Read on to find out what you can do to take a proactive approach…

You know that vitamins and minerals are good for you. You get them from fresh whole foods, and from your nutritional supplements. No big news here! But did you know that many medications, common over the counter (OTC) drugs, and even alcohol deplete important vitamins and minerals? Because this is such an important matter, and not widely discussed, I am going to cover this topic in two articles.

You have probably heard that antibiotics deplete your good bacteria. If you have ever been on a round of antibiotics, someone may have suggested that you take a round of probiotics when you are done. Or you may have experienced symptoms like diarrhea from taking antibiotics due to the “friendly” bacteria being wiped out. Did you know that general antibiotics can deplete B vitamins and Vitamin K, too? Many of the B complex vitamins require a healthy population of beneficial or friendly bacteria in order to be properly utilized or even manufactured. Vitamin K2 is also produced by intestinal tract bacteria. In a nutshell, if your friendly bacteria are wiped out by antibiotics or poor diet and lifestyle, your B vitamin and Vitamin K levels might need a little boost.

Have you ever taken aspirin for a headache? Aspirin, especially in larger doses, can deplete vitamin C and iron. Or how about a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like Advil or Motrin for a headache or cramps? When I was in my twenties, I used to go through bottles of Advil pretty quickly, not knowing that this class of OTC drugs has the ability to deplete folic acid. Folic acid is critical to cells dividing properly and the development of the nervous system of the fetus. It is a methyl donor. It works along with vitamin B12 and SAMe to donate methyl molecules to make many reactions happen including the manufacture of DNA and brain neurotransmitters. A few signs and symptoms of folic acid deficiency include anemia, gingivitis, abnormal pap smears in women, depression, irritability, and fatigue.

Have a little heartburn? Widely used Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec and Prevacid deplete Vitamin B12. These PPIs reduce stomach acid secretions, along with a special digestive secretion called intrinsic factor, which increases the absorption of vitamin B12 in the small intestine. Vitamin B12 is such a critical B vitamin, working along with folic acid to make our DNA, red blood cells, and protect the insulation sheath that surrounds nerve cells. A deficiency of B12 usually affects the brain and nervous system first, resulting in numbness, pins-and-needles sensations, impaired mental function, and depression. Although vitamin B12 deficiency is quite common in the elderly, it does exist in all age groups.

Chronic alcohol consumption is known to deplete certain crucial B vitamins. Alcohol interferes with folate absorption and, as I just outlined above, the importance of folic acid. Too much alcohol causes increased degradation of Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6. B6, besides being involved in formation of body proteins, red blood cells, chemical transmitters in the nervous system (including dopamine and serotonin), is also critical in maintaining hormonal balance. Just a note, PMS often responds well to B6 supplementation. Deficiency of B6 is characterized by depression, glucose intolerance, impaired nerve function, and cracking in the lips and tongue.

Alcohol also depletes Thiamin or B1. B1 is critical for energy transformation, including energy production in the brain. Extreme thiamin deficiency or beriberi (beri means weakness) associated with alcoholism is common in the US and western world. In situations where extreme thiamin deficiency occurs neurological symptoms can arise – such as confusion, decreased short term memory, and irritability as well as affect cardiovascular system involvement. However, milder deficiency can result in fatigue, depression, and pins and needles sensations or numbness of the legs.

When I did my DNA testing, I found that I have a genetic variant that is associated with lower levels of folic acid. I also found that my genotype is more likely to have decreased blood levels of B6 and B12. Even though I eat foods rich in these vitamins, you can bet that I take a high quality B complex with highly absorbable forms of these vitamins! Having this information helps me take a proactive approach to my health and avoid potential vitamin deficiencies, whether or not caused by meds, OTC drugs, alcohol, diet, absorption issues, or lifestyle factors. Stay tuned for more information on how you can assess whether or not you have increased risk for low levels of specific vitamins by utilizing DNA testing.

Hearty Kale Salad with Kabocha Squash, Pomegranate Seeds, and Tossed Hazelnuts (Courtesy of Gena Hamshaw, Food52)

I didn’t have a pomegranate, so no pomegranate seeds, but still really delicious. You are likely to like this one even if you are not the biggest fan of kale! Makes a big salad, so you will have leftovers, which saves time! Gotta love that! Tip: Roast the squash ahead and then the salad will be super easy to make in the evening.

Ingredients

2-6 servings

1 large bunch curly kale, stems removed and discarded, torn into bite sized pieces, washed, and spun dry

1 small kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), halved and seeded and cut into 1.5” pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 1 tbsp and 3 tbsp

¾ cups pomegranate seeds

½ cups skinned hazelnuts

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp maple syrup

¼ tsp sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until golden, stopping halfway through to stir.

2. While squash is roasting, place the hazelnuts in a shallow baking dish (or a pie pan) and toast in the oven for 4-6 minutes, or until they are golden. Check them frequently and remove them the moment they start to get brown. Once they’ve cooled a little, chop them roughly and set aside.

3. Whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, lemon, maple syrup, sea salt, and pepper. Pour 3 tbsp over the kale to begin with, and “massage” the kale well with your hands, till it’s coated in the dressing and taking on a soft, almost wilted texture. Add the remaining dressing as needed and according to tastes. Add pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts.

4. Once the squash has finished cooking and has cooled for 10-15 minutes, add it to the salad and serve.

January: This is the month that everyone goes back to the gym and commits to exercising regularly. You might ask, what type of exercise should I do to burn the most fat in the shortest amount of time? I have news for you; the answer to that question is not so simple. As you mostly likely remember, it was all about cardio for a long time. Cardio, otherwise known as aerobic exercise, was THE way to lose weight and burn fat! Aerobic exercise includes jogging, cycling, swimming, and power walking. Does it work for a lot of people? YES! Does it work long term for people? Well, some yes and some no. Then came along all the benefits of resistance training, which includes weight training. Not just for body builders anymore! The premise of resistance training is that it increases your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which means you burn more calories at rest. This is a good thing, right? You continue to reap the benefits of your work-out, long after it is over! And some research has demonstrated that resistance training can improve glucose control, which is also a good thing for long-term weight management! And fast forward to today, the current trend in exercise is combining high-intensity cardio with resistance training, which looks like Cross Fit or a boot camp class!

According to a new study by Duke Researchers, aerobic training is the best mode of exercise for burning fat. (1) What?? The researchers compared aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of the two in 234 overweight and obese people. Resistance training consisted of three days per week of weight lifting, three sets per day, 8-12 repetitions per set; aerobic training consisted of approximately 12 miles per week; and aerobic plus resistance training consisted of three days a week, three sets per day, 8-12 repetitions per set for resistance training, plus approximately 12 miles per week of aerobic exercise. The researchers found that the aerobic only group and the aerobic plus resistance training groups lost the most amount of weight and fat, and the resistance group, while increasing lean body mass (or muscle), did not lose weight overall. The combination exercise group, while requiring double the time commitment, did not significantly reduce body mass nor fat mass over the aerobic training group alone. However, this combination group did notice the largest decrease in waist circumference! Which means going down a jean size or two!

A few important things to consider here. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) was not measured in this study. This is indeed important because to keep weight off, you want to have a higher RMR to burn more calories at rest! Makes sense, right? And resistance training has been shown to increase RMR. And did the aerobic group alone lose more muscle mass than the combination group? This was not measured. And certainly, losing muscle mass is not going to affect RMR favorably. If this study had been conducted over a longer period of time, would the results have been the same?

It makes sense to me to do cardio for heart and lung health, resistance training to preserve lean muscle mass and increase RMR, and stretching/light yoga to remain flexible and decrease stress. And choose fun exercise programs that you actually enjoy! But again, back to the question – in what ratio and how much to lose fat most efficiently?

I have exciting news for you. Genetic testing can now help you determine if you benefit most from endurance training, strength training, or interval training! No more guessing! And genetic testing can also tell you if you have a normal or enhanced blood pressure response to exercise and a normal or enhanced HDL (good cholesterol) response to exercise. Your genetic markers can help you put together an exercise program that is just right for you! Stay tuned as I will have more details for you very soon on how you can test your genes to find out what type of exercise helps you lose weight and fat most efficiently!

Duke University Medical Center. “Aerobic exercise trumps resistance training for weight and fat loss.” ScienceDaily, 15 Dec. 2012.

Excess holiday eating can disturb your body’s food clock, along with eating late at night. We all have a master clock, “which keeps track of time and coordinates our biological processes with the rhythm of a 24-hour cycle of day and night”. (1) In addition to our body’s master clock, we also have other clocks, including a food clock! Isn’t the body fascinating? The food clock helps us make the most of our meals, regulating genes that help with digestion and absorption of nutrients. In addition, our food clock anticipates our eating patterns, which is why we might experience stomach rumblings at lunch time! Scientists have known for awhile that our food clocks can be reset by excess eating and by eating at odd times. People that do shift work are extremely susceptible to this. A research team at UCSF recently demonstrated that the protein called PKCγ is critical in resetting the food clock if our eating habits change. This reset is not so good for our metabolism, since the food clock is tied to eating during day hours (when we traditionally foraged and hunted). If you overindulged during the holidays or are in a late night eating pattern, time to get your food clock back to a healthy metabolic even keel! Join my Cleanse, Revive, and Thrive Cleanse starting Jan 10th! See here for details!

1. University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) (2012, December 21). How excess holiday eating disturbs your ‘food clock’. ScienceDaily.

Scientists have found that low-level exposure to organophosphates (OPs) damages the brain and nervous system. 1. A meta-analysis (combining the results of many studies) found that at even at low levels, these OPs affect neurological and cognitive function. Memory and information processing speed was most affected. Derived from World War II nerve gas agents, organophosphate pesticides are the most widely used insecticides in the world. They are used extensively in agriculture, by the military and also for domestic purposes. How do they affect the brain and nervous system? They work by irreversibly blocking an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase that’s critical to nerve function in both bugs and people. Studies to date have focused mainly on organophosphates and neurological/behavioral function in children.

For example, a study conducted in children aged 8 to 15 years of age supports the hypothesis that organophosphate exposure, at levels common among US children, may contribute to to ADHD prevalence. 2. The neurotoxic effects of acute poisoning by organophosphates are well established. The possibility that low-level exposure causes ill health in humans has been controversial. This new meta-analysis finds a significant association between low-level exposure to organophosphates and impaired cognitive function. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is to eat foods that have been sprayed with OPs that have the potential to negatively impact my memory! I need all the help I can get! The next time I go to the farmers’ market or grocery store and buy my organic produce, I will think of my brain health!

1. University College London – UCL. “Brain and nervous system damaged by low-level exposure to organophosphate pesticides.” ScienceDaily, 2 Dec. 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012.
2. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20478945

Stress. We know that too much of it is not good for us. Not good for us physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, “contrary to popular perception, stressors don’t cause health problems — it’s people’s reactions to the stressors that determine whether they will suffer health consequences, according to researchers at Penn State.”

Research at Penn State shows that how you react to your daily life happenings predicts your chronic health conditions 10 years in the future, independent of how healthy you are today! So if you are stressed or grumpy about a work report due today, you are more likely to suffer negative health consequences 10 years from now than your colleague who is not bothered by the deadline. Or, if you are irritable or angry about being stuck in traffic, guess what, you are more likely to have health problems 10 years from now than the person who decides to not be bothered by the traffic and use the time to listen to music or catch up on a few phone calls.

The team that was involved in the study “found that people who become upset by daily stressors and continue to dwell on them after they have passed” were more likely to suffer from pain (such as that related to arthritis) and cardiovascular issues, among other conditions.

David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn Sate described two types of people: Velcro people and Teflon people. With Velcro people, stress sticks to them and they cannot shake it off. With Teflon people, stress just slides right off. Velcro people end up suffering more negative health consequences 10 years down the road!

Big take home message: You may not be able to reduce your daily life stressors like long hours at work, deadlines, driving your kids around, or dealing with a rude colleague or family member. But you can change your reactions to these stressors. There are many proven ways to lessen reactivity to stress, such as practicing meditation, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep.

The foods you eat or don’t eat also play a big part in how you react to stress. For example, if you are drinking a few cups of coffee every day and eating sugary snacks, you are more likely to have blood sugar highs and lows, and not be able to deal with even the mildest stressors when your blood sugar takes a nose dive! Drinking a glass of wine in the evening may make you feel more relaxed for a few hours, but that glass of wine also affects your cortisol and blood sugar levels during the night, making you less likely to cope easily with stressors the next day!

Are you a Velcro person? Are you easily stressed out? Over and over again, participants that complete my three week cleanse program discover that they handle life’s daily stressors much more easily. Their stressors (i.e. kids, work, commute) don’t go away, they just don’t get as bothered by them. As I like to put it, participants find that they handle stress more gracefully! Ready to become a Teflon person so that you can enjoy your life NOW, and be healthier in the FUTURE? My next cleanse starts January 10th. Be sure to sign up by December 21st to receive $150 off registration!

Penn State (2012, November 2). Reactions to everyday stressors predict future health.ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 26, 2012.

Last day of my 10 day mini cleanse right before Thanksgiving. I am feeling light, positive, clear, even keeled and ready to approach the holidays with grace and gratitude! Why do a cleanse program right before a major holiday? I have found, along with my clients, that cleansing before the holidays helps me to stay grounded and not get so frazzled by all the chaos of holiday preparation. It also helps me to make better choices about what I eat and drink during the holiday season. I go into the holiday season with a “clean slate”.

Not that I will be super restrictive and forego traditional holiday foods! I just find that it is easier to pass up most of the foods that make me feel bloated, tired, and grouchy and instead choose the delicious foods that keep me energized and happy and able to enjoy my family and friends! Cleansing before the holidays also helps me to maintain my weight during this season when gaining a few pounds is all too easy! Cleansing makes me aware of what foods drain my energy and cause me to hold on to excess bloated weight, making them easier to avoid. And then I have more energy to get up early and exercise!

Many cultures fast BEFORE a major holiday. I think this is a great idea and it makes a lot of sense to me!  Although I must say that shopping at Whole Foods right before Thanksgiving while on a cleanse was torture. But I managed to pass up all the sample tables!

Didn’t have the opportunity to cleanse before the holidays? No worries, I will be leading a 21 day cleanse program starting January 10^th. Stay tuned for details!

Did you know that sleep deprivation afflicts 47 million adults in the United States? (1) Wow; that means there are a lot of Americans going about their days tired and cranky and just not fully alert. And dependent on caffeine to be productive at work and home. I have found that when it comes to discussing good health, being fit, and feeling really good, sleep is usually the last topic to be addressed. I often overhear conversations at the gym about a new diet or work-out regimen to slim down, but no one ever talks about sleep. If it is addressed, it is not taken too seriously. But over and over again, we hear that getting enough sleep is essential to good health and the ability to lose weight or maintain an ideal weight.

Yet another new study shows that increasing the amount of sleep that adults get could lead to reduced food intake. (2) What is interesting about this study is that the reason why more sleep leads to less food intake differs between men and women. Short sleep (4 hours of sleep per night) increased total ghrelin levels in men, but not in women. Ghrelin is the hormone produced in the gastrointestinal tract that stimulates appetite! Short sleep reduced GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) levels in women but not in men. GLP-1, among its many functions in the body, inhibits acid secretion and gastric emptying in the stomach. Reduced GLP-1 thus means that we empty the contents of our stomach more quickly and thus do not feel full! So, in summary, according to this latest study, the tendency to overeat after not enough sleep is related to increased appetite in men and reduced feelings of fullness in women.

I can so relate to this! When I have a bad night’s sleep or just stay up too late and get only 5 to 6 hours of sleep, I cannot get full the next day. I just want to keep eating because I never feel full, no matter what foods I choose. What about you? Has this happened to you before?

Now the big question: how do you consistently get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night? I struggle with this…it is a constant battle to “shut down” in the evening to get to bed so I can get a full night’s sleep. It just seems like there is so much to do and finish up in the evening/night hours. But when I do get myself to bed and sleep 8 hours, I feel like a new person the next day! And everything just seems so much easier. Are you getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night? If not, what are the challenges that you face to get a good night’s rest? Is it working too late, not being able to fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night and not getting back to sleep? If you are getting some good shut eye, what are some of the practices that you have implemented to ensure you get enough sleep? I would love to hear!!

The importance of sleep to our good health, energy levels, happy mood, and trim body cannot be overstated. If you struggle with sleep, please check out my targeted nutrition program. Changes in hormones, blood sugar imbalances, and poor adrenal health can all contribute to lack of quality sleep. With my targeted nutrition program, I can help you figure out why you are not getting the sound sleep that you deserve!

1. www.sciencedaily.com/articles/s/sleep_deprivation.htm
2. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Sleep duration affects hunger differently in men and women.” ScienceDaily, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

If you go strictly by the numbers (and what you’ve been conditioned to think), you will  believe that cholesterol is bad. If your total cholesterol number or your LDL cholesterol is high, some health care providers might recommend that you make dietary and lifestyle changes to bring down your cholesterol levels (that is, if you are lucky). Or if you happen to flag a certain higher level of total cholesterol or LDL, you could be instructed to take a statin drug like Lipitor or Zocor right away.

But what happens when your cholesterol drops too low because of statin drugs? Not a pretty picture! You need cholesterol to make your steroid hormones, like pregnenolone, DHEA, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen. And you want those hormones at optimal levels for good sex drive and happy mood, brain sharpness, to preserve your muscles, and so much more. So, too low isn’t good either.

The good news is that when it comes to cutting edge cholesterol testing, it’s not strictly a numbers game anymore. Recent technology advancements not only have created smart phones, pad computers, Facebook, and Twitter, but also advanced analysis when it comes to all kinds of health measures, including heart health and cholesterol testing.

For example, I was recently tested for my total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. In addition, I was also tested for the size, density, and number of LDL and HDL particles. My total cholesterol was 214 and my LDL was 135, a little high according to conventional standards if you go strictly by the numbers. Dangerous?  A red flag? Not necessarily. Here’s why: My HDL was good and my triglycerides were low. And I had normal levels of the small dense LDL particles. These small dense LDL particles are atherogenic (meaning they deposit fats and calcium in the arterial lumen) to form problematic plaque. Think of small dense LDL particles as small sticky guys that can easily penetrate the endothelial wall and create trouble. Lp(a) is another small, dense LDL that is involved in thrombosis –which is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel. I was fortunate to have low levels of this particle, as well. In the world of LDL particles, it goes beyond number…it’s also a matter of size. Less is better and bigger is better!

New advancements in testing can help you get a better picture of what is really going when it comes to your heart health and help you make a better decision, along with your doctor, about whether or not you need to be concerned or go on a statin drug. After all, most drugs have side effects and the decision to start a drug needs to be carefully evaluated with your doctor.

To help you better understand the overall effects of cholesterol on your body, please take a look at the handy chart I’ve included with this post. (And be sure to read my next blog post for more about statin drugs, including some of the side effects like memory loss, depression and diabetes.)

Excerpt from FDA NEWS RELEASE,  Feb. 28, 2012

FDA announces safety changes in labeling for some cholesterol-lowering drugs: 

“Important safety changes to the labeling for some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

“These products, when used with diet and exercise, help to lower a person’s “bad” cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The products include: Lipitor (atorvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Altoprev (lovastatin extended-release), Livalo (pitavastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin). Combination products include: Advicor (lovastatin/niacin extended-release), Simcor (simvastatin/niacin extended-release), and Vytorin (simvastatin/ezetimibe).”

Two major changes to the statin labels include:

“Certain cognitive (brain-related) effects have been reported with statin use. Statin labels will now include information about some patients experiencing memory loss and confusion. These reports generally have not been serious and the patients’ symptoms were reversed by stopping the statin. However, patients should still alert their health care professional if these symptoms occur.”

“Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) have been reported with statin use. The FDA is also aware of studies showing that patients being treated with statins may have a small increased risk of increased blood sugar levels and of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The labels will now warn healthcare professionals and patients of this potential risk.”

Transition into fall and shorter days (meaning less natural light) can be a tough transition for lots of people, including me. I am a spring/summer girl and feel very charged and happy by longer days and sunshine. I am affected by natural light or the lack of it, as are lots of people around the country, especially women. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. And it may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood. Serotonin is your brain chemical that makes you feel happy, positive, confident, flexible, and easy going. Lack of sunlight leads to decreased serotonin levels in some people, which can result in anxiety, nervousness, irritability, PMS, cravings for sweet and starchy snacks, and insomnia.

So what do I do during this transition into winter to keep my serotonin levels up and stay happy?

I exercise several times during the week (even if just for 20 to 30 minutes) to keep my serotonin levels elevated. Exercise has been shown to increase serotonin. And if you can exercise outside during the daylight hours, even better! Like a quick walk at lunch time.

I am also very careful with sugar and excess carbohydrate intake, as these foods will raise my serotonin levels temporarily, but end up crashing them an hour or two later. Instead, I eat more protein to ensure that I am getting the specific amino acid to make serotonin, which is tryptophan! I make sure to get a little protein with each meal. Tryptophan is found in foods like turkey, beef, chicken, and eggs. Tryptophan is found in smaller amounts in nutritional yeast, milk products, nuts, seeds, banana, and pumpkin.

During the shortest days of winter, I also take specific nutritional supplements to help me make more serotonin. Targeted nutrition is an incredible effective way to support your unique chemistry and brain balance!

Light therapy or bright light treatment is also highly recommended. I have not tried this yet personally, but am looking into investigating it this month! I will let you know how it goes!

If you are affected by the change of season and feel blue in the fall and winter months, please check out my targeted nutrition program page. I would love to work in partnership with you to put together a specific diet and nutrient plan to elevate your mood all winter long!