Because if you’ve been suffering from headaches, migraines, wicked PMS, period pain, anxiety, depression, hot flashes, night sweats, or your cycle is unpredictable — a lack of sufficient progesterone is to blame.
There are things you can do to encourage progesterone naturally though. Let’s take a look at why you’d want to do that and how to make it happen.
First things first, let’s be clear here. When I’m talking about progesterone, I’m talking about the natural hormone that your body makes.
A lot of doctors and even researchers mistakenly use the word “progesterone” to describe a synthetic hormone known as progestin. Progestin is what’s in hormonal IUDs and the combination birth control pill.
Progestin and progesterone are totally different.
So just know that when your doctor says he’s going to prescribe “progesterone” he’s probably talking about progestin. And just so you’re aware — progestin is nothing like what your body makes on a biochemical level. It’s also the stuff that you’ve likely heard warnings about, because it comes with some pretty scary side effects.
Progesterone is mainly produced in the body after you ovulate. (1) When you’re still cycling, basically what happens is this: each month, your body chooses one dominant follicle that contains an egg to be the “chosen one.” The egg then bursts out of the follicle onto the ovarian surface and travels into the fallopian tube and then to the uterus.
The cells of the follicle that get left behind form the corpus luteum, a temporary structure that releases progesterone. (2) The idea is that if you get pregnant, you will need progesterone to help support the pregnancy.
But progesterone does so much more than just support the early stages of pregnancy.
It is the calming foil to estrogen’s exciting (ok, crazy) influence.
It also supports your heart and nervous system. Progesterone is absolutely critical for your brain.
It’s not just a “pregnancy hormone” as many people assume.
Here’s where the problem lies…as you age, you ovulate less. That’s the basic point of menopause. Your body stops preparing you to get pregnant every month, so it doesn’t release an egg reliably every single time.
So when you don’t ovulate you don’t produce very much progesterone.
Now, if you have other hormone imbalances, notably endometriosis, thyroid disease, or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) your body may not ovulate regularly, either. Same if you’re suffering from an eating disorder or exercising too hard. Stress can cause your progesterone levels to decrease too. So it’s not necessarily just menopause that causes this decrease in progesterone to happen. It’s important to investigate the cause of anovulation.
For a lot of women, these anovulatory, perimenopause-induced cycles start to happen in their mid-thirties. This results in a sharp and sudden drop in progesterone levels. But unless you’re actively trying to conceive or just a really keen observer of your cycle — you probably won’t know whether you’re ovulating or not. You’ll just start to notice some very uncomfortable things start to happen in your body. You may just write these symptoms off as completely unrelated to your hormones.
Why?
Because progesterone isn’t there, helping to counteract estrogen’s crazy effect on your mood, your cycle, and your PMS symptoms.
Progesterone isn’t there to help you get to sleep.
Progesterone isn’t there to calm your brain down and stop the anxious thoughts.
So we know that progesterone is incredibly important for your body. And we know that when it isn’t hanging around in abundance, it can have serious impacts on your mood and your quality of life.
We also know that ovulation is how you get the majority of your sweet, sweet progesterone.
And we know that as you age you ovulate less and less.
So let’s look at some of the ways you can “cheat the system” and get more progesterone without necessarily having to ovulate.
Here are some of my favorite natural ways to increase progesterone
One of my favorite progesterone boosters is to simply reduce stress. OK, I know that’s not always necessarily “simple” to do. But it’s important.
You see your stress hormone, cortisol, is made in the adrenal glands. One of the things it’s made from is progesterone. So when you’re stressed, and your body is producing cortisol as a result — you’re not going to be producing progesterone. That’s a big deal for any woman who’s already low on progesterone.
Some of my favorite stress reduction techniques are exercise, yoga, and generally learning to say “no” to what just doesn’t serve you. Again, maybe not easy, but important.
Also, when you prioritize your relationships and connection with others, you prioritize oxytocin, a hormone that keeps cortisol in check. So snuggle with your loved ones and pets and laugh and love your life. It will help you in the progesterone department.
Healthy fats are an essential part of any diet, but they are particularly important if you’re looking to increase progesterone naturally.
This is because your adrenal glands are like a backup generator for your hormones. When they aren’t producing cortisol, your adrenals can focus on turning cholesterol into hormones like pregnenolone and then progesterone. This can serve as a nice little backup source of progesterone when your ovaries are no longer ovulating.
Unfortunately, there aren’t really a bunch of foods with progesterone in them. But it’s important to make sure your body has everything it needs to function at its best and create hormones to the best of its ability.
Some important nutrients you want to make sure you’re getting enough of include:
Zinc
Zinc is a crucial part of the ovulation process because it’s necessary for your pituitary gland to signal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) which kind of kicks off the ovulation process. Zinc is found in foods like beef, oysters, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas. You can also supplement with zinc if you aren’t getting enough of it in your diet.
Selenium
Selenium is another mineral that’s required for ovulation. This is why it’s become popular recently to have a couple of Brazil nuts a day — they are sources of selenium and can support hormone balance. Selenium is one of the key ingredients in my Bright & Beautiful formula that helps your hormones and your skin, hair, and eyes simply glow from within.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C actually can increase the effects of progesterone in the body. Vitamin C is overall such a wonderful nutrient for your health and your hormones that I often recommend it to my patients as a way to support your adrenal glands and encourage progesterone production. Vitamin C is found in foods like citrus fruits and broccoli, but I take it as a supplement daily.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of those nutrients that help your hormones on many levels. It has even been studied as a treatment for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). (3) I actually combine B6 with zinc for the ultimate progesterone support in my Amazinc formula.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a superstar for your hormones. It helps manage cramps and can help you relax and sleep better. Plus, it’s a part of your progesterone receptor function. It’s also incredibly important for about 300 other reactions in your body and it’s absolutely essential for your brain. Magnesium is abundant in foods like spinach and almonds. When considering a supplement, be sure to get a formula like my Better Brain and Sleep powder that includes highly bioavailable forms of magnesium that cross the blood-brain barrier and won’t make you run to the bathroom.
Sleep is your hormone’s best friend. Trouble is, when your progesterone is low, that can wreak havoc on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. This is why sleep challenges are one of the most common complaints for women in menopause. Keep in mind, while you’re working on getting your progesterone levels up, you may want to leverage a little help in the sleep department.
At the beginning of this article, I warned you about the dangers of synthetic progesterone, also known as progestin.
But there’s another, healthier option to naturally increase progesterone.
It’s known as bioidentical progesterone. And it’s exactly the same as what your body makes. Down to the last molecule.
For many women later in perimenopause and menopause — this is the most viable option for alleviating those difficult symptoms because your body just needs more progesterone than you can trick it into making.
Bioidentical progesterone typically comes in a cream that you rub on your skin. That’s because your liver breaks down progesterone quite quickly. So if you were to take it in a pill form, you’d have to take a lot to get it into the bloodstream. A topical formula allows you to bypass the liver and start feeling better faster.
Bioidentical progesterone is the secret weapon that many women find helps you to sleep better, ease hot flashes, and keep your mood more even. Bioidentical progesterone also helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and reduce PMS when you’re still cycling. That’s the power of having enough progesterone circulating in your body!
My proprietary formula, Balance, includes pregnenolone and progesterone for full-spectrum hormonal support. It also doubles as a luxury night cream. You can learn more about this powerful formula here.
As always, make sure you consult with your doctor before starting any kind of hormone therapy.
When you start off on a journey to boost progesterone naturally, it can take time.
So don’t worry if you don’t immediately see results from implementing these progesterone-boosting strategies.
Keep tweaking your stress reduction techniques. Keep improving your sleep. Keep eating all of your crucial nutrients. And don’t be afraid to add in some extra support from over-the-counter topical bioidentical progesterone if that’s what your doctor recommends.
In this article, I’m exploring:
I’ll say it again: building muscle is one of the most important things you can do as you age.
So why exactly do you want to add more muscle to your body?
There are a whole host of reasons, including:
I can hear what you’re thinking right now.
“I don’t want to get too bulky!” This is one of the most common concerns women have when it comes to adding resistance training to their workout regimen.
But I can promise you this — unless you try exceedingly hard, you won’t get “too muscle-y.”
The bodybuilders you see that have a lot of muscle and a very low body fat percentage have to follow a very strict training and diet regimen to produce the kind of results you’re afraid to get.
I promise, most women who incorporate strength training into their lives experience only the benefits I’ve outlined above. And they look leaner and fitter and curvier, not bulky.
So now that we’ve discussed why you want to build muscle and allayed your fears about bulking up, let’s talk about how to build muscle in menopause.
It’s important to note here that you absolutely do not have to join a fancy gym to build muscle — unless you want to! You can always do bodyweight exercises anywhere, any time. And if you choose to go the weight training route, a used pair of dumbbells in your garage builds muscle just as effectively as a machine at the gym.
2. The next step is to get adequate protein into your diet. The great news is that plant-based proteins can give you all the protein you need. They are just as effective as meat at providing you with the protein required to build and maintain muscle. (1)
3. Plenty of rest and recovery time. Sleep is crucial for building muscles and having the energy to perform your workouts.
If you can do these three things consistently, you can build muscle in menopause and beyond. For some women, consistency looks like a few weight training exercises per day, and for others, it looks like a 60-90 minute full-blown session four times a week.
Just be sure that if you decide to lift heavy weights you only target one muscle group at a time and then allow those muscles to recover before working them again.
Here’s the challenging thing about building muscle in menopause. Estrogen does play a role in the maintenance of your muscle mass and strength. So when your estrogen levels start to decline, you need to give your body every advantage you possibly can to make building muscle mass easier.
That’s where maca root comes in.
Maca is one of the most powerful natural foods on the planet — especially for women in menopause.
It can help you:
And it could also help you support, build, and protect your muscle mass.
While we don’t have robust human trials showcasing maca’s direct effect on muscle building, when scientists added maca to a muscle cell culture and let it sit for a couple of days, they noticed the muscle diameter increased. As a result of their observations, they concluded that maca may promote muscle growth. (2,3)
What’s more, maca has a strong amino acid profile — with a host of minerals and nutrients to its credit as well. (4) That means it can help you get enough protein to build muscle effectively, and provides you with nutrients that support muscle function and maintenance, too.
If you’ve heard about women taking maca to try to change their body composition or create “curves” — that’s because maca, when paired with resistance training makes your body look amazing!
When you pair its nutritional profile with its ability to boost energy, maca is the ideal companion for women who lift. I pair it with my Keto-Green® Protein shake and a Keto-Green® diet for spectacular results. Thousands of women from all over the world have changed their bodies and extended their health-span with this combination, too.
Check out my Keto-Green® 16 Deluxe Kit for everything you need to get the body of your dreams!
Maca’s real superpower is helping your energy levels explode. And that’s one of the amazing ways it can help you build and maintain muscle, boost performance, and recover from workouts faster.
Studies indicate just a few grams of maca a day could improve energy levels — and mood. (5,6) These are both critical factors for getting in a good workout and building muscle.
In Peru, people eat maca for everything, every day. When I was there, it seemed like maca was offered as a solution for just about any and every ailment you can think of.
Maca is considered to be well-tolerated and most women have the best results when they take it daily. (7)
We’ve been through why you should really focus on building muscle mass. And we’ve talked about how to do it.
We’ve also touched on maca’s role in helping you increase your energy levels and get the best possible results from your workout.
Now, it’s time for you to meet my ultimate weight loss and muscle-building bundle, the Keto-Green® 16 Deluxe Kit.
This kit includes everything you need to change your body composition — and fight menopause symptoms like hot flashes while you’re doing it.
The Keto-Green® 16 Deluxe Kit combines the power of maca, plant protein, and test strips to help you achieve ketosis and alkalinity, two of the most important components of weight loss in menopause.
Check out the Keto-Green® 16 Deluxe Kit here.
That’s right, maca packs a serious punch when it comes to your skin.
Let’s take a quick look at why it’s my glow-to and delicious ways to get more of it into your diet.
Maca is packed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, D, and E. All of which are critical for your skin health and even collagen creation. Maca also provides a nice age-fighting punch with its touted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities.
There’s also some evidence to suggest that maca could help protect your skin from the sun, too. (1,2) And while it certainly cannot replace your sunscreen, a little bit of extra sun protection never hurts anyone, right?
One of my all-time favorite ways to drink maca powder is to put my Mighty Maca® Plus into a smoothie.
Just add one small scoop or two into your blender with your other smoothie ingredients, and you instantly multiply the nutritional and hormone-balancing power of any meal. Drink one of these every day and watch your skin begin to positively radiate.
But I know how challenging it can be to come up with great smoothie recipes that aren’t full of sugar but you also look forward to drinking. So I’ve rounded up my favorite and my community’s favorite smoothie recipes for you so you have them all in one place.
Dr. Anna’s Favorite Super Keto-Green Shake
This smoothie combines everything I love and is infinitely customizable. This comes in handy when I’m running my daughter around for her barrel racing competitions!
Goodness gracious this smoothie is positively packed with green goodness and you are going to love the way it makes you feel like you’re sitting at a spa.
A creation by Kathy Wray in my community, this smoothie lives up to its’ name. It’s smooth, creamy, and tastes like you’re doing something naughty.
If you love a nice sweet smoothie, this amazing combo by Denise Wingate in my community will knock you off your feet.
You know you need to eat spinach, but you can only have so many salads, right? This smoothie is Patrice Harris’ answer to the question, “How do I get more greens in but also look forward to eating them?”
This smoothie feels just like you’re sitting at Canyon Ranch, being pampered and relaxing. It’s also a gorgeous pink color that will just make you happy!
Matcha is such a lovely pick-me-up and adds a nice burst of flavor to this smoothie. With the addition of maca, this is the ultimate anti-inflammatory way to start your day!
Here’s another great morning matcha-fueled energy boost with a twist by Melanie Deverick. Did you know a grande Starbucks matcha latte has over 30 grams of sugar in it? Definitely skip that and try this instead!
Top O’ The Morning To Ya Smoothie
With St. Paddy’s day rapidly approaching, I had to include this dreamy green concoction from community member June Stewart-White. Give it a try and you’ll be happier than a leprechaun with a pot of gold.
This simple and classic recipe is so delicious, and with a nice dose of healthy fats from coconut milk, it’s extra satisfying.
This one gets its’ refreshing “zing” from ginger, which is an amazing superfood in its own right. Combined with Mighty Maca® it makes for the ultimate dream team.
While smoothies are one of my favorite foods and an ideal way to enjoy the skin-supportive benefits of maca root, they are certainly not the only food on my proverbial plate that includes maca.
Here are a few of my all-time favorite recipes with maca powder that you can enjoy any time of day!
This pesto is such a delicious and innovative way to get some maca into your diet. When you use it to top a nice pasture-raised piece of chicken, you have a lovely Keto-Green® meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.
Here’s another unexpected maca powder recipe. Guacamole! Avocados are another fabulous skin-loving food and they are a staple of my diet because they are yummy, full of healthy fats, and give my skin that “glow.” Give this recipe a try and you’ll never eat guac without a scoop of maca powder added to it again.
This is one of my top recipes using maca powder that I eat regularly. It’s incredibly filling and is such a fantastic way to enjoy a completely guilt-free desert. I make this every single week without fail. It’s that good.
I hope you’re able to use these maca recipes and share them with your family and friends. After all, meals shared with the ones you love are a great way to boost your oxytocin levels, which is one of the most powerful things you can do to support your hormone health.
And of course, if you’re looking for the highest-quality, skin-loving, nutrient-dense maca blend, be sure to try my Mighty Maca® Plus!
Want more inspiration and easy, delicious ways to lose weight while keeping your hormones in prime shape before, during, and after menopause?
Download my free recipe jumpstart guide here!
Maybe you even find yourself wondering: is it menopause brain fog or dementia?
This is what menopause brain fog takes from you. It steals your fire and makes you feel afraid.
But it doesn’t have to be like this forever, Girlfriend.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through the best supplements for menopause brain fog and guide you through small things you can do every day to help support your brain health during perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Because forgetfulness, irritability, depression, and lack of focus are not just things you have to live with throughout this transition.
Unfortunately, menopause and brain fog often go hand in hand. Why is that? The short answer is that your sex hormones have much more to do with your brain function than you realize.
Estrogen, in particular, has neuroprotective properties and is involved in various brain functions, including mood regulation, memory, and cognitive tasks. As estrogen levels drop during menopause, many women experience noticeable changes in these areas. (1,2)
And then there’s progesterone. Which is intimately tied to your mood and the Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in your brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm and less worried. (3-6)
Even testosterone, which tends to decrease dramatically during menopause, impacts cognition. (7)
When your hormone levels decrease, it can also affect sleep patterns and stress levels — which both can exacerbate cognitive symptoms like menopausal brain fog.
So let’s take a look at some of the supplements that could help brain fog during menopause and how they support your body and brain.
So, what supplements help menopause brain fog? I typically recommend supplements as part of a holistic menopause treatment plan. And that’s because menopause brain fog supplements work best when they tackle your menopause symptoms from multiple angles.
Here are some of my favorite, hard-working supplements for brain fog with menopause.
Maca root is an herb that has a special relationship with your adrenal glands. Your adrenals have two basic modes: one, they pump out cortisol (and you feel stressed, wired, and tired) or two, they can produce dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) which your body takes and makes into hormones.
Maca helps nourish your adrenals and keeps them more likely to pump out DHEA instead of going into straight cortisol production mode.
This helps you feel less stressed and helps keep your hormones balanced.
But what’s really interesting is that studies indicate maca could help reduce the psychological symptoms of menopause independent of its potential hormone-supportive actions. (8) Animal studies have also shown maca can help improve the learning and memory centers of the brain. (9,10) And a review of the literature in 2014 suggested maca was beneficial for the same. (11)
My pick in this category is my Mighty Maca® Plus — which comes in both a powdered drink mix and capsules. If you’re looking for a powerhouse to help support your body with every facet of menopause, be sure to check it out.
It’s estimated up to 15% of the population is clinically deficient in magnesium. (12) But some evidence suggests half of us (likely more!) have sub-optimal levels. (13)
Magnesium is crucial for hundreds of functions in your body. And your brain especially needs magnesium. Evidence suggests magnesium is neuroprotective and required for nerve transmission and neuromuscular conduction. (14,15)
It’s no wonder higher magnesium intake is associated with lower risk of stroke. (16)
But since most of us aren’t getting enough magnesium through our diet, and it’s so important for brain function and protection, a magnesium supplement is often a good idea.
So, which magnesium is best for your brain and brain fog?
Hands down, magnesium L-threonate, which is the only form of magnesium proven in animal studies to cross the blood-brain barrier. (17)
It’s the superstar in my Better Brain and Sleep formula, which combines several forms of magnesium to support healthy magnesium levels in your brain. Check it out here.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known as essential fats. These are nutrients that your body needs to function properly, but you have to ingest them — your body can’t make them. Omega 3 fatty acids are part of the cellular membrane of all of your tissues, and that’s what makes them so essential. (18)
There are three main essential fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA and DHA in particular are known for their role in brain health. These fats help maintain the integrity of your brain cells. And they facilitate neurotransmitters as well.
The standard American diet is quite low in EPA and DHA. (19)
They’re most abundantly found in foods like cold water fatty fish, algae, and seaweeds. These aren’t foods that we typically load our plates with. And that’s why an Omega-3 supplement can come in handy, especially when you’re battling brain fog in menopause.
Omega-3s are great at supporting your body in a multitude of ways in menopause. Sure, they help bolster your brain, which is about 60% fat. (20) But they also support heart health and insulin metabolism, too. And these are two core parts of your menopausal health that you cannot ignore.
Just be careful when you’re looking at Omega-3 supplements. Because they typically come from fish, you have to select a high-quality source that filters out impurities and uses reputable manufacturing processes.
Check out my favorite Omega-3 supplement here — no fish burps and small capsules!
As I mentioned earlier, your brain’s made up of about 60% fat. The rest is protein, water, carbohydrates, and salts. (21)
Because your brain is made up of a good bit of protein, it relies heavily on amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to function at its best. (22)
That’s because your brain takes amino acids and turns them into neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Those neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, are crucial for regulating your mood, memory, and attention.
One high-quality recent study showed that when middle-aged and older adults consumed a blend of seven amino acids, their attention and cognition improved. (23)
And that’s exactly why I recommend adding a plant-based protein powder to your daily supplement regimen.
I drink a Keto-Green® shake every day because it’s packed with high-quality vegan protein, minerals, and menopause-supportive ingredients. Check it out here.
We can’t talk about your brain health without talking about progesterone. Everyone laments the fact that we lose estrogen as we age. But the loss of progesterone is just as profound, especially for your brain.
Once you hit early perimenopause (typically around age 35-45) your progesterone levels take a sharp decline.
I mentioned this earlier, but progesterone interacts with GABA receptors in your brain. And because GABA is a neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm — when you have less progesterone circulating in your body, you can feel more anxious, worried, and forgetful.
This is one of the key things that supplementation with bio-identical progesterone can really help support. Many women feel an almost instant hit of relief with a bit of progesterone cream applied directly to thinner areas of the skin.
Some doctors prescribe benzodiazepines to women in menopause who feel anxious and brain foggy. This is because benzodiazepines (like Xanax) work by interacting with those GABA receptors in your brain. (24) But be careful, benzodiazepines come with some serious potential side effects, and really aren’t meant to be taken long-term. (25)
I love to use my natural progesterone cream, Balance, as a first line of defense instead.
