Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Archives -

When Your Angels Break Your Leg

Blog, Human Spirit, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

We are all guided every moment of every day-

Whispers from spirit that contain the answers to our prayers….

… but we cannot hear

as fear has bound our programmed ear.

Then one day your angels look down and say- “we need her gifts, her light and her love”

but she moves too fast to even notice her guiding star trailing above

Well, we will do what must be done and we will break her leg so she can no longer run

Stay in your sweet body dear one

as your magic and your work that is needed in this world has just begun.

I just came through a major surgery. A left hip replacement to be exact. Many of you reading this who know me may be shocked. But those of you who know me on deeper levels also know that this surgery is about more than just an OA (Osteo Arthritis) diagnosis. This surgery is a milestone in my interpersonal healing journey. It represents thought forms, beliefs and ways of living that do not serve my path in this life any longer. I knew this day was coming. Well, I did not foresee the hip deterioration but deep down I knew that the next layer of letting go of my demons, of facing my fears around love and stepping into my gifts was going to be through some physical manifestation in my body.

To be honest, I feel very blessed to be given this lesson in healing. To be given this gift at a new way to walk, to dance, to honor and love my sweet self and the miracles this amazing body I was given can perform. It loves, it creates, it follows the moon, it sings… But, the single most miraculous thing I have found the human body to do is to be a guide pointing us in the direction of optimal vitality physically, emotionally and spiritually.

We are all blessed with pure guidance each and every moment of each and every day, but do we have the strength of will to listen to the guidance- to call our spirit back when it bolts due to fear’s many frightening faces? I talk often about the miraculous mechanism of the body’s ability to self-regulate, adapt to our constant demands and to protect itself. Everything the body does is truly out of love if we can begin to see the signals as such and decipher them in a way that promotes healing.

What do I mean by guidance?

In her book Spiritual Madness, Carolyn Myss talks about the guidance we receive every moment of every day as the subtle voices that help us guide our will and maintain our center. But the majority of us want guidance as something that comes through sea splitting, lightning bolt visions. The simple guidance is “too hard”. You know, the inner voice that knows exactly how to nourish, rest and take care of your body. The voice that says “you know if you did xyz you would feel, live, love in a way that aligns with your highest self.” But doing xyz requires us to dive into our hearts. It requires that we look deep into how we may have caused some of the damage done. It requires that we may have to forgive people that have harmed us AND that we have to forgive ourselves. It is NOT the easy way. The easy way is living in a delusion that if you pad your life with spiritual self-help books and “play the role” that God/Goddess is just going to blast you with miracle juice one day and you will then be “one of the chosen and special”- because dammit your life has been so hard and you deserve it!!!!

I have a spiritual library and I sit in ceremonies and I light the candles and I pray my beautiful heart out. But, I have learned that until you are willing to hear the daily guidance- really the answers to those prayers you cast out- and act on them, then all the woolandia (it’s a place I promise) magic in the world is in vain. Now, I say that the path of avoidance is the easy way, and it is because it keeps you safe and numb and in a box where nothing can get in. It is easy until your guides and angels that you cast your prayers to give up and leave you fishing your way out of a situation that may possibly cost you parts of your life- or your body…

…“Rest your sweet body, let go, slow down, love yourself, you know you don’t have to eat that, you can stop anytime, trust your body, you know how to do this”. These were the messages from my angels and from my own inner wisdom self that have played in the background of fear’s louder, stronger chorus of self- defeating chatter. The chatter born out of abuse from parents and peers and the voices you create yourself to shut down your light and your love so that it can no longer be attacked.

But the thing about light and love is that they want to manifest and multiply and self-actualize in every living organism on Earth- it is the essence of creation. (hang with me here) The more you shut down your/this divine essence and the more you let fear do the driving, the more difficult it is for the creationary forces of divine love to get in and help you. But, they will find a way even if they have to break you open with disease and dysfunction so that you can slow down enough to pay attention. Unfortunately, our society does not look at spiritual/emotional imbalance as a root cause of most disease and dysfunction- but that is a discussion for another day.

