Books

The Essential Oils Hormone Solution by Dr. Mariza Snyder – my book review

February 22, 2019 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

Together with dietary changes and key nutrients like GABA, tryptophan, zinc and vitamin B6, using essential oils are a wonderful tool for helping to ease anxiety, reduce stress, improve sleep and focus and contribute to overall hormonal health for women. Now we have a new book that is a wonderful essential oil resource specifically for women, The Essential Oils Hormone Solution: Reclaim Your Energy and Focus and Lose Weight Naturally by Dr. Mariza Snyder.

She shares this about essential oils:

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the roots, seeds, stems, bark, leaves, and flowers of various plants. They are super-charged, fifty to seventy times more potent than their dried-herbal counterparts. They’re simply the best plant-based remedy that exists, and they have been successfully used for thousands of years.

Dr. Mariza lists these top 5 must-have hormone-support essential oils for perimenopausal and menopausal women: clary sage, geranium, lavender, peppermint and rosemary. Lavender and peppermint have been long-time favorites of mine and I recently learned about clary sage and rosemary and love both.

She covers so many wonderful essential oils in the book but for the purposes of this review I’ll focus on clary sage since it was new to me until recently and may be new to you too.

In the chapter on sleep, she shares this about the benefits of clary sage and how to use this essential oil:

CLARY SAGE (Salvia sclarea)

Promotes relaxation of the body for a restful night’s sleep
Calms and soothes the mind and body
Supportive during menstrual distress

Aromatic Use

Apply 1–2 drops directly to bedclothes or pillow.
Diffuse 3–4 drops before bedtime.

Topical Use

Dilute 1–2 drops with your favorite carrier oil and massage into abdomen.
Add 2–3 drops to a warm bath with ¼ cup Epsom salts dissolved in the water.
Dilute 1–2 drops with your favorite carrier oil and massage into your soles before bedtime.

I had looked into clary sage about 6 months ago when I learned that it supports serotonin production and also lowers high cortisol.

Interestingly, I didn’t care for the aroma of clary sage when I first purchased it and I diffused it with lavender and rosemary to disguise the aroma. But I have grown to really like it and use a drop on a hanky each night and look forward to how much it helps me sleep and the fact that it eased the mild hot flashes I had started to experience again.

I love the combinations/blends Dr. Mariza recommends in the book and would have welcomed these ideas when I first started using clary sage myself. Here is one example of a rollerball blend with clary sage:

Tense-Away Rollerball Blend

10 drops Lavender essential oil

10 drops Clary Sage essential oil

10 drops Peppermint essential oil

Carrier oil of choice

I also really like that Dr. Mariza describes different ways to use the oils other than only diffusing – like using rollerballs, using them for massages and in baths, and applying the essential oils on various parts of the body for a more direct impact. One such example is the Hormone Synergy Rollerball Blend (which contains clary sage, lavender, geranium, bergamot and ylang ylang). She recommends applying this blend directly over your ovaries.

I learned this direct application tip from Dr. Mariza last year and started using lavender, peppermint and rosemary (in a carrier oil) topically on my belly before bed. It helps with digestion, occasional belly bloat from SIBO (if I’ve eaten something that triggers symptoms) and is relaxing too. I think I’ll add clary sage to this belly blend too for the added hormone benefits. This could be one way to use clary sage for the benefits if you find you don’t really like the aroma (because it will be further from your nose!)

Here are some of the benefits of the other top 5 hormone-support essential oils for perimenopausal and menopausal women that Dr. Mariza shares:

geranium – calming and soothing and “rejuvenates and revitalizes skin, complexion, and hair” (I haven’t been using this one and looking forward to trying this one)
lavender – “eases and calms feelings of anxiety, stress, and tension while rebalancing emotions” and “relieves discomfort associated with menstrual cycles” (I’ve been using lavender for years)
peppermint – “stimulates mental focus and energy by enlivening the senses” and supports your respiratory system (I also use this one all the time. It’s also great for headaches and neck pain)
and rosemary – “increases memory, concentration, and focus” (I also use it for EMF/electromagnetic radiation protection. Research shows rosemary could play a protective role against this harmful effect through its antioxidant activity)

Clary sage is also featured in the libido chapter: “Commonly used to stimulate sexual energy and boost libido.” This aspect was new to me, but it makes sense given that it lowers cortisol and supports serotonin production (and hence estrogen). Dr. Mariza also covers many other wonderful essential oils that boost libido too: jasmine, neroli, rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang and geranium. In one study neroli, lavender, fennel, geranium, and rose significantly improved sexual function in menopausal women.

