Category Archives: Diet

    Categories Diet, Elimination Diet, flare up, food allergies, food sensitivities, Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    IBS Flare ups

    IBS can be triggeres by stress, anxiety and food sensitivity. My flare up this week is one in a trail of many. I have had issues since Valentine’s day. Learning your body and understanding the impact stress and food plays on your digestion is important. My body is calling for a cleanse. I have been having pain on the right side under my rib for weeks sporadicly. I don’t have a gallbladder which the typical reason for this pain. My chronic digestive issues helped me learn exactly what I need to do to change the game. I am ready for a full dietary cleanse to detox my liver. I know with my history cleansing helps detox the body, remove stones, sludge and inflammation in the liver ducts. Trust me I don’t love cleansing. But feeling better is always my priority. I am currently on the oatmeal diet with Kombucha. It’s the only thing that I tolerate when my stomach looks like I’m 6 months pregnant. This phase lasts a few days. Then I move onto vegan diet for the rest of the week. The final part is a liquid diet and epson salt cleanse. That is the hardest part. But you feel fabulous after. I know that my body is changing and new foods are becoming a problem. Steak is not my friend anymore. I wake up with sharp pains after I eat red meat. This cleanse will help me eliminate toxins and begin introducing foods back into my routine. The process is slow but critical to identify food sensitivities. This will help me identify other vegetables, fruits and proteins that cause symptoms. I’m on a journey to heal my body and it takes time to reverse the damage that occurs over our lifetime. Knowledge is power and learning your body is crucial to wellness.

    Categories Advice, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, flare up, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health, hope, Inflammation, motivation, pain, Physical Pain

    Invisible Illness

    The unknown truth about invisible illness is that people live with it everyday and those around them usually have no idea. You might see a girl with a big smile going about her day hiding the pain she is experiencing. Only those close to them truly know and understand their pain. Even loved ones have trouble understanding their pain. There are many conditions that fall into this category and ehlers-danlos syndrome is one of them. This is the syndrome that I have lived with for years and never truly understood until a few years ago when I went to see a geneticist. Some of the symptoms of this syndrome are chronic pain, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, frequent infections and skin problems. I was the poster child for this condition. I had every possible symptom except a heart condition. Thankfully that was the one thing I didn’t manifest even-though I did need to see a cardiologist because I had frequent fainting episodes. The day I decided to see a geneticist I knew that this expansive list of symptoms had to be related somehow and I was right. The sad truth is there is no cure or treatment for it. The most you could do is use natural alternatives, exercise, diet modifications and prescriptions to help control symptoms. I was sick of using prescriptions and had already started incorporating diet changes and natural alternatives to help me feel better. I had reached a point in my life that covering up one symptom with a prescription that caused another problem was not an option. I wanted to get rid of all the prescriptions and I was well underway by the time I saw the geneticist. She told me everything I was doing was perfect. She said to continue my diet and fitness routine, use methods of stress relief and stay hydrated. At this point I was far from healthy but my body was slowly improving day by day. I had lived with pain to the right side of my body for almost 20 years. I remember feeling excruciating pain on my right arm beginning in 8th grade. The pain and symptoms worsened into adulthood. By the time I was 30 my right arm was always numb and in severe pain. By the time I was 35 my right leg was also affected and became numb as well. Any episodes of less physical activity or fitness routine would make all the pain and numbness worse. So I focused on staying active and eating what I thought was right. I was far from truly understanding my body and the foods that were harmful but I had already identified gluten and corn as huge culprits. By the age of 39, I had undergone a bunch of surgeries and I knew that more were eminent if I didn’t find a way to heal my body. Then one day my friend Daisy, who has Multiple Sclerosis another invisible illness came back into my life. She was experiencing some of the same symptoms and had found some relief in recent years. She spoke to me about nutrigenomics and using nutrient rich supplements to impact inflammation in the body. I was absolutely intrigued but I had to research it for myself. I took several months to research oxidative stress and nutrigenomics to see if it was my answer. I also had to research the ingredients to make sure I could take it. You see with all my food sensitivities, I had to be certain before I took the leap. Then one day, I jumped. I was pleasantly surprised that my energy was improving within the first few weeks. My pain pleasantly was down to 5/10 from 8/10 within a few months. After 4 months my numbness was gone and my pain was under control. I started to truly understand my body and the right fitness routine for me. This state of less pain also helped me identify more foods that caused symptoms to arise. I had flare ups and injuries at times but nothing compared to the life of severe pain I used to live. I was finally happy in my own skin and able to enjoy the world. I no longer had to hide behind a fake smile. I had a beautiful real smile that light up the room. I started to spread my story to the world. I am here to tell you invisible illness is real. You can never truly understand it unless you live it. People that live it need compassion and support. If you know someone with an invisible illness, I urge you to share my story with them. A story of hope is always a great thing to share. It is nice to know that you aren’t alone in the world. It is nice to know someone is here to support you if you choose to change your life. I fought back and won. It is a lifelong battle but I am here to support anyone through it with love and guidance.

    Categories autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Diet, flare up, food sensitivities, Psoriasis

    Psoriasis

    Psoriasis truly sucks and the unsightly spots impact self-esteem. Flare ups can come out of the blue and target any part of your body. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease triggered T cells that travel to the skin to attack.  The skin becomes over active and swollen as skin begins to pile up and develop patches of scaly skin.

