How to look for HPA axis dysfunction on a HTMA test

If you’ve been following the trends in functional medicine, you may have heard of the phrase ‘HPA axis dysfunction’ or ‘adrenal fatigue’ or ‘HPA axis stress’ before.

But do you actually know what that looks like? Maybe you’re wondering if it applies to you and your situation. If you’re experiencing persistent fatigue, low energy, moodiness, brain fog, difficulty waking/sleeping, blood sugar crashes, racing mind, it is possible that this may apply to you. However, it’s best maybe to show you what ‘adrenal fatigue’ or HPA axis dysfunction actually looks like on a HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis) test!

First of all, what is HPA axis dysfunction?

HPA stands for your Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, which is basically how your brain communicates with the rest of your body and organs. Any type of stressor triggers the Hypothalamus to tell the Pituitary gland to send out corticotropin releasing hormone, which then tells the adrenal glands to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone to release glucocorticoids. This sends a feedback loop back to the Hypothalamus—if the stress is dealt with, you experience only an acute inflammation response, which is healthy. If the stressor is not addressed or there is an ongoing stressor, that feedback loop continues down to the adrenals to pump out cortisol. This is your main stress hormone responsible for raising blood sugar and pressure. Overtime, persistent, elevated cortisol can disrupt your hormonal balance and gut flora. Your body may then produce too much cortisol or in chronic situations, not enough cortisol as your body gets burnt out. This irregular pattern is what is known as HPA axis dysfunction.

I know, that was sort of a mouthful and it may sound all too confusing unless you’ve studied the neuroendocrine feedback loop! So to make it easier to understand, let’s have a look at it from a functional perspective!

Patient 1: low Calcium/Magnesium ratio, low Sodium & Potassium, overall inability to cope with stressors (adrenal fatigue)

Patient 2: high Calcium/Magnesium ratio, low Sodium/Potassium ratio, and 2 high-2 low pattern indicating high stress or alarm stage of HPA axis stress

Here are two examples of different forms of HPA axis dysfunction. The first graph shows overall flattened stress response capacity (Low Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium). The second graph shows a 2 high 2 low pattern of the first 4 minerals. What does this mean?

For the purpose of this article, we’re only looking at the first 4 minerals: Cal-Mag-Na-K

These essential minerals are the primary buffers for mitigating and managing stress or stimuli. Cal/Mag is your stress response and Na/K is your ability to cope or deal with that stress.

So when we see Na/K both low, this tells you that the body is no longer able to keep up with the stress demands or stimuli. And likewise, when Ca/Mag is super elevated, that tells you that the body is undergoing a lot of stress and it recruiting more of that calcium and magnesium from your cells to power up.

And not only are the mineral levels themselves important, but the ratios between the minerals tell us a lot more in terms of what’s going on. For example, if your Na/K ratio is high, this could mean that your body is trying to hold onto sodium for energy reserves, but this can elevate blood pressure and continue the cascade of being in ‘fight or flight’ mode.

There is honestly so much to the HTMA test and what it can tell us about how our bodies are functioning and what stage of HPA axis stress we’re in—whether we’re in a sympathetic or parasympathetic state.

With that said, the HTMA test is one of the best foundational labs to begin with if you want to utilize functional medicine lab testing as a part of your healing journey. It is easy to complete (all done from the comfort of your home) and provides you ample amount of information about your health.

The HTMA test is included in my Stress & Energy Reset program, which is the perfect starter program if you are experiencing symptoms of ‘adrenal fatigue’ and want some quick answers and solutions for how to reset your body. However, if you’re looking for deeper support, the test is also included in my 3mo Restore and 6mo Rebalance programs (with additional tests available)!

If you are interested in getting lab testing done or ready to work together, book a free connection call with me to determine with path is best for you! OR apply directly to my programs for a quicker response.

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5 Ways to Lower Cortisol, Stress, and Inflammation This Year

It’s been a pretty rough few years to say the least. We’ve all gone through difficult situations and circumstances and if you’re someone who’s been trying to stay on top of your health, you’ll know how challenging it’s been to prioritize that through it all.

