Category Archives: Exercise

WHY CAN’T I LOSE WEIGHT??? CONQUER CORTISOL WITH 3 SIMPLE LIFESTYLE PRACTICES

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Why Can’t I Lose Weight??? Conquer Cortisol with 3 Simple (But Powerful) Lifestyle Practices

Adapted from DR. ANNA GARRETT

There you sit, staring at what seems like your millionth chicken salad (with dressing on the side). Day after day…chicken salad. You’re barely eating enough to keep a bird alive and exercising like a crazy woman.

And yet, the needle on the scale continues to creep up.

You wonder what you’re doing wrong.

 

The good news is that you may be doing nothing “wrong”. The bad news is that cortisol may have climbed into the driver’s seat on the bus…and you’re going to have to put her back where she belongs.

Cortisol can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If a speeding train is heading toward you, she’s your BFF for sure…a rush of cortisol will spur you to jump out of the way.

But in overdoses, cortisol is the “mean girl” in your body’s neighborhood.

Cortisol is released in stressful situations. On a short-term basis, this is healthy. Long-term, it leads to chronic illness, body breakdown and weight gain. Unfortunately, something can be stressful to your body without you actually FEELING the stress in a big way. Three excellent examples of this are lack of sleep, eating at irregular times and overtraining.

In all of these cases, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode and begins to produce more cortisol and hang onto fat. YOU, on the other hand, notice the weight gain and begin to cut back even more on food and exercise harder. You lie awake at night wondering what the heck is going on and your body never has a chance to repair itself. This sets up a vicious cycle that cannot be broken by pushing through it.

What’s a Girl to Do??

We often hear about stress management as it relates to cortisol. But there are other strategies that can help keep the “mean girl” under control. Best of all, these things are free and will really improve the way you feel (and your ability to get to your natural weight).

  1. Get enough sleep. There are reams of data that prove sleeping less than 6 hours a night leads to weight gain. We don’t need more studies. We need to go to bed. Seven to eight hours a night is ideal.
  2. Eat on a regular schedule. Your body expects to be fed at regular intervals. When that doesn’t happen, it thinks it’s going into starvation mode. Cortisol rushes in to save the day by preserving fat stores…this is the exactly what you DON’T want! Include plenty of protein to keep blood sugar swings to a minimum.
  3. Be gentle on your body. When I trained for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in 2011, I walked MILES and MILES every week. I did not lose an ounce. But after it was over, I immediately lost 8 lbs. I asked my trainer what was up with that? He said I had been overtraining (more cortisol). When I stopped, the weight came off.

The message here is that flogging  your body with more workouts isn’t the answer. Add in some yoga or a contemplative practice or try gentle exercise like walking to tame your cortisol levels.

Using these 3 practices is a great start toward achieving your weight goals because unless you conquer cortisol, your efforts will feel like slogging through molasses.

Want to know more about hormone testing? I offer this in my practice. If you’d like to explore ways in which we might work together, let’s talk. I offer a complimentary 10-minute call to discuss your needs and how I can help you. You can schedule that at the bottom of this page.

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Why You’re Bloated (And How to Get a Flat Belly)

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20-Reasons-You-are-Bloated744

JILLIAN SARNO TETA, ND

Everyone knows the feeling — uncomfortable, heavy, expansive — of being bloated. It is one of the most common complaints out there, and the causes for bloating number in the dozens.

Let us go through a quick list of the most common reasons for bloat in relationship to your gut — and what to do about them.

The Food You Eat

Paleo Salt

1. Foods that are well-known gas causers:  Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beans, soy, gluten and dairy products all have a long record of bringing on the bloat.

2. Salt: Excessive salt consumption, particularly when combined with low water intake and/or a low mineral intake will actually pull water from your cells and deposit it in the spaces between cells, giving you the appearance of holding water and making you feel puffy.

Fake sugars like Splenda and aspartame can pull fluid and gas into the intestine, causing you to feel bloated.

3. Sugar alcohols and fake sweeteners: You’ve got to respect the maltitol. Anyone who has accidentally overeaten sugar-free candies knows exactly what I am talking about here. Sugar alcohols are not broken down by the human GI tract, remaining whole. They pull fluid and gas into the intestine. Xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol are also capable of exerting these effects. Fake sugars like Splenda, aspartame and others can also create these issues. Read those labels, folks, particularly in protein bars and protein shakes. Gum chewers who can’t pin down why they are bloated should consider their gum chewing habit.

4. Foods you are sensitive to: Many of us are walking around with a food sensitivity we are not aware of, because, well, we’ve always eaten that food! Finding and removing food sensitivities from your diet is a project you want to pursue if you have been having chronic gastrointestinal distress in spite of being told that you are “fine”.

