been hard at work providing us the energy to build strength, and if needed, create new life. We can easily get stressed and overwhelmed during this time. If we aren't expecting a baby, our bodies will need to evacuate the hormones (use it and lose it, remember). Our nutrients can get all out of whack if we aren't careful. Focus on nourishing, restoration, and getting adequate sleep along with detoxing.

Adding in magnesium (150-250mg) and zinc (45 mg) during this time can really help. If you find you get fever blisters before your period you can add in the amino acid L-Lysine. You should also increase your protein intake.

For those with trouble sleeping, tart cherry juice is amazing and it's full of antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory. Just 30 mg morning and night with 2 grams of Omega 3's can really help with the late luteal drag; take this through the end of your bleed cycle. 

Other adaptogens to consider during this time are: 

• ashwaganda (evening 250-300 mg), great for reducing cortisol and increasing LH, T3, T4; this can be taken throughout your cycle if you have problems with these hormones
• holy basil (500 mg twice daily), helps reduce cortisol, improves energy, anit-inflammation, boosts immune system, pain killer, but it also is an anti-fertility herb so avoid if you have fertility problems
• rhodiola rosea (640 mg in the morning) helps with fatigue, cognitive function, depression, and anxiety
• schisandra (500 mg daily) helps with estrogen detox, can help with blood sugar regulation, and endurance; can be taken throughout your cycle

You may find your skin is oilier or your skin tone becomes uneven during this phase. You may sweat more, and breakouts may occur. Focus on reducing oil and clearing out pores. Utilize clay masks to remove toxins from your pores. Try exfoliating with peels instead of scrubs. A good cleanser, some charcoal-based masks, salicylic acid, and a light application of moisturizers, or alternating your moisturizers!

Epsom salt baths are amazing for both detox and relaxation!

Here, the cycle begins again. You may notice that in these later luteal phase days and the beginning of the menstrual days your energy is sapped. You feel tired and maybe even a little depressed. This is when you really need to listen to your body. Unload during this phase focusing more on skill-based work. Just as the falling leaves of autumn signal that winter is on the horizon, so too is your body alerting you to the fact that your menstrual phase is about to begin. Allow it the rest it needs. Feed it the nutrients it craves. And watch your health blossom!

Healthy Minute- Reset Your Gut For Better Health

 Our gut is being referred to as the second brain. The bacteria in the gut can actually send signals to our brain and tell us to crave things when your body needs something. If your gut is full of rouge bacteria then it can send signals to crave sugar and junk foods, but if it is full of good bacteria then it will let you know when you need specific nutrients through a craving for certain foods.

When the gut is full of those bad bacteria, it can cause digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, sleep issues, skin rashes, allergies, fatigue or sluggishness, foggy brain, and even changes in our weight! IF this continues it can lead to leaky gut.

Our gut biome houses many different microorganisms. In fact, there is more bacteria in your gut than cells in your body! These bacteria can have an effect on our hormones- in fact, dopamine, melatonin, and serotonin all begin in the gut.

The link between our microbiome and our immune system is strong. In fact, when there is an imbalance in the gut, it will generally show up in the skin in the form of acne, eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea. This is because there is also a skin biome that is your body's first line of defense. When the skin barrier is showing signs of distress it means that internally your immune system is out of balance. When you heal your gut, you'll find that your skin will begin to clear up.

If you are going to have an impact on your gut, then you are going to need to change your perception of certain foods. We need to remove the foods that can harm the gut biome and replace them with foods that help the gut biome. Healing our gut will take some time.

The main rules to follow for gut health:

• No processed foods
• No dairy
• No GMO soy 
• No Corn
• Avoid all wheats and grans
• Avoid natural and processed sugars as well as sugar substitutes
• No emulsifying agents
• No alcohol
• Try to get 30 different plant foods each week

If you are allergic to any specific food groups- eggs, peanuts, etc- make sure that you completely eliminate them from your diet.

