The Paleo Mama

Homegrown and Handmade

Jackie Ritz

6 Rituals for Better Sleep

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If you are following me on our podcast then you have heard me talking about how important healthy sleep is. I used to start my day feeling like I had just worked eight hard hours before my feet even hit the floor. I tossed and turned all night and hardly slept.  I struggled with this for years and sleep, for me, was a luxury, not a way of life. It wasn’t until I put some super duper important things into action and created some rituals that I started to sleep better. 

On average, I used to wake up 10-15 times a night. I thought it was normal until one day last year I asked my friends, “Hey, just curious, but do you wake up 10-15 times a night too?” They looked at me and said, “Jackie this ain’t normal.” So I figured I would share some of my daily rituals that have helped me to get a much better sleep.

Let’s be honest — insomnia hits all of us from time to time. Usually we can figure out why we didn’t sleep. Maybe we had life’s chaos on our mind, or one of the kids was sick, or work stress is looming large in our minds. Or maybe we just ate or drank too much of the wrong things and we sabotaged our own sleeping hours.

But that’s not what this article is about. It’s about never sleeping well. It’s about always feeling tired and sleepy. In the United States, up to 70 million people suffer from a sleep disorder, and only 44 percent reportedly get a good sleep on a regular basis. What can we do to ensure that we can successfully get the rest we need at night?

To help us solve our sleep problems, many sleep experts are talking about the power of sleep optimization. Sleep is part of what makes us human. It is a core requirement of life, and the quality and quantity of it that we get directly impacts both our physical and mental health. So we should be optimizing it to get the most that we can out of the hours that we sleep each night.

What Keeps Us From Getting the Sleep We Need?

There are many reason we don’t sleep, but we can probably fit all those reasons into the following six surprising sleep wreckers that keep us up at night.

1. Stress

Who isn’t stressed in today’s world? Most adults face high stress levels at least occasionally. Even teenagers say that school and family finances cause them stress, and confess to worrying more than sleeping at times. Stress causes our adrenal glands to release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which keep us hyped up and unable to snooze.

2. Depression

Insomnia and depression go hand in hand. Research suggests that people with insomnia have ten times the risk of developing depression as people who sleep well. Serotin, a chemical in the brain that affects mood, emotion, sleep, and appetite, is a reason that depression and insomnia go together.

3. Caffeine

Don’t kill me. I know, I know…don’t mess with a woman and her coffee, but girl…you might need to cut it out. Listen, caffeine stays in the bloodstream as long as eight to fourteen hours, keeping you wired when you should be sleeping. A latte with two shots of espresso contains about 150 milligrams of caffeine. If you have that at 5 p.m., by the time you wake up at 7 a.m. the level of caffeine in your body is still about 75 milligrams. Coffee and tea are loaded with caffeine, but so is chocolate, which is notorious for causing sleep problems that people do not recognize.

4. Hormones

For women, reproductive hormones are shifting during monthly cycles, when pregnant, and during menopause, and they mess with brain chemicals that regulate sleep.

5. Alcohol

Alcohol disrupts your ability to doze in a number of ways. It shortens the time it takes to fall asleep, but it also reduces REM sleep. As it begins to leave your body, sleep becomes shallow and disrupted. It also causes swelling of mucus membranes and blocked airways.

6. Eating

Either eating too much or too little at bedtime can interrupt sleep. A heavy meal causes reflux, triggering heartburn, pain, or coughing. Although eating too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep, so can eating too little. This problem is often seen in women who are trying to lose weight.

These are some of the major sleep wreckers, but watch out for others as well. Things like medications, vitamins, or supplements can hinder sleep. Undiagnosed or chronic pain, an old uncomfortable mattress, pets in bed, or a snoring partner can also be a cause of poor sleep. And you should always rule out a sleep disorder. (To learn more about possible sleep disorders, see here.)

What Can I Do to Optimize My Sleep?

Getting a better night’s sleep could be as simple as adjusting your sleep rituals to be sure you are giving yourself the best opportunity to rest well. You are important and making space for yourself is important so here are some tips for habits that will lead you to a better night’s sleep.