5. FODMAPs: This acronym stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. It’s a big mouthful that refers to certain types of carbohydrates and fibers that are highly fermentable (gas-causing) to the gut bacteria.

6. Foods that aren’t appropriate for any diagnosis you may have: Like FODMAPs with IBS and SIBO, there are some foods that don’t work well in certain conditions, no matter how healthy. Examples of this are nightshades (white potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, eggplant) in those with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and gluten in those with autoimmune conditions.

Solution: The most reliable way to sort out which foods do what to your body does not lie with any test (though IgG food sensitivity testing can help guide, it is by no means definitive), but with an elimination-challenge diet. No test, checklist or hunch of a natural health guru trumps your own experience.

The Way You Eat

Summer Recipes

7. Not chewing well: Chewing helps pre-digest food by mechanically breaking it down and biochemical breaking it down via enzymes found in the saliva. When you don’t chew well, it puts more mechanical and biomechanical stress on the stomach and small intestine to break things down. This, in turn, can bring on the bloat.

8. Eating on the run: Shoveling food down as you stand next to the sink or the fridge does nothing to help prep your brain and gastrointestinal system to help you digest your food.

9. Overeating: Overconsumption of any food can create gas and bloating, for very similar reasons as not chewing your food does. A greater volume of food requires more energy and resources for breaking it down.

Solution: Insert mindfulness into mealtimes. When you eat, sit down. Pay attention to the taste and texture of your food. Chew. Don’t talk with your mouth full, as this introduces excessive air into your system. Slow down as you eat, to give your brain — and second brain (the enteric nervous system, ENS) — a chance to gauge when you are satisfied, and to orchestrate the creation/release of digestive enzymes, acid and bile.

Your Ability to Digest What You Eat

How-Your-Gut-Affects-Your-Happiness

10. Low digestive fire: I call the body’s ability to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into their building-block constituent compounds of starches, fatty acids and amino acids through the use of enzymes, bile and stomach acid “digestive fire.” When we lack production of one of these factors, your body’s ability to break down these macronutrients is compromised. Thus, the ability to absorb them is also interrupted. Unbroken, partially-digested food compounds are more fermentable to the gut flora and more provocative to the immune system. The end result? That bloated feeling.

11. Carbohydrate malabsorption: Lactose intolerance is the most famous example of this, but fructose malabsorption and the inability to digest other carbohydrates is also a possibility. Undigested and unabsorbed compounds in your gut are likely to cause gas and bloating. Carbohydrate malabsorption is easily diagnosed via a breath test, particularly if you suspect fructose malabsorption. Many of those who are lactose intolerant discovered it through trial and error, but this is more difficult with other forms of carbohydrates.

Solution: If you feel your digestive fire may not be burning brightly, consider supplementing with a digestive enzyme at mealtimes. You may also try taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar before meals, incorporate ginger and turmeric into your diet, and follow the other solutions in this piece, as low fire is often caused by a combination of reasons.

The Health of Your Microbiome

12. Dysbiosis: Dysbiosis is an umbrella term for an imbalance in your microbiome. Your microbiome is a beneficial colony of one hundred trillion bacterial cells residing in your large intestine. When the numbers of good guys drop, or the number of unsavory characters increases, this is called dysbiosis. A dysbiotic gut flora is a gassy one. Unfortunately, dysbiosis irritates the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, as well, adding another layer of inflammation and with it, the potential for even more bloating.

13. Pathogenic infection: There are many types of specific dysbiosis, including frank infection with a parasite or harmful bacteria or overgrowth of Candida or other forms of yeast. These can be objectively measured and diagnosed with a stool test.

14. SIBO: Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth is a colonization of bacteria — even normal ones — where they don’t belong. The small intestine is supposed to be relatively sterile, but sometimes the guys from our microbiome move north and set up shop. There they do their bacterial thing, but because the location is off, we experience feelings of bloat, excessive gas and spasm. SIBO, unlike other forms of dysbiosis, is diagnosed via a breath test.

Solution: For those of you who have tuned up your nutrition and lifestyle and spruced up your digestive fire but are still experiencing symptoms, it is time to rule out dysbiosis and infection. This is done with a stool test. You can also help build a robust microbiome by eating lots of veggies (that you tolerate) and fermented foods, using antibiotics judiciously, laying off hand sanitizers and considering a probiotic.

The Integrity (or lack thereof) of Your Gut Lining

15. Your small intestine: The cells that line your small intestine are supposed to stand next to each other, tightly. Chronic inflammation from dysbiosis or inflammatory disease states, consuming foods you are sensitive to, high stress, alcohol binges and a host of other factors can disrupt this integrity and unbutton the cells.

With this interface disrupted, the immune system interacts with food and native bacterial compounds in a non-ideal way. It views them as invaders and generates an attack. These inflammatory compounds further disrupt the integrity of the lining, generate new food sensitivities, increase the risk of autoimmune reaction, and make you hold water and feel bloated.

