Megan Rand

Tag: group program

  • Your Brain and Stress; Neurotransmitter Basics

    Your Brain and Stress; Neurotransmitter Basics

     

    Many people are becoming aware of the term adrenal fatigue and are starting to suspect that this might be something they are dealing with. But this term can be misleading, because more often that not, it is not as simple as supporting the adrenals to have your fatigue, inflammation and hormonal imbalances disappear. The adrenals gland themselves are often working just fine, but the communication channels and feedback loops might have become disrupted. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that deliver important and vital messages from the brain and the adrenal gland. These tiny messengers help you respond to stressors and if they become imbalanced, all sorts of symptoms will start to pop up because the correct messages are not being sent. Once I started looking at a neurotransmitter panel in conjunction with an adrenal/hormone panel, I saw a big shift for my clients. The combination of their hormone and neurotransmitter results helps to put the puzzle together as to where the breakdown is in the chain.

    What happens with our neurotransmitters during stress?

    In time of acute stress or when you are in a constant chronic state of low stress (not just mental/emotional stress but also hidden internal stressors such as food sensitivities, bacterial overgrowth or heavy metal toxicity) neurotransmitters can become depleted. Just having a thought or being scared will alert your brain to alter hormone and neurotransmitter production in response. The neurotransmitters are a part of the stress response cascade. Think about how often we are bombarded with negative imagery and high stress situations in our fast-paced lifestyle. By looking at the levels of different neurotransmitters as well as their relationship to each other, such as the ratio between serotonin and dopamine or norepinephrine and epinephrine, we can see how well your body is adapting to stress.

    We have both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters and some play both roles depending on the situation. Since our body likes to remain in balance, we also function optimally when our excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are balanced. For example, stimulants such as caffeine push dopamine into the synapse and dopamine acts as an excitatory agent, which improves our focus. You know how you have your coffee and then feel pretty productive for a while? Feeling productive is great except there is a price we pay for that focus. Your body must now send in some inhibitory neurotransmitters to reign in the excitatory neurotransmitters. Serotonin and GABA come to the rescue. This is not necessarily a problem, because this is one of the ways that our amazing body stays balanced, but when we abuse ourselves daily by artificially forcing productivity with excess caffeine consumption, we eventually end up depleted in serotonin and GABA. Among many other functions serotonin is important for a stable mood and GABA is nature’s valium-like substance, you can see where we end up without these precious resources. You always have to ask… is this short-term benefit of being able to focus and have energy worth the long-term risk of an instable mood?

    Here is an example of the neurotransmitter testing results that the Healthy Hormones Group Program will have access to. These are just clues to get an idea of the bigger picture because your neurotransmitter levels will change throughout the day. Testing and then retesting after a period of time after trying a protocol or therapy will help us to understand how your body is reacting.

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    Here is a quick explanation of the neurotransmitters that we will be looking at during the next Healthy Hormones group program:

    Serotonin – This is considered the master neurotransmitter and helps to keep balance between the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. Adequate levels is necessary for a stable mood.

    Dopamine – Key player in reward-seeking type of behavior such as pleasure, satisfaction and focus. Dopamine also influences muscle control and gastrointestinal motility. Really low or high dopamine levels is correlated with memory issues.

    Norepinephrine– Important to the fight-or-flight response and also helps to make epinephrine.

    Epinephrine– Also known as adrenaline which we all know well. Epinephrine prepares the body for fight-or-flight by increasing your heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate so that you can run away or fight off the danger. This will also elevate your ACTH which raises your cortisol

    GABA– Nature’s valium-like substance which also helps regulate muscle tone.

    Glutamate– Important for memory and learning but can be damaging in excess leading to depression, seizures and damaging nervous tissue. This is often seen high for those with PTSD but you also have to watch that you are not accidentally consuming glutamate from MSG or DSG sources in food.

    Histamine – Helps to control sleep-wake cycle, energy production and memory recall. This reading on your lab is a window into inflammation and the higher the number the more mental fogginess, allergy symptoms and irritability you might be experiencing.

