We need our hormones in balance to feel vibrant, strong, sharp, calm, and resilient.
Signs your blood sugar may be out of balance:
Cravings for sweets, sugar, or bread products
Fatigue after eating a meal or a “food-coma”
Lightheadedness if meals are missed
Eating sweets does not relieve the cravings for sweets
Dependence on coffee to keep yourself going or get started
Difficulty losing weight
Anxiety
Insomnia
Symptoms of female hormone imbalance
Acne or oily skin
Bloating
Bone loss
Decreased fertility
Depression
Excess facial and body hair
Hot flashes
Heavy or painful periods
Irregular periods
Irritability
Loss of muscle mass
Loss of scalp hair
Low libido
Memory lapses
Mood swings
Nervousness
Night sweats
Poor concentration
Sleep disturbances
Tender or fibrocystic breasts
Urinary incontinence
Vaginal dryness
Weight gain
Symptoms of thyroid imbalance
Overactive (Hyperthyroidism)
Nervousness
Tremor
Mental fogginess
Poor concentration
Racing heartbeat
Muscle aches and pains
Heat intolerance
Reduced menstrual flow
Underactive (Hypothyroidism)
Fatigue
Depressed mood
Mental fogginess
Poor concentration
Weight gain
Bloating (fluid retention)
Muscle aches and pains
High cholesterol
Feeling cold
Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding
Constipation
Symptoms of adrenal imbalance
Allergies / asthma
Sugar cravings
Arthritis
Sleep disturbances
Bone loss
Memory lapse and brain fog
Chemical sensitivities
Morning/evening fatigue
High blood sugar
Increased abdominal fat
Wired and Tired
Depression
Fatigue exercising
Insomnia
Needing coffee to wake up or get through the day
Not feeling awake even after a good nights sleep
Anxiety
Our endocrine system, or hormonal system, is an interconnected web of communications that depends on a delicate balance. A hormone is made in a gland, it travels in the blood, it reaches and is received by the target cell or tissue, causes an appropriate action, then it is detoxed and excreted (video). We need them in balance to feel vibrant, strong, sharp, calm, and resilient. Things that influence them include nutrient deficiencies, toxins, an over burdened liver, dehydration, stress, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, digestive system dysfunction, and more.
Join us this January to Rebalance, Feel your Best, and come away Empowered to take control of your hormone health. As always with Janel, don’t just find out what to do but learn WHY.
The content here is intended for informational purposes only. This is not a substitute for one on one care with your medical provider. Janel uses food, herbs and lifestyle to optimize how people function . Janel does not diagnose or treat specific diseases but instead works on the overall terrain.
Fatigue is for real and affects a crazy amount of people.
Fatigue shows up differently for everyone and has many different causes.
In the case of HPA dysregulation there is no official medical diagnosis and there is often little if anything your physician can do to help (not to be confused with Addison’s disease). However there is a lot you can do using nutrition and lifestyle in this case to cradle yourself back to vitality if you understand the physiology of “what’s going on in there”.
If this topic interests you join me at Tahoe Food Hub and Facebook live on November 5th for an extensive talk on various causes of fatigue and ways to find more energy. My goal is to empower people to understand and connect with their own body and then to make sustainable changes to function optimally and feel their best.
Let’s do this!!
*The content here is intended for informational purposes only. This is not a substitute for one on one care with your medical provider.
Make even the most rushed breakfasts loaded with nutrients so you and/or your kids can function your best!
My 13 year old gets picked up at 715am for school (note- he is NOT a morning person) which makes delicious and nourishing breakfasts tricky sometimes.
Not with this gem that we pull out a few days a week when he needs nourishment in a flash.
It’s loaded with the macronutrients he needs to stay sharp and energized without crashing later and the micronutrients so his body can function optimally. It’s anti inflammatory and gut healing to boot. Oh, and it takes about 3 minutes to make and tastes delish. 👊🏼
1.5 cups of milk (we use homemade almond, full fat coconut milk with a little water, or raw whole milk)
1 scoop of chocolate bone broth protein powder (we use ancient nutrition brand)
1 organic banana
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
optional scoop of chocolate multi vitamin (we use amazing grass kids superfood, chocolate flavor here)
optional tsp chia, flax, or hemp
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend.
Pour into cup and watch your kiddos devour it
Tweak portions to match your tastes. You can add more liquid, less, add ice, whatever floats your boat.
Don’t let rushed mornings dictate the quality of the nutrients you put into your body. Rock it in a flash with nutrient dense smoothies!
The smell of homemade chai brewing on the stovetop is definitely one of the things I love most about the fall.
My kids start asking for chai as the temp gets chilly and the pumpkins start to appear. We have made it a family ritual to drink chai in the fall and it feels good for so many reasons. The chai teas that you get out are way too sugary for us so making it at home keeps the deliciousness but skips the scoops of white sugar that make us sick.
First off the spices in chai- cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and ginger are all herbal stimulants, which mean they enliven and warm the body. This is perfect for the fall when things are getting cold and slow. They are all also herbal digestives and carminatives which both help with overall digestion and gas. Cloves also have antibacterial component which is perfect for this time of year when colds are common. There are many phytochemicals, or unique plant constituents, that are powerful health allies in each of the herbs in chai. The spices are all rich in antioxidants that fight cell damage and are anti-inflammatory.
I am not one for a specific chai recipe per say but here is our basic formula that I tweak daily depending what we want more of that day (spice, caffeine, warmth, etc). You can start here and vary things as you and you like.
20 cups of filtered water
2 tablespoons of whole cardamom pods
2 tablespoons of whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
1 inch of sliced ginger
2 tablespoons of loose leaf black tea or rooibos tea if wanting caffeine free (you can use tea bags too)
honey to taste
your favorite milk if wanted (we use full fat organic coconut milk, homemade almond milk, or raw whole milk)
Put the water on the stove on high.
When this is heating up grind the dry spices in a spice grinder briefly, just to break them down a bit not to powder. You can use a coffee grinder designated just for spices/nuts (this is a crucial tool I use almost daily in my house). I usually snap the cinnamon stick in half first or grind it separately.
Reduce heat when boiling to low and add spices.
Add sliced ginger.
Let this brew on the stovetop on medium low anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour (because sometimes I need to wait for the right time with busy mornings).
Take off heat and add black tea (or rooibos). You can also skip tea and just go with herbs. Let steep an additional 5 minutes or so if adding tea.
I strain this into a large bowl using a large muslin herb bag (see photo) or just a basic kitchen strainer with a funnel (a mesh strainer like this one ). You can also put the spices into this kind of bag before you add them to the water so you can take it right out. That is much easier I just like watching the herbs float around in the pot.
Pour into cups. Add honey to taste. Add warmed milk to taste (I add a heavy splash but not too much). You can make it fancier by steaming your milk but we don’t find it necessary. ENJOY
Keep extra chai tea in mason jar in the fridge to warm up when someone needs a soothing cup of fall goodness.
The scoop scoop scoop and go technique-
½ tsp. ground turmeric ½ tsp. ground ginger ¼ tsp. cinnamon ¹⁄8 tsp. nutmeg ¹⁄8 tsp. ground cloves ¹⁄8 teaspoon cardamom ¼ cup warmed full fat coconut milk ¾ cup hot water one half dropper full of liquid stevia (you can also use honey or maple syrup) pinch of sea salt (optional)
Add all of the above, whisk or shake in a jar with the lid on tightly. ENJOY
Happy fall sipping
Look out for our Healing Foods Club starting in 2021! It will include info, tutorials, and Q/A for all the best healing foods
Join our Women’s Hormone club to feel and age your best
Hormone Club 2023 will be here in no time! Sign up early to secure your spot.
2023 January dates coming soon
Food, Lifestyle, Herbs as medicine- For Women’s Hormone Health for women 40+
Learn about ways to Balance Your Hormones with food, herbs, lifestyle, and nutrients while replenishing And Rejuvenating Your Entire Body. Feel Your Best so you can age your best!
Calling all women 40-55’ish who want to rock this thing called aging.
