The New Yorker

Big news this week: my letter to the editor was published in the New Yorker. If you're like me, you get sucked into reading The Mail every week, so by the time the next issue arrives, you've barely made it to Talk of the Town. When I heard that my letter might be included, I was over the moon - especially because it's such an important topic.

My original letter was heavily edited, so I've included the first draft below.

In case you're wondering what prompted my response, here's the original article. The author is thisclose to hitting the nail on the head, especially when she's quoting Tom Wadden and William Dietz, but never quite gets to what I think is the crux of the matter; namely, that we have created a society where weight loss is nearly impossible - and more importantly, that we have the power to change that!

The problem starts at the highest echelons of government and trickles down through conventional medical education all the way to the obesity epidemic. All is not lost yet, but without change on every level, the article's hypothesis may very well come to pass.

I think we can do much, much better. And I'm committed to doing my part to see it through.

xo
E

***************************

from: emily wade
to: themail@newyorker.com
date: Tue, Oct 4, 2016 at 9:30 PM
subject: Letter to the Editor re: "Bariatric Surgery: The Solution to Obesity?"

Before we all rush off to get bariatric surgery, it would be smart to examine exactly why diets and exercise don't work for obese patients.

First is a systemic problem with medical education. Many doctors are trained to treat symptoms instead of uncover the root cause of disease, and nutrition education in medical school is often minimal. 

Second, patients need more support in making these tough lifestyle changes. Doctors might advise their patients to eat right and exercise, but without any follow-up or a clear plan of action, success is unlikely. 

In addition, patients need more tests, and insurance needs to cover those. Obese patients are often battling dysbiosis, psychological issues, food sensitivities or addictions, or hormonal imbalances, all of which can contribute to the inability to lose weight. Without diagnosing and addressing these contributing factors, patients are more likely to struggle. 

Finally, the biggest hurdle: the food system in the US. People are eating foods that contribute to obesity because these foods are accessible, cheap, easy to prepare, tasty, addictive, and because people are largely misinformed about what's healthy (the low-fat movement discussed in the article is just one such example). 

Obese patients need a holistic, personalized program in conjunction with ongoing support so they can make lasting behavioral change without feeling overwhelmed or giving up. Diets & exercise do work, but there is not a one size fits all solution, and we need to provide patients with not only a strategy, but also the support to help them see it through.

-Emily Adams, Certified Nutrition Consultant

Eating for Mental Health

This is part 4 of a 4-part series designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's May Challenge. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.

Just as the final limbs of yoga highlight the unity of the Self & the Divine, there is a very close link between your gut and your brain. Supporting your gut through proper nutrition can improve general mental health, and may facilitate the mental fortitude necessary to explore these advanced yogic techniques.

Probiotics are "friendly" gut bacteria that help nourish our gastrointestinal tract and protect against the bad bacteria that comes from excess consumption of sugar, processed foods, alcohol, or medications. Probiotics are found in naturally fermented foods like real pickles, kimchi, kombucha, or real sauerkraut (not the fake stuff with vinegar).

Homemade Sauerkraut

1 head green cabbage

1.5 T. salt

1 T. pickling spices (optional)

Large glass jar

A weight that fits inside your glass jar (e.g., a smaller jar filled with pie weights)

Cheesecloth & rubber band

Chop cabbage into thin slices. Mix the cabbage and salt together in a big mixing bowl and massage it together with your hands until it wilts & gets juicy, about 5 minutes. Fold in optional pickling spices and transfer cabbage (and its juices) to a large glass container, pushing it down as you go. Place a weight on top of the cabbage. Place cheesecloth over the mouth of the glass container and secure it with a rubber band.

Over the next 24 hours, press down on the weight every so often until you end up with a layer of liquid on top of the cabbage, completely submerging it.

Keep the cabbage on a countertop away from direct sunlight. After 5 days, taste the sauerkraut. You’ll know when it’s done by how it tastes - it could take 10 days or more. Once it’s done, pop a lid on the glass container and transfer it to the fridge.

