The Pure Journey

Meditation is a bit of a trendy word these days...we have all heard of it...but what exactly is meditation?

There are many different forms and interpretations of meditation. To us, it is simply focusing on the present moment. Or being aware - truly aware of the present moment. What it is NOT: focusing on, or allowing our minds to constantly pull us into the past or future. It is being present. This is very simple. But it is not easy!  Most of us do not realize how busy, and non-stop our minds and thoughts really are. Many of us are never in the present moment. So again, meditation is simple, but not easy. Especially when you first begin your mediation practice, it may seem almost impossible to keep your mind quiet, and in the present moment. There is no doubt that while practicing meditation your mind will continuously pull you out of the present, and into the past or future. Thoughts and images of your weekend plans, what you need to pick up at the store, or the argument you had yesterday with a co-worker. Anything and everything. But when this happens, and you become aware it has happened, acknowledge the thought, then let it go. Do not label or judge the thought, and certainly do not become angry with yourself. Just let it go, and allow yourself to come back to the present. 

Practicing meditation is just that, it's PRACTICE! The more you practice the better at it you will become. Or maybe more appropriately said, you will become more aware, more focused on the present moment, and you will have longer gaps in the continuous mind chatter most of us experience throughout the day. 

Environment: Find a quiet, relaxing space to practice your meditation. This can be a park, your bedroom, or even in your parked car on your lunch break. 

Posture: Many recommend to sit while meditating - either on a chair, or on the floor. Keep your head and spine straight. This will help keep you focused on the present. If sitting on the floor - your back, hip, knee or whatever might become stiff or sore. You can actually use this in your meditation practice, by focusing on the sensation you feel. Not judging it, or labeling it as pain or bad. Just let it be - maybe even try bringing compassion to the area or sensation. Try practicing meditating while laying down as well. Before bedtime is a perfect time to do this. There is never a wrong way or time to relax, and be present. 

Breath: Focusing on your breath is very helpful when practicing meditation. You can focus on the sensation of the air moving in and out of you - the sensation in your nostrils, the feeling of your ribs expanding and contracting...or even the sound of the air moving in and out of you. No need to regulate your breath, let it be natural. 

Eyes: Some people prefer having their eyes closed, others eyes open. Experiment with both - what you prefer might change from session to session. When the eyes are closed I find it helpful to focus on the spot right between the eyes. When practicing with the eyes open, focus on one specific object - do not label or judge the object, just focus on it, be present. 

Listen: Listening is great for mediation. Listen to your breath. Listen to the birds outside. Whatever is around you, just listen. Don't label or judge the sounds you hear, just listen, just let them be. Be present. 

Recent research has actually shown that mediation can physically alter our DNA for the better! More and more studies are beginning to illustrate the real power of mediation, such as bringing an increased life span to those who practice it. Meditating can benefit us by: improving our sleep, focus, memory and creativity, while lowering blood pressure, muscle tension, pain, stress and anxiety. Best of all, it is free! :)

If you want to enhance your practice and "experience", experiment with therapeutic grade essential oils - they can be very helpful. Essential oils can directly influence our mindset and mood via their powerful effects on our neurotransmitters and hormones according to research. Most of us can use a little help with calming our busy minds! 

There is no right or wrong way to use your oils for meditation. You can apply topically over your wrists, brain stem, temples and the bottom of the feet. Or simply setup your diffuser, and breathe in the oils (we love to do this). 

Inhaling certain essential oils such as Frankincense and Balsam Fir has actually been shown to increase theta brain waves which are the brain waves associated with mediation and certain cycles of sleep. A handful of our other favorites include: myrrh, lavender, sandalwood, cedarwood, ylang ylang, black spruce. Some of our favorite Young Living blended oils include: Grounding, Gratitude, Sacred Mountain, Stressaway and Freedom. 

Experiment and see what works best for you. Ylang ylang, lavender, lemon and bergamot are always great to unwind to as they are associated with lowering stress, anxiety, depression and stress hormones like cortisol that accompany these undesirable states. We would recommend using oils such as peppermint and wintergreen with caution as they are typically more associated with beta brain waves and the state of being highly alert and focused. 

Remember, you own your mind - your mind does not own you. It just needs a little training and needs to be reminded of this from time to time. Best of luck and remember, this is a practice! :)

Peace

If you follow diet and health trends you have no doubt heard of Intermittent Fasting. What was once rejected is now becoming and more and more accepted, and with good reason. In reality, Intermittent Fasting is nothing new. Various forms of fasting have been practiced for thousands of years by various cultures and religions. 

