Red Wine, Resveratrol & the Gut

Red Wine, Resveratrol & the Gut

Red Wine and the gut by Queen of the Thrones

Red Wine, Resveratrol & the Gut

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 10 minutes.

What is Resveratol?

Did you know that the pinot noir grape is so weak that it actually has to produce a fungus on its skin in order to survive? So, the problem with drinking red wine isn’t necessarily alcohol, but the fungus that grows on the skin of the grape itself. It is a product of fermentation that gets into the body and upsets the microbiome.

Who doesn’t love to have a nice relaxing glass of red wine after a long day? And sure, it’s alcohol, but it’s okay because red wine is good for you, right? Well, my friends, this may be true (in small doses!) because even though NO amount of alcohol is good for you, red wine pleads a case because it contains the powerful antioxidant, resveratrol.

Resveratrol does many wonderful things for the body, specifically in the gut, which makes it an excellent nutrient for people with digestive conditions.

Resveratrol in Red wine by Queen of the Thrones

I wanted to talk about resveratrol because, well hey, everyone loves a good glass of red wine, right? One of the first questions you probably have before starting a cleanse is, “Really?? Do I have to give up red wine??” And the answer is yes, ideally

Although, I’ve recently discovered a way to prepare it that makes it okay to enjoy on a cleanse, albeit in very minute dosages, for a therapeutic effect. I’ll spill the beans on how exactly to do this later on in this post.

Resveratrol is a plant compound that acts as a powerful antioxidant in our bodies. It’s not only found in grapes and red wine, but also in smaller amounts in blueberries, tomatoes, peanuts, dark chocolate, and apples.

Resveratrol Concentration in Grapes

The grape is an interesting fruit with the pinot noir grape being the ‘weakest’ grape that grows well in Oregon, Italy, and France (legendary here!), yet it has the highest antioxidant content, specifically resveratrol1. Pinot noir is thought to be the healthiest of red wines.

Pinot Noir

Believe it or not, the weaker the grape, the stronger the antioxidant. In red wine, it’s pinot noir grapes. In terms of juice, it would be the Concord grape. They actually have one of the highest nutritional profiles but they are incredibly sweet too (which means high in sugar).

The way grapes mix their sugar and antioxidants makes our food choices a bit tricky. They’re super healthy, which is great. But it also means we need to be careful about how much we eat to find the right balance. So, when you’re grabbing that glass of red wine or a serving of grape juice, just keep in mind this mix of good stuff and things to be cautious about. It can help you make smarter and more balanced decisions for your diet.

Queen of the Thrones pinot noir infographic

Concord Grape Diet

Have you ever heard of the old grape diet? Where you basically eat nothing but grapes for three days…

Stay with me, as there actually might be something to this. When reading Genesis (the first chapter of the Bible), and in the biblical days to cleanse, they would basically not consume anything for the first 3 days. So you could do a grape juice fast for the first 3 days, along with water and green tea to help clean up your system (and also take in a ton of powerful antioxidants).

What Does Resveratrol Do?

What does resveratrol do by Queen of the Thrones

Resveratrol may help women lose weight and maintain healthy estrogen levels2 3. Estrogen dominance is a problem that can lead to gain weight, which can cause your body to produce more estrogen.

It basically becomes a  a vicious cycle of gaining weight and having high estrogen, which causes symptoms like breast tenderness, moodiness, depression, and anxiety. Causing you to feel like you’re all over the map… Can you relate? It is not a fun condition to be stuck in and resveratrol may be helpful with these symptoms.

Resveratrol in the Gut

So, what does it do for the gut?

Flavonoids are very important in keeping the gut mucosal membrane lining healthy4.

If the gut lining isn’t strong and healthy, it weakens the barrier, making it hard for the gut to protect the body from outside food. It’s crucial for the gut barrier to stay strong for optimal functioning.

Maintaining a Healthy Gut Lining

So, we need to work on strategies to help keep this barrier closed and strong, agreed? What closes the barrier most profoundly? Relaxation! That’s right, NO STRESS! When you are stressed, your body is in the sympathetic state, and cortisol is pumping. In this state, your gut mucosal membrane lining is weakened, or “leaky” as it is often called.

