Nikki was changing a super tampon and pad every one to two hours when she first came to see me. Even these would fail her on her heaviest days. Beyond the bleeding she was struggling with fatigue, anxiety and hair loss. The reality was, her periods had caused her to become anemic and that anemia was causing her to have …
Gut Health and Hormones: Why is a Healthy Gut Microbiome Important for Hormone Balance
Evaluating gut health and the microbiome (the organisms that inhabit your gastrointestinal tract) is crucial if you suffer from hormonal symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, headaches, hair loss, sensitivity to stress, cold intolerance, painful periods, or symptoms that suggest your hormone health is struggling. In my clinical experience, hormone issues are often related to poor gut health because your gut: …
What is Estrogen Dominance, and What to Do About It
Estrogen dominance is one of the most common issues that I see in my practice, especially in women in their late 30s and beyond. It can develop for various reasons: age, excess body fat, exposure to hormone mimicking chemicals in your environment, poor digestion, stress, adrenal issues, and even autoimmune conditions. The good news is, there are ways to get …
10 Top Foods for Thyroid Health
Whether you are Hypothyroid or Hyperthyroid, this list of 10 top foods for thyroid health has got you covered! In my clinic, we like to focus on what you CAN eat, rather than all the foods you should be avoiding. And while there are certainly plenty of foods you should be avoiding if you have hypothyroidism, I want to encourage …
Thyroid Disease After Pregnancy: Fatigue in the Fourth Trimester
Thyroid disease after pregnancy may be the most overlooked and under diagnosed condition affecting new mothers. Taking a conservative estimate, we can expect 300,000-400,000 mothers to develop postpartum thyroid disease this year. That is 10% of all new moms. But some estimate it may be as high as 17%— and those are only the women who are being tested. Many other mothers …
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Impacts More Than Just Energy
Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient for energy, brain health, hormone function and pregnancy. Which is why a vitamin B12 deficiency impacts more than just energy. Here are some of the other equally serious vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms. Deficiency is Common Depending on which study you look at, anywhere from 20-40% of the U.S. population has suboptimal levels of this …
Balance Your Hormones in 4 Easy Steps
Hormones…they can completely rock our world at times. Leaving us feeling like we are at the mercy of their seemingly sporadic bursts, it may seem impossible to ever regain balance of your hormones. But I want to tell you that today, you can begin creating amazing hormone health in 4 easy steps. If you missed my last post on the …
I’m Not a Mom: How I Prepared For a Loved One’s Birth
This article is by guest author, Mallory Leone, NC. Mallory Leone, NC is a nutrition consultant with certifications in holistic nutrition and sports and exercise. She is also trained in motivational interviewing and coaching techniques that change depending on her client’s individual needs. Mallory has been studying under Dr. Jolene Brighten since 2014 in Dr. Brighten’s unique approach to medicine, …
6 Ways to Support Your Adrenals After Baby
If there is one universal piece of advice that I give to all moms it is—Support Your Adrenals Postpartum! Postpartum adrenal fatigue is serious. You may have been warned about the massive fluctuations in hormones after childbirth. The fallout from the rapid drop in estrogen and progesterone in the weeks following birth results in different symptoms for different women. The biggies …