"O" of the H.O.P.E. Formula

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"O" is for oil.

Recommendations:

• Work to improve your ratio of "good fats" to "bad fats". Ideally eliminate bad fats altogether. Bad fats encourage inflammation and promotion of chronic disease.
  
• Within the "good fats" category (omega 3 and omega 6, omega 9 too), most Americans need to dramatically increase their consumption of omega 3 and decrease consumption of omega 6 to normalize this ratio.
  
• Get 2gms/day of EPA/DHA (omega 3) via supplement. (EPA and DHA comprise omega 3 fat)
• Choose grass fed beef and organic free range chicken and eggs for higher content of omega 3.
• Avoid and eliminate trans and hydrogenated fats (found in crackers, shortening, fried foods, etc).
• Eliminate consumption of corn fed beef and other animals meant to be raised on grass. By eating corn, the animal develops unhealthy fat that's passed on to YOU.
  
• Use coconut oil for cooking (can tolerate high heat)
• Use olive oil for light sauteing and room temp use (salads)
• Butter is good for most cooking options
• Limit use of polyunsaturated oils (canola, corn, sunflower, etc). They are high in omega 6 fat. Omega 6 fat is good, but we've overdone it and need to improve our ratio of omega 3/omega 6.
• Completely avoid margarines and other "fake" fats.

Why good oil in the diet?

• Reduce inflammation
• Improve brain and nerve function
• Support GI health
• Support cardiovascular, immune, reproductive and nervous systems
• Important role in hormone production

Getting enough omega 3 oil (DHA/EPA) is one of the basic building blocks for everyone. It's difficult to impossible to have oprimal functioning hormones, brain chemistry and digestion without this piece of the puzzle.

We're lucky to have found a pharmaceutical grade fish oil certified and proven to be clean of mercury and other contaminants commonly found in fish oil supplements. It's the Metagenics brand of DHA/EPA in the studio.

If you buy fish oil somewhere else, be sure it's pharmaceutical grade and certified clean of contaminants. 

"H" of the H.O.P.E. Formula

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The H.O.P.E. Formula by Brenda Watson is a program for everyone to adopt into their daily lifestyle. It's not reserved for those with digestive problems. It's a program to prevent future problems and keep your digestive system (and the rest of your body) running smoothly and effectively.

When addressing any health problem, most experts agree that the first place to start is the digestive system. Supplements, hormones, amino acids and other treatments will not work effectively if the digestive system is not functioning properly. Overlooking this important process could be the barrier to improved health.

Let's start with the "H", for High Fiber.

Why Fiber?

• Absorbs toxins and gets them out of your body (soluble fiber)
• "Sweeps clean" and tones the colon muscles (insoluble fiber), reducing/eliminating constipation.
• Slows glucose absorption, helps keep blood sugar levels balanced and good for diabetics
• Absorbs water soluble cholesterol, reducing cholesterol levels and helps reduce formation of gallstones.
• Improves hemorroids, varicose veins and colitis.
• Promotes weight loss, prevents colon cancer and controls carcinogens in intestine.
• helps remove unwanted heavy metals and toxin and reduces the effects of radiation therapy.
• A blend of soluble/insoluble fiber will both bind toxins and increase elimination. Using only one type of fiber will not give you all these benefits.

Insoluble Fiber Sources

• Whole grains
• Wheat bran
• Veggies/fruit skins
• Flax seed
• Peanuts, brazil nuts

Soluble Fiber Sources:

• Barley, oats, rye
• Fruits/veggies
• Legumes
• Seeds (incl flax)
• Guar gum
• Psyllium husks (not recommended)

How much?

35 grams per day. Very difficult to get only from diet. Fiber supplements are almost always necessary to achieve 35 gm/day. Look for one with a blend of both soluble/insoluble fiber. Flax, acacia and oat bran make a good blend. You can find Brenda's line of products at Whole Foods to make it easy.

Why not psyllium? 

Psyllium is a popular type of fiber seen sold in stores. It absorbs 40 times its weight in water and can have a dehydrating effect on the colon and can cause costipation and bloating. Psyllium can increase intestinal permeability and possible contribute to stomach or bowel cancer. Additionally, psyllium can encourage overgrowth of the normal intestinal bacteria which can deprive your body of vitamin B12 and produce an increase in the concentration of bacterial toxins.

Information presented here is from The H.O.P.E. Formula by Brenda Watson.

Reduce Your Toxin Exposure

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Now that you've learned to detect toxins and understand how they strain your body and cause problems, find out what you can do to reduce your exposure to air, food, water and household toxins.

Toxic Air, Water, Personal Care Products

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We've learned about toxins in food. Learn about the other 3 areas of toxin exposure.

Liver and Whole Body Detoxification: Your Strategy

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The 1st video explains water vs fat soluble toxins and the 3 entry sites into your body.

In the 2nd video you'll learn how a sluggish liver can slow the detoxification process. You'll learn the basic ins and outs of how your liver functions.

The 3rd video Brenda Watson describes lifestyle practices you can do to help your body detoxify and function optimally.

As a side note, one of our Body Blitz participants told me last week her husband has had sever chronic fatigue for a few years, has been to numerous doctors (and the last one told him to take Ritalin for the fatigue), and he was preparing to go on disability because the fatigue was so bad. The white of his eyes and his skin was yellow. After reading Brenda's book, she decided to giver her husband milk thistle (Brenda talks about this in the video). His eyes and skin have cleared up and he has energy again and can continue to work. Their lives have changed.

It's not a panacea, but it illustrates how important it is to get our basic body functions working properly. In his case, the liver and detoxification.

Whatever you do, remember, your body wants to be healthy. It continues to heal itself if we don't get in the way TOO much. Our job is to provide the right "biological terrain" so our bodies can do their job. 

It's not about taking supplements to "fix" problems or cover up symptoms. Anything you take should be something your body is either missing or it needs the substance to return to its normal function.

Become a detective, learn about how your body SHOULD function, learn how supplements, diet, and lifestyle help or hinder your biological terrain, and make your choices..take action.

Toxic Food...What is It?

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Here's your 2nd digestive health video. Learn how to detect toxic chemicals in your food. 

Body Blitz Week 6

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Welcome to BodyBlitz week 6! Our focus is digestion and the main educational materials are the Brenda Watson books/DVDs on digestion. Check out her website...she's known as the "poop expert." Her basic program is her H.O.P.E. Formula.

• H: High fiber
• O: Oils (omega 3)
• P: Probiotics
• E: Enzymes

Before we get into the H.O.P.E. Formula, watch this series of 3 videos to get familiar with your basic digestive and detoxification processes. You'll learn what kinds of physical problems are caused by faulty digestion and toxicity, including bloating, fatigue, fibromyalgia, skin problems, hormone problems, autoimmune disease, and many, many more. Study up...a quiz may just appear this week!

Adrenal Supplements for Healing

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If you're having trouble with adrenal fatigue or burnout, it's critical you:

1. Adjust your life to decrease stress, including improving your sleep
2. Improve your diet (including removing adrenal draining foods such as caffeine, sugar, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and damaged fats). If you're having trouble removing certain things from your diet, you may need amino acid support to address your cravings.

• Caffeine, stimulant drugs: L-tyrosine
• Sugar and carbs: L-glutamine if due to low blood sugar, L-tyrosine if due to low energy, or 5-HTP.
• Alcohol, smoking, tranquilizers, anxiolytics: GABA if due to anxiety/nervousness
• Comfort foods, pain killers (incl ibuprofen): DL-phenylalanine or D-phenylalanine to increase "feel good" endorphins
• Fried/fatty foods: EPA/DHA essential fatty acids

Before using any aminos, be sure you have no contraindications. Check past blogs on amino acids or use the contraindication sheet in the studio.

Adrenal recovery can take between 6 months to 2 or more years. Supplements support this process by helping your adrenals return to normal function.

Helpful adrenal supplements:

• Vitamin C, magnesium, panothenic acid, B vitamins: work in concert to potentiate the action of adrenals; essential for the production of enzymes and energy needed for the adrenal hormone cascade.
• Adrenal glandulars; supports and rejuvinates adrenals
• DHEA (do not take this without knowing your levels. Work with a health practitioner if you take DHEA)
• targeted amino acids; see below
• Licorice extract: supports adrenal function
• Ashwaganda root: normalizes cortisol levels

Before taking any of these supplements, read up and understand what you are taking and why. A good explanation of most of these can be found on the James Wilson Adrenal fatigue website listing product faqs.

Aminos important in adrenal healing depend on the state of adrenal fatique you are in. If your brain chemistry is not ideal for daily (and nightly) functioning, your adrenals continue to be stressed.

• If you feel very stressed and have a difficult time relaxing or you find yourself snapping at people, GABA is helpful.
• If you are dull, feeling flat, with low energy, focus and concentration, tyrosine/phenylalanine is helpful.
• If you feel depressed, low self esteem, withdrawn, 5-HTP/L-tryptophan is helpful.

Many people need a combination of aminos. If you take aminos, take them on an empty stomach (without other proteins in your stomach) and be sure you have B vitamins (especially B6) available. Bs are necessary to convert the amino to the neurotransmitter.  

Healing Adrenal Fatigue

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Healing Adrenal Fatigue

Diet and De-Stress

Once you've done your saliva levels and determined you have low adrenal output, you'll need to make changes in your lifestyle, stress level, sleep, and diet. Read these recommendations by James Wilson, N.D., D.C., Ph.D., author of Adrenal Fatigue. Discussion of adrenal supplements will follow in another article.

1. Diet recommendations for healing adrenals:
"Even in the best of times, you need food to survive and be healthy. Adrenal fatigue is definitely not the best of times, so the food choices you make become even more important to your health. When your adrenals respond to stress your cell metabolism speeds up, burning many times the number of nutrients normally needed. With adrenal fatigue, the cells have used up much of the body's stored nutrients, creating a nutritional void. Good quality food is the best source for replenishing these nutrients. Read full article

2. How to de-stress to heal your adrenals
During these stressful times it is vitally important that you look after your health and the health of those around you. Stress intensifies the demands on your body - nutrients are used up faster than they can be replaced by food, toxic by-products rapidly build up, and every organ and gland (including your brain) is asked to work harder. During stress your body is in a race. Read full article

James L. Wilson D.C., N.D., Ph.D. has helped thousands of people experiencing adrenal fatigue regain their health and vitality during his many years of private practice.For the past 10 years he has lectured extensively to physicians and is acknowledged as an expert on endocrine imbalances and their impact on health, including the effects of stress on adrenal function.He is the person who presented adrenal fatigue as a distinct, diagnosable syndrome. A scientist as well as a physician, Dr. Wilson holds 3 doctorate degrees and 2 master's degrees, all from different health disciplines. He was one of the founding fathers of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto, Ontario and is listed in The International Who's Who in Medicine (Cambridge, England).His internationally-renown book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome (Smart Publications, 2001), is a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to uncovering, dealing with and preventing adrenal fatigue and the negative effects of stress on health. Dr. Wilson currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Low Adrenal Function....How Do You Know?

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Tired adrenals affect your thyroid and low thyroid stresses your adrenals. You need to consider both.

Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure, suggests we think of our adrenals as our "A" Team. Your adrenals produce 30-60 different hormones. When you experience stress, your adrenals increase production of adrenaline (short-acting) and cortisol (long acting). Initially these 2 hormones are too high, and with continued stress, they become too low (adrenal fatigue or burn-out). 

You already know that upsets, injuries, anger or fear causes increased adrenal output. You may be surprised to learn the following items also cause excessive adrenaline/cortisol output:

1. High sugar, low protein diet 
2. Severe or chronic infection
3. Environmental chemicals/toxins
4. Chronic caffeine use
5. Unbalanced sex hormones
6. Parasites
7. Yeast or fungal overgrowth
8. Allergens
9. Overexercise
   

Whatever the cause, elevated stress hormones not only keeps us in an overramped emotional state, it leads to heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, decreased immune function, Alzheimer's, and decreased memory.

Many studies confirm low cortisol to be an increasingly common problem. It's estimated that more than 70% of Americans may be affected by low adrenaline reserves.

