You wake up exhausted from a poor night’s sleep. You go to work, push through the day with loads of coffee and sugary vending machine trips, and barely keep it together without falling asleep at your desk. Once home, you call up your favourite delivery place or throw a frozen processed meal into the oven or microwave.
 
After dinner, you actually start to feel normal- like you can get shit done and then some, it’s your best time of the day! As evening turns to night, you know you should get to sleep, but you’re feeling wired. Your brain just won’t shut off even though your body is ready for a winter’s worth of hibernation. 

This is a really familiar story among the women I work with in my 21-Day Happy Hormones Diet program. It’s that ‘wired and tired’ state that over time really wreaks havoc with how we feel and how our bodies and hormones function. 

Why Am I Tired And Wired?

The answer lies in the function of two small and little-known endocrine glands in the body, the adrenals! You have two adrenal glands, who sit atop the kidneys like little hats. They’re so important, they regulate your whole stress response! Additionally, the adrenal glands may also produce small amounts of sex hormones like estrogen, testosterone and DHEA. A few of the various functions include:

• Releasing cortisol in response to short and long-term stress
• Releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline in response to short-term stress (that “Fight or Flight” response)
• Control blood pressure
• Creation of sex hormones, which increases after menopause

When you’re chronically stressed out, especially over many years, your adrenal glands simply can’t keep up with the demand for stress hormones, and they crash, potentially contributing to Adrenal Fatigue.

Adrenal Fatigue, or insufficiency, or dysfunction is exactly that- your adrenal glands may be fatigued and causing issues in the body. Adrenal Fatigue is characterized by experiencing many of a long list of symptoms, which you can see below. Adrenal Fatigue doesn’t happen over night- it’s something that comes about after years of health issues and stress.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include:

• Feeling tired and wired in the evenings, can’t get to or stay asleep and then are bone tired all day long even after drinking coffee
• Irrational anger, irritability, anxiety or are quick to cry
• Constant fatigue
• Weight gain, especially in the belly area
• Blood sugar control issues
• Low blood pressure
• Low blood sugar
• Inability to handle stress
• Low resilience
• Cravings, especially for salty foods
• Reliance on stimulants like coffee and sugar to get through the day
• Weak immune system- chronic colds, flus and other infections
• Mild depression
• Insomnia
• Lack of motivation or “get up and go:
• Short fuse
• Brain fog or poor memory
• Inability to concentrate
• Low libido
• Severe PMS

5 Foods to Improve Your Energy and Get a Good Night’s Sleep

#1 Bone Broth 

A true superfood, bone broth contains loads of nutrients beneficial for supporting the adrenal glands, restoring energy and improving sleep. For example, bone broth contains loads of minerals like calcium and phosphorous which not only keep our bones strong but also help to calm the nervous system and feed the adrenals. 

Bone broth also contains both collagen and gelatin. You may have seen collagen and gelatin supplement powders available at health food stores. They are the latest craze, and for good reason. Collagen supports a healthy immune system and soothes the lining of the digestive tract. Gelatin is where most of the minerals live, soothes gut lining and can calm symptoms of inflammation and immune over-response. All of this together helps to reduce your body’s internal stresses, like inflammation from foods for example. 

#2 Root Vegetables 

An amazing group of veggies, the roots literally help us feel rooted. This is partly due to the energetics of root vegetables- they grow in the ground and that grounding energy transfers into us when we consume them. The benefits of root vegetables are often best obtained when they’re cooked, as it becomes easier for us to absorb their nutrients.

Root vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots, beets, winter squash, parsnips, turnips and others are indispensable when you want to heal adrenal fatigue, boost your energy and sleep well. They contain complex carbohydrates that are both extremely comforting when we eat them, and slow the spike of blood sugar when we eat, preventing crashes later on. These complex carbs also help our bodies to produce feel good chemicals like serotonin, boosting mood- hence the comforting effect of these foods!

