Health Queen

Life has thrown me many curl balls over the years but none so tricky as the role of parenthood and the transitions from parenting to other roles and vice versa.

The energy and mental state that is required by most work environments are driven by outputs and time frames. This is very different to the energy and hormone status you require to be a calm, nurturing mother. We need to switch hormones when we switch roles and if we try to do both roles (work and parent) at the same time, or forget to transition, BOOM you will end up with a  hormone EXPLOSION!

Your hormone explosion might be a surge in cortisol which will make you anxious, jittery, agitated, crave a release (maybe chocolate or food). Adrenaline can make you do similar things but your heart will race and you will feel a surge of anger or irritability – which is good old Mr Testosterone (our male hormone) surging forth like a monster. And unfortunately it is often the testosterone that leads us to yelling, grunting, getting impatient, stressed and lashing out.

Left unchecked the Hormone Explosion ultimately leads to the Hormone Collapse and the inevitable words;  ”I can’t do this any longer!!”

I must admit that I struggle with the transition from business woman to mum. I genuinely struggle to do it seamlessly and I know I am not on my own.

Which makes me wonder whether we (mums) should be working in the first place. I love my work immensely and if I didn’t have to do it for money, I would still be doing it. However the reality is as a sole parent, is that I need to work not only for enjoyment and sanity but in order to make money to survive.

Many of you may feel the same. Whilst working less could be an option, not working at all really isn’t. And so as mums (or dads) we do have obligations to keep the family afloat and provide in  a financial sense or by making food etc (which can also represent work).

Some activities, such as work, just need to be done.

In a desperate attempt to squeeze all our roles and obligations in our day, we can  impose some serious time frames. Also known as DEADLINES.

Rationally we believe deadlines will help us with time and energy allocation, so we can so work out budgets, time allocation, whether we can afford holidays etc. A business plan at work based on time management with measurably outcomes makes sense, but unfortunately the same strategy isn’t as easy to roll out on the home front. Trying to get children to confirm to strict schedules can knock out the only opportunity in their day to have unstructured spontaneous fun. Which is very important for their imaginations and development.

Children are very much in the now, while planning and timed expectations makes us stress forward. Transitioning from work mentality to home mentality is so important to change this way of responding to our changing roles as it affects our hormones too and can lead to a rise in our stress hormones (cortisol, testosterone and suppression of our lovie-dovie hormone oxytocin).

If we come from an environment of time pressures, KPIs, deadlines, reports and strict adherence to policy straight into a random, children driven environment it can feel like  a rough ride in a car like when the gear box crunches together or you bunny hop.

Being a working woman requires testosterone (so we can be fearless, strong and powerful) while being a mother requires more oestrogen and oxytocin (so we can be nurturing and caring). By recognising the different hormones required by your body for certain roles, you can make adjustments.

If you don’t make these adjustments and transitions either consciously or unconsciously, we can end up in having a few hours of almost hell until we get the children to bed. Ugly for our children, as we may sound stressed, agitated, or yell and ugly for us as we feel annoyed, pressured, tired and guilty. No fun for anyone!

Here are some things that I have tired to help switch my brain (and hormones) from work (head) to home (heart).

I know this tip doesn’t work…

1. Turning up late after school or after school care and getting home when they should be eating dinner. You are tired, they are tired and this is a recipe for disaster. Red light activity folks!

What has helped me…

1. Having a sign or sticky note on my steering wheel saying “mummy hat now”

2. Mentally resigning to the fact that thinking about work will only stress me and to switch off before getting the kids

3. Have a walk or exercise (i.e. dropping testosterone, increasing oxytocin)  before collecting the kids

4. Finishing work 1 hour before collecting kids

5. Prioritising family ahead of work and if I feel like I am slipping behind either critic the deadlines I have in place and how achievable they are (and what is the worst case scenario if I extend the deadline to ease pressure).

6. Try to prioritise the kids ahead of unpaid work. Ask “Am I being paid to do this activity” (i.e. have you worked your quota of hours for the week and are doing stuff in your own time and putting pressure on your family and mothering, or are you doing something for good will, or even a work related activity that doesn’t generate income directly like face book).

7. I guess the other part to the equation is your partner. They also need attention and time and if their needs are being met then you are half one on the way to getting yours met too.

