Search Results

Have you ever wondered why apples or avocados turn brown a few minutes after you cut into them? Why do old cars start to rust? It’s thanks to a process called oxidation. When this same activity occurs in our bodies, it is referred to as oxidative stress. Over time, oxidative stress can be extremely harmful to the human body, leading to degenerative changes that accelerate aging and cause chronic disease. For true health to prevail, our goal should be to provide an environment where oxidative stress is minimized. Oxidation is the process of removing electrons from an atom or molecule. Electrons normally exist in pairs. When they fly solo, they are highly unstable or reactive; in this state, they are also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals. Damage occurs when the free radical encounters another molecule and seeks to find another electron to pair with to become more stable. The unpaired electron pulls an electron off a neighboring molecule (often the donor is DNA, important structural or functional proteins, LDL cholesterol particles, or even cell membranes) causing the affected molecule to behave like a free radical itself—and a chain reaction occurs. In their wake, the free radicals create even more unstable molecules that then attack their neighbors in a domino-like chain reaction. Not surprisingly, the end result of this process can be highly destructive. The production of free radicals can occur as a normal byproduct of metabolism. It also results from exposure to things like certain chemicals, cigarette smoke, pollution, radiation, increased sunlight exposure and tanning beds. The simple loss of electrons can subtly alter the function of, or even damage, DNA, proteins and cell membranes. Cumulative damage of this sort probably accounts for premature aging, many of the degenerative changes of aging and age-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants help stave off oxidative stress. They can donate electrons and stop the spiraling domino effect. Interestingly, antioxidants are able to give up electrons to free radicals without turning into electron-scavenging substances themselves. In addition to the presence of antioxidants in our diet, we are fortunate that our body can defend against oxidative stress in many other ways. Within cells, there are physical barriers that can help contain free radicals at their site of production. Enzymes in the body can help neutralize the dangerously reactive forms of oxygen. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) can occur when damage becomes excessive. In general, however, when there are too many free radicals in the body and too few antioxidants and/or mechanisms to defend against oxidative stress, more damage occurs. As an example, free radicals can oxidize LDL cholesterol. When this happens, atherosclerotic plaques can form in blood vessel walls. Ultimately, this has the potential to lead to blood clots resulting in blood flow blockage in the heart and brain, causing a heart attack or stroke, respectively. To help prevent an environment of oxidative stress, we should try to reduce free radical formation and help ensure an abundance of antioxidant support. The following are some tips to create this supportive environment. 1. Modify diet: Reduce consumption of trans fats, alcohol, high glucose-containing foods and fructose (not from fruit). These food items can overwhelm the metabolic capacity of the liver, resulting in free radical production. In addition, avoid deep-fried foods because they are notorious sources of free radicals, caused by the oil being continuously oxidized when it is heated at high temperatures. 2. Increase fiber intake: This helps reduce the rate at which the liver metabolizes energy; therefore it reduces the production of free radicals. 3. Increase antioxidant ingestion: Eat a diet full of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. The richer the color and more variety in these foods, the more nutrients and antioxidants they will provide. Each different color in fruits and vegetables represents a different nutrient and antioxidant. Research shows individual antioxidants in supplement form provide minimal benefit. 4. Increase mitochondrial formation and number through exercise. This allows better processing and metabolism of food items, thereby preventing the production of free radicals. Trying to keep the “rust” out of our bodies is an important step in preventing the degenerative changes of aging as well as chronic diseases. To reduce your overall oxidative stress burden, make sure you’re eating a healthful diet, full of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and getting plenty of exercise. Resources Hyman, Mark. “Glutathione: The 'mother' of all antioxidants.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh2PYQBICWs Lobo, V. et al. “Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health.” Pharmacognosy Review. 2010 Jul-Dec; 4(8): 118–126. doi:  10.4103/0973-7847.70902. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/ Lustig, Robert. Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease. New York: Penguin, 2013. Print. Uttara, Bayani et al. “Oxidative Stress and Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Review of Upstream and Downstream Antioxidant Therapeutic Options.” Current Neuropharmacology. 2009 Mar; 7(1): 65–74. doi:  10.2174/157015909787602823. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724665/ Jeanne Rosner, MD Jeanne Rosner is a board-certified anesthesiologist who practiced pediatric anesthesia at Stanford Medical Center for nearly 20 years. In 2011, she began teaching nutrition classes in her son’s 5th-grade science class. It was an “aha” moment for her. She realized that learning and teaching about nutrition, health and wellness in her community was her destiny. Since retiring from anesthesia, Jeanne has been a nutrition educator at local middle and high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She teaches her students the importance of eating food closest to the source, making good food choices and eating in a balanced and moderate way.  Jeanne started SOUL (seasonal, organic, unprocessed, local) Food Salon in 2014. SOUL Food Salon’s mission is to educate and empower people to be healthier. She holds small gatherings (salons) at which experts in the health and wellness community share their knowledge on how to lead a healthier life. www.soulfoodsalon.com jeanne@soulfoodsalon.com instagram: @soulfoodsalon To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Day in and day out, I work with patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. One of my greatest joys as a registered dietitian is when I hear them say “I came in here feeling like there was nothing I could personally do to treat this disease but meeting with you has given me hope.” It is abundantly clear to me that you can indeed fight cancer with your fork, and that is how I give my patients hope. In no way, shape or form am I suggesting that nutrition alone serves as a comprehensive approach to cancer treatment. Rather, I am suggesting that what we eat has a profound effect on cancer cell growth. And it's backed up by the science. It makes sense. Eating is the thing we all do every day, multiple times per day, regardless of how busy our lives are. In tandem with a wide variety of treatment modalities (which should be determined with one’s healthcare team), nutrient-dense foods alter the oncological landscape inside our bodies and our quality of life throughout cancer treatment. The cancer-fighting powerhouses Curcumin is a nutrient found in turmeric. Its nutritional classification is a polyphenol. It makes up 2-3% of the turmeric root itself. Curcumin has been shown in multiple clinical studies to limit angiogenesis (the creation of blood vessels leading from a healthy cell to a cancer cell) and induce apoptosis (cancer cell death). This polyphenol activates enzymes needed to eliminate toxic compounds from the body and protects the body’s healthy cells against toxic, more invasive, cancer cells. By including turmeric in the diet, some curcumin will naturally be absorbed. However, since curcumin comprises such a small part of the turmeric root, adding small amounts of turmeric to food will not impart much benefit. To increase the efficacy of turmeric and the absorption of curcumin, pair it with black pepper. It increases the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. For many of my patients with cancer, I also recommend curcumin in supplemental form. But my approach is to get as much nutrition as we can from the foods and beverages we consume and use supplements only to fill in the gaps. This is critical given that many patients look to pills to play the role that medicinal foods should play and are confused when poor diet and a large quantity of supplements do not produce favorable outcomes. Cruciferous vegetables are also heavy hitters when it comes to fighting cancer with your fork. A key compound in this family of vegetables is indole-3-carbinol, which acts much like curcumin in that it is a potent detoxifying agent that aids the liver in removing chemical carcinogens from the body. It does this by inhibiting the Phase I detoxification enzymes and inducing the Phase II detoxification enzymes. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, watercress, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, kohlrabi, rutabagas, turnips, arugula, horseradish and radishes are all cruciferous vegetables that contribute to making the body an unfavorable environment for cancer to exist and thrive. Mushrooms play a powerful role in the fight to eradicate cancer. In specific, Trametes versicolor, commonly known as turkey tail mushroom, plays a central role in my nutrition practice. This mushroom contains a starchy compound known as a beta glucan. The beta glucan studied most widely in human clinical trials is Polysaccharopeptide. This cancer-fighting compound changes the gene expression and transcription for those with specific types of cancer. This results in more immune support for cancer patients. In my practice, I see its effects most starkly in the increase in white blood cell counts among those who have had blood drawn before using turkey tail mushroom and, again, after we have begun a turkey tail mushroom regimen. Turkey tail mushrooms are available at some gourmet grocers and online, in dried form. If you buy them fresh, add them to a soup or sauté them. If you purchase dried turkey tail mushrooms, rehydrate them in hot broth or water for 30 minutes before eating them. Turkey tail mushroom supplementation may also be indicated for some patients. While there are many other foods that aid us in the fight against cancer, the aforementioned ones are an excellent place to begin. By including curcumin, cruciferous vegetables and turkey tail mushrooms in your eating regimen, you can use the power of plants to become a proactive patient in the fight against cancer. How much of each nutrient a person should include in their diet varies. In my practice, I customize every one of my nutrition recommendations to the individual. So rather than recommend 500 mg of curcumin or four cups of broccoli for every person—regardless of cancer type, stage, treatment modality, pre-existing condition or digestive issues—I recommend that you honor your unique self by working with a registered dietitian to determine the exact nutrients you should include. With personalized recommendations from your healthcare team and proper wielding of your fork, you can effectively fight cancer. Resources Abrams D. & Weil A. Integrative Oncology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009. Print Townsend, Danyelle M. & Kenneth D Tew. "The role of glutathione-S-transferase in anti-cancer drug resistance." Oncogene (2003) 22, 7369–7375.  doi:10.1038/sj.onc.  www.nature.com/onc/journal/v22/n47/full/1206940a.html Wang J, Dong B, Tan Y, Yu S, & Bao YX. "A study on the immunomodulation of polysaccharopeptide through the TLR4-TIRAP/MAL-MyD88 signaling pathway in PBMCs from breast cancer patients." Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2013 Aug;35(4):497-504. doi: 10.3109/08923973.2013.805764. 2013 Jun 27.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23802631 Micronutrient Information Center. "Cruciferous Vegetables." Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University. lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/cruciferous-vegetables Dried Turkey Tail Mushrooms, Oregon Mushrooms. www.oregonmushrooms.com/p-357-dried-turkey-tail-mushrooms.aspx Dried Turkey Tail Mushrooms, Far West Fungi. store.farwestfungi.com/034032.html Jocelyn Dubin, MS, RD Jocelyn Dubin, MS, RD has a Master’s in Nutritional Science from San Jose State University and is a registered dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Before Jocelyn opened NOURISH with her husband, Victor, she developed a private practice and worked to improve the nutritional health of individuals in hospitals, clinics, nonprofit organizations, schools and private homes. At NOURISH, Jocelyn provides telephone, Skype and in-office consultations, visits clients’ homes to perform kitchen makeovers, takes clients grocery shopping and teaches them how to order the healthiest items from restaurant menus. She also develops and delivers customized nutrition presentations for the public, corporations and nonprofit organizations. Jocelyn encourages her clients to use the power of their plates to be proactive about their health. jocelyn@nourishsantacruz.com 831.359.0675 www.nourishsantacruz.com To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Are your gut microbes more famished than you realize? Our intestine is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria. There are more microbes in a single teaspoon of intestinal content than there are stars in our Milky Way galaxy. It’s a humbling experience to realize that humans—with our highly evolved, complex brains that can build towering skyscrapers and compose fine works of art—are, in essence, bacteria-filled tubes. We are housing galaxies of microbes within our gut, and all of those microbes play a key role in regulating and maintaining our overall health. When they are not staving off disease, what are all these microbes doing there? Eating. Your microbiota and you The gut microbiota, also referred to as the microbiome, is the collection of microorganisms that call your intestines home. A major function of this community of bacteria is to consume carbohydrates. But not just any type of carbohydrates, a specific type called microbiota-accessible carbohydrates, or MACs. MACs are complex carbohydrates: the types found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. When our gut microbiota consumes MACs it releases compounds into our gut that help our body regulate its immune system, keep pathogenic, or bad, bacteria at bay and even contribute to whether we are lean or obese. What happens if you haven’t eaten any MACs? Does your microbiota lie in wait, famished, hopeful that you will feed it again soon? Not exactly. When your diet doesn’t contain enough MACs, your microbes are forced to rely on the only other carbohydrate source it has left: you. Your intestine secretes a slimy coat of carbohydrates that line your intestinal wall, called mucus. This mucus lining is a rich source of carbohydrates that starving microbes can feast on when dietary pickings are slim. Our gut microbes can have a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde type of personality. Provide gut microbes with plenty of sustenance in the form of MACs and they will happily convert them into molecules our body needs to be healthy. Starve them of dietary MACs and they will munch on your mucus lining, inching ever closer to your intestinal wall. The immune system is put on alert that a microbe is getting dangerously close to penetrating the protective wall your body has constructed to keep a safe distance between them and us. The long-term ramifications of this situation could be an immune system that’s on a hair trigger, impacting not only the health of your gut but your entire body. While MACs are not denoted on a food’s nutritional label or ingredient list, they have a proxy that is labeled: dietary fiber. It’s the closest approximation we have for MACs. Consuming foods that are high in dietary fiber helps ensure the best nutrition for our microbial partners. Unfortunately, the evidence points out that Americans are not getting enough dietary fiber. The average American consumes a measly 15 grams of dietary fiber per day. This falls far short of the 30-38 grams recommended by the FDA, and it’s woefully short of the 100-150 grams of fiber consumed by modern-day hunter-gatherers. Much of the current scientific inquiry is looking at how dietary fiber consumption relates to the health of the microbiota throughout life and over generations. A growing number of studies have revealed that the average Westerner has a microbiota with far fewer microbial species living in their gut relative to people living a lifestyle and eating a diet more similar to our early agrarian or hunter-gatherer ancestors. It appears that as our consumption of dietary fiber has decreased, so has the number of different types of bacteria living in our gut—stars in our internal galaxies flaming out. Scientists don’t yet know what the long-term ramifications of this gut microbial extinction might be. But the simultaneous stratospheric rise in diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and even depression in our society points to a potential common thread underlying all these conditions. While these highly complex diseases are likely to be the result of several insults—death by a thousand cuts—more scientists are starting to view a diseased Western microbiota as a major knife-wielder. The Big MAC diet How can you keep your microbiota healthy? While several factors affect the microbiota, diet appears to be a major lever we can control. Eating a diet filled with dietary fiber, a “Big MAC diet,” can help your microbiota focus on consuming food, and not you. In practice, this means each meal needs a healthy portion of fruits, vegetables, beans or whole grains so that you are consuming at least the 30-38 grams of dietary fiber per day recommended by the FDA. For an example of what this would look like, the day could start with a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with berries, then a kale salad sprinkled with nuts, seeds and dried fruit for lunch, and finally a dinner comprised of a veggie-filled Mediterranean bean soup. This type of diet ensures that our microbes have plenty to eat so that they can maintain a robust and thriving community within our gut. Five ways to boost gut health Feed your microbes lots of high-fiber foods (for example, beans, artichokes, berries, avocados, and whole grains) Eat bacteria through probiotics or fermented foods Don’t over-sanitize; regular soap and water is plenty Avoid unnecessary antibiotics Spend time outside to expose yourself to nature’s microbes So, what have you fed your microbiota today? ​ ​ Resources De Filippo, C., et al. “Impact of Diet in Shaping Gut Microbiota Revealed by a Comparative Study in Children from Europe and Rural Africa.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107.33 (2010): 14691–6. Print. Martinez, I., et al. “The Gut Microbiota of Rural Papua New Guineans: Composition, Diversity Patterns and Ecological Processes.” Cell Reports(2015): 527–38. Print. Schnorr, S. L., et al. “Gut Microbiome of the Hadza Hunter-Gatherers.” Nat Commun 5 (2014): 3654. Print. Smits, S.A., et al. “Seasonal Cycling in the Gut Microbiome of the Hadza Hunter-Gatherers of Tanzania.” Science 357.6353 (2017): 802–6. Print. Yatsunenko, T., et al. “Human Gut 
Microbiome Viewed across Age and Geography.” Nature 486.7402 (2012): 
222–7. Print. This Week in Health: Inside your Microbiome by Harvard Public Health Erica Sonnenburg, PhD Erica Sonnenburg, PhD, is a senior research scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, where she studies the role of diet on the human intestinal microbiota. She has published her groundbreaking findings related to the microbiota in prestigious journals such as The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cell, and Nature. She is the co-author, along with her husband, Justin Sonnenburg, of the book The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health. erica.sonnenburg@stanford.edu facebook.com/thegoodgut http://sonnenburglab.stanford.edu iti.stanford.edu/center-for-human-microbiome-studies.html To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Is butter really back? Can we eat bacon with abandon? These were the headlines in the popular media a few years ago—based upon a meta-analysis from 2014. These stories, with their click-bait titles, can be confusing and misleading. Let’s delve a bit deeper into the story about fat and clear up some of the confusion. Our knowledge about food and nutrition continues to grow, reflecting an evolving body of evidence. We are far from reaching a definitive conclusion regarding the amount of fat intake that is optimal. However, there is growing clarity as to the type of fat that is healthy. For many years, an anti-fat bias was entrenched in our thinking. The low-fat message helped usher in the obesity epidemic as manufacturers replaced fats with processed carbohydrates in many foods. The consumption of a diet heavy in starch leads to surges in insulin, storage of body fat and blood glucose fluctuations, which compel further sugar cravings and hunger. Long-term, this dietary pattern can lead to obesity and its dangerous sequelae of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver and even cancer. It is difficult to pinpoint when fat became the enemy on our plates. In the 1940’s, American physiologist Ancel Keys began to study the effects of dietary fat intake on cardiovascular disease. He launched the Seven Countries Study, which pointed out the relationship between dietary patterns and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Greece, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Finland and the US. Keys concluded that populations consuming large amounts of dietary fats had the highest cholesterol levels and the highest rates of CVD. Conversely, in cultures where diet was based on fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and olive oil (Mediterranean countries), the heart attack rate was low. Still more interesting, he found that the people of Crete had the lowest CVD rate of all, despite a diet high in fat. The distinction was that their diet was high in polyunsaturated fats, like fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds. The story of dietary fat continues to evolve and is complex. Understanding fats All fats are not created equal; there are good fats and bad fats. The truth is that good fats are not only beneficial to your health, but they are necessary and essential for life. Healthy fats are vital for many body functions, including: Brain function: Fat provides the structural components for the cell membranes in the brain and myelin (fatty sheath surrounding axon of nerve cells). The brain’s composition is 60% fat. Cell membrane function: Fat is the major constituent of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Energy production: Fat is the most efficient source of food and energy. Hormone production: Fat is part of the prostaglandins that regulate many bodily functions. These substances also regulate sex hormones and are critical for fertility and reproduction. Nutrient absorption: Fat is necessary for our intestines to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as minerals. Organ protection and function: Fat provides a cushion for our vital organs, and it provides the essential fatty acids necessary for many organs to function optimally. Skin health: Healthy skin requires healthy fats, particularly essential fatty acids. Inflammation: Fats are needed to produce hormones that regulate inflammation. Blood Clotting: Fats are essential for clotting cascade. Maintain body temperature: Fats provide insulation, which helps to maintain body temperature. Types of fat All fats have the same basic chemical structure, yet each varies by how many hydrogen atoms and double bonds it holds. The shape of the carbon chain helps determine the properties of the fat. Slight differences in structure can lead to crucial differences in function. The three types of fats are: 1.   Saturated fats (typically solid at room temperature) 2.   Unsaturated fats Monounsaturated: Food sources include olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, seeds and olives Polyunsaturated: There are two primary types: Omega-3 (salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, etc.) and Omega-6 (processed foods and vegetable oils) 3.   Trans fats: Also known as partially hydrogenated oils. Found in commercially processed foods and solid margarines. All foods contain a mix of fat types, but one type usually predominates. Click here to learn more about the various types of fats. Recommendations Focus on eating food, rather than “nutrients.” Some general rules to guide your consumption: ​​ It is not the total fat that matters but rather the type of fat that one consumes. Not all fats are created equal.The healthiest fats to least healthy fats to eat are:  Seafood Omega-3 Fats—> Plant Omega-3 Fats —> Plant Omega-6 Fats—> Monounsaturated Fats —> Saturated Fats —> Trans Fats. Omega-3 fats, derived from marine sources such as fish and algae are the healthiest. The richest sources of Omega-3 fats are in fatty fish (think SMASH: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring). Next are the Omega-3 fats derived from plants: chia seeds, hemp seeds, algal oil, flax seeds, leafy greens, beans and cabbages. Then, plant Omega-6 fats found in corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils. Next in line are monounsaturated fats such as nuts, avocados, olives and olive oil. Saturated fats, which are found mostly in animal foods such as cream, cheese, milk, butter and fatty meats, follow. If you choose to eat red meat, eat it in moderation and source it from grass-fed and grass-finished animals. At the bottom of the barrel are trans fats (also known as partially hydrogenated oils). They should be avoided because they are highly toxic. Trans fats are found in processed foods. All fats can make you fat if too many calories are consumed. They all contain 120 kcal per tablespoon. Eat fats mostly from plants and fewer fats from meat and dairy foods. Fats that are in liquid form (oils) at room temperature are unsaturated and plant-based. Do not exclude fats when you are cooking because they are necessary to help transport needed vitamins and minerals to our cells and tissues. For example, when roasting vegetables, include a few tablespoons or more of olive oil to assure that the healthy nutrients are transported properly in the body. Keep intake of saturated fats to a minimum. Replacing saturated fats in the diet with polyunsaturated fats and whole grains will reduce your risk for heart disease. However, replacing saturated fats with refined carbohydrates (sugar and refined starches) and trans fats will increase your overall risk for heart disease. Low fat does NOT necessarily mean healthy. Often, if a food item is low in fat, it is also high in sugar, which helps make the food taste good. Minimize the ingestion of fried foods, especially from fast food establishments. If you desire something fried, fry it yourself at home. Realize that when oils are heated to high temperatures their fat structure changes in unhealthy ways. Eating whole foods that are unprocessed and in their natural form brings the most health benefits. Eat an abundance of plants with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and olive oil in the style of the Mediterranean diet. Stay well, my friends. Martha Mejia, MD Resources Brownstein, David, MD and Sheryl Shenefelt, The Skinny on Fats, West Bloomfield, MI: Medical Alternatives Press. 2014. www.amazon.com/Skinny-David-Brownstein-Sheryl-Shenefelt/dp/0984086927 Hamley, Steven. “The effect of replacing saturated fat with mostly n-6 polyunsaturated fat on coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” Nutrition Journal. 2017 May 19;16 (1):30. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5437600/ Howard, BV et al. “Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006 Feb 8;295(6):655-66. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467234 Ludwig, MD, PhD, Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently, New York: Hachette Book Group, 2016. www.amazon.com/Always-Hungry-Conquer-Cravings-Permanently/dp/1409158853/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500585365&sr=1-2&keywords=always+hungry+by+dr.+david+ludwig Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, & Krauss R. "Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010 Mar:91(3):535-546. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648 American Heart Association–The Skinny on Fats: Saturated, Unsaturated and Trans Fats. www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/The-Skinny-on-Fats_UCM_305628_Article.jsp#.WXEiAtMrK8p Choose Unsaturated Fats for Heart Health, Harvard Public Health. Audio. soundcloud.com/harvardpublichealth Is Butter Really Back?  www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/is-butter-really-back/ Martha Mejia, MD Martha Mejia's love for learning about nutrition and bringing that information to the fore when treating patients has been a mainstay of her medical practice. It is her passion to disseminate information not only in a doctor-patient relationship but also in articles, group discussions and lectures. She is dedicated to providing comprehensive, up-to-date and holistic care, adding a more natural and nutritional approach to conventional medical treatments. Viewing and treating each person as an individual is her main priority. Martha graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center followed by a Fellowship in Nephrology at Stanford. She has worked in urgent care and primary care clinics. Recently, she joined the Sequoia Medical Group after 20 years in internal medicine private practice. marthamegiamd.com marthamejiamd@comcast.net To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

It’s late afternoon, your eyes start to glaze over and the yawning begins. Maybe you think a caffeine boost will help, or you unconsciously reach for some convenient carb-laden snack. This all-too-common routine could be avoided with the right fuel for your body, along with some beneficial lifestyle habits to support digestion and energy levels. What should I eat for energy and focus? Here are some general guidelines that will work for most people: Think SOUL food. As SOULFUL Insights reminds us, start with eating food that is Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed and Local, if you can. Eating this way will ensure you are maximizing the nutrient density in your foods while avoiding harmful toxins, GMOs and pesticides that are found in processed and many conventionally raised foods. Eat three meals a day. One of the critical factors you can control to maintain a consistent energy level is your blood sugar: keep it steady. By eating three meals a day until you are 80% full, you help to ensure your blood sugar doesn’t drop too low as a result of not eating. It also helps prevent a sharp rise and abrupt drop in your blood sugar due to overeating. Build a balanced plate. Eating regularly throughout the day without attention to what you are eating is not enough to ensure optimal energy and focus. You need all three macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat) in your diet. I recommended consuming each macronutrient at each meal to benefit from the full spectrum of nutrients while also allowing for a slow and steady release of energy that will tide you over until your next meal. Start by featuring vegetables and maybe a little fruit occasionally as the “main dish,” making up 50% of your plate. One-fourth of your plate can include whole grains and/or legumes. You don’t need to include grains and legumes at every meal or every day for that matter. Carbohydrates from vegetables alone may meet your needs for this macronutrient. One-fourth of your plate should include some protein (animal or plant-based). Last, but certainly not least, are healthy fats to round out the meal. Not only do fats add flavor and lead to satiety, but fat is needed to absorb and metabolize fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), help to build hormones and for many other important body functions. Perhaps the most essential nutrient for the brain are Omega-3 fats (think, oily fish like Sardines and salmon or plant-based walnuts, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds). They help build your myelin sheath, which insulates your nerves. This, in turn, keeps nerve signals flowing so you stay alert and focused. Omega-3 fats are also anti-inflammatory and protect the brain from oxidative stress. Your body cannot make Omega-3 fats so you must consume them from food. Eating a combination of carbohydrates, fats and protein at each meal (or snack if you really need one) is essential to maintaining long, steady energy. Macronutrients work together to convert energy continuously throughout the day, and their nutrients keep the body functioning at its optimal level. Remember to build your plate like the photo above. If you feel you need a second helping, help yourself to a little more of everything in similar proportions to keep your macronutrient ratios on target. Foods to avoid for enhanced energy and focus There is much debate about consuming caffeine for alertness and focus. While a cup of coffee can definitely provide you with a quick dose of sharpness, you can also overdo it and feel jittery and anxious, which then detracts from being focused. Additionally, the “boost” is short-lived. Ideally, it’s better to focus on sustained energy sources as discussed earlier in this post over a quick boost. If you must consume coffee, do so before 12 pm; the half-life of caffeine is six hours and could affect sleep if ingested after noon. Sugar and alcohol also have adverse effects on energy and focus. They both cause blood sugar to spike and drop in unhealthy ways and require precious nutrients to process while adding no nutritional value. Aim to keep your daily sugar intake to less than eight teaspoons, or 30 grams. Boosting energy and focus through lifestyle choices  Now that you know what to eat at each meal, let’s focus on some healthy lifestyle choices that can boost your absorption and utilization of the nutrients you take in and thus positively affect your energy level and ability to focus. There are three primary lifestyle behaviors that directly influence your digestion: ​ Sleep. On average, most adults need eight hours of sleep to fully repair and rejuvenate their muscles and brain. Sleep deprivation of even one hour a night can impair your ability to make healthy choices, stay focused and think quickly. Additionally, trying to sleep on a full stomach can interfere with sleep quality and repair time for your organs. Aim to finish eating at least two to three hours before sleeping. Stress management. Never eat when you are feeling stressed because your digestive system shuts down under duress. Taking a few deep breaths before you start a meal can be enough to shift the body into its parasympathetic mode and allow it to ready itself to receive food. Strategies to relieve stress throughout the day include regular deep cleansing breaths (especially when you notice stress coming on), exercise, laughing and meditation. Eat mindfully. Before taking any bite, ask yourself if you are, in fact, hungry. If you aren’t, think about why you are tempted to eat at that moment and address the emotion as appropriate. For example, try taking a quick walk to redirect and make a new choice. To improve digestion and avoid overeating, eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Aim for at least 20 chews/bite and try to lower your fork back to your plate between each bite. An average meal should take you at least 20 minutes to eat. Try to stop when you feel 80% full. Furthermore, don’t eat with distractions like watching TV or working on your computer, as this combination can lead to overeating and leave you feeling less satisfied than when you consciously enjoy each bite and take in all the flavors. Other factors that can influence your energy and focus are undiagnosed, nutrition-related health issues such as food sensitivities, gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of your good and bad bacteria), metabolic syndrome or yeast overgrowth. Additionally, functional-related concerns such as hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders or adrenal fatigue may be other avenues to explore. If you suspect one of these issues, seek the advice of a nutrition consultant or functional medicine practitioner for further evaluation and treatment of the cause. Five things you can do today to improve energy and focus. Eat whole foods Get adequate sleep Eat mindfully Manage stress Eat three macronutrient balanced meals a day, mostly plants Resources Berg JM, Tymoczko JL, Stryer L. Biochemistry, 5th edition. Section 30.2, Each Organ Has a Unique Metabolic Profile. New York: W H Freeman; 2002. Web. Oct 17, 2017. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/ Davidson, Nancy, et al. (2013, April 03). “Living with diabetes: Stress, illness and high blood sugar.” MayoClinic.org, April 3, 2013. Web. Oct. 24, 2017. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-blog/diabetes-blog/bgp-20056560 Drake, Christopher, et al. “Effects of rapid versus slow accumulation of eight hours of sleep loss.” Psychophysiology, 38(6), Nov. 2001, 979-987. Web. Oct 24, 2017. www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychophysiology/article/div-classtitleeffects-of-rapid-versus-slow-accumulation-of-eight-hours-of-sleep-lossdiv/AEB7654ADE0733D836C6858A4D9410A7 Goldstein, Andrea, et al. “Tired and Apprehensive: Anxiety Amplifies the Impact of Sleep Loss on Aversive Brain Anticipation.” Journal of Neuroscience. 26 June 2013, 33 (26) 10607-10615. Web. Oct 17, 2017. www.jneurosci.org/content/33/26/10607 “Healthy Eating Plate vs. USDA’s MyPlate.” The Nutrition Source, Harvard TH Chan, April 8, 2015. Web. Oct. 24, 2017. www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate-vs-usda-myplate/ Deborah Blake, NC Deborah is a Nutrition Consultant in Menlo Park, California. She graduated in 2007 from Antioch University in Seattle with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice. Ever committed to working to improve the lives of others, she continued her education and recently graduated from the Nutrition Consulting program at Bauman College in Berkeley. Bauman is recognized for being at the forefront of the holistic approach to nutrition as it contributes to the prevention of illness and the promotion of optimal health. Deborah is passionate about empowering clients with nutritional education and support so that they can create new habits to reach desired health goals. She offers one on one nutrition and wellness coaching, cooking demonstrations, as well as individualized meal planning. In addition, Deborah is the co-author of Bites Beyond Limits, a food blog dedicated to allergy-free eating. deborahblakeemail@gmail.com 650-600-1830 To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

An overview Human survival is dependent on consuming food. What we choose to eat, however, can have an enormous impact on our environment. Twenty-thirty percent of manmade greenhouse gases are related to the food we eat. Our food choices also dramatically affect both our water resources and water pollution. Of the three macronutrients in our diet: carbohydrates, fats and proteins, protein has the greatest impact on the health of our environment. Protein comes from both animal and non-animal sources. Omnivore protein sources include animals; vegetarians can get some of their protein from items produced by animals (such as butter, eggs and milk); and vegans will not consume any animal sources, nor their products. They get their protein from vegetables, beans, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. The modern food chain Greenhouse gas emissions occur every step of the way in our modern, industrial food chain: Production –> Processing –> Distribution –> Consumption –> Waste Three gases are central to this process: carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4) nitrous oxide (N2O) Each of these gases traps heat in the atmosphere to a differing degree. N2O does it with 300x more efficiency than CO2 does. CH4 traps heat nearly 25x more than CO2. The different gases are also emitted into the atmosphere in varying amounts, with CO2 contributing 76% of emissions, CH4 14% and N2O 8%. Let’s look at the different protein sources and see how they impact CO2 emissions. This chart differentiates between pre-production CO2 impact and post-production CO2 impact. The striking conclusion that one can draw from this chart is that animal sources of protein contribute significantly more to CO2 gas emissions than do non-animal sources. The sad consequence is that we are overloading the natural carbon cycle and emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it can process, resulting in increasing temperatures. Even the smallest change in temperature wreaks havoc on the earth’s climate. Deforestation, reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, enteric fermentation and manure production, transportation of feed, fertilizer and animals, and food wastage all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Let’s take a closer look. Huge swaths of land are being cleared of trees (our current storage depots for carbon) to plant monocrops of corn and soy as feed for the cows in concentrated animal farming operations (CAFOs). Without a reservoir of trees for carbon sequestration, the carbon is converted to carbon dioxide gas, which is subsequently released into the atmosphere. Conventional modern farming relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to do the work of nourishing soil and ridding it of pests, rather than relying on compost and cover crops to naturally perform these actions. These synthetic products contain nitrogen, which ultimately contributes to the emission of more greenhouse gases (N2O) into the atmosphere. They also create runoff—the gases enter our waterways, leading to the pollution of our oceans (see below about water impact). A massive number of cows are raised in CAFOs. Their food source is grain, rather than grass, which is their preferred natural food source. Cattle have a unique digestive system that includes four stomachs, or rumens. In these rumens, enteric fermentation occurs, which results in an inordinate amount of burping. That belching emits large quantities of methane into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. Cow manure also emits methane and nitrous oxide. Anyone who has driven down Highway 5 in California knows all about CAFOs and the cows’ excessive belching and manure production. The horrible stench of methane can be detected miles away from these massive cattle complexes. Water Agriculture accounts for 70% of all our planet’s water usage. In the graphic below, you can see that animal sources of protein use a tremendous amount of water. Raising meat requires 20x more water than growing grains. The water is used to grow the animal’s feed as well as to hydrate the animal during its life cycle. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are often used to produce the animals’ grain food sources, making matters worse. The nitrogen and phosphorus from these synthetic products become agricultural runoff, which ends up in our water sources—typically oceans, but also lakes and rivers. The runoff has created large areas of oxygen-depleted water. These dead (or hypoxic) zones are unable to support marine life. Notable dead zones in the US are in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coasts of Oregon and Virginia. Fortunately, dead zones are reversible if their causes are reduced or eliminated. What can you do? What can we do to mitigate the environmental damage we do through our food production? Eat locally sourced food. Eat seasonally. Eat less processed food. Waste less food (food waste accounts for 40% of food lost, and 25% of our precious water is used to produce this food). If you garden, do it organically. Don't use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, do not till, use compost to help keep carbon in the soil. (Read more about organic farming here.) Eat more climate-friendly proteins (beans, nuts, seeds, grains and vegetables). Move meat to the side of the plate instead of serving it as the main entrée. If you eat meat, choose organic, grass-fed and grass-finished meat. Remember, we have a choice about what we eat. Let’s be mindful of the impact our food choices have on the environment. Resources Hoekstra, Alan. “The Hidden Water Resource Behind Meat and Dairy.” Animal Frontiers, April 2012, Vol. 2, No. 2. Web. 30 Apr 2017. waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Hoekstra-2012-Water-Meat-Dairy.pdf Masset, Gabriel  Louis-Georges Soler, Florent Vieux, and Nicole Darmon. "Identifying Sustainable Foods: The Relationship between Environmental Impact, Nutritional Quality, and Prices of Foods Representative of the French Diet." Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 114, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 862-869. Web. 4 May 2017. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212267214001105 Mekonnen, Mesfin M. & Alan Hoekstra. “A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products.” Ecosystems (2012) 15: 401–415 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-011-9517-8 Web. 30 Apr 2017. waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Mekonnen-Hoekstra-2012-WaterFootprintFarmAnimalProducts_1.pdf What Causes Ocean “Dead Zones?” Scientific American. Web. 30 Apr 2017. www.scientificamerican.com/article/ocean-dead-zones/ Meat Eater’s Guide: www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/ Movies Cowspiracy: www.cowspiracy.com Before the Flood: www.beforetheflood.com/ Jeanne Rosner, MD Jeanne Rosner is a board-certified anesthesiologist who practiced pediatric anesthesia at Stanford Medical Center for nearly 20 years. In 2011, she began teaching nutrition classes in her son’s 5th-grade science class. It was an “aha” moment for her. She realized that learning and teaching about nutrition, health and wellness in her community washer destiny. Since retiring from anesthesia, Jeanne has been a nutrition educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. She teaches middle school children the importance of eating food closest to the source, making good food choices and eating in a balanced and moderate way.  Jeanne started SOUL (seasonal, organic, unprocessed, local) Food Salon in 2014. SOUL Food Salon’s mission is to educate and empower people to be healthier. She holds small gatherings (salons) at which experts in the health and wellness community share their knowledge on how to lead a healthier life. www.soulfoodsalon.com jeanne@soulfoodsalon.com instagram: @soulfoodsalon To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Antibiotic-resistant germs (bacteria), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), kill 23,000+ people and cause 2+ million illnesses each year in the United States. This is happening because these bacteria no longer respond to the antibiotics designed to kill them. If I had no direct experience with the above statistics, I may glance at the numbers and continue with my day. Devastatingly, I am an example of the real and destructive effects of antibiotic resistance. My husband and I experienced every parent’s worst nightmare. On April 16, 2004, our toddler son, Simon Sparrow, woke up with a terrified scream, a fever and difficulty breathing. Less than 24 hours later, my beautiful cherub of a son was pronounced dead, without a precise cause of death. An autopsy revealed that Simon had contracted MRSA—specifically, a new strain called community-associated MRSA, a “superbug." Simon Sol Sparrow died at 18 months of age after contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacterium. MRSA is a bacterium that causes hard-to-treat infections. It has traditionally been contracted in healthcare settings such as hospitals but is now found in community settings, including playgrounds, child-care centers, locker rooms, athletic facilities, jails, military quarters and student dormitories. In 2004, I had never heard of MRSA—and I have a doctorate from the Harvard School of Public Health! Years later, I joined infectious disease experts to help form the MRSA Research Center at the University of Chicago to address the exaggerated demand for antibiotics by patients and the tendency to overprescribe antibiotics among doctors. Two-thirds of infectious disease doctors have treated patients with infections that did not respond to any antibiotics and half of all antibiotic use in humans is unnecessary or inappropriate. Antibiotics and our food chain Soon after starting my work at the University of Chicago, The Pew Charitable Trusts informed me that antibiotics are used in healthy animals to promote growth and prevent disease in crowded or unsanitary conditions. More than 34 million pounds of antibiotics are sold for use in food animal production. That’s four times the amount sold to treat sick people. This means that more than 70% of medically important antibiotics are sold in the United States for use in food animal production. The regular, sub-therapeutic (low-dose) use of antibiotics in food animal production is a perfect recipe for antibiotic resistance, as weaker bacteria are killed when faced with antibiotics, leaving stronger bacteria to survive and produce a next generation, continuing the cycle of superbug production. Change is happening Since 2012, I have advocated in Washington, D.C., for legislation that supports the judicious use of antibiotics. While getting legislation passed is a long and frustrating experience, we have seen concrete changes. As of December 2016 farmers can no longer use antibiotics for growth promotion (the policy does not say anything about disease prevention, however). Instead of over-the-counter availability, antibiotics added to water now require a prescription from a veterinarian, and antibiotics added to feed require a Veterinary Feed Directive. Previously, farmers could buy many antibiotics at feed stores or over the Internet. The area in which I have witnessed the greatest change has been in consumer demand. In response to consumers’ voices, Tyson (a major producer of beef, chicken and pork) will eliminate antibiotics that are also used to treat human illnesses. McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and Subway are all either reducing or eliminating antibiotics used by their suppliers. Perdue (another major producer of beef, chicken and pork) has agreed to process two-thirds of its chickens without antibiotics. What can you do? Antibiotic resistance is a problem that we can solve. What can you do? At restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals and schools, buy or demand beef, poultry and pork from farms that do not use antibiotics in the raising of food animals. Talk with your doctor about when it is medically necessary for you to use antibiotics and which antibiotics are appropriate for your specific illness. When you do need antibiotics, make sure to use them exactly as prescribed, such as by taking all of the medication even if you are feeling better (if treatment stops too soon, the antibiotic may not kill all of the bacteria—the remaining bacteria may become resistant to the antibiotic). Do not use other people’s “leftover” antibiotics. Imagine a world in which we could no longer rely on antibiotics. Life would look similar to life in the early 20th century before Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Fleming himself warned in 1945, “There is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug, make them resistant." Scientists are not known for hyperbole, and that is why a 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) statement should catapult us into action: “A post-antibiotic era—in which common infections and minor injuries can kill—far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century." On November 7, 2017, WHO urged farmers to not use antibiotics to promote livestock growth, wait until animals are medically diagnosed with a problem before administering antibiotics and, when possible, select medications that are not important for human health. Unfortunately, these recommendations are not law. We are now on the brink of a post-antibiotic era. I got a window into a post-antibiotic world when I witnessed my own toddler son die in my arms. Let’s not let another parent suffer that agony. Antibiotics are a precious gift that should only be used when absolutely necessary and as prescribed. To save antibiotics, we must stop using antibiotics inappropriately. ​ Resources Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html MRSA Infection, Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mrsa/basics/definition/con-20024479 MRSA Research Center. The University of Chicago Medicine. mrsa-research-center.bsd.uchicago.edu As United Nations Focuses on Superbugs, Hatch Highlights PATH Act. Orrin Hatch. September 21, 2016. www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ID=0A4BE9BD-4076-4AF9-964F-95E661491755 "Antibiotics Aren’t Always the Answer." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/features/getsmart/index.html "The Overuse of Antibiotics in Food Animals Threatens Public Health." ConsumersUnion. consumersunion.org/news/the-overuse-of-antibiotics-in-food-animals-threatens-public-health-2/ "Antibiotics: excessive use in livestock and why it is a problem." Feed Them Wisely. feedthemwisely.com/antibiotics-in-livestock Maryn McKenna. "After years of debate, the FDA finally curtails antibiotic use in livestock." Newsweek. January 13, 2017. www.newsweek.com/after-years-debate-fda-curtails-antibiotic-use-livestock-542428 Chris Dall. "FDA: Antibiotic use in food animals continues to rise." Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). University of Minnesota. December 22, 2016. www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/12/fda-antibiotic-use-food-animals-continues-rise Tamara Scully. "Cattlemen prepare for antibiotic regulations changes." Country Folks. countryfolks.com/cattlemen-prepare-for-antibiotic-regulations-changes/ Tyson Foods Strives to Eliminate Human Antibiotics from Broiler Chicken Flocks by 2017. Tyson. News Release. April 28, 2015. ir.tyson.com/investor-relations/news-releases/news-releases-details/2015/Tyson-Foods-Strives-to-Eliminate-Human-Antibiotics-From-Broiler-Chicken-Flocks-by-2017/default.aspx Lisa Baertlein, P.J. Huffstutter. "McDonald’s Is Removing Human Antibiotics From Its U.S. Chicken Supply." Huffington Post. March 4, 2015. www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/mcdonalds-antibiotics_n_6800030.html; MacKensy Lunsford. "No Antibiotics Ever: Chick-fil-A’s Commitment Charts New Territory." The Chicken Wire. August 11, 2016. thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/Inside-Chick-fil-A/No-Antibiotics-Ever-Chick-fil-As-Commitment-Charts-New-Territory Jacob Bunge. "Subway Plans to Eliminate All Antibiotics from Its Meat Supplies." The Wall Street Journal. October 20, 2015. www.wsj.com/articles/subway-plans-to-eliminate-all-antibiotics-from-its-meat-supplies-1445360542 Jacob Bunge. "Perdue to Eliminate Antibiotics in Some Chicken Products." The Wall Street Journal. February 26, 2016. www.wsj.com/articles/perdue-to-eliminate-antibiotics-in-some-chicken-products-1456491783 Combating Antibiotic Resistance. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm092810.htm Alexander Fleming. Penicillin. Nobel Lecture. December 11, 1945. www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1945/fleming-lecture.pdf "Antimicrobial resistance. Global report on surveillance." World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. 2014. www.who.int/drugresistance/documents/surveillancereport/en/ Dina Fine Maron. "WHO Moves to Contain Superbugs on the Farm." Scientific American. November 7, 2017. www.scientificamerican.com/article/who-moves-to-contain-superbugs-on-the-farm Everly Macario, Sc.D. In 2004, Everly Macario’s son, Simon Sol Sparrow, who was healthy until 1½ years of age, died very suddenly. It was not until a couple of months later that the cause of Simon’s death was confirmed to be community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant bacterium. Everly’s goals include raising awareness of antibiotic resistance, making the term “MRSA” as familiar a household term as AIDS, and serving as a catalyst for simple steps we can all take to reduce the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals. Everly has a doctorate in public health from Harvard and is committed to the fight to save antibiotics, on both a personal and professional level. To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Happy Holidays, right? In one survey, 69% of people said their stress levels increase during the holidays. People listed crowds, long lines, weight gain, debt and lack of time among their top stressors. Ironically, people often use the festive food and alcohol that are everywhere at this time of year to cope with holiday stress. Naturally, that has a way of making seasonal weight gain worse. Let’s look at exactly how alcohol can sabotage your attempts at weight management during the holiday season. Alcohol is full of calories My clients will tell you that I don’t necessarily hold to the “calories in/calories out” party line. Foods affect hormones, and those effects can, and often will, override simplistic caloric arithmetic. But we’ll start with basics. You may already know that alcohol has seven calories per gram, while carbohydrates and proteins each have four calories per gram. Only fat—with nine calories per gram—is more calorically dense. Adding alcoholic beverages to our food intake ups the calorie count quickly. Alcohol triggers insulin The hormone insulin inhibits fat utilization, making insulin an important marker of how much dietary fat ends up in the body’s fat stores. And alcohol is very effective at triggering insulin. This means that fats consumed at meals that include alcohol have a greater likelihood of being stored. In susceptible people, high insulin can provoke reactive hypoglycemia, which is a glucose drop well below normal after the consumption of insulin-triggering foods such as sugar, white flour, potatoes and more. The issue is not how low glucose drops, but how quickly this drop occurs. It may bring on mood changes or cravings for more sugar, more alcohol or other junk. Chronically high insulin—say, in response to a diet that includes lots of alcohol—may even induce insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the pancreas secretes insulin, but the cells don’t respond to it as they should. Because the glucose remains in the blood and is unable to get into the cells, several compensatory processes are set in motion, starting with the production of extra insulin. This can eventually lead to a cluster of metabolic conditions that are known risk factors for heart disease: diabetes; high blood pressure; high triglycerides; and high LDL cholesterol and small, dense LDL cholesterol (these are likely to form arterial plaques), among others. The primary site of insulin resistance is skeletal muscle. When muscle cells won’t accept insulin’s effects and the glucose it helps to transport, the glucose ends up in fat depots (rather than in the muscle cells) and affects weight. Insulin resistance is often described as a result of obesity or overweight. That’s true, but not the whole story. It can be the cause of obesity, as well. Alcohol increases appetite Alcohol activates the brain release of beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin inhibits the action of the brain’s ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), our primary satiety center. Satiety is the feeling that we’ve had enough food and don’t need to go back for more. With satiety blocked, appetite easily increases and meals may become larger as a result. Alcohol makes us want different foods Beta-endorphin release also creates changes in our food preferences; typically, it causes people to desire more sugars and fats. It may even make healthful foods seem unpalatable. Obviously, these are not helpful changes to put the brain through when holiday foods are everywhere. Alcohol messes with your mind Virtually any negative mood can provoke cravings, which may lead to self-medicating with food. Typically, junky foods are all too available at holiday time. With chronic use, alcohol can initiate changes in brain chemistry that may lead to depression, anxiety or dysthymia (a mild, long-term depressive state which can be accompanied by feelings of sadness and hopelessness and also affect energy, productivity and sleep). Low serotonin—another result of chronic alcohol use—can make us more impulsive. Normal serotonin levels “open the space” between thought and action. Violent offenders have been shown to have low levels of brain serotonin. Without a gap between thought and action, they think a violent thought and act on it. In similar fashion, low serotonin closes the space between craving and action. We may reach for the food we crave, or another drink, almost without thinking. Alcohol disturbs sleep Alcohol’s effects on sleep are multifactorial. A late-night glass of wine is a common go-to relaxant, but this has drawbacks. Normal sleep includes light and deep stages, as reflected in brain waves. We cycle through these several times a night. Alcohol prevents the deeper stages (theta and delta waves) that are the most restorative. Until alcohol is fully metabolized—one ounce can take between 5.5 and 10 hours to leave the body, and additional drinks can add hours to that—we stay in lighter sleep (alpha waves). Alpha waves are not bad; meditation induces them. But they’re not deep enough for good-quality sleep. And women take longer to metabolize alcohol than men do, due to their smaller size and lighter body weight. Those who are sensitive to insulin’s effects may wake up in the middle of the night due to the high insulin alcohol precipitates, unable to get back to sleep. It seems paradoxical that a glucose drop caused by high insulin would wake us rather than deepen sleep, but that’s what happens. Who might be sensitive to the insulin triggered by alcohol? Someone with a family history of alcoholism, diabetes, hypertension or certain types of obesity. A significant consequence of poor sleep—whatever its cause—is the prompt release of ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite and lowers metabolic rate. It’s a terrible combination if you’re trying to manage your weight during the holidays. Sleeping poorly and feeling fatigued may also make it difficult to get to early morning workouts, train as hard as you want to and/or stay motivated to exercise at all. It’s easy to see how combining that with the factors discussed above can make holiday weight management difficult. Tips for managing holiday alcohol Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Some people drink without having food in their stomachs because they want to feel alcohol’s effects more quickly, but doing so exacerbates both the insulin response and the speed with which alcohol reaches the brain. Since the stomach will empty faster with no food in it, the alcohol passes through the stomach quickly and is not broken down. As a result, more alcohol reaches the liver in need of detoxification. Overall, intoxication is increased and the alcohol’s other negative effects, including its addictive aspect and stress on the liver, can be, as well. Eat before going to a party or holiday dinner, especially a buffet. This will help to maximize your control over the alcohol’s effects and your food intake, especially all those holiday goodies that can sabotage your weight-management efforts. Eat protein before leaving home. This will raise levels of the neurochemicals that can help to stave off cravings and mood swings and help you limit your alcohol intake. Protein foods include fish, shrimp, crab, chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, eggs and yogurt with 18 to 20 grams of protein per serving. Vegetarians and vegans, note that nuts are primarily wholesome fats, with only a small amount of protein. Quinoa is not high in protein, either; it’s a healthful starch with a small amount of protein. A suggestion I often give to my vegetarian and vegan clients is to mix a full serving of hemp or vegetable protein powder with water and drink it before heading to an event. Limit alcohol consumption. Avoid it, if possible. If you drink, alternate each drink with a glass of water. Keep alternating! An extra bonus is you’ll avoid the inevitable dehydration that alcohol causes. Limit sugars. These include agave nectar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, sauces, etc. All the effects of alcohol listed above also hold true for sugars. Here’s to a happy—and healthy—holiday. Resources Berg, J.M. et al. 2002. Biochemistry, 5th Edition. Sec 30.5 Ethanol alters energy metabolism in the liver. Bernstein, R.K., M.D. 2007. Diabetes Solution. Quadros, I.M.H., et al. 2016. "An Update on CRF Mechanisms Underlying Alcohol Use Disorders and Dependence." Frontiers in Endocrinology (Lausanne); 7:134. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5073134/ Ron, D. and S. Barak. 2016. "Molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-drinking behaviours." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Sep 17(9):576-591. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27444358 Sandoval, D.A., et al. 2007. "Forebrain and Hindbrain Effects of Ethanol on Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia in Conscious Rats." Metabolism, Dec; 56(12):1623-1628. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2175024/ Taheri, S. et al. 2004. "Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index." PLoS Med., Dec;1(3):e62. journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062 Thakkar, M.M., et al. 2015. "Alcohol disrupts sleep homeostasis." Alcohol, Jun; 49(4):299-310. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25499829 Veenig, J.G. and H.P. Barendregt. 2015. "The effects of Beta-Endorphin: state change modification." Fluids Barriers, 12:3. fluidsbarrierscns.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-8118-12-3 Ye, Jianping. 2013. "Mechanisms of insulin resistance in obesity." Front Med., Mar. 7(1), 14-24. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3936017/ Joan Kent, PhD Joan Kent is a pioneer in sugar addiction and psychoactive nutrition. She was the first to document the neurochemical pathways of addiction to sugar, and to explain the sugar/fat seesaw, both neurochemically and hormonally. Joan has helped hundreds of clients with food addictions, mood disorders, inflammation, binge eating and metabolic syndrome, which leads to diabetes, hypertension, insulin resistance, heart disease, cancer, and a number of other conditions. Joan’s philosophy stems from a quotation by Simone de Beauvoir: “Confidence in the body is confidence in the self.” People who struggle with food and health lose trust in the body. Because Joan’s psychoactive approach increases her clients' confidence and improves their quality of life, the quote has become her professional mission statement. Joan has written two bestselling books. Stronger Than Sugar helps readers conquer their sugar addiction. The Sugar-Free Workout offers ways to fuel before, during and after workouts without relying on the sugary foods that often masquerade as “training fuel." Contact Information: Joan Kent Ph.D., Psychoactive Nutrition M.S., Exercise Physiology Speaker, Author, ACE-Certified Health Consultant drjoan@FoodAddictionSolutions.com www.ArticlesbyDrJoan.com www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com 415-850-5909 To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

I find myself surrounded by noise. Not just the obvious noise created by my family, friends, pets, cars, electronics, technology and the sounds of urban life, but by the very loud noise inside my head. There is almost constant chatter going on in my mind that is internally cataloging, planning, judging, comparing and creating. Often, much of my day is spent unaware of this internal noise. And, yet, it has the power to drown out everything. Does this sound familiar? I become most aware of this noise when I sit in meditation. Sometimes I am unable to shut it off, but at least meditation allows me to become aware of it. Getting quiet in today’s world is a challenge. A challenge, I would argue, that is well worth the effort. In our busy, high-stress world, we ignore the language of silence. It is a language we all need to relearn. When we are able to become quiet and find silence and stillness, we can find the space inside ourselves to open ourselves up to new possibilities. These opportunities are bountiful: connection to our self, connection to other people, self-compassion and empathy for others, true listening, hearing the sounds of life around us, and finding space from which to be in the world mindfully. Essentially, sitting in silence allows us to be truly in the moment. Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist and author, writes, “Silence is essential. We need silence just as much as we need air, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us.” According to Hanh, silence allows us to live more authentically and deeply. Silence allows us to just BE and by doing so, that will be ENOUGH. We need quiet to find that peaceful and content place inside ourselves that exists for each of us. When we become silent, we become present. Chances are that we each have a practice that allows this but we may not have noticed the soul space it provides for us. Some of us are able to be silent in nature. We can step outside our home, take a deep breath, smell the air, take in the sights and sounds around us, feel the temperature and BE in the moment. If this is true for you, continue the practice and perhaps extend the amount of time before you rush into your day. Many of us may sit outside and feel peaceful. We garden or open the windows in our home. Try this in silence. Some of us find silence and the break from internal noise through movement. We go for a walk or a run and are able to tap into a rhythm that promotes awareness of our senses or some spacious quality inside our bodies. If you have this practice already, see if you can be more intentional about the awareness of silence. If you do not move regularly, try going for a walk for a few minutes and see if you can focus on your breath or the sights and sounds around you instead of rehearsing a to-do list in your head. I often find silence through the practice of yin yoga. This practice involves holding poses for a very long time (three to five minutes per side), creating discomfort by finding your physical edge in the pose, and then becoming still. There are so many physical and energetic benefits to yin yoga, however one tremendous benefit, both mentally and emotionally, is its ability to allow the stillness that brings a silence to internal chatter. Through physical stillness and focus on the breath, we can drop into a silent place and come home to ourselves. Try reconnecting to yourself, and therefore to the world, by spending part of today in silence. Just a few moments will make a difference. You can do this by finding a space in your home or workplace where you can shut down all of your senses and just be for a few moments. You can also try this while going from place to place, using the moving meditation practice, below. Silent Awareness Practice Find a quiet place. Be still (standing or sitting) and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Notice silence by quieting your breath and listening for nothing. See if you can experience this silence in your body—notice how this feels. See if you can return to this embodied feeling of quiet when you are surrounded by any kind of noise. Moving Meditation in Silence Walk slowly and purposefully with your gaze looking downward. Silently say something you are thankful for every time you take a step. Eckhart Tolle advises, “When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” May your new year be filled with the sound of silence. Resources Silent Meditation Retreat Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh. www.amazon.com/Silence-Power-Quiet-World-Noise/dp/0062224700 Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. www.amazon.com/Stillness-Speaks-Eckhart-Tolle/dp/8188479462 Insight Timer app: insighttimer.com/ Clia Tierney, MA The owner of Asante Wellness Coaching, Clia Tierney helps women move past "stuck" into possibility. She coaches people to overcome obstacles and obtain clarity about their goals. Through the process, personal transformation takes place, resulting in greater well-being, life balance and fulfillment. Clia's professional background and life experiences as a teacher, educational therapist, yogi, wife, mother of teenagers, daughter and sister have fueled her passion for helping women of all ages identify and reduce their stress and struggle so that they can discover their purpose and confidently move forward. cstierney@gmail.com cstierney.wix.com/asantewellness www.spoilyourselfcptg.com To subscribe to the SOULFUL Insights health and wellness newsletter click here.

Adding images and videos to your posts is a great way to grab readers’ attention. Writing a text post? You can style it too with bold, italics, quotes & more! Looking for fresh design options? Then we’ve got you covered. Make each post look exactly the way you want by styling your text. Images & Videos You can also customize the look of your videos and images. Make them widescreen or small - whatever you prefer. You have complete control of how your post will look on desktop and mobile. Paragraph Alignment You can align your paragraphs left, right or center and place them to the right or left of your images. Subtitles & Quotes Add subtitles to let readers easily skim longer posts or quotes to make your main messages stand out #dream

Adding writers is a great way to bring more fresh and diverse content to your blog. Whether you’re running a small business or a large magazine publication, add multiple writers to grow your content and keep it fresh and diversified. You know what they say, content is king so bringing more contributing voices to the topic at hand is an effective way of turning your blog into a thriving online community. You can turn any existing member into a writer for your blog and manage them. Writers can create new posts and manage their comments. Here’s how to do it: Head to your Member’s Page Search the member you want to make a writer Click on the member’s profile Click the 3 dot icon on the Follow button Select Set as Writer

Your Wix Blog comes with 8 beautiful layouts to choose from. Whether you prefer a trendy postcard look or you’re going for a more editorial style blog - there’s something stunning for everyone. From your blog's settings, choose a layout for your blog feed that suits your style. For example, a tiled layout is popular for helping visitors easily discover more posts that interest them. Or, choose a classic single column layout that lets readers scroll down and see your post topics one by one. The full post layout opens the entire post in an endless scroll. Every layout comes with the latest social features built in. Readers will be able to easily share posts on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, view how many people have liked a post, made comments and more. Tip: Mix and match your look. Choose one layout for your blog's homepage and a different one for your category pages. You can change your layouts at any time, even after you’ve published your blog. Here’s how to do it: Head to Settings > Categories Click on the 3 dots icon Click Edit