I’ve been there… I understand how the struggle feels.

For many of us, the desire to lose weight, whether it’s 5 pounds or 50 pounds, transcends just wanting to look good.  Being in a right-sized body (for you) often goes hand-in-hand with wanting to feel well physically, emotionally and mentally—less aches and pains, more energy, focus, strength, vitality and confidence…

About 15 years ago, I went through a period of what seemed like steady weight gain. It wasn’t a dramatic increase, but every time I stepped on the scale, I seemed to gain another pound. I felt frustrated, dismayed and confused because I thought I was doing all the “right” things and did not understand what caused the weight gain. My usual go-to solution of increasing the intensity and/or frequency of my workouts (already 2 hours) backfired on me …in fact, as a result of exercising more, I gained even more weight!  Since then, I’ve learned “eating less” and “exercising more” is rarely a long-term sustainable weight loss solution.

Weight gain is a symptom that something—physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually—is out of balance in your life. And, until that imbalance(s) is addressed, any weight you lose via extreme diets, surgery, or weight loss injections (e.g, Ozempic, Wegovy), is very likely to come back.

If you have been doing all the “right” things—eating “healthy”, watching portion sizes, doing harder, longer or more frequent workouts—yet, you’re still not losing weight, these may be the reasons why.

1.   You have nutrient deficiencies that stall fat loss.

When clients schedule an initial consultation with me, I typically review their bloodwork (from a recent physical) beforehand for potential red flags.  If weight loss is a goal, your bloodwork can reveal nutrient deficiencies that prevent you from achieving the weight loss results you want.

Common nutrient deficiencies that can stall fat loss include:  Iron / ferritin (Ferritin is a blood protein that stores iron, and it is an indicator of whether your iron stores are high or low. For example, low ferritin can indicate iron deficiency anemia.).  Vitamin B12. Folate. Zinc. Vitamin D3. Magnesium.

Iron, folate and vitamin B12 are essential nutrients in the production of healthy red blood cells, which transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body.  Iron deficiency anemia is associated with increased body weight and BMI (1). 

Your cells need oxygen to function optimally: less oxygen translates to less fat burning! A ferritin level, somewhere between 70 and 90 units and B-12, in the high-middle to upper ranges, are in optimal ranges.

Zinc, magnesium and Vitamin D3 are also important for fat loss and metabolism. Why? Because these nutrients affect insulin sensitivity (2, 3, 4).  When your body is insulin sensitive, you are able to lose weight more efficiently.

Unfortunately, because of chronic stress, medications, high-sugar diets, poor gut health and hormone imbalances, many people today are woefully deficient in these vitamins and minerals.

Could you have nutritional deficiencies? This nutrient panel offers insights needed to make informed decisions about nutritional intake and supplementation.

2. You are relying ONLY on exercise to lose weight…and you haven’t changed your food choices.

In my practice, a common confession (or pledge) that I hear is: “I need to—or I intend to—go to the gym more.”

The hard truth?  Body transformation is 80% food choices and 20% movement. Don’t get me wrong: our bodies are designed to move.  Exercise has myriad health benefits, but exercise alone will not help you lose weight.

A few things happen when you rely only on exercise to lose weight.

Exercise can cast a “halo effect” on less healthy choices.  For example, if you’ve exercised vigorously for an hour, you may feel that your calorie-burning efforts entitle you to eat (or overeat) a favorite processed food—pizza, cheesecake, soda, etc.

You burn way less calories than you think. In reality, it is difficult for most people to create a calorie deficit through exercise alone.  Eat one New York-style slice of pizza, and you are consuming over 400 calories, roughly 20 grams of unhealthy fat and loads of sodium. Or, maybe you have a Shake Shack Double Shackburger (855 calories) and an order of fries (420 calories) at lunch. In either case, you would have to spend a lot of time and energy exercising to ”burn off” those calories. The average person burns approximately 100 calories for every mile of walking or running; that’s it!

Exercise is usually the first thing to go when my clients get busy or they have to travel…”no time”!

Exercising more creates a hormonal chain reaction (5). Increasing the frequency, duration and/or intensity of exercise—like running, biking, power walking—creates a hormonal domino effect. In other words, more exercise can also intensify hunger and cravings. This can cause you to overeat or to crave fatty, high-sugar, carb-starchy or salty foods and sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Too much exercise (for your body) or overtraining can lead to hormone imbalances; for example, elevating cortisol (stress hormone) levels or negatively impacting thyroid function—causing you to gain weight.

You have acquired mobility issues. In recent years, I have worked with many clients who have acquired mobility issues due to chronic medical conditions (e.g., arthritis or respiratory problems); injury; accidents; chronic pain (especially the knees and/or back); and neurological complications, including impaired mobility, from the C*V*D-19 vaccine. In all of these cases, “exercising more” was not an option.

3.  Your hormones are not in balance.

We tend to think of hormones as they relate to a woman’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or male erectile dysfunction. But hormones are vital to our existence. They act as chemical messengers in our body that control bodily functions, such as hunger, energy, cravings, sleep and mood.  For example, ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates hunger and promotes fat storage, while leptin is a hormone that signals satiety (feeling full).  When these signals get crossed, you can gain weight (6). Certain hormones tell the body to burn fat or store fat (7).

Thyroid dysfunction is a common hormone imbalance.  I, myself, have hypothyroidism, an underactive (low) thyroid, and I understand, firsthand, how the thyroid can affect your metabolism.  Prior to my diagnosis in 2013, I worked out 2 to 3 hours almost daily (under the misguided notion that more exercise = weight loss) and could not fathom why I was still gaining weight!!

Once I addressed my thyroid dysfunction—by making different food and lifestyle choices; through targeted supplementation; by taking natural thyroid hormone and low dose bioidentical hormones; incorporating stress reduction strategies (other than “the gym”); working on negative self-talk and resolving past trauma—my overall health improved dramatically. By the way, my food choices and lifestyle evolved over time—not overnight!

Over the last year, my workout routine has changed dramatically because of my busy schedule. These days, I prioritize walking 5 to 6 miles daily (cumulative over the day), and I engage in thyroid-friendly metabolic conditioning workouts (under 20 minutes) about 3-5 times a week—in my bedroom! This is what I have time for during this particular phase of my life…and that’s okay. Moving my body regularly is the goal.

Your thyroid is the main metabolism gland.  Every cell  in your body has receptors for thyroid hormone; as a result, the thyroid also controls how sensitive your body is to other hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin and cortisol.  If your thyroid is off—either underactive or overactive—other hormones and bodily functions are affected. If you have an underperforming (low) thyroid, you may have low energy, fatigue, brain fog, depression, anxiety, mood swings, a sluggish metabolism and feel cold all the time.

If your thyroid is not working properly, you will  have a hard time losing weight.  You will also likely have digestive issues (such as constipation) and poor elimination; the inability to poop—at least once a day—also contributes to extra weight.

Hormone imbalances occur after giving birth; at perimenopause (the period of hormonal fluctuations prior to menopause that can start from age 35 and last up to 10 to 13 years); menopause (absence of a period for one year); and andropause (a.k.a., male menopause, where testosterone gradually declines, beginning around age 40).

That said, poor food and lifestyle choices—at any age—can lead to hormonal imbalances that cause weight gain.

These imbalances can include insulin resistance, where the body is producing too much insulin (a fat-storing hormone); adrenal dysfunction (under duress, the adrenals release cortisol, a stress hormone; excess cortisol stores fat); and, sex hormone imbalances (e.g., too much or too little estrogen, progesterone or testosterone), like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or uterine fibroids.

Discover what your current hormone status is with a Healthy Women’s Lab Panel OR the men’s Testosterone and Prostate Health Panel.

4.  You use calorie counting as your only approach to losing weight.

We have been programmed to believe that we can lose weight simply by cutting calories—either by eating less calories and/or by “burning off” extra calories by exercising more.  This approach treats the body like it is a calculator: Calories In = Calories Out.

Cutting calories usually does result in short-term weight loss.  But, at some point, the weight loss will stop. Why?  Because your body is highly adaptive; it operates more like a thermostat. Your body perceives a low-calorie diet as “STRESS!!”; and, in response to perceived “starvation”, it adapts to a lower calorie intake.  As a result, your metabolism slows down in order to hold onto every calorie it gets—and those calories are more likely to be stored as fat!

Calorie restriction (that is too low for your body and/or consists of mostly ultra-processed foods) also throws your hormones out of balance: you’ll know this because you will feel tired or low energy; feel hungry; and have cravings for fatty, sugary, salty and/or high-calorie foods.

Remember: all calories are not created equal.  What happens when your “breakfast” consists of a Dunkin’ Donuts “Reduced Fat” Blueberry Muffin (410 calories, 40 grams of sugar) and a small iced coffee sweetened with brown sugar syrup (110 calories), versus a 3-egg vegetable omelet (apx. 368 calories) and one cup unsweetened green tea (0 calories)?  Your choices will affect your hormones differently.  For example, the Dunkin’ Donuts combination of caffeine, sugar and fat will increase hunger and cravings, whereas a vegetable omelet, containing protein, fiber and healthy fat, promotes satiety and stable blood sugar.

In my practice, I encourage clients to choose hormone-balancing foods—not count calories.  Weight loss is often a happy side effect of balanced hormones (not the other way around).

5.  You have undiagnosed food sensitivities.

If there is one thing that irritates me to no end, it’s the misguided notion that we can all eat whatever we want or love—as long as it’s in “moderation”.

Sorry…I vehemently disagree.

In my Healthy Body Reset program, clients can choose to eliminate common allergenic foods for 30 days.  Food sensitivities are rampant, and if you have them, you can struggle with losing weight—even if you’re eating “healthy”.  A food sensitivity is not the same as a food allergy, like a peanut allergy, which triggers an immediate immune system response, such as swelling of the tongue and throat, after an exposure.

A sensitivity is usually a delayed reaction (up to 3 days) to a food, drink or food compound that is poorly tolerated by the body.  It can manifest, among other symptoms, as bloating, gas, heartburn, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, acne, migraines, hives, rashes and/or weight gain.  Sometimes, your body responds to a food sensitivity by retaining water.  Food sensitivities can also affect hormones that affect your digestion or metabolism, preventing weight loss (8, 9).

I, myself, have multiple food sensitivities. In addition to gluten, grains, dairy and soy, I have a strong intolerance to “healthy” foods, like apples, figs, citrus and button mushrooms!   Every client with whom I have worked has had at least one food sensitivity (usually more).

We often develop sensitivities to foods that we eat regularly or every day.  When you constantly eat foods to which you are sensitive, this puts your immune system in overdrive, creating a chronic state of inflammation. Some common food sensitivities include eggs, corn, gluten, dairy and soy.

If you’re unsure whether food sensitivities are an issue for you, consider my Do-It-Yourself 7-Day Body Reset Detox program, a whole foods-based detox (so, yes, you will be eating!) that eliminates common allergenic offenders for 7 days, then reintroduces one at a time.

6.  You have gut issues.

Your gut microbiome is home to trillions of microbes, consisting of some 1,000 species of bacteria, both good and bad (10). Approximately 80% of your immune system resides in your gut.  When your gut flora is in balance, it supports healthy digestion, protects you from infection and regulates metabolism.

If the ratio of bacteria in your microbiome is out of balance, where bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, this can, over time, lead to chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis, and obesity (11, 12).

What creates unhealthy gut flora?  Prescription drugs (e.g., antibiotics and other medications). Birth control pills. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin and ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motril).  A diet high in processed foods, refined carbohydrates and sugar.  Infections.  Stress. A diet high in inflammatory foods, like wheat and highly refined “vegetable” oils (canola, soybean, corn) that cause intestinal permeability. Overconsuming alcohol (13).

Studies have shown that the microbes living in your gut can determine, to some extent, how easy it is for you to lose weight and how well your metabolism functions.  For example, when too many bad bugs reside in your gut, your body can make too much insulin, which can lead to insulin resistance (14).

How do you know if you have gut issues?  If you have flatulence (gas), IBS, constipation, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, mood swings, joint pain, migraines, any kind of skin condition (eczema, rosacea, psoriasis), chronic sinusitis, post-nasal drip, to name just a few symptoms, you have gut issues!

Can you heal your gut with a probiotic?  Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. A probiotic is most beneficial when you support your overall health with an anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing food choices and healthy lifestyle habits.  Once these are in place, you’ll experience the maximum benefits of taking a probiotic.

7.  You skimp on sleep.

If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t lose weight as quickly as you want—or maybe not at all.

Studies have linked poor sleep with a higher BMI (body mass index) and weight gain (15). In one experimental study, participants—16 healthy adults (ages 22 to 26) —were allowed to sleep 5 hours for 5 consecutive nights.  The result? They gained, on average, approximately 2 pounds (16).

This study reflects my own experience with sleep loss and weight gain.  If I sleep 6 hours (instead of 8), I am, literally, two pounds heavier when I step on the scale in the morning!  Though sleep needs can vary from person to person, most studies have linked changes in weight to people who sleep less than 7 hours nightly (17).

Oversleeping (10-plus hours every day) can be a symptom of poor health (e.g., heart disease) and depression.  The reality, however, is that most people need 8 to 9 hours of sleep for optimal health, including weight management.  If you have a hormone imbalance, like PCOS, or, an autoimmune condition, like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, your sleep needs are greater—8 to 9 hours.  Being hypothyroid, I know that I need at least 8 hours of sleep.

Sleep has a lot to do with how our bodies gain and lose weight.  Yes…we’re back to hormones!  When you get too little sleep OR you regularly sleep against your natural circadian rhythm (for example, working the graveyard shift), this elevates cortisol, the stress hormone. A consistently high level of cortisol makes you vulnerable to gaining belly fat.  Getting enough sleep also helps you produce human growth hormone (HGH), which helps you lose fat and gain muscle. Blow off sleep…and you deprive your body of a hormone that helps you get the results you want.

Lack of sleep triggers a hormonal domino effect that often leads to overeating. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body makes more ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and less leptin (the satiety hormone), which leaves you feeling hungry and ravenous.  Sleep deprivation raises cortisol levels, which can also increase appetite—and prevent you from losing fat because you make less HGH (human growth hormone).

Researchers found that sleep loss affected eating patterns. Cravings, especially for carbohydrates, intensified.  Study participants also ate smaller breakfasts and larger nighttime meals, eating more carbohydrate, protein and fiber calories—by as much as 42%.  Snacking after dinner, particularly on carbohydrates, also increased, setting the stage for overeating calories and weight gain (18).

Obviously, if you don’t sleep enough, you will feel more exhausted and less likely to exercise. And, so, the cycle continues.

8.  You take a medication where weight gain is a side effect.

Commonly prescribed medications can contribute to weight gain. These include—but are by no means limited to—the following:

–Statins. Statin use is associated with increased calorie intake due to reduced levels of leptin, the satiety hormone, which can lead to weight gain. In a 2018 study published in Physiological Reports, researchers conducted an invitro experiment using human white preadipocytes cells that were treated with 2 statins, simvastatin and atorvastatin. The objective was to see the direct effect that statins would have on leptin expression; in other words, would statin treatment increase or decrease leptin levels?

What they found: in response to atorvastatin and simvastatin treatment, leptin levels decreased by 20% (19). When leptin is low, this signals “starvation!” to the brain, and, consequently, triggers an increase in appetite that leads to greater food intake—and weight gain over time.

–Corticosteroids (aka, glucocorticoids). A synthetic prescription medication (e.g., Prednisone, cortisone shots, etc.) that reduces inflammation in the body, corticosteroids are often prescribed for pain relief; autoimmune conditions, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis; or, health conditions, like asthma or eczema. While glucocorticoids, a subcategory of corticosteroids, can be an effective treatment for pain, weight gain is a common side effect of long-term glucocorticoid treatment (20). In one study, researchers found that substantial weight gain occurred in 70% of all patients using chronic corticoid therapy (21). The weight gain associated with glucocorticoid therapy—in apx. 20% of patients—can be significant…upwards of 22 pounds or more in the first year of treatment (22).

–Beta blockers. Used to treat heart and circulatory conditions (e.g., coronary artery disease, angina, hypertension, etc.), beta blockers are strongly linked with weight gain, especially in the first few months of treatment (23, 24). Beta blockers can also negatively affect cholesterol and insulin sensitivity, increasing the potential for new onset diabetes (25, 26).

