Archive for Hormones

Weight Loss Is About Your Metabolism; Metabolism Is About Your Hormones.

June 21, 2014 / / 2 comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAInteresting week I’m having; it’s been heavy on female clients who are exercising hard and not losing weight, or barely eating and not losing weight, or both, and not losing weight.  This is always surprising to the people this happens too, because exercise and diet are supposed to create the calorie deficit that causes calories to be burned and weight loss to happen.  Exercise is supposed to make us calorie burning machines, right?  Barely eating should melt off our fat, right?  This works when we’re young, so what happens after 30, or 40, that brings the old calories in – calories out efforts to a screeching halt?

That’s easy.  Years of yo-yo diets, full of refined carbs and chemicals ( hello diet coke, lean cuisines, bagels, cereal, beer, and crackers), eventually cause metabolic damage, usually in the form of Insulin Resistance, and organs that become damaged/worn out ( the liver, the pancreas, etc); and our hormonal system shifts from one that’s full of Growth Hormone, sex hormones, and fat burning hormones like Glucagon, to a hormonal system full of Insulin and Cortisol.

Remember this famous line:  our body isn’t a math equation, it’s a chemistry set.  We need to manipulate our chemistry if we want to lose weight.

Quickly, because I have a big yoga workshop in a few hours, I’m going to cover the diet and exercise we need to do if we want the hormones that help us lose weight.

1) We need to lift, or resistance train; and we need to do cardio intervals that make us breathless.  This isn’t “new” information, at all.  Science has shown for years that to burn body fat during and after exercise, our muscle cells needed to be stressed out and broken down.  Then, during our rest periods, those cells rebuild and become a little bit bigger.  Bigger muscle cells use more calories – 24/7 – than small muscle cells.

Go for a “burn”,  which means a build up of lactic acid; recent science shows that lactic acid induces release of both HGH (human growth hormone) and Testosterone ( ladies – we DO want testosterone! ).  This primarily happens when we sleep.  Add “sleep” to your weight loss routine. 

Let me repeat:  To induce a hormonal atmosphere that increases the calories you burn in a day, you need to tear down your muscles cells during your workout, then rest so they can 1. rebuild bigger, and 2. stimulate the necessary hormones that create muscle growth as opposed to FAT DEPOSITION.

Aerobic exercise is Great-Awesome-Wonderful. There’s a million benefits to it.  It. Will. Not. Take. Off. Weight.  Too much cardio actually eats your muscle cells, which LOWERS your 24-7 calorie burn.  Cardio DOESN’T build muscle tissue, and cardio can make you STARVING.  Be careful with it.

2) Your Diet:  Once we get past a certain age, and have had years or decades of either crappy processed carbs, or “healthy whole grain” carbs, we’ve caused damage to our cells called Insulin Resistance.  You know you have this if you barely eat and either can’t lose weight or you’ve gained weight. This means you’re not burning the body fat you see in your belly, thighs, or butt.  That’s because the muscle cells, and the liver cells are saying “No” to the insulin, which is trying to reduce the glucose (sugar) in your blood stream. This causes the pancreas to keep pumping out more insulin.  When insulin is in the blood stream, FAT IS NEVER USED FOR ENERGY, only glucose is used for energy.   Insulin also causes major amounts of damage to our arteries.

Remember, there’s only a few things we do with all that extra glucose: (a) stuff it in some muscle cells – which doesn’t work if they’re insulin resistant  (b) stuff in a storage site in our liver – which doesn’t work if those cells are insulin resistant, or (c) turn the excess glucose into TRIGLYCERIDES, which is fat, and stuff it in the fat cells, which are NEVER insulin resistant.

When you’re Insulin Resistant, YOU CAN NOT BURN THE FAT YOU HAVE STORED IN YOUR BODY.   You only burn glucose/sugar.  Think that if you barely eat, the body would HAVE to burn fat?  Not if you’re Insulin Resistant!  In that case, your body will happily, and easily, turn muscle tissue into glucose, and use that.  Again, if insulin is in the blood stream, fat won’t be used for energy.  This, and reduced thyroid function, is what happens from years of calorie reduction.  Not a successful plan for weight loss.

What’s the answer to manipulating your diet to lose weight?  Cut the carbs, WAY UP THE FATS, moderate protein, a TON of vegetables, a little bit of fruit, a little bit of nuts and seeds, and a little bit of whole fat dairy if you tolerate that.

If you’ve got a lot of Insulin Resistance, you’ll need to go Ketogenic, and probably add a liver cleanse.  Don’t be scared!  The ketogenic diet is incredibly healthly,  and honestly not hard to live with.

Why a liver cleanse too?  Our liver SHOULD be our biggest calorie burning organ; it should burn more calories than our muscles!  It’s supposed to do hundreds of jobs a day.  If it’s clogged with toxins or damaged by insulin resistance, that calorie burning avenue is hampered, badly.  It’s also a road to really poor health when our liver can’t do the jobs it’s supposed to do.

So there you have it.  If you want to lose weight, but can’t, you need to lift, you need to cut the carbs, you need to focus on Real Whole Foods, and you might need a liver cleanse.  If you’re really Insulin Resistant, you’ll need to do a Ketogenic Diet.  It’s mid-June.  Think where you could be at Christmas time if you start now.  Honestly.  Think about that.  Email me if you want help with the  Ketogenic Diet, it’s a slam dunk for reversing Insulin Resistance, losing weight, and getting healthy.  

Have a great weekend!

 

 

Category: Carbs, Fats, Hormones, ketosis, RWF, Weight Loss / Tags: , , ,

Still Afraid of Fat? Time to Rethink that.

June 18, 2014 / / 2 comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHas anyone read The Big Fat Surprise, by Nina Teicholz? It’s getting a lot of press because it’s a great book!  She goes through step by step details of how meat, full fat dairy, eggs, cholesterol, and saturated fats came to be demonized in America.  What happened?  Let’s just say it’s Big Phuvernment in full swing.

You all, we’ve been duped.  Yep.  There’s ZERO scientific research that CONCLUSIVELY links eating fat and cholesterol with heart disease, yet that connection is accepted as gospel.  Study after study demonstrates no correlation between our level of blood cholesterol and any degree of atherosclerosis.  Study after study shows no link between lowering our cholesterol through diet or drugs, and avoiding heart disease. We wouldn’t know this from talking to our doctor or watching TV commercials.  It’s time to rethink how we make decisions about our own health.

Here’s a few lines on the results of a UCLA School of Medicine study which looked at 136,900 patients in 2009:

A nationwide study conducted by UCLA School of Medicine found that 75 percent of patients hospitalized for a heart attack had LDL cholesterol within the so called safe range – below 130 mg/dl. (21 percent of the patients were taking a statin cholesterol-lowering drug.) Even more astounding, 50 percent of patients had LDL less than 100 mg/dL – considered optimal levels! The mean LDL cholesterol among the hospitalized patients was 104.9 mg/dL.

Read that again! Seriously!

Study after study has shown that lowering cholesterol doesn’t make us live longer or better or have less heart disease. Actually, there are several studies showing that really low cholesterol is linked with more infections ( cholesterol is vital to our immune system), a lack of sex hormones ( all steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol), and associations with aggressive behavior and suicides.  Low cholesterol can be bad for our health – ever heard your doctor say that?

