Last time I mentioned controlling blood sugar as one important issue to tackle to escape from your sugar addiction and establish some healthy eating habits.
But what is poor blood sugar control and what other clues might you have that it’s a problem for you?
 
The main cause of poor blood sugar control is Insulin Resistance. Here’s how it works:
When we eat a food that contains a carbohydrate (except insoluble fiber) our digestion breaks it down into glucose (blood sugar) to be used as fuel for our cells. 

Blood sugar is best kept within a Goldilocks range – not too high, not too low, but just right – so as to avoid a whole host of problems with our health. Our body produces insulin to carry the glucose to our cells. Most cells just take what they need but liver and muscle cells store extra glucose as glycogen. The liver also converts excess amounts to fat for storage.
Particularly when you continually ingest more carbohydrates than your body needs, your cells start to become
 resistant to the insulin. This leaves glucose and insulin backed up in the blood stream and out of that Goldilocks range, wreaking havoc on your health.
 
Why is this happening?

• Genetics can play a part. Some of us have cells that are more naturally resistant to insulin. People who store fat around the middle or who have a family history of diabetes are more prone.
• Some pharmaceuticals can cause the body to become more insulin resistant.
• Micronutrient deficiencies can play a part. When your body is low in certain key nutrients (and it is certainly likely if you haven’t been focusing on a healthy diet) then insulin resistance can either be a consequence or can be aggravated. For example:
  • Carnitine improves insulin sensitivity by increasing glucose uptake and storage.
  • Chromium helps insulin attach to the cell’s receptors increasing glucose uptake into the cell.
  • Deficiency in Magnesium reduces insulin sensitivity.
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid enhances glucose uptake into skeletal muscle tissue.
  • And more…

• Toxins in our food supply (pesticides, herbicides, plastic packaging), water, cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning supplies, cigarettes, smoked and charred foods and more can cause insulin sensitivity and some also impact the pancreases ability to produce insulin (another component in blood sugar control).
• Chronic stress raises our blood sugar, ready for fight of flight activity, but typically we do neither and the stresses we deal with don't go away. This contributes to the problem of too much blood glucose.

 
Do I have poor Blood Sugar Control?
If you’re a carboholic then there’s a good chance your blood sugar control is not good but what else could be happening that would indicate a potential problem?

• Eating sweets doesn’t relieve your sugar cravings…You just want more!
• You become irritable or light headed if you miss a meal.
• You rely on caffeine to get through the day or feel fatigued a lot.
• Eating can make you feel exhausted.
• You feel weak, shaky, or jittery pretty frequently.
• You get agitated, easily upset, or nervous.
• It's difficult for you to lose weight.
• Your waist is equal to or larger than your hips.
• Your vision is blurry.
• You have a low sex drive.
• You're always hungry or thirsty.
• You have to pee a lot.
• You have skin tags.

 
If you think you may have poor blood sugar control then please reach out for help. There are many ways to improve the situation and we’d love to support you. We work with clients on their food behaviors with our Food Relationship Reset Program ($50 OFF this quarter) and on establishing a strong nutrient status through improving their food intake and targeting nutrient deficiencies identified through blood testing or otherwise. We’ve put together a new range of service offerings around our testing of nutrient status to make it more affordable for more people so take a look here for more information.
​

One of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall health is to reduce or eliminate sugary and white flour foods and yet it can be one of the toughest steps for people to take. If you’ve struggled with this then you’re certainly not alone. Many people know they need to cut back on eating this stuff to feel better, but try as they might it lures them back in every time. Some don’t even want to go there and cling to their treats for dear life. If this sounds like addictive behavior, that’s because it is!
 
