Category: Living Your Best Health

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Lifting Weights and Impact Sports Are Necessary but Not Sufficient

So I had my third DEXA scan recently. My first one was in 2008, second in 2012, and now this one last December. Each one has shown my osteopenia worsening.

I went through menopause in 2007, took bio-identical hormones for several years to mitigate my crazy-bad hot flashes and night sweats, chronic “on edginess,” and constant brain fog (you know, walking into a room and not remembering why you came in).

Back then, there wasn’t a ton of information about the consequences of women’s sex hormones flatlining after menopause. We didn’t know the full extent of the roles of estrogen and progesterone. How estrogen supports insulin sensitivity, muscle protein synthesis (building lean muscle mass), bone density, heart health, cholesterol levels, mood stability, cortisol regulation, brain clarity, and the list goes on and on. WOW.

Had I known back then how important this information would be for my ongoing health, I would have done a few things differently.

Now we know that there is a LOT we can do compensate for the loss of our hormones and mitigate the dangers. The big ones being heart disease (women out pace men for heart attacks the older we get), diabetes (insulin resistance increases without estrogen), osteoporosis (without estrogen, we lose more bone than we build), loss of muscle mass (without estrogen, we have a much harder time building muscle) and fat gain (due to the increased cortisol and insulin resistance, we end up storing more fat).

I’ve lifted weights, run, hiked and backpacked (all those high-impact activities) pretty consistently for the last 40 years, so getting these bone-density scans that show I’m continuing to lose bone density have been disappointing and frustrating. I know that women tend to lose more bone density during the first few years after menopause, but given that my December scan showed even more bone loss, 15 years post menopause, has me baffled and a bit worried. As an outdoor endurance athlete, I don’t want to be nervous that falling cross-country skiing  or mountain biking will lead to a serious, possibly life-changing fracture.

While our biochemistry is complicated, what I have learned is this. It’s imperative that I continue my weight-bearing activities, but if I’m not getting enough calcium from my diet to support my body’s needs, my body will take it from my bones. Calcium plays a huge role in many of the body’s functions, including supporting athletic performance. With 99% of calcium stored in our bones, when the body needs more, it will take it from our bones.

Dairy happens to be one of the best ways to get dietary calcium. Unfortunately, I am sensitive to ALL dairy, even sheep and goat. It’s the casein protein in dairy that causes me congestion, making me cough and feeling like there’s a small man standing on my chest. I stopped all dairy back in 2012 when I tested sensitive to dairy. It ended my symptoms, but it never occurred to me that eliminating dairy would have a negative impact on my bone density.

After my last DEXA scan, my doctor recommended adding a calcium supplement to my mostly plant-based diet. I read several years ago that calcium supplements don’t always help and can cause other issues, so I’ve never taken them. After my doc’s recommendation, I did a little more research, and I discovered that calcium supplements increase the chance of a heart attack, stroke and early death! WOW. Not going down that road!

So, now what? I started researching the best non-dairy foods to make sure I’m getting my 1,200mg of dietary calcium every day (the recommended amount for women past 50), spreading it out during the day (the body can’t absorb any more than 500mg at one time). It’s not easy, but if I get 300mg of calcium at every meal plus 300mg in my recovery food, I could do it!

I discovered there are several plant-foods that have good levels of calcium. (other than dairy, animal foods do not contain much calcium, if any). Here are the ones I now make sure that I include in my diet. There’s a TON of information available on the calcium content of various foods, and I’ve found a LOT of variation in the data (even on the Nutrition Data on food packages). I offer the information below a guideline and not gospel.

FoodAmountCalcium (mg)
Almonds1/4 cup96
Almond butter1 Tbsp55
Amaranth1 cup, cooked115
Black beans (and most beans)1 cup, cooked100
Black strap molasses1 Tbsp180
Brazil nuts1/4 cup60
Broccoli or Brussels sprouts1 cup,cooked80
Collard greens1 cup, cooked300
Figs1 cup, dried240
Kale, any variety1cup, chopped90
Kale, any variety1 cup, cooked120
Orange1 medium65
Poppy seeds1 Tbsp125
Sesame seeds2 Tbsp90
Tahini2 Tbsp150
Tempeh3 oz, 1/3 cake100
Tofu1/2 cup, 4 oz 100

So the bottom line is this…

To maintain my bone density, not only do I have to stress my bones (through weight training, running, hiking), I have to make sure that I’m getting enough calcium (and Vitamin D!) to provide my body the right tools to keep my bones strong.

