9 Ways to Find More Energy

Skip the Red Bull. Step away from the 5-Hour Energy. We’ll show you the smartest ways to power up when your reserves are running low

By Cindy Kuzma, Posted Date: Sep, 14, 2012

· 1 Need An Energy Fix?

· 2 Energy Drain 1

· 3 Energy Drain 2

· 4 Energy Drain 3

· 5 Energy Drain 4

· 6 Energy Drain 5

· 7 Energy Drain 6

· 8 Energy Drain 7

· 9 Energy Drain 8

· 10 Energy Drain 9

Need An Energy Fix?

This Halloween, try out a really original costume: You, dressed as a man who’s rested, refreshed, and bursting with energy. Trust us—no one will ever recognize you.

Ah, if it were only that simple. But there’s no disguising the fact that fall is the sleepy season, thanks to the effect of diminishing daylight hours on your body. As the sun sets earlier and earlier each day, your levels of sleep-inducing melatonin begin rising sooner, says John Caldwell, Ph.D., a psychologist who has researched fatigue for NASA and the U.S. military. This can make you feel drowsy well before bedtime. Add to that the usual daily dose of work stress, a less-than-perfect diet, a chronic shortage of shut-eye, and hours gazing at glowing touchscreens, and it’s a wonder you’re not facedown at your desk by noon.

If that’s the trick, here’s the treat: simple, expert-approved strategies to help you power through your day. Just try to keep your eyes open long enough to follow our list, and you’ll find the solution best suited to your type of tired.

Check out our Top Sleep Tech Gadgets [3] to sleep better and longer.

• Energy Drain 1

You might be paying penance for too much pinot noir—or you might just be suffering from something called sleep inertia. This grogginess and disorientation you experience upon waking—which is especially severe if your alarm has interrupted deep sleep—can be as crippling as intoxication, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That’s because your barely awake brain needs time to reboot and bring its signals back up to speed after sleep. “It will probably take you 30 to 45 minutes to shake off the grogginess,” says Caldwell.

FIGHT IT: Drink cold water

Chugging ice water and splashing it on your face can speed the transition from comatose to conscious. “Cold triggers the stimulating hormone adrenaline,” says internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., the author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! This helps your heart pump stronger, boosting bloodflow to your brain. Another benefit: Drinking water revives shriveled cells after hours of sleep-induced dehydration, which is known to cause tiredness. (For more ways to beat fatigue, see how you can Have Energy All Day Long [4].)

• Energy Drain 2

Your body responds to serious work and relationship stress the same way it would to a grizzly attac—by cranking out the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol. “This raises energy levels initially, but your body can’t keep up with the cortisol demand,” says integrative physician Alicia Stanton, M.D., the author of Hormone Harmony. The effect: Your cortisol plummets—and you tank just when you need to be on top of your game.

FIGHT IT: Drink green tea

Don’t drain the coffeepot. The megadose of caffeine will only leave you anxious and jittery, says nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., author of The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. Green tea, however, has just enough caffeine to boost production of the hormone adrenocorticotropin, which triggers the release of cortisol. It also contains EGCG, a flavonoid that promotes focus and calmness, Australian scientists say. To achieve Don Draper smoothness, grab a glass about 90 minutes before you need it to kick in. “Green tea takes longer to hit than coffee does,” says Bowden.

• Energy Drain 3

There’s a reason your eyelids feel like they have anvils on them. “Your body is not a machine,” says Matthew Edlund, M.D., director of the Center for Circadian Medicine in Florida and author of The Power of Rest. “It’s an organism that’s being continuously renewed and rebuilt.” Much of this regeneration, including growth of new heart and brain cells, takes place during sleep. If you consistently log less than you need, your body becomes increasingly insistent that you pay off your sleep debt, says Caldwell. Add to that the monotony of staring at spreadsheets, and the need for z’s becomes curl-up-under-your-desk urgent.

FIGHT IT: Take a b.s. break

Can’t catnap in your car? Go visit your office buddy. In one of Caldwell’s NASA studies, sleep-deprived participants acted more alert after taking a 7-minute break to chat. The simple act of ungluing your rear from your chair helps too: In a recent study from the Aeromedical Research Laboratory, fatigued folks performed better on an alertness test when they took it standing instead of sitting.

