Friday, September 17, 2010

Eleviv - What to Expect???

If you’re reading this blog, then it’s likely that you have already heard of Eleviv – the natural dietary supplement for improving “Vigor” from Xango. If this is your first exposure to Eleviv, then you may be wondering what exactly “Vigor” refers to – or if you’ve been using Eleviv for a period of time, you may be wondering how to best explain Eleviv to people you may want to share it with.

As the formulator of Eleviv, the way that I typically describe the product to people is that it is the BEST and ONLY dietary supplement that I know of for significantly improving psychological Vigor in people with stress. I then tell them that researchers define “Vigor” as “a 3-tiered sustained mood state characterized by physical energy, mental acuity, and emotional well-being.”

As such, Vigor is a true measure of wellness because it encompasses much more than simply feeling “energetic” or being in a “good mood” or having a “sharp” mind. People with high Vigor scores are those “can-do” individuals who feel like getting things done – they’re motivated – they have a certain “momentum” in their daily lives – and for lots of people, “Vigor” is a state that they have not experienced in many years.Feelings of low Vigor are common in our modern stress-filled world. Millions of us succumb to chronic stress and end up feeling “tired, stressed and depressed” because of specific metabolic imbalances (specifically, disruptions in hormones like cortisol and testosterone, and neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine) that lead to feelings of reduced Vigor.

When hormones like cortisol and testosterone are out of balance – we lack physical energy, so we often feel constantly fatigued and depressed. When neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine are out of balance – we lack mental energy, so we often feel unfocused and irritable. When we restore balance between our hormones and neurotransmitters, we also restore our feelings of physical and mental energy (the combination of which is what we refer to as Vigor) – and Eleviv is a novel and effective approach to doing just that.

Can You Restore Vigor?

Yes! However, very few people outside of the research community have ever even heard of “Vigor” or have any idea that you can achieve it naturally by restoring metabolic balance (the balance between hormones and enzymes and neurotransmitters that have become disrupted by chronic stress).We can attempt to temporarily “reduce” fatigue with an energy drink or other stimulant, but that approach does not restore Vigor. Instead, energy drinks and related options are inadequate solutions because they do not address the underlying cause of low Vigor (metabolic imbalance). In fact, not only do energy drinks not restore Vigor, they are more likely to increase tension and anxiety (two other indications of “mood state” that we can measure in our studies). True Vigor goes much beyond what most people associate with energy/fatigue—it really gets to the heart of how people want to feel.

Improving Vigor (Restoring Metabolic Balance)

Over the past 6 years, our group has conducted a series of human clinical studies in “stressed” volunteers, as short as 1-week and as long as 12 weeks, where we have been able to significantly improve Vigor by 25-30% (following a restoration of metabolic balance). This means that although chronic stress disrupts metabolic balance, we now know that restoring metabolic balance helps to improve feelings of Vigor quickly (within 1 week) and that those changes persist for months thereafter – indicating a unique and lasting improvement in overall well-being that is far superior to the fleeting and temporary effects of energy drinks and related products.

Typically, we will see very rapid improvements in indices of mental energy following a rebalancing of neurotransmitters (which tend to respond faster to metabolic interventions) – followed soon thereafter by improvements in physical energy as hormone balance is restored (which takes longer depending on the degree and duration of stress that the individual has been exposed to).

I feel very strongly—in fact, I am certain—that once you understand the relationship between modern stressors, your metabolic balance, and its effects on your long-term health, you will be motivated to do something about getting your metabolism back into balance.The bottom line is that living in the twenty-first century brings with it a certain amount of unavoidable stress—and with that stress comes a certain degree of disrupted metabolism. It is how we deal with that stress and what we do to control those hormone levels that can make all the difference when it comes to our long-term health and how we feel on a daily basis.

Shawn M Talbott, Ph.D. is the author of “Vigor - 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (www.VigorBook.com)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Cortisol and Health?

I’ve been exchanging emails with an editor at one of the top-circulation women’s magazines for an article about cortisol/weight/fatigue - here is some of our correspondence that you might find interesting/useful...

Enjoy!

Shawn

On Aug 30, 2010, at 8:45 AM, JJ wrote:

That’s great news! I’ve posted questions below. Take a look and let me know when the best time is doe you to discuss today or tomorrow.

Thank you!

J

First, can you briefly explain how/why chronic stress leads to cortisol overload?

Whenever we are under stress of any kind (lions, tigers, bills, traffic, deadlines, etc), our body produces cortisol. When we have “chronic” stress - the type of stress that never goes away (like bills, deadlines, etc) - we are in a constant state of cortisol production - so we quickly become “over exposed” to cortisol. We can also over produce cortisol when our bodies are “stressed” by different factors such as too little sleep (anything less than 8 hours nightly) and even the “stress” of dieting for weight loss (women with higher levels of what we call “dietary restraint” - or worry that certain foods will lead to weight gain - also have higher cortisol levels).

What are some of the detrimental effects of this cortisol overload? Are there any specific symptoms women should look for to figure out whether they’re suffering from cortisol overload?

Cortisol overexposure leads to fatigue, depression, tension, irritability, and increased appetite (specifically cravings for sweets). In research studies, we measure an index called Vigor - which indicates your level of mental/physical energy levels - cortisol overexposure reduces Vigor (www.VigorBook.com) and controlling cortisol and other stress hormones can restore Vigor back to youthful levels.

Eventually, over-production of cortisol can exhaust the adrenal glands. Can you give an estimate of how many women suffer from adrenal fatigue? And what the symptoms of this condition are?

The adrenal glands never truly become “exhausted” but they can certainly become “shut down” - but we can wake them back up again and get them functioning normally. There are millions of women in this situation (whether we call it “exhaustion” or whatever) - statistics from the American Psychological Association suggest that as many as 65% of women have enough chronic stress to result in a stress-related disease. Symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include feelings of low Vigor (otherwise known as “burnout”) - which will include feeling tired, depressed, and “cloudy” with thinking. One of the classic signals for cortisol overexposure is that you will feeling sluggish/fatigued/cloudy during the DAY - and then when bedtime comes, you will feel restless and anxious - so this means you will be dragging yourself through the day with exhaustion and you can’t wait to collapse into bed - but as soon as your head hits the pillow, your mind starts churning over all the stresses of the day (and those coming tomorrow) - and you can’t relax enough to get a sound night of sleep. This sets up an obvious “viscous cycle” where you’re sleepy and stressed the next morning and the cycle continues to get worse.

Finally, how can we use diet/food to help regulate cortisol levels? Are there specific nutrients in  particular that can curb cortisol production?

Eating “right” is one of the most effective ways to keep cortisol levels under control - and the easiest way is to use a method that we call the “Helping Hand” approach. This method can be used anywhere - at home or eating out - to help you choose the right combination of foods to help keep cortisol from getting out of control (and in doing so, keep your energy levels high, mental function sharp, and appetite under control). Here is what the Helping Hand looks like:

The “Hand” represents Fruits and Veggies - eat as many as you want.

The “Fist” represents your “Concentrated Carbs” - things like pasta, bread, cereal, oatmeal - choose “whole grain” sources whenever you can.

The “Palm” represents your Protein - foods like chicken/turkey breast, hamburger/steak, fish filet - choose “lean” sources when you can.

The “OK sign” indicates added Fat - so use some full fat salad dressing or butter or olive oil to top off your food choices.

Your entire “Helping Hand” meal will be 400-600 calories (depending on the size of your hand) - and it will be balanced in such a way that your body will respond with more balanced levels of cortisol (and blood sugar) - so you’ll feel terrific (and probably lose weight) when eating this way (and without “counting” calories or grams of anything).

What are some of the health perks women will see once they are able to regulate cortisol production?

Mentioned above already - heightened Vigor (mental/physical energy levels), better mood, sharper focus, and less tension. Over time, most women will also realize that their “cravings” are much reduced - so although that chocolate chip cookie will ALWAYS look good - you won’t be “dying” for it when you get your cortisol back under control.

Depression and Back Pain?

