Archive for January 2012

How to Control Your Hunger Hormone

Ever feel like you’re not exactly “The Boss” when it comes to your hunger? That’s because, um, you’re not. Not always, anyway. Let me introduce you to a little something called: ghrelin. 

AKA: your hunger hormone. 

You can read more about ghrelin, and (more importantly) how to control the wee beastie, over on my blog at Yummy Mummy Club. My recent post: What is Ghrelin? (Know Thine Enemy).

Mad About Nuts

When I was younger I used to avoid nuts because of their high fat content. You too?

Fortunately, we now know about the blissful thing called “healthy fat“. There’s no doubt, nuts do contain a lot of fat, but most of it is the monounsaturated kind (same stuff that’s in olive oil). And that sort of fat is good for your cholesterol profile, and protects against heart disease. But the good news about nuts doesn’t stop there. Nuts are also a great source of protein, and contains tons of beneficial nutrients, like magnesium, vitamin E, and flavonoids. Research has shown many health benefits to consuming nuts, like reducing your risk of developing blood clots and improving the lining of your arteries. All this definitely places nuts in the “superfood” category.

But are some nuts better than others? Here’s a field guide.

Almonds seem to get a lot of press. And for good reason. They are a rich source of vitamin E (an antioxidant), magnesium, flavonoids, and calcium.

Walnuts (my current fave) are chock full of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) which is an omega-3 fatty acid. And omega-3 is a very good thing. I have walnuts with greek yogurt, just about every day. Also, walnuts have almost twice the antioxidant levels of other nuts.

Peanuts (which, technically, aren’t nuts but legumes…if you’re into that sort of Cliff Calvin/Cheers type trivia…) are a rich source of folic acid, which is super-important for pregnant (or trying!) women for preventing birth defects. Peanuts also contain resveratrol–yes, that’s the selfsame antioxidant found in red grapes and red wine.

Cashews have got lots of oleic acid (monounsaturated fat), calcium, and copper which is beneficial for red blood cell formation.

Pistachios are high in phytosterols and heart-lovin’ monounsaturated fats. Pistachios are also a great source of potassium, vitamin B6, and calcium.

Chestnuts are one of the lower-calorie, lower-fat nuts. They’re also rich in potassium, folate, and vitamin C (the only nuts with C). Roasted chestnuts are one of my favorite winter treats, and in Italy they soak chestnuts in wine before roasting. Yes please.

Bottom line: because each type of nut carries its own nutrient cocktail, and no shortage of health benefits, I think that leaves us free to choose the ones we like best. After all, this is food, people, and it’s about taste! Also, I’m a believer in variety.

Mixed nuts, then?

Read Your Way to Happiness

I often write about happiness on this blog; it’s a big interest of mine, professionally and personally. I also read about happiness a lot. Here are some of my favorite books:

Happier, by Tal Ben-Shahar. Last year, this was the book that started me on my happiness journey and I re-read it often. It opened my eyes to the field of positive psychology.

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. Great book, New York Times bestseller. My full review is here. Love her blog, too.

Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I suppose this isn’t technically a “happiness” book, but because it’s a memoir of one woman’s search for happiness (and it’s so wonderfully written) I include it here. Plus, I have a major girl-crush on Elizabeth Gilbert. Check out her awesome TED talk, too.

Spontaneous Happiness, by Andrew Weil. I gobble down so much of what the good Dr. Weil has to say, it gets embarrassing. He’s a beacon of wisdom and advice, and was pioneering ahead in integrative medicine way before it was fashionable. I was very excited to see him turn his attention to the subject of happiness.

And here’s what I’m going to read next:

The How of Happiness, by Sonja Lyubomirsky. I like her blog on Psychology Today, and I keep tripping over references to this book in other places, so it’s in my to-be-read file.

Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman. Because he’s commonly regarded as the founding father of positive psychology, my happiness education will never be complete until I read this.

The Nine Rooms of Happiness, by Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF magazine, and Catherine Bindorf, MD. This looks like it has a cute/clever analogy for happiness (nine rooms of a house)…plus I like SELF magazine, I admire Lucy Danziger, and Catherine Bindorf is a psychiatrist, so it definitely hits the list.

Anybody else have recommendations for books about happiness? I’m always *happy* to add to my reading list!

Trade Secrets for Soft Winter Skin

I am not a dermatologist. BUT…I did spend a lot of time doing dermatology electives in medical school & residency. In the daily presence of dermatologists, I gleaned a couple of tips that I frequently recommend (and use myself) to this day. And I’m always surprised that many people don’t know about these products, given how often I heard dermatologists recommend them. And they’re not prescription! You just find them at the drugstore. A caveat: they’re nothing flashy. They’re not exotic. But they just. Flat. Work.

First: Prevex cream. In my job, I wash my hands a lot. I basically have the occupational equivalent of OCD. And regular hand cream is useless–it just comes off each time I wash my hands! The answer: Prevex. It forms a barrier and protects your skin. It’s thick and a little sticky when it first goes in, but it absorbs quickly and keeps your hands moisturized all day, no matter how many times you lather up. If you’ve got dry hands, this will save your life.

Next up: LacHydrin lotion. In the winter, many of us are familiar with that dull, dry layer of dead skin. And don’t even get me started about cracked, dry heels. Enter Lachydrin. Especially if we’re talking knees and heels and elbows, regular moisturizer doesn’t even touch those thickened strata. It just can’t penetrate. Lachydrin contains lactic acid which breaks down and sloughs off those dead skin cells. It’s a miracle. Again, the package is boring and there’s no lovely smell (some people even find the smell unpleasant). But it does the job.

So…now my turn: do you have any secret skin remedies?

An Antidote to Stress

The holidays are over, but does that mean your stress has magically gone away?

Didn’t think so.

Dealing with stress, in my opinion, requires a multi-pronged approach…but not all of those prongs need to be complicated.

Over on Yummy Mummy Club, I recently wrote a post about one easy thing you can do. (hint: are you getting enough of this amazing mineral?)

Natural Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

It sounds like the holy grail: Boost your metabolism, lose weight without even trying!

Is such a thing even possible? All manner of supplements trumpet this claim. But to my mind, that seems pretty dubious. Chemicals to boost metabolism are out there for sure (meth, anyone?)…but they’re not always healthy. 

So, instead of that, are there natural ways to accomplish this goal?

Indeed there are. Here are some of them:

Increase muscle mass.

As in weight training. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Which means it’s just math from here on in: if that bod contains proportionately more muscle, you’ll burn at a higher metabolic rate. Pump that iron, people.

Drink green tea.

Research is beginning to show promise in this department. It’s the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea that may improve bellyfat distribution, boost metabolism, and curb appetite.

Get NEAT.

This stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and basically it’s a way to get more activity (thus more metabolic burn) in your day without having to resort (gasp!) to hitting the gym. Excellent primer on NEAT right here.

Spice things up.

Studies are increasingly demonstrating that spices can help with weight loss efforts. Capsaicin (that’s the fiery stuff in hot peppers) appears to improve fat oxidation and metabolic rate and curb appetite. A new study showed a blend of turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika reduced post-meal insulin and triglyceride levels.

Looking for more sneaky ways to jack up your weight loss efforts? Read this. And this. And, um, this.

Nourishing Sleep

Sleep is delicious, restorative, and rejuvenating for your body and soul. But sometimes it doesn’t come easily. One way to improve the quality of your zzz’s? Via your stomach! Here are some ways you can nourish a healthy sleep…so sleep can nourish you. 

Eat a bedtime snack.

Research has recently suggested that hunger may disrupt our hormonal balance of leptin and ghrelin (two of our metabolic hormones), which may interfere with sleep. But make it a light snack, not a big meal. Carbohydrate-rich choices are best, with perhaps a small amount of protein (eg. whole wheat crackers with cheese, toast with peanut butter, a small bowl of cereal).

Try natural sources of melatonin.

Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate our sleep/wake cycles. Boosting your melatonin intake before bed might help your passage to la-la land. Instead of supplements, try these foods that contain melatonin: grapes, walnuts, and especially, tart cherry juice.

Get some tryptophan. 

This amino acid is a natural sleep inducer, so a perfect choice for an evening nibble. Find rich sources of tryptophan in dairy, soy milk, legumes (like chickpeas), nuts, seeds, and turkey.

Nosh on magnesium.

This mineral has been shown to help fight anxiety, a common sleep-stealer. Good sources of magnesium: leafy greens, almonds, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, and legumes (lentils, black beans, pinto beans…).

Brew up some sleep.

Herbal tea is commonly recommended for sound slumber. But will any herbal tea do? Anecdotally, passionflower or valerian are the blends reported to help the most. Whatever you do, make sure your bedtime tea is caffeine-free (and don’t be fooled–green tea contains caffeine).   

I believe these ideas might improve your sleep. But, that said, I also believe that the single most important thing to help with sleep is: deal with your stress. But that’s another story…