8. Consider a demi pair or an au pair. I had a nanny for the first few years of my children’s lives so that I could work and not disturb their routines too much. It seems to work out well

9. Look at other ways to support yourself in your home. Often coming home can mean more work especially when you have children to cook for, wash and clean up after. Consider cooking with slow cookers so the meal cooks over the day, cook every second night and have left overs, encourage the children to cook when they are old enough, consider a cleaner once a week, assign the children chore lists, make cleaning and helping you out fun and a game.

10. If you work from home, try not to look at the computer while with the children. This will only lead to frustration! Get into the healthy hormone habit of turning your computer off at 8pm, no more checking emails etc., just turn it off and have a break.

11. Make sure you are not hungry and have eaten something healthy an hour or two before picking the children up. You want a balanced blood sugar.

This working mum role can be a dilemma for sure!

If you have clear transition periods, signs and shifts in hormones you will be fine. Try some of the above and please leave any success techniques you have. If you would like more help on structuring your perfect work/life balance, have a look at the Happy Female Formulae. It is a culmination of years of watching successful people and how their hormones respond to their lifestyle. This downloadable workbook brings it all together so you can work through at your own pace and create your most perfect day.

Today on Hop into Health, Local dietician Mark Robinson came into the study to discuss sports supplements, how they can be advantageous and what to look for in a protein powder.

Both of us agreed that food is preferable but understand why people want to use enhancement products. They can help with fat loss, muscle can and sports performance. But the area has blown out and is worth millions of dollars.  Not all products are necessary and all they cracked up to be.

Podcast from the show. Fast forward the first minute as the sound is dodgey!

Answers are from Sam and Mark.

Q:

Firstly – what is a calorie and how does the body use calories?

A: A calorie is how we measure energy. And to sustain life a person(being) needs a certain amount of calories a day to do the normal functions of life. If they eat too many these can be stored as fat. The body uses calories through 3 ways (exercise approx 60%, digestion approx 15% and thermagenesis 25%).

Thermagenesis is the heat that muscles create  - which burns an incredible amount of energy.

Most sports supplements help with increasing metabolism (and calorie burning) and can assist with fat loss, others give the body proteins that help with recovery or building new tissue and others boost naturally occurring bio active elements that can lead to improved hormones, function and energy supply.

Q: Who may benefit from taking a sports supplement?

A: Anyone really but the most common are athletes trying to improve their performance, people trying to lose weight and those seeking optimal health.

Q: Let’s talk about protein powders – what are the most common ingredients and what are they designed to do?

1. Whey isolate is the protein extracted from dairy and is considered a complete protein source. Isonizing it means it is quicker for the body to break down and is best taken 20 minutes after finishing a work out. It may help with recovery.

2. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

These are three amino acids that you need to ingest in order to make them. They include isoleucine, leucine and valine. They help with muscle repair.

3. Caffeine and Carnitine

Both of these can stimulate your metabolism, delay fatigue and open up fat channels so good for general work out and increasing fat burning. Ideally these would be taken before a work out.

Q: What are other key ingredients to have in work out products?

A: Creatine (once again another amino acid) is important for muscle recovery and strength. It sits inside the muscle cells and helps them recruit water which makes the muscle stronger. It also helps with recovery. People normally load with creatine 20g a day for 5 days, then go onto a maintenance of 5g a day. It is recommended to have breaks from creatine so your body still makes it (and doesn’t switch off supply).

Glutamine is another amino acid that helps with muscle repair and is useful after training sessions. 1-5 grams a day can help with recovery and many protein powders have glutamine in their formulas.

Q: Are there things to be avoided in sports supplements and protein powders?

A: Yes there are a few undesirable things in sports products. Ones to be aware of are fructose (readily available sugar), sodium (try to limit this to 1200mg per 100g), artificial flavours and additives.

Stimulants can accumulate over your day so take into account all the stimulants and fat metabolisers you are having as too many can make you jittery, anxious, change your cortisol levels and possibly inhibit fat loss!

Stimulants include caffeine, black and green tea, black pepper, guarana, taurine and are included in many products.

If you have issues sleeping, losing weight, relaxing and feel jittery, you could be over stimulated.

Consult a nutritionist or dietician if you would like more information.

Supplements, food replacements and work out enhancers can all help but often they are not needed if you have a healthy balanced diet.

I (Health Queen here) prefer people eat foods in the first instance and follow a few key exercising rules such as:

a. Eating a small amount of carb 30 mins prior to exercise (e.g. fruit, rice cake) so the body has small amount of energy to draw from and not use muscle

b. Replace glycogen within 30 mins of stopping exercise (another small piece of carb)

c. Next main meal should include a healthy chunk of protein (animal or plant source)

d. Drink plenty of water

e. Have more carbs for prolonged activity and if doing extreme activities consider replacing BCAAs during.

Eat a balance of fats, proteins and limit carbs to vegetables and whole grains (brown rice) only.

Mark Robinson runs a clinic at Kudos Health Club and privately.

Today On Hop Into Health, I interviewed Jack Hammond, compounding pharmacist from Broadbeach Amcal Compounding Pharmacy and the HOT topic today was men’s hormones and steroid use and abuse!

This the podcast (skip first 2 mins and recording of Rose Tattoo quite bad)

Tracks: Macho tracks – shared on Health Queen Face Book Page

Q: What hormones do guys have

Both: Guys make lots of hormones, but in the context of ageing, muscle mass and increasing performance the main ones are Growth Hormone, DHEA and Testosterone. Men can make adequate levels of all given rest, a good diet, exercise and low stress. Change these or don’t do these things and hormone changes occur.

Typically guys increase their testosterone production as teen agers hence all the changes associated with testosterone: hair develops, voice changes, muscle develop, long bones grow, erections, libido and sperm production increase as well as feelings of anger and competitiveness.

As men age and typically around 40 they can decrease their testosterone. This is known as andropause, or manopause.

Men can gain weight, become indecisive, have erection issues and develop moons (male breasts).

Q: How can men find out what their testosterone levels are?

Both: Men can see the doctor for a blood test, or a naturopath (like me) for a saliva hormone  test. I normally use saliva testing and measure testosterone, DHEA, cortisol and oestrogen. People can order this on-line and it includes a 30 minute consultation explaining their results with me.

Q: What options do guys have to increase their testosterone levels if found to be low?

Sam: Naturally I support the normal glands that make testosterone (adrenal glands) and help with lifestyle balancing. Often guys with  low testosterone have high oestrogen so that needs to be addressed as well. I use broccoli extracts and liver herbs to help with high oestrogen (and diet and lifestyle).

Jack: If guys go through a doctor they may be recommended to have a troche (pastel for the mouth) or a depo injection. An oral tablet has just been approved by the Australian TGA

Q: Let’s talk about steroid abuse.

A: Obviously if someone has low testosterone and is symptomatic with it, help them make more (or give them an approved testosterone formulae). But if guys are producing ok amounts, and wish to boost their muscle mass I think it is deemed “abusive”. And in Australia steroid use for sports gain, or enhancement is illegal.

The drugs are available very easily to anyone who wants to risk the gauntlet run. You can buy them on line

And just because you can buy injectable steroids on-line does not mean it is LEGAL!

So if you order in any peptide for “research use” which all claim is what they are for not their sites and “not for human consumption” you are truly going to have to defend a lot of questions if you get caught with the stuff.

I have heard of guys injected insulin simultaneously as their testosterone booster. This is playing with your life. Insulin has the capacity to kill someone very quickly!

Q: What are common side effects of steroid abuse?

A: These range from symptoms of too much oestrogen (as the body can only excrete a certain amount without help) so high oestrogen in men will give them

breasts, shrunk testes, moobs, depression, anxiety, impotence and tummy fat.

High testosterone can cause aggression (roid rage), pimples, skin problems and muscle splitting.

Some guys go so far as to put silicon fillers (as you would buy from a ware house) into their muscle layers so they can inject into it for slow release.

Something like Growth Hormone (which costs from $80-$120 according to my research on-line) would need to be used 2-3 daily and injected.

This is a picture of what can happen when your muscles split.

I found this while looking for pictures

Wrap up: Using hormone replacements under ethical supervision is fine. DYI or back yard lab use of steroids can lead to all sorts of issues and needs to be really thought out.

If you want to get off juice but don’t know how see a doctor or professional health provider. I am happy to assist as are many other naturopaths/nutritionist. This website might help too. 

I will have my new book for guys “Keeping up” available for purchase next week. In it I discuss natural ways to keep your testosterone up.

Tune in next Wednesday when we discuss Sports Enhancing products with dietician Mark Robinson.

Are you happy with your sex life?

Maybe you have no (or low) inclination for sex, low libido or low enjoyment.

In consultations I often find that a person’s sex desire/urge/libido and enjoyment all fall by the way side as a sad side effect from the stress they are feeling in their lives. 

