HEALTH DIGEST
your quick reference health and nutrition briefing board
Browse by keywords:
MIDLIFE WEIGHT LOSS: GETTING DOWN TO BRASS TACKS
Midlle age is a pivotal phase in our lives. By now, genetics and epigenetics have contributed substantially to shaping who we are as individuals: our unique hormonal make-up, the state of our health and our general attitude towards life around age 45 are in great measure a result of how DNA, environment, lifestyle and diet have influenced one another. Thus, addressing a weight problem must involve consciounsly reckoning with any and all imbalances or health conditions, and accommodating personal preferences. Women often tackle weight loss by waging war on their own bodies, but that self-flagellation dieting mindset always backfires, and may have dire consequences on metabolic health. Quick fix web sensation solutions and even weight loss comradeship groups are scams that end up hurting people physically, emotionally and of course financially. We must be prudent and conscious when making lifestyle modifications to realign our body chemistry: here are the three bio-individual components the success of a weight loss journey hinges on, in non-specific order since they are all intertwined:
Hormones
Gut
Emotions
Gaining insights into these three functions of our well-being, through functional testing when warranted, provides the best assessing tools needed to address the root causes of weight gain in the first place.
CAN COFFEE HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
The short answer is yes, it can, but it comes with some caveats.
Caffeine stimulates adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, kicking your body into fight-or-flight mode. Cortisol tells the liver to make more glucose, frees up stored glycogen and amino acids from muscles, and mobilizes fats into the bloodstream, while making cells insulin-resistant, to make energy substrates ready for burning. Thus, you end up with high blood glucose, muscle protein breakdown and freely circulating fats, all immediately available for burning. If you engage in physical activity, a hormone called HSL, hormone sensitive lipase, triggers fat burning to produce the needed energy. On the contrary, in a state of inactivity, LPL, lipoprotein lipase, a fat-storing enzyme, hijacks the free floating fats back into adipose tissues.
The fight-or-flight response also enhances excitability of motor neurons in the brain, which send neurotransmitters to specific fibers in muscles that generate contractions, ramping up muscle glucose uptake. The combination of increased alertness and reactivity from adrenaline and noradrenaline, the release of feel good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, and the increased muscle contractivity, translate into less muscle fatigue and less perceived effort during physical activity. Overcomsumption, however, may trigger anxiety, tremors and energy crashes.
The bottom line: keep coffee consumption to a daily maximum of 2/3 cups, particularly if you have a prevalently sedentary lifestyle; since caffeine blunts insulin’s action, switch to decaf if you are consuming it with sugar or cookies while sitting at your desk.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
NUTRIENT SCORECARD: TOMATO
Though native to South America, tomatoes are a staple in Mediterranean cuisines: they have been on Italian tables since the early 16th century. Botanically, a tomato is technically a fruit, but its culinary uses have awarded it classification as a vegetable over three centuries ago. There are 7500 varieties of tomatoes worldwide, and while we are mostly familiar with the red kind, they range in colors across myriad varieties of green, orange, yellow and even purple hues. Here are some of the main nutrients in tomatoes:
Lycopene, the most abundant phytochemical in red tomatoes; lycopene is an antioxidant alpha-carotenoid, efficient in protecting from cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular events, oxidative stress, inflammation, skin disorders, osteoporosis, liver disease and neurological disorders. Lycopene is fat soluble and we can only get it from dietary sources; it’s at its highest concentration in cooked tomatoes, and its absorption is greatly boosted by healthy fats like olive oil. This combination also gives it skin protectve effects against sun damage.
Lutein, a xanthophyll carotenoid that plays a big role in eye health. Along with another xanthophyll called zeaxanthin, it constitutes the macula of the eye, the protective yellow pigment of the human retina. Lutein improves visual acuity by shielding the eye from harmful high-energy light like UV rays and free radicals. Diets high in lutein and xeaxanthin ward off cataracts and age-related macular disease, which leads to blurred vision and blindness. As a bonus, lutein improves and supports collagen production in the skin and other tissues, which may explain the youthful look of Mediterranean populations.
β-carotene (beta-carotene), which can be converted by the body to Retinol, which is vitamin A. Orange, yellow and green colored fruits are rich in these compounds that fight skin cancer, breast cancer and skin aging. Less known fact: Vitamin A improves cellular receptor sensitivity to thyroid hormones.
Potassium, a much needed mineral for blood pressure control. Tomatoes also contain a phenolic compound called chlorogenic acid that helps ward off hypertension, control blood sugar and ameliorate mood.
Vitamin C, which has antioxidant, immune boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Less known fact: vitamin C boosts collagen production; one medium tomato supplies 25 to 30% of our daily RDI - what an ally against the effects of aging! Vitamin C also stimulates the production of progesterone in women through childbearing years and supports fertility in men.
Vitamin B9, or folate, involved in many important processes in the body and critical for pregnancy since It prevents neural tube defects and sustains cellular function and tissue growth. Folate is a essential to heart health in that it is one of the B vitamins that upregulate the pathway of elimination for homocysteine, a marker for cardiovascular disease.
VItamin K, necessary for proper blood clotting and bone remodeling.
Manganese, an essential trace mineral needed for bone formation, blood clotting, amino acid, glucose and cholesterol metabolism. It is also involved in neurological functions and in thyroid health: it is in fact needed for thyroid hormone thyroxine production. A medium tomato provides 6% of the RDI.
Vitamin E, needed for the structural integrity of body tissues and the formation of red blood cells, it also protects our skin from UV rays, particularly in combination with Vitamin C. Less known fact: Vitamin E is indispensable for iodine absorption in the thyroid. One medium tomato provides 3% of the RDI for Vitamin E.
Tomatoes also contain several other compounds that are beneficial to health such as trace minerals, flavonoids and phytosterols. They are prebiotic, thanks to their fiber content. To reap the full benefits of tomatoes, always consume them with healthy fats.
NUTRIENT SCORECARD: AVOCADO
This oversized, fleshy berry is known to biologists as 'Persea Americana' and nicknamed 'alligator pear’. Here are the highest scoring nutrients in this fruit:
Potassium, more than double the amount contained in a banana! Avocado is a mighty sidekick in the management of hypertension.
B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K, essential vitamins needed for a myriad functions in the body. In the bargain, the lipid content in avocado boosts absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, in itself and from other foods as well. Avocado also increases the bioavailability of lycopene, the powerful disease-fighting compound in tomatoes and grapefruit, as well as other provitamin A carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein, in yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, when eaten together.
Folate, or Vitamin B9 in avocado decreases high homocysteine levels, a well-known marker for cardiovascular events, dementia and osteoporosis. Folate also helps to modulate hormones associated with reproductive health in young women: by decreasing homocysteine, it prevents drops in estradiol and progesterone levels, supporting ovulation. It helps the body break down proteins and create new ones, and prevents age-related memory loss. One half of this fruit provides about 21% of the amount of folate we need for the entire day.
Dietary fiber is abundant in avocado: one serving, empirically thought of as one half, provides 18% of our daily requirement. With its combination of both soluble and insoluble fiber, it contributes to gut health in several ways, notably by balancing gut microbiota, a community of microbes living in your digestive tract. Once digested by the good bacteria we harbor, fiber is known to yield compounds that are anti-inflammatory and have anti-carcinogenic effects.
Oleic Acid, the same monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil, is particularly abundant in this fruit. MUFAs are known to support a healthy blood pressure, reduce LDL (tricky cholesterol) and increase HDL (beneficial cholesterol). This happens because the phytosterols (plants’ healthy cholesterol, so to speak), in this fruit are structurally similar to human cholesterol and act in the intestine to inhibit unneeded cholesterol absorption by displacing it.
Its low net carb/high healthy fat profile places it on the go-for-it list for keto dieters. Yay to that.
My caveats:
Individuals on blood-thinner regimens need to be cautious when increasing consumption of avocado, since its vitamin K content, coupled with its ability to make the vitamin more bioavailable from other sources, may interfere with the efficacy of medications like Warfarin. Anticoagulant dosage is a function of regularly tested clotting factors, a set of values that accounts for habitual intake of dietary K, hence any significant change in consumption of K rich foods might warrant a dosage adjustment by their health provider.
If you are on a low FODMAP diet for the management of IBS, you should keep consumption limited to small portions in the early stages of the dietary approach, and avoid combining it with other sorbitol containing foods. You might be able to bring avocado back in larger serves once you’ve completed your sorbitol challenge phase.
SUPPORT YOUR MICROBIOME FOR A HEALTHY WEIGHT
The human body is composed of roughly 37 billion human cells and 48 trillion among bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, collectively referred to as the microbiota or microbiome. While this population of bacteria inhabits all internal and external tissues of the body, the highest concentration is lodged in our gut, mostly in our large intestine, and it is in fact referred to as our gut flora. Our microbiome governs food intake and energy production, balances blood glucose, recycles bile acids, normalizes bowel motility and boosts vitamin and mineral absorption throughout the GI tract. It is also dynamically involved in immune response, emotional health, hormone production and detoxification.
A well-balanced microbiome is composed of 85% beneficial bacteria and 15% pathogens, which co-exist peacefully, till they don’t: any alteration in their ratio, called dysbiosis, gives power to the bad guys and precipitates countless health issues. Since different species have different genetic and epigenetic influences on the biosynthesis and metabolism of nutrients, diversity of bacterial species and strains is key to keeping the microflora in balance. A healthy lifestyle involving regular exercise and sound nutrition fosters balance and bacterial diversity; foods that are rich in soluble fiber and prebiotic compounds (inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides) feed our gut flora, and probiotic foods such as naturally fermented ones, directly crowd the population of beneficial micro-organisms. In conjunction, eliminating processed foods and all sources of added sugar, particularly fructose, takes power away from the bullies.
Though a probiotic supplement may be advisable in times of metabolic stress, after a course of antibiotics or for immune support, long-term supplementation may actually be counterproductive. We create the ecosystem in our gut from and for the foods we eat, and in that respect we all foster the microbiome we need. Hence, while we may need an abundance of different strains, we don’t need to add strains that are useless to our own nutrition and lifestyle, exception made for some probiotic strains which have been proven helpful in weight management.
Prebiotic foods include: green leafy vegetables, leeks, artichokes, sunchokes, tomatoes, mushrooms, legumes, garlic, blueberries, cocoa, oats, barley, potatoes, bananas. *Resistant starch foods such as boiled and cooled off potatoes and rice, green bananas, chickpeas and lentils, support gut microbial life and thriving environment through their digestion by-products.
Probiotic foods include: kefir, plain yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, fermented beets and all *fermented foods in general. Authentic imported Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh mozzarella and freshly made ricotta from a trusted producer are good probiotic foods.
*My caveats:
It is not advisable for people with a genetic histamine intolerance, mast cell activation syndrome or transient histamine sensitivity to consume fermented foods. Consumption of histamine-rich vegetables and aged foods may also pose a problem for sensitive subjects. Always consult your nutrition specialist before making changes to your diet.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
WHAT IS INSULIN RESISTANCE?
Understanding the role of insulin and the concept of insulin resistance, also referred to as glucose intolerance, is critical for anyone embarking on a health journey. Insulin can be our ally or turn into an enemy, it can be our energy trooper and our fat storage guard. Learning how to control it is key to being lean, aging well and warding off metabolic disease. When we ingest carbohydrates like sugar, pasta, bread, cookies, pizza, sweets and fruit, our body breaks down those carbohydrates into glucose molecules, its ‘lego’ pieces, in the digestion process, so they can be delivered to our cells and utilized for energy. Glucose is indeed the preferred fuel of cells, particularly brain and red blood cells, because it is the easiest to absorb and burn. However, once the glucose molecules have been broken down, they need to be shuttled through the bloodstream into cells, and that is where insulin comes to call. The pancreas releases this peptide (protein) hormone to transport glucose, ‘knock’ at cell doors (receptors) and usher that glucose in. If energy is needed right away, the cells will burn off that glucose, if not, it gets stored in the form of glycogen, our sugar reserve, in the liver and muscles. Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? What could possibly go wrong? Nothing if we keep our consumption of glucose within energy needs, meaning we only eat enough to burn off for energy in each sitting. But that’s hardly the case anymore in modern times. When the bloodstream is engorged with glucose from all that carb intake, the pancreas works harder to pump out insulin, to match transport proficiency with entity of load. Over time, with glucose levels rising consistently and insulin levels rising to keep up, the receptors on cell membranes become blunt and unresponsive to insulin’s nudge: they become insulin resistant. The ousted glucose molecules linger in the bloodstream and cause damage to tissues and organs by attaching to and seizing proteins like hemoglobin, the protein that shuttles oxygen, as well as cholesterol lipoproteins, causing arterial plaque. Insulin resistance leads to obesity and Type II Diabetes, and it is implicated in many other conditions such as Alzheimer’s, PCOs (polycystic ovarian syndrome), hypertension and systemic inflammation.
Hyperinsulinemia (excess plasma insulin relative to the level of glucose), a result of insulin resistance, leads to a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality.