Education Archives - Page 5 of 15

Athlete, Biking, Education, Ironman, Triathlon

Today winning meant being slow AF

By Kyra / April 15, 2019

There as been a lot going on in my life lately that while I have been managing fairly well, it still takes a toll. You’ve got your parenting responsibilities. For those of you who are parents, you know that sometimes raises little people can be down right taxing. This weekend and the last couple of months with my teenagers have been a challenge. And you parents know that when you have created, carried, sweated, bled, kissed and cried over those little people, this stress is a big one. Momma bear stuff.

Then you’ve got your “put food on the table” stressors. Running your own business and figuring out how to do that well, with more ease and what not isn’t any small feat. Being your own boss is awesome and not awesome at the same time. It’s real life stuff. Responsibility. Adulting. And the coaching world isn’t an easy one. Especially if you try to do your best all the time and try to figure out how to lead your people to doing their best as well. It’s real, raw and honest (and tough) at times. Especially considering that we attract people like ourselves. Hahahaha. OMG! 😉 just joking. Not joking. Haha. I’m one of my biggest fans yet some days I’m like … “BK seriously, get your ducks in a row, or at least in the same room.”

Then spice all that up with some other personal stuff of my own choosing that I’ve decided to work on and you’ve got a big tall order. I’ve had my share of tough times in life and some things to work on to get to the next best version of myself. We all do. When we start looking at those things straight on, life gets sweeter but sometimes the cleaning up and healing of things is a little challenging at times.

I was listening to podcast today about the 10 pillars of health. This smartie doctor guy was talking about his system that works to address all the “pillars” of health. Very interesting stuff and you know, not really a new idea. The yogi’s and eastern medicine have been working on this stuff for a long time. Here in the western world were we have our boot straps and type a/work harder mentality … the idea that in order to optimize health by working on all aspects of life, well thats not common sense to us.

I learned this lesson pretty well last year training for IMTX after three failed heart surgeries and deciding to have a different go of it. Not using western meds to control A-fib and working on these “pillars”. It worked really well and I was super pumped. Then came some personal stuff, again, of my own choosing … and I got in over my head for a bit. Or maybe not, but more of my energy went into the personal growth pillar for a sec while I tried to really work on some things and heal up some old wounds.

BOOM! And so in the sunshine I’m working with a newer version of myself and have to acknowledge that in my balancing of my life, one of my “pillars” is a little lacking. And that would be the physical one. Where I’m not as fast on the bike or run as what I use to be or what I want.

I mean seriously. Three time ironman finisher. Countless HIMs under my belt and here I am. Fluffy, slow, strong and still very awesome. I would love love love to be 15 pounds lighter. Be stronger. Look outwardly how I feel. But right now, with all that has been going on, I am in a state of physique that, while not optimal, is doing ok.

I had set out to do a 3 hour bike ride. Followed by a bit of running. A little bit of that motivation to do all that volume so far out from my next HIM was driven by weight lose. Maybe to beat the fat down and force it to go away. How many of us think like that? More is better right?

GRACE AND GRIT

Well, I got to thinking. What would be the most lovely thing that you could do for yourself right now. After all, the training plan says an hour bike. So two is more than enough. How about BK … you slow down and just enjoy the sun and acknowledge that fact that you can be out here. That you GET to do this. That you are healthy enough to even do an hour. Seriously. Love all the fat cells for a second and just LOVE every thing part of you.

GRACE: So I slowed down. Talked to all the cows. Really enjoyed the sunshine and the awesome cross wind that was blowing at a nice 20 mph. I focused on my daily reading of HOPE. And positive action, in the face of everything going on. Yep, I was a full mph slower than last weekends two hour ride which i was crazy happy with. This ride felt equally as good tho.

GRIT: I was kind to myself. I was strong enough today to give myself grace and the grit to KNOW that today the mph pace didn’t dictate if the workout was a success. Grit to give other areas equal merit. After all, I was well within the plan. So the box is a definite green. And thats good enough. More than good enough.

It is a win.

Education

Energy Products and Blood Sugar Management

By Kyra / March 4, 2019

NUTSHELL OF HOW YOU PRODUCE ENERGY

Food enters the digestive track, the pancreas “hears” about it. (through hormones and the nervous system).
The pancreas sends insulin out to prep the cells to be able to receive the glucose from the food.
When the pancreas “hears” that the insulin levels are going down it sends out glucagon so the cells stop taking up sugar so levels of sugar in the blood don’t get too low.

