Hippocrates was quoted saying, " All disease begins in the gut" and today we have mounting evidence showing that many of our modern diseases are in fact rooted in the gut, especially autoimmune diseases, which are affecting more and more people each year.  A vast array of chronic inflammatory symptoms ranging from digestive distress, to chronic fatigue, to hormonal imbalances, to joint pain, depression, anxiety, headaches, skin rashes and more are all rooted in the gut.

Studies actually show that over 70% of our immune system resides in the gut and it's also where 80% of our serotonin (the primary neurotransmitter that regulates mood) is manufactured as well.

In fact, I've personally experienced how treating the root cause of my leaky gut significantly lowered my depression and balanced my mood!

What is Leaky Gut or Intestinal Permeability? 
The single layer of cells that lines your intestinal track creates a physical barrier between your bloodstream and the outside world. As foods come into your body, they may contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites as well as pesticides.

Your gut lining is your first line of defense against these pathogens and toxins. But the lining of your gut can get damaged by inflammatory foods like gluten, toxins like heavy metals and pesticides, pharmaceuticals like antibiotics and NSAID's, as well as pathogenic infections, bacterial imbalances, and stress. 

A damaged gut lining gets holes in it, for lack of a better term,  and you develop what's medically named, intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut". This means that pathogens, toxins, and food proteins can now pass through those "leaks" and into your bloodstream where they interact with your immune cells. The immune system "tags" these food proteins and toxins as "dangerous intruders or pathogens" because they are not supposed to be in the bloodstream and begins to attack them. 

This immune response leads to the symptoms listed below which is why if you have any of these symptoms, its likely that you have leaky gut.  Some experts have estimated that intestinal permeability affects over 70% of our modern population. 

9 Signs You Have Leaky Gut:

1. Digestive Issues: bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, IBD, Chrohns, Colitis, etc
   
   
2. Allergies/Sensitivities: to foods, chemicals or smells, or seasonal allergies and asthma 
   
   
3. Brain/Neurological Symptoms: headaches, migraines, brain fog, ADD/ADHD, autism
   
   
4. Mood Imbalances: depression and anxiety
   
   
5. Chronic Pain: joints, muscles, tendons, etc
   
   
6. Chronic Fatigue: diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, easily exhausted, low endurance, and/or sleep doesn't relieve fatigue. 
   
   
7. Autoimmune Diagnosis: CFS, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, MS, chrohns, colitis, Hashimottos thyroid, lupus, ALS, type 1 diabets, etc
   
   
8. Hormonal Imbalances: mood swings, PMS, fibrocystic breasts or uterine fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, insomnia, and decreased tolerance of stress. 
   
   
9. Skin Reactions: itching, rashes, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, etc

Leaky Gut - Autoimmunity Connection:
When your gut is leaky and more and more particles are able to escape into your bloodstream, your immune system begins to get into a pattern of high alert which causes it to become overstressed and fire less accurately, sometimes leading to an attack on your own body's tissues or an autoimmune attack. Eventually, this will develop into full-blown autoimmunity if your gut is not repaired.

In addition, your immune system starts making antibodies against the substances that have escaped into your bloodstream. Many of these foreign invaders, especially gluten and dairy, in particular–look very similar to your own body’s cells, causing your immune system to get confused and accidentally attack your tissues. This process of mistaken identity is called molecular mimicry, and is another way that leaky gut can trigger autoimmune disease.

Healing Leaky Gut:
​If you want to reverse autoimmunity and heal your gut, I suggest working with a skilled functional medicine practitioner who can help you identify all the root causes of your symptoms and take you step by step through a personalized gut healing protocol.

You and your practitioner will need to identify and remove all the inflammatory dietary and lifestyle items that are contributing to your intestinal permeability like food sensitivities, toxic exposures, and stress. You will also need to identify and treat pathogenic infections in the gut, reinoculate your immune system with beneficial bacteria, and lastly provide your gut with the key nutrients it needs to repair the "leaks and holes" in the lining. 

In my practice, I find that 80% or more of my clients have leaky gut at the root of their chronic symptoms. When we focus our approach towards healing the gut by eliminating inflammatory triggers, rebalancing the gut microbiome, and repairing the intestinal lining, people begin to heal, get rid of chronic symptoms, and get their life back!

Are you ready to get rid of your chronic symptoms? If so, I'd love to help you! If you want to learn more about what to expect when working with me- you can schedule a complimentary 15 minute new client session to understand how my root cause approach can help you reclaim your health!

Or check out the gut healing programs I offer on my Work with Me page and read testimonials of others who have worked with me. 

In good health,

Billie

Did you know there are 70-80 million people in the U.S. alone that are suffering with an autoimmune disease and  up to 150 million people worldwide?  These numbers have increased threefold over the last 50 years and are continuing to rise.

What is Autoimmunity?
Autoimmune disease is a whole spectrum of illnesses that all have common root causes, even when they show up in different parts of the body.  The commonality among these illnesses is that the body is attacking its own tissues. This can happen when our immune system no longer recognizes our own cells as safe, it identifies them as harmful intruders and launches an attack against them.  There are many things that can change the shape and appearance of your cells which is what's at the root cause of these chronic illnesses. 

The traditional western medicine approach to these illnesses to prescribe steroids and other immunosuppressant drugs to reduce the immune system's response.  They are focused on "diagnosing" your illness and then "treating" you with pharmaceuticals to reduce symptoms. These drugs to do not to anything to cure or reverse your illness or help you heal, they are simply "masking" the symptoms of your illness at best. And they come with horrible side affects like a insomnia, depression, and immune deficiency making you more likely to get infections that will only make you sicker. 

As someone who was diagnosed with 3 different autoimmune conditions by 3 different specialists, I understand just how frustrating and hopeless it is be given a diagnosis(s) without any answers as to the known cause. That's why I became a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner so that I could figure out my own answers, reverse my illness,  and help others do the same. 

In Functional Medicine, our approach is to ask the questions, "why are you sick?", "why did you develop this set of symptoms or this illness?", "what is at the root cause of this illness?".  What we find when we ask these questions is that regardless of the type of symptoms that are being expressed or the type of autoimmune disease that has been diagnosed, there are common things that we find at the root cause of every autoimmune condition. 

5 Root Causes of Autoimmunity:

1. Genetic Predisposition
   Some of us inherit a genetic code with mutations or variations on certain genes that will put us at a higher risk of developing certain autoimmune conditions.  BUT, your genes are not your destiny - I cannot stress that enough!! Just because you carry a mutation or polymorphism, doesn't mean that mutation will be expressed and lead to disease so this alone is not a root cause of autoimmunity. Your genes express themselves using the "information and instructions" we give our body. How do we do that? Through our daily lifestyle, food, and environmental choices.
   
   As Dr. Ben Lynch describes in his book, Dirty Genes, if you are living in a clean, non-toxic environment, eating quality, organic, anti-inflammatory foods, and leading a balanced life without too much stress, your good genes or strengths will be expressed and your bad genes (mutated genes) will be silenced or turned off. If you are eating an inflammatory, nutrient deficient diet,  exposing yourself to harmful toxins, or/and are consumed by stress in your world, the opposite will happen.  When we treat our body poorly, it will react poorly, it's that simple!  
   
   
2. Hidden, Chronic Infections
   ​Microbes like bacteria, viruses, parasites, and yeast and fungus have been found to play a large role in autoimmunity. Often times the tissue that is being attacked by our immune system is tissue that has been altered in some way by infection, making it look foreign and instigating the attack on self.  When I was first diagnosed with an autoimmune condition,  I didn't know that I had over a dozen different infections present in my body. These infections raise inflammation by activating our immune cells, stealing our nutrients, throwing our metabolism and hormones out of balance, and causing damage to our tissues all of which contribute to autoimmune manifestations.  
   
   
3. Toxic Burden
   Let's face it, we live in a toxic world! We are getting daily exposures to things like heavy metals in our water and air supply, pesticides from our food sources, BPA from plastics, chemicals in our personal care and cleaning products, and mold and other environmental toxins from our immediate surroundings.  
   
   For example, did you know that one BILLION pounds of pesticides are used annually in the U.S.? These saturate our air, our water, our food and our body's cells.  In fact, the CDC has an ongoing study that tests patients for 246 toxic chemicals and heavy metals. The results are showing that on average, 108 different chemicals and heavy metals are found in EVERY PERSON. 
   
   These are toxins that were not even in existence 50-70 years ago.  Our bodies simply cannot keep up with this level of toxicity in our modern environment and these toxins start to pile up in the body where they can affect and change the shape and functionality of our cells.  This is another reason why the immune system becomes overactive and we are seeing such a huge rise in autoimmunity, 
   
   
4. Intestinal Permeability or Leaky Gut (leading to Food Reactions & Allergies)
   The single layer of cells that lines your intestinal track creates a physical barrier between your bloodstream and the outside world. As foods come into your body, they may contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites as well as pesticides. Your gut lining if your first line of defense against these pathogens and toxins. The second line of defense is a network of immune cells that line the track; in fact over 70% of your entire immune system is located in your intestines, so how those cells act determines how your immune system responds overall. 
   
   The lining of your gut can get damaged by inflammatory foods like gluten, bacterial imbalances, pharmaceuticals like antibiotics and NSAID's, as well as pathogenic and toxic exposures. A damaged gut lining gets holes in it and you develop what's medically named, intestinal permeability, or  "leaky gut". This means that pathogens, toxins, and food proteins can now pass through those "leaks" and into your bloodstream where they interact with your immune cells. The immune system sees these food proteins and toxins as "dangerous intruders" because they are not supposed to be in the bloodstream. This is is when systemic inflammation rises and we experience symptoms like fatigue, pain, skin rashes, and brain fog. 
   
   
5. Stress (leading to Hormonal Imbalances)
   In today's society, we receive continuous stress in the form of daily hassles like fighting traffic or standing in line, relationship and family stressors, high stress jobs, stressful work environments, deadlines, fully booked calendars,  and big life changes like divorce, raising children, moving, losing a job, battling a serious illness, or losing a loved one.  
   
   When we don't balance the stressors with enough de-stressors, downtime, mindfulness, and personal connection we keep our body in a constant state of stress from a metabolic standpoint. Overtime, this adds up as the body compensates and we end up with hormonal imbalances that start to show up as symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, weight loss, mood swings, depression, and anxiety. Scientists also believe these hormonal imbalances play a role in the development of autoimmunity, this is demonstrated by the fact that two-thirds of all autoimmune disease is found in women whose hormonal system is more complicated than men's. 

The good news is that once you know the underlying cause(s) of your condition, you can truly support your immune's system ability to heal itself.  In my practice I use special functional lab work to identify what's at the root cause of your autoimmune condition and then design a personalized dietary, nutrient replenishment, and lifestyle protocol to help lower inflammation and slow or reverse autoimmunity. 

