Saying N-O is O-K

Most of us find it difficult to say no when asked to do a favor by a friend or colleague, or to take on something that we would really rather not.  

We may not want to disappoint the person doing the asking, or we may even be flattered that they are asking us to do something for them. 

However, when your daily schedule is already full, you need to prioritize and manage your time and energy.  Especially when dealing with the added stress and fatigue of peri-menopause and menopause.

Now is the time for self-care and de-stressing.

By saying NO to non-essential requests for your time and energy, you are saying YES to yourself.  

Certainly some requests are necessary to take on, but those that are not, are best politely declined.

Here are some phrases to try:

* Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get to that today.

* My schedule is just too full for that right now.

* I’ll consider it and get back to you.

* What a great idea, perhaps you could ask … to do that.

* That is not my area of expertise.

* Perhaps I could do that for you at another time.

* I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to help you this time.

* Thank you for thinking of me, but I have to decline.

You may think it’s just easier to say yes and then deal with the overload you put yourself under.  However, taking on more than you are comfortable with or even capable of can damage your health and wellbeing. 

It is well known that stress breaks the body down and weakens the immune system, leaving you vulnerable to everything from the common cold to cancer.  So, when you find your schedule overwhelming you, say no to others and yes to yourself.

What does that look like?

* Put your needs at the front of your list, not the end.

* Make sure you get enough sleep—7-8 hrs.

* Include joyful movement into your daily routine.

* Find what feeds your soul and do it as often as possible.

* Hang out with your friends.

* Play in the garden, get sun on your skin and dirt on your hands.

* Hug someone everyday.

* Honor your body by eating real, whole food.

* Walk barefoot in the grass.

* Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe deeply and visualize a loved one.

You should welcome every opportunity to reduce the stress and time commitments you put yourself under.  It’s time to lighten up.  Lighten up your schedule, your diet, your stress, your responsibilities, your overload.

For guidance and support on your journey to “lighten up” contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Overcoming Weight Loss Resistance

It comes as no surprise to menopausal women (no matter where you fall in the spectrum of pre to post), that once your hormones loose their balance you pack on the pounds, and they don’t want to budge.

Weight loss resistance can be attributed to a number of factors that interfere with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy metabolism, or to drop body fat.

Here are some common causes of weight loss resistance:

Female Hormone imbalance  

Stress

Inflammation

Toxins

Damaged Metabolism

* Female Hormone imbalance can occur at any age, but in peri-menopause when progesterone levels drop, women find themselves on that slippery slope of hormone imbalance.  Initially progesterone drops more quickly and to a greater degree than estrogen, which sets you up for estrogen dominance. 

Add to that the chemicals that mimic estrogen found in plastics, pesticides, cosmetics, the environment and hormones in animal products and you will soon be feeling the effects of estrogen dominance.   

This includes weight gain around the middle and lower body, fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, bloating, headaches and weight loss resistance.

Further, excess sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol all elevate estrogen levels, suppress thyroid function and lower serotonin levels.  Hello tired, sad and chubby.

Adding insult to injury, those extra fat cells you are carrying around make their own estrogen, compounding the problem.

* Stress causes an increase in the hormone cortisol, which signals the body to raise blood sugar levels resulting in elevated insulin.  

Prolonged stress and high cortisol results in adrenal exhaustion, a slower metabolism, elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol, while simultaneously causing you to put on fat around the belly. 

As insulin is constantly being secreted to deal with the elevated blood sugar brought on by stress (cortisol), your cells become insulin resistant, which leads to metabolic syndrome and diabetes.  

High levels of insulin, (also caused by high levels of estrogen) will also promote fat storage, and can damage the brain, heart and gut.

Remember, stress can be real or imagined, your body reacts to it with the same cascade of hormones.

* Inflammation is often hidden in the form of a damaged gut, which could be caused by a poor diet of processed foods full of sugar and trans fats.  Gluten has also been found to damage the lining of the gut.

