Is your brain addicted?

Would you consider yourself addicted to sugar?  You need something sweet after a meal?  You try not eating sugar but you get a headache?  You can’t wait until you get that next treat?

Have you looked at the labels of your food lately?

Sugar is so hidden that often when I ask clients if they eat a lot of sugar they tell me no.  They believe this is the case until they go home and start reading the labels of their food.  To their surprise, sugar is in everything!

The first question they ask is “How did I not know this?”  Unfortunately, foo companies are not going to tell you the amount of sugar in their foods unless it is very little.  They know exactly what sugar does to the brain and that is why they want it in there.

Your brain on Sugar

Research is finding that the brain responds similar to sugar almost exactly the way it responds to heroin and alcohol. This is because of the dopamine  receptors in the brain.  When you eat sugar your body gets a rush of dopamine (a feel good hormone).  This is the rush you feel after you eat something sweet.  This is the same rush people get when they do drugs.

That RUSH is why your brain craves it. It feel so good after you eat it.

The problem is that your brain starts to become desensitized.  A little bit of sugar begins to do hardly anything for you. Your brain needs more of it to get the same Rush as before.

Research is also finding that gram for gram, sugar has the same affect as most street drugs! 

Depression

In a report in the 2017 Journal of Scientific Report, they looked at wether depressed people crave sugar or if sugar makes people feel depressed.  They found that depressed people don’t necessarily reach for sugar.

It is the sugar that makes people feel depressed. 

The affects of the sugar in the brain can not be denied.

This is good to know!

What do you need to do to kick sugar?

This is something I love to help with! I have been there!

What can I do to help?

🙂
Dana

Have you ever been known someone that always seems to have something huge going wrong in their life?  It seems like they can’t get a break?  Maybe this is you.

If it is you, or someone close to you, let me shed a little light about what is going on.

Like attracts Like

When someone has a lot of drama going on in their head, then they have a lot of drama in their life.

Someone that has a lot of anger in their head, has a lot of anger in their life.

Someone that has a lot of chaos in their head, has a lot of chaos in their life.

You attract into your life, whatever it is that is going on in your head.  That is exactly why some people can seem to have a no drama life.  They most likely don’t let drama take place in their head.

So if you are one of those people with drama in your life, maybe it is something you should assess. It is a good idea to really pay attention to what is going on in your head.

What is on your mind most of the day?

Are most of your thoughts negative or positive?

Do you show much gratitude?  If not, start with the small stuff.

How do you view the world?  Are you enjoying that view?

If you want change

If you want change in your life, then you must change your thoughts.  That is the bottom line.  If like attracts like, then you must begin to think in a way that you want to live.

If you want peace, then you must begin to find the peace in your mind.

If you want love, then you must begin to show the love in your mind.

It may be difficult, but it is worth it.  Imagine what you can change.

🙂
Dana

Who ever said it was bad

Growing up it seemed as if it was a bad thing to be sad.  If you were sad then it would quickly need to be changed.  Being known as the “crybaby” in the family, there were plenty of times I was sad.

I don’t fully remember what I was sad about, but I do remember when it was happening that I had in the back of my mind that I needed to quickly change it.  Get myself happy.

As I have experienced life, I have come to understand that sadness is okay.  It is something that a human can handle.  As a matter of fact, I believe it is something we as human need to experience.

If you never experience hunger you would never appreciate being full.  If you never experienced a cloudy day, you would never appreciate the sun.

What if that is how it is supposed to be?

If you never experience sadness, you can never fully appreciate your happiness.

There is nothing wrong with you if you are feeling sadness.   The key is to recognize when you are done feeling sad.

When you are done, then you can make the mental or physical changes needed to move to a different state of being.

Remember, life is 50/50.  50% positive emotions and 50% negative emotions.

So if you aren’t “happy” all of the time, then you are human.  And that is exactly what you are supposed to be.

Need help with this one.  Let me know.  I love being there to assist woman as they figure this one out!

🙂

Dana

As women we can be so hard on ourselves.  We shame ourselves when we don’t eat right.  We shame ourselves when we didn’t exercise.  When we didn’t get the job done.  If you were to keep track, the number of times you shame yourself each day is probably a little outrageous.

Why do we even do this?

It seems as if we think it is a good tool to get us into action. I don’t know about you, but when I am feeling shameful, I want to run and hide.  I don’t think I am the only one.  It really isn’t getting us into action.  It is having the opposite affect, yet we do it over and over.

Working with women with infertility, I have noticed that this is huge.  They are shameful of their inability to get pregnant.  Their in ability to create a new life.  Their inability to create a family.  If this is you, you probably know what I am talking about.

That little sucker SHAME creeps in at all times of the day.  When you least expect it.  At the store, work, with friends.

Let’s clear things up! Here is the definition of shame….

a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

The part that is saddening about the shame is the last part of the definition caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. 

Understand this

Unless you have consciously done something foolish or wrong, shame should not be in your vocabulary.  This is when it is good to question if you are using SHAME as a buffer.

Is shame preventing you from really understanding an issue?  Is it preventing you from growing, showing up in a new way each day?

What is shame preventing you from doing?  If you see that there is something that you aren’t doing because of your shame, then it is a good time to reassess.

I encourage clients to give it the boot, kick it out.  This complete cut off makes it much easier to recognize it when it creeps back it.

Be done with shame!  Find an emotion to replace it with.  One that will serve you. Once that will allow your body and mind to heal and become balanced.

As always, let me know if you need assistance. That is what I am here for!