16. Other problems with the lining: Ulcers, gastritis, esophagitis and even diverticulitis all can create the sensation of bloating.

Solution: While approaching any digestive issue, not only do we look to food, our ability to digest it and the health of the microbiome, we also must take steps to ensure that the structure that is housing all of this — the gut lining — is in good shape, too. There are many nutrients and compounds out there that help us accomplish this goal, including glutamine, n-acetyl glucosamine, chamomile, turmeric, zinc carnosine, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), bone broth, gelatin and many more.

Your Lifestyle

Low and High Intensity Exercises

17. Lack of sleep and downtime: The central nervous System (CNS) has two branches — “fight and flight” and “rest and digest.” When we are sleep-deprived, overworked and do not get enough rest, the fight or flight branch begins to dominate, and the rest and digest branch takes a back seat. This branch, however, helps keep things moving smoothly in the gut. When its function is suppressed, bloating can ensue.

18. Lack of Movement: Movement is life. All types of physical activity help keep the ENS, your second brain, running smoothly. The ENS is responsible for all of the minutiae of digestion, including the rate at which digestive factors are released and the regulation of peristalsis, the rhythmical, muscular contraction that propels food and gas down and out. There are few quicker ways to impair your ENS than to not move your body in some way, whether it is walking, stretching, yoga, weight training, sprints or whatever your pleasure.

19. Constipation: Bloating and constipation often go hand in hand. A slow bowel, much like a sedentary lifestyle, can leave you feeling full and uncomfortable. Addressing constipation is a key strategy in helping you de-bloat. Hydration, adequate fat, fiber and minerals, along with physical activity and sleep, are the first steps to take to tackle this common condition.

20. Stress: The prior two points are major causative factors of this point, but we can lump in here all types of mental, emotional and social stress for which we have no relief or release. As above, uncompensated stress greatly disrupts the ENS, which in turn creates a whole host of digestive distress, including bloating.

Solution: For starters, protect your sleep. Go to bed before 11:30 p.m. and do your best to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Indulge in a morning walk, using the mindfulness you are cultivating while eating to your walking experience, noticing the sights and sounds around you and the feel of air and sun on your skin. Develop a support network and start tackling your inner anxieties and stressors through self-development books or courses, physical activity or a combination of what suits you best.

As common and annoying as it is, bloating doesn’t have to be so. It is often an indicator that something is not quite right in paradise, and with some detective work and tweaking, we can determine for ourselves what is best for our body, and that is a very sweet place indeed.

Be Healthy always.

45 Reasons to Exercise and Eat Right That Aren’t Weight Loss

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Adapted from CHARLOTTE ANDERSEN
When you tally all the reasons to eat well and exercise, we’re not even sure weight loss should make the top 10. Face it: The number on the scale is not a reliable indicator of overall health. Even worse, according to one study, people who diet or exercise just to lose weight quit a lot sooner than people who make healthy changes for other reasons. The researchers found that the most successful motivation for sticking to a healthy lifestyle was “feeling better about themselves” for women and “better health” for men.

Here are 45 science-backed reasons to start living a healthier life today that have zilch to do with your weight.

The Best Reasons to Break a Sweat

1. It works as an antidepressant.
One study found that depression sufferers who did aerobic exercise showed just as much improvement in their symptoms as people on medication. In fact, after four months, 60 to 70 percent of the subjects couldn’t even be classified as having depression. Even better, a follow-up to the study found that the effects from the exercise lasted longer than those from the medication.
2. It reduces PMS.
In one study, teen girls—was there ever a moodier bunch?—performed 60-minute cardio sessions three times a week for eight weeks. Afterward they reported their symptoms from PMS, especially depression and anger, were markedly better, so much so that the researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed as a cure for PMS.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.
Pop quiz: When you’re super stressed out and worried about ________ (work/relationship status/the end of Serial/life in general) what is the fastest way to chill out? A) Mainline a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. B) Go for a serious sweat fest. or C) Call your mom. Sorry, Mom, but science says that working out is one of the fastest ways to clear cortisol, the stress hormone, out of your system and calm a frantic mind.

4. It boosts creativity.
The next time writer’s block hits or you need new ideas for your departmental meeting, try taking a quick stroll around the block. A recent study found that walking improved both convergent and divergent thinking, the two types associated with enhanced creativity.

5. It wipes out allergies.
Sneezing, watery eyes, and snot-cicles (’tis the season!) can really take the fun out of a workout, but there’s a good reason to lace up your gym shoes even with an allergy attack. Researchers in Thailand reported that running for 30 minutes can reduce sneezing, itching, congestion, and runny nose by up to 90 percent.

