Here’s How to Balance Your Hormones: A Protocol By Dr. Sara Gottfried

Having worked with many clients in their 40s and beyond, I often hear things like, “I just can’t lose the extra 10 pounds” or “I just don’t feel myself, no matter what I do.” Dr. Sara Gottfried, physician and author of the new book, “Women Food and Hormones,” is on a mission to denormalize hormone imbalances and the symptoms that accompany them. Women who are between the ages of 35 and 60 have been suffering unnecessarily from hormone imbalances for way too long, according to Dr. Gottfried. Unfortunately, many physicians have not been properly trained how to address these issues at their root cause and have instead been taught to over-prescribe birth control or hormone replacement therapy as the solution, she says. The full title of Dr. Gottfried’s book, “Women, Food and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight and Feel Like Yourself Again,” tells you a little more about her approach. In it, she outlines a step-by-step plan to help women rebalance their hormones and gain control over their energy, moods, weight, and health at large. Root Causes of Hormonal Imbalances In a recent podcast with Dr. Mark Hyman, the two physicians discuss the following root causes of these imbalances. Toxic stress: They highlight how toxic stress causes high or low cortisol and can throw your thyroid into hypo- or hyperactivity (meaning it’s either underactive or overactive). Reproductive years: The period from postpartum through perimenopause can cause estrogen and progesterone to fall out of the normal range. Insulin resistance due to a high-sugar and starchy diet can cause that unwanted weight gain in the abdominal area that so many women fight to lose. Endocrine disruptors: Environmental toxins in plastics, herbicides and pesticides act as endocrine disruptors. The hormones in dairy have also been linked to being a problem. All of these factors have a negative impact on our hormone’s ability to function properly. So what is the solution? Solving Hormonal Imbalances in Women Dr. Gottfried recommends a ketogenic diet, but tailored for women’s hormones by including carbohydrates from nutrient-dense foods, such as cruciferous veggies. Many women also lack adequate fat in their diet, and fat is the backbone of the sex hormones. She proposes specifically that for 4 weeks, women subscribe to a diet that consists of 60-70% fat, less than 25 grams of net carbohydrates, and 20% protein. There should be no feelings of hunger or deprivation on this diet as fat delays gastric emptying, enhancing feelings of satisfaction. While 25 grams of net carbs per day is definitely low, getting these carbs specifically from high-fiber, cruciferous veggies will keep you full while meeting your nutrient needs.. RELATED: How Many Carbs Are Really in Vegetables? Ketosis and Hormones This diet will allow your body to enter ketosis, using fat for energy rather than glucose. Besides helping hormones to thrive, nutritional ketosis has benefits of increased energy, brain clarity, better sleep, weight loss and reduced inflammation. Dr. Gottfried recognizes that this diet is not for everyone and may not be something that women can stick to forever. However, trying it for four weeks allows for metabolic flexibility-enabling your body to switch between using fat and glucose for energy based on what you are eating and the fuel provided. Strength Training As We Age Along with diet, strength training is highly encouraged to maintain and grow muscle mass as women age. Dr. Gottfried recommends two thirds of weekly exercise include strength training and one third cardio. Muscle mass is used as one of the most important markers for overall health and should not be overlooked. Bottom Line The unfortunate fact is that women are more vulnerable to hormone imbalances, and society has normalized the uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating symptoms that hormone imbalances cause. With Dr. Gottfried’s prescribed diet and lifestyle alterations, women no longer have to succumb to a passive approach to aging and can take control to live a stronger, healthier, more empowered life. (Image: Shutterstock)