If you’re looking for an interesting non-fiction read, this is it.  It’s time that everyone discovers that  (1) Fat’s not bad for us, and (2), fat is actually GOOD for us. Here’s a few of the many benefits of fats;  read and consider how DECADES of low-fat advice has impacted our health:

Every singe cell in our entire body has a membrane that’s partially composed of saturated fats and cholesterol.  They provide a support structure that allows nutrients in, trash out, and information to be passed cell to cell properly.  That’s important.

Our brain matter is about 60% fat and cholesterol.  ( If you haven’t read Grain Brain yet, you should! )  Fat has many functions up there;  one of them is making memories. Our memories come from our synapses, and synapse formation is almost entirely dependent on cholesterol.  Our brain’s own cells produce a lot of the cholesterol needed for this.  Statin drugs, which shut down our own natural cholesterol production, are famous for interfering with memory.

What about LDL, surely that’s definitely bad, right? It depends.  There’s several types of LDL; one type bind directly to dangerous bacterial toxins and inactivates them, preventing them from doing any damage in the body. We need that particular LDL!   A diet rich in cholesterol has been demonstrated to improve recovery from acute or chronic infections, so the next time you get sick, focus on healthy fatty foods:  eggs, liver, butter, and fatty broth.

There is an LDL that’s small, dense, and prone to damaging arteries, it’s called VLDL, and our body makes that in response to high amounts of carbohydrates in the diet.  (Triglycerides, a fat that’s highly correlated with heart disease, also rises in response to high amounts of carbs.)

Maybe you believe that eating fat doesn’t cause heart attacks, but can you believe that eating fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat?  Notice I say “necessarily”.  A diet full of processed foods, crappy carbs, hydrogenated fats, old polyunsaturated fats left in a deep fryer for days, and a pile of chemicals that create smells, flavors, textures, and colors – just like real food – will make anyone fat as a tick. And sick too. ( This includes our children. )

A diet full of healthy animal fats, coconut oil, olive oil, butter, and cream, along with copious amounts of vegetables, good proteins, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some full fat dairy ( if you can tolerate that), will absolutely NOT make you fat.  The opposite will happen, I promise! How?  You’d be feeding your body what it needs to make new cells, repair cells, and function correctly.  When your body has what it needs to build and repair, it runs smoothly. Your weight normalizes, you have energy, your immune system is strong, and you think better!

Bonus?  Fat satiates.  The food cravings that drive constant eating or binges?  Gone on a high fat diet. That’s because a high carb, high crap diet leaves your brain searching for nutrients.  You won’t be able to ignore the messages demanding that you eat now if you’re not feeding your body the nutrients it needs to be normal and healthy.

Confused, dubious, but hopeful that fat could actually be good for you?  If you’re in the mood for a Big Read, buy The Big Fat Secret.  If you need something quicker, easier to read, and much more direct about fat and cholesterol’s relationship to heart disease, and the dangerous side effects of statin drugs, buy Cholesterol Clarity.   I recommend this to clients, family and friends all the time, it’s excellent.

Want to implement a high fat diet, but you’re not sure how?  Get in touch with me. If you’ve been on a low fat/high carb bandwagon, you’re going to need help making the switch, mentally and physically ( in your kitchen ).  If you’ve been struggling with your weight and your health, this is the answer you’ve been looking for, honest.  Real Whole Food, with plenty fats.  Honestly, try it for a month.  See the difference it can make in your mood, your thinking, and your life – it’s profound.

The Big Take Away:  We all need to be our own best health care provider.  To truly be healthy, fit, and full of energy, it’s up to us to read, to learn, and to question the main stream establishment.  Big Phuvernment stands for the union of Big Government, Big Business, and Big Pharma.  Medicine today is very drug and money oriented.  As a matter of fact, the US spends more on health care than any country in the world, with horrible results.  It’s time for us to stop following blindly, and start taking control of our own health.

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, Hormones, Mind/Body, RWF, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

High Fat Diet for Weight Loss? It works, and it’s Healthy. Get Over Your Fear!

June 11, 2014 / / Comments Off on High Fat Diet for Weight Loss? It works, and it’s Healthy. Get Over Your Fear!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAReady for another Reader Email?  See who doesn’t relate to this one:

Dear Debbie, Thank you for your blog, I’ve been reading you for over a year now.  I know you say that we shouldn’t start a “diet” on a certain date, or count calories, or go low fat, but I did.  I’ve gained so much weight this past winter, that I thought I needed to do something drastic to get a jump start before our July 4th beach vacation.  Every year, I’m the biggest one in our group, and I’m sick of it.   I started a diet on June 1, and, it lasted 3 days.  

I’ve already been derailed by one of my kid’s Field Days, a end of year soccer party ( at a pizza restaurant), and a graduation party this past Sunday.  This is the story of my life. I’m ready to try something different. 

I’m stopping there, because you get the picture.  Maybe this is your picture?  This lady also has daily headaches, miserable periods and PMS, and has carried extra weight since she’s had kids.  She’s also lost weight on Weight Watchers, twice; and is on prescription migraine meds along with a whole lot of Advil.  She’s 40, with 3 kids still at home.  She had planned on eating 1200 calories a day to lose the weight.  That lasted from Sunday til Wednesday.

Reality: if you want to lose weight, sticking to a Low Calorie, Low Fat food plan NEVER works in the long run.  Statistically, between 95 and 99% of EVERYONE who loses weight on that kind of plan gains it back.  It’s hard enough to stick to a plan with soccer games, work, parties, and weekends.  It’s even harder to stick to a plan when you’re starving!  Most people won’t last but a few days; for those who can tough it out longer than that, the body and mind will only allow self imposed starvation for just so long before the dreaded “Rebound Binge” happens. “Diets” just perpetuate a Cycle of gaining/losing, gaining/losing, and then eventually, JUST GAINING.

What to do if you need to lose weight? First, you have to eliminate all grains and sugars. Second, you must eat more Fat, Protein, and Vegetables; especially Fat. I’ve learned that this is the sticking point for most people.  It seems counterintuitive, because we associate Fat in our foods with Fat on our body, but that’s not how it works, honest.  Read this to learn how our body makes fat.

Our body is made mainly out of water, fatty acids, and amino acids.  We need to eat accordingly.  (Minerals make up about 4% of our body, and sugars and vitamins both come in at 2% of our body comp. ) We’ve had decades of Low Fat dieting advice based on the assumption that the fat we eat goes straight to our butt, stomachs, or arteries.   That’s just not true, and there’s plenty of science to prove it.  But who needs science?  Look around.  We’ve got 70% both Sick and Overweight in this country.  The Low Fat Paradigm is so obviously not working.

For Sarah, who wrote this email, and for anyone struggling to lose weight, here’s my advice:

Take a chance, step outside your box, and just for a few weeks, try a different way of eating.  Nix your grains and sugars, and anything “fat free or low calorie”; instead, load up on plenty of  FATS:  good butter, olive oil, coconut oil, egg yolks,  chicken skin, the fattier and nutrient dense animal parts, like liver and kidneys, and switch to whole dairy products (yogurt and keifer).  Add this to tons of vegetables, some good protein, some fruit, some nuts, seeds, and diary if they work for you.