6. It strengthens your heart.
It may feel like your heart is thumping itself out of your chest during those hill sprints, but your ticker will thank you later. As shown in an extensive report from the American Heart Association, exercise strengthens your heart muscle as well as reduces your risk of heart disease and other related conditions. So the next time you’re sweating through spin class, just imagine it’s a Valentine you’re sending to your body.

7. It helps you resist temptation.
They don’t call it a “runner’s high” for nothing! Whether you’re addicted to sugar, cigarettes, or even heroin, exercise could play an important role in resisting your substance of choice. In one study, scientists found that the endorphin rush released during exercise acts on the same neural pathways as addictive substances. The result? Mice in this study opted for the treadmill over the high from an amphetamine-laced solution, suggesting that humans could do the same.

8. It reduces risk of metabolic syndrome…
Exercise can almost totally obliterate metabolic syndrome and even reverse the damage. Not all exercise works equally well, however, as one study proves intensity is key. So rather than stay at one steady pace, try intervals that will take your heart rate up and down.

9. … And lessens the risk of oodles of other diseases too.
Many types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease—we’d be here all day if we listed all the illnesses that exercising lowers your risk for. Exercise is such a health preventative superstar that Jordan Metzel, M.D., recently declared it to be “a miracle drug that prevents almost every illness, is 100 percent effective, and has very few side effects.” Even better, we don’t have to wait for FDA approval for this magical panacea!
10. It protects your eyes.
We hate to break this to you, but you’re staring at a screen right now. Welcome to the eye-strain club! But recent research found that one of the best ways to protect your eyes and stave off age-related vision loss is regular cardiovascular exercise. In one study, active mice kept twice as many retinal neurons as the sedentary fur balls. But it isn’t just a benefit for the four-legged; a separate study found a similar correlation in humans.

11. It adds years to your life…
People who exercise live longer. Yeah, we said it. Research has shown that you can add up to seven years to your life by exercising a minimum of 150 minutes a week (that’s just three days of working out for 50 minutes), regardless of what you weigh.

12. … And life to your years.
Even better, those extra years will be happy ones: A recent study found that people who exercise reported feeling happier, more excited, and had more enthusiasm for life than their couch-potato peers.

13. It makes you respect your body.
Using our bodies not only strengthens them but builds our gratitude for all the cool stuff they can do, and research supports this. After all, being an athlete has nothing to do the mirror—it’s about how your body can move.

14. It strengthens bones.
According to one landmark study, the best way to build bone density and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis into old age is to do weight-bearing exercises like running or dancing. The researchers found that adults who exercised moderately or strenuously had better bone density than those who exercised little or not at all. Keep it up though: Adults who quit exercising later in life lost bone mass even if they’d exercised regularly earlier in their youth.
15. It saves money.
One Fortune 500 company estimates that for each dollar spent on preventive health, including exercise, it saves $2.71 in future health costs. That’s a wise practice to for you to adopt as the CEO of your health too.

16. It helps your fertility.
Harvard researchers found that men who exercised had a higher concentration of sperm in their semen and that the sperm was of better-than-average quality. A meta-analysis looking at nearly 27,000 women found that those who worked out had lower rates overall of infertility, higher rates of implantation, and lower rates of miscarriage. One caveat: Women who exercised too strenuously or too much impaired their fertility, so it’s all about balance. Researchers advise hitting the gym three times a week for an hour each time.

17. It makes you a sex god or goddess.
Good news for both ladies and gents: Sweating in the gym can improve your sweating in the bedroom. But in this case women really score (ahem), as certain exercises have been linked to “coregasms,” or getting an orgasm from doing abs work. (Strong abs and strong orgasms? It’s win-win.) But even if hanging leg raises don’t send you into ecstasy, you still benefit from increased strength in your pelvic floor. And a separate study found that men who work out have a lower incidence of impotency and erectile dysfunction while experiencing more powerful orgasms. Plus these guys reported having sex more often.

18. It improves self-esteem.
It doesn’t take magic to know that working out makes you look better on the outside. But scientific research adds that it also makes us feel better about ourselves on the inside. In an analysis of research on the subject, exercisers report higher self-esteem and lower incidence of negative thoughts about their bodies. Plus it boosts confidence at work and other in areas of life too.
19. It helps you sleep like a baby (or puppy).
In a meta-analysis that looked at dozens of sleep studies, researchers found that people who exercised regularly had less incidence of insomnia and a higher quality of sleep. In addition, for people who did suffer from insomnia, adding consistent daily exercise significantly reduced their sleepless nights.

20. It doesn’t just make you look younger, it makes you be younger.
Research has found that exercisers truly are younger, on a cellular level, than their same-aged peers. Telomeres, the cap on the ends of DNA, start out long at birth and get progressively shorter with age. Up until recently it was thought there wasn’t much we could do to change that, but a new study showed that endurance athletes have longer telomeres than their peers, while a second study found that moderate exercise can lengthen your telomeres by up to 10 percent. So now you can feel free to lie about your age with impunity!

