My Cancer Came back.. or did it?

WHEW! it’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a new blog post! More often I’m sharing snippets of my personal life on Instagram stories, or sharing some details in a newsletter, but this recent struggle REALLY knocked me out and for those of you interested in the details, I wanted to share what’s been going on the past week…

I went in for routine scan…

On July 29th, I went in for my regular CT scan. This was a routine, 2 year cancer screening to confirm that was still in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma. This scan was a little different in that it was full body, not just head and neck, so it required both IV contrast as well as oral contrast. (yuck!) I was thankful that they were both iodine based since I knew I react fine to that. (heads up if it’s iodine contrast it just tastes like water, woohoo!)

As you can see from the picture below, the results looked GREAT! I initially had 2 swollen lymph nodes, 1 of which was deemed “active” on diagnosis in 2019. After treatment, both still stuck around, but the right “active” one was no longer active. Each scan has been needed to confirm that it’s not growing.

Every single scan I have had in 2 years showed that it has not only remained stable, it has SHRUNK.

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The results looked great!

Based on these initial readings my right lymph was measuring 1.5cm x 1.2 cm which was significantly smaller than the previous measurements of 3.7cm x 1.4cm. GREAT NEWS!!!!

Unfortunately, we noticed a discrepancy. In the summary of findings the radiologist said that one part trunk while the other grew… but wait. This didn’t match the actual measurements!!! So we decided to wait on the doctor but hope we were reading this correctly and that there was nothing to worry about.

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I met with my oncologist August 6th. We sat down, and she seemed really happy with the results. The bloodwork that had come in looked good (we were waiting on some of it still) and the scan showed improvement. All is good!

But then we brought up the discrepancy…..she said she would confirm with radiology but she was sure it was just a typo.

And then things got scary...

First, I got a follow up call that the rest of the bloodwork came in and 2 markers were significantly out of range. So we scheduled a retest to confirm a week later.

Then on Tuesday Aug 10th, I got a voicemail from the oncology staff staying, “There WAS an error with your PET. The measurement read 15 (millimeters) but it was supposed to read 50 (millimeters)”.

Just to keep things all clear with the same measurements, this went from thinking it was 1.5cm to telling me it was 5.0 cm. This is a major difference and would mean that instead of shrinking, my tumor GREW and grew significantly.

The voicemail went on to say that I needed a follow up PET to know more. When I started listening I thought, “yes of course there was an error”, and then she continued and time slowed down. My jaw dropped. She’s saying the cancer is back….

I had to go in for a PET

The difference between a CT and a PET is that when you get a PET you get injected with radioactive sugar so that if the cancer is active it gobbles up the sugar and the radioactive materials bonded with the sugar light up on the PET. So a CT will show you lumps and bumps and the PET will tell you if it’s cancerous. I was essentially going into this assuming my tumor had grown, and what other reason could there possibly be except that the cancer was back?!

The problem, is that each scan submits you to radiation, and PETs more so because of the tracer that gets injected in your body. So these scans are not taken lightly, they are meant to be spaced apart, and there are only so many you are supposed to get in a year or a lifetime. As radiation is cumulative, it puts you at risk for secondary cancers…

I went to MyChart to take a look and realized that when my oncologist reached out to radiology, they did make an addendum. The frustrating part was that the addendum was made on Monday morning and the call I received was late Tuesday - leaving me no time to take action but lots of time to fret.

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The trauma response began to hit me hard

Tuesday night was filled with many tears as I realized my cancer may be back. It was extremely traumatic as I tried to come to terms with the fact that I had just been told the week before that I was actually 2 years FREE of cancer.

I couldn’t sleep. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours, and then lay away until about 5am at which point I was able to get about 2 more hours of sleep.

Thankfully the PET was scheduled quickly and I was booked for Friday (the 13th no less!). Wednesday and Thursday were filled with research, prayers, worry, friends, hugs, more research, terribly morbid thoughts about how I wanted to approach this and what if I was dying….the PTSD with a recurrence scare is REAL!

I had a wonderful friend, who happens to be a nurse at Kettering, meet me and go in with me to my appointment (since I wasn’t allowed to bring family). SO many people were praying during the 2 hours of the PET that even though I felt really emotional driving to the appointment, I felt calm and peaceful while there.

Some other wonderful friends met me after and we grabbed some food since I had to fast all day for the appointment!

I needed to PLAN

Saturday and Sunday were also filled with research, planning, crying, list making and facing the reality that if my tumor really grew, it most likely meant the cancer was back. So before I got the official news, I wanted to have some thoughts organized so we could take action right away.

Again, I was supported through thoughts, prayers, texts, messages, well wishes and more. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and care.

The results were IN

The weekend came and went, filled with good things like my Dads birthday dinner and a church concert. Sunday night I noticed a message from MyChart. The PET results were in. My heart sank. I was in the car with Patrick and he almost started crying before we even opened it. We were convinced it would be bad news. PET reports are a little more difficult to read than CT (at leas I think so) but one really important marker you look for is the Deauville score. 1-2 is cancer free 5 is active cancer. I saw a 2 on this report. After the week we had had I was too nervous to celebrate before hearing it directly from my oncologist.

Monday morning I received the call from a nurse, “Kylene, the PET results are in and it shows ZERO cancer. You’re good to go! We will continue with our normal monitoring but there is nothing else you need to do”

It was a MIRACLE

I barely knew what to do with myself. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

Over the past week I struggled with my faith. I said not nice things to Jesus (my chiropractor told me “He can handle it”) and indeed He can. What many of you don’t know, and what I cannot fully share with you yet, is that the past 6 months have been trauma filled for me for other reasons. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes that has been extraordinarily difficult to process and work through and I have been in therapy since Feb because of it. So when all of this came up, I deeply felt that I could not handle both things at the same time and I was saying “WHY ME” to God. “Haven’t you given me ENOUGH already?!” for much of 2021 I have been wondering - WHY ME?????

But here is the truth. God WILL give you more than you feel you can handle. He will do that a LOT. And I don’t KNOW why He chose to gift me with all of these painful painful things in my life. But He did. And through the struggles I chose to trust Him regardless of the outcome. And I may NEVER know the purpose but I once again grew through this process. It brought things to the surface that I’m passionate about, that I want to accomplish, etc….

Ultimately, I believe that sometimes these things happen in order for God to get the glory in one way or another. When I shared a brief version of these events on FB the comment section gave me chills because of how many people I saw praising God and thanking Jesus for His love and the outcome.

Concerned about the process, I reached out to my doctor to clarify what happened… she did indeed look at both scans and saw what the radiologist saw.

Was this a miraculous remission?

Was it a fluke?

Was it an error?

All I know is that it’s a MIRACLE. And I’m THANKFUL to be cancer free for 2 years and going strong.

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work

within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Prepping for surgery

Hey friends! Today I’m sharing how we navigate prepping for surgery (and detoxing after!)

Last year (2019), I had 3 surgeries. 1 fertility preservation “surgery” to remove 24 eggs from my ovaries (see my horrifying experience HERE), 1 to implant my port for chemo and 1 to remove it!

Anytime you are in a hospital setting your risk of infection increases due to chemical and antibiotic resistance strains of bacteria like C diff. Anytime your skin is broken in a hospital your chance of infection increases a little and if you have a weak immune system it raises yet again.

SO! I am all about being PREPARED and being PROACTIVE. Which means that as Patrick was preparing for umbilical hernia surgery, we set a few basic things in place to support his body through the process.

Pre-surgery

Vitamin D

Low levels of Vitamin D increase your risk of developing post op infection as well as leaving you more susceptible for many other diseases. Patrick recently had some bloodwork done and I encouraged him to get his vitamin D levels checked. I’m glad we did because they were way too low! Just below the conventional bracket, and significantly below what we would prefer for optimal health. Since then we have been supplementing with vitamin D to boost his levels.

Added bonus, Patrick struggled with keeping his blood pressure in a normal range and low vitamin D levels can contribute to that so we are killing two birds with one stone.

Probiotics

Taking probiotics before surgery can improve the outcome and reduce the inflammatory response. Probiotics can also improve your recovery and support your immune system. So obviously, I provided him with a good probiotic :)

Antibacterial

And finally, I recommended a low dose broad spectrum, botanical to support beneficial bacteria, immune response, and kill pathogenic bacteria. A catch all post surgery to keep any bugs he might catch from getting out of control.

Day of surgery

The day of surgery the biggest concern was pain. I am all for modern medicine when it comes to managing pain temporarily, but along with narcotics comes some major constipation as well. So the goal was to get off the pain killers as soon as possible (ended up only being about 24 hours) and get ahead of the poo problem as much as we could.

We used high doses of magnesium (I’m loving this brand), senokot (an herbal laxative) and dried prunes in combination to help in this area. It took about 24 hours, but even prescription laxatives can take 24 hours to kick in so this worked well.

Post surgery

I remember well the discomfort that came after my fertility preservation surgery. Even though the pain diminished within a few days, the general discomfort, feeling of bloat, and sensation of walking with a bunch of rocks wrapped around your lower belly was terrible. This seems to be very similar to how Patrick is describing his recovery.

He was able to move around by himself by Friday (surgery was Thursday) and the pain significantly diminished within 2 days, but the discomfort in his belly made it feel awkward. After about 24 hours on th prescription pain meds he was able to use ibuprofen or curcumin occassionally.

I had planned a trip to Columbus to visit Restore Hyper Wellness on Monday so we could give his body and extra healing boost.

We scheduled a 1 hour hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a vitamin IV.

Vitamin IV

The IV he got was a blend of vitamin C, glutathione, toradol, and proline.

Vitamin C and glutathione are major antioxidants that your body uses for cell repair, immune system health and liver detoxification. One of the ways I like to support the body after things like anesthesia is a mild detox with things like this.

Toradol is an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, and delivered in the bloodstream it has a strong effect. He was actually given this in the hospital before we left, and we got another dose at restore.

Finally, we added some proline which is an amino acid that helps with immune system and wound healing!

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has long been used in hospitals for wound healing in more extreme circumstances. Thankfully, it is becoming more accessible for the individual who wants to be really engaged in their health. Hyperbaric oxygen is know well for supporting wound healing but it can also be supportive for neurological healing after brain damage, injury, or even parkinsons.

Results

Happily, Patrick left restore feeling noticeable better. It certainly gave him the extra healing boost we were hoping for. It’s a bummer we don’t live closer as doing some hyperbaric a few days in a row could have really sped things up, but even so, one treatment had him walking out of the building normally. He was less stiff, the brick he described feeling in his stomach was gone, and he was no longer walking slowly.

Ongoing considerations

Patrick is going great! 5 days post surgery he is back to work after a long weekend of rest and recovery. In a few months we may test his poop just to check in on things, but as far as we know all is well! He isn’t supposed to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 2 weeks and he’s already flirting with danger by picking up the cat haha.

I hope that this post was helpful and gave you some ideas to support you through any hospital stay or surgical experience you may have in the future!

References:

Probiotics and surgery:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5590023/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198246/

• https://forteelements.com/wp-content/themes/x-forte-elements/assets/pdf/forte-pre-and-post-op-nutrition-white-paper.pdf

Vitamin D:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5356990/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4413543/

Hyperbaric Oxygen

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058327/

5 ways to reduce EMF exposure this school year

WELL! Here we are….all spring and all summer we kept hoping that next month will be different….next month we can go back to “normal”…..but, in the end, kids are back to school right in the living room stuck to the laptop ALL. DAY. LONG. And teachers are teaching from their classrooms glued to the screens to do their best supporting kids through class in a new, and “unprecedented” ways.

This is rough for EVERYONE. And one of my biggest concerns as a parent is all the screen time. We all know that it’s not great for kids to be stuck on a computer with unlimited amounts of time. It’s not great for their brains, or their posture….but more importantly to ME, is all the EMF exposure. So I wanted to give 3 really easy, practical ways to support kids, and teachers (and parents) through this time!

What is EMF

First of all, what is EMF? And is it really that bad?

EMF is short for electromagnetic frequencies which are invisible waves of non-ionizing radiation. These are frequencies emitted by our cell phones and computers and wifi and so we are constantly being exposed day in and day out. Which begs the question, are they safe?

Generally speaking, exposure to low frequency non-ionizing radiation doesn’t seem to be harmful. However, our exposure levels have increased exponentially over the past 100 years. Additionally, I never like to stop at the thought that “this small level is safe, but really large levels are unsafe”. The reason I don’t like to stop at those assumptions is because that’s never the “only” potential toxin you are exposed to.

We are exposed daily to chemicals, pesticides, mold, fumes, toxins, and now, EMF. So when something has ANY limit on safe levels of exposure then it’s good to consider total life/body burden.