🙂
Dana

I have heard time and time again from so many women, “i’m just not the creative type.”  I even used to say this, to my embarrassment!

But let me argue otherwise. There is not a single person on this earth that is not creative.  End of story!  Really.

The difference

There isn’t a person I have met that doesn’t have the desire to be CREATIVE. It is in us.  It is a God given desire.  I would even like to say it is more of a NEED.  We even have an entire part of our body that is made of “PROCREATION.”  So when people say they aren’t creative, I remind them that their brain is lying to them again.

When I work with women coming to me from all different health and hormonal issues, especially infertility, most of them are doing nothing to be creative.  I have seen it all the way from the young to the old.  It is as most of them feel bad or frivolous taking the time each day to be creative.

Since we hold our creativity in one of our lower 3 chakras (the sacral chakra-see pic below) it is a primal need that we must fulfill in order to really thrive in this life.   

Primal Need?

If you lived back in very primal times, you would need to be creative in order to even survive.  Think about what you would do for housing, food, warmth.  You would have to get creative in order to Survive.  It was a necessity!

In our modern time, all of these things are taken care.  Most people have to really try to be creative.  These days most people think it is not something everyone has.

I want to disagree.

I know we all have the ability to be creative!

I have seen clients improve their health dramatically by taking the time to be creative each day.

Get creative with your cooking.

Change the flowers in the planter to something different.

Rearrange a room.

Doodle for 15 minutes.

Sit down and write a list of 10 ways you can…..(think of anything)

Want to get pregnant?  Then REALLY put your energy into being creative.  Creativity in your intimacy is a good place to start.

Take care of this primal need so that your body can CREATE other things (a baby).

Give it a try! See what it does for you!

If you need help, let me know.  We got this together.

:)Dana

It’s Job

It sounds awful saying that the brain is a liar, but stick with me here.  Your primitive brain really REALLY wants to keep you safe! It wants to make sure you don’t get hurt, eaten by a lion, or put into a dangerous situation.

So it protects you by telling you lies!

Think of the last time you tried something new or came up with a new idea. What is the first thing that happened as soon as you decided to do it?

Your brain freaked out!  It came came up with 100 reasons why you should not do it.  Fear kicked in, doubt started to have it’s voice, and the covers sounded like a good place to go.

The Real Deal

By causing all of those emotions to run through your body, your brain thinks it is keeping you safe. But what really is it keeping you safe from?

Really, think about it.  The only thing is is keeping you from doing is feeling something.  That something is an emotion.  An emotion is only a vibration.  So if you know this and you know that all your brain is trying to do is stop you from feeling a vibration, then the rest of the stuff it makes up, is just a lie.

It is just a story so that you won’t put yourself at risk.  Isn’t that crazy.  None of it is true,

So all the reason you are saying you can’t do something are really just lies.  You aren’t going to die.

So what is stopping you?

What story is your brain telling you?

You get to Choose

You get to choose wether you believe your brains stories or not.  it is that simple.  What are you going to believe?

If you are having a hard time seeing your brains lies, lets talk.  Let’s get to the bottom of it!

I can help!

🙂
Dana

Are you happiest when you are able to things the way you want to do them?  Is it difficult for you to let your spouse or child do something on their own without you butting in or giving your opinion?

You most likely know, but now you just need to admit, that YOU HAVE A CONTROL ISSUE?

When does it become an issue?

Interestingly enough, some people don’t even know that it has become an issue until we start woking together.  Most people that love being in control, really think they are doing it for the better log.

They often believe that they are helping others by getting it done the RIGHT way.  That it is best if they can show others how it should be done. Most people that love to be in control haven’t thought that they are taking away some else’s ability to choose.

Here’s a little story

I have a client that came to me with infertility issues.  She hadn’t ovulated in a LONG time! Years! And now it was causing an issue because she was wanting to get pregnant.

After a few weeks of coaching I noticed that she mentioned quite a few times that she felt like she needed to be in control…of everything.  She was not saying it in a bad way, but I noticed that it was in every aspect of her life.

I coached her on her thoughts about being in control and she worked daily to coach herself and really address it at a deep level.  She did her part even though it was hard work.

Guess what….She OVULATED! Yep, she ovulated after not ovulating for years.

Believe it or not

Your thoughts really do influence ALL of your body functions!

What are your health issues? What is the thought that could be causing the problem?

You see, my client needed help figuring this out!  She needed someone outside of her head to have a different perspective.

If you are dealing with something you can’t figure out, lets figure it out together!

:)Dana

Years ago after having my son, he’s 13 1/5 now, I was in a very bad place and I had no I idea what was going on.  My pregnancy had been pretty tough physically but I was also dealing with a pretty painful custody battle for my older daughter.

After having my son, it seemed like foods began to really influence the way I felt more than every.  My body hurt all the time, there were days when I couldn’t even get up.  There were are few times I couldn’t even walk, crawling to get my husband was all I could do.

Any type of physical work stated making me sick.  Working in the garden or yard for hours would make me sick for days.  It was becoming very debilitating to do anything. 

Then I began to have major bone loss in my jaw, resulting in the jaw of a 60 year old woman.  Doctors weren’t helping me at all.  They kept saying there was nothing wrong with me.

What I did

I decided I needed to take it into my own hands if I was going to be able to show up in life as a mother and wife.  So, I went back to school.  I became a  Holistic Health Practitioner because I wanted to learn how to fix myself naturally.  From the first class I took, I started to make chances and began to see improvement.