If you have brain fog, one of the key things to check is your vitamin D levels. Because most of us are not getting enough vitamin D. According to government estimates, a staggering 97% of women get less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) of vitamin D from the food they eat and beverages they drink. This means that even though so many of our processed foods are fortified with vitamin D, it’s not enough. (26)
Sure, you can also get vitamin D from sun exposure. When sunlight touches your skin, a natural compound known as 7-dehydrocholesterol absorbs UV B radiation. This compound then undergoes a conversion into previtamin D3, which in turn converts to vitamin D3. (27)
But this process also poses significant risks.
Why?
Exposure to even brief periods of sunlight can subject you to UV radiation, which harms your skin. UV radiation is recognized as a carcinogen, contributing to the development of skin cancer. (28)
And here’s the truth: most of us just aren’t spending enough time outdoors to initiate the process of converting sun exposure into vitamin D. We go from our house to our car to our office and back again. And during cloudy days in winter, there aren’t really enough UV-B rays to help you produce vitamin D.
But if you turn to a vitamin D supplement to fill in the gaps, be careful. If you consume vitamin D without vitamin K2, it can lead to a build-up of calcium in your blood and lead to high blood pressure!
Check out my Ray of Strength formula which contains the perfect ratio of vitamin D and K here.
Zinc is one of those humble minerals that we don’t give enough credit to.
It’s found in high concentrations in your neurons throughout your brain — from your cortex to amygdala. And it plays a role in the regulation of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that allow communication between neurons. It is involved in the synthesis, storage, and release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate, which is important for learning and memory. (29)
Zinc promotes neurogenesis, which is the growth of brain cells. Zinc activates dozens of enzymes involved in neuronal metabolism. And zinc acts as a regulator of synaptic activity and neuronal plasticity at the cellular level.
Plus, several neurological diseases may be affected by changes in zinc status, including neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and depression. (30) Researchers suspect that zinc deficiency could result in declines in cognition, memory, and learning and an increase in oxidative stress. (31)
And yet, zinc is one of those nutrients that we don’t prioritize. You can get zinc from food, but also it’s found most abundantly in foods like oysters and red meat. Great if you live near the ocean or you don’t have to worry about saturated fats, but that leaves out a lot of people.
Here’s what I take to keep my zinc levels optimal.
At the top of my list of brain fog natural remedies is sleep. Getting adequate sleep (ideally 7-9 hours per night) is one of the most important things you can do for your brain health.
During sleep, your brain performs all sorts of important maintenance tasks, from consolidating your memories to forming new neural connections. And when you don’t get enough, it can exacerbate brain fog and mood disorders.
For great sleep hygiene, be sure to leave your devices out of the bedroom at night, and sleep in a cool, dark space.
If you need a little extra help in the getting-to-and-staying-asleep department, my Nite-Zzz Caps provide gentle relaxing sleep support and help with hot flashes and night sweats.
You’ve probably heard me tout the many benefits of exercise before, but did you know that exercise can help your brain?
Studies indicate even a modest workout regimen of 3-5 weeks of cardio can increase your brain’s brain-derived neutrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein present in the brain, that promotes neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to develop and adapt. Higher BDNF levels correlate with enhanced cognitive function, while lower levels are linked to neurodegenerative disorders and depression. (32)
Other research showed an increase in the volume of the hippocampus after exercise. Which is important, because the hippocampus tends to shrink as you age. (33)
I believe the best exercise routine is the one you’ll actually do. But if you need some ideas, be sure to check out this article.
Your diet is so important to your brain health. As we’ve already discussed, your brain needs lots of healthy fats and protein to function at its best.
If you’re currently experiencing brain fog episodes and your diet includes lots of processed carbohydrates, or you’re insulin resistant — then I’d encourage you to check out my signature Keto-Green diet. It emphasizes healthy fats and an abundance of green veggies for a brain health boost.
Insulin resistance can interfere with glucose metabolism in your brain which is why it makes you feel foggy. Plus, the inflammation caused by insulin resistance can impair cognitive dysfunction and may even promote the accumulation of proteins in the brain which are associated with neurodegenerative disease.
Did you know that stress also affects your brain health?
Yes, chronic stress can have profound effects on brain function. In fact, it can lead to inflammation and even possibly damage your hippocampus.
I know you can’t just stop stress in your life. But implementing some stress management techniques can be key to getting your brain fog under control. Things like mindfulness practices and physical activity can help mitigate the cognitive effects of stress and promote mental clarity.
One thing your brain loves is a good challenge.
Don’t forget to do something every day that keeps your brain active and always solving problems.
Whether you love a good crossword puzzle, wordle, or sudoku, there are plenty of brain-training games you can play to help keep brain fog at bay.
While brain fog, forgetfulness, irritability, and lack of focus may be a part of your life now, for most women, we see all of this subside eventually.
And I hope this guide helped you find some solutions that can support you throughout your menopause transition.
While direct evidence linking maca to weight loss is still emerging, there are a few ways maca root could help with weight loss.
In this article, we’ll explore:
Allow me to shed some light on how maca could be a game-changer in your weight loss journey.
Just so we’re clear…if you currently exist on a strict diet of donuts and soda and you start taking maca to lose weight and change nothing else about your lifestyle…it might not help you much in the weight loss department.
After all, a holistic weight loss approach is usually the best.
However, when it’s part of a weight loss plan that includes a healthier diet and some exercise, maca is a standout.
I’ve personally used maca root for weight loss — dropping over 70+ pounds and keeping it off, even throughout my second round of menopause.
And I’ve personally seen thousands of my patients use maca with great results over the years.
Let’s discuss how maca can help with weight loss and how it works.
At the top of the list of potential maca benefits for weight loss is blood sugar support.
Again, do we have tons of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies showing a direct link in humans between maca and weight loss? No, no we don’t. But some studies do show promise.
A few studies have shown maca could improve glucose metabolism in animal models, even those with diabetes. These studies also point to the antioxidant activity of maca as well — suggesting that maca could not only help in glucose regulation but also potentially provide cellular protection against oxidative stress. (1-4)
When your body’s normal blood sugar response becomes impaired (like we see in insulin resistance and diabetes), your cells cannot effectively remove glucose from your bloodstream.
So instead, your body stores that extra glucose in your tissues as fat. This leads to weight gain.
By supporting glucose metabolism, maca helps get glucose into the cells where it belongs — which in turn could reduce the amount of fat your body stores.
Another way maca could work to help you lose weight is because it can help you feel more energetic. (5-8) And it can even improve exercise performance. (9)
I just mentioned how when your blood sugar becomes dysregulated your cells can’t use glucose effectively. Well, this leads to feelings of fatigue as well as extra fat storage. Think about it — of course you’re going to feel tired if your food can’t power up your cells and give you energy!
Add blood sugar dysregulation into the menopause equation, and you’ve got a recipe for low energy. Plus, when you’re sitting at a desk all day at work, then sitting in the car on the way home…it leaves you with little desire to get moving.
Maca comes in handy here for several reasons. For one, it’s so nutritionally dense. It’s packed with nutrients and vitamins your body needs for fuel. It’s also potentially an anti-oxidant and a gut-health helper. When you add all of that together with the other benefits I’m discussing below, maca can be the extra helping hand you need to boost your energy so you can get your workout in.
Just imagine — instead of feeling run down and ready for a nap at 3 PM, you could have the energy to take a brisk walk. What could that do for your weight loss efforts?
It’s no secret maca can help balance your sex hormones in menopause.
But maca has also been found to support the regulation of other hormones, too, including Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. ACTH is a hormone that tells your adrenals to release cortisol.
Now, cortisol is fantastic if you’re in a real emergency situation. It’s the stress hormone that can keep you out of danger. But when too much is circulating in your body and there’s nothing to actually panic about, it becomes a fat-storage hormone that slaps weight right on your belly. (10,11)
Since maca appears to reduce both ACTH and cortisol, it’s a fabulous partner for weight loss, especially in menopausal women.
In fact, one double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study found that when postmenopausal women took maca for four months, their BMI and blood pressure were significantly reduced, as well as their menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Plus, the women in the study saw increases in their bone density markers too. (12)
There’s also some evidence to suggest maca could help regulate leptin, the hormone that helps you feel full. One recent animal study showed that leptin levels were increased in the subjects that were given maca. (13) This is another possible way maca could help you lose weight.
So, how do you get more maca into your life? How do you harness it’s weight loss powers for yourself?
I personally use maca powder in my morning maca smoothie for weight loss.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes:
INGREDIENTS
2 handfuls spinach
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend together. Yummy!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this adventure, exploring what maca's got to offer when you want to shed a few pounds, especially in menopause. I know I’ve personally used it and loved it for years.
My favorite, of course, is my Peruvian-grown, organic maca powder in my Mighty Maca® Plus drink mix and capsules. I credit this blend with rescuing me from the depths of hormone hell, and it’s helped thousands of women all over the world improve their menopause journey and keep their weight in check, too.
Of course, maca’s most effective when it's part of your holistic health plan, along with good eats and regular exercise. And, of course, always chat with your doctor before you start any new supplement.
If this is your struggle, take heart. There are so many things you can do to get that bloating, gas, and discomfort under control. So you can slip on your pants and have extra room in the waist.
Sound too good to be true? I promise it isn’t. I’ve helped thousands of women over the years put an end to their “menopause belly” and get their confidence and health back.
Let’s chat about why your stomach blows up like a balloon (especially during perimenopause and menopause) and what helps menopause bloating…with some real-life strategies you can start using today to stop that menopause bloating and weight gain, Girlfriend.
Sometimes, you may notice your stomach is distended and sticking out, but it’s not painful or hurting in any way. At other times, you may experience:
All of these feelings can mimic other digestive disorders. In fact, by some estimates, 38% of postmenopausal women experience irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) type symptoms. (2)
A lot of women start to see an increase in bloat during perimenopause, the years before you actually lose your period and you’re officially in menopause (which is the one-year anniversary of your period disappearing).
Perimenopause symptoms, including bloating, can start to show up for some women in their 30s.
Perimenopause is characterized by a sharp drop in the hormone progesterone. Estrogen also drops, but it can be erratic in its overall dropping pattern. This means that sometimes, you’ll have estrogen dominance, even though your estrogen levels are decreasing. Estrogen can cause your body to retain fluids, while progesterone can act as a diuretic, moving fluids out. (1)
So when progesterone is low and estrogen is a bit higher — this is one of the ways menopause leads to a bloated belly.
Getting older can also slow down your digestive system. And that can definitely contribute to the menopause and bloating and gas connection as well.
Your gut health also plays an outsized role in how flat your stomach lies. Your gut health also is crucial for just about every bodily function too — so it’s one of the key things to optimize in menopause.
Let’s take a closer look at why.
Estrogen has a special relationship with many of the tissues and systems in your body, from your brain to your vagina. And your digestive system is no different.
In fact, researchers believe that menopause and the corresponding drop in estrogen it brings alters the gut microbiome, and not in a good way. (3-6)
We know that the gut microbiome influences so much of your health. And it could be these menopausal changes to your gut health that contribute to the many negative health outcomes we see in menopausal women, like heart disease and diabetes.
But just because your estrogen is playing hide and seek with your body and causing your gut health to decline — that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to poor gut health in menopause. There are so many ways to keep your gut microbiome diversified and strong through menopause and beyond.
Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Just because your hormones are going haywire, it doesn’t mean you have to feel like a large beach ball in your midsection all the time.
What helps menopause bloating? Here are some simple strategies you can use to get your gut health optimized and cut down on menopause bloating.
At the top of the list of things you can do to cut down on bloating in menopause are dietary changes. Sugar is the ultimate culprit here. You’ll find that if you cut back on processed foods and sugar your stomach can flatten right out.
It’s important to also include plenty of fresh, whole foods, especially fiber-rich vegetables in your diet during this time. Fiber helps everything move through your digestive tract so much easier and this alone can help bloat subside.
It’s important to note here that fermented foods, like sauerkraut and kimchi, can also help improve your gut health and digestion.
I’m an advocate of eating a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet that focuses on an abundance of green vegetables to aid in supporting your gut health. I call this way of eating Keto-Green® and it’s helped thousands of women to lose weight, get a flatter stomach, and improve all sorts of biomarkers. Click here to learn more about this eating style.
Spoiler alert: simply taking a probiotic supplement without also changing your diet likely isn’t enough to meaningfully impact your gut health. Your gut is a complex colony of trillions of bacteria, and these bacteria need true diversity in the types of plant foods you eat, including prebiotic fibers (like those found in oats, spirulina, and maca powder) in order to thrive.
Vegetables, and lots of different kinds, can help contribute to your gut microbiome’s diversity. Microbiome diversity is associated with positive health outcomes of all kinds. (7)
It may seem counterintuitive, but when you drink more water, you will retain less water. So drink up, until your urine is almost clear.
Drinking more water can also help you boost your metabolism and lose weight. Some research suggests a relatively modest amount of water intake can increase your metabolic rate by 30%. (8)
Regular exercise can likely help you to improve your gut microbiome and reduce bloating. One study showed that moderate-intensity exercise for 8 weeks improved gut microbiota. (9)
Even light activities like walking can be beneficial for relieving bloat too. (10)
Exercise has been shown to help relieve gas, a hallmark symptom of bloating, as well. (11)
There’s no doubt stress can impact digestive health. If you’ve ever had to run to the bathroom because you were nervous about something, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Incorporating mindfulness practices or meditation into your daily routine can significantly reduce stress levels. These techniques help in focusing on the present moment and aid in calming the mind.
And don’t forget to make time for people and hobbies you love. Setting time aside for self-care and connecting with your loved ones increases the hormone oxytocin in your body, which is a calming and powerful force.
Carbonated drinks like soda can contribute to the menopause bloating problem. If you’re experiencing a bloated belly and you drink carbonated beverages regularly, try cutting them out and see how it affects your bloating and gut health.
It’s also important to note that artificial sweeteners, like those found in many diet sodas, can also wreak havoc on your gut health. (12) So that’s another reason to keep your consumption to a minimum.
Sometimes, the simplest remedies are also the best. Herbal teas, like peppermint and ginger, have a reputation for calming digestion and helping with bloating. (13,14) And there’s nothing more soothing than a nice cup of tea.
Another of my favorite gut health and bloating helpers is my Mighty Maca® Plus drink mix. Just one tiny scoop contains dozens of different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and fiber to make getting your gut microbiome in tip-top shape simple. Check it out here and see why women rave about how it makes them feel.
While bloating and digestive discomfort might be part of your menopause story now, they don’t always have to be.
I hope you’ve gotten several ideas here to help you start optimizing your gut health and tackling your bloating in the process. You deserve to feel sexy and confident throughout your menopause journey, Girlfriend.
In this article, I’m exploring my favorite adaptogen and talking about how maca can help you in menopause.
Let’s take a look at maca root, the powerful nutrients it contains, and the science behind this amazing plant.
Maca root’s scientific name is Lepidium meyenii, and it’s sometimes referred to as Peruvian ginseng. (1)
I first discovered this plant in Peru, as it is native to the high Andes. Maca is a vegetable, kind of like broccoli or cauliflower. But its root is what’s prized for consumption and medicinal purposes. In Peru, maca is eaten in copious quantities, by men, women, and children.
In South America, maca root has been cultivated for thousands of years. Maca root has played a significant role in indigenous Andean culture. The Incas used maca in rituals and even as a form of currency. They believed maca could enhance energy, stamina, and fertility — and it’s still treasured and revered as a remedy for just about every possible ailment there.
Maca is generally regarded as a treatment for both male and female sexual virility. You’ll find that pretty much any couple with difficulty conceiving in Peru consumes maca constantly until they’re pregnant.
When I was visiting there, any sort of discomfort was met with “Have you taken some maca?” It really is that popular.
These days, maca has begun to make its way out of Peru and into the global mainstream, and with good reason. Let’s explore some of the benefits of maca, especially for women, menopause, and hormone balance.
Maca root’s health benefits start with its powerful nutritional profile. It’s got plenty of protein and fiber. And it's packed with essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, copper, calcium, and iron. Additionally, maca contains various bioactive plant compounds, including glucosinolates and polyphenols. (2,3)
There are several other potential benefits of this root. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
At the top of the list of maca root benefits for women is maca’s powerful menopause support. (4) I’ve personally been using maca as a hormone-balancing superfood for myself and my patients for many, many years.
Here’s why I love it so much.
Maca has this incredible ability to balance out your hormones and support your body without raising your estrogen levels. (5) And it’s also energizing, but not a stimulant.
It’s believed maca works in several different ways in the body to help with your hormones. It’s thought to support both the pituitary and adrenal glands, key centers of hormone production in your body.
Maca has a fantastic reputation for supporting you through several common menopausal complaints, including:
One of the most common things I hear from women is that maca gives them energy. And there’s some scientific evidence to support this. Animal studies show maca can help mice get some pep in their step. (6,7)
And a recent study showed people who took 3 grams of maca per day showed improved energy and mood when compared with a placebo. (8)
Because maca is often used to support menopausal symptoms, many people assume that it works as a phytoestrogen (plant-based source of estrogen). However, research indicates that is likely not the case. (9)
Still, many women with estrogen-dependent diseases like breast cancer or fibroids should always consult with their physician before starting any sort of prescription, supplement, or over-the-counter medication containing maca.
Another way maca is often used in women’s health is to support ovulation. If you’re no longer cycling this doesn’t apply to you (obviously).
But if you are in perimenopause and still cycling regularly or sporadically — this is important. You see, your body only produces significant amounts of progesterone after you ovulate. Once you hit perimenopause (sometimes as early as age 35) your progesterone starts to sharply decline. The loss of progesterone during this time is one of the key reasons you feel mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, and all those uncomfortable menopause symptoms. It’s not *just* about the loss of estrogen.
So, if you can support ovulation, you are increasing your progesterone levels naturally. And that’s one of the best things you can do for your menopause experience.
In one study, participants took a supplement blend containing maca, and researchers believed it helped increase ovulation. (10)
In general, blood pressure rises after menopause. Interestingly, there is some evidence to suggest that maca root could help lower blood pressure. In one study, researchers noted that postmenopausal women experienced a drop in their diastolic blood pressure. (11)
My preferred form of maca root supplement is raw, organically grown Peruvian powdered maca. Beware of gelatinized maca, which is heated and processed. This process removes the fiber (a hormonal and digestive helper) and it also takes key enzymes and glucosinolates out of the maca.
I rely on two different forms of maca for my patients and myself:
My Mighty Maca® Plus drink mix is made with only the highest quality, raw, ground, Peruvian-grown maca. It’s also gluten-free, manufactured according to the strictest standards, and contains not just maca but dozens of other superfoods as well. It’s an energizing, gut-supportive, menopause miracle worker!
If you don’t like the taste of maca, or you’d just prefer maca root pills, I also take that same, high-grade organic Peruvian maca and put it into a capsule for you as well.
So, how long does maca root take to kick in? As with any dietary supplement, the answer is “it depends!”
Many of my patients see an immediate influx of energy and vigor with just one serving of my Mighty Maca® Plus. But most see a marked improvement after regularly taking it daily for 2-3 weeks.
There’s no recommended or standardized maca root dosage. However, many of my patients see fantastic results with daily use of my Mighty Maca® Plus.
Remember, in Peru, all people, young and old, eat maca every single day, multiple times a day.
But when it comes to answering the question, “How much maca root should I take per day?” I always say try it out and see how it makes you feel.
For my Mighty Maca® drink mix, I recommend starting with one scoop (or even 1/2 scoop if your body is not accustomed to high-quality adrenal support and greens…As your body detoxes, you can then work your way up to 2 or even 3 scoops daily.
For my Mighty Maca® capsules, I recommend 6 capsules a day as an optimal dose. But if you are new to Mighty Maca® Menopause Capsules, just start out with 3 and increase from there.
It’s important to note that while maca is generally well tolerated, some people do experience side effects, especially if they take large quantities. If you find yourself with digestive upset when you first start taking maca, try starting small and work your way up. Sometimes, additional digestive enzymes and a high-quality probiotic can help in this department, too.
If you’re on thyroid medication, be sure to consult with your physician before taking maca. While maca could support low thyroid function, it also can be too stimulating for overactive thyroids, and it could interfere with your medications.
It’s rare, but some people are allergic to cruciferous veggies. (12) If you have an allergy to broccoli or kale, it’s probably best to avoid maca root just in case.
We don’t have enough research on the safety of maca root for pregnant and nursing women. So if you are pregnant or nursing, it’s best to avoid taking maca for now.
And of course, always check in with your medical provider before you begin taking any supplement.
One of my favorite things about maca is that it’s so versatile. It also has a pleasant, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor that lends itself well to so many different kinds of recipes.
From breakfast to dinner, here are examples of some of my top maca root recipes.
Seriously, you can get so creative with Mighty Maca® Plus powder, but it is fantastic just mixed with a little hot or cold water, too. I add it to my smoothies almost every day.
If you’re interested in taking maca for all of its hormone-balancing, menopausal benefits — you should definitely make sure your maca is:
There are a lot of poor-quality maca root powders out there. As this wonder-herb gains popularity worldwide, many companies are racing to the market and cutting corners.
My Mighty Maca® Plus blend is of the highest quality — and is always organic, non-GMO, and Peruvian-grown. We also rigorously test the product for multiple toxins and heavy metals as part of our GMP process.
Click here to check our 1600+ 5-star maca root reviews!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into maca root, what it does, the powerful nutrients it contains, and the science behind this amazing plant.
It’s a tremendous tool for menopausal women, as I’ve seen over the years, working with tens of thousands of women as a triple-board certified OB/GYN.
If you’re considering adding a maca root supplement into your routine, I’d love for you to try my Mighty Maca® Plus formula in either powdered drink mix or capsule form.
Yes, it is my product that I developed and created…but I can say without a doubt Mighty Maca® Plus is the best brand of maca root supplements on the planet and I’m so proud of how it’s helped thousands of women the world over reclaim their menopause experience!
So if your libido has packed up and moved, leaving no note — please know you are not alone. Menopause and no libido unfortunately often go hand in hand.
For one thing, menopause affects your hormone levels, notably estrogen and testosterone. And when these hormones decrease, it can lead to dry and thinning vaginal tissues (which makes sex painful). Then there’s the fact that the incidence of depression increases during menopause. That also doesn’t help your libido.
But there are so many things you can do to reclaim your libido during menopause. Let’s get your love life back on track, Girlfriend.
It’s estimated up to 40% of women going through perimenopause and menopause experience a decrease in libido. (1,2,3)
In many ways, this phenomenon is tied to dropping levels of both estrogen and testosterone. (4,5) Yes, the hormone that we traditionally classify as a “male” hormone is important for a woman’s sex drive, too — and testosterone starts to decrease significantly in your 30s and 40s.
Here’s how the decrease in estrogen and testosterone creates low libido in menopause.
For one thing, your vaginal and vulvar tissue rely heavily on estrogen to keep them plump and moisturized.
So when your estrogen levels drop off, it has an outsized effect on your tissues down there.
Your vagina and vulva feel thin and dry. And that is definitely not a recipe for desire.
What’s more, a lack of sufficient estrogen also affects your urethra in a similar way. This leads to an increase in urinary tract infections. Which makes things painful down there. And it also tends to make you feel self-conscious about leaking urine and odors, too.
No one wants to have sex when you’re in pain. So that means for many women, menopause and no libido go hand in hand.
I’ll go into this in more detail later on, but if your vaginal tissues are feeling dry and thin, and it’s affecting your love life, be sure to check out my Julva® Revitalizing Cream here.
Another common symptom of menopause is depression. And a common symptom of depression is low libido. When you’re depressed, it’s often hard to find joy in things you typically love doing. For some women, this means your sexuality and your sex drive are negatively impacted.
On top of that, depression medication has a reputation for destroying your libido. In fact, statistics suggest low libido is the number one complaint of women taking depression medications. (6)
So, if menopause is affecting your mental health, and you’re receiving medical treatment for it…that can play a huge role in your loss of libido.
Remember earlier when I mentioned testosterone levels tanking in menopause? Well, a decrease in testosterone can contribute to a general lack of sex drive that has nothing to do with pain, infections, or depression.
Because testosterone plays a role in how you feel and think about sex, when it’s less plentiful, that can cause a decrease in libido during menopause.
A lot of women tend to rush into testosterone replacement therapy here. While that might be the right option for you, just be sure to do your research and consider the fact that testosterone is often administered via time-release pellets that are inserted into the fat under your skin. These pellets have to be replaced regularly — which means you have to get cut open every 90 days and have a new pellet inserted.
Plus, many women who undergo testosterone replacement therapy report mood swings, acne, and hair growth on their chin, chest, and abdomen. These are common side effects from increased androgens circulating in your body.
Now that we understand some of the reasons why menopause can affect your sex drive, let’s figure out what to do about it. Because menopause certainly doesn’t have to be the end of your sexuality and active sex life.
I know a lot of people who suddenly become baffled when their wives enter menopause and their libido tanks. Partners feel rejected, frustrated, and disappointed when it seems as if all of a sudden their wife is no longer interested in having relations with them.
Now, not every sexless marriage is related to menopause. There are many factors that go into long-term relationships and hormonal changes during menopause are just one of them. In fact, men experience changes to their libidos as they age too, due to a process called andropause — so sometimes women are on the receiving end of disinterest in sex.
But if you find yourself frustrated and disappointed with a decline in the quality of your sex life during menopause, there are things you can do to rekindle that flame. And possibly turn your sexless marriage back into a sexually fulfilling one.
Let’s take a look at how to increase libido during menopause.
Menopause libido help is here! These are the top 5 things I often recommend to help my patients recover their sex drive.
So without further ado, here are my menopause libido natural remedies.
Your adrenal glands are tiny glands that sit atop your kidneys. And they are the cornerstone of your hormonal health.
Keeping your adrenals happy should be your number one priority during perimenopause and menopause. If you can do this, they will produce adequate amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) — which your body can use to make testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. Basically, when your ovaries are no longer churning out hormones, your adrenals can swoop in and save the day. So that means proper adrenal support can help you get your sex drive back.
The problem is, your adrenals can be kind of delicate. They get compromised easily when you:
My favorite tool for ensuring your adrenals have the support they need is an adaptogen called maca. It’s a natural root that’s been used for centuries in South America to support sexual function and libido. And it’s incredible for helping your adrenals stay strong in the face of stress…which helps them focus on pumping out DHEA rather than cortisol. Which in turn helps reignite your libido and keeps hot flashes from ruining your day.
My Mighty Maca® Plus formula combines maca with dozens of other adrenal nourishing superfoods so you never have to guess if you’re giving your adrenals everything they need to be happy and make your menopause journey less hectic and more sexually fulfilling. Click here to learn more.
Like we talked about earlier, thinning and dry vaginal tissues are one of the main reasons women experience a ‘menopause reduced libido.’
It may come as no surprise that your adrenals and DHEA production can also help here — because if you remember, it’s a lack of estrogen that makes your vagina and vulva dry out. So if you can keep your adrenals focused on prioritizing DHEA production over cortisol production…that means your body can make some extra estrogen and help your tissues down there feel like they used to.
If you need a little help in the vaginal dryness department, my Julva® Revitalizing Cream contains DHEA and is applied directly to your vulvar and vaginal tissues. Since your lady parts are very vascular, they can absorb the DHEA and let it work its magic. Thousands of women have used Julva® to reclaim their sex lives and experience pleasure in the bedroom again. Check it out here.
Bottom line: what you eat during menopause matters. When your diet is laden with sugars and refined carbohydrates, you’re likely increasing inflammation in your body. And compromising your insulin response and blood pressure, too.
All of these things play a role in your sexual health and your sexuality during menopause. When you’re having problems with circulation and blood flow — the first place your body will de-prioritize is your vagina. That means added difficulty with lubrication and climaxing.
Inflammation can also hit your adrenals quite hard, and if you revisit the first item on this list, you’ll understand how your adrenal health makes a massive impact on your menopause experience.
While diet isn’t the only thing that drives inflammation, changing your diet is something that’s completely within your control. And it can be the key to unlocking a stronger sex drive in menopause.
For best results, be sure to add plenty of nutrient-rich vegetables to your diet — especially leafy greens and cruciferous veggies. And don’t forget the healthy fats. Your body needs those to make hormones!
When you’re juggling your career, teenagers, aging parents, relationships, and menopause — it feels like a lot. And that often means your mental health and self-care get relegated to the back seat.
When you’re so busy and you have so much on your plate, it may seem counterintuitive to think about adding another priority to your to-do list.
But just like in an airplane emergency, where you’re encouraged to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others…when you fill your own cup and take care of your needs in the form of self-care, exercise, meditating, journaling, or meeting with a therapist — that allows you to be the mom and partner you want to be.
In other words, it’s not selfish to put your health and well-being first on your list.
Taboos around menopause and women’s sexuality keep us from clearly relaying what we’re going through. That leaves your partner in the dark, wondering if it’s something they did, or if you’re having an affair when your libido crashes and menopause symptoms affect your sexuality.
I’d encourage you to use this as an opportunity to explain to your partner how your hormones are driving your behavior and your libido loss. The more conversations we have about these issues — the faster we can move forward, together.
On a final note, menopause and libido loss do not have to necessarily stick around forever, ruining your sex life and your relationship. Many women remain sexually active during menopause and beyond.
So if you’re wondering why you suddenly have no libido, be sure to try the suggestions I outlined here — and don’t forget to support your adrenals, Girlfriend.
Let’s talk about why we feel so uncomfortable discussing menopause mood swings, what causes them, and how to cope with them so you can get back to feeling like yourself again, pronto.
I’ll go into more detail below, but my top recommendations for kicking those mood swings in menopause out of your life include exercise, stabilizing your blood sugar, and prioritizing your self-care.
Does menopause make you moody? Ask any woman age 40-60 and, if they’re honest, they’ll probably give you a resounding “yes!”
So many patients have come to me complaining that menopause moodiness, anxiety, and anger are some of their most intense symptoms.
Others complain that they want to get a divorce, quit their job, or just run away for a couple of weeks a month. The other half of the time, they feel fine — cheerful, even. It’s like riding a rollercoaster you’re trapped on, month after month after month.
If this resonates with you, I’ve got some fantastic news. Menopause doesn’t have to feel this way. Keep reading for my recommendations for natural menopause mood support.
While we’ve come a long way as far as accepting mental health and mood swings as real symptoms of menopause that are worthy of attention and treatment — we still have a long way to go.
For one thing, women our age were taught to suffer in silence and not complain. We grew up hearing that a lot of mood changes and mental health struggles were not real. It was often assumed that women who complained about mental health conditions were just selfish or dramatic.
In many ways, women who advocate for their own health have traditionally been branded as difficult. Since ancient times, women have been battling the stigma that hormone imbalances make them “crazy.”
In fact, the term ‘hysterical’ stems from the ancient Greek word for womb. (1)
Even more modern research in the 90s attempted to cast doubt on whether women actually experience mood changes in menopause. (2)
More recent papers do acknowledge menopause and mood are interrelated. (3,4) But in many ways, women’s health concerns are still routinely dismissed.
It’s no wonder sometimes we feel uncomfortable speaking out about menopause symptoms, moods swings, and health in general.
Just remember you don’t need a study or research to justify your personal experience. And if your doctor dismisses you or suggests you “just need to have a glass of wine and relax” to treat your menopause symptoms — you need to find a new doctor.
Every woman is different. And how you experience mood swings may be vastly different from the way your sister, mother, or neighbor experiences mood swings in menopause. So it’s important to remember that everyone’s feelings are valid — even if they differ from yours.
Here’s what I’ve often heard from patients over the years:
Maybe some of these scenarios resonate with you? If so, you might be suffering from menopausal mood swings.
At the heart of these menopause mood changes lies changes to your sex hormone levels. For your whole life, up until this point, you’ve had a bountiful supply of progesterone and estrogen circulating throughout your body and your brain.
These hormones have a direct impact on your entire body and they’re integrated into so many bodily functions. Estrogen is thought to be neuroprotective. And estrogen and serotonin (the neurotransmitter associated with happiness) are particularly intertwined. (5)
Progesterone is also crucial for mood regulation. When your body metabolizes progesterone and pregnenolone, you get the neurosteroid allopregnanolone — which in turn stimulates gabba aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain. Basically, GABA receptor stimulation is what makes you feel calm, cool, and relaxed. (6)
So when these special, brain-loving hormones disappear…you’re left without crucial tools you’ve unknowingly relied on for decades to help regulate your mood.
Cue the perimenopause and menopause mood swings, emotional outbursts, and intense feelings of worry.
It’s important to mention that some women experience more than just “mood changes” in menopause.
For the reasons I outlined above — when your hormone levels dip, it can trigger full-on depression and anxiety, even if you’ve never been prone to bouts of either in the past. (7)
How does depression or anxiety differ from a mood swing? Well, people with depression and anxiety can also have mood swings. For many people, depression and anxiety disorders don’t always produce a constant, steady low mood. Women with mental health issues may feel worse during some parts of the day and better during others — a similar feeling to a mood swing.
This is why it’s important to advocate for yourself and work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that’s right for you. Mental health in menopause is something that needs to be taken seriously.
If you’ve reached this article because you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts, call SAMSHA’s hotline at 800-662-4357. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental health crises and/or substance use disorders. You can also visit their website here.
There are many things you can do to support your body and your mood in menopause.
What helps mood swings during menopause?
Loving yourself enough to stand up for what you need. And not being afraid to put yourself first.
That’s the first step.
After that, here are the top 4 things I recommend for keeping your mood more even and reclaiming your life from menopausal mayhem.
Did you know exercise is one of the most powerful things you can do for your body and mind?
Studies indicate approximately 50% of people’s depression symptoms respond favorably to exercise. (8)
Of course, that also means 50% of people’s depression symptoms may not respond favorably to exercise, so that’s not to say exercise is a magical solution for all who suffer from mood disorders. But, exercise is one of the most important tools you have at your disposal for improving your life and your health.
Looking for an easy way to start an exercise routine? Be sure to check out this blog post.
Of course — always check in with your doctor before starting any sort of exercise regimen!
Another thing that can potentially affect your mood is your blood sugar. In fact, people with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to also have depression. (9) And research suggests that the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate, the more prone your mood is to fluctuate as well. (10,11)
What can help support your blood sugar? Again, exercise is a great idea here. And so is incorporating tons of vegetables into your diet and cutting out processed carbs.
Make sure you’re also getting in plenty of healthy fats. Your body needs healthy fats and cholesterol to make hormones, especially pregnenolone and progesterone by way of the adrenal glands. Giving your body what it needs to make more hormones is a key way to help manage menopause symptoms.
I call this way of eating Keto-Green® and I’ve used this method for years to help thousands of women across the globe reclaim their lives from the crushing weight of menopause symptoms.
Your adrenal glands are some of the most important things you should nourish from the moment you turn 35.
Why?
Your adrenals can serve as a kind of back-up generator for your sex hormones when your ovaries are no longer as strong and powerful as they once were.
How do you keep them happy?
Seriously, giving your adrenals the attention they need is one of the most effective ways to keep menopause from ruining your mood and destroying your relationships.
I know it can be difficult to put aside a lifetime of attending to everyone else’s needs and put yourself and your self-care first.
But this is such an important step that I don’t want you to miss.
And it’s not just about the tangible action of giving yourself attention.
You see, when you experience joy and do things that make you feel good, your body responds by producing feel-good chemicals like oxytocin. Oxytocin helps to counteract the effect of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body and it makes you feel good. So there’s a bonafide, scientific reason for focusing on self-care and things that bring you joy.
Girlfriend, while menopause can make you emotional and cause your mood to fluctuate worse than the stock market, you do not have to just hop on the rollercoaster and go for a ride for the next few years.
I hope this article has given you a few tools to help manage your mood swings in menopause!
Menopause fatigue is one of those symptoms of menopause that doesn’t get as much attention as some of the other, louder symptoms, like hot flashes. But menopause can and does make you feel tired.
Tiredness from menopause isn’t something you just have to live with though. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to polish up your sleep hygiene, diet, and adrenal health so you can finally get your energy back.
Can menopause cause extreme fatigue? Definitely. In fact, one study showed nearly half of perimenopausal and a whopping 85% of post-menopausal women reported both physical and mental exhaustion. (1)
Bottom line: you’ve never fully appreciated how much your hormones support your metabolism and energy levels until they start to become less plentiful in your body because of perimenopause and menopause.
So, what exactly does menopause fatigue look and feel like?
Many of my patients report that they just don’t feel like themselves. You may feel tired all the time, even when you first wake up in the morning. You might have trouble staying awake and feel an urgent need for a nap — when you’ve never napped in your life! Fatigue might swoop in at the stroke of 3 PM like clockwork every day.
You might have trouble concentrating. Sometimes women describe this as brain fog, or not feeling as mentally sharp as they used to.
Physical exercise can feel more demanding too. Your workouts may suddenly seem more taxing and even normal physical activity like a long day of shopping can wear you out when you used to be able to run errands all day long on a Saturday.
But why exactly does fatigue crop up like an unwelcome house guest during menopause?
Well, it’s not just your dropping levels of estrogen and progesterone that cause you to feel tired from menopause. There are several interconnected reasons you feel fatigue in menopause. From hot flashes that disrupt your sleep to mid-life stress, compromised adrenal health, poor nutrition, and an increased chance of developing depression — it turns out, menopause is the perfect storm for making you feel tired all the time.
Let’s talk about fatigue and hot flashes. A hot flash, or hot flush, is when you suddenly feel your temperature rise dramatically. And this can happen during the night, too. Maybe you’ve woken up soaking wet, drenched in sweat from head to toe. That’s a nighttime hot flash, otherwise referred to as night sweats.
It probably comes as no surprise that when you experience this, it means your sleep quality isn’t what it could be — and as a result, you feel tired the next day.
If hot flashes are your struggle, be sure to check out my Mighty Maca® Plus and its 1500+ 5-star reviews. It’s a lifesaver when it comes to hot flashes and that “I just don’t have the energy” feeling.
Remember when you were 20 and your biggest stress in life was finding the perfect outfit for a date night?
Well, your menopause years aren’t exactly like that, are they?
These days you have to worry about aging parents, inflation, major house repairs, and wishing you had saved more for your retirement and your child’s college education expenses. A lot of us experience divorce and have to navigate custody agreements and split holiday schedules.
All of this stress on top of a lifetime of being a caregiver, provider, and homemaker…it’s enough to make anyone feel tired just thinking about it.
You might not be able to “do” a whole lot about this, but identifying the pattern and having your experience validated can help you cope. And it can also help you say “no” to things that don’t serve you anymore.
Speaking of stress, when it compounds as it does in midlife, it can seriously affect your adrenal health and contribute to those feelings of exhaustion in menopause.
When your adrenals are compromised, it takes a heavy toll on your menopausal experience.
Instead of helping your body by churning out extra DHEA which in turn becomes a very helpful backup source of sex hormones, your adrenals are now dedicated to the task of pumping out cortisol. Which isn’t helpful at all — unless you’re in a really dangerous situation.
When this happens, you can feel a near-constant low level of fatigue and yet, at night you get a second wind and be unable to sleep well. Obviously, this affects your tiredness the next day, since you still have to get up and go to work in the morning.
Another place we often see a connection between fatigue and menopause is with nutrient depletion. You don’t have to be clinically deficient in a nutrient to experience crushing feelings of exhaustion when your levels are suboptimal.
How does this happen? Well, a lot of women in perimenopause and menopause experience weight gain.
And sometimes, due to a lifetime of conditioning around weight loss and dieting…you try to simply eat less food. Which might work for a minute, but then you wind up feeling depleted, tired, and frustrated because you aren’t actually losing weight this way.
Instead of starving yourself and your body of important nutrients, focus on eating plenty of healthy fats and ample vegetables filled with vitamins so your body has the building blocks it needs to make more hormones and give you the energy to get through your day.
It’s important to mention here that women in menopause and perimenopause can develop depression, even if they’ve never been prone to bouts of it in the past. (2)
One of the major indicators of depression is also fatigue.
So if you’re experiencing fatigue or feelings of extreme tiredness, it’s important to work with your doctor to determine if depression may also be part of your struggle.
The good news is that while menopause can cause extreme fatigue, you have so much power to change your story and get your energy levels back up to where you want them to be.
Let’s take a look at how sleep hygiene, adrenal health, and diet can make a huge impact on your fatigue.
First things first — if you’re tired, you’ve got to prioritize good sleep hygiene.
What does that look like?
I know it can be challenging to make new habits when it comes to sleep.
But if you can pull this off, you may just find that your menopause fatigue struggles lessen considerably.
Your adrenal health is the foundation of your hormonal health. Especially in perimenopause and menopause. And most especially when you are feeling tired, worn out, and exhausted.
Supporting quality sleep and focusing on your sleep hygiene as I outlined above can go a long way toward helping your adrenals.
Other things you can do to make sure your adrenals get all the love they need:
When you take care of your adrenals, they can help your menopause journey significantly. Your adrenals, when supported the right way, can assist your body in producing sex hormones (progesterone, estrogen, testosterone) as a backup when your ovaries are tapping out. This makes the menopausal transition so much gentler and it’s one of the reasons Mighty Maca® Plus is such a powerful menopausal ally.
We talked earlier about how depriving your body of critical nutrients can lead to a lack of energy in menopause. But another thing to consider when it comes to fatigue and menopause is your blood sugar. As you age, your insulin sensitivity declines alongside estrogen.
This means now is the perfect time to cut out those simple carbs and focus on eating whole foods.
Researchers speculate that one of the reasons perimenopausal and post-menopausal women experience negative changes in their body’s blood sugar response is due to changes in the gut microbiome. (3)
One of the best ways to support your gut microbiome — including the estrobolome, a special population inside your gut microbiome that manages estrogen — is to ensure your diet includes a variety of different plant fibers. An easy shortcut here is my Mighty Maca® Plus drink. It’s packed with dozens of different superfoods to support your gut, your adrenals, and your blood sugar.
Many women experience extreme fatigue during perimenopause and menopause. Does that mean it’s normal? It definitely means it’s common.
But it also doesn’t have to be YOUR new normal.
While menopause and lack of energy may seem to go hand in hand, this is not your inevitable, written-in-stone fate.
Try working on your sleep hygiene, your adrenal health, and your diet — and watch how your energy levels explode. Be sure and let me know how it goes!
Yes, there are several things you can do to help restore peace and calm to your body and your hormones — all without resorting to potentially dangerous synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Let’s chat about why it feels like your body is betraying you, the mechanisms at play that are causing your symptoms, and how to put a stop to them ASAP.
First, let’s quickly explore what’s going on with your hormones when you start to feel the effects of perimenopause and menopause.
At the beginning stages of perimenopause, your progesterone levels begin to wane. Your body produces progesterone mainly as a result of ovulation. So when you stop ovulating regularly, your body makes less progesterone.