Eat Well and Maintain a Healthy Exercise Routine

In the evening, avoid high carbohydrate foods that flood your muscles with glucose, and cause involuntary muscle movements during your sleep, which disrupts your rest. If you are hungry just before bed, try snacking on a handful of nuts or a Golden Milk. They provide protein and fat, which digest more slowly and lead to a calm sleep. They are also rich in magnesium, a mineral that helps to calm the nervous system. Don’t decide to exercise too close to bedtime, because exercise ramps up your metabolism and body temperature and makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Find Your Sleep Rhythm

Experiment for a few nights to find out the best time for you to go to sleep and the best time to wake up. Creating this sleep rhythm helps to regulate your body’s internal clock, and can help you sleep better. I have a bedtime routine, just like my kids do: I take a detox bath or shower, brush my teeth, put on comfortable pjs, power up my diffuser with some Lavender or Serenity, and grab a book to read. If I must work on the computer, I make sure to put my blue blocker glasses on which block the blue light of your computer, TV or phone. Blue light disrupts circadian rhythm. I keep one pair of these glasses by my bed and then I have the pair that I wear when I work in my office. 

Say No to Alcohol, Caffeine, Nicotine, and Electronics

These things just make going to sleep more difficult. Don’t drink alcohol or caffeine too close to bedtime. Leave electronics like TVs, computers, and phones outside the bedroom. Avoid bright light for an hour before bedtime. Darkness helps your body produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. When you wake in the morning, let the sun shine in so your body begins to waken naturally.

I was so desperate to sleep better that I gave up caffeine completely. It was hard and life sucked for the week that I detoxed but it was so worth it. I wasn’t even drinking coffee past 10am, but because I was waking up so much in the night, I thought my adrenals and hormones needed a break from the constant morning caffeine. Eliminating it wasn’t too hard. I didn’t quit cold turkey but slowly eliminated it over a week timeframe. The first few days I drank a 75% regular coffee and 25% decaf mixture. Then day 3 and 4 I did a 50:50 mixture. Then day 5 and 6 I did a 25% regular and 75% decaf mix. And by day 7 I was weaned! I still drink coffee, but it’s always decaf. 

Keep Cool

Your bedroom should be a quiet, dark, relaxing nest, neither too cold nor too hot. You should have supportive pillows that feel comfortable. Try keeping your bedroom between 66 and 70 degrees.

Wind Down

Don’t jump off your fancy Peloton bike and fall into bed for a night’s sleep. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend your last hour before bed doing a calming activity. Read a chapter in a book, take a warm bath, have a nice warm cup of chamomile tea, and share some special moments with your spouse or loved one.

Use Calming Essential Oils

If you have followed me on Instagram or Facebook then you already know that essential oils are powerhouses that can help you have a good night’s rest. Essential oils like Lavender and Bergamot are rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, compounds that have well-known relaxing properties. These oils can be diffused aromatically in the bedroom to create a calming and peaceful environment, perfect for getting a good night’s sleep. They can also be used topically and taken internally to calm the nervous system, promote relaxation, and lead to a restful sleep. Try placing two drops of Lavender or Bergamot essential oil in a warm, herbal tea (Chamomile, Lemongrass, etc.), or another favorite uncaffeinated beverage about 30 minutes before going to bed, or add eight to ten drops of Lavender into 2 cups of epsom salt and pour it into a hot bath. 

Get Sleeping

Optimizing your sleep is as simple as tweaking your sleep habits to be as practical and effective as possible. With just a few minor adjustments to the way you approach your time for sleeping you can move from the nightmare sleepless night to the sweet dreams restful sleep that you have been craving.

Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

—Thomas Dekker

 

Sources

  1. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/having-trouble-sleeping#1
  2. http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-health/2016/06/21/time-wake-power-sleep-optimization/
  3. https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/healthy-living-sleep-what-many-of-us-are-missing

 

Paleo Sesame Candy

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Have I ever told y’all how much I love Korean food? I mean it is a serious addiction of mine. In fact, I make it a point to cook Korean food at least once a week in our home. However, finding real food, paleo, Korean recipes is a struggle…until now! My friend Jean over at What Great Grandma Ate just wrote a new book called, Korean Paleo: 80 Bold-Flavored, Gluten- and Grain-Free Recipes! As soon as I saw this new cookbook, I had to have it and, thankfully, Jean is letting me give a sneak peek of one of the recipes from the cookbook, Gang Jeong (Sesame Candy). 

Korean Paleo contains 80 recipes: most are traditional and authentic in flavor, and some are modernized, fusion, or healthified versions of popular Korean fast foods. You’ll find recipes that are crowd favorites like Bibimbap, Bulgogi, and Kimchi, as well as Korean barbecue items. You will also find dishes that you may have never heard before, but I encourage you to try them all because there’s only a small portion of the Korean cuisine that’s been popularized internationally. It’s such a rich and diverse cuisine. 

Here’s a breakdown of the number of recipes within various dietary needs:

  • Egg free: 53
  • Nightshade free: 27
  • Nut free: 70
  • Whole30: 27
  • AIP-optional (if you omit sesame seeds and black peppers, and replace sesame oil): 17
  • Keto: 21

Now, for the delicious Paleo Sesame Candy recipe you must try…

(Don’t forget to add Korean Paleo to your Amazon Cart today) 

Gang Jeong (Sesame Candy)

This crunchy sesame seed candy, commonly served over traditional holidays, is quite addicting because it’s deliciously nutty and not overly sweet. You can use already toasted sesame seeds, but I prefer to toast them before making the candy because the flavor is so much better that way. Make sure to work quickly when you roll out the sesame seed mixture. It’s doesn’t take long for it to harden into candy.

Serves: About 16-18

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (300 g) of sesame seeds, white, black, or both
  • 1” (2.5 cm) ginger, minced
  • ½ (100g) cup coconut sugar
  • ½ cup (120 ml) honey
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. If you are using raw sesame seeds, heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add sesame seeds and toast them, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. If you are using toasted sesame seeds, start at the next step.
  2. Combine toasted sesame seeds and minced ginger in a bowl, mixing well.
  3. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Have another parchment paper of a similar size ready.
  4. Combine coconut sugar, honey, and sea salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat while constantly stirring. Once it comes to a full boil, let it cook for 2 minutes while stirring, then remove from heat. Immediately pour the sesame seeds and ginger into the hot syrup and stir. Pour and spread this mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet. Place the second parchment paper on top of the mixture. Use a rolling pin to flatten the candy into even thickness, about ¼ – ½ inch (6 to 12 mm).
  5. Remove the top piece of parchment paper, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut the Gang Jeong into rectangles or squares.
  6. Let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container. You can even freeze Gang Jeong for up to 3 months.

How to Switch to Natural Deodorant

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Let’s tackle a subject no one wants to talk about—sweaty armpits, and what to do about it. It’s my guess that this is one of the most difficult transitions to a more natural lifestyle. After all, no one wants to compromise on the topic of body odor. It’s pretty obvious that we all need a good deodorant and it’s the reason I’ve included three homemade deodorant recipes in my brand new book, The Home Apothecary: Home Crafted Recipes Using Herbs & Essential Oils. More and more people are learning the dangers of conventional, store-bought deodorant and they are wondering how to switch to natural deodorant (without stinking). The more we sweat, the more we stink. But lacking confidence in natural deodorant products and/or the overriding fear of showing up at an important occasion with sweaty armpits keeps many from taking the plunge to au natural deodorants.

Let’s look at both sides of this issue in this post:

  • What’s wrong with conventional deodorants and antiperspirants?
  • What’s right about using natural deodorants?

What’s Wrong with Conventional Deodorants and Antiperspirants?

Every day many people spray or slather on deodorant products under their arms—in a sensitive spot where many lymph nodes lie just under the surface of the skin. These products may stop the sweat—but a more important consideration is what effect their ingredients have on our bodies.

