Maverick Mom

Your Neurotransmitters and Brain Health | Serotonin and Dopamine

May 10, 2013 by maverickmom · Leave a Comment

We hear about neurotransmitters and SSRIs on a daily basis, but what are they, exactly? SSRI is an abbreviation for serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor. Whatever. It basically means that the medication you’re taking is going to increase the serotonin levels in your brain. For some people, this is a good thing because they’re running a little low on that precious neurotransmitter. This happens for a variety of reasons. Some people are genetically wired for a little less serotonin to begin with (not fair, but you can work through it), and other people run low due to chronic stress, medications, poor diet, poor sleep quality, and even low vitamin B levels (because Vitamin B is necessary for synthesizing serotonin).

Neurotransmitters are important in our brain because higher amounts of them speed up, slow down, and intensify or decrease the intensity of a message being sent within your brain. Some of the most important are not only serotonin, but dopamine and GABA, too.

Continue reading “Your Neurotransmitters and Brain Health | Serotonin and Dopamine” »

Buttery Mashed Potato(less)es | 3 Ingredients, 25 Minutes

April 23, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

I got really excited about this one because this looks and tastes exactly like mashed potatoes. Seriously. I experimented with this on a Friday night and ended up eating an entire head of cauliflower for dinner, and I don’t even really like cauliflower. You can use this recipe as a side with any dinner wherein mashed potatoes would fit……and feel great knowing that you ate vegetables instead of starchy carbs. Win win in my book. Continue reading “Buttery Mashed Potato(less)es | 3 Ingredients, 25 Minutes” »

Should You Take Fat Burners?

April 22, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

Nope.

Fat burners may help you lose a few pounds in the beginning, but they usually lead to adrenal fatigue. This means that your cortisol levels will be chronically elevated, causing you to feel exhausted and wired most of the time.

Elevated cortisol levels eventually lead to decreased immune functioning, salt cravings, increased appetite, and more abdominal fat. This basically means that you’ll be wearing two pairs of Spanx, fighting a cold, and eating Baked Lays while wondering why those fat burners aren’t working anymore. Continue reading “Should You Take Fat Burners?” »

The Best Garlic Coconut Chicken Recipe | 8 Ingredients, 25 Minutes

April 9, 2013 by maverickmom · 2 Comments

This garlic coconut chicken will rock your world. I make a batch of it almost every week because it is the healthiest, fastest, tastiest, most fantasmic chicken ever. You could make new friends with this chicken, I’m telling you. All you need is about 8 ingredients and 25 minutes. Your welcome.

*I’m making this short and sweet. Be aware that I just “eyeball” the amounts and throw this stuff in because I don’t have the patience for measuring ingredients. I’m simply guestimating the amounts below.

Ingredients: Continue reading “The Best Garlic Coconut Chicken Recipe | 8 Ingredients, 25 Minutes” »

Ten Reasons to Quit Dieting Forever | Females, Hormones, and Intermittent Fasting

April 5, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

Have you ever been on a diet? I’m sure you have. Haven’t we all? The older I get, the more convinced I become that dieting will soon be an archaic term. They never work in the long run and nearly always do more harm than good.

In fact, females are more sensitive to the physical stress imposed by dieting and Intermittent Fasting (IF). We experience problems with circadian rhythm, hormonal balance, and adrenal fatigue pretty quickly. If you’ve ever laid awake at night feeling rather jacked up and hungry or “wired but tired,” you know what I’m talking about here.

Here are ten big reasons to quit dieting and start thinking differently about getting healthier. Believe me, your adrenals, ovaries, and brain will all thank you for it.

1. Increased ghrelin. Severe food restriction (consuming 500-800 calories per day) causes an increase in ghrelin, better known as the “hungry hormone.” This hormone is the reason for your ravenous drive through the Chic-Fil-A window after an exam, a sleepless night, or an emotionally stressful week. WORSE: This effect does not end when you stop dieting. It can go on for up to a year after you stop food restriction. Continue reading “Ten Reasons to Quit Dieting Forever | Females, Hormones, and Intermittent Fasting” »

It Only Takes One New Piece of Information to Change Your Life.

April 4, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

This week, MaverickMom.com was featured in the Boca Raton Observer April 2013 issue in a story about mom bloggers. It was a real honor to be included in this article, and I would like to thank The Boca Raton Observer for their consideration and time. Here is a screen shot of the article at a glance:

The Boca Raton Observer
April 2013
Women’s Issue

My purpose is to empower people, particularly women, with health related information. The more information you have, the better life gets.

It only takes one new piece of information to change your entire life. ONE. Often times, the biggest problems in life can be solved with one small change. We usually assume that bigger problems call for bigger, more complicated solutions, but this isn’t true at all. One seemingly small solution can radically change your entire life, and new solutions arise from new information. My hope is that you find some of that here, and that you use it to make positive changes in your life and in your health.

That’s all from Lighthouse Point for today, folks. I am both honored and humbled that you have visited MaverickMom.com and hope that you will return soon. Tomorrow, I swear I will tell you all of the reasons I eat butter in the mornings. Swear.

How to Sharpen Your Competitive Edge | Women, Genetics, and Hormones

March 20, 2013 by maverickmom · 1 Comment

Are you competitive? Have you ever wondered what makes some of us more competitive than others? Why do some people wilt in the face of competition while others thrive, setting new PRs and breaking records in the process? If you happen to be involved with CrossFit, you know that the CrossFit Open is going on right now. I am doing the Open workouts for sport and fun, but I have friends who are competing for a spot in the Southeast Regionals. In thinking about all of this, I began to wonder why men are often more competitive than women, and what makes some women better at competing than others.

There are a variety of factors that come together to create a competitive spirit but for now, I’m going to focus on the genetic factors, hormones, and the ways in which these factors affect women differently from men in competition. Chromosomes, dopamine, and estrogen. That’s the name of the game here. Continue reading “How to Sharpen Your Competitive Edge | Women, Genetics, and Hormones” »

Coffee and Exercise: How to Use Coffee to Benefit Your Training

February 25, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

Coffee. It’s one of our greatest sources of antioxidants these days. The lighter the roast, the higher the antioxidant level. Even better is the growing body of research suggesting that people who drink coffee have decreased risk for depression and various diseases including Alzheimers, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and some types of cancers. In fact, it even looks like more is better when it comes to coffee……unless we happen to be talking about exercise and training.

Coffee can make or break your efforts in the box or at the gym. It can supercharge your training goals, or it can curtail your efforts altogether. The key is in the timing. Continue reading “Coffee and Exercise: How to Use Coffee to Benefit Your Training” »

11 Reasons You Should Stop Drinking Diet Sodas Today

February 19, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

Do you drink diet sodas? Any at all? Guilty as charged over here. We keep Pepsi One in the garage refrigerator for pizza night. Even though I know it isn’t the healthiest choice, this is what I call a “slider habit.” I slide right back into said habit after enough time goes by that I stop thinking about the negative health effects.

Here are 10 11 reasons that you and I should both avoid diet sodas at all cost. They are no healthier than regular sodas, and some of what you read here may surprise you. Continue reading “11 Reasons You Should Stop Drinking Diet Sodas Today” »

Gluten Free, Wheat Free, or Grain Free? Your Leaky, Sneaky Gut.

February 14, 2013 by maverickmom · Comments Off

“Gluten free” has become such a buzz phrase these days. Everyone and her sister is “going gluten free,” except many of those people have no idea what they are doing. Some people claim the whole “wheat free” diet while others cut out grains altogether. What’s the difference? Why should we even care? Glutenfree

Let’s tackle the latter question. We care because all three of these dietary choices can cause health problems via leaky gut. I remember when I first heard the phrase, “leaky gut” years ago. I didn’t really get what this meant, and it reminded me of diarrhea. I don’t want any part of anything leaking from my gut, nor do I want my guts leaking anywhere. Over the years, I have begun to understand the tremendous impact that leaky gut has on health and am convinced that gluten is just one of many dietary offenders at the heart of our leakiness.

Leaky Gut 101: (Skip ahead to Leaky Gut 201 if you already understand the whole leaky gut thing) Continue reading “Gluten Free, Wheat Free, or Grain Free? Your Leaky, Sneaky Gut.” »