A growing body of scientific research indicates that the health of the gut is crucial for the maintenance of our overall well-being, regulating a diverse range of functions including digestion, immunity, and hormonal balance. Learn how to better support your digestive system!
Herbs That Will Rock Your World with Jane Barlow-Christensen
Jane Barlow Christensen is a master Herbalist and co-founder of Barlow Herbal. Her father, Max G. Barlow, worked with Dr. ET Krebs Jr and Dr. Hulda Clark, inventor of the Essiac formula.Jane loves everything natural, holistic, wellness, fitness, and nutrition oriented. In this episode we talk about herbs, Lomatium, virus infections, and Jane's supplements.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:25 Introducing Jane Barlow
Min 05:10 The art of putting herbs together
Min 09:35 Jane's Lomatium formula
Min 16:00 Munityboost
Min 23:35 Jane's turmeric formula
Min 26:55 Chlorella & spirulina
Min 31:35 Heartlove supplement - includes cayenne pepper, cinnamon, & slippery Elm
Min 36:35 Brain Glow
Min 42:15 Jane's parasite products & resources
To learn more about Jane Barlow, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Resources:
WWC Supplement Shop
Webinar with Dr. Mariza Snyder
Spring Cleaning Pack
Glowing Vitality Skin serum
Munityboost
Here's the video version of the interview with Jane Barlow.
The Five-Day DIY Detox Guide
Do you wake up groggy and tired, turning to coffee or pastries to get you going?
Add in a simple 5 minute routine to have more energy for the day!
Grab our High Energy Morning Guide and get some spring back in your step, naturally.
Healing Gut & Oral Infections With Herbs with Dr. Rachel Fresco
Dr. Rachel Fresco is a doctor of Chinese Medicine out of California. She's also the founder and President of Bio-Botanical Research. In this episode we talk about her formulations, biofilms, gut infections, essential oils, oral health, and eating healthy.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:00 Introducing Dr. Rachel Fresco
Min 03:58 Dr. Fresco's Biocidin® formula
Min 09:40 Biofilms
Min 14:55 Microbial blends
Min 20:30 Olive leaf extract & essential oils
Min 25:00 Using Biocidin
Min 29:00 Binders
Min 32:15 Biocidin Throat Spray
Min 38:20 Marcons
Min 40:15 Dentalcidin & oral health
Min 46:53 Amalgam filling & detoxifying
Min 52:45 Eating healthy
Min 64:40 Dr. Fresco's resources
To learn more about Rachel Fresco and her company Bio-Botanical Research, visit her website here and on Facebook
Resources:
Bridgit’s shop
Leaky Gut Solutions Webinar
Dentalcidin toothpaste
MegaSporeBiotic
Cyrex Labs
Here's a video version of the interview with Dr. Rachel Fresco:
The Five-Day DIY Detox Guide
Do you wake up groggy and tired, turning to coffee or pastries to get you going?
Add in a simple 5 minute routine to have more energy for the day!
Grab our Five-Day DIY Detox Guide and get some spring back in your step, naturally.
Epstein Barr Virus - Could You Have It? With Dr. Kasia Kines
Dr. Kasia Kines is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition and the CEO of EBV Educational Institute who specializes in the Epstein Barr virus (EBV). Her new ground breaking book on EBV combines medical research with practical applications, written both for the medical community and the lay person in mind. The book will be released in late spring/summer 2018. In this episode we talk about the EBV, Mononucleosis, testing, childhood infections & recovery.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:35 Introducing Dr. Kasia Kines
Min 04:48 How Dr. Kines got into EBV specialization
Min 06:35 Testing for EBV & seeking treatment
Min 10:00 The connection between EBV & other conditions
Min 11:50 How many people have EBV?
Min 15:00 Mononucleosis (mono)
Min 19:05 Childhood infections & lab testing for EBV
Min 27:30 Botanicals & superfoods for helping with EBV
Min 35:00 Flipping your health script
Min 36:50 Olive-leaf extract
Min 40:35 Dr. Kines newsletter & freebies
Min 46:35 EBV recovery
To learn more about Dr. Kasia Kines, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
Resources:
Here's a video version of the interview with Dr. Kasia Kines:
5 Easy Detox Swaps for Women’s Health
Are you doing all the ‘right things’ but still feeling blah?
Get my list of 5 Easy Detox Swaps for Women’s Health to start clearing out the toxins and reset your system to feel better today!
Case Study: A Functional Approach to Hormones and Gut
How Functional Health Coaching Treats Mood, Gut and Hormones in an Integrated Way
The Symptoms
When Emily joined our coaching program, she was struggling with depression, anxiety, fatigue, and brain fog. She said that she did not have the energy to improve her diet or exercise regimen to support her health. She feared that trying to make major changes could have the potential to elicit panic attacks that would prevent her from moving forward.
Photo by Jason Briscoe
Emily felt “tired almost all of the time.” Up until a few years before joining our functional coaching program, she had lived an active life. She had spent years gaining her education and working as a public health professional. And, at 38-years-old, she found herself barely making it through the day.
Emily had resorted to some of the most common coping mechanisms available: coffee in the morning to give her enough energy to get going, and alcohol at night to help her sleep.
Emily had resorted to some of the most common coping mechanisms available: coffee in the morning to give her enough energy to get going, and alcohol at night to help her sleep.
She suffered from symptoms of gas, bloating and indigestion. Her symptoms eased when she was strict about her diet but returned whenever she wavered slightly.
The First Steps
The first thing we advised Emily to do was to take the huge step of removing coffee and alcohol from her diet. Within a matter of a couple of weeks, she was amazed at how much better she felt, just from those small changes. While this is not always as impactful for everybody as it was for Emily, it does show that sometimes a couple of small tweaks can have big effects.
The Labs
As Emily made those early changes to diet, we ran a handful of functional labs, including:
DUTCH Complete hormone panel
Comprehensive thyroid panel
GI-Map stool pathogen test
Micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) test.
The Test Results
The test results showed that Emily was quite deficient in the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone but it is also responsible for providing a sense of energy and plays an important role in regulating the circadian rhythms controlling sleep/wake cycles.
Emily was also very low in all of her female sex hormones (the estrogens and progesterone) and she was also very low in melatonin, a hormone that helps promote restful sleep.
Emily's thyroid appeared to be slightly sluggish and she was deficient in seven different important micronutrients.
Her stool test detected two different parasites, an overgrowth of two different opportunistic yeast species, suppressed immune response in the small intestines, and a very strong sensitivity to gluten-containing foods.
Part of the Hormone Report
Stool Test Results
The Protocol
Emily remained free from coffee and alcohol and began to adopt a gluten-free diet.
She started doing moderate exercise, managing her stress levels, eradicating gut pathogens through an herbal protocol, and supporting her healthy hormone balance through diet, herbs, and lifestyle changes.
She introduced some herbal tinctures such as black cohosh, red clover, vitex, and motherwort to support her female hormone levels. She used a product called Adrenotone from Designs for Health to support the adrenal glands and the balance of stress hormone production through the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Emily supported her micronutrient balance through the introduction of a complete mineral support formula and used the Designs for Health GI Microb-X product as one of the antimicrobial blends for eradicating infectious microorganisms. She also introduced Megaspore probiotic to rebuild beneficial gut flora and to support the immune system.
For dietary support, Emily began seed cycling and introduced more healthy fats into her diet. She also incorporated detoxification strategies such as dry brushing and rebounding into her daily routine to help her move toxins out of the body in a natural way.
The Transformation
Photo by Patrick Hendry
As Emily gained energy, she was able to reintegrate exercise into her life and she enjoys mountain biking and outdoor sports of many kinds.
After six months on the coaching program, Emily reported feeling better than she had in years despite experiencing some extreme stress, including the sudden death of her partner’s mother.
Over the course of her six months on the program, Emily gained enough energy and mental clarity to make big decisions about her life, including the purchase of a new home and a desire to have a baby.
Emily is now thriving, pregnant, happy in her life, and excited about her future.
Are You Ready for Your Transformation?
Work With Us!
We would be honored to work with you as a private client. We provide testing and coaching options to women in most every state and country. Come check out our coaching options to see if it’s a fit.
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.
