The Wellness Witch Podcast

Are you sacrificing sleep, nutrition, and exercise in order to really get to the top? Nutritionist and transformation coach Ciara Foy talks about the importance of these non-negotiables. She reminds us that self-care equals success and that prioritizing our internal life can help us become our happiest, healthiest, most efficacious selves.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode59 Topics Discussed in this Episode:Ciara’s holistic journey from Bay Street to where she is todayThe importance of having women in leadership rolesStrategies that you can implement to start reclaiming your healthCiara’s three non-negotiables when it comes to health and well-beingWhat you should do when you feel too exhausted to work outSelf-care strategies that you can integrate into your daily lifeIntermittent fasting and why it’s not such a good idea for womenThings to look forward to in Ciara’s upcoming book, Empowered by FoodKey Takeaways:More women need to get in leadership roles. As women, our nurturing quality can go a long way in business and leadership and helping people to overcome a lot of the pressures that are going on in the workplace.Women are especially great at building a sense of community in the workplace, and people want to go to work where they have that.Sleep is the cornerstone of your health. If you’re not sleeping properly, your body won’t be able to recuperate, it throws off your hormones, and it’s going to make you hungrier the next day.If you go to bed early and get up early, you’re working with your body’s natural circadian rhythm and you’re going to be that much more productive.Even if you have enough energy to do a workout, if you’re exhausted afterward and feel like you need to take a nap, then it’s the wrong workout for you. The right workout should be invigorating and make you feel great.Women have a higher resting level of stress hormones than men.Probably the biggest cause of stress for most women is what’s going on in their own mind all day long.Self-care doesn’t only mean bubble baths and massages. It’s really about prioritizing yourself. It’s about saying no to things when you don’t have the bandwidth and about making sure that you take the time and space for yourself.For most women, food is much more emotional than it is for men. And if you don’t have a great relationship with food, restricting and intermittent fasting is not going to make it better.Action Steps:Prioritize sleep. Go to be earlier even if you still have work to do because you will be so much more efficient and on the ball if you go to bed earlier and get up earlier instead of pushing yourself.Treat yourself well. How you treat yourself gives other people permission to treat themselves that way as well. If you want to get the most out of your staff, out of your own life, and out of anybody, it’s all about setting an example.Manage and balance your blood sugar, especially if you’re stressed.When it comes to stress, learn to manage your own mind, practice meditation, and breathing techniques, and do journaling. Ciara said:“We can’t just pretend we’re men and hustle and work hard in order to make it to the top. We really have to consider how more sensitive we are with respect to hormones and stress and cortisol and all those things.”“When you give up on your sleep and exercise and good nutrition and the foundations, then you throw yourself under the bus and you lose yourself because you can’t keep going like that.” Thanks for listening!Important Announcements:Join the 14-Day Spring Detox Program! Registration opens on May 1st.Connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie! And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:Dr. Joe DispenzaBooks by Dr. Joe Dispenza Where you can Ciara Foy:Ciara's WebsiteCiara's FacebookCiara's Instagram (@ciarafoynutrition) Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6-Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How can we use essential oils to balance our hormones and support ourselves throughout the day? Dr. Mariza Snyder is back in the podcast and we talk all about essential oils and hormones as well as supporting thyroid health.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode58 Topics Discussed in this Episode:How Dr. Mariza started her research journey on essential oilsWhat to look for in essential oils and what to pay attention to in essential oil companies and brandsEssential oils to combat sugar, salt, and fat cravingsMorning, daytime, and evening rituals to sustain your energyEssential oil blends for the thyroid and the liverPhototoxicity and photosensitivity with essential oilsEssential oils for PMS supportThe uses and benefits of copaibaEssential oils for bloating and digestive supportEssential oils as air freshenersKey Takeaways:98% of the essential oils in the market are synthetic to some degree or adulterated.It takes a lot of plant materials in order to create really therapeutic, beneficial, organic, and powerful plant essential oils.Peppermint is such a great appetite and craving suppressor.Dr. Mariza’s “Sugar Be Gone” blend contains 8 drops each of grapefruit, lemon, and peppermint. And her “Instant Energy” blend is a combination of peppermint and citrus (grapefruit or wild orange).Oils have a way of shifting your emotions and shifting your stress and shutting up that mental chatter.Dr. Mariza’s thyroid blend is 5 drops of frankincense, 5 drops of lemongrass, 5 drops of myrrh, 5 drops of clove, and 6 to 8 drops of lavender. For the liver, it’s turmeric and castor oil.Your go-to oils for PMS are clary sage and lavender. For the blend, use 10 drops of clary sage, 8 drops of lavender, 8 drops of geranium, 4 drops of bergamot, and 4 drops of ylang-ylang.For bloating, if it’s a duo, it would be 10 drops each of peppermint and ginger. If it’s a trio, it would be 7 to 8 drops each of peppermint, ginger, and phenol.Action Steps:Do your research on essential oil brands and companies.Know your trigger points when it comes to cravings and always have your essential oil blend to combat them.If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, set a timer on your phone for every 90 minutes or every hour where you just take a moment, stand up, and reset.Dr. Mariza said:“The cool thing about essential oils… is that they’re anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-bacterial… because these chemical constituents are secondary metabolites on plants and their job is mainly to protect the plant from environmental threats…”“Self-care is really just giving yourself permission to pause.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements:Don’t forget to grab a copy of Dr. Mariza's book, The Essential Oil Hormone Solution here on Amazon! And make sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter! We will soon be opening the registration for our Spring Detox and we will be sharing all the details over there.Connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie! And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things I talk about in the show:Books by Dr. Mariza Snyder:The Essential Oil Hormone Solution by Dr. Mariza Snyder - Grab it here on Amazon! The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils Where you can Dr. Mariza Snyder:Dr. Mariza’s Instagram (@drmariza)Dr. Mariza's Website Essentially You Podcast Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6-Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Are you having issues with terrible PMS, bloating, high thyroid antibodies or stress? Many of us have a lot of the same problems and issues, so listen in as I address some of your questions and provide you some really great strategies that you can implement to feel your most amazing self!You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode57. Topics Discussed in this Episode:Anti-bloat tips and suggestionsWhy you want you thyroid antibodies to be zeroWhat it means when your antibodies are highStress management strategiesWhat you can do when you have terrible PMSKey Takeaways:If you are eating a little bit too much sugar carbs, even grains, this can really impact the yeast and the bacteria in your gut and can cause a lot of bad bacteria to grow, which can often lead to bloating.Bloating can result from swallowing gas and air. So if you're drinking carbonated drinks or chewing a lot of gum, those can make you feel really bloated.The 6 things to look when to get to the root causes of terrible PMS and other period issues:SugarAlcoholStressBlood sugar imbalancesExcess weightInflammationEstrogen dominance leads to way more PMS issues.Action Steps:To avoid bloatingMinimize the sugar carbs and grains in your diet.Minimize drinking carbonated drinks.Avoid chewing gum.Try doing an elimination diet and check for any food intolerances you may have that cause bloating.Stay hydrated.Make sure that you're feeding the good bacteria in your gut.Bring your antibodies down.Manage stress by being present and staying in the moment.Eat PFF (protein, fat, and fiber) meals. Get in good quality sources of protein, make sure you're eating adequate amounts of fat and get in the fiber from starchy or non-starchy vegetables. Samantha said:“Having one autoimmune condition means... if you don’t adress it, it will lead to other autoimmune conditions, and then to kind of swing that pendulum back to really get healthy and to really get your body into homeostasis, it can mean that it’s going to be that much harder.”“Your diet can have such a profound effect on your cycles and your hormones.”Thanks for listening!Important Announcements:There’s still enough time for you to join our Instagram Influence Masterclass! We are going live at 7 PM Eastern Time tomorrow, April 17, and we are going to be diving into so much juicy content about your Instagram strategy!Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter! And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon!Connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie! And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things I talk about in the show:Holisticwellness Shop Episode mentioned that you shouldn’t miss:Episode 55: Healing Your Adrenals + Managing Stress + Adaptogenic Herbs Recommended Product:ZenGest Oil Blend from doTERRA Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6-Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What is your hormonal hierarchy and how can you modify, adjust, and strategize your nutrition and your workouts based on it? Naturopathic and functional medicine doctor, Dr. Brooke Kalanick talks all about hormonal hierarchy, PCOS and lifestyle strategies for optimizing hormonal health.