WWW.BALANCINGACT-IAMYOU.COM
  • Home
  • FREEBIES
  • About Lee
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Work with Lee
  • Crazy Busy to Calm & Focused
  • Home
  • FREEBIES
  • About Lee
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Work with Lee
  • Crazy Busy to Calm & Focused
Picture

FREEBIE: Belly Flattening 4 Day Meal Plan - Click Here

The # 1 cause of an underactive thyroid...

26/4/2018

 
In the United States about 20 million Americans suffer from some type of thyroid disorder. Mostly it is an under active thyroid (hypothyroid) but there are those who have an over-active thyroid which comes with its own problems. 

Unfortunately there are no stats for South Africa.

What’s really surprising is that 60% of those who have thyroid problems are completely unaware that this is the root of their problems.

The American Thyroid Association reports that 1 in 8 women in the USA is affected by a thyroid disorder at some point during her lifetime.
Picture
1 in 8 women is affected by thyroid disorder at some point in her life.
Think of it as your body's thermostat.
It regulates your body temperature, hunger levels, sex drive, mood, how much energy use up during the day.
It is interrelated to every system in your body.

So if your thyroid is not running at its best then you are not running at your best.

Where is your thyroid?
It is a butterfly shaped gland in the middle of your neck and below your voice box.

​Your thyroid produces the master metabolism hormones that control every function in your body. It makes sense that if your thyroid is not working at best case then there is going to be a knock on effect on every other system in your body.
Picture
There are 3 thyroid hormones all with long names!!! Their short names are T4, T3 and T2.

T3 is converted to Free T3 and Reverse T3.

Free T3 is what really matters. 
​

This is the hormone that attaches to a receptor in every cell in your body and causes something to happen. 
That could be body temperature rising, metabolism increasing or bowel functioning.

A sluggish thyroid will usually be experienced in these ways;
  • Fatigue and lack of energy. Literally falling asleep if you sit down when you don’t have anything to do.
  • Weight gain even with an aggressive exercise program and watchful eating.
  • Rough scaly skin and dry coarse, tangled hair.
  • Hair loss
  • Sensitivity to the cold and a low body temperature.
Picture
What can contribute to thyroid problems?

Genetics to lifestyle habits can all have an impact on the health of your thyroid.

  • Research has shown that thyroid problems tend to run in families.
  • Pregnancy can contribute to an out of whack thyroid. It makes sense because of all the hormones flooding your system during this time.
  • Choosing foods that are highly processed, have sugar and unhealthy fats.
  • Emotional stress and mental stress can interfere with the functioning of the adrenal hormones. As a result the entire body is worn down from the immune system to the kidneys, liver and thyroid.
  • Poor gut health can reduce the amount of nutrients your body absorbs. It can lead to autoimmune reactions. This is when your body starts to attack itself. It can reduce enzyme production which makes it difficult to digest certain foods like dairy and wheat.
  • Using a probiotics to improve the state of your gut is important if you have any symptoms of hypothyroidism.
  • Medications used in the treatment of cancers and autoimmune disorders ca put your thyroid at risk.
  • Inactivity, a lack of exercise and movement, and a sedentary lifestyle are also risk factors for your thyroid health.
Picture
There are a number of nutrients that play a role that are often overlooked in proper thyroid function.

These are iodine, selenium, zinc and B vitamins.

The number one cause of an under active thyroid or hypothyroidism is an iodine deficiency!
Iodine is needed for the production of thyroid hormones and the normal functioning of the thyroid.

So where do we find iodine rich foods? 
Seaweed is a great source. But it is a bit weird in a Western diet, right!?
Sushi has seaweed so I guess we could all indulge in more sushi!! Other sea vegetables are dulse and kelp.
But for Westerners you can find iodine in raw dairy i.e. non pasteurised. Wild caught tuna, cod, sea bass and eggs.
When there is iodine present in the soil where crops are grown (remember iodine is a mineral) then these vegetables are good sources –
onions, mushrooms, lettuce, spinach, pineapple, cantaloupe, whole-wheat and green peppers.

Selenium helps to balance T4 levels of thyroid hormone.
Foods that are high in selenium are Brazil nuts, spinach, tuna, grass fed beef, turkey and beef liver.

Zinc and vitamins B5 & B12 are also important for thyroid health.

Vitamin B12 helps to balance hormones naturally and treats chronic fatigue syndrome. Eat grass-fed  beef and beef liver, tuna, raw milk and cheese, cottage cheese, lamb and eggs.

Vitamin B5 has many of the same benefits as B12 for supporting the thyroid as well as supporting metabolism. Eat these foods as part of your meals; peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sesame and sunflower seeds, pistachio nuts, spinach and ground flaxseed.
What else can you do?

Get enough rest and learn to manage stress.

Physical and emotional stress put your body in a fight or flight mode. When this happens then the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, are heightened.

This causes the blood vessels to narrow, muscle tension increases and blood pressure too. Antibodies and inflammatory proteins that suppress immune function are released. All this damages the adrenal glands and thyroid.

So take stress seriously and find the root causes of your mental strain. Try multiple methods to deal with your stress.

