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What if you could heal your gut without stool testing or protocols?

In this episode, I map a simple path that doesn’t require labs or fancy add-ons. You’re going to learn four specific areas that anyone can use to heal their gut for good (and none of them are pills). 

The real blocker is the common state many people are in that shuts down digestion and irritates the gut lining. There are small timing tweaks that get your digestive juices to show up when they’re supposed to, and things to change first so symptoms don’t boomerang a few months later. This episode will make you re-think everything you knew about gut health.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction
[04:20] What actually causes symptoms to come back after a ‘gut protocol’
[08:01] The reason your gut still struggles even when you ‘eat clean’
[26:21] The simple timing shift that gets your digestive juices working again
[40:05] Why blood sugar swings mess with your microbiome
[48:53] The overlooked body system that keeps your gut detoxing properly
[54:59] The most important thing to think about when the goal is to repair your gut long term

Resources Mentioned:

Holistic Healing for Nina-Marie Rueda | Book
Bon Charge | Website (use code HHRD for a 15% off discount)
RA Optics | Website
Viva Rays | Website (use code HHRD for a discount)
Spectra 479 | Glasses
Sleep ZM | Glasses
Paleo Valley Essential Electrolytes | Website (use code HORMONEHEALINGRD10)
Hormone Healing podcast episode Intro to Lymph Flow with Leah | Listen Now
Hormone Healing podcast episode How To Have Healthy Digestion | Listen NowLearn about helpful nutrition habits, the different phases of your cycle, how to track, signs of good metabolic health, and so much more in my Free Healthy Period Starter Guide.

Find more from Amanda:

Hormone Healing RD | Instagram
Hormone Healing RD | Website
Hormone Healing RD | Facebook
Hormone Healing RD | YouTube
Hormone Healing RD | TikTok

Transcript:

00:00:00] Welcome to the Hormone Healing RD podcast, where you’ll get clear, practical guidance for your healing journey. I’m Amanda Montalvo, women’s health, dietician and mineral expert. I have helped thousands of women and navigated a lot of my own healing struggles, and after going through that process, I know how confusing and frustrating, overwhelming the wellness world can be.

[00:00:21] So with this podcast, I really aim to cut through the noise with simple, clinically backed insights on hormones, minerals, and what your body actually needs. To heal. So heal, that’s what we’re here for. I am very excited about today’s topic. It’s about gut health and how to support your, actually healing your gut without doing stool testing and protocols and things like that.

[00:00:43] And this came about after one of my. Patreon members, when I said, what do you guys wanna learn about the podcast coming back? What are you interested in this season? I got a request for how to support your gut and heal your gut without doing stool testing because they’re like not financially able to at this time.

[00:00:58] And I’m like, what a great [00:01:00] question because there’s so much you can do and, and it’s not even supplements, right? I’m not, I’m like thinking just lifestyle stuff, like there’s a lot that you can do. So that’s what I wanna focus on today. I feel like whenever you look at this topic. If you do any research on it, it’s a lot of women are told like, take a probiotic or eliminate these foods like a food elimination, diet’s, get, gonna heal your gut.

[00:01:25] Things like that. Supporting digestion and listen, those are not necessarily, it’s not that they’re bad things. Number one, I do feel like things like that, ideally you’re testing, especially if you’re like a sensitive individual, if you have like any histamine issues. ’cause probiotics can go very badly for histamine people.

[00:01:42] But just in general, I’m like this, it just glosses right over. The most important thing. The biggest issue I see for most people is that they’re very stressed. They’re living a very chronically in a chronic fight or flight state, and they don’t have the foundations in place and. [00:02:00] When that happens, it’s very difficult to actually improve your gut health.

[00:02:04] ’cause if you’re stressed all the time, your digestion’s not going good. You’re gonna have more inflammation in your gut. It’s gonna affect your gut lining. And we’ll get into all this in more detail, but just like kind of like a big overview. Stress is a huge key player that I think people don’t put enough attention into meal hygiene, blood sugar.

[00:02:20] ’cause when we have a lot of blood sugar imbalance that creates more inflammation in our body, that’s gonna affect our immune system and our gut health. And then just so like. Other daily kind of habitual things like supporting your lymphatic system in your liver and things that are very simple, but when you actually have a good routine with them, when you get out of the chronic fight or flight state, that’s when you can heal things long term.

[00:02:43] So even if you do, and I’m not against, I love stool testing it, it was so helpful for me, especially on my fertility journey with my first daughter. Acne. I mean, I, I, long-term acne suffer over here and there. I definitely had a gut component. I used to take antibiotics [00:03:00] for my acne when I was younger, so it, it really has made a huge difference for myself and I don’t wanna negate testing.

[00:03:06] I think it’s, we do it in our practice. I, I think it’s so helpful, but I think people jump to testing before they have the foundations in place and they’re like, oh, I have to work on all this stuff before I can even take a supplement. And it’s like ideally, yes, otherwise you’re just gonna end up doing gut protocol after a gut protocol ’cause your symptoms are gonna return or maybe new symptoms pop up or you’re like, man, I, I felt so much better.

[00:03:31] My gut issues were gone. And then three to six months later you’re like, wow. They’re start slowly starting to return. And that’s when I immediately think, okay, there is a foundational issue going on here. I mean, the gut is so important. That’s why we do stool testing and we think it’s so huge to support that in support for hormone health.

[00:03:50] It’s important for energy, our immune system function, but it’s also very sensitive to daily and chronic stressors. And if we only focus on killing off [00:04:00] certain pathogens, adding in supplements, we are really missing out on these simple, everyday habits that will actually drive healing and also improve other areas.

[00:04:12] Um, so that’s really what I wanna focus on today. I am gonna break down four specific areas that anyone can use to heal their gut for good. So we’re gonna talk about stress in the gut brain axis. First, we’re gonna talk about circadian rhythm and digestion. In the gut microbiome, we talk about meal hygiene and blood sugar, and then supporting the lymphatic system and how that also connects to our gut and immune systems as well.

[00:04:36] So. We don’t have to do all these things at once either. I just wanna say, as you listen to this, just pick one thing. Pick one area. I, I always say like, what? What one is the most exciting for you? Like, which one are you most interested in? Or which one you’re like, I could definitely do this. This feels manageable.

[00:04:51] And start there. Because a lot of the things I’m gonna be talking about, like, we’re gonna start with stress. Listen, that’s not easy. I’m still stressing [00:05:00] stress. I’m like, does it ever end? Um, I’m really hoping one day I will get the complete hang of it, but I mean, life changes and you know, like your family grows and stuff like that.

