Nurse B Wellness

An aura is a sequence of visual & sensory changes that happen before the pain of a migraine hits. Think of it like a warning sign. It can include 1 or more of the following:

🔻Halo of light that blurs vision
🔻Flashes of light
🔻Blind spots
🔻Seeing black dots or zig zags
🔻Inability to speak clearly
🔻Tingling or numbness on one side of the body

Why is it such a big deal in relation to birth control? Research has reported women that have migraines with aura are at an increased risk for ischemic strokes. Add in birth control and the risk jumps even higher. The estrogen in birth control can cause blood to clot easier. If these form in an artery it can block  blood flow to the brain which results in stroke.

Birth control  is already contraindicated for women who already have migraines with aura. When considering birth control please, please tell your doctor if you have these. If you are on birth control and develop migraines with aura you should discontinue immediately.There are several other options of birth control that do not risk your life. If your doctor says that a low dose is okay, find another doctor.

I cannot stress this enough. I listened to my doctor and was put on birth control for years. I have migraines with aura, high blood pressure and my father had a stroke at 45 years old. The perfect storm. I feel very fortunate that nothing went terribly wrong.

Happy Mother's Day to this beautiful queen. I am so honored to be your daughter. And a special shout out to my boys who make everyday feel like Mothers Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the different types of moms out there

Boy do I have a funny story for you! When I was in high school my parents used to think I would come home from the football games drunk because I would hug the toilet in the middle of the night, throwing up. It didn’t happen all the time, about once a month. Coincidence? No, I was getting menstrual migraines & the lights from the game were triggering them.

Migraines are more than “just a bad headache”. If you have ever experienced one you know what I am talking about. It is estimated that 70% of people who experience migraines are women & of those 60% report a connection between their menstruations & migraine attacks.

Combat these migraines by:

👉Balancing estrogen to progesterone ratio. Start eating progesterone boosting foods like leafy greens, citrus fruits, healthy fats and grass fed lean protein one week before you are supposed to start your period. This is a perfect time to throw some pumpkin seeds into your salad!

👉Supplements are a great way to help prevent and treat migraines. Some studies suggest B2 (riboflavin) & coenzyme Q 10 may help prevent migraines. You can take Magnesium glycinate at the onset of your migraine to help with the symptoms & prevent more from happening. Turmeric, ginger & white willow bark are great for pain & inflammation.

👉Visit your chiropractor. A massage or adjustment can decrease the stress hormone cortisol & increase endorphins like serotonin to help alleviate some of the pain.

👉A quick & effective way to reduce inflammation, constrict blood vessels, &  slow down the nerves that are firing pain signals is a cold compress. I like to use a headache hat.

👉Don't forget to hydrate! Hydration is a key factor for balancing hormones & helping your body get rid of excess estrogen/ toxins.

👉Biofeedback can help with both tension & migraine headaches by helping you monitor how your body responds to stress.

👉When all else fails do not be afraid to talk to your doctor about triptans or ditans. Common ones are Imitrex or Maxsalt. They block the pain signals to your brain. If you do not want to start with these ibuprofen is another good choice.

Sometimes you have to just kick up your feet, clear your mind and relax!

Rumination is the process of replaying the same thoughts in your head over and over. It is an unhealthy habit with negative consequences.

I can't count the number of times I have laid in bed with my racing thoughts, stressed and unable to get a good night's sleep. And when I finally fall asleep my alarm wakes me up within the hour. 😡 Does this sound familiar?

Sometimes it is hard to notice we are spiraling, even harder to snap out of it. This is why starting to learn and practice mindfulness is so important.

Benefits of mindfulness
👉 Less rumination
👉 Decreased stress & anxiety
👉 Increased focus & cognitive flexibility
👉 Less emotional reactivity
👉 Enhanced self insight & awareness

How to practice mindfulness
⭐ Slow down, take time to experience your surroundings using your senses
⭐ Be present & live in the moment
⭐ Forgive yourself. Learn to accept you are perfect just the way you are
⭐ Practice mindful breathing.
⭐ Meditate

What do you do to practice mindfulness??

Experts all have their opinion on what is "fat burning" and it can be very difficult to w**d through all the data. Let's face it if there was a definite answer we would all be skinny! We do know one thing is for sure, you can not loose weight without balanced hormones.

👉Flaxseeds have a phytoestrogen called lignans that help balance estrogen levels. It also has been shown to have a positive effect on systolic blood pressure.

👉Cruciferous vegetables contain indole-3-carbinol which is a phytonutrient that has the potential to modulate the metabolism of estrogen

👉Lean protein should be a part of every meal. Not only does it promote healthy hormones through amino acids, magnesium , B vitamins and zinc it keeps your appetite at bay.

👉Apple C***r Vinegar has been shown to reduce appetite and lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It also works to convert proteins into usable amino acids.

👉Probiotic rich foods help your digestion so that hormones can properly metabolize. They contain fibers and beneficial bacteria that will also help with bloating and gas issues.

👉Pumpkin seeds are a tasty snack and a great source for magnesium which will help to lower cortisol levels.

👉Mixed berries are my favorite! They are high in fiber content, polyphenols and other antioxidants  which is important for gut health and helps keep blood sugar stabilized.

In this picture I was 20 pounds lighter than I am now, but completely miserable. Years ago I made the decision to stop thyroid medication & birth control. I could no longer handle the side effects. Weight has been a struggle for me since but I accept it for what it is & work hard to keep my hormones balanced.