–Psychiatric drugs. As of 2023, 11.4% of adults, ages 18 and over, took a prescription medication for depression, with women (15.3%) being twice as likely to be taking an antidepressant than men (7.4%) (27). Among antidepressants, most SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), like Paxil, Lexapro and Zoloft, are associated with weight gain, especially if taken long-term (a year or more) (28).

Weight gain is a common side effect of psychiatric drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (29). Psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, can potentially cause a weight gain of 4 to 37 pounds over the course of treatment (30). 

–Birth control pills. If and when you started taking the pill, did you gain weight? I know I did! I was 21 when I took the pill. Within 3 months, I gained 10 pounds, despite being very physically active. I felt miserable and out-of-balance because I was bloated and swollen all the time. After 3 months, I stopped taking the pill—and never ever  took hormonal contraceptives after that experience. Although the mainstream medical narrative often dismisses anecdotal reports of the birth control pill causing weight gain as a “myth”, “many women report weight gain as a side effect, and it’s actually listed as a side effect in the package inserts,” writes Dr. Jolene Brighten, a naturopathic endocrinologist  and author of Beyond the Pill  (31). When you’re on the pill, your body is trying to process synthetic (lab-made) forms of estrogen and progesterone—often much more potent than natural estrogen and progesterone—which can then promote fluid retention; affect hormones regulating hunger, appetite and metabolism; and negatively affect liver and gut health, also key in weight management.

Deciding to stop or taper off a medication is always a conversation you need to have with your doctor. For example, you should never stop taking an antidepressant (especially SSRIs) cold-turkey because you can potentially experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

9.  You have experienced trauma.

“Trauma” literally means wound, shock, or injury. Psychological trauma results from an event—it can be a one-time occurrence or an ongoing series of occurrences—perceived as harmful or life-threatening (32). There are different types of trauma, including acute (e.g., a car accident, assault), chronic (e.g., bullying; emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse); and complex (e.g., repeated child abuse).

Trauma can adversely impact weight.

Interestingly, the significance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) was accidentally discovered in an obesity clinic run by Dr. Vincent Felitti, chief of Kaiser Permanente’s Department of Preventive Medicine, in 1985. Felliti’s program had a 50% dropout rate every year for 5 years. Mystified, and wanting to understand why this was happening, Felitti and his colleagues interviewed a sample of dropouts. What they discovered: Of the 286 dropouts interviewed, most had been sexually abused as children (33).

This discovery led Felliti and Dr. Robert Anda, a medical epidemiologist, to develop a scoring system for ACEs. An ACE score refers to the cumulative score of adverse childhood experiences that one has lived through between ages 0 to 17. The ACE score includes the following categories: abuse (physical, emotional or sexual); neglect (emotional or physical) and household challenges (domestic violence, substance/alcohol abuse, mental illness, parental separation/divorce and incarceration, where a household member went to prison) (34). A higher ACE score indicates greater exposure to childhood trauma and, consequently, a higher risk of medical, mental, and social problems as an adult.

In a 2022 study published in Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers found that ACEs are not just associated with the prevalence of obesity, but also with its severity: patients with severe obesity were more likely to have a a high ACE score (50%) compared to others (24-25%). Also, the average Body Mass Index (BMI) in the high-risk ACE group was nearly 4x higher than those in the low-risk ACE group (35).

Experiencing abuse in childhood, especially sexual abuse, significantly changes a victim’s brain, altering its function, cognition and emotion (36). Trauma can also result in a hypervigilant nervous system, where your nervous system is always on “high alert” for potential threats. Your fight-or-flight stress response is always “on”, which increases levels of cortisol, a fat-storing stress hormone. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol is linked to weight gain.

To this point… In a study published in Pediatrics, researchers tracked the body mass development of two groups of females over two decades, from ages 6 to 27. One group consisted of 84 females with confirmed childhood sexual abuse. The second group consisted of 89 females (demographically similar to the first group) who had not been abused. What researchers found: While obesity rates were not different in childhood or adolescence for both groups, once these women reached young adulthood (ages 20 to 27), the sexually abused female subjects were significantly more likely to be obese (42.3%) than the non-abused group (28.4%). (37)

Unfortunately, childhood sexual abuse, including incest, is an all-too- common form of trauma. For example, when I worked with 61-year-old Tamara (not her real name), weight loss was a main goal as she had long struggled with her weight. When Tamara shared her history with me, I understood why her struggle felt so mammoth: Tamara had been repeatedly sexually abused by six different family members between the ages of 6 and 10. At 21, she married a man who physically abused her for years before she was able to leave him. Trauma elevates stress hormones and affects hormone signaling that can contribute to overweight and obesity. Extra weight may also serve as a subconscious form of “protection” from an abuser, of which many victims are not consciously aware.

10.  You are over-exposed to environmental toxins on the regular.

Nearly 20 years ago, when I was a freelance writer, the health editor at Oprah Magazine asked me to write a piece on “obesogens”. I had never heard of environmental obesogens before, and I had no idea how they could possibly affect health. After interviewing a number of experts for the article, I learned that:

Environmental toxins, many of which are synthetic chemicals, a.k.a., endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), are called “obesogens” because EDCs can interfere with our endocrine system and, consequently, the hormones that regulate our weight and metabolism (38).  The endocrine system consists of tissues and glands, like the thyroid, pancreas, pineal and adrenal glands, that create and release hormones that affect weight and metabolism (39).

EDCs can disrupt natural hormone balance and function and metabolic processes, leading to increased fat storage and weight gain by (40, 41):

–Increasing the total number of fat cells
–Increasing fat storage in existing fat cells
–Increasing production of new fat cells
–Shifting calorie burning to calorie storage
–Altering your gut microbiome to promote food storage
–Altering hormones that affect appetite and fullness

At last count, 1,000 chemicals were identified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (42).  EDCs are found in virtually every product we consume, including pesticide-sprayed produce and grains, personal care products, cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, toys, infant formula and baby food, carpets and household cleaning products, among many others (43). Contact with EDCs can occur through inhalation (the air we breathe); absorption (through products applied to the skin); ingestion (food that we eat); and through the water we drink. Even low doses of EDCs can negatively affect our endocrine system and lead to health problems, especially in utero and in children (44).

A few common EDCs include (45):

–Bisphenol A (BPA). Used in plastics

–Phthalates. Used to soften plastics and also as a fixative for scent. Found in everything, from shower curtains and garden hoses, to personal care products. Phthalates also leach into food through food packaging; e.g., fast food, canned food and processed foods (46).

–Atrazine. A synthetic herbicide sprayed on crops like corn, sorghum and sugarcane, as well as lawns and golf courses.

–Organophosphates. Used as insecticides and herbicides sprayed on conventional crops.

–Organobromines. Used as flame retardant.

–Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Used as a seasoning for frozen foods, salty snacks, sauces and sausages.

–Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Used in non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing and microwaveable food items.

While we cannot avoid or remove EDCs entirely, we can make informed choices—whether it means choosing organic food, filtering our water or using less plastic and more glass—to reduce our exposure to EDCs as much as we can.

I know… It’s easy to feel overwhelmed but start small. Try a 7-Day Seasonal Cleanse, where you will be eliminating inflammatory offenders and making mindful food (emphasis on organic) and self-care choices.

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33  Stevens, Jane Ellen. “The Adverse Childhood Experiences—the largest, most important public health study you never heard of—began in an obesity clinic.” ACES Too High. Oct. 3, 2012.

34 “What are ACEs?” American Psychiatric Association Foundation. Accessed 8/11/25.

35  Mahmood S, Li Y, Hynes M. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Obesity: A One-to-One Correlation? Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2023 Apr;28(2):785-794.

36 Konopka LM. The impact of child abuse: neuroscience perspective. Croat Med J. 2015 Jun;56(3):315-6.

37  Jennie G. Noll, Meg H. Zeller, Penelope K. Trickett, Frank W. Putnam; Obesity Risk for Female Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Prospective Study. Pediatrics. July 2007; 120 (1): e61–e67.

38, 42, 45  Gupta R, Kumar P, Fahmi N, Garg B, Dutta S, Sachar S, Matharu AS, Vimaleswaran KS. Endocrine disruption and obesity: A current review on environmental obesogens. Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 2020 Jun; 3:100009.

39 “Endocrine System.” Cleveland Clinic. Accessed 8/11/25.

40  “What Are Obesogens, and Should We Be Concerned?”  Healthline.com.

41  Heindel JJ, Blumberg B, Cave M, Machtinger R, Mantovani A, Mendez MA, Nadal A, Palanza P, Panzica G, Sargis R, Vandenberg LN, Vom Saal F. Metabolism disrupting chemicals and metabolic disorders. Reprod Toxicol. 2017 Mar;68:3-33.

43, 44  “Endocrine Disruptors.” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Accessed 8/12/25.

46  “Most foods contain toxic phthalates. Now what?” CSPI.org.

Most of us don’t think about prostate health until a man receives a diagnosis of prostate cancer. This is unfortunate because men can make thoughtful choices about lab testing, food choices and lifestyle to support prostate health and/or to support the prostate—even after a cancer diagnosis.

June is Men’s Health month, and we are taking a deeper dive into prostate health and how it affects a man’s quality of life.

For vital prostate health insights: get the Testosterone and Prostate Health Panel…on sale now for $169 (from $199). It includes important testosterone makers, PSA, estradiol and a Complete Blood Count (for a snapshot of your blood health). Buy now…and you can schedule the blood draw at any time—up to 1 year from date of purchase.

Where is the prostate gland—and what does it do?

Roughly the size and shape of a walnut, the prostate gland is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. A healthy prostate gland (i.e., one that is not enlarged) weighs between 20 and 30 grams.  The urethra, a thin tube that delivers urine and semen through the penis, runs through the center of the prostate gland (1, 2).

The prostate is an essential gland in the male sexual and reproductive system. Its main function is to produce most of the fluid in semen, including a liquid protein known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Given its proximity to the bladder and urethra, the prostate also helps regulate urine flow and plays an important role in male hormone balance (3). PSA liquefies and protects semen on its way through the uterus to the female egg.

PSA serves as the basis of PSA tests for prostate cancer screening. An elevated PSA level can also be indicative of an enlarged prostate and/or a potential, non-cancerous prostate issue, like benign prostate hyperplasia or prostatitis as discussed below (4).

 Your PSA level is a good marker of current prostate cancer risk. That said…it is possible to have a “normal” PSA (<4.0 ng/mL) and still have cancer, or to have an elevated PSA (>10.0 ng/mL), yet be cancer-free (5).

Conventional PSA ranges and prostate cancer risk are listed below (6, 7):

• <4.0 ng/mL: Considered “Normal”; you have a 15% risk of prostate cancer.
• 4.1 to 10 ng/mL: You have a 25% risk of prostate cancer
• >10 ng/mL: You have 42 to 64% risk of prostate cancer
• >20 ng/mL: 80% of men are typically diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Keep in mind: being in a “normal” PSA range does not ensure prostate health. A PSA in an optimal range is a more accurate indicator of prostate health. From a functional medicine perspective, optimal PSA levels are more narrowly defined; SEE BELOW (8),

Men, aged 40 to 59:

• • Abnormal: >/=2.5 ng/mL
  • OPTIMAL: 0.6 to 0.7 ng/mL

Men, aged 60+:

• • Abnormal: >/=4.0 ng/mL
  • OPTIMAL: 1.0 to 1.5 ng/mL

Testosterone and the prostate

The prostate requires androgens (steroid hormones that trigger the development of male physical traits), especially testosterone, to function optimally. Both women and men have androgens, but men naturally have more; in particular, testosterone.

Not only is it important for prostate health, an optimal level of testosterone is vital for men with regards to their heart health, liver function, mental health and overall male organ system function (9).

 Conventional vs. Optimal Levels for Testosterone

Total Testosterone:

>300 ng/mL = “Normal”  (Conventional lab standards)

700 to 900 ng/mL = “Optimal” (Functional health standards)

Studies have shown that testosterone is important for maintaining functional integrity of the prostate.

In a 2021 study published by Scientific Reports, researchers found a significant association between low testosterone and increased prostate volume (i.e., enlarged prostate)—even after 4 years of follow-up—compared to male study participants who had normal levels of testosterone (10)

Low testosterone in men doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Yes, as men and women age, hormone levels naturally decline. However, poor metabolic health—for example, overweight/obesity; high fasting blood sugar and/or high insulin levels—can accelerate or intensify hormonal imbalance, contributing to significantly lower testosterone levels in men, which can affect prostate health (11). It’s all connected.

An Enlarged Prostate: What does it mean?

The good news is that an enlarged prostate does NOT necessarily mean “cancer”. What it can mean includes the following:

1.  Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

This is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

The risk for BPH increases both with age and as the size of a man’s prostate increases (12). By age 50, apx. 50% of men are diagnosed with BPH; by age 80, 90% of men are diagnosed with BPH (13, 14).

Other risk factors for BPH include: Obesity, history of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, a family history of BPH, and Black race (15).

Food choices and lifestyle factors that can affect the progression of BPH (in other words, contribute to increased prostate size) include (16, 17):

• A diet high in starches and processed / factory farm meats
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Lack of physical activity
• Systemic inflammation (i.e., metabolic syndrome promotes inflammation in the body)

Men with BPH often experience discomfort with urination. Symptoms may include (18, 19):

• Difficulty starting a urine stream or emptying your bladder
• Difficulty maintaining a steady urine stream
• Weak urine stream
• Dribbling at the end of urination
• Nocturia (Waking up more than 1x / night to pee)
• Frequent urination
• Urinary urgency
• Pain during urination

Left unaddressed, complications may develop over time, including hematuria (blood in the urine), recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney disease and bladder stones (20, 21).

2.  Prostatitis.

This is a non-cancerous condition of the prostate. The affix “itis” means “inflammation”; therefore, prostat-“itis” refers to inflammation of the prostate gland, where the tissue in and around the prostate gland is swollen, tender and/or irritated.

Prostatitis affects urinary and sexual health. It can be caused by an acute or chronic bacterial infection OR it can stem from non-infectious causes.

Although men can experience prostatitis at any age…

Prostatitis is the most common urinary tract issue in men under age 50 (22). Prostatitis is the third most common issue for men over age 50 (23).

Common symptoms of prostatitis can include (24, 25):

• Pain or burning when urinating
• Trouble urinating: dribbling, or unable to start/maintain urine stream
• Frequent need to urinate
• Cloudy urine or blood in urine
• Blood in semen
• Pain in the belly, groin or lower back
• Pain in the perineum, the area between the rectum and scrotum
• Pain or discomfort in the testicles or penis
• Painful ejaculation
• Erectile dysfunction
• Fever, chills, sweating and other flu-like symptoms (for acute bacterial prostatitis)
• Infertility (for chronic prostatitis, a.k.a., chronic pelvic pain syndrome)

Bacterial prostatitis can occur when bacteria gets into your blood.  Pathogenic bacteria, such as E coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Serratia, as well as Staphylococcus and Chlamydia, often cause acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis (26).

Risk factors for bacterial prostatitis include (27, 28):

• Age (under 50): Most common from young adulthood to midlife
• Urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Bladder stones or bladder infection
• Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• HIV infection or AIDS
• Having had surgery or a biopsy that requires a catheter
• Use of a catheter, a tube inserted into the urethra to drain the bladder

Chronic Prostatitis, a.k.a., Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS), is a form of non-bacterial prostatitis that affects apx. 10 to 15 percent of men (29). In other words, this type of prostatitis is NOT caused by pathogenic bacteria.

Unfortunately, this condition is largely unresponsive to conventional medical treatment (e.g., antibiotics). Characterized by pain in the perineum (the area between the rectum and the scrotum), pelvic area, and/or genitalia, CP/CPPS is associated with a significantly reduced quality of life (30). Men with CP/CPPS are more likely to report higher levels of (chronic) pain, as well as greater rates of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety and catastrophizing (31).

Research suggests that the following factors may trigger or worsen chronic prostatitis: 1) having an autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, Hashimoto’s, Ménière’s,, etc.); 2) pelvic nerve irritation; 3) pelvic inflammation; 4) pelvic floor damage; 5) psychological stress; and/or 6) hormonal imbalance (32, 33).

Because of its complex nature, CP/CPPS can be difficult to treat and may require a more holistic and nuanced physical and cognitive behavioral approach to treatment.

Risk factors for chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome include (34):

• Nerve damage or trauma to the pelvic area
• Previous urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Past injury or infection to which the body is reacting

3.  Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, behind lung cancer.

The good news? When detected early, the 5-year survival rate of men with prostate cancer is 99% (35)!