21. It pumps you up.
Hey there, He-Man (or She-Ra)! You don’t need a scientist to tell you that working out builds muscle and coordination.

22. It blasts bad fat and boosts good fat. (Yes, there is good fat!)
We know busting a sweat can reduce fat in general, but belly fat is particularly susceptible to exercise, and a study from last year found that high-intensity interval training blasted belly fat the fastest.
23. It makes you a good example for your loved ones.
Your exercise encourages others to do the same. We regularly mirror others around us in our gestures and behaviors. So consider that every time you’re heading to the gym, you’re setting an example, encouraging others to do the same.

24. It makes you smarter.
So much for the dumb bodybuilder stereotype—building muscles also helps you build brain cells. A meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on the brain found that fitness improves memory, boosts cognition, helps you learn faster, increases brain volume, and even makes you a better reader. In addition, recent studies have found that working out helps prevent the cognitive decline as we age and diseases like Alzheimer’s.

25. It manages chronic pain.
When you’re living with chronic pain, getting out of bed is hard enough, much less heading out to pump some iron or go for a run. Yet research shows that a moderate exercise program gives both short-term and long-term improvements for people who have chronic pain, even if the underlying condition remains. In short, exercise may not fix all your problems, but it will help you deal with them better.

The Best Reasons to Start Eating Healthier

1. It fattens your wallet.
People often lament that healthy food is pricier than processed junk food.  But before you ditch that apple for an apple fritter, researchers say that when you include the cost savings from preventing health problems—a savings of $2.71 for every dollar spent—you still come out way ahead.
2. It makes you happier.
An apple a day keeps the blues away, say researchers from New Zealand. Their study found that on the days young adults ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier, and more energetic than they normally did. And the scientists say it wasn’t just happy people eating more honeydew. The data showed these positive feelings were a direct result of hitting the salad bar.

3. It protects your bones.
Eating a healthy diet full of calcium from dairy products, vitamin D from produce, and folic acid from leafy greens supports your skeleton, preventing osteoporosis and fractures in later life.

4. It revs up your fertility.
This one’s for the dads-to-be: A recent study found that eating swimmers (as in fish) boosts your swimmers (as in sperm). For women, the effect of a good diet is even more potent, as a separate study found that access to a wide variety of healthful foods was the number one predictor of high fertility rates in women who aren’t using birth control.

5. It conquers cramps.
Ladies: Pick your PMS poison, and there’s a nutritional remedy for it. And no, it’s not based on old wives’ tales. Modern science backs up these claims: The fiber in fruits and veggies fights bloat, magnesium-rich foods (like dark chocolate!) prevent cramps, iron in red meat helps with fatigue, calcium in dairy products is calming, and the zinc in green plants helps can smooth out mood swings.

6. It gives you an iron-clad immune system.
Research has found that getting your ten-a-day of veggies and fruits can boost your immune system and save you five (or more) sick days. One study found that people who ate more produce got sick less often, regardless of whatever other foods they ate. And you might want to season those veggies with garlic: People who ate the clove daily got 64 percent fewer colds and recovered faster than those with less stinky breath.

7. It fixes your DNA.
Have you ever bemoaned your family history of heart attacks? Well, complain no more. A recent study in the brand-new field of epigentics found that eating a healthy diet can “turn on” good DNA and “turn off” some bad DNA, leading to long-term and even generational benefits. So while you probably can’t get a nutritional nose job, you can eat your way to less heart disease—and spare your children from inheriting the risk too.

8. It can help cure irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sufferers experience debilitating pain, bloating, tenacious constipation, and embarrassing (sometimes public) displays of diarrhea. But new research has found a link between the bacteria living in a person’s gut and their chance of having IBS, saying that eating probiotics helped the majority of sufferers find some respite. And don’t just look to yogurt to get your fix. Remember the three Ks: kefir, kimchi, and kombucha.
9. It makes your (future) children smarter…
A pediatric study shows pregnant women who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, DHA specifically, go on to have kids with higher IQs at age four than do moms who avoid seafood. And another study demonstrated that children who supplemented with DHA or ate a lot of fish also showed cognitive improvements.

10. … And it makes you smarter too.
Fish oil isn’t only for kids! Eating more fish can boost your cognitive capacity. But it is not just about toeing the (fishing) line; a diet rich in healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants from produce increases cognition and prevents memory loss later in life too, says a neuroscience study.