Emulsifying agents such as polysorbate80, carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, lecithin, and sodiumstearoly lactylate can have an adverse effect on the mucosal lining of your small intestines. You need this mucus to keep the bad bacteria from permeating the intestinal wall.

The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. However, over time if we don't take care of it and nourish it properly then that ability will be stunted, and we will start to develop problems. The GAPS diet is an amazing way to heal your gut biome and is very close to what I am mentioning here. Only I give a few more details in this post.

The main triggers for gut dysbiosis and food intolerances are the above-mentioned ones. An elimination diet, where you remove these foods from your diet for a month, then slowly add them back in will help you identify which foods you react to. Some foods can be reintroduced once your gut has healed; some you will find that you need to avoid for the foreseeable future.

Other foods to limit would be caffeine, or coffee, plus pork. 

Foods to add in would be fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, or kombucha. Plus, getting the correct amount of water for your body (half your weight in ounces). 

Kefir is amazing for helping to repopulate your gut biome with good bacteria and yeasts. It can stay alive in the stomach and pass into the intestines where it takes up residence and gets to working helping clean up the neighborhood!

You will also want to manage stress levels. You can do this by getting at least 5 minutes of sunshine a day, take time to breathe and relax, and get some good low-impact workouts in each day.

Foods to include in your diet if you aren't allergic to them:

• L-Glutamine
• Collagen
• Bone Broth
• Gelatin
• Moringa
• Ashwaghanda
• Ginger
• Chia Seeds
• Flax seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Hemp Seeds
• Curcumin
• Capsaicin
• ProBiotics  and PreBiotics like FOS
• Liquid coconut oil

Bone broth and gelatin should become staples in your dietary regimen. Both contain collagen that helps with anti-aging, and when you hit 40 you're going to need to start adding that into your diet. Not only do these help with your digestive and skin health, but they also helps with your bones and connective tissue! So, why wouldn't you want to make this a daily part of your dietary regimen? 

Try to get good fats and oils- like coconut and olive oil (not heated)- in your daily diet, along with a high does of Vitamin D (around 5,000 units) and a good dose of EPA & DHA (around 3,000 mg). Adding in around 450mg of elemental magnesium is helpful. Just make sure you get one of the following forms- malate, glycerophosphate, glycinate, chelate, or citrate, which are among the best absorbed and have the least potential for causing loose stools. If you are hypothyroid then add in a daily helping of 350 - 500 mc kelp.

Tips to help you meal plan:

• Keep it simple.
• Repeat recipes.
• Keep lots of fruits and veggies on hand.
• Make sure you have enough kefir and bone broth to add into your smoothies and meals.
• Prep a day in advance.

Another good idea is to keep a food journal and track how you feel after eating certain foods. Did you sleep well? Was there cramping or excess gas? Did you break out in acne or a rash? A food journal helps to identify what foods you ate when these problems occurred. 

It's not impossible to be a healthy adult or to raise healthy kids! In general, it takes about 9 weeks to start seeing improvement (if your gut microbiome is severely damaged it could take up to 6 months before you see results). Detox symptoms could include nausea, headaches, sleeplessness, itching, or emotional mood swings like anxiety, depression, or even fatigue. These can begin around days 3 to 5 (and again around days 30 to 40 in those with severe microbiome damage).

You could also keep track of your weight and measurements. Pictures are another good way to track your progress.

If you would like to make your own Keto shake mix you can follow this recipe.

For more information, check out the book Super Gut by William Davis.

Healthy Minute- Vitamins

 The body needs many different things for it to remain healthy. Fresh air and sunshine, vitamins and minerals, and even exercises and sweating all contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

This is by no means an exhaustive study, and I encourage you to do your own research.

In doing this study, I've learned a lot about different vitamins and how they are absorbed into the body. Our food industry has kind of taken over our common sense and short circuited our thinking about healthy food. They say "drink milk" because the calcium is good for bones, but they don't tell you what else your body needs for healthy bones. The truth is that magnesium and Vitamin K2 (called activator X by Dr. Weston Price) is very important for your bone health.

