Episode Transcript

The Nourished Mama - Ep 16

Welcome to the Nourished Mama podcast. I am your host, Anna Robinson, certified nutritionist and wellness coach, plus fellow mama. This podcast is here to show you that you can live your healthiest, happiest, most vibrant life as a mama. Each week, I will be sharing different nutrition Lifestyle and mindset hacks that are going to support you in your health journey.

You can expect realistic and sustainable advice, plus strategies that can easily fit into your busy life as a mama. Because without a nourished mama, there can't be a nourished home. So if you are committed to creating a life filled with vibrance for you and for the ones you love most, then you are in the right place.

So let's get into today's life changing episode.

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Nourished Mama Show. Today I'm excited to share five wellness trends that I've been exploring, ones that I believe are especially valuable for women's health and wellbeing. And worth trying. We are constantly bombarded with different health trends daily and knowing which ones are a waste of time and which ones are worth trying feels absolutely impossible.

 there is also so much misleading health advice on the internet, which in turn can actually cause you to waste a lot of money and time on trends that have no real scientific evidence. Behind them and very little research. The five trends I'm gonna delve into are ones that have actually been around for a long time and are backed by real evidence.

Most importantly, they are achievable for US mamas, and I've seen some incredible benefits myself having these as part of my daily rituals over the last. Couple of years now, some I have had in my routine for a few years and others I've recently added, but I'm loving all of them at the moment, so I had to share them with you guys.

Trend number one morning extra virgin olive oil shot first up. Yes, you heard that right. Taking a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil first thing in the morning has gained popularity recently and for good reason. This is a simple practice with remarkable benefits for women's health.

The science behind it is actually fascinating. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols and healthy monounsaturated fats that can help reduce inflammation and support heart health. When consumed on an empty stomach, it can help with digestion throughout the entire day. It can help lower cortisol levels and keep you satisfied for longer so you're not reaching for that mid-morning sugary snack as much.

The high polyphenol count found in good quality oil has other incredible benefits for our health. Like lowering inflammation, which you guys know I'm all about, and research has also connected it to some incredible benefits around heart health, brain health, cholesterol, and even weight loss. Another study found the enormous amount of antioxidants in olive oil have extremely beneficial.

Anti-cancer properties, and its rich oleocanthal, I hope I'm pronouncing that right, has similar anti-inflammatory properties to ibuprofen, but it's natural making it potentially helpful for menstrual cramps and inflammatory conditions like endometriosis. Research also suggests that the polyphenols in olive oil may help regulate estrogen levels and reduce breast cancer risk, which make this makes this simple morning ritual potentially protective for women's long-term health.

If you are going through perimenopause or menopause, you might find the anti-inflammatory properties particularly beneficial for managing symptoms like joint pain and even hot flushes. My personal experience after introducing this trend three months ago. Is I've significantly noticed improvement in my digestion.

I've been a lot more regular on the bathroom, and I've definitely noticed it keeps me fuller for longer. So I have it on an empty stomach after I've had some water in the morning, and then I have breakfast. I used to need to have a mid-morning snack, whereas now I feel I could take it or leave it. I'm not hanging for it.

But there are definitely some other benefits I've also seen. Now I'm not sure if these have been researched, but these are things that I've personally noticed. Number one is my skin health has significantly improved. I've always had quite dry skin, but lately I feel like I don't need to apply so much moisturizer or oil-based serums to my skin.

I truly believe this is from the olive oil shots. And secondly, my hair is a. Definitely a lot less drier as well. I have this amazing shine to it that I never noticed before. Now the key here is using a high quality, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. The flavor is much more pleasant and the health benefits are significantly greater.

I will link in the show notes the olive oil that I personally get. Now, this olive oil is a wild. First harvest olive oil. It can be hard to source. I source this in Australia. It is imported from Greece. Now the polyphenol count in this olive oil is extremely high, higher than any other olive oil you can get.

But in saying that, even if you are sourcing a good quality extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket. This can still be beneficial. The other thing to note here as well, and I wanna give you a quick tip, is if you find the flavor too intense with the olive oil, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice with it.

So have it as a lemon olive oil shot. This not only cuts through that oiliness, but it also gives you an amazing vitamin C start to your day as well. Okay. Trend number two, Matcha switching from coffee to Matcha. This is a game changer for women's hormonal balance and energy. Matcha is finally ground green tea powder, and it has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries, but now it's becoming a staple in wellness routines worldwide.

Many women are particularly sensitive to caffeine due to the variations in how we metabolize it, especially during the different phases of our menstrual cycle. Coffee can. Bike cortisol levels which may exacerbate PMS symptoms worsen anxiety and disrupt our sleep, and even intensify our cravings for sugary sweets.

Matcha on the other hand, contains l-theanine, which works synergistically with caffeine to provide calm focused energy without the crash like coffee does. This amino acid promotes. Alpha brainwave activity, reducing anxiety while maintaining alertness, particularly beneficial during high stress phases of our cycle.

I literally call Matcha the ultimate mama hack. The benefits are endless. It supports our immune health. It has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It's incredible for our gut health. It can help reduce cravings and so much more. One study found the powerful antioxidants in Matcha, particularly EGCG, also show promising effects for reducing breast cancer risk and supporting cellular health.

Now I have been a coffee lover for years, and what I did when I first introduced matcha was I kept my morning coffee and would have an after lunch matcha. This would pick me up and give me the strength I needed for a busy afternoon with kids. But December last year, I felt this push to switch my morning coffee for march up.

I started feeling more in tune with my body and something was telling me that morning coffee wasn't sitting right with me. I started feeling myself getting a little anxious an hour after my coffee. Even though I was doing all the right things and having breakfast before consuming caffeine, something just felt off and I took that as a sign to officially switch over to Matcha completely.

And oh, boy did I feel the benefits of that. I don't know if I was just, I just wasn't in tune with my body before this, or I was just so busy that I didn't acknowledge how coffee was making me feel, but. I felt so much lighter after having Matcha. I have felt like a brand new version of myself since switching that morning coffee to Matcha.

I no longer have energy crashes throughout the day. I feel so much more energized. I have a much clearer mind and. So much less brain fog. And again, my skin has been a lot brighter and clearer. So the olive oil has really helped me with my skin texture. But the Matcha, I believe, has helped with the clarity.

I used to have quite a lot of rosacea around my nose and my chin area, and almost all of it has completely gone, and there are so many amazing studies around the benefits of Matcha for our. Hormones, which may be related to this and why I've experienced these incredible benefits of my skin. But the key when it comes to Matcha and in order to get all the incredible benefits is that you must be getting a good quality ceremonial grade Matcha.

This is really important with the trend of Matcha rising. There are also a lot of Matcha blends, at. Cafes that we do really wanna avoid. There are very few cafes that I would personally get a matcha from, even in Sydney. a lot of the ones in cafes are loaded with, dairy, with refined sugars, and they're more of a matcha mix.

and they're almost like a sugar bomb. Whereas when you source a pure ceremonial grade matcha organic from Japan, These tend to be a little bit more bitter in flavor. Bitter but smooth in flavor. They are a brighter green color and they are the ones that are loaded with the polyphenols, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.

I will link in the show notes some of my personal favorite Matcha brands, that I know are really good quality. Now moving on to trend number three, and that is castor oil pack for detoxification. This is an ancient practice with specific benefits for women's reproductive health and menstrual health.

This simple technique involves applying castor oil to the. Abdomen area. Covering it with a cloth, you can actually buy castor oil packs now. I'll link this in the show notes and then applying some gentle heat to it. The anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce menstrual cramps by improving blood flow to the uterus and decreasing inflammation.

Women with Endometriosis, fibroids or PCOS have reported several symptom improvements with regular use of castor oil packs. I personally love to use castor oil for its detoxifying benefits. So when I place a castor oil pack on, I make sure it's centered around my liver. Our liver plays a crucial role in metabolizing.

Hormones like estrogen By promoting that lymphatic flow in the abdomen, caster oil packs can help aid in eliminating excess estrogen, which a lot of women live with. And this can potentially help with estrogen dominance symptoms like heavy periods, fibrocystic breasts and mood swings. I've incorporated cast oil packs into my evening routine twice a week, focusing on the week before my period, and I've noticed significantly reduced menstrual pain and bloating.

It's also really become like a mindful self-care ritual and a time to connect with my body and honor its needs during this phase just before my period, but just a bit of a heads up here, castor oil packs are not recommended during pregnancy. Or during that week of menstruation. Trend number four, seed cycling.

You've probably heard me talk about this, and we have a whole episode dedicated to seed cycling, but this is an incredible nutritional approach, specifically designed to support female hormone health throughout our entire menstrual cycle. So here's how it works during the follicular phase. Phase one.

From day one to 14 of your cycle, you consume two tablespoons or one to two tablespoons, each of freshly grounded flax and pumpkin seeds, daily flax seeds contain lignins that help modulate estrogen activity while pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which prepares the body for progesterone production. Then during the luteal phase, which is the second phase, from days 15 to 28, you switch to one to two table spoons, each of sunflower and sesame seeds.

Sunflower seeds provide selenium and vitamin E to support progesterone production. While sesame seeds contain lignin that help balance. Estrogen levels as they naturally decline. This practice can particularly be beneficial for women with irregular cycles. P-M-S, P-C-O-S, endometriosis, perimenopausal symptoms, and even those coming off.

Hormonal birth control will see a lot of benefits with seed cycling. The gentle nutritional support helps your body establish its natural rhythm. Without needing pharmaceutical intervention. It really is one of the most incredible ways to use food as medicine. And guys, this isn't all research has actually found incredible benefits in.

Other areas of health, like supporting weight loss, skin health, improving skin conditions like acne, fertility, less stress and reduced mood swings, improved immunity and less food cravings as well have been some of the incredible benefits that have come out of the research with seed cycling. I have been seed cycling for about three years now, and the reason for this is because I've just, no, I noticed significant benefits very early on in my journey of seed cycling, and I've absolutely stuck to it.

After about three months of consist seed cycling, I had more regular cycles, significantly reduced breast tenderness before my period, which I actually struggled with a lot. I have less severe mood swings, and I've had a lighter less menstrual cycle flow for years now. The best part about it,

It's an accessible way to support your hormone health through nutrition, and the seeds can easily be added to smoothies, yogurt, salads, toasts, and so much more. Now in terms of how to source and prepare your seeds, if you are doing it at home, the number one thing is to ensure that you. Are buying organic good quality seeds.

The last thing you wanna do is be grinding seeds that are covered in pesticides. So heading to your local health food store and sourcing your seeds from there, is really important. Now the seeds need to be grinded in order to see the benefits. So I grind mine sometimes with a coffee grinder or in, you can grind them in a NutriBullet.

and then what's important is that you are storing them in glass jars in the fridge. This will ensure that you are keeping all those beautiful nutrients in those grounded seeds. Once the seeds are grounded, they do begin to lose their nutrients. So grinding them fresh, say for one to two weeks in advance and keeping them in the fridge is essential.

Don't grind. Too much in advance. because the fresher they are, the more potent they are. Now, if you don't wanna grind your seeds, I have the perfect solution for you. There is an amazing company called The Seed Cycle. the beautiful Mel Chevi, who is the founder of the Seed Cycle, actually came on the podcast.

If you scroll down a few episodes, we have a whole episode with her dedicated. Just to seed cycling and I highly recommend you listen to this episode. It has been an absolute hit on the podcast. She delves a lot deeper into seed cycling. what It's about the benefits that you can experience and the research around seed cycling as well.

Well, and in there she offers, a discount to your first seed cycle pack. So she has a company that creates the packs for you and deliver them, every single month. So you have them ready there and grinded ready to go.I will pop a link to that episode in the show notes and I will also pop a link to the Seed Cycle company website, as well as that discount in the show notes as well.

Now, last but not least, trend number five, breath work. When I first delved into the world of meditation and breath work, I was so intrigued. But being a young mama, I did feel like it was impossible for me. I remember trying to meditate for the first time, and I just felt like I wasn't getting it. I couldn't calm my mind.

I kept thinking, how long do I need to sit here, et cetera, but I was determined to keep going. I remember telling myself, instead of calling it a meditation, I'm going to simply just sit down and focus on my breath.this was a game changer for me. It made it more doable for me in a way I would tell myself, okay, so all you need to do this morning is five to 10 deep belly breaths, and I would increase this number every day until eventually, after a few months of just focusing on my breath, I did start to get into more of a meditative.

State, but breath work has always been my foundation for stress relief. I do love to meditate, but some days as a busy mama, to be honest, I just don't get it in every day. But simply stopping and focusing on my breath is doable for me and. Absolutely life changing. It's something that every mama, no matter what stage of life you are in, should introduce into their life.

It's an invaluable free skill that will honestly carry you through life. It doesn't need to take up a lot of your time, and it doesn't necessarily need to be in a quiet space, although this is nice, simply giving yourself. 10 minutes to focus on your breath can significantly lower your cortisol levels and calm your nervous system dramatically.

Most women are living in a constant state of fight or flight. This is running havoc on your mental health and eventually it catches up to your physical health as well. There are more women than ever before being diagnosed with autoimmune conditions, which I personally believe is linked to the enormous amount of stress we are put through.

But that's a topic for another day. There are some incredible studies that have linked breath work to not only mental health benefits, but also physical ones like improved immune health, more regulated. Hormones better. PMS symptoms improved gut and digestive health and even weight loss. Again, one study found that most women are eating during high levels of cortisol, and when you do this, your body isn't able to metabolize your food effectively.

Its main focus is taken away from your digestive system and it's concentrating on lowering your cortisol levels by simply taking some box breaths before eating. You can notice a significant shift in your digestive health, so I highly recommend doing four to five box breaths before your next meal. So how do you pack practice box breathing?

The beauty of box breathing lies in its simplicity. Number one, find a comfortable seated position with your back supported. Inhale slowly through your nose for four counts. Hold that breath in your tummy for four counts, then exhale slowly through your mouth for eight counts. Hold your breath again for four counts.

And repeat that three to five minutes or as many times as you need. For women who are new to breath work, I recommend starting with just three to five rounds and gradually building up the four count. Rhythm can also be adjusted. If four counts feels too long, start with two or three counts and work your way up.

What I love most about breath work is that it's completely free. It requires no special equipment and can be done anywhere, even just. Five minutes a day can yield noticeable benefits for women's physical and emotional wellbeing. It truly is an incredible tool and practice to add to your daily rituals.

And there you have it. My top five wellness trend hacks worth adding to your daily routine. And what makes these practices stand out is that they work with our female physiology. Rather than against it, supporting our hormonal fluctuations and addressing challenges that we actually face daily.

They are empowering because they put health management back in our own hands, allowing us to tune into our bodies and respond to their changing needs throughout our cycle and during different life stages. But remember, women's health is not a one size fits all, and what works for one might not work for another.

I do encourage you to approach these trends with curiosity and patience, giving your body time to respond and adjusting as needed. I hope this episode has resonated with you. If you have enjoyed it and would like to leave a review below, that would mean the absolute world to me. If there is another mama that you think would benefit from this episode.

Please share it with her, and if you have any questions at all, please reach out in my dms on Instagram. Bye for now.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope this conversation has inspired you to live your healthiest, happiest life. Don't forget to subscribe and tune in next week. Bye for now.