Coenzyme Q10 (aka CoQ10) is a versatile biochemical that plays an essential role in nerve, muscle, and cardiovascular function.

It is also involved in producing energy, protecting cell organelles, and reducing inflammation.

ubiquinol

- reduced form = more reactive

- primary antioxidant form in humans

UBIQUINONE

- oxidized form = more stable

- most common form in supplements

- derived from animals & bacteria

Which form is better?

Contrary to marketing claims, neither form is clearly superior over the other; the body converts between forms as needed.

OYSTERS & CLAMS

MEAT & POULTRY

NUTS & SEEDS

AVOCADO

WHOLE GRAINS

DAIRY

FATTY FISH

(salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring)

LEAFY GREENS

BEANS & LENTILS

COLORFUL PRODUCE

IODIZED SALT or SEAWEED

EGGS

CERTAIN HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS

TRANS FAT & PROCESSED OILS

FLAXSEED

(especially oil)

ALCOHOL

UNDER-COOKED EGGS

RAW MEAT & SEAFOOD

EXCESSIVE CAFFEINE

HIGH MERCURY FISH

(shark, swordfish, tuna)

PROCESSED MEAT

RAW SPROUTS

EXCESSIVE SUGAR

A woman's hormone system is one of the most complex and beautiful systems in nature.

Throughout her lifetime (and fertile months), her hormone levels will fluctuate greatly.

After her fertile years, her body will enter a period called perimenopause ( ~10 years before menopause, or complete cessation of menstruation).

Perimenopause is characterized by variability.

WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE?

WHAT HAPPENS IN PERIMENOPAUSE?

brain fog

mood swings

anxiety/depression

lack of motivation

difficult sleep

lower libido

hot flashes

weight gain

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF ENTERING MENOPAUSE

NOURISHING FOODS

protein, fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, bone broth

hydration

essential oils

rose, lavender, rosemary, thyme, peppermint, ginger, fennel

green tea

SUPPLEMENTS

magnesium, zinc, B1

MINIMAL IRRITATING FOODS

fried foods, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages

hot water bottle or heat pad

gentle movement

TURMERIC

SLEEP

warm epsom salt bath

LUTENIZING HORMONE (LH)

triggers the ovary to release an egg at ovulation, which leaves an empty follicle (now called the corpus luteum)

FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH)

stimulates the ovary follicle to prepare an egg for ovulation + release estrogen

ESTROGENS

prepares the uterus lining for possible pregnancy + thins cervical mucus (so sperm can enter)

PROGESTERONE

thickens + maintains uterine lining, turns off LH/FSH, triggers menstrual bleeding when it drops

TESTOSTERONE

much lower in women than men, but peaks around ovulation to increase libido (when she is most fertile)

WHAT IS BBT?

A cycling woman can track basal body temperature (BBT) as a way to identify her hormonal patterns, detect if ovulation is occurring, and determine when she is most fertile.

This "base" temperature is measured each morning and charted throughout the month.

WHAT DOES THE “SPIKE” SIGNIFY?

A BBT spike occurs the day after ovulation, when the ovary follicle releases an egg.

The empty follicle then becomes a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone throughout the luteal phase to support a potential pregnancy.

If this spike is not observed, ovulation may not be occurring.

Fertility awareness methods (FAM) are used to track female fertility signs throughout the month. This allows you to identify phases of your cycle, confirms ovulation (or lack of), provides insights into hormonal patterns (and possible imbalances), and offers a natural, non-invasive alternative to artificial contraception.

These methods can be used individually, in combination, or along with hormone testing.

CERVICAL POSITION

CERVICAL MUCUS

BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE

pungent

bitter

light

dry

warm

fasting

avoid: heavy

*low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus

EGGS

CHERRIES

CAULIFLOWER

BELL PEPPERS

RED GRAPES

APPLES

FISH & LEAN MEAT

OLIVE OIL

BERRIES

ONIONS & GARLIC

CABBAGE

HERBS & SPICES

(fresh or dried)

*If you have chronic kidney disease, work with a health professional to identify your bioindividual nutrient needs.

A whole-food, paleo-based diet is a colorful diet.

Focus on first filling your plate with a variety of fruits & vegetables, followed by animal protein, filled in with supportive carbs, and topped off with nutritionally wealthy superfoods & healthy fats.

Beyond the contaminants you DO NOT want in your drinking water, there are nutrients that you DO want: major minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) and several trace minerals.

Not only do these minerals make the water you drink more hydrating (think of an electrolyte-boosted sports drink) they are essential for proper muscle contraction, nerve signaling, digestion, liver function, and much more.

Look for a water source that preserves these natural minerals OR adds them back into purified water.

Swap out processed foods for whole foods. Tally your swaps over the next 5 days. Notice how whole foods are simple, more natural, & have fewer ingredients.

MORE PROCESSED

WHOLE FOOD

flour tortilla

lettuce wrap

frozen potato products

roasted or baked potato

salad dressing

olive oil + vinegar

spaghetti pasta

spaghetti squash

soda

seltzer water/kombucha

ranch dip

hummus

fruit yogurt

yogurt + fresh fruit

coffee creamer

cream + honey

Yes! And no... It depends what you mean by "diet".

A diet is just a pattern of eating, so you already follow a diet (whether you knew it or not).

However, our culture has distorted dieting by reducing health to weight loss.

The diet industry tells us to eat less, exercise more, and count every calorie so we can be thin.

These destructive messages promote a restrictive mentality and a disordered relationship with food.

Not to mention that yo-yo dieting often leaves you with more fatigue, gut issues, hormone imbalances, and unhealthy weight than you began with!

On the flip side, diets can be incredibly healing!

The food (and way) you eat should nourish your body so you can have minimal disease, mental clarity, joyful confidence, and the energy and freedom to live fully alive!

Cholesterol is a type of fat used to build healthy cell membranes, digest fats, manage inflammation, and produce hormones & vitamin D.

This essential molecule has been misunderstood to be the cause of cardiovascular disease, leading many health-conscious people to cut it from their diets.

However, the story is not that simple.

balsamic vinaigrette + chicken + goat cheese + beets + walnuts

soy sauce/oil/rice vinegar + salmon + cucumber + kimchi + almonds

honey mustard dressing + sardines + olives + sprouts + sweet potato

poppyseed dressing + quinoa + swiss + pear + craisins + cashews

vinaigrette + black beans + tomato + cilantro + avocado + pepitas

DITCH

STOCK

corn, soybean, canola, & vegetable oil

extra-virgin olive, avocado, & coconut oil

margarine

butter or coconut oil

dressings & sauces with inflammatory oils

dressings with healthy oils, vinegars

chips, crackers, cookies with many ingredients or hydrogenated oils

snacks with healthy oils, nuts, & seeds

microwave popcorn

whole kernel or pre-popped popcorn

diverse, conventional

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

prioritize organic for

"dirty dozen"

diverse, fresh, seasonal, local, organic, self-grown

whole grain products, canned beans,

diverse nuts & seeds

GRAINS, BEANS, NUTS, & SEEDS

sourdough bread,

beans in non-BPA cans,

sprouted nuts & seeds

organic

soaked, sprouted, or fermented

whole: white & yolk

EGGS

non-GMO fed,

cage free or free-range

organic, local,

pasture-raised

whole,

fermented (yogurt & kefir)

DAIRY

whole, fermented,

grass-fed, organic

whole, fermented, 100% grass-fed, organic, raw

minimally processed

MEAT

non-GMO fed, grass-fed, no added nitrates/nitrites

organic, local, pasture-raised, regenerative

SMASH: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring

FISH & SEAFOOD

non-GMO farm-raised,

no colors or additives,

in non-BPA cans

sustainably wild-caught, fresh, frozen, or local

extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO),

coconut & avocado oil,

conventional butter

FATS & OILS

organic EVOO,

cold-pressed & unrefined oils, organic butter

organic California EVOO,

organic & grass-fed butter/ghee/lard/tallow

raw/turbinado sugar,

white & brown sugar

(in small amounts)

SWEETENERS

coconut sugar, stevia, monkfruit, xylitol, erythritol

honey (local if possible), maple syrup, molasses, date syrup

real fruit/vegetable juice, lightly-sweetened with

real sugar

BEVERAGES

unsweetened,

stevia-sweetened,

cold-pressed (juice)

organic & fair-trade (tea/coffee), fermented

diverse, fresh,

minimal ingredients, minimally processed

OTHER

non-GMO,

non-BPA packaging

organic, local, fair-trade, rainforest alliance cert, regenerative

glutathione is a key antioxidant in the body

AVOCADO

SALMON

CRUCIFEROUS VEGGIES

SPINACH

PAPAYA

WHEY PROTEIN

GREEN TEA

GREEN BEANS

CUCUMBER

ASPARAGUS

TURMERIC

processed meats

aged cheese

fermented foods

wine

aspartame

MSG

wheat

citrus

eggs

tea

coffee

chocolate

dairy

beef

corn

cane sugar

yeast