Holistic Nutrition Bytes--San Francisco Nutrition Consultation » stress

How Cortisol Makes You Fat

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:13:04 +0000

I talk about cortisol a lot. Probably mention it several times every day. It’s important in my line of work, because I help people reduce stress and lose weight, and cortisol is a major player in both of these situations. First, some science.

Cortisol is one of our main stress hormones, produced by the adrenal glands. The adrenals sit atop your kidneys and are the command and control center of the body. They produce and secrete stress & sex hormones and govern thyroid hormones, sleep, stress, weight, sex drive, and metabolism. In optimum health, cortisol in normal levels has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and impacts blood sugar, digestion, and immunity. But the human body is designed around the concept of survival rather than optimum health. When we are under stress, regardless of the source of stress, our system reacts with the intent of keeping us alive under whatever dire circumstances we may encounter. There is simultaneously a hormonal (endocrine) and brain (neurological) response to stress. Combined, this is referred to as the neuroendocrine system. The main stress hormone we produce is cortisol (actually named for its production location on the cortex, or outer edge, of the adrenal glands).

In the days when a saber tooth tiger would jump out of hiding and attack, we had two choices with which to respond: Pick up a spear and fight, or run really fast and try to get away. This is what is known as the fight or flight response. We are hard wired through our neuroendocrine system for this basic survival mechanism to kick into gear when threats appear. When the stressor appears (in this case, the tiger), cortisol shoots up to get you through the stressful situation. As these chemical messengers are produced, numerous body processes speed up, and others slow down. As cortisol is released, it travels through the blood stream and converts amino acids into sugars or glucose, our basic fuel needed to fuel our system to fight or run. Dopamine, adrenaline, and noreadrenaline levels go up, and these stimulating neurotransmitters motivate us, helping to bring us up to full speed—action mode. Not only does the flow of hormones and neurotransmitters shift, our blood supply also shifts. When under stress, we divert blood from non-critical functions like digestive tract organs and shunt it towards skeletal muscle so we can move. Even our sex hormone levels drop in response to increased production of stress hormones. Stress is no bueno for your sex life.

This scenario is not problematic in a situation where occasional stress occurs and there are extended periods of time for full rest and recovery to take place. Does that sound like modern day life? Uh, no. These days we are under constant stress, and the mechanism designed to fight off a tiger is invoked every morning and afternoon in rush hour traffic or during hectic days at work or a fight with a spouse or friend. When we experience chronic stress, the body is constantly churning out cortisol, and this can have negative physical side effects, causing anxiety, insomnia, increased fat storage (especially around the mid-section–”belly fat!”), poor digestion, inflammation, and lowered immunity (more frequent illness), to name a few. Cortisol is catabolic (meaning it breaks down) , so high levels can cause loss of muscle tissue. This is the beginning of imbalance in the body. Stress really is the root cause of disease.

Back to how cortisol makes you fat. When your cortisol levels remain high, your body thinks it is going through a hardship and that it may starve. It will begin to store more fat around the midsection for times of famine (a stress). This also increases insulin levels, and insulin is–you guessed it–the fat storage hormone. High cortisol increases blood sugar to help get you through the stressful situation, but high blood sugar = increased sugar cravings. Physiology is working against you–high cortisol triggers high insulin and high blood sugar, all of which cause increased fat. This was useful for our ancestors but works against us in modern life. If you’re consuming a diet high in sugar, flour, or grains that break down into sugar, you’re storing even more fat. If cortisol is high at night (it should be lowest at that point), you’re not sleeping or getting restful sleep, and the body interprets that as stress, and the vicious cycle continues: lack of sleep is a stress = high cortisol = high blood sugar = cravings. You ever notice how you crave sugar & carbs when you don’t sleep well?