How To Help My Clients Stop Binge Eating When They’re Stressed

Ask Keri: How can I help my clients stop binge eating when they’re stressed? Keri Says: Life is stressful and it seems like over the past year, life has really overachieved at this. Sigh. An endless barrage of unpleasant news stories, uncertainty about the economy, and the normal day-to-day stressors we all come up against and you have a recipe for an uptick in stress, anxiety and the emotional eating fallout that comes with. Many people have been experiencing “binge eating” to a level that is far from their norm. Stress increases appetite and cravings for sugary, high-fat foods that provide a quick rush of stress-relieving serotonin and dopamine. What does this do? It makes us want more and more of these types of food. Food addiction is also a real thing. It’s also important to note that “binge eating” is often used by clients in this context: “I binged on cookies over the weekend while watching football with friends.” They may have emotionally overeaten but they may or may not have an actual binge eating disorder (BED). Clinically, binge eating refers to consuming a large amount of food in a short period while feeling a loss of control, often accompanied by guilt or distress. BED is a diagnosable condition included in the DSM-5 and requires meeting specific criteria. It is best to use the terms such as overeat, or emotionally overeat to avoid confusion unless a person truly has BED. Here’s how you can help your clients stop this cycle right in its tracks. Identify Triggers First, you need to help your client identify triggers leading to emotional eating. Some people don’t realize that emotions are influencing certain eating patterns. Ask your clients (or yourself) if their having cravings after watching the news? Do they down a bag of chips after every power struggle with their child about doing homework? Are they scrolling through a full email inbox as they eat lunch? Identifying the situations/emotions that trigger eating is the first step to controlling it. RELATED: Nutritious Life Emotional Eating Course Control Triggers Once you’ve identified triggers, then it’s time to develop controls for these triggers. In other words, a plan of action to combat them. This is going to look different for every person. I like to think of controls in two ways: food controls and non-food controls. Food controls are for those times that a person is truly hungry and/or it’s meal time. Non-food controls are for when there is no true hunger. Having a control (aka plan) on its own often helps a person to feel more calm and thus, less likely to emotionally eat. A food control is something that will satisfy a craving without causing a person to “eat around” a craving. For example, if someone is craving something sweet, a sliced apple paired with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a drizzle of honey may do the trick. It’s substantial enough and sweet enough to provide satisfaction. In the mood to crunch? Celery sticks won’t cut it if there is true hunger involved, but a tortilla, cut into quarters and baked with a sprinkle of sea salt and served with a tablespoon of guacamole may. Having a go-to control food for when a person is feeling triggered (but also truly hungry) is key. A few examples of non-food controls are calling a friend (I know, I know, you’ve heard it before, but it works!), doing a face mask, dropping and doing ten push ups (it just resets your mindset) or even cleaning a drawer can all stop the urge to emotionally eat. What is key here is to find an activity that will actually relieve stress, delay and distract eating and change a person’s frame of mind. Whether it’s a stressful election, the holiday season or just the daily hustle, stress and other triggers of emotional eating are unavoidable. But, having controls can dramatically reduce unwanted outcomes from acting on those triggers. Helping clients find food and non-food related ways to cope will not only support their efforts to maintain healthy eating habits, but will also improve their overall health and wellness. It’s a win-win, if you ask me. (Featured photo: Shutterstock)

Is the News Making You Feel Unmotivated?

Ask Keri: The news cycle has me feeling really low and unmotivated. What are some ways to stay focused on my health and wellness?   Keri Says:  Most of us have been spending more time at home lately than we’re used to, and as a result, we’re watching and reading the news more frequently – a news cycle which is flooded with stories about the pandemic. Yes, many of these stories are uplifting, and there’s no shortage of inspirational talk on social media about utilizing this time to try new things. “Read a new book,” they say. “Start a side hustle,” or “Pick up a new hobby or two.” Sure, that all sounds wonderful, but, if all you feel like doing is throwing on your sweats and binging on Netflix, I get it and I don’t blame you. With constant reminders that our world is anything but “normal” right now, we’re all in the middle of an emotional roller coaster, and most of us could use a little extra motivation during these strange times. With the entire world in a state of uncertainty, you may  not always feel like focusing on health and wellness all the time. Or, at all. And it’s absolutely okay to feel that way. Just don’t STAY there. RELATED: Why Cultivating Self-Worth Leads to Healthier Choices (and How to Do It) Prioritizing your wellbeing is more important right now than ever, and may be the very thing that can help you out of your funk. So, while it’s okay to give yourself a break now and then, it’s important not to lose sight of your health and wellness goals for too long.  When the world throws challenges at us, it’s easy to lose focus on what matters most. I challenge you not to give up, and hang in there. Here are some of the  tricks I use to  stay motivated and make healthy habits last.  1. Write Down Your Goals. It’s time to put some pen to paper and get clear on your health and wellness goals. Writing down realistic goals, along with why you want to achieve them in the first place is the first step in making any healthy habits last. You know you want to eat healthier, but what’s the deeper reason? Maybe you want to have more energy, set a positive example for your kids, or feel happier. Whatever your reasons are, writing them down ensures you won’t forget why you started in the first place. When you feel unmotivated (because we all do, sometimes) coming back to your “why” will help you stick to your goals no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way. But, just writing down general goals isn’t enough. They have to be specific and realistic goals that you can actually measure. Exercising more is a great general goal to aim for, but how will you know when you’ve achieved it? What does “exercising more” mean to you? . Instead of just aiming to exercise more, you should set a more specific goal, such as walking for 30 minutes, four days a week. Once you achieve this goal and build confidence, you can increase your goal to walking for 45 minutes, four days a week, for example, and so on. 2. Make an Upbeat Playlist. There’s nothing like hearing your favorite song to instantly change your mood. If you’re feeling down or discouraged by the current events, play some music to lift your spirits and shift your mindset. Research shows that music can boost mood and even make exercise more enjoyable.  So, find some pump-up jams for your workouts, calming melodies for when you need to unplug, and happy tunes to inspire some dancing in the kitchen to make meal prepping a little more fun. A little music makes everything better, so don’t neglect to add some to your day. 3. Find a Buddy or Group. Yes, we might be social distancing right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find support or a community of like-minded people to keep you accountable and inspired. If you’re living with your partner, roommate, or family, you can get them involved by trying new recipes together, going on walks, or unplugging together by playing some games.  On your own? You can also find virtual communities for everything from fitness to meditation, thanks to countless online classes and apps. You’ll be less likely to bail if a friend is expecting to see you for that live online yoga class. Plus, seeing others achieve their goals will keep you inspired and determined to reach yours.  4. Put it On the Calendar. Feeling a little out-of-sorts these days? You’re not alone. The coronavirus has undoubtedly changed our routines and daily schedules, which means scheduling health and wellness into your day may be more important than ever. When you make something part of your schedule and write it on the calendar, you’re less likely to forget about it, and you have one less excuse for not doing it. You can also try setting reminders on your phone for wellness breaks throughout the day, such as standing up and moving, drinking water, meal prepping, getting outside, or relaxing with a book. While these may feel like small things, they can make all the difference in your day, so don’t forget to make time for them. 5. Get Organized and Declutter. A little Marie Kondo-ing might just be the refresher you need to feel less stressed and shift your focus to health and wellness. Our living spaces can have a powerful  impact on our mood, so decluttering and rearranging your space to promote peace and wellness will set you up for success.  Consider finding a spot such as your bedroom, a corner in your living room, or even the bathtub, that can be your place for some Zen and restoration. Stock up on nutritious foods and  hide the sugary treats. Consider getting a jogging stroller to take your kids with you on a run, and/or