Then, there are studies that flat out say that it impacts our bodies in a negative way:

“Electromagnetic fields (EMF) have various chemical effects, including causing deterioration in large molecules in cells and imbalance in ionic equilibrium. Despite being essential for life, oxygen molecules can lead to the generation of hazardous by-products, known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), during biological reactions. These reactive oxygen species can damage cellular components such as proteins, lipids and DNA. Antioxidant defense systems exist in order to keep free radical formation under control and to prevent their harmful effects on the biological system. Free radical formation can take place in various ways, including ultraviolet light, drugs, lipid oxidation, immunological reactions, radiation, stress, smoking, alcohol and biochemical redox reactions. Oxidative stress occurs if the antioxidant defense system is unable to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals. Several studies have reported that exposure to EMF results in oxidative stress in many tissues of the body. Exposure to EMF is known to increase free radical concentrations and traceability and can affect the radical couple recombination. “ - The Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure 2017

To summarize, oxidation is damage and aging to cells. EMF exposure causes oxidation. Our body’s have backup mechanisms (antioxidants) to balance this process. But again, when overburdened from multiple exposures that cause oxidation….can we keep up?

This concern is expressed in a report from Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology in 2019, “It should be also noted that in the real situation humans are often being simultaneously subjected to EMF from different sources. So the biological effects of multi-source and multi-frequency EMFs have yet to be explored and fully understood. Up to date, there is no any available information on accumulative effect of such combined exposure.”

Often, studies about the safety of new technology cannot be made until the technology is already avialalbe and in use for example, safety studies on 3g may not come out until everyone is already using 4g etc….

Finally, there are many people, probably may reading this, that are simply MORE sensitive to stressors and environmental exposures. Where most scientific studies would not come out and say “perfume is bad for human health”, there are many individuals who are chemical sensitive for any variety of reasons. And in these cases, smelling someone else’s perfume may give them a full blown migraine due to the inflammation it causes due to their low tolerance level or immune system….

For example, I was VERY chemical sensitive after chemotherapy last year, but as my body healed, I noticed it less and less.

Chemically sensitive people, I believe, are canaries in the coal mine. Just because normal, healthy people may not notice an issue with a substance does not mean it’s HEALTHY. It just means they have a healthy, resilient body that can handle it.

So let’s get into what the heck you can do about it!

3 ways to reduce EMF exposure (or damage) this school year

1) EMF blocker buttons

This is one of my favorite ways to reduce exposure while still doing what we need to do to live in the real world which includes working from our phones and laptops daily!

EMF blockers are little stickers (I call them buttons) that you can apply to your TV, laptop, cell phone etc….and they significantly limit EMF exposure beyond the device. You’ll want to find a company you trust- if you have an EMF detector you can always do a little experiment once you get them in the mail as well.

Two brands my family uses:

XZubi

AriesTech

2) Grounding

What the heck is grounding? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like! You stand, barefoot, on. the ground! The reason this can be helpful is to offset the effects that EMF (or other stressors) cause in the body. Grounding allows your body to reconnect to the earths magnetic pull, balances your body’s electric “charge” so to speak, rebalances the circadian rhythm, and lowers inflammation. In essence, it “grounds you” quite literally. You can find out more at www.earthing.com.

Now, getting outside in nature is always beneficial, but if you live somewhere where it gets really cold for large parts of the year, standing barefoot outside may not work for you all year round. I sleep on a grounding blanket every night and there are several other options at www.earthing.com that help you bring grounding inside!

3) Magnesium

EMF is thought to damage cells, impair enzyme function, and increase calcium levels. Calcium can actually be released into the bloodstream (we want it to stay in the bones) as a coping mechanism during a stress response. Magnesium helps balance calcium and is also used heavily when the body is under stress.

If you are exposed to EMF regularly and/or you are really stressed and/or you are more sensitive or have more body burden, you may benefit from magnesium supplementation.

4) Turn your wifi OFF at night

One super easy way to control your exposure at home is to reduce exposure when you are sleeping by shutting your wifi off at night. We simply purchased a timer plug that is easy to use! You just set the timer and plug it in and it shuts everything off and turns everything back on at the same time each day.

5) Drop bluetooth devices or limit exposure

Depending on how committed you are to limiting exposure, getting rid of devices that are constantly emitting on or near your body like Fitbits, might be next on the agenda. When I was diagnosed with cancer I got way more serious about things like this and dropped my Fitbit like a hot rock. Now I use the Oura ring which I keep in airplane mode when it’s on my body so it’s not connecting or emitting anything when on my body.

BONUS* 6) Wear blue light blocking glasses

This isn’t exactly going to do anything about EMF exposure specifically, but with all this extra computer time blue light blockers can be super helpful to prevent migraines, tension headaches and disrupted circadian rhythms!

We all know that looking at computer screen for long periods of time can cause headaches, stress and strain. Simply wearing blue light blockers can really help this.

Additionally, the longer we are exposed to blue light in the evening, the longer our body shuts down the production of melatonin because blue light is what our brains interpret as daylight. When we block the light in the evening it allows our bodies to sync up naturally again and release melatonin letting us get that “its time for bed” signal.

I hope this was helpful! All in all - we are each going to do our best this year and I know that teachers and parents everywhere are adjusting to things they never thought they would have to adjust to! And kids are doing their best even though it’s sad not to hang out with their friends and get up and walk around in between classes.

So I hope this little blog can help take charge of one little piece of it to lower some stress, help your family feel a little better, and protect your health as we continue down this road that is 2020…..

p.s. some additional resources you might be interested in:

Book: EMF*D - Dr Joseph MErcola

Book: Radiation Nation - Daniel and Ryan Debaun

Article: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/lifestyle-articles/emf/

References:

Kıvrak, E. G., Yurt, K. K., Kaplan, A. A., Alkan, I., & Altun, G. (2017). Effects of electromagnetic fields exposure on the antioxidant defense system. Journal of microscopy and ultrastructure, 5(4), 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmau.2017.07.003

Biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields: Two sides of a coin - Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology Volume 141, January 2019, Pages 25-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.07.009

Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2012). Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth's surface electrons. Journal of environmental and public health, 2012, 291541. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/291541

Sun, Z., Ge, J., Guo, B. et al. Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Facilitate Vesicle Endocytosis by Increasing Presynaptic Calcium Channel Expression at a Central Synapse. Sci Rep 6, 21774 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep21774

Green Smoothie Girl Flash Fast Review!

Hey all!

As you know, my #1 priority is my health. Recovering from cancer treatment this past year has been interesting and I’m keeping constant tabs on my health by checking my hormones and my stool tests regularly, reviewing my bloodwork, and taking my supplements!

I have been very interested in fasting, but always nervous to try it. There are many types of fasting and one that I thought might be doable for me was a modified fast. Basically, this type of fast allows you to eat some food within a certain eating window, but nothing else. This still allows you to get many of the health benefits of fasting while still satiating your mental need for food.

I chose to do The Green Smoothie Girl’s Flash Fast because:

1) I trust her and know that she put a lot of effort into this fast

2) She uses organic ingredients

3) It’s balance very intentionally to help keep you full while still getting results

4) I felt like it was “doable” for me

My experience

I chose 3 days and some friends wanted to join. The extra support was very nice! The flash fast allows you 4 protein shakes/day + 1 snack bar. These come in a flash fast pack, it’s not just any protein shake. They are very small. If you don’t add anything, the basic fast is 650calories/day.

If you choose the add-ins you are allowed, you get unlimited leafy greens, AND up to 1 cup of veggies like steamed broccoli, OR 1 cup of fruit.

I chose to NOT exercise throughout this because I wanted to get through it, and I also didn’t want to put my body in a stress state. So I chose not to work out the day before or through the fast. I did however, make sure I took long walks and hit 10,000 steps a day.

Day 1

I was nervous jumping in, but was surprised at how filling the meals actually were! I chose to start eating at 10am and stop eating at 8pm each day. I did also decide to have coffee because:

1) I’ve done many protocols in the past where I’ve dropped coffee for long periods of time. I know I can do it and I have no need to prove it to myself

2) I drink one cup of black coffee/day so it’s not like I needed to drop a sugar habit here

3) I knew that drinking coffee in the morning would help me extend me fast. And it did.

I woke up with a headache (obviously not due to the fast) and it hung on throughout the day but wasn’t too bad after the morning.

• 126.8lb

• 10:am vanilla shake+ flax + 1/2 banana

• 1:30 1 cup peas

• 4pm vanilla shake

• 5pm broccoli

• 6:30 2 chocolate shakes + 1/2 frozen banana

• 8pm snack bar

I actually messed up day one. You are only allowed 1 fruit OR 2 cups of veggies. Day one I did both. PLUS peas are higher calorie than most veggies, so it technically knocked me out of the calorie goal for the day. But you will see, I still saw results. I ended the day with plenty of energy!

Day 2

The second day was a LITTLE harder- I woke up hungry and had to push through that. After I slowly drank my coffee and 10am rolled around however, I did feel like I could go longer. I take a lot of supplements in the morning through, so I wanted to stick with the 10am time to get those in with my shake.

• 125lb

• 10:15 Chocolate bone broth+ 1/2 cup berries + flax 

• 12:45 Vanilla shake

• 2pm 1/2 cup berries

• 3pm EAAs

• 4:20 Vanilla bone broth+ greens and cinnamon 

• 6pm: Chocolate shake with cinnamon 

• 8pm Snack bar

I had plenty of energy throughout the day. It was a little more difficult and I would have preferred to eat more but again, it wasn’t as hard as I would expect. I did choose to have a glass of EAAs to drink more water in addition to hopefully curbing hunger a little longer.

Day 3

I did NOT wake up feeling hungry like day 2. I also DID have a bowel movement day 3. While urination increased a lot day 2, I didn’t have a BM. I didn’t feel constipated at all, but probably just had less to process since my intake was so much less than normal.

• 123.2

• 10am: vanilla bone broth+ flax + 1/2 banana ✅

• 1pm 1/2 raspberries

• 2 chocolate shake with greens 

• 4 chocolate bone broth shake with greens 

• 6 vanilla shake

• 8 snack bar 

Day 3 I had plenty of energy and a great mood! In fact, I actually had a really good mood and plenty of energy the whole time!!

Day 4 (fast complete!)

I weighed in at 122.2 - Lost a total of 4.6 pounds, woke up NOT hungry and feeling amazing! Ate half a smoothie for breakfast, drank some coffee, crushed a workout and drank the other half of the smoothie.

Overall

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the weight loss. I had gained a few pounds prior to the fast, and while that wasn’t the primary reason I chose to try it, it was a very pleasant side effect.

I was also happy at how GOOD I felt during this process. I didn’t have major cravings, I wasn’t cranky, and I didn’t feel exhausted.

I chose a blend of the vegan protein and the bone broth protein. None of them taste AMAZING, but the bone broth protein had a sort of odd flavor to it. Again, not a deal breaker, it was all pretty good.

One option for your fruit is to blend a 1/2 banana with the skin on into a shake (you can then choose to do 1 cup veggies, another 1/2 cup fruit, or the other half of the banana later). I LOVED the banana option because it made the shakes taste great!

I give it a 5star review because the products are clean, organic, well designed, easy to use, AND I was balanced in a way that I was able to be successful AND feel good the very first time I tried it!

*I DO think that if you are not already living a pretty healthy lifestyle, that jumping into something like this would be more difficult. For example, if your current diet contains a lot of processed foods, high carbs or lots of sugar, then you may experience a lot of withdrawal and discomfort. If this is you you might want to try something like whole30, or Robins 12 steps to whole food plan first.

I am excited to try this again! MY goal is to do this monthly for the next few months - you can follow me my FB or IG stories for all the details :)

Top tips for following the fast

1) Find other people to do it with you! Community makes ALL the difference.

2) Spread out the meals fairly evenly. I enjoyed once I got to 2pm I could have a snack every 2 hours until I finished at 8pm.

3) Don’t work out. Many women DO, but I’m not a fan of the extra stress. Plus it increases your metabolism and makes it WAY harder to get through. I gained energy through the process and then crushed a killer workout on day 4 once I could eat.

4) Distract your mind. The whole process is much easier if you are working, reading, watching TV….DOING some sort of activity. I you sit around thinking about food its gonna get hard. So schedule accordingly.

5) PLAN your meals and set goals for the next 2-3 days after so you don’t jump into bad habits. Robin encourages you to focus on fruits, veggies and nuts…basically, go light and fresh as you reintroduce foods. My 4th day plan was a green smoothie with protein for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and fish and veggies for dinner. Decide what your next goals are. Do you want to incorporate intermittent fasting regularly? Do you want to add a green smoothie a day? Do you want to cut sugar? Planning makes ALL the difference.

