Here are our top 10 podcasts of 2017:
Bridgit's Year in Review
I'm your guest this week where I will be reviewing the year 2017 and the decisions I made on my health, family and business. I'll be interviewed by our new team member Stephanie Risinger who'll also tell us about her podcast.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 01:05 Introducing Stephanie & Bridgit
Min 03:15 Transitioning from Portland to Arizona
Min 06:20 Review of Bridgit's physical health
Min 11:16 Marcons and using Western medicine with Eastern medicine
Min 14:10 Dealing with emotional health
Min 20:30 Getting help from different practitioners
Min 23:45 Lessons learnt in 2017
Min 26:50 Bridgit's habits and routines
Min 28:50 Big wins for Women's Wellness Collaborative in 2017
Min 33:35 The future of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Min 37:35 Stephanie Risinger's podcast
Min 40:10 Health steps taken by Stephanie
To learn more about Stephanie and her Holistic Fertility and Wellness Podcast, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Resources:
Here's a video version of the interview I did:
“How was your 2017? I’d love to hear about it below!”
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We have lots of valuable, free resources for women's health we share weekly.
Pause and Pivot to Reduce Stress
I wanted to give a quick tip, in the form of a 5-minute video, that you can use to transform uncomfortable feelings and react differently to hard situations.
You can use this technique in any situation, from complaining mother-in-laws to general anxiety. One thing I didn't emphasize enough in the video is that you don't necessarily need to say something in the moment. You can slow down time, so to speak, by taking a walk, leaving a conversation, or choosing your reaction after more time to reflect. If you're a firecracker like me, it's nice to practice this option sometimes!
This technique stemmed from work with my 'transformation coach', Toni St. Clair. If you'd like to find out more about Toni or schedule a discovery session with her, go here. Toni definitely got some stuck things to shift for me!
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If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Macronutrient Balance and Traditional Cooking for Weight Management with Wardee Harmon
Wardee Harmon is the founder of Traditional Cooking School and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods. In this episode we focus on weight management, macronutrient balanced diets, traditional cooking and sourcing healthy foods.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 03:00 Introduction to Wardee Harmon
Min 06:00 Re-evaluating how we eat
Min 13:30 Eating low-carb & restricted diets
Min 16:25 Energizing vs satisfying dishes
Min 18:55 The concept of traditional cooking
Min 26:30 What foods to eat at home
Min 28:20 Learning how to cook traditional foods
Min 36:15 Wardee's programs
Min 39:30 Sourcing healthy food
Min 42:00 Wardee's menu plan & home cooking tips
To learn more about Wardee Harmon and Traditional Cooking School, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Resources:
Sourdough bread
Wardee Harmon's FREE 1-week menu plan
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods
Here's a video version of the interview with Wardee Harmon:
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Alternatives to Nasty Chemical Products in Your Home by Teresa Jungling
How many chemicals are you being exposed to on a daily basis? Probably more than you can imagine! When it comes to personal care products, it is estimated that the average woman typically uses 9-12 personal care products each day (including cosmetics). This exposes her to between 125-168 different chemicals. In addition to personal care products, there are other items you come in contact with throughout the day such as cleaning chemicals, plastics, flame retardants and more.
Chemicals used in household products are taking a toll on us. For the sake of your health, it’s important to take steps to reduce the amount of chemicals you are being exposed to everyday.
When It Comes to Household Products Consider the Following:
There are roughly 85,000 chemicals registered for use in the United States and only a small percentage of those chemicals have been thoroughly tested for safety.
Roughly 1,300 chemicals used in everyday products are considered endocrine disruptors
“The law does not require cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, to have FDA approval before they go on the market.” “Neither the law nor FDA regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients. The law also does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety information with FDA.”
Ditch Toxic Household Products!
So what are we to do? Is it possible to ditch everyday household products filled with nasty chemicals and opt for more natural alternatives? Yes, it definitely is!
When it comes to household products, the following natural ingredients provide great alternatives to costly, toxic chemical products.
Vinegar:
Vinegar is a weak acid that disinfects, sanitizes and deodorizes. Therefore it is a great natural cleaning substance. Vinegar is proven to be effective against a variety of viruses, bacteria, and mold. Vinegar has a wide array of uses and can help clean everything from your carpet and tile to your bathroom and laundry.
