This just seems to be something that should be common knowledge, especially with this audience. I was pretty surprised to happen on it myself. Aspirin and ibuprofen may promote insulin resistance and sleep problems.
Way back in 1981, researchers reported that aspirin and ibuprofen, in doses commonly considered to be therapeutic for humans, experienced an increased level of insulin secretion. More insulin tended to be secreted at lower levels of blood glucose, and higher levels of insulin were secreted at high blood glucose levels. This is hyperinsulinemia, the first step in the chain reaction of problems including insulin resistance and diabetes.
And it may also interfere with sleep! Researchers at Bowling Green State University found that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (which includes these two over the counter medications)awakenings and percentage of time spent awake during the night. Ibuprofen also delayed the onset of deeper stages of sleep. Acetominophen, also known as Tylenol, did not affect sleep in these ways.
Researchers propose that the reasons for these effects may include the interference that these medications have on prostaglandin production, suppression of nighttime melatonin levels, and changes in body temperature.
We learned awhile back that women with PCOS also have trouble with arthritis, which means they are likely to be taking over-the-counter NSAIDS, thinking they're harmless. And, if they've got cardiac complications, they may have been advised to take baby aspirin prophylactically. That may not be the best strategy.
Fortunately, the fish oil I'm often teased about being such a fan of…is an excellent weapon against arthritis as well.
I'm ok with being teased about my obsession, if it means it helps our blog readers. The last laugh is the best one to have.: )
Metz SA, Robertson RP, Fujimoto WY. Inhibition of prostaglandin E synthesis augments glucose-induced insulin secretion in cultured pancreas. Diabetes. 1981 Jul;30(7):551-7.
Murphy PJ, Badia P, Myers BL, Boecker MR, Wright KP Jr. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs affect normal sleep patterns in humans. Physiol Behav. 1994; 55(6):1063-6.
A few weeks ago I was visiting my parents in Tucson. You could tell the holidays were coming, because the corner lots were all occupied by chili ristra vendors. These chilis, popular in the Southwest, are crafted into artistic wreaths and strands that hang on doors, gates, and walls, everywhere you look. Traditional wisdom says that a house with a ristra hanging out front is a happy household.
I thought this would make a fun food for a holiday greeting, and perhaps if we hung a ristra on this blog, we'd radiate electronic happiness and goodwill.
What is so great about chilis? Well…what isn't?
They are a great anti-inflammatory. Capsaicin, a compound in chilis, has been found to delay the onset of arthritis, and to be therapeutic for diabetic neuropathy. Both of these conditions are more likely to be issues in people prone to inflammatory disorders.
Chilis can reduce cholesterol and heart attack risk. They can reduce the risk of diabetes.
From a practical standpoint, chilis make food interesting. It's easy to eat healthfully if you like what you're eating!
Here is a recipe for Mexican Red Chile Sauce, a staple in New Mexico and excellent on pork…or leftover turkey.
Whether you like Mexican, Szechuan, Indian, or Thai food, don't forget the chilis.
I don't know if it's because so many women with PCOS are struggling with weight, or if it's the attitude that health practitioners often have toward people working on weight issues (negative and judgmental), or what, but I meet and hear from many women who overlook activity possibilities that don't involve pushing yourself, in a very punitive way, to the point where exercise is painful and lacking in pleasure.
The Biggest Loser certainly doesn't help that mentality. If I have to see one more person pushed to the point of vomiting by a verbally abusive trainer who justifies that attitude by saying"This is what they come here for," I think I'll vomit myself.
But I digress.
Exercise should be challenging, and sometimes you'll feel sore, but it shouldn't feel like punishment.
One of the exercises I love to recommend is yoga. There are many reasons why yoga is helpful to PCOS. 1. It increases flexibility. If you haven't exercised much in awhile, your flexibility has likely diminished, and you're more prone to injury. The last thing you need, when you're just starting to take care of yourself, is to knock yourself out of commission with that! 2. Yoga can help to alleviate depression. And in turn, when you're less depressed, you are less likely to crave sugar, or to binge. 3. Yoga is good for improving circulation to your internal organs, including the reproductive ones. 4. It helps to release that pain-causing lactic acid I wrote about yesterday. 5. It helps to increase range of motion and fluidity in joints. 6. It helps you to improve your posture and stand taller, which can help you to have a longer, leaner look. 7. It reduces stress hormone levels. 8. It improves focus and concentration. 9. It can reduce cholesterol. 10. It can reduce symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis, other inflammatory conditions often found in women with PCOS.
I'll be writing about various aspects of yoga throughout the week. But for now, just consider that even though cardiovascular exercise and strength training are important, you don't have to kill yourself with those, and exercises that don't emphasize those have benefit, too!
Quite a bit, it turns out. They're some of the hottest new sources of omega-3 fatty acids available in supplement form.
As the public starts to recognize the importance of omega-3 fatty acids for overall health, the hunt for sustainable sources of this nutrient intensifies. The fact is, there simply is not enough salmon on the planet to nourish every brain on the planet. We're going to have to learn to use other sources for that than relying solely on wild Alaskan salmon.
Here's what we found out about three unique players you're seeing more of: green-lipped mussels, krill, and calamari.
Here's the real reason this shellfish gets its name. As you can see, there is a rim of green pigment on the lip of its shell. This bivalve is a native of New Zealand, and the farming process bringing them to market is sustainable. We love that!
However, there seems to be a bit of hype related to this product. It is related to an anti-inflammatory compound found in these mussels that supposedly helps to relieve arthritis. The studies are sketchy, and seem to concede that the effect is actually due to the omega-3's in these mussels, not any secret special ingredient. The capsules are pretty low dosage wise, about 50 mg EPA and little information about DHA content. Meaning you're going to have to take an awful lot of these capsules to get any effect, and you're going to spend a lot of money in the process. Sixty capsules, in the dose we recommend here, is going to cost you $33. That's more than you need to spend.
This teeny, tiny, shrimp-looking thing is a krill, a creature at the very bottom of the food chain that grows in pretty much all ocean waters. It's an important food source for marine life — 500,000,000 tons are produced each year, and over half of it is consumed by whales, penguins, seals, squid, and fish.
