Please keep in mind that today’s post is for information purposes and is not medical information. If you have questions about improving your gut health, talk to your health care provider. 

Today I want to talk about something that may not be the most glamorous topic, but it’s incredibly important: gut health. As women, we often put a lot of emphasis on our performance, energy levels, and what we put into our bodies to look and feel our best. But what about what’s going on inside? Our gut health plays a crucial role in our overall health and wellbeing, from our digestion and immune system to our mental health.

So, why is gut health so important?

Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria, both good and bad. When our gut is in balance, meaning there’s more good bacteria than bad, it helps keep our immune system strong, aids in digestion and absorption of nutrients, and even produces neurotransmitters that affect our mood and cognitive function. On the flip side, when our gut is out of balance, it can lead to a host of problems such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, and even depression and anxiety.

Now, the good news is that we can improve our gut health through a few simple lifestyle changes.

*Please note that this is not medical advice and simply intended for informational purposes. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before making any fitness or nutrition changes.*

Gut Health for Women: Why it Matters and How to Improve it

Here are some tips:

Eat a diet rich in fiber:

Fiber feeds the good bacteria in our gut and helps keep things moving smoothly. Aim for at least 25-30 grams of fiber per day from sources such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. A helpful strategy: track your fiber! I like Chronometer and My Fitness Pal.

Incorporate probiotic-rich foods:

Probiotics are live bacteria that can help boost the good bacteria in our gut. Foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi are all sources of probiotics.

Avoid processed and sugary foods:

These types of foods can feed the bad bacteria in our gut and lead to inflammation and other issues. When you do have these foods, enjoy them, and move on with your life. I just don’t recommend making them the staple or focus in an everyday diet.

Manage stress:

Chronic stress can negatively impact our gut health, so finding ways to manage stress such as meditation, yoga, or simply taking a walk in nature can be incredibly beneficial.

Consider supplements:

In some cases, supplements such as probiotics or digestive enzymes may be helpful in improving gut health. I love the Sakara probiotics! (My code is XOGINAH for 20% off)

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Sharing some tips on how you can use FAM (fertility awareness method) for period prediction for yourself, or for your tween/teen daughter! 

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far! We’re living the summer life: swimming all day, meeting up with friends, hitting up the arcade, and packing for a fun trip. What have you been up to?

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a little bit about Fertility Awareness Method and how you can use this amazing tool for period prediction. Once you have the hang of it, it makes life SO much easier.

As you guys know, I’m a huge fan of Fertility Awareness Method. It’s my primary method of birth control and I’ve been practicing since I went off birth control back in 2008. Over time, it’s evolved so much! I used to have to track my temp and cycle signs on a paper chart and now they have amazing apps and technology.

****I only recommend FAM as birth control if you’re in a monogamous relationship and with the understanding that there is a learning curve. Also, remember that it doesn’t protect you from any sexually transmitted diseases or infections. It may take you a while to *get* your cycle, so just a heads up that you may want to use a backup method if you’d like to use FAM as a birth control method.***

While Fertility Awareness Method can be an amazing birth control tool, it can also be used for something incredibly valuable: accurate period prediction. If you practice Fertility Awareness Method, you’re able to know the exact day that you’ll get your period.

I was thinking about FAM and how much I love it… and then a little light bulb clicked in my head. It could also be used to know when a tween or teen girl is going to have their first period ever. How freaking amazing is that?! I’m going to share all of the details + how you can use this for accurate cycle prediction in this post. I wanted to share this info for my mama friends out there, or for those who are curious about tracking their cycle.

Using Fertility Awareness Method for period prediction

When I first discovered Fertility Awareness Method, I WISHED I would learned all about this when I was growing up. It turned my body from a complete mystery into something that I was empowered and informed about. What was happening inside my body wasn’t completely random each month; it was entirely predictable. I just had to track it and understand my cycle.

If I would have known about this information, it would have saved me from a particular instance in middle school when I was wearing white shorts. Ughhh.

Each month, we have distinct phases of our cycle:

1) Menstruation: day 1 of full bleeding (may be preceded by spotting but that’s not technically the first day of your cycle)

2) Follicular phase: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) prompts the ovaries to prepare and release an egg

3) Ovulatory phase: this is when the egg is released and can potentially be fertilized

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Dry brushing is a simple exercise that improves health by increasing skin circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system. How do you get started and how should you dry brush? Get the answers here.

Hi friends! How’s the morning going so far? The kids are at a morning camp, and I’m working on getting things together for upcoming travels. I hope you’re having a great day so far. 🙂

For today’s post, I want to talk about dry brushing! This is something I’ve done since the Valdosta days (the first time!), and figured it was finally time for a post. Some of my regular habits are so engrained in my routine, I forget about them, and a friend or someone will will say, “Wait. You do/did what?!” lol. These things can be anywhere from chiropractic, functional medicine doctors and testing, acupuncture, Mayan abdominal massage, placenta encapsulation, meditating, using FAM to track my cycle, etc.

Dry brushing that came up in conversation recently, and I wanted to write a blog post and share a short video on this super easy hack you can add into your routine. Friendly reminder that this post is not medical advice! Just sharing my experience.

The Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

Dry brushing involves using a soft bristled brush to gently brush the top layer of skin. You can do this for a variety of reasons: to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, for skin texture and exfoliation, or because it feels great!

Improves lymphatic flow

Our body is covered with lymph nodes that are concentrated in the head and neck area, the armpits, and groin. Our lymphatic system helps with tissue drainage, fat transport, removing waste, and immune function. If these vessels become congested or clogged, you may notice swelling or inflammation. I like to do gentle lymphatic massage on my face and neck, and dry brushing on my body to help encourage my lymphatic system to function properly and keep things moving along!

Can exfoliate and improve skin texture

The act of dry brushing the skin helps to remove dead skin cells on the surface and can help improve skin texture. If you don’t typically exfoliate your body, this is a great way to do it! When you exfoliate your skin, it also helps your moisturizer or body oils absorb properly to hydrate the skin.

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