I exchanged a few emails with a journalist working on an article about Depression and Back Pain. He was wondering if the 2 conditions are related (they are) - and whether controlling one would help the other (YES!)...

Here are some of the questions he sent with my comments...

Hope you enjoy them!

Shawn

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

www.shawntalbott.com

www.supplementwatch.com

NEW BOOK - “Vigor - 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (http://www.VigorBook.com)

 

Follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317

-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic  (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Why do those with back pain often have depression?

Back pain and Depression are a classic “chicken or egg” situation – where you often don’t know what came first = because back pain can lead to depression and depression can lead to back pain. Often, the best solution is to treat BOTH conditions at the same time because they share some of the same underlying biochemistry – inflammation and cortisol exposure are both too high and need to be rebalanced.

If you have back pain, what can you do to fight depression?

To fight BOTH back pain and depression at the same time, you need to reduce inflammation AND reduce cortisol at the same time. In a recent study presented at the American Society for Nutrition scientific conference (April 2010), controlling inflammation and cortisol at the same time helped improve Vigor (mental/physical energy) and reduce tension more than controlling either inflammation or cortisol on its own. This is because inflammation can set off a stress reaction in the body and stress can set off an inflammatory reaction – so even if you do a good job of controlling one aspect of your metabolism (take a pain killer for example), the stress in your life can start the inflammation/pain cycle all over again.

We run a program here in Utah, that teaches people about the link between stress and health (especially fatigue, weight gain, and depression – all linked to cortisol and inflammation). Some of the “standard” recommendations to combat stress apply - such as being physically active, eating balanced meals, getting enough sleep, etc. But, we also educate people about the “top five” ways to resist the detrimental health effects of stress and stress-related pain such as low back pain:

1. Have an “outlet” (a hobby or some diversion outside of work)...

2. Do whatever you can to make the sources of your stress more “predictable” or learn to develop more “control” over those stressors - this means to identify patterns related to when your stressors might appear...

3. Hang out with friends (avoid social isolation) - tough times are always easier when you’re around other people...

4. Learn to tell the difference between “big” issues and “little” issues...

5. Look on the bright side (really) - as simplistic as it sounds, the fact that you can look to “what is improving” in a given situation can help to psychologically buffer the stress in others areas...

Our program generally reduces perceived stress levels and stress hormones by about 15-20%, while mood and energy levels are increased by about 50% and indices of inflammation are controlled by almost 60%. Our work has been presented at numerous recent scientific conferences and is outlined in several of my books (see below).

What role does diet play in depression?

Diet plays a HUGE role in depression! When we’re depressed, our appetite changes – specifically, we tend to crave sweet/salty/fatty foods (“junk” food) due to the specific signaling in the brain where cortisol is telling the brain to “seek out sugar” (most of us know this as “stress eating” and it happens the same in depression). When we eat “better” foods – such as lean proteins, whole sources of carbohydrates, fresh fruits/veggies, omega-3 fats (fish), etc., we short-circuit the junk food cravings and have better control of our appetite (fewer cravings), feel fuller for longer (due to better control of blood sugar), and have higher energy levels and sharper mental focus.

Can you provide me with a list of 6 to 8 foods that seem to have depression-fighting properties, and how each one seems to help?

Some of my favorite “anti-stress” and “anti-pain” foods are:

Fatty Fish, such as mackerel, bluefish, wild salmon, and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, fish sticks, fried fish, and many low-fat white fish (including many farmed salmon) do not contain appreciable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Low-Fat Dairy is the richest dietary source of two powerhouse nutrients, calcium and vitamin D – as well as specific peptides (short protein chains) that indce a sense of well-being and relaxation. You already know that calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health, but calcium also helps to boost metabolic rate (increasing the number of calories you burn each day) and vitamin D delivers potent anti-cancer activity.

Green Tea is a rich source of two health-protecting nutrients, catechins and theanine. The anti-cancer effects of catechins (a type of flavonoid) are almost unmatched in the natural world (turmeric comes close - see below), with dozens of human studies showing a reduced risk of a variety of cancers in those who drink the most tea (4 cups to 10 cups daily). Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves that provides an anti-stress relaxation benefit to tea drinkers. The presence of theanine in green tea is thought to be responsible for the observation that caffeine intake in coffee drinkers (without theanine) is more apt to result in tension as opposed to the “relaxed alertness” more common to tea drinkers (despite similar caffeine intake).

Mangosteen is a small purplish fruit grown in Southeast Asia where it is known as the “Queen of Fruits” for its use in traditional medicine to hasten healing. Anti-inflammatory compounds known as Xanthones have been shown to improve gastrointestinal function, control pain and significantly reduce markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP - an index of heart disease risk). The best way to consume mangosteen is as a whole-fruit juice, which will contain higher xanthone content because the xanthones are concentrated in the pericarp, just under the peel.

Turmeric can indeed be considered one of the “spices of life” because of its profound anti-inflammatory activity. Famously used in spicy Indian and Thai dishes, the active compounds (turmerones and curcuminods) have been associated with a wide range of health benefits including cancer prevention and pain reduction.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Vigor and Progress in Nutrition

Lots of people have been asking me about the new manuscript on Vigor published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Progress in Nutrition (Volume 12 - April 2010). The title of the paper is, “Ancient wisdom meets modern ailment – traditional Asian medicine improves psychological Vigor in stressed subjects.”

As you can see from the title, “Ancient wisdom meets modern ailment” - the general idea of the publication is to highlight the fact that ancient practitioners of traditional medicine used natural approaches to solving health problems - and that we can use that ancient wisdom about herbs and nutrients to counteract some of today’s most debilitating conditions (such as chronic stress, Burnout, low mood, fatigue, mental fog, and many others).

The scientific journal, Progress in Nutrition, is a peer-reviewed journal from an Italian publisher that specializes in producing “proceedings” from scientific meetings. I was asked to submit this one on Vigor after delivering an invited presentation on “Traditional Medicine as Modern Dietary Supplements” that I gave at a scientific conference in Hong Kong.

This issue of the Progress in Nutrition journal features the proceedings from the 4th International Symposium on Functional Foods entitled, “New Horizons in Chinese Medicines & Health Foods” that took place at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (sort of like China’s version of MIT) on October 29-30, 2009.

It was interesting to participate in the Symposium with a broad range of Western scientists and Eastern herbalists. Just as I was speaking about the Western concept of “Vigor” – other scientists were speaking about the Eastern concept of Qi (“life force” – pronounced “Chee”) – and we were both speaking about the SAME concept and using some of the SAME natural approaches to restore Vigor/Qi in the face of various types of stress.

In my presentation and in the Progress in Nutrition manuscript, I outlined some of the early studies on the herbal formula that would eventually become Eleviv – so you will see the very same blend of Eurycoma, Citrus peel, and Green tea noted in the Methods section of the paper.

The text of the summary/abstract appears below. A PDF of the publication can be downloaded (for free) and a color reprint of the Progress in Nutrition article can be purchased in the “Vigor Media” section of www.ShawnTalbott.com

If you’re looking for more information about psychological Vigor, my new book entitled, “Vigor – 7 days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (400 pages, including dozens of individual experiences) is available at www.VigorBook.com (all profits to support Operation Smile charity).

I hope you enjoy the manuscript and I hope you will share it with others so that more of us can enjoy the high state of Vigor that we all want.

Summary/Abstract (Progress in Nutrition, Volume 12 (April 2010)

