health tips

Podcasts

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment
Click image to listen to this episode

Talk about stepping out of your comfort zone! But I did… Yay, me!! DO NOT, I repeat… DO NOT let anxiety and fear stop you from doing the things you know you’re meant to do!

DO ALL THE THINGS!!!

Recently, I was invited to join a new friend on some of her podcasts. I’m all about sharing health and wellness info, but hearing my voice on a podcast that can be heard all over the world… WHOA! Who am I?!? Exciting stuff!! I want to make sure you can find all my guest appearances in one place, so here ya go…

I first joined Alexa on The Alexa Z Show, Meditation Motivation in January. Alexa invited my colleague, Danielle McDevitt, MD, and I to discuss Integrative Medicine and What It Really Is. We talked about chronic inflammation, all the ways it can affect the body and lead to that infamous “fight or flight” response. We made sure to mention a few ways to change that “fight or flight” back to “rest and digest”. Important Stuff! We had a blast doing the first one, so decided to do a few more.

Our second episode is about ADHD and Anxiety in our Youth. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know this is a topic that is close to home for my family. Alexa and I dig into the topic of neuroinflammation, discuss neurotransmitter function, and how they each play a role in the disease process. We talk about some of the root causes of neuroinflammation, and how that inflammation can lead to other diseases. The most important part- we talk about how you can change things! Change your health, change your life. Change your life, change your health. Enter meditation and other integrative therapies. If you want to read more about neuroinflammation, I wrote Is it Really ADHD? to address that very topic.

One of the most important bits of info I can share with you is a quote from our recent podcast, “The genetics you’re born with do not dictate your health, the environment you put those genetics in will dictate your health… that’s a whole new field of science called epigenetics that’s developed over the last 20 years and it’s fascinating!” ~KPTolley

In our next episode, we plan to discuss Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is pretty controversial nowadays. It’s characterized by widespread pain, overwhelming fatigue, and memory issues, along with a list of other problems that disturb almost every system in the body, especially the immune system and nervous system. We’ll discuss symptoms, disease process, diagnostic challenges, treatment challenges and how alternative therapies like meditation play such a big role in the recovery process. Be sure to tune in next month.

If you have any questions about medication or topics that you’d like to hear Alexa and I discuss, please reach out and let us know! If you want to learn more about meditating or you’re looking for a meditation coach, Alexa is your gal!

Be Well!! Kp

To learn more about Alexa’s services click here!

Seeing 2020: New Year Newsletter

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

Happy New Year, Friends!!  

I hope you had a peaceful and joyful holiday! As we approach 2020, I want to share some knowledge and opportunities to expand your Health and Wellness Journey! 


OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

10 Day Detox: Starting January 1, I will be doing a 10-day detox. What are we detoxing? Sugar, dairy, wheat, stress, etc! This is happening in my virtual support group on Facebook, The Good Vibes Tribe with Katie Pink. If you aren’t in the group, send me a request to join! 


The second opportunity I want to share with you is KT Consulting! I’ve had so many people ask me about 1:1 and/or group health coaching and consulting that I decided it was time to make it a business. Funny how things come to us and we need to figure out how to make them happen. That’s what I’m doing with KT Consulting, aka Kitchen Table Consulting. I’m going to figure it out as I go and hopefully I can help change a few lives along the way. If you are interested in 1:1 Health consulting or in hosting a Health Consulting Roundtable, please let me know! 


I also have a new fitness group starting on January 6. Barre Blend is a new program from Beachbody that is available on Beachbody On Demand. It is a blend of barre, core, and resistance training. I have loved the preview workouts! Barre Blend is a 5 day a week, 8 weeks, 30 min a day program that you can do on your own schedule. If you want to join me for this new fitness program for the New Year, I’d love to have you! If you want to see what it’s all about, you can check out the preview workout!! 

GOOD INFO TO KNOW

I want to share the 2nd article in my Digestive Health Series about Chronic Inflammation. Chronic Inflammation is the root cause of so many disease processes. Learn more about how chronic levels of inflammation can significantly affect your health and well being. If you want to discuss any health issues that may be related to chronic inflammation, please reach out. 
Cold and Flu Info: During Cold and Flu seasons, one of the best ways to avoid germs is handwashing. I know you’ve heard this over and over, but it’s true. The other really important things is boosting your immune system. If you want to know what supplements I use or recommend to boost your immune system, you can find them in my Wellevate Dispensary. If you do find yourself dealing with flu symptoms, before you go to urgent care, try Oscillicoccinum! You can find it in my “Cold and Flu” Protocol on Wellevate. Notice that Tylenol and Motrin are NOT part of my protocol. Tylenol and Motrin reduce natural glutathione levels. Glutathione is one of our body’s #1 antioxidants. Healthy Glutathione levels will help your immune system fight off the flu, maybe even before you know you’re sick. 

