Okay so today we are going to be talking about stress and cortisol, and they go hand in hand.
I want you ladies to understand what cortisol is and why that hormone matters in the whole scheme of things.
Here's the thing every hormone matters in some way and they all communicate and intertwine with each other. If one hormone is off it throws everything else off.
So it's not just “oh well I have high estrogen or I have low progesterone” -- it's a domino effect and stress and cortisol play a huge role in our hormones, our weight, our energy, our everything, and it took me way too many years to realize this.
I would honestly say within the last two to three years I started understanding the HUGE role that stress played within my body.
Beforehand I knew my cortisol was lopsided and completely out of whack but I didn't get that the daily choices I made affected and played a role in my cortisol levels and then everything else.
For me, weight issues have been a huge battle since my hormones decided to do their own thing 14 years ago due to 3 months of using Birth Control.
Cortisol matters.
When your body is already in a stressed state, and your body is not having that time to recharge and to heal you then go into that fight or flight mode.
So our body is either going to be in the parasympathetic mode which is the rest and digest or it's going to be in the fight-or-flight mode. Which it is just that, your body thinks it is going to be chased by a bear or it is going into famine and so why would we want to digest food when we don't know when we're going to be fed again?
I will say my body has come so far and so I am very passionate for women to understand that these small things you can do and tweak matter and add up with your hormone health
All right so we mentioned the parasympathetic mode, when your body is in the parasympathetic mode it is in the rest and digest mode. It is saying I am at rest, I am safe and I can digest this food because we are not going into “I don't know when my person is gonna feed me again” mode.
For me, the biggest thing that perpetuated my hormone/cortisol issues over the last 14 years is that I have overworked myself in the gym and then I withheld food with the latest diet.
The whole calories in calories out the whole mentality of is NOT true or good for overall health and sustainability.
I was determined to get this weight off that was desperately holding on to because of all the hormone imbalance that was going on inside my body.
I was fighting myself for years. I’m only two years into this new mindset of “it's okay to rest” and that sometimes can be more helpful than a workout.
I am a person that loves a good workout, I love a good sweat, I love lifting weights, and used to be the biggest gym rat.
I was in school to be a personal trainer, I wanted that life, I loved being in shape.
I still love muscle, feeling strong and capable. I have had to teach myself that it is okay to take a couple of days off and let my body heal and DO IT'S THING.
My body was like “okay I don't know what you're doing but this isn't working for us” and it
shut down on me completely.
All right so cortisol, what the heck is cortisol?
Cortisol is your like get up and go hormone.
When you wake up in the morning you should have your cortisol at the highest and then throughout the day, it should slowly decrease.
Then your melatonin hormone overtakes and that is what makes you sleepy and tired at night.
Cortisol plays a huge role and so overworking your body for a long period of time spikes your cortisol for way too long. A HITT workout can be helpful to move your body because it's a very short amount of time that you are pumping out cortisol and then it can re-regulate your cortisol.
I did the opposite for years and had no clue why I couldn’t lose weight.
If any of this resonates with you, I just ask that you heed what I say even a little bit because
I wish I had someone to say “hey maybe you should think about this”.
There are small simple things that you can do throughout your day.
Small tweaks in your day guys that you can do to start regulating your stress hormones and your cortisol and literally teaching it that it is safe.
In my signature hope and hormone course, we cover all of this and so much more!
This course EASILY TEACHES YOU THE DETAILS OF YOUR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM IN A SIMPLE, EASY TO LEARN WAY.
Then, we dig deeper + learn HOW to implement what you have learned.
I share my complete hormone toolbox with you.
TRUST ME, IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
If you're ready to dig in do it because it's everything packaged up that I wish I could tell the world, so I am.
Birth control and I have an unsavory history.
I was a few months out to my wedding- and what does every good Christian girl do?
She goes and gets on birth control. Duh. No biggie.
So I went in to a doctor, asked for it, she prescribed something and I went on my way.
No questions or concerns.
Within the month of getting on them I gained 10 pounds (I knew that might happen so I wasn't too concerned) and then I started feeling off. Like crawl out of my skin, off.
On our honeymoon I decided I was done. With each month after I got off of birth control I continued to gain about 10 pounds for almost a year. Um, not ok.
After a year of this battle I found out I was insulin resistant, estrogen dominant, too low in testosterone and progesterone and my cortisol and adrenal glands were completely whacked out.
On top of all that I was now battling depression, major anxiety and feeling like I was living in someone else's body with no answers on how to "fix it".
The doctor couldn't understand how I was sitting in her room upright after looking at my blood work.
Up until this point in my life I had never really struggled with weight. I was tall, skinny and loved to eat. I lived for food with no consequences. I loved going to the gym and working out and I was studying to be a physical trainer right before I met Adam. This threw me a huge curve ball I never wanted.
For me, I ended up getting off birth control cold turkey (having NO CLUE it mattered).
I was so young.. and hormone health was non-existent in my vocabulary.
With that, I have become an accidental hormone advocate and I want women to know what I DIDN'T know at the beginning.
If I could re-do getting off birth control this is what I would do:
Prepare your body 2-3 months before stopping.
You can stop taking the pill safely at any point in your cycle, though it can be helpful to finish a pack so you can predict your next ovulation or period if you’re looking to plan or prevent pregnancy.
An IUD, can also be removed at any point, though removing it during your period when the cervix is naturally softer could be a bit easier.
Quitting cold turkey (like I did) without any body preparation may make this much more difficult. The goal is to make this as smooth a process as possible so you can feel your best while your body finds the rhythm the Lord created it to have. This means there are steps to take before and after, in order to support and wake up your natural endocrine function. After all, your hormones have been asleep for however long youëe been on the pill or hormonal IUD! They need time to wake up, and your hormones may be very sleepy or lazy at first, which is totally normal. You may not even notice any symptoms until 3-6 months after stopping the pill when your hormones really come back to life. All of this is NORMAL.
ONE: NOURISH YOUR HORMONES!
Diet plays a HUGE part in this process. It sets the groundwork and foundation for healthy detoxification, digestion and well-being during this transition.
- Clean up your diet because none of these steps will work without a clean foundation.
- This means 2-3 months before stopping the pill, feed + nourish your cells with real, whole foods
- You want to stay away from anything processed and avoid inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy and refined/processed sugar) during this time to prime and optimize bodily functions.
- Think lots of leafy greens, all the fruits and veggies (and starchy veggies like squashes and sweet potatoes), plenty of healthy fats (avocado, nuts & seeds, and cold-pressed oils like avocado oil or coconut oil) and small amounts of gluten-free grains/legumes like quinoa, brown rice, beans and lentils.
- Keep it whole and keep it as fresh as possible.
- Use food to nourish and move things along more quickly.
- HYDRATE! Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. **add SOLE to support your adrenals with lemon essential oil (young living)
TWO: REPLENISH NUTRIENT STORES WITH SUPPLEMENTATION
2-3 months before quitting, begin supplementing with all of the supplements.
Replenishing lost mineral stores is SO IMPORTANT (the pill depletes all of these).
Want to know my favorite bio-available supplements that have supported my body so much?
-start by loading up on-
- folate
- zinc
- B-complex
- magnesium glycinate
- iodine
- selenium
- vitamin D3
- iron
- a great probiotic
- and an algae-based DHA/EPA
All of these are essential and will make a world of difference in your post-pill life.
Continue taking them until your period is regular and you feel great, or until you get testing done to see where you’re nutrient stores and hormone levels are at.
THREE: SUPPORT YOUR LIVER
While implementing the above steps, go one step further with Porgessence Plus and Dragon time (this is a must and game changer!). If you feel really brave coffee enemas are AMAZING for liver detox and support. This will help a great deal with PMS while leveling out your estrogen in relation to progesterone and help bring them into ideal ratios throughout the month.
Yes, your liver can use the extra support because the liver is responsible for getting hormones ready to be moved out by way of elimination, the liver has extra work to do, ridding the synthetic estrogen. It’s no secret the pill and other synthetic forms of birth control take a toll on the liver, and this vital organ must be functioning at its best for happy hormones.
FOUR: PRIORITIZE GUT HEALTH
I already mentioned high-quality probiotics above but adding in fermented foods will help restore your microbiome too since the pill interferes with the healthy bacteria needed for a thriving gut. Including raw sauerkraut (my fave brand is Farmhouse Culture), kimchi, pickled veggies, unsweetened coconut yogurt, and coconut and raw milk kefir will bring a variety of good bacteria back to your gut.