Background: Chronic stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of many disease states, particularly psychological disorders including depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and burnout. These stress-related changes in psychology may be due to both endocrine and behavioral factors – and may be mediated or attenuated by lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, and dietary supplements. Vigor is defined as a 3-tiered sustained mood-state that is characterized by (1) physical energy, (2) mental acuity, and (3) cognitive liveliness. Vigor can also be described as the opposite of “Burnout” (physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, and cognitive weariness). Objective: Our objective was to assess changes in Vigor, Mood State, and Metabolic Hormone Profile (cortisol and testosterone balance) in response to a modest lifestyle intervention including a dietary supplement based on traditional Asian medicine and including Eurycoma longifolia root, Citrus sinensis peel, and Camellia sinensis leaf – each of which is used in traditional Asian medicine to improve “life force” and well-being in fatigued individuals. Methods: We report on 82 subjects – all displaying moderate levels of psychological stress. We measured endocrine parameters [salivary cortisol to testosterone, (C:T) ratio)], and Global Mood State (MOOD) and related subscales: Vigor (V), Fatigue (F), and Depression (D), using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) psychological survey before and after the supplementation intervention. Subjects followed a supplementation periods of either 8-weeks or 12-weeks. Each intervention included recommendations to follow a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and daily supplementation. Results: Compared to pre-supplementation values, post-supplementation measurements indicated significant changes for C:T ratio (-15-19%), MOOD (+20-22%), Vigor (+27-29%), Fatigue (-41-48%), and Depression (-40-52%). Conclusion: These data indicate that factors that are typically disrupted during periods of chronic stress (metabolic hormone profile and psychological mood state) may be positively and significantly impacted by modest changes in diet, exercise and supplementation patterns that mirror those commonly used in traditional Asian medicine.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Anti-Aging Nutrients?

We get a lot of questions at SupplementWatch.com about supplements for “anti-aging” benefits. Here is a short bit of correspondence that I had with a journalist writing a story on “anti-aging nutrients” - hope you find it interesting...

Hi Wxxx - hope you are well...

Here are some comments for your article on anti-aging supplements, please let me know if you need any further details...

I have written a book focused on aging of the skin - which highlighted the 4 areas (“pillars”) of biochemistry that must be balanced to slow the effects of aging (www.cortisolcontrol.com) - which are:

1. Oxidation (caused by free radicals and controlled by antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C/E, thiols, carotenoids, and flavonoids)

-Flavonoids in particular are potent antioxidant nutrients because their chemical structure provides multiple active sites to help fight numerous free radicals simultaneously - great dietary sources are tea (catchins), apples (quercetin), berries (anthocyanidin), and citrus (PMFs).

2. Inflammation (caused by an imbalance between inflammatory/antiinflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines and controlled by antiinflammatory types of fatty acids, turmeric, xanthones, etc)

-Eating more fatty fish or supplementing with fish oil provides an antiinflammatory dose of omega-3 fatty acids that can help reset your inflammatory balance. Other good sources of antiinflammatory nutrients are flax seed (omega-3), mangosteen (xanthones), and turmeric (curcumin). 

3. Blood sugar (too much glucose in the blood will “age” tissues prematurely by a process called glycation - so you want to keep blood sugar from getting too high - or fluctuating too much)

-Eating “whole” grains and limiting refined carbs helps control sugar fluctuations, as does combining any carbs with balanced amounts of protein/fat/fiber. Specific nutrients for controlling blood sugar include flavonoids, gymnema, bitter melon, PMFs, and many others.

4. Stress hormones (too much cortisol exposure leads to increased blood sugar and increased inflammation - so controlling cortisol also controls inflammation and blood sugar).

-Any type of stress, but especially the low-grade chronic stress that most of us experience on a daily basis from work, traffic, deadlines, bills, etc tends to result in cortisol overexposure (as well as a drop in testosterone - in women as well as men) and thus lead to fatigue and depression. That same cortisol overexposure also interferes with blood sugar control and with inflammation/oxidation - so getting a handle on stress and on stress hormones is essential for good health. Some nutrients that help rebalance stress hormone exposure include theanine, eurycoma, citrus PMFs, and green tea.

These are just a few suggestions - but I’m happy to expand on them in greater detail if you still need info for your article - just let me know...

All best,

Shawn

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

www.shawntalbott.com

www.supplementwatch.com

NEW BOOK - “Vigor - 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (http://www.VigorBook.com)

 

Follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317

-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic  (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Friday, February 19, 2010

Why Stress Makes Us Fat?

This is the transcript from my recent podcast on the tendency of chronic stress (and cortisol overexposure and general metabolic imbalance) to lead to abdominal obesity (too much belly fat and the resulting diabetes). Take a listen to the podcast HERE - or read the transcript below.

