Health

Health Consequences

Liz James · February 22, 2024 ·

I was pondering this question earlier today

….because there are soooooo many things I would have done differently back in the day if I only had known then what I know now. #healthconsequences

I finally settled upon this one: I was diagnosed with endometriosis in about 1983…. Honestly, I was probably among the first to get that diagnosis (because it wasn’t “a thing” back then). I was 16 years old. My doctor put me on birth control pills to control the endo, and we (my parents and I) never questioned the safety of them, especially long term. I was on them for a VERY LONG time. If I had known then what I know now, I would have told my younger self to explore all other non-prescriptive options ( and there are holistic options out there ) but avoid birth control at all costs.

What would it be if you could tell your younger self to do something differently concerning your health?

xoxo~ liz

What is the Risk for Cardiovascular Events and Drug Usage

Liz James · February 12, 2024 ·

Question (and I’m truly curious): If a drug prevents 1 cardiovascular event for every 63 high-risk cardiovascular patients every 3 years, but it costs $400 a month, and while on it:

1 out of 10 patients will likely develop gout

1 out of 30 may have tendon rupture or injury

1 out of 100 will likely develop gallstones

(for someone with crazy good math skills, I’d love to know the overall benefits versus risk ratio on this pharmaceutical story problem!

…. might even want to send you a thank you gift because my curiosity is THAT piqued! )

…….. would you take it?

If this condition could instead be managed with intentional lifestyle changes (and you were made aware of that) which included decreasing BMI and lowering chronic inflammation in the body, would doing so be worth it?

Pelvic Floor Health

Liz James · February 7, 2024 ·

I’m back from a whirlwind 12-day trip of teaching up North (I’ll post more on my trip soon) ….. and so is yoga, tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30pm at McKinney Fit Body.

Yoga is a form of medicine, and tonight’s class focus will be on improving pelvic floor strength. If you’ve never thought about (or heard about) your pelvic floor, here are a few reasons what, why, and how yoga helps with pelvic floor issues.

The pelvic floor consists of 16 muscles as well as foundationally important ligaments and nerves.

It’s the very base of our core muscles, and supports the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum.

Affects WOMEN and MEN. In men, it’s often misdiagnosed as prostatitis and may result in erectile dysfunction. (50% of all women to some degree, and 10-15% of men).

Strong pelvic floor muscles help control the bladder, bowels and improve sex (both genders). Also helps stabilize the pelvis and spine (balance)… we wanna keep this area strong as we age!

The state of the glutes is a window into what the pelvic floor looks like. Weak glutes are a sign the pelvic floor is too tight in one direction only. (in hypertonic state, urinary frequency, interstitial cystitis, IBS, painful intercourse, lower back pain)

For many, the problem is that some of the muscles in our pelvic floor are too tight: Hypertonic: resulting in urge incontinence- This is where yoga comes into play… the muscles need to learn to relax thru specific exercises which promote relaxation & deep breathing techniques which positively affect the pelvic floor.

There’s also a hypotonic (weak muscles) state many people have. That leads to leakage with no warning and is often improved with core strengthening (which can be achieved through your workouts and also through yoga).

Because of the complex workings of the pelvic floor, the body needs to re-learn to self-regulate and it can do this through exercises that BOTH STRENGTHEN AND RELAX the pelvic floor.

If you have experienced any of these things, there’s a high probability that your pelvic floor could use some TLC:

Pregnancy, sitting too much, lack of exercise, surgery (use it or lose it)

Some people actually have overly tight pelvic floors from bad posture or sitting too much. Overly tight in one “way” makes it weak in all the other ways it moves.

Other people have an imbalanced pelvic floor because they always cross the same leg or stand putting majority of weight on the same leg or always using a dominant leg (like a soccer player)

Ultimately, poor pelvic floor tone will lead to bladder leakage, digestive problems, back pain, and poor posture.

A healthy pelvic floor is also linked to better balance and bladder health….. especially as we age.

Yoga is functional medicine friends. Come tonight and get your stretch on! Message me for details if you’re local and would like to come. Walk-ins are always welcome, and no experience is necessary!

xoxo~ liz

#mckinneyfitbodyyoga

PS: Essential oils that you may find helpful for pelvic floor spasms include AromaSiez, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Ylang ylang, Clary Sage, Geranium, Cypress, Lemongrass (DILUTE heavily with a carrier oil… it’s a hot one!). Apply to the lower area of the abdomen as needed.

“Created for a Purpose” Event in Ohio

Liz James · January 28, 2024 ·

Shout out to one of our most amazing Young Living leaders, Kristine Lucius, for planning and hosting an incredible health and wellness event in Tiffin, Ohio yesterday!

Terry and I arrived in Ohio on Friday, and it’s been full of fellowship, friendship, and community these last few days (with more to come!).

The event, “Created for a Purpose” was just beautiful

, with about 100 attendees.

Already looking forward to next year’s event

Does Everyone Need Hormone Support?

Liz James · January 17, 2024 ·

Hormone Quiz: True or False (answers are at the bottom

1. Hormones are no longer important after menopause.

2. There is a close relationship between hormones and gut health.

3. Synthetic hormones are safe and closely match our hormones.

4. Adequate sex hormones help protect and can even improve cognition and brain function.

5. Men and women have the same hormones, just different amounts.

6. We have hormone receptors in our kidneys.

7. Our lungs are healthier if we have adequate hormones serving them.

8. Women tend to live longer if they incorporate hormone support during their period and menopause.

9. Getting hormones checked with labwork after menopause is unnecessary.

10. Labs are important, but the most important indicator is how you feel.

11. Hormones play a role in our muscle mass before and after menopause.

12. Hormones don’t play a role in our sleep quality.

13. If hormones are unbalanced or deficient, it can affect the quality of my voice.

14. If I have junk (toxins) in my body that prevents hormones from “docking” on a receptor site, I just need more hormones on board to overcome that obstacle.

15. Phyto (plant-based) estrogens do not increase cancer risk.

Are you ready for some answers now? I’ll put numbers by each answer in the rest of this post.

Hormones are incredibly important throughout our body until the day we die! While that doesn’t mean having babies til we’re in our 90s like Sarah in the Bible, they have a profound effect elsewhere in the body. (1) Let’s talk about that, shall we? I’m hitting highlights here, but I think you’ll get the picture….. As our hormone production goes down, various parts of the body suffer. Our gut (and gallbladder) health declines because there are hormone receptors lining our digestive tract, where most of the immune system resides. Why are women more prone to acquiring autoimmune diseases than men? Could it be because our hormone (or lack thereof) production wanes drastically in the event of surgical or natural menopause, stress, or many other factors, and the gut is affected negatively? (2)

We have receptors for hormones throughout the brain. They help maintain cognition. An estimated 80% or more of the people in neurodegenerative facilities likely wouldn’t be there if they had given their brains an “assist” when hormones were waning. (4) This is especially important for progesterone support. It’s been found that those who do not support hormones as they age tend to age at their normal physiological rate (which picks up speed at every decade). Hormone support slows that process down. Yes, men need estrogen and progesterone too….. Just as women need testosterone, in different ratios of course (5).

After the age of 40, hormones begin waning, and another organ that potentially can take a hit is the kidneys. A decrease in hormones often results in a decrease in kidney filtration rate and function. (6)

The lungs in both men and women are especially responsive to progesterone (7) in several ways. Progesterone helps the lungs repair from injury and also helps protect FROM injury. They’ve done some studies during COVID and found that (according to the studies), progesterone appeared to help with lung recovery.

Multiple studies have shown that women live longer, more productive lives if they have hormone support. ( The largest study ever run by the NIH and Nat Library of Medicine looked at 1.5 million women who had estrogen-supportive therapy versus those who did nothing. The outcome? ….. Those with “help” lived 20% longer. (

Many doctors quit running hormone labs once you’ve gone through menopause. Is this ok? Noooooooooo. (9) Your hormones continue to require you to be the conductor of your life’s dance and a little labwork can help with that dance. The best indicator tho??? …… that‘s you. How do you feel? If you feel good, great!!! If you don’t feel great, productive, and energetic most days, it’s past time for an evaluation of what’s working and what’s not. (10)

This is your life, and you play the starring role. You’re also the Director of your life’s show. Exercise is important, as is keeping and building muscle mass. The loss of muscle mass happens as we age. It’s hugely common to hear women talking about losing their strength while gaining a few inches around their belly. You can thank lack of estrogen (11) support for that (as well as excess cortisol usually….. Go check out the post on cortisol!).

Sleep is equally important. We cannot heal and recover from anything without sleep, nor can we function optimally without it. Progesterone “deficiency” is one of the key players in the loss of sleep quality. (12) Yes….. why certainly you could take prescription meds for sleep, but there will be consequences (a 33% increased risk of dementia is one of them.)

Perhaps even you hear a change in people’s voices as they age. The quality (range, tone, strength) all begins to deteriorate. This is not surprising. We have hormone receptors on our esophagus and vocal cords (13)…. I think you’re getting the picture, right? Those little hormone receptors are EVERYWHERE.

To compound the problem, fake hormones (also known as endocrine disruptors) are everywhere. (3) Those little suckers plop themselves right into where the hormones are supposed to attach themselves to do their work. Once those receptor sites are filled up, there’s no more room, and what hormones our body IS producing can’t do their work properly. This is why it’s so important to keep toxins out of your body (which also includes synthetic hormones like birth control) and to detox pretty regularly (NingXia Red and SulfurZyme are both great daily gentle adjuvants for that course of action).

Now…… we are all created differently and need different amounts and even different help in some areas more than others. Here’s a picture of my 4 favorite things that have helped me in my journey through menopause and beyond. Others will have other favorites. I love that I can use plants to support my hormones safely (15).

Go through the entire Happy Hormones Class. It’s entirely worth your while. Live your life abundantly….. And you’re gonna need hormones to do just that!

Xoxo~ liz

(PS: how’d you do on the quiz?)

#happyhormones