Intermittent fasting is not a diet and it does not mean starving yourself. It simply means that everyday you have a fasting window, and an eating window. Fasting for 16 hours a day with an 8 hour eating window is probably the most common version of Intermittent Fasting. 

Why should you practice I.F. and possibly even more prolonged, periodic fasts? Put simply - it is a way for our bodies to rest, reset and heal. Constantly digesting and breaking down food (such as with common recommendations of 5-6 small meals a day) uses up a lot of our bodies energy. When we give our digestive system a break from all the constant digestion, our bodies can go to work on healing and repairing itself. Yes - it is also great for breaking down and burning body fat! 

Intermittent Fasting is as simple as skipping/pushing back that first meal of the day, and extending the "fast" we all experience while we sleep. When we wake in the morning, our bodies are in the perfect fat burning state. Insulin levels are low - and cortisol should be at its peak for the day. This is a great scenario for fat burning. However, if you consume breakfast insulin levels will shoot up and this process is halted.  

I.F. has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, increase HGH levels, and naturally increase testosterone in men. This is all indicative of a  "youthful" hormonal environment in the body that is associated with burning fat and preserving/building muscle and that lean, sexy physique everyone is looking for! Many diets focus on greatly reducing specific macro nutrients and food groups for specific, perceived health benefits. However, a simple daily fast will probably yield you around 90% of the benefits of MULTIPLE, more restrictive and complicated diets. 

Many choose to adopt a low carbohydrate diet to hopefully lower and optimize insulin levels. Carbohydrates are not the only foods that trigger an insulin response however, many protein sources do as well. In fact; beef (a ZERO carbohydrate containing food) has been shown to raise insulin levels higher than many high glycemic index foods. Nothing will lower and optimize your insulin levels faster that fasting. 

Other diets call for lower amounts of protein as a way to increase longevity via a mechanism called autophagy (more below). These same benefits can be achieved by a short daily fast. Lastly, low fat diets are still commonly used as a way to drop excess body weight. While fat does not inherently make you fat; fat is the most calorically dense macro nutrient - yielding 9 calories per gram while protein and carbohydrates both contain 4 calories per gram. This last point is important because while fasting can help naturally optimize hormones and place you in a more ideal scenario for fat burning - the #1, most important factor with weight loss is still calories in vs. calories out. When you have a smaller time frame to consume all of your daily calories (lets say an 8 hour eating window vs the more common 14-16 hour eating window) you are going to find it much harder to over eat. 

How does increased longevity and lifespan sound? 

Thanks to a process called autophagy, an increased longevity and lifespan is yours - for free!  Autophagy is a process where your body removes toxins, and repairs and recycles damaged cells throughout the body. When our body is loaded with damaged and under performing cells we can feel tired, sluggish, and depressed. Damaged cells can also turn into free radicals causing additional health issues. 

The powerful process of autophagy is put into a higher gear after only 14-16 hours of fasting! More prolonged multi day fasts increase it even more - up about 330%! Multiple day fasts are a powerful tool for your health that can be utilized periodically to achieve greater levels of autophagy and detoxification, but shouldn't be utilized all the time as they will no doubt register as a stress on the body. Doing a 24-48 hour fast 2-4 times a year and practicing I.F. the rest of the time is a great combo for you to optimize your hormones, support weight loss and obtain the many detox and life extension benefits without all the stress that typically comes with longer fasts. 

Fasting is also associated with improved blood markers such as: lowered cholesterol and triglycerides, lowered blood sugar, lowered inflammation levels along with improved gut health and digestion, better focus and cognitive function, better sleep and on and on the benefits go. 

Enough of the why...let's talk about how we should implement all this! 

This is all as simple as skipping breakfast and abstaining from food and calorie containing beverages until you ready to break your fast. Know that there may be an adjustment period for you, especially if you've been consuming breakfast and or consuming several small meals a day for years like most people have. Give yourself a couple weeks to adjust - and if there is a day where you need to eat breakfast or an earlier meal, it's okay! Listen to your body and keep working up to daily 14-16 hour fasts. Before you know it your body will have adjusted and you'll be fasting with ease. At this point you will also notice more stable energy levels, better focus and less brain fog. 