L-glutamine also helps to repair your gut lining and feels very soothing in your tummy!
Also, in order to properly eliminate estrogen, you must be having daily bowel movements.
If you’re not pooping every day then you need to dig deeper and figure out why.
Are you:
drinking enough water?
eating enough leafy greens and cruciferous veggies?
taking digestive enzymes?
FIVE: PREPARE FOR POST-PILL SYMPTOMS
If you had problems with your cycle before going on the pill, chances are they may return because the pill temporarily masks any underlying menstrual issues. Consider this a chance to connect and take control of your health. You will want to prepare your mind and know that whatever happens is temporary.
Giving your body time to adjust is so important as well as enough rest and downtime.
Flooding your cells with as much nutritional support and love as possible will only help!
Mindset is a large part of the detox process too, so set positive affirmations that everything will work out, and your body is good to you.
possible post-pill symptoms:
-remember, these symptoms can be temporary until your body balances out-
SIX: START CHARTING AND GET YOUR HORMONES TESTED
I would start charting as soon as you stop taking the pill. Take notes and keep track of any and all symptoms in an app (like Clue or MyFLO tracker) or in a journal, as well as when bleeding starts and stops.
Do you feel cramping mid-cycle? That could mean you are ovulating which is a great sign that your body is working to get back into balance!
3 months after quitting the pill, it may be worth it to get your hormones tested if you are curious to know where your levels are at. It’s a great time to test nutrient levels too (you must ask for a FULL blood panel with iron, all the b vitamins, zinc, etc., otherwise they won’t test them.)
There are at-home hormone testing kits that make it super convenient and easy to see where you are at. This information will guide you in accessing steps to take depending on what imbalances you may have. I use the Women’s Health and Fertility Test from EverlyWell to see where at for peace of mind! You can then bring the results to your doctor or naturopath so they can help guide you in steps to take.
SEVEN: START LIVING IN HARMONY WITH YOUR HORMONAL RHYTHMS
Learn to lean into the beautiful rhythm of your hormonal fluctuations each month and get comfortable with knowing where you're at in your cycle on any given day!
The Scary Truth About Chemicals in Dryer Sheets & Fabric Softeners
Of the 3-10 gallons of toxic household cleaning products in a home, the chemicals in dryer sheets and fabric softeners are considered to be among the most toxic. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets are made up of pernicious chemicals combined with a hefty dose of fragrance. The fragrance chemicals are particularly difficult to remove because they have been designed to cling dearly to fabric so the signature scent stays in the clothing. This is called “fragrance substantivity,” which describes how long a fragrance lasts on a particular surface and how it is affected by temperature, humidity, and other conditions.
Lingering chemical residues in the clothes enter the body through the skin, which is tantamount to eating them! Many of these compounds are solvents that directly affect the nervous system and endocrine systemand can contribute to the development of chronic illness. Since the term “fragrance” on a label can mean up to hundreds of synthetic chemicals, the body is provided a cocktail of poison 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of this issue because their constant exposure to these chemicals makes it impossible for them to realize the impact it makes on their health. Not to mention the health of those around them! The non-stop exposure has dulled their sense of smell as a warning mechanism, their ability to perceive the specific fragrance in many cases is lost, or they actually get a high and crave the smell of the clothing.
Of 171 they studied, the Environmental Working Group gives 83.33% of fabric softeners a D or F rating.
The fact that your fabric softener may be under a counter and only used occasionally is bad enough, since the chemicals in the bottles and boxes are off-gassing into your living environment. But the truth is, these chemicals are accompanying you day and night through your skin and your lungs as you wear your clothes and sleep in your sheets. That’s why using fabric softeners, dryer sheets or even laundry detergent with fragrance are such dangerous health offenders. Once you start using them, they seem practically inescapable!
Live Life Clean Tip: if you can smell detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets in the laundry room when you’re not using them, that’s a sign that they’re off-gassing chemicals and degrading your indoor air quality.
12 Reasons to Get Rid of Your Fabric Softeners and Dryer Sheets
These are just a few of the toxic chemicals in commercial dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners! Note, this list doesn’t include the synthetic fragrances that are added to these products!
amazing education RESOURCE
My health journey began fall of 2007 when I was a few months out to my wedding... what does every good Christian girl do? She goes and gets on birth control. Duh. No biggie. I went in to a doctor, asked for birth control, she prescribed something & I went on my way. No questions or concerns. Within the month of getting on them I gained 10 pounds (I knew that might happen so I wasn't too concerned) and then I started feeling off. Like crawl out of my skin, off. On our honeymoon I decided I was done.
