rebalance – Clean Eating with Katie

I first heard of Dr. Sarah Gottfried from Abel James’ podcast, The Fat-Burning Man. My husband is a HUGE fan (and, well, honestly, he’s pretty easy on the eyes AND he knows nutrition!). Then she was a guest on The Balanced Bites Podcast. After listening to both episodes, I knew I had to check out her book.

The book is focused on women’s health, but many of her dietary and lifestyle recommendations apply to both men and women. I also appreciate how much she loves yoga – she’s a woman after my own heart.

Are you dealing with cortisol problems? Low Progesterone? High Estrogen? Or maybe it’s low estrogen that troubles you? What about your androgen levels? Under active Thyroid? Regardless of your specific hormone challenges, Dr. Gottfried’s book can help you. One of the great things about this book is that it is not necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover. After rea
ding the introduction and taking the quiz, the reader can jump to the chapter that addresses their specific challenges. She includes anecdotal stories from patients that have used The Hormone Cure to address their hormone imbalances naturally.

For each hormonal imbalance issue, Dr. Gottfried details the science about the hormone, what happens when it is high/low, which testing to seek out (if applicable), and a multi-step protocol for improving the hormone levels, which includes, lifestyle changes and nutraceutical supplement recommendations, herbal supplement recommendations, and bioidentical hormones.

If you or a loved one is dealing with hormonal imbalances, you can take back your life and find balance. This book is a great guide to get back to equilibrium.

Want to see what else I’m reading and loving (or not loving)?? Let’s connect on Goodreads!

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I wrote this article for an assignment on autoimmune conditions, specifically Lupus. However, this applies to anyone that is looking to determine what is “off” with their digestion, what food triggers they may have, or trying to solve other “unsolved mysteries” about what may be causing skin problems, headaches, etc. Enjoy!

To address autoimmune conditions like Lupus, the 5-R Protocol would be highly recommended. It is like a “jump-start” into the diet plan that should be continued for optimal immune health. By removing offending foods, the body stops reacting negatively to those foods and can begin to use its nutrient resources to heal itself. Additionally, 80% of the immune system is in the digestive system and a healthy digestive system is key for a healthy immune system.

Remove: Eliminate foods that are processed and devoid of nutrients, poor-quality fats, parasites, heavy metals, and foods that are potential triggers. Potential triggers include gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut), nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers) dairy, soy, and possibly fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. Each person will have to decide what he or she needs to eliminate.
Replace: Once the offending foods have been removed, it is time to replace them with nutrient-rich, whole-foods. This step also includes replacing missing nutrients using supplements, as well as adding in digestive supports like digestive enzymes, bile salts, and hydrochloric acid.
Reinoculate: The digestive system is home to billions of bacteria that we rely on to help digest food, protect us from foreign invaders, and to help make short chain fatty acids that we need. Over the years, our diets have been lacking in healthy bacteria and we take many medications that kill off the necessary bacteria. These healthy bacteria are found in cultured dairy products like yogurt and kefir, and in fermented foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Supplementation with probiotics can begin with 10-20 billion per day and can increase gradually to 50-100 billion (Bauman, 2015).
Repair: Over time, our standard diets have also damaged our digestive system’s ability to properly breakdown foods and absorb nutrients. Using foods like bone broth, grass-fed gelatin, and foods rich in fiber will help to repair and clean out the intestines. Additional supplements that can help to heal include: glutamine, gamma-oryzanol, boswellia, licorice, quercetin, goldenseal, aloe, marshmallow root, essential fatty acids, and cabbage.
Rebalance: Digestion starts in the brain. If your mindset isn’t in the “right” place, proper digestion will not occur. If you are stressed, your body will be in sympathetic mode rather than in parasympathetic mode and your digestion will be compromised. The focus of step 5 is on stress management, quality sleep, adequate exercise, and a positive outlook. This last step is often a continual practice in mindfulness.

References:

Bauman, E. (6/20/15-11/30/15). Personal Communication

Lipski, E. (2013). Digestion Connection. New York, NY: Rodale.

Health & Hugs <3,

Katie

Tag: rebalance

Feb. 2017 – Book of the Month – The Hormone Cure

The 5-R Protocol for Digestive Health