I hope you are keeping well. In this article, I will discuss a hot topic: How to lower your cholesterol.
Let’s dive in…
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance produced in the liver. We also get a small amount (roughly 20%) of cholesterol from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Cholesterol is an essential substance in the body with several different roles:
Forms the basic building block for hormones like cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Reacts with sunlight on the skin to create vitamin D.
Provides structure to every single cell membrane in the body.
Used to repair damaged tissues in the body.
Helps create bile in the liver to aid fat digestion.
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein).
The HDL form is often called “good” cholesterol and the LDL “bad” but this is too simplistic. The truth is we need the right levels of both types of cholesterol.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
When a doctor says you have high cholesterol, it is important to clarify exactly what they mean.
You might have high levels of HDL and normal levels of LDL, high levels of both, or high levels of LDL and low HDL. The ratio between the two types is important – you need to know what you are dealing with.
High cholesterol can be caused by:
Familial hypercholesterolemia: This is an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol.
Chronic inflammation: Inflammation causes internal damage to cells and tissues. Your body has to produce more cholesterol to help deal with this.
Stress: Cortisol, your main stress hormone, is manufactured from cholesterol. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol you have to make so the higher your cholesterol.
Underactive thyroid: Low thyroid function can slow cholesterol clearance through the liver and bowel.
Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause lead to an overall increase in cholesterol in menopausal women (Currie & Williams, 2008).
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so prevention is critical.
Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
High cholesterol does not usually occur on its own. It is a symptom of an underlying cause, like chronic inflammation, underactive thyroid, or diabetes. It is important to explore what else is happening in the body so you can deal with all the issues, not just high cholesterol.
Your doctor will most likely check your cholesterol alongside triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are how your body stores fats. If you have high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides, you are at risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. And what is the common thread amongst all these conditions? Chronic inflammation!
‘The cause of chronic diseases is chronic and unresolved inflammation… Instead of cholesterol, targeting and treatment of inflammation will lower the side effects of chronic disorders.’
Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Reduce Cholesterol?
Research shows that soluble fiber from foods such as oats, vegetables, and certain fruits can lower cholesterol (Ghavami et al, 2023). But these are not the only foods that are helpful; many more foods have anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients to support cholesterol balance.
This is why I created Eat Burn Sleep. I have done all the research and meal planning for you so you can step straight into your anti-inflammatory lifestyle and enjoy your best health.
There are many wonderful foods to choose from in our program! We have hundreds of recipes for breakfasts, lunches, evening meals, snacks, and drinks. Each meal includes key nutrients that tackle inflammation and support energy, immunity, gut health, heart health, hormone balance, and more.
If you are taking medication for high cholesterol, I recommend you speak to your doctor before making any diet and lifestyle changes. A combination of treatments can be more effective than a single one, and you might need to take a lower dose of medication. We frequently hear from members at Eat Burn Sleep that medical professionals want to know what lifestyle they are following because of their remission success!
If you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, I suggest you start with the 6-week reset. There are meal plans and food lists to guide you through the diet, alongside movement videos and guided relaxation sessions to support your physical and mental well-being.
What do our Members say?
We get amazing feedback and reviews from our Members every day. This is what EBS Member Jill says about her experience:
“Following Yalda’s low inflammation lifestyle has changed everything for me. My CBCs come back showing no cholesterol issues, I don’t have active arthritis anymore, I rarely have eczema flare-ups and I’ve lost almost 40lbs over the past 2 years of following Eat Burn Sleep.”
And Mona:
“I started the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle in March 2020, and in June, I went for a blood test.
My cholesterol last year in June 2019 was 247, this year it went down to 233. I was so excited and more motivated.
This is the first time in years my cholesterol went down.
Usually, my cholesterol will increase every year and I refuse to take medication. I also have a very high family history of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. I got so tired of other diets and decided to change my lifestyle, nothing worked for me in the past.
This lifestyle worked. I feel better and more energetic. Thank you Yalda!”
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
It doesn’t matter who you are, your age, or your resilience, we all cry and need to cry.
It’s an essential release for grief, sadness, stress, anger, happiness, sentimentality, and tiredness.
Sometimes though, we can cry for no obvious reason and wonder what is going on with ourselves!
So many people tell me they feel like crying and don’t know why. They say they have a good life, many great friends, a wonderful family, and good health. They are flummoxed because they have lots to look forward to and cannot understand why they burst out crying at any moment.
In this post, I am going to explain one of the biggest reasons why people often feel like crying for no obvious reason.
Why Do You Feel Like Crying For No Reason?
Firstly, if you often feel like crying and don’t know why, you are not alone. It is a common problem for many people, along with poor gut health and inflammation. You may have heard me talk about the two-way link between the brain and the gut. This link is a “super-highway” of nerves connecting your brain and gut, and they constantly transmit information.
Do you recognize the need to nip to the bathroom before a public speaking event? Or get ‘butterflies’ in your stomach before meeting someone? That’s your brain-gut connection at work!
And if your gut-brain connection is out of balance, it may be the reason why you feel like crying.
How Does Gut Health Affect Mood?
Your gut microbiome contains over 100 trillion microorganisms. One of their many tasks is to produce chemical messengers called neurotransmitters for mental health.
These include:
Serotonin – the happy hormone
Dopamine – pleasure and motivation hormone
GABA – for calming the mind
Melatonin – the sleep hormone
If your gut can’t produce the right amounts of these hormones because of inflammation or an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, your emotions can be affected.
What Affects Gut Health?
Gut health can be affected by:
Stress: This is the most common cause of gut problems. Chronic stress disrupts every stage of the digestive process, leading to an imbalance in gut bacteria, aka gut dysbiosis.
Antibiotics: These powerful drugs don’t discriminate between good and bad bacteria. If you’re taking antibiotics or have a history of using them, it is wise to do everything possible to support gut health.
Poor sleep
Over-exercising
Alcohol
Poor dietary choices: Gut bacteria are sensitive to sugar, artificial sweeteners, additives, emulsifiers, and other ingredients in Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs).
So, the next time you feel like crying and can’t explain why, consider your gut. Is it time for a microbiome reset?
Gut Health, Sleep, and Mood
As well as being the “happy hormone”, serotonin is also a precursor for melatonin, the sleep hormone. This is why poor gut health can affect both mood and the quality of your sleep.
You might find yourself in a vicious circle with poor gut health and lack of sleep because each affects the other. And both of them can make you feel like crying for no reason! The best thing to do is improve your gut health while upgrading your sleep habits. Working on both aspects creates a positive spiral that will, in a short time, help you feel more emotionally stable.
What Is the Best Diet for Mood Balance?
I always advocate for a lifestyle change rather than just a diet because how you move and think affects your gut health as much as food does.
I recommend an anti-inflammatory lifestyle based around:
Foods that support blood sugar regulation and a healthy gut microbiome.
Anti-inflammatory foods.
Foods that supply brain nutrients like omega-3, B vitamins, and antioxidants.
Gentle daily movement.
A positive mindset.
Daily relaxation and stress management.
A balanced microbiota in the gut lowers chronic inflammation and promotes mental well-being.
It may seem obvious now, but many people are surprised to learn why they feel like crying when all is good in their world. But in the same way that your gut bacteria can make you happy, an imbalance in the microbiome can impact your emotions in a less-than-positive way.
It is why gastrointestinal disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’s Disease often cause depression and anxiety.
Improving gut health improves brain health.
It’s science!
Want to read more about this topic? You might enjoy:
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
This article is about safe ways to detox your liver for weight loss. There are so many unsafe supplements online and crazy detox hacks on social media that are not good for your health at all.
Most liver detox and weight loss supplements have not been tested in clinical trials, and some products don’t even contain what they claim!
So, this post is about the signs that your liver needs attention, why some liver detoxes are dangerous, how to help your liver, and how to lose weight safely.
What Does The Liver Do?
The liver is the second largest organ in the body and it sits under the right-hand side of your ribs. It has over 500 essential functions that help support metabolism and weight balance, immune health, digestion, detoxification, and vitamin storage.
How Does The Liver Become Overburdened?
Your liver is very efficient at detoxification but certain things make it work even harder, such as:
Taking several different medications.
Some supplements.
Recreational drugs.
Alcohol.
Caffeine.
Gut dysbiosis causes more toxins and harmful metabolites to flow to the liver.
Chemical exposure. They are everywhere! In toiletries, make-up, air fresheners, candles, detergents, furniture, and furnishings.
Signs of an Overloaded Liver
We each have a unique response to a sluggish liver. Here are some of the common signs you might notice when it’s time for a gentle liver detox:
Fatigue.
Poor fat digestion due to low bile production.
Weight gain.
Nausea.
Hot flashes. The liver is responsible for detoxifying our hormones. Sluggish liver function may contribute to hormonal symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Irregular periods.
Dark urine.
Swellings in the legs.
Yellow in the whites of the eyes.
Skin rashes and itching. Toxins can build up and cause inflammation. Itching could also indicate liver disease, so check in with your doctor.
Acne.
Do Liver Detox Supplements Work?
When it comes to supplements you must look past the clever marketing slogans and investigate the ingredients. Check out the brand’s website and look for research that backs up any claims they make for their products. This is important because poor-quality supplements can be harmful and may even cause liver injury.
Many people do not discuss the vitamin or herbal supplements they take with their doctor and presume that natural products will be fine. However many herbs and nutrients interact with medications and may not be safe in combination.
Does Rapid Weight Loss Happen With a Liver Detox?
Many of our Eat Burn Sleep members have lost weight quickly when following the 6-Week Reset plan. This is a gentle and nourishing way to detox your liver and kickstart sustainable weight loss. There are many nutritious foods (and treats) and no calorie counting or hunger pains.
Rapid weight loss liver detox diets composed of very few calories will cause malnutrition and ultimately, weight gain in the long term. They slow your metabolism and do not contain enough nutrients for your body to function healthily.
This is what EBS member Nicky has to say:
“After doing all the prep for the start of my 6-week reset, I was really fired up about getting my health and weight back on track.
Both my partner and I lost 3kgs in the first week!
The cost of the membership is cheaper than a gym membership and you get the monthly Masterclasses as well as an extensive library of movement videos, and weekly recipes.
I would definitely recommend this investment in your health, as the education is invaluable in helping you understand your food choices.”
Eating less does not speed up metabolism. Your body adjusts to the low calories and preserves the calories it gets. When you eat properly again (because let’s face it, calorie-counting diets are unsustainable and downright dull), the weight piles back on.
However, if you live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle that supports healthy liver detoxification, your liver will be healthier going forward. You will be full of vitality and not put your health at risk.
What is a Safe Liver Detox for Weight Loss?
The Eat Burn Sleep program starts with a beautiful, safe reset for the body that detoxifies and unburdens the liver so it can do its job. Our thousands of members have tried and tested the powerful protocol to kickstart excellent health. By week 2, you will feel incredible. By week 6, you feel ready to take on the world!
There are 450+ globally inspired recipes to choose from, plus meal plans, food lists, movement videos, and guided meditations to support healthy relaxation and restorative sleep.
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Do you want to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time?
Are you looking for low-calorie foods for weight loss?
This post is for you. I’m going to share 5 important things about branded low-calorie foods so you can understand exactly what they do to your body. Then, I’m going to show you some higher-calorie meals that are even better for weight loss so you can decide what to eat to lose weight.
Let’s start with the 5 important things you need to know about branded low-calorie foods.
1. Beware of Marketing. Selling Matters More Than Your Health.
2. Most Low-Calorie Foods Should Carry a Health Warning!
3. Most Low-Calorie Foods Will Lead to Even Greater Weight Gain
4. Don’t Count Calories for Weight Loss
5. Low-Calorie Foods for Weight Loss Lead to Misery
1. Beware of Marketing. Selling Matters More Than Your Health.
I started researching low-calorie products and a quick online search led me to ‘low-calorie crackers’. The first one to come up was a sweet chili flavor rice cracker with 106 calories per 25g. That’s about 6 crackers. The marketing focus is on the calories as they are written in big bold type on the label, the same size as the logo.
The label for these crackers tells you they are ‘baked not fried’, 93% fat-free, gluten-free, and are a healthy, delicious low-fat snack.
Do these ingredients sound healthy to you? Do you have them in your store cupboard? Why does a simple cracker need to contain so many chemicals? The answer, of course, is that these crackers are an ultra-processed, highly addictive food.
2. Most Low-Calorie Foods Should Carry a Health Warning!
Ultra-processed foods like this are riddled with enhancers, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and other additives. These chemicals damage your gut microbiome and cause gut dysbiosis (Song et al, 2023).
It’s no coincidence that ultra-processed foods are big business, and obesity and diseases are on the rise. Over 1 billion people in the world are obese. That includes 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children!
3. Most Low-Calorie Foods Will Lead to Even Greater Weight Gain
The bad bacteria that cause obesity love these acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, and anticaking agents. They will let your brain know that they want more of this rubbish so that they can survive and wipe out your good bacteria. This is why ultra-processed foods become addictive.
These chemicals confuse the brain’s hunger-reward system. They trick you into thinking you are eating something healthy, and your body searches for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because these foods are nutritionally deficient, your brain tells you to keep on eating, in the hope that you will find the nutrients you need. Ultra-processed food is wiping out our natural eating habits, and the body is starving.
This is why obesity is on the rise. These chemicals are in all low-calorie, marketed foods. Bodies are getting bigger, and malnutrition is getting greater.
But when you eat real food filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, your body knows how to utilize it. You don’t feel constantly hungry with a nutrient-rich diet. And more importantly, you won’t become obese and inflamed.
4. Don’t Count Calories for Weight Loss
The ultra-processed low-calorie rice crackers state that they are 424 kcal per 100g.
We don’t count calories here at Eat Burn Sleep, but look at what you can eat for the same number of calories as these crackers:
A serving of our chicken nuggets @ 200g = 310 kcals.
A serving of our Summer Pudding, 113.2 kcals.
Our Red Thai Vegetable Curry 217.4 kcal
Plus:
Anti-craving Chocolate Shake 92kcal
Plus:
Moroccan Burger 204.4 kcal
Plus:
Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad 268.4 kcal
You could use the same number of calories (or fewer!) and enjoy easily digested, genuinely healthy food that will help you lose weight and make your brain and body happy.
More importantly, look at the superpower nutrients you are putting inside your body in these quick and easy recipes:
Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, C, D, E, K, and folate.
Minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur, and zinc.
Fiber to support your gut microbiome.
Omega 3, the essential fatty acid that helps manage inflammation.
All 9 essential amino acids that your body uses as building blocks for protein.
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant polyphenols from colorful plant foods.
This is why EBS members are putting their weight issues and inflammatory conditions into remission and enjoying one of life’s joys: Eating delicious food. Just like Natasa:
“Since joining the platform 3 weeks ago, I have lost 3kg, and my bloating is gone.
I have bilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis (severe pain in both knees) and the pain is now much less. I feel like I can finally start doing movement videos that I previously couldn’t do because of my knee pain.
Also, all your recipes are so tasty. Thank you so much.”
Eating this way will fill you up and allow your body to function as it should. It will make your skin glow, your hair grow and shine, your eyes sparkle, and, without a doubt, make you feel full of joie de vivre!
Remember that when your gut is well-fed, your brain is too. Healthy gut bacteria regulate mood balance and our “happy” neurotransmitters like serotonin. Are there many diets out there that can say the same?
5. Low-calorie foods for Weight Loss Lead to Misery
Following a low-calorie diet and counting calories all the time will lead to misery.
Weight loss diets gain popularity because people do lose weight at the beginning. Any weight loss regime is the same, whether it is the keto diet, a low-carb diet, or a low-calorie diet.
When you eat low-calorie, nutrient-poor foods, your body is not satiated. The chances are you will think about food all day long because you are starving yourself of essential nutrients that you need to survive.
When you binge because you are so hungry, your body will hold onto that binge food because it worries that you will starve again. And this is how yo-yo dieting starts. Starve and binge. Weight loss and then even more weight gain.
Over time, the chronic inflammation that comes from eating ultra-processed low-calorie foods leads to weight gain, digestive problems, anxiety, brain fog, and depression. It can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Disease. Packing your body full of these chemicals is making your mind and body ill.
What to Eat to Lose Weight
If you are looking for weight loss that lasts, I suggest you stop counting calories and stay away from ultra-processed low-calorie foods. It doesn’t work as a weight loss strategy, and it is dangerous, unsustainable, and boring!
Instead, give your body the nourishment it needs to feel energized and shed weight – just like EBS member Helen has done:
“I shed 10 pounds (4 and a half kg) following the Six Week Reset.
I feel so much more balanced and lighter inside and out, plus some digestive issues have disappeared.
The EBS approach is considered gentle and scientifically backed. I’m actively trying to maintain my now thriving gut health ‘garden’ as much as I can, limiting the damage it does in social eating situations.
I’ve never been a great cook, but I find the recipes so easy and filling. My favorites so far are chicken nuggets, zucchini bread, and chicken sausage shakshuka.
Plus, there are options for those of us with a sweet tooth or who can’t face savory protein for breakfast, which doesn’t happen on many healthy eating plans. Thank you, Yalda!”
Make every day count in terms of health and happiness. I hope your day is full of both.
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Are you always hungry and never feel full? Feeling constantly hungry can be confusing and frustrating, especially if your doctor is advising exercise and weight loss.
Maybe you’re exercising a lot and not losing weight. Maybe you’re eating low calorie foods that never fill you up. Or maybe you graze all day and just want to know why your appetite is never satisfied.
In this post, we will explore a huge factor contributing to excessive hunger, and I will tell you how to fix it!
There are several reasons why you can’t stop eating all day:
You are not eating or absorbing enough nutrients. Every day, your body needs a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. If you are not eating enough, or have digestive problems that affect nutrient absorption, you will still feel hungry. This is your body telling you that it needs more nutrients. Our food lists are designed to provide all the nutrients you need and our meal plans will help you feel satisfied and full.
Emotional eating. Are you bored, stressed, or locked into unhealthy habits? I share tips on how to deal with Emotional Eating in the Masterclass Lives series.
Eating too quickly. Take time to enjoy your meals. Sit at a table away from your desk or the sofa and switch off the TV. Listen to calming, relaxing music if you don’t like silence. Put your phone out of reach while you eat. And most importantly, chew each mouthful thoroughly as this helps your stomach to know when it is full.
You are not getting quality sleep! This can easily make you feel hungry all the time. Let’s find out why sleep is so important for feeling full.
Why Do I Never Full and Always Feel Tired?
If you have had medical conditions ruled out by your doctor and you can’t stop eating and feel tired all the time, you are most likely not getting enough sleep.
Several things happen when you don’t get enough sleep:
Your gut microbes can’t carry out their nightly “gut housekeeping” activities to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Cortisol levels rise. This helps your body handle the stress caused by lack of sleep but it also disrupts blood sugar balance, digestion, and gut bacteria.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which keeps lower body fat levels, is dysregulated.
You produce more of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and less of the fullness hormone, leptin. No matter what you eat you don’t feel full!
You feel tired and less able to exercise so you have less energy expenditure. All those extra calories lead to more weight gain.
