Are Your Hormones Causing Anxiety?

Anxiety can be such a tough experience and while there are commonly multiple factors that may be involved, your hormones can have a huge influence on anxiety levels!

Low progesterone (in relation to estrogen levels) is a really common hormone imbalance and the main one I see that contributes to anxiety - especially if you have developed anxiety later in life or it seems to be getting worse for reasons that you can’t understand. This imbalance can develop at any time but during perimenopause - usually experienced in women during their 30’s and 40’s - it is especially common.

Hormone imbalances can develop over time especially from ongoing stress, use of contraceptive medication such as the Pill, post pregnancy, and continued exposure and accumulation of hormone disrupting chemicals such as BPA.

Progesterone is one of your most vital hormones - not just for holding pregnancy to term - but for our mood and level of calm!

Progesterone acts as an

• anti-anxiety

• anti-depressant

• diuretic to reduce fluid retention

• supports fat metabolism

• balances estrogen levels to protect against hormonal disease and cancer

• improves libido

• supports thyroid function and

• supports sleep

Is it any wonder we feel terrible when our progesterone levels are low?!

Use of the Pill is most worrying for womens health as it works by preventing you from ovulating. The ONLY way we can make Progesterone is each month when we OVULATE!

The Pill prevents us from making our monthly dose of feel good progesterone - you can see how this will have detrimental effects on how good you feel over time! The synthetic hormones in the Pill are NOT the same as your natural hormones, and the Pill also depletes B vitamins which are essential for energy, metabolism, skin and hormone balance.

While the pill can help with symptoms and is convenient it’s also ideal to look at other contraceptive options or how you can regulate your hormones naturally - the pill ‘regulates’ your hormones by shutting them down! So while this may help in the short term it’s not ideal for your long term health and truly restoring hormone balance.

If you have irregular periods or anovulatory cycles and are not ovulating each month you will also be missing out on progesterone - so working with a practitioner to regulate your cycles is a great idea.

After menopause you can still experience hormonal imbalance and it is even more important to work on stress management and adrenal health, as your adrenals take over the job of producing your sex hormones once your ovaries have retired. High stress can worsen menopausal symptoms by placing extra pressure on your adrenal glands - and they can only do so much! If they are busy producing cortisol during ongoing stress, they will have less reserves to be producing your other sex hormones.

If you are not taking contraceptive medication you can test your hormones - ideally on day 21 or about a week after ovulation - this is when your progesterone is at its highest. Working with a qualified Naturopath can help you test and restore hormone balance and improve the underlying reasons that may be contributing to your anxiety.

You might also find this article or ebook helpful.

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Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women balance their hormones, reduce symptoms and get their life back!  Consultations are available online.  You can find out more here.

How Food Can Make You Feel Stressed!

What we choose to eat everyday has a huge impact on our mental health and feelings of stress, anxiety or calm.

Foods create changes in your body through their effect on neurotransmitters, hormones and your nervous system. They also influence your gut bacteria and digestive health which is the BASIS of health and has a huge influence on your mental health. Your digestive tract is known as your second brain and there’s much research on the gut-brain link.

If you experience any mental health concerns or feel more stressed or anxious - take a good look at your diet and daily food choices. Of course there are other factors to consider but our diets are our DAILY companion and provide our body with the nutrients it needs for optimal mental and physical health. Without the right nutrition your body is unable to produce the hormones and neurotransmitters that orchestrate your mood and influence how calm you feel.

If your diet is high in refined carbohydrates, flours, sugars and caffeine this will have a stimulating effect but not in a sustained way - you’ll experience highs and lows as your body tries to deal with these short term stimulants. These foods can cause stress in your body as it tries to balance your blood sugar and cortisol. These foods are also more inflammatory as we are not designed to consume a lot of these foods or stimulants.

While some carbohydrates are great, focus on getting them from fresh vegetables and some whole grains depending on what you feel best on. Reducing carbohydrates too low, such as on a keto diet, may not be ideal for everyone especially long term and for womens hormone balance - so always take notice of how you feel and work out the best amount for you. Most people following a standard western diet are commonly eating too many refined carbohydrates and not enough quality fats.

Including adequate quality protein and fat has a more grounding and calming effect - and doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar or cortisol. These foods help to produce hormones and neurotransmitters and help keep your energy and mood more stable. They also keep you full for longer and help in weight loss and weight management.

Most women do best on 50-100g protein per day but experiment to find out what you feel best on. Choose the best quality protein and fat you can - see this handy food guide for more info.

While fats have received bad press they are essential for mood and every cell in your body! The right fats can support optimal mental health, energy and weight regulation. You can find a 1 page guide here.

Focus on including some fat, protein and vegetables at each meal to help keep you calm and support your mood and nervous system.

Another way food can increase stress is by contributing to eating disorders. Food should be nourishing and enjoyable - practice changing your mindset toward food and removing guilt around food choices - just do the best you can with where you’re at. It’s what you do most of the time that counts so don’t beat yourself up for not being ‘perfect’ all the time! Focus on quality over quantity. Choose 1 thing to improve at a time rather than overwhelming yourself - make it simple, enjoyable and achievable! Practice self kindness.

I have been through a lot of different ways of eating but am learning to listen to what makes me feel good and not worry about sticking to a ‘label’ or ‘diet’ that doesn’t make me feel great! We all have individual biochemistry that determines what we feel best on - so what works for your friend may not be the best thing for you! And our needs can change over our lifetime - so just keep listening to the clues your body gives you. Practicing self-kindness has also made a huge difference to my relationship and enjoyment of food. Any change can take time to become a habit - so give yourself time to make improvements and different food choices.

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Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women balance their hormones, reduce symptoms and get their life back!  Consultations are available online.  You can find out more here.

How To Be A Healthy Vegan

Whatever your reasons for choosing a vegan diet there are some points to keep in mind to ensure you don't become deficient in certain nutrients or develop preventable health conditions.  

Some simple blood tests can help you monitor levels of vital nutrients such as B12, Iron, Ferritin (iron stores) and Vitamin D.  These nutrients are more likely to be deficient on vegan diets and they have a huge role in optimal health, especially in regards to nervous system function, mental health, thyroid function, immunity and energy levels.  You can get these levels checked with a Naturopath and use quality supplements to support ideal levels.  While supplements are a good option they can't replace eating whole foods which contain a wide array of nutrients working in synergy.  

Many vegan packaged products can be highly processed and nutritionally deplete, so cooking from scratch as much as possible is ideal.  Focus on a variety of vegetables and include healthy fats at each meal - avocado, olives and olive oil, coconut oil/milk/cream, chia and hemp seeds/oil.  A good quality fermented pea/rice protein powder may also be beneficial.  

Soaking or fermenting legumes/nuts/seeds/grains is also important to reduce phytic acid which otherwise can bind and reduce absorption of essential nutrients such as zinc and iron - these are vital for optimal skin and hair, immunity, hormones and mental health.  

Vegan diets can end up being high in grains, omega 6 and soy products and low in bioavailable protein and essential fatty acids.  This dietary pattern can contribute to inflammation, digestive issues, mineral deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, mental health issues and weight gain.  When choosing soy products look for organic fermented products such as tempeh, miso and tamari and be mindful of not consuming too much soy, due to the effects it can have on hormonal balance.

While many people initially feel amazing on a vegan diet, this may not be true for everyone long term.  Removing processed foods from our diets and eating more vegetables will make anyone feel better compared to a standard western diet, but a totally plant based diet may not support optimal health and energy in the long term.  Deficiencies can take a while to become apparent and symptoms can be subtle at first - maybe a little less energy, a little extra weight, a little more anxiety, a slightly longer menstrual cycle.

I love the ideals of veganism however if it becomes detrimental to your own health and quality of life, we have to ask ourselves if it is worth it?  Please be open to the idea that you may need to alter your diet if your health depends on it.  I know personally how much of a challenge this can be, to change your beliefs and mindset on something you've fully invested in for years.  I experienced worsening health after 6 years as a vegan and it took me many months from thinking of including some eggs until I actually did!  A hard thought to overcome was feeling that I'd failed somehow if I stopped following a vegan diet.

One huge change I noticed after including some animal foods again is that I actually felt properly satisfied after meals.  I used to be a little bit hungry all the time, or hungry after an hour of eating while I was vegan.  Constantly snacking is not great for our blood sugar - a well balanced meal with adequate protein and fats should keep you satisfied for at least 3-4 hours.

Adequate protein and fats are especially important for womens hormones which regulate ovulation (a key indicator of health, and super important whether you want to have children or not), mood and weight.  During their reproductive years, women on a plant based diet will likely find it hard to sustain optimal iron levels long term without supplementing.

From my own experience and the many books and research articles I've read, I believe we need some amount of animal foods in our diet for optimal long term health.  This is human nature and how our bodies are designed to function well.  Of course most people could do with eating more veggies and a MOSTLY vegetable based diet is great, but a small amount of traditionally farmed products from healthy animals are also required.   Of course living responsibly and treading lightly on our environment are also important and you can still do this while consuming some sustainably raised animal products.

The foods we eat everyday have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, and has to be considered in any health issue.  If you feel it might be time to add some animal products back into your diet, just start small with whatever you feel comfortable with and listen to any cravings you are experiencing. 

Everyone is metabolically different and many feel great on a vegan diet for different amounts of time - this is why it's so important to listen to how you are feeling to work out the right food choices for YOU.  Try not to be caught up in sticking 100% to a particular way of eating if it doesn't suit you - the only diet and lifestyle you should be sticking to is the one that makes YOU feel great!

If you'd like to check your blood levels or work on any health concerns I'd love to help you.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

PLEASE NOTE - This article isn't intended to offend anyone or start an argument - it's to help make you aware of possible deficiencies so you can treat or prevent them, and encourage everyone to take notice of how they feel and not ignore any signs your body is giving you. 

Why Am I So Moody?!

Do you find PMS is lasting longer than it used to?

Are your moods more erratic or intense?

Are you feeling more flat, anxious or overwhelmed?

Changes in mood can be one of the major symptoms experienced by women who present with health concerns in clinic.  While a hormonal imbalance may be underlying our moods, there can also be other factors involved.

Low Progesterone (especially in relation to estrogen) is a common finding in women who are experiencing increased moodiness or low mood.  This imbalance can develop over time from multiple influences, especially ongoing stress and use of the pill.

Thyroid function is also impaired by stress and also plays a vital role in mood regulation.  If you've only had your TSH tested (this is what's usually tested by GP's), it's ideal to also get T3 and T4 tested with a Naturopath to really assess how well you are producing and activating your thyroid hormones.  The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) can still look 'normal', even if the T3 and T4 are less than ideal.

Iron and B12 are also commonly low in clients.  These nutrients are important for mood and energy, and there's an increased chance of having insufficient levels if you are vegetarian or have digestive issues which can impair absorption.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to low mood and energy.  This is another important one you can get checked through your Naturopath, as Medicare no longer routinely covers this test for GP's, and many Australians are deficient.  This would be one of my most important nutrients to get checked as it also plays a huge role in our immunity and disease protection. Optimal levels are over 100 pmol/L.

Bacteria balance and our gut function is also strongly linked to our mood and mental health - known as the Gut-Brain Axis.  A large number of our neurotransmitters, which influence our mood, are produced in our digestive tract.  If there is an imbalance in bacteria, an overgrowth of yeast, parasites or ongoing infection or inflammation - our gut environment and subsequent impact on our mood will be less than ideal!

Inflammation in our bodies and brain has been associated with depression and mood disorders.  Our diet and lifestyles strongly influence the level of inflammation in our bodies.  Stress, sugars, processed foods, trans fats, chemicals, excess refined grain products and alcohol can all contribute to inflammation.

Quality fats, protein, vegetables and filtered water to support our brain function, and neurotransmitter and hormone production.  If the diet is lacking these nutrients our bodies and mind will be unable to operate optimally.

If moodiness is a symptom you'd like to address, I'd love to help you discover which of these underlying imbalances are relevant to you.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Top 10 Tips For Great Sleep!

Are you getting enough sleep?

Sleep is your body's way of recovering, resting and recharging for the day ahead.  It's so important to keep our body in a happy balance and improve anxiety, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, stress and to help regulate weight.

Even if you are getting 7-9 hours, if that sleep is interrupted, you have trouble falling asleep and/or you are not waking refreshed, your sleep quality could be improved.

Here's my top 10 tips for great sleep - 

1. WIND DOWN BEFORE BED - give yourself 1-2 hours before bed to wind down from work or other daily stressors to help calm your nervous system and encourage sleep.  Instead of scrolling on social media why not do some yoga, stretching, a guided meditation, read a book, do something creative, call a friend or listen to music.  Another great option if you have a bath is to soak in epsom salts or take some magnesium citrate or chelate before bed.

2. SCHEDULE YOUR SLEEP - aim to have a regular sleep schedule.  Going to sleep by 10pm will give you the best chance of reaching a deeper sleep.  And getting in the habit of rising early with the sun is a great way to start the day - rather than being woken by an alarm!  Having a regular sleep schedule is also a great way to support melatonin production - our sleep hormone but also one of our major antioxidants - protecting us from cellular damage and disease. 

3. TECH FREE ROOM - keep wifi and other electrical devices out of the bedroom whenever possible, as the electrical frequencies can interfere with melatonin.  A dark, cool room with some fresh air circulating can also encourage better sleep.  

4. STRESS MANAGEMENT - practice reducing stress in your life as stress and cortisol can directly impair our body's ability to produce melatonin!  Lack of sleep can then cause further stress, creating an unfortunate cycle of stress and insomnia!  There are many ways to reduce stress including exercise, mindfulness, listening to music and working on time management. 

5. BE IN NATURE - spending time or exercising in nature can help reduce stress and improve sleep.  In Japan they call this Forest Bathing - and it can have so many positive effects on our wellbeing - so get outside whenever you can!

6. HERBAL AND NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS - can help improve sleep onset and duration by acting as hypnotics and/or helping to calm our nervous system.  Some of my favourites include lavender, california poppy, lemon balm and withania.  Chaste tree, which is commonly used for hormonal imbalances and PMS, has also been shown to increase melatonin.  Other supplements including GABA, 5-HTP and Adenosine can also help calm our nervous system and improve sleep.

7. CAFFEINE AND SUGAR - aim to avoid these as much as possible, especially after midday, due to the stimulating effects.  Try herbal teas (anything with licorice has a sweeter taste), a piece of cheese or unsweetened yoghurt with berries if you need a mid afternoon or after dinner snack.

8. DIFFUSE - calming oils such as lavender, bergamot, sandalwood and marjoram.  Make sure to buy 100% pure essential oils without any synthetic ingredients. 

9. SUPPORT GUT HEALTH - with a variety of vegetables, fermented vegetables (if tolerated) and/or a quality probiotic if needed.  Our gut bacteria play a huge role in regulating our hormones and neurotransmitters.  And poor sleep may also have a negative impact on our gut bacteria - it's a 2 way street!  

10. IF YOU ARE TIRED - go to bed!  A lot of parents stay up later because this is their time, but if you are tired, sleeping is the best gift you can give yourself! 

I hope these tips can help you achieve more restful sleep - just pick 1 or 2 points to start implementing and set reminders in your phone or schedule them into your diary, until they become habit. 

If you'd like more personalised support to improve your sleep I'd love to help you. 

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances, anxiety and fatigue.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

Anxiety Symptoms And Natural Treatments

Anxiety can be a super hard thing to live with, especially when it's a constant companion and takes over your ability to enjoy life or just to function on a daily basis.

If you experience anxiety you are certainly not alone.  Anxiety is the most common mental health condition affecting Australian women, and our hectic pace of life is likely to see numbers continue to rise.

Anxiety symptoms can vary but commonly include -

• continual or excessive worry

• negative self talk and poor self worth

• sweating, palpitations, flushing, trembling, feeling faint

• shortness of breath or holding breath

• avoiding social situations

• relying on drugs/food/alcohol to numb anxious feelings

• panic and fear

• insomnia and fatigue

• unrealistic perception of event/situation

• nausea, diarrhoea, constipation

Anxiety could be occurring due to ongoing stress and worries, or could be related to imbalances in the body such as nutritional, neurotransmitter, hormonal, digestive/bacterial or genetic conditions such as pyrroluria or MTHFR.

While anti-anxiety medication may be helpful in the short term, addressing these underlying factors will help you to reduce anxiety symptoms in the long run, without the reliance or side effects of medication. 

I've found a variety of practices and supplements have helped to reduce my anxiety over the years - you can read more about that here.  In particular food, exercise, stress management and working on my mindset, beliefs and self talk have had the biggest impact.

There's so much that can help reduce anxiety symptoms, so please don't feel hopeless if you haven't yet found the combination that works best for you.  Keep reading, talking with others and asking for help - you definitely do not need to struggle with anxiety alone - even though that's what anxiety ironically encourages us to do!

I loved reading Sarah Wilson's book - First We Make The Beast Beautiful - it's reassuring to know there are other people out there who feel like you, there are other ways to view our experience of anxiety rather than just as a negative, and how you can use anxiety to help you live a fulfilling life.

Anxiety can make us feel very alone so I think it's really important to talk about it with others and share our experiences to help each other deal with our beautiful beasts! 

If you would like to investigate which imbalances may be contributing to your anxiety symptoms, I would love to help you.  You can book online here or check out my Anxiety Ebook.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.

This Essential Practice Can Help You Achieve Any Of Your Goals!

No matter what your goals or intentions for the new year, there is one essential practice that can help you achieve them -  self compassion!

Whether you know it by this name or self care or self love, this essential practice involves being kind, patient and encouraging to yourself.  And it's called a practice - cause it takes practice!  Especially when your self talk and other habits have likely been on auto pilot for years! 

If you are trying to change habits or achieve something new it can be hard!  If your self talk is negative, harsh or unrealistic, or it makes you feel shame, guilt or inadequate, it's unlikely to motivate or encourage you to continue once your initial willpower has been exhausted.

How much more pleasant would it be to come from a place of love and treat ourselves with kindness and patience while achieving our goals?

Would you speak to your best friend or a young child in the way you speak to yourself?

While self talk is one aspect of self care, other areas include

• Stress management and taking time out for ourselves
• Booking in regular holidays or breaks at the start of the year, before we get to a burnt out stage
• Assessing what we spend our time/energy/money on, and if that's inline with our values and goals
• Working on our boundaries
• Working on our beliefs and mindset
• Being mindful and present and not being consumed by our past or future worries
• Accepting ourselves wherever we are at, but also working on improving any areas of our life where we'd like to grow, learn or change. 

There are many books, podcasts and websites which can help you in this area, but a good start is just becoming aware of your self talk and automatic assumptions/beliefs - as this is with us all the time and has such a huge impact on our quality of life.  A lot of times we aren't even aware how we talk to ourselves as it is so constant and automatic!

So take time to become aware of your self talk so you can then work on improving it to be more compassionate, supportive and encouraging as you work toward your goals!

If you would like some support in achieving your health goals this year, book in for a consultation here.

Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues.  The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype.  You can contact Marion here.