My Real Life Healing Journey with Jaclyn Renee
The Benefits of an Elimination Diet with Jessica Stopard
Jessica Stopard is a Holistic Nutritionist & health coach from Canada. She discovered that the elimination diet made a big difference for her and for her clients. In this episode, we will be discussing what the elimination diet is, food sensitivity testing and healing the gut.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:00 Introducing Jessica Stopard
Min 05:35 Transitioning into holistic nutrition
Min 09:15 What is the elimination diet?
Min 13:20 Who is this diet for?
Min 16:25 Benefits of the elimination diet
Min 20:00 Reintroducing foods, food sensitivities & food addiction
Min 23:45 Case stories of using elimination diets
Min 29:35 Foods to have in your diet
Min 33:20 Jessica's holistic nutritional approach
Min 34:45 Testing for food sensitivities
Min 43:10 Jessica's free guide & resources
To learn more about Jessica Stopard, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Resources:
Jessica's Free Beginner's Guide to Food Sensitivities
Beautycounter products - non-toxic line of beauty products
Here's the video version of the interview with Jessica Stopard:
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to get our MATH Diet Guide here, and come on board!
We have lots of valuable, free resources for women's health we share weekly.
Best Protocols for Gut Infections with Ann Melin
Ann Melin is our lead health coach at Women's Wellness Radio and a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Clinical Nutritionist, a Clinical Master Herbalist, and a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner. In this episode we talk about gut health, gut infections, and the best treatment protocols.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 01:35 The connection between gut health & hormone health
Min 05:20 Symptoms of gut infections
Min 11:00 Why you need to address gut parasites
Min 14:35 Gut healing protocols & lab testing
Min 22:50 SIBO & GI map tests
Min 27:10 Links between gut parasites & other diseases
Min 30:10 Getting treatment for chronic conditions
Min 38:00 Treating gut parasites (candida, SIBO)
Min 41:35 Herbs & supplements for gut health
Min 45:20 Steps to WWC coaching
Resources:
Check out our coaching program to see if it is a fit for you.
Visit our shop here.
Beautycounter products - non-toxic line of beauty products
Learn about our protocols for toxins testing here.
Here are more resources, outlining our testing protocols for other nasty gut issues, including SIBO, parasitic infections and Candida.
Join Our Community!
If these talks resonated with you and your case, we’d love to get to know you better!
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to get our Top-Down Digestion Guide here, and come on board!
We have lots of valuable, free resources for women's health we share weekly.
Bridgit 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.
French Onion Meatball Soup by Maria Emmerich
Maria Emmerich is a wellness expert in nutrition and exercise physiology who shares a passion for helping others reach their goals of optimal health.
She recognized that modifying the Ketogentic diet around dietary restrictions can be challenging, so she created this book to meet the need! She includes many delicious recipes that can be enjoyed by those with or without dietary restrictions!
Here's one of Maria Emmerich's recipe from her new book "Easy Dairy-Free Ketogenic Recipes."
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
1 tablespoon avocado oil or lard 1⁄4 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons beef bone broth, homemade (page 106) or store- bought
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 large egg
For the Soup:
3 tablespoons avocado oil or lard
2 cups thinly sliced onions
4 cups beef bone broth, homemade (page 106) or store- bought
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves Fine sea salt
For Garnish:
Fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Make the meatballs: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with the salt; sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
Combine the ground beef, broth, thyme, and egg in a large bowl. When the onion mixture is no longer hot to the touch, add it to the bowl with the meat mixture and work everything together with your hands.
Shape the meat mixture into 1 1⁄4-inch balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the soup: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Add the broth and thyme and boil for 10 minutes or until the onions are very soft. Taste and add salt, if desired. Ladle the onion broth into bowls and add the meatballs. Garnish with fresh thyme and freshly ground pepper.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. To reheat, place the soup in a saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes, until warmed through.
Nutritional info (per serving):
Calories 385
Fat 31g
Protein 22g
Carbs 5g
Ber 1g
Found This Interesting?
Maria Emmerich is a wellness expert in nutrition and exercise physiology. She shares a passion for helping others reach their goals of optimal health.
She struggled with her weight throughout childhood and decided enough was enough. She decided to study health and wellness so she could help others stop wasting their time being discouraged with their outward appearance and not feeling their best mentally. Maria understands the connection between food and how it makes us all feel on the inside and out.
She is a International Best Selling author of several books including “Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking” "Keto" and “The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse“.
