Serotonin

As I have mentioned in the past, I teach nutrition at the University of Denver as part of a research study in the Department of Psychology. It’s a fairly small commitment - just two weeks out of every eight, for about 18 months. However, I really enjoy the groups and it’s particularly fun when they are interested in nutrition and come to class full of questions for me.

I changed things up a bit this round, because 2.5 hours of the food pyramid is just too dry for a Wednesday evening. So, we spent the first hour and a half discussing serotonin: what it is, how it affects the body, what depletes it, and how it is related to diet. Since the participants in the study all have a history of depression, this topic is particularly relevant to them.

Statistic: It is estimated that more than 80% of adults have a serotonin deficiency.

I came across the above statistic in my research. Serotonin levels can fluctuate on a daily basis and I know I can recognize when my own levels are lower than they should be. I thought I’d share an overview of what I taught last night, because we can all probably benefit from some information on how to boost serotonin!

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, not a hormone. However, it works closely with hormones and is dependent on hormonal balance for proper function. It is manufactured from tryptophan, which is a protein that must be obtained from the diet. Therefore, a diet low in protein will lead to low serotonin levels.

Serotonin contributes to feelings of well-being, and regulates mood, appetite and sleep. It is our primary defense against feelings of depression and anxiety. So what can lead to low serotonin levels?

Genes: Some people simply genetically have lower serotonin levels in their body. These people must work extra hard to increase and maintain their levels using things like diet and exercise.

Chronic Stress: Long-term stress, whether it be physical or emotional, can deplete serotonin levels over time. Managing stress is a key to maintaining a happy, healthy mood.

Sunlight: Low exposure to sunlight can deplete serotonin. Serotonin deficiency is related to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which includes feelings of sadness or depression during the winter months or in the evenings. Light plays a crucial role in serotonin production.

Lack of Exercise: Physical activity has a mood-enhancing effect – if you’re an exerciser, you’ll agree with this. A lack of exercise depletes serotonin.

Diet: Proteins and healthy fats are pro-serotonin foods, while things like caffeine, soda, coffee, fake sugars, and processed foods are all anti-serotonin foods.

Our serotonin levels become depleted when we are not consuming a balanced diet. A low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb, or low-protein diet can significantly alter our serotonin levels and affect our mood. Tryptophan is an essential protein that we must obtain from the diet. It is found in high-protein foods such as turkey, chicken, pork, beef, seafood and eggs. In addition, a diet high in essential fats will support an increase in the availability of protein in the brain for serotonin production. Vitamins and minerals, which are obtained from plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, are needed to convert the tryptophan to serotonin. As you can see, a balanced and varied diet is essential for proper serotonin levels, and therefore for a balanced, happy mood.

Although things like drugs, alcohol, sugar, and processed foods can temporarily increase serotonin, they quickly lead to a crash and will severely deplete serotonin levels over time. Many people turn to these things to experience a short-term “high,” only to lose it a short time later. Cravings for sugar or alcohol could be your body’s way of telling you that its serotonin levels are low and it needs more protein and healthy fats.

Finally, spend time outside to support healthy levels of serotonin. The activity and sunlight are so healthy for all of us, and since it’s spring now, there is no excuse not to be outside enjoying the weather!

Are You Hypoglycemic?

Hypoglycemia is a fancy word for low blood sugar. The concepts of low and high blood sugar can be confusing at times, because they are so closely related and both indicate a diet too high in sugars and carbohydrates. So what distinguishes one from the other?

We all have a pancreas. Right after we eat a meal or snack, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin. Insulin’s main job is to take the glucose (sugar) from the foods we eat and put it into our cells. Once inside our cells, that sugar is stored for future energy production.

In a healthy body, insulin lowers blood levels of sugar after a meal by increasing the rate at which cells absorb this sugar. When we are exercising our haven’t eaten in a while, our body helps us regulate our blood sugar levels by releasing some of this stored sugar back into the blood, providing us with the energy we need to go about our lives.