Leaky Gut was a huge term in the 80s and 90s and people still use it – also known as leaky gut syndrome. Now, a leaky gut is, in a sense, a stressed out person who has holes in their intestines, meaning their barrier is no longer working. .

They’ve lost the integrity of the barrier, and things that are not supposed to get through, do, causing things to leak through that are not in the size they should be. When this happens, the body can’t recognize them which causes irritation and allergies.

Maintain a Healthy Gut Lining with Queen of the Thrones

Stool Transit Time

Did you know that stool transit time can actually dictate the number of allergies you have? The less that you go, the more allergies you may have5. Interesting agreed?

The duration it takes for stool to move from the mouth to the anus (or anal transit time), is influenced by stool transit time. Understanding your transit time provides various insights into your body’s functions and conditions.

You Are What You Absorb

Now, resveratrol helps with keeping the gut lining integral. It’s actually imperative to it. In supplement formulas, I add in resveratrol all the time and I make sure people are getting it from their diet as well.

Benefits of resveratrol for your organism by Queen of the Thrones

What’s even more important is that people are absorbing and digesting things well. We need to optimize the absorption capacity in our guts in order to really reap the health benefits of resveratrol in our food, drink, and supplements.

Food Hygiene 

Resveratrol is awesome to get from red wine, although the bacteria and fermentation products make it not-so-great on a cleanse. So how do we get around this?

Alternatively, we can use grapes, but we need to wash them well. I’m going to teach you how to wash them to reduce the bacterial load.

Now, I don’t want to get into the hygiene hypothesis… The thing is, this isn’t something you need to do long term, just until you establish a healthier barrier and a healthy microbiome. When the microbiome is functioning well it can tolerate more bacterial load. Makes sense, right?

So, we need to give our microbiome a chance to reset itself within the body, which could take 3-6 months, a year, or even 2 years… It depends how weakened it is and it depends on how compliant you are.

Resveratrol in other dietary sources by Queen of the Thrones

To Reset Your Gut, You Have 2 Options

  1. You can reset it by a little wee bit at a time which takes a long time, OR…
  2. You go all in! Change your practice step by step for the fast win.

    The second option makes more sense! Agreed?

    So, in order to reset the environment, we need to clear what is coming in, allowing the body to rebalance in its own natural way. When we allow it the space to do what it needs to do – that is digest, absorb and eliminate, we support this process that much more. 

    My favorite tool to do this with is Castor Oil Packs.

How Do Castor Oil Packs Help You Reset Your Gut?

1. Relaxation

Parasympathetic tone, practicing the pause. How do we get more of the relaxed state as opposed to the stressed state?

Castor Oil Packs are like the escape button for your nervous system, which is more related to the pack rather than the actual oil. That’s because when the pack sits on the skin, it stimulates receptors in the skin of the nervous system.

Did you know that tactile soft-touch actually helps to support that area7. This soft, pleasurable touch also stimulates hormones, like oxytocin – the love and connection hormone, as well as dopamine8 – the pleasure hormone of the brain. 

2. Inflammation & Alkalinity

Wherever there is inflammation there is acidity, so reducing inflammation increases alkalinity. The enzymes of our bodies cannot work without alkalinity. Our enzymes need proper pH to function well, and Castor Oil Packs may help support this environment and balance inflammation.

Moreover, Castor Oil has been shown to be as effective as capsaicin for pain relief (without the irritating effect)9.

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs help to reduce Inflammation and Alkalinity

3. Maintain Glutathione Levels & Support Detox Pathways

There are not many ways to get glutathione, our super important detoxifying compound. You can take glutathione supplements, but they haven’t been shown to be super effective. You can also get it from whey protein, but this is an issue for a lot of people with allergies and sensitivities. A third way to get it is from rooibos tea, green tea, or red raspberry leaf tea to improve glutathione in the gut.

Supplementation with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and magnesium can help with glutathione levels, however, most of us are already very deficient in magnesium so the body will first use the magnesium for what it needs, before converting it to glutathione. Sometimes it can be dose-limiting too, because of the potential laxative effect of magnesium.

IV and injection is another way of getting glutathione, but this requires going to a clinic every time, which isn’t very convenient, agreed?

A Castor Oil Pack worn on the liver may help with the recycling of glutathione. There was a study done on rat lenses where they put the lenses in a dish of glutathione solution, and one in a dish of Castor Oil. The glutathione levels were actually maintained BETTER in the Castor Oil solution10.