6) ENJOY the energy, weight loss, mental clarity and health benefits that come from what you just accomplished!

You can purchase the Flash Fast at Robyn’s website here: https://shop.greensmoothiegirl.com/products/flash-fast

Top 5 Essential Oils for Boosting Immunity

Hey Everyone, My name is Melissa. I’m a mama to 5 wonderful kiddos, one of which was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and has been one of the catalysts that started my journey to helping others with their health and wellness using essential oils. I was so excited when Kylene asked me to share a bit about essential oils and immunity. Through becoming a Crohn’s advocate and health coach, I love to use what I’ve learned on my health journey to help others. With that being said, let’s get to the good stuff!

When it comes to boosting our body’s immunity, there are many things that can be done. Obviously, focusing on eating healthier, getting adequate sleep and decreasing stress are great places to start. However, what I have found over the years is that sometimes our bodies need extra help. 

Essential oils are a great tool to add to our daily routine to provide that extra help to support and boost our immune systems. Below are my top 5 essential oils for immune support. Some of you who are familiar with essential oil may be surprised to see that Thieves did not make the list. It is, by far, one of my favorite oils for this topic, however it is such a powerhouse oil that it deserves it’s own post!!

Top 5 Essential Oils for Boosting Immunity

First of all, what are essential oils? They are the lifeblood of a plant which is extracted from the flower, stem, leave, bark, or fruit. The oils provide nutrients to the plant as well protection from disease. Those same qualities of the plant can be used by our bodies to help increase our overall health. All essential oils have antimicrobial properties, however each differ in which properties they contain. When several are blended together and applied to the body or diffused, they provide a powerful compound which is especially useful for targeting a broad range of viruses and bacteria in the body or in the air. 

1. Tea Tree

Tea Tree oil comes from the leaves of the melaleuca tree (or tea tree) and has been used for centuries by the aborigines to heal cuts, wounds, and skin infections. Not only is this powerful oil an immune stimulant, it also has twelve times the antiseptic power of phenol, as well as antiviral and antibacterial properties making it one of the most powerful immune-building essential oils. 

Incorporate Tea Tree into your daily routine for immune support by adding a drop or two to the bottoms of your feet each morning. Because our feet contain the largest pores on our skin, applying oils there allows the benefits of the oil to be released into the body and absorbed more efficiently. Add 5 drops to a diffuser to purify the air. 

        2.      Oregano 

Like Tea Tree, Oregano comes from the leaves of the plant. Because of its antiviral and antiseptic properties, Oregano is profoundly beneficial for killing germs. It too is an incredible immune stimulant and is known for its ability to fight infection and inflammation. This oil is considered a “hot” oil, meaning when applied to the skin it can cause a warming or hot sensation. It is best to dilute this oil by applying with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil. 

Combine Oregano with Tea Tree and coconut oil to the bottoms of your feet to fight viruses and help boost immunity. Add a few drops of Oregano to a diffuser along with a few drops of the next oil, Lemon, and enjoy a spicy and uplifting scent that purifies the air.

 3.    Lemon

All citrus oils are incredibly energizing and beneficial to those dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression. When diffused, Lemon oil has amazing properties that not only uplift your mood and ease anxiety, which contributes to our overall immune system health, but it also contains powerful antioxidants that boost the immune system by fighting off free radicals.

When ingested, Lemon oil helps remove toxins from the body and increase immunity. Try adding a drop of Lemon oil to your glass of water each day to stay healthy or help fight a cold. Sore throat? Add a drop of lemon to a spoonful of raw honey 3x a day.  Diffuse 5 drops of Lemon throughout the day to purify the air and make you feel refreshed and energized. Please note that Lemon oil contains Limonene which can break down plastic. When adding it to drinking water use a glass jar and metal straw. Lemon oil is also phototoxic, so it should not be used on the skin before significant sun exposure. 

  4.      Lavender & Frankincense 

Both of these are “must have” essential oils for the home. Both are beneficial for almost any situation. 

Lavender

This oil is incredibly versatile. In fact, it is known as the swiss army knife of oils for its countless uses. Unlike the other oils mentioned above that are immune stimulants, lavender helps the immune system by offering calming and soothing properties that can help reduce stress and ensure your body gets the restorative sleep it needs. Both stress and lack of sleep contribute to a lowered immune system.

Rub Lavender on bottoms of feet or Diffuse 8-10 drops of Lavender at night for restful sleep. To decrease stress and/or anxiety, add a drop of Lavender to each palm and rub together. Then cup your hands over your mouth and nose and breathe deeply several times. This can be done throughout the day or whenever stress or anxiety are elevated.

Frankincense

Like Lavender, Frankincense has numerous uses. Because of its grounding and antidepressant properties, it too works wonders in the lives of those dealing with stress and anxiety. When diffused or directly inhaled, this amazing oil balances emotions and has the ability to decrease elevated heart rates and high blood pressure, both contributors to stress, anxiety, and a weakened immune system. Where Frankincense differs from its friend Lavender, is its ability to fight against infection because of its anti-infectious, antiseptic, and immune-stimulant properties. Because of this, Frankincense acts as a shield, preventing the spread and development of germs in the body. Combining it in your household cleaner makes it a vital weapon against cold and flu as well! 

For daily emotional and immune support, add a drop or two to the bottoms of your feet. Inhale directly from the bottle to uplift the mind and spirit or combine with other immune supporting oils mentioned above for an immune supporting powerhouse blend. 

Immune Supporting Roller Blend:

Add 10 drops Frankincense, 10 drops Lemon, 10 drops Tea Tree, 5 drops Oregano, and 5 drops lavender to a 10ml glass roller bottle and top with fractionated coconut oil. Roll along the spine and bottoms of feet daily to boost the immune system. When the immune system is compromised or you are fighting a virus or cold, apply the oils more often throughout the day. Also, like any natural supplement or homeopathic, to see the effects you want, essential oils must be used frequently and consistently. They are tools to use daily to support overall health. 

I encourage you to add essential oils into your daily routine! The above oils are great ones to start with. Essential oils are amazing tools to have in your tool kit to help support your emotions, sleep, and especially your immune system! Our family has been using them for years and we are the healthiest we have ever been! It’s important to note that not all essential oils are created equal. I only recommend pure therapeutic grade essential oils that you know have been grown, harvested, and distilled with the highest of standards.

If you are ready to incorporate oils into your life, I would love to help you or answer any questions you may have. You can find me over on instagram @well.made.essentials 

Faith vs. Fear - taking charge of your responses

Faith vs. Fear

Hi friends! WOW. What a weird time we are living right now. The difference in emotions from last week to this week couldn't be more palpable! I am seeing so many posts about fear and anxiety surrounding what might happen, restrictions that are being put into place, and just not feeling like you can live a normal life right now....

So I wanted to provide several resources to hopefully support you during this time...

First, I wanted to share my perspective on all of this, and why I'm not personally freaking out. 

1) Faith

Number one, and by far the most impactful is my faith. I know, as I did through my cancer journey, that whatever happens happens. And whatever I may personally experience in my own life, shows up for a reason. It's therefore my ONLY job, to be open to lessons I may learn, stay calm,  and receive it in faith. When things happen in our lives beyond our control, it is the best opportunity to give God all the control. Ultimately He's in control any way so...

2) There is a difference between fear and anxiety, and being proactive and conscientious.

I am certainly being very proactive, and very conscientious, but I choose not to be fearful or full of anxiety about things that may or may not happen. So far, I have survived all scary and negative things that have happened in my life, and there has never been a moment where worry or anxiety helped me navigate those times better.

So what am I doing to be proactive? Well I'm certainly not slacking on my supplements. One of the  things we DO have control over right now, is our bodies and our own personal home environments. Eating healthy foods, getting outside for walks and fresh air, taking immune boosting and detoxifying supplements etc.... my usual.

70% of your immune system lies in your gut. Prioritizing your nutrition, optimizing sleep, stressing less, and dialing in on your supplementation are all supportive.

In addition, when we went grocery shopping we did stock up a little more than usual. Being proactive is something within our control. When we take steps on things that are WITHIN our control, it helps us relax al little more about things that are NOT within our control. 
 

3) Find the good.

Don't tell me that when a few activities were cancelled you didn't feel a LITTLE relieved that your schedule was a little less booked? :) Now, being quarantined for several weeks, not being able to eat out or gather in large groups is NOT ideal.

However, finding the silver linings and maintaining a positive attitude can only HELP your immune system (where stressing lowers it!). I'm choosing to be grateful for less stuff going on. This came after a particularly busy season where our lives and schedules were PACKED and in fact, had this not all happened, we would currently be hosting a German exchange student in our home, and in a little over one week Keegan and Patrick would be flying to Japan and my parents and I would be flying to Prague for vacations.

I could be totally bummed but I'm not. This in no way impacts my life in a negative way in the grand scheme of things, and in fact, it's nice to have some down time.

You don't have to love this, you don't have to LIKE it. But you CAN choose to be happy, positive and joyful. Which is good for YOU, your body, and your family during this time!

4) Find the JOY

Intentionally seek out things that make you laugh. Laugh at all the toilet paper memes. Make jokes yourself. Get on TikTok and watch how silly people can be in the midst of life upheaval. Watch funny Netflix movies. Be purposeful about stress relief!!

How can I help??

In order to support you more fully, I am posting updates in my FB group #Youtrition - in regards to healthy food delivery services, supplements when they are available etc (it may appear the world is out of Vitamin C, but there are options!).... to hopefully encourage you with some ideas and tips through this unprecedented scenario.

I am also offering stand alone coaching calls at a discounted rate from now until the end of March. I don't normally offer stand alone calls, but I wanted to offer this as an option for anyone who wants to ask some questions, get some tips or anything else you feel may be supportive during this time. The hour is all yours to use as you need!

If this would be supportive to you, you can book a call below.

DEEP breaths!!!!!! Take a moment to think about something that makes you happy, visualize it. Feel it in your body. Create a positive emotional state for yourself right now.

Stay safe, and stay healthy.

I'm getting sick - now what?!

When anyone in my house gets sick, I JUMP into action!!! I would rather throw 10 things at it and be proactive immediately than get behind the curve and have a house full of sick people. Here are a few things we do when we are feeling under the weather.

This Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

1) Increase immune supporting vitamins

I take vitamins and supplement DAILY. It’s quite a handful every morning, plus some support throughout the day. I you’re trying to be healthy in 2020 you should probably be taking some basics - see why HERE. But on top of that, when someone in my house gets sick, I may add a few or increase the dose on some that are more supportive to the immune system.

• We take liposomal vitamin C - 2 squirts under the tongue for 30 seconds 2x a day. This may increase to 3-4 times a day when sick. I will also be getting vitamin IV’s before I travel that include B vitamins, magnesium and Vitamin C.

• I add in elderberry syrup. A spoonful 3-4x a day.

• Biocidin is an anti-viral, antimicrobial supplement I use with my gut protocols, but if we aren’t currently taking it and someone gets sick - we bring it back in. It’s a concentrated dose of herbs and essential oils known to support the immune system, kill pathogenic gut bugs and leave the good ones we need! (It’s INCREDIBLY effective).

• Stay on or increase probiotics and/or add sauerkraut or yogurt (dairy free) too. This is especially important if you are fighting a tummy bug.

• Depending on what’s going on sometimes we add things like Umcka cold and flu as well.

• I often forget about this, but recently remembered to use my Ultimate Aloe ( that’s the brand) aloe juice. It’s antiviral and with this brand you can drink several glasses a day safely.

• Recently I’ve also been eating 2-4 Brazil nuts/day. They are a major source of selenium and selenium deficiency has been connected to viral infections so - boosting selenium can be considered anti-viral. Eat your Brazil nuts! But 2-4 is all you need.

2) Bone broth

Bone broth supports your immune system by dosing you with lots of good minerals. In addition, it’s warm, soothing, and gut healing to boot. Homemade is always best, but other brands like Kettle & Fire or Epic might be more convenient.

3) Essential oils

I like to diffuse essential oils anyway, but if we get sick, I use thieves essential oils like it’s my job. A blend of clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus and rosemary, it’s a potent immune support and germ killer. You can roll it onto your wrists or the bottom of your feet, or diffuse it in your home. I like to use a roller on my wrists and diffuse it while I sleep.

If feeling nauseous, you can diffuse peppermint oil or add a drop of peppermint to your daily smoothie or protein shake.