•••
With each month after I got off of birth control I continued to gain about 10 pounds for almost a year. Um, not ok. After a year of this battle I found out I was insulin resistant, estrogen dominant, too low in testosterone and progesterone and my cortisol and adrenal glands were completely wacked out. On top of all that I was now battling depression, major anxiety and feeling like I was living in someone else's body with no answers on how to "fix it". One of the any doctorsI went to couldn't understand how I was sitting in her room upright, after looking at my blood work.
For years, I felt helpless inside my own body.
I battled depression, major brain fog, terrible insomnia, extreme weight gain &
fatigue when just breathing felt too much most days.
Up until this point in my life I had never really struggled with weight. I was tall, skinny and loved to eat. I lived for food with no consequences. I loved going to the gym and working out and I was studying to be a physical trainer right before I met my hubby.
This threw me a huge curve ball I never wanted.
•••
I have done everything under the sun from diet, cleanse, supplement, doctor, naturopath and chiropractor to help heal my body, to make it right. I have also spent waaaaay too much money in the attempt to heal myself. I had to become my own advocate and do the research my doctors were not willing to do. I was once told I was depressed because I was fat and I "should just loose weight".
At that time, I was training for a triathlon eating clean yet kept gaining.. Sorry doctor, try again.
•••
Ultimately I trust that the healing of my hormones and my body is in the Lords hands, my great physician. I have had to hold the tension between trusting His provision on this journey & doing all I can without being all consumed by it.
I have failed more than succeeded at that BUT I have learned so much in each season.
•••
My story is mine. I claim the times I have given up, felt defeated, and honestly wanted my old self back and treated my body like it could handle it. After having my youngest, 5 years ago I felt a renewed hope in this journey which is when I started THE WELLENSS WELL and my attempt to THRIVE & simply feel better. I was done circling that mountain and decided it was time to head north! I am determined to be the best me. I have no clue what that looks like for me and that's ok (as I repeat that to myself) I want to make wise choices because its wise, not because it's guaranteed I will get certain results. It feels like an uphill battle with this body of mine.
Even as I was learning how to integrate more holistic and “modern day hippie” habits into my life, I was hit multiple times a day with terrifying panic that overtook my senses, extreme weight gain, brain fog and hormonal dragon like senses that no one in my family appreciated. It was crushing.
One day, I was introduced to a few products that a lot of people are talking about lately.
To be honest, I’d considered it before, but I was skeptical. I’m not really into “fads.” If you know the enneagram, I’m a wholehearted “4”.
I refuse to be like others just for the sake of it.
This time, I knew the company who made it and trusted the source— so I tried it, I had nothing to loose.
Now, my life is dramatically different. I used to have to put on a face and pretend that I didn’t feel like I was dying inside.
Now, I’m fearless. And I’m on a mission to help a whole lot of women break free & empower themselves with the knowledge and resources I’ve worked so hard to get myself.
Come join our group of fearless mamas and learn how you can find freedom with the knowledge & information we share in our exclusive community.
do you have hormonal imbalance?
Could a symptom you’re experiencing be due to a hormonal imbalance?
If you’re wondering how to know if you have a hormonal imbalance, it may help to know some of the most common symptoms associated with hormonal issues, take this super quick quiz I created to help you out.. it's simply a stepping stone.. I am here for you all the way!
My wellness journey began because of toxic burden overload on my body due to birth control- which is sadly all too common. But for others they end up in the same place as me but because of common household products (cleaners, air fresheners, cosmetics). It all adds up in the body the same, I had no clue of this 13 years ago.
I was a bath and body, candle sniffing, MAC wearing 20 year old. I lived carefree and without consequences of what I put ON or IN my body... and then over a matter of a month it all changed.
I was forced into this wellness journey I NEVER wanted or cared about. Wellness to me was calorie counting when I "needed" to drop the "extra 5" and going to the gym while sipping on a Red Bull.
I was training to be a personal trainer because I loved lifting weights, being strong and it came so easy to me. I loved helping people in this aspect of health.