Get the support, information, tools, inspiration, and accountability you need to powerfully transform your health from deep down. Together we will use food, herbs, nutrients and lifestyle to help balance hormones, reduce overall inflammation, boost health, and nourish our entire body.
Age your best!! Build resilience as you get older.
Don’t miss this awesome opportunity to maximize your health and come away empowered! Things we do today affect our health, hormones, brain function, mood, immune system, digestion, and energy decades down the line.
We will be talking about thyroid hormones, sex hormones, blood sugar, sleep, stress hormones, energy and more.
These changes will impact sleep, skin issues, libido, energy levels, headaches, immune problems, anxiety, depression, pms symptoms, moodiness, menopause symptoms, sore breasts, digestive problems, weight problems, heavy periods, joint pain, and more!
Janel offers an incredibly unique and rich angle as a board certified holistic nutritionist, a Functional Medicine Nutritionist, a Doctor of natural medicine, certified therapeutic supplement practitioner, an Ayurvedic yoga therapist, Family Herbalist, and someone who has worked with women specifically for decades.
There is endless information out there and it can feel overwhelming to know what the best approach for YOU is. Let me help by teaching you how to listen to YOUR OWN BODY.
Join the Hormone Club and learn how to start feeling your best. Sign up here
The Plan-
You will have all the information and course content online to watch and review on your own (you have this for the full year). We will meet 6 times online together to connect, ask questions, and learn. We will use food/lifestyle/herbs/supplements to nourish our body and balance our hormones. (choose your level of participation and the depth you want to go).
Receive your materials on January 2nd to plan and organize. Meet each Sunday evening at 7pm PT for 6 weeks online (or in person depending on the year). Ask questions and learn about how our environment and food impacts how we function and how we age. Gain empowering ways to think into your own health so you can take charge for decades to come. Connect with other women empowered to make changes and optimize their health. Learn about Root Cause and Functional approach to wellness. Get recipes, be inspired and connect with others.
We will use herbs, supplements, food, and lifestyle to reboot and replenish our body while focusing on an anti inflammatory and nourishing diet.
Start writing or type / to choose a block
Blood sugar, adrenals, thyroid, sex hormones, neurotransmitters, and more. No fads here, just the physiology and how you can impact it.
Learn how to get various optional labs of your choice to help see ‘what’s going on in there’ including serum (blood) labs and hormone (salivary and urine) labs and more.
Join us and invest in YOU!
My goal is to empower you to understand your body and to support you with all the information and tools you need. This is NOT a cookie cutter program but instead a unique opportunity to learn why and how, not just what to do. You also have unique access to Janel for personal questions and navigating.
All of this for $299 – Early bird price $280 (sign up before December 10th). You can also split the price into 2 payments of $140 if that is better for you.
Space is limited so we can keep the group intimate and you can get your questions answered. This group has filled every winter so sign up early!!!
“Having the recipes and the tools to be organized was a game changer!”
“Awesome information, supporting vibe, sharing of ideas , menus etc”
“Learning all of the insider tips (and science/health stuff) from Janel, the collective power of a group of women sharing ideas, doing the 3-week protocol!
“The knowledge & wisdom. The printable documents. The videos.”
“The depth of knowledge and details I could learn, delicious recipes, support group to keep me accountable! I love all the supplemental videos too!”
“Clear info, answered questions, hearing other people’s experiences and questions”
“Online format and recordings were great. Good information and perspective. Great format to give us info ahead of time to review.”
