Nutrition for Women

Sex hormones belong to a classification called steroid hormones, which are all derived from cholesterol, a waxy, white, fatty material found in all cells of the body. Other steroid hormones are the stress hormones, the glucocorticoids, and the mineralocorticoids. The steroid hormones are made in the adrenal glands, as well as the ovaries. Within these tissues, cholesterol is converted to hormones through a number of intermediary steps, leading to the final production of three major sex hormones—estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

While women produce all three major sex hormones, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone predominate, supporting normal functioning of the reproductive tract and menstrual cycle. The ovaries and adrenals also make small amounts of male hormones, or androgens. Although they are only secreted in tiny amounts, androgens play a vital role in the female libido, or sex drive, as well as helping to maintain bone mass. The sex hormones also help to determine the physical characteristics, such as skin texture, muscle tone, and body shape.

For more information on estrogen levels or other issues related to female hormones, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site.

I have been taking maca for my estrogen dominance for at least five years now. In addition to my foundational supplement regimen, it is the one supplement I simply cannot do without.

Maca is a malty, butterscotch flavored root from Peru that operates as an adaptogenic herb to help regulate hormones produced by glands in the endocrine system. In other words, it helps your body produce its own unique balance of female hormones. It does this by encouraging your ovaries and adrenals to produce the hormones you need, in the levels you need them.

A 2003 study from the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science showed that maca was particularly effective in treating estrogen dominance. Researchers tested the effects of maca on mouse sex hormones. They found that while progesterone and testosterone levels increased significantly in those mice that received the maca, their estradiol levels were not increased. In other words, the maca helped to raise the levels of progesterone and testosterone to offset the blood levels of estradiol.

But that’s not all! Maca is also great for women suffering from menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Plus, it has been shown to increase libido and sexual desire!

Dosages for maca can be tricky. It really is based on your own body and needs. Dr. Lark suggests starting with 2–4 grams a day, and some women may need as much as 10 grams a day. There have been no acute toxic effects of maca, even at very high doses. However, due to no formal studies, Dr. Lark recommends that you avoid maca if you have a hormone-related cancer, liver disease, if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are currently taking conventional HRT.

For more recommendations on estrogen dominance, menopause relief, or other conditions  related to female hormones, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

Any time I do any talks or consultations (or even just sitting around with friends), I am inevitably asked about supplements. Do you really need to take them? Which ones? For what?

I have always advocated that everyone needs to take a foundation consisting of a multivitamin, fish oil, and probiotics. And, lately, due to mounting research, I’ve added vitamin D3. As it turns out, I’m far from alone on this subject.

In a July 10th posting to huffingtonpost.com, Dr. Mark Hyman reported on research from the Lewin Group which found that taking key supplements could save the U.S. $24 billion over five years.

Specifically, they looked at calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis, folic acid for birth defects, omega-3 fatty acids for heart disease, and lutein and zeaxanthin for macular degeneration. In each case, taking these supplements in the right amounts for five years would save the U.S. billions of dollars in prevented fractures, heart conditions, vision loss, and neural tube defects in babies.

Moreover, Dr. Hyman goes on to reference studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine that supports the use of supplements.

Given this, I am glad to see my recommendations are on the right track! If you have specific concerns (i.e. osteoporosis or vision concerns…both age-related), then you need to augment your foundation with calcium/magnesium and lutein/zeaxanthin. Dr. Lark recommends taking 1,000–1,500 mg of calcium carbonate, 500–750 mg magnesium, 7–8 mg of lutein, and 1–2 mg of zeaxanthin daily.

For more supplementation recommendations, especially those for menopause symptoms or appetite control, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

I am normally a HUGE fan and proponent of eating organic. Not only does the food truly taste better, but it has been shown to be better for you. In fact, a 1993 study from the Journal of Applied Nutrition found that organic produce not only contained up to four times as much of the trace minerals, 13 times more selenium, and 20 times more calcium and manganese as the commercial produce, but also had significantly fewer heavy metals, including 25 percent less lead and 40 percent less aluminum.

I usually purchase the majority of my organic meats, cheeses, and produce at a little organic market near my house, picking up just a few things at Whole Foods. While I love the IDEA of Whole Foods, I’ve been increasingly disappointed in them lately. I don’t like their mix of conventional and organic and their dearth of locally grown produce.

Still, I was shocked when friend and former co-worker emailed me a video clip from one of our local news channels that pretty much nailed Whole Foods for shipping in much of their “organic” food from China.

Not only does it leave an enormous carbon footprint to ship and truck produce from half a world away, but, according to the report, China doesn’t have any true organic standards. Which, to me, makes any “organic” product coming in from that country questionable.

So, what to do? First, buy local and organic if possible. By local, I mean looking for products that were grown or raised ideally within a 50-mile radius of you. If that’s not possible, look for products from neighboring states. Worst case scenario, aim for at least U.S. grown/raised. This goes for packaged as well was fresh products.

For more information on healthy eating, natural weightloss, or other issues related to health and wellness, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

As a writer constantly on deadline, I know a thing or two about the effects of stress. But, as a woman with estrogen dominance, I also know that it is critical for me to keep my stress under control.

Stress can cause or aggravate hormone imbalances. In fact, it can interfere with your ability to ovulate, thereby blocking progesterone production and pushing further into estrogen dominance. This can lead to severe PMS, menstrual cramps, anxiety, fibroids, endometriosis, and infertility.

Studies from journals as varied as Human Stress, Psychosomatics, and Acta Psychiatry of Scandinavian have all shown that women with stressful lives are much more likely to experience PMS symptoms. In fact, a study from the Archives of Family Medicine found that women who suffered from PMS scored four times higher on a stress scale than other women.

Another study from the British Medical Journal found that excessive stress can increase your risk of breast cancer. This is a double whammy for women with estrogen dominance, as our excessive estrogen levels already put us in the danger zone.

If you have estrogen dominance, you need to be extra vigilant about keeping your stress levels under control. Exercise is a great way to maintain calm. But my favorite for one the spot stress reduction is deep breathing.

First, take a moment to acknowledge the stress. Then close your eyes and take a few deep, abdominal breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Focus on how the air goes in and out of your body. Do this five to 10 times and you can actually feel the stress moving out of your body.

For more information on estrogen dominance or other issues related to female hormones, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

I remember when I first learned I had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). I had all the symptoms (stubborn weight gain, embarrassing stray hairs on my chin, irregular and painful periods, etc.). I was glad to at least have a name for what I experienced month after month, but now what?

It wasn’t until I worked with Dr. Lark that I was truly able to get my PCOS under control. The first step was to realize that PCOS is a common condition that affects many women with estrogen dominance. In addition to following a specific diet and taking targeted supplements, I also used the best prescription possible…a pair of running shoes.

Studies have shown that exercise not only helps women with estrogen dominance and PCOS gain better control over insulin and glucose, but also promotes hormonal balance. Plus, exercise helps reduce stress, which is an aggravating factor of PCOS.

If you have PCOS or estrogen dominance, your “fix” is a walk, run, jog, bike, or triathlon away. It’s the best (and easiest) prescription I know!

For more information on estrogen dominance or other issues related to female hormones, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

I’ve recently started training for a triathlon. It’s an Olympic distance and will be the fourth or fifth time I’ve done one. Every time I begin to train for one of these events, I am struck by how great I feel about three weeks into it. My mood improves, I have more energy, I think more clearly, and my overall self-esteem is higher.

I used to think it was because it was simply due to the inevitable weight loss that occurs with exercising six days a week, but after working with Dr. Lark on Hormone Revolution, I came to realize that intense exercise fits perfectly with my particular hormone profile.

As a woman with estrogen dominance, I need to keep my hormones properly balanced with high-intensity activities such as running and triathlons. In other words, I am more “hare” than “tortoise.” (Okay, not when biking…but that another issue.)

As Dr. Lark has explained, women with estrogen dominance tend to be instinctively drawn to strenuous types of exercise that are more contractive, more acidifying, and more yangizing to counter our natural tendency towards alkalinity and expansiveness. These types of exercises are more likely to deplete both the oxygen content and the natural buffering agents contained within the muscles, as well as to generate lactic acid.

That’s why physical activities such as jogging, weight lifting, competing in triathlons, competitive cycling, and mountain climbing are best for us ladies with estrogen dominance. The key for these women is to generate more yang energy by heating up their bodies, sweating, and ridding themselves of excess yin (as edema, bloating, or excess weight).

So, next time I don’t feel like training or tell myself I have too much to do that day, I’ll stop and remember that this type of exercise comes “naturally,” and benefits my mind and soul, as well as my body.

For more information on estrogen dominance or other issues related to female hormones, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter.

I am a huge believer in using the best natural skin care…and then I turned 40. Suddenly, I started getting paranoid that my face was going to look like a road map and that my pores would become the potholes on that road.