Root veg are also high in many minerals, and the adrenal glands need high amounts of minerals to function well, especially when you’re chronically stressed out. An example of a mineral they contain in abundance is Magnesium. Although they may not have as much as other foods like nuts, seeds and beans, root vegetables are often much easier to digest than the other sources, making it a bit easier to get this calming and rejuvenating mineral into our bodies. 

When healing extremely tired adrenal glands, it may be beneficial to use 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked root veggies with each meal, including breakfast. Having some of these veggies with dinner or before bed can help to reduce sleep disturbances like waking during the night. 

#3 Sea veggies

Sea vegetables are not widely used in North America, to our detriment. Sea vegetables are extremely concentrated in nutrients, making them an amazing addition for improving energy, assisting sleep and restoring adrenal function. There are many types of seaweeds, including nori, kelp, dulse, arame, wakame and more. 

Sea vegetables are high in many minerals, including iron. If iron stores are low, fatigue often sets in, and immune function suffers, putting additional strain on the adrenal glands. Sea veggies are also high in the mineral iodine, something lacking in Western diets as we get away from eating sea foods of all types. Iodine in small amounts is necessary for proper thyroid function, and a sluggish or under-active thyroid will negatively impact the adrenals and your energy levels. 

Lastly sea vegetables contain small amounts of tryptophan, an amino acid used to make the happy chemical serotonin. This may mean that sea veggies are a great addition to the diet to boost mood. 

Using sea vegetables is easier than you think. You can buy shakers of kelp or dulse in health food stores or online, and shake it onto your food in place of salt. You can use nori sheets to make wraps for lunch instead of flour-based products, and you can sprinkle strings of sea veggies like wakame and arame into soups and salads. 

#4 Bell Peppers 

Sweet bell peppers are a delicious addition to most any meal. They are also one of the highest sources of vitamin C out there, out-ranked only by papaya. The difference is, bell peppers contain a lot less sugar than papaya, making them a great choice to increase your vitamin C consumption without spiking blood sugar.

The high levels of vitamin C (1 cup contains 157% of your recommended daily intake) in bell peppers are food for your adrenal glands. Specifically, the highest amounts of vitamin C in the body are stored in your adrenal glands. Vitamin C is used to produce all adrenal hormones, especially in the production of cortisol, a hormone released in response to both short and long-term stress. When you’re chronically stressed, your body is going to use up vitamin C very quickly. 

When you run low on vitamin C, your adrenal glands go into a panic mode of sorts, releasing even more cortisol, meaning you need even more vitamin C that you don’t have. 

Getting bell peppers and other high vitamin C foods like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries and pineapple on a regular basis can healthfully support your adrenal glands to increase energy and allow for a good night’s rest. 

#5 Wild-Caught Salmon

Last on the list, but no less important than the other foods, wild-caught salmon has numerous health benefits for the adrenal glands.

Firstly, wild-caught salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, an anti-inflammatory type of fat most of us aren’t getting enough of. Farmed salmon doesn’t have the same levels of omega-3s, so I recommend choosing wild-caught whenever possible. 

Omega-3s help to balance blood sugar, and imbalanced blood sugar and insulin levels put more stress on the body and adrenal glands. Omega-3s are also extremely calming to the nervous system, reducing stress and strain on the adrenals. They may also help to boost mood, increase your energy and calm you enough for a good night’s sleep with regular use. 

This is a fabulous recipe using salmon to help you get started. 

Beyond the omega-3s, wild-caught salmon is a high protein source. Protein of course is needed to create muscles, but it’s also used in the creation of hormones, like the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. Consuming enough protein (about 20g-30g per meal and 5g-10g per snack) is an excellent way to support energy production, lean muscle mass, hormone production and adrenal function. 

As a Holistic Nutritionist and Women’s Health and Nutrition Coach, I get a lot of complaints from women dealing with stubborn fat that won’t budge- especially in the hips, thighs, and on the back in the bra strap area. They try to eat healthfully and spend time at the gym to no avail.

Maybe this is you as well, and you’re wondering if there is any solution to this stubborn problem. 

I myself tend to carry weight in my hips and thighs, although never on the back. In my clinical experience, there is one major hormonal imbalance preventing the loss of fat in these areas- and it may even be causing your PMS!

Why Do I Have Excess Hip, Thigh and Under-the-Bra Back Fat?

The major hormone involved in keeping fat on these areas is estrogen. Estrogen often gets a bad name as it’s been linked to things like estrogen-responsive cancers, cysts, fibroids, and blood clot risk. However, estrogen isn’t “bad” at all, but rather a really important hormone for women (and men, to a lesser extent). 

There are several different estrogens, including those below. Note that I’m mostly referring to Estradiol in this article:

• Estradiol
• Estriol (the pregnancy estrogen)
• Estrone (the menopause estrogen)

In women, estrogen is responsible for:

• Being highest during the first half of your menstrual cycle (menstrual flow to ovulation)
• Breast growth and development
• Maturing follicles (aka immature eggs) for one to be released at ovulation
• Increasing metabolism slightly
• Keeping us lubricated- in our joints, muscles and vagina
• Increasing libido
• Increasing confidence
• Uplifting mood
• Bone growth and protection
• Improving skin by increasing collagen and blood supply

So if estrogen is so good, how could it be causing all this fat on your body?

The answer is estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance doesn’t necessarily mean having too much estrogen, but rather that the estrogen to progesterone ratio is off in the body. These two hormones (like all hormones) communicate with each other and have a very delicate balance. 

If your estrogen levels are high (or low) and your progesterone is way too low, estrogen dominance results. Besides layering fat on your hips, thighs and under-the-bra, estrogen dominance is implicated in:

• PMS
• Infertility
• Thyroid nodules and cancer
• Ovarian, breast and endometrial cancers
• Endometriosis
• Uterine Fibroids
• Ovarian Cysts
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Fibrocystic Breasts
• Breast tenderness and swelling
• Bloating, water retention
• Depression and anxiety
• Hair Loss
• Painful and/or heavy menstrual flow

The specific mechanism that leads to the extra fat deposition has to do with estrogen receptors. Your legs happen to have a lot of these receptors, so estrogen will deposit here. If your liver isn’t metabolizing and detoxifying estrogen optimally, loads of estrogen can be recirculated and deposited on your hips and thighs. 

As this continues to happen over time, fat cells can begin to produce their own estrogen- no ovaries needed- adding to the estrogen dominance situation and the storage of fat on your body.

Rectifying estrogen dominance is one of the best ways to slim these areas down and generally feel a whole lot better.

Wondering if estrogen dominance or other hormonal imbalances are contributing to your symptoms? Check out my Hormone Imbalance Quiz to find out!

5 Natural Ways to Reduce Hip, Thigh and Under-the-Bra Back Fat

#1 Cruciferous Veggies

Cruciferous vegetables are powerhouses of nutrition- superfoods easily accessible in any grocery store.  These vegetables contain sulphur, an important mineral which is needed for healthy skin. The DIM and sulphur contained in these vegetables helps the body to detoxify excess estrogen, which can cause fat storage and contribute to other hormonal issues like the ones mentioned previously. 

Cruciferous vegetables also contain high levels of fibre- creating amazing poops which allow you to excrete built up hormones like estrogen, as well as move your bowels to reduce the weight of a GI system full of stool. The fibre in these vegetables also balances insulin and blood sugar- something that is 100% KEY to releasing excess weight and managing estrogen dominance- keeping you full longer and not running to the vending machine.

