Month: March 2018

What Do Contractions Really Feel Like? 5 Moms And A Doctor Answer

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date March 31, 2018

When I was nearing the end of my pregnancy, I obsessed over every twinge of pain, trying to determine if I’d had my first contraction. I wondered constantly: What do contractions feel like? What will labor be like?
I also experienced what I can only describe as pregnancy-induced rage when women would say with a knowing smile, “Oh, you’ll just know,” when I asked what real contractions feel like.
Instead, I was left to anxiously pore over pregnancy message boards reading other women’s experiences of going into labor.
The night before I had my first contraction, we’d headed to the hospital because I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid. I wasn’t, but the triage nurse told me I was probably in the initial stages of labor.
So, when I felt that first contraction, I suspected my labor had started, although I wasn’t sure, because I didn’t know exactly what to expect. And I was scared out of my maternity panties.

All that stuff they teach you in childbirth class? Right out the window.
Until I realized, Hey, my body was made to do this. And in that moment, as my husband frantically ran around our house throwing stuff in a bag like a first-time dad on TV, I remained pretty calm. Because here’s the deal: A baby is going to come out of you one way or another.
But giving birth isn’t and shouldn’t be a scary experience! There’s no need to be nervous about giving birth. We’re going to tell you exactly what contractions feel like, how to manage your contractions through labor, and answer all your contraction questions.
Here’s everything you never knew you needed to know about what contractions feel like.

So what are contractions, anyway?

Short answer: Contractions are your body’s way of gearing up for labor.
But what if I told you there are actually two types of contractions? In addition to those contractions—the ones that kickstart your labor—there are Braxton Hicks contractions, also known as false labor contractions.
And what do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like? Those are more of a tightening in your abdomen, but you’ll know they’re not real, we’re-about-to-have-a-baby contractions because they’re sporadic, painless, and will usually stop if you rest or drink a glass of water.

So how the heck are you supposed to know the difference?
“Braxton Hicks are contractions as well, just not powerful enough to cause cervical change,” says Heather Bartos, an OB-GYN at Be. Women’s Health and Wellness Center near Denton, Texas. “Labor starts when there are persistent contractions and cervical change.”

What do contractions feel like?

You asked, and oh, baby, did we answer.
While contractions do usually signal the beginning of labor, how they feel can vary wildly from woman to woman.
“Imagine the worst menstrual cramp you’ve ever had,” says Bartos. ”Now imagine that all of the sudden you want to punch your partner in the face because it hurts so bad, like you’re trying to pass a huge bowel movement. But you physically can’t get to them to punch them because it hurts too bad every three minutes or so. It almost brings you to your knees and takes your breath away.”
And that, ladies, is what contractions feel like.
Sounds great, right?

We also spoke to real moms and asked the question What do contractions feel like?
Ali Garrett, a veteran mom who’s given birth twice, says, “With my second baby, I had textbook contractions. When my contractions began, it felt like my belly was shrinking; a tightening if you will. It didn’t hurt, but it got my attention.”
Garrett had experienced Braxton Hicks throughout her pregnancy, but these contractions were the real deal.
“These contractions would last about 30 seconds, as opposed to Braxton Hicks, which would last about 10 seconds, but didn’t increase in pain or pressure.”
New mom Dora Smith-Cook says, “For me, contractions came on suddenly. They felt like a very intense version of menstrual cramps. Lots of pressure and tightening in my lower abdomen. It was a dull but powerful pain, almost like a vibration that shook my whole lower body.”
I gave birth six months ago, and my early contractions also felt like intense period cramping. Early on, I definitely felt the ebb and flow of a contraction like doctors describe. But closer to delivery, contractions came so fast I didn’t even have time to breathe through them.

Great, now I know what contractions feel like, but when will they start?

Now, I’m not saying your friend’s sister’s niece who had zero contractions during her labor is telling a fib, but…she’s probably not telling the truth either.
“99.9 percent of women will feel contractions,” says Bartos. “And they are painful. I don’t know who that 0.01 percent woman is but I’d like to meet her!”

While Bartos says that most women will begin having intermittent labor contractions as early as 37 weeks, sometimes contractions aren’t felt until well into active labor.
Amanda Johnson, who gave birth to her son about four weeks before her due date, says, “My water broke first, and I didn’t even realize that I was having contractions until the nurses hooked me up to the monitor. For me, strong contractions didn’t begin until I was almost ready to push.”
When your water breaks, sometimes it will sort of feel like a hot water balloon has burst…inside you. But your bag of waters doesn’t always come out in a gush. Sometimes it’s like a trickle and can feel exactly like you’re peeing yourself (a sensation most pregnant women are already very familiar with).
Whether it comes out in a trickle or a gush, you can expect labor to begin within 12 to 24 hours if your water breaks, so get thee to the hospital pronto.

Contractions are happening! When should I head to the hospital?

Most doctors recommend following the 4-1-1 rule, which does not mean dialing information for the name of the pizza place down the street.
If your contractions are consistently four minutes apart, lasting about one minute each time, for about an hour, you should probably give your doctor a call and let them know you’re heading to the hospital.
If you want to labor at home longer, your doctor may okay it, but Bartos says it’s time to head to the hospital when the contractions feel like they are too much to bear, or if you start shivering or shaking a lot. These could be signs that you’re in transition, which means you’re dilated to around 7 centimeters.

Of course, it would be too easy if everyone had a textbook labor and delivery.
“With my first baby, I had no warning signs I was in labor until my water broke,” says Garrett. “Then contractions came quickly and painfully, without any warning.”
For most first time moms, it can be hours before your contractions reach the 4-1-1 mark consistently, and sometimes labor can stall altogether if contractions don’t continue to build.
“[My contractions] got closer together after a few hours, and occasionally I would have two back to back,” says Smith-Cook. “The level of intensity never really increased, which may have something to do with why I ended up with a c-section. I think if I had been able to deliver vaginally, they would have progressed to a stronger level.”

I heard sometimes you’re given medication to start contractions. Why is that?

Sometimes a doctor decides to administer Pitocin, a common medication given to jumpstart labor, especially if your water has broken but contractions haven’t started yet.
Pitocin is actually a big dose of oxytocin, the same hormone your body produces naturally to stimulate contractions.

Because it’s a much larger amount of oxytocin designed to stimulate labor, Pitocin contractions can be incredibly intense, and it may be difficult to labor through them without an epidural.
“I was given Pitocin after 24 hours with my first delivery,” says Garrett. “It was like getting struck by lightning; no peak or trough like they teach you in childbirth class, just blinding pain.”

What do contractions feel like during labor?

During labor, your contractions will get progressively more intense, until it’s hard to breathe through them.
It’s at that point that you may decide to get an epidural. “An epidural doesn’t take away the sensation of pressure,” says Bartos. “But the physical pain of contractions are significantly reduced.”
Epidurals can be especially helpful if you’re experiencing back labor, which is often felt when the baby’s head is pressing against your tailbone due to its position in the womb. Epidurals sound kind of scary, but the relief they provide can help you catch a break during labor and replenish your energy for pushing.

Aubree Dickerson, a first-time mom who gave birth in January, says, “My contractions felt like intense period cramps. It was hard to take a deep breath through them, so I could only take short small breaths. Then I got an epidural and felt nothing. Praise God for that!”
If you want to try to manage the pain of contractions naturally, you can try a ton of different pain management techniques, like good old-fashioned breathing exercises or even hypnotism.
For natural relief of back labor pain, you can try having your partner press firmly against the small of your back each time your experience a contraction. The pressure of their hand counters the weight of the baby’s head, relieving some of the pressure and pain.
So is one pain management technique better than another?
“It depends on the woman,” says Bartos. “Some women really prepare (hypnotherapy, classwork prepping) and do well with more natural techniques, but some women fear those modalities and request anesthesia. Either is a fine choice!”

My doctor says I have plenty of time after contractions start before delivery, but I’m worried about giving birth in the car!

“Once my contractions with my [linkbuilder id=”6718″ text=”second child”] were 10 minutes apart, we went ahead to the hospital, where my water broke five hours later and active labor began,” says Garrett. “Twelve hours later, we had a baby.”
Generally, first-time moms do tend to have a longer labor. Most of the time, active labor for first-time moms lasts between eight and 12 hours.
But sometimes labor can progress quickly, even for first-time moms.

Take my son’s birth, for example. I had intermittent contractions the night before I gave birth, and the next morning, I sent my husband off to work with the promise that I’d call if I felt anything. An hour later, I was trying to tell him to get home between contractions. About four hours later, our son was born. My contractions came hard and fast, and I felt the need to push within just a few minutes of arriving at the hospital. The nurses had to scramble to set up our room for delivery because they assumed I’d be in labor for hours!
The best thing to do? Head to the hospital whenever you feel like you need to. You’ll get checked out and sent back home if your doctor decides you’re not in active labor.
A few false alarms are totally worth avoiding an impromptu home birth.

Is it true I’ll have contractions after delivery too?

Ah, you sweet little starfish. No one told you that contractions don’t end immediately upon giving birth?
It’s true. They don’t. But, there’s a silver lining! Actually, there are two silver linings.
The first? You have your baby!

The second? After-labor contractions are nowhere near as painful as the ones felt during labor.
Generally, you’ll feel contractions as you deliver the placenta.
“Your uterus was up by your rib cage and it rapidly shrinks down to your belly button—that requires muscle contraction … These are essential for your uterus to return to normal—if this doesn’t happen, a woman can experience significant postpartum bleeding and hemorrhage,” says Bartos.
You may also continue to feel mild contractions for several weeks, particularly when you breastfeed, as your uterus continues to shrink back to its normal size. These contractions feel like manageable period cramps.

Now that I know what contractions feel like, I don’t exactly feel better about giving birth.

So here’s the deal: Giving birth hurts like a mother.
But it really is manageable. I promise.
Now that you know what contractions feel like, you can use this information to reframe your mindset about labor pain.
“Embracing the idea that childbirth is painful (for a short period of time only, thank goodness!) can actually help your brain prepare for such an event,” says Bartos.
And you know what, mama? You’re gonna do great.