Hi, this is Dr. Shawn Talbott – and I want to welcome you to another podcast fromwww.WisdomofBalance.com

Today, I’m going to talk about “Why stress makes us fat” and also about two of the most common New Years Resolutions that are made every year – the first being to “lose some weight” (or get fit or a similar fitness oriented goal) and the second being to “reduce stress” (or get organized or something else related to helping us feel better and be happier). What I want to focus on today is the idea that achieving a completely different goal might be the way for you to get it all – and finally lose weight and reduce stress and feel better all at the same time. The way you achieve all of this is by working to restore biochemical balance in your body – because it’s that biochemical balance that is upset by stress and it’s that upset balance that leads to weight gain, depression, fatigue, mental fog, and general burnout that we’re all trying to turn around. But, we simply can’t turn anything around until we first restore biochemical balance within our body – and that’s what I’ll talk about in this podcast.

Whenever I lecture about the detrimental health effects of stress, and especially its effects on weight gain, I start off my seminars by asking members of the audience three simple questions:

1.Got stress? Of course you do! That’s strike one.

2.How about sleep—do you get less than eight solid hours of restful sleep every night? Yes? Strike two.

3.What about your diet—are you among the millions of people who are actively dieting or concerned about what you eat? Yes? Strike three.

As you might imagine, most people have three strikes. In our fast-paced, hurry-hurry, twenty-first-century world, almost of all of us are stressed out, sleep deprived, and hyper-concerned about our diet and food choices. Because of this chronic stress, unfortunately, most of us are also fat. At last count, national health statistics pegged two out of three Americans (65 percent of us) as overweight or obese – but even more of us (up to 90% by some measures) fall into a category of people who are Tired, Stressed, and Depressed. The interesting thing for me (as a nutritional biochemist) is that being overweight and being stressed/depressed share some of the same biochemical – or hormonal patterns.

The reason for failure at your previous weight loss attempts really comes down to one primary cause—stress. Stressed-out people eat more (and eat more junk). Stressed-out people have more belly fat (and more diabetes as a result). Stressed-out people exercise less—mostly because they are “time-stressed” and feel they have no time for exercise. Stressed-out people are constantly tired during the day—and yet they can’t relax enough to get a good night of sleep. Stressed-out people also have more heart attacks, more depression, more colds, and less sex. I cannot think of a more dismal picture—and stress is at the root of it.

How is it that something as simple as stress can cause so many problems—from depression to heart disease to weight gain? The reason is because a chronic stress response, such as the one we mount every day when faced with deadlines, traffic, money concerns, family conflicts, irritating coworkers, and other worries, causes an immediate and profound change in a variety of hormones and enzymes and neurotransmitters and other naturally occurring chemicals in our bodies.

For many years, we used to focus primarily on one stress hormone, cortisol, because it is thought of as the “primary” stress hormone. Now, however, we know that although cortisol is still important to consider, it is clearly only one part of the hormonal and metabolic response to stress and weight gain that involves a complex interplay between cortisol with another hormone (testosterone) and with a fat-storing enzyme (HSD) and with neurotransmitters including dopamine and norepinephrine.

That interplay goes something like this:

1.Stress increases cortisol exposure, which in most people leads to increased appetite and abdominal weight gain.

2.Increased cortisol reduces testosterone levels in men and women, leading to a loss of sex drive and muscle mass and an increase in fatigue and body fat.

3.Some people with high stress do not have high levels of cortisol in their blood, but they can still gain weight because of high cortisol levels within their fat cells. Fat cells contain an enzyme, called HSD (or hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase), that increases cortisol levels within the cell as a way to encourage more fat storage (even when cortisol levels in the blood remain normal).

Like many complex problems, the solution is actually not all that complicated—and it looks like this:

1.The “eat less and exercise more” approach to weight loss has failed.

2.Stress makes you fat.

3.Maintain hormonal balance between cortisol (both outside and inside cells) and testosterone.