Before adopting Intermittent Fasting about 5 years ago, we always had to consume breakfast, had to eat every few hours and if we didn't, look out! We experienced blood sugar fluctuations, brain fog, mood swings and quickly became "hangry". There was of course an adjustment period as we adopted to I.F. We can now fast for 16, 18 even 20 hours with ease! We have done several multi day fasts now, and we must say, there is something very powerful and liberating knowing that you are in more control of your body, and don't always have to worry about when then next meal is coming, and or needing to bring bars, shakes and containers of food everywhere you go. 

During the fast you can and should stay hydrated with all the water you need as well as other zero calorie drinks such as tea and black coffee. NO sugar or cream in your coffee as these items contain calories and will break your fast! Black coffee is actually a powerful tool to utilize with fasting. It has also been shown to increase autophagy, contains antioxidants and is a powerful appetite suppressant. Just don't over do it; everything in moderation. 

Other tools we like to utilize during our fasting period is adding just a couple drops of various citrus essential oils from Young Living's Vitality line to our water. These essential oils are zero calorie, support our bodies detoxification process, metabolism, taste delicious and contain many antioxidants such as D-limonene.

Read more about D-limonene here: https://yldist.com/willrachevans/d-limonene To be clear, we are ONLY talking about ingesting Young Living's essential oils, NOT the oils off the store shelf which can be up to 95% filler, alcohol, vegetable oil and other junk. Did you know that it takes 75 lemons to make just one 15 ml bottle of Young Living's lemon essential oil? And that's just from the rinds! Truly powerful stuff! 

Vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements are also fine to take during your fast as they do not contain calories. 

Again, give your body a little bit of time to adjust, stay hydrated and stay consistent. You will be blown away by the results!

Thank you for reading and best of luck!

You have probably heard of them before, but what exactly are they?

First off, enzymes are NOT probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support many different aspects of our digestive and overall health. Read more here: 

https://yldist.com/willrachevans/gut-health-mental-health-hormonal-health-probiotics

Enzymes are molecules, typically protein molecules that are present in all living things. The body is home to thousands of enzymes which are involved in every bodily process imaginable. All living cells require enzymes to grow, divide, and perform their day to day duties. Enzymes help drive vitamins, minerals, and hormones into our cells and are absolutely critical to life! 

There are two major groups of enzymes in the body: metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes help with the production of energy within our cells as well as their detoxification. They help us move, think, see, hear and feel. Digestive enzymes help us break down, unlock, absorb and metabolize the minerals, vitamins and amino acids from the foods we eat. 

Inadequate enzyme activity can lead to foods sitting in the digestive tract longer than they should, and fermenting there. This can lead to the over growth of yeast, parasites, and bacteria along with many other health issues such as Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, fibromyalgia, inability to gain OR lose weight, body odor, skin rashes and other health issues linked to chronic inflammation.  

Our bodies naturally produce enzymes - the pancreas, liver and gallbladder all produce enzymes and they are also secreted from our digestive tract. Without them, food would sit in our stomachs undigested for weeks and we would eventually die. 

Many foods contain naturally occurring enzymes BUT ONLY when they are fermented or fresh!  Fresh meaning just picked off the vine or pulled from the ground. This is where most of us today run into problems. Even if we are doing our best to eat quality, organic fruits and veggies, by the time they are picked, packaged, sit on a truck for days (if not weeks), and finally make it to your grocery store shelf: the naturally occurring enzymes have diminished greatly, if not completely. 

On top of this, many of us today are eating low quality, processed, and preservative loaded foods that are completely void of any naturally occurring enzymes. Food cooked at high temperatures can also be problematic as when temperatures reach 120 degrees enzymes are totally destroyed!

When our foods are completely void of naturally occurring enzymes - our bodies have to produce (and crank out) more of its own enzymes. Our bodies do NOT have a "never ending supply" of enzymes!

Fortunately there are solutions to this problem. First off, consume more raw/unpastuerized fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha etc. These foods are a great source of naturally occurring enzymes and probiotics!

FUN FACT: Probiotics actually produce their own enzymes! This is an awesome one-two punch for digestive and overall health! ;)

Other common foods that contain good amounts of naturally occurring enzymes (assuming they are quality and fresh/frozen) would be carrots, bananas, papaya, bee pollen, pineapple, certain meat marinades/tenderizers, and raw honey. 

We now come to enzyme supplementation which is an awesome modern day solution to these modern day problems. One of the biggest things to consider with regards to enzyme supplements is going for a quality supplement with which the enzymes are still alive and intact. If you are still reading this you have probably come to realize that enzymes seem to be a little on the fragile side and degrade quickly. 

Young Living offers five different enzyme supplements which contain critical enzymes to support digestion and the bodies detoxification processes. Here are just a handful of some of the various enzymes found in Young Living's enzyme supplements:

- Amylase breaks down carbohydrates and simple sugars

-Cellulase digests fiber

-Lactase digests lactose, the sugar found in milk and dairy products

-Lipase breaks down fats (dairy, nuts, oils, meats)

-Pancreatin an enzyme composition that combines the enzymes of amylase, lipase and protease to help break down starches, fats, proteins and also helps remove dead and dying tissues from the body

-Phytase helps with the digestion of grains, nuts and seeds

-Protease assists in the digestion of protein (meats, nuts, eggs and cheese)

Young Living's various enzyme supplements also contain the unique addition of therapeutic grade essential oils such as: peppermint, anise, cumin, fennel, juniper, patchouli, ginger, tarragon, rosemary and lemongrass. These essential oils support natural enzyme production and conversion within the body, increase oxygen uptake for ATP (provides energy to living cells and is found in all life forms) and the antioxidant power of the oils helps to protect and preserve the enzymes. Depending on which product you choose, the essential oils also provide additional benefits such as supporting healthy inflammation levels, and supporting the bodies overall detoxification processes. 

The addition of essential oils to go along with the enzymes give them a synergistic effect in the body and truly set them apart from any other enzyme supplements on the market. Read more here about why essential oil infused supplements are superior supplements:

https://yldist.com/willrachevans/essential-oil-infused-supplements-are-superior-supplements Young Living's five different digestive enzyme supplements are: Essentialzymes, Essentialzymes 4, Detoxzyme, Allerzyme, and the kid friendly chewable Mightyzyme. You can read more about the specific enzymes, herbs and oils in each product at youngliving.com or please reach out with any questions. 

Have you ever heard of the expression "you get what you pay for"? There is a lot of truth in this statement, especially with regards to both food and nutritional supplements. 

According to many people: even with better (and what one might refer to as more "premium vitamins and nutritional supplements") you only actually absorb 30-35% of the supplement. Some claim that more generic or discounted type nutritional supplements by and large pass right through us with hardly any absorption of the supplement taking place at all. Poor bioavailability = expensive pee. :)

Over 20 years ago, while experimenting with patients in his clinic, Gary Young learned that adding essential oils to dietary supplements dramatically increases the bioavailability of the supplement; meaning we actually absorb more of it.  

Essential oils contain oxygen, antioxidants as well as the ability to penetrate our cellular walls, pull toxins out of our cells and support the bodies detoxification processes. Due to their ability to penetrate cellular walls, essential oils act as "transport mechanisms" or "drivers" when added to nutritional supplements, meaning they help drive nutrients into our cells. 

The ability of essential oils increasing the absorption of nutritional supplements was shown in dramatic fashion with regards to Young Living's MultiGreens supplement - which is a highly nutritious, chlorophyll rich supplement consisting of: 

Bee Pollen 

Barley grass juice concentrate

Spirulina

Choline

Eleuthero root

Alfalfa

And Kelp 

MultiGreens also contains the amino acids of L-Arginine, L-Cysteine and L-Tyrosine along with an Essential Oil blend consisting of Rosemary, Lemon, Lemongrass and Melissa. "Clinical experience has shown that BEFORE adding the essential oils to the MultiGreens blend, there was a 42% blood absorption in 24 hours. Then AFTER the essential oils were added, blood absorption increased to 64% in just 30 minutes, and over 86% in just one hour!" The conclusion was that the addition of the essential oils increased the bioavailability of the supplement and the cells of the body were now able to receive the nutrients that they had previously not been able to assimilate. 

When we go to the store and pick up a bottle of an herbal supplement, what is inside that bottle is plant material that has been cut down, dehydrated and packaged. And this dehydration process results in an approximately 98% loss of that plants essential oil. Then we wonder why maybe we don't "feel that much of an effect" from the supplement. 

Essential Oils are considered to be "the life force" or the "blood of the plant". It makes sense that we would want this "life blood" added back in to work in conjunction with the rest of the nutrients/plant matter in the supplement which we are paying our hard earned cash for!

Should you be consuming probiotics? YES!!!

In 1908 a gentleman named Elie Metchnikoff was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his discovery and work in the field of probiotics. And while fermented foods have no doubt been consumed for thousands of years, Elie Metchnikoff is credited as being the grand father of modern probiotics as he pioneered research on gut health after realizing that poor Bulgarian peasants who lived off of mostly cultured yogurt lived longer, healthier lives than the more well off people who didn't eat as many fermented foods. 

Elie Metchnikoff theorized that senility could be delayed and overall health could be enhanced by manipulating our gut microbiome with probiotics. Metchnikoff was certainly ahead of his time as was the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who famously stated over 2000 years ago that "all disease begins in the gut!" 

Read more here: https://yldist.com/willrachevans/the-importance-of-gut-health

Okay, so what are probiotics?

They are beneficial bacteria that populate our gut and positively impact many different aspects of our overall health. They are well known for supporting proper digestion and overall gut health, providing support for issues such as constipation and diarrhea while helping to lower inflammation in the gut. They help produce vitamins K2, B12 and folic acid in the gut, and also help keep the growth of not so friendly microorganisms in the gut (such as candida) in check! 

Probiotics are very supportive to our immune systems - not too surprising as 70 - 80% of our immune system resides in our gut! Research has shown that probiotics help with the formation of T-cells which help fight viruses and tumorous cells in the body! 

If you have ever done much reading on the topic of probiotics you have probably come across the statement that the bacteria in our bodies outnumbers our human cells by approx 10:1, leading many researchers to make the statement that "we are more bacteria than we are human!" More recent research on this has shown that this statement of bacteria outnumbering human cells by 10:1 seems to be a bit exaggerated, with many researchers now putting the number more like 1.3:1 with factors such as genetics and antibiotic usage no doubt coming into play. Whatever the exact numbers are isn't really important, what is important is that you know that you are still a huge collection of bacteria, still probably more bacteria than human, and that all this bacteria plays a huge role in your overall health!

In addition to their gut and immune system supporting benefits, probiotics have also been shown to be very beneficial to our brains and central nervous system by way of improved intelligence, memory formation, memory recall, along with a reduction in anxiety, depression, OCD, and Autism! If this is surprising to you - don't forget that there are nerves that connect the gut to the brain. It looks like there is some wisdom in the old saying "listen to your gut".

In regards our hormones and the endocrine system: other less known benefits of probiotics are that they have been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Keeping cortisol levels in check will go a long way in supporting the bodies ability to produce other, more "youthful" hormones such as: DHEA, progesterone and testosterone. This has been highlighted in studies performed on male Wistar rats (which have very similar reproductive systems compared to humans) which showed that those who received probiotics had a nice increase in sperm counts, testosterone levels and even...larger testicles! Yes you read that last part right, don't pretend like you aren't impressed haha.

Read more about cortisol it's effects on our overall hormonal health here:https://yldist.com/willrachevans/stress-cortisol Supporting the bodies detoxification process is more important now than ever in our modern world of ever increasing exposure to toxins such as heavy metals and man made chemicals! 

Amazingly, certain probiotic strains have demonstrated the power to both detox certain toxins from the body AS WELL as reducing their absorption in the digestive tract to begin with! Such is the case with the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus showing the ability to bind to heavy metals such as cadmium and lead in doses commonly observed in foods. The strain Bifidobacterium breve has been shown to reduce the absorption of BPA as well as significantly speed up the rate at which BPA is excreted from the body. These are just a couple quick studies we found (linked below) and there are no doubt many more studies, beneficial strains and overall health benefits. 

Consuming plenty of probitocs is also important as many factors of our modern world such as stress, chlorinated water, certain man made toxins, and taking antibiotics can kill the beneficial bacteria in our bodies, which will then allow for more harmful bacteria to flourish. 

So what foods can we incorporate in our diets to get more probiotics? Kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, organic yogurt, keifer and raw cheese. HOWEVER, you must make sure that these foods are RAW/UNPASTEURIZED. Pasteurization will kill off the probiotics. Make sure these foods are in the refrigerated section of your supermarket. If it's not being chilled in the store that is a your first giveaway that it has been heated, blasted and pasteurized resulting in complete loss of all the beneficial bacteria (the food most likely to have this happen is probably sauerkraut).