Here are some examples of cruciferous vegetables:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• cabbage
• bok choy
• turnip
• radishes
• kale
• collard greens
• brussels sprouts
• mustard greens
• napa cabbage
• kohlrabi
• rutabaga
• rapini
• arugula
• daikon radish
• mizuna
• horseradish
• watercress
• wasabi
• romanesco 

My recommendation is to get 2 to 4 cups of these vegetables daily to balance estrogen levels, and mostly cooked so they don’t interfere with iodine absorption. 

#2 Liver Detoxification

Your liver is a major detoxification organ in your body. Everything that comes into your body must be detoxified through your liver before it can be excreted, and estrogen is no exception. If you liver isn’t working optimally, due to the lifestyle factors listed above or due to hormonal birth control use, estrogen isn’t going to be detoxified well. Some of it may end up being recirculated in the body, possibly being deposited in fat cells in the hips, thighs and back. 

Optimizing liver function takes time and patience, but the results are totally worth it. There are many ways to detoxify the liver, and chances are you don’t need 20 supplements a day to do so- a few supportive herbs along with a liver cleansing diet can do wonders for estrogen dominance, fat storage, mood and more. 

1. Cruciferous vegetables: As you’ve just learned, cruciferous veg are fantastic for helping with liver and estrogen detoxification. Aim for 2 to 4 cups daily.
2. Medicinal herbs for the liver: Herbs such as dandelion root, burdock root, yellow dock, turmeric, milk thistle and artichoke all support the liver to detoxify and regenerate. Choosing a capsule, tincture or tea formula like my Detox Tea will make it easy to get these herbs. Follow supplement bottle directions or aim for 2-4 cups of Detox Tea daily.
3. Green Tea: This unfermented tea contains incredible amounts of antioxidants and compounds including EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate. Antioxidants are needed in large amounts to optimize both Phase I and Phase II liver detoxification. Green tea helps the liver to detoxify by improving general liver function, and increasing those antioxidants. It’s possible (although not really studied in detail) that green tea could interfere with fat absorption, and block fat synthesis in the liver. Aim for 2 to 4 cups green tea or 1 cup matcha green tea daily, or use a supplement as directed on the bottle. 

#3 Increase Progesterone

As you’ve discovered, estrogen dominance generally means low or inadequate progesterone levels as well. 

• Like estrogen, progesterone has really important functions in our female bodies:
• Being highest during the second half of your menstrual cycle (ovulation to menstrual flow) 
• Reducing anxiety
• Aiding good quality sleep
• Having a successful pregnancy (it’s the pregnancy hormone!)
• Thickening the uterine lining for potential implantation of a fertilized egg
• Regulating water and sodium balance to reduce swelling, water retention, sore breasts, etc

Increasing progesterone levels can be tricky when you’re chronically stressed, as your body will ‘steal’ the hormone building blocks to make cortisol rather than progesterone, so check out #5 Manage Stress below for more info on that.

There are a few easy ways to begin increasing progesterone production (in addition to managing stress as outlined below):

1. Increase Vitamin C: Vitamin C has been shown in studies to increase progesterone, especially in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Research suggests a daily dose of between 400mg to 750mg over a period of several months could help with progesterone levels, length of luteal phase and fertility. 
2. Use Cinnamon: I have written and spoken a lot about cinnamon for women’s health. Research suggests using about 1.5g daily of cassia cinnamon can help to regulate menstrual cycles by increasing progesterone. As a bonus, it also helps to balance blood sugar, a major underlying contributor to many hormonal imbalances (including estrogen dominance) and fat storage. 

#4 Xenoestrogens/Environmental Toxins

Toxins like xenoestrogens (man-made estrogen-like chemicals) found in plastics, BPA, household and personal care products (that includes your makeup too!) are a major contributor to estrogen dominance in our wasteful society. It even causes men to have high levels of estrogen, leading to infertility and other problems (like excess body fat) in both sexes. 

This is an important component in regulating estrogen that is often overlooked! I recommend starting by looking at the Environmental Working Group’s Consumer Guides  to see what to watch out for, and which products are safe.