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Awareness in Eating

This is part 3 of a 4-part series about healthy eating as it relates to yogic principles, designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's May Challenge. Click to read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 4.

When it comes to eating, hunger can derail the best of intentions. Who hasn’t made a 3-o’clock trip to the office cookie jar after skipping lunch? That’s because when your blood sugar is low, your cells send a message to your brain that they need fuel - and quick. This translates to a primal craving for simple carbohydrates like sugar … and a biochemical response that makes willpower and mindful eating nearly impossible.

Snacking is the secret weapon that will help you stay on track and maintain awareness in all your eating choices. It sounds counterintuitive: eat more, weigh less. But it works because you end up making better decisions (read: you’re more aware) when you aren’t famished.

Of course, snacks have to be healthy to be helpful. This week’s recipe provides complex carbohydrates to satisfy your cells, but also offers plant protein and healthy fats that will keep you satiated for longer.

Plus, these things are delicious! Enjoy your third week of the May Challenge, and have fun testing your ability to maintain mindfulness on the mat and off.

Homemade Snack Bars

2 c. nuts your choice (almonds and cashews work well)
1 c. dried fruit of your choice (I like apricots but feel free to get creative!)
½ t. Spice of your choice (optional, but I love cinnamon and allspice)
2 T. coconut oil, melted (more or less depending on your nut choices)

Place first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until pulverized. With the food processor running, slowly add as much coconut oil as you need to make the mixture congeal into a batter-like consistency. Roll out batter to ½” thick on a silpat or other flat surface. Use a pizza cutter to slice into bar shapes. Carefully wrap bars in parchment or wax paper and put in the refrigerator until they’re set. Enjoy!

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Eating for Respiratory Health

This is part 2 of a 4-part series about healthy eating as it relates to yogic principles, designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's annual May Challenge. Click to read Part 1, Part 3, or Part 4.

You’ll be breathing a lot this week, so take good care of your lungs! Here’s how:

1. Take a deep breath before you eat: this shifts your nervous system into a parasympathetic state ("rest & digest"), crucial for optimal digestion. Yep, that's right: your lungs help you digest!
2. Pump some iron: Iron is essential for transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues and storing oxygen. Spinach is a great plant source of iron.
3. Stop the sneeze: Just like pollen, allergenic foods can have respiratory effects. The Big 8 allergens are wheat, dairy, corn, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy. In addition, inflammation from eating foods like refined carbohydrates (flour, sugar) and alcohol can negatively impact lung health.
4. Add antioxidants: counter the oxidative effects of air pollution and smoke by consuming antioxidant-rich foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

Support your lung health with this antioxidant-rich, hypoallergenic smoothie bowl.

Smoothie Bowl

It’s amazing what you can throw into a smoothie! I like to add whatever I have lying around that may not get used otherwise: carrots, ½ avocado, ½ apple, nut milk, nutritional yeast, seaweed flakes… the list goes on!
½ c. filtered water
½ banana or mango
½ c. frozen organic berries
Big handful organic spinach (baby spinach is OK too!)
Small handful nuts of your choice (omit if
1 T. chia seeds
Top with shredded coconut, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or nut butter

Place water into blender. Add next 5 ingredients and puree to desired consistency, about 15-30 seconds. Pour into a bowl, add toppings, and enjoy!

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Sources:
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin_and_functions_of_iron/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70

Nutrition for Inner Strength

This is part 1 of a 4-part series about healthy eating as it relates to yogic principles, designed for Bend + Bloom Yoga's May Challenge. Click to read Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

What we eat directly affects how we feel mentally, emotionally, and physically. Proper nutrition can strengthen our bodies and minds.

On a physical level, protein is responsible for building muscle. It is also a slow-burning energy source, which means that eating protein helps us feel satiated for a long time. Hunger can derail health, and protein is one of our best defenses against it.

