When Women Ask If I Think It’s Their Hormones…

💥Female hormones start with estrogen & progesterone BUT ⬇️⬇️

They don’t end there.

If you’re dealing with period problems, PMS, mood swings, painful breasts, no libido, hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, or anything else you suspect *might* be your hormones, this post is for you!

Yes, it might be your hormones.

AND ALSO your hormones might be out of whack because of one of these 6 contributing causes I see most often in my practice:

1️⃣ Detoxification (estrogen is metabolized in the liver)

2️⃣ Gut Health (estrogen metabolites are eliminated in everyday healthy 💩)

3️⃣ Stress (stress causes the body to favor cortisol production over progesterone)

4️⃣ Blood Sugar (spikes in blood sugar and insulin lower the levels of SHBG, increasing free estrogen and testosterone)

5️⃣ Nutrient Depletion (magnesium and B6 are especially important for hormone metabolism)

6️⃣ Xenoestrogens (everyday chemicals can mimic our hormones)

Don’t worry. It’s not your job to make sense of all this.

That’s my job.

If you want to stay informed and empowered in your health and prefer a root-cause approach, you’re in the right place.

Follow for more on Female Hormone Health.

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

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?

Nutrients Missing from Low-Carb Diets?

💥 🗞️ New Study!!

When compared with diets not restricting carbohydrates, low-carb diets may lead to nutrient depletions—especially of some B vitamins and magnesium.

This recent study found that some of the nutrient requirements not being met by low-carb diets included thiamine (vitamin B1), iron, calcium, magnesium, and selenium.

Red blood cell levels of thiamine were lower and low levels of magnesium were more common in people following a low-carb diet.

This is not medical advice.

This is just something to be aware of if you have chosen to follow a low-carb diet.

It is always best to make dietary changes under the guidance of a practitioner who understands nutrition, metabolism, and supplementation.

This is our specialty.

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

REFERENCE:
Churuangsuk C, Catchpole A, Talwar D, et al. Low thiamine status in adults following low-carbohydrate / ketogenic diets: a cross-sectional comparative study of micronutrient intake and status. Eur J Nutr. Published online July 5, 2024. [link]

Study Shows Fiber Curbs Appetite

New Study 👉

Healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 diets:

▪️ High fiber from intact foods, like peas and carrots (~47 grams/day)

▪️ High fiber from mashed or blended foods (~47 grams/day)

▪️ Low fiber from processed foods (12.6 grams/day)

Participants on either of the high-fiber diets reported less hunger 2 hours after eating than those on the low-fiber diet.

Both high-fiber diets also triggered the release of PYY, an appetite-suppressing hormone produced in the gut.

The good news is that it didn’t matter if those high-fiber foods were mashed and blended or in their whole state!

Some ways to sneak in more fiber:

🥣 Sprinkle chia seeds or ground flax over cereal, yogurt, or salads

🍎 Leave the skins on fruits & vegetables

🥦 Include veggies with every meal

🥜 Snack on fruit and nuts

More fiber can support gut health, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, weight management, and more. And this study shows more evidence that it can keep you feeling full longer.

Like if you found this helpful ❤️

#nutritionnews #healthnews #eatmorefiber #metabolichealth #elementsnatmed

Risks of Nighttime Light (NEW STUDY)

💥 Just published in the Lancet:

Based on data from 85,000 participants in the UK Biobank tracked for 8 YEARS, this is the largest study to date to link diabetes risk to light exposure at night.

Sources of nighttime light included lamps, streetlights, and digital screens.

Participants in the top 10% of light exposure between 12:30am and 6am were 1.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than those in the dark.

Why would this be?

Light at night can disrupt the circadian rhythm, which regulates hunger cues, insulin release, and sugar metabolism around the clock.

Some ways I advise my patients to support a healthy circadian rhythm:

☀️ Sunlight on the face in the morning

☕ Keep caffeine to the first half of the day

🥣 Eat on a regular schedule

🌙 Wind-down routine at night

Sometimes simple habits make the biggest difference!

↗️ Share to your stories or your feed to spread the word!

Windred DP, Burns, AC, Rutter MK, et al. Personal light exposure patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes: analysis of 13 million hours of light sensor data and 670,000 person-years of prospective observation. The Lancet. 2024. [link]