Thankfully, it’s not impossible.

Even when we go through stressful situations in life, we can still make space for our healing.

When we prioritize our well-being first, we’re actually better able to take care of those around us. We become more productive, more approachable, more centered, and have more purpose.

On the other hand, when we neglect our health and needs, we actually signal to our brain that we’re operating under stress. Even if it’s saying yes when you mean no, or putting off your healthy habits, or staying up late to answer emails, you’re telling your brain that you cannot rest yet. And that puts your nervous system under a Sympathetic (Stress) state.

When you operate in the Sympathetic Nervous System, your blood vessels constrict, eyes dilate, breath shortens, and blood pressure raises. This raises cortisol and inflammation. In the short term, acute inflammation is useful and beneficial. However, when you operate like this for longer periods, this can downregulate your thyroid and shut down your reproductive system. Your body will always prioritize survival over reproduction.

So how can you prevent from staying too long in the Sympathetic state and lower stress and inflammation?

Here are some of my favorite ways to support your nervous system and lower system inflammation:

1) create healthy boundaries with yourself and others

2) get plenty of sleep, uninterrupted

3) create a holy space or ritual for your meals

4) exercising according to your needs and not by obligation

5) letting go of things out of your control

The last one is probably my favorite because it has the biggest impact on your nervous system.

When you try so hard to make sure things go your way in life, you restrict yourself from the freedom and peace you can have, both in your mind and body. And in that case, you can entrap yourself with negative thoughts or feelings when life doesn’t happen the way you want. Our thoughts and emotions influence our responses and it all goes back into the same stress feedback system. Negative thoughts and emotions trigger the Sympathetic System. Healthy thoughts and emotional regulation trigger a balance between the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic, which is your rest and digest state.

I know it can be hard in the beginning, learning how to rewire your thought patterns, but it could completely change your health and your life.

Many things, as we know now, are out of our control. But one thing we can control is how we respond to that and how we choose to prioritize our own health and mental well-being.

If you have been struggling to find that balance, or don’t know where to start with your health journey, reaching out for support may be the first step! It’s an act of surrendering and knowing that you cannot do it all nor control it all.

Spaces are filling up soon, but book a free call or apply to my Stress & Energy Reset if you’re looking for immediate 1:1 support for your health today.

The Masculine Era and it’s Impact on Fertility

“In the United States, among heterosexual women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births, about 1 in 5 (19%) are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying. Also, about 1 in 4 (26%) women in this group have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.” [cdc.gov]

There is a fight for fertility.

Over the last few decades, fertility rates have gone down drastically. And you may be thinking, well women today are more focused on their careers so it makes sense. But I want to focus in on this and shed light into other areas that affect women’s health and fertility that you may not have considered yet.

What is infertility?

Infertility is the inability to conceive or get pregnant after one year of having unprotected sex with the intent of becoming pregnant. It also includes the inability to maintain a pregnancy or carry a pregnancy to term (miscarriages).

Fertility is more than just the ability to conceive, it’s a huge indicator of homeostasis and health in a woman’s body.

One of the major factors contributing to the decline of childbirths and fertility, is likely due to the fact that more women in today’s culture are prioritizing careers over having families. With the delay in reproduction and increase in age, the chances of becoming pregnant do diminish. Unfortunately for women, unlike men, our eggs (which we cannot produce more of) only have a finite, controlled lifespan.

To truly understand the connection between social economical influences and fertility, we have to consider what the implications or consequences of this ‘hustle culture’ and prioritizing work-first lifestyle have on women’s health.

The era of the masculine woman.

Before you go thinking that I am against women’s rights or freedom, I want you to understand that I am speaking from a clinical and biological perspective. This is also something I have personally experienced in my own health.

Our culture has inevitably shifted to a more masculine environment, which places more of a burden for women to step up to their male counterparts. It is almost impossible now for the average family to rely on only the husband to work. Of course, some women desire to be leaders and to be financially independent, but there is something else going on.

