1. Hey! :) I've been a member since you launched, but never asked any questions because I just always feel like my questions are too broad and complicated. But here it goes. I have been struggling with allergies (pollen, grass, dust, mold, cats) since I was little. My allergies have started to get worse in the past 4-ish years. The whole month of March this year, I struggled with a sore throat and fatigue along with my usual sneezing/itchiness. It affected my vocal abilities as well - felt like I lost the ability to control pitch and lost control in general. I also get bumps on the back of my throat (cobblestone throat) from post-nasal drip. So since March, I have felt very off hormonally. Just a little all over the place and more extremes than normal. I have also recently started smelling the smell of sulfur in my hair which, in the past, has been paired with a hormonal imbalance. Soo I have two questions - is it possible that my allergies are causing a hormonal imbalance? And what can I do to help my allergies other than taking an allergy pill and using Flonase? (Supplements, food to eat/avoid…?)
This sounds like something that is originating in the gut, as in overgrowth (dysbiosis, SIBO) that is causing allergies (by putting a weight on the immune system) and causing hormonal problems - as the gut can majorly impact hormones. A GI map and HTMA would be insightful for you to see what’s going on, along with trying to remove sulfur rich foods like eggs, onion and broccoli temporarily (of course this is not a long term solution, but it can help).
2. Hello! I’m 5mo PP, exclusively breastfeeding! I struggle with cystic acne, I have for 4ish years. I assume it’s hormones. Should I get that tested then go from there? I know I need to be eating more since I’m bf, and I know detoxes are a no go while bf! I guess what I’m asking is if there is anything I need to do differently about healing my gut/skin/hormones while I’m bf? I’m new to your page and still watching lots of your videos so I’m sorry if this has been answered!
When BF, avoid anything that involves an herbal protocol to kill overgrowth. Many times, bacterial overgrowth will contribute to acne, but low vitamin A, low copper (ceruloplasmin) and high testosterone (with low progesterone) will typically also contribute to acne as well. I suggest finding the root cause, as it might not be bacterial, but might be hormonal even - which is typically linked to low potassium and high sodium.
3. 5.Hey kourtney!! do you ever recommend the typical anti-histamine diet to people? or do you do a modified version cause it is so restrictive? how long do ppl usually have to do it for? i saw your post on the supplements but just curious on the diet portion! thank youuu
Typically, I will have clients scale back on not only some histamine rich food (especially citrus and collagen), but also mycotoxin rich foods, as these can also cause issues for people who have histamine issues. My goal is always to help individuals be able to actually eat all foods, and not need to be on a low-histamine diet, but short term modifications can be helpful while we strengthen the immune system and optimize the production of DAO enzyme, which does come from having enough copper in the diet - which is why beef kidney is so very helpful.
5. For PCOS, I've seen that you recommend inositol without d chiro. Why do you recommend inositol and not myo & d chiro inositol?
Myo-inositol is a good starting place that I generally suggest for those with insulin resistance (not just PCOS), but the combined inositol are great for women who have high androgens. I typically suggest starting with myo-inositol, because Ovasitol is expensive. In my private practice, I will suggest the combination when women also have high testosterone.
6. Ovulation sickness? not sure what is out of balance (lack of food/too much stress maybe?), but this past cycle I had extreme symptoms which I've never experienced before: backache, cramps, nausea, dizziness/weakness, and then I threw up once. that was a one-time event, but for a few days after I had cramps/diarrhea once a day for maybe 30 min as well. So weird for me
I am so sorry to hear this! This sounds a lot like high estrogen and histamine. I would try nettle throughout your follicular phase, along with a raw carrot salad daily, magnesium bi-carbonare and try starting very slowly with castor oil packs. Ginger and peppermint tea can be helpful too!
7. Hi! I had NSAIDS induced gastritis about a year ago which has long healed since. I was put on Omeprazole at the time and I am still on it because I am having a lot of difficulty weening off of it without getting too much acid rebound. I am on 20mg/day and trying do go down to 10 mg/day gradually by alternating between the two. I don't get acid reflux or any other symptom, just a light burn in my stomach about 2hrs after meals when I am on 10mg/day. Do you have any tips or a protocol that could help me ween off while minimizing the acid rebound ? Also, are there supplements or foods that could help regulate my gastric hormones responsible for the acid rebound ? Thank you so much for your time!
I would aim to reduce acid producing foods like tomatoes, citrus, and also avoid alcohol and coffee. Throat Coat tea by Traditional Medicinals and Ginger tea are also amazing - and I would consider trying a probiotic yeast like sacchrmyoces boulardii.
8. I asked a question last week about starting on progesterone. I was also wondering.... I'm not currently ovulating after taking progesterone for a full cycle straight, what if I still don't ovulate after that? What day should I wait till and if I don't ovulate when should I start taking the progesterone again? Thank you!
Wait until your body tells you that it is ovulating until you use progesterone! Look for a change in body temperature, and most importantly, look for egg-white like cervical mucus. You probably have a longer cycle if you are low in progesterone, so be sure that you allow even up to 50 days to see if you ovulate this late. If ovulation is still not happening, I suggest looking into free T3 and also checking your blood sugar, to see if you have high or irregular blood sugar.
9. Every morning I wake up I feel like a dried out sponge. My skin is dry, my nose is sometimes bloody its so dry, and my throat is always so dry. I drink at least 20 ounces of water in the middle of the night bc I always wake up parched. I drink about a gallon of water a day. When I lived in Indiana it was worse, I now live in va and it's not bad. humidifiers help but I'm wondering if somehow my body is dehydrated. I saw your post about things to help when you are dehydrated and are drinking enough water but I am allergic to coconut which I think was in most of your recs. Any other tips or ideas on this?
I would suggest an HTMA so you can assess your mineral status! I will be launching this soon, for my 1:1 clients and for Worthy Womanhood members. In the meantime, try watermelon juice, cream of tarter in orange juice, trace minerals in water, and magnesium salt baths.
10. What should you do for high levels of iron? Should I be avoiding red meat?
Iron is regulated by copper and calcium, so we need to look into this as well. It’s typically not necessary to remove red meat unless someone has
Hemochromatosis. Oysters and beef kidney typically help with this to an extend, as does having a monthly period - this helps you get rid of excess iron.
11. Thoughts on Almond flour and oat flour? Are they good alternatives?
I am only a fan of almond flour in moderation for some (it can be harmful for autoimmunity, cause joint pain), but organic oat flour can be awesome. I am a fan of oat flour, but not a huge almond flour fan and do not use a lot of almond flour or nut products in general due to my past with autoimmunity.
12. Excessive hair loss and acne... thoughts?
This sounds like hyperandrogenism, or hypothyroidism, or if you are taking DHEA, this could be excess DHEA. If you are underrating and have low body temperatures, it’s more likely that it’s hypothyroidm, but many with high androgens have hair loss and acne. It could also indicate malnourishment, mold exposure, or bacterial overgrowth.
13. I can’t afford one on one coaching right now, but I think I suffer from SIBO. What are some practical steps to take while I am saving up for one on one help?
Avoid raw veggies, consider stopping onion, broccoli and garlic, consider stopping probiotics, avoid alcohol, take Throat Coat Tea, and try to sleep on your left side with your head elevated, as to keep acid from going up towards the esophagus in the night.
14. I joined Worthy Womanhood last week and am hoping this platform/you can help me heal my body and conceive our first child. A little background, I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with Hashimotos in July 2020 after coming off of birth control in September 2019 (on for 16 years) and having very long cycles/amenorrhea. Endocrinologist prescribed levothyroxine, but periods were still ranging from 43-56 days after taking medication. I was then referred to a reproductive endocrinologist and diagnosed in December 2020 with lean PCOS (I am 5'6" and 110 lbs.). I have had a good amount of testing performed in the last year, as well as implemented a variety of li&Afestyle changes since January 1st, 2021 (see below). I am focusing on your recipes and dialing in the nutritional aspect (protein, carbs, fat) in greater detail this week. I have always had very few symptoms other than long cycles, so I am unclear about what else I should be doing/where to go from here to aid conception. Long term, I want to heal both my Hashimotos and PCOS, as you did. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
(This question involved some detailed personal medical details, so these details have been removed to protect privacy, but I do reference modalities mentioned below in the answer.)
Welcome to Worthy Womanhood! Due to you having autoimmunity, this can also cause issues with the zygote implanting into the uterus. You mention that you are on levothyroxine, but I’d look into glandular thyroid + liver support (to aid in conversion) is super important. If you are not getting your T3 panels checked, I would look into that. I’d remove goitrogens, add in turkey tail mushroom and possibly order a SIBO breath test if you have bloat or digestive issues ever. For your husband, if they are not checking to see if his sperm is infected (testing beyond morphology and motility, count, etc.) then your immune system could possibly be protecting you and not conniving due to the white blood cells that protect against any unhealthy sperm. Be sure to confirm ovulation monthly. It’s also important to know that there has been no fertility testing ever in regards to vaccine safety and fertility (among other things), so keeping this in mind might help you see that there could be something more going on with your immune responses, especially when it comes to any changes in messenger RNA and your immune system possibly trying to protect you. These changes could also be temporary. I hope that you enjoy the recipes and that you feel encouraged! I know that it can be a journey to conceive, but our bodies are so amazing in terms of their ability to heal.
