Your BRAIN and Carbs

Yes, bet you didn't know this one...

It's true I have been going on a lot lately about low-carb diets.  But it is a very hot topic at the moment and from what I see on a day-to-day basis with my clients just seems to back up the theory that refined and non-refined carbs are just not a good idea for human consumption - at least not on an everyday basis.

The Basics.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye grains.  Wheat is the most common form of gluten in our diets; bread, pasta, pizza, etc..

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, this means the immune system reacts to gluten as if it were a threat which leads to the villi, the finger-like structures that line the small intestine responsible for the absorption of nutrients, to be destroyed.  This means that the nutrients will not be absorbed properly which can lead to malnutrition, and other serious health consequences which include permanent damage to the intestinal tract.

Some of the symptoms of  celiac disease are;

• Chronic Diarrhea and/or constipation
• Pale, horrible-smelling stools
• Bloated abdomen and gas
• Stomach pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Failure to thrive in children
• Delayed puberty in adolescents
• Weight loss
• Dental enamel defects
• Short stature
• Irritability and mood swings
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Depression and anxiety
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Infertility and frequent miscarriages
• Tingling in the hands and the feet
• Osteoporosis

As recently as 2015 in the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, it was finally announced that Intolerance to Gluten without being Celiac DOES exist.

Symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are:

• Brain for or mental fatigue
• Physical fatigue
• Abdominal pain, bloating and gas
• Frequent headaches.  

However, according to Dr. David Perlmutter, an American neurologist, has a lot more to say about the real effect of gluten on our brains - and not just those who have Celiac disease, or are intolerant to gluten, but the population in general.

According to Dr. Perlmutter, carbs... even the healthy ones such as whole grains not only cause all of the symptoms listed above, but also cause; dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, Alzheimer's, Tourrette's syndrome, and dystonia, among others...

To me this is shocking.  He has worked with many patients who had been unable to find and answer to their many medical problems until they removed gluten from their diets.  I highly recommend his book Grain Brain if you would like more in depth information on the subject.  If I try and do it here, I'm afraid this post will go on forever..

However, what I found even more shocking recently, is just how gluten infested our lives really are.  Most people who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant or just want to live a gluten-free lifestyle, buy gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies, etc..  But did you know, gluten can also be found in:

• Shampoos
• Cosmetics, lipsticks and lip balm
• Play-doh
• Some medications
• Some vitamins and supplements
• Stamps and envelopes that you have to humidify or lick to stick them on or closed

And, there is a LONG list of words that are generally used on the ingredient section of products that are "other" names for gluten, such as:

• Dextrin
• Acena Sativa Cyclodextrin
• Fermented grain extract
• Hydrolyzed malt extract
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Maltodextrin
• Secale cereale
• Tocopherol/Vitamin E
• Yeast extract
• Modified food starch
• Brown rice syrup
• Caramel coloring - frequently made from barley
• Triticum aestivum
• Triticum vulgaire
• Hordeum vulgar

And I'm afraid the list just goes on...

You see, it isn't easy to be gluten free.


I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

The effects of junk food and sugar on adolescents' brains

When children reach adolescence, their brains take on major developmental changes in termos of structure and function.  Due to the dramatic changes in connectivity within brain regions, adolescence is a period of increased neuroplasticity.

Also brain-imaging studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex doesn't fully mature until the early 20s.  A major role of the prefrontal cortex is performing executive functions.  Executive functions refer to behavioral control, attention and decision-making.

Poor regulation of the prefrontal cortex during this period can explain why teenagers show increased risk-taking behaviors, including drug taking, binge drinking and  dangerous driving.

To parents, it often seems that however much they try to help their teenage children and provide information about unsafe behavior -their teenagers just don't listen.

For many teenagers, risky behavior often provides an immediate reward.  The brain's reward system releases dopamine when stimulated by pleasurable events, which makes carrying out these activities more appealing.