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode56. Topics Discussed in this Episode:PCOSHormonal hierarchyLifestyle and nutrition strategies for women with PCOSThe role that histamine plays on female hormonesThe best workout approach that women can take for optimizing their hormonal healthHow kale isn’t going to be the fixer of all thingsKey Takeaways:For the most part, if you’re showing up with irregular periods, cysts on your ovaries, insulin resistance or elevated androgens, those are all going to be signs that can help point you towards a PCOS diagnosis.Inflammation is an underlying root cause for PCOS, so all women with PCOS should really be looking to manage all sources of inflammation.If you’ve ramped up your training too much, one way to know that you’re overdoing it is if your ACES (appetite, cravings, energy, and sleep) are out of balance. If your appetite goes up, your cravings go up, your energy goes down or your sleep changes, you’re probably exacerbating cortisol with your training and you want to back that down.Some classic signs of overtraining can be represented by the acronym RAMP, which stands for reluctance to train, achiness or excessive soreness, moodiness, and puffiness.Action Steps:Look into managing all your possible sources of inflammation.Figure out your unique carb tolerance. Dr. Brooke said:“It’s just unfortunate that women don’t understand how their hormones are talking to them. All day long we’re getting biofeedback from our hormones, especially insulin and cortisol… so it’s really important to tune in to their signals.”“Exercise is powerful medicine and I really think we can use it for healing, but it is a very quick way to burn yourself out, to create a lot of inflammation or oxidative stress and make those delicate hormone issues worse.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements:Our intensive two-hour Instagram Influence Masterclass is coming up on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 PM Eastern Time. So if you feel that you need some Instagram help, and you want to know how to use those hashtags as well as learn the secret ways to hide them, and you really want to engage with your community and build your community, then come join us! Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter! And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon! Connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie! And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show: The Sarah and Dr. Brooke Show Hangry: 5 Simple Steps to Balance Your Hormones and Restore Your Joy by Sarah Fragoso and Dr. Brooke Kalanick Lab Guide Where you can find Dr. Brooke Kalanick:Dr. Brooke’s Instagram (@betterbydrbrooke)Dr. Brooke's WebsiteDr. Brooke's FacebookSarah & Dr. Brooke Website Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6-Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What do we need to know about our adrenals? How can we tell if they’re burnt out, and how can we heal them? Find out as I share some insights from a chapter of my book that’s coming out soon!You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode55. Topics Discussed in this Episode:The adrenal glands and their functionWhat cortisol does in our bodies11 Signs and symptoms that your adrenals are burnt outThe different stages of adrenal fatigueHealing your adrenal glandsThe benefits of infrared saunaAdaptogenic herbs to support your adrenalsKey Takeaways:Your adrenals control your stress response, your weight, your blood sugar, your blood pressure, and your immune system. In fact, they are our primary survival organs.Also, your adrenals can cause you to experience multiple symptoms, which we commonly refer to as adrenal fatigue.Adrenal fatigue actually refers to HPA axis dysfunction. Its symptoms include exhaustion, low thyroid function, weight gain, sleep disturbances, lack of focus and concentration, and sugar, salt, and fat cravingsYour adrenals communicate with your brain and vice versa. And when you are exposed to certain triggers such as blood sugar highs and lows, environmental toxins or perceived stress -- poor quality of sleep, blue light pollution, circadian rhythm disruption, gut inflammation -- you can impair this communication between the brain and the adrenals.Hormonal balance is essential to good health and your adrenal glands are really at the center stage in relation to the body’s ability to regulate your hormones. In fact, roughly 70% to 80% of all doctor visits are for stress-related conditions for which doctors have little or no training and nothing to offer than some temporary relief care.11 Signs and symptoms that your adrenals are burnt out:You have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or do not feel rested upon waking.You’re craving fat, sugar, and salt.Your memory and your focus are just lacking.You’re experiencing digestive issues.You feel irritable and anxious.You get tired most afternoons, you are craving sugar and salt, and maybe you are even looking for a caffeine fix.You’re gaining weight primarily around your waist.Your hormones are a mess, so maybe you are dealing with PMS or you’re having issues with infertility, maybe even low libido.You find that you’re getting sick more often. Not only that but you’re also having a really hard time recovering from a cold or flu.You get angry quickly and you find yourself being snappy.You have low thyroid function.All kinds of perceived stress begin this really nasty cycle of adrenal fatigue, which now starts to slow down and impair your thyroid, which now also slows down and impairs your gut health, which impacts your immune system. And now, this leads to leaky gut, which can be a trigger for autoimmune disease. Action Steps:Test your adrenals with a salivary or a urine test to better understand how they’re functioning. The test that you really want to look for is something that looks at your cortisol over a 24-hour range so that you can really see the peaks and dips of your cortisol and how it occurs throughout the day.Support both your adrenals and your thyroid.Heal your adrenal glands:Practice relaxation. Find the meditation that works for you. Look up Yoga Nidra apps or download a meditation app like Headspace.Try infrared sauna therapy.Have a hot bath.Practice sleep hygiene and create healthy boundaries around sleep.Implement herbs and supplements. Samantha said:“In nature, constant stress is rare. In our human world, however, we are dealing with all kinds of stressors and we are pushing our adrenals into overdrive, and we’re impairing this communication between the adrenals and the brain. This is what’s leading to burnout and exhaustion.”“When it comes to healing your adrenal glands, you need to know that there is just no quick fix. You can’t just pop a pill and call it a day… It is the lifestyle shifts that have the biggest impact on your adrenal health.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements:Sign up for our weekly newsletter! And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon!On April 16, I’m going to be hosting an Instagram Influence Masterclass. If you’re interested, you can get all the info in the weekly newsletter as well.I would love to hear what strategies you are implementing for supporting your stress and managing your adrenals! Share it with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And if you’re interested in diving deeper into adrenals and thyroid health and really want a strategy and structure in place for supporting your hormones and your cycle with a hormone-balancing meal plan and you want to drive deeper into detoxification and blood sugar, these are all the things that we cover in our 6-Week Online Healthy Hormones for Women.And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:DUTCH Test – Advanced Hormone TestingHeadspace AppHeartMath App Recommended Herbs:AshwagandhaRhodiolaHoly BasilShatavariReishi mushroom *Shop at the Holisticwellness Shop. Enter the coupon code save15 at checkout and get 15% off. Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6-Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Are you someone who’s struggling with an autoimmune disease or know someone who is? If so, then this episode would be really helpful for you! Learn some helpful strategies and solutions for autoimmunity from Dr. Nadia Saleem as she shares her knowledge and expertise on the subject, as well as her own healing journey from Hashimoto’s.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode54. Topics Discussed in this Episode:Nadia’s struggle with Hashimoto’s and how she took her health in her own handsThe steps to healing from Hashimoto’sWhat an actual diagnosis of Hashimoto’s is and what women need to look for in their blood workSome of the commonalities among women who have Hashimoto’sProgestin vs ProgesteroneThe dangers of progestin-only birth control pillsHow to tell if you have estrogen dominanceHormone replacement therapy versus bio-identical hormonesWhere to start if you have a hormonal imbalance.The impact of fasting on hormonal healthWhy it’s difficult for women to lose weight when they’re in menopauseKey Takeaways:Traditionally, what people are testing for when they do their blood work is TSH and maybe T4 if people are lucky. But the things we really need to look at is TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3. And then the two thyroid antibodies that are most commonly looked at anti-TPO and anti-TG. And until we see all of those numbers together, we really can’t make a true diagnosis for Hashimoto’s.Some women have actual values of TSH, T3, and T4 that are fine but still have elevated antibodies. We look at that as just an immune system issue.A lot of Eastern Europeans tend to have Hashimoto’s because of the radiation.There are a lot of hormonal birth control pills and IUDs that have progestin. What people don’t realize is that progestin will increase breast cancer risk and actually make estrogen dominance worse.The non-negotiables when it comes to autoimmunity are nutrition, sleep, lifestyle and stress management, and mindset and mental/emotional work. Those have to be in place for you to get anything else under control.Action Steps:Build a healing community around you of people you can trust and who can truly hold you accountable.Try to eliminate, or at least minimize, the stress from your life.Have your blood work done.Test your hormone levels and test for estrogen dominance. Samantha said:“Wherever you are on your health, you must do the uncomfortable work. You just have to dive in and begin right where you are because there is no right time to begin and your health doesn’t wait for the right time.”Nadia said:““We don’t want to wait until your antibodies are in the thousands to start working on them, because chances are, they will get there, and why wait until they get there?”“No matter what condition we’re looking at, any type of autoimmune condition, until we get the stress under control, it’s a futile battle… So the stress has to be number one.”Thanks for listening!Important Announcements:Join the Metabolic Reset Program! It’s our high fat, low carb approach to helping women lose weight and balance their hormones.Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter! And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon!If you have any questions, connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:DUTCH Test – Advanced Hormone Testing Where you can find Dr. Nadia Saleem:Nadia’s Instagram (@dr.nadiasaleemnd)EBL Naturopathic ClinicMyPureBalance Recommended Products:Matcha green teaSpearmint teaCalming teasLicorice tea *Shop for these at the Holisticwellness Shop. Enter the coupon code save15 at checkout and get 15% off. Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6 Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What are the core supplements that everybody should take to support their whole body from head to toe? Listen in as I talk about the five foundational supplements that are incredibly essential in supporting your hormones, your brain, your heart, and your energy.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode53. Topics Discussed in this Episode:The five foundational supplements for everyone across the boardVitamin DFish oil or omega-3MagnesiumProbioticsJuice PlusFood sources of magnesiumThe different benefits of Omega-3Things to look for in a probiotic Key Takeaways:Vitamin DVitamin D functions more like a hormone in your body, and it’s really important for modulating your immune system, for brain development, and for hormone support. It’s also important in supporting bone density as well as insulin management.Studies show that those with hypothyroidism tend to have significantly lower levels of vitamin D.There have been some great studies showing that higher intakes of vitamin D were associated with lower risks of pancreatic cancer.Studies also show that those who have any kind of psychiatric issues or neurological diseases are typically vitamin D deficient. Fish Oil or Omega-3Omega-3 is really a brain nutrient.Omega-3 helps to switch off the genes that store fat and turn on the genes that break down fat. It reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and even diabetes.Omega-3 can help your body to increase the utilization of fat storage from your fat cells.One of the biggest things that many people experience from supplementing with omega-3 and fish oil is the reduction in their inflammation.Omega-3 also helps to improve mental focus, memory, and overall brain function.It increases your serotonin levels and has a very positive effect on your mood.From a skin perspective, it helps to lubricate and support your skin internally. MagnesiumSo many people are deficient in magnesium and magnesium deficiency can really put you at a risk for impaired metabolic function and reduce your mitochondrial function.There are lots of ways to get your magnesium. Foods rich in magnesium include leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens or beet greens, kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce, colored greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cacao, avocado, different seeds and nuts, and fatty fish like wild-caught salmon or mackerel.Magnesium helps to strengthen your bones by promoting healthy bone density. It is also involved with helping to control blood sugar levels, especially in people who have diabetes or may be at risk for diabetes.Magnesium also helps to relieve constipation.Magnesium is also great for sleep, protecting your heart, and any type of mood disorders -- anxiety, irritability, and even depression. ProbioticsOur gut is basically home to approximately 100 trillion microorganisms and our gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all human cells in the body.Some things that can really impact our gut and our gut flora are antibiotics.After antibiotic use, the diversity of your gut flora isn’t recovered unless you supplement with probiotics.Infants that aren’t breastfed and are born to mothers with bad gut flora are more like to develop unhealthy gut bacteria and that these early differences in gut flora may predict being overweight, developing diabetes, having eczema, psoriasis, depression, and other health problems in the future. Greens Products or Juice Plus+Juice Plus+ is a blend of 30 different fruits and vegetables, bridging the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day, so it’s really providing you with real food nutrition. It comes in three different bottles -- the Orchard Blend, the Garden Blend, and the Vineyard Blend.PaleoGreens from Designs for Health is over 90% organic and doesn’t have grains, gluten, fructose, and soy. Action Steps:Get your vitamin D levels tested so that you can really gauge where you are on the range.Work with a health practitioner to assess your dosing when it comes to magnesium supplements.Support your gut by supplementing with a probiotic.Make sure that your probiotics have live active culture, that there’s no sugar added, and that it’s enteric-coated so this can really help support with your digestion and bioavailability, especially if you have low hydrochloric acid or stomach issues and digestive issues in general. Enteric-coated will mean that it can help you absorb it much, much better.When it comes to probiotics, look for a combination of different strains and at least 10 billion cultures. And make sure that it’s non-GMO certified. Samantha said:“I call [these supplements] the foundational five because I think that these are really at the core that everybody should take, and then on top of that, you can add in other strategic supplements based on your condition or symptoms or whatever you might be experiencing.”“I don’t typically recommend multivitamins… because if you need to get a high dose of vitamins, you’re going to have to pop a lot… and oftentimes you’re just getting really crappy versions of the vitamins in there… Instead, I recommend a greens product or something like Juice Plus+.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements:Register for my FREE Weight Loss + Hormone Webinar on March 20th and get a behind the scenes look at our 12-week weight loss program + receive an exclusive webinar discount. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter! And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon! If you have any questions, connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan.   Episodes mentioned that you shouldn’t miss:Podcast Episode 45: Eat Your Vitamins: Essential Nutrients for Women’s HealthPodcast Episode 49: Top 10 Herbs for Hormonal Health Recommended Products:Magnesium bisglycinateDesigns for Health NeuroMag (Magnesium L-threonate)Designs for Health OmegAvail Hi-PoDesigns for Health TG Fish Oil Emulsion in Mango Peach SmoothieJuice Plus+Designs for Health PaleoGreens *Shop for these at the Holisticwellness Shop. Enter the coupon code save15 at checkout and get 15% off. Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6 Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to another Q&A episode! The questions that come in, many of us have these questions and sometimes we’re just scared to ask. So take a listen as I provide some insights and strategies on the things that you want to know about. Enjoy!You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode52. Topics Discussed in this Episode:How can you boost low progesterone?Why should you take a DUTCH test?When you have low thyroid function, should you support your thyroid, your adrenals, or both?What can you do with terrible menopausal symptoms?Should you eat different foods while you’re on your period?Is it possible to take too much B vitamins?What can you do about getting sick a lot?Key Takeaways:Some of the reasons for having low progesterone could be age. Or it could be that your progesterone is low in relation to your estrogen, meaning that there is estrogen dominance going on.If you have low thyroid function, it typically means you have a high adrenal function. So your adrenals and your thyroid can’t really function at the same time.When it comes to menopause, your symptoms will get worse if you have a congested liver, if you have adrenal fatigue, and if you have low thyroid function. Action Steps:Get acupuncture treatment to help boost low progesterone. You can also start to incorporate some evening primrose oil, specifically during the second half of your cycle.Get a DUTCH test.Support both your adrenals and your thyroid.Address terrible menopausal symptoms:Do a thyroid test and run a full thyroid panel).Manage the stressors in your life.Implement a high level of self-care.Detoxify. Get rid of toxic products that you’re currently using. Go to ewg.org and look up the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen lists.Eat a variety of foods during your period.Make sure you’re getting enough iron by eating red meat (lamb, beef, organ meats like liver). If you have a heavier flow, take an iron supplement.Get lots of vitamin C by eating citrus fruits (lemons, lime, grapefruit, berries) and dark leafy greens. Vitamin C is going to help with the absorption of iron.Eat foods rich in omega-3 (fish oil, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, wild-caught fish).Eat foods rich in B12 (red meat, dark leafy greens)Pay attention to carbohydrates. Some women need a little bit more carbohydrates during their period and everybody is different.What to do if you often get sick:Eat mushrooms. Reishi mushrooms, Cordyceps, and Chaga are really good and help to modulate the immune system.Increase your vitamin C intake by eating vitamin C-rich foods or supplementing with it.Make sure you stay hydrated.Support your gut health with probiotics, fermented foods, and bone broth.Make sure you’re sleeping well enough and that you’re creating healthy boundaries around your sleep.Get anti-inflammatory herbs and spices (ginger-lemon tea, ginger-lemon-turmeric lemonade). Samantha said:“[The DUTCH test] is a wonderful hormone test because it will not just show you what’s going on with your sex hormones but will also really break down all your hormone metabolites and how well your liver is.”“If you feel like you’ve done everything… and your symptoms are still showing up in a big way, that’s when I would suggest to go dive in and now do the DUTCH test. Instead of trying to guess everything, just test, don’t guess, and then dive into that.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements:Sign up for our weekly newsletter. And if you’re a health practitioner or an entrepreneur, be on the lookout for the Holistic Wellness Business Mentorship program that’s coming soon! If you have any questions, connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:DUTCH Testewg.org Recommended Products:Designs for Health AdrenotonePURICA Immune 7PURICA Complete 360 *Shop for these at the Holisticwellness Shop Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Podcast Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6 Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

What is the vagus nerve and what are some simple strategies that we can do to activate it? Get a load of some really amazing information from Activate Your Vagus Nerve author, Dr. Navaz Habib. Enjoy!You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode51. Topics Discussed in this Episode:The vagus nerveSome common signs of vagus nerve dysfunction.The effect of stress on the vagus nerveThe four major functions of the vagus nerveStrategies and tips to activate the vagus nerveWhere sleep and digestion come into playAutoimmune conditionsKey Takeaways:If you have poor vagus nerve function, you will experience poor digestion, inflammation, IBS, issues of liver detoxification, even autoimmunity.12 to 24 hours after you eat a meal, you should be eventually releasing the waste of that meal. Optimally, around 16 hours is the best amount of time.When you don’t have a gallbladder, what’s actually going on is you’re living is going to be extra stressed in being able to push out bile and get toxins out of the body but help to absorb the fats.The four major functions of the vagus nerve:Afferent functionParasympathetic functionMotor functionsSensory function to a portion of the earOne of the tools that you can use to see if the vagus nerve isn’t working well is the tone of voice. If you know somebody that has a very monotonous voice and they aren’t able to raise pitch or go up and down with their voice, then that is a sign that the signaling in the vagus nerve is actually quite poor because the muscles aren’t being used correctly.We can actually use auricular acupuncture to treat vagus nerve dysfunction.Gargling is a great tool for activating the vagus nerve. But you have to gargle the right way, up to the point that you tear up. If you’re not able to tear out of our eyes, you’re probably not activating the nuclei inside the brain stem of vagus enough.Heart rate variability is actually a direct sign of vagus nerve function.People that sleep on their right side tend to have higher heart rate variability and tend to be better nose breathers.Action Steps:Monitor your bowel transit time. If it’s too fast or too slow, that’s a sign that the vagus nerve is not doing its job correctly.Get auricular acupuncture treatment to stimulate vagus nerve activity.Practice gargling every morning and evening, in the right way.Make sure that you breathe through your nose, not through your mouth. Try using Breathe Right strips or a mouth tape.Make sure that you chew your food very well and that you’re not eating under stressed circumstances.Go away from the stressful environment of your desk or your work station and get out and do something a little bit different. Be in a calm, relaxed environment.Before you eat, do some humming or chanting or some deep breathing exercises to help activate the vagus nerve. Navaz said:“What the vagus nerve really is, is the major connection between the gut and all of the organs inside our body directly to our brain. It is the gut-brain axis… It is essentially the controlling pathway by which our body is able to recover, rest, digest, and actually function optimally.”“You are what you eat, digest, absorb, and don’t eliminate… If you’re not absorbing it, it’s not going to get into your body, it’s going to get into your cells, and then it’s not doing the job that it needs to do.” Thanks for listening! Important Announcements: SIGN UP by tonight (March 5th, 2019) to Access the Exclusive Hormone Masterclass. If you have any questions, connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:Activate Your Vagus Nerve: Unleash Your Body’s Natural Ability to Overcome Gut Sensitivities, Inflammation, Autoimmunity, Brain Fog, Anxiety and Depression by Navaz Habib Where you can find Dr. Navaz Habib:Dr. Habib’s Instagram (@DrNavazHabib)Dr. Habib's FacebookDr. Habib's Website Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHealthy Hormones for Women Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6 Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Are you a breast cancer survivor or want to know more about breast cancer prevention? Find out how you can be a breast cancer thriver with holistic nutritionist Lauren Neuburger. As a breast cancer survivor herself, she is living proof that certain tools and strategies can have a tremendous impact on your overall health and quality of life.You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode50. Topics Discussed in this Episode:How Lauren handled getting diagnosed with breast cancer at age 26Estrogen dominance and why hormonal imbalance is not to blame for when you get cancerThe beneficial qualities of phytoestrogensThe DUTCH test and why you should take itThe effects of chemotherapy on your hormones and ovarian healthThe dietary changes that Lauren started to implement early on after her breast cancer diagnosisCommonalities among anti-cancer diets that we can all benefit fromLauren’s non-negotiables when it comes to health and wellbeingMammograms and thermography Key Takeaways:Managing your internal environment and managing your mindset can play a really pivotal role in your health and whether or not a disease can manifest in your body.When you get breast cancer, your hormones are not the problem. It’s not the hormonal imbalance that’s causing cancer but the misalignment in other areas of your life.If you have a symptom of estrogen dominance, it’s really just a sign to take a closer look at the message that this imbalance is showing you and look at the other areas in your life that could be contributing to this imbalance.When it comes to breast cancer, especially ones that are estrogen receptor-positive, it is important to look at the estrogen picture. Estrogen is actually a parent term and there are many different estrogen metabolites. Some of these metabolites are very protective, and some of them are more harmful.Any good breast cancer prevention protocol is going to address several things. It’s going to boost the immune system, it’s going to be super high in antioxidants, it’s going to be very anti-inflammatory, and it’s going to work on balancing blood sugar.Alcohol is absolutely something that should be addressed as part of any anti-cancer protocol. When it comes to breast cancer, there really is no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed. Action Steps:Do a breast self-exam. Know where your breasts are now and how they are when they’re healthy, and knowing what they feel like so that you can really monitor some changes.Pay attention to your cycle. It is a window into what’s really going on with your hormonal health.Test your hormones, especially after a breast cancer diagnosis.Make present-moment food choices that honor your highest self.Attend to your soul needs and do things that bring you joy. Lauren said:“The best anti-cancer diet for anybody is one that serves them the best.“By taking care of yourself, you are saying yes to yourself. You are saying yes to the universe that you matter and you choose YOU. That is such a powerful message that can be sent… And when you choose YOU, you end up creating more space in your life to serve others.”Thanks for listening!Important Announcements:If you have any questions, connect with me over on Instagram, @holisticwellnessfoodie. And it would mean so much if you would leave us a rating or a review over on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher, or whichever platform you’re listening to us on. Take a screenshot of your review and email it over to us, and get our FREE 3-Day Hormone Balancing Meal Plan. Links to things we talk about in the show:Download Lauren's Anti-Cancer Breakfast eBook hereJoin me IN PERSON for my 4-week Group Coaching Program - Clean, Lean and Green. Check out more info here.Join my online 6-week Healthy Hormones for Women Program. Join before March 1st and get TWO incredible bonuses ($400 Value). Sign up and learn more here. Where you can find Lauren Neuburger:Lauren’s Instagram (@nutritious.delicious.life)Lauren's WebsiteLauren's Facebook Where you can find me:Samantha’s FacebookSamantha’s InstagramSamantha’s WebsiteSamantha’s TwitterHolistic Wellness Private Community on Facebook How you can work with me:6 Week Healthy Hormones for Women Intensive - Use the coupon code PODCAST at checkout to save 60%.Healing & Dealing with Hashi’sAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands