Inflammation, food and your thyroid…

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So, many of you know I treat patients with hormone imbalances. As part of the lab work-up I always evaluate thyroid hormones. One of those tests includes a lab that checks for thyroid antibodies. If antibodies come back high that's an indication that the patient has something called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Hashimoto's is basically an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system goes a little hay-wire and attacks the thyroid gland. No bueno! What causes this? Well, there is more and more evidence that points toward the ingestion of inflammatory foods as the culprit for the rise in autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's. 

 Matt Baran-Mickle via RobbWolf.com says:

There are two main mechanisms that appear to play a large part in the development of inflammation and loss of tolerance that leads to AD: a breakdown in the intestinal barrier that allows the activation of potentially self-reactive lymphocytes, and metabolic disregulation in lymphocytes themselves that may also drive activation. 

And what kind of foods breakdown our intestinal barriers? Grains, namely. Click here to read more of Matt's article and stay tuned for more info on what foods to avoid in order to avoid AD like Hashimoto's: http://robbwolf.com/2013/10/03/impact-nutrition-autoimmune-disease/


Growth Hormone- What the heck is it and why women make more!

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I recently wrote another article for breaking muscle. This time, the topic was growth hormone. Did you know that as we age the amount of growth hormone we naturally produce goes down? And did you know that along with the decrease in growth hormone a natural increase in body fat, loss of skin elasticity, and loss of muscle occurs. Yikes! Below, is a little of the article and a link to the full meal deal. Check it out and then stay tuned in for how to increase and maximize your own GH production.

Growth Hormone (GH). You’ve probably heard of it if you’re into fitness. Maybe you’ve read some articles about maximizing your production of growth hormone to improve muscular hypertrophy and decrease body fat. Perhaps, you’ve also heard of peopleinjecting growth hormone or taking growth hormone boosting supplements to improve body composition and performance or to stall the aging process. But, do you really know what it does in the human body or when, why and how it’s produced? And did you know production varies due to gender and probably not in the way you’d expect?

For the complete story click here: http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/growth-hormone-how-does-it-work-and-why-do-women-have-more


BIOTE? What's that?

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So, I wear a lot of hats. A lot. Sometimes I wear a few at the same time. One of those is a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in aesthetics (I'll tell you all about that in another post) and bio-identical hormone replacement. What in the heck is that? Well, as we age or when we under go lots of stress our hormones tend to take a beating. We produce less of the sex hormones that normally keep us looking and feeling our best. Two of those hormones are estradiol and testosterone. Both men and women need the right amounts of these guys to function optimally. Notice, I said optimally. Yes, you can get by with low levels but who wants to just get by? If we're going to live we might as well make the most of it, right? Having the right amounts of estrogen and testosterone help with:

Energy
Body Composition
Moods
Concentration and Memory
Joint Health/Pain
Bone Density
Libido
Insomnia

and so many other things!

Thyroid, Vitamin D levels and quite a few other things come into play as well.

Want to find out more?

Come to our free seminar in Bradenton this Wednesday!

Call 941-954-4500 for more information!


Jeans for Female Athletes?

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“I give up! I am never wearing jeans again! Who do they make these things for? Stick people?” Sound familiar? If you are a woman who lifts weights, squats, sprints, and has any appreciable amount of muscle, chances are you’ve uttered these words or something similar while searching your own closet for a pair of jeans that actually fits over your quads. For years, I’ve wondered why someone hasn’t created jeans for athletic women. Ladies, that day has finally come. Let me introduce you to COCABANG jeans.

COCABANG was founded by Gayla and Larry Allen of Austin, Texas, who have “long enjoyed a lifestyle of eating clean and strength training." When asked what made them decide there was a need for jeans for athletic women, Gayla answered:

Over time, while observing and speaking with friends in sports, competition, and fitness, we learned that most athletic women resort to wearing gym clothes and sweats for daily apparel. The COCABANG line was created to fill that gap in the athletic women’s clothing market with ready-to-wear sportswear redesigned with body-conscious silhouettes.
The couple was also inspired by their daughter, who began CrossFit and noticed it was increasingly hard find clothes that fit her more muscular frame. Gayla said:

She came to us complaining that her wardrobe had disappeared because she couldn’t wear anything. They just didn’t fit right. So I started searching online for clothes made for athletic women. You know, the basics, like casual tops, jackets, shorts, jeans and was able to find nothing. This got my attention. I researched for a long time and decided that this was a problem that needed fixed.

To read the complete article, visit: Breaking Muscle 

Call me inspired!

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Well, the South Central Regionals went down this past weekend and it was AMAZING! The women competitors were incredible in every way. I was mesmerized.They were strong, fast, and physically beautiful. While watching them compete this weekend I realized a few things. First, I'm not a big ole gross fatty compared to all these athletes. I guess I kind of DO look like I crossfit. AND, and even more importantly, that competing is really the reward. Not winning (even though winning is awesome-Congrats Candice!). I wanted to be out there so badly. Even if I was dead last it would just have been rewarding to be part of it. So, yeah... picking up the training again. There's no way I'm not at least going to sectionals next year. Be it part of a team or individual, I want to compete. There will be no school to get in the way and I've got the best gym and the best athletes and coaches to train with so really... there's no excuse for not trying. So, wish me luck and hold me to it.
:-)

Lululemon's The Mat is awesome!

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This past weekend I went ahead and took the plunge and purchased Lululemon's "The Mat" on Isis Hargrave's (of Lululemon FW and The Running Couple fame) suggestion. Well that's not all I bought. I also bought a few tops and a cute run skirt but I digress. Buying the mat I thought would be good incentive for me to commit to a yoga practice. For various reasons I feel I need a change in my training. Yoga fits the bill. I've been to a few classes before and not being a experienced yogi I didn't bring yogi  toes or any type of towel to go over my mat. NO BUENO when you are sweating like no nobody's business and you find yourself sliding from downward facing dog into "lazy dog, sprawling on the ground". Isis promised I wouldn't have to use anything other than "The Mat" and so I figured I try it out. Plus, it's PINK. What's not to like about that?

So, I went to Indigo Yoga yesterday afternoon and brought along my brand new mat with me to give it a test run. I was hopeful if not a little but skeptical about it's ability to keep me from slipping all over the place. Wow. I am impressed. midway into the class I was pouring buckets of sweat. Literally, it was dripping off of me and forming little dark stains all over the mat. Did I slip? Not once. I am loving it. Thanks, Isis and Kelsey for the suggestion. The mat is well worrth the money. ;-)

See the mat here:
http://shop.lululemon.com/The_Mat/pd/c/630/np/630/p/2108.html

"Naturally Thin": What I think so far...

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So, I finished "Naturally Thin" and I must say  I found it refreshing. If you've been a dieter for too many years to count and you're so used to eating what you're "supposed"to that you don't even know what you actually like to eat anymore this is probably a really, really good read for you. You see, Bethenny has her own issues with food. She spent years binging, restricting, going on every diet imaginable, exercising compulsively and listening to a running inner dialogue she refers to as her "food noise". And despite all that she was 15-20lnbs heavier than she is now (well, ok she just had a baby but you know what I mean) after applying her "Skinny Girl" rules (see below). This "food noise" constantly told her things like "No, don't eat that. It's bad for you. I'm going to get fat.", I'm disgusting. I can't believe I ate that.", "You have no discipline.", "If you don't workout you're a lazy, fat girl.", etc. etc. ". I don't know about everyone else but yeah... I've got my own "food noise" and it sounds a lot like that. A lot. And I'm pretty aware of it but I guess I always thought it was a good thing. That "noise"  keeps me in check. It controls me to some degree. But, when I think about it... maybe it hasn't helped me at all. I listen to it in most cases... I eat what I'm supposed to eat. Egg whites, broccoli, chicken breast, almonds.. you know all the "good stuff". Stuffing it down like a good girl whether I was hungry or not. I ate on a schedule, every 3-4 hours to keep my metabolism up. Then I tried intermittent fasting where I starved all day and then ate a days worth of calories all in a small amount of time to enhance insulin sensitivity. I didn't always do that. I have my own history of undereating but for the past few years I have been trying to eat what I'm "supposed to". Enough calories, enough protein, enough fat (which varies dramatically according to different nutrition camps).  I've tried every marconutrient split. I've dropped out entire food groups. I've eaten more fat than I ever though I would eat in a day. Then  I tried eating more starchy carbs. I tried the Zone, Atkins, the Anabolic Diet, and everything you could ever think of. All to no avail. I might lose a few pounds at first but usually just ended up gaining weight. Yep, I gained weight. I even had one fitness professional/dietician who basically told me I was lying to her because she had never had anyone gain weight on 1500 calories/day. Oops. I did. Sorry to ruin your track record. So all of this had led to immense frustration and self loathing.  I felt like I was somehow flawed. I wondered what I was doing wrong. I had lost weight before. I ate carbs, I ate things that weren't "ideal" but I was thin. I didn't eat on a schedule or make myself wait 16 hours before I could eat again. Why couldn't I do that now? Why is that when I eat what all these other fit, lean people eat I just get bigger? Well, Bethenney's book may have helped me step back and reevaluate what I have really been doing (I'll get to that in a bit).
 Bethenny's outlook on  food changed when she took a vacation to Italy where she swore she would not miss out on any of the wonderful food due to any food issues she had. She tasted everything but avoided eating large quantities of everything, applied some simple rules by which to eat that allowed her enjoy food without overindulging. When she got back home, she had gained no weight and found a brand new way of eating.

Watch and Listen as Bethenny explains her rules:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1APHMvIxY

Or you can just read them here:

1.Your diet is a bank account: It's all about balancing your calories for the day.

2.You can have it all, just not all at once: Keep the bulk of your food light and simple to make room for something you really want.

3.Taste everything, eat nothing: Mooch a bite off your friends; don't order the whole enchilada.

4.Pay attention: No mindless eating.

5.Downsize now: Shrink the size of your plates, bowls and cups and remember portion control.

6.Cancel your membership in the Clean-Plate Club: Doggie bag it or share; you don't have to clean your plate.

7.Check yourself before you wreck yourself: Be in the moment and stop binge eating.

8.Know thyself: Customize your eating to who you are.

9.Get real: The more unprocessed, whole, local foods, the better.
10.Good for you: Be good to yourself and let your choices come from a place of love for yourself.
 
 
* As you can see, it's not all about eating whatever the heck you want and praying for the best. It's a sensible, common sense type of approach to eating. Makes you wonder why you haven't tried this before huh? Well, if you're like me I always though there was some magic solution or combination of food that would work for me.
 
So, what have I gathered so far? How does this relate to me? Well, I'm not completely sure yet but I think in my attempts to eat only clean food (except for the occasional cheat meal reserved for one day a week) I have been eating more than what I need. How could that be if I was eating all these healthy foods right?  Let me explain. In order to avoid craving things I really want I'd eat bigger portions of the "good" stuff or I'd just have a taste of this and that and still eat my large portion of healthy stuff. I'd also eat when I wasn't really hungry because I was "supposed" to. If I hadn't met my daily calorie or protein requirements I'd down a shake at 10:00 at night whether I wanted it or not. I was missing out on all kinds of tasty foods not to mention memories and social events because I couldn't possibly eat THAT food and be fit, lean, skinny. etc.. No, I am cursed with a crappy metabolism and I'd be a cow if I ate all that.... well, maybe not. I've been applying the rules for several days now and I can tell a difference. I don't feel overlly full. I'm not forcing myself to eat anything I don't want to. Eating is less stressful cause I know I can eat whatever I want as long as balance it and I eat in moderation. AND I swear I already feel a little lighter. So... I'm going to give this a go. I'll keep you updated. I may fall on my face and you can all tell my you told me so but I don't think that is where this is going.
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