So if you are sick of being sick and tired of not having answers as to the development of your condition, check out my approach and read about what it's like to work with me,. If you like what you see, consider a 15 minute free consultation to learn how to identify the underlying causes of your autoimmune condition and get rid of chronic symptoms that dominate your daily life!

This common hormonal imbalance affects both women and men and can leave you feeling blue, overweight, and unable to sleep. Estrogen dominance occurs when estrogen levels are too high relative to other hormones, especially progesterone.  This can occur in the presence of excess estrogen or when there are deficient progesterone levels to counterbalance estrogen.

These two hormones need the presence of each other in order to correctly perform their individual roles and act like a system of checks and balances to one and another. In general progesterone calms the effects of estrogen and keeps it in check.  But when their delicate balance becomes skewed, estrogen can overstimulate the brain and body and you can experience a wide variety of mild to serious symptoms including...

Signs of Estrogen Dominance:

• Weight gain and/or weight loss resistance  -  the inability to lose weight despite doing the right things
• Extra weight around the hips, butt, and thighs specifically
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Uterine fibroids
• Irregular cycles
• Infertility, endometriosis, and/or PCOS
• Mood swings and irritability
• Water retention/edema,  and bloating
• Tender breasts
• Anxiety and/or depression
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic dry eyes
• Brittle, dry nails
• Hair loss or hair thinning
• Low libido
• Insomnia

As someone who experienced most of these symptoms throughout my teens and twenties, I can tell you this can happen to anyone at anytime in life.  While it is often the result of chronic stress and/or hidden chronic infections or imbalances, many people will experience this just from the effects of the excess estrogens we are all exposed to in our modern diet, environment, and lifestyle.  Check it out...

Causes of Estrogen Dominance:

1. Obesity -  Fat cells contain an enzyme that converts adrenal steroids to estrogen increasing estrogen levels in the body and causing havoc.  NOT COOL!  Estrogen slows metabolism and boosts insulin production, which causes the body to store more calories as fat rather than use them for energy. In a nutshell, the more fat you have, the higher your levels of estrogen will be. This is just one more reason to maintain a healthy weight.
   
   
2. Chronic stress or Chronic illness - When our body experiences stress of any kind (internal or external), it responds by pumping out cortisol, a steroid hormone produced in the adrenals that helps "prepare" the body for stress in a variety of ways. When stress becomes chronic and the demand for cortisol is high over a longer period of time, our bodies use progesterone to make the additional cortisol needed.  This happen in those with adrenal fatigue and this is why we often see depleted or imbalanced sex hormones along with adrenal fatigue. This is because progesterone is a parent or master hormone that can make cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone. When the body "steals" progesterone and another hormone called pregnenalone to make cortisol, progesterone levels will often become depleted, leaving estrogen unopposed.  
   
   
3. Phytoestrogens - These are estrogen like compounds found in plant based foods that many of us have in our diet. The biggest source are soy products but foods like flaxseed , sweet potatoes, and red clover are also contenders.  When consumed regularly over long periods of time, they increase the risk of estrogen dominance significantly.  Phytoestrogens have also been shown to inhibit the conversion of T4 (thyroid hormone) to T3, the active or available form of thyroid, which contributes to hypothyroidism and additional metabolic imbalances. 
   
   
4. Xenoestrogens - These environmental chemicals are proven carcinogens and well known for their ability to damage the immune system and disrupt hormonal balance.  They look similar to our body's natural estrogen and our body cannot often distinguish between the two.  
   
   Sources of xenoestrogens include:  pesticides, conventionally raised meats, poultry, and seafoods, canned goods, plastics and plastic wraps, industrial wastes, personal care products, home cleaning products, styrofoam, and air-fresheners. 
   
   
5. Poor diet - A diet consisting of conventional meats and seafood, non-organic foods, and processed and canned foods is loaded the xenoestrogens mentioned above and the body gets too much estrogen on board. Additionally a diet low in healthy fats can stress your metabolism! Healthy sources of saturated and omega fats are actually needed to manufacture hormones in your body. When you don't eat enough healthy fats, hormones like progesterone suffer and can become depleted leaving your more susceptible to estrogen dominance. 
   
   
6. Poor hormone metabolism/impaired liver function - The liver is our master detoxification organ that is responsible for cleansing our body from the harmful effects of chemicals, elements in food, environmental toxins and even natural products of our metabolism, including excess estrogen.  Anything that impairs liver function or ties up the detoxifying function, like a hidden or underlying chronic infection,  can result in excess estrogen levels and contributes to estrogen dominance in a significant way.  

Conventional medicine uses a narrow minded approach to correct estrogen dominance, typically using Hormone Replacement Therapy, birth control, or IUD's to tame estrogen levels.  The problem with this approach is that it only treats the test results - low or imbalanced hormones, by replacing them. BUT it doesn't actually address the causes of estrogen dominance at all!  Particularly if the person cannot metabolize excess estrogens, this type of treatment approach is like adding fuel to the fire. 

I was someone who experienced this personally - I spent my teens in and out of several endocrinologists and gynecologists office suffering from endometriosis, PCOS, depression and difficulty losing weight.  And then spent my twenties in fertility clinics trying without success to get pregnant.  Now that I understand what was really going on with my body chemistry and metabolism at that time, I also understand why none of the hormone replacement or fertility treatments were effective. My body was suffering from a chronic illness that was taxing my adrenals and throwing my metabolism out of balance, leaving my progesterone levels significantly depleted. Plus my liver detoxification pathways were overloaded because of my hidden, chronic infections and I was not metabolizing all the excess estrogens I was being exposed to in my diet and lifestyle.  Using the hormone shots and tablets never worked because they just made the imbalances worse! (Wish I could have discovered this information 8 years,  4 doctors, and thousands of dollars ago!!)

It wasn't until I got off the synthetic hormones, addressed my chronic candida infection,  and made big changes in my diet and lifestyle that I started to lose the extra 20 pounds I had carried my whole life.   And after being diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and early onset menopause in 2013, I've made it my personal mission to become an expert on balancing hormones naturally and I practice what I preach everyday!

As a Functional Nutritionist, my goal is to help my clients identify the specific metabolic and chemical imbalances that are unique to them using  functional nutrition labs. This allows me to develop a customized diet and lifestyle protocol to correct their specific imbalances and help them meet their health goals.  Here are some of my basic tips to correct estrogen dominance naturally...

How to Correct Estrogen Dominance:

1. Get a quality hormone panel done - Information is power and understanding what your specific metabolic imbalances are will allow you to implement a protocol that is personalized to your body.  A hormone panel that looks at your daily cortisol patterns, DHEA, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen is what I recommend.  Take a peek at my Metabolic Recovery Program that includes a complete hormone panel test as well as a 90-day personalized protocol to re-set your hormones. 
   
   
2. Switch to organic, grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic and hormone free meats and dairy products - to avoid xenoestrogens that increase your risk of estrogen dominance enormously . 
   
   
3. Increase leafy greens and fiber  - which helps to attract and bind excess estrogens and pull them out of your body via stool. If you are not getting enough fiber or are constipated regularly, stool remains in the bowel and estrogen gets reabsorbed.  Include 3-6 cups of fibrous vegetables each day into your diet, some with each meal is ideal. Shoot for a variety of cooked and raw. Choose items like broccoli, arugula, kale, asparagus, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.  Try our Simple Detox Salad. 
   
   
4. Get enough quality fat in your diet - Fats are an essential building blocks of hormones! Your body needs some healthy cholesterol in order to be able to make hormones, which is why low-fat diets can plummet your metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight. Ditch the old school, low-fat trend and opt for a diet with 25-35% of your calories coming from healthy fats.  Check out our blogs: 4 Sources of Healthy Saturated Fat, Health Benefits of Monosaturated Fats, and Omega Fats for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet to learn more about how to incorporate healthy fats into your diet and which are the best choices. 
   
   
5. Reduce stress - Invest some time and energy into yourself and learn to say no more often! Get rid of negative people or things from your life that bring you down rather than build you up.  Our blog, 10 Self-Care Practices to Promote Healing & Relaxation have some great tips for how to unwind and remove stress from your life. 
   
   
6. Swap your home cleaning and personal care products for all natural, organic brands! Cut down on your exposure to environmental estrogens called xenoestrogens and switch to all natural products. 
   
   
7. Reduce use of plastics, Styrofoam, and canned goods - Ditch those styrofoam cups and plastic tupperware for some glass tupperware pieces, and mason jars of various sizes. NEVER heat food in a plastic container in the microwave and try to choose fresh or frozen vegetables over canned to avoid excess estrogens.
   
   
8. Assess liver function - If your liver is having trouble "keeping up with the toxic load" this can increase the occurrence of estrogen dominance since the liver is unable to filter it from the blood effectively.   I offer a basic Metabolic Lab Panel that looks at your liver's function inside  my Metabolic Recovery Program. If your liver could use some extra support, there are many natural products available to help that I can recommend.  

If this blog has resonated with you, I offer a FREE 20-MINUTE PHONE CONSULTATION, where I will review your health history and give you some recommendations on how to balance your hormones naturally.  You can also learn more about how you can work with me by viewing our programs page.

~Billie

DISCLAIMER: MEAL PLANS FOR HEALTH DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Meal Plans for Health is designed and intended for educational and informational use only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.

Weight loss resistance is the inability to lose weight despite eating healthy and exercising regularly.  Are you someone who lives at the gym and counts your calories only to feel defeated on the scale and deprived in the kitchen? You are not alone and its not your fault. Weight loss is much more than just calories in vs. calories out - there are a number of variables that can affect weight loss. 

Try to think of your metabolism not as a calculator, but rather like a balancing scale or see-saw - everything has to be in balance in order for the see-saw to work properly, right?!   This is why a caloric deficit is not enough, your body ALSO has to be in a metabolic balance or proper hormonal balance in order to drop those extra pounds as well.  And if its not in proper balance, there is no amount of gym time that will make that scale budge. Plus the bad news is that hormones get out of balance very easily, especially under chronic stress of any type,  since they are affected by and respond to every other system in body. 

When there is a stressor or small change in the digestive or nervous system for example, this sends a message to our endocrine system and our metabolism makes an adjustment in hormone secretion in order to communicate to the other body systems to compensate for this change or stressor.  All of these communications effect the way we feel especially in the area of energy, cravings, and the ability to burn fat instead of store it. 

As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, I'm always looking for the root cause of my clients health complaints.  So when someone comes to me who is struggling to lose weight despite doing all the right things, my goal is to help them identify the hidden, underlying causes that are keeping them from meeting their goals.   

What I see in my practice is that when we work to identify and resolve these hidden imbalances, the pounds start to come off with ease.  This is information everyone should understand, so in today's What's That?! Wednesday post I'm sharing the top 4 most common hidden causes of weight loss resistance I see and what to do about them. 

4 Hidden Causes of Weight Loss Resistance:

1. Food Sensitivities - Inflammatory reactions from the foods we eat are very different from food allergies. Food sensitivities are low grade food reactions that produce an inflammatory or immune response in our body.  The affects of foods sensitivities can shift, change, and be delayed making them very difficult to identify. However left unchecked, these inflammatory reactions damage our gut lining leading to gut hyper-permeability or leaky gut.  When the gut lining is comprised in this way,  food particles are now able to cross into the bloodstream where they do not belong and are subject to systemic immune or inflammatory reactions.  
   
   Systemic, chronic inflammation leads to hormonal dysregulation and metabolic imbalances including insulin resistance.  And since insulin is a fat storeage hormone, you store fat like a champ and losing weight becomes very difficult. The good news is that you can turn this around by simply identifying your specific food sensitivities and removing them from your diet.  You can do this through an elimination diet where you remove the most common food sensitivities like gluten, wheat, corn, dairy, soy, and citrus but I find this is often not enough since it doesn't test enough foods and can be difficult to manage for some people. 
   
   What I typically recommend is that you do a blood test called the MRT or Mediator Release Test.  I use this  test in my practice because it is a very effective tool and I consistently see significant clinical improvement in my clients by implementing a diet based on their personal MRT results.  You can learn more on my blog about : Hidden Food Sensitivities & Testing. If you are someone who cannot lose weight despite your best efforts and/or if you suffer from an autoimmune disease and you have never had a food sensitivity test run,  I highly recommend you consider it. I've seen many of my clients autoimmune symptoms decrease or clear completely and their extra weight drop off with ease within weeks of removing their food sensitivities during our Personalized Elimination Diet Program that pairs food sensitivity testing with personalized meal planning.  
   
   
2. Dysbiois & Gut Pathogens - Dysbiosis  is an imbalance in the gut flora or gut bacteria that line the small intestine  - or some pathogenic overgrowth of good or bad bacteria.  This imbalance can occur due to chronic inflammation from food sensitivities, antibiotic use, other medications, and much more.  Gut infections and overgrowth like candida/yeast, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), h. pylori, and parasites all contribute to chronic inflammation in the body and contribute to leaky gut.  When the gut lining gets damaged, you not only experience immune reactions that increase inflammation but digestion and absorption get severely compromised. And when you can't properly digest and absorb your nutrients, you cannot fuel your body and end up feeling hungry, fatigued and craving sugar.  This leads to over-eating, insulin resistance, fat storeage, and weight gain that can be difficult to overcome until proper balance is restored.
   
   If you have symptoms like: bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, heartburn, sugar cravings, chronic yeast or sinus infections, thrush, skin rashes, or athletes foot, you may want to consider working with a qualified practitioner to test for gut pathogens and leaky gut.  Then implement a protocol to eradicate the bugs and restore balance.  Check out my  Complete Gut Cleanse & Revive Program. 
   
   
3. Chronic Stress -  Remember that your metabolism reacts and responds to stress of any kind which can create a hormonal imbalance that tells your body to store fat rather than burn it, making it difficult to lose weight.  When you think of stress, think of it in terms of the stress you feel emotionally and physically as well as hidden, internal stressors that you may not know exist.  I've discussed three very common hidden, internal stressors above: food sensitivities, leaky gut, and gut pathogens.  
   
   The external stressors are things that are in your control like your work and home life, the quality of your sleep, and how well you are taking care of yourself.  If you are surrounded by negative people, work in a stressful environment, work excessive hours, exercise too much, or don't get enough sleep (8-10 hours/night) it can really impact your ability to drop the extra pounds. When your body is in a "stress response" constantly, the switches for both cortisol and insulin get turned to "ON" and your body is signaled to store fat and not burn it making it very difficult to lose weight despite your devotion to your diet and the gym.   If you could use more balance and less stress in your life, check out my blog: 10 Self Care Practices to Promote Healing & Relaxation to learn some ways you can take care of yourself, reduce stress, and help you lose weight.
   
   
4. Metabolic/Hormonal Imbalances  - As I've said a few times, chronic stressors lead to metabolic compensation and hormonal imbalances that impact your ability to drop extra weight and maintain it.  Some of the common hormonal imbalances that increase weight loss resistance are: insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroid, Hashimottos, and estrogen dominance. These metabolic imbalances will keep you from being able maintain a healthy weight, but when properly identified and corrected, the pounds will start to drop off with ease. 
   
   I recently worked with one client who could not lose the extra 25-30 pounds she had on since having her kids 5 years prior.  She had tried everything, worked out religiously 5 days/week and  watched what she ate closely, counting every calorie.  Once we ran her initial tests, we were able to identify a chronic candida and parasitic infection along with food sensitivities, adrenal fatigue, and estrogen dominance.   I worked with her to implemented a 90 day protocol to remove food sensitivities, evict the gut bugs, and re-set her steroid hormone pathways. Just three weeks into the protocol, her chronic headaches disappeared, she was sleeping better, and had already dropped 10 pounds even-though I asked her to exercise less.  I'm elated to say that she was able to get down to her goal weight and  has maintained it for almost a year now. 
   
   You can learn more about my Metabolic Recovery Program as well as our approach or request a
   free 20-minute consultation. I'll do a health history over the phone and give you personalized recommendations on how to combat your weight loss resistance.
   
   As someone who spent most of my life being overweight and suffering from food sensitivities and gut pathogens, I understand what you are going through and would be honored to speak with you!
   
   ~Billie

DISCLAIMER: MEAL PLANS FOR HEALTH DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Meal Plans for Health is designed and intended for educational and informational use only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.

One of the most common things I hear from the clients I work with is, "I have such strong cravings for sugar and carbohydrates." or "...if I could just get rid of these sugar cravings, I think I could follow through on my healthy eating plan."

If this resonates with you, you are not alone. In fact research shows that the average American eats between 3 and 5 pounds of sugar each WEEK! Holy cow! Back in the 1800's, people would eat only 10 pounds of sugar a YEAR!

The USDA estimates that most of this sugar comes from processed and pre-packaged foods that contain refined sugar as well as sugar loaded beverages like: soda, fruit juice, cakes, cookies, and candy. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved that the refined sugar found in these foods was just as addictive as cocaine or heroin. 

When you eat sugar, your brain releases tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that acts as an anti-depressant and makes you feel good and happy. But that feeling only lasts a little while until the body crashes from the sugar high. So in order to increase serotonin and help you feel better again, your body signals cravings for MORE sugar!

This vicious cycle is not your fault, these foods are crazy addictive, but that doesn't mean that you have to stay on this crazy sugar ride forever. There are some simple steps you can take to get rid of this addiction, check out this week's What's That?! Wednesday post for...

Top 10 Tips to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings:

1. "Crowd out" the processed foods and sugar by eating REAL FOOD! The bottom line here is that processed foods are sugar loaded fake foods that increase your cravings for sugar. Avoid the "middle isles" of the grocery store where these foods are featured and shop the "outside" edges of the store where the fresh vegetables & fruits clean proteins, and real, whole foods are usually located! 
   
   
2. Include clean proteins and healthy fats with EVERY meal.  Getting enough protein and healthy fats at each meal will help keep those cravings at bay. Shoot for 4-6 ounces of clean proteins-wild caught fish and seafood, organic, pastured chicken and turkey, bison, and grass-fed beef are all good choices. Include 1 serving of healthy fats with each meal like: 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 of an avocado, 2 organic pastured eggs, or 1-2 tablespoons nuts or seeds that have a healthy balance of omega 3's). Check out our blog, Omega-6 & Omega-3 Fats for a Healthy Diet, to learn more about what to include and exclude.
   
   
3. Rethink Breakfast - Choose protein, fiber, and healthy fats for breakfast! Choosing carbs for breakfast (like cereal, wheat toast, bagels, doughnuts, pastries, pancakes, waffles, etc) will spike your blood sugar, which will cause your body to release insulin, a "fat storage hormone" which also causes cortisol to plummet leaving you feeling slow and fatigued. This sets you up for increased sugar and carb cravings the rest of the day. Instead try a green protein smoothie, some organic, pastured eggs, or even a salad or soup. Head over to our blog,  5 Steps to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie to get some great recipes with the right combination of nutrients that will keep those cravings away! Or try our Seasonal Vegetable & Quinoa Frittatas - a great, nutritious breakfast!
   
   
4. Focus on eating "healthy carbohydrates" instead of "no carbohydrates" - We suggest including a little bit of fiber based carbs at each meal (1/4 cup to 3/4 cups) to help keep your blood sugar stable and insulin turned off. Eating a no or low carb diet and/or relying on "diet foods" can lead to metabolic imbalances that will increase your body's cravings for sugar. Focus on swapping your "white carbs" like rice, pasta, bread, and cereal for "brown carbs" like brown rice, quinoa, and sprouted grain breads.
   
   Check out our blog, Good Carbohydrates vs. Bad Carbohydrates, to learn more about "good - fiber based carbs" and to get a list of the best choices in this category as well as the types of carbs to avoid and how many carbs to have at each meal. 
   
   
5. Boost your intake of organic, green, leafy vegetables.  - Not only do green leafy vegetables have tons of fiber, they also contain powerful anti-oxidant benefits that fight inflammation, regulate digestion and support your immune system - all of which you need working well in order to balance hormones and keep those cravings away! Plus, greens help escort excess hormones out of your body through your waste along with other toxins that may slowing down your metabolism and increasing cravings for carbohydrates. We recommend 1-2 cups minimum with each meal or 3-6 cups of non-starchy veggies per day!
   
   
6. Know your temptations and keep them out of your house and workplace. Everyone has their vices, so get rid of yours! Empty out your pantry, fridge, freezer, car, purse, backpacks, and desktop candy dishes of all the processed foods that are keeping you addicted. Just don't buy them or keep them around!
   
   
7. Ditch artificial sweeteners & "diet foods". "Fat-free" and "sugar-free" foods as well as diet sodas use artificial sweeteners to replace the fat or sugar that has been removed. Several large scale studies point to the science that clearly shows that these fake sugars actually slow down your metabolism, increase your body's insulin production, increase fat storage, and keep you overweight and craving sugar! These are toxic substances that are not real foods - so avoid "diet" everything! We will expanding on this topic on next week's What's That?! Wednesday post so stay tuned and subscribe here if you are not already a part of our community!
   
   
8. Exercise both your mind & body. Physical exercise and movement helps the body metabolize glucose and sets your body up to crave real, nutritious foods like clean proteins, fibrous carbs, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. Try shooting for 5,000-10,000 steps a day and a couple days a week of strength or interval training as a starting place. 
   
   Likewise, a busy mind that is focused on something you love doing, are passionate about, or that makes you happy will also keep your cravings at bay. These activities release "happy" neurotransmitters in abundance so that your body isn't looking towards sugar fill that void! 
   
   
9. Make sleep a priority! Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day to support your body's natural circadian rhythm. When this natural cycle is disrupted, hormones get out of balance, especially cortisol and insulin and you guessed it...your body sends signals to increase sugar and carbohydrate intake. Not cool! Focus on getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. 
   
   
10. Consider food sensitivities as a source of cravings. Those with food sensitivities can often experience intense cravings for the very foods that are making them sick. We see this often is those who are sensitive to gluten, dairy, and soy. Once they remove these items from their diet, their cravings diminish significantly. If you'd like help evaluating whether this is an issue for you, we offer a couple programs that can help you. Check out our Elimination Diet Programs here.

If you found this post helpful, stay tuned next week when our new eBook, 10 Day Sugar Detox Diet, goes on sale Wednesday, January 27th! This book is packed with over 30 real food, sugar free recipes that you and your family will love! I've even included two (5-day) meals plans with shopping lists to help you incorporate the recipes into your daily life with ease!  I really love how this eBook turned out and I know you will love it as well!

You can even enter to win 1 of 4 free 10 Day Sugar Detox Diet eBoooks that we will be giving away to our community next week. Click here to learn more and enter to win!

Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to connecting with you next week!
​~Billie

Are you someone who struggles with keeping the weight off even when you are religiously following a low carb diet and excising like a crazy person?! You know who you are - those of you who get up at all hours of the morning to get your long, calorie burning runs and workouts in, count each and every calorie that hits your mouth, and work your butt off only to see the scale move only one pound a month?! That used to be me too!

If your scale is stuck and you are feeling frustrated and confused, you are not alone and this week's What's That?! Wednesday post is a must read for you. We find that weight loss resistance is very common with women especially since our hormonal systems are so much more complicated than men's. So what is weight loss resistance?

Weight loss resistance is essentially the inability to lose weight even when your "caloric output" is higher than your "caloric input" or you are burning more calories than you are taking in but still not losing weight. This is when the more traditional dietary rule of "calories in vs. calories out" fails and a more functional medicine approach comes into play. This approach focuses on hormones and the metabolic imbalances that occur when one or more hormones is out of balance. It's actually your hormones that govern nearly all aspects of fat loss, from where you store it to how much you store, to your cravings and even your addictive patterns with food.

These five tips will help you begin to turn on your "fat burning hormones" and turn off your "fat storage hormones"
and may help you begin to lose weight again. 

5 Tips to Boost Metabolism:

1. Rethink your breakfast. - Choose protein, fiber, and healthy fats for breakfast! Choosing carbs for breakfast (like cereal, wheat toast, bagels, doughnuts, pastries, pancakes, waffles, etc) will spike your blood sugar, which will cause your body to release insulin, a "fat storage hormone," and it causes cortisol to plummet. Cortisol is supposed to be naturally higher in the morning to help you stay mentally sharp and give you more energy to get through your day. When it plummets from a high carb breakfast, it sets you up to feel tired, sluggish, and unable to focus - not cool!  It also sets you up for increased sugar and carb cravings the rest of the day which can lead to overeating - no thank you! 
   
   We suggest a green smoothie with plenty of clean vegetable protein, organic greens, and a small portion of fiber based carbs like 1/4 of a greenish banana, 1/4 cup of organic berries, or 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds. Check out our blog 5 Steps to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie to get some great recipes with the right combinations of nutrients to boost metabolism, not squash it. Another great breakfast choice is fresh, organic eggs from pasture raisedd chickens with clean proteins, green leafy vegetables, and fiber based carbs. Try our Seasonal Vegetable & Quinoa Frittatas for a breakfast that will power you through your day and keep those fat storage hormones turned off. 
   
   
2. Focus on "good carbs" and not as much on "low carb or no carb."  - We suggest choosing good carbs that are fiber based. Include a small portion of fiber based carbs at each meal (1/4 cup to 3/4 cups) to help keep your blood sugar stable and insulin turned off. Eating a no or low carb diet and/or relying on "diet foods" can lead to metabolic imbalances that will actually prevent weight loss and tell your body to store fat instead of burn it. Check out our post Good Carbohydrates vs. Bad Carbohydrates to learn more about "good - fiber based carbs" and to get a list of the best choices in this category as well as the types of carbs to avoid and how many cabs to have at each meal. 
   
   
3. Choose organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild caught proteins. - Not only does conventionally raised meat promote inflammation - which slows your metabolism and makes you hold on to fat, conventionally raised animals are overloaded with estrogen, growth factor, and several other hormones in order to "fatten them up". The problem is that these hormones get stored in the tissues of these animals because it is too much for the animals body to properly process and use up. That means, that when you eat non-organic, grain-fed meats, you consume all those excess hormones and your body "gets fattened up" too because of an overload of hormones  - excess estrogen being one of the worst.  This often causes estrogen dominance - or more estrogen in relation to progesterone - especially in aging women whose progesterone levels naturally start to drop after the age of 35. Estrogen is what gives women our curves - our hips, booty, and breasts -but when there is too much estrogen and not enough progesterone to balance it out, it can lead to fat storage and weight loss resistance. You can read more about choosing organic proteins on our blog, Why is Eating Organic Important? 
   
   
4. Boost your intake of organic, green, leafy vegetables.  - Not only do green leafy vegetables have tons of fiber, they also contain powerful anti-oxidant benefits that fight inflammation, regulate digestion and support your immune system - all of which you need in order to balance hormones and lose weight. Plus, greens help escort excess hormones, especially estrogen, out of your body through your waste along with other toxins that may be disrupting or slowing down your metabolism. 
   
