Women's hormones, gut + metabolism

The Anti-Metabolic Sh*t Storm

You wake up tired AF from a mediocre nights sleep but get in your 10 mile run upon waking anyways.

You come home and have your coffee on an empty stomach (that coffee you have been craving the whole run).

Then about an hour later you make your smoothie bowl filled with raw veggies and greens, flax seed, soy and almond milk.

You then take a shower and slather your body in toxic soaps and top it off with chemical ridden makeup.

You get busy and don’t have time to eat so you grab a snack bar filled with nuts and seeds to eat on the go because in your mind nuts are better than carbs.

You get home after not eating for hours and maybe slip in your first serving of protein all day…

You see where this is going. THIS IS THE PERFECT METABOLIC SHIT STORM.

And, this was me. I wrecked my metabolism.

From the yoyo dieting to the low carb diets filled with vegetables filled with anti-nutrients and heavy metals wreaking havoc on my digestion and depleting me of minerals, to the over-exercising and under-eating causing adrenal burnout, to the toxic makeup causing an estrogen burden, to skipping meals leaving my body depleted and never feeling safe, to the nuts and seeds causing oxidative stress and cellular damage, to the destructive morning coffee on an empty stomach.

What does all this have in common? Stress!

The biggest offender when it comes to your metabolism is stress, lack of nutrients and energy.

Your cells require lots and lots of nutrients to do their job- that is, every single job in your body. Just reading this right now requires nutrients, energy and nourished cells.

The only way to come out of a stressed out state is to make your body feel safe.

Feed it often, feed it nourishing foods, feed it the RIGHT foods, and stop all the bullshit diets that leave you even more depleted and worse off than you were in the first place.

Why Am I So Hungry The Week Before My Period?

Do you find yourself ravenous a few days before your period? Or maybe even a whole 2 weeks before your period?

Well I am here to tell you this is totally normal and a GOOD thing!

Here’s the deal. After ovulation, progesterone is the dominant hormone. Progesterone makes your temps rise and warms you up, stimulates the thyroid and increases your metabolism. Your body is actually burning more fuel from ovulation to menstruation.

When this happens your need for nutrients and minerals goes up. In most cases, you will find your body needing at least 300 calories more a day. This is a great thing, you want your metabolism to increase!

Don’t fight it! EAT and honor those signals! This is just another reason why dieting and hormones don’t mix. You can’t expect to balance your hormones if you are eating the same macronutrients every single day and knocking out strenuous energy sucking work outs day in and day out.

Simple way to know what is going on with your cycle is to check your temps right when you wake up in the morning. During the luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation) your temps should rise anywhere from 0.5-1 degree.

During this time focus on getting your blood sugar in check and eating balanced nourishing meals every 3-4 hours and upon waking. Just because you need more calories doesn’t mean you should be sucking down taco bell. Eat with intention and nourishment in mind.

Another thing to keep in mind- your body simply can not use progesterone efficiently when you’re on the blood sugar rollercoaster. A drop in blood sugar means a drop in progesterone.

Have no appetite? You are running on stress hormones girlfriend!