Nutrition for Thyroid Recovery with Caroline Stahlschmidt
Why Detox Beats Dieting with Robyn Openshaw
Robyn Openshaw is a researcher and wellness author of 15 titles, including 2017’s #1 bestseller Vibe, The Green Smoothies Diet, and 12 Steps to Whole Foods. She's our first guest this year where we talk about detox, toxins, dieting and eating healthy.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:15 Introduction to Robyn Openshaw & her new book "Vibe"
Min 07:30 Toxic load in the body
Min 09:40 Robyn's health history & her grandma's fight with cancer
Min 12:25 Robyn's first detox experience
Min 18:35 The 26 Day Detox program
Min 23:05 Taking green smoothies
Min 28:45 The Ketogenic diet
Min 35:20 The Paleo diet, carbs & protein
Min 45:20 Intuitive eating & detoxing
Min 50:30 Why detox is better than dieting
Min 52:05 Fulic acid, humic acid & minerals
To learn more about Robyn Openshaw, visit her website here and follow her on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Pinterest
Resources:
Free Detox Video Mini Masterclass
12 Steps to Whole Foods Masterclass
How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD
Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD
Here's the video version of the interview with Robyn Openshaw:
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
If you have not yet joined our community, be sure to get our 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here, and come on board!
We have lots of valuable, free resources for women's health we share weekly.
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
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.
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
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
SIBO Causes and Treatments with Dr. Ken Brown
Dr. Ken Brown is a board-certified gastroenterologist and in this episode we talk about SIBO, IBS, how they are connected and how to treat SIBO.
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 02:20 Introduction to Dr. Kenneth Brown
Min 03:50 The connection between SIBO & IBS
Min 06:00 IBS-C & IBS-D
Min 09:00 SIBO & parts of the intestines
Min 13:45 Case scenario of a SIBO patient
Min 15:30 Motility of the intestines
Min 20:30 SIBO & autoimmunity
Min 25:05 H. pylori & SIBO
Min 29:35 Special diets
Min 32:20 Treating SIBO
Min 38:05 Atrantil
To learn more about Dr. Ken Brown, visit his website here and follow him on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Google +
Resources:
Here's a video version of the interview I did with Dr. Kenneth Brown:
MegaGuard
A great way to get started on tackling your bloating is use MegaGuard.
MegaGuard is formulated to promote normal digestion, balance stomach acid, and reduce things like gas, bloating, and indigestion.
Click here for more information and to purchase.
The Parasite Hormone Connection
Do you think parasites have nothing to do with hormones? Or that parasites are very rare and only found in places like rural Africa?
You would be wrong on both counts. In this article, I'll explain:
What is the connection between hormones and parasites
What are the symptoms of a parasitic infection
Why are parasites so common
What you can do about it
The Link Between Parasites and Hormones
A parasite is dictionary defined as “an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.”
You might be thinking, “well shouldn't my body prevent parasites?” You are right; it should but it doesn't always succeed. Parasites can enter through the skin or the vagina but the most common area of entry is the mouth.
When you eat something or put your hands in your mouth you expose yourself to potential parasites and their larvae. Parasites are found in soil and feces and do a great job of spreading themselves around.
When you swallow a parasite, your stomach acid should burn off the pathogen. However many of us have low stomach acid production from a thyroid condition, because of aging, or because we were eating on in a rush and we didn't get our bodies into “rest and digest” mode.
If a parasite survives the stomach it can live in the intestines or move to other areas of the body. Parasites can remain for decades. You may also be wondering, “isn't it somewhat normal to have parasites?”
According to Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman in her book Guess What Came to Dinner?, some amount of parasites could make for no noticeable symptoms. It really depends on the type and quantity of parasites and the strength or weakness of the host.
You are the host and the environment you create in your body helps determine if a parasite finds a good home or not. If your intestines are out of balance because of eating inflammatory foods, leaky gut, antibiotic use, other infections, or eating a high-sugar, high-refined flour diet you are providing a welcoming home for a parasite.
So now you understand how having a parasite is indeed possible. But why would this affect your hormones?
Having a parasite will cause inflammation in the gut and a potential loss of nutrients going to you, the host.
