243: Using an Adrenal ReCode to Calm the Nervous System With Christa Orecchio

I’m here today with a dear friend, Christa Orecchio, who is a clinical and holistic nutritionist and founder of The Whole Journey. She has helped thousands and thousands of people discover the root cause of their conditions by using food as medicine and a mind-body-spirit approach to health.

Christa is truly one of the happiest, most honest, most joyful people I know as well as being a bestselling author, a TV show host, and a mom of an adorable little boy. At the same time, she also understands on a personal and clinical level what moms go through as they to make their way through the stresses of everyday life.

It’s my hope this episode will help explain why so many mom experience negative health symptoms due to out-of-whack stress hormones, and natural ways to get the nervous system back on track.

Episode Highlights: Adrenal ReCode

• What stress hormones are and how they affect us
• The tell-tale signs that we’re living in a stressed mode
• The shockingly high percentage of people living in this state
• Reasons why your nervous system may go haywire, and how to reset it
• A downside to the keto diet or intermittent fasting if not done correctly
• How our bodies get stuck in a state of sympathetic dominance (fight or flight mode)
• The six pillars of the Adrenal ReCode and Christa’s prescription to balance stress hormones
• What to eat if you have adrenal or thyroid problems
• Whether women should eat low carb
• Ways to lose that stubborn weight around the middle
• Christa’s thoughts on the ideal fat ratio for a healthy diet
• And more!

Resources We Mention

• Christa’s Adrenal ReCode Program
• TheWholeJourney.com
• The Whole Journey Cookbook
• How to Conceive Naturally & Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30
• 7-Day Soup Detox Reboot Program (featuring Christa and yours truly!)
• The Four Agreements

More From Wellness Mama

• 142: Is Adrenal Fatigue Real or Just Bad Science? With Ari Whitten
• 211: How to Boost Your Adrenals and Cleanse Using Food With Dr. Alejandro Junger
• 242: Fighting Thyroid Disease With Food & Recipes for Thyroid Health From Dr. Izabella Wentz
• Thyroid Health 101
• Why do Women Crave Chocolate?
• How to Do a Ketogenic Diet (& Is It Safe for Women?)

Have you had trouble with your hormones? Which questions should I pass on to Christa for a part 2? Let me know! Please drop a comment below or leave a review on iTunes. We value knowing what you think and this helps other moms find the podcast as well!

Many Thanks to Today’s Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by Four Sigmatic, maker of some of my favorite coffees, teas and drink mixes all infused with superfood mushrooms like Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Turkey Tail and Lion’s Mane. Many of their formulations also include adaptogens, which are herbs that help our bodies adapt to stress and other beneficial ingredients all tucked into convenient packets that you can add to hot or cold water for a quick drink. My personal favorite is their mushroom coffee because I already drink coffee and adding in superfood mushroom is an easy way to upgrade my morning cup. I also keep packets in my purse for when I am out and about, especially when I am traveling. If you aren’t familiar with the many benefits of these mushrooms, they contain things like polyphenols, polysaccharides, beta-glucans, and antioxidants that support the immune system. And they aren’t just great for us… they actually improve the environment in several ways too! They help the soil in a process called bioremediation, or the breakdown of down toxic compounds that have infiltrated water or soil. Fungi have been shown to break down and help eliminate a variety of hazardous chemicals. They’re truly something you can feel great about consuming, both for your own health and for the environment. Wellness Mama listeners get a special discount! Go to foursigmatic.com/wellnessmama and use the code WELLNESSMAMA to save 15%.

This episode is sponsored by Kasandrinos Olive Oil. I love family-owned companies with a mission and that are dedicated to making the highest quality products and supporting sustainable agriculture and this olive oil fits the bill. Founded by an active duty marine, Tony Kasandrinos, and his sister whose family is from Greece, this company is dedicated to the absolutely highest quality olive oil with the most amazing flavor. With all the controversy over some olive oils being adulterated and diluted, they go above and beyond to test for purity. In fact, all of their olive oil has 3 independent chemical analysis tests done by 3rd party labs. Two are conducted in Europe and another in the United States. These tests confirm the freshness, oleic acid levels and that the olive oil is organic. They use cold press extraction to retain the beneficial properties and use Koroneiki olives which contain very high levels of polyphenols, which are the well-studied beneficial component of olive oil. Their olives are harvested within 50km of their family press in Lakonia Greece and are non-GMO, USDA certified organic, and PGI certified. Learn more and check out their products at kasandrinos.com/wellnessmama and use the code WELLNESSMAMA for 10% off your order!