Holiday Gift Guide
If we could, wouldn’t we all want to tie up “health” with a big bow and gift it to all we love? Its the one thing we wish for all those that are special in our lives. While I can’t give you a link to gift health, I have curated a bundle of gifts that will support healthy living for you and those who are on your gift list. It is my gift to you, the Roost & Flutter community, as I have zero affiliation with any of these brands/products nor do I have any affiliate links to benefit from these products. I’m sharing based on products that I love and/or have on my own list this year alongside some education and extra reading if you want to learn more. Enjoy and happy (healthy) gifting!
Primally Pure - Crisp Smoky Woods Candle $54 - A truly clean candle made with beeswax coconut oil and, essential oils - no fragrance (this is hard to find!). I know we all love candles this time of year but the truth is that the scents that fill out homes are often from endocrine disrupting fragrances which contain phthalates. More learning here if you’re curious. I love all of Primally Pure’s products and their incredible clean ingredients. Bonus points that it looks gorgeous!
Purity Coffee - Medium Roast Coffee $26 - If you’re like me, you drink coffee daily. I love Purity coffee as it goes beyond using organic beans to rigorously third-party test that the beans are free from pesticide residue, mold, mycotoxins, and other contaminants. Purity Coffee® is also the only coffee brand that is actively testing for and optimizing the retention of antioxidants and micronutrients. With coffee being one of the most heavily sprayed crops and prone to mold (more reading if you’re curious) it’s important that I know what I’m drinking each morning is not hurting my health. Oh and its also delicious!
Primally Pure - Lip Balm Set $28 - These are made with 100% natural, non-toxic ingredients (beeswax, coconut oil, cocoa butter and mango butter) and the set (you can purchase separately for $6 each) comes with flavors cocoa, lavender, peppermint, creamsicle, and grapefruit. They go on smooth with a perfect lasting consistency.
Branch Basics - Beesewax Candle $49 - Another clean candle from a company I love! I’ve been using Branch Basics cleaning products for over 10 years as they have a quality product with plant & mineral based ingredients that WORKS! I was so excited to see this candle (also beautiful) which is clean burning.
Wooly - Merino Wool Hipster Brief $27 (Black Friday sale on now!) - When I was little my grandma would give all her grandkids a pair of underwear in our stockings. Naturally, we would put them on our head and pose for a picture. Bringing the underwear trandition back (or maybe introducing it!) with underwear that is 100% wool, no plastics and PFAS (forever chemicals) that are in so many clothing products. While it’s (almost) impossible to avoid plastics in our clothing, ensuring the item that is closest to us (and important areas of our body that absorb and provide a path inside us) is clean and not ommitting chemicals seems like a smart move. More on plastics in this Huberman epiosde. And yes, I realize that $27 ($21 on sale!) is a lot for underwear (I’m slowly switching mine out) but isn’t your butt and body worth it?!
Good Energy by Casey Means, MD $30 - This New York Times bestseller should be mandatory reading. It’s the first book that truly explains not only what it means to be metabolically healthy, but why we continue to see headlines about cancer, diabetes, alzheimer’s, and other diseases on the rise, especially among young people. Casey has the perspective of a surgeon who finally started to question the business of health, and the fragmented way we look at a human body and overall health. I’m going between the audiobook and print book and have such appreciation for what she is sharing. If you want a snippet, I absolutely loved this podcast with Primally Pure founder, Bethany Mcdaniel. Put aside religion and politics and soak in the health knowledge.
Quince - Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck $50 - I’ve become addicted to Quince, they have quality products made with real materials at an incredible price. These cashmere crewnecks cannot be beat for $50, plus the cashmere is sustainably and ethically sourced.
August - Gold One Cup Tea Infuser $17 - The ritual of loose leaf tea is a new one for me. I love mixing teas and using an infuser vs. tea bags which can contain plastic, bleach, and other chemicals that can be harmful to your health especially when boiling water is added, a bit counterproductive to have microplastics in your tea. More reading if you’re curious. This one is stainless steel with a silicon lid and the gold gives it the chefs kiss.
Miro Tea - Peach Blossom White $22 - A local Ballard company, Miro Tea offers the world’s finest grades of tea. You can order online but if you’re local, I encourage you to visit the shop as the staff is so knowledgable about the teas they offer and they have all sorts of fun treats and tea accessories.
Morningside Naturals - Wood Root Tonic $47 - This is a daily gut shot that offers a potent blend of organic herbs and spices, meticulously formulated to enhance gut health and overall well-being. The base is ACV (apple cider vinegar) but they’ve made it so delicious with all of the adds. Feet your gut, help your mind. You can add to water, take straight, or turn into a nighttime tea with a dash of honey.
Great Lakes Collagen $30 - Great Lakes has been making collagen products since 1922, over 100 years. I have been using their products for 10+ years but have recently been much more deliberate about adding this to my morning coffee. It dissolves perfectly and adds 20g of grass-fed collagen peptides per serving. Collagen has been proven to supports 5 signs of aging: skin, hair, nails, joints and digestion. This episode of Huberman talks about collagen and skin overall.
Addition - Chipotle Cocktail Spice $18 - This has a perfect strong smoky, savory and spicy taste. It’s the perfect addition to any cocktail and especially mocktail when you want to add a little spiceice. I love it with apple cider vinegar, zero sugar ginger beer, and fresh squeezed lemon!
Molly’s Bottle Shop - Gift card - Molly is a wealth of knowledge on wine, and natural wine in particular. I have been a customer since she opened her doors in early 2020 and love the curation and passion she puts into sourcing natural wines from around the world. So many wines have additives to improve the flavor, color, and stability of wine. Molly’s sourcing standards include 1) absolutely no herbicides, fertilizers or pesticides in the vineyard 2) only native yeast 3) no additives in the winery. Read more on the research here.
The Ladies Room - Gift Card - A gorgeous neighborhood spa focused on the rejuvenation of our bodies and minds. Experience multiple soaking pools, saunas, a eucalyptus steam room and a variety of experiences including facials and massages. Such a treat and way to reset!
No Bullshit Candles $35 - I just met the owners of this local candle company at a holiday trunk show. They made a quality nontoxic product with amazing scents. They were very knowledgeable about ingredients and even educated me that essential oils are very flammable so you must use in very small amounts, so they source fragrances containing essential oils that are phthalate-free. Bonus: if you are local, you can bring your containers back and refill for a just $20!
Lodge - Dolly Parton Pan $54 - The Lodge family founded the company in 1896, and they still own it today. Lodge products are made in the USA with non-toxic, PFOA & PTFE free material - the best way to cook! Now you can get a pan without Dolly’s face but come on, how fun would this be to receive as a gift?! I’d cook 9-5 with this!
Cultiverre - Beeswax Candle Kit $20 - These beeswax sheets are 100% natural and ethically sourced, this kit provides all the essentials to create five sweet-smelling, brightly burning beeswax candles. A fun activity for kids and adults alike!
Winter Swimming: The Nordic Way Towards a Healthier and Happier Life by Susanna Søberg $26 - Written by a Danish scientist, this is a beautifully illustrated exploration of cold-water traditions in Scandinavia and around the world, and a thorough account of why it provides such a boost to body and soul. Even if you’re not sure about taking the plunge, this book is a wonderful read and it might just get you turning down the shower temp.
Oak Essentials - Renew Face Polish $43 - This is another clean beauty brand rooted in nature with formulated without silicones, colorants, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, PEGs, petrolatum, mineral oil, and nanoparticles. This polish is a vitamin-rich face scrub powered by Upcycled Pineapple Exfoliants and Red Seaweed Algae Extract with gentle, biodegradable polishing beads. It has a natural smell and leaves the skin feeling so soft!
Pact - Velour Set $100 (Black Friday Sale!) - Bringing it back to the early 2000’s—albeit organic cotton and no rhinestones. Pact partners with Fair Trade USA, Global Organic Textile Standard and SimpliZero to ensure their products, and our processes, support both people and planet. All products are GOTS certified (learn more about this here) and very high quality, I recommend the leggings as well!
Jøyus - Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine $25 - This NA wine tastes like the real thing, no joke! This is fun to drink when you’re looking for a treat without the alcohol. It’s low in sugar (unlike many NA wines) and crisp, just how bubbles should be!
Goop - Ultimate Dry Brush $26 - Dry brushing is like a cup of coffee for the skin. It’s invigorating, energizing, and an Ayurvedic medicine that has been around for centuries. Dry skin brushing benefits may include stimulating the lymphatic system, exfoliating the skin, removing toxins, and increasing circulation. This Instagram reel by Branch Basics co-founder is a great how-to.
Oura Ring $249 (and up) - This smart ring is essential for me. It’s a small but powerful piece of technology that translates what your body is telling you to paint a holistic picture of your health. I’ve had Oura for years and have learned so much about my health, recovery, and more. I was featured on the Oura blog if you want to read more!
Filson - Wool Watch Cap $50 - Locally made, 100% virgin wool, comes in many colors, need I say more?
Foldable Trampoline $75 - Hello 1980s, love that these are coming back! I got one for my birthday to support my lympthatic system. The constant acceleration and deceleration of trampolining activates the lymphatic valves and ducts, which increases lymph flow. The rapid changes in gravity cause the lymphatic channels to expand, which enhances circulation. Cool, right?! Plus the kids have a blast on it.
Pumpkin Carrot Cookies
A great way to get in some fall color and veggies alongside protein in the chia and almond flour, not to mention omegas with ground flax. Not all spices are needed, use what you have!
Preheat oven to 350; you’ll need two bowls and a mixing spoon.
Grate 4-5 carrots and set aside
Combine wet ingredients:
2 pasture eggs, whisked
3/4 C maple syrup
1/2 C organic canned pumpkin
1/2 C almond milk (I used the Malk pumpkin almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp melted butter
Combine dry ingredients:
1 C oats
1 1/2 C almond flour
1 1/2 C gluten-free flour (or regular flour)
1/4 C ground flax
1/4 C chia seeds
1sp baking soda
1 tsp baing powder
1 tsp salt
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
Add wet to dry ingredients, mix, then stir in carrots and raisins (optional) or other mix-ins like nuts or dark chocolate chips. Spoon/scoop into 2" round cookies on sheet, bake for 15 min and let cool. Store on the counter for up to 2 days or in fridge for a week - I also like to freeze some if I make a big batch!
Unremarkable.
I had my first surveillance CT scan this past week. I went into it confident, knowing I haven't been perfect (far from it) but that I have been doing the work to heal, and live my life with health and vibrancy. This confidence comes from the intimacy with my blood, working with my naturopath to closely monitor a comprehensive list of panels and tests that have gone from the chaos of a middle school band, to the precision of a world class orchestra. Well maybe not quite that far, but you get the idea.
It was a blur of a day getting the CT, work was packed with meetings and Bjorn had taken Bastian to the ER due to a possible hypoglycemic episode (a topic for another day). Once I knew Bastian was ok, I drove to my CT with work continuing through an earbud as I checked in and drank the cocktail to make my insides glow. Maybe I needed that earbud more than work needed me. The CT itself is quick and uneventful, an ivy in my arm to interact with the glow potion, a couple of breath holds and I was done.
I was curious when I would get the results but not worried. As I sat to eat leftovers with Bode and start on math homework, I was getting text notifications for Bastians bloodwork. Amidst these MyChart notifications, I saw one for me—for anyone who has had tests or scans done, you know the legally required bizarre (and jarring) nature of scan/test results that are delivered to you without any filtration or context. They drop into your inbox with a jolt knowing that behind “you have a new test result” lies (potentially) life-changing information. I opened MyChart and scanned the results: unremarkable, unremarkable, unremarkable—an undesirable word to describe a person, but in this context, it's exactly what you want to be, unremarkable.
While I had very little concern about being remarkable, I realize that this information gave me relief, and also a desire to celebrate with others. While these scans might not be my big indicator of success, it is how the medical community, and so many others orientate someone as "cancer-free". I wanted to give this moment to others, a bright star in the blur of a busy week, comfort in my continued health. So I started texting family and friends. The responses of joy made me smile, made me proud, made me forget about all the hard things that day held. And then another MyChart notification came in. I opened it and read a second CT report “Stable 2 mm solid pulmonary nodule in the left lower lobe” I looked back at prior chest CT scans, no mention of this crayon tip size nodule.
My heart sank as texts of celebration continued to trickle in. Since we've already used a middle school analogy, we'll go with the lights abruptly turning on at a school dance when you're ill-prepared to face the fluorescents. I quickly Googled while I texted back "actually....." messages taking all I had texted on this roller coaster with me while protecting Bode who I just excitedly told "mommy had a good scan, no cancer" and Bjorn who was en route home after a long day at the ER with Bastian. My mind swirled with thoughts, maybe it's nothing, I think it's nothing, but if it's something, what will they do, can others handle this, can I handle this? The nervous texts started trickling in, ones of comfort but concern, I texted back my Dr. Google analysis, more worried about easing the angst of others than myself. I sent a note to my oncologist, helped put the boys to bed, and I surprisingly fell into a deep sleep.
I heard back from my oncologist amidst a long stretch of back-to-back calls "you had this before, they didn't note it on past CTs as it was so small - It's almost certainly not cancer, it has not changed in size.” Relief in a different form, and I fired off more texts to put the breaks on the rollercoaster that others had joined me on. But behind the texts I could feel the concern, that while I was cheerleading my update of “no really, I’m unremarkable” what had happened was remarkable, not just for me, but for those in my life. While these scans offer me confirmation of health, I realized they were providing proof of health for others – it was a way for my community to orientate me as someone who doesn’t have cancer. My little roller coaster momentarily put me back in the cancer category, but then we were all able to hop off, but not without some lingering effects from those prior loops.
Today marks two years since my diagnosis, when I had to tell my community that I was sick and my body was facing a long and difficult road to healing. And here I am today, cancer free and working on my vibrancy – I guess I'm remarkable afterall.
Menopause
R&F Digest: Huberman and Dr. Mary Claire Haver: How to Navigate Menopause & Perimenopause for Maximum Health & Vitality
Dr. Mary Claire Haver: How to Navigate Menopause & Perimenopause for Maximum Health & Vitality
Date: 6/3/2024
Run time: 2 hours 18 minutes
The R&F Digest:
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, M.D. is a board-certified OB/GYN and an expert on women’s health and menopause. This episode provides a holistic overview of what actually happens during perimenopause and menopause. It helps normalize the extreme side effects (hello actual chaos) that many women face, connecting these to what is happening in the body/brain and how lifestyle can hurt/aid these side effects. In short, women are essentially in a bouncy house for 7-10 years with complete dysregulation that significantly impacts physical and mental health. And there is almost zero funding being put into this radical time/transformation. But, there are things you can do to reduce the impact on your life and health.
Key takeaways:
What is menopause and perimenopause?
Menopause is defined as not having menses for 1 year - essentially ovarian failure which means you have no more eggs and very little sex hormones. The average age is 51-52 years (although “normal” is 45-55) while perimenopause begins 7-10 years before, start time is highly genetic so look to your mom/aunt/grandma for when they started. While you cannot alter the time when you start this process, the older you are, the better.
Most women think that menopause brings all the classic symptoms, but most of the chaos (or as Dr. Haver puts it the “zone of chaos”) takes place in perimenopause - so really your late 30s or early 40s. Prior to this point your body works like clockwork, sex hormones are sending signals and the body is responding. As egg quality and volume drops, the signals are not working as well - it’s like that failed game of telephone. As a result, sex hormones are all over the place which leads to all sorts of havoc. Once your eggs are gone (menopause) the chaos actually settles down with the new normal. During the aging process (men and women) our bodies will fight to lose muscle and bone naturally, but menopause adds an additional obstacle for women, making this fight even harder.
What can I expect with perimenopause?
Listen ladies, pretty much ALL the things in our midlife are due to this chaotic transition. So take a deep breath and 1) know that you are NOT alone and 2) you are not crazy/broken 3) there are things you can do!
Shift in mental health (anxiety and depression) 40% increase of mental health disorders!
Brain fog / executive functioning (1 in 5 will quit jobs; this makes me sad that women are losing confidence in themselves during this time)
Lack of sleep (due to hot flashes and anxiety) - which impacts so many other things
Abnormal periods
Fatigue
Musculoskeletal symptoms - joint pain
Heart palpitations
Visceral fat increase
Weight / body composition changes - with this comes less muscle which means lower metabolism (it’s all connected!)
Sexual dysfunction
What can you do to support yourself before (in your 30s and 40s) during (perimenopause), and after menopause?
Diet - lack of estrogen creates more inflammation in our bodies. Eating a diet that is anti inflammatory (think low in sugars and processed foods, high in fiber and protein) will support your body. Women generally lack enough fiber and protein in their diets. She mentioned the Galveston diet which is a variation of the mediterranean diet.
Sleep hygiene - that second glass of wine might be tempting but as many of you might already know, alcohol greatly impacts sleep and this only increases as we age.
Exercise - Dr. Haver talks about the importance of strength training and even wearing a weighed vest (I’m considering this!) when exercising or even doing chores around the house.
HRT - Hormone replacement therapy, while still controversial, Dr. Haver is a fan of this for the long term. If your curious about HRT, and/or are experiencing many of the issues above, which are impacting your quality of life, I’d listen to the whole podcast for more details.
She also talks about other things like taking creatine, vaginal estrogen, testosterone (to help with osteopenia), collagen (Fortibone is a brand she sells) and progesterone (orally at night to slow brain/neuroreceptors).
Personal side note: I’ve been taking HonoPure which is an extract from Magnolia Bark to aid in neuro relaxation before sleep. While vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) manifest as physical, it’s actually a neurotransmitter imbalance. I’ve found this supplement to work well for me which was recommended by my naturopath.
Educate your partner - they most likely have no idea what you are going through. Ask them to listen to this podcast or read articles that explain what is taking place. Communicate and share how you are feeling.
Again, most importantly, you are not alone in dealing with these major changes. And there continue to be more people like Dr. Haver who are using their voice to advocate and educate on behalf of women, and the second half of life