Tag: womens health

Beef Liver: Better Than Botox

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Botox (otherwise known as botulism toxin) is one of the most toxic substances known to man – a million times more toxic than a cobra bite.

The commercial products used today came about from experiments at Fort Detrick, in the quest to weaponise botulism toxin during World War 2.

The reason it ‘works’ on wrinkles is because it causes flaccid paralysis of the muscles underneath the skin, relaxing frown lines.

Or (heres a novel thought), you could deal with the underlying pressures that are causing you to tense up, and frown often?

Or (another novel thought) you could address the underlying deficiencies causing your skin to lose elasticity and plumpness?

One of the major causes of sagging, wrinkling skin is lack of bioavailable copper – either because of frank deficiency, or because the copper is not being used (due to lack of synergistic nutrients).

In the case of the latter, the person will have signs of both copper deficiency (sagging skin, fatigue, varicose veins/haemorrhoids etc) AND signs of copper toxicity (adrenal issues, racing mind, unable to sleep properly). This is because what copper is present, is unbound and wreaking havoc, meanwhile the person lacks bioavailable copper in the form of ceruloplasmin, which has massive implications for iron transport and energy production.

The good news is that the humble beef liver is the world’s highest known food source of copper.

But more than that, beef liver is also the world’s highest known food source of Vitamin A (retinol), which we need to make the copper bioavailable. (Only cod liver oil is higher in retinol, but I would consider it a supplement, more than a ‘food’ per se)

And we need zinc to utilise the retinol….everything works together! Beef liver is not the highest known source of zinc (oysters take that prize), but beef liver does still contain some zinc (approx. 4.5mg per 100g).

For many of us that have not grown up eating organ meats, the taste of liver can be overpowering. I prefer to ‘hide’ it in ground beef dishes. I buy the liver fresh, process in a food processor, than freeze in an ice-cube tray. They can be easily lifted out with a knife and added to beef dishes.

Or a convenient (albeit more expensive) alternative is to take in capsule form. I love Ancestral Nutrition products – they are a small Australian business selling 100% grassfed organ superfood supplements (check out the Primal Energy Women supplement). Use code ‘RADICAL’ for 10% off at checkout.

Nourishing yourself beats poisoning yourself! Always.

PS. Accepting that we are all growing older and finding joy in that journey is also a beautiful thing.

Zinc Protects the Reproductive System from ‘Gender-Bender’ Chemicals

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Zinc is such a super-hero.

It has protective effects from many of the toxins we’re being bombarded with, on a daily basis. That includes the ‘gender-bender’ chemicals that disrupt and create havoc on our hormones.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is structurally similar to diethylstilbestrol (DES), the drug given to millions of pregnant women from 1940’s – 1980 that greatly increased the risk of sexual disorders and cancers in their offspring (and their offspring’s offspring). Although BPA is less estrogenic than DES, it is probably more pervasive in our environment, due to widespread use.

Bisphenol-A, found in many plastics (including baby bottles and children’s drink bottles/lunchboxes) and epoxy resins is one such chemical. BPA has been shown to be toxic to the reproductive system, especially in males. Studies on rats shows that zinc deficiency increases toxicity of BPA on the male testis. Zinc has also shown to be protective against neuro-behavioral disorders caused by BPA toxicity.

Another endocrine-disrupting class of chemicals are those known as phthalates, also ubiquitous in the environment, in vinyl furniture, fragranced products (air fresheners, personal care products, shampoos, nail polish, detergents, soaps, etc). One of the ways we are being bombarded by phthalates is via our clothing – polyester (otherwise known as polyethyl terephthalate) in particular.

A study on rats, published last year (2020), showed that zinc supplementation protected from the endocrine toxicity caused by phthalates.

Although zinc is a super-hero, it must be kept in balance with another super-hero mineral, namely copper. Check out this case study on what can happen if you supplement with isolated zinc. Fortunately, she was able to recover most of her symptoms, but this person, who was poisoned by their zinc-based tooth adhesive material was not so fortunate.

It is far better to get zinc from food sources, such as oysters and red meat. Oysters are, by far, the world highest known source of zinc, but they also contain copper. Beef liver is another good source of both zinc and copper. If you are not a fan of the taste of either, you can take it in capsule form, which can be found on the NourishMe Organics website (use code ‘nourishme’ at checkout, to get 10% off)

Low Libido Is Not The Problem…

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Low libido is not the problem. It is the body’s way of protecting itself from a pregnancy that it cannot properly nourish. (Yes, even if you don’t actually want to get pregnant, anyway).

Our bodies are always talking. The question is…are you listening?

Women are more sensitive to stress, and that makes complete sense from a biological standpoint. We are the bringers of new life into the world, so naturally, our body is sensing its environment at all times. Is it safe to bring new life into the world? Or is food and resources scarce?

If there is barely enough energy/nutrients to meet the bare minimum requirements that your vital organs need to function, you can hardly expect a raging libido that increases your chances of getting pregnant.

If you are regularly under-eating, dieting (cutting calories excessively), or over-fasting, your body senses famine, and therefore begins to conserve resources and energy. Since libido and ovulation are not necessary for your survival, your body will cease those, in order for the scarce amount of energy and fuel to be directed to vital organs.

Our libido is naturally low/er while breastfeeding, for this very reason. Because your body is already expending energy to grow a small human, and not in an *ideal* position to gestate another (though it can and does happen).

Rather than trying exotic herbs and powders to “fix” your libido (it doesn’t need fixing, it’s working exactly as it’s meant to), look at the bigger picture. What does your body really need? Nourishment? Minerals? Rest? Time for dysfunction to regulate itself? Do the adrenals and thyroid need support? All the above?

The #1 Reason Why Menopause Is A Nightmare for 85% of Western Women

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In all the time I spent living in the Pacific Islands, in contact with perimenopausal women, I never once noticed anyone suffering symptoms, or heard women discussing it.

My own mother and her sisters were going through the change of life, and on my visits home, I’d often hear them talking about the hot flushes, or joking how they want to lock themselves into a refrigerator.

Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me, and I began asking around the Islander women. They didn’t know of anyone who had suffered symptoms leading up to menopause (officially complete after one year without a period).

And that makes sense, if you understand the process of menopause. During perimenopause, our ovaries gradually cease production of sex hormones, and our adrenal glands take up responsibility. This process begins to happen, gradually, from around 35 – 40yrs old.

As you can imagine, a stressed and depleted pair of adrenals, such as most Western women have, due to chronic stress and over-busy lifestyle, is going to struggle to keep up. Hence why the wheels begin to fall off for so many women, in their late 30’s – early 40’s, as their ovaries begin to wind back production of estrogen and progesterone, and a shortfall becomes evident, because their adrenals are already depleted from years of stress. If not corrected, menopause becomes a nightmare.

85% of Western women report experiencing menopausal symptoms, hot flushes, night sweats, aches and pains, forgetfulness and mood swings.

Of course we cannot discount the added stress of going through menopause in a society that glorifies youthfulness. Many older women say they feel ‘invisible’ and unnoticed. Contrast to more traditional societies where growing older is not resisted, but embraced. Older women become more noticed, more heard, more respected.

Ladies, if we want to go into our ‘golden’ years, vibrant and well, we MUST get a handle on stress. The best diet in the world can not compensate for the damage and destruction caused by chronic stress. We simply were not designed to live lives of constant frenetic pace, over-commitment and juggling a thousand things at once.

We are beings, not doings.

Consider this permission to start carving out time to rest 🙂