• 1 cup tahini
• 4 tbsp carob powder
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• coarse sea salt, to taste

1. Whiz all ingredients up in a blender (minus the salt), and pour into a slice pan.
2. Sprinkle sea salt on the top. Set in freezer or fridge.

This recipe is approved for our following Healing Diets:

- Anti-Candida Diet 

- Adrenal Healing Nutrition Plan

- Low...

Are you living with an unhappy belly? Maybe you've got bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, loose stools, or reflux? 

While I will always investigate the gut in this instance (usually with a stool test or a SIBO breath test), I will also consider your adrenal stress hormones in the work up.

Why?

Because stress can be a major underlying cause of, or exacerbating, your gut issues. Let me explain...

Cortisol & Secretory IgA

Your adrenal glands secrete your stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol has been switched on too high, for too long, it can have a very direct impact on your gut.

For example, the immune cells that line our digestive tract (known as secretary IgA or SigA) are regulated by cortisol - when cortisol is high, it drags down your SigA levels. SigA is measured in some of the functional medicine GI stool tests that we run. It can tell us a lot about your gut function, and also about your immune system.

When sIgA is HIGH it tells us...

Are you struggling with female hormone issues - PMS, hot flushes, painful period, infertility?

There is almost always female hormone imbalances in these cases, either progesterone and/or oestrogen levels are too high or too low, or are not in the correct ratio. Or you could have testosterone issues. 

However, female hormones never go out on their own. There is almost always some other body system causing the female hormones to become imbalanced. I always think first about the adrenal stress hormones - cortisol and DHEA - as they are intricately linked in the production of female hormones (see this graph below).

When cortisol is running too high for too long (because of chronic emotional or physical stress), it can drag pregnenolone (the 'mother' of all hormones) down, which will drag progesterone down. Over time DHEA levels can also deplete, which can also drag down oestrogen and testosterone levels. 

When the stress hormones and female hormones go out of whack,...

Are you struggling with low energy? A common underlying physiological imbalance of fatigue links back to your stress hormones: cortisol & DHEA. When you're under stress, the brain tells the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, which causes your body to respond to stress. When there is enough cortisol flooded in the blood, DHEA then jumps in to switch the brain off from 'stressing', which then brings cortisol levels (and you!) back down to a relaxed state. 

Overtime, when there is TOO MUCH cortisol being secreted (this will happen if you've been under a lot of chronic emotional or physical stress), DHEA levels will start depleting, as it can no longer keep up with its crazy, hyperactive counterpart.

What happens then, when DHEA is no longer being secreted efficiently?

THERE IS NO HORMONE TO SWITCH YOUR BRAIN OFF FROM STRESSING!

It is absolutely CRAZY how common this hormonal dysfunction is happening - I'd say 80-90% of our clients tested for adrenal fatigue, come back...

Are you feeling stressed-out, worn-out and overwhelmed? If so, chances are your poor little adrenal glands aren't doing so well!

Adrenal Glands

Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys, and they secrete your stress hormones cortisol and DHEA. When your body and/or your mind is under stress or inflamed for a long period of time, your stress hormones can go out of whack, and eventually start to deplete. When this happens, your brain is no longer communicating to your adrenal glands effectively, which can leave you in a chronic (and not very nice feeling!) state of fight or flight. Over time this can lead to symptoms such as anxiety and depression, fatigue, low-immunity, female hormone issues, gut issues, chronic pain and insomnia. 

The four major causes of adrenal fatigue are emotional stress, dietary stress, pain, and hidden inflammation (i.e. inflammation coming from somewhere in the body, such as the gut or the detox pathways). 

We take a holistic approach to...

Alternating Nostril Technique is a breathing exercise that has a very calming effect on the nervous system, and can instantly switch you from your sympathetic nervous system (stressed-state) to your parasympathetic nervous system (relaxed-state). It has also been shown to help stimulate the vagal nerve. If you have poor vagal tone, or if have abnormal adrenal stress hormone function, or depleted neurotransmitters, this technique will help aid in your healing.  

In this technique, we have combined box breathing with alternating nostril breathing, to ramp up the beneficial effects. Box breathing maintains a repetitive breathing pattern -  i.e. five seconds inhale, five seconds hold, five seconds exhale, five seconds hold, etc. Box breathing can heighten performance and concentration, while also being a powerful stress reliever. 

How to Perform

1. Place your right index finger in the middle of your forehead, and use your thumb to block your right nostril and your...

Think about your life as a big round circle. We all have a lot going on. There are plenty of stressors in our life. Some are emotional. Some are physical. Some relate to health or trauma. Some are toxin-overload or nutritional related. Some are thermal related. Some things we can control, some things we can not. 

Stress, overwhelm and anxiety often arise when we worry about things that are outside of our circle of control:

We have created a mindset exercise which we'd love to share with our followers, to not only help you to identify all the stressors in your life, but to also help you to identify things you have control over, and things you can start working on immediately to start reducing stress levels.

In your journal, complete the following activity.

PART 1 - Follow the steps below:

1. List all your current stressors (i.e. home, family, relationships, communication issues, work, financial, time, health concerns, major life events, etc).
2. Score...

Are you in FLOW with your health & happiness right now?

FLOW: This is a term we use in our Functional Medicine model to determine if you are doing the things you need to do in order to be healthy & reach optimal health AND feel joy and happiness along the way.

Or are you STUCK? Stuck is a nasty place to be in. It's where you're in a state of flight-fight-freeze-or-facade. It's a place of stress, overwhelm & pain. You're not doing the things you need to do in order to be healthy AND you're feeling pain (this could be your physical symptoms AND your emotional state of discomfort, anxiety, guilt, shame, etc).

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, diced
• 8 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper
• 3-4 Tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
• 1-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp basil, diced

• In a large frypan over medium-low heat, add olive oil, garlic and shallots. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir frequently, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
• Stir in the arrowroot and mix with a whisk. Once combined, slowly whisk in the almond milk a little at a time so clumps don’t form. Add another healthy pinch of salt and black pepper, bring to a simmer and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes to...