Push past your fear that fat will make you fat, and try eating this way.  I guarantee that if you can make this a lifestyle, not only will you lose weight, but issues like migraines and PMS will disappear.  How can I confidently say that?  Because migraine’s and PMS are from nutrient deficiencies, not medication deficiencies.  Fat is LOADED with nutrients.  Low calorie, low fat diet’s aren’t.

Did you know God made at least 500 fatty acids?? That’s not an accident; fats have numerous purposes.  Our hormones are made from fatty acids, so are our cell walls; saturated fats protect the liver, they play a crucial role in our immune system, and a vital role in our bone health. Fats make up about 60% of our brain matter, they build our glands, and they’re our hearts favorite food; I could go on and on, but you get the picture? Fats Are Important and Vital to Our Existence.

Just as Important:  Eating Fat Can Make you Thin if you eliminate the grains and sugars.  Honest.  Just try it; what do you have to lose, except weight.  What do you have to gain?  Your health, your self confidence, and a great body.  Not sure how to live the Low Carb, High Fat lifestyle?  Work with me.  Even if you have kids, a job, and a busy life, you can do this.

Category: Carbs, Fats, Hormones, Question of the Week, RWF / Tags: , , ,

Tough Mudder, Here We Come; Do You Have Low Thyroid?

June 8, 2014 / / Comments Off on Tough Mudder, Here We Come; Do You Have Low Thyroid?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOh Yea, my sweet husband has “won” us a position in the Richmond Tough Mudder, in 7 days.  We just “won” this a few days ago, so training and preparing for this is going to be…… minimal?

Here’s a link to the course,   I’m a little scared of the Arctic Enema, and the ElectroShocks,  they sound dangerous and unpleasant.

If anyone has ANY advice as to what to do, what to wear, or how to conquer an obstacle, I’ll listen:)  I’m all ears!

Has anyone been listening to the Thyroid Summit this week with Dr. Brownstein and Susie Cohen?  It’s FREE, it goes through June 9, and it’s loaded with Doctors and Scientists giving us the latest Thyroid info.  Considering how many Americans have low thyroid function or a full disorder, this is invaluable information.  And most likely much more information than you’d ever hear in a 10 minute appointment with your regular doctor.

For instance, the standard test any of us would be given to determine the health of our thyroid is called the TSH, that’s Thyroid Stimulating Hormone.  Here’s the problems with just looking at TSH:  1) our pituitary makes TSH, not the thyroid.  2) our Thyroid actually makes a host of other hormones, the primary ones are called T4 and a little T3; and these often aren’t tested. Or if they are tested, the “Free/Unbound/Useable T3 isn’t tested.

T3 is THE ONLY HORMONE THAT ACTUALLY GETS USED IN OUR CELLS.  Our T4 is SUPPOSED to be converted to T3 in our liver, kidneys, and heart.  It takes many different nutrients and enzymes to make this conversion, it also takes perfectly functioning organs.  What if you’re missing those nutrients or enzymes, or you have fatty liver or poorly functioning kidneys?  That conversion could be compromised.

Thyroid hormone ( T 4 and T3) are made from the minerals Iodine and Selenium, and the amino acid Tyrosine.  What if you don’t eat enough of the foods that contain those nutrients, or you don’t have great gut function and you don’t ABSORB those nutrients?  ( do you really think you get enough Iodine? That’s a tough one!)

Do you see where I’m going with this?  Our thyroid function is far more than taking a pill, whether it’s a synthetic, like Synthroid, or a desiccated natural thyroid like Armor.   That said, I take a supplement by Biotics called GTA FORTE II.  It’s desiccated thyroid with no T4 or T3, and it’s worked wonders for me.

Statistically, it’s pretty “normal” for a woman my age to have hypothyroid.  I’ve had my TSH, T3, T4 and RT3 tested, plus an antibody test,  and it’s confirmed: low thyroid function.  I started supplements last year, and saw a big difference in my energy levels.  That said, I also pay very close attention to my nutrients and digestion.  It matters that I give my body what it needs to MAKE and ABSORB the hormones.

Here’s another important issue to keep in mind:  thyroid function will ALWAYS come in second to ADRENAL function.  In Nutritional Therapy school, they constantly repeated ” the adrenals pull on the thyroid”.  It’s true.  When we’re under a lot of stress, both mental and physical, our adrenal glands are making extra adrenal hormones.  Hormones get made from nutrients;  limited nutrient resources are always going to go to the Adrenal glands first.  After all, our body can EASILY slow down the thyroid if it needs to, to show more support to the adrenals.  Adrenal hormones are our Fight and Flight hormones, and our body prioritizes them over just about everything else.  You can ask for a Saliva test to see what your Cortisol levels are, but you’re probably going to need to see an Integrative or Alternative doctor to get one.

What’s one sure-fire way to slow down your Thyroid?  Go on a Diet and Reduce Your Calories.  Your body will slow down your metabolism Every Single Time you do this.

Looking for a doctor who’s tuned into how important good thyroid function is to overall health, and willing to do all the right tests?  Try here and here.

I thought this was interesting:  one of the doctors on the Thyroid Summit said when she started doing Cortisol Testing in 1999, 17% of her patients had abnormal cortisol levels; in 2014, almost 99% of her patients have abnormal cortisol levels! Wow! That’s pretty shocking!  I’ve talked about the dangers of excess cortisol before, it’s scary. That’s probably the result of us rarely ever unplugging anymore, right?

What’s my end advice?  Eat Real Whole Foods, and take action steps to manage your Stress.  Iodine, selenium, tyrosine, and all the other nutrients we need to make and rebuild our body don’t come from crappy, processed foods, which often are COMPLETELY devoid of any nutrients ( how many vitamins or minerals do you think are in a box of Fat Free Cereal or Crackers?); or have “nutrients” added, as in vitamins and minerals made in China?  It matters what we put in our mouth.

Decide today that you’re going to take control of your health, your energy, and your food.  Make a plan, write it down, shop, chop, pack.  Stick to your plan.  If this isn’t your norm, work on making it your norm!  You can do this, other people have. If you want to learn more about your thyroid, listen to the summit while you drive/workout/clean/cook/ etc; or read this post from Dr. Mercola, it’s really good!

Category: Hormones, RWF, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reader Question, and What Causes Food Addiction

June 2, 2014 / / Comments Off on Reader Question, and What Causes Food Addiction

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Mark and I had some pictures done, and we got Air-Brushed!  I LOVE being airbrushed!  Can it follow me around everywhere?

I’ve got a great Reader Question here that I think many people will relate too.  She wants a plan to “get her back on track”  ( I’ve cut and pasted so we can just get to the meat of the matter).

Hi Debbie,

I’ve been reading your blog and have learned so much from you.  I’m trying to cut out the sugar, and cut back on what you call “the grains” too.  It’s hard.  I run, and on my running days I do better when I have some healthy cereal, like Kashi.  But I’ve realized my running days are also my hungriest days, and I eat things I shouldn’t.  My husband thinks I need to eat more carbs like whole wheat spaghetti, and that I’m starving myself.  After reading what you say, I’m not sure if he’s right or not.  