I went on to learn a method of treatment called NAET (Nambudripaud Allergy Elimination Technique) which is an amazing energy work method that helps the body detox so that it can heal.  I had major changes after learning this.  My body needed to do some major detoxing and a lot of it was emotions.

I also was trained in Thought Field Therapy, which is another type of energy work to help clear emotions and physical ailments.

What I noticed

I noticed that each client I worked with, there were emotionally issues that were the root of all of their health symptoms.  I was the same.  I had been in a physically abusive relationship and I am 100% sure that is where I began to spiral downward.

I decided I was going to change things up and get to the root with clients.  No matter what they, you, me are dealing with,  there is an emotional underlying cause.

Changes are profound when you get your mind in check

I have seen in in myself and my clients! Once you get into the cause and make the changes that is when stuff really gets to change.  I am still dealing with the repercussions of my issues, but i am so much healthier on every level.

I work on my mind EVERYDAY without fail and this is what keeps me healthy.  When I don’t, I suffer.

Why do you do what you do? Do you like your reason?

if not, what do you want to be doing.  Is there something that is calling you.  Maybe your experiences can bless the lives of others, just like mine have.

If you need help, I am here for that.  That is what I do.

🙂
Dana

Do you agree?

Ignorance is one of those things that no one really wants, but it is a bummer when you are on the other side of an issue you don’t REALLY want to have any knowledge about!

Is it really BLISS?

I remember when my gums had been receding for quite some time and the doctors couldn’t tell what was going on.  I was also suffering from so many other issues they thought I might have MS, or an array of autoimmune diseases.  Talk about scared of the unknown.  I sure let my mind wander.

I can tell you, my ignorance was NOT bliss!  I think it actually made things worse for me.

After many doctors appointments and not answers, I decided to figure it out on my own.

Understanding what was going on

I can tell you that I got a glimpse of BLISS once I started to understand what was really going on in my body.  I began to believe that I could heal myself through my thoughts, food, supplementation, meditation, etc..

Depending what your definition of bliss is, Ignorance is just not fun when you are dealing with health issues.

Take the time to listen to your intuition.  It will know what is really going on. Your mind must be quiet to hear it.

It is fun to really listen to your intuition. I love doing it with clients.

Let me know if you need help.

🙂
Dana

Understanding what is going on with your  hormones throughout the month, makes life quite a bit better.  Just simply understanding why you are experiencing different things is so empowering.

I won’t go into too much detail, because I think simplicity is best here.  Here it is!!!

Hormones made simple!

Week 1 Estrogen begins to rise.

• Estrogen begin to rise slowly, helping you go from aches and pains of period to more energy by the end.
• There may be an increase of desire to socialize with the increase of estrogen
• Memory seems to be working better this week

Week 2 Estrogen (and testosterone) Peaks

• Feeling the most confident and brave of the entire month
• Memory is the best this week Skin seems to look the best because of its help to the soft tissue
• Have the most willpower this week Not as hungry because of the appetizing effect of estrogen
• You feel the thinnest this week Libido the highest

Week 3 Progesterone rises, testosterone and estrogen decrease, then estrogen rises again

• Start to feel “pre-PMS” since estrogen is decreasing
• Feel a little better as the week goes on since estrogen rises again
• You may feel foggier, quieter and more snacky since progesterone increases
• Digestion slows and you may become constipated (body is trying to absorb as many nutrients in case you get pregnant)
• Libido drops, but you still may want just hugs and comfort
• Exercising at this time burns up to 30% more fat this week because of the combination of estrogen and progesterone.
• Extra tired since the progesterone is taking all your energy

Week 4 Estrogen and Progesterone take a dive

• Most irritable and angry week of the month if you do get PMS
• With drop of estrogen you may become more pessimistic, cynical, negative and critical
• Since estrogen drops, your body craves carbohydrates to refuel it
• May get a little bit of libido back, not because of hormones but because of the extra activity “down there” as your body preps for your period
• Craving fatty foods could happen as well because of the progesterone
• Health issues may flare up worse this week

There you have it! Can you tell which of your hormones is off, just by this overview?

I help with this! Lets get you balanced!

🙂
Dana

As a I child, I remember feeling GUILTY every time I wanted something.  Weather it was a toy, candy, or as I got older a nice car,  I don’t exactly remember when I began to connect the THOUGHT of wanting something with the FEELING of “GUILT”.

As an adult, once I realized I had this thought and that  was definitely not serving me, it was pretty frustrating how long it took to change.

Healthy Want

You see my husband has a very healthy relationship with money and wanting things.  He feels like it is just like hunger, a natural good (as long as it is in a healthy place) desire.  He has his values in line, he knows he is not stepping on anyones toes to get what he wants, and he is working to earn it.  He isn’t expecting anyone else to give him anything.

After learning from him, I have come a long way and it was amazing what has changed in my life.

The desire to want is a God given desire.  We have all seen people that are complacent and don’t want anything.  They have no momentum, not working toward anything.  They are usually stuck!

Healthy want is exactly what a human needs to improve in life.  To become their best SELF.

What do you want?

Think about what you want! Write down all the detail! The more detailed the better.  This way your brain has a place to go as it works toward it.

Then write down how you are going to feel once you get it.  Are you going to feel peace, excited, content, etc..  Again the more detailed the better.

Here is an example of what I did with my daughter.  Dr. Joe Dizpenza suggest doing something like we did in the picture below.  

You give the item or experience you want a letter.

Draw lines around it representing the vibration (vibrations come from emotions)  that you will be putting off as you reach for it.

On one side list the experience in detail.  On the other side, list the emotions you will feel.