Aim for 7 – 9 hours of sleep each night.

Meditate, exercise, journal and look to be part of a community.
Either a faith based one or support group. And schedule enjoyable activities for yourself and the people that you enjoy spending time with.
Picture
Lab tests to determine if you have a thyroid problem.

Normally doctors only check for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and T4.

There are other tests though, that will show a better picture of whether you have a thyroid problem.

Ask your doctor to run these tests.
  1. TSH,
  2. Free T4
  3. Free T3
  4. Reverse T3.
The following two tests will check for autoimmune diseases Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) and Thyroid Antibodies (TgAb)
 
Dr Amy Myers is a leading a Functional Medicine doctor specialising in thyroid treatment. She herself has the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s disease. This is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system turns against the body's own tissues. In this case the body turns against the thyroid.
 
According to her these are the optimal values for the lab results on the tests done…..
  • TSH – 1-2 UIU/ML or lower
  • Free T4 – greater than >1.1NG/DL
  • Free T3 – greater than > 3.2 PG/ML
  • Reverse T3 less than a 10:1 ratio of RT3:FT3
  • TPO – less than <9IU/ML or negative
  • TgAb – less than <4IU/ML or negative

​If you’re looking for increased energy then take a look at my program – 
21 Days to Increased Energy.

It's Ok to be stressed...

4/4/2018

 
It was 5:15 a.m. one morning that I got a message from my maid.
She was man down with a tummy bug and would not be coming to work.

We rely so much on our maids, don't we?
They really are an important part of our families.

So she wasn't coming to work. It's school holidays. I'm thinking, "Oh crap! Not just one child but now two to sort out."

Anyway, snacks got packed. Toys and entertainment packed. Blankie for naptime packed.
And we all went to work.
Picture
But in between receiving the message and getting to work I got so stressed out. My whole plan and morning-time routine was now out of whack .

​
And along came my 6 year old who said , “Mom. It's Ok to be stressed. It's ok but you need to calm down and breathe. Breathe, Mom.”

Picture
​Don't you just love that what you say to them comes right back at you at the most appropriate time?​
I breathed and reached for Relicalm.

It's like a large cup of tea - it has the same ingredient as tea l-theanine - which helps to calm you. Now you know why that cup of tea works so well! Relicalm also promises 5 hours of calm . Just what I needed!


And that is the kind of stress that we all dealing with - not the fight or flight - that is part of our evolution.

There was no fight for me and no physical escape route that I needed to take.
It was all mental but our bodies release chemicals for the physical fight or flight. Snce we're not in a situation that requires physicality those stress chemicals start to cause havoc on our body’s systems.

Let's take a look at the impact of stress on our body -

 
Memory - Long term exposure to cortisol is linked to shrinkage of the memory part of your brain. A Finnish study found that patients with persistently high cortisol levels were 3x as likely to develop Alzheimer's.

 
Head - Studies have shown that an increase in the stress hormone adrenaline can cause migraines. People who have tension headaches tend to translate their stress to muscle contractions.

 
Heart - reggular feelings of being highly stressed can lead to an increased risk of a fatal stroke. High cortisol levels are more likely to have high levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol. Long term stress is a factor leading to raised blood pressure. 

​Skin 
- skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis can worsen when you are stressed.
Picture
Digestion - emotions and the gut are closely linked. Think of butterflies in your tummy. But also runny tummy, a sore tummy, indigestion and heartburn .



Immune system - Ongoing stress can deplete the body's resources to fight infection . Studies have shown that those under long-term stress have lower white blood cells - the guys that fight the bacteria and viruses that cause illness.
I know that when I was diagnosed with pneumonia in August ‘17 it was a result of long-term stress. My immune system was at rock bottom .


 Mood - stress can leave you unable to concentrate, inefficient and accident prone. The ongoing release of cortisol and adrenaline - the stress hormones - disrupt levels of the feel good chemical - serotonin . This may lead to depression.

So what's a girl to do? - 
                                 1) Breathe! Really.
When you're under stress your breathing is rapid and shallow. Breathe through your nose for a count of 5 and out for a count of 6.
Do this 5 times .
He who half breathes, half-lives.

Picture
  2) Get Moving

Chase your children in the garden, what about a game of touch rugby? Turn up the radio and dance! Go for a walk around your complex or on the road .
       


​3) Create a list of activities and people who bring you Joy


Make time to do something that makes your heart sing .
I love crocheting  and I am making a blanket for our king size bed!

Picture
Much happiness, 
Lee
 P.S. Stress suppresses your body's production of testosterone which helps control abdominal fat.


Let's chat!
Book an initial call at no cost and let's identify your top 3 current challenges. 

P.S.S - You can't be a great mum, wife, employee and friend if your stressed out and struggling with your health....

Beat the bloat

26/3/2018

 
Picture
Do you ever get bloated?

I remember one time - it was a Sunday. We'd been invited to friends for lunch.

The night before had been a lot of fun (pre-children, obviously!) but I thought I should be kind to my liver that day.
I chose to drink apple juice or something like that.

Oh my word! 