As I looked into amping up my skin care regimen, I was hard pressed to find safe, natural alternatives. Then I came across microdermabrasion (microderm) and decided to give it a try.

Microderm is used primarily to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and reduce pore size. Okay, I was listening. The procedure itself involves a suction cup and what feels like sand to exfoliate the skin at a deeper level than most over-the-counter products can achieve.

I signed up for two sessions at a local medispa and discovered two things:

1. It is natural, in terms of no chemicals are used.
2. The person running the machine makes ALL the difference in the world.

I had the exact procedure performed by two different people and my results were dramatically different (think better) with the second person. My skin was smooth, soft, my pore size was reduced, and it actually seemed to glow. Best of all, the effect lasted a few weeks.

If you are looking for a chemical-free way to enhance your anti aging anti wrinkle regimen, I recommend giving microdermabrasion a try. My only caveats are to avoid the procedure if you have sensitive skin and to do your research regarding technicians.

For more information on skincare or to sign up for Dr. Lark’s FREE eLetter or monthly newsletter, visit Dr. Lark’s Web site.

There was a great article in the most recent issue of Elle magazine. They looked at several of the top natural weight loss plans on the market and had experts comment on how each individual diet affected the skin.

They looked at the Atkins diet, South Beach Diet, vegan diet, Mediterranean diet, raw diet, and low-fat diet. I immediately guessed that the Mediterranean would be their best natural skin care diet and I was right.

The Mediterranean diet is chock full of great essential fatty acids (keeps skin moist and helps attain a wrinkle free face), antioxidants (fights off free radical damage), and great lean proteins (maintain collagen and skin tone).

The vegan and raw diets are good in that you get lots of essential fatty acids to promote wrinkle free skin, as well as antioxidants to fend off those pesky free radicals. However, both diets run the risk of being dangerously low in protein. If you follow either of these natural weight loss programs, be sure to include lots of plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts and nut butters, and organic tofu once or twice a week.

The South Beach was next. The lack of sugars is great if acne is an issue, plus cutting sugar helps promote collagen production. The author suggests taking essential fatty acids and increasing water intake to prevent dehydrating the skin during the first two weeks of the program, when so many fruits and veggies are off the table (pardon the pun).

Low-fat weight loss plans are inherently bad for the skin by their very name…low fat. Your body needs healthy fats (i.e. essential fatty acids) to retain hydration and suppleness. If you insist on following this type of natural weight loss plan, add lots of fish to your diet and include a fish oil supplement.

Last was the Atkins diet. The author referred to this plan as “disastrous for the complexion,” due to the excess protein (causes calcium to plummet) and the acidity of the diet, which wreaks havoc with the skin. Not to mention the overabundance of saturated fat, which can lead to breakouts. Forgo this natural weight loss plan and opt instead for other, more skin-promoting programs like those listed earlier.

For more great weight loss and skin care tips, visit Dr. Lark's Web site. While there, you can sign up for her free eLetter, subscribe to her newsletter, check out her lastest products, and get more weight loss and beauty information.

According to the July 5, 2010 issue of Time magazine, French researchers have found that resveratrol fed to lemurs for a month helped the animals eat less, boost metabolism, and lose weight.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring compound found in grapes and red wine. Dr. Lark has been turned on to resveratrol for years now, documenting its benefits for everything from heart protection to its anticarcinogenic properties.

Research studies have also shown that resveratrol may offer menopause support. The 1997 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America found that resveratrol binds with estrogen receptors and produces estrogen-like effects within the body. One research study in particular has looked at resveratrol as a treatment for menopause, suggesting that it may be useful in easing menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, and even osteoporosis.

Dr. Lark recommends taking 200 mg of resveratrol, standardized to at least 8 percent total resveratrols, mixed with flavonoids for better bioavailability.

Don’t have the time to sit down to hot breakfast? These easy, beauty-enhancing breakfast options are all rich in the natural skin care ingredients that keep your hair and skin silky smooth, protein to even your blood sugar levels to help with natural weightloss, and fiber to protect you from heart disease.

• Hard-boiled egg with mixed berries and glass of almond milk
• Coconut yogurt with half a banana and ground flaxseed
• Whip up a delicious fruit smoothie:. Put a cup of almond milk, 1/2 cup mango, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup ground flax, and 1/2 cup of crushed ice in a blender. Blend and enjoy!

The best natural skin care around is hydration. In addition to drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day, you should also eat foods high in water and mineral content. An easy way to do this is with soup.