*If you choose to use Wellevate, you will need to create a personal account. I created this online supplement website to help decrease the cost of expensive supplements for my friends, family, and clients. You should find the prices on Wellevate to be cheaper than most other options because of the way I have the discounts calculated. I do earn a small profit from sales on this site, thank you for your support. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the supplements on my protocols. 

RECIPE TIME

Each time you hear from me, I’m going to share something yummy. For the new year, I’m sharing my Detox Soup Recipe. I shared this recipe in The Good Vibes Tribe along with other detox info as we prep for the 10-Day Detox. Detox starts Jan 1! 

I hope 2020 brings you good health, peace and joy, and manageable stress. Manageable stress is one of my phrases for 2020 because stress is always going to happen. We have to actively detox and destress to stay healthy. When we are healthy, we can respond to stressful situations with a calmer mind. When we have a calmer mind, we are able to conquer just about anything. 


Happy New Year, my friends! 
May 2020 be your best year yet! 
Peace and Blessings, Katie 

Adaptogenic Herbs: Mother Nature’s Secret Medicine

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I’d even heard the term “Adaptogenic Herbs” and when I did I still wasn’t quite sure what they were or what they did.

Adapt means to modify, change or restructure. Adaptgenic herbs have the amazing ability to modify, change and restructure our body at a cellular level.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of an adaptogen is “a nontoxic substance and especially a plant extract that is held to increase the body’s ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning”.

So, let’s think about this a minute, there is a natural substance, actually multiple substances that will help the body combat stress. Our bodies are stressed by a plethera of environmental factors daily. So many health issues are stress related. Could this be an answer?

Over the past week, I’ve watched a video series on Herbal medicine. Did you know that Herbalism as a medical practice was outlawed in the United States over 100 years ago? This is downright sad, because it has started to erase the knowledge we need to have about natural forms of medical treatments, treatments that are successfully practiced in other parts of the world everyday.

So many ailments that are considered common health issues could be reveresed with the addition of adaptogens. Adaptogenic herbs can treat and prevent diseases like Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, Chronic Fatigue, Insomnia, Brain Fog, Demenitia problems, neurological disorders like MS and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disorders like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, digestive disorders, adrenal fatigue, thyroid imbalance, and the list goes on and on. If you name any chronic disease, adaptognic herbs will probably make it better. They get to the source of the problem.

Often times, we take pills for symptoms, but we forget that those symptoms are signs, they show up for a reason. Adaptognic herbs get to the source of the problem. Adding adaptogenic herbs to my nutrition plan has decrease the need for all the medications that I used to take for asthma, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, fibormalgia, allergies, migraines and more. It’s been an incredible transformation. I rarely even go to the pharmacy anymore.

Boosting my immune system and fighting the chronic inflammation and stress that my body is constantly battling with adaptogenic herbs and other holistic nutrition remedies has changed my health 100%. It’s hard to believe I’m the same sick person that cried and suffered with pain from IBS and Fibro and Migraines.

Let me share a list of things adaptogens can do:

  • increase endurance
  • increase libido
  • decrease stress (actually decrease cortisol levels!!)
  • boost immune function
  • decrease inflammation
  • provide allergy relief
  • decrease anxiety and elevate mood
  • regulate sleep
  • strengthen digestive system
  • strengthen cardivascular system
  • calm the nervous system
  • balance hormones
  • balances adrenal function

These adaptogenic herbs are plants and fungi; and with some the roots hold the magic elixir. These are herbs like Ashaganda, Astragalus, Holy Basil, Reishi, Miataki, Shiitake, Rhodiola, Maca, Chaga, Shishandra and Cordyceps, just to name a few. You’ve probably heard their names buzzing around, but weren’t really sure what was so great about them. Now you know!

Now you need to know how your get your hands on them, right?? Um, y’all… why do you think I keep talking about my superfoods? THIS! THESE! These amazing Adaptogens! All of the above are in Shakeology! All of the health issues listed above that people struggle with, that I’ve struggled with, are better now that I have the antiinflammatory effects of these amazing superfoods helping my body.

“THIS IS WHERE I GET MY ENERGY,” says the girl with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

We all deal with stress, we can’t avoid it, that’s just how life is in the 21st century. If we want to live our healthiest, we need to actively do what we can to combat the enrionmental stress our bodies are exposed to each and every day. Counteracting that stress at the cellular level in our body is the secret to staying well.