Tags search

Health x Body Wellbeing

Not So Sweet Dreams: 6 Things That Could Be Preventing You From Getting Sounder Sleep

Post author By Mary Sauer
Post date March 31, 2018

If you constantly feel like a solid night’s sleep is just out of your reach, you’re not alone. As many as 35 percent of adults report dealing with insomnia for short periods of time, while 10 percent deal with chronic, long-term insomnia.
For a healthy, happy lifestyle, good sleep is simply non-negotiable. Sometimes it feels like you’re doing everything to promote relaxation before climbing into bed, but still can’t get restful sleep and the culprits causing insomnia aren’t always as obvious as drinking too much caffeine. These six unsuspecting culprits might be preventing you from getting sounder sleep.

1. Too Much, Too Late

We all know exercise is important for good health and contributes to restful sleep, but exercise can actually prevent sleep if you’re getting active too close to bedtime. Exercise really gets your heart rate going, which increases alertness, making it difficult to settle down and doze off when it’s time for some shut eye.
If you suspect your workout is keeping you awake at night, try a new routine. Morning workouts present a unique advantage since you can burn more fat on an empty stomach. However, what is most important is finding a workout time you can stick to, so any time up until a couple hours before bed is just fine if it works for your schedule.

2. Made to Move

Of course, don’t give up exercise altogether. If you’re not sleeping well it might be because you’re not active enough. Exercise has so many positive effects on the body, like helping to reduce anxiety and regulating circadian rhythms. In general, regular aerobic exercise has been found to improve sleep in people who deal with long-term insomnia according to research published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

3. Middle-Aged Madness

Hormones can have a huge impact on sleep. During perimenopause and menopause, women’s bodies produce less estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is known to encourage sleep, which explains why so many women begin to experience sleeplessness as they enter menopause. In addition to this, there are other changes during menopause that can influence sleep, such as changes in mood, hot flashes, and concerns about the future that can cause you to toss and turn.

4. You’re a screen queen.

Devices with screens emit blue light. This light has been found to mess with melatonin, suppressing how much of this sleep-inducing hormone our bodies produce and increasing overall alertness according to research published in PLOS One. So, if you’re playing with your smartphone or pulling a second shift on your at-home computer, these devices might be to blame for your poor sleep habits. Generally, it is best to avoid screens for the two hours before to bed. Opt for a book or journaling instead.

5. Depression’s making you drowsy.

There isn’t always a physical explanation for why we can’t sleep. Sometimes our emotional state is to blame when we’re having trouble dozing off or waking frequently during the night. Both anxiety and depression can prevent you from turning your brain off before bed, and worries about tomorrow can make it difficult to fall asleep. If you’re struggling with anxiety and depression, talk with your doctor about options for coping with these mental health conditions.

6. Caffeine, cookies, and candy—oh my!

We all know that caffeine can keep you awake at night, but it isn’t as well known that our diets can influence our sleep habits. Recent research indicates that people who aren’t sleeping enough are often consuming too many calories and aren’t eating a diet that is nutritionally diverse, which highlights the importance of committing to proper nutrition.
It can be discouraging when changing your habits during the day and right before bed hasn’t had a positive effect on your sleep habits. If you’re still struggling to get to sleep at night, there are a few things you should remember. First, make sure you’re not spending too much time in bed staring at your ceiling.
Get out of bed, read a book, or journal for a few minutes before trying again. Second, considering incorporating a mindfulness habit into your daily life (the free guided meditations hosted by UCLA are a good place to start). Lastly, if none of your efforts are helping, consider seeing a doctor to discuss alternative options for promoting restful sleep so you can shake off the fog and get back to living your life.

Tags organic

Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

How To Clean Makeup Brushes (And Why You Need To Do It More Often)

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date March 31, 2018

Are you getting zits in crazy places, like nestled along your hairline or in the center of your cheeks? Is your skin oilier or dryer than normal? Are you noticing patchy makeup application?
You might be quick to blame your hormones, your genetics, or stress for wreaking havoc on your face, but in reality, your dirty makeup brushes might be the culprit.
Your makeup brushes can actually harbor tons of bacteria, according to Ann Turner, a freelance makeup artist based in Jacksonville, Florida: “Natural bristle brushes are especially porous, which can cause bacteria to grow in brush fibers if they’re not cleaned regularly.”
Gross.
That’s why you should be cleaning your foundation makeup brushes and beauty blenders at least once a week, and your eyeshadow brushes at least twice a month. Plus, not only does regular makeup brush cleaning keep your face safer, it can actually extend the life of your brushes.
[related article_ids=1005850]
Can’t remember the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes? Don’t know how to clean makeup brushes in the first place?
Lucky for your skin, it’s easy to clean makeup brushes. It’s never too late to start, either. Plus, keeping your makeup brushes clean is one of the easiest ways to keep your skin glowing and healthy.

A Few Things to Know About How to Clean Makeup Brushes

Before cleaning your makeup brushes, you’ll need to determine if your brushes are made of natural or synthetic fibers.
It should be easy to tell the difference. Natural bristle makeup brushes are made from animal hair, so they generally feel very soft. Synthetic-bristle brushes, on the other hand, are slicker and less soft. (Luckily, they both do a great job of blending your makeup—but only when they’re clean!)
Turner prefers synthetic bristles, which “harbor less bacteria, and are great for blending full-coverage foundation for a flawless finish.”
Synthetic brushes can also withstand harsher cleaning, because, well, they’re synthetic. Natural bristle brushes may wear out faster if they’re not cleaned correctly.

How to Clean Makeup Brushes: The Light Cleanse

It’s important to clean makeup brushes as often as you can, but your regular cleanse can be fairly low-effort. And before you say you barely have time for coffee, let alone spending extra time frivolously cleaning brushes, it literally only takes five minutes to lightly clean your makeup brushes, so no excuses!
You should clean makeup brushes after every use, but according to Turner “if you are the only one using your brushes on a daily basis, you can get by with lightly cleaning them once or twice a week.”
If you’ve never done it before, here’s how to clean makeup brushes to get out everyday residue:

You can use an everyday cleanser to clean makeup brushes. Turner recommends IT Cosmetics Brush Bath Purifying Brush Cleanser or Jane Iredale Botanical Brush Cleaner.
Gently swipe your makeup brush back and forth against a clean cloth until it starts rubbing clean. (Go ahead and splurge on a larger latte, because you don’t need to purchase fancy brush cleaning tools, says Turner. All you need is an inexpensive pack of cotton washcloths. I like these white cotton washcloths from AmazonBasics.)
Leave your brush to dry. Easy as pie!

“Just make sure you gently rub your brushes into the cloth,” Turner explains. “If you are rough with your brushes, especially natural fibers, they’ll wear out faster.”

Our Makeup Brush Cleanser Picks:

How to Clean Makeup Brushes: The Deep Cleanse

Deep cleaning and disinfecting your makeup brushes should be done at least once a week (and more often if you use heavily pigmented foundation, which can gunk up brushes quickly).
Here’s how to clean makeup brushes in order to really get the junk out:

All you need to deep clean your brushes is a small bowl filled with warm water (Turner likes to put a few marbles in hers for the brushes to rest on) and a couple of drops of gentle baby shampoo, like Johnson’s Natural Baby Shampoo.
Mix the baby shampoo into the bowl of warm water until it’s a little bubbly, but not overflowing with suds. Think less like your post work-week wine bubble bath, and more like the little dish of water you dip your hands in for a manicure.
Swirl your brushes in the water carefully so that the ferrule doesn’t get wet.

What’s a ferrule?
So glad you asked.
The ferrule is the metal part of your brush that holds the bristles to the brush handle. If the ferrule gets wet repeatedly, it can not only harbor bacteria, but compromise the integrity of your brush, causing bristles to loosen and fall out.

After you swirl your brush in its little bubble bath, tap the excess water off before swirling the bristles on a cloth until the brush rubs clean, just like you do throughout the week.
After washing brushes, it’s important to lay them flat to dry with the fibers laying over the edge of the counter or table so air can circulate around them easily. This also helps brushes reform their natural shape after cleaning and keeps moisture out of the base of the brush (remember ferrule, the word of the day?)

“After washing and drying my brushes, I place them in a large vase filled with marbles,” says Turner. “That way they stay upright, not touching one another until they are dry. Plus, its a great way to store your brushes. You could also get creative and use river rocks or sand in different containers to store your brushes between use.”

How to Clean Makeup Brushes: Beauty Blender Edition

So it’s not really a brush, but the beauty blender is the true workhorse of any makeup routine. But when was the last time you showed your beauty blender the attention it deserves?
If you’re not regularly cleaning your beauty blender, go ahead and apologize to your blender (and your skin). Dirty beauty blenders are extremely porous, so they can hide tons of mold and bacteria, which, like dirty makeup brushes, can cause your face to break out.
Your beauty blender needs to be cleaned every day because it can soak up a LOT of product. To clean your blender, saturate it with warm water and a couple drops of shampoo. Gently wash until the water runs clear, squeeze the excess water out of the blender, and allow it to fully air dry before the next use.
Alas, that pretty pink egg isn’t meant to last a lifetime. You should plan on replacing your beauty blender every three to four months.
Time for a replacement?

Shop Beauty Blenders:

FAQ on How to Clean Makeup Brushes

You asked; we answer.
Q: Can I clean my makeup brushes with plain old dish soap?
A: Yes! And no. You can clean synthetic makeup brushes and beauty blenders with regular dish soap because it’s harder to cut through makeup residue on these materials. But you want to use a more gentle cleaning agent on natural bristle brushes. Since they come from animals, think of cleaning your natural bristle makeup brushes the same way you clean your hair. A cleanser that’s too harsh will leave your makeup brush fibers dry and brittle.
Q: If I can use tea tree oil to clean my makeup brushes, can I use different oils, like coconut or olive oil, too?
A: You can add just a smidge (a very, very small amount) of olive oil as a moisturizing agent when deep-cleaning your brushes, but it may not be a good idea to substitute olive oil with coconut oil. Coconut oil is pretty high on the comedogenic scale, which measures an oil’s pore-clogging tendencies. If you have break-out prone skin, it’s probably best to leave the coconut oil in the kitchen.
Q: Do I need to throw out makeup brushes after I pink eye, or can I just disinfect them?
A: Sorry to tell you, but yes. You can certainly try to completely disinfect your brushes, but why would you risk getting pink eye again? If you used any of your brushes near your eye, you’re taking a big risk by using them again.
Q: Is sharing makeup brushes with friends really that bad?
A: Not necessarily. When you were sharing eyeshadow brushes and mascara with your sixth grade besties, you probably weren’t regularly washing your makeup brushes (probably because you didn’t own any makeup brushes other than disposable applicators, which do not count). Fast forward a few years and now you’re doing each other’s makeup before a night out. Sharing makeup brushes is almost always okay—as long as you clean your makeup brushes after each individual use.
Q: Is it okay to leave my makeup brushes in the bathroom? That’s where I do my makeup anyway.
A: Riddle me this: Do you know how many poo particles are floating around your bathroom at any given time? Well, it’s sort of a lot. A 2015 study found that 60 percent of toothbrushes left in bathrooms had traces of fecal matter on them. Samesies for your expensive makeup brushes.
If you don’t have the space for a full-on makeup room (hey, we’re not all Kylie Jenner), try creating a small makeup station on top of your dresser or in other non-bathroom space. Because nobody wants poo on their face.

Create Your Makeup Station:

Tags search

Happy x Mindful Wellbeing

Nurtured By Nature: How And Why You Should Incorporate Ecotherapy Into Your Routine

Post author By Sian Ferguson
Post date March 30, 2018

When my doctor wrote me a prescription for 10 minutes spent in nature each day, I thought she was joking. It turns out that an increasing number of medical professionals are prescribing ecotherapy—that is, contact with nature—for their patients. This could include anything from sports in outdoor environments to spending time with animals to hanging out in a park or garden.
While sunshine and fresh air might seem like a crunchy response to illness, there’s actually a great deal of research that suggests nature has a positive impact on people’s mental and physical health.
Studies suggest time in nature can improve the memory and cognitive function of people with depression. Group walks are also associated with a lower rate of depression, better mental well-being, and less perceived stress—in other words, people cope better with stressful life events when they intentionally spend time in nature with others.
[related article_ids=1003959]
A number of studies have also suggested that gardens in hospitals have a number of health benefits for patients, particularly stress-reducing benefits. While there is a need for more research, nature-based therapy is often used to successfully treat people with stress-related illnesses.
Ecotherapy also includes animal-assisted therapy. Those of us with furbabies can attest to their abilities to heal and comfort, and science suggests the same. For example, various studies show that animal-assisted therapy can aid in treating depression, helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder, and comforting those with dementia.

But why is ecotherapy good for us? And how exactly does it work?

While ecotherapy experts can’t pinpoint exactly why ecotherapy works, there are a few well-supported theories. In a meta-study, leading ecotherapy expert Craig Chalquist attributes ecotherapy to the fact that we’ve evolved to exist in natural environments. Remaining in urban areas is thus like taking an animal out of their natural habitat—we don’t adapt to it easily. “Disconnection from the natural world in which we evolved produces a variety of psychological symptoms that include anxiety, frustration, and depression,” he writes. “These symptoms cannot be attributed solely to intrapsychic or intrafamilial dynamics.”
In a world where we’re often looking at screens and processing a lot of stimulating information, nature can provide us with a much-needed break. Staring at your screen all day can be overwhelming, and a few minutes spent in the garden or park can give you time to relax and recharge.
Since most of us are stuck in offices for the majority of the day, it’s pretty hard to incorporate more nature into our weekdays. If you’d like to harness the de-stressing power of nature during the day, try some of the following ecotherapy activities:

If possible, get outside during your lunch break. Instead of eating lunch at your desk or in the office break room, head to a nearby park or walk down a leafy avenue. Even a breather on the balcony or in a garden is a great way to get some quality time with nature!
Get some houseplants to spruce up your work area. Indoor plants are shown to have a positive effect on our well-being. A recent study suggested that potted plants have a positive impact on job satisfaction, too.
Try to spend a little time in nature before or after work. If possible, try walking or cycling to work. If not, have your morning coffee while sitting in a natural environment or read a book in the park after work.

According to many ecotherapists, ecotherapy should also include giving back to nature. This can be therapeutic in itself. For example, it can be super satisfying to work on a garden and see your handiwork come to life, and cleaning up a park can give you a sense of accomplishment. For this reason, activities like plogging (that is, picking up litter while jogging) can be beneficial to your health and the environment.
If you’re interested in giving back to nature while enjoying the benefits of ecotherapy, try activities like beach cleanups, working in a community garden, planting trees, or tending to a small indoor succulent garden. Want to get out and enjoy nature with others? Plan a hike or commit to taking your pup for a walk at least twice a week. Don’t have a dog? Meet up with a friend or neighbor who does.
Recreation.gov and the National Audubon Society also host excellent resources for finding inspiring outdoor destinations near you.

Tags Featured, organic, sfs-backfill

Healthy Pregnancy Motherhood

What Pregnancy Hormones Really Do (And How To Deal)

Post author By Jeanne Sager
Post date March 30, 2018

Exhaustion. Tender breasts. Morning sickness. They’re all signs of pregnancy. But almost as important: They’re all signs that pregnancy hormones have kicked into high gear and they’re doing exactly what they need to do to keep you and your baby healthy.
Okay, okay. When you’re running to the bathroom for the third time in an hour, it may not feel like such a great thing. And the ebbs and flows of pregnancy hormones can have you tearing your hair out one minute and then marveling at how thick and lush it is the next. But hormones play a crucial role in helping the body get pregnant, stay pregnant, and prepare for the arrival of a baby.
Unlike your skin, hair, and belly, however, hormonal changes occur without us ever seeing them, making for one of the great mysteries of pregnancy.
What’s really going on at the hormonal level? When can you expect your pregnancy hormones to spike, and how do they change throughout the course of the nine months (give or take) of making a baby?
Let’s dive in!

What’s a hormone anyway?

We might not spend much time thinking about them, but hormones rule our lives. Produced by a number of glands throughout the body—from the pituitary to the thyroid—hormones are essentially chemicals that travel throughout the body, coordinating the functions of our organs and tissues.
“Hormones are for essential for life,” says nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife Patricia A. Evans of MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, California. “[They] contribute [to] and influence immune system functionality and can even affect behavior.”
Hormones also play a major role in puberty, dictating body changes and—in cisgender females—spurring the beginning of the body’s menstrual cycle.
Not having a period? Having periods that are too long or too frequent? All those issues come down to hormones, says Sherry Ross, MD, OB-GYN and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. And because fertility is directly tied to the body’s menstrual cycles, doctors will typically test a woman for a hormonal imbalance if she walks in the office citing infertility concerns. Correcting that imbalance can be the key to helping solve infertility woes.
On the other hand, when all of the hormones are right in line, it’s these chemicals floating around the body, keeping everything in check, that help make conception happen.
Not making the connection? That’s okay; you’re not the only one who hasn’t been back to science class in a while.
Diana Bitner, MD, an OB-GYN at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, broke it down for us. “A correct hormone balance is crucial to getting pregnant, and hormones are in good balance when the ovary is functioning well and the brain and the ovary are communicating well,” she explains. “If the ovary is able to make a good quality egg, then the hormones are right.”
So how does it work?
When a woman is healthy and in the reproductive phase of her life, she’s typically ovulating every 28 to 30 days (depending on a woman’s “normal” cycle). When her period is starting, a new follicle in the ovary is being stimulated by a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
“The cells around the immature egg make estrogen in the first half of the cycle,” Bitner explains.
Ovulation, which typically occurs smack dab in the middle of your menstrual cycle, is triggered by yet another hormone: luteinizing hormone (LH for short).
When the follicle stimulated by FSH syncs up with the LH-stimulated ovulation, the follicle releases an egg, Bitner says, and the body’s cells make yet another hormone called progesterone.
“The lining of the uterus is analogous to the ‘lawn,’ and [the hormone] estrogen acts as fertilizer and the progesterone as almost weed-killer to keep it from growing out of control,” Bitner says. Together the hormones help the lining of the uterus mature and get ready for a fertilized egg to plant. If that happens, the fertilized egg will then have a home on the “lawn” to develop into a fetus, the way a seed develops into a flower in your yard.

Pregnancy Hormones: The Big 3

So hormones help you turn all that bedroom fun into an actual pregnancy. Then what? More hormones get in on the action.
After an egg is fertilized by the sperm, it heads to the uterus to implant, and hormones kick in to help the body sustain a pregnancy and help the embryo grow into a fetus. The three main pregnancy hormones are human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, and estrogen.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)

A popular fad diet featuring human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has gotten the stink-eye from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making the term sound a little scary for a pregnant woman. Fortunately, the hCG produced by the body during pregnancy isn’t just healthy…it’s absolutely vital.
While all three major pregnancy hormones will increase in the weeks after conception, hCG is the first, Evans says, and it’s responsible for keeping the other two at appropriate levels while the placenta grows. Once the placenta is developed enough to sustain the growing embryo—at around 10 to 12 weeks, basically the tail end of the first trimester—hCG production slows down as the placenta steps up to the plate.

Progesterone

Initially produced by the ovaries, progesterone kicks in early in the pregnancy, and you’ll start seeing physical changes because of it. A rise in progesterone levels will increase a pregnant woman’s heart rate—and her appetite. It can also lead to some of the more uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy, such as fatigue.
Because progesterone has an impact on the smooth muscles of the body, it affects the lower esophageal sphincter, Evans says, which can cause heartburn and acid reflux, mostly later in pregnancy. Progesterone also softens the cartilage, which contributes to pelvic pain. On the other hand, it’s that softening that helps the hips to expand during childbirth!
Low progesterone levels can lead to miscarriage, warns Anita Somani, MD, an OB-GYN with OhioHealth in Columbus, Ohio, so your OB-GYN or midwife may be doing blood tests to keep track of your progesterone levels, especially if you’ve had issues in the past.
If you’re looking at the blood tests for answers, here’s a basic guideline. Progesterone levels can range from 9 to 47 ng/mL in the first trimester, with an average of 12 to 20 ng/mL in the first 5 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. But Evans is quick to say that these numbers are not to be taken alone, as each woman’s body is different. “It is not the single value that can predict a healthy pregnancy outcome,” she warns. When in doubt, ask your doctor or midwife.
Some OB-GYNs do suggest women who have had a previous miscarriage or have experienced a pre-term delivery take progesterone during their pregnancy in addition to the amount the body produces.
Studies on the efficacy of added progesterone are mixed. One 2015 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that progesterone therapy in the first trimester of pregnancy “did not result in a significantly higher rate of live births among women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriages.” Because of studies like these, it’s not recommended that women take progesterone on their own without a doctor signing off.
The body’s progesterone production will slow down in the end of the first trimester as the placenta takes center stage.

Estrogen

Along with progesterone, estrogen is produced in the ovaries, and it helps sustain the lining of the uterus in the first trimester, supporting the developing embryo. It’s also one of the two hormones (again, along with progesterone) most responsible for the physical changes we have come to associate with pregnancy.
The most pronounced? Those achy, throbbing breasts can be blamed on increased estrogen production in your body. If you’ve got a stuffy nose, you can blame that on estrogen too. The hormone helps increase blood flow through the body. This is good news for your growing fetus, which will depend on that increased blood, but it can result in swelling in your nostrils. (Then again, it’s all that extra blood flow that contributes to a pregnant woman’s “glow.”)
The ovaries’ estrogen production will begin to wane near the end of the first trimester.

What about the baby?

While the big three hormones begin to taper off by the time you hit your second trimester, that doesn’t mean hormones aren’t still working on your body.
As the embryo grows, so does the placenta. By about week nine of your pregnancy, the placenta takes over pumping out estrogen and progesterone and adds yet another pregnancy hormone, human placental lactogen (hPL), to the mix. One of hPL’s main jobs is to inhibit insulin, preventing glucose from absorbing into a mother’s cells. In turn, that makes your bloodstream glucose levels increase, providing more sugar to the baby so he or she can grow.
Overall, hormones produced in the placenta will work together to promote fetal growth while also helping a mother’s body become an even better place for a baby to develop. That means some will spike, decrease, then spike again, and you’re just along for the ride.

Up and Down and Back Again

All that ebbing and flowing of hormone levels may be natural, but let’s face it, it’s not easy having your hormones fluctuate. From exhaustion to wild emotions, hormones can make you feel like you’re on a roller coaster.
“Mood swings, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness, sensitivity to smells and odors can be overwhelming at times,” Evans admits. “The good news is that these are temporary and most decrease with time.”
In truth, there’s nothing you can do about hormone fluctuations. They’re part of pregnancy. But they also don’t have to plague you the whole nine months.
“Change is normal and moods can be affected,” Bitner explains. “The best is self-care and awareness. If a women has underlying mood issues, such as anxiety or depression, the worries of pregnancy, body changes, and relationship changes can add stress and expose coping difficulties.
“The best way to cope is to have good self-care in place with a healthy diet, adequate sleep, a support network of family and friends, and (if necessary) counseling to deal with more difficult situations,” she adds. “Women who cope are able to ask for help when needed, believe they deserve to be happy and do well, and keep a network in place. Some women do need medication for mood during pregnancy and there are safe options.”
Evans recommends her patients break down the nine months into chunks to get through.
“I like to describe the first 20 weeks of pregnancy as [wedding] planning,” she says. “[You’re] busy with anticipation, worries, excitement for the future, and ups and downs of event planning. When the wedding day arrives at around 20 weeks, you find you have more energy and sense of euphoria as the honeymoon begins and you start buying baby clothes and life is grand as the hormones settle in and calm down.”
By the last month, however, the honeymoon is over and you’re facing yet another hormone change.
“As your body prepares to give up this growing life inside, you can’t breathe, sleep, eat, find clothes that fit and your feet have outgrown every pair of shoes in your closet, and all you want is to meet your new baby, and for the pregnancy to be done so you have more energy and a sense of euphoria never before experienced—the birth of your baby,” Evans says.

After Baby Comes

Once the baby arrives, your hormones will change once again. The placenta leaving the body means it’s no longer producing hormones, and estrogen and progesterone levels fall to low levels rapidly after birth.
If you decide to breastfeed, estrogen and progesterone will help support milk production and suppress ovulation (which is why many breastfeeding moms don’t get a period for months or even years after giving birth).
These hormonal changes can be dicey for moms who are risk of anxiety or depression, Bitner warns, as the loss of estrogen is associated with less serotonin activity.
“Serotonin is the brain chemical which impacts many women in how they cope and how they feel,” she explains. “Lower effective serotonin levels can lead to marked depression and/or anxiety, especially if other risk factors exist, such as sleep deprivation and life stressors.”
Depression treatment can start during pregnancy, or you may need to be watched for postpartum depression symptoms. So if you’re worried about the way hormonal fluctuations can affect your mood during and after pregnancy, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider. There is help available.
[related article_ids=18016,7141,8911,18074]

Tags search

Health x Body Wellbeing

How To Get Rid Of Bloating When You’re Feeling Like A Balloon

Post author By Jeanne Sager
Post date March 29, 2018

If you’ve ever woken up with a stomach that feels like it’s housing an expanding balloon, you know all too well that bloating is no fun. That bloated feeling in your stomach can make you feel like crawling back in bed instead of heading out for the day.
But with recent warnings from British doctors that some women are confusing the symptoms of ovarian cancer with bloating during their menstrual cycle, a lot more of us are on edge about that full-belly feeling.
So when are you experiencing normal bloating, and when do you need to call the doctor? And if it’s just a bloated stomach, do you know how to get rid of bloating with fast home remedies that will have you getting on with life in 24 hours (or less)?
We talked to the experts to get you the answers you need.

What’s going on?

Bloating is uncomfortable, and it can send folks running for their doctors’ offices, but it’s not technically a disease. Instead, bloating is a symptom that can accompany various diseases and conditions. It can be a sign that you’ve eaten too much, had too much to drink, or even inhaled too much air.
If you were to describe what it means to feel bloated, words like bleeech and ugh would fit in nicely. But medical practitioners—not surprisingly—have a more clinical vocabulary when it comes to defining bloating.
“Bloating is a sensation of fullness in the upper abdomen,” says Alexandra Guillaume, MD, director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center at Stony Brook Medicine and assistant professor in the Long Island, New York, university’s department of medicine.
That sounds simple enough, right? If the top of the belly feels extra full, you’re bloated.
But that’s where the simplicity ends and the confusion can begin.
That feeling of increased abdominal pressure is often accompanied by what’s called “abdominal distentions,” or a visible enlargement of the waistline. As anyone who has a pair of Thanksgiving pants knows, sometimes the two go together, sometimes they don’t. But it turns out you don’t need that distended-belly look to feel absolutely miserable…or to be bloated.
In one study published in the medical journal Gastroenterology, researchers measured abdominal girth in relation to pressure complaints, and just 48 percent of patients with bloating had measurable distention in their torsos. The other 52 percent were still bloated, but doctors couldn’t see the physical signs on the outside. And theirs wasn’t the only study to come to this conclusion.
What’s more, while some people experience bloating and gas at the same time, the two don’t have to go hand in hand.
“Bloating can be the result of having an increased or intolerable amount of gastric and/or intestinal gas, as some individuals experience the symptom of bloating with normal amounts of gas,” Guillaume says. Then again, bloating can be the result of anything from increased fluid in the abdomen to bowel wall inflammation to what Guillaume calls “malabsorbed food substrates” (parts of the food that haven’t broken down and been absorbed into the body yet).
In other words: You can be bloated without flatulence or burping, and you can have gas without being bloated.
So how do you know it’s really bloating and not, say, gas or weight gain that’s affecting your abdomen? And how do you know it’s not that virus that’s been going around your office?

Let’s start with where it hurts.

“Most people feel this sensation between the belly button and up to the middle of the rib cage,” says Boston-based dietitian Kate Scarlata, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well with IBS. Gas, on the other hand, tends to occur in the large intestine or lowest segment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Another defining feature of bloating? There are just a handful of typical causes:

Swallowed Air or Aerophagia (Excessive Swallowing of Air)

We need air to breathe, but there really is too much of a good thing, Guillaume says. Excess swallowing can occur when you’re sucking on hard candies, chewing gum, or experiencing anxiety, which may cause you to suck in large amounts of air.
“Carbonated beverages such as soda, seltzer, and beer can also generate excess gastric and intestinal air,” Guillaume warns, adding, “This is usually brief.”
The good news? All that extra air may cause bloating, but it’s typically easily expelled, so you can get rid of bloating fast.
“Air advancing from the stomach into the upper small bowel is usually promptly cleared,” Guillaume says. “Carbon dioxide and oxygen rapidly diffuse through the intestinal wall. Nitrogen gas is poorly absorbed, but is rapidly propelled towards the colon and expelled through the anus.”
In other words, you’ll probably burp and fart it out.

Food Intolerance and Carbohydrate Malabsorption

If you’ve ever felt like your dinner just didn’t agree with you, you might be right. Food doesn’t have to be spoiled or laced with a toxin to bother our systems. Nor does it have to be unhealthy.
Eating a lot of fiber or carbohydrates such as bran, cabbage, beans, broccoli, or similar foods can all cause discomfort in your abdomen.
Bloating after a meal can also be a sign of a food intolerance or disease, Guillaume warns.
If you experience bloating after consuming lactose, your body may be lacking the enzyme lactase, which is required to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk, certain cheeses, or ice cream. People with undiagnosed celiac disease may also bloat as their body struggles to absorb wheat, barley, and rye products.
Some foods, known as FODMAPs, are also common culprits when you’re feeling bloated. Carbohydrates found in everyday—and relatively healthy—foods like apples, pears, watermelon, wheat, cauliflower, onion, garlic, to name a few, FODMAPs are rapidly fermented by gut microbes and can also pull water into the gut, Scarlata says.
“The aftermath of excess water and/or fermentation of these carbs in the gut can contribute to the sensation of bloating in those with FODMAP sensitivities,” she warns.

Underlying Constipation

If you’re feeling “backed up,” that general feeling of pressure may, well, back up, spreading from the intestines north into the abdomen. Not surprisingly, this can be tied to foods as well, as excessive amounts of fiber can cause simultaneous constipation and bloating.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

This condition occurs when there’s an excess of normal bacteria in the small intestine. “These intestinal bacteria play a key role in bloating and flatulence through carbohydrate fermentation and gas production,” Guillaume says. “Patients with altered anatomy due to surgery, those with diabetes, or those with certain rheumatologic disease may be at an increased risk of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.”

Hormones

No, you’re not imagining that puffy feeling in the lead-up to your period. “Feeling bloated is a real concern in the week prior to actually menstruating,” says Latasha Murphy, MD, an OB-GYN at the gynecology center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. The reason? Your hormones fluctuate. “The progesterone drops and the estrogen levels rise,” Murphy explains. “This can lead to sluggish bowel motility and water retention that leads to the bloating sensation.”
Although those are the most typical causes, Guillaume says if you’re trying to figure out if you’re feeling uncomfortable because you’re coming down with that virus that’s been floating around your office or just feeling bloated, it may be both! Because bloating is a symptom and not a disease, it can be a precursor to worse symptoms ahead.
“An acute infectious enteritis may be associated with severe bloating and distention in the early stages, even before diarrhea occurs,” Guillaume warns.
That said, if you’re feeling abdominal pain that’s accompanied by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, joint pains, or an abnormal rash, it’s wise to call your doctor. Those symptoms can be a sign of trouble.

Fight the bloat.

Let’s face it: No matter what’s causing it, you want to get rid of that bloated-belly sensation as soon as possible.
How to do it—and how fast it can be done—comes down to the cause. That bloating from slurping down a soda too fast during your super short lunch break can disappear on its own in less than an hour.
If a virus is causing the bloat, you might just have to wait it out, as viral conditions typically have to run their course.
If the problem is your impending period, it’s time to get up and move, and change up what you’re eating and drinking. Exercise will promote bowel motility, Murphy says, which can help you feel less backed up, and drinking a lot of water can help, too.
Abdominal massage can help move the gas into the lower GI tract so that it is easier to pass, Scarlata advises, and there are medicines that can help get things moving, too.
“The herbal supplement Iberogast can help the intestinal move more efficiently, lessening bloating,” Scarlata notes, “Some find simethicone supplements helpful. Simethicone reduces the surface tension of gas bubbles, making the gas bubbles smaller and easier to move through the GI tract for elimination.”
If you’ve been eating any gas-inducing foods (beans, cabbage, and the like), cutting back can help you fight the bloat. But sometimes figuring out just what is making it happen can require a bit of trial and error…and hyper vigilance.
“Maintain a food journal for at least one month and list what you experience after eating a variety of foods and food groups,” Guillaume suggests. “Also, be cognizant of your bowel habits and pattern and how this affects your perception of bloating or visible abdominal distention.”

When to Call the Doctor

If you’re feeling bloated after one meal or days before you’re expecting your period, there’s likely no cause for concern. Occasional bloating happens.
It’s when you feel bloated for days on end or there are other symptoms—such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, feeling a constant need to urinate or defecate—that you need to call your doctor.
Among the diseases that may be causing bloating along with these symptoms are celiac disease, ovarian cancer, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Although those sound scary, frequent bloating is not always a sign of serious disease. It could simply be an indicator that you have a food intolerance. Treating it could be as simple as cutting a single food out of your diet, which is why it’s important to keep a food journal and bring it with you to your doctor’s office.
“Measures to reduce bloating should be determined and implemented depending on the cause of bloating,” Scarlata notes. “It really is not a one-size-fits all approach. [You need to] work with a healthcare provider to better gauge the reason for the bloating to develop a more tailored approach to treatment.”

Bye Bye, Bloating

Let’s face it: Life is a lot easier if we just avoid bloating altogether. While that’s not always possible (see also: disease causes), there are some preventative measures that work for a number of cases.
If you regularly suffer from menstrual bloating, increasing your water intake and cutting gassy foods from your diet in the days leading up to your period can help, Murphy says, along with kicking your exercise routine into high gear.
If you don’t have a diagnosed food intolerance but know that eating a hot dog smothered in onions is going to make you gassy (and bloated), you can avoid the food entirely. Or you can indulge your cravings while trying to stave off the bloat with a dose of an over-the-counter remedy such as simethicone (aka Gas-X) or alpha-d-galactosidase, the generic of Beano.
If you’re looking to go in the opposite direction by upping the healthy quotient on your foods, dive into fibrous eats with a dose of caution. It’s good to increase bran foods and beans, but do so slowly, lest your new health kick make you feel like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka.
Probiotics work for some folks as well, but Guillaume warns that the data in medical literature is mixed, and there’s no consistent evidence that shows that probiotics are effective at relieving bloating, distention, or flatulence.
One piece of advice that doctors routinely give patients when advising on general health applies when it comes to bloating, too: Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.

Tags search

Health x Body Wellbeing

Does CBD Oil Really Work? Here’s What Two Industry Experts Have To Say About The Trending Remedy

Post author By Sian Ferguson
Post date March 29, 2018

As more and more states legalize cannabis, people are becoming increasingly interested in the medical benefits of the plant. One topic that seems to be on everyone’s mind is cannabidiol oil, or CBD oil.
Cannabis plants contain over 60 chemical compounds called cannabinoids. Two of those cannabinoids are CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These cannabinoids affect our endocannabinoid system, which is located throughout our bodies. By affecting our endocannabinoid system, cannabinoids cause various changes within our bodies.
THC has an intoxicating effect, which means it gets you high. CBD, on the other hand, won’t get you high—but research suggests that it does have a number of other health-impacting properties. CBD oil is meant to harness those health benefits for those who want to treat certain conditions and ailments, such as anxiety, using a natural product.
In theory, CBD oil has a high concentration of CBD and little to no THC, meaning that it won’t make you high. However, the actual definition of CBD oil isn’t so clear-cut. “The terms CBD oil and cannabis oil are broad terms that are not defined with any certainty,” says Gary Hiller, president and COO of Phytecs, a biotech company that’s researching the endocannabinoid system.
While the scientific definition of CBD oil is less than straightforward, there’s one big difference between CBD oil and cannabis oil: While cannabis oil is only legally available in certain states, CBD is available everywhere according to Emma Chasen, a cannabis educator, activist, and director of the Sativa Science Club.
So, CBD oil may be legal, but is it effective?

Are the benefits of CBD oil real?

You might have heard that CBD oil can address and soothe a wide range of conditions, from mental illnesses to skin problems to aching joints—but is there any substance to these claims?
“CBD oil has many reported health benefits,” Chasen says. “It acts as an analgesic—that is, a pain-reliever—especially for neuropathic pain. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant properties.”
Despite the significant number of reported benefits, further research is needed to verify these claims. “Unfortunately, only a very limited number of controlled, extensive, and DA-conforming clinical trials have been completed and reported on the application of CBD or [CBD oil],” says Tamás Bíró, MD, PhD, DSc, director of applied research at Phytecs.
That said, the research that does exist is promising. Bíró notes that CBD was shown to be effective at treating certain forms of difficult-to-manage childhood epilepsy, like Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
According to Bíró, smaller studies and pre-clinical trials have also suggested that CBD can have a positive effect on a number of health conditions, including

Mental disorders including schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
Tumors
Cardiovascular diseases
Inflammatory and autoimmune conditions
Metabolic syndromes
Kidney diseases
Skin conditions like atopic eczema and acne

Bíró notes that while these results are promising, they require further research before we can confidently say that CBD oil is an effective treatment. In other words, it looks like CBD might be helpful for those who are living with various diseases and conditions like those listed above—but right now, the medical and scientific communities just aren’t sure.

Is CBD oil safe?

Many people feel like it’s worth trying, though, even if scientists aren’t 100 percent sure how CBD oil works. While CBD-infused products can be expensive, the health risks are very low. For those who are struggling to find relief for their health conditions, it might be a case of little to lose, much to gain. “There are of course side effects of CBD oil, but none are dramatically negative,” Chasen says. “There is no defined lethal dose of CBD, so we can assume that it is fairly safe to consume.”
For those wondering if CBD oil is safe for those who are pregnant or nursing, Chasen says, “There is no research that points to the negative effects of CBD on people who are pregnant or nursing.” He goes on to say, “We do need more research to uncover the long-term effects of CBD medicine on people who are nursing and their children.” In other words, exercise caution and consult your doctor prior to using any CBD products especially if you’re pregnant or nursing.

How can I use CBD oil? And how does it feel?

CBD is available in a range of different forms including in pills, capsules, and oils. CBD oil can be taken on its own, but some people prefer to add it to food or mix it into smoothies in order to mask its distinct (and to some, off-putting) flavor.
Immediately after consuming CBD oil, one might feel a sense of calm or euphoria, Chasen says. Since it’s a muscle relaxant, you might feel your body becoming less tense. “CBD oil can cause drowsiness in some, so I’d recommend consuming in the evening the first couple of times,” Chasen notes.
If you want to use CBD oil for a specific ailment, it’s always best to speak to your physician first. Consider looking online for a cannabis-friendly physician if your usual doctor is unhelpful.

Can CBD oil work on my pet?

Cannabinoids can affect all mammals since all mammals have an endocannabinoid system. There are plenty of companies that claim their CBD products will help your pets, and a lot of anecdotal evidence suggests dogs can benefit from CBD oil. Unfortunately, more studies are needed to validate these claims.
However, some studies suggest CBD oil can provide hope for dogs and their humans. A 2012 study showed that CBD oil soothed inflammatory skin disorders on dogs. According to a 2017 BBC article, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University is researching the effects of CBD on dogs through two clinical trials that consider the effects of the compound on canine seizures and canine arthritis.

How do I know if a CBD oil product is legitimate?

If you want to try CBD oil, be discerning when it comes to buying products. In 2017, 2016, and 2015, the FDA issued warning letters to a number of companies for claiming to sell products containing CBD oil. The FDA tested their products and found that they didn’t contain the amount of CBD they claimed to contain. “Many people looking to capitalize on the CBD market have started selling hemp seed oil and marketing it as CBD oil,” says Chasen. “Hemp seed oil and CBD oil are not the same thing.”
So, how can you make sure the CBD oil you buy is legitimate? “Acquire the product only from a trusted source that can provide you with a laboratory report that includes information on the product’s constituent elements,” says Hiller. Chasen and Hiller both say a manufacturer should be able to provide you with confirmation that the CBD oil is free from contaminants and pesticides.
“Research the company. Read reviews on their products.” Chasen says. “You want to make sure you are consuming clean, safe, potent medicine.” After all, if you’re putting something in your body, it’s worth doing some background research on it!
[related article_ids=17307]

Tags mid-tier

Healthy Her Way Lifestyle

Shona Vertue, Personal Trainer × Author Of "The Vertue Method"

Post author By Taylor Geiger
Post date March 29, 2018

Full disclosure: I started watching Shona Vertue’s workout videos on her YouTube channel as a way to learn more about her training methods and to get a better sense of her personality. Okay, you caught me…I also couldn’t stop watching because her Australian accent is the shiz.
Fast forward a few weeks—I now work out along with at least one of her videos every single day, starting my mornings off right with this Vertuous Quickie (a clever name for her shorter workout videos that also serves as a testament to her wit).
Shona’s ability to captivate and educate people all over the world on all things food and fitness is one of the reasons our HealthyWay team knew we had to share her talents with our readers.
During her youth in Australia, Shona pursued gymnastics, surfing, dance, and bodybuilding. Although her bodybuilding experience resulted in a brief battle with orthorexia, Shona views this time a powerful learning opportunity during which she acquired new knowledge about nutrition and how to properly build muscle. It was also during this time that she realized feeling good should always come before looking good—a belief that she often shares with her personal training clients and followers. Shona knows firsthand that self-love is a more powerful source of motivation than vanity, and all her efforts demonstrate that.
After relocating to London from Australia in 2014, Shona started working in an office environment and began noticing body aches and pains due to her sedentary weekday routine. Although she no longer works a 9 to 5 office gig, Shona still creates videos for those of us who do—and boy are we grateful!
With more than 10 years of experience as a yoga teacher and personal trainer, Shona is eager to share her insights to help you (yeah you!) feel your best—regardless of where you are in your fitness journey.
One of the things we enjoy most about Shona is her incredible personality and emotional intelligence. Whether in writing or on film, Shona’s sense of humor shines through and keeps her message both relatable and inspirational. From full flow videos to HIIT workouts to short clips focused on breaking down specific foundational yoga poses, Shona really does have something to offer anyone who’s looking to get their workout on.
Fortunately, Shona doesn’t keep all of her hot bod secrets to herself. In fact, she willingly shares her tips in her book The Vertue Method: a 28-day plan that has a little bit of something for everyone, from vinyasa yoga, meditation, mobility, and full-body circuit training to a registered dietitian–approved eating plan and more.
While Shona is all for helping you get the bum of your dreams, she also wants your soul to be well. She views exercise as an opportunity to enjoy your body by taking time to be present and listen to what it is telling you, which we feel is an extremely important message.
If you’re looking for a reason to smile today, take some time for yourself and try a Vertuous Quickie workout tonight after work (or even while you’re at the office).

A Day in the Life

What does your daily routine look like?

It varies so much, however, there are a few things that remain constant—and must remain for my sanity—those being my daily Meds (Meditation), a workout (whether it’s at home or in a gym), and a good moisturiser (because my Islander skin needs that self-care every day in London).

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?

I feel as though we have so many opportunities in our daily life to practice self-care, from swapping a workout for a relaxing bath to saying no to an event or task that would push your stress levels over the edge. I try to consider the idea of self-care in as many decisions as possible.
In saying that, my favorite self-care practice at the moment is slowly devouring a self-made crème brûlée—the satisfaction it brings from an elementary perspective as well as the gratification I get from knowing that I made it soothes my soul and my ego!

How do you stay inspired?

I try to stay as curious as possible—I’m always learning, and it’s the spark that comes from learning something new that makes me want to continue to learn even more.
As Anaïs Nin says, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”—so I try to take risks to stay engaged and on my toes, or heels if I’m activating my glutes. See what I did there? Lame personal trainer joke.

Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

Loving Lately…

What are the best products you’ve discovered recently?

Skimdo—a curl creme that has changed my life and the lives of my other curly-haired brothers and sisters (from other misters).
Chanel Blue Serum has changed the game for my skin while living in London.

What are your favorite apps?

Google Translate—so that I can answer DMs in other languages and practice French and Spanish.
Insight Timer – Meditation App—there are guided meditations, but I use it to keep track of my meditation habits. The gong sounds are also amazing.

Whose Instagram is on your radar?

Hannah Bronfman: I just think that she is so chic and makes health and fitness cool.
Celest Pereira Yoga is an incredibly knowledgeable yoga teacher and physiotherapist. She is also an author and takes the most incredible pictures of her own practice. #skills
Cycles and Sex for educating men and women on social media about periods and reproductive health as well as helping to break down the misogynistic taboos around women’s health.

What’s your go-to healthy snack?

I don’t really snack. I just have a slightly smaller variation of my bigger meals, for example a smaller salad with protein and lots of vegetables or a quick protein shake.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to?

Reading: Anything and everything from the School of Life and anything written by Alain de Botton. The book Essays in Love helped me survive a tough breakup and I feel forever indebted to this book.

Shona IRL

What would the title of your autobiography be?

Sho-no-vertue

What woman in history would you love to take to brunch?

Maya Angelou

What superpower would you like to have?

Either Jessica Jones’ strength or John Coffey’s healing power from The Green Mile

What are you really great at (that might embarrass you to admit)?

Playing video games and reverse parking

To learn more about which yoga mats Shona recommends, her Green Boss smoothie recipe, and relaxing hip stretches, be sure to check out her blog and visit her Instagram. Namaste.

Tags HHW, noads

Healthy Relationships Wellbeing

The Creator Of The Five Love Languages Explains How They Can Change Your Relationship For Good

Post author By HealthyWay Staff Writer
Post date March 28, 2018

If you’ve ever been in therapy or even just a conversation about relationships, you’ve probably been asked, “Do you know your love language?” Though the concept of love languages is more than 20 years old, the idea that we all have different ways of expressing and receiving love has stuck around.

Gary Chapman, PhD, published The Five Love Languages in 1995, and it remains one of the best-selling relationship books of all time. It’s helped millions of people relate to each other in relationships romantic and platonic alike. On the book’s website, you can take The Five Love Languages quiz to learn which of the five love languages is your primary language. Once you know your language, though, you might have a few questions like: How do I ask for what I want? What is my partner’s love language? I’m single; why should I care?
If you’re new to the concept of the five love languages, you might be wondering where exactly they came from and why they’ve become such a phenomenon.
We spoke with the languages’ creator, Chapman, to find out how his theory has changed over the years, how he interpreted the response to his original book, and how learning the five love languages might help people make positive life changes—even if they aren’t in a long-term romantic relationship.

Here’s a basic synopsis of the five languages theory.

Chapman’s beliefs are simple: People express their love in different ways—specifically, through five “love languages.” Those languages are:

Words of Affirmation: Giving Compliments, Thanks, and Other Positive Comments With a Positive Tone

That last part is especially important, as tone can undercut a positive message. Depending on the context and tone of voice, a statement like “You’re great storyteller” might come off as a genuine compliment—or as scathing condescension.

People who speak this love language aren’t necessarily fishing for compliments; they crave positive affirmation in general, but it’s not because they’re self-centered. If you notice your S/O looking particularly good one day, let them know. If you loved the dinner they cooked for you, explain why you liked it so much. People who want to hear words of affirmation tend to appreciate hearing positive things in general, so try speaking highly about things that your partner appreciates, and make an effort to avoid unnecessary complaints and other harsh, negative speech.

If you aren’t the type to verbalize your feelings, get in some practice with a few sweet text messages or Snapchats a day. Letting your partner know you’re thinking of them and appreciate them is key.

Quality Time: Giving Full, Undivided Attention and Finding Joy in Activities Pursued With a Partner

“Quality conversation is more about listening than talking,” Chapman writes in the book, “but usually, partners want both.”

To speak this love language, block off time specifically for your partner. We know, we know—that’s easier said than done if you’re already juggling work, kids, your own personal health, and myriad other responsibilities, but your romantic relationship deserves your commitment.

Unfortunately, spending time in front of a television set binging on Netflix probably doesn’t count as quality time to those who are attracted to and moved by quality time. Instead, consider taking up a hobby together (yoga, we’re looking at you). Go on a walk a few times a week, just you two. Get in bed early and have a conversation about your day. Make sure you think of this time as a non-negotiable. If you or your partner thrive on getting quality time, it needs to be a priority.

Gifts: Physical Tokens That Are Representative of Love

Gifts is one of the most misinterpreted of the five love languages. If your loved one is gift-oriented, it doesn’t mean they’re a gold-digger. Instead, people whose primary love language is gifts respond best to physical reminders that you’re thinking of them. If that seems difficult to you, start small. Pick up a latte for your partner or make an inspirational Spotify playlist if you know they’re having a tough day at work. If you see a pair of socks you know he’d love, pick them up. If she’s been talking about this beautiful notebook, surprise her with it.

Small tokens of affection can be just as meaningful as more expensive gifts, but if your partner responds best to gifts, be sure to give them regularly—not just on special occasions.

Acts of Service: Doing Chores and Other Actions That Ease a Partner’s Burden

Granted, both partners should help with the chores, but people who speak this love language see a direct correlation between their partner’s love and the amount of time spent serving the household or performing acts of care and kindness.

As with quality time, the trick is to dedicate some time every day to your partner’s happiness and well-being. Surprise them by tackling a home improvement project (you know you want to regrout the tile, right?) or taking the kids to the park. If they hate washing dishes or folding laundry, offer to do those while they clean or put the laundry away. Small acts can make a big difference.

Physical Touch: Holding Hands, Hugging, and Other Forms of Physical Intimacy

When we talked to Chapman, he made sure to clarify that “physical touch” isn’t all about sex (but that’s a big part of a healthy relationship!).

People who speak this language need physical touch as a reminder of your love. Make sure that the physical touch is coming from a genuine place of affection instead of being a constant precursor to foreplay. Reaching over to hold a partner’s hand while watching a movie can work wonders; a slight graze of their back in public might be enough to send shivers down their spine.

Make eye contact, smile, and exhibit positive body language; as with the words of affirmation, tone is everything.

The Five Love Languages makes the case that every person has a primary and secondary love language (they may also “speak” the other languages to a lesser degree). If you and your partner don’t share the same primary love language, it can be hard for both of you to feel loved if you aren’t both working to love each other using your partner’s love language. Those feelings can cause the breakdown of the relationship.
In the book, Chapman discusses each of the five love languages in detail, telling stories to illustrate his points. Occasionally he also references the Bible, which is a possible point of contention, and some reviewers have noted that Chapman’s Christian faith may alienate potential readers of the book. But reviewers like Slate’s Ruth Graham have defended the book’s underlying concepts while noting they were initially resistant to its non-secular approach.

Is there any scientific basis to the five love languages?

The Five Love Languages isn’t based explicitly in science. It doesn’t reference much peer-reviewed research; instead it relies on Chapman’s anecdotes to reinforce its points.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s without academic merit. A 2006 study examined the five love languages and found that they could, indeed, reflect the behaviors that people use to successfully maintain their relationships. More recently, a 2016 study of 400 participants found support for Chapman’s theory.
For adherents of The Five Love Languages, those scientific findings aren’t a surprise. The book uses intentionally simple language and broad concepts to talk about the communication issues that can arise in any relationship, but its core arguments seem quite strong. In any case, it’s certainly worthy of serious discussion.

Talking to the Five Love Languages founder, Gary Chapman

HealthyWay: So I just finished the book. Your background is in anthropology. I was wondering if you could tell me what role that background played in the development of this approach?

Chapman: Ha ha, you know, probably not a lot—at least directly.

A thing that really surprised me—where my anthropology background kind of jumped to the front—was when the book was published. My publisher was approached by a Spanish publisher; they wanted to publish it in Spanish.

With my anthropology background, I said to my publisher, “I don’t know, does this really work in Spanish? You know, I discovered this in middle America.”

And they said, “Well, they’ve read the book, and they want to publish it.” I said, “Well, okay, let’s just go with it.”
It became their best seller. In fact, they’ve told me the other day that they’ve sold 3 million copies in Spanish. After that, the other editions started, and now it’s been translated in 50 languages around the world.

That surprised me because of my anthropology background. But as for directly impacting the writing of the book, there’s no real connection there.

You wrote something about that in the book—the success you’ve had with different translations, and how the “dialects” of the five love languages change in different cultures. Could you talk about that for a moment? For instance, how it would relate to a Spanish audience?

I think—of course, in English, as well—each of the [five love] languages have different dialects. For example, in words, there’s words of praise, there’s words of encouragement, there are other types of words. That’s still true in other languages. But there may well be different dialects in other cultures that we wouldn’t necessarily have.

For example, in the Spanish culture … when you greet somebody, just socially, you might kiss them on both sides of the cheek. Well, we wouldn’t do that in American culture. It’s physical touch, but it’s not a dialect that we would use in our culture.
So I think there are other dialects in all languages. And I wouldn’t even be aware of what many of them would be. But obviously, the translator and publisher would be.

What did surprise me, however, is that the five languages do seem to be fundamental to human nature. And, therefore, they make sense in all the cultures in which they’ve been translated.

I saw there was a 2006 study, which I’m sure you’re aware of, that found evidence that your five love languages “may reflect behaviors performed to enact intended, relational maintenance.”

That seems to provide some scientific credence to the languages. Would you like to see more scientific research like that, to confirm what you’ve written?

You know, I’ve always been open that. I’ve had probably three or four grad students in different places that have written me and asked about doing research on a particular aspect of the love languages. I’ve always said, “Yes, I’m happy for you to do that. And when you finish your research, please send me the results.”

Well, I don’t know if they did it or not, but I never got any results. So I don’t know. But yes, I welcome that.

What are the changes from one edition of the book to the next? How do you update the book, or when do you decide it merits a new edition?

Well, essentially we have changed some illustrations from time to time. And also, in more recent years, we’ve used a few illustrations that include social media and that kind of thing, which obviously was not there when we wrote the book.

But there are no radical changes, really. The concept is still the same, and the five languages are still the same.

That’s interesting—I’m guessing that you notice social media affecting the ways that people communicate emotionally.

I do. Both positively and negatively.

For example, the simple thing of texting can be great for a marriage relationship. I text my wife when I’m traveling. I’ll say, “Okay, I’m at Greensboro airport, da da da,” you know. Then I tell her the next airport. We go back and forth texting, which is more convenient than calling, because sometimes I may be involved and not able to answer the phone.
So, yeah, I think social media has been helpful, but also it can be distracting from the relationship.
For example if a husband or wife spends their free time on the computer, doing whatever, the other person can feel like, “I think the computer is more important to you than I am.” So there’s a downside and a plus side.

One thing that kind of surprised me when I started looking into this, was how many non-religious people seem to appreciate your book and the approach of the five love languages. Is that something that you keep in mind while you’re writing?

Yes, very definitely. When I wrote this book, my desire was to write it in such a way that folks who are not religious would find it helpful.

I knew that religious people would know that all these languages are, for example, found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and probably in other religious writings. But I didn’t want to write to just one particular group. I wanted to write for a general audience.

And it’s been very encouraging to me, the number of people who are not religious at all—or maybe they have a different religion—how they have found this book to be helpful in their relationship. And that’s what I had hoped would happen.

Do you have any advice for them and how they should approach this book? Should they take a different approach than a person that’s a Christian?

Whatever we read, we bring our religious beliefs, or our philosophy of life. We bring it to a book that we’re reading. We can’t divorce ourselves from our religious or philosophical beliefs about life.

But I think that, whatever the person’s background—religious or not religious—we all want to have good relationships. And we don’t get married to be miserable. We get married hoping we’re going to have a positive, supportive relationship.

I think that is the appeal the book has to all couples.

I found that the book’s about showing love, specifically, but also more generally about emotional communication. Do you think that the love languages approach could help with other types of relationships, like friendships or workplace relationships?

Yes. As a matter of fact, I’ve written a whole series of books that spin off from this original book. The first one is the 5 Love Languages of Children, which I wrote with a psychiatrist who had had 30 years of experience working with children. It’s written to parents, and the same concept applies—that children have a love language, and you need to give heavy dosage of the primary and then sprinkle in the other four [languages]. We’d like the child to learn how to give and receive love in all five languages; that would be the healthiest child.
So I developed that book, and then parents came to me and said, “Okay, that was very helpful, but now our kids are teenagers, and this doesn’t seem to be working. What’s the deal?”

The third book in the series was the 5 Love Languages of Teenagers, written to parents, helping them learn how to [communicate] while the teenager is going through all of these physical, emotional, and intellectual changes. And that’s been well received by parents.

So, yes, I think it applies to all human relationships. We all have the emotional need to feel loved, and most people agree that it’s our most fundamental emotional need—the need to feel loved by the significant people in our lives.
The concept [of the love languages] helps us understand how to do that, how to communicate love so that the emotional need is met.

I appreciated that the book is written in this kind of simple, general language, and I could see the theory applying in all of those different instances that you just mentioned. I saw online that there’s also a version of the book for people who have partners with Alzheimer’s, which I thought was interesting.

I wrote that one with a medical doctor whose wife had the disease, and we’re hoping that’s going to be very helpful to caregivers.

Also, we did a military edition at the request of so many military leaders. And for that one, we added the dimension: How do you speak these languages when you’re deployed, so that you can stay emotionally connected? And we got great ideas from military couples who read the original book and were applying it in their own lives.

Given that we’re living in a time where gender roles are changing rapidly, do you think people can get the same effect from your book if they’re not falling into traditional masculine and feminine roles?

You know, I think so. Because none of these languages are gender specific.

A man can have any one of these five as his primary language. A woman can have any one of the five as their primary language. Now, how we express them might be influenced by the change in culture. For example, an act of service: One man who grew up being told to open the door for a woman, he might open the door as an act of service. But maybe she doesn’t like that; she might say, “I can open my own door, thank you.”

And I say, fine. I’m not opposed to women opening doors, that’s fine, if that’s what you want to do. I’m just saying in marriage, ask your spouse what they prefer. If acts of service is their language, what acts of service would they prefer? If they don’t want you to open the door, then fine, don’t open the door—take the trash out, or do something else.

So, yes, I think culture can affect some of the dialects of how you speak these languages, but fundamentally, the five languages do pretty much cover the bases of what makes a person feel loved.

What is a common misconception people have when they hear about your work?

Well, one common misconception of men is they will say, “Oh, I know my love language, I don’t need to read that book. My love language is physical touch.”

And they mean sex. I say to them, “Well, perhaps that is your language, but let me ask you a question: do non-sexual touches make you feel loved?” And [the guy] looks at me like a deer in the headlights. “Are there non-sexual touches?”
I say, “Well, let me ask you this: If you get out of the car with your spouse, and you start walking into a store, and she reaches over and holds your hand as you walk into the store, does that make you feel loved? Lets says she’s pouring a cup of coffee for you, and she puts her hand on [your] shoulder, does that make you feel loved?

And if he says, “Not really,” I say, “Well, then, your love language is not physical touch. You like sex, but that’s not your love language, okay?”

So that’s a common misconception. Other than that, nothing really jumps to my mind. For the most part, most folks get it. The question most people have is: What if the love language of the other person is something that really does not come natural for you?

And I understand that, because, for example, if you grew up in a home where you never got affirming words, then affirming words will be hard for you. If you grew up where gift giving was not a part of your life, then gift giving will be difficult for you.

But the good news is that you can learn any of these five languages, even if you did not receive them as a child. Once you understand that this is what really makes the other person feel loved, then you can learn how to do it. Yes, it may be a stiff learning curve, but the more you do it, the more comfortable you become doing it.

It’s really like learning to speak another language. It takes you a while for it to begin to become kind of natural for you. But the good news is that any couple can have a meaningful, loving relationship by learning how to speak each other’s love languages.

Tags Commerce, search

Nosh Nutrition x Advice

The Amazing Health Benefits Of Kombucha (And How To Make Your Own At Home)

Post author By Ashley Linkletter
Post date March 28, 2018

Kombucha has been enjoying a surge in popularity over the last decade thanks to its tangy, effervescent taste and numerous purported health benefits. While kombucha’s benefits have long been appreciated by many cultures worldwide, only recently has the United States cornered the market on this delicious fermented tea. In fact, a 2016 report from market report firm MarketsandMarkets showed that North America claimed 39.4 percent of kombucha’s worldwide market share, with projections predicting a 25 percent market growth each year up to 2020.
Between claims of anti-inflammatory and gut-healing properties, kombucha’s benefits are wide-reaching and only now being studied for in order to determine the fermented tea’s true potential as a health food product.
We take a close look at the scientific and anecdotal evidence surrounding kombucha and provide instructions for easily brewing kombucha at home (no lab equipment required!).

Getting to Know Kombucha (and That Mysterious Floating Blob!)

If you’re just beginning to learn about kombucha and all its benefits, consider this a crash course in getting to know your new favorite fermented tea beverage. Kombucha tea is lightly fizzy (thanks to the wonders of fermentation) and has a subtly sweet taste that’s punctuated by a delicious tanginess. You may have seen images of a mysterious mushroom-shaped blob accompanying articles about kombucha (or at your fermentation-loving friend’s house) and wondered just what the heck that thing is.
What you’re looking at is called a SCOBY (an acronym that stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), a floating colony of helpful bacteria and yeast needed to give kombucha its carbonation and acidity. Other names for a SCOBY include kombucha mother (like the “mother” found in vinegar), kombucha mushroom, and the decidedly less-appealing kombucha fungus. Making homebrewed kombucha—or any kombucha for that matter—requires a SCOBY, which can be grown from scratch, borrowed from a fermentation-loving friend, or purchased.

Sweet Tea: Making Kombucha Magic

Besides a SCOBY, the other main ingredients in kombucha are tea and white sugar. The yeast feeds off of the sugar to create alcohol, and in turn the bacteria feeds off of the alcohol to create kombucha’s trademark tangy flavor (which is why kombucha isn’t wildly sweet despite the addition of white sugar). This process is important because it creates and maintains the correct pH level (between 2.5 and 3.5) to will prevent dangerous microorganisms from growing and ruining your batch of kombucha.
According to Kombucha Brewers International, homebrewed kombucha is generally fermented for 10 to 12 days while commercially made kombucha takes two to three times longer to ferment due to the large amounts of kombucha being made at one time. In terms of kombucha’s longevity, store bought versions will be stamped with an expiry date. As long as kobucha maintains the correct pH balance, homebrewed kombucha can be stored for up to a year although its flavor will diminish the longer it sits.

Is kombucha considered an alcoholic beverage?

Kombucha does contain a small amount of alcohol as a result of the fermentation process, but for the most part it’s a negligible amount (less than 0.5 percent), which means kombucha can be sold as a non-alcoholic beverage in the United States. According to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau sales restrictions occur when kombucha alcohol levels meet or exceed 0.5 percent at which point kombucha must be labeled alcoholic and cannot be sold to minors.

Can you drink kombucha while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Although kombucha contains an extremely low percentage of alcohol, the American Pregnancy Association still advises that “no amount of alcohol has been deemed safe during pregnancy.” Err on the side of caution and save the kombucha for after baby’s arrival.
Breastfeeding? You should be safe to consume kombucha again. According to Elizabeth Smith, patient services coordinator and breastfeeding specialist at University of Utah Health Care, “If Mom is feeling the effects of alcohol, she should avoid breastfeeding until she feels sober. But there’s no need to pump and dump as long as drinking is kept to a minimum.”
Considering kombucha’s low alcohol content and the fact that it can be sold as a nonalcoholic beverage, it won’t get you buzzed or taint your breastmilk.

A Brief History of Kombucha

People have been making kombucha all over the world for at least a thousand years. Kombucha is thought to have originated in China during the Tsin Dynasty (around 220 BCE) where it was known as “The Tea Of Immortality.” Genghis Khan himself was rumored to carry a flask filled with a sour tea-like substance, and according to legend he spread his love of kombucha via the Silk Road far across what is now known as Asia and beyond. Other stories have attributed kombucha’s creation to Korean and Japanese cultures, which is why SCOBYs are sometimes referred to as the Japanese mushroom by kombucha brewers in Russia and other parts of Europe.
Kombucha’s popularity in the United States is very new in contrast to other countries, although American enthusiasm for kombucha seems to be growing rapidly. In fact, kombucha sales in the United States are expected to reach an impressive $785 million by the end of 2018.

Are the health benefits of kombucha as miraculous as they seem to be?

Commercially made kombucha is often advertised as an all-natural elixir that promotes the health and well-being of all who partake in the tea, and fans of kombucha swear by its impressive antioxidant and probiotic content. Scientists are only just beginning to study the effects of kombucha in clinical settings, but for those who have been fermenting their own kombucha and drinking it regularly, the benefits are obvious.
Hannah Crum is a commercial kombucha consultant, the founder of Kombucha Kamp, and the coauthor of the Big Book of Kombucha. She’s also a firm believer in the healing benefits of kombucha. For her, the gains associated with drinking kombucha are widespread. “Most commonly people report more energy, better digestion, clearer skin, and a general feeling of well-being.” That said, she adds the caveat that “some people experience none of these—or even side effects of consuming living foods if they are not used to them.” She says this is uncommon but acknowledges that every body is different.
Crum has noticed many improvements in her physical health since falling in love with kombucha. She says it ultimately comes down to the fact that kombucha is a healthy food, “which means it contains nutrients that help the body thrive.” Reflecting on her journey with kombucha, she tells HealthyWay, “I noticed that it helped to alleviate digestive distress, maintain a regular system, and improve my skin’s appearance. Over time, I noticed other benefits such as regulation of my menstrual cycle as well as wound healing and skin softening.”
Eric Childs is the founder and CEO of KBBK Kombucha, a Brooklyn-based business dedicated to providing top-of-the-line kombucha-brewing supplies and tutorials. What he loves about kombucha as a health food is the multiple sources of nutrients found in a single drink. He explains that “due to its complex makeup, kombucha offers all sorts of benefits: energy, immune support, detox, antioxidant support, digestion support, and overall healthy feeling after drinking it. This is due to the complex group of acids that are formed during fermentation along with the probiotics, as well as the main ingredient, which is tea.”

Shop Kombucha Favorite Finds:

Breaking It Down: Kombucha and Probiotics

Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Thanks to the fermentation process the tea undergoes, kombucha is teeming with healthy probiotics. So what does that mean for your health as a kombucha drinker? Scientists have begun exploring and publishing on kombucha’s positive effects on immunological, endocrinological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and urogenital aspects of health, and their findings support both Crum and Childs’ observations.

In the Beginning (Before Tea Becomes Kombucha)

Given all the excitement around kombucha, fermentation, and probiotics, it can be easy to forget about the antioxidant-rich tea that is the base of all kombucha. Green tea, in particular, has been researched extensively for the effects its antioxidant levels have on human health. Polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants found in green tea, work by neutralizing harmful free radicals and the damage they can have on cells. Clinical studies have shown a strong correlation between green tea consumption and lowering LDL cholesterol. Other studies have concluded that green tea has a positive effect on several different types of cancer (including breast, ovarian, colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancer), IBS, diabetes, and liver disease.

Kombucha and Bacteria

Preliminary studies have shown kombucha that had been allowed to ferment for 21 days possessed some antibacterial and antifungal properties against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Micrococcus luteus. While studies like these need to be replicated, kombucha definitely holds promise as a potentially powerful antibacterial and antifungal treatment.

Putting It All Together: Making Kombucha at Home

If the thought of home fermentation seems overwhelming, the following tips should help to assuage your kombucha-making fears. Childs shares three excellent pieces of advice KBBK Kombucha gives to all beginners:
First of all, it’s important to “source a clean full-spectrum SCOBY from a reliable source. There are too many at-home SCOBY growers putting out low-quality SCOBY to the market. Make sure your source is good so you start in the right place. This is true for those wanting to start from a commercial bottle of kombucha.”
Keeping with the theme of quality ingredients, his second tip is to “Use high-quality pure ingredients. The kombucha symbiosis wants pure cane sugar and camellia sinensis tea (black, green, white, pu-erh, oolong). Anything outside of this will change the genetics of your SCOBY and make you something different.”
Finally “Keep your environment as steady as possible. Temperature and other environmental items make or break your brew. Get your environment dialed in and keep it there.”
If making kombucha tea still seems stressful but you’re ready to give it a try, you can always sign up for a free e-book and DIY guide from Komucha Kamp. This in-depth tutorial will provide plenty of help and guidance for anyone curious about kombucha and the home fermentation process.

Kombucha Tea Recipe

To make kombucha tea at home, you’ll need a kombucha starter culture (also known as a SCOBY). As mentioned above, it’s important to use a SCOBY from a trusted source such as Kombucha Kamp or KBBK Kombucha.

Yield: 1 gallon of kombucha

Ingredients:

1 SCOBY
6 bags of green, black, or oolong tea
1 cup of pure white cane sugar
1 cup raw bottled kombucha

Special Equipment:

Kettle
1-gallon heatproof jar
Clean cloths
Rubber band
Clean bowls
Antibacterial soap

Method:

Boil 4 cups of chlorine-free filtered water.
Add the tea bags to a 1-gallon heatproof jar. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and steep for 15 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.
Fill the rest of the jar up with cool chlorine-free filtered water. At this point the tea should be lukewarm (about 100°F). If the tea is still hot, cover the jar with a clean cloth and set aside until lukewarm.
Wash hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
Carefully place the SCOBY in the lukewarm tea and pour the raw kombucha on top.
Cover the jar with a clean breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band, storing away from direct sunlight at warmish room temperature (about 80°F).
Let the sweet tea ferment for anywhere from 7 to 21 days, tasting the tea after 5 days to see if it’s heading in the right direction.
As soon as your kombucha tastes delicious, it’s time to reap the rewards of your hard work. The first thing you need to do is reserve 1 cup of the kombucha for your next batch by pouring it into a clean bowl.
Remove the SCOBY (with clean hands) and place in another clean bowl. Cover it with a clean cloth (cleanliness is an important component of kombucha making!).
The remaining fermented tea is the kombucha, ready for drinking (and flavoring if you’d like).
Use your SCOBY and reserved kombucha to begin the process all over again!

Love kombucha but aren’t interested in fermenting your own? Luckily there are many options when it comes to commercially made kombucha. Our favorites include Synergy Kombucha and Kombucha Wonder Drink, both of which are tasty and unpasteurized (meaning they still contain all the healthy probiotics and antioxidants).

A Happy Kombucha Conclusion

While kombucha shouldn’t be considered a magic bullet for fixing all of your health concerns, it definitely offers many benefits in terms of antioxidants and probiotics. Kombucha’s benefits are being studied extensively and the evidence seems to speak for itself. Regularly including kombucha and other fermented foods in your diet is a definite plus when it comes to feeling healthy and energized.

Tags Commerce, search