Taking pictures of all the food you eat in a day

Have you ever thought about taking pictures of all the food you eat in a day and making them available to your patients and clients as an example of healthy eating? If not, you should consider it. People learn by example. Photograph your food and explain to people why you eat it and how to make it.

It would make a good gift for people when they come to your website.

On this vein, I need to share something that made me laugh. Here’s a link to an article where a dietician does just that – photos and journals her food for a day.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-a-nutritionist-eats-in-a-day-2015-9

It’s so bad it’s laughable. Let me know your thoughts.

Sleep Deprivation and Insulin Sensitivity

There are numerous studies reporting the effect of sleep deprivation on insulin sensitivity.

This one does a great job of explaining the mechanisms.

A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun;95(6):2963-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2430. Epub 2010 Apr 6.

BACKGROUND: Subsequent nights with partial sleep restriction result in impaired glucose tolerance, but the effects on insulin sensitivity have not been characterized.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single night of partial sleep restriction on parameters of insulin sensitivity.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Nine healthy subjects (five men, four women) were studied once after a night of normal sleep duration (sleep allowed from 2300 to 0730 h), and once after a night of 4 h of sleep (sleep allowed from 0100 to 0500 h). Sleep characteristics were assessed by polysomnography. Insulin sensitivity was measured by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies (from 1130 to 1430 h) with infusion of [6,6-(2)H(2)]glucose.

RESULTS: Sleep duration was shorter in the night with sleep restriction than in the unrestricted night (226 +/- 11 vs. 454 +/- 9 min; P< 0.0001). Sleep restriction did not affect basal levels of glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, insulin, or endogenous glucose production. Sleep restriction resulted in increased endogenous glucose production during the hyperinsulinemic clamp study compared to the unrestricted night (4.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.6 +/- 0.2 micromol x kg lean body mass(-1) x min(-1); P = 0.017), indicating hepatic insulin resistance. In addition, sleep restriction decreased the glucose disposal rate during the clamp (32.5 +/- 3.6 vs. 40.7 +/- 5.1 micromol x kg lean body mass(-1) x min(-1); P = 0009), reflecting decreased peripheral insulin sensitivity. Accordingly, sleep restriction decreased the rate of glucose infusion by approximately 25% (P = 0.001). Sleep restriction increased plasma nonesterified fatty acid levels during the clamp study (68 +/- 5 vs. 57 +/- 4 micromol/liter; P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS: Partial sleep deprivation during only a single night induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. This physiological observation may be of relevance for variations in glucoregulation in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20371664

If you haven’t yet taken a client through B4 Be Gone, now would be a good time. In a couple of days, we will announce a reduced support version of the program that is the perfect opportunity for you to guide them through and apply for your certification as a blood sugar coach.

Leptin and Insufficient Sleep On Appetite and Weight Gains

I’ve been spending lots of time lately reviewing the hormones that affect belly fat – mainly because we’re starting another round of B4 Be Gone and I am redoing my videos. Things change, and I am always wanting to present the latest science.

Our blood sugar balancing program, Insulin Resistance Solution Practitioner Training (IRSPT), Module 12 in NEPT, is filled with great information pertaining to hormones that maintain healthy blood sugar and appetite.

Here’ an interesting article pertaining to leptin:

http://mikemahler.com/articles-videos/hormone-optimization/why-you-must-optimize-the-commander-of-all-hormones-leptin-for-hormone-optimization

And here’s another article pertaining to the effect of insufficient sleep on appetite and weight gain:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/

An Often Overlooked Cause of Anxiety and Mood Swings

Anxiety and mood swings are common complaints we see in our clients. And there are many potential underlying causes – imbalanced gut flora, serotonin deficiency, GABA deficiency, gluten intolerance, and many more.

One that’s often overlooked is pyroluria.

Pyroluria is a genetically determined chemical imbalance involving an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis which leads to the production of too much of a byproduct of hemoglobin synthesis called “kryptopyrrole”. Kryptopyrrole binds to Vitamin B6 and zinc and makes them unavailable. This leads to deficiencies of Vitamin B6, zinc and also omega 6 fatty acid, which results in the symptoms that resemble in part a variety of psychiatric disorders.

Symptoms of pyroluria include:

anxiety, shyness or fearfulness

mood swings

inner tension since childhood, but hiding these feelings from others

bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion

poor dream recall, stressful or bizarre dreams, or nightmares (low vitamin B6)

excessive reactions to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol, or other drugs, in which a little produces a powerful response (low vitamin B6)

sensitive to bright sunlight or noise

frequent fatigue

prone to iron anemia or low ferritin levels

cold hands or feet

frequent colds or infections

allergies

adrenal issues

problems with sugar metabolism

neurotransmitter imbalances, especially low serotonin

Pyroluria is easy to reverse once you determine that it exists. You can confirm with a urine test called Kryptopyrrole, available at:

http://www.pyroluriatesting.com/ This lab will ship internationally.

Rapid recovery is often seen once nutritional supplementation has begun.

Typical approach is:

Zinc 25- 75 mg (use taste test to determine dose. continue to increase until the test shows zinc levels are adequate.

Vitamin B6 – as pyridoxine 100 – 200 mg/day; for Pyridoxal – 5- phosphate, the active form, 25-50 mg. Continue to increase dose until regular dream recall occurs

evening primrose oil – 1300mg per day

Improvement is often noted within days, sometimes weeks and less frequently changes take 3 months to manifest.

Other references:

http://www.drkaslow.com/html/pyroluria.html

http://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/#sthash.tBffOdch.dpuf

http://drritamarie.s3.amazonaws.com/materials/Pyroluria.pdf

Greens Intolerance

I Have you ever had a client who you thought would respond to adding greens to their diets and it backfired? As health practitioners, we strive to get our clients to eat more greens because they are all brimming with nutrition and antioxidant protection. But sometimes, due to biochemical individuality, your client might get worse when you increase their greens. Below are a few clues as to what might be going on.

1- Oxalate sensitivity: oxalic acid is found in many green vegetables. While most people excrete it very nicely, those with leaky gut and a genetic predisposition have difficulty getting rid of it, and it causes a myriad of symptoms. For some folks with oxalate sensitivity, taking calcium and/or magnesium citrate with high oxalate foods can be helpful.

2- A genetic polymorphism that makes it hard to excrete sulfur or to utilize it in beneficial ways.

3- Sensitivity to isothiocyanate, found in cruciferous vegetables. For some people, they can’t properly break it down due to impaired detoxification pathways, and the buildup of isothiocyanate can impair thyroid function. Supplementing with iodine and/or sea vegetables rich in iodine can counteract this.

4- Leaky gut and inflammation in the intestines. The fiber in raw greens can be like sandpaper to an inflamed gut, and a month on lightly cooked blended greens, green juices and sea veggie and mushroom broths can help heal and repair while providing lots of nutrients.

5- Low stomach acid, which makes it hard to break down the cell walls of greens. Blending and juicing can be very helpful, along with taking bitters, zinc and sometimes HCl.

These are the most common causes of greens intolerance. Have you encountered any others? So if your client tells you that their green smoothie hurts their tummy, take them seriously, and look at possible causes. One by one, like a good detective, you can it narrow down and support them in their healing.

There are lots of pearls to extract from SHINE. Among them are:

From Dr. Tom O’Bryan:

Going gluten free can disrupt the microbiome by reducing fiber and prebiotics. Be sure to recommend your clients protect themselves with prebiotics like Jerusalem artichokes, inulin from chicory, chicory itself, and other prebiotic foods. Be cautious if they have SIBO though as these foods are considered FODMAPs and can be irritating.

– related to the fact that there are 10 times more bacterial cells in our bodies than human. “We are really bacteria having a human experience.”

From Mike Mutzel:

“Fat burning is maximized when you exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and consume branched chain amino acids within 30 minutes of completing exercise.”

Alzheimer’s relationship to the gut: The characteristic plaques or tangles found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s are present in neurons in their guts too.

Prebiotic Intake Reduces the Waking Cortisol Response and Alters Emotional Bias in Healthy Volunteers

I found an awesome article on the gut-brain connection and the relationship between the microbiome and anxiety. It ties in well with the SHINE theme.

Check it out HERE:

http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/890/art%253A10.1007%252Fs00213-014-3810-0.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs00213-014-3810-0&token2=exp=1445459606~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F890%2Fart%25253A10.1007%25252Fs00213-014-3810-0.pdf%3ForiginUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farticle%252F10.1007%252Fs00213-014-3810-0*~hmac=05d4692b6f357000e30e4726fe294396b80c563fd3d4437a6e8fdb588be3d37c

Taking pictures of all the food you eat in a day

Have you ever thought about taking pictures of all the food you eat in a day and making them available to your patients and clients as an example of healthy eating? If not, you should consider it. People learn by example. Photograph your food and explain to people why you eat it and how to make it.

It would make a good gift for people when they come to your website.

On this vein, I need to share something that made me laugh. Here’s a link to an article where a dietician does just that – photos and journals her food for a day.

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-a-nutritionist-eats-in-a-day-2015-9

It’s so bad it’s laughable. Let me know your thoughts.

Estriol Was Coined “The Forgotten Estrogen” By Dr. Jonathan Wright

Research shows it has dramatic healing powers.

It’s important that if you test estrogen in your clients, you do it in a manner that tests for all 3 estrogens: E1 Estrone, E2 Estradiol, and E3 Estriol plus the important metabolites.

There are 2 ratios to look at when reading blood tests.

Estrogen Quotient: E3/ E1 + E2 – This number needs to be above 1

2/16 Ratio – This is the ratio between the 2 and 16 metabolites. Larger 2:16 ratio could present a higher risk of breast and other hormone sensitive cancers, while in smaller 2:16 ratio, there’s a risk for osteoporosis.

What Does It Take to be a Successful Practitioner?

I know you strive to be the very best you can be and help LOTS of people. So do I.

Sometimes we get caught up in all the technical, clinical details and forget that the relationship you develop with your client can be the most therapeutic part of the time you spend together.

In order to succeed, I believe you need 3 things:

#1: Attention to your own health and self-care. You want to be a role model for your clients. This is why we give you access to all of our client programs. Participate and take care of YOU!

#2: Clinical expertise. This is the foundation of NEPT. You learn all about how the body works; how nutrients affect hormones, organs, and overall proper functioning; how to assess; and how to approach client challenges from the mundane to the very complex. The core modules (36 of them in Mastery, 12 in Foundations) provide all this and more. The coaching calls give you the cases and the intricacies to become masterful here. The Advanced Clinical Resources (ACR) guests provide a wider range of clinical experience.

#3: Business and marketing skills. If you are the best practitioner in the world and no one knows about you, you will not be successful. We have the Practice Building Success System (PBSS) to help you here through a series of webinars from me to recorded and live presentations from industry leaders in conscious business marketing and promotion.

We’ll be reorganizing the call structure a bit after SHINE, and I am so excited to share.

In the meantime, show up, ask questions if you have them, and just absorb it all. After much repetition, you WILL master it.

Congratulations to Phyllis Heffner, MD, a child psychologist who is breaking free of the institution model and setting up a private practice to help kids in a holistic way. Her office opens in October, and she already has 2 new clients she is working with. We are the future of medicine. Thanks, Phyllis, for being brave and stepping into your calling.