Life

  • Life, Natural Beauty, Wellness

    My 3 Best Natural Beauty Hacks

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    Since we are all stuck inside and probably a little afraid to make a drugstore run, I wanted to share some of my best natural beauty hacks that you can do at home, with things you probably already have on hand.  These beauty hacks are great because they are inexpensive, easy to do, and they give you a jumpstart on detoxing your beauty regimen which is essential to achieve optimal hormone balance.

     

    Natural beauty hack #1: Facial Gua Sha

    My absolute favorite natural beauty and anti-aging hack is taken straight from Chinese Medicine.  Facial Gua Sha (prounouced gwah shaw) is a gentle “scraping” technique that helps relax tight muscles, increases circulation, and restores fluid balance in the skin. It is relaxing, effective, and a great addition to any self-care routine. Facial gua sha is best when done with a contoured gua sha tool, but you can also do it with a porcelain soup spoon like the ones you find at Chinese restaurants. I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine you could do it with any small rounded-edge object you have on hand. This video is one of the best facial gua sha tutorials I have seen.  But honestly, you don’t have to do it perfectly. Just follow a few simple rules and you will be good to go:

    • All strokes move in an upward and outward motion
    • Keep the tool flat-ish against the skin
    • The pressure is gentle on all areas of the face, and extra gentle around delicate areas near the eyes.
    • Clean your gua sha tool before each use.

    Commit to doing the facial gua sha routine for seven days in a row and I promise you will notice a difference. Once you get the hang of it you can do it just about any time. I often do my facial gua sha while watching TV or when my son is taking a bath.  A consistent facial gua sha routine will keep you looking younger and less stressed.

    I have a very limited supply of gua sha tools for sale.  To purchase, visit my secret shop. 

    Natural Beauty Hack #2: Cornstarch + baking soda dry shampoo

    If you are working from home then there’s a good chance your shampoo routine has gotten a little lax (at least I know mine has!).  A couple of common household items are about to be your new grease-be-gone best friends. A mixture of cornstarch and baking soda can be brushed on to your roots to absorb the odor and excess oil that comes with the “I’ll just wash my hair tomorrow” mentality.  Here is a quick and easy recipe to follow.

    • 1 part baking soda
    • 4 parts corn starch
    • 1-2 drops of essential oil if you want a fragrance
    • A small amount of cocoa powder or cinnamon can be added if you have darker hair

    Mix everything together and store in a small jar or empty spice shaker to use when needed. Apply to roots with a fluffy makeup brush until blended.

    While this will work for most people, I have heard some say that it makes them break out on the scalp.  Now is a great time to test it out!

     

    Natural beauty hack #3: Activated charcoal teeth whitener

    I love using activated charcoal as a natural teeth whitener.  It is way less expensive than Whitestrips or other teeth whitening kits and it won’t make your teeth super sensitive when you are done.  You might not have activated charcoal on hand at the moment, but I definitely recommend making it a supplement staple. Activated charcoal is known for its highly absorbent properties and is often used in hospitals to treat overdose or poisoning. At home it may be used to treat food poisoning, gastrointestinal upset such as gas and diarrhea, and many believe it helps with hangovers (I haven’t tested this theory, but I am very curious!). You can even create your own DIY Activated Charcoal face mask to make your skin glow!  In a nutshell, Activated charcoal is an extremely versatile product that will be worth every penny you spend on it (bonus: it’s not expensive at all).

    How to use activated charcoal as a teeth whitener

    • Break open two activated charcoal capsules and pour contents into a small dish
    • Add a few drops of water to make a paste
    • Dip toothbrush into paste and brush on to all teeth (I recommend having a toothbrush solely dedicated to charcoal brushing.)
    • Let the paste sit on your teeth for a couple of  minutes and then brush a little more
    • Rinse and spit

    Do be warned that activated charcoal is very messy so be careful when you spit! Activated charcoal is also quite abrasive, so it isn’t something you necessarily want to do every day.  I usually charcoal brush about once per week.