This Could Be What You Need to Finally Reach Your Goals

We all have things we’d like to improve on in life. Some of us aspire to run a marathon. Some of us just want to feel good in our jeans—and some of us are better at setting goals and following through than others. Wherever you land on the spectrum, there are many reasons a nutrition coach may be just what you need to guide you along the way. Why? We can’t do everything ourselves. Having someone who’s been there before or has knowledge you don’t have is key to  creating and sticking to a plan. (If you’ve been trying to reach a goal without a concrete plan, you know it’s a practically impossible feat!) The best news is that there are different coaches who can meet your specific needs—such as a nutrition coach, life coach or health coach. RELATED: 3 Expert Tips to Set Achievable Goals Ready to start crushing your goals? Consider these three reasons a coach may be just what you need. 3 Reasons to Get a Coach 1. A Coach Will Hold You Accountable This is often the No. 1 reason why my clients seek coaching. They have an idea of what they “should be doing” but really need someone to push them along the way, or push them harder if they hit a roadblock. If you struggle to connect the dots to make a behavior a habit, you need a coach. Bonus: Our greatest assets can be ones we don’t realize, and a good coach will help you discover those and bring them to life. 2. You Feel Overwhelmed Many of my clients know they need a complete overhaul, but are so overwhelmed they don’t know where to begin. This is where coaching can help you break out of the rut you are in and start new habits. We begin by looking at your big picture goals and breaking them down into actionable steps. RELATED: How to Manage Your Stress So You Can Focus on Healthier Habits 3. A Coach Provides a Personalized, Outside Perspective Sometimes when we’re stuck in the muck we can’t see through to the other side. An outside perspective is crucial, especially when it comes with one-on-one personalized advice (as opposed to internet research providing you with a one-size-fits-all approach). For example, I’ve been working with a client who has been trying her hardest to overcome her sugar habit. When we finally talked it out, she discovered ways she could change her routines in order to break the habit. She has been able to skip having a nightly sweet treat and opt for some fruit or herbal tea instead. Although the solutions seemed simple, she admitted she hadn’t thought about trying these things. One final tip before you go get a coach: I encourage you to make sure the coach you seek out is a certified one. Look for someone who’s educated on the subject they’re helping you with, with a a degree or full certification that goes beyond a two-week course. By Gretchen Riddle, CHES, CHWC, NLC About Gretchen: Gretchen Riddle, CHES, CHWC, NLC is a certified health and wellness coach and a graduate of Nutritious Life Studio’s Become a Nutrition Coach course.   She has worked in corporate wellness for over 12 years coaching and incorporating programs for weight and stress management among other topics. She uses a real food approach to nutrition and works to empower clients to make lifestyle changes that stick. She also provides coaching independently through her own coaching company, Gretchen Leigh Wellness. Learn more at gretchenleighwellness.com.