You may remember a year ago I started a movement on Instagram that no-one really asked for but that I personally really loved (and clearly still do!): #ifyouhaveaweetbix.
The aim is to showcase how versatile, fun and delicious Weetbix are in TONS of recipes - because I think it's so important to get people to realise just how easy and accessible healthy recipes can be to make. You don't need heaps of fancy, expensive ingredients from a health-food store. You just need some humble Weetbix.
So hopefully this will inspire you guys to get in the kitchen and get creative with a staple that everyone can enjoy!

WHY USE WEETBIX?
1. They provide an easy Gluten-Free, Vegan & Low FODMAP option - who knew a humble cereal could be so inclusive?!  You can use their Gluten Free options, their Cholesterol-Lowering version, and even their high Protein Weetbix Bites. As long as you can crush them up, you can use any version you prefer for a base to a recipe.

2. They're WAY more affordable than other flour alternatives - buckwheat flour, coconut flour and almond meal may be popular 'healthy' alternatives, but they can be really expensive or impractical to buy. Weetbix provide a super affordable and accessible base for recipes. Plus, they last a lot longer than other flours do too!

3. Their texture is underrated - if you think of Weetbix as dry or crumbly - you've been eating them wrong! When combined with the right amount of liquid and wet ingredients, they become so thick, fudgy and literally melt in your mouth. Bake one of the Weetbix Brownies if you don't believe me!

4. They contain minimal ingredients - don't be fooled by the fact that they're a packaged cereal! Weetbix are surprisingly 'clean' label and the standard varieties contain minimal added sugar and sodium. 

I just completed my own version of Dry July - but with coffee! I was still having caffeine in the form of my natural pre-workout most mornings, I just wasn’t following it up with 2-3 extra coffees afterwards (I honestly don’t know how I even got to that amount!). 
​
I personally really needed this break and a chance to rest and break some bad habits and my clear addiction to coffee. Don’t get me wrong - I adore coffee. I love the taste, the whole experience, the routine, the pick-me-up. But I didn’t like that I started to feel permanently jittery, on-edge, nauseous and agitated because of how much I was having. It was kind of like a coping mechanism for me - and somehow I’d fallen into the very illogical logic of “let’s combat this stress with something that will cause me more stress”.

I’m not here to turn you off coffee (like I said, I still love it), I just really do think a lot of us could benefit from reigning in our caffeine intakes - and honestly, it’s not that hard when you’ve got so many other alternatives to drink instead! 
Moving forward I’ll still be having a few coffees a week (certainly not each day), and making sure that I do some strict caffeine-free weeks every now and then just to give my adrenals some TLC.

If you think you need to do the same, here’s some benefit I noticed within the first week of dropping coffee and halving my caffeine intake, as well as my favourite Not Coffee drinks that I genuinely enjoyed just as much as my usual coffees.

BENEFITS I NOTICED:
1. My digestion improved - cover your eyes if you can’t handle TMI, but because of my anxiety and nervousness, I am prone to diarrhoea and have just become used to having looser stools. I honestly didn’t expect cutting back on caffeine to have such a big impact on this side of things. Whether it’s the acidity of coffee or it’s impact on my anxiety, I did notice less bloating, less stomach gurgling, and I felt like my bowels were less irritated after meals ( I wasn’t constantly feeling the urge to empty them!) without my daily coffee.

2. More restful sleep - this one is obvious, but I don’t think I realised JUST how much of a difference I was going to notice. I’d become really used to having a light, often restless sleep - but within a week of cutting back of my caffeine intake, I was sleeping more solidly through the night, my time spent in deep sleep almost doubled and I felt so much more rested the next day. Now that I’ve dabbled in a few coffees again - I’m definitely noticing how it disrupts my sleep. My rule moving forward will be no coffee past 11am!

3. Improved body composition - this is something I noticed quite quickly, probably because my body is prone to holding onto water and gets inflamed really easily from stress. This month I managed to drop the most amount of water and I definitely felt less ‘puffy’ or swollen from inflammation.

4. More sustained energy - Not going to lie, the first week I felt flat and irritable, but then I noticed a huge shift in my energy levels as I kept going. I felt like I was waking up WITH energy - not needing it from a coffee - and I was working through the afternoons without a 3pm slump or crash.

Firstly, I have to put a huge disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, hold no qualifications related to diet or nutrition and am not in any way intending to give out any specific or tailored medical or health advice.  This is completely general and is simply me sharing what I've found helpful and what's worked for me. As always, I suggest working with a qualified healthcare professional (like I did and am still doing) to address any health concerns.


The main reason I wanted to write this out is to give any of you suffering with digestive issues right now some reassurance that what you're experiencing is temporary and you won't always feel this way. I know some of you have probably been told it's all in your head, had your bloating dismissed as 'normal' (which it can be...but it can also be really debilitating) or have been given the poor advice to haphazardly cut out entire food groups without real reason to.
​
I can't recommend enough the importance of fighting for your health and demanding answers. You know your bodies better than anyone - so if something feels off and is affecting your quality of life, don't settle. I think I ended up seeing 4 different GP's in the span of a few months last year, plus a naturopath, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist and nephrologist. Trust me, the right help is out there, you just have to keep searching till you find the person who can help you (it's an expensive exercise but an undoubtedly valuable one).


Symptom Tracker
To make things easier for you when you do see a professional, I've included a template for a tracking sheet I personally used to try to map out where my symptoms were stemming from and what could be triggering them. This cut out a lot of the guess work, and meant I could say with confidence in an appointment what my symptoms were, when they occurred the most frequently or intensely and keep an eye on whether there were any patterns occurring. 
You'll notice that this tracking sheet is not just food-focused. This is something I'm really passionate about conveying - blaming food is not always the answer, nor a healthy approach. For me, some of my abdominal distension and pain was food-related, but it turned out a lot was also due to poor liver function and huge hormonal changes. If I hadn't tracked things like my energy levels, pain elsewhere in my body, congestion, breakouts, stress levels, exercise etc, I would have been stuck trying to pinpoint every little piece of food that entered my mouth and blame it. At this stage I'd already eliminated gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, FODMAPs, histamine-rich foods, eggs....without any real relief.  Trust me, you don't want to get to the point where you've really damaged your relationship with food. Plus, restricting will only cause more stress to a body that is clearly imbalanced and needing some proper care.
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You don't have to follow this template completely - it's meant entirely as a guide! You may not want to track some things, you may want to add things like your weight changes etc.  I just want to show you how simple it is to take ownership and approach what you're going through in a methodical & rational way, and reduce some of those feelings of helplessness & despair.
I would use this for at least 3-4 weeks and please, don't self-diagnose. Take this with you to a qualified professional - whether that's a GP, specialist or naturopath (I'm not going to tell you what's best for you, but remember to search till you find the right fit). 