More than anything, I want to lose 20 pounds.  I’m a good runner, I usually place in my age group, but I don’t look like a runner at all.  Now it’s summer, and I’m still in the same place I was when I started reading your blog and following your advice.  I think I need a food plan to get me on track. Can you help me?

I really appreciate this lady’s honesty, because I know she speaks for many.  Yes, I can help, but when there’s an addiction, and there often is with processed carbohydrates, it really comes down to us HAVING A REASON TO STOP, THEN MAKING A PLAN, AND STICKING TO THE PLAN BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN THE REASONS.

Our actions stem from our beliefs.

I know I’ve written about this before, but do you all remember me telling you that several years ago, in the midst of my Carb Addiction and Binges, I joined an on-line Binge Eating group?  I was only on it ONCE.  When I read comments from women in their 60s and 70s who have been in full blown binge/purge modes for decades…… that had a HUGE effect on me.  I decided right then and there, that wasn’t going to be me. I wasn’t going to waste any more years of my life eating crap and then regretting it.  What a waste of mental space and precious time; and the physical damage that happens from those binges is dangerous.  What happens when you try to restrict your sugars and grains to just once or twice a day?   Just like with drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, you can’t “limit” your processed carbs; it won’t work.  You have to “eliminate” them to break the addiction.  And going “gluten free” and eating “gluten free carb products” doesn’t work either.  Those addictions centers are still being triggered.  It’s sad, I know.

Let me tackle a few more issues in this email.  One, “I’m a runner, so I need cereal.” No. You. Don’t.  You don’t.  I’m living proof that anyone who works out – a lot – doesn’t need sugar and grains to fuel their workouts, or build and maintain muscle, for that matter.  Do you need carbs in the form of vegetables and some fruits, for energy?  Yes, but if you need to lose weight, you’re going to need to watch the fruits, and make sure that heavy, starchy vegetables, like potatoes, are used WISELY.  That would be individual, and she and I will talk about that.  There’s a method…

Besides, processed carbs – and yes, Kashi is a processed carb, 100%, – break down so quickly, compared to protein and fat, that you’re hungry again very quickly!!  Why? Processed carbs from grains and sugar SPIKE HUNGER;  they don’t quench hunger, it’s a hormone thing.  Sugar and wheat trigger opioid, or pleasure centers, in the brain.  The Gliadin Proteins in wheat specifically stimulate appetite, always.  Insulin resistance, Leptin resistance, the natural controls put in place to regulate our appetite?  Ruined by processed carbs. That’s why it’s so easy to over eat them.  When was the last time you overate beef or chicken?

Next, of course her running days are her hungry days; long endurance workouts always make you hungry. That’s one of the reasons why short “burst” workouts are better for you.

Let’s talk about running.

Many people run because they absolutely Love Love Love to run, they get a high from it, they use it to clear their head, it makes them feel great.   Many other people run to lose weight, or to try and keep weight off.  That’s very different from the first reason, there’s a lot of cortisol and stress associated with running as a weight loss tool.  Let me be real clear:  neither running, nor ANY exercise, helps you lose weight or keep weight off.  I’ve worked in a gym for 27 years, there’s plenty of overweight members who exercise regularly.  I’ve done at least 100 races in my life.  Seven of those races were half-marathons; have you ever been to one?  In the front holding pens, you’ll see all the sleek, skinny, super fast runners; in the hind pens, you’ll see the un-sleek, un-skinny runners, and there’s plenty.  A lot of them are fast too!  ( I was always in a way way back rear pen – I’m not super sleek or fast! I’m just consistent.)

My point: you don’t have to be skinny to be a good runner, and conversely, running doesn’t make you skinny.  Our body is meant to move and exert energy.  If people from my classes are reading this, what’s one of my favorite lines at the end of a class?

YOU DON’T DESERVE A TREAT AFTER THIS.  IT’S JUST EXERCISE.  WE’RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT.  Somehow, completing an exercise session has become another reason to celebrate ourselves.

Last, I want to address the “get back on track” thinking.  If I had a dime for every time I heard this, I’d be rich.

If you fell off track in the first place, that’s proof that you eat according to calories, not health.  As long as you believe Calories In/Calories Out, you’re doomed to “falling off track”.  One, those carbs stimulate and trigger appetites and hormones so strongly, that as long as you’re putting them in your mouth, the addiction continues.  Two, if you fall off track, and eat the grains and sugars with the thought that you’ll redeem yourself starting tomorrow/Sunday/the 1st, you’re just perpetuating the cycle in the deepest neural habit centers of your brain.

Remember a while ago I went to that Behavior lecture, and learned that the Brain Doesn’t Want To Do What’s Best For Us, THE BRAIN WANTS US TO DO WHAT’S EASIEST FOR US.   

If we want to be successful, we have to Set Ourselves Up For Success.  This means we have to have a REASON for sticking to our plans!  My reasons?  I think sugars and grains are killers!  Honestly!  I think Fats and Proteins and tons of Vegetables make my cells healthy, make my skin good, give me great energy, and keep my immune system strong.  I believe this stuff, because I’ve invested time and effort learning it and drilling it into my brain.

If you’re struggling, you need that brain drilling too.  Build a little time into every day to either read a book or listen to a podcast that helps solidify healthy thinking and healthy behaviors.  It’s always about our day to day actions, right?  Our actions stem from our beliefs.  Create a belief system that allows you to feel and look at great as possible, and never stop working on it!

Here’s a few suggestions:  my blog:);  the podcasts at www.livinlavidalowcarb, and the podcasts at www.undergroundwellness.  Want a great book suggestion?  Read Wheat Belly.  He lays out the science against grains that’s impossible to argue with.    And as always, eat Real Whole Food.

 

Category: Carbs, Fats, Hormones, Mind/Body, Psychology of Eating, Sugar / Tags: , , , , ,

Links To Low Carb Doctors, and What I Learned, Part 2

May 28, 2014 / / Comments Off on Links To Low Carb Doctors, and What I Learned, Part 2

us on shipWe’re home from the Low Carb Cruise – and missing it! If you read my blog and you’re on a weight loss mission, I highly encourage signing up for next years Cruise. If you’re a Health Nut, like me!, I highly encourage signing up for next years Cruise. The speakers were fantastic, the people were wonderful, and then there’s the whole “cruise” part of it – I LOVE CRUISES!!! Theme cruises are the best!

Today I want to give you the blogs of the doctors who spoke to us (information = power over your own health), and some of the facts I learned at the lectures.  Most of the doctors who spoke are members of the American Bariatric Physicians ( not bariatric surgeons, that’s different).

Jimmy Moore is the leader and creator of the Low Carb Cruise, and this is the link to his site. You’ll find hundreds and hundreds of free podcasts loaded with information from top doctors and scientists who are literally at the forefront of Real Information ( as opposed to Pharmaceutical Sponsored Information).

Dr Eric Westman, from Duke University led the lectures, he runs a weight-loss/ketogenic clinic at Duke that I’ve been invited to attend and “shadow” this summer – YES!!!  Dr. Westman is the current President of the American Society for Bariatric Physicians.  Link to his clinic and information here.

Dr. Jeffrey Gerber is Denvers Diet Doctor, check out his blog here.  His May 26 blog post contains the pdf link to the Power Point on Cholesterol he presented at our conference.

Dr. Adam Nally hails from Arizona, check out his blog here.  I loved this guy and will definitely be following him.  He’s incredibly passionate about health, God, and Country.

Col. Phillip Blair, MD, is in Florida. He was a Family Physican for his first 20 years, but now specializes in Chronic Disease and Kidney’s. Read about him here, and then click on the HOME PAGE for the Space Doc site – wow. This one is jam packed with information on cholesterol, fat, the latest studies, etc.  Got a question about a statin, your ratios, or what something means, go here.

Dr. Michael Fox, Reproductive Endocrinologist/Fertility specialist, doesn’t have a blog, but here’s a link to a podcast with him.  He talks about diet’s role in fertility, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and hormonal health.  Hint:  hormones are made from fat and cholesterol !

Dr. Jayson and Myra Carlton run Carlton Nutrition, with an ENORMOUS focus on food quality, and how to do the Real Whole Food lifestyle. Find them here.

There were a few presenting docs who don’t have sites:( , and some professors who didn’t either:(, but these 7 provide more than enough resources to make a difference in your health, or the health of someone you love.  I hope you check out their blogs; the only way to make an improvement in your health is by treating the root cause of your symptoms.  Band-aiding symptoms with drugs DOESN’T EVER SOLVE A PROBLEM; DRUGS MASK PROBLEMS AND ALLOW THEM TO QUIETLY CONTINUE.  These doctors aren’t Main Stream/Pharmaceutical Driven docs who just treat symptoms with drugs.  They get to the ROOT OF THE SYMPTOMS!

What I Learned, Part 2.  Here’s some bullet points:

– Dr. Blair talked a lot about Glycation; or the dangerous effect high blood sugar has on the proteins in our blood and our body ( proteins form our brain, kidneys, thyroid, joints, etc).  He said to picture the outside crust of a grilled cheese sandwich and apply that to the proteins that make your body.  FYI, glycation in a nutshell is when sugar/glucose IN-APPROPRIATELY attach to proteins (cells), damages them, and then ruins their ability to function and communicate.  Example:  Our skin is protein (collagen), the Wrinkles and Age Spots you see?  That’s Glycation.  That’s happening on the inside too.

– Cancer Cells are LOADED with INSULIN RECEPTORS.  If you’re eating carbs, you’re feeding your cancer.  That’s simplistic, but accurate.

– Cancer cells LOVE sugar/glucose; and they’re morphed/demented ( what’s the right word?) in their formation so that they absorb MUCH more glucose than normal cells ( thanks to the excess Insulin Receptors).  Apparently, we have cancer cells in us all the time, we either feed and nurture them, or we don’t.   We have some control over this. Take control. 

– Ketones suppress tumor growth.  ( from me:  Ketones also have “anti-seizure” effects.)

– Every single group in America, the young, the old, different races, the rich, the poor, and the middle class, have GAINED WEIGHT since our government instituted a Low Fat, High Carb paradigm.  Despite Unbelievable Failure, the policies continue.

– Number 1 Cause of Obesity:  Insulin Resistance  ( and what makes the pancreas release Insulin?  Carbohydrate.).   Number 2 Cause:  sedentary lifestyle.   Number 3 Cause (5 – 10%):  metabolic deficiencies, i.e. thyroid, cortisol, etc.   THIS IS SO IN OUR CONTROL.

– Fat Cells make at LEAST 100 Hormones; and the bigger a fat cell gets, the sicker it gets.  Some of the hormones?  Estrogen, and Inflammatory Cytokines.

– If you are Insulin Resistant, (and there’s a good chance you are if you live in America and eat carbs several times a day),  Insulin stays in your blood for up to 12 hours!!  When Insulin is in your blood, ZERO FAT BURNING HAPPENS. ZERO. ZERO.

– Alcohol.  There’s just no way to make this come out good for us; we’re not French Women or Italian Men.  We’re Americans, and we’re metabolically damaged:(  Alcohol ALWAYS induces insulin, even if it’s glucose and fructose free;  ALCOHOL becomes ETHANOL in the LIVER, the ETHANOL is converted to TRIGLYCERIDES (triglycerides are Fat), and the triglycerides are stored in the liver and fat cells.

– Eat a lot of fruit,  or drink fruit juice, or worse, High Fructose Corn Syrup?  Fructose always induces Insulin, raises the bad cholesterol, raises the bad triglycerides, and raises blood pressure.  This applies TO OUR CHILDREN ALSO.  They’re not immune to damage just because they’re young or skinny.

Whew.  That’s enough for today.  The take away:  our health is in our hands.  When we get sick, we’re not drug deficient; we’ve messed up our cells.  Our body wants – and can – repair and rebuild; but if we’re destroying our body faster than it can fix itself, we’re in trouble.

Repeat to yourself: Real Whole Food, Real Whole Food.

Category: Carbs, Fats, Hormones, RWF, Sugar, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obesigens, Weight Gain, & Sex Hormones, and Sexual Urges! Oh My!

May 21, 2014 / / Comments Off on Obesigens, Weight Gain, & Sex Hormones, and Sexual Urges! Oh My!

shipCruise Day 3 – WOW!!! The Low Carb Cruise Lectures Have Begun!
Oh My Gosh, did I learn a lot today at the seminars! I hope you’ll read each of these synopsis, because I guarantee you’ll see information that applies to you.

Have you ever heard of the site, www.liveto110.com? It’s run by Wendy Myers; she gave a great talk on Obesigens and how they make you gain weight. What are obesigens? They’re chemicals in our food, personal care products, cleaning supplies, water bottles, and more, that absorb into our body and mimic estrogen. Except they’re not really estrogen, so instead of the benefits of estrogen, we get the hazards of “pretend estrogen”: cancer, disease, hormone disorders, thyroid issues, and weight gain.
Two take aways: (a) Yes, organic products are more expensive, and homemade products take time and effort, but the regular stuff we buy in the store? It’s killing us. Start one by one replacing what you’re using with NON-TOXIC options. Just one product at a time, don’t stress, but it matters, it really does. (b) Detoxing these chemicals out of our body is IMPORTANT!!!

Next up was Dr. Eric Westermen, Internal Medicine Doc at Duke, and President of the American Bariatric Society. He’s a huge believer, researcher, and practitioner of the Low Carbohydrate, High Fat diet. He’s got the studies and experience to back it up; and we got to hear some of them. What he mostly talked about though, was that, “Research Is Politics”, his quote; and getting funding for anything that’s going to upset the Big Food, Big Business, Big Pharma Apple Cart is almost IMPOSSIBLE. ( my term for that is “Big Phuvernment) In other words, the funding necessary to do expensive studies testing Food as Medicine, is incredibly difficult to attain.   (not a lot of profit there for anyone)

Then we heard from “Reproductive Endocrinologist”, Dr. Michael Fox. He explained himself: he did an OB/Gyn residency, then followed it up with a fellowship that resulted in him now working in Reproductive Endocrinology, or, sex hormone problems. FASCINATING!! For all my clients who are struggling with infertility, PMS, menopause difficulties, low sperm counts, ED, PCOS, etc, listen up! He says after decades of work with men, women, and hormones, he finally realized that there was a link between all of it: the male and female infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, PMS, lack of libido, gestational diabetes, menopause symptoms, and pre-clampsia: Insulin Resistance! Why does anyone get Insulin Resistance? From TOO MUCH INSULIN, which gets released in response to CARBS. He takes all his patients off carbs and puts them (even the pregnant ones) on a ketogenic diet. He said the pregnancy/birth rates in his clinic have skyrocketed to 90% success!!
More gems from Dr. Fox: He thinks Aerobic exercise is HORRIBLE for humans, both male and female, because it screws up their hormones so badly. He says that STRESS must be controlled, because CORTISOL has BAADD effects on INSULIN, which has bad effects on sex hormones.

He thinks VEGETARIAN DIETS are worse than AEROBIC exercise!

He says physicians today are taught “Cookbook Medicine” and practice “party-line protocols” that have nothing to do with solving the root of the problem.
Oh, one more gem from Dr. Fox: for patients who have difficult pregnancies with hypertension or gestational diabetes, he said that they’re looking at themselves in 10 to 15 years if they don’t get off the Insulin/Carb train. This guy had a lot of energy and passion – I loved him!

We ended the day with two Evolutionary Biology Professors from Austin College in Texas; these two were a hoot! And just as passionate as everyone else. They threw several interesting facts at us ( don’t miss the Sexual Urges – Vegetarian connections), let me bullet-point:
*Starvation Diet Studies conducted after WW2 had participants reducing their intake to 1570 cal/day. It worked – they starved, you should see the pictures! Odd that TODAY, 1570 calories is NORMAL for a lot of people, but they GAIN weight, instead of lose weight. What’s happened?
*At 1570 cal/day, people in the study lost their libido, their thyroid function, their mental focus, and they became weak and lethargic. Hmmmm. Sound familiar?
*Japanese Samurai ( the warriors) ate diets of meat and fat; the peasants were fed a diet of rice.
*Monks have always used a Vegetarian Diet, with SOY, to suppress sexual urges.
*Reverend Graham, who came up with the Graham Cracker, was an Avid ANTI-SEX crusader. He preached a Vegetarian Diet to suppress sexual urges.
*Dr. Kellogg (yes, the Cereal Kellogg) was another Anti-Sex crusader ( and sadistic in his experiments on suppressing sexual urges – google them), he also promoted a Vegetarian Diet to suppress sexual urges.
Hmmm.
*We looked at ingredients lists of several dog food brands, and saw over and over pure crap: sugar, grains, artificial colors and flavors, and chemicals. No wonder our pets are fat and sick.
*We talked about the Defense Mechanisms of Plants, which illustrated that the High Carbohydrate/High Insulin value of grains isn’t the only problem with them.
*Grains contains “anti-nutrients”, actually, all plants do, it’s their defense against being eaten.
*These anti-nutrients contain: TOXINS, DIGESTIBILITY REDUCERS, and HORMONE MIMICKERS.
*The result? Grains, make us sick, fat, affect our brain, ruin our gut ( leaky gut and nutrient deficiencies), and pretend to be estrogen. (soy, flax seed oil)
*They ended reminding us that BIG BUSINESS SPENDS BAZILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MAKE PRETEND FOOD “SUPER STIMULATING”, and incredibly addictive.

What a great day!
Oh, food and workouts!
-30 minutes shoulder and chest (the lectures started at 8:45am and went to 4:15, so not a lot of time for working out)
-whey, greens, and flax seed, 2 big carrots
-detox pack
-lunch: fish, turkey burger, on watercress and vegetables, lots of olive oil and balsamic
-detox pack
-dinner: seafood ceviche, spinach salad, roasted chicken, broccoli, bite of chocolate bar
-detox pack
& 7pm show “the Platters”, 10 pm bed. Sounds early – but we’re rarely tired – that good, right?
We’re getting off the ship and exploring St. Thomas today; I think our phones are supposed to work there, so I’ll take pics and put them on Facebook!

Category: Eat on Vacation, Hormones, Sugar / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Blood Chemistry Analysis and Health Pearls

May 5, 2014 / / Comments Off on Blood Chemistry Analysis and Health Pearls

5 of us snorkelingMy blog’s been a little quiet lately because I’m having a few issues with it. I’ve got help on the way and by the end of this week, all should be well in Rock Solid Land:)

I’m writing regardless because I have so much information to pass along.   I attended a seminar this weekend where I was trained in Blood Chemistry Analysis!  Oh My Gosh was it fascinating!  I’ve got a computer program which allows me to input data from any blood panel, along with personal and specific health information.  The computer uses an algorithm to look at all the test results and information from an Integrative, Comprehensive point of view, and then spits out recommendations based on WHAT CAUSES THE SYMPTOMS, as opposed to a focus on just the symptoms alone.  It’s Brilliant!!  It also recommends supplements and foods to address those issues.

For instance, why is your blood pressure high? why are your cholesterol numbers off?  what’s up with the thyroid?  why are your sex hormones off?  what’s going on with your white blood cells? and so on and so on.

I’m installing the program this week, and after I work out the bugs, I’ll let you know.  I can’t wait to use this!

The doctor teaching this has FOUR medical degrees, plus he speaks multiple languages – smart man.  The pearls of health wisdom didn’t stop flowing, so let me pass some on in no particular order:

* If you have unresolved constipation, despite loads of fiber filled fruits and veggies, and a ton of water, think GALLBLADDER.  The gallbladder squirts bile into the small intestine. That bile is supposed to break down fats and CREATE PERISTALSIS IN YOU INTESTINES.  No Bile, No Peristalsis.

* Pumpkins and Sunflower seeds contain several nutrients that are good for bringing down an enlarged prostate.

* Raw eggs are Nutritional Powerhouses ( YES ME!!)  Their nutrients are more potent when undamaged by heat;  very gently cooked is good too.  Don’t do this with STORE BOUGHT EGGS.  Only with Farmer Eggs.

* Cortisol shuts down Gut Function.  Shuts It Down.  If you’ve worked with me, you know I talk about this all the time.  You can have the most perfect diet in the world, but it’s not benefitting you much if physical and/or mental stress are causing cortisol problems.   You’ll need to either employee stress reduction techniques and / or use adrenal supplements to normalize your cortisol.

* PPIs and other acid reducing drugs cause SEVERE NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES AND EVEN DEATH. ( What did you think is the end result of severe nutrient deficiencies??)  Our body builds, runs, and repairs from nutrients.  We need a HIGHLY ACIDIC STOMACH, like the one God designed, to break down our foods, kill pathogens in the gut, trigger the pancreas and the gallbladder, and essentially flip the switch of every single digestive action from the gut to the butt.

* PPIs (acid reducers)  are only approved to be used for 6 to 14 weeks, and they’re NOT approved at all for children and babies.  Do you really want your child to NOT be able to get their nutrients?  They’re trying to GROW!

