The Simple Self-Test That Tells You How Well Your Body Handles Stress (and Why It Even Matters) Most people think their energy, anxiety, dizziness, or fatigue means something is “wrong” with them. Often, what’s actually happening is much simpler. Your nervous system isn’t adapting well to demand. And one of the easiest ways to see that is how your body responds when you go from lying down to standing up. This is not an “adrenal test.”It’s a nervous system and circulation test. It gives you powerful insight into how well your body handles stress, posture, hydration, and recovery. Here’s how to do it safely and what it means. The Orthostatic Pulse Test (at home) This simple test looks at how your heart and nervous system respond to gravity. Step-by-step 1. Lie down quietly for 5 minutes. Relax. 2. Measure your pulse (beats per minute, neck or wrist). 3. Stand up. 4. Measure your pulse at- - 30 seconds - 1 minute - 3 minutes Write the numbers down. When you stand up, gravity pulls blood into your legs. Your nervous system should- - Gently tighten blood vessels - Slightly increase heart rate - Maintain blood flow to your brain (not dizzy) Normal pattern - Heart rate rises about 10-20 beats per minute - Then stabilizes or comes slightly back down - No dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness This shows a flexible, responsive nervous system. Patterns that suggest dysregulation that are not diagnoses. They are just signals. Large heart rate jump? If your heart rate jumps more than 30 beats per minute and stays elevated, it can suggest- - Low blood volume (not enough fluids or electrolytes) - High nervous system stress - Poor autonomic regulation Dizziness or faint feeling upon standing? This suggests- - Poor blood vessel constriction - Low volume - Or nervous system instability Very flat response (little or no change)? This can suggest- - Blunted sympathetic nervous system response - Chronic stress adaptation - Burnout-type physiology

Monday Dec 29 2025 3 PM PST/ 6 PM EST Session #2 - The Hormonal Hierarchy. How to Take Control of Your Weight, Sleep, and Mood - Featuring the I.C.E METHOD - Monday Dec 29 2025 3 PM PST/ 6 PM EST UPCOMING Session Why Consistency Feels Impossible and the Missing Piece No One Talks About - Jan 5 2026 3 PM PST/ 6 PM EST A free live class for women 40+ who feel like the weight is piling on, nothing is working, and want a sustainable, hormone-smart way to lose weight without dieting, deprivation, or crazy workouts.

The Aluminum Additive Hiding in Your Food (and Why It Matters) Most people think of aluminum as something in foil, cookware, or deodorant. Very few realize it is intentionally added to food. One of the most common forms is called- Sodium aluminum phosphate It is used in processed foods as- - A stabilizer - A thickener - A leavening aid (especially in baking powders and frozen baked goods) - An emulsifier to improve texture and shelf stability And it is quietly contributing to a massive, chronic aluminum exposure in the modern diet. What is sodium aluminum phosphate? Sodium aluminum phosphate is a synthetic aluminum salt added to foods to improve texture, volume, shelf life, and consistency. It is especially common in- - Pancake and waffle mixes - Baking powders - Biscuits, muffins, cakes - Frozen pizzas and frozen baked goods - Non-dairy creamers - Processed breakfast foods - Packaged snack foods It often appears on labels as- - Sodium aluminum phosphate - Acidic sodium aluminum phosphate - SALP How much is considered “safe”? The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a maximum permissible level (MPL) of - 400 mg per kilogram (mg/kg) of food That sounds high until researchers actually measured how much is present in real foods. A 2005 analysis of selected foods found sodium aluminum phosphate levels ranging from - 1 mg/kg up to 27,000 mg/kg Yes that is almost 70 times higher than the permitted level. And this is just one aluminum source. Aluminum is also consumed through - Cookware - Foil - Drinking water - Antacids - Deodorants - Certain medications and vaccines Aluminum bioaccumulates. The body does not clear it efficiently. So daily small exposures turn into long-term tissue buildup. Where aluminum goes in the body Once absorbed, aluminum enters systemic circulation and distributes to- - Brain and nervous system - Bones and skeletal tissue - Bone marrow and blood cells - Reproductive organs - Liver and kidneys

Here's the distinction almost no doctor explains, but is absolutely critical for women over 40, their metabolic health, mitochondria, sleep, and sunlight. THE TWO TYPES OF MELATONIN 1. Brain (Sleep) Melatonin 2. Mitochondrial (Internal) Melatonin Most people only know about the first kind…But it’s the second kind that changes everything about inflammation, aging, hormones, and chronic fatigue. SLEEP MELATONIN (The one you already know) Where it’s made- A tiny gland in your brain called the pineal gland. When it’s made- At NIGHT , only after your eyes see darkness and your brain senses that the sun has gone down. What triggers it- - Sunset light (orange/red wavelengths) - Darkness - A healthy circadian rhythm - Low nighttime blue light (Screens, house lights) What it does- This type of melatonin is like your sleep switch. - Helps you fall asleep - Helps you stay asleep - Lowers core body temperature - Signals the brain that the day is done - Supports REM and deep sleep cycles How artificial (blue) light hurts it - Phones, laptops, TVs, LEDs, and indoor lighting block pineal melatonin production. This is often why people feel- - Wired at night - Tired in the morning - Poor recovery - Middle of the night wakeups But sleep melatonin is only 5% of the total picture. The other 95% is WHERE the magic happens. INTERNAL MELATONIN (MITOCHONDRIAL MELATONIN) (The one almost nobody talks about) This is the melatonin your cells make internally, especially your mitochondria, the little engines that make ATP (energy). And here’s the big difference: This melatonin does NOT depend on darkness. It is made from sunlight exposure, especially- - Near-infrared (NIR) light - Red light - A portion of UV light These wavelengths are present in morning sunlight, midday sunlight, and late afternoon sunlight. So, You create most of your melatonin during the day, from sunlight, NOT at night from supplements or darkness.

Why Feeling Tired Isn’t “Age”. It’s Your Biology Asking for Light Most women over 40 think chronic fatigue is “normal.” But in many cases, your body isn’t broken, it’s just undercharged. Just like a phone battery drains without being plugged in, your body drains without sunlight. Here’s the simple science behind why sunlight is one of the MOST powerful energy boosters you have. 1. Sunlight Powers Your Mitochondria (Your Body's Energy Factories) Sunlight acts like a power switch for your cells.When UV and infrared light reach your skin and eyes, they signal mitochondria to create ATP, your body's energy currency. Without sunlight- - Energy production slows - Cells get sluggish - You feel tired no matter how much you rest 2. Morning Sun Resets Your Circadian Rhythm Your brain needs morning sunlight to set your internal clock. So that You - - Wake up naturally - Have steady energy all day - Sleep deeply at night Without it- - You wake up groggy - You crash mid-afternoon - You feel wired at night This broken rhythm becomes chronic fatigue 3. Sunlight Improves Blood Sugar & Metabolism - think Fat Loss! Low sunlight leads to - - Blood sugar swings - Afternoon crashes - Weight gain around the belly - Metabolic syndrome risk 4. Sunlight Boosts Mood & Motivation Chemicals Sunlight increases - - Serotonin which helps your mood & calmness - Dopamine which helps your focus & motivation Without it you have - - Low mood - Brain fog - Lack of drive - Emotional exhaustion Mental fatigue often leads to physical fatigue 5. Sunlight Creates “Mitochondrial Melatonin” (Your Repair System) You’ve heard of sleep melatonin, but there’s another type your cells make when exposed to sunlight. This internal melatonin - - Repairs cell damage - Reduces inflammation - Protects mitochondria - Supports long-term energy Without sunlight, repair slows.Inflammation rises.Fatigue becomes chronic. FitnHealthy Tip - Sunlight isn’t optional it's a nutrient. It’s medicine. It’s your body’s energy charger.