Antibiotics can kill good bacteria naturally found in the gut…

How do the bugs in your gut keep you healthy.

If gut health is poor, the result could be impaired immune and nervous systems.

And it can also wreak havoc with hormonal function throughout the body…

Dear Friend,

Several recent studies have found intriguing links between gut microbes, helping our bodies digest and absorb nutrients and protect against inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis).

This mass of microbes which live in the gastrointestinal tract affects our overall health.

Microbes are especially influential in the gut, which is host to two-thirds of your body’s immune cells.

The gastrointestinal tract (pathway for digestion), deals with a constant stream of food-related foreign microbes, when harmful microbes are found they’re eliminated. 

The gut flora promotes normal gastrointestinal function, provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism and consists of more than 75% of our immune system.

Did you know your gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all cells in your entire body?

In fact, is gut health critical to your overall health?

 There are over 400 known diverse bacterial species…

Scientists only recently begun to understand the full extent of gut flora’s role in health and disease.

And other key factors within gut flora which promotes normal gastrointestinal function…

Research is seeing how gut flora provides protection from infection, regulates metabolism and more than 75% of your immune system.

Dysregulated gut flora has been linked to diseases ranging from autism and depression to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes.

Recent research has shown gut flora and health of the gut in general play a significant role in obesity and diabetes.

Nearly every patient with a blood sugar issue has been diagnosed with leaky gut or a gut infection and some other chronic inflammatory gut condition.

Scientists now know the composition of these organisms living in your gut determines to some extent how your body stores foods you eat.

How easy or difficult it is for you to lose weight and how well your metabolism functions…

Does processed foods screw up our gut and makes us fat and diabetic?

Research suggests healthy gut bacteria are crucial to maintaining normal weight and metabolism.

Unfortunately, lifestyle choices directly contribute to unhealthy gut flora:

• Antibiotics and other medications (birth control and NSAIDs)
• Foods high in refined carbohydrates, fats and sugar
• Processed foods (especially foods 50% sugar and 50% fat combo)
• Foods low in fermentable fibers
• Dietary toxins (industrial seed oils) 
• Chronic stress
• Chronic infections

Research shows infants that aren’t breast-fed and are born to mothers with bad gut flora are more likely to develop unhealthy gut bacteria.

And these early differences in gut flora may predict overweight and obesity in the future.

It’s interesting to note the diabetes epidemic has neatly linked with increased prevalence of factors which disrupts normal gut flora.

How to maintain and restore healthy gut flora…

First step in a healthy gut is to avoid all of the above suggestions.

As you probably already know that’s not always possible.

Especially in the case of prolonged or chronic stress and infections.

If you’ve been exposed to some of these factors, there are steps you can take to restore your gut flora:

• Remove all processed foods, especially highly refined foods from your nutrition
• Eat plenty of fermentable fibers (starches, sweet potato, yam, yucca, etc.)
• Take high-quality probiotic or foods for restoring healthy gut flora
• Treat any intestinal pathogens (parasites) which may be present
• Take steps to manage your stress, (relax and get plenty of sleep)

Find the most effective way to get your daily dose of good gut health.

Eat healthy and feel free to refer to other articles on probiotics. Everything from mood to weight to overall health and performance comes back to your intestinal tract,.

Quite literally, your gut is the epicenter of your mental and physical health.

If you want better immunity, efficient digestion, improved mental clarity, focus on your gut health and enjoy more energy with better quality of lifestyle…

Gut Health

Is it a Case of Mind Over Matter to Win the Mental Game of Stubborn Fat Loss?

We all understand the far reaching benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise, right?

Did you know as women our hormones play a key role in every aspect of our lives?

Dear Friend,

Allow me to start by being totally up front and saying I’m NOT an endocrinologist and I do NOT claim to be an expert…

You do NOT necessary have to become one either.

But the truth is unless you address your hormones in context to your nutritional plan as a key factor in weight loss, you’re most likely going to continue to gain weight and struggle.

Many so called experts don’t really cover the basics and true importance of your body’s chemical makeup on how and why hormones produce fat.

And how hormones influences how much fat your body burns and stores.

The goal is to keep this as simple as possible while providing you with sound research.

Why does it all start with hormones?

Hormones don’t often get talked about, yet are vitally important.

You see, whatever body type you are it comes down to much more than just how much and what you eat or exercise.

Hormones and body muscle content play a very big role in your ability to stay lean and healthy (not talking about becoming a body builder)…

So understanding how hormones work for or against you means you can only get better control over your waistline if you know what is happening, even if it is at a very basic level.

Hormones are the driving force behind the body you see in your mirror.

If your body produces the right hormones, your body thrives.

If not, your body suffers…

There is a BIG reason why America is approaching 70% overweight.

The signals women send their body through food they eat and exercise they do is detrimental…

And yes the results do show what’s happening.

If you want to transform your body, it starts with your hormones.

And that doesn’t mean via supplementation.

You see, the best and most effective way is through living a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods and exercising consistently.

As Weight Loss Coach, I’m often asked about hormones and how they affect us?

Hormones are a complex topic, hopefully this short article explains it all in a really simple, easy to understand way…

Hormones affect the way we feeling during adolescence and continue to play a key role throughout our lives.

Hormones affect your metabolism, stress levels and reproductive system.

There are many hormones which influence your own health.

So how do these hormones affect your overall health…

A major hormone which is influenced by what you eat is called insulin.

Insulin is one of the biggest influences for many health areas.

Insulin is a hormone which is secreted by the pancreas after you eat carbohydrates.

When you eat carbohydrates, the sugars are absorbed into bloodstream, naturally causing your blood glucose levels to rise.

The pancreas secretes insulin in order to help your body process blood glucose.

Insulin helps to move glucose from blood into cells of your body so cells can use glucose for energy…

When you eat food, in particularly carbohydrates, your body releases insulin to lower the increase in blood sugar right?

You can never lose fat in the presence of insulin.

When you eat protein with carbohydrates, it slows the sharp release of insulin so you never have a spike of insulin. Try to always include some protein with every meal…

Insulin also helps to change any excess glucose your body does not immediately need into a stable form of energy called glycogen.

Glycogen is produced in the liver…

Leptin and ghrelin are hormones which tell you when to eat and when to stop eating.

Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and pancreas…

Ghrenlin alerts your brain when your stomach is empty.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells and triggers appetite suppressing hormones when you’ve eaten enough.

Both hormones are affected by sugar…

In other words, how much sugar you eat.

Eat too much sugar and the result can mean reduced leptin production, which leaves ghrelin to send out unnecessary hunger signals (pangs and cravings).

Cortisol is a stress hormone which is released from the brain into your bloodstream.

Now, in times of stress and anxiety, cortisol licks in to help accelerate your heartbeat, feeds your brain extra oxygen and releases energy from your fat and glucose stores.

Your mood and memory are partly controlled by serotonin…

Serotonin is often produced in the gut.

Serotonin is commonly known as the feel-good hormone or neurotransmitter.

Female sex hormones…

The most important hormones made by the ovaries are known as female sex hormones and the two main ones are oestrogen and progesterone.

The ovaries produce both testosterone and estrogen…

Women’s ovaries produce a minimal amount of testosterone, which drives sexual desire, muscle strength, bone density and metabolism.

Relatively small quantities of testosterone are released into your bloodstream by the ovaries and adrenal glands.

Too little testosterone can affect a woman’s energy level, libido and mood health.

Too much testosterone in women can contribute to acne and facial hair.

Oestrogen and progesterone are female sex hormones produced in the ovaries.

Oestrogen is primarily a female sex hormone…

Oestrogen enlarges breasts, widens pelvis and oestrogen is what gives women the curvy appearance.

Oestrogen stimulates a female’s instinct, increases alertness, lowers body fat levels, increases insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance.

Symptoms of low oestrogen can occur at any age, more prominent in menopause.

Progesterone increases sleepiness, helps to build and maintain bones, slows digestive process, promotes appetite and helps breast tissue mature.

Progesterone stimulates production of breast milk during pregnancy.

Symptoms of low progesterone include premenstrual migraines, irregular or heavy periods and anxiety…

Hormones from PMS to menopause these are messengers of womanhood which can affect your mood, weight, food cravings and even your desire for sex.

Some women experience normal “smooth sailing” and other women metabolize hormones differently…it just might feel like a roller coaster ride at every turn of the hormonal bend…

Eat fresh, nutritionally dense foods as often as possible.

If you can, avoid food from a box or bag; especially any ingredient you can’t pronounce.

Keep ingredient lists to fewer than five recognizable ingredients and you’ll experience fat loss with fewer cravings because your body is properly nourished.

Generally white or bleached carbohydrates have a high glycemic index.

Essentially it means food is broken down quickly and your blood sugar will spike.

This results in a dump of insulin…

And as you remember, you can’t lose fat in the presence of insulin.

So do yourself a favor and eat low glycemic complex carbohydrates and you avoid the roller coaster of peaks and valleys in blood sugar.

You won’t feel crazy hungry an hour after eating…

You’ll stay full longer and it’s easier to make healthy choices if you don’t feel starved or deprived.

Fat Loss for Females

Feeling wired, tired and moody?

All day long, do you constantly think about getting peaceful and restful sleep?

And despite your sheer exhaustion…at the end of the day, you just cannot sleep…

Are your so called “healthy” food choices destroying your fat loss hormones?

How to stop hormonal damage as a result of “low carb dieting”, which suppresses thyroid and leptin levels significantly…

Reset fat-burning hormones which keep your metabolism and body healthy…

Increase leptin sensitivity to help support thyroid converting T4 to T3 more efficiently.

We’ll dive into why it’s not your fault…it’s got to do with food choices and hormones.

Please allow me to explain…

First, let me ask you a question, does any of this sound familiar to you…

• anxiety
• panic attacks
• depression
• mood swings

Ever feel like you’re on a daily roller coaster ride?

Thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, weighing only about 1 ½ ounces.

The ‘wings’ of thyroid are called lobes and they wrap around the windpipe.

And while it may be tiny when it comes to size, many health experts consider thyroid to be a master gland when it comes to controlling numerous body functions…

From the beating of heart to function of sex organs.

Your thyroid exerts its powerful hormonal influence on many different and critical body tasks throughout your body.

Most women are hormonal imbalanced and don’t even know it…

Sadly too many women are misdiagnosed and over prescribed…

Did you know your hormones should ideally all work together to create an environment of balance and harmony?

An imbalance of one hormone affects them all…

For women with a biochemical imbalance, it’s very common to feel like you’re on a mood roller coaster.

Endocrine system involves glands that control all hormones and neurotransmitters.

Hormones and neurotransmitters are chemicals which control mental and emotional states…

These chemicals help the brain to balance emotions.

What if you have a problem with one gland?

For example, our thyroid…does all the other glands play into it as well?

Our endocrine system functions like a biomechanical vehicle.

All the parts have to be working at just the right time for us to feel good and be biochemically functional.

When looking at low thyroid levels…

This involves adrenals, pituitary, hypothalamus, pancreas and ovaries as well.

What if you have symptoms of hypothyroidism or hypoadrenalism (hypo means low), mood swings can be an everyday problem…

Many women feel this way and it’s very common for them to go to a western medical doctor and give symptoms of mood swings, anxiety or depression…

Leaving with a antianxiety or antidepressant prescription.

The truth is, depression is not a drug deficiency.

The cause is the common problem of your poorly functioning inflamed glands in the game of emotional stability…

And if not working at the right speed, can give you symptoms that include riding on mental roller coasters.

Most people know the thyroid regulates metabolism, but did you know it is also part of your immune system, nervous system and also helps the functioning of your brain?

Most people think our brains tell our bodies what to do…

The truth is hormones are released into our blood…

They travel to the brain, the level of hormones tells our brain what our body must do next.

Hormone imbalances are hard on us because once symptoms start, they set in motion an exhausting, self-perpetuating cycle which can be very difficult to stop.

This is a downward spiral for most women…

Women suffering with low thyroid and/or low adrenals are usually feeling very stressed and overwhelmed, and they are usually irritable and moody.

The stress creates more feelings of being overwhelmed, which creates more stress on the adrenal glands, which in turn creates more fatigue…

And the cycle continues into a snowballing multi-level problem.

What is low thyroid and adrenal fatigue and why is it happening?

Thyroid function is weakened by stress, pollution, bad eating habits…

And a history of yo-yo dieting.

If our bodies are functionally perfect, our adrenal glands would be able to deliver a perfect balance of stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and DHEA.

That way is helps us cope with the day-to-day stresses and demands of life…

They also have plenty of sleep time to recover, rejuvenate and replenish themselves in order to come to our aid when called upon.

In a perfect world the thyroid would be the “master switch: to tell each cell if it needs to be consuming more oxygen and nutrients…

Thereby stepping up or slowing down its rate of metabolism.

Unfortunately, none of us can create the ideal situation for the perfect hormone system, especially women whose lives are generally more responsive, wearing and demanding.

We must meet deadlines, jobs, finances with families to care for…some even have hormonal teens to look after and some even aging parents or grandparents.

All of which can place an enormous stress and strain on our lives and our adrenal glands.

Our adrenal glands can become so overwhelmed and exhausted they’re unable to meet the body’s demand for adrenaline, cortisol, and DHEA.

Instead of being in adaption phase where we are able to adapt to everything, we are in a low phase where we cannot adapt at all.

We’re also micronutrient and mineral deficient…

And if stress wasn’t enough, the food that’s our fuel to repair is missing micronutrients.

None of us eat right, even if we did, the food we eat is deficient in the nutrients we need.

It is like filling-up your car on low octane gas and expecting it to perform at it highest level.

Sometimes, even when your thyroid is working normal and you’re supporting with good supplements you can still have mood swings because your cortisol is low or high.

Take a moment to feel your thyroid, remember the last time you swerved your car to avoid hitting a stray dog or another vehicle whose driver was to busy texting and in your lane.

How did you feel?

Were you shaking?

Tense?

Out of breath?

Was your mind racing?

All of the physical reactions during that moment were the result of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol…

Known as “flight or fight,” when our bodies are under physical stress due to hormone imbalances, stress, lack of sleep or lack of nutrients.

These two stress hormones can be out of balance as well, they can be too high or too low.

As they rise and fall, surges of either one or both of them, can cause feelings of anxiety, heart palpitations, and panic attacks.

They can even cause you to bolt awake out of a deep sleep in the dead of night.

They cause you to feel wired and tired at the same time.

Balancing stress hormones, tips and strategies to help you out right now:

Minimize your exposure to environmental toxins, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and even household cleaning products and antibacterials.

These can act as hormone disruptors, which may interfere with thyroid function.

Avoid heavy metals like mercury, found in tuna, amalgam dental fillings, certain vaccines, and even some over-the-counter products like contact lens fluid.

Mercury can also adversely affect your thyroid.

Limit your stress level as much as possible. Chronic stress interferes significantly with thyroid function.

Interestingly, in an interview several years ago on Good Morning America, talk show diva and producer Oprah Winfrey blamed her own thyroid concerns on excessive stress level.

Stop eating soy, except in fermented forms such as miso or tempeh.

Despite marketing efforts by “Big Soy” (certain multinational food corporations), soy is NOT a health food.

Unfermented soy is high in chemicals called isoflavones, which may contribute to abnormal function of your thyroid gland and other health concerns.

Make sleep a high priority.

A thyroid imbalance may cause or contribute to sleep difficulties.

While there is no “magic number” when it comes to the amount of sleep you need, most adults need 7-9 hours per night according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Support your thyroid with optimal levels of thyroid-loving nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, riboflavin, niacin, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, and manganese.

Plus, any effective approach to correcting sub-optimal thyroid function must also provide support for the adrenal glands.

Your adrenals, which sit on top of kidneys, may become fatigued when overstimulation of these important glands (from physical or emotional stress) leaves them unable to supply your body with an adequate amount of their hormones…

T3 is often discussed in regards to weight loss and it’s for good reason…

T3 thyroid hormone naturally speeds up your metabolism.

If you are finding it hard to lose weight it is a good idea to discuss testing your free T3 (FT3) with your health practitioner.

T3 and weight loss

T3 is the most active thyroid hormone and adequate T3 activity not only helps with weight loss, it can also reduce many of the other symptoms of an underactive thyroid.

In fact low T3 can have far-reaching effects in the body.

Reduced T3 activity is often associated with a slow heart rate, lower than normal body temperature, thyroid hair loss and fatigue.

T3 blood test result…

What is considered a good number?

The standard reference range for free T3 is 4.0-8.0 pmol/L.

This provides a very good clue that you ideally want to see your free T3 test result above 4.5 pmol/L.

A main reason you may have anxiety, depression, panic attacks, mood swings and low thyroid function, is a lack of nutrients that are vital for normal function of thyroid hormones.

Nutrient deficiencies put a ton of stress on our bodies, especially the thyroid and adrenals.

Here are supplements to speak to your doctor about:

1 – Suggest you get a whole food multivitamin

Make sure you get your selenium and B12 levels tested in case you need to supplement with extra in addition to your multivitamin.

2 – It is also important to take Omega-3.

3 – May be good to take magnesium at night before bed (this helps with insomnia).

4. Ashwagandha is a great adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps the body to adapt.

It is a great herb for supporting adrenals and thyroid and really helps in times of stress.

How stress affects your thyroid…

Most diets are deficient in all these nutrients, even when you think you eat well, you are most likely still deficient according to many clinical studies and researched studies.

The thyroid makes free radicals (cell damaging toxins) even when it functions normally, once thyroid is slower and working much harder, it continues makes more free radicals…

This causes more inflammation in the body.

Free radicals are only neutralized by antioxidants.

Once your antioxidant reserves are depleted your thyroid function slows down.

Unfortunately, most diets are lacking in nutrients and antioxidants.

You should be eating foods with antioxidants in them every day such as grapes, berries, nuts, dark green veggies, and sweet potatoes (this is also good for anti-aging).

Supplements mentioned above enhance the formation of thyroid hormone and protect thyroid gland as well as liver so they can more efficiently produce and activate hormones.

These supplements may help make it easier for your body to increase T3, and help the transport of thyroid hormone into cell tissues to turn on your metabolism.

These supplements are great to support healthy mood levels.

In addition support healthy weight management, other biochemical balance and cholesterol too, all important to anyone that is struggling with mood swings and thyroid functions.

What if you have been under a tremendous amount of mental or physical stress you might find thyroid and adrenal glandular supplements taken short term are helpful to recovery…

However, do consider talking with your doctor first before just trying a glandular.

Sleep and exercise are lifestyle factors which are important to rebalance your mood and hormones.

It is difficult to sleep without enough exercise.

Suggest 8-10 hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep in a complete dark room without TV or music on.

It is important if you do get up in the middle of the night that you don’t turn a light on as this gives your brain signals that the night is over.

Suggest some form of exercise that you love, just because it’s great for you and will help with stress too.

A good walk everyday is good for everyone; yoga, Pilates and dance are great too.