Balanced Vibes Podcast - Healthy Fitness, Food and Mindset

About 75% of women who apply to work with me because they feel burnt out, have lost their periods, and have slowed down metabolisms, have been on a low carb diet. 

In today's video, I'm sharing with you why eating adequate amount of carbs is necessary for optimal hormonal health and for your fertility.

Some women have been on a low carb diet for about 3 months and then started getting serious issues with their health: Loss of period (or Hypothalamic Amenorrhea), hair loss, extreme fatigue, feeling cold, being really irritable…

Others have been on a low carb diet for 1-2 years!

A lot of times, these low carb diet plans have been put together by men. But men and women are different. I am not saying that a low carb diet doesn't work for any women, but I have seen that it has negatively affected so many women's fertility and caused them multiple metabolic issues, so there's a reason to say that these low carb diet plans that may work well for men, don't work that well for most women.

Being on this low carb diet may have caused multiple other issues besides losing your period. You can get the full idea of what's going on, and how you can recover from these issues, here: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

Why Are Carbs So Important for Your Fertility?

Just the other day, I was on a call with another woman who told me that she had been on a low carb diet for about 3 months before the negative effects started showing up. She had later learned that not eating enough carbs (she had been eating about 20-30 grams of carbs a day which is very low for most women, especially active women) can cause Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and other metabolic issues, but she didn't know why tis is the case.

Why is it that low carb causes all that? was her question.

Here's why..

Carbs are our first source of energy

Carbs are the most essential macronutrient that our body is designed to turn to for fuel. We want to have carbs available when our bodies need energy. Especially if we are active and work out, we want to have enough carbs in our system to fuel our workouts, and we want to replenish our storages after we've finished our workout.

Don't buy into the “stop eating carbs and become a fat burning machine” talk. There's a good chance that your recovery and energy levels in general suffer if you restrict carbs heavily.

Carbs help to boost our immune system

This is especially important when it comes to post workout nutrition. Eating carbs helps to maintain blood sugar levels, and replenish the glycogen storages after a workout. I that doesn't happen, lack of carbs leads to lack of energy, which takes a toll on our immunity as well.

Carbs prevent cortisol spikes

Cortisol, as you know, is a stress hormone that is released by our adrenal glands in response to stress. When we're under eating, and that includes under eating carbs, this causes stress as well. And this has a lot to do with our fertility. Our sex hormones, that are needed for a healthy libido and periods, and our stress hormone cortisol, are all made of the same mother hormone pregnenolone. When the body has to make a choice which hormones to make, and we're stressed out, then it makes cortisol and does not have any resources to make sex hormones.

Besides, it also sees that when we're stressed out, we should not get pregnant — basically, we're not able to take care of ourselves, let alone another human — it doesn't want us to ovulate. No egg, no babies!

Ashley Pardo is a professional chef, nutrition coach and online business coach for introverts. After many years of struggling with food and going through various eating disorders, she has fully recovered and has now a healthy relationship with food.

She is helping women to eat mindfully and achieve their goals in a healthy way. And she proves that food tracking and intuitive eating can go together.

Find Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleykpardo/

Website: https://ashleypardo.com/

Ashley's podcast, WISE Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wise-women-introverts-sensitives-empaths/id1295030715

Are you overtrained, lost your period, feeling exhausted all the time? Your solution is here: 5-day Burnout Recovery Video Course: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

Watch the video below!

Here are the timestamps:

2:00 Eating disorders Ashley has been through and a surprising thing that helped her to recover

4:15 Why it's so important to change our mindset to fully recover from disordered eating habits

7:00 How abundance mindset can help you heal from food issues

9:15 How giving yourself the permission to eat, and practicing self love, eliminates the allure of many foods

11:30 The book that changed Ashley's relationship with food

14:55 Why it's important to be mindful of food

16:20 Why your relationship with food should be imperfect and not perfect

19:30 Why it's important to know what foods work for you and what don't

22:00 Why other people's food choices shouldn't matter to you

23:45 How to combine intuition with macro counting, and why it's okay to want to change your body

29:25 In order to be an intuitive eater, you need education! Here's how

33:00 Who is and who isn't ready to track their macronutrients

36:50 You can't eat like a bird, especially if you're active!