In order to tackle a sugar addiction these are a couple of unavoidable issues that are typically at play and need to be dealt with:

1) Stabilize Blood Sugar
Sugary and white flour foods are the foods that digest the most quickly and result in a sharp rise in our blood sugar. This is typically followed by a crash (you may feel hungry, tired, irritable, shaky etc.) and then grab for a sugary treat to get blood sugar up again, starting the behavior again. We call this the blood sugar rollercoaster. It is a self-perpetuating problem. The more we eat this stuff, the more we want it. When we remove or reduce it, the cravings start to reduce.

2) Stop Using Food to Soothe
When we eat sugary brownies or muffins we temporarily feel better as our body produces feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, endorphins and dopamine. This means that we’re often in the habit of reaching for these foods in response to triggers like stress, exhaustion, depression, loneliness, anxiety, a bad mood etc. Really anytime we want to feel better. For people with lower levels of these chemicals in their body, they may respond even more to these “sugar highs” and can have intense cravings. This problem can also be exacerbated by learned behaviors from childhood where perhaps you got given sweets as a reward or to cheer you up, so you now have emotional associations with the treat foods.
Of course the benefits we feel are always temporary as eating a lot of these foods is ultimately detrimental to our well being in so many ways!
 
It is really helpful to get a handle on the sugar problem as we approach the holiday period where we find treats are all around us.
That’s why I’ve decided to reduce my Food Relationship Reset Program cost from $450 to $400 for the remainder of 2019. This is one sweet deal that you don’t have to pass up!

​Together we will address these two issues and many other areas that will allow you to finally make real change. With changes in our nutrition, it isn’t always knowing WHAT to do that is the tough part, sometimes it is figuring out HOW to do it. It can take a shift in your Food Relationship to get some of the blocks out of your way so that you can break destructive patterns once and for all. If those sugar addiction solutions I mentioned above sound like they might be difficult to implement, then let me know because I’d love to help you, or just get signed up now.

​If you’re not ready to commit why not dip your toe with a Food Relationship Discovery Session for just $50.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is one of the most popular diets right now and it seems like everyone I talk to knows a little about it. IF is an umbrella term for various eating diet plans that cycle between a short term period (usually 12-18 hours) of fasting and then non-fasting over a defined period. 
There are different ways to put it together but they are all aimed at the same goal of shifting your body from using glucose as fuel to using fat as fuel. A worthy aim, for sure! This can have benefits for weight loss, blood sugar reduction, improved insulin sensitivity, reduction in cardiovascular risk and protection against memory loss and neurological disorders.

However, like any approach to food, there is no one size fits all solution.
So when might IF, not be a good fit?

Adrenal Fatigue
If you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue, or more technically HPA axis dysregulation, then you don’t want to add the added stress on the body of deprivation of food. Likewise if you have a lot of stress in your life, this physical stressor may just be adding to the problem.

Hormonal Imbalances for Women
If your hormones are out of whack or when you’ve tried IF your cycle gets thrown off, then approach IF with caution only. Women are extremely sensitive to starvation signals and their body can ramp up production of hunger hormones, which can in turn throw off your sex hormones and even halt ovulation, affect menstruation and shrink your ovaries. There are adjustments you could make like trying shorter fasts (maybe 12 hours which you might be doing already between say 7pm and 7am) and only fasting 2 non-consecutive days a week on days when you don’t do much exercise. In my view, if you’re aiming to get pregnant, IF isn’t worth the possible shifts in your hormones that might result.

Eating Disorders
If you suffer from any type of eating disorder then using restriction as a tool is not a good idea, so IF is not recommended.

Let us know about your experiences with IF and as always get in touch with your questions.

Last time I talked about Omega Balance and how vital it is to different aspects of brain health.  A good Omega Balance is also crucial to heart health and in improving other inflammatory conditions. Below are my tips to make sure you get enough Omega 3 Fatty Acids and improve your overall Omega Balance.
 
If you’d like to take a look at your balance ask us about OmegaCheck blood testing. This looks at different omega 3 and 6 fats in your blood stream and some health relevant ratios of those levels. If you’re curious about your Brain Health and would like to work on it then take a look at our Brain Nutrient 360° Deal this month which includes an OmegaCheck.
 

1. Switch to 100% Grass Fed or Pasture Raised animal products. Factory farmed animal produce contains fewer omega 3 fatty acids and more omega 6s. A great place to start is with your eggs. Look for the words Pastured or Pasture Raised on the packaging to get the omega 3 benefits. The terms Cage Free and Free Range are not going to get you the quality you need. 
2. Eat fatty fish a few times a week. The stronger tasting, darker fish provide the highest omega 3 content. Here’s my article on eating fish safely. 
3. Take a high quality fish oil or cod liver oil. Xymogen’s Omega MonoPure is my favorite source. Vegetarians and vegans can use an algae based supplement like this one Xymogen’s DHA from Algae for a source of omega 3s. You’ll need a referral code to purchase so if you’d like to find out if one of these is a fit for you then let me know. 
4. You can certainly include other non-animal sources of omega 3 fatty acids like chia, flax, hemp and walnuts in your diet but know that they carry fewer health benefits. The body has to convert the ALA (alpha linolenic acid) omega 3 fats in these to the more beneficial DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Conversion rates can be extremely low depending on which type of genetic variations (gene SNPs) you carry.
5. Eliminate these high omega 6, highly processed industrial seed oils from your diet: Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soy Bean Oil, and Vegetable Oil. These are likely rancid anyway having been exposed to high heat and pressure during processing and sitting in clear plastic bottles on the shelf for who knows how long!

Here is a guest blog from our Women, Wine & Wellness - Lowry speaker for March, Brenda Burke.
To receive an invitation to this private event, you can sign up here: 
http://www.waystooptimizehealth.com/women-wine-wellness-lowry.html​

​Many people wonder if Social Security will be there or not when they are about to retire.  As a trusted advisor I can’t tell you for sure, I don’t have the crystal ball we all wish we had, however I can tell you I do believe it will be there for you.   I can’t imagine any politician would go ahead and cut out our social security we had paid in.  They may change the plan for future income earners however for those of us, especially those of us who had paid in social security for many years, I feel confident we can include it in our retirement planning. 
 
Social Security plays an especially important role in providing security for us women. Over the past 10 years, *“more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history.” These days, as women we face many more challenges than our parents or grandparents did.

• *”We tend to live longer than men. A woman who is 65 years old today can expect to live, on average, until about 87, while a 65-year-old man can expect to live, on average, until about 84”; We are certainly living longer than previous generations and this could pose a few problems if we hadn’t saved properly.  Do we have enough for long term care and in home assistance?  Did we set aside enough to have a steady income?   Social Security certainly helps but will it be enough? 
• Since many companies no longer offer pensions, we may reach retirement with less to work with.   Are you prepared for taxes due on any withdrawals you make?  Is there a strategy in place to help with that?

Social Security offers a simplified level of protection to all women. As you likely realize, when you work, you pay taxes into the Social Security system, providing for your own benefits. In addition, your spouse’s earnings can give you Social Security coverage as well. Women who don’t work are often covered through their spouses’ work. Did you know when a spouse retires, becomes disabled, or dies, women can receive their spouses benefits?

You can get a social security statement online. This is a helpful tool to help you plan a secure financial future, and I recommend that you look at it each year. You can discover how much you will be receiving.  Your statement provides a record of your earnings and equally as important, you can also check for errors that may show up.   On occasion a particular year could show the wrong amount you earned in that year.    
 
Additional important facts you should know.   *”If your spouse dies, you can get widow’s benefits if you’re age 60 or older. If you have a disability, you can get widow’s benefits as early as age 50. Your benefit amount will depend on your age and on the amount your deceased spouse was entitled to at the time of his or her death. If your spouse was already receiving reduced benefits, your survivor benefit will be based on that amount.”

*”You may be eligible for widow’s benefits and Medicare before age 65 if you have a disability and are entitled to benefits. You also may be eligible for benefits if you are caring for a child who is younger than 16.”

Finally, here is the website information so that you could register and check your statements.   www.ssa.gov

When I work with my clients, I always ask if they wish to include their social security benefits as part of their plan.  Most often we do, if not, any social security benefits could be looked at as “icing on the cake”.  It’s up to you as to how you wish to look at it.  

*quotes from www.ssa.gov

Contact Brenda Burke:
www.newyorklifecolorado.com | ​bburke02@ft.newyorklife.com | 303-909-1547

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, which means that even though your body needs them, it is not able to make them. It must get them from the foods and supplements that you eat.
 
Why does the body need omega 3s?
Omega 3s play important roles in the body as part of the structure of cell membranes. DHA, in particular, is especially high in the retina, brain, and sperm. In addition, omega 3s (along with omega 6s) provide energy for the body and are used to form eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are hormone-like signaling molecules; they have wide ranging functions in the body’s cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, and endocrine systems. Omega 3s and omega 6s compete for the synthesis of eicosanoids, with the omega 3 based eicosanoids having more anti-inflammatory activity versus the more pro-inflammatory omega 6 based eicosanoids.
 
It is estimated that a whopping 70% of Americans have insufficient levels of omega 3 fatty acids and typically an abundance of omega 6s. No wonder the population suffers from widespread, inflammatory, chronic health conditions! Nevertheless, it is not something that is typically tested by your doctor. We find an OmegaCheck Blood Test to be a valuable tool in addition to our testing of other nutrient levels to help us support your health. It’s part of our Brain Nutrient 360° Special Deal this month.
 
How do omega 3s impact brain health?
Our brain cell membranes go through a deterioration process as we age, and this plays a role in the development of memory loss and cognitive decline.  Omega 3 fatty acids are key in protecting against this decline and increasing gray matter brain volume.  Their anti-inflammatory actions improve blood flow to specific areas of the brain and can help with scores on cognitive tests, problem-solving and memory.
 
Depression and anxiety are impacted and caused by many different factors. Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances play a role in a person’s vulnerability to mood disorders. Increasing the intake of Omega 3s is an important support because Omega 3s facilitate proper messaging between nerve cells, as well as a reduction in inflammatory chemicals that have been linked to depression.
 
Brain injuries contribute to approximately 30% of all injury deaths in the United States, and those who survive these injuries can suffer their impact for the rest of their lives. Traumatic brain injuries are a result of a blow to the head that damages brain cells and can lead to symptoms ranging from confusion and impaired thinking to loss of sensation, memory, movement, and even to mood disorders and personality changes. Omega-3 fatty acids can provide valuable protection against inflammation and support regeneration of damaged neural cells. Similar benefits are available to those who have suffered strokes.
 
Enter your email to subscribe to our blog Amanda’s Musings to get our tips later in the month on improving your Omega 3 intake and balance.
 
Don’t forget to check out our Brain Nutrient 360° Special Deal this month if you’d like to work on your brain and overall health with us.

Sugar is highly addictive and so, for many, those cravings are what de-rail their attempts to stay on track with healthy eating and managing weight.
 
Blood Sugar Control Problems:
If you are experiencing cravings then this is one sign you may have trouble controlling your blood sugar.

• You may also be using caffeine to make it through the day.
• Perhaps you have a tough time if you miss a meal and feel light headed, shaky or irritable.
• More than likely you have excess weight around the middle.
• You may have blood testing from your physical with elevated fasting glucose, fasting insulin or Ha1c.