Let’s break it down. High cortisol can be caused by the following:
-emotional stress
-poor diet (lots of sugar, booze, refined carbs)
-pain (from an injury, for example) & inflammation (from poor diet or eating foods you’re sensitive to, like wheat or dairy for most people)
-lack of sleep
-moving, new job, getting fired
-getting married OR divorced
Aside from increased fat storage, high cortisol wrecks your digestion, and the majority of your immune system is in your gut, so there goes your immunity. But that’s a story for another day. How do you get cortisol regulated?

First off, you should consider a saliva test to check cortisol levels, because the stages of high cortisol progressing to burn out are treated very differently, and it’s difficult to determine where you are in the spectrum. If you have the symptoms I describe, especially the belly fat + difficulty losing it, you can be pretty sure you have high cortisol or had it at one point. If cortisol is high, you can also be sure that sex hormones are low and that digestion and immunity are suffering. I have very specific protocols for treating high cortisol, and I use plant based hormones. Various adaptogenic herbs work well: ashwaganda, holy basil, schizandra, for example. Also, vitamin C is a must, as your adrenals use a lot of C. A mineral complex should be taken at night, and increase your consumption: sea veggies, leafy greens, supergreens formulas with spirulina and chlorella. If you have trouble sleeping, consider taking a supplement like Seriphos at night. It contains phosphatidylserine to support adrenal function and promote restful sleep. Obviously, you need to regulate blood sugar levels through good diet (going long periods without eating or eating the wrong foods affects blood sugar, which your body interprets as a STRESS!). Targeted stress reduction like deep breathing & yoga work well, too. Chill out!

More posts you should read: http://www.maryvancenc.com/2009/02/inflammation/

http://www.maryvancenc.com/2008/10/stress/

http://www.maryvancenc.com/2010/04/overcoming-the-weight-loss-plateau/

http://www.maryvancenc.com/2008/12/solutions-for-sound-sleep/

Why Am I So Tired? (and other complaints)

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:08:14 +0000

dog tired

Overweight, fatigued, and insomnia. These are the most common complaints I get. They are all related. Let me explain.

Your adrenal glands, situated atop the kidneys, are your body’s command and control center, regulating stress and sleep and sugar cravings, metabolism, and even female hormone balance. They manufacture stress and sex hormones, and when you run yourself ragged with too much work, too little sleep, too much sugar, too much partying, emotional stress, or even positive stress like a new job or a new baby, your stress hormones start to go wonky and become imbalanced.

Your main stress hormone is cortisol. You’ve probably heard of cortisone, the steroid hormone that acts as an anti-inflammatory. Cortisol has a similar effect on the body: it is an anti-inflammatory hormone that promotes burning of body fat, stabilizes mood, and plays a strong role in allergies and blood sugar control. Too much cortisol can cause bone loss, increased abdominal fat, high blood sugar, high blood pressure.

Think of the fight-or-flight response: your body is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol to jack you up so you can handle stressful situations. But when you experience chronic stress from work, finances, relationships, drugs, poor diet, or toxins, your cortisol can remain high, causing problems. You might notice weight gain, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, or frequent waking throughout the night. There is also a strong cortisol-gut connection, so you may notice digestive issues or frequent illness when your cortisol is high (because the majority of your immune system is in your gut). Everything is connected!

So you may run at this level for a while, and you may be fueling yourself with coffee every day, which also drives cortisol up. Eventually, your body cannot keep up with the sustained high cortisol production and you begin to burn out, feeling fatigued. Your stress and female hormones come from the same source, and when your body is under stress, it uses everything it’s got to make cortisol to keep you going, so other hormones, mainly progesterone, your main female hormone, begin to suffer. You may start having menstrual issues or infertility issues at this point. Normal progesterone levels are critical for fertility & regular menstrual cycles.

So, to summarize: stress=high cortisol=weight gain, anxiety, insomnia=burnout=fatigue and more weight gain and female hormone issues like infertility or irregular cycles. What to do?