How do castor oil packs help gut health by Queen of the Thrones

4. Support the regulation of bowels

Transit time is very important. Without a normal transit time, you may experience problems with your microbiome, allergies, and toxins recirculating in the body. Normal transit time for men is around 1.7 days, and for women it is higher at 2.3 days11.

Why is it higher for women? Women have more hormones that play a role in their transit time. If progesterone levels are low, it can contribute to a slower transit time.  Castor Oil Packs are thought to help support regular movement of your bowels, which, in turn, may help your digestion transit times.

5. Break down Biofilm

Biofilm is basically a sticky coating of glycoproteins and hyaluronic acid, a matrix created by bacteria from their waste products. It’s no different than what surrounds all of the cells of our body. It’s like an extracellular matrix made for bacteria to keep them safe from evil enemies on the outside.

The only problem is that these bacteria are actually the evil enemies to us, because they are inoculating a gut that should be healthy. They’re straight up con artists, which is why I call them “conbiotics”. You see, bacteria is really good for us, and “commensal” bacteria is actually awesome!

Commensal bacteria create vitamins for us, like the ever important B vitamins, as well as L-butyrate and short-chain fatty acids which help to heal the gut lining. It’s amazing what they do for us! But unfortunately, the bad guys can create gas that basically slows our transit time down, like hydrogen disulfide and methane gas12.

 

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver helps to break down biofilm

For this reason, it’s super important to address our biofilm. There aren’t many natural substances that have the ability to break it down. Castor Oil is one of these natural substances, also helping to stimulate nitric oxide passageways!

And because nitric oxide is a gasotransmitter, which is basically a gaseous messenger molecule involved in signaling to open up blood vessels, it is believed to help balance inflammation. They’re calling it one of the newest anti-aging molecules. Red wine, grapes, and beets are all food sources of nitric oxide.

Did you know that you tend to go to the bathroom more often when you have higher levels of progesterone? Ladies, right before your period do you find that you are going to the bathroom more frequently? This is because your progesterone levels spike just before menstruation, causing your transit time to speed up.

Castor Oil Packs are such a simple practice that work on these 5 foundational functions…

1. Relaxation

2. Inflammation

3. Antioxidant status

4. The bowels

5. The microbiome

This supports everything, from absorbing, digesting, working well, and eliminating where it needs to. 

Get your own super easy, 2-step Queen of the Thrones® Liver Castor Oil Pack.

Gut Lining and Hormones

Resveratrol basically acts like an antioxidant that helps support the gut lining, and at the same time balances out hormones. Our gut lining is very dependent on our hormones, and resveratrol helps in the detoxification of estrogen.

When you have better-balanced levels of estrogen, you will have sufficient levels of progesterone that help you go to the bathroom well and maintain a regular transit time.

Dietary Intake of Resveratrol

1. Royal Red

If you’re on any kind of cleansing diet you want to do it the smart way and pasteurize it. Pasteurization, according to Louis Pasteur, was done via a flash-fry method. So basically you boil water, add it to red wine then cool it down immediately. Plus, it’s a great way to get rid of the majority of bacteria and fermentation products that may be in red wine, causing problems for the body.

Try to avoid South America and Californian wines, because they’ve been shown to have high levels of toxicity in them. Organic wines from the European Union-Spain, Italy, France, and Pinot Noir are best. Wines from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Oregon are also good options.

Queen of the Thrones recommends a dietary intake of resveratrol for better gut health

How to Flash Pasteurize Red Wine:

Looking to enjoy your red wine in a healthier way? Here’s your Red Wine Recipe below! 

    1. 1. 1 oz red wine
    2. 4 oz boiling water
    3. Throw in 5 ice cubes
    4. Sip and enjoy!

      And there you have it,  a nice cider that I like to call it the Royal Red! Another option is to add carbonated water and ice for a spritzer type drink

Queen of the Thrones Royal red recipe

Grape juice is another option for dietary intake of resveratrol. As mentioned before, Concord grapes have the highest antioxidant content. With grape juice though, water it down because it’s very sweet, therefore very high in sugar!

2. Grapes

Good ‘ole grapes are also a great way to get resveratrol into your system. But, remember what we talked about in regards to the fungus that they produce to protect themselves? We need to wash it off with a handy dandy acid-cleansing wash.

How to make an Acid-Cleansing Wash

You will need:

  • 1 part white vinegar
  • 1/4 part hydrogen peroxide
  • 5 parts water
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Step 1: Put grapes into a bowl.

Step 2: Add the mixture of liquids and drop in the baking soda. (You can also do this with any dried goods like rice, grains, and legumes.) This step takes off the bacterial load and grapes are super important to do this for.

So the next time you reach for your glass of red wine, I hope you will see it in a whole new light. 

Make sure to practice your Castor Oil Pack for Liver so you can help your body absorb the awesome benefits of resveratrol, and use these food hygiene tricks to limit the amount of bacterial load coming into your beautiful temple.

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1. Lukas Snopek 1 ID , Jiri Mlcek 1,*, Lenka Sochorova 2 , Mojmir Baron 2 , Irena Hlavacova 1 , Tunde Jurikova 3 ID , Rene Kizek 4 , Eva Sedlackova 1 and Jiri Sochor 2. Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection. Molecules. Received: 15 May 2018; Accepted: 9 July 2018; Published: 11 July 2018 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/399f/b972ac0e63c75459c5fb11bf303f4e2677a2.pdf

2. Bagchi D1, Das DKTosaki ABagchi MKothari SC. Benefits of resveratrol in women’s health. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 2001;27(5-6):233-48.

3. Rupali Sharma,1 Neel Kamal Sharma,2 and M. Thungapathra1 Resveratrol regulates body weight in healthy and ovariectomized rats Nutr Metab (Lond). 2017; 14: 30. Published online 2017 Apr 14. doi: 10.1186/s12986-017-0183-5 PMID: 28413432

3. Rupali Sharma,1 Neel Kamal Sharma,2 and M. Thungapathra1 Resveratrol regulates body weight in healthy and ovariectomized rats Nutr Metab (Lond). 2017; 14: 30. Published online 2017 Apr 14. doi: 10.1186/s12986-017-0183-5 PMID: 28413432

5. Johan Bohlin,1,* Erik Dahlin,1,* Julia Dreja,2 Bodil Roth,1 Olle Ekberg,2 and Bodil Ohlsson1 Longer colonic transit time is associated with laxative and drug use, lifestyle factors, and symptoms of constipation Acta Radiol Open. 2018 Oct; 7(10): 2058460118807232. Published online 2018 Oct 22. doi: 10.1177/2058460118807232 PMID: 30364803

6. Lewis SJ1, Heaton KW. Stool form scale as a useful guide to intestinal transit time. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1997 Sep;32(9):920-4.

7. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

8. Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. ( Dopamine release, Limbic System of brain- Fatty Meal Satisfaction)

9. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

10. Holm TBrøgger-Jensen MRJohnson LKessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

11. Johan Bohlin,1,* Erik Dahlin,1,* Julia Dreja,2 Bodil Roth,1 Olle Ekberg,2 and Bodil Ohlsson1 Longer colonic transit time is associated with laxative and drug use, lifestyle factors, and symptoms of constipation Acta Radiol Open. 2018 Oct; 7(10): 2058460118807232. Published online 2018 Oct 22. doi: 10.1177/2058460118807232 PMID: 30364803

12. Suri J1, Kataria R2,1, Malik Z2,1, Parkman HP2,1, Schey R2,1. Elevated methane levels in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth suggests delayed small bowel and colonic transit. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 May;97(21):e10554. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010554.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

Can Castor Oil Packs Improve Mental Health?

Can Castor Oil Packs Improve Mental Health?

Can Castor Oil Packs Improve Mental Health

Can Castor Oil Packs Improve Mental Health?

Written by: Guest author, Tracy Southwick, ND.
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 7 minutes.

How Adding Emotional Release Techniques Can Enhance Your Detox Results

You have probably heard that your body can store emotions, like anger in the liver and fear in the kidneys. That can’t be healthy, right? The body and mind are constantly in a dance trying to find balance and health, but sometimes our emotions and mental health get in the way of healing. 

There is no doubt that our minds, bodies and spirits are inextricably interconnected. So, to address one aspect of health without addressing the others will lead to suboptimal results.  

This understanding is where the term “holistic” comes from. Many people use it interchangeably with “natural”, but it is not always the same. In truth, holistic health means treating the whole person; body, mind and spirit.

    How unprocessed emotions affect your body

    Unprocessed or stored emotions can land anywhere in the body. When your body holds onto a negative emotion or a low-vibration (possibly shame, anger, or resentment) – it can lead to congestion in your system. 

    The body understands things in biochemical terms, so emotions translate into hormones and neurotransmitters that have specific effects on your organs, tissues and systems. 

    Your body is meant to be a flow system with nutrition coming in (including information and feelings) and waste (including processed emotions) being released.

    Why is emotional release important for mental health?

    Emotions are a beautiful and natural part of being human, but we need to recognize and properly address them. When we don’t have the time, the bandwidth, or the tools to do so, eventually they may manifest into another form somewhere down the line. This could be physical symptoms like tension in the shoulders, mental illness, or even dis-ease.

    Castor Oils Packs for holistic wellness

    As a practitioner who has been in the field of natural health for 28 years and the founder of Mind Body Spirit Release Academy™, I’ve worked with thousands of clients and students.

    It’s only when my clients integrate these 2 powerful strategies that they’re finally able to uplevel their wellness:

    1. Mental health and emotional release techniques 
    2. Detoxification practices

    And one of my favorite self-care tools, the Castor Oil Pack, happens to support both.

    What to expect with emotional release and Castor Oil Packs

    It is not uncommon for people to release extra toxins, yeast, and even parasites while pairing Castor Oil Packs with emotional release techniques

    This happens when we release low-vibration, unprocessed emotions. The body’s channels of toxin elimination are opened up and waste of all kinds can find its way out of the body.  

    Often, after this release, clients and students remark that they feel a huge sense of relief, like an invisible weight being lifted. Many feel as though they’ve been transformed in their physical and mental health.

    So, how do I do this, you ask? 

    Ways to stimulate “holistic detoxification”

    There are many techniques available to help in this process, some more basic than others. But any emotional release techniques are supportive of physical and mental wellness

    1. Journaling One of the best places to start is by journaling. When you’re doing a Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack over your liver, you might want to start with focusing on the unprocessed emotions that are typically stored here, like anger and resentment.  Ask yourself, “What anger or resentment might I be storing in my body? Is there anything I need to let go of?” Write it all down in your journal. Now, keep in mind, the anger and resentment may be directed towards yourself or your current situation. Or you might even have been brought up around an angry parent, and you’ve taken their emotions on yourself because at the time, you could not process them.   Whatever your case may be, stay open and honest with yourself. Remember, you can always throw away your writing after you are finished. 2. Essential Oils Another option is adding essential oils to your Castor Oil Pack. Lemongrass is thought to help support the liver and release resentment, plus it smells great. Just add a few drops onto your Castor Oil Pack before you apply it. Please note: You may want to do a skin sensitivity patch test before you use essential oils. 3. Tapping For deeper work, try Tapping, also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), around the issues that arise during your journaling session. If you’re unfamiliar with Tapping, a simple online search will pull up many free resources. Apply your Castor Oil Pack and tap away! 4. EMDR™ If you’ve experienced severe trauma in your life, you may want to investigate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR™) therapy. Speaking of therapy, a holistic therapist may also be very beneficial, as none of these suggestions are meant to take the place of medical or therapeutic care. 5.  Mind Body Spirit Release™ Lastly, for those who want to go really deep and uncover and release emotions, limiting beliefs, generational imprints and more, Mind Body Spirit Release™ may be a good path.

    To discover more about the Mind Body Spirit Release™ program and how you can work with me, click on the button below.

    Hopefully after reading this, you will have a new understanding of what a holistic detox is and how to add emotional release techniques to your Castor Oil Packs. The benefits on mental wellness are far-reaching and so worth the extra effort.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

    Tracy Southwick, ND, HHP, AMP

    Owner, Heights of Health Clinic, Houston, Texas

    Developer and Founder, Mind Body Spirit Release™ Academy

    www.heightsofhealth.com

    www.mindbodyspiritrelease.com

    As a naturopath and the owner of a Mind-Body-Spirit health clinic, Tracy Southwick has spent over 28 years helping others understand the importance of uncovering and clearing emotional and subconscious blocks in order to achieve true wellness.  Through the years, she has taught about countless health topics in her two radio shows, numerous television interviews and frequent speaking engagements. Additionally, Tracy has developed Mind Body Spirit Release™ and founded an academy with that same name to teach practitioners and passionate health-seekers across the globe how to identify and detoxify from emotional toxins, limiting beliefs, generational blocks and more.   Tracy and her team of practitioners work with clients from all over the world – remotely and in person – from her main clinic in Houston, as well as satellite offices in Colorado and Oregon. 

    Tracy Southwick Queen of the Thrones affiliate
    Disclaimer

    Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

    Does the Moon make your Hormones go Crazy?

    Does the Moon make your Hormones go Crazy?

    Does the Moon make your Hormones go Crazy by Queen of the Thrones

    Does the Moon make your Hormones go Crazy?

    Written by: Melanie Swackhammer B.A.
    Medically reviewed by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive) and Victoria Williams R.H.N.

    Est. reading time: 13 minutes.

    Mother Nature’s Medicine: The Moon, Menstruation, Seed Cycling & Castor Oil Packs

    Have you ever wondered if the full moon is controlling everything from your sleeping patterns to how irritable you feel when you’re stuck in traffic? Is the moon like a puppet master directing your every move? It’s possible, right?

    In case you didn’t know, it’s no coincidence that your menstrual cycle is the same number of days, as the days on the calendar, as is the full rotation of the moon around the earth.

    Everything is interconnected and the moon is controlling much more than you think. Makes sense, agreed? You’re in the right place because we’re going to discuss how the moon cycles impact your hormones and help you discover the pros and cons of seed cycling for hormone imbalance.

    Beyond the days of your monthly menstrual cycle, it has an impact on every aspect of your physiology, not only your hormones.

    It’s most notable in your moods and key symptoms of unbalanced hormones, your problems with your period and infertility, and even your low levels of the nightime hormone melatonin, affecting how well you sleep1.

    Mother Nature’s Medicine: Seed Cycling and your period problems.

    You see, mother nature carries many secrets up her sleeves on how to work with the moon cycle, for your menstrual problems.

    Eating seeds is one way, in what is known as the practice of seed cycling, and is said to possibly support healthier periods cycles.

    However, another easier, often better tolerated alternative for those who can’t eat seeds frequently and repetitively, as required in seed cycling, is ” Single” Seed Cycling done with Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs.

    The Difference between Seed Cycling and “Single” Seed Cycling

    Seeds can cause digestive distress agravating hormonal problems according to Queen of the Thrones®

    The traditional seed cycling protocol alternates what seeds to eat at different times of the month according to your hormones and the moon: flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds.

    One downfall for many women with hormonal problems is that these seeds can cause digestive distress when repeatedly consumed, creating a leaky gut or aggravating a pre-existing condition.

    Additionally, it can become a hassle preparing the seeds, coordinating when to eat each kind, and finding new recipes to keep things exciting. Many often start this protocol with the best of intentions but give up shortly after starting. Sound familiar?

    “Single” Seed Cycling, on the other hand, soothes digestive distress and is simply less hassle, by using Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs for Liver , instead of eating seeds.

    “Single” Seed Cycling is supportive of healing from the outside in.

    Therefore, it’s a great alternative if you’re tired of taking so many supplements and would rather do a self-care practice as easy as wearing a Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver or using the Queen of the Thrones® Hormone Balance & Detox Kit, on a different part of the body, at different times of the month according to the moon cycles.

    Plus, there’s an additional bonus with “Single” Seed Cycling with Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs.

    You see, because there are many more benefits with using Castor Oil Packs, which are a traditional therapy that have been used as a healing practice since the beginning of time, first with the Egyptians and even the father of medicine, Hippocrates.

    The benefits of these Castor Oil Packs, beyond supporting hormone cycling include, but are not limited to supporting:

      • Improved bowel movements3 and better absorption4
      • Reduced core inflammation4
      • Liver detox6 and microbiome gut health7-8-9-10
      • Enhanced relaxation and better sleep11-12-13-14

    Sounds good, am I right? It’s clearly a natural choice that’s so much easier to do, with so many benefits. Makes sense, agreed?

     

    Single Seed Cycling and Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs help you balance your hormones

    Mother Nature’s Medicine: Chronobiology for your menstrual cycle

    It’s nice to have options and tools to support the optimization of your period and hormone balance, that work with the rhythms and cycles of nature, right? This is a branch of medicine known as chronobiology.15

    So, since we are biological beings, these practices aren’t simple folklore, but show clinical practice evidence that we are affected by the moon. Plus, this is one of many ways our bodies keep time.

    We may not be as intensely possessed by the moon as say a werewolf, but hey, we all have our hormonal moments now, don’t we? Some of us do become rabid beasts at that time of the month when the moon is shining bright, right?

    Think of it like this: You’ve had a bad day, you look at the calendar and you see it’s a full moon. Is it a coincidence?

    Maybe, maybe not.

    Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs support hormone balance to avoid hormones balances to prevent hirsutism(1)

    What’s the research about the moon, seed cycling & hormones?

    Preliminary research is in the works, one study of interest done at old age homes couldn’t find a connection between weird mood changes and the full moon.16

    However, it was done with an elderly population in an old age home, at a time in life when hormone levels are at their lowest. With moods and the moon being highly interconnected to your hormones17, not the best people to study to find the truth. Agreed?

    So if one study that may have not had the best methodology says it’s not connected, it doesn’t mean it’s hocus pocus. It just means we need more research or clinical practice.

    Clinical experience: The moon, hormones & seed cycling

    Just ask any nurse who has worked an emergency shift on a full moon, they will give you their side of story, usually including how crazy and full of patients the hospital can get on those crazy full moon eve’s.

    It’s enough to make sure you look at the calendar for where the moon cycle is at before booking an important procedure or going under the knife! Agreed?

    You see, what I love about research is that it can come in the forms of clinical study, but also from a clinical practitioner’s perspective through patient observation.

    The traditional seed cycling protocol, along with the easier reinvented “Single” Seed Cycling was developed along these lines, from functional integrative medicine practices and health and wellness coaches, much like yourself.

    Double blind placebo by Queen of the Thrones

    Even though these protocols have little scientific research, as in double blind placebo controlled studies, the gold standard in medicine. The lack of this research doesn’t make it wrong, it just hasn’t been studied that way yet, and may very well never be studied that way for various reasons, two of which I’ll discuss here.

    Mother nature only likes to be tested in her natural environment

    The most important one being that mother nature isn’t the type to be put into a box and given only 2 variables to work with.

    Mother nature is a product of her environment, and as such, there are millions of variables at play in the environment, the temperature, the wind, the sunlight, the food and nourishment, the exercise, the practices, the social contact, and the list goes on and on.

    So, this makes it hard to study scientifically, especially using a double blind placebo scientific method. There are simply too many variables to test in nature and natural environments. Makes sense, right?

    Mother nature doesn’t have deep pockets to pay for studies

    The lack of funding for studies such as these impacts the understanding of the true effect of this practice. Deep pockets like those in the pharmaceutical industry fund studies that go towards new drugs, not natural medicine protocols.

    Moreover, what we do know helps illuminate our choices of care in integrative and functional medicine settings.

    As a practitioner, when you’re prescribing protocols like seed cycling, it’s often a combination of an in depth understanding of physiology of how the body works from a “functional” perspective”, as well as the knowledge of the ingredients used, such as flax seed, well known for its effects in hormonal health.18

    Combining these, along with clinical observation and experience of the practical use of mother nature’s tools, like the traditional seed cycling protocol or “Single” Seed Cycling, using Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs, are both ethical protocols because they’re not likely to cause harm and may even provide benefit beyond what is hypothesized.

    Except in the case of traditional seed cycling. Although seed cycling is one of the most highly popularized natural food and lifestyle-based practices for hormone balance, it has the worst compliance.

    Your Hormonal Health benefits from the Single Seed Cycling and Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs

    But why?

    Well, because of digestive disturbances from repetitively eating the seeds and the hassle of preparation, seed cycling has the worst compliance. Makes sense, agreed?

    The “Single” Seed Cycling protocol with Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs is an easier, often better tolerated alternative that overcomes these objections.

    Seed cycling’s goal: Naturally balance your hormones with the moon.

    So, if you want a clearer understanding of your physiology, simply start by tracking what you see in your monthly fluctuations.

    I’m sure you’ve already noticed how some weeks of your monthly cycle you feel much different than others, am I right?

    Some weeks you feel bloated and tired, while others have you experiencing hormonal fluctuations that leave you crying, craving, or wanting more of your partner or yourself, and then the next moment you’re completely withdrawn. Can you relate?

    Find out with Queen of the Thrones how Castor Oil Packs and seed cycling help to balance your hormones

    You see, hormonal balance is when you experience less ups and downs over your monthly moon guided period cycle. Makes sense, agreed?

    It’s time to understand…

    1. Why your body does what it does.
    2. What role the moon plays in your monthly menstrual cycle and your hormone unbalance.
    3. An extra tool you should have in your self care tool box to support your hormonal balance.

    Would you love that?

    “Single” Seed Cycling protocol with Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs is a simple way for you to support your hormones so you can align with the moon and mother nature, the easy way.

    Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

    Click here for references

    1. Kronfeld-Schor N, Dominoni D, de la Iglesia H, Levy O, Herzog ED, Dayan T, Helfrich-Forster C. Chronobiology by moonlight. Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Jul 3;280(1765):20123088. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3088. PMID: 23825199; PMCID: PMC3712431.

    2. Strowig T, Henao-Mejia J, Elinav E, Flavell R. Inflammasomes in health and disease. Nature. 2012 Jan 18;481(7381):278-86. doi: 10.1038/nature10759. PMID: 22258606.

    3. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in opti-sol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24260265

    4. Boddu SH1, Alsaab H2, Umar S3, Bonam SP2, Gupta H2, Ahmed S3. Anti-inflammatory effects of a novel ricinoleic acid poloxamer gel system for transdermal delivery. Int J Pharm. 2015 Feb 1;479(1):207-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.12.051. Epub 2014 Dec 24.

    5. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8 PMID: 11200362.

    6. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in opti-sol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24260265.

    7. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1.Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.PMID: 24789291.

    8. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334. PMID: 28678952.

    9. Salles MM, Badaró MM, Arruda CN, Leite VM, Silva CH, Watanabe E, Oliveira Vde C, Paranhos Hde F. Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 Nov-Dec; 23(6):637-42. PMID: 26814466

    10. Marcela Moreira Salles, Maurício Malheiros Badaró, Carolina Noronha Ferraz de Arruda, Vanessa Maria Fagundes Leite, Cláudia Helena Lovato da Silva, Evandro Watanabe, Viviane de Cássia Oliveira, Helena de Freitas Oliveira Paranhos, Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study. Randomized Controlled Trial J Appl Oral Sci Nov-Dec 2015;23(6):637-42. doi:10.1590/1678-775720150204. PMID: 26814466.

    11. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19. PMID: 28162847.

    12. Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. PMID: 12571120.

    13. Francis S, Rolls ET, Bowtell R, McGlone F, O’Doherty J, Browning A, Clare S, Smith E. The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas. Neuroreport. 1999 Feb 25;10(3):453-9. PMID: 10208571.

    14. Löken LS, Wessberg J, Morrison I, McGlone F, Olausson H. Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2009 May;12(5):547-8. Epub 2009 Apr 12. PMID: 19363489.

    15. Kronfeld-Schor N, Dominoni D, de la Iglesia H, Levy O, Herzog ED, Dayan T, Helfrich-Forster C. Chronobiology by moonlight. Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Jul 3;280(1765):20123088. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3088. PMID: 23825199; PMCID: PMC3712431.

    16. Cohen-Mansfield J, Marx MS, Werner P. Full moon: does it influence agitated nursing home residents? J Clin Psychol. 1989 Jul;45(4):611-4. Doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(198907)45:4<611::aid-jclp2270450417>3.0.co;2-f. PMID: 2768501.

    17. Albert K, Pruessner J, Newhouse P. Estradiol levels modulate brain activity and negative responses to psychosocial stress across the menstrual cycle. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015 Sep;59:14-24. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.04.022. Epub 2015 May 7. PMID: 26123902; PMCID: PMC4492530.

    18. Phipps WR, Martini MC, Lampe JW, Slavin JL, Kurzer MS. Effect of flax seed ingestion on the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Nov;77(5):1215-9. doi: 10.1210/jcem.77.5.8077314. PMID: 8077314.

    Disclaimer

    Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.