your road to recovery starts here FIND YOUR ROOT CAUSE

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Quiz Questions

1.
What symptom do you experience the most?
- A.
  Painful or irregular periods, PMS, night sweats, breast tenderness
- B.
  Stress, Anxiety & Mood Swings
- C.
  Poor sleep quality
- D.
  Low energy levels/fatigue
- E.
  Poor digestion, bloating and irregular bowel movements
2.
Where does the weight stay stuck the most?
- A.
  Hips + thighs
- B.
  Stomach
- C.
  Arms + chest area
- D.
  I generally carry it all over
3.
How is your sleep?
- A.
  Great! I sleep 7 - 9 hours per night and wake up feeling refreshed.
- B.
  I struggle to get to sleep, my mind is constantly busy with thoughts preventing me from sleeping, it's a wired but tired feeling.
- C.
  My sleep is often broken, I generally get up around 1 – 3am to go to the bathroom
- D.
  I sleep right through the night, but it feels like I never get a truly deep sleep
- E.
  I get enough sleep, but often wake up still feeling tired
4.
What is your appetite like?
- A.
  I can easily skip meals, and don't really have much of an appetite.
- B.
  I get really 'hangry' (hungry/angry) if I miss meals, I need to eat regularly.
- C.
  I experience lots of cravings, sugary or salty foods (especially around 2 - 3pm)
- D.
  I constantly feel hungry, like nothing quite fills me up.
- E.
  I don't really get hungry first thing in the morning, sometimes I don't eat until lunchtime or late afternoon.
- F.
  I eat pretty well most of the time, but I have been known to binge and emotionally eat sometimes.
5.
Now I have to ask... how is your 'evacuation?'
- A.
  I'm regular, I go at least once a day, it's on the looser side, but well formed.
- B.
  I am regular until it is 'that time of the month' then things seem to get a little out of whack
- C.
  I go from one extreme to the next, sometimes days go by with nothing, otherwise it can be multiple times a day.
- D.
  I maybe go once every 2 - 3 days
- E.
  I feel like I always need to be close to the bathroom
6.
How are your energy levels?
- A.
  I constantly feel drained, overwhelmed, and exhausted
- B.
  I'm wired but tired! Energy is a bit of a rollercoaster ride
- C.
  To be honest, it's pretty flat most of the time, I rely on stimulants like coffee to pick me up.
- D.
  I'm struggle to get out of the bed in the morning, but by the afternoon and evening I am wide awake!
7.
How's your digestion?
- A.
  It changes - somedays it's fine, other times I'm super bloated
- B.
  It's great - I can eat anything I want and feel fine. I do get the odd amount of reflux/heartburn though
- C.
  I often feel sleepy after a meal (especially one higher in carbohydrates)
- D.
  I don't feel like I digest anything, it's like food goes right through me.
- E.
  I feel really full and I am constantly bloated after a meal
8.
How does your body feel most of the time?
- A.
  It feels heavy, and tired my body constantly aches
- B.
  I often find myself complaining of joint pain, or struggle with a sore lower back
- C.
  I feel full of energy and like my body can do anything
- D.
  Fatigue is my biggest issue, I never feel like I have the energy.
- E.
  I am constantly getting sick or hurting myself.
9.
How is your complexion?
- A.
  My skin is rather oily, and I still get acne from time to time
- B.
  I have a glowing complexion most of the time, but come 'that time of the month' I get acne (particularly around the chin)
- C.
  I have dry, itchy skin (have had or currently have eczema or psoriasis)
- D.
  Generally on the drier side, sometimes with a slight yellowish tinge
- E.
  My complexion is fine, but I feel like I am puffy, and retain water easily.
10.
What's your mood like?
- A.
  Generally speaking, it's fine... you know until it's 'that time of the month'
- B.
  I feel flat constantly and I don't know why, I try to lift myself up.
- C.
  I'm constantly anxious, overwhelmed and overthinking everything.
- D.
  Mood swings are my middle name, I'm a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
- E.
  I am constantly on edge, don't push my buttons, I have been called short tempered.
11.
What is the ONE thing you wish you could achieve right now?
- A.
  Weight loss to feel confident and happy in my own skin
- B.
  Better energy levels
- C.
  Increased emotional control and mood
- D.
  Better sex life (my libido could do with some ramping up)
- E.
  Balance my eating and exercise so I feel healthier
- F.
  Glowing complexion
- G.
  Normal periods or an easy menopause
- H.
  No more bloating or abdominal pain

