Tiny Shifts for Big Energy ☀️

It comes down to 3 things ➡️

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, here are some things I do to keep my energy up!

☀️ LIGHT

Direct morning sunlight signals the body that it’s time to wake up! On the other end of the spectrum, I power down electronics at night to minimize blue light exposure before bed.

🏋️‍♀️ MOVEMENT

If the weather isn’t ideal, it can take more commitment to exercise every day. Time to try out some indoor options, like yoga or weights.

🥣 FOOD

It only makes sense to shift our eating patterns toward warmer, cooked, and nourishing foods for late fall. Time to pull out that stew pot!

If you’ve never thought about adjusting your routine to the seasons, I encourage you to think about what feels good for your body as the weather changes and tune in to what it’s asking for.

Things I Skip for My Hormone Health

Things I avoid for my hormone health:

🚫 Receipts

🚫 Plastic Bottles

🚫 Fragrances

🚫 Food Dyes

(Here’s why 👇)

All of these things contain 💥xenoestrogens💥

Xenoestrogens are chemicals in everyday products that have estrogen-like effects.

Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to:

▪️ Uterine fibroids

▪️ Endometriosis

▪️ Infertility

▪️ PCOS

▪️ Early menopause

▪️ Early puberty

As well as cancers, metabolic disorders, obesity and more 😢

The point is not to fear everything we breathe, eat, smell, or touch. The point is to understand simple things we can do to minimize exposures to xenoestrogens and endocrine disruptors on an everyday basis over time.

Here are some things anyone can do:

💧 Carry a glass or stainless steel water bottle rather than plastic

💸 Opt to skip printed receipts

🧴Choose fragrance-free cleaning products

🍭 Avoid synthetic food dyes

🌽 Purchase organic foods

💋Choose personal care products that are paraben-free

🌱 Use air purifiers and/or house plants to keep indoor air clean

Think of your body as a bucket. Chemical toxins are always pouring into the bucket, and your natural detox pathways are always draining those toxins out. As long as you are clearing out toxins faster than they are building up, you’ll stay in a space of health.

Drop me a ❤️ if you learned something new!

#xenoestrogens #hormonedisruptors #endocrinedisruptors #hormonehealth #elementsnatmed

REFERENCES:

Ahn C, Jeung EB. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Disease Endpoints. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(6):5342. Published 2023 Mar 10. [link]

The Endocrine Society. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health [link]

For YOU: Tiny Habits to Stop Stress

In case you haven’t noticed…

Stress is not just an emotional experience. It can disrupt just about every aspect of our physical health as well—mainly because we have a physiologic response to stress no matter what the trigger. It can contribute to:

✖️ belly fat

✖️ trouble losing weight

✖️ period problems

✖️ blood sugar swings

✖️ sleep struggles

✖️ groggy mornings

✖️ digestive issues

But we have the power to stop stress in its tracks—every day and all day, with tiny habits. Like…

❣️ Pausing for 30 seconds to focus on your breath

❣️ Getting up from your desk for a 2-minute stretch break

❣️ Going for a walk around the block

❣️ Shaking out your arms, legs, and whole body

❣️ Snuggling or being intimate with a partner

❣️ Tapping around the eyes or under your collar bone

Here is your challenge:

Tap ❤️ to like this post and then pick one thing from that list and do it now!

#stresshormones #hormonehealthmatters #everythingsconnected #elementsnatmed

The Soy Debate

What the research says ⬇️

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds in foods that mimic estrogen. They include:

✔️ Isoflavones in soy

✔️ Lignans in flax seeds

✔️ Resveratrol in wine

Research shows that eating more phytoestrogens is correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer in women before menopause and a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence in women after menopause (PMID 35241506 and 38070485).

How much?

The most risk reduction was in women who ate about 60 mg of soy isoflavones per day, or 2-3 servings of soy.

One caveat is that soy is a common allergen, often genetically engineered, and highly processed 😬

So look for organic soy products that are minimally processed—like tofu, tempeh, miso, and edamame.

If you don’t want to make sense of all this by yourself and want a personalized assessment and plan for hormonal health, we are here to help!

🔗 Follow the link in our bio to get started!

REFERENCES:

-Boutas I, Kontogeorgi A, Dimitrakakis C, Kalantaridou SN. Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis. In Vivo. 2022;36(2):556-562. [link]

-Desmawati D, Sulastri D. Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019;7(3):495-499. [link]
-van Die MD, Bone KM, Visvanathan K, et al. Phytonutrients and outcomes following breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024;8(1). [link]

Step 1 = Listen to Your Hormones

But wait! Let me finish ⬇️

Hormonal changes are not the only possible causes for these issues. To fully understand, we need to look at the complete picture, including your health history and labs.

That being said, I believe you deserve to understand your body!

Here’s what more women need to know:

Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35. It’s common for progesterone to decline before estrogen, creating a picture of high estrogen. That means…

👉 Worsening PMS, bloating, and heavy periods rather than what you might be expecting from “menopause.”

The good news is that we have an extensive toolbox to support healthy hormones and ease the transition with lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation.

📲 Share this with a friend who might want to hear this!