Let’s start with what is different between deodorants and antiperspirants. Sweating is the way our bodies cool down. Sweat has no odor, it’s the bacteria that lives on our skin that causes body odor. Deodorants neutralize the odor and kill the bacteria that produces it. Some deodorants contain harmful ingredients, but some have only safe natural ingredients. We will take a look at these natural deodorants in just a bit. Antiperspirants prevent sweating by blocking the pores using aluminum. No sweat—no body odor. It’s antiperspirants containing aluminum (among other harmful chemicals) that I want us to take a closer look at in this blog.

The dangers of aluminum

Aluminum salts—in the form of aluminum chloride, aluminum zirconium, aluminum chlorohydrate and aluminum hydroxybromide—prevent you from sweating when aluminum ions are drawn into the cells that line the sweat ducts, causing the cells to swell and squeezing the ducts closed so sweat cannot get out.

Aluminum has been associated with several health issues, including:

  1. Breast cancer—most breast cancers develop in the upper outer part of the breast, the area closest to the armpit. The chemicals in antiperspirants are absorbed in the skin, particularly when the skin is nicked during shaving. These chemicals interact with DNA and led to cancerous changes in cells.
  2. Alzheimer’s Disease—research has shown that Alzheimer’s patients often have abnormally high aluminum levels in the brain. Data gained through research indicates that aluminum can contribute to all types of Alzheimer’s disease.
  3. Bone disorders—Aluminum is easily absorbed by your intestines and is quickly transported to your bones. When Aluminum reaches the bone area it interferes with the mineralization process and affects the growth of your bone cells. As a toxic metal, when Aluminum remains in your bone for a long time it can lead to additional bone related conditions such as renal osteodystrophy.
  4. Kidney problems—According to some clinical studies, kidneys eliminate lots of aluminum from our bodies; however, when kidney function is impaired seriously (usually less than 30% of original kidney function is left), they fails to discharge excess aluminum effectively and timely, which can lead to increase of aluminum level in blood. Under such a condition, if kidney failure patients take antiperspirants, further increase of aluminum level in blood will be caused. 

Other dangerous chemicals in antiperspirants

The most common chemical ingredients found in deodorants and antiperspirants besides aluminum are:

  1. Parabens—these can interfere with the body’s hormone production, and have been suspected in breast cancer
  2. Triclosan—this is a pesticide that reduces or prevents bacterial contamination. When combined with water, it can creat the carcinogenic gas chloroform.
  3. Phthalates—these are plasticizers that have been linked to asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity, autism, altered reproductive development, and fertility issues.

In addition to these common chemicals, many antiperspirants and some deodorants also contain toxins like steareths, triethanolamine, diethanolamine, and artificial colors. It makes good healthy sense to avoid these chemicals, especially under the arms where there are many sensitive lymph nodes. At the very least, be sure you are reading the ingredients of any deodorant or antiperspirant product you are considering using—even the labels of so-called natural deodorants. If you need more information about these toxins and their dangers, see Dr. Mercola’s Infographic on Personal Care Products or the Environmental Working Groups “Skin Deep Database.”

What’s Right About Using Natural Deodorants?

Making the choice to quit using toxin-heavy antiperspirants is a healthy first step. The transition to a natural deodorant is also a good choice, which I’ll highlight below, but first let’s talk about how to make this transition in the best way.

First, start by not using any product under your arms for at least three days. That will give your body the time to get rid of the lingering chemicals. During this time, wash daily with a pure soap and water, and exfoliate the skin under your arms with gentle scrubbing.

You can also use a homemade “Detox + De-funk Spray, using Witch Hazel, tea tree oil, therapeutic grade lavender or thyme essential oil, and coconut oil. You can find the recipe here.

There are many healthy benefits to using a genuine natural deodorant instead of a synthetic one. Perhaps the most important benefit is the fact that you will be reducing the probability of suffering from diseases caused by toxic chemicals. Your skin will also benefit and have less chance of being irritated and inflamed. And—important to most of us—our white shirts will stay white!