Look at the following list of common symptoms of adrenal exhaustion (from The Mood Cure). Think about which apply to you, how often you get them and how much they bother you:

• Sensitive to exhaust fumes, smoke, chemical smells 
• Feel worse after exercise or inability to tolerate much exercise
• Depression or rapid mood swings
• Dark circles under eyes
• Dizziness upon standing
• Lack of mental alertness
• Tendency to catch colds when weather changes
• Headaches along with insomnia
• Breathing difficulties
• Edema (water retention)
• Salt cravings
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Feeling of not being rested upon awakening
• Feeling tired all the time
• Feeling of mental and emotional overstress
• Low blood sugar symptoms
• Need for caffeine to get going in the morning
• Low tolerance for loud noises or strong odors
• Tendency to startle easily
• Food or respiratory allergies
• Recurrent chronic infections such as yeast infections
• Lightheadedness
• Low tolerance for alcohol, caffeine and other drugs
• Fainting
• Tend to get upset easily, quick to cry
• Tend to get a second wind at night
• Low blood pressure
• Haven't felt your best in a long time
• Eyes sensitive to bright light
• Feeling of being weak and shaky
• Fatigue and muscular weakness
• Frequent heart palpitations
• Chronic heartburn
• Vague indigestion or abdominal pain
• Sweet cravings
• Lack of thirst
• Clenching/grinding teeth especially at night
• Chronic pain in lower neck and upper back

If you suspect low adrenals, order an adrenal saliva test. Get one that checks cortisol 4x in 24 hours (usually 8am, noon, bedtime and 12 midnight). You'll also want to check DHEA-S at the same time (1x). Take these results to your health practitioner to get help with interpretation and treatment if necessary.

Your cortisol output should follow a specific rhythm; a morning high, holding steady throughout the day, decreasing at bedtime with the lowest point in the middle of the night, rising again to get you up in the morning. Look up saliva hormone testing online. ZRT Labs is a good one.

You may find your cortisol rhythm is upside down; high at night keeping you awake, yet low in the morning. You may see your entire cortisol pattern lower than normal but following the pattern. DHEA usually follows cortisol; if overall cortisol is low, DHEA is often low. You'll find out if DHEA supplementation would be helpful for you. 

In any case, you'll get an understanding of how your adrenals are doing...another piece of the puzzle. 

We'll put that together with thyroid to get the bigger picture. 

Thyroid-Disrupting Triclosan Jumps Into the Frying Pan

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Friday, April 09, 2010 - Byron Richards, CCN

The FDA is sounding alarm bells and the national media has jumped on the bandwagon. Triclosan is no longer flying under the radar like hundreds of others of its toxic chemical friends. Like bisphenol A, triclosan has a bull's-eye on its forehead. This is not only a health story; it is a story of political intrigue. It pits the obesity epidemic against an industry that is helping to cause it. Is Michelle Obama paying attention? Read more

BodyBlitz Week 5: Thyroid and Adrenals

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Our group has come a long way in only 4 weeks! I'm so impressed with the books read, food diaries kept, classes attended, videos watched, CD's listened to, grass fed beef bought and the too-numerous-to-count action steps many of you have taken to significantly improve your (and your family's) health.

Revisiting Stress Reduction: 

• Did you look in the nooks and crannies of your day-to-day life to find opportunities to manage your stress? 
• Are you starting to avoid relationships with people who drag you down?
• How is it going with pursuing that dream?
• What did you do to address excessive stress?  

A number of years ago I did an exercise where I listed out all the things I would do if I had unlimited money. When I looked at the list I realized that most of those things I could start doing right now.....or at least work toward them (even though I didn't, and don't have unlimited money). I was surprised to see how many things did not require much or any money at all! Those that did, I started finding ways to pursue using the available resources I had. It totally changed my life. I realized that up til then, I never seriously considered pursuing what I really wanted and probably used money as an excuse.

Week 5 focus: Adrenal and Thyroid (there it is, on top of the kidney)

You now know the importance of a good diet in providing you with optimal brain chemicals to feel your best. For optimal brain function (meaning you have good energy, you can focus, have good memory and concentration, you feel satisfied, sleep well and feel happy and well adjusted most all the time). Your meals should be centered around:

1. Approximately 20gm protein
2. Vegetables
3. Essential fats
4. Additional carbs (if needed) from whole fruits, whole grains, starchy veggies, nuts, seeds, beans

For the most part, anything that's not the above doesn't add value to your diet and/or it actually harms your body. Don't be fooled into thinking that alcohol, "natural sugar" or coffee is good for you. If you choose to have some, just realize it's not adding to your health, but you're doing the best you can. I just ask that you don't justify poor eating....it is what it is. Be informed and do what you can.

The following must be in place before you can maximize your therapy with amino acids, bioidentical hormones and vitamin/mineral supplements:

1. Good diet (as listed above) 
2. Healthy digestion (we address this in week 6)
3. Optimally functioning thyroid and adrenals 

It doesn't mean supplements won't do any good at all and it doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. It means you may not get the entire results you are looking for just yet. This explains why one person benefits right away from supplements and another person does not. The cause is often malfunctioning adrenals, thyroid or digestion. 

Which are you?.........

1. Healthy Adrenals
We've heard from a few people on the blog who have had exceptional results with diet improvement only or taking a vitamin/mineral supplement. People who can easily eliminate all sugar and caffeine (and don't smoke, use alcohol, or use other drugs) are in this category. They have adrenals and thyroid that kick in and work well. Their digestive system is working properly.

2. Headed for Trouble
You may be in the place where you live on caffeine and sugar, you take birth control pills, don't eat nutritious food, you have plenty of energy, your mind is sharp, and life in general is great. It's a fun place to be... it just doesn't last forever. You're headed for adrenal trouble. This is why it's critical that young people (up to age 35 or so) understand WHY their behaviors need to change. They need to see what's ahead, and understand it's much harder to fix later. Once they hit 35-40 years, it becomes clear there is a problem.

3. Adrenals Depleted (to any extent)
If you have trouble eliminating caffeine, sugar, alcohol (meaning that when you eliminate it you feel terrible, have cravings and can't stay off it for long), it's a probable sign that your adrenals and/or thyroid may need some help.

If you've been through stress of divorce, abuse, death, raising children, low calorie dieting, skipping meals, regular and long term caffeine use, high sugar diet, illness, chemical addiction, or any other very high stress situation, your body has been in "depletion" mode. Depletion mode rather than "building mode" is very stressful for your adrenals. Your adrenal glands (adrenals give you stress and sex hormones) may be tired out. Tired adrenals affect the thyroid and also hormone output.

If you have some degree of adrenal depletion, just an easy change of your diet or a vitamin/mineral supplement will not be enough to get you feeling your best. You likely feel much worse when you attempt to eliminate sugar or caffeine. Just the thought of giving up those substances makes you panic! You need a little more help and support, and that's what we're going to learn about this week. Once you're at this stage, you'll need more than your diet can provide in terms of amino acids for brain chemistry rebuilding. Plan to rebuild your brain chemicals with amino acid therapy. It's shorter and simpler than you might think. When you get the right one, you'll know in about 6 minutes. While you're working on supporting your brain, you start on the path of rebuilding strong adrenals and thyroid. You may need bioidentical hormone support right now, but may not need it later as your adrenals recover. You CAN recover fully from this and feel better than ever. It just takes time.

Action Plan for BodyBlitz Week 5:

1. Read pp 159-196 in "Female Brain." Complete pages 20,21 with thyroid and adrenal information.
2. If you think your adrenals may have problems, add this to your list of items to be checked. Order your own test or get help. Do not start on adrenal supplements before understanding what you need (based on your levels).
3. If you suspect you have low thyroid, get it checked with the appropriate tests. Remember, low adrenals can cause low thyroid, so help the adrenals first...it may correct your thyroid problem.
4. If you suspect problems with either one, remember, decreased stress and diet support these glands. Overexercise makes it worse.

5. Review how amino acid therapy (and which amino acids) can help when you have adrenal and/or thyroid problems. (it's all intertwined!)

Body Blitz Week 4: Stress Reduction

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OMG, we're half way through our 6 weeks.

Things are really starting to heat up (in a good way) as many of you have watched the videos and studied the Female Brain Gone Insane book.

Is your brain on fire?

I'm hearing how excited you are to discover answers to "mysterious" symptoms you've been experiencing....with seemingly no good answer..."you're getting old, you should just have more discipline, eat less, just think positive, etc, etc, etc".

We're finding answers to why we're tired, why we have mood swings, why we can't lose weight, why we overeat sugar and junk food, why we can't sleep, think straight...why we can't simply feel good!

Week 4 brings us a change of focus.

Stress reduction. Read pages 137-155 in Female Brain Gone Insane. We'll focus on stress buster and life improvement techniques. High stress will sabotage your efforts to provide good chemicals to your brain. High stress sabotages balanced hormones. Stress has to do with adrenaline and cortisol, your thyroid and adrenals. These glands are the providers of the hormones we need to run our bodies. They get WAY out of whack with chronic high stress.

Working too many hours (especially at a job you don't like) and sleeping too few hours leads to a depleted system. Experiencing high stress: divorce, death of loved one, financial, school, pain, cancer, serious illness, eating disorders, fast weight loss, accident, etc, often leads to depleted adrenals and subsequently depleted thyroid. Our brain chemicals suffer and we don't feel good and we're told we're just getting old and this is normal. It's not.

I'm bringing this up because I don't think people in general take stress seriously and understand how much it can harm health and affect brain and full body functioning. Some may not think they have the ability to change their lives to reduce stress and often don't see the dire importance of stress reduction, but yet, wonder why they feel terrible. All the supplements and a good diet will not work if you're burning the candle at both ends.

It's especially difficult for us to see and understand because most everyone we see on a daily basis is stressed out...it's accepted as normal... we're expected to be productive and working at something all the time. Everyone seems to be busy. I think it's more common here in the midwest with our strong work ethic. Heaven forbid we should take time to do nothing. Or worse yet, take a nap...every day!!

However, it's not necessarily about "doing nothing or very little". It's not that activity is bad. If you've always wanted to be an actor, and now you're doing it.....it's feeding you...not stressing you. Maybe you're busy with it, but you LOVE it. Spending time doing things you love reduces stress. How much of your day is spent doing things you love? It helps if you love your work.

Another is reducing clutter. Is your desk a shamble? Can you barely see your kitchen table? Do you have piles everywhere? Clearing these spaces reduces stress.

For this week, lets look at our lives and see, first off, if chronic stress is a problem for us. If so, think about what YOU need to do to improve your situation. It's not usually as simple as take more bubble baths. It often takes some re-arranging of how you conduct your days, who you spend time with, what type and how much exercise you get, when you sleep, and a big one is your job...your life work.

Considering exercise for stress reduction ......

In the studio we've provided you with the opportunity to take Belly Dancing this week and Tai Chi/Qigong the following 2 weeks. We have a trip to the Old Log Theatre to see a funny comedy play. All planned to help with stress reduction and add a bit of fun and laughter. Qigong is incredibly restorative and healing, and you can do it on your own once you learn how.

Other studio stress reduction classes: BODYFLOW, Pilates mat, yoga and Nia. Depending on how you do it, the Foam Roller class can be stress relieving. If your body is not depleted, more intense cardio and weight training are stress relieving.

If your system is depleted, heavy exercise can further deplete you. If you feel energized by your workout (all day, not just for 30 minutes), the exercise is most likely good for you (but you won't know it if you're high on caffeine and sugar...keeping you jazzed up all day). If your exercise makes you feel more tired afterward, the exercise is depleting you, not helping you build. It depletes your brain chemicals and much more. Choose appropriate exercise for you.....but be sure and do something, preferable every day. The right exercise increases serotonin...your feel good brain chemical!

For many people, you really don't have a stressful lifestyle, yet you don't sleep well, you're anxious and maybe can't focus. Lifestyle changes don't work if you already have your life set up with low stress. For you, it's your brain chemistry making you feel stressed out and tired. Use the amino chart to find the calming aminos and use them! Those amino acids provide the necessary environment for your brain to function without anxiety. Another possible reason could be lack of progesterone, a troubled thyroid or adrenals.  

Action Plan:

1. Read pp 137-155 in "Female Brain....". 
2. Fill out pages 18, 19 in the same book (stress buster)
3. If those pages aren't sufficient, make a plan for stress reduction, even if it's one thing.
   