 Initially, prostate cancer may present without any symptoms. Therefore, early detection is key. The first step begins with a PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test. Your PSA results may be paired with other blood or urine medical tests and/or MRI imaging for more detail.

Keep in mind: a biopsy is considered the “gold standard” for confirming a prostate cancer diagnosis. A biopsy involves extracting samples of prostate tissue (analyzed in a lab) to detect the presence—or absence—of cancer cells.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men at the “highest risk” begin prostate health screening at age 40; men at ”high risk” should begin screening at age 45; and, men at “average risk” should screen beginning at age 50 (36).

Men deemed to be at “high risk” include: 1) Black men; 2) Men with one 1st-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age; 3) Men who have had MORE than one 1st-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age; 4) Men with a strong family medical history of cancer with genetic risks, including prostate, breast, ovarian, colorectal and pancreatic (37, 38, 39).

What You Can Do

1. Be proactive about prostate cancer screening. Starting from age 40 (to establish a baseline), check your PSA and testosterone levels. You can do this HERE.

2. Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity are associated with low testosterone levels and increased risk of prostate cancer (40).

3. Eat unprocessed, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense whole foods in a way that is sustainable for YOU.

4. Eat enough unprocessed high-quality protein, including fish, to build muscle.

5. Practice intermittent fasting. For example, eat your last meal early, allowing 12 hours (or more) to pass—including sleep time—before your next meal. This is ideal, specifically, for prostate cancer (41).

6. Move your body—every day. More time spent sitting is associated with increased cancer incidence, including prostate cancer, as well as cancer death (42, 43, 43).

7. Lift weights.

8. Manage stress.

9. Get enough quality sleep. Sleep disorders (e.g., too little, poor quality and insomnia) are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (45).

10. Get support in making food choices and lifestyle practices that support prostate heath. Schedule a 1:1 30-minute consultation with Kathryn HERE.

Sources

1, 3, 5, 6, 38 Espinosa, Geo. Thrive: Don’t Only Survive! Dr. Geo’s Guide to Living Your Best Life Before & After Prostate Cancer. New York. Riverdale Publisher. 2016.

2  Male Reproductive System. Cleveland Clinic. 5/8/23.

4, 14, 15, 18, 20  Skinder, Danielle PA-C; Zacharia, Ilana PA-C; Studin, Jillian PA-C; Covino, Jean DHSc, MPA, PA-C. Benign prostatic hyperplasia: A clinical review. Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, 29(8): p 19-23, August 2016.

7  “Elevated PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Level.” Cleveland Clinic. 4/21/24.

8  Christie, Jessica. “The Integrative Practitioner’s Guide to Prostate Health: Integrative Approaches to Prevention and Healing.” Rupa Health. Jan. 14, 2025.

9, 10, 11  Xia, BW., Zhao, SC., Chen, ZP. et al. Relationship between serum total testosterone and prostate volume in aging men. Sci Rep, 11, 14122 (2021).

12, 13  Sausville, J. and Naslund, M. (2010), Benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer: an overview for primary care physicians. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 64: 1740-1745.

17 Parsons, J.K. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Epidemiology and Risk Factors. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep 5, 212–218 (2010).

19  “What is Nocturia?” Urology Care Foundation. American Urological Association. August 2023.

21  “Prostate Problems: Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)” NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. June 2024.

22  “10 Prostatitis Symptoms You Should Know.” Oregon Urology Institute.

23, 25, 32 “Prostatitis.” Cleveland Clinic.  11/14/23.

24, 27, 33 “Prostatitis.”  Mayo Clinic. Feb. 22, 2025.

26 Davis NG, Silberman M. Acute Bacterial Prostatitis. [Updated 2023 May 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.

28, 34 Benisek, Alexandra. “Prostatitis vs. Prostate Cancer.” WebMD. June 7, 2024.

29  “Prostatitis: Inflammation of the Prostate.” NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. July 2014.

30, 31  Krsmanovic A, Tripp DA, Nickel JC, Shoskes DA, Pontari M, Litwin MS, McNaughton-Collins MF. Psychosocial mechanisms of the pain and quality of life relationship for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). Can Urol Assoc J. 2014 Nov;8(11-12):403-8.

35, 37  McCormick, Brooke. “Men’s Health Month 2025: Spotlight on Prostate Cancer, Lifelong Health”. AJMC. June 3, 2025.

36 “American Cancer Society Recommendations for Prostate Cancer Early Detection.” American Cancer Society. Nov. 22, 2023.

39  Worthington, Janet Farrar. “Understanding Family Cancer History.” Prostate Cancer Foundation. Nov. 15, 2021.

40 Freedland SJ, Aronson WJ. Examining the relationship between obesity and prostate cancer. Rev Urol. 2004 Spring;6(2):73-81.

41  Espinosa, Geo, Host. “The Impact of Meat, Dairy, and Eggs on Prostate Cancer.” Dr. Geo Prostate Podcast [EP 52]. 13, June 2023.

42 Mctiernan, Annne; Friedenreich, Christine M.; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Powell, Kenneth E.; Macko, Richard; Buchner, David; Pescatello, Linda S.; Bloodgood, Bonny; Tennant, Bethany; Vaux-Bjerke, Alison; George, Stephanie M.; Troiano, Richard P.; Piercy, Katrina L. Physical Activity in Cancer Prevention and Survival: A Systematic Review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 51(6):p 1252-1261, June 2019.

43 Hermelink, R., Leitzmann, M.F., Markozannes, G. et al. Sedentary behavior and cancer–an umbrella review and meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 37, 447–460 (2022).

44  Worthington, Janet Farrar. “Monkey Wrench in the Works: How Exercise Helps Sabotage Prostate Cancer.” Prostate Cancer Foundation. Feb. 10, 2023.

45  Chung, WS., Lin, CL. Sleep disorders associated with risk of prostate cancer: a population-based cohort study. BMC Cancer 19, 146 (2019).

Let me ask another way… if I told you that, after today, you would never be able to drink alcohol again…how would you feel?  Devastated? Anxious? Panicked? Indifferent? Relieved?

The holiday season is here …and many Americans plan to drink alcohol at some point—whether as a coping mechanism for dealing with difficult family members; as a way to deal with uncomfortable social situations or social anxiety; as a way to “relax” or “de-stress”; as a way to “party” and “have a good time”; or simply to indulge as a celebratory elixir.

Let me be clear: I am not judging you if you do drink alcohol.

Alcohol is deeply embedded in the social fabric of American culture. Marketing campaigns have (successfully) made drinking alcohol seem cool, fun and sexy. You don’t have to “go to a bar”” to drink. These days, access to alcohol is so easy—from gas stations and grocery stores, like Shoprite, to Target and on-site at the workplace. You don’t even have to leave your house… 7 Eleven, for example, delivers food and booze right to your doorstep via their app! Alcohol is also a big money-maker at restaurants; among full-service restaurants, alcohol-based drinks represent 21% of total sales as of 2023 (1).

My point is that alcohol is EVERYWHERE, and it has been glamorized and normalized in film, television, media, advertising and social media.

Before you start pouring, however….it is important to understand the health risks and consequences of alcohol consumption—no matter how casual or “light”.

Physical Safety

Sexual violence. Approximately 50% of sexual assaults involve alcohol consumption by the victim, the perpetrator, or both (2, 3). Over the years, in my practice, I have had a number of female clients share their stories of having been raped while intoxicated or passed out.

The infamous P. Diddy “parties” should give us pregnant pause. Diddy was known for spiking bottles of alcohol with illicit substances that left his victims too drugged to defend themselves or unable to remember what had happened to them. Many victims—women, men and minors (at the time of the event)—have come forward with allegations of gross sexual abuse, sexual assault, forced sex and sex trafficking.

Homicide. Alcohol is often a contributing factor in homicides. I recently worked with Clara (not her real name), a 42-year-old mom with two young children whose husband was an alcoholic. She was struggling to process how much her marriage had deteriorated because her husband’s drinking had escalated over the last 7 months. After drinking, her husband would become extremely paranoid and, sometimes, violent towards Clara. Even though Clara had a safety plan that she had worked out with her therapist, she was reluctant to leave. She kept hoping that her husband would miraculously stop drinking. She expressed this to me—even as she sat in her car to hold our session because her husband was sleeping off an alcoholic rampage in their house.

According to a study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, researchers found that, among 1,887 offenders who had committed murder, 50% were under the influence of alcohol at the time they killed their victim (4).

Why your body identifies alcohol as a toxin

Ethanol (the chemical name for alcohol) and water are the main components in beer, wine and spirits. One exception is very sweet liqueur, like amaretto or limoncello, where the sugar content can be higher than the ethanol content (5).

Ethanol is both water-soluble and fat-soluble, enabling it to pass into all cells and tissues of your body.

Alcohol can damage virtually every organ in your body—not just the liver—although the liver is a major target for alcohol-induced organ damage (6, 7).

Here’s how alcohol metabolism works: You drink alcohol. It travels to your gastrointestinal tract; is absorbed into your bloodstream; then travels to your liver. Most of the ethanol is broken down in the liver by an enzyme that transforms ethanol into a toxic compound called acetaldehyde, a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing), according to the World Health Organization. Another enzyme breaks down acetaldehyde to a less toxic compound called acetate, which is further broken down to carbon dioxide and water, mostly in tissues other than the liver (8).

Acetaldehyde is a toxic byproduct that results during the breakdown process of alcohol in the body. An increased level of acetaldehyde is implicated in the development of many diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and stroke, as well as the impairment of brain structure and function (9).

Although acetaldehyde is short-lived—meaning that it usually exists in the body only for a short time before it is further broken down into less toxic acetate—it can potentially cause significant damage to the liver. Some alcohol is also metabolized in the pancreas, brain and gastrointestinal tract, areas where acetaldehyde can also cause damage to cells and tissues (10).

So…how much alcohol can we “safely” consume?

In 2023, World Health Organization published this statement:

“When it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health (11).”

This means: drinking alcohol in any amount carries a health risk. And that risk goes up with every additional drink you take. For example, any amount of alcohol consumed increases risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer (12).

The CDC defines “moderate drinking” as (13):

Women: 1 standard drink or less / per day

Men:  2 standard drinks or less / per day

One “standard” drink is (14):

–12 oz. of beer with 5% alcohol

–8 oz. of malt liquor with 7% alcohol

–5 oz. of wine with 12% alcohol

–A shot or 1.5 ounces of liquor (e.g., brandy, gin, vodka, rum, tequila) or distilled spirits (80-proof liquor = 40% alcohol)

Despite these guidelines, keep in mind that “moderate” for one person can be excessive for another.

No two people metabolize alcohol the same way. How alcohol affects you depends on multiple factors, including: gender (e.g., women feel the effects of alcohol more quickly and acutely than men); overall health; weight; family history of alcoholism; age; hormone status (e.g., whether women are premenopausal, perimenopausal or menopausal); stress level; genetics; ethnicity; medications taken; whether you drink alcohol with food or an empty stomach; and, of course, your personal tolerance level for alcohol.

If you choose to drink, it is important to understand the following…

Health Consequences of Alcohol Consumption

1.  You ingest pesticides.

It is highly likely that bottle of conventional wine you’re drinking contains multiple pesticides.

Viticulture is challenging because wine grapes are susceptible to plant disease, fungal pests and insects. As a result, conventionally grown wine grapes are heavily sprayed with pesticides multiple times during vine developmental stages and grape production, as well as in winemaking (15). The most common pesticides detected in finished wines are mainly fungicides, such as fluopyram, boscalid, and cyprodinil, among others (16).

A 2018 European Union Report showed that pesticide residues could be found in more than 86% of grapes. In fact, multiple pesticides were reported in over 68% of some 2,181 tested grape samples (17).

According to the 2022 California Department of Pesticide Regulation report, the top 5 active ingredients applied to wine grapes (by pounds) include (18):

1)  Sulfur fungicides / insecticides.  Sulfur fungicides are associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer (19).

2)  Oil.

3)  1,3-Dichloropropene.  A fumigant, which produces gas or vapor to destroy pests, 1,3-Dichloropropene is likely a human carcinogen, or cancer-causing (20).

 4)  Glyphosate, a.k.a. Roundup.  See more on glyphosate below.

 5)  Glufosinate-Ammonium.  An herbicide and suspected endocrine (hormone) disruptor linked with reproductive toxicity; for example, adversely affecting male sperm quality (21).

In beer-making, barley, hop, water, and yeasts are the main ingredients. Barley and hop are highly susceptible to bacteria fungus, viruses and pests. As a result, they are heavily sprayed with pesticides; in particular, insecticides and fungicides, at various stages of growing and during post-harvest storage (22).

Roundup is the most commonly used agrichemical (herbicide) in the world. Glyphosate is the main active ingredient in Roundup. Today, it is virtually impossible to escape glyphosate contamination in food and drink, including beer and wine—even for organic producers. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma (23). Glyphosate acts like an endocrine (hormone) disruptor; for example, a study published in Food Chemical Toxicology found that glyphosate stimulated estrogenic activity linked with the growth of breast cancer cells (24).

2.  You increase your risk for 6 types of cancer.

Here is an uncomfortable fact…excess alcohol consumption is linked with over 200 diseases and increases the risk for 6 different types of cancers (25): According to a recent survey, 51 percent of Americans are unaware that alcohol consumption increases the risk of certain types of cancer, including (26).

1. 1. 1. Certain types of head and neck cancers
      2. Esophageal cancer
      3. Stomach cancer
      4. Breast cancer
      5. Colorectal cancer
      6. Liver cancer

3.  You are unable to properly absorb nutrients.

Alcohol falls into the category of “empty calories”, meaning it has zero nutritional value. Not only that, chronic or heavy alcohol consumption can result in overall malnutrition by reducing the body’s ability to absorb nutrients or by increasing loss of nutrients (27).

For example, alcohol inhibits the absorption of vitamins, like thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, folic acid and vitamin A. Simultaneously, alcohol is a diuretic that increases urine output, which causes the loss of water-soluble minerals such as zinc, potassium and magnesium (28).

4.  You are susceptible to having a leaky gut.

 Chronic alcohol consumption can result in a disruption to your gut microbiome, also known as dysbiosis. This imbalance of microbiota results in more harmful “bad” gut bacteria outnumbering beneficial “good” gut bacteria and / or yeast overgrowth in the gut (29, 30).

When our gut barrier has tight junctions, this prevents toxins from entering our bloodstream.

However, regular alcohol consumption can create intestinal permeability, making it “leaky”. Over time, this can result in endotoxemia, which occurs when toxic byproducts from harmful gut bacteria escape through a leaky gut wall into the bloodstream, creating systemic inflammation, liver injury, other organ injuries (e.g., in the pancreas or kidneys), or worsened gastrointestinal symptoms, such as  abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea (31).

5.  You can hurt your liver.

The liver is one of the hardest-working, multi-tasking organs in the body.

Among its many roles, the liver produces and secretes bile, a fluid that helps digest fats; metabolizes carbohydrates, fats and proteins; and produces substances that are essential for blood clotting (32).

The liver also filters and removes toxic substances—like alcohol—from the blood. However, the process of metabolizing alcohol creates acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct, that damages liver cells.

Over time, liver function can become impaired and lead to alcohol-induced liver diseases, including (33):

–Alcohol-related fatty liver disease. When the liver metabolizes alcohol, it can lead to the build-up of fats in the liver, creating an enlarged liver that impairs proper liver function. About 90% of people who regularly consume excessive amounts of alcohol have fatty liver disease; it can even occur after drinking too much alcohol for as little as 2 weeks.

–Alcohol-related hepatitis. This stage is characterized by swelling and inflammation of the liver. Liver damage in the early stages of hepatitis can usually be reversed by abstaining from alcohol. However severe hepatitis can result in a rapid decline—even death.

–Alcohol-related cirrhosis. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver has become permanently damaged from alcohol, and scar tissue replaces healthy tissue. The liver is unable to function if scar tissue builds up beyond a certain point, and this type of damage cannot be reversed.

6.  You can injure your lungs.

When it comes to chronic alcohol consumption, your lungs are especially susceptible to bacterial infections and acute lung injury (34). How? Alcohol can disrupt your upper and lower airways, impairing optimal immune response. Your lungs are less able to clear out inhaled pathogens, mucus and debris. Alcohol can also compromise the alveolar epithelial barrier, a thin layer of cells that lines the alveoli, tiny air sacs in the lungs, where gas exchange occurs. Glutathione is a master antioxidant that plays a vital role in protecting cells from oxidative stress and damage. Chronic alcohol consumption can deplete glutathione up to 80 to 90 percent in the alveolar epithelial lining fluid of the lungs, creating alcohol-induced oxidative stress, which can contribute to lung disease and/or infections, like pneumonia (35).