As the lunch progressed and the afternoon drew out, my tummy got bigger and bigger.
I got more and more uncomfortable. . And for awhile I kept on drinking the apple juice - what a mistake!
                                         It was the worst feeling ever.

Has this ever happened to you?


​


https://www.davidwolfe.com/reduce-bloating-flatten-belly-vitamin/


How to get over bloating –
A good day can go from fantastic to miserable so quickly!

One moment you’re feeling amazing, the next moment you feel like a whale.

Your pants feel like they’ll pop!

It is so common that most people think it’s normal!

It’s not normal and I’m going to give you a few guidelines to help you get over the bloat.

Bloating is a symptom.

                         Your body is telling you that something is not right.

When you eat meat, if it is not digested properly –
- which remember starts in your mouth then goes on to your stomach and then into your intestines –
if it is not well digested by the time it reaches your large intestine, it is going to start fermenting.
That causes gas and as a result you bloat.
Sometimes carbohydrates don’t’ digest properly because certain enzymes are out of play.
That’s going to cause gas as a result of the food fermenting in the large intestine.

And gut bacteria is another reason for bloating. 
Our body has millions upon billions of “good” and “bad” bacteria. When the “bad” bacteria are in the majority that leads to an imbalance. The result? Bloating and gas.

Your body may be sensitive to or intolerant to some foods.
These foods then could lead to bloating. It is the sugar in food that is likely to cause the bloating.

Think about it… if your body is not able to fully digest the food, then the bacteria that live in your digestive system are going to feed on that sugar. When they do that, it is usually the “bad” bacteria and then you bloat.

Here are some common foods – milk & dairy products, pasta, wheat and oat brans, artificial sweeteners, fruit juices, beans and lentils.

Constipation can also leave you with a tummy area that has a hard feeling and gas.
The biggest reasons for this situation are not eating enough fibre rich foods, not drinking enough water and not moving enough.

Being dehydrated can also cause you to bloat because your body starts to retain water.
As that happens you swell.
It’s a good idea to aim for 8 glasses of water per day. 

It doesn’t seem to make sense to drink more water if your body is retaining it. But when your body is dehydrated it holds on to water to try and stop the situation happening again.

With dehydration comes the slowing down of digestion. When digestion slows down the food that you eat sits longer in your gut.

The result? Fermentation and gas.

The next time bloating happens to you, these questions will help you to find out what causes your bloating.
  • What did I eat or drink?
  • Was I eating fast or slow?
  • Where was I eating?
  • How did I feel while I was eating?

Here are 4 foods to beat bloating;
  1. Water rich foods like cucumber, fennel, leafy greens, melons and berries contain essential electrolytes and enzymes that will aid digestion and relieve bloating.
  2. Pineapple – has enzymes to aid your digestion
  3. Avocados – help to ease water retention because of the potassium that they contain
  4. Ginger – stimulates the production of digestive enzymes
  5. Bonus! Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that live in your gut and help to keep the “bad” bacteria under control. Take a probiotic or eat foods that are rich in these “good” guys like sauerkraut, yoghurt, kefir and kombucha.
And avoid these 5 foods & drinks
  1. Alcohol – It affects your fluid balance which leads to bloating and dehydration. Anything that has bubbles is going to release carbon dioxide into your gut.
  2. Salty foods – they cause dehydration and water retention
  3. Sugar – your body can only absorb a limited amount of sugar. Any excess is going to be fermented in your gut, leading to bloating.
  4. Artificial sweeteners – They are chemicals and your body cannot digest them.
  5. Grains containing gluten – gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley among others. It is difficult to digest and can irritate your gut.
The bottom line – avoid certain foods and drinks, drink 8 glasses water each day and move regularly throughout the day.

I'm offering FREE discovery calls. 
  • Let's find out what your top 3 challenges are right now. 
  • We'll discuss what the biggest change you'd like to make in your life right now is.
  • Let's discuss what you can expect if  you work with me.
  • Find out if we'd work well together to get you the results you're wanting.
  • Let's find out how I can help you to get healthy!
Book your appointment here. - and together we'll see if we're a good fit.
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Anti-aging
    Anti Bacterial
    Anti Viral
    Bloating
    Calcium
    Chronic Inflammation
    Constipation
    Deficiency
    Detoxification
    Difficulty Losing Weight
    Digestive System
    Energy Production
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Healthy Fats
    Hormones
    Immune Function
    Insulin Activity
    Metabolism
    Mindful
    Obesity
    Omega 3
    Planning
    Probiotics
    Sleep
    Stress
    Super Foods
    Thyroid
    Trans-fats
    Type 2 Diabetes
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    Water

    POPULAR POSTS
    1. Sleep, Glorious Sleep
    2. Look Awesome by 31 August
    3. How this Cycle Can Damage Your Body
    4. What You Need to Know About MSG
    5. 4 Reason to Track What You Eat
    Looking For More Energy?
    Looking For More Energy?
    Don't know what vitamins to use?

      Eat these 5 foods for improved energy & Fat loss 

    Submit

    Archives

    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017

Proudly powered by Weebly