Connie's Esthetics

Certified Esthetician

Skin Care

26 days to Christmas recipes

It’s always a good idea to have a few cookie recipes you can rely on during the holiday season. We like to think that these are those recipes. Once you have a few cookie basics down and learn a couple of handy tips the rest is simple, especially with this collection of festive recipes that are perfect for bakers of all skill levels.

Let’s add some recipes to get the season started easy Christmas cookie recipes

Eggnog Blossoms

Try these sweet-and-spiced treats that taste just like a cup of Yuletide cheer!

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Blossoms

Eggnog Meltaway Cookie

These powdery snowball-shaped treats that melt in your mouth create a sugary mashup of nutmeg, rum, and bourbon. Yum!

Get the Recipe: Eggnog Meltaway Cookies

 Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies

A vibrant twist to your standard sugar cookie: The elegant icing swirls and smooth glossy finish will remind you of a peppermint candy cane.

Get the Recipe: Holiday Swirled Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Is there any way to make this chocolate delight any better? This one is packed with aromas of espresso and snowy, crackled powdered sugar!

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Cream your butter and sugar until they’re very light and fluffy to get a great consistency for these quick-cooking sugar cookies.

Get the Recipe: Chewy Sugar Cookies

Ultimate Ginger Cookie

These cookies are filled with spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, plus chopped crystallized ginger. A coating of sugar before baking gives them a crinkly crust.

Get the Recipe: Ultimate Ginger Cookie

Chocolate Coconut Balls

All you need is six ingredients to make Alton’s macadamia and coconut balls.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Balls

Snickerdoodles

Who wouldn’t love a cookie that’s set with a good dose of cinnamon-sugar but still nice and soft in the center?

Get the Recipe: Snickerdoodles

Cornmeal Wreaths

These golden wreaths give the perfect amount of holiday spirit with their sweet taste and playful appearance.

Get the Recipe: Cornmeal Wreaths

Butterscotch-Walnut Cookies

Crispy cookies with butterscotch and walnut fillings are the best way to treat yourself on a cold winter day!

Get the Recipe: Butterscotch-Walnut Cookies

Choose a Fun Way to Countdown to Christmas. How are you going to countdown to Christmas this year? Here is a suggestion…. You can choose a different cookie recipe each week and bring in the family, it’s a wonderful way to get everyone involved.

Thank you, Connie

Stay tuned for next week’s pro tips, on more holiday cheer.

Hormonal Imbalance Series Re-Cap

Over the last three weeks we have discussed hormonal imbalances, their causes, and methods to manage them.

As we discussed a hormonal imbalance is having too little or too much of a given hormone with the smallest impacting one’s well-being. Hormones are natural chemical messengers within the body produced by endocrine glands meant to control the body’s major processes.

A quick review of Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms:

            Mood Swings

            Heavy or Painful Periods

            Low Libido

            Insomnia and Poor Sleep Quality

            Unexplained Weight Gain

            Fertility Issues

            Vaginal Dryness

If any of these symptoms are observed, it may be an indication of Hormonal Imbalance and should be assessed by a qualified health professional to determine an appropriate management plan. There are both natural and medical methods that can be used to manage one’s Hormonal Imbalance.

A quick review of Natural Management options:

            Adequate Protein Intake

            Regular Exercise

            Avoiding Sugar and Refined Carbs

            Stress Management

            Avoid Over and Under Eating

            Consistent High-Quality Sleep

            Avoid Sugary Beverages

            High Fiber Diets

If natural management methods do not prove to be effective there are also medical options.

A quick review of Medical options:

            Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

            Combination Tablets

            Estrogen Tablets

            Progesterone Tablets

            Skin Creams and Gels

            Skin Spray and Patches

            Vaginal Creams

            Vaginal Rings

            Vaginal Tablets

            Bioidentical Hormones

In conclusion: Hormonal imbalances contribute to a poor quality of life for many, especially in the later years of life. The good news is with the appropriate management plan it is possible to re-gain the quality of life you desire.

I hope this series has been enlightening and provided some good options to explore on the journey to Hormonally Balanced Well-Being.

Thank you, Connie

Stay tuned for next week’s pro tips, the start of a Holidays series.

Hormonal Imbalance Series 3

So, we have evaluated natural ways to balance your hormones so now let’s do an assessment on medical alternatives to help balance your hormones.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help balance estrogen and progesterone levels during or near menopause. There are also many other reasons why a doctor might prescribe supplementary sex hormones.

Also known as menopausal hormone therapy, HRT can help relieve sweating, hot flashes, and other symptoms of menopause. It can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Some types of HRT contain both progesterone and estrogen while others contain only estrogen, and sometimes they contain testosterone.

Below, learn the types of HRT  

Hormone treatment can help address a range of issues.