 
Tips for Getting On Track:

• Eat meals and snacks that contain protein, healthy fats and fiber and eliminate junk foods. This gives you a more sustained energy that won’t cause the rapid blood sugar highs and lows that come from a diet heavy in sugar and processed carbs.
• For the time being eat regular meals and snacks. Yes, I know that intermittent fasting is all the rage, but I’m afraid you aren’t ready for that! Let’s get you to a better place first.
• Avoid caffeine or consume it only after a meal and early in the day.
• Check your levels for micronutrients that impact blood sugar control. If your body doesn’t have the ingredients to function properly then it may need extra support. Examples include Zinc, Vitamin B3, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Chromium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Carnitine and more. They all have their roles to play. Let me know if you’d like help with testing and identifying how to get you back to good levels.
• Cinnamon is wonderful for supporting the body with blood sugar control and is included in many supplements. I love it as an essential oil too and the Slim and Sassy Metabolic Blend from doTerra is great to drop on your tongue to fend off a craving.
• L-Glutamine is an amino acid (a micronutrient) that helps regulate insulin secretion after meals and improves insulin signaling and sensitivity, which will all enhance blood sugar control. It could be a good addition to your regime and many say it helps with their cravings.

 
If you need more support with behaviors around food then take a look at our Break the Yoyo Diet Program for a comprehensive approach to all of the aspects involved.  We have huge savings on it this month so it’s a great time to start.

Here is a guest blog from our Women, Wine & Wellness - Lowry speaker for February, Sherry Hess, owner and creator of Living Flavor Revolution/Legendary Spice.
To receive an invitation to this private event, you can sign up here: 
http://www.waystooptimizehealth.com/women-wine-wellness-lowry.html​

I love this question. It’s such a great conversation starter. 

Food, and flavors have so much responsibility to us as humans. It is our sole source of fuel, it heals, rebuilds, energizes and sustains us every day. It also brings us emotional responses and can spark a memory out of nowhere. As simple as the question sounds, the answers that I have gotten over time have varied greatly. I find great joy in hearing stories about flavors, and particularly the WHY’s of what puts a flavor at the top of someone’s list.

Take a moment here and decide for yourself. What is your favorite flavor, and why? No judgement here, there are no parameters around what the definition of flavor is. Someone once asked me, “Is ‘taco’ a flavor?” Yes, of course! When I ask this question to start the conversation, anything goes!

Do you have your flavor in mind? Now sit with your “why?” Is it a childhood memory, like drinking grape soda at family picnics that makes you love everything grape? Or, does a particular flavor make you feel something physically like the heat of a jalapeño? Is it simply the flavor you reach for every day that goes with everything? Whatever the reason I’d love to know your why.

The first time I asked this question in a group, I was fascinated with the responses. They seemed to be affected by culture, memories, simplicity of eating as well as simple pleasure. Sometimes it was a flavor category and not tied to a specific food item. I loved that too. There didn’t seem to be a common thread and it intrigues me. Like I said, it’s a great conversation starter.

When the question circled the room and it came to me…. I couldn’t answer! Can you imagine? Here I am the flavor expert, posing contemplative questions and I froze! I think it’s because I know too much about all of the pros and cons and beautiful combinations various flavors can make. It’s like asking an artist to pick their favorite color on their paint palette. It’s practically impossible because every color responds differently when it’s mixed with or adjacent to every other color. How do you choose just one?

But, eventually I did. It’s butterscotch. It’s hard to find now because everyone thinks salted caramel is a better gig. I disagree. My "why" is about both the experience in my mouth and the memories it evokes. Butterscotch is buttery, savory, soft, rounded, with a hint of salt, plenty of sweet and that magical complexity of “scotch” hidden inside. And, well, it’s what I craved during my entire pregnancy with my son. I love the flavors AND it reminds me of nurturing and growing my beautiful boy.

Share with me! What’s YOUR favorite flavor and WHY?

Contact Sherry: https://legendaryspice.com  | legendaryspicegirl@gmail.com  | 302­-593­-7866 

During the month of February we’re focused on how you can best give yourself a Valentine with some Self-Care. I know you’ll agree that some healthy, self-caring behaviors can deliver immediate results or in a very short term. For example, you might have some favorite music that you play that always cheers you up or a hobby that gives you a lot of joy and its not hard to make time for it.
 