This new age of ‘hustle’ and ‘work-grind’ has its own side affects. Populations of women around the globe are now experiencing hormonal shifts or imbalances because of this. More young women have been placed on hormonal birth control, which has led to an epidemic of women in their 20s and 30s with hormonal imbalances like PCOS, endometriosis, Hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, and more.

The clinical implications?

The reason why the ‘masculine era’ is detrimental to women’s fertility and hormones is because of the amount of stress that is placed on the body.

We have women working full time jobs, on top of raising families, some with multiple jobs, single moms, women starting businesses, etc. We are BUSY. And busyness comes with stress. Not only emotional stress, but physical stress. Not only physical stress, but psychological stress. We are not eating proper meals, skipping meals in between functions. We are eating on-the-go, not fully digesting food. We are overworking and overexercising ourselves. We are over-supplementing and over-medicated. We are quite frankly, doing it all with not enough nourishment to fuel all of our activities.

When we look at the biological woman, fertility and healthy hormone function rely on consistency, reliability, nourishment, and rest. Consistency and reliability in routine, meaning meal timing and portions, regular movement, sleep schedules, etc. Half of the entire female fertility cycle is dependent on the parasympathetic nervous system state, which includes rest and nourishment. This is a key factor in sustaining a pregnancy all through term.

When we neglect these important pieces of our health, cortisol (our stress hormone) rises and stays elevated until we burn out because our blood sugar is all over the place. Estrogen at the same time becomes elevated causing Estrogen Dominance, which is responsible for SO many hormonal imbalances like acne, weight gain, cramps, hair thinning, bloat, anxiety, and fatigue. Progesterone tanks and low levels affect our menstrual cycles and chances of ovulation or pregnancy. Testosterone may also increase as DHEA levels rise, leading to higher cases of PCOS, which diminishes fertility rates.

So when we look at the big picture, it’s more than just about equality. It’s the implications masculine hustle culture has on women’s health.

I have reviewed countless lab tests and have found Estrogen Dominance in almost every case. I’ve worked with women with hormonal imbalances, many of them showcasing imbalances in their adrenal function (stress and blood sugar) and nutritional deficiencies. I’ve seen women who have lost their period due to stress.

It is not a coincidence.

Luteal insufficiency graphs

How can I improve my hormone health and fertility?

Reverse the above. Start prioritizing your body over demands. If you are aiming to become pregnant, begin nourishing your body! Sleep adequately, move your body everyday gently, supplement only bio-individually, and work on regulating your nervous system.

Make sure to eat enough protein every day. 90-120grams of protein per day is sufficient, lean more to 120 grams if you have more strenuous daily activities.

Research about the toxins in your home and begin swapping products out to reduce endocrine mimicking products (endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen in the body). You want Estrogen and Progesterone to be balanced in order for ovulation to occur and to support the uterine lining through pregnancy.

Work with a certified practitioner to get functional lab testing done to find out what underlying imbalances you have and address them appropriately. Your practitioner will be able to support you in making the right decisions for targeted supplementation.

And of course, lower your stress load. Stress causes oxidation and stagnation in the body. Realign yourself with your values and reprioritize your list of to-dos to create a healthier lifestyle.

If you are struggling with infertility today, I encourage you to look inwards and see what areas feel neglected, and start there. If you need professional support, please book a call to see what your options are for lab testing and guidance.

Do I have 'Adrenal Fatigue'?

What is Adrenal Fatigue and how do I know if I have it? Here are some pointers in how you can tell at what stage of stress you are in and what you can do about it.

Adrenal Fatigue

You may have heard of the common term ‘adrenal fatigue’ when it comes to understanding the reason why you might be feeling low energy and overall mojo.

Well, the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ is technically not a medical diagnosis, but what is essentially happening is that they’re actually being overused. When you’re stressed, you produce more cortisol to meet demands. However, over long periods of stress (high cortisol output) or sympathetic nervous system dominance (fight or flight mode), your adrenal function becomes taxed and are unable to keep up with this demand.

What are the Adrenal Glands?

The adrenal glands are these little glands that sit on top of your kidneys and they work with your Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland to control and monitor stress levels and energy production. This is something called the HPA Axis (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis).

