integrative health must haves
because it’s time to let our bodies do what they were meant to do
As you know I am currently on my journey of becoming a holistic + integrative women’s health nurse practitioner, and I absolutely love melding and mixing my passion for the concrete modalities of Western medicine and the natural, holistic remedies of Eastern medicine.
I see such a void in helping women care for their bodies through lifestyle changes, nutrition, natural interventions, and alternative medicine—instead of “there’s a pill for that.” Integrative health is rapidly expanding and I have been soaking in every bit of new medication I can…the favorites on this page are my absolute go-to’s in the world of complementary medicine.
I wanna help YOU, my fellow woman, live your most vibrant, healthy, balanced life—in the most simple, natural way possible. And wow I am getting giddy just typing this!! Happy browsing!
my favorite holistic reads
all this information is waiting for y-o-u
Where are my bookworms at?! I had sooo much fun compiling these books as I truly consider the books on this list to be the ticket that led me to my current career path. The words found in these pages can elevate and inspire your health and further introduce you to the world of integrative health. They make big and intimidating topics manageable, approachable, and easy to implement.
Books have been my gateway into the world of integrative health—and the more I read and learn, the more I crave to learn even more about this growing world of holistic health. While I have soooo many othe health books that I love (you can browse all my favs here), these specific books were crazy valuable in building my knowledge of integrative health. If you are wanting more details on what each of these individual books is about, check out my blog post “The 6 Integrative Health Books That Changed My Life” to find out which of these is the best fit for you. Read one or two (or all six of ‘em!). Can’t wait to hear what you think!
my favorites
for that time of the month
Mmmm, that time of the month…I used to dread my menses, but in recent years I have found myself empowered in my womanhood. But mainly because I took the time to learn it and figure out the tricks and hacks to manage it naturally. My favs for managing my moon are…
Organic Menstrual Cup: Menstrual cups freaked me out…thennnnnn I tried one. LIFE. CHANGING. They are worth alllll the hype and then some. This particular one is medical-grade silicone material derived from sand (quartz) and contains no unnecessary chemicals, toxins, or artificial coloring. (Bonus! They partner with Womena, Freedom4Girls, and WiseEconomy to empower women and girls with their period!)
Period Repair Manual: Wait, didn’t I just see this right above in the “favorite books” section? Yes. Yes, you did. Only because it is that good. If you wanna actually learn how that monthly visitor of yours works…look no further. My bible of women’s health.
Organic cotton tampons: While I use my menstrual cup 99% of the time, I always like to have tampons on hand if I’m ever caught without my cup. Buuuuut with anything that I’m putting up there you better believe I don’t want it full of chemicals and pesticides. Remember when I said your skin absorbs just about everything? That goes for the chemmies in your tampon. How freaky is that? I definitely don’t want my future fertility at the risk of absorbing any yuckies. Long story short: organic tampons—it matters.
PMS essential oil blend: This. blend. I use it on my lower abdomen and pelvis region when I’m crampy and it creates the most beautiful (natural!) relief.
Warm Water Bottle: the most timeless, simple comfort— a warm water bottle for any discomfort or pain.
Hilma Tension Relief: all-natural fix for the classic PMS headache
natural remedies backed by science
Hilma: one of my fav integrative health must-haves. Clinically proven (!!!!) herbs in a pill-form that are designed by doctors and herbalists to add to your at-home pharmacy. FINALLY, an easy, natural way to help with headaches, indigestion, sinus symptoms..… AND backed by research. AKA my dream. Also, you know me, I am by nooo means anti-medication. Trust me, I’m an RN over here— and medications are powerful. buuuuut if I can relieve pain or solve a symptom with natural remedies, I am ALWAYS going to choose that first and then move to medications …if needed. Hilma makes it SO. EASY. to use natural remedies to solve your everyday problems.
Obviously check with your doctor first, but my own personal experience— I have used the tension relief for my PMS headaches a few times and have been blown away by how well it works (ummmm….byeeee, ibuprofen). Adam has been using their “seasonal support” to help with his fall allergies. We are both SO impressed, and I just really love their mission— naturally-based products *and* backed by data. Eeeee! My dream company! As i do, I badgered them for a coupon for you guys! You can use the code “THEFOUNDATION20” to save 20% on clinically-backed natural supplements. Enjoy!
supplement companies i personally use
my favorite (and only) CBD brand I use: we hear about it allllll the time in the holistic health world. My attitude? CBD can be way overhyped and made to sound like it is a one-size-fixes-all “quick fix” to everything. While I disagree with over-the-top claims, I will say CBD is a great tool. I personally love it for sleep support and managing anxious/overwhelming moods. I take it to help me stay calm, peaceful, and rested (and I’ve truly noticed a difference). It’s important to note that all CBD is NOT created equal. There's a lot of sketchy stuff out there— fillers, synthetics, pesticide-covered hemp, so I chose equilibria because 1) they are women-owned small company, 2) they adhere to medical-grade production standards and 3) it’s produced on their organic farm from start to finish, which allows them to ensure each batch is 110% safe. AKA, they speak my language-- organic, medical-grade, AND a dosage specialist/pharmacist to help you navigate your CBD dose and experience. As a registered nurse and current doctorate student, I am SO refreshed to find a CBD company that is doing it responsibly. Code “kateeskuri” will give you 15% off of your first order (or 20-50% off your subscription!)
my go-to place for vitamins & supplements: similar to CBD^^, the world of vitamins and supplements can be sketchhhhy. Not all supplements are created equal. Thankfully, honed vitamins uses the cleanest and highest quality ingredients, in their most bioavailable forms that they get rigorously tested by ISURA™ third party verification and the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practices (praaaaise!). This means they’re of the highest standards for potency, efficacy, and safety. boom! So, Kate, which of their vitamins do you recommend? Welllll, my friend, I personally believe in only taking supplements if you NEED them… which is exactly why I love Honed Vitamins. Before you ever take a vitamin of theirs, you complete a mail-in lab test that assesses 350+ biomarkers, symptoms, and lifestyle data points to ensure you only take vitamins your body needs. This simple at-home test measures for nutritional imbalances, mineral ratios, metabolism factors, and heavy metal exposures. Once you get your results, they make a custom-made vitamin plan for you and your body’s needs. (I honestly GEEKED OUT at my lab results. It was so thorough and gave me so many insights into my health). I recommend this brand because in an internet world full of cookie-cutter, generic, one-size-fits all vitamin recommendations— honed offers an option that is specific to YOU, designed to re-balance your metabolism and improve your health and wellness. My favorite part? I’ve so enjoyed re-testing every 6 months or so to see the progress and measure the changes in my lab results. Instead of blindly taking vitamins, I am doing it now with purpose and ONLY taking what my body needs… Mmmm, I love it. I have had such a phenom experience with this company, and just wanted to pass them along to you! (save 10% with the code KATE10)
a real-food supplement (this is DELICIOUS): okay, if you are someone that sucks at taking your daily multi-vitamin consistently— try. this. brand. You WILL have it every day because you will want it every day. Gem daily supplements are straight-up delicious…. like it tastes like a dessert treat, but is packed with real food, pure ingredients, and holistic adaptogens to support your body. I like to think of it as just a “general maintenance” supplement. It’s not super-targeted, but it’s full of ingredients that are great for your bod! I am a fan of the cacao and lemon flavors personally!! (I couldn’t even choose a fav flavor if you forced me— I originally did their sample pack so I could try the 3 different flavors and find out my fav flavors!). Regardless of which version you pick, all the ingredients are beautiful, pure food to support your body on the daily. Enjoy!
DIY massage
The benefits of massage extend far beyond muscle soreness and pain. Data shows that abdominal massage has been correlated with reducing constipation, athletes have shown quicker recoveries and increased performances, and there has been improved symptom management and sleep in patients. It also helps with lymphatic flow and getting water into our fascia, hydrating us from the inside out. There are so many benefits to regular deep tissue work, even if you just do it yourself! Now you may be thinking “but Kate, I have TRIED to dig into my muscles by myself and it just doesn’t work!”
...and friend, that’s where these 8 tools come in. :) enjoy! here are some simple tools to help you relieve tension, promote lymphatic health, and give your muscles some TLC!
my favorite books for period + menstrual health
Have you ever wondered… At what part of my cycle am I most fertile? What color should my period be? What is the normal length of a period? 4–6 days? Why does my energy fluctuate throughout the month? What are natural remedies for period cramps? Headaches? Bloating? Moodiness? Why do I crave food during my period? Why do I feel bloated and puffy during my period? Should I be on birth control?How can I prevent pregnancy naturally? Should I use tampons? Pads? Menstrual cups? What is the normal length of a menstrual cycle?
Then please read these books^^^
seed cycling starter kit:
Okay, I could talk about this forever and actually have a full blog post in the works—but briefly, seed cycling is when you eat certain seeds during certain parts of your menstrual cycle to help with estrogen and progesterone regulation through the actions of phytoestrogens, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. It involves eating flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds at different times of the month to balance certain hormones. Seeds can have that impact?!?! Woo woo, yes. But effective, YES. I can honestly say seed cycling made suuuuch a big difference in regulating hormonal acne and my cycle when I got my IUD removed. Again, I will dig into this much more in a future post but here’s what you need to know for smoothie’s sake.
Days 1–14 (follicular phase) of your cycle: add a spoonful each of organic flaxseed and organic pumpkin seeds
Days 15–28 (luteal phase) of your cycle: add a spoonful each of sunflower seeds and sesame seeds
PRO TIP: I always bulk up on seeds/nuts/granola from Thrive Market since they are sooo affordable and you can buy in bulk! This link will save you 25% on your first order!