Fermented Natto is very high in K2 and helps the body against bone loss and heart problems, it's also good for the skin helping with elasticity. This nutrient should be added into the diet multiple times weekly. You can take it as a supplement (Vitamin K2- MK-7 is the formulation best absorbed by the body).

Vitamin K2 is best absorbed when taken with Vitamin D3 and fats; In fact, vitamins A, D, E, and K are best absorbed when taken with fats. These fat soluble vitamins are stored in  the liver for up to six months and can be utilized when needed by the body. The exception to this rule is Vitamin K2.  Vitamin K may be stored by fat cells, however, the body rarely stores large amounts of Vitamin K, so we must continually get new stores through our diet and gut flora.

Vitamin B12 is best absorbed when taken on an empty stomach; take Vitamin C about 2 hours later since it can inhibit absorption of Vitamin B12. Acid reflux medicine, ulcer medications, Metformin, and certain antibiotics also interfere with absorption of Vitamin B12.

Biotin absorption is inhibited by a substance found in egg whites.

However, most B vitamins are water soluble and don't require food to be taken with them.

Vitamin C is also a water soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb iron (but inhibits the absorption of B12). Iron levels must be above 70mg/ day for optimal hair growth, any lower and your body will take the nutrients from your hair first.

Water soluble vitamins are used up and/or expelled from the body daily and therefore must be replenished often.

Calcium should not be taken as a vitamin supplement. It will bind with the plague in your blood and cause problems. This mineral is best gotten through food sources.

Men should not take iron supplements. They are toxic to the male body. A female that is anemic can take iron glycinate- this form is gentle on the stomach and highly absorbable.

The best magnesium to take is L-threonate. This form gets directly into the cells. All other forms tend to stay in and exit the digestive tract.

I've assembled a list of vitamin supplements that I think will be most beneficial. I like the liquid or gummy versions because I believe they absorb better. I've tried to limit where you would need to go to get all of these, so I've limited it to 3 stores.

As always, getting your vitamins from food is the best- so always vary your daily dietary intake with many different fruits, veggies, grains, and meat sources.

Mary Ruth Morning Multivitamins

Mary Ruth Nighttime Essentials

Mary Ruth Probiotics Beauty Plus

Mary Ruth Gut Flora Enzymes

Mary Ruth K2 and D3 Gummies

Naturelo Vegan Iron with Vitamin C

Nutrizing K2

Dr Ohhira Probiotic

Taking all of the vitamins listed will give you 100% of the daily recommended value of all vitamins, plus 25 mgs of iron (via Naturelo Vegan, which is easy on the stomach), and 200 mgs of K2 (adding in Nutrizing K2 adds another 600 mgs of K2), and taking the two Mary Ruth probiotics plus the Dr Ohhira Probiotic will provides 21 different strains of probiotics.

If you want the simplest, and fewest options for maximum health benefits, then I would say Mary Ruth Morning and Evening vitamins plus the Beauty Probiotic (4 strains) and the K2 gummies is around $135 per month without autoship. I do recommend that you add in the Mary Ruth Gut Flora health (11 strains), at least.

If you notice my chart above, you'll see that there are colors across the top. Yellow indicated morning and Blue indicates evening, which is when I suggest you take each one.

Also listed in the chart is a dental probiotic that is recommended in the book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. If you have problems with your teeth, then I suggest you add this in. You only need to chew one tablet before bed daily (after you've brushed your teeth).

For those with the MTHFR genetic mutation, you may want to consider methylated vitamins, especially folate and B12. A good multivitamin for this would be Metagenics PhytoMulti. Contrary to how it looks, “MTHFR” is not an abbreviation for a popular curse word, but a shortened form of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Individuals with this may present with elevated homocysteine levels, which have been associated with inflammation and heart disease, birth defects, difficult pregnancies, and potentially an impaired ability to detoxify, along with nutrient deficiencies in Folate, B6 and B12.

