Hi Dear Friend,
This week I’m thrilled to introduce you to Dr. Sara Gottfried (in case you didn’t already know about this women’s health champion!). Over the past year, Sara has become a friend and mentor of mine. Before I met Sara, I didn’t fully understand how much stress could throw off my hormone balance and affect my overall health. And I’m guessing that some of my readers are in the same boat. That’s why I filmed this interview for you. I hope our conversation empowers and helps you as much as it’s helped me.
Watch my interview with Dr. Sara Gottfried above or download it here and listen on the go. Note: To download the mp3 file right click (or Ctrl+Click on a Mac) on the link and “Save Link As” to save it to your computer.
Why am I blown away by Sara’s work?
For starters, she’s a Harvard-educated physician, board certified gynecologist, speaker, yoga teacher, wife, and mom of two daughters. She’s also the kind of doctor that makes me cheer—a practitioner who’s getting to the root causes of health issues impacting millions of women. And she’s not throwing pills at her patients’ problems. Instead, Sara is teaching us how to address these challenges with an integrative approach. You know, all the stuff we love at KrisCarr.com—diet, lifestyle, holistic mental and emotional therapies and supplements.
I recently read Sara’s new best-selling book, The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive, and Vitality with The Gottfried Protocol and it really helped my daily wellness plan. With a couple tests and a few simple adjustments, I’m seeing major improvements in my energy levels, which had been less than ideal for a while. In this interview, Sara and I delve into a huge topic for most of us—stress!
Here’s a peek at the questions we covered:
- What’s runaway stress and how does it impact our hormones and health? Take Sara’s free quiz to begin exploring your hormonal health.
- What are some practical ways we can overcome runaway stress? Sara and I share our personal strategies (Sara loves the Inner Balance app).
- What’s the link between cortisol and challenges like depression, moodiness, chronic disease or gaining weight? Find out how Sara and I have measured and improved our cortisol levels.
- What’s public enemy #1 of our well-being? We all need to be aware of this priority and keep it in the forefront of our minds each day…
- What foods reduce stress in the body? You could easily start adding these foods to your diet today.
- How do carbohydrates impact our hormonal health and stress levels? Hint: they’re not your nemesis.
- For a green juice drinking yoga mama in our audience who’s rocking some of these tips already, what’s she NOT thinking about or addressing? You don’t want to miss Sara’s insider tips!
Watch the video above or download it here and listen later. For more information on Sara, her free resources, programs and books, visit her website. Note: To download the mp3 file right click (or Ctrl+Click on a Mac) on the link and “Save Link As” to save it to your computer.
Your turn: I really want to hear about what you’re struggling with when it comes to stress, hormones & your well-being. Comment below with your insights & tips.
Peace & happy hormones,
Excellent interview, such valuable information!
Kris, I can relate to your problem with low cortisol, esp. in the morning, it is such a stressful way to start the day! You mentioned you take licorice, can you share what brand you use and how much you take?
Thank you, thank you!
This was fabulous, Sara and Kris together are a magical conversation couple, you both hit so many health topics of significance, thank you both. More of you two together, please! I took copious notes, and there are so many wonderful gems here that a second hearing is definitely needed, so be sure to download the audio to listen later. It lives on my iTunes now for future hearings.
One big takeaway for me from Dr. Gottfried, among many, was to get a doctor on your team who is a co-investigator with you. It’s hard to find an MD who will drill down with you on testing, who won’t box you into a general category (“you’re not hypothyroid! You’re right in the range of normal!” This was complete BS for me. I turned right around once I began thyroid medication, even though I was “normal.”), who will spend more than the allotted 10 minutes time. And Kris’–be intuitive about your health–your opinion is as valuable as your doctors…maybe MORE so~!
Thanks again~!
Wonderful to see two of my mentors unite for the common goal 🙂
Love u!
Kris,
Thank you so much for the video.
How can one go about finding a doctor like Dr. Sara. I am so sick of going to the doctor and they just hand you a bunch of pills and send you on your way.
Wow, watching this was huge for me! I’ll be sharing it with friends as stress management & the impact it has on our wellbeing is something the world needs education on. As well, I’ve needed some blood work done for some time and been avoiding it because I have deep veins – knowing there is a four point option for cortisol is awesome. I’m going to ask my naturopath if this may be an option for me.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. xo
I love you beautiful ladies!! Thank you so much for this valuable info! I am on my way to Amazon.com to get Dr. Sara’s book!