What Women are saying about Mountain Rebalance’s Women’s Hormone Club-
“This is my 2nd group program with Janel and I’m astounded by the amount of information she provides us. It is so interesting to have the science to explain why we are doing the things that we are doing….it makes it much more motivating. Janel is passionate and supportive of you “being curious” and figuring out what works for YOU!” – K P 2021
“Janel’s hormone club gave me a clear path to start building more understanding about my health and hormones since turning 40. It’s like an awesome girlfriends group where you get deep knowledge and background about what’s happening with hormones, but then also all of the really practical stuff you need to know in order to do something about keeping things balanced. Janel provides so many tips, suggestions, and ideas (in additional to all of the science and technical stuff) that I came away feeling really empowered to continue on this path of health and self discovery – to really craft balance and health that works for me. The power of the group is also huge in maintaining the food protocol for 3 weeks – and it doesn’t hurt to be cooking from really great recipes and sharing ideas with the other participants too!” -S D 2021
“This class was great!! I have been looking for a lot of this info and with Janel’s help I was able to get better control on my health. She was able to update my supplements, teach me about blood sugar, put me on a better track with my nutrition plus gave me a whole new knowledge of my hormones and why I feel the way I do. Thank you Janel!! I am grateful for all knowledge you have given us this last 6 weeks.” 2021 participant
Hormone Club Alumni- Sign up and pay only $99 for the updated content and group Q&As OR get a friend to sign up and pay only $25
Sign up for the 2022 women’s hormone club before if fills!
The First Women’s Hormone Club 2020. That first year we were just in person and it was one of these ladies that named our group The Hormone Club! Thanks EV. A lot has changed since then. Join the club of empowered women!
I obsess with helping women understand their body better. When we understand the physiology of our unique body we understand how much control we do have over how we feel and function. I teach the science behind how food, lifestyle, herbs, supplements, our mindset, genes, movement, and environment impact our body and how we can use them to feel and age out best. Getting the science, the community support, and methodical action steps is a powerful way to make change in your body.
Acute Inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to injury and invasion. It is a beneficial process needed to eliminate the cause of cell injury, to remove dead or injured cells, and to initiate repair.
It is designed to occur and then turn off.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the insult that causes inflammation is not resolved and inflammation persists. Damage begins to occur in result of the prolonged inflammatory processes including increased blood flow, increased capillary permeability, and perpetuating white blood cell action.
Sources of Inflammation-
• cuts • scrapes • burns • splinters • dirt • stitches • microbial toxins • chemical exposure • frostbite • virus • bacteria • yeast imbaalance • parasites • radiation • trauma • heavy metals • sugar • gluten • dairy • personal food sensitivities/hypersensitivities • nutrient deficiencies (from lack of or problems absorbing) • dehydration • hormone imbalances • stress • lack of sleep • autoimmunity • intestinal dysbiosis (imbalanced microbiome, aka not the right bacteria) • medications • chemotherapy • genetics • neurotransmitter imbalances
In today’s world several of these inflammatory triggers persist, leading to chronic inflammation and downstream diseases. Can you tell which ones might become a longterm problem?
List of Some Chronic Inflammatory Diseases (there are many many more)-
I help people discover their personal triggers, eliminate their triggers, add anti-inflammatories, calm the immune response, and down regulate inflammation to prevent chronic disease. This is unique to each person depending on genetics, exposure, history, diet, and more. Come dork out with me as we investigate what might be causing internal inflammation for you and then take effective steps to reverse chronic inflammation and optimize health.
Bauman, Ed. Friedlander, Jodi. (2016). Therapeutic Nutrition Textbook Part 1. Penngrove, CA. Bauman College.
References-
Nakayama, Andrea. (2018) Full Body Systems Functional Nutrition 2018 Program. Immune Intensive
It does not matter if you are experiencing pms discomforts, menopause symptoms, headaches, infertility, fatigue, depression, weight loss problems, energy crashes, insomnia, or any hormone imbalance. Understanding how the system works and backing up is key!
Hormones 101- I discuss briefly in this video the different places hormone imbalance can occur and why one approach to fix it will NOT work for everyone.
Here are the basics –
A hormone is a chemical messenger that affects our entire body including metabolism, growth, fertility, energy, stress, and much more.
There is a gland
A hormone must be made from precursors (nutrients) in the gland
The hormone must travel through your blood to the target call
The target cell must receive the hormone/message
The hormone must be broken down, detoxed, and excreted
If there is a hiccup anywhere along the route there may be a problem. For example –
There may be an autoimmune disease damaging the gland itself which may impact if any or enough of the hormone is made
There may be a nutrient deficiency from either lack of eating them or a problem digesting them which both prevent enough hormone from being made
The target cell may be unable to receive the hormone if there is inflammation or if the receptor is blocked by a specific toxin which prevents the message from being received EVEN IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF THE HORMONE
The liver must be functioning properly to detox the used hormones and constipation may prevent the used hormone from being excreted creating an excess of the hormone in the body.