Animal foods are the best source of protein because they are complete (meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids), but we must take care when choosing animal foods due to health, ethical, and environmental concerns. Pastured eggs are sustainably farmed and provide optimal health because hens roam free and graze on natural feed. The nutritional benefits are obvious in the orange color and robustness of the yolks, which are rounder and more orange than factory-farmed eggs, signifying a higher beta-carotene content and an overall healthier egg.

Starting your day with an egg breakfast is an excellent way to stabilize blood sugar, prevent hunger, and give your body the protein it needs for inner and outer strength. This easy recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare and can be adapted based on what you have on hand.

Easy Egg Breakfast

The simplest way to enjoy this breakfast is to follow the below recipe as-is, but it’s also super-easy to jazz up and enjoy for lunch or dinner, too. Serve over ¼ cup of rice, beans, lentils, grains, or a sprouted organic corn tortilla. Fake a shakshuka by placing eggs over warm crushed tomatoes. Top with Sriracha, hot sauce, a sliced avocado, sprouts, chives/scallions, paprika, microgreens, and/or toasted sesame seeds. Pair with pastured bacon on the weekends. #putaneggonit! You can pair this with almost anything - be creative!

Extra-virgin olive oil, more if needed
Pastured butter
2-3 pastured eggs (organic or free-range are good too if you can’t find pastured)
Handful of organic dark green leafy vegetable like kale, chopped as needed (I get boxed baby kale for easy grabbing - no chopping necessary)

Salt & pepper

First, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot (about 1 minute), turn the heat down to just over medium, and melt a few swirls of olive oil with a pat of butter. Once the butter is fully melted, gently crack the eggs directly into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and move to the side of the pan so you can add the greens to the pan (you may need to add a bit more olive oil). Cook until greens have wilted, about another minute or so. At this point I flip the eggs and turn off the heat, cooking them just until the whites are set. Season with salt & pepper, transfer to a plate, and serve immediately.

Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20048505

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Eat more, weigh less

When it comes to weight loss, cutting back on calories has been the go-to strategy for decades. In order to lose weight, you just need to eat less and exercise more, right?

Well, not really.

If you’ve ever tried counting calories yourself, you know that it’s nearly impossible to maintain. And the proof is in the pudding: the US is now facing an obesity epidemic, despite these well-known recommendations.

It seems to make sense on the surface: eat less, weigh less. So why doesn’t it work?

Well, when it comes to eating, not all calories are created equal. Our bodies digest different foods in different ways, some of which are more prone to fat storage.

In addition, calories aren’t usually the problem in the first place. Nearly all of the clients I coach for weight loss are already eating fewer calories than their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) when adjusted for activity level. According to the conventional recommendations, this means they should be losing weight - but they’re not.

Finally, calorie restriction doesn’t take your satiety into account. If you’re hungry and you don’t eat enough, your body will do what it needs to do to protect against starvation - it’s a simple survival mechanism. Hunger will win every time.

In many cases, the most effective weight loss strategy may actually require you to consume more calories. But instead of focusing on the quantity of calories, it’s important to focus on their quality.

For example, refined carbohydrates spike blood sugar and insulin levels, signaling the body to store the excess blood sugar as fat. Complex carbohydrates, clean proteins, and healthy fats, however, don’t provoke a dramatic insulin response, and therefore the body has a better ability to convert them into energy or muscle. When we shift our diet accordingly, we can eat more calories and still lose lots of weight.

In addition, snacking is crucial to weight loss. If you’re hungry, your blood sugar is lowered, and your body craves quick energy that will raise blood sugar immediately - like refined carbs. Snacking helps stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day so you don’t reach for that cupcake at 3pm.

When we approach eating this way, we have more energy and better control over our mealtime decisions. It’s a more delicious, satisfying, and enjoyable dining experience than portion control and restriction.

And better yet, we have a better chance at keeping the weight off for good.

Need help changing your diet and balancing your blood sugar? Check out The Last Diet, or work with me one-on-one.

Low Progesterone? Do This.