   
5. Think "good fats" instead of "non-fat" - For the last few decades fats have been demonized by most doctors, nutritionists, and even our own government.  We were all told that fat makes you fat, so that was the most important thing to be taken out of your diet if you wanted to lose weight. The non-fat and fat-free trend skyrocketed and we had every food manufacturer stocking the shelves with plenty of non-fat treats for us all to enjoy on our "diets". What happened? Since these recommendations came out in the 1970's our obesity and disease rates have skyrocketed and it is now projected that one in every two Americans will be obese by the year 2050. Heart disease and diabetes are at all time highs and the number of those being diagnosed with autoimmune conditions continues to rise. 
   
   Now experts are trending more toward a healthy fat diet and the science behind these recommendations is overwhelming. In fact, numerous studies show that eating less fat actually makes it more difficult to lose weight and increases our risk of inflammatory diseases significantly.  Fats are essential to many of your body's functions including your metabolism! In fact fats are used to make your hormones, so when your diet is void of healthy fats, your metabolism really struggles and slows down - not cool!  So which fats are the healthy ones?
   
   We recommend a diet of around 30% healthy fats including a variety of monosaturated fats, saturated fats, and Omega fats.  There are healthy and not healthy choices in each category, so to help you choose the right foods, check out our blogs: 4 Sources of Healthy Saturated Fats, Health Benefits of Monosaturated Fats, Omega Fats for a Healthy Anti-Inflammatory Diet.
   

​BONUS TIP:  Make some time for personal care and relaxation.   - Stress can be a huge contributor to metabolic and hormonal imbalances - it can increase your cortisol levels significantly and signal your body to store fat instead of burn it. Schedule at least 3 rest and relaxation activities each week for yourself and guard that time with your life! Rest and relaxation activities include daily mediation, yoga, pilates, a leisurely nature walk or dog walk, a relaxing detox bath (click here for detox bath recipes), a movie night at home curled up on the couch, getting a massage or spa treatment, or anything that makes you feel calm, happy and relaxed. 

If you want to learn more about how to shift your metabolism back into balance and get that scale moving in the right direction for good, take a peek at our Metabolic Recovery Program. Perfect for women over the age of 35 who are struggling with maintaining a healthy weight and energy level or have hormonal dysfunction.  

We also offer a FREE 15 minute phone consultation, just contact us here to set one up and get started on your health goals today. We look forward to helping you master your metabolism and your scale and meet your wellness goals!

~Billie & Jen

Maca has been used as a food and medicine staple in the Peruvian Andres for thousands of years but more recently has made a name for itself as an energizing superfood! This root from the potato family is commonly available in the U.S. in dried powder form at all health food stores and some regular grocery stores. Maca is nearly 10% protein and contains 20 amino acids; it's also packed with fiber, iron, and 21% of your daily allowance for vitamin E. Here are some other reasons to think about incorporating maca into your diet:

1. Boosts energy and endurance
Do you feel tired often, even after you get a decent night's sleep? Most of us do these days because life is just super busy and seems to never slow down. Maca offers a non-caffeinated energy boost that gently stimulates the thyroid adrenal glands to give you a natural feeling of energy without a caffeine crash later in the day. 

2. Helps relieve symptoms of PMS and menopause
Maca works with the endocrine system to stimulate and nourish the hypothalamus and the pituitary glands which are the "master glands" that regulate thyroid, adrenal, pancreatic, ovarian, and testicular function. It is thought to work as an adaptogen assisting the body to either regulate hormone production upward or downward depending on the body's individual needs. Because of this, Maca has been known to relieve symptoms of PMS and menopause including pelvic pain, cramps, and hot flashes. There are several types of maca, but yellow maca has shown to have the best results in this category for women.

3. Increases libido
Because maca helps to balance hormones naturally, many people also experience a nice boost in libido.  It can help to promote sexual function in both men and women and has been described as an aphrodisiac by many. Black maca has shown to be particularly effective for men's fertility as it can help to increase sperm production and motility.

4. Helps to stabilize mood and combat depression
Yet another benefit of a happily nourished and well functioning endocrine system is a stable mood. As maca helps to balance your hormones, you may also notice that it can help to stabilize your mood and decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. 

5. Improves skin health
Maca is packed with vitamin E which is a key nutrient for strong immunity and healthy skin and eyes. Getting the right amount of vitamin E can help to protect skin from damage and help to clear acne and blemishes.

Maca powder has a slightly "malty" taste and I prefer it stirred into puddings or added to my morning smoothie. Try our Chocolate-Maca Chia Pudding or add it into your morning green smoothie. Maca can very stimulating for some, so start small with a small dose...try 1/2 teaspoon once daily with breakfast. 

A Few Things To Keep In Mind**:
1. Always consult with your physician before adding any new supplement.This includes maca.
2. Do not add maca to your diet if you have high blood pressure, liver issues, or a hormone dependent cancer like       breast or prostate cancer or if you are pregnant or nursing. 
3. Do not add maca to hot food, as it will lose it's benefits.
4. Start with a small amount of maca until you know how it will affect you. I recommend 1/2 teaspoon every other           day, always in the first half of the day. You can work up to 2 teaspoons per day but most people find that 1/2 to 1       teaspoon a day or even every few days is plenty. 
5. If you find maca to beneficial to you and begin to use it on a regular basis, I recommend taking 2 days off each         week so that you don't get overstimulated or have any adverse affects. So take it Monday through Friday and           then take Saturday and Sunday off. 

I've been using maca powder consistently now for about 4 weeks as part of my adrenal recovery treatment and I've personally experienced several of these benefits.  ~Billie

**As with adding any new supplement to your diet, you should always consult your physician and/or work directly with a licensed health care provider. Maca root is not recommended for kids, pregnant women, anyone with a hormone dependent cancer, or women in hormone replacement therapy unless otherwise directed by a treating physician.