#5 Manage Stress

Stress messes with your hormones. I experience this as one of the major disturbances to my own menstrual cycle- if I’m stressed, I’m likely to ovulate later and experience more PMS symptoms before Aunt Flo arrives. Maybe this is you as well!

When we’re stressed chronically, our bodies put out loads of the stress hormone cortisol to help keep us going. When cortisol needs to be high a lot of the time due to stress, our bodies will take the cortisol building blocks from other hormones- usually progesterone. It’s sometimes referred to as the progesterone steal or the pregnenolone steal. 

You’re left with high cortisol levels, and low progesterone- a recipe for estrogen dominance and hip, thigh and back fat. 

Beyond this, stress messes with blood sugar balance, and elevated insulin can contribute to estrogen dominance and weight gain as well. 

There’s infinite ways to manage stress, and the important thing to take away here is that it’s necessary to manage your stress like it’s your job. Techniques and activities must be done daily to see cortisol and progesterone levels even out, so that you can reduce estrogen dominance and hip, thigh and back fat. 

My recommendation is to try a whole bunch of stuff if you’re not sure yet what helps you become more resilient to stress (because we can’t get rid of stress entirely), and settle on a few things that can be done regularly. 

For example, I meditate, do yoga, walk and limit screen time daily for my stress. 

Your might look different, and that’s okay.

Try any or all of the following suggestions:

• Yoga
• Meditation and/or Deep Breathing
• Walking
• Spending time in nature
• Reading a good book
• Watching a funny TV show or movie
• Having a hot bath
• Giving yourself a face mask or body scrub
• Having a quick 20 minute nap
• Stretching
• Implement a laptop curfew
• Adult colouring books
• Take time for yourself- no screens, no kids, no work, etc
• Get to bed earlier
• Use some essential oils and/or medicinal herbs like this Stress Tea 

Maybe you’re like me and you’ve had acne as long as you can remember. I was the first girl in my class (5th grade!) to go through puberty. This also meant I was the first to get acne. I experienced crazy, face-covering, deep and painful cystic acne from that time through most of my young adult life. I saw some reprieve after 2 courses of Accutane, but the acne kept coming back.

Years later when I was diagnosed with PCOS after discontinuing the birth control pill, my acne flared up again and put me right back to those days. The embarrassment, the judgment, the insecurity. All while I was back in school for holistic nutrition. I tried covering it with my makeup and hair and scarves, but I knew it was on display and people were looking. I didn’t feel sexy in front of my partner and wanted to shy away instead.

Once I was on track to reversing many of my PCOS symptoms, my acne began to disappear. Now I almost never get cystic or deep acne, and if I do breakout, it’s on the surface and goes away very quickly. I’m no longer afraid to look at my skin in the mirror, and feel comfortable going out in public without makeup.

I want this for you too, so I’m outlining 5 natural ways to get rid of hormonal acne breakouts below (and what might be causing them!). 

What’s Causing My Hormonal Acne Breakouts?

Truthfully, there are many causes, but as a woman with PCOS, I’m going to stick with the one most relevant to this condition: androgen excess. 

Androgens are a class of hormones. To break it down even more, hormones are simply substances that are created in specific glands (like your ovaries) which have very specific functions in the body, including regulating many processes. 

Androgens are a class of hormones often thought of as “male hormones” because men experience higher levels of these hormones as a regular function. Androgens are necessary in us women too, and I’ll explain why in a minute.

They are produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands and fat cells for the most part, but may also be created right at the active tissue site (hair follicles, for example). In women, androgens, like testosterone will:

• Be converted into other hormones like estrogen
• Prevent bone loss
• Increase libido and sexual satisfaction
• Regulate other functions including menstrual cycles/reproduction, liver, kidney and muscle health
• Help create lean muscle mass

How Do Androgens Contribute To Acne?

First, one of testosterone’s jobs is to increase sebum (oil) production on the skin. If your androgens are going crazy, chances are you’re super oily, regardless of how many times you wash your face, and you’re breaking out. 

