We are diving into another Q&A episode today with questions about intermittent fasting, sugar cravings, and PMS symptoms. On top of that, I also talk about seed cycling and its benefits. So if any of these topics is of some interest to you, then you’ve tuned in to the right podcast! You can find all the info and links about this episode at https://holisticwellness.ca/episode40. Topics Discussed in this Episode: Can you still do intermittent fasting when you’re struggling with stress or adrenal fatigue? What are some strategies to avoid eating too much sugar during the holidays? What are some possible causes of intense PMS symptoms -- cramping, bloating, breast tenderness, and insane cravings? How can you effectively do seed cycling, and why is it beneficial? Key Takeaways: Fasting in and of itself is a stressor on the body, but when you have the correct dose of it and the appropriate amount of it, it could be very beneficial. Decreasing the stress and cortisol response in your body doesn’t necessarily depend upon diet alone. Oftentimes, this means that you have to address the underlying cortisol issue with lifestyle intervention. The things that happened to you in the past two to three months can really be an indicator of how things are showing up in your cycle right now. From day 1 to day 14 of your cycle, this is what’s called your follicular phase. During this phase, you become more estrogen dominant, so you want to support the estrogen in your body by including certain seeds that have phytoestrogenic qualities into your diet. From day 14 to day 28 (give or take), this is your luteal phase, so you want to support the progesterone levels in your body. Action Steps: Engage in things like meditation, yoga, community events and social gatherings to help address stress and deal with adrenal fatigue. Getting acupuncture treatment would also be helpful as well as getting the right amount of sleep. On the days when you know you’re going to have a big feast for dinner and there will be some extra desserts and treats, what you do during the day can help you avoid consuming too much sugar. Eat a really healthy breakfast that’s high in fat and high in protein. That’s going to keep you satiated, balance your sugar levels, and help you combat your sugar cravings. Make sure that you’re staying very hydrated and drinking a lot of water throughout the day. That’s going to be very important for detoxification and supporting gut health and digestion. If you’re looking to limit your sugar intake, have digestive bitters before a meal or some L-glutamine mixed in water. Or take things like the Perfect Keto exogenous ketones, which help to combat sugar cravings. If you’re struggling with PMS symptoms, consider doing some hormone testing to find out the underlying causes. Take magnesium supplements to help with sleep issues and PMS symptoms. Eat as many anti-inflammatory foods as much as you possibly can. Do seed cycling to help balance your hormones. And if you haven’t been having your period because of some health issues, do seed cycling based on the moon, with the new moon being day 1 of your cycle and the full moon being day 14.   Samantha said: “Oftentimes, we don’t take that time to commend ourselves over these small achievements. We feel like everything needs to happen so fast… We don’t look at the small baby steps that we’re taking and really acknowledge ourselves.” “I want you to head into the new year feeling confident and not going into the new year with this diet mentality… I want you to learn about your body and become educated about your body and your hormones, and become very educated about food and how it impacts your health.”   Thanks for listening!   Important Announcements: My 12-week Metabolic Reset Weight Loss Program is set to begin in January 2019. So if you’re interested to join that and have questions about it, don’t hesitate to email me, or join our newsletter where you can get all the details about it. If you