4. Continue your learning on aminos and brain chemistry. If you don't have contraindications to amino acids, start with one or two and see what they do for you. If you're afraid, remember that amino acids are found in food. For instance, one egg has 300 mg tyrosine, 3 eggs has 900 mg. The supplement dose you would start with is 500 mg tyrosine. You're already getting these aminos in food. The reason you would take them as an individual supplement is to assure that particular amino gets through to your brain and doesn't compete with the other ones (found in food). The target is the brain, and not necessarily muscle, bone, blood cell, etc development. A book that goes into much more depth on aminos is Mood Cure by Julia Ross. We'll have a supply of those books in the studio soon.
   

Food, Amino Acids and Brain Chemicals

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I'm hoping you're beginning to understand the huge role brain chemicals play in how you feel. If you're not feeling GREAT all or most of the time, it's a sign that your brain is not getting what it needs. And, yes, you should and can expect to feel good most all the time. You get brain support from your diet, the right exercise, light, sleep and supplements. Toxins, poor quality or lack of food, lack of sleep, food allergies, digestive problems, lack of light and exercise (or the wrong kind of exercise for you) and certain food substances rob your body of the brain chemicals you need to feel good.

You've been reading "Female Brain Gone Insane" pages 113-135 about Food and Supplements to the Rescue.

Let's recap this chapter: 

"A malfunctioning brain expresses itself with symptoms reflected in your emotions, moods, thoughts and behaviors." "Inadequate supplies of amino acids leads to deficits and imbalances in neurotransmitters, causing emotional breakdowns and uncontrolled behavior".

• When your brain is fed properly, you feel vibrant and happy. The ideal is to get the fuel from food. If you're depleted, you'll need help with individual amino acid supplements for a few months, possibly longer.
• You're depleted if you feel depressed, lethargic, anxious, racing thoughts, unhappy, can't sleep, can't focus, teary, lack of drive, flat, attention deficit, cravings for sugar, starch or alcohol, stressed and burned out, crave comfort food, overly sensitive, PMS, winter blues, fibromyalgia, phobias, panic, irritability, rage, intolerance, obsessive thoughts, low self esteem, or unable to relax.
• Women are especially prone to brain chemical depletion due to dieting, calorie restriction and stress.
• Dieting (low calorie, low fat, skipping meals, etc) results in deficiencies in amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, all essential for the creation of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters).
• Diet must provide protein, carbs and fat at every meal.
• Protein is the building block for amino acids. get it at every meal including breakfast. Plan for 20g protein per meal.
• Carbs provide energy for your brain. 60% of the glucose you eat is used by your brain to aid thinking, memory and sleep. Low carb diets rob your brain. Carbs should be whole foods, not processed. Eat beans, nuts, veggies, fruits, whole grains. Avoid simple sugars: honey, molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave syrup, rice syrup, corn syrup, milk, fruit juice, processed grains.
• Fats: 2/3 of your brain is made of essential fatty acids (EFAs). Get these from nuts, olives, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, butter. Fish have EFAs, be careful and aware of high mercury levels in fish. If you take fish oil supplements, be sure the bottle indicates the product is free of mercury and other heavy metals. 
• Do not eat protein alone or carbs alone. Your brain needs them together, along with good fat.
• Foods to avoid and how they affect your brain: Alcohol: Has a depressant effect on your brain, leading to a lack of motivation and flat mood over the long term. Artificial colors: can cause hyperactive behavior, difficulty focusing, and lack of impulse control. Artificial sweeteners: can cause disruption of neurotransmitters resulting in headaches, depression, ADD, rages, joint pain, muscle spasm and can mimic MS, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Sugar: Shifts in blood sugar level lead to decreased focus, concentration and memory. Can raise adrenaline levels causing insomnia and anxiety. High sugar diet increases insulin levels, blocking hormone receptors, resulting in hormonal deficiency syndromes. Hydrogenated (trans) fats: they replace the healthy fat in your brain and impair the brain cell-to-cell communication. White flour: Adds nothing positive to your brain chemistry. Is especially detrimental if your are gluten sensitive, leading to brain fog and other symptoms. Empty calories that don't fuel your brain and contributes to blood sugar spikes.
• Healthy eating habits should have a dramatic positive impact on your mood
  
  Use the chart below to help you identify aminos based on your symptoms. Chart from The Diet Cure by Julia Ross. More good information on aminos headed your way in a future blog.