Food intolerances or sensitivities also drive inflammation as the body mounts an immune response to what it perceives as a foreign object.  Toxins, chronic infections, or over-exercise also cause inflammation.  

No matter what the cause, in an attempt to quell the inflammation, the adrenal glands react to this physical stress the same way they react to emotional and mental stress, by secreting cortisol, which causes elevated blood sugar, which leads to high insulin, which can lead to further inflammation.  Quite a weight loss resistance cycle.

* Toxins in general are a real block to dropping body fat.  We are exposed to toxins everyday from our foods, the environment, cosmetics, municipal water, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, plastics, household cleaners and heavy metals, (as a short list).

To keep such toxins from circulating in our blood stream, they are trapped in our fat cells.  Thus the body resists burning fat because that would release the toxins into the blood stream, causing damage to the tissues.

Also, fat cells produce the hormone leptin, which signals the brain when we have taken in enough calories and are “satiated”.  The more fat, the more leptin, which leads to leptin resistance in the brain, so you never get the signal that you are full and to stop eating.  

Believing that you are starving, the brain actually sends signals to take in more food, and to slow the metabolism to maintain the fat stores you have.

As well as your body fat, heavy metals like mercury and lead can hide in your bones, brain and kidneys, damaging these organs.

* A damaged metabolism  occurs when your metabolism is breaking down more than it is building up.

All of the conditions above contribute to a damaged metabolism.  You are basically burning yourself out without doing what is necessary to recover and rebuild.

A poor diet of excess sugars, refined and processed foods, along with stress be it mental, physical or imagined,  over-exercise, food intolerances and toxins will all cause inflammation, and damage your metabolism.

How do you heal your metabolism, gently detox, lower inflammation, reduce stress, and balance your hormones?

1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet of whole foods, heavy on the plants.  The high mineral content and fiber of plants keep the gut healthy and aid in the elimination of toxins.  Include a clean protein, animals raised to range free and are not given growth hormones, antibiotics or fed grain laden with toxins. Add some healthy fats, and you have a balanced meal providing you with the nutrients you need to build a healthy metabolism.

2. Cut down on your toxic load by eating organic when possible, choosing organic personal care products and cleaning products, and filter your water.

3. Add green drinks to your daily routine to help with detoxification and supercharge with valuable nutrients.

4. Add probiotics to our daily regime to help build a healthy gut.

5. Exercise appropriately for your level of fitness and stress.  Do not over-exercise.  (Start easy and build slowly).

6. De-stress throughout the day.  Deep breathing, visualizations, meditations, yoga, qi gong, or taking a nap will all help reduce inflammation.

7. Include supplements like a multi-vitamin, B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C, and omega 3 essential fatty acids, as a very short list to provide your body with missing nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties.

8. Get your beauty sleep.  Aim for 7-8 hours.

9. Turn negative self-talk into positive affirmations.

10. Don’t rule out bioidentical hormones to replenish what your body is no longer producing on its own.

As always, it is best to have a personalized program designed for your specific needs based on your specific metabolism.

For guidance and support on your journey to hormone balance, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation nina.lynn@me.com.

Loving Relationships Promote Longevity

I can personally attest to the power of a loving relationship through the marriage of my parents who recently celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary.  Their love and respect for each other is steadfast, tender and inspiring.  

I can recall how every Valentine’s Day my father would make dozens of hearts and little notes and post them all around the house.  Even now, every year he makes my Mom a birthday card celebrating a new year with his bride.

They have been together since the age of 15, which makes 80 years, as my Mother turns 95 in September.  That’s correct, 95, and my Father is only months behind her.  Happily, they are both still physically strong and mentally sharp.

My parent’s have shared many adventures in their lives, including living in an Artist’s Colony in Mexico City before starting a family, world traveling, raising 3 kids, my Mom receiving her PhD in Art Education, my Dad and brother building a 32 ft. sailboat and then my parents sailing and living on it for 10 years throughout their 60’s, not to mention that both of them have written novels that are currently for sale on Amazon.  

But above all, they have shared a partnership that has spanned 80 years and is rooted in Love, Trust and Respect.  Having love and companionship in our life as we age has been shown to promote longevity and good health.  

This is in part because loving relationships foster feelings of love, trust, respect, gratitude and positivity. These emotions elicit the release of “feel good” hormones and neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.  These chemicals boot our mood, help us focus, ward off the negative effects of stress, anxiety and depression, and improve sleep.

Furthermore, these de-stressing biochemicals and emotions put us in the parasympathetic (rest and recovery) branch of the nervous system, which strengthens the immune system, and slows the aging process.

Loving relationships have also been shown to improve heart health both physically and energetically.  Even some nursing homes bring in pets to help improve the mood and health of their residents.  Bonding between humans and animals alike feeds our heart energy center and helps balance the energy flow throughout the body.

Not only is a positive attitude healthy for a loving couple, but it also benefits those around them.  Family and friends are influenced by, and learn loving behaviors by being around loving relationships.  

I know that the love my sons shower on their daughters is a direct reflection of the flow of love that still comes from my parents to me, on to them, and through them to their children.  

Loving relationships, whether it be with a romantic partner, a dear friend, or a pet, will keep us young and healthy as we age.  

Conversely, unhappy relationships foster feelings of depression and loneliness.  The damage those feelings cause, affect us physically, mentally and spiritually.

It may be true that misery loves company, but happiness also loves company, and it is much better company.  

For guidance and support on your journey to well being, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Managing Menopause

As women experience the hormonal changes of peri-menopause and menopause, they may find themselves dealing with fatigue, brain fog, bloating, tender breasts, weight gain around the middle and hips, headaches, insomnia, and mood swings.  That’s a long list.

Lowering levels of progesterone, can cause these symptoms as early as a woman’s 30’s.  

Then as estrogen levels drop down the road, our symptoms can become more severe with hot flashes, night sweats and even depression as lower estrogen drags serotonin levels down as well.

The hormonal rollercoaster gets into full swing with estrogen dominance as stress, high blood sugar, extra body fat, and xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogens in the body) from plastics, pesticides and even cosmetics, all drive estrogen levels up with too little progesterone to keep it in check.

I work with women in the following five major areas to help them manage the physical, emotional and mental challenges of peri-menopause and menopause.

Nutrition 

Stress Reduction

Adequate Sleep 

Appropriate Exercise 

Emotional Clearing

Replacing processed, refined packaged foods with real, organic, colorful whole foods is a first step to a gentle detox while providing the body with the nutrients needed to build, repair and detoxify.  

A good rule of thumb is to include (3-4 ounces) of a clean protein, along with a healthy fat and a real carbohydrate at each meal.

Real carbohydrates can be planted and harvested and should be eaten in their whole (not processed) form. There are no pasta, bread or doughnut trees that I know of.

Clean protein comes from livestock and poultry that are allowed to range free, with no antibiotics or growth hormone.  Or fish that are wild caught, not farmed.

Examples of healthy fats are, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, organic nuts and seeds, avocados, flax seeds, and of course the essential fatty acids of omega 3 in fish oil and omega 6 in grass fed meats and in borage and primrose oils.

Damaged fats would be vegetable oils and canola oil.  These oils become trans fats during their high heat processing in preparation for the marketplace.  Trans fats damage arteries, and the gut, while causing inflammation.  Please steer clear.

These are very basic guidelines.  A personalized eating plan is the best way to provide the proper nutrition, and metabolic healing for YOUR specific system.  

Stress reduction is paramount in balancing hormones.  When cortisol (the stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands) is high, your estrogen and progesterone as well as thyroid hormones are suppressed.  

While high cortisol from stress drives up blood sugar, it also drives down serotonin (the happy neurotransmitter), which causes you to crave sweets.  

As the adrenal glands also produce 40% of the estrogen and progesterone in your system (from the precursors they provide) before menopause, and as much as 90% after menopause, it is a good idea to manage your stress so they are not exhausted by the time peri-menopause and menopause rolls around.

De-stressing can be as easy as closing your eyes, visualizing your “happy place” and taking long deep breaths.  Grounding is also a powerful way to calm the nervous system.  Grounding, or earthing is simply standing on the earth (grass or sand, not concrete) bare footed and connecting to the energy of the earth.  

Adequate sleep, being between 7 to 9 hours a night, also helps regulate hormones and allows for regeneration of the brain and body.

Beauty sleep suggestions include:

• Get to bed by 10 pm.

• Unplug from electronics 30 min before bed.

• Make your room as dark as a cave, no ambient light.

• Keep your room cool.

• Enjoy a calming ritual before bed—soak in a tub, listen to relaxing music, read something spiritual or enjoyable, (please not the news).

• Try meditation, visualization, gratitude or simply deep breathing.

Over-exercising can be a detriment to your very goal of health and fitness.  Over-exercise stresses and breaks down your system, aging you in fast forward.  

Moderate exercise in a form that you enjoy, will do you more good than pushing yourself to exhaustion.  If you find you have over done it, be sure to allow for more rest for a full recovery.  It is in the recovery that we get stronger, not in the work.

As women, we process information through our limbic system, the emotional brain.  It’s no wonder we attach emotions to “everything”.  

Emotions should be energy in motion.  When that energy gets stuck or blocked, it can cause physical, emotional or mental pain that keeps us stuck and unable to achieve our goals.

I use muscle testing with clients to bypass the conscious mind and free up the energy flow to clear stuck emotions and beliefs.  This allows for a more positive approach to challenges and unburdens the soul.

Along with incorporating the above Transformational Life Choices (TLC), finding an integrative medicine doctor who can help you with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, BHRT, may be just what you need to manage your menopause with grace and ease.

As women of wisdom and experience, menopause should be a time of liberation and re-birth.  

The area of our body where we once created life is the center of all our creativity.  

If we tap into that area of creativity through art, dance, music, writing, whatever brings us joy and passion, we are bringing life once again to that most sacred center of female essence.

For guidance and support in managing menopause, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Are Your Everyday Stressors Making You Fat?

The typical American is chronically stressed in ways that they may not realize. What does it take to trigger your adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, the stress hormone, into your system? 

Say you set the alarm for 6:00 am, (because you can’t wake up without it), that’s your first hit of stress.  Next you stumble to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, that’s your second hit.  Then you get into your car and proceed to battle traffic to get to work, POW, more cortisol.  Once at work, your boss is on your case about a report he wanted yesterday that you are frantically finishing up.  All of the frustrations, arguments or rushing around at work add to your load of cortisol.  Lunch of McDonalds latest delight eaten at your desk adds nutritional stress to the picture.  Let’s not forget the Red Bull to keep you going at 3:00 pm, which triggers a flood of cortisol.  The drive home adds to your stress, as does whatever “situation” awaits you at home.  The final overdose of cortisol comes as you stay awake under artificial light, (not sunlight), until midnight.

All of that cortisol in your system keeps you from burning fat for energy and also sets you up for metabolic syndrome and diabetes because cortisol causes an increase in blood sugar and therefore insulin to carry the excess sugar out of the blood and into your cells for usable energy. 

Once your cells are full, which happens very quickly, the excess glucose gets stored as fat.  Meanwhile, the more your overworked pancreas pumps out insulin, the more your cells become insulin resistant. 

As your blood sugar lowers from the insulin, your body begins to crave more sugar to come back to a stable level.  Not only that, but cortisol also suppresses leptin, the hormone that signals your brain that you are full, so now you are eating sugary processed carbohydrates because every cell in your body is screaming for them, and you have no shut off valve. 

As the cycle of stress, low blood sugar, then binging on sugary carbohydrates continues you get fatter and fatter, typically around the middle. 

Here are some suggestions to break that cycle of stress=fat:

*  Get to bed as close to 10:00 pm as possible.  As in lights out, not with a computer on your lap.