How can I make such a bold claim—that the solution to the weight-loss puzzle is as simple as three little sound bites? Because for the past six years, hundreds of people in my nutrition clinic and hundreds of thousands of people who have read my books, or read interviews with me in magazines and newspapers, and seen or heard my appearances on television and radio have realized dramatic benefits with my approach to weight-loss. My program has been presented at some of the most prestigious scientific research conferences in the world, including the American College of Nutrition, the International Society for Sports Nutrition, Experimental Biology, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Obesity Society.

Our weight-loss breakthrough came when we realized that we had been concentrating our efforts too narrowly on controlling cortisol levels in the blood (outside of fat cells) and ignoring the fact that cortisol levels inside of fat cells might still be too high. By naturally controlling the activity of the fat-storing HSD enzyme within fat cells, we could also control cortisol levels within fat cells and thus remove a potent fat-storage signal. When we combined this inside/outside approach to cortisol control with a natural rebalancing of testosterone levels, magic happened in terms of weight loss, but also in terms of how people felt – with better mood, higher energy levels, and sharper mental focus. As a scientist, I think it’s interesting that this so-called “magic” was nothing of the sort, but rather was a very precise approach to balancing normal biochemistry and metabolism. Our approach appeared magical to our participants because they felt great, the plan was easy to follow, and it worked like nothing they had ever tried before. As the scientist and science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke so famously stated, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”—a statement that drives me to constantly advance our biochemical approach to weight loss and feeling better so I can keep the “magic” happening for people.

Don’t get me wrong here: Proper diet and regular exercise are still important pieces of the weight-loss and feel-good puzzle, but they are not the only considerations. We also need to consider the brain (in terms of sleep, stress, mood) and hormone levels (in terms of cortisol and testosterone and compounds that aren’t technically hormones) if we want the most complete approach to truly effective weight loss. How many people try to “eat right” and “exercise more”—and yet still gain weight? Millions! The missing pieces of the puzzle for most people are stress control and biochemical balance—and adding those pieces has made all the difference in the world for participants in our programs over the years. After six years of tracking results, we have a 91 percent completion rate, when typical weight-loss programs are lucky to achieve 50 percent. Our participants don’t just lose weight; they lose significant amounts of body fat, and they feel great doing it because they’re learning to control the hormones that have made them hungry, fat, tired, and depressed.

You have to feel good to stay on a “diet.” If it’s a chore, then you quit—simple as that. Our program reduces depression by 52 percent, reduces fatigue by 48 percent, and boosts overall feelings of well-being by 22 percent (so you feel like a million bucks instead of feeling terrible like you do with every other weight loss plan you’ve tried). Not only do our participants lose body fat, but they also maintain their muscle mass—so they avoid the common drop in metabolic rate (and subsequent weight gain) seen with other weight-loss programs.

I feel very strongly—in fact, I am certain—that once you understand the relationship between modern stressors, your biochemical balance, and their effects on your long-term health, you will be motivated to do something about getting your metabolism back into balance.

Please visit wisdomofbalance.com for more information about achieving and maintaining biochemical balance. I’m Dr. Shawn Talbott – and thanks for listening to the Wisdom of Balance podcast – see you next time.

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

smtalbott@mac.com

www.shawntalbott.com


Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317


-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) -http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) -http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Biochemical Balance Solutions?

As any reader of my blog already knows, I write/talk a great deal about “metabolic balance” or “biochemical balance” and “Vigor” (the opposite of “burnout”) - including the detrimental health effects of chronic stress and some of the many solutions for restoring metabolic balance and Vigor. I also write about these topics atwww.WisdomofBalance.com


One of my most recent product development projects is the Eleviv dietary supplement from Xango (www.eleviv.com) - a product formula that took approximately 6 years to develop and study - and one that I am very proud of because it works so well and has been helping so many people around the world. Part of my scientific advisory relationship with Xango involves giving educational seminars about chronic stress and about the research behind eleviv.


I have recorded a few of those seminars and posted them in thePODCAST section for you to listen to. They are listed by the City and Date where/when they were delivered...


Enjoy!


==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

smtalbott@mac.com

www.shawntalbott.com


Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317


-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) -http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/