cravings, temptations, + appetite challenges

Posted on June 22, 2023June 22, 2023 by Clarissa Thomas

_{A PreMenstrual Disorder Perspective Podcast to help women know that health is personal and possible. Like, share, and subscribe for more. @adagiofit on IG}

_{***Note: these thoughts are in no way to replace your physician. If you have questions, please consult your doctor and professionals for direction before you make any changes in your health. I am not a doctor, just a coach. Also, these podcast may contain information that is sensitive in nature and might be triggering. Please listen with caution. Thank you.***}

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Cravings, temptation, and an appetite that just won’t seem to go away. These are some of the biggest struggles people have when going through premenstrual disorders.

Broadly speaking, people know which foods are fairly healthy, and which aren’t so healthy. And, when dieting, these people want to lose weight; that’s the reason they’re dieting, after all.

So, they know what they want to achieve, and roughly know which foods they should be eating. So why are long term success rates so low?

It’s because cravings, temptation, and your appetite eventually wear you down. Once the initial motivation you had begins to wane, it becomes harder to resist these. Your brain doesn’t want you to lose weight.

In an evolutionary sense, food was scarce. So, a drive to eat meant greater chances of survival and therefore passing on your genes. The difference now is that food is not scarce. In fact, it’s abundant. We are surrounded by high-calorie, high-reward food, but we still have a brain geared towards survival in a very different environment. This mismatch is a key reason why dieting is so hard.

Remove temptation from your environment

Clear out tempting foods, don’t keep them in the house. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. If this isn’t feasible because you live with others and they won’t accept you throwing out the junk, then hide tempting foods instead. Keep them in separate cupboards, away from the ones you usually use. Keep them in opaque containers so you can’t see them. It’s amazing how small changes like this can have a big impact on our behavior.

You want to make it harder to eat unhealthy foods. Our brain wants to minimize effort, so increase the effort it takes to make poor choices. For example, having to go to the shops to buy a chocolate bar is a lot more effort than just picking it out of the snack drawer.

Willpower is like a muscle, you can only use it a certain amount of times before it’s weakened. So, don’t rely on willpower. Instead, alter your environment so you don’t need to use willpower every time you enter the kitchen.

Create an environment that supports your goals, not one that sabotages them.

2. Separate eating from other activities

Eat at the dinner table. Don’t eat while watching the TV, or while scrolling through your phone. You want to minimize distractions that take you away from the experience of eating.

Eat slowly. Separating eating from other activities will naturally allow you to slow down, focus on your food, and be more mindful when eating. You will feel more full and satisfied after eating in this way.

If you stop eating while watching the TV, for example, your brain stops associating food with these activities. If you’re used to watching TV in the evening with a few biscuits, you’ll find you start to think about biscuits when you sit down in front of the TV. Your brain has learned that evening TV = biscuit time and will urge you, through cravings, to continue this habit.

If you separate these activities, your brain stops associating them. If you have a rule that you don’t eat in front of the TV, the effort required to get a snack and sit at the table without your phone or TV means you’re unlikely to do it unless you’re truly hungry.

Again, it comes down to increasing the effort required to make poor dietary choices.

3. Stop snacking

Controversial, right? You don’t have to stop it completely, but I would recommend focusing on full meals first and foremost.

Snacking throughout the day, without having full meals, can lead to what I call the Not-Quite Cycle™. This is when you spend your whole day being not-quite hungry between meals, and not-quite satisfied after meals. This sucks.

Snack foods are typically easy to over eat and don’t fill you up. Think crisps, sweets, chocolate and other processed, packaged snack foods. You’d be better off saving these calories for a filling, nutritious meal.

If you do snack, choose things like fruit and plain yoghurt. These are minimally-processed, highly satiating, and therefore hard to overeat.

4. Limit hyper-palatable foods

Hyper-palatable just means tasty and easy to overeat. A combination of fat/salt/sugar is often what makes foods hyper-palatable. These types of food rarely occur naturally, and so are often highly-processed and calorie-dense.

Your brain get familiar with these tastes and that’s how cravings develop. Even protein bars, fiber one bars, and other ‘low calorie’ or ‘healthy’ snacks would still fall into this category. That’s not at all to say you can’t include them in your diet. But, if you’re someone who struggles with your appetite and cravings, it may be wise to forego them.

5. Prioritize high satiety, minimally-processed whole foods

These are foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, potatoes, fish, eggs, wholegrains, beans and legumes, oats, and plain yoghurt.

These foods are hard to overeat. They are often less-calorie dense, higher protein, and higher fiber, meaning they are highly satiating and therefore, you’re unlikely to over-consume them.

6. Don’t allow hunger to become extreme

Intermittent fasting is a useful tool but it’s not magic, and it’s not for everyone. You need to find what works for you. If you can happily skip breakfast and have lunch as your first meal, go for it. But, if trying to fast leads you to overeat later in the day, then don’t do it! I can’t believe I have to say this, but I do. Again, it’s not magic, it’s just one method. – if it doesn’t work for you, try a different method.

Spreading your meals evenly throughout the day can help to keep you hunger levels under control, and prevent you falling into the Not-Quite Cycle™, or restricting to the point where you end up overeating.

7. Consult your future self

This is a psychological technique called episodic future-thinking. It involves removing yourself from the present moment, and thinking about how this decision is going to affect you in the future.

Remember your goals, the reasons why you’re dieting, and the hard work you’ve put in so far. Ask yourself this question: “would my future self thank me for the decision I’m about to make?”

If you’re following the 6 previous strategies, then your cravings will be more like an occasional whisper, rather than a persistent chatter. Consulting your future self can allow you to look at the big picture, and make the right decision for you.

Here’s a quick recap of the eight strategies to manage your appetite:

Remove temptation from your environment

Separate eating from other activities

Stop snacking

Limit hyper-palatable foods

Priorities minimally-processed whole foods

Don’t allow hunger to become too extreme

Consult your future self

Manage your stress and sleep

Following this advice could be the difference between reaching your goals or not. Read it, understand it, implement it. Words mean nothing if you don’t put it into action. So, give yourself a checklist of action points to take away from this article, and it could change your life for the better.

Can Hormones Cause Dizziness?

Posted on June 9, 2023June 9, 2023 by Clarissa Thomas

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_{A PreMenstrual Disorder Perspective Podcast to help women know that health is personal and possible. Like, share, and subscribe for more. @adagiofit on IG}

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Dizziness is a common symptom that can affect people of all ages. It can be caused by a number of things, including changes in hormones.

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body and control a variety of functions, including mood, sleep, and reproduction.

The primary reason for dizziness before your period is due to hormonal changes. Estrogen rises twice during the menstrual cycle — once during the follicular phase and once during the luteal phase. Since one rise in estrogen occurs directly before menstruation, this tends to be the time when you experience dizziness.

As estrogen levels fluctuate, this can affect blood glucose levels. As glucose levels rise and fall, the body’s cells may not receive a steady supply of energy, which can lead to fatigue and dizziness.

Estrogen plays a role in maintaining balance and coordination. When estrogen levels decline, it can affect the way the brain and inner ear communicate, which can lead to dizziness.

Progesterone – Higher blood pressure may cause dizziness. Research suggests that progesterone, which rises in the second half of the menstrual cycle before a period, may change blood pressure.

The prostaglandins are a group of lipids made at sites of tissue damage or infection that are involved in dealing with injury and illness. They control processes such as inflammation, blood flow, the formation of blood clots and the induction of labour.

Anemia, loss of blood

Other symptoms of low estrogen that can contribute to dizziness include:

Hot flashes
Night sweats
Fatigue
Headaches
Anxiety
Depression

There are a number of things you can do to help manage dizziness including:

Get regular exercise. Exercise can help improve balance and coordination.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. These substances can worsen dizziness.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is important for overall health and well-being, including balance and coordination.
Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can contribute to dizziness.
Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet can help improve overall health and well-being, including balance and coordination.
Wear comfortable shoes. Shoes that fit well can help improve balance.
Use a cane or walker if needed. A cane or walker can help you feel more stable and secure.
If you experience dizziness, sit or lie down until it passes. Do not drive or operate machinery if you are dizzy.

If you are concerned about dizziness, talk to your doctor. They can help you determine the cause of your dizziness and recommend treatment options.

In addition to the above, there are a number of medications that can be used to treat dizziness. These medications work by affecting the way the brain and inner ear communicate.

If you are experiencing dizziness, it is important to see a doctor to determine the cause of your dizziness and get the appropriate treatment.

Female Hormone Harmony

Posted on May 12, 2023May 16, 2023 by Clarissa Thomas

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Today, we’ll talk about how to keep your female hormones in harmony.

There are a number of things you can do:

Eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet is important for overall health and well-being, and it’s especially important for keeping your hormones in balance. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods are rich in nutrients that support hormone health.
Getting regular exercise. Exercise is another important way to keep your hormones in balance. Exercise helps to regulate the production of hormones, and it can also help to reduce stress levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Managing stress. Stress can have a negative impact on hormone levels. If you’re feeling stressed, try to find ways to relax and de-stress. Exercise, yoga, and meditation are all great ways to manage stress.
Getting enough sleep. Sleep is essential for hormone production and regulation. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Avoiding toxins. Toxins, such as those found in cigarette smoke, alcohol, and processed foods, can disrupt hormone balance. If you want to keep your hormones in balance, it’s important to avoid these toxins.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of hormone imbalance:

Irregular periods
Heavy or light periods
Painful periods
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Fatigue
Mood swings
Anxiety
Depression
Weight gain or loss
Hair loss
Skin problems
Sleep problems
Sexual problems

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. They can help you to identify the cause of your symptoms and recommend treatment options.

Here are some of the most common causes of hormone levels to be in dissonance:

Age: Hormone levels naturally decline as we age.
Stress: Stress can disrupt hormone production and regulation.
Diet: A diet that is high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can contribute to hormone imbalance.
Lack of exercise: Exercise helps to regulate hormone production.
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as thyroid problems, can cause hormone imbalance.
Medications: Some medications, such as birth control pills, can disrupt hormone balance.

If you are concerned about your hormone levels, talk to your doctor. They can order blood tests to measure your hormone levels and help you to determine the cause of your symptoms. Remember that hormone testing is a one time thing but female bodies are in constant flux with hormone levels in your body.

One on One coaching and small group coaching sessions are starting to open up. Reach out for a free consultation to get started working on your health.

Rhythms – the Circadian + Infradian

Posted on April 14, 2023April 27, 2023 by Clarissa Thomas

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Listen to the audio version at the bottom of the page or watch here.

A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in physiology and behavior that repeats daily. These rhythms are endogenous, as they are generated by a biological clock, and they tend to have near-24-hour periods. They are found in plants, animals, fungi, and cyanobacteria.

The circadian rhythm is a natural process that helps organisms to anticipate and prepare for regular changes in their environment. For example, plants open their leaves during the day and close them at night, and animals are more active during the day and sleep at night.

The circadian rhythm is controlled by a master clock in the brain, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN receives input from the eyes, which allow it to track the day-night cycle. The SCN then sends signals to other parts of the body, which coordinate the body’s circadian rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are important for maintaining health and well-being. When the circadian rhythm is out of sync with the environment, it can lead to problems such as jet lag, insomnia, and seasonal affective disorder.

There are a number of things you can do to help keep your circadian rhythm in sync. These include:

Getting regular exposure to sunlight. Sunlight helps to regulate the SCN and keep your circadian rhythm on track.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends. This helps to keep your body’s internal clock in sync with the 24-hour day.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt sleep and make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine. A relaxing bedtime routine can help you to wind down and fall asleep more easily.

An infradian rhythm is a biological rhythm that has a period longer than 24 hours. The most well-known example of an infradian rhythm is the menstrual cycle, which lasts for about 28 days. Other examples include seasonal affective disorder, which can occur during the winter months, and hibernation, which some animals do during the winter.

Infradian rhythms are controlled by the body’s internal clock, which is located in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small region of the brain that is responsible for many important functions, including regulating body temperature, sleep, and appetite.

The body’s internal clock is influenced by a number of factors, including light, food, and exercise. When these factors are consistent, the body’s internal clock keeps a regular rhythm. However, when these factors are disrupted, the body’s internal clock can become out of sync. This can lead to problems such as jet lag, insomnia, and seasonal affective disorder.

There are a number of things you can do to help regulate your body’s internal clock. These include:

Getting regular exposure to sunlight. Sunlight helps to regulate the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep.
Eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet can help to keep your body’s metabolism running smoothly.
Getting enough exercise. Exercise helps to promote the production of endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
Avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt the body’s sleep-wake cycle.
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine. A relaxing bedtime routine can help you to wind down and fall asleep more easily.

A Personal Trainer – 4 Reasons You Need One for Greatness

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023 by Clarissa Thomas

We all need motivation when it comes to physical fitness. Personal trainers are able to provide you with workout routines, weight loss coaching, and mental support to achieve your health goals.

workout with a personal trainer — Personal Training can Help you reach your goals

We can all use a little motivational boost every now and then, especially when it comes to personal fitness goals. Since physical fitness can be challenging, requiring us to push past boundaries and endure uncomfortable exercise that can be hard to pursue every single day, personal trainers are critically important to achieving fitness goals, weight loss, and overall balanced life.

As your personal fitness routine planner and support system, personal trainers embody everything you need to finally make a change in your life.

Here are 4 reasons you need a personal trainer:

Mental and Physical Support:

“Mind over matter.” We all know that fitness is strongly related to a mental component, more so than a physical component. Your mind is the deciding factor if you are going to push through a routine or not. Personal trainers will cheer you on and force you to push past those voices telling you “that you can’t do it.” They’ll keep you motivated and check in with you, helping to make fitness part of your habitual routine.

Certified Safe Training Routines:

We can become easily bored with the exact same cardio exercises every single day. Who wants to go on the same run, every single morning? Personal trainers are tasked with coming up with creative routines that are based on your body, goals, and capabilities, so you don’t have to worry about curating your own fitness moves. You simply get to step back and let the professionals handle the activity.

Proper Form:

Thousands of people every single year will end up in a doctor’s office from a fitness injury. There is a lot that goes into proper form when weights are concerned, which is why it can be highly dangerous to pursue this kind of exercise without professional oversight. Personal trainers will correct your form, over and over again, until your body grows accustomed to doing things the right way.

Weight Loss Coaching:

Personal trainers know more than just fitness routines; they know a thing or two about nutrition. They will teach you about macronutrients, as well as help weigh you, encouraging you to stick with your weight loss routine. It’s an all-in-one, personal coaching solution.

If you’re ready to live a fit life and maintain a fitness routine that is right for you, your body, and your weight loss goals, let’s set up a consultation call. In our call we will chat about your goals and make sure we are the right fit (usually we are!). Then, I create customized fitness and weight loss or build plans that will provide you with tangible results in just a few weeks. It’s time to make a commitment to your body and your health, and it starts today

The Break Up with Sugar Strategies – Part 3

Posted on January 29, 2021January 29, 2021 by Clarissa Thomas

Let’s talk sugar strategy here… Now remember that everyone’s definition and needs are different. Why? We are all on different health paths and our readiness or behavioral change journeys are different too. So take what you feel to apply to you to help you be just one step better and work on it.

We are talking three strategies today – food ingredients, abstaining vs moderating, and replacing. Along with some other tips to get your sugar break up started, there is something for everyone here.

First item of business, learning how to find sugar in your foods. You won’t find it on the front of a label, but you can search for it in a couple places on the back of labeled foods. Here are five tips that I use with my clients on nutrition labels:

The best tip I can give is to purchase foods that come with NO ingredient labels. Can you think of any? Like fresh meats, fruits, veggies, etc.
Going along with #1, if it does have a nutrition label, try to stick to less than 5 ingredients. The number is pretty arbitrary but the principle is that the less ingredients, usually the less processed. And less processed usually means more nutrients because they haven’t been stripped away during the processing and random additives put back in.
In looking at the ingredients, if there is sugar (see the many names below), try to look for foods that do not have sugar in the top 5 ingredients. The top 5 ingredients mainly constitute the bulk of the food you are eating, so the further down, the better.
There are SO many names for sugar (see section below). Companies are getting smarter about the placement of sugar on their ingredient list. To make sugar later on the list, they are actually using more than one kind of sugar to break things up so there are two + types of sugar in your product, but all those sugars can add up to a lot. So educate yourself on the names of sugar and what you need to look for on a label.
Look at the added sugar line in the nutrition facts. If it has less that 10 grams of ADDED sugar, you are pretty good for a more whole food.

So an apple doesn’t come with a label (good), it has less than 5 ingredients (good), and there is NO added sugar (even though they are super sweet). These are just great basic guidelines to practice in your shopping.

Next strategy is to learn if you are an Abstainer or Moderator. This comes from the amazing book of Gretchen Ruben called The Four Tendencies. Such a great read btw and worth your time! Helped me parent and wife in a whole new way. Anyway, she talks about people who are really good at being moderators and those that find it easier to just abstain. My hubby is a total moderator. He can take one bite of cake, taste it, and say no more. Me? I have a slice. Then a second. Then a third. And the rest of the pan when I am cleaning up. Then I’m sick. It is like I don’t have a system that tells me to stop. I’m that way in a lot of other areas of my life too. So it is MUCH easier for me to say NO to everything. And it works really well once I get going.

This can help you decide better how a sugar strategy might look for you.

During my luteal phase of my PMDD cycle I HAVE to be a complete abstainer because my hormones mess with my ability to regulate/moderate. During the follicular phase when hormones are running my body through a wringer, I am much better at regulation and can relax a little bit, but still do try to stay in the abstainer habit. Just makes it easier for me.

If you are a moderator, it is helpful to set your limit before you eat your sweets so you stick to that with no exceptions. I have heard that after three bites of a dessert you really don’t taste it anymore. So you could set yourself at three bites, one small slice, one cookie, etc. We actually have set some guidelines like this with our girls. I talked a little about this in part 2 of this series but we have set that we only do baking on saturday or sunday, we don’t purchase and premade sweets from the store, and we only need one serving of what we make and can share the rest.

This has saved our house immensely. There is less pressure to eat sweets as a “snack”, less pressure to snitch sweets because there aren’t any lying around, and we are enjoying our sweets more because we are making them ourselves! The girls (I only have girls) also can have any candy they get from school, class, friends, etc. There is no pressure from us as parents there because we know that there isn’t the rest of the bag. Loved setting some guidelines on health with our girls. They were part of that discussion. We talked about fully abstaining or allowing everything and we found what would work for use as a whole.

The next strategy is a replacement strategy. I love to use this one with my clients but it always seems to take a while to kick in because we have to remember we have options and in the middle of a craving, this can be tough. The idea is this: instead of focusing on what you can’t have, what are some things you can have without guilt and that also add nutrients to your body.

Other ways to cut back on added sugars:

Sugary drinks – stick with sparkling water, Zevia soda, herbal teas, infused water (I love mango and strawberries), and pure water
Avoid Sauces and Condiments – stick with spices, herbs, mustard, salsa (no sugar added), vinegars, and pesto.
Eat more healthy and full fat foods – there is usually more added sugar in low fat varieties of foods to help it taste good. Also healthy and full fat foods make you feel full.
Avoid any processed foods – you can be an unhealthy healthy – stick to as whole foods as possible
Watch your breakfast – one of the sweetest meals of the day – start your day with a good protein and fat filled meal – eggs and ham, protein oatmeal, etc
Add your own sugar – purchase unsweetened and then add your own sweetener in like stevia or erythritol.
Don’t keep sugar in the house
Don’t shop when you are hungry
Get enough sleep
Destress!

In conclusion, I hope that this series has been helpful for your awareness and desire to take bits and pieces and apply them to your life to be healthier. It isn’t about perfection, it is about small little steps over time to create a lasting lifestyle.

Below are the many names of sugar. I am sure this list probably isn’t all of them since new products are coming on the market, but it is great to be aware of the names when you are shopping.

The Most Common Names for Sugar

(Excluding artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes)

‍Basic Simple Sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides):

Dextrose
Fructose
Galactose
Glucose
Lactose
Maltose
Sucrose

Solid or Granulated Sugars:

Beet sugar
Brown sugar
Cane juice crystals
Cane sugar
Castor sugar
Coconut sugar
Confectioner’s sugar (aka, powdered sugar)
Corn syrup solids
Crystalline fructose
Date sugar
Demerara sugar
Dextrin
Diastatic malt
Ethyl maltol
Florida crystals
Golden sugar
Glucose syrup solids
Grape sugar
Icing sugar
Maltodextrin
Muscovado sugar
Panela sugar
Raw sugar
Sugar (granulated or table)
Sucanat
Turbinado sugar
Yellow sugar

Liquid or Syrup Sugars:

Agave Nectar/Syrup
Barley malt
Blackstrap molasses
Brown rice syrup
Buttered sugar/buttercream
Caramel
Carob syrup
Corn syrup
Evaporated cane juice
Fruit juice
Fruit juice concentrate
Golden syrup
High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Honey
Invert sugar
Malt syrup
Maple syrup
Molasses
Rice syrup
Refiner’s syrup
Sorghum syrup
Treacle

Thoughts on December

Posted on December 23, 2020December 23, 2020 by Clarissa Thomas

December is always a month that I see numbers drop at all studios I teach at. Never fails. Because of all the “happenings”, attendance drops and I worry about my students and their health.

At the same time that attendance drops, pounds pile on. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard all about the holiday binge eating and lack of “self control” during these times. Don’t get me wrong, I love food. Food is the key to the soul and speaks to memories and community. It truly is a love language and gathers people. Especially to me.

With this being said, we need to love ourselves. Most of the time, binging or eating too much comes from our lack of connection to food, connection to the real reason we have gatherings, and our fear of missing out or lack for later. Below are a couple of tips for honoring your relationship with food.

Slow Down. Take a deep breath and become mindful of the food you are choosing to eat. Be thankful for the bounty of the holidays.
Get curious. Analyze what you are eating with questions like: Why did I choose to put these foods on my plate? What hints of spices can I taste? What textures are in this and how do they changes as I chew? What could I add or take away that might enhance of change this if I were to make it myself?
Choose foods for health AND fun! It isn’t an either/or event. It is a full event and when you respect, you tend to choose better.
Plan your treats – if you are going to eat something sweet, be present with it and enjoy every single bite. To be honest, I have learned that most sugar isn’t worth it and there are very few desserts that I love that I am willing to have the headache afterwards. It is a tradeoff and I plan with focus.
Be present with the people around you. You aren’t there for the food, you are there to have better relationships with others. Ask those around you as many questions as you can and listen with true curiosity to their answers.
Leftovers… are you hungry, bored, tired, or emotionally wound up? Again, slow down and get curious, go through the same process again. Also, sometimes we also think we are hungry when we really need hydration, so take a drink and wait 10 mins to hit the leftover decision.

If you are feeling guilt after a celebration, get curious why your relationship with food and your body are not happy. This may lead to some coaching needs that I can help you with. We want to have good holiday memories and your guilt will not help that come to pass. We can work together to overcome that roadblock. Just shoot me an email to set up a time to coach – clarissa@adagiofit.com

To finish my thoughts on the month, There is NO bandwagon, but there is your priority, your values, and your behaviors. Priority changes after certain seasons in life but we choose our outcomes by behaviors meshing with our values. So this month, think about what 3 things you need to accomplish every day to come out of the holiday season feeling the best you can and do something each day that lines up with those three things. Exercise is my #1 – I need it to emotionally stabilize daily (ask my hubby and kids). It is probably one of your top three too. Nutrition is my #2 and creation/productivity is my #3.

I’d love to know what your top three are! Drop them in the comments below and enjoy your nutritional feast this week!

***We do not claim to be a doctor or anything of the like. This document is for educational and journaling purposes only. Any action taken by the reader is their sole responsibility and should be done with discretion. No claim can be made against Adagio FIT or its employees. If you ever have any questions, take them to your primary care doctor.***

Late Periods are the Worst

Posted on December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 by Clarissa Thomas

There is something about coming seeing that first period bleed that as a PMDD warrior, you cherish. Might be too much info for you, but not for me. It is my saving grace.

For someone with PMDD it means that you made it through the luteal phase. That you are alive and that good days are ahead. That you didn’t follow through with your crap thoughts and motives. And that you can finally start picking the pieces up from your shattered PMDD choices to rebuild for the next three weeks and maybe make life stronger and more stable for the next go around.

As much as the period kills me in other ways, I would rather be physically sick than mentally sick for how deep I go during the luteal phase.

Periods are heaven for those with PMDD.

This past month, my period decided to wait 4 MORE days to start. No doubt, I was freaking out that I was pregnant, but more importantly, that meant my luteal phase lasted an EXTRA FOUR DAYS!!! And not just any normal day… FOUR. PEAK. DAYS! Brutal hell (said in a British accent like Ronald Weasley in Harry Potter).

Don’t know why my hormones decided to wait to shift. Maybe it will be a blessing for next month, but it frustrated us all in this household for sure. I had planned and prepared and made goals, but was not prepared one ounce for FOUR extra days. I suffered under the cravings and ate my way through those days.

It threw everything off! I was supposed to be feeling good for all the events I planned around my period – dance concert backstage mom, hosting a Christmas dinner, making it to church, recording new workouts without blemishes and having the energy to do so. But instead, I was a ball of tears, morbid thoughts, and not one ounce of patience or libido left.

My poor family… extra Christmas presents you say? (Mom is def getting coal in her stocking though).

I ached to see that red and was SO thankful for it FINALLY starting to help me shift my focus to build instead of destroy.

If you know, you know. Late periods are the worst.

20 BODY & MIND TOOLS TO OVERCOME ANXIETY

Posted on December 8, 2020December 8, 2020 by Clarissa Thomas

These tools are taken from Emiliya Zhivotovskaya. I first heard of these while I was mowing my lawn and had to stop, run in the house and spent the next 30 minutes writing furiously to take notes of each of these tools. Then I found them on her site, much better explained and written out. You can learn more from the website below.

I find that I like the body ones and then can move on to the mind tools. With all my studies on anxiety, I felt this finally helped a more broad population, like me, that feels anxiety really fast and really hard.

https://theflourishingcenter.com/20tools/

The following is written by: Emiliya Zhivotovskaya but simplified slightly for reading purposes.

BODY TOOLS:

1. EXERCISE

There are thousands of research studies that support the impact of exercise in completing the stress cycle. Engaging your muscles use up the chemicals that your body releases. A 2014 study by Wegner et al., aggregated data of over 37 meta-analyses and research on 42,264 people and identified that exercise made a significant impact on anxiety.

Cardiovascular exercise like running is great as our evolutionary ancestors were often running from something when they were anxious. But, if you don’t have anywhere to run to escape the tiger in your mind, exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation can work too. Tense all of your muscles and hold for a slow count of ten and then relaxing.

2. TOUCH

Whether you’re petting an animal or receiving a hug… touch releases oxytocin. This feel good chemical is responsible for bonding, connection and a sense of trust.

3. SELF-HAVENING

Havening is a psycho-sensory therapy that utilizes physical touch to down-regulate the nervous system.

4. BUTTERFLY TAP

This is one of my favorite techniques for creating calm utilizing bilateral stimulation of the brain. This is the use of visual, auditory, or tactile external stimuli occurring in a rhythmic side-to-side pattern which if frequently used as a core element of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

5. TAPPING & EFT

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, is a novel treatment of stress related conditions using a step by step process of self-stimulating acupressure points throughout the body while repeating a statement. While research on EFT is in it’s infancy, the data is promising and the self-reported uses and impact is strong, including this research summary Medical News Today which offers the EFT steps, along with a summary of the most recent research.

6. FORWARD FOLDING

Benefit from the impact of gravity on blood flow to slow your beating heart with forward fold poses. Consider some of these simple possess for 5-7 breathes. Inhale and fill your body with breath. Exhale slowly and mindfully ease into the stretch.

7. SING, CHANT OR HUM

The vagus nerve passes through by the vocal cords and the inner ear and the vibrations of humming is a free and easy way to influence your nervous system states. In particular, chanting the sound “OM” or anything with a “mmm” sound stimulates the vagus nerve as it is connected to the vocal cords. Consider the bumble breathe (bhramari), it’s one of my favorites. The first time I ever did bhramari in yoga class, was also the first time I had ever experienced a “silent mind.” (Even though it only lasted 2 seconds :-).

8. WATER THERAPY

As water flows, the crashing of water particles creates negative ions which when inhaled and felt on our skin has been shown to lift mood and decrease stress. And what’s better than listening to the sound of running water? Getting in! A 2018 study by Goto and colleagues examined the impact of showering versus bathing on the well-being of 38 participants. They found that while both are beneficial, bathing led to significantly lower stress, tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, and depression-dejection. According to the authors, “Immersion bathing, but not shower bathing, exerts hyperthermic action that induces increased blood flow and metabolic waste elimination, which may afford physical refreshment. Immersion bathing should improve both physical and emotional aspects of quality of life.”

9. BREATHING

Breathing is the only autonomic function that you have direct control over. Every inhale stimulates your sympathetic nervous system, your body’s gas pedal. Every exhale stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system. Use these techniques to drive the car of your body. To decrease the experience of anxiety and stress, make your exhale longer than your inhale. To stimulate the body, make your inhale significantly longer than you’re exhale. To relax the body, make your exhale significantly longer than your inhale.

The simplest and safest way to start is to notice your breath and count what a natural breath cycle feels like. Then try to match the length of your inhale and exhale. Then, to create calm, keep breathing with your inhale count the same but slowly extend your exhale count until the exhale is twice as long as your inhale.

Here are the many ways that breathing impacts your mind-body health:

10. SOFT BELLY BREATHING

The vagus nerve is one of the primary nerves of the relaxation response. It innervates the most in the stomach region. When you practice abdominal breathing you slow the breath down and relax the muscles around your stomach, you further stimulate the vagus nerve.

MIND TOOLS:

1. CATCH THE CHATTER

Set a timer to go off. When it does, write down your thoughts. Knowing what types of thoughts you’re working with will give you greater mastery over the process below. You may notice that there are a handful of core worries that you have and everything else is on loop.

2. TALKBACK TO THE THOUGHTS

Reminder yourself that you are not your thoughts. You are not worried. You are you, having the experience of worry. Reperceiving is defined as the ability to “disidentify from the contents of consciousness (i.e., one’s thoughts) and view moment-by-moment experience with greater clarity and objectivity” (Shapiro et al., 2006, p. 377). Mindfully witnessing your thoughts helps you separate yourself from the thinker.

3. THANK YOUR PROTECTIVE BRAIN

Instead of wrestling your thoughts, recognize that they are trying to protect you. Appreciate your worrying mind doesn’tWhamean you have to give in to the thoughts. Remember that worrying interrupts long-term problem solving. If there is actual threat, then what you need is problem solving and action. Worry makes you want to run away instead of leaning and doing something about it.

4. MANAGE YOUR “WHAT IFS”

Your neo-cortex is the human, rational thinking part of your brain. It is the part of your brain that has the capacity to use reason and logic to make decisions about the future. Your emotional limbic system in your brain, is the part of our brain that is wired for survival. In a relaxed state, the emotional brain is aware of “what is happening” and the rational brain is capable of planning into the future of “what will happen” with “what if” scenarios. When you’re in threat mode your worrying brain decides it should be responsible for “What Iffing”. It does so with worst case scenario thoughts and makes you think it’s real. Remember, the emotional brain treats the “what ifs” as though they are happening now.

5. DESIGNATE WORRY TIME

Setting aside time to worry creates a container. I suggest picking a daily time and writing for at least 15-20 minutes. Most people find they max out around 5-10 minutes. Then when you’re brain offers worries at other times throughout the day, remind it that it can wait till the next time.

6. “I’VE HANDLED IT BEFORE. I’LL HANDLE IT.”

7. WORST CASE, BEST CASE, MOST LIKELY

Check out the step-by-step process at GoZen.com

8. MINDFULNESS

9. 5 SENSES & NOUNS

10. CERTAINTY ANCHORS

Check out Jonathan Field’s description of the Certainty Anchors and how to use them to find calm in a stormy world. Use these anchors to center you and calm the brain. Create rituals that bring meaning to the simple actions of day to day life.

Strategies to Breakthrough PMDD Luteal Phase Episodes + Addictions

Posted on December 2, 2020December 2, 2020 by Clarissa Thomas

***We do not claim to be a doctor or anything of the like. This document is for educational purposes only. Any action taken by the reader is their sole responsibility and should be done with discretion. No claim can be made against Adagio FIT or its employees. If you ever have any questions, take them to your primary care doctor.***

There is a fine balance between what is in my heart that I want to share and what you need for your journey. I question and ponder until those two overlap and can share that overlap.

Here’s my overlap today…

Women with PMDD go through a point each month in which behaviors are very “addict” like. What does this mean?

Well, our frontal lobe is the rational decision making and emotional regulation area of our brain. During PMDD episodes (usually around days 13-15 and 23-28 or a female cycle) the frontal lobe checks out. The cause is unknown to why this happens but it is like neurotransmitters to not make it past that synapse. Either way, it happens and the frontal lobe becomes a mass of lazy tissue for lack of a better explanation.

Because of this, our Limbic system then takes over or at least most to solo operation mode… this is the emotion and hormone driven area of the brain (to simplify). That need for a dopamine hit overrides everything.

This can lead, as I am sure you can deduct already, to behaviors and decisions that aren’t in line with a true, whole self. Usually compulsiveness in myriads of ways – from emotional outbursts to binge eating of junk foods to frantic cleaning of house and home to overspending. It has been related to me like someone being addicted to drugs, alcohol or pronography. Ever had those insatiable cravings for anything? Oreos? Oh the whole sleeve? Oh just one more? Ugh, might as well finish the whole package. Sound familiar?

Now, for me, I really dislike being placed with those kinds of people. Why? I am not addicted to anything via choices I made and I didn’t choose to have PMDD, but being honest, my actions, left unchecked, will show the same behaviors 100%.

In the Book of Mormon (a book of scripture in my religion), there is a passage that says “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” Ether 12:27

Why do we have weakness? Weakness requires us to reach out to other people, rely on a higher being/plan, and to help us grow into our full, truest self. Not that I want to have a weakness or anything. I am super independent, full of determination, and excellence… those don’t line up with being weak in any area.

But having weakness requires us to surrender and accept. To work with it, not against it. PMDD won’t magically disappear as I prayed for so long.

How do I, and you, work with PMDD?

I tell you, it is SO painful to come out on the other side of a PMDD week and realize you have to start back at square one and even to deal with the consequences of my simply stupid choices — like the stomach ache, 5lbs, lethargy and bloat from ALL the sweets I could get my hands on. Yikes. So as much as I don’t want to, I do need a plan to manage symptoms. So do you!

A successful plan requires three things —

Help
Spirituality
Strategies

First, help.

Help is hard. Yep. Mic drop. LOL.

Ask for help from trusted sources – family, friends, therapist, doctors, etc.

Having a conversation with my hubby and kids and laying out the help I needed from them was not easy the first time. In fact, my hubby and I went to bed on opposite sides that first time. But with practice, it has become routine and a bit easier at times. I have more courage through taking accountability instead of avoiding and expecting.

Every month before my luteal phase I tell them next week I won’t feel good. Then I ask my kids and hubby for help to keep things extra clean, make dinners, and pretty much take care of eachother. Also, that instead of always relying on mom, there is a dad home (especially on weekends).

I’ve also asked friends to take my kids for a couple of hours to allow me to have quiet time and peace. And, yes, I have asked technology to give me some quiet time too 🙂 Either way, asking can be hard but if you don’t ask, the answer is always NO.

Second is spirituality. Another word could be the value of faith. This is a belief that there is a plan for you and that there are powers or a being who can see the whole picture. That all will workout for your good. You can find this helpful by connecting to those powers. That may be yoga, scripture reading, meditation, getting out in the mountains, etc.

Finally we hit strategies. This gets the biggest portion from me today. Probably because it is what I am working on.

You MUST plan and prepare these strategies BEFORE you hit your PMDD days or any sort of issue you want to work on, right? This is so applicable to more than just PMDD.

Get out a piece of paper and fill out the following strategies. I have included some prompt questions and examples to get you thinking.

Goals
1. Make a list of goals you want to accomplish when you come out of your week or past your trigger time. Examples could be:
  1. Staying the same weight
  2. Not going into CC debt
  3. Staying off of social media
Restriction Strategies
1. These are strategies of abstinence. Not even one. Nope. Not you.
2. What do you need to remove from your vision and mind?
3. What are your triggers?
  1. Credit card autofill?
  2. Leftover Halloween Candy?
  3. The weekly cookie shop email?
  4. Walking into the kitchen?
Replacement Strategies
1. What can you allow yourself instead?
2. What behaviors does your higher self implement when the days are good?
3. What can you do to be productive and useful to give you a sense of purpose?
  1. Call 4 friends
  2. Pre-packaged salads
  3. Some fresh berries for a snack
  4. A new book or class online for the time
  5. More exercise
  6. Walking on the treadmill while watching a movie
Mindset Strategies
1. Cravings of any kind can narrow your focus to all that you don’t have.
2. How can you broaden your view to bring peace and settling?
  1. Any practice of gratitude
  2. Move to what you have and not what you lack
  3. Look at good times in your life — chatbooks, phone images, etc?
Structure Strategies
1. Some people need to have structure to be able to keep their thinking clear. So weekends with a different schedule can put a wedge in your ability to stay true to your goals.
2. What rituals and routines help you feel accomplished at the end of the day?
  1. Making your bed
  2. Exercising
  3. Getting ALL cleaned up
  4. A good breakfast for yourself
3. I asked my hubby to not plan anything or ask anything of me on Saturdays until noon. This allows me to accomplish what my mind and body need to feel even just a bit more focused and better.

This paper is now your plan and now you can write out the next things you need to do in a preparation list.

This is my general list for each month and I tweak where needed.

Preparations:

Remind my family days in advance and ask for help where needed
Set goals for the week
Tell my family those goals
Have them check in with me often to see if I am staying strong
Allow them to remind me about my goals
Meal plan and prep snack boxes before day 23
Find a good book or find a class to take
Plan an artistic project to undertake

As you can kind of see, you want to create a space that you feel productive, useful, contributive, and peaceful during the luteal phase. You want to come out not needing to pick up shattered pieces and you want to feel dignified and accomplished that you made it through.

This may take practice to find what works and what balance you need for your family circumstances…. I mean, I’d like to just go to a resort for 5 days a month and have my own chef. But that isn’t in our cards right now…

This takes accountability and action NOW instead of waiting. It takes communication and preparation. It is hard work but really worth it. It may save your marriage, your relationships with your kids, and especially with yourself.

If you have any questions about this or would like to sort this out with help, I am happy to schedule a coaching call with you. Shoot me an inquiry at https://adagiofit.com/trainwithme/contact-us/