Second, testosterone has some really awesome benefits, as you can see from the list above, but it can go rogue. Specifically at the tissue site (IE your skin or even hair follicles in the case of hair loss/facial hair), testosterone and other androgens can be converted into a “bad” form of testosterone know as DHT or dihydrotestosterone. This DHT is much of what’s responsible for hormonal acne breakouts.

The enzyme responsible for the conversion of testosterone to DHT is known as 5-alpha reductase, and some androgen-blocking medications aim to reduce levels of this enzyme. When you have chronically high levels of androgens like testosterone, they float around in your blood. Couple this with high levels of the pituitary hormone Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and testosterone production is put into overdrive. A woman’s body doesn’t need so much testosterone like men do, so when there’s excess floating in the blood stream, it will end up binding to androgen-receptors in the skin cells so that your body can get rid of it- through acne lesions on the skin. 

If you are a woman with diagnosed or suspected PCOS, this is especially true for you. Women with PCOS often have chronically high levels of LH, which will increase production of testosterone, increasing the likelihood of the extra androgens binding to receptors in the skin cells and creating more acne. 

Lastly, insulin plays a role here as well. If your levels of the blood sugar-balancing hormone insulin are too high (from poor diet, stress, etc), this will stimulate your ovaries (and potentially your adrenals) to produce even more testosterone, promoting this vicious cycle. Balancing insulin and reducing stress are key to reducing androgens in women. 

Beyond hormonal acne breakouts, there are numerous symptoms of high androgens, so check out my Hormone Imbalance Quiz to see if this is possibly an issue for you.

5 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Hormonal Acne Breakouts

Reduce Androgens

Seeing as we’re talking about androgens as a leading cause for acne breakouts in adult women, it makes sense to talk about how to reduce them to possibly reduce your acne. There is a lot involved in reducing androgens, and luckily there are some simple steps you can take to do this yourself- no crazy meds required!

The first step to reducing androgens in women is to balance your blood sugar. If you’re not sure what this is or what it means, check out this post.

The main components of a blood sugar-balancing diet (and should be included with all meals and snacks) are:

1. Protein: 20-30g per meal and 5-10g per snack
2. Fat: 1-3 tbsp added fat per meal and 1 tbsp per snack
3. Fibre: 35-45g daily total, going for the lower end of the spectrum if you are trying to get pregnant or don’t ovulate regularly. 

There are also some herbs and supplements shown helpful in reducing androgens such as:

• Inositol 
• Saw Palmetto
• Spearmint 
• Reishi mushroom
• Green tea

Improve Liver Function

Your liver is an important organ for hormonal health, for many reasons. One of the big reasons is that the liver metabolizes and detoxifies hormones. For example, estrogen and testosterone. If your liver isn’t functioning optimally or is sluggish, it’s more likely your blood sugar will be out of balance, your digestion will suffer and you’ll have extra hormones floating around that your body couldn’t get rid of. These extra hormones could be detrimental to health over time, and excess testosterone often ends up creating more acne as it binds to those androgen-receptors in your skin cells. 

An easy way to improve your liver function beyond having a veggie-heavy, anti-inflammatory diet is to gently support detoxification with medicinal herbs. You can often find formulas specific to liver health in capsule or tincture form at the local health food store. Liver rejuvenation takes time, so it’s important to be consistent with your chosen way of gentle cleansing for 2-3 months or menstrual cycles for maximum benefit. Look out for some of these herbs when choosing a formula:

• Dandelion root
• Burdock root
• Yellow dock
• Artichoke
• Milk thistle
• Turmeric

Support Healthy Digestion

If your gut health sucks, so will your skin. Coming back to toxins, if a lot of toxins and inflammatory compounds are getting through your gut lining (a healthy gut doesn’t allow this to happen), your body will have extra inflammation. It will also have extra toxins that need to be dealt with. If you’re eating foods your body is especially sensitive too, the reaction is even stronger. You may not even experience gut problems like gas, bloating, constipation or indigestion if your gut needs help- so don’t discount this extremely crucial step in balancing your skin. 

Low stomach acid and low levels of digestive enzymes contribute to this, and supporting your body to create optimal amounts of these is incredibly helpful for your skin.

The easiest way I know to help your digestion (besides eating a clean diet, free of food intolerances and processed junk) is to take Bitters. Digestive bitters are an herbal formula that contain herbs with bitter qualities, as the name suggests. Bitter herbs help to stimulate digestive secretions, so your body releases more stomach acid and enzymes to break down and digest your food properly. There are numerous bitters formulas out there, and they often contain liver-helpers like I’ve mentioned in the previous section.

My personal favourite bitters formula is Canadian Bitters by St. Francis Herb Farm. 

De-Stress

When you’re stressed, most body processes get suppressed as your body is focused on saving your life! Even though your particular stress (like kids, dirty house or commute) isn’t actually life threatening, your body can’t tell the difference. When you’re in this “Fight or Flight” mode, all non essential body processes are stopped- digestion and sex hormone production (reproduction) being part of that.

So, your hormones go crazy and you don’t digest or absorb anything, and you now know that these processes are key to fighting those hormonal breakouts. 

Additionally, when you’re stressed, the stress hormone cortisol tells your body to create some sugar to put in the blood for quick energy- so you can fight or flee. This adds to blood sugar and insulin imbalances that may already be present- putting weight on your belly, creating inflammation and unleveling the amount of androgens your body produces- all leading to more breakouts. 

Stress management is essential, and steps must be taken every single day to manage it in a healthy way. Whether you have 5 minutes or several hours, each day must have some type of self-care.

Some of my favourite self-care activities include:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Spending time in nature (Bonus: being in the sun gives you vitamin D, a clear skin vitamin)
• Walking or bicycling
• Infrared saunas
• Journalling
• Reading a fluff book
• Watching a funny TV show or movie
• Taking a hot bath
• Having a healthy treat like a few squares organic 70% dark chocolate (not the whole bar!)
• Adult colouring books
• Enjoying a cup of herbal tea
• Diffusing calming essential oils like lavender, peppermint, frankincense and cedarwood

Resolve Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis may be a new word for you, but it’s explanation is simple. Dysbiosis is simply a bacterial imbalance in the body. Our bodies have trillions of bacteria- there’s more of them then there is human cells! We need to keep these bugs happy, because they keep us happy (literally). There is a very delicate balance of these bacteria- we should have more probiotics (“good” bacteria) compared to pathogens or “bad” bacteria (like candida, parasites, etc). When these bugs are in harmony, everything is great.

When dysbiosis comes about, from poor lifestyle choices, use of medications like antibiotics, anti-depressants and the birth control pill (it’s actually an antibiotic!), acne can be an embarrassing side effect. 

Like the connection between mood problems and acne I’ve mentioned in this article about probiotics and acne, people with acne are also more likely to have a variety of digestive complaints  like constipation, burping, bad breath and bloating. Yuck! While this wasn’t something I ever experienced in great amounts (except maybe some bloating), I see this a lot in the women I work with.

The biggest possible reason for this is something known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth or SIBO. What this means simply is that there’s too many ‘bad’ bacteria and other pathogens in the body than ‘good’ bacteria. While SIBO can be a severe issue, even a small amount of bacterial overgrowth like candida or even leaky gut can cause digestive and skin disturbances. 

Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria, and so help to ‘crowd out’ the bad guys with their body-loving superpowers. The means a healthy gut and healthy skin for the user!

Check out my full post on why you should be using probiotics to help your acne by clicking here. 

6 Effective Medicinal Herbs to Manage Stress and Adrenal Fatigue

Nettle

Oatstraw

Chamomile

Lemon Balm

Tulsi

Rose Petals