Women's hormones, gut + metabolism

What You Think You Need To Detox Vs What You Actually Need To Detox

SLOW YOUR ROLL GIRLFRIEND.

Before someone tells you “oh girl you just need to detox” you tell them to hold their horses!

You have a whole lot more work that needs to be done before you stress out your body with some trendy cleanse or diet. I don’t give a fuck how many testimonials there are.

I see so many people with zero energy, in a super depleted state being advised to detox whether that is cleansing, supplementing, fasting or some special diet.

EXCUSE ME? Let’s really think about that. Do you really think some aggressive detox is going to be the answer to your prayers without addressing any foundational work?

I will tell you right now some single metal, parasite or toxin is not the root to all your symptoms.

The real question to ask is.

HOW DID IT GET IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Your undernourished, mineral depleted, stressed out body of course.

How can you possibly expect your body to take care of heavy metals, parasites, chemicals, toxins, or whatever else is in there when you are not giving it the energy it needs to do so?

Fasting and cleanses, depriving your body of vital nutrients and energy for the sake of detoxing? Give me a break!

You need energy, lots of energy for your body to be able to detox and heal in the first place.

Focus on building up your system not breaking it down.

Your body is intelligent and knows exactly how to heal and how to detox on it’s own as long as it has the nourishment it needs to do so. Forcing metals and toxins out of the body is unnatural and not necessary. Your body has it’s own order of healing. Trust it.

It always comes back to the foundations. Nourishment with a traditional diet, mineral balancing, blood sugar balancing, digestion, stress, sleep and toxin elimination from your environment.

In my opinion the only shit you need to be detoxing from is your toxic habits, toxic people, and toxic environment.

What You Learned About Your Menstrual Cycle In School

Girls have a vagina and boys have a penis. Anyone else feel like that is the extent of what we learned in school about our bodies? I remember sitting in a room with all the other girls in my grade while we gathered to watch a super uncomfortable video in the dark on a box tv on wheels describing how to use tampons and pads and then being given a goodie bag with scented Tampax. This explains why in my practice today I see numerous women in their 30’s, 40’s and beyond with the extent of their mensural cycle knowledge being that they bleed once a month. They don’t know when they are ovulating, the importance of it or how to even check for it. Nor do they think anything about their hormonal symptoms of PMS, breast tenderness, why they are not having a period at all, fibroids, heavy periods, cysts and some have even had unnecessary hysterectomies or are put on unnecessary hormone replacement therapy all due to being uneducated in the first place. Some have suppressed their hormones and haven’t had a real period or cycle for so long without birth control that they have to learn at the age of 30 how to track their cycle and ovulation to prevent pregnancy or for some to get pregnant! Ladies, if this is something you are concerned about, you can not get pregnant all month long, there is a very small window every month that you are fertile! No shame. Before I did this for a living I too was in your shoes. But girlfriend, it’s time to finally learn the basics of your menstrual cycle! The most empowering thing we can do as women is learn about our cycles, it is a vital sign after all and a clue into what’s going on internally. Swipe right and share with the other menstruators in your life!  👉🏻

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Ready to join a community of like-minded women ending the war on their bodies and breaking free from diet culture? Ready to finally balance your hormones, understand your body, and become your own health advocate? Ready for unfiltered and uncensored wellness talks? Then you’re in the right place! Click here to learn more + enroll.

The Truth About Melatonin Supplementation

I hate to say it but you’ve been fooled! Melatonin is a stress hormone! No not a vitamin, not an “all natural” support for sleep, and certainly not a supplement everyone should be taking. Marketing has done a great job at duping us once again! It is a highly profitable supplement bringing in millions per year.

“Many health food stores are now selling melatonin, to induce sleep and “prevent cancer.” They have taken some information out of context, and don’t realize how dangerous melatonin is. It makes the brain sluggish, causes the sex organs to shrink, + damages immunity shrinking the thymus gland. It is the hormone of darkness and winter, and is produced in the pineal gland by any stress which increases adrenaline.” – Peat

But Laura, “it knocks me out.” Sure, it can make you sleepy because it is impairing your brain and putting your body in hibernation mode (not a good thing). Drinking vodka can also “knock you out,” it’s also “natural”, should you be taking it to fall asleep? Eh no.

Melatonin slows your metabolism, adrenaline goes up in response. When adrenaline goes up, so does melatonin which further slows your metabolism, which worsens sleep.

As humans we perceive darkness as stress.

Stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol rise during darkness. These hormones when chronically high reduce metabolism, lower immunity, decrease blood flow to the intestines, and contribute to storage of belly fat.

Excess stress inducing melatonin increases prolactin levels in the body which can cause excess secretion of calcium in urine leading to mineral imbalances, anxiety, and osteoporosis.