    There you have it!  My three best natural beauty hacks that you can start using right away. If you try any of these, I’d love to hear your experience.  Send me a DM on Insta and tell me all about it! Now I’m on a quest to find a DIY to cover up my gray roots :-/

     

  • Life, Wellness

    How to tell if you have Estrogen Dominance

    Estrogen is a very important hormone that serves several roles in the body. While you probably already know that estrogen is what gives us our feminine characteristics and is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system. You may not know is that it also plays a role in proper immune function, bone health, cardiovascular health and regulating blood sugar among other things. 

    In a balanced cycle, estrogen is the dominant sex hormone during the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle (follicular phase) and it peaks just before ovulation. After ovulation, (the luteal phase) it declines and progesterone becomes the dominant hormone. 

    However, what is occurring more often in women today is higher levels of estrogen during the last half of the cycle (or just in general), overstimulating the brain and body. This contributes to a variety of estrogen dominance symptoms including: 

    • Weight gain (mainly in abdomen, hips and thighs)
    • Decreased libido
    • Bloating (water retention)
    • Breast swelling and tenderness
    • Fibrocystic breasts
    • Headaches (especially before period)
    • Depression or Irritability
    • Hair loss
    • Thyroid dysfunction
    • Sluggish metabolism
    • Foggy thinking, memory loss
    • Fatigue
    • Trouble sleeping/insomnia
    • PMS

    When estrogen is high in relation to other hormones such as progesterone, it is referred to as estrogen dominance. 

    What causes estrogen dominance?

    When you hear estrogen dominance you may think that your body is simply producing too much estrogen. While this may be true in some cases, other explanations can include outside influences mimicking estrogen in the body, or existing estrogen isn’t being detoxified efficiently. It is important to explore all causes in order to identify ways to restore hormonal balance.  

    Here are a few things to consider and steps you can follow to decrease your chances of estrogen dominance: 

    Diet and estrogen dominance  

    It is a common practice among conventional meat and dairy producers to inject animals with hormones to increase growth and production. These hormones can make their way into your body when consumed and disrupt your own hormonal balance. 

    Pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides used on conventionally grown produce can also pose a problem as many of these substances are considered endocrine disruptors.  

    What to do about it: When it comes to eating meat and dairy, it is best that you only eat organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats. Avoid eating meat and dairy when you are out at restaurants as you don’t know where their products are sourced. 

    You might also consider a plant-based diet for a few months to get things back into balance. If you decide to go this route, then avoiding soy products is essential as they contain phytoestrogens that can also impact your hormones. 

    Drinking water and estrogen dominance?

    Tap water often contains remnants of the fertilizers and pesticides mentioned above as well as plastics and other chemicals. All of which can negatively impact hormonal balance. 

    What to do about it: Plain and simple, drink filtered water. Ideally filters should be placed on all taps (showers included) to prevent absorption of harmful chemicals, but even I’m not at that level yet 😉

    Plastic exposure and estrogen dominance

    Water bottles, plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, and storage containers are just a few common plastic products used every single day. These products contain Xenoestrogens or substances similar enough in molecular structure to estrogen that they can actually bind to estrogen receptor sites and have hazardous effects. 

    Did you also know that receipts that you get from making nearly any purchase are printed on a thermal paper that contains BPA (a known endocrine disruptor)? Studies have shown that people who regularly handle receipts have higher levels of BPA in their urine. 

    What to do about it: Request email receipts whenever possible. This is a good first step. Next, begin to switch out plastic products with glass or stainless steel. Every little bit counts so even if it is one storage container at a time, you will eventually have a whole kitchen of glass and safer storage. 

    Personal care products and estrogen dominance

    We use items like makeup, lotion, shampoo, and other hair care products every single day.  Many of them contain substances that have estrogenic activity. Parabens, Phthalates, and Phenoxyethanol are just a few of the many, many chemicals found in personal care products. Let’s not forget that we are putting these directly on our skin, so they are being absorbed without being processed by the liver for detoxification. 

    What to do about it: Start to read labels.  Better yet, let an app do it for you! Download the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep app. Simply can scan your product barcode and it will tell you if there are harmful chemicals in it. Like switching out plastics, it can get really expensive to try to change out all your personal care products at once. If necessary do one at a time until your collection is complete. 