Progesterone is crucial for your body.
It’s essential for your brain, heart, and bones in ways you can’t really feel.
And it also provides a calming force to estrogen’s sometimes exciting (or grouchy, grumpy, and angry) presence, in ways you can definitely feel.
You see, progesterone levels start to dip in many women as early as age 35. And when progesterone levels fall below estrogen levels — that’s when the symptoms of menopause start to appear.
Symptoms like:
Now that we know that decreasing progesterone is at the heart of so many menopause symptoms…
Let’s take a deeper look at how to balance your hormones so menopause can stop ruining your life.
Logically, it stands to reason that one of the main ways to achieve hormone balance is to get more progesterone circulating in your body.
There are three main ways to do this naturally.
During the menopausal phase of your life, you have to support your adrenal glands so they naturally make DHEA instead of cortisol. Your body then turns around and transforms the DHEA into more progesterone. If you can keep your adrenals happy, it’s the key to a menopausal transition that feels smooth and easy.
One of my favorite ways to do this is with maca, a hormone-balancing superfood
for your adrenal health. Maca for hormone balance is an absolute slam dunk. It directly props up your adrenals so they can do what they do best — pick up the slack when your ovaries stop becoming a reliable source of sex hormones.
My Mighty Maca® Plus drink mix is packed with maca and dozens of other superfoods to help support your body and your hormones during menopause and beyond.
It’s also important to support your adrenal glands with plenty of rest. 7-9 hours per night, starting at 10PM (or earlier) is ideal. Also, try to reduce your stress load where you can and get plenty of exercise too.
When you add topical DHEA to your vagina and/or vulva, your body can take that DHEA and make more progesterone. DHEA is also converted to estrogen and testosterone by your body, too, so topical DHEA can help menopause symptoms from a few different angles.
My patented Julva® cream supplies your body with an ideal amount of DHEA and is particularly gifted at restoring hormone balance and juiciness to your vagina and vulva.
Applying bioidentical progesterone cream to your skin can directly add to your body’s progesterone stock.
The simplest way to do this is with my Balance cream, applied to your face, neck, chest, inner arms, or abdomen. It’s also a phenomenal wrinkle cream to use for fine lines.
> If you can, it’s ideal to attack the ‘progesterone problem’ from all 3 angles at once. That’s why I’ve bundled my three most powerful progesterone supporters into one seriously potent and easy-to-use kit. Check out the Menopause Kit here and say goodbye to those hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, and weight gain.
On the other side of the hormone balance equation from progesterone lies estrogen.
When you’re in your more fertile years, ideally, estrogen and progesterone provide a foil for one another, creating perfect balance and harmony in your body. Although, that’s definitely not always the case, with many women battling hormone imbalance in their younger years, too.
As we discussed above, the struggle in menopause happens when your progesterone levels take a nosedive. And while your estrogen levels drop off significantly too, they can remain higher than your progesterone levels.
This is what is called estrogen dominance.
When you have estrogen dominance, you experience those intense emotions — you’re probably yelling at your loved ones and getting frustrated over little things. Your brain feels like mush, and maybe you’re getting hot flashes, night sweats, or headaches too. It’s an absolutely horrible place to live for long.
So, how can we balance hormones when estrogen dominance is at play? Well, the first step is to encourage that progesterone production in any way you possibly can (see step #1 above).
And then, you have to help your body process that extra estrogen and get it out of your system so it can’t mess with your head.
A couple of ways to help with processing excess estrogen include:
Those almighty veggies can help in a big way when it comes to estrogen dominance, and that’s one of the reasons they play a starring role in my Mighty Maca® formula.
Vegetables are packed with fiber, and since a lot of your excess estrogen moves out of your body via your digestive tract, it helps to get in fiber to help things move on out. Veggies also help improve your gut microbiome, which includes a colony known as the estrobolome — a special part of your microbiome that helps you process estrogen.
Many vegetables also have particular prowess when it comes to estrogen processing, notably cruciferous vegetables. Veggies like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower contain a compound known as Diindolylmethane (DIM) which is an estrogen-processing superstar.
Sometimes, you can only eat so much broccoli. And in order to enjoy the hormone-balancing benefits DIM can provide — you’d have to eat truckloads of it.
That’s why you can get DIM in supplement form. In fact, it’s a standout ingredient in my Zenful® blend which also includes powerful estrogen-processing compounds like calcium d-glucarate. It also includes progesterone-supporting Vitex and a whole slew of anti-inflammatory compounds like turmeric.
If you are really serious about balancing out your hormones, you can’t skimp on magnesium.
Magnesium is crucial for hundreds of reasons, and hormone balance is one of them. Magnesium helps support your adrenals (remember how important they are from step #1 above?)
And it’s been shown that when you’ve got sufficient magnesium levels in your body…you’re more likely to get better quality sleep — which is one of the most important things you can prioritize to get hormone balance. (1)
How do you get more magnesium? There are two main ways.
Many delicious foods deliver magnesium to your diet.
Some of my favorites include:
You can even sprinkle a seed mix onto your eggs, salads, and veggies for a little bit of extra magnesium at every meal.
The truth of the matter is that most people just aren’t getting enough magnesium in their diet. In fact, in most developed countries the diet is so magnesium-poor, it’s estimated much of the population could be deficient. And that doesn’t even consider those that just don’t have ‘optimal’ levels of magnesium…which are likely above the recommended daily amounts. (2)
A nice little insurance policy to fill in the gaps in your diet is a magnesium supplement.
I recommend a combination of several different forms of magnesium, all of which can be found in my Better Brain and Sleep formula. It’s one of those natural hormone balance supplements that works wonders for your toughest hormone-related challenges.
When it comes to magnesium, you want to look for magnesium L-threonate — the only form of magnesium proven in animal studies to cross the blood-brain barrier. (3) I also like magnesium glycinate for its reputation as a sleep supporter that’s also gentle on the digestive system.
One of the best things you can do for natural hormone balance is to keep your weight in check.
For one thing, fat cells can actually produce estrogen. And that leads to even more excess estrogen in your body — which is the problem we tackled in step #2 above.
The really frustrating thing about weight gain is that hormone imbalance tends to encourage weight gain — and weight gain tends to encourage hormone imbalance. It’s one of those neverending cycles.
If you need to balance your hormones to lose weight, one of the best things you can do to help break this cycle is to get plenty of exercise and eat a diet low in processed carbohydrates, like my signature Keto-Green® style of eating.
Also, supporting your adrenal glands — yep, the same recommendation I made in step #1 above, can help with weight management in a big way as well.
When your adrenals are left unsupported and feeling taxed from the weight of all the stress in your life, they tend to produce cortisol, which is a hormone that is notorious for heaping on weight. So don’t skimp on the adrenal support — and be sure to get plenty of rest each night!
I also recommend starting your day with at least 20 grams of protein to help keep your blood sugar stable. That’s a simple thing you can do to encourage the pounds to melt away. I personally take a couple of scoops of my Keto-Green® Protein Shake every morning to make this something easy to check off my list for the day.
I hope this guide to balancing your hormones naturally has helped you understand why you’re feeling so “off” and how to take control of your body again.
When you’re able to:
You can get your hormones back into balance and start feeling more like yourself again. You can do this!
It’s time we had a chat about what hormone balance is, what causes it, and how it can make you feel.
Most importantly, I’m going to give you my best tips for improving what’s within your power to change when your hormones start to fall out of balance — including diet changes, supplements, and even exercises you can do to start feeling more like yourself again.
In your body, there are several pairs of hormones that “balance” each other out.
For example:
When the presence of one of the hormones in these pairs outweighs the other, we call this a “hormone imbalance.” It’s not really a traditional medical term, but more of a common way to refer to the situation at hand. And while the medical community is slowly coming around to using these words to describe what happens when levels of certain hormones drop, certain doctors will insist that “hormone imbalance isn’t real.”
This kind of rhetoric hurts women, especially menopausal women, who experience the lingering effects of hormone imbalances every single day.
I say, let’s use the words that resonate with patients…and “hormone imbalance” certainly seems to do that.
Why is hormonal balance important? Just ask any woman over the age of 35 who has experienced breakouts, headaches, nausea, heavy periods, weight gain, breast pain, high blood pressure, hot flashes, or night sweats.
Essentially, hormonal balance is important because when your hormones are imbalanced, it can seriously affect your quality of life.
You deserve to live a life full of joy and vibrant health. You are worthy of experiencing all that life has to offer, even after you near the end of your reproductive years. And keeping your hormones in balance can help you find that bliss.
There are several reasons hormone imbalance happens in the first place. The most common reason: perimenopause and menopause!
Here’s what typically happens when your progesterone and estrogen become imbalanced:
Here’s another scenario that often happens when your cortisol and oxytocin become imbalanced:
So, how do you know if your hormones are imbalanced? Your doctor may be able to use a blood test to see if your body has elevated levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) or follicle-stimulating hormone (LH). This typically indicates that your body is having to work a little bit harder than usual to get your ovaries to ovulate…and it’s a sign of a budding hormone imbalance.
But honestly, the most common hormone imbalance test is recognizing that you don’t feel 100% like yourself.
> Maybe you’re more tired than usual and you’re not sure why.
> Maybe you’re feeling more disconnected from your loved ones.
> Maybe you’re bloated, angry, or annoyed with just about everything.
These are the kinds of signs that something’s not right and your hormones may be falling out of balance.
Hormone imbalance can feel subtle or severe. A lot of women brush off the beginning symptoms of hormone imbalance because we’re conditioned to put ourselves last and push through the pain.
But, it’s easier to get your hormones back on track in the beginning phases of perimenopause.
I’d encourage you to start investigating hormonal imbalances the minute you start to notice these hormone imbalance symptoms:
Ok, we’ve covered a lot of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance that start to crop up in perimenopause and menopause.
Now, it’s time to chat about ways to support hormone balance. Here are my 5 best tips for keeping your hormones as balanced as possible:
Exercise is like a magic pill for your health and your hormones. There’s no better way to start balancing your hormones than to move your body — even if it’s just for 20 minutes a day. It doesn’t matter if you meet up with your trainer a few times a week or simply go for a jog. Just get your heart rate up, give your muscles something to resist, and watch your symptoms improve.
Like it or not, your diet plays an outsized role in how your body processes your hormones. Focus on adding plenty of alkalinizing green veggies into your diet and limit your processed carbs for best results. I call this way of eating Keto-Green® and it’s my signature method for putting an end to menopausal mayhem. Click here to learn more about how to eat the Keto-Green® way.
Adaptogens are a class of herbs that have been used for centuries to help your body ‘adapt’ to stress. My favorite in this category is hands-down maca root. Maca’s a powerful adrenal-loving herb that works to support your hormone balance in the best way. It’s the superstar ingredient in my Mighty Maca® Plus formula for a good reason!
Doctor’s orders: it's time to make sure you’re sleeping for 7-9 hours a night. Getting plenty of rest can help balance all sorts of hormones and even help you lose weight. Turn off those devices at night, get into bed early, and be sure to sleep in a completely dark room. If you need a little extra help in the sleep department, be sure to check out my Nite ZZZ caps here.
Stress is bad for your hormones — because it really targets your fragile adrenals. And your adrenals are the cornerstone of your hormone health. Plus, stress is bad for your heart health, too. I know it can be easier said than done to just “reduce stress” but try incorporating a few minutes of journaling or meditation into your day to start. And remember, most of the things you’re worried about now you won’t even remember in a year. Just relax and learn to let go.
I know a lot of women think they can just wait for their hormones to balance after menopause. But while things will eventually even out once your body gets used to its new normal, perimenopause can start as early as age 35!
With the average age of menopause clocking in at 51 and some women continuing to experience these hormone imbalance symptoms for years after their period ends…that’s a very long time to live a life compromised by hormone imbalance. You are worthy of so much more than that.
You were designed to live a life full of abundant joy and radiant health — don’t be afraid to claim it.
]]>From soups and stews to casseroles and vegan options, look no further for the answer to the question, “What healthy dinner should I make tonight?”
Go light a fire in the fireplace, pull a blanket off the back of the couch, curl up, and allow me to present my go-to healthy winter recipes!
I’m always on the hunt for good healthy dinner recipes, especially healthy dinner recipes with low or no carbs. These healthy winter recipes for dinner will leave you feeling satisfied on those cold, dark winter nights.
First up, we have one of my all-time favorite foods: soup! When it’s chilly outside, there’s nothing better than this healthy winter soup recipe. Loaded with alkalinizing veg and healthy fats, this is a Keto-Green® dream of a dinner…and it’s so easy to make!
Want more killer soup recipes? Check out my book, The Hormone Fix.
Looking for wholesome dinner ideas? Look no further than this healthy dinner recipe for winter that might be the easiest and most satisfying thing you eat this month. Roasted chicken with tomatoes and olives? Yes, yes, please.
Nothing says ‘warming winter meal’ like an Indian dish. And this simple recipe is one of those gut-healthy dinner recipes you and your family won’t be able to get enough of. The sauce is so yummy and decadent, it’s hard to believe this is good for you. And it’s way better curry than you can get at most Indian restaurants.
There’s no doubt the absolute hero of wholesome, healthy winter recipes is the humble crockpot. Whether you like to throw everything in and let it simmer all day, or use the instant pot to speed things up a bit, these recipes will tickle your tastebuds and keep your health goals front and center. Remember, if you don’t have a slow cooker, you can always turn the oven on low and throw your Dutch oven in for a few hours to get the same results.
Lamb and Veggie Stew for the Crockpot
This is one of my all-time favorite healthy dinner recipes for the crockpot. It’s filled with so many amazing flavors and makes your house smell divine while it’s cooking. Don’t let the lamb scare you — it’s so flavorful and tender, it’s worth stepping out of your comfort zone for.
Need a healthy dinner recipe for the slow cooker that includes chicken? This is the one. The winner, winner, chicken dinner. The ultimate in healthy dinner recipes, chicken edition. The best part of this one is it makes a ton of gut-loving bone broth you can freeze and use for other soup recipes. I make batches of this all winter long.
Healthy dinner recipes with beef don’t have to be overly expensive or complicated! This recipe for pot roast made in the slow cooker is the literal definition of cozy, wholesome, and healthy winter food. Don’t forget to finish it off with some mashed cauliflower and green veg for a complete Keto-Green® meal.
Loving this inspiration? Get 15 more of my favorite Keto-Green® recipes here.
When I think of winter meals, I think of casseroles. With their one-dish convenience and wholesome vibe, you just really can’t beat them. Now, I know casseroles get a bad rap because they are typically made with noodles, rice, and a good ol’ can of condensed soup. But these casseroles have gotten a seriously healthy makeover — restoring the glory of the mighty weeknight dish.
Wholesome winter recipes don’t get much better than this. Tons of veggies. Easy to cook ground beef. And there’s just nothing like that fresh-out-of-the-oven casserole dish to please a crowd. It’s simply one of my favorite healthy dinner recipes with ground beef, hands down. Yes, technically this is a “cottage” pie, as shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb. Feel free to use the more authentic meat choice if you’d like.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free Veggie-packed Casserole
This casserole is packed with veggies, is easily customizable, and is topped with a decadent “cream” sauce made from almond milk. You can customize it to suit your tastes with any ground meat you like and mix up which veggies you throw in. Truly a crowd-pleaser.
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole
This little casserole dish has all the amazing flavors of cabbage rolls without all the fuss. If you don’t eat dairy, simply omit the cheese topping. It will still be delicious — trust me.
Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you can’t make a warming, filling, vegan meal. These vegan options are great for a Keto-Green® diet because you can make them as a main course or a side to a more meat-centric meal.
Cauliflower Fried “Rice” Buddha Bowls
These Buddha bowls have more flavor than any takeout fried rice you’ve ever eaten. I like to add a couple of hard-boiled eggs to this, but obviously, if you’re vegan — just leave those out.
Oh my goodness, this wholesome dish is so, so satisfying. You’ll never miss carbs or meat if you can enjoy foods with this much flavor!
This is one of the best heart-healthy winter recipes I’ve ever made. With plenty of lycopene from the tomatoes and tons of meat-y body from the mushrooms, it feels heaven-sent on a cold winter’s night.
During the winter months, it’s so very crucial to make sure you’re getting all of the nutrients you possibly can from an abundance of plants. Plant compounds are what give your microbiome diversity. And a diverse microbiome can support immunity, energy levels, better insulin sensitivity, and even fewer pounds on the scale. (1-6)
But it’s also hard to shop for, cook, and get your family to eat a ton of different veggies every day. Especially during the winter when produce quality can be underwhelming.
Which is why I turn to my Mighty Maca® Plus. It’s like a shortcut for eating healthy in the winter and an insurance policy for gaps in your wintertime nutrition.
It’s positively packed with dozens of powdered plant compounds. The kind you’d probably never buy at the grocery store — like spirulina and acerola…and it’s also loaded with powdered cruciferous veggies like kale and broccoli which are phenomenal for your hormones and your health (but I know not everyone likes to actually eat them lol).
Mighty Maca® Plus is your ultimate tool for a quick and easy jolt of nutrients.
All you need is one scoop mixed with a beverage, and you’ve locked down your superfood intake for the day!
In addition to helping you get in dozens of amazing fruits and veggies with one sip, this wonder drink mix helps you:
Check out Mighty Maca® Plus here and see why thousands of women rely on it every day.
It makes so much sense that exercise feels complicated — but it really doesn’t have to be.
Let me lay out all the details for you, from how often you should exercise to ways to make exercise more fun and create consistency…so you can make this the year you finally get in shape and take control of your health.
It’s so easy to get confused about exercise when you have people shouting, “Building muscle is the only thing that matters!” and “Cardio is what you need if you want to lose weight!”
My take: they’re both equally important.
A fitness routine without one or the other is a fitness routine that’s incomplete.
Now. Don’t get me wrong. Does that mean you have to run for hours on end and lift heavy weights every single day to see results? No.
But if you want to lower blood pressure and lose belly fat, it’s best to combine both cardio and resistance training.
One of my favorite ways to do that? High-Intensity Interval Training — or HIIT for short. This is a type of workout that challenges your muscles and gives you a cardio workout at the same time. Plus, because it’s intense, you don’t have to exercise for hours on end to benefit. I outline a great 16-minute HIIT workout in my book, Keto Green 16.
But, HIIT isn’t for everyone. And one of my most important exercise tips for weight loss is this: find an exercise you like to do. Don’t keep trying to power through a workout that you absolutely dread every day. You’ll quit and never go back to working out — and that’s the last thing I want to happen!
So, we’ve clarified that you should shoot for a mix of cardio and resistance training to see the best results for your health. But how many minutes should you exercise a day?
First, ideally, you should get in a base level of movement every day.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do an intense workout every single day. But if you’re extremely sedentary for your job — you should make a concerted effort to meet a minimum step goal or challenge yourself to take a break and do a few minutes of exercise every hour to help counteract the effects of sitting for so long every day.
Once you’ve covered your base movement for the day, how long should you exercise each day?
Ideally, to maintain your health and your weight, you should shoot for: (1)
150-300 minutes of moderate exercise per week (think walking or weight lifting)
Or
75-150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week (things like running or biking)
Now, these guidelines were created in 2018. More recent research suggests that exercising over and above these recommendations can lead to significantly better health outcomes. (2)
That means if you’re able to double or triple these suggestions, you’d be even better off.
But, if you’re not exercising at all right now, don’t feel compelled to jump right into doubling the recommendations. Again, you’ll quit and it will take you a long time to get back into exercising. Start small and cement the habit. Then, slowly work your way up to doing more.
Now, when we’re talking about the frequency of exercise, it’s important to note that these recommendations above are what’s suggested to maintain your health and your weight. If you want to lose weight, it’s ideal to focus on tightening up your diet and your exercise routine.
Now that we know what kind of exercise to do and how often to do it, let’s create an exercise plan.
My advice? Start small and aim for the minimum amount of exercise you should shoot for each week: 150 minutes of moderate exercise. I’ll stress this again: it is so much better to start small and work your way up to bigger fitness goals.
Adjust your exercise plan to fit where you’re at right now. Don’t try to start with 300 minutes of vigorous exercise if you’re currently working out only once in a blue moon.
So, 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly looks like this:
Monday: Walk for 30 minutes
Tuesday: Lift weights for 30 minutes
Wednesday: Walk for 30 minutes
Thursday: Lift weights for 30 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Walk for 30 minutes
Sunday: Rest
These are ideas for exercise at home. All you would need is a pair of hand weights that feel heavy enough to be quite challenging after you’ve completed about 10-12 reps of an exercise. With a simple pair of dumbbells, you can work out your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and even your legs. If you feel like you need instruction, you can always head to the gym. But you can certainly exercise effectively at home, too.
One of the biggest challenges with exercise is remaining consistent. Things go great for a week or two — and then life happens. You get sick, your kid gets sick, you have company for a few days. So you drop your fitness routine for a minute and find it really hard to get back on the wagon.
If you want to know how to keep a consistent workout schedule, I have a few tips to create consistency:
Does all this talk of exercise make you feel tired?
I get it.
One of the biggest challenges to starting a fitness routine is finding the time and energy to actually get it done, right?
Especially if you’re a perimenopausal or menopausal woman.
After all, when you’re working all day, taking care of the kids and grandkids, plus battling poor sleep, hot flashes, and changing hormones — everything feels like a challenge, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, one of the side effects of living like this (even for a short period of time) is that your adrenals become crushed under the weight of all this stress…and that makes you feel like you have even less energy.
It becomes a cycle of exhaustion that’s incredibly difficult to break out of.
And that’s where Mighty Maca® Plus comes in.
It’s a blend of the healthiest foods on the planet and adrenal-supportive herbs. It’s that extra helping hand and energy boost you need to break out of your exercise rut — and get your groove back.
Because when you support your adrenals the right way, you also encourage your body’s own production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Seriously, your adrenals really are that critical for your hormonal health, and giving them the nutrients they need can be the difference between suffering and thriving throughout menopause.
Mighty Maca® Plus has helped thousands of women find their long-lost energy to workout and feel like themselves again. Click here to see why it’s so incredible for yourself.
Have you ever heard the saying ‘you can’t out-train a bad diet’? Well, it’s the truth. If you’re working out consistently and seeing poor results, it’s probably because you’re not eating quality food.
If you’re body’s constantly battling inflammation brought about by low-quality carbs and sugar, it can’t effectively heal and shed weight.
That’s one of my favorite things about Mighty Maca® Plus. It helps boost your alkalinity and get your body back into balance with just one scoop. If you do just one thing to support your fitness routine, your hormones, and lose weight — it should be Mighty Maca® Plus.
Best of luck with your fitness goals!
Here’s the thing. Weight gain in menopause isn’t something you just have to live with. But you may need to adjust your battle plan when it comes to improving your metabolism so you can lose weight.
In this article, I’m outlining my top 10 tips for increasing your metabolism as you age. And if I’m being honest, there are some really easy things you can start doing today to jumpstart your weight loss and boost your metabolism.
Let’s take a look and get started boosting your metabolism to lose weight.
My first tip has everything to do with improving your digestion. Because at the end of the day, you can eat all the healthy food in the world, but if you’re not actually digesting it, you can’t benefit from it.
So, what helps improve digestion?
Slowing down, being more mindful during meals, and actually chewing your food. (1,2)
We’ve all been conditioned to scarf down our food and get onto the next “productive” thing on our list. Eating meals slowly and lingering at the table is frowned upon — and eating while driving or working at your desk is considered great productivity.
However, if you want to speed up your metabolism, improve digestion quickly, and lose weight, you need to be willing to do something different here.
Devote an entire 20 minutes or so to just eating each meal. Sit down with your food, at a table, without your phone in hand or a computer in front of your face. Ideally, share a meal with another person and have a leisurely conversation while you eat.
Take a bite of food, set your fork down, and chew until the food in your mouth is liquefied. Try shooting for 30 or more chews for each bite. Continue this process, paying attention to each bite. Savor the flavors. Actually taste what you’re eating.
And don’t forget to pay attention to your fullness cues. Ideally, you should stop eating when you feel about 80% full — but when you eat quickly, you eat right past this mark and wind up at 110% full…which means you’re eating more calories than you should, flooding your body with too much glucose in the process.
Trust me, making this one change can improve your metabolism, help with digestion and bloating, and contribute to weight loss.
Menopause and intermittent fasting go together like peanut butter and dark chocolate.
Why?
Because as you enter menopause, your insulin sensitivity declines. And that leads to insulin resistance, brain fog, diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain.
Intermittent fasting helps improve your insulin sensitivity. (3,4,5) Which in turn improves so many menopausal symptoms, from weight gain to hot flashes and night sweats.
Intermittent fasting for weight loss doesn’t have to be incredibly difficult. You can begin intermittent fasting by simply stopping eating at 7 PM — and delay eating breakfast until 7 AM. Eventually, you can work up to delaying breakfast until 11 AM.
The benefits of intermittent fasting for women are significant, and I often say that intermittent fasting and menopause weight loss go hand in hand.
But if you really want to supercharge your metabolic results from fasting…Read the next tip, which combines keto and intermittent fasting for women.
Let’s talk about menopause and ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state your body enters when it’s deprived of carbohydrates and switches to ketones as its fuel source.
Maybe you’ve heard of the ketogenic or keto diet.
This is a diet where you intentionally deprive your body of carbohydrates and encourage it to run on fats instead, therefore putting your body into ketosis. Women everywhere love this diet because when you focus on fat intake and cut out carbs, it helps regulate your blood sugar. While this is a great start to experiencing the benefits of ketosis for menopause, most of these keto diets encourage you to just load up on any kind of fat and shun vegetables.
However, you can’t truly experience the increased metabolism and fat-burning effects of the ketogenic diet this way. Sorry, but eating nothing but highly processed bacon and cream cheese isn’t going to yield the metabolic results you’re looking for.
And that’s where my Keto-Green® diet comes in.
Keto-Green® focuses on the quality of the fats you consume and asks you to load up on fiber-rich, alkaline vegetables so you can truly ramp up your metabolism and finally lose that menopause weight.
It includes all of the healthy fats and foods that increase metabolism like:
The easiest way to dip your toe into the Keto-Green® life is to have a Keto-Green® Shake for breakfast. It’s filled with powdered greens, vitamins, minerals, and the perfect amount of protein to keep you full until lunch!
Exercise is the magic bullet when it comes to increasing your metabolism, improving your heart health, and losing weight. (6)
If you can make your cardio workout a little more intense, even if just for short bursts, you can increase your metabolism and improve your body composition.
And muscle building is crucial if you want to increase your metabolism and lose weight, too. Muscle helps improve your insulin sensitivity, burns more calories as you go about your daily activities, and improves bone strength. (7,8,9) That’s something we all need to prioritize in menopause.
Here’s the important thing to remember — exercise doesn’t have to involve a gym membership or anything else you don’t want it to.
You can get a perfectly good cardio exercise by doing jumping jacks. You can build muscle using your body weight for resistance with exercises like push-ups or yoga. The important thing is that you find something you enjoy doing and do it regularly.
Incorporating more herbs and spices into your diet is fantastic for boosting metabolism.
For one thing, herbs and spices are full of vitamins and compounds that improve health across the board. Plus, they add flavor and interest to healthy meals without adding significant calories. That makes them a huge win in my book.
Some of my favorite herbs for metabolism include:
I often recommend these herbs for menopause weight gain and they play a starring role in my Mighty Maca® Plus powdered drink formulation.
Cinnamon can help with that all-important insulin sensitivity we’ve talked about so much. (10-13)
Green tea is another herb that’s shown to offer a metabolism boost — studies suggest green tea can increase your metabolism by as much as 3-4%. (14-17) And one study showed that drinking 4 cups of green tea a day helped study participants shed pounds and improve their blood pressure, too. (18)
Bromelain is another one of those herbs for menopause weight gain that I love. It’s an extract from pineapple that is really powerful and helps with that all-important digestion. Remember, if you don’t digest your food, you can’t benefit from it. Chewing your food properly and some bromelain added into your diet can go a long way towards improving your digestion and eliminating bloating.
Estrogen is not just a “sex” hormone. It plays a major role in so many bodily functions.
Which is why you feel it so acutely when your estrogen levels drop as you approach menopause.
One of the places you notice this lack of estrogen is in your body composition. Because estrogen helps your body to maintain muscle mass. When muscle mass decreases, you gain weight because muscle burns more calories than fat.
Then there’s the fact that estrogen is involved with hunger hormones and glucose metabolism. In other words, when estrogen levels wane, you feel hungrier and you become more insulin resistant. (19,20,21)
All of which leads to weight gain.
One of the key things you can do to support your body’s natural hormone levels when your ovaries quit making estrogen is to give your adrenals extra love.
Your adrenals can serve as a kind of backup generator of your sex hormones, because they pump out DHEA which then turns into estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Your adrenals can be quite demanding, though, and they require plenty of vitamin C and magnesium to function properly. They also respond quite well to a class of herbs known as adaptogens.
My Mighty Maca® Plus formula includes everything your adrenals need to keep chugging away with DHEA production and support your body in making its own estrogen.
Modern life can be so tough on your body. Not because you’re working in a field to grow your food or build shelter, but because you have to sit so much to do your job.
And sitting for hours every day is horrible for your health and your metabolism.
Plus, when you sit all day long it zaps you of your energy and it makes working out before or after work seem quite unappealing.
While I wholeheartedly encourage you to exercise before and/or after work, one thing you can do to help improve your metabolism is to stand up more during the day.
If you can’t get a standing desk, at the very least take a break once an hour and move your body. Studies indicate that even just exercising for a few minutes a time throughout the day can vastly improve your health and metabolism. (22)
You can take a quick walk to the breakroom, or do a few squats. The important thing is to just keep moving!
Sleep is so important for your body, your hormones, and your metabolism.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your stress hormones rise — and that affects everything. For one, it keeps your adrenals pumping out cortisol instead of focusing on their support role of DHEA production.
It also leads to increased blood sugar and increased levels of the hormones that make you feel hungrier. This obviously leads to weight gain and tanks your metabolism.
Bottom line: don’t skimp on sleep. I go into detail about how lack of sleep affects your weight and how to finally start getting enough sleep here.
Maybe you’ve heard the advice to drink more water, but you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet because you don’t love plain water or you don’t love running to the bathroom all day long.
But I’d urge you to reconsider.
Because drinking more water has been shown to increase your metabolism. One study showed that 500ml of water increased metabolic rate by a whopping 30%. (23) So this is one of those simple things you can do that could really add up at the end of the month or the end of the year.
If you don’t love the taste of plain water, you can always add some fun things to it like cucumber or lemon to make it a bit more exciting.
Maybe you’ve heard the hype about “gut health” or how important probiotics are to maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
But getting your gut health in order can also greatly improve your digestion and your metabolism. (24,25,26)
Here’s the thing about gut health though. Simply taking a probiotic isn’t enough to set things right. Your gut requires plenty of whole foods, especially a wide variety of plant fibers (both probiotic and prebiotic) to truly thrive. To improve digestion and gut health in a meaningful way, you have to focus on minimizing those processed carbs and increasing the variety of plants you eat.
The easiest way to do that? Take a scoop of my Mighty Maca® Plus every day. It’s filled with gut-loving beta-glucan and a wild amount of green goodness so you don’t have to chop up veggies all day to properly feed your gut microbiome. Just one scoop and you’ve got your gut health and adrenal health covered.
I know how difficult it can be when you gain weight in menopause and it seems like your metabolism just screeches to a halt.
But you do have so much power to improve your metabolism and lose weight.
If the tips on this list feel overwhelming, just start with one of them and work your way up. Choose one to tackle for every month this year, and by this time next year, you’ll be looking at a smaller number on the scale, improved blood pressure, and even a better mood.
I’ll be there to support you every step of the way!
There are three main things a proper detox cleanse should target — your blood sugar, your liver, and your gut health.
Let’s talk about why these three things are so important and how to do a natural detox.
After the holidays or after any period of your life where you’ve been indulging a little more than usual, it’s totally natural to feel like you need to reset, detox, and help your body rejuvenate.
One of the biggest questions to ask at this point is how do I detox from sugar?
Because so often, sugar is what’s driving your cravings. And your brain fog. And your weight gain.
This is where the Keto-Green® diet positively shines.
If you’re not familiar with the magic of Keto-Green®, this is my signature way of eating that incorporates the blood sugar-balancing benefits of a keto diet with the power of vegetables. The Keto-Green® diet helps your body to stop craving sugar, support your hormones, lose weight, and clear that brain fog. It also prevents you from experiencing the keto flu and constipation — because it includes plenty of alkalinizing veggies to counteract those uncomfortable side effects of switching to a ketogenic diet.
Even though I try to stick to a Keto-Green® diet year-round, I find that a keto detox a couple of times a year really helps me to feel refreshed and drop a couple of post-holiday pounds.
I lead a group of other women through this keto detox too, and we call it the Keto-Green® 16 Challenge. During this 16-day quick detox method, we quickly get your body into ketosis while also focusing on keeping your liver and gut health front and center for the best weight loss detox you’ll ever find. The next round of the Keto-Green 16 Challenge starts January 8, 2024. You can join us here!
If you’re not really a joiner, or you find this after the live challenge is over — that’s OK! You can do this detox cleanse at home at any time, just click here.
The second thing you really need to focus on when thinking about doing a detox is your liver. Your liver does a ton of the heavy lifting for your body’s natural detox pathways on a daily basis. It metabolizes your hormones, any medications you take, and fat-soluble vitamins. (1)
And while the liver is a very powerful organ, it can get “backed up” when it’s forced to metabolize too much. This can happen due to weight gain, obesity, or type 2 diabetes. In fact, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become so common that it’s estimated a full quarter or more of the adult population in the U.S. is affected by it — and it’s only expected to get worse. (2-4)
Problem is, there are a lot of potentially unsafe ‘liver detox’ products out there. You have to be very wary of any product that claims it can detox your liver asap.
So, how do you do a liver cleanse naturally?
Very carefully and gently. The key thing to embrace here is the idea of liver support. Giving your liver what it needs to thrive without overwhelming takes a special kind of balance.
And when it comes to liver support, there’s no denying the powerful detoxifying benefits of milk thistle. Milk thistle has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and has been used for centuries to support liver function. (5)
I also love the natural liver support provided by natural compounds like spirulina and chlorella. There’s promising evidence that these ingredients can help reduce weight and make meaningful improvements in liver function markers. (6-9)
I’ve included these kinds of gentle liver supporters in my Mighty Maca® Plus formula. It’s a powerful blend of all-natural, time-tested ingredients that help your entire body rejuvenate and detox safely.
Mighty Maca® Plus is included in my Keto-Green® 16 Challenge Kit you can save up to 20% on by clicking this special link!
When it comes to your weight, your mood, your immune system, and pretty much your whole body’s health, your gut microbiome is a key player. Seriously, the health of your gut affects everything.
But keeping your gut happy isn’t always simple. Modern diets full of processed foods lack nutrients and fiber that help those microbes in your gut thrive.
And unfortunately, taking a probiotic daily while continuing to eat junk food and eat tons of sugar isn’t really enough to keep your gut health on point.
What your gut really needs to thrive is an abundance of plant fibers, which you get from eating lots of different kinds of vegetables. This creates what we call gut microbiome diversity. And this “diversity” is one of the key things the longest-living among us tend to have. Studies consistently show that the healthier a population is, the more diverse the microbes in their guts are. (10)
The real challenge is preparing all those veggies every day. Which I totally and completely advocate you do.
But to make things simpler and more practical, I’ve also developed my phenomenally diverse Keto-Green® Shake. This is a protein-packed meal replacement shake you can drink every day and populate your gut with an abundance of plant fibers — without having to shop for or cook a single thing.
My Keto-Green® Shake also plays a prominent role in my Keto-Green® 16 Day Detox. This shake allows you to detox with food, and because it’s so satisfying, it helps you stay fuller, longer throughout the day. This helps regulate your insulin sensitivity and lose weight. And when you try the Keto-Green® Shake as part of my detox kit, you can save up to 20% on it!
A lot of detox and cleanse products suggest that you need to cut out food when you’re cleansing.
I think that’s unwise and impractical.
For one thing, food is a source of food for your body. Depriving your body of food in the name of a total detox is a recipe for failure. If you starve yourself, you’re starving your gut and your brain and robbing yourself of your sanity.
The Keto-Green® 16-Day Challenge isn’t like that.
I believe that the best cleanses for detox include food. Delicious, gut-populating, liver-loving food. Yes, there are detoxifying foods and cleanse foods. No effective cleanse for detox and weight loss would include a ton of sugar and gluten, right?
But ultimately, a diet or a cleanse is meant to nourish you. To help you build healthy habits and change your lifestyle. That’s why I believe any cleanse for weight loss should include plenty of foods that detox.
Some of my favorite detox foods include:
If this sounds like the kind of cleansing foods you’d enjoy, I’d invite you to check out my Keto-Green® 16-Day Challenge. Although, is it really a “challenge” to eat delicious foods, hang out with other amazing women who are on the same path as you, and start a healthier lifestyle in the process?
Honestly, there’s a reason that thousands of women have called this program the best cleanse and detox for weight loss on the planet.
Click here to join us for the next round. It starts January 8, 2024, and we’d love to have you be there!
When it comes to resetting your body, your tastebuds, and your habits after a period of indulgence, there’s just nothing like a good detox to lose weight and clear your mind.
If you do decide to embark on a detox cleanse at home, just make sure you’re including the three most important facets of an effective weight loss cleanse:
And of course, if you want to make it easy on yourself (and save up to 20%!), be sure to check out the Keto-Green® 16-Day Challenge Kit and start your detox cleanse at home!
But how do you set intentions? What’s the difference in goals vs intentions? And what if goal setting for the new year sounds about as appealing as swimsuit shopping — is there a way to actually enjoy the process?
Keep reading for my personal, 3-step process for creating powerful New Year intentions and achieving my goals, year after year.
Just in case you’re not familiar with New Year’s intentions, let me quickly break them down for you.
You’ve probably made promises at the beginning of the New Year plenty of times. New Year’s resolutions have been popular tools humans have used to try to improve their lives for thousands of years.
New Year’s resolutions usually look something like this:
Resolutions are by definition finite. They are something you must “resolve” to do. Resolutions conjure up feelings of determination. Of extreme willpower. And heaps of anxiety, too.
Now, maybe the whole “resolution” tradition works for you. Maybe you’ve been successfully setting and achieving New Year’s resolutions for years now. And if that’s how you roll, fantastic!
For most of the rest of us, New Year’s resolutions tend to be something we set — and then forget.
Maybe you focus on your resolution intently for a few weeks, but by the time February rolls around, life gets in the way. You become ill and you physically can’t use the treadmill for exactly 30 minutes every single day. Or your spouse loses their job and you suddenly can’t afford to eat only organic produce.
And therein lies the issue with resolutions and why, for most of us, they just don’t work. Resolutions don’t account for real life, and that’s why they fail to move your goals forward in any real, meaningful way. Resolutions require an all-or-nothing mindset. And most of the time, they end up making you feel like a failure. Which is exactly the opposite of what they are meant to do!
An intention is a bit looser than a resolution. An intention combines a goal with purpose and also includes a nod to how you want to feel. Where a resolution requires steadfast commitment and a pass/fail grade, an intention works with you to create results.
An intention can look something like:
A New Year’s intention should be a positive thing, not a negative one. When setting intentions for the new year, try to think about things you want to do and how you want the year to feel, instead of focusing on “things you will never do again.”
When it comes to intentions for the new year, it’s important to remember that you can’t really do it wrong. That’s probably the most important thing I’d like to stress. The process that I’m outlining here is just to help you create your own ritual for setting New Year’s intentions. Just remember to have fun with it and enjoy the process of becoming a little more intentional in your life.
Every year, I like to sit down and create my New Year intentions. Some years, I start working on this around Thanksgiving. Other years, it takes me until the week after Christmas to get the process started. But I always start thinking about my new goals for the new year before January starts.
You might like to start the process of new year goal setting in February when Spring is around the corner. Or maybe the start of a new school year sets your heart on fire and that’s when the new year intention-setting process works best for you. Feel free to make it your own!
Here’s how I do it.
First off, you have to reflect on the year that has passed.
In order to move forward and set intentions for the new year, you’ve got to make an honest assessment of what worked and what didn’t last year. This is such a critical part of my New Year intention-setting ritual. Why?
Because so often, we tend to keep on doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And that’s how Einstein defined insanity, right?
Here’s what we’re told: if you’re not getting the results you want, it’s because you’re not trying hard enough. You’re a failure. You just don’t have the willpower.
But I say if you’re not getting the results you want, it’s because you haven’t created the right goal! Reflecting on what’s working and what isn’t allows you to adjust your sails and double down on the places where you feel strong.
Once you’ve evaluated your strong places and weaker spots, it’s time to really get in touch with your heart.
How many times have you chosen a New Year’s resolution because it’s what you were *supposed* to want?
How often have you picked your New Year’s resolution to torture yourself? Or chosen it from a place of negativity? Do you usually set your goals for the new year based on a list of things you desperately want to change about yourself or your body?
This year, let’s leave the negativity behind.
Let’s make our intentions for the new year from a place of love and appreciation for our God-given strengths. I’m here to tell you this, girlfriend…you don’t need to be anyone else other than exactly who you are.
Try to set intentions that reflect that.
And try not to create a whole laundry list of intentions. One is great, but if you can’t limit yourself to just one, try to keep the list as small as possible. It’s so much easier to focus on a handful of goals than it is to try to accomplish everything. Remember, we’re trying to set ourselves up for success here.
Usually, I journal my thoughts for a few days or weeks and that helps me arrive at the true intention I want to set for the year.
Once you’ve selected your goals and made your New Year intentions, it always helps to create a visible reminder of your work.
Sometimes, I write my New Year’s intentions on a sticky note that I leave on my computer monitor or my bathroom mirror. Other times, I write my intentions down every morning in my journal to help me focus on what I’m trying to accomplish.
I’ve also seen people distill their intentions down to a single word and then have that word engraved into a piece of jewelry that they wear every day. That seems like such a fun idea to me!
Vision boards can be really powerful tools here, too. This is where you paste pictures that represent your intention onto a poster board and put it somewhere you will see it every day.
So, there you have it. Goal setting for the new year doesn’t have to be about deprivation or beating yourself up over what you didn’t accomplish.
I’d like to think that this process will help guide you into creating beautiful intentions and positively crushing your goals for the new year.
Because that’s the beauty of New Year intentions.
When you create an intention that works with your strengths, makes you feel energized and positive, and remind yourself to stay true to it — you’ll find that at the end of the year, you’ve actually accomplished what you set out to.
Once you’ve selected an intention, you have to try to make your choices and decisions in support of the intention throughout the year.
For example, if you choose the intention “I will strengthen my relationships,” then use that mantra to guide you. When faced with a choice to stay late at the office or go home and have dinner with your husband, you go home. When you have the opportunity to go to a concert with a friend, you choose to get your chores done early so you can make the date.
And if you don’t make the “right” choice 100% of the time all year long, that’s still OK! Because even if you make decisions that support the strengthening of your relationships 75% of the time throughout the year, you’ll still approach 2025 with some seriously improved relationships — and that’s why setting New Year intentions works so well and feels so amazing.
I know it’s always easier to try something new when you have other ideas to help you get started.
Here are some examples of New Year’s intentions to get those goal-setting muscles nice and warmed up.
Remember, these are just examples of New Year’s intentions to inspire you. Setting intentions works best when you choose one that feels close to your heart.
>> If your goal is to live your healthiest life and feel more vibrant and full of energy this year, then click here to join me for the Keto-Green 16 Challenge that starts January 8, 2024!
It seems that every year, tons of people, especially women, set fitness goals for the New Year. It seems like everyone wants to lose weight.
And I love that! Exercise has the power to transform your health and your mood. Exercise is like a magic pill for your body. And losing weight helps improve your inflammation markers, your blood sugar levels, and your blood pressure. These are all admirable goals to work towards, especially if you’re menopausal and experiencing increases in all these crucial health indicators at once.
The problem I see is that just like with resolutions, we keep making the same mistakes over and over again with our diet and exercise regimens.
We say “Oh, if I can just go back to being perfect every single day for 6 months, I know I can lose the weight.”
And that’s why you find yourself back in exactly the same spot year after year.
Not because you’re a failure, but because you’re setting the wrong goal.
And you have to stop focusing on a number on a scale or the way your jeans fit. You want to lose weight so you feel good. You want to improve your health in a meaningful way and have energy again. You want to see your blood pressure go down and your insulin sensitivity go up.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to guide you to do this year during the Keto-Green 16 Challenge that starts on January 8, 2024.
During this challenge, we’ll create massive changes in your health in just 16 days.
You’ll have a chance to *finally* unlock the secret to achieving your health and weight loss goals — and keep them going throughout the year.
Because this challenge includes what every other ‘weight loss’ program doesn’t:
This is YOUR year to step off the weight loss rollercoaster and finally get your health back on track.
Click here to learn more about the Keto-Green 16 Challenge and how it can help you get there.
]]>What if you were to embrace the spirit of giving simply by engaging in acts of kindness for others?
And what if these acts of kindness made Christmas more meaningful as a result? What if when you experience meaning and joy and abundant love — that food for your soul improves your health?
This is something I’m exploring this year, and I’d love to have you join along with me!
Random acts of kindness are spontaneous little gestures that are intended to brighten someone's day or make a positive impact in their life. Acts of kindness can range from something simple to something grander, depending on the impression you want to make.
Random acts of kindness are meant to be a small surprise for someone you know — or a complete stranger.
Here are a couple of acts of kindness ideas:
No act of kindness is too small! In fact, I’d argue the smaller the act, the better. That way it doesn’t feel like a huge burden to try. Just a tiny little show of kindness can completely change someone else’s day and it can make you feel amazing, too.
And once you see how great it feels to do these small kind gestures for people, you don’t want to stop.
I absolutely love Christmas. The lights. The decorations. The anticipation of watching someone I love open the gift I picked out for them.
But, sometimes, the stress of it all just gets to you, you know? Because it takes a lot of work from all of the amazing women in this world to make that Christmas magic happen.
And sometimes, because it is so much work, we tend to let the hustle and bustle of it all become the focus. We get distracted from what makes Christmas meaningful.
What really makes the holidays so special are those moments of joy and connection with those we love — and small acts of kindness can just amplify those moments.
Luckily, the holiday season presents us with so many amazing opportunities to practice kindness.
From family to strangers to your local public servants — Christmas is a perfect time to reach out and create a little bit of holiday cheer.
Have you heard of the 25 Days of Christmas acts of kindness? A few years ago, the police department in the small town of Holden, Maine asked its officers to go out of their way to do something small for the residents in their town. Maybe shovel snow for someone or check in on an elderly resident.
The informal event was such a success that it’s turned into a yearly tradition and has grown every time. Residents of Holden raise tens of thousands of dollars each year and businesses donate food, gift cards, and services as part of the annual program.
I find this kind of generosity and compassion at Christmas so inspiring! And I’d love for everyone reading this to start their own acts of kindness at Christmas tradition.
I like to think of it as a Christmas kindness challenge.
Here is a list of 25 Christmas kindness activities you can do. It would be so lovely to get your children involved with this, too.
I hope these ideas inspire you to create a Christmas kindness tradition of your own.
Just imagine if every community in the country went out of their way to help others and make each other feel special, even if for just a few days every year? Imagine the kind of changes we would see in our society, in our health, and in our culture. It makes me so excited just to think about it.
If you try even one idea on this list, be sure to let me know!
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]]>The holidays are a time to connect and rejoice, and even indulge a little bit. But the real key to enjoying the season from a health perspective is balance. Balance is a mindset. A choice. One that can carry you through the holidays — and beyond.
Here are my secret holiday health tips that will help you stay nicely balanced between holiday indulgence and your health — without having to carry a bag of celery with you everywhere you go (or a bunch of guilt on your shoulders).
It’s taken me many years to find a place of balance and peace with food. And I will admit, I’m still not always perfect. You don’t have to be either. The real trick is to just maintain forward momentum. Some days you will take a step back — and then the next day you can take two steps forward. And that’s OK!
Remember, every tiny choice you make to improve your health adds up. You don’t have to always do all the things all at one time.
Also one of my favorite healthy tips for the holiday season has more to do with your mindset than what you eat and it’s this:
When you focus on positivity, more positivity comes into your life. So when you slip up over the holidays and indulge in something that isn’t “perfect” — don’t beat yourself up too much. Find the positivity in the situation and focus on that. Maybe you only had one cookie instead of the three you might usually have. Yay for you! Celebrate that amazing feat, girlfriend, and watch how much easier it is to whip out that willpower next time.
So, while you don’t want to bring an ounce of shame or guilt to your diet (during the holidays or ever!) you also want to avoid holiday weight gain, right? Nobody wants to look down on January 1st and see a bunch of extra weight they now need to lose.
But, while weight gain during holidays can be a problem. It may not be as big of a problem as you might think. There are a few older studies that indicate average weight gain during holidays is anywhere from .48 to .66 kgs (more than one pound). (1,2)
Which is great news, depending on how you look at it. This means that most people, even when they indulge a little bit, are not gaining 5, 10, or 20 pounds. They are only gaining a pound or so. That’s not ideal, especially if you’re seeing that weight gain accumulate over the course of several years — but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle to shed that weight if you’re only trying to lose one pound.
Now, I know you might be reading this and thinking, “One pound? Seriously? That has not been my experience over the holidays! I gain way more than that.”
And that is likely because you’re in perimenopause or menopause, a time when your fluctuating sex hormones and cortisol and insulin are wreaking havoc on your weight.
So all you have to do is walk by a room filled with baked goods and suddenly you can’t button your jeans. All of the research in the world can’t invalidate your personal experience. And I know, because it’s been my personal experience, too.
This is why I like to lean heavily on my Keto-Green® Shake. It’s a powerful superfood blend that’s packed with ingredients that help support your body and keep you feeling full for hours. It helps deliver nutrients that most menopausal women are lacking in, and that in turn works some serious magic in the weight loss department.
When it comes to healthy holiday eating tips, again, I believe in balance. Some recipes might be worth slipping a little on your diet this year. After all, food is a big part of bonding with your family and friends — and that’s important.
But other recipes might benefit from substitutions you won’t even notice — so you can enjoy traditional flavors without compromising your health.
Here are a couple of easy substitutions that will lighten up your holiday foods without subtracting flavor:
The important thing to remember during the holidays is balance and moderation. So often, we’re taught to try to be perfect 99% of the time so we lose our minds when faced with foods we love but we know aren’t great for us.
But instead, if you approach eating from a place of balance, you allow yourself grace. You can understand that you don’t need to eat sackfuls of cookies because it’s your one and only chance to indulge.
How do you do that?
Don’t let yourself get too hungry. Nourish your body with healthy fats, vegetables, and protein so you aren’t starving when the tray of goodies is passed around. My favorite preemptive strategy is to make sure I’m drinking at least one serving a day of my Keto-Green® Shake. It’s packed with so many nutrient-dense foods that I never feel starved or have out-of-control cravings. It helps me stay balanced so I can say “yes” to the foods I choose to indulge in and “no” to overeating sweets.
And remember this: one small slice of pie tastes just as good as two huge slices. If you truly savor and enjoy your meal, you don’t need to eat more to feel satisfied.
When we’re thinking about holiday health advice, it’s important to not forget about your mental health.
The holidays can be a difficult time for so many people. It’s not always all about holly-jolly festivities for everyone, every year. If that’s you this year, be sure to give yourself space and grace.
And then there’s the stress and strain that we all feel when it comes to the pressure of creating happy holiday memories for our families. The cooking, the planning, the shopping. It’s so much stress on your shoulders.
Bottom line: stress isn’t good for your mental health, your hormones, or your body. So how do you keep it at a minimum this time of year?
You have so much power to stay healthy during the holidays.
Just remember, as with any wellness tips for the holiday season, take the advice that feels right for you, leave the rest, and just enjoy yourself as much as you can.
My biggest takeaway? Don’t starve yourself in the name of weight loss. Keep your body nourished with high-quality foods and don’t skimp on the healthy fats!
I’m always rooting for you and wishing you the merriest holiday season ever.
But never fear, I’m here with some of my favorite, physician-approved special occasion-worthy low carb recipes for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday you may celebrate this time of year.
And remember, don’t stress out too much about making keto holiday dishes. The best keto holiday recipes are the ones you make with family and friends — the ones that make memories…not the ones that are “perfect!”
Healthy holiday cooking doesn’t have to be boring or bland. And healthy holiday foods can give you that feeling of nostalgia without putting your hormones into a tailspin or completely destroying the progress you’ve worked so hard to make over the year.
You can always try out your favorite traditional recipes and make some changes so they’re more Keto-Green® friendly.
Some of my go-to Keto-Green® cooking substitutions include:
The most important thing is to just have fun with it! What’s really meaningful is spending time with the ones you love in the kitchen.
You can also use some of the following easy, healthy holiday recipes and create your own new traditions.
Let’s start off with some healthy holiday treat recipes! Because let’s face it, the one thing most of think about when we start dreaming about the holidays is baking and sweets. Just me?
Depending on where you are in your health journey, you may decide this is the year where you forgo the low carb Christmas treats and indulge in the real thing. And that’s just fine, too. Sometimes a small indulgence is worth it. You can always just start back on your Keto-Green® path the next day!
But if you’re currently in a more conservative phase of your diet, I’ve rounded up my favorite healthy holiday baking recipes to share with you here. I’ve been tinkering with keto holiday dessert recipes for years, and these are my favorites.
Look no further for healthy holiday treats than these spectacular healthy holiday cookie recipes. Low carb recipes for cookies that actually taste good might seem impossible to find, but trust me, these will leave you wanting more.
These cookies are a classic healthy holiday dessert. With a fantastic gingery bite and a nice snap to their texture, I think they are fabulous even without icing. But you can always get the kiddos in on the fun and let them decorate these.
Keto Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
A list of low-carb Christmas dessert recipes wouldn’t be complete without these adorable raspberry thumbprint cookies. Topped with sugar-free preserves, they give your eyes something to feast on as well as your tastebuds. You’ll forget that they are dairy-free and gluten-free.
Classic Keto Shortbread Cookies
So simple, and so easy to customize, these shortbread cookies are the epitome of a cozy holiday treat. This is one of those holiday keto desserts you’ll make time and time again because they are just that good.
We all love our pumpkin pie when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I like to switch things up when it comes to my low carb pumpkin recipes. Here are a few of my favorite healthy holiday dessert recipes for Christmas that aren’t your typical pumpkin. Your family will surely love them too.
This recipe is seriously one of those low carb dessert recipes that’s even better than the original! Without a drop of dairy, this ice “cream” is a crowd-pleaser — especially if you just had pumpkin pie for turkey day and want to try something different.
My Famous Keep-You-Full Pumpkin Smoothie
I just love this smoothie during the holiday season. It’s one of my go-to keto friendly holiday recipes and it makes the ideal on-the-go meal when you’re shopping all day and don’t have time (or desire!) to cook. Just throw everything in the blender and go.
This pumpkin pie comes together like magic. And with no crust to hassle with, it’s a quick and easy healthy holiday recipe you’ll find yourself turning to every year. It’s so simple, yet so tasty and ideal for sharing with those who may not have dietary restrictions…they’ll never know the difference!
No matter what you make for your traditional holiday dinner, the sides are where it’s at when it comes to keeping things Keto-Green® and satisfying. You have so many amazing low carb recipes for vegetables to choose from, but here are some of my favorite keto holiday side dishes.
This tops the list of my favorite healthy holiday green bean recipes. Maybe you’re familiar with the classic green bean casserole made with the condensed soup from a can and the fried onions on top. This is a major upgrade from that highly inflammatory recipe — and it tastes phenomenal.
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you, this is one of my favorite healthy holiday vegetable dishes. You know I couldn’t make a list of low carb holiday side dishes without including one of the best low carb recipes for cauliflower, hands down. This might be my all-time favorite healthy holiday recipe.
This is one of the most delicious and nutritious low carb Christmas sides. This is the kind of healthy vegan holiday recipe that makes even the biggest carnivores happy. Just try to stop the family from going back for seconds.
When it comes to low carb Christmas dinner recipes, the main course is the easy part. Of course, you could do turkey again. But here are a couple of options if you want to try something a little different this year.
To me, this is one of the all-time best keto recipes for Christmas dinner. Salmon is such a nutritional powerhouse because it’s full of anti-inflammatory Omega 3s. And when you cook it like this, it feeds a crowd easily and makes for a nice presentation.
This recipe is at the top of my list of favorite low carb Christmas meals. I love how easily it comes together, the traditional flavors, and the way it feeds everyone so simply. No fussing or basting here. Just pop it in the oven and in less than hour, dinner is served!
Think you can’t enjoy some fun holiday beverages while trying to stay in ketosis? Think again. These keto holiday drink recipes will tempt your taste buds and put you in a holiday spirit.
If you want to taste the definition of cozy, start a fire in the fireplace and sip on this “mulled” wine. It’s my favorite indulgence this time of year.
Not all keto-friendly drinks have to contain alcohol, right? This simple, nutrition-packed shake is full of the flavors of the season without all the sugar that usually gets paired with said flavors. I like to sip on this for breakfast or have it as a power snack when I have a lot of shopping to do and errands to run this time of year. Plus, it’s the perfect festive color!
Don’t worry, I didn’t forget to include healthy holiday breakfast recipes on this list of my favorite healthy holiday recipes. Because finding that perfect breakfast to enjoy on Christmas morning after opening presents is one of the best parts of the big day, right?
A special day calls for a special breakfast, and this is one of the best low carb Christmas brunch recipes I’ve ever had. You’ll want to make this again and again. The best part is, it can bake while you’re preoccupied around the tree and then everyone can enjoy a nice warm slice.
When it comes to a keto breakfast, eggs are simply the best. But this recipe makes it easy to make eggs for a crowd and get in a ton of veggies at the same time, too.
I hope I’ve proved to you that keto holiday meals do not have to be boring, bland, or lacking in traditional flavors. With just a little bit of flexibility, you can enjoy all the fun of the season’s eatings without the added inflammation and blood sugar spike.
Plus, you won’t have to start off the new year way behind on your health goals if you substitute even a few of your high-sugar, gluten-filled holiday foods with some keto holiday recipes.
Once you’ve indulged in a few good healthy holiday recipes from this list, let’s get together for a reset in the new year. I’m hosting a totally FREE challenge starting January 8th to help you get back on track and find your hormone sweet spot. No crazy cleanses, just real, whole foods, expert guidance, and lots of good friends.
Click here to save your place!
Let’s drop those post-holiday cravings and get refreshed together.
]]>Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love spending time with my family, slowing down and enjoying each other’s company.
It reminds me of when I was growing up and how my parents opened our house to everyone – friends, relatives, neighbors and strangers.
We had a huge Thanksgiving meal, which always included my dad’s recipe for perfectly-cooked turkey in a paper bag. Then there was the delicious Portuguese stuffing with linguica and chorizo sausages, the turnip stuffing, and my mother’s delicious pies! She would make the best apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. I can practically taste them as I’m thinking about them – sooo good! LOL
It’s hard to resist all the family favorite recipes around the holidays. However, indulging too much in foods that are rich in dairy or loaded with gluten can cause inflammation in the body, setting off a cascade of hormonal symptoms.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little planning, you can still enjoy Thanksgiving and other holidays with delicious food while keeping your hormones in check.
After all, Thanksgiving is so much more than just the food. Togetherness is what it’s really about.
You can make healthy, wholesome meals together as a family activity. Lots of good conversations, hugs and spending time in the kitchen together gives you a big dose of vitamin “O” or oxytocin, the love and bonding hormone.
It can be tempting to save calories for the main Thanksgiving meal and skip eating until dinner. However, you can keep yourself alkaline and in ketosis if you give your body the right nutrients before the big event.
My Keto-Green Protein Shake gives you superfoods like spirulina, wheat grass, and flax seeds to reduce inflammation and support healthy blood sugar, along with protein to curb cravings. Mix it up with a scoop of Mighty Maca to give you energy and support your hormones.
The easiest way to stay keto-green and also keep your metabolism high is to drink water – plain and simple, or with a little lemon, lime or orange squeezed into it for flavor.
Research shows that water increases your body’s ability to burn calories, it’s a natural appetite suppressant, and it removes waste from the body to help support weight loss. Ideally, you sip water throughout the day, and consume at least half your body weight in ounces of pure water daily (but not with meals, so that you don’t dilute your digestive juices).
If you want to have a drink during Thanksgiving, it’s better to go for a pure distilled spirit such as plain vodka or tequila with water and lime juice, rather than wine which has a lot more sugar in it.
Try my tasty Te-Keto cocktail recipe!
Tequila and potato vodka have quite a low glycemic index, so they can be enjoyed for the occasional refreshing cocktail without kicking you out of ketosis. With New Years Eve festivities coming up, you can find me drinking this delicious cocktail. Sometimes I add a zing by muddling in a fresh jalapeño slice and fresh ginger.
I’ve given some of my favorite dishes a makeover, changing them into keto-green recipes. Try these out for your Thanksgiving meal or any other holiday gatherings you have planned during the season.
Creamy Artichoke Dip (Dairy Free)
This creamy dip is still Keto-Green friendly, even though it might not taste like it. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and totally delicious. A real crowd pleaser.
Instead of snacking on potato chips, try these vitamin-rich, keto greens! Crisped kale is a fun way to enjoy a crunchy, savory snack while also getting a serving of greens in your day.
Thanksgiving Turkey in a Paper Bag
My parent’s version of turkey cooked in a paper bag uses an orange and lemon, along with spices, to give it a delicious flavor and aroma. The paper bag keeps the bird moist and juicy without drying it out.
What’s turkey without the gravy? This gluten-free version gives you the richness and flavor without any of the inflammatory ingredients that make you feel bad after indulging.
Crispy pancetta, flakes of toasted coconut, and crunchy pine nuts give this dish lots of texture and flavor! Mixed in with bright green beans, it’s tangy crowd-pleaser that takes almost no time to make.
Swap out the mashed potatoes for this creamy, dreamy and keto-friendly side of cauliflower. You’ll love the taste and you’ll love how you feel afterwards, too!
This simple, crunchy salad is full of flavor and easy to prepare. It makes a perfect contrast from other rich and heavy dishes typical to the holiday season.
Yes, you can be keto-green and have chocolate, too! My brother, Robert, is a chocolate chef and he created this delicious recipe with two of my favorites – chocolate and Mighty Maca! This decadent truffle has hints of lemon, lime, cinnamon, spices and more.
This guilt-free chocolate drink is from my friend, Leanne Ely, of Saving Dinner. Stay cozy and enjoy this silky beverage for dessert.
Low-Carb Cashew Coconut Clusters
If you like something more salty and crunchy with your sweet treats, you will love this simple nut cluster recipe from Leanne Vogel at Healthful Pursuit.
You can stock your pantry with Mighty Maca Plus and add it to your morning routine as well as recipes. My superfood powder promotes detoxification, alkalizes the body, increases energy, and supports digestion and hormone balance.
My Keto-Green Protein shake is a great way to stay fueled without feeling weighed down. It is packed with nutrients that support energy, focus, healthy digestion and reduce hunger cravings.
]]>While I wish I could wrap you in a giant hug right now, this article will have to suffice.
I hope this information helps you find peace if you feel like you’ve lost your way — and gets you back to feeling like yourself again, quickly.
If you’ve reached this article because you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts, call SAMSHA’s hotline at 800-662-4357. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental health crises and/or substance use disorders. You can also visit their website here.
Struggles with mental health in menopause are real.
For one thing, many women experience difficulty sleeping when they hit perimenopause and beyond. (1) And lack of quality sleep can certainly mess with your mood.
Then there are the changes to your physique like weight gain and hair loss that can also really mess with your confidence and your mood, too.
But it’s not just the bouts of sleepless nights and growing midsection that affect your mental health in menopause.
