Healthy Hormones

    Intermittent fasting. Nutritionist cautious       advice . Fasting is incredibly popular right now, with plenty of women jumping on to this ‘band wagon’ for many issues including weight loss, inflammation, chronic illnesses and so forth. Intermittent Fasting basically means switching between fasting and eating on a regular schedule. The common fasting techniques are 16:8, 18:6 and 20:4. The ratios are the number of hours fasted versus the hours for eating. Intermittent fasting as a nutrition recommendation is being misused and many clients do not have the clarity on how this technique can help them in their healing journey or generally their lifestyle. Currently it is like a ‘blanket recommendation’ for health and wellbeing for everyone which goes contrary to the practice of individualizing nutrition support to each client depending on their specific health concern and putting into consideration different factors. The key take away is that intermittent fasting is not for ever

                 The Female menstrual cycle As a nutrition practitioner specializing in women health, I use women’s cycles to help them learn their body, and most importantly, to see how their body is communicating back to them. I believe we can use food to support the body and balance hormones. In order to do this, we have to know how our monthly cycle works. During each phase of our cycle, our body has different hormones that in increase of decrease. 1.     Menstrual phase This is also known as Period bleed. It marks the first day of your menstrual cycle. Normal length of this phase is 3-7 days. Periods can start off as heavy but they should tapper off from the 3 rd day. During this period, it’s normal to have less energy levels, low appetite and feel to internalize things more than actual doing of stuff. Overall hormone levels are at their lowest. What isn’t normal; Ø   period that come with pain, spotting prior, heavy clotting, breast tenderness, headaches, a

  Debunking some blood sugar myths Debunking some blood sugar myths The whole issue of Insulin resistance and blood sugar balance can get confusing to many of us coz there are tons of information out here that can complicate and lead you into fear. Insulin resistance is a process that doesn't occur overnight. There are series of 'events' that happens in your cells that eventually make them resistant to the effects of insulin hormone whose main function is to help lower blood sugar. By the time you become insulin resistant, you will have slowed down your metabolism, depleted minerals and vitamins, high stress hormones that are not responding well, burdened liver, poor sleep, estrogen dominant and poor gut health . Common Myths. 1.      Carbohydrates are bad. This is absolutely false. Our bodies can become resistant to the hormone insulin due various reasons other than carbohydrates. These include meal timings, mineral deficiencies, sluggish thyroid, elevated st

  Why Magnesium is so important Magnesium is one key mineral when it comes to maintaining overall health and most important to women's health. Key functions: ·          Magnesium is involved in over 3000 different enzymatic reactions in the body which include heart health, stress reduction,blood sugar balance, bone health, dental health, balancing key nutrient levels like vitamin D, calcium sodium and potassium. ·          Magnesium is key in ATP production in every cell of the body which is converted into energy When it comes to hormonal health magnesium play a key role on maintenance of normal estrogen levels, reduces cramps and other PMS symptoms ·          Magnesium is known for its impact on stress. Research has shown there is a bidirectional relationship between magnesium and stress, meaning stress causes magnesium loss and magnesium deficiencies can increase the body’s susceptibility to stress. When we experience a stressor, our brain is alerted and sends signal

  Signs on your skin that indicate hormonal imbalances. Signs and symptoms usually indicate there's a lot going on in our bodies and not just hormonal imbalances. The hormones get imbalanced due to other systems or glands not functioning properly. It all originates from the cells before it can manifest on your skin or face. 1.       Acne and facial hair Common causes; They include PCOS, excess androgen, estrogen dominance, low progesterone, poor gut health, congested liver and blood sugar imbalances. Tips on how to manage acne. Clearing up or healing the skin is not as easy as we would want, however, it takes time and consistency to resolve the skin issue. Jumping right into supplements or topical skin acids and creams might not be effective if the core problem isn't addressed. ·          The right foundation includes eating right to balance your blood sugars. Go for whole grain or starchy carbs / root vegetables balanced with Protein and healthy fat. Consume ade

  Achieving Weight loss with PCOS. Losing weight with PCOS is a struggle but it’s not impossible. It takes time to lose weight with PCOS but doing it right, with a healthy foundation is key to seeing results. Traditional and common methods of eating less and then moving more doesn't work for women with PCOS and other hormone related conditions. These methods can lead to weight loss, however, they wreak havoc to your hormones thus not recommended. How one can achieve weight loss with PCOS. 1.Targeting to eat enough, well balanced meals ie. carbohydrates, protein, fiber and healthy fats and eating at regular intervals eg. Every 3-4 hours is the backbone of a healthy metabolism and healthy weight. So if you skip meals, go for long hours fasting, eat less and do intense cardio exercises you might not experience any sustainable weight loss. 2.Aim for high protein intake in all your meals. Target between 80-100 grams of protein daily which you evenly distribute in all the meals t

  Management of ACNE in PCOS High levels of testosterone and DHT in PCOS leads to increased oil production in the skin which results to acne. Therefore by lowering high androgen levels helps improve the skin leaving you glowing and confident about yourself. If you are struggling with acne issues at adulthood then you need to focus on enhancing the functioning of your liver i.e the detoxification pathways. If your liver has too much toxins and excess hormones like androgens and estrogen these can increase inflammation in the skin and lead to high sebum production as a result. How to support your liver 1. Inositol supplement together with proper pairing of easily digestible carbs with protein and healthy fats for reducing insulin resistance. Reduction in levels of insulin helps lower the levels of androgens which are associated with acne. 2. Get adequate amount of vitamin E and cod liver oil . Both are anti-inflammatory and help balance hormones . 3. Zinc - you want to get

  Solutions to Hormone-related hair loss and supplements to take If you are experiencing hair loss this post is dedicated to you especially if you also have PCOS or Thyroid conditions. Hair loss is a symptom that indicates deeper issues in your body. There are patterns that precede hair loss and by the time you notice your hair has thinned you might as well be experiencing other symptoms like unhealthy nails that are breaking easily and full of white spots, poor appetite, poor sleep, skin issues and even high stress levels There you need to be more objective on how to restore your nutrition status and lifestyle routines like exercise and sleep If you are body is not making enough energy from the food you're eating then it's not going to prioritize hair growth. Thus you need to be eating enough of nutrient dense foods and in a balanced way i.e. include smart carbohydrates, adequate protein and healthy fats. Four issues that cause hair loss in women 1. PCOS This cndition i

Stress-driven PCOS Our bodies can be subjected to stressors that cannot always be felt or be detected by a person. These internal stressors may be due to undereating, poor digestion, gut symbiosis, mineral imbalances, food sensitivities and even blood sugar dysregulation. Other common sources of stress could be emotional, work or relationship related, disease and money related. When the body is under stress, it demands for more energy. This stress on the body suppresses the thyroid from functioning optimally. This will in turn impact other organs like the digestive system, and the liver. Remember the liver is where there's a lot of conversion of T4-T3(your thyroid hormones) When the thyroid is not able to function optimally due to stress, our adrenal glands take up that job and thus the increase in cortisol levels. In the long run you experience 'adrenal fatigue ' The signs of stress driven PCOS include; ·          Having trouble sleeping at night ·          Hav