11. It’s the ultimate workout booster.
Just like exercise can help you eat better, eating better can help you crush it in the gym. Exercise, by definition, breaks you down. It’s tough on your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system. It’s how your body heals all that damage that makes you stronger, and healthy foods support that growth and recovery process. Good carbohydrates boost your endurance, protein builds and maintains muscle, and vitamins and minerals keep everything working together as it should.

12. It chills you out.
People credit turkey’s tryptophan for a comfy food coma post-Thanksgiving (which isn’t strictly true: Blame the carb-overload for that). But tryptophan can help you chill out. Researchers found that men deprived of tryptophan experienced an immediate rise in anxiety, and some even had panic attacks. But once they were given tryptophan again, they calmed down like babies in a bubble bath. And no need to dig out your turkey baster—tryptophan is found in lots of healthy foods like dark chocolate, oats, dried fruit, seeds, eggs, fish, and dairy.
13. It delivers clearer skin.
Scientists say you may be able to eat your way to a clearer complexion. Sugary foods, dairy, and processed grains have all been linked to outbreaks of acne and rosacea.

14. It amps up your sex drive.
While many foods (think wine, chocolate, and oysters) have been hailed as aphrodisiacs, in scientific study, the effects have been mostly chalked up to the placebo effect. But new data suggests we look in the spice aisle. Researchers found that eating healthy spices like saffron and ginger measurably improved sexual desire and performance in both genders.

15. It prevents insomnia.
With about 50 percent of adults experiencing at least one bout of sleeplessness lasting longer than three weeks, insomnia is one of the major complaints people have about their health. Fortunately good nutrition can help you catch your zzzs. One study found that magnesium, found in foods like dark chocolate and whole oats, helped people fall asleep faster with less incidents of nighttime waking. In another study, people who ate fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir slept longer and had higher quality sleep.

16. It soothes sore muscles.
According to several studies, what you eat can greatly affect how quickly and how well your muscles recover after a workout. According to research, the biggest factor was getting enough protein, as that nutrient is responsible for building and repairing skeletal muscle.

17. It gives you energy.
The next time you’re feeling exhausted, skip the “energy” drinks and head for the blender and whip up a shake with a balance of carbohydrates for quick energy and complex protein to increase performance and help with recovery. A study of athletes found that those who drank the protein shake showed a significant improvement in performance on an athletic test than did those who relied on straight carbs alone.
18. It reduces cravings for bad food.
Researchers found that starting the day with a protein-rich meal for breakfast helped reduce cravings for junk food later on in the day. Rather than feel deprived of their favorite treats, subjects reported, well, not thinking about treats much at all. The researchers think that eating a healthy, protein-packed breakfast increased levels of dopamine in the brain. Since 91 percent of us report having intense food cravings, according to a Tufts study, we’ll be seeing you at the breakfast bar.

19. It makes you a faster runner.
In one study, runners who ate beets experienced a significant increase in their endurance and speed. But stick to whole beets rather than beet juices or extracts, as the effect was most pronounced from eating the food. Another study found that people who ate a Mediterranean style diet (heavy on fish, olive oil, and nuts, and light on gelato) increased their running endurance, upped their tolerance for exercise, and showed improvements in their cardiovascular health.

20. It will make you win at life.
In possibly the cutest study, Stanford researches had children face down delicious marshmallows in the ultimate battle of willpower. The results, chronicled in the book The Marshmallow Test, showed that tots who had strong enough willpower to resist the junk food ended up having higher SAT scores and great professional success as adults. But it doesn’t take a test to see there is a link between living your best life and treating your body well. Taking care of your health will not only give you all the benefits we’ve listed, and many more, but the confidence and self-knowledge in all aspects of your life—so bon appetit!

Why getting Your Nutrition Only from Food is A Bad Idea

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Dave Asprey

The idea that you can get all your nutrients from food is fine in theory, but virtually impossible in practice.  Soil and water depletion, food and environmental toxins, poor absorption, pesticides, exercise, and lack of calories can all cause nutrient deficiencies.  There is evidence that consuming nutrients from food is more beneficial than supplements, which is why you should focus on a nutrient rich diet first.  However, it’s rarely enough.

supplementsAll your life you’ve eaten a “healthy” diet.  You’ve followed the USDA Food Pyramid from the beginning, and were always told supplements were unnecessary as long as you ate a balanced diet (whatever that means).

Maybe you’re wiser now, and are following a higher nutrient diet.  Either way, one of the most repeated beliefs among health conscious people is that you can – and should – get all of your nutrients from food.  Taking multivitamins often make people think they can eat even worse, which isn’t exactly productive.

In any case, you’re not dead yet, so you must be getting the right nutrients.  Supplements are unnecessary… right?

 11 Reasons You Should Take Supplements
1. You Eat Crap a Standard Diet

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Grains, legumes, and most forms of modern dairy are not food.  The purpose of consuming food is to nourish the body and mind.  These foods do the opposite.