Here is the official book blurb:

Have your hormones been hijacked? Do you feel energy-depleted and irritable, unable to sleep, stay focused, or lose weight? You may have attributed these symptoms to the natural hormonal fluctuations that occur with age. But behind the scenes, there are a host of pesky culprits wreaking havoc on your hormonal health: chronic stress, air pollution, chemical-laden foods and cleaning supplies, and the synthetic estrogens in personal care products. Women of all ages are left vulnerable to the consequences, suffering from unnecessary hormonal imbalance and frustrating symptoms that are often dismissed by their doctors.

Dr. Mariza Snyder is here to help put you back in control of your health. In The Essential Oils Hormone Solution, you will learn how to heal hormonal chaos and revitalize the body from the inside out with the support of high-quality essential oils. You’ll learn how essential oils work on a cellular level to mitigate the toxic loads we carry, and how to use essential oils to reduce cravings, get deep, restful sleep, ease stress, improve mood, banish the worst symptoms of PMS, regain focus and concentration, boost libido, and increase energy.

Featuring a 14-day plan to jumpstart your hormonal health, with over 100 essential oil blends, daily self-care rituals, and delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes, you’ll discover how to reset your body and pave the way for improved hormonal health, without taking hormones.

Grab your copy of The Essential Oils Hormone Solution here (my Amazon link).

I’d like to add my thoughts on what I have found to be safe use of essential oils, and what I share with my clients (I consider myself an essential oil user like you – I’m not an expert):

Always use a carrier oil, unless you are diffusing, and this includes using essential oils in the bath (I know there is some conflicting advice on this, but I like to err on the side of caution)
Don’t try to remove too much of an essential oil with water – it will only drive it deeper into the skin
Think low doses i.e. a little goes a long way
Be sure to rotate your essential oils
Don’t ingest the oils neat or even in a gelatin capsule. I would only consider doing so if I was working with an experienced practitioner and using an enteric coated capsule (there is definitely conflicting advice on this one but again I like to err on the side of caution)

It’s a fun book with wonderful ideas for how to combine essential oils and use them to improve hormone imbalance. I love this quote from Dr. Mariza:

Inhaling them and applying them is like adorning yourself in something truly beautiful

What are your favorite essential oils and combinations for easing anxiety, reducing stress, improving sleep and balancing your hormones? How are you “adorning yourself” and what is your favorite way to use them – diffused, topically, via a rollerball, or via a massage or in the bath? Feel free to post questions here too.

Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten – my book review

February 15, 2019 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

I really wish this book – Beyond the Pill A 30-Day Program to Balance Your Hormones, Reclaim Your Body, and Reverse the Dangerous Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten – was available when I was in my 30s and on the pill.

Dr. Jolene mentions a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association which reports the following:

women who began the pill were more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant – which means it contributes to a bit more than moodiness.

This was not a small study and included over one million women.

Symptoms caused by the pill and the damage it does to your body

This book, Beyond the Pill, provides a comprehensive list of symptoms caused by the pill:

hormonal confusion: missing or irregular periods, light or heavy periods, short cycles, infertility, headaches
digestive problems: leaky gut, gut dysbiosis, inflammatory bowel disease
energy reduction: fatigue, adrenal and thyroid dysfunction
skin issues: hair loss, dry skin
mood disruption: depression, anxiety
lady part disturbance: low libido (Oh, hell no!), vaginal dryness, chronic infection, pain with sex
vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant depletion (such as folate, B12, and magnesium) (I’ll add vitamin B6 to this list too – it is mentioned elsewhere in the book)

The pill does further damage to your body and also:

intensifies the risk of blood clots, which lead to strokes
increases the risk of breast, cervical, and liver cancers
increases the risk of diabetes
raises the risk of heart attacks
triggers autoimmune disease

Truth-bombs about how the pill works

She shares plenty of truth-bombs about how the pill works – like these gems:

As long as you’re on the pill, your brain and ovaries aren’t talking, which can seriously affect all your hormones.

When you take that week of placebo pills, you’re not actually getting a period because you never ovulated. Instead, this is what is called a withdrawal bleed (I did not know this!)

Post–birth control syndrome (PBCS)

I first became aware of Dr. Jolene’s brilliance in this area when she started writing about Post–birth control syndrome (PBCS) a few years ago. PBCS is “is a constellation of symptoms women experience when they discontinue hormonal birth control.” She has found the symptoms of PBCS – hormonal irregularities like no period or heavy bleeding, acne, mood swings and anxiety, headaches, infertility, pill-induced PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), hypothyroidism, gut issues and even autoimmune symptoms – typically occur in the first 4-6 months after stopping the pill. To make it easy for you the PBCS symptoms are all laid out in a handy quiz in the book.

