If you've ever dieted, and you have trouble sleeping…there may be a reason. Keep in mind, this study was done on rainbow trout, but there is still a message in it for humans. Three groups of trout were studied with regard to their melatonin (sleep hormone/antioxidant) levels and cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The three groups were defined as fed fish, fish that were fasted for 7 days, and fish that were fasted for 7 days then refed for 5 days.
Melatonin levels were disrupted in fasted fish. If you were human, this would likely mean if you were on a strict fasting/dieting protocol, you were probably having trouble sleeping as well.
Interestingly, nighttime serotonin levels were higher in these fasted fish. Melatonin is made from serotonin, so I would presume that what the body tries to do when you're not eating well is to keep you alert and thinking about getting some food. It does that by hanging on to serotonin and preventing its conversion into melatonin. That's a survival mechanism.
So if you're dieting and you're awake at night with cravings? That's a normal response. Don't obsess about what's wrong with you, don't surf the Internet looking for what to do about your cravings. In this kind of situation, you're thinking about food because you need it. Get some.
As far as cortisol, dieting reduced levels and they stayed low after refeeding. You could argue that this is a benefit of dieting…except for the fact that if you're cutting yourself short on melatonin, you're aging yourself more quickly than you should. There are plenyy of ways to reduce melatonin levels without dieting that don't cut your life short on the back end.
By the way, since I write so much about sleep I thought I should mention…I love naps. The long afternoon kind where my cats curl up with me, and I wake up with a little bit of drool on my pillow. I don't feel guilty at all. I completely buy into the idea of"beauty sleep"--sooooo much cheaper than all those anti-aging potions on the infomercials!
Ceinos RM, Polakof S, Illamola AR, Soengas JL, Míguez JM. Food deprivation and refeeding effects on pineal indoles metabolism and melatonin synthesis in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2008 Apr;156(2):410-7. Epub 2008 Jan 8.
If you've ever dieted, and you have trouble sleeping…there may be a reason. Keep in mind, this study was done on rainbow trout, but there is still a message in it for humans. Three groups of trout were studied with regard to their melatonin (sleep hormone/antioxidant) levels and cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The three groups were defined as fed fish, fish that were fasted for 7 days, and fish that were fasted for 7 days then refed for 5 days.
Melatonin levels were disrupted in fasted fish. If you were human, this would likely mean if you were on a strict fasting/dieting protocol, you were probably having trouble sleeping as well.
Interestingly, nighttime serotonin levels were higher in these fasted fish. Melatonin is made from serotonin, so I would presume that what the body tries to do when you're not eating well is to keep you alert and thinking about getting some food. It does that by hanging on to serotonin and preventing its conversion into melatonin. That's a survival mechanism.
So if you're dieting and you're awake at night with cravings? That's a normal response. Don't obsess about what's wrong with you, don't surf the Internet looking for what to do about your cravings. In this kind of situation, you're thinking about food because you need it. Get some.
As far as cortisol, dieting reduced levels and they stayed low after refeeding. You could argue that this is a benefit of dieting…except for the fact that if you're cutting yourself short on melatonin, you're aging yourself more quickly than you should. There are plenyy of ways to reduce melatonin levels without dieting that don't cut your life short on the back end.
By the way, since I write so much about sleep I thought I should mention…I love naps. The long afternoon kind where my cats curl up with me, and I wake up with a little bit of drool on my pillow. I don't feel guilty at all. I completely buy into the idea of"beauty sleep"--sooooo much cheaper than all those anti-aging potions on the infomercials!
Ceinos RM, Polakof S, Illamola AR, Soengas JL, Míguez JM. Food deprivation and refeeding effects on pineal indoles metabolism and melatonin synthesis in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2008 Apr;156(2):410-7. Epub 2008 Jan 8.
We've just passed the winter solstice, which means for those of us north of the equator, we're at our darkest. It's easy to want to hunker down, stay inside, and eat comfort food. But if you're prone to carbohydrate cravings and depression this time of year, a little bit of proactive choosing can help you to avoid weight gain and hormone imbalances that are common this time of year.
Even if you live in a warm climate like Los Angeles, or Phoenix, like I do, winter has profound effects on how you feel. In Los Angeles, because it sits so close to the border of the time zone, days end very early. On New Year's Day, the sun will set over LA at 4:54 PM! For those of you who like to exercise after work, this makes it hard to get out in the sun.
Every little bit of sunlight you get helps to keep your internal clock set, and helps to keep your body from converting too much serotonin to melatonin. Normally melatonin levels are high when we're supposed to be sleeping, but in the winter, especially in our modern culture, we're awake and aware that our serotonin levels are low. It's that drop in serotonin that provokes carbohydrate cravings, promotes depression, and makes us sluggish, not wanting to get out and be active.
If you can walk an errand in the middle of the day, if you can move your favorite reading chair to the window, if you can move your workout to the outdoors from the gym, all of those things can add up to help reduce the effects of melatonin.
If you're in Anchorage, where the sun is currently setting at just before 4 pm, or if you're stuck inside in LA because of the torrential rain, consider an ultraviolet light box. It's a contraption that helps to generate outdoor light indoors, that can be set up near your reading chair or desk. There are portable travel versions for anyone reading this whose sleep patterns and melatonin levels are chronically out of balance because of the demands of their job. Here is an example of a device I found on the Internet. http://www.litebook.com/light-therapy/jet-lag.asp
It's important to understand that melatonin imbalances are becoming recognized as triggers for other hormone imbalances, and can affect the severity of your PCOS.
Enjoy the video, I thought it might inspire you to get outside and let some sun shine into your life!
It’s normal to have some anxiety from time to time. Everyone experiences anxiety as a normal reaction to threatening, dangerous, uncertain, or important situations. When you’re taking a test, going on a trip, or meeting your prospective in-laws for the first time, you’re going to have anxiety. Psychologists classify anxiety as normal or pathological. Normal anxiety can enhance your function, motivation, and productivity, such as the person who works well under pressure.