Quiz Outcomes

1.
Your Liver
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Believe it or not, the liver does more than just process alcohol when it comes to the body. In fact, its responsibilities are enormous! Literally everything you eat, drink, breathe in and consume (including what you apply or us topically) is processed by your liver. So those nights of disrupted sleep (waking up to pee), the extra 'liver roll' just underneath your breasts, the breakouts, constipation, high cholesterol, excess weight around the hips and thighs, fatigue, loss of appetite etc are all signs and symptoms of the liver not being too happy. You may be experiencing some or one of them, which is a sign that we need to start focusing a bit more on taking care of our liver health! You can think of the liver like a filter system for all of our blood, it is also a storage unit for fats, minerals and sugars (glycogen), not to mention it is also where fats are broken down. So, as you can see the liver plays a vital role in our overall health and ability to function, not to mention the ability to lose weight! One of the best ways to support the liver is through a healthy wholefoods diet and some key supplements. It is also important to remember that what we put onto our skin also has a huge effect on the liver increasing toxic load and stripping natural oils from the skin. So, choosing skincare that aren’t full of harsh parabens, chemicals, and fragrances can have a significant effect on your health. What can we do to show our liver some love?- Increase intake of bitters, dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies to at least 2 serves per day (e.g. spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and Brussel sprouts) these are high in antioxidants which help prevent the liver cells from damage, they also protect the skin from free radical damage (thus, premature aging). - Add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to your water or salad/veggies. Lemons are not only a good source of vitamin C, but also aid in the detoxification process by promoting the secretion of bile (which helps us break down fats) and helps to alkalise the body. - Potentially opt for a liver support supplement (ones rich in milk thistle, and dandelion root can be great to support detoxification and the liver itself, however it is best to consult a health practitioner when it comes to supplements so you can be sure they are the best fit for you). - Minimise or avoid unnecessary medications or pain killers as these too can place excess load on the body. - Minimise or avoid alcohol; while the body is busy trying to reduce the toxic load from the dietary intake and environmental pollutants, we don’t need to be adding in an extra toxin like alcohol which only adds to the livers stress.
2.
Your Gut Health
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Our digestive system allows us to breakdown and absorb the nutrients from our food. However, if our gut microbiome (bacteria, flora etc) is out of balance (dysbiosis), you could be eating perfectly and still not be achieving the results you want. You see the gut is the cornerstone to our health, it houses around 70 – 80% of our immune system, clears toxic build up and reduces inflammation. The only issue for most of us, we haven’t been giving our gut the love it needs to be functioning in a way that not only makes us healthy on the inside; improving energy and mood, but radiant on the outside with glowing skin and our ideal body's. The key is to create a healthy internal environment (gut) so that it is reflected in a healthy external environment (our bodies). This can’t occur if our body isn’t removing waste properly or getting the right foods and nutrients to create a diverse microbiome. So those irregular bowel movements, sugar cravings, fatigue, feelings of anxiety, bloating, food intolerances, skin issues as well as the excess weight (often all over, but especially around the tummy) are all signs and symptoms of the gut not being too happy. You may be experiencing some or one of them, which is a sign that we need to start focusing a bit more on taking care of our gut health! This matters even more so if you’ve got a history of chronic stress, taking the oral contraceptive pill (OCP), medication (such as steroids) or anti-biotics, chances are your gut is impaired. These medications can lead to something called ‘leaky gut’ which wreaks havoc on our microbiome, and you’ll need additional support. The good news is, it’s not a complicated fix! We need to start by ensuring we are having regular bowel movements (daily), to eliminate the toxins and waste from the body. So, if you’re experiencing constipation or diarrhoea on a regular basis, you may need to do a little further investigation as to what might be driving this (food intolerances, stress, hormonal imbalances). By including plenty of fibre, probiotic and prebiotic foods in our diet will help to support your gut health and thus a healthy body weight. What can we do to show our gut some love?- Start by looking at your digestive health and identifying any trends in bowel movements or digestive issues that may come up. See if adding more fibre and water assists. - Look at what outside of food you are putting into your body, and whether or not it is necessary. Focus on adding nutrients from nourishing wholefoods that the body knows how to process and digest. - Add in a gut loving food to your daily routine (I personally drink a cup of bone broth every morning to help nourish my gut).
3.
Your Hormones
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I know right, not only do hormones influence our cycle, fertility and menopause, but they actually pretty much govern the whole body! You see hormones are little chemical messengers that respond to signals they receive and respond accordingly (most often trying to prioritise your survival). This can greatly impact us on a day to day basis, and have a dramatic affect on not only how we store fat, but where we store it too! You see females are complex beings, like I might lose a few of you here, but we are like formula one race cars, one little thing wrong with our engine and we wont run properly, never mind win! So, it's super important to keep our finely tuned system in check by caring for ourselves properly. The most common cause of hormonal imbalances I see is unstable insulin levels (meaning our blood sugar levels are constantly peaking and crashing) or too much stress! The issue is, one hormone being out of whack causes a cascade of effects. Mood swings, low libido, excess weight around the stomach, hips and thighs, fatigue/exhaustion, low mood, lack of motivation, irregular cycles, heavy or painful periods, fibroids, sore breasts are all signs and symptoms from our body that our hormones aren't happy. Stress causes a hormonal response in the body; short term this is great, it is our survival mechanism. Long term however it leads to increased inflammation increasing our cortisol levels which in turn can make us break out, decrease sleep quality and/or quantity, throw our hormones out of balance and impair digestion. It also can cause our body to become depleted in many nourishing nutrients ultimately increasing the symptoms you may be experiencing. What can we do to show our hormones some love? - Exercise regularly; in a way that is supportive, not as a punishment to the body. Try adding some yoga or more resistance training to your weekly routine. - Diaphragmatic breathing; the one thing we know truly resets the nervous system to a calmer state – rest and digest. Try 2 – 3 minutes of belly breathing every time you feel your heart rate increase, or even first thing in the morning to start your day in a calm place. - Self-care; sounds simple, but we need to fill up our cups with things that make us happy and feel treated. This might be in the form of a facial, getting a massage or simply finding 10 – 15 minutes to sit quietly and read a book. - Meditation or mindfulness practices; finding time amongst the busyness to be aware of your thoughts, be present in your day, what you are doing, eating and who you are spending it with will lower your stress levels too. - Decrease the caffeine load (yes, this is a stressor on the body too), try switching to a decaf or turmeric latte for a while and see how you feel.
4.
Your Nervous System
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How on earth is my nervous system affecting my body weight? I hear you ask. Believe it or not, it has an incredibly important role and can help the body determine which source of fuel to be using (fat or carbs/glucose). You see we have two prongs to our autonomic (automatic) nervous system, and one is responsible for our fight or flight response (SNS), the other for rest and digest (PNS). With today's level of day-to-day stresses being at an all time high, we often find ourselves living in our SNS states a lot more than our PNS states, which is why we often wind up gaining exxtra weight slowly over time without even realising it. The problem here, is that our SNS becomes activated in response to stress, and because it needs quick acting fuel sources to get us up and away from a life-threatening tiger (or inbox), we use predominantly glucose (sugar). When our body is only burning glucose as a fuel, we wind up keeping hold of that extra fat that we don't really want around and thus here we are. Other signs and symptoms you may be experiencing include increased anxiety and feelings of overwhelm, infrequent bowel movements, short temperedness, irritability, sugar cravings, bloating, poor sleep quality (you know that wired but tired feeling). So how can we show our nervous system some love? - Diaphragmatic breathing; the one thing we know truly resets the nervous system to a calmer state – rest and digest. Try 2 – 3 minutes of belly breathing every time you feel your heart rate increase, or even first thing in the morning to start your day in a calm place. - Exercise regularly; in a way that is supportive, not as a punishment to the body. Try adding some yoga or more resistance training to your weekly routine. - Self-care; sounds simple, but we need to fill up our cups with things that make us happy and feel treated. This might be in the form of a facial, getting a massage or simply finding 10 – 15 minutes to sit quietly and read a book. - Meditation or mindfulness practices; finding time amongst the busyness to be aware of your thoughts, be present in your day, what you are doing, eating and who you are spending it with will lower your stress levels too. - Decrease the caffeine load (yes, this is a stressor on the body too), try switching to a decaf or turmeric latte for a while and see how you feel.
5.
Your Body is Inflamed
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What has inflammation got to do with anything? What is inflammation? Inflammation is our body’s way of responding to anything it perceives as foreign in the body or happens in response to an injury. It is there to protect us by releasing an internal response from the immune system to either attack the invader or send nutrients to the pain (what typically causes swelling). This is necessary inflammation, the type our body needs to heal itself. Unfortunately, it is when our body is in a chronic state of inflammation that the body is so worried about settling this down, that it doesn't give any priority to shifting extra body fat that we might not want around! Excess weight, feeling puffy, retaining fluid, aches and pains in joints and lower back, headaches, irregular bowel movements, period pains, poor quality sleep can all be signs that there is an internal fire. Our day to day environment is often filled with toxins, pollution, sun exposure, chemicals in low quality skincare and beauty products, junk food, alcohol, high stress levels etc all increase the risk of chronic inflammation. Luckily, we are able to keep our inflammation in check and just doing the role it is supposed to, by making healthy lifestyle choices. Regular exercise, reducing sugar intake and stress levels as wells as increasing wholefoods can make a huge difference. We often underestimate the power of food, and the effects it can have on health and our bodies. Sugar along with processed, refined foods, particularly carbohydrates and saturated fats can play a major role in inflammation. When we eat these foods there is a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, causing insulin to rise. The issue with this is that insulin causes an inflammatory response and if it happens often enough (meal to meal, day to day), chronic inflammation can occur. This is why it is essential to eat a wholefoods diet (anti-inflammatory). What can we do to reduce inflammation? - Reduce or remove dairy, gluten, refined sugars along with alcohol and caffeine for the next 7 days, maybe even trial it for 4 weeks to see the difference it makes. - Find alternatives you enjoy; nut milks, coconut yoghurt, gluten free wholegrain or paleo breads, using olive oil or coconut oil (you don’t have to miss out). - Keep processed, fried foods to a minimum to keep inflammation down. - Keep stress to a minimum where possible, find time for things you love and time to wind down in the evenings so that your body isn't stressed before it goes to sleep.

your road to recovery starts here FIND YOUR ROOT CAUSE

Discover what's really going on in your body, and what you can do about it! Understanding the underlying cause to stubborn weight that just won't shift! Is it your gut health, liver, hormones? Find out now!

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes