• About Me
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Wellness with Vanda

  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Testimonials
  • The Wellness with Vanda Podcast
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Testimonials
  • The Wellness with Vanda Podcast
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Testimonials
  • The Wellness with Vanda Podcast
  • Contact Me

Top Posts & Pages

  • Low Progesterone Could Be Why You’re So Tired, Bloated, and Anxious
  • So, tell me more about HTMA testing
  • DUTCH Testing 101: Who Needs It & When It’s Worth It
  • What are your two nonnegotiables today?
  • Balanced Meals
  • Foster Care
  • Health/Wellness
  • Mom life
  • Nursing
  • Podcast Episodes
  • Wife Life
  • Younger years

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Feel free to email me anytime at: vanda@wellnesswithvanda.com

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Functional Medicine Nurse

Helping mamas master their hormones & energy so they can have periods that don’t suck & feel their best all month long!

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wellness.with.vanda

Here to help YOU Take Charge of your Hormones & get off the 🎢
Testing nutrients & hormones with HTMA & DUTCH
👇your first step is my free mineral guide
This is it—the final call for the Healthier Mom This is it—the final call for the Healthier Mom Bundle! If you haven’t already grabbed your free access to over 50 resources valued at over $2500, what are you waiting for? Now is the time! The bundle offer ends tomorrow night, September 13th. As the host of this bundle I wanted to incorporate resources that hit on many different areas of wellness, not just diet & exercise. So you'll see items to support you in home management, activities you can do with your kiddos, recovering postpartum, etc. Comment HEALTHYMOM and sign up before this bundle is gone!
The wait is over! The Healthier Mom Bundle-Fall Ed The wait is over! The Healthier Mom Bundle-Fall Edition is officially live, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this with you. From today until September 13th, you can sign up and get access to over 50 amazing resources valued at over $2500—all for free! All the resources were hand selected to help you feel your absolute best, so you can show up as the wife and mom you've always dreamed of being! Comment HEALTHYMOM to sign up now!
Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted by someone in my community. These questions can be related to female sex hormones, periods, PMS, cycle synching, period symptoms, hormone imbalance, minerals, mineral imbalance, etc. For my full response you can find me on YouTube, tune into the podcast, or join my e-mail community. But to summarize: There are 3 main reasons this may be happening. First, your results are being compared to “normal” ranges, not optimal ranges. Second, the timing of some lab tests greatly matters, and you might've had the lab collected at the wrong time if you weren't given adequate instructions. Third, blood labs can only see what levels are at one point in time, this is why I love HTMA testing because it gives us a look at the past 3-4 months. Recommendations: 1. Grab my recommendations for yearly labs (DM me and I'll send it your way!) 2. When getting labs done specifically ask your provider if the timing of your blood draw matters (whether that be time of day or time in your menstrual cycle) 3. Consider purchasing a blood labs review from me where you can get your lab results reviewed with a functional outlook and compared to those optimal ranges.
Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted by someone in my community. These questions can be related to female sex hormones, periods, PMS, cycle synching, period symptoms, hormone imbalance, minerals, mineral imbalance, etc. For my full response you can find me on YouTube, tune into the podcast, or join my e-mail community. But to summarize: It's likely that your body's iron recycling system needs support. This means your copper, Vitamin A, zinc, and iron levels. Recommendations: 1. Ask for a FULL iron work-up to be done if it wasn't already. -First you want to ensure you get an : Iron(serum), TIBC, Iron Saturation, and Ferritin. If all that has been done and you still need more answers/direction…. -Ask them to also order: ceruloplasmin, copper, CBC, Magnesium RBC, Transferrin, Vitamin A (retinol), Vitamin D, and Zinc. 2. If you need to take an Iron Supplement short term, I recommend @fullwellfertility Iron Bump (code VANDA10 at checkout) 3. At the same time add Cod Liver Oil and either Beef Liver or a Beef Organ complex to your supplement routine. 4. Lastly, continue to eat an iron rich diet and drink your mineral drinks!
How would you rate your period pain, on average, o How would you rate your period pain, on average, on a scale of 1-10? Ideally you would be able to answer 1-4, with the occasional bad cramp or series of bad cramps ranging from 5-8. Unfortunately, I hear from this community frequently that your cramps are consistently 5+ for the duration of your period and for many of you it's 8+. This can be caused by a variety of reasons like endometriosis or PCOS, but in general hormone imbalance is at the root. To truly address this type of imbalance and correct it, it's important to get functional testing so we know in detail, what your hormone levels are. If you're ready to chat about getting your hormones tested, DM me I'MREADY!