If you’d like to know how I’ve incorporated these foods into my diet, send me an email. I’m happy to share with you some of my recipes or help you create a meal plan that will increase your daily calcium intake.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into menopause health, check out Dr. Stacy Sims’ website. Her ongoing research on menopausal athletes can give you more detailed information on how to stay healthy and fit as we age. I’ve been studying with her for the past three years, and I’ve learned a TON of great information!

Stay tuned as I’ll share more of what I’ve learned about menopause, pre-diabetes and upward-creeping cholesterol, some of the other challenges we face when our hormones flatline.

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Four Ways You Can Thrive in Menopause and Beyond

Last fall, I completed Dr Stacy Sims’ Menopause for Athletes course. I learned so much that applies to all women as we age, not just those of us who are super active. What I learned has had such a powerful positive impact on my life that I wanted to share it!

I never realized until I went through her course how important of a role our hormones–estrogen and progesterone–play in almost every part of our body’s health. In particular, estrogen helps us create and maintain lean muscle mass. It keeps our brains balanced, alert and calm. It supports maintaining and creating our strong bones. It keeps us from becoming insulin resistant by supporting a healthy metabolism.

So, when our estrogen flatlines, post menopause, several things happen that have negative influences on our short-term and long-term health.

  • We lose lean muscle mass and start to gain weight (primarily fat) even though we don’t make ANY change in our diet or activities
  • We start to lose bone density, exposing us to osteopenia and osteoporosis
  • We have a much harder time metabolizing glucose (sugar/carbohydrates), exposing us to pre-diabetes, diabetes and heart disease
  • We experience more anxiety, stress, brain fog and unexplained mood swings due to brain chemistry changes and higher cortisol levels
  • We experience hot flashes and night sweats because we lose the ability to naturally regulate our thermoregulation
  • These last two lead to our inability to get a good night’s sleep due to higher cortisol levels and hot flashes, leading to fatigue, brain fog and poor recovery from exercise

So what can we do to stay healthy, active, fit and on our game as we move into our wise woman years?

If you’d like help with understanding how to make positive changes to improve your health and address your menopause symptoms, click here to request a free consultation with me. Together we’ll help you start to make changes that can improve your quality of life and address your concerns.

What I learned in Dr Sims’ course can help us stay fit and healthy, and it only takes a few changes to our lifestyles. Here are four key actions that you can take to help compensate for your hormones flatlining.

1. Heal your gut

Having a healthy gut microbiome is essential to maintaining your health as gut health impacts so much of your overall health. When your gut is not healthy, you have increased fat storage, reduced energy availability, leaky gut issues, low-grade chronic inflammation, a weakened immune system, and increased stress and mood imbalances.* This means at minimum, you need to improve your gut health by eating a gut-healing diet. To learn how you can improve your gut check out my blog article, The Road to Health.

2. Get moving!

Exercise not only helps heal your gut, but it will increase muscle mass and bone density, stop unwanted weight gain, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce mood swings. While any moderate exercise is helpful, there are two specific types of exercise that are the very best at compensating for your lower hormones, specifically estrogen. I will write more about why these are so critical in future blog posts, but basically it comes down to these two things: lifting heavy stuff and intensity training. If you’re not already strength training or doing HIIT (high intensity interval training), you can learn more about how to get started by searching for beginning online programs. Doing long, slow “fat burning” sessions won’t help as they don’t stimulate the hormonal/biochemical factors that compensate for what your estrogen used to do.**

3. Ditch the simple carbs

That means stay away from foods like candy, syrups, table sugar, sugary drinks, fruit juice, products with added sugar, processed/fast foods, white bread, and sodas (including diet!). With low estrogen, you have a much harder time metabolizing glucose (sugar and simple carbohydrates), and that leads to increased fat storage and insulin resistance (along with increased cortisol as your low estrogen levels fail to down regulate circulating cortisol).

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are good for you and support your gut health. These are foods like whole fruits, fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains and starchy vegetables. Organic is always best!

Protein is your friend, particularly if you increase your protein intake (whey, eggs, soy, lean poultry, wild caught fish, plant-proteins, etc.) around your exercise, when your metabolism is receptive to protein intake to rebuild your muscles. For women, that “window” is only 30 minutes. So be sure to have 20-30 grams of good quality protein, along with your healthy carbohydrates, right after you finish your strength training or HIIT session (as well as your endurance/aerobic workouts longer than 60 minutes).

I’ll write more about this in future blogs, but for now, focus on getting LOTS of organic fresh veggies, whole fruit and lean protein in your diet. Don’t worry about fat other than to make sure you are focusing on high quality heart-and-gut healthy fats, like avocado, coconut, olive and grass-fed ghee. The more veggies and fruit the better as they will help your gut microbiome as well as fuel your body.

4. Get a good night’s sleep

Sleep is where ALL recovery and repair happen. If you’re not getting good sleep, between 7 – 9 hours most nights, your body is not getting the rest and repair it needs. Without deep restorative sleep, you don’t recover from your workouts, eliminate the stress of your day or allow your mind to rebalance. Your reduced estrogen levels increase circulating cortisol as you no longer have the ability to down regulate it in your body. This makes sleep more challenging. It’s imperative that you get enough deep sleep to ensure that you give your body the opportunity to release its human growth hormone to repair and restore your body. Deep sleep can be illusive when your hormones flatline.

Having a good nighttime routine is essential to increasing your chances of having a good night’s sleep. Here are a few suggestions to help you slip into slumberland. Stop electronic work at least 2 hours before bedtime (longer is better, or at least use blue-filtering glasses if you must be on your computer or phone). Keep your bedroom cool, quiet and dark. Eliminate caffeine after 2pm. Make sure you finish your last meal at least 2 hours before bedtime. And maybe try a 30-minute yin yoga program (you can find them online) an hour before bed. If needed, there are many natural sleep aids to try, and from my own experience, I had to try several before I found a combination that works for me. Dr Sims recommends 4 oz of tart cherry juice and valerian supplements about 1 hour before bedtime.

I can help you address your menopause symptoms, click here to request a free consultation with me. Together we’ll help you start to make changes that can improve your quality of life and address your concerns.

Start implementing these four key actions to help your body stay strong and healthy, and mitigate the negative impacts of your declining hormones. It will take some time, but I assure you that you will regain your vitality and fitness, helping your body stay healthy and active long into your wise woman years!

* Jane A. Foster, Karen-Anne McVey. Trends in Neuroscience. Volume 36, Issue 5, p. 305-312, May 2013

** As with starting any new exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor first to ensure that your body is ready.

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What Human Design and Gene Keys have taught me about my anxiety

On my walk this morning, I had an epiphany. I realized that my lifelong struggle with anxiety stemmed from the first seven years of my life…and it’s all there in my Design.

I have Gate 52 activated in my design—one of the gates in the Root Center. For me, Gate 52 was activated by Unconscious Venus, which in the Gene Keys system is the source of the “spiritual wound” I experienced during the first seven years of my life. Our spiritual wound sets up the story line for our life, and without recognizing and healing the story, our lives are victim to the lower, Shadow frequency of that activation. For Gate 52, the shadow frequency is Stress.

From what I can remember, the first seven years of my life were incredibly stressful for a child who is hypersensitive. I experienced a huge amount of change with, one by one, all four of my much older siblings, leaving home to start their own lives. By the time I was five, I was an only child. They had all left, married and started their own families. I was heartbroken and lonely, not understanding, as a five-year-old, why they had left me all alone.

My whole life I have struggled with managing my stress, dealing with chronic nervousness and anxiety, and at times dropping into depression—the other side of anxiety.

Several years ago, I spent a year studying Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, where I learned Ayurveda, the ancient framework of health. Ayurveda states that each person is born with some combination of three “doshas,” that make up our basic constitution*: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Me being thin and quick all of my life, I discovered that I have a fair amount of Vata in my constitution.

Vata is all about movement and air. Vata people are wiry, quick, thin, learn fast but forget fast, and are prone to poor digestion and sleep. The seat of Vata is in the gut—the lower part of the digestive system. When Vata is “out of balance,” it causes anxiety, nervousness, and digestive issues. Stress and poor diet aggravate Vata.

But it wasn’t until I had the epiphany on my morning walk, that I made the connection between my anxiety, my Vata tendencies, my childhood, my health and Gate 52!

Three months ago, I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut, a condition that I’ve struggled with off and on for years. (In January I wrote about Leaky Gut—excessive gut permeability—and what causes it.) I was recommended a specific diet and supplement protocol for nine weeks. The protocol recommended a Paleo diet—no processed foods, sugar, legumes (beans), grains or dairy. While I’ve been dairy and gluten free for years, I still ate grains and legumes even though they frequently gave me gastric distress.

I get pretty serious about following recommended protocols for my health. I dove in, cutting out all baked goods, sports gels and drinks, and the few remaining processed foods that I still enjoyed (I have had a serious potato chip addiction for most of my life). After getting my certification as a Culinary Nutrition Expert last December**, I had no trouble creating loads of yummy and nutritious meals that met my Paleo diet criteria. I added daily time outdoors and strength training to help me balance my overabundance of Vata by increasing my Kapha energy (Kapha qualities are solid, calm, steady and strong).

My gut and digestion have improved enormously! And, I’m calmer. My sleep is deeper and more restful. I laugh a lot more. I’ve slowed down. I take time to listen to the birds and look at the flowers and trees. My mind is clearer. I’m just happier and more at ease. I feel more grounded and solid.

Contemplating all of this on my morning walk was when I made the connection with my Human Design and Gene Keys. The gift quality of Gate 52 is Mountain! Healing my gut—the seat of Vata—helped me to move from being a Victim of Stress to the Gift of Mountain—strong, solid, peaceful, present, patient.

For over a year I have been exploring the question of whether there is a physical connection between our Human Design and Gene Keys. I wondered if the ancient system of health—Ayurveda—was a key to unlock this connection. At least for me, I have discovered a direct connection between the activations in my DNA—my Human Design—and my health.

My working theory is that there’s a similar connection for everyone. If I am correct, then linking Ayurveda to Human Design and Gene Keys can give us a system of diagnosis for improving our health and lifestyle to help us move out of our victim frequencies and into our gift frequencies!

I’m excited to explore this further! If you would like to as well, let’s talk! We can look at your Human Design and Gene Keys alongside your Ayurvedic doshas and health situation to see if there’s a connection. Use this link to schedule a call or send me an email to set up a time for a chat. I would love to explore this possibility with you!

* “Vpk® Dosha Quiz Explanation: Maharishi Ayurveda Products.” Maharishi Ayurveda Products International. The Art and Science of Health, www.mapi.com/doshas/vpk-explanation.html.

**Want to know more? Click here to read about my new program to help you makeover your diet to support optimum health.

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Common Culinary Herbs for Your Immune System

There have been mountains of articles and posts on how to stay healthy and practice social-distancing during this pandemic, but I’ve only seen a few articles on how to support our bodies’ immune systems to keep us healthy and resilient.

I will be sharing with you recipes, practices and information on how to utilize common foods, herbs and spices to make easy, nourishing, healing foods that support your health and vitality. When we are under stress, our immune system is challenged, making it even more important to incorporate healing and nourishing foods to stay strong, calm and healthy.

Nature has provided us with many foods, herbs and spices that boost and support our immune systems and gut. With at least 70% of your immune system in your gut, it’s critical to take care of your gut’s health as well as support your overall immune system.

In my last post, The Road to Health, I shared a list of foods that heal the gut and foods to avoid. Focusing on the foods to favor will help your gut to heal, reduce inflammation, and support your immune system. I even provide a smoothie recipe you can try, which is quick, yummy and uses easy-to-find ingredients.

Many culinary herbs not only enrich your meals but have powerful healing properties. They can support your immune and respiratory systems, aid digestion and boost immunity. Here are three that you likely already have in your pantry.

Thyme: long known for its healing properties, this culinary herb can help a sore throat, improve bronchitis symptoms, reduce coughing from upper respiratory infections, boost immunity, ease stomach distress, and reduce inflammation. Its oil is even used in mouthwashes to kill germs. It’s thought to have antibacterial and antifungal properties.  

Lemon Balm: while culinary uses are varied, its traditional medicinal use was to lift the spirits by easing nervousness, anxiety, depression and insomnia. It can aid digestion and act as an antihistamine. It is also recognized as an antiviral and antibacterial herb.

Fennel: one of the more widely used culinary and medicinal plants, fennel is most commonly used to aid digestion and help the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal system. Fennel essential oil has been shown to contain more than 87 volatile compounds including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties.

You can make a healing tea* by steeping 1 teaspoon of each of the above dried herbs in 10-oz of hot water, letting them steep covered for 10-15 minutes to make the tea “more medicinal.” Adding a little raw honey when the tea is just cool enough to drink can boost the antiviral, antibacterial and antimicrobial benefits.