Regarding probiotic supplementation via dietary supplements: the most important factor is that the strains within the supplement are backed up with actual studies and research, and have proven benefits! After all, a supplement can be labeled as having "200 thousand gazillion cultures" but if the strains are unproven, ineffective, or possibly even harmful (not all bacteria is friendly) then you might as well be consuming a capsules filled with dirt! 

A quality probiotic supplement should also contain multiple strains, to help ensure that as much as the gut as possible is populated - from the small intestine to the colon, and it should also have a special delayed-release capsule. This will help protect the good little bugs from the harsh conditions of your stomach so that they can actually reach the digestive tract, where they will work there magic. 

The Life 9 probiotic supplement contains 17 billion, live bacterial cultures from 9 different proven probiotic strains, along with delayed-release capsules. The strains contained in Life 9 and just a few of their benefits are:

L. Acidophilus: occurs naturally in the mouth and GI tract of humans and supports the metabolism of sugars and decreases the amount of toxins in our blood stream

Bifidobacterium lactis: supports immunity and opposes tumor growth

Lactobacillus plantarum: has antioxidant properties and supports our natural digestive enzymes

Lactobacillus rhamnosus: supports a healthy stress response and cortisol levels in the body along with the detox properties mentioned above

Lactobacillus salivarius: supports healthy skin, a healthy inflammatory response in the body and helps keep bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine in check

Streptococcus thermophilus: supports the immune system and also healthy inflammation levels in the body

Bifidobacterium breve: the most prominent bacteria in the human GI tract and supports metabolism, constipation and the detox properties mentioned above

Bifidobacterium bifidum: supportive of acute diarrhea and supportive of the immune system

Bifidobacterium longum: helps prevent the growth of pathogenic organisms and is a crucial element of maintaining healthy gut flora

As you can see, the benefits of consuming plenty of proven, quality probiotics are massive and no doubt in the coming years we will learn even more about these beneficial little bugs, and how they can support our overall health!

Thank you for reading!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3859987/

When it comes to your overall health, your hormonal health is of upmost importance! 

After all, our hormones are involved with everything that goes on in our bodies. And regarding our hormonal health, ensuring you have a properly functioning thyroid should be at the top of your list of priorities. It is a master gland of the endocrine system and when it is not functioning properly other hormones and aspects of your health will suffer. 

Unfortunately, thyroid issues seem to be becoming the norm rather than the exception. A poorly functioning thyroid and hormonal imbalance in general has been linked to:

-cardiovascular disease and increased cholesterol levels

-anxiety, depression, and sleep issues

-low energy, brain fog

-muscle weakness 

-difficulty losing weight

-dry hair, thinning hair and hair loss

-low libido

-rough, dry skin

-irregular menstrual cycles & more

Regarding our endocrine system, a poorly functioning thyroid is linked to insulin resistance, and low output of "youthful" hormones such as: DHEA, pregnenolone, progesterone and testosterone. 

Okay enough of the bad news; how can we get our thyroids back on track?

First off, correct any vitamin or mineral deficiency NOW! We believe any deficiency will register as a stress on the body can contribute to a sluggish thyroid among many other issues. When discussing the thyroid, the vitamins of A, the B's, C, D and E seem especially important while iodine and selenium are minerals REQUIRED for proper function. 

While we are on the topic of diet and nutrition: avoid concentrated sources of "PUFA'S" (polyunsaturated fats) as much as possible. For fats, go for items like grass fed butter, coconut oil, organic/free range/grass fed meats, and eggs along with olive oil, and avocados. Check out this article for more info on PUFA's:

https://yldist.com/willrachevans/this-food-will-wreck-your-body Be cautious of consuming goitrogen rich foods in excess. This would be foods such as: soy, beans, and RAW cruciferous veggies. Goitrogen's are compounds that block the thyroids uptake of iodine! 

Avoid fluoride! The debate about fluoride seems like it will never end. Some make it out to be the most evil substance on this planet while others scream that our teeth will rot and fall out of our heads without it. However, the science is clear that fluoride displaces iodine from human cells throughout the body - including cells in our reproductive organs and the thyroid! Because of this, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that fluoride is linked to thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism along with other hormonal, and overall health issues. Fluoride does appear to harden tooth enamel, but there is much more to oral health than just hardening your tooth enamel. Read more here:

https://yldist.com/willrachevans/how-oral-health-effects-your-overall-health Switch all of your personal care products to natural versions NOW! The majority of personal care products (toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, soap, deodorant, make up etc) contain man made chemicals and toxins that can both directly disrupt our hormones as well as damage the glands for manufacturing our hormones. Be on the look out for and avoid the following:

-parabens

-phalates

-fluoride

-S.L.S.

