Thyroid Warrior Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ebony Williams
This podcast outlines the journey to managing Hashimoto's Disease for Ebony Colina that started 10 years ago. In this podcast, you will learn about how I was able to reduce many of my symptoms through a variety of different channels. There will be both individual accounts and interviews that seek to help others determine the best strategies to become whole, happy and healthy.
This podcast episode is just the beginning of something new...
When managing grief, conflict, chronic illness, or life in general, it can be A LOT.
My wish for you is that you will be able to check in with your body.
I have lived the true definition of you can't be someone else's something if you're nothing for yourself.
Can you take some time to figure out the following questions:
What do I want?
What makes me feel good?
What have I said yes to, that I should have said no to?
How can I say yes to myself more?
It's only up from here friends...
This week is a very important topic - living wills, advanced directives, and healthcare proxies.
It is critical to have a conversation about these topics, and I encourage you to choose a trusted advocate or caregiver who can make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to.
Please don't forget to document important information that may be crucial in times of emergency or if you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself:
- Keep track of passwords, bank accounts, and contact information for renovation workers.
- Set up a legacy contact with Apple, enabling access to a deceased person's computer.
- Check for updates to these documents regularly as you change passwords or as things in your life change
These steps can ease the burden on loved ones during difficult times. We also discuss different names for advanced directives, which may vary from state to state. In some areas, they may be referred to as healthcare agents or patient advocates. The key is to ensure you have a documented process for your medical decisions such as preferences regarding organ donation, pain management, resuscitation, ventilation, feeding tubes, and palliative care.
By documenting these preferences, individuals can ensure that their wishes are respected and followed. When in doubt, consult with a lawyer regarding these documents and make sure you carry a copy with you at all times/you have a copy in your medical record.
This podcast episode is about the struggle to manage grief. We are discussing how grief has impacted my thyroid condition, and I discuss the importance of expressing oneself and seeking support during challenging times. Grief will impact us differently, but it is important to connect with people and a care team who will support you throughout the entire process.
This series is very close to home. This text discusses the importance of advocacy and communication in healthcare, particularly when it comes to end-of-life planning and death. This series is going to highlight the importance of establishing support systems, learning how to utilize clear communication during difficult times, and why it's so important to be open to having difficult conversations around death.
Since it is Mental Health Awareness Month, I will also be hosting a kindness and gratitude challenge from May 22nd-May 26th (2023). Sign up at joyfulebony.com/kindness.
When we think about our health, it can be easy to assume we don't have many options.
However, I have been exploring different forms of treatment to support my health from Western Medicine to other modalities, including acupuncture and I must say, it's been great.
I have recently been paying more attention to lifestyle medicine because I can't accept that prevention of disease is impossible for many of us. I also strongly believe in starting small and creating habits that will help you sustain your lifestyle.
This episode was in part about lifestyle medicine and what is, as well as about how to make small changes (specifically diet in this case) that can help your health outcomes.
If you would like to learn more about lifestyle medicine, please visit the American College of Lifestyle Medicine https://lifestylemedicine.org/ to learn more.
For those of you who may be new to the show, let me reintroduce myself.
My name is Ebony, I have Hashimoto's Disease, I am a patient advocate, personal trainer, nutrition coach and aromatherapist.
Through my own struggles, I have learned so much about this condition and have made it my mission to share what I have learned with all of you.
As we move forward with the podcast, I am excited to announce that we will be taking a seasons-based approach. Each season will focus on a specific aspect of thyroid disease, from diagnosis to treatment options to self-care. I will be discussing my four step method I use to help clients in detail and I will also be enlisting the support of professionals in the field.
I encourage all of you to take the time to get to know yourself and your own unique needs when it comes to managing thyroid disease. Together, we can support each other and thrive. Let me know your thoughts and what you want to hear more of!
Sometimes it can be a challenge to outgrow the things that used to make you feel safe and secure. We all know the struggle even when we're not aware of it:
- You want to say no to going out because you just don't like it anymore
- You've outgrown your current circle of friends, but you don't know how to say it
- Things that used to seem really difficult are merely bumps
Don't forget that you can change and each of us will evolve over time. It doesn't make you a bad person, but you'll have to work through what feels safe for you in terms of navigating new spaces.
Just like you may experience difficulty when you're adjusting to a new medication or health regimen, everything around you can shift too.
If you're interested in learning more about my free monthly aromatherapy classes, click here.
Choose Aromatherapy classes and you will be able to book the free class.
In this episode, we are going to talk about exploring this question:
"Am I safe here"?
I heard this question on a podcast from the Truth Doctor and it has revolutionized my thought process related to how I process my emotions, trauma and my condition.
I also spoke about ACEs or Adverse Childhood Events and I encourage you to be sure to do things that make you comfortable and safe while you explore this concept.
For more informationon ACEs, check out:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
In this episode, we are going to go deep and talk about some real stuff. For months, it has been a challenge and I often find myself asking the question "Why Bother"? This series is going to be going in detail with this.
Updates:
- If you missed last week's episode, check out Near Country Provisions at nearcountry.com and enter the code "Ebony" for free meat provisions.
- Today is the last day to grab my Go Ahead, Eat the Cookie program at $197. Head to joyfulebony.com/cookiecourse to sign up and remember to use the code podcast as the price increases to $597 after September 1st
- Finally, if you love Strong Fitness Magazine as much as I do, grab a discount on a subscription using the code SFC3
In today's episode, we have a treat of having a different perspective on Hashimoto's Disease. As many of us know, women are at a higher risk of developing Hashimoto's Disease, but that doesn't mean that men can't develop it.
We all develop passions for good health in different ways and today's guest, Adam Gerson, of Near Country Provisions shares how he used the information from his journey to develop a subscription-based meat delivery service in the Mid Atlantic region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) that provides nutrient dense and grass-fed meat. They are also testing out new cuts and other items.
You can use the code "Ebony" to provisions with your first order!
If you have any questions at all, you can reach out to Adam at adam@nearcountry
Visit their website:
https://nearcountry.com/
Check them out on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/nearcountrydelivered/
This podcast episode highlights Shalini Arora of Sunny Side of You.
She helps busy people on the go, with no time and energy, nurture a healthy lifestyle using principles of Natural Hygiene so that they become their best versions.
We spoke about various ways of living a healthy lifestyle and she talks about different strategies to take care of oneself.
You can check out her free masterclass here:
https://www.balancethyroid.com/register
It is very easy for us to focus so much on being self-sufficient.
However, we forget that we contribute to our stress.
Being aware means more than processing your environment.
It can also relate to your body and how it responds to things, places, or people.
Today, I want to ask you this question…can you change your circumstances when you don't like them? Maybe you can…maybe you can't; however, there are things you can do when you are unable to remove yourself from a situation…
Listen to the episode to learn more and to complete a few visual exercises!
This podcast episode is calling out some of the feelings associated with things we tend not to say out loud.
Each of us has unique life experiences that will impact how we react to things that happen to us.
Today I'm sharing how comments from our loved ones can be helpful and hurtful, especially when it comes to how we manage our conditions or choices related to our health.
Just don’t stay there… Take a listen to Kim Walsh of Warrior Forward as we discuss her account of learning about her condition. One big takeaway for me as I listened again has been sometimes we do have to push forward in the moment, but it’s so important to take time to grieve and heal.
https://www.warriorforward.com/
It can be very easy to get lost in the "I'm fine" trap. I often ask my friends, how are you really?I want you to focus on the same thing today.
How are you? What's really going on?
It's totally okay if that is something you are struggling with right now in this season, but I want to remind you that you can do it, whatever it is...even if it means going slower than originally planned.
In this podcast episode, we talked to Dr. Tonia Winchester or Coach Tonia about her journey as a functional medicine doctor and how she wanted to do more with her patients.
We discussed everything from deciding the best modality or mode for approaching wellness, to our mindset and how we show up for ourselves.
Check her out:
https://www.drtoniawinchester.com/
https://www.instagram.com/coachtonia/
When Tonia was 10 years old she decided she no longer wanted to be a marine biologist. What she wanted was to be a pediatrician so she could help kids get healthy and have a ton of fun.
However through her own health challenges as a teen she realized that mainstream medicine didn’t have the deeper answers she was looking for.
At age 17 she discovered her calling – alternative medicine. After graduating from Simon Fraser University (where she majored in Kinesiology and minored in contemporary dance) Tonia studied for another 4 years at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
As a naturopathic doctor, who is also certified to provide acupuncture, as well as being a BodyTalk practitioner, she is proud to run a multi-disciplinary clinic called Tonic Naturopathic in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, BC.
Tonia is also an NLP and Timeline Therapy (R) Practitioner and Coach, guiding women through personal breakthroughs, transforming anxiety, stress, insomnia to JOY, ENERGY, and VITALITY.