     

    If your neurotransmitters are all trending low in conjunction with low cortisol levels, than this is a sign you are in a chronic state of stress and are now in the tired and “burnt-out” phase.  At this point you will need a good amount of support to return to a healthy level.

    Ready to find out what is going on at a sub-clinical level before symptoms occur? Ready to get to the root of why you can’t seem to kick the anxiety or get your energy back? Come join us for the Healthy Hormones Group Program!!

  • Hormone Helping Coconut Chips

    Hormone Helping Coconut Chips

     

    As Alex of Dig Primal and I have been working on the content for our Healthy Hormones Group Program for the last few months, my favorite part of the process is that I get to learn the tips and tricks that she uses too! We all have different tools that we pick up along the way and I think that it is important to have a really varied toolbox for my clients. Each person that I work with is so uniquely different in their bio-individual and genetic makeup that often a suggestion that works amazingly for one person will leave another feeling sick. A supplement that gives me energy though the roof might cause you to fall asleep at your desk. That is all a part of the puzzle!! I love learning lots of different options, recipes and suggestions so that we can find the perfect combination for each person.

     

    Alex shared this recipe with me for Hormone Helping Coconut Chips and I can’t get enough! I love incorporating coconut flakes into my diet for a lot of reasons. For one, they have an amazing composition of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Not only does this combination of macronutrients help keep you full longer after meals (which also helps prevent unhealthy snacking you weren’t actually intending), but fueling your body with such balanced caloric intake is great for the hormonal system. Additionally, the fatty acids found in coconut products directly play a role in healthy hormone synthesis so their presence in the diet greatly increases the success of all your other hormone-helping interventions; after all, it makes sense that if you don’t have the building blocks to create hormones, no amount of adjunctive therapies are going to help your cause in the long term.

     

    The spices found in this recipe work through a variety of mechanisms to help the endocrine and adrenal system along. Since glucose metabolism is a huge problem in people with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysfunction (which is often simply referred to as “adrenal fatigue” but is actually an incredibly limited way to look at the problem since it encompasses so much more than the adrenals…no wonder people have a hard time treating it on their own!), the cayenne, turmeric, and cinnamon are in here to help with the proper use and balance of sugar in the body.

     

    As an added bonus, cayenne pepper and turmeric are incredibly effective in tempering the inflammatory response in the body due to stress, high glucose levels, and underlying hormonal imbalances (see how they all work off each other??), incorporating these spices into meals regularly can be really helpful.

     

    Ingredients:

     

    • 2 cups coconut flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon ghee (replace with coconut oil if you can’t tolerate dairy products)
    • 5 tablespoons raw honey

     

    Steps:

     

    1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
    2. Place your coconut flakes into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
    3. Add in the cayenne pepper, ground turmeric, and ground cinnamon to the coconut flakes and stir well so that all the spices are well distributed (trust me when I say that you do not want a big bite of cayenne pepper down the line).
    4. Place the tablespoon of ghee (or coconut oil) into a small bowl and microwave it until the ghee has melted.
    5. Add the honey and vanilla extract to your melted ghee and mix them all together.
    6. Slowly pour your honey, ghee, and vanilla extract mixture of the spice-dusted coconut flakes. Mix it all together until everything is evenly distributed.
    7. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and evenly spread your coconut flake mixture over the entire area. You don’t want big clumps so take a few moments to spread it all out over the entire baking sheet.
    8. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
    9. Take out and let cool.
    10. I stored mine in a glass tupperware container.

     

    Want to learn more fun and delicious recipes that can also help support your adrenal glands and balance hormone? The Healthy Hormones Group Program is starting Sept 15th!!!