Anyone who has the MTHFR gene, and is having trouble getting pregnant can add EB-N5 twice daily for 2 months, and then stay on one pill daily. It will help!

Anyone who has ADHD or ADD can add L-Tyrosine and a methylated B-complex to their diet. Within a month you will see a major difference! HiYa children's chewables has methylated B12 and methylated folate.

For those fighting cancer, I recommend adding Protandim 2 and DIM to your daily regimen. Two pills of each daily. They won't interact with chemotherapy.

For hair and skin, there are some other nutrients to consider adding to your diet if you're having issues.

• Saw Palmetto and Red Clover help to suppress the formation of DHT in the body. DHT is believed to enable hair loss.
• Bamboo is great for skin care and hair growth as it contains a lot of silica.
• Ashwaghanda taken internally is also good for hair growth and it helps with stress.
• Red Clover oil is to be used topically along with Indian Goosebury (Amla) oil and Rosemary essential oil for hair growth. Also good for hair is Bhringraj oil.

Healthy Minute- First Aid Kit for Mom

As a mom, I constantly find myself playing doctor or nurse with one of my little ones. It's amazing how many times there's a cut or a scrape, a fever or a sore throat. It seems every time I turn around there's a need for a bandaid or medicine.
As a wife and woman, I sometimes need to get my husband an antacid or find myself some headache medicine. And, we're not always at home when it's needed- my purse has never been one of those small clutches!
The most aggravating thing is trying to find a med-kit that supplies all my needs for on-the-go care.
So, I've had to build my own over the years. It changes as the years go by and the children grow, but some things remain constant.
If you have a specific health problem, then always pack some of those medicines for emergency purposes- inhalers for asthma, insulin and glucose for diabetes, blood pressure or heart medicines, etc.
I thought I'd share with you the things that I find most important to keep on hand in my "Mommy Med-Kit":

• Pepto Bismol
• Pepcid Complete or Tums
• Gas X
• Benadryl
• Dramamine
• Sudafed PE Day and Night (or some day/ night version of cold medicine)
• Tylenol
• Ibuprofen
• Excedrin
• Midol or other Menstrual Cramp medicine
• Allergy Eye Drops
• Cough Drops
• Inhaler
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent wipes
• Antiseptic (usually hydrocortizone cream and triple antibiotic ointment)
• Burn Cream (usually something with silver in it)
• Bandaids of various sizes and purposes
• Gauze Pads and/ or Roll
• Medical tape
• Elastic Bandage Wrap
• Instant cold pack compress (if I can fit it in)
• Safety Pins (big ones that you'd use for cloth diapers)
• Scissors 
• Good metal tweezers
• Tissue travel pack 
• A couple female pads and liners (tampons if you use those)

Many times you can find small travel containers or packets of most of these items. Keeping them all together in an easily organizable bag really helps. If you don't carry a large purse or diaper bag, you may want to keep something in your car- just make sure your materials won't melt in the heat.

Healthy Minute- GAPS diet

GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. It is a protocol created by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride to heal your gut thereby healing certain health problems created by an imbalance in the intestines.
Dr McBride used this diet on her autistic child and found that it cured him not only of his stomach ailments, but also his autism. She has since recommended this diet to anyone who has issues with any sort of stomach, intestinal, and neurological disorders.
This diet is a very restrictive diet that some people may need to be on for years.
You can order Dr McBride's book which is exhaustive if you want all the science background to this diet. Or, if you only want the protocol in simple steps you can get GAPS Guide by Baden Lashkov.
The basic premise of this diet is to heal the gut through easily digested healing soups made with bone broth while growing and regulating your good intestinal bacteria. Slowly, you will add foods back into your diet as long as your body can handle them. This sounds tough, but if you're dealing with severe symptoms this diet will quickly get control of them and eventually take them away permanently!
Since others have a lot of good research out there, I'm going to include their links:

GAPS introduction stage

GAPS experience review

GAPS stages

GAPS website

Healthy Minute- Hormones and Aging

When God created our bodies, he created a fine tuned machine that had many parts all working in conjunction. People who believe in evolution usually ruin their ability to understand the human body because they tend to focus on one part as if it was autonomous from the rest of the body.
When we accept that our bodies were created as a single entity with multiple, dependent functioning parts we can then begin to learn how to have a healthy life.
Hormones are one of those little parts that effect many different areas. Our hormones are mainly looked at as making us a boy or a girl which grows into a man or a woman and then have something to do with procreation. But, they go beyond that. Our hormones can affect our mood, our use of vitamins and minerals, and our breakouts of acne and beginnings of osteoporosis.
Keeping our hormones in balance will go a long way to ridding the body of many ills.
Just speaking about hormones, you may think of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Sadly, most people only know of those three, and yet there are many more that are needed in our bodies. These working in harmony cause the body to function as flawlessly as a fallen creation can. But, when they are all out of tune and running wild or sitting idle they can wreck havoc on our entire being.
Progesterone is probably the most valuable of the hormones. Progesterone is synthesized in the body and is a precusor for the body to make corticosteroids and testosterone. Even though this hormone is made in copious amounts during pregnancy, this hormone is neither specifically male nor female as both genders need it.
The main role of progesterone is to oppose and balance estrogen. Progesterone production begins to drop as you age, but this hormone can flatline much earlier than any of the others causing some serious disfunction in the harmony of the body. Progesterone in the proper amount  not only protects women against fibrocystic breasts and endometrial cancer, but it also helps us use fat for energy, stimulates bone building, acts as a natural antidepressant, and even helps prevent prostate cancer in men. And those are just a few of the amazing things it does.
If you think you may be low on progesterone, you can buy a transdermal cream. Progesterone is highly fat soluble, and a good progesterone cream works better than any oral supplement. Read John Lee and Jesse Hanley's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause to find out how to properly use the cream.
The most abused hormone on the market today is probably estrogen. Estrogen is needed in the female body to help with all of the lady organs as well as stopping the growth of long bones in both men and women. However, too much estrogen will make you bloated, moody, and give you insomnia.
Estrogen dominance is when this hormone runs rampant in the body to the exclusion of others. And it can cause so many problems from allergies to autoimmune disorders, cancer of the sex organs and breasts to thyroid dysfunction, hair loss and headaches to mood swings and osteoporosis. It's very scary stuff, and yet, doctors prescribe estrogen to their patients without a balancing progesterone to keep it in check. It's in so much of our food and water that it's cause so many problems in men, women, and animals!
If you are on estrogen and you aren't using a progesterone cream, you should really research the effects of too much estrogen on your body!
Another hormone that I've rarely heard mentioned is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). DHEA and progesterone are used by the body to make estrogen and testosterone. This hormones helps with our energy and immune functions and moods. Many ailments like cancer, heart disease, allergies, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases pop up as our levels of DHEA drop.
If you are thinking of supplementing with DHEA, choose a low dose of 5 to 10 mg daily, and don't buy products that say DHEA precursors because there's no guarantee your body with use it to create it's own DHEA. Careful though, because this hormone can have a masculinizing effect on women like male pattern baldness and growth of facial hair.
Pregnenolone is another rarely heard of hormone which your body makes from cholesterol. This hormone seems to have some benefits on rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in low doses, but it should be taken under direction of a health care professional.
You may have heard a lot about Corticosteroids. Cortisol happens to be a big conversation piece when talking about stress. That's because these hormones respond to anything that signals stressors in our body.
But, you may not know that these hormones regulate immune responses, oppose insulin, and stimulate conversion of proteins to glucose. They can even help regulate mineral balance.
But, when our bodies are under constant stress, it can lead to high levels of cortisol in the blood stream which can result in Cushing's disease, hypertention, and osteoporosis. Some doctors even think that it may be the primary cause of Alzheimer's and dementia.
Testosterone is thought of as a man's hormone, but women actually need this one just as men need a little estrogen. Men and women decrease in their production of all hormones as they age and this is why we start to "look" old.
As men age, the start to notice the effects of lower hormones like weight gain, breast and prostate enlargement, and sometimes prostate cancer. Testosterone can be converted in the body to DHT, and while the original testosterone hormone will protect a man against certain ailments, DHT will not. You can supplement with saw palmetto extract to try to inhibit this conversion.
Unlike other hormones, testosterone is only available by prescription.
And, lastly there in Androstenedione. That one is not fun to type of try to say! This is a steroid hormone that is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. It is secreted by the adrenals and the ovaries in women.
Body builders have known about this one for a while, and sometimes supplement it to boost their testosterone levels and increase the muscle mass. Doctors think it may also help in maintaining the bones and protecting them from bone loss. However, they can have a very masculinizing affect on women, especially when combined with DHEA or testosterone supplement.
All of these hormones working at the right time in the proper amounts give us some wonderful things. They allow us to build bone and muscle, get pregnant and grow a child in the womb, and much more. But, if even one of these hormones is out of whack then the whole symphony of our bodies sounds like a horror movie concert!
If you want more information, I suggest you read John Lee and Jesse Hanley's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause to see the best ways to test for each hormone and whether or not you need to think about supplementing. Women actually start the premenopausal stage of life in their late 30's and early 40's so it's never to early to start learning about what's coming and how to help our bodies through it.