-triclosan

-fragrance

Avoiding these toxins will allow your body to stop having to play "defense" all the time, and will go a long way in helping to support your hormonal and overall health. 

*Quick tip: to monitor the function of your thyroid, first thing in the morning before you even get out of bed grab a thermometer and take an under the arm body temperature reading. Go back and forth a couple times to make sure you get an accurate reading and hopefully you come up with a reading of 97.8 - 98.2 If you fall short of this it's probably a good indicator your thyroid needs a little love and attention.

Several essential oils are supportive to the thyroid; such Myrtle and Myrrh. Young Living's nutritional supplements such as Super B, Ningxia Red, Powergize and Multigreens can be powerful allies when supporting your hormonal and overall health. If you really need some extra support with your thyroid, we would highly recommend the supplement Thyromin and the essential oil blend Endoflex.

Got stress? Lot's of stress? If yes then you also likely have an excess of the hormone cortisol coursing through your veins. 

Cortisol is our main stress hormone - meaning that in times of chronic stress (physical or psychological) our cortisol levels will be elevated. Cortisol has been called a "bad hormone", the "flight or fight hormone" and even the "death hormone". And while cortisol does server important functions in the body, it becomes problematic when it is too high for too long. 

Cortisol is a hormone that appears to increase with age - which may be one reason why it has earned the nickname of the "death hormone". When cortisol is too high for too long it takes away from our bodies ability to manufacture other, more "youthful" hormones such as: DHEA, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid hormones. 

Side effects of excess cortisol in the body, and hormonal imbalance in general has been linked to:

-Low libido 

-Depression & anxiety

-Low energy & brain fog

-Thinning and loss of hair

-Cardiovascular disease

-Blood pressure & blood sugar issues

-Weight gain and water retention

-Loss of muscle mass

-Wrinkles 

-Increased mortality rate

All things that suck. The list of bad things that stress can do to you and your body goes on and on. Facts. 

Traffic, work stress, family and relationship stress, exposure to lots of toxins in your environment (cleaning and personal care products, air pollution, maybe your job exposes you to lots of chemicals), poor sleep, poor diet, even things like exercising for too hard and too long all register as stress on the body and as a result more cortisol will be cranked out by the body.

So what can we do to reduce stress and thus support healthy hormone levels?

Utilize pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. Essential oils are the most concentrated and powerful, natural, plant based medicines available! Many therapeutic grade oils can be ingested, applied topically or inhaled for quick, powerful effects on the body. Simply inhaling the oils via a diffuser is a powerful way to uplift your emotions and support healthy stress levels. Our sense of smell is tied to the emotion center in our brain; the amygdala. 

Set aside time for deep breathing, meditation, and or prayer. Starting AND ending your day with this practice is VERY powerful. Bonus points for incorporating your essential oils into this practice! 

Get outside. Go for a walk. Walking anytime is a great way to get some low intensity exercise in and reduce stress levels. And walking in nature in particular - such as by a lake, in a forest, hiking up in the mountains etc. has been shown to significantly lower cortisol levels. 

Prioritize your sleep! Turn off the Netflix and put the phone down. Instead, wind down with a book or any of the suggestions above and get some shut eye. Lack of sleep will register as yet another stress on the body and has been linked to hormonal imbalance and all the negative side effects of hormonal imbalance listed above. 

Eat a balanced diet and eliminate nutritional deficiencies! The vast majority of all Americans are deficient in several key vitamins and minerals and any of these deficiencies will register as a stress on the body. B vitamins in particular seem to be especially important here. They also appear to become rapidly depleted in times of chronic stress. Also, any diet that demonizes or greatly reduces an entire macro nutrient (fats, protein & carbs) will also register as a stress on the body. If you are currently under a lot of stress you may want to avoid the current low carb diet craze as these diets have been linked to elevated cortisol production. 

Watch your caffeine consumption. A cup or two of coffee is fine, but when caffeine is consumed in excess cortisol levels will quickly rise. 

