Cavewomen Don't Get Fat (22 page)

Flooding your cells with protein and antioxidants after a workout will help lower high cortisol levels generated during activity and enable the muscle tissue to begin repairing itself immediately. This postworkout shake will also reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.

Within ten minutes of finishing your workout, make yourself the following shake:

POSTWORKOUT REPLETION SHAKE

1 heaping tablespoon of glutamine powder

1 to 2 scoops of protein powder

1 cup berries

1 scoop of greens powder

1 cup coconut milk or coconut water

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/
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cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

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teaspoon stevia powder to sweeten

Combine all ingredients in blender with a handful of ice cubes until thoroughly mixed.

This is a great protocol for treating heartburn, leaky gut syndrome, food allergies, autoimmune conditions,
Helicobacter pylori
(the bacterium responsible for most ulcers) and ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, weaning yourself off proton pump inhibitors (PPIs, a class of drugs used to suppress stomach acid production), and reestablishing the normal gut flora (especially after a round of antibiotics).

• Follow the cavewoman diet to speed up healing, since protein rebuilds the walls of your digestive system.

• Avoid food allergens, gluten, and sugars, since they irritate the gut and promote inflammation.

• Drink chamomile and slippery elm tea to soothe the GI tract.

• Toss some okra in a soup or stew; the slippery, slimy insides of the vegetable act as a demulcent to coat and soothe the stomach.

• Grind up fresh flaxseeds (flax meal) or chia seeds and add 1 to 2 tablespoons to salads, smoothies, or applesauce to get the demulcent benefits.

• Drink green juices to promote healing from within. Their nutrients are in their raw state and contain many biologically active enzymes to put your system back in balance. When fiber and pulp are removed, nutrients can be passively absorbed across the gut wall, requiring little to no work from your digestive tract. If you have a Vitamix blender, blend up whole green vegetables—spinach, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, you name it—to get the added benefits of fiber from vegetables. If you're on the go, belly up to the juice bar for a shot of wheatgrass or other green drink, and get on with your day. To keep it uber simple, toss a heaping tablespoon of powdered greens in a tall cup of H
₂
0 on the rocks, cover, and give it a few good shakes before drinking.

Give this cocktail a whirl:

GORGEOUSLY GREEN

2 stalks celery

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cucumber

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apple

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lemon

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lime

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-inch piece peeled ginger

1 Swiss chard leaf

Bunch fresh cilantro or parsley

5 kale leaves

Handful of spinach leaves

When making juices, wash all vegetables and fruits before using, buy organic produce whenever possible, and peel or
slice off the lemon rind and the white pith. Also, to juice small leaves such as parsley and cilantro, roll them up into a ball to compact the leaves.

Do you have digestive woes from too much partying last night or going off your cavewoman diet? When tummy troubles strike, I reach for three ingredients: fresh ginger, mint, and fennel. For a stomach-soothing herbal tea, steep 1 teaspoon of each in hot water with some orange zest for three to five minutes; strain and drink immediately.

For a morning-after food hangover or booze cleanse, toss the following in a juicer for some blessed relief:

FANTASTICALLY FRESH

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cucumber

1 green apple

1 stalk fennel with leaves

2 mint sprigs, rolled up

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-inch to
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-inch piece of ginger

Put all ingredients in a juicer. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

• Amp up your protein and dark greens to punch through hormonal distress—especially during the second half of your monthly cycle.

• Yoga twice per week can also help level out your hormones.

• Chaste tree is an herb that does an incredible job at balancing the endocrine system and supporting normal progesterone levels. Time and again, I have helped women reestablish ovulation and normal cycles when taking chaste tree, especially for those who are amenorrheic or transitioning off oral contraceptives. (
Never
take chaste tree if you're taking oral contraceptives). If you have strong menstrual cramps, breast tenderness, bloating, or hot flashes, then chaste tree may be right for you. If, however, you have minor menstrual cramps, then this is a likely sign that you are already progesterone dominant, so chaste tree would be contraindicated.

This is a great vitamin cocktail for getting your hormonal groove back. If you need to restore your menses, have PMS, are going through menopause, or just feel off-kilter, then give this regimen a try.

The following protocol will help lower your cortisol, promote restful sleep, and keep your energy grooving evenly throughout the day:

• Eating clean can make or break you when it comes to handling stress. Think about how your body feels when it runs on coffee and bagels versus a vegetable omelet and fresh fruit. Some foods (carbs) can overstimulate you, while others (protein) can help you remain calm and clear.

• Give your body plenty of TLC if you're stressed: eat regularly, drink chamomile tea, be consistent with your workouts, take hot baths, and get some quiet downtime each and every day. We may not be able to control all the stress that comes our way, but we can certainly handle how we react to it.

• Taurine is a depressant that calms down the brain.

• Taking vitamin C immediately following a workout lowers cortisol and boosts testosterone.

Sleep recovery is a complex issue because the root causes can be many. There are different approaches you can take to get a better night's sleep.

If you wake up around one in the morning, it may be due to a stress hormone response fueled by hypoglycemia. The best solution is to eat a snack closer to bedtime with the right mix of proteins and fiber-rich carbohydrates to help you sleep deeply and for longer amounts of time. Think chicken salad and tomatoes, salmon and broccoli, or turkey with broccoli. I'm talking one or two bites' worth here—nothing extravagant. A teaspoon of almond or cashew butter might do the trick. Experiment and see what works best for you.

A great way to boost your brain neurotransmitters and get your brain happy and craving-free is to eat meat and nuts at every meal, and to make sure that your gut is healthy. Your gut plays a huge role in your sleeping well at night. Most people think that serotonin is produced in the brain, but it's actually produced in your gut. If you have internal inflammation such as colitis or Crohn's disease, diarrhea, or overuse of antibiotics, insomnia and depression can develop as a result. Your gut rules your brain, so treat it kindly. And if you are taking gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and not sleeping or feeling better, you probably have some intestinal issues, such as food allergies or intolerances that you need to address. (See the “Gut Healing” section for more information.)

The more magnesium you have in your tissues, the less your body will overreact to stress. When you are stressed out, your body makes norepinephrine—a hormone that functions like a neurotransmitter and gets released during the body's fight-or-flight response. But if you take optimal amounts of magnesium, you will
mitigate the catecholamine response, and improve both the quality and the quantity of your sleep.