On top of that, excess melatonin stimulates the production of estrogen and inhibits progesterone production causing infertility and every symptom that involves estrogen dominance.

The problem is not that your body is not producing enough melatonin. Why are you having trouble falling asleep in the first place? Look at how you spend your day, your stress levels, get light on your eyes upon waking snd balance blood sugar by eating enough during the day.

Here are six ways you can implement some of these sleep strategies before you reach for that stressful melatonin:

  1. Put devices away 2 hours before + use blue light blocking glasses + red light
  2. Eat a snack 30-60 minutes before bed to keep your blood sugar stable (make sure the snack has sugar + calcium – think dairy)
  3. Get to sleep before 10pm to prevent the stress hormone surge that happens after 10pm. Make sure you go to bed at the same time every night + wake up at the same time every morning regardless of the day.
  4. Stop all caffeine past 2pm
  5. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature, dark as possible, + use a fan for white noise. Sleep in light clothing or naked + use blackout curtains
  6. Try a weighted blanket, grounding pillowcase, + a pillow that supports your neck

Your Mineral Status Determines Your Mental + Emotional Health

I know. I sound like a complete nut job.

But what if I told you your mineral levels, ratios + patterns reflect your thoughts, emotions, + behavior.

More often than not, when looking at a clients HTMA results I can determine exactly how their personality + mental health is simply based off their results before even speaking to them.

Minerals are the spark plugs of life. They give every cell in your body energy while also helping your body naturally detox. Minerals are required for every process in the body. Repeat that, REQUIRED FOR EVERY SINGLE PROCESS IN THE BODY.

And where do minerals come from? The food that we eat.

I’m not trying to be an asshole when I talk about superior foods over inferior foods but there is a reason for it. I want you to live your happiest life FULL of all the minerals you need to do so and some foods are just more nutrient dense than others. That’s fact.

The mind-body connection is real. The mind can heal itself of many emotional wounds when it receives what it needs nutritionally and when toxins are released from the brain.

The brain is a biochemical organ. A reduced level fo adaptive energy, high or low blood sugar, and all other stressors affect the brain much more than they affect the body.

High energy and high vitality = adequate mental activity.

If energy is low the body will suppress and block feelings, memories, perceptions, and mental activity.

Your vitality/energy level has an influence on your overall outlook to life.

What causes minerals imbalances, deficiencies and overload?
+ long-term stress
+ heavy metals + toxins
+ tap/well water
+ chemical-laden food supply
+ PUFAs
+ unhealthy lifestyle + eating habits
+ dieting (vegan, keto, etc..)
+ under-eating
+ eliminating foods groups
+ digestive dysfunction
+ supplements (especially vitamin D, ascorbic acid and zinc)

Are you coping with low energy? Eat girl, just fucking eat.

For those of you restricting for weight loss. I hate to break it to you but if you’re miserable AF to be around because your minerals are wack but you “look good” it might be time to re-evaluate.

A fed woman is a happy, stable woman.

Every Human Has The Same Cells

Yup, you read that right. We as humans have the same cells, all of us. Pick up any biology book and I can guarantee it will say the same.

Cells take in nutrients from food and convert those nutrients into energy to carry out every single function in the body.

And guess what, your cells require the exact same nutrients as every other human on earth. Our cells require carbs, animal protein (key word, animal), fat, and sugar, and they operate best when they are provided an array of all these nutrients.

I don’t care what Sarah on Instagram is promoting. Whether it be plant-based eating, vegan, carnivore, keto, fasting, or whatever it may be. It’s bullshit and this is why diets do not work long-term. You are simply starving yourself of the very nutrients your cells need to do their jobs.

Not to sound harsh, but nutrition is only as bio-individual as how much your cells got F’d up in the first place, how much stress you put on your cells through toxins, chemicals, processed foods, dieting, physical and emotional stress, over-exercising, under-eating, pharmaceuticals, birth control, poor sleep, lack of light, lack of joy, etc…

What got you to this place in the first place?

This is where targeted nutrition comes into place but the foundations are simply the same.

And no, this is not your fault. We live in a STRESSFUL world filled with toxins, confusion around what to eat, and a constant pressure of needing to look a certain way.

How do you expect your cells to thrive in a constant stressed out malnourished state?

But I feel so much better on ______ diet Laura! Give it some time girlfriend, give it some time. Soon you will end up depleted and in a worse place than where you started, all for what? To lose a few pounds? Or because it was trendy and some influencer told you to do it?

Before someone wants to tell you what you should be eating remember this. You need animal protein and fat. You need carbs and sugar. We simply can not discriminate against food groups. It’s fact. It’s science.

You may be surviving eating junk food, plant-based, vegan, carnivore, keto, low carb, intermittent fasting, eating only 1 meal a day…

But are you thriving?