My Story

I have always heard my angels but the destructive thought forms that drove me deep into self-abuse and addictions controlled my daily life. I was buried in a battle with food and self-love for more than 2 decades that almost took my physical life. I lost jobs, friends, opportunities and time kept slipping by.

The most despairing part of the darkest moments is that I could sense my divine essence crying out trying to save me. I knew that the Universe needed my light, love and unique gift (that we all have) but I still could not find the strength to call my will back and shine through. Instead I buried myself in exercise despite my exhausted and depleted body. I spent my every day managing my thought forms so I would not spiral into sabotage and end up with my head in a toilet bowl even though I most always would. And then…

…It was 2011. I lost my job of 14 years 3 months after moving to NYC for my company. Shocked and stripped bare of the only stability I had known I felt a great force rise up in me- my angel screaming in my ear “if you don’t pull yourself out of this darkness you will die”. I made a commitment then- no matter how much money or time it took I was going to get help and find my way back to LOVE.

Immediately it seemed I just stopped the addictive and abusive behaviors with food. But, I knew that was just the surface projection of the deeper issues. I knew that the real work was in allowing my body, my spirit and my heart to dance together in trust. I still had HA, I was still exhausted and I was still exercising to quiet the dark thought forms that still were ruling my days. I knew that it would be my actual body that would be taken through some transformation if I didn’t listen and address this next layer of healing.

So here I currently sit one week out of a major hip surgery. As I said, I knew this day was coming. I sit here in complete awe at how guided I am and a heart bursting with gratitude. I know to my bones- especially my sweet left femur- that there is no accident in how I arrived at a hip replacement at 38 years old. I know that my angels needed to slow me down so that my light could shine, so that my gifts could unfurl into the Universe and so that I could truly learn self-love and patience. I know that this part of me sacrificed itself so that all of those thought forms and ways of being that were killing my spirit could be taken with it as it was removed from my body. I know that this is a gift- maybe even a sea splitting miracle. But it came from some deep inner work and listening to the faint song of my angels over the chatter of fear- as true miracles only can.

The inner work of self-love is not for the faint of heart but it is the only work worth doing- I truly believe this is the ultimate human test and why we are here- to unravel the programmed voices of trauma and society and find our way back into ourselves and our divine light. My only words of wisdom are that if your perfectly constructed and brilliant body cries out in pain, dis-ease and dysfunction do not fight yourself. Listen close because I know you know what it is trying to say. Don’t follow the voice of fear too long or your angels just might break your leg so that you have to walk a new way.

Thank you for reading and letting me share a personal journey. Please reach out if you have a story to share or just want to connect. I am here.

Learn to Listen to Your Gut

Dark Moon Dreaming- Your Menses have Magic Powers…

Blog, Herbal Wisdom, Hormone Health, Human Spirit, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

She falls in trust through the darkest night towards dawn-

Landing cradled in a silver crescent to lay her dreamy head upon-

Shedding the layers of dreams past-lovers-lessons and strife-

She is born once again- swelling with light and new life-

(A new moon is here dancing again with the sun. What a day, what a time to reflect on what the dance within you expresses…)

I have not had regular menses since menarche. From heavy and painful periods, a journey through birth control pills -that wreaked havoc to my system for years- into hypothalamic amenorrhea, my path to connecting with the sacred moon rhythms has unearthed the most ancient beauty within me as well as some very dark nights. I have had to face some truths about my health, my beliefs around my body and relationship to the world around me.

My own personal journey into the magic moon time took me through a month long “womb blood awakening” course with the Fountain of Life Foundation (FOL). Through meditations, devotional womb practices and shamanic menstruation my dream world began to open in vivid color and landscapes full of messages. This altered state began to flow into my waking life and my relationship with myself and the world around me shifted. It wasn’t until I really studied the sacredness of my own flow that I was able to not only balance my cycle and live without pain, but also heal a deeply wounded sense of self love and of not belonging to divine creation herself. I have a richer relationship with my emotions and can navigate my dreams in dark and day and discern what they are trying to say.

Each month women are blessed with a time of shedding, renewal, reflection and emotional cues that can guide our lives. A woman’s moon time is the most distinctive and inescapable physical difference from her male counterpart. We as women are blessed with an internal compass that can guide our fertile life, our creative life and our dream world. The relationship with your moon is, in my opinion a direct reflection of your relationship with self, your personal relationships and loverships. Your moon can tell you stories about your health and sing songs of your journey in love. As a woman you embody the grand Universal cycle of life- death and rebirth each month. Tapping into the ancient part of you that holds ceremonial truth about your magic moon can invoke great insight into your life in the waking and dream states.

“Her capacity to mate and bare children is a potential which the individual may or may not fulfil, but lover or virgin, mother or nun, from puberty to menopause she menstruates. And the point to realize is that she menstruates on all her levels- physical, etheric, astral, mental and spiritual. It is the ultimate expression of her (Goddess- like) cyclical nature.”- Janet and Stewart Farrar

These insights and dreams hold stories about your deepest truths and you start to see your life, and in some cases the lives of those you love, more clearly. In fact ancient civilizations all over the world honored this sacred time in women and would seek the guidance from the visions that came to them in their dreams during menstruation. Women were given respite from the daily duties and, in many cases, were physically relocated into what was known as the “red tent” so that they could connect to their process and deepest womb wisdom. In many ancient texts and myths it was written that womb blood was considered an elixir of life full of healing and consciousness altering properties. Womb blood carries all of the elements of life and properties unique only to divine creation.

“…over the last few years… what science now shows is that menstrual fluid contains over 1000 proteins that are biologically active, and 385 are unique proteins found only in menstrual fluid. The proteins and peptides found in menstrual blood and yoni fluids include many growth factors and cell stimulators, as well as a portion that are neurologically active or alter sensory perception” -FOL

Stories of the red tent have trickled down through the generations and we are now seeing a revival in “womb blood magic” and ceremonies that teach women how to connect to their ancient rhythms and change how they view this sacred monthly passage. And it couldn’t come sooner- the voice of divine creation (the Goddess) has fallen deaf on our modern ears and her song that lives in every woman is craving to be heard. I see this craving in the female clients I work with- in my sisters- in the men who are awakening to their own emotional lives and I feel it deep in myself. It is expressed through suppressed grief around self-love in the form of pelvic pain, fibroids, cysts, PMS, miscarriages and disconnected partnerships… I see it in sisters all around who cannot connect to one another and long for deep feminine relationships. I see it in anger, erratic emotions and confusion around operating in a way that has shut down their sacred connection to creative flow.

Shifting the current paradigm of shame around menstruation will take lots of healing circles, time, and a Universal shift in both men and women in how we treat this sacred cycle of life. It is quite daunting to most women to even consider not using tampons during their bleed. So, how do we begin? We start slow. We evoke the beauty of the subconscious to train the conscious mind. We look to the sky and begin to observe the bigger picture. We begin to dream again and simply ask our dreams to show us what we need to know to connect, to heal and to love deeply this sacred flow of life through our wombs.

Dark Moon Dream Time Tools

BE emotional: We as women have been conditioned to suppress our emotions so we can hang with the boys. Emotions are of the water element- they need to flow in order to carve new paths, soften rough edges and nurture all life. Trusting your emotions during menstruation may seem counterintuitive to current practices but your moon time emotions contain your MOST true insights. It takes practice and vulnerability to allow your rawness to reveal truths you may not want to address. You may be afraid of losing control. So, again, start slow. Feel and breath into it. Be curious rather than casting judgement. Just observe them. It is very helpful to journal and name them as naming a thing will disarm the charge around it and bring insight. As you become more aware you will begin to see patterns in your emotions and find your voice to express them clearly. But above all- BE emotional.