There is a rare collection of people with a specific gene (1% of the population has DEC2) that can survive on 6 hours of sleep. But this is a very rare gene and the majority of adults need 7-9 hours of sleep to stay healthy.
Diet Affects Sleep
Firstly, lose the ‘diet’ mindset and embrace ‘nutrition’ instead.
These days, people have diets with a lot of processed carbohydrates, fats, and protein but are not getting the vitamins and minerals essential for health.
We can have bigger bodies but be starving on the inside – which will not help us sleep. If you have the right vitamins and minerals, you are full. When your body is satisfied nutritionally, you are more likely to sleep better.
Not having enough of the right nutrition could cause insomnia, which puts you in a spiral of sleep deprivation and undernourishment. This cycle makes your body more susceptible to chronic inflammation and disease.
How Sleep Affects Metabolism
Our bodies run on a circadian rhythm – an internal 24-hour clock. We have rhythms and patterns for sleep, movement, concentration, digestion, cell repair, brain function, and more!
When we live in harmony with these rhythms, we give ourselves the best chance of being healthy. But when we stay up late staring at screens, snacking on junk food, and not getting enough daily movement or daylight then we disrupt this rhythm and trigger health problems.
If you don’t give yourself the opportunity for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, you disrupt your internal body clock. Studies show that sleep deprivation leads to metabolic dysregulation. This presents as weight gain (usually around the belly), food cravings, poor blood sugar regulation, and inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation is recognized as a significant contributor to the rise of type 2 diabetes – and it can be avoided.
EBS Members
Check out the article on Insomnia in the Personalized Advice section. Remember that on the 15th of every month, we bring you a new comprehensively researched article in the Personalized Advice section. Do get in touch if there is a specific condition you would like to see us cover.
How Can You Improve Your Sleep?
The first step is to look at your diet. The Eat Burn Sleep anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is proven to optimize mental and physical health and promote sound, quality sleep.
This is what EBS member Jocelyn has to say about the program:
“I’ve suffered insomnia since February and I’ve tried everything under the sun, all the medications, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and nothing worked until my friend introduced me to EBS. It’s been a bit less than 3 weeks and I’ll admit I have cheat days… and my sleep is back to 70%.
I see it as a silver lining as I had never heard of chronic inflammation before, so this 2 month’s insomnia experience has made me a lot more health-conscious and opened my eyes to so many things!”
Our food lists and meal plans ensure you never feel hungry and get all the nutrients you need. You will never be reaching for food all day long again!
And, our Movement Videos and Meditation Guides will help you move each day and relax properly, ready for a good night’s sleep.
Here are a couple of teaser dishes to get you inspired:
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Do you enjoy socializing with a drink? So do I! I am not a big drinker and it doesn’t take much to make me feel unwell after a night out. But as with many things in life, it’s all about moderation and having fun.
Let’s face it, we are not perfect and hopefully never will be. Life wouldn’t be life without ups and downs, boring times, and fun times! And I have a top tip for managing drinking and socializing: drink less and have more fun.
It’s important to socialize and see people. It benefits your mental health and strengthens your immune system. And for many people, socializing goes hand in hand with enjoying a drink. Because of this, small amounts of alcohol are allowed as part of the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle.
Of course, the downside of having a drink is feeling rough the next day! If you want to know how to deal with a hangover, this post is for you.
If you’re like me, after a couple of glasses of wine, you won’t care about watching what you eat. And the next day you feel so ravenous you wolf down food and don’t feel full. So what’s going on?
There are a few reasons why a hangover makes you feel hungry:
Alcohol is essentially liquid sugar. When you enjoy a few drinks the sugar floods into your bloodstream, elevating your blood sugar levels. A few hours later, your blood sugar levels fall rapidly, leaving you hungry for starchy foods.
Alcohol is dehydrating. Dehydration can make you crave food as the body sometimes mistakes thirst for hunger.
Sleep is badly affected by alcohol – especially deep, restorative sleep. You might feel drowsy and fall asleep quickly, but your normal cycles of deep sleep and lighter sleep will be disrupted.
Poor quality sleep affects your hunger and satiety hormones. Without good sleep, you will have more ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and less leptin (the satiety hormone).
You may be interested in reading about how good, regular sleep helps you lose weight.
Your liver has to work hard to detoxify alcohol. This process uses up a lot of energy and nutrients so it makes sense that your body craves food to keep up with this demand.
How To Recover From a Hangover
Firstly, don’t feel guilty or beat yourself up. You’ve had a great time, and life is to be enjoyed. Overindulging happens.
If you can begin your hangover recovery plan before you go to sleep, that is a great start.
When you get home, drink plenty of water with added electrolytes. Electrolyte minerals like magnesium and potassium help your body to rehydrate faster than if you drink plain water. You can see which electrolyte products I recommend on the Yalda Loves page and I also use this simple homemade electrolyte mixture. Sometimes I take a dose of Alka seltzer* too, to prevent acid indigestion. All the sugar in the alcohol is a big trigger for reflux.
When you get up the next morning, repeat the above. You need to rehydrate and not overtax yourself.
(*Please check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicines.)
What to Eat the Morning After
When I wake up with a hangover, I crave sugar badly, and the last thing I want to eat is something healthy like eggs and salmon! So, I make my super yummy and nutrient-dense coconut protein shake. It satisfies all my sweet cravings while stabilizing my blood sugar levels.
Other great breakfast options include:
Bananas are packed with magnesium, vitamin B6, and fiber.
Avocados are another great source of fiber, magnesium, and potassium to help optimize energy levels and blood pressure.
Almonds for fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidant vitamin E.
And if you can face them, eggs! Boiled, scrambled, poached, or in our delicious Shakshuka recipe.
Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, B vitamins, and glutathione – our master antioxidant nutrient. Your liver needs plenty of glutathione and B-vitamins to detoxify alcohol so it’s a good idea to top up after a night out.
Later on, you could enjoy a bowl of our Immune Boosting Chicken Soup. It’s hydrating and packed with liver-health ingredients like egg yolk, turmeric, carrots, lemon, and olive oil.
You want to fill your body with nutrients and resist the urge to eat junk food. Junk food is precisely that – junk. Ultimately, it will make you feel worse.
You don’t want to punish yourself. Nourish yourself. Eat Burn Sleep’s anti-inflammatory foods deliver what your body needs when you have a hangover.
Non-Members/Members: You could make these egg muffins before your evening out so that you have a healthy snack on hand when you get home.
What to Drink When You Have a Hangover
Water is the most important drink to help relieve a hangover. Drink it plain or add slices of fresh lemon for a boost of vitamin C.
Coffee can add to blood sugar imbalance but if you really want one, have one. Just be sure to have it after a meal and not on an empty stomach.
Green tea has more antioxidants than other forms of tea. It’s a good option for maintaining healthy blood pressure, regulating blood sugars, and optimizing your metabolism (among many other health benefits).
The caffeine in green tea is counterbalanced by an amino acid called theanine. Theanine soothes your nervous system to help you feel alert and calm at the same time.
Get Moving and Shake Off That Hangover
Gentle movement and exercise will get your blood flowing and boost your endorphins (those happy mood chemicals). Aim for a gentle workout, light jog, or easy yoga session. If you can get outside in the sunshine, all the better. Natural daylight and vitamin D will help your body get back into its normal rhythms.
Then, later in the day, Eat Burn Sleep members can relax and enjoy a soothing meditation bath before bed.
What to Drink to Avoid a Hangover
What are the best drinks to have to avoid a hangover? Wine, beer, spirits? Or just let go and enjoy a few cocktails?
Here’s what I do on a night out with friends…
1/ Alternate water and alcoholic drinks to avoid becoming dehydrated.
A little trick is to order sparkling water with ice and a slice of lemon so people assume you are drinking alcohol (and you aren’t being a joy killer) when, in fact, you are taking a little break and having water.
2/ Steer clear of cocktails
I try to steer clear of cocktails because they are loaded with sugar, and I would prefer to save those calories for a nice paleo muffin the next day!
Sugar makes everything worse because it disrupts the healthy bacteria in your gut. Drinking sugary cocktails is a surefire way to feel even worse the next day.
If you love cocktails, try switching to plain spirits like vodka, tequila, and gin with soda water, lime, or a drop of cordial. That amount of cordial is fine compared to how much sugar there would be if it were a cocktail. Again, it is about moderation and finding the right middle ground.
3/ Limit wine and champagne
As much as I love a good glass of wine, I only have one. Maybe two! My health issues make me feel how much yeast and sugar (from the fructose) there is in those drinks, and I invariably feel it the next day. But if you are dining out, by all means, do enjoy some good wine.
I hope this was helpful to you. If you have any tips, please share them in our members’ health community or drop me a message on Instagram.
Don’t forget to smile and enjoy having a fantastic social life!
I chat about the importance of socializing with Nick Potter in the podcast about the behavioral immune system. It’s fascinating! We talk about the immune system, gut health, and socializing (amongst many other things!). Definitely worth a listen!
Also, if you find that you are regularly getting hungover and feeling anxious or depressed, please know that we have personalized advice for depression on this platform. Plus, Insomnia and 30+ other conditions.
Enjoy your night out!
Yalda x
About the Author
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist with a foundation in Biomedicine. She studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
I am often asked, “Is AG1 supplement good for you?” And I have to say no! When I first saw it (I like to keep up to date with new products so I ordered a packet for myself) I was horrified by the ingredients. I was so horrified that I returned the product. Let me explain so you can learn how to spot problematic ingredients too.
What is AG1?
AG1 is a multivitamin and herbal powder formula that you mix with water to make a healthy drink. It is heavily endorsed by doctors and celebrities and marketed with phrases such as ‘Promotes Gut Health,’ ‘Supports Immunity,’ and ‘Helps Recovery.’
