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THE KEYS TO BETTER BRAIN HEALTH
If your motivation to eat whole foods, sleep more, move more, and stress less is purely to look good or to lose weight, I want to challenge you to change your way of thinking. The food we consume, the activity we do (or don’t do), and the consistency and quality of our sleep now can impact our lives forever. Even if we are more (or less) genetically predisposed to various behaviors, lifestyle behaviors will always matter – even if you can’t always see the benefits right away.
There are many intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact neuron creation and growth within the brain – an important predictor of overall brain health. For some factors such as age or genetic conditions, we have little control over while other factors such as diet, exercise, and stress reduction are significantly involved and also relatively controllable (1).
DEMYSTIFYING CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is likely one of the most feared and misunderstood markers when it comes to our health and lab work. We see doctors concerned when cholesterol is too high, but never talk about the concerns that can arise if cholesterol is too low. Cholesterol is a good thing and just like many things when it comes to health, we want to see cholesterol in the right ranges. Not too high, and not too low. Cholesterol is crucial for making hormones, creating strong but flexible cell membranes, supporting our neurotransmitters and helps us absorb vitamin D.
Cholesterol comes from two places- exogenous (what we eat) and endogenous (what our bodies manufacture on its own). It is estimated that roughly 80% of cholesterol is manufactured in our liver. The body is always aiming to find balance and is typically really good at doing so. It regulates cholesterol output, meaning, if we are getting more cholesterol from dietary sources, it slows down production of cholesterol from the liver. However, this feedback loop doesn’t always work the way it should. Situations that could affect this feedback loop usually come down to lifestyle and dietary choices. In the cases of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and chronic inflammation and/ or adrenal dysfunction (think chronic stress), we can see this feedback loop not working properly, thus, ending up with high blood levels of cholesterol.
Let’s dive into what you see in your routine labs when it comes to cholesterol…
STAYING ON TRACK WITH YOUR GOALS POST HOLIDAY SEASON
Did you know that by mid-January, a large population of (about 80%) people abandon their “New Year's Resolutions”? I’d argue that primary reasons for this include a combination of setting unrealistic expectations and not having a strong “why” behind the goal in the first place.
Having a strong “why” such as “I want to lose weight so that I can keep up with my kids on vacation and have the energy to make those memories that will last a lifetime” will likely carry a lot more meaning than “fitting into that bikini you wore in college”? Make sense?
If you didn’t set a New Year’s Resolution, this still applies to you. Goal-setting is an important part of success. So, whether you are looking for a better way to set realistic goals or you are coming off of “Dry January” or “Whole 30”, let’s review a few ways to do this in a way that supports your goal in the long-run...
Tidings of Comfort & Joy: Emotional eating part 1
Emotional eating (or as I often call it, comfort eating), is a topic that is deeply misunderstood and uncomfortable for many of us to talk about. We joke about “eating our feelings” after a breakup or diving headfirst into a pint of ice cream after a rough work week. We often feel guilt and shame for using food as a tool to comfort ourselves. But at the same time most of us ignore the WHY behind our actions and fail to look for the lesson in the behaviors. So today we’ll take a look at comfort eating from the scientific perspective so as to understand the driving forces behind this behavior. Next week we’ll talk about how to use what we know about emotional eating to make better decisions for our bodies and minds without shame or judgment.
MORE EVIDENCE THAT MEAL TIMING MATTERS
If you frequent this blog, there’s no doubt that you know “calories are king (and/or queen)”. When it comes to weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance, energy balance is what dictates the body's response to its respective environment.
You also know that calories are not all that matter.
We at Level TEN pride ourselves on focusing heavily on biofeedback; things like sleep, digestion, energy levels, etc. As such, we also recognize that there is more to “optimizing” your nutrition. We have to consider WHAT you are eating, not just how much. And it’s also becoming more and more clear, from a scientific standpoint, that WHEN you eat can also play a role.
MAKING PEACE WITH THE SCALE
Most of us exist in one of two camps around the scale. There’s the camp that swears up and down that the scale is a useless piece of plastic and we should avoid it at all costs and/or smash it with a hammer (I used to be in this camp!). On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the camp that believes the scale is the best tool we have to evaluate if what we’re doing is “working” and we can and should use it to base our decisions and emotional well being off of. If we’re honest, most of us are either terrified of being confronted by the number at the doctor’s office, or we completely obsess about if it went up or down on any given day.
