Most clients come to me undernourished and stressed AF. They are often skipping breakfast, and/or working through lunch, and then find themselves eating uncontrollably at night.
Waking up without an appetite is not a good thing 🙅🏻♀️ & drinking ☕️ on an empty stomach can cause blood sugar spikes, trigger acid reflux, increase feelings of anxiety and suppress appetite even further.
☝🏼One of the first habits to work on: eating within 30-60 min of waking by having coffee with or AFTER their meals.
This simple habit is GAME changing for energy and mood stabilization!
HYDRATION with Electrolytes: Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Chloride, phosphate
Glucose/Carbs-acts as a transporter to help get electrolytes into the cells- sources: Sourdough bread, boiled potatoes, fruit, dairy.
Beef Liver- Organ meats, liver, heart, etc Organ meats contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals in an easily absorbable form! It’s the best whole food multivitamin you can eat/take! Brands: freeze dried beef liver from @getsmidge or the desiccated beef liver from @perfectsupplements
Whole food Vitamin —necessary for adrenal and immune health, as well as copper utilization/regulation. Citrus fruit, broccoli sprouts, potatoes, papaya and whole food vitamin powder. NOT THE SAME AS ASCORBIC ACID!
Oysters/Oyster Extract- rich in Zinc and selenium are certainly key features of thyroid, & immune support.
Protein-Your body needs protein to help build and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues, including the cells of immune system rely on protein! In particular, the amino acid glutamine: foods rich in this eggs, dairy, whey, radish greens and cilantro.
Magnesium- We don’t really think of magnesium when we are sick, but magnesium is the stress mineral. When we aren’t feeling well that is a stress on the body and down goes mag. Added topical magnesium is really helpful. Ancient minerals magnesium oil or lotion from @perfectsupplements
Red light- numerous immune system benefits but some more notable are the promotion of ATP production, stimulates angiogenesis and the lymphatic system, increases melatonin which is an important antioxidant, activates stem cells and supports the adrenals. Brands: @blubloxofficial & @lifebludco
Hot Bath or Sauna- Heat can be incredibly healing when we are under the weather because it raises the body temp to create an “artificial” fever. Remember, fevers are good!
Medicinal Mushrooms- Lions Mane & Turkey Tail Mushrooms both support immune system, anti-inflammatory properties
Rest and Re-evaluation- Sickness is often the result of STRESS. Take the necessary time when you are sick to rest and cut back in the areas of your life that aren’t serving you. More than anything, stress has the biggest impact on the immune system!
✨ Organ meats, liver, heart, etc Organ meats contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals in an easily absorbable form! It’s the best whole food multivitamin you can eat/take!
✨ Whole food Vitamin C—necessary for adrenal and immune health, as well as copper utilization/regulation. Citrus fruit, broccoli sprouts, potatoes, papaya and whole food vitamin powder
✨ Protein–Your body needs protein to help build and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues. (Aka Olfactory Nerves) Finding unflavored whey, collagen and gelatin powder have been game changer for us. We make 2-3 fruit & protein smoothies per day, as staples. Also, Unflavored bone broth, greek yogurt, cheese, & raw milk have been our saving grace.
✨ Oysters are rich in Zinc and selenium are certainly key features of thyroid, nerve function & immune support.
✨ Homemade gummies are a great source of gelatin-The major amino acid in gelatin is glycine, which is low in muscle and organ meats. It is anti-inflammatory, hydrophilic (hydrating), pro-thyroid, heals damaged intestinal lining.
✨ Seafood is a great source of protein, Omega-3s, & B vitamins
✨Acupuncture treatments focusing on the limbic system points & EFT tapping.
✨Mindset- the thoughts we think and speak to ourselves are very important. Believing in the ability to heal is half the battle, watch the thoughts you think, and say about your body, health, Daily gratitude, affirmations & Therapy can be helpful
✨Lions Mane & Turkey Tail Mushrooms both support immune system, anti-inflammatory properties
✨Daily movement, sunshine and making sure we are eating enough, not skipping meals are all foundational habits that support overall health.
In this post I wanted to dive into three of the many factors that can negatively impact the thyroid function. Stress, Trauma, and endocrine disrupting chemicals. You likely will never hear this from your doctors – but physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual trauma and distress play a huge role in the development of autoimmune diseases, autoimmune conditions, and can even be a factor in causing infertility and other hormone disorders.