First of all, grains, legumes, and conventional dairy are nutrient deficient (or void).  They contain extremely small amounts of nutrients, most of which are malabsorbed.  Grains and legumes deplete nutrient stores and interfere with nutrient absorption.  They are toxins in themselves, which increases your nutrient needs.  Grains and legumes both cause intestinal damage which further decreases your ability to absorb nutrients.  Even if you’ve stopped eating these foods, you may be in nutrient debt or have lingering intestinal damage which is interfering with nutrient absorption.

Conventional dairy also contains mycotoxins which are extremely damaging.

2. Soil Depletion

Improper farming practices deplete the soil of nutrients.  When plants are repeatedly grown on the same land, the soil loses nutrients faster than they can be replaced.  Over time, the plants have fewer nutrients to grow.  Fertilizer contains just enough nutrition for the plant to survive until harvesting, but not enough to support human health.  This results in plants that have 75% fewer micronutrients. In addition, most plants are not harvested fresh.  They sit on trucks, shelves, and counters for weeks before being eaten.  Over time, the nutrient content of these plants decreases.

Most modern fruits and vegetables are grown to increase their sugar content, not their nutrient value.  As a result, most of the common fruits and vegetables are artificially high in fructose and sugar and lower in key nutrients.

When plants contain fewer nutrients, the animals that eat these plants are also malnourished.  A study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Health found copper levels in the UK have dropped by 90% in dairy, 55% in meat, and 76% in vegetables.

3. Water is Depleted of Minerals

Water is also depleted of minerals due to modern production methods.  There is a huge variation in the mineral content of bottled and tap water, with tap water generally having more.  Water filters remove important minerals such as magnesium, which was a main source of magnesium for early humans.  If you don’t use a filter and you don’t have a well, it’s likely you’re consuming dangerous amounts of fluoride and/or are deficient in magnesium.  This could explain why people who drink water higher in calcium than magnesium develop more myocardial infarcts and ischemic heart disease.

4. Low Calorie Diets Are Low Nutrient Diets

Starving yourself is bad.  Consuming a low calorie diet means you’re consuming fewer total micronutrients.  Humans are designed to consume a large amount of calories, and it doesn’t make you fat.  When you eat less (as everyone says you should), it’s easy to become malnourished.  When you’re consuming low quality foods, you have to eat even more to obtain the right amounts of nutrition.  This is one more example of why food quality matters.

 According to this study most diets require 27,575 calories to supply all the essential micronutrients.  If you’re eating less than that, you’re deficient in nutrients.

Pesticide-treated vegetables are lower in phenolics than organic ones.  This is because polyphenols are produced as a defense against bugs and pathogens.  When there is no reason to defend themselves, the plant stops producing polyphenols.

There is also evidence that glyphosate – RoundUp herbicide – chelates minerals in crops on which it is sprayed. It’s safe to avoid GMO foods for a variety of other reasons.

6. Grain-fed Meat & Conventional Dairy

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Compared to grass-fed meat, grain-fed meat is abysmally low in antioxidants, micronutrients, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.

Raw, unpasteurized, unprocessed, full-fat dairy can be good for you, but the kind most people buy at the grocery store is not healthy.  The majority of nutrients in milk are found in the fat (cream).  When you remove or reduce the fat, you are removing and reducing the nutrient content.  Pasteurization destroys some of the nutrients in both skim and full fat milk.  Conventional dairy is also high in aflatoxin and other mycotoxins that were in the cattle’s feed.

If you eat grain-fed meat or conventional dairy – supplementation is a good idea.

7. Toxin Exposure

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Your body needs nutrients to deal with toxins.  When more toxins are present, you need more nutrients.  If you’re living in a cave or the garden of Eden, this will be less of a concern.  If you’re like the rest of us mortals – you’re exposed to a litany of toxins on a daily basis.

Here are just some of the things your body has to contend with:

    1. Xenoestrogens (plastics, BPA, some molds, petroleum products).
    2. Industrial solvents and cleaners.
    3. Unnatural lighting
    4. Food toxins.
    5. Stress and lack of sleep.

There are hundreds of other sources of unnatural stress that increase the body’s need for proper nutrition.  Even if you’re doing everything right in terms of diet – it’s almost impossible to get all of your nutrients from food.

8. Nutrient Absorption Declines With Age

Several studies have shown kids need more nutrients to support growth, and older people need more nutrients due to malabsorption.  As people age, they often begin taking medications which can interfere with nutrient absorption.  This means you need to take more nutrients in the most absorbable form possible.

9. Exercise Increases Nutrient Needs

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Athletes often think tons of exercise is the key to a long and healthy life (it’s not). I don’t advocate high amounts of exercise, but this is an important point.  If you’re doing enough exercise to substantially deplete energy reserves, you’re also using more nutrients for energy production and recovery.  As a result, athletes are at an even higher risk of nutrient deficiencies.