The Trick

Now the trick is to spend time with this everyday.  Imagine it, feel it, experience it! This allows your brain to get in alignment with what you are really working toward.

Believe it or not as soon as you Believe it and Feel it 100% you will make it happen! You will know when there is no more doubt, that you are on the right track.

The part that is so fun is that when you make it a part of your neuro-network, you brain is able to that letter throughout the day.  Every time you see you letter when reading, at the store, in a street sign, it will remind your brain what you are working towards.  It is pretty profound.

Give it a try.  Let me know I  you need help.  I love doing this with clients!

🙂

Dana

I remember hearing once that you be more willing to keep commitments to yourself over commitments to other people.

I was a little shocked at first and thought that it was okay to do the opposite because you can always make time for the stuff you need to do “later.”

Try It Out

So I gave it a try to see what really happens when you never take no for an answer from yourself.  I very strategically put things on my calendar and I DID them no matter what came up.  I wouldn’t let myself have any excuses.

It was pretty crazy what I started to feel…..MORE CONFIDENCE! 

I also began to learn so many new skills.  They were all things I was wanting and needing to do, but I finally really took the time to do them.

The Reason

Have you ever been around someone that doesn’t do what they say? It is pretty frustrating and unfortunately, you end up not having much confidence in them.

You don’t trust them to do what they say and you most likely don’t really want them around after a while.

It is the exact same within ourselves.  When we don’t do what we say we will do, we begin to not trust ourselves.  Our confidence begins to diminish.  After sometime, we don’t even like being around ourselves.

Sound familiar?  It is all too familiar to so many of us.

The answer…Write everything you want or need to on your calendar.  With specific times.

Then just do it!

No excuses.  No questions asked, even if it is the last thing you want to do!

Teach your brain that it can trust you to do what you say you are going to do!

What your confidence grow little by little!

🙂
Dana

Since we are human, most of us have at least once, tried to create a new habit, but to our disappointment hardly could pull it off for a week.  It can be pretty frustrating at first, but we usually become complacent and make the decision that that “goal” was not really for us.

The reason it is so hard for us to change a habit we have had for so many years, is that habits are taking place in our Alpha brain waves.  After performing a behavior for a good chunk of time your brain is so smart and puts those behaviors in auto pilot, which means they get put down in the alpha waves.  It’s genius because the brain knows that it is something you do every day, so it helps you save energy and not have to think about it as much.  This is why it gets moved to the alpha or theta waves.

The problem

The problem arises when we are trying to change a habit or behavior.    This takes place in the BETA state.  So the behavior is down in the DELTA or THETA state and we are trying to change it from the BETA state.

They aren’t even in the same place.  It would be like trying to clean a window and you not even being in the same room as the window.

A few tricks

There are a few ways to approach this dilemma, it may be a good idea to try a few of them to see which works for you.

Meditation

Meditation is a great way to get your brain to the delta and theta waves, which is where you can make the real change.  There are so many meditations out there, but go online and choose a guided meditation that you will enjoy doing.  During and after the meditation bring up the behavior or thought that you want to change and imagine releasing it.  Doing this regularly makes a huge difference.

Do the Dirty Work

Take the time daily to address what is is you want to change.  Be sure to do this on paper.  When it is on paper, your brain can really separate it and see what it wants and does not want.  Practice replacing the stuff  you don’t want with things that you do want.  If it is all on paper you can cross stuff out and imagine being done with it.

On the other hand if there are things you do want, then write it down so that your brain knows you are serious.  Do this daily. Just like brushing your teeth, those small acts add up and those will eventually get down to the delta and theta waves and become habits.

You got this.  Be patient with yourself!

As always this is what I do, let me help you if you can’t get it on your own.

🙂
Dana

Is exercise one of those topics you don’t want to discuss?

If so, lets get to the bottom of it.

If you don’t know what is going on a good place to start is to understand you body type and the exercise that is best for you.

• Vata Body Type– light exercises like swimming, yoga, walking, tai chi, golfing, hiking, and light cycling.
• Kapha Body Type- High intensity interval training, like Crossfit, spin classes, hot yoga, mountain and road biking, rock climbing, zumba and rowing.
• Pitta Body Type- moderate intensity like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, swimming, surfing.

Understanding your body type is key to exercise and balancing the hormones. As your hormones change from day to day, it is so beneficial to understand what exercise is going to best serve you.

There may be days of the month that a hard bike ride makes you feel great and other days it would out you out for the rest of the day.

Start today by keeping track on your calendar. When done exercising but a happy face or frowning face on the day depending how you feel. One month of doing this allows you to see what the patterns are.

A key to remember is to exercise everyday! Exercise benefits the body so much!

• Improves sleep
• decreases depression and anxiety
• increases bone density
• increases ability to focus
• increases metabolism
• decreases blood pressure and cholesterol
• decreases PMS symptoms

And many many other things!

Start small! Get out and walk today!

Let me know how I can help! Need a free mini session, lets schedule it!

Feeling Anxious and then depressed is more common than you think!

What is really going on?

Going back and forth between anxiety and depression can occur for a number of reasons, but today I am going to address one that seems to be the most prominent amongst my clients.

As anyone can assume, the brain likes to have harmony. This means that the brain and the body need to be on the same page at all times in order for this to take place.

When they aren’t in harmony, one of the things we as humans feel is anxiety and then depression.

Is this familiar?

In your mind you feel like you should be doing one thing and but you actually do the opposite.

For example: You really think (BRAIN) you should tell a friend what you think about her behavior. But when you see her you talk and act as if you agree with her behavior (BODY).