[00:05:10] It’s like stress will just shift into different areas. But stress is definitely one of the major areas of focus. That we work on with clients that I work on with myself. When I think of like my kids and supporting their good health, they both had some gut issues previously when they were younger. My youngest is still, we’re still like working on hers, but one of the biggest part of of that process, even with kids is working on their stress.

[00:05:37] I think it’s one of the most overlooked parts of like gut issues and when our bodies are in this high stress state, it just. Really ruins the communication between the gut and the brain and digestion suffers. And I, I have done previous podcast episodes, like one I on how to have healthy digestion. And I talk about like, digestion starts in your brain first and like trying to [00:06:00] relax and stuff before your meals.

[00:06:02] Uh, I also get into a lot of like all the different types of digestive support. So if you wanna nerd out on that, it’s there for you. Uh. And digestion is huge. It’s, it’s really like supporting your digestion is like, I think one of the first ways you start to heal your gut because if you’re not breaking down your food, well, then you’re gonna have these large food particles and that creates chaos in the gut.

[00:06:22] More inflammation doesn’t feed your good gut bacteria properly, and then you start to have just little imbalances and they start off small. But if it persists over time. That’s when issues can arise. So, and, and plus, like you don’t absorb your nutrients as well. And then, uh, if you don’t have a good digestive juice release, typically that means you don’t have good bile release, and that means that you’re not getting rid of estrogen and toxins and ex excess copper and all the things that are, we’re getting rid of in bile.

[00:06:51] So. It’s so critical. Digestion’s huge. But we have to think about, not just like should I take a digestive enzyme or use bitters or cider vinegar or something, [00:07:00] but what am I doing on a daily basis that is shutting down my digestion? And that’s usually stress. So. If we think about, um, a really easy way to understand this is that you can think of your digestive system like a busy highway.

[00:07:14] So when you’re relaxed, cars are flowing through smoothly, food is broken down, nutrients get absorbed, waste gets moved along and removed. But when that stress comes in and takes over, it’s like a giant traffic jam and signals between the brain and the gut get clogged. Enzymes don’t show up on time, and the whole system slows to a crawl.

[00:07:36] And then that’s when bacteria can overgrow when symptoms like bloating can pop up. Constipation, diarrhea, skin issues. ’cause not everyone with digestive, with gut issues has digestive issues. Like I personally more had other symptoms, like more like histamine symptoms, rashes, redness, lots of like hormonal swings in my cycle and acne.

[00:07:56] And so not everyone’s gut symptoms are gonna look [00:08:00] like bloating and things like that. Can and like anxiety, you know, they can show up in other areas. So when our digestion is not working well, it just creates all this disruption in the gut. Our we’re just stuck in this fight or flight response, and then everything else that’s supposed to happen.

[00:08:17] Digestive juices, stomach acid, enzymes, bile, gut motility. That gets thrown off. And so that’s when we can start to see symptoms pop up. And it’s not even just, so that’s where it starts, this poor digestion. But eventually what happens is it can make our gut lining more permeable or leaky and basically that high cortisol, that stress hormone, it starts signaling and activating mast cells.

[00:08:44] This is a part of our immune response and it’s important, it’s supposed to happen, but if it’s happening too often, it can eventually weaken tight junctions that keep our gut lining intact and like strong. And over time, this can allow bacteria and toxins to slip [00:09:00] into our bloodstream and slowly creates inflammation, immune reactions.

[00:09:04] That make those gut symptoms worse. And again, they could be actual GI symptoms. They could be skin, histamine, mental health, physical symptoms, things like that. And it, this is definitely much more well known now. We used to mostly have animal studies, but now we have more human studies. That chronic stress really does increase that gut permeability.

[00:09:23] And you can think about your gut lining as like a security gate and it, it’s really deciding what gets in. And what stays out and stress is having that chronic stress over time that can lead to leaving that gait unlocked and things that shouldn’t pass through like bacteria and toxins are. And then that’s triggering all these alarms and inflammation in the body and that makes all, everything worse and it just creates this big inflammatory cascade that further drives those gut symptoms.

[00:09:54] So over time, that’s how stress, its digestion. It’s also [00:10:00] immune response. I mean, I think of how many I’ve seen. I, I would say thousands at this point of stool tests. I’ve been doing this for over a decade, and it, it’s the amount of tests that have low secretory iga, which is an immune marker. I would say most of them have very low levels.

[00:10:21] Whenever I see someone that either has high or normal levels, I’m like, oh, good. It’s not gonna take as long to work on this process. And they probably haven’t been as chronically stressed for as long. But when I see that very, very low secretory iga marker. That’s what tells me. I’m like, okay, you’re, you’ve probably been chronically stressed and it’s been affecting your gut and immune system for a very long time.

[00:10:42] And again, it’s not always gonna show with gut symptoms. Um, but it, it definitely can and we just aren’t aware of them. So that’s really where the stress piece comes in as far as what I think helps people the most with dealing with it because. It’s [00:11:00] like managing your stress is so much more than just adding in things as a checklist.

[00:11:04] Like I think of like meditation or mindfulness practices and yoga and like, listen, I think that these things are all great. I, I really do. But what I often see happen is that women will add these types of practices in, but they’re don’t change anything else about how they live their life. So they just have a longer checklist now, which is probably not.

[00:11:27] Probably gonna add to their stress. ’cause whenever I’m like, oh, you know, like breath work can really activate your vagus nerve. Or even like, like singing and humming and things like that can help with that. Like vagal tone, it’s like anything additional that they’re kind of like at their max capacity, which I could not understand more.

[00:11:46] I feel like I’m just getting out of not being at my max capacity. So I, I fully understand that and that’s, I think that’s why I’m so. Such a big advocate for like, what are you currently doing? What can we just, either [00:12:00] things that you’re doing really well, do them more or make sure we don’t lose them or look at like, could we just slow something else down or swap something else out, or just take a bunch of stuff out, is what I love to have people do is to just like clear things out if they can.

[00:12:17] But even just the way you’re living it, it’s, it’s how you live and design your life that’s gonna dictate those stress levels for the most part. Obviously, you can have many outside stressors that are out of your control, that you can’t reduce your stress. And this is why I, it’s so, it’s so important to look at more, how am I living versus.

[00:12:38] What could I add? Right. So I think a big one that many people can have control over is just being very overstimulated and having way too much like time on your phone, scrolling on social media, constant notifications, always being available to people and always being on, we were not. Designed to be [00:13:00] constantly bombarded with information comparison like on social media demands from people 24 7.

[00:13:07] We, we really weren’t, and that stimulation keeps us in this fight or flight state. Also, very much messes with our dopamine levels and I think can just really impact motivation and things like that. So working on time away from your phone, I think this is like the number one thing. That personally helps me is just getting back in my world and not worrying about other people’s worlds and what they’re doing.

[00:13:30] Especially I think if you have a business online, it can be hard. You kind of feel like I have to stay in the know. Or if you work in a certain field or something in marketing or whatever. It can be very difficult or, or if you’re just trying to learn things online. That’s like the biggest thing that I hear.

[00:13:45] Obviously, I have this podcast that people are probably trying to learn something, which I think can be great, but it’s so important to have boundaries around that and how much you are listening to things and using your phone. Like I will not listen to more than one or two [00:14:00] podcast episodes a week.

[00:14:01] Because it’s not good for my brain, it’s not good for my creativity and it’s, it’s not good for just like my focus and my attention span. And so those are like the kind of boundaries I have in place. I try to only use my phone after a certain time of day. Now my schedule has changed a ton ’cause my husband is home.

[00:14:19] He is, he just got outta the military and so I’m like really only on my phone during my work block for that day, which has been life giving. Uh, it can make it hard because I’m not as in contact with. You know, friends, I mean, I, I still talk to my friends and family plenty, but it’s not like constant, which I’m like, this is okay, and this is healthy.

[00:14:39] So looking at what are, where’s your overstimulation coming from, if that’s a concern for you. I also know so many people now that already have this in a good place because they’ve realized how much it affects their health. But that is a really big one. I also think having realistic expectations for your day is very, very important.

[00:14:58] I often hear from women that are like, no [00:15:00] matter what I do, I still feel stressed. And it’s often not because they aren’t trying to work on things, it’s usually because their days are structured around unrealistic expectations. They can’t actually get everything done in that day. So imagine like never getting your to-do list done.

[00:15:16] Like that’s very stressful for most people. And so really working on your. Expectations of like, do you, can you actually do all that stuff in a day or is it maybe not realistic or just, you know, I just think about like. Women based on where you’re in your cycle, sometimes you can get a lot more done and that’s great.

[00:15:34] And then sometimes you can’t, like in your luteal phase, could you simplify things and make your life less stressful, um, or certain days, things like that. But I think healing really requires you to ask like, what do I really want for my health in my life? And what can I let go of? What is not bringing me that?

[00:15:51] Even if you can’t let go of it immediately, like I just think of, I mean we had so much stress when my husband was in the military, he was in for nine years and [00:16:00] we had kids for over three of those years and it was just so much. He deployed a lot. It, there was so much that was outta my control and I constantly felt like, well this doesn’t matter.

[00:16:10] I can’t do anything about it. Now he’s not here, you know, or we, you know, his contract isn’t up until this date, so. There was a lot that I felt like was outta my control, but when I, when I shifted my mindset to like, but what can I do right now? What do I not have to wait for? That really, really, really helped me, and that’s something that I think can be helpful to be like, what is, you know, maybe you’re waiting, you feel like, oh, when my kids are older, or when you’re not working a certain job, or when there’s some sort of life shift.

[00:16:38] You could, you could be waiting for that, but it’s like, is there anything you can implement now? There’s usually at least one small thing. So I think that can be really helpful. And then shifting your priorities. It’s not about doing nothing, it’s about choosing what matters most and trying to protect your energy.

[00:16:53] So looking at how are you living? Could you spend less time on your phone and more time outside? That’s [00:17:00] a huge one. Can you build tiny little moments of joy into your day with hobbies that you like or connecting with loved ones or pets? Just things that matter to you. And really trying to work in those little doses of downtime without guilt.

[00:17:13] ’cause it’s always like people are moving from one thing to the next and this is just gonna keep you in that chronic fight or flight state. And when you build in these tiny little moments, like I think meals are, that for us for sure, not only because it’s really good for your digestion and your gut health, but also because they’re built in breaks in our day where we’re gonna sit down and eat together.

[00:17:35] And this was before, this was always when, whether my husband was working or not. So just allowing that downtime without guilt, I, I, that’s something I, that has always been challenging for me. I, I very much like to. Work and keep busy and I’m constantly doing things and having kids, really, I will always say this, having kids improve my health so much because I’m not constantly going ’cause I want to have [00:18:00] memories and moments and I wanna be there with them and meaningfully connect with them and be available.

[00:18:05] And it’s like you can’t be always doing stuff if you’re, when you have that happen. And is there a really big balance between like, okay, but I have to like, we have to do laundry, we have to clean our house, we have to cook food. And then as you know, obviously as your kids get older, there’s a lot more responsibility, whether that’s like homeschool or bringing them to school activities, things with friends, obviously.

[00:18:26] Like I even think it’s like we have like a family dinner night on Sundays, like looking at your schedule and being like, is this. Adding is this putting it, pushing us toward the life that we wanna live and what we say our values are? Or is this just adding more stress to our plate? That’s kind of how I’m always thinking, uh, and trying to be so intentional with that, like as our kids get older as well.

[00:18:48] So I just think like trying to create realistic rhythms and routines versus trying to cram so much into every single day just for, just for getting things done and being productive. It’s like you kind of [00:19:00] have to choose, like do you, do you wanna have like realistic, healthy. Relaxing, peaceful rhythms and sometimes it’s not always relaxing.

[00:19:08] I mean, there’s plenty of times where I would definitely say our lives are very full, you know, so, but it’s also like, ha, trying to have that balance of like, okay, we have a lot going on and then we’re gonna have a rest period. You know, it, it’s good for everyone involved. Some things, and that I would say like have worked really well for me are thinking about like, how do I wanna feel and how do I want my kids to feel throughout the day?

[00:19:31] And then working rhythms around that, like what did that look like? Again, choosing activities, what’s the most important? Is this worth having a rush around for? Like, we recently started gymnastics again for Eliana, ’cause she asked for it after we moved and I was like, okay. But you know, this means that we’re gonna have to, it’s gonna take a little bit more time.

[00:19:49] We have to get them outta the house and get somewhere, do the class, you know, come home. So it does like, make our day a little bit less flexible. And that’s good ’cause it’s [00:20:00] good for her to learn that kind of stuff. Um, but it’s also, it’s, it’s just like another thing that we have to do. So it’s like, is this worth it for, for us, for her, yes.

[00:20:08] ’cause she absolutely loves it. But it, whenever we add something in like that, or we’re like planning out our week. Like we’re so intentional with like, do we wanna be extra busy this day? Is this gonna be worth it? And sometimes it is and sometimes it’s not. I also think it’s important to like check in with those rhythms and routines that you’re building and working on and seeing is this working out the way that we thought or should we shift it?