Photo by Liz West

Progesterone works in partnership with estrogen throughout a woman’s cycle to prepare the uterus for conception. Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the first part of a woman’s cycle (the follicular phase), while progesterone is the dominant hormone during the last part (the luteal phase). The two hormones must be in balance to achieve optimal health.

If you’ve been charting your cycles, you can see where progesterone takes over - it’s responsible for the rise in your temperature.

Not sure if you have low progesterone? Check out Katie Singer’s book The Garden of Fertility for tips on how to read your charts to find out whether they might indicate low progesterone levels.

Low progesterone is quite common. It’s actually not surprising when you consider that estrogenic compounds are everywhere nowadays - in our environment, food, plastics, personal care products, and more. And the higher estrogen is, the more progesterone we need to be in balance.

If you’d like to avoid synthetic progesterone shots & creams, there are some natural alternatives you can try to boost your progesterone level (and/or reduce your estrogen level):

• Cut out dairy. One Harvard scientist & physician found that dairy accounts for 60-80% of estrogens consumed!
• Go organic. Minimizing pesticides and hormones in your food can help avoid estrogen overload.
• Eliminate other estrogenic compounds. Stop eating phytoestrogens like soy (click here for food sources), and stop using plastics and personal care products that could leach xenoestrogens (click here to find out where they’re lurking and how to avoid them).
• Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates. Consumption of refined carbohydrates can indirectly exhaust your adrenals, suppressing progesterone1.

If further supplementation is required, you might ask your doctor about natural or bio-identical progesterone from a compounding pharmacy.

1. Singer, K. (2004). The Garden of Fertility. New York: Avery.

Smoothies for Everyone!

My first green smoothie of the week … yummmm!

I just finished participating in the Transformational Nutrition Summit, and after a few days of nerding out, here was my big takeaway:

Drink smoothies.

I'm not kidding! Sometimes it's just that easy.

As many of you know, I already feature smoothies in most of my menu plans, but in the craziness of our move to New York, I had gotten away from drinking them lately.

Have you ever noticed that reminders seem to come at exactly the right time?

We have been busy making friends in our new hometown. Saturday we went out for cocktails with some new friends who also happen to be 10 years our junior. Needless to say, I woke up on Sunday in the mood to detox!

The Summit lecture I watched that day (from the couch!) touched on the concept of switching to green smoothies for breakfast, and how that small change can reduce all sorts of health hazards.

It's important to note that they were talking about smoothies, not juices. While juices contain many of the same nutritional benefits, they are missing one important ingredient: fiber. Fiber is what slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, which is important for preventing blood sugar spikes (and potentially, gestational diabetes and other blood-sugar-related health issues).

Depending on what you put in them, green smoothies are excellent detoxifiers. They can also be quite nutrient-dense. This makes them a great choice for reproductive health and pregnancy!

Plus, they're super-easy to make. To start, you want about 60% fruit and 40% veggies. What you decide to put in it is up to you, but spinach and romaine are excellent starter veggies because they are less flavorful and more easily blended than some hardier greens.

Here's a recipe I recommend:

Green Smoothie

1/2 c. filtered water - hydrating, nontoxic

2 big handfuls spinach - rich in bioavailable folate
1/2 organic apple - antioxidants galore! Great for protecting your reproductive cells (and your hubby's!) and reducing the risk of miscarriage
1/2 banana - makes for a creamy base, rich in potassium
1/2 c. frozen berries - strong antioxidant properties
2 T. chia seed - rich in omega-3 fatty acids
10-15 walnuts - another plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as protein
1/3 cucumber - natural source of Vitamin K (Vitamin D's partner-in-crime) and a bounty of antioxidants
2 T. cilantro or parsley - super detoxifying
1-2 "coins" ginger & turmeric root (slice off a couple of pieces)
1 T. coconut oil - healthy fat, good for your hormones
1/2 avocado - rich in Vitamins E (powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of miscarriage) and B5 (essential for reproduction)
1 t. cinnamon - warming, aids in blood sugar control
1 t. nutritional yeast - B-vitamin bounty and protein-rich
Optional power boost: dump a tablespoon of the juice from naturally fermented sauerkraut or pickles into the smoothie for some probiotic punch!

Pour water into blender (I love my Vitamix). Add other ingredients and blend to a smoothie consistency. Serve!  Drink slowly and mindfully.


You can see how easy it is to just keep adding yummy stuff to your smoothie. Experiment and see what you come up with using the 60/40 formula above and adding in fresh herbs, spices and "boosters" to increase its nutritional value. I'd love to hear about what your favorite combination is - tell me on the Facebook page!

A note for women suffering from hypothyroid: Most raw leafy greens are goitrogens, that is, they block thyroid function. If you are hypothyroid, you can avoid this effect by steaming or sautéing your greens before adding them. They will lose some of their nutritional value in cooking (mostly Vitamins C and B, including folate), but much of it will remain, including important minerals like iron.

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3 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Fertility - Easily!

Photo by LesKZN

It can be hard to conceive naturally. And sadly, the reasons for this are too numerous to list. Often, the root cause boils down to one thing: hormone imbalance.

Reproductive hormones are part of the endocrine system, the same system that manages stress and energy hormones. When there is an imbalance in one area, it’s common for the other areas to suffer as well. 

In addition, everyday products & foods frequently contain “endocrine disruptors” - compounds that act like hormones and can trick the body, artificially inflating or depressing natural hormonal activity.

Even your sleeping patterns can affect your fertility: if levels of your serotonin and melatonin hormones are out of whack, it can influence your reproductive hormones.

It’s common to feel hopeless when struggling with fertility, but there are many natural ways to take back control. It can even be easy!

Here are some tips to effortlessly boost your fertility naturally:

1) Reduce stress however you can. Three of the most quick, effective, and free ways are deep breathing, meditation, and exercise. Short on time? Just take a few deep breaths and clear your mind while you’re on the way to work, washing the dishes, or before you fall asleep. Simple AND effective!

2) Reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. A few ways to do this are to filter your water, eat organic, avoid plastics and canned foods unless they’re BPA- and phthalate-free, and don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. (Coconut oil is a great moisturizer, apple cider vinegar works as a toner, and jojoba or sweet almond oil rivals even the fanciest eye makeup removers). Pick one area to tackle, and then try to add a new resolution each week.

3) Get good quality sleep. This means getting at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and sleeping in complete darkness. Even the glow of your cellphone or street lights can affect your melatonin levels. Better sleep means more energy, improved mood, a greater capability to deal with stress ... See how all the other hormones (thyroid/energy, serotonin/mood, adrenal/stress) benefit from a good night’s sleep? Well, your reproductive hormones do, too!

If you’d like to learn even more ways to boost your fertility naturally, and become part of a supportive community of like-minded people, sign up for my FREE 14-day Fertility Prep Program at Priming the Bump.

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Connecting the dots...

Photo: Brandon818

Part of my job as a holistic nutrition consultant is to try to uncover the root cause of a health issue.
But in most cases, by the time we're sick, we can't even remember what led up to that point, and we just want a solution ASAP.

Trying to connect the dots can also make us crazy, because we'll never know for certain if one health issue led to the next.

Still, I find it important to explore the possibilities in my practice, because discovering the root cause of an illness is going to lead to the quickest and most effective healing.

One of my clients had chronic heartburn, was overweight, and had psoriasis. He was a workaholic and was popping TUMS nearly every hour. A few easy tests pointed to hypochlorhydria - low stomach acid. Since the symptoms of low stomach acid are similar to the symptoms of high stomach acid, and since the common wisdom is to treat high stomach acid, he turned to the TUMS, which made his problem worse. And, because proteins were leaving his stomach and passing into his intestines without being fully digested, his body was getting confused - a possible cause for the autoimmune psoriasis. By getting his stomach pH up to a healthy level and eliminating/rotating gluten (which is a long protein that can also confuse the body's immune system), he lost 20 pounds in just two weeks and has only had heartburn once in the past three years - after a weekend of eating bread, beer & pizza with friends.