The Problem!

The problem with this is that your brain is wondering why the heck you aren’t doing what is THINKS you should do. The familiar feeling is when you have told a child to do something and they don’t listen or even do the opposite.

This usually causes us to get upset and wonder “why they heck can’t you just listen to me?”

This is exactly what is going on in the brain. It is wondering why the heck you don’t listen to it.

The fancy term for this is COGNITIVE DISSONANCE: basically when the brain and behavior are not on the same page.

This usually starts in a sort of anxious feeling. You can tell you are uncomfortable but try to get through it. If it continues, it gets worse! The longer it continues the brain starts to get pretty frustrated and the hormones that are released cause you to get pretty low.

It is a great defense mechanism because you if you are in a depressed state you have a reason to not have to address the issue.

What to do!

So you either need to change your thought or your behavior in order for this to change. In the example above, you either need to really be okay with your friends behavior or you need to tell her what you think.

It is a process and takes some work to really recognize and change what is going on. But it is so worth it!

Do the dirty work! Get your mind and body on the same page! You’ve got this!

Let me know if you need any help with it!

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

Last week was an awful week!

I was emotional, uncomfortable in body, my body hurt, I was tired,  felt sick to my stomach, and I looked like I aged a few years in week because of my dark circle and aging skin.

I thought I was dying!

So now that I am 40, I am the lucky recipient of two gifts…..PMS and Perimenopause!

Some months it is an easy week before my period and I hardly know I am going to start my period and then other months it is awful.

Being a Vata, Fall is always a season that really throws my hormones for a loop.

Once I realized what was going on, I was able to make a few lifestyle changes and change a few of my supplements and it made a world of difference.

Perimenopause

This is the time in a women’s body  (usually starts around 35-40) when her body starts to prepare for her last menstrual cycle (sounds good to me).  Progesterone levels start to drop first and then the estrogen begins to decline.

This can be so hard for some of us because we don’t feel like we are old enough to start this process and then we aren’t sure what to do or what exactly is going on.

Some women start to put on weight, have some crazy mood swings and/or severe decrease in energy.

Which hormones are responsible?

Low Progesterone can cause…

• night sweats
• heavy periods or extremely light periods
• anxiety
•  excessive worry

Low Estrogen made cause… (this is what I was feeling last week, all of them!!!)

• poor memory
• more wrinkles
• mild depression
• droopy boobs
• vaginal dryness
• sun spots start to show
• more stress
• body aches

Testosterone starts to decrease which causes…

• low or no sex drive
• low confidence
• loss of muscle mass
• loss of pubic hair
• feeling of helplessness

Lovely Cortisol always plays some roll and can…

• make you tired in the day and wide awake at night

Why the heck does it get worse?

Usually starting around the age of 40 a women’s body has maxed out on the amount of stress, toxins, and burden that it can bear.

This is why it all of the sudden feels so critical to make some changes….you will do whatever it takes to feel normal again.

Where to start?

A great place to start is with your stomach (there is an article on this).  Yep, this is where it all starts! Take it or leave it.  But you have probably had plenty of times where you are realizing there are just somethings you can’t eat anymore without not feeling well.

Cutting out all processed foods is a great place to start.

Shop the perimeter of the store. Increase your vegetable intake.

Cutting out or limiting all processed sugars and flours (these increase insulin a cause so many problems)

Cutting out red meats also helps balance hormones, especially cortisol.

Exercise is a great way to quickly and naturally balance all hormones.

Taking supplements such as ashwaghanda for sleep, chasteberry for PMS, or take a great mix that I love. Biofem PMS or Biofem Transition.

Meditate or breathe deeply at least once a day!  It is free and will really help with balancing all hormones. Quiet your mind and watch your thoughts! You maybe having a bit of stuff going on in your mind that is causing a lot of the issues as well.

Be patient!

If you start any of these or all of them, be patient and stick with it.  Your body may take a little bit to show signs of balance.  Remember that it took a while to get to the place you are now, so be patient.

Let me know if you need help with figuring any of this out.

🙂
Dana

Please don’t tell me I am the only one!

Right around the age of 35, I noticed my face starting to age very quickly!! It seemed to be less wrinkly at different times of the most, but it was still aging quicker than I was liking!

After figuring out what was going on, my skin was worse during the time my estrogen levels were lower!

So needless to say, I jumped right on it to balance my hormones and anything else that needed it.

What is going on?

The facial skin has more estrogen receptors than anywhere else in the body. So when hormones are out of balance, the face is usually where you will see it.

Wrinkles are caused by..

• low levels of estrogen
• stress
• junk food (high in omega-6’s)
• sleep deprivation
• toxins
• smoking
• ultraviolet rays
• etc..

All of these factors cause the mitochondria in the cell (the powerhouse) to become damaged.

Wrinkles being one of the results of the damage!

What to do?

It is easier said than done, but if you are stressing, find a way to bring your stress down (meditation is great).

Cut out the junk food!

Figure out what is going on with your sleep.

Remove toxins from life… use natural skin products, natural cleaners, wool dryer balls, candles and air fresheners.

Watch yourself in the sun.  I love the sun, but just take the proper precautions when in it.  I always take astaxanthin (see below).

What supplements to take!

Along with lifestyle changes, supplementation is a great way to help your body heal more quickly.

If you are suffering from wrinkles that you feel are unjustified (wink!!) here are some suggestions.  Remember to check with your doctor if you are taking medications or have any other health issues.

