Healthy Highlights September 2024
This year has gone by so quickly, I can hardly believe it's already fall. I'm personally very excited to slow down and spend cozy nights in as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder! I've recently developed quite the tea drinking obsession, maybe a bit prematurely as the weather hasn't been cold at all yet. I'm ready for when it will be!
I'm very excited to share this month’s Healthy Highlights with you, it has a lot of hidden gems in it that I hope you enjoy!
Healthy Highlights
Habit
Morning Routine Non-Negotiables
Staying consistent with my morning routine keeps me sane, literally. I like to keep my mornings protected from to-do's before I have had a chance to do my non-negotiables. For the most part, these daily habits are very much open ended and fit perfectly into my energy and cycle-aware lifestyle. Keeping a morning routine in place, but with simple, easy to do categories is the key to consistency for me! My top three habits are hydration, nourishment and movement. I won't leave the house before completing some form of each of these. Check out my post on this for inspiration, it's linked above!
Recipe
Ground Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash
Now, this is a recipe I will definitely be making again in the near future! This recipe was so easy to make and so filling. As an added bonus it held up very well as leftovers the next night, which is very important when you're feeling like the whole cooking new meals at home thing is an added stressor.
Functional Test
The DUTCH test is getting another shoutout this month, because it is PCOS awareness month after all! Unfortunately, most cases of PCOS go undiagnosed and untreated for years because there is not adequate assessing for it. I'm here to tell you, you don't have to wait until you're struggling to get pregnant or suffering from unwanted hormonal symptoms to get your hormones tested. The DUTCH test assesses both sex hormone and stress hormone pathways, so we have a better look into the WHY of the dysfunction in the first place! Book a test for yourself or someone you love by clicking the link above!
Self Care
CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitors)
~70% of PCOS cases are linked to insulin resistance, and in turn are commonly prescribed diabetes management drugs like Ozempic and Metformin. Knowledge is your power, if you can learn and understand what is triggering unstable blood sugar, you have the opportunity to adjust what you do. This is a great option for people who have mood swings, suspect PCOS or are getting blood tests back with glucose over 90 mg/dL or A1C over 5.5%. There is bioindividuality when it comes to blood sugar stability, as with all things! Having a past of high stress or having a mother who was chronically stressed particularly during pregnancy can actually have an effect on your ability to maintain balanced blood sugar. It's better to test, not guess, to see where you are at!
Podcast
Realfoodology: Carb Restricting, Overworking Out and Hormonal Health with Lauren Papanos
This podcast covers so much on the topic of hormonal health, with actionable steps you can implement today for better hormonal health. If you are struggling with hormonal issues or just want to learn more to avoid future issues, this is a must listen!
Book
Good Energy by Casey Means, MD
An amazing introduction to metabolic health and what you can begin to do about yours! With an estimated half of American adults now falling under either prediabetic or diabetic criteria, it is essential now more than ever to educate yourself and your loved ones on how to get and stay healthy. I'm blown away by the amount of detail that this book has! It highlights why you need to make change and has all of the science behind building foundational health, starting with your cells.
Thanks for reading! I hope this has inspired you to live a healthier, more vibrant lifestyle and lean into the season of autumn. For more articles like this delivered to your inbox monthly, subscribe to my newsletter here!