But is there another option? Are there actually people out there who see the scale as just a data point? The answer is YES! But for so many of us, the scale is so emotionally fraught that it seems impossible that we could ever see it as “just a number.” What I’m here to suggest is that it IS possible to make peace with the scale - to not fear it or obsess over it. It is possible to see a number on the scale, understand it, and then move on without emotional upheaval. And I’m here to give you some practical tools to do just that.
BOX BREATHING
Box breathing, also known as square breathing or four-square breathing, is a simple yet effective technique that can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and promote relaxation. It involves deep, slow, and controlled breaths, which can help calm the mind and body, and bring you into a state of mindfulness and presence.
One of the main benefits of box breathing is that it can help regulate your breath and improve your respiratory function. By taking slow, deep breaths, you can increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your lungs and bloodstream, which can help improve your overall physical and mental well-being.
PRIORITIZING MOVEMENT WITH KIDS
Helloooo! Coach Tom here to discuss why and how we should help foster kids to learn about healthy movement.
First let’s consider some simple facts from the CDC regarding childhood obesity:
The prevalence of obesity was 19.7% and affected about 14.7 million children and adolescents. Obesity prevalence was 12.7% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 22.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds.
These are numbers that have only increased over time as well. We know that early childhood obesity can result in a number of adverse health conditions earlier in life. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and joint problems.
What’s the solution to this ever growing problem? How can we combat all the forces at play that are working against kids such as? As a parent I believe the first place to start is by setting an example and working on yourself first. Prioritizing your own health by displaying a positive relationship with food and exercise is a great way to set your kids up for future success. I can assure you future parents - that kids are most definitely “monkey see, monkey do”. As far as the fine details of nutrition for kids, I'll leave that to nutrition experts.
HOW TO TALK TO FRIENDS/FAMILY ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Have you gotten these comments before?
“That's all you're eating?”
“Are you really going back for seconds?”
“That's a little extreme, don't you think?”
“Wow, you're eating that much?”
“Oh come on, live a little!”
“Can't you just skip the gym?”
“Be careful, I read/someone told me/I saw on TikTok that ____ is good/bad for you.”
Receiving unsolicited, negatively-connotated comments and feedback from those close to you can feel discouraging no matter how we dice it.
COULD YOU BE ADDICTED TO STRESS?
None of us are strangers to stress. The tight deadlines at school and work, having a full schedule, waking up early to workout, too busy to eat, running from a packed day at work to shuttling the kids around to evening activities…it’s never ending. Most of us are aware of the health implications of chronic stress, yet we can’t stop. We are told to slow down, to do less, to be more present and practice mindfulness, yet it’s so uncomfortable to implement. We feel guilty like we should be doing something. We feel bored so we pick up our phone. We don’t know how to do this “doing less thing”.
Why does this happen? Our stress hormones, such as cortisol, epinephrine and adrenaline in the short term can give us a boost of energy and can make us feel darn good for a while. These stress hormones also release dopamine. Dopamine is a “feel good” chemical in our brain. It activates the reward centers in the brain encouraging us to repeat behaviors. Overtime, we can learn to depend on this boost of hormones and neurotransmitters and it becomes our new baseline.
ALCOHOL & DIGESTION: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you’ve ever had a heavy night of drinking, you’ve probably experienced some sort of (to say it nicely) digestive distress. You may have experienced the DADS (Day After Drinking “S*$#s”), or ended up completely backed up digestively.
You might even notice that alcohol really impacts your body even long after it leaves your system. If you track your weight, you’ll also likely notice a big spike in the scale the day or few days post-booze fest.
Let’s talk about why those things happen and how alcohol impacts digestion in the short, medium, and long term.
SHOULD I SET A NEW YEAR GOAL?
It’s that time again where we start to reflect on the year that has been and the year to come. For many of us, we like to reflect on both the wins and losses with hopes to set some new goals moving forward. Hopefully, you have experienced more wins than losses and successfully achieved all of your 2022 goals. However, if that is not you, that’s okay!
Big goals take time. Big goals are not easy. But big goals are always worth it! It is my hope with this article to provide some support and tips on ways to improve your success in 2023.
Let's get started!
BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS HARD
Behavior change is hard. And unfortunately, the more “failed” attempts you have had in the past, the more difficult change usually becomes. So why is that?
One theory that is commonly used to develop and evaluate behavior change is the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). This theory has been developed by Albert Bandura to help explain why (or why not) people participate in various health-enhancing behaviors.