But there’s a larger problem called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and it affects an estimated five to seven million Americans. People with GAD experience pathological anxiety, which is excessive, chronic, and typically interferes with their ability to function in normal daily activities. GAD patients are about 60%women/40% men, and women with PCOS are affected by anxiety disorders more often than other people, just as we’re more affected by depressive disorders.
There are biological and environmental risk factors for GAD, which include the following:
• Genetics (Research has shown a 20% risk for GAD in blood relatives of people with the disorder and a 10% risk among relatives of people with depression.)
• Sleep deprivation, sleep inconsistency
Stress in the following areas can intensify symptoms:
• Financial concerns
• Health
• Relationships
• School problems
• Work problems
Symptoms include trembling, general nervousness or tension, shortness of breath, diarrhea, hot flashes, feeling worried or agitated, trouble falling asleep, poor concentration, tingling, sweating, rapid heartbeat, frequent urination, and dizziness. A panic attack, which is an extreme manifestation of anxiety, may feel like a heart attack, and sends many patients to the emergency room. If you’re having these types of symptoms, you should definitely make sure you’ve seen a physician to rule out medical conditions.
This type of anxiety is obviously more severe than normal anxiety, and can even be quite disabling. There might be a tendency to expect the worst without clear evidence, with particular worries about health, finances, job, and family. Individuals often can’t relax, sleep or concentrate on the task at hand. This disorder affects the quality of work and home life. You may know that your worry is excessive, but don’t feel like you can do anything about it. There are also some cultural issues — many people in the United States who are diagnosed with GAD claim to have been nervous or anxious their whole lives. Eastern societies, on the other hand, perceive and treat anxiety differently, as something associated with pain. So anxiety may be seen as normal in one setting, and pathological in another setting.
GAD is associated with irregular levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry signals across nerve endings. Neurotransmitters that seem to involve anxiety include norepinephrine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and serotonin. Anxiety may result in part from defects in serotonin neurotransmission, and drugs that augment this activity may be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, many therapists believe that GAD is a behavioral condition and should not be treated with medication. Further, some believe GAD is more closely related to depression than to anxiety. I tend to believe that there’s a spectrum, and usually, if you’ve got depression, you’ve got some anxiety, and vice versa. There also seems to be a correlation between GAD and other psychiatric disorders, including depression, phobia disorder, and panic disorder. Anxiety is a risk factor for sleep disorders such as insomnia.
If you have numerous symptoms of anxiety, it’s important to be evaluated by a mental health professional who can help you identify the causes of your anxiety, and teach you ways to manage your anxiety. Many forms of therapy are effective, and I see great results in my anxiety clients who practice yoga or meditation (or both!). If that’s not enough, you can be evaluated by a psychiatrist and try some of the highly effective anxiety-reduction medications.
Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
Since 80% of the women with PCOS who visit my website also report some kind of mood disorder (mainly anxiety and/or depression, this research abstract caught my eye. For many of you it's challenging enought to get pregnant…once you're there, it's crucial to stay pregnant!
This study reported that in women who have taken a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (a popular category of antidepressant), there was a significant increase in miscarriage. The medications specifically mentioned in the abstract were citalopram/Celexa, fluoxetine/Prozac, fluvoxamine/Luvox, paroxetine/Paxil, sertraline/Zoloft.
If you're having trouble getting and staying pregnant, you may wish to discuss this possible influence with your caregiver.
Here is the reference for anyone who wants to share it.
Rahimi R, Nikfar S, Abdollahi M. Pregnancy outcomes following exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a meta-analysis of clinic trials. Reprod Toxicol 2006 Nov;22(4): 571-5.
Knowing that PCOS often goes unrecognized, and that PCOS research often overlooks some of the most important issues cysters deal with, I'm trying to bring research to this blog you may not find if you're using"PCOS" as your search term but which may be entirely pertinent. In this case, I want to talk about antidepressants, which are very commonly prescribed in PCOS, whether it's officially diagnosed or unrecognized.
This study was conducted because of the number of women who use antidepressants. That increases the possibility that a woman may, intentionally or not, become pregnant while taking antidepressant medications. The researchers wanted to know if fetal exposure to antidepressants may influence brain and nervous system development. This particular study was done with mice, but it was previously determined that mice and humans demonstrate similar mother-fetal transfer with the medications being evaluated.
Fluvoxamine (Luvox) had a lower rate of transfer than did fluoxetine (Prozac). More offspring died in the group using fluoxetine, and most of these deaths were due to heart failure related to cardiac defects. The researchers reported no deaths related to fluvoxamine.
In addition, the part of the brain that distributes serotonin to the rest of the brain, the raphe nucleus, did not function properly in the brains of rat pups whose mothers had been exposed to fluoxetine. Behaviorally, these rats exhibited more anxiety- and depression-related behaviors as adults than rats who had not been exposed.
So it seems that babies of moms who have depression may be set up to have the same problems when they become adults. Some of that may be genetic, but some of it may be perpetuated by the way the mother's biochemistry is treated by her caregivers.
Bottom line, if you're using antidepressants, even if you're NOT trying to become pregnant but you MIGHT become pregnant because you're sexually active, you may want to be sure that you discuss this with your physician and determine which treatment option is most appropriate.
Don't forget diet and fish oil--they can eliminate the need in many cases to even have to make this kind of decision!
Noorlander CW, Ververs FF, Nikkels PG, van Echteld CJ, Visser GH, Smidt MP. Modulation of serotonin transporter function during fetal development causes dilated heart cardiomyopathy and lifelong behavioral abnormalities. PLoS ONE. 2008 Jul 23;3(7):e2782.
I'm passing this along since the coexistence of depression and pregnancy is so very high amongst the readers of this blog. Findings like these are a huge reason I am so adamant about finding ways that nutrition and nonpharmacological treatments can keep both mother and baby healthy all the way through conception and pregnancy.