Chronic alcohol consumption means that the drinker’s airways are constantly exposed to high concentrations of alcohol vapor. The alcohol is then deposited and metabolized in the airways. This process leads to the formation of toxic byproducts, like acetaldehyde, which, in turn, can trigger inflammation (36).

In chronic drinkers, inflammation-induced changes in the upper airway are associated with poor oral hygiene; a greater susceptibility to cavities and gum disease; and increased risk of lung infections because of a compromised oral microbiome that has been taken over by bad bacteria (37).

7.  Women: You increase your risk of breast cancer.

Sorry, ladies. That’s full stop.

“Moderate” alcohol consumption (apx. 1-2 drinks / day) has been linked with a 30-50% increased risk of breast cancer (38). Moderate alcohol consumption can raise estrogen levels and contribute to hormone-receptor-positive cancer.

In a study published in Current Breast Cancer Reports, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 53 studies comparing women with light, moderate and heavy alcohol intake to women who did not drink alcohol at all. What they found: relative risk of breast cancer increased by 32% for women who had 3-4 drinks / day and by 46% for women who had 4 or more drinks / day. Even women whose alcohol intake was considered “light” (1 or less drink / day) had a 5% increased risk of breast cancer compared to non-drinkers (39).

More recently, the World Health Organization stated there is no “safe” level of alcohol consumption for cancer—and this applies to all alcoholic beverages (wine, spirits and beer), regardless of quality and price (40). The WHO also noted that many women remain unaware that breast cancer is the most common cancer caused by alcohol among women globally.

8.  Men: You can end up with Low T.

Since the early 1980s, alcohol has been known to lower testosterone in men. In a study published in Pharmacological Biochemical Behavior, healthy men were given the equivalent of a pint of whiskey to drink every day for 30 days. Their testosterone levels were then compared to those of men with chronic alcoholism. (By the way, virtually all the alcoholic men had “low-normal” to “low” levels of testosterone). The testosterone levels of the healthy men began dropping after just 72 hours (3 days). By Day 30, the healthy men had testosterone levels similar to those of the alcoholic men (41).

Chronic, heavy drinking not only lowers testosterone levels in men, but can also cause the testes to shrink.

These changes can result in impotence, infertility and elevated estrogen levels (through aromatization— where the enzyme aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen) that lead to male breast enlargement and fat deposits in the hip area (42).

9.  You shrink your brain. Literally.

According to a 2017 study published in the British Medical Journal, even moderate drinking is associated with adverse brain outcomes, including hippocampal shrinkage, an area of the brain involved in memory, learning and emotion (43).

Study participants consisted of a randomly selected subset of 527 men and women who had been participating in the Whitehall II Study cohort, which had been established in 1985 at University London College. The purpose of the original study, which included 10,308 British civil servants as participants, was to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status, stress and heart health. Sociodemographic, health and lifestyle variables (including alcohol use) were measured over a 30-year period at 5-year intervals.

In 1985, the average age of the 527 participants was 43, and none were dependent on alcohol. Over the next 30 years, these participants answered detailed questions about their alcohol intake and took tests to measure memory, reasoning, and verbal skills. They all underwent MRI brain imaging at the end of the study (44).

The results? Over a 30-year follow-up, even moderate alcohol consumption was associated with hippocampal atrophy (45). Hippocampal atrophy can also be an early characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease (46).

Higher alcohol consumption (apx. 4 or more drinks / day) had an almost 6x higher risk of hippocampus shrinkage compared to non-drinkers, while moderate drinkers had a 3x higher risk compared to abstainers. Even “light” alcohol consumption offered zero brain-protective effects compared to not drinking at all.

10.  You are at higher risk for contracting an STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection).

This seems like common sense. But, in an alcohol-fueled moment of lust, all logic can fly out the window. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and invites impulsive behaviors.

Studies show that alcohol use is associated with reckless sexual behaviors, including condomless sex and having multiple partners, which are linked to an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections or STIs (47).

On more than a few occasions, I have had female clients share their regrets about an alcohol-enhanced hook-up that left them dealing with genital herpes, chlamydia or bacterial vaginitis (BV).

One client, *Lara (*not her real name + minor details have been changed) was a 30-year-old woman who had attended a friend’s destination wedding in Mallorca last summer. With the wine and Champagne flowing at the reception, Lara surrendered to a night of passion with another wedding guest and engaged in condomless sex. The very next day, Lara experienced vaginal discharge and abdominal bloating. She tested positive for gardnerella vaginalis, which caused her bacterial vaginitis, and she was treated for it. Three months later, she engaged in another alcohol-induced night of condomless sex—this time with a friends-with-benefits partner. Two weeks later, Lara began experiencing intense pelvic pain and tested positive for another case of bacterial vaginitis for which she had to take 3 rounds of antibiotics. However, her pelvic pain and a swollen abdomen persisted for months, leaving Lara anxious about having pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection that could compromise her fertility. By the time we finished working together, Lara came to the realization that alcohol and hook-ups are a bad combination; her ability to have children was important to her; and, having to deal with an STI—alone—is neither “sexy”, “liberating” or “empowering”.

If you do drink… 

1  Be honest about your relationship with alcohol. Do you need it to cope with stress, especially on a daily basis? How often do you drink? How difficult is it for you to NOT drink?

2   Reconsider whether you should drink at all, especially if you have a family history of alcoholism.

3   Choose organic or biodynamic wines or organic beers.

4   Be mindful of how much you are actually drinking…as in actually measure in a measuring glass.  And drink less.

5   Try scheduling periodic breaks from alcohol.

6   Only drink alcohol WITH food.

7   If you drink more than intended, replenish with electrolytes. I like—and use–this brand.

8   Replenish your B vitamins and magnesium levels.

9  Consider doing post-holiday whole foods-based cleanse.

Sources

1  Alcohol beverage services overflowing with potential to draw customers, drive sales. 2023, June 7. National Restaurant Association.

2  Zawacki T, Abbey A., Buck PO, McAuslan P, Clinton-Sherrod M. Perpetrators of alcohol-involved sexual assaults: How do they differ from other sexual assault perpetrators and non-perpetrators? Aggressive Behavior. 15 July 2023. Vol. 29, Issue 4. Pages 366-380.

3  Darke S. The toxicology of homicide offenders and victims: A review. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2 March 2010. Vol. 29, Issue 2. Pages 202-215.

4  Wieczorek, WF, Welte JW, Abel EL. Alcohol, drugs and murder: A study of convicted homicide offenders. Journal of Criminal Justice. Vol. 18, Issue 3, 1990. Pages 217-227.

5  Alcohol Drinking.Chemical Composition of Alcoholic Beverages, Additives and Contaminants. ARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, No. 44. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Lyon (FR): International Agency for Research on Cancer; 1988.

6  Rajendram R, Rajendram R, Preedy VR. Chapter 35 – Ethanol Metabolism and Implications for Disease, Editor(s): Victor R. Preedy, Neuropathology of Drug Addictions and Substance Misuse, Academic Press, 2016, Vol 1, Pages 377-388.

7  Rusyn I, Bataller R. Alcohol and toxicity. J Hepatol. 2013 Aug;59(2):387-8.

8, 10  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Alcohol’s Effects on Health”. NIAAA NIH (National Institute of Health). May 2022.

9  Rajendram R, Rajendram R, Preedy VR. Chapter 51: Acetaldehyde: A Reactive Metabolite, Editor(s): Victor R. Preedy. Neuropathology of Drug Addictions and Substance Misuse, Academic Press, Vol. 1, Pages 552-562. 2016.

11  No level of alcohol is safe for our health. 2023 Jan. 4. World Health Organization.

12  Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits.  2024, June 21st. Mayo Clinic.

13  About Moderate Alcohol Use. 2024 May 15. Centers for Disease Control.

14  About Standard Drink Sizes. 2024, May 15. Centers for Disease Control.

15, 17  Dumitriu G-D, Teodosiu C, Cotea VV. Chapter 2: Management of Pesticides from Vineyard to Wines: Focus on Wine Safety and Pesticides Removal by Emerging Technologies, Editors: Antonio Morata, Iris Loira and Carmen González. Grapes and Wine, Intechopen, 19 July 2021.

16  Martin-Garcia B, Longo E, Ceci AT, Pii Y, Romero-Gonzalez R, Frenich AG, Boselli E. Pesticides and winemaking: A comprehensive review of conventional and emerging approaches.Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. Vol. 23, Issue 5, 25 Sept. 2024.

18  California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation. (2022). Pesticide Use Annual Report: 2022 Data Summary.

19  Ren, X., Xin, L., Peng, L. et al. Association between sulfur microbial diet and the risk of esophageal cancer: a prospective cohort study in 101,752 American adults. Nutr J 23, 139 (2024).

20  National Toxicology Program. 15th Report on Carcinogens [Internet]. Research Triangle Park (NC): National Toxicology Program; 2021 Dec 21. 1,3-Dichloropropene (Technical Grade): CAS No. 542-75-6.

21  Ferramosca A, Lorenzett S, Di Giacomo M, Murrieri F, Coppola L, Zara V. Herbicides glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium negatively affect human sperm mitochondria respiration efficiency, Reproductive Toxicology, Volume 99, 2021, Pages 48-55.

22  Pérez-Lucas G, Navarro G, Navarro S. Comprehensive Review on Monitoring, Behavior, and Impact of Pesticide Residues during Beer-Making. J Agric Food Chem. 2023 Feb 1;71(4):1820-1836.

23  Tarazona JV, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M, Reich H, Pfeil R, Istace F, Crivellente F. Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: a review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC. Arch Toxicol. 2017 Aug;91(8):2723-2743.

24  Thongprakaisang S, Thiantanawat A, Rangkadilok N, Suriyo T, Satayavivad J. Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 Sep;59:129-36

25, 26 American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer Progress Report 2024, page 52.

27, 29  Barve S, Chen SY, Kirpich I, Watson WH, Mcclain C. Development, Prevention, and Treatment of Alcohol-Induced Organ Injury: The Role of Nutrition. Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):289-302.

28  Smith, Monica (June 13, 2012). Alcohol can lead to malnutrition. MSU Extension.

30  Mutlu EA, Gillevet PM, Rangwala H, Sikaroodi M, Naqvi A, Engen PA, Kwasny M, Lau CK, Keshavarzian A. Colonic microbiome is altered in alcoholism. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 2012 302:9, G966-G978.

31  Rao R. Endotoxemia and gut barrier dysfunction in alcoholic liver disease. Hepatology. 2009 Aug;50(2):638-44.

32, 33  Alcohol-related Liver Disease. Yale Medicine.

34, 35, 36, 37  Mehta AJ, Guidot DM. Alcohol and the Lung. Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):243-254.

38, 39  McDonald JA, Goyal A, Terry MB. Alcohol Intake and Breast Cancer Risk: Weighing the Overall Evidence. Curr Breast Cancer Rep. 2013 Sep;5(3):10.1007/s12609-013-0114-z.

40  Alcohol and Cancer in the WHO European Region. 2020. International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization.

41  Duca Y, Aversa A, Condorelli RA, Calogero AE, La Vignera S. Substance Abuse and Male Hypogonadism. J Clin Med. 2019 May 22;8(5):732.

42  Emanuele MA, Emanuele NV. Alcohol’s effects on male reproduction. Alcohol Health Res World. 1998;22(3):195-201.

43, 45  Topiwala A, Allan CL, Valkanova V, Zsoldos E, Filippini N, Sexton C, Mahmood A, Fooks P, Singh-Manoux A, Mackay CE, Kivimäki M, Ebmeier KP. Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2017 Jun 6;357:j2353.

44  Merz, B. (2017, July 14). This is your brain on alcohol. Harvard Health Publishing.

46  van de Pol LA, Hensel A, van der Flier WM, Visser PJ, Pijnenburg YA, Barkhof F, Gertz HJ, Scheltens P. Hippocampal atrophy on MRI in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;77(4):439-42.

47  Llamosas-Falcón L, Hasan OSM, Shuper PA, Rehm J. A systematic review on the impact of alcohol use on sexually transmitted infections. Int J Alcohol Drug Res. 2023 Jun;11(1):3-12.

I was too. I began my detoxification journey in 2012… And, yes, it is a process, one choice at a time. That’s how I know that making even the smallest shift towards organic food choices can contribute to the detoxification process and improve health. Like choosing Purity Coffee, a “beyond organic” coffee—whether you drink it daily, weekly or occasionally.

If you want to uplevel the quality of your coffee, apply the discount code PURECOFFEE20 at Checkout to get 20% off your first order HERE.

Why It Matters: “Beyond Organic” vs. Conventionally Grown Coffee

As I discussed in my previous coffee reset post, the main difference between conventionally grown vs. organic coffee is the use (or non-use) of chemicals.

Conventionally farmed coffee crops are grown with synthetic fertilizers and heavily sprayed with pesticides. Synthetic herbicides, like glyphosate (a.k.a. Roundup) are used to control weeds and maximize yield. Studies have linked glyphosate exposure—even at low doses—to various health problems, including cancer, fertility and reproductive problems, liver disease, kidney disease, respiratory issues, intestinal dysbiosis (e.g., IBD, IBS, Crohn’s, etc.), neurotoxicity (e.g., ALS, cognitive issues) and mood imbalances, like, anxiety and depression (1).

If you drink coffee…choosing organic coffee is a great start because you are making a choice to lower the everyday chemical assault on your body. Unfortunately, even organic coffee can be susceptible to mold, mycotoxins and other contaminants, which can be problematic for those who are sensitive. I discussed this in my previous post.

The Health Benefits of Beyond Organic Coffee

This is why I drink—and advocate for—Purity Coffee…because its quality is “beyond organic”. Through independent third-party testing, Purity verifies that their coffee is not only free of pesticides, but also free of mold, mycotoxins and other contaminants. And, most importantly, it tastes delicious!

By drinking beyond organic coffee, you will:

1.  Have less exposure to pesticides and other chemicals (as discussed above).

2.  Enjoy a healthy dose of polyphenols, in particular, chlorogenic acid, or CGA.

One of the most bioactive and functional polyphenols in the human diet, CGA is a natural compound with antioxidant properties that helps neutralize free radicals and protect cells from oxidative damage, such as ultraviolet radiation and air pollution (2).

Coffee is a major dietary source of chlorogenic acid.

Studies have linked CGA to having a protective effect on the central nervous system, the heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver; it may also have anti-cancer effects. Studies suggest that CGA can positively impact lipids metabolism; for example, lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and/or lowering triglycerides (3).

3.  Consume more antioxidants.

Coffee is one of the best sources of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, especially if organic.

A 2020 study published in the journal Antioxidants (Basel) found that organic coffee had a higher antioxidant status than conventionally grown coffee; in particular, organic medium-roasted beans produced the highest amount of antioxidants—compared to coffee brewed with light- or dark-roasted beans (4).

4.  Ingest an unexpected source of minerals and micronutrients.

Thanks to a Standard American Diet high in refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, most Americans are mineral deficient.

Surprisingly, organic coffee can be a source of minerals, including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Purity coffee also contains trace amounts of copper, zinc and iron. The amount of minerals in coffee varies, depending on country of origin, soil type, environmental conditions, processing, roasting and brewing method, time and pressure (5).

Trigonelline (TRG) is a beneficial nitrogenous compound in coffee that is also found in pumpkin seeds and moringa (used in traditional plant-based medicine).

As an antioxidant, TRG has been linked with having anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering effects. Researchers found that TRG exerted an anti-diabetic effect by lowering blood sugar in rats with diabetes (6).

5.  Enjoy a boost in “clean” energy.

We automatically associate coffee = caffeine = ENERGY. However, if you are caffeine-sensitive (as I am), drinking coffee can leave you feeling jittery, anxious, prone to being “hangry” and disrupt sleep. However, I can attest that when I occasionally have my single espresso with Purity “Ease” (organic dark roast), I do not experience any type of caffeine crash-and-burn or interference with sleep. I attribute this to Purity’s clean sourcing and roasting process (e.g., it is not over-roasted as many conventional coffees are) and that it is toxin-free on all fronts.

6.  Experience improved cognitive function.

Studies suggest that regular coffee consumption may have neuroprotective effects and improve focus and attention. This has been largely attributed to chlorogenic acids (CGA), polyphenols that are abundant in coffee (7).