This also makes high fat and high sugar foods more appealing.  However, the adolescent reward system is especially sensitive to stimulation and over activation during this growth period may lead to permanent alterations.

If you combine a teenager's reduced ability to avoid rewarding behavior with their over stimulated reward system, then it doesn't come as a surprise that teens prefer food that is easily obtained and provides instant gratification - even though they may know that these are not healthy options.

The over consumption of sugary foods during adolescence can cause changes in the brain that do not manifest until later in life such as reduced motivation and enjoyment when experiencing rewards.

These behaviors are key features of mood disorders including depression.

This is very important to know, as it shows just how important the type of food consumed during adolescence is, and how it can impact brain function when teens become adults.  It also leads to long lasting changes in food preferences and learning about rewards.

Eating too much junk food during adolescence could halt the normal brain maturation processes.  This could alter normal developmental trajectories which, in turn, lead to enduring behavioral  predispositions - in this case, dieta associated: the habit of consuming fatty and sugary foods, leading to weight problems, obesity and weight related health complications.

Junk food and sugary food and drinks are not just full of unhealthy fats and large amounts of sugar, they also contain different excitotoxins such as monosodium glutamate (MSG).

MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many foods especially Chinese food and junk food, but also many unsuspecting foods too.  There are many opinions as to whether MSG is safe for human consumption or not and there is still no clear cut scientific evidence for either side.  But excitotoxins are dangerous if over consumed and a brain in development such as a baby, toddler or adolescent would be more susceptible to excitoxin damage.  For this reason MSG was removed from commercially produced baby foods.

MSG is also known as; hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts and protein isolate, among others.

So, once again, the answer to problems such as these is to feed your family fresh produce cooked from scratch at home - and read the labels carefully when you do your shopping!

If you would like to learn more about the effects of excitotoxins then I suggest the book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Dr. Russel L. Blaylock.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Is your mind playing tricks on you?

There is one HUGE problem when it comes to dieting and that huge problem is the fact that your body has a mind of its own.  Yes, that limp of grey matter which seemingly has nothing to do with your digestive system actually has a lot to say in the matter of dieting.

In fact our brain and our digestive system are extremely connected - so much so that our digestive system is the only other organ in the body that produces neurotransmitters, and your brain rules... well... everything.  Unfortunately it could be your brain that is sabotaging your heroic efforts to lose weight.

The main thing to remember is that when you start restricting your food intake, your brain literally thinks you're starving.  The physiological side of our bodies hasn't changed in 10,000 years and back then our bodies were built for famine.  Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had little say in how much or how often they would eat.  They ate what they could gather; fruits and vegetables and what they could catch and kill.  This meant that quite often they would go for some time with only what they could gather.  When they were fortunate enough to kill an animal, they would eat all of it as quickly as possible as there was no way of storing meat.  Their brains made their bodies store all the calories they could as they didn't know WHEN they were going to get the next decent meal.

Jump forward 10,000 years and if you are lucky enough to live in the western world, famine is not a problem and food is available 24/7.  However, our bodies and brains still believe they live in a time of famine and store all that they can.  This is why many diets may seem to work at first.  You reduce your calorie and/or quantity intake, you start to lose weight and suddenly a few weeks later you plateau and the weight loss slows dramatically.  This is when your brain has decided you are starving.
This starvation effect is also due to an incredible obsession with food that we generate when dieting.  A study at Rockefeller University permitted scientists to observe this in detail when studying a group of obese patients who were put on a diet while in hospital.

The patients developed some of the psychological and physiological consequences of starvation due to an intense obsession with food.  This is why you daydream about food when you are dieting.  Once the patients were allowed to go home and there was more food available to them as they were no longer in a controlled environment, they would break their diets or even binge eat resulting in them putting the lost weight back on.

This is also what happens when you are told you cannot eat a certain food.  I remember when I had my intolerance test, I was told I couldn't eat wheat.  At the time I hardly ever ate bread and my wheat intake was down to pasta only.  But the minute I was told I couldn't eat wheat, I suddenly had intense cravings for bread - something I didn't usually eat.

It is the mere fact that something - anything is prohibited that makes it all the more enticing.

The brain actually plays a leading role in dieting.  It constantly competes to control our behavior.  Those voices in your head:

"Oh go on... just one won't hurt..."

"You've been so good all week..."

"Well, now you've broken the diet and had one biscuit... you may as well eat the whole packet!"

But it isn't just the voices in your head encouraging you to eat something, the brain is also hormone driven.  Leptin, which is also called the fat hormone, is produced by fat cells and travels, via the blood, to the brain where it tells the hypothalamus how much energy is stored and available on demand.  When you have enough energy stored ready and waiting, the leptin in the brain makes food less attractive.  However, dieting and weight loss can reduces those stored energy levels and leptin levels, therefore making food a lot more attractive.  That's why it is never a good idea to go food shopping when you are hungry.

Another problem with dieting is stress.  If you are going through a stressful time, many wouldn't recommend you add to that stress by starting a new diet.  However, if your stress is due to you being overweight, then doing something about it might help.  However,  just the fact that YOU know YOU are on a diet makes it stressful.

Resisting temptation, sticking to your diet plan, keeping a food diary or having to count every calorie is extremely stressful.  And here the food obsession comes back again.  Calorie restriction actually produces stress hormones in dieters and this can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss.

There seem to be two types of eaters; intuitive eaters or controlled eaters.  Intuitive eaters are those who listen to their bodies and eat only when they are hungry and stop eating when they are full.

Controlled eaters watch what they eat and analyze what they are about to eat to see if it is ok or what consequences that particular food would have to their weight.

A study carried out by psychologists found that intuitive eaters were less likely to have a weight problem and maintained a stable weight and also spent less time thinking about food.

Controlled eaters tended to diet for longer periods of time and were more likely to binge eat for emotional reasons or eat just "because it was there".

Let's not forget willpower - or the lack of it either.  Motivation or willpower is basically what helps us stay on a diet, but that seems to be limited too.  Our bodies have their own "defended weight range" and if we eat less than our body believes is necessary for survival then it will do everything in its power to get you to eat more, this is where our reward system kicks in and we are back to hearing those voices again...

"You've been so good for days, one treat won't hurt!"

So, can you beat your brain?  Yes!  You have to retrain your brain to agree with what you are doing.  It has to understand why you need to lose weight; health reasons, etc... and you have to make the lifestyle change, not just a short spurt but a major diet overhaul as the basis of your existence.

 I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

 

EAT CHOCOLATE!

Yes, that's right... chocolate is GOOD for you.  I thought that would get your attention!  Want to know why chocolate is good for you?  Then, read on!

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has released a video claiming that chocolate contains hundreds of compounds, many of which a beneficial to health.  Other studies have established that chocolate contains several beneficial compounds, one of which is resveratrol, a compound that may not only protect your brain and nervous system, but it may actually prolong your life too.

Dark chocolate is also good at fighting inflammation.  Other good inflammation fighters are turmeric and the mediterranean diet, both of which reduce the inflammatory process underlying many chronic and degenerative diseases rife in the developed world.

The Feel Good Factor:

Some people get a nice "feel good" boost after eating chocolate.  However, there is actually a chemical reason for this boost.  Anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that temporarily blocks the feelings of depression and pain.  Anandamide is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "bliss", chocolate not only produces this compound but it also produces other chemicals that prolong that blissful feeling produced by the anandamide.  However, anandamide does more than just make us feel good, Daniele Piomelli from the University of California, said:

"Anandamide is also synthesized in areas of the brain that are important in memory and higher thought processes and in areas that control movement.  That implies that anandamide's function is not just to produce bliss."

Anandamide has been compared to the sensation you get from marijuana, but Piomelli says,

"We are talking about something much, much, much, much milder than a high."

Comfort food or something better?

Going beyond the feel good factor of the anandamide in chocolate, another ACS study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, states that chocolate could be the new anti-anxiety drug.  The study revealed that one and a half ounces of dark chocolate a day for 2 weeks reduced stress hormone levels.  The participants in the study were all classified as "highly stressed", at the end of the two-week study period they were all found to have lower levels of coritsol - the stress hormone also known as "fight or flight" hormone.

However, you must make sure you are eating dark chocolate and as organic as possible.  Many chocolate brands are high in sugar and unhealthy saturated fats.  A study by the Cleveland Clinic said:

"...Be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marchmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option.  Be aware that milk chocolate does not have the same healthy effects as unadulterated dark chocolate, because milk often prevents absorption of polyphenols.

"It is also important to remember the word moderation.  There's a measured and tested amount of chocolate - 6.7g a day (or one small square of chocolate two or three times a week) - that provides the best health benefits.  While it undoubtedly comes as a pleasant surprise that chocolate is actually good for you, eating the right amount is crucial if you want it to be a benefit and not a liability."

The Antioxidant Factor:

One of the most important reasons for making chocolate a part of your diet may be the antioxidants it provides.  Few foods have such a good potential for antioxidants as dark chocolate.  A wide range of accumulating scientific research link its consumption to over 40 important health benefits.

The formation of free radicals - atoms, ions and molecules with unpaired electrons - in your cells can damage your DNA to the point that your risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer are elevated.

The antioxidant polyphenols in chocolate are so important because they have the ability to stop free radical mediated oxidation.  This decreases the risk of those and other diseases by directly interfering with one of the major preventable causes of chronic degenerative diseases.  As stated in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; naturally occurring polyphenols in cocoa actually boost levels of HDL - also known as "good" cholesterol, while reducing the atherogenicity of LDL or "bad" cholesterol by preventing oxidation.  The Cleveland Clinic study supported this by noting:

"Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke.  If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals.  For example, an increase in oxidation can cause low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol, to form plaque on the artery walls."

The Brain Boost and Energy Factor:

We all know that chocolate is a natural stimulant and can provide a boost in both physical and brain energy, primarily from the caffeine and theobromine.  One clinical study with 24 healthy female participants showed "synergistic" effects on cognition and mood, which translated into improved blood pressure.  Studies have also shown that chocolate can inhibit brain inflammation that causes migraines.

Flavonols are the main flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate.  A pilot study evaluated the link between cerebral blood flow and a dose of flavonol-rich cocoa, this showed a notable increase in the cerebral blood flow to the brain.  The results from the study indicated that the flavonols in cocoa have the potential to protect against vascular impairment.

A Johns Hopkins study found that dark chocolate may protect the brain from damage after suffering a stroke by increasing cellular signals.  Mice that had ingested epicatechin, a compound found in dark chocolate, suffered significantly less brain damage after suffering an induced stroke than mice that had not been given epicatechin.  Therefore epicatechin may actually protect the brain.

The Heart Factor:

Following on from the previous point the ACS studies found that the polyphenols and catechins in chocolate may decrease the stroke risk in men.  The epicatechins, which help prevent clotting and inflammation are helpful in preventing some types of strokes.

A 7-study meta-analysis set out to find a link between chocolate consumption and certain cardiometabolic disorders such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and all the related problems to these diseases such as hypertension, elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides, high cholesterol and abdominal obesity.  However, what they discovered was that chocolate consumption, especially the raw unprocessed varieties, did not have negative effects and actually reduced the risk of such medical disorders.

If you love chocolate please be careful which chocolate you buy.  It must be dark chocolate with nothing more added, no nuts, caramel, milk, etc..  Also be wary of the brand you buy.  Lots of brands like Nestlé use GMO products.  It's better to buy from an organic store that can certify their chocolate is 100% organic.

Social Nutrition:
You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com