5 Foods to Start Eating Today To Boost Your Energy!

Women's Hormone Health 02 March 2022

Women come to me all of the time complaining about fatigue or feeling tired all day long. And let me tell you, I've been there! I spent over a decade dragging myself around every day, running on empty, and wreaking havoc on my body because of it!

A lack of energy not only interferes with your everyday tasks, but it also makes you less productive - a serious problem for many of my Type-A, driven clients! Similarly, the type of food you eat can have a significant impact on our energy levels throughout the day.

Even though all foods provide energy (whether you eat these in the form of sports bars or supplements), certain natural foods offer nutrients that can boost your energy levels in a more natural way. So, forget about energy drinks, supplements, and pre-packaged sports bars; instead, boost your energy from naturally energizing foods.

These aren't only 5 superfoods for energy, they're also 5 superfoods for our HORMONES!

Continue reading below or click to watch the video!

Walnut

Walnuts are an excellent snack since they are filled with nutrients that increase energy. The walnuts are well-known for their high protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrate content. Walnuts are rich in omegas which can help lower inflammation and pain in the body. Their high levels of antioxidants help boost energy levels and provide antioxidant protection¹.

Moreover, walnuts contain sufficient carbohydrates and fiber to offer a consistent and prolonged energy boost². They also contain minerals and vitamins including vitamin E, vitamin B, iron, and manganese. These vitamins and minerals boost energy generation and help in decreasing fatigue³.

Goji berries

Goji berries are another good food to replenish your energy levels. Apart from being a powerhouse of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, this fruit is also a rich source of fiber. This fruit provides antioxidant protection⁴.

Additionally, Goji berries are an excellent source of fiber. 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of Goji berries is equal to two grams of fiber. This also helps in slowing digestion and releases energy gradually⁵. This lets us ditch the

Goji berries are a versatile fruit that you can mix with baked potatoes, yogurt, smoothies, and sauces or you can eat these uncooked.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are included in one of the top-notch energy-boosting foods that you require during the hectic working day. Nutritionists state that "Chia seeds provide you with stable energy because of their great ratio of protein, fats, and fiber combined with the fact that they're low-carb”. Chia Seeds' fiber contributes to their nutrients' delayed digestion, resulting in a consistent, continuous release of energy. Moreover, these seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids which are best against relieving fatigue⁶.

Maca powder

Maca powder boosts energy and power. It has been claimed that Maca root powder aids in muscle growth, increases strength, increases energy, and enhances exercise performance. Maca powder is highly nutritious as it contains carbs, fiber, protein, vitamin C, fat, iron, manganese which are excellent sources of energy⁷. By including maca powder in your daily menu, you will notice visible improvement in your energy levels within 6 to 12 weeks.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides that provide an immediate source of energy. MCTs, travel directly to the liver and act as a fast energy source in a manner similar to carbohydrates⁸

Furthermore, MCTs have long been used in sports nutrition products for athletes who require an energy source that their bodies can quickly absorb and use^8,9

Give these a try and see how you feel! There isn't 1 size fits all when it comes to health and energy, so don't give it up so quickly if you don't notice an immediate increase, just continue to be consistent!

References

Kornsteiner-Krenn, M., Wagner, K. H., & Elmadfa, I. (2013). Phytosterol content and fatty acid pattern of ten different nut types. International journal for vitamin and nutrition research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal international de vitaminologie et de nutrition, 83(5), 263–270. https://doi.org/10.1024/0300-9831/a000168
Mazidi, M., Vatanparast, H., Katsiki, N., & Banach, M. (2018). The impact of nuts consumption on glucose/insulin homeostasis and inflammation markers mediated by adiposity factors among American adults. Oncotarget, 9(58), 31173–31186. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.25168
Dreher, M. L., Maher, C. V., & Kearney, P. (1996). The traditional and emerging role of nuts in healthful diets. Nutrition reviews, 54(8), 241-245.
Ma, Z. F., Zhang, H., Teh, S. S., Wang, C. W., Zhang, Y., Hayford, F., Wang, L., Ma, T., Dong, Z., Zhang, Y., & Zhu, Y. (2019). Goji Berries as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine: An Insight into Their Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019, 2437397. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2437397.
Reynolds, A., Mann, J., Cummings, J., Winter, N., Mete, E., & Te Morenga, L. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet, 393(10170), 434-445.
Howe, P., & Buckley, J. (2014). Metabolic health benefits of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Military medicine, 179(11 Suppl), 138–143. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00154
Yu, L. J., & Jin, W. W. (2004). Study on the nutritional components and the anti-fatigue effects of dry powder of maca (Lepidium meyenii). Food Science, 25(2), 164-166.
Hewlings S. (2020). Coconuts and Health: Different Chain Lengths of Saturated Fats Require Different Consideration. Journal of cardiovascular development and disease, 7(4), 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd7040059
Boateng, L., Ansong, R., Owusu, W. B., & Steiner-Asiedu, M. (2016). Coconut oil and palm oil's role in nutrition, health, and national development: A review. Ghana medical journal, 50(3), 189–196.

a sun rise peaks out where two dark mountains meet

Morning Rituals to Boost Your Metabolism

Women's Hormone Health 22 February 2022

Morning Rituals That Give Your Metabolism a Boost

The path to health is filled with all sorts of detours. This is particularly true when weight and energy are concerned. Many women that I speak to want to be able to do things like chase their kids around, take them to their sporting events and even be able to play tennis, go for a hike, and so forth, but they just don’t have the energy to do so. Much of this is due to having a poorly functioning or inefficient metabolism, but what can a lady like us do about their metabolism? Read on to find out!

Eat Breakfast

There used to be a saying that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. It turns out that this is partially true because eating in the morning kick starts your metabolism. Studies have shown that just eating a bit of breakfast can help to improve your metabolic function by about 10%. This of course also means that it should be something healthy. When you do this, your body knows it’s time to start the day and it begins the process of preparing to remove waste from the previous day. Something simple with carbs and protein can wake up your mind and make you ready to face the day’s challenges.

Morning Exercise

One of the best things that a person can do for themselves is to take on some kind of exercise routine in the morning. This doesn’t mean that it has to be an intense, pulse-pounding exercise, just that you do a small amount of movement enough to get your heart rate up. Morning stretches can be a great example of that. If you stretch your limbs and engage the muscles in your core each morning, you’re far less likely to sustain injury from minor twists, turns, and reaches that you do during your workday.

B Vitamins

When your body has the right nutrients, it will function on a more efficient level. B vitamins can help to stimulate your metabolism. They do this by giving your body the ability to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy that you will need throughout the day. This is why it’s great to have some eggs with whole-grain toast in the morning. Taking just a little bit extra can help you to convert that food into energy so you can be productive and burn calories all from morning until night.

Give these simple rituals a try to see if it makes a difference with your metabolism and energy levels!

What You Need for A Healthy Scalp

Women's Hormone Health 15 February 2022

What You Need for a Healthy Scalp

If you haven’t been too happy with the health of your scalp lately, you’re not alone. Many people are struggling with dry scalp, oily hair, dandruff, itching, and even redness. Luckily, hope is not lost! Here are some ways you can improve the health of your scalp.

Take Care of Scalp Conditions

While people often notice skin conditions on their face and body, the scalp often gets neglected. However, if you have unusual symptoms like flaking, itching, redness, or bumps on your scalp, you may need to have it looked at.

For example, if you have a lot of itching, burning, and red bumps on your scalp, you might have a condition called seborrheic dermatitis. This is very easily treated with an anti-fungal dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders. Itching can also be caused by eczema, which has other topical treatments.

Know How Often to Wash Your Hair

Not everyone needs to wash their hair every day or even every other day, so it helps to understand more about your hair texture and how often shampooing should take place. If you have dry hair, you can probably get by with washing your hair less often, as the oils from your scalp are needed for proper moisture. But if you have oily hair, you probably need to wash your hair more often.

Try washing your hair a little less often and see how your scalp reacts to it.

Use High-Quality Hair Products

The higher quality your hair products, the better off your hair and scalp are going to be. This doesn’t mean you have to buy expensive $100 shampoo and conditioner at your hair salon, but try to find hair products with ingredients you recognize. Avoid additives like sulfates and parabens, as these are not necessary for healthy hair or a healthy scalp.

Experiment with different products until you find ones that work great bot for your hair texture and your scalp health.

Do Regular Scalp Massages

An added step you can do on a weekly basis for your scalp health is to give yourself scalp massages. Scalp massages don’t just relax you and feel like pampering, but it can actually help to improve the circulation of your scalp. It helps with any buildup on your scalp if you do the massage with a clarifying shampoo, and is a great way to practice a little extra self-care when you are in the shower.

4 spoons lined up together hold various spices

4 Herbs Every Woman Needs to be Eating Daily for More Energy & Fewer Period Problems

Women's Hormone Health 15 February 2022

4 Herbs Every Woman Needs to be Eating Daily for More Energy & Fewer Period Problems

Estrogen dominance is a prevalent hormonal imbalance in industrialized nations and is associated with premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis, PCOS, cystic breast disease, fibroids, and breast cancer in women. The good news is that a hormone detox is beneficial for clearing excess estrogen from the system. The focus should be on the liver, as the liver is the primary site of estrogen metabolism.

In the liver, estrogen is eliminated through two phases. The phase I pathway changes the structure of the estrogens to prepare them for removal from the body via sweat, stools, and urine.

Often, when the liver is not functioning optimally, it has trouble with the second phase of its detoxification process, which is the removal of the compound from the body. If this process is inefficient, it results in compounds remaining in the body. As a result, estrogen circulates back into the bloodstream in a more toxic form. These toxic estrogen metabolites can be reactivated once they enter circulation and contribute to the increased risk of cancers and conditions of the reproductive system that we see with estrogen dominance.

All of these excess estrogens can actually interfere and interrupt our body's ability to regulate thyroid hormones. When the thyroid gland is not able to generate enough thyroid hormone, it is known as hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormone plays an important role in stimulating the body’s metabolism, which controls our body temperature, pulse rate, and effective burning of calories.

There is not enough thyroid hormone to fuel up the metabolic pathways in hypothyroidism, hence a decrease in metabolic rate and lack of energy.

So how can we address both issues, Estrogen Dominance and thyroid health, with ease? Herbs. Herbs and spices are your way of leveling up your health, boosting your metabolism, increasing your energy, and even ditching those period problems that we all live with but wish we didn't have to!

Ginseng

This famous herb has been associated with energy and metabolism for 2000 years. Its presence in tea has made ginseng tea a favorite among people looking to promote a more energetic lifestyle, and studies have shown that ginseng can greatly help with weight loss if consumed every day for a sustained period. Ginseng was also found to have a favorable effect on insulin sensitivity, making it a good choice for women with diabetes, insulin resistance, and PCOS.

Cayenne Pepper

In the last few hundred years, there have been a number of tonics that have employed the use of capsaicin, the active or hot ingredient in cayenne pepper to help treat various ailments. Today, science has uncovered more of the specifics in the way that we can use this powerful agent to arrest caloric intake, shrink fat tissues, and clean the vascular system. Research has shown a particular effect that capsaicin has on the metabolism, in that it can stimulate blood flow and increase metabolic activity for over 2.5 hours. That means that while the capsaicin in your body, you are more likely to burn calories that you’ve stored, or burn the calories of the foods you’ve just eaten.

This means that your metabolism is being boosted to create this effect, and more energy that is stored in fat must be used for it to take place.

Cinnamon

People have had a strong love of cinnamon for quite some time due to its festive flavoring and associations with holiday time, but this powerful spice has many other advantages. Research has shown that cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels substantially, in addition to increasing glucose metabolization by more than 18 times the regular amount. This means that it helps to make your metabolism more efficient, which also makes it a wonderful thing for women with diabetes or who might be close to becoming diabetic.

Mustard

Mostly, people think of mustard as simply a condiment, but it’s been shown that less than a teaspoon of mustard seeds can boost your metabolic rate by 25%. Which could result in an extra 40 - 50 calories being burned per hour. In addition to that, mustard is rich in B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. All of which are great for relieving muscular pains, treating diabetes, and improving energy levels.

Women's Hormone Health