A good quality Multi-Vitamin!  Be sure that it has…

• Vitamin A- reduces signs of sun damage, increases collagen synthesis
• Vitamin C- helps produce collagen which is needed for elasticity of the skin
• Vitamin E- slows down the aging process by inhibiting antioxidants
• Vitamin D- boost hormones as wells as immune system

Add antioxidants into your day as well.

Astaxantanin is a great one to take before, during, and after being in the sun. It protects and repairs the skin cells from sun damage.

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) the phytonutrients from green tea, is a great antioxidant.  It decreases inflammation while protecting the cells.

DHEA reduces inflammation while increasing blood flow.  This has been shown to decrease wrinkles as well as increase libido.

Collagen is needed for the connective tissue and elasticity of skin and tissues of the body.  It helps heal the stomach lining for anyone with gut related issues as well.

Omega-3’s are needed daily! Most diets have too much omega-6’s, so unless you eat wild caught fish regularly, a supplement would be great for you.

Vitamin D with K2 is another great combination that also boost elasticity of skin as well as protecting it and building bones.  If you don’t eat grass feed butter or free range eggs on a regular basis, these are great supplements to add in.

How do I know which ones to take?

I always suggest that you follow your gut! Your mind is going to tell you to order all of the supplements listed above.

Take a deep breath, wait a minute, then follow your gut.

Which ones stand out the most?

Now order those those. Be sure when ordering to look for the gold seal, these are the best quality. 

What lifestyles changes do you need to make as well?

If you are having a hard time figuring it out, that is why I am here.

It’s what I do!

Even though you are sleeping, your body is very active!

Your amazing body creates balance through a system called HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis).  Research has shown that there is a connection between the hormone cortisol, HPA axis and sleep.

During sleep, your cortisol levels begin to rise, believe it or not.  Sounds crazy, because you are sleeping, but they rise until the morning when you wake and begin to move.

The problem! We never stop!

A problem arises when  cortisol is high through the day and night!  Never giving the adrenals a break.  And when the adrenal glands never get a break, the body never gets to recover.  This becomes detrimental to health after years of this taking place.

Ever left something out in the yard for an extended period of time? It is gets faded, brittle, weak, and unable to serve it’s purpose.

This is what happens to humans…..they become

• tired, can’t go to sleep but then can’t wake up
• unable to recover from exercise
• low blood pressure
• hair loss
• skin discoloration
• sugar cravings
• etc.

This is all to say that it is so important to support HPA axis function as well as optimal cortisol production and rhythm.

What Helps!!!

Ashwagandha

Once of the best supplements to help with this is Ashwagandha. This herb is an adaptogen that has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in stressed individuals.   A study reported in the 2012 Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine reported that participants taking ashwagandha had significantly lower stress scores than those of the control group.

L-Theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid that also has been shown to help balance the HPA axis.  In a study featured in the 2016 journal Nutrients,  L-theanine significantly decreased salivary cortisol response three hours after taking it.  The interesting part is that it didn’t show up in the saliva within the first hour after ingestion, but three hours after, but against the placebo group, the stress response showed up as a decrease within one hour after taking it.  In people that took it that were relaxed, had a alpha waves show up, it seemed to promote an alert state of relaxation.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is a root that has been shown to help with anxiety, decrease cortisol levels, improve exercise performance, and many other symptoms.

Other supplements that help with stress and recovery are ginseng, GABA, licorice, and holy basil (tulsi). A combination is always a good choice when addressing cortisol management.

Yoga Nidra

Know as sleep yoga, it is a great way to bring down cortisol levels as well.  It is a guided meditation that has been shown to relax and quiet the mind.  According to Siddhartha Bhushan one hour of yoga nidra is equal to 2-3 hours of restful sleep. 

Try them out! Let me know what you think.

If you need supplements, order them here. Items with  the golden seal are highest quality and you don’t have to take as many!

Need help? Let’s chat and see what we can do together.

Easily stressed? Excessive Body heat?

You are probably a pitta body type.

According to Ayurvedic medicine, pitta controls the internal fire of the body. This is what governs your digestion, energy production and metabolism.

Pitta Characteristics

• Intense
• Hot
• Lights
• Sharp
• Pungent
• Acidic

Strong internal drive!

Physical characteristics

• medium to thin build
• great digestion and strong appetite
• sleep soundly for short periods
• strong sex drive
• lots of energy
• intellectual
• great ability to concentrate
• warm body temperature, can get hot easily

When balanced, great appetite and digestion, ability to concentrate for long periods of time, good amount of energy and good at making decisions.

When out of balance can become short tempered and argumentative, overheated, ulcers, heartburn, skin rashes and indigestion.

How to balance

• Keep yourself cool internally- don’t eat too hot of foods
• Do not skip meals
• Eat things that are naturally sweet, bitter and astringent- cucumbers, melons, sweet fruits
• Daily massage with cooling oil such as coconut oil
• Spend lots of time in nature
• Laugh daily
• Dairy maybe okay
• Avoid too many sweeteners
• Avoid hot spices
• Use cooling oils when cooking-olive, sunflower and almond
• Eat cooling veggies- asparagus, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, leafy greens, celery
• Avoid heating veggies- hot peppers, spinach, onions, carrots, beets, garlic and radishes

Note: Since Pitta is hot and fire , you want to add things to your life that are opposite of heat, anything cooling, sweet or stabilizing This helps you stay in balance!

If this seems overwhelming, lets work together to get you in balance.

If you would like a free mini session or a six week program, i’ve got you covered!

**These are all recommendations and should not be taken as medical advice.  See your doctor for any medical advice.

Hands and feet always cold? Can’t get your mind to slow down?