To see this story with its related links on the guardian.co. uk site, click here
Antidepressants linked to premature birth risk
Tuesday October 6 2009 BMJ Group
Mothers-to-be risk having a premature birth if they take commonly used antidepressants during pregnancy, a new study has found. Antidepressants called SSRIs (the group of drugs that includes Prozac) were also linked to a higher risk of babies needing treatment in intensive care soon after birth.What do we know already?
More than 1 in 10 women become depressed during pregnancy. In cases where doctors recommend drug treatment, the first choice is often a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
Doctors are advised that pregnant women should take SSRIs"only if potential benefit outweighs risk". Unfortunately, there's little research on how safe these drugs are during pregnancy. We do know that SSRIs get into the unborn baby's bloodstream, and that some babies get withdrawal symptoms soon after birth. Some research also suggests that babies may be more at risk of heart defects if their mother takes an SSRI called paroxetine in the first three months of pregnancy, although this problem is not common.
A new study has looked at 329 women who were taking SSRIs while pregnant. The health of their babies was compared with the health of babies born to women not taking antidepressants. Some of the women in this latter group had mental health problems, while others did not.What does the new study say?
Women taking an SSRI had twice the risk of a premature birth. On average, women gave birth four or five days sooner if they took an SSRI while pregnant. But the results don't tell us the actual numbers of women in each group who gave birth prematurely, so we can't say what the actual risk is.
About 16 in 100 babies needed treatment in an intensive care unit if their mother had taken an SSRI, compared with 7 in 100 babies whose mothers were healthy, and 9 in 100 babies whose mothers had a mental health problem but who weren't taking an SSRI.
Babies also appeared less healthy overall if their mother had taken an SSRI. This was measured looking at their skin colour, how much they moved about, their pulse rate and breathing, and how much they responded to stimulation.
SSRIs didn't increase the risk of having an underweight baby. The study only looked at what happened around birth, so we don't know whether or not SSRIs have longer-term consequences. How reliable are the findings?
This is a fairly good study. Since it also included a group of women who had mental health problems but who were not taking an SSRI, we can partly rule out the possibility that mental health issues affected the baby's health rather than antidepressants. However, it could still be that women taking SSRIs were more seriously depressed than the women they were compared with, or that they had worse overall health. This factor might have affected the health of the babies, and it makes the study less reliable.Where does the study come from?
The women who took part in the research all had antenatal care at a hospital in Aarhus, Denmark. The study appeared in a journal called Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, published by the American Medical Association. Some of the funding came from the Danish Medical Research Council.What does this mean for me?
The study suggests that, in the short term at least, there could be some negative consequences to taking SSRIs while pregnant. What the research doesn't tell us is how the risks of SSRIs in pregnancy compare with the dangers of untreated depression.
Depression itself can affect how babies grow. It can also cause unpleasant symptoms for the mother. There's a high chance of becoming depressed again when women stop taking antidepressants when they're pregnant. So, we can't simply say that pregnant women should completely avoid SSRIs.What should I do now?
If you're pregnant and taking an antidepressant, don't stop treatment suddenly. You could put yourself at risk of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and your depression could come back. Your doctor can help you weigh up the risks and benefits of treatment. If you and your doctor decide it's the right thing to do, you'll need to come off your medicine gradually. You could also ask about other types of treatment, such as talking therapy.
If you're taking antidepressants and you want to get pregnant, talk to your doctor. Depending on how severe your depression is, your doctor might suggest slowly coming off your medicine, or continuing to take it.From:
Lund N, Pedersen LH, Henriksen TB. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure in utero and pregnancy outcomes. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2009; 163: 949-954. BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2009
If you’re a new reader of this blog, or you’ve got a new diagnosis, you are probably starting to realize that there are some changes you need to make if you’re going to be healthy while living with PCOS. Or perhaps you already knew that, or have had the diagnosis for a while, but you’ve been lurking here, just thinking about the idea of change, and not actually committing to change. That’s even an earlier stage in making change that is called pre-contemplation, where you haven’t begun to think about change (but typically, someone else, like your therapist, knows you need to change).
Change conjures up all sorts of feelings. For some, there’s a feeling of excitement and hopefulness. For others, there is sadness about leaving behind a lifestyle, a set of choices, some favorite foods, or a particular relationship or way of functioning. There may be fear about facing the unknown, lacking the knowledge to proceed in a healthy or effective way, or about how your life will rearrange as a result of the conscious changes that you’re making.
When it comes to the areas of exercise and dietary management, all of these issues and more may arise. If your situation is further complicated by depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder, it’s even more complicated. Depression may leave you lethargic and unmotivated; with your brain craving a rebalancing of serotonin, you may be consuming excess carbohydrates to try to fix the balance. Anxiety can escalate to such a place that any idea of change leads to fear and freezing; there seems to be safety in staying in one place, even if it’s an uncomfortable place. And of course, if you’ve got a history of eating disordered behavior, and it’s “working” for you, to keep your weight contained, then the trepidation factor may be enormous.
Here are some things about change that it may be helpful to think about, whether you’re in pre-contemplation, contemplation, or the actual process of creating the change:
• It’s your body, and your decisions. You own them; no one else does. • You can change your mind at any time. If you’ve started down a certain path, and you really hate it, or it doesn’t appear to be producing results, it’s generally not a lifetime commitment (exceptions come to mind, like having a hysterectomy, or getting a tattoo). • Medical, dietary, and psychological theory is continuously evolving, and you should be re-evaluating on an ongoing basis anyway. • There’s no shame in trying. The shame comes from not loving yourself enough to never start trying. • It really does take practice to produce change. Do some research on how to create that continuity. You may need to schedule exercise into your calendar at a certain time every day (when I was diagnosed with early onset Type II diabetes in 1998, I wasn’t exercising much at all, and I would literally schedule myself to walk for TEN MINUTES a day; every other week, I added five minutes to that time, until I reached 75 minutes a day, and had lost 72 pounds), join a group that meditates (they’ll teach and support you, and keep you accountable), or keep a food log (more accountability!) in order to adhere to whatever program of positive change you’ve devised for yourself. • There are many people who will support you in creating the change you desire, and a number of them are found right here, at the inCYST community. Seek their help. You’ll be surprised how much support you can find online. • If you’re trapped in a paralyzing fear, or find yourself repeating negative patterns, or quitting quickly time after time, there may be a deeper psychological issue at play. It’s worth a consultation with a health psychologist or other therapist to assess your behavioral patterns and choice-making skills.
Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
Before the bathroom humor starts popping into your head, I want to say that I’m quite serious about this one. As a psychologist, over time, it is typical for people to feel quite comfortable telling me virtually anything that might be perceived as shameful, embarrassing, or humiliating. Confidentiality and acceptance are key to successful therapy, and creating an atmosphere that invites disclosure is important – if I don’t know what’s REALLY going on, how can I help you?
As a health and medical psychologist, I gather more than the usual amount of medical information from my clients. Many of them are dealing with PCOS, infertility, diabetes, and other endocrine conditions that can result in bowel irregularities. Anxiety often results in diarrhea, as do irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and related conditions. Thyroid disorders also alter bowel functioning. Cancer treatments affect regularity. And the list goes on and on.
What I usually hear is a client bringing up the issue by saying, “Um, you probably don’t want to really hear about this, but, um, I’m having this um, problem with, um, diarrhea… ” As they trail off, I reassure them that I’m used to hearing this stuff, and I actually want to hear it. Truly, I have heard it all in this department. This is an enormous relief to the client, who has often been too embarrassed to tell one of her doctors about it. Because I see the client weekly, there’s a much higher level of trust than with a doctor whom she seems every few months.
This information is helpful to me diagnostically, because I instantly know a great deal more about what’s driving stress and anxiety (if you’re prone to sudden loose stools, it can contribute to social anxiety and fear of leaving the house, for example). It helps me normalize certain behaviors or symptoms, and be alert to other things that might be troubling the client. Quite often, we are so used to having irregularities in our bodies – food cravings, random menstrual cycles and the like – that bowel irregularities get overlooked. When you can’t get pregnant, you’re generally not overly concerned with chronic constipation, right?
When a client is able to trust me with this type of information, I actually feel honored. I’m not a medical doctor; I can’t perform diagnostic procedures or prescribe medication to remedy the problem. But I truly do want to know every aspect of my clients, up to and including the quality and frequency of their bowel movements. I can make referrals to medical doctors who can help. And there are psychological treatments that are effective for bowel disorders, and of course for reducing stress and anxiety.
On a more interesting note, there’s a strong gut/bowel and brain connection. A significant percentage of our neuro-transmitters are produced in the gut – around 85% of the serotonin, for example. So, if you’re experiencing cramping, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, not only may you have a medical disorder, but it may be contributing to depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. In a nutshell, that’s why I want the full scoop on your poop – so I can help you as comprehensively as possible!
Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.
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.
We focus almost entirely on the women's side of infertility on this blog. Now here's information important to the other half of the equation. The beauty of this is…the very advice we're giving to you women…can help men with depression, too. This article comes from Natural News, links are at the bottom.
SSRI Antidepressants Linked To Male Infertility by S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning a few years ago that pregnant women taking the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant paroxetine risk giving birth to infants with major birth defects, including heart abnormalities ( http://www.naturaln ews.com/021225_ P…). Now comes word that the same drug (sold as Paxil, Paxil CR, Seroxat, Pexeva, and generic paroxetine hydrochloride) carries another danger that could keep babies from being born in the first place. A new study just published in the online edition of the journal Fertility and Sterility concludes as many as fifty percent of all men taking the antidepressant could have damaged sperm and compromised fertility.
New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center researchers followed 35 healthy male volunteers who took paroxetine for five weeks. Then sperm samples from the men were studied using an assay called terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to evaluate whether there were missing pieces of genetic code in the sperm DNA. This condition, know as DNA fragmentation, is associated with reproductive problems.
The results? The percentage of men with abnormal DNA fragmentation soared from less than 10 percent to 50 percent while taking the antidepressant. This is a crucial finding because DNA fragmentation has long been known to correlate with an increased risk of birth defects, poor fertility and unsuccessful pregnancy outcomes — even when high tech, extraordinarily expensive fertility enhancing techniques such as in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection are used.
The study, one of the first scientific investigations into the effect of SSRIs on sperm quality, also confirmed that paroxetine impairs sexual function. More than a third of the research subjects reported significant changes in erectile function and about half had difficulty ejaculating.
"It's fairly well known that SSRI antidepressants negatively impact erectile function and ejaculation. This study goes one step further, demonstrating that they can cause a major increase in genetic damage to sperm," Dr. Peter Schlegel, the study's senior author and chairman of the Department of Urology and professor of reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, explained in a statement to the media."Although this study doesn't look directly at fertility, we can infer that as many as half of men taking SSRIs have a reduced ability to conceive. These men should talk with their physician about their treatment options, including non-SSRI depression medications."
The scientists could not identify the exact way the SSRI caused the DNA fragmentation, but the evidence strongly suggests the drug slows sperm as it moves through the male reproductive tract from the testis to the ejaculatory ducts. When this happens, the sluggish sperm grows old and its DNA becomes damaged.
"This is a new concept for how drugs can affect fertility and sperm. In most cases, it was previously assumed that a drug damaged sperm production, so the concept that sperm transport could be affected is novel," Dr. Schlegel stated.
The study contains some good news for men currently on Paxil and related drugs who may be concerned about their fertility. All the changes the researchers found appeared to be totally reversible. Specifically, normal levels of sexual function and DNA fragmentation both returned to normal one month after discontinuation of the drug.
For more information: http://news. med.cornell. edu/wcmc/ wc… http://www.fda. gov/Drugs/ DrugSafety … http://www.naturaln ews.com/026483_ SSRI_fertility_ DNA.html
So you've been told you need to clean up your nutrition act, and you've stopped eating the Fritos. You've decided to stop being the reason the stock price of your local fast food restaurant has weathered the Wall Street willies. Your salad dressing shelf in your refrigerator is now half of what's in your refrigerator.
Still no luck.
Hey, isn't eating better supposed to be the answer?
Depends on how you define eating better.
I'm noticing with my inCYST classes that a disproportionate percentage of women coming for information have adopted vegetarian practices. And I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't part of the problem.
No, the problem isn't that you're vegetarian. It's how you're defining vegetarian, and it's how you go about being one that matters. Here are my simple rules for being the healthiest (potentially fertile) vegetarian you can be.
1. Define your vegetarianism by what you DO eat.
Most people I know who become vegetarian after eating meat, define that practice in terms of what they DON'T eat. They DON'T do red meat. They DON'T do dairy. They DON'T do fish. DON'T, DON'T, DON'T.
Therein lies the problem.
A most important rule of nutrition is, when you eliminate an entire category of food, for whatever reason, be it meat or wheat, you are also eliminating crucial nutrients that this category contains.
My definition of vegetarian is someone who meets all of their complete nutritional needs without using animal products.
Do you know what fertility-related nutrients you're likely short on if all you've done is cut out meat? If not, read on!
2. Zap yourself with zinc!
Zinc is needed for oodles of reactions that keep your body running, from your brain to your ovaries. Are you eating whole grains? Beans? Pumpkin and sunflower seeds? Nuts? Oops…go get your shopping list, right now, and put them down!
3. Forgetting folate can be fatal
You likely know about this nutrient since there has been so much publicity about its role in pregnancy. Put spinach on your sandwich instead of lettuce…make sure your morning cereal is fortified…eat more beans and split peas…and become savvy with sunflower seeds!
4. Cultivate a copper attitude
It's not as famous as folate, but it still is important to remember. Outside of red meat, its vegan sources are rather random: molasses, green olives, cocoa, nuts, avocadoes, black pepper, sunflower seeds…hopefully at least one of these sounds tasty!
5. Try to remember tryptophan
Tryptophan is a building block for serotonin, one of the major neurotransmitters regulating the brain's hormone center. For vegetarians, there are still a lot of options even if you're not using dairy products or eating turkey. Does your pantry have…cocoa, mangoes, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, dates, chickpeas, peanuts, bananas, and sunflower seeds? It needs to.
6. Allow for algae
If you're vegan, chances are you're not getting enough DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fatty acids primarily found in fish. Become friendly with an ingredient known as Life's DHA, a marine algae source of DHA (unfortunately not EPA), that is being added to vegan-friendly foods. The link I'm providing gets you to the most recent list of foods containing this ingredient that you may want to become proficient at finding.
7. Not all vegan products are created equally healthy. Be sure if you've gone vegan, that you are aware of oils that can interfere with healthy balance. These oils are all vegan, but tend to be pro-inflammatory: safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, cottonseed, sesame. (Remember my"S and C" rule from previous posts. If you're eating absolutely no meat at all, but you're eating a salad doused with soybean oil-based dressing…that could be a problem. Become familiar with brands that are made with olive or canola oils, or learn to make vinaigrettes. (Canola is the"C" oil exception, by the way.
8. Be happy without hydrogenated.
Hydrogenated = trans fat. Enough said.
9. Forget the fructose…high fructose corn syrup, that is.
It's been connected to insulin resistance in more than one study. And despite what marketers would really like you to believe, more than one nutrition expert does not endorse its use.
10. Be pro-protein
This is the most obvious one…know your complementary proteins and be sure your diet includes them. One caveat…soy may be hard on your thyroid function and is not a good choice if you have a family history of breast cancer. Be sure you are reading labels, as soy is a filler in many, many foods.
I like to look for patterns that make nutrition recommendations easy to recommend. In this post, it didn't work out that way. A lot of these foods are random. If I'm not giving you ideas that seem easy to work into your food plan…think of consulting with one of our experts! That's what we excel at, and that's what we're waiting to help you with.
After all, you became vegan to be healthy, let's work together to do it correctly.
In the spirit of Mardi Gras week, I thought I'd highlight a kissin' cousin of that Cajun crawfish…shrimp.
Shrimp are one of those foods people love…and they have learned to be afraid of. When I started out in this field, I was taught to teach patients to avoid shrimp because of their high cholesterol content.
Turns out, dietary cholesterol in foods such as eggs and shrimp do not influence our own cholesterol nearly as much as pro-inflammatory fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Some researchers even suggest that shrimp consumption may IMPROVE cholesterol and triglyceride levels!
In addition shrimp, lucky for a shrimp lovin' woman like myself, is extremely low in fat! A 3.5 oz (deck of card-sized) serving of fish has about 1 gram of fat…whenever I'm questioned about shrimp I always remind the person with the question that shrimp is so low in fat, it almost squeaks from lack of lubrication against your teeth when you bite into it.
Shrimp is also a great source of protein, vitamin B12 (crucial for mental health), tryptophan (needed to make serotonin), and vitamin D (thought to be important in managing PCOS). In addition, shrimp helps omega-3 balance by contributing a moderate amount of DHA. And, when you're replacing red meat with seafood, you're exchanging pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats with healthier fats, which ensures that your omega-3's are not metabolically destroyed before they have a chance to benefit you.
So if you see shrimp cocktail, shrimp fajitas, grilled shrimp on the menu…go ahead! Enjoy! It's contributing to your health while providing a tasty adventure.
Are you someone who has a need for"crunch" in your diet, and who goes looking for it after you've eaten all the healthy foods? There may be some reasons for that.
We all have a nerve, the trigeminal nerve, that connects to the jaw joint. When that nerve is stimulated by jaw movement, it releases serotonin. So…whenever you bite your nails, clench your jaw, chew gum, crunch, even grind your teeth at night, you give yourself a mild antidepressant effect. (One of the most common keyword combinations, interestingly, bringing people to my main website, is"why do I want to chew ice cubes?")
So if your need to move your jaw moves out and beyond wanting a little crunch, consider that you may have an imbalance worthy of addressing. I know one of my clients long ago had developed horrible migraines that were related to his tooth grinding, and it wasn't until that was addressed that he was able to focus on changing his food behaviors. It all ends up connecting itself whether or not we want to admit it.
Anyway, back to jicama. That's pronounced HICK-uh-ma.
Jicama is a great little crunchy food that is often overlooked, likely because its appearance in the grocery store is not as attractive as, let's say, blueberries or golden beets. But what a delight for those who value inner beauty! Jicama is light, crunchy, even a little bit sweet. The texture has been compared to that of a pear. In its native Mexico, it is often eaten sprinkled with lime juice or chili powder. (C'mon, be adventurous, try it that way…you might be surprised!)
If you're ever in a pinch, you can substitute jicama for water chestnuts in Chinese cooking. And if it's your turn to bring the fruit/veggie tray to a party…jicama does not turn brown when exposed to air, making it a great alternative to apples.
Nutrition-wise, an entire cup of jicama only has 45 calories. And it's a good source of vitamin C.
If you want to really get creative, here's a link to a recipe for jicama slaw: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/jicama-slaw-recipe/index.html
Statistics say, a diagnosis of infertility is as stressful as a diagnosis of HIV or terminal cancer. So I'm always on the lookout for ways to help keep that stress from interfering with your hormone balance.
Recently, I've been researching L-theanine, a compound found in green tea, which is also used in supplement form. It's got some interesting benefits, including reduced blood pressure, reduced heart rate, antitumor activity, increased serotonin and dopamine levels in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and striatum, neuroprotection, weight loss, stroke protection, improved learning and memory, reduced neuron excitability, reduced insulin concentration, suppressed food intake
Of course, the caffeine and polyphenols in green tea have enough benefit themselves that for the most part, I'd prefer to see green tea consumed whole instead of parsed into its separate parts. However, given the fact that this anxiety we see with our audience can stretch into the extreme zone, there may be benefit to L-theanine in addition to whole green tea in your daily program. I am also intrigued by the beneficial effects on learning and memory, given the number of you reporting the problems you're having in that department.
I'm running a little theanine experiment here with myself as the subject. Not that it's all that scientific, but I do like to test things I'm writing about, when I can, so I've got a personal as well as an evidence-based perspective. Stay tuned for some followup reports on how my study is coming along!
Yokogoshi H, Kato Y, Sagesaka YM, Takihara-Matsuura T, Kakuda T, Takeuchi N. Reduction effect of theanine on blood pressure and brain 5-hydroxyindoles in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1995 Apr;59(4):615-8.
Sadzuka Y, Sugiyama T, Miyagishima A, Nozawa Y, Hirota S. The effects of theanine, as a novel biochemical modulator, on the antitumor activity of adriamycin. Cancer Lett. 1996 Aug 2;105(2):203-9. Yokozawa T, Dong E. Influence of green tea and its three major components upon low-density lipoprotein oxidation. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 1997 Dec;49(5):329-35.
Yokogoshi H, Kobayashi M, Mochizuki M, Terashima T. Effect of theanine, r-glutamylethylamide, on brain monoamines and striatal dopamine release in conscious rats. Neurochem Res. 1998 May;23(5):667-73.
Terashima T, Takido J, Yokogoshi H. Time-dependent changes of amino acids in the serum, liver, brain and urine of rats administered with theanine. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1999 Apr;63(4):615-8.
Kakuda T, Nozawa A, Unno T, Okamura N, Okai O. Inhibiting effects of theanine on caffeine stimulation evaluated by EEG in the rat. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2000 Feb;64(2):287-93.
Kakuda T. Neuroprotective effects of the green tea components theanine and catechins. Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Dec;25(12):1513-8.
Zheng G, Sayama K, Okubo T, Juneja LR, Oguni I. Anti-obesity effects of three major components of green tea, catechins, caffeine and theanine, in mice. In Vivo. 2004 Jan-Feb;18(1):55-62.
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Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol. 2007 Jan;74(1):39-45. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
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Do you have a need to chew? Fingernails? Ends of pencils? Gum? There may be a reason for that.
The trigeminal nerve innervates the jaw joint. When it is stimulated, it releases serotonin. So moving the jaw, whether it's while eating, grinding your teeth in your sleep, clenching your jaw during the day, eating CRUNCHY foods like popcorn, or chewing ice cubes or gum, may have mild antidepressant effects.
On another website, I mentioned chewing ice cubes and it quickly became one of the most popular search terms bringing web surfers in. It's clear, a lot of people do this to the point where they wonder why.
In balance, there is probably a good purpose for this. However, in excess, as in temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, it can cause other problems.
You may want to do an experiment with yourself and see how you feel after a day of eliminating non-nourishing chewing. Do you feel irritable? Anxious? Out of sorts? Maybe you're dependent on your jaw in a way that may be best served by other outlets.
Remember…talking about how you feel, yawning, even singing…also move the same joint.
I recently received a newsletter from one of our network members that I wanted to share with you. Karen Siegel, in addition to being a registered dietitian, is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. Her practice is located in Houston, Texas. She writes a wonderful newsletter entitled,"Qi Mail", which some of you might really enjoy. I am pasting the contents of her most recent newsletter for you to sample. Karen's contact information is listed below, if you'd like to schedule an appointment, or sign up to personally receive these wonderful newsletters. The actual layout is much more beautiful than what I can reproduce here, I can only paste the content in Blogger's format. As many of you are likely rushing around this weekend to get the last few holiday gifts, foods, and details taken care of, I thought this topic was especially pertinent. Enjoy!
REST, RESTORE, REVITALIZE
In nature, winter is the season where all living things slow down, conserve their energy and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, restoration and revitalization.
The Nei Ching, one of the earliest surviving medical books on acupuncture, advises: “During the winter months one should refrain from overusing energy. Retire early and get up with the sunrise, which is later in winter. Desires and mental activity should be kept quiet and subdued, as if keeping a happy secret.”
Eating warm hearty soups, dressing warmly, and refraining from cold and raw foods is also recommended.
Element: Water Nature: Yin Organs: Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Adrenal Glands, Ears and Hair Emotion: Fear and Depression Flavor: Salty
Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi (the organ associated with winter) which can greatly enhance the body's ability to thrive in times of stress and aid in healing, preventing illness, and increase vitality.
Call now for more information or to schedule your seasonal tune-up
De-stress this Winter with Acupuncture
While optimal health and well-being in the winter season calls for rest, energy conservation and the revitalization of body and spirit, your holiday activities may have a different agenda. This year can be filled with a mad scramble of visitors, family get-togethers and frantic shopping trips. Compound the usual seasonal pressures with the constant barrage of bad economic news and you may find this to be one of the most stressful times of the year.
Stress, frustration and unresolved anger can cause a disruption in the flow of qi or energy through the body. These energetic imbalances can throw off the immune system or cause symptoms of pain, sleep disturbances, mood changes, abnormal digestion, headaches, and menstrual irregularities, and, over time, more serious illnesses can develop. Acupuncture treatments can correct these imbalances and directly effect the way you manage stress.
Studies on Acupuncture and Stress
Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial benefits of acupuncture in the treatment of stress.
A 2008 study published in Anesthesia & Analgesia found that acupuncture point alleviated preoperative anxiety in children while a 2003 study conducted at Yale University showed that ear acupuncture significantly lowered the stress level of the mothers of children that were scheduled for surgery.
A German study published in Circulation found that acupuncture significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The extent of the blood pressure reductions by acupuncture treatments was comparable to those seen with antihypertensive medication or aggressive lifestyle changes, including radical salt restrictions.
Another study from the University of New Mexico measured the affects of acupuncture on 73 men and women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The researchers found the acupuncture treatments to be as helpful as the standard treatment of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Needless to say, if the stress in your life is throwing you off balance, consider acupuncture therapy to regain peace of mind, regulate your immune system and stay healthy.
Miso Soup with Scallions
Did you know that Miso Soup with Scallions is actually an ancient herbal remedy for colds?
In 300 AD famous herbalist, Ge Hong, writes about Miso Soup with Scallions in a book called, Bei ji zhou hou fang or Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One’s Sleeve.
The soup is indicated for the onset of a cold when a person is just beginning to feel a headache, stuffy nose and a slight fever. So, the next time you feel a cold coming on, be sure to have your miso!
Miso Soup (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
* 6 cups water * 3-4 Tablespoons Aka Miso or red soy bean paste (usually sold in the refrigerated section) * 3-5 green onions stalks, chopped
Directions:
* Dissolve the miso in a little bit of boiling water (about 2 tsp.) * Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the miso & scallions. * Simmer for 5-10 minutes. * Remove from heat top with green onions and serve.
Variations: you can add various other ingredients to make a more substantial soup, such as tofu, seaweed, fresh mushrooms, cooked shrimp, snow pea sprouts, cooked rice noodles, or paper-thin slices of fresh ginger.
Be a Good Friend Refer someone you know for acupuncture and get $10 off your next acupuncture treatment.
Stress Busting Foods
The foods that you eat play a crucial role in your overall well-being as well as your ability to handle stress.
Over 1400 chemical changes occur as stress hormones, such as cortisone, sap important nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium from the body.
Here are three foods that can replenish your supply of these nutrients and enhance your ability to manage stress:
Cauliflower – Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale are chock full of stress-relieving B vitamins. Cauliflower is also one of the very best sources of vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid.
Pantothenic acid helps turn carbohydrates and fats into usable energy and improves your ability to respond to stress by supporting your adrenal glands. Fatigue, listlessness, numbness and tingling or burning pain in the feet are all indications that you may need more vitamin B5 in your diet.
Salmon – Salmon is a healthy and delicious way to get your dose of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin B12 supports production of red blood cells, allows nerve cells to develop properly and is essential to the synthesis of the “happy” brain chemical serotonin.
Among the many benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, a 2003 study published in Diabetes & Metabolism found that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduced the stress response and kept the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine in check.
Blackberries – Blackberries are jam packed with Vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. Vitamin C has shown to be a powerful stress reducer that can lower blood pressure and return cortisol levels to normal faster when taken during periods of stress.
Magnesium and calcium act together to help regulate the body's nerves and muscle tone. When there is too little magnesium in your diet, nerve cells can become over activated and can trigger muscle tension, muscle soreness, muscle spasms, muscle cramps, and muscle fatigue.
Blackberries have more than double the amounts of vitamin C, calcium and magnesium than their popular cousin, the blueberry.
I love to promote kale in my Whole Foods classes. It has omega-3's, trytophan (building block for serotonin), magnesium, iron, calcium, copper, and zinc, to name a few. It's also a member of the Brassica family, that cancer-fighting clan with more popular cousins named garlic, broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts.
But I always get the same response (see deer in the headlights graphic). I know what's pumping through those brains…"Kale? Isn't that the pretty curly stuff lining the fruit and veggie platter? You can eat that?"
Yes, you can…and should…eat kale.
Here's a trick for you kale virgins, if you're not quite up to the task. Next time you make a smoothie, of any flavor, throw in a handful of kale. You won't even taste it. You can also throw it into your juicer.
If you want to actually taste kale, your next best step is to head to your nearest Whole Foods and try the kale salad which is a staple in their ready-to-eat case. That's how kale is supposed to taste, and according to those who have been on my Whole Foods tours who are encouraged to try the salad, it's pretty good!
Here are some kale recipes for those of you who did so well with steps one and two that you're ready to strike out into the Adventurous World of Kale.
We've gotten a whole lot of traffic from people coming to learn about Amber. And I'm guessing, more than a few came to see what diet I put her on.
We'll eventually get to the food stuff, but there was something else going on with Amber that caught my attention and seemed like the more important priority. I say that, because it holds the potential to undermine any kind of nutrition advice I might give. Because of that, it needs to be addressed and corrected first, so that any type of nutrition changes we pursue have a better chance of catching and taking hold.
Amber doesn't sleep well. She shared with me that she often gets up in the middle of the night, she wakes up unrefreshed, as if she hasn't slept at all, she's exhausted most of the day, and she has memory problems.
Does that sound to you, like someone who's going to do well with a diet and exercise problem? --She's going to have a hard time finding the energy to exercise. For those of you who have labelled yourselves"lazy" because you're not sleeping well…stop it. You're exhausted. --She's going to have a hard time choosing productive foods, because all she's going to care about is quick energy to get through the next 10 minutes. --She's not going to be able to organize her day to accommodate exercise because she's too tired to think about how to do that.
What it really sounds like Amber might be doing…is something called MICROSLEEPING. It's something sleep-deprived people do, kind of going through life in a subconscious haze, never really sleeping, never really being fully conscious. It's hugely stressful on the brain, and it tends to chomp away at neurons so they can't function. It's also quite dangerous, as you can see in this video, if you're spending any part of your day at all operating some sort of machinery.
It makes better sense, rather than imposing a self-defeating program onto an exhausted, stressed out system, to pull that system back into balance so it has the energy to pursue healthy living.
Here's what I think microsleeping does to hormones and how it may be affecting Amber.
1. When you're hyperinsulinemic, and you go long periods of time without eating, your blood sugar is likely to get low. That's not something your body really likes to see, so when that happens, it releases cortisol in order to get blood sugar back up. If that happens in the middle of the night, when stress hormones aren't supposed to be circulating, it prevents you from cruising through normal stages of sleep. So you wake up feeling as if you haven't slept.
2. When your stress hormones have been working during the night, you're likely to wake up in the morning not feeling hungry. Plus, it's likely that you overslept, finally having fallen asleep just before the alarm went off, so you hurry out the door without breakfast.
3. High insulin levels and empty stomachs are not really the greatest combination, so at some point, mid-morning, hunger appears…with a vengeance. If you're tired and haven't really planned your eating, you're highly likely to seek out caffeine and sugar to fix the problem.
4. And thus, the vicious cycle begins.
But how in the world do you begin to break it? Here are the things I suggested to Amber.
1. Eat a protein-containing snack about a half hour before bedtime. It should contain at least 8 grams of protein. It will help stabilize blood glucose through the night. I don't care if it's an energy bar, string cheese, or a slice of turkey. I like to have Greek yogurt with nuts, myself. (I don't even have PCOS but I find that it helps me to sleep better if I do this.)
2. Spend at least a half hour outdoors each day. Amber lives in a hot, desert, climate, and we're closing out our"winter" in the desert, meaning her body is likely really needing a hormonal reset. UV light exposure really helps to improve melatonin (and serotonin) metabolism. So she's been eating breakfast outside.
3. Define breakfast as something that contains protein and is consumed before 10 am. If she's not hungry at 7 am, I don't want to force her to eat, but I do want to be sure she's keeping blood sugar levels stable. I told her that a good sign we're resetting hormones is if she starts to feel hungrier, earlier in the day. Within a couple of days she emailed to tell me that she was.
4. Take a dose of fish oil equivalent to 1000 mg DHA (not total omega-3's, specifically DHA) per day. Not sleeping well is one of the quickest ways to oxidize and destroy brain cells so we need to rebuild them. And, because memory is an issue, we had a pretty detailed discussion about what needed to happen in order to make sure this happened every single day, without fail.
5. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables per day. Research has shown that people who do this, have higher melatonin levels, which means they also sleep better.
6. Keep doing Craig's exercises, because they would help her be ready to fall asleep at bedtime.
Fortunately, she started feeling better almost immediately, so now we're looking at her food patterns to see what we can productively layer on this foundation.
In the meantime, Amber's discovered she's a bit dependent on soda, likely for the caffeine. So I wrote an article for my Examiner gig about some substitutions that at least give her some fizz.
We'll get back to you with more food information in future posts, but I wanted to be sure those of you who were disappointed to not see some sort of magic diet or supplement in our program, understood why you didn't find it.
Our approach at inCYST is very different. It feels a bit counterintuitive, I know, but those who trust it and use it, do see results. I hope this series is helping you, too.
Last Saturday an inCYST student from California was in Phoenix and we spent the morning together. We ended our visit at Costco, and it turned out to be the day they were passing out the free annual Costco cookbook. Was that ever a lucky moment! (I made a note on my calendar to send out the 2009 alert in advance so all of you can get yours, too. I did check and saw tons of them on eBay if you can't wait another year.)
Costco cookbooks are some the most awesome cookbooks available. The recipes aren't hard, and the food photography is so beautiful it makes you want to make and eat every recipe…right now!
I distracted myself from the disappointing outcome of the Bears/Vikings game on Sunday (sorry, Vikings fans!) with my annual ritual of going through the cookbook page by page, and listing all the recipes to try in the coming year. I'll be sharing some of them with you, since they are so tasty.
Today it's Breakfast Risotto made with brown rice. I recently said I would be highlighting foods high in magnesium, and my progesterone series got me side tracked. Brown rice brings me back! In addition to being a good source of magnesium, brown rice is a decent source of tryptophan (which is needed to make serotonin).
It is also a good source of manganese, which is important for healthy nervous system function, the production of sex hormones, and antioxidant activity.
The Phoenix inCYST students all decided it was a breakfast they'd definitely eat, which is perfect, since people tend to complain about not liking breakfast. This one fits with what I always say, you don't have to eat breakfast food at breakfast time! Plus, brown rice is a carbohydrate that can be perfectly fine in your diet if eaten in moderation. Can you see by the photo what I mean about wanting to make things right away?
Breakfast Risotto 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup instant brown rice 1 8 ounce can unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained and liquid reserved 1 12 ounce can undiluted evaporated skim milk 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut 1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds 1 medium banana, peeled and diced
Combine water, rice and pineapple liquid in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, sirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 7-8 minutes.
Stir in milk and increase heat to high. When the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the milk has been absorbed and the mixture is soft and creamy, 10-12 minutes.
Stir in pineapple, raisins, coconut, almonds, and banana.
