Tag: gut health

Health Bites, Hormones

Carrots and Estrogen?

Angela Ireland

Turns out that Bugs Bunny was right, a carrot a day or two or three or more may keep the doctor away. The simple garden carrot can be an amazing tool for your endocrine and digestive health! Here are just a few reasons why I’ve become obsessed with eating a raw carrot salad daily.

As you probably know by now, I am a Functional Nutrition Counselor and it is my goal to help clients get to the roots of their symptoms using a nutritional approach through a functional nutrition matrix. With that in mind, I am always looking for simple ways that people, women in particular, can improve their health, whether they are working directly with me or not. So before you rush out to grocery store to buy up bags of carrots, this is what you need to know.

Carrots contain and indigestible fiber that helps the body perform its detoxification more efficiently. When you eat a carrot, the fiber in it binds to the excess estrogen that is circulating in the body. Why is this important? Well, excess estrogen is known to cause bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, weight gain, anxiety and panic attacks and more. And since we’re exposed to it in our diets and environment in the form of xenoestrogens, which are hormone disrupters, eating carrots can help!

In addition, the fiber in the carrots can lower the non beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Did you know that imbalances in gut bacteria can also contribute to hormonal imbalance? So, think of the carrots as a daily scrubber for your intestines. They bind up the bacterial toxins, which causes inflammation and it removes the excess estrogen. So, that within a few days of eating daily your raw carrot salad your digestive and hormonal health will shift positively. That sounds like a win to me!

I can’t end this post without pointing out the skin enhancing benefits of raw carrots. Carrots contain Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene. These micronutrients, are especially important for skin, can you say, “good-bye acne,” and liver health.

By now, you’re probably wondering how to consume the carrots. Start with one organic carrot, shredded with a splash of vinegar, a splash of coconut oil or avocado oil (fat helps with absorption), sea salt to taste and enjoy. You’ll want to consume on empty stomach 30-60 minutes before your dinner or in my case lunch.

Let me know if you decide to add this humble recipe into your routine. And if you’d like to learn more check out this website: https://biochemnordic.com/dr-ray-peat-carrot-salad/

To your vibrant health,

AngelaChristine

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Wellness

Gut Health Supplements That Work

Angela Ireland
Plexus Triplex

If you have been following my blog for a while, you probably know that in addition to my loving the Lord, I am very much into health and wellness. In fact, I am currently working towards obtaining my certification in functional nutrition. Lord willing, I will be certified in February 2022. Yay!

If you been following the news, you’ve probably heard all about the importance of gut health and it’s impact on our overall health. Particularly, in autoimmune conditions that occur as a result of genetics, leaky gut (food sensitivities) and bacterial or microbial imbalances (infections). While autoimmunity cannot be cured it can be reversed or put into remission through diet, supplements and lifestyle modifications.

Prior to my Hashimoto’s diagnosis three years ago, I was struggling with many of the symptoms that were clearly indicative of autoimmunity, debilitating fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, low libido, insomnia and joint pain. This obviously was problematic because I was working full time, homeschooling and of course trying to manage my son’s therapies and to maintain my marriage that was on skid row at that time as well.

Before receiving a formal diagnosis, I reached out to a friend on Facebook and asked her what she was doing to maintain her health and sanity. She mentioned that she was an Ambassador with Plexus. I had never heard of them, but I figured if she could look as healthy as she did with a life similar to mine, her products were worth trying. So I did! I ordered Triplex. It includes three products that work with your body to heal.

The three products in Triplex are BioCleanse, ProBio5 and Slim. These three products in combination, weed, seed and feed the gut. Let me explain how they work. The BioCleanse, works in three ways, it provides magnesium, a key mineral for the digestive tract and brain. Vitamin C, that provides antioxidant support and citrus bioflavonoids that are anti inflammatory, antiviral and help in a myriad of other ways, not to mention the fact it helps you to have more consistent bowel movements.

The ProBio5 is our flagship probiotic formula that doesn’t require refrigeration. What makes it unique is that has specific probiotic strains to help with serotonin production, immune support and to help balance yeast and a lot more.

Finally, there is our Slim, also known as our pink drink. There are two versions, one for hunger control and the other provides the prebiotics for the probiotics in the ProBio5. But what makes both versions stand out is that they each have green coffee bean extract, which helps maintain healthy blood glucose levels and it helps to enhance fat burning. The chromium polynicotinate, helps to facilitate glucose transport into the cells, which is extremely important for people who are insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes.

These three products work synergistically with the body to improve nutrient absorption, balance blood sugar, improve sleep, bowel regularity and to aid in weight loss. What surprised me about these products was how quickly they helped me. Remember all of those symptoms that I had at the beginning of this post, well they were gone or significantly reduced at about the three to four month mark.

If you’re wondering why I continue to take them, it’s simple, maintaining good health is a journey not a destination. Our bodies are constantly bombarded with environmental toxins, stress and the occasional food infraction, which means you will always need some type of system in place to keep your body functioning optimally. My body has a lot to do everyday, so I would prefer to keep it as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

If you’re wondering whether products can help you meet your health and wellness goals, then I want to invite you to speak with me. Or read more about this system here. https://guthealth.plexusworldwide.com/triplex. Being healthy and feeling good does not have to be optional.

In Christian love,

AngelaChristine

Cooking, Family, Health Bites

Butternut Squash Soup

Angela Ireland
October 13, 2021

Growing up, I was blessed to have two grandmothers, who not only cooked but cooked well. I can’t say for certain that I inherited my ability to cook from them, but I’d like to think that their culinary skills did rub off on me just a little bit. Only sharpened by the necessity of cooking for a special needs kid and my own autoimmunity.