You are probably a vata body type.

According to Ayurvedic medicine, vata controls the movement of the body.  The nervous system and the process of elimination.

Vata Characteristics

• dry
• light
• cold
• rough
• quick
• moving
• changing

Energized person, always on the go, moves quickly, and creative!

Physical characteristics

• thin, agile, light frame,
• experience burst of energy and then possibly bouts of fatigue
• dry skin, cold feet and hands
• light sleeper
• sensitive digestion

When balanced, they love new experiences, are energetic, creative and flexible. Will take initiative and loves conversations.

When out of balance can experience weight loss, hypertension, constipation, arthritis, weakness, digestive issues, restlessness anxiety and stressed out.

How to balance

• take time to mediate
• don’t let yourself get cold
• don’t skip meals
• get in bed early
• avoid cold and wind
• perform massage using sesame or almond oil before showering (don’t wash off oil, use soap only on necessary parts )
• don’t push self too hard, especially in exercise
• exercise-walking, yoga, golf, tennis, hiking, tai chi, qi gong
• eat up to 3 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee daily, it pacifies vata
• eat plenty but don’t overstuff yourself
• eat heavier fruits (banana, avocado, mango, peaches, plums, orange, lemon, etc)
• avoid dryer fruits- apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranates
• eat cooked veggies over raw
• nuts are great
• beans can aggravate vata
• chicken, turkey and seafood best for digestion if you eat meat

Note: Since Vata is dry, you want to add things to your life that are opposite of dry! This helps you stay in balance!

If this seems overwhelming, lets work together to get you in balance.

If you would like a free mini session or a six week program, i’ve got you covered!

**These are all recommendations and should not be taken as medical advice.  See your doctor for any medical advice.

Crave that afternoon treat to get you through the day?

Feel like you can’t stop craving sugar no matter what you try?

Headaches, weight gain, mood swings, excessive hunger, acne, inability to sleep well…..

So what does sugar really do in your body?

Since sugar is not in it’s natural state (the sugar cane plant), it is a very condensed version of what is left when you process sugar cane.

When something  condensed is consumed, the result is an concentrated response in the brain as well.

This causes your brain to believe that concentrated foods are very important and that you should keep eating them.  This dopamine hit that you get, is what causes a brief moment of “peace” after eating it.

The problem is, that increased amount of dopamine just creates more desire for the food. The more you eat sugar, the more dopamine in the system.  As this continues to happen, your dopamine receptors become less and less sensitive and you need more and more sugar to get the same fix as you did the first time you had it.

What to do?

Start by becoming aware of your cravings.  Are they at certain times of the day? Are they when you are around certain people or dealing with a certain circumstance?

These can be signals that you are using sugar to buffer and not have to face an underlying emotion.

Recognize that is it may be difficult, but that anytime you practice something it becomes easier.

What thought do you need to have so that you can allow a craving to be there without giving into it.

How to allow a craving and not give into it!

When you feel a craving for sugar, stop in your tracks.  A craving is just an emotion!

An emotion is just a vibration in your body.

Take a deep breath, close your eyes and ask yourself these questions.

• Where am I feeling this craving in my body? (stomach, head, heart, etc)
• What color is it? (sounds crazy, but with your eyes closed you will see a color)
• Is it moving? Fast, slow, etc?
• Is it soft, hard, bumpy, etc?
• What else can you explain about it?

Just allow it to be there, in your body and you not do anything about it.  By doing this, the emotion gets to do its job.

Every time you have gone to eat something when this starts to happen, you are just covering up an underlying emotion.  You never really listen to your body which means you never really deal with the underlying emotion.

Give it a try!

Remember, sugar is like a drug.  Very condensed and it increases your dopamine levels.

Be kind and patient as you allow your craving.  It is just a vibration.  You can handle a vibration!

Need help with this? Let me know!

Sometimes two minds are better than one!

Do any of these ring true to you?

Heavy period, depression, fatigue, weight gain, difficulty losing weight, weight gain around the stomach area, increased PMS, breast tenderness, emotional, etc..

Here is a little primer on ESTROGEN!

Remember, knowledge is power, so keep reading!

Estrogen

Estrogen is responsible for the first half of your menstrual cycle.  When this increases so does your sex drive.  When you are in your younger years (see photo above), this would be the time of the month that you are most likely wanting to have another child.

Yep! You know when this is happening and you most definitely know when it it not!

This is also the hormone that gives you child bearing hips, your breast, and regulates serotonin to calm your moods.

Progesterone

Now PROGESTERONE is just as vital as estrogen.  The crazy thing is, there is usually 100-500 times more progesterone in your body than estrogen.

For Progesterone, I am thankful.  It is the hormone that helps calm your moods. It also helps your thyroid run correctly as well as balances our body temperatures.

These two hormones must be in balance in order for the body to function at it’s best.

Dr. Sara Gottfried in her book The Hormone Reset, talks about these two hormones  She says, “Ideally, you have a rhythm between these two hormones, which should function like well-matched dance partners.”

Well, if the dancing partners aren’t in sync, the dance becomes a mess.  Needless to say, one of them gets a little thrown off, you are going to feel it.

Estrogen dominance (too much estrogen) is one of the culprits for not being able to lose weight.  Good news! If you can decrease your estrogen levels, you can usually lose weight.

What should I do?

One of the best ways to bring your estrogen level down is dramatically increase your amount of vegetable. Dr. Gottfried suggest at least one full pound spread out through the day.  She explains that the fiber helps excrete the excess estrogen from the body so it doesn’t keep circulating.