As an omega-3 supplement, it is often touted as the superior source. However, a Norwegian study published in January of this year comparing krill oil to fish oil concluded that the effects of supplementation were comparable. In other words, there was no unique benefit to taking krill that could not be achieved with fish.
The bigger issue is sustainability. Scientists reported an 80% drop in krill supply recently. Given the heavy dependence of much of the rest of the ocean on krill, this is important to note. Whole Foods Market actually stopped selling krill oil over concerns that it was not a sustainable product. One voice countering these arguments is, Dr. Joseph Mercola, the popular natural medicine advocate. It is important to note that Dr. Mercola is personally invested in the krill industry so he has much to lose from consumers heeding the warnings of the National Geographic Society and the well-researched buyers at Whole Foods. He is entitled to his opinion, as you are to yours. All I ask is that you consider the financial influences underlying his opinion before deriving your own.
Bottom line here is, if there are options that are equally as effective that do not create nutritional hardship for such a wide variety of important citizens of the planet, we prefer to use those. Krill is not on our recommended list.
Which brings me to my last, and favorite, of our three profiles. The unassuming squid!
Last fall inCYST intern Sarah Jones and I were at our local Sprouts Market evaluating omega-3 supplements. Sarah noticed a bottle made from calamari. The supplement clerk told us that this is an up and coming concept, designed to bring a sustainable source of EPA and DHA to a market that is starting to feel ecologically strained in trying to meet the consumer demand for fish oil. Calamari is sustainably farmed and has been for a long time. It is only recently that they have been used as a source for the supplement industry.
Since we first saw their capsules, Carlson's has also released a lemon flavored liquid product called CalaOmega. And it is concentrated — one teaspon contains 800 mg DHA and 400 mg EPA. That dose for most of our readers is completely sufficient.
Squid are not exotic. There is nothing mysterious or magical about them. Since omega-3's are omega-3's, whether they come from salmon, mussels, krill, or squid, many marketing schemes use mysterious hype to differentiate their products. It's really not that complicated. Find a good source of DHA or EPA at a reasonable cost per dose, and be sure that in using it you're a responsible planetary citizen. You'll get benefit from all three options here. One is sustainable, but costs a lot of money. One is costly to the overall stability of the marine ecosystem. One is sustainable and economical. We think it sells itself.
Besides, now you have an extra reason to order that really tasty calamari appetizer at your favorite Italian restaurant.
Ulven SM, Kirkhus B, Lamglait A, Basu S, Elind E, Haider T, Berge K, Vik H, Pedersen JI. Metabolic effects of krill oil are essentially similar to those of fish oil but at lower dose of EPA and DHA, in healthy volunteers. Lipids. 2011 Jan;46(1):37-46. Epub 2010 Nov 2.
The topic for this blog post was suggested by a reader. I figured it was likely important, since many of you struggle with depression and arthritis or some sort of chronic pain, and you're self-medicating. The effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, on hormones, is quite extensive. I am summarizing the findings reported in the reference I list at the end. Bottom line, it's probably not the greatest idea to be regularly introducing marijuana into your system if your hormones are out of balance and you're trying to correct that problem. Even if you're not trying to become pregnant but you're sexually active. The effects outside of your own self are potentially significant.
Interestingly, improving your omega-6 to omega-3 dietary ratio helps to correct some of your own human cannabinoid levels, which may help to decrease the desire to get them from an external source. It may also alleviate the depression and joint pain that you may be using marijuana for in the first place. Some experts suggest that this imbalance of our "natural THC" may be one reason women with PCOS have strong carbohydrate cravings--it's another form of the munchies!
Reduced FSH and LH levels. Suppressed prolactin, thyroid, growth hormone Provokes cortisol release and reduces production of adrenal steroids, which makes it hard to maintain hormone levels. Interferes with ovarian prostaglandin synthesis.
HCG-stimulated and FSH-stimulated progesterone secretion is inhibited. Inhibits estradiol release.
Inhibits cholesterol esterase manufacture, and cholesterol is the building block for many reproductive hormones. Hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the uterus Changes in vaginal cell thickness, character and mucoid presentation Reduced uterine weight Suppresses thyroid function.
A dose of LH that routinely caused ovulation in normal rats was only able to induce ovulation in 40% of the rats exposed to THC. Two to fourfold greater doses of LH were required to restore ovulation in THC-exposed rats.
The equivalent of one marijuana cigarette per day interfered with cell division and embryonic growth in fertlized eggs. It also reduced intrauterine weight gain by the fetus.
Offspring of rats exposed to THC had abnormal eggs, meaning the fertility of future generations was also affected.
Prevents reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine into the brain, increasing, not decreasing, depression over the long term.
I recently started to tell a good friend about the antioxidant power of turmeric. He stopped me midsentence.
"What is it with all this antioxidant stuff? First it was pomegranates. Then it was Mongolian gojis. It's something different every day."
(Insert big sigh and eye roll here.)
"Can you even tell me what an antioxidant looks like?"
My friend's reaction verified something I've sensed for awhile now. In our quest to show how much we know about antioxidants, we've thrown long words and catch phrases at the public, to the point where the concept has become nothing more than hype.
It's not long after any concept hits"hype mode" that it becomes passe. And being passe is absolutely not what the average antioxidant should be, to ANYONE.
So, I'd like to answer my friend's question. My answer is somewhat long, but I will do my best to encourage him--and you--to see past the hype that's been flung at all those innocent pomegranates and beets and Indian curries!
Here are ten important things to know about antioxidants.
1. AN ANTIOXIDANT IS LIKE RUSTPROOF FOR YOUR BODY. Oxidation is the natural process of something breaking down over time. On your car, oxidation looks like rust. Oxidation in humans isn't much different; it's somewhat of a biological rusting out process. So an antioxidant, really, is human rustproofing. 2. AN ANTIOXIDANT SLOWS DOWN AGING. This is primarily a blog for women with PCOS. What does aging have to do with that? PCOS is a disease of inflammation, and inflammation is an aging process. If you stand back and look at the big picture, a lot of the symptoms of PCOS are actually indications of an accelerated aging process--arthritis, forgetfulness, poor sleep, diabetes at an early age, premature menopause--I am struck at how many of my clients really present as old people in young peoples' bodies. Just as there really is no cure for the wear and tear on the body of a car that works better than prevention, PCOS needs preventive action. It's about choosing food, activity and lifestyle behaviors that make it easier for your body to stay young. It IS possible to reverse some aging, but it's a whole lot easier to prevent aging before it happens. Making good antioxidant choices every day is an important part of your personal rustproofing plan (PRP). 3. DON'T JUDGE AN ANTIOXIDANT BY ITS SCRABBLE SCORE. This one drives me nuts. Nutritionists tend to be extremely detail oriented, and they seem to have adopted this compulsion to throw dozens of new long words at the public. I am equally as nerdy when it comes to biochemistry, but there is a place for those words. If seeing them in an article isn't inspiring you to put some new and different foods on your shopping list, what's the point?