As the weather cools, I feel more inclined to cook heartier meals that reflect the produce of the season. So, tonight I took all of the butternut squash that I had in the freezer and combined it with leftover rotisserie chicken along with the aromatics of garlic,yellow onions, celery and carrots in the Instant Pot. In addition to the salt and pepper, I added organic poultry seasoning to amp up the flavor. And to add depth to the chicken broth, I squeezed fresh lemon juice into the broth before sealing the pressure cooker.

Shazam! That soup turned out to be a flavor explosion in the mouth. As I ladled all three bowls it occurred to me that in addition to the fresh parsley, I should a little more fresh lemon juice to each bowl. It was delicious! My only regret was that I didn’t prepare a gluten free bread to accompany the soup.

Though I didn’t follow a recipe nor did I write down the steps I followed to make the soup, it was made with love and it was wholesome. In my very humble opinion, I believe that love is the main or primary ingredient for cooking. Without it, anything you make falls flat.

In Christian love,

AngelaChristine

Lifestyle, Wellness

Something to Smile About

Angela Ireland
Plexus Greens

Grey hair, messy hair, I don’t care! I just ordered our new product, Plexus Greens!!

You’ve heard me talk about our Triplex, as well as other products, but now, we have another product created to boost your nutrition even more! In fact, adding this product to your shopping list, may save you some money because you will no longer be buying fresh greens to throw away a few days later because you never consumed them. 😊

Worried about filling your children’s nutritional gaps? Then feel free to add Plexus Greens to their daily routine since they are safe for kids, four and older.

Give your body what it Actually needs!

Drop me a DM, if you’re ready to green up your nutrition! 💚

Faith, Family, Lifestyle, Mindset, Wellness

Common, not Normal

Angela Ireland
Debilitating Fatigue

Needing a nap every afternoon is not normal!

It could be a sign, that you need to take a closer look under the hood.

That was me, before I received my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s in 2018. It started after I had my son in 2011, and I just chalked it up to being postpartum. But when it continued for over a year after, I did talk to my doctor. She ran the standard lab tests, but everything came back normal, so to her everything was fine. Well, clearly everything was not fine, because by the time I received my diagnosis seven years later, I had gained much of the weight that I gained while pregnant with my son, a good bit of my hair had fallen out, the fatigue was so bad that getting out of bed was painful and even my joints hurt! I couldn’t even get through the day without caffeine (thus the start of my three cappuccino a day habit) and my inability to concentrate, made me think that perhaps I had ADHD.

How many of you can relate?

Although common, it is definitely not normal. You were made to feel good and to thrive! No matter where you are on your healing journey you can see improvements. Remember, healing occurs in stages and rarely in a straight line.

If you’re ready for your upgrade, both physically and emotionally, then allow me the honor of showing you a better way.

To good health!

AngelaChristine

Thriving
Health Bites, Lifestyle

Health Bites to Start Your Day-Probiotics

Angela Ireland

“You need to take a good probiotic!” “ Research indicates, that gut health is key to overall health.” Everyday there is literally a new headline touting the importance of gut health and good probiotics. Let’s take a quick peek into why they are now suddenly all the rage and how you might weed through the noise to find what might work best for you.

At birth, the newborns’ gut is seeded with the microbes present in the mother’s birth canal. For children born cesarean section, their guts are seeded with what is on the skin. The type of microbes received at birth are key to the building of the immune system as well as the establishment of neurotransmitters, that are important to optimal neurological function. This can be problematic for C-section births. Their guts are not seeded properly, because the microbes on the skin, have a different purpose. All is not lost, however, breast feeding can make a huge difference in establishing what is necessary for optimal health and growth.

Keep in mind that overtime the microbes in the gut can change, due to stress, hormones, antibiotics and other external insults. When this happens the delicate balance that exists between the good microbes and the more opportunistic microbes can change, which leads to gut dysbiosis, also known as an imbalance in the gut. The ideal ratio by most accounts is 85% good to 15% opportunistic. Just the slightest shift could set off a cascade of issues that on the surface may seem unrelated to the gut.

If you’re wondering by now what can be done about it, let me share a few quick tips that may overtime restore the balance.

1. Clean up your diet. Limit your exposure to processed foods. Those foods have a tendency to favor the opportunistic microbes over the beneficial ones.

2. Exercise. Daily movement is also beneficial to your gut. There is something about blood flow and moving lymph that can get things stirred up in a good way.

3. Add live or cultured foods to your diet. Sauerkraut and fermented foods are a great side dish to show some love to your microbes.

4. Limit medications. We don’t often think that medications can disrupt our microbiome, but they can. In fact, antibiotics are non specific so they wipe out the good and the bad and can take several months, or up to a year in some cases to be restored.

5. Use a good system. This is my favorite, not only because it has a great probiotic in it, but because the three products together work to weed (remove the bad stuff from the digestive tract), seed (replace the beneficial microbes) and finally feed (prebiotics to feed those good microbes) the probiotics so they can flourish and restore balance. https://shop.plexusworldwide.com/believeandhope/product/plexus-triplex

Remember, those microbes are involved in so many processes that make you, you! They are involved in the production of neurotransmitters that impact mood and learning, they have involvement in our immune function and so much more.

Don’t you think it’s time, to show your gut some love? Message me if you would like to learn more.

All disease begins in the gut. – Hippocrates

With joyful intention!

Angela