In this theory, there are four main components that ultimately relate to behavior change: Self-efficacy, Outcome expectations, Psychosocial factors, and Goals. Each one contributes, in some degree, to peoples’ participation and ultimately success in behavior change.
Let’s look at each one and see why they matter.
THE SCIENCE OF MOTIVATION & APPLYING IT TO HABITS
Motivation has been anecdotally referred to as the “secret sauce” for seeing, and keeping, results in the fitness journey. Influencers, coaches, and athletes alike “make it look so easy” because they seem constantly motivated. By similar logic, lack of motivation is often the scapegoat for stalls in progress. So what is the science behind motivation? Is it really a prerequisite for sustaining a healthy lifestyle? Let’s dive in.
YOUR BRAIN ON A DIET: COGNITIVE DIETARY RESTRAINT
Many of us have “dieted for decades,” yet continue to struggle with unwanted weight gain and the negative health consequences that can come with it. We constantly feel restricted around food, that we can’t have our cake OR eat it, and we are always saying “no” to foods we love.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I’m always on a diet, but I can never seem to lose weight,” or are a person who feels like you’re constantly food deprived, but can never see the physical results you want from all of the effort you put into dieting, this might be for you.
Today we’re talking about the concept of Cognitive Dietary Restraint. And while it might sound like stuffy research terminology, it could have major implications for you and your body.
STOMACH ACID: WHY YOU NEED IT & SIGNS YOU MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH
So…why do we need stomach acid?
Digestion starts in the brain and mouth, but there is so much more that goes into the digestive process to properly absorb nutrients and experience smooth digestion. After chewing food and swallowing, the first stop in the digestive process is your stomach. Here your body secretes what is called HCL (hydrochloric acid), also known as stomach acid. The main purpose of HCL is to further breakdown food and liquify it so the body can better absorb nutrients from the food that we eat. It’s also an incredibly important step in the breakdown of protein into smaller peptide chains and amino acids. Stomach acid also helps us absorb some key nutrients such as iron, copper, magnesium and B vitamins.
IS SITTING REALLY THE NEW SMOKING?
Simply put, NO!
Smoking is terrible for you and while titles like the one above might catch your attention, they are pretty misleading based on the research.
Well, now that we have answered that question, let's take a few minutes to examine why some people claim sitting is as bad as smoking and what we can do to combat these issues.
So first, if you are sitting down while reading this, you might want to stand up. And no, not because the information isn’t shocking enough that you need to be seated, it is just more likely you have been sitting for a while and your body and mind could use the break (and no, not a smoke break either).
Currently, research (based on objective measurements of activity) suggests that adults spend roughly 60% of their time doing sedentary activities – activities that typically involve sitting or lying down (1). And while you might be thinking there is no way you are that “sedentary” because you exercise multiple times a week or you go for regular walks, if you look at the numbers, it is actually not that hard to be sedentary more than 60% of your week. For example, assuming you sleep 8 hours a night (which you should) and then you work a 9-5 job, that is primarily at a desk, you have already been laying or sitting 57% of the hours in the week. Then, if you are like me and enjoy a good movie here and there or a good sports game, the hours that we are sitting or lying down can quickly add up.
WHAT IS “WATER WEIGHT” & WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
Water retention and weight fluctuations go hand in hand - most people understand that. But why? Why are you feeling “puffier” than usual? Why is your scale weight up a few lbs from day to day even when you’re executing your training and nutrition protocols properly?
GUT HEALTH FOR ATHLETES
Did you know that optimizing overall gut health has the potential to improve athletic performance?
The human gut microbiome has been a growing area of research and studies have shown that there is a complex relationship between diet, exercise and the gut microbiome.
It has been shown that dietary interventions can alter the gut microbiome in as short as 24 hours and quantity, timing, and nutrient composition of various foods and nutrients can alter the growth of various species!
ALCOHOL & ANXIETY: DOES IT REALLY TAKE THE EDGE OFF?
Pop culture would have us believe that the cure for any negative emotion - worry, anxiety, sadness, stress, or even a traumatic event - is having a strong drink. Watching movies or TV these days shows how we as a society view the relationship between alcohol and negative emotions.
Bad day at work? Pour a glass of whiskey.
Long day with screaming kiddos? A couple glasses of wine will take the edge off.
Nervous on a first date? A pitcher of margaritas will do the trick.
Unfortunately, our culture has this relationship backwards. Instead of making anxiety better, treating discomfort with a drink can actually make our negative emotions and physical sensations worse in the short and long run - even if we don’t suffer from alcoholism.