Tag Archives: Hormonal imbalances

Fertility & food: Smoothie recipe for hormone balance

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Some of you may have watched my Holistic OBGYN (Dr. Wendy Warner) on Dr. Oz last week. Dr. Warner talked (very quickly) about natural ways to balance your hormones.

The show was specifically focused on menopause; however the concept of balancing hormones is one that readily applies to many women facing fertility challenges.

As an expansion of the show, and also for those who may not have seen it, below I share a few words from Dr. Warner regarding Adrenal Dysfunction, as well as her hormone balancing smoothie recipe.

When I was first introduced to the concept of Adrenal Dysfunction I must admit that I was a bit skeptical. Previous OBGYN’s had definitively told me that my hot flashes were singularly attributable to high FSH. That explanation however made a lot less sense when my FSH came back in the “normal” range.

In the case of Adrenal Dysfunction (or Adrenal Fatigue as it is sometimes called) our “fight or flight” response has been activated so often (stress triggers this response) that the Adrenals burn out. They then begin responding to small irritations (e.g., when we can’t get a cabinet door to close) as though a lion were at our heels (e.g., slamming the door and yelling). Cortisol levels spike and the body begins to look for what it needs in other places (i.e., sex hormones). This cycle then leads to hormonal imbalance.

Women dealing with Adrenal Dysfunction often don’t sleep well, may have hot flashes, and experience a multitude of other symptoms like weight gain that no matter what just won’t go away. Basically the Adrenals are bombarded with the message, “hurry, get up, fight the dragon!!” so often that they begin to see dragons everywhere and run out of ammunition to fight them off–thus they begin to steal ammo from neighbors in the body. 

Unfortunately undoing the damage is much harder, and takes much longer, than creating it. A good place to start is with herbs and nutrition. And then we must learn to live our lives in a different, more balanced way. As Dr. Warner states below “if you’re supporting your adrenals with herbs on the one hand but still living your life like a tiger’s chasing you, that’s like driving with the gas and brake pedals both on at the same time.” We must learn to stop pressing the gas pedal to the floor while holding onto the handbrake with all of our might. Meditation, yoga, and making time for rest and stillness can all help.

If you have experienced symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction, or if you have problems with hormone imbalance, today may be a good day to blend up a smoothie and do a short meditation or yoga practice. A healthy tomorrow begins with small steps taken today.

Experpt from Dr. Warner

First, the smoothie recipe.  Please understand that I made the recipe a bit more simple for the show.  What we made on air would NOT be adequate for breakfast, as there isn’t enough protein; it’s just a nice snack.  Also, the “recipe” section of Dr Oz’s website labels this smoothie as “fat-blasting”.  That’s a misconception and I hope I didn’t leave folks with the impression that it’s some kind of magic potion!  It has nutrients that will help balance hormones, which will allow the fat to come off.  Here’s what Brad and I actually drink each day:  (remember, this is for two people)

2-3 tbl flax seeds

2-3 tbl hemp seeds

2-3 Brazil nuts

1-2 tbl pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

~2 tsp herbal extract that includes ashwaganda and other adaptogens

big chunk of sweet red bell pepper (for antioxidants)

fruit, ~1 cup.  This is usually a combo of orange, apple, maybe berries or pineapple.

Several handsful of raw greens, like chard, spinach, kale, collards, even parsley.

Cooled, brewed green or white tea—amount varies depending on consistency you like.

Throw all this in a good blender (we use a vitamix).  I have it for a midmorning snack at the office; Brad uses his for breakfast.  (I’ve usually had a small breakfast at home with protein, like good sardines or eggs).

Now, the issue of adrenal dysfunction.  Yes, it’s essential to get this under control in order to manage menopause symptoms.  But it’s not just about taking ashwaganda!  That and other herbal adaptogens definitely help, but as I always say, if you’re supporting your adrenals with herbs on the one hand but still living your life like a tiger’s chasing you, that’s like driving with the gas and brake pedals both on at the same time.  Please remember that how you live your life is what is important here.  Movement and quiet time and emotional management are first line therapy; the herbs are merely supportive.  That’s why I have Brad available to teach folks the techniques designed by the HeartMath Institute, since they have been shown to help balance out cortisol and dhea, two important adrenal hormones.  That’s also why I recommend yoga and tai chi, and have those classes available at the office.

Infertility & the Wizard of Oz: How to follow the yellow brick road back into balance

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The experience of infertility can leave us feeling much like Dorothy & her companions in the Wizard of Oz. We travel down the yellow brick road hoping to find the Wizard, also known as the magical Reproductive Endocrinologist.

We whistle, skip, and encounter many adventures along the way. Yet we always keep our eye on the destination–the one person who can solve all of our ailments and provide us with what we lack so that we may become whole.

Yet here is the storyline twist.

Much like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, the illusive magical Reproductive Endocrinologist can do no more than to turn our awareness back onto the power we already hold within our own bodies. It is our bodies alone that will, or will not, create life.

Sure, doctors can give us pharmaceutical regimens to force our bodies to do what they would like them to do. Yes, doctors can perform invasive procedures to unblock tubes or remove fibroids. What the doctors cannot do however is heal us, heal our fertility. The only person who can do that is the person who stares back at us in the mirror. Only our bodies can usher balance into being.

True healing results from restoring balance from the inside out. And although some women experience quick success with western intervention (often women whose bodies were only slightly off balance when treatments began), many others struggle through years and cycle upon cycle of unsuccessful synthetic intervention.

So what is the key to success?

Follow the yellow brick road back home to your own body.

Focus on what you are eating, when you are eating, the amount and quality of exercise you participate in, the supplements you take, the chemicals you expose yourself to in your food, cleaning products, cosmetics, and water, and on using acupuncture to regain balance (acupuncture has also been scientifically shown to increase success with IVF). These steps will help you to unearth what your body is telling you, and to nurture, in a thoughtful way, your body back to health.

And finally, one important component that many women forget–deal with your emotions and your mind/body connection.

In my personal experience, attention to the above aspects of my life served to drop my FSH from 50 to 6.2. They did not however bring me to sustainable balance. Why? One simple reason–I was constantly throwing myself off balance with my emotions and stress. Using meditation and breathing exercises has been an important process to my continued healing.

If you are new to meditation, to connecting your mind, heart, and body in alignment with health and healing, following are a few links from Deepak Chopra to help you get started.

At first meditation may seem silly, may seem a waste of time. I can however assure you, from personal experience, that it can be the singular most powerful tool in your healing toolkit.

So in closing I ask you, if the Wizard was here today–you having traveled all the way down the yellow brick road to his door–what would he tell you to do?

Not sure?

Look within because he is no more than the projection of your inner knowing and guidance that is always, always with you. Sit quietly in meditation, still your mind, and then listen.

(1)  Guided Meditation from Deepak Chopra

(2)  Deepak’s Guide to Holistic Health

(3) Sign up for Deepak’s 21 Days of Inspiration (started January 15th–first inspirational message follows)

Your essential nature is pure consciousness, unlimited by space or time. You possess all of the qualities inherent in this realm, including infinite creativity, unbounded love, pure silence, overflowing bliss, and deep peace. At your core, you are pure potentiality. 

“I am the immeasurable potential of all that was, is, and will be, and my desires are like seeds left in the ground: they wait for the right season and then spontaneously manifest into beautiful flowers and mighty trees, into enchanted gardens and majestic forests.” ~The Vedas

Week 1 – Day 1 – Transformation
 
Just a few hours from the Chopra Center live some of the world’s most ancient trees, the giant sequoias. The oldest known sequoia, estimated to be about 3,500 years old, was only a seedling when the Vedic wisdom texts were being composed, and became a mature tree long before the Buddha was born, the Bhagavad Gita was written, and Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

What is the secret of the sequoias’ incredible longevity? The elemental power of agni, the Sanskrit word for fire. Periodic forest fires clear away everything that threatens the trees’ survival while ensuring their growth and regeneration. Without the fire’s heat, the sequoia cones couldn’t open and release their seeds. Without the clearing force of fire, sequoia seedlings would be overcrowded by competing shade trees and not have enough sunlight to grow.

Today let’s celebrate the transformational fire in our body and life. Agni burns away physical, mental, and emotional debris, making room for something new to be born in our life.

What small step can you take today to release what’s no longer serving you, opening the space for more light, energy, and joy?