She has found these symptoms won’t go away without taking the necessary steps that include detox, gut repair, healing the thyroid and adrenals, addressing metabolic health or blood sugar control, boosting mood, improving libido and addressing nutritional deficiencies that the pill has caused. This is all covered in the book as a 30-day program to balance your hormones, reclaim your body, and reverse the dangerous side effects of the birth control pill.

I really appreciate that Dr. Jolene shares this:

I want you to know I’m not anti-pill. Nope. I’m pro–informed consent, which means doctors giving you all the information you need to consent to taking birth control.

This book will help you understand what those hormonal symptoms mean, how the pill is affecting your body, and what to do if you either need to stay on it or are ready to get off it.

Addressing low vitamin B6, low serotonin and low GABA

Here are a few of the nutritional supporting approaches she covers (all supported by research) that are very applicable for support for anxiety specifically and relevant to what you’ve been learning from me: addressing low vitamin B6, low serotonin and low GABA.

Because the pill depletes vitamin B6, she recommends up to 100mg per day for PMS and mood-related symptoms, and symptoms of PBCS. (I know vitamin B6 is controversial and she does acknowledge this).

Dr Jolene identifies the concerning and far-reaching effects of the pill on serotonin: “studies have shown that women on the pill don’t metabolize tryptophan normally” affecting both serotonin and melatonin production, reducing kynurenic acid and raising high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation and immune system activation, and shifting the “tryptophan pathway… toward quinolinic acid production, which is inflammatory and harmful to the brain.”

I would have loved to see more about tryptophan and 5-HTP and even vitamin B6 (given that it is crucial for the conversion of tryptophan away from quinolinic acid) in this section of the book. Using tryptophan as a supplement is only briefly mentioned and 50-100mg 5-HTP is only recommended for serotonin-related cravings. As you may know from my work using targeted trials of the amino acid tryptophan and/or 5-HTP offers very quick anxiety relief and support for PMS within 3 cycles. Fortunately, you can fill in the gaps and use what I teach about these amino acids in conjunction with everything else in the book.

I do love that she adds to our knowledge base with other tips, sharing that the botanicals “passionflower and skullcap support healthy serotonin production by reducing quinolinic acid production.” This was new to me and I’m intrigued.

I love what she writes about progesterone inducing “a sense of calm and a deep sense of love and connection by stimulating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.” Theanine and taurine (a precursor of GABA) are recommended and taurine is also part of her detox and adrenal protocols which I love.

However, I use GABA itself extensively in my work and find it to be more effective than theanine or taurine for the anxiety symptoms – it’s a firm favorite for the majority of my anxious clients. Again, you can fill in the gaps and check out what I share about GABA for very quick anxiety relief and PMS support.

My other favorite sections: libido and orgasms, and liver detox

Some of my other favorite sections include the libido section and her wonderful information about orgasms – she shares the myriad of health benefits of orgasms and recommends once-weekly orgasms but need I say more than this comment from Dr. Jolene:

Women can have four different types of orgasm throughout the month because of the hormonal changes we experience. Dude, this is a serious reason to consider ending that pill pack.

I couldn’t resist including this advice for anxiety and insomnia:

Trouble with anxiety? Have sex. Trouble with insomnia? Have sex. When you have an orgasm and release oxytocin, it relaxes you, calms your mind, and enables you to get a good night’s sleep. Besides oxytocin, your body releases vasopressin during orgasm, a hormone that often accompanies the release of melatonin.

If you do have low libido Dr. Jolene has this covered.

I also love the liver detox chapter and so will you. You’ll learn that the pill can cause benign liver tumors and can contribute to gallstones and gallbladder disease. She also shares this about the synthetic estrogen in birth control pills and the liver/libido connection:

There is some concern that long-term exposure to the synthetic estrogen in birth control pills actually alters your liver genes to make higher levels of SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, SHBG also binds up your testosterone. The result is a libido that’s nonexistent.

She also has you covered on how to detox as part of this wonderfully comprehensive hormone balancing program.

The official book blurb

Out of the 100 million women – almost 11 million in the United States alone – who are on the pill, roughly 60 percent take it for non-contraceptive reasons like painful periods, endometriosis, PCOS, and acne. While the birth control pill is widely prescribed as a quick-fix solution to a variety of women’s health conditions, taking it can also result in other more serious and dangerous health consequences.

Did you know that women on the pill are more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant? That they are at significantly increased risk for autoimmune disease, heart attack, thyroid and adrenal disorders, and even breast and cervical cancer? That the pill can even cause vaginal dryness, unexplained hair loss, flagging libido, extreme fatigue, and chronic infection.

As if women didn’t have enough to worry about, that little pill we’re taking to manage our symptoms is only making things worse.

This book is perfect for you if

You’re a woman in your child-bearing years and are currently on the pill, considering the pill, have been on the pill in the past and had issues, and even did well on the pill in the past
You’re a woman like me and past the birth control age and yet are intrigued to get a better understanding of how you may have been affected by the pill in the past and also want a better understanding of your body and hormonal health going forward
You have a daughter or grand-daughter or niece or friend you can gift a copy to
You are a practitioner who works with women
You are a curious male with women in your life and would like to understand them better so you can continue to have the healthiest relationship possible.

I’m already recommending this book and will continue to recommend it going forward!

This much-needed solution-based and heavily referenced book released January 29. It’s ground-breaking information and I’m thrilled to be sharing it with you!

Grab your copy of Beyond the Pill (my Amazon link) and find additional information here.

I now recognize that post–birth control syndrome (PBCS) was part the perfect storm that contributed to my anxiety and panic attacks in my late 30s (and a whole host of other symptoms). Personally, I found the entire book fascinating reading, and wish I’d had access to this material while I was in the midst of trying to figure things out.

Fortunately, GABA and tryptophan helped immensely with my anxiety and PMS (together with everything else I did) and I eventually discovered FAM (Fertility Awareness Method). But wish I’d know about this safer option when I was younger. Dr. Jolene is a big fan of FAM and covers it extensively in the book, sharing what I found to be true: it works even if it seems scary at first AND you get to learn so much about your body.

Please feel free to share your experiences with the birth control pill (both good and bad), why it was prescribed and what you learn from this book that can help others in your situation. Feel free to post questions here too.

A new book: You Can Fix Your Brain by Dr. Tom O’Bryan

September 19, 2018 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

There is a new book that I think you may be interested in (for yourself or a family member): You Can Fix Your Brain: Just 1 Hour a Week to the Best Memory, Productivity, and Sleep You’ve Ever Had (Amazon link), written by my amazing friend and colleague Dr. Tom O’Bryan.

One of my favorite chapters is chapter 2: The Leaky Brain, where Dr. Tom writes about the blood-brain barrier (BBB), comparing it to a protective cheesecloth-like lining where:

its main role is to block large molecules from entering into the brain from the bloodstream. The brain’s cheesecloth is even finer than the one in the intestine because most molecules are too big to fit in the blood vessels that service the brain. Just as the intestinal lining can tear, resulting in a leaky gut, the cheesecloth of the brain can tear, resulting in a leaky brain. Scientists refer to these tears as a breach of the blood-brain barrier.

He shares the many reasons we can end up with a leaky brain: trauma to the head/a concussion,

“smaller, repeated traumas (think of head butts during soccer practice that can happen 20, 30, or 50 times a day, 3, 4, or even 5 days a week)”, and even excessive exercise (a modest amount of exercise is beneficial).

Dr. Tom also shares the role of inflammation in creating tears in the blood-brain barrier – due to antibodies to wheat and dairy, bacteria, parasites or autoimmune diseases, together with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) from eating charred meats or barbecued chicken.

He shares that the blood-brain barrier typical heals quickly, within 4 hours but “if there is a recurring insult, leaky brain will remain, allowing macromolecules to penetrate the very sensitive brain.”

Dr. Tom suggests having your doctor order the Neural Zoomer blood test from Vibrant Wellness Laboratories, in order to identify if you have ongoing tearing of your blood-brain barrier:

Two of the biomarkers used in emergency rooms for severe trauma to the blood-brain barrier are called S100B and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). If they are elevated, it means that you’re leaking S100B and NSE into your bloodstream. If you have high levels of S100B and/or NSE in your bloodstream long-term (for instance, as a result of playing soccer or football regularly), your body will make antibodies to them in order to get rid of the excess. When you have elevated antibodies to S100B and NSE, it strongly suggests that you have an ongoing tearing of your blood-brain barrier. These are extremely accurate biomarkers that show up with damage to the blood-brain barrier from any cause, not just physical trauma. They identify that the flood gates are open, allowing macromolecules into the brain, which then will activate the immune response, causing the inflammation that eventually manifests as brain fog, forgetfulness, ADHD, seizures, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and eventually dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, and Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Tom the Neural Zoomer blood test is:

cutting-edge and is the most sensitive biomarker of brain antibodies available today and includes all six of the most important categories to set a benchmark for: demyelination (the condition of your nerves in your brain, related to MS), the blood-brain barrier [S100B and NSE], peripheral neuropathies (numbness and tingling), brain autoimmunity (antibodies to brain tissue), herpes (there are more than 100 studies connecting herpes simplex 1 and Alzheimer’s), and the genes for Alzheimer’s. I believe this test is a game-changer. It can identify, years in advance, the ongoing mechanisms that can cause degenerative brain diseases. When you can identify the mechanism before there is so much tissue damage that symptoms appear, you have a window of opportunity to do something about it.

If your doctor can’t order the test you can order it directly from theDr.com/neuralzoomer.

Here’s the official book blurb for You Can Fix Your Brain: Just 1 Hour a Week to the Best Memory, Productivity, and Sleep You’ve Ever Had (Amazon link)

For anyone worried about any type of brain ailment, ranging from the chronic conditions to simple brain fog and fatigue, this essential guide covers the full spectrum of prevention to treatment.

We’ve all experienced brain fog―misplaced keys, forgotten facts, a general feeling that you’re just feeling off today. And many of us will experience that “fog” manifesting as something more permanent―either in ourselves or our loved ones.

No matter what your current brain health state may be, You Can Fix Your Brain will enable and empower you to take concrete steps that will make an immediate difference in your brain’s vitality, clarity, and energy. Your memory will improve, fogginess will disappear, you’ll be less tired all the time, and much more. And, you’ll learn that these aren’t empty promises. Dr. Tom O’Bryan, author of The Autoimmune Fix, knows how to create lasting changes in health, and he’s here to share them with you.

It’s a step-by-step approach to better cognitive function―being selective about what’s on your fork, what’s in your environment, and how you take care of yourself can make a world of difference. With only one hour a week of practice, in 6 months, you can say goodbye to brain fog and welcome a better long-term memory and a sharper mind.

This is my endorsement:

The advice Dr. Tom shares in this book is cutting edge and provides powerful results if you want to have the best possible brain. This book is a must-read if you want to improve your memory and clear brain fog, have amazing sleep, reduce anxiety and ADHD, be productive and even feel happier. I love his message about setting a goal each week to learn just one thing and apply it – it makes this totally do-able for each of us!

If you already know you’d like to buy a copy of the book (or have already bought a copy) go to this link after your purchase to get access to some valuable bonuses.

If you’d like to get a taste of some of the content before purchasing you can check out some snippets in this download: Surprising Everyday Things That Can Damage Your Brain (changing the way you pump gasoline is one very simple changes you can make).

Enjoy! And be sure to leave Dr. Tom a review.

Radical Metabolism: boosting energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and blasting fat

August 28, 2018 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Ann Louise Gittleman has a new book called “Radical Metabolism: A Powerful New Plan to Blast Fat and Reignite Your Energy in Just 21 Days.”

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to interview her! The book is primarily about weight-loss but I chose to focus on other aspects in our interview. We talked about so many valuable topics for boosting metabolism and energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and reducing anxiety.

She shares that no disease can be healed if your cell membranes – which direct nutrients in and poisons out – are weak and unstable:

Radical Metabolism is all about what to eat to rebuild and fortify those lipid (fat)-based cell membranes, so that toxins are prevented from moving up the chain and gunking up the function of every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, from your brain to your thyroid, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, and skin. This is where omega-6 fats really shine.

Here are some of the highlights of what we covered, together with some related snippets from the book:

– our gallbladders and thyroid health

a study out of Finland found that people with decreased bile production are nearly ten times more apt to experience hypothyroidism. With low thyroid on the rise, this provides great hope to the millions of hypothyroid sufferers who experience metabolic slowdown as well as fatigue, dry skin, and constipation. Besides hypothyroidism, studies have also connected poor quality bile with chronic fatigue, migraines, depression, and autoimmune disorders.

– the importance of bile for digesting fat and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins

Bile is stored in the gallbladder to break down dietary fat and remove toxins from the body. Harvard Medical School research has revealed that subjects with improved bile health showed a remarkable spike in metabolism.

– the metabolic benefits of omega-6 fats – hemp seed oil, sesame seed oil, pine nut oil and ghee

Hemp seeds are one of nature’s greatest gifts, perfect little bundles of benefits for your entire body. You can reap the hemp’s benefits by consuming the oil, seeds (typically these are “hemp hearts” which have had their hulls removed), or by blending them into hemp milk. Hemp seeds are about one third healthful fats and one quarter protein, as well as a magnificent source of natural GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). It’s hard to find a food with a better essential fat profile – hemp boasts a 3:1 omega-6–to–omega-3 ratio.

– omega-6s and pyroluria/zinc absorption (my addition)

– why to include these oils if you’re eating a keto or paleo diet

– why bitters are beautiful – the big one is improving digestion and stimulating bile production!

Studies suggest bitters “get your juices flowing” (literally) by stimulating the release of bile, as well as saliva, HCl, pepsin, gastrin, and pancreatic enzymes.

– watercress as a great bitter food bile booster

Watercress is kind of the forgotten stepchild of the cruciferous family – a peppery-flavored cousin to cabbage, arugula, and mustard greens. Recent studies have put watercress back on the menu thanks to its powerful health-stimulating benefits, which is why it deserves a starring role in the Radical Metabolism plan

Besides being a bitter food bile-booster, in a study led by nutritionist Sarah Schenker a small group of women lost an average of 17 pounds in six weeks on a watercress soup diet. The exceptional antioxidants in watercress pump up your energy while exercising, while at the same time protecting you from exertion-related DNA damage. According to head researcher Dr. Mark Fogarty, watercress contains ten times as many beneficial chemicals as any other fruit or vegetable.

– how coffee and cacao work as bitters and dandelion tea as a good alternative (also bitter) if you can’t tolerate coffee

– and grapefruit as a bitter fruit (and one of the reasons why the grapefruit diet worked!)

– why testing ferritin is so important (and why to avoid cast iron pots)

Here is the audio of our interview. Enjoy!

And here is the recipe for: Creamy Dreamy Watercress Soup

This soup is not only fat-burning, but filling and flavorful. The recipe makes about one day’s worth of soup on the 4-Day Radical Intensive. You can either prepare it daily or cook up four batches in advance—whatever works best with your schedule.

Makes 6 cups

4 cups bone broth, either homemade (page 216) or Kettle & Fire

1/2 large bulb celeriac (celery root), (about one 5-inch bulb), brown exterior removed (do not to remove too much); cauliflower works as substitute

1 bunch leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 daikon radish, roughly chopped

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste

1 Radical Lemon Cube

1 large bunch watercress, roughly chopped

Optional: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon miso to each warm bowl of soup

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the celeriac, leeks, daikon, and ginger. Add enough water to the pot to just submerge the vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy. If too thick, you can always add a bit more water. Stir in the salt, lemon cube, and watercress. Simmer for 5 minutes, then blend again with your immersion blender.

Serve in a mug or bowl with or without the miso.

Note: To make Radical Lemon Cubes: 3 lemons quartered, 1 cup filtered water

Place the lemons and water in a blender or food processor and puree. Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and freeze.

Ann Louise Gittleman, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and Before the Change, has been revolutionizing the rules of health and nutrition for more than three decades. She holds an MS in Nutrition Education from Columbia University, the title of Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) from the American College of Nutrition, and a PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Gittleman has also served as the Chief Nutritionist of the Pediatric Clinic at Bellevue Hospital and is the former Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, CA. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for the International Institute for Building-Biology & Ecology, the Nutritional Therapy Association, Inc. and Clear Passage, Inc. Read more about her at www.annlouise.com.

Grab your copy of Radical Metabolism on Amazon here (my Amazon link). Grab bonus ebooks and details about the private Facebook group here

Enjoy! And do let us know what you think of these tips and the watercress soup recipe. And be sure to leave a review for Ann Louise.

The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook by Amy Myers MD

May 8, 2018 By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

There is a wonderful new recipe book out this week and I want you to know about it!

Dealing with an autoimmune or other chronic health condition such as Hashimoto’s, IBS, Celiac, RA, Psoriasis, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, or even just committing to your family’s health does NOT have to mean giving up delicious foods!

No one knows this better than my dear friend and world-renowned functional medicine physician, Amy Myers, MD.

Amy Myers reversed her own autoimmune condition by addressing the root causes of her illness and diet played a HUGE role. She continues to follow the same dietary program that she recommends to her patients and community.

We actually ate out together in Melbourne at the recent Bioceuticals Symposium and I saw her put The Myers Way® (her proven program) of eating into practice at the restaurant, making sure everything she was eating was safe and would not trigger an autoimmune flare. Our server worked hard making sure all her questions were addressed in a satisfactory manner and she set a great example for all of us.

She does this in her wonderful new cookbook, setting a great example and guiding you to make the right choices in order to reduce inflammation, heal your leaky gut and help you move toward the optimal health side of the autoimmune spectrum and stay there.

Here I am with integrative pediatrician Elisa Song MD and functional medicine physician, Amy Myers, MD.

Amy inspires you to cook delicious meals at the same time. She helps you change the way you look at food, both when you’re cooking at home for our families, and when we’re eating out and traveling.

This new book, The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook (my Amazon link), contains over 150 absolutely delicious, easy-to-make, autoimmune-reversing recipes. Amy shares this:

Whether you’re a five-star chef or just getting started in the kitchen, I created these recipes to be a piece of cake (YES! There’s even a birthday cake recipe I created for my daughter).