And, let’s face it, we all know we can’t get those adaptogenic effects in the Standard American Diet no matter how well we eat, our food just doesn’t have the nutrition we need. We need immune boosting, antiinflammatory nutrition to be healthy. That’s why I add my adaptogens, along with some other superfoods.

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I can’t wait to help you learn more about getting healthy and feeling better!

If you need help navitaging your wellness journey, I’d be happy to help. I love helping people learn what they can do to take control of their health and the health of their family.  It’s empowering for them, and it fills my cup right up! If you want to work with me, just send me a message and we can chat up a plan for you! If you want to check out my website to place an order or start working with me, click here. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Feel free to contact me: Facebook – Instagram – or Email me: katie@katiepinktolley.com

 

 

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If you want to read a little more about some of the scientific stuff, like the info I found in this article, just click on the text: “..recent pharmacological studies of a number of adaptogens have provided a rationale for these effects also at the molecular level. It was discovered that the stress—protective activity of adaptogens was associated with regulation of homeostasis via several mechanisms of action, which was linked with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the regulation of key mediators of stress response…”  (*info from US National Library of Medical National Institute of Health)

Natural Cold (URI) Remedies

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

Yesterday, my girl was feeling bad, stuffy, headache, sore throat, a little nausea, and so upset about it all. She is such a healthy child, she doesn’t do sick well, it brings tears. This just means I need to try double hard to make it go away quicker… how do you chase a cold, a virus, away quicker? There aren’t meds for that… are there? Not the traditional medicines people think of, but there are remedies…. Natural URI Remedies Do Work!

honeyWhen Drew complained of a headache and sore throat… I went straight for the honey. Honey is soothing for a sore throat and helps to relieve coughing. The cough may not completely go away, and that’s ok, for good reason. Coughing is our body’s natural defense against foreign invaders in the lungs. Anything solid that starts to enter the airway gets coughed back up. So, the goal is not to suppress the cough, but eliminate the problem that is causing the cough. Easier said than done, you can learn more about coughs here.

I totally believe in herbal throat drops, I’ve used Ricola for years, and now use doTerra’s On Guard Throat drops too. Even before I knew all the good stuff about herbs and holistic health, I was using the Ricola. After 24-48 hours with a Ricola, I always have much less irritation, inflammation and coughing. Drew tried a few different flavors, but it’s not her things, she’s funny about anything minty, spicy, etc., and these fall into that catagory for her. She’s sticking to the honey. 😉

Peppermint_15mlFor headaches, we use peppermint and lavender essential oils. Me, I add a little citrus of some sort too, citrus scents are my fave, they’re uplifting. I used a blend of lavender, peppermint, oregano, eucalyptus, clove, and wild orange on Drew’s feet when she napped. Morgan has been using the same blend this week too. Lavender_15mlIn the past, I’ve used lavender and peppermint for migraines and had some relief, but found the migraine trigger needs to be eliminated before I’m getting complete relief from the migraine no matter how often I use my EOs. If you’re interested in more info about EOs, read my article about EO’s and how my family uses them. 

Homemade chicken soup with real bone broth is good to help boost the immune system. bone-brothBone broth is healing in so many ways, it’s good for the gut and the immune system. I buy my bone broth online from The Brothery or Thrive Market. Having good nutrition is going to help speed up the recovery process.

Always, always hydrate. The more hydrated, the easier it is for your body to flush the germs out. We prefer Vitamin Water. I like Vitamin Water because of the extra vitamins and minerals along with electrolytes, all necessary to rehydrate. Vitamin Water is made with real cane sugar or stevia instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup or other artificial sweeteners. Don’t forget the benefits of a good cup of hot natural herbal tea too.

Speaking of hydration, it’s really important to stay well hydrated with fevers. This is tough with young kids. Use whatever method you can to get hydration in them. I encourage only treating a fever with medication like motrin or tylenol if it’s high or if the child is really miserable. I usually use the 101s as my tipping point. A fever is the body’s way to fight off germs, so rushing to eliminate the fever isn’t always the best remedy. Read more about fevers in my previous article here.

A warm bath to help with relaxing and fever reduction can be a twofold remedy. 583__44742-1445018174-190-250Your body can rest, and the bath is a great way to help bring down a fever naturally. Rest is the path to healing. We put lavender bath salts and Everyday brand eucalyptus mint bubble bath (from Thrive Market) in the bath to help with relaxation (lavender) and to open the sinuses (eucalyptus and mint). The bath was the most helpful therapy of all, that’s when the tears disappeared and I started to see a twinkle of a tired smile.