Caffeine in coffee, on the other hand, can temporarily boost mood and alertness (8).

As a high quality, organic, toxin-free coffee, Purity is chockfull of beneficial anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic compounds—all of which translate into an aromatic, smooth, flavorful and rich-tasting TREAT!

If you want to enjoy a healthier coffee experience, I am happy to be able to offer you an exclusive 20% discount on your first order. Click HERE and enter the discount code PURECOFFEE20 at Checkout.

Sources

1  Malkan, Stacy. “Glyphosate: Cancer and other health concerns.”  U.S. Right to Know. 13 August 2024.

2  Pandey KB, Rizvi SI. Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2009 Nov-Dec;2(5):270-8.

3  Meng S, Cao J, Feng Q, Peng J, Hu Y. Roles of chlorogenic Acid on regulating glucose and lipids metabolism: a review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:801457.

4  Górecki M, Hallmann E. The Antioxidant Content of Coffee and Its In Vitro Activity as an Effect of Its Production Method and Roasting and Brewing Time. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Apr 10;9(4):308.

5  Olechno E, Puścion-Jakubik A, Socha K, Zujko ME. Coffee Brews: Are They a Source of Macroelements in Human Nutrition? Foods. 2021 Jun 9;10(6):1328.

6  Nuhu AA. Bioactive micronutrients in coffee: recent analytical approaches for characterization and quantification. ISRN Nutr. 2014 Jan. 22; 2014:384230.

7  Shukitt-Hale B, Miller MG, Chu YF, Lyle BJ, Joseph JA. Coffee, but not caffeine, has positive effects on cognition and psychomotor behavior in aging. Age (Dordr). 2013 Dec;35(6):2183-92.

8  Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research; Marriott BM, editor. Food Components to Enhance Performance: An Evaluation of Potential Performance-Enhancing Food Components for Operational Rations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1994. 20, Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance, Mood, and Alertness in Sleep-Deprived Humans.

For men, it is having a healthy (optimal) level of testosterone.

Unfortunately—as I have experienced both as a practitioner and personally—men rarely prioritize self-care. Men tend to ignore, dismiss or “power through” symptoms of potential health problems that are completely reversible if caught in time.

An important way that men can stay on top of their health is to know what their testosterone level is. It’s as easy as ordering a testosterone panel yourself—no doctor’s visit required—on sale now for just $149!  More info below.

Why testosterone matters

Testosterone is the major sex hormone for men. Testosterone is what makes men “men” and is essential for male growth and masculine characteristics.

Testosterone contributes to important bodily functions including (1):

• • Development of the penis and testes
  • Deepening of the voice during puberty
  • Appearance of facial and pubic hair
  • Muscle mass
  • Body fat distribution
  • Strength
  • Bone mineral density (2)
  • Regulation of red blood cell production (3)
  • Balanced mood
  • Healthy sex drive
  • Normal erections
  • Sperm production
  • Urinary health (4, 5)

Over the last 40-plus years, low testosterone—also referred to as “low T” and “testosterone deficiency”—has become widespread among men of ALL ages in the U.S..

While declining levels of testosterone are typically associated with aging males, starting from around age 40…results from the 2020 American Urological Association Virtual Experience (and later published in the European Urology Focus) revealed that:

Testosterone deficiency has a prevalence of 20% among adolescent and young adult males, aged 15 to 39 (6, 7).

This would explain why, 10 years ago, I found myself working with several male clients, between their late 20s and early 30s, who had low testosterone levels and struggled with their metabolic health.

As it turns out…testosterone levels have been declining over the last 40 years. In fact, several studies, but one retrospective study, in particular, that was published in the British Medical Journal in 1992, suggested that sperm quality had declined over the last 50 years, from around the early 1940s (8, 9).

The Massachusetts Male Aging Study, a landmark study, highlighted a significant decline in testosterone levels among men over a nearly two-decade period and across different generations.  Study participants consisted of a random sample of men, between ages 45 to 79 (born between 1916 and 1945), who lived in the greater Boston area. The data was collected in three waves. In each wave, researchers took blood samples and conducted extensive interviews. The men were first interviewed between 1987 to 1989, establishing a data baseline. Two follow-up interviews took place between 1995 to 1997 and between 2002 to 2004 (10).

What the researchers found (11, 12):

–There was a substantial decline in testosterone among U.S. men from when the baseline data was first drawn (1987 to 1989) to the final data collection (2002 to 2004).

–The decrease in testosterone concentrations was independent of age. In other words, declining testosterone was not just an “old man” phenomenon. There were notable declines in testosterone levels across all age groups sampled.

Why has low testosterone become so prevalent—even among young men?

Several potential causes for this low T trend include (13):

—Poor metabolic health as evidenced by the dramatic rise in overweight and obesity: approximately 43% of American men, aged 20 and older, are obese; 34% of American men are overweight (14).

—An increasingly sedentary lifestyle with little to no physical activity.

–Engaging in habitual (heavy, chronic) marijuana use (15). A Danish study of 1,215 men, between the ages of 18 and 28, reported that sperm concentration, total sperm count, percentage of mobile sperm and percentage of morphologically normal forms were all lower among men smoking marijuana more than once per week.

—Heavy alcohol consumption (16). Since the early 1980s, alcohol has been known to lower testosterone in men. In a study published in Pharmacological Biochemical Behavior, healthy men were given the equivalent of a pint of whiskey to drink every day for 30 days. Their testosterone levels were then compared to those of men with chronic alcoholism. (By the way, virtually all the alcoholic men had “low-normal” to “low” levels of testosterone). The testosterone levels of the healthy men began dropping after just 72 hours (3 days). By Day 30, the healthy men had testosterone levels similar to those of the alcoholic men (17).

–A dramatic rise in the use or abuse of opioids, including fentanyl, heroin and morphine(18).

—Use or abuse of anabolic steroids, synthetic derivates of testosterone (19).

—Eating a Western-style diet, also known as the “Standard American Diet” (SAD for short), which consists primarily of ultra-processed foods, including refined carbohydrates, fried foods, inflammatory seed oils, high-sugar foods and a low overall nutrient intake (20).

–Having greater exposure to environmental toxins, many of which are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They include xenoestrogens, synthetic compounds that have estrogen-like effects in the body (21, 22). Xenoestrogens are in plastics, pesticides, tap water, personal care products, household products, in our conventionally grown food supply as well as in ultra-processed foods, including food packaging (23).

Men: be mindful of overconsuming soy, especially conventionally grown, highly processed soy “foods”. Keep in mind that, as of 2020, 94% of soybean crops were genetically modified (24). Considered a “natural” plant-derived xenoestrogen, soy is a phytoestrogen that can exert estrogenic effects (25).

Estrogen, especially estradiol (the most potent form of estrogen), is the primary sex hormone that defines a woman. Estrogen gives women their hips and breasts and is responsible for the first half of a woman’s menstrual cycle.

However, men, too, produce a small, but critical, amount of estrogen (estradiol).

In men, regular exposure to xenoestrogens can disrupt the normal male testosterone (high)-to-estrogen (low) ratio; and, instead, create a state of “estrogen dominance”, where the ratio of a man’s estrogen level is high—relative to his testosterone level.

What does “estrogen dominance” look like in men?

Estrogen dominance in men can manifest as decreased testosterone production; lower sperm counts; and may contribute to the development of prostate cancer. High estrogen levels in men can have a physically feminizing effect, presenting as: weight gain; less muscle mass (softer and flabbier); higher overall body fat and fat deposits (think love handles); excess belly fat and enlarged breast tissue (26).

Back to testosterone… Low testosterone is often associated with co-morbidities such as (27):

• • Obesity
  • Belly fat (abdominal obesity)
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Heart disease
  • Chronic kidney disease

As men age, testosterone levels decline at the rate of 1% to 2% every year, starting around age 40 (28).

However, younger men are not immune from having low T. Even from age 30, testosterone levels can drop in men who have a chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, obesity); experience prolonged emotional stress; or take medications, such as statins, anti-anxiety, anti-depressants, opioids, chemotherapy, hypertension and beta-blockers, where lowered testosterone levels are often a side effect (29, 30).

For men, having low testosterone can significantly diminish quality of life; affect the functionality of multiple organs; and impact fertility.

Symptoms of low testosterone include (31, 32):

• • Low libido (sex drive)
  • Erectile dysfunction / impotence
  • Oligospermia (low sperm count) or azoospermia (zero sperm count), which causes male infertility
  • Low energy
  • Lack of drive / motivation
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Irritability (as in “Grumpy Old Man Syndrome”)
  • Changes (for the negative) in sleep patterns or disrupted sleep
  • Fatigue
  • Increased frailty
  • Decreased bone density
  • Decreased muscle strength and mass
  • Low stamina / endurance
  • Gynecomastia, colloquially known as “moobs” (male boobs), characterized by enlarged breast tissue in men (33)
  • Difficulty building muscle—even when working out
  • Excess belly fat (34)

What you can do

The good news? It is possible to raise testosterone levels naturally.

First and foremost, get tested! Consider ordering the Testosterone and Prostate Health panel, which I love for men, because it enables a more insightful takeaway of male hormonal balance (e.g., testosterone to estrogen ratio).

The Testosterone and Prostate Health panel will accurately measure your bioavailable testosterone and also measures your level of estradiol (estrogen), which can be created by excess belly fat. This panel includes a comprehensive testosterone panel (including total, free and bioavailable testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin), estradiol, prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well as a Complete Blood Count.

* The sale ($149) ends on Wednesday, July 31st, 2024. You can purchase the panel now—and schedule your blood draw later—up to 1 year from date of purchase.

***Note: This is direct lab testing. Meaning…you order your own labs online. No doctor’s visit required. IF you live in New York or New Jersey, you will NOT be able to access direct lab testing in these states. However, you CAN order your labs online, then travel to Connecticut, Pennsylvania or Massachusetts (this is where I go) for your blood draw. You will be emailed your results 1 week from your blood draw. You can then take your labs to the healthcare practitioner of your choice. OR, you can choose to do one of my Lab Review packages, where I review your labs with you, highlight potential red flags and give suggested action steps to improve testosterone levels.

Knowing your testosterone level can be highly motivating to make lifestyle changes that support hormone balance. To naturally boost testosterone levels, key lifestyle modifications include:

1. Prioritizing sleep.

2. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods vs. ultra-processed foods.

3. Weight training. Building muscle.

4. Sitting less. Moving more.

5. Engaging in a regular relaxation practice.

6. Cutting out or mindfully reducing alcohol consumption and/or recreational drug use, including marijuana.

7. Reducing exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like plastics, pesticides and other xenoestrogens.

Sources:

1  Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. “Testosterone: What it is and how it affects your health”. June 22, 2023.

2 Snyder PJ, Kopperdahl DL, Stephens-Shields AJ, et al. Effect of Testosterone Treatment on Volumetric Bone Density and Strength in Older Men With Low Testosterone: A Controlled Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(4):471–479.

3  Bachman E, Travison TG, Basaria S, Davda MN, Guo W, Li M, Connor Westfall J, Bae H, Gordeuk V, Bhasin S. Testosterone induces erythrocytosis via increased erythropoietin and suppressed hepcidin: evidence for a new erythropoietin/hemoglobin set point. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014 Jun;69(6):725-35.

4  Yang, TK., Chang, CC., Chang, HC. et al. Factors Associated with Bothersome Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Middle-Aged Men Receiving Health Checkup. Sci Rep 9, 901 (2019).

5  Haider KS, Haider A, Doros G, Traish A. Long-Term Testosterone Therapy Improves Urinary and Sexual Function, and Quality of Life in Men with Hypogonadism: Results from a Propensity Matched Subgroup of a Controlled Registry Study. Journal of Urology [Internet]. 2018 Jan 1; 199(1):257–65.

6, 13  Kahl, K L. Testosterone levels show steady decrease among U.S. men. Urology Times Journal. Vol. 48. Issue 7. July 3, 2020.

7  Lokeshwar SD, Patel P, Fantus RJ, Halpern J, Chang C, Kargi AY, Ramasamy R. Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels Among Adolescent and Young Adult Men in the USA. Eur Urol Focus. 2021 Jul;7(4):886-889.

8  Shalender Bhasin, Secular Decline in Male Reproductive Function: Is Manliness Threatened?, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 92, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 44–45.

9  Carlsen E, Giwercman A, Keiding N, Skakkebaek NE. Evidence for decreasing quality of semen during past 50 years. BMJ. 1992 Sep 12;305(6854):609-13.

10, 11  Thomas G. Travison, Andre B. Araujo, Amy B. O’Donnell, Varant Kupelian, John B. McKinlay, A Population-Level Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels in American Men, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 92, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 196–202

12  Kalvaitis, Katie. “Generational decline in testosterone levels observed.”  Healio.com. 2 Oct. 2023.

14  NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Overweight & Obesity Statistics.

15  Tina Djernis Gundersen, Niels Jørgensen, Anna-Maria Andersson, Anne Kirstine Bang, Loa Nordkap, Niels E. Skakkebæk, Lærke Priskorn, Anders Juul, Tina Kold Jensen, Association Between Use of Marijuana and Male Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality: A Study Among 1,215 Healthy Young Men, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 182, Issue 6, 15 September 2015, Pages 473–481.

16, 17  Emanuele MA, Emanuele NV. Alcohol’s effects on male reproduction. Alcohol Health Res World. 1998;22(3):195-201.

18, 19, 29  Cohen J, Nassau DE, Patel P, Ramasamy R. Low Testosterone in Adolescents & Young Adults. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Jan 10;10: 916.

20  Hu TY, Chen YC, Lin P, Shih CK, Bai CH, Yuan KC, Lee SY, Chang JS. Testosterone-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts Low Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadism. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 16;10(11):1786.

21  Toppari J, Larsen JC, Christiansen P, Giwercman A, Grandjean P, Guillette LJ Jr, Jégou B, Jensen TK, Jouannet P, Keiding N, Leffers H, McLachlan JA, Meyer O, Müller J, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Scheike T, Sharpe R, Sumpter J, Skakkebaek NE. Male reproductive health and environmental xenoestrogens. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 Aug;104 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):741-803.

22  Anna Katrina Loomis, Peter Thomas, Effects of Estrogens and Xenoestrogens on Androgen Production by Atlantic Croaker Testes In Vitro: Evidence for a Nongenomic Action Mediated by an Estrogen Membrane Receptor, Biology of Reproduction, Volume 62, Issue 4, 1 April 2000, Pages 995–1004.

23, 25  Paterni I, Granchi C, Minutolo F. Risks and benefits related to alimentary exposure to xenoestrogens. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Nov 2;57(16):3384-3404.

24  Shahbendah, M. Percentage of genetically modified crops in the US by type 1997, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Statista.  16 Dec. 2022.

26  Gottfried, S. (2014). The Hormone Cure. Scribner.

27  Institute for Functional Medicine. Insights. Testosterone Deficiency: Lifestyle-Based Approaches.

28  Singh P. Andropause: Current concepts. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Dec;17 (Suppl 3):S621-9.

30  Samadi, David. “Beware, these prescription medications may lower testosterone levels”. Prostate Cancer 911. 14 June 2021.

31  Goodale T, Sadhu A, Petak S, Robbins R. Testosterone and the Heart. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2017 Apr-Jun;13(2):68-72.

32  Low Testosterone (Male Hypogonadism). Cleveland Clinic. 2 Sept. 2022.

33  Swerdloff RS, Ng JCM. Gynecomastia: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. [Updated 2023 Jan 6]. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-.

34   Fillo J, Levcikova M, Ondrusova M, Breza J, Labas P. Importance of Different Grades of Abdominal Obesity on Testosterone Level, Erectile Dysfunction, and Clinical Coincidence. Am J Mens Health. 2017 Mar;11(2):240-245. 

I get it.

Having lived in New York City my entire adult life, I understand how easy it is NOT to cook in a city with thousands upon thousands of restaurants, eateries, food carts, etc.—especially after a long day at work or if you plan on working into the night.

You want food that is tasty, comforting and quick.

For years, my husband and I ate just this way. We loved the convenience of eating anytime, anywhere. Because of our schedules, we often ate dinner out at local neighborhood restaurants up to 5x / week (sometimes more). Occasionally, we ordered takeout. After the 2008 financial crash, however, we decided to prioritize preparing and eating home-cooked meals.

It made a huge (positive) difference. And not just financially. Once we began eating more whole foods-based, home-cooked meals, we noticed that the bodily reactions we had assumed were “normal” after eating out—for example, digestive distress, especially bloating; blood sugar crashes; brain fog; fatigue; and lethargy—disappeared. Over time, our idea of “tasty, comforting and quick” has evolved to mean easy-to-make home-cooked meals.

Click here to read about the Benefits of Eating Whole Foods.

During and after COVID, when working-from-home became the norm, I assumed that more people would be motivated to cook at home.

I was wrong. Very wrong.

Instead, more people than ever consume ultra-processed foods and/or other convenience-based foods. Since COVID, online ordering platforms, like Uber Eats, Door Dash and GrubHub, have also flourished (1). People are also eating out again.

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

 In a commentary published in the American Journal of Medicine, physicians from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine deemed ultra-processed foods the new ‘silent’ killer as these engineered foods have been implicated in many chronic health conditions.

“Hundreds of novel ingredients never encountered by human physiology are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult’s diet and nearly 70 percent of children’s diets in the U.S.” (2) 

Ultra-processed foods take “processed foods” to the next level.

Processed foods typically alter whole foods with “processed ingredients”, such as sugar, fat, oil and/or salt, to preserve whole foods. For example, “processed foods” include cheese, canned beans, jams, pickles, canned fruit and cultured vegetables. Processed foods are altered in a way that you could potentially replicate in your own home kitchen. For example, I have made and canned my own applesauce.

On the other hand…

Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured, ready-to-eat “formulations” that are made mostly from substances extracted from whole foods, including sugars, oils and fats, proteins, starches and fiber (3, 4).

These substances are obtained from high-yield plant foods like corn, wheat, soy or beets—crops also known to be GMO (genetically modified organisms). Substances in ultra-processed foods are also obtained from pureeing or grinding animal carcasses, usually from intensive livestock farming. (Think factory farming. You can bet your bottom dollar that humanely raised, grass-fed, grass-finished livestock is not being used!) (5).

Some of these substances undergo further chemical modifications, like hydrolysis or hydrogenation. Then…unmodified and modified food substances are assembled—with little if any whole food—using industrial techniques, like extrusion, molding and pre-frying. Artificial colors, flavors, emulsifiers and other additives are added to make the final product hyper-palatable (6). Mmmmm!

The final product is served up in a pretty package. And that packaging is usually made with synthetic materials (7).

What foods are considered “ultra-processed”?

Essentially any “instant”, ready-to-heat, or ready-to-eat foods. These “foods” are highly manipulated to be hyper-palatable and to have a long shelf-life. Examples include (8):

–Instant canned soups
–Ready-made sauces, gravies, dressings
–French fries
–Instant or pre-made potato products
–Dry-mix desserts
–Snack foods: sweet and savory
–Granola bars
–Protein bars
–Sodas
–Sweetened beverages
–Fruit drinks
–Presweetened tea and coffee
–Energy drinks
–Dairy-based drinks<
–Flavored and/or sweetened yogurt
–“Meatless” patties or veggie burgers
–Dry cake and pancake mixes<
–Store-bought breads or bread products
–Most breakfast cereals
–Frozen treats: ice cream, frozen yogurt, etc.

Restaurants, whether it’s a local eatery, chain restaurant, fast food or fast casual, are also a source of ultra-processed foods. For example, food is often sauteed or fried with highly inflammatory seed oils and ultra-processed foods / substances may be incorporated in sauces, dressings, condiments or a “meatless” menu item.

“To go” restaurant packaging, whether it’s Arby’s, Chick-fil-A or Sweetgreen’s, is also a source of “forever chemicals”, like PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, man-made chemicals that have been linked with increased risk of cancer, liver damage, obesity, fertility issues and neurological effects, among other health problems associated with exposure (9).

An Inconvenient Truth

When it comes to our food choices, we are a culture that tends to crave comfort. Usually, this means that we let someone else do the “cooking”, whether it’s a multinational corporation (e.g., Nestle owns Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s frozen meals; ConAgra owns Gardein, which makes “plant-based, meatless food items”), restaurants, chain eateries, fast food joints or our favorite online ordering app.

An “easy” meal may hit the spot in the moment, but, ultimately, we pay the price for this “convenience” in terms of our health. All ultra-processed foods, as well as any meal that you eat out or order in, typically contains various elements of the following:

–Added sugars
–Excess sodium
–Unhealthy fats
–Refined carbohydrates
–Emulsifiers
–Thickeners
–Preservatives
–Artificial additives
–Artificial coloring
–Toxic seed oils: Canola, peanut, soybean, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed; be wary of any oil labeled “vegetable oil”.

A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that the consumption of ultra-processed foods has increased over the last 20 years across all demographic segments—regardless of income. The average American diet has shifted towards more ultra-processed foods.

What the research shows…

–Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with heart disease and deemed a “key driver” of the US obesity epidemic (10).

–Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with higher cancer risk and cancer deaths in those without a history of cancer (11).

–In a newly published study, researchers found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods among participants, who were diagnosed with cancer (and had a history of cancer), was associated with higher risk of death (12).

–Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked with adverse effects on gut health, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and colorectal cancer (13).

–Increased ultra-processed food consumption is associated with nutrient deficiencies, including significantly reduced vitamin, mineral and fiber intake vs. higher intake of sugars and unhealthy fats (14).

–Greater consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased depression and anxiety (15).

What You Can Do

As a functional health coach, I believe the body has an amazing capacity to heal and to regenerate. In fact, I have seen this time and again with many of my clients.

What you can do to support your body:

1. Choose whole foods. You can take one small step at a time towards making better food choices. Mindfulness is key. Pay attention: what whole, unprocessed food choices are you making right now? None? Once a day or once a week? Seasonal produce is abundant right now, and it is a perfect time, for example, to be mindful of eating more fresh vegetables.

Click here to read about the Benefits of Eating Seasonal Whole Foods with tips on how you can start.

2,  Reduce inflammation. Do a whole foods-based cleanse. My DIY 7-day cleanse is now on sale for $17 through Sunday, June 30, 2024 and features 50+ anti-inflammatory recipes.

3.  Consider curcumin. Curcumin, the most active ingredient in turmeric, has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It can help potentially lower inflammation. If you are trying to eat more whole foods, curcumin can help support the liver, GI tract, cholesterol metabolism and blood sugar. I like this brand because it is well absorbed.

4. Get support. Feeling overwhelmed or confused about how to start making better food choices? Click here to schedule a FREE 15-minute Discovery phone consultation with me to see how I can best support you.

Sources

1  Touch Bistro. The State of Restaurants in 2024.

2    Science Daily. “Could Ultra-processed foods be the new ‘silent’ killer? Florida Atlantic University. Feb. 20, 2024.

3, 8, 10  Juul, F. et al. “Ultra-processed food consumption among US adults from 2001 to 2018”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 115, Issue 1, pp. 211-221. Jan 2022.

4, 5, 6, 7 Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, Moubarac JC, Louzada ML, Rauber F, Khandpur N, Cediel G, Neri D, Martinez-Steele E, Baraldi LG, Jaime PC. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr;22(5):936-941.

9  Kevin Loria. “Dangerous PFAS Chemicals Are in Your Food Packaging.” Consumer Reports. March 24, 2022.

11, 12  Zhoo Y, Wang Q, Chen W, Li J, Song X, Ni Y, Zhui S, Zhang Z, Nie S, Lui L. Associations of ultra-processed food consumption with mortality among participants with a history of cancer: a prospective cohort analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. June 26, 2024.

13  Whelan K, Bancil AS, Lindsay JO, Chassaing B. Ultra-processed foods and food additives in gut health and disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Jun;21(6):406-427.

14  Martini D, Godos J, Bonaccio M, Vitaglione P, Grosso G. Ultra-Processed Foods and Nutritional Dietary Profile: A Meta-Analysis of Nationally Representative Samples. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 27;13(10):3390.

15  Lane MM, Gamage E, Travica N, Dissanayaka T, Ashtree DN, Gauci S, Lotfaliany M, O’Neil A, Jacka FN, Marx W. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 21;14(13):2568.

]]> https://thenourishedepicurean.com/ultra-processed-foods-and-your-health/feed/ 0 13567 https://thenourishedepicurean.com/how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset-health/ https://thenourishedepicurean.com/how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset-health/#respond Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:35:15 +0000 https://thenourishedepicurean.com/?p=13276 When it comes to your health and well-being, are you ready to adopt a growth mindset in the New Year? (We’ll circle back to what a growth mindset is in a moment).

If you are … a gift from me to you: 25% off through January 9th on a Food & Lifestyle Review (regularly priced at $150) or a Comprehensive Wellness Assessment (regularly priced at $250). Use coupon code Growth25 at checkout.

Personally, health goals always come into sharp focus for me in December when I celebrate my birthday. I view my birthday as the start of my own personal “New Year”, when I not only take stock of my overall health status and get clarity on my health goals, but I also I consider the process of how I will get there over the next year.

What I mean by “process” is that I don’t just make a New Year’s resolution, like “I want to improve my cholesterol numbers”, or “I want to lose weight”—then hope it magically happens. I actively assess, plan and, most importantly, participate in what I need to do to get there.

Depending on my health goals, this might include mindfulness practices, like tracking and logging my food, blood sugar and/or blood pressure; scheduling lab work; scheduling appointments with my naturopath and/or chiropractor; a willingness to modify my food and supplement choices if necessary; and fine-tuning my sleep schedule and/or types of workouts that I do. I don’t do everything that I just listed all at once! I may take small steps or bigger steps. I assess and modify action steps. And I consistently revisit and adapt (if necessary) the process of achieving my health goals.

What is a top-of-mind health goal for you? Losing weight? Strengthening your immune system? Making food and lifestyle choices that support heart health? Moving more in your daily life? Cultivating coping skills to better manage anxiety or depression?

What is—or has been—stopping you from reaching your health goal(s)?

Do you say things like…

I have a slow metabolism.

I’m not athletic.

I don’t have time to go to the gym.

“Healthy” foods are tasteless and bland.

I’m not a “cook”.

Even when I do everything ‘right’; I can’t lose weight!

I have a genetic predisposition to anxiety or depression.

It’s easier for John or Jean to lose weight because they can afford a gym membership; they work at home; or, they have more free time.

I have no willpower!

When it comes to achieving your health goals, perhaps, a fixed mindset is getting in the way…

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Stanford University psychology professor Carol Dweck is renowned for her work on mindset, specifically, the idea of “growth mindset” versus “fixed “mindset” (1).

A “growth mindset” is about believing that you can develop your abilities, skills or intelligence through hard work, practice, and perseverance despite failure.

That said, a growth mindset, in and of itself, does not guarantee how much change is possible, how long change will take, or if you will even achieve the results you desire. A growth mindset believes there is capacity to change or improve—even in face of challenges or obstacles. The key is commitment to taking consistent action toward your goal(s).

Keep in mind: not everything—like preferences or values can (or necessarily should)—be changed (2). For example, I recognize the importance of stretching, flexibility, and balance. Over the years, I have tried to love yoga. I really have! I have experimented with various types of yoga and tried different yoga instructors. Bottom line: While I incorporate stretching into my routine, I’m just not into yoga, specifically. It is a personal preference that not even a growth mindset can change. And that is okay.

A “fixed mindset” believes that talent and intelligence are innate and cannot be developed; you either have it—or you don’t.

For example, being musically gifted or a natural athlete. As applied to health, a fixed mindset might believe that you are “naturally” thin or overweight because of genetics.

A fixed mindset focuses only on outcome as a measure of how inherently smart or talented you are. Your “successes”—whether it’s getting straight A’s; winning every swim meet; or being a high-performing salesperson—serve to validate your “natural” ability and talent.

Failure, whether it’s losing a competition, getting fired or being rejected in a romantic relationship, often reveals whether we have a fixed or growth mindset in a particular area of our life.

With a fixed mindset, failure is often perceived as devastating or catastrophic, a confirmation that you are not smart or talented or worthy. Those with a fixed mindset often feel vulnerable because a perceived “deficiency” has been “exposed”; as a result, people with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges or situations where they do not naturally shine or excel.

A growth mindset, however, views failure as an opportunity to grow and to learn something new. Setbacks offer a chance to step outside one’s comfort zone and master—even thrive on—challenges through learning and effort.

Dwerk sums up the distinction between the two mindsets:

“In a fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—everything has been wasted.

 The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing—regardless of the outcome. They’re tackling problems, charting new courses, working on important issues.”

Mindset and Health

How might mindset apply to health?

Let’s take “I want to lose weight”, a common health goal for many people.

Those with a fixed mindset, who are overweight or obese, might start a prescription program for an injectable (e.g., Ozempic, Zepbound) or pill (e.g., Adipex, Contrave, Belviq), to lose weight—without considering the potentially serious adverse side effects of these drugs—because weight loss (outcome orientation) is their singular focus.

Those with a growth mindset, however, might make an effort to understand the root causes of their weight gain. They would be willing to learn about—and actively practice—hormone-balancing food choices, mindfulness strategies and lifestyle practices for sustainable, healthy weight loss (process oriented).

As applied to weight loss, the fixed mindset focuses on an outcome that requires minimal effort and “guarantees” an immediate outcome. A growth mindset may not produce instant results, but the process of learning about healthy food choices and lifestyle habits can result in slower, but more sustainable, weight loss and improved overall health.

Where Do You Fall?

What kind of mindset do you have when it comes to your health and well-being? Having a fixed or growth mindset is not an either/or situation. We can be a mix of both mindsets; for example, you may think of your athletic abilities as being fixed but that you can become a better cook with practice.

Fixed Mindset:

— Believes that skills, intelligence and ability are something that you’re born with and can’t be developed,

— Believes they know everything already.

— Believes in effortless success.

— Avoids challenges, especially those that may lead to failure.

— Gives up easily in the face of perceived failure.

— Ignores or dismisses criticism.

— Is threatened by the success of others.

— Focus is on the destination (outcome).

Growth Mindset:

— Believes in the potential to develop—or expand—your intelligence, skills or abilities.

— Wants to learn. Seeks support and guidance.

— Believes that effort, practice, and perseverance can improve potential for positive change and success.

— Welcomes challenges.

— Persists in spite of failure. Views failure as part of the learning process.

— Accepts constructive criticism or feedback.

— Is motivated / inspired by the success of others.

— Appreciates the journey (process).

Your Health: 7 Tips for Cultivating a Growth Mindset

1.  Consider your current mindset re: health.

When it comes to your health and well-being, do you have a fixed mindset or growth mindset? If you have identified that you have a fixed mindset, is it helping or hindering you?

2.  Seek support.

Do you feel overwhelmed by conflicting health information from mainstream media sources? Do you want to make healthier food choices, but feel confused about what to eat? Are you struggling with managing uncomfortable symptoms (e.g., fatigue, brain fog, acid reflux, joint pain) and unsure if/what food choices and lifestyle changes can help? Have you been told that you need to lose weight, yet not received any guidance that can help you make healthier choices? Would you like to look or feel better (e.g., clearer complexion, better digestive health, less anxiety)…but have no idea where to start?

We don’t always know what we don’t know! Consider working with a functional health practitioner, like myself, for guidance, education and support. Through January 9th, I am offering 25% off on a Food & Lifestyle Review (regularly priced at $150) OR a Comprehensive Wellness Assessment (regularly priced at $250). Use coupon code:Growth25 at checkout.

3.  Plan.

Identify the steps needed to create habits that help you achieve your health goal. For example, if your health goal is to eat more nutritious, home-cooked meals, you will want to consider: What constitutes a “healthy” meal? What meals will you prepare for the week? Are there any meals that you can prepare in advance and rewarm on busy days? When will you grocery shop? Is there anyone who can help you prep meals or pick up groceries (e.g., your husband / partner, kids, roommate)? When will you cook—or batch-cook—meals? What / how will you eat healthy meals on days that you are too tired or busy to cook?

Planning ahead, including foreseeing potential challenges and obstacles, goes a long way towards achieving your health goals.

4.  Change the way that you view failure.

Start looking at failure, not as a sign of inability or as a personal shortcoming, but as a vital part of the learning process.

Let’s say that you decide to use a calorie-counting app to track your calories to help you lose weight. A month goes by, and you have not lost a single pound.

How would you feel? Disappointed? Despairing? Angry? What automatic thoughts would you have? Would they be judgmental, like: “I’ll never lose weight!” or “I hate my body!” How would you cope? Immediately stop using the app? Dig into a pint of ice cream? Complain to a friend?

Feelings are feelings. You can feel unhappy, frustrated, or discouraged about not achieving a desired outcome.

Having a growth mindset, however, enables you to react to setbacks with curiosity and resolve. In this case, you would strive to understand why you did not lose weight even though you were at or below calorie count. For example, were you eating mostly processed foods? Did you count alcohol intake? Was it a particularly stressful month? You might consider another strategy or approach.

5.  Pay attention to your self-talk.

Words are powerful. How do you talk about your body and your health? Do you say things like, “I’m destined to have heart problems; everyone on my dad’s side of the family has heart issues.” Or, “Now that I’m in menopause, it’s impossible to lose weight.”  Or, “I suck at weight training!”

Instead, be mindful of swapping out catastrophic thinking for “not yet”. For example:

“I’m working on eating less sugar and refined carbohydrates to improve my heart health; my triglycerides aren’t an optimal level yet.”

“I’m trying to make more menopausal-supportive food choices; I haven’t lost much weight yet.”

“I’m not good at weight training yet.”

6.  Get inspired or motivated by the success of others.

Let’s say someone you know—a colleague, your yoga instructor, your son’s teacher—drops a significant amount of weight. Their body has transformed from soft and flabby, to lean and muscular. This is exactly your health goal.

How do you feel about their success? Happy and admiring? Or envious and dismissive?

When others with a similar health goal succeed, a growth-oriented mindset gets curious. Connect with those who succeed. Use their success as an opportunity to learn what strategies and actions they took and how they navigated challenges to achieve their transformation.

7.  Persevere in maintaining positive change

Whether you change your mindset to lose weight, improve overall health, reduce pain or to support heart health, change needs to be maintained.

Unfortunately, when it comes to health, people often tend to revert to old, unhealthy habits once they reach their health goal(s).

For example, many people will do a post-holiday cleanse or detox and experience a positive result (e.g., weight loss, quality sleep, better digestion, clear skin). After completing the detox (or shortly thereafter), they go right back to eating processed foods, late night snacking or drinking sodas, habits that caused their symptoms in the first place!

Growth mindset as applied to health and well-being means that planning is key. What strategies, resources and support will you have in place to maintain the positive results you achieve?

Speaking of support…

If you seek support and guidance on your health journey, consider scheduling a free 15-minute Discovery phone consultation to see if working with a functional health coach is right for you. Click HERE to book a day / time that works for you.

Sources

1, 2  Dweck, C. (2016). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Updated ed.). Ballantine Books.

Modern culture rewards busyness and productivity. However, humans are NOT machines or bots that can toil tirelessly and efficiently without breaks!

Humans are energy beings. The ebb and flow of our energy not only fluctuates throughout the day but is also tied to the seasons. When it’s hot, our physical body craves lighter, less dense foods and, psychologically, we need more down time.

For example, midday siestas are time-honored traditions in Italy and Spain. And, in the U.S. and many parts of Europe, business is typically slowest in August.

Athletes work with this ebb and flow of energy by cycling their training schedule with periods of rest and recovery for optimal performance. Rest is just as important as the training itself, because rest enables the body to repair and strengthen itself between workouts; this allows athletes to recover both physically and psychologically.

When we honor our body’s cycles of high energy and low energy, we are better able to optimize our productivity—without jeopardizing our health.

The benefits of relaxation include:

• Improved mental acuity
• Increased stress resilience (we are better able to tolerate stress)
• Lower blood pressure
• Less muscle tension
• Improved and/or balanced mood
• Improved mental health
• Stronger immune system
• Lower inflammation
• Reduced risk of stress-related illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and autoimmune diseases

As a recovering productivity junkie, I am now mindful of incorporating relaxation into my daily routine. I grew up in a family that equated productivity with worth. Being constantly “busy” was seen as a virtue, and this deeply embedded value shaped my workaholic tendencies.

Until relatively recently, I found it very challenging to “relax”. I always had a running “to-do” list and/or “project” in the works. The idea of “doing nothing” triggered feelings of anxiety, dread and guilt (mostly guilt!). Even “vacations” were typically packed with “must-see” cultural hotspots and “must-do” activities; as a result, “vacations” were rarely “relaxing”.

This has changed over the last few years. My husband and I recently spent a week in Maine. While there, I became acutely aware of how positively my body responded to my relaxed state of being. For example, I had ZERO cravings for dark chocolate and was not even remotely tempted to eat it even though I had easy access. This is significant, as dark chocolate is a daily ritual food for me the way a morning cup of coffee is for others—unthinkable not to have! Other telltale signs that I was in relaxed mode… The occasional stiffness in my right hip, which can flare when I feel overwhelmed or stressed, was absent the entire trip. In addition to awakening without an alarm clock, I found that my body felt tired earlier in the evening, which translated into an earlier bedtime (a feat rarely achieved at home!). And my overall mood was upbeat, happier and calmer.

In deconstructing my time away, I found that the following practices can help create a state of relaxation. The key is to SLOW DOWN. The good news? You don’t have to take an expensive vacation or take extra time off work to implement these relaxation strategies. It simply requires mindfulness on your part. Busy? You can start trying to integrate these practices on weekends.

7 Ways to SLOW DOWN and help your body relax

1.  Less is MORE.

We’ve visited Maine in years past, usually with on-the-go, action-packed agendas—hiking, biking, kayaking, sightseeing and exploring foodie hot spots. Now, we spend time in Maine with the express intention of DOING NOTHING other than eating well; going to the beach; walking everywhere; and sleeping hard. We keep our agenda simple and uncluttered…no distractions!

That said, we did our due diligence and planned ahead of time. I booked our hotel room and made restaurant reservations a few months in advance. I chose restaurants that offered gluten-free and diary-free options to avoid the stress of physical discomfort while on vacation. Our plans were loosely structured, but flexible in case of bad weather. Planning on the front end minimizes potential stressors and maximizes relaxation during our time off.

The body and psyche inherently want to slow down during hot-weather months. Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Prioritize one or two tasks you would like to accomplish for the day—rather than trying to complete everything on a long (and overwhelming) to-do list. Keep your goals simple, whether it’s getting two loads of laundry done, taking a 30-minute walk, working in the garden for an hour without interruption, or spending one evening during the week with a friend.

2.  Expose yourself to morning light.

While in Maine, my husband and I walked into town for breakfast every morning around 9AM; it was a 30-minute round trip walk without rushing or racing to our destination. I found this both relaxing and energizing.

Going outside and exposing yourself to sunlight in the morning can help increase daytime energy; can promote an overall sense of well-being; and can help regulate melatonin production so that you fall asleep more easily in the evening (1, 2).

Our bodies are governed by a circadian rhythm, our sleep-wake cycle over the course of a 24-hour day. Circadian rhythms are connected to an internal master clock located in our brain. Our circadian rhythms are affected by light exposure, aligned with the cycles of night and day. A prime example is sleeping at night because it is dark (zero light exposure) versus being awake in the morning when we are exposed to full, bright light. Circadian rhythms affect important bodily functions, including how alert or sleepy we feel; the release of hormones (e.g. cortisol, insulin, leptin); as well as our appetite, digestion; and body temperature (3, 4).

Being in sync with our circadian rhythm benefits our physical and mental health: we sleep better and deeper; we have more natural energy; we optimize metabolic processes; and we experience a more positive mood (less depression).

The hormone cortisol (a.k.a., the “stress hormone”) plays a big role in our sleep-wake cycle. Cortisol is a hormone that helps regulate the body’s response to stress. High levels of stress contribute to poor sleep, and poor sleep causes/worsens stress levels. Cortisol has a specific circadian rhythm that is affected by sleep. Cortisol levels drop throughout the day, especially after the sun sets, preparing your body for sleep (it is lowest at the beginning of the sleep cycle). As the sun rises, your cortisol levels also rise, so that you awaken with energy in the morning (5). Going against your natural body clock—for example, regularly sleeping during the day, working the “graveyard” shift—triggers a negative hormonal domino effect, starting with out-of-sync cortisol levels; this sets the stage for weight gain, inflammation, low mood and mental distress. Hardly relaxing!

3.  Go barefoot in the sand, grass, dirt or mud.

Sunshine. Sand. Ocean. Going to the beach is always a highlight of our time in Maine. The simple act of walking barefoot on sand feels so good both physically and mentally.

The science behind “grounding” or “earthing” is that walking barefoot on a natural surface—dirt (even mud!), pesticide-free grass (so don’t do this on pesticide-sprayed golf courses!), forest soil, or beach sand—helps lower oxidative stress and inflammation.

Researchers on the effects of grounding on inflammation note that “an earth connection was once an everyday reality in past cultures that used animal skins for footwear and on which to sleep (6).” Primitive cultures often went barefoot or wore moccasins, shoes with leather soles, or minimalist sandals. Today, a direct skin connection with the Earth’s surface has been lost—thanks to high-rise buildings, elevated beds, and modern footwear created from synthetics and/or rubber, materials that block the flow of beneficial electrons (7).

How grounding works… Our bodies generate electricity.  Atoms that are made up of positively charged protons, negatively charged electrons, and neutrally charged neutrons are inside our bodies.

Oxidation is a natural process that occurs when oxygen interacts with cells of any kind. For example, apple slices that turn brown after being exposed to oxygen are an example of “oxidation”.  Atoms that have been exposed to oxygen will “break” and end up with unpaired electrons, creating unstable molecules called “free radicals”. Having too many free radicals in your body can damage DNA and cell membranes, leading to chronic diseases and conditions.

What causes free radical stress? Exposure to pollution, cigarettes, pesticides, trans fats, and radiation from cell phones, computers, Blue Tooth, Wi-Fi and traveling on airplanes, all of which deplete the body of electrons.

Walking barefoot in soil, grass or sand allows any excess charge in your body to discharge into the earth, relieving the body of excess stress. 

New research has revealed that direct physical contact with the earth’s natural surfaces generates an “electric nutrition” that imparts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects (8). Studies suggest that grounding can improve sleep, reduce pain, reduce stress, speed wound healing and help calm and relax the body (9, 10).

Try grounding at home in your yard, in your garden, or at a park. All you need is a patch of grass, dirt or sand on which you can comfortably stand, walk or lie down. The point is to make regular direct skin-to-earth contact.

4.  Take a nap.

While in Maine, I spent my midday hours on the beach, where I often drifted off into a nap. When I came to, I felt refreshed and relaxed.

Our energy level naturally ebbs and flows. For many people, feelings of sleepiness and low energy usually manifest early to mid-afternoon due to to a natural dip in your circadian rhythm. This is when serotonin and melatonin, chemical messengers that regulate our mood, motivation, cognitive function and sleep are naturally lower. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that our serotonin levels tend to be at their lowest around 2PM (11).

Taking a midafternoon break or nap is common in many cultures, including Spanish, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Countries with hot climates often have a tradition of siesta, where businesses shut down at midday, and workers go home for a nap or take a long rest. Yet, in our productivity-obsessed culture, napping is perceived as “weird” or a sign of weakness. Most people choose to power through their afternoon energy slump with caffeine, sugar, or refined carbs—a recipe for weight gain and hormone imbalance.

On the other hand, a short 10- to 30-minute nap can offer the following benefits (12):

• Promotes relaxation. When you feel rested, you feel more relaxed.
• Increases alertness. You feel less sleepy naturally.
• Enhances memory. You are better able to process and retain information.
• Improves mood. You are better able to regulate your emotions.

You will get the most out of a nap if you (13):

• Take a nap before 3PM.
• Limit nap time, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.
• Use a sleep mask and/or ear plugs to block sleep disruptors, like noise and light.
• Nap in a comfortable place where you can fall asleep quickly.
• Avoid electronic stimulation (phone, computer, or television) before your nap.

5.  Take a post-prandial walk after your last meal of the day.

While in Maine, my husband and I typically ate dinner between 5PM and 6:30PM. After dinner, we would take a leisurely, post-prandial stroll outdoors for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, which always helped us feel more relaxed and eased us into an earlier bedtime.

A leisurely stroll—not power walking—after dinner can help relax the body. Why? Because a post-prandial walk supports better digestion; lowers blood pressure; lowers blood sugar; and, when walking outdoors, you are exposed to decreasing natural evening light (e.g., from dusk to darkness), which can help you fall asleep more easily.

Studies have shown that taking a 30-minute walk after dinner compared to exercising before a meal has a greater effect in stabilizing / lowering blood sugar (14, 15).

This relaxation strategy is beneficial for everyone to adopt—not just diabetics. Blood sugar management is the cornerstone of optimal health and weight management. A significant portion (38%)—96 million Americans aged 18 and older—are pre-diabetic (16). Of Americans, who are 65 years or older, nearly half (48.8%) are pre-diabetic (17).

In one study, researchers found that taking a 30-minute walk approximately 15 minutes after meals showed an improved glycemic (blood sugar) response, especially when those meals contained a lower carbohydrate content and higher protein intake (18).

6.  Practice mindfulness / present-moment awareness.

Time often feels like it passes quickly, especially in the summer. While in Maine, I made a concerted effort to “stretch out” my vacation by being fully present in the moment. How? By tuning into the sensory experience of my surroundings: feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin; breathing in the briny scent of the ocean; listening to waves crashing in the distance; enjoying stellar scenic views; or, tasting the sweet meat of a freshly caught, steamed Maine lobster. Yes, sometimes my thoughts strayed. I noticed them, acknowledged how these thoughts made me feel, then retrained my attention on the present.

We lose precious time when our minds wander. This happens when we ruminate about past events (e.g., “I could have / should have done X”). Or we worry about the future (e.g., anticipating outcomes: “What if X happens?”). Or we fixate on what we fear may never happen (e.g., “Will I ever be able to do X?”). On the other hand, by staying in the present moment, we “gain” time.

Present moment awareness means that you are paying close attention to your thoughts, feelings and sensations as they are happening—rather than being preoccupied with thoughts about the past or future. It is a simple and effective way to relax and reduce stress. And it doesn’t cost a penny!

Being mentally present is also associated with increased happiness. A 2010 study of the relationship between mindfulness and happiness was conducted by Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert. The 2,250 study participants ranged in age (18 to 88), socioeconomic status and occupation. They were contacted at random intervals throughout the day via an iPhone app and asked to rate their level of happiness; what they were doing; and if they were thinking about what they were doing. The results revealed that, amid simple, everyday activities, people spend almost half (47%) their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing! Mind-wandering occurs even while doing something that is presumably enjoyable, like watching television or having a conversation (19, 20). The important take-away?

Think about what you are doing! If you are doing the dishes, think about doing the dishes rather than dwell on what you “need” to finish on a never-ending “to-do” list. If you are having dinner with a friend, be fully present—instead of obsessively checking your phone every time it pings and replying to texts and emails right then.

Mental presence—matching thought to action—is a better predictor of happiness (21).

7.  Reduce screen time.

In Maine, I mindfully reduced my screen time. I only used my phone to check the weather and confirm restaurant reservations; I did not text, email, or post to social media while away. I had my laptop with me, but only used it to check the daily high/low tide forecast. We had a television, but I never turned it on once. Less screen time enabled me to be more fully present in my surroundings and increased a sense of relaxation and well-being.

Our phones and computers have become bodily appendages, so it feels much harder to do a digital detox. I get it.

However, the amount of time that Americans (children, teens, and adults) stare at screens every day can range from 7 to 10-plus hours. Screen gazing is a sedentary activity—with negative health consequences. Excess screen time is associated with less physical activity, higher rates of overweight / obesity, increased risk of diabetes, disrupted or poor sleep and eye strain (22). Excess screen time—whether from watching too much television, being on the computer (video games, work, Internet surfing, etc.), or from social media—is also a significant risk factor for mental health disorders, especially depression and anxiety (23, 24).

Limiting your screen time can feel like a vacation in and of itself. How to start?

• Keep your phone out of the bedroom; put your phone out-of-sight at mealtimes; and commit to quality, screen-free time (use the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone) with your child. If you are constantly distracted by texts and emails, you will not be fully present.
• Turn off—or Mute—notifications.
• Upon awakening, spend 30 minutes on self-care before you reach for your phone or turn on your computer.
• Shut down all electronics 1 hour before bedtime.
• Use your offline time to be physically active (outdoors, ideally).

A 2020 Canadian study examined the relationship between exercise, screen time habits and effects on health during the lockdown. Researchers surveyed 4,524 adult men and women (aged 20 and older) and found that participants who engaged in two habits simultaneously—limiting their screen time AND exercising outdoors—they reported better mental health as well as positively rated overall health (25).

Sources

1  CDC. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heath. Effects of Light on Circadian Rhythms.

2  Mead MN. Benefits of sunlight: a bright spot for human health. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Apr;116(4): A160-7.

3  NIH. National Institute of Medical Sciences. Circadian Rhythms.

4  Gnocchi D, Bruscalupi G. Circadian Rhythms and Hormonal Homeostasis: Pathophysiological Implications. Biology (Basel). 2017 Feb 4;6(1):10.

5  Mohd Azmi NAS, Juliana N, Azmani S, Mohd Effendy N, Abu IF, Mohd Fahmi Teng NI, Das S. Cortisol on Circadian Rhythm and Its Effect on Cardiovascular System. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 14;18(2):676.

6, 7, 9  Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Brown R. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. J Inflamm Res. 2015 Mar 24;8:83-96.

8  Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Sinatra D. Electric Nutrition: The Surprising Health and Healing Benefits of Biological Grounding (Earthing). Altern Ther Health Med. 2017 Sep; 23(5):8-16.

10  Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Sokal K, Sokal P. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012:291541.

11  Jamie E.M. Byrne, Matthew E. Hughes, Susan L. Rossell, Sheri L. Johnson, Greg Murray. Time of Day Differences in Neural Reward Functioning in Healthy Young Men. Journal of Neuroscience. 13 September 2017; 37 (37) 8895-8900.

12  Dr. Michael Breus. Sleepdoctor.com. Napping. June 28, 2023.

13  Dr. Michael Breus. Sleepdoctor.com. How Long is a Power Nap?  July 6, 2023.

14  Colberg SR, Zarrabi L, Bennington L, Nakave A, Thomas Somma C, Swain DP, Sechrist SR. Postprandial walking is better for lowering the glycemic effect of dinner than pre-dinner exercise in type 2 diabetic individuals. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2009 Jul;10(6):394-7.

15, 18  Bellini A, Nicolò A, Bazzucchi I, Sacchetti M. The Effects of Postprandial Walking on the Glucose Response after Meals with Different Characteristics. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 4;14(5):1080.

16, 17  CDC. National Diabetes Statistics Report. June 29. 2022.

19  The Harvard Gazette. Steve Bradt. Wandering Mind Not a Happy Mind. Nov. 11, 2010.

20, 21  Scientific American. Jason Castro. A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy One. Nov. 24, 2010.

22  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 2016.

23  Madhav KC, Sherchand SP, Sherchan S. Association between screen time and depression among US adults. Prev Med Rep. 2017 Aug 16; 8:67-71.

24  Karim F, Oyewande AA, Abdalla LF, Chaudhry Ehsanullah R, Khan S. Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2020 Jun 15;12(6): e8627

25  Colley R, Bushnik T, Langloise K. Exercise and Screen Time During COVID-19 Pandemic. Statistics Canada. July 15, 2020.

This may seem like an antiquated question, yet…

Despite the proliferation of sun care products—an estimated $16.84 billion global market size by 2027—skin cancer is still the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US (1, 2).

Melanoma of the skin is projected to be the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer for both men (58,120) and women (39,490) in 2023 (3, 4).

How Our Sun Habits Have Shifted

Over the last 50 years, our beliefs and behaviors around sun exposure have swung like a pendulum from one extreme to another.

Back in the 1970s and 80s, bronzed was beautiful. Most people pursued a “perfect” Coppertone (no SPF!) tan without apology. Getting sunburned, especially if you were fair, meant that you were one step closer to achieving that golden tan. Fast forward to the 2000s when SPF 100 sunscreen became available; SPF was added to everything from makeup to body lotions; and the media proselytized about the dangers of sun exposure; the importance of “covering up”; and the necessity of using sunscreen every day as well as other sun-protective products.

The pendulum began to swing back again when, in recent years, Vitamin D, an important pro-hormone and fat-soluble vitamin, made health headlines because Vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and Vitamin D insufficiency (21-29 ng/ml) is so highly prevalent in the US. Low Vitamin D is associated with low immunity, greater susceptibility to COVID-19, bone loss, depression, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (5).

Unsure of your Vitamin D level? Request the 25-hydroxy Vitamin D test, also known as the 25-OH(D) test; it is the best way to monitor your blood level of Vitamin D3 (not D2)! You can also order it here (go to “Vitamin D” under “Nutrient Panel”).

Greater public awareness that sun exposure can make Vitamin D in the skin, as well as the role of Vitamin D in immune health, has contributed to a shift towards more unprotected sun exposure.

In fact, a recent (2023) survey of 2,000 respondents that included Millennials (ages 26 to 41) and Gen Xers (ages 42 to 57) found that the majority of respondents do not engage in safe sun practices and, generally, have low skin cancer awareness (6). For example, 78% of all respondents have gone outside on a sunny day without sunscreen (7).

So…should we be afraid of the sun or embrace sun exposure, no holds barred?

As always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

The Important Benefits of Sun Exposure

Sunlight is essential for human health. Studies link optimal sunlight exposure with the following benefits (8, 9):

–Enables natural production of Vitamin D in humans; synthesized from the exposure of skin to sunlight between 10AM and 3PM (10).

–Regulates the body’s circadian rhythm (11).

–Optimizes production of melatonin, which promotes sleep (12).

–Energizes infection-fighting T cells that improve immune function (13).

–Reduces risk of heart disease (14, 15).

–Lowers blood pressure (16, 17).

–Lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes (18).

–Lowers risk of some cancers, including breast, prostate, pancreatic and, ironically, melanoma (19).

–Lowers risk of osteoporosis (20).

–Reduces risk of autoimmune dise.ases, like multiple sclerosis (MS) and Type 1 diabetes (21).

–Improves mood (22).

–Enhances DNA repair (23).

–Can result in less lesions in psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo (24).

Getting too little sun—or completely avoiding sun exposure—can actually hurt your health (25).

A 2016 study of 29,518 Swedish women found that, across the board, those women who avoided the sun were more likely to die earlier—and from all causes of death—than women who maintained active sun exposure (26).

The study also found that non-smokers who avoided the sun had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoiding the sun altogether has a risk factor for death—similar to smoking (27).

One of the biggest benefits of sun exposure is that it enables your body to make Vitamin D, also known as “the sunshine vitamin”. Exposing large areas of bare skin to sunlight, specifically, ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, is one of the most natural—and efficient—ways that your body can get (and make) vitamin D (28).

That being said…when it comes to optimal sun exposure, more is not better.

The 3 Most Common Skin Cancers

Today, the three main types of skin cancers—basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma—are largely attributed to excessive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure (29).

Cancer cells develop because of multiple changes in their genes. Why? The causes of these changes can include: inflammatory food choices and lifestyle habits, genetic propensity and exposure to environmental toxins and/or cancer-causing agents (30).

Skin cancer typically starts in the top layer of the skin, also known as the epidermis. Excess sun exposure is often the culprit (31)

Two out of the three most common skin cancers are non-melanoma: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The other type is melanoma, which can be an invasive and aggressive skin cancer.

The good news?  Most skin cancers, including melanoma, can be cured—IF detected and treated early. Skin cancer can be harder to treat once it spreads to other parts of the body.

1.  Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Basal cells are located in the lower part of the epidermis. Eight (8) out of 10 skin cancers are basal cell cancers. Basal cell cancer usually develops on sun-exposed areas, such as the face, head, neck. Basal cell cancers grow slowly, but, if left untreated, can invade the bone or other tissues beneath the skin (32).

2.  Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

 Squamous cells are flat cells located in the upper (outer) part of the epidermis. Two (2) out of 10 skin cancers are squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell cancers usually appear on sun-exposed areas of the body, including the face, ears, neck, lips, and backs of hands (33).

Squamous cell carcinoma can also develop in scars; in chronic skin sores elsewhere; or it can start in actinic keratoses (AK), a pre-cancerous skin condition caused by overexposure to the sun. AK are small, rough, or scaly spots that are pink-red or flesh-colored. Among fair-skinned, middle-aged, or older people, actinic keratoses can form on the face, ears, backs of hands and arms. Most AK are benign, but a small percentage can turn into squamous cell skin cancers (34).

Bowen Disease is squamous cell carcinoma in situ, meaning that the cells of the cancer are still in the upper layer of the skin and have not yet penetrated deeper into the skin. Bowen Disease appears as large, reddish, scaly patches and can sometimes be crusty. They appear in sun-exposed areas of the skin. When Bowen Disease appears in the genital and anal areas, however, it is often related to a sexually transmitted infection, like HPV, or human papillomavirus (35).

3.  Melanoma

Melanoma can develop when melanocytes—the cells that make a brown pigment called melanin that gives skin its “tan” or brown color—grow out of control. Melanin has a protective effect against some of the harmful effects of the sun.

Melanoma tumors are usually black or brown and can develop anywhere on the skin. However, common sites where melanoma potentially start are the chest and back (for men) and on the legs (for women). The neck and face are other common areas (36).

Invasive melanoma accounts for 1% of all skin cancer cases, but it is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and it can spread to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early. (37, 38).

Incidence rates of melanoma are higher for women than men under age 50. After age 50, however, incidence of melanoma is higher in men (39).

Rare But Aggressive

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer. It begins in the Merkel cells, located beneath the top layer of skin near the nerve endings. It’s more likely to occur in Caucasians over the age of 70 and  those who have a weaker immune system. Men are nearly twice as likely to have it than women. MCC is more likely to metastasize than non-melanoma cancers and it can be hard to treat—and fatal—once it has spread to the brain, liver, lungs or bones. MCC can start on sun-exposed sites, like the face, neck and arms. MCC presents as pink, red or purple lumps or bumps on the skin. They usually don’t hurt but they are fast-growing (40).

What Affects Our Skin Cancer Risk?

The following factors affect skin cancer risk (41):

1.  Skin color.

Fair-skinned Caucasians, in particular, those with blonde or red hair, blue or green eyes, and/or freckles, are most susceptible to skin cancer because they have less epidermal melanin, a natural skin pigment that can provide protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Darker-skinned groups—e.g., Hispanics, Asians and Blacks—have more epidermal melanin, which filters out twice as much UV radiation than does the epidermis of Caucasians (42).

That said…anyone—no matter what their skin color—can get skin cancer. Yes, there is a lower incidence of skin cancers in darker-skinned groups. However, when skin cancer does occur, non-whites are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage because of delays in detection or presentation, making treatment more difficult (43, 44). As a result of delayed diagnosis or treatment, darker-skinned groups are at higher risk of death from skin cancer than whites (45).

 2.  Excess exposure to UV radiation from sunlight.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), especially cumulative sun exposure, is a key factor in the development of skin cancer, (46).

When your skin is exposed to excessive UVR, pigment distribution is disturbed and can result in solar lentigines, dark, irregular, edge-freckled spots, considered a sign of photodamage. In a 2019 Danish study, researchers found that lifetime UVR exposure was associated with the development of solar lentigines. And skin cancer (BBC, squamous and melanoma) was positively linked with facial solar lentigines (47).

3.  Use of indoor tanning beds.

No, indoor tanning beds are NOT safer than sunlight!! Nor will they help you make Vitamin D. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has deemed tanning devices, like tanning beds, that emit UV radiation as “carcinogenic to humans”. Tanning beds are in the highest cancer risk category. Using tanning beds before age 35 increases your risk of melanoma by 75% (48).  Avoid!

4.  History of actinic keratoses (AK).

AK, the result of chronic sun damage to the skin, is closely linked with non-melanoma skin cancer. A pre-cancerous lesion that often appears on sun-exposed areas, like the head, face, lips, ears, scalp, neck, shoulders, forearms, back of hands and upper back, AK can potentially morph into non-melanoma skin cancer, in particular, squamous cell carcinoma (49, 50).

AKs appear as small dry, scaly or crusty patches of skin and can be red, light or dark tan, white, pink, flesh-toned or a combination of colors. However, AKs are more easily felt than seen. Your skin may feel dry and rough to the touch; or raw, sensitive and painful or itchy with a pricking or burning sensation; or, you may have multiple red bumps (51).

5.  Weakened immune system.

Our immune function has a system of checks and balances. It helps our bodies tell the difference between healthy cells, abnormal or foreign cells and other potentially threatening organisms. A healthy immune system constantly engages in immunosurveillance. This process involves scanning our cells for potential threats, like foreign proteins (e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses and cancer cells); and, once detected, they are destroyed (52).

However, our immune system can be weakened or suppressed by the following:

–Previous radiation treatment.

Therapeutic radiation may increase risk of skin cancers, especially basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, at the radiation treatment site (53, 54)

–Smoking. 

Tobacco contains multiple carcinogenic compounds. A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that smokers were at significantly higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma than those who never smoked (55).

–HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

Those with HIV are at increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell or squamous cell (56).

–Medications or medical conditions that result in photosensitivity.

Photosensitivity is characterized by a high degree of skin reactivity to even minimal sun exposure. Photosensitivity often manifests as rashes and/or itchiness in areas exposed to the sun.

A rash may not sound like a big deal. But photosensitivity matters because it reduces your skin’s natural defenses and increase your risk of damage from the sun’s rays. Photosensitivity reactions from medication(s) you take or a medical condition, like lupus, can potentially increase your risk of developing skin cancer (57).

Photosensitivity can be triggered by prescription or OTC medications, including (but not limited to): antibiotics; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS); antifungals; Accutane (prescribed for acne); antihistamines; birth control pills and estrogens; retinoids; certain Type 2 diabetes medications; cholesterol-lowering statins, some heart medications; diuretics “water pills”; and tricyclic anti-depressants (58, 59)

Certain diseases or medical conditions, like lupus, rosacea or psoriasis, also contribute to sunlight hypersensitivity.

6.  History of severe sunburn (60).

Growing up, I remember how people would shrug off a lobster-red sunburn as being sometimes painful, but no big deal. The reality? A sunburn is an inflammatory reaction after acuteintermittent exposure of the skin to intense solar radiation. A sunburn has been identified as a strong predictor of melanoma risk. In particular, a sunburn on the trunk serves as strong predictor of risk of developing melanoma—in both men and women—than a sunburn on other parts of the body (61).

Keep in mind: even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your risk of developing melanoma later in life.

Having 5 or more sunburns more than doubles your risk of developing malignant melanoma (62). One study found that women, who had at least 5 blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20, were 80% more likely to develop melanoma later on (63).

 7.  Age.

Photoaging—those wrinkles, fine lines and pigmentation that are the direct result of cumulative sun damage—and skin cancer risk rise with age. Malignant melanoma risk increases with age: half of all melanomas occur in people over age 50; the median age is 59 (64).

8.  Personal and/or family history of skin cancer.

 If you have already had skin cancer—basal cell, squamous cell or melanoma—you are at increased risk of developing melanoma (first- time or repeat incident).

Melanoma survivors, in particular, have a 9-fold increased risk of developing subsequent melanoma compared to the general population. This risk for developing a subsequent melanoma remains elevated for 20 years after an initial melanoma diagnosis (65).

A family history of melanoma means that one or more first-degree relatives (e.g., parents, siblings, children) or second-degree relatives (e.g., aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, grandparents) have had melanoma. Roughly 10% of people with melanoma have a family history of melanoma (66).

9.  Having atypical, large or numerous (50-plus) moles or a large number of moles (10+) on the legs (67).

Moles can appear anywhere on the body, and everyone has at least one mole. Most moles are harmless, but others can grow or change shape or color (68).

Congenital moles and/or atypical moles are associated with increased risk of melanoma.

Congenital moles are present at birth, while acquired moles appear during childhood or adulthood. Those with congenital moles are at increased risk of melanoma. Atypical moles are larger than a pencil eraser, shaped irregularly and uneven in color with a dark brown center.

People with 5 or more atypical moles are at increased risk for developing melanoma; even having one very large or atypically shaped mole can increase your risk of melanoma (69).

If you have many moles body-wide, the best preventative strategy is to see a dermatologist for routine skin checks.

10.  Alcohol consumption

Sipping cocktails, poolside, sounds fun and relaxing, but your skin may pay the price. In a recent study (2023), researchers analyzed 14,037 skin cancer cases among 450,112 study participants (men and women aged 25 to 70) that developed over a median follow-up of 15 years. Researchers found that alcohol intake (from baseline) was linearly associated with an increased rise in skin cancer, especially basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. ”Baseline” refers to the total number of alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, cider, wine, sweet liquors or distilled spirts/wines) consumed per day.

In other words, the more you drink, the greater your skin cancer risk.

Average alcohol intake during adulthood was also associated with non-melanoma skin cancer risk; notably, with SCC and BