Repairing Hormone Damage from Birth Control

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After 11 years of using all types of birth control (pill, patch, etc.), my body was not happy. I began to have multiple periods per month and incredibly horrible PMS. The worst of the worst. I finally decided last September that I wanted to get off birth control once and for all. The only problem was that I had tried this before. The previous 2 times I had tried to stop taking birth control, my entire face broke out. Not just a few pimples here and there, I had cystic acne covering every inch of my entire face and just oozing out all the time.

What have I done to fix this?

Previously, I had tried everything from the dermatologist (antibiotics, topical creams, injections, etc.) and finally decided to get back on birth control and get a series of laser treatments that cost nearly $10,000! I was desperate and I just wanted my face to look “normal” again. So there I was, back to being a slave to birth control.

 

 

This time, once again, I was really afraid to stop taking birth control because my job is completely in front of the camera. Even if I am not making videos for the Runtastic Fitness Channel, or shooting something else, I am on social media all the time with you guys. When it comes to social media (especially Snapchat and Instagram) – I am with you guys all the time and posting real time. This wasn’t going to be something I could just hide again, you know? That wouldn’t be fair to you guys and it would not be authentic to what Life Like Lunden means and serves.

This time I cannot hide…

I had hid it in the past by not coming out of the house, cancelling my personal training clients I had and just feeling very disgusting (hey, I am being honest here!). But I realized that the only way I would truly make an impact on others AND myself is by being authentic and vulnerable and just not giving a f%*# anymore.

I started working with the most sought after nutritionist in Orange County, CA

So that’s when I reached out to a lady I had met at a fitness convention years earlier – Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist & Wellness Warrior Diane Kazer. Diane was a competitive soccer player, fitness competitor and yet still suffered from so many hormonal issues despite living as “healthy as possible”. When I heard her story I was like, “this girl is me!” I am so freakin healthy, I rarely drink, I never party, I sleep 7-9 hours per night, I workout, I eat healthy…but there is something that is off! Why do I still feel this way?

I started working with Diane one-one-one on a weekly basis and became a part of the Hormone Healing Hacks for Unicorn Wellness Warriors group on Facebook. This is a community of women (and some men) from many different backgrounds trying to get their groove back. Trying to feel sexy, be sexy, have more sex, feel more beautiful, have more energy and just rock it! It was SO empowering! If you want in on this community, click here!

So, what’s happening now?

I did what I know how to do and what I am good at….I was open and I shared this journey with you guys on Facebook LIVE and am always giving you more and more updates about what’s going on. So, if you want more details you can always follow me on Facebook and check those videos out on there.

And that’s when I was flooded with messages from women all over the world who felt liberated because I was opening up and showing these pictures of me and sharing my feelings. There are SO many women out there who have hormonal issues and imbalances and the doctors just want to spoon feed birth control and other hormone replacement therapy and it’s just NOT the answer for so many of us. I’m not kidding you, I got messages from women all the way from India to people from my hometown in central California and even women from Austria as well. Thanks to everyone who reached out to me – it’s really motivating.

So, now that you have the backstory, here’s what we think my problem is: estrogen dominance, sex hormone binding globulin, leaky gut and just a lot of toxins built up in general. Then, when I stop taking birth control, everything starts going crazy, there’s a lot of excess estrogen that wants to get out and can’t – so they just come out on my face!

A question I get a lot is: When you get acne, does it come on your back and chest, too?

NO – it only comes on my face! And the areas it shows up on signify gallbladder, kidney and liver distress. Basically, there’s a giant traffic jam in my body’s detoxification pathways. So, some of those toxins (I would say a lot) create their own detour out of my skin instead of through the digestive system. It’s basically like my body cannot poop or pee them out (the way our body should be releasing toxins) fast enough so it just all tries to escape through my face. When I think about this and also what my face has looked like in the past – it makes SO much sense.

What have I been doing the last months during my treatment & detoxification?

So what have I been doing about it? Supping up suckers! 🙂 I started with doTERRA supplements and essential oils along with many other daily rituals that are helping my body detoxify the natural way. This is EVERYTHING I am doing as of right now. I will start writing individual blog postings about each topic to dig a little bit deeper for those of you who want to know more.

And, to make it a bit easier to understand, I have broken it up into “Beginner” “Intermediate” and “Advanced” based on what is super simple to do vs. what actually takes some time, effort, brain power and determination.

Keep in mind: This was what worked for me and there really isn’t any “one size fits all” approach!

**If you’re interested in any of the doTERRA products listed below, please contact me at [email protected].

Beginner

  • “Love My Hormones” Shake
  • Activated Charcoal
    • Every morning, right when I wake up I take 2 activated charcoal pills on an empty stomach with 32 oz of water. The activated charcoal binds to toxins wandering around and pushes them to be eliminated via the digestive system. You must wait 45 minutes before you eat anything. (And, I’ve recently learned some teeth-whitening secrets using activated charcoal that I will share soon!).
  • ACV water with Slim & Sassy and Lemon Essential Oils from doTERRA
    • Every morning, 45 minutes after taking the activated charcoal, I drink another 32 oz of water with 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV), 1-2 drops of Lemon essential oil and 2-4 drops of Slim & Sassy essential oil.
    • Benefits of ACV? Weight loss, glowing skin, improved digestion, strengthens immune system, helps with lactic acid build up post-workout, balances blood sugar and more!
    • Benefits of Lemon essential oil? Cleanses and purifies the air and surfaces, naturally cleanses the body and aids in digestion, supports healthy respiratory function, promotes a positive mood
    • Benefits of Slim & Sassy essential oil? Promotes healthy metabolism, helps manage hunger cravings, calms your stomach and lifts your mood, diuretic, stimulant, and calorie free
  • PB Assist+ Probiotics
    • Encourages friendly bacteria in the gut and strengthens immune system. I take 1 capsule with breakfast and 1 for dinner.
  • Seed Cycling
    • This is actually one of my favorite things I have been doing. Why? Because it’s easy and fun. Just incorporate these seeds throughout your day depending on your cycle.
    • Day 1-14 of your cycle: 2 Tbsp of flax and pumpkin seeds (1 of each or 2 of one)
    • Day 15-28 of your cycle: 2 Tbsp of sunflower and sesame seeds (1 of each or 2 of one)
    • Note: If you’re not tracking your cycle – you should be! 🙂 But Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period.
  • Dry brushing & coffee scrub (also REALLY great at getting rid of cellulite)
  • FML: Frankincense, Melaleuca (Tea Tree) and Lavender essential oils from doTERRA
    • 2 drops of each oil in about ½ Tbsp of coconut oil and then I rub it all over my entire face about 3-5 minutes after the Herbal Face Food has subsided. I’ve been doing this every night and some mornings when I don’t have to wear make up!
  • Magnesium Calm
    • This is a powder that you mix with warm or cold water. It helps balance out magnesium levels (to support the calcium levels) to create balance and calmness. I drink this nearly every night, usually warm.
  • Oxy Powder
    • This a safe and effective colon cleanse to cleanse and detoxify your entire digestive tract, relieve bloating and constipation. I drink this probably 1-2x per week it just depends on the amount of bloating and inflammation I have going on.

Intermediate

  • Women’s Health Kit from doTERRA
    • This has 3 products: Phytoestrogen Lifetime, Bone Nutrient Lifetime & Clary Calm roll-on essential oil blend. I take 4 Phytoestrogen and 2 Bone Nutrient in the evening and I roll the ClaryCalm on my wrists, neck, ovaries, gallbladder and feet 2x per day (sometimes more!). This kit supports healthy bone density in women (especially as we age), hormone balance and metabolism and helps calm and balance heightened emotions.
  • Infrared sauna
    • This is something I have been really trying to do every day, but realistically it’s more like 3-4 days per week. Each session lasts 20-30 minutes. Detoxification, weight loss, pain relief, improved circulation and skin are just some of the incredible benefits of infrared sauna.

Advanced

  • Coffee enemas
    • Yes you read right – a coffee enema! I won’t get into too much detail about HOW you do this – but I will say I wish I wasn’t so “nervous” to try them sooner. You can learn how to do your own coffee enema at home by watching Part 1 and Part 2 of these videos. You can also order your very own enema kit here!
  • Hydrocolon therapy
    • So far I have done this five times, but it was actually a quite comfortable experience. It wasn’t as evasive as I expected and was actually really relaxing! I will do a session every 2 weeks (for 4 times) and then switch to every 2 months for maintenance.
  • Vaginal suppositories using coconut oil and doTERRA essential oils
    • When you’re on birth control use or hormone replacement therapy for a prolonged period of time, it basically claws at your vaginal wall like a cat shredding up the curtains. I just started using these in order to repair the damage. Basically you freeze coconut oil and put 1-2 drops of lavender, peppermint, frankincense or tea tree. I usually choose 2 of the oils. You have to be careful though because there will be a lot of dripping. So, either sit on the toilet for a bit (bring your smartphone or a book!) or wear a pad. It actually feels GREAT though especially the next day – so hydrated!

So…is it working? Have I seen any results?

In the past when I stopped taking birth control, I would not have a period for 3-4 months and that initial period would always be accompanied by a crazy break out. So far, I have been off of birth control for 2 months and have had 2 normal periods on time. As for my face, I have had 3-4 pretty big pimples but they have gone away. I would say it’s FOR SURE working and my body is really adapting a lot.

Additionally, when on birth control, I would always skip a period when traveling abroad…always! But, the last time I was in the USA for Christmas, I didn’t miss my period! I am still having a little bit of issues with my energy level and bloating but I know that will all iron itself out over time.

How I feel now…

At first I was so worried about what I would look like when I got off of birth control. I really had a huge fear that all the acne would come back and I would look like a monster. But the other day I was talking with one of my best friends about it and she was like “that kind of sounds like fun!” And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is! It’s fun learning about my body, figuring out what’s wrong, learning what I can do to fix it and (most importantly) sharing it with YOU GUYS! That’s what Life Like Lunden is all about – sharing everything with you in hopes that it helps you figure out a balanced Life Like ______ (insert your name).

I really appreciate, from the bottom of my heart, all of the love and support you guys have showed me throughout the last months. I was really SO AFRAID to make my first video to tell you guys what I was going through. I was literally shaking and my palms were sweaty before I made my first Facebook LIVE video. But once I did it, I felt so free and liberated.

I don’t have to be afraid because there are so many people out there who are going through the same thing as me. We liberate one another when we talk about our flaws, imperfections, struggles – why? Because we all have them!

I love you guys SO much!

Lunden

If you’re in the same boat, if you are TIRED of feeling TIRED and not yourself….we are here for you. You can schedule your FREE breakthrough call with Diane and get on your way to MORE ENERGY, BETTER SKIN, BETTER SEX & A BETTER LIFE!