    The common causes of psoriasis are:

    • Poor diet
    • Overactive immune system
    • Emotional stress
    • Poor small intestine permeability
    • Bad protein digestion
    • Genetics
    • Poor liver function
    • Vitamin D deficiency
    • Hormonal changes
    • Increased T cells floating in the bloodstream attacking the dermis and epidermis

    Some people develop large patches at joints or scattered patches throughout the body.  There are different types of psoriasis.  Studies show a link between leaky gut and psoriasis.  In my case, I have leaky gut, food allergies, stress and anxiety that impacts my break outs.  Looking at the common causes of psoriasis basically puts my weaknesses to light.  I have 8 of the 10 common causes which means I really need to tackle the problem.  My breakouts have changed over the years.  During periods of extreme stress, like my wedding, I develop patches at my hairline and scalp.  My nails have always been weak and scaly.  I have always gotten scattered tiny red spots around my body.  This past month the quantity of these tiny spots has increased and spread from my head to my toes.  I have spots on my face, neck, chest, back, torso and legs.  The worst breakouts have occurred all over my face.  The patches are red, swollen, itchy and unsightly.  As the days progress my face gets more red, blotchy and swollen.  The patches will worsen if I don’t fight back quickly.  These last few weeks, I have had multiple flare ups and blotchy days.  This week was the worst of all with patches on my nose, forehead, jawline, cheeks and hairline.  It is time for me to fact back fast and hard.  I have reached a point in my life that I refuse to use steroids or prescriptions to tackle my health issues.  My body has enough stress to deal with adding a prescription and side effects is not an option. So I tackle it using holistic health strategies and natural remedies.

    Here are the images of my most recent flare up:

    Saturday Morning    11.24.18                                                Sunday Morning 11.25.18

     

    Natural treatments for psoriasis:

    • Hydrate- drink plenty of water
    • Reduce stress- meditation, yoga, stretching, deep breathing and mindfulness
    • Exercise – reduce stress and remove toxins throughout the body
    • Natural topical remedies- essential oils, aloe, avocado oil, tea tree oil and Oregon grape extract.
    • Homeopathic treatments, acupuncture and ayurvedic medicine.
    • Psoriasis diet
    • Salicylic acid

    Salicylic acid is a great way to dry up the psoriasis, remove the dead skin and reduce the redness.  I notice huge difference in just a few treatments.  Using essential oils remedies helps soothe and moisturize the skin but the salicylic acid is the most effective treatment I have done.  Salicylic acid is sold in facial soaps, body wash, shampoo and facial peels.  The strength of the acid ranges but they are all effective.  I used 3% shampoo this week, scrubbing all my scaly skin and scalp.  I allowed it to penetrate the scalp and skin for 5 minutes then rinsed.  Since my redness was at extreme heights I reapplied it again.  Using this several times a day helps speed the recovery and remove the scaly skin quickly. I woke up the next day and my face was no longer red and blotchy. I only had light pink patches on my face and neck today.  But my problem is far from over, it’s time to treat the root cause fast.

    Tackling the true root cause of the problem with stress reduction, supplementation and diet.  You see if you don’t target the actual cause of the inflammation the problem will continue to flare up.  I realize my diet has been less than ideal lately.  I also have not been compliant with my Omega 3 and probiotic supplements.

    Psoriasis diet is important to reduce the inflammation throughout the body.   Leaky gut syndrome causes poorly digested food to travel through the bloodstream throughout the body and attack the skin causing psoriasis to flare.  Leaky gut also can lead to a variety of other health issues like migraine headaches, muscle pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression.  Eliminating inflammatory foods from your diet involves identifying your harmful foods.  Diary has never been my friend, even though I love to eat it.  Dairy causes constipation, gas and psoriasis flare ups.  I am also sensitive to sugar and sweets which it turns out flare up psoriasis as well.  It is essential to avoid foods that trigger symptoms like, fried food, simple sugars, conventional dairy, hydrogenated oils, processed foods and alcohol.

    Psoriasis diet:

    • Probiotic foods – this enhances digestion, removes toxins, boosts the immune system and reduces inflammation. (kombucha, cultured kefir and fermented vegetables)
    • Aloe- soothes the skin and digestive tract to enable healing.
    • High fiber foods – reduce constipation and support healthy digestion to detox the digestive tract. (Fruits, beans, vegetables and seeds)
    • Wild-caught fish
    • High antioxidant foods
    • Zinc – reduces pain and inflammation. (grass-fed beef, lamb, kefir, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds)
    • Vitamin A – essential for skin healing (fruits and vegetables that are orange, yellow and dark green: mango, watermelon, carrots, kale and collard greens)
    • Raw dairy – rich in enzymes and vitamin D (I’m skipping this one)
    • Herbs & spices – provide an anti-inflammatory effect and filled with antioxidants. Pile on the turmeric.

    Getting the right balance of nutrients can be hard with just diet alone. Supplementation with high quality supplements enhances healing and promote quicker recovery.

    Supplements to support healing:

    • Fish oil –(1,000-2,000 grams daily) Omega 3 fatty acid with vitamin D3 to reduce inflammation, enhance immune system function and aid skin healing.
    • Hydrochloric acid (1-3 capsules with meals) – aids in protein digestion and reduce flare ups
    • Milk thistle (250 milligrams three times a day) enhances liver detox and reduce cellular growth
    • Probiotics (6 billion daily) enhance digestion by increasing good bacteria in the digestive tract.  The probiotic I use enhances immune function, promotes gut integrity, builds flora and promotes brain gut connection with its unique controlled-release technology.

    Essential oil remedies:

    • Tea tree oil – promotes healthy immune system while cleansing and rejuvenating skin
    • Frankincense oil– rejuvenates skin and reduces blemishes
    • Myrr oil- helps sooth skin, cleansing and promotes youthful skin
    • Cedarwood- relaxing and soothing aroma and promotes healthy clear skin
    • Lavender- promotes calm, relaxation and enhances speedy skin recovery
    • Geranium- calming, stress reduction qualities and promotes healthy skin
    • Roman chamomile- calming and soothing effect on mind, body and skin
    • Thyme- purifies and cleanses skin
    • Bergamot- reduce tension and stress while promoting clear skin
    • Helichyrsum- increases localized blood flow and promotes rapid skin healing.