Healthy Minute- Tincture for Allergies

I suffer from allergies almost all year round. It wasn't bad when I was in Florida, but the day I moved to Louisiana it got so bad that I was in bed for three days!
I was stuck on Zyrtec and Sudafed daily. I wanted badly to find something natural that would work. 
I tried taking alfalfa pills, but I'd have to take around 15 a day for it to touch my allergies. 
Next, I tried local honey. But, at $20 a quart it's almost as pricey as the pharmaceuticals!
I read about certain herbs that would help with allergies, and here's what I found:
I already took horehound in my natural cough drops. They worked wonders for my sore throat, and helped to clear up congestion. It's great for combating every day allergies and post nasal drip.
Then, I learned that Nettle and Goldenrod can combat histamine and inflammation. (Please note that if you're allergic to any flower in the daisy family, you'll want to avoid using Goldenrod!)
Lastly, I found that Goldenseal works in tangent with Horehound and Goldenrod to remove mucus, plus it's antibacterial and antifungal.
Mixing these together and taking a tincture of it daily helps to control those awful allergies!
Please, be careful when using herbs that you've never taken before. Put a drop of the tincture on your skin and watch for any adverse reactions. Another caution, don't go our and forage for your herbs unless you are trained to do so- some plants can be extremely harmful! It's better to order from a reputable source.

Tincture recipe:

​High-proof alcohol (80-100 proof)- vodka or brandy works well.

dried Goldenrod, Nettle, Horehound, and Goldenseal herbs

A quart sized mason jar with a tight-fitting lid

Small, dark glass bottles for storing the tinctures

A fine strainer

Fine cheesecloth or muslin

A bowl or glass measuring cup with a spout

A small funnel

Start by filling your mason jar about halfway with the herbs; use equal parts of each dried herb. 

Now, fill the jar with your alcohol. You want at least 2 parts alcohol to one part herbs.

Now, set your jar in a cool, dark, dry place. If you have trouble remembering, label the jars with the date and what is in them, or mark the date on your calendar.

During the first week, give the jar a small shake every day to make sure that all of the herbs are getting into the alcohol. Let the jar set in your cool, dark place for 6 weeks.

Strain the herbs out of the alcohol through a fine mesh strainer with a piece or two of muslin or cheesecloth. You want to reserve the liquid without any herbs left in it.

Using the funnel, pour your tincture into your tincture bottles.

Label and store away from direct sunlight.

Take a half a dropperful, 30 to 45 drops, daily.

If store properly, these tinctures can last 7 to 10 years!