In my own case, I had a genetic predisposition for my autoimmune disease. But I never had a flare-up until I used the birth control patch (the pamphlet for which clearly stated that colitis was a reported but unconfirmed side effect). So in my case, the trigger for my illness was the birth control patch, but it was really just the last thing my body could handle - meaning that there was a haystack of other contributing factors beneath this final straw. This concept of "total load" can certainly make things confusing when trying to help heal bigger health issues.

Me - before. Puffy! Ugh!

I had never paid attention to what I ate, relying heavily on pizza and pasta. I drank beer, wine, cocktails - anything that would give me a buzz. I had a serious sweet tooth and kept bags of candy in my drawer at work. I had been on antibiotics at least ten times in my life, and had taken a multi-year course of acid-blockers. All of these contributed to the demolition of my GI tract, and all of them had to be eliminated, changed, or fixed in order for me to decrease the rampant inflammation in my body.

I finally got to the point where my colonoscopy results showed no signs of disease, but it took a lot of trial and error and serious commitment. And, the truth is, I still have gut issues sometimes, and I'm still in the process of figuring out what causes them.

My husband can vouch for the fact that I'm always trying new diets to figure out what works for me - and what doesn't. Three years ago I learned that I have a mild allergic reaction to red wine. Last year I did an elimination diet and its results were inconclusive, so this year I'm planning to try the Paleo, GAPS and/or SCD diets.

In addition to helping me learn more about my body, this personal testing also helps me explain the benefits and drawbacks of each diet firsthand to my clients.

So - how can you connect the dots?

Ask yourself what was going on when your health issues first began. Consider your career, family, and other health issues. If there were other health issues or medications present, repeat the process for them. What was the first health problem you can come up with - the one that seemingly started the domino effect?

See what comes up for you, and then let's talk about how to address the symphony of symptoms that is your own unique body.

How to Dine Out ... and Stay Healthy

Photo by Andreas Krappweis

Dining out is an integral part of a busy person's schedule. Between work, errands, and raising a
family, it's an easy way to make life easier while giving yourself a little 'treat.'

That said, it's well-known that dining out isn't always the most healthy or affordable option. Many people turn to cheap takeout like pizza or even fast food restaurants to ease the burden on their wallets, but those kinds of places are usually the least healthy to eat.

So what's a health-conscious person to do?

There's no perfect answer, but here are four easy steps I take to make sure I can enjoy a night out without sacrificing my healthy eating:

1. Refuse the bread basket. When you're hungry and it's in front of you, it's impossible to resist. It's much easier to tell your server no, and have them take it away. Remember: refined carbohydrates like those found in bread spike your blood sugar and signal your body to store fat! (Not to mention the problems caused by gluten sensitivities). Just say no!
2. Always start with a healthy salad. Make sure you get your vegetables!!! This is so crucial. Leafy greens are excellent, but the other night while I was out, I enjoyed a raw shaved beet salad that was divine, too. If there is a seasonal option, go for it. But even if it's just the standard iceberg and tomato salad that the local pizza joint offers, GO WITH IT. It will fill you up with healthy complex carbohydrates and lots of good-for-you nutrients. Sure, cost-wise it may seem counter-intuitive, but think about it this way: you'll eat less after you've finished a salad. For example, after my beet dish, I was happy to finish my meal with just another appetizer. So my dinner bill was actually about the same as if I had only ordered an entree.
3. Order a side dish of vegetables. Yet another great and yummy way to get in your greens or a seasonal veggie. And have you noticed how delicious they always sound? We had a brussels sprout side dish the other night that was amazing. What if your takeout place doesn't offer side dishes? You can always try adding veggies to your order - for example, pizza topped with mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions and tomatoes.
4. Choose fish. Fish is usually the healthiest option on a menu - unless it's a fried fish-wich or fish & chips, that is. If you don't like fish (like me!), head for grilled chicken or pork. Those are lean options that are guaranteed to be hormone-free.

Got other ideas on how to eat healthily while you're dining out? Leave a comment on the Facebook page to share your best tips!

Happy holidays!

9 Ways to Heal PCOS

Photo by Nossirom

There are lots of baby-blocking health issues out there these days: low sperm count, endometriosis, nutritional deficiencies, toxins ... and I'm passionate about helping you find natural solutions to each of them.

Yet another common reproductive syndrome that can screw with your fertility is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. According to the Mayo Clinic:

PCOS happens when your pituitary gland and ovaries overproduce certain hormones. Because those hormones can interfere with the production and release of eggs, PCOS is a common cause of infertility and may be the reason you have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Ugh. Hormones strike again.

In today's world, we have more exposure to hormones than ever before. And hormones must be in balance for your baby-maker to properly function. Unfortunately, our environments, diets, and lifestyles can sometimes cause us to inhale, absorb or ingest excess hormones that may be partially responsible for fertility issues.

Luckily, there are lots of really easy ways to reduce your exposure to hormones and get your reproductive system back on track:

• Eliminate dairy foods like cheese, butter, milk, and cream. According to one Harvard scientist, dairy accounts for 60-80% of all estrogens consumed! If you must indulge, seek out organic, pasture-raised, or raw milk from small farms, whose cows are likely to have fewer hormones.
• Eat organic - especially meat (and dairy). It's illegal for farmers to use hormones on hogs and poultry, so if you can't afford organic, pork & chicken are better options than conventional beef. Pesticides can have estrogenic effects, and many conventional animals are injected with hormones that disrupt our hormonal balance when we eat them.
• Support your liver. The liver detoxifies and regenerates estrogen. So treat it well by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Even prescription and over-the-counter drugs can negatively affect the liver (e.g., Tylenol). Support your liver by eating bitter foods, cruciferous vegetables, and taking a good, absorbable multivitamin (you can purchase my favorite via my store). Drink lots of filtered water, too.
• Avoid soy. Soy is a phyto (plant) estrogen, so many natural fertility experts recommend that couples avoid it. Perhaps an even more compelling argument for eliminating soy is that over 91% of soy is now genetically modified - and GM soy and corn have been found to decrease fertility in animal studies.
• Stay away from xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body). Some common xenoestrogens are pthalates, parabens, BPA, food coloring, birth control pills, PCBs, and DDT. These chemicals are most commonly found in canned foods, plastic-packaged foods, cosmetics, personal care products, and household cleaners. READ LABELS! Your safest bet, food-wise, is to eat organic, fresh foods. Avoid eating large fish, as PCBs accumulate in their fat. And don't store or reheat your food in saran wrap or plastic containers like Tupperware. As for cosmetics, personal care & cleaners, check out Pretty Healthy for tips.
• Balance your other hormones: practice stress-reduction techniques and gentle exercise to lower cortisol, get a good night's sleep to regulate melatonin, and get your thyroid checked to ensure proper function. Hormones work in concert with each other, so by helping one, you benefit them all.

In terms of PCOS specifically, there are a few additional risk factors to address:

• Stabilize blood sugar. Elevated insulin (the hormone that's produced when blood sugar rises) plays a huge role in many cases of PCOS. Keeping blood sugar stable will help prevent insulin spikes. Reduce refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, flour, and all sweets - including soda and fruit juices. Eat healthy fats & avoid low-fat foods. Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, and make sure each has clean proteins and healthy fats.
• Lower inflammation. Try an elimination diet to see if you have an undiagnosed food sensitivity that is creating an inflammatory response. Eat anti-inflammatory foods and spices such as salmon, veggies, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne. Avoid polyunsaturated cooking oils: use olive or coconut oil when you're cooking at home and, when at a restaurant, ask your server if they can cook your food in olive oil or saturated fat.

The final, and perhaps the easiest way to start healing PCOS?  

• Detox with a whole-foods cleansing program like the New Year Cleanse! Everything but the cooking is done for you, and you'll get to become part of a wonderful group of people who are also committed to health. It's a fun, challenging way to kick off the New Year. The program begins January 1, but the price goes up on December 1, so sign up now for just $29!

Though my tips seem pretty easy when you read them, they aren't always as simple to implement on a consistent basis. More than just information, you need support and accountability to make lasting change that can transform your health. And that's where I come in. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me to discuss how to put the above recommendations into action.

'Til then, I wish you all the best. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Nutritionist's Top 4 Weight-Loss Strategies

Originally written for Can Can Cleanse.

Since becoming a nutritionist, the most common question I hear (hands-down!) is, "How can I lose weight?" But that's actually only half of the question. There are plenty of crash diets or that eliminate extra pounds almost instantaneously, so the important - yet unspoken - part of the question is, "And how do I keep it off?"

Therein lies the difference between healthy and unhealthy diets: long-term effectiveness. Unhealthy diets aren’t sustainable, so they only work temporarily. And what do you do when you’ve tasted the sweetness of weight loss, only to gain all the weight back? Well, if you’re not completely discouraged and ready to give up altogether, you try another quick fix. This is yo-yo dieting, and it can actually slow down your metabolism over the long run. 

Healthy diets, on the other hand, aren’t just a temporary eating pattern, but a whole new way of life - forever.

Sounds like a really big commitment. 

And that’s why people get scared or stuck.

But the truth is, small changes are easier to stick with in the long run, and they can really make a difference. As someone who has fluctuated between healthy & unhealthy weights myself, perhaps I hear these questions often because I seem to have finally figured out the formula that works for me.

About me: I'm not a dieter. The one time I did diet was before my wedding, when I pretty much ate lettuce for six weeks. It worked, but it wasn't sustainable. I gained back most of the weight on my honeymoon! Aside from that one diet, my past weight losses were typically side effects of various illnesses. Not a great way to lose weight.

Nowadays, I have left crash diets and chronic illness behind. My new weight loss plan is simple, sustainable and I don't ever feel deprived. Plus, it works - I’m almost back to my high school weight! 

Sound too good to be true? It's not. In fact, I’m happy to share my top 4 weight-loss tricks with you below. You too can lose weight easily - and keep it off - using these 4 guidelines, but there is one catch: you'll have to be patient.

It's not easy to change, especially when you don't receive immediate gratification. But I guarantee that if you commit to these 4 changes, you will see lasting results in a few months. Not as quick as a crash diet, but much more rewarding when it comes time for your next reunion.

Step 1: Kick refined carbs to the curb.

This is the hardest step, but it's so necessary. Instead of focusing on all you have to cut out of your diet (sugar, bread, pasta, cake, cookies, etc.), figure out what to replace these items with. Perhaps it's a fruit smoothie instead of ice cream, or zucchini 'noodles' instead of spaghetti. Getting your blood sugar back in balance is a crucial step towards permanent weight loss.

Step 2: Don't go hungry! 

Yes, definitely treat yourself to a seasonal juice fast. But otherwise, don’t let yourself get hungry. This is my favorite step: you can actually eat more to weigh less! Hunger is the enemy of healthy eating because it has the power to completely derail a healthy diet. Ever been so hungry you'd eat anything - and then felt guilty about it later? Don't let hunger ruin your weight loss plans. Arm yourself with a large variety of healthy snacks: nuts, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, even leftovers! Enjoy a small snack between meals, and never skip a meal. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it really works.

Step 3: Move your body. 

Sure, you can lose weight without exercising. I did. But once I started exercising regularly, the pounds really started to melt away. I was amazed by the results - and the change in my mood & energy levels. There are really too many reasons to exercise not to just do it.

Step 4: Enlist support.

Partner with someone who will help you succeed - someone to whom you will be held accountable for sticking to your new regimen. It's much harder to make changes when you're on your own. A health coach is a cheerleader, teacher and boss rolled into one, so you will know what to do, be held accountable, and get recognized for your progress.

Perhaps most importantly, if you slip up, don't give up. Take it one day at a time and keep at it! And before you know it, people will be asking YOU how you managed to lose all that weight and keep it off for good.