There are also some areas of self-care, though, that deliver more results in the long term and can, for some people, seem like a tough choice in the moment. For many people, good nutrition is an example of this, especially if they’ve never experienced the long-term benefits before. People know they need to have good habits in this area to feel their best, but when it comes right down to it, they can struggle with making those sensible, long-term choices. We know this to be true because of the massive failure of dieting as a strategy for getting healthy. It turns out diets are hard to stick to!!
 
So what is going on? Well, two different parts of the brain are in a battle here.
 
The emotional part of the brain responds positively to instant gratification. It can seem so much more appealing in the short term to eat that brownie when you get home from work. After all, it tastes delicious and the sugar and processed flour give a bump to your feel-good brain chemicals. You are on a sugar high! Actually we humans are designed in our hard wiring to seek out high calorie foods so it is natural for us to want them.
The emotional brain says “Yes” to the brownie!
 
The logical part of the brain, though, tries to reason it out. It knows that you should just wait to eat a healthy dinner, that would be better for your long-term health and that you’ll feel better in the long run.
 
Unhealthy choices usually happen on impulse when the emotional part of your brain triumphs over the logical one.
So how do you keep your logical brain in the driver’s seat?
 
I’ve found that one of the biggest reasons for the emotional brain to be running the show is stress and overwhelm. The logical brain can only function well when you have some reserves in the tank. If you are run ragged emotionally and physically depleted, then there is a good chance you’ll be short on logic and behave more impulsively. It’s going to be really tough in these conditions to implement any healthy, new habits that will only pay you back in the long term.
 
Reducing stress and overwhelm by having a backdrop of regular self-care and ensuring that you include positive activities in your life that bring you joy, are essential to you being able to respond well in the moment.
 
Ways to do this could be hobbies, connecting and being present with loved ones, reading, regular exercise, yoga, massage therapy, daily meditation, daily affirmations, being organized, setting boundaries, essential oils or journaling. I am sure you have many other ideas so brainstorm your own list and start incorporating them in your routines.
 
Of course there are a number of other things you can do to increase your chances of success with transforming your unhealthy patterns. I love helping people figure out and implement these strategies. It’s a huge piece of the Break the Yoyo Diet Cycle Program and for many people it is foundational to being able to implement real and lasting change in their lives. After all, if it were easy to stick to a nutrition self-care plan more people would be doing it.
 
We’ve got some great deals this month to help you with Self-Care so please take a look, we’d love to help. <3

It may be hard to believe but the 100 trillion little microbes in our gut  - our Gut Microbiome - are sometimes to blame for our sleep troubles. Surprisingly, the gut has over 30 types of neurotransmitters, like the ones found in our brain, sending multiple signals throughout our body.  For this reason we often call the gut “the second brain”.
 
Serotonin and melatonin are two of the main neurotransmitters that help regulate your body’s sleep cycle – or circadian rhythm. Serotonin is involved in wakefulness, triggering sleep and in our very valuable REM sleep. It is also the building block of melatonin – which is associated with sleep onset and the sleep/wake cycle. Amazingly a whopping 90% of your serotonin is produced in your gut. Research is also showing that our gut is actually the main source of melatonin production, in fact 400 times more than the pineal gland in the brain. Good bugs in the gut are also known to produce GABA, another neurotransmitter which can help calm you into a deep sleep.
 
A further advantage of nurturing your gut health - beneficial bacteria in your gut can also lower your stress hormone, cortisol, which interferes with sleep when elevated.
 
So if healthy sleep with restful nights are elusive for you, tackling gut health may be one key that you’ve been missing.
 
Some common causes of poor gut health can include a diet and lifestyle including sugar, processed foods, gluten, alcohol, stress, antibiotics and antacids amongst others. If this sounds like you then please reach out for help with supporting your gut health. To learn more about how nutrition can impact your mind and mood consider joining me for my workshop on Brain Food. Next class is coming up Monday January 21st.