4) Rest

I know it’s not always possible, but when it is, it’s smart to take the day off work, go to bed early, and relax as much as you can as soon as you feel like you are getting sick. Sleep is when your body recovers and if you are getting sick your body usually signals strongly that you need to get more rest. Id you respect that instead of pushing through, increase nutrition, and listen to your body, you can often nip it in the bud or dramatically cut back the symptoms or duration!!

I hope these basic tips have helped! Stay healthy my friends!

Resources:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4288282/

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161475499700059

• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02338/full

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5552930/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6612361/

How to be successful in all aspects of life

Hi there!!!

Whether you want to be successful in business, relationship or my speciality….HEALTH, there are some common themes that you must adhere to in order to grow. So here are my top tips on

How to be successful in all aspects of life

1) Get ready to be uncomfortable.

If you are someone who finds that you constantly resist things that make you uncomfortable, then you are probably also someone that doesn’t reach the goals you want to reach. Why? Because growth means discomfort. And often. a LOT of discomfort.

If you want to get better in business, you have to work on your communication skills. Maybe you’re an introvert and have to push through some major fears.

If you want to work on your health, you have to make changes that are terribly uncomfortable. You must stop bad habits, put mental and physical effort into thinking about and preparing the foods you make. You must invest financially to get testing, hire a coach, etc…. Health is NOT COMFORTABLE (at first).

2) Get over yourself.

In order to grow we must get over ourselves. We obviously don’t know everything or we would have accomplished it all already. Be willing to learn, ask for help, hire a specialist, or start new conversations. If we walk around like we know it all, well….pride comes before a fall. And no one likes to be friends with a know it all anyway. Collaborate, listen, learn, and constantly be growing. Seek out new opportunities and continue to challenge yourself.

3) Be full of integrity.

If you were late to meetings and left projects unfinished at work, you would get fired. Yet we are willing to do this to ourselves constantly.

If you want to have a better relationship, you must keep your commitments, be full of integrity, show up, and be trustyworthy.

If you want to accomplish your biggest health goals, you must have personal integrity. Show up for yourself, Follow through on the goals you set. Get accountability. Finish what you started.

Sometimes this simply means doing what you say you will do, or acting on what you SAY is a priority to you. (actions are definitely louder than words when it comes to our health).

Other times it means hiring a coach or specialist who can listen to you, challenge you, keep you accountable, and push you when it get tough to keep you on track. Often people outside of our situation can see the big picture, identify our weaknesses, and see what needs to be done more clearly than we can! But often this takes embracing step #2 in order to be successful :)

4) Be willing to invest

EVERYTHING worth anything takes investment. The statement “you get what you pay for” really is true. Being a health coach, I see how often people want to discount their own value.

They wouldn't blink to spend the same amount of money on a child, a pet, or a charity. But when it comes to investing in their own bodies, health and future, they get really uncomfortable really fast. And I get it. It’s definitely hard.

BUT every relationship takes work, every business coach that is worth their salt costs money, and any health coach that will be able to take you from point A to point B will be an investment as well.

When I started viewing these costs as INVESTMENTS even though it brought a lump to my throat because of the commitment, I knew it was worth it. It held my feet to the fire. If I felt uncomfortable, I was more likely to put in the effort to take the steps necessary to see the growth and results I needed. And boy did I GROW.

And I see this over and over with my clients. Over the years, those who didn’t want to invest, or invested just a tiny bit of money or time didn’t end up seeing the results they wanted.

But those who were immediate action takers, jumped in with both feet, trusted me, did the work and invested to a point that made them uncomfortable, saw the biggest results and the long term WINS.

Investments aren’t just about money - they are about the emotional value you place on something. A rock might be worth nothing at all - but a rock with a famous artist rendering on it can sell for thousands of dollars.

When you’re working on your health you must value 2 things exponentially. The person you hire, and yourself. When those things align. you will see incredible results!

Change is hard. It’s scary. There are never any guarantees. But if you are ready to get uncomfortable, get over yourself, keep your commitments and be willing to invest, I bet you’ll see some dramatic changes over the next year!!!

To your health,

XOXOX

Supplements I love!

Over the past 3 years, I have really developed some FAVORITE supplements. I am convinced I’ll be on supplements for the rest of my life, and unless we have a massive overhaul in our farming industry where the soil becomes so incredibly nutrient dense again that all our organic produce is overflowing with natural nutrition, then I’m ok with it…

Over the past 100 years, modern farming techniques and industrial food practices, while providing food around the world and throughout the year, have lessened the nutrient density we get. Unfortunately, choosing organic doesn’t fully solve this problem, the soil itself needs to be regenerated. You can learn more about regenerative agriculture HERE.

www.ecoorganics.com

In addition to nutrient loss, we are also getting exposed to more chemicals, herbicides and pesticides. These products are shown to be carcinogens, liver toxins, neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, allergens, and in microscopic doses, they kill off beneficial gut bacteria.

This leads us to the need for good supplementation. Even when we eat a whole food, natural, healthy, organic diet, it can be difficult to get the levels and variety we need. Everyone is different of course, but here are some supplements I generally like for everyone.

A Multivitamin

This is just a no brainer. Simple, easy, covers a lot of your bases. But not all multivitamins are created equally. Sourcing, quality, and bioavailability are all important. You want to avoid vitamins with folic acid, and choose a more available form like folate or methylfolate. You also don’t want chemicals, fillers flavors, or poor quality ingredients added in.

My favorite multivitamin is: Dr. Amy Myers The Myers Way Multivitamin.

Beef Liver

Beef liver is like nature’s multivitamin. You might see an increase in energy with beef liver since it’s packed with B vitamin in a whole food source. Additionally, it’s a high source of vitamin A which is great for your immune system and your skin.

Historically, tribal cultures prioritized organi meats since they were so nutrient dense. NOW, we are used to eating the muscle meat and avoiding organ meat but we are doing ourselves a disservice.

Often the organ that you eat is beneficial for that organ in your body as well - so eating liver is supportive to YOUR liver.

I can hear the questions “But Kylene, the liver detoxifies, won’t you be getting a lot of toxins?” No! The liver certainly filters and breaks things down for us yes. But in order to do this, it stores up a TON of nutrients in animals as well as humans. So when you are eating liver you’re getting a mega dose of beneficial nutrients that help your body function well!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat it. I like Vital Proteins brand and I take 4 tabs a day.

If you want to branch out to additional organ supplements, check out another brand called Ancestral Supplements.

p.s. quality is important - only get animal products or supplements from pasture raised grass-fed sources.

Probiotic

Unless we are intentional about it, we don’t eat very many fermented foods today. The most common food we may eat would be yogurt, and often the yogurt that is available is low quality and full of sugars. But a high quality fermented food is incredibly healthy for your gut!

Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented veggies and high quality yogurts (I usually go for dairy free and no adde sugars) are great additions to your regular diet.

If you have ever had antibiotics, struggle with bowel movements, bloating or any other digestive complaints, a regular dose of a probiotic can certainly be supportive.

I personally love Megaspore Probiotic. This is a spore based probiotic that does not need to be refrigerated. These are natural strains that you would be exposed to out in nature.

Other probiotics can be helpful with different strains and perhaps even used in combination with Megaspore, particularly in cases where you have had a lot of gut damage or previous antibiotic use.

Vitamin C

We are some of the only mammals that don’t naturally produce our own Vitamin C. When we are stressed our need goes up and our adrenals burn through whatever stores we may have. Conversely, having enough vitamin C helps our stress responses and supports our immune system.

I personally like This brand of Liposomal Vitamin C. A few pumps under the tongue for 30 seconds 1-2x a day and you avoid any digestive discomfort from tablets in addition to getting it right into your blood stream.

Everyone is different and of course every protocol I create for client is unique. You can take all the supplements in the world but if you haven’t address food sensitivities or gut pathogens you may not be absorbing them efficiently. Work with a practitioner if you are looking for a personalized approach to your nutrition and supplementation!

Interested in working together? Set up a free functional health assessment call at the link below and let’s get to know each other!

Additional resources:

• https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-articles/what-is-the-best-multivitamin/

• https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/supplements-articles/ben-greenfields-ultimate-supplement-guide/

• https://www.thepaleomom.com/7-nutrients-youre-probably-deficient-in/

Should you be worried about the coronavirus?

WHEW! this is a story that isn’t going away, and it’s creating worry in many….

So let me get straight to the point. Should you be worried about the coronavirus?

Short answer:

• YES if you are elderly, have a low immune system, get sick easily, or live in an area where there are lots of cases.

• Not so much if you live in the US, have a good immune system and take sensible precautions.

Let’s review some information:

Regular flu impact 2019 USA:

“CDC estimates that influenza was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths during the 2018–2019 influenza season”

-CDC.gov

Coronavirus impact 2020

• “Fourteen cases have been diagnosed in the United States, and an additional 39 cases have occurred among repatriated persons from high-risk settings, for a current total of 53 cases within the United States” -CDC.gov

• 6 deaths have been reported so far in the US

• 2.3% fatality rate (mostly in immune compromised individuals like the elderly)

Look at the comparison. We aren’t freaking out about the regular flu, so why are we freaking out about this version?

Often, we focus on ALL the negatives…instead of offering free, supportive information on how people AT HOME, by themselves can boost their immune systems and take steps to completely avoid these issues.

To put this into perspective:

• “On average, someone dies of CVD every 38 seconds. ... On average, someone dies of a stroke every 3.70 minutes” - Professional.heart.org

• “In 2019, an estimated 606,880 people will die of cancer in the United States” - Seer.cancer.gov

• “According to the CDC, 79,535 deaths occur each year due to diabetes. The number of fatalities related to diabetes may be underreported” - MedicalNewsToday.com

• MERS has a 35% death rate.

Every few months, the media latches on to something NEW that is an epidemic that will surely kill us all. We cannot live our lives in fear. What we CAN do, is make sure that our nutrition is on point, our immune systems are in tact, and that we practice good hygiene.

For sure, the rapid spread of this virus is something to be monitored and aware of.

Other Thoughts:

• Coronavirus can only spread through water droplets that get into your respiratory system through your mouth or nose. If you wash hands and don’t touch your face or get sneezed on, you should be ok.

• Poor nutrition can weaken your immune system or strengthen it. Start prioritizing what you EAT as part of your prevention plan.

• When traveling, wipe down airplane seats, wear a mask (like Vogmask.com) to keep from touching your face, and wash hands with soap and water frequently.

• Anytime your immune system is compromised, you’re in danger. The deaths you ARE seeing, even over in china, are primarily showing up in the sick or elderly. If you have a kickass immune system you can get it (just like any virus) and recover, or not even notice.

Things to boost your immune system:

• Plenty of Vitamin D (naturally from the sun if you can get it, high quality supplementation if you cannot.

• Vitamin C - liposomal supplementation, or vitamin IV (I would recommend looking into an IV if you have been sick recently or will be traveling). Here is a cool article on how China is using IV vitamin C to treat and prevent the virus. Thankfully, you have access to this in the states and can voluntarily take advantage of it!

• Supplemental antivirals and antioxidants like biocidin, elderberry syrup, liposomal vitamin C, liposomal glutathione and olive leaf extract.

Things to do to just be careful:

• IF you have a weak immune system, DON’T TRAVEL. Obviously. Be smart.

If you are healthy and choose to travel:

(countries are shutting down where it’s a BIG issue so that’s already taken care of…)

• Wipe down the surfaces of your airplane seat and table with alcohol based sanitizer.

• Carry an alcohol based hand sanitizer with you (you can make one yourself LIKE THIS with essential oils and alcohol)

• Wear a mask when traveling - mostly to keep your hands away from your face. Wash it before using again.

• Wash hands regularly with soap and water. If you bite your nails or lick your fingers, STOP now.

• Take your supplements!

• Consider using portable diffusers with specific essential oils to purify the air in your home or on a plane. For example, studies have shown tea tree and eucalyptus are antiviral and can kill the flu virus. Some oils are even studied for treating respiratory disease (the coronavirus is primarily showing up as a respiratory issue)

So to keep it SUPER short and to the point, don’t freak out!!!! YES there are contagions, YES there are deaths, YES there are diseases that we can all get.

But guess what? STRESS weakens your immune system.

Be smart, and take the media freak out with a grain of salt. In 3 months they will focus on something new that’s going to kill you.

Do some other research!

• www.drheatherpaulson.

• https://holisticurgentcare.com

Check out these additional articles:

• https://myersdetox.com/coronavirus-how-worried-should-we-be/

• https://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/orthomolecular-journal-vitamin-c-coronavirus

OVERALL - BE SMART.

Obviously take precautions- be careful when traveling. WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP. Maybe as a positive result from all of this someone will stop biting their nails and washing their hands more

p.s. this article is in no way intended to usurp advice from your medical practitioner and is not intended as medical advice in any way. Speak with your doctor if you have concerns about your health.

Sources:

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02786826.2012.708948

• www.cdc.gov

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2994788/

• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ffj.3252
  
  

Kylene, what do you eat to stay healthy and fit?

Hi friends! I get a variation of this question a lot - whether it’s specifically in regards to MY eating, or women wanting to know what healthy eating means in general for THEM….

Maybe YOU have tried 20 different diets, you’re gaining weight, your’e tired, your’e frustrated and you simply can’t seem to move the needle. (Check out my recent post on the fad of “plant based” eating HERE.

I get it! Many of my clients begin this way as well and I’ll give the same answer I give to everyone. #YOUtrition. You can learn exactly what I mean in my podcast episode HERE or my previous blogpost HERE.

While I believe in a unique approach to each individual, here are the overarching guidelines that work for EVERYONE…

Healthy Eating Guidelines That work for Everyone

1) Avoid processed foods.

This includes anything with refined sugars, corn syrup, food coloring, or unnatural ingredients. You can simply ask - was it made by God, or made by a factory? If a factory, skip it. (I do still utilize packaged foods but I choose brands that use high quality ingredients. You can ask the question when reading the ingredient label - could I make this at home if I had the time or inclination? If so it may be an ok product. If it’s packed with words you don’t recognize - skip.)

2) Go gluten free 100%.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what your life history is, or what symptoms you are experiencing, for my clients and myself, this is a non-negotiable. You can learn more about WHY in this Youtube video HERE .

3) Go organic.

Unless a certain type of produce is a “safe” crop known not to be sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, or it has a thick skin that you do not eat, go 100% organic. Pesticides are linked to liver toxicity (which can lead to a whole host of disease but can also show up in weight gain and fatigue), cancer, hormone disruption and more….

You may even be doing your best to eat a “heart healthy” diet by starting the day off with a granola bar or oat based cereal like cheerios….but last year the environmental working group found that ONE serving of these cereals (and who measures just one serving?) goes above the “safe” limit of glyphosate for children. And I would argue there IS not safe exposure.

Microscopic particles have been shown to kill beneficial gut flora. Pesticides kill things. It also kills things in your GUT.

4) Dig deeper and get testing.

This includes food sensitivity testing, gut testing and possibly more. Simply addressing these sources of inflammation and lead to unexpected and EASY weight loss.

I personally live a life where probably 80% of the food I eat is purchased by me and made in my home. The other 20% is conscientiously choosing when out to eat without compromising core values (like being gluten free etc….).

Exercise doesn’t have much to do with it

You may be surprised to learn that as a former personal trainer, exercise is not a component of the plans I create for my clients. Now to be clear, I always encourage movement, walking, and if the client is healthy enough, exercise,. But I never lay out a fitness plan and in most cases I’m actually asking them to calm it down a bit to allow for healing.

And guess what - these clients STILL lose weight.

I’ve had clients drop 10 pounds without effort simply by following their food sensitivity test report.

I’ve had other clients from 10 pounds simply by going gluten free. Before they even GET a test result.

I personally choose to lift HEAVY, but I ONLY work out twice a week. I’m seeing amazing results. So while it would be tempting to double this amount, I listen to my body and even on weeks where we have tried 3 sessions, it doesn’t seem to give my body enough recovery time and I simply don’t feel as strong. This way I have lots of recovery time and I can not only CRUSH it every time, but I can regularly increase my weights.

Dig Deeper

If you do some of the basics and feel like you have “tried everything” but still can’t see results, that’s where a coach like me can come in and help you dig deeper!

Food sensitivity testing is certainly one of the most popular tests I run. However, I choose to run my business in a way where I never offer one test alone because I want my clients to leave with RESULTS. So while yes, many can simply follow a food sensitivity test and see some benefit, OFTEN where there are food sensitivities, there are also other imbalances in the gut so I like to pair it wit ha comprehensive stool test.

This allows me to see how we can REALLY make progress by healing the gut, removing stressors (stressors can be parasites, bacteria, food sensitivities etc….) and adding in needs ( things like minerals or vitamins your body needs).

Think Liver

Where there is weight gain and/or weight loss resistance, there is probably some liver stress, or what you might think of as a sluggish liver. Our bodies are bombarded by stressors daily and our liver does a phenomenal job but it needs two things:

1) A whole host of nutrients to function optimally

2) A break from toxins or else it can get bogged down

So for example, if you are eating a food daily that your body is sensitive too, and wearing perfume that is full of chemicals, experience a lot of mental emotional stress, and have some hormone imbalances, then your liver has a high work load!

Everything we are exposed to must go through the liver to be broken down and made non-toxic. This requires an enormous amount of energy and nutrition. In fact, your liver STORES extra nutrients for a rainy day. But if we aren’t eating a healthy diet, and instead we eat a nutrient POOR and inflammatory diet, in addition to living in the modern world, then we are setting our liver up for failure. Literally.

Fatty liver is something that is difficult to diagnose unless you actually get some imaging done for another reason. Bloodwork alone doesn't necessarily tell you that a fatty liver is developing.

If you experience fatigue regularly, weight loss resistance, pain in your right side, digestive issues, etc… your liver may need some support!

Are YOU ready to invest in YOUR health??

Interested in learning if working together one on one is the right fit for YOU? You can schedule a free functional health assessment call at the link below. This call allows me to understand your goals, your vision for health, what you have tried and determine if I am the right fit to help achieve those goals! If not, no worries, I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction by the end of the call!

Preparing for international travel

Friends! I’m going to be honest…I’m totally overwhelmed with everything we have going on over the next 2 months!

First, we are hosting a German exchange student through Keegans school. We were hoping to be in our new home and have lots of space for her but the timing didn’t work out so it’s crunch time to GET ORGANIZED in our small home and make space for her! In June, Keegan will go to Germany and live with her. It’s gonna be such a cool experience for him!

So right now we are in clean, pack, and organize mode….but just to make it more complicated, I decided to change the carpets before she gets here. Like I said, I was planning to host her in a brand new home, and when we started cleaning out the spare room to make this work I just didn’t feel good waiting on the carpets until after she’s gone. So we are getting new carpet and will have to pack everything in our bedrooms away, get it installed, and then unpack before she gets here… HA!

Right after we host her, we are all going on international travels. She is leaving back to Germany, Keegan and Patrick are going to Japan with his school over spring break, and my parents and I are going to Europe.

Pretty much as soon as we all get home our new home will be completed and we will need to sign off on it, close, and decide when to move in!

WHEW!!!!

It’s a lot on top of our already busy work schedules.

I’m definitely a planner, and one thing I’ve had to think about is traveling away from home with food sensitivities. Last November Keegan got his food sensitivities tested for the first time, along with a genetic test.

When we acted on the results, the change was immediate and dramatic. He felt better physically, and he seemed like a different kid emotionally. It was like a dark cloud lifted. He was happier, less moody, his gut felt good again…it was amazing!!!

We now have 3 tests that show he is sensitive to Gluten - a food sensitivity test, a stool test, and a genetic test. indicating predisposition.

When I researched being gluten free in Japan, apparently it’s a bit tricky.

I’ll be traveling to Prague and Vienna and it seems like it won’t be as big of a deal.

But for both of us there are precautious to be had.

Here are a few steps we are taking to make sure we stay healthy on our trips:

1) We will print out celiac travel cards.

I you go to this website you can choose which language you need and print out a card that you can show when you get into restaurants that says that it’s important your meal doesn’t contain wheat! Super helpful!

2) We will be taking gluten enzymes.

There are several to choose from, but the one I’ll send Keegan and Patrick with on this trip is Wheat Rescue by Microbiome Labs. The reason I’,m choosing this one for this occasion is because a) the bottle count is perfect for the amount of time and meals they will have while there - one at each meal. b) it’s a more comprehensive product including probiotics and beneficial yeast which will be supportive overall to their guts when on this trip

3) Keeping up on out normal supplements like vitamin C and Glutathione

Those are two major antioxidants that support your body under stress. Travel and flying is stressful on your body even if you don’t feel it emotionally! I personally feel crappy when flying and need to support my body extra.

4) STAY hydrated on the flight!!

I will be very focused on staying hydrated on our long flights!

5) Personally, I will also be ordering a new Vogmask for the long flights.

After my cancer journey in 2019, I am extra conscientious of any toxin exposure and stressor on my body so these are just a few steps I’ll be taking to be prepared. I’ve already gone through a liver support process for a month which should give my body some breathing room and I will be getting some Vitamins iVs before our travels to really give myself that extra boost!

What tips do you have for traveling with sensitivities?

5 Minute Rose Petal Scrub

I LOVE getting a big beautiful rose bouquet (don’t we all?) but I’m always so sad at how quickly they die! If you have any secrets to keeping a bouquet perky for longer than 3 days I would love to hear it.

So when I saw the idea of using your dropping rose petals in a sugar scrub I knew I had to do it! I’m so happy to keep using my roses long after the bouquet is gone.

5 Minute Rose Petal Scrub

I saw a similar recipe and used what I had on hand. Feel free to personalize this and make it your own!

Ingredients:

• Rose petals

• Almond Oil

• Granulated Sugar

• 15-20 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

1. Pull all the petals off that you want to use

2. Fill a blender with the petals, oil, sugar and oil. You will need to adjust the oil to get the right (thick) consistency. I ended up using about 2/3 of a 16oz bottle for mine.

3. Blend. You may need to scrape the sides a few times,

4. Plan in a container and set it in your shower to enjoy!

Lots of different oils could be used depending on what scents you like! I personally had lavender and so that’s what I used, but you could use any other cent you enjoy or even a blend.

p.s. not recommended for the face!

Enjoy!!!

Is plant based right for me?

Hey there friends!

There are topics I like to avoid and topics that I just love to dive into. This one is somewhere in the middle because I feel the NEED to write this, but also know I’m gonna be ruffling a few feathers here…but alas, here I am.

I have been noticing that more and more people are going “plant based” recently. And I’m fairly certain this is in large part due to the popular Netflix documentary “Game Changers” where they create a convincing argument for being vegetarian/vegan.

I have many problems with this and here are a few:

1) #YOUTRITION

There is NO one diet that works for everyone. Period. End of story. You can’t convince me otherwise.

We all come from different genetic backgrounds and experience different stressors, medical history, and athletic performance levels. Someone that comes from Italy and thrives on a pescatarian or Mediterranean diet will not feel as good eating meat and potatoes. But someone from Scotland will probably be starving and get really fatigued if they start trying to eat like an Italian.

How about this…..what makes you FEEL good? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how meat or vegetables make you feel? Do you know how you feel after a steak vs fish?

2) Fake news

Documentaries (and news in general) can skew facts, pull them out of context, and make you believe that they want you to believe. You better believe that this documentary was made with the INTENTION of selling you on this lifestyle. It was a not a “let’s seek the truth and discover what works” documentary. Which is fine, just go into it with your eyes wide open.

3) Censorship

This is a documentary on Netflix, a company who happens to block other documentaries with opinions they don’t agree with. Again, this is fine being that they are a private company and have the right to do so…but just like any other news organization, realize that what you have access to is biased.

4) Practicality

It is exceptionally difficult to balance and maintain a HEALTHY vegetarian or vegan diet in the long run. Possible, but difficult. Many vegetarians or vegans will feel better up front and then at a certain point begin to feel worse than they did before they started. Usually because of nutritional deficiencies and sometimes due to choosing more processed foods.

A mom reached out to me to support her vegan daughter - when I asked what her diet looked like it was comprised of jello and vegan processed garbage food. Refined, processed, denatured foods are still garbage, nutrient void, inflammatory foods no matter what label they have. This young lady (despite the urgings from her concerned mother) was unfortunately unwilling to make the necessary changes to feel better and would rather stick to a misplaced ideology than support her body nutritionally.

But WHY do some people feel better when they make the switch?

If someone feels better it’s most likely due to the fact that they are starting out with more plants in their diet which makes everyone feel better. More fruit, more veggies, more nuts, seeds and beans….awesome.

If they feel better away from MEAT, it’s quite possible that:

a) they were previously eating conventional meat which is terrible for you. Conventional beef comes from a poorly treated, grain fed animal and when you stop eating crappy meat, you’ll feel better.

b) It’s also quite possible that if you feel better eating less meat you are genetically predisposed that way. But I did say LESS meat, not no meat. The percent of people that will feel good on NO meat long term seems to be very low.

I have known quite a few ladies recently who have tried “plant based” even for a short term cleansing purpose and simply felt like crap.

Look, I 100% understand wanting to be healthy. Wanting to prioritize plants. And wanting to avoid harming animals. I am with you on all of those things.

But the reality of it is that humans are carnivores and always have been. The choice we really need to make is to choose healthy farming practices, and support the healthy and HUMANE treatment of animals. This means that cows should be pasture raised and 100% grass-fed. It’s only when we feed them grains to fatten them up and support CAFO farming practices that we get skewed omega fatty acid ratios (more inflammatory than anti-inflammatory) and sick cows. Chickens should be pasture raised and free to roam and eat bugs. Basically - what is healthy for nature and the animal, ends up more healthy and nutritious for us.

How about we spend more money on these types of products and drop our consumption to fewer times a week to afford supporting these measures, instead of being so extreme and risking potential nutrient deficiencies?

Meaningless terminology

What the heck is plant based anyway? Vegetarian is plan based. Paleo is plant based. Keto can be plant based. EVERYTHING can be plant based. And frankly, it should be.

How about this….we stop following fads, and simply eat really food? Why not choose to give your body (and mind) flexibility without extreme limitations? Simply commit to choosing the highest quality on a regular basis and asking yourself when you look at a food - will this fuel my body and give it information and nutrients it needs - or not? (By the way, grass-fed beef liver alone provides extremely high amounts of vitamin A. In addition, it’s a great source of B vitamins, CoQ10, amino acids and all the fat soluble vitamins. It’s like nature’s multivitamin.)

When people make dramatic changes in their diets and feel BETTER its usually because they are:

1) EATING MORE REAL FOODS and

2) AVOIDING PROCESSED GARBAGE

It has less to do with the macronutrient content, and more to do with the quality of the foods being eaten.

The sad truth is, that every diet can have a junk food version. Fries and beer are vegetarian and “plant based”. Fast food bun-less burgers and crappy cheeses with fillers are “keto” and a flourless dairy free chocolate cake is “paleo”.

Let’s get honest with ourselves. How many fads have we tried? And how many are you currently still utilizing? Right. They weren’t life changing, they weren’t a magic pill, and they didn’t get you the results you want. So stop. repeating. the cycle.

The real reason we don’t see results is because we aren’t willing to make the DIFFICULT decision. That decision is prioritizing our health over our desires, wants, and fitting in.

We all want pizza. We all want soda. We all want Oreos. It’s EASIER.

Where there is true commitment there will be long term lifestyle decision that are made and that stick. Small steps, made consistently over time is where true change occurs.

When the commitment isn’t truly there, then neither will the results be.

3 things that are more dangerous than

(healthy, grass-fed pasture raised) meat

1. Gluten

2. Pesticides

3. Sugar

But that’s another article for another time :)

Want to dig deeper in the meat debate? Check out these articles below:

• https://robbwolf.com/2012/03/14/red-meat-part-healthy-diet/

• https://robbwolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Binnie2014.pdf

• https://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-the-who-report-mean-for-your-meat-eating-habit/

• https://thepaleodiet.com/red-meat-paleo-diet-often-type/

• “A massive review of 20 studies including 1,218,380 individuals found that processed meat was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. However, no association was found for unprocessed red meat” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-red-meat-bad-for-you-or-good#section3

• https://chriskresser.com/why-the-optimal-human-diet-includes-animal-protein/

• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a20706930/what-diet-is-best-for-the-environment/

Tips for lowering your BP naturally

Whew! This one hits home a little bit.

A few years ago, my husband Patrick herniated a disk in his lower back. It was debilitating. Like, couldn’t walk, drag himself to the car to get the ER painful. (by the way, he was out of state, otherwise I would have driven him, duh).

This all happened when I was very new to the functional medicine world. I’m not even sure I had my FDN training at the time. If I remember correctly, I was just fascinated with health and starting to listen to biohacking and health podcasts!

We didn’t know if this would lead to surgery, but we started digging in and doing as much research as possible - how could we help his cells regenerate? Can you heal a herniated disc? Can your body repair after this much trauma? (hint: the answer is YES!!)

What does this have to do with high BP? Well, hubby always trended high BP. My family is weird, and we think it’s fun to lay on the living room floor, try to get as calm as possible, and compete with everyone else for the lowest blood pressure setting. For Patrick however, this stresses him out. Probably because his is usually on the higher end….which also stresses ME out….

So when he herniated his disc, his BP shot through the roof. And it would NOT come down - when you are in pain, this is a common side effect.

Thankfully, as we incorporated ALL the woo we could get our hands on to stimulate cell health, repair, support his blood pressure, and support his body.….he began to heal. His back repaired itself and within a year or so he was lifting weight and working out again. His blood pressure also came down.

Fast forward to 2018 - BP back up! Idk, I was diagnosed with cancer, it could be connected (!) …. ANYWAY. We hopped back on the natural train and BOOM down it came again.

Often, high BP is actually a signal that you have a mineral deficiency.

Disclaimer: none of the information in this blog is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease. Talk with your doctor or practitioner before making changes regarding an existing medical condition.

A 1999 study from the Department of Toxicology in a University in Finland stated,

“The mineral elements sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium play a central role in the normal regulation of blood pressure. In particular, these mineral elements have important interrelationships in the control of arterial resistance. These elements, especially sodium and potassium, also regulate the fluid balance of the body and, hence, influence the cardiac output. Evidence shows that the present levels of intake of mineral elements are not optimum for maintaining normal blood pressure but predispose to the development of arterial hypertension. Research results suggest that without sodium chloride (common salt) and other sodium compounds being added to the diet arterial hypertension would be virtually non existent. Moreover, blood pressure would not rise with age. In communities with a high consumption of added sodium, a high intake of potassium and, possibly, magnesium seem to protect against the development of arterial hypertension and the rise of blood pressure with age. A marked reduction of sodium intake is effective in treating even severe hypertension. A moderate restriction of sodium intake or an increase in potassium intake exert remarkable antihypertensive effects, at least in some hypertensive patients. Magnesium and possibly also calcium supplements may be effective in reducing blood pressure in some hypertensives. In hypertensive patients treated with drugs sodium restriction and potassium and magnesium supplementation enhance the therapeutic effect, reduce the number and dosage, and lessen the adverse effects of prescribed antihypertensive drugs. Hence, a fall in sodium consumption and increases in potassium and magnesium consumption are useful in preventing and treating arterial hypertension.”

Minerals are an amazing place to focus your energy when it comes to managing and lowering high blood pressure. You will often see the guideline to LOWER sodium, but minerals require balance. It may be more important to INCREASE potassium. Potassium is the counterbalance to sodium….the balance is more important for your heart health than the elimination of one. What MAY be a better way to think about it is this: ditch the regular table salt, and switch to Himalayan, Celtic, or any other mineral rich salt instead, and eat more bananas.

If you are still concerned about sodium being too high, you can consider Healthy Salt which is higher in mineral content, and lower in sodium.

As I mentioned in my UTI blog, when choosing natural remedies I generally prefer to go strong and use a mixture of potential options instead of waiting to see if one ingredient or compound helps.

Natural Support for High Blood Pressure

• Homeopathic Cell salts - a combination of minerals. I believe we used bioplasma 12 cell salt blend

• Pomegranate juice - 1 cup/day has been shown to lower blood pressure - thought to be due to the high antioxidant content.

• Bananas- high in potassium, a supporting mineral for high blood pressure

• Magnesium - used is over 500 processes in the body, this mineral is vital and quickly depleted under any form of stress

• Strawberries and Blueberries - a 2010 study showed that Anthocyanins (a type of flavonoid with antioxidant effects) was useful in the prevention of high blood pressure!

• Reduce stress - obviously! But seriously. Most people don’t take this crucial step seriously. Any mental, emotional, physical, perceived or real stress can impact your blood pressure and health in general! Incorporate regular stress relieving techniques and ad IN joy producing activities!

• Eliminte food sensitivities - just like any other stressors, foods that cause an immune system reaction and inflammation in your body can trigger high blood pressure as well.

• Switch to mineral rich salt instead of regular table salt and consider Healthy Salt (check with doctor or practitioner if sodium is ok for you)

Is this a chronic issue? Work with a practitioner, like myself, that can run labs to guide you in the right direction! Checking your food sensitivities, gut health, genetics, and mineral status can give you actionable steps individualized to YOU to address the problem right away.

If you are serious about moving forward with your health and working with a coach who can guide you, click the button below to sign up for a FREE call to see if working together is the right fit.

Not ready for one on one? Click the link below to download my Free smoothie guide and be the first to get notified when my new online group coaching program launches (pssst….its coming SOON!)

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1930921

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/93/2/338/4597656

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126173839.htm

Your at home UTI emergency guide

UTI’s are THE WORST. For a long time that was the one thing I would JUMP on an antibiotic for because they cause so much pain and discomfort! In fact, over the period of about a year to a year and a half, I had three. THREE!!!!! So I was VERY relieved when, after I became an FDN and started working on my gut health, I NEVER got them again….

That is, until January 3. Happy new year to me. You’ve beaten cancer, now let’s fight a UTI.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to diagnoses treat, prevent or cure a disease. The author is not al licensed medical provider and should not be viewed as such. The advice listed on this website should not be taken for medical advice or in place of your doctors recommendations.

What IS a UTI?

A UTI is a bacterial infection. It can be located anywhere in your urinary tract system and all the way up the kidneys if it’s particularly bad. Usually if you are catching it quickly, you find it mostly in the urethra and bladder.

The most common bacteria that causes UTI’s is E coli (about 90% of cases) but could also be klebsiella or other opportunistic bacteria. This does make a difference in the approach.

Why do you get UTI’s?

Contributors may be:

• Dehydration - not drinking enough water to flush the bacteria through your kidney and bladder fast enough.

• Low beneficial bacteria or yeast. When we have a healthy balance, the good guys keep the bad guys in check.

• Over-use of antibiotics (see above reason)

• Poor hygiene

• Suppressed immune system

• Too much sugar

If you’re like me, you may find certain patterns or perhaps identify changes you made recently that can set you up for the imbalance. In this particular instance there were several changes that I think compiled….I recently switched probiotics, I dropped a supplement that fights gut pathogens extremely well, I allowed myself to get dehydrated, AND I ignored the initial warning signs.

I felt the UTI coming on, but ignored it since I hadn’t had one in so long. I should probably take things more seriously after chemo!!

Since I had SO many drugs pumped into my system in 2019, AND I had some MAJOR antibiotics thrown in on top of that due to an infection during round two, my gut bugs may not be totally restored….

What can you do about it?

You have several options. You can go conventional, non-traditional, or a blend of the two.

Conventional:

Actions: Go to the urgent care, or get an appointment with your regular doc asap.

Approach: Kill the bacteria (remembering that antibiotics don’t discriminate and will kill the good bacteria as well).

They will take a urine sample, send it off for a culture, and in the meantime provide you with an antibiotic and pain killer. In my previous experience, one of the reasons I would jump to this is because the antibiotics works very quickly for me an otherwise I would be stuck on the toilet because of the burning an discomfort.

Often, UTI’s recur leading to multiple antibiotic doses in a short time, or a long term low dose antibiotic. This may lead to other imbalances such as yeast infection, gastrointestinal symptoms, c diff and more…

Non-Traditional:

Actions: Hit a Whole Foods, health foods store, or your at home medicine cabinet.

Approach: Flush our the bacteria, hydrate, kill biofilms, increase beneficial bacteria, support immune system.

I am a believer in giving alternative therapies a strong effort when possible. Just like getting sick as a child helps the child build their immune system and create a resilience and resistance to disease, the same happens in adulthood.

Chemo is not only a major stressor on the body (obviously) but it can also create some antibiotic resistance. Hello - your body BEEFS up after getting exposed to dangerous things! So I really want to save my sensitivity for any future emergencies that may happen. In those instances I really want the antibiotics to WORK!

When you google at home UTI remedies you’ll find all sorts of recommendations like chew garlic and drink straight cranberry juice. While many suggestions are helpful and accurate, they may work for some and not others, or you may be in so much pain you don’t feel like they can be of any use whatsoever! I get it….you’ve got to weed through and find what work for you.

HOWEVER. Many natural remedies are REALLY effective. And I often believe that if you go natural, it’s best to do a combination approach or choose products that combine several ingredients so that you have the best chance of responding well.

Natural remedies and the reasoning behind them:

D-Mannose: Binds to e.coli and keeps it from adhering to the bladder wall. This helps flush it out! Works fairly quickly and if this is an e.coli UTI (90% of them are) this should work fairly effectively. Check out UT. Vibrance for a blended powder with other supportive herbs.

Uva Ursi: Several chemical compounds in this pant are shown to fight infection - best at the beginning of an infection and cannot be taken at high doses or for long periods of time. A study demonstrated it to be helpful in preventing recurring UTI’s when combined with dandelion. UT Vibrance includes D Mannose, Uva Ursi and dandelion together!

Cranberry: Controversial at best many studies think it’s better as a preventative than a treatment. The tannins are thought to be responsible for helping you fight a UTI. Capsules have a stronger concentration than juice does, so you have to drink more juice. However, you get the added benefit of hydration when choosing the juice option. If using cranberry, I would not recommend it as the only approach. Choose 100% organic and unsweetened cranberry juice and mix with pure water to dilute. *it may cause diarrhea in some.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C can make your urine acidic limiting the growth of some bacteria. It has also been suggested that Vitamin C is bacteriostatic (stops the bacteria from proliferating). If nothing else, it supports your immune system. Avoid the gastrointestinal upset with high doses of Vitamin C by choosing a liposomal version.

Biocidin: This is by far my favorite, and had I not been trying to give my body a break from this supplement it would have been my go to. This is an herbal blend which acts as an antibacterial, antibiotic, antiviral. Yes, it’s basically magic in a bottle. It kills bad bugs while sparing the good guys. It also busts biofilms. This supplement is particularly great because it would target E coli AND other bacteria covering your bases if you fall in that 10% of different bacterial infections. An acute dose would be 10 drops on the tongue, 3x/day for 10 days.

*I do feel the need to make a special note, and that is….be smart! If you feel that your infection is not improving and/or you feel pain in the your back like it’s spreading to the kidneys, go to the doctor immediately!!!! Or go to the doctor FIRST and get antibiotics as a back up so you don’t have to wait if your home remedies aren’t strong enough!

What I did:

I often take a very moderate, middle of the ground approach. I avoid medicine when I can, but appreciate it and accept it when necessary.

So I got an appointment with my doctor right away and got my backup prescriptions. Plus it was a Friday so better to be prepared over the weekend. The problem was that this pain began at 6am, and I couldn't get in until 11:55!! They would not send a prescription order to the pharmacy (new regulations I think) and I cried when I got off the phone because I had been experiencing SO much discomfort through the morning!!!

I got to work doing as much WOO as I could get my hands on in the house.

1. I took CYSTEX. Now, this is cheating a little bit because it’s technically an OTC medication for UTIs. It includes a pain killer an an antibacterial. I always recommend that if someone wants to go the natural route but is in a lot of discomfort or pain to try a few doses of this while everything else “kicks in”.

2. Dosed up on liposomal Vitamin C and biocidin. Often, a few pain killing doses of CYSTEX and a 10day round of biocidin will completely knock a UTI out. I’ve recommended that to people and they have seen great results. I’ve been almost DEPENDENT on that supplement for 3 years (every time I try to get off of it I get some kinda sick….case in point). So while I have that as a backup, I actually wanted to personally find another alternative. I was also already taking some liposomal Vitamin C, so I just kicked it up a notch.

3. Drank a TON of water with 100% cranberry juice. Yes, it is incredibly tart, but it really does seem to be useful. (In addition to helping you stay hydrated)

4. UT Vibrance. Like I said, normally I would just stick with my trusty biocidin but I wanted to try something different. So I ran to Whole Foods to get D-Mannose which tons of women swear by. Thankfully, I came across this product called UT Vibrance which includes D-Mannose, Uva Ursi, dandelion, and more…. It’s a powder that you mix in liquid 4x/day. Once I took that, my symptoms subsided an other than keeping up on my vitamin C and my cranberry hydration, I didn’t need anything else! The UT vibrance seemed to kick in very quickly and by the time I got to the doctor I was comfortable.

5. Probiotics. I had recently switched from my favorite long term probiotic Megaspore which is a spore based probiotic. But I knew that with some things going on in my gut recently that I needed another probiotic with a different blend. So I switched to Klaire labs ABX which is beneficial for balancing you out after a round of antibiotics. When the UTI started, I brought megaspore back in and did 1 tablet of each in the morning and another in the evening for a total of 4 tabs/day.

If I had to narrow it down to the bare necessities, it seemed that the combination of probiotic therapy + UT vibrance was the most effective for me. I only took the biocidin the morning it started and as able to drop it after that.

Conventional vs. Non-traditional/out of the box/alternative/holistic/whatever-you-want-to-call-them treatments.

As you can see, there is a time and place for both. I often fall somewhere in the middle, exhausting natural options before hitting medication if I need to.

The pros to medication are that it works fast and when it comes to pain killers you can get a stronger dose. The cons however are that the antibiotic might not work for your body or for that particular infection which means you may have to go through 2 or even 3 antibiotics before seeing the results you want. This can be devastating for your gut health in the long run. Even if an antibiotic does work, you can become resistant to it, and it kills the good bugs with the bad bugs….so depending on the balance that is left one it’s done, the stress you are under, how well you eat, what kind of water you drink etc….the opportunity arises for pathogenic bacteria to have a greater opportunity to overgrow taking you back to square one… One round of antibiotics can devastate some people and lead to more frustrating symptoms and long term side effects.

The pros to natural methods are:

• There are typically no negative side effects (except occasionally things like bloating or diarrhea when taking high doses)*

• You can mix and match until you figure out what works

• They normally SUPPORT your body instead of FORCING the body to do something

• They don’t damage beneficial gut bugs

The CONS however are that sometimes they are weaker, take longer to take effect, or in some cases might not be effective at all. This is why I usually take a blended approach when it comes to natural remedies instead of choosing one herb or ingredient.

*Any time you go in and shake up your microbiome things like diarrhea and bloating may occur. While slightly annoying, its not necessarily a bad thing. Diarrhea is your body getting things OUT, and as bad bugs die and the balance shifts, bloating may occur. I had both when I was at the highest dose of UT vibrance (20g of d mannose in a day). It was a small price to pay to kick the UTI and I lowered the dose as the days went on, regulating my poop and getting rid of the bloat!

What now?

I always recommend making a doctors appointment to confirm. Simply having a diagnosis can point you in the right direction. It can also provide you with emergency back ups if you DO need to use those prescriptions. If you have had UTI’s many times and are looking to support your body’s natural defenses and kick it for good, the natural approach may be more beneficial. If you are prone to UTI’s then stocking up on some of recommendations above may be helpful so you can tackle it as soon as you feel it coming on.

Always listen to your body, be smart about it, and don’t be afraid to use a combination therapy when needed! For example: should you need or choose to use the antibiotic approach, including a probiotic therapy at the same time can help mitigate the negative and long term effects. Work with a practitioner to make the best recommendations for you!

Interested in working together? My 1:1 clients get full access to me throughout our time together so if anything like this comes up, you can reach out and get support immediately!

If you are struggling with more chronic conditions like:

• Recurring UTI’s

• Recurring sinus infections

• Diarrhea/constipation

• Bloating

• Acid Reflux

• Mood swings

• PMS

• Fatigue

Then let’s talk! I work with my 1:1 clients very closely to make the best recommendations in testing and personalized protocols for their unique situation and needs. If you are serious about investing in your health and taking dramatic steps to feel your BEST, then click the link below to sign up for a free functional health assessment call where I can find out more ab out you and y our goals and struggles, share my process, and find out if working together is the right fit!

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Sources:

http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=107&pid=33&gid=000278

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3370320/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/urinary-tract-infections

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3784967/

10 Netflix series to watch when you're laid up

During treatment, I spent hours, days even, laying in bed watching Netflix since I didn’t have the energy or strength to do much more surrounding the treatment dates. The pattern usually looked like me getting treatment on a Friday, and staying in bed on and off through Sunday -getting up for walks, for etc….

That meant I watched a LOT of Netflix!! So I thought a succinct little recommendation review might be helpful if YOU are laid up too :) Below are some of my favorite shows (some I watched during and others I just love), a short description, and of course…how many seasons you can count on!

Cheers

Follow the life of Sam Malone - a bar tender and womanizer, as he goes through life and love. Funny, and relatable, you’ll feel like you know all the “regulars”. There are a 11 seasons.

Frasier

Frasier was a regular character on cheers so I obviously had to start this series a well. Turns, out, this series is even better. Frasier is a goofy psychiatrist who blunders his way through romantic relationships, lives with his Dad and his Dad’s physical therapist, and has humorous conversations with his brother Niles, another psychiatrist. There are 11 seasons.

Jane the virgin

Jane is a virgin who get artificially inseminated by accident! This starts her life on a path she never would have chosen, but would also never change. Get to know her family in this comedy-drama! There are 5 seasons.

Royal Pains

Follow a concierge doctor and his brother through the hamptons as the treat the wealthy. There are 8 seasons.

Friends

Believe it or not, it was only in the past 2 years or so that I finally watched this series!!! Follow a group of friends as they navigate living, working and dating in NYC. There are 10 seasons.

The Good Witch

Very Hallmark-esque :) Cassie always seems to know exactly how to help her friends and neighbors find just what they need in her shop. She is a pillar in the community helping everyone she can. There are 4 seasons.

When Calls the Heart

A young school teacher from a wealthy family, decides to rough is as a one room schoolteacher in an old western town. It soon becomes her home and where she falls in love. There are 5 seasons on Netflix.

Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch makes this a MUST see series. He adds a neurotic yet lovable touch to the ever popular Sherlock Holmes. Sadly there are only 4 seasons, but another one is on it’s way! Drama, excitement and humor - all in one!

The Good Place

A group of humans finds themselves accidentally in heaven. A funny perspective on the afterlife and how you might react if you were meant for…the other place. There are 3 seasons.

New Girl

Funny and kind of inappropriate at times, this is a modern spin of friends. Follow a group of friends, help together by Jess, as they navigate life, and love in NYC. Funny, ironic, laugh out loud. There are 7 seasons.

I hope you enjoy these 10 series! Many of them are laugh out loud which we know comes with it’s own health benefits making it even better to prioritize when you’re sick!

Constipation 101 - Everything you need to know, to go!

Hello friends!! Today are going to talk about all things CONSTIPATION!!! That’s right poop. Or rather, lack thereof! We will answer the questions:

• Why are you constipated?

• Why is constipation bad?

• How often should I be pooping?

• What can I do about constipation?

So that you can take some action steps TODAY!

This is one of the #1 reasons my clients come to me and also something many are embarrassed to reach out and talk about. I’m here to normalize the conversation and talk about your poo! So let’s get to it!

Why are you constipated?

This is the million dollar question and how to treat the constipation highly depends on the answer! This is why when someone is chronically constipated I always encourage them to #TestDontGuess . Let’s get to the bottom of the CAUSE so that we can not only FIX it, but avoid having this problem in the future!

Causes of constipation can range from:

• Lack of water

• Lack of fiber

• Too much fiber with not enough water

• Food sensitivities

• Gut damage/inflammation

• Pathogens/bacteria/yeast overgrowths in the gut

• Stress

• Hormone fluctuations

• Nutrient deficiencies/Malabsorption of nutrients (damaged gut)

• Medications

• Eating too much protein

• Lead exposure

• Mold exposure

• Using too many binders

If this is a new issue, take a look at this list and see if you are able to identify anything here that may be the culprit. You can begin working on that right away, or find a practitioner (like me) that will assist you in getting the the bottom of it (pun intended) :)

Why is constipation bad?

Besides general discomfort when constipation becomes a chronic problem, constipation leads to many issues including:

• Abdominal pain (pressure/stretching of the colon)

• Reabsorption of toxins

• Inflammation in the colon

• Reabsorption and circulation of hormones (leading to hormone imbalance)

• Extra toxic burden for the liver

• May lead to weight gain (again toxic load and hormone imbalances)

When thinking about health your poo is one of the FIRST places to start because if you aren't pooping then we can't make progress in a lot of other areas.

For example - if you want to do a cleanse of any kind, nourishing different organs and pulling toxins out of your body, you must start with the colon or all those toxins will get built up, and just make you sicker!

If you want to work on your hormones, you better be pooping! Your liver breaks down toxins, chemicals, and used hormones and sends them off for excretion....if you don't excrete them, they get reabsorbed and can cause hormone imbalances .

If you are going through a gut protocol and targeting parasites, yeast, bacteria - all those fun things that cause bloating, fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, malnourishment and more.... you better be pooping!

Poo is about 60% dead bugs.... In addition to food, chemicals, and hormones, you are also excreting the exoskeletons of your microbiome....if you are killing more off intentionally to help your microbiome rebalance in favor of the good guys, you definitely want to be clearing them out - NOT holding them in!

What is normal poop?

Shockingly, many will tell you that if you poop 3x/week you aren’t constipated. In reality here is what you want to look for in healthy poo:

• You poo every day a minimum of once. Preferably 2-3 times.