I don't believe in dumbing down the public, but I have to admit, much of what I read has MY eyes glazing over because how the word was spelled or pronounced was apparently more important to the author than what's in it for me to care.
If you're adding a few beets at the salad bar or learning to cook Indian curries, that's what matters. The chemicals will help you to be healthier, whether or not you can spell or pronounce them.
4. THE BEST ANTIOXIDANTS ARE FOUND IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING. I graduated from college in 1982, and there were only a handful of antioxidants to learn about at the most. Back then (I guess you could say the nutritional dark ages!) we learned mostly about vitamins and minerals. Many of the compounds we knew about, were extracted and sold as"complete nutritional replacements". Of course, the definition of"complete" was based on our limited knowledge of what food actually contains. They weren't really complete because they did not contain the antioxidant compounds we didn't even know about!
That, for me, was a huge lesson learned, about how much of an expert I can truly be in this field. There will always be things I don't know, and need to know, and my responsibility as a health educator is to be as complete in talking about what I don't know as I do about what I do know.
Therefore, my advice when it comes to antioxidants and supplements, is not to focus on what the most important, most perfect antioxidant might be, then to extract it and consume it in large quantities. Rather, look for opportunities to eat whole foods that are as close to the ground and/or tree when you consume them. The more something is sliced, diced, extracted, powdered, concentrated, the less like nature it is.
Remember, whole is best. There may be important nutritional compounds we have yet to learn about that aren't in those expensive antioxidant supplements.
5. ANTIOXIDANTS ARE COLORFUL CHARACTERS. Your plate needs a variety of colors if it's also going to contain antioxidants. I created this graphic last summer to illustrate the concept. If you're eating lots of reds and blues, and are judicious about which white foods you choose, that's a good start. But remember the greens, yellows, and oranges, too! It's really not that hard to choose colorfully. A plate of food that contains a lot of colors is also attractive. Would you rather have a plate of white fish, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes, or a chicken salad packed with apples, walnuts, and spinach?
Eat patriotically--doesn't matter what country--if you put color on your plate, you can't go wrong.
6. ANTIOXIDANTS LOVE A GOOD PARTY! Antioxidants tend to be more effective in the presence of other antioxidants. In other words, you'll get more bang for your buck out of Compound A if you are also eating Compound B. That's why there is no such thing as the ultimate antioxidant. Just like you have less fun at a party if you act like a wallflower, your"health party" will be a whole lot more worthwhile if you introduce and mingle different compounds.
7. ANTIOXIDANTS LOVE THE GYM. Antioxidants have an interesting relationship with exercise. Exercise, because it raises metabolism, is actually an oxidative activity. However…when you exercise regularly, your body becomes more efficient at storing antioxidants for future use, and then mobilizing them to areas where exercise has raised your metabolism. To get the best advantage out of exercise, it's important to (1) not overexercise, but (2) exercise regularly, and (3) be sure the diet you eat on a regular basis is full of colorful foods.
8. ANTIOXIDANTS ARE HOMEBODIES. When fruits are picked early so they can be shipped to distant markets, they're not allowed to ripen and develop their fullest antioxidant potential. When fruits are processed so they can be stored and consumed through off-seasons, they lose antioxidant power. So while I love blueberries and I appreciate their antioxidant power, they are more of a summer treat for me. Since I live in Arizona, I try to eat lots of citrus in the winter, watermelon in the summer, and to use foods from other areas as occasional treats. Every locality has its specialties. Become familiar with what's in season in your area, and if you travel, experiment with local specialties. A Goji berry is definitely a powerful antioxidant tool, but you can be antioxidant friendly even if your plate was not partially picked by distant farmers on exotic hillsides. Some of your greatest antioxidant friends may be lurking just down the road at your local organic farm.
9. ANTIOXIDANTS SHOULD NOT BREAK YOUR BUDGET. When you eat seasonally, you should also save money. In fact, one of the easy way to know what fruits and vegetables are in season is to look for what is cheap! If you frequent your local farmer's market, what you see at the majority of the stands is likely the local seasonal offering. I like eating seasonally because foods move in and out of my menu and I don't get bored because I'm eating the same thing over and over again. Get to know how seasons affect food availability in your area, and plan menus around that. It is fun, not to mention tasty!
10. THE BEST ANTIOXIDANT OF ALL--IS A PROACTIVE LIFESTYLE. OK, here's a picture of an antioxidant. (A face only a molecule mother could love…) What it looks like isn't as important as what it does. An antioxidant keeps you healthy and young! Any choice you make that creates an imbalance--too much exercise and not enough rest, not enough sleep, an imbalanced diet, poor stress management--puts you at risk of antioxidant deficiency. If you're not making good lifestyle choices and assuming a supplement will absorb the imbalance, you're putting yourself at even greater risk. Be sure your diet has a lot of variety and color.
Even better, apply that mentality to the rest of your life. --Create a social support network with a variety of personalities that encourage the best in you to come out, and who accept you for who you are without unrealistic expectations. --Participate in a few different physical activities that allow muscles to rest while others work. --Do things that make you laugh! (Yes, in a way, your favorite corny movie is an antioxidant!) --Do something creative.
There are many kinds of antioxidants that have nothing to do with nutrition. Be sure your choices add up to move you in the direction of capitalizing on them, rather than putting you in a position where you need to supplement to reverse damage that didn't need to be done.
OK, good friend, I hope I answered your question and you made it to the end of this blog post without rolling those eyes again!