The adrenal glands produce glucocorticoids when the body signals the Hypothalamus that there’s a stress input. These glucocorticoids are essentially cortisol-driven glucose, which are released when the body needs sugar in the body to meet physiological demands. This is also what raises the cortisol hormone in the body to signal fight or flight mode.

Cortisol is used for many functions, but the most important is for energy and stress. It’s what helps you manage daily life demands.

What’s the significance?

When your body is under repetitive, consistent stress, [whether that comes from physical stress (exercise), mental stress (anxiety), or pathological stress (infection or virus)], or a combination of stressors over a long period of time, your adrenal function gets taxed. Your HPA axis feedback loop is no longer able to keep up with the stress induced by physical, mental, emotional, pathological, or environmental demands.

All things play a role into how much stress your body may be filtering through. Diet, lifestyle, exercise, heavy metal exposure, emotional balance, trauma awareness, and environmental toxins all play a role in the ‘stress bucket’.

This is why it’s so important to assess and manage stress levels every single day, regularly.

How do I know if I have healthy adrenal function?

Well, let’s take a look at how many of these things you can relate to:

• I feel ‘tired but wired’ especially at night

• It takes me a while to fully wake up in the morning and have energy

• I don’t really feel hungry when I wake up

• I tend to crash midday

• I can’t seem to lose weight even if I train 5-6x a week

• I am noticing hormonal fluctuations like irregular periods and hair loss

• I am noticing muscle weakness or loss

• I tend to get constipated

• I have a hard time focusing or concentrating

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it could be a sign that your adrenals need extra support.

Your body is no longer keeping up with your stress demands and is depleting the essential minerals and amino acids in the body in order to keep up. This may explain muscle weakness, hair loss, hormonal imbalances, and lack of energy to do the things you used to do.

Your energy stores are being used up, even though your adrenals are working overtime, pumping out cortisol! Overtime, this may lead to burnout where your 4-point cortisol levels flatline. When this happens, you don’t have enough cortisol, minerals like calcium and magnesium, or amino acids to give you the energy you need to function properly.

What can you do about adrenal fatigue?

1. I recommend running a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Test (HTMA) to check for mineral levels, which indicate which phase of adrenal stress you’re in.

2. If you’re also experiencing gut and hormonal imbalances or symptoms, try running a Functional Medicine Detox to open your detoxification pathways for healing.

3. Prioritize sleep hygiene and get to bed around the same time within a 30min window. This helps reset your diurnal rhythm, which works in conjuction with cortisol levels.

4. Balance blood sugar throughout the day and before bed to also support your cortisol/diurnal rhythm. You want cortisol to be highest in the morning and lowest at night. Having a nutrient dense breakfast can help, so quit fasting!

5. Work with a certified practitioner who can help you run and interpret lab results and offer individualized feedback in terms of what supplements to prioritize and how to optimize your nutrition and lifestyle to reset your adrenal function.

If you’ve been struggling with fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and overall lack of mojo for more than 6 months, it may be time to take a deeper look at what’s going on.

In my Integrated Healing Program, we use Functional Medicine Lab Testing to pinpoint the root cause of why you may have resistant stress, fatigue, or adrenal dysfunction. You’ll have a chance to work 1:1 with a certified Integrative Health Practitioner to address nutrition, lifestyle changes, functional supplementation, and more. To get started, go to kelseychen.com/integrativehealth.

To learn more about how to support your body, follow me on IG and Tiktok @tinybutmightywellness

Nourishing Chickpea Salad Recipe (Hormone Friendly!)

Summer is here! That means it’s time to put away the heavy carbs and opt for something fresh, yet nourishing!

Today, I’ll be sharing a delicious and simple recipe with you: Nourishing Chickpea Salad.

This recipe is great for those who are trying to eat healthier at home, without sacrificing their calories (nobody wants to eat restrictive salads only to be left unsatisfied, right?). This is also PCOS friendly, hormone friendly, and gut supportive—let’s get to it!

The recipe (the ingredients here DO matter):

-drained organic chickpeas (peeled if you have the patience hah)*

-organic kale

-organic cherry tomatoes

-ripe avocado

-soft boiled egg (pasture raised if possible)

-organic canned corn

-mozzerella/soft cheese (optional if going DF)

*removing the peel of chickpeas may help reduce bloating if you have sensitivities to legumes, due to lectins in the skin

The vinaigrette:

-extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed if possible)

-basalmic vinegar

-lemon juice

-salt + pepper

-oregano (optional)

Keep in mind, I don’t put portions/measurements because I believe it’s best for YOU to get creative in the kitchen to build a connection with your food! Listen to your body of how much quantity it wants and what herbs/spices you’d like to try.

Once you have all your ingredients, all you have to do is literally mix everything together! It’s SO simple.

Many of the ingredients I listed are organic because these are commonly sprayed food items, containing pesticide exposure. However, you can always play around with variations of this recipe to your liking!

Due to the high protein & fat content from the chickpeas, eggs, cheese, and avocados, this makes a great recipe to keep you FULL, while supporting your metabolic needs. Great for those hormones!

Do you like receiving recipe ideas? Drop your comments below and let me know!

Follow me on IG & TikTok for more content! @tinybutmightywellness

Best Way To Balance Blood Sugar

Blood sugar is often talked about, but why is it so essential that we keep it balanced?

As an Integrative Health Practitioner, one of the main challenges I see in women trying to heal their hormones is blood sugar and insulin level. Many of the common symptoms you may be experiencing, like brain fog, fatigue, acne, weight gain, and difficulty sleeping, may be attributed to blood sugar levels. Why?

Blood sugar is essentially blood glucose we get from eating foods. When we eat, our body converts the food into readily available sugars to create energy. That sugar (glucose) enters our bloodstream and our insulin hormone, created by our pancreas, is supposed to transport that from our bloodstream into our cells and muscles for fuel.

However, if that energy source isn’t used up (say you become sedentary after having a heavy meal), or you have insulin resistance (inability to produce or use insulin), then your blood sugar levels rise because it stays in your bloodstream. On a lab test, you may see this as high HbA1c, which tells you how coated your blood cells are of sugar.

So what causes blood sugar levels to be abnormal?

• sedentary lifestyle

• thyroid imbalances

• high estrogen

• high cortisol

• high stress lifestyle

• low fiber & protein diet

• diet high in processed foods

• lack of consistent sleep

• skipping breakfast

And what’s the best way to rebalance blood sugar levels?

1. HAVE A BALANCED MEAL WITH PROTEIN + FAT + CARBS IN EVERY MEAL

If there’s any tip I can give you about keeping your sugars in check, it’s doing this one thing CONSISTENTLY.

Most individuals are living in a high-stress, rush hour environment that causes high cortisol, leading to higher levels of blood sugar. On top of that, there’s no time to really prepare or even think about creating a solid, balanced meal. Having a biscuit + coffee in the morning is a recipe for disaster.

There is so much more to understanding blood sugar, but if you can create a habit around having a balanced meal every single time, you’re going to be ahead of the curve. It can be as simple as having an apple and grassfed beef sticks for snacking. It doesn’t have to be fancy.

If you want to learn more about blood sugar, hormones, and all things health for women, follow me on IG & TikTok @tinybutmightywellness!

Need support right now? Book a 1hr 1:1 consultation with me today: book here

This is what your menstrual cycle is SUPPOSED to look like!

Have you ever wondered what your menstrual cycle looks like?

I mean, maybe you remember a thing or two from science class back in grade school, but do you ACTUALLY know what YOUR cycle looks like?

If this looks familiar to you, congrats! You are one step ahead of the curve ;) This is what your cycle SHOULD look like.

However, what if you get tested and find out it looks a bit more like this—where Estrogen is elevated and Progesterone is relatively low?

This was ME 6 months ago! The black dots indicate your hormone level relative to one another. I was low on Progesterone.

Ok now we have a problem.

Look at the first graph. Notice how Estrogen is higher in the first half of your cycle and lower in the second, relative to Progesterone.