Raw Unfiltered Unpasteurized Honey: In this form, raw honey has many health benefits. It is filled with antioxidants which protect your body from cell damage by free radicals; it is antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic. It has been used to treat wounds because it is an effective germ killer and aids in tissue regeneration, boosting healing time and reducing infection. It can even sooth a sore through and calm a cough. The best honey for you is the raw, unfiltered honey that is local to your area. It will contain the most beneficial complex of ingredients to support your health.

When purchasing your dried herbs, be sure and look for organic as that ensures they have not been irradiated. Many herbs, particularly ones that have been imported from other countries, have been irradiated, which if not destroys, can greatly reduce the efficacy of the herbs’ delicate essential oils, what gives them their flavor and aroma and, of course, their medicinal properties. 

If you can’t find organic, look for ones with that carry the “non-radiated” label. 

Additionally, store all your herbs in glass or stainless-steel tightly-sealed containers, out of direct sunlight as the volatile oils are susceptible to air. Even stored correctly, they are best used within 3 – 6 months of purchase.

I hope you enjoy this delicious and nourishing herbal tea. May it support your immune system and your health!

* “Thyroid Healing Tea.” Thyroid Healing: the Truth behind Hashimoto's, Graves', Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules & Epstein-Barr, by Anthony William, Hay House, Inc., 2017, pp. 172–173.
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The Road to Health: How I Healed My Autoimmune Disease

In the summer of 2007, I was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. My doctor said my immune system was attacking my thyroid, causing it to be underactive. No matter how much I slept, I would still wake up exhausted. My memory and brain were foggy. I was cold all the time, wearing sweaters even when it was 80-degrees. I drug myself through work and struggled to maintain my exercise. I wasn’t recovering even though I was eating, what I thought was a healthy diet.

That summer began my long road back to health, and now after making changes in my diet and adopting a healthier lifestyle, I no longer take thyroid medication. I have no symptoms and my thyroid functions perfectly.

Along the way I learned that many autoimmune diseases are associated with “Leaky Gut Syndrome,” described as increased intestinal permeability. Pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa) or toxic substances literally leak through the walls of the intestines and enter the blood stream, creating widespread inflammation and reactions from the immune system.

It’s not just Hashimoto’s that is connected with leaky gut. Medical science has a long list of diseases associated with leaky gut: chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, autism, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, asthma, food allergies, chronic inflammation, obesity and diabetes.

Our diet has dramatically changed over the past 50 years. With the rise of processed “convenience” foods and fast food restaurants, the quality of our diet has severely declined. The American diet is full of hundreds of chemicals, dozens of known toxins, and foods designed in laboratories. This has coincided with the meteoric rise of autoimmune diseases.

It wasn’t until I stopped eating foods that were damaging my gut, inflaming my body and sending my immune system into overdrive, that I started to heal and get my health back. I focused on whole-foods that would heal my gut, restore my immune system and rejuvenate my thyroid. I am now healthy, free of joint pain and stiffness, sleeping soundly, with a clear mind and good digestion, and my workouts are even stronger.

How do you know if you suffer from a leaky gut? Here are the most common symptoms:

  • Bloating, gas and intestinal distress
  • Cramps
  • Chronic or extended periods of diarrheaand/or constipation
  • Food sensitivities
  • Chronic aches and pains
  • Lasting fatigue
  • Skin problems

If you have an autoimmune disease or symptoms of a leaky gut, here are some foods to choose and to avoid to begin your healing journey.

Foods that Heal Your Gut Foods to Avoid
Bone broth (from grass-fed beef, free range turkey or chicken) Gluten-containing foods and grains: wheat breads, pastas, cereals, flours, couscous, barley, rye, bulgur, seitan, oats
Kimchi or unpasteurized sauerkraut 

Wild blueberries		High sugarfoods and drinks, particularly with fructose: anything with high-fructose corn syrup, sugary beverages, sodas, cookies, candy, pies, pastries, sweets 
Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegarAlcoholicbeverages: beer, wine, spirits, etc. 
Avocado Un-cultureddairy: milk, cheeses, ice cream, cottage cheese
Coconut oil Fast foods and highly-processed foods: foods with long ingredient lists that you don’t recognize 
Leafy greens: Spinach and Kale Highly processed fats: canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil

If you’d like to get started healing your gut, I have a recipe for you! I created this delicious and quick Gut Healing Smoothie. Each ingredient is beneficial for gut health as well as packed full of nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body.

Click on the image to download your free smoothie recipe!