It’s time to get ZEN

I’m betting you might have a question or two about EstroZen and…I’ve got answers!

Whether you’re on the fence or NOW is just not the right time for you to engage in a detox, there’s good information here for you to delve into, so be sure to read on!

I’ve chosen the top questions to keep our FAQ short, sweet and on point.
(And, yup, there are a few sweet treats for you in the mix as well.)

Afterward, if you want more, you know where to get it! (In EstroZenof course.)

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Snacks for Protein Fat & Fiber

Q: During the free Tipping the Scale video series on hormones you mentioned snacks with Fat, Fiber & Protein for maintaining blood sugar as an important baseline for hormonal balance. I’m wondering if you have some suggestions for snacks like this. Especially for when I’m on the go?

A: This is a great question. I definitely encourage people to travel with snacks on hand so they don’t get caught in a pinch, with their blood sugars down. This is going to lead to the kind of desperate spontaneity that rarely serves our goals. (Low blood sugar = grabbing whatever is convenient.)

I mentioned the Flaxie Maxie Bar in the video where I spoke about this scenario. It’s a favorite of mine since it can be prepared in advance. Grab the recipe for the famous Flaxie Maxie bar here!

Thermoses are great for storing meals on the go and the bars hold up well in a wax bag or small container (especially as the weather cools—your good fats won’t melt as easily!).

I also advise people to carry nuts, seeds or some kind of healthy bar option to help stay even and balanced.

Tips for Belly Weight

Q: Do you have any other tips for helping women who have belly weight and are around menopausal age beyond what you shared in the videos?

A: Absolutely! This is one of the things we’ll be diving into in the EstroZen Detox.

Sometimes the weight falls off during the detoxes and other times it lingers, here or there. One of those places is right on the belly. Belly fat that won’t budge is a good indicator that there is some hormonal imbalance at play.

As I discussed in the Tipping the Scale video series, it’s important to balance blood sugar. That’s #1. Then we need to support adrenal issues. If you’re living in a state of fight-or-flight, as many of us are, you’re producing first an excess and then a reduction of the hormone cortisol.

Imbalanced cortisol = belly fat.

You see, we can’t produce an excess cortisol forever. We’ll run out of steam. What happens then? We produce less than we need. (What goes up, must come down.) So then we don’t just have less fight-or-flight and diminished get-up-and-go, we’re stuck with the fatigue and the flab!

But there’s another hormonal imbalance that can easily lead to belly fat…

That’s estrogen dominance. This is a situation that has become epidemic in our society – for men, women and children alike. In EstroZen we’ll explore How & Why this is happening, as well as WHAT to do about it! That’s what EstroZen is all about!

We’ll beat the belly fat by cleaning up our diet, our environment and discover what BALANCE really means.

Dietary Questions

Q: Will you provide Gluten Free & Vegan Alternatives?

A: The entire protocol is gluten-free. You can rest assured that anything you ever do with me or FxNA is gluten-free, dairy free and sugar free. Our protocol through the weeks removes some other food constituents as well.

There is some other non-dairy animal protein included in the protocol if you want or already eat it. There’s only a couple animal protein dishes each week and that way you can eliminate those to suit your dietary needs or restrictions, or include a bit more as your body requires.

There is plenty of information to support your particular needs on our Answer Board and I’ll also be happy to talk to you about your dietary parameters in our weekly Q&As.
Q: What if I eat a grain-free diet? Can I do this detox?

A: As noted with the animal protein, there is little-to-no grain on this protocol. Where it is included, it can easily be eliminated or substituted with cauliflower rice or extra greens. (That’s what I do!)

If you always wanted to see what a grain-free diet could do to reduce your inflammation, pain, help with weight loss and mental clarity, then this is a great opportunity for that, among other things.

If you’re scared of a grain-free diet, don’t be! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how good the food is and you’ll have so many recipes to carry you forward with a new way of eating beyond the detox—no matter how you decide to eat beyond the three weeks.
Q: What if I’m following a healing dietary protocol like AIP? Will I be able to partake in detox?

A: The recipes are just one aspect of the program. The course covers a wide range of content regarding hormone balance and you’ll gain a tremendous amount of knowledge even if you can’t eat all of ingredients in the recipes.

That being said, the recipes are very flexible and while they aren’t strictly AIP—they are pretty close! All recipes are free of gluten, dairy, sugar, and grains (there are options to include grains but you can easily skip them). A few recipes include tomatoes, legumes, or nuts/seeds (like chia), but again, you can simply skip those select recipes or sub for the ingredients you can’t eat.

Each week you’ll get a new recipe packet giving you a wide range of recipes to choose from and of course you can mix in some of your own tried-and-true favorites that you know work for you.

On the EZ Answer Board, you’ll also find a wealth of information on how to swap out ingredients and links to other favorite recipes to augment the EstroZen recipe packets. And, again, you can also bring any recipe or ingredient questions to the 3 live Q&A’s and we can help you navigate any necessary substitutions.

Most importantly, remember that EstroZen is an educational journey that goes well beyond the recipe packet!
Q: What are good supplements to take?

A: We’ve actually set up a supplement store to help you make the choices that will best benefit your detox experience. The recommended supplements are not required, but instead meant to support your explorations and inquiries should you choose to bring in that additional help for your hormone balancing.

The bottom line? We’ve got your diet and supplement needs covered!

I’m scared of a detox! I’ve heard horrible things about detox.

Q: I’ve heard about friends doing detoxes and starving or living off of lemon and water drinks. I’m busy and don’t have time to slow down or not have enough energy. Can I still balance my hormones without starving myself?

A: Take a deep breath. We’re going into Zen territory here.

I know many people use the terms detox and cleanse interchangeably. But at FxNA, we’ve created a distinction between the two. It’s this distinction that will help you to make the appropriate investment of your time and resources to reach your optimal health goals.

In a detox, my goal is to remove the foods and food categories that are muddying the waters. We’re taking out the substances that slow you down, make you sick, clog your sinuses, cause gas and bloating, make you retain unnecessary weight and leave you feeling tired and foggy.

Hormonal havoc!

Sometimes the things we’re removing are foods and sometimes they’re more than foods…behaviors or beliefs, patterns and habits, environmental toxins, all the things that are holding us back.

The protocol all depends on the intent of the detox. Our intent here is hormonal balance and understanding how to achieve that for yourself. We’ll be getting into the nitty gritty while nurturing ourselves with delicious foods and grounding practices. Your hormonal balance is dependent on good nutrients, so deprivation is most certainly not on the menu!

And at FxNA, we never remove without replacing. So you know exactly what to eat and what to do to help you feel great.

What about my man?!

Q: Is this detox good for men too?

A: You bet! We’ll be exploring the ways in which men experience estrogen dominance too. Like I said, it’s an epidemic and the problems are reverberating throughout your entire household – affecting not just you, but your partner and children as well.

This detox is certainly safe for the whole family.

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Let’s get ZEN. One delicious bite at a time! (You know you want to!)

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.