If this makes you gassy, slowly increase the amount of veggies so your body can adjust to the larger amount of fiber.

Cutting out red meats is another thing that has been shown to bring estrogen levels down.

Assess how much processed food you eat.  Flours and sugars (which we will go into) will most definitely cause hormonal imbalances.

What else should I do?

Exercise! Yep, it is great for balancing hormones.

If you are very unbalanced, high intensity exercise may be too much for your body.  Be sure to listen to your body.

If you are feeling energized by your exercise, then that is a good sign. If it is wearing you down and you are feeling worse, choose something different that is not a hard on the body.  You don’t want exercise to be the cause of your imbalance.

Really listen to your body.  If you take a minute when feeling out of balance, your body will give a little direction as to what the cause is.

Expect to see improvement. It is amazing how the body follows the minds commands.

So, be excited and look forward to seeing changes take place.

**Be sure to see your doctor is your issues  serious.

Your Body is a Verb

Remember in elementary school,  you learn that a noun is a person, a place or a thing?

So growing up, most of us would  consider our bodies a noun. I asked my kids one morning while getting ready for the day,  “What part of speech is your body?”

All of them said, “A Noun!”  I am pretty sure they were wondering if I paid attention in any English class.

The crazy thing is, humans bodies change from day to day in some way or another.  Everything from thoughts to foods to environmental elements affect the daily state of our body.

This means …..Your body is a verb, not a noun!

Deepak Chopra says so himself in his book What are You Hungry For?

This is great news, because it means that your body is not just a fixed object, but an ever changing process.  

If this is the case, then you can change into whomever or whatever you would like to be.  

I love this so much because  this means that if I am not feeling confident or motivated one day, that does not mean I will have to feel that way the next day.  

Good ole’ Webster’s dictionary defines a verb as a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.

Thinking of your Body as a verb, gives you so many opportunities.

So how can you use  this to our advantage?

Pay attention to what you are using your “energy” on.

Look closely at your day.  Are you letting your mind wander on unintentional thoughts?

If so, make a list of the FACTS that are stressing you out.  Be sure that these are only facts in this list, no opinions, 100% neutral.

Only things that you and I would agree are facts (or as I like to call them circumstance).  

Are these facts consuming your energy?  If so…..

The reason is because of the thought you are having about that circumstance.

Nothing can cause you stress, anxiety, anger, etc…. It the thought you are having about that circumstance that is causing you to feel that way.  

See if you can come up with thoughts that won’t drain your energy,  

Thoughts that will better serve you.  

Even just being aware of your thinking is going to change your outcome.  

Knowing that your body is a verb and ever changing, use this to your advantage.

Changing a negative input (thought) to a neutral or positive one, makes a world of difference.

What would you like to change?

Since a verb is never constant, then you get to choose which direction you want your body and life to go.  

What would you like to be different in your marriage?

How would you like to feel about yourself?

What do you have control over? How can you change this?

How would you like to view your husband?

Make a list of things you would like to change. Things you have control over.

Now pick one! Make a list of what your strategy is to make this change.

What are you going to need to think in order to make this change happen?

Look at this everyday! Rewrite it everyday so your brain knows what the plan is.  

Look forward to What happens!

This is the fun part.  As soon as you start to become aware and put yourself in charge of you, amazing things start to happen.  

Your body starts to change.

Relationships improve.

Things start to fall into place quicker and with less resistance.  

What a blessing our bodies are VERBS and not nouns.

Since you get to choose, have fun on this new adventure as it unfolds daily.  

Brain Fog! Forgetting what you were going to do next!

Inability to concentrate! Lack of desire to do anything!

Just flat out feel like you are loosing your mind!!!

According to Dr. Thierry Hertoghe, In the Hormone Solution, deficiencies in cortisol, DHEA, estrogen hormones, melatonin, progesterone, testosterone  and thyroid exhibit the most common brain-related symptoms, including memory loss, poor concentration and confusion.

WOW! What a good thing to know!

You aren’t going crazy.  Your hormones just need to get back in balance.

Look closely at what some of these hormones are responsible for.

Estrogen– promotes networking among brain cells,  increase mood regulating neurotransmitters, increases the density of neurotransmitters, maintains nerve health, reduces inflammation and promotes brain cell growth.

Testosterone– Strengthens the arteries in the brain and may influence our ability to perform different thinking tasks. According to dr. Hertoghe, men and women that have higher levels of testosterone than their peers, have higher spatial skills. Women who excel in math usually have higher levels of testosterone.

Pregnenolone– the memory hormone.  Dr. Hertoghe states that pregnenolone works as a neurotransmitter to clarify thinking, promote concentration, and prevent memory loss. It is concentrated in the brain about 75 times greater than in the blood. It is a precursor to many other hormones, therefore even the slightest deficiency can cause other hormones to be  become out of balance.

Are you aware of what you are doing that is even throwing them off?

Here are some things that may be negatively affecting your hormone levels.

• Processed foods such as flours and sugars
• Bad sleeping habits
• Lack of exercise or physical activity
• Smoking and alcohol consumption
• High levels or continual stress
• Negative thinking
• Environmental toxins

Maybe do a little inventory on your daily life.

Do you need help getting these any of these under control?

Choose one thing at a time.  Write down your steps to get it under control.

Be patient and loving toward yourself as your body starts to find balance.

Once in balance, the body knows how to take care of itself.  It is an amazing process.

Get excited for a clear mind as you allow the fog to dispense!