However, poor dietary and lifestyle choices can interrupt this careful balance of sugar in our blood. A diet high in refined sugars, trans fats, and other processed foods, and low in fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, can lead to hypoglycemia. When a lot of sugar is consumed, it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, leading to a hyperglycemic state. Due to the rapid increase of sugar in the blood, the pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin and that insulin works to put this sugar into cells. This then causes blood sugar levels to drop very quickly, leading to a hypoglycemic state. As this cycle continues with each meal or snack a person eats, the insulin eventually becomes tired and worn out, leading to poor function and eventually more serious diseases, such as diabetes.

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia

• Cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
• Irritability if a meal is missed
• Tired or weak when a meal is missed
• Dizziness when going from sitting to standing suddenly
• Frequent headaches or migraines
• Forgetfulness or low concentration
• Tiredness an hour or two after eating
• Heart palpitations
• Occasional shakiness
• Afternoon fatigue
• Occasional blurry vision
• Depression or mood swings
• Being overweight
• Frequent anxiety or nervousness
• PMS

What Can You Do About It?

Exercise can help prevent the onset of hypoglycemia and type II diabetes, and can also help to control these issues. Exercise enhances the sensitivity of insulin, making it more efficient inside the body. In addition, it strengthens the body so it can function at a higher level. It makes sense if you think about it. When you have excess sugar in the body, it is just sitting there waiting to be used as energy (or, to be stored as fat). When we exercise, we demand more energy from our cells, utilizing all that excess sugar.

Avoiding alcohol can really help people with hypoglycemia, as alcohol interferes with normal glucose utilization and increases the secretion of insulin. Smoking increases free radicals and contributes to symptoms of hypoglycemia and diabetes, so quitting smoking is very important (for a thousand other reasons too!). Finally, as usual, focus on a whole foods diet – eliminate or reduce refined sugars and fats, excess caffeine, and all processed foods. Increase dietary fiber in the form of vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and drink plenty of water each day.

As I have said in the past, blood sugar issues are at the root of many of our health problems (I know this from personal experience!) and it is very important to choose wisely for proper blood sugar control!

Oatmeal at McDonald's?

Before you get too excited about the new “healthy” breakfast option at McDonald’s, read Mark Bittman’s article from The New York Times. This information should not surprise you – if it's from McDonald’s, it's probably not a healthy, whole food that should become a regular part of your diet.

“The McDonald’s product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin.”

Those things are bad, yes. But most of you know by now that I’m not much of a calorie counter. It’s more about the ingredients in the foods you are eating. Apparently this particular oatmeal has around 15 ingredients. Hmmm. Seems to me oatmeal should have just 1 ingredient: oats!

I’ll let you read the rest HERE… including how to make your own oatmeal at home in a matter of minutes – faster than it would take you to drive through at McDonald’s!

Have a great weekend!

PMS

In my Reproductive Health class, we spent a quick 2-3 weeks on men’s reproductive health and then moved on to the much more complicated world of women’s reproductive health. It has been really fascinating and I love learning about all of the science and nutrition behind the big issues we hear about frequently, such as PMS or infertility. It’s amazing how much nutrition can help!

PMS refers to recurrent signs and symptoms that females experience 7-14 days prior to menstruation. It’s easy for others to attribute their friend/mom/wife/sister’s crankiness to PMS, but it is important to understand that PMS is very real and affects people at very different levels.

During a healthy menstrual cycle, the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries work together to secrete a balance of hormones that will release a single egg and prepare the uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg. The hormones estrogen and progesterone must be in perfect balance for this to occur. The cycle is completed in about a month, and consists of three distinct phases.

However, when a woman’s hormones are out of balance or one of their systems is not functioning optimally, menstruation is disrupted and PMS symptoms occur. Some common hormonal abnormalities in women include low thyroid function, elevated cortisol, and elevated prolactin levels. Many women with PMS have elevated estrogen levels and reduced progesterone levels. These imbalances can not only cause symptoms of PMS, but other more serious issues as well.

As I mentioned, PMS symptoms can be moderate to severe. They include behavioral symptoms such as nervousness, anxiety, mood swings or depression; gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or sugar cravings; female symptoms such as tender breasts or uterine cramping; and other general symptoms including headaches, backaches, acne, or swelling.

Although people experience PMS for a variety of reasons, there are some specific risk factors to be aware of. They include:

• Coming off of birth control pills
• Birth of a child
• Death in the family or other trauma
• Decreased light associated with seasonal changes
• High consumption of dairy products
• Excessive caffeine or sugar intake
• Blood sugar imbalances (too many carbs or sugars in diet)
• High blood levels of estrogen due to diet, body fat, or a poorly functioning liver
• Vitamins B6 & B12 deficiencies
• Low levels of vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium (they are required to metabolize excess estrogen)
• Magnesium deficiency
• Sedentary lifestyle

Luckily, there are some nutritional and lifestyle changes we can make to reduce or even eliminate symptoms of PMS. We need to focus on balancing hormones and increasing the quality of what we put into our body. If you are experiencing PMS symptoms that are interfering with your quality of life, I recommend addressing them as soon as possible, as they can lead to more serious reproductive health issues down the line. Some changes to make include:

• Reduce or eliminate refined carbohydrates. They can lead to mood alterations and irritability, as well as depression and anxiety. Focus on complex carbohydrates such as fresh fruits and vegetables, brown rice, oatmeal and quinoa.

• Reduce or eliminate refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. They cause dramatic increases in insulin production, causing sodium and water retention. This can lead to bloating, headaches, swelling, and other PMS symptoms.

• Lower intake of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid can interfere with proper prostaglandin synthesis, leading to unwanted PMS symptoms. Foods high in animal fats (conventionally raised beef and poultry) contain lots of arachidonic acid.

• Consume foods that reduce inflammation: fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, grass-fed beef, nuts, seeds, curry powder, garlic, and onions.

• Reduce sodium intake to prevent water retention and support healthy insulin response.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol. This will help eliminate fluid retention, prevent reactive hypoglycemia, and reverse other symptoms related to PMS.

• Vitamin B6: Supplementing with B6 can help with a variety of PMS symptoms. It increases synthesis of several neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, taurine and histamine.

• Vitamin D: Research has shown that increasing vitamin D levels can help reduce menstrual migraines and other PMS symptoms.

• Essential Fatty Acids: Essential fatty acids help increase beneficial prostaglandin production and decrease headaches, bloating, depression, irritability and breast tenderness. Sources of EFAs include fish oil, seafood, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, and nuts and seeds.

• Magnesium: Magnesium can become depleted during a regular menstrual cycle, which can lead to fluid retention and other symptoms of PMS. Supplementing with magnesium helps balance hormones and reduce symptoms.

• Exercise regularly to alleviate stress, increase mood, improve concentration, and support a healthy menstrual cycle.

Know Your Oils

I often get asked about oils, and what the proper oils are for cooking, salad dressings, baking, smoothies, and everything else. There are a few simple rules to follow with oils:

1. Don’t rely on only one oil for all of your needs. They have different smoke points and health benefits, and it is important to understand the differences so you get the most out of your oils.

2. Always purchase the highest quality oils you can find. Organic, cold-pressed, extra-virgin… you want the least processed form of the oil. The more processing the oil goes through, the fewer nutrients it will retain.

3. Store your oils properly. Some oils are hard at room temperature and can be kept in a cupboard. Others are sensitive to heat or light, so should be in darker bottles and kept away from the stove. For example, olive oil is very sensitive to heat and light. Yet, many people store it right next to their stove for easy access, or in a cupboard over the stove. The heat will spoil the oil and make it rancid, eliminating many of its important health benefits. Oilve oil should be kept in a cool, dry cellar or even a refrigerator if you live in a warmer climate. Flaxseed oil is another one that spoils easily and should be refrigerated.

4. Keep all fish oil supplements in the fridge as well to keep those healthy fats in tact.

5. Know the smoke points of your oils. Many use olive oil for cooking. However, did you know that its smoke point is only 325 degrees F? That means that heating olive oil to anything over 325 degrees F will begin to generate free radicals (cancer-causing agents you read about often) and change the chemical structure of the oil such that nutrients are destroyed. If you know the smoke points of your oils, you can use proper oils for cooking, salad dressings, and drizzling over pasta or veggies.

6. Myth: Oils will make me fat. This is NOT TRUE! As long as you are purchasing high quality, healthy oils such as extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil; extra virgin coconut oil; and organic flaxseed oil, they can only benefit your health. They are great for weight loss, hormonal balance, increasing metabolism, clearer thinking, energy levels, improving intestinal bacteria and health, and more. Healthy fats make up our cell walls, and when we avoid them, our cells become clumsy and sluggish, leading to weight gain and other unwanted symptoms.

2.

The Spectrum Organics website has a great chart for the different smoke points of oils (found HERE). I recommend printing this out and hanging it in your kitchen. Try a few new oils this month. When you buy high quality oils, they contain many essential fats and other nutrients that can help keep you and your family healthy!

Stress: Nutrients to Help You Cope

Earlier this week, I talked about the stress response that we all experience from time to time. As you learned, there are many diseases that are closely related to chronic stress levels and what the stress does to our internal balance. So, let’s all make an effort to lower our stress through our lifestyle and diet decisions.

Despite increased cravings for salt, sugar and carbs, focusing on nutrition is extremely important during stressful situations. The following nutrients are beneficial for someone who is experiencing short-term or chronic stress:

Vitamin C: Improves the capacity of the adrenal glands to adapt to stress; normalizes cortisol levels; increases immunity; acts as a powerful antioxidant. Food sources: fresh fruits and vegetables.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1): Provides energy; protects the nervous system and the heart. Food sources: Calf’s liver, nuts, brewer’s yeast.

Magnesium: Helps reduce cortisol levels after exercise; also known to help with strong chocolate cravings (many who crave chocolate are actually deficient in magnesium). Food sources: Nuts and seeds, leafy greens, salmon.

Zinc: Normalizes adrenal metabolism; important for bone health and immunity. Food sources: Calf’s liver, oysters, shellfish, beef, seeds.

Calcium: Deficiency associated with elevated cortisol production; critical nutrient in metabolism. Food sources: Dairy, leafy greens.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): Used in many metabolic processes including energy production. Food sources: Calf’s liver, leafy greens, seafood.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): Used in energy production; plays a central role in adrenal-cortex function and cellular metabolism; sometimes known as the “anti-stress” vitamin. Food sources: Calf’s liver, egg yolk, fresh vegetables.

As you incorporate these important nutrients into your anti-stress diet, remember to eliminate foods that strain your adrenals and internal balance: caffeine, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, sodium, refined sugars, and any foods you may be allergic to.

In addition to focusing on good nutrition while under stress, don’t forget about the other lifestyle practices that can help significantly with stress reduction. Regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and taking time for yourself each day are all extremely beneficial. Even just taking a few deep breaths when you feel yourself getting worked up can really make a difference.

Enjoy the weekend!

Stress: Cortisol, Blood Sugar & Disease

I know I promised this stress information last week, but I had too much going on and could not find the time to post. Normally I’d try to squeeze it in, but given the topic, I figured it was better to let it go and revisit it this week when I have more time.

We experience stress when life’s demands exceed our ability to meet those demands. Each of us has a different capacity to handle stress – this is an important thing to remember. One person may be able to juggle a full-time job, family, cleaning the house, volunteering, and cooking meals all without issue, while another may experience severe stress and fatigue with a full-time job and no family to worry about. Another important point: stress can be physical (such as a knee surgery), emotional, psychological, or social; short-term or long-term; and real or imaginary/perceived.

Acute stress is the body’s initial response to stress, otherwise known as the “fight-or-flight” response. Remember, fight-or-flight refers to a series of changes that rapidly occur inside the body when we encounter a stressful situation. These specific changes actually prepare the body for quick thinking and fast-acting behavior so we can optimize our response to the stressful encounter. Energy reserves of fat, protein and carbs are rapidly mobilized through tissue breakdown, and this energy is transferred to our arms and legs so we can move quickly. Adrenaline levels increase, heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, body temperature increases, and we become very alert. The idea is that we will deal with the situation and then our body will quickly return to its normal balanced state.

Chronic stress, however, interferes with the natural fight-or-flight response. When someone is under chronic stress (and I think it’s safe to say we’ve all experienced chronic stress), cortisol levels increase. Cortisol is a hormone that helps the body respond to stress. It is useful in small amounts but very damaging in large amounts. The chronically high cortisol levels contribute to muscle loss, fat gain, and accelerated breakdown of bones and tissues. Symptoms of too much cortisol include weight gain, fatigue, blood sugar fluctuations, increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings, muscle weakness, low immunity, anxiety and depression, and low sex drive. Eventually, chronically high cortisol levels lead to inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and arthritis.

Research has made it clear that there is a strong relationship between chronically elevated cortisol levels due to chronic stress, and long-term health. One of cortisol’s original roles is to encourage the body to refuel after responding to stress. However, when we have chronically high levels of cortisol, we are always hungry and craving certain foods, because our body thinks we need to refuel. This can lead to over-eating, and the fat tends to accumulate in the midsection – so it is readily available for the next stress response. This type of abdominal fat is associated with heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Finally, I want to share the connection between chronic stress, elevated cortisol levels, and blood sugar imbalance. Insulin is another hormone I’ve talked about occasionally. Insulin’s primary role is to regulate our blood sugar levels. Other roles of insulin are to store fat in our cells, store sugar in our liver and muscle cells, and instruct proteins to build muscle. Someone with healthy insulin levels and insulin responses will optimally utilize the hormone and have internal balance.

During the stress response (fight-or-flight), all of our cells are instructed to ignore insulin, so as to keep the energy (fat, proteins and carbs) in the blood for rapid mobilization and use as our body responds to the stressor. Cortisol sends a message to the cells that rather than storing energy, they should break down their stored energy and send it into the blood. This is quite effective when we are actually facing a stressful situation, because we suddenly feel a surge of energy and can move quickly.

However, with chronic stress and chronically high cortisol, the body is continuously told to ignore insulin, which leads to insulin resistance. This is when our body becomes desensitized to insulin and therefore we have too much sugar in our blood, leading to weight gain, increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings, and diabetes.

Later this week I will talk about some important nutrients for someone who is under a lot of stress.

"The Year of the Vegetable"

Happy New Year! After a couple of weeks off for some family time, I am back in school and ready to spend the next 3 ½ months learning about Clinical Nutrition and Reproductive Health & Nutrition – two of my last classes!

Right now we are learning a lot about stress. It’s one of my favorite topics, because it is so strongly linked to many different diseases and symptoms. I know I talk about stress often, but it’s good to revisit because we all experience it and are constantly trying to manage our stress. Next week I will go into more detail on stress, the science behind it, and the nutrition to help you cope with it.

Today, I want to leave you with an article that I really liked from Monday’s Opinion section of the Wall Street Journal, called “2011: The Year of the Vegetable.” It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but I appreciated the writer’s approach of holding parents accountable for what their kids eat. Click HERE to read the full article. To summarize: Childhood obesity is clearly a rising problem (and not only that, but all of the diseases and symptoms that accompany it – from ADHD to anxiety to diabetes in children). Basically, George Ball is saying that parents cannot expect their children to make healthy choices on their own. They live in a world that hands them bad food: school lunches, birthday parties, vending machines. It’s up to their parents to model healthy choices because – as we all know – kids imitate their parents. This goes beyond just serving a vegetable with dinner each night. Parents must work to get their kids excited about trying new foods. Growing vegetables in the home and including kids in cooking are some ways to do this. Parents must also recognize and appreciate the fact that liking vegetables is an acquired taste. Don’t give up – be patient with your kids and continue to model healthy choices and behavior. If it takes 2 years before your child tries a piece of celery, that's okay! At least you persisted and he's now eating celery.

George Ball is chairmen of Burpee Co., which sells vegetable seeds and plants that can be easily grown inside the home (for those who don’t have a garden or are too overwhelmed to create one). Check them out HERE. Start small: Maybe just grow 1-2 vegetables this year. But include your kids and see how they react to the process.

Have a great weekend!

Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

Most of you probably have at least one holiday cocktail party or dinner over the next week or two, whether it be with co-workers, friends or family. With the mountains of cookies, boxes of chocolates, and bottomless drinks, the holidays can leave you feeling bloated, fatigued, and ready for a fresh start. And while I love people who get energized about being healthy and active, why wait until January 1^st? (Secretly, I get so annoyed with the people who suddenly show up at the gym for the first time in months and crowd my treadmill and pool and yoga classes in early January!). There are a few easy things you can do to stay balanced over the next week or two that will help you enter 2011 feeling great.

If you have a holiday cocktail party or happy hour, enjoy the people more than the food and drink. If you make the people your focus, you will be less likely to continuously snack on cookies and candies and dips, and more likely to leave feeling energized. It may help if you decide ahead of time how many drinks you will consume. Offer to drive a group of friends, as this will automatically limit you to one or two drinks. Or, just give yourself a limit and sip slowly. Alcohol contains not only empty calories but also a lot of sugar, which can lead to increased snacking on those cookies!

For holiday dinners, my best advice is to treat it like a regular meal. Many people like to “starve” themselves all day so they’ll be nice and hungry by the time they get to their dinner, and then they overeat and feel uncomfortable for the remainder of the night, and possibly into the next day. When you cut back on food all morning and afternoon, your blood sugar will be out of whack and your judgment will be impaired due to extreme hunger. In addition, your metabolism will slow because it thinks you are starving. Give your body what it needs: a healthy breakfast that includes protein, complex carbohydrates, and some fruits or vegetables; a well-rounded lunch; and possibly a snack in between of some fresh veggies with hummus or an apple with almond butter. That way, by the time you get to your dinner party, you will comfortably snack on a few appetizers and then enjoy the meal without overdoing it. And, your metabolism will be nice and fast from your consistent eating throughout the day, so you're more likely to burn off those calories and sleep well.

Don’t let exercise get lost in all the commotion of the holidays. No matter how busy you are, I challenge you to find time each day this week to exercise. IT ONLY TAKES 15 MINUTES!! A walk in the snow with your family; playing fetch with the dog in the yard; cross-country or downhill skiing; snowshoeing; or even escaping to the gym for a quick swim or yoga class will really benefit you. Holidays are fun but also can be stressful. Take some time for yourself and enjoy the outdoors, no matter what the weather is. Your body burns extra calories when you exercise in the cold weather, so go for it!

My last piece of advice is simply to enjoy some of the “excess” that comes with the holidays. Even though I’m an advocate of being a conscious eater and taking control of your health, I also believe in enjoying your food and drink. If you come home from a party feeling like you had one too many cookies, brush it off and start fresh the next morning. No need to completely deprive yourself!

Merry Christmas!

Twink Designs!

Happy Friday!


Many of you have commented on the grapefruit that I use as part of my logo. My mom painted it for me, and she actually runs her own business. She paints, and then turns her paintings into everything from business cards to wedding save-the-dates and more! She even does commissions for people. Anyway, she has a great new website and Etsy site (if you haven’t discovered Etsy yet, I highly encourage it… just make sure you have hours of free time!).


She has some really great Christmas cards so if you’re still looking for some, check out her work! She also can do any type of customizable work – just e-mail her to get started. Her website can be found HERE and her Etsy site HERE.


On Monday I’ll talk about some tips for healthy eating through the holidays… so check back then!