Ever feel like just when you get things figured out, something new comes in and takes it’s toll on you? Leaving you not quite as happy as you were?

50% 50%

So what if you weren’t supposed to “feel” happy 100% of the time?

What if experiencing pain, helped you to appreciate the comfort at an entirely new level?

What if feeling frustrated allowed you to enjoy feeling pleasure so much more?

What if you accepted that life is 50/50?

Really think about that. If you could really wrap your brain around being okay with only feeling “good” emotions 50% of the time?

What that does for you!

When I really wrapped my brain around this idea, it was pretty amazing what happened.  I remember the first time I could tell that I had really grasped this idea.

I had been pretty frustrated and stressed out with some stuff that was going on.  I remember getting frustrated and just wanting it to go away so that I could get back on with my happy life.

Then I remembered I was working on “accepting” that life is 50/50.  I paused, took  a deep breath and allowed myself to be frustrated.  It was crazy.  Try it!

Once I gave myself permission to be frustrated, sad, mad, angry, scared, hurt, worried, etc., it was like they didn’t even feel as bad as I remember them feeling.

I wasn’t as rushed to get back to my happy state. The resistance was gone and I was able to work through my thoughts and emotions on a more solid ground and much faster.

Why does this matter?

I don’t know about you, but I want as much good in my life as I can bring in.  By allowing my “negative emotions” and seeing that I need them in order to really feel the “good” emotions,  I can let them get through your body faster rather than hold on to them and try to bury them.

As most people know, trying to hide a negative emotion is not such a good idea.  It will always come out later and with vengeance!!!   I think you would agree with me, that is awful to let things boil inside!

It not only makes you emotionally sick, but physically sick.

What to do?

Next time you feel a “negative” emotion (one you aren’t really liking)…

1. take a deep breath (it is only a vibration in your body)
2. what part of your body are you feeling that vibration in
3. is it a fast or slow vibration
4. what color is it?
5. now just allow that vibration to be there.  Don’t try to make it go away.
6. if you need to move on and do something else, just let it come along and work itself out

This is the art of allowing.

Give it a try.  Give yourself permission to allow the 50/50 rule in your life.

If you need help! Let me know!

🙂
Dana

 

 

 

I know when exactly when my estrogen levels start to drop because I don’t seem to get full.  It’s as if my stomach grew double in size and I can’t seem to fill it up.

 

It gets complicated as to why this happens, but before we dive in, here is a list of some other symptoms of low estrogen.

 

Do you have any of these symptoms?

 

Other symptoms of low estrogen:

 

• Night sweats
• Low sex drive
• Depression
• Feeling of losing it or going crazy
• Can’t get full when eating
• Insomnia
• Gaining weight, especially around the belly
• Wrinkles increasing
• Infertility
• Bone loss

The low down

 

There are actually multiple types of estrogen. Estradiol which is the most highly concentrated in the reproduction years and is about 80% of the estrogen in a women’s body.

 

Estriol which makes up ten percent and is the main estrogen of pregnancy.

 

Estrone makes up the remaining ten percent and is the estrogen most prevalent in menopause.

 

Since estradiol is the most dominant, let’s take a closer look.

 

Why hunger and weight gain?

 

A study done at Yale, found that estradiol uses the same biochemical pathways as leptin (your “I need to eat” hormone).  This is not a problem when estrogen levels are normal, but when estrogen levels are low, the leptin is does not correctly trigger, leaving you hungrier.

 

Leptin also is what tells the body to use food as fuel or to store it (it likes to send it to the midsection for storage).

 

What about depression?

Estradiol also triggers the production of serotonin (the feel-good relaxed hormone). When estrogen levels are low, unfortunate so is serotonin.

 

Infertility too?

 

The ovaries are the where estradiol is made.  There is a bit more to this, but if the body is not making enough estrogen, then the ovaries most likely have something going on as well and can result in infertility.

 

And… Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, Insomnia?

 

The connection between estrogen and body temperature is not fully understood, but there is a connection between low estrogen levels and increase in hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia.

 

No desire for Intimacy?

 

Estradiol is what makes a women’s genital skin sensitive.  When estradiol is low, the body goes into protection mode.

 

The body thinks it is in danger and that getting pregnant is not a good idea.  So, it slowly shuts all of the “intimacy” parts down to protect it from getting pregnant.

 

How did you get so lucky?

Harvard has a list of reasons why they believe estrogen levels decrease.  Without going into too much detail on each one, here they are.

 

• Perimopause and menopause
• Hypogonadism
• Hypopituitarism
• Hypothalamic defects
• Pregnancy failure
• Delivery of placenta after childbirth
• Breastfeeding (for extended period, not allowing ovulation to start)
• Eating disorders
• Excessive Exercise
• Gluten intolerance

 

 

What to do?

Dr. Sara Gottfried suggest the following as ways to balance estrogen levels.

• Avoid caffeine loaded drinks- caffeine has been shown to decrease estradiol levels in women.
• Cut out gluten- links have been shown between gluten sensitivity and diminished ovarian reserve.
• Eat soy not more than 2 times a week-it has many of the same biochemical properties as estrogen
• Eat more flaxseed- 2 tablespoons, 2 times a day- it has many phytoestrogen properties too
• Have more sex- Orgasms raise estradiol levels (basically the idea of use it or lose it)
• Don’t exercise too much- exercise only helps estrogen levels if you are already lean. If not, do much lower stress exercise, walking, jogging, etc.
• Watch your mind- stress or overactive mind can causing other hormones to become imbalance as well.