Personally, I add vinegar to my laundry instead of using fabric softener and I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in my bathroom to help clean my shower. After showering, I spray vinegar on the walls and in the corners of my shower to help reduce the growth of mildew.
Baking Soda:
Baking soda is 100 percent sodium bicarbonate and helps regulate pH. When you think of baking soda, you might think of it as an ingredient in a baked good. However, baking soda has many other beneficial uses and is a great deodorizer, neutralizer and cleanser. It also has anti-fungal properties.
Baking soda can be used as a scouring agent on your kitchen counters. I use baking soda as a scouring agent on my shower floor. You can make it into a cleaning paste by adding a little water. Baking soda is also great to keep in your refrigerator as a deodorizer. In addition to the above, baking soda cuts grease so try it when you clean dishes or want to remove an oil stain from clothing.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are great to add to your cleaning recipes. Different oils offer different benefits. Tea tree oil is a popular option when it comes to cleaning since it has powerful antimicrobial properties. It also has antiseptic and anti-fungal properties.
Tea tree oil is distilled from the Australian tree Melaleuca alternifolia and can help fight mildew. Use it in your laundry to help remove the smell of mildew from your clothing and use it in your cleansers to help with disinfecting surfaces.
Eliminating chemicals from your household products is possible and is a huge benefit to you and your family!
FOUND THIS INTERESTING?
Teresa Jungling is the owner of the healthy living blog, Living Natural Today and the previous radio show host of Living Natural Today - Out with Toxins, In with Your Health. Living Natural Today is a resource for those looking to create a more natural home and live a healthier lifestyle. Download her free guide to discover ways in which you can create a healthier, more natural home for you and your family.
Sun and Sunscreen: Skin Cancer Prevention with Dr. Keira Barr
Dr. Keira Barr is a dermatologist, uthor, eader, peaker n educato i e ield. In this episode we talk about the skin (which is the largest organ of the body), sun exposure, skin cancer and using sun screen.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:10 Introduction to Dr. Keira Barr & her skin history
Min 07:20 The skin as the largest body organ
Min 08:15 The skin and mind-body connection
Min 13:00 HPA access in the skin
Min 15:50 Stress & believes and their effects on the skin
Min 18:20 Listening to your body & skin
Min 23:50 Types of skin cancers
Min 31:20 When to see a dermatologist
Min 33:30 Factors contributing to skin cancer
Min 35:45 The right amount of sun exposure
Min 42:35 How to use sunscreen & spray sunscreens
Min 47:35 Sleep and melatonin
To learn more about Dr. Keira Barr, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Instagram
Resource:
Free 30-Day program
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If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening,
Bridgit Danner,
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
How Your Digestion Affects Your Hormones with Bridgit Danner
I'm your guest in this episode where I talk about steps involved in the digestion process and how your digestion affects hormone production and detoxification. This is an excerpt from a training I did about digestion and hormone health.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 01:20 Steps in the digestion process
Min 03:45 What can hamper digestion
Min 07:10 The large intestine & its functions
Min 08:35 Symptoms of indigestion
Min 10:28 How hormones are made & the nutrients required
Min 13:30 Inflammation
Min 14:35 The immune system
Min 16:15 How to support your digestion
Min 17:50 Using essential oils
Private Coaching with Bridgit
You can view our current coaching options on our website HERE.
Resources:
TAKE OUR FREE “IS A GUT INFECTION CAUSING MY HORMONAL IMBALANCE?" QUIZ BELOW.
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If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening,
Bridgit Danner,
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Get Your Sex Drive Back!
Having low sex drive or poor sexual response can damage not only your full experience of life but also your relationship, as sex is a part of bonding with your partner.
There are lots of reasons that you can have low sex drive, including:
Stress, exhaustion, bloating, body image issues, depression, unresolved conflict with your partner, distraction, worries about fertility, worries about your own or your partner's sexual performance, medications like birth control or anti-depressants, headaches or pain.
In this article, I'll focus mainly on the hormonal aspect of healthy sex drive.
A term I learned while researching this article is SIAD or Sex Interest/ Arousal Disorder. I think this acronym portrays the spectrum of what goes on both with a lack of interest in sex and an inability to become aroused and orgasmic during sex.
This research study describes that there are three parts to sexual experience: desire, arousal, and orgasm. I'll explain each stage and also how hormone imbalance can come into play to disrupt each stage.
Stages of Sex Drive
1) Desire
Sexual experience usually starts with thoughts and fantasies about sex, although the article says that it's not always required for a successful sexual experience.
Hormonally speaking, if you have low levels of testosterone, you'll have less desire. Low thyroid hormone activity could also sap your desire.
2) Arousal
The next stage is arousal. When there is an initiation of the sexual stimulation does your arousal grow? Arousal is both physical and mental and, usually, both components need to come into play, with the physical arousal coming first and then the mental arousal deepens your interest.
Estrogen is an important hormone to keep your vagina and vulva lubricated. This lubrication increases during sex and without it sex can be uncomfortable and you’ll lose the desire to continue.
3) Orgasm
This arousal leads the body towards orgasm. According to Women’s Health magazine, “The big bang is the moment when the uterus, vagina, and anus contract simultaneously at 0.8-second intervals. A small orgasm may consist of three to five contractions; a biggie, 10 to 15.”
If you have a high level of cortisol due to chronic stress, it can sometimes be hard to move from your stressed-out state to a relaxed state of enjoying sex that leads to orgasm.
What to Do
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of mental and physical factors that come into play for a healthy sex life. You may want to review the list at the start of the article and determine if health, work or communication challenges are getting in the way of your satisfying sex life.
If you want a great 'shortcut' to a better sex life, I recommend a product we carry called Libido Stim F, which can support all three stages of your sexual experience.
I tried this product last Spring. At the time, I certainly wasn't thinking about sex much and I did sometimes have a hard time to become aroused- which as you know is super frustrating! So I tried this product, Libido Stim F, without getting my hopes up too high.
I didn't really notice anything until I had been taking it a couple weeks. Then I noticed more desire and even fantasies of sex. I was really surprised! I found arousal and orgasm became much easier as well. I can definitely recommend Libido Stim F as being effective.
The mechanisms of action in Libido Stim F are:
Increase hormone production
Maintain hormone balance
Improve adrenal function
Increase blood flow both to the genitals and the brain (two sex centers!)
Libido Stim F is in a capsule form and one bottle taken at the recommended two capsules a day will last one month. It is important to take it daily for the effect, and please give it some time to kick in. Please see warnings and considerations below before purchasing.
This formula contains a synergistic blend of stimulating and balancing herbs, plus a very small dose of DHEA. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone that is a precursor to other sex hormones being produced.
I'll highlight one of Libido Stim F's eight herbal ingredients: Tribulus Terrestris. Tribulus Terrestris is a thorny flowering plant also known as Puncture Vine. It has been used medicinally in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditions for thousands of years. According to Herbwisdom.com, "the active ingredients in Tribulus Terrestris include saponins, lignin amides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides."
A small double-blinded, randomized study showed, "a significant improvement in the domains of desire, arousal/lubrication, pain, and anorgasmia in women who used T Terrestris, whereas no improvement was observed in the placebo group. Moreover, free and bioavailable testosterone levels showed a significant increase in the T Terrestris group."
Warnings and Considerations
Libido Stim F is not recommended if you have had breast cancer, as it take contains a very small amount of DHEA which is a precursor to estrogen.
This product is not recommended in cases of dominant PCOS or hirsutism (excess hair growth). Note: I myself am on the PCOS spectrum and get acne very easily and I prefer to take this one capsule a day instead of two. I find the taking one a day still helps my sex drive and I avoid the extra testosterone (another hormone produced from DHEA) stimulating my skin cells too much.
This product is not vegetarian.
Always consult your primary care physician before starting a new regime, especially if you have a complex case.
It is dangerous to buy this product from an unknown vendor online.
This article is not meant to diagnose or treat disease and is not meant to replace your relationship with your primary care doctor.
Buy Libido Stim F at our shop.
Working on your sex drive and ability to arouse is not only something you do for yourself but for your relationship. You may be surprised at how much your relationship shifts overall when you are connecting well sexually again.
Here’s to your healthy, happy sex life!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474615/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-love/sex-ed-anatomy-of-an-orgasm
https://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-tribulus-terrestris.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27760089
Using Chinese Medicine for Hormone Balance with Dr. Eric Karchmer
Dr. Eric Karchmer is a doctor of Chinese medicine and co-founder of DAO Labs. In this episode we talk about his clinical experience, the concept of Chinese medicine and how it applies to women's health, and Chinese formulas.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:20 Introduction to Dr. Eric Karchmer & his education
Min 07:50 Dao Labs & Chinese medicine
Min 11:25 The concepts of Chinese medicine for women's cycles
Min 19:20 Eating cold food
Min 21:45 Blood deficiency & Dao Labs' formulas
Min 29:10 Formulas for perimenopause & menopause
Min 36:50 Selling formulas directly to consumers
Min 43:10 Formulas for PMS
Min 44:40 Seeing & treating clients
Min 47:35 Sourcing for herbs & testing for purity
Private Coaching with Bridgit
Check out our current coaching options on our website HERE.
Resources:
To learn more about Dr. Eric Karchmer & DAO Labs, visit their website here and find them on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening,
Bridgit Danner,
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Is Your Gut Messing Up Your Hormones?
There are trillions of bacteria in your gut (1) and they are busy either keeping your hormones in balance or helping your hormones fail you. What is happening in your gut?
Epstein Barr Virus and Wildatarian Eating with Teri Cochrane
Teri Cochrane is a certified Nutritionist and a thought leader in epigenetics and nutrigenomics who specializes in autoimmune conditions. Teri will be sharing her groundbreaking findings as to why the Epstein Barr Virus has become an epidemic, how it can be reactivated in our bodies, how to test & treat it, its connection with other diseases and wildatarian eating.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 01:55 Introduction to Dr. Teri Cochrane
Min 04:50 Teri's introduction to Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
Min 10:00 Lyme disease and encapsulation
Min 12:30 What is Epstein Barr virus / Mononucleosis
Min 16:20 Wildatarian eating
Min 17:50 False positives for Lyme test
Min 20:10 Reactivating EBV
Min 27:15 Other diseases that can be connected to EBV
Min 31:15 Patterns in EBV
Min 33:30 Testing for EBV
Min 37:00 Why you have low cholesterol
Min 39:30 Treating EBV
To learn more about Teri Cochrane, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Resources
Teri Cochrane's free gift - FAB FIVE
Private Coaching with Bridgit
Women's Wellness Collaborative is now offering more flexible options for private coaching. If you are interested in learning more, please fill out this form and we will get right back to you.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to grab our hidden Hormone stressors quiz here, and come on board!
Thanks for listening,
Bridgit Danner,
Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative
Getting the Most Out of Your Water Damage Insurance Claim with Ryan James
It’s our final day of Mold Week and our guest today is Ryan James of Claims Max Adjusters who will help you get the most out of an insurance claim.
We’ll cover:
Why there are many inexperienced adjusters in the wake of a disaster
How your adjuster’s high workload, immediately following a disaster, could affect you
How to get to the front of the line with an adjuster
What is an independent adjuster and how could it benefit you?
Why the line items matter when getting paid for a claim
Your insurance policy options and how to pick the best plan
Resources
Download notes from this interview HERE.
To learn more about Ryan James and his work, visit his website here and follow them on social media:
You can listen to this and all other episodes on our podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
If you’d like a nice all-in-one guide to Hurricane Clean Up and Mold, please see this blog on the page of our new friend Dr. Manisha Ghei. Dr. Manisha works as a functional medicine physician in Sugarland, TX and online.
Audio-Only Version
If you are on the go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Ease Anxiety and Support Immunity in a Disaster with Mira Dessy
Mira Dessy is the Ingredient Guru and a Houston area resident whose home was flooded in Hurricane Harvey. She is a practicing holistic nutritionist and meditation expert.
She’ll share both how she remediated her home and some of the emotional and physical health challenges she handled with nutrition, supplements and mindfulness.