*Alzheimer’s and Dementia are the fastest growing conditions in the US.  7,000 Americans a MONTH are being diagnosed.   The brain is 60% fat.  Feed it, and don’t poison it with sugar, grains, or chemicals.

* Have you seen the recent news on pregnant women taking SSRIs and the link to Autistic babies?  Google it.

* Licorice ( not the candy kind, but the real herb) can raise low blood pressure, and DGL ( deglycerized licorice) can lower it.

*Take your Magnesium at bedtime on an empty stomach.  Magnesium binds to fat which can inhibit absorption.  You want that Mg inside your cells.

* Avoid prescription drugs as much as possible – their side effects are very real.
Every year, more than 2 million Americans suffer from serious adverse drug reactions. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these reactions cause about 100,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the country.

* If you’re eating real Sushi, raw meat, or  even cooked fish, take your HCl.  It’ll kill the bugs. ( Hydrochloric acid, the same thing our stomach makes – if it’s working.  It’s not working in most people.)

* You need great gut flora/bacteria to convert your T4 to T3 ( these are thyroid hormones).  You need lots of acid in the stomach to have great gut flora in your large intestine.

* Americans take about 75% of the Pharmaceuticals In The WORLD, yet remain fat and sick.   CDC predicts weight and disease rates will continue to climb for at least the next 30 years.  How are those pharmaceuticals working for us?

* Our health depends upon us treating our bodies like temples, not destroying it with drugs, sugar, grains, chemicals, and stress.  Take control of your health.  It really is in our own hands.

 

Category: Carbs, Fats, Food Additives, Gut bacteria, Hormones, Sugar / Tags: , , , ,

Guest Man Post By Mark!

April 27, 2014 / / One comment

Here’s my husband of 27 years, Mark, with some of his Secrets to being a Lean and Fit 50 Year Old:) 

fullbodymarkYes, that’s me in the picture. Look again. I just turned fifty years old last week.

By this age, I should be that paunchy middle-aged guy, looking haggard, falling apart, displaying signs of fatigue, and complaining of a lack of sex drive. Those pharmaceutical mens ads remind me that my symptoms should include energy deficits, decreased strength, altered body composition, sexual dysfunction, and not surprisingly, depression. I should be, in this age of enlightenment, well into andropause, a clinically recognized term to describe the age related decline in testosterone. However, recent studies demonstrate that declining testosterone may not just be attributable to simply aging itself. So the question then becomes: Is there a way to stave off declines in testosterone production? YES. Lifestyle factors, particularly physical activity and diet, can influence testosterone levels.

I have not always had low body fat, above average muscle mass and a good and healthy outlook. I am a recent Success Story sculpted by Debbie Abbott and Rock Solid Nutrition & Wellness. If you’ve read and follow Debbie’s blog, you already know testosterone levels are falling worldwide at astronomical rates. Men, there is one very important hormone for us. It is Testosterone. Every man needs it. The older you get, the more you need it. You are dependent on it. You will be forever, regardless how you feel about it. Stop withering away and submitting pitifully to growing old, you can take matters into your own hands. Here’s how:

First, I know there are many men reading now, who have concluded immediately that I live in the gym, don’t work, and this lesson doesn’t apply in their lives. (That’s OK. You’re having an estrogen response- keep reading, I will explain later) Now I will tell you the fallacy of your argument. I am a top executive at a premier global corporation that requires and demands peak performance every day from its leadership.

I work sixty HOURS minimum each week.
I commute fifteen HOURS each week.
I workout in the gym ninety MINUTES each week.
No additional time in your life is required to make the changes needed to raise and maintain your testosterone to levels integral to health and well-being. Follow these guidelines and you can expect to feel like a MAN. As simple as that.

THE WORKOUT- Terrell Owens, Hershel Walker, Tim Tebow, and Suzanne Somers:
You do the WORK you get the RESULTS.

As a former collegiate athlete, I admire retired NFL players that have maintained their physiques well beyond their playing careers. Two of the fittest, Terrell Owens and Hershel Walker utilize bodyweight training, no equipment necessary, exercises put together in grueling workouts to push your body to the max, and it can be done just about anywhere. It’s all about getting back to basics. My workout consists almost entirely of sets of 100 push ups, pull ups, sit ups, thrust squats, and lunges. Get in, get it done, and get out. I’m rarely in the gym longer than thirty minutes. No social hour, no cell phone, no breaks- do your business and leave.

Make your workout mandatory in your daily routine. Resistance training is a must tomarkbicepcurl raise and maintain testosterone levels. Research consistently shows that lifting weights improves androgen activity. A number of studies have shown significant increases in testosterone levels immediately following resistance training, especially bodybuilding type training using multiple sets of a moderate number of repetitions while taking fairly short rest periods.

The Tim Tebow workout contribution to my testosterone boost- when you think you can do no more reps, demand ten more. See above. I can now exceed 130 pushups and beyond in one set. Anything is possible when you push yourself to the max. Break through limiting beliefs.

Suzanne Somers was right. I believe in the Thigh Master. I call mine a squat rack.

Lower body exercises increase anabolic hormones. Large muscle weight training boosts testosterone, increases testosterone receptor density (so the hormone works better) helps control abdominal fat, increases muscle mass, and enhances self confidence- all critical for maximizing testosterone levels and its effectiveness. Whole body exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts increase testosterone much better than isolated exercises for the biceps and triceps such as curls and triceps pushdowns.

Your Estrogen Talking:
“I don’t have time to go to the gym”
“I’m too tired to work out after a long day at work”
“I don’t have enough time to work out”

Your Testosterone Action:
Get up 30 minutes earlier and exercise before you shower and go to work. You will be more alert during the day and you’ll sleep better at night.

More Estrogen Talking (no man should ever think this, but they do):
“I don’t want to get muscular and bulky from weight training”

Immediate Testosterone Response:
“Muscle takes up less space than fat, making you smaller and allowing your clothes to fit better”
Start working out. Take back your testosterone.

THE DIET- Man, I feel like a Woman (…..not anymore)

Processed foods cause women to act like men and men to act like women.

If you have been following Debbie Abbott’s blog at Rock Solid Nutrition and Wellness, you know by now that soy is estrogen enhancing and will alter testosterone concentrations in a negative manner. Soy is in practically every boxed and processed food product. Wash it down with that bottled water in a plastic container, and you have been eating and drinking three estrogen laden meals every day of your life.

It is no wonder that research shows the prevalence of andropause is widespread amongst middle aged men. In fact more than thirty- nine percent of all males aged forty- five and older have total testosterone levels considered below normal.
All the modern food we men have been eating our entire lives has estrogenic effects which have resulted in advanced deterioration of your testosterone levels.

Thanks to Debbie’s protocol I have eliminated the following “foods” from my diet in the last three years, all of which suppressed my testosterone production:

· No more processed boxed and packaged foods, sweets, pastries, and snacks
· No more sodas, diet sodas, colored or flavored waters, energy drinks
· No beef or meat products modified with hormones
· No bread products
· No homogenized and pasteurized dairy products including milk, ice cream, yogurts, cheeses
· No grain based alcohol, especially mass produced beer products (more on alcohol later)
· No fast food, chain restaurants, or convenience store foods

I do not enter 95% of the aisles in the supermarket. If you are a man in the processed food aisle, you’re probably more of a woman than you think. Stay away from estrogenic products. Take Debbie’s advice, go to the shelves or your kitchen right now and look at the ingredients in your food.

Testosterone is derived from cholesterol. As Debbie’s blog reiterates, what makes cholesterol? That’s right, lipids. Therefore, as you might expect, low fat diets are associated with a reduced testosterone production.
To optimize my testosterone levels, I load up entirely on quality saturated fats from animal sources. My diet consists mainly of:

· Raw unpasteurized milk. I drink one half gallon per day minimum.
· Fresh fish, beef, and lamb cuts.
· Fruits and vegetables
· Organic coffee
· Coconut Oil
· Eggs
· Water

Your Estrogen Talking:
“That food doesn’t work for me”

Your Testosterone Action:
“Studies show an inverse relationship exists with high stress levels correlating with low testosterone levels. Bad nutrition choices will stress you more and undermine efforts to improve your well being”

Your Estrogen Resisting:
“It’s too hard to get started”

Immediate Testosterone Response
“Remember, it is only effort until it is routine. It is much easier to keep going once you’ve gotten over the hump of starting. If you are chronically stressed out, a symptom of low testosterone, here’s yet another reason to take charge and do something about it now”

And finally for today,

Another factor that seriously affects your testosterone levels negatively is the consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol intoxication is shown to inhibit testosterone production for hours after ingestion. Alcohol interferes with testosterone production in a number of ways, including negative alteration of enzymes involved in testosterone synthesis, suppression of steroidogenesis in the Leydig cells of the testes (yes, your balls), and a down regulation of luteinizing hormone receptors. So, if you are slamming drinks on a regular basis, you most likely have chronically suppressed testosterone levels.

Less clinical, much more meaningful for men:

Alcohol fuels low testosterone, resulting in visible disappointment when those special moments arise (or not) with your significant other. We’ll discuss bedroom topics on a later post. But for now, in closing remember the word soft. From your beer belly to your attitude, if you can call it soft, it’s an estrogenic effect.

We will move towards hard in upcoming testosterone posts. Debbie has invited me to share my intermittent fasting, sleep, circadian rhythm, cold thermogenesis; glutathione, and antioxidant regimens which optimize hormone production in males. Till then………………………….

Category: Fats, Hormones, Mind/Body, Success Story / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Want To Lose Weight? You’ve Got To Develop Lean Habits.

April 23, 2014 / / Comments Off on Want To Lose Weight? You’ve Got To Develop Lean Habits.

usEaster This post is in response to some sad emails from those of you who’s head gets turned every time you pass the display counter at Starbucks, or a bag of Stacy’s pita chips, or cave when a bread basket wafts up your nose.  “Good days” and “bad days” are going to be a thing of your past, because you can Change Your Brain Patterns – I promise!  Repeat that to yourself out loud, because your brain believes what your mouth says.  All Dieting has to stop, and healthy beliefs and facts need to be absorbed, if you want a different body.

The data consistently shows that Dieting Causes Weight Gain.  It’s a sure-thing that if you try to restrict calories, there will be rebound binges.

Want a plan?  Here you go:

Focus on changing your habits and thought patterns.  Habits are the ONLY way to a lean, healthy body.  Habits are what we do day after day after day, with very little effort. We develop healthy habits through planning, practice, and belief. 

( If you believe that you can cancel out crappy food with starvation or heavy exercise, you’ll never keep your weight off.  Ever.  If you believe your body needs nutrient dense food to run well, you’ll be lean and healthy. )

Eat three meals a day.  Don’t snack, at all.  Make sure all your meals are at least moderate in size, bigger if you’re active. (Tiny diet meals cause snacking; let’s change this so you’re not high on blood sugar and insulin all day.)  (Insulin is a “fat storage” hormone.)

Eat plenty of good fats, good proteins, TONS of vegetables, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some dairy if you’re good with that.

Eat on a schedule ( morning, noon, and night).  Skipping a meal because you’re not hungry, maybe trying to “eat intuitively”?….Ugh.  Disaster waiting to happen!  Hunger influences our choices; wait til you’re hungry, and there’s a good chance your choices will be BAD.

Don’t rely on Willpower to get you through the day; willpower is in very finite supply.  Using willpower depletes the glucose stores in your brain and leaves you feeling weak and depleted; what psychologists call, “decision fatigue“.  Disaster waiting to happen – again!  Work on developing new Habits and Thought reducefleshPatterns. 

Quit living by the seat of your pants.  Plan, Plan, Plan, and then sit down and Plan.  If you Fail to Plan, then just Plan to Fail, because changing your thought patterns and your habits isn’t going to happen naturally.

Carry Out Your Plans.  Shop, pack, freeze, cook, keep a running list though the week of meal ideas, lunch ideas, and grocery needs.

You think that you can’t do this because you’re too busy?  Oh please!  Get rid of that  excuse!  Tomorrow I’m posting a Success Story by my friend, Terry Kaye.  She’s a mom of 3 boys, two of which have health issues, she works a few different jobs, she works out, and she cooks every day.

Who do you know who isn’t busy?? And don’t we want to teach our kids how to successfully handle normal, real life?  Plan, Plan, Plan, and Plan.

Delete any thoughts of “making up for this later”,  or starting over tomorrow/Sunday/Monday/the 1st etc.  That’s ” Diet ” thinking, seriously.  Diet thinking means you’re negotiating with yourself that if you eat crappy food now, you’ll starve yourself later; which would work if your body was a Calories In Calories Out system.  It’s not.  It’s a Chemistry Set.  The chemistry you set in motion with lots of crappy carbs and toxic chemicals will NOT be balanced out with Starvation or Excessive Exercise.  Ever.

Delete any thoughts that carby foods made with flour and sugar (muffins, donuts, cookies, etc)  at Wegman’s, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s are Healthy because you bought them at Wegman’s, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s.  Products made with grain flour and sugar are still products made with grain flour and sugar.  They’ll spike your blood glucose, your insulin, and your cortisol, and put on belly fat. Junk food is junk food.

If you really want to change the way you habitually think about food, get in touch with me.  The more you understand how your body works, the easier it is to make smart choices.  Habits are the ONLY way to a lean, healthy body.  Habits are what we do day after day after day, with very little thought or effort, and ZERO decision fatigue.  Does it take a few months to change your habits?  Yes.  Looking back though, what’s a few months.  Ask yourself, where do you want to be Next Year on This Date.  Exactly where you are right now, doing the same old habits and patterns; or lean, healthy, and using newly instilled habits?  Ask yourself this: how long have you been using the same old Diet methods to try and change your body? How many years?  What’s the definition of Insanity?   Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Everyone is capable of change, but doing the same old thing will always bring about the same old results.  Commit to Real Whole Food, and commit to changing your thoughts and habits, you can do this!

Man Post by Mark coming this weekend.  🙂

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, Hormones, Looks Healthy But Isn't, Mind/Body, Psychology of Eating / Tags: , , , , , , ,
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