 

Do a little inventory!

 

Is this any of the issues you are dealing with?

 

Let me know if I can help!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources

Gao Q. Mezel G, Nie Y, et al “Anorectic estrogen mimics leptins effects on the rewiring of melanocortin cells and Stat3 signaling in obese animals.” Natural Medicine (2007) 89-94.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is sugar your true love?

No, really?  Is it the one that you look forward to each day?  What you can’t wait to have?

Your day or life revolves around getting it in your hands?

You are a much happier person when you have it?

Then you must be in love SUGAR!!! (that is a nice way of saying addicted)!

 

How did you fall in love with it?

 

It probably started when you had a few sweets at a time when you were feeling stressed out or overwhelmed.  You ate that tasty treat and your body quickly had an increase of dopamine ( a relaxing hormone).

Your body thanked you for that increase of dopamine and you were able to “feel” calmer and happier.

Your body quickly learned that sugar is a great way to get a dopamine hit.  So the next time you felt stressed or overwhelmed, your brain remembered the sugar and decided to ask for more!

You gave it more, except this time it needed a little bit more than the first time to get the same amount of dopamine released into the system.

Over time, you can see how this process can lead to a love relationship with sugar.

The sugar helps it so you don’t have “feel” the overwhelm, stress, frustration, saddens, etc..  It became your buffer, keeping you safe from your “feelings.”

Great, now it’s an unhealthy relationship?

 

Yep! That first bit of sugar has now become an unhealthy relationship.  It has become your drug of choice and protects you from having to really “feel’ any of your negative emotions.

The bummer is, when you don’t actually feel any of your emotions and really deal with them, they come back to haunt you.  So all the sugar in the world won’t make any of those emotions disappear long term.  They will find a way to creep back up, no matter how hard you try.

So think about it!  If you are eating sugar in order to not have to “feel” an emotions, what is the solution?

Feel the emotion?

 

An emotion is just a vibration in your body!

 

That is it,  An emotion is a vibration in our bodies and we get so scared to feel some of them…..fear, stress, anger, frustration, etc..

But if you realize that a vibration can’t kill you, can’t harm you (only if you hold it in and don’t deal with it), then it is not that scary.

Next time you crave sugar, take a minute before taking a bite.

Answer these questions…

• Why am I eating this?
• What emotion am I not wanting to deal with?
• Is there someone involved in this emotion?  What are you thinking about them?
• Where are you feeling the vibration in your body?

Now just let the vibration sit there.  Don’t try to hide it or cover it up.  Just allow it to be there.  It may be a little uncomfortable, but you are not going to die.

After you have let the vibration just be there, are you craving the sugar as much?  It most likely went away or at least significantly decreased.

 

How to fall out of love?

 

Once you admit that you want to fall out of love with sugar, you will be okay with allowing your emotions to just be there.  Allowing your body to be okay with feeling!

Do this every time you get a craving! This will train your brain that it doesn’t need that dopamine hit. Your brain will realize that it can handle any “feeling” (vibration) that comes your way without needing any help from the sugar.

Just stay consistent! I you need help, let me know!

I would love to help you get control of your sugar addiction!

 

 

 

 

 

Do you need caffeine to just get your day started?

Or as a pick me up in the later afternoon as your body starts drag?

What does the caffeine do for you that is making it so you can’t live without it?

You probably know this, but caffeine acts as a stimulant.  It is known as a psychoactive drug, which means that is temporarily changes your perception, mood, consciousness and behavior.

So what is wrong with this?

Well, the caffeine is not allowing the body to take care of things naturally.

Caffeine mimics adenosine ( a chemical naturally found to decrease wakefulness and increase sleep).  Caffeine attaches to the adenosine receptors and pushes the adenosine out of the way.

This is why you wake up and get more energy after having caffeine.

Over time, the adenosine gets smart and starts to make new receptors.  So now you have more receptors!  Basically you have increased the number of receptors that are wanting adenosine.

Remember that adenosine makes you feel sleepy! Since you now have more receptors, it takes more and more caffeine to help you stay awake since their are more receptors.

One coke doesn’t do it anymore. Two cups of coffee just isn’t enough.

The more receptors yo have, the more caffeine needed to plug them up.

The caffeine also allow dopamine to run wild!

This also causes a mood boost. But along with that is, activates the adrenal glands and tells the body it better start pumping adrenaline.

Adrenaline is your fight or flight hormone and was really meant to only be produce in life threatening situations.  This is a factor playing a roll in adrenal fatigue.

When the body is stressed it can’t think about losing weight.

Dr. Sara Gottfried, in her book The Hormone Reset, suggest that “obesity results from chronic problems with energy balance in your body, which is definitely in part caused by high stress. ”

So you get stressed, your cortisol rises, which usually causes you to over eat.  Once you overeat, you need some caffeine to boost you up a little bit, which leads to an even higher cortisol level.  Those high levels of cortisol over time, cause you to get fat!

Caffeine Free!

This may sound scary, but if you are wanting to lose weight, bring your stress levels down or sleep better, this is a great place to start.

Dr. Gottfried suggest starting one day at a time.

Day 1-3: Cut caffeine amount in half!

Day 3-5: No more than 2 cups of black tea a day.

Day 6-8: Green or white tea. No more than 2 cups a day. By day 8, only one cup.

Day 9-10: Herbal tea from now on!

Watch what happens!

Pay attention to your days!

How is your sleep?

Do you feel calmer?

Does your stomach feel flatter?

If you need help with this process, I would love to help!

🙂
Dana