But remember that not all natural deodorants are created equal! Be sure you choose a natural deodorant free of dangerous toxins. Here are some ingredients in natural deodorants that are beneficial and safe:

  • Baking Soda—Neutralizes odor, absorbs sweat
  • Witch Hazel—Natural non-irritating astringent (shrinks pores), evaporates sweat, soothes razor burn
  • Essential Oils (such as rosemary, lichen, sage, lemongrass, and tea tree oil)—Derived from plants, antibacterial properties, prevents odor and growth of sweat-digesting skin bacteria
  • Mineral Salts (potassium aluminum (alum) sulfate and ammonium alum)—Work by forming a temporary layer on the skin instead of being absorbed into the skin and clogging pores, prevents odor and growth of sweat-digesting skin bacteria, non-irritant

How to choose your natural deodorant

I want to give you some tips for choosing a genuinely healthy natural deodorant. There are several things you want to watch for, including:

  • Look for 100 percent naturally-derived ingredients
  • Choose aluminum-free
  • Avoid any other known and commonly used synthetic chemicals
  • Look for beneficial active ingredients, like shea butter and aloe

Do some research to compare available natural deodorants.

You can find valuable online information about natural deodorants. Good Housekeeping has a published list of 10 natural deodorants that may be ones you want to consider. The important thing is keep trying until you find the one that is best suited for your needs.

Try making your own natural deodorant

If you have followed my The Paleo Mama posts then you know that I love making my own homemade really natural and really beneficial lotions and beauty products. In my book, The Home Apothecary: Home Crafted Recipe Using Herbs & Essential Oils, I have included three homemade recipes that truly work: Basic Deodorant Recipes, Deodorant for Sensitive Skin, and Probiotic Deodorant.  I highly recommend that you experiment with making your own natural deodorant.

There are many recipes online for good natural deodorants. Experiment with these until you find the one that best works for you. YOUR ARMPITS WILL LOVE YOU FOR THIS TRANSITION TO A HEALTHIER WAY TO TREAT THEM.

Sources

  1. https://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/natural-beauty/natural-deodorant-zmez14jazpit.
  2. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/antiperspirant-facts-safety#1.
  3. http://womenslifestyle.com/antiperspirant-pit-falls-reasons-to-change-to-natural-deodorant/.

 

The Home Apothecary: More than 70 Herbal Remedies Recipes for Your Health

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Back in the day, if you wanted to exfoliate in the shower or bath, our great-grandparents, simply, whipped up a batch of some homemade concoction. If their child had a stuffy nose, they may have given them a steam bath or some homemade tea. 

If you needed something, you got to work and you made it. There was no “organic” label and you didn’t have to worry too much about the ingredients of the product. Most things were already natural. 

There’s a lot of good that has come from being able to quickly order the products that we need. It has definitely made our life easier. But are we healthier? 

On my podcast this past week, I discussed how ten years ago I was a new pregnant woman who now had someone in my body that I had to care for. This caused me to question some of the ingredients in my body care products that I was using. I discovered that some of the ingredients were known hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and harmful to my unborn baby. 

I’m extreme in every sense of the way, so what did I do? I tossed them all in the trash and haven’t looked back. Not only have I become healthier making some of the expensive, organic, herbal remedies and beauty products that I used to buy at the store, but I have saved a ton of money! 

The Problem Today 

The problem today is that we think it’s hard to transition to a more healthier lifestyle. We think it’s difficult to make our own body creams. We think it’s easier to just go to the grocery store and buy some cough syrup. And in some cases, I won’t lie, it is. However, I’m not willing to sacrifice my health for a simple and fast solution that doesn’t reach to the root of my issue, and only treats the symptoms. 

That’s why I have written my latest e-book: The Home Apothecary: Home Crafted Recipes Using Herbs and Essential Oils!!! My new book is on sale for an introductory price of 25% off for just a few days. 

Detox Your Home, Health, & Lifestyle 

This 82-page e-book is written for you if you are starting to recognize the danger of body products, cleaning products and, ultimately, conventional remedies. It’s also for you if you need a way to start transitioning their family over to more unconventional wellness alternatives. 