• Energy Drain 4

How was breakfast? “Your morning meal sets the stage for the way your blood sugar behaves the rest of the day,” says Dr. Stanton. If you skip it entirely, you deprive your brain and muscles of energizing glucose. Or if you grab a refined-carbohydrate meal, like a bagel, you’ll experience a brief sugar spike but then inevitably crash. When insulin rushes in, it helps clear sugar, but it also sends a signal to your adrenal glands to stop producing cortisol properly, says endocrinologist Eva Cwynar, M.D., author of The Fatigue Solution. This can trigger a wave of exhaustion known as “adrenal fatigue.”

FIGHT IT: Munch on protein

Grab a snack with at least 10 grams of protein—two hard-boiled eggs, say—to produce a steady rise in blood sugar and energy levels, counteracting a postcarb crash. “Protein causes a peptide called CCK to be released in your gut. It satiates you and stabilizes your cortisol and insulin levels for hours,” says Dr. Cwynar. Even if you ate a solid breakfast, a shot of protein can still help you power through the morning. Need more proof? Here’s The Truth about Protein [5].

• Energy Drain 5

Your feeling of exhaustion may be all in your head. In a recent Welsh study, cyclists who felt mentally fatigued stopped pushing themselves sooner than those who felt refreshed did, even though both groups’ cardiovascular and muscular responses to exercise were the same. Brain drain may increase activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, an area of your brain in which motivation, emotion, and perception of physical effort converge, the researchers say.

FIGHT IT: Cue up your iPod

Cranking LMFAO does more than just motivate you; it can also boost your exercise performance. “People listening to music can run about 15 percent longer,” Dr. Edlund says. The benefit extends beyond endurance: A recent study from California State University at Fullerton found that people who listened to tunes they liked performed squat jumps more quickly and forcefully. Use the PaceDJ app ($2, pacedj.com) to create a cardio mix of songs with tempos that range from 125 to 140 beats a minute. Then, when you lift, switch to a motivating playlist.

• Energy Drain 6

You were tearing through your to-do list before lunch, but now you can barely move your mouse. That’s because you’ve become mired in the circadian trough—also known as the afternoon slump—which typically strikes somewhere between 1 and 3 p.m. “Your levels of cortisol (the get-up-and-go hormone) are high in the morning but then drop in the afternoon,” says Bowden. Also at play are your levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone, which begin to rise around this time.

FIGHT IT: Bask in the light 

To stay out of the trough, join the blues brothers. In a 2011 Swiss study, men who parked themselves in the glow of bulbs that emitted blue light produced less sleep-inducing melatonin. Purchase a compact fluorescent bulb marked “6500K”—an indication of cool light, which includes blue waves—and install it in one of your desk lamps. Turn the lamp on around lunch-time, and leave it shining until 5 p.m. “This will stabilize your circadian rhythms and even improve your sleep later on,” says study author Christian Cajochen, Ph.D.

• Energy Drain 7

Don’t stop at a java joint on your way to the bar. Combining alcohol and caffeine can increase risk-taking behavior possibly because the latter blunts the depressant effect of the former, according to a Cedars Sinai Medical Center review. Plus, the stimulating effect of caffeine may mask the feeling of being drunk. Mixing the two could reduce your ability to gauge your own intoxication, making you more likely to overdo it. When the energizing effects wear off, you’ll be sloshed and sleep deprived—a potentially lethal combination, says Dr. Edlund.

FIGHT IT: Take a power nap

Head, meet pillow. Just make sure you set your alarm: A 2011 study from Ireland showed that when you doze late in the day, you’re more likely to descend into slow-wave sleep, which if interrupted can bring on sleep inertia (see Energy Drain 1). So limit your nap to 10 to 20 minutes. Recent Australian research found that this interval is brief enough to keep you out of the slow-wave zone while still allowing sufficient time for the sleep to work its magic. (You’re resting body doesn’t lie. See what the 6 most common sleep positions say about you [6].)

• Energy Drain 8

While you may think you’re a free man, you’re really a slave to your circadian rhythms. See, your body is going to command you to start winding down about an hour before your regular bedtime. “You’re tired because your cortisol drops. It’s meant to be low so you can fall asleep and your brain can recover for the next day,” Dr. Cwynar explains. This is an instance when you’re supposed to feel tired—which means you need a big-time boost.

FIGHT IT: Chew gum 

Caffeinated gum is what the U.S. Army hands out to its combat soldiers, so it should be more than sufficient for your duties as wingman or DD. For a boost that lasts 3 to 4 hours, says Caldwell, go with gum that has 100 to 200 milligrams of caffeine, such as Stay Alert Caffeine Energy Gum ($8/six-pack, stayalertgum.com). Gum is an even more efficient caffeine delivery system than coffee: “You release all the caffeine in about a minute,” Caldwell says. “It’s rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream through the blood vessels in your mouth and throat.”

• Energy Drain 9

Your body is swimming in hormones—except it’s low tide for testosterone. Your T levels peak in the morning (the reason for your morning erection) and then significantly drop in the evening, says Scott Isaacs, M.D., an Emory University endocrinologist. This hormonal decline can cause your sex drive to take a nosedive, he says. What’s more, it can affect your overall stamina: “Testosterone is one of the most potent energy boosters men have,” notes Dr. Cwynar.

FIGHT IT: Hit the gym

Lift iron to raise wood. “Men who work out regularly have higher testosterone and better performance in bed,” says Dr. Isaacs. A higher baseline level of the hormone means the nighttime slump will be less pronounced—and less likely to impact your sex life. Your T rises after just one workout, so exercise in the evening before a hot date. Keep it to about 30 minutes of weights or an hour of weights and cardio; going longer or doing only aerobic exercise may blunt your testosterone response, a 2012 study from Spain found. (For a quick workout to do during your lunch break, hit the gym with Men’s Health Speed Shred [7]. The metabolic workouts will surely wake your body up!)

Delicious Living, October 2012

http://newhope360.com/women/natural-ways-regulate-your-menstrual-cycle

By Laurie Budgar

Whether you’re experiencing heavy, frequent bleeding or light, infrequent periods, we explain the top reasons your cycle may be off and offer expert-recommended natural ways to get it back on track.

Forget what the school nurse told you back in fifth grade—hardly anyone has a menstrual cycle that lasts exactly 28 days. There’s wide variation among women, says Marcelle Pick, an ob-gyn nurse practitioner and cofounder of the Yarmouth, Maine-based Women to Women holistic health program. What’s important is when your normal shifts. Even then, an occasional irregular cycle is nothing to worry about, she says.

But hormonal shifts that produce significant and frequent cycle disruption are signals to pay closer attention. “Healthy menstruation is an indication of a healthy state of mind and a healthy body,” says Bobby Clennell, author of The Woman’s Yoga Book (Rodmell, 2007).

Balance is key, says Alicia Stanton, MD, an integrative physician and coauthor of Hormone Harmony (Healthy Life Library, 2009). At the beginning of your cycle, estrogen helps the egg develop; the ovulated egg then forms the corpus luteum cyst, which makes progesterone. Estrogen helps thicken the uterine lining; progesterone stops growth and stabilizes the lining for embryo implantation, she explains. If you don’t get pregnant, progesterone declines sharply and the lining sloughs off during the next few days. Or at least that’s the way it’s supposed to work. When it doesn’t, a few common causes are prime suspects.

Symptom: Heavy, frequent bleeding.

If your period suddenly starts coming more frequently for a few cycles in a row (say, every 20 days instead of your usual 28), or lasting longer (say, six days instead of three), or brings abnormally heavy bleeding that prevents you from doing your usual activities, it’s often a sign that your body is not producing enough progesterone to balance estrogen, Stanton says. So the lining keeps thickening until it breaks off and repeatedly sheds in fragmented pieces, she explains.

Common culprits

1. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). About 1 in 15 women has PCOS, a hormone-imbalance condition associated with insulin resistance. In PCOS, egg follicles form but they don’t release, leading to insufficient progesterone and sometimes heavy bleeding, Stanton explains. Even if you don’t have PCOS or insulin resistance, it’s important to shed excess weight. “Women who have a lot of belly fat have a lot of estrogen,” she says.
2. Perimenopause. The earliest menopause signs—including hormone imbalance and failure to ovulate—can start in your late 30s and lead to heavy bleeding, says Pick. Chronic stress worsens the imbalance, because the adrenal glands direct cortisol production toward stress response instead of using cortisol as a building block for progesterone.
3. A health condition or infection. Structural problems, such as endometriosis, uterine polyps and fibroids; low thyroid function; prolonged antibiotic use; and even infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to irregular, heavier periods.

Restore balance

1. Reduce body fat through diet and exercise.
2. Manage stress. Try meditation or a gratitude journal. “You can’t feel gratitude and stress at the same time,” Stanton says.
3. Consider vitex or black cohosh supplements. Or, if you prefer an Eastern approach, consult an acupuncturist for treatment, which may include traditional Chinese “blood-moving” herbs.
4. Apply warm castor oil. To stabilize flow, moisten a flannel pack (available at natural products stores; a folded, old T-shirt will do in a pinch) with warmed castor oil; place oil-side down on your lower abdomen with a hot-water bottle on top; cover with a towel. Do this daily for an hour (but not during your period) for a few months; then gradually reduce frequency to twice a month. Your period might initially become heavier or more painful, but that’s just stagnation clearing from the uterus, says Claudia Welch, author of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life (Da Capo, 2011).
5. Try yoga. Before your period, do supported versions of standing poses like triangle and half-moon to create space and ease in the pelvic region, suggests Clennell. During your period, restorative yoga postures such as reclining bound-ankle pose can restore energy and relax abdominal organs. The rest of the month, practice seated postures, such as seated wide- angle pose, to tone reproductive organs and relieve abdominal tension; and inversions, such as standing forward bends and supported head or shoulder stand, to stabilize hormonal output and regulate flow.

Symptom: Light, infrequent periods.

If your period comes infrequently, gets very light, or seems to stop altogether—and you’re not yet menopausal—stress of some sort is likely a primary factor.

Common culprits

1. Low hormone levels. Intense exercisers often have very low body fat, which can diminish hormone levels and prevent the uterus from building up a lining, Stanton says. Chronic or extreme stress can worsen the problem by reducing effectiveness of the brain’s hypothalamus, which signals the ovaries to produce hormones. Women may not be aware of “invisible” stressors such as food allergies, toxins, and unstable blood sugar, she adds. Stress can also lead to PCOS, says Pick. Although the syndrome can create very heavy periods, it sometimes has the opposite effect, she explains.
2. Insufficient nourishment. When nutrition and sleep levels are chronically low, the body prioritizes survival over reproduction, Welch says. The most common stress-related nutrient deficiencies include essential fatty acids (such as omega-3s), B vitamins (especially B6), and minerals (especially magnesium and zinc).
3. Early menopause. “If you’re in your 30s and suddenly have low or scanty periods, get your hormone levels checked,” Stanton says. Family history, illness, and certain medical procedures can cause some women to go through menopause well before age 51, the average for U.S. women.

Restore balance

1. Eat a healthy diet. Cut out empty calories from processed and sugary foods, and aim to eat lean protein (along with vegetables and whole grains) every two to three hours. It’ll help stabilize your blood sugar and reduce cortisol demand.
2. Sleep well. Aim for at least 7 1⁄2 hours nightly. Supplement with a high- quality multivitamin and fish oil. You may want to look for a multi that targets stress, or take additional supplements of B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs such as shatavari, vidari, and dong quai may also help.
3. Do forward bends. During your period, Clennell recommends practicing forward bends, which reduce tension in the abdomen, boost circulation in the pelvis, strengthen the internal reproductive organs, and help glands function properly during menstruation. Save back bends, lateral twists, and inversions for the rest of the month.

A little planning goes along way – Take a little time over the weekend to plan your meals and snacks and do any necessary prepping like washing and cutting fruits and veggies. This will save you some time during the workweek. No one wants to get up early to pack lunch or do it the night before. Set aside an hour or two on Sunday afternoon to wash, prep and portion your healthy snacks and meals.

Pack your own snacks and meals – We all know making our own meals from fresh, whole foods is better for our waistlines and wallets than eating out every day. Does your office occasionally order in for a working lunch or meeting? You can take a pass from the takeout by eating what you brought. Also, there are a lot of BPA-free storage containers and bags on the market now, so buy some of those to pack your food in.

Drink lots of water – Avoid the bottled water in the work fridge. Instead, buy a large BPA-free water bottle that you can fill up in the morning with purified water from home and drink from it throughout the day.

Create a buddy system – Find a friend or two at work with whom you can lend and receive support. If you have someone watching your back, you’re less likely to grab that doughnut in the morning or have that piece of cake at the birthday party.

Pack a piece of dark chocolate – Have trouble passing up that piece of cake, as mentioned in the above point? When packing your lunch for the day, add a piece of dark chocolate to your bag and get your sweet fix that way instead of eating a big piece of cake.

Don’t dine at your desk – Never mind that our desks are often filthy, germ-filled areas, but eating at your desk is a distraction to mindful eating. Plus, lunch is meant to give you a break. Hence the term lunch break. So step away from your desk, eat in the cafeteria or break room with co-workers or if it’s nice outside, take your lunch outdoors and enjoy some fresh air and just get out of the office!

Communicate with coworkers – Let your coworkers know that you’re trying to stay on track. If they’re aware then maybe they won’t unknowingly tempt you with sweets by coming to your office or desk with diet derailing treats. Even better, start a healthy movement at work and get everyone involved.

Take a stroll – Grab your buddy and take stroll in the afternoon. It’s good to get out of the office and if you tend to get the 3:00 slump in the afternoon, a short walk will wake you up and energize you. Plus, a walk will help relieve stress and it’s better than grabbing a sweet, a soda or a cup of coffee as a pick me up.

Take the stairs – Why take the elevator when you can take the stairs? Climbing the stairs is good for your heart and helps you burn calories.

Here are 12 ways you can give your metabolism a boost and burn more calories throughout the day:

Maintain muscle – Muscle is one of the most metabolically active tissues in your body. It defines your metabolism. With activity, your muscle is eager to stay nourished by burning the calories you’re ingesting. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, whether you’re at the gym, at your desk, or in your bed.

Protein – This one ties in with maintaining muscle. Protein is the building block of muscle, so consume lean proteins in order to maintain and sustain muscle and therefore burn more calories.

Fiber – stabilizes blood sugar levels and keeps your metabolism strong. Loading your plate with fruits and vegetables also protects your cells from free radicals and your body needs healthy cells in order to keep your metabolism going strong.

Cardio – a 45-minute cardio session keeps your metabolism high hours after your workout is over, so relax after a tough workout as you enjoy another 200 calorie burn.

Weight-lifting – as you age, muscle mass decreases that is why lifting weights and strength training is important for maintaining and building upon the muscle you already have so your metabolism stays high.

Sleep – not getting enough sleep messes with your metabolism by increasing levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and decreasing levels of leptin, your satiety hormone. Lack of sleep also causes insulin resistance, which will interfere with how your metabolism processes fat, leading to weight gain. Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

Supplement vitamins – vitamins are important in many of the steps in metabolic reactions, such as burning sugars and fats for energy. Most people don’t consume an optimal amount of vitamins by diet alone, which will cause your metabolism to run inefficiently and cause you to gain weight. Take a high-quality grade multivitamin daily to maintain a healthy metabolism.

Stress Management – As we’ve talked about numerous times, chronic stress can cause an overproduction of cortisol, which will change how your metabolism stores fat, sending it right to your midsection. So find your outlet for stress relief in order to lower your cortisol and restore metabolism.

Coffee – a cup of black coffee in the morning will help kick start your metabolism.

Green tea – sip a cup of green tea at lunch to help keep your metabolism going strong.

Eliminate toxins – Toxins confuse our metabolisms. Additives and processed foods, such as refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, create strain on our livers and detoxification systems because our bodies try to handle these foods they were not designed to use.  Additionally, many additives don’t contain any nutrients, so we’re eating foods that add calories without providing nutrition.

Avoid trans fats! – Hydrogenated oils, or trans fat, are dangerous to your metabolism because they bind to receptors on your cells that slow fat burning. They also increase cholesterol levels and the risk of insulin resistance. So focus on whole foods when grocery shopping, not the processed foods found in the interior aisles of the store.

Exercise plays a key role in reversing insulin resistance, increasing activity of glucagon, a fat-burning hormone, increasing testosterone and DHEA and increasing natural HGH. It is also connected to improving cortisol balance. When people are not exercising, it is easy for these important hormones to be out of balance and create a scenario to gain weight.

In addition to hormone balance, exercise increases the amount of endorphins, natural morphine-like biochemicals that help you handle stress and improve your mood. It also raises the brain’s level of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that makes you happy.

If I still haven’t convinced you to get moving, here are even more benefits:

• Keeps your blood sugar stable
• Controls your weight
• Controls your appetite
• Keeps your bones strong
• Prevents cancer
• Improves joint function
• Reduces the risk of stroke
• Prevents urinary incontinence

I recommend a mix of interval training, strength training and yoga for the best hormone balancing results. Check out chapter 17 of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hormone Weight Loss for more information on these exercises and for step-by-step instructions for functional movement exercises.

So start exercising today. For your health and happiness!

Low-fat diets cause high insulin and leptin levels. Leptin has a close relationship with the thyroid. As you eat more sugars and refined carbohydrates, you create insulin resistance and leptin resistance, so even though those levels are high, your body is not listening to them. Therefore, if you’re overweight, your thyroid gland might be directed to keep your weight high because it thinks the leptin levels are low.

Maintaining a healthy thyroid is very important as thyroid controls many functions in your  body, including digestion and the rate you burn calories. You can make a great impact on the function of your thyroid by focusing on your toxin exposures, diet, and stress levels, which would improve your metabolism and allow you to lose weight. A diet low in sugars and refined carbohydrates and high in vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats will give you the nutrients you need to support your thyroid.

If your thyroid is underactive, or hypothyroid, you may feel sluggish, have difficulty concentrating, have difficulty losing weight, have cold hands or feet, and experience constipation, among other things. The most common cause is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is a disease of the body’s immune system. If you have this condition, it means that your body makes antibodies against thyroid tissue, which makes it difficult to produce enough hormone and for it to attach to your thyroid receptors. The result is that it’s not able to do its job of regulating metabolism, digestion and other functions.

A strong connection exists between thyroid antibodies and gluten sensitivity. Studies have shown that some women who are hypothyroid can return to normal thyroid function simply by removing gluten from their diet. Gluten is a protein found in some grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Consider a six-month trial of a gluten-free diet to see whether you feel better. Even if you still need thyroid replacement, removing gluten from your diet can make your thyroid function and hormone balance even better.  

But before I go into way cholesterol isn’t to blame, let me start by explaining what cholesterol is in the first place. Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced in our bodies and found in our diets. It’s an essential part of cell membranes; bile acids; steroid hormones; and the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K. The typical body normally produces about 1,000 milligrams per day.

Now to why cholesterol isn’t too blame for the high rates of heart disease. The reality is that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet usually contains a lot of sugar to compensate for the flavor lost by the reduction in fat. Because of insulin resistance, much of this sugar ends up being stored as fat. The increase in stored fat causes a release of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are markers for heart disease, into the blood. Therefore, it is actually excess sugar, not excess cholesterol, that causes an increase in blood cholesterol.

It’s important to know that cholesterol serves many important purposes in your body and is critical for the production of steroid hormones. As a matter of fact, if your total cholesterol level is too low, you may not be making enough hormones! And if you consistently have high cholesterol despite appropriate diet and lifestyle, it may be a sign of hormone imbalances because your body is trying to make enough extra cholesterol to produce hormones.

Aspartame (Equal) breaks down into methyl alcohol, a chemical that is poisonous to the human body. It’s associated with a number of side effects, including decreased vision, hearing impairment, seizures, migraines, memory loss, irritability, anxiety, hives and hyperactivity. Sucralose (Splenda) has been linked to migraines and low thyroid.

The way these zero-calorie sweeteners lead to weight gain is by tricking the brain into expecting more calories, thereby promoting desire for sweet foods. In an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one researcher summed up study results this way: “Although low-calorie sweeteners are a dietary staple for many individuals trying to maintain or lose weight, an emerging body of evidence suggests these substances offer little help to dieters and may even help promote weight gain.”

Taking into account the aforementioned side effects and the fact that no one really knows the exact implications of sweeteners on hormone balance, but given the evidence so far, it makes sense to avoid them. That isn’t to say consuming regular sugar is okay either. It is best to start retraining our taste buds and bodies to rely less on sugary foods. Read this article for some tips on cutting back sugar without even realizing it.

The fact is consuming too much sugar is one of the main triggers of hormone imbalance. Instead, try using natural sweeteners like honey, agave or Stevia instead. Stevia comes from a shrub in South America and it has been used by Indians for hundreds of years. Agave comes from the Mexican cactus and has minimal impact on your insulin response and can be used in high temperatures.

Make sure you remove everything that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, refined carbohydrates like white flour and white sugar, and high fructose syrup. In addition, get rid of and don’t purchase tomato products in cans; buy them in glass bottles. No sodas, sugary cereals, movie theatre buttered popcorn, salty chips and nuts, sugary juices, and the like.

Try to buy organic food that is antibiotic and hormone free as often as possible. A number of food chains such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe’s make purchasing organic foods easier. And most grocery chains now carry their own lines of organic foods. Also, make sure that you’re drinking clean, filtered water.

Now that you’ve cleaned out the forbidden products, it’s time to replace your pantry with healthy products to keep you on track to achieve weight loss.

• Healthy oils for cooking, baking and salad dressings – extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil
• Flavorful nut and seed oils for stir frys and dressings – toasted sesame oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil and sunflower oil
• Vinegars – balsamic, red-wine, white-wine, apple cider
• Olives – green or kalamata
• Unsalted nuts and seeds
• Low-salt canned beans or dry; just give canned ones a good drain and rinse prior to using
• Lentils
• Low-salt canned tuna or salmon; even better look for the tuna and salmon in the pouch
• Steel-cut oats for oatmeal and homemade granola
• Unsweetened, dried fruits for oatmeal, granola and DIY trail mix
• Dark Chocolate with 605 cacao or unsweetened cocoa
• Quinoa is a great replacement for rice and pasta
• Green tea to brew your own iced tea
• Honey or stevia for a natural sweetener in place of sugar and artificial sweeteners
• Natural peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• Unsweetened nondairy beverages to make delicious fruit smoothies

Thankfully, we can arm ourselves with some knowledge about which chemicals to avoid when we head to the store to stock up on sun protection this season.  The Environmental Working Group’s 2012 Sunscreen Report evaluates over 1,800 SPF products including sunblock, lip balms, moisturizers, and makeup and identifies potentially harmful toxins that you should avoid if possible.  Among the chief offenders to look for on the ingredient list of your favorite products:

Oxybenzone – This ingredient’s primary purpose is to absorb ultraviolet light.  However, some research studies indicate that the chemical is absorbed through the skin and is linked to hormone disruption. It is also known to trigger allergic reactions.  Even though the FDA rates this chemical as safe, I’d suggest that everyone –children and pregnant women especially – avoid it.  Why risk your health and the health of your family by introducing this controversial chemical into your body when safer alternatives are available?

Retinyl Palmitate – In 2009, a study by U.S. government scientists suggested that retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight.  While these studies were done on mice and not humans, and the results were inconclusive, many manufacturers began voluntarily removing the ingredient from their products. 

Sunscreens with greater than SPF 50 – these are simply a waste of your money.  The FDA is on the record as saying that products with SPF values higher than 50 would be “misleading to the consumer,” given the absence of proven efficacy beyond that number.  There is also a potential for harm to consumers who are led to believe that the higher SPF will protect them from burning and encourage them to stay in the sun longer.

So what ingredients offer a healthier choice for sun protection?

• Choose products labeled with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. 
• Look for products that contain zinc and titanium minerals as key ingredients. These perform best when it comes to filtering UV rays.  These are also not considered hormone disruptors.
• Make sure that your kids wear a hat and shirt whenever possible to protect their delicate skin.  Moms and dads should follow suit!

For a complete list of the best beach and sport sunscreen products evaluated by the Environmental Working Group, click here.   And enjoy your summer – safely!