3 months before my wedding, I chose to get on birth control, a decision that can still get me in the gut, if I let it. It was a flippant choice. I didn't recognize or honor my body & all I was giving it to process. On top of that I was unknowingly putting on over 300 chemicals on & in my body before breakfast time. No clue..
Within a month of being on birth control I was a raging, PMSing, soon to be bride. I was becoming depressed, suffering from extreme weight gain, which had never been an issue for me. My cravings were for FOR REAL and with foggy brain, insomnia and extreme fatigue I was miserable to say the least.nI felt completely helpless at the age of 20 in a season that was supposed t be exiting and a new adventure. All I wanted to do was crawl into a hole.
I went through years of doctors, tests, more doctors, diets, cleanses & supplements— you name it, I have done it. The journey began slow, it began in a new doctors office, where he placed me on Wellbutrin (thinking I was depressed which is why I was feeling moody & gaining weight). Needless to say, it didn't work.
I ended up having to be my own advocate because I left most of the doctors scratching their heads... I just wanted to know what the root cause was.
This was the beginning of being forced into my wellness journey. Whole body wellness was not always a passion, I didn't even know this type of wellness existed.
After years of trying everything, wasting so much money and seeing no lasting results I finally have found things that support me better than anything. Praise Jesus.
After years of deep insomnia (melatonin wouldn’t touch it) I took a supplement that actually made me FEEL tired, a feeling I didn’t realize I missed. For so long I would go to bed “wired and tired”.
After using a few things, I wasn’t sure if I saw or felt a difference & I decided to not buy them again to save money— well my body quickly told me it was not happy about that.
Sometimes you don’t notice the slight changes until you stop supporting your body with it.
Needless to say there are certain non negotiable for me and my body support.
I am finally sleeping WELL, feeling tired at night. The extreme weight gain has stopped!! My Pms is now super mild or non existent. I now have more energy to get through the day as a mama of 3. And my cravings are in control!
I am still on a wellness journey, still have weight to loose and stress to let go- but man, I feel 80% better than I did even 5 years ago. I am so thankful & only want to help support other women in their journey. I want to be a shoulder to cry on and an easy button to hit for all things wellness. A place where women can soak up all the years of research & use it for their Benefit!
This blog is going to be a place where I open up a little more about my struggles with living in the world of wellness & yet not looking the part... of still having struggles, & of not “arriving” yet. I feel so unauthentic most times, sharing what I know & how I live when you could easily look at me, and question my knowledge & impact by my weight and appearance. I get it. That was me over a decade ago. I judged & didn't condor their deeper story. I had never struggled with weight, or hormones or anything “off” and so it was a simple equation, "calories in, calories out." I call bullsh*t on that real quick now. I have learned so much, that’s not the truth. Everyone is created so intricately, is different. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. The Lord never intended that.
My heart beats strong to empower tired and overwhelmed women, who struggle with hormones. my desire is that they can learn how to take control of their health and sanity in a healthy, natural way.
My heart also beats to empower the woman who has yet to struggle with hormones, or have yet to deal with over burdened bodies due to the daily toxins they unknowingly put ON & IN their bodes--there is so much education that can be done!
The “before” me is the young woman who has yet to struggle with hormone imbalance, weight gain or uncontrollable weight gain and toxic body overload. She is one I want to take under my wing and teach alll the things I wished I would have known at 20. All the things I have learned researching over a decade. I want to teach them so that hopefully they can be empowered & equipped to make informed decisions with their health and as they move into a season of being the gatekeeper of their own home. Maybe, they can avoid some of the toxic overload on their bodies.
My heart beats for the “seasoned” woman, where I am now, to support, to be a shoulder to cry on in seasons of frustration & confusion when their body seems to be agains them. To be a source of knowledge to help in the season of “my body seems to be rebelling against me”, like they are a foreigner in an unknown land.
There is so much education I have consumed for myself over the years, as I have had to be my biggest advocate. I want to share that, walk with and encourage as they allow their bodies to heal at its peaceful pace.
That is where my healthy hormone rhythm collective comes in-
I pour my whole heart + education onto the ones that need it:
-join this free group by clicking the button above-...and here’s the thing, EVERY women WILL need this Information I have. So look around.. check out the units section.. if you don’t find the answer to your question, feel free to reach out. I would love to help you find it.