When Things go Sideways

When the system doesn’t work properly the cells don’t take up the sugar and it stays in the blood stream.
“Insulin resistance” is a term that is used to describe when the blood sugar management system is off, the insulin is being sent out but the cells are ignoring it. It’s like a traffic jam, the ambulance can’t get through. Generally INFLAMMATION is blocking the cells.
Mind insulin resistance often gets overlooked because the signs are mild and the body works hard to correct this vital system. After all, we are talking about each and every cell in the body doing everything that they do so you can breathe, walk, poop, blink, etc.
As this imbalance gets worse, the main players, the muscles, liver and fat tissue, get negatively impacted as they are they have a lot of responsibility with energy storage and usage.
The brain also gets affected as they have cells that are very sensitive to blood sugar. This is why you hear the term “brain fog”, “burnt out” with the “belly fat” when referring this type of weight/energy issue.
1. Food Intake
2. Body weight
3. Reproduction
4. Learning
5. Memory
Early symptoms: feeling foggy, unfocused and scatter brained. Sometimes you will feel like NO amount of caffeine will get you going in the am. Huge sugar cravings in the afternoon are related to this as well.
Insulin resistance –> Diabetes –> Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic Syndrome is serious business in that it causes stroke, heart disease and is one of the leading causes of death. It has strong ties to PCOS and now studies are showing that it’s a factor in endothelial, breast and colon cancer.
For most people fasting glucose isn’t high when insulin resistance begins. The fasting glucose testing isn’t early enough in the process, so while this clue doesn’t trigger any action, the issue is causing negative impacts to the health of the body.

SYMPTOMS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE

Fatigue
Brain fog
Belly Fat
Sleepiness after meals
Sugar cravings (especially right after a meal)

Signs that things have progressed to diabetes

Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Poor healing of cuts and wounds
Increased hunger
Unexplained weight loss
And fasting glucose is up to 120 (avg/consistent)

Criteria for Metabolic Syndrome

(3 or more of the following)
High triglyceride levels
abdominal obesity
High blood pressure
High fasting blood sugar
Low HDL cholesterol levels

Four other syndromes that are related to insulin resistance

PCOS: this is a form of metabolic syndrome. The cysts on the ovaries that really aren’t the issue. It’s the metabolic changes that are the real issue. More on this later.
PMS. Directed affected by insulin resistance.
Thyroid Hormone Imbalance, high insulin levels can cause the thyroid to malfunction. And hypo/hyper thyroidism can have an impact on insulin.
Gestational Diabetes

MORE FUN FACTS

EXCESS WEIGHT INCREASES INSULIN RESISTANCE
Excess weight also raises estrogen
Women that are over weight are more prone to conditions related to estrogen dominance
Weight lose improves insulin resistance and estrogen dominance
Info on Hyperglycemia
Info on Hypoglycemia

more geeky information

Our blood glucose level, or blood sugar level, is the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The amount of glucose in the blood is measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/l). Glucose levels are measured most commonly to diagnose or to monitor diabetes. It is also important to keep an eye on blood glucose levels during certain situations – for example: during pregnancy, pancreatitis and with increasing age. Normally, blood sugar levels stay within a narrow range during the day. A good level is between 4 to 8mmol/l (or under 85 with a glucose monitor). After you consume food, your blood sugar level will rise and after you have had a night’s rest, they will usually be lowest in the morning.

Diabetes is a common disease in our society, affecting 2-5% of the general population, with many more people unaware that they may be affected by this condition. Diabetes results from a lack of insulin, or insensitivity of the body towards the level of insulin present. Thus if you have diabetes, your blood sugar level may move outside the normal limits.

Why is controlling blood sugar levels so important?

Carbohydrate foods are the body’s main energy source. When they are digested, they break down to form glucose in the bloodstream. If you make sure you eat regular meals, spread evenly throughout the day, you will help maintain your energy levels without causing large rises in your blood sugar levels. It is also important to maintain a stable and balanced blood sugar level, as there is a limited range of blood sugar levels in which the brain can function normally. Regular testing of your blood sugar levels allows you to monitor your level of control and assists you in altering your diabetes management strategy if your levels aren’t within the expected/recommended range.

