Professional & Entrepreneurial woman are busy. Busy doing ALL the things. But we deserve to finally prioritize ourselves and we're smart enough to know we need to save ourselves time and energy by finding an expert guide on our journey. I help reduce your decision-fatigue, your confusion and your overwhelm and increase your long-term success and results. SMALL STEPS EVERY DAY. Go from knowing what you should be doing — to actually doing it!
An allergen-friendly plant-based recipe with key nutrients to help manage acne and eczema.
Important nutrients for skin health include zinc, antioxidants, and polyphenols. This recipe is high in fiber and low glycemic with no added sugars to help manage insulin levels.
Anyone ever feel this way?? Anyone ever been called any of the above? I’m sure I’m not alone in saying YES to either of those questions.
Sad but true. And why you may ask yourself? It’s hormones is our answer much of the time. We say it sadly, with resignation, almost an anger. Why us we lament? It’s just part of being a woman some say while they shake their head sadly.
Well, I’m here to say – bullshit on that. Yes we have fluctuating hormones throughout the month – but they are a gift, a superpower. NOT a curse. And when managed properly, they bring us the vibrancy, the zest for life, the energy, the confidence, the beauty and the peace and happiness we seek. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to view our hormones as something to be fought, to be subdued, to be controlled. In reality, our hormones are a gift. When we support them and work with them, we are unstoppable. When we understand them and nurture them, our hormones begin working for us, rather than being perceived as the enemy.
Each one of us has the power to take back the power and to get our hormones working in our favor. To get you started on this quest, here are the basic tenants that you should focus on:
1. Get your blood sugar under control
2. Nurture your adrenals
3. Support your organs of elimination
Each step should be done in order as they build upon each other.
Why is stable blood sugar important? Unstable blood sugar is the most pervasive underlying cause of hornonal problems. High blood sugar & low blood sugar both cause hormonal havoc within your body. Your body works to keep itself level (in homeostasis). Your body sees mismanaged blood sugar as a stressor. (Which is this step makes the second step easier). When your blood sugars aren’t balanced it not only contributes to a host of illness, disease, and weight gain – but it throws the communications with other hormones & other endocrine system organs out of balance. Remember: Blood sugar levels aren’t managed by accident!
Tips for Managing Blood Sugar:
Eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Don’t skip meals! Choose the right foods – include protein and a healthy fat with each snack or meal
Know how to course correct – for example when you’ve had too much, move your body to help use up the excess glucose floating around
Don’t cut out carbs altogether! Your brain needs glucose for fuel. Eat complex carbs in proper portions
Pay attention to how YOUR body responds to the foods and timing of what you are eating! When you notice – you can then respond
Your adrenals -the HPA axis (hypthalamic-pituitary-adrenal) – they matter! The HPA axis is your body’s control center for your stress response (& all the hormones associated – cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine etc.). Chronic stress (such as we often experience in today’s world) overworks and overloads this communication pathway. Leads to a hormonal mess going on within your body. Adrenals also produce aldosterone (blood pressure regulation; electrolyte balance) and DHEA (anti-aging hormone & precursor to estrogen and testosterone, boosts libido & energy) among other important hormones.
Tips to support your adrenals:
Balance blood sugar (see tips above)
Improve your sleep and sleep patterns
Move your body throughout the day
Have an orgasm (it’s fun & your body gets a great cortisol flush to relieve stress)
Create calming rituals or experiences for yourself around everyday stressors – for example while paying bills, driving, or working through that email pile at work put on some calming music, light a candle, get a delicious cup of comforting tea
Meditate, Journal, Practice self-care daily
Figure out stress management tools that work for you Tips
Support your organs of elimination! Your liver, large intestine, lymphatic system and skin work day-in and day-out to remove toxins and excess hormones (or “used up” hormones) out of your body. They work to prevent a 20-car pile up from occurring that would create havoc in your world.
The liver is responsible for processing and moving hormones along once they’ve done their job. The large intestine then takes those packages and moves them on out.
Love your liver by eating good-quality proteins, lots of cruciferous veggies
Help your large intestines by consuming plenty of soluble fiber
Your skin is your body’s largest organ and handles whatever your liver and large intestine are unable to eliminate via sweating. Care for your skin!
Occasional trips to steam rooms/saunas
Alternate the water temp from warm to very cold a few times in your shower
Exfoliate with a hot washcloth or sea-salt scrub
Dry brush
Your lymphatic system (a network of organs, nodes, ducts and vessels which produce and transport lymph a fluid made up of white blood cells) is a major component of your immune system. It sweeps up metabolic waste, dead cells and excess fluids and deposits them into the bloodstream where they make their way to the liver. It also sends white blood cells where they need to go. Help it stay unclogged by:
Moving your body and exercising regularly
Gentle massage
Keep node dense areas toxin free (like your armpits) by using more natural care products
You have the power to takeback control – to have your hormones work FOR you not against you. One small step at a time will create sustainable change that works for you in your everday busy life.
Packed with nutrients that support your body’s natural detoxifiction processes, this recipe is both nutritious and delicious! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Fall is here in NE Ohio! It’s one of my favorite times of the year – the changing colors on the trees, the slight chill in the air, apple cider & cinnamon, pumpkins, Halloween…LOVE IT.
Now is the time for elderberry syrup making to shore up our immune systems for the coming cold/flu season. It’s also a great time to take stock, declutter and prep for the coming winter – not just your physical environment, but your physical body and your mental and emotional energy as well. This is a perfect time to cleanse and reset yourself. Start cleaning out those toxins to make room for more positive and fulfilling changes, foods, habits, actions and mindsets.
Our body’s naturally run through many elimination and detoxification processes on a daily basis – but these days we seem to be constantly overloading them. This applies to toxins in our physical body as well as all that “stuff” that clutters our minds and hearts.
Take this time to prioritize yourself and your well-being. What are you putting into your body? What are you exposing yourself to? The foods we eat, the products we use, the water in our homes, the air we breathe, the negativity we subject ourselves to…it all has an impact on us.
Perhaps its time to take one small step towards decluttering something unhealthy in your life. Choose an area – food, your mindset, your connection to others, and focus in. Take stock of what’s impacting that area now and choose one small way you can start to cleanse and reset. Maybe you want to nourish your body by including a healthy breakfast with protein, healthy fat and tons of veggies. Maybe you want to switch out a skincare product with something that is free of harmful toxins, maybe you want to try your hand at journaling or a daily gratitude practice. Maybe it’s just including something fun into each day.
The possibilities are endless. One way to start is to participate in a nourishing cleanse – one which supports your body’s natural detoxification processes and gives your body what it needs to cleanse safely. I will be running my semi-annual 10 Day Transformational Reset Cleanse Challenge beginning October 11, 2021. This already done for you 10 Day reset program (where you will receive the guide, meal plan, recipes and best practices) was designed by top holistic nutritionists at the Institute for Transformational Nutrition for busy people living their everday busy lives. It has been shown to help improve your overall digestive health, reduce inflammation, increase energy and reset your body systems.
Click below for more information! Get the accountability you need to kickstart yourself and finally prioritize you!
As I write this I am knee deep in the busyness of the final days of summer. Coordinating back to school schedule changes, cramming in all the “fun stuff” before school begins… The end of summer and the beginning of fall are usually a time for change for many of us. Amdist all this change, have you taken the time to notice how YOU’VE been feeling lately?
You’re worth it! Check-in with yourself. Have you been feeling tired or fatigued lately? Experiencing brain fog, headaches, bloating, gas? Do you feel achy or inflamed? Joint pain? Sleep issues? Weight gain or the inability to lose weight? Take a good hard look and see what comes up for you.
It’s time to pay more attention to yourself. If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms (or more), it’s time to pay closer attention to the likely culprit – chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation builds slowly over time, and silently and insidiously wreaks havoc with our health. Most of the time, we don’t even realize it! All the normal signs and symptoms I referenced above normally aren’t thought about, or linked to, chronic inflammation in our everyday life. However, it’s the root cause of all of it. Chronic inflammation has been shown to be the root cause of most diseases – cancer, alzheimer’s, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, all autoimmune diseases (and the list goes on). Those signs and symptoms you are experiencing are telltale signs that you have some sort of chronic inflammation within your body and it’s time to pay attention.
Enough doom and gloom! There are things you can do about it! You have the power to reverse and prevent chronic inflammation – isn’t that exciting???? You have control over your diet, your lifestyle and habits, the supplements/herbs you take. You have control over the elements and components that can help you fix inflammation and that can help you prevent it.
Where to start? Start with your diet. Become a detective. Start paying attention to how certain foods you eat make you feel. For example, when you eat a lof of fried foods – how does your body react? Do you feel bloated? Do you notice swelling or bloating after drinking alcohol? How does dairy from cows make you feel? Flours? Refined sugars? Wheat based grains? I could go on. Even “healthy” foods – how does your body react to citrus fruit, tomatoes, red peppers, nuts, seeds, soy products?
Every person’s body is different and reacts differently to the compounds within our foods. The very first step in taking back control is to notice what affects you negatively. Food matters. The types of food, the quality of your food – it matters. Additionally, how your body process and absorbs the nutrients in your food matters. How healthy is your gut? Fixing your gut can be a key component in handling inflammation buildup.
Where to look next? Lifestyle changes. Sleep and exercise are super important. Are you moving your body enough? Movement helps the detox process. Are you sleeping well – our bodies do a lot of cleaning up while we sleep. Are you allowing ample time for recovery, relaxation, rest? Are you doing things that make you happy? All of these have impacts upon your physical body and levels of inflammation.
What to layer in last? Supplements/Herbs. Once you know you’re body is healthy enough to absorb nutrients properly it’s imperative that you are getting the nutrients you need each day to combat/prevent the long-term effects of chronic inflammation. With supplements remember – food first! That’s the first and best source (the one your body can use in the best way possible). Some of the heavy-hitters here? A high quality multi-vitamin, methylated B-complex, D3, Magnesium, ALA, vitamins and minerals that support your detox processes. There are also a variety of healing herbs at your disposal – but I would tread carefully and consult with an expert. Herbs are very strong medicine and should be tailored and carefully considered for each individual person. The type of herbal support depends heavily on the type of inflammation as well as the constitution of the person.
Too much to take in? Don’t be overwhelmed or discouraged. Take it one step at a time – start with your diet and then make small improvements over time. Chronic inflammation has built up over days, months, years and even decades – it’s not an overnight fix. Small, consistent improvements will help you get there! I’m always here to help if you need it!
Schedule your free 1-on-1 discovery call today. Let’s talk about YOU! Your concerns, your challenges and where you want to be. Let’s talk through some possible solutions! https://calendly.com/svitaleholistichealth/discovery-call