These are other common reasons that women have low/no sex drive:

- stress

- a lack of connection with their partner

- fatigue, tiredness or exhaustion

- no time 

- hormone changes so it may be painful or there simply is no sex drive (low progesterone or low testosterone)

Most women often DO NOT feel sexually inclined

when their stress levels are high.

Why?

Usually because stress hormones impede our ability to relax and our parasympathetic hormones (acetylcholine ) and oxytocin are only released when we are relaxed. They are switched off when we are busy, racing around or feeling under threat (i.e. stressed).

So if you want to pick your sex life up, you need to address your stress levels.

Interestingly you can switch off your stress hormone by engaging in sex (especially loving sex) as it can drop your testosterone and lead to a surge in oxytocin. Oxytocin makes us feel all warm and mushy inside and less stressed.

There are a small percentage of women who have amazing sex drives and this often correlates with high testosterone levels (or the honey moon)!

The other hormones in women that switch off libido are:

- high oestrogen

- low progesterone

- low testosterone

Remember from the previous blog, that non essential activities go on the back burner when we are stressed. Your body considers sex, procreation, digestion and eliminating non-essential, or non life saving.

If you want to increase your sex drive then decrease your stress.

GUYS if you want your partner to have a stronger libido, then maybe assist her work out why she is stressed and help her manage it (this may mean going on dates to yoga, listening to mediation audios with her) etc…

Men can suffer with low sex drive too but usually from different causes:

- stress

- low testosterone

- candida

- psychological issues (impotence, image issues, weight)

I discuss more male sex issues in my latest

book for men due late March.

Have you recognised that your life with stress may be out of whack. Are you stressing too much. Is it sucking up your sex life?

Personally and professionally that the stress endemic is escalating not decreasing. Get ahead of the pack. Find out what your stress hormones are doing with a hormone test or the Happy Female Formulae is designed for women, and incorporates many of the tips I know on stress management and increasing bedroom play!

How can you enjoy your own tunes of life without

stress consuming you?

Revisiting the first blog on stress, it is a normal life saving reptilian response we go through when we perceive that our life is under threat. It switches off the non essential physiological processes in our body (e.g. digestion, sex desires, elimination) and switches on our alert state (e.g. no sleeping, everything fastens up – your heart rate, your blood sugar, your brain).

It is life saving in some instances (e.g. if a bear escapes from a zoo and is chasing you down) but can be overwhelming and crippling when every day events are stressing us (for example work, relationships, time pressures, expectations, bank balances).

I spend a large percentage of my speaking career and consultation time discussing stress and how to manage it.

Here are some ideas.

1. Recognise stress – are you addicted or ignorant . Did you recognise any of the symptoms from the first blog on stress?

2. Work out your priorities in life.

Sounds so simple I know but this step requires reflection time out of the fish bowl that you call your life. Reflect on your life about the following: what is really important to you, what are your values and if you were to die tomorrow what would you like people to say about you. These are the things that are important to you. Start moulding your time and life to fulfil these things!

3. Daily commitment to manage stress as you would do daily exercise . This means doing a green light activity every day.

4. Breathing correctly. We actually change our breathing patterns for different activities. WHen we are relaxed we should breathe like babies – using our bellies. And invariably when we are stressed we only use our lungs (and top half) to breathe with. This creates a pH shift in our body which can lead to anxiety and the stress cascade.

Try to breathe using a belly breathe. It takes practise so try doing it a few times before getting out of bed and then when you lie down at night. It you practice it you will find you can draw on it and use it when you need it most. A few deep breathes when you are feeling anxious or stressed will circuit break the stress respsonse

5. Activity and exercise.

Just like letting the lid off a steam pot so that the lid doesnt explode off, it is important to

do exercise to permit stress hormones to be used up. Some people find boxing, high intensity activities are great, others prefer down activities such as yoga and pilates.

I believe a combination of “up” and “down” activities are needed for a good balance. Try water sports, bush walking, golf, gym classes, tai chi, hobbies, journally, reading, blogging, painting, scrap booking , cooking, chilling out to music, gardening etc… All of these down activities result in your body secreting relaxing hormones (that’s right the opposite to stress hormones).

BONUS TIP from John Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus series)

When testosterone is up in women we are quite unapproachable. A quick way to drop our stress hormone testosterone is to release the hormone oxytocin. This can be done through the activities I have highlighted above or via  a big fat HUG! That’s right a hug.

So find someone, something to hug and that will help circuit break your stress response.

For more step by step ideas consider the Happy Female Formulae. You can buy the downloads only or you can order the hormone test kit and consultation package to really help yourself find balance in your life.