I was so excited to see Nicholas Carr interviewed last week at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Nicholas Carr wrote the NY Times best selling book The Shallows – What the Internet is Doing to our Brains, which I blogged about this summer. His new book, The Glass Cage: Automation and Us, explores how increased automation is affecting our work and personal lives.

What a loaded topic! Does shifting our attention to computer screens leave us disengaged and discontented?

Automation certainly reduces the amount of drudge work we have to do and provides our lives with greater ease and convenience, which is generally a good thing. But where do we draw the line?

I love his example of being a 16 year old teenager and learning how to drive a manual car. I can relate to this because I also learned how to drive on a manual — an old Volkswagen Dasher! Carr writes how he was so excited to get an automatic car, and his wish was granted two years later. He loved his automatic car for about one month…and then felt bored and disengaged while driving. Obviously, driving an automatic is not as engaging as driving a manual car. And now we have the Googlemobile, a self driving car. Talk about automatic! But do we really want this?

Nicholas Carr asks how often we really stop to think if we want the next automation, the next gadget, etc.? I can tell you right now, after some thought, I do not want a driverless car. I get bored being the passenger. There is just something about driving on an open road, even in an automatic, that I don’t want to give up. As someone in the audience stated: every automation is an amputation. Food for thought.

What does this all have to do with health, nutrition, and fitness? Well, there are apps to help us shop, cook, put together meal plans, track our daily steps, monitor how many calories we eat and how many we burn, and even assess how well we sleep. These apps are great in that they help us put together shopping lists that match recipes, give us great ideas for meals, measure our progress when it comes to exercise and calories burned, which then in turn motivates us to continue with our healthier life-style choices. It is easy for us to measure our progress with these apps. And this is a good thing. Is there a downside?

An app does not “listen” to your body and make the decision that you really need that extra hour of sleep on Monday instead of a work out, or that you feel like you are fighting a cold and that you need to slow down for a couple of days. An app will not tell you that your body really needs more protein today due to a lot of work or emotional stress or that you need to have some nourishing chicken soup to fight off a cold.

Following a recipe or meal plan on an app is certainly helpful; however you may be overriding what your body really needs by following the app instead of your own intuition. Something to think about. Would love to hear your comments here.

Are you a member of the clean plate club? Did your parents encourage you to eat everything on your plate?

Growing up, my sisters and I had to finish everything on our dinner plates to be excused. It could be a long sit at the dinner table if you didn’t like the food that was served! Sound familiar? Well guess what, a new Cornell University study shows that the average adult eats 92% of whatever he or she puts on his/her plate. The study authors analyzed 1179 diners in eight developed countries, including the U.S. and Canada, and concluded that we’re a Clean Plate Planet! If we serve it, we’ll eat it, regardless of gender or nationality. Part of the reason we finish what is on our plate is that we know about how much we normally eat and serve ourselves accordingly.

Interestingly, the finding was very different with children. Analysis of 326 participants under 18 years old showed that the average child eats only 59% of what he or she serves. Perhaps they are less sure whether or not they will like a specific food. Or maybe they just lose interest in the activity of eating. I have seen that happen many times! Or they stop eating when they get full? Hard to say.

What can we learn from this study? When you serve yourself, be more mindful of appropriate portion size as you are very likely to finish everything on your plate! Remember, if you are still hungry, you can go back for seconds!

I am curious, what do you do when you go out to eat and you are being served by someone else? I like to share plates; but sometimes I am not with people that want to share! Would love to hear your strategies!

Cornell Food & Brand Lab. “The 92 percent clean plate club: You’re not alone in eating everything on your plate.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 July 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140722164401.htm>.

September and October are popular months to participate in a detoxification program. Detoxification programs typically range anywhere from 10 to 28 days.

You may ask: “Is detoxification a trend? Is detox a buzz word?” Absolutely not!

We now know the science behind detoxification and why it works.  We can now identify the critical co-factors (including specific vitamins, minerals, and amino acids) that support our detoxification enzymes. Detoxification can be used simply as a jump start to better health and more energy or it can be used as a healing therapy for chronic illness.

Why engage in a detoxification program? We used to think that toxicity only happened when a person was exposed to high amounts of a metal like lead or mercury or high amounts of a industrial chemical.

Now we know that even low levels of toxins such as BPA found in bottles, cans, and credit card receipts can have a dramatic effect on insulin production and our body’s ability to utilize glucose. Over time, low levels of toxins can poison our mitochondria, which affects our ability to make energy. In other words, low levels of toxins can disrupt our metabolism and yes, even make us gain weight! In fact, Dr. Jeffery Bland, often called the father of functional medicine, has connected molecular toxicology to obesity, diabetes, and oncogenic events.

There are numerous types of detoxification programs out there, and I am sure that you have been exposed to some of them! It is important to note that not all programs are safe for  everyone.

I mentioned above that our detoxification enzymes are highly dependent on co-factors including specific vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to get the job done.

Water and juice fasts and/or detox programs that lack adequate protein do not provide all these critical co-factors to adequately support your detoxification pathways. And if you have a toxic load (which most of us do) and start to dump toxins without having enough support to get rid of the toxins, you will most likely end up feeling worse and not doing your body any good.

If you are interested in assessing your toxic load or testing to see how well you detoxify, please click here to set up a complementary strategy session with me.

I also offer a 21 day DIY Cleanse and Revive program, which is safe, effective, gentle, and backed by science!!  Hundreds of women and men have completed this program with great results, including increased energy, better mental focus, and weight loss!  Click here to learn more.

Do you ever question why you take the time to eat healthy, work-out, and live a pretty healthy lifestyle? Every so often I question it all. I was reminded why I choose to live a healthy lifestyle (most of the time) while at Yosemite National Park over 4th of July weekend. There are hikes and activities for all levels of fitness; and you can’t do the most spectacular hikes with the awesome views if you are not fit (unless you are in your teens or 20’s when you can do anything!) As my boyfriend and I climbed to the top of Clouds Rest, I was so thankful for the good fuel that I put in my body and for my dedication to my exercise routine, including climbing lots of hills in SF! My legs and lungs felt so strong, even though we climbed 1,970 feet pretty quickly. We even passed up a group of 20 year olds…although they did pass us on the way down – no fear of falling! After we completed our 14.4 mile hike, I expected to be wiped out, especially the next day, but that didn’t happen. Well, I was a little tired that evening!

I was also inspired by people on the hike who were 10 to 20 years older than me; also climbing to the top. I want to be able to explore and climb big mountains 20 years from now! Next on my agenda…hiking the backcountry of Yosemite for several days. Hmmm, maybe 40 to 50 miles? I was inspired by a documentry called Mile, Mile and a Half. Check it out if you are into hiking! http://themuirproject.com/mmah/film/ Adventure, exploration, and experiencing nature’s grandness are what keep me motivated to stay healthy. What are your motivations? I would love to hear!

The internet is not going anywhere and I am certainly not giving it up!  But I also want to keep my neural circuits that promote concentration, reflection, and going deep strong.  So I am going to keep reading old fashioned books without hyperlinks (even if that means more weight when I travel!) and continue to take one half to one day off a week from using digital technology, unless I need it to get somewhere!

Thanks to Sail by AwolNation for inspiring this blog.

1. Carr, Nicholas G. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.

There are so many ways to get high, and one of them is intellectual stimulation.  And that was what I experienced at the Institute for Functional Medicine annual conference in San Francisco May 29 – 31.  The topic was Food And Nutrition: The Ultimate Upstream Medicine.

And yes, I was in heaven!

My favorite part of the conference was a forum called Nutritional Controversies: What’s the Right Diet.  It included a presentation of the Paleolithic Diet by Loren Cordain, PhD, the Mediterranean Diet by Mimi Guarneri, MD , and a plant based diet called the Nutritarian Diet by Joel Fuhrman, MD.  It was moderated by Chris Gardner, PhD, a respected scientist currently conducting some fascinating nutrition studies at Stanford University.  We needed boxing gloves for this one! J

Do we eat a Paleolithic diet, consisting of organ meats, grass fed meats and wild game, pasture raised poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, roots, nuts and seeds?  And eliminate foods introduced by agriculture about 10,000 years ago, including grains, legumes, and dairy? Or is the Mediterranean diet the right diet, with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, and olive oil daily? And a moderate amount of fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy, with limited amounts of red meat? Certainly many prospective studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is cardio protective and lowers the risk of diabetes mellitus.  The contemporary Paleo diet has not been around long enough for large studies to assess its effect on chronic degenerative diseases.  What we know now is what has been analyzed in the fossils of our Paleolithic ancestors.

Or what about the Nutritarian diet that was presented to maximize health and longevity?  This diet is about low calorie/high nutrient intake.  Indeed, studies have shown this type of diet to increase longevity.  The Nutritatian diet includes unlimited vegetables, (especially  green veggies), fresh fruits, and beans/legumes.  One serving daily of cooked starchy veggies, whole grains, and raw nuts and seeds. Animal products such as fish, fowl, eggs, and fat free dairy are limited to 0 to 3 times per week. According to Dr Fuhrman, excess animal protein shortens lifespan. And red meat, refined grains, full fat dairy, and refined oils/sweets are rarely consumed.  The focus is on nutrient dense foods like mustard greens, kale, collard greens, spinach, arugula, and cabbage.  Although Dr. Mat Lalonde would argue that organ meats by far have the highest nutrient density!  (Watch video)

What did all the presenters agree upon? 

• 30% of our diet should be colorful veggies!  Include fruits too (especially low glycemic load fruits like berries).
• Stay away from processed foods, including all the whites (white grains, white flour, white sugar, white potatoes).
• Restrict sugar.  There are way too many added sugars in American foods.

How do you decide which diet is ideal for you?  As Chris Gardner pointed out, many of the studies that support these diets are flawed and are based on following populations of people, which doesn’t necessarily equate to cause and effect.  One way to determine the best diet for you is to experiment with all three diets, and see which diet makes you feel best.  However, to really get a good feel for a particular type of diet and assess long term benefits, you need to be on the diet for awhile, at least 8 to 12 weeks.   So this could be a time consuming process!

My answer to which diet is ideal for you:  Work with a nutritionist who can evaluate your current diet, health history, nutrient deficiencies/excesses, and metabolism to put together a diet plan that is just right for you!  Who knows, you might need a combination of the above diets.  It is also important to look at your genes to help you determine if a higher protein or higher carbohydrate diet is going to get you the results you want.

Learn more about how your genes can direct you to your ideal diet here:   
http://www.nutritionwithbeth.com/road-map/

When are you more likely to think about your health?

On a Monday or Saturday?  A new study analyzing weekly patterns in health-related Google searches reveals that ‘healthy’ Google searches originating in the US from 2005 to 2012 found that on average, searches for health topics were 30 percent more frequent at the beginning of the week than on days later in the week.  The lowest average number of searches was on Saturday. (1)

Apparently Americans have a rhythm when it comes to thinking about their health. Joanna Cohen, PhD, a co-author of the study, added, “We could be seeing this effect because of the perception that Monday is a fresh start, akin to a mini New Year’s Day. People tend to indulge in less healthy behaviors on the weekend, so Monday can serve as a ‘health reset’ to get back on track with their health regimens.”  (2)

This could be a good thing.  Instead of waiting for another year to pass to start new healthy behaviors on New Year’s Day, we can start afresh each Monday.  And with each passing week and month, we can strive to lengthen the amount of days in the week that we engage in our newly adopted healthy behaviors.  For example, let’s say that you commit to staying away from processed sugars and white carbohydrates on Monday.  Normally, you last about three days and fall off on Thursday.  Anything goes on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The next Monday you make the same commitment and pledge to not fall off until Friday.  Then you are engaging in healthy behavior four days of the week (more than half of the week!), instead of three days of the week. It makes a big difference, both mentally and physically!

Here are some tips to stay on track with healthy eating Monday through Friday or even Monday through Saturday:

1. By the end of the week, you might often feel exhausted from a long work week and “treat” yourself to sugary and processed foods.  What if you take the traditional Wednesday hump day and schedule in 8 to 9 hours of sleep that night so that you feel refreshed for the latter half of the week?  Or what if your treat at the end of the week is a massage? 🙂

2. Make a quick protein smoothie on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.  This will help stabilize your blood sugar and decrease cravings so that you are more likely to eat well the rest of the day.  My new favorite protein smoothie drink… (and yes, it’s delicious!)  Blend ½ to ¾ cup coconut water with ½ cup frozen organic cherries. Then add one scoop PurePaleo chocolate protein powder and blend for 10 seconds.  This is like having a milk shake in the morning!

3. Schedule a work-out, hike, or bike ride with friends on Saturday morning so you are less likely to drink alcohol or eat poorly on Friday night.

4. Search for a couple of delicious and healthy recipes at the beginning of the week that you can try on Friday or Saturday night.  Or search for a restaurant in your neighborhood that offers menu options that are both healthy and delicious. See my Facebook page for fun and yummy recipes.

5. And create your own rules!  Maybe you eat for energy and nourishment 85% of the time, and 15% percent of the time you eat purely for taste.  Or perhaps this ratio is 90% to 10%.  As you discover great fresh whole foods and more fun and delicious ways to eat them, you will find that you eat for energy, nourishment, AND taste most of the time!  But hey, every once in awhile you might just have to break down and eat one of Mom’s chocolate chip cookies or a piece of birthday cake!
——-

1,2 San Diego State University. “People think about their health early in the week, according to Google searches.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 April 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140418141107.htm>.

In my last newsletter I wrote about depression, anti-depressants, and how your gut health affects your brain and moods. Anti-depressants can be life saving and sometimes are necessary. However, as I mentioned in my last article, they do not address the root cause of depression and have a long list of side effects. A recent study found that paroxetine (the active ingredient in Paxil and Pexeva – widely prescribed SSRI antidepressants) may promote breast cancer. A large percentage of breast cancers are sensitive to estrogen, which means that estrogen contributes to their growth. According to this new research, Paroxetine has an estrogenic effect. “The paroxetine finding helps explain previous studies showing that it reduces tamoxifen therapy’s effectiveness,” explained Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., professor and chair of City of Hope’s Department of Cancer Biology and lead author of the study. “And it has implications for patients with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer who are on other medications.” 1.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals interfere with the biosynthesis, metabolism, and functions of steroid hormones, including estrogens and androgens. The research team at City of Hope has developed a novel screening method that can be “used to assess the estrogen-disrupting properties of more compounds, including medications, environmental pollutants and common household chemicals. Such compounds also can disrupt the functions of other hormones, Chen said, potentially raising the risk of obesity and diabetes later in life.” 2.

There is an upside and downside to this study. Good news first, new technology now allows the researchers at City of Hope to analyze large volumes of compounds with potential estrogen disrupting properties more accurately and quickly. The downside: clinical depression is twice as common in women as it is in men. In fact, one in four women in their 40s and 50s (one in ten Americans overall) now take an antidepressant medication. 3. And women in their 40s and 50s are at higher risk of having breast cancer.

But I have good news again. Not only can you use diet, lifestyle, team support, and the power of nutrients to address depression; you can also use foods and superstar nutrients to help you better metabolize harmful estrogens! For example, I just learned from Dr. William Walsh this weekend that zinc deficiency is common in almost all mental disorders. And did you know that broccoli seed extract, rich in sulfur, contributes sulfur groups to the Phase II sulfation pathway, one of the pathways that metabolizes potentially harmful estrogens! There is so much that we can do to not only transform our health through nutrition, but also prevent pain and disease.

1, 2 http://breakthroughs.cityofhope.org/antidepressant-paxil-estrogen
3. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/a-glut-of-antidepressants/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&

Interested in learning more?

Click here for a complementary 30 minute strategy with me!

It is no wonder that we are all confused about what to eat. One day we are told fat is bad, the next day that carbohydrates are bad, and finally that protein is bad. Considering that carbohydrates, fat, and protein are essential macro-nutrients, we don’t have much left to eat.

A recent European study demonstrated that adults who eat the most protein, especially from animal sources, are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

What?  To prevent diabetes, aren’t you supposed to stay away from excess carbohydrates, especially refined and processed carbohydrates?

Eating too many carbohydrates leads to excess glucose in the bloodstream, which then signals the pancreas to over-secrete insulin.  When this happens on a daily basis, the cells start to become insulin resistant, meaning that they no longer hear the message from insulin to take in the glucose; and then your blood sugar remains high.

What about this new study?  The new study did not randomly assign participants to eat different amounts of protein. In other words, it was not a controlled study. Instead, it examined data from a large previous study of adults in eight European countries over a period of twelve years.  These adults were followed to see who developed diabetes and who did not develop diabetes.  Of course, the study collected data on the participants’ diets, as well as their physical activity, height, weight, and waist circumference.

“After accounting for other diabetes risk factors, every additional 10 grams of protein people consumed each day was tied to a six percent higher chance that they would develop diabetes.  Dividing participants into five groups based on how much protein they ate, the researchers found those who ate the most, or around 111 grams per day, were 17 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who ate the least, or around 72 grams per day.”  And those that ate the most animal protein (around 78 grams per day) were 22 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than those who ate the least (around 36 grand per day).(1)

The association between animal protein and diabetes risk appeared to be strongest among obese women and non significant in men. (2) People who ate the most protein got about 15 percent of their calories from red meat, processed meat, poultry, fish and dairy.

A couple things to consider here:

First, the association between animal protein and diabetes risk was strongest among obese women.  We already know that being obese is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.  This has been established.  Fat cells produce all kinds of pro-inflammatory chemicals, and we have learned that inflammation is at the root of all chronic disease.

Second, was the quality of the animal protein evaluated?  Were the animal protein sources grass fed or pasture raised?  Or were the cows and chickens fed grains?  We ultimately eat what the animals eat.  Research has shown that grass fed beef has a significant higher level of total Omega 3 essential fatty acids and also contains more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than grain fed beef.  (3) Omega 3’s are converted to chemicals that are ultimately anti-inflammatory and CLA has been found to aid in weight loss and be cancer protective!

I must say that I do not feel totally convinced by this study that higher amounts of animal protein increases risk of type 2 diabetes.  There are just too many variables.

So how do you figure out how much protein, carbohydrates, and fat to eat?  A really good place to start is to look at your genes!  You can now test certain genetic markers that will help you determine the right amount of protein, carbs, and fat for you  to eat – to obtain and maintain a healthy metabolism and weight!

To learn more, click here.

1)      http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/14/us-animal-protein-diabetes-idUSBREA3D1HV20140414?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

2)      http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2014/04/07/dc13-2627

3)      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500874

I feel lucky that I have never suffered from seasonal allergies.  I do know a lot of people that do suffer and I really feel for them. Most people I know describe it as miserable.

When an article from Science Daily landed into my inbox about the connection between food allergies and seasonal allergies, I took note since we are in the middle of allergy season.

In the article, Dr Joseph Leija warns “Those with grass allergies should avoid melon, tomatoes and oranges.” “And ragweed allergies are also linked to allergies to bananas, cantaloupe, cucumber, zucchini and chamomile tea.” (1)

Perhaps this is not so well known among doctors who treat allergies and people (maybe you?) that suffer every spring.  Have an allergy to birch pollen? According to the article, birch pollen often also means allergies to apples, peaches, carrots and celery.

An Italian study published in 2013 concluded that allergy to citrus fruits is often associated with pollinosis and sensitization to other plants due to a phenomenon of cross-reactivity (reaction of one antigen with antibodies developed against another antigen.)  It confirmed the possible cross-reactivity of citrus with grasses.(2)

A multicenter study in Spain published in 2012 concluded that a protein found in peach (peach being the most prevalent plant ingested allergy in Spain), exhibited cross-reactivity with a wide range of plant foods and some pollen sources, such as mugwort and plane, in a high proportion of patients.(3)

Depending on where you live, pollen activity dates vary.  However, in general, trees pollinate in the early spring and grasses and weeds pollinate in the late spring and early summer. In some states, like California, some trees pollinate every month!

It is good to know what trees, grasses, and weeds are pollinating in your area so that you can determine possible cross reactivity with foods. For example, as mentioned above, bananas, watermelon, honeydew, zucchini, cucumber and other members of the gourd family cross react with ragweed pollen, which simply means that their allergy producing proteins are identical.  So if you have a ragweed allergy, it is best to avoid these foods, especially during the spring!

If your nose runs, your eyes water and itch, and you sneeze every spring, experiment with removing foods that may be cross reacting with pollens.

If you need immediate relief and want to stay away from OTC drugs, the best natural supplement I have found is a product called HistaEze.  My clients email me that their symptoms are improved dramatically while taking HistaEze, which makes me very happy!

1. Loyola University Health System. “Spring allergies linked to specific food allergies, says specialist.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 April 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140407164836.htm>.
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3537725/
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3436791/