Meet the naturopathic doctor

It is generally accepted that if you need to lose weight, are stressed out or want to put on muscle mass, you need to hit the gym and hit it hard! While this approach will work for some people, most people’s eating habits and lifestyle choices will cause high intensity workout sessions to have a detrimental influence on their health. That’s because of the effect these sessions have on a person’s nervous system.

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We talk a lot about using amino acid therapy to help correct underlying neurotransmitter imbalances to help people overcome disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD/ADHD, trichotillomania, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia and insomnia. However, recent research has shown that you may be able to fine-tune your mental and emotional states by using the right combination of probiotics.

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The first two posts in this series detailed how the brain can become addicted to sugar and what happens if you try to stop eating sugar, even for a short period of time. Most people feel awful when they try to quit, so they end up consuming more and more sugar, which perpetuates the problem even further. This final installment of this three part series will detail several ways that we have used to help sugar-addicts the world over free themselves from this sometimes crippling affliction.

Breaking the Cycle

If you feel like you, or someone you know, is addicted to sugar take comfort in knowing this: you are not the first one. There have been thousands and thousands of people that have faced this addiction and beaten it. Here are a number of ways for you to begin to overcome your sugar addiction:

• Eat real food. Ideally, food shouldn’t need a label (i.e., fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables; raw nuts and seeds; grass-fed or organic meats, poultry and eggs; legumes (beans, peas and lentils); fresh fish and organic dairy products. If your food does have a label, make sure you can identify all the ingredients as real food. Studies have shown that the more you eat healthy food, the more you will crave it.
• Eat regularly – every 2-4 hours works best for most people.
• Eat balanced meals – this means when you look at your plate, roughly ½ of it should contain vegetables and/or fruit, ¼ should contain protein (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, protein powder) and ¼ should contain a starchy vegetable (carrot, sweet potato, yams, potato, etc.) or whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, barley, etc.). This link provides great recipes and a searchable database for you to find exactly what you need, even if you have food allergies.
• Eat protein at every meal; if you are following the suggestion above this will help. This is especially important at breakfast and lunch to help curb cravings later in the day.
• Eat within 60 minutes of waking; this will help curb cravings. Smoothies work great!
• Eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners. If you want to end cravings, you must reset your brain and the only way to do that is to give it new information. Clear anything that contains sugar (including corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup) in the first six ingredients out of your house and don’t buy it at the grocery store. Same goes for ‘diet’ goods and artificial sweeteners.
• When you have sugar craving, drink water and have a snack, like a piece of fruit along with a palm-full of nuts. Get active with something and the craving will pass.

• Determine if you have any underlying food allergies or intolerances. We often crave foods that we are allergic to. Specific laboratory testing can help you pinpoint your exact hypersensitivities. Eliminating your allergic foods can help reduce cravings immensely!
• Get more sleep. Lack of sleep intensifies cravings. Aim for 8 hours/night with as much before midnight as possible.
• Talk to a health care professional about supplements. There are many supplements that act as natural appetite suppressants and can reduce cravings or modulate dopamine receptor function to regulate appetite. This can make all the difference in the world to ease withdrawal, eliminate cravings and establish new habits that allow you to kick the sugar-habit.

Sugar addiction is very real and it can make achieving vibrant health seem almost impossible. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to break the sugar addiction cycle and retrain your brain to crave healthy foods. If you’d like more support and guidance, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’d love to help you free yourself from sugar addiction and lead the life you’ve always wanted.

Sources

1. “Can sugar be addictive?” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 16 Jan. 2006.
2. Leutwyler Ozelli, Kristin. “This is your brain on food.” Scientific American Sep. 2007: 84-85.
3. Daniells, Stephen. “Food addiction: Fat may rewire brain like hard drugs.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 29 Mar. 2010.
4. Gardner, Amanda. “Compulsive Eaters May Have ‘Food Addiction,’ Study Finds.” healthday.com. Health Day, 4 Apr. 2011.
5. Gray, Nathan. “Food addiction has similar brain response to drug addiction: Study.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 5 Apr. 2011.
6. Hyman, Mark MD. “Stopping Addiction to Sugar: Willpower or Genetics?”
7. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Animal study suggests existence of sugar addiction, says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 11 Dec. 2008.
8. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Sugar addiction ‘unlikely in humans,’ says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 9 Jan. 2009.