Not only will you get back your health, you’ll discover some core ways to incorporate herbs and essential oils into your everyday life; through cooking, cleaning, first aid remedies, and beauty recipes. 

If you have a desire to live a natural, toxic-free, simplified life — and to reclaim your health on your terms — then The Home Apothecary is the guidebook to help you. 

This book is written for you if you…

  • Are fed up with their healthcare options and need to take their health into their own hands (but aren’t sure how to do that). 
  • Can’t easily find the solutions that you are looking for online. You are confused by all the information on herbs and essential oils. 
  • Have little time to tackle big recipes that are too difficult to make and have too many ingredients. 
  • Feel embarrassed by some of the products that you use. 
  • Would like to change your priorities and learn to step away from some conventional, over-the-counter remedies you are currently using. 
  • Tired of wasting so much money on “organic” or “natural” products. 
  • Simply desire a more natural, simplified lifestyle. 

Unlike physical dirt that you can see, toxins lurk behind-the-scenes. You know it’s there in the shadows, and you know it’s in some of the ingredients you are using on your family. You forget about it because it’s not hurting you now. 

All this “natural” talk is so overwhelming and you’ve just quit before you even got started. That’s why I’ve created a “bite-size” guidebook that will help you clear the conventional clutter and give you ideas and recipes to craft some simple and homemade products for your home. 

Please don’t allow natural living to overwhelm you or make your life more complicated and stressed. It’s really easier thank you think to tackle this problem and reclaim your health, time, energy, and sanity. With just one recipe a week (or a day), you’ll have control over your health in just a few weeks. Take action today and make it happen! 

Purchase The Home Apothecary TODAY for 25% off! 

Mushroom Hot Chocolate

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Recently I quit social media. It was a big risk that I was taking, but I had a feeling that I needed to take a step back from it. I felt like my creativity was suffering from too much comparison and that I had lost all sense of what I was supposed to do in my business. Leaving behind social media ended up being the best thing for me. Not only did I have the time to complete my herbal medicine school and am now a trained and certified herbalist, but I, also, have been working on my second book! This e- book is loaded with herb and essential oil recipes to stock your home apothecary! This mushroom hot chocolate recipe has got to be one of my top ten favorites from my new book and I wanted to give you a sneak peak.

Click here to purchase The Home Apothecary: Home Crafted Recipes Using Herbs and Essential Oils.  

Every spring, my kids and I set foot on a hike to collect Reishi mushrooms from our beloved hemlock trees. These unusual-looking mushrooms are used to support the immune system; both overactive an under-active. I have known the benefits of medicinal mushrooms since learning in depth about them in herbalism school, but was timid about how to incorporate them into my daily routine. Hot chocolate was the perfect medium! I’ve created a recipe that is nutritious, filled with adaptogens like Maca and medicinal mushrooms, with the addition of Marshmallow root powder which is an incredible herb for the respiratory and digestive systems and, also, give the hot cocoa a slight marshmallow taste.  This Mushroom Hot Chocolate will make a wonderful gift for the holidays and a great way to introduce others to how delicious plant medicine can be (and it doesn’t taste like mushrooms)! 

Mushroom Hot Chocolate 

Materials Needed: 

Step 1: 

Make the mix by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl and then storing in a mason jar. You can leave any ingredients out that you don’t want to use. My kids love this recipe! 

Step 2: 

Warm up 1 cup of milk or water and add 1 Tablespoon of the mix to the liquid. Stir, froth or blend to luscious perfection. Add your sweetener of choice, sip, and enjoy the healing power of this delicious, hot chocolate with zero guilt!  

