Skin Re-Visited pt. 1

For those of you who follow my blog, you may remember a previous post from this past Winter that I wrote, sharing a bit about my skin troubles. In case you missed that entry, I will share a little  history of my skin story with you, before delving into my current status of clear skin

Growing up, I never really dealt with any severe skin issues. Aside from the minor pimples here and there that are inevitably going to accompany hormonal changes, I always had very clear skin. As I became more focused on my health and healing, I struck an interest in the raw food diet. I decided to convert to eating strictly raw foods. I followed this path for quite some time, before negative health conditions began to surface. My digestive system was failing, I was constantly fatigued, and appeared severely malnourished. I was terribly orthorexic, and would embark on full-on fasts way too often. I was beating myself up unconsciously, and it began to show in my physical appearance.

That is when I became plagued with skin troubles. It came in a few forms, but it began with acne. I started having severe breakouts. They were constant, consistent, and unbearable. It didn’t start slowly, either. The breakouts came full force, in excess all along my forehead, and scattered across other parts of my face. I was totally blown away. How could eating such a clean diet, drinking pure spring water, and detoxing so frequently result in horrific skin issues?

I tried a million things. I did several liver flushes (more fasting…), consumed several dozen different herbs on a regular basis that are said to treat acne, used progesterone cream directly on my face, experimented with multiple skin cleansers, masks, etc, etc etc. The list goes on. Nothing worked. Not even a little bit. I was fooled momentarily, when my progesterone cream seemed to provide a slight improvement but then my skin went back to a state of distress a week later. What was going to improve my skin? I thought I tried everything.

I always loved David Wolfe’s line about people claiming to have “tried everything”. I’ve heard him repeat on countless occasions, upon asking clients what they have tried so far to treat their ailment and they respond with, “I’ve tried everything” ~ He always associates that with not having tried anything! It is true. There is a way to treat everything, it just takes coming across the right Source and information.

I was not prepared to accept this challenge with my skin as a reality. Acne is not something a person is born with and should have to deal with for the rest of their lives. I knew there was something that I could do to fix it, it just meant doing some detective working and really looking into my body. Then, I remembered someone telling me how our skin is a mirror of the condition our insides. I realized this challenge was something that needed to be treated from the inside, out. I was treated my skin troubles strictly externally. So, I set me research off on a new course. I was going to work from the inside out. What exactly was it that was plaguing my insides?

What it was, and what really wound up facilitating my healing, totally shifted my understanding of health.

Stay tuned! Part 2 of this story will be shared later this week

A Special Treat!

This is more than a treat…

Having access to this is more like a blessing!

Colostrum. Nature’s First Food. I like to refer to it as, “White Gold”. Others know it as the “immune milk”.

(Image to the left is clickable!) Colostrum is the milk that is produced by a mother mammal, in the first 24 hours before and after, giving birth. Every mammal produces it, to the best of my knowledge. It is milk, but a special kind of milk. A milk that reformats your entire system. Colostrum is made twelve hours before the mother gives birth, and another twelve after birth. Once the baby is born, it must drink it’s mothers colostrum immediately because of the small window of time to ingest it, and it is what provides the nutrients, immune factors, and growth hormones, to format the child’s system.

There is always an excess of colostrum produced by the mother mammal; More than the baby can consume, itself. This extra colostrum is then free to be consumed by whoever is lucky enough to get their hands on this white gold! That the the ethical and sustainable way of harvesting colostrum. It would be wrong to harvest any of the colostrum before the baby gets its share, for that would effect its health patterns for the rest of its life. Farmers are aware of the necessity of colostrum, and know better than to harvest it early.

It contains 97 immune factors and 87 growth factors. This is why it is commonly referred to as “immune milk”, because it charges our immune system big time! Consider how a new born child needs its immune system to be in optimal condition, being born into a rough society in vulnerable condition. Of course its mothers first milk is going to be charged with these nutrients! It is our first food. I have witnessed these immune factors at work in my own body, upon consuming colostrum. When the momma cows at the local farm I visit have babies, I always pick up some fresh colostrum. Synchronistically, one day when I felt a sore throat/cold coming on, my farmer called me saying that a calf had been born and there was extra colostrum, if I wanted any. I drove right over and picked some up, chugging a half quart of it down immediately. By the end of the evening, the ill symptoms I was having were nonexistent. Talk about a powerful food! Thank you momma cows!