    Poor detoxification and estrogen dominance

     This could be in the form of poor liver function, poor gut function or both. Your liver is responsible for filtering toxins (and excess estrogen) from your blood to be eliminated from the body. The gut is the means by which they are excreted. Sluggish function in either organ can mean buildup in the body. 

    What to do about it: Increase veggie consumption especially the cruciferous varieties. Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc…) contain compounds that actually help with the body’s natural detoxification processes. They also contain fiber that can help with bowel function. 

    The link between Estrogen dominance and your weight

    Not only can estrogen dominance cause weight gain, but excess weight can also lead to estrogen dominance because fat tissue can absorb and store estrogen. Fat tissue may also synthesize more estrogen making the situation worse. 

    What to do about it: Recommit to that exercise program. Include some form of movement into your life every single day. By following the guidelines above regarding veggies and healthy meats you will likely see an improvement in weight as well. 

    These are just some things you should look into and actions you can take if you think you have estrogen dominance. 

    Hormone testing with the D.U.T.C.H test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is a great way to get a full picture of what is going on with your hormones. If you are interested in D.U.T.C.H hormone testing and guidance on how to balance hormones naturally then schedule a free consultation with me here. 

    Sources

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138025/

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16097138

    http://eknygos.lsmuni.lt/springer/631/111-133.pdf

    https://www.newsweek.com/youre-absorbing-bpa-your-receipts-study-shows-230178

    https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/cruciferous-vegetables

    Think you might have a hormone imbalance?
    Take the quiz to find out.

  • Life, Wellness

    How to fit wellness into your busy life

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    Let’s be honest, women are the busiest people on the planet. You’re waking, dressing, breakfast making. Coordinating school snacks, backpacks, drop-offs, pick-ups, locating lost sippy cups. Long commutes, deadlines, multitasking, handshaking, deal-making. Managing meetings, paperwork, projects, and people every damn day. No wonder you’re so tired (and probably wanting a glass of wine!)

     

    You know you should probably workout, meal prep, drink green juice, take vitamins, meditate, do yoga, get a massage, read, etc.. etc.. etc.… but it’s already bedtime, and you have to get up early and do it all again tomorrow.  Who has time for wellness, when you barely have time to breathe?!

     

    I get it, and I’ve totally been there. Health may not be your top priority right now, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

     

    When you feel better, everything else gets easier: career, motherhood, school, you name it.  As a bonus, you look better, too (Think glowing skin, a lean body, decreased signs of aging).

     

    Um…yes, please! Am I right?

     

    To get you back on the healthy track and on your way to feeling great, I’ve outlined a simple process below that will help you clarify and implement your wellness goals. You will soon find that you can make substantial improvements without sacrificing a lot of time.

     

    Step one

    Choose one thing, do that often.

     

    There are so many things you can do to improve your health, and the internet has a beautiful way of sending us into overwhelm. We think we need a morning routine, a personal trainer, perfectly portioned and photo-ready meals, a solid meditation practice, and ten hours of sleep per night under our weighted, sustainably crafted bamboo blanket. While that might be ideal, it isn’t realistic for the busy modern life of the majority of the population. So, what can we do? Start small.  Do one thing at a time until it has become a solid habit and then add in something else. While you may not have time for all the things, you can certainly make time for one thing.

     

    Take action: Set a timer for 5 minutes and do a quick brainstorm of all the healthy habits/activities you would like to incorporate into your life. Write down everything (and I mean everything!) that comes to mind. After five minutes are up, review your list and choose the top five or so habits that feel the most realistic to you, given your current time constraints and circumstances.

     

    Next, decide which one you are going to implement first and set a goal for the next month of how many times you will complete that action.  (Bonus points: add the habit to your calendar each day you plan to achieve it)

     

    Be sure to track your completion stats along the way. If a month isn’t long enough to make the habit feel like second nature, then practice the same habit for another month until it becomes something that you do without thinking. When this happens, you are ready to incorporate another healthy habit.

     

    After you have decided which healthy action you want to incorporate, you want to find a way to make it as easy as possible for you to complete it.  Enter step two in the process…

     

    Step Two

    Remove the friction

     

    Make being healthy as straightforward as possible by removing obstacles coming between you and your new habits.  The easier something is, the more likely you are going to actually do it. For example, you could sign up for a fitness class that requires you to change clothes, drive five miles in the opposite direction you are going, sweat your buns off, take a shower, change clothes again, and then drive some more.