We cover:
The DIY actions she is taking to restore her home
How a community can come together in a crisis
The symptoms she’s noticing right after the hurricane
The emotional toll of losing your possessions and your home
How even junky food, given with love, can be nourishing!
How to kick a sugar habit if you’ve relied on it through a disaster
The supplements Mira uses to stay healthy
How quick and simple meditations can help for sleep and stress
Resources
Download notes from this interview HERE.
Get Mira Dessy's free ebook: Eating Out Healthy
Moisture Meter - to make sure all surfaces are dry enough before beginning the rebuilding process.
To learn more about Mira Dessy, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
You can listen to this and all other episodes on the podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
Please enjoy these articles from our friends Trudy Scott from Every Woman Over 29 and Jodi Cohen of Vibrant Blue Oils:
Nutrition Solutions for Psychological Stress After a Natural Disaster
3 Steps to Combating Mold with Essential Oils
Essential Oils to Modulate the Toxic Effects of Mold
Tomorrow we’ll have our final day of Mold Week with Ryan James, teaching you how to get the most out of an insurance claim. Home remediation can be quite costly; let Ryan keep you from getting the short end of the stick from your insurance company.
Audio-Only Version
If you are on-the-go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
A Functional Physician's Approach to Mold with Dr. Jill Carnahan
We’re back for day 5 of Mold Week, and my guest today is Dr. Jill Carnahan. Dr. Carnahan is an integrative and functional medical doctor practicing in Colorado.
Jill and I cover:
Why you should not use bleach to clean up mold
What air filters she recommends
Her four step approach to healing
What other infections and chemical exposures she looks for
What natural and pharmaceutical medications she uses
How to test to see if you have mold and the genes that make you susceptible
Resources
Download notes from this interview with Dr. Jill HERE.
To learn more about Dr. Carnahan, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
You can listen to this and all other episodes on the podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
Audio-Only Version
If you are on the go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Restoring Your Home Properly After Water Damage with Ryan Gilyeat
It's day 4 of Mold Week and our guest today is Ryan Gilyeat from Oregon Restoration Company.
Ryan and I discuss:
Simple things you can do to prevent accidental flooding
What to do to minimize the damage once a flood has begun
Why not all contractors do the job correctly
The three types of water damage
How to find a qualified contractor
How to make good decisions while doing work yourself
Resources
You can listen to this and all other episodes on our podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
Download notes from this interview with Ryan HERE.
To learn more about Ryan Gilyeat and Oregon Restoration, visit his website here.
Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)
Audio-Only Version
If you are on-the-go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Symptoms of Mold and Easy Detox Tips with Bridgit Danner
We are back for day 3 of Mold Week! You'll learn about:
How mold can grow without you knowing it
The difference between mold spores and mold toxins
The long list of symptoms that can be caused by mold
Ways to test your home and body for mold
Simple, affordable ways to clear mold toxins out of your body
Why your belongings often need to be left behind in order to heal
You can listen to this and all other episodes on the podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
You can also subscribe and listen on our podcast.
Download notes from this interview HERE.
Private Coaching with Bridgit
Trying to figure out how to deal with toxic mold? Check out our current coaching programs to see if working with Bridgit is a fit for your case.
Resources
Go here for mold testing information.
Listen to our interview on Marcons here.
Audio Only Version
If you are on-the-go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Shopping Links
Bonus Content!
Get headache tips from today's host, Erin Knight of Engineering Radiance. Erin is a natural migraine relief specialist and a functional health coach.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Be Aware of Waterborne Pathogens with Dr. Darin Ingels
Welcome to Day 2 of Mold Week. Dr. Darin Ingels is a naturopathic physician but was a clinical microbiologist and immunologist before going back to medical school. So he has a pretty broad background in infectious diseases and microbiology. He understands both the causation side and the healing side of mold illness.
In this interview, we focus on:
Which bacteria and parasites may be present in flood waters
How to dress to protect yourself while remediating a water-damaged home
What you’ll need to throw away when and if it’s been touched by water
Simple supplements that protect your immune system
Why you need to be careful with drinking & bathing water after a flood
How insects descend on an area, after a flood, and what to do
You can listen to this and all other episodes on the podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
You can also subscribe and listen on our podcast.
Download notes from this interview HERE.
To learn more about Dr. Ingels, visit his website here and follow him on social media:
Audio-Only Version
If you are on the go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Detox Your Body and Brain with Dave Asprey
Mold Week is here, and I’m so pleased to share our first interview with Dave Asprey of Bulletproof. Dave may be best known for his Bulletproof coffee but what started it all was his quest to end his chronic, mysterious illness, which he later learned was triggered by toxic mold.
Dave’s interview is a good sampling of the many aspects of mold. We talk about:
Your odds of having a water-damaged home
Why modern homes are great homes for toxic mold
How you can get sick from a water-damaged building without realizing the source
How toxic mold is found in human and animal food
A Bulletproof ® diet to avoid mold and help your body recover
Dave’s favorite supplements to help clear mold
A spray that helps stop mold growth
You can listen to this and all other episodes on the podcast or watch directly on our YouTube channel here.
You can also subscribe and listen on our podcast.
Download notes from this interview HERE.
Dave Asprey's Resources:
Click on an image below to get the resource.
Audio-Only Version
If you are on the go or have a poor internet connection, it will be more reliable to play the following audio-only version.
Free Guide: Healing from Toxic Mold
You want help for your mold symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining my favorite supplements for detoxing mold. As a person who has been healing from mold toxicity, I can personally say these supplements support my daily self-care effectively.
Let me help you start healing!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
Founder of Hormone Detox Shop
Three Ways to Lose Those Stubborn Pounds
There are root causes we study in functional nutrition that are often overlooked and have a side effect of weight gain. These root causes are not discussed in the mainstream advice about weight loss and, frankly, they are often missing from the trending paleo and ketogenic conversations, as well.
There are reasons you can't lose weight and they're not so simple. They take an advanced approach to understanding your environment and understanding your body. But they are things you can understand and overcome. Let's dig into these three reasons and what you can do.
1. Toxins
Toxins are, in my opinion, the number one reason people gain weight. Toxins, in the form of synthetic chemicals, fall into three classes that are dangerous for your weight.
A. Obesogens
Many chemicals are classified as obesogens. This means they increase the number of fat cells you have or increase the ability of your fat cells to get fatter. Doesn't sound so good, does it?! These include both ingredients in pharmaceutical drugs and synthetic products around your home.
B. Xenoestrogens
Other chemicals are classified as xenoestrogens, which means they act like estrogen in your body. We'll learn more about this later, but if you introduce ‘fake estrogens’ into your body they confuse your endocrine system and can lead to weight gain.
C. Gut Disruptors
Many chemicals are also gut disruptors, meaning they upset the bacterial balance in your gut. We'll learn more about this, but for now, know that if your gut bacteria is off balance you can tend to crave foods more often and use calories less efficiently.
A big reason for our toxic load is the low quality of our food. Americans get most of their calories from GMO corn syrup, white flour, and sugar. Now, if you're reading this blog, you probably don't eat in this way, but I think it's important to point out that most people still do. Yes, these items are more caloric, but they are also TOXIC. They are sprayed with herbicides and also stripped of nutrients, so your body cannot process them correctly.
Even if you try to eat better, there are still many additives in processed food and many herbicides and pesticides in non-organic food. Sadly, even organic foods are less nutritious, these days, due to decreasing soil quality.
Outside of the kitchen, we are exposed to thousands and thousands of toxins. Our best shot at reducing our toxic load is to focus on the home environment. You can greatly reduce your toxic exposure by improving food quality, by switching your cleaning products to non-toxic options, switching your beauty products (including makeup) to products free of heavy metals and fragrances, and reducing the amount of plastic you use in your kitchen (It is possible to get it to zero plastic!).
2. Gut Health
Your digestive health is a big factor in your weight, and I don't think this subject gets enough attention.
A. Nutrient Absorption
The gut is where you absorb nutrients and nutrient absorption is very important! For example, we need our nutrients to get sugars into our cells and if they don't, that extra sugar will often turn to fat. We need nutrients to run, create and eliminate hormones correctly, otherwise, we can also gain weight. If you find you have cravings, the nutrients Chromium, DHA and Magnesium may be helpful.