[00:20:30] And I do think it’s important to have this much thought into like how you’re living your life and what you’re saying yes to and no to. And it’s always gonna be changing, but it’s, I think it’s important too to list like, do you have a weird gut feeling? Like I kind of thought what our schedule, I had an idea of what our schedule was gonna look like when my husband got out, and now I’m like, I don’t think it’s gonna work the way that I thought because it’s, my youngest is like not doing well with being away from me for long chunks.

[00:20:54] So it’s like, and I don’t want that. It’s very stressful for everyone [00:21:00] involved, and I’m like, okay, how can we shift things a little bit? So it’s just like good to like check in if you have a weird gut feeling. If you feel like things are starting to get crazy again and packed, don’t ignore that. I would say like lean in and try to adjust things again.

[00:21:13] And then just knowing like it can be really, really, really hard to get out of fight or flight. And. Not, and get used to not being constantly stressed and in motion and doing things and checking your phone or checking your email or responding to a text or a call, um, or checking social media, whatever it might be.

[00:21:33] Or like driving to the next thing. It can be a lot, and you may, you can get thoughts of like guilt, shame, like you’re not doing enough, like you don’t deserve the rest. You have to work for it. Right? But you have to keep telling yourself and. Moving forward with what you want of like, okay, I deserve to live a peaceful life.

[00:21:54] I deserve to have good health. I deserve to not feel stressed all the time, and you don’t have to kill [00:22:00] yourself to earn some rest. I just think it’s, that’s kind of like what our society is built around and it makes it impossible whether you have gut issues, hormone concerns, thyroid concerns, adrenal concern, like actual stress concerns, whatever it is, fertility.

[00:22:15] I mean, truly, truly, this is. This is the foundation, how you’re living constantly and the choices you make all day long. That is what sets the tone for your health and whether or not you can heal your gut without doing further testing and protocols and stuff like that. Or at least get yourself set up so that if you did do that, it would work and not leave you on this like protocol hamster wheel.

[00:22:37] So those are, that’s kind of my spiel on stress. It’s, I know it. You may have heard a lot of it before, but if that is, if that’s an area that you have not addressed, I would honestly not even listen to the rest of the podcast and just start there. How am I living my life? What am I doing in a day? Am I rushing?

[00:22:56] Am I always on my phone? I, um, I remember I did a little [00:23:00] audit for myself a while back, and I’ll have clients do this too if they kind of like feel like if, if I have someone that’s very disconnected. And they’re like, I don’t know, I don’t feel like stressed all the time, but they, all of everything else is telling me that they’re constantly in fight or flight.

[00:23:15] Then that’s when I’ll just be like, okay, well just take a little piece of paper, have it with you all day and like write down whenever you pick up your phone or just kind of go through like your day of like what you’re doing, thoughts that came up and things like that, and just. When they get distracted and it’s, they’re like, oh, oh.

[00:23:32] I’m just always going. I, I’m, I’m literally never stopping. So it, it can take time and it can be very unsettling as you shift outta that fight or flight. I’m definitely in that season now of being like, oh, I don’t have to do everything by myself. I am not, like, it’s not all on me and I’m not staying up late working and, you know.

[00:23:52] Working all day on the weekends ’cause that’s when my husband’s home. You know, it’s just, it’s been very interesting to [00:24:00] see that in myself as well. ’cause I do, I was like, wow. I really thought I was like really good at kind of like regulating everything. But I just think when you have so much to do. It just gets impossible.

[00:24:12] And this is where the being realistic comes in and getting help when you need it as you can. Obviously, you know, I’ve been there, there’s times where you just can’t, but it’s like you can’t live like that forever, and sometimes you can. You’re gonna have hard seasons like that, but it’s like what are you gonna do to support yourself while you’re in it?

[00:24:27] And then I. Really, how are you eventually gonna get out of it? What’s the plan to kind of transfer out? And again, this matters for our gut health because when your nervous system is constantly in fight or flight, your body’s not gonna switch. Stress and digest, not gonna digest your food well, it’s gonna affect your digestive juice production, your gut motility, whether you have constipation or diarrhea.

[00:24:47] It can go either way. Nervous system can go either way and affect that. Um, and then your gut lining that gut permeability, it’s not gonna be able to repair itself. So when we manage stress, support the nervous system, we’re gonna restore our gut’s [00:25:00] natural functions, which is a huge part of healing your gut for good without.

[00:25:06] Testing, supplements, protocols, anything like that. So that’s the stress piece. Let’s get into circadian rhythm. I know I talk about this a lot. I will link to my episode with Carrie Bennett. As always, if you wanna like really nerd out on circadian rhythm. But overall, just like a quick breakdown of what it is, how it works in the body.

[00:25:25] Our bodies all run on the clock. Just like your brain, your gut also runs on that clock. The gut bacteria, digestive juices, even our immune defenses are gonna rise and fall in daily patterns based on. So when that rhythm is thrown off, then whether that’s like irregular sleep or weird meal times, like eating late at night or skipping meals, things like that, too much light exposure, like artificial light exposure at night, or not getting enough natural light during the day.

[00:25:58] Digestion can [00:26:00] really, really struggle. So a way we can think about it is you can think of your gut like an orchestra. When each instrument, the ho hormones, microbes, digestive juices, when they are all playing on time, you get harmony when rhythms are disrupted. Like say we are not getting the good light exposure constantly in fight or flight.

[00:26:21] That’s another part of supporting our circadian rhythm. It’s like musicians that are playing out of sync. Everything sounds off. That is really what’s happening in your gut. So you will have digestive juices not being produced at the right time. Um, ’cause that’s very driven by circadian rhythm. You can have certain bacteria, like our, our gut microbiome, the bacteria in our gut shifts day versus night.

[00:26:45] So like daytime is more for like. Helping support digestion and things like that, whereas nighttime is more like detox support. So all of those things will shift and change with our circadian rhythm and when that is off. [00:27:00] All the different gut functions are off as well. So yeah, I even think about like certain beneficial bacteria will have like peak activity producing compounds like short chain fatty acids and that repair gut lining mostly at nighttime.

[00:27:12] So when we’re really throwing things off and we’re wondering why do I need to focus on circadian rhythm? Is this actually important for me? Everyone, light exposure is not optional. Circadian rhythm is not optional. Again, it’s like stress. It’s foundational. Uh, and if we think about. All the hormones and things that follow, like cortisol follows that circadian rhythm.

[00:27:34] It peaks in the morning and then it’s gonna, that’s gonna help prime digestion and immune defense, and then melatonin’s gonna increase at nighttime. This is gonna signal repair. Melatonin’s a very powerful antioxidant. Obviously it’s important for sleep, but it’s really important for gut health, hormones, fertility, everything.

[00:27:53] So it’s gonna signal repair, it’s gonna help with gut barrier restoration, repairing that gut lining that can get. Disrupted, [00:28:00] uh, and the, if those rhythms are off, those digestive juices are not timed well and it just leaves that food harder to break down. And like I mentioned in the beginning, I really look at supporting digestion, not just through digestive supplements and things like that, but through stress and circadian rhythm support.

[00:28:18] That is really our first step. To supporting good gut health forever. And then immune function too. Our gut microbes, the little bacteria in our gut, they can help train the immune system on a daily cycle. And so if we have disruption in that cycle, then we can have weaker gut defenses, more inflammation.

[00:28:38] So. It’s not just like digestive juices. Yes, that’s a big part of it, but even just what bacteria is more active when, what hormones are more active, when those are gonna impact? Is our gut doing the right functions at the right time? Is that orchestra in harmony or is it completely out of [00:29:00] sync? Uh, some simple ways we can support this.

[00:29:03] ’cause I know I’ve talked about this to death, but I just can’t, I can’t not. It up, right? It’s been so, so huge for myself, for the clients that we work with, core students. I mean, I’ll have people that go through the course and they’re like, yeah, I only implemented the circadian rhythm stuff and half my symptoms are gone.

[00:29:20] I’m like, okay, alright. But still do your hair test. But that is absolutely amazing and it’s encouraging and it’s like. This is how you get results that last it. It’s not by taking a bunch of supplements and jumping from protocol to protocol, it is about working on these simple daily habits that are hard.

[00:29:38] I personally think that they are hard. I think stress is hard, like working on your daily rhythm because people just like, there are, people have expectations of you and you have your own expectations of yourself, and a lot of it is just based off a society that it’s. Very unhealthy and it’s not realistic.

[00:29:55] So I wanna say that like, I know it’s hard to work on these things, but these are, [00:30:00] it, it can look different for everyone. There’s no perfect way to do it. And there are things that you will take with you forever. And if you have kids, I’m like, like how? Imagine like my kids everywhere and they’re like, get, get some.

[00:30:11] My youngest is like one half. She’s like, get some light. I’m like, yep, we’re gonna go right outside, you know? Like she’s gonna know to do that forever. And I’m like, man, imagine if that’s just how it was. Um, hopefully eventually it will be. But really simple ways to support your circadian rhythm are gonna be getting that light first thing in the morning.

[00:30:28] I know that people talk about like being outside for sunrise for 30 minutes or whatever, or getting UVA rise. And I love, I think that it’s so great if you can do that. I also think. That is not realistic for a lot of people. And so just getting outside for a few minutes. When you first wake, if it’s light out, when you wake up, just get your eyes in the light.

[00:30:49] If it’s cloudy and rainy outside, still go get your eyes out there. Your body’s still gonna take in the light and know what time it is, and even if it’s not sunrise again, your body’s still gonna know what time it is based on [00:31:00] the different. UV rays that are out the different spectrum, wavelengths of light, it, it’ll know.

[00:31:05] That’s the coolest part. I’m like, you can’t mess up circadian rhythm. You just gotta be outside. So getting that first thing in the morning is gonna help reset cortisol. Melatonin tells your body, Hey, we’re gonna stop making melatonin. We’re gonna start making cortisol. It’s gonna start to wake up those digestive juices, so that’s huge.

[00:31:22] And then blocking artificial blue light at nighttime, of course, trying to have a good wind down routine. Get dimming the lights, turning them off. Maybe you have little red light lamps or salt lamps, whatever works for you. Obviously I love the, the glasses I like. I wear these, my yellow ones when I’m working on my computer.

[00:31:42] To minimize that artificial blue light. I wear red ones at nighttime. You could just do orange. I like the red ’cause it blocks everything out and I sleep so good. So, um, those, I, my, my red ones are from bond charge. I got those like. In 2018, I think it was my [00:32:00] first pair. And yeah, so those have lasted and all mine are prescription.

[00:32:04] I, I don’t wear contacts, I just wear glasses. So minor prescription. And these are, these are raw optics. Um, they have the, they have really nice yellow ones, but you can also get them on Amazon. And I’ll put, let me put a reminder to put the links. Um, in the notes for you guys, I have like a whole list put circ rhythm links.

[00:32:24] I have a whole list. I have like the nice fancy brands and I have discount codes. And then I have like Amazon brands that you guys can get because sometimes you just need to like dip your toe in at first before you invest. But I will say like, if, if you, for me, ’cause I have prescription, I can’t, Ima, I couldn’t, I needed a prescription pair and so.

[00:32:44] Those work really well, but they last forever, obviously. Um, if you don’t have your kids and stuff, like break them, but that’s ideal. You don’t have to do the glasses though. I have plenty of clients that just make their phone screen red. They turn all the lights off and they don’t do [00:33:00] much screen time otherwise, so they don’t need the glasses.

[00:33:03] I think it just depends on the person. Um, and I get so many questions about contacts, so I’m gonna, I will address that here ’cause I’m sure people are gonna ask this question. ’cause typically you wanna get outside. I take my glasses off in the morning time when I’m working out outside. I take them off.

[00:33:21] When we go for walks, I take kind of put ’em on and off depending on where we’re walking. Um, beach, I don’t typically wear them. Uh, obviously it depends on how bad your vision is. My vision. Pretty bad, but I love taking breaks from my glasses. I’ve actually noticed I’ve done this for a really long time, or when I take breaks from them, it, I feel like it helps make my vision better and it kind of gives my eyes a break.

[00:33:41] I haven’t gotten a new prescription. I think it was 2016 or 2015. It’s been almost 10 years, and then I went to the eye doctor and they’re like, yep, that hasn’t changed. I’m. They’re always like super shocked by that. But I will say implementing the blue light lockers on my computer time has made a big difference [00:34:00] for me.

[00:34:01] Uh, and just taking breaks and stuff from constantly having my glasses on. And obviously like talk, don’t, just don’t do that if you’re driving or not, don’t feel safe or stuff like that. But that is just something that has worked really well for me. And the contacts, I hate contacts so I don’t wear them, but you can get a brand called Dailies brand.

[00:34:19] And you could also just look up the brand you have and then see if they block UV light. Most of them do, and so that’s why ideally you either wear contacts that do not block the UV light, like the dailies brand or you like. I personally, I’ve had a lot of clients that they’re like, those are too expensive, so they don’t get them.

[00:34:37] And I had one that actually did not like them. And then I know people that love them, so. Just like anything else, you have to figure out what works for you. If it is a lot more expensive than your current contacts, though, honestly, I, I don’t think you need if you’re, unless you’re living outside in your contacts, I just don’t think most people need them.

[00:34:55] I think that you could just not put your contacts until after you get morning light and [00:35:00] then make sure that you take them out. So you get natural light towards the end of the day and then wear blue blockers still at nighttime. So like that’s a lot of our clients, like that’s the kind of routine they’ll do is they’ll just take them out before their end of their day, wear their glasses so they can take their glasses off outside and get more natural light in their eyes.

[00:35:18] Um, so it just, you know, you gotta find the rhythm that works for you, but that can be very helpful. The other thing I wanna mention that is important for circadian rhythm support too, is meal timing and when you’re eating your food, so. This keeps, again, it helps with that digestive orchestra, all those juices, and having those release at certain times.

[00:35:37] If you can keep consistent meal times, for the most part, it doesn’t have to be the exact same time, but if you can eat around the same time most days, primarily while it’s light out, that is another great way to tell your body this is what time it’s. So trying to eat pretty soon after waking is ideal.

[00:35:55] Within an hour, I would say ideally, again, it tells your body what time it is [00:36:00] and then, you know, eating that breakfast, lunch, dinner consistently. I try to avoid eating too much after dark. I have noticed that was a huge one for me where I used to always need a bedtime snack. It helped me sleep better and I have plenty of clients that still do bedtime snacks.

[00:36:17] I don’t think they’re bad. But I, when I was, I talked about this in like my kind of like postpartum weight loss journey in like second pregnancy. ’cause I entered that pregnancy at a much higher weight than my first pregnancy. And I was like, okay, do I really need a bedtime snack? ’cause I was deep in a circadian rhythm support I had gotten rid of.

[00:36:35] All my histamine symptoms that popped up in my first pregnancy just with circadian support. And then I did some deeper gut work and then of course I conceived right after that ’cause my immune system and everything was in a good place and that like really, I stopped doing the nighttime snack during that.

[00:36:52] Postpartum season and even during pregnancy. And I think there’s like a pressure to like have a bedtime snack during pregnancy and like early postpartum. And I just [00:37:00] found, for me, I’m like, I need a, I just feel so much better when I eat a lot of food during the day and don’t have it at night. And I, and like again, I think there was some leptin resistance and stuff going on, so it worked.

[00:37:11] That works really well for me and it’s another way that I can very strongly support my circadian rhythm. So just being eating consistently and I don’t think. Depending on like how you feel in the morning and what your schedule’s like. I, my, I prefer to like have half of a bar. First thing when I wake up, get my strength training in, and then make breakfast with my girls and have like a real breakfast.

[00:37:34] It doesn’t happen every day. This morning it didn’t happen. They both wanted to eat right away. So sometimes I’ll eat right away, sometimes I won’t, but. I have plenty of clients that are like, that’s my time in the morning to do stuff for myself, like working out and stuff like that. You can still do that.

[00:37:48] Just eat a little something before you work out. That’s, that’s very, do not work out fast. That’s very important. And then it also, again tells your body that like, this is what time it is. So I. Meal [00:38:00] timing is another big one that I feel like is not talked about as much when it comes to circadian rhythm.

[00:38:04] Eating at nighttime is very confusing. One because our digestive juices are not as strong at that time typically, and It also shifts your blood sugar, which can affect different hormone signaling at nighttime when we go to bed. So again, if you, if having a bedtime snack helps you sleep, I don’t think it’s the end of the world.

[00:38:23] I don’t think it’s a huge deal. But If you have a ton of gut issues, maybe you have struggled with weight loss resistance, and you’re really trying to work on the circadian rhythm piece, it could be a good one to experiment with. So basically, if we can align those daily habits with our body’s natural clock, that circadian rhythm that it’s working off of, which runs off the light.

[00:38:42] Outside of us, that is huge for supporting digestion, the repair of the gut, a good gut microbiome and a good immune system, and, and hormone signaling of course, as well. So that’s the circadian rhythm piece. And now I wanna talk about meal hygiene and blood sugar balance. So [00:39:00] when we think about. Meal hygiene, for example.

[00:39:04] I was trying to think of an analogy for this one, and this one’s I think is very funny. It’s like a kitchen analogy. Um, so if you think of your gut, like a kitchen, I think of like, I’m thinking like a restaurant kind of kitchen. And if you. Rush in, throw ingredients around and demand a meal instantly it’s gonna be super chaotic, not prepared.

[00:39:25] Well, it’s probably gonna look and taste not so great, but when you slow down and give the chefs time to make their meal, follow the right order, everything comes together perfectly. And really the same thing is true for digestion. If you rush in, you’re on the go, your gut’s not gonna break down that food well, your absorption is gonna suffer, and your overall gut health is eventually gonna decline.

[00:39:49] If this is your norm for most of your meals, and that’s when all those, the gut symptoms can come up, like bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, things like that. But then also it could also be [00:40:00] reflected in like. Hormone symptoms like exit estrogen dominance, irregular cycles. Our gut has a huge impact on ovulation stuff as well, and progesterone imbalance, skin issues, eczema, acne, psoriasis, anything like that, any histamine symptoms, anxiety, mental health concerns.

[00:40:19] It has a huge impact on all of that. So if we’re thinking about, okay, digestion is gonna start before the food even touches our stomach, how can we support that? Chewing really slowly that’s gonna help signal our brain that we need to release digestive juices, stomach acid, bile, digestive enzymes, eating in that calm state.

[00:40:40] Versus like rushing around is gonna allow, allow your body to get in that rest and digest state. And that’s really the only time digestion is gonna work properly. So those simple shifts of like sitting down for a meal, chewing thoroughly, taking a breath before eating, not rushing, not being on your phone, not having [00:41:00] distractions is so, so important.

[00:41:02] And again, I think this is another hard one for people because they’re like, well, I don’t have time to eat. I’m like, oh my gosh. Food in, like in everything. It’s so important that I’m like, how do we live in a society that no longer values this, no longer values sitting down to eat a meal and prioritizing that.

[00:41:20] I mean, I remember when I worked in healthcare before I was on my own and with my business, hospital settings, long-term care settings, corporate wellness settings, I mean, people just like. They just skip lunch or they just eat at their desk and they expect you to do the same. And I’m like, I’m the dietician guys.

[00:41:39] I’m telling you if I’m like walking around telling people to like relax and chew their food more, how you expect me not to do the same? Like it, there was, it was a very interesting dynamic where I’m like, oh, you don’t want me, you want me to go do more work? You don’t want me to sit here and eat my lunch?

[00:41:54] Like it was just very interesting dynamic in that like corporate setting. And I [00:42:00] see that a lot with my clients. I mean, plenty of people. They’re like, no, I always go out, eat my lunch outside or like I go somewhere, I’ll eat my lunch and no one bothers me. It’s like part of my routine or it’s very, some, some offices like really promote it, which I’m like, that’s awesome and pro and I, I think so smart because then people, I.

[00:42:18] Are gonna be, they get a little break, they’re gonna be rested and they’re gonna, their head’s gonna be clear and now they can refocus and get work done. So I just think it’s one of those things that’s not valued anymore. And even in ourselves where it’s like, I know so many moms eat standing up at the counter.

[00:42:34] I’m like, your kids watch everything. You do every single thing. And most of the time it’s the moms are eating, standing up or not eating at all with their kids at their meals that they’re like, my kids won’t eat. They just, they won’t sit eat. I’m like, you are not sitting and eating. I mean, they’re learning from you.

[00:42:50] You were their number one role model. And I, I will die in that hill. Um, but I, and I know like, but I have so many things to do. I’m like, it’s, [00:43:00] something has to change. Something has to, we have to value sitting down. And chewing our food. And I, if you are connecting with loved ones or people that you work with or whatever, that is a great time.

[00:43:12] Like as like laughing and talking and like chatting with people. That’s a great way to relax your nervous system, you know? And so I just think it’s an opportunity for to build in that rest. We don’t need to meditate for an extra. 10 to 30 minutes a day. I think if, if you are relaxing and enjoying three meals a day, and sometimes maybe you have like a crazy, maybe there’s like Acra, like I think of like a, a.

[00:43:43] A lot of the moms I work with and like that morning, drop off in the morning, morning, getting their kids ready to get outta the house for school is like crazy, right? Or even if, even if they homeschool, it just seems like the mornings can be extra chaotic. Just getting everyone kind of set up for the day breakfast, things like that.

[00:43:58] And I’m like, okay, [00:44:00] what can you shift here? And then maybe they have like a small snack before everyone gets up and they sit down and eat their meal after. I still am. Like there’s, I think that there’s probably a way, but everyone’s gotta find what works for them. Really trying to work on sitting down and valuing that time looking instead of adding another thing in, you have to down me anyway, so how could you make it a little bit more supportive?

[00:44:21] And so meal hygiene I think is so something that most people, some people are great, but put your phone away. Don’t have any distractions. Just eat, just eat your food. Maybe you’re around other people and maybe go outside if you can. I, I think eating outside’s another great way to get good light exposure.

[00:44:42] Check in with your circadian rhythm. If you have kids, it’s a lot less mess to clean up. We eat a lot of our meals outside and it can just help calm, it’s a good like, reset. So using your meals is a little reset versus like having them be extremely stressful. Um, and everyone’s gonna have their own circumstances, but if you do find them [00:45:00] stressful, that is something that I would really try to work on.

[00:45:03] And then blood sugar balance. So blood sugar balance is something that I feel like is not usually tied into like gut health, but when we have. Really erratic blood sugar, like highs and lows in our blood sugar. You are so much more likely to have highs and lows in stress hormones, which again, we’ve already talked about.

[00:45:22] That affects our gut health and digestion. So if we can have more stable blood sugar, that’s gonna lead to more stable digestion. That, and that is one that I, I’ve seen a lot of people as they work on. Not grazing and having snacky meals, but eating like, okay, I’m eating like three dense meals a day and it’s really balanced my blood sugar.

[00:45:41] It’s also been really great for my digestion as well, so that’s a really big one. I also think that it’s helpful for reducing inflammation in the body. ’cause if we have inflammation from blood sugar, the the gut is going to be in our immune system. They’re going to be impacted by that as well. So it’s working on protein, [00:46:00] fat and carbs, fiber at every meal.

[00:46:02] Trying to get that balance and eating dense meals to help stabilize your blood sugar versus like kind of grazing all day and having very like snacky meals one. Your digestion just doesn’t turn on the same way. Two, circadian rhythm support, right? Eating those, timing of those meals consistently is very helpful for that.

[00:46:23] And then three, if you’re having smaller meals, you’re gonna have less, especially if they’re not as dense, like typically snacky meals, I think of like it’s probably little more processed. There’s probably less protein. Typically there’s less fiber. And so. All those things will lead to, you know, less stable blood sugar, more swings, more cortisol swings.

[00:46:41] And then if we’re constantly eating, we, this can also affect our migrating motor complex. The MMC, this is like our guts cleanup crew. And so this comes in, it does like sweeps a small intestine between meals, clears any leftover food and bacteria, and this is happening [00:47:00] every three to four hours between meals.

[00:47:02] So if you’re eating every two hours. Then that can be very tricky because you’re not giving your gut enough time to clean up. Um, between that, and I tend to see when people are more like grazers, I tend to see less digestive juices being released and. More things like gut overgrowth, sibo, bloating thing, symptoms like that.

[00:47:22] So even just, that’s kinda like another case for like not constantly snacking and stuff throughout the day. So the major takeaways here that we want to slow down work on balancing our meals, giving our gut space between eating and really prioritizing those meals as time to eat your food and chew and relax, and get a little reset for your day.

[00:47:43] Last area is gonna be supporting our lymphatic system. So the gut and our lymph are partners. Our lymph will clear immune byproducts, um, toxins, inflammation from the body when we live a very stressful [00:48:00] and sedentary lifestyle that leads to sluggish lymph. And this contributes to bloating, puffiness, sluggish digestion.

[00:48:07] And so if we think about how can we support our lymphatic system, ’cause it doesn’t have a pump. And I have an episode that I’ll link to the lymphatic system that I did with Leah. Uh, and I’ll also put my digestive one in there. So I put those notes ’cause I’ll definitely forget guys, but I’ll make sure I put those in there.

[00:48:27] But I did a whole lymphatic episode. I’m actually gonna do another one. I’m, I have one in the works right now that I’m planning out for this season. Um, so that will come soon as well. It’s gonna be about. Creating a daily lymphatic routine for yourself. That’s like simple. Anyone can do it. Hopefully with Leah, we’ll see.

[00:48:42] I’m, I’m still chatting with her, but, uh, that is coming. But either way, we support, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump. Most people, they are in like a high stress state, which can affect our lymphatic system and our circulation. And then if you are more sedentary, that just can lead to a lot more issues.

[00:48:59] So [00:49:00] really simple ways that we can support our lymphatic system are gonna be walking, especially after meals. This is another one is gif for digestion. It helps bring cortisol levels down and it’s really good for blood sugar. So if you’re someone that’s struggling with insulin resistance, even a five, 10 minute walk after a meal is very helpful.