     

    -or-

    You could sign up for an on-demand workout service that streams to the TV in your home, leave your pajamas on, workout and then get ready for the day. With this option, you’ve removed the obstacles of commuting, buying/wearing special workout attire, and taking an extra shower. You are saving yourself a lot of time, making your workout a lot more accessible, and probably saving money as well. Win, Win, Win.

     

    Other ways to remove friction might be

     

    • Keeping junk food out of the house. If it isn’t there, it’s easier to resist.
    • Carrying a water bottle with you at all times, so hydration is always accessible
    • Keeping vitamins and supplements in a highly visible location that you frequent
    • Hiring a massage therapist/acupuncturist/healer to come to you
    • Buy pre-washed, pre-cut fruits and veggies to cut down on prep time
    • Sign up for a meal kit or meal prep service to take the guesswork out of meals

     

    Take action: Going back to the first habit you decided to implement, make a list of all the obstacles that could possibly get in the way of completing the action. Next, come up with ways you can remove the friction around completing your activity. For example: If time is your biggest obstacle, think about things that take up a lot of your time and see if there is anything that is totally unnecessary, or that you might be able to outsource to free up your schedule.

     

     

    Even if this process doesn’t resonate, I encourage you to do something (anything!) to work on improving your health.  The greatest gift you can give yourself, your family, friends, and the world is a you that feels good.

     

    If you want to improve your health, but implementation is where you struggle, I’m always here to help. Schedule a free consultation here.

     

    Talk to you soon!

     

    Leah

    [interact id="5e7cee0960eebb0014b3beb0" type="quiz" mobile="false"]
  • Life, Wellness

    Hormone Imbalances are Sneaky

    Here’s the thing about hormone imbalances…They are sneaky little bastards sometimes. Why, you ask? Because we often don’t know they are there at all, or they give us vague symptoms that we can easily write off as being stressed, tired, busy, hungry, thirsty…female. They’re all the things we’ve come to accept as “normal” or just a part of getting older. Here are some of the things I’m talking about:
    • Weight gain
    • Fatigue
    • Insomnia
    • Indigestion
    • Irritability
    • Headaches
    • Muscle pain
    • Dizziness
    I can attest to this more than anyone. There were so many things that I was experiencing that I didn’t even count as symptoms. I would often feel dizzy, get terrible brain fog (Like, “are my synapses even firing today?” kind of brain fog), my body would hurt all over for no apparent reason, and I would get so tired in the afternoon that it felt like if I didn’t lay down immediately, I would certainly die. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic because lying down wasn’t always an option, and I’m still here, so I guess it wasn’t that bad.  But you get what I’m saying, right?  Here’s the funny part… I 100% attributed all of my symptoms to dehydration. Which would be a totally viable explanation if I wasn’t already drinking a TON of water (with added electrolytes, no less).  It never crossed my mind to explore other causes, and certainly not my hormones, because my periods were like clockwork, and PMS wasn’t really a thing (at that time, anyway!)

    The thing I think many women (myself included) forget is that hormones are involved in a lot more than our periods.

    Truly, they are responsible for telling all parts of our body what to do, when to do it, and for how long. They communicate with every organ, tissue, and cell, upregulating and downregulating functions to keep the body in balance. When we look at it this way I think a better question is:  How could they not impact the way we feel? Although annoying, the symptoms of hormone imbalance probably aren’t enough to stop you from doing your daily activities, but they definitely warrant your attention. Think of your body as an infant child. It doesn’t cry just to cry (at least for the most part).  It cries because there’s something causing discomfort or because it needs something. Do you know what happens when you ignore a crying baby? The crying gets louder and louder until you can’t take it anymore! The same thing happens to those nagging little symptoms. They cry louder, get worse, and turn into bigger problems.

    You know your body better than anybody else, and if you are feeling “off” don’t ignore it.

    Seek out a professional (*cough* me) to help you get to the bottom of your symptoms and get you back to feeling like yourself. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and with age comes wisdom, but I only wish someone would’ve told me to have my hormones checked back then. To be fair, though, I didn’t really tell anyone about my symptoms because…dehydration.