Solution: Keep blood sugar balanced by eating a whole foods (not processed junk) diet with enough protein at each meal (about 15 grams, palm-sized portion of meat or cup of legumes). Get 8 hours of sleep. Address the stress in your life and deal with it. Some is unavoidable, but what counts is how you handle it. Exercise–both cardio and stress relief.

Take it a step farther and do a saliva test to assess adrenal hormones. It’s an easy take-home test that I regularly use for clients. It’s easy to design a holistic protocol based on your results. Now, put the coffee down, quit stressing, and get in bed before 11pm.

Lose Those Last 5-10 Pounds

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:56:28 +0000

Losing weight is hard. But look at all your options! Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, countless ephedrine-fueled diet pills, The Special K diet (replace 2 meals with special K cereal. Of course you’ll lose weight–you’re only consuming about 1200 calories daily). The main thing these diets have in common is that they do not address the underlying reason behind the weight gain or inability to shed weight. And they do not change your habits; they merely offer a magic pill or 3 highly refined meals delivered to your door (what happens when you go off the meals, in most cases? You can guess).

The math is pretty easy: you’ll lose weight if you eat less and exercise more, taking in fewer calories than you are burning. But the physiology isn’t always that easy. You may find it difficult to lose weight if you are overly stressed and have high cortisol, low thyroid hormone, bad bacteria overgrowth in your gut, or too many toxins stored in the body from your environment, lifestyle, or food supply. Or you may hit a plateau, meaning you can’t lose those 5-10 pounds. Here are a few tips.

1. Sorry, but you have to exercise. With that said, change up your routine so that your body doesn’t get used to your exercise pattern. Always integrate strength training into your routine for 2-3 days a week–it boosts metabolism and increases bone density. Interval training is very effective. Instead of running 5 miles, try sprinting for 1 minute and jogging for 2 in intervals. Do this only for 30 minutes, and your performance will increase dramatically over jogging at the same pace for an hour. Plus, long term jogging is extremely hard on the joints.

2. Reduce stress. If you have high or low cortisol due to chronic stress, you will have low thyroid hormone, so no matter what you’re doing, you won’t lose weight. Take time each day for meditation/deep breathing/yoga/whatever relaxes you. Consider adaptogenic herbs to boost adrenal hormone levels, which will normalize thyroid. Try a combo of ashwaganda, rhodiola, licorice root, schizandra berry. Also try tyrosine to boost thyroid levels naturally.

3. Correct dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is a fancy way of saying your gut is off balance. We have billions of bacteria living in our intestinal tract: some good, some bad. When the bad overtake the good due to poor diet, antibiotic or birth control use, or too much sugar, it wreaks havoc on your body chemistry and can prevent weight loss. Take a high quality full spectrum probiotic, do an herbal digestive cleanse, and eat more probiotic food: cultured vegetables and krauts, miso, kefir, rejuvelac, kombucha.

4. Remove gluten, dairy, soy for 8 weeks. These are the most common allergenic foods, and if you consume foods to which you are sensitive/allergic, it affects everything from hormone balance to gut ecology (see above), sabotaging weight loss efforts. If you’re really feeling adventurous, cut out refined sugar for this period too. You’ll be amazed by how much your energy will increase. Your cells need glucose to function, but too much is stored as fat.

5. Try a 2-3 week liver cleanse. Your body stores toxins in your fat cells to protect your organs (smart!), and when these toxins build up, you cannot shed weight because your body knows when the weight comes off, the toxins will recirculate in the blood stream, and you’ll feel crappy. If you’re very toxic, you’ll feel somewhat crappy on a liver cleanse, but this means it’s working! Eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, alcohol, coffee, and sugar for 2-3 weeks. Eat seasonal, organic whole foods and lots of leafy greens. Ask me about our detox workshops, or click the workshops tab above for more.

Good luck and stay motivated! Don’t weigh yourself every day–only once a week.

Avoiding the Big D

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:05:02 +0000

Blood sugar. It may not mean as much to you as, say, diabetes, but learn to manage your blood sugar properly and you’ll stay healthy and avoid diabetes. Or if you have type 2 diabetes and take a medication such as Metformin, you can control your glucose levels through diet and possibly cut down on your meds.

First, a little physiology. Type 2 diabetes is a relatively new disease, first discovered in the 1930s and now rising to epidemic proportions. We are seeing cases of type 2 diabetes in children as young as 7 or 8 (!) years old. Why? The good ole Standard American Diet of excess–the Western refined diet of soda, processed foods, and SUGAR.

When you eat sugar and it is broken down and released to your blood stream, your pancreas releases insulin, a hormone that helps usher the sugar (glucose) from your blood stream and into your cells. When you eat too much sugar, your body must produce more and more insulin to prevent high blood sugar. After you eat too much sugar for a long period of time, your cells decide they have enough glucose and don’t want any more. When glucose is no longer allowed into the cells, insulin levels build up, and the person is called “insulin resistant.” Blood sugar levels continue to rise until the person is called diabetic.

High insulin levels along the way to diabetes are very detrimental: insulin causes obesity because it tells the body to store fat; it contributes to hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure, making the person more susceptible to heart disease. The deadly trio of belly fat, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar is known as “metabolic syndrome,” or syndrome X, and is a warning sign that you are at high risk for diabetes or heart disease.

Thing about diabetes and high insulin is that they are PREVENTABLE. Diabetes is a disease of prolonged mismanaged blood sugar and poor diet. A diet of excess sugar. Here are my recommendations for eating your blood sugar levels down and managing your diabetes through diet:
*diabetics and pre-diabetics respond very well to a low carbohydrate diet with moderate to high levels of good fats and proteins.

*eliminate man-made foods from your diet: NOTHING that comes from a box or a package; no refined foods; no refined sugar; no baked goods, cookies, candy, fruit juice, sweets, soda. Absolutely no man-made fats such as hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids. Time for a whole foods diet!

Eat for health.

*increase trace minerals that help regulate blood sugar: chromium, vanadium, magnesium, zinc. Green vegetables such as chard, spinach, kale, and collards are high in minerals. Sea vegetables are excellent sources of trace minerals. Try nopales – prickly pear cactus pads- grilled, with olive oil. They contain a substance that is remarkably close to the drug Metformin, and can be very useful for blood sugar regulation. Use Celtic sea salt and sip on mineral broths (for my recipe see http://tinyurl.com/kr9czk)

*eat organic, nutrient-rich meats and fats: grass fed beef, lamb, organic chicken and fatty fish such as wild salmon and cod. Use olive and coconut and flax oils. Take a fish oil supplement.

*remove grains from diet. No gluten, no wheat, no white flour, no white rice, no cereal, no pasta, no bread or buns or rolls. The majority of your diet should consist of meats, leafy green vegetables and other non-starchy vegetables, seeds, nuts, and good fats. Brown rice and quinoa may be introduced once levels begin dropping. No fruit and absolutely NO fruit juice. Vegetables provide plenty of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. I highly recommend a spirulina and chlorella-based green food powder for additional nutrient support.

There are many blood sugar stabilizing products on the market. The one I use contains chromium, gymnema leaf, biotin, trace minerals, and cinnamon bark. Cinnamon is great for blood sugar balance!

Reduce stress levels – high cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels contribute to high blood sugar levels, so it’s critical that you address your stress level. Consider adrenal hormone testing so you know and correct your stress hormone levels, and begin a gentle exercise program. Try meditation and deep breathing.

Do not reduce any medication without your doctor’s advice. But following a whole foods diet filled with nutrient-dense, unrefined foods, you can regulate your blood sugar levels naturally!

Will You Survive the Swine Flu (H1N1)?

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:31:53 +0000

Seriously, don’t panic; it’s the media’s job to propel you into a state of chaos and fear, but this “global pandemic” brings up a good topic: how to keep your immune system in tip top shape!

Aside from washing your hands furiously and avoiding sick people, the main thing you can do is get more sleep. Be in bed by 11pm latest – your immune system does most of its work between 10pm and 6am, so if you’re awake during those hours, you’re robbing your immune system of it ability to fully scavenge for and get rid of bacteria, viruses, and abnormal cells. Get a good 8 or 9 hours. A recent study showed that sleeping 7 or more hours per night helped prevent the common cold.

Did you know that 70 percent of your immune system is in your gut? This is one of your first lines of defense. So keep your gut healthy! Take a probiotic supplement and avoid foods to which you are allergic/intolerant (soy, milk, eggs, nuts, gluten/wheat, citrus are the most common) to prevent inflammation in the gut. Eat cultured and fermented foods like krauts and kefir.

Ever notice you get sick or feel more run down when you’re stressed? This is because high cortisol levels and imbalanced adrenal glands can weaken your immune system. Get your cortisol levels checked and reduce stress by planning ahead, getting good sleep and naps, eating well, exercising, and practicing meditation or deep breathing.

Pay particular attention to your diet. Sugar feeds cancer cells and destroys your immune system. Avoid refined and processed foods and junk food high in sugar. And sodas! Focus on whole foods, whole grains, fresh vegetables and greens and fruits, and drink plenty of water. Buy organic!

Increase vitamin C intake by getting enough fruits: kiwi, strawberries, and citrus are particularly high in C. Zinc is also critical for proper immune function. Lamb and beef are excellent sources, and pumpkin seeds are the highest vegetarian source.

There are some great herbal tinctures out there to strengthen immunity: choose astragalus, echinacea, schizandra, ashwaganda, bupleurum root, wild indigo (for assisting the lymph in ridding the body of bacteria and waste). Mushrooms are superior for enhancing immune health: shiitake, reishi, cordyceps. Find these in tinctures or teas.

Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol. They run down your immunity and adversely affect your sleep.

Finally: your mind has a very powerful affect on your body and your wellness. Constantly telling yourself you’re going to be sick and focusing on that thought will yield that result: your body will follow your mind’s commands! So, see yourself and healthy and well and your body will follow.

The 9 Timeless Secrets of Being Happy

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:48:18 +0000

In a given year, over 20 million American adults have a mood disorder, and major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States for people ages 15 to 44. Depression can be debilitating, and medications are frequently prescribed but don’t always work; plus, they can have nasty side effects.

I’ve had very good luck with amino acid therapies to treat anything from anxiety and depression to cravings, weight loss, migraines, and chronic pain. I also tend to think that society has made it seem like constant happiness is the norm, and if you’re not always “happy,” there’s something wrong with you. Of course, depression that is ongoing is a serious issue and should be addressed as such, but it’s ok and normal to not feel happy 100 percent of the time.

With that said, if you are otherwise healthy, below are a few tips that should do anyone some good. With stress as the leading cause of disease and the powerful connection that your thoughts have on your physical health, your emotional wellbeing is as important as taking care of your physical body.

1) Embrace New Experiences. 
Most people suffer from merely existing versus really living. Don’t get caught in a rut; get out of it if you are. Explore. Play. Go beyond your comfort zone. Don’t lean on the excuse “I don’t have time to try new things.” It is as tragic and ridiculous as saying “I don’t have time to breathe.” New experiences are life. Live deeply.

2) Be Who You Are.  
Recognize and clear through what others expect of you, including society’s expectations, your parents’ expectations, the opposite genders’ expectations, and anyone’s expectations. Recognize and clear through the guilt, anger, fear and other emotions that are sabotaging you. What are your dreams? Your goals? Your loves? Who are you? Be that person.

3) Let Go of the Past.  
The past is good for two things: the happy memories, and the lessons it provides. Clinging to resentment and sadness for past events hurts one person the most: you. Don’t let the past suck the gift of the present out of you. Forgive. Let go. Be here now, and go forward.