[00:49:16] This is one we like to have our clients do. Say they, they’re like sedentary for a lot of their workday. Then we try to have them work into their lunch break. After lunch, super short walk, even just five minutes before they then have to go back to work and be sitting again. Deep belly breathing is also very helpful ’cause the, our diaphragm will pump that lymphatics fluid and support the lymphatic system.

[00:49:39] Hydration. We need minerals and plenty of liquids to support a lymphatic system. So I, I feel like I’ve talked about this at length, but getting c salt into your routine. I like to do a little sea salt first in the morning. First thing in the morning, and then doing a little salt your water throughout the day.

[00:49:56] Adrenal cocktails. I love the Paleo Valley electrolytes and I always [00:50:00] talk about those. There’s a million electrolytes out there now, but those are my favorite. Um, and they have also have magnesium in them as well. So hydration use, getting minerals into that hydration throughout the day is very supportive.

[00:50:12] Gentle bouncing. This could be on a rebounder. You don’t need a rebounder though. Uh, honestly, most of my lymphatic routine is. It doesn’t use any tools, it just uses my body, so like very gentle bouncing, especially like keeping your arms loose when you’re doing that, skipping in place, but even like your feet don’t even have to leave the ground.

[00:50:33] Just that gentle little pump is really what helps get the lymphatic fluid flowing. Dry brushing or things like abdominal massage can also be very helpful. And then taking movement breaks. And posture, little posture resets throughout the day. If you’re constantly slumped over, that’s also not good for lymphatic flow.

[00:50:52] And even like, like standing is obviously gonna be better than sitting for the most part. But if you’re still in that same position and [00:51:00] not moving, that can still, you know, you, you can still have. Sluggish lymph. But from that, and that’s where like the little movement breaks come in. Whether that’s like quick walk to fill up your water bottle, quick walk to go outside, get a couple seconds of light in your eyes, a little sun on your skin, whatever it might be.

[00:51:16] But some sort of movement breaker, just noticing, Hey, I’ve been in this position for an hour. I’m gonna switch to another position now that can also very gently support your lymphatic system. And then, uh, a little day in the life, like if we’re gonna. Think of how could I work in some limp support throughout my day in the morning when you’re stepping outside for that morning light to support your circadian rhythm, you could do like a little bit of gentle bouncing, arm swings, skipping in place, things like that.

[00:51:45] Just very gently wake up your lymphatic system and get those fluids moving right away. This alone, I’m telling you, it’s like we’ve had clients incorporate this and especially like habit stacking like that is helpful and they’re like, [00:52:00] wow. I notice a huge difference in like the puffiness in my face, just inflammation levels in my body, things like that.

[00:52:07] They’re huge. So very gentle. Lymphatic movement outside can be helpful. Um, the big six, a lot of our clients like the big six. I will link that as well, the resource for how to do that. And then, so say that’s like morning time, then midday, say like. After your lunch, you take a quick 10, 15 minute walk after eating that meal.

[00:52:27] That’s gonna support your digestive system and your blood sugar, but it’s also gonna get that lymph moving steadily. Drinking mineral rich water throughout the day. A pinch, a sea salt, or working at an adrenal cocktail and then taking, maybe you take a little break in the afternoon if you’ve been sitting at a desk to stand up.

[00:52:43] Take a quick walk around your room, just move around or even just sit and do a little deep belly breathing. I’m working on your diaphragm, pumping the lymph in that way, and then maybe nighttime looks like swapping, scrolling at night for a few minutes of dry brushing or self [00:53:00] abdominal massage before bed.

[00:53:01] That can be super relaxing. And there’s another way to tell your nervous system that, hey, it’s time to go to bed, and it’s gonna help process those immune byproducts from throughout the day. So. Supporting your limp doesn’t have to be like getting a vibration plate, getting tools, you know, doing special things or spending an hour doing a lymphatic routine.

[00:53:24] It could just be these tiny little things that you work in throughout your day that are also just gonna so happen to support breaks. Rest. Digestion, all the things that we’ve already talked about. So hopefully as, as you’re listening to this, you’re like, oh, this is just like kind, everything kind of feeds into each other, and that’s really what the overall message is about.

[00:53:47] From this episode for you guys, it’s healing your gut is not about chasing the next probiotic or gut protocol or eliminating more foods. It is about showing up consistently with [00:54:00] the foundations for yourself. Stress, circadian rhythm, hi, meal hygiene, your blood sugar, your lymphatic system. These. Are not necessarily like sexy things and they’re, it sometimes it’s harder to, it’s just easier to take a supplement sometimes than being like, let me change my whole daily rhythm.

[00:54:17] You know? So I get that. But they are worth putting time and effort into, and these are the things you’re gonna take with you forever. And if you do decide, hey, I am going, I need to, I wanna do further testing, like our bonus episode for this is on, I’m gonna talk about minerals. Gut health and digestion and things like that.

[00:54:36] And I’m gonna show a little case study. Um, I’m going to, it, it’s gonna be, I think, fun to kind of dig into like how do minerals affect your digestion? That’s also very important. But ultimately, if you wanna do further testing, whether that’s minerals or gut. We wanna be working on these foundations first, or while we’re doing those things so that you can see lasting results.

[00:54:58] So my encouragement [00:55:00] for you this week is to not try to do everything at once. Don’t look at this and be like, oh my gosh, there’s 80 things I need to do now. Pick one area to focus on. Maybe it’s just your meal hygiene, you know, just, I’m just gonna focus on that. Or maybe it’s just getting outside for light in the morning, or just going for a walk after lunch or dinner, whatever it might be.

[00:55:19] Just focus on one. Habit and weaving that into your routine, because really our gut is it’s about rhythms and it’s about reducing stress and supporting all the bo the processes that are already happening in your body. We just want them to go at the right time. So when you do that, that’s in your digestion, your immune function, your gut microbiome, all those things really thrive and you can avoid things like.

[00:55:43] A lot of the unwanted symptoms that we’re dealing with today. So thank you for tuning into the Hormone Healing RD podcast. If you found this episode helpful, the best way to support this show would be by leaving a review. It’s gonna help more women discover this message and hopefully feel empowered on their healing journey.[00:56:00] 

[00:56:00] And if you wanna go deeper, make sure you get on my newsletter. Feminine Periodical goes out every Sunday at 6:00 PM Eastern Time. And I just shared like a lot of updates, things that are coming up behind the scenes stuff, and then some, some topic I’m digging into and just getting very nerdy about whether it’s like hormones, minerals, about health, things like that.[00:56:21] Um, you can find the link for that in the show notes, but I’m so glad you’re here and I can’t wait to connect with you next week.