    These essential oils are all safe to use topically without dilution.  Creating blends enhances the benefits by combing a variety of oils with carrier oils.  Coconut oil or avocado oil are great carrier oil options.  They promote skin healing by hydrating skin and reducing inflammation.  Using blends helps facilitate using oils by creating personalized blends that are easy to use quickly and carry with you.  I used avocado oil to create my blend, combining a variety of oils with 15 ml of carrier oil.  I added 5 drops of each oil into the carrier oil.  You can easily combine all of the oils together or use the ones you have on hand.

    My Psoriasis Blend

    Avocado oil – 15 ml

    Tea tree oil – 5 drops

    Lavender oil – 5 drops

    Bergamot oil- 5 drops

    Helichyrsum- 5 drops

    Roman chamomile- 5 drops

    Frankincense oil- 5 drops

     

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition and will be a life-long struggle but they key is learning your body, trigger foods and strategies to fight back.  The psoriasis diet and supplementation will help keep you on track and reduce symptoms.  Keeping salicylic acid on hand and using peels periodically on psoriasis spots will tackle the problem on the spot. Using essential oils helps hydrate and soothe the skin to promote healing.  Remember to eat healthy, exercise, stress reduction strategies and use supplementation to support a healthy lifestyle and support your immune system.

    Categories Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, Health, pain, Physical Pain

    Chronic Fatigue

    I remember so vividly the day I decided to take my health into my own hands.  I had just arrived home from a long day at work with the kids.  My husband was away on a business trip and all the responsibility was in my hands.  I was absolutely exhausted, my head was pounding and my body pains were intense.   Moving was impossible because nausea and dizziness accompanied my headache.  I had a debilitating migraine, chronic fatigue and chronic pain.  I felt like I had been hit by a truck.  It was going to be another afternoon where I just laid on the couch unable to do anything.  My children needed me and I wasn’t able to move.  My oldest Gabriel was around 5 and Lucas was 2.  Gabriel spent the afternoon caring for me and his little brother.  I needed time to rest for the stress and symptoms to diminish.  I needed time for my  migraine prescription to take effect.  Gabriel brought me whatever I needed and watched his brother.  He played with him and changed the TV channels to keep him entertained.  They both were so well behaved and worried about me that it was heart breaking.  Lucas came to hug and kiss me periodically and try to get my attention.  It took some time for my migraine pill to take effect and looking at their sweet little faces broke my heart.  I was laying on that couch close to 2 hours.  Eventually, I had to get up and prepare dinner, even-though I was still excruciatingly exhausted.  I managed to feed and bathe them pushing through my exhaustion.  On these extra exhausting days, I would fall asleep with the kids right after dinner.  There was no watching TV or alone time, I was just too drained to stay awake any longer.  As soon as the clothes was prepared for the next day, I would pass out.

    I knew that feeling this exhausted and drained everyday was not normal.  The problem was my doctors didn’t always understand or believe it.  They often told me its normal, you are a young mom with a career, it comes with the territory.  They said its normal for you to feel tired and drained.  But they just didn’t grasp the true extent of my extreme exhaustion.   I was exhausted every day all day long and there is no way that is normal.  It didn’t matter if I had slept 7, 8, 9, or 10 hours, I woke up exhausted and spent the day exhausted.  This type of extreme fatigue is nothing like being tired because the baby didn’t let you sleep.  This was beyond sleepless night and new mom exhaustion.  This was beyond fatigue from raising an infant.  This was something much more profound and I was determined to figure it out.  I knew that all my health issues and symptoms were related.  I knew that I had to find an answer.  I knew that I had to advocate for my health.  I knew that I wanted my body back.

    What I didn’t know, was that it was going to take me many years of specialists, prescriptions and health struggles to get my answer.  I went to countless doctors ranging from primary care, gastroenterologist, psychologists, pain specialists, neurologists, orthopedists, rheumatologists and geneticists.  I am sure there are more specialists that I missed but the point is after endless years and tons of money on prescriptions and doctor visits, I was still sick.  Eventually, I became “Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired.”  I knew I wanted to be there for my children, enjoy time with them, teach them, play with them and be a fabulous mom.  But the fact was to accomplish that I had to change my health fast because they were growing quickly and I wasn’t getting any better.  The problem was I needed to put myself first to accomplish my goals and I had always put everyone else first.  If I wasn’t a healthy mom then I couldn’t care for my children the way they deserved.  I had spent years focusing on everyone else, my patients, my students, my coworkers, my children, my husband and my family.  This vicious cycle of caring for everyone but myself was ready to spiral if I didn’t take action.  I had hit rock bottom and I needed to climb out of the hole.   It was me now or death.  Sounds strong but true, if health continues to fail, symptoms and prescriptions multiply, then death is eminent.

    In 2013, I finally took the leap.  I decided that I needed to be my priority.  I changed my diet by removing foods that were harmful to my body.  I started seeing a homeopathic physician and undergoing IV vitamin infusions, immunoglobulin and treatments.  I also started incorporating fitness into my weekly routine.  I was still fatigued most of the time but my energy levels were starting to change.  I noticed I wasn’t exhausted the entire day.  I slowly felt like my body was coming back.  Of course, the treatments became very expensive and I had to stop.  I continued the diet, supplements and fitness regimen.  I made sure that I had some alone time to relax periodically but my body was still in pain, exhausted and filled with other symptoms.  I spent years trying to wean of prescriptions and tackle things with OTC supplements. I researched and made my own OTC regimen but they really were not working.