Make a dream pillow: This is magic at its most whimsical when we can whisper to our angels again like we did as children. A dream pillow simply holds the intention of opening you up to allow your subconscious dream state to guide you. Plants, herbs, flowers, crystals and stones have been used in dream pillows through many ancient cultures to evoke lucid dream states. My favorite plant to work with is Mugwort. Simply find a little pouch- I prefer leather or black to deflect any unwanted incoming energy- and fill it with Mugwort and a little crystal. You will want to whisper your intentions and prayers during your menses each night and slip it under your pillow or hang it over your bed. I have known some to actually fill a whole pillow- it’s your journey.

Follow the moon: Simply beginning to tune into the actual phases and cycles of the moon will create a deeper connection to your own divine cycles. You can simply honor her every night with a short prayer of gratitude. I personally build a devotional altar at each new and full moon phase while taking extra time to honor the quarter moon times in meditation. But, awareness of her and asking for her guidance is a simple and beautiful step in your path.

Have a lunar water prayer vessel: Ok, so this is by far one of my most favorite rituals, and one that I learned in the FOL course that I took. For one entire lunar cycle (new moon through new moon) you fill a clear chalice, cup or vessel of your choosing with water. You whisper prayers of gratitude into the water and ask the moon to fill the water with her healing properties. You leave the water outside to collect moonbeams overnight. When you wake in the morning you drink the water. I swear the water will wash over your womb and you will be filled with a deep ancient feeling of connection- I did anyway. This is also a beautiful ritual to do with little ones who may be afraid to sleep. They can feel like they whispered prayers to the moon to protect them in the night- again, magic in its whimsy.

I love you to the moon… thanks for reading.

I am here for guidance and questions.

Learn to Listen to Your Gut

Dark Moon~ New Light (Spring Equinox)- how to balance, questions to ponder, ways to heal-

Blog, Hormone Health, Human Spirit, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

What a magnificent and powerful day. We have emerged from the winter days and its dark mysteries to see new life grow once again. Spring is upon us and with her she brings a new moon and a solar eclipse. It isn’t very often that the forces of nature combine all together during a shift in season. I sit in awe at all of these forces and begin to relate them to my body- my Earth.

Of course, spring represents a time of renewal and hope of new life. But, more importantly it represents the death of the dark days of winter and- well- old life in a sense. It is a time to pay honor to those lessons that you have struggled to learn and those ideas that have been brewing inside of you these last few months and start shining a bright light on them. I don’t know about you, but this past winter was loud with her commands in the ways I need to heal, wake up and pay attention. Days were not easy but I dug in deep and knew that the dark was necessary in order to wake to a bright dawn.

What strikes me most about this spring equinox is that it falls on a dark, or new, moon in an eclipse! There is no greater symbol than the moon at representing the cycle of life from birth to death, dark to light, expansion to contraction. This cycle reverberates through every living thing. But for women it is a physical expression seen through her monthly bleed- the shedding of old and preparing for the possibility of new. For me and my past struggles with hypothalamic amenorrhea, connecting to the dark moon has been like coming home to a place you could always feel the importance and presence of but have never been. In order to wake to the rhythms of this power I had to, once again, look at what really needed to be addressed in my dark corners. I had to tune into my body and be brave enough to step into a relationship with something so ingrained in my being yet so distant- the rhythms and tides of Mother Earth. As I honored my dark, my flow and my rhythms it illuminated a deeper imbalance that I see in so many.

In nature we tend to see things from a more feminine point of view. And the current, necessary awakening and awareness around the feminine aspect within ourselves is strong at this time. Mother Earth and her rhythms embody all aspects of the feminine. But bring in this solar eclipse, the dance of Sun (masculine) and Moon (feminine), and we are reminded that the energies of feminine and masculine, light and dark, sun and moon, have to both be present for life to emerge- in perfect balance.

What does this all mean?

I work with many women with hormonal and emotional conflict in their lives. The dark moon has not been something to honor as important, like our monthly shedding of the old. I see men who are craving to be in tune with an aspect of themselves they have felt ashamed to connect with. They cannot express this fierce, sun warrior light they hold without ridicule or misunderstanding. Our ability to feel the rhythms of nature in tune with our own nature has been tampered out by so much societal noise. Our lack of self-awareness around the importance of journeying through light and dark times, within and without, has created emotional chaos in so many of us. We no longer honor the simple and the beautiful aspects of the miracle of life. We have been thrown off balance by not understanding how to nurture and honor both aspects of light and dark, masculine and feminine. All of this manifests in many ways in our lives but greatly impacts our sexual and hormonal health, our emotions and our creativity.

This Spring Equinox is here to deliver us a juicy serving of self-awareness- to shed, to light up with bright intention and to find the natural balance within and honor all aspects of ourselves so we can heal. Here are some reflections and actions you can take to honor this changing of the season within and without.

Ask yourself this… Take your time and be kind with your answers.

What have you been holding onto that you need to let go of?
What is your relationship with your beautiful bleed? (women)
If you wanted to Spring 3 things to life what would they be?
When you think of Mother Earth what emotions stir inside of you?- Do any?
What do feminine and masculine energy mean to you? Where in your body do you feel these energies?

Sync up:

Honor the phases of the moon: As you now know the dark moon represents a time to shed and let go. Clearing space for new opportunities and clearing baggage each month will keep you focused and light so that when the Full moon rises you can set to action with bringing things to life. There are many simple rituals. You can write down those things you wish to shed at the new Moon, thank her and the Earth for hearing your heart, burn and bury. Light a candle on the full Moon with a clear and intentional prayer- sit in meditation and gratitude.

Understand the balance within: Every living thing has a feminine and a masculine side. In the human body the masculine resides in the right side of the body (right ovary for women) and the feminine in the left (left ovary). I guide clients through a meditation that connects these energies to various areas in their life. Simply tuning in and envisioning the sun/moon, fire/water balance can help you see where you may need to balance.

Seed cycle: This is a simple and nourishing way for women to balance their hormones with food. Seeds are the essence of life and Spring. By using certain seeds at certain phases of your cycle you can balance and connect. The quick version is consuming pumpkin and flax in your follicular phase and sesame and sunflower seeds in your luteal phase. Don’t know what follicular and luteal are? Want further guidance? Contact me…

Do a fertility cleanse: Cleansing is by far the most popular way to honor Spring and to let go of the old. Fertility cleansing to increase your awareness of your hormonal and emotional rhythms will also address stagnation in the whole body.

Plant some flowers: Physically getting your hands into the Earth is the most intimate way. Honor her and all of the elements that help us all grow.

What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You (or know) About Birth Control Pills

Blog, Hormone Health, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

Birth control (BC) and family planning is a very personal journey and decision that I honor in every client I work with around the topic. With that said however, I have a strong opinion on the use of prescription medications for imbalances without total and full education around all options and potential side effects. Yes, birth control pills are a medication. Yes they have side effects. YES there are other options to consider like FAM (fertility awareness method) and various barrier methods. Yes your hormones are out of balance and you feel like total crap- NO this is not a birth control pill deficiency.

My opinion, research and passion around educating women in this area began when I was 30 (omg that makes me sound so old- ahem). For a few months I had been feeling “off”. Not just my usual kinda crazy, all over the place self- this was different. My emotional state was absolutely intolerable and I could not figure out what had flipped. I ran to a doctor in the middle of my workday as I literally could not deal with myself one more moment. This was not my preferable choice of care as I was nervous about his 10 minute assessment, but I was desperate and he had an appointment. After losing it in his office he wrote me a prescription for Paxil. I hate meds, but didn’t care. I took the Paxil and in 3 weeks time I had not only fallen apart even more- I now felt numb and lifeless.

I finally went to an ND for a full assessment. She asked me a series of amazing questions- actually listening. After hearing everything the one question that really hit home was “why are you on birth control pills?” I was tongue tied and confused. “Isn’t everyone on BC?!”- “I just am and always have been”- “I don’t really know anymore as my partner and I are apart”. What happened next may be too much for some of you but I am all about full disclosure.

I stopped taking BC just like that. Within 2 weeks my head cleared and I began to feel this sense of myself that I hadn’t in years. But, then came the layers of what a medication does to your system… I broke out into a full fungal/yeast infection from mid thigh to my navel. Everything I ate bothered my belly and manifested through more outbreak. No matter how much I tried to calm the itching and craziness nothing would work. I began to research my symptoms and what I discovered was I had gone into a healing crisis due to my gut trying to repair itself after the years of birth control pills disrupting my gut lining. The yeast and fungus finally cleared but the effects of BC remained for years to come adding to my struggle with hypothalamic amenorrhea.

The BC pill is a relatively new medicine only making its official debut in the 60’s as an approved contraceptive method. It was originally only prescribed for intense dysmenorrhea (painful menses) before being allowed to be used as a contraceptive method. It is the most studied medication in history and carries a legacy of controversy around a woman’s right to choose how she manages her reproductive health. The original formulas were pulled from the market as they were highly carcinogenic. New formulas were developed and now over 150 million women world wide take BC pills.

Lately it seems that almost every client I work with has concern over her use of BC pills and is quite frustrated at her lack of guidance from her doctor. Most of them originally started taking BC pills for painful and irregular periods and acne. The clients still on BC complain of a sense of disconnect from their body. Those recently off the pill realize that not only have their imbalances not gone away but they are left with some serious side effects. All that I ask is that we tell our women the truth around the BC pill…

The problem is that so many women today use hormonal contraception for the wrong reason: to mask the symptoms of an underlying hormonal issue. According to a 2011 study by the Guttmacher Institute… 58 percent of women use hormonal birth control for purposes other than preventing pregnancy.

The TRUTH About Birth Control Pills

The BC pill does NOT help your hormonal imbalances. It only addresses symptoms through a synthetic, “masking”, action on your reproductive system. The original imbalance is still there quietly running in the background. I see women with symptoms of adrenal burnout and thyroid imbalance who cannot seem to find relief as their hormonal symphony is bound in the BC pill never allowing for a true read on what is really taking place in the body.

BC pills destroy the beneficial bacteria in your gut. They are a medication. And, like most medications they break down the integrity of the gut lining allowing a proliferation of yeast and digestive disturbances to take place.

Long term use can contribute to fertility challenges? I put a question mark because some research says yes and some says no. (It depends on who is conducting the study) The concern is we don’t know. The BC pill is so new to our recent generations that the long term impact on reproductive health and the impact on our children’s health is really unknown. I would say that if you are one of the 58% taking the pill for hormonal and skin issues, then the likelihood that you have difficulty conceiving post pill could be high as a hormonal imbalance is going to cause some fertility challenges. Fertility challenges are on the rise and a relatively new issue compared to our mothers and grandmothers; we don’t know why. Many women come off the pill and conceive within a month to a year. Many women come off the pill and have long term issues and loads of regret.

Not having your period is NOT healthy. Many BC pills now stop your period. Your body was designed to create life and each month is a beautiful ritual of building, bursting and shedding. Through out history women have used their cycle as a way to tune into their creativity and intuition. The period is a beautiful release for the body and the spirit- to shed what needs to go so that new energy can grow. Also, having a regular period is a sign of vitality. Even after women stop the pill 5-10% do not resume a period for a very long time only to begin very irregular periods. No period is no good.

The BC pill can increase cancer risk. The pill and cancer is a 2 sides of the same coin issue. In 2005 a group of scientists from the WHO (World Health Organization) pointed to the pill as increasing the risk of cervical, breast and liver cancer. However, the pill can lower the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer. I believe that a healthy, balanced, pill free body is your best defense against all disease.

Other Side Effects Worth a Mention:

Weight gain and bloating
Low libido
Mood Swings
Blood clotting issues
High blood pressure
Decreased bone density setting you up for osteoporosis and fracture

So What Do You Do Now!?

So you’ve had it with feeling disconnected and unsure of your decision to take BC pills for so many years. You want to tackle your hormone issues and be in tune with your body but you don’t want to get pregnant right now and still be able to have wild passionate sex with your love.

First you want to work with someone who can help guide you through this decision and support you around nourishment and lifestyle choices that help transition the body off of the pill. The body is resilient but will need a good gut rebuild protocol, liver support and hormone friendly foods that help establish a hormonal rhythm.

Next you want to learn how to tune into your cycle and understand the cues around when your body can and cannot conceive. Sounds scary and difficult I know. Good news- couples that work together to understand the rhythms of the woman’s body not only have great success in preventing pregnancy they find that their bond is stronger and the woman’s body becomes a bit juicier. Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) and barrier methods such as contraceptive foam and the diaphragm are highly effective when used properly and with great awareness. I always recommend using a condom during transition time until you, your body and your partner all sync up with your cycle. Eventually, in monogamous and supportive relationships, FAM alone will be easy and worth the work. Working with someone to help you tune into your cycle and begin understanding FAM is very beneficial. These books (here and here) are also VERY informative and I can’t imagine any woman not owning one.

The data show that in women who are ideal users-who use the method (FAM) correctly every time- barrier methods and even FAM can be 95-98% effective.

If all you desire is convenience and tuning into your rhythms and working on your hormones sounds like an addition to the pile of daily stress, I do hope this article made you think just a bit and I still honor your decision. I am here for questions regardless of where you are at.

As I said earlier, how women manage their reproductive livelihood is a very personal journey. I don’t think any woman would agree that a system that severs our natural rhythms, causes severe short and long term side effects, mostly removes the burden from their male partners to learn about the female body and take any contraceptive responsibility is a great leap in reproductive health and freedom. I do think, however, that we would all agree that there are cases in which birth control pills offer a positive solution. There will always be controversy on the tails of something that alters the chemistry of a system that produces life and creativity. Knowledge is power and puts the freedom back in the hands of our women- you decide.

Learn to Listen to Your Gut

Resources:

Northrup,C, M.D. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. 2010- Random House
Vitti, A. Woman Code. 2013- Harper Collins
Nikolchev, A. “A Brief History of the Birth Control Pill”. 2010 PBS.org
Gates, D. “The Dangers Every Woman Needs to Know About the Birth Control Pill”. 2008 bodyecology.com

Leptin and Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (aka the energy hormone)

Blog, Hormone Health, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

There is so much buzz about- well everything these days really- but recently the role of leptin in relation to fat loss and energy. As you all know I am definitely not interested in the role of fat loss for my life and for the majority of my readers. But I am VERY interested in how to keep my energy systems in check and my hormones balanced and happy. Everything your body does requires energy. Your major systems respond to whether stress is depleting and threatening your energy or if you have enough to thrive.When the body senses stress of any kind it begins to shut down and/or resist the communication systems that keep us healthy, balanced and happy. And, for those struggling with HA it’s the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) and Hypothalamic Pituitary Ovarian (HPO) communication that is depleted of its energy.

So, what does this have to do with Leptin?

Leptin is your satiety or “I am no longer hungry and my body is perfectly fueled” hormone. Leptin is stored in and produced by your adipose tissue- aka fat. And when your body has met its energy needs through food, leptin is released to say stop eating. What is fascinating about this is that your fat is actually acting as a metabolic organ sending signals to your brain to operate all of your functions including thyroid, digestive and reproductive. Of course this would make one think that more fat= more leptin and that is very much true. But in the case of overweight and obese individuals their leptin is kind of broken, or resistant- very similar to insulin resistance.

In the case of HA, mostly induced by eating disorders, sudden weight loss and/or over-exercise, leptin stores are low or completely depleted- you can see how this would be an issue. So, if leptin is depleted and your fat stores are extremely low how can you still have any energy? (And I am talking to those who have HA and still somehow push through an 8 mile run). Well, that is another blog and time but your body turns to your adrenal reserves for back up and voila!- adrenal fatigue (aka wired tired). (Are you wired tired? Message me– I would love to help!)

“Advances in leptin physiology have established that the main role of this hormone is to signal energy availability in energy-deficient states. Studies in animals and human beings have shown that low concentrations of leptin are fully or partly responsible for starvation-induced changes in neuroendocrine axes, including low reproductive, thyroid, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) hormones.” Pub Med,2005

Adequate leptin= good energy= balanced metabolism= lowered stress triggers= happy hormone function.

There are a few new studies now actually showing that administering leptin to women with HA will reset the HPO axis and trigger a menstrual cycle. However, leptin is still a hormone and I fully believe that before you consider working with any natural or bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, you should work with your body and replace what it has lost. Proper nutrition and stress reduction should always be your first and even fifth approach to healing.

So how do you actually replace your leptin and energy stores? The most obvious answer is balanced nutrition and a good amount of healthy fats. In the case of HA, increasing your overall caloric intake is also necessary. The tricky part is, and what I have seen in my clients struggling through this issue, is the bloat, fatigue, digestive distress and anxiety that comes with adding calories and fat while trying to climb out of the HA hole on their own. (Not fun- believe me I know! ~ Get a little guidance…)

To get you started here are some tips…

Rest~ This may be the most important factor in re-establishing leptin. Calorie increase alone won’t do a thing if you are burning through those calories and taxing your adrenals. Take naps if you can or at least a few minutes throughout the day try to take a break and put your feet up. Sleep! And I am talking about being in bed by 10 (ok 11) and sleeping through the night until 7. NO 6am running for awhile. You must rest.
Take Omegas!!!~ Yes, it is one of the few additional food supplements I think every human should take. I love good ol’ Carlson’s Cod Liver oil as it has full spectrum essential fatty acids and naturally occurring Vitamin D. Don’t like the straight stuff?- then you can take the capsules.
Eat 5 small meals per day. I don’t always recommend this except in cases of energy deficiency and blood sugar imbalances (ok, so that’s most of you- hmmm). You want to ensure you are getting protein, fat and good carbohydrates/naturally occurring sugars (yes you need sugars) with each meal. If your body feels fueled it will begin to reset- and trust- itself to function again.

There are so many other deeply rooted and personal factors in figuring out how to reset your system. The suggestions above are very basic. In order to dig a little deeper I do highly recommend a helping hand with your hormones.

“Learn to Listen to Your Gut”

Hypothalamic Amenorrhea~

Blog, Hormone Health, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

In late June 2013 I began writing about my state of amenorrhea in a blog titled “My Journey to the Moon”. I was committed to reigniting my body’s natural rhythms and regaining my feminine connection regardless of what I had to face emotionally and physically. Between the damaging effects of birth control pills and a severe battle with bulimia which included extreme exercise for over 20 years, I fluctuated between very erratic periods (dysmenorrhea) to eventually no periods (amenorrhea). All in all I had not had a true period in over 8 years.

I documented my plan weekly. I was using a whole handful of healing tools … if you would have said walking backwards and whistling helped I would have done it. Week after week I would write about my emotional and physical realizations and what was/wasn’t working. And week after week- no period. I was emotionally spazzed out- for lack of a better term. My body was all over the place with weight gain and fluid fluctuations. I bounced between fear, anxiety and depression with some occasional days where I could feel my soul connection again. Those few days where I could hear my “inner voice” and my “gut instinct” coming back to life are what kept me on track. [Read more…] about Hypothalamic Amenorrhea~