Thank you, very helpful. What was the name of the greens that Sara mentioned was her favorite but didn’t know if it was in season yet?
I think she said purslane.
Nice job ladies! Yep, fat and cranky, that describes me lately! Thanks for all the great information!
Thank you ladies! Both of you are a delight and always have wonderful info. to share!
Thank U thank U thank U
(wish I knew what my FB website is / I put a meditation for hope & healing daily on FB / also need help w/ LINKEDIN also wish I kept my OTR LICENSE)
I am from BOSTON / love to meet ya next time U visit – I would love to give U the BEST Freedom Trail Tour as I have learned
PHENOMINAL FACTS since I have retired from BNHP in 2011
781 413 5082 also come C me perform . . .
This is what I needed…but I also need more help.
I’m health conscious yet I’ve been dealing with a recent condition which has reared its head: chronic recurring multifocal sterile osteomyelitis of the bone marrow, bone & surrounding tissues of the spine. It’s been a hell of a journey. I know my healing must include fruits and vegetables, however, I have IBS/leaky gut and react even to juiced fruits and veggies. Finally, for sure I see and feel the connection between my adrenals and my health, including inflammation and pain.
So my question is, which this far no one has been able to help me with: how to heal with foods as I have the IBS/leaky gut which cannot cannot handle green anything?
Thank you in advance for your time and attention.
Xx
You might want to check out the GAPS diet, esp. for early gut healing (you don’t do anything raw, have to blend your food etc).
I have Hashimotos and it is common for anyone with autoimmune to have some degree of leaky gut (my digestive issues are mild and I don’t have a lot of food reactivity so it wasn’t as obvious). Things that have helped me are: going gluten free, organic, limiting all chemicals (lotions, shampoos, laundry detergent), not eating prepared foods (the stabilizers and binders in them are really bad for IBS), l-glutamine, bone broth, coconut oil (( use it as skin lotion, warm it up and slather it on, so I get wonderful skin and the health benefits both), apple cider vinegar, water kefir (natural probiotics vs. taking pills), and digestive bitters. Lots more but those are the most helpful I believe. And I tried dry brushing and was surprised how not only does my skin look amazing, but my digestion and lymphatics were improved by it.
Good luck to you, important to make sure the IBS isn’t a symptom of other imbalances but these nutritional and healthful changes help everything!!
Thank you so much for posting this video, Kris and Dr. Gottfried! It is such a relief to hear that our blood work doesn’t always tell the full story. I am a 25-year-old graduate student and recently went to my PCP to sort out a host of symptoms: hormonal acne (after years of clear skin), no period for over 8 months, and a low sex drive. First, I was told that my low sex drive didn’t “fit” with the rest of the symptoms. High testosterone (linked to acne) should make me have a greater sex drive, so that symptom must be resulting from high stress. As for the amenorrhea, she ordered some blood work to rule out PCOS. Of course, I was relieved to find out everything was normal. But what now? My PCP said that many people have hypothalamic amenorrhea, and that it doesn’t mean I won’t be infertile or have any other issues later in life. But what about my acne? What about the low sex drive? Is this my new normal? Of course, one of my options for both acne and amenorrhea is to take an oral contraceptive, but I’ve tried a number of formulas and have had unpleasant side effects with all of them–most distressing of which were migraines and a general disgust with other people (I would cringe when someone even touched me). And for the acne, well…I’m currently trying a physician-prescribed laboratory approach. Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, oral and topical antibiotics, spironolactone, you name it, I’ve tried it. As a student of public health with a particular interest in functional medicine, I can’t help but think that all of these symptoms are linked to a hormone imbalance that can be “treated” or managed without systemic medications or harsh, topical chemicals. I am going to order The Hormone Cure and can’t wait to read it. I regularly practice yoga and eat a plant-based diet, but I’d love to know what else I can do in my daily routine to help order to my chaos. In the meantime, do you have any suggestions on how to self-regulate my hormones?
Veronica — I am a woman from a family of women with all sorts of autoimmune stuff. One of my nieces has many of the symptoms you do. What ails you sounds like it has to be healed from the inside-out (as I think you are finding since the topical stuff isn’t fixing it) and is likely hormonal, possibly from autoimmune influences.
I have an MPH and I let “regular” western medicine have their way with me for many years. The apparently were intent on killing me. I now joke folks should go to someone who practices “functional” medicine vs. the current dysfunctional model. Follow your instincts, they are pointing you in the right direction.