    I knew that there had to be a better way.  But I just hadn’t figured it out yet.  I knew my body was missing nutrients to enhance my health.  Thankfully, I had a friend that was about to share a revolutionary new concept with me and I was open to learn more.  She told me about her Multiple Sclerosis and the supplement she was taking.  She shared a video that would change my future.  It took me 5 months of research to finally take the leap but I did.  I am thankful everyday for her and finding my way to nutrigenomics.  Nutrigenomics is the science of using nutrient-rich compounds to impact your genetic expressions.  This revolutionary supplement activates a pathway in the body that enable your body to produce its own enzymes to activate your good genes.  It removes toxins, fight free radical damage and supports the body for the daily assault of oxidative stress.  The research showed me that oxidative stress was the leading cause of disease and illness.  It impacts more than 200 diseases and is published in PubMed.  I realized pretty quickly that Nrf2 activation was a good step for me to take.  So, I started and was amazed.  A week after starting Nrf2 and Nrf1 my energy levels were increasing, I was sleeping better and less achy.  I knew it would take time to reverse the damage my body had undergone over these 39+ years, so I was patient.  After 1 month, my energy and sleep continued to improve.  Like anyone, stressful nights with less sleep would make me tired, but I wasn’t exhausted all day long anymore.  Month by month my symptoms kept getting better.  I knew after 3 months, nutrigenomics was going to be a staple in my life.  My health journey, was far from over and healing was still progressing but I was finally on the right path.  Over the next year, I realized autoimmune disease and chronic illness is a lifelong battle.  I learned that tweaking and adjusting diet routines, exercise, yoga, medication and my supplements were essential.  I learned to deal with flare ups and create a plan that worked for me.  I am thankful that I achieved my goals, I reduced my fatigue and pain successfully. It is essential to advocate for your health and remember your health needs to be a priority everyday.  It is also important to find resources and holistic health treatments that enhance your healing throughout your journey.  I still remember the exhausted mom with excruciating pain but I am thankful I don’t have to live that way anymore.  Now, I live my life helping others find their own health and stop the constant struggle.

    Categories Advice, Detox, Diet, flexibility, Health, Inflammation, motivation, Sexual life

    Learn to Love Your Body!

    Love your body, seems simple right.  Well it truly is a complex process, there is nothing simple about it.  Learning your body can take months or even years to achieve.  It took me 20+ years in a constant health struggle to decide; there had to be a better way to Love my body.  I was oblivious to the potential my body had to offer, the gifts I was given and the path my journey would take me.  I wasted years eating the wrong foods, hiding my emotional/physical pain and avoiding physical activities.  This constant physical assault on my body caused my physical and emotional illness to develop and my self-love to diminish.  Over the past 5 years, I learned the foods that were optimal for my body, the physical activities that made me heal, the importance of caring for yourself, and the optimal routine to maintain my health.  My true understanding of my body came over the past year.  Finally, I was free of pain and able to feel and understand the messages my body was sending.  I became aware of the tension forming in my muscles, when stress was at its peak.  I realized that taking the time to address this tension early on, helped prevent the development of severe pain and helped maintain a state of homeostasis or balance.  I learned to develop techniques and strategies to promote my daily healing, detox, muscle relaxation, repair and rejuvenation.  I learned that there is a huge connection between physical and emotional pain.  This fact made me more aware of emotional stress and its impact on my body.  I was able to incorporate relaxation and stress relief into my routine to reduce the impact stress had on my body.  Over this year, I developed my tension-buster routine, its unique for my body, my tension and my pain.  But the fun fact is, it can be adapted and developed to help others achieve the same benefits.  I learned to use my environment, gravity and body weight to stretch each and every muscle in my body.  I learned to feel the tension in each muscle and learn ways to release the stress, toxins and tension from each one.  Wether the pain is in your shoulder or your leg, our muscles are all interconnected and effective stretching needs to target this complex muscle network.  I learned that my bodies weakness is toxins and poor circulation.  My techniques help me optimize my bodies potential to release these toxins and enhance my circulation to reduce inflammation, stress and pain more effectively.  The best benefit of my tension-buster routine and health journey, was rediscovering my libido.  My libido had gone, completely dormant for 10-15 years, due to my severe illness and build up of toxins.  It was an amazing benefit to see that all the work and effort I put into healing my body, helped me reap such powerful physical and emotional benefits.  Over the past few months, I further adapted my routine to include Kegel Yoga.  This Kegel Yoga routine is specifically designed for women to enhance libido, improve vaginal muscle strength and improve orgasms.  This yoga is part of my daily routine and the benefits are outstanding.  I am thankful that my friends and peers are now seeing the benefits of the courses, I offer.   Kegel Yoga is designed to help women develop an intimate relationship with their bodies, combining the tension-buster yoga with kegel strengthening to enhance and reengage sexual desires.  So, there it is, if you want to learn your body and reconnect with its unique abilities, give me a call.   I am here to share my routines with you, in groups or private sessions.  Learn to love your body, feel it, experience and achieve all you desire. Book an appointment, today, what are you waiting for?

    Categories Diet, Elimination Diet, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health

    Diane Friendly

    Diane Friendly is a funny topic.  Its often not what are you allergic too, its what can you eat.  Over the years, my diet has changed periodically corresponding to symptoms and health status.  Food sensitivities and food allergies have increased over the years in the world.  I believe its because foods are just not as pure and simple as they used to be.  More chemicals, GMOs, additives, sweeteners and corn syrup is added to everything that makes food undigestible and essentially poison to some people.  People always ask me: How do you eat? What are you allergic too? How do you eat out?  My answer is I read menus, look at ingredients and ask questions.  My main allergies are corn, gluten, apples, black pepper and white pepper.  There are more but these are the most common allergies to mention. These are the foods I look out for everyday.  I usually try to keep my orders simple. I don’t mix too many food variables because that will cause me more symptoms.  For example, if I have eaten an entree before, I might try a new appetizer but if I am trying a new entree, I won’t order an appetizer.  The simple fact is if you tummy is sensitive, like mine, it is better to keep it simple. Let your body digest one plate at a time.  Society today pushes, appetizer, entree and dessert but many times the mixture of so many variables is the issue.  If you eat all of these things and you get an upset stomach, your body just can’t digest the food and it sticks around and causes symptoms.  I used to eat dessert all the time but now, I don’t crave it and I won’t eat it until my meal has digested.  I don’t need to add more sugar into my body while I am digesting my meal, it simply makes digestion slower.  The easiest foods for me to order are usually a protein and a vegetable.  I don’t usually eat rice because the only rice I can eat is jasmine or brown.  The fact about rice is it is filled with starch and some has more starch than others, which I can’t digest.  Vegetables and salad are usually not seasoned, which makes it a good side dish.  But there are variables because I can’t eat all vegetables or salad, which means sometimes I won’t know until the food arrives.  The protein that is usually not pre-seasoned is fish, for some reason beef and chicken usually are seasoned with pepper.  I can tell you sometimes its not easy, I can go to a restaurant and not find one item I can eat.  This happens in restaurants that have pre-seasoned everything.  I have also had times that I order, say all my allergies, and still have a reaction.  My reaction is immediate, gas, bloating and indigestion.  The reaction can last hours or days.  I can tell you the side effects are not worth the delight of eating foods I know I love but can’t digest.  The suffering used to be daily, and I refuse to live that way.  So, I take charge of my diet and keep snacks with me.  I speak up for myself, I read everything, I find the best option on the menu and go with it.  If I have a party to go to, I take an appetizer, snacks, alcohol or whatever I might need.  The simple fact is that I can’t be sure that the events will be able to accommodate me, so I advocate for myself and stay prepared.  The key to my success is eliminating and avoiding the foods that are harmful.  Advocating for myself and keeping snacks handy helps me stay healthy and avoid symptoms.  Do you have digestive issues? Do you eat and feel exhausted after?  Do you get bloated and look pregnant?  Do you have reflux?  These are all signs that some foods are harmful for you.  I can help identify the foods to eliminate and make a plan that is right for you.  Give me a call the Consultation is Free.

    Categories Advice, Anxiety, Autism, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, brain disorders, Diabetes, Diet, Elimination Diet, Fibromyalgia, Inflammation, Thyroid, Weight Loss

    Why Can’t I Lose Any Weight?

    Weight loss can be a constant struggle for both women and men.  There are a variety of variables that can impact weight loss.  It is important to identify the issues that might be impacting you, specifically.  Most individuals that seek assistance from Health Coach or professional to assist in identify your obstacles and create a plan that is right for you.  I’m writing this post because I have 2 clients that are currently facing this struggle and I am developing an individualized plan for each them.  Let’s discuss the most common obstacles to weight loss.

    Lack of Sleep – sleep quality and quantity impacts health and weight loss.  It is double edged sword because high stress impacts sleep which then impacts stress, weight loss and other health factors.  Research shows that even small sleep alterations can increase cortisol levels and create insulin resistance.  Lack of sleep is associated with a variety of health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, mood disorders and depression.

    Poor nutrient intake – nutritious foods are essential for a healthy body.  It is more important than you think to eat fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins and nuts.  A diet high in nutritious foods that focuses on anti-inflammatory meals helps promote weight loss. Its important to avoid processed foods, granola bars, cereals and bread because they are filed with empty calories and create inflammation in the body.  A diet high in healthy fats, protein and healthy carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables revs up the metabolisms and gears you up for a healthier lifestyle. Check out my presentation on You-Tube to see what harmful ingredients can be impacting your gut, brain and causing your weight gain.

    Inflammation– inflammatory foods, like those in the video I shared, create a slow and constant inflammatory response that disturbs our body in many ways.  The biggest problem with inflammation is that it is invisible, if people could actually see the damage inflammatory foods cause at the cellular level, they wouldn’t eat the foods that cause it (See video if you haven’t yet).  Inflammatory foods are foreign invaders to our bodies and it responds with systemic inflammation.  The cycle continues and inflammation multiplies, leading to a multitude of diseases anemia, autism, Alzheimer’s, carpel tunnel, gallbladder disease, GERD, autoimmune leaky gut, fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s, psoriasis, Crohn’s, celiac disease and many more… (The purple diseases are some of my personal conditions related to chronic stress and inflammation).  Some symptoms of inflammation are tired, fatigues, sleepy, brain fog, attention issues, upset stomach, bloating, achy joins and muscle pain. These are signs your body is going through inflammation and its time for an anti-inflammatory elimination diet to identify your food triggers.  Now, let’s talk specifically about inflammation and weight loss.  Inflammation impacts a hormone that regulates fat in the body.  The hormone called Leptin, controls your metabolism and appetite.  Healthy people get the message from leptin, causing their bodies to suppress appetite and speed up the metabolism, thus burning fat.  Chronic inflammation impairs the bodies ability to receive the message from leptin to suppress your appetite, causing you to eat more and gain weight.  As you can see inflammation can be a vicious cycle, the good new is you don’t have to tackle it alone.  Back to ways to fight the chronic inflammatory response. The best way is to identify your inflammatory trigger foods, develop a diet and supplementation plan that will help build up your digestive tract, immune system and reduce the inflammation. Ask me how?

    Chronic stress– stress is the biggest obstacle to weight loss and everyone has stress on a daily basis. We are faced with highly stressful fast paced lives, and stress is not going anywhere.  Stress in the body causes a flight or fight response which impacts your cortisol and adrenaline hormones.  This is a normal response but our bodies are faced with it too rapidly and frequently.  This response elevates cortisol levels, which can cause weight gain.  These continuous state of chronic stress impacts the immune system, lowers good gut bacteria and places individuals at risk for infection and autoimmune disease.  Unfortunately, after 20 years of age our bodies lose the ability to properly fight stress at a cellular level.  The simple fact is that our bodies no longer produce the antioxidant enzymes that help the body heal and recover from stress, thus it accumulates daily throughout our adult lives.  The only true way to impact this stress daily is by fighting back with nutrigenomics.  Ask me more?