But the extensive list of ingredients doesn’t stack up to be as healthy as it makes out.
Firstly, everyone needs to know that supplements are not FDA-approved (Food and Drug Administration). Supplement manufacturers are responsible for their products’ safety but do not need to prove their safety.
Nor do they need to prove the effectiveness of the supplements.
A supplement manufacturer may do business with another manufacturer who may verify the safety of their ingredients before they use them. But the other manufacturer does not have to prove the safety of their ingredients, either.
The Food and Drug Administration provides no safety certification for supplement formulas – or their ingredients, including
additives. Additives have never been rigorously tested.
For reassurance, I always advise using a trusted brand, like Minami or Solgar who extensively research their ingredients and products. You can see more brands I love and trust on my Yalda Loves page. However, no matter how good a supplement is, it cannot replace a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Also, please ask yourself what you want from your supplement. For instance, you can easily reach your weight loss goals, manage depression, ease pain, optimize energy levels, and discover glowing skin by following the EBS anti-inflammatory lifestyle! The effects are incredible, and they keep on coming!
What Do Supplements Contain?
Many popular supplements contain unnecessary excipients, fillers, stabilizers, bulking agents, and preservatives. A supplement company can get away with using cheap additives because they don’t have to comply with any food and drug laws. This lack of regulation and use of cheap filler ingredients is partly why supplement manufacturing is a billion-dollar industry!
It is essential to know what to look for in a good quality supplement and to spot cheap, unnecessary ingredients. I urge you not to be swayed by endorsements from doctors or celebrities or to buy things online without understanding the ingredients.
Is AG1 Good For You?
AG1 has been around for a while, is recommended by doctors, and has famous people as investors. So, there’s a lot to ‘trust’ about the brand. Endorsed by Dr. Chatterjee, Dr. Mark Hyman, Huberman Lab, and Dr. David Sinclair, it is not a surprise that their revenue numbers are apparently through the roof. Doctors are telling you that it is good for you.
AG1 was founded in 2010 and was originally called Athletic Greens. It is a blend of 75 vitamins, minerals, superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens, with no GMOs, herbicides, pesticides, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. According to their website, AG1 is made from the highest quality ingredients under the strictest standards – but bear in mind that there are no strict standards in place by the FDA.
The Risks of Taking AG1
Supplements are huge money-makers, and the manufacturers don’t need to prove their safety.
Even when taking supplements from ‘reputable’ brands, it’s always wise to ensure that you go over the ingredients with your nutritionist or healthcare provider. This minimizes the risk of :
Contraindications with medications or other supplements.
Accidentally taking too much of a vitamin or mineral.
Sensitivities to ingredients that are not classed as dangerous to health.
AG1 is full of active ingredients beneficial to health such as B vitamins, zinc, and vitamin C. However, this high amount of active ingredients may be difficult for some people to digest and assimilate. And many of the herbals have well-recognized potential risks. For example, too much licorice can lead to hypokalemia and hypertension and some people are more sensitive to licorice exposure (Kwon et al., 2020). There is no caution about this on their website, by the way.
The most significant problem I noticed within seconds of looking at the ingredients is soy lecithin.
Soy lecithin harms the gut microbiome (Miclotte et al, 2020) and may trigger gut dysbiosis. It is NOT good for gut health, the immune system, or aiding recovery. It does the complete opposite.
Why the AG1 Ingredient Soy Lecithin Has Health Risks
Soy lecithin is added to products as an emulsifier, not for health benefits. You could argue that AG1 is using it for this reason and the good ingredients will outweigh any harmful effects. But, soy lecithin is thesecond largest ingredient in the supplement!
Research is ongoing into the impact of emulsifiers like soy lecithin on health, but so far we know that:
Higher levels of soy lecithin encourage Enterococcus and Clostridium bacteria in the microbiota. These are pathogenic and lead to disease.
Soy lecithin is associated with a decline in the diversity of the gut microbiome (Miclotte et al, 2020).
By disrupting the microbiome, emulsifiers contribute to a pro-inflammatory state and the development of Metabolic Syndrome (Miclotte et al, 2020).
Disruption of the gut microbiome leads to a dysregulated immune system, which leads to chronic inflammation. This manifests in different ways for each individual and can show up as alopecia, candida & H-pylori, depression, IBS, bloating, migraines, obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, skin inflammation – the list goes on!
So, if you have an inflammatory condition and you regularly take a supplement containing a large amount of soy lecithin, you could be making your condition worse.
A footnote at the end of the label states: This product contains a premium lecithin for phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidylcholine. The metabolism of phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin in the gut microbiota has been linked to cardiovascular disease, as discussed in studies (Wang et al., 2011, Tang & Hazen, 2014).
How is Soy Lecithin Produced?
To make soy lecithin you must first extract soybean oil from raw soybeans using an industrial solvent. The oil then goes through a process called degumming. This involves mixing water with the oil until the lecithin separates from it. After that, the lecithin is then dried and often bleached. The DNA in soy lecithin is degraded during this process, so it is impossible to tell whether it is GMO or not. Also, I am not sure what AG1 means by premium soy lecithin.
Is Inulin, Another AG1 Ingredient, Safe?
The other AG1 ingredient linked to health issues is inulin, the fourth ingredient listed.
Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that can alter your microbiota. In some instances this can be helpful but if your microbiome is already out of balance there is the risk of feeding the harmful microbes.
Animal studies show that inulin disturbs systemic cholesterol and bile acid metabolism and may have detrimental effects on liver function. (Pauly et al., 2020). And be careful if you have digestive problems as inulin can cause bloating, excess wind, cramps, and diarrhea (WebMD).
Again, many articles state the health properties of inulin. It is important to run through ingredients with your nutritionist (or contact us if you are a member) to make sure they are right for you and your specific health needs.
Reading one of AG1’s clever marketing statements “AG1 empowers the gut for whole body health” I’m afraid I have to disagree. Soy lecithin disempowers your gut, increasing the risk of disease. But I do agree with their statement: We can’t achieve a healthier everything else without a healthy gut.
Beware of Marketing Words!
They could cost you your health.
The key takeaways here are:
The FDA does not regulate supplement companies and their products.
Marketing slogans exist purely to make you buy the product.
Always read the ingredients list on any supplement carefully and speak to your healthcare practitioner (or us, if you are an EBS Member) before taking them.
Taking supplements – even those endorsed by doctors and famous people – may leave your body susceptible to disease if they contain potentially harmful ingredients.
AG1 or Eat Burn Sleep – Which is the Best Investment For Your Health?
Consider how much it will cost you to make you unhealthy in the long run:
AG1’s ‘BEST VALUE’ package is for two people at £2,328.00 ($2,796.70) a year.
For a single subscription (at the time of writing, there was an offer of £79 per month), which is £948.00 (approx.$1,140) a year for a ‘health’ supplement!
Our Premium EBS Membership, which gives you access to everything you need to support your health, is only £250 a year, without health risks and long-term positive effects.
Knowing what is good for you and how your body works is the best way to take care of yourself. And the EBS platform enables you to do exactly that.
A year’s subscription to Eat Burn Sleep gives you the knowledge and tools you need. It is the equivalent of having a personal nutritionist and a year’s gym sessions with unique exercises not found anywhere else. You can access Movement videos, guided Meditations, meal plans, food lists, and an ever-expanding anti-inflammatory cookbook with recipes from around the world, like Catalan Roasted Vegetables, Chicken Marbella, and Moroccan Burgers.
EBS is family-friendly and world-friendly. Our members are getting happier and healthier, changing their tastebuds and optimizing their microbiome. They are living a better life as the days and years go by.
“I am really impressed with the quality of your work and couldn’t agree more with your principles. Your ability to formulate a lifestyle strategy around improving health is outstanding.
EBS is an excellent professional platform sustained with thorough research and scientific information. You not only cover research for anti-inflammatory nutrition but for all medical conditions. This demonstrates how what we eat contributes to their regression or progression as chronic illness.”
Do take care. Your health is precious. Have a great day!
Yalda Alaoui is an expert Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London.
She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research into chronic inflammation and gut health.
Fastest Ways to Boost Your Immunity Against Viruses
Hello Everyone! If you are in a part of the world experiencing seasonal changes, there is likely to be an increase in viral infections, and you could be looking for ways to boost your immunity quickly against viruses.
Exposure is inevitable, and it is essential unless you are advised to shield for medical reasons or are classed as vulnerable.
We need exposure but must also be highly cautious of viruses when underlying chronic inflammation exists. This has become even more evident in the last few years. If you have underlying chronic inflammation, your immune system is dysregulated, but you can change that and fight inflammation.
Boosting your immunity quickly by following the below will help most people do so while still enjoying life!
(Looking after your immune system throughout the year is good advice, not just when the seasons shift).
Here are 10 ways to boost your immunity quickly against viruses and ensure better health:
1. Eat Gut-healthy, Nutrient-rich Foods Regularly
Our immune systems need nourishment from a plethora of nutrients from foods.
Poor gut health is linked to weakened immunity and non-communicable diseases. Gut health is imperative to good health, and the diversity of your gut bacteria will dictate how nutrients are absorbed.
Getting it right will better prepare the body for excess inflammation and microbial attacks! Beneficial nutrients to boost your immunity quickly and ensure immune system regulation must be digested regularly, forming an excellent dietary pattern.
90% of vitamin D is absorbed from the sun, essential for the immune system. There are safe ways to do this, and of course, there are challenges here, especially with seasonal changes.
If you have poor vitamin D absorption, like with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s, and celiac, please follow the personalized advice for inflammatory bowel disease. It is an imperative protocol for good health and to put the conditions into remission, regardless.
If you are a vegan, live where sunlight is limited, or have any other reason that prevents you from getting the right amount of vitamin D, it’s worth reading through this health education platform, arming yourself with advice from a nutritionist and of course, eating nutrient-rich, gut-healthy foods. The bioavailability of foods is essential to boost your immunity quickly. However, some people need to take supplements.
Absorb sunshine as much as possible in cooler months, sit by an open sunny window, or obtain a S.A.D. lamp.
3. Keep Your Inflammation Down – through eating, moving, and sleeping (Eat Burn Sleep!) is the most sound advice for everyone!
4. Change Lifestyle Habits
Change any lifestyle habits that inhibit good health. An unhealthy lifestyle, which includes eating and drinking unhealthy foods and drinks most of the time, being overweight and underweight, following restrictive diets, lacking proper exercise, being sedentary, lack of fresh air, pollution, toxins, excess alcohol, smoking, drug abuse, poor sleep patterns, and stress weakens immunity defense.
5. Reduce Your Weight
Obesity is a chronic inflammatory condition, and you can reduce your weight by reducing the inflammation in your body. It is the safest, most effective way of reducing weight and boosting your immunity. Fat tissues produce adipocytokines, and these increase inflammation. Impaired T-cells stop the response of the immune system to pathogens. Also, it is worth knowing that with obesity, vitamin D is not readily available when needed because it accumulates in excess fat. This is reversible when you reduce chronic inflammation.
6. Put Your Autoimmune Disease Into Remission
Is that possible? Yes. I have two autoimmune diseases, so I created Eat Burn Sleep. Please read the other articles and magazine and newspaper features in the articles section.
7. Perform Regular De-stressing Techniques
Stress is so bad for your health, and it can affect gut health, affecting mental and physical health. Excess cortisol that is triggered, along with other hormones when you are stressed, leads to reduced immunity and increased inflammation.
The immune system, central nervous system, and endocrine system interact with each other.
When stressed, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, shutting down the immune and parasympathetic nervous systems.
When life feels like it is crashing around you, pay attention to your gut (70% of immune cells and 60% of feel-good neurotransmitters reside in a healthy gut) and de-stressing techniques.
It is vital to keep chronic inflammation at bay because chronic inflammation promotes anxiety, depression, and other diseases, as well as a weakened immune system.
8. Get Good Sleep
Sleep is the foundation for good health! You only have to think about how you crave sleep when you feel ill and have a virus. Nothing can keep you awake. Your body tells you to lie down and heal!
A person who regularly sleeps for a good amount of time will likely have more antibodies than someone with fitful, irregular sleep. This is an excellent way to boost your immunity quickly.
Long-standing shift workers and insomniacs have turned their lives around on the Eat Burn Sleep reprogramming. Reprogramming your sleeping is possible. Check out the Insomnia personalized advice.
9. Stay Social
It’s fundamental to our overall health and survival. Our emotional joy!
Studies show that people who socialize tend to live longer than those who are more isolated. Plus, dopamine is released when we mix and exercise.
10. Go For a Walk
Walk with your family, your friends – or just yourself – and feel the pleasure and reward of the dopamine hit from doing so. You will release stress along the way, boost your immunity quickly and be outside!
Remember that a robust immune system can respond appropriately to the world around it and can defend the body against invaders, pathogens, and viruses!
Hi Everyone! This post is for you if you are a vegan or vegetarian and want to eat meat – again, for the first time in years or ever!
Firstly, you should also know that we have personalized advice for re-introducing meat/animal products back into your life safely and healthily. Plus, this month’s personalized advice for members is the essential guide to optimum health for vegetarians!
Vegan and Vegetarian Health
Firstly, it’s okay to eat meat again if you are looking at eating meat after being vegetarian. If you are reading this, then there is good reason. Maybe your mind and body are screaming at you to have animal protein.
With the added pressures of eating plant-based diets and the reasons why people become vegans and vegetarians, it can be a hard decision to switch back to eating meat.
I think many people can feel guilty when they decide to follow a particular way of eating and then find that they can’t eat that way and it isn’t sustainable. Micronutrient malnutrition can also cause low moods and less-than-optimum mental well-being.
It happens all the time with so many popular diets. Like Keto, Atkins, Raw Food, and Low-calorie diets, for instance. There may be ethical or cultural reasons behind your choice, but many diets are unsustainable or nutritionally sound.
Many diets can make you unwell and not satisfied nutritionally. Sometimes without realisation.
You may not be concerned about the impact of a vegan or vegetarian diet on your health. You may have switched to veganism for weight loss or from another diet because the doctor says your cholesterol is high or something, and you feel better at the moment.
Although there are statements all over the internet that say veganism and plant-based diets can reduce your risk of developing disease, this is not necessarily the case if you are not eating everything you need daily for optimum health. Numerous studies state that following a vegan diet can lead to skeletal, nervous, and immune system impairments, as well as anemia and depression.
Any diet that is not balanced and contains a lot of meat, or too much or too little of anything, puts you at risk of chronic disease. Everyone needs to know how to eat for optimum health!
Many restrictive diets (and those you would not define as restrictive) can cause deficiencies, leading to chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation, sustained inflammation running all the time (not just as a protective reaction to trauma or injury), is linked to the leading causes of death. 78% of deaths related to diseases have chronic inflammation pathways.
Chronic inflammation leads to neuroinflammation, which increases anxiety, depression, brain fog, mood swings and irritability, a decline in cognitive functions, and so on.
Malnutrition Statistics
Many of the world’s population has malnutrition, and an unhealthy diet, which means nutritional needs are not met, is a significant contributor to malnutrition.
Malnutrition is defined as deficiencies, imbalances, and excesses of nutrients. Malnutrition increases chronic inflammation and ill health (see below).
There’s:
– Undernutrition
– Diet-related imbalances lead to chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases like obesity, diabetes, cancers, heart disease, IBD, arthritis, mental health issues, fibromyalgia, etc.
– Inadequate micronutrient intake.
According to the World Health Organisation, 149 million children under five are affected by malnutrition through their height. Forty-five million were estimated to be too thin, and 38.9 million were obese.
1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, and 462 million adults are underweight.
Low-to-middle-income countries have a high rate of obesity and malnutrition.
According to the Malnutrition Task Force, 1.3 million people over 65 have malnutrition in the UK.
Not eating a good balance of the proper nutrients and micronutrients affects everyone throughout our lives!
Vegan and Vegetarian Deficiencies
Many deficiencies come from missing out on the essential daily required nutrition. Not just for vegans and vegetarians. Most people have dietary inadequacies and need the assistance of a nutritionist.
The types of iron consumed are essential. Without this, oxygen cannot be circulated, and body homeostasis is not maintained. Plus, there are Gut microbiota that improve the absorption of iron. These Gut microbiota are promoted with essential daily vitamins not found in a vegan diet, for instance.
Essential nutrition for life and keeping disease at bay is generally lower in vegans or plant-based diet eaters. The overlooked side of veganism could be dangerous for many, as explained in a study by Bali & Naik (2023).
Hundreds of studies have been reported on nutritional intake for vegans and vegetarians that show inadequate intake. These essential micronutrient requirements for optimum health are only obtained from animal products.
If you are considering eating meat after being vegetarian, it would be best to consider B12, zinc, iodine, calcium, PUFAs, etc., with veganism and vegetarianism. (Head over to personalized advice for nutrition help for vegans and vegetarians. We cover all sorts of science-backed supportive advice for vegans and vegetarians, like:
Eating meat after being vegetarian and vegan
How to eat and what to eat (with 300+ recipes)
Vegan guilt
Worries about eating meat and getting sick after veganism
Being vegetarian and eating meat again has side effects
How to shop for anti-inflammatory groceries on a budget
Your Gut microbiome…and the list goes on!
Follow this anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle for all nutrition concerns when you have been eating a restricted way for a while or have malabsorption issues like with any inflammatory bowel disease.
There are essential vitamins necessary for crucial metabolic roles across your whole life span, during development (before you are born), throughout your childhood and adulthood, and later years.
This applies to people with too much of one thing and not enough of another, not just if you are considering eating meat after being vegetarian. (Many meat eaters think they are okay, too, but they may not have enough essential daily vitamins. They, too, are at risk. It’s why nutritionists and dieticians exist!).
Protecting your mind and body, ensuring proper nutrient absorption, and meeting daily nutrition values are essential for optimum health. We do it here through gut health, reducing inflammation, regulating the immune system, liver detox, and so on.
The recommended daily intake of supplements for vegans is for people who already eat a balanced and nutritious diet. Plus, as I always say, supplements do not match the bioavailability of good food, and your vegan diet supplements could be full of inflammatory ingredients. Eating meat after being a vegetarian needs good consideration.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian with concerns about nutrition and want to eat meat again, join us! We can help you facilitate the transition and help you achieve optimum mental and physical wellness.
There are many vegetarian and vegan recipes on this anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, along with others, so you will eat well and be well.
If you are thinking about eating meat after being vegetarian, it won’t just be your vegan or vegetarian diet that you change. You will protect yourself from chronic disease, age-degenerative neurological diseases, and anything genetic.
Plus, you won’t be disappointed about the incredible side effects.
You can book a 15-minute Zoom with me if you have any questions, connect with us in the forum, or start immediately by going to the expert advice section.
I wish you and your family good health and wellness.
Hi Everyone! I talk about gut health all the time, as you know, and how it can change and lead to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation.
There is still a lot of wonder about gut health, though. Why do we need good gut health? What exactly is gut health? Is gut health just another trend until the next health trend? Does gut health matter?
Gut health really matters! It is vital to good health. It isn’t a passing health trend.
It’s important that we all know how to make and keep our guts healthy. It is linked to chronic disease and to the leading cause of death.
It isn’t just food that we need to look at, although that’s a good place to start.
I hope that you will be as fascinated about these tummy bugs as I am. It’s amazing that they are imperative to good health. Read on and share!
What Is Gut Bacteria?
Your gut health is the entire digestive system, running from your esophagus to your bowel, and it is full of microbes!
Your gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex colony of trillions of different microbes and thousands of species of gut bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
Suppose you can imagine this vast, industrial network of cell signaling and pathways with proteins, metabolites, peptides, etc., in the layers of the GI tract. In that case, you get a rough idea of the gut microbiome.
Most microbiota are symbiotic (which means that microbiota and the body benefit), and some are pathogenic (disease-promoting).
These microorganisms, which consist of viruses, fungi, protozoa, and microbiota, weighing in at around 4-5 lbs, all co-exist quite happily in a healthy person.
Our diverse gut microbiomes are paramount to good health.
How Do You Get Good Gut Health?
Your gut health started before you were born. That was when the first colonization occurred.
We got some from our mothers, who got their first exposure from their mother, who got hers from her mother, and so on.
Since the second we were born, we inherited and acquired trillions of bugs all over and inside us called microorganisms.
Our gut microbiome is unique to us, and it is there to protect us.
Some of our microorganisms are ancient because they have been passed down from mother to mother!
What they were exposed to was passed down, and so on.
This links to an intriguing report about the existence of ancient microbes in our microbiome by Dr. Rook, University College, London.
These trillions of microorganisms and their genes support critical functions, which has allowed us to evolve. In return, they get what they need to survive from us!
These ancient microbes prevented the body from attacking its tissues and resembled that of the natural environment.
Why Is Gut Health Trending?
Gut health is trending because it has been realized that good gut health is imperative to good health. Gut health is real and not a fad.
Please be warned about unqualified people on social media giving out gut health advice, gut health hacks, gut health weight loss tips, and so on. You could damage your gut health and open up your body to the risk of disease. I always advise that you take gut health nutrition and gut health diet advice from a qualified gut health expert/nutritionist/doctor who has studied gut health.
So, gut health is not a passing health trend. I have spent years studying gut health and chronic inflammation, and it is crucial to good health.
How Do You Know If Your Gut Health Is Balanced?
A balanced microbiota stimulates the immune system and synthesizes amino acids and vitamins. It also assists in breaking down toxic compounds, providing protection from organisms that enter the body through contaminated food and drink.
You would know about it if your gut health is unbalanced. Once you know how to look after your gut health, when it becomes unbalanced, you will feel it.
What Is the Fastest Way to Improve Gut Health?
In the past, we lived under timber and close to dung and thatch. We had pantries, not refrigeration. Bacteria were more abundant, and we were exposed to them more than they are today.
Nowadays, our homes are made with manufactured products, people clean too much, and there are chemicals everywhere!
We miss that connection to the past and do not have the microbiota to deal with these extremely clean environments.
Unless we live on a farm in a natural environment or with pets! (If you think of the powers of earthing and maximizing our exposure to nature and our connection to early antioxidants).
Having good hygiene is important to avoid infections, but too much is not good for your health.
The Lifestyle Guide has more gut health information. It will help you look after your gut health, keep sickness and disease at bay, and have you feeling fantastic – every day! Start with the potent, popular Six-Week Reset.
How Can You Improve Gut Bacteria?
You can improve your gut bacteria by following an anti-inflammatory lifestyle that focuses on gut health.
Exposure is key to protection!
If we are never exposed to something, we won’t have the bugs to deal with it when we do. This is why if you have never come across a certain germ and then you are suddenly exposed to it, your body reacts.
It’s all about diversity, remember. Your good bacteria will thrive if you do something that encourages it.
So, the first exposure is entirely down to our mother’s/DNA species of microbiota but also depends on how we are delivered into the world. Vaginally delivered (and position), we have microbiota resembling our mother’s vagina microbiota. C-sections would harbor microbes from a mother’s skin.
The microbiota we were born with is not very diverse but soon alters as we adapt to our surroundings so that we can digest the food we are given and deal with germs and what is around us. This cultivates a diverse, anti-inflammatory microbiome.
A baby in America is exposed to different bugs than a baby in Europe, for instance.
As we go through life, as we have changing environments, lifestyle habits, and so on, gut health corresponds with how you live.
So, if we feed the good bacteria with good nutrients, they thrive. If we feed it with damaging foods, then the damaging bacteria grows. They, in fact, like anything living, will want to survive and send signals to your brain for more damaging foods! They are that powerful!
How Do You Fix Gut Health ASAP?
We have bacteria all over us as the first line of defense – on our skin, in our airways, and in our guts. If we don’t give the bad bacteria any reason to grow, we stay healthy.
Gut bacteria become harmful when a healthy diversity is not encouraged. This affects the immune system, and ruins the line of defense, and that is when we are susceptible to disease. See the list of reasons below why gut bacteria change.
Gut bacteria change with everything we do and are exposed to.
Exposure in infancy protects a child from developing weakened immune systems later in life that are sensitive to pollen, benign germs, and dust.
Likewise, exposure to chemicals in infancy can affect these gut microbiota. Did you read: Why Aspartame is Linked to Cancer? Exposure to aspartame is linked before you are born if your mother drank aspartame-laden drinks without knowing about the dangers. It has only been exposed as a carcinogen recently, despite scientists crying out for it to be banned for decades!
There are more risks of being susceptible to chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases later in life without the correct quantity and quality of germs in childhood.
It’s really important to be exposed and not shielded unless it is chemicals!
I talk all the time about how medication can cause gut dysbiosis and keep you in a perpetual state of sickness, so to speak. I found this out when I was researching what was wrong with me and how I could fix myself with two autoimmune diseases. Read NSAIDs, Gut Health & Inflammation.
So, everything we are exposed to as we grow, along with our diets, habits, and environment, shapes our microbiota communities. This bug community can change the body into a healthy state or one at greater risk of disease.
Mental and physical health change bacteria. Stress and depression can change your gut bacteria. The wrong exercise can change it, too.
Being with people has an effect on gut bacteria.
Sleep affects gut bacteria! If you don’t get good quality regular sleep, your gut health will be affected. Have you read Weight Loss and The Link To Sleep?
And vice versa! It all works symbiotically together.
How Can I Drastically Change My Health?
You can drastically change your health by joining this anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
Your gut health will improve dramatically, and the benefits are astounding.
You see, some bacteria in your gut may grow depending on what you are exposed to and what you eat. Others may disappear or shrink, which influences the immune system in the gut and in our adaptive immune system.
There’s a whole array of activities involving antigens, innate cell types, neutrophils, T cells, and B cells, for instance, that go on in the gut that displays how the microbiota has a profound effect on both the innate and adaptive immune system. A study by Wu & Wu (2012) explains it in detail.
Microbiota can change or become fixed due to being too hygienic, even.
Having a low microbial load due to being too clean in modern life can have a powerful effect on our immune response because it will either not be tolerant or will create inflammation.
What Does Gut Bacteria Do?
Our composition of microbiota has a crucial influence on our health. As I mentioned, it aids nutrient metabolism, breaks down toxic compounds, and protects against contaminated food and drink. It also ensures that the gut barrier is strong.
Indeed, our microbiota is an intrinsic regulator of immune responses.
Gut microbiota plays a vital role in the development of immune homeostasis, including the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissues.
70-80% of immune cells (Gut-associated Lymphoid Tissue) reside in the gut. GALT is an essential component in protecting the body from pathogens. In fact, studies show that it is microbiota from before we are born that is involved in generating innate immunity during growth and development.
Gut microbiota and gut-associated lymphoid tissue are essential players in the pathogenesis of various diseases.
The Causes of Bad Gut Health
An unbalanced microbiota results in gut dysbiosis, leading to chronic disease through (but not limited to):
An unhealthy diet, including calorie-restrictive and extreme diets (not all popular diets are good for you!)
A compromised immune system (you can be born with or acquire a weakened immune system)
Overstimulated bowel functions (malnutrition through inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn’s, colitis, and diverticulitis)
Medication (often to ‘treat’ disease causes more disease)
Antibiotics (wipe out a gut microbiota richness and diversity within four days)
Recurring bouts of acute inflammation (pneumonia, viruses: colds, flu, Covid)
Auto-inflammatory diseases
Stress
Illness (a vicious cycle)
Environment (toxins, cleaning products, plastics, solvents, pesticides, cigarette smoke, mercury, and so on)
Sleep deprivation
Certain exercises
Isolation (not socializing significantly alters gut microbiota).
What Are the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut?
Dysbiosis (when an altered interaction between immune cells and microbiota occurs) makes the body susceptible to disease. It increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and opens up the chronic inflammation pathway!
When you realize how gut microbiota can get unbalanced, and contributing factors like highly processed and calorie-controlled diets, along with other factors mentioned above, you can see the link with the rise in chronic inflammatory diseases like obesity, diabetes, depression, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
There are currently, 10 percent of the population with autoimmune diseases, and 78% of deaths worldwide are linked to chronic inflammation.
It seems that everyone has conditions that are related to the gut microbiome!
Member’s results of living the EBS Gut-healthy Anti-inflammatory Lifestyle.
Having good gut health not only protects you from disease but can help you age well and keep you looking and feeling young, as long as you incorporate other lifestyle factors. Good gut health assists in looking after your skin, hair, eyes, mood, and cognition, and it helps relationships! It’s true.
If you have good gut health, you are most likely to be a better friend, and seeing people that you love spending time with is good for gut health, too. As I mentioned above, staying social is important for your gut health and immune health!
The wonderful thing is, is that with the right manipulation, you can make your gut microbiome into a healthy, diverse community.
Not many people understand chronic inflammation. This is why the anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle Eat Burn Sleep platform exists. Our members understand it now because they can see and feel the difference. They have put their inflammatory condition and autoimmune disease into remission.
It is only through my health journey that I understand chronic inflammation.
Around 14 years ago, during pregnancy, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease: ulcerative colitis. The symptoms were relatively mild to begin with. They became more acute after my son was born. I got better for a while and then had my second son.
Two years later, I was diagnosed with another condition: a rare autoimmune disease called hemolytic anemia. I nearly died several times.
In my quest to get better, I saw medical professionals, specialists, naturopaths, nutritionists, and dieticians worldwide.
Anti-inflammatory Medicine
The anti-inflammatory medication and steroids for the autoimmune disease I was taking would only work for a while. Then they would stop working.
I researched everywhere, trying to find out what was going on and how I could help myself.
Along the way, I was trying every diet under the sun. Some were extremely restrictive; nothing was working. I felt sick, malnourished, depressed, and determined not to live that way. I spent time in and out of hospitals, being unable to absorb nutrients, and passed from specialist to specialist. So, I researched everywhere I could, trying to determine what was happening.
One day, the penny dropped! It was chronic inflammation!
To give its correct title, chronic inflammation is Chronic Systemic Inflammation – CSI.
Inflammation is a healthy bodily response to a foreign pathogen, to a cut, trauma, virus, bug, bacteria – any injury or organism that is capable of causing disease. Inflammation is your body’s immune response to defend yourself.
For example:
If you catch a virus or you have a fever.
If you have a wound, the tissue around it inflames, and collagen and fibers are sent to the cut to repair it.
If you ingest bad bacteria, you expel the foreign pathogen in other ways.
This is acute inflammation. It is the immune response to protect you, the body’s weapon of protection.
Is Reducing Inflammation Important?
Inflammation becomes an issue when it becomes chronic when there are low levels of inflammation in the body for a long time—caused by food, stress, inflammatory movement, and substances around us like pollution. How and what we eat, how we move, what we are exposed to, and how we deal with stress raises inflammation.
If what we eat and are exposed to, how we move, and stress levels never change, then this is how the inflammation stays running and turns into chronic systemic inflammation.
Why Should We Care About Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is linked to 78% of the causes of death – cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune diseases, heart attacks, depression, and so on.
Chronic inflammation is the trigger for non-communicable diseases. These are diseases that you cannot transmit, like cancer, Parkinson’s, autoimmune diseases, joint issues, skin inflammation, PCOS, endometriosis – anything that you cannot catch (see more here). All will be triggered or worsened by high levels of chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is linked to male and female fertility issues, peri-menopause, menopause, periods, allergies, and asthma – it is astounding what targeting chronic inflammation achieves! This is the reason why I had to create the best anti-inflammatory lifestyle. It affects all of us!
Why Do I Get Worse Colds and Viruses Than Others?
If you catch any transmittable diseases, your health will deteriorate faster if you have chronic inflammation because it dysregulates your immune system.
People have been awakened during the Covid 19 to chronic inflammation issues.
Chronic inflammation is a dysregulation of the immune system, and I discovered that once the established inflammatory pathway is open, you can develop more than one autoimmune disease.
Long COVID Protection & Recovery is in the Personalized Advice section, Members.
How Can You Prevent Genetic Diseases?
I also discovered that many genetic conditions have chronic inflammation at their source because it dysregulates the immune system and switches on weak genes (epigenetics). My mother and grandmother had autoimmune diseases; I have those autoimmune genes.
I have now lowered those responses by living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
You cannot change your DNA, but you can change your lifestyle.
You can have an inflammatory lifestyle or an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
I can switch on those autoimmune genes if I start living an inflammatory life again.
What also transpired through my research is that the anti-inflammatory medication saved me, but it was temporary.
It was like putting a plaster on massive cracks.
I needed the source of my autoimmune conditions to be treated, not plastered over.
I also discovered that the anti-inflammatory tablets and steroids were exponentially worsening my symptoms and causing inflammation and a dysregulated immune system.
So, yes, the anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids saved me, but they increased inflammation in my system on a perpetual cycle.
How Do You Reduce Inflammation Naturally?
I also discovered that by manipulating gut bacteria, systemic chronic inflammation can be reduced at the source, and the immune system can be regulated again.
When I say manipulate, I mean eating to encourage good diversity.
60% of Gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) reside in the gut, an essential component of the body’s immune defense.
It switches off genetic expression by manipulating gut bacteria and increasing good diversity.
People talk about gut health a lot but not really about inflammation because they don’t fully understand it. It is relevant, though. Poor gut health leads to chronic inflammation.
So, my research was extensive and extended to thousands of hours over a decade. I used myself first as a guinea pig and then extended it to family and friends, developing this anti-inflammatory lifestyle called Eat Burn Sleep. Born in 2017.
I qualified as a naturopathic nutritionist so that I could help others with a foundation in biochemistry (CNM) from the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London with a DipCNM in 2021, and am accredited with mBANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) and mANP (Member of Association of Naturopathic Practitioners), all of which set the standard of excellence in science-based nutrition and naturopathic practice.
My research into gut health and chronic inflammation remains continuous.
What Is The Fastest Way to Reduce Inflammation?
The EBS lifestyle is about lowering chronic inflammation with the variables we have control over. We can modify how we eat and sleep better for the tissues to repair and the immune system to reset by eating anti-inflammatory foods. An anti-inflammatory diet will aid sleep, and this method resets the circadian rhythm.
Good quality sleep is anti-inflammatory. This is why weight gain is linked to low-quality sleep.
When you eat nourishing, nutritional food, it promotes a healthy gut and ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter synthesis.
Nourishing gut-healthy food reduces inflammation in the brain and supports healthy brain function. This is why depression is treated well on this anti-inflammatory platform. Chronic inflammation that comes from bad gut health increases neuroinflammation in the brain.
We can focus on anti-inflammation movement and strengthen our core to support our digestive system.
We can lower our stress levels by focusing on mental wellness and doing daily meditations, which lower cortisol levels and help lower chronic inflammation.
This inflammation-lowering lifestyle is all about focusing on the things we can change.
We can’t change a lot, like pollution and chemicals on surfaces and in just about every food and drink you come across. But we can focus on the areas we can change.
What Is the Point of an Anti-inflammatory Diet?
By lowering chronic inflammation, you lessen the chances of these issues developing. If they have developed already, you have more chance of putting these diseases into remission – if you follow an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
The mechanisms of the effects of inflammation in the body and how the body becomes inflammatory are really involved and are unique to the individual’s make-up, surroundings, and lifestyle.
An anti-inflammatory lifestyle is the most important contributor to health, given its impact on non-communicable and infectious diseases.
We delve deeper into this on the platform and invite you to join us to eat, breathe, move, de-stress, sleep, and enjoy life the anti-inflammatory way.
All the tools you need to live this revolutionary anti-inflammatory lifestyle are here.
Sign up today, and you will be protecting yourself from disease and be on your way to the best version of yourself!
Click to see Faqs & Signs of Inflammation that May Surprise You!
Shifting Through The Seasons With Boosted Immunity
Hello Everyone! I love seasonal changes, for each one carries beauty. Of course, when the weather, temperature, and light change, it is inevitable that these will have an effect on our mental, physical, and emotional health.
For this post, I am going to focus on the immune system. It reminds everyone, no matter the season, that good immune health equals good health. Many of you can be in control of looking after it, too!
Our immune system is complex and influenced by many factors, but I will try and explain briefly.
An effective, healthy immune system can interpret the world around it and respond appropriately. It can powerfully defeat invading pathogens, bacteria, viruses, and foreign invaders.
We have two types: innate and adaptive immunity.
Our innate immunity is our first-line defense, achieved by protective barriers that disallow foreign invaders from entering our bodies.
These barriers are via the skin (keeping them out), mucus (trapping them), immune system cells (attacking them on entry), sweat and tear enzymes (anti-bacterial compounds), and stomach acid (destroying them).
Our adaptive immunity is where our immune system recognizes what a foreign invader is.
So, when one enters the body, cells and organs create antibodies.
This leads to a counterattack and the multiplication of immune cells (including the signaling of different white blood cells) that are specific to that pathogen. They attack and destroy it.
Then, our immune system adapts (remembers) so that if the invader enters again, the cells and antibodies built will be more efficient and destroy it more quickly.
Memory is the signature attribute of the immune system.
So, if the immune system has no memory of a new strain, say, then this is when we are likely to catch a virus.
What is important to note is that this is how we build T-cells and antibodies (unless you need to shield, of course).
We need exposure to microbes to raise T-cells but also be cautious of germs that cause severe disease when underlying conditions exist. Of course, that is why vaccinations exist, like coronavirus and flu, for instance.
What Can Weaken Your Immune System?
Factors that weaken our immune system are:
Poor nutrition
The quality of your gut bacteria dictates your nutrient absorption. Poor gut health (dysbiosis) is linked to a weakened immune system and non-communicable diseases since 70% of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) resides in the gut.
GALT and the intestine are essential in the body’s immune defense, allowing tolerance to good bacteria and dietary nutrients while dispelling the body of foreign invaders.
Gut microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract provides essential health benefits, particularly immune homeostasis.
It’s a vicious cycle: Gut dysbiosis equals immune dysregulation and the risk of autoimmune disorders! Immune dysregulation causes gut dysbiosis!
Reduced microbial exposures and a low microbiota diversity are linked to chronic inflammatory conditions, including neuroinflammation.
Unhealthy lifestyle
An unhealthy lifestyle weakens your immune defense. Poor sleep patterns, smoking, excess alcohol, and drug abuse contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.
As does lack of exercise, being overweight, being underweight, and following calorie-restrictive diets. Negative thinking is detrimental to good health and disease defense, too.
What you do every day, how you eat, how you move, what you think, and so on, all majorly affect your health.
An overburdened liver due to heavy medication and excess alcohol, for instance, disrupts the homeostatic role of the liver.
Exposure to toxins and pollution suppresses the regular activity of immune cells. It is such a vast topic. I could go on!
Lack of sleep
Sleep is vital for a healthy immune system. A bidirectional relationship exists between your immune system and sleep.
For instance, the body releases specific proteins called cytokines that help the immune system while we sleep.
You only have to think about how your body craves sleep when you have a cold or virus.
No amount of anything will keep you awake, as your body’s natural healing defense urges you to lie down and sleep. If you fight it, you prolong the sickness period.
Likewise, suppose you have long periods of insomnia. In that case, you are more susceptible to catching a virus because important infection fighters decrease, and you are more open to getting other chronic inflammation conditions.
There’s a strong link between circadian disruption and sleep in developing diseases!
Chronic inflammation
If you have inflammatory issues, you are more at risk of catching a virus.
Many people have inflammation running for a while before they notice it develops into a disease. (There are signs of inflammation that people often dismiss).
Obesity is a chronic inflammation condition. Fat tissue produces adipocytokines that promote inflammation, and impaired T-cells stop the immune system’s optimal and timely response when faced with pathogens.
Also, people who are overweight tend to have lower blood vitamin D levels. Vitamin D accumulates in excess fat tissues but is not readily available when the body needs it. The good news is that it does rise again when weight is reduced.
Living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle in a complete 360-degree way can curb this from happening. Even in genetic diseases, it gives your body a more robust defense.
Autoimmune diseases and issues
You can be born with the genes of or acquire a weaker immune system. Conditions like ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, Graves, Type 1 diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis…where the immune mistakenly attacks and potentially disables healthy cells, tissues, and organs.
An overactive immune system could cause asthma and eczema. All sorts of other medical conditions compromise, disable, and depress the immune system and leave people highly vulnerable to pathogens, like certain cancers and HIV/AIDS.
Have you read Anti-cancer Diet: Recovery & Prevention, How Can You Prevent & Treat Cervical Cancer? & Reducing Cancer Risk & Recovery
Please also listen to the podcasts, where you can access inspirational stories from my guests – Karen Greenberg and Member Sofia Toubani, who talk about how they survived cancer.
Immune-suppressing medication
These are given for autoimmune diseases to reduce the risk of rejection of foreign bodies in transplant organs and cancer treatment.
Read NSAIDs, Gut Health & Inflammation,& Side Effects of Antibiotics & IBD,
Chronic stress
The immune system, central nervous system, and endocrine system interact with each other. Stress dysregulates the immune system by upsetting these systems’ interplay.
If you are stressed, then your sympathetic nervous system kicks in. The sympathetic nervous system shuts down the immune system and the parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for gut motility and health.
70% of immune cells and 60% of neurotransmitters reside in the gut.
Excess cortisol that is triggered, along with other hormones in times of chronic stress, leads the immune system to reduce the production of white blood cells (germ hunters) and increase stress hormones and inflammation increases.
Vitamin D deficiency
Unfortunately, we learned from COVID-19 fatalities that vitamin D is an important immune regulator.
Vitamin D is a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. It is more of a multifunctional hormone as it contributes to many body processes. Processes involving the immune, intestines, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems, as well as other metabolic pathways and the brain!
Many essential vitamins are obtained from food, but only 10% of vitamin D is obtained from food.
The other 90% is produced by sunlight, and the efficiency depends on the UVB protons penetrated into the skin. Conversion then occurs in the liver mainly, and it is utilized. It isn’t stored for long, though!
Vitamin D diminishes with:
less exposure to sunshine
light restriction
skin having higher amounts of the pigment melanin
wearing more clothes and covering the skin
not spending time outside
older age
excess fat.
More about vitamin D is below.
Also, check out this article with more information about vitamin D and the benefits of sunshine if you haven’t already. It also includes information for those of you basking in the hot sun.
Older age
Age brings a reduced immune system response capability. This is why many older people are more vulnerable to assaults on their immune systems. It also makes them more susceptible to contracting respiratory infections and viruses.
This could be due to poor gut health and lack of nutrient requirements, which means poor immune health and less T-cell production.
Nutrition is needed for the immune response to pathogens, and many enzymes in the immune cells require certain micronutrients to enhance optimum immune function.
What happens with an unhealthy gut and compromised immune system is that the inflammation pathways could lead to neuroinflammation. This includes depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases. (There is comprehensive, personalized advice for Depression Members that is proving to be so successful).
Also, poorer appetites could be down to living alone, lack of interest in cooking for one, medications, neurodegenerative disease, no access to fresh, real food…and loneliness!
There are many reasons why being social is the number one factor for longevity!
Isolation
Not socializing weakens your immune defense because we need to raise T-cells to protect us. If you are vaccinated, socializing will be good for you.
Does Lack of Exposure to Harmful Microbes Weaken The Immune System?
Reduced exposure to harmful microbes may reduce memory updates to the immune memory cells. This would reduce the activity of the innate immune system, but it shouldn’t weaken the ability to respond to new threats in a healthy immune system.
The key is to maximize your immune health and look at your lifestyle. Some significant factors that reduce the immune system’s defense are listed above.
Note: What we need to remember is that we need to protect ourselves from exposure to harmful microbes like toxins, pollutants, chemicals, and lethal infections while maximizing exposure to essential microorganisms (microbiota, natural environment, socializing, and so on).
An anti-inflammatory lifestyle strengthens your microbiota, immune, liver, and overall health. Discuss it with your doctor.
Do We Need Supplements For The ‘Cold and Flu’ Seasons?
Firstly, be aware of marketing. In the cooler seasons of the world right now, we will be bombarded with ‘Immune-boosting Vitamins’ and ‘Immune Defence Supplements.’
(Supplements are a billion-dollar industry and not regulated! Check the ingredients and buy from a reputable brand).
There are reasons why the cooler seasons are referred to as the ‘cold and flu’ seasons, and the cause used to be blamed on more behavioral reasons rather than biological ones. We spend more time indoors with people, allowing for easier germ spreading.
The cooler air allows viruses to stay airborne longer. Studies suggest that the cooler air could also affect the nose’s first line of the immune response, reaching mucous membranes, thus disabling the body’s ability to fight germs.
Read How To Recover From Virus Infections & Reduce Asthma With an Anti-inflammatory Diet
More About Vitamin D
Vitamin D insufficiency affects almost 50% of the population worldwide, across all ethnicities and age groups, and supplementation is often necessary.
Lack of sunshine is a challenge for your immune system because vitamin D (from the sun) plays a vital and complex role in immune system function and regulation.
Sitting near an open window or using a S.A.D. lamp (throughout the day) is beneficial if you have to isolate or in cooler months.
Although sitting behind a window alone will feel nice but will block the necessary UVB rays.
Taking in a correct dose of sunshine when you can is essential for your immune system since 90% of vitamin D is absorbed from the sun, but there are challenges when the skin is covered. See above.
The best way of bolstering immunity for better protection against disease and infection is by having vitamins and minerals through food and living an anti-inflammatory, immune-healthy lifestyle.
This will allow maximum absorption of optimum health nutrition and virus defense.
Vitamin D Deficiencies
If you have a deficiency, condition, lower blood levels of D due to skin pigments, live in places where sunlight is limited, or any reason you do not get enough vitamin D, as in veganism, then the requirements for supplements increase.
Poor vitamin D absorption could occur with chronic inflammation conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, celiac, Crohn’s, and ulcerative colitis. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so it depends on the gut’s ability to absorb dietary fat, and these conditions can cause malabsorption.
Some conditions require vitamin D supplementation, which is vital for calcium homeostasis in bone health; for instance, vitamin D deficiency also causes respiratory infections. The hormone is essential to the body.
I advise getting a deficiency test if you think you are depleted from vitamin D.
Talk with your doctor about vaccinations, deficiency tests, and supplementation.
Vitamin D is in cod liver oil, trout, beef, liver, mushrooms, egg yolks, and many fortified foods like cereals (but check the ingredients because these fortified foods could also increase your inflammation).
Also, I reiterate that supplements are not an effective alternative to diet and lifestyle, but vitamin D differs due to vitamin D absorption restrictions and our requirements.
Vitamin D is available in D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). They have different molecule structures since D2 is created from plants.
I recommend D3 as the preferred form since it is naturally produced in the body and is found in most foods that contain the vitamin naturally.
I recommend Solgar for D3. Check out the Yalda Loves page for other recommendations.
Do Teenagers Need Supplements For Their Immunity?
Teenagers should not need supplements if they eat a varied diet with all the nutrients they need. The bioavailability of nutrients in food is far superior to supplements because of serum levels.
Teenagers aren’t going to have a robust immune system just by taking supplements. The supplements will be a waste of money if they eat a high-fat diet that lacks vitamins and minerals and do not get enough outside space and exercise.
Encouraging Healthier Eating
One good way to encourage healthier eating in growing children is not to have snacks lying around. Regarding mealtimes, they will be so hungry that they are less likely to be fussy.
Also, find ways to incorporate vitamins and minerals into favorites like sauces with carbohydrates that children enjoy, like pasta, potato wedges, gut-healthy bread, etc.
Growing children and teenagers love most recipes on Eat Burn Sleep (tried and tested). I know this because of what my boys say, what my family and friends say – and the testimonials!
Reboot and Revive