     

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  • Why Adrenal Fatigue is not just about the Adrenals

    Why Adrenal Fatigue is not just about the Adrenals

     

    When Hayley of Primal Palate recently posted a picture of her Adrenal Cocktail on Instagram a flurry of requests came to my inbox. What is this drink? Should I try this? What else can I do for adrenal fatigue? The popularity of such a post magnifies how real the struggle and how far reaching. I created this blog post as a guest post on Primal Palate but wanted to share here as well!

     

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    I know the struggle is real from first hand experience. I have been there. When I first tested my adrenal function, I was in was in the worst phase of adrenal dysfunction. My daily cortisol output had tanked to nearly nothing and my sex hormones were depleted as well. I know what it is like to have a 1 year old and feel like you don’t think you can muster up enough energy to brush your teeth!

     

    Let’s talk a little bit about the term adrenal fatigue.

     

    I was taught to use the term adrenal or hormonal dysfunction, since the idea of adrenal fatigue makes it sound like the adrenal glands are actually tired. In most cases the adrenal glands are not tired at all, but they just might not be receiving the correct message. Here is an analogy. The adrenal gland is a teenager sitting on the couch watching TV. The reason that the teenager is sedentary could possibly be because he is fatigued, but more likely than not, that is not the case at all. He just hasn’t received the message “ Hey, get up and get outside it is beautiful out there!”

     

    This is also what happens in our body, we have many complex systems, one of them being the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The hypothalamus (in the brain) is supposed to tell the pituitary to alert the adrenals that it is time to make cortisol (or other stress mediators). It is like they are a bunch of 6 year olds playing telephone and sometimes there is s a breakdown in the chain. The adrenals may not end up getting the message or get the wrong message. You want a hot cross bun? No, I said I want to go for a RUN!

     

    Seems crazy that a game of telephone in the body could be regulating all the crucial tasks of digestion, energy, sex drive and immune function, but it is true. In our high stress world the inputs are coming into the hypothalamus at rapid speed, all while environmental toxics and endocrine disruptors and pumping through the body just to add a few more obstacles. It is not surprising that the signals get crossed.

     

    So what happens when the signals get crossed? Well, a whole slew of symptoms can occur. You can read the list of signs & symptoms here.

     

    Why I was excited to find out that I had severe adrenal dysfunction?

     

    Seeing my functional lab work that showed I was barely producing any cortisol, very little estrogen, progesterone and melatonin was the first time that my results on paper lined up with my symptoms. Up until this point, I had been to multiple doctors complaining of my vague but annoying symptoms. I was tired all the time, lightheaded, constantly sick and just basically miserable.

     

    My first relief upon seeing my lab work was soon followed by more questions.   I realized that although I had found an imbalance and yes it was causing these symptoms, I still didn’t know why I had imbalances.

     

    Maybe you suspect adrenal dysfunction, or even better if you have done a salivary cortisol and hormone test and know that you are either producing way too much cortisol (tired and wired) or have ended up in a state of low cortisol (downright exhausted). Or maybe your test showed that you have an inappropriate level (high or low) of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. What’s next?

     

    What to do if you suspect Adrenal Dysfunction

     

    • Check the numbers – I am a girl who likes to see my progress on paper and have the data and numbers to work with. The Biohealth 205 Adrenal/Cortisol panel is going to be a part of the Group Adrenal Program that Alex of Dig Primal and I will be offering in the Fall. This is an opportunity to see your hormone levels and then learn how to correct any imbalances found. Otherwise you can visit a Functional Medicine Doctor, Naturopath or Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner to get a salivary cortisol and hormone panel or another good option is a urine test (DUTCH). Choose a lab that includes cortisol, DHEA, progesterone, estradiol, estriol, testosterone and melatonin.

     

    • Start with the basics – I think we often (myself included) really want to find that one genetic defect that is the root of all of our misery. We look around and see the neighbors chowing down on McDonalds and they seem to feel great. We work hard to stay away from toxins, follow a strict paleo diet and eat 3 cups of greens a day. It just doesn’t seem fair that we still have health problems, so there must be ONE THING that we are missing. Although genetics of course play a role, don’t bother going down that rabbit hole until you have covered all of the basics.

     

    Do you have good Stress Management techniques? Are you getting adequate sleep, ideally going to bed a couple of hours before midnight? Are you hydrated and is your water from a good source (void of the metals, bacteria & fluoride but still has the minerals that your body is craving?) Are you exercising enough or are you over training?

     

    • Don’t stop at the adrenals – yes adaptogenic herbs and licorice root tea might be helpful, but use these tools to get some relief and then you can dig deeper to really correct and restore the imbalance from the root cause. You can read more about the steps I take with my clients in this

     

     Find your food sensitivities – Undiagnosed food allergies or sensitivities can raise cortisol histamine levels in the body, thereby taxing the endocrine system. Be a detective and make sure you are aware of your allergies and intolerances. Join the group detox program if you need help following an elimination program.

    Gut dysfunction – Just as Hippocrates said “all disease begins in the gut”. Whether you have traditional digestive symptoms or not, this is still an area of utmost importance to explore on your journey to balanced hormones. Just think about the dysfunction that will occur in the body if you are not able to absorb or assimilate the food that you are eating and therefore cannot turn those building blocks into hormones?

    Liver health – Often we need to cleanse the liver in order to get hormones working again. The liver has over 500 jobs, and keeping the hormones happy is one of them.

    Thyroid health – This is a great place to start with your physician and another important piece of the puzzle.

    Heavy metals – Do you have a mouthful of metal fillings? Heavy metals toxicity is one of the known causes of intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and also puts a burden on the liver.

    Parasite, bacteria, fungus – Make sure to look for possible pathogenic infections that may be depleting your nutrients, taxing you liver or raising your cortisol.

     

    So What Can I Do?

     

    I love to use food as medicine as much as possible to help balance hormones. While we make an effort to minimize the stress in our life, we can also help support our body with the best nutrients available.

     

    5 Tips for Healthy Hormones

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    • Eat lots of good fat – We need dietary fats in order to make hormones! Make sure each meal has a healthy fat such as avocado, fish, nuts, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter (if you tolerate dairy), ghee (clarified butter), duck fat and tallow for ex.

     

    • Add some salt; Pink Himalayan Sea Salt – I put this on everything. Himalayan pink salt has 84 essential minerals that the adrenals need to function properly (very different from iodized table salt which can be harmful). You can even try sprinkling some in your water to see if it tastes better!

     

    • Don’t forget your Vitamin C – Healthy adrenal function requires vitamin C. Tissues in the body use more vitamin C during times of stress. Vitamin C is found naturally in a lot of foods such as citrus fruits, leafy greens, tomatoes, sprouts, kiwi, papaya, red pepper, and cauliflower. One teaspoon of Camu Camu powder added to a smoothie has the same amount of vitamin C as eating 6 oranges, so this is a good option for those of us who really need a boost!

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    • Daily Bone broth – You knew this on was coming right? Bone broth made from organic raw chicken or beef bones (all of the bones!) that is cooked over a 24-hour period helps with gut repair, has highly absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur and is an easily digestible protein. I add a Tbsp. of coconut oil, Tbsp. of collagen and pink salt to my mug and this becomes the perfect food for someone with adrenal dysfunction to maximize the nutrients with minimum effort.

     

    • Be aware of magnesium deficiency – Magnesium deficiency is incredibly common, some studies estimate 75% of Americans are deficient. Magnesium is important for stable energy, so this small change alone can have a big impact on those who are deficient. One way to increase your magnesium intake is by adding 2-4 ounces of Magnesium oil or 1 cup Epsom salts to a bath and soak before bed. The same thing can be accomplished with a foot bath while you read a book or watch TV. It is a great way to help your body relax while you are also absorbing your way to feeling better!

     

    • Adrenal Cocktail – This Orange Juice creamsicle offers a boost in energy and helps regulate blood sugar. This is great for those of you who are feeling pretty depleted and have low cortisol levels.