How long does a URI last? This really depends on how healthy your immune system is and how capable it is. Most URIs last 7-10 days, peaking on days 2-4. If you are already dealing with other chronic issues, eating poor food, working too much, not getting enough rest, not staying hydrated, and just never take time to catch your breath, you are gonna get sick a little more often, it will probably be worse than in a healthier person, and it’s gonna take longer to recover. Just look around, there are examples of this theory everywhere. This is why wellness matters. 😉

If you want to recover quickly from a cold, you have to be healthy before you catch a cold. If you want to recover from any illness, you have to keep your immune system prepared to fight off whatever it encounters. That’s the most important job you have, taking care of you… That’s why I preach wellness.

Stay Healthy Friends, it’s the best way to Enjoy the Journey!

What are your remedies for a “cold” (aka Upper Respiratory Infection aka URI)??

Be educated. Be well. Kp 🙂

 

My Family’s Grocery List

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

I’ve been asked by a few followers if I would write a grocery list of gluten free foods. That’s pretty much all I buy, so I thought it wouldn’t be that hard for me to share my list. This is also the list I share in my challenge groups. Be sure to check back frequently, I’ll be changing it up as I discover more secrets. We still have a few things in the cabinet that we haven’t tried yet, like GF pizza crust. We have frozen, vacuum sealed, and flour/mix to make from scratch… I’ll keep you posted. Update: skip the vacuum sealed option. 😉

I go Live on FB occasionally and opened my cabinets to show you most of the products my family uses. I share my Thrive Market shipments, my Butcher Box shipments and other health and nutrition info, so, be sure to follow me on Facebook.

Without further ado, here’s my list…

Continue reading →

WTF is a Mom to do….

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

There were assignments that had to be done.

There was a long weekend at the beach.

There was a family day when the GF food options just weren’t the most tempting.

That’s where my life as a Mom begins…. over and over and over and fucking over again! (sigh)

Welcome to the world of WHAT. THE. FUCK. IS. A. MOM. TO. DO? I know… the language, but… unless you live it… um…just don’t even… K? 😉

I have always believed that you have to accomplish your chores, tasks and responsibilities before you get your privileges. It just makes sense.

But, when you have a child that is controlled by the foods that are most of what society eats… and those foods are everywhere…. and those foods completely deteriorate his brilliant cognitive process….

YOU GET A LITTLE PISSED OFF THAT THERE IS NOT MORE AWARENESS! Welcome to my world.

Maybe you know about gluten (and casein) sensitivity, maybe you don’t, but let me tell you, not knowing will be the downfall of our society. I know I sound like a drama queen… But, I’m as serious as I can possibly be. ANYONE that works with kids NEEDS TO KNOW THIS INFO!!

Gluten sensitive people (40% of our population) will feel sick when they eat too much gluten. Period. Symptoms include but are not limited to:

  • brain fog (lack of focus and cognitive functioning)
  • spaced out… think “walking dead”
  • unable to accomplish ADLs (activities of daily living)
  • headaches
  • stomach aches
  • constipation
  • rashes
  • aggression
  • anger
  • frustration
  • lethargy, fatigue
  • obesity, edema/swelling
  • joint pain
  • anxious, depressed
  • IS THAT ENOUGH?!?
  • Sound like ADHD?
  • It’s also ANXIETY!!!!!
  • WE NEED TO WAKE UP!!

We need to scream it from the rooftops! I NEED TO SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!! I’ve lived it in the disastrous, whirlwind of gluten life for over a decade with my son. I was absorbed in the world of pediatrics, and I didn’t know, the awareness IS NOT THERE. The knowledge has not been shared with those that need to know. When I think back, it’s been about 3.2 decades for me and how long I’ve been affected by my personal struggles and symptoms. And, I see it in the majority of the pediatric patients I see (I only see kids). I won’t even go there in this post.

This is the primary reason I care…

inflammation leads to

WE ALL NEED TO CARE! WE ALL NEED TO KNOW!!! BE EDUCATED!!! IT MATTERS!!!!!!!

If it was your 14 year old, and you’d been living it for over a decade, and you were finally getting answers, and you started seeing all the things our society was ignoring… and that lack of knowledge and ignorance is the reason your kid is getting “toxed”… You’d be fed up too! Try to detox… yup, it’s really like detox, wanna know more about the addiction and cravings, read this.  IT’S REAL!!!!! BELIEVE IT! I BEG OF YOU! PLEASE! Just start paying attention.

This part of the journey needs to be more understood… it’s the least enjoyable part in our family, honestly it sucks… especially when you know how to fix the problem. The disheartening and discouraging part is the blatant ignorance and denial of nutrition and it’s effects on our society, the problem is being ignored.