This cookbook is perfect for you if you:

Have an autoimmune or other chronic condition
Know that autoimmunity runs in your family
Currently follow an autoimmune, Paleo or ketogenic diet
Have read The Autoimmune Solution and have already followed its thirty-day protocol, this cookbook is the perfect companion for spicing up your diet and adding more variety to your mealtimes
Are dealing with leaky gut, seasonal allergies, asthma, or eczema
Have Hashimoto’s, Graves’, or any other type of thyroid issue
Deal with digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, and more
Have food allergies or food sensitivities
Have a loved one dealing with any of the above issues and are looking for the perfect gift for them
Are looking for a gift for your doctor or other health practitioner

Here are 2 yummy recipes to get you tempted, your mouth watering and cooking: Refreshing Mango-Avocado Salsa and Coconut Shrimp.

Refreshing Mango-Avocado Salsa

With summer approaching, this refreshing mango-avocado salsa makes the perfect poolside snack or cookout appetizer served with plantain chips. Or add it to grilled fish, shrimp, or chicken for an extra boost of inflammation-fighting Omega 3 fatty acids. Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 mango, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
½ red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 small lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix gently. Serve immediately

Coconut Shrimp

When I was growing up in New Orleans, my grandparents took the family out to dinner at the Yacht Club for special occasions, and I always ordered a fried shrimp po’ boy—a traditional Louisiana sandwich. This substitute for fried shrimp is a healthier option that everyone will love. The shrimp are tossed with coconut flour and shredded coconut instead of breadcrumbs— and they are so easy to make! My husband and I served this as an appetizer at our wedding and they were a huge hit! Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut flour
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
1 ½ tablespoons coconut aminos
1 pound wild-caught shrimp

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, whisk together coconut flour, shredded coconut, garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper.
In another shallow bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and coconut aminos.
Dip each shrimp into the liquid mixture, and then into the dry mixture to coat. Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. For extra crispiness, remove the pan and set the oven to broil. Broil the shrimp for 4 to 5 minutes.

Some of the other recipes I’m really looking forward to trying are the creamy zucchini-basil soup, the herbed roast chicken, the world’s best Asian flank steak, the rosemary sea-salt crackers (made with cassava flour), the spinach artichoke dip (I’ll replace the spinach with low-oxalate dino kale), raspberry cheesecake bites (I’ll make it with blueberries instead of high-oxalate raspberries), and the apple crisp. There are so many delicious recipes!

There is no perfect eating plan for everyone and Amy has created this eating plan and recipes to cater for the majority of those with an autoimmune condition. I really appreciate that recipes are marked as being autoimmune-friendly, thyroid-friendly, suitable for candida and SIBO, and low histamine. However, if you do have oxalate issues you will need to adjust some of the recipes. Also, if you have issues with collagen making your anxiety or insomnia worse then I recommend adding some protein powder to the recipes that call for gelatin or collagen, and/or consider a trial of tryptophan.

Here’s the official book blurb:

The companion cookbook to the revolutionary New York Times bestseller The Autoimmune Solution, filled with more than 150 nutritious, easy-to-prepare, every day recipes to heal symptoms of inflammation and autoimmune disorders, including Graves’ Disease, Psoriasis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Celiac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and Multiple sclerosis.

Nine in ten Americans suffer from inflammation or an autoimmune disorder—conditions for which conventional medicine has no cure. Minor irritations like rashes and runny noses are ignored, while chronic and debilitating diseases like Crohn’s and rheumatoid arthritis are handled with a cocktail of toxic treatments that fail to address their root cause. But as Dr. Amy Myers revealed in The Autoimmune Solution, there are solutions. In this invaluable cookbook, she now shows you how to repair your body and reverse your symptoms by eating your way to good health.

The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook delivers more than 150 grain-free recipes designed to prevent and reverse the full spectrum of autoimmune diseases, including allergies, obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease, fibromyalgia, lupus, IBS, chronic headaches, fatigue, multiple sclerosis, colitis, Graves’ disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. As our food and environment becomes more toxic, the health of millions of us have been impaired. Thanks to Dr. Myers, you no longer need to rely on prescriptions—with troubling, sometimes dangerous side effects—to counteract your body’s over-reactive immune system. The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook is the healthy alternative to cope with and conquer inflammatory-related symptoms and diseases.

If you’re ready to enjoy amazing meals that will help you take back your health and your life, this book is an absolute must-have, so get your copy of The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook today – on Amazon here (my affiliate link) or from your favorite book store.

This cookbook is the perfect companion to The Autoimmune Solution (my affiliate link), a wonderful book that introduced The Myers Way®, empowering so many to reverse their autoimmune conditions.

Learn more about the book and claim the book launch gifts here.

And stay tuned for an email notification from Dr. Myers about the upcoming Autoimmune Program webinar being held online on May 17. She’ll be sharing more about her group program if you’re the kind of person looking for a community-based program.

Happy cooking and do let us know how you enjoy the recipes!

If you have questions or feedback please post them in the comments below.

Healing PCOS: a new book by Amy Medling

May 4, 2018 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

Big congrats to my friend and colleague Amy Medling on the launch of her book this week: “Healing PCOS: A 21-Day Plan for Reclaiming Your Health and Life with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” This is a proven 21-day diet and lifestyle plan to help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) take back control of their health and resolve their symptoms from a certified health coach and founder of the large PCOS Diva online community.

I’m excited to share this book as a PCOS resource for you because anxiety and depression are common symptoms with PCOS – as a result of insulin resistance, low blood sugar and high cortisol:

In the short term, insulin resistance is at the heart of most PCOS symptoms, including infertility, obesity, hirsutism [male-pattern hair growth in women], hyperandrogenism (elevated androgen levels), chronic fatigue syndrome, immune system defects, eating disorders, hypoglycemia [low blood sugar], gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and anxiety
many women with PCOS may naturally have higher cortisol levels. Being overweight also increases cortisol production. Raised levels of cortisol change the way your body manages other critical hormones, putting you at risk for insulin resistance, anxiety, depression, and thyroid dysfunction.

Anxiety symptoms can also be due to low progesterone, estrogen dominance, thyroid issues, and overall inflammation.

She shares so many gems: how it’s so important to begin your healing journey by establishing your PCOS Diva mindset and practicing mindfulness; that the best movement for women with PCOS is whatever you enjoy; that the best way to overcome gym anxiety is to think like a PCOS Diva i.e. don’t wait until you have lost weight and then go; the importance of the vagus nerve and improving vagal tone.

The sections on the difficulties of getting a diagnosis, testing and medications are invaluable.

The section describing the different types of inositol when it comes to PCOS is also excellent. She writes that research suggests that women with PCOS may not be able to efficiently convert other inositols to D-chiro-inositol (DCI).

When I shared the new book announcement on Facebook, Katie Moon Bodily posted this:

I love the opening paragraph that defines what a PCOS Diva is. She is full of hope, chooses to thrive, takes charge, advocates for herself, and looks beyond physical management and also cares for her mind and spirit. I love that Amy starts with retraining the mind before she dives in to making physical changes—unless you change the way you think, the changes won’t last. Her words are full of hope and encouragement. She holds your hand through the changes so that you do t get overwhelmed and start to feel like “hey, I CAN do this!” Everything she does impresses me, and it’s so exciting to see it all compiled into one book!

I have to agree! As well as being a fabulous practical PCOS resource, it is a wonderfully hopeful and encouraging book and you can feel her warm support with you throughout the book. I really love the opening pages where Amy says this:

I deserve to be a PCOS Diva. I need to be a PCOS Diva.

A PCOS Diva is a woman with hope. She has taken charge of her health and happiness and takes steps every day to enhance both. She chooses to thrive with PCOS and is empowered by the knowledge she gathers as she educates herself about PCOS.

Here is the official blurb:

“PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders, and the most common cause of female infertility, affecting roughly five million American women. Because it’s symptoms are widespread—including stubborn weight gain, acne, mood swings, abnormal hair loss or growth, and irregular menstrual cycles—women suffering from PCOS are often misdiagnosed and treated with “Band-Aid” pharmaceuticals with uncomfortable side effects that only mask PCOS’s root causes. While there is no cure for PCOS, women can learn to control their symptoms naturally. In this welcome guide, Amy Medling shows how to combine an anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing diet, daily movement, and stress-reducing self-care to successfully treat their PCOS.

Grounded in the latest medical research and filled with the knowledge she’s acquired dealing with PCOS herself and working with thousands of women, Healing PCOS offers women small, manageable steps that help alleviate their symptoms and control the inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and insulin resistance that underlie the condition. Amy’s revolutionary program consists of:

A 21-day anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing and gluten-free meal plan, including meal prep and plan-ahead tips to make eating this way simple and fast
85 delicious recipes—half fan favorites and half new dishes
Daily self-care exercises, including meditation and journaling prompts

Amy has helped tens of thousands of women with PCOS take back control of their health and their lives through lasting, healing, and sustainable lifestyle change. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have struggled with PCOS, her revolutionary program can now work for you.”

Get access to chapter 1 of Healing PCOS here

Grab your copy of Healing PCOS on Amazon (my link)

Feel free to post questions below and do let us know which steps have helped you (or your patients/clients).