You see, even the slightest change in hormone levels can affect your mood. And in menopause, large changes in your hormones are occurring. That means your hormones could be causing you to feel:
This is why we need to talk about mental health and menopause. Because it’s not you. It’s your hormones. Which is great news, because that means you have tools at your fingertips that can help you feel like yourself again. I’ll cover all of those in this article, so keep reading!
Can menopause cause depression and anxiety? Absolutely. Studies indicate that menopause is associated with higher rates of both anxiety and depression in women. (2-5)
In fact, by some estimates, depression and anxiety in menopause affect up to 50% of women. (6)
So, we know that the menopause and depression are often related. Perimenopausal depression and postmenopausal depression are common as well. Research indicates you’re most likely to experience depression while you’re going through the menopausal transition and just after you’ve stopped getting your period for an entire year. (6) This is an extremely long time frame, just to be clear. Some women begin experiencing perimenopause as early as age 35 and may not experience true menopause until they are over 50 years old.
Menopause depression symptoms are often very similar to the symptoms women chalk up to menopause.
That means symptoms like:
Could actually be depression that’s being caused by changes to your hormone levels. If you’re experiencing these kinds of symptoms, and especially if they last for more than 2 weeks, it’s important to consider the fact that it could be more than just a menopausal mood swing.
Anxiety in menopause is very similar to depression, in that a lot of women in the menopausal transition experience it, and yet they just think “Well, that’s how things are for women my age.”
But I’m here to tell you — while menopause and anxiety may go hand in hand, this is not something you just have to deal with.
Let’s talk about what menopause anxiety feels like, because there seems to be some confusion about the word ‘anxiety.’ Anxiety doesn’t have to be a panic attack or a full-blown meltdown.
Anxiety and menopause symptoms include:
Some women specifically complain about menopause anxiety in the morning. They feel most tense and worried when they first wake up.
Since so many of the common symptoms of menopause include depression and anxiety symptoms, you may not be surprised to learn that what helps anxiety during menopause is exactly what helps you feel better in menopause, to begin with.
Here are some of the most important facets of a battle plan to keep your mental health in check during menopause.
Yes, research indicates that what you eat can affect your mental health. (8,9)
Ideally, a good diet for depression is one that includes:
It’s also important to limit processed foods, flours, and refined sugars when you’re trying to minimize mental health struggles in menopause. These types of foods can encourage inflammation, which only serves to complicate mental health conditions and hormonal issues.
If you’re looking for a great diet that’s ideal for both menopause and mental health, be sure to check out my book, The Hormone Fix for a complete, easy-to-follow plan with tons of simple recipes.
If there’s one magic pill for your hormones and your mental health, it’s exercise. Which is one of those really difficult things for many women with mental health issues. Because who feels like exercising when you’re sad, anxious, exhausted, or frustrated?
Here’s the thing though. If you can muster up the strength to get your body moving, if you can just move through the pain and the sadness, it can create a ripple effect that will impact your body, your mind, and your mood.
Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone. It’s a hormone of connection. And it’s a very powerful force in your body.
You can experience a wave of oxytocin simply by hugging someone for more than a few seconds, cuddling, or having sex.
When you prioritize those moments of joy and connection with other humans you love, the oxytocin created opposes inflammation, and cortisol — and as a result makes you feel more relaxed and happy. Basically, when you’re under the influence of oxytocin, it’s harder for those depression and anxiety chemicals to get a hold of your brain.
At the root of this mental health in menopause struggle is usually your waning levels of sex hormones.
When you’re ovulating regularly, and you’re getting your period, your hormones, especially progesterone and estrogen, are in good supply.
But as your cycle becomes more sporadic and your hormone levels drop as a result…your whole body feels the difference, including your brain. For example, progesterone is usually a calming force in your body and your brain. So without plentiful amounts of this hormone circulating regularly, other hormones like cortisol can go unchecked and contribute to those feelings of depression and anxiety in menopause.
There are a few ways to help encourage the production of your hormones when your ovaries stop providing an ample supply of them.
Make sure you’re leveraging the power of your adrenal glands. When your adrenals are even slightly compromised — due to stress, lack of sleep, too much caffeine, or even too little exercise, they focus on producing cortisol. And as we’ve seen, cortisol is the enemy of mental health in menopause.
So you want to make sure you’re nourishing and supporting your adrenals so they can focus on producing sex hormones and DHEA, which gets turned into hormones by your body. In this way, your body can sort of make up for the fact that your ovaries are churning out fewer sex hormones. And you can feel much more like yourself as a result.
I touched on this earlier, but progesterone is a hormone that is typically produced by your body after you ovulate. If you’re not ovulating, that means you’re getting less progesterone than your body and your brain like to have circulating.
Progesterone is really an important hormone for mental health because it calms everything down. It helps oppose cortisol if your adrenals are in cortisol-production mode.
And progesterone also helps oppose estrogen. Here’s the really crazy thing about estrogen. Yes, in menopause your levels of estrogen are declining. But, in a lot of women, progesterone declines even more than estrogen does. So you start to see estrogen dominance, even in women going through perimenopause. Estrogen dominance can make you feel angry, irritated, and cranky.
This is why it’s important to encourage your body’s production of progesterone by eating plenty of healthy fats, and making sure you get lots of magnesium and vitamin C in your diet.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that your body uses to synthesize other hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Because DHEA is a building block for your sex hormones, by supporting the production of this crucial hormone, you can give your body what it needs to churn out hormones when your ovaries are producing less.
How do you encourage DHEA? You can make sure you’re exercising regularly, and eating lots of those healthy fats in foods like wild-caught salmon, avocados, and olive oil.
The Menopause Kit takes your toughest menopause struggles and gives your body support in all the right ways to promote adrenal health, progesterone, and DHEA — naturally.
Instead of pumping your body full of synthetic hormones, The Menopause Kit helps give your body the building blocks it needs to make its own again.
When you’re suffering and in the depths of mental health struggles, sometimes your body just needs a little extra support to get to a place where you can focus on eating the right foods and getting plenty of exercise.
I designed The Menopause Kit with herbs, natural ingredients, and bioidentical hormones to give you that support.
Learn more about The Menopause Kit here.
My wish is for no woman to struggle with mental health in menopause. Having been through the depths of mental health challenges myself, I know how lost and isolated you feel.
Please know you are not alone, and I hope you remember that you are worthy of feeling like your best self, no matter what.
Because if you know why something happens, you’ve got a better chance at preventing it, stopping it at its source, right?
Let’s explore the connection between weight gain, menopause, and belly fat so you can stop that process in its tracks…and enjoy having a flat tummy again.
Tell me if this sounds familiar: you pull out your jeans from last fall and…they don’t button. You went up a size last year, and you just can’t bear to buy another size up, so you resign yourself to wearing stretchy pants for the rest of your life. Maybe you can try to hide your midsection with flowy shirts and layers forever?
The biggest place you’ve put on pounds? Right in your midsection. For the most part, your wrists and ankles look exactly the same — but your tummy is less than ideal. Trust me, girlfriend, I’ve been there, done that, and gotten the Girl Scout badge.
When you look around, you see tons of other women going through the same phenomenon too.
But why is that? Why does weight gain caused by menopause so predictably come in the form of belly fat?
Well, as with most things in menopause, it’s all to do with your changing hormone levels.
Hormones are the main culprit when it comes to menopause and putting on weight. And that’s exactly why you’ve been cutting calories and exercising more, but seeing very little progress on the scale.
Problem is, balancing hormones during menopause gets tricky. Your body is trying to prepare to stop ovulating, and that means critical hormone levels are taking a nosedive.
So does that mean belly fat in menopause is inevitable? After all, if your hormones are causing the sudden weight gain in menopause, what are you supposed to do about it?
Girlfriend, let me assure you — you can get this menopause and belly weight gain under control.
Here’s how.
The first thing we need to look at is the relationship between cortisol and weight. Unfortunately, high cortisol and weight gain go hand in hand. What’s more, cortisol typically rises in menopause. (1)
You see, cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands, mostly in response to stressors in the body. And when your adrenal glands sense that your hormone levels are changing due to menopause, that is a signal of stress for them. So they start dumping out cortisol in response.
Cortisol also plays a role in how your body metabolizes food and plays a role in helping you get to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. (2) That means that when your cortisol levels go high, your sleep can be affected — which in turn causes weight gain. Then there are the night sweats and random bouts of insomnia that interrupt your sleep during menopause, too. It’s a recipe for gaining weight.
It’s also worth mentioning that many women in their menopausal years find that they are under extra stress at work, with aging parents, and children that might still need quite a bit of parenting. This all causes an increase in stress, and therefore cortisol production.
You’ve also got to remember that when your adrenals are feeling stressed out, they have to choose cortisol production over sex hormone production. That means your hormone levels take a nosedive even faster than they would if your adrenals could provide a little bit of backup support.
Basically, it’s a negative feedback loop…one that leaves you feeling very tired and with extra pounds accumulating on your midsection.
Also related to cortisol, insulin is another major factor when it comes to weight gain.
As you age, you naturally become less insulin-sensitive. That means it’s harder for your body to naturally use the food you eat as fuel. It’s more likely to get turned into sugar that keeps circulating in your body.
The result?
Weight gain. And eventually, if left unchecked, diabetes. Plus an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and dementia too.
Insulin resistance can also contribute to the feelings of extreme fatigue many women experience during menopause.
Insulin resistance is one of those tricky problems to deal with. Just like with high cortisol, it creates a negative feedback loop with your weight, especially weight gain in menopause. More extra weight means more insulin resistance, and more insulin resistance leads to more extra weight.
So, how do we put a stop to this nonsense? There are two important things you’ve got to do.
Let’s go over both.
Whether we like it or not, in menopause, cortisol typically goes higher. And when that happens, your body thinks it needs to hold onto weight around your central organs — to protect itself. (3) High cortisol also contributes to insulin resistance, (4) which we’ll talk some more in a moment.
Which means that if you want to stop the production of too much cortisol hormone and the weight gain that follows — you’ve got to take care of your adrenals. They’re the organ that produces cortisol.
How do you do that?
The simplest thing to do is prioritize getting adaptogens like maca into your life (they help your adrenals ‘adapt’ to stressors and get back to producing sex hormones instead of cortisol).
It’s also important to make sure you get plenty of quality sleep and exercise daily. Both of these things help to counteract cortisol in a powerful way.
And remember that it’s OK to say “no.” Turn down the stress in your life wherever you can. Take time for yourself and do things that you love regularly. Try meditating, exercising, or journaling.
One of the most important things you can do to help reduce your blood sugar and insulin resistance is to eat plenty of vegetables and healthy fats.
I outline exactly how to eat to deal with insulin resistance in my book, The Hormone Fix. I also have dozens of resources on my website that can help you learn how to eat in my signature Keto-Green® style, which is an ideal menopause diet for weight loss.
Ideally, you want to keep your simple carbs low, your healthy vegetable fats high, and your protein moderate. This combination of foods breaks through insulin resistance and also helps you to support your hormones from every angle.
For an easy way to have a meal with the *perfect* Keto-Green® macros, try my Keto-Green® protein shake.
Another thing you can do to help control insulin resistance is to start resistance training a few times a week. As you age, your muscle mass tends to shrink….and muscle is fantastic at helping increase insulin sensitivity. You can build muscle with bodyweight exercises or free weights.
Ultimately, if you want to reduce belly fat in menopause, you’ve got to:
And girlfriend, don’t feel guilty prioritizing yourself! It’s important to take time for those oxytocin moments, reduce your stress, and sleep as much as you need to (most women need about 7-9 hours per night).
You are so much more than your weight. And I honestly believe that you are beautiful and worthy no matter what size jeans you wear! But the reality is that weight gain around the middle can lead to some serious health conditions like diabetes and heart disease — and I definitely don’t want that for you.
Always remember that you have so much power to change your health!
Which is why I’m writing this article. From hot flashes to mental health, menopause can be brutal. Adding misinformation to the mix isn’t helping anyone.
In fact, myths about menopause keep women from getting the help they need during this potentially difficult time. Allow me to set the record straight about menopause and the stigma surrounding the whole process.
The number one menopause myth I want to bust is that you just have to suffer through menopause. It’s so unfortunate that women have gotten this message over the years. But let me be perfectly clear. Menopause is mandatory. Suffering is optional.
You have so many tools at your disposal to help manage your menopause experience. Please, please, please, do not buy into this myth that menopause is just this horrible time in your life and you have to endure it and then when you come out on the other side, you’ll be this little old lady. Menopause can be a wonderful and beautiful experience — without all of the symptoms that typically come with it.
Let’s say you’ve been suffering from vaginal dryness, anxiety, poor sleep, hair loss, and fatigue. You finally schedule some time off, drive across town, and see your doctor. The doc just shakes his head, shrugs, says “That’s all just normal!” and suggests you go home, have a glass of wine, and relax.
This is not acceptable.
Unfortunately, most doctors, even OB/GYNs, do not get much training about menopause in medical school. By some accounts, fewer than 1 in 5 gynecologists receive training regarding menopause! (1) And while that desperately needs to change, in the meantime — if you don’t get answers from your regular doctor, please seek out a second opinion. You do not have to accept feeling less than 100% yourself just because you’re going through a hormonal change.
Did you know that “menopause” is technically only one day of your life? Yep, menopause is the term that refers to the one-year anniversary of your period disappearing. Technically, the time before that day is referred to as “perimenopause” and the time after that day is “postmenopause.”
However, most women typically use the term menopause to refer to the whole transitional phase, from perimenopause through postmenopause.
No matter what you call it, menopause does not have to be torture. When you support your hormones and your body the right way, it can be a smooth transition without much mayhem.
Many women believe that menopause and all the symptoms that come along with it just automatically start at age 50. This is not true for most women. In fact, some women begin to notice signs of menopause in their 30s. And many women start feeling the effects of waning sex hormones in their 40s.
The process of menopause can last many years, and the changes are often gradual. Menopause isn’t typically like the flip of a switch. It’s usually more of a process. Of course, if you have a hysterectomy, menopause can come on quite quickly and will start as soon as you have your surgery.
Many women have heard the horrors of menopausal hot flashes. They’ve heard women complain about being in the middle of a store and suddenly, they feel like they’re on fire — dripping sweat and unable to do anything about it.
So they wait for something catastrophic like that to happen before they seek answers.
Please, don’t do this.
Hormones are easier to balance when they are only slightly off-kilter. You don’t need to wait until you are completely miserable to get help. Noticing a little dryness or itching down there? Feel just a bit more tired than you usually do? Start supporting your hormones now — before things get out of hand.
This seems to be a question that a ton of women have, and I’m here to clarify things for you.
If you are still ovulating (for example, during perimenopause) you can still get pregnant. It might be harder for you to get pregnant during perimenopause because ovulation can be erratic during these years…but, you can get pregnant. That means if you do not want to get pregnant, you should use some form of birth control.
If you are not ovulating, and you haven’t had your period for more than a year (which means you’re officially postmenopausal), you cannot get pregnant.
We don’t talk about the effects that changing hormone levels have on your mental health nearly enough. Just know that if you have noticed heightened feelings of depression or anxiety during the menopausal transition — it could be your hormones.
Studies suggest the incidence of anxiety and depression is higher in women during menopause…and that’s not just for women who have already experienced mental health challenges. (2-5)
Plus, dealing with mood swings, brain fog, low energy, your hair falling out, and leaking pee every time you sneeze can also affect your mental health.
A lot of times, women are taught that their menopause symptoms are just no big deal. Hot flashes? How bad can those really be?
But here’s the thing. Maybe a few women experience hot flashes as an isolated symptom of menopause. But most of us have a whole cluster of symptoms that can range from weight gain to leaky bladder to depression. These are all serious things that seriously affect your health and your quality of life. They are not simply symptoms to be dismissed and brushed off.
Plus, even something like a hot flash can spell serious discomfort and take a toll on your health. For example, when hot flashes happen in the middle of the night, it can mean a major interruption in sleep — which again has serious consequences for your health.
Bottom line, instead of dismissing women’s suffering, let’s be more supportive and acknowledge just how difficult this time can be.
I hear this menopause myth often. Both women and men commonly seem to believe that once you’re menopausal, your sex life is done for. And I promise, that’s not the truth. You can have a thriving intimate relationship with your partner, even in menopause.
Yes, the vaginal dryness that shows up in menopause can put a damper on things, and your lack of libido may make things difficult…but, it is possible to restore both with the right combination of support.
Menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause can look very different in every woman. There are some symptoms that some women have a terrible time with, and other women just don’t experience them.
That means we have to be patient with others and believe them even if our experience differs from theirs. We can all use an extra dose of oxytocin at all times, but especially during the menopausal transition…so please, be kind.
Have you heard these myths about menopause before? Have you been suffering in silence, thinking that this is just how things are from now on?
Then it’s time you met the Ultimate Menopause Myth Buster: The Menopause Kit.
This special collection of my most popular products tackles menopause from every angle. It supports your hormones in a way that makes this whole menopausal transition feel way less frightening and much more empowered.
That’s right, I’ve combined the power of Julva®, Balance, and Mighty Maca® capsules into one easy-to-use package.
This combination can help make you:
Learn more about the Menopause Kit here.
That doesn’t mean you’ve got to just live with it, though. You deserve to sneeze in public without fear of peezing, girlfriend.
Let’s talk about the symptoms, causes, and solutions for urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is when your body ‘leaks’ urine. Sometimes, we refer to it as leaky bladder. It can look like an involuntary squirt when you put pressure on your pelvic floor by sneezing or coughing. It can also look like having to run to the bathroom often, or very quickly.
Here are the different types of urinary incontinence. (2)
Urge, or urgency incontinence is when you very suddenly feel an intense need to urinate, and you lose your bladder before you can make it to the bathroom.
Why do I pee when I cough? Why do I pee every time I sneeze? These are two of the big questions I hear from women in perimenopause and menopause. When this happens, this is what’s known as stress incontinence. In other words, stress incontinence is when you leak because there’s pressure on your pelvic floor from coughing, sneezing, or exertion.
Mixed urinary incontinence refers to a situation where you have a mixture of both stress and urge incontinence at the same time.
Functional incontinence happens when you can’t physically make it to the toilet (because you can’t walk there on your own, or you have another physical ailment causing your incontinence).
Overflow incontinence is when you can’t empty your bladder fully — so it overflows and you leak urine.
Women often complain to me that they are peeing 20 times a day or peeing a lot at night. This is what’s referred to as overactive bladder. Sometimes, the term overactive bladder is used interchangeably with urge incontinence.
Technically, overactive bladder is a term used to describe symptoms, and not an actual disease.
If you have an overactive bladder you may feel like you need to pee suddenly and very urgently. You may need to urinate often throughout the day. You may not necessarily have leaking, but sometimes overactive bladder and incontinence occur at the same time.
So, how do you know if you have urinary incontinence? The most common symptoms of urinary incontinence include:
The two most common types of incontinence — urge and stress incontinence — are related to low estrogen levels. In fact, research indicates 70% of women correlate the beginning of their urinary incontinence struggles with menopause. (3)
Another big cause of urinary incontinence is pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor dysfunction happens when the muscles of your pelvic floor become either too weak or too engaged. Pelvic floor weakness is also associated with lowered estrogen levels. It can also be tied to childbirth. (4)
As you age, your body stops preparing to get pregnant every month. You stop ovulating regularly. You stop getting your period as often, and your ovaries stop producing so much estrogen as a result.
Unfortunately, this drop in estrogen means your body starts to feel different in many ways. Think hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, and mood changes.
Your urethra, vagina, and vulva sorely miss the abundance of estrogen that marks your reproductive years. Once your body stops making plentiful amounts of estrogen, these tissues become thinner and dry out. This leads to those ‘menopause urinary tract infections’ and urinary incontinence. This is why for many women, bladder incontinence and menopause seem to go hand in hand.
Pelvic floor dysfunction, or pelvic floor disorder, is another common reason women experience menopausal urinary incontinence.
Your pelvic floor is the set of muscles that sit at the base of your pelvis. The pelvic floor muscles form a kind of hammock that helps “hold up” your internal organs, including your bladder. (5)
Your vagina, your urethra (the duct that moves urine out of your body), and your anus (the opening that moves solid waste out of your body) all pass through the pelvic floor. When the pelvic floor is strong and stable, these three structures all puncture the pelvic floor like a straw does the lid of a fast-food soda cup. When the pelvic floor is weak and wobbly, your urethra isn’t held up properly — and that’s when urine can leak through.
Just like your vaginal and vulvar tissues, the pelvic floor relies on estrogen to stay at its best. So when menopause causes estrogen levels to drop, the pelvic floor suffers. (6)
Women who have delivered a baby (especially more than one baby) are also apt to suffer from pelvic floor disorders. (7)
For some women, pelvic floor therapy (a type of physical therapy for the pelvic floor) and/or Kegels can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and abate the symptoms of urinary incontinence.
These urinary incontinence exercises can be done pretty easily in the comfort of your own home.
While urinary incontinence is very common, especially as we age, it is not a “normal” or “required” part of aging.
This is a misconception that often keeps women from searching for relief — because they think there’s nothing you can do about it. We often shy away from talking about urinary incontinence because it can get embarrassing. But the more we share, the more everyone benefits.
Peeing when you cough is not something you just have to live with. And urinary incontinence treatment doesn’t have to involve synthetic hormones, either.
In fact, thousands of women have found relief from their fear of sneezing in public with Julva® — my patented “down there” cream that supports the body’s natural production of estrogen.
Because it’s formulated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a natural bioidentical precursor to estrogen, it gives your body the building blocks it needs to start pumping up estrogen production again. This leaves your vagina and vulva feeling restored and juicy. And it can even help you when it comes to exercising without fear of peeing your pants.
Remember when I said earlier that 70% of women correlate their incontinence to the onset of menopause? That’s because your tissues down there need estrogen to feel their best. When you apply Julva® to your vulva, those tissues absorb that DHEA goodness, and then your body uses that DHEA to make estrogen. The potential increase in estrogen helps your tissues feel strong again, and that helps your bladder and urethra feel happy again.
Pair Julva® with a few Kegels for pelvic floor strength, and there will be no stopping you!
If you want to get more of these superfoods into your daily routine, you could go pick them up at your local health food store or supermarket. I have several recipes on my blog that call for superfoods that will make a difference in how you experience menopause symptoms.
But the easiest way to eat more of these superfoods is to try one of my specially-formulated products:
My Keto-Green Protein shake gives you a daily dose of flax seed, spirulina, MCT, along with other superfoods like ginger, wheat grass, and glutamine. Drinking one of my all-in-one meal replacement shakes per day helps aid weight loss, relieve hot flashes, balance hormones and mood, and supports healthy digestion and removes toxins.
Mighty Maca Plus includes the highest quality Peruvian maca root, turmeric, green tea, along with chlorella, mangosteen, and pomegranate. This delicious green drink helps improve energy and stamina, improves metabolism and digestion, and soothes hot flashes and mood swings.
With my Girlfriend Doctor Bundle, you can try both, along with my best selling Julva® V cream, and get extra support in The Girlfriend Doctor Club.
You have so much power over how your menopause story gets written.
So let’s look at the earliest signs of menopause, which include vaginal dryness, missed periods, sleep troubles, weight gain, headaches, and insulin resistance. I’ll show you why these symptoms crop up and how you can mitigate the effect they have on your life by getting to the root of the problem.
So what are the first signs of menopause? How do you know when menopause starts? I get this question all the time from younger women looking to prepare themselves and women who are wondering if the subtle symptoms they’ve been experiencing point to menopause as the culprit.
Here are some of the early signs of menopause:
As you can see, these first signs of menopause might not be anything to cause alarm. You might not even think to mention it to your doctor if your period one month is 6 days long and the next month it only lasts 4 days.
But here’s the thing, girlfriend. Once you start to see these small, subtle changes, they won’t just disappear on their own. Your hormone levels will only keep declining as you age and your ovaries stop ovulating and cycling. Which means your symptoms will only continue to worsen if you don’t work on actively supporting your body through this transition.
And — it’s important to note that you may even see these signs of early menopause in your 30s.
For the purposes of this article, when I say “early menopause” I mean early symptoms of normal menopause, not primary ovarian insufficiency, which is sometimes used interchangeably with the term early menopause which is also confused with the term premature menopause. (1)
If you hit menopause (the one-year anniversary of not having a period) at age 45 or older, that is considered ‘normal,’ but the average age for menopause is 51. If you experience menopause before age 45, it could be a result of primary ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause, or the result of having a hysterectomy.
Menopause can seriously affect your quality of life, that much we know for sure. But why? What causes menopause symptoms? There are a few reasons, which I’ll talk about in more detail below — but a few of the main causes of menopause symptoms are:
First, let’s talk about how low estrogen in menopause can cause those early signs of menopause.
Declining estrogen levels are one of the ways you know your body is entering its ‘menopause era.’ And it’s that lowered estrogen that’s to blame for many of the classic menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes, low libido, mood changes, fatigue, and vaginal atrophy.
There are estrogen receptors all over your body, and some women also experience low estrogen joint pain in menopause, too.
One of the earliest signs of menopause (and one of the most unwelcome) caused by lowered estrogen is vaginal dryness. Vaginal dryness in perimenopause and menopause is extremely common. Because your vagina and vulva rely on estrogen to stay juicy and moist, when estrogen starts to disappear — so does the moisture and plumpness of your tissues down there.
When estrogen is low, it’s important to naturally support your body’s production of this crucial hormone. You can do this by making sure you’re eating a variety of vitamin and mineral-packed foods, as well as supplementing with Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) — your body’s precursor to estrogen.
Just as your estrogen starts to wane when menopause begins, so does your progesterone. During your more fertile years, your body produces most of its progesterone after you ovulate. (2)
Progesterone is a natural calming force in your body. Progesterone serves as a balancing presence to estrogen. (3)
And as you start ovulating less frequently, that monthly boost of progesterone your body has come to expect doesn’t arrive. Hence, you can experience a whole range of uncomfortable symptoms. Things get worse when your progesterone drops so low it can’t keep estrogen in check. This results in a situation known as estrogen dominance, and yes, even women in perimenopause and menopause can experience it.
When progesterone is low, it’s important to make sure that your diet includes a wide variety of plant foods that include healthy fats, magnesium, and vitamins. Your body needs all of these nutrients to make progesterone.
It’s also important to support your adrenals during this time. Your adrenals are like a backup generator for your sex hormones. When your ovaries aren’t producing to their fullest capacity, your adrenals can step in and lend a little helping hand that can make a huge difference in how you feel.
While we’re on the subject, let’s talk a little more in-depth about your adrenals and how they impact your earliest menopause symptoms.
For one, as I mentioned above, your adrenals can step in and give you a little boost in the hormone-producing department…but that’s only if they’re not busy pumping out cortisol.
If you’re under stress due to your job or your family responsibilities…that can make your adrenals forget their helpful directive to produce sex hormones and simply dump cortisol (the stress hormone) into your body. That in turn leads to that classic menopause cortisol weight gain around your midsection.
It’s not just stress from external sources that causes your cortisol levels to rise, either. Your body can signal your adrenals to produce cortisol if it senses any sort of stress. (4) Examples of stress could include lowered levels of sex hormones, or too much or too little exercise.
Increased cortisol could also amplify the symptoms of low progesterone and low estrogen, like hot flashes and depression. (5,6)
What’s more, cortisol plays an important role in blood sugar regulation. So when your cortisol levels are high, it can contribute to insulin resistance, a situation that leads to weight gain and, if left unchecked, diabetes.
This is why it’s so important to keep your adrenals happy and your menopause cortisol levels under control.
Another of the earliest menopause signs could be trouble with your blood sugar. As we explored above, your adrenal health and cortisol can be a factor here.
But your diet and exercise are crucial for maintaining insulin sensitivity too.
How do you know if you’re veering into insulin-resistance territory? That’s one of the challenging parts of this equation. The signs are often subtle until things are nearly out of control. And unless you get a specific test from your doctor (and a lot of doctors aren’t necessarily testing for your fasting insulin or A1C levels) you may not realize you’ve developed insulin resistance until it’s too late.
This is one of the reasons I always encourage the addition of fiber to your diet. Fiber can help your body manage blood sugar and also helps you lose weight, which in turn improves your insulin sensitivity. It really is a nutritional powerhouse and it also helps you feel fuller, longer.
Researchers are starting to believe that when your estrogen levels drop in menopause, that it leads to an increase in inflammation in your body. (7)
Inflammation is a driver of disease and is associated with increased risk for just about every disease known to mankind.
This is why it’s important to watch what you eat and try to consume as many anti-inflammatory compounds as you possibly can, like turmeric, flax, and antioxidants found in vegetables.
Magnesium is crucial for more than 300+ functions in your body. And one of those crucial biochemical reactions is the support of hormone production. Your body cannot produce estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone without magnesium — and a lot of women aren’t getting enough of it.
Magnesium is found in foods like spinach, which is why I included plenty of that leafy green goodness in my Menopause Kit.
While it may seem like you’ve got to manage so much when it comes to beating those early signs of menopause, I’ve made things a little bit easier for you.
I’ve bundled together my top 3 menopause management tools into a Menopause Kit so you can get everything under control simply.
It includes everything you need to support your menopausal body from every single possible angle.
The Menopause Kit combines:
This kit makes it so simple to support your body naturally, in every possible way. If you’ve noticed a few of the earliest signs of menopause cropping up, now is the time to stop them in their tracks *before* they get worse.
Learn more about the Menopause Kit here.
It’s time we have a chat about perimenopause, girlfriend. Because the signs perimenopause could be visiting you range from subtle to downright harsh. And they can start a lot earlier than you may think.
From cycle changes to vaginal atrophy, let’s talk about the signs of perimenopause and how you can make this time of transition more comfortable.
Perimenopause is defined as the time before menopause. The prefix “peri” means “about” or “around.” For some women, perimenopause starts as early as age 35. For other women, symptoms start later, between 4 to 10 years before menopause.
Perimenopause is often when progesterone levels start to drop, as ovulation becomes more unpredictable. This decrease in progesterone (and other sex hormones including estrogen and testosterone) causes a whole host of frustrating symptoms, which we’ll discuss in depth in this article.
Menopause is the official one-year anniversary of not getting your period for an entire year. The average age of menopause is 51. (1) But some women go through menopause early, and others hit menopause because they have a hysterectomy.
So menopause is technically just one day of your life. But there are often many, many years that lead up to this event. And many different symptoms that manifest during this time. These years are known as perimenopause stages, or the stages of menopause.
Because it’s not usually as if your body just shuts off your ovaries one day. It typically is a process that occurs over time.
While we used to recognize that the age for perimenopause was just a few years before menopause, we now realize that some women begin to experience the symptoms of perimenopause much earlier than that.
The perimenopause age range is between anywhere from 35-51. Many women commonly report feeling many of the symptoms of perimenopause at 44.
For some women, the first signs of perimenopause may be subtle, as perimenopause estrogen levels begin to change.
Other women get hit with horrible perimenopause symptoms from migraines to hot flashes. Because these symptoms are so wide-ranging, they are often dismissed by healthcare providers as “just PMS” or “just a part of aging.”
The symptoms of perimenopause are so diverse, that it often looks different in every woman.
In general, the first clues you may be experiencing perimenopause are often changes in your:
As you can see, many women in the beginning stages of perimenopause often experience symptoms that mimic other things. For example, you may feel depressed or anxious — and this could be due to perimenopause hormone levels. So it’s important to discuss this possibility with your doctor if you’re over the age of 35 and you start feeling “off.”
Perimenopause period changes are one of the big signs of perimenopause. Perimenopause periods can be super unpredictable. But also, some women’s periods stay exactly the same and they notice other symptoms of perimenopause.
In perimenopause, you may notice:
Perimenopause spotting is also a common symptom of perimenopause. However, spotting in between periods can also be a sign of something else, like fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or even cancer. So be sure to discuss this with your doctor if you experience spotting in perimenopause.
Also, if you’re in perimenopause and spotting when wiping, be sure to determine if you’re actually spotting (bleeding from your vagina) or bleeding because your vulva is dry and your toilet tissue is causing tiny tears and slight bleeding.
Gaining weight in perimenopause seems like something almost every woman goes through. In fact, an analysis of international studies estimates that 39% of women going through the menopausal transition are either obese or overweight. (2)
And one study followed women in perimenopause and found they gained weight to the tune of 5-10 pounds over the course of their menopausal transition. (3)
So, if you’ve noticed that you’ve added a few pounds to the scale during this time, just know that weight gain with perimenopause is extremely common. You are definitely not alone.
One more thing that feels important to note: this weight gain isn’t about how your looks are affected. I believe all women are beautiful at any weight and any size. From a doctor’s standpoint, however, most of the time this added weight comes with increased fasting insulin levels, higher blood pressure, and higher triglycerides. These are all symptoms that lead to unfavorable health outcomes like heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. This is why trying to keep the weight off in perimenopause is crucial. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with the size of your jeans.
Perimenopause weight gain is not a required part of your story. My Keto-Green™ way of life is the ultimate diet for perimenopause and beyond. It helps with not just weight loss, but also the brain fog and mood symptoms that often come with perimenopause, too.
As your estrogen levels start to fall in perimenopause, you will probably start to notice changes to your vagina and vulva. The tissues of your vulva and vagina depend on estrogen to keep them hydrated and plump. So when estrogen levels change, you will often start to feel obvious differences in many ways down there.
We’re talking about symptoms like:
One of the most important tools in your perimenopause medicine cabinet, if you’re experiencing vaginal dryness, is Julva®, my patented rejuvenating cream for your vulva.
Julva® helps deliver much-needed juiciness to your vulvovaginal tissues. But it’s so much more than that. It also contains dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is a naturally occurring hormone that your body turns into estrogen and testosterone. So Julva® really gets to the root of the problem and helps support your hormone levels.
Learn more about Julva® and its’ restorative powers here.
In addition to changing periods, weight gain, and vaginal dryness, some of the other symptoms for perimenopause include (4):
There’s not a one-size-fits-all perimenopause experience. But for most women, perimenopause lasts somewhere between 4-15 years. One of the signs perimenopause is ending and you’re transitioning into menopause is longer stretches in between your periods. Eventually, your periods will stop coming and you’ll reach menopause.
Yes, girlfriend, you can get pregnant during perimenopause. Perimenopause pregnancy is harder to achieve because you are ovulating less predictably, but it is possible. Remember that you still need to use some sort of pregnancy-preventing measure if you do not want to get pregnant during this phase of your life.
And if you do want to get pregnant during perimenopause, you may have to put in extra effort…but it is certainly not impossible.
For the most part, perimenopause relief can be hard to find. Beyond hormonal contraceptives (which may or may not be the right choice for you) traditional medicine doesn’t always have a lot to offer in terms of options for perimenopausal women…and I say that as a triple board-certified gynecologist of over 30 years!
This is why we often look to vitamins and supplements as perimenopause treatments. While we can’t stop perimenopause or menopause from happening, you don’t have to suffer through two decades of your life with mood symptoms and vaginal dryness.
Here are some of my best supplements for perimenopause.
Mighty Maca® Plus is my go-to perimenopause supplement. Why? Because in perimenopause, you have to prioritize adrenal support. Your adrenals can serve as an important backup source of sex hormones for your body when your ovaries start to produce less.
Mighty Maca® Plus gives your adrenals a massive boost of support, thanks to the generous serving of adaptogenic maca in it. Adaptogens are natural herbs that help your adrenals chill out and feel less stressed — so they can get on with their job of producing sex hormones instead of cortisol. Mighty Maca® Plus is also loaded with great-for-you ingredients and makes nutrition easy…because I know how busy perimenopausal women are. Learn more about Mighty Maca® Plus here.
In perimenopause, progesterone levels can become less-than-ideal. Which is why supplementing with progesterone is so popular with perimenopausal women.
Problem is, most “progesterone supplements” actually contain progestin, a synthetic version of progesterone, which is the hormone your body naturally produces.
With my Balance Cream, I’ve fixed that problem — only including natural, bio-identical progesterone plus pregnenolone in my formula. These two hormones coupled with the other clean, natural ingredients in it make it a perfect cream for your face and neck, too. Check out Balance here.
I already mentioned Julva® earlier, but I thought I’d include it here too, since it really is one of my most popular supplements for perimenopause.
Julva® turns back the clock and helps your vaginal tissues remember their former glory. Plus, it also helps with a waning sex drive too. Learn more about Julva® and its’ vulva-restoring powers here.
Perimenopause can be a beautiful time of transition. One where you find your confidence as a woman and really evolve. Don’t be afraid of the perimenopause signs - with a little bit of support and a whole lot of oxytocin, you really can make this transitional time in your life a lovely one.
Here’s the thing — we have so much control over our heart health. And I believe that with the right lifestyle changes and diet tweaks, we have the power to avoid heart disease 90% of the time.
So, I’d like to share some specifics with you about cardiovascular disease in women, and how to improve your heart health, quickly.
Heart disease symptoms in women can often be subtle. We sometimes call heart disease in women the “silent killer” because you just don’t realize you’re having problems with your heart health until it’s too late. Until something catastrophic happens.
I don’t want that to happen to you or anyone you love. And that’s why I’m so passionate about discussing women’s heart health.
Some women have almost no signs of heart disease before they have a heart attack. That’s the plain, scary truth of the matter.
But, here are some of the signs of cardiovascular disease in women that you shouldn't ignore:
Some of the more subtle signs that you’re having trouble with circulation include:
Even if you don’t currently have any symptoms of heart disease (and remember, a lot of women never have symptoms of heart disease!), you still want to take note of the risk factors for heart disease. If you have one of these risk factors, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed. It just means you have to be extra careful about monitoring your heart health and taking great care of your body.
The risk factors for heart disease in women include:
It’s important to note that menopause itself is also a heart disease risk factor for women. (1) When estrogen levels drop, women are at an increased risk of developing heart disease.
Sometimes, the signs a woman is having a heart attack are subtle, certainly more subtle than they typically are in men. This is why we need to pay particular attention to women’s heart attack stories. They don’t always paint a picture of someone clutching their chest in intense pain.
In fact, women’s heart attack symptoms can manifest when they are resting or even asleep.
Some of the common heart attack symptoms for women include:
It’s important to familiarize yourself with these women’s heart attack symptoms — so if you start to experience them you can call 911 immediately. Also, be on the lookout for complaints about these symptoms from other women in your life so you can help them get the medical care they need quickly.
Just like with men, the most common sign of heart attack in a woman is still chest pain or pressure. Yes, women also may experience some of the less common heart attack symptoms I discussed earlier, but they can also have classic chest pains just like men.
Men often present with what we think of as “normal” heart attack symptoms, like:
So, maybe you’ve just had your blood pressure taken and it’s higher than the target of 120/80. Or you’ve gotten your blood work back and your cholesterol is high.
Your doctor may prescribe you medication to treat these symptoms. But a lot of women don’t realize there’s so much more you can do to make improvements to the underlying foundation of your heart health. Medications will only treat the symptoms, but won’t improve your heart health. Plus, sometimes medications like statins cause unpleasant side effects like muscle aches and brain fog.
Adding in some lifestyle changes and tightening up your diet can make a huge difference in your entire life — from increasing your energy to lowering your blood pressure and blood sugar. And yes, I’ve even seen women improve heart health in 30 days when they buckle down and make the changes I’m outlining here!
Just to be clear, once you have coronary artery disease, it can be very difficult to get rid of the plaques clogging your arteries. (2) Prevention is the best policy when it comes to heart health.
Heart health for women really and truly starts with what you put on the end of your fork.
When you eat lots of vegetables, low-glycemic fruits, and fiber — you support healthy blood circulation, and diversity in your microbiome. Which means your entire body benefits.
When it comes to women and heart disease, it’s important to note that women with diabetes are more likely to develop heart failure than men. (3) So it’s extra crucial to manage your diet and your blood sugar levels.
It’s also important to make sure you’re including those veggies in your diet to make sure you’re getting enough magnesium and potassium which are critical nutrients for heart health.
Omega 3s are also nutrients known to support heart health. These are fatty acids found mostly in cold water fish, walnuts, and flax seeds. Research indicates consumption of Omega 3s can help support your cardiovascular system. (4) But sometimes, eating fish the multiple times per week required to get in those Omega 3s just isn’t practical. And some people just don’t like fish. That’s when a high-quality Omega 3 supplement like my Omega Goodness can come in handy.
I’ve said for years that the most important thing to avoid when it comes to heart health is sugar. And the research keeps stacking up — showing that sugar is dangerous for heart health. A recent study found that people who eat more added sugar are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. (5) This echoes the 2014 study that followed people over the span of 15 years — and showed people who ate more added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who ate less. (6)
Want some help getting your diet off to a heart-healthy start? All of my books, MenuPause, The Hormone Fix, and Keto-Green® 16 are chock full of delicious recipes that will transform your heart health. Click here to grab them.
Exercise is another critical piece of the heart-health puzzle. Both high-intensity cardio exercise and strength training should be a part of your daily routine!
Why?
Exercise is like a magic pill for your blood sugar, your blood pressure, your mood, your brain, and your sex hormones. When you exercise, it strengthens your heart muscle and helps reduce the build-up of plaque in your arteries. Which in turn puts you at lower risk for heart disease. (7)
And building muscle with strength training about 30-60 minutes a week puts you at lower risk for heart disease and cancer, too. (8)
Don’t forget, after you complete your strength training session, it’s important to have some protein afterward for best results. (9) If you want the cleanest, most delicious protein shake on the planet, be sure to check out my Keto-Green Protein Shake.
Stress is one of those things that affects your health — but it’s also something that most people just accept as part of everyday life.
However, I’d urge you to start thinking differently about stress. Because the science says stress is linked to heart disease. (10,11) And it’s certainly not good for the rest of your body, either.
You may know that my favorite hormone is oxytocin. And that’s because it’s so powerful at putting a stop to the negative effects of stress in the body. (12)
Here’s the best part about oxytocin: you just have to prioritize doing things you enjoy in life to start making more of it (and reaping those anti-stress benefits).
Think things like:
Are you getting enough of those oxytocin moments in your life to counteract the effects of stress on your heart? Take my oxytocin quiz here and find out!
It’s becoming more and more clear that the health of your gut microbiome affects the health of your whole body — including your heart. (13,14)
And yes, we already touched on the importance of diet for heart health earlier, but food really is critical for keeping your gut microbiome in tip-top shape.
When it comes to the gut, fiber is king! And the best way to make sure you’re getting enough microbiome-friendly probiotic and prebiotic fiber is to eat a wide variety of vegetables — and lots of them! This is one of the ways my signature Keto-Green® diet positively shines.
Get started on building a healthy gut microbiome and show your heart some serious love with my free Keto-Green® recipe book here.
I hope this World Heart Day and every day, you remember to take extra special care of your heart.
And please, share this article with all of the women in your life — you never know who may need to hear this information!