Category: Women’s Health

Summer Self-care: My Afternoon Energy Boost!

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I’ve been loving the heat of summer in Toronto lately. But it can make the afternoon dip in energy that typically happens for many of us between 3-4pm even more unbearable.

 

My 10-minute pick-me-up helped give me the quick boost in energy I needed – and enjoy some fresh air so my mind is clear & refreshed for the rest of my clinic day.

 

https://youtu.be/DkxJUa6uT2I

 

Tips for your own 10-minute energy boost:

  • Set your phone timer for 5 minutes. Walk as far as you can until it beeps. Then turn around and walk back to your office. This will make sure you only walk for the time you have for your break. If you have a longer break, definitely feel free to go for longer!
  • If you have a pedometer, Fitbit or smartphone step counter (I use Samsung Health on my phone), check in with your step count before and after you walk to see how far you go. Try to beat your step count every day – you will definitely get faster!
  • Bring your shades, a hat (and make sure you put on a good sunscreen!)
  • Hydrate when you return to your workspace.

 

I hope you get to try this out a few times until next week’s summer Self-care tip.

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

 

Wanna make sure you don’t miss any Self-care videos? 

Click the button below to join Dr. Odette’s FREE Self-care Warrior e-mail list and you’ll receive her Self-care videos, articles, and inspiration right in your inbox! 

 

YES! I’m ready to take care of my Self!

 

Summer Self-care: Take a Breath!

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Do you feel even busier this summer going from work to your kids’ activities to social events that you hardly have time to catch your breath?

 

If you said YES (please help me!) and are surprised you feel like the summer is flying by, then you need to watch this video for a super-quick Summer Self-care video tip.

 

https://youtu.be/2jsVYuhddfA

 

It’ll help you make a little calm in the sometimes-crazy of summer. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a wonderful crazy, and there are worse things than being busy BUT if we don’t take the time to slow down a bit, we run the risk of being overwhelmed by the busy-ness of summer instead of being able to enjoy. Every. Moment. We. Have.

 

If you need more of a refresher for abdominal breathing check out this video here. And remember, this breathing technique is AMAZING for shutting off the stress response and turning on your relaxation response.

 

And YES, you can get stressed out over the summer, just from the sheer packed schedules I know so many of you have! (Trust me – I’ve felt it too!)

 

So don’t be afraid to slow down, roll down your windows and take a breath. You’ll feel totally refreshed and ready to be present for all of the wonderful memories you’ll be making this summer.

 

See you next week for our 3rd Summer Self-care video.

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

 

Wanna become a Self-care warrior? 

Click the button below to join Dr. Odette’s FREE Self-care Warrior e-mail list and you’ll receive her Self-care videos, articles, and inspiration right in your inbox! 

 

YES! I’m ready to take care of my Self!

 

Summer Self-care: Support Liver Detox

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It seems like (almost) everyone loves the summer and many of the people I work with tend to feel better when it’s sunny and warm (although it is really hot, right now!).

 

So you might think – why bother with a Summer Self-care series – everyone already takes it easy in the summer, don’t they?

 

But – ask yourself these questions:

 

Do you generally feel rejuvenated, restored and reinvigorated from your summer vacay?

 

OR

 

Do you tend to feel more tired, drained and like you’ve gained back the 5-10 lbs you worked so hard to lose for the summer from all of the social get-togethers, extra iced coffees, beer, coolers and wine?

 

If you’re like most of the amazing, busy women I treat in clinic, you probably picked the second option.

 

So my goal over the month of July is to share with you some Summer Self-care tips that will help you minimize the negative effects of overindulging  – by helping to keep your hormones balanced. That way you can actually get the rejuvenation your summer vacation is intended to give you.

 

So we’re going to start by balancing out so many people’s favourite way to cool off during the summer: some form of alcoholic beverage or an iced coffee (or cappuccino or americano …you get the picture!).

 

I’m not saying we need to avoid these completely for Self-care. But I am saying we need to be:

  • Responsible when we drink – moderation is key
  • Mindful of our individual health needs. Remember, it’s our liver that needs to detoxify our body to keep our natural hormones levels like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol in balance. And it may have more trouble doing that efficiently if we overindulge in alcohol and caffeine.
  • Aware that both alcohol and caffeine can make you more dehydrated. With the heat warnings we have been getting in Toronto, you’ll want to make sure you replenish with water.

 

The general rule of thumb:

For every cup of caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you have – aim for 1 to 1.5 cups of water!

 

The Problem:

Water is boring. I don’t think it is – because I love water, like literally – I drink it all the time). But I totally get it. When I say drink more water, I’ve been told people don’t like the taste of it. You don’t get excited about it. So let’s make it a bit more exciting, and with more flavour!

 

Let’s get started!