10. Supplementation May Help You Live Longer

Aging is a natural process, but being ancient may not be fun.  If there are supplements than can delay this process, why not take them? There is good reason to believe a higher intake of nutrients may prolong life.  If supplements can buy you a few more years of quality life, why not take them?

11. Expense & Health

Taking care of our health is the best health insurance there is. Staying healthy and productive, free of health worries, is any day cheaper than expensive treatments for avoidable diseases.

We live in a stressful, toxic world, and it’s a normal, healthy, optimized human behavior to understand the toxins and counteract them whenever possible. Hiding your head in sand won’t make the effects of these toxins go away. Neither will eating some vegetables.

6 Evidence-Based Ways To Burn Belly Fat AND Extend Your Life

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Sayer Ji

Can These 5 Ways of Burning Belly Fat Also Save Your Life?

The ongoing battle of the bulge, while once considered primarily a matter of vanity, may actually be one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dying from a multitude of causes (i.e. all-cause mortality), but especially heart attack.

Some studies have even revealed that abdominal obesity, known clinically as central obesity, and which is measured by the hip-to-waist ratio, may be more important than blood lipids, i.e. “cholesterol,” in determining heart attack risk.

So, with this in mind, the following 6 “diet tips,” take on even greater relevance to your overall health.

Coconut Oil Burns Fat

  1. Coconut Oil –  Two human studies now exist showing that dietary coconut is safe and effective in reducing midsection fat in both women and men.  In the women’s study, the treatment group received two tablespoons of coconut oil (30 ml), daily, over a period of 12 weeks, resulting in both a reduction in waist circumference, as well as a boost in their “good” HDL cholesterol levels. In the male study, obese men received two tablespoons (30 ml) of coconut oil per day, taken in 3 divided doses, half an hour before each meal, for one month. The men experienced an average of over one inch (2.86 cm) reduction in their waist circumference, with no changes in their blood lipids.

Green Tea Burns Fat

  1. Green Tea – Green tea has been called “the medicine which grew into a beverage.”  Indeed, our project has identified research on over 200 health conditions that may benefit from its use, with obesity on top of the list. In a 2009 study published in the journal Obesity, the consumption of catechin-rich green tea was found to be safe and effective in reducing weight in moderately overweight subjects, including an over two inch reduction in their waist circumference.

Sunlight Burns Fat

  1. Sunlight –  A 2011 study in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology revealed a remarkable fact of metabolism: The exposure of human skin to UV light results in increased subcutaneous fat metabolism. While subcutaneous fat, unlike visceral fat, is not considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it is known that a deficiency of one of sunlight’s best known beneficial byproducts, vitamin D, is associated with greater visceral fat. Also, there is a solid body of research showing that vitamin D deficiency is linked to obesity. Exposure to UVB radiation, which is most abundant two hours on either side of solar noon and responsible for producing vitamin D, may be an essential strategy in burning midsection fat, the natural way.

Soy Burns Fat

    1. Soy Protein – While soy has become a punching bag of sorts, for rightful (GMO/non-organic/over-consumption/exclusively non-fermented) and wrongful reasons (disregarding the positive soy research), it does seem to have value as a medicinal food in addressing subcutaneous and total abdominal fat in postmenopausal women, likely because it does have hormone-modulating properties. And for those who have now become convinced that soy’s phytoestrogenic properties are a breast cancer risk, we encourage you to look at the 12 studies on our breast cancer page, indicating quite oppositely that it has potent protective effects against breast cancer initiation and recurrence.  Certainly it’s not a one, or even two-dimensional issue, but it is important that we don’t shut down discussion altogether on the potential value of soy, or any food, for our health – at least not until we have familiarized ourselves with the depth of research extant on the topic.

Fast Food Fattens

  1. Dietary Challenges: While there are likely hundreds of other chemicals that may contribute to midsection weight gain, the 3 main problematic substances we have identified are (industrially produced) Fructose,Bisphenol A and MSG.   A study published in 2011 and published in the journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that weight cycling, i.e. the yo-yo diet, is associated with body weight excess and abdominal fat accumulation.

Exercise To Burn Fat

  1. Exercise – This one is obvious to many, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that there is more to midsection weight loss than what you do and do not eat. In other words, move it, and you lose it.  One of the best ways to accelerate the reduction of belly fat through exercising is through increasing the intensity of your work outs.  A 2008 study in the journal of Medical & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that body composition changes are affected by the intensity of exercise training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) being most effective for total abdominal fat, subcutaneous fat, and abdominal visceral fat loss, at least in obese women with metabolic syndrome.There is also research that green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss, as well as soluble fiber intake.

Stay Healthy!