Low libido and acne are big hints that hormones are out of whack, now you just need to figure out why. Thank god for folks like Chris and Dr. Sara
Hi Veronica,
I am from Australia. I am a Yoga teacher and Massage Therapist here and I work with Young Living Essential Oils, (YLEO). We recently had a tour here by Dr Dan Purser, from the USA. He discussed his findings regarding female and male hormones, during a very interesting presentation. I summarised this presentation in the last newsletter article on my website, if you’re interested to read it. The link is: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=14c45e1e75a7fe9ccbbc25ef8&id=6e7e3616f4
Dr Dan has helped to develop and test YL essential oil based products for the regulation of hormones, which are fantastic. He also has a number of books available online, which might help you.
At a guess, you possibly require a boost to your Progesterone and Estrogen levels, if your Testosterone has tested high. I would suggest considering Progessence Plus and Clary Sage, or Sclaressence. Your symptoms match with many of the symptoms outlined by Dr Dan, particularly for low Progesterone levels.
Of course, look at what else you can do to come into balance with your health. However, these are fantastic products that can work miracles for many people.
All the best with it,
Kerry Wailes
This is super fascinating! Thank you for sharing, I’m going to have to check out Dr. Gotfrieds book. I think the whole endocrine system is amazing, it’s wonderful to have these insights.
Kris & Sara: Thank you. This is just what I needed at this precise moment. Kris, you are my hero. I admire you, your trajectory and your willingness to share so many great things. You are a role model.
Thank you, Kris! This was great information. Really enjoyed this!
Kris, I absolutely needed the reminder that sometimes even health coaches need a nudge back into the practices they know are best! In general, I eat well and exercise well. Lately I’ve been massively stressed and gaining weight, which always go hand in hand for me, and in the past 2 months my periods have been crazy. Normally, I just do some yoga or take a few days off and my stress levels come back to normal and the paunchy tummy weight goes away. But this time, that hasn’t happened so easily. Here’s where the reminder comes in, years ago, I learned from tracking my temperature and my ovulation cycle that I am low in progesterone. At that point I put into practice a few things that really helped but since then have fallen by the wayside: vitamin B12, magnesium, and fish oil. Watching this video and taking Dr. Sara’s quiz, which immediately produced the result of “You are probably low in progesterone,” gave me that DUH moment – I mean – HELLO!!! I totally already knew that about myself… but somehow I’d forgotten! I immediately hopped on my favorite supplement site and ordered up my next dose of progesterone balancing goodness.
I love this interview! As an animal rescuer, and President/Founder of a national equine rescue, I find myself under constant stress. I love the information and also the idea of non medicating by reducing our stress, eating the right foods, and raising the level of consciousness for all living beings. My organization began 10 years ago, after I learned about the happy little pill Premarin, made from pregnant mare urine that women have been prescribed since the 1940’s. One happy little pill to eliminate your menopausal hot flashes. But, what about the side effects? What about the horses? What about the foals?
Going back to the basics, taking care of our own health, and the planet! Thanks Kris for your daily wisdom and wonderful informative guests!!!
Karen
Loved it so much. Thank you ladies. I’m a health coach and stress management is the core of what I teach because my clients are go-getters! It was very helpful for me to hear all of this in a different way, different language because many of my clients respond to different wording about stress and hormones.
This was also a little nudge for my own health; to test myself and measure it. I have a feeling my cortisol levels are through the roof! Thank you thank you. Purchased the Hormone Cure book while I was watching the video and will be taking the quiz right after I post this comment. I’m also thinking of reaching out to Dr Sara about becoming a teacher of the Hormone Cure, does she still do that? Kris, do you know where I can find more information about that? Thanks again. Wonderful way to start my day.
Lots of Love,
Shannon Vigil
Thank you both for this wonderful video, so full of valuable information. One thing that really hit home for me was the issue of going paleo/cutting out carbs. I’ve been doing this for a few months, and while it has helped me shed a bit of weight (or maybe that’s due to bike riding!) i’ve noticed I get cranky and irritable, tight feeling inside. I’ve been having the hunch that I’m missing something important and your video validated that feeling for me. Thank you! Must read your book! 🙂
Fantastic interview with a wealth of information – totally empowering! Thank you gorgeous, intelligent ladies very much 🙂
Heading over to Amazon for Sara’s book to get more info!