She believes that healthy, happy people doing what they love, contributes to a more peaceful world. One such person called her, “The Body Whisperer,” and another credits her for, “Recreating my life.”
Today's podcast episode is all about vegetable oils.
Yes, we are still in high school chemistry as we review the basic structures of lipids and such. However, when you understand the makeup of plant oils, you can develop an understanding of why some of your favorite products work.
Also, we celebrated Thyroid Awareness Month in January! Visit joyfulebony.com/thyroidawarenessmonth for all of the details, plus, some proceeds will be going to autoimmune.org!
- This will be one of our sciency podcast episode series. We are talking about the basic structures of skin and why it's important to protect it, especially when we are concerned about our thyroid condition.
It'll all make sense over time as we walk through the rationale behind vegetable oils, carrier oils and best practices for your skin!
Check out soulabeautyco.com for my aromatherapy shop!
This episode is all about patient portals.
It may be easy to call the doctor's office, but you also want to be able to see your health information at a glance and be able to message your care team.
I love being efficient when it comes to time, but also when it comes to prioritizing my health. I use apps to manage my thyroid condition and I'm excited to share 4 resources with you in this episode.
Take a listen to learn why I love:
1. Good RX
2. Drugs.com
3. Elly Health
4. Mango Health
Being aware of how we feel can make a huge difference when it comes to managing our condition.
It has taken me a long time to get to this point where I can be more aware of my emotions and it has made a difference in how I manage my health.
My question to you today is how can you give yourself space to experience your emotions in a way that is safe for you?
This podcast episode was such a treat!
Today's guest was Kim Walsh, a warrior in her own right, and fellow #hashimotosdiseasewarrior is a certified nutrition coach, cognitive lifestyle behavioral coach and performance coach.
She spoke about her experience getting diagnosed, but shared so many amazing stories about how life can turn our world upside down.
One of the biggest takeaways I can share from today's episode is "Just Don't Stay There".
Check out Kim at warriorforward.com
In this podcast episode, we talked to Dr. Tonia Winchester or Coach Tonia about her journey as a functional medicine doctor and how she wanted to do more with her patients.
We discussed everything from deciding the best modality or mode for approaching wellness, to our mindset and how we show up for ourselves.
Check her out:
https://www.drtoniawinchester.com/
https://www.instagram.com/coachtonia/
When Tonia was 10 years old she decided she no longer wanted to be a marine biologist. What she wanted was to be a pediatrician so she could help kids get healthy and have a ton of fun.
However through her own health challenges as a teen she realized that mainstream medicine didn’t have the deeper answers she was looking for.
At age 17 she discovered her calling – alternative medicine. After graduating from Simon Fraser University (where she majored in Kinesiology and minored in contemporary dance) Tonia studied for another 4 years at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
As a naturopathic doctor, who is also certified to provide acupuncture, as well as being a BodyTalk practitioner, she is proud to run a multi-disciplinary clinic called Tonic Naturopathic in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, BC.
Tonia is also an NLP and Timeline Therapy (R) Practitioner and Coach, guiding women through personal breakthroughs, transforming anxiety, stress, insomnia to JOY, ENERGY, and VITALITY.
She believes that healthy, happy people doing what they love, contributes to a more peaceful world. One such person called her, “The Body Whisperer,” and another credits her for, “Recreating my life.”
While it is important for us to reach our goals, we often forget about being aware of the things that can stop us. Many would consider that negative thinking; however, when you have an idea of the obstacles you will face, it makes it easier to identify them and continue to move forward.
Today's episode will challenge you to think about those items to create awareness of the things that you will need to consider when working on your goals.
Plus, it's Thyroid Awareness Month! Register for this week's activities at joyfulebony.com/thyroidawarenessmonth
Today's podcast episode is all about vegetable oils.
Yes, we are still in high school chemistry as we review the basic structures of lipids and such. However, when you understand the makeup of plant oils, you can develop an understanding of why some of your favorite products work.
Also, we are celebrating Thyroid Awareness Month in January! Visit joyfulebony.com/thyroidawarenessmonth for all of the details, plus, some proceeds will be going to autoimmune.org!
This will be one of our sciency podcast episode series. We are talking about the basic structures of skin and why it's important to protect it, especially when we are concerned about our thyroid condition.
It'll all make sense over time as we walk through the rationale behind vegetable oils, carrier oils and best practices for your skin!
Check out soulabeautyco.com for my aromatherapy shop!
I love being efficient when it comes to time, but also when it comes to prioritizing my health.
I use apps to manage my thyroid condition and I'm excited to share 4 resources with you in this episode.
Take a listen to learn why I love:
- Good RX
- Drugs.com
- Elly Health
- Mango Health
This podcast episode explains the basics of patient portals and why they're important.
If you've ever wondered why patient portals are extremely beneficial for managing your health, here are some reasons why:
- Review all of your labs, test results, and notes
- Because of the 21st Century Cures Act (in the US), you now have access to provider notes. What's most important is to recognize is that sometimes, because of this, you may receive results before your provider has a chance to review it. As long as you keep that in mind, you can manage your expectations
- Make appointments, reschedule and cancel appointments
There are more benefits of course! However, what's most important is to utilize tools for your toolbox to maximize your health!
Care coordination is defined as the process of organizing patient care and any activity for that patient to improve health outcomes (AHRQ.GOV).
In this podcast episode, we go over the basics of what that means and I provide you with an overview of how this works. We are also setting the stage for effective communication in the doctor's office.
This brings me to a bonus! I'm so excited to share that my health journal is available digitally! Grab yours here:
https://www.joyfulebony.com/product/health-journal/
https://soulabeautyco.com/collections/health-and-wellness/products/digital-health-journal
Today's episode is giving you an actual example of how social determinants of health can impact someone's care.
For me, we have to have a more broad conversation about care. It's not solely on race. If we could focus more on how similar we are despite our experiences and differences. Yes, health disparities exist. Yes, minority populations are usually impacted by these structural issues. However, WE have all struggled with access to care. WE come from different backgrounds and have had poor experiences in getting to appointments. WE have all struggled with watching loved ones get sick because they can't afford their medications. The question is how do WE work TOGETHER to help each other MORE? Resources Marmot, Michael, and Ruth Bell. “Social Inequalities in Health: a Proper Concern of Epidemiology.” Annals of Epidemiology, Elsevier, 3 Mar. 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1047279716300400.
Healthy People. “Social Determinants of Health.” Social Determinants of Health | Healthy People 2020, www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health.
Eighty-Six Percent of Primary Care Patients Believe Racism Is Impacting Their Health.” Primary Care Collaborative, 22 July 2020, www.pcpcc.org/2020/06/10/eighty-six-percent-primary-care-patients-believe-racism-impacting-their-health.
Evans, Michele K., et al. “Diagnosing and Treating Systemic Racism: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 17 June 2020, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2021693.
PatientEngagementHIT. “Patients, Providers Reflect on Racism as Public Health Crisis.” PatientEngagementHIT, 15 June 2020, patientengagementhit.com/news/patients-providers-reflect-on-racism-as-public-health-crisis.
Nolen, LaShyra, et al. “How Medical Education Is Missing the Bull's-Eye: NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, 25 June 2020, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1915891?query=recirc_mostViewed_railB_article.
Wakefield, Emily O, et al. “Describing Perceived Racial Bias Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 17 Mar. 2018, academic.oup.com/jpepsy/article/43/7/779/4942298.
Betancourt, Joseph R. “Cultural Competence And Health Care Disparities: Key Perspectives And Trends.” Health Affairs, 2005, www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.24.2.499.
Henderson, Saras, et al. “Cultural Competence in Healthcare in the Community: A Concept Analysis.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 7 Mar. 2018, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hsc.12556.
Rukhsana Ahmed & Benjamin R. Bates (2017) Patients’ fear of physicians and perceptions of physicians’ cultural competence in healthcare, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 10:1, 55-60, DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2017.1287389
Joseph R. Betancourt, Alexander R. Green. “Defining Cultural Competence: A Practical Framework for Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care - Joseph R. Betancourt, Alexander R. Green, J. Emilio Carrillo, Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, 2003.” SAGE Journals, 1 July 2003, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1093/phr/118.4.293.
Crawford, Dana E., et al. “‘LET UP’: A Systematic Approach to Responding to Cultural Bias in Health Care.” ZERO TO THREE, vol. 40, no. 2, Nov. 2019, pp. 10–17. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=eric&AN=EJ1244159&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Place, Not Race: Disparities Dissipate In Southwest Baltimore When Blacks And Whites Live Under Similar Conditions
Health disparities aren't something that impact people of color. Each of us are impacted in different ways.
This podcast episode is going to begin the process of exploring how we can all recognize how each of us has much more in common from the perspective of access to care. Today, I will be introducing the basics of social determinants of health.
You can reference healthypeople.gov in the US to read more.
I cannot stress the importance of having a filing system in place to keep track of your health information.
It is key that you take the time to get your after visit summary printed as well as your records together. Utilize your electronic patient portal if you have one and don't be afraid to ask questions.
I always stress the importance of keeping a health journal,but you need one now more than ever!
We are continuing the conversation about health literacy, but this time the focus is on what's called limited English proficiency.
Being able to understand what is being discussed with you is key, especially if English is not your first language.
In this podcast episode, I also discuss why a medical interpreter may be needed and what to expect. Share this with a friend!
For more information, visit:
lep.gov
https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/index.html
https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights/limited-english-proficient-lep
How do you like to receive information?
- Verbal
- Written
- Video
In this podcast episode, we are starting he process of discussing health literacy, which is a very important topic!
We often miss opportunities to truly understand concepts when we don't fully grasp what is being told to us during our healthcare visits.
For more information on health literacy, visit the following sites:
https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/index.html
In this episode, we are going to set the stage to talk about all things advocacy, SDOH, and health literacy.
It's time to start the process to dig deeper into the healthcare perspective so that you can be an advocate for yourself and your loved ones.
In the meantime, grab my advocacy checklist and video series by going to joyfulebony.com/advocacy
A recent flare up has taught me quite a bit.
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The lessons learned throughout the show's history prove to be true.
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It is incredibly important that you advocate for yourself. No one knows your body the way you do.
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Understand that there are now changes in legislation that offer insight into what you can now view as a patient.
Hello 21st Century Cures Act in the States. At a high level, this act seeks to do two primary things:
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It helps you as the patient have the ability to access your electronic health information easily and securely at no cost.
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It helps to provide more technology that helps you to gain access to your health information.
You may have noticed that you can now see the notes written for many of your health visits. Please check out healthit.gov to learn more about the rule that went into effect as of April 2021.
https://www.healthit.gov/curesrule/
There is a lot of controversy about essential oils and the first trimester of pregnancy. It's important to talk to your doctor about all alternatives methods you use to help with your symptoms.
I err on the side of caution and recommend to use essential oils after your first trimester, but use oils like ginger, neroli or sweet orange. Always make sure you check out the botanical name, which company you're looking into (I love Plant Therapy, Simplers Botanicals and Pranarom).
With children, always keep your dilution LOW. I don't recommend to use essential oils with babies until they are around six months old, but again, every aromatherapist is different. I tend to be a lot more conservative. If you choose to use essential oils, dilute them in a carrier oil and apply them to you. You can hug your child or use no more than five drops of an essential oil in a carrier oil (you can store this in a rollerball).
Always conduct a patch test and remember, if you notice nausea, vomiting, skin irritation or extreme discomfort, contact a medical professional immediately.
Essential oils are wonderful, but we have to make sure we use them responsibly.
Our skin is incredible. It protects us from many things and does some amazing things!
On today's episode, I'm focusing on how to nourish the outermost layer of our skin and I'm talking about the benefits of three carrier oils:
- Sunflower
- Safflower
- Flaxseed Oil
Why are these vegetable oils so important? They are high in linoleic acid, which is a fatty acid that protects our skin from losing water (in the most simple terms). I also provide a simple recipe for a body oil (2 ounces):
- 1/2 ounce of flaxseed oil
- 1/2 ounce of safflower oil
- 1 ounce of sunflower oil
If adding essential oils:
- 7 drops lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 1 drop of peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- 7 drops of tangerine (Citrus reticulata)or sweet orange oil (Citrus sinensis)
Essential oils have wonderful therapeutic actions. In this podcast episode, we are exploring two essential oils that can be used for hormone support (think cramps and mood support).
As always, please check in with your doctor to make sure that the essential oils used do not interfere with current medication or medical therapies.
We know about the common essential oils to uplift your mood, but what about others?
In this podcast episode, we are exploring three:
- Cypress
- Sweet Marjoram
- Mandarin
We walk through the therapeutic properties, where they're typically harvested from and how you can blend them with other essential oils.
Of course, I recommend that you conduct your own research to determine what works best for you and please check with a physician prior to adding essential oils to your wellness regimen as they can have a negative impact on medications.
Let’s talk about essential oil safety. There are so many misconceptions about essential oils and in this series, we’re going to try to tackle some of those so that you can make informed decisions.
Keep in mind that essential oils are not a cure all and should not serve as a medical alternative. You should always speak to a healthcare provider about your unique needs.
When we think about essential oils, the key is understanding their power and volatility. Essential oils are extracted from plant matter and depending on the way that the plants are harvested, the climate in which they’re grown, and the region where they’re grown can impact the stability of the compounds.
To start, like supplements, the essential oil industry IS NOT FDA regulated and it is important that you understand the following:
- How were the plants grown and harvested?
- Does the company have a safety data sheet (SDS) that they can provide related to the essential oil (and even carrier oils)?
- Always pay attention to botanical names (Citrus bergamia for Bergamot). If you see an essential oil that simply says “Lavender Oil”, run!
- Trust your nose. Once you become familiar with smelling essential oils,
- Diffusing an oil….if when you add an essential oil and it’s cloudy in the water...most like a solubilizer has been added to it
- Pay attention to the price of essential oils. If you see an oil such as rose or jasmine that is only $10...run...
When you are working with essential oils, ALWAYS dilute them. You want to make sure you’re protecting your skin and I want to make sure you exercise caution. As much as I love Pinterest, the recipes aren’t always calculated appropriately and some oils are rather potent, which makes sense as to why many people end up with burns or skin irritation.
My favorite essential essential oil companies
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Pranarom
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Plant Therapy
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Simplers Botanicals
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New Directions Aromatics
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Phibee Aromatics
References
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12006
https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2672.1999.00780.x
In order to really promote our well being and just kind of boost our wellbeing from a physical, spiritual, and emotional perspective.
It is also not just about “Oh, do you want some lavender oil with your massage?”
No.
That's not all that it is nor is it an air freshener.
There is a lot more research coming out to review the efficacy of essential oils.
However, we have to remember a few things:
- Lavender and tea tree oils aren’t the only essential oils that you can use (or should) on your skin (please don’t add tea tree or peppermint oil directly to your skin and lavender isn’t a skincare cure all)
- You should always visit a doctor or dermatologist if you are experiencing issues
- Never use an undiluted essential oil unattended or without the supervision of an aromatherapist
- Understand that some citrus oils are considered phototoxic and can cause burns on the skin. If you do decide to use them, it’s best to wait 12 hours after using these essential oils (with a carrier oil of course)
- Certain essential oils are not good for pregnancy, small children, or pets
Books!
- The Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy by Christine Wildwood
- Aromatherapy for Women Book by Maggie Tisserand
- Advanced Aromatherapy Book by Kurt Schnaubelt
Our sense of smell is incredible.
It's connected to emotions, it can drive behavior, and it triggers memories for us. I've learned how important it is for us to practice enhancing our sense of smell. However, you now have context as to why I started with the discussion of our brains...our sense of smell is directly connected to our limbic system. As we explore this sense, we will also review the benefits of essential oils in a safe manner. As always, please be sure to consult a physician before getting too excited about essential oils. While there is a lot of growing research on their efficacy, it’s important that you discuss how you can benefit from them.
Don’t forget friends, stress is not our friend. In the midst of finding more ways to be more accepting of who we are, we also have to acknowledge what our needs are. Are you playing the comparison game because you feel like you’re not organized enough? We all know that brain fog is real and sometimes it can be really difficult to keep our thoughts straight.
As a bonus for this week, check out a free video on why our health is so important, plus you’ll get a free planner to keep yourself on task. You can either print it or use it in your favorite note taking app!
Head to joyfulebony.com/stressfree today!
We are continuing on the journey of kindness, love and compassion for our bodies and who we are.
Today, we interview Devon Rodriguez, a certified personal trainer and encouragement coach as I love to call her. We talked about the importance of affirming and advocating for yourself as well as loving your body no matter what stage of life you're in.
She also shared some intimate details about her journey that will definitely encourage you if you have had food struggles in the past.
We discussed the importance of community and recognizing that you are never alone. When in doubt, reach out!
C.S Lewis said it correctly "We are what we believe we are".
I am urging you today to be careful how you speak to yourself. In this episode, I share three ways for you to practice kindness, love and compassion with yourself.
In a society where we are bombarded with messages of not being enough, I want to remind you that you are perfect just the way you are.
See yourself as the queen or king that you are and adjust your crown. You are handling your body going against what it was meant to do...the fatigue, the confusion, the joint pain.
Give yourself grace today and remember how strong you are!
Saying no gets a bad rap. I am going more in depth with the true things to say no to:
- Toxic people
- Things online that don't make you feel good about yourself
- Not reviewing the triggers behind why you don't feel good about yourself
- Tune in to this week's episode for more
These things can take up space and can live "rent free" in your mind and these things GOTTA GO!
Your mental health is so important and your brain is an important aspect of signaling to keep your body healthy.
This series is important, not just for you, but for everyone that interacts with you and your future.
It's time to get REAL.
I'm noticing a pattern here...as we are moving through this continued pandemic, we are being bombarded with more and more images/media about where we should be, how we should look and how we should feel.
I want to have conversations about this with you all because while I don't have a solution per se, but I want us, as a community to have the difficult conversations about body image, self worth and self esteem...and not necessarily in the woo woo way of light a candle and practice self care. You all know that I'm a proponent of taking care of ourselves, but I want to make sure we see all sides of it, including being comfortable getting uncomfortable.
On the last day of Thyroid Awareness Month, I wanted to talk about the last structures related to endocrine function.
We will of course bring everything together next week, but i want you to understand the more in depth concepts of our neuroendocrine system so that we can move forward with understanding the full body approach to wellness!
I am incredibly excited about this episode!
We get to hear from Kirstyn Brown, the Editor in Chief of Strong Fitness Magazine! We are talking about everything from self care practices to what Strong as a company is up to.
The most important thing that we discuss is the importance of acknowledging where you are and recognizing that you are STRONG in every way!
Learn more about Strong at strongfitnessmag.com
Follow them on Instagram at strongfitnessmag
Follow Kirstyn at kirstyn_brown
This week we're going to talk about the pituitary gland as well as the pineal gland.
It's very important that I break this down because this will begin to highlight the why behind so many of my previous episodes.
For example, now you can understand why the type of food is important or why movement is important and what we can do to really, truly support our bodies, as well as our thyroid gland.
In this series, we are going to talk about your brain as it relates to your limbic system/thyroid gland.
Your brain is incredibly powerful. It is composed of your pituitary hypothalamus your amygdala hippocampus, mammillary bodies your thalamus, as well as other structures.
Each week we are going to break down a part of your brain and this week we are starting with the hypothalamus.
It is no secret that 2020 has been difficult.
I could go on and on about it actually, but it won't really serve any of us. I touch briefly on events of this year, but what's most important is that you did it...WE did it...together.
I want you to focus on what you did do...how much time were you able to spend doing things you forgot you loved or did you talk to your loved ones more?
I had the opportunity to "feel" this year. It was nothing short of horrifying and amazing at the same time. So many things came to the surface for me.
It is my hope that you will love a little harder and recognize your worth in 2020.
You deserve it and remember...you're never alone.
Plant Diversity is becoming my new favorite thing to talk about!
Now that I've learned all about the benefits that fiber brings to our lives I want to reap the benefits all the time!
In this episode, I give you a challenge of adding more color to your plate. Increase the plant diversity, get all of the good fiber and watch how much it changes you for the better!
This series provides you with information from the book Fiber Fueled!
This series will be based upon the book "Fiber Fueled" by Dr. William Bulsiewicz. In it, he talks about how to rebuild your gut and he breaks down very difficult concepts into easy to understand topics.
We are all struggling with trying to find a "new normal" and now is the perfect time to start the basis of understanding how to truly build a solid foundation, especially because our gut is the largest endocrine organ in our body!
This episode gives you a snippet of a concept of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs).
I thought about saying the actual word, butttt I think that you know what I mean...
I am challenging you in this series, but I want you to take a hard look at what you're doing and think through how to make your life more manageable. I don't want you to continue to live in this vicious stress cycle when your body is dealing with so much fatigue.
In this episode, I talk about 3 things that I want you to work on and I'll give you a hint...one of the points is learning how to say no.
What are you going to release today?
Many of us are too familiar with the concept of being a giver...it has been something that we've been focused on since the time we were young...I'm here to tell you that it wreaks havoc on your body.
You're left with little to give and you can develop resentment, REALLY fast...
On this episode, I share with you some of the things that I've learned about in terms of how to process the stress response cycle.
Also, I mention the book "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski...it's a great book and it truly breaks down how to process burnout. I highly recommend it.
Burnout is real...it's easy to dismiss it because for many of us, it mimics the symptoms of our thyroid disease (Psychology Today):
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Inability to concentrate
- Sense of dread to do things, especially work related activity
- Physical ailments
During this time, it's even more important to pay attention to these signs and symptoms. I could tell you to practice self care, but I want you to become keenly aware of the nuances that can take you from being okay to out of control.
I know it's a challenge, but you can do this.
This episode is all about body image.
We have to remember how much our bodies can change when our thyroid gland isn't functioning optimally and what can happen when our hormones aren't balanced. Being a teenager that has to go through these changes can be difficult.
Help them develop a healthy body image and remind them of their beauty because the world isn't always kind in that way.
I believe in you. I know that it's hard, but you can do this!
In the first episode of this series, we talked about what to look for and how to understand the changes that your teen may be facing.
This episode is all about establishing a new normal, from sleep habits to understanding what their life will look like. It's easy to think the worse at that age...I definitely did.
I want to encourage you to talk to them, get to know them from the lens of what they're experiencing. Relate to them, especially if you have any type of thyroid condition...it goes a long way.
If your teen has a high amount of stress, say due to their academic load or if they're managing home, school and their athletic life, it's important to help them understand how their bodies change and what impact that will have on their abilities, even if it is short term. Stress management in particular will be incredibly important during this time as well.
Lately I've been receiving a lot more messages from teens that are experiencing symptoms. They either have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease or they're having hyper or hypo symptoms.
It's really important to me to provide a voice to talk about a lot of these things because it's important and it's often missed. Far too often we will say one of the following statements:
“Oh, they're just being a hormonal teenager” or
“They're moody, it’s that time of the month”
“They've hit puberty” and/or “they'll get over it”
The above statements can be “explained away”; however, you can have a child or a person that is incredibly even tempered. Suddenly they start having symptoms and things aren't quite right anymore.
I want to ask you a series of questions to have you look at the person that is in your life, who may or may not be having these symptoms.
- Temperament: Is the teenager in your life, usually very even tempered or they’re someone that doesn't get easily upset?
- Current Stressors: What stressors are currently in the life of your family that could be contributing to additional stress or anxiety? Has this person been engaged in a lot of sports/activities? Have you had a death in the family? Has divorce occurred in your family?
- Other Health Challenges: Is this person going through other health challenges and health issues?
Don't be afraid to talk to that person about what's going on. It’s very easy to come to the conclusion that the teenager in your life “doesn’t talk”, but trust me, they have a lot that they want to share, but sometimes, they just don’t know how to. I wish someone would have pulled me aside and took the time to talk to me. Be sure to allow them the space to talk...don’t bring up the conversation when you have to hop on a call or you have an engagement in five minutes. Give them the time. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did. Also, don’t be surprised if the floodgates open. Remember, kindness, love and compassion.
Being a caregiver is tough...
I want you all to take a second and BREATHE.
You don’t need to schedule a fancy spa day...
Here are some suggestions:
-Revisit something that makes you happy
-Go back to taking five minutes for yourself
-Don’t be afraid to be joyful...we live in a society where people assume that you’re not “dealing with stuff” when you have a happy countenance. Yes there is a such thing as toxic positivity, but many of us just choose to be happy.
I read an activity from my good friend Lara Casey on this episode to help you work through some things. Try it out for yourself and you can grab her Book “Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life” at cultivatewhatmatters.com
Bring a caretaker part 2
You can be as happy as you want to....as long as it fits how others think you should be happy...SIKE
Everyone processes their emotions differently. No one can tell you how to feel. Your feelings are valid. Some tips:
- Write down how you’re feeling
- Make sure you have a support system
- Therapy is okay
- Anxiety medication is okay...sometimes we need some help to get us through a difficult time
Takeaway 1
Your feelings are valid. It it’s okay to process through your emotions in the way that YOU need to. Give yourself permission to fall apart.
Takeaway 2
As I learned from the Cultivate What Matters conference, each part of your life may demand a certain level of focus...Understand that you can have a vision for the season you’re going through. It can change over time and that okay.
Takeaway 3
When you try to be everything for everyone else, you can’t show up for yourself. Take off the guilt jacket...as a caregiver, it’s easy to feel like you’re not enough...I’m here to tell you that YOU ARE WORTHY.
Understand and recognize that you matter, your health matters and your life matters.
Thank you for doing everything that you do for your loved ones.
This series has completely and totally opened my eyes to the role that so many of you have to provide for your families...being a caregiver.
This episode lays the groundwork of how I will be walking you through my experience of caring for someone from a distance.
Here are few tips from this episode:
Get in the habit of writing things down when a loved one isn’t feeling well. Get in the habit of recording what happens with your loved one when they leave a clinic visit. If you’re provided with information, read it. When they pick up medications from the pharmacy, read the medication labels.
When your loved one goes to the hospital or doctor, ask about being present in the room. Write down any questions that you have about your visit.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! The life of your loved one may depend on it.
I will also introduce you all to two of my favorite humans...their words have helped me tremendously throughout this time.
One is Dawn Barton. She wrote a book titled "Laughing through the Ugly Cry...you can find it here. It helped me so much through my own personal struggles and how to be there for my family.
This episode is near and dear to my heart.
It is VITAL that we understand our roles as a patient. It is not to say that we are less than in the patient doctor relationship, rather, we should see ourselves as a client of the doctor.
I want to encourage you to think about ways that you can be more active in your care. This isn't to say that you aren't already, but I want to push you to feel empowered!
Can you prepare your questions prior to your visit?
If the doctor/healthcare provider says something that you don't understand, don't agree with or you have further questions, will you speak up about it?
If you receive a bill that you don't agree with, will you call the billing office to ask about it?
I'm here for you. I want to encourage you in this. You can live a happy, healthy and joy filled life and I want to make sure that you have the tools and support that you need in order to be successful!
Our series continues with understanding how to advocate for yourself. On today's podcast episode, we're talking about 3 points to determine when it's time to think about firing your doctor:
- They don't listen...at all.
- They never explain your lab values, particularly when you ask.
- The front desk staff is rude or unpleasant.
I have learned to rethink the provider-patient relationship. Sometimes it feels as though we as patients are "lower" or "less than" and that should never be the case when it comes to receiving care.
Grab your free checklist at joyfulebony.com/checklistthree
In the last episode, I provided you with information related to being your own advocate.
Today I want to give you tips on two things when you're communicating with a provider:
-
Your tone is important
-
You have a choice
You want to make sure that you are succinct and direct in your communication. Try very hard to provide the facts related to your story and symptoms. This is why I spoke about preparing your patient story. Additionally, always remember that you have a choice. If you don't like a particular provider, you have the ability to choose. Never doubt your gut. If you don't feel like a doctor is listening or if something is wrong, you can choose a new provider.
Download the second checklist at joyfulebony.com/checklisttwo
In this episode, I pause a lot initially. The Black Lives Matter Movement has spurred change, but we have a long way to go. However, I choose to be a part of change. Ultimately, we all have to work together to get through this and we. More importantly, we have to work together to hear each other and understand how
I’m challenging you about your thyroid and your overall health...as men and women.
I know that many of you when you go to the doctor, especially when you are trying to get diagnosed you're stressed out, you’re afraid and you’re trying to find out answers.
The last thing you want to hear are the following statements:
- That’s what happens when you have kids!
- You probably shouldn’t work so much…
- Welcome to your [insert age]...
- You’re just stressed out...
You are enough. You’re not crazy and you’re not imagining things.
We are going to discuss how to be an advocate for yourself in the next series on my podcast. It’s critical to me that you understand the full picture and can discuss these things.
I will be providing you with a checklist for the next four episodes on how to be your own advocate. I want you to take the time to write these things down.
Grab your first checklist at joyfulebony.com/checklist1
In this podcast episode, I interview Jill Bunny and we talk about her experience as someone that has taken a cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT approach to physical wellbeing.
She is also a thyroid cancer survivor and the conversation we had was insightful. We talk about mental health, stress, both good and bad, as well as some way to approach working anxiety.
We reference a few books in this podcast episode as well:
- Feeling Good
- Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
- Indistractable
She also shared a CBT based journal that you can find below:
https://cbtmeetsfitness.com/ultimate-cbt-journal/
I cannot wait to hear your takeaways from this episode!
On today's podcast episode, I interview Dr. Meredith Butulis.
She is a physical therapist, personal trainer, and dancer who loves to help others with simple movements to improve their overall health.
We talk about how the pandemic has affected many practitioners, but more importantly we discuss how you can take action to move your body and get others involved in the process.
Want to learn more about Dr. Meredith Butulis? Check her out:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dr.meredithbutulis/?hl=en
Her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FitnessFocusFuel/
Enjoy!
On today's episode, I interviewed Carmen Ohling. Carmen is a certified holistic nutritionist, empowerment coach and transformational speaker. We were able to talk about strategies to manage life during quarantine. We talk about food (because you all know how much I love food), but also she provides us with some great topics of discussion to have with your partner or friend during this time. More importantly, she also provides some tips to help those that have been struggling during this time, especially with negative feelings.
Grab her free journal for the month of May here:
https://carmenohling.com/mayjournal/
Want to connect with Carmen? Follow her on the platforms below:
www.carmenohling.com
Instagram: @carmenohling
Facebook: @carmenohling
Twitter: @carmenohling
YouTube: Carmen Ohling
We have staring at our screens A LOT lately.
I have been working on trying to get outside more and read more.
One of the activities that I have been trying to engage in more is meditation. Trust me, It takes a while to get used to it! I have realized how difficult it is to work on this.
It is my hope that you are able to take time to slow down during this time. I have been enjoying seeing families and individuals take walks outside on the warmer evenings.
I want that for you as well. Take some time to read and relax. I know it's an incredibly challenging time, but I know that we can all work together to find a moment to breathe.
In these times, it's easy to be overwhelmed by everything going on.
In this episode, I share some tips about practicing self care as well as some quick wins from a habit perspective!
Plus, I have a handmade body products store! Check it out at joyfulebony.com/handmade
Stay well friends!
Now that we're home, our bodies are taking on a lot more stress than we think.
I want you to check on yourself...how are you feeling?
- How are your anxiety and stress levels?
- Are you more tense than usual?
- Have you set up a routine?
Think about these things and I want to ask you how you can establish a routine so that you can have some type of normalcy...
We are living in uncertaIn times.
In the midst of it all, I have so much to be grateful for and wanted to share that I am now a certified holistic nutritionist! I am offering FREE 30 minute basic nutrition sessions to say thank you. You can head to joyfulebony.com/nutrition to sign up!
I also wanted to provide you with next steps. We are going to take a deep dive into self care and women's health over the next few weeks because it is so important to ensure that we are working to optimize our health outcomes and reduce stress!
Today, I have no words...
100 EPISODES! You all have been with me through some amazing times and I just want to say thank you!
What a way to end our series about forming habits. To be able to stay consistent through 100 episodes is no small feat.
Thank you for going on this thyroid journey with me and here's to another 100 episodes!
I am so proud of you for taking the time to do this very very difficult work, it is not easy, and it is not fun. No one really likes to look inward and see the things that aren't so great about us. It sucks. It does. However, when you start the process of actually doing the work, you be surprised at how much you uncover, and how strong you really, truly are because I'm going to tell you something...when you're managing an autoimmune disease a thyroid disease, you just do not have the same amount of energy as the person sitting next to you. You have to try to hype yourself up constantly to get things done. So I want you to have some pride in the fact that you are doing it.
As you're making these changes, you are starting to implement things little by little. What are you saying to yourself? It goes back to our affirmations, I am healthy, I am healed. I am strong. I am intelligent, I am capable of doing hard things, and I am well, I'm productive.
Every time you remember something, celebrate it.
Every time you can take one more step, celebrate it.
Every time you recognize how amazing you are, celebrate it.
Big Announcement!
On Monday, I start a 14 day empowerment camp!
🎆14 Days of workouts
🎆Access to a Private Facebook Group
🎆Nutrition and Meal Prep Tips
🎆Fun Challenges
🎆Mindset Prompts
🎆Accountability and Support
Sign up at joyfulebony.com/empowercamp
On today's episode, I want to talk about your past, and typically this is not something that I am a fan of however, from a behavior change perspective, I want to take a look at that.
This will help to clarify some of the things that may have worked really well for you and things that didn't work well for you. I wanted to start off by asking you that very question:
What worked for you in the past?
What were some of those habits that you had. How did you get things done? Was it because you have more energy or was it because you had more help. Were you getting up earlier? What was your work life balance like at the time?
I realized that I needed to have the spirit of just being open. I also had to make sure that I have boundaries in place so that I can honor the things I need to get done, and the person that I'm trying to become.
So when you're looking at the things that worked for you in the past, I want you to ask yourself:
How can I start to implement the small changes that we talked about last week, so that I can begin the process of living a happier, healthier and more joyful life?
We just spent time understanding the basics of nutrition. Now, it’s time to put the knowledge that we learned into practice. The way that we will do this is to establish healthy habits. Now we just hit the beginning of March, and this is typically when folks are like, “oh, okay, great. I made new year's resolutions, and I'm done”. No. Don't do that. Don't give up, you totally got this.
I have started listening to the book called Atomic Habits by James clear, and he made a very good point in his book (well, a lot of good points), and that is this, our goals are just pillars, so to speak, but really the way that we get things done, are through systems and processes.
I used to hate processes, I did not like structure, until I realized that my wellness and my health journey was dependent upon me being a little bit more structure. So I had no choice.
I had to learn how to create an identity for myself, and this is oftentimes something that's very very challenging for us, particularly when you have an autoimmune disease because sometimes you can really become lost in that and I don't know about you, but for a long time. I just saw myself as having a thyroid disease. I didn't look at myself as someone that was healthy. I didn't look at myself as someone that was capable of lifting weights or running again or doing any of the things that I'm currently doing now. I had to take a moment because it's really emotional because for so long, I did not think that I would ever be where I am right now.
Here's the question that I want you to ponder today...
What does a healthy person look like to you?
Your kidneys are a powerhouse. They sit below your diaphragm near your back and they deserve so much love! They cleanse your blood, they help your body absorb key nutrients and they get rid of waste products.
I have had first hand experience of what happens when your kidneys don't function well and I wanted you to also understand that when you have issues with your heart, it can also impact your kidneys. Two key blood tests to determine kidney function: creatinine and BUN (blood urea nitrogen). If these values are too high or too low, it can indicate an issue with kidney function.
Love on yourself today and also stay hydrated! Give your kidneys a break.
We know of our blood pressure as being two numbers: Systolic and Diastolic. The first number or the systolic number is going to represent the pressure in your arteries as your blood goes from the heart. The bottom number or the systolic number that bottom number or the diastolic number. That is the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
According to the American Heart Association:
- Normal is considered 120 over 80
- Anything above 140 over 90 is considered hypertension.
- If you have a value that's between the normal and high ranges it is considered pre hypertension.
Almost 78 million people or one out of three Americans that are currently living with high blood pressure.
Now, one of the things that you'll also hear is, you shouldn't have a lot of salt. Understand that salt is made up of two compounds, Sodium and Chloride. Sodium is a vital component that we need, but the other thing that you have to consider is that salt is actually made of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. We can get much of the sodium that we need from the vegetables in our diet (if we consume the appropriate amount). The problem comes when you actually take in too much salt. It will cause you to retain water. Your body responds to that by saying, “Wait a minute, I'm getting too much water. Let me raise the blood pressure of my body so that I can get rid of that extra water retention and salt.”
It then becomes a problem and creates a very vicious cycle. Fun fact: The recommended amount for us to get in terms of sodium is 1500 milligrams, or about three quarters of a teaspoon of salt. We take in an average of 3500 milligrams daily!
So, how do you actually step away from the salt shaker?
- I actually took away the salt shaker from my table.
- I stopped, adding salt to my food while I was cooking and opted to lightly add it at the very end of the cooking process
- We know that a lot of the processed foods and the junk food that we eat has a high level of sodium. So when you start the process of reducing the amount of processed foods that you consume, naturally your salt intake will go down.
Want another fun fact? Beets have a similar effect to what nitroglycerin would have when you experience chest pain. It works by creating nitric oxide, which relaxes your muscle fibers (particularly those in your heart) and allows for more blood flow. The nitrates found in foods such as beets get converted into nitric oxide and our bodies use it the same way (so cool)!
Eat your antioxidant rich foods, because, again, you want to make sure that you're supporting nitric oxide production in the body.
Foods that have nitrates:
- Rhubarb
- Cilantro
- Butter leaf lettuce.
- Mesclun greens
- Beet greens/Beets
- Swiss Chard
I wanted to really dive deep into the topic of diabetes because it runs in my family and I definitely want to have more of a conversation ace you've actually swallowed and the food has gone down your esophagus into your stomach, and then goes into your digestive tract. After you've swallowed and things have gone down your esophagus and they go into your digestive tract.
During the digestion process, your body breaks down the food that you eat through your saliva. As the food travels from your esophagus to your stomach/digestive system, all of the basic building blocks that our body needs to function are broken down. A by product is also sugar, which after traveling through our bloodstream, it is also stored in the muscles.
The key with sugar; however, is that it needs an invitation into the cells of your muscles and this is where insulin comes in. When insulin attaches to a blood sugar molecule, a chemical reaction occurs and through this process, the door is opened to allow sugar to enter into your cells. When your body has issues with this process, this is what leads to diabetes in some cases.
If you don't have insulin working properly. You can't really get that that sugar to enter your muscles in your system, effectively, and so you develop this abundance of blood sugar in your bloodstream, which ultimately what will happen is, with that buildup of blood sugar, it's going to start the process of actually damaging your internal organs.
Enter the types of diabetes…
Type One Diabetes is also considered an autoimmune disorder and during this process, the beta cells that are created by your pancreas that produce insulin, don’t work...they’re actually destroyed by your body. Because of this, your body doesn’t have a way to invite the sugar into your cells and and a person would need to take insulin to help their body process the sugar.
With Type Two Diabetes, what can put people at a risk for developing it is when you're overweight or obese and inactive.
There are ranges to consider for diabetes as well:
No diabetes: 126 mg/dl
Hemoglobin A1C
Normal: 6.5%
There are also risk factors related to diabetes as well:
- When you are African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or Pacific Islander, you're also at a higher risk of developing diabetes
- If you're 45 years of age or older
- If you've had gestational diabetes or if you delivered a baby that was greater than nine pounds.
- If you're not active you're overweight or obese
- If you have high blood pressure
Always consult with your doctor about these risk factors and think about some of the common symptoms:
- Frequent urination and it's not a urinary tract infection
- When you're noticing that you're really thirsty or not really satisfied after eating
- If you have fatigue which I know it's going to be difficult, because you have that thyroid condition but also issues with your vision being blurry
- If you notice that your wounds are healing fast
- If you're getting frequent infections or severe weight loss and especially in type one diabetes, you're going to experience a lot of nausea and vomiting, and honestly sometimes you might not even have symptoms
Everyone talks about the need for fiber, but what exactly is it useful for?
In this episode, we will talk about that very thing.
The American Heart Association eating plan recommends that we have at least 25 grams of day of fiber, but on average, we get about half of that per day. I don't know about you, but because of my thyroid condition, one of the symptoms for me was constant constipation. I wasn't comfortable, and I was in pain, which I realized now that I'm more regular that this was something that also contributed to my brain fog, issues of irritability and anxiety because your body isn't doing what it was intended to do.
Important note: I will be putting together a guide for the topics that we've covered in the last series...you'll definitely want to head to joyfulebony.com/email to get on my email list because that's where I'll be sending out the guide.
Understanding our immune systems can be tough. I struggled for years to understand it.
In this episode, I talk about our immune system and provide you with a quick list of foods to help!
Now, many of us know about macronutrients and sometimes you'll hear them refer to as getting your “macros”: carbs, proteins and fats. However, we also don’t talk about calories in terms of energy and fuel. The question that I always ask myself if how will I use food as fuel?
This episode unpacked quite a few concepts, but the primary thing discussed was micronutrients.
Simply put, micronutrients are your vitamins and minerals: water soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, minerals and water.
The good thing is that when you eat a well rounded diet, you will get many of these nutrients in the food that you consume!
Food is something that we know that we should all consume. Some people consider themselves to be a “foodie” and we enjoy the past time of enjoying fine dining while others of us are like oh okay...that thing…
It’s time to break things down and walk through why it’s important to have a more positive outlook on food. How do we really nourish our bodies? We all have a history, meaning...we grew up eating certain foods or culturally, there are certain things that we consume. There is also something to be said about how science can teach us how to nourish our bodies as well.
In this series, we’re going to go DEEP and start by explaining whole food versus processed foods. We hear that all of the time, but WHAT DOES IT MEAN????
It’s time to get informed...one step at a time!
In the last episode, I asked you to break down 2019 and look at the good, the bad and the ugly.
What were some of your lessons learned from that?
For me, I realized that I really and truly need to learn how to not be so independent, and that there are people in my life that love me and want to be there for me. I had to learn how to allow them to do that. In many cases, I didn't really have a choice this year, I had to open up and I had to allow other people in.
I realized that I had to in order to move forward, I had to stop being so independent and so focused on "It's okay, I'll get through it, I'll just push through everything is going to be fine."
Yes, everything is going to be fine, but we weren't really meant to be in this world alone. I really truly can't even begin to describe to you how much easier things became when I got out of my own way and allowed other people to be there for me.
I also had a goal for myself this year. I wanted to be in the best shape of my life.
I don't think I've ever done anything like that before in terms of setting a goal like that, and trust me, it was it was a BIG goal. I've never stuck to a goal the way I stuck to this one before.
I'm looking forward to seeing what 2020 is going to hold in terms of my health goals that I have for myself.
It's your turn. I want you to set some goals...goals that are kind of scary to you. I will warn you...the path to accomplishing those goals is going to be hard, it's going to be frustrating. However, once you accomplish those goals, it will be so rewarding.
I can't wait to see what you come up with. Come say hi @joyfulebony on all social media platforms. You can also check out my website at joyfulebony.com
Take care!
Hello friends,
We are in the final stretch.
I want to do an exercise with you:
I want you to write down the good, the bad, and the ugly that happened in 2019.
Now, here's why we're doing this..we have a bad habit of not celebrating how far we've come. For many of us, we're still experiencing symptoms, or there are a lot of things that you have to work on or get better at. Or you still may not feel as good as you think you should feel at this point.
It's really hard to evaluate and acknowledge how far we've come and when I think about this, I get a little emotional because Facebook in particular has been sharing memories with me. In the last six months, I'm starting to see the posts that I was writing…Many of the posts that I was created were related to symptoms and issues of my thyroid disease, many of which I did not know were symptoms, but now that I'm looking at them on that others ide of health, it just makes me emotional.
Now, I've learned to celebrate how far I've come. So much has happened this year.
I want you to take some time to really ponder these things. Dig deep because 2020 is going to be an amazing year for all of us. I promise you, once you continue to put in the work to be the very best version of you, you will start to notice how many doors open and how much changes for you.
The question that I often ask myself, and what I want to pose to you is, "how do you get the most out of your grocery shopping experience"? I shop online most of the time because going into grocery stories can sometimes throw me off completely.
If you haven't tried out Amazon Fresh, highly recommend it, or a lot of grocery stores now are offering meal delivery services,. Know that you may have to pay a slight premium for some of those things, but it can save so much time!
In this episode, I want to share with you some of my strategies for grocery shopping:
- When I go grocery shopping, I either go early in the morning, or I go later in the evening.
- I plan out my meals and then I write down the ingredients for the meals. Due to this, I'm laser focused, and I go in and get exactly what I want, AFTER I've made sure I've eaten something, which brings me to my next point.
- EAT BEFORE YOU GO GROCERY SHOPPING.
- I tend to stay on the outside of the grocery store because that's where my produce and protein sources can be. I spend most of my time on the outside of the store, but also, the inside of the store isn't bad.
- I get a lot of my frozen fruits/vegetables and dried beans/rice from the inside of the store, so don't count it out. Sometimes bulk items are on the inside of the store as well.
Bottom line, you can do it. It may take a little bit of practice to get through a few successful trips, but I believe in you!
Tag me @joyfulebony across all social media platforms and show me your grocery store trip!
Now that you've actually gone through the process of figuring out what you can eat, how to make the most out of grocery shopping, here are some tips to help you with that:
- Write down your meals and think about themes based upon the preferences of you or your family (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, etc.).
- You all know Pinterest is my best friend, so once I figured out which anti inflammatory foods were good for me and I found a way to make other foods fit.
-
- Here are some boards that I recommend:
Vegetarian Recipes
https://pin.it/k3wn4xfqx72gj6
Gluten Free Dishes
https://pin.it/xzoacvn4wa7fby
Vegan Recipes
https://pin.it/zxnyop72qxvfh3
Food for Your Thyroid
https://pin.it/x5vieclgfrbkyj
- Once you get in the habit of figuring out what you can eat, you can also learn how to pair foods together to build a nutrient dense plate!
Hopefully this will help you get started!
Also, if you want someone to walk you through all of this step by step, I am happy to announce that I am now offering 1:1 and small group coaching. Spaces are limited, so don’t delay!
You can fill out the application at joyfulebony.com/app
Figuring out what to eat can be a challenge….there's so much to consider; however, once you have figured out what you can have, then the next step is how to get started without breaking the bank.
Here were my initial questions:
- When are these things on sale at the grocery store?
- What can I buy in bulk?
- If I go to the farmers market is it really more expensive than going to the grocery store?
- Is organic food REALLY more expensive than let's say conventional, as they like to call it?
In this episode, I walk through how I was able to figure out how to shop for and purchase the foods that I love without blowing through my budget that I set for food.
I share the following tips in this episode:
- What days are good to shop?
- When is a good time to go to the grocery store?
- Does buying in bulk save money?
- Deciding what to purchase using coupons
Also, I am happy to announce that I am now offering 1:1 and small group coaching (3-4 per group).
There are 9 slots left for 1:1 clients and 6 spots for small group coaching.
You can fill out the application at joyfulebony.com/app
Happy day friends!
Diet…I don't like that word, because there's so much confusion around it. It's so confusing because there is so much information out there.
Do any of these things apply to you?:
- Can I eat broccoli?
- Should I count macros?
- Hold on, I'm starting to move a little bit more. Now I'm starving, I don't get it, I don't know what to do.
I realized that I became so I consumed with what to eat and I developed negative feelings about food for a long time because I didn't understand how much I should have and when should I eat.
I want you to start paying more attention to what food makes you feel good and what makes you feel bad.
You know what I'm going to say… I want you to write it down. When you write things down, you can start to see how food triggers inflammation.
Always ask yourself, am I fueling my body and fighting inflammation or am I making things worse?
I want you to dig deep and think about something... "Who Are You?" For me, when I think about being able to get up and move my body and show others how to do that, it makes me so excited. It makes me happy to be able to coach you all in talking through some of the most difficult moments I have had as it relates to my autoimmune disease journey. I've been there and I know what that feels like. I don't want you to suffer anymore. It's easy for us to say, "well, I'm a mom, or I'm a wife or a sister or friend". You are so much more than that. Each of us was created with a gift and a purpose.
I want you to start exploring those more because the world needs more of you.
Start owning that because you're incredible. Work through writing the responses to the questions that I posed in this week's episode.
I think the problem that so many of us face is that we're constantly feeling like we're on a hamster wheel. This means that you're constantly trying to make up for the lack of energy that you have, or the brain fog.
You want to make sure that you're presenting yourself as a professional, and that you're knowledgeable in what you do. I
I felt like I had to work 10x harder than everyone else because I didn't want anyone to think that I was using my condition as an excuse.
With that being said, I had to learn how to give myself grace. To start, I thought about three questions:
- What are you good at?
- What are the things that you enjoy doing?
- How can you do more of what you love?
I have learned that by identifying these things, I operate in my strengths, not my weaknesses and it allows me to improve on the things that I lack, so I challenge you to take some time to write these things down.
Tag me at joyfulebony across all social media platforms. I'd love to see your answers!
I have a question for you:
Who are you?
Let that sink in for a second….
Here's why I'm asking that question.
I lost who I am in many of my relationships and I did not stop to ask things like "Who am I?" "What do I like?" "What do I want to do?"
I want you to ask yourself this as well: "How can I really truly just enjoy my life and who I am as a person?"
In the process of doing this, It made it a lot easier for me to understand how to combat the fear with the truth.
I actually started listening to my body and getting to know myself.
I worked at it and It was hard. However, at the same time, as I started doing that, I noticed that my anxiety and my stress started to minimize.
I became obsessed almost with the idea of what my life would be like if I enjoyed myself…
It literally was when I was driving, I would go back to that question. Right before I went to bed, I would think about it and say, Well, what is it that I want? What can I do? What is my biggest struggle.
We live in such a fast paced society and because we're constantly bombarded with so many things, It can be very difficult to really truly get to know ourselves. I needed to minimize inflammation and learn how to refuel. That forced me to really brainstorm and figure out how to minimize my stress levels.
I challenge you….sit down and think through these things. These are some of the things that we don't really talk about as a community that are so critical to us becoming the best version of ourselves and minimizing our symptoms.
I want to share these things with you because they're so important.
Let's do this together friends!
Managing a chronic illness can be incredibly difficult as we know.
However, it's very important to me that you hear different perspectives and approaches to what becoming "happy, whole and well" can mean. When I pondered who I wanted to feature on this podcast, Susan immediately came to mind. She does not allow anything to get in her way.
As a matter of fact, she has generated over $40MM in personal sales and has lead high performance sales teams to over $600MM in revenue.
Susan McVea is an award winning sales strategist, consultant and speaker who now helps ambitious entrepreneurs as the founder of Sales Mastery Society.
She’s on a mission to help create more millionaire entrepreneurs and establish a mentality of wealth and abundance in the world.
I am so excited for you to hear more about her story and strategies that she's used to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
For more information about Susan, please check her out:
www.susanmcvea.com https://www.facebook.com/SusanMcVea/ Instagram.com/susanmcvea http://linkedin.com/in/susan-mcvea Twitter.com/susanmcvea
Managing a chronic illness can be incredibly difficult as we know.
However, it's very important to me that you hear different perspectives and approaches to what becoming "happy, whole and well" can mean. When I pondered who I wanted to feature on this podcast, Susan immediately came to mind. She does not allow anything to get in her way.
As a matter of fact, she has generated over $40MM in personal sales and has lead high performance sales teams to over $600MM in revenue.
Susan McVea is an award winning sales strategist, consultant and speaker who now helps ambitious entrepreneurs as the founder of Sales Mastery Society.
She’s on a mission to help create more millionaire entrepreneurs and establish a mentality of wealth and abundance in the world.
I am so excited for you to hear more about her story and strategies that she's used to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
For more information about Susan, please check her out:
www.susanmcvea.com https://www.facebook.com/SusanMcVea/ Instagram.com/susanmcvea http://linkedin.com/in/susan-mcvea Twitter.com/susanmcvea
Joy…it is a word that can be hard to come by when you're sick and don't feel well.
I want you to think about how you can begin the process of finding things and qualities about yourself that you love that will allow you to start the process of being the very best version of you!
Letting someone else help us is hands down one of THE HARDEST things to do…we kick and scream because we don't want to appear as "weak" or "disorganized", but the truth is, sometimes you need someone to help you.
As someone that suffered for years, don't be me. Don't continue to suffer when there are people that are willing and able to be there for you. Your health will thank you for it.
For many of you, this is the start of either a new school year, or perhaps a new job, or just different things that may be happening in your life.
I just want to applaud you for everything that you are currently doing, because I know how challenging it can be considering your energy levels to keep going Sometimes. I want you to celebrate yourself today and here's why:
When it comes to new beginnings and starting something fresh, It can be difficult to establish a routine. I want us to examine this….how do you work towards establishing your routine and how do you figure out what is best for you in terms of managing your condition?
My advice is simple. Start slow, whether you're starting college or high school, or a new job, or even if you're getting your medication adjusted, just start slow. Don't push yourself to a point of exhaustion when you think you have a lot of energy…you'll burn out.
Don't worry; however, you've got this!
If you are supporting someone with a thyroid disease, this podcast episode is for you.
In this episode, I share some advice for you to help that person out.
Here are a few considerations:
Be as supportive as you possibly can. Engage them in conversation and listen, actively.
Encourage them to write things down and be sensitive in your approach. It's really difficult to go through so many changes that most people just can't see.
It's hard for someone suffering to reach out and try to explain what's going on when they don't know. Encourage them and let them know that they're doing a good job.
Meet them where they are and allow them to recognize that they're not alone and that there are people in their life that care about them.
Managing a thyroid disease can be pretty difficult, especially when there are others involved that you have to take care of.
In this episode, I talk about how I try to manage the expectations of others around me as well as how I work.
I also share stories of having my nephew for part of a summer and how I was able to care for him while being present and able to manage my energy.
Links to remember:
Let's get on a call and discuss how I can support you with your thyroid disease.
Bit.ly.com/thyroidissuescall
My thyroid guide. For the month of September, anyone who purchases my guide will get a free discovery call with me.
Bit.ly/thyroidwarrior
In this podcast episode, I talk about something that can sometimes make people uncomfortable...depression.
I have experienced severe depression due to my thyroid condition and I have also experienced it during my menstrual cycle.
It can be difficult to get others to listen when you have so much going on and it's just so difficult to explain.
Listen in as I share my experience in hopes that it will help you as well!
In this episode, I talk about creating a routine. It's back to school team and that means a lot of things....new habits, new germs and a season change.
Prepare yourself by thinking about how you can prepare yourself to be at your optimal health level.
This podcast episode is all about explaining everything that there is to know about allergies.
Sometimes it can be difficult managing an autoimmune disease, but when you have an allergy, it can make things ten times more difficult.
Listen in as Kristin explains what food allergies are, what to look out for, and how to get help!
In this podcast episode, I talk about some changes that are happening for Team Ebony; however, more importantly, I talked about my recent experience at the endocrinologist.
I provide you with tips on how to ensure that you have your thyroid levels are drawn prior to your appointment, I talk about the importance of having your patient story written down and how critical it is to interact with the staff to get more background about your doctor.
My biggest lesson learned….be prepared. Get your lab levels drawn, write down your patient story and make sure you interact with the office staff to have a good experience.
So you booked your appointment, you've gone to see the endocrinologist and you've gotten your blood drawn. Here's where the fun starts. So hopefully you've had a good experience at this point you like your endocrinologist, they drew blood...and now you wait.
In this episode, I provide several tips that you can use when you are on your own after diagnosis.
There are a few key things that you want to make sure that you talk about as it relates to your condition story.
Once you've written down your story, I want you to practice saying it out loud. Yes. The reason why I'm asking you to practice saying it out loud, is because you want it to be succinct to the point and give enough detail that it allows your endocrinologist to say, all right, this is what's going on.
I found that I have to go into the endocrinologist’s office slightly directive about how I want things to go. I will completely and totally forget about what I was supposed to say or do, which is why keeping my story handy is necessary. It avoids distractions. It prevents you from being really nervous, because you might not always know what to expect, but you know your story.
In this series, we're going to talk all about how to find an endocrinologist.
This is a very challenging subject for many of us because it's really hard to find a good doctor or primary care, let alone trying to find a specialist. However, I want to share with you some of the things that I've been able to do in order to find some pretty good endocrinologists over the years.
Protecting Your Energy, or well being is extremely important.
It often boils down to ensuring that you are setting the appropriate boundaries for yourself.
Take a listen to learn how I approached this to continue to give my mind a boost and fight the exhaustion that I felt on a regular basis!
Learning how to manage our stress is vital to immune health; however, this is hands down one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do.
Overtime, I've learned that once I learned how to manage my stress, my mindset had to change.
This episode walks through how I was able to learn how to approach both things in order to gain more energy!
It can be difficult to figure out how to maintain a healthy balance and feel "normal" again, specifically from an energy perspective.
In this series, I want to share with you some of the lessons learned about to fight fatigue.
Join me as I discuss some easy ways to start to change your diet:
-Start by writing down what you're eating.
-Evaluate that list of foods and determine your next steps.
-If you need help, visit a dietician and nutritionist as appropriate.
-Start small by changing your food one item at a time.
-Examine how you feel as you start to remove foods that don't help you and write down how you feel when you start to eat better.
-Evaluate your energy levels after changing your diet.
This podcast episode is all about my new community called Healthy Together.
It is a safe space for us all to be able to come together and learn how to live a happy, healthy and joy filled life!
It's imperative to me that we come together to empower each other to be our best selves!
This podcast episode gives you four steps that you can take when things go wrong.
As much as we try to keep it together, sometimes it doesn't work. If we continue to pretend as if nothing is happening, ultimately we get sick and I don't want that for you!
Take a listen and let me know your key takeaways...
In this podcast episode, I walk you through six steps that I took on the road to recovery.
Sometimes it's in our valleys when we realize that we are stronger than we think.
It is my hope that you're able to work through your pain and understand how amazing you are!
It's time to come out of the fog. In this episode, I talk about a few things that I had to do in order to start the process of healing.
Sometimes major life events can be challenging for us to manage the day to day activities, but we have to recognize that we are the only person that can get us out of the descent. We have to take control of starting the healing process if we are to live a happy, healthy and joy filled life.
This podcast episode is the most vulnerable and honest than I've ever been.
In this episode I share some pretty devastating news, but in this series, I will walk you through how to overcome adversity one step at a time.
This is the last episode of the series of understanding how to manage your emotions and break past the mental blocks that are preventing us from healing.
This episode is all about understanding what matters most to you and determining the best strategies to manage your time effectively. It's nothing worse than letting time pass you by.
Sometimes it is easier for us to hold on to the emotional baggage and the "things that have been done to us". I have learned that the more that we hold on to that anger, hurt and pain, the less likely we are to heal.
Hanging on to those feelings blocks us from being able to be present for us as well as those that we love around us. However, regardless of our environment, we have to choose to break the cycles of holding on to the bad things and allow ourselves to prosper!
This episode is a continuation of a series discussing our feelings as it relates to treating our autoimmune or thyroid disease.
This week we are talking about how easy it is to avoid our circumstances because we don't want to face them because of fear or due to the difficulty related to the situation.
I will also be doing a Live Webinar Series on Fighting Fatigue that you'll want to sign up for!
Ebonycolina.com/fightfatigue
This episode is apart of a four part series in which we dispel some of the things that no one wants to talk about when it comes to autoimmune diseases or when we don't feel well in general….those feelings associated with how we think that someone should treat us. Friends, our health is our wealth. It is our responsibility to practice self care and to love every part of us; not to worry about how someone else should treat us.