38:30 You are not supposed to eat less than 2000 calories a day, especially if you're active

40:05 Food shouldn't take too much of your brain power

41:05 What Ashley eats on a daily basis

44:00 How Ashley practices self care

45:45 Meditation as a daily practice

46:45 Morning pages practice

52:30 What to do if you feel like something needs to change in your life

 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, Ashley!

 

 

 

 

Burnout Recovery 5-day Video Course: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

Schedule Your Power Call: https://calendly.com/kerstenkimura/discovery-calls?month=2020-07

Simple Strength For Women Bodyweight Training Program: https://kersten-kimura.teachable.com/p/simple-strength-for-women

Make sure to watch this video because I have a special announcement for you!!

In this video, you will learn what to focus on in different phases of your recovery: While you are recovering, and then, after that.

You will get answers to following questions:

* What are the differences between the two phases?

* What to look for when starting each phase?

* What to expect?

* When is a good time to increase exercise?

* Can you change your body?

Special announcement:

This and next week (last week of July and first week of August 2020), I have opened up my calendar for Power Calls. You can get on a 20-30 minute call with me so that we can put together a game plan for you, depending on where you are currently at.

These calls are available only for this and next week, and I will remove this link later. So if you watch or listen to this later, the calls won't be available anymore.

Please use this opportunity to schedule your call with me so that we can figure out what the next steps should be for you. This option is only for those who are at least 18 years old and have not talked to me over the phone before.

 

How to move on with your life after getting a negative comment from someone?

Are you feeling BURNT OUT physically and mentally, have obsessive behaviors around food, have lost your period, feel brain foggy? Get my 5-day video course that teaches you exactly what to do to start feeling better!

https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

If you've received a negative comment from someone in the past, this comment, even a small one, can stick with us for a long time. Unfortunately, it can also start a host of unhealthy habits and behaviors, like starting to control our bodies via unhealthy eating (or rather, not eating…) and over exercising.

Our Body And Mind Are Not Separate!

Many great writers say that there's no such thing as separation of our body and mind. They're actually the same thing, and it can be called the mindbody. I really like this idea. We put so much focus on shaping, sculpting and later healing our physical bodies, but often neglecting what needs to be done for our mind.

That's why I like to talk about mindset too. Without this piece, full healing can't happen.

“Your Nose Is Ugly”

Just like you, have had a few of these experiences that I really let get into my head where they lived their life for way too many years.

Years ago, a guy told me that I have the weirdest nose and that he has never seen anything like this before.

This comment stuck with me for a long time. I tried to hide my nose, avoided being seen from the side, tried to figure out how to use my hair to cover my nose.

Looking back, it's kind of ridiculous because there is no way I could hide my nose. There's also no way for me to control other people's opinions. I had to make the change inside of me.

Your Experience Is Valid

First off, I want to tell you that I completely understand that negative comments are hurtful. There's nothing wrong with you when you feel hurt. Some people can brush these comments off, others continue thinking about them so that these moments keep hurting them.

It is okay, and it is necessary, to feel what we feel and process what needs to be processed.

And then, we have to take action so that the comments can't affect us forever. Here are 4 tips that help you do so.

*

The Thought Lives Within Us As Long As We Keep Feeding It.

This negative thought can only stay alive if we fuel it. How do we fuel it? By thinking about it over, and over, and over again. Analyzing every moment of the situation. Going back to it every now and then. Not paying attention when it happens.

This is how we keep it alive. And if we want to live better, we have to starve this thought. Stop giving it fuel. Noticing when the thought comes up, and telling ourselves: I am not engaging with it.

2. The Present Moment Is Always More Powerful Than the Past.

What happens in the past, was in the past. That way, it can't keep hurting us if we choose to focus on the present moment.

Right this moment, ask yourself: Is there someone threatening me right now? Is there someone being mean to me right this minute? Is there anyone harming me right now? 

Focus on the NOW and you see that you are safe. Carry this presence, the NOW with you all the time and the past can't hurt you anymore.

3. Whatever We Practice A Lot, We Get Better At.

If we constantly practice thinking about that negative experience, we get really good at dwelling on it. That way, there's no way how we can start feeling better.

Luckily, it goes the other way too. The more we think good thoughts, the better we get at that too. So why not to think good thoughts instead?

We don't have to think ultra positive thoughts that feel unrealistic or unachievable...

Let's talk about period pain…. 

Here is the program that I followed and that I refer to in the episode: http://nicolejardim.ontraport.com/t?orid=168736&opid=32

Find Nicole Jardim's other programs here: http://nicolejardim.ontraport.com/t?orid=168736&opid=27

Nicole's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolemjardim/?hl=en

The post that I refer to in my video: https://www.instagram.com/p/B87yCCXo7Ov/

Are you suffering from BURNOUT, lost your period, feel exhausted? Join my 5-day video course and learn how to take back your health: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

You got your period back, awesome! But then…

It started coming with massive pain every month…

That was me. I was, of course, happy that my period was back, but the pain that came with it was absolutely debilitating. Imagine lying in bed almost all day on day 1 of your cycle, taking the maximum allowed amount of painkillers, having the heating pad on your belly, and hoping this will be over soon.

My first recovery period after Hypothalamic Amenorrhea was pain free, but after that — since June 2017 — this is what they all looked like.

Unfortunately, I was very well familiar with this pain because I had experienced it already before. Before I ever got sick with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, the exact same thing happened every month. In high school, I ended up in ER a few times, because I was about to faint from pain. A few times, it was only the injectable pain killers that made me feel better.

And now, the pain was here again.

Dieting Mindset vs Doing What's Best For Your Health

Before I fully dive into what helped me to get over the pain, I have to preface what I'm going to say next. Here's the deal: My pain had a lot to do with sugar. To put it short (and we're getting there in a minute), came out that too high sugar consumption was a problem for me, and contributed to my pain.

I know what a lot of people will say now: You are promoting the diet culture by saying this, this is totally unnecessary fear mongering behavior, and menstrual pain is normal.

No.

There's a big difference between

a) restricting sugar because someone has a terrible relationship with food, their body image, and themselves, and this is a way to “control” something in their lives

b) reducing sugar because this is healthier for an individual. I am not promoting the diet culture, I don't personally care if anyone consumes sugar or not, but I am saying that I figured out that for me, eating a lot of sugar was unhealthy.

The Last Minute Decision That Changed Everything

On to the story now…

I had somewhat gotten used to the idea that my periods come with pain.

But in November 2019, I got an email from Nicole Jardim, saying that her Fix Your Period program is on sale.

I was wondering if it can help with my period pain, although I wasn't very hopeful. Last day of the sale, I decided to get the

How should you eat AFTER you have recovered from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Metabolic Burnout?

Check out this course to learn more about how to recover: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

This 5-day video course is a must for you if you are currently suffering from loss of period due to overtraining and under eating, aka Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, or if your metabolism has significantly slowed down because of the same reasons (even if you haven't lost your period but have other signs of metabolic unresponsiveness).

Learn more about 1:1 coaching with me: https://urbanjane.co/work-with-me/

Book your Solution Session: https://urbanjane.co/the-solution-session/

Watch today's video here:

In this video, I'm talking about how to eat after you have successfully overcome Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Metabolic Burnout.

When you first started losing weight, you probably under ate severely and trained too hard, which is why you created many metabolic issues — and loss of period may have been one of them. I call this period of time the Burnout Phase.

Then you learned that in order to start feeling better, you have to start eating more. Sometimes it's necessary to eat 2500-3000 calories a day to completely restore your metabolism and also get your period back. I call this period of time the Healing Phase.

Eventually, your period comes back, you start sleeping better, you feel more rested and relaxed. Your sex drive is back, your workouts feel great again, your hair is growing back too! This is the best place to be. I call this the Balanced Phase.

This is the Burnout Recovery Spectrum in a nutshell. You can learn about each phase HERE: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

But how should you eat once you reach that Balance Phase? Should it be any different from the Healing Phase?

Of course, it goes without saying that you should never go back to your old ways of eating, that you practiced in the Burnout Phase.

But you also don't have to keep eating 3000 calories a day like you maybe did in the Healing Phase.

4 Tips For Eating After Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Metabolic Burnout Recovery

1. Know that your appetite and cravings slow down already naturally.

Every woman that I have worked with has found that once the metabolism is restored (Balance Phase), they don't want to eat quite as much as they did while repairing their metabolism (Healing Phase).

Most days, intuitively you would not want to eat 3000 calories a day because your hunger and cravings have normalized.

Here's how it goes for me, for example: There are days when I feel like eating 2500+, but there are also many days when I don't. And if you're in the Balance Phase, you likely feel the same way, unless you're very active.

Which brings us to my next point…

2. You CAN continue to eat 3000 calories a day if you want to and need to.

Yes, you can eat 3000 calories (or whatever the number was for you… 2500-3000 are quite common) if you want to! If your calorie needs are this high, then by all means, eat this way.

Maybe you are quite active, maybe you did more workouts this week, maybe it's this time of your cycle… Yes you absolutely can eat 2500-3000 calories a day if you want to and need to. No problem!

But do you necessarily have to?

3. You don't HAVE TO eat 2500-3000 calories a day.

If you don't have appetite for this many calories,

In this episode of the Balanced Vibes podcast, I'm answering some questions that you've asked me regarding Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and weight gain.

FREE 5-day Video Course: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

If you're like me and have suffered from adrenal fatigue/burnout, metabolic damage and/or obsessive food and exercise behaviour this course is a must-do!

In this episode and video, I'm answering the following questions:

– How much weight do I have to gain?

– Should I gain weight fast or slow?

– Can I lose weight after HA recovery?

I first learned about HA from my acupuncturist who recommended me to rest and eat more. Later, other helpful people and resources that helped me recover, were Jill Puleo (@acaseofthejills), Kate Callaghan and the book No Period, Now What.

The insights and recommendations regarding weight loss and body composition change after HA are based on my personal experience and experiences of my clients.

Many women reach out to me because they want to recover from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea.

Click here to learn more about how to recover: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

But what they often realize after a little while of working with me, is that they get much more out of it than just the period.

Let's be honest: While having a period is a healthy sign and it's very important to get it back, recovery is not only about that period. It's about improving the quality of your life!

In this episode, I'm sharing with you inspiring stories from women tell us what other wins they have had along the way.

Please watch the video above or check it out on my podcast.

Other resources you might be interested in:

Inspiring success stories: https://urbanjane.co/testimonials/

Work with me: https://urbanjane.co/work-with-me/

Overtraining Recovery Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2jKeSDbZGQ&t=1102s

Simple Strength For Women: A Bodyweight Strength Training Program for Women After Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery: https://kersten-kimura.teachable.com/p/simple-strength-for-women

Is Your Metabolism Slow? FREE guide to faster metabolism: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/slow-metabolism/

How to Eat to Get Your Period Back: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/how-to-eat-for-ha/

5 Tips to Reverse Overtraining Quickly: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/overtraining-recovery-new/

Your Fit Personality Quiz: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/fit-personality/

Many women work out with the only purpose of getting skinnier. Are you one of them?

When you look around on the Internet, you can find thousands of tips, tools, and strategies that help you to achieve that thigh gap or shrink down your arms.

But none of this is actually helpful because in reality, if you want to have good health, then getting skinnier can't be your goal.

There are much better goals than that, that actually support your health!

Check out today's video and podcast to see what your focus really should be on, if you want to have a strong, healthy and resilient body.

If you are stuck in the BURNOUT mode, please take a look at my free resource, BURNOUT Recovery Spectrum: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/burnout-recovery-spectrum-later/

Other resources you might be interested in:

Inspiring success stories: https://urbanjane.co/testimonials/

Work with me: https://urbanjane.co/work-with-me/

Overtraining Recovery Spectrum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2jKeSDbZGQ&t=1102s

Simple Strength For Women: A Bodyweight Strength Training Program for Women After Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery: https://kersten-kimura.teachable.com/p/simple-strength-for-women

Is Your Metabolism Slow? FREE guide to faster metabolism: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/slow-metabolism/

How to Eat to Get Your Period Back: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/how-to-eat-for-ha/

5 Tips to Reverse Overtraining Quickly: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/overtraining-recovery-new/

Your Fit Personality Quiz: https://kerstenkimura.lpages.co/fit-personality/

How To Stop Overeating? 

In today's podcast episode, I'm discussing overeating, and how you can avoid it.

I'm introducing a simple ABC method that, when kept in mind, can help you avoid overeating.

Check out today's video or listen to it on the podcast!