The Lowdown on Leaky Gut

Gut health seems to be a hot topic these days!  That said, with so much information out there it's hard to know what to trust.  That said, we're here to share the latest news from a reliable source - Tufts University.

First of all, what is leaky gut? Simply put it has to do with the permeability of your gut.  Your small intestine is lined with tiny fingerlike projections called "villi" which are necessary for nutrient absorption. These villi are lined with epithelial cells. So, if the gut becomes "leaky" that means that unwelcome molecules are able to pass right through the gaps between the epithelial cells to the underlying gut tissue (lamina propria). At that point, the molecules encounter immune cells that can start an inflammatory reaction. For example, people who suffer from celiac disease and wind up ingesting gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) end up with a response from their gut due to something called "zonulin" being released. Zonulin is a protein that "helps regulate the junctions between the epithelial cells lining the inner wall of the small intestine." When zonulin activity is increased, as it would be in this case, gluten fragments would pass through the epithelial cell junctions of the gut's inner wall. 

Once particles that shouldn't pass through the gut's inner wall immune cells become engaged.  This happens because many immune cells are housed just beneath the inner wall of the small intestine. When someone with celiac disease eats something with gluten these immune cells wind up attacking the lining of the small intestine. Next, those immune cells could travel to other parts of the body causing inflammation along with other symptoms.

Right now, the causes of the conditions associated with celiac disease like asthma, irritable bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis are not clear. However, statements that have been declared about fixing leaky gut then fixes all diseases is an overstatement! More research needs to be conducted in this area. So, be on the lookout for practitioners (especially those without formal medical training) who claim to diagnose and treat "leaky gut".  You should know that outside of research studies there is no reliable or validated test to detect increased intestinal permeability.

Lastly, be wary against a one-sized-fits-all diet or treatment that claims to heal a leaky gut.  As we know, we are all unique individuals. Keep in mind the science behind improving gut health is in its beginning stages. So, if you feel like you have a leaky guy your best bet is start with your doctor. Stay tuned for updated information in this area!

Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, November 2017, VOL. 35, NO.9, Special Report - The Lowdown on Leaky Gut (p,3).

Hormones and Weight Loss

When you start mobilizing the fat in your tissue, there are a lot of other things that are impacted. Particularly important are the hormones that have been absorbed into that fat and are being held there; as the fat begins to disappear, it can release those hormones into circulation. Here’s what happens then:

Estrogen (female hormones) and androgen (male hormones) are released into the blood stream.  When there is a rise in these levels that change can cause certain symptoms such as hair loss or acne (from an increase in male hormone).  This is temporary.  If it’s the female hormones from estrogen it can change menstrual cycles in women or cause spotting in women who have reached menopause.  Because of this change, women taking birth control pills will want to use an additional/alternate form of contraception until you reach your weight loss goal and have had 2 normal cycles in maintenance.

Mindful Eating

Something that helps when trying to lose and maintain our weight is being mindful while we eat.  This sounds like common sense, but these days many of us are incredibly busy which lends to multitasking.  However, if you are distracted while you are eating it is likely you will overeat as you are not focusing on the food in front of you.  Here are some tips to help get you started!

• Focus on the experience of eating so that you enjoy your food more and eat slower.
• Pay attention to your body’s hunger signals so you know when and how much you need to eat.
• Mentally and physically prepare yourself before you eat.

Here are some tips for applying the principles of mindful eating to your life:

• Drink plenty of water. Drinking water before a meal will help you feel full sooner and avoid overeating. Drinking water after a meal may keep you from going back for seconds.
• Listen to your body. Rather than eating because it’s mealtime, wait until you actually feel hungry to eat. Also, stop eating as soon as you stop feeling hungry, not when you feel full.
• Take small bites. When you take large bites, less of the food ends up on your tongue and you deprive yourself of the chance to savor and enjoy it, which often leads to overeating.
• Avoid distractions. Watching TV or using the computer while you eat takes your attention off your eating and encourages mindless eating. However, engaging in conversation with a friend or family member can slow down your eating and put you back in control. You may want to try eating with chopsticks or with your non-dominant hand to force yourself to slow down and think about your eating!
• Focus on the food. Pay close attention to the way your food tastes, smells, and feels in your mouth. If you’re eating food that you didn’t prepare yourself, try and guess what flavors or spices you taste. You’ll find that this may help you enjoy your food more so that you need less of it to feel satisfied.

How To Tame Temptation

Many times the end of the year signals us to give in to tempting foods that are tied to the season.  With that in mind, we have some tips to help you avoid end of the year weight gain.

Your Environment:

When we eat out or go to a party, this makes it harder to focus on our healthy eating as we are faced with many tempting food choices that may not be part of our healthy eating plan.

Action:  Plan what you are going to eat, or if it’s appropriate bring a healthy dish to share.  You can also review the menu online and choose BEFORE you get to the restaurant if you are dining out.  In doing so, you can enjoy the conversation and not have to worry about making a healthy food choice, as you made the choice in advance and now can relax and enjoy.

An Abundance of Tempting Choices:

Studies show when people are given 3 choices, they eat 3, given 5 they eat 5, etc. Go into each encounter with the mindset that you do not NEED to try everything. Pick 3-5 foods that you feel you must try, limit the portion to ½ cup of each, and station yourself AWAY from the food.  Focus on the conversation, not the food!

Plan: YOU need to be the one to bring the healthy choice.  Find an “Ideal” recipe you like from our Web site with lots of vegetables and/or protein and bring it to share.

Your Friends and Family Are Not Practicing Healthy Behaviors:

They consistently overeat and/or do not exercise regularly, or they encourage you to eat unhealthy foods or drink too much.

Action:  This is a tough one.  For your own mental and physical health, you may need to decide to spend less time with those of your friends practicing unhealthy behaviors if you want to reach your weight loss goals.  Studies show that we practice the behaviors of the people around us. Surrounding yourself with people who exercise and make it a goal to eat healthier regularly will help you get closer to that trim healthy body.  If you continue to socialize with those living with unhealthful habits, try to take the focus away from food, or go into the event knowing you are going to need to exert more will power!

All Events Revolve Around Food:

Plan: Be the one to suggest an alternate activity.  Most people ARE trying to lose weight or not gain, and want to be more physically active.  Suggest a walk or a hike, or maybe go to the mall and grab a coffee/tea (but plain, not a double chocolate latte), but not necessarily a full sit down dinner. Alternate socializing at each other’s houses, and make healthy meals to minimize the temptations to overeat.

10 Mindful Eating Tips May Promote Healthier Eating Patterns

Many Americans often eat mindlessly - meaning that they are unaware of what they are eating as well as how much.  Unfortunately, that leads to becoming overweight and even obese. On top of that, certain triggers in the environment can affect the nearly 250 food decisions made each day!  Did you know that small cues in the environment can affect our eating behavior?  These can be by way of family and friends, packages and plates, utensils, names and numbers, labels and lights, colors and shapes, smells and distractions, and cupboards and containers.  Food decisions can also be caused by psychological triggers like stress, anxiety, and attentional diversions like TV or computer distractions.

Here is a list of 10 mindful eating tips that may promote healthier eating patterns:

1. Make a dish swap - Switching to smaller dinner plate results in fewer calories.

2. Make a color change - Pasta with red marinara sauce on a white plate (more contrast) resulted in 21% smaller serving sizes than when served on a red plate.

3. Create workplace wellness - People usually lose weight on weekends and gain on weekdays, so focus on eating nutritiously at work.  For example, replace candy with nutritious snacks and going out for lunch rather than eating at the desk.  Replace soft drink vending machines with water coolers and use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.  Introduce ergonomically designed workstations to reduce fatigue and pain.

4. Slow down eating and incorporate your senses - It takes time for the brain to register satiety. Slowing down and focusing on tasting, smelling, seeing, and touching food makes eating more enjoyable and results in fewer calories taken in.

5. Turn off the electronic devices - Smart phones, computers, and televisions can all distract us from paying attention to eating, resulting in mindless overeating.

6. Reduce your package and serving size - Research shows that the bigger the package your pour from, the more you will eat - up to 20-30% more! Repackage jumbo boxes into smaller bags or containers and serve in smaller dishes.

7. Try new and smaller silverware - Using a smaller spoon or switching to chopsticks works wonders. Research shows that people given a larger serving spoon eat 57% more ice cream than those given a smaller spoon!

8. Add vegetables and fruits - Fill half of your plate with less calorically-dense fruits and vegetables.  Satiation is based on volume, not calorie density, so people will feel just as full with fruits and vegetables as meat and potatoes.

9.  Don't put bowls of food on the table - Dish up plates in the kitchen and keep food bowls off the table. Studies show men eat 29% fewer calories if bowls stay off the table.

10. Serve salad first - Studies show that people tend to eat more of what they start with and, if given a choice, we tend to start eating meat or potatoes first. Instead, start with a vegetable salad and eat more of that.

Meal Irregularity & Health

Some interesting news came my way through the "Science of Fat & Sugar" webinar I took a little while ago.  This time we will focus on meal irregularity - meaning either skipping meals or eating too frequently.  It turns out that meal irregularity is correlated with the following: Increased waist circumference (apple shaped obesity); increased triglycerides; increased BMI; increased diastolic blood pressure; and increased elevated metabolic risk factors.

Things to think about are avoiding skipping breakfast and lunch.  It's fine to snack and have 6 smaller meals, but these meals must be spread out by at least 3 hours.  Unfortunately, eating too often is just as harmful as skipping. Increased irregular food intake at or around breakfast and lunch was found to be the most harmful. 

If you are not already, try having a consistent eating schedule.  In addition, try preparing and planning ahead which makes meals and snacks a lot easier than flying by the seat of your pants.

Sugar Versus Cocaine

Many of us have a sweet tooth.  That said, sugar addiction research is being conducted to take a deeper look. So far, here's what I learned during the webinar "The Science of Fat & Sugar".

Researchers are finding that obese individuals have an excessive sugar intake.  Sadly, sugar habituation, that is a diet rich in sugar, has been associated with shortened life expectancy. So, why are people consuming so much sugar in the first place?

Did you know that there are separate neural circuits that control sugar cravings and healthy eating?  That means the brain is harmed when we eat sugar because sugar hijacks the brain with natural reward-processing that takes place in the ventral tegmental area (VTA).  If you can believe it sugar is similar to cocaine, and creates a desire for more stimulation, which means you need more sugar to get that same pleasant feeling.

A neural circuit in the brain controls sugar consumption. When this is activated it increases sugar cravings.  That is why impulsive people have a difficult time with sugar and sugary drinks.  Lastly, it has been found that sugar is no less addictive then other VTA affecting substances like cocaine.

Then to make things even more challenging is hyperpalatable food. This is food that is saturated, calorie dense, and high in fat, sugar, for salt. The result of consuming this type of food tends to be weight gain because we tend to overconsume this food - meaning beyond satisfaction. This happens in three steps - Step 1. We crave the food, Step 2. A reward is in place due to anticipation, and Step 3. is Reward by consuming despite the negative consequences.  These steps in many cases wind up becoming a new habit. Then, we become more sensitive to cues like smell and sight, and that affects anticipation which increases our consumption. Yikes!

More research needs to be done.  So, stay tuned!

Non-Human Sugar & Link to Cancer

I received some interesting information from the webinar I took for my license on the "Science of Fat & Sugar".  Have you heard of "Non-Human Sugar"?  I hadn't until a few weeks ago. It turns out that this sugar is found in most mammals except humans.  This sugar is technically called "Neu5GC" and has been found to promote tumor formation.  That said, it has been found that people who consume a lot of red meat are at a higher risk for certain cancers.

A study published in Proceeding of National Academy of Sciences in 2014 discovered that mice who were engineered to be deficient in "non-human sugar" like humans and fed Neu5Gc resulted in significantly promoting spontaneous cancers.  So, that implicated Neu5Gc as a key link between red meat consumption and cancer. Another study looked at a second variety of mice that produced antibodies against Neu5Gc.  What happened was that when they were fed non-human sugar they developed inflammation and spontaneous tumors. 

Red meat is considered to be beef, pork, lamb, and venison.  These are all rich in Neu5Gc and rich in non-human sugar. With that in mind, it has been recommended to consume less red meat.

Mediterranean Diet & Dementia

Since I was student studying nutrition I have always favored the Mediterranean diet because it focuses much of your intake on plants like vegetables, fruits, grains, and plant oils.  In addition,  a moderate amount of your intake would be from nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, along with fish, chicken, and eggs. A lower amount of your intake would be from dairy containing saturated fat, red meat, and refined carbohydrates (table sugar, refined flour, white potatoes, white rice, and some refined flour pastas.).  After attending a webinar on the "Science of Fat & Sugar" I learned more information to support the Mediterranean diet.  

It has been scientifically proven that this diet decreases dementia. A high level of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from olive oil, nuts, and now avocados (though not from the Mediterranean) lends to helping reduce dementia.  In addition, a minimal amount of saturated and trans fats also contributes to decreasing dementia.  Lastly, the emphasis on omega-3 fats from fatty fish, and drinking wine in moderation (4-5 ounces)aids in this.

Our healthy eating program is right in line with this diet.  If you are thinking about changing your eating patterns and need some help contact us!  We'd love to help!

Time Warping Sugar!

Heidi here again to share more information from the fascinating webinar I attended regarding the "Science of "Fat & Sugar".  Did you know that sugar changes the basic foundations of your life?  It also may affect the basic function of time. 

One hypothesis is looking at the perception of time passing can exert a stronger influence on blood glucose levels compared with the passage of actual time in type 2 diabetes. It turns out that the manipulation of participants perception of time resulted in blood glucose levels changing in accordance with how much time participants believed had passed, instead of how much time had actually passed.  This was an important example of the influence of psychological processes, which can directly be exerted on the body.

Essentially, it was showing that our mindset and expectations may play a role in management of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Simply put, a purposeful life points to less obesity, and a bored life raises obesity. 

More research is needed on this topic. Stay tuned!