HEALTHY LIVING TIPS

As a stay at home mother of two young, energetic boys I always thought that constantly being tired was just part of the job. By two o’clock each afternoon, all I wanted to do was get them to nap and lay down on the couch to regroup. Often, by the time I fell asleep, they were ready to get up so I was operating on automatic pilot, barely able to play with them outside, get their dinner on the table and do their baths before collapsing myself.

Then finally, after a conversation with my doctor, I realized that my constant and debilitating fatigue was not normal. Neither was my adult acne problem, hair loss and weight problem. My symptoms, I learned, were a result of a condition known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.

As it turns out, PCOS and fatigue are both linked to an imbalance of the endocrine system and are characterized by an excess of male hormones. Fatigue, a symptom commonly associated with PCOS, is also closely linked to the thyroid and adrenal glands. At the heart of both of these issues, however, is a disorder known as Insulin Resistance.

Insulin Resistance, a condition that vastly reduces the insulin sensitivity of cells, impairs the processing of glucose through the cell wall for conversion to energy. As a result, glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated blood sugar, which is sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity, also key factors in women with PCOS.

To add insult to injury, fatigue frequently causes women with PCOS to treat their low energy with carbs and caffeine, which dumps more glucose into the blood in a never-ending spiral of weight gain and increasing insulin and glucose levels. As fatigue and insulin resistance worsen, excess fat cells produce too much of another hormone, estrogen.

Stress is another contributor to both fatigue and PCOS. Although the original purpose of the stress response was to provide a momentary burst of energy in order to fight or run away, stress has become a continual presence in our lives today. Cortisol, the hormone produced by the adrenal glands when we are stressed, is vital to our functioning as long as it is in appropriate amounts. During stress, excess cortisol causes an increase in glucose and insulin to enable our muscles and heart to handle the stress. But with today’s stressors we don’t respond like early humans. We don’t utilize the glucose by running or fighting and so the glucose stays elevated. Excess levels of cortisol can contribute to Insulin Resistance as well as other hormonal imbalances.

Because I was always so embarrassed to talk about what I classified as “failures” as a mother and adult woman, I never thought that I might actually have a condition that I could reverse. As it turns out, there are several things I could do, the most effective of which was to try Insulite Laboratories’ 5 Element System to reverse the symptoms caused by PCOS. Combining nutrition, exercise, vitamins, support and awareness programs, Insulite Labs works with you to make the changes necessary to create a whole new you… one with lots of energy and renewed outlook on life.

By: Heather Bishara

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CYLAPRIL WEIGHT LOSS

Caffeine addiction is the same as any other addiction. This is because caffeine is a powerful drug and giving it up successfully requires dedication, planning and organisation. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate as well as common medications for headaches and menstrual cramps. One of the most common reasons people have caffeine is for an energy boost. However, the manner in which caffeine works (by stimulating the adrenal gland to release adrenalin for an instant pick-up) means that over time, caffeine has the opposite effect. It gradually wears out your body and cells and leads to chronic tiredness and depletion of the adrenal glands.

If you have been consuming more than three to four cups of coffee (250-500mg caffeine) per day, then chances are you will have caffeine withdrawal symptoms when you decide to kick the habit. These can range between mild headaches, fatigue, intense cravings for caffeine, increased sweating, anxiety and constipation. If you make it through this period of discomfort (usually 2-4 days), you are likely to find that your energy improves far more than when you were having caffeine. This is the pay-off, but it takes a little time to get there.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do and take that assist you in your efforts to kick the caffeine habit once and for all.

· Gradual reduction or cold turkey? This is only a question that you can answer. But first ask yourself; are you an ‘all or nothing’ person? If you answered yes, then chances are you will need to go cold turkey. If you prefer things in moderation, then a better strategy for you would be to reduce your intake gradually over a few weeks. There is no doubt that reducing intake gradually will result in fewer side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

· Help to reduce caffeine cravings with tyrosine. This amino acid works on the central nervous system to increase levels of dopamine – the neurotransmitter involved in addictions and pleasure. This is also effective with any withdrawal from an addiction (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, gambling and so on). Use it according to dosage instructions. Its best taken on an empty stomach.

· Avoid settings that you usually have a coffee in – morning tea in the cafeteria, meeting friends in cafes. These outings only need to be avoided in the beginning while you don’t feel fully in control.

· Have replacements on hand. If you usually make coffee first thing in the morning, have a hot water and lemon drink instead, or a herbal tea. If you typically have a caffeine drink at morning tea, have a herbal tea, juice or smoothie. You will soon notice that making a coffee or tea was simply a ritual that you did at certain times of the day. If you can do something in place of that ritual, you won’t feel so deprived.

Please note: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a personal relationship with a qualified health practitioner nor is it intended as medical advice.

By: Alison Cassar

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ADRENAL WEIGHT LOSS

Are the following symptoms familiar to you?

• Tendency to gain weight and unable to loose it, especially around the waist.

• High frequency of getting the flu and other respiratory disease.

• Tendency to tremble when under pressure.

• Reduced sex drive.

• Lightheaded when rising from a laying down position.

• Unable to remember things.

• Lack of energy in the mornings and also in the afternoon between 3 to 5 pm.

• Often feel tired between 9 – 10 pm, but resist going to bed.

• Need coffee or stimulants to get going in the morning.

• Crave for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat and cheese.

• Increase symptoms of PMS for women; period are heavy and then stop, or almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th or 6th day.

• Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reason.

If many of these symptoms are familiar to you, you may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue has a broad spectrum yet somewhat non-specific set of symptoms, which makes it easy for doctors to miss.

The adrenal glands are two small glands, located at the top of the kidneys. Their main function is to help the body cope with stress and help it survive.

Each adrenal gland has two compartments. The inner or medulla, modulate the sympathetic nervous system through secretion and regulation of two hormones called epinephrine and nor epinephrine that are responsible for the fight or flight response. The outer adrenal cortex comprises 80 percent of the adrenal gland and is responsible for producing over 50 different types of hormones. One of which is called cortisol. When our cortisol is lowered, our body is unable to deal with stress.

When a person experiences chronic stress, the cortisol level may rise to such a high level that its production reduces as the adrenal becomes exhausted. When this happens, DHEA, a hormone normally produced in the adrenal glands, starts to decrease.

Our adrenals after time cannot keep up with the increased demand for cortisol production. In response, cortisol output is therefore reduced.

Eventually our adrenals become totally exhausted.

But don’t despair. The good news is that adrenal fatigue can be reversed. It takes between six months to two years for the recover process to take place. To start, try these steps:

1. Remove life stressors. Look at what is causing stress in your life and find ways to work with them if not remove them.

2. Sleep. Get plenty of sleep. Try going to bed by at least 10 p.m. before the adrenal glands kick in its ‘second wind’ keeping us up between 11 p.m. and 1 p.m. This is also the time our adrenals work the hardest.

3. Avoid caffeine if possible. Try herbal teas or decaf coffee. Caffeine can interrupt your sleep patterns.

4. Exercise. Exercise reduces depression, increases blood flow and normalizes levels of cortisol, insulin, blood glucose, and helps with your thyroid

5. Nutritional Supplements. Supplements such as DHEA at 15 to 30 mg helps. Vitamin C, 500 mg to 3,000 mg; Vitamin B5, 900 to 1,500 mg; Vitamin E, 400 to 800 I.U; Beta-Carotene, 10,000 to 25,000 I.U.

6. Diet. Combine unrefined carbohydrates (whole grains) with protein and oils (nuts and seeds) at most meals—olive, walnut, fiber, flax and high-quality fish oil. Eat regular meals, chew food well, and eat by 10 AM and again for lunch. Avoid any hydrogenated fats, caffeine, chocolate, white carbohydrates, and junk foods. Diets should have a heavy emphasis on vegetables.

By: R. Fredriksen

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CYLAPRIL WEIGHT LOSS

If you tend to hold excess weight in your lower belly – as what some people call a stomach “pooch”, you may be perpetuating the problem with your exercise program! Although exercise is an important part of any weight loss program, too much and/or the wrong kind of exercise for certain people can actually prevent them from losing their belly fat.

The adrenals are small glands that sit on top of the kidneys (”adrenal” translates to “on top of the kidney”). Alhough they are small, the adrenal glands are powerful organs and produce hormones involved in many functions. The most familiar of the adrenal horomones is probably adrenaline (also called epinephrine). As you are probably aware, adrenaline is produced in response to stress or fear and mobilizes the body for “flight or fight” responses by raising blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing, and by diverting blood flow to the muscles for fast action. Adrenaline also promotes the burning of fat for energy, so adrenal function can promote weight loss during short periods of physical or even emotional stress.