I’m ready to SCREAM!!!! I’m ready to share! I’m ready to spread the awareness of what is happening to our kids! I figured it out, and I know I can help others! Interested in funding my Awareness Campaign? Let me know… I’VE FUCKING HAD IT!!!!

 

*Disclaimer: I’m not against gluten, wheat per se, I am against TOO MUCH and OVER CONSUMPTION of wheat and processed foods. As long as you tolerate wheat and gluten products, make them 20-30% of your diet, if not, 0%, yes ZERO PERCENT of your diet! Period!

This journey is hard, but can be fun, but we ALL need to work together for the awareness of our fellow man, woman, child and for a better tomorrow for our communities.

Peace. kp.

 

Digestive Health Lesson #2 – It all Starts with Inflammation

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / 2 Comments

Dr. Tanya Edwards, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine (Cleveland), wrote that inflammation is now recognized as the underlying basis of a significant number of diseases.

Inflammation

Inflammation 101

Inflammation defined by the free online medical dictionary: 1. A localized protective response elicited by injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissue.  2.The inflammatory response can be provoked by physical, chemical, and biologic agents, including mechanical trauma, exposure to excessive amounts of sunlight, x-rays and radioactive materials, corrosive chemicals, extremes of heat and cold, or by infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and other pathogenic microorganisms. Although these infectious agents can produce inflammation, infection and inflammation are not synonymous.

Dr. Edwards points out that anti-inflammatory foods have been used to combat Cancer and many other diseases, i.e.: Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, many Autoimmune diseases, asthma. Here is the abstract from her article:  Continue reading →

I’ll Tell You about Essential Oils if YOU tell ME what to do with this Rhubarb?

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / Leave a comment

IMG_3739

Every post I write is in response to a question, situation, conversation, etc. This post has 2 conversations… 1. rhubarb. 2. Essential Oils.

I need to know what to do with my rhubarb because I shared a little knowledge about essential oils. I had fun yesterday at Emily’s Produce chatting about Essential Oils. I knew I would write this post about what I do with my oils when I was preparing my handout. I have lots of friends that have asked about essential oils. Everyone wants to know more, and wants to know what to do with them. So, I hope those friends see this! 😉 Continue reading →

How I Saved My Fibro with My Shakeo

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / 1 Comment

Hi! If you’ve found this post, you are probably wondering what Fibromyalgia is, and then you’re going to wonder what Shakeology is, or you already are? So, let’s start there.

Fibromyalgia is a complex, chronic pain disorder. fibromyalgia-cycleIt involves multiple systems with the primary symptoms being pain, sleep problems, and irritable bowel syndrome. The root of these symptoms seem to lie in the nutritional issues and sleep issues. Other symptoms include irritable bladder, migraines, restless legs syndrome, impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud’s Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination.

IMG_2538Shakeology is a nutritional supplement that has globally sourced superfood ingredients like Proteins and Fiber that help reduce hunger and food cravings. Antioxidants, Phytonutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals help fight free radical damage and help support a healthy immune system. Adaptogen Herbs help the body adapt and respond to the effects of stress. Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes to help nutrient absorption and support regularity and healthy digestion.

Now that you have that knowledge, let me tell you how I believe the nutritional difference with Shakeology helped my Fibro…

I’ve had Fibromyalgia most of my life. I will be Continue reading →

How My Superfoods Help Me

/ Katie P. Tolley, RN, MSN, CPNP, PMHS / 5 Comments

Hi! If you’ve found this post, you are probably wondering what Fibromyalgia is, and why I say “superfoods” have helped me.

First, let me tell you about Fibro…

Fibromyalgia is a complex, chronic pain disorder. fibromyalgia-cycleIt involves multiple systems with the primary symptoms being pain, sleep problems, and irritable bowel syndrome. The root of these symptoms seem to lie in the nutritional issues and sleep issues. Other symptoms include irritable bladder, migraines, restless legs syndrome, impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud’s Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination.

IMG_2538Shakeology is a nutritional supplement that has globally sourced superfood ingredients like Proteins and Fiber that help reduce hunger and food cravings. Antioxidants, Phytonutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals help fight free radical damage and help support a healthy immune system. Adaptogen Herbs help the body adapt and respond to the effects of stress. Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes to help nutrient absorption and support regularity and healthy digestion.

Now that you have that knowledge, let me tell you how I believe the nutritional difference with Shakeology helped my Fibro…

I’ve had Fibromyalgia most of my life. I will be Continue reading →