When Estrogen is relatively higher than Progesterone during the Luteal Phase (second half of your cycle), you might find yourself with these occurring symptoms:

-acne

-PMS

-period cramps

-sore breasts

-weight gain

-back aches

-etc.

This is called Estrogen Dominance.

Does this sound like you?

It’s ok if it does, it’s more common than you think, you’re not alone!

So what can you do to rebalance your hormones?

First, I’d recommend getting a functional lab test like the Thyroid Adrenal Hormone Test I did, if you haven’t already. This gives you a snapshot of what your hormone health looks like at a given time.

You can also implement these tips to start healing your hormones:

-get consistent sleep (this is crucial for hormone regulation)

-get adequate high-quality protein like fish, legumes, and pasture raised meat

-cut back on caffeine the week leading up to your period

-eat a raw carrot a day (this helps to bind and release excess Estrogen)

Give this a go and let me know how it goes!

If you have any other questions about your period, symptoms you’re experiencing, or about functional lab testing, you can reach out to me at kc@kelseychen.com or find me on TikTok and IG @tinybutmightywellness!

Gut Healing Pineapple Gummies

This easy 2-ingredient gut health recipe will blow your mind. Say hello to better digestion and skin just from this recipe alone!

These gummies are made with bovine gelatin, pure collagen protein which has an impressive amino acid profile that’s amazing for healing the gut lining, improving skin elasticity, strengthening muscles and joints, and so much more.

Collagen is actually the most abundant form of protein in the body. It forms our muscles, joints, hair, skin, nails, and supports the lining of our gut. Unfortunately, as we age, our bodies produce less collagen and it’s difficult to obtain from food unless quality animal proteins are a staple in your diet. Supplementation has been shown to help!

The collagen that I use is from Perfect Supplements, a brand I personally love and stand by wholeheartedly! They prioritize clean supplements that are pesticide, glyphosate free and source from pasture raised, grass fed cows. You can find many incredible products such as dessicated grass fed liver, pure vitamin D3 drops, Magnesium, and so many other great functional, whole food supplements.

If you’d like to find this exact supplement and make these gummies with me, you can find it here.

Let’s make some gummies!

Recipe:

-1/3 cup of Perfect Supplements Bovine Gelatin

-4 cups of 100% pineapple juice

First, bloom the gelatin in a small bowl with 1 cup of juice. Then heat a pan or pot with remaining 3 cups of juice on medium heat. Once the gelatin blooms (you’ll see it texturize), add it into the rest of the heated juice and stir.

Then grease a shallow glass container with virgin coconut oil. This step makes the gummies taste like pina colada flavored! Now pour in the juice to the container and let it cool down.

Place it into the fridge for 3+ hours or overnight to let it firm up.

Cut them out into cubes once it’s ready and enjoy!!

So much fun to eat. It’s great as a snack or breakfast bite if you’re on the go or have a hard time eating foods in the morning. It’s a great way to stabilize blood sugar and to stay nourished. A big batch will last about a week!

If you make this recipe, share your photo and tag me! I’d love to see your gummies!

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Have requests for recipes you’d like to see? Drop a comment below!

Blueberry Banana Bread

The fluffiest, juiciest banana bread I’ve made to date.

You can totally toss some extra agave syrup on top if you really want to satisfy your sweet tooth!

But for those who want to cut back on sugar, this tastes SO good alone.

Ingredients:

(wet)

-2 eggs

-2 bananas (ripe)

-1tsp of vanilla essence

-1/4 cup of grassfed butter softened

-1/2 cup of brown sugar

-1 cup defrosted wild blueberries

(dry)

-1 1/2 cup of flour

-1tsp of baking soda

-pinch of salt

-handful of walnuts

First combine eggs and bananas together. Then mix butter and brown sugar together and add into eggs. Mix together until it becomes frothy. Toss in the vanilla.

Then combine your dry ingredients separately, without the walnuts. Toss in the dry ingredients with the wet until the batter becomes thick and gooey. Then add in the blueberries and walnuts. The color may turn a little blue from the melted berries. You can coat them in flour first if you choose.

