Appetite, Hormones, & Exercise: New Study!

New research on exercise and hunger control 🏋️‍♀️

If you’re looking for ways to manage hunger and food cravings, you’ll want to know about this new study from the University of Virginia that showed 👉 High-intensity exercise suppresses levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin more effectively than moderate exercise.

Here’s what they found:

➡️ High-Intensity Exercise

After high-intensity workouts, participants had significantly lower ghrelin levels and reduced hunger. The effect was more pronounced in women, with lower levels of acylated ghrelin, which is directly linked to hunger.

➡️ Moderate-Intensity Exercise

Moderate-intensity exercise didn’t have the same impact on ghrelin levels, and participants even reported slightly higher hunger than with no exercise.

Not everyone needs high-intensity exercise. We take a whole-body and individualized approach when it comes to exercise, hunger, and weight management. If you’re looking for support in these areas, we’d love to help.

🌱 Get started at our practice through the link in our bio!

#elementsnatmed #hiit #naturalmedicine #highintensityintervaltraining #moveyourbody #rootcausemedicine

Tiny Shifts for Big Energy ☀️

It comes down to 3 things ➡️

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, here are some things I do to keep my energy up!

☀️ LIGHT

Direct morning sunlight signals the body that it’s time to wake up! On the other end of the spectrum, I power down electronics at night to minimize blue light exposure before bed.

🏋️‍♀️ MOVEMENT

If the weather isn’t ideal, it can take more commitment to exercise every day. Time to try out some indoor options, like yoga or weights.

🥣 FOOD

It only makes sense to shift our eating patterns toward warmer, cooked, and nourishing foods for late fall. Time to pull out that stew pot!

If you’ve never thought about adjusting your routine to the seasons, I encourage you to think about what feels good for your body as the weather changes and tune in to what it’s asking for.

Can You Touch Your Toes?

🗞️ New Study!!

The main finding was that having more flexibility between the ages of 46 and 65 lowered the odds of death over the next decade plus.

We’re talking about physical flexibility here (although I would guess that mental flexibility helps too!).

More than 3100 men and women were evaluated with the “Flexindex,” which measures flexibility in multiple joints throughout the body. They were then followed from about 1994 until 2022.

▪️ Men with the least flexibility were nearly twice as likely to die over the follow-up period than men with high flexibility

▪️ Women with the least flexibility were almost 5x more likely to die than those with high flexibility

(PMID 39165228)

These same researchers previously found that the ability to rise from a seated position on the floor and the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds are also predictors of longevity.

Want to work on your flexibility?

Check out a yoga class or take a break anytime from sitting to do some gentle stretching!

REFERENCE:

Araújo CGS, de Souza E Silva CG, Kunutsor SK, et al. Reduced Body Flexibility Is Associated With Poor Survival in Middle-Aged Men and Women: A Prospective Cohort Study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024;34(8):e14708. [link]

Study Shows Brain-Boosting Effect of Exercise

Plus there’s more 👇👇

Here are some highlights from this recent study by the University of Queensland:

▪️ Healthy 65-85 year old volunteers were put on one of 3 exercise programs for 6 months (low intensity, medium intensity, or high intensity).

▪️ After 6 months, only those on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) showed improvements in the hippocampus (a brain area related to learning and memory).

▪️ The HIIT group also showed improvements in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cortisol levels.

▪️ The improvements seen in the HIIT group lasted 5 years, even if the exercise didn’t continue.

The HIIT program involved 4 cycles of running on a treadmill near maximum exertion.

Does this inspire you?

Consider This Your Nudge!

Any guesses?!?

It boosts energy, relieves stress, improves mood, and protects against most chronic illnesses.

It’s something that anyone can do for free.

(okay, you’ve probably got it by now….)

It’s MOVEMENT! 💃🏃‍♀️🤸‍♀️

Whether you want to squeeze in some crunches and jumping jacks before work, desk stretches mid-morning, or a walk after lunch…

Moving your body is one of the best ways to improve and optimize your health.

Drop me a comment if you needed this nudge!