Balancing Acts: Juliana Lung, Founder of Vera Salt

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background, and how it relates to health?

I’ve always had an interest in health and wellness. Growing up, I enjoyed a lot of movement-based arts like dance and TKD, and eventually worked in Hollywood for a few years teaching movement and mobility with a focus on pre-hab. Over the years, I developed an interest in holistic health, particularly in endocrinology and physiology as they seemingly hold the key to so much of the way we perceive and experience the world.

What inspired you to pay more attention to your hormone health and make it a part of your routine?

I was put on hormonal birth control when I was a teen to help control my period symptoms per my doctor’s recommendations. After experiencing terrible side effects from coming off the pill, I quickly took an interest in women’s hormones and how our natural cycles are a gift – that they are instrumental in preserving our health and vitality rather than something to be suppressed. I then came across the work of the late Dr. Ray Peat Ph.D. His articles and books transformed my understanding of how intimately our hormonal health implies our health as a whole.

What specific hormones or hormone-related issues do you focus on in your health routine, and why?

Since receiving my initial Raena test results, my focus has been on my E2:Pg ratio. Through their blood hormone panel, I was able to see that my ratio was low, indicating potential estrogen dominance. At the time, I was over-exercising and under-eating, which I have since addressed. Thanks to Moment’s metrics, I was able to correct my imbalances safely and accurately.

Could you share your daily or weekly health and hormone-balancing routine with us? What does it typically involve?

Mornings typically start with sunlight, a stretch, and breakfast with coffee. I like to monitor my BBT on a weekly basis, though I typically recommend tracking daily to those who are newer at the practice. A couple times during the week, I’ll sometimes supplement NDT, thiamine, and aspirin when I remember. Progest-E and Tocovit I’ll cycle during my ovulatory and luteal phase if I feel I need the support. I always incorporate some form of daily movement or activity for the lymph, whether that’s going for a walk, swim, sauna, or Dr. Perry Nickelston’s Big 6.

How do you stay informed about the latest developments and research related to hormone health?

I follow Raena on socials and endocrinology researchers like Georgi Dinkov and Keith Littlewood to stay informed.

Are there particular foods or dietary choices that you find helpful in maintaining hormone balance?

Eating seasonal, balanced meals to satiation has been the most helpful for me. Also never skipping breakfast!

What role does physical activity and exercise play in your hormone health routine?

I think we can learn a lot from watching children and animals derive so much joy from playing. Movement is life, and a daily practice can keep us supple into old age. Any form of exercise that inspires joy or fun is probably the healthiest for our hormones.

Can you describe any stress-reduction techniques or practices you use to manage cortisol levels and stress-related hormones?

Prayer and time spent in nature seem to do the trick. Bedtime snacks and doing things you enjoy are good ways to live a low-stress life.

Do you have any favorite supplements or natural remedies that you incorporate into your hormone health routine?

I love fresh squeezed OJ when they’re sweet and in season. Progest-E can be a life-saver.

How do you address sleep and its impact on hormones in your daily life?

Sleep is fundamental for our hormones and how we regenerate from the day’s stressors. Something sweet and salty before bed or a tall glass of maple syrup milk help me consistently sleep through the night.

Have you encountered any specific challenges or setbacks in maintaining hormone balance, and how have you overcome them?

Forgetting to eat or skipping meals always makes me feel extra stressed, and I tend to feel the effects of that the next day. Cooking as an activity can be a stress-relief, especially cooking for loved ones. Making sure to give thanks to meals and enjoying them with others is food for the soul.

Are there any specific lifestyle changes you've made to improve your hormone health that you'd like to share with our readers?

The more we give ourselves nourishment, the more we understand the feeling of “feeling good” and are able to perceive what throws off that feeling. Being able to recalibrate is a skill we can hone through food and the energy it provides. From there, we can begin to understand the political undercurrent that weaves through many of our governing systems and how they work to suppress our biology.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to explore hormone health and wants to establish a balanced routine?

Start experimenting and paying attention to how things make you feel. Try eating breakfast and notice if you feel less impatient throughout the day. Things that make us feel good tend to stick and become a habit more effortlessly.

What are your future goals and aspirations regarding your hormone health journey?

My goal is to keep learning and experimenting and help others do the same. Many things that are explained away as “genetics” can be solved through something as simple as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. If we have the capacity to do so, we should try to help others not needlessly suffer.