Danielle▪️Functional Nutritionist

This time of year the internet is full of ads for diets, detoxes, unsustainable fitness programs etc. 🙅‍♀️ Let’s change the conversation! Things to normalize for 2023 and beyond 👀 What would you add to this list?!👇

If you’re always tired, crave sugar/carbs, experience brain fog, wake up during the night or can’t lose weight even though you eat well and exercise, there’s a good chance your blood sugar regulation could use some support. The reality is, it’s impossible to have a healthy, well functioning metabolism or balanced hormones if your blood sugar is not being balanced on a daily basis 👇 Blood sugar affects ALL of our hormones including thyroid hormones, progesterone, leptin/ghrelin (hunger hormones) and cortisol. When blood sugar is out of balance, our hormones are out of balance. Insulin and cortisol imbalances in particular, will have you storing fat in your mid-section that just doesn’t budge. If your blood sugar is swinging up and down (swipe for a graphic), your energy will suffer, cravings can become hard to resist, sleep is impacted and it will be impossible to lose weight. Need personalised support on your hormone balancing and weight loss journey? DM me “support” for info about working 1:1 together🫶

Ending 2023 with 23 things we wish every woman knew! Tell us! What would you add to the list?!👇

Glimmers were coined by trauma therapist, Deb Dana and simply put, they are the opposite of triggers. Glimmers are tiny everyday moments that spark feelings of joy and inner calm but actually have a much deeper impact on the nervous system. Glimmers send signals of safety to your body, bringing a sense of calm to the nervous system. A few examples: ☀️The sunlight on your skin 🛏️ Putting on a cozy sweater or pjs 🐶 Your dog putting their chin on your lap 🌅 A beautiful sunrise or sunset 🌻Pretty flowers or a beautiful tree 💕A thoughtful message from a friend ☺️A random act of kindness Let’s fill the comments with your glimmers!

Blood sugar instability is a huge factor in anxiety. Regulating my blood sugar on a daily basis has been a key part of managing anxiety and OCD naturally. Comment “blood sugar” and I’ll send you my favourite tips to get started! 🧒👦Ps. if you have kids who deal with unexplained anxiety, blood sugar instability is a huge factor that often goes unaddressed. As a teacher, I saw this A LOT with kids who really struggled to regulate their emotions and behavior and pay attention at school - poor blood sugar regulation.

In case no one’s told you, bloating isn’t normal. Bloating is one of the most common symptoms I see with clients and usually, women who are bloated also deal with symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, sleep issues and weight loss resistance. Bloating after meals tell us there’s inflammation in the gut and that you’re not properly breaking down your food. This means you’re not properly absorbing your nutrients which will of course, impact your energy levels, thyroid, hormones and !mmune system. Here’s the method I use to help clients go from chronic bloat to forgetting what that even feels like: 🪑Eat meals sitting down, not standing or on the go 🧘‍♀️Slow down and chew your food until it’s a paste (15-20 chews per bite) 🍷Limit drinking, even water, with your meals (this dilutes your digestive juices) 🍠Cook your veggies and limit raw leafy greens and cruciferous 🍓Digestive bitters before your meals to stimulate stomach acid and digestive enzymes If you’ve tried these tips without relief, it may be time to look deeper at possible gut dysbiosis and bacterial overgrowth in your gut. Inside The Nourished Way, we use the GI map to get to the root causes of your gut issues. Comment “gut support” to learn how you can heal your gut, for good

I’ve been there and it’s infuriating. Your cramps are horrible, you’re nauseous and there’s no way you could make it through your period without aleeve or midol. You wait monthssss to see a specialist, get 5 minutes of their time and leave with ZERO answers. Not only that but you also feel completely dismissed because your tests all look normal so you start to wonder if maybe this really is normal… 🚨Hormonal birth control continues to be widely used as a replacement for proper investigation into the root causes of period pain, irregular cycles, acne, PCOS and endometriosis. These symptoms aren’t normal, random or “just genetic.” If these are symptoms you deal with, you deserve for your health issues to be properly and thoroughly investigated not dismissed, downplayed or covered up with bandaid “solutions”. If you’re ready to get to the root causes of your hormonal imbalances from someone who’s been where you are, comment “hormones” to see if my protocol is right for you

How well your liver is functioning is directly correlated to your hormone levels, energy, gut health, skin, fertility and menstrual cycles. Yes, your liver will detox on its own, but… If you give it too much to detoxify, it’s going to be overwhelmed and less efficient. Your liver is a busy bee with over 500 jobs to do everyday, including: - Detoxing chemicals such as pesticides, PFAs, plastic and medications - Filtering and detoxing hormones - Converting inactive T4 into active T3 so your thyroid runs optimally - Keeping your blood sugar balanced - Storing nutrients - Producing bile so you can digest fats and eliminate toxins - Regulating cholesterol levels If your toxic bucket is overflowing and your liver doesn’t have the nutrients it needs to run optimally, it’s going to get behind on these jobs. Reducing my overall toxic burden and supporting my liver was a vital part of overcoming painful periods, chronic gut issues and post-pill acne. Ready to get to the root cause of your hormonal sh*tstorm from someone who’s been where you are? Comment “support” to see if my protocol is right for you

Which one will you focus on this week? What would you add to the list?

Mental health humour 🧠😅

Eating within an hour of waking up is GOOD for your METABOLISM. Being hungry in the morning is a sign of a HEALTHY metabolism. Eating a high protein breakfast is how you sustain ENERGY all day and eliminate cravings. Typical North American breakfast foods like oatmeal, bagels and cereal are not balanced meals and starting your day with these will put you on the SPIKE-CRASH cycle with your blood sugar for the entire day. This looks like… 🥱The 2 pm crash 🤯Brain fog 🍪Cravings 🍿Wanting to graze/snack Sound familiar? Comment “breakfast” and I’ll send you a list of my go-to balanced breakies!

I was put on the pill at 16 for painful periods and ended up with a hypothyroid. I had common symptoms including: - Fatigue - Brain fog - Up and down weight - Anxiety - Human icicle (always cold) - Dry skin - Thinning hair - High cholesterol - Painful periods (ironic because that’s why I went on the pill in the first place) Since making the connection to my years on birth control, here’s what I’ve been doing about it: 🍓Working on my gut health 🥥Replenishing minerals depleted with the pill and stress 😴Getting as much sleep as possible 🧘‍♀️Slowing down to reduce stress which has definitely been a big contributor to my low thyroid ☀️Daily sunlight 🍗Eating 99% gluten free 🌿Supporting my liver with castor oil packs, NAC and herbs The Nourished Way is a step by step plan to regulate your hormones and metabolism so that you can get your energy back, regulate your stress response and lose weight in a sustainable way. Comment “thyroid support” for info about working togethe