.....because an HTMA test is the way we check-in o .....because an HTMA test is the way we check-in on your minerals and can identify where you're deficient or imbalanced. This is important because often mineral imbalances or deficiencies are at the root of annoying symptoms like: fatigue, difficult periods, weight loss resistance, bloating, digestion problems, acne, hair loss, etc. It's also important because if having kids in in your future, women lose 10% of their minerals during pregnancy, so you want to make sure your mineral levels are boosted going into pregnancy, to help you feel your best throughout pregnancy & feel confident your body can give your baby all the nutrients it needs in order to grow & thrive! Plus, it'll help you feel better postpartum too. Lastly, let's be honest....the majority of women in this age range are or have previously been on birth control. And often for years at a time. Birth control depletes minerals as well. If you're ready to replenish so you can prepare for pregnancy or to get rid of bothersome symptoms, DM me I'MREADY and let's chat about how we can get you an HTMA test!
Did you know that mineral loss during pregnancy wa Did you know that mineral loss during pregnancy was so significant? Now think about if you've had back-to-back pregnancies. And did you breastfeed? Because if so, you lost even more minerals. Now of course, through diet & if you were/are taking any supplements you're replenishing some of those minerals as you're losing them. BUT it's really hard to keep up with the loss (much less get ahead of it) unless you're super intentional about it AND have testing to back up which minerals you're targeting. Mineral depletion can lead to symptoms like: fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, bloating, weight loss resistance, PMS, acne, and more! If you're ready to get to the root of your symptoms so you can take a specific, targeted approach to your healing, DM me I'MREADY and let's chat about how we can work together!
Is your diet making your period pain worse? A die Is your diet making your period pain worse? A diet high in inflammatory foods, sugar, & processed foods can indeed impact your hormones and make period symptoms worse. While I do believe and teach an "all foods fit" mentality, it is also true that the majority of the time we should be prioritizing fresh, wholesome foods that help to really nourish our body. Prioritizing key nutrients and minerals (like pictured above) will help our body naturally balance our hormones, therefor helping us be more fertile & have less period pain & period associated symptoms. This is important for all women, not just those that are looking to conceive soon or whom are currently TTC. If you're ready to take charge of your hormones and have periods that don't suck, DM me I'MREADY and we chat about working together to make that a reality!
Has your period when missing in action? I often se Has your period when missing in action? I often see this happen when clients are transitioning off birth control (this also happened to me for over 9 months!), but it can happen for a variety of reasons. If you find yourself in this boat, here's some things to get your started on the journey to bring balance back to your hormones & period that period back! 1. Eat consistently. Typically, this will look like 3 meals per day, with 1-2 snacks as needed based on your hunger. NO SKIPPING MEALS! That puts our body into a state of stress and when we're stressed our body cannot prioritize creating and balancing hormones. 2. Create a stress toolkit. This is a fancy way of saying "figure out what helps you unwind and feel less stressed". What works for me may not be the same things that work for you, which is why it's important for YOU to explore what works for you. Incorporating some type of stress reducing activity daily will help a lot! 3. Prioritize good quality sleep. Aim for 7-8hrs per night. If you're currently getting a lot less than that, go slowly by going to bed a few mins earlier each night. 4. Eat in a way that supports blood sugar. When you look down at your meal or snack make sure you've got some protein, healthy fat, fiber, & carbs on your plate! 5. Cut back on your cardio workouts. 6. Identify food sensitivities--do you consistently notice that a certain food causes you an upset stomach, pain, or inflammation? Try cutting it out for a bit. Eating foods that we're sensitive & reacting to can also stress the body. 7. Incorporate more moderate to low intensity movements. As you're cutting back on cardio, try some different types of exercise like body weight exercises, lifting weights, or yoga. 8. Explore your relationship with food. Are you an emotional eater? How is that impacting your food choices and overall nutrition? Or do you restrict yourself from eating several foods/food types? If so you may not be giving your body enough fuel. 9. Lastly, it may be time to investigate a root cause reason for why your period is missing. DM me I'MREADY and we can chat about how we would do that!
If you have symptoms of low progesterone such as: If you have symptoms of low progesterone such as: -cycle related headaches or migraines -PMS that starts 7-10 days prior to your period -anxiety -painful/heavy periods -painful/tender/swollen breasts prior to your period -fatigue, irritability, or weepiness prior to your period -restless legs at night Then a good starting place for you to start would be to incorporate more healthy fats, zinc, vitamin B6, magnesium, and vitamin C into your diet. Save this post for when you need to come back for ideas. If you've been experiencing these symptoms for quite some time, month-after-month, it's time to consider functional hormone testing so that we can get to the root of your hormone imbalance. DM me I'M READY and we can chat about what that would look like!
Progesterone is crucial for sustaining a healthy p Progesterone is crucial for sustaining a healthy pregnancy during the first trimester until the placenta is well established. But you shouldn't only be concerned about progesterone levels if you're pregnant or preparing to conceive because progesterone (or a lack of it) affects how we feel during our luteal phase (the time between ovulation & our period beginning). When there is an imbalance of progesterone, a woman may experience PMDD, significant PMS, or increased anxiety & depression during the luteal phase of her cycle. If you're concerned that your progesterone levels may not be optimal, we can test that through a functional hormone test called a DUTCH test which allows us to evaluate progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and several other things all at once. DM me to discuss how we could work together.
Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted Each Friday I'll be answering a question submitted by someone in my community. These questions can be related to female sex hormones, periods, PMS, cycle synching, period symptoms, hormone imbalance, minerals, mineral imbalance, etc. For my full response you can find me on YouTube, tune into the podcast, or join my e-mail community. But to summarize: These symptoms are definitely COMMON, but that does not mean they are NORMAL. If these symptoms are new for you, I would start with the basic tips I'm going to recommend in a moment. However, if you've been dealing with symptoms like this month after month for a long period of time, it's time to consider functional testing to get to the root cause of your symptoms! Recommendations: 1️⃣Increase fiber, supplementing if needed, to ensure you are having at least 1 soft, formed bowel movement every day. The reason this is important is because it's one of the ways our body gets rid of excess estrogen. 2️⃣Incorporate a mineral drink every single day if you aren't already. My favorite brand currently is @cure, I'm obsessed with both the Strawberry Kiwi & Berry Pomegranate flavors! 3️⃣ *not medical advice, consult with your provider before implementing* Start the @fullwellfertility Fertility Booster supplement (code VANDA10). Yes, even if you aren't looking to conceive now or ever again, this is a great supplement that supports hormonal balance. Want to submit your own Friday Question? DM me "FridayQ" and I'll send you a link where you can submit a question anonymously.
Of all of our female sex hormones, estrogen gets a Of all of our female sex hormones, estrogen gets a bad reputation. But it's critically important for us to have a sufficient (& balanced) amount of estrogen. If you're concerned that your estrogen might be out of balance, here's some signs to watch for: -heavy bleeding -PMS symptoms that feel extreme or more life-disrupting than is "normal" -headaches/migraines that are related to your cycle -weight gain/trouble losing weight -brain fog -problems with your gallbladder -mood swings/inconsistent emotions As always, if you're experiencing some or all of these symptoms, it's important for you to consistently get healthy habits for nutrition, movement, sleep, & stress management in place. I cover this in detail inside my membership the Wellness with Vanda Club. If you feel that you're already consistent with healthy habits, it might be time for us to talk about getting to the root cause of your hormone symptoms with functional testing. You can DM me anytime to discuss how us working together would work.
True ovulation is what triggers us to have a perio True ovulation is what triggers us to have a period with each menstrual cycle. [Did you know that this DOES NOT occur if you're taking birth control? The bleed you experience is a withdrawal bleed that occurs due to a change in the level of synthetic hormones you receive in the white pills/dummy pills in your birth control pack] To support your body to ovulate regularly three areas you can focus on are: 1. Manage Blood Sugar: ensure that you're eating regular meals made up of protein, healthy fats, fiber, & carbs. I have an entire module dedicated to learning how to do this called Properly Fuel Your Body inside my membership the Wellness with Vanda Club. 2. Rest: We're all living hectic lives, am I right? So, incorporate some time to un-plug and rest both physically and mentally each day. 3. Vitamin D: I'm not talking about taking a vitamin D supplement here. Rather, getting yourself regular light exposure to the sun (which is how we synthesize vitamin D)! It's most ideal if you can get sunlight exposure early in the mornings--prior to 10am. But, if that's not possible any time throughout the day will still be beneficial. If you're consistently implementing these 3 habits, and you're still not ovulating regularly, it's time for us to discuss getting to the root cause of your hormone imbalance by using functional testing. DM me anytime to chat about how we can work together!
Did you know we have a vaginal microbiome just lik Did you know we have a vaginal microbiome just like we have a gut microbiome? It's equally important that we take good care of it. It affects the type of discharge we experience, how things feel down there, and fertility. Incorporating lots of fresh fruits & veggies help expose you to beneficial bacteria. Consuming greek yogurt or yogurt with active cultures is supportive to a healthy environment. Pre/Probiotics may not be needed for everyone, but can be beneficial especially if you're concerned that something might be off with your vaginal microbiome (smell, itch, changing discharge, etc.) Consuming healthy fats via oily fish varieties like tuna, salmon, & mackerel help support a healthy vaginal microbiome. & lastly, remaining adequately hydrated is important. Save this post for later when you might need it!
Has aunt flo went MIA or showing up at random, unp Has aunt flo went MIA or showing up at random, unpredictable times? Regardless of what the reason might be, there are two steps I'd recommend you to take first before considering functional testing. 1. Work on consistently implementing healthy habits for nutrition, movement, sleep, & stress management. I cover these topics in detail in my membership the Wellness with Vanda Club. 2. Add more minerals into your diet on a regular basis. This will look like lots of fresh fruits & veggies + 1-2 mineral drinks daily. If you're not sure where to get started with minerals, or just want to learn more about why they're so important, comment GUIDE and I'll send over my Minerals for Mamas Guide. If you feel like you're nailing these two steps already, but your period is still missing or irregular, then it's time for us to put our investigator cap on & get to the root of the problem utilizing functional testing! You can DM me anytime to discuss what that would look like, I'm here to support you when the time is right!
Idk about you, but I’m not worried about hot gir Idk about you, but I’m not worried about hot girl summer. I want FEEL GOOD mom summer. So that’s what I’m bringing to you! For free. Come hang out with me for 4 days next week learning the exact strategies I use every week/every day to ⬇️ overstimulation ⬇️ overwhelm & ⬆️ my wellness through real, daily self-care (sounds fake right, I promise it’s easier than you think and you DO have the time—you just need to learn my method!) My goal is to get this information out to as many mamas as possible because I KNOW how powerful it’s been in my own life + I’ve heard from my clients how powerful it’s been in their lives! So here’s what I need you to do: First- just comment the number 4 & you’ll automatically get the sign up link—remember it’s free!! Second- tag your mom bestie so she can join us too!
& the more mamas I talk to, the more common I real & the more mamas I talk to, the more common I realize this is…. …not taking care of your self ➡️ losing it with your kids ➡️ mom guilt 🔄 Next week I’m hosting a FREE 4-Day Challenge where each day I’m teaching the exact strategies I still use every week that help me lessen overwhelm & overstimulation…. (cause let’s be real—it does still happen some days, but far less often) ….and also helps me have the time & capacity to take care of myself in ways that fill my cup. I want to share this information with as many mamas as possible, so comment “4” to get yourself signed up, then do your mom bestie a favor & tag her so she can join us too!
Comment “4” and sign up today Details: 4 day f Comment “4” and sign up today Details: 4 day free challenge July 23rd-26th Replays available #momlifeunfiltered #momlifehacks #momlifeishard #momlifebestlife #momminainteasy #mommingsohard #mommination #mommingainteasy #mamalifeisthebestlife #takingcareofmyself #healthymomma #healthymommy #healthymomhealthyfamily #healthymomhealthyfamily #healthymomsinspire #healthymomhappymom
30+ Moms already have. Get yourself signed up & th 30+ Moms already have. Get yourself signed up & then invite a friend (you can tag them) to join us too! It’s gonna be a fun & impactful time! Nitty Gritty details: 💥 FREE to join & participate 💥 taking place in a private Facebook group 💥 Daily live trainings (20mins or less) 💥 Replays posted in the group & available until July 30th Comment 4 to grab that sign up link now💃
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