Imagine learning that outrageous concepts like eat more, exercise with less intensity, choose sleep over exercise, and get *all* of your hormones checked can actually lead to a better, more effective way to lose weight and achieve wellness. Among many other unexpected truths about diet and exercise, that’s exactly what Stylebook readers learned at last Monday’s Hormone Havoc workshop.Megan Crozier, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner and author of Why Hormones Matter More Than Calories for Fat Loss and Why Hormones Matter More Than Calories for Fat Loss, Part 2: 7 Steps To Take Right Now, and I knew we could not possibly cover all of the lifestyle choices that we know produce positive results, so we approached the evening with the goal of engaging participants, addressing the most important concepts for them to consider on their own path to wellness, and explaining why so often conventional wisdom is not only incorrect, but can actually be hindering their health...all in a fun, open, non-threatening setting.Subjects like health, wellness, weight loss, and hormones are not always easy to understand (there is a lot of chemistry!), especially when so much inaccurate information is out there. Nor are they that easy to talk about; these topics are often rife with emotion. We facilitated a lot of interaction so our participants could understand not only that are they are not alone, but that their concerns are commonplace...and, best of all, addressable, even when nothing has seemed to work: 

“I never used to carry weight in my mid-section. Why now?”

“I workout all of the time. Why is it not working?”

“I must be doing something wrong."

"I never eat more than 1,200 calories, but I am not losing weight."

 After we heard what each participant wanted to learn, we dove right into the substance. We presented two, fictitious women with a variety of lifestyle habits. Participants were asked to collaborate and assess each habit as “Contributing to their wellness or healthy” or “Not contributing to their wellness/unhealthy.” That certainly got their proverbial juices flowing! Megan and I both love to raise lifestyle habits that may seem to be super healthy, yet are, in fact, not only not healthy but can actually lead to chronically elevated cortisol, blood sugar imbalances, or other silent health issues your doctor may not be able to detect.By discussing three main topics, Cortisol, Sleep, and Wellness (and how the three are intrinsically linked!), we were able to reexamine perceptions around lifestyle habits, dispelling the myths about food, exercise, “busy-ness” and “having it all.” Megan talked about the often unexpected causes of hormone imbalances and exactly which hormones impact cravings, mood, energy and weight gain. I addressed how to adjust your eating, sleeping, and exercise practices accordingly to get your hormones back in balance.Join us again as we embark on a campaign to educate you, Alexandria Stylebook readers, about the truth and the way to find real, true, lasting wellness.

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