• You poo within 20-45 minutes of waking up

• Your poo doesn’t stink up the whole bathroom

• You don’t see excessive amounts of undigested foods in your poo

• It’s long not chunky (little balls, chunky poos, or hard and uncomfortable to push is leading to constipation)

• Should be soft but held together

• It’s not a weird color (green, black, yellow etc…) - medium brown color is normal.

• You don’t require coffee to go

Do any of these shock you?? I bet you identified with at least one…maybe the coffee??? While a nice lovely perk in the morning, we shouldn’t be dependent on our cup of joe to make us go!

What can I do about constipation?

Again (sorry I’ll say it till it sticks!) I recommend working with a practitioner if this is a CHRONIC ongoing issue, or if it’s becoming chronic with children. If it’s just an occasional annoyance however, there are lots of at home remedies to try that are easy, inexpensive and that you can keep on hand once you find what works for you.

Prunes

Yup! good old prunes. Eat 3-6 dried prunes daily and see if that works for you! If you choose to do a glass of prune juice instead, make sure you drink it after a meal to avoid a big blood sugar spike!

Eliminate Gluten and Dairy

I know I know. I JUST saw your eyes roll. Here I am preaching against gluten and dairy again. I’m sorry, but they are the top two food sensitivities that I consistently see make THE biggest difference! Gluten in literally EVERYONE, and dairy in some (arguably most).

Just try it! What do you have to lose….except poop?

I really believe if you aren’t willing to eliminate these things to SEE if they help - you aren’t REALLY committed to your health. Just like alcohol, if you can’t get rid of it for 30 days….you have a problem my friend ;)

There are several reasons gluten is a problem and I made a video about it here if you want to dig deeper!

Increase fiber and water at the same time

Did you know that if you increase your fiber without increasing your water, that instead of making you poop fiber can also constipate you? POOP!

Make sure you are increasing both at the same time. In addition, don’t be drinking Metamucil to get your daily dose of fiber. Make sure you’re increasing things like broccoli, cabbage, root vegetables, chia seeds, flax seeds and beans.

Some recommend that you increase your fiber to a minimum of 50g a day. I recommend that you take a look at where you are starting from (maybe use myfitnesspal for a few days to get a baseline) and then intentionally add in the foods listed above. Start with a large side of broccoli at dinner for a few days for example and make up to half your plate in veggies at every single meal.

Castor oil packs or internal castor oil

Castor oil is a remedy that many in the holistic world swear by when it comes to constipation. Some use it as a regular castor oil pack and some take it internally. It does appear to be safe when ingested as long as it’s an organic, cold pressed version and dosed appropriately.

Castor oil pack:

• Wool or flannel

• Organic castor oil

• Plastic wrap or towel

• Heating pad

Fold the wool cloth into 4ths and soak one side in castor oil. Lay over the liver, cover in plastic wrap or a thin cloth, and then place heating pad on top to drive the old deeper into the skin. Let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour and repeat daily.

For more information on Castor Oil and dosages, click HERE.

Squatty Potty

Did you realize that in some cases it may simply be that you aren’t sitting the way God designed us to sit that may be causing your potty troubles? Squatty potty to the rescue! Simply add this little stepper in front of your potty and put your feet on it every time you need to poo. It helps open up your valves so to speak and let the flo go.

Coffee enemas

People get almost as freaked out by this as they do about going gluten free. But I’m telling you, everyone in my family has done this and it’s not as scary as you think. Coffee enemas are used to clear out the colon, stimulate the production of bile and glutathione - a major antioxidant.

To do a coffee enema boil 4 cups of purified water, add 3 TBS of coffee enema coffee (yes that’s a thing) and let it boil for 5 minutes. Strain the water so the coffee grounds are no longer there, and let it cool to between 98.6 and 101. (right around comfortable body temperature. Too hot or too cold and your body will reject it).

Follow the coffee enema package instructions to proceed. You can learn WAY more about why coffee enemas work HERE.

Things to know:

• Start with less coffee and see how you respond

• Start will less water ( or break your first one up into 3-4 small doses back to back) to see how you respond

• Never ever hold it in if it’s uncomfortable or you have a big urge to poo

• Always use lubrication of some sort and never use an enema with open sores or injuries near your butt.

• If you are comfortable, the goal is to retain it for 10-12 minutes

• Be smart about it.

I did a video all about coffee enemas!

Probiotics

Often, constipation may be due to an imbalance in your gut flora - the good bugs and the bad bugs….bad bugs can make you constipated. I would recommend taking a quality spore probiotic (Megaspore is my favorite) because spore based probiotics get all the way through your system just like food based probiotics. You’ll notice they do not need to be refrigerated and have less strain counts. They don’t need to have as many strains as other probiotics because many of those strains die in the stomach acid and don’t get through your system like spore based probiotics do.

You can purchase Megaspore by setting up an account with my online supplement dispensary here:

Supplements

There are a few supplements that may also help.

Magnesium: if you are constipated you may be in need of magnesium. You can get this through epsom salt baths, topical sprays ( I like EASE magnesium spray) or supplemental form. The best supplemental form of magnesium for constipation is magnesium citrate.

Vitamin C: can also make you go. Vitamin C diarrhea is the only side effect of high doses of vitamin C. As long as it doesn’t bother your stomach as you titrate up, you can take 1000mg every hour until you poop. If you start to feel uncomfortable just stop - but again, there are no know negative side effects other than diarrhea when you hit max capacity.

Dr. Christophers Lower Bowel Formula: is another supplement specifically designed with herbs to help you go. This is something you can take more frequently to avoid getting constipated in the first place.

Senokot: while this is an herbal laxative, it’s a little stronger than something you would want to take daily so I would use this for a limited time to clear out, but would always choose it over miralax or ex-lax!

You may find that a nightly combo of magnesium citrate and vitamin C does the trick! Find what works for you. Always be responsible when it comes to dosages and check with a doctor or practitioner when working with children or existing medical conditions!!

DIG DEEPER

If constipation is a chronic issue for you, don’t simply try to treat the symptom, figure out why it’s happening. I’ve worked with clients for years now with symptoms ranging from daily stomach pain, to chronic constipation, to rotating between constipation and diarrhea and the information we can get from functional labs is priceless!

Instead of guessing, we are able to clearly find healing opportunities in the body and work with nutrition changes, lifestyle modifications and targeted (not guessing) supplementation to address the problems, heal the gut, and get results.

One of my favorite client testimonies was an awesome lady who came to me at a time when she spent 1-2 hours in the bathroom

EVERY MORNING. Within a few weeks of working together, I checked in and she was down about 5 minutes every morning. That’s amazing!!!

Food, supplements, sleep…that’s all great. But if you have bugs causing the problem you’re not going to identify them, or effectively get rid of them, without test results and a target protocol!

Try all the fun tips above FIRST! And if that doesn’t help, let’s talk!

You can always schedule a health assessment call with me to see if working together is right for you :) ** (serious applicants only)

Want more content like this plus recipes, challenges, and a community of likeminded #YOUtrition seekers? Join my free FB community #YOUtrition - Nutrition that works for YOU!

To you and your healthy poo :)

References:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/apt.12913

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4403030/

http://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200503039787121.page

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Foolproof Pesto Every Time!

Happy Labor Day!

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces. Is that what pesto is? A sauce? Well anyway…whatever it is, it’s delicious and can go from topping gluten free toast, to spicing up your egg breakfast, to being a great dip for your beef kabobs. And while most store bought pesto has dairy and varies greatly in flavor from brand to brand, I’m going to show you how to make the most delicious pesto every time - at home - dairy free - and it’s EASY!

Basil is the primary ingredient and flavor that makes pesto so delicious. Did you know that basil is also anti-inflammatory, boosts your immune system and is an antioxidant too?! So this is the perfect recipe to whip up as we find ourselves at the beginning of cold and flu season!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic cashews (roasted and salted adds more flavor)

• 1 large bunch of organic basil (approximately 2 cups of leaves)

• The juice of one 1 organic lemon

• 1/4 cup olive oil (to begin with)

• 4-6 garlic cloves chopped

• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Rinse the basil and cut off the stems

2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend

3. Observe the texture and add oil as needed until it is spreadable but not creamy

4. Taste and add garlic and salt as needed. This really adjusts to your personal flavor profile and helps make the pesto as strong and flavorful or as mild as you prefer.

Enjoy! Because the seasonings are so simple and so personalized in measurements, you can make this pesto the exact right flavor every single time!

Change it up:

• Use any nut you like or, do what I did the other day and use up 2-3 different nuts you happen to have in your pantry. The flavor profile may change slightly, but really any nut blend will work as the base. Usually store bought pesto includes pine nuts.

• Use cilantro instead of basil for an different flavor and added detoxification
  

p.s. we love to make some gluten free pasta with pesto as the sauce! What’s your favorite way to use pesto?

Find more fun information about basil here:

12 Benefits of Basil - Dr. Axe

What is Basil Good for?

4 Supplements to Help Your Immune System

School has begun!

Which means fall is here and so are all.the.viruses. Whether you want to boost your own immunity, recover from a cold, or just learn for the future, below are my top supplements for supporting your immune system this fall! You may be surprised that things like echinacea and zinc don’t make the list, but those are wonderful as well - zinc is in most over the counter cold remedies and echinacea seems to be popping up in everything as well so I’m assuming you already know about them :)

Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum is amazing! You may recognize the word as the substance that mothers produce in breast milk right after giving birth. This is why breast feeding is so helpful for babies within the first few weeks because colostrum helps build their immune system providing immunoglobulins and antibodies that they need! Mother cows do this as well, and our bodies respond very well to the bovine colostrum as it is very similar to human colostrum. It assists in healing the gut, calming inflammation and supporting your immune system, just like when you were a baby!

Don’t worry, if you are dairy sensitive you can still use colostrum, most people don’t have any issues with this.

Always look for a grass-fed source.

Vitamin C

Yes, sometimes the oldies are still goodies. However, I bet you don’t know that you can megadose vitamin C to give your immune system a big boost and get faster results! Megadosing is where you take 500-1000mg of Vitamin C every 30 minutes to an hour until you hit bowel tolerance (you get vitamin C diarrhea). There is no harm in this and it won’t hurt you, although some people do experience some bloating and tummy rumbles before this happens so if you feel uncomfortable just lessen the dose or stop. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant and boosts your immune system. Megadosing would be helpful in situations like colds, sinus infections, etc….

Make sure you don’t do this with chewables or any form of vitamin C supplementation that provides sugar. Otherwise you’ll be overdosing on sugar too!

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is incredibly important for your immune system! In fact, many people who develop chronic diseases have really low levels of Vitamin D and over 40% of Americans are deficient! While everyone is telling you to lather up with sunscreen, you’re unconsciously avoiding one of the most beneficial health exposures you can get by being outside in the sun. Vitamin D3 is best gotten from direct sunlight. Yes - you heard me - avoid wearing sunscreen and soak up that D! Did you know that your body can produce up to 80,000 IU of vitamin D in 20 minutes of sun exposure? But guess what else - there are safety mechanisms built into your biology (God’s pretty smart) that shut down vitamin D production when you’ve had enough! So don’t go getting a sunburn by any means. Be responsible in the sun and cover up, get in the shade or go back inside. But GET direct sunlight on your skin every single day. Your body absorbs and utilizes vitamin D MOST effectively this way.

Here are some fascinating podcasts on the topic of sun exposure and it’s health benefits. I literally never wear sunscreen unless I’ll be out in direct sunlight in the middle of the day for multiple hours. Otherwise, I do my bet to get as much sun exposure as I can throughout the year!

When supplementing, you CAN overdose, so I would recommend working with a professional or getting your blood checked to monitor your levels if this is a concern for you.

Dr. Mercola interviews Marc Sorenson ( May 5, 2019 episode)

Is sunscreen ok to use? - Wise Traditions episode #193

Chaga

Mushrooms are a fungus and would usually be viewed as a food, but now that they are gaining popularity in everything from tumor fighting properties to immune system regulation and brain focus they come in powders that you can take in supplemental or powder form (mix in a smoothie etc…) Chaga is one famous medicinal mushroom know specifically for supporting the immune system.

I personally love to use Foursigmatic as my mushroom provider because they are very careful about quality, they use a dual extract process so the product has the most benefits, AND they provide you withmany delicious ways to get the mushrooms into your day like my favorite lions mane and chaga coffee, hot chocolates, teas, or superfoods blends. Use code TINYFITDIVA for 10% off if you choose to try it!

I hope this has has given you some new inspiration for the fall season! What immune boosting supplements are your favorite?

p.s. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.