Mushroom Hot Chocolate
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A delicious hot chocolate superfood, adaptogenic beverage that is healing and nourishing to your body!
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup of cocoa or cacao powder
  2. 1 Tablespoon of Reishi, Chaga or Cordyceps mushroom powder
  3. 1 Tablespoon of Marshmallow root powder (Marshmallow root is the original marshmallow confectionery. It’s mildly sweet and soothing to the respiratory and digestive systems and creates a thick hot chocolate.)
  4. 1 Tablespoon of Maca powder
  5. 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
  7. 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
  8. 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder
  9. 1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt
  10. 1/2 cup of raw or coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions
  1. Make the mix by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl and then storing in a mason jar.
  2. Warm up 1 cup of milk or water and 1 Tablespoon of the mix to the liquid. Stir, froth or blend to luscious perfection. Add your sweetener of choice, sip, and enjoy the healing power of this delicious, hot chocolate with zero guilt!
Notes
  1. Feel free to leave out any ingredients you want, however the synergy of the 3 herbs: maca, reishi, and marshmallow is what makes this hot cocoa different than any other!
The Paleo Mama https://thepaleomama.com/

Herbs and Essential Oil Hormone Kit Giveaway

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I’m on a mission to help other women see how simple and easy it is to make more natural swaps in their health and their home, especially when it comes to supporting their hormones naturally. 

As women, we are faced with countless endocrine (hormone-disruptors) disruptors on a day-to-day basis. Endocrine disruptors are human-made chemicals in the environment that interfere with the development and function of all body systems in animals and humans. These endocrine disruptors bind to our hormone receptor sites, triggering a body-wide hormonal influence. Some of them inhibit our natural hormones, thyroid hormones and progesterone. In addition, these chemicals can affect the production , elimination and metabolism of our internal (endogenous) hormones. 

Here are some of the most common endocrine disruptors that we face today: 

  • Home and garden insecticides 
  • Heavy metals 
  • BPA found in plastic bottles and food storage containers 
  • Chemical and pesticide residue in the food we eat 
  • The water we drink and bathe in 
  • The air we breath 
  • Conventional body and cleaning products 

Here’s the good news. We do have some control over reducing exposure to these toxins.

Here are some simple strategies for avoiding endocrine disruptors: 

  • Avoid plastic water bottles and use glass and stainless steel instead.
  • Use natural cookware like stainless steel, glass and cast iron. Avoid nonstick cookware. 
  • Use natural cleaning and body care products. 
  • Buy or grow food organically. If finances are an issues, focus on organic meat and dairy and the dirty dozen produce list. 

How can we support the elimination of endocrine disruptors? 

  1. For most women, fasting or doing a cleanse is a great place to start (especially if you are considering motherhood). You will have to do some personal research on what cleanse you want to do. Choose one that is whole food based and one that doesn’t limit your intake of healthy fats and unprocessed (un-juiced) vegetables. 
  2. You can call on herbs and essential oils to support your hormones naturally and, also, to encourage the elimination of endocrine disruptors.

Some of my favorite herbs and oils that I use to keep my hormones in check are: 

  • Adaptogens herbs like tulsi “holy basil” and astragalus (to help body resist stressors of all kind)
  • Red Raspberry Leaf tea (a nutritive uterine tonic both in pregnancy or outside)
  • Lavender (for hormone stress and sleep issues) 
  • Peppermint (for hot flashes and fatigue) 
  • Frankincense (for increasing natural progesterone and helping with focus) 
  • Lemon (to control toxicity and assist with detoxification 
  • Passion blend (to aid with fatigue and libido) 
  • Whisper blend (to decrease adrenaline, reduce stress, and boost libido) 

So, in honor of the Essential Oil Hormone Summit, which takes place this month on October 22-26 (it’s free to register), I’m going to give away every, single one of these products that you can use to support your hormones AND a pre-release copy of “The Essential Oil Hormone Solution: Reset Your Hormones in 14 Days with the Power of Essential Oils” by Dr. Mariza Snyder!

Giveaway runs through 11:59pm EST on October 28, 2018 and is only open to US & Canadian residents. Winner will be announced on this blog post on October 28th and an upcoming newsletter. 

Enter to Win by Filling Out the Rafflecopter Below:

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Disclaimer: The content on this website is for educational purposes only. Although I try my best to provide useful and accurate information, you are responsible to research and verify information before relying on it. I am a trained herbalist and not a licensed or registered healthcare provider. I cannot diagnose health conditions. The information on this website is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal medicine, especially if you have a healthcare concern or are pregnant or nursing.