A day in the life of a women’s health coach…

Last week Wednesday I got to “take over” the Instagram account of my former school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And it was awesome! I loved sharing how much this school has changed my life over the last 5 years and I couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible international IIN community.

I had so much fun that I decided to make it into a blog post for my peeps who aren’t on Instagram (if you are, follow me @nicolemjardim) so you can see what I’m up to in addition to period fixing 😉

Check it!

Hey there!  My name is Nicole Jardim and I am a Young Women’s Hormonal Health Coach and creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programs that empower women to take back control of their hormonal health in a natural (and fun!) way.

I struggled for years with hormonal imbalances and period problems, which is what led me to study at IIN and become a health coach. Once I understood what the heck was going on in my body, I felt much more inclined to make positive, long-lasting changes.

And that’s the approach I take with my clients. Rather than treating problems or symptoms, I treat women by addressing the root cause of what’s really going on in their bodies and minds. I passionately believe that the fundamentals to healing any hormonal imbalance lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman. This is essential to reclaiming and maintaining feminine vitality at any age.

“It’s not you, it’s your hormones”

Your hormones govern almost everything that you feel and do – from food cravings to how often you want to have sex. Modern women in their teens, 20’s and 30’s are more hormonally imbalanced than ever before. This is due to an unprecedented amount of psychological stress, hormonal birth control use, low nutrient diets, lack of or too much exercise and environmental toxins.

It is my mission on this planet to spread the message that women can and should take back control of their hormonal health and wellbeing.

We don’t need to fear our bodies, we just need to understand them. So many women are terrified of what their bodies will do every month because they have never been taught the basics.

Imagine how empowering it would be to know exactly when you were ovulating each month, the days you could have unprotected sex to either get pregnant or prevent pregnancy, knowing when your period will arrive, not living in fear of PMS or tons of physical pain, and finally, being able to have an educated discussion with your doctor about what’s best for you.

Keep your best #girlfriends on speed dial.

I simply don’t know what I’d do without the women in my life. I believe that we should all have at least one woman we can call when the going gets tough. In fact, unlike men, women respond to stressful situations by seeking out the support and protection of other women. This is known as the “tend and befriend” stress response and it is unique to the ladies! It raises oxytocin (the love and bonding hormone) and lowers cortisol (the stress hormone). This is part of the reason why women have better health than men and live longer than them by an average of six years.

This was a special breakfast with @drlibby (who was actually in NYC for an IIN event!) and some of my bests. @alisonleipzig, @carozwickson, @joysea23, @rsvpwjey, @maximhy and @natalieberthold

I’m obsessed with travel and being able to work anywhere.

I’ve traveled to more places in the last five years than I’ve been in the previous 25 years of my life! Part of that has to do with my long distance relationship and part of it is that I finally own a business that gives me the freedom to work from anywhere! Of course, modern technology helps too! 🙂

While I do host and attend live in-person events, almost all of my paid work is done online.  So I work the hours I want, in whatever location I choose, with clients all over the world.  And if I want to change it, I can – no permission required.

When I embarked on this #healthcoaching journey five years ago, I never imagined that I could have a thriving business that would allow me to live completely on my terms but here I am! #dreamscometrue

Nutritious food is the anchor of my philosophy.

As I mentioned before, I had a lot of health challenges in my late teens and early 20’s. Back then I had no idea that changing my diet was going to be so transformative for my health and wellbeing.

Every bite you take helps build up or break down your hormones so it’s up to you to find the right combination of foods for your unique physiology. For instance, in my practice I’ve found that dairy helps heal some women’s hormones but wreaks havoc in others.

With that said, I believe being super healthy and strict with our diets can also set us up for a whole host of problems. If a client has a variety of conditions that link back to an underlying hormonal imbalance and she’s doing everything “perfectly”, it might be time for her to have that chocolate chip cookie! Because lets face it, perfection is no fun!

How do you take care of your body?

A couple months ago Gwyneth Paltrow proclaimed that all women should try vaginal steaming. Naturally, she was heavily criticized for her comments on the topic. I think this is very unfortunate, mainly because I have been doing vaginal steams and recommending them for years with great results.

I believe we should be asking how we can better take care of women, rather than bashing them for their personal health choices.

Especially since we live in a country where maternal mortality is rising, C-sections and hysterectomies are the first and second most common surgeries among women and 58% of women on birth control use it for other reasons than birth control – regulating periods, acne, painful periods etc.

It’s crucial for all women to find treatments and solutions (alternative or conventional) to their health concerns that they feel good about. #womenshealth

Girls just wanna have fun!

One of the things my clients hear me say over and over again is that they have to incorporate fun and adventure into their lives, even if it means stepping out of their comfort zones. It’s all about the #primaryfood baby!

Last year I went on a surfing trip to Nicaragua with two of my favorite people in the world and IIN grads – @amybaglan and @jennysansouci. The thing is, none of us had ever even held a surfboard, much less attempted to ride a wave on one. Goodbye #comfortzone!

We persevered, and by day 2 we had actually ridden some waves in between getting scraped on reefs and practically drowning! LOL

Bottom line: Comfort zones are just that, super comfy and cozy but nothing ever grows there. When you step out of your comfort zone you’re embracing risk that will facilitate real change and personal growth.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for following along with me as I shared some of my life and mission with you in today’s #IINTakeover. I have so much gratitude to IIN for changing my life and creating this incredible global community! Lots of love to you all!

Visit nicolejardim.com to get my 3-part video series “Top secrets doctors don’t tell you about your hormones, your symptoms and how to finally fix them!”