*  If you need coffee in the morning, make sure it's organic, and stick to one cup.  Better yet switch to green tea for some energy in the morning.

*  Eating some protein in the morning will also help keep your blood sugar level and avoid cortisol spikes.

*  Take some nuts and veggies to work as an alternative to whatever highly processed sweet is in the break room.

*  Give ourself time in the morning so your drive won't be panicked.

*  Take short 5 minute breaks during the day to breathe and smile.

*  If your drive home is in heavy traffic, accept it and listen to a book on tape, classical music, or whatever puts you at ease.

*  Practice patience at the end of the day when dealing with family members.  They've had "a day" as well.  Compassion and gratitude when shared will be returned.

For one-on-one help managing stress and weight gain, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Reduce Stress, Balance your Brain

As you proceed through your stressful day you may find your mind wandering, or have difficulty focusing in general.  That may be because stress causes the non-dominant side of your brain to shut down 70% of its functioning.  Say you are left brained (logical and unemotional), when stressed you loose 70% of your creativity that comes predominantly from your right brain.  Likewise a stressed right-brained creative person will find it more difficult to tend to the details, and think logically.  Neither one of these scenarios is desirable, and none of us need our brains to shut down.

So, is the answer to grab a Red Bull or 5 Hour Energy drink?  I think not.  That will only cause further stress, adrenal exhaustion and carbohydrate cravings.  Read that as fat around the belly.  Instead I recommend the following stress reducing, energy balancing and brain integration techniques.

1. Meridian Tracing.  By tracing the Central and Governing meridians—Chinese Medicine subtle energy channels—you spark the flow of energy that enables you to feel centered (Central)  and empowered (Governing).  While standing, touch your pubis bone and trace up lightly (outside your clothing) to just below your bottom lip, touch there.  That is the Central meridian, repeat 3 times.  Then trace the Governing meridian by touching your tailbone and tracing up your spine, (shifting your hand as if you were zipping up a dress), so you can continue up the back of your head and over the top to just above your upper lip and touch there.  Repeat 3 times.  Do this in the morning, midday and evening before bed.

2. Massaging the K27 acupuncture points.  Stimulating these Kidney points helps release endorphins to relieve pain, and encourage deep breathing to reduce stress.  It is considered a master acupuncture point for balancing the health and functioning of the body.  Locate the points just under the collarbones, and rub in a circular motion.  You should feel a slight indentation and possible soreness.  Rub with enough pressure to work through the soreness while breathing deeply for one minute.  Do this in the morning, midday and evening before bed.

3. Ear Rub.  By rubbing the fold and lobe of the ears you stimulate acupuncture points that relate to areas all over the body.  While reducing stress with this relaxing technique, you are also clearing blocks in your energy flow to help you focus during the day, or relax at the end of it.  Starting at the tops of the ears (where they connect to the head), gently rub along the inside of the fold of the ear all the way to the lobe and finish with a gentle tug on the earlobe.  Repeat this 3 times.  Do this in the morning, midday and evening before bed.

4. Cross Crawl.  This simple movement pattern stimulates the corpus callosum in the brain, which connects the right and left hemispheres, allowing them to communicate, and the brain to work as an integrated whole.  Standing with both arms raised overhead, bring the left knee up and the right hand or elbow down until they touch, replace the left foot back to the floor and the right hand overhead.  Repeat with the right knee and left hand or elbow.  Continue this movement for one minute.  This is great to do anytime during the day when you feel stressed, depressed, angry, mentally fuzzy, or just need to stand up from your desk and “move”.

5. 4 Square breathing.  Deep breathing into the belly shifts you out of the “stress” sympathetic nervous system and into the “rest” parasympathetic nervous system, which brings immediate relief from stress.  Close your eyes and mouth.  Breath in through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts.  Repeat 4 times. Do this as often as needed throughout the day.  It will also help with insomnia.

These five techniques are great to do in the morning upon arising to get you going for the day, during the workday around the “afternoon low” to clear your head and help you focus, and at night before bed to relax and de-stress you for sound sleep.  Give them a try, your brain and nervous system will thank you…as will your co-workers and spouse.

For guidance and support along your journey to better balance, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Sleep vs Stress, You Can't Do Both At The SameTime

When you are stressed, from lack of sleep, over-exercise, poor nutrition, traffic, your boss, your relationship, or even something you imagine to be a threat, your body is in the fight or flight state of the sympathetic branch of the nervous system.  

When sleeping, resting or de-stressing, the body shifts into the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system, or the rest and recovery state.  

When in the fight or flight state of stress, the body systems brake down and you age in fast-forward.  That is why it is SO important to de-stress and rest as often as possible.  

To maintain a healthy balance of stress to rest, your sleep and rest time should equal the amount of time you are stressed.  Thant may take a LOT of rest.

One way to calm your system is by stimulating the vagus nerve.  The vagus nerve runs from the brain through the heart and lungs to the gut, establishing a brain gut connection.

Stimulating the vagus nerve strengthens your immune system and reduces inflammation, while shifting you into the restorative parasympathetic state of being. 

Try these easy and fun ways to stimulate the vegus nerve.

Deep breathing

Meditation

Qi Gong and Tai Chi

acupuncture

Chanting or singing or even gargling

Laughter

Positive social relationships--play with a child, or a pet, hug a friend or loved one.

Show your heart some love by connecting your brain to your gut through your heart.  Place one hand on your belly, the other on your heart and visualize yourself with loved ones, or remember a loving experience, while breathing slowly and deeply.  This is an extremely relaxing way to stimulate the vagus nerve while calming your system.

Taking small breaks throughout the day to include some of these activities will do you a world of good.  Not to mention it will slow the aging process.  Woohoo!

For guidance and support on your journey to rest and relaxation, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

Is Your Exercise Routine Feeding Your Cellulite?

Cellulite is about more than just fat.  The condition of your skin determines whether the fat on your thighs appears smooth or lumpy.  

The reason 80% of women experience cellulite compared to only 5% of men is because cellulite is related to female hormones.  

Estrogen affects the skin’s structure on the thighs, hips and buttocks, allowing it to be more pliable or loose to accommodate extra fat storage for child bearing.  It’s the loose connective tissue and skin over the fat that creates the puckered look. 

So what does that have to do with your exercise routine? 

When you do intense aerobic exercise, like a spin class, you are putting your body under tremendous stress and your adrenal glands frantically pour out cortisol.  If you take that spin class 3 days a week, before long you’ll be swimming in cortisol.

Cortisol encourages fat storage and also interferes with the functioning of progesterone, which leads to estrogen dominance.  Carrying extra fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks is a sign of estrogen dominance, and that extra estrogen is contributing to your cellulite. 

If you want to reduce cellulite you’ll need to reduce stress from ALL areas of your life.  Stress, worry, depression anxiety all drive up your cortisol, and that elevated cortisol disrupts the functioning of all your hormones.  

That means your sex hormones, thyroid, insulin, and of course stress hormones are not balanced, so YOU are not balanced.  

*  Reducing your amount of aerobic workout and adding more resistance weight training to your gym time will result in less cortisol in your system and more fat burning shapely muscle.  

*  Stress reduction and adequate sleep will help reduce the amount of cortisol in your system and result in better hormonal balance.

*  Increasing your consumption of clean filtered water with a pinch of Celtic sea salt will help keep you hydrated, and support your adrenal glands that work so hard at producing cortisol.

*  Enjoying fresh whole organic fruits and vegetables and organic meats will help keep your toxic load down, while providing your body with the nutrients it needs. 

*  Juicing fresh organic veggies is a great way to detox, which will reflect in your skin. 

Liposuction, unfortunately, has limited benefit for cellulite because it does not change skin structure, or affect the influence of estrogen.  

I have known several women who have been disappointed with liposuction and still struggled with cellulite.  

As with all areas of your health, reducing cellulite is an inside job.  Let me help you sleep, eat and exercise your cellulite away.

Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.