B. Inflamed Gut
Eating low-quality foods or foods you are sensitive to creates inflammation in the digestive tract. Eating on the run and not chewing your food can also cause digestive upset.
If your body is dealing with this inflammation, it can't do other important jobs like balancing your hormones for a healthy weight. Inflammation in your gut can also lead to a condition called intestinal permeability. Intestinal permeability is always a part of any autoimmune disease, including thyroid disease. (You’ll learn more about that in the hormone section.)
C. Bacterial Imbalance
Bacterial imbalance in your gut can also cause a weight problem. There are two bacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, that affect your weight. People who are overweight tend to have a higher amount of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes.
You might be wondering, “How do I fix this?” If you’re eating mostly well but can’t lose weight, it's important to cut out processed foods and sweets. This could be playing a part in your weight loss resistance. Instead, have a wide variety of fibrous foods, including seasonal vegetables, berries, and herbs.
You can also add some effective bacteria to your gut environment. There are two that I recommend. I recommend Megaspore Probiotic because it's one of the few probiotics that will actually survive your stomach and be able to blossom in your intestines. The strains in Megaspore read your gut environment and build up friendly bacteria while they knock down unfriendly bacteria.
Saccharomyces boulardii* is a yeast that we have found, clinically, pairs very well with Megaspore. This yeast helps build a substrate where friendly bacteria can live.
We’ve reviewed many client test results and we found that all of them have a low amount of secretory IgA. This is a protective layer of mucus in your gut. MegaMusoca is a product that really helps build up this protective layer.
3. Hormones
Finally, let's talk about your hormones. Many women intuitively know that their hormones are playing a part in their inability to lose weight. But hormones are a very complicated topic and it's hard to know what to do. The good news is that reducing your toxic load and supporting your gut health will help your hormones. So that's nice and simple.
But I also want to look at some specific areas where your hormones may be thwarting your efforts toward a healthy weight.
A. Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is not just something that diabetic people deal with. We have found that many of our clients, who feel like they're eating pretty well, still have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means the sugars, the fuel for your body, cannot get into your cells. That will leave you feeling tired, even though you've eaten. Then the sugars have to go somewhere because it's dangerous for your body to leave them in the bloodstream, so the body will store them as fat.
Many women simply need to tweak the amount of food they eat, the combination of foods they eat, or how often they eat to avoid insulin resistance. Try spreading out your meals more. You don't want to snack all day long. When you have a meal, make sure you have some fibrous green vegetables, some protein, and some healthy fats. A few carbohydrates a day, like sweet potato or brown rice, are fine, but you want them balanced with fiber and fat.
Another way that you can get into insulin resistance is to be under chronic or high stress. When your adrenaline spikes, so does your blood sugar. We'll discuss some solutions around this below.
There are nutritional supplements that can help with cravings, including Magnesium Chelate, Chromium and fish oil.
B. Thyroid
It’s commonly-known that thyroid disease can disrupt your hormones in a way that affects your weight. When you have a low functioning thyroid you also tend to have a low metabolism; the rate of activity in the cells of your body. Low thyroid function can also lead to less stomach acid, which can lead to the poor nutrient absorption and inflammation we mentioned above.
I found Izabella Wentz’s “Safety Theory” to be very helpful in understanding this thyroid-related weight gain. When your body is under some combination of stressors, whether emotional, physical or chemical, your body perceives danger. Slowing down your thyroid is a way to put you into hibernation and keep you safe until dangers go away. Since you’re not actually hibernating, you're tired and you're gaining weight.
The thyroid is a tricky thing to treat because you don't really treat it directly. It needs to be treated holistically. This treatment includes reducing toxic load, improving gut health, increasing nutrient absorption, dealing with gut infections, dealing with chronic viral infections, and more.
In addition to the steps we discussed in sections one and two, you could take digestive enzymes and Hydrochloric Acid to support nutrient absorption. We carry these as an all-in-one product, Digestzymes™.*
C. Estrogen Dominance
As I mentioned above, many toxic chemicals are xenoestrogens and act like estrogen in the body by attaching to your estrogen receptors. If you have a xenoestrogen attached to your estrogen receptor it can't really function like estrogen but it's getting in the way of true estrogen getting to your cells.
Another concern is that excess estrogen is made by fat tissue. So if you've been exposed to toxins in your past, or currently and have extra fat tissue, you could be making extra estrogen.
Estrogen is a hormone we need, but we don't want it in excess.
Estrogen supports ovulation and mood. Some estrogens can be protective against breast cancers. But estrogen can also be a hormone of growth. Remember when you hit puberty? You had a flood of estrogen that grew your breasts and hips. Now that you're older, you don't want a flood of estrogen to grow your breasts and hips!
Unfortunately, in your perimenopausal years (around ages 35 to 55), you tend to be estrogen dominant. This is because you ovulate less often, and not as strongly, so you make less of the hormone progesterone that comes after ovulation. In a healthy body, you could take that age-related imbalance in stride. But if your body is toxic, your gut is inflamed, and you are under stress, you tend not to handle this imbalance as well. Along with weight gain, you could experience moodiness and heavy periods.
A plant compound, called DIM, is one supplement that's very popular for reducing extra estrogen. DIM* not only binds up and removes estrogen, it can also help increase circulating testosterone, which makes you feel more energetic and increases sex drive.
Progesterone* can be used topically to balance estrogen. I usually recommend it on days 14-26 of your menstrual cycle. Within functional nutrition, we'd rather test to see exactly what's going on with your hormones. But if that's not within your budget right now, you may want to try some topical progesterone, for just a few months, and see if it helps with sleep, PMS, and other symptoms.
The Whole Picture of Weight Loss...
Finally, I want to share some resources related to root causes of weight. I did not discuss the emotional side of things, but it can be a huge contributing factor. Many of us crave foods when we're feeling sad, hurt, or alone. Some women who were sexually or emotionally abused use weight as a way to protect themselves from the outside world.
My friend Stephanie Dodier specializes in the cravings side of weight management. If you feel like your cravings are out of control you need to hear what Stephanie has to say.
I was fortunate to be invited as a guest on her Beyond the Food Project. I spoke about some of the points I covered above, Stephanie spoke on cravings, and there are a number of other speakers speaking on the following topics:
Thyroid Health
Stress Management
Self-love
And more.
I’d love for you to join me in this Beyond the Food Project. I am not one of those practitioners who tell you “you look fine; don't worry about those extra 10 pounds.” I know it feels best to be at your ideal weight and I want you to discover your own root causes for weight loss.
* = We are partnered with Designs for Health to carry high-quality supplements that are much more effective that what you find at the grocery store. As always, check with your physician before starting a new protocol. We don't know the intricacies of your case!
You can also check out our Hormone Detox Shop, including all my new favorite supplements.
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.
How High Blood Sugar Wrecks Your Hormones with Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic with Certification in Acupuncture and is a Diplomat of the American Clinical Nutrition Board. In this show we talk about blood sugar and why it's important to balance it for hormone health, prevent weight gain, prevent diabetes and heart disease, among others.
We carry the supplements mentioned in this episode through our online store. Please see the resources section below for the list of supplements. If you've never shopped with us, you can take 20% off your first order with the coupon code FIRST20. You will need to create an account/log in to be able to apply the promo code. Shipping is always free!
Our store: http://womenswellness.ehealthpro.com
Some of these supplements are also discounted in our new shop: Hormone Detox Shop.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 03:15 Introduction to Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo
Min 04:15 Why balancing blood sugar is important
Min 10:40 Eating healthy
Min 15:05 Techniques to lower blood sugar
Min 17:20 Gut health & stress
Min 18:45 Testing blood sugar
Min 27:00 Blood sugar levels
Min 31:20 Balancing blood sugar
Min 37:40 Plant/Vegetable centred diets
Min 43:50 Blood sugar & female hormones
Min 48:20 Dr. Loscalzo's program
Supplements:
Chromium Synergy™ 90 vegetarian capsules
To learn more about Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Dr. Loscalzo's Resources:
The Sweet Spot program
Insulin Resistance Solution Practitioner Training (IRSPT)
Magic of Burst Training
Scientific and Holistic Investigation of Nutritional Endocrinology (SHINE) Conference 2017