Tag Archives: Candida Treatment

Questions & Answers

What’s The Connection Between Stress And Food Cravings?

There’s a connection between stress, appetite, and sugar intake.

A study in 2001 took a look at this issue. The researchers exposed 59 premenopausal women to stress on one day and then had them experience a low-stress day. The caloric consumption on the stressful and non-stressful days were recorded. Some of the women had a very high cortisol spike on the stressful day. These participants were called super reactors. In contrast, there are some people who are “low reactors” to stress.

It makes the point that it’s often not the stressor that’s the biggest problem; it’s the reaction to it.

The women with the highest cortisol spikes in response to stress had the highest calorie consumption. The calories came primarily from sweet foods.

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In other words, life events can trigger physiological reactions in the body that lead to sugar cravings. People who are highly stressed often make the wrong call when it comes to food and drink choices. They reach for sweet foods. They reach for soda pop.

The take-home message is that it’s essential to not only reduce the stress in your life but also to manage how you react to that stress. It’s not possible to eliminate all stress, but you don’t have to deal with life by eating a box of donuts.

I recommend finding a way to compartmentalize your stressors, so they don’t invade all aspects of your life. Find ways to relax and keep your cortisol levels in the normal range.

High cortisol is associated with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. It’s clearly important to ensure that you’re living a low-stress life.

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Questions & Answers

What really causes weight gain? Your genes, your diet, or your gut?

Genes, joules, or gut bugs: which one is the most to blame when it comes to weight gain?

Joules are just a measure of calories, so the question becomes, what makes people fat? Is it genetics? Is it the number of calories they’re eating, or is it the bacteria in their gut?
It turns out that genetics doesn’t explain weight gain to any significant degree. About 100 genes have been linked to obesity so far. Scientists have determined that only 3% of weight is explained by your genes.

When it comes to gut bacteria, you can lose a bit of weight just by taking probiotics alone. But it’s a very subtle shift in weight that occurs when you improve your gut bacteria. Not insignificant but not enough to be the answer to the obesity epidemic.

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If we look at the kilojoules or the calories in the diet, it’s a totally different ball game. Years ago, they wondered if you took 10% of the calories out of someone’s diet, would they lose 10% of their body weight? And that’s exactly what’s been demonstrated.

In one study of 117 healthy adults, weight loss was found to be commensurate with how many calories were removed from the diet.

The bottom line is that what you eat is the prime determinant of your weight. It’s not the genes; it’s not the gut bugs; it’s the calories that determine your weight.

If you want to lose weight, you need to look at what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, and why you eat. Stress is an important consideration, as well. Remember that the stress hormone cortisol can increase your appetite and trigger cravings for high-calorie foods. Studies have shown that there is a huge difference in calorie consumption, depending on whether you’re in a low-stress or high-stress state.

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Questions & Answers

Vitamin C And Weight Loss: What’s The Connection?

Can vitamin C help you lose weight?

A study from the mid-2000s demonstrated that vitamin C has a definite effect on burning fat (thermogenesis) in some people.

When people have adequate vitamin C stores, their ability to burn off body fat is 30% higher compared to people with low vitamin C stores.

The benefits of vitamin C aren’t new. Look at the work by Mathias Rath and Dr. Linus Pauling, who got two Nobel prizes, I believe. Dr. Pauling was ridiculed by scientists for many years, but one day his work on vitamin C will be vindicated.

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Vitamin C has a profound effect on the adrenal system. One of the highest levels of ascorbic acid in the human body is found in the adrenal cortex. An expert once told me that vitamin C used to be measured in the body by measuring the levels in the adrenal gland.

The body needs sufficient ascorbic acid levels to produce adrenal hormones such as the stress hormone, cortisol. You can extrapolate from that that low vitamin c levels might contribute to adrenal exhaustion. The fatigue associated with adrenal dysfunction can promote weight gain as it interferes with normal physical activity and can lead to snacking on high-calorie foods.

Vitamin C has a role in immune function, energy levels, skin integrity, and thermogenesis. That’s why I recommend people keep their vitamin C intake high. Make sure you include ample vitamin-C rich foods in your diet.

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Questions & Answers

What You Need To Know About Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)

Medium-chain fatty acids are derived from natural substances. Caprylic acid and capric acid are the two main MCTs and are found in coconut fat.

MCTs are easily absorbed by the body because these types of fats don’t require bile for digestion. I believe MCTs get absorbed straight into the portal vein, where it is shunted to the liver for processing. For that reason, MCTs don’t seem to cause the same weight gain as other fats that go through typical digestive processes.

You also need a lot less MCT or coconut oil to achieve satiety compared to fats like olive oil.
A meta-analysis that included 13 different studies found that regular ingestion of MCTs was associated with a ½ pound weight loss and a small decrease in waist circumference.

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MCTs can help you lose a small amount of weight. Still, they are not the be-all and end-all. You shouldn’t take MCT supplements and expect to transform your body.

If you’re serious about weight loss, I suggest focusing on increasing your protein intake while reducing your caloric consumption. Avoid crappy food and exercise more.

Still, having a small amount of MCTs in your diet has some value. MCTs are antifungal and can help control yeast levels in your gut.

My preference is to consume whole coconut rather than a fractionated product made from coconut oil. However, it’s your decision. You may prefer to take the supplement.

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Questions & Answers

Household Cleaners And Body Weight: What’s The Connection?

There’s an important impact of cleaning agents on the gut bacteria of infants.

A study was published in the Canada Medical Association Journal in 2018. The study followed 757 infants. The children were assessed at age three to four months and then again between one to three years old. Many stool samples were taken from the children.

The goal was to see if changes in gut bacteria are associated with household chemicals. The researchers look at cleansing agents such as strong surface cleaners, aerosols, and sprays. They looked at cleaning agents that were eco-friendly and more traditional cleaning agents.

Children in homes that used traditional cleansing agents had a lot fewer bacteria, particularly with regards to Haemophilus and Clostridia strains. In contrast, other strains of bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae were increased.

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They also discovered that children from households that used a lot of surface cleaners and chemical products had higher BMIs than children from homes using eco-friendly cleaning products.
Remember, though, that diet can be a confounding factor. As you can well imagine, children coming from the eco-friendly cleansing households were a lot less likely to eat pizzas, French fries, and soda pop.

I can’t stand it when you walk in some houses, and it smells of chemicals. If I ever go into an Airbnb or a hotel room, and I can smell something, I walk out.

Be careful of cleaning agents, including using wet wipes to clean your children’s hands frequently. There’s something to be said for leaving healthy bacteria alone.

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