The adrenal glands produce another hormone that can promote weight gain though. This hormone is called cortisol, and it tends to cause the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. Unlike adrenaline which is produced for only short periods of time, the adrenal glands can produce cortisol long-term. This means that any fat-burning effects from adrenaline will be overcome in the long-run by the fat-storing effects of cortisol. From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. For human cultures in which the primary source of stress is physical stress, this fat storage can help keep people alive during extended periods of living under harsh conditions. The problem is, mental/emotional stress will elevate cortisol levels too, and for individuals who lead particularly stressful lives, the continued high cortisol levels will likely stimulate lower belly fat deposition.

So what does this have to do with exercise? Well, for someone who is under chronic emotional stress and whose adrenal glands are constantly overworked, their cortisol production is already high and their ability to produce adrenaline has been largely exhausted. If you add a lot of strenuous exercise into the mix, the result is more cortisol production. As the cortisol levels increase, there is a greater and greater tendency to store fat in the lower abdomen.

Many people in this situation who are determined to lose weight will see their inability to lose weight as an indication that they need to exercise harder and more often. These people may be able to continue to lose weight in general, because if you are burning more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, but they never are able to eliminate that lower belly fat. So they work out even harder, but the belly fat remains – and they become more and more fatigued and actually begin to lose strength in the muscles of the arms and legs.

Why would somone lose strength in the muscles in the arms and legs? Isn’t exercise supposed to build muscle? Well, cortisol not only stores fat in the lower abdomen, it also stimulates the breakdown of muscle and other tissue to use for immediate energy needs. So the more determined a person is to exercise away the belly fat, the more cortisol is produced, and as we said a moment ago, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, only in this case the weight being lost is muscle and not fat!

The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it’s own tissues for energy – but there’s no reduction in that lower abdomen fat deposit that the body holds in reserve.

So what should a person with this problem do to lose that lower stomach “pooch”? Well, first of all it is important to figure out if you actually fall into this category, because with the exception of someone who has high cortisol production and overworked adrenals, vigorous exercise is still one of the most effective weight loss measures one can take.

Someone with a high cortisol problem will have a certain collection of signs and symptoms. First, as we’ve mentioned several times already, the excess weight is deposited almost exclusively in the lower abdomen. The weight would create a sagging area just below the waistline. As we’ve already stated, there may be loss of muscle in the arms and legs, and this might be visibly noticable, or it may manifest simply as an inability to build strength in these muscles. In addition, people with adrenal fatigue and high cortisol may have a collection of symptoms that could include chronic fatigue, cravings for salty foods, a need for caffeine or other stimulants just to stay awake during the day, swelling in the lower legs, dizziness when arising quickly from a seated position, numerous arthritic problems, cramps in the calves at night, and waking up frequently in the middle of the night.

If you do fall into this category of adrenal fatigue / high cortisol, exercise is still important, but you want the kind of exercise that helps you to handle stress, not exercise that creates additional stress. For someone with overworked adrenals, the best type of exercise is relatively low-intensity aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes about 3 times per week. Aerobic exercise is activity you are able to do without becoming out of breath and without being totally exhausted afterwards. Among the options for this type of exercise are walking, bicycling, swimming, yoga, tai chi, and low-intensity aerobics. Exercising outdoors seems to be particularly beneficial for stress reduction, and subsequently cortisol reduction, at least when there are no extremes of temperature to deal with. Besides changing to a lighter form of exercise, nutritionally it is helpful to be careful to eat plenty of protein in order to spare muscle tissue. This is easily accomplished by most people, but if you’ve been drastically cutting calories to lose weight, you are probably actually working against yourself. To reduce muscle breakdown, 3 to 4 ounces of animal proteins from eggs, dairy, fish, meat, or poultry per meal (3 meals per day) is usually a good amount. If you are a vegan, just make sure to eat plenty of beans, nuts, seeds, and other high-protein foods. If you’ve been working out like crazy to try to get rid of that belly fat, but all you’ve managed to accomplish was feeling tired, weak, and sore, by reducing the intensity of your workouts and controlling stress better, you’ll likely find that the belly fat gradually shrinks away and you’ll look and feel great!



By: George Best

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