That is the number one reason I hear from my clients about why they cannot do yoga. They fear that because of their weight, they are not going to be able to move in a way that is"right".
The good news about yoga is, there is no"right" or"wrong" way to do it! There are plenty of people in those classes with injuries, arthritis, unique anatomical makeups, and sheer lack of flexibility. And they do just fine.
A good yoga class will offer more than one option for a pose, to give each person in that class an opportunity to participate. You can start with…and even stay with…the first option, or if you're feeling like you would like to challenge yourself…try a new option. And even if you can't do the first option, or hold it, the first time around, the effects of your moving your body in new and different ways are still there.
So with yoga, you simply get credit for showing up and trying!
Afraid you can't get through a class? The power of a simple pose can be significant. A simple downward dog (see photo) is associated with the following:
•Increased strength in your arms, shoulders, sides, chest and upper back, while stretching the muscles in your ankles, calves, thighs and lower back.
•Improved digestion.
•Improved symptoms of menopause, and relieved menstrual discomfort.
I recently started to tell a good friend about the antioxidant power of turmeric. He stopped me midsentence.
"What is it with all this antioxidant stuff? First it was pomegranates. Then it was Mongolian gojis. It's something different every day."
(Insert big sigh and eye roll here.)
"Can you even tell me what an antioxidant looks like?"
My friend's reaction verified something I've sensed for awhile now. In our quest to show how much we know about antioxidants, we've thrown long words and catch phrases at the public, to the point where the concept has become nothing more than hype.
It's not long after any concept hits"hype mode" that it becomes passe. And being passe is absolutely not what the average antioxidant should be, to ANYONE.
So, I'd like to answer my friend's question. My answer is somewhat long, but I will do my best to encourage him--and you--to see past the hype that's been flung at all those innocent pomegranates and beets and Indian curries!
Here are ten important things to know about antioxidants.
1. AN ANTIOXIDANT IS LIKE RUSTPROOF FOR YOUR BODY. Oxidation is the natural process of something breaking down over time. On your car, oxidation looks like rust. Oxidation in humans isn't much different; it's somewhat of a biological rusting out process. So an antioxidant, really, is human rustproofing. 2. AN ANTIOXIDANT SLOWS DOWN AGING. This is primarily a blog for women with PCOS. What does aging have to do with that? PCOS is a disease of inflammation, and inflammation is an aging process. If you stand back and look at the big picture, a lot of the symptoms of PCOS are actually indications of an accelerated aging process--arthritis, forgetfulness, poor sleep, diabetes at an early age, premature menopause--I am struck at how many of my clients really present as old people in young peoples' bodies. Just as there really is no cure for the wear and tear on the body of a car that works better than prevention, PCOS needs preventive action. It's about choosing food, activity and lifestyle behaviors that make it easier for your body to stay young. It IS possible to reverse some aging, but it's a whole lot easier to prevent aging before it happens. Making good antioxidant choices every day is an important part of your personal rustproofing plan (PRP). 3. DON'T JUDGE AN ANTIOXIDANT BY ITS SCRABBLE SCORE. This one drives me nuts. Nutritionists tend to be extremely detail oriented, and they seem to have adopted this compulsion to throw dozens of new long words at the public. I am equally as nerdy when it comes to biochemistry, but there is a place for those words. If seeing them in an article isn't inspiring you to put some new and different foods on your shopping list, what's the point?
I don't believe in dumbing down the public, but I have to admit, much of what I read has MY eyes glazing over because how the word was spelled or pronounced was apparently more important to the author than what's in it for me to care.
If you're adding a few beets at the salad bar or learning to cook Indian curries, that's what matters. The chemicals will help you to be healthier, whether or not you can spell or pronounce them.
4. THE BEST ANTIOXIDANTS ARE FOUND IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING. I graduated from college in 1982, and there were only a handful of antioxidants to learn about at the most. Back then (I guess you could say the nutritional dark ages!) we learned mostly about vitamins and minerals. Many of the compounds we knew about, were extracted and sold as"complete nutritional replacements". Of course, the definition of"complete" was based on our limited knowledge of what food actually contains. They weren't really complete because they did not contain the antioxidant compounds we didn't even know about!
That, for me, was a huge lesson learned, about how much of an expert I can truly be in this field. There will always be things I don't know, and need to know, and my responsibility as a health educator is to be as complete in talking about what I don't know as I do about what I do know.
Therefore, my advice when it comes to antioxidants and supplements, is not to focus on what the most important, most perfect antioxidant might be, then to extract it and consume it in large quantities. Rather, look for opportunities to eat whole foods that are as close to the ground and/or tree when you consume them. The more something is sliced, diced, extracted, powdered, concentrated, the less like nature it is.
Remember, whole is best. There may be important nutritional compounds we have yet to learn about that aren't in those expensive antioxidant supplements.
5. ANTIOXIDANTS ARE COLORFUL CHARACTERS. Your plate needs a variety of colors if it's also going to contain antioxidants. I created this graphic last summer to illustrate the concept. If you're eating lots of reds and blues, and are judicious about which white foods you choose, that's a good start. But remember the greens, yellows, and oranges, too! It's really not that hard to choose colorfully. A plate of food that contains a lot of colors is also attractive. Would you rather have a plate of white fish, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes, or a chicken salad packed with apples, walnuts, and spinach?
Eat patriotically--doesn't matter what country--if you put color on your plate, you can't go wrong.
6. ANTIOXIDANTS LOVE A GOOD PARTY! Antioxidants tend to be more effective in the presence of other antioxidants. In other words, you'll get more bang for your buck out of Compound A if you are also eating Compound B. That's why there is no such thing as the ultimate antioxidant. Just like you have less fun at a party if you act like a wallflower, your"health party" will be a whole lot more worthwhile if you introduce and mingle different compounds.
7. ANTIOXIDANTS LOVE THE GYM. Antioxidants have an interesting relationship with exercise. Exercise, because it raises metabolism, is actually an oxidative activity. However…when you exercise regularly, your body becomes more efficient at storing antioxidants for future use, and then mobilizing them to areas where exercise has raised your metabolism. To get the best advantage out of exercise, it's important to (1) not overexercise, but (2) exercise regularly, and (3) be sure the diet you eat on a regular basis is full of colorful foods.