Colostrum is adaptogenic, meaning that it adapts to the bodies needs, regenerating and strengthening your cells and systems. The high levels of growth factors in colostrum have a profound affect on increased lean body mass, while burning fat. For me, after an extended period without animal fats, losing weight and muscle, colostrum was the first animal product I reincorporated into my diet. I saw immediate changes in my muscle mass, in that it grew rapidly and my energy levels began to sky rocket. I felt more grounded in my exercise routines and recovered from my exercise very quickly, with little soreness.

I can easily say that Colostrum is my favorite food, ever. It is nourishing, supportive, regenerative, and rebuilding. Not to mention ~ It tastes amazing! Occasionally, local farms will have fresh Colostrum around times when calves are being birthed, but the most common way to use Colostrum is freeze-dried. I get my freeze-dried Colostrum from the company SurThrival. In my opinion, they have the highest quality Colostrum on the market and are a company of trusted integrity. Their product tastes the best and I have felt the greatest changes and nourishment through the use of their Colostrum. I like to eat it by the spoonfuls (yes, it is that good!) or I make what I call, a “mash-up” with the Colostrum and some organic, local grass-fed raw butter.

The image link below leads to SurThrival’s website, where you can learn more and purchase some Colostrum of your own!

Here the recipe for my Colostrum mash-ups: I call this one “Cookies and Cream”

4-8 heaping tbsp. of Colostrum (as much as you want, really..)

2-6 tbsp. of Organic, Raw Grass-Fed Butter

1 tsp. of Vanilla

2 Chaga Mushroom Capsules from SurThrival

1 tsp. of Stevia (sweeten with whatever sweetener you prefer, to taste)

2-4 tbsp. of liquid ~ Chaga tea, Raw Cream, Raw Milk, Yogurt, etc.

Add all of the above to a bowl, grab a strong spoon, and mash everything up together! This will create a smooth, creamy substance that is spread-like. The addition of the liquid aids in the mashing up of the ingredients.

I highly suggest you add Colostrum, this supremely amazing food to your health strategy as soon as possible!

Body Patterns

Currently, I am in the final week of my training in massage therapy. Yes, I am totally stoked! The culmination of the years work is extremely gratifying, and I am excited to embark on adventures and in projects I have had waiting to greet me upon my completion of the training.

One of the main pieces of knowledge I have taken away from the program, is how strongly emotions manifest as physical ailments within our bodies. Of course, there are the times when there is an actual physical accident that takes place, leaving someone damaged ~ However, even then, our bodies identify emotions to that pain and attach to it. What emotions surfaced during that accident? How did your life change and how did it make you feel? Those feelings saturate themselves into those tissues in pain and we become immune to the equilibrium that we once maintained in that area. What I am really talking about here, is the tension we carry ~ And we all have it. Life isn’t constantly flowing perfectly, and negative emotions do come up, at times. Not only that, but we all have our own stories. Of course, plenty of beautiful stories, but also stories of pain. Painful history can contribute to uncomfortable body patterns. Where do they manifest for you?

Where we feel tightness, tension, pain ~ An emotion is related to that area of sensitivity. Many carry stress in their shoulders, with the abundance of computer usage in society’s workplace, today. Perhaps, someone may have a broken heart, or feel emotionally vulnerable ~ So, their shoulders might hunch over in a subconscious attempt to protect their heart, leading to upper back and shoulder pain.

The stress we carry in our physical bodies is more obvious for some than for others. When someone is tuned into the function of their body, and know when it is most balanced ~ That person will notice when something is awry in their physicality at a more rapid pace, whereas someone who is not in touch with their being may easily slip into an uncomfortable pattern, identify with it, and allow it to encompass them without even really noticing it.

It is great to have a trained bodyworker facilitate the healing of tension in your body for you, but you can read into the area of aggravation to a certain extent on your own. Where is a place that you carry stress? Tension? Sensitivity? Massage the area that is in pain, or feels tight. How do you feel when that area is touched? What emotions come up for you? Anger, grief, vulnerability, sickness? What story or emotional pattern in your life can you correlate with that emotion? Maybe that story has something to do with the tension pattern that has generated within you.

Bodyworkers are intuitively trained to map out these areas of tension in a persons body, so we are excellent resources of support in this process of healing. We work to release the tension with our massage techniques, and hold the space for potential emotions to spill out and evaporate into the cosmos. Those emotions are not always negative, either. Sometimes, a whole roller coaster of emotions can be stored in one area ~ Happiness, laughter, tears, sadness, joy ~ All at once.

For me, a history of emotions have been stored in my wrist in the manifestation of a (ganglion) cyst. A cyst is a calcification filled with synovial fluid (joint fluid) on a joint, and looks like a little marble under your skin. I have had this for six years, and it wasn’t until recently that I began to uncover the emotions that are attached to the pain ~ And let me tell you, it is freaking loaded with emotion. The pain became debilitating at times this year, beginning to affect my work as a massage therapist, my practice of yoga, heavy lifting, and much more. The pain frustrates me. Thus, I have embarked on a journey of healing this area of tension, slowing peeling back the layers of emotion through tears, sickness, laughter, anger, sadness (yes all of those emotions have come up in my process of healing it) ~ With each layer, learning more of the story behind it and more about my personal story. I look forward to the day I am fully healed ~ I know there will be huge revelation when that day comes.

I share this not to imply negativity, but to bring awareness to what happens in our physical bodies in relation to our emotional bodies. They is much more interconnected within us than some are conscious of. I share this information to assist in your healing process. The ability to identify your emotions with a physical body pattern is worth millions. It gets you a step ahead in the healing process every time, knowing that the pain may be emotions that have been chronically unattended to. It is a process. We all have our own baggage to work with ~ Learning how to lighten our load each day, with each connection, realization, and manifestation. Use this information toward your personal being and tap into what is going on for you. Each healing experience takes us a step forward in life ~ Bringing greater health, happiness, success, and abundance.

You are your own greatest healer.

The Four Kingdoms of Food

I wanted to share this great interview that my wonderful partner, Daniel Vitalis, did this past week on Patrick Timpone’s radio show, One Radio Network. Daniel’s teachings revolve around the Elements ~ Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. In this interview with Patrick, he shares information about the Four Kingdoms of Food ~ Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Bacteria ~ How those categories apply to our health and vitality. Daniel goes in depth with information, and strategies to implement into your personal diet to heal and thrive. This is a must listen, for sure!

Follow this link and scroll down, to find the button leading to this amazing interview with D! www.oneradionetwork.com

Visit Daniel at his personal site, www.danielvitalis.com

Fishy Goodness!

This weekend I am up in Maine visiting a few of my close friends, one of whom is a superb traditional style chef. Spring and summer up here means fresh, wild fish from right off the coast, which I am so excited about! This weekend we are going to visit a fisherman down the road to purchase some local fish, who sells fresh fish out of the back of his truck everyday! In my opinion, wild harvested fish are the most nutritionally saturated and stable of fish. Farm raised fish, such as salmon from farms in Canada, are hybridized and unnatural species. I think it is important to consume animals as close to their natural species as possible. Not to mention, it is excellent being able to purchase fish from a local source, rather than fish from the health food store that has been shipped across the U.S. or overseas.

Wild fish are a great source for omega-3 essential fats – Particularly DHA and EPA, the fats that our brain thrive on, use to stabilize and increase function for that matter. Wild fish are full of protein, vitamin A & C, calcium, and iron. The nutritional properties of fish help in protection from all sorts of degenerative diseases, help to treat inflammation, autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Not to mention, pretty much all fish are totally delicious! NICE!

Below is a video of my friend Franky, “Chef Franky G”, sharing a simple and delicious crusted wild salmon recipe! Wild salmon are one of my favorite types of fish, and foods in general! Find Franky on youtube for more wonderful video recipes which he posts almost daily, or on his website www.frankgiglio.com

Our Primal Scents

Body odor – Or so our scents are classified as, generally, these days. I would rather refer to these odorous chemicals as, our pheromones; Rightfully so, as that is what they are.

Pheromones are secreted/excreted chemical factors that trigger a response in members of the same species. We all react to the smell of another, through some kind of judgement (attraction, disgust, curiosity, etc.) correct? These chemicals, pheromones, act outside of the body of the secreting individual provoking a behavioral response in the receiver. By the receiver, I mean, the person in contact with whom is secreting pheromones. Here are the derivatives of the word, pheromone: Pherein (to transport) and hormone (to stimulate). Transporting stimuli is exactly what they are!

There are several kinds of pheromones which we produce. One is the alarm pheromone, which only some species secrete upon being attacked. Many are aware of the polyphenols in plants called tannins, which are released upon their consumption by another species. The tannins bind the proteins and amino acids in the plant, causing them to be indigestible by us. Well, you could guess it… These tannins are the plants alarm pheromones! Could it be, perhaps, their attempt at conveying their not wanting to be eaten?! There are several different pheromones produced by species to mark or guard their territories, such as territorial pheromones, aggregation pheromones, and information pheromones.

Here is the juicy one – What this post is all about… The Sex pheromones. We both secrete them; Women and Men. They aid in our attracting one another, as well as the function of the female reproductive system. A wild study was done by researchers in Philadelphia, in which extracted male pheromones were taped to the upper lip of several Women. All of their menstrual cycles regulated. Who knew… The masculine scent can aid in our hormonal regularity! At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, their studies showed that Women who had sex with Men at least once a week, had more regulated cycles, had higher fertility rates, and milder menopausal symptoms in comparison to Women who rarely had sex.

I chart my menstrual cycle daily, tracking the each day individually, while calculating my fertility. I have spoken previously about how I was without my cycle for quite sometime. Well, since I have had it back with pretty exact regularity, I took note of something interesting potentially taking place. I read the study above, about male pheromones influencing Women’s cycles. Aside from one month since November, I have had a regulated cycle while I have also been spending time with the same man every two weeks, relatively. Our visits always land when I am ovulating, or when I am menstruating. Could our regular time together, and his potent pheromones have influenced the regulating of my cycle? Well, among other things, I think it may have played a role! Making this connection, that could perhaps be influencing my hormone balance was really cool!

It is interesting to me, the way that Women tend to try and cover up their pheromones. I can understand why, I suppose, for our odors tend to be categorized as body hair is, in society: Dirty. If someone has an odor to them, generally they are thought to be “smelly” or “dirty”. Yes, there is a difference between not showering and actually being dirty, and the natural pheromones we produce all day long, even after showering. Personally, I love the smell my body secretes. It is a natural secretion from my temple! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy complimenting my own scents with fragrant essential oils. However, perfumes? Really?! Most perfumes are composed of dozens of toxic, xeno-estrogenic, chemicals and even a bit smells like too much. How about encouraging your own beautiful scent with natural oils instead?

Quick aside – Knowing this information about our pheromone secretions, I pay attention to when my scents are strongest or the changes that they make. I have found that when I am around the Man that I am attracted to, my body secretes a very potent scent which he always seems to notice. Am I calling in the sexual exchange? On a day-to basis without seeing him, my pheromones are extremely tame, and almost non-existent! Wow! Another time when my pheromones are strong, is when I spend time around powerful Women, high with feminine energy. The higher the energy is amongst us, the more potent the smells are! One time in particular, after at Women’s empowerment event that was completely full-on, I left feeling really grounded in my sexual feminine nature and my pheromones were totally over the top! Like, seriously… So potent. It blew my mind, making it so obvious what kind of energies and environments influence the secretion of our “sex scents”.

Majority of Men I have spoken to about the smells Women produce, absolutely love it! They think the smells are sexy… Maybe because they are sex hormones being transported to the male, via scent? I’d say so! I must say, a man with his intoxicating pheromones radiating off of him is freaking HOT! I mean, come on… Their primal scents actually aid our hormonal health. SWEET! Talk about the right reasons to embrace the Divine Masculine!

Anyway, I thought it important to share my thoughts and research on this amazing chemical exchange we have between sexes. We actually draw one another through our bodily scents. How primal

Sustainability in an Un-Sustainable Society

The focus of today’s post is around the topic of sustainable lifestyle. For me, it is all about self-reliability. Self-sustainability. Not out of a fear-based mentality, but because I find value in being able to take care of myself without having to rely so dependently on external sources, in any aspect of life. In this context, I am mainly referring to food sourcing and the ability to sustain myself without so many of the tools of domestication we have today. Yes – Primitive skills are important. Who knows what could happen at any moment, leaving you only the tools of nature work with! Say, the power goes out mid-winter, for example. It would come in handy to know the hand-drill method of creating fire, naturally, to heat your home. What about how to layer clothing to retain the most body heat possible? What is the best fiber to wear to retain this heat? The answer is wool, over and over, again! Do you know how to check for dehydration? Well, you can press your fingernail, causing it to whiten… If the pinkish color returns immediately, you are hydrated. If it takes a few seconds, you need hydration. You can use the same method with your skin: Pinch the skin on your hand, and it should snap back into place with elasticity. If it does not, you need water.

The same concept goes for food. I want to know where my food is coming from. Every part of my meal. Personally, I don’t want fruit shipped from Argentina in January, supplied by a farmer I do not know. In my opinion, the least impact I can have on my environment is by sourcing all of my foods locally, from Vermont or within the North East. This involves the least use of fossil fuels in transportation and the knowledge of who is producing the foods I choose to put in my body. I know they are safe, free of excessive toxins from transportation, and from right in my area. They are what my natural environment is providing me; Not an environment in another corner of the world, which I am not tuned into. Not only do I find it important to know my local source of foods, but I like to be able to forage foods on my own. This means, having the ability to identify wild edibles in nature, know how to consume them safely, how to trap animals for consumption in the wild, etc.

For me, self-sustainability is gratifying. Knowing that I can thrive, totally in-tune with my current ecosystem feels natural to me. I do not need papayas in February, flown to Vermont from Hawaii – Killing large numbers of animals in the process due to the toxicity produced by the methods used in getting the produce here. I would much rather take a ten minute drive to a farm near my home, to pick up some nourishing raw, organic milk and cream from some beautiful grass-fed Jersey cows who want to share their milk. Do you know the farmer of your produce? Luckily for Vermonters, we are blessed with an abundance of local foods year round. Winter time brings us tons of root vegetables, great for nourishing soups. Dairy and meat are definitely a staple for me during these cold months, especially. The animal products are always available in abundance. I know the farmers of my food. I play with the cows who give me their milk and see the whole process of where my meat comes from. I see them eating highly-mineralized grass which will be converted into minerals in my body in just a few minutes. A cup of Chaga tea, extracted by myself personally, from a mushroom that I found in the wild forests here in Vermont has healed me on a much deeper level than any supplement imported from China, California, or who knows where, ever has. I feel safe knowing how to build a snow-hut that I can sleep in overnight… Warmly, for that matter! Or how to make totally durable cordage from a plant like Milkweed, that grows abundantly all around the North East.

Yes, we are living in a highly domesticated society at the moment where it may seem these primitive and sustainable practices are useless because technology has replaced these natural methods. However, it is quite the opposite. Now, more than ever, we should be practicing self-sustainability if the whole mission itself, is to pursue sustainability in this lifetime and try and take care of the planet. Maybe we should take a second to consider where our food is coming from and what we would do if we had to survive in an extended power-outage. This world throws us curve balls regularly, and we don’t know what is coming next. It might be a good idea to delve into the knowledge and understanding of living self-sustainably, in honor of your being and Mother Earth.

I find deep passion in practicing these primitive skills and knowing the sources of everything I consume. It brings me the utmost joy and satisfaction to build a fire in my fireplace, completely by hand, for fun (and sometimes out of necessity) – Using two sticks to create a burning coal which I use to light a roaring fire. No matches, no lighters. Going to the farm, hanging with the farmers and cows is totally fun for me. I am anything but fearful! Really, I am excited. Excited to have come to a place in my journey where I am living a lifestyle that feels optimum for my health, happiness, and for the planet!

In January, I attended a primitive skills workshop where we learned how to make fire by hand, build snowshoes with natural materials, build live-able snow huts, create animal traps, etc! Below is a video of our class making the snow huts! I am featured in part of it, helping to build a hut called a Quinzee, that we slept in, in -8 degree weather!

They are totally amazing crew up there, and recommend all of their courses!

One more video I want to share with you, was made by my friends Camille and Frank Giglio. In the video, they share their vision of sustainability and living in harmony with your surroundings. They are on the same mission toward sustainable living as I am, and bring great awareness to the topic!

Shave it or Leave it?

The other day, a reader asked that I share my opinion on a topic that coincidentally has been on my mind frequently, as of late.

I am sure it is one that many of you consider, at least from time to time, as you see those new hairs sprouting through your external layer of skin… Body hair: Do we remove it, or leave it?

Some say, no matter the area, it is a nuisance for them. Physically uncomfortable for others… Might even feel too unconventional. Not to mention, I know there are Women out there who are embarrassed of it, while others feels hair in the armpit region draws uncomfortable attention to themselves. Some Men have corporate jobs where they are required to appear clean cut and “professional” looking. Hmm… Another demographic of people refer to the hair growth in the various regions of their body to giving them a sexy, primal feeling when they let it grow freely. Some Women I know do it because it feels natural, and feminine – Men have told me it gives them the look of age, and they enjoy that feeling. So, what do we do about this naturally occurring bodily function?

Personally, I am in controversy about this subject. I feel it to be so natural to leave it, so more commonly than not, I do let it go wild… All over. However, I can resonate with the Women out there who find that it may draw attention to our bodies, especially in the warmer months when our light clothing exposes the areas with hair, that others are used to seeing bare. With the “norm” for Women in society today, to be to shave our armpits, legs, yoni’s, etc. An image of cleanliness and femininity is associated with shaving. I guess it all depends on how much what works with our lifestyles and comfortability. I personally, am a part of a very accepting community and work scene, where visible body hair in not-so-common places is not out of the ordinary. It feels comfortable to have the natural hair present on my body… Not to mention the fact that I am way too engaged in other areas of life to worry about saving time for shaving. To be honest, I often forget it is even there… Let alone think about ridding myself of it! When I first began letting hair grow on visible areas of my body, I felt some self-consciousness come up, wondering if people wold think it was “gross” or “weird”. Those feelings passed quickly, as I moved on from caring what other people thought about me, in terms of my physicality. This past week I have contemplated the concept of peoples decisions to leave it or remove it, as I move further away from modifying my body hair. It really interests me, how others feel about it and what works and doesn’t work for them… Because as always, we are each so unique to one another!

With that being said – For all others… Do what feels best for you! I do not think there is a right or wrong when it comes to shaving. It is all about what feels most comfortable for you as a human. Traditional cultures left and removed hair from parts of their bodies. To the best of my knowledge, I think that most was kept intact, though. I would, however, like to point out that body hair IS a natural part of our physical creation as humans. This doesn’t mean that Woman or Man needs to keep it on their bodies if it doesn’t feel right to them, but no one should feel embarrassment because of it. The Creator manifested our physical beings to produce hair, all over ourselves, and in the deepest, darkest regions. It is a natural process. We all have it. I feel a twinge of pain for Women who feel they are required to get rid of armpit hair because “only Men should grow it there”. Or further, that leg hair takes away from their femininity. And for those hairy Men out there, who feel that they may be perceived as “gross” for having an excess of chest or back hair. No matter the extent, color, or location of your hairiness… It is all beautiful!

My one suggestion for those who do choose to remove body hair, wherever it may be… Please consider the process you use in taking care of the hair. Know that when you shave, you are opening up the pores on your body which you drag the shaving blade across, substantially increasing the amount your largest absorber – The skin – Is taking in. Be aware of the products you use. If you choose to use shaving cream, check the ingredients. Did you know that the Men’s shaving cream “Barbasol”, and the Women’s shaving “Skintimate”, contain propane in them? Propane, the derivative of petroleum gas, used to fuel engines, stoves, heating systems, etc. Hmm… And people are feeding that to their bodies via their major absorber? Just for clarification, ingesting propane is NOT a good a idea. Would you drink a glass of propane? I doubt it, as it would severely harm your system. Yes, there is a diluted amount in the shaving cream, but it is definitely still having a negative affect on your system. My feeling is this – If you choose to shave, try an organic, all natural cream. Coconut oil or Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap both are great natural alternatives.

If you feel compelled to share you thoughts, feelings, or own practices regarding body hair… Feel free to comment below or e-mail me personally at <strong>gaiascouts@gmail.com</strong>
I honestly would like to hear more feedback from people on this, because I think it is a suppressed topic in need of attention!

To growing and knowing…

Experiments and Exposures of the Hormones

It may be apparent to you at this point, due to previous blog posts, that hormones are a strong point of interest of mine currently. I did not choose to dive head first into the research of them at random. My body pretty much decided for me, that was what I was going to when hormonal imbalances began to manifest in my health. I am going to hold off on getting into detail about all the areas I have researched, experimented, and learned through hormonal health because it would turn into a book, and instead focus on an experiment I recently did with my body/hormones which has been producing great results.

Like any teenager moving through puberty, I dealt with the occasional breakouts of acne, never lasting long and far from what I would label as “severe”. In High School, I rarely had any skin troubles, minus a small pimple here and there. Post-High School was when I really became immersed in my health quest. I converted my S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) into a diet comprised of strictly raw foods over the course of a month, and stuck to it religiously. In the beginning of my change in health practices, I was maintaining the radiant skin I had possessed all my life. Feeling great, looking great – I was stoked!

Things changed rapidly for me.

After a few months of my eating only raw foods, my skin began to break out in acne. It started in waves; I would have a break out, it would clear up – Break out again, clear up. Then, it started to hang around consistently. I found that I always had some acne around my forehead area that was recurring. First, I attempted to battle it with topical washes and creams. Nothing changed. Reading into the issue more, I found that frequently acne is a manifestation of internal issues, usually found in the liver. Many resources suggested to do liver flushes! Aha! I thought, that must be the answer. So, I initially tried a flush using a common method of drinking acidic juice and flushing with epsom salts and olive oil. No dice. Acne remained the same, if not worsened. I guessed I just did the flush wrong, or something. More people told me I should do enemas that would go deep into my intestines, reaching my liver and that would help a lot to clear my liver. While I highly advocate using enemas to aid other bodily functions, these did not help my skin troubles. I played with a various other liver flushes involving herbs, supplements, certain foods, etc. My certainly cleared some stuff out of there, but the acne remained the same.

That is when my hormonal research began. I found information stating that acne was a result of an imbalance in hormones. So, I started looking for ways to get my hormones back in balance. Knowing of the ridiculous amounts of estrogen pollution in the world from all of the chemical toxins in our environment, I knew I needed the hormone to counter act the excessive estrogen. If you read my previous post about the female hormone progesterone, you know that progesterone was the answer to counter acting the estrogen and aiding in the hormonal balance in my body (refer to my post about progesterone for a more in depth description about it.) I began working with several herbs that are known to help balance female hormones, such as vitex, passionflower, nettle, red clover, oatstraw, wild yam, etc. I saw results occur from the use of these plants in the form of relief of all physical pre-menstrual symptoms, a more toned moon cycle that didn’t last a long time, and a deeper sense of love and reverence for my Womanhood. These were all amazing results from these plants which I have the utmost gratitude for. However, the acne was still present.

At some point along this journey, I discontinued my consumption of strictly raw foods and began to cook frequently and incorporate local, organic, grass-fed meats and raw dairy into my diet again. This was the first point at which I saw some changes in my skin. The acne became more controlled, and didn’t look quite so severe. It was still there though and I wanted it all gone. Delving deeper into my research, I found that organic, raw dairy is full of progesterone because the lactating female cows are channeling their progesterone right into the dairy they produce. OK – So, progesterone was obviously the fitting part of the puzzle for battling my skin troubles. Then, I learned that progesterone is strictly fat soluble, and that is why the female body can convert the progesterone in dairy into our own bodies so successfully.

Now – How was I going to derive higher levels of progesterone to beat this acne? Well, in conversation with my close friend, we were going back and forth about what has worked in balancing our hormones. She mentioned to me that she had used an all natural progesterone cream to much success. I had heard and looked into progesterone creams a bit with the intent to try one, but it never clicked for me that this could be the answer to my problem! The cream would be a great method for sourcing progesterone for my body, through the fatty oils of my skin! I ordered some right away. (At this point, all this is taking place recently, in this past month/cycle.) Progesterone cream is only to be used on days 14-28 of your cycle, when your levels of progesterone are the highest. Yes, this means tracking your cycle, day 1 being the first day of your moon time. Coincidentally, my progesterone cream arrived in the mail on day 14 of my cycle so I was able to start it right on time! I applied it twice a day, morning and night, to areas of my body such as my breasts, inner arms, neck, belly, and all over my face.

Currently, I am on day 26 of my cycle, 12 days into using the progesterone cream. I am happy to say that in this short amount of usage, I am seeing huge results in my skin. Basically, the day after I began it, results set in. Every day I wake up to more improvements in the well-being of my skin. Larger pimples have vanished, the acne is generally very tame, and I can see the severity decreasing quickly. Not to mention, I feel amazing! I feel healthier and happier than ever. It is empowering to finally have a grasp on my hormonal health, bringing them into more of a balance. Like I always say, healthy (or balanced) hormones lead to a happy person!

I still have a ways to go with completely curing my skin troubles, but it is such a relief to see improvement after so much hard work, for so long. The hormone journey is probably a never-ending one, nor do I particularly want it to end. Healers have to walk the healing path, and I enjoy learning about my body through enduring physical challenges and successes! It furthers my knowledge about the female body which facilitates me in helping other Women achieve higher states of health, well-being, and thus – Empowerment. That is really my path in life; Helping others to heal. Its in my cards, literally

The Cycles of Cholesterol

This may blow some peoples socks off, but guess what… Cholesterol is necessary for our health! (gasp)

What many people are unaware of, is that most of the cholesterol in our bodies does not come from food. Our bodies produce cholesterol as necessary. Almost every single cell in our bodies produces cholesterol all of the time. The cells do this, because every cell and its surrounding membranes which make up every organ is partially structured by cholesterol. Nearly half of each membrane is made of cholesterol!

What does cholesterol do for us? Well, a variety of things!

Cholesterol is what substantiates our tissues and allows their permeability and fluidity. Our bodies distribute different levels of cholesterol to each cell of the body, depending on its function. Where we need strong, protective cells – We will have a lot of cholesterol. If a cell needs to be soft and moveable, it will have small amounts of cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential to any mammalian cell membrane, for without cholesterol, we would be like worms – Structure~less!

Our cells need protein in order to communicate with one another, leading to the function of our body. These proteins reside in the cell membranes, fixed there by cholesterol. So, cholesterol builds our body and facilitates its function! Cool! About 25 percent of the body’s amount of cholesterol is found in the brain. There is a large amount of it in the brain, because our brain is abundant in myelin (coating which protects and nourishes our nerves) and 20 percent of myelin is made of cholesterol! Interference with the production of cholesterol in the body has been found to cause the disease multiple sclerosis; the loss of memory. It has also been found that babies deprived of cholesterol during infancy have wound up with poor eyesight and memory. Therefore, cholesterol plays a huge role in the development and health of our memory and brain function as a whole!

The health of our immune system, or ability to fight bacteria and disease, relies strongly on cholesterol. It uses the cholesterol to bind to the toxic bacteria and inactivate it, preventing illness and damage to the body. Cholesterol plays the role of infection fighter. The specific kind of cholesterol which does this is LDL-cholesterol, which has been referred to as the “bad” cholesterol by general society. Therefore, people with low levels of cholesterol are more prone to getting sick! We can not heal infections of wounds without cholesterol and fat, so our livers send cholesterol right to the area in distress to aid the healing process. Interesting fact: Staphylococcus aureus, or Staph infection, which has become an epidemic in the world, is literally unable to work in the presence of LDL-cholesterol. Wow!

Cholesterol also plays a large role in the production of hormones (my favorite topic)! The hormones thrive in cholesterol, as they do in fat as well. They are the carriers for hormones. Cholesterol is the precursor for all steroid, sex, and adrenal hormones, and is necessary for the production of them. Women ~ In relation to my previous post regarding our hormone Progesterone: Cholesterol converts the hormone pregnenolone into Progesterone for us, so it totally essential for us! So, lack of cholesterol can lead to serious hormonal imbalances, which as we know from my last post can bring on a variety of other disorders. On the note of infertility: Could that be any relation to the excessive deficiency and fight against cholesterol, thus decreasing the production of sex hormones within their bodies? Hmm…

With that being said, it is quite obvious the importance of cholesterol for our health. From my research and experience, I see it to be very important to maintain and build our cholesterol levels. Even those people out there attempting to eliminate all of the cholesterol out of their bodies in fear of disease will find this impossible to do, considering our bodies are made of it and constantly producing it! Maybe, instead of trying to rid ourselves of our cholesterol, we should be working to build and maintain our cholesterol levels! Knowing this information, I see it to be important to ingest cholesterol through high quality, grass-fed animal products. Sources I use are raw, organic dairy such as eggs, butter, milk, cream, chicken, buffalo, venison, some occasional beef and turkey, and  if I am lucky – Moose or bear! Yum! Doesn’t it make sense to consume the foods containing cholesterol to support all of the work that it does for our system? I say yes!

In health, happiness, and high cholesterol levels…