Houston, we have a problem

Not only do sweet foods increase dopamine levels, but over-consumption of sweet foods can actually cause a breakdown in brain chemistry. According to a study published in Nature Neuroscience, “common mechanisms may underlie obesity and drug addiction.” (3) Researchers found that when animals were given a diet of high calorie foods, there was a significant reduction in the activity of their dopamine receptors. This is very similar to the affect that cocaine or heroin has on the brain. (3)

What does decreased receptor activity mean? It means that the brain becomes tolerant to dopamine signals. This is similar to what happens when you go to a concert. When you first get there, the music seems very loud. But as the concert goes on, you get used to the noise level, and it no longer seems as loud as it did when the band started playing – you become tolerant to the noise level. That’s exactly what happens with dopamine in the brain. If you are constantly eating or seeing sweet, high-calorie foods, your dopamine levels are always high, just like the music at the concert is always loud. Your brain gets used to the high dopamine levels and starts tuning them out. The signal does not seem as strong anymore. This means that you will need more dopamine to feel any effect, just like the music would have to be turned up for you to notice any change in volume.

For someone with constantly high dopamine levels, more and more sweet, high-calorie foods are needed to get the same kind of pleasure. This sets many people up for a catch-22 situation – they remember how great something a certain food made them feel and expect it to bring them the same amount of pleasure. However, when they eat the food they aren’t as satisfied as they expected to be, so they eat more and more in hopes of regaining that original feeling (or ‘high’). This often becomes a cycle of constantly elevated dopamine levels, leading to decreased dopamine receptor response, causing decreased pleasure and constant attempts to achieve more pleasure (by raising dopamine levels even higher) by eating more and more super-sweet, high calorie foods. (4) This should start to sound a lot like addiction.

Sugar addiction

Studies have shown that people with addictive-like eating behaviors – which includes addiction to sweet, high-calorie foods, insatiable cravings and binge eating – have greater brain activity in regions associated with substance dependence and abuse. They also have increased activity in their reward circuitry and less activity going on with inhibitory regions of the brain (5). This means that they are more prone to seek out pleasure-inducing experiences and less likely to be able to stop themselves in the process. Their reward systems are being triggered at a higher rate than people who don’t have addictive-like eating behaviors, and they are less able to keep themselves from acting on their desires.

Some professionals have questioned whether sugar addiction, and addictive behavior in general, is due more to willpower or genetics. We know that there are a decreased number of dopamine receptors in the brain in both drug addicts and in obese people. The question is whether the decreased number is due to the brain trying to compensate for the abnormally high levels of dopamine or just because those people were born with lower levels of receptors. (2) The evidence to date seems to indicate that it could be a bit of both, with the compensation piece playing a much larger role. For instance, research has shown that the more obese a person is, the fewer dopamine receptors they have (2). This seems to suggest that the brain has built up a tolerance to the high levels of dopamine. Regardless of cause, a person with a decreased number (or function) of dopamine receptors would require more stimulation than the average person to feel the same amount of pleasure, putting them at greater risk for addictive behaviors. (6)

Withdrawal

The final criterion for addiction is evidence of withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms from sugar addiction can occur within a few hours to several days after discontinuation depending on the person and severity of sugar use. Carvings, often moderate to severe, are the most common withdrawal symptom; people often also have an increased appetite, especially for sweet foods. However, some people have much more severe symptoms, including depression, anxiety, mood swings and an extreme drive to continue eating sugar despite the significant harm it is causing them. People that experience these types of symptoms usually have very low levels (or very low functioning) of dopamine receptors due to years and years of sugar use. Once the sugar is discontinued, there is not enough dopamine to help them feel ‘normal’ and they can feel like their world is crumbling around them. This is why many people need guidance and support to help them break their sugar addiction.

The final part of this three part series will detail how you can break your sugar addiction and free yourself from the daily cravings and binges that can thwart even the best-laid intentions.

Sources

1. “Can sugar be addictive?” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 16 Jan. 2006.
2. Leutwyler Ozelli, Kristin. “This is your brain on food.” Scientific American Sep. 2007: 84-85.
3. Daniells, Stephen. “Food addiction: Fat may rewire brain like hard drugs.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 29 Mar. 2010.
4. Gardner, Amanda. “Compulsive Eaters May Have ‘Food Addiction,’ Study Finds.” healthday.com. Health Day, 4 Apr. 2011.
5. Gray, Nathan. “Food addiction has similar brain response to drug addiction: Study.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 5 Apr. 2011.
6. Hyman, Mark MD. “Stopping Addiction to Sugar: Willpower or Genetics?”
7. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Animal study suggests existence of sugar addiction, says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 11 Dec. 2008.
8. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Sugar addiction ‘unlikely in humans,’ says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 9 Jan. 2009.

Many people feel like they are ‘addicted’ to sugar. New research is providing clues as to how this may happen and what can be done about it. In this three part series, we will look at the reasons why some people can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to sugar/sweets and exactly what you can do to break the sugar addiction cycle.

There has been a lot of research and disagreement in the health/medical world lately about sugar and whether or not a person could be truly “addicted” to it. Sure, we all like to eat sweets, and sometimes we find ourselves craving and overindulging in sweet treats. But there are people who have an insatiable sweet tooth; people who “can’t live without chocolate” or it ends up affecting how they feel, their mood and their actions. Could these people actually be addicted to sugar? New research indicates that they could.

Sugar Addicts

First, some background. Medically speaking, an addictive substance is something which induces a pleasant state or relieves distress, leads to adaptive changes in the brain that triggers tolerance, physical dependence and uncontrollable cravings and causes dependence to such an extent that abstaining is difficult (1). Using these criteria, it doesn’t sound so far-fetched that sugar addiction could exist. People are usually happy after they eat cake or some other treat. Some people will eat sweet things to relieve distress; think stress eating or eating chocolate to ease PMS symptoms. And, there are people out there who have such intense cravings for sweets that willpower is literally not enough to abstain – they have to have something sweet every day or they have a very, very bad day. So what are these ‘adaptive changes in the brain that trigger tolerance, physical dependence and uncontrollable cravings’? The answer lies with brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.

“I gotta have that!”

Before we get into the science of neurotransmitters and brain responses, we need to talk about some biology and evolution. Back when humans were hunter-gatherers, food was not always in abundance. You could go through a food-drought at any time, so our bodies were designed to build energy stores out of excess calories whenever possible. That way, when there was an unexpected period of time without enough food, we could survive off of what our bodies had stored as fat. Sweet, sugary foods are often high-calorie foods. So when we are presented with something sweet our body says, “That tastes good. Eat a lot of that so I can build up energy stores for the food-drought.” We are biologically wired to enjoy and seek out sweet, high calorie foods because from an evolutionary standpoint, they provided us the best chance to survive a food-drought. We can’t help it.

However, in today’s world we very seldom (never!) experience a food-drought, as there is an abundance of food (and processed goods that slightly resemble food) wherever we go. This causes our own instincts to lead us astray and be drawn to sweet, high calorie foods when we, from a biological standpoint, don’t need them.

Now, on to brain chemistry. When we eat sweets, our brain levels of dopamine increase. (1) Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that controls the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. In essence, when our dopamine levels are high we feel happy. Dopamine also tells you to get into action to achieve a goal that will bring a reward or pleasure (such as eating a cookie). It motivates us to do things that bring us pleasure and it is a very powerful neurotransmitter. This means that the signals it sends can be very hard to overcome with willpower. (2)

It gets worse. Research shows that we don’t even have to eat these high-calorie foods to rev up our motivation to have them; all you have to do is see a high-calorie food and your dopamine levels will rise. (2) This means that just looking at a picture of an ice cream sundae will get you thinking about how much you want to eat it and wondering where you can get one – right now. For others, simply thinking about a food can elicit a rise in dopamine and increase their desire for immediate gratification. For many people, this urge is enough to make them feel like they have to act on it, so they run out and get the food or some other high-calorie alternative.

Marketers know this; why do you think that every TV, billboard or magazine ad has beautiful pictures of tantalizing high calorie foods? They know that just by seeing those ads, you’ll want that food, and want it now. This is also the reason so many fast food ads run at night and during sporting events – people see them and order.

This is just part of the story however; the next post will detail how eating sugar and highly sweetened foods can actually change how your brain processes information, making you crave and eat more, setting up a cycle that is hard to break.

Sources

1. “Can sugar be addictive?” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 16 Jan. 2006.
2. Leutwyler Ozelli, Kristin. “This is your brain on food.” Scientific American Sep. 2007: 84-85.
3. Daniells, Stephen. “Food addiction: Fat may rewire brain like hard drugs.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 29 Mar. 2010.
4. Gardner, Amanda. “Compulsive Eaters May Have ‘Food Addiction,’ Study Finds.” healthday.com. Health Day, 4 Apr. 2011.
5. Gray, Nathan. “Food addiction has similar brain response to drug addiction: Study.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 5 Apr. 2011.
6. Hyman, Mark MD. “Stopping Addiction to Sugar: Willpower or Genetics?”
7. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Animal study suggests existence of sugar addiction, says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 11 Dec. 2008.
8. Scott-Thomas, Caroline. “Sugar addiction ‘unlikely in humans,’ says scientist.” foodnavigator.com. William Reed Business Media, 9 Jan. 2009.

We work with a lot of people that suffer from disorders relating to neurotransmitter imbalances, including depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, OCD, trichotillomania, migraines, insomnia, additions, cravings, obesity and fibromyalgia.  Most of the time, we find that the gut plays a role in their overall health in one way or another. However, I just came across an interesting article that may provide additional insight into the causes of neurotransmitter imbalance and the how probiotics may be useful in correcting the problem.

Probiotics and mental health

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that normally reside in a health gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Different formulations are available in many health food stores containing one or more strains of different bacteria. Recently, Professor Mark Lyte and associates at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have come up with a radical new concept: that you may be able to affect your neurotransmitter levels – and therefore your psychological health – by taking and establishing the right blend of probiotics.

What these researches found was that several neurotransmitters (normally produced in the brain) are also produced by various probiotic strains in the gut. For instance, they found that bacillus and serratia strains of bacteria produce dopamine; streptococcus, Escherichia and Enterococcus strains produce serotonin; Escherichia, Bacillus and Saccharomyces produce norepinephrine; and Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains produce GABA.

The Second Brain

This has potentially startling implications. First, it provides another pathway to help explain why a person’s neurotransmitter levels become imbalanced in the first place. If the microbial environment of the gut is abnormal from birth, let’s say, this research suggests that over time, neurotransmitter imbalances could result. In addition, many people experience an exacerbation of symptoms or entirely new symptoms after being treated with antibiotics; this research could help explain this as any shift in the microbial environment in the gut could lead to alternations in neurotransmitter levels.

In addition, it provides other possible avenues to correct those underlying imbalances. This research suggests that altering the bacteria in the gut could dramatically affect a person’s overall neurotransmitter balance.

More research needs to be done, but if this hypothesis is confirmed, probiotics could prove to be a valuable adjunctive therapy to help those who suffer from disorders relating to neurotransmitter imbalance.

If you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, OCD, ADD/ADHD, trichotillomania, compulsivity, food cravings/binges, drug or alcohol addiction, memory or concentration issues, Parkinson’s disease or restless leg syndrome, you have a neurotransmitter imbalance. This means that serotonin (the main inhibitory neurotransmitter) and dopamine (the main excitatory neurotransmitter) are out of balance with one another, which causes you to experience one or more of the symptoms above.

One of the products we use to help bring those neurotransmitter levels back into proper balance is called NeuroReplete. NeuroReplete was developed by Martin Hinz, MD, and is sold exclusively through CHK Nutrition to licensed health care professionals. It provides the amino acids 5-HTP and L-tyrosine along with the necessary co-factors (vitamins, minerals and amino-acids) to give the body everything it needs to make serotonin and dopamine in a balanced fashion. This is extremely important, as research has shown that administering only 5-HTP or L-tyrosine will lead to depletion of neurotransmitters, creating further imbalances.

Providing only 5-HTP will increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. In response to this, the body increases the amount of enzymes to break down some serotonin to maintain balance. However, these enzymes also breakdown dopamine, which is the main excitatory neurotransmitter that needs to be kept in balance with serotonin in order to keep everything working well. Because no dopamine precursor was given (i.e., L-tyrosine), relatively more dopamine than serotonin is broken down, so the imbalance between them becomes greater. This often leads to additional issues over time.

It works something like this: let’s say I have two bank accounts, both with $100 in them. I put $1,000,000 in one of them (which is like taking just 5-HTP), but leave the other one where it is. Now let’s say I take $90 out of both accounts (which is equivalent to the enzymes breaking down serotonin and dopamine non-selectively). The account with $1,000,000 isn’t affect much, but the account with only $100 in it is affected a great deal. Moreover, the imbalance between the two accounts has also gotten a lot more lopsided. This is similar to what happens if one takes only 5-HTP with no l-tyrosine (or vice versa, taking only l-tyrosine and no 5-HTP) – it can create greater imbalances over time and really deplete the competing system.

The bottom line is that net effect of giving improperly balanced amino acids is neurotransmitter depletion and further neurotransmitter imbalance. Even though some people may initially see some positive results due to the increase in either serotonin (if 5-HTP is given) or dopamine (if L-tyrosine is given), they will eventually develop other symptoms as the two systems become imbalanced. Creating more problems is definitely not going to help you over the long haul.

NeuroReplete contains the precise amounts of 5-HTP and L-tyrosine to assist the body in achieving proper neurotransmitter balance. For many people, NeuroReplete provides all the building blocks their bodies need to achieve a complete resolution of symptoms. Even for those that do not achieve a complete resolution of symptoms with NeuroReplete alone, taking it establishes the foundation necessary to attain proper neurotransmitter balance in the future.

As most of you know, I do a lot of research. Recently, I came across a study that summarized clinical data for several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications used in the treatment of depression. The results were shocking.

SSRI medications don’t work for ~90% of people!

This study showed that people taking popular SSRI medications – including Lexapro, Celexa and Effexor-XR – have remission and response rates 5.6%-13.0% greater than taking a sugar pill. Said differently, this means that between 87.0% and 94.4% of people taking these drugs have no greater relief of depression symptoms than those people that took a sugar pill. However, 100% of the people taking these drugs are exposed to drug side effects, including nausea, runny nose, headache, back pain, dry mouth, diarrhea, insomnia, drowsiness, extreme fatigue and even suicide. (The original study and a more lengthy discussion of the results can be found here)

The bottom line is that this study indicates that SSRI medications provide relief greater than placebo in only 5.6% to 13.0% of the people taking them. This is supported by previous research that showed that only 7% to 13% of adult patients achieved relief of depression symptoms greater than placebo with antidepressant drugs (Hinz et al 2009). In addition, the total incidence of side effects in these studies is greater than relief of symptoms from any of these SSRI drugs. Once more, 100% of the people taking these drugs are exposed to the depletion of neurotransmitters that are caused by SSRI medications, which will only make the real problem worse over time.

Addressing the Cause of the Problem

SSRI medications are designed to shuffle around neurotransmitters, specifically serotonin, to try and help a person eliminate their depressive symptoms. What they end up doing, however, is causing further depletion of not only serotonin, but other neurotransmitters as well. (For a more complete discussion on how this occurs, see Amino Acid Therapy on this site and www.stoppullinghairout.com) This not only exacerbates the existing problem of depression (making it necessary to increase or change medications) it can also create many more problems, such as anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, weight gain, hormone imbalances and many others.

The real solution is to supply the body the nutrients and cofactors it needs to manufacture the needed neurotransmitters. Only by doing so can a person achieve proper neurotransmitter balance and achieve a lasting resolution of symptoms. Studies have shown that following this approach leads to a relief of depressive symptoms in 93% of people, with the remaining 7% requiring a dual drug-amino acid approach to achieve a relief of symptoms. That’s a 100% response rate.

So a person needs to ask themselves: Do you want a 5.6%-13.0% chance of having a relief of symptoms with a 63%-72%% chance of experiencing unpleasant side effects OR do you want a near 100% chance of having relief of symptoms with nearly a 0% chance of unpleasant side effects. In the case of depression, the research is clear: targeted amino acid therapy is FAR superior to SSRI drug treatments for the resolution of symptoms.

This study, published in International Clinical Psychopaharmacology showed the following results:

1. Remission rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were superior to placebo (sugar pill) (48.7% versus 37.6%, P=0.003)
2. Remission rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were superior to citalopram (Celexa)  (52.8% versus 43.5%, P=0.003),
3. Remission rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were similar to venlafaxine-XR (Effexor-XR) (P=0.97).
4. Response rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were superior to placebo (sugar pill) (48.7% versus 43.1%, P<0.001)
5. Response rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were superior to citalopram (Celexa) (62.5% versus 49.5%), P=0.001),
6. Response rates for escitalopram (Lexapro) were similar to venlafaxine-XR (Effexor-XR) (P=0.52).

So what does this really mean?

First off, some definitions are in order. Remission means that these people experienced a significant drop in their depressive symptoms (according to the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) after 8 weeks.  A response means that they had at least a 50% decrease in symptoms (according to this same scale) after 8 weeks. The placebo used in these studies was a simple sugar pill.

This data means that:

1. People that took Lexapro achieved relief of their depressive symptoms (remission) only 11.1% (48.7%-37.6%) more than those people that took a sugar pill. Said differently, based on this study 88.9% (100.0% – 11.1%) of people taking Lexapro can expect relief of symptoms no greater than taking a sugar pill. That means the drug only worked in 11.1% of people.
2. People that took Lexapro achieved relief of their depressive symptoms (remission) 9.3% (52.8%-43.5%) more than those that took Celexa. Comparing this to the previous result would mean that those people taking Celexa have similar rates of remission as those taking a sugar pill.
3. People that took Lexapro had a similar remission rate to those that took Effexor-XR. This means that about 11% more people taking Effexor-XR experience remission rates greater than those taking a sugar pill.
4. People that took Lexapro had response rates 5.6% (48.7%-43.1%) greater than those taking a sugar pill. Said differently, based on this study 94.4% of people taking Lexapro can expect no greater relief of symptoms than taking a sugar pill.
5. People that took Lexapro had response rates 13.0% (62.5%-49.5%) greater than those that took Celexa. Comparing this to the previous result would mean that those people taking Celexa have similar or worse response rates than those taking a sugar pill.
6. People that took Lexapro have similar response rates than those that took Effexor-XR. This means that about 5.6% of people taking Effexor-XR would be expected to have a response rate better than those taking a sugar pill, or, said differently, that 94.4% of people taking Effexor-XR would be expected to have response rates no greater than if they took a sugar pill.

However, the majority of people in all of these studies (62.9% – 72.0%) that took SSRI medications reported at least one adverse event due to the drug. Therefore, only 5.6%-13.0% of them experienced a response no greater than those taking a sugar pill, but about 70% of them experienced side effects from taking the drugs.

Obesity in our society is almost an epidemic. Over 65% of adults and nearly 33% of the children in the US are now considered overweight. That’s over 97 million Americans. And it is costing us a bundle. Being overweight is associated with a high incidence of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome (i.e., diabetes & dysglycemia), hypertension and dyslipidemia (i.e., high cholesterol and/or triglycerides). Data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicate that these conditions alone account for more than $100 billion in healthcare expenses annually.

In this post you will discover why many of us overindulge in foods we know are detrimental to our health and learn what you can do to correct the imbalances that cause cravings and get on the road to optimal weight loss.

Eating to Feel Good

There are many reasons why we eat – some physical, some psychological, some emotional. While emotional eating is certainly a factor with many people that are overweight, there is a physiological reason behind many people’s cravings for carbohydrates. When you ingest simple carbohydrates (especially if they are accompanied with high fat) you raise the level of serotonin in your blood. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps elevate mood, decrease anxiety and makes us feel better. However, the serotonin spike from eating simple carbohydrates is short-lived. Soon after eating these foods, you ‘crash’, feel lousy, and need your ‘carbohydrate-hit’ to help you feel better again. This is why/how cravings develop and a vicious cycle ensues where you overeat these nutrient-deprived, high carbohydrate (and often high-calorie) foods, and you become helpless to watch your weight increase.

Once you get on this neurotransmitter roller-coaster, it takes a lot more than will power to get off. The cravings can be so intense that you can feel as though you are losing your mind; many people also report extreme moodiness, irritability, inability to focus or concentrate and depression if they don’t give in to their cravings. This can leave you feeling empty, dejected and often times powerless to resist the foods you know are killing you.

Getting Off the Roller-Coaster

So what can you do to get off of this roller coaster? One of the first things you have to do is rebalance your neurotransmitters. Once you’re on the neurotransmitter roller-coaster it is very hard to get off without some help.

Luckily, there are supplements that you can use to correct neurotransmitter imbalances that will help you manage your cravings and your appetite, thereby allowing you to regain control of your eating and lose weight. The products are called D5, D5 Extra and CysReplete and together they have helped thousands of people lose weight by naturally rebalancing neurotransmitter levels.

In addition, eating and alkaline diet (such as the Vital Life Diet) that is high in foods that promote neurotransmitter production will support the healthy changes you are making and help you maintain optimal neurotransmitter levels.

Once more, exercise promotes neurotransmitter synthesis – that is why after you get over the initial fatigue of beginning an exercise program, many people report an ‘exercise-high’ after working-out. In short, exercise will help you maintain higher levels of neurotransmitters while helping you lose weight.

Controlling Cravings to Lose Weight

We eat for many reasons and can control how we feel by what we put in our mouths. But when our eating takes control of us, many people fall prey to the chemicals (e.g., neurotransmitters) in their body that normally make them feel good. Luckily, there are effective, proven ways to rebalance these chemicals, allowing you to regain control of your eating, enabling you to achieve the level of health you chose.

Key Points

• Eat a healthy diet that keeps you alkaline (see the second Walking Along the Natural Path Newsletter to remind you why this is important); the Vital Life Diet works well for many people. Remember, about 75% of your plate should be vegetables (alkaline forming) at any given meal.
• Eat plenty of foods that promote neurotransmitter synthesis
• Begin using D5 (4 capsules 30-60 minutes before breakfast and dinner) and CysReplete (3 capsules 30-60 minutes before dinner and bedtime) to help curb cravings. The password needed to view these products is ‘natural1′.
• Exercise – begin by doing anything you like that gets you moving daily, working your way up to 30 minutes of exercise every day.

You can regain control of your eating and you can achieve the level of health you desire. If these suggestions don’t get you to your goals, contact us so that we can work with you along your natural path to optimal health.