    Toxic overload– We are exposed to harmful toxins and chemicals throughout our lives.  These toxins are in the water, food, hosehold cleaning products, lotions, cosmetics, paint, candles, plastic containers and much more.  Even items that seem healthy can be filled with harmful chemicals, like toothpaste, bread and shampoo.  These toxins can create inflammation and hormonal imbalances in the body.  This also impacts the bodies Leptin response and created inflammation in the body.  These toxic levels can stop your bodies weight loss even with exercise and healthy diet.

    Estrogen Imbalance– More estrogen than progesterone can play a role in weight gain.  Estrogen dominance causes increased cravings and decreased metabolism.  The most common cravings are sugary foods, if this is the case and you can’t control your cravings, estrogen might by the culprit.  Increased cravings, more calories and slow metabolisms promote weight gain.  You can try to attack the inflammation in your body with an elimination plant to see if the cravings improve.

    Low testosterone – It is well known that testosterone levels drop with age.  This drop causes increased body fate, heart disease, insulin resistance and cancer.  Interestingly, obesity can also cause testosterone to drop.  The most visible sign of low-testosterone is belly fat and difficulty loosing weight.  So if this sounds like you, its time to attack that inflammation and fight back.

    Insulin imbalance – Insulin resistance occurs when the body is not able to absorb extra blood glucose and keeps generating more from the food you eat.  The liver convert the glucose into fat and its a vicious cycle.  Inability to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels creases excess belly fat and difficulty with weight loss.  Processed foods, which we discussed earlier cause insulin resistance, inflammation, chronic stress, etc.  It is important to find someone that will support you in your journey.  Someone that can help you identify the foods that are harmful for you and develop a plan to fight back.

    Losing weight can be a difficult journey but it is possible.  The most important part is finding your particular challenges or obstacles and creating a plan with a Health Coach to tackle them.  If you feel stressed or overwhelmed by all the information and possibilities, let me help you develop a plan that you can stick too.  Some of these obstacles may require medications or supplements specific for that condition. If you are not able to resolve these issues with diet modification and supplementation, you may need medical attention, so make an appointment with your physician.

    Categories Breast Feeding, Diet, Fertility, Health, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

    Pregnancy Support

    Pregnancy and fertility can be difficult for women.  Fertility is impacted by a multitude of factors including diet, fitness, stress level, genetics, medications, ovulation, infections and more.  Some women face a variety of struggles with fertility.  I had difficulty conceiving my first child.  I had tried for 9 months, then finally decided to read a book about fertility.  The book was called “Taking Charge of Your Fertility.”  I had several friends that had used it.  I had already scheduled an appointment with a fertility specialist but the appointment was 2 months away.  I started taking my temperature every day and keeping track.  The book helped me understand my ovulation and menstrual cycle.  I made sure that after intercourse on ovulation days, I remained in bed for 20 minutes.  I did this for 2 months, and when I went to see the doctor, guess what I was pregnant.  It is also important to ensure you are feeding your body healthy foods, exercising and taking time for you.  These techniques help relax your body, reduce stress and feed nutrients that will support the infant.  If I could turn back the clock,  I would have taken nutrients that could stop the damage that occurs during pregnancy and repair my body.  Of course, at the time, I had not had an idea of the health decline that would come after my pregnancies.  If someone would have shared with me the benefits of activating the Nrf2 during pregnancy, it would have made a huge difference in my health.  It would have given my body the nutrients it needed to repair itself and reduce the cellular stress that was multiplying every second.  Based on my experience I know the pregnancies placed a huge impact on my health decline and eventual health crisis.

    The female body undergoes a variety of additional stressors during pregnancy.  The body creates an environment to grow and nurture and infant.  My body was already experiencing some digestive issues, chronic pain and other problems at the time.  Thankfully, the pregnancy went well but it wrecked havoc on my body.  My health continued to progressively get worse and eventually I needed to remove my gallbladder.  My health continued to have issues but miraculously 3 years later, I was pregnant again.  This time, I did not have to try at all. We were planning to begin trying and I found out I was already pregnant. After my second son, my health worsened exponentially.  After each child, I breast fed them each for 1 year.  This continued to place more priority on the baby than myself.  I was feeding the babies every nutrient I had and my body just couldn’t absorb more.  I had severe IBS that progressively worsened until I developed leaky gut.  I had told doctors many times that my body was not absorbing nutrients and that was why my hair was falling and other symptoms were multiplying.  Unfortunately, conventional medicine was not the answer, and I had not figured that out yet.  Essentially, I had placed priority nutritional support for my children for approximately 3 years and 6 months.  Now, think about this, we are built to carry babies and feed them.  But we are not necessarily equipped to maintain optimal nutrition and health for ourselves during this process.  I have seen a multitude of women that have gone through the same issues. Progressively their health changed after each child until chronic illness developed.  This health decline is easily preventable by activating the Nrf2 pathway, which goes dormant at 20 years of age.  Essentially, our bodies were born with the ability to do this, but then it just stops.  If you activate this pathway your body can repair itself, every single day.    So, I tell you this, if you could prevent this damage, would you?  Would you take the opportunity to learn more? Ask me how?

    Categories Biohacking, Detox, Diet, Elimination Diet, flare up, Health, Inflammation, Weight Loss

    Case Study: Weight Loss & Inflammation

    Case Study: Weight Loss

    Author: Diane Vich

    Key words: Weight loss, Inflammation & Bloating

    Introduction:

    Lourdes Mogal is a mom of two. She has tried countless diets and her weight will not come off. She has a big vacation coming up and would like to shed some weight before the trip.  She is frustrated that diets are not working for her. She also has some digestive issues and bloating with certain foods.  She is motivated and ready to start her plan right away, the clock is ticking.

    Case Presentation

    Lourdes does not have time to incorporate exercise yet but really wants to establish a healthier eating plan.  She wants to lose 15-20 pounds in the next 2 months.  She is highly motivated and ready to start her detox plan.

    Management

    • Weight gain and inability to lose weight is caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, cortisol levels and insulin resistance in the body, impacting the body’s ability to burn fat lose weight. The treatment plan will provide a diet that will enable to diet to reduce sugar and inflammation build up, promote detox, remove fluid buildup in lymphatic system and promote weight loss.

    Treatment

    • Supplementation/Dosage: (2) Nrf2, (2) fat burners twice a day, essential oils and (3) Probiotic.
    • Diet: High in low sugar fruits, gluten free, high in green vegetables, beans, organ meats, bison, fish, shrimp, eggs and turkey (rare carbohydrate like cereal, cakes and dessert).  No sugar or iodized salt.  No inflammatory vegetables or fruits.  No processed foods.  Sea salt and spices to taste.
      Coaching: 2 months of coaching recommended
    • Motivation statement: My thinking is peaceful, calm and centered. I am ready to take on the obstacles before me.

    Discussion

    A multitude of diseases (200+) are linked to oxidative stress and inflammation.  Oxidative stress is an imbalance between antioxidants and Free radicals.  Patients with weight gain and inability to lose weight have high levels of free radicals in the body.  They cause damage to the body on a daily basis.  The body has poor capability of creating antioxidants like glutathione, catalase and SOD.  These antioxidants are the only way to fight free radicals, so as they decline illness, disease and decline progressively continues through life.  By enabling the body to produce antioxidants and remove toxins, they client will reduce inflammation, bloating and fat build up to promote weight loss.

    Outcome

    1 month: Lourdes has started the detox plan.  She is enjoying the detox soup and meals.  She is motivated to lose weight for her trip.  She noticed that she experienced some bloating after a few meals.  She reached out for some coaching to relieve her symptoms.

    • Coaching Session: Lourdes health goal is to lose weight for her trip.  This will improve her ability to feel better about herself and be happy in her own skin.  This was desperately important to her because she has been sad and depressed that she has not been able to lose weight.  All of these things were important to her because she will be happier, and motivated to enjoy her life.  She decided the diet and treatment plan is going to help her achieve her goals.  Elimination plan: After her digestive issues, she asked the coach for some digestion relief suggestions. The coach added essential oils for digestion and an elimination plan to determine her food sensitivities.  She was able to identify “tomato and black pepper sensitivity.”  Her symptoms improved and she realized the importance of keeping these ingredients out of her meals.  She was happy that she had the essential oils and tips to help her if new problems arouse.  Craving support: She will continue to call in weekly for support and to deal with temptations and cravings.  She knows that she has trouble dealing with temptation at parties and asked her coach if she could reach out during these times for a little motivation.

    2 month:  Lourdes was so motivated to the plan that she did not even use any of her cheat days.  She did not want to eat any carbs because she really wanted to reach her goal quickly. She contacted her coach 3 times during the last month to get support during times of temptation and some food sensitivities.  She felt confident that she had the tools to deal with her temptations and she kept on the diet even at parties.  She lost 20 pounds.

    • Coaching Session: Lourdes was happy with her progress. She did realize the support was important and wanted to continue with a Maintenance plan after her vacation.  Elimination plan: She is glad she has essential oils and natural remedies that she can keep with her all the time.  Through her food trigger journal and coaching she was able to identify some additional foods to avoid.  She realized raspberries and mixed fancy green salad caused her symptoms.  She plans on signing up for 6 months of coaching to help her incorporate some paleo recipes in her routine, to keep her satisfied and meet her desire for some desserts.  She signed up for some shopping, easy workout sessions and cooking lessons. Lourdes really wanted to learn to make healthier desserts and snacks, in order to maintain her weight loss.

    6 months: (After 6 months of coaching)

    • Coaching Session: Lourdes successfully incorporated all the strategies for the 6 months of her coaching.  She felt energized and happy.  Elimination plan: She continued her food journal to monitor food sensitivities.  She identified two more triggers during her maintenance plan.  She identified apples and watermelons were trigger foods.  She is glad that she has the tools to identify, treat and deal with her food sensitivities.  She was able to participate in yoga and exercise regularly.  She truly enjoyed the quick exercise tips because she was able to do them wherever she was to ensure she was active.  She loved the shopping session because she truly understood how to read food labels, buy foods that were right for her body and eat for her blood type.  The cooking lessons helped her learn the benefits of using a variety of herbs to enhance food flavors and enjoy her healthy eating habits.  Lourdes felt excited and ready for new challenges. She maintained her weight loss and successfully incorporated all the strategies she learned for the 6 months.
    Categories Antioxidants, Anxiety, depression, Detox, Diet, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Fitness, Health

    Case Study: Fibromyalgia

    Case Study: Fibromyalgia

    Author: Diane Vich

    Key words: Chronic Pain, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Anxiety

    Introduction:

    Betty Boop has suffered from chronic pain since childhood.  She developed juvenile arthritis at a very young age.  She was lonely as a child and enjoyed spending time with adults because there were no other kids around.  She was very creative and adventurous by creating her own friend that took adventures with her.  She remembered naps part of her regular routine for her since childhood.  Her mom was not very nurturing or kind, likely because she was suffering from the same ailments as her daughter.  This made Betty sad and often spent time alone.  Betty learned to cook as a child with her grandmother and loved food.  She grew to be an adult with chronic pain, anxiety, depression and arthritis.  Her favorite past time was cooking meals for her family, sleep, family time and painting.  She progressed in her illness to a point that the pain was unbearable and impacting her daily life.  She was extremely tired every day and could sleep most of the day.  She had trouble walking around alone.  She often fell and was not able to stand up alone.  Her chronic body pain was intense and numbness was developing in her hands and feet.  She could no longer deal with the pain and symptoms.  She had gone to countless Specialists and Doctors without any relief.  She finally decided, it was time for Holistic treatments and diet changes.  She remembered her grandmother used to use natural remedies to help her as a child.  It couldn’t hurt to try something new.  Western medicine had definitely failed her, it was time to find HOPE, somewhere…

    Case Presentation

    Betty suffers from a variety of medical conditions. She takes medications for cholesterol, depression, nerve-damage, thyroid, blood pressure and pain.  She has pain every day in her back, legs, arms, hands and feet.  She often gets treatments like injections and nerve blocks to help with the pain.  She is progressively losing her balance and stability.  She had difficulty walking and going up the steps.   The bones of her knees are severely damaged and need repair in the future.  She want to regain her strength, lose weight, energy and regain her life.  It is important for her to be able to spend time with the family and participate in activities. Her pain in 10/10.  Her muscles are in spasm with bursitis and tender areas throughout her body.  She had also gained 50 pounds over the last 6 months which has made everything worse.

    Management

    • Juvenile arthritis is caused by oxidative stress. The symptoms are pain, swelling, limping, joint stiffness, fatigue and irritability.  Which progress rapidly through life and.
    • Chronic Pain is caused by inflammation of the tissue causing tenderness and discomfort. In people with chronic pain the pain accumulates over time and the level of pain gets worse.
    • Fibromyalgia is chronic pain and chronic fatigue among other symptoms.  It involves inflammation and pain throughout the body.
    • Depression and Anxiety caused by oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, impacting the neurotransmitters and enzymes that support mood.

    Treatment

    • Physician to wean her of Rx medications as symptoms after 3 month detox
    • Supplementation/Dosage: (1) Nrf1, (2) Nrf2, (3) Omega, (1) vitamin D, (1) B vitamins and (3) Probiotic. Essential oils for chronic pain, mood and anxiety.
    • Diet: High in low sugar fruits, gluten free, high in green vegetables, beans, organ meats, bison, fish, shrimp, eggs and turkey (rare carbohydrate like cereal, cakes and dessert).  No sugar or iodized salt.  No inflammatory vegetables or fruits.  No precessed foods.  Sea salt and spices to taste.
    • Coaching: 3 months of coaching recommended
    • Motivational Statement: I am willing to change and grow. I am creating a safe and new future for me.

    Discussion

    A multitude of diseases (200+) are linked to oxidative stress and inflammation.  Oxidative stress is an imbalance between antioxidants and Free radicals.  Patients with chronic pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety have high levels of free radicals in the body.  They cause damage to the body on a daily basis.  The body has poor capability of creating antioxidants like glutathione, catalase and SOD.  These antioxidants are the only way to fight free radicals, so as they decline illness, disease and decline progressively continues through life.

    Outcome

    1 month: Betty reports she has more energy. Is able to stay awake longer and not require a nap in the afternoon.  Her movement is a little better. Pain 7/10  She is happy with the progress but a little bored of the diet. She had lost 8 pounds.

    • Coaching Session: Betty realized that her health goal was to reduce her pain and mobility.  This will improve her ability to be with the family and enjoy playtime with her grandkids.  This was desperately important to her because she missed teaching and loved being around children.  All of these things were important to her because they made her happy and she wanted to enjoy her life.  She decided the diet was an important part of her healing and she needed to stick to it.

    3 months: Betty made a few diet mistakes but was able to stick to it most of the time. She noticed she felt worse after eating processed foods and gluten products.  She needed several coaching sessions to learn how to deal with her pain flare ups. She incorporate the essential oils, stretching routine and treatments.  She was happy the coach was available during her first pain crisis to give her strategies to help with the symptoms.  The coaching made her much more confident about her symptoms and ways to relieve them.  She had lost 20 pounds.

    • Coaching Session 1: Betty realized that her pain was worse and she had a headache. Her pain was 8/10.  She called the coach for a face to face coaching session.  The coach was able to teach her strategies to target her muscles to promote relaxation and pain relief. She taught her strategies for each of her pain areas, incorporating essential oils and the pain was relieved by the end of the session. She instructed her to continue using the treatments, oils and stretches daily for 3 more days.  Before the session ended the coach reviewed Betty’s health goal: to reduce her pain and mobility.  Betty felt confident and happy at the end of the session.   She knew that the coach was there to help her.  She knew the treatments were helping and she really needed to stick to the diet this time.  She realized she needed to stick to the treatments, supplements and diet for this to work.  She was motivated and ready.
    • Coaching Session 2: Betty successfully incorporated all the strategies for the last month of her treatment and finally felt better.  She realized it was good to incorporate the essential oils and treatments to help her with her symptoms.  The support really helped her through the month.  Her pain and numbness had improved. Pain 5/10 but relieved with treatments or exercise.  She was highly motivated and eager to keep this healing process. She wanted to reduce her pain and improve her mobility further.  She was dedicated to continuing this coaching for another 6 months to see the possibilities.  She finally felt hope that she was going to be able to enjoy life again.

    6 months: (After 6 months of coaching)

    • Coaching Session 3: Betty successfully incorporated all the strategies for the 6 months of her treatment.  She felt energized, free of pain and happy.  She was able to participate in yoga and exercise regularly.  She was painting again and spending time playing with the grandchildren.  Her pain was 3/10 daily, relieved by her treatment regimen and essential oils.  She used her oils daily and loved the benefits she experiences.   She was finally able to enjoy life again.  She was ready to take on new adventures and help her friends regain their lives again too.  She had also stopped a bunch of her medications with her Physician.  She only was taking her thyroid medication.  She lost a total of 48 pounds.

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