Have fun! Watch comedies! Laugh a little! It has been shown in studies (linked below) that watching a comedic T.V. show or movie can significantly lower cortisol levels. 

Have more sex. Nuff said. ;)

Utilizing pure, high quality supplements that contain specific essential oils, herbs such as aswaghanda, nutrients like phosphatidylserine and possibly precursor hormones such as DHEA (if you have tested low on a blood test) are other, powerful ways to keep cortisol levels in check and support the endocrine system! 

Young Living offers many supplements such as but not limited to: Powergize, Cortistop, Super B, Multigreens, Ningxia Red and Thyromin. These are high quality, powerful supplements that will work with your body to help bring it back into balance - and with a little work on your part, keep it in balance. :) 

Thank you for reading!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798

I know, every time we turn around we are being told about how pretty much everything we put in our mouth is bad for us. We try to avoid "over-hyped" claims and fear mongering but make no mistake - vegetable oils and the high concentration of polyunsaturated fats (PUFA's) they contain are an absolute disaster for your overall health! 

Examples of PUFA loaded, low quality vegetable oils are: corn, soy, cottonseed, safflower, canola, peanut and of course "vegetable" oils. 

Fats break down into three main groups - saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (PUFA). The Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids we hear so much about belong to the polyunsaturated group which brings us to issue number one...

Anthropological evidence suggests our ancestors evolved on a diet of an approx 1:1 to 3:1 omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Anthropological evidence also suggests that our ancestors were basically free from many of the degenerative diseases we face today. The polyunsaturated fat content of the low quality vegetable oils mentioned above, are almost entirely from omega 6 - with basically zero omega 3 content - which moves our omega 6 to 3 ratio further and further away from how we evolved. It is suggested that the average American's omega 6 to 3 ratio is now closer to 15:1 even up to 25:1 now that refined vegetable oils make up the majority of cooking oils used today.

It's a safe bet that when you eat out at a restaurant - ESPECIALLY fast food - they are going to be using cheap, low quality vegetable oils. The vast majority of junk and snack type foods are also going to use vegetable oils in the manufacturing process. Being overloaded on omega 6 fatty acids will bring with it many health consequences as when the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 shifts towards 6, systemic inflammation in the body increases. In our opinion excess inflammation is the real root cause behind many of the diseases and health challenges we face today!

Issue number 2 is that polyunsaturated fats are the most fragile of fats. Meaning they break down, oxidize and turn rancid easily in the body. When fats oxidize and break down, they create free radical damage in the body and of course increased inflammation! 

Saturated and monounsaturated fats are much more stable in the body and do not break down the way PUFA's do. This of course goes against what many of us have heard our entire lives; that saturated fat (and dietary cholesterol) are bad for us and we should limit them. 

It is interesting that several decades ago when government agencies began demonizing saturated fat and started recommending vegetable oils over more traditional fats and cooking oils such as butter and lard, many degenerative diseases that AGAIN have a strong link to excess inflammation began to rise dramatically. Problems such as: type II diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, autoimmune disease and more! Of course there are probably multiple factors at play with regards to the dramatic rise of many degenerative diseases we face today. However, it is still interesting if not perplexing, that we are still being told to get more PUFA's in our diet by certain groups and agencies when the research is clear regarding the dangers of excess PUFA's in the diet. 

Issue number three is in regards to PUFA's and our hormones. After all, our hormones are involved in everything that goes on in the body and we want to eat and live in a manner that supports our "good" or "protective" hormones, and lowers "stress" hormones. PUFA's have been shown time and time again to lower protective hormones such as: testosterone, progesterone and thyroid hormones and can even damage our thyroid gland (probably due to tissue damage from the excess free radicals in the body) while increasing stress hormones such as cortisol! PUFA's have also shown to increase insulin resistance; meaning the more PUFA's you consume your chances of developing type II diabetes increases. All of these negative hormonal changes appear to have a dosage effect - meaning the more PUFA you eat, the more they affect you. Not good!

Healthy fats and oils we would recommend would be: coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, grass fed butter, ghee, and quality meats, cheeses and eggs. 

While detoxing from PUFA's or when you know you will eating PUFA's in excess (going out to eat) it would be a wise decision to get some additional antioxidants in your diet such as: vitamin C, vitamin E and or the amazing antioxidant supplement Ningxia Red!