Watch now and become a detective about your own health! Give us a call or email if this way of thinking into health fires you up and you are ready to dig into your own root causes OR just enjoy our videos and info:)
Knowledge and facts and biochemistry are all important for understanding your own health and healing but so is connecting with who your true authentic and uninhibited self is and then bravely being that person.
Who are you
What is your calling
Are you doing things to fit other people’s judgments or expectations?
Do you have a dream deep down, a calling that you forgot about or buried?
What’s your true north?
What is your hearts desire?
The first step is being able to listen to or feel your true authentic inner voice. Only after that can you be brave enough to follow it and be true to you.
For me the answers to the above questions only come in the quiet or in natural wild places. It’s only there that I can connect with who I am and feel so clearly my authentic voice, not in my ears but in each of the cells of my body and it feels like home.
Modern technology, conveniences, and schedules are great and they have their place but they dampen our connection to our true selves. It’s important to step away and listen to what’s inside on a regular basis. Quiet the stories you tell yourself, quiet other people’s judgments or expectations, and be alone with who you are, as you are.
Shhhhhhhhhh, do you hear that? Exactly!
As an ayurvedic yoga therapist we were taught that as animals we have an innate wisdom of what is good for us and what we need to heal. The problem is we can’t hear it anymore with life moving so fast, and bright, and loud, blocking us from the natural world we came from. Welcome meditation. By meditating regularly, and it takes practice, and consistency, we connect with our innate wisdom and inner voice, slowing down to notice what we need to do or eat to heal. It is here we know who we are and what our true authentic self wants.
There is a lot to hear in each breath we take.
The natural world flows at the pace we evolved for millions of years to function at. It’s an evolutionary gap to function nonstop at today’s fast paced life. As women our menstrual cycles follow the rhythm of the moon. That still blows my mind! Our other hormones including insulin (blood sugar), cortisol (get up and go hormone), melatonin (sleepy hormone), and more all flow with the natural cycles. When we have bright lights in winter or late at night, air conditioning blasted in summer, caffeine when we are tired, or our phones every time we are bored, we are disrupting the connection with our true selves and how we have evolved to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no purist, but taking time and taking steps to connect with the natural world connects us to our natural pace we evolved to be at so we can feel and know who we are deep down.
So I invite you to connect with who you are this equinox, feel who you were meant to be, at the pace we have evolved at. Meditating even 5 minutes every morning is transformational. There are books and apps and classes to help but just paying attention to your breath, without judgment, is a great and simple way to start today. Find a piece of wild to get out in once a day as well. Feel the dirt under your feet, light a candle on a dark morning, listen to the sound of the wind in the trees, walk under the full moon on a cold night, or brew up a cup of herbal tea to enjoy quietly.
I invite you to slow down
Listen
Feel
Be
And even if you have to disappoint someone else, bravely be the person you were meant to be
There is a perfect wave that if we time right and catch we will get optimal sleep effortlessly. This wave is made up of hormones and includes melatonin at its highest, cortisol at its lowest, and insulin at its lowest and evolved to be our best sleep aid.
Melatonin levels rise as the sky becomes darker and ideally peaks somewhere around 10pm, depending on the season. If we allow our world to be darker at this time, as we are meant to do, melatonin will help ease us into sleep. Things that disrupt melatonin are bright lights, even small lights in our room, television, phones, computers, etc. FREE APP FOR REDUCING BLUE LIGHT ON DEVICES- https://justgetflux.com/
Cortisol (a stress hormone that we need to face the demands of the day but not too much) levels are meant to be at their lowest around 10pm. Our cortisol is designed to peak at daybreak so we wake up ready for the day and slowly decline as the day goes on. If we are able to keep our stressors low at night we can ride this low cortisol wave into optimal sleep and stay asleep. Things that raise cortisol at night are any stressor (emotional, physical, infections, allergens, blood sugar spikes, toxins, and more). By having a peaceful evening, unwinding, learning to mitigate stress through deep relaxation, meditation and breathing you can lower your insulin even in the face of emotional stress. Getting to sleep before cortisol starts to rise or spikes again is key to healthy cortisol levels at night. READ MORE ABOUT STRESSORS HERE THAT PEOPLE DO NOT OFTEN THINK ABOUT but are crucial to address with insomnia and to ensure cortisol is not impacting your sleep
Insulin, a hormone made in our pancreas that helps us clear our blood of glucose, is meant to be low at night again around 10pm. Hopefully we ate dinner by 7pm which was packed with fiber, healthy fat, and clean protein keeping our blood sugar from swinging too high and then too low. It is even important to keep our blood sugar regulated throughout the day as that contributes to keeping our blood sugar stable at night so we can sleep peacefully. READ ABOUT MONITORING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR HERE– this is not just for diabetics but for anyone with blood sugar swings (which is honestly most of us).
After addressing the three big hormones involved with sleep I always consider nutrients that might be lacking, such as B6, selenium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin D. There are several amino acids and neurotransmitters necessary for good sleep as well. And finally, herbs are a lovely addition and and sometimes just what people need to help ease them into a perfect nights rest. HERB COMPANIES I LOVE- GAIA, HERB PHARM, MOUNTAIN ROSE
Sex hormones can also impact sleep. As our estrogen and progesterone change with our menstrual cycle and age our sleep can be impacted. Addressing sex hormone imbalance might be necessary to influence better sleep. More on that to come! Look for our 4 week group hormone balancing workshop!!
I love digging into sleep disturbances with people and helping people catch the wave. Call for your 15 free consult to see if I can help you.
Why do symptoms occur and why does disease set in?
What is the Terrain in the body?
Is the soil such for health to grow or for sickness to set in?
How is our internal terrain impacting our genes (epigenetics)?
Is this symptom the problem or is it only a branch on the tree where we still need to find the root cause?
These are all important questions that are often overlooked in a rush to find a quick fix and silence symptoms, but are in fact essential to longterm wellness.
I am asked daily “what can I do for my headaches?” or “What do you recommend for better sleep?” or “How can I get my energy back?”. Although I will take an easy way out if there is one, usually for sustainable and notable changes we need to shift the overall terrain in the body and address the roots instead of the branches. Addressing the three roots or the three areas that drive signs and symptoms- Digestion, Inflammation, and Genetics is what makes a huge impact on all the branches so you don’t have to frantically work on each one.
Perhaps the headache is caused by an estrogen imbalance and if we just treat the headache, the root problem will still be there, wreaking havoc somewhere else. The woman wanting more sleep might have an underlying blood sugar problem where her cortisol is surging in the middle of the night waking her up. Taking something for sleep won’t solve the underlying blood sugar imbalance but instead will just mask the symptom. Someone low on energy might not have enough hydrochloric acid in their stomach to properly digest iron or B12, which are both needed for energy. A cup of coffee will pick them up but will not address the deficiency.
Where there is certainly a place for a quick fix or temporary relief from a nagging or painful symptom, going deeper and being curious about what is driving our symptoms or listening to what the symptom is trying to tell us is important. Addressing the terrain of the body includes maximizing digestion, making sure absorption is functional, reducing overall inflammation and oxidative damage, and considering how our diet and lifestyle are impacting our genetics.
We know that digestive health, inflammation, and even our genetics (epigenetics) are influenced by what we eat, what time eat, our mindset, our relationships, our body’s ability to get rid of toxins, our amazingly influential microbiome, our ability to process emotional stress, and so much more.
What is the soil or terrain like in your body? What can you take away to shift it towards health? What can you add? Are your symptoms branches or roots? Get curious
Book your free 15 minute consult to see if I can help or join one of my group programs that all address the three roots while paying special attention to specific areas- Hormone Balance and Digestive Function (coming fall 2021).