Hormones stay in balance through:
Production
Clearance
Communication
Parasites will contribute to the overall poor environment in the gut. And your gut is an important location for hormone production and clearance.
The nutrients you absorb in the gut are the ingredients to make hormones: B vitamins, amino acids, fats, etc. That's why I consider it not only very important to eat nourishing foods, but also to take high-quality supplements to 'mind your gut'.
Parasites can contribute to an imbalanced bacterial environment in your gut. (Other contributors are sugar, alcohol, white flour, genetically-modified foods, and antibiotics.) That imbalance can lead to a re-activation of used estrogens getting back into circulation in your body, possibly increasing your risk of breast cancer. (source)
In a healthy gut, used hormones that have been rendered inactive in the liver will be expelled in the intestines through the bile. In an unhealthy gut, an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase will be produced, making estrogen active again. This happens within a set of gut bacteria called the estrobolome.
Dr. Izabella Wentz, in her book Hashimoto's Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, connects many parasites to the "triggering and exacerbating" of the autoimmune thyroid condition Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. These include: Giardia lamblia, Dientamoeba fragilis, Toxoplasma gondii, Entamoeba histolytica, Blastocystis hominis, Bartonella henselae and Cyrptosporidium.
Hormones are made in response to the needs of your body. If your body is chronically fighting an infection in your gut and dealing with the inflammation there, hormones will be made to combat that stress, namely stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
As a woman, you want a balance of stress hormones and more restorative hormones in the Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) family like estrogen and testosterone. If your body is making a lot of cortisol in comparison to DHEA, you could have symptoms like overwhelm, low sex drive, infertility and loss of muscle mass. Menopause and peri-menopause can be more difficult.
The above are just a few ways that parasites and an unhealthy gut can lead to hormonal problems.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a parasitic infection are numerous. This list is by no means a way of diagnosis but rather examples of the diverse ways that a parasite could manifest:
Constipation
Diarrhea
Gas and bloating
Muscle pain
Anemia
Autoimmune diseases
Skin rashes
Insomnia / Waking up too early
Anxiety
Fatigue
Teeth grinding
Frequent colds and flu
In this article, I am focusing on parasites but we often see parasites in our clients like Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and candida. Parasites can also help house and protect things like Epstein-Barr virus, mold mycotoxins, and Lyme infection. So in complex cases is often important to clear the gut of these pathogens.
But sometimes our clients are fairly healthy have lots of good habits, they are just stuck in one area of their health. They can't get pregnant or they're chronically bloated. These are cases where we've been able to address the gut and get good results overall.
According to the Center for Disease Control, millions of people in the United States are affected by parasites every year. How much of a problem parasites depend on who you ask. The colleagues of mine who treat complex cases are quite convinced of the efficacy of parasite treatment. You can hear my interview with parasite expert, Dr. Todd Watts here, and you can register for the Parasite Summit here (and more information is below).
Parasitic infections do seem to be on the rise because of these factors:
International travel
Contaminated public water supply
Household pets
Daycare centers
Eating at restaurants
Food imported from other countries
The use of antibiotics
Factory farming (including farmed fish)
A Personal Story
When I was in my early twenties I lived in a village in South America. All the pathogens there were new to my body and even though I tried to drink clean water I got very sick a few times. After that, I lived in Mexico and while there I was chronically constipated. I didn't know much about parasites back then but I suspected them I looked into getting a test run but opted for a kit I could buy at the store to clean parasites in my colon. Later my boyfriend at the time, who also lived in South America, passed a long worm out of his stool.
I forgot about parasites for a while but during a stressful time in Chinese medicine school, I developed IBS that would not go away. I attributed it to stress. If my diet is “really perfect” with all fresh, clean foods my digestion can be pretty stable. But cheating at all on corn chips or a beer would make me have loose stool again. This pattern went on for many years and I even had to stool test and treated H pylori infection with still no improvement.
One of my parasites that came out in my stool.Trust me, I was really grossed out when I first saw this too. Toothbrush somehow makes this picture grosser. I did not touch it to my toothbrush, just put it on top of bag for size comparison.
This past summer I interviewed Dr. Todd Watts office about parasites. Perhaps with that awareness in the back of my mind, I noticed a parasite in my stool the next day. I quickly ordered a stool test from a leading company we use and the test came back positive for a type of parasite.