Ways to help with hormonal weight gain:

Understand how insulin impacts weight- Made by the pancreas, insulin is one of the most important hormones when it comes to weight loss. When insulin levels are chronically elevated insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes can occur. We can prevent this by not overeating foods that cause insulin resistance like excess sugar, fast food & processed carbohydrates.

Get to know leptin- We do not talk enough about leptin when it comes to weight loss but it is extremely important. If the communication between leptin & our brain becomes imparied we will overeat. This leads to excess calories & weight gain. Ways to avoid this are an anti-inflammatory diet, supplementation with fish oil, regular exercise & quality sleep.

Don't let stress sabotage weight loss- Raise your hand if you are a stress eater  Studies have found higher than normal cortisol levels were associated with overeating & weight gain. Makes sense huh? Comfort food is comfort food for a reason. Also do you ever wonder why you are so easily stressed & irritated on days you do not sleep well? Sleep deprivation can also increase cortisol levels. Break these vicious cycles with a good stress management system.

Keep estrogen levels balanced- Estrogen in normal amounts is necessary for not only our reproductive system but for muscle mass, bone health & can even help with weight management. The catch 22 is that estrogen can also decrease lipolysis in adipose tissue. So in higher amounts we gain weight and store more fat. This makes weight loss even harder. To prevent this from happening we need to make sure we are eliminating daily, supporting our liver detoxification, & avoiding xenoestrogens as much as possible.

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Trying to lose those extra pounds but your weight refuses to budge no matter how much you exercise or cut back on calories? Or maybe you have noticed you have gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time? Especially around your midsection and thighs? Weight gain is one of the most common and visible signs of a hormonal imbalance and can be the culprit to your dilemma.

5 Hormones that affect weight gain:

👉Thyroid- Your thyroid hormones regulate metabolism which directly affect your ability to lose weight. Hypothyroidism causes your metabolism to slow down leading to overall weight gain and making it difficult to lose weight.
👉Estrogen- Estrogen dominance causes quick weight gain in your hips, thighs and breasts. This can happen for 2 reasons, when estrogen levels are normal but progesterone is low OR when estrogen levels are high but progesterone levels are normal. It is best to know which one you have before you start to treat.
👉Insulin- Insulin's main job is to help the body use glucose from the food we eat for energy. When the insulin resistance occurs the body cannot absorb glucose and it gets converted to fat.
👉Leptin- Think of leptin as your fairy godmother that acts as a natural appetite suppressant. When you have had enough food to eat this beauty tells your brain that it is time to stop eating. When there is leptin resistance you keep eating even though you are full and consume extra calories.
👉Cortisol- We need cortisol because it is essential for our survival under acute stress. But when we suffer from chronic stress it can lead to inflammation, high levels of cortisol, and “stress” eating. All of these contribute weight gain and hormonal imbalance.

If you want to learn more about ways to get rid of weight caused by hormones I got you . Details in my next post.

😘Have a wonderful weekend my friends!




stress

Botanicals are a great tool to have in our stress management arsenal since there are several different ways we can incorporate them. The most common ways are through supplements, teas & aromatherapy.

Herbs for stress

🌿Rhodiola Rosea- Rhodiola is used in integrative medicine to help fight burnout with people who experience chronic stress. Studies have shown that regular use of Rhodiola can reduce fatigue & enhance mental performance
🌿Ashwagandha-Ashwagandha Ayurvedic practitioners have been using this herb to treat stress & anxiety for centuries. It is an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps the body's ability to accommodate various types of physical & mental stress. In particular, Ashwagandha has been known to effectively increase resistance to stress.
🌿Holy Basil also known as Tulsi is another adaptogenic herb used in Ayurveda to help relieve stress & promote better moods. It does this by calming the sympathetic nervous system allowing the body to retire to a state of rest and regeneration.
🌿Panax Ginseng is very commonly used in TCM for both physical and mental health, having both neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. It works to stabilize the nervous system response &  improve cognition for those who have high levels of stress.
🌿Passion Flower naturally boosts our levels of GABA . This results in a calming effect very similar to anti-anxiety medications known as benzodiazepines. It also is a mild sedative & works well if you have insomnia. It can also be made into tea.

Teas for stress

☕Chamomile aka Queen of Calm has been used for centuries to naturally address anxiety & stress. It is effective in aiding w/ relaxation & slowing down a racing mind. 
☕Lemon Balm has a mild sedative effect and helps to ease stress, anxiety, sleep & indigestion. It can help to reduce the stress hormone cortisol & relaxes the body w/out drowsiness. 
☕Lavender can be used as a herbal supplement, in tea or as an essential oil. This gently scented flowering herb has been shown to help increase relaxation, calm anxious nerves, &help with sleep. You will find it in many supplements, herbal tea & essential oil blends.

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Take a quiet walk with mother nature. It will nurture your mind, body and soul. This is whole body healing.

Drop a ❤️ if you agree 🙌

Who said snacking wasn’t good for you?  Healthy snacking can curb cravings, keep blood sugar levels under control and help to balance your hormones!

We often avoid snacking because it is associated with weight gain and let's face it “weight loss” and ” snacks” really do not go together right? WRONG!!! Healthy snacking is easy if you remember 3 things:

👉Healthy fats- a necessity for our body to make hormones and can reduce insulin resistance

👉Protein- provides amino acids that are the building block for hormone production and influences the hunger hormone ghrelin

👉Fiber- essential for stabilizing blood sugar and naturally supports liver detoxification

My go to snack is goat cheese, berries and nuts. What is yours?