4) Be Kind.  
It is easy to act kindly to those who have been kind to you. Do so, but also remember that is not where kindness is needed most. Recall those many times where you made mistakes, where you reacted out of negative emotions instead of responding from who you really are. Recall how you felt, or how you would have felt, if others responded to your mistakes with kindness instead of harsh criticism or a cold shoulder. Negativity only breeds more negativity. Empathize, and choose to be kind. It spreads rapidly.

5) Be Responsible for Yourself.  
Whatever happens, however promising or tragic, only one person is responsible for how you respond to it: you. There are no greater wastes of energy and potential than blame, envy, a desire for revenge, and wallowing in self-pity. You and only you are responsible for how you respond to anything and how you act. You wish others were a certain way? You wish the world were a certain way? Be the example.

6) Nurture Relationships.  
Think of your most joyful moments. Think of all you have learned. Think of what has helped you grow. Chances are great these all involve other people, and other relations such as pets and nature too. There are over six billion people on this earth. There are infinite relationships to be had. Everyone has something to understand and to learn from. There is infinite love to be had, and to give. You can choose to be lonely, but you are never alone.

7) Recognize All You Have, and Be Grateful for It.  
If you are alive, you are fortunate. If you can read this, you are fortunate. If you can walk, talk, see, smell, taste, or feel, or all of these, you are fortunate. You are what you focus on, so if you focus on what you lack, you become that lack. Focus on all that you do have, on the gifts inside and all around you. Be grateful to be great.

Do What Inspires You.  
Painting, singing, writing, biking, swimming, gardening, reading, dancing, walking, woodcarving … what is your flame? What ignites you, inspires you, enlightens you, restores your life? Do it, and do it often. Do not believe your excuse of having too much work to do and too little time for what inspires you. Doing what inspires you is the very fuel that will give you the strength and motivation to do the other things you need to do, and do them well.

9) Remember that Happiness is a State, Not a Circumstance 
Happiness is a state of being, not merely a moment of pleasure or joy. By committing to your happiness you acknowledge and accept that there will be times of challenge and suffering, but by staying true to who you are you will not just endure but thrive. Happiness is not just the bird floating serenely on the water, and happiness is not made unhappy by the rock that falls and temporarily disturbs the water. Happiness is the water itself, always being exactly what it is.   
(9 tips by by Brian Vaszily, Founder of IntenseExperiences.com)

Inflammation

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:40:48 +0000

We hear a lot about inflammation. Internally, it can be linked to accelerated aging, heart disease, cancer, irritable bowel and chron’s disease, and arthritis. So what is inflammation?

Think about what happens when you cut your finger. It swells and turns red as your body sends white blood cells to the injury site to prevent foreign invaders from causing infection. The swelling caused by this reaction is inflammation, and it is good, in this instance. But this same low-grade inflammation can occur inside your body, making you susceptible to pain and disease.

A main cause of inflammation is low-grade intestinal infection caused by parasites, yeast overgrowth (candida), fungus, or pathogenic bacteria. Your immune system is constantly fighting these infections, and similar to the reaction you get when you cut your finger, the attack it mounts on these foreign invaders causes inflammation in the gastro-intestinal tract. The bacteria H pylori is a perfect example: this insidious bacteria always causes inflammation in the gut and can lead to heart burn (inflammation in the esophagus) and ulcers. Systemic inflammation is always implicated in cardiovascular disease, and h pylori has been linked to heart disease.

Eating foods to which you are allergic (most often gluten or dairy) can exacerbate this intestinal inflammation and worsen infections or even cause them, because inflammation damages the gut lining, making it more permeable so that viruses and bacteria and parasites have an easier way in.

Another cause of inflammation is stress, of course. Stress causes high cortisol, and high cortisol leads to inflammation. Correcting cortisol lessens the body’s inflammatory response, so its ability to handle inflammation improves. Cortisol is your body’s natural anti-inflammatory hormone, but when stress raises cortisol, it actually causes inflammation. Chronic stress and digestive problems lead to inflammation, causing high cortisol, which causes an inability to burn body fat, and weight gain leads to more inflammation. A vicious cycle!

Other sources of inflammation include toxicity from your food, water, or environment. Pollution, chemicals from cosmetics, use of alcohol or drugs (legal and otherwise), and the Standard American Diet of caffeine, sugar (a HUGE contributor to inflammation), and refined foods all contribute to inflammation.

So, how do you know if you have it? Symptoms include the following:
-high blood pressure
-high cholesterol
-weight gain
-heartburn (acid reflux)
-inflamed skin conditions like eczema or acne
-chronic pain and arthritis
-diagnosis with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, colitis, Chron’s disease, or gastritis
-yeast infections or candidiasis
-diabetes

What should you do about it?

First off, clean up your diet. Cut out gluten, soy, and dairy, and consider food allergy testing to determine which foods are causing your gut to be inflamed. Eat dark leafy greens like kale, collards, spinach, and chard–high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids–and eat other omega-3 rich foods like salmon, walnuts, and grass fed beef. Cut out sugar, booze, and caffeine. Consider a fish oil supplement to boost your omega-3 levels.

Clean up your gut with a good digestive cleanse. Consider parasite testing, then choose the proper herbs or meds to kill whatever uninvited inhabitants are lurking. Correct dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bacteria) with probiotics and probiotic-rich foods like cultured veggies and kefir. Choose a probiotic with S. boulardi.

Finally, reduce stress and test your adrenal hormones to correct high cortisol. You can bring high cortisol levels down with bio-identical hormones, but you need to test first. Get plenty of sleep and don’t over-exercise! Meditate or do some deep breathing.

Weight Loss Fever!

admin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:45:58 +0000

She has the fever.

Are you feeling the fever? Regardless, spring is right around the corner, and that means tiny clothes and bathing suits. I’m co-teaching a weight loss workshop right now over in Mill Valley, and it’s gotten me excited about the group dynamic. It’s easier than you think to meet your goals.

In the six sections, we cover diet, exercise (over-exercising can prevent weight loss, believe it or not), stress, sleep, digestion, and detox – the 6 key areas to address if you have trouble losing weight or want to get on a weight loss program.

Diet – the basis of the program. We recommend a gluten- and dairy-free diet for the duration of the program, because these are two of the most common allergenic foods. Lots of folks have sensitivities to gluten (the protein found in wheat) that can cause the body to hold onto weight. Even if you’re not sensitive to these foods, it forces you to consume less refined foods (white flour, pasteurized milk, cake, pasta, cookies) in favor of whole foods – good quality proteins along with lots of fruits and veggies. Many of the participants noticed a difference after the first week.

Exercise – we are lucky to have a physical therapist participating in the workshop series, and she covers the proper exercise for each individual’s physiology. The wrong types of exercise can drive hormone levels out of balance, causing weight loss resistance. Too much exercise can create excess free radical damage, the opposite of what we want to achieve, since free radical damage causes aging. Restorative exercise, proper form, and proper balance of cardio and strength are important factors. Interval training is very effective.

Stress – the cause of all human health problems. Stress raises cortisol levels, causing you to store more fat around the abdominal area. High cortisol also causes inflammation, pain, lowered immunity, unstable blood sugar (read: cravings!), and even bone loss.

Sleep – you know how you feel when you don’t get a good night’s sleep? Tired, groggy, unable to exercise and prone to cravings. If your cortisol levels are too high at night, it can affect your sleep. It turns out even one night of little or no sleep can seriously impair performance, as shown in several studies. Chronic sleep deprivation due to the inability to stay asleep or sleep enough hours can lead to insulin resistance because of high cortisol.

Digestion – the cornerstone of good health. If you’re not digesting well, you’re not absorbing nutrients from your food, so you’ll crave more food until your body gets what it needs. If you’re not absorbing proteins, your body won’t have amino acids, the raw materials from which it makes neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that regulate mood and cravings. If you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria (candida) you may experience sugar cravings because sugar feeds yeast! Dysbiosis, or imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, can lead to leaky gut, malabsorption, and increased food allergies, all of which cause weight gain or weight loss resistance. Balance your inner ecology, heal leaky gut, and restore healthy digestion for successful weight loss.

Detoxification – I’ve honored the liver many times in this blog. Your liver detoxifies your entire body, metabolizes hormones and cholesterol (congested liver = high cholesterol), and aids in blood sugar balance and digestion. An overworked, sluggish liver means a backup of toxins in the body, unbalanced hormones, allergies, headaches, irritability, and weight gain. Toxins cause the body to hold onto weight to buffer the toxic effects. Clearing your liver’s detox pathways can dramatically enhance weight loss.

We’ll be running these workshops every couple months, so contact me for more info if you want to sign up. The class includes total metabolism testing, recipes, individual attention based on your concerns, and group support!

STRESS

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:07:46 +0000

I attended a snooty private school from 6th grade til I graduated senior year. It was essentially structured like a college campus with a science building, humanities, several libraries, an art studio, computer lab, 2 gymnasiums, ball field, track, etc. This is where I first became familiar with stress. Stress followed me through college and then out into the real world, where I began work in various offices and then went back to school while continuing to work full time.

If you break it down, stress is caused by 3 factors: emotional/physical trauma, diet (high or low blood sugar, eating the wrong foods for your physiology), and pain and inflammation, which can be hidden.

I believe that chronic stress is the initial cause of imbalance in the body, and prolonged imbalance prevents your body from achieving homeostasis, eventually leading to disease. Our bodies are not designed for chronic stress. We are designed for fight or flight: when a stressful situation arises, our adrenal glands flood our system with cortisol and adrenaline to prepare to fight. After the event ends, we can begin to relax and hormone levels drop again – dangerous situation over now!

This isn’t the case in modern life. We run in fight mode on a constant basis, burning the candle at both ends, never relaxing and allowing our adrenals to rejuvenate. Cortisol levels rise and stay high until you eventually burn out. You might feel over-stimulated and “wired” in the beginning phases of chronic stress due to high cortisol, or you may drink too much coffee to get an artificial high to power through stressful times. Eventually, as your adrenals burn out, you may gain weight, feel fatigue, depression, sleep difficulties, menstrual irregularities, or anxiety.

Your adrenals are integral in maintaining a healthy stress response, and they also govern your sex hormones and your immune system. You may feel run down or become more susceptible to illness -especially digestive problems – because the majority of your immune system is in your gut. Digestive issues such as pathogens and parasites create lots of toxins, and now your liver is overwhelmed and you may have worsening allergies or skin problems.

With your immune system working overtime, it’s not as sharp in its conquest against irregular cells or invading pathogens. Your liver is overwhelmed and not able to break down toxins. Your hormonal system, including thyroid hormones, is out of balance. Now your three major body systems – hormonal, digestive, and detox – are all out of balance and you probably feel pretty rotten. You are also more vulnerable to illness. All as a result of….. stress.

This could be you if you don't meditate.

The best cure for disease is prevention, of course. Stress relief. Take time for yourself. Do some deep breathing, meditation, yoga, gardening, exercise…. whatever relaxes your mind and body. Don’t overwork yourself. Get 8-10 hours of sleep a night. Don’t watch the news before bed – lord knows the economy is not soothing fodder to sleep on. Feed yourself well – and eat breakfast!

The adrenals can be restored through a variety of programs using herbs, amino acids, nutrients, or plant-based hormonal products to restore adrenal health. Vitamin C and B vitamins are crucial for adrenal health.

Saliva testing can give you information about your adrenal function, and I design a customized program to follow based on the results. It takes several months to restore adrenal function, and the lifestyle and health changes are so worth it. You’ll feel better for it.

There. That's better.