To help you out, I’ve included my two favorite natural skin care recipes for summer soup.

Strawberry Soup
Serves 6    

2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup coconut yogurt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rice milk
¼ cup xylitol

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve chilled.

Watermelon Gazpacho
Serves 6    

6 cups watermelon, cubed
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons xylitol
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Serve chilled.

It’s no secret that essential fatty acids (EFAs) help create moister, softer skin and shinier hair. For women at midlife and older who tend to have drier skin to begin with, it may take a little longer to replenish the moisture content. The process may take as long as three to six months.

A delicious way to ensure that you are getting enough EFAs in your diet is to eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially cold-water fish, such as salmon, trout, or halibut.

To help you do this, I’ve included three great natural skin care recipes…one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for dinner. Enjoy!

Fabulous Fritatta
Serves 2

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can wild salmon
½ teaspoon dill
Black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cook until soft.
3. Add eggs, salmon, dill, and pepper. Stir often and cook until eggs are done.
4. Serve warm.

Ensalada Mista
Serves 4    

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon dried mixed herb blend
1 head romaine lettuce
4 red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half
8 ounces lima beans, cooked
8 ounces artichoke hearts, drained
8 asparagus spears, cooked and drained
1 can tuna, drained

1. Mix olive oil, Braggs Liquid Aminos, salt, and mixed herb blend in small bowl and set aside.
2. Divide lettuce evenly between four plates.
3. Top each plate with one potato, one egg half, 2 ounces lima beans, 2 ounces artichoke hearts, 2 asparagus spears, and ¼ can tuna.
4. Drizzle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing over each salad and serve.

Halibut Curry
Serves 4

2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup red onions, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons curry paste
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons tamari sauce
1 tablespoon xylitol
22 ounces coconut milk, divided
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
4 6-ounce halibut steaks
olive oil
3 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 cups quinoa, cooked in 2 cups water, 2 cups coconut milk

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over medium high heat.
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add pepper and onion and cook 2 minutes.
5. Stir in curry powder, paste, and cumin and cook 1 minute.
6. Add tamari, xylitol, and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
7. Add cilantro and immediately remove from heat.
8. Brush fish with remaining teaspoon of sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9. Place on broiler pan brushed with olive oil and broil for 8 minutes (or until fish flakes easily).
10. Place fish on top of quinoa and top with sauce.
11. Serve hot (each serving ½ cup quinoa, one steak, ½ cup sauce).

To get great natural weightloss results that last, eat close to the earth.

To truly lose weight and keep it off, you don’t need to look to the latest fad diet. In fact, you shouldn’t look forward at all. Instead, look to our past for the most effective natural weight loss plan.

You see, your body is designed to eat the way our ancestors ate—close to the earth, consuming lots of whole fresh foods. This includes:

• fruits and vegetables;
• whole grains;
• legumes;
• raw seeds and nuts;
• cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna;
• free-range poultry; and
• plenty of water.

Fruits

Consume fresh, in-season fruits whenever possible. Try to eat locally grown fruits in season, as they’ll be fresher and riper, and be sure to wash all fresh fruits before eating them. Eat the fruits whole so you retain the nutrients in the skin. That means no fruit juices…too much sugar.

Vegetables

Try to eat a combination of raw and steamed vegetables. They’re fresh and contain the highest levels of vitamins. Wash your vegetables well, and leave the skin intact because it is loaded with nutrients.

Legumes

Think beans and peas. Legumes are excellent sources of low-fat protein, particularly when combined with whole grains. They’re also great sources of fiber, and their complex carbohydrates are broken down slowly in the body.

Whole Grains

Whole grains contain fiber, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins such as B complex and E, and numerous minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese. They are also excellent sources of lignans, plant chemicals that act like mild estrogens in women, helping balance your estrogen levels, thus contributing to weight loss. Stick to brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa.

Fish/Poultry

Both fish and poultry are excellent sources of high-quality protein. Many types of fish are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for controlling numerous reproductive and inflammatory processes. Because of this, fish such as salmon, tuna, and halibut can be eaten two to three times a week as entrées.

Water

Water is not only a natural weightloss secret, but is also the best natural skin care secret around. Water facilitates toxin elimination, helps you maintain healthy glowing skin, and acts as an appetite suppressant. For optimal hydration, you need at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day,apart from any other liquids you’re drinking.

When it comes to natural weightloss and muscle building, protein is the key.