Long term complications, including eye disease, kidney problems, nerve problems, cerebrovascular disease such as strokes, and cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks, heart failure and high blood pressure, can be significantly reduced. Based on studies of people with type 1 diabetes (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial : DCCT) and type 2 diabetes (United Kingdom Prevention of Diabetes – UKPDS), maintaining near normal blood sugars and glycated haemoglobin levels significantly reduces the risks of complications arising from diabetes.

Education

Endocrine Hormonal System 101 The Major Hormones

By Kyra / February 20, 2019

8 Major Hormones

Remember! Hormones affect every single tissue in the body. So when hormonal health gets out of whack, the affects are complex and wide reaching.

Gut function
Muscle growth and recovery
Brain function
Bone health
ETC ETC ETC

ESTROGEN: a group of sex hormones where there are at least 15 forms.

Estradiol (E2): Dominant hormone in women during reproductive years. This hormone facilities the cyclic release of eggs from the ovaries. Highly involved with HEART health and BONE health. Brain and colon. The decrease in E2 is what causes the common “menopausal” symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes.
Estrone (E1): Dominant hormone in post menopausal women.
Estriol (E3): Estrogen released from the placenta during pregnancy.

Estrogen is mainly made in the ovaries. Adrenal glands and fat cells can make small amounts . Responsible with the characteristics of being female. The onset of puberty, public hair, breasts, thigh formation, etc. Men have estrogen too however in much smaller amounts. Estrogen is also responsible for regulating:

Cholesterol Levels
Urinary Tract
Heart and Blood vessels
Bones
Breast Health
Skin
Hair
Mucous membranes
Pelvic Muscles
Brain health and function

PROGESTERONE This is a hormone that is produced by a temporary endocrine gland that the body produces in the ovary during the second half of the menstrual cycle. This is the KEEP CALM and CARRY ON hormone because it has the ability to sooth the nervous system. Both men and women needs this hormone and progesterone is a precursor to testosterone.

Calm the nervous system
Prepare uterus for pregnancy after ovulation, trigger the lining to thicken to house the fertilized egg.
High levels of progesterone during pregnancy help to support life and develop of the fetus.
Direct access to the brain and nerves when it is circulating in the blood stream. It has a big job in protecting the brain and helping it to heal after injury. Promoting the growth of the myelin sheath, the protective layers of nerve fibers.
Supporting breast health
Supporting cardiovascular health
Supporting nervous system health
Helps to maintain healthy brain function
Helps to regulate mood
Helps to ease anxiety
Facilitate memory
Promote healthy sleep
Promote relaxation
Helps to maintain the traits of masculinity by counter acting the affects of estrogen.

CORTISOL: Main stress hormone. But this is not a BAD hormone. It has very vital functions in the body. It is released from the adrenal glands at the sign of stress. It helps the body to survive. For instance, when you fear for your life, cortisol will shut down digestion so you are more able to do other things, like run for your life. At the same time it facilities the release of fuel for energy in the body, so you can run and run fast. Other roles of Cortisol are:

Mobilizing energy from storage sites in the body (adipose tissue aka fat cells).
Breaking down molecules to release energy
Reducing inflammation and allergies
Preventing the loss of sodium in the urine to maintain blood pressure and blood volume (water management)
Helps maintain mood and emotional stability

The issue with this hormone, and where it gets it’s bad rap, is when chronic stressers are around, like a stressful desktop, relationship issues, etc, this constant stress response can reek havoc on the body. This constant stress response can to this to the body:

When cortisol mobilizes energy from storage sites it increases amino acids in the blood and liver. It then stimulates the liver to convert these amino acids into glucose so the body can use this for more energy. (run faster so you don’t get eaten, by the tiger, or your boss)
It rounds up glycogen and fatty acids in the blood to be to be used as fuel
Because you aren’t actually running from a tiger, all the “energy” or glycogen/glucose is stored (aka belly fat) . This is why that apple shaped appearance is also called hormonal fat. (later on we will discuss why this fat in particular is very unhealthy)

THYROID GLAND: Produces two main hormones, T3 and T4. FYI. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone isn’t produced in the thyroid. This is produced in the pituitary gland in the brain. Think of the thyroid hormones as the GO GO GO hormones.

T3: active form of T4. The body does make a little bit of T3, but 80% of T3 needs to be converted from T4. T4 is excreted into the blood stream by the thyroid. It then travels to the other parts of the body, most notably the liver and kidneys, where it is converted to the active T4. (see why liver health and kidney function might be critical in this as well?)
These hormones work as a feedback loop along with the hypothalamus and the pituitary to coordinate production and release. TRH (thyroid releasing hormone) can be trigger in the brain (hypothalamus) to help to regulate the levels of T3/T4. Which triggers the pituitary to release TSH. And the circle goes on.

T3 Plays a MAJOR role in regulating: Stay slender, prevent brain fog and feeling happy.

Metabolism
Heart function
Digestion
Muscle Control
Brain Development
Bone Maintenance

The thyroid is highly dependent on iodine and tyrosine. Iodine is a critical micro-nutrient. We will discus later the caveats about getting enough iodine in our diet.

PREGNENOLONE: Steroidal hormone, synthesized from cholesterol

Pregnenolone is produced mostly in the adrenal glands, but also in the ovaries, testes, brain and white blood cells. It naturally peaks during youth and declines with age. It is known as the master hormone, the precursor from which all other hormones are made. Estrogen, , progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol. Check out what it does:

Protects neurons from damage
Helps repair myelin sheaths
Enhances memory, motivation, and mood
Pregnenolone supplements have been used to treat some mental disorders included anxiety and depression
Improves sleep quality
Reduces symptoms of PMS and menopause
Improves immunity

TESTOSTERONE: Power and motivation. produced in the testes in men and ovaries in women and in small amounts in the adrenal glands of both men and women. Testosterone has a critical role in having a healthy libido. Interesting enough, a significant amount of Estradiol is converted from testosterone.

Masculine physical and emotional characteristics such as facial hair, aggressiveness, assertiveness, risk taking
Sex drive
Turn fat into muscle
Increase bone density
Boost mood
Manage stress
Support cognitive function
Signals the body to produce blood cells
Support and maintain of bone growth
Give a sense of power, motivation, and assertiveness

DHEA: Youth and fertility

DHEA is a steroid hormone that is synthesize from cholesterol and produced by the adrenal glands. The body uses DHEA to make sex hormones in both men and women. DHEA peaks in the mid 20s and declines with age. DHEA has been show to do the following:

Reduce abdominal fat
Improve insulin resistance
Reduce inflammation
Decrease Incidence of heart disease
Improve libido
Improve symptoms of depression

NOTE: more of DHEA isn’t always better. It is an androgen, or a male hormone, so a female that gets too much DHEA can experience aggression, hair growth and other unwanted masculine characteristics.

ANDROSTENEDIONE: Steroid hormone that has affects on levels of estrogen and testosterone in the body. 50% of a female’s testosterone comes for the conversation of DHEA and androstenedione from the adipose (fat) tissue. In females androstenedione is release from the adrenal glands and ovaries into the blood stream. There is it converted into estrogen and testosterone.

Adrenal Health, Education

Endocrine Hormonal System 101 The Glands

By Kyra / February 5, 2019

Endocrine System: very complex system that affects every other system in the body. This system is comprised of many glands which work together.

Webster says the endocrine system is the collection of endocrine glands that produce hormones that are used as chemical messengers throughout the body to help regulate vital processes including metabolism, growth, sleep, and reproduction.

Think: POST OFFICE. Mailman. Delivers important information where it’s suppose to.

Also think: DANCE. Between the hormones produced by the endocrine glands AND the receptor cells in the target organs. (lock and key)

Receptor cells are very sensitive and response to even the tiniest amount of hormone. The receptor cell then triggers a response/action/job/etc.

https://youtu.be/M2PWMI6CwbE

Endocrine System 101 The Glands

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM TEAM MEMBERS

Pituitary Gland: Master gland. produces hormones that control the other members of the endocrine system. Base of the brain. Works with the hypothalamus. Comes in two parts and produces 8 different hormones. More on that later.
Thyroid Gland: Regulate the body’s metabolism, produces energy.
Parathyroid Glands: Regulate blood calcium levels. Has an influence on bones, muscle contractions.
Thymus Gland: Part of the immune system, between the lungs. Largest before puberty, then stops working
Adrenal Glands: Regulates the body’s response to stress, regulates body’s pH, heart rate, blood pressure, energy production, CO2 regulation
Pancreas: Digestion, control blood sugar levels throughout the day
Ovaries, in women: Sex hormones
Testes, in men: Sex hormones
Pineal: production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, which starts in the eye.
Hypothalamus: link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. Neighbor of the pituitary gland. Gets cues from the nervous system, then produces neurohormones to tell the hypothalamus what hormones to produce to respond and control the body.
- Example: You are hot. You need to manage sodium, water, etc so your brain doesn’t melt when you are doing that last 13.1 hot run of Muncie 70.3.