The right combination and dosage of the hormones will depend on the reason for the treatment.

Menopause

Menopause is not an illness. It is a natural transition from the years in which a female can reproduce to the next phase of life.

Many people go through menopause without requiring any treatment. However, if the transition causes troubling or distracting symptoms, a variety of treatment approaches are available.

Hormones and menopause

Levels of progesterone and estrogen fluctuate throughout each month, in females, contributing to the menstrual cycle.

These levels also change throughout a person’s lifetime.

Perimenopause

Levels of estrogen and progesterone start to fall when most females are in their 40s, but menstruation will continue for some time.

Periods may become less regular, and hot flashes and other menopause symptoms may start to appear during this time.

While menstruation continues, it is possible to become pregnant, although the chances reduce with time.

Perimenopause, leads to menopause, usually lasts for around 7 years or longer it can occur for up to 14 years, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Menopause

Menopause begins 12 months after a person’s last period. On average, this occurs at the age of 52 in the United States. After menopause, it is no longer possible to become pregnant without medical assistance.

Everyone experiences menopause differently, but hot flashes, mood changes, and other symptoms are common.

During this time, HRT can help manage the symptoms.

Early menopause

Menopause begins earlier for some people, and HRT can be helpful if this happens.

People who experience the transition early may:

have had surgery to remove the uterus, ovaries, or both

have some types of cancer

have certain genetic or chromosomal factors

have certain autoimmune diseases

smoke

Sometimes, the transition starts early for no clear reason.

Types of HRT

Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

Combination tablets

Estrogen tablets

Progesterone tablets 

Skin creams and gels   

Skin spray

Skin patches

Vaginal creams

Vaginal rings

Vaginal tablets 

Bioidentical hormones

Conclusion

When all potential possibilities are considered, every woman should keep in mind what is in their best interest both physically and emotionally as they go through menopause.  While some women believe that alleviating the risks permanently by taking hormone replacement drugs, other will believe that those benefits will not adequately outweigh the risks of taking that drug.  Thus, each woman has a mission for the health of her own body. Therefore, menopause and its symptoms will continue to be a challenge to treat for women for some time to come.  

Thank you, Connie

Stay tuned for next week’s pro tips. Series 4 hormonal imbalance

Hormonal Imbalance Series 2

Let’s evaluate natural ways to balance your hormones.  Normally your endocrine glands produce the precise amount of each hormone needed for various processes in your body.  However, hormonal imbalances have become increasingly common with today’s fast-paced modern lifestyle. In addition, certain hormones decline with age and some people experience a more dramatic decrease than others. 

Fortunately, a nutritious diet and other healthy lifestyle behaviors may help improve your hormonal health and allow you to feel and perform at your best.

This post will review 8 natural ways to balance your hormones

1. Eat Enough Protein at Every Meal

Consuming an adequate amount of protein.  

Protein provides essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own and must be consumed every day to maintain muscle, bone, and skin health.   Also, protein controls the release of hormones that control appetite.

2. Engage in Regular Exercise

Physical activity can strongly influence hormonal health. A major benefit of exercise is its ability to reduce insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

Insulin is a hormone that has several functions. One is allowing cells to take up sugar and amino acids from the bloodstream, which are then used for energy and maintaining muscle. Performing strength training, aerobics, walking or other forms of physical activity can modify hormone levels in a way that reduces the risk of disease and protects muscle mass during the aging process.

3. Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbs

Sugar and refined carbs have been linked to several health problems.

Indeed, avoiding or minimizing these foods may be instrumental in optimizing hormone function and avoiding obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.

Diets high in sugar and refined carbs have been shown to drive insulin resistance. Avoiding these foods and reducing overall carb intake may decrease insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

4. Learn to Manage Stress

Stress can wreak havoc on your hormones. Two major hormones affected by stress are cortisol and adrenaline, which are also called epinephrine.

Cortisol is a “fight-or-flight” hormone that provides your body with a surge of energy to respond to immediate danger.

Adrenaline is also a “fight-or-flight” hormone released as a response to stressful, exciting, dangerous, or threatening situations.

However, unlike hundreds of years ago when these hormones were mainly triggered by threats from predators, today they’re usually triggered by people’s busy, often overwhelming lifestyles.

Engaging in stress-reduction behaviors like meditation, yoga, massage and listening to soothing music can help normalize your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

5. Avoid Overeating and Undereating

Eating too much or too little may result in hormonal shifts that lead to weight problems. Consuming too many or too few calories can lead to hormonal imbalances.

6. Get Consistent, High-Quality Sleep

No matter how nutritious your diet is and how much exercise you get, your health will suffer if you don’t get enough restorative sleep.

Poor sleep has been linked to imbalances of many hormones, including insulin, cortisol, leptin, and growth hormone

Let’s face it this is the area where most of us need to get more consistent to stay healthy.   Inadequate or poor-quality sleep has been shown to decrease fullness hormones, increase hunger and stress hormones, reduce growth hormone. 

7. Stay Away from Sugary Beverages

Sugar in any form is unhealthy. However, liquid sugars appear to be the worst by far.

We all love to have that Starbucks latte and sugary sodas but avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages may be one of the best things you can do to improve your hormone balance. In addition, research has shown that drinking sugary beverages leads to excessive calorie intake because it doesn’t trigger the same fullness signals that eating solid foods does

8. Consume a High-Fiber Diet

    Fiber, especially the soluble type, is an important component of a healthy diet. Although soluble fiber tends to produce the strongest effects on appetite and eating, insoluble fiber may also play a role.

High fiber intake has been linked to improvements in insulin sensitivity and the hormones that control hunger, fullness, and food intake.

The Bottom Line

Your hormones are involved in every aspect of your health. You need them in very specific amounts for your body to function optimally.

Consuming nutritious foods, exercising on a regular basis, and engaging in other healthy behaviors can go a long way toward improving your hormonal health.

Thank you, Connie

Stay tuned for next week’s pro tips. Series 3 hormonal imbalance

Hormonal Imbalance Series 1

If you suffer a hormonal imbalance, you likely have too much or too little of a given hormone. Even the smallest fluctuations can have serious effects on your well-being.

My personal journey began in my 40s, it started with mood swings and then stomach issues, sleep disruption, brain fog etc… What I learned through this journey was hormones act as chemical messengers in your body. You’ll often hear that hormones are bad. However, the truth is hormones occur naturally in your body and operate as your body’s communication system. Without them your body could not function. They’re powerful chemicals that are produced in your endocrine glands and travel around the bloodstream telling your organs what to do. In fact, hormones control the body’s major processes, including reproduction and metabolism.   

While it’s normal for some hormones to fluctuate throughout your life, other changes occur when something isn’t right with your endocrine glands, and an imbalance can affect your overall health and wellness.

In this series you’ll learn the basics of hormones and the signs of an imbalance.

Let’s talk about the symptoms of hormone imbalance first to get a better understanding.  Hormonal imbalances may be to blame for a range of unwanted symptoms from fatigue or weight gain to itchy skin or mood swings.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalances

Mood swings-The female sex hormone estrogen influences neurotransmitters in the brain including serotonin (a chemical that boosts mood). Fluctuations in estrogen can cause premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or depressed mood during perimenopause (the phase before periods stop completely) and menopause.

Heavy or painful periods: If accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, a frequent need to urinate, lower back pain, constipation, and painful intercourse then you may have fibroids. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb. The exact cause is unknown although they are thought to be stimulated by estrogen and having a family history may also increase your risk.

Low libido: Low libido is particularly common in women going through perimenopause or menopause due to falling levels of estrogen and testosterone (although known as a male hormone, women also have testosterone). Other menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, fatigue, low mood, and anxiety can also have an impact on your sex life.

Insomnia and poor-quality sleep: During perimenopause and menopause, the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen and progesterone, which promotes sleep. Falling estrogen levels may also contribute to night sweats which disrupt your sleep, contributing to fatigue and lack of energy.

Skin problems: Chronic adult acne can be a sign of low levels of estrogen and progesterone and high levels of androgen hormones and may also indicate polycystic ovary syndrome. Similarly, hormonal imbalances during pregnancy or menopause can cause itchy skin, dry skin is a symptom of menopause or thyroid problems

Unexplained weight gain: Several hormone-related conditions can cause weight gain including an underactive thyroid (when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones which regulate metabolism) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (a hormone-

Fertility problems: Hormonal imbalance is one of the leading causes of female infertility, with changing hormone levels a woman’s fertility naturally drops after the age of 35. High levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) can reduce a woman’s chances of getting pregnant while low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates the ovaries to release an egg and start producing progesterone, can also cause fertility problems. Early menopause and other hormone-related conditions such as PCOS will affect your fertility.

Vaginal dryness: Vaginal dryness is most often caused by a fall in estrogen levels, especially during perimenopause and menopause. Taking a contraceptive pill or antidepressants can also change hormone levels, resulting in the problem.

Levels of hormones naturally fluctuate at various life stages, most noticeably during puberty and in women during their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. They can also be affected by lifestyle and certain medical conditions.

What is important is to notice any symptoms and get them checked out by a qualified health professional so that you receive appropriate treatment, whether that involves using medication or complementary therapies or making lifestyle changes to restore the balance and your good health.

Thank you, Connie

Stay tuned for next week’s pro tips. Series 2 hormonal imbalance