8. ANTIOXIDANTS ARE HOMEBODIES. When fruits are picked early so they can be shipped to distant markets, they're not allowed to ripen and develop their fullest antioxidant potential. When fruits are processed so they can be stored and consumed through off-seasons, they lose antioxidant power. So while I love blueberries and I appreciate their antioxidant power, they are more of a summer treat for me. Since I live in Arizona, I try to eat lots of citrus in the winter, watermelon in the summer, and to use foods from other areas as occasional treats. Every locality has its specialties. Become familiar with what's in season in your area, and if you travel, experiment with local specialties. A Goji berry is definitely a powerful antioxidant tool, but you can be antioxidant friendly even if your plate was not partially picked by distant farmers on exotic hillsides. Some of your greatest antioxidant friends may be lurking just down the road at your local organic farm.
9. ANTIOXIDANTS SHOULD NOT BREAK YOUR BUDGET. When you eat seasonally, you should also save money. In fact, one of the easy way to know what fruits and vegetables are in season is to look for what is cheap! If you frequent your local farmer's market, what you see at the majority of the stands is likely the local seasonal offering. I like eating seasonally because foods move in and out of my menu and I don't get bored because I'm eating the same thing over and over again. Get to know how seasons affect food availability in your area, and plan menus around that. It is fun, not to mention tasty!
10. THE BEST ANTIOXIDANT OF ALL--IS A PROACTIVE LIFESTYLE. OK, here's a picture of an antioxidant. (A face only a molecule mother could love…) What it looks like isn't as important as what it does. An antioxidant keeps you healthy and young! Any choice you make that creates an imbalance--too much exercise and not enough rest, not enough sleep, an imbalanced diet, poor stress management--puts you at risk of antioxidant deficiency. If you're not making good lifestyle choices and assuming a supplement will absorb the imbalance, you're putting yourself at even greater risk. Be sure your diet has a lot of variety and color.
Even better, apply that mentality to the rest of your life. --Create a social support network with a variety of personalities that encourage the best in you to come out, and who accept you for who you are without unrealistic expectations. --Participate in a few different physical activities that allow muscles to rest while others work. --Do things that make you laugh! (Yes, in a way, your favorite corny movie is an antioxidant!) --Do something creative.
There are many kinds of antioxidants that have nothing to do with nutrition. Be sure your choices add up to move you in the direction of capitalizing on them, rather than putting you in a position where you need to supplement to reverse damage that didn't need to be done.
OK, good friend, I hope I answered your question and you made it to the end of this blog post without rolling those eyes again!
Yesterday I introduced you to Nightly Beauty by Beauty Foods, a nutricosmetic primarily designed for improving skin health and appearance. I shared my own experience with this product while investigating its potential for PCOS. Hopefully my photos got your attention enough to want to read more! Today I'd like to share some of the science behind my thoughts.
Women with PCOS are struggling with inflammation. It hits everywhere, not just the ovaries. It causes diabetes, heart disease, depression. That much you know. It also ages skin more quickly than it should be aging. So other body tissues break down and aren't readily replaced. Your most important strategy, of course, is to reduce the inflammatory process with the kinds of choices we encourage here on this blog.
Nightly Beauty enhances that process with a few additional ingredients, BioCollagen and hyaluronic acid that aren't easy to correct with simple dietary changes.
Collagen
Collagen is one of the major components of skin. It's only been recently that it's been confirmed through research that supplementing the diet with collagen actually helps skin collagen. Right as we were preparing to post these blog entries, BioCell Technology, maker of the collagen in Nightly Beauty, distributed a press release announcing that the first human study of their collagen supplement confirmed that it actually does increase collagen levels in skin (types I and III). In their words,"results of the study showed that a majority of the participants experienced a remarkable improvement in skin texture, together with hydration, reduced scaling, and improved blood microcirculation".
Of course, since I've had the opportunity to experience this myself as I reported yesterday, I love this! However, this is just the wonderful side effect. There's something even more important for PCOS. Another inflammatory disorder many of you struggle with is arthritis. And when your joints hurt, you can't exercise. BioCell Collagen supplementation has also been proven to increase collagen type II, which is the type of collagen found in joints. They report that joint discomfort and stiffness in research subjects reduced by as much as 40% in 8 weeks.
Your faces are precious, but your quality of life matters more to me. If you can move, you can help your PCOS. If you can help your PCOS, you're more likely to feel better about yourself. This is the main reason I picked up the phone and called Jacque in the first place, I saw its potential for all of you writing and telling me that your joints hurt and no one was connecting it to your primary problem — inflammation.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid, or HA, is known in the beauty world as the plumper. Many women take HA supplements to plump their lips. It also pulls water into skin, helping to plump and hydrate.
But did you know, HA is also a major component of the gelatinous fluid in your eyes? It's what helps to hold fluid in the eyeball. I didn't, until I started researching Nightly Beauty. Several months prior, I'd noticed my eyes were feeling dry, despite my faithful use of fish oils and upping my fluid intake. It didn't hit me until I started reading about HA and eyes that not long after I started taking this product my dry eyes started improving. Considerably. So I started reading more. Women with PCOS actually do experience more dry eye syndrome than women who don't.
There is considerable research into ways to deliver more hyaluronic acid to eyes, including eye drops and even controlled-release contact lenses. I'm having trouble finding any research either supporting or negating hyaluronic acid supplementation as a potential route of administration…but I'm not surprised. Nutrition is often an afterthought in research problem solving.
This product has not been researched specifically for dry eyes or for PCOS, but for women who are interested in trying something that has documented benefit for other PCOS-related symptoms and who also have dry eyes, it couldn't hurt to try it. I must state that Beauty Foods is NOT making health claims about this product. I am, in this blog post, reporting my personal experience and connecting research relevant to the product for my specific intended audience, independently of them.
If you do choose to try it, and you experience benefits, please let me know. I'd like to keep a running total of results and perhaps…include it as something we research at our new institute.
If you'd like to try Nightly Beauty for yourself, it's on sale this week at http://www.jpselects.com/. It's also available at http://www.beautyfoods.com/.
Let us know what you think!
Collagen-containing nutricosmetic shown to combat aging. http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/ http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Formulation-Science/Collagen-containing-nutricosmetic-shown-to-combat-aging
Bonini S, Mantelli F, Moretti C, Lambiase A, Bonini S, Micera A. Itchy-dry eye associated with polycystic ovary syndrome. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007 May;143(5):763-771. Epub 2007 Mar 23.
Coksuer H, Ozcura F, Oghan F, Haliloglu B, Karatas S. Effects of hyperandrogenism on tear function and tear drainage in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Reprod Med. 2011 Jan-Feb;56(1-2):65-70.
Ali M, Byrne ME. Controlled release of high molecular weight hyaluronic Acid from molecularly imprinted hydrogel contact lenses. Pharm Res. 2009 Mar;26(3):714-26. Epub 2009 Jan 21.
Liu L, Tiffany J, Dang Z, Dart JK, Watson SL, Daniels JT, Geerling G. Nourish and nurture: development of a nutrient ocular lubricant. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Jun;50(6):2932-9. Epub 2008 Dec 13.
I enjoy a lot of physical activities. One that I particularly enjoy, likely because I have spent so much of my life in a hot climate, is swimming. Since junior high, one of my very favorite things to do, is get into the pool and swim a mile.
It has always bothered me that fitness experts give this form of exercise such a thumbs down. It's not weight bearing. It doesn't burn fat. Yadayadayada.
Tell me, does this look like the body of an out-of-shape woman to you?!?!?
Of course Dara Torres is genetically blessed, and of course, she lifts weights. But you can't argue that she spends a whole lot of time in the pool. It's not working against HER from what I see!
I wish fitness experts would stop talking about swimming as if it's a useless exercise.
The other night when I was swimming, there were a couple of people in the pool who were clearly getting back into fitness after significant time away. They would never have survived a half hour on the treadmill, or an afternoon hike, or a round of tennis. But they were in the pool and they were working hard. That is what was important.
Here are some reasons I love water fitness and why I encourage you to try it for yourself.
1. Swimming is gentle on your joints. If arthritis keeps you from a lot of activities, swimming might be an answer. You can move your body without pounding the parts of you that hurt.
2. Swimming is a great body image equalizer. Once you're in the pool, no one can really see what you look like. I think that's what keeps a lot of people out of the gym, fear that those in great shape are looking at them and judging them, rather than appreciating the tremendous effort it took to get there.
3. Swimming uses upper and lower body parts. I know I should probably lift more weights. But weights, to me, are incredibly boring. I am getting ready to take tennis lessons, but that's going to use one side of my body more than the other. I could equalize that with.you guessed it…weights…but I'd rather balance it with swimming, which works my upper body in an equalized way that is enjoyable to me.
4. Swimming is meditative. I cannot tell you how many times, after being stuck on a project or writing assignment, I've gone to the pool, started moving, and the perfect idea just popped into my head. It seems to foster brain blood flow in a way that enhances cognitive function.
5. Swimming is relaxing. I ALWAYS sleep well when I swim. In fact, I often have to force myself to stay awake past 8:30 on days that I swim, so that I don't wake up at 4 am ready to go! You all know that poor sleep encourages insulin resistance. If you're sleeping well because you're swimming, the benefit you get may not directly be from how many calories you burn in the pool, but from the improved insulin function that encourages weight loss long after you've been in the water.
6. Swimming doesn't remind you of your body size with every move you make. I agonize for Biggest Loser contestants sweating away on the treadmill. Every step they take, every breath they take, they're reminded of how out of shape they are and how far they have to go. Swimming is the great body size evaporator. You can exert yourself within reason without feeling like you have to punish yourself. The water is one environment where you can, at least temporarily, not have a constant reminder of your size. You're weightless, you can glide, you can float, you can propel yourself. It's a completely size acceptant and encouraging environment.
7. What I've never seen studied, and I've looked for it a lot, is an analysis of what happens to body fat in swimming. It may not drop, but I have a hunch it migrates, toward the skin, where it is needed to help insulate against the water temperature. But if you think about that, it may help you to look a little younger, to have a small layer of fat just underneath the skin to support its structure. I actually kind of like that my body is a little more rounded and not so gaunt and"ripped" when I swim. I think I look more feminine. It's the internal fat, the fat around the middle, that causes problems you don't want. If you're noticing that your waist inches are decreasing, your body fat may be a little higher as a swimmer, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's BAD fat. (I kind of think the reason a lot of my athlete/fitness expert/weight lifting friends don't enjoy swimming is because their body fat is so low they don't have flotation on their side and they have to work too hard to enjoy it. So they justify why you shouldn't pursue it to fit their own physiological bias!)
So there you have it. I've hopefully removed some of the excuses and barriers that keep you out of the pool. If it gets you moving, if it helps you to sleep, if it improves your insulin function…why are you listening to the people who contradict your truth? What matters is what works for YOU. Not what some lean, cut person who has sunk to the bottom of the deep end is trying to tell you.: )
One of my very favorite activities is Rollerblading. I discovered it after moving to California from Colorado years ago. I was really missing cross-country skiing, and rented some in-line skates one weekend. It was love at first roll! I loved them so much, I even commuted to work with them, quite frequently. Weekends, my boyfriend at the time and I would head over to Stanford University and pass the afternoon in a closed parking garage, skating up the ramps and speeding down the levels, over and over and over again. I have not skated much in past years, as I had been running more. But recently, I have been plagued with arthritis in one of my ankles, and have been challenged to rework my exercise plan to include activities that don't stress the joint as much. Last night I pulled out the Rollerblades, and thought of ten reasons you all may want to think about trying it. I hope you give it a try! 1. Easier on joints As much as I love running, it does pound the joints. When you are starting out a weight loss program, that can be a barrier. Skating allows you to move that same weight over equal distances without expecting your knees and ankles to absorb the shock of every single stroke. 2. Great workout without feeling so exhausting I was so used to huffing and puffing when I ran, that the first time I skated, I was a little disappointed. It didn't feel as if it was pushing me as hard athletically. Then one day I was stopped at a corner and decided to check my pulse. It was up there in the running zone! It just used my muscles in different ways, apparently. 3. Meditative Something I love about skating (as well as swimming) is the meditative rhythm I can get into. My neighborhood has wide, shady streets, and it is so relaxing to get out there and get into a back and forth rhythm. Something about that clears the head and enhances creativity. It was in my meditative mode, in fact, that I was inspired to write this blog post! 4. Playful As I mentioned, I've"bladed" parking garages. I've also circled lakes, and sneaked on to golf courses. I love gentle hills. Last night I spent a lot of time practicing balancing on one leg, then the other, then seeing what positions I could do that balancing in. The whole time I was moving forward, and before I knew it I had gone six miles. It was an enjoyable workout. 5. Great for the butt Those boots are heavy! So every time you push off and lift your foot, it is like lifting a weight. The ones at the gym that you do to work out your butt. Only you get thousands more lifts in than you ever would at the gym. 6. Works different leg muscles The inner thigh muscles are hard to work out. Most runners develop their quads but those thighs just don't get their fair share. But skating uses all the leg muscles. Regular use will shape your legs, quite nicely. 7. You can channel Apolo Anton Ohno Yes, I do that. I squat really low to make my quads work really hard. I bend over, put one arm on my back like those Olympic guys do and swing the other one back and forth. I imagine I am in Helsinki or Calgary or some other snowy place. It makes it fun to get out there. Exercise doesn't have to hurt. It can actually be fun! If you've never tried skating, I encourage you to do it, at least once, and see if you like it. One word of advice, do wear wrist and knee guards. Just to be safe. We don't want you eliminating your new favorite activity from a fall just as you were getting into your groove!
I hope you all are not tired of my drumming into you the importance of sleep! This time, I want to look at a study about menopause. A 7 1/2 year study (which really is long and not common to see), discovered that administering melatonin delayed the events of menopause.
If you think of melatonin as one of the body's most powerful (potentially THE most powerful) antioxidant, this makes sense.
What does this have to do with PCOS? My personal feeling is that seeing all the symptoms of PCOS in the age demographic I've watch those symptoms drift down to means I'm seeing old people walk around in young peoples' bodies. I've been in this field for 26 years now, and when I first started out, it was rare to see anyone with insulin resistance or diabetes who was younger than the age of 40.
Fast forward to 5 years ago when I worked with a 9 year old girl. Not only was she insulin resistant, but she was complaining of joint pain that sounded like arthritis, hair loss, and memory problems at school. That's when the lightbulb went off for me. In at least a few cases, it seems as though PCOS is what happens when diseases of old age creep into the reproductive system.
The way we live, which is hard, fast, and with the expectation that pills and procedures can make up for those choices, eventually catches up with us. Pay attention to a few simple things which involve better balance and self care…and we can put off some of the yucky parts about having more birthdays under our belts.
The good news is, if you decide to take action, much of this can reverse. I received an excited phone call not too long ago from a colleague who's been through my PCOS training. She told me that the last 5 clients who she'd advised regarding their infertility had all become pregnant. One of them had failed with in vitro fertilization and was beginning to resign herself to the possibility that she'd never have kids.
My colleague's caveat: The clients who succeed are the ones who are willing to do the work.
We had a discussion about how being a dietitian working in reproduction is really a challenging proposition. Practically everyone else who offers a solution is the one who does the work, while the patient is relatively passive. It can create the impression that fertility is something you can have, if you have enough money to throw at the best experts out there.
Pay someone else to do the work? Do some work yourself? We've really got a hard sell.
But when I received this phone call I literally had chills. All this studying, writing, promoting, training, stressing over how we're going to get this program to take hold…for those five new lives, is completely worth it.
Trust me, it took me awhile to admit to myself, and I do this for a living, that I could improve on my own habits. But as I've realized how much better I feel, I've become very protective of my sleep. I'm rarely even awake anymore to watch the evening news. And when I miss my sleep, I can really see what it does to my body. I'm spacy, moody, stiff, I crave sweets, and I am lethargic. I'm not nearly as creative or productive.
I've also started imposing a rule on myself, if I don't have a good night's sleep, I don't work out the next day. I do go for a walk, but I focus on stress management and I try to time my activity so that I can get some ultraviolet light and hopefully correct my sleep clock. But I've learned, at least for myself, that when I push it, and expect to be able to work long hours AND exercise AND socialize, etc., etc., etc., something always gives.
Maybe that's the good part of having more birthdays under my belt…some wisdom has funally sunk in.
Diaz BL, Llaneza PC. Endocrine regulation of the course of menopause by oral melatonin: first case report. Menopause. 2008 Mar-Apr;15(2):388-92.
You may know of melatonin as a potent sleep aid. So much so, that if you took melatonin and you did not experience an enhanced ability to sleep, you stopped taking it.
Did you know, melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant as well? Some of the benefits of this compound relevant to PCOS include:
--lowered blood pressure --improved memory --reduced adrenal gland activity and cortisol secretion --reduced cortisol response to stress --reduced blood glucose, insulin levels, and insulin response to a glucose load --reduced cholesterol and triglycerides --reduced testosterone levels --increased progesterone synthesis --slows gastric emptying (which can help you to feel fuller, longer)
That's a lot of stuff! And it's not just not sleeping well that interferes with melatonin metabolism. So does fasting and starvation…which includes any kind of radical diet, including the medically supervised ones and the HCG ones. Melatonin levels in all three types of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are disrupted. Obesity suppresses normal melatonin daily rhythms. Omega-3 deficiency reduces melatonin synthesis and total tissue levels.
Vitamin deficiencies such as B12, zinc, and magnesium, can interfere with good melatonin status. When I read that, I immediately thought of the many vegetarians reading this blog, as those are common deficiencies when vegetarian eating is not proactively balanced.
Normal melatonin metabolism may be dependent on physical activity.
I'm well aware that many people reading this blog are looking for a magic supplement to erase the need for making healthy lifestyle choices. If you choose to supplement with melatonin, it likely will not hurt you, and it may help you to restore normal sleep patterns, but it will never replace the power of regular, adequate sleep. Just sayin'.: )
If you've never used melatonin before, and you decide to start, you may want to try it on a night when it's not essential that you be up and functioning early the next day. It can have a paradoxical reaction in some people.
And, if you happen to be a professional pilot, the FAA advises against using melatonin while on duty. It certainly wouldn't hurt on your days off, especially if you've been on some grueling red eye flights, just beware of this disclaimer while officially on duty.
I have an extensive list of references I've collected from which this blog post was derived. If you would like them you can contact me directly.
Bottom line, if you don't value sleep, your body is going to have a really, really, really hard time being healthy.
Over the past few years, oxygen facials have gained popularity, particularly with celebrities, as the path to more youthful skin. In a nutshell, these facials entail forcing oxygen that contains skin-healthy nutrients using compressed air.
When I first heard of these facials, working so much in the area of antioxidants, free radicals, and inflammation, which all accelerate the aging process, I couldn't help but wonder what adding all of that oxygen might have the potential to do. (There is a reason oxygen and oxidize sound so similar…oxidation is the damage done to tissues when deteriorating oxygen molecules are allowed to run loose in the body.)
My concern with this procedure has always been that since oxygen is natural, and we need it to survive, that people would buy these facials not understanding that too much oxygen may actually be harmful.
My second thought was that the force of the compressed air, applied continuously over time, may actually do more damage to fragile facial tissue, than the potential help all of the compounds it delivers, might provide.
The procedure has not been FDA-tested, so no one really knows for sure. So because there is immediate effect, and no one is going to report negative effects of such a profitable procedure unless legally required to, it's a very popular service in high-end beauty salons.
These are not inexpensive treatments, either. One California salon, on its website, advertises this service at $250 a visit. And since the recommended protocol is once a week for 6 weeks, then once a month thereafter, the first year of facials is going to cost $3600 annually.
Turns out, I wasn't the only skeptic. Apparently, the"proven effective" clinical testing often used to market these procedures refers to hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which these treatments are not (even though their marketing often says they are.)
In the words of beautymagonline.com, "why would we want to force the oxygen past the lipid bi-layers under pressure to an area where we really need to control any oxidation? As mentioned previously, oxygen as an energy providing fuel is delivered to the dermal cells via the microcirculation along with other vital nutrients. It is a critical balance. The fact that other topical oxygen bearing applications (such as hydrogen peroxide and oxygenated purified water) have lost favour with skin professionals due to free radical issues makes one wonder why less knowledgeable aestheticians and therapists have not made the connection between the similarity of the two modalities."
The FDA actually has a warning on its website stating that dispensing oxygen in medical concentrations, without a prescription, is not in FDA compliance.
That's the bad news. The good news? There is a new product on the market that delivers some of the same nutrients in a much kindler, gentler way…and it comes in chocolate cinnamon, chai, and vanilla flavors.: )
Nightly beauty by Beauty Foods, a nutricosmetic, that you can drink just before bedtime, contains BioCell Collagen, a patented combination of collagen and hyaluronic acid that has GRAS status (FDA Generally Regarded As Safe) actually has been clinically tested, and has been proven effective for enhancing skin quality. And not just for better, younger looking skin…for arthritis too! And daily use of this supplement, over a year, costs about $800 plus shipping.
So switching from oxygen facials to Nightly Beauty, alone, would save you about $2800.
Well, that is, if you don't calculate in the potential $325 you'll not be spending on Methotrexate (which has the nasty side effect of interfering with skin cell regeneration!)
Oh! And if the Alpha Calming waves and l-theanine help you to pitch your Ambien prescription as well, that is an extra ~ $230 you'll be saving.
I'm not even going to try to calculate the potential for improved insulin resistance and weight management, which happens in people who control their inflammation and stress, get adequate sleep, and consume a little bit of protein at bedtime.
All I know is, when I used the product for a month, I loved what it did for my skin, my eyes, my sleep…and I've really hated the washout period (not taking any of the product to see if the changes reverse). They did reverse, and now that I'm done being a guinea pig I'm ready to get back on the program.
Of course, we have to be sure the attorneys reading this post know we're not advising you to stop taking medications you've been prescribed. But when you look at a simple nutritional answer to a bunch of inflammation-related problems that the drug company would have you thinking is far more complicated — if it can't hurt and it may actually help, physically, mentally, and financially, why not try it and see if your physician can be convinced to write a few less scripts with your name on them?
If you'd like to try Beauty Foods for yourself, we're now offering it in our eMarket, where until Labor Day, 100% of proceeds go to our research institute, where we eventually can work to scientifically evaluate products just like this.
The topic for this blog post was suggested by a reader. I figured it was likely important, since many of you struggle with depression and arthritis or some sort of chronic pain, and you're self-medicating. The effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, on hormones, is quite extensive. I am summarizing the findings reported in the reference I list at the end. Bottom line, it's probably not the greatest idea to be regularly introducing marijuana into your system if your hormones are out of balance and you're trying to correct that problem. Even if you're not trying to become pregnant but you're sexually active. The effects outside of your own self are potentially significant.
Interestingly, improving your omega-6 to omega-3 dietary ratio helps to correct some of your own human cannabinoid levels, which may help to decrease the desire to get them from an external source. It may also alleviate the depression and joint pain that you may be using marijuana for in the first place. Some experts suggest that this imbalance of our "natural THC" may be one reason women with PCOS have strong carbohydrate cravings--it's another form of the munchies!
Reduced FSH and LH levels. Suppressed prolactin, thyroid, growth hormone Provokes cortisol release and reduces production of adrenal steroids, which makes it hard to maintain hormone levels. Interferes with ovarian prostaglandin synthesis.
HCG-stimulated and FSH-stimulated progesterone secretion is inhibited. Inhibits estradiol release.
Inhibits cholesterol esterase manufacture, and cholesterol is the building block for many reproductive hormones. Hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the uterus Changes in vaginal cell thickness, character and mucoid presentation Reduced uterine weight Suppresses thyroid function.
A dose of LH that routinely caused ovulation in normal rats was only able to induce ovulation in 40% of the rats exposed to THC. Two to fourfold greater doses of LH were required to restore ovulation in THC-exposed rats.
The equivalent of one marijuana cigarette per day interfered with cell division and embryonic growth in fertlized eggs. It also reduced intrauterine weight gain by the fetus.
Offspring of rats exposed to THC had abnormal eggs, meaning the fertility of future generations was also affected.
Prevents reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine into the brain, increasing, not decreasing, depression over the long term.
Braude MC, Ludford MP, eds. Marijuana: Effects on the Endocrine Reproductive Systems. 1984