There is emerging evidence that diets higher in protein help you achieve natural weightloss, in part, by helping to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. A 2003 study from the Journal of Nutrition found that women who ate less protein had insulin levels that were 40 percent higher than those of subjects who ate a diet higher in protein. Women on the higher protein diet also enjoyed blood sugar levels that were more stable than those who ate less protein.

Also, natural weight loss plans that are higher in protein also offer a few other good health benefits. First, they tend to cut wheat, refined sugar, and sometimes dairy. However, the downside is that they can be high in cholesterol and deficient in key vitamins and minerals, especially if they limit fruit.

To offset these concerns, focus on the healthy options of these diets:

• lean proteins (chicken, fish, eggs);
• wide variety of vegetables;
• great fruits (Zone, South Beach, Sugar Busters);
• water; and
• green tea.

A quick look at three popular natural weight loss plans to help you get ready for the summer.

Every year, at right about this time, women everywhere panic at the thought of putting on a bathing suit. It never ceases to amaze me. After months of hiding under long sleeves and long pants, our bodies are now on display for all to see…for better or worse.

In this new-found panic, many women turn to the latest fad diet to drop pounds quickly. Not only is this unsafe, but these fads represent a short-lived quick fix rather than long-term, healthy, natural weightloss.

To help you navigate the maze of weight loss programs, I went back to the basics and looked at a 2000 study from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which examined eight of the top diet programs in the country. Specifically, researchers looked at the long-term impact of these diet patterns, using a standard daily caloric intake of 2,000 calories for all diets.

I decided to take the three most popular of these (Atkins, Sugar Busters, and the Zone) and help you decide which of these three natural weight loss plans is best for you.

The Atkins diet is a high protein/high fat diet that is based on the premise that weight gain and obesity are caused by insulin resistance. In an effort to circumvent these conditions, this diet restricts carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams a day. While Atkins allows women to eat unlimited amounts of meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese, it discourages consumption of fruit, bread, grains, starchy veggies like corn and carrots, refined sugar, and most dairy products.

Like Atkins, the Sugar Busters plan is high in protein; however, unlike Atkins, it recommends a more moderate fat intake. Additionally, Sugar Busters believes that “sugar is toxic” and maintains that insulin insensitivity causes obesity and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it strives to reduce high-glycemic carbohydrates in order to lower insulin levels by encouraging consumption of lean meats, eggs, most fruit, nuts, whole grains, and high-fiber, non-starchy veggies. However, it discourages eating any refined grains (such as regular potatoes, white rice, and white bread), refined sugar, root veggies, and baked goods. It does, however, allow red wine.

The Zone program is also high in protein, focusing on lean protein sources such as fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products. Like Atkins, it discourages most grains and breads, starchy veggies, and some fruit. However, unlike Atkins, the Zone allows moderately restricted carbohydrates, and advocates against eating egg yolks, red meat, most cheeses, and butter.

A quick glance at the nutritional basics (fat, protein, carbs, fiber, sugar, cholesterol) shows the following:

Atkins natural weight loss plan:

• 59% calories from fat
• 35% calories from protein
• 5% calories from carbs
• 4 grams fiber
• 8 grams sugar
• 924 grams cholesterol
  

Sugar Busters natural weight loss plan:

• 32% calories from fat
• 28% calories from protein
• 40% calories from carbs
• 24 grams fiber
• 68 grams sugar
• 280 grams cholesterol

Zone natural weight loss plan:

• 32% calories from fat
• 28% calories from protein
• 40% calories from carbs
• 18 grams fiber
• 67 grams sugar
• 264 grams cholesterol

As you can see, Sugar Busters and the Zone are fairly similar, while Atkins is off-the-charts in terms of low fiber and high cholesterol. Based on these numbers, I would suggest working with either the Sugar Busters or Zone natural weight loss plans.

The best way to keep leptin in balance is to prevent sugar spikes by following a targeted diet and using key supplements.

When it comes to diet, Dr. Ron Rosedale suggests follow a specific diet, which includes:

• Avoiding all starchy foods, such as potatoes, cereal, rice, and most pastas and bread, as well as carrots, beets, and corn.
• Eat as many vegetables (other than the ones listed above).
• Count protein, not calories. The amount of protein that you need depends on your lean body mass and activity level. Most people will require between 50–70 grams of protein per day. This is equal to four ounces of protein twice a day.
• Load up on good fats, such as nuts (six to eight at a time at the most), olives, olive oil, avocados, and guacamole are also great options.

Dr. Rosedale also suggests including some supplements to help improve leptin’s signal and increase appetite control. Be sure to take the following dosages once a day (unless otherwise indicated):

• High quality, iron-free multinutrient
• 400–500 IU of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols
• 400 mcg of chromium
• One tablespoon liquid fish oil
• 500–1,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine twice a day
• 200–300 mg alpha lipoic acid twice a day, with food

We all know the important role that insulin plays in overall health, and in natural weightloss specifically. But now we are learning that a different hormone—leptin—may play an even greater role in health and weight loss than insulin.

Studies have shown that leptin regulates your brain’s hypothalamic activity, which in turn regulates much of your “autonomic” functions—those functions that regulate body temperature, heart rate, hunger, the stress response, fat burning or storage, and blood sugar levels. Another very recent study also reveals leptin’s importance in directly regulating how much sugar your liver manufactures.

In other words, leptin is directly related to conditions such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, etc. It does this by telling other hormones, such as insulin and female hormones, whether or not to turn on maintenance and repair mechanisms, as well as by helping to control areas of your brain that regulate thyroid levels and the sympathetic nervous system.

Are You Tuned In to Leptin?

Dr. Ron Rosedale believes people become leptin-resistant by the same general mechanism that causes people to become insulin-resistant—overexposure to high levels of the hormone.

It’s like the frog in the boiling water. If you toss a frog into boiling water, it will jump right out. But if you place the frog in warm water and gradually increase the heat, he will soon be sitting quite happily (and quite dangerously) in boiling water.

So it is with leptin. As sugar gets metabolized in fat cells, fat releases surges in leptin. Over time, those surges become so frequent and expected, that the leptin is not released…in other words, you become leptin-resistance, since the “danger signal” no longer getting through.

Once you tune back in to leptin, you “jump out of the water” so to speak. In other words, high leptin levels can now scream to your brain that you have too much fat and that you better start burning some off. Your brain can now start burning off the fat you’ve been storing, and using it for energy. Best of all, your will suppress your hunger signals and regain appetite control.

Several years ago, I met Ron Rosedale, M.D., a nationally respected physician in the field of nutritional and metabolic medicine. As we talked, I learned that it was Dr. Rosedale personal mission to eradicate type II diabetes in this country, in his lifetime. And one of the intriguing weapons in his diabetes arsenal is his work with leptin, a little known hormone that helps your cells communicate.

As Dr. Rosedale explained, leptin is a very powerful and influential hormone produced by your fat cells. It works in conjunction with insulin to control the quality of your metabolism. While insulin works mostly at the individual cell level, telling the vast majority of cells whether to burn or store fat or sugar, and how to use that energy, leptin controls the energy storage and utilization of all of the cells in your body, allowing them to communicate with your brain about how much energy (fat) you have stored, and whether you need more or should burn some off.

One of the key ways leptin controls energy storage is by controlling hunger (i.e. appetite control). Trying to restrict calories in the face of hunger is virtually impossible (and could set you up for an eating disorder). The only way to truly eat less for the long-term is to not be hungry. And the key to appetite control is to control the hormones that regulate appetite…namely leptin.

In addition to helping with appetite control, leptin can also determine where you store your fat. If you are deaf (or resistant) to leptin’s signals, you tend to lose appetite control and pack on the pounds. And, in the case of leptin resistance, these pounds tend to store in your abdomen in the form of visceral fat.

Visceral or abdominal fat is one characteristic of the “apple” body shape. And it’s very dangerous. Not only does it pack in around your organs, it is also metabolically active. It decreases insulin sensitivity (making diabetes more likely), increases triglycerides, decreases levels of good HDL cholesterol, creates more inflammation and blood clotting, and raises blood pressure—all of which increase your risk of heart disease.

The answer is to tune in leptin’s message so you can regain appetite control, lose the belly fat, and begin to enjoy healthy, natural weightloss.

If you have not heard, read, or absorbed the great research regarding nuts, then listen up. Nuts, often wrongly shunned by the fat-phobic, are a true dieter’s friend. And the BFF of the nut world is the almond.

The oil in almonds contains phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring, feel-good brain chemical that works as a natural metabolism booster. Phenylethylamine revs up your metabolism and is thought to play a role in improving your mood and energy, both of which are important in controlling your eating.

Plus, nuts provide good, healthy fats that help you gain appetite control and reestablish healthy leptin levels. When going nuts, choose raw options and remember that quantity is key. Stick to a handful rather than a bag-ful.