Endocrine glands release their hormones directly into the body through the blood stream (diffusion) compared to other glands that release their hormones locally through ducts, which “stay and act” in that local area, such as sweat glands. Endocrine glands can have an impact on any part of the body through diffusion (blood stream).

Education

Gut health, weight loss and hormonal balance part 2

By Kyra / January 9, 2019

Basic Gut Health Protocol

Reduce Inflammation-causing agents / toxins
Balance the good bacteria in the gut
Increase Digestive “Fire”

FIRST STEP: REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Reduce wheat, dairy, soy, corn, refined sugar. Also, conventionally grown meat.
Reduce inflammatory substances: alcohol, antibiotics, birth control pills, synthetic drugs. These damage the gut flora, leading to a weakened gut lining and leaky gut.
Drink Bone Broth: Heals and seals the gut, helps to fix leaky gut. Check out these instructions of making your own bone broth. It isn’t difficult.
Increase Gelatin or collagen: helps to heal the gut lining and improve the muscus layer. Adding collagen (as a powder) to your smoothie is easy. Check out this recipe.
Introduce L-Glutamine: Heals the gut lining. Feeds the lining in the gut. FYI – Can be over stimulating to brain cells.
Consume Turmeric: reduces inflammation, though needs fact and black pepper to be fully absorbed. Such as coconut oil.
Introduce zinc carnosine and quercetin supplements (amino acid and antioxidant that helps to produce organs). Zinc carosine helps to heal cells.

SECOND STEP: BALANCE THE GOOD BACTERIA

Eat fermented foods: improve the health of the gut flora. Note, if you are sensitive to histamines (allergies) then skip this step as fermented foods generally have a lot of histamines causes allergy type reactions.
Take probiotic capsules: 10 to 50 billion CFUs per day taken with food. Start smaller, with 10 billion CFUs a day to avoid bloating, skin rashes, gas, other common side affects.
Take digestive enzymes: easiest and most beneficial step to start. Juice Plus has digestive enzymes in them already. Take before.
Chew food thoroughly: chewing starts digestive enzymes. Plus it will slow you down enough to eat less, meaning that you body has the time to tell you that you are no longer hungry, hormonal signals.
Add fiber to their diet. 35 – 45 grams each day. Again, start slowing to avoid constipation, gas and bloating. 12 – 24 hours is the correct transit time. 😉
Consume resistant starch (pre-biotic): selectively stimulates the good bacteria. Lentils, chick peas, potatoes that have been cooked and cooled. Like from the crock pot.

THRID STEP: Light Digestive Fires (stomach acid)

Reflux, burping, etc are signs that you need to change up the digestive “fires” or change the stomach acids
Lemon Juice: hottish water
Apple Cider Vinegar (15-30 before meals, or after meals to fix reflux) . Liquid apple cider vinegar can be harmful for the teeth. Pill supplementation is available and beneficial.
Digestive Bitters: Increases the digestive “juices”
- Dandelion
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Beet Root (good for cardio vascular
- Goldenseal root
- Milk Thistle (healthy for the liver as well)
- Peppermint
- Wormwood
- Yellow Dock
HCL or hydrochloric acid
- More advanced step and is recommended that you work with a functional medicine practitioner.
- Read more here
- DO NOT take with any anti-inflammatory medicines. Greatly increases the risk of bleeding or ulcer.

Education

Gut Health and Weight Loss and Hormonal Impact Part 1

By Kyra / January 9, 2019

WE ARE ONLY AS HEALTHY AS THE FOOD WE CAN DIGEST

This means that if the gut isn’t functioning well (optimally) then it really doesn’t matter how good the food is that we eat. We will have deficiencies. This is why GUT Health is a major corner stone for optimal health.

Endocrine system: depends on essential nutrients (healthy hormones) in order to function properly.
Immune system: highly dependent on the gut for proper functioning.
Nervous System: again, highly dependent on the gut for proper functioning. In fact, there are more nerve cells in the gut than in the brain

Gut-Brain Axis

Motility, secretion, nutrient delivery, microbial balance
Neurotransmitters, stress, anxiety, mood, behavior

HPA Axis

Hypothalamus: gland in the brain which produces CRH
Anterior Pituitary: gland in the brain which produces ACTH
Adrenal Cortex: Endocrine gland (on the kidneys) which produces cortisol

So “at the end of the day” in relation to the gut, cortisol affects:

How the colon moves
What it absorbs
How much and what kind of mucus it produces
The microbiome and can slow down the entire system to enable the body to be able to deal with stress and what not

This stress response helps the human being to survive in a life threatening situation. The habitual stress response, say due to a relationship issue or unhappy job, can greatly impact gut health and overall health negatively.

Interesting side note: the stress response, as shown above, impacts gut health. The opposite is true. You can develop leaking gut which in term allows gut flora can affect the HPA axis in a negative way. Additionally, bad bacteria and fungus can affect all of the functions mentioned above. This becomes a vicious (aka VICIOUS) circle. Downward spiral. Perfect storm.

The Gut and Nervous System are INTIMATELY connected.

Insulin and Blood Sugar Management: a healthy GI track helps the blood sugar management system. An unhealthy GI tract can increase insulin insensitive. For the endurance athlete specifically, this can negatively impact burning fat for fuel. So sugar cravings go up and belly fact sticks around or becomes more prevalent.

Estrogen: Your gut flora can influence your levels of estrogen. Estrobolome, a gut bacteria, produces or breaks down estrogen. The liver breaks down estrogen (or deactivates) and sends it into the GI tract to “get rid of”. Unfriendly gut bacteria can reactivate inactive this estrogen. This can impact estrogen/progesterone balance. (Or affect testosterone levels). Also, the stomach produces estrogen-like molecules. Which increases appetite. It is so interesting in that when someone consumes BPA, which produces an estrogen like molecule, even in the presence of food, the appetite increases. So please avoid plastic produces that have BPA.

Progesterone / Testosterone: Hormonal balance is affected by Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which is a toxin produced by unfriendly gut bacteria. LPS has more of an impact when LEAKY gut is present, as LPS crosses the gut barrier and can affect ovaries and decrease progesterone production. Which affects the ever important balance of estrogen to progesterone. LPS may also play a role in PCOS by increasing insulin and testosterone levels. Additionally, LSP has been shown to negatively impact the immune system and be a contributing factor to many autoimmune disorders.

Thyroid Gland: LPS may also affect Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Again, this goes back to the research on how unfriendly bacteria impact the immune system and the cascade affect of that. You can think of it like, the LPS causes the body’s immune system to attack itself.

Uterus / Endometriosis: Endometrial lesions (uterine cells growing elsewhere) interfere with the gut’s ability to keep waste products moving, contributing to SIBO and microbiome imbalance. It does this in that these lesions are sticky and cause parts of the bowel to stick together, to the abdominal wall or other organs.

Continue to Part 2 for the Basic Gut Health Protocol

Education

Critical Supplements for Good Health

By Kyra / December 24, 2018

Juice Plus

Fruit and veg pill: plethra of plant nutrients
Improves all aspects of health: immune function, gut health, lower inflammation, prevent cancer, etc etc
Helps the body absorb and utilize all other supplements/food

Magnesium

Electrolytes
Sleep
Hormone

Regulates Ca and phosphorus in the blood
Enhances Sensitivity to insulin
Blood pressure, lowers plaque build up

B-Complex

B1: Nutrients into energy
B2: Food into energy, antioxidant
B3: Cellular signals, DNA production, metabolism
B5: Food into energy
B9: Cell growth, amino acid metabolism
B12: Neurologic function, DNA production, red blood cell development
ALL SORTS OF THINGS

Air Bourne

Education

Highly Beneficial Supplements and quick facts on blood sugar management, hormonal health and weight loss

By Kyra / December 19, 2018

TOPIC: Blood sugar management to positively impact hormonal health

(refer to xxx TDB to understand how blood sugar management and hormonal health go hand in hand)

Specific facts that help with blood sugar management and hormonal health

Body is designed to deal with a small amount of sugar. Where we get into trouble is the amount and the key of “sugar” we consume.

The average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day and the average child consumes 32 teaspoons a day!

When your body becomes “overwhelmed” in relation to managing blood sugar, then its ability to handle even small amounts of sugar is decreased. This is where hormonal health is negatively impacted. This will be covered in more detail here … tdb.

INFLAMMATION

INSULIN RESISTENCE

These words become very important and will be addressed in part 2 and 3.

Research shows that the paleo and Mediterranean “diets” (or ways of eating) really help to reverse the effects of insulin resistance and inflammation from sugar consumption. Protein, fat and specifically omega 3 fatty acids help the body to manage blood sugar and repair the very sensitive system.

Gluten (very commonly) causes intestinal inflammation which compromises blood sugar management or insulin sensitivities
Artificial sweeteners interfere with blood sugar management as they compromise the livers ability to deal with sugar. This causes “fatty liver”. Diet soda DOES NOT help with weight loss.

Supplements for Blood Sugar Management

This is an awesome list of supplements as everyone can benefit from taking these supplements. The work in a foundation kind of way and the causes of negative side affects when these supplements are taken with the correct knowledge in mind are nil.

Magnesium: First step. Foundation supplement and should be continued long term (forever). 400 mg of magnesium glycinate.
- People low in magnesium are at a significantly higher risk to have metabolic syndrome. Research is showing that approximately 90% of people are low in magnesium. Magnesium helps with sugar cravings. Refer to www.bonniekissinger.com/magnesium for further information on the who/what/when/why/how.
Berberine: Blood sugar management
- Plant compound showing benefits in blood sugar management and treating insulin sensitivity. Works to decrease the amount of inflammation produced by fatty tissue. The plant compound helps to treat and prevent insulin resistance. It was first used in Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. The recommended dose is 500mg three times a day. Caution when already taking diabetic medicine and antibiotics.
Chromium: Blood sugar management
- This nutrient helps with weight loss and insulin sensitivity. It also improves post meal blood sugar levels. The daily recommended amount is 20 – 25 micrograms a day but studies are showing for women 1000 micrograms a day split up through out the day is beneficial.
Fiber (or inulin): Improve insulin sensitivity
- Fermentable carb or plant fiber that helps to nourish the cells of the digestive tract. Sources are Jerusalem artichoke and Chickeryroot. Start with 3 grams a day and build up to 5 with a max of 10. Be cautious of bloating as folks that already have gut inflammation can experience worsening symptoms. In this case folks need to address gut inflammation first.
Curcumin: First step. Foundation supplement as it is a potent anti-inflammatory compound.
- Curcumin works to decrease inflammation in the muscle cells that cause insulin resistance. It is metabolized in the body very quickly. Because of this, companies combine it with other things. Some of this isn’t want you want. The recommendation is to look for curcumin combined with black pepper (piperine), taking 500 to 1000mg a day in divided doses.
Vitamin D: First step IF LOW. Foundation supplement and blood sugar management
- Control stress at the cellular level. Vitamin D also helps to treat depression. You really want to get your levels as taking too much vitamin D can become toxic. If testing shows that your levels are below 50 nanograms per mililiter you can take 5000 IU daily. Or 50,000 IU weekly. Retesting in 60 to 90 days is advised.
Cinnamon: BIG TIME Blood sugar management aide
- It’s biggest benefit is that it acts like insulin and makes the insulin receptors more responsive. Big plus for people with insulin resistance! It helps the receptors absorb the energy into the muscles. It is a very strong anti-oxidant as well, helping to decrease inflammation in the fat cells which helps to improve insulin resistance. The recommended dose is 3 grams of cinnamon per day.

Blood Sugar Testing

This is a great way to learn this system and become familiar with the very critical aspect of living and for the athletes, fueling and being healthy. This doesn’thave to be complicated or intense. It has become very affordable at this time and easy to understand with a bit of education. Refer to www.bonniekissinger.com/bloodsugartesting (TDB) to learn how to add this to your bag of tools. Don’t let this overwhelm you. This is very basic and easy to do, just like taking your blood pressure. You don’t need to have “MD” behind your name to benefit from this. You will earn which foods are good for you and how you are doing with this every important element of how the body works.

Education, Recipes