Place extra berries on top with some coconut flakes if you want extra flavor!

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees then bake for about 35-40mins, depending on your oven.

Once it’s done, you can do the toothpick check to make sure it’s fully cooked.

Then enjoy! Absolutely so easy to make and delicious. Share it with family or friends!

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Carrot Cake

This holiday, give yourself and your loved ones a treat that’ll WOW.

I promise, this carrot cake recipe is TOTALLY vegan, dairy free, and gluten free! And it still tastes incredible.

Now I will be honest, I’m quite the ‘taste as I go’ type, so you can definitely play around with the specific amounts or additions to make it your own. I find this to be the best part of cooking or baking!

So basics…

Ingredients:

-1 cup of carrots shredded

-1 cup of walnuts

-1 cup of medjool dates

-3/4 cup shredded coconut

-3/4-1 cup of oat milk

-1 small banana

-1 tsp of cinnamon

-3/4 tsp of nutmeg

-3/4 tsp ginger

-1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

-1/2 cup of oat flour or almond flour

-1 tsp baking powder

For the frosting on top:

-1 cup soaked cashews

-1/2 cup of oat milk

-3-4 medjool dates

-1 tsp of vanilla essence

-pinch of sea salt

All you have to do is blend the first ingredients together until it becomes a chunky, sticky consistency. You may add in additional milk if it’s too dry.

Scoop out the mixture onto a greased loaf pan or cupcake tins (up to you!).

Bake for about 20-30mins on high heat. Technically it can be a no bake recipe, but I liked the added texture after baking. :)

Then prepare the frosting and blend all of that together unitl it becomes a smooth, thick consistency. I used a handheld blender to get it out easier.

Finally, once the outer layer looks pretty golden, you can let it cool down before adding the frosting. I left mine overnight and frosted in the morning. You can eat this cold and it tastes so good!

That’s it! Super simple and delicious. Nothing to feel guilty about.

The recipe does use many dates so if you are concerned with high blood sugar or need a low-carb recipe, comment below and I’d love to pass on a few recipes for you!

Happy Holidays!!

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Tips For Improving Sleep

How to reset your diurnal rhythm and get better sleep

SLEEP IS WHAT DRIVES OUR WAKING EXPERIENCE.

Weightloss, stress management, mood regulation, hormonal regulation, all depend on the quality of sleep you're getting each night. Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep can add to sleep debt, which sends your body into 'catch up' mode instead of rebuilding mode. As you can see, it can be difficult to regulate your hormones if you're not able to rebuild your nervous system from fatigue.

YOUR DIURNAL RHYTHM

Your diurnal rhythm (sleep pattern), largely depends on the time of day that syncs with nature's sunrise and sunset. Humans typically should go to bed when it becomes dark and wake during sunrise. This is how our biological clock has worked for centuries.

However, this isn't always the case with modern society pushing our sleep schedules further and demanding our wake times earlier. It's no wonder we have a population of people depending on caffeine and stimulants to stay awake, and an increasing number of individuals with chronic stress, disease, and more.

So what can you do you about it?

Here's a hint: your sleep hormone (melatonin) rises when your stress hormone (cortisol) decreases. So if you want to fall asleep better, it's priority to work on overall STRESS and getting that as low as possible BEFORE bedtime. Then you'll make way for melatonin to come in.

Our bodies are very intelligent. It knows when to protect you and will do everything it can to keep you safe and alive. Let's think about the science behind this. Cortisol and Melatonin have an inverse relationship. And Cortisol is the hormone that keeps you in fight or flight, helping you to survive the day. When that goes down, and Melatonin begins to rise, your body is telling you that you are no longer in danger or under stress. It's time to wind down and relax. Your body won't allow you to sleep unless it felt SAFE to do so. This is why it's also important for YOU to give yourself that safe environment to sleep. Let's review some ways to do that.

TIPS FOR GOOD SLEEP

• stop eating 2-3hrs before bed (min. 12 hr fast)

• make your room dark to mimic nature wake up to light (esp. in the winter, you can use a wake light to help)

• cool down - keep your bed between 65-68 degrees

• breathable sheets and covers - bamboo/hypoallergenic works great

• white noise to help eliminate outside noise

• electronic-free zone - keep electronics turned off and away at least 20mins prior

• wind down - practice any Parasympathetic activity to lower stress no napping during day to help with diurnal rhythm - if needed, do a power nap

• use supplements - Melatonin Liquid or Magnesium Citrate Powder work well

  Link to find supplements: https://equi.life?irad=859795&irmp=2804133

Parasympathetic Activities include:

• breathwork

• yoga/stretching

• dry brushing

• meditation

• self massage

• reading a book

• taking a bath

• skincare routine

• and more..

Sleep is foundational for healing and rebalancing our hormones and overall health. It's important to remember that, although we may be busy all day, our bedtime is sacred and that time should be prioritized. You can start by giving yourself 5mins. Everyone has 5mins. If you can do that for a week, try for 10mins, and so on. Your body deserves rest. Make it a non-negotiatable and watch your health come back faster than ever before!

The Truth About Dairy-"Is Dairy 'Bad' For You?"

Is it really the dairy or is it your gut?

Dairy sometimes gets a bad 'rep' in the health and wellness world. Typically because most people associate dairy with inflammation which may cause an IgG inflammatory reaction (food sensitivity or intolerance). While it is true to some level, dairy may cause higher inflammation, it's the quality that matters--the quality of product and quality of your gut microbiome.

Here's what the research says...

“Although bovine milk and dairy products are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and calcium (Ca), a growing number of individuals have adopted a dairy-free diet due to suggested associations between milk and dairy products with coronary diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia, etc.) and weight gain (obesity) [1]. Recent studies have shown this association not to be true.”

“Daily consumption of 0.5 L of milk or an equivalent amount of other dairy products supplies a significant amount of various essential nutrients that are required on a daily basis [2]. The decision to follow a dairy-free diet may be driven by potential intolerance to one or more of milks’ components such as lactose [29], which as an example is often driven by assumption rather than confirmation through testing [26]. However, when consumers abstain from dairy products entirely without adequate substitution, their risk of developing nutritional complications and deficiencies such as Ca, vitamin D or long chain n-3 (Omega 3) FA may increase.”

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723057/

Does this mean I should start consuming dairy??

No, not neccessarily. Consuming dairy should be taken with a bio-individualized approach just like everything else in nutrition. There isn't a one-size fits all.

Since dairy is a protein-rich food, it's important to look at the biological structure of each person's needs. Are you deficient in minerals? Do you have any dairy sensitivity? Do you have any gut related symptoms? Do you have any imbalances in your health that you've been tested for?

These things are important to keep in mind when making any diet changes.

If you've been tested and have worked on sealing and healing your gut wall, and are ready to incorporate some high quality dairy back into your diet, you CAN. And here's how.

Ways to re-introduce dairy back into your life!

Go slow! Reintroducing foods takes time and observation to get it right. Use a food log or journal and really track how you're feeling.

KEFIR

Kefir is an incredible dairy product to incorporate in your diet. It's a fermented drink which you can mix with fruit, honey, add in smoothies, etc. Better if you can get real, natural kefir grains and soak them yourself. It's worth the extra effort. Amazing probiotic for your gut!

GRASS FED BUTTER

Raw, grass-fed butter is undeniably delicious and full of healthy monosaturated fats that our hormones love.

GOAT OR SHEEP'S MILK/CHEESE

These are great alternatives to ease back into dairy. Goat and sheep products are not as sensitive and digest easier than most typical cow's milk. Cow's milk (if not raw) may contain hormones or antibiotics.

Word of advice:

It's always the quality that matters! These are the key words you want to look for in purchasing dairy.

-grass-fed

-raw

-pasture raised

-full fat

-non GMO

-hormone free

Anything else is just not worth it. You risk exposing your gut to harmful fillers, sugars, hormones and don't get the bacterial qualities you need for your gut.

High quality products typically have only 1 or 2 ingredients at most. That's how you'll know. ;)