I have been treating my parasite and, though I'm just beginning, I have passed another worm and some larvae which, while gross, is also pretty exciting to know that I am getting something out of my body that was likely stressing it for a long time. I know that my white blood cell count has been low for years and no one was able to explain it but I think this helps explain it.
Besides coming back from South America with a probable parasite I also came back with a lackadaisical attitude about sanitation. I thought that here in the US we were too paranoid about cleanliness. We have also learned in the last decade a lot about the microbiome and we are often encouraged to 'eat dirt and go barefoot.’
After reading Guess What Came to Dinner? by Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, I have quite a different perspective. We DO want to be clean and careful to prevent parasites. It is much easier to prevent parasites then test and treat for them later.
Prevention Tips
Luckily there is a lot we can do to prevent parasites:
Always wash hands prior to eating
Keep your fingernails short and scrub under them with a brush
When you use a public toilet seat squat over it rather than sitting on it
At home, keep your bathrooms clean and sanitize toilet seats and bowls*
Keep the interior or your car clean*
Avoid kissing your pets or letting your children do so
All family members should wash their hands after petting the family pet
Pick up pet waste and don't let your kids play in areas where they can be exposing themselves to residual pet waste
Get a report on your local water quality and drink only filtered water (Filters need to be very fine a size of 3 microns or under to filter microorganism cysts.)
While hiking, never drink out of streams and carry a fine pore filter of 3 microns or under while camping
Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating
Be very careful with cooking meats and fish to ensure that any larvae in them are killed
Cook beef to an internal temperature of 160° f
Cook chicken, lamb and pork to 170° f
Cook fish until flaky and do not cook in a microwave
Avoid eating raw Pacific salmon and rockfish (Flash frozen fish are safer.)
Eat fiber such as raw nuts, beans, greens berries; these sweep your colon
Avoiding sugars and simple starches that parasites thrive on
Avoid swimming in freshwater lakes
Always sit on a towel in a sauna
Be aware that public mud baths and spas can carry the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis (This happened to me the only time I used a mud bath!)
If you are pregnant or immunocompromised, avoid changing your cat's litter box and have someone else and household do it
* Please note that you don't need to use potent chemicals for cleaning. You can use potent essential oils instead! Dr. Mariza Snyder is my to-go resource on essential oils, and her book, Smart Mom's Guide to Essential Oils: Natural Solutions for a Healthy Family, Toxin-Free Home and Happier You has many great cleaning recipes.
If you would like to learn more about parasites, I encourage you to attend the Parasite Summit hosted by Dr. Jay Davidson. This event is an eye-opening journey into parasites and their effects on health, hormones, detox and more!
Accurate testing for parasites cannot be conducted at your local doctor's office. The technology is just available in this setting and paradigm. We do conduct these tests with our private clients and develop protocols to help them eradicate gut pathogens. If you are interested in talking to us more about it you can check out our coaching options here.
To Your Health!
Bridgit
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.
Lyme Disease in Women and Children with Dr. Elena Frid
Dr. Elena Frid is a Board Certified Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist and a specialist in Lyme disease. She is our guest this week and we will mainly talk about Lyme disease which is on the rise, as well as symptoms and testing.
Click here to download an mp3 of "Lyme Disease in Women & Children with Dr. Elena Frid.“
Here's what you'll hear:
Min 01:25 Introduction to Dr. Elena Frid
Min 04:15 Psychiatric symptoms of Lyme patients
Min 05:50 Dr. Frid's training & practice
Min 09:00 What is Lyme disease?
Min 10:50 Lyme endemic areas
Min 12:45 Dr. Frid's Insect Repellant Kidswear
Min 14:35 What other insects can spread Lyme disease
Min 18:00 Percentage of Lyme patients who get their problems resolved with antibiotics
Min 19:15 Rate of increase & testing of Lyme disease
Min 23:35 Lyme disease as a neurological disease
Min 25:15 Lyme disease among women & children
Min 29:15 The connection between gut health & Lyme disease
Min 31:30 Symptoms of Lyme disease & when to test
Dr. Elena Frid's Resources:
Interpreting Your Lyme test, Not That Easy! - how to interpret your lab tests
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Thanks for listening,
Bridgit Danner, Founder of Women's Wellness Collaborative