 

https://youtu.be/IJ_sUZGbyEI

 

Here’s how I make these tasty fruit water options:

 

Cucumber water
  1. Peel ¾ cucumber. With the peeler, make long strands of cucumber – about 1/4 of the cucumber or enough to give you about 1/4 or 1/2 cup. Place cucumber strands in a large, clean mason jar.
  2. Fill jar with pure, filtered water. Stick in the fridge for at least an hour – overnight is even better.
  3. Pour into a glass (or just drink out of the mason jar – so on trend still!).
  4. Refill that mason jar with cold water as it empties throughout the day (because you’re drinking so much tasty cucumber water!), right over the existing cucumber. Every time you refill it, let it sit for a little bit and it’ll taste just as good as the first time.
  5. Compost the cucumber at the end of the day. Clean out the jar and add some fresh cucumber to make more for the next day. Or try one of the other fruit waters below!

 

Strawberry water
  1. Wash & de-stem 2 organic strawberries. Slice them thinly. Place in a large, clean mason jar.
  2. Repeat steps #2 – 5 as per cucumber water.

 

Watermelon water
  1. Wash and chop watermelon into triangular wedges. Slice ½ of one wedge thinly. If you like, slice thin slices a few more times like I did to increase the watermelon goodness into the water.
  2. Repeat steps #2 – 5 as per cucumber water.

 

 

Who could benefit from this?

Remember the first week of Everyday Detox series, where I discussed the importance of hydration for healthy bowel movements and detoxification? It’s super important for women with:

  • Hot flashes/permenopause
  • Heavy, painful periods
  • Difficulties trying to conceive that are related to excess weight, estrogen dominance or autoimmunity like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
  • But really anyone – male or female – who needs to hydrate more (but hates the taste of boring water – just kidding water, you’re not boring, you’re amazing!)

 

BONUS:

Don’t forget these liver loving vegetables in salads and on the grill to further help your body detoxify effectively.

 

Let me know which one of these fruit waters you like best. Or if you come up with your own that you wanna share, I’d love to know!

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

 

Wanna become a Self-care warrior? 

Click the button below to join Dr. Odette’s FREE Self-care Warrior e-mail list and you’ll receive her Self-care videos, articles, and inspiration right in your inbox! 

 

YES! I’m ready to take care of my Self!

 

 

 

Nutrition for Hormone Balance: Mediterranean Cruciferous Bowl

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It’s the final week – week 4 of our Nutrition for Hormone Balance video series and I’m going to show you why the Mediterranean-style of eating is so great for hormone balance (and P.S. it’s been shown to support fertility as well!)

 

Let’s get started!

 

 

Mediterranean Cruciferous Bowl

 

The Hormone-Balancing Ingredients

 

Dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – a staple in the Mediterranean diet because of its healthy monounsaturated omega-9 fats. So great for heart health. A variety of healthy fats help support hormone balance and decrease inflammation in the body.

 

¼ freshly squeezed lime juice

 

¼ teaspoon dried parsley

 

Freshly ground pepper & salt to taste

 

The Goods:

2 organic eggs – A complete protein source and also provides cholesterol. Don’t be afraid women! Cholesterol is an important part of the structure of many of your hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol. If you want more animal protein, you can replace the eggs with a palm-sized portion of good quality chicken, fish or lean beef.

 

1/2 – 1 cup shredded purple/red cabbage – Cruciferous family veggie – so great for estrogen balance. Also packed with fibre for additional estrogen and insulin balance (fibre helps balance blood sugars!). Its beautiful deep pigmented colour is a sign that it contains a good amount of antioxidants. Remember, antioxidants are crucial to decrease inflammation and protect the body from oxidative stress – both important to overall hormone balance, health & longevity.

 

1.5 – 2 cups baby kale (or other leafy greens) – another of my favourite Cruciferous family vegetables. BUT if you have a thyroid condition due in part to low iodine, definitely be careful with too many raw Cruciferous family vegetables as they can prevent the thyroid gland from using iodine to make thyroid hormones. If this applies to you, talk to your healthcare professional about how much you can have raw and then enjoy the rest of this family of vegetables cooked.

 

½ cup spiced chickpeas – provides some plant protein as well as more fibre to stabilize blood sugars (and insulin & cortisol), and estrogen levels. You can definitely add in plain chick peas, but for a bit more flavour you can lightly sauté some chickpeas in some of your favourite spices. I used cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder – and can’t believe I forgot turmeric, but I would definitely add turmeric!

 

1 radish chopped – the bright red colour is a hint there are lots of antioxidants in this little guy – go back and read purple cabbage if you forgot about why antioxidants are so great!

 

How this Mediterranean Cruciferous Bowl comes to life:
  1. Bring eggs and water to a boil. Set timer for 10 minutes – adjust as desired to get softer or harder-boiled eggs. Meanwhile, prep the rest of the ingredients (seriously, this whole thing will be done in 10 minutes!)
  2. Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk (with the same fork you will eat it with – BONUS!)
  3. Arrange each of the rest of the ingredients around the bowl to make it look pretty if you plan to Instagram it or share it on Facebook. But if not – just toss it all into the bowl, resting the eggs on top. Give it a good toss to get all of the dressing mixed in.
  4. If you have any remaining ingredients (because you chopped too many like I always do), throw the rest into mason jars for lunch tomorrow, or if you have a lot of leftover ingredients, put into separate mason jars for easy assembly throughout the week.
  5. Enjoy!

 

 

Thank you!

 

That concludes are Nutrition for Hormone Balance video series. Thank you for watching, commenting and sharing these videos. I hope you learned something that will help you take charge of your health. I will see you next week for a brand new video series.

 

Take good care of your Self until then!

 

 

Nutrition for Hormone Balance: Satisfy Your 3 PM Snack Craving!

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It’s week 3 of our Nutrition for Hormone Balance video series and one area that I know a lot of my patients struggle with is snacking. I know many of us (yes, even me sometimes!) find ourselves crashing around 3-4pm during the workday.

 

And what do we typically crave?

 

Carbs of course!

 

The carbs most of us crave can be sugary quick-fixes like donuts and cookies or the salty, crunchy carbs like chips. Either way, they may satisfy you in the short-term (like for 10 minutes), but then you’ll feel hungry right after!

 

So I’m going to walk you through how to make one of my fave snacks to beat those sugar cravings AND stabilize your blood sugar levels, insulin, cortisol and estrogen.

 

And YES – they taste good and really satisfy that sweet and salty craving!

 

I give you….

 

My “Beat the 3 PM Crash Energy Bites”!

 

Let’s get started!

 

 

Beat the 3 PM Crash Energy Bites

 

The Hormone-Balancing Ingredients

 

1 cup gluten-free oats – Oats add some good fibre to help stabilize blood sugar (which means more balanced insulin and cortisol release) and it also supports healthy bowel movements for optimal detoxification of estrogen. Why gluten-free oats? Oats will have some gluten due to cross-contamination unless they’re grown in specific environments to prevent this. Assume all oats have gluten unless labeled gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in many grains and while not everyone has a true gluten allergy (known as Celiac disease), many people have a sensitivity to gluten which can range from mild to severe symptoms. The more you consume foods you have a sensitivity to, the more inflammation you’ll have and this adds additional stress to the body signaling the release of cortisol.

 

2/3 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut – Adds good texture and additional fat to help slow the release of sugar into the blood. Try to buy sulphite-free options like I used, if you want to avoid possible sulphite sensitivity (yes, it’s a thing!).

 

½ cup organic ground flax seeds or ½ cup hemp seeds – The store was out of the flax seeds I usually get so instead I used hemp seeds. I prefer ground flax seeds for their texture, fibre and healthy fats, especially the omega-3s – both of which help support healthy estrogen levels in the body. And of course the fibre and fat also help stabilize blood sugar so that’s great for balanced insulin and cortisol levels…do I sound like a broken record yet?!). But hemp seed are a good substitute because they also have omega-3 fats, a bit more protein (but do provide a bit more omega 6 fats as well).

 

BONUS TIP: If you are not going to be grinding the whole flax seeds yourself (which I know you probably don’t have time for!), make sure you purchase the ground flax seeds in freeze-dried bags and transfer to freezer after opening package to prevent the omega 3 fats from going rancid for as long as possible.

 

½ cup dark chocolate chips – Gives that hit of chocolate to satisfy your cravings plus magnesium to help your cells make energy more efficiently. And if it’s over 72% dark chocolate bonus points for more antioxidants. If you are very sensitive to sugar or don’t like chocolate (What?! Who are you?! Just kidding!!), feel free to omit this!

 

1 tablespoon chia seeds – More healthy fat, protein to regulate blood sugar, insulin and cortisol

 

½ cup raw natural nut butter – I used cashew nut butter, but feel free to use almond or peanut butter – just be sure to use natural (no added sugar, salt and definitely no hydrogenated oils or shortening!). The healthy fat from the nuts plus some protein both help to stabilize the sugar in this recipe

 

½ cup organic honey – I just finished a 2-week detox which included eliminating added sugars (including honey), and I found these bites just a bit too sweet with this much honey so I’ll be experimenting with cutting it back to 1/3 cup next time I make it. Will definitely let you know how it goes!

 

How to bring these bites to life!

 

  1. Add all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Give it a quick mix to combine.
  2. Add the wet ingredients (nut butter & honey). Mix well by hand until thoroughly combined.
  3. Cover and stick in the fridge for 30 minutes to make the mixture less sticky and easier to mold.
  4. Remove from fridge and spoon out enough mixture to make about a 1-inch ball. I find a combination of pressing the mixture into the palm of my hand then giving it a quick roll works the best. Place in a glass container. Repeat for the rest of the mixture and definitely make sure to taste test it when you’re done to make sure they’re edible 😉
  5. Cover and stick in the fridge for a few hours or overnight so the shape sets and they’re not super sticky to handle and pack for work!
  6. Enjoy 2-3 at 3 pm to energize the rest of your work day!

 

This recipe was adapted from Ali’s recipe over at Gimme Some Oven’s No Bake Energy Bites – she’s got lot of other awesome recipes, that I’ve tried and will be sharing in the near future!

 

If you make this, I’d love to know what you think about it! Post a picture & tag me on Instagram @odettebulaongnd or Facebook Odette Bulaong ND because I’d love to know if you love it as much as I do!

 

See you here next week for our final hormone balancing recipe of the month!

 

Take care until then!