As a result of prolonged distress, our cells become prone to excessive inflammatory signaling. (More on this in Part 3) The body draws heavily on the storage of minerals and vitamins in our bodies and quickly depletes them. If we are already lacking crucial nutrients & continue to live in stress, the body will produce hormones of stress to survive, while the body neglects its innate need to regulate hormone production necessary for ALL functions of our existence – thyroid regulation, reproductive hormone regulation.
SEE slide 8&9 for tips!
For make up and skin care products: Take care with products that claim they are “pure,” “organic,” or “natural,” as there is no legal backup for these claims, and it does not automatically make them safer. Use products that have an organic certification or a certification with a recognized organization that promotes nontoxic products. Check out EWG Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database for more information on how to identify good brands to use!
Most individuals think that the immune system is a separate from thyroid function, but this is not the case.
Body temperature has been shown to correlate with mortality in C-19 patients. Low basal temperature possibly indicates less thyroid immunity and reduce functionality to deal with a threat.
🤔Could this be why some of us have lost smell/taste for extended periods of time? And/or developed Paromsia?
I firmly believe that in supporting thyroid & adrenal health, increasing Whole Foods like oysters 🦪 that are rich in Zinc & selenium are crucial aspects to bringing healing.
Long periods without eating, chronic stress, Birth control all impact thyroid function. & Low thyroid hormone can also impact neurotransmitters, & cause low dopamine levels leading to a loss of motivation and willpower, compounding with other issues, such as elevated cholesterol, triglycerides and gallstones. Low thyroid hormone leads to poor digestive function, including low digestive enzymes and constipation. More of this will be covered in part II post!
Sources: Keith Littlewood BSc, PgDip, MSc Endocrinology – check out his page @tommolittlewood
REAL TAlK 💥 Weight loss does not equal a better body image, or more happiness. Before you think going on a diet is the answer….👇🏻👇🏻
In recent studies, body appreciation & gratitude towards the body have been the central organizing variables within how to cultivate positive body image.
🤗Body appreciation has been defined as accepting, holding favorable opinions towards, and respecting the body, while also rejecting media, promoted appearance ideals as the only form of human beauty. (Avalon et al., 2005)
For me, I spent decades dieting and exercising to change my body and make her look a certain way. To be accepted. To be seen as worthy. These last two years I’ve done some deep soul digging to rebuild my identity around fitness to be coming from a place of excitement and joy. ✨✨
Body Neutral Fitness which is shifting the intention behind WHY you workout. 💪🏻 🏋🏻♀️
Instead of aesthetics being the main intention, the focus is more on how you want to FEEL, how you want to LIVE and optimizing your lifestyle to get there. Through this we are also cultivating a more positive body image through developing body appreciation.
To be clear-What we do together is not just a diet plan, or a cookie-cutter workout program.
It’s the time of year where committing to the “weight loss journey” and “improving our health” often begins.
So many people look to diets and detoxes to make up for all the food they ate over the holidays; unfortunately, these programs cater to the “quick fix” mentality because it’s easier to follow a 30 day detox than to improve your habits and overall lifestyle.
We are wired to look for a quick and easy solution rather than seeking long-term results.
A new diet can start off with good intentions, but can escalate quickly into an eating disorder-especially in women!
The National Eating Disorders Association reports that 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting and that 20-25% of those individuals develop eating disorders.
I was honored to be a guest on Despina’s podcast episode 91
👉Link in Bio to listen!
As you know, my message centers on shifting away from the diet mentality, over exercising, and “earning” your food, and refocusing on learning to appreciate & respect your body.
We can easily fall into the traps of the diet and fitness industry. We constantly chase perfection and the desire to alter our bodies because we live with the belief that we are not good enough. We want to be a smaller size, a smaller number on the scale. The diet industry survives and thrives if we continue to feel and think that we are not good enough, and define our success by these parameters.
Here’s what we discuss in the episode:
I share my fitness/health journey coming from a fitness/bodybuilding competition background & the health repercussions of competing Popular fitness myths How to avoid bad fitness advice How reverse dieting can be good for weight loss and for building a better relationship with food Body neutral fitness
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Comment below your favorite takeaway. Thank you for taking the time to listen!
The thyroid is considered the “controller” of metabolism function from a cellular level. Metabolism can be thought of as the rate of energy production in the cell and the speed at which all processes happen in the body.
One way to assess thyroid function is by tracking basal body temp. This can be done under the tongue or armpit. You should do this this upon waking first thing and after your first meal. You can continue to do so before/after workouts which can give you clarity into how you’re responding to your training as well.
TEMPERATURE🌡 ➡️Offers insight into your thyroid health ➡️Can indicate if ovulation has happened ➡️Provides insight to how well your body is using the energy you give it (Your body is like a thermostat; it produces heat when it can properly utilize your food for energy🔥) ➡️Provides insight to how well you are recovering from training
Low body temperatures are indicative of low thyroid function, possible inflammation, suppressed immune function, digestive problems, high stress, and estrogen dominance.
A warm body is linked with better immune function, good thyroid function, reduced inflammation, fertility, good elimination of toxins, and efficient and effective digestion.
Ideally, your temperature should sit between in Follicular phase is 97.2-97.8 F, Optimal average BBT second half: 98.4 F, with it being lowest in the morning and increasing after each meal and as your day continues.
PULSE💓 ➡️Indicates how well your body & tissues are taking in nutrients and oxygen ➡️Shows the rate at which your body and your body’s tissues are capable of using and taking in nutrients and oxygen
An optimal resting pulse rate sits between 75-90 beats per minute.
Using both temperature and pulse can show you a bigger picture.
If you have: a higher temperature and higher pulse OR a normal temperature and higher pulse → you’re likely actively stressed.
If you have: a lower temperature and lower pulse OR a normal temperature and lower pulse → you’re likely chronically stressed and experiencing some kind of metabolic suppression.
When temperature is consistently below 97.8 that indicates hypofunction of thyroid.
These tests aren’t 100% accurate, other things affect them. Use them alongside the other markers mentioned above ( aka do not look at them in isolation) to give you insight into your current metabolic state and what you need to improve.
To read more about the doctor that pioneered these tests grab a book called Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness – by Dr Broda Barnes.
Have you ever thought about WHY you are engaging in your fitness & nutrition routine?
SWIPE through images below!
Over a year ago when the gyms shut down, it illuminated that I had obsessive compulsive exercise behaviors. I NEEDED the gym. It was my therapy. Now I know, therapy is therapy. And while exercise can enhance our mental state, for me how I was doing it, was destroying my mental & physical health.
Exercise addiction is a state characterized by a compulsive engagement in any form of physical exercise, despite negative consequences.
While regular exercise is generally a healthy activity, exercise addiction generally involves performing excessive amounts of exercise to the detriment of physical health.
It may also involve a state of dependence upon regular exercise, which involves the occurrence of severe withdrawal symptoms when the individual is unable to exercise.
Exercise addiction shows a high comorbidity with eating disorders with approximately 39-48% of people that have an eating disorder being addicted to exercise.
TLDR: An unhealthy relationship with exercise tends to involve rules and rigidity, be joyless, shame-based, and shame inducing. A healthy relationship with exercise tends to be flexible and fulfilling. It varies in the type of movement we are doing and the amount of time we are devoting to that activity.
🙌🏼Freedom is exactly what I wanted, I wanted to live my life full of joy and experiences, outside of obsessing about my food and workouts.
🙌🏼And now I am doing just that.
💯 I choose every day to nourish my body, to eat enough food, I give myself plenty of permission for rest days, I train 3-4 times a week max. My health is improving, my soul is thriving! Patience is 🔑
There are many things not depicted in a before/after photo. IE: What were the eating behaviors, relationship with food, was it restrictive? What were their exercise behaviors like? Did they prioritize rest, recovery and hormonal health, and other biofeedback? Did they develop more confidence in the gym or an obsession about being lean & athletic? Was their training performance better? Or worse?
What’s problematic behind these images: By nature, they create comparison & It suggests an endpoint, where the AFTER is the life and body of their dreams and everything is perfect. 😬🙅🏻♀️That’s not how it works.
There are NO before & afters. It’s all just during! It’s time to focus on the journey, 🗺 not a false destination! 📍
To be clear I’m not 💯 against before/after photos, they can be a great tool when used correctly if your mindset and relationship with your body are both in a good place. 🎯
As my coaching friend @rpendakur puts it “The job of a good coach is not only help you reach your goals; it’s also to minimize risk and get you there in the healthiest way possible. This doesn’t always mean the fastest way or according to your timeline. It also doesn’t mean that this will automatically happen in six, eight, or 12 weeks, even though transformations are constantly sold to us as such.”
That’s why in my coaching process we focus on body neutral fitness, & how they want to FEEL when they accomplish our goals. Success is a feeling ✨✨ •Reflecting on improved mood, energy and confidence •Improved strength & endurance •Less aches and pains Just to name a few!
Wellness Simplified with Meganmefit 