**** Download the template here.


Tips
While you're on your journey to improve your symptoms and hopefully improve your relationship and mindset toward food, here are my 2 biggest  tips that you can do as of today, without a professional (but seriously - please see one ASAP if you need to):

• Sit down to eat, don't be distracted and chew your food - seems so obvious, but I bet most of us aren't doing this! Trust me, you can relieve a lot of digestive discomfort if you give your body a chance to actually break down the food properly - no matter what the food even is. Eat your meals away from the TV, your phone or your laptop. Don't drink huge amounts of liquid while you're eating (this can slow digestion), really enjoy your meal mindfully and take your time with it. I know this isn't always realistic - but aim to make as many meals of your day as mindful as you possibly can given your workload/lifestyle. 
• Work on reducing stress levels - easier said than done, I know, but when you're likely already experiencing a lot of stress due to health anxiety over your bloating & discomfort, the best thing you can do for yourself is to reduce some of that stress.  I know I made my symptoms so, so much worse by spending hours on Google trying to self-diagnose (you don't even want to know how many different types of Cancer and chronic illnesses I convinced myself I had), trying to 'sweat out the bloat' with intense cardio (one of the worst ideas I've ever had) or cutting out all my favourite foods in replacement for expensive herbs, bone broths & fancy supplements (none of them helped, and I missed my beloved oats tremendously).  Control what you can (this is why the tracking sheet may be helpful), and have faith/belief/optimism that you will feel better and that being kind to yourself and patient with your body is the quickest way to get there.

I really do hope this was helpful - I know I didn't offer a magic solution or quick fix but in my opinion, a strong mindset and drive to feel better is the fastest way to getting better. I promise - I never thought I would make it to the other side of all my health issues or that anyone would take my symptoms seriously. I am obviously still working on my health and have my really 'off' days, but I am thriving now more than I have in over a year and I can't tell you how rewarding it feels. So don't give up, be kind to yourself, and seriously - seek that professional help when you need it (even if you don't think you do).


xx Steph 


​

​Last weekend I presented in Brisbane at the first Get It Girl event.
The event was aimed to inspire, empower and educate like-minded women on how to best achieve their own health and fitness journey, and my task was to share a little of my own story and insight in doing so. Here’s what I shared...

Firstly, I want to start with asking you this: do you think that right now, in all honesty, that you are healthy and happy? 

Unfortunately, I only had about 3 women out of a room of 85+ raise their hand to declare that they were. I’m also guessing that if you’re reading this, you probably wouldn’t have been one of them either, and neither would I.

It has taken me almost my whole life (24 years!) to figure out what healthy and happy means to me, and I’m only just coming close to getting there myself now. My journey has been full of ups and downs to say the least; tiny steps forwards and many steps back, lots of lessons learned and a wavering sense of determination. I’ve made myself proud, but I’ve also let myself down, and I’ve progressed and self-sabotaged on and off without ever giving myself a chance to consistently and sustainably live a truly healthy lifestyle.

Here’s a snapshot

Phase 1:  Overweight
For most of my childhood and teen years I was overweight, bordering on obese. I was young and naive, but that didn’t excuse me from looking after my body, especially as I hit my late teens. I had no concept of nutrition or exercise, no desire to prioritise it and as a result, I completely neglected the importance of my body and health.

I think the biggest reason why I want to share my story is to warn people how easily a ‘health’ journey can spiral out of control when done for the wrong reasons, or utilising the wrong methods to achieve it.
There is SO MUCH information out there about what is ‘healthy’ for us to be doing - and chances are 90% of it is bullish*t, not a “fact” and by no means should be done by every single one of us in order to ‘be healthy’.
There’s also a lot of misconception about what “healthy” even means, because let’s face it - it doesn’t mean the way we look, our weight or our body shape.

I remember throwing myself into Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide because I wanted my legs to be as thin as hers. I couldn’t understand how hours of high reps and cardio wasn’t making me ‘lean and fit’.  Then I came across the “girls who lift” movement, and all of a sudden I became consumed with living up to the ideal of being “strong not skinny” and tyring to gain weight solely through gaining muscle.
In either case, my body was never good enough, and I was still constantly fighting against it to achieve a ‘look’ I thought would bring me health and happiness. The entire time my mental health was neglected too, because all I was invested in was creating an outward image of ‘health’. If anything, my mind was deteriorating more and more as I threw myself deep into the #fitspo world.

Phase 4: Acceptance and health
As far as I’m concerned now, I spent more than 5 years living under the illusion that I was letting my body and my mind recover because I was doing ‘everything I could’ to ‘be healthy’. When honestly, I was driving myself further and further into illness.

I’m ashamed to say that up until 4 weeks ago, I still couldn’t prioritise my bone density, my heart health or my goddamn hormones and ability to have a child above my ’need’ to be lean, to feel in control and to stick to the routine (read: hell) I’d built for myself.   

I was still desperately forcing my body into submission and trying to do everything that I thought was ‘right’ without ever once listening to my body itself.  I still felt compelled to be in the gym for 2 hours, 6 times a week and training intensely, I still doubted the amount of food I was eating to the point where it would consume hours of my day, and I was harbouring a lot of negative emotions toward myself. I was exhausted, drove my adrenals to the ground, skyrocketed my cortisol levels and got to a point where entire body aches, chronic daily diarrhoea and weekly anxiety attacks had become all I was accustomed to within my ‘healthy lifestyle’.

That only ended 6 weeks ago, and looking back now, I don’t know how I had myself fooled so devastatingly for so long. 

I was literally trapped in the pursuit of physically aesthetic ‘healthy’, not an internal, happy healthy.  

As a result, I’ve done a lot of internal damage to my body and sacrificed a lot of life experiences.

Im turning 25 years old this year, and I’ve hardly travelled by myself (god forbid I have to go without the gym or eat different food), I’ve never had a proper boyfriend (nor had any desire to up until recently), I’ve worn a bikini only a handful of times, I’ve chosen to disappoint some of my closest friends just to avoid eating out or missing a workout, and I’ve had way too many days at work where I’ve been unproductive because my mind has been so consumed by food and exercise. I’ve hardly existed in many ways, and that honestly breaks my heart.
​

People tell me they wish they could “find the strength” to get out of this trap like I’m doing now, and here’s my take home message: you never simply ‘find’ the strength. It doesn’t just come to you one day so you can free yourself easily.
You fight for it. 
You work for it. 
You build it. 

Nothing about rewiring your brain, rebuilding your routine and admitting that what you’re doing isn’t healthy is easy. Over the last few weeks, I have pushed through some of the hardest mind games I’ve had. I’ve broken out of some of my most rigid and long-standing behaviours, I’ve FINALLY accepted that what my body looks like isn’t the point of this whole being “healthy” thing, and I’ve adopted a growing sense of inner peace and acceptance with who I want to be as a person - far beyond what my body looks like.

I’ve learned that even if you’ve put on the weight you need to - or lost the weight you wanted to, gained some definition or muscle, and adopted a diet that you think is ‘right’ for you - you are still not healthy if you can’t miss a workout without panicking, if you can’t eat the foods you want out of fear, if your body can’t have a natural period, if you’re experiencing ongoing digestive issues, hormonal imbalances or fatigue, and if you spend every minute of your day thinking about food and training or checking your reflection for some kind of answer. 

Your body honestly doesn’t care if you’re doing everything under the sun to be outwardly healthy. 
It cares about how you’re listening to it, respecting it and honouring it’s needs to be internally healthy.  
That means having stable energy levels, a strong libido, a regular period, a consistent sleep pattern, a comfortable digestive system and a thriving social and work life. Not shredded abs or killer glutes.

So please know this simple fact about being healthy: you can’t fight against your body, hate yourself or stubbornly ignore all the signs that your body is throwing at you in the pursuit of what you think is healthy.

Deep down, you’ll know if what you’re doing is making you feel and be healthy or not, and only you can own up to yourself and take the steps necessary to get your life back and achieve a truly successful "healthy journey". ​

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is "how do you do so much baking, cooking and recipe creations without eating everything you make and 'getting fat'?!"

This is actually a really valid questions, and I completely understand why this might be something many people struggle with. Trust me, I've been there myself and I'm still not perfect.  Surrounding yourself with (delicious) foods on a regular basis is highly tempting, and even potentially triggering - especially if you dabble in disordered eating.

I've personally dealt with a really unhealthy relationship with baking in the past. I used to spend hours making the most indulgent,  calorie-dense #foodporn style treats for all  my friends in high school....without ever letting myself even have a bite. I restricted and tortured myself with what I wouldn't let myself eat, and eventually what started as a hobby very quickly become a disordered behaviour.

Since re-finding my passion for baking and cooking this year, I've definitely come a long way since those days. I now focus on creating recipes that are healthy, nutritious, and most importantly - recipes that I want to eat, and let myself eat. 

Sure, there are days where I eat a little too much batter, taste-test the same thing five too many times, and nibble and pick away at what I've made as I take photos of it....but overall, I've found a really good place with preparing and creating my own food, finding pride in it, and using it as an act of self-love and creative outlet - and I would love to inspire even the smallest fraction of my followers to do the same!

So, here's some of my tips, tricks and hints to make sure you're enjoying your baking, without over-doing it or self-sabotaging yourself!

• Don't bake on an empty stomach: pretty self-explanatory! It's like going grocery shopping hungry  - it's a recipe for disaster (no pun intended). Eat a big, wholesome meal before baking and make sure you're not so ravenous that you'll eat every single thing you touch in the kitchen. 

• Don't try to 'ban' or deny yourself from eating what you've made: I've found that the minute I say to myself "I won't try any of this one" I somehow end up eating half the batch of whatever I've made through a series of sneaky nibbles. Say to yourself "I'm going to make these and enjoy one full serving today, then set the rest aside". If you count your macros, log it in and stop at one serving. Trust me, this is SO much more enjoyable and satisfying than trying to hold back, then having to kid yourself into thinking you haven't eaten a serving, just because you ate a million little bits and pieces of it without being mindful or accountable. If you can afford a little more freedom and flexibility - then by all means eat a little bit extra here and there, but just remember that it does add up, and it's up to you to decide whether that's a good thing or bad thing for you and your goals.

• Make half-batches or share your creations around with friends and family: There is no way I could make 12 brownies and expect myself to get through them all in the 5 days they'll remain fresh.  Don't set yourself up for failure, and don't waste a whole bunch of food just to remove yourself from the 'risk' of eating it all. If you don't have anyone at home or around you that would enjoy what you've made, try to halve or quarter the recipe so you have just enough for yourself. If you do have hungry loved ones (they're the best), then share what you've made with them and spread the love! No one will turn down a free batch of homemade muffins. Trust me.

• Have something planned after baking: sitting around with a cooling rack full of freshly baked cookies staring right you will tempt even the strongest of willpowers. Make sure you have something to keep you busy and occupied while whatever you've baked is cooling and infusing your house with a delicious smell. Remove yourself from a situation you think could end badly for you. When you return to the kitchen, grab some tupperware ASAP and store whatever you're not planning on eating immediately out of sight. 

If you feel baking really is problematic for you, or you struggle with binge-eating tendencies, then some of these more structured tricks might help:

• Choose one recipe to make a week, and confine all baking to one day: this way, even if you do 'overdo it' a little on the taste-testing, the calories won't add up consistently throughout the week. Baking multiple times a week could become a little 'risky', especially if you're trying to stick to a certain calorie intake or manage your weight.

• Bake with your friends and family: having people around you will take your mind off fixating over what you're baking, it'll keep you accountable, and it'll mean you have some watchful eyes over you during the actual baking and preparation steps, so you're less inclined to go wild with the batter (..guilty).

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• Brush your teeth right before baking or chew gum while you bake: this is something I do when I'm in one of those 'emotional eating' moods and know I'm going to be loading up on the delicious chocolate brownie I'm baking. Having a minty fresh breath signals to your brain that you're done with eating and discourages you from feeling the need to keep eating and eating.

What I wouldn't recommend doing:
I've head some people bake what they don't like, but I personally don't find that purposeful, enjoyable or empowering.  Instead, I think a better option is to make whatever you're creating as nutritious and healthy as possible most of the time - so you can enjoy it without 'guilt'.

I also wouldn't get into the mindset of 'compensating' or 'budgeting' for what you've consumed during baking. That's also setting you up for a really unhealthy, punishment-driven relationship with food - and in my opinion, that's not what baking should be about!

At the end of the day, it's all up to you in how you decide to incorporate baking into your lifestyle consistently and sustainably - just remember that it should be a fun, constructive hobby, not a self-destructive one xx

What a damn wake up call it has been to have my entire world of health, diet and training very quickly turned upside down.

After almost 6 years of manipulating my diet and training regime to either lose or gain weight, I had honestly become so accustomed to maintaining control over my body and being able to ‘force’ it into some kind of submission based on what I wanted it to look like. Countless times I took for granted how my body responded to changes I’d made in an explainable, predictable way.

At the start of my journey, I decreased my intake to promote a decrease in my weight. I then went through a slow and controlled reverse diet, increasing my intake in order to promote an increase in body weight. I essentially lived in a bubble of weight and appearance = calories in + calories out and believed that it was always going to be as simple as that. Little did I know how quickly the body can adapt, down-regulate and trigger a cascade of metabolic and hormonal imbalances - throwing that entire equation out the window.

I hate having regrets, but I do regret not appreciating the importance of looking after my hormones earlier in my journey. I shoved them to the side and focused purely on looking a certain way, leaving them completely unnoticed despite the numerous signs my body was throwing at me for years (in particular the last 6 months) that they needed some attention. 

If I’ve learned anything recently, it’s that yeah calories matter, but hormones matter more. 

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Importance of hormones 
Hormones control our hunger, cravings, metabolic rate, energy levels, food sensitivities, digestive health and more in tightly regulated processes.  Which means that without healthy hormones, our body’s don’t function healthily. We might not absorb certain nutrients from our ‘perfect’ diets (in fact we might start to absorb more calories from what we eat), we might experience more cravings and digestive issues, we might feel lethargic and overly sore, even though we’re motivated to train, and we might even gain fat, become inflamed or lose muscle despite all our hard work.

These are the kinds of things that we DON’T want to experience, and all the things our 'healthy' behaviours and habits should be safe-guarding us against - but eventually fail to do so, because our fundamental internal hardwire isn’t properly tuned to produce the healthy result we should be seeing and feeling.

The simple fact is this - if your hormones aren’t properly looked after, you are not going to have a healthy body - no matter how ‘clean’ your diet is or structured your workout regime is. If your hormones are out of balance, you will be too. We just can’t win a battle of wills against our physiology - even the strongest of willpower, commitment and determination become futile strategies in a body that’s out of balance and fundamentally unhealthy. 

Our body's will always reign supreme, and our body will always push back against both those attempts that threaten it’s survival (e.g. extreme dieting, disordered eating) and those that dropkick it into submission and push it out of homeostasis (e.g. forced bulking and cutting cycles, excessive training).  Which is why I want to emphasise that even the most dedicated ‘healthy’ efforts and routines can easily send the wrong signal to our bodies. Shifts to lower calories, ramping up our training routines, relying on stimulants - all of these behaviours tell our bodies something - and trust me, our bodies won’t always perceive these efforts as ‘just trying to be healthy’ or ‘getting in shape’. Instead, it will perceive excessive stress and real danger, and kickstart certain adaptive strategies within your system (e.g. heightened cortisol release), whilst rapidly halting others (e.g. menstrual cycle, digestion). The result is an extremely imbalanced and disrupted hormonal and metabolic profile.

Think of it like a tug-of-war: the more you push your body out of balance, the harder it will push back against you.

Taking a hormone first-approach 
There is so much un-utilised power that lies within prioritising a healthy and balanced body with functioning hormones - not a punished, disrespected or unbalanced one. My newfound belief is this: we can really only achieve any true state of health and wellbeing by actually tuning in to our internal cues and counting our hormones NOT just the numbers on our plates, scales or clothes.

Honestly, I’m still learning how to master this kind of hormone-first approach to a healthy lifestyle myself. It is still so easy to get caught in the bubble of macro/calorie counting, tracking activity levels,  monitoring the weight on the scale and pushing hard with a "more is more" approach to see results. It’s almost second-nature to a lot of us now to lose sight of the easiest and simplest ways to keep our bodies healthy - to  monitor how good we are feeling and to keep this a consistent and sustainable feeling. 

Personally, I’ve found that the easiest way to do this is by ditching the numbers (as much as possible!) and instead, regularly mastering and listening to five key biofeedback cues:

1. Hunger levels
2. Cravings
3. Energy levels
4. Digestive health
5. Sleeping patterns

In my next blog post I’ll cover why these things are important, how to 'check-in' with these cues to optimise hormone health, and how to make sure they’re sending the right signals to your body for true health and well-being, and to achieve your goals…xx

Inherent in my nature is the tendency to stress. To worry. To push. 
It’s always been 'black or white', 'all or nothing' for me, and over the past few months this kind of high strung approach finally caught up to me - because it simply wasn’t sustainable for my body to be constantly pushed to extremes.

Between my Type A personality and perfectionism, as well as my history of disordered eating and anxiety, I’ve become really good at not listening to my body, and instead, letting my mind and drive guide my behaviour.

All throughout high school and uni, I pushed my social life, hobbies and a lot of internal happiness aside to push myself to achieve the highest grades I could.

When my studies were over, I channeled all this perfectionism and need for control into my diet and exercise. More was better when it came to exercise, and less was key when it came to food.
I pushed through hunger.
I pushed aside food offered to me.
I pushed through (looking back, really f*cking frightening) chest pains just so I could finish my intense workouts.

Even when I entered recovery from my eating disorder and began focusing on healing, I was still pushing hard to succeed.
I was still chasing control over my intake, and was now meticulously tracking every macro and calorie that I consumed.
I was still trying to manipulate my body, and though I'd cut back on the amount of exercise I was doing, I was still relying all too heavily on a strict workout routine to feel at peace with my body as it changed throughout the recovery process.
I was eating a lot, but I was training a lot too,  and I was never really happy.

My body was still perceiving so much stress in its environment, and this became manifested in a chronic stress response. 

Phase 1: Adrenal overactivity 
I went through this stage of heightened stress for a long time - perhaps years. I became so used to thriving off adrenalin, to feeling on-edge, to not knowing what it felt like to take a proper deep breath, and all the little episodes of burnouts I experienced just became motivation for me to push back even harder. My adrenals were pumping out cortisol left, right and centre so I could cope with all this stress I was facing externally (and also internally forcing onto myself).

After all the time, I finally reached the height of this adrenal overactivity just over a month ago.

Symptoms of Adrenal Overactivity
I started experiencing so much cortisol in my system that the manifesting anxiety, depression and panic became too much for me to ignore.

• That nervous, anxious feeling in my gut became permanent, and my perception of stress increased. The smallest things felt overwhelming, and I just didn’t feel like I could cope.
• This made me feel irritable, cranky and I experienced a lot of high-end emotions day in and day out.
• I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t sleep anymore and I was having anxiety attacks more and more frequently - causing my workouts in the gym and work ethic in the office to suffer. This frustrated the crap out of me, and so I vowed to push harder.
• I started holding onto water as my body perceived the threat of injury from all the stress - meaning my blood pressure became high, my weight went up and I had so much fluid retention I was sore to touch.
• At the same time, my digestive system went to sh*t. Literally. I started experiencing chronic diarrhoea and loose stools, because my body was constantly trying to ‘flush’ out all the toxins it was perceiving in my system (note: a lot of this was simply toxic thoughts), and it failed to absorb nutrients from my food because it was diverting energy to simply staying alive in the face of all this stress.
• Then, my body started preserving a lot of fat and fluid around my internal organs - my belly all of a sudden became SO inflamed, ‘flabby’ and shameful (to me) to look at. If I wasn’t already feeling crap, then damn, this was the final straw for me.

What you should do in this phase:
​The most beneficial thing you can do for your body at this stage is to stop, slow down and remove a lot of the stressors from your external and internal environment.

​This could mean lowering the intensity of your exercise, reducing your intake of stimulants like caffeine, increasing your calorie intake to meet your body's demands, reducing your work-load, turning down a few commitments , mastering some mindfulness and meditation techniques cope with stress, and just working to reduce the overall perception of stress your body is experiencing, and offset the stress-load from your system.

The worst thing you can do in this phase:
If you’re like me though, then all these signs and symptoms start to take their toll on you in a way that makes you want to do anything but slow down and rest.
You start to feel so useless and crap, that the only way you know how to feel better, is to push harder.

My ‘solution?’
I started exercising more and more.
I started to eat less, and go hours without eating
I turned to coffee to fuel my workouts and my work, multiple times a day.
I looked to social media for ‘inspiration’ to get my body back to where I thought it needed to be.
I berated myself endlessly for how lousy I looked and felt, and I found myself being unable to cope with anything I was facing.
I was desperately trying to fight stress with more stress, and eventually my body had nothing left to give. 

Without me really knowing, I all of a sudden entered a phase of Adrenal Conservation.

Phase II: Adrenal Conservation 
My body had become so used to this constant and excessive stress, that it started to resist the effects of the cortisol it was pumping out. Small levels of stressed failed to illicit a stress response, and so my body pumped out more and more to try to stimulate this stress response it knew it needed. After months stuck like this, my entire metabolic reserves became depleted, my body didn’t have the energy left to keep producing cortisol or any of the hormones it needed to, and I now had huge hormonal imbalances.

There was definitely a change in my symptoms - but at the time I didn’t really take notice of it. To me, it was kind of just like moving from one feeling of lousiness to another, but here’s some of the things I noticed.

Symptoms of adrenal conservation:

• My body started experiencing a lot of depressive symptoms and low moods - I felt apathetic, tired and useless. 
• I struggled to get out of bed each morning, and even the longest of weekend sleeps weren’t refreshing. 
• My blood pressure at my next doctors visit was all of a sudden low, and my body lost the ability to hold water. Instead, I became increasingly dizzy, I was thirsty all the time and I needed to pee 10x more than usual. 
• I became hypersensitive to noise, and even the sound of a sneeze would make my heart rate sky rocket in fear.
• What was once ‘sore to touch’ became excrutiantgly sore (no touch needed) - everything ached and felt inflamed, even upon waking before I’d done anything. 

Where to go from here?
When two separate blood and saliva tests taken just 1 month apart revealed these two very different pictures of hormone levels (from overactivity to conservation),  I realised pretty quick that my body needed some intensive TLC and attention. I couldn’t ignore what it was trying to tell me anymore, because my entire wellbeing was deteriorating in front of me - despite my assurance that I was pursuing the healthiest lifestyle I could.

I was so lost at this point, because if the solution to high cortisol was to rest, then was the solution of my now low levels to push harder again?! I honestly felt so stuck in this vicious circle of hormonal imbalance, that I succumbed to a pretty bad bout of depression for a few weeks.

Eventually, I sought out the advice of a new specialist and my GP, did a load of research and started playing around with some pretty big lifestyle changes that didn’t require me to completely rest, nor completely push harder. 

I knew I had to learn the true meaning of balance and address a variety of factors in my body - not just my adrenals or any one hormone. Everything happening was tying in with other things in my body - which meant that taking any specific drug or supplement, or chasing a high or low level of anything, wasn’t going to be the solution.

1. Firstly, I had to take into account my diet, at the most fundamental level just so that I could give my mitochondria the energy it needed to power the rest of my cells. This meant eating enough (note: not more or less than what my body needed), despite how uncomfortable and counter-intuitive it felt in a body that was feeling and looking more lousy than ever.
2. I also had to improve the quality of my diet, reduce my sugar intake and cut back of inflammatory foods.
3. I had to start looking into healing my gut, so that my body was absorbing the nutrients it needed and that my entire hormonal and metabolic systems were firing optimally.
4. I had to address external life stressors - reducing the intensity of my exercise, cutting some toxic people out of my life, taking a few ‘mental health days’ off work and prioritising me.
5. I had to take ownership of internal stressors - learning how to manage my anxiety better and seeking help for some of my disordered thinking habits.
6. I had to learn that stress was actually healthy in the right amounts, so I needed to master the fine line of being productive and getting my workouts and work life in, but also getting the right amount of rest, recovery and sleep in. It couldn’t be ‘black or white’, 'all or nothing’ anymore. 

It meant rewiring my entire approach to health in order to reset, regain and preserve that very health I always thought I was chasing, but really wasn’t. 

Where I‘m at now:
It’s only been a few weeks, but already I’ve managed to nudge my cortisol levels back into normal ranges, I’ve regained a lot of my energy, I’m sleeping better than ever, and I just feel more at peace. I can’t even explain how much more comfortable I feel right now in comparison to this time last month.

I’ll share the Top 5 things that I think have been helping me the most in my next post…so stay tuned. Here’s hoping it’s only onwards and upwards from here xx
​

What is gut right?
Gut Right by ATP Science is a complex of ‘modbiotics' (polyphenols, polysaccharides, glucans, lectins and other compounds)) that modulate the microbes in our gut by controlling their growth rate and ratios. Here's the link to the product: atpscience.com/product/gutright/ Please note: this post is in no means sponsored, nor did the brand send me this product. 

Modbiotics work toward creating a healthier profile in our gut. They do this through actions that reduce the existence of excessive firmicutes (sugar-feeders that create inflammation and slow our metabolism), whilst also working to increase deficient bacteroidetes (the good guys - bacteria that feed on fat, block inflammation and boost out metabolism). 

It isn’t a probiotic or a prebiotic, and instead of just adding more bugs to our gut (which can be likened to throwing fertiliser at weeds!), Gut Right works specifically on achieving this desired better ratio of good bugs vs. bad bugs.  

Having this ratio in balance prevents things like obesity, insulin resistance and other metabolic syndromes, along with a range of health issues like leaky gut, inflammation and IBS. 
. 
So basically, the logic behind Gut Right is to fortify our diets with modbiotics to restore a truly healthy balance in our bodies - reduce the excessive organisms that have overgrown, and support the deficient strains to grow. 
In doing so, it promises to support the immune system, reduce inflammation, reduce insulin resistance, support a healthy metabolism, prevent and correct fatigue disorders, aid mental clarity, improve physical and mental performance, reduce bloating and displace parasites and yeasts.

Bring it on.

What is the 10 day protocol?
Gut Right is initiated with a 10-day protocol - which is a short-term purge to rid the overgrowth of the bad bugs in your gut.

You are required to take 1 teaspoon of the GutRight powder 3 times daily with meals, whilst following their specific carbohydrate diet (which you can find here. Note I didn’t follow this strictly. See below in the FAQs why!). 

After the 10 days you can resume taking 1 x teaspoon a day, since lower doses have a more modulating effect over a loner period of time to maintain this healthier ratio that has been established during the first 10 days. 

What was my experience?
The guys at ATP ominously state that what you should expect to experience during the 10 days will be “directly proportional to what is living inside of you, and what it smells and sounds like as it leaves you”.

For a bit of context: I have had chronic digestive issues since my restrictive eating disorder, and the period during my recovery whereby I would consume Diet Coke every single day, along with artificially sweetened protein bars and shakes and then go on to chew packets of gum at a time. By the time I had finally built up a healthier gut after 2 years of proper eating and adequate nutrition, I had an injury that landed me on antibiotics for 6 months straight. My gut has honestly never been the same since. Then came my recent episode of adrenal fatigue and hormonal deregulation - leaving me suffering over a month of chronic daily diarrhoea due to stress. So based on how messed up my gut was…I knew I had a sh*itty experience ahead of me..literally. 

Days 1-3
Not going to lie, I am so glad I finally worked up the courage to commence this protocol in the first place! I procrastinated and delayed even starting it because I was honestly so scared as to what kind of side-effects I’d experience, or whether I would notice a change at all. I finally reached a point where I was so fed up with how lousy I felt that I just committed to it. Day 1 was kind of exciting because I was so ready for a change, and through placebo effects alone I felt better instantly with the reassurance that I was doing something good for my gut.

By the end of Day 1, I was already experiencing the Herxheimer reaction - the die off reaction whereby the bad bugs are being killed and start to release toxins to try to fight back (this is why I wish in hindsight I’d stuck to the diet so that I wasn’t fuelling them with the carbs they thrive off to fuel this fight!). I was pretty quick to notice excessive burping, gurgling in my stomach, the most potent farts and by day 3 I was extremely nauseous during the night and had built up to 6 poos a day.

During these first 3 days, the build up of material and increase in volume of my poos was uncomfortable, but also oddly satisfying. I could just tell something was changing inside my body, and it felt good. The worst parts at this stage were the trapped wind, adjusting to the taste of the Gut Right powder and having to drop my carb intake in a half-assed attempt to somewhat comply to the diet protocol.


Days 4-7
My skin broke out pretty badly by day 4, but I’ve heard this is part of the purging/cleansing process. I also had a few really bad headaches (which I never get!), and realised I needed to be drinking a lot more water than usual while I was taking the powder.

By day 5, my average daily poo count was around 7-8 poos per day.  It was liberating at this stage because each poo was the type of poo where you walk out of the bathroom and just want to high-5 everyone instantly because your shit was that epic. I was also needing to pee SO MUCH - a combination of drinking more water and the inclusion of Cranberry proanthocyanidins in the Gut Right formula (a polyphenol that detoxifies bugs through the urine!). 

I also noticed a dramatic increase in my energy levels and quality of sleep at this stage - which was probably the best feeling in the world for me after months of suffering through exhaustion and fatigue. I was finally feeling my usual self again, and by this point, I was ready to sell my soul to the guys at ATP Science for creating such an incredible product. 

Days 8-10 
Unfortunately though, sh*t happens (or doesn’t), and for some reason, all that euphoric lightness left me at day 8 and I felt backed up and so uncomfortably bloated. I was still doing a fair amount of poo’s a day over days 8-10, but they weren’t as satisfying nor did they exit as smoothly. 

The smell was slowly improving though, and I was still reaping the benefits of better energy levels. My skin had cleared up immensely, and is probably the best it’s been in ages (I have a feeling this is tied in with a healthier gut leading to healthier hormones and less toxins in my body?!)

I honestly still can’t believe how many little things started improving for me beyond my digestive health over the 10 days - it really hit home hard for me just how many elements of our wellbeing our gut controls.

By day 10 I was feeling a little better again, though my belly was still puffy and inflamed like it was at the start of the 10 days. I was a little disheartened and frustrated at this point, because things were looking SO damn good for a few days in the middle! 

What was the overall outcome after the 10 days?
Personally, I made the decision after day 10 to continue the 3-dosage protocol for another 5 days (after consulting with the team at ATP that it was safe to do so!). This is only because I wanted to try to comply to the diet a little better and see if that helped, and really get rid of the mass of bad bugs I knew I still had in me. 

I’ve taken the weekend off, and as of Monday will begin another round before assessing where to go from there. I’ll update this post once I’ve completed the next 10 days (this time with stricter compliance to the diet!).

UPDATE! 
I have now completed the 10-day protocol again, this time following the diet a lot more compliantly. So, how did I go?

For starters, the side-effects/discomfort of the die-off reaction were so, so much worse​ than the first round. I have a feeling this was because the Gut Right formula was acting far more effectively now that I wasn't feeding the bad bugs with their main sources of fuel (e.g. complex carbs and dairy).  It was also probably likely that I was feeling more lousy as my body adjusted to far less carbs in my diet. 

Throughout those first few days I had the most excruciating bloating, headaches and nausea but I persevered, because trust me, days 5 and 6 are where the magic happens. All of a sudden I started feeling so much lighter, more energetic and just happy. I was still pooping a lot , but the bloating and discomfort had reduced significantly.  I was a little worried that this would all reverse again like it did the first round (whereby I started to get really backed up and bloated on days 8-10), but honestly, I only felt better as the days progressed.

It's now the day after day 10, and I am feeling amazing - I'm talking 100x better than I was when I first began both rounds.  My sleep, mood, energy and digestion feel miles ahead of what they were and I'm not exaggerating when I say like a different person than I was a few weeks back when I was stuck in a cycle of fatigue, depression, hormonal imbalances and major digestive issues.

In terms of advice and some tips, here’s a little FAQ that might help you!

Do I have to stick to the diet?

• Honestly, it’ll probably make the protocol a lot more effective if you stick to the diet they prescribe (trust me, it will), just because it’s important to eliminate a lot of the food sources that the bad bacteria ‘feed’ on. Feeding the bad guys all the carbs and sugar sources they love will negate some of the purging you’re trying to achieve. That being said, I personally didn’t stick to the diet. This is simply because 1) I love oats and bread too much to ever cut them out of my diet, even briefly and 2) with everything else going on with my body and mental health, I really didn’t want to restrict my diet too much and put limitations on myself.  I did, however make a conscious effort to lower my daily carb intake by around 50-60g, increased my intake of healthy fats and limited by intake of fruit and dairy products during the 10 days. Those simple tweaks alone made a big enough difference for me. Do what works for you, but don’t be mad if like me,  you don’t feel as good after the 10 days as you would have if you stuck to the right foods for this to be most effective. 
• Here are some more tweaks I made in my second round to stick to the diet:

1. ​​Swapped bread for some Paleo Pumpkin bread/buns. This recipe was a life-saver for me during the protocol and I loved it so much it's now a daily staple for me! 
2. Swapped all dairy for almond milk, and used nutritional yeast in replacement of cheese
3. Used lentils and pumpkin as my main carb sources, as well as plenty of fruit
4. I let myself have one 'off-diet' food a day. My poison of choice was oats. Do whatever you need to in order to stick to the diet 90% of the time and feel sane. 

Am I going to feel gross and bloated?

• Yes, you’re going to feel a little uncomfortable, but learn to embrace it. Don’t panic and give up within the first few days. I promise it gets SO much easier and so much more worth it beyond the initial 1-3 days. You’ve probably spent a fair bit of money on this, so give it a proper chance! Plus, 10 days of discomfort is so much better than constantly suffering with that lingering bloat and any niggling gut-related health issues.

How can I make the protocol ‘smoother’ for myself?

• Eat consistently throughout the day and try to take each scoop with an adequate amount of food. The one day that I took my doses on an empty stomach, I was left with really painful trapped wind and a lot of bloating.
• Eat often, and eat plenty of fibre. Your body will need some ‘roughage’ to help push out all the bad guys it’s flushing out. I’ve read a few people have had experiences of constipation with the protocol, but I honestly think that’s more to do with the change in their diet (e.g. cutting out complex carbs and losing sources of fibre in their daily intake) than the side-effects of the formula itself. 
• On that note, drink PLENTY of water while you’re doing this! Again, you want to keep things moving as pleasantly as possible!
• Don’t take a dose right before you exercise. I personally noticed that the urge to ‘flush’ myself of the bad sh*t would come about pretty quickly after taking each dose, so I avoided having it just before hitting the gym to avoid any discomfort or awkwardness.

How do you drink it without wanting to throw up?! 

• Don’t overthink the taste of it! Honestly, it’s not THAT bad! I personally found mixing it with a hot drink made it taste much better, as well as mixing it with strong flavours like cacao, peppermint or turmeric. By the end of the 10 days I was honestly looking forward to my daily Gut Right dose just because I’d found a Hot Chocolate Protein recipe that I loved mixing it in! (the recipe is posted below!)

Will I lose weight on this product?

• It's so important that I stress that this product is ​NOT a detox or diet cleanse. It's not a laxative-style purge, and it won't make you lose fat. 
• I personally lost around 1kg of weight during the 10 days. I was holding on to so much water and bad sh*t prior to the 10 days, that I obviously managed to flush a fair bit out. I still think I've got a bit of crap left to get out of me, so I'll see if anything changes with another 5 days. Most people probably won't notice a consistent or long-lasting weight change though - it really does depend on your gut flora and how much water your body is holding on to.  

​CONCLUSION: Would I recommend this product?
I was really hesitant to recommend this until I completed the full 10 days, partly because it IS a very expensive product, and also because every single one of us have a different gut microbiome and will experience different reactions to the ingredients in this product. Just because I had a positive experience, doesn’t mean that every single person who tries it will as well - so that’s just my little disclaimer. In fact, if you're gut is in a pretty healthy place to begin with, you might not experience any effects in your digestion at all.

It's also important to note that this product is not a magic cure in solving poor gut health - there are so many more factors at play that need to be attended to, and I don't think I would have experienced the same positive result if I hadn't made improvements to my lifestyle and stress management whilst I was undertaking the 10 day protocol.

 In saying that, if you really are eager to give yourself an extra push toward a healthier gut, then I definitely think this product is at least worth a try. 

Overall rating 8/10.

Note as of 8/11: Since reviewing this product unsponsored over 5 months ago, I have since become an affiliate for ATP Science.  Which means I can offer a 10% discount on all their products if you are interested in trying them. My code is STEPH10.
-
Gut Right Hot Chocolate Recipe:

• 1 scoop of Gut Right
• 200ml almond milk/milk of choice
• 2 tsp cacao powder 
• 10-20g chocolate protein powder 
• 300ml hot water 

Simply add the milk to a big glass, add in the Gut Right, cacao powder and protein powder and stir well. Allow to combine before pouring the hot water on top. Stir again and enjoy! 

-Since managing stress and rebalancing my hormones remain my main goals right now, it’s important that I'm taking steps towards both lowering the stress I'm faced with (i.e. ensuring adequate nutrition, proper rest, eliminating lifestyle stressors etc - all covered here) as well as strengthening my body’s ability to better cope with stress and rebalance my hormones whenever they get out of whack in the future.

Conventional treatments for many hormonal imbalances usually include synthetic hormone replacement therapies, medications and the contraceptive pill. Personally (really emphasising that this is a personal opinion), I’m of belief that while these treatments have their place, for the majority of us, relying on these only does three things:

1. Simply masks our symptoms, but doesn’t solve them. 
2. Makes us depended on taking them over a long-term basis to keep our symptoms under control.
3. May cause side effects (controversial, so I'm not going to delve into this here!)

For the sake of my own journey and recovery, I’ve made sure to read LOADS of research and have also consulted with numerous GPs and specialists to devise a more natural/holistic treatment plan that will (hopefully!) work for me. I’ve been given 6 months to heal my body naturally after a period of chronic stress and excessive cortisol,  hypothalamic amenorrhea and now adrenal fatigue and hypocortisolism.

WWithin these 6 months, I’ll be playing around with natural supplements with the hope that they will accelerate the normalisation of key hormones that have become imbalanced and deregulated in my body - such as cortisol, testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone. 

Like I’ve emphasised a few times, changing things in my diet and re-evauating some of my lifestyle habits are going to be the most crucial for balancing my cortisol levels and managing my hormones, but supplements can give me a big advantage in achieving that balance - and it would be foolish for me to ignore that advantage.

There are a ton of natural supplements out there, and many of them will be specific for healing different hormonal imbalances - so for the sake of my own experiences and blog, I’m going to 'skim over’ the really technical jargon of these, and just  outline the supplements I’m personally trialling and why. I suggest you do your own research and consult a professional before putting anything into an already stressed body!

Adaptagens:
Honestly, I’d never heard about these before I faced all these health issues - so don’t be skeptical if you haven’t heard of them before either!  

Adaptogens are a class of natural remedies that counter the physical and mental effects of stress - they are neither stimulating nor sedentary, and instead work to bring the body back to a state of balance/homeostasis - in whichever direction is needed (e.g. they will work to lower cortisol levels if they're too high, or will boost them if they'e too low).

There’s a few key ones that have been shown to effectively manage cortisol levels and rebalance sex hormones,  two I've which I'm trialling at the moment:

Ashwagandha - a traditional adaptogenic herb in Ayurvedic medicine used to treat anxiety and promote relaxation and healing. This herb has been shown to have powerful effects for lowering stress responses and regulating cortisol levels within the body. It benefits thyroid function and can help overcome adrenal fatigue.  I take in the form of daily CortRX supplementation, as well as in a herbal tea blend 1-2 x daily.


Rhodiola rosea - another adaptogenic herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. It significantly reduces chronic cortisol and increases resilience to stress. It’s also been found to alleviate symptoms of depression, and can offer energising relief to a fatigued system.  Again, I take this one in the form of daily CortRX ​supplementation. 


Conventional supplements:
A lot of these nutrients you can easily obtain from an adequate and varied diet, but keep in mind that in a stressed or compromised system, your body may not be capable of effectively extracting these nutrients from what you're eating, or it may need a little extra than you’re able to realistically consume through your diet alone.

• Fish oil - a source of omega-3 essential fatty acids that have a positive effect on brain functions such as mood, memory, cognition and general wellbeing.  Fish oil has been shown to blunt the stress response and effectively reduce cortisol levels in humans. As a pescetarian, I’m open to incorporating fish oil into my diet, but for those of you who are vegetarian/vegan, a great alternative is Flaxseed oil tablets. I've started taking 1 x flaxseed capsule a day.
• Phosphatidylerine - this is a fat that naturally occurs in the brain and our nervous system. It acts to reduce the effects of physical and mental stress by keeping cortisol levels down. 
• L-theanine - an amino acid found in black, green and white tea that’s been shown to indue a state of calmness and lowered cortisol.  I've switched out most of my long black coffees with green tea for this reason! 
• Prebiotics and probiotics - aid in repairing your gut lining - which in turn can balance your hormones. A leaky gut or poor gut health can cause inflammation and an imbalance in the production of key hormones like insulin. Currently, I'm taking ATP Science's GutRight instead of  pre/probiotics to really 'reset' my gut flora. I'll discuss this in another post!
• Magnesium - while it hasn’t been proven to reduce cortisol levels directly, magnesium has a relaxing, calming effect on the muscles which can help offset tension and stress within the body, as well as relaxing the muscles for a more peaceful sleep. I use a magnesium spray every night and have noticed a HUGE difference in my sleep quality and recovery from the gym.
• Zinc - an essential nutrient for hormone creation and balance - especially thyroid hormones, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol. As a vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian obtaining enough zinc through your diet can be tricky (but not impossible), so a supplement may be necessary. Apart from increasing my intake of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and egg,  I’ve started taking one zinc capsule a day.
• Vitamin D - works to keep inflammation levels low and to regulate the release of parathyroid hormone. It has also been implicated in balancing levels of oestrogen and offsetting insulin resistance. Personally, I have very low Vitamin D levels so I’ve been advised to take a double dose at the moment. 
• Glutamine - an essential amino acid for supporting gut health (especially leaky gut), boosting growth hormones and maintaining hormonal balance, especially during prolonged periods of exercise. I take one scoop post workout with some BCAAs or just with water.

Specific/specialised supplements

• ATP Science CortRX - a blend of adaptogenic herbs to reduce anxiety, lower cortisol and help cope with stress better. Expensive, but hands down the most effective supplement I’ve found to noticeably improve my stress response.  I took a double dose for the first week (honestly have never slept better in my life than I did that week) and now take 3 capsules each evening before bed.
• ATP Science Alpha Prime - improves your androgen to estrogen ratio. It detoxifies estrogen and boosts anabolic androgens (testosterone, DHEA and progesterone), whilst also reducing levels of catabolic cortisol from stress. Again, this one is composed of adaptogens and other natural ingredients.  I take 2-3 capsules throughout the day.  Note: I wouldn't recommend this to females suffering from PCOS or similar issues (instead try Alpha Venus which has Vitex in it instead of the testosterone-boosting Tongkat Ali).
• ATP Science GutRight - stress and unbalanced hormones come hand in hand with poor gut health. I've only JUST started taking this, so I'm going to save all things 'gut' related for another post, because it is a whole other (and really important) topic when it comes to mastering metabolic and hormonal health!

Which supplements to try first?
Firstly, to drive home this point again, make sure you’ve satisfied your core nutritional needs and eliminated some lifestyle stressors. Remember, supplements aren’t going to ‘cure’ you in isolation - so make sure you’re prioritising the tips I covered in Parts I & Part II before trying any of these supplements! 

Since stress and hormone imbalances are notorious nutrient drainers, your ‘safest’ and probably cheapest bet is to start with a high-quality multivitamin-mineral supplement and an omega-3 supplement (either fish oil or flaxseed oil). Starting here will ensure you’re building up a healthier system to combat stress, and to nourish your body with the nutrients it needs to regain an optimum balance.

Next, I’d start experimenting with some adaptogens to work directly on managing the cortisol and other stress hormones naturally - especially since you may not know which direction your hormones are falling out of balance. I went from having extremely high cortisol, to now what they suspect is chronically low cortisol. Adaptogens make sure you're not driving your hormones too far in the wrong direction - especially at the start of your recovery when you might not have clear answers as to what's out of balance and in which direction. Ashwagandha is probably the most researched and effective adaptogen for stress management, as well as being one of the easiest to find. You can buy it in capsule or powder form from most supplement or health food stores. 

I’d also recommend researching ATP Science products - they have a range of natural remedies that combine a lot of adaptogens and natural ingredients effectively to relieve common hormonal imbalances. This is completely unsponsored, but I would personally call their products life-changing, and well worth the price. (Note: I'm more than happy to review each product separately if there's enough interest!)

If you’re a gym-junkie and will be maintaining a moderate training regime throughout your healing, I would also prioritise the magnesium, zinc and glutamine for recovery and to give your body a greater chance at managing the demands of training on a stressed system (note: it’s up to your discretion and the advice of a professional to determine whether you should still be training right now).

So what is my supplement stack right now?
I feel like a bit of a pill popping junkie, but right now here’s what I’m doing:

Morning:

• 1 x Iron supplement (not necessary for hormone health, but a crucial supplement for my pescetarian diet and to prevent anaemia which I've suffered in the past.)
• 1 x Vitamin D
• Scoop of Glutamine post workout 

During the day:

• 1 x Fish oil with my breakfast 
• 3 x serves of Gut Right with my 3 main meals

Evening/Before bed:

• 2-3 x Cort RX
• 2 x Alpha Prime
• 1 x Vitamin D
• 1 x Zinc
• Magnesium spray 

So far, I am noticing a huge difference in how my body feels after implementing this supplement routine for 2 weeks now. I’m sleeping so much better (honestly it’s been amazing), my anxiety during the day is much more manageable (before this I was literally jumping out of my skin at the smallest of sounds I was that on-edge), and I can feel myself breathing more steadily and feeling more at ease. Physically, the inflammation around my gut as decreased a little, and I'm feeling lighter and holding on to less water!

I feel really hopeful that all these extra investments into my daily routine will pay-off, and I can’t wait to prove to myself and to my specialists that I can heal myself naturally - and make a comeback feeling stronger and happier than ever before. xx