Hello all!

I am thrilled to bring you a very special post from Dr. Mariza Snyder, a holistic health practitioner and hormone expert. She was serendipitously introduced to me through a childhood friend from my hometown (who so happens to be her body butter-making husband mentioned in the article below), and I was immediately impressed with her expertise, tenacity and warmth. When she told me she is dubbed, "the hormone whisperer," I knew I had to have her write a guest post to tell me and all of you more about what she does!

For those of you unfamiliar with why you should even care about hormones, here's a synopsis: hormones are like little conductors throughout our bodies that regulate a plethora of processes like growth, metabolism, fertility and behavior. Their health is essential to our health. Hormone imbalance can lead to weight and mood issues, poor sleep, digestive issues and can affect your libido, to name a few. Needless to say, it's important to keep those suckers in check. So what you can do to make sure your hormones are supported and in balance? I'll leave it to Mariza to tell you all about it:

As a practitioner that speaks to thousands of women that want to get their hormones functioning at healthy levels, some of the most common questions I get are: What are your daily habits? How do you maintain balance? The women I talk to are not only managing their own health, but careers, families, households, and trying to balance it all gracefully.  Having enough energy to get through your week, exercise, eat healthy and have a positive attitude throughout can seem daunting.  Any excuse seems to do in order to put off that major lifestyle change, let alone maintain consistency.
Well the good news is that the way that I keep my health and my hormones in check is through simple, repeatable, daily health habits.  These are simple choices that we can make every day to ensure we are giving our body the necessary fuel and tools to not only survive our day to day, but to thrive in it.

If you’re open to making a few simple changes to help avoid hormone chaos and maintain optimal energy and mood, I’m here to help. It all begins here, and this is also how we can stay consistent in living a healthy lifestyle. These are healthy, all-natural habits that can truly help your body function at its peak potential.

1. Create a Daily Ritual to De-Stress

Daily rituals often make sense to start your day, but they could also be done in the middle or the end of the day as a way to help melt away that stress.  My morning routine consists of essential oils, green smoothies, and positive journaling.  I’ll touch on the first two later, but as far as a positive daily ritual, nothing tops my daily journal.  It has a pre-made template where I fill in my priorities for the day, I manifest the outcome of a perfect day, and also manifest wild-hair intentions, that believe it or not – often come true. This helps to put me into a positive mindset, and helps me to put my intentions and wishes out to the universe so I can see them come true.

There are many other forms of rituals that you could partake in too.  I try to sneak away to a mid-day yoga class several days per week, but I know many people who start each day with their yoga class or routine.  Meditation is something else I like to accompany my daily journal sessions with if there is time, and even my daily green smoothies are an important part of my ritual.  You could create rituals in your life with a brisk walk in the morning, mirror affirmation exercises, or whatever it is that helps you to set your intentions, put your stress into perspective, and create balance and routine within your hectic week.

2. Provide the Right Fuel

As I mentioned, I start every day with a green smoothie.  Here is a link to one of my favorite starter green smoothie recipes.  I started drinking green smoothies about 7 years ago, and I haven’t looked back since.  If I had to suggest only one habit, I would say that drinking green smoothies every morning is my number one habit for maintaining healthy nutritional function and hormone balance.  

With one green smoothie, you are drinking up to 12-15 servings of fruit and vegetables – enough for the entire day!  Greens such as kale, chard, spinach, etc. provide numerous health benefits that can help prevent sickness and disease. In addition to eating greens and other antioxidant and phytonutrient-rich foods, it’s very important to avoid certain foods that act as triggers as well.  Everyone’s body is different, so it’s important to try short-term eliminations to see how your body responds with or without certain foods.  I can tell you that one ingredient that we could all use less of is sugar.  I break up with sugar for several months minimum each year, which helps keep weight off, regulate my hormone levels, and gives me more sustainable energy.  You’ll be surprised how good you’ll feel, (and how quickly your taste buds will adjust) from a reset like this. Other foods that act as triggers for many women include gluten, soy, coffee, alcohol, some meat and all processed foods. I recommend making small, temporary adjustments to your diet and see how your body and energy levels respond to those changes. 

3. Supplement Your Hormones

In addition to eating the right foods, it’s important to supplement your diet as well. Our bodies rely on dozens of hormones to run efficiently, and any deficiencies can cause disruptions in your life in any number of ways. I take a core group of supplements including a multivitamin, a plant-based omega, along with other vital nutrients and antioxidants. They help give me that extra boost of energy I need in the day.

The other way that I support healthy hormone levels is through regular essential oil usage.  Essential oils have been used for thousands of years, and these aromatic compounds come from the flowers, leaves, roots, seeds and other parts of plants.  Some oils I use for energy, for mood, and even to flavor my water and foods.  Wild orange and peppermint are two of my favorite essential oils that I use daily for energy, mood and focus. There are also many essential oils that are great for women in particular.  Some of my favorite oils for women include geranium, clary sage, bergamot, lavender and ylang ylang. 

4. Moving the Body

One thing that I cannot emphasize enough is regular movement of the body.  At the minimum, I recommend 30 minutes of exercise per day, even if it’s just walking.  Our bodies are meant to move, and getting our hearts pumping and muscles moving is one of the most impactful things we can do on a regular basis.  Regular movement helps keep me in tune with my body, and also helps to release endorphins that can lower cortisol levels. I personally keep my exercise routines varied.  Sometimes it’s yoga, sometimes it’s a boot camp class, and sometimes I just use a fitness app for a convenient and quick workout. It’s all about getting in where you fit in!  Recently I’ve been doing more boot camp classes for maximum calorie burn, but I make sure to supplement with yoga once or twice for flexibility and to reduce stress.
    
5. Reducing Toxic Load

My last healthy hormone habit is more something that’s engrained in my life, and that is reducing toxic load.  By toxic load, I mean any of the toxins, chemicals and heavy metals that we might be exposed to in our environment.  The first and most important way that I reduce toxic load is by controlling what we use in our household and what I put on or in my body.  I use nontoxic hair and skin products, as well as makeup.  I use essential oils to make nontoxic cleaners, moisturizers, and other personal care products.  In fact – and I kid you not – my husband just made a non-toxic body butter and shaving cream from scratch.  If he can get on the train, you definitely can too!  I also try to avoid toxins in the foods that I eat, especially heavy metals like mercury from fish.  There are certain environmental pollutants that can’t be avoided, which is why I try to maximize everything within my control.  I also do a detox 1-2 times per year to do a system reset and help reduce my body’s toxic load.

I could go on for days about my healthy habits, because they are the foundation for how I live my life. I believe healthy should be simple, and it all starts with these simple, repeatable habits. And if you can only start with just one habit, then start with just one!  Don’t let the idea of ‘perfect’ get in the way of ‘better’.  Our health is a journey, and every step in the right direction counts.  While there are many healthy regimens that I participate throughout the year that fall outside of my daily routine, it’s these core principles and habits that set the tone for a healthy body and happy hormones.  If I am having an off-day, I can usually run down this list and find a solution. These are the habits that help me stay consistent and balance my busy work and family schedule while feeling my best.

Taylor Swift has one. Oprah has one. Jesus had one. Squad, team, posse, crew - whatever you want to call it - most strong, successful, influential people throughout history have had a strong set of supporters to back them up with love, service and some excellent cheerleading. However super-powered any one individual may seem, they no doubt have a net of folks that constantly helps to elevate them to their super status. 

Whether or not we want to admit it, we all need support. In this information age, the internet and slew of apps for everything you can imagine make it seem like your iPhone can be your personal assistant, doctor, trainer, best friend and even therapist. Sure, I love the convenience and utility of all of these "shortcut" tools, but they do not take the place of PEOPLE! When you truly need to talk about the crazy day you had at work, what you want to do with your life, or the amazing salad you created for lunch, the Internet will not listen to you, look you in the eye, and give you the appropriate hug or high five. When you are coughing up a lung and wondering why you haven't stopped sweating for fourteen hours, your phone, even WebMD, cannot (effectively) diagnose or treat you. When you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, an app or website can only take you so far in finding your unique path to true well-being. 

Having your go-to team at the top of your mind is so important. These are the people who help you take care of all areas of your well-being: stress-management, productivity, emotional ease, physical health, fitness, career development, FUN, and any other area of your life where you simply can't, and shouldn't, do it alone. When you know who is on your squad, and what their "superpower" is, you can better utilize and appreciate the way their unique skill sets and personalities elevate your life. It's like a race car driver and their pit crew - you can only go out and perform at your best when you have an incredibly gifted team keeping you oiled, repaired and fueled!  

So do you know who's on your squad? Who are your MVPs? It may be that you still have some recruiting to do to get you to your dream team. This month I encourage you to start acknowledging and reaching out to those who already have your back, and to start seeking out players to fill any crucial gaps in your web of support. Not sure how to start? Here are a few ways to start rolling deep with your personal pit crew. 

​1. Take roll call first.

Start by listing and acknowledging the people who you already know are on your roster. List your closest friends (the ones who you can share TMI with sans judgment), your most trusted co-workers, any healers you already see (i.e. doctors, therapists, acupuncturists, psychics, massage therapists), folks who keep you looking and feeling fabulous (hair stylists, estheticians, favorite fitness instructors), your consultants (coaches, specifically savvy friends, teachers, mentors) and your biggest fans (significant others, relatives, pets). Next to each person - write a specific way they have improved your quality of life in the past. Then write about how you can show them true appreciation for the difference they've made in your life. Maybe it's writing them a letter, maybe it's giving them an extra tip next time you use their services, or maybe it's just saying "thank you" like you mean it every time you are in their presence. The more you can appreciate the people who help you be your best self, the more connected you will feel with these individuals, and the more likely you will be to reach out when you need their assistance. 

2. Identify where you're trying to be a hero.

There may be areas of your life where you feel overextended, lost or just bored. Chances are, there are people out there who you can add to your squad to lighten your load, help you find direction or inspire and ignite you to get up and get out of your comfort zone! Write down some specific things you think could improve your quality of life: organization, stress-reduction, direction in your career, pursuing a creative endeavor, or just having more fun. 

3. Recruit! 

For each life-improver you wrote down, write down three people (who you may or may not know already) who could help you implement it in your life. If you feel you could use direction in your career, for example, you may write down "Business coach, professional mentor, my aunt Patricia who has a successful business and knows her shit." Do this for each area you wrote above. 

Next step, reach out to the people on your list that you already know. Authentically ask for their assistance by presenting the opportunity you see in your life for growth, letting them know how much you respect and admire them, and humbly requesting to learn from and/or hang out with them! If you are not super close with them already, just express your interest in getting to know them better and suggest grabbing coffee/tea/juice or hitting up an event related to a mutual interest you share. You may find that once you get to know them on a deeper level, they fit into your squad in a way you hadn't expected! 

For those areas of your life where you feel you need a true professional hand, reach out to the people already on your squad for recommendations and suggestions about where and how to find the type of person who will best answer your needs. These will most likely be the professional connections (i.e. the ones you pay for), so I suggest prioritizing which professionals you feel would be most beneficial and urgent to enlist. Do your research to make sure the person's services are the right kind for the kind of growth you're seeking. For example, there are lots of business coaches out there who can help you grow your business and get clients and investors, but defining your specific goals and audience and going for a coach who has experience in those specifics, will give you the most bang for your buck. 

It's easy to feel alone. I get that. Especially as a single person living in New York, where everyone is very driven and focused on their personal path, I sometimes feel like I'm on a deserted island and have to fend for myself. But then I remember how incredibly #blessed I am to have such a dope #squad to support me. I have an amazing group of friends here in the city who keep me sane and laughing, several close friends across the country I can always call when I need to vent or gush, a wonderfully supportive family who are constantly reminding me that they love me, a functional medicine doctor who actually cares about my health, a health coach of my own who is the best listener, a lovely woman who tames my unruly eyebrows,  co-workers who make my job easy and fun and amazing clients who remind me why I do what I do. I encourage you to take a look at your team, appreciate what you have, reach out if there's someone missing, then move confidently through the world knowing that no matter what, your squad has your back. 

With love, light, gratitude and #squadgoals, 

                                  Hannah B