     

     The most important change that I see clients make in order to restore hormonal balance is a mindset change. When you discover that your fast-paced lifestyle is depleting your vital reserve it is time to reconsider your priorities. What activities or people are recharging you and which of those are stealing all of your energy? Can anything be re-arranged in your schedule or life to minimize the things that are depleting you?

     

    I hope this helps!! I would love any feedback on what else has worked for you.

     

    NEXT GROUP PROGRAM STARTING SEPTEMBER !

     

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    Want to look at your hormone and neurotransmitter labs and have a group for support? Alex of Dig Primal and I are going to be offering a 3 month group program starting September 15th. You will have receive a customized protocol but all of the coaching will be done in group. Put your name on the Adrenal Fatigue Group Program update list for more information.

  • The Benefits of Seasonal Cleansing

    The Benefits of Seasonal Cleansing

     

    It’s out with the old and in with the new for summer and the same should go for toxin build up in your body. Cleansing should occur at least once a year, but it is also suggested that as the seasons change, a good cleanse can better prepare us for the changes of the seasons. Just like the temperature, the foods we eat during each season changes. Going from spring to summer, the body is working up for some of the busiest months of the year.

     

    Traditionally, cultures all around the world have practiced seasonal cleansing in all types of different ways. Specifically for a liver cleanse, the liver is how the body takes toxins out of the body, and that is how the liver earns the spot of one of the hardest working organs in our bodies! The liver works with many other organs in our body to detox blood, produce bile, hormone breakdowns, and acts as a storage facility for our vitamins and minerals. If the liver is not functioning properly, it affects many other areas of our body.

     

    Some more important functions of the liver include removing old blood cells, helping the intestines process nutrients, chemical production for blood clotting, the breakdown and metabolizing of alcohol and consumed medications, and the production of necessary proteins and cholesterol.

     

    When people hear ‘liver disease’ they typically think of alcoholism, but that is not the only cause of liver disease or liver failure. Some other risk factors associated with liver disease include low potassium levels, drug use, exposure to certain chemicals, obesity, processed foods, viral infections and autoimmune diseases.

     

    Some things you may notice if your liver is not performing at its best include gas or bloating, constipation, heartburn, acid reflux, yellowish tint to skin and eyes, high blood pressure, difficulty losing weight, cognitive difficulties, dark urine, chronic fatigue, poor appetite, and chronic fatigue.

     

    If you want to support your liver there are certain foods you should focus on. These foods include beets, carrots, tomatoes, grapefruit, spinach, citrus fruits, cabbage, turmeric, walnuts, avocados, apples, brussels sprouts, garlic, dandelion root, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green tea, artichoke, olive oil, and alternative grains like quinoa, millet and buckwheat.

     

    There are many diets, supplements, and programs available to detox; you need to find the one that is best for you. Consult your doctor if you have concerns or questions. Below are some general tips that have worked for me:

     

    • Hydrate!
    • Eliminate common food sensitivities
    • Eat clean and organic
    • Exercise regularly
    • Eat a diet high in fiber
    • Take a probiotic
    • Eat light meals more frequently
    • Get the proper amount of sleep
    • Avoid alcohol and tobacco products
    • Avoid processed foods and whole grains

     

    You will find that when you are done with your detox, you should notice that you have much more energy, your digestion has improved, and your skin looks younger and brighter. You will also have better mental clarity and cognitive functioning, along with a boost to your immune system and more balanced blood sugar levels.

     

    Interesting in removing toxins naturally? If you’d like to shed unwanted weight than join us for the next Seasonal Detox!

     

    Health Hormones Group Program starts September 15th (some spots available now)

     

    If you have been considering joining our Healthy Hormones Group Program starting September 15th, I highly suggest that you start with the seasonal detox.  My clients who have focused on their detoxification pathways and liver health for a month or two before trying to balance hormones and support adrenals have been much more successful.  One of the liver’s many jobs is to get rid of excess hormones, so this is an important player in the balancing process.