Despite the fact that there is so much information out there about the health benefits of good sleep it is interesting how many of us still fail to make it a priority. It’s really tough to get it to sink in that it truly makes a difference in our lives. Maybe this might motivate you to prioritize sleep. Did you know that a rough night’s sleep can impact hormones that affect your weight?!
 
Pretty much everyone is familiar with the experience of a bad night’s sleep. You wake up feeling depleted and it is no coincidence that you are reaching for sugary foods and caffeine! Studies show that depriving people of sleep for just one night, increases cravings for junk food and decreases rational eating decisions in the frontal cortex. Well that’s not likely to help your weight, is it? If you do succumb to those cravings then you have set yourself up for a day of more cravings, hunger and fat storage as your blood sugar levels sore and crash repeatedly.
 
So what’s going on here and why does the sleep loss often send us on this downward spiral? Sleep affects the following hormones that are likely out of whack after a rough night:
 
Leptin tells your brain that you're full and regulates metabolism so you can switch to fat burning when your body needs to.  Decreased sleep duration reduces leptin production so no wonder your appetite is out of control when you are tired.
 
Ghrelin tells your brain to eat. Sleep deprivation increases gherlin levels driving your body to want more food.
 
Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory hormone produced by adipose tissue that regulates fat breakdown. Optimal adiponectin levels can reduce the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and therefore weight gain. Reduced sleep decreases adiponectin production.
 
Insulin is a fat storage hormone. When it is elevated you cannot burn fat and your body holds on to it. Our cells need to be sensitive to insulin otherwise our insulin levels can get driven up. Chronic sleep loss decreases insulin sensitivity keeping our levels elevated and our body storing fat.
 
Glucagon releases fat from your fat cells to burn for energy. Decreased sleep duration reduces levels so your ability to burn fat will be reduced.
 
Cortisol, which causes us to store fat and breakdown muscle, gets chronically elevated with lack of sleep due to the increased stress.
 
Growth hormone, your fountain of youth, is made during deep stage 4 sleep so less sleep can reduce your levels. It aids in muscle synthesis and repair, boosts energy and improves fat metabolism.
 
If weight loss is elusive for you then focusing on an improved sleep routine could make a world of difference for you and should be part of your long-term strategy for health. Nutrient levels can certainly impact sleep so let us know if you’d like to get your nutrient levels tested using our $100 off deal this month.
 
If you want to learn more about how to Unlock Weight Loss, you might consider joining me and Fran Gallaher for our workshop on October 13th, Unlock Weight Loss – Little Known Keys that Open the Door to Your Success where we’ll share some of the nutritional and energetic areas that have been holding our clients back.

I don’t know about you, but I see ads and books for Ketogenic diet programs everywhere.  They sound so enticing. After all, ketosis is promoted as a powerful way to burn body fat and sharpen your mental focus.  So should you jump on that trend? Here are some aspects to think about:
 
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
Without glucose from carbs (and here I don’t just mean sugars and grains but also beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables) your body burns the fat you eat and the stored fat on your body as its main fuel source.  The fat breaks down into ketones that are an alternative to glucose to fuel your brain and suppress hunger. The exact details of what you might eat vary somewhat from program to program but broadly speaking you eat the majority of your calories as fat, restricting protein to moderate levels (15-20%) and carbohydrates to 5-10%.
 
Potential Benefits of Burning Ketones

• Less Inflammation – Burning ketones causes less inflammation than burning glucose.
• More Brain Power – The brain on ketones produces more mitochondria – the energy source for your cells.
• Neuroprotective – A great way to benefit brain conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s.
• Less Hunger – When your body is good at burning fat for fuel it can always turn to your fat stores for energy and you don’t feel as hungry.
• Rapid Weight loss – Where burning carbs for fuel increases insulin and puts you into fat storage mode, burning fats means that you can utilize stored fat on your body.
• Blood sugar balance and improved insulin sensitivity.
• Cardiovascular benefits.

 
Is Keto Beneficial Long Term?
Staying on a ketogenic diet long term can be stressful on the body. There isn’t a human population in history that has existed in long-term ketosis. Even the Inuits, who had a very high fat diet, were not in ketosis because they had genetic mutations that stopped them overproducing ketones. For this reason, I don’t recommend staying on a keto diet for a long period and think it suitable for only 3-6 months as a therapeutic diet helpful to deal with certain situations only.
 
 
Downsides of the Ketogenic Diet
Also bear in mind that not everyone will respond the same way to a ketogenic diet. Everyone has different genetics and lifestyles. Consider if a ketogenic diet is really the right direction for you and beware of these potential downsides before you embark on a keto program.

• Damage to the Gut Microbiome - Restricting carbohydrates means restricting vegetables and other sources of dietary fiber. This results in less fermentation and therefore less food for the gut microbes. It also means a more acidic environment in the colon, which can encourage less desirable bacteria to thrive.
• Constipation – The lack of fiber can slow down things in the GI tract and that means you are not eliminating waste and toxins. As toxins are stored in fat tissue this a concern if you are burning body fat.
• Keto Flu – It takes time for your body to adapt to be able to burn fat for fuel. It can take a couple of days or a couple of weeks. The transition period, known as the keto flu, is often accompanied by fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness and electrolyte imbalances that can be severe.
• Hormonal imbalances – Women, in particular, seem to respond less well to a ketogenic diet. Ketosis is like starvation and so the body can shut down reproductive functions via the thyroid. Especially if you have low thyroid function, the risks of keto may be too great. Keto is also not a good idea if you have low cortisol and adrenal fatigue. Fiber is important for removal of excess hormones from the body and without it they will stay in your system and create imbalances.
• Stress on the liver, kidneys and gallbladder – Some people don’t do well digesting and metabolizing fats. It is better to monitor how you are doing with regular blood tests. If you aren’t doing well, keto is probably not for you.
• People living in Blue Zones, the world’s longest living cultures, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables that are packed with phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

 
Let us know if you have more questions. We always love to hear from you.

Do you ever wonder whether your hormones are balanced?
 
Here’s what wonderful hormonal balance looks like:

• You have great energy levels throughout the day.
• Your moods are stable.
• You don’t experience cravings.
• Your hair is shiny and full.
• Your skin is clear.
• You have a good libido.
• It is easy to maintain your weight.

 
If you don’t identify with this picture then the chances are you are experiencing some hormonal imbalances. One important way to improve things is to takes steps to minimize your stress levels. Here’s why:
 
How does stress impact my hormones?
 

• When you are stressed your adrenals increase production of the hormone cortisol, which raises your blood sugar levels ready for “fight or flight” activity. This increases your body’s production of the hormone insulin to take that glucose to the cells. When your insulin levels are raised your body will start to store fat, typically around the middle of your body, which is the most dangerous place to have extra fat stores.  If your blood sugar is perpetually elevated due to chronic stress and production of cortisol then the cells can become resistant to insulin and it becomes more difficult to control blood sugar levels. This can cause problems with cravings, shakiness between meals, poor mood, anxiety, broken sleep and more.

 

• Cortisol is a steroidal hormone. Other steroidal hormones are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone – our sex hormones. They are all made from the same base ingredient, cholesterol. When cortisol is needed to handle stress our body can find there isn’t enough cholesterol left to make our sex hormones and we can experience symptoms of imbalance. Take a look at my blog on Sex Hormone Imbalance to find a list of possible symptoms.

 

• Production of thyroid hormones is in delicate balance with the production of stress hormones so stress can exacerbate hypothyroid conditions and increase symptoms like mood issues, fatigue and weight gain.

 
I recommend that you do a stress audit. Identify where you are dealing with unnecessary stress in your life so that you can take steps to minimize it.  If you want to learn more about other natural ways to balance your hormones then consider joining me on July 2nd for my 2 hour workshop on Nourishment for Hormonal Harmony. I would love to have you join me.

​I get this question frequently from my clients as they work on reducing their sugar intake and look for other options. Stevia actually ended up being a discussion with my family over Easter brunch as there were little packets of Pure Via on the table. Marketing makes it so confusing to figure out what is really healthy and what is not. So let’s dive in…
 
What is Stevia?

• An herbal plant with many species that have leaves that are sweet, many times sweeter than sugar.
• In the same family as Ragweed, so if you have a ragweed allergy, stay away from Stevia
• It has been used in different cultures around the world for centuries as a sweetener and for its health benefits.
• It contains zero calories.
• It’s leaves contain two glycosides that make it taste sweet:
  • Stevioside which has the bitter aftertaste and
  • Rebaudioside that tastes less bitter

 
Different Stevia Products
 
Green Leaf Stevia

• The least processed of the stevia products. The leaves are simply dried and ground into a powder.
• It is 30-40 times sweeter than sugar so you don’t need much!
• Contains both Stevioside and Rebaudioside and so there are health benefits for weight loss, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and cancer.
• Use in moderation!

 
Stevia Extracts and Tinctures

• Some brands use only Rebaudioside to make the stevia less bitter, so there may not be health benefits.
• This is likely a better option than other sweeteners but we don’t have much information yet on it’s health effects.
• It is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
• Also be aware that some extracts contain alcohol.
• Use in moderation!

 
Highly Processed Stevia Products

• Typically pure white powders.
• This includes products like Truvia, which goes through extensive processing to extract Rebaudioside and uses chemical solvents that are toxic to the liver and carcinogenic. It is also combined with another sweetener, Erythritol, that can cause digestive discomfort and is typically genetically modified. In fact Truvia is less than 1% stevia.
• Other brands like Pure Via are also highly processed and contain other sweeteners like dextrose.
• 200-400 times sweeter than sugar.
• Avoid!

 
So why do I suggest using even pure green leaf stevia or extracts and tinctures in moderation only?
 
I thought you said there were health benefits, you say! Well here’s why…
 
I feel that one of the main benefits of removing or substantially reducing sugar in the diet is that our palate changes. We get used to and start to enjoy food without a lot of added sweeteners. Highly sweetened food starts to taste too sweet and we don’t enjoy it or crave it. When we eat and drink highly sweetened foods our appetite for them increases. Keeping sweeteners minimal is a huge help to our health.
 
Another issue to be aware of is that there are mixed studies on the impacts of stevia on our sex hormones. Some show that there are no impacts although some show that if used in large quantities stevia could have contraceptive effects. You may want to avoid stevia if you are experiencing hormonal balance problems or trying for a pregnancy.
 
 
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences and if you’d like any help then please let me know. 

1. Manage your blood sugar. If you have insulin resistance or diabetes this can increase your number of LDL particles. Reducing your intake of sugar and processed flour is the first place to start.
2. Exercise regularly. Additionally sit less and stand or walk more – this non-exercise activity may have a greater impact on your heart health than your scheduled exercise.
3. Sleep more and stress less. Both have a significant impact on heart disease.
4. Eat cold water, fatty fish and take a high quality fish oil supplement to get plenty of omega3 fats. I’m excited about this Omega MonoPure fish oil, which is 3 times more absorbable than regular fish oil. Call the office for an consultation to see if this is a good fit for you and we can provide you with a referral code to order.
5. Eat mono-unsaturated fats from olives, olive oil, avocado, avocado oil and macadamia nuts.
6. Consume antioxidant rich foods and supplements to prevent oxidative damage (a major risk factor for heart disease). That means eat a rainbow of vegetables and some fruits like dark, leafy greens and berries. Don’t forget that red meat and organ meats like liver are rich in antioxidants like retinol (vitamin A) and CoQ10 that you won’t get in plant foods.
7. Polyphenol rich foods have been show to have a variety of health benefits:

• Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity;
• Several studies have shown that hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension;
• Blueberries have been shown to lower blood pressure and oxidized LDL in men and women with metabolic syndrome.

   8. Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol to help your body eliminate excess and it improves insulin sensitivity. Soluble fiber is found in oats, vegetables like Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, sweet and white potatoes, squash and asparagus, and fruits like apricots, prunes, pears, oranges, grapefruit and mangoes. 
​
Let us know if you have questions or have had improvements with any of these. We love to hear from you.

As I’ve been focused on writing a new workshop on Anxiety, I’ve been digging more into the many connections between food and nutrition on the one hand and mood and brain functioning on the other. Despite the fact that there are so many logical links between the two, what I find is that many people really don’t think of nutrition and food as serious contenders when they are considering ways to deal with their mental health. More often than not, people go straight to pharmaceuticals or to a therapist before they consider cleaning up their diet.
 
If you think about it though, you already know that food makes a difference in how you feel and your brain functioning. If you’ve ever been really hungry, you have probably experienced feeling grumpy and angry, plus it’s hard to focus and you make more mistakes. If you’ve never been really hungry then just ask anyone you know who’s been on a very calorie restricted diet and they will confirm…It is just not fun!
 
For more evidence on this matter of hunger impacting mood, we can look at Judges’ decisions, which we tend to hope and believe will be logical and balanced. But no, not entirely! Did you know that Judges make more lenient decisions just after they have eaten breakfast or lunch, whereas before a meal break they are more likely to rule unfavorably?
 
This is a blood sugar issue and something that many people overlook as a very simple way to improve their mood and brain functioning.  Just in the last week I’ve had several clients who skip breakfast or go most of the day without food. Sometimes people are trying to eat less to lose weight (which is often counter productive anyway!) and sometimes people say they are just too busy to pay attention to it.
 
Clearly many people are just not connecting the dots and realizing the impact that food has on their brain. Blood sugar is just the tip of the iceberg. We also need to consider neurotransmitters, hormone balance, micronutrient deficiencies, gut health, and more. But if these links are just not tangible enough for you, then how about this?
 
Recently, the SMILES Trial was published. It is the first randomized controlled trial to test whether dietary improvement can actually treat (yes, I did say ‘treat’) depression. In the trial, dietary changes from a junk food diet to a real whole foods diet reduced depression in 30% of the participants.
 
I can only imagine what the results could have been if the participants had taken a deeper nutritional dive and been given more individualized dietary changes to work on.
 
So if I haven’t already made it clear, if you’re experiencing mood or brain functioning issues, I highly recommend paying attention to your diet. The brain is a key organ connected to the rest of our body and it cannot function well without the body functioning properly. If you can fix your body, you can likely fix your brain.
 
If you have questions or need further help the please reach out to us. We’d love to support you!
 

I didn’t want to leave you hanging! So, following up on my last article about identifying sex hormone imbalances and issues with the conventional approach to dealing with imbalances, let’s continue with what you can do about it.

Some Basics about Hormones.
What are they? Chemical messengers that travel through the body via the bloodstream. They start at endocrine glands and take messages to the cells. We have many endocrine glands and a multitude of hormones, which can interact with one another. In other words – it’s complicated!

Sex hormones are a just a few of the many hormones in the body. They are steroidal hormones, which means they are made from cholesterol.

“What!?”, you say, “I thought cholesterol was bad for me”.

This is a common misconception that results in many people avoiding eating foods containing cholesterol despite the fact that we now know that eating cholesterol and saturated fat does not cause heart disease.

What can go Wrong with our Sex Hormones?
When we don’t ingest cholesterol and fats, the liver has to make cholesterol in order that we have the ingredients to build our sex hormones. If the liver is under stress (and it may well be in our toxic world) it may not be doing that as effectively as we would like.

Nutrition Tip #1
Take the burden off the liver from making cholesterol. Provide the body the foundational ingredient for your sex hormones.
Eat cholesterol containing (animal) foods and don’t be afraid 
of fat.

•  Eat fattier cuts of meat (grass fed, organic)
•  Eat full fat dairy (if you tolerate dairy)

•  Eat Pastured eggs

What else can go wrong?
Stress
Our stress hormone, cortisol, is also a steroidal hormone, made from cholesterol. It regulates bloods sugar and metabolism in response to a threat. Even though our stress may be low grade, our body can still be in fight or flight mode. This survival function is prioritized above sex hormone production and they take a dive!

Nutrition Tip #2
Reduce stress on the system. Avoid these stressors as much as possible: sugar, junk food, alcohol, trans fats, industrial seed oils. If you suspect you may food sensitivities or have issues with your gut then you may be irritating your system. Get in touch to find out how to work through this one. It can take some detective work.

Nutrition Tip #3
Support the body with handling stress by making sure you get enough B vitamins such as pantothenic acid and B12.
Adaptagenic herbs can be supportive to your body too and help modulate your stress response.

Problems with Detoxification
Unfortunately our modern environment comes along with a variety of xenoestrogens and other hormone disrupters. Supporting the detoxification of excess and unhealthy hormones and supporting the liver can help the body stay in balance.

Nutrition Tip #4
Fiber is important for this as it helps the body excrete excess hormones so include plenty of fibrous vegetables in the diet.
The cruciferous vegetables, as well as supplements like DIM and Calcium D Glucarate, support the liver with hormonal detox.

Nutrition Tip #5
Get rid of toxins as much as you can. Nutritionally you can upgrade your food to organic and grass fed options that do not contain toxic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and hormones.

If you answered the questionnaire in my last blog, Sex Hormone Imbalance and you think you have hormonal imbalances, what do you do next? You can start by adjusting your nutrition and lifestyle with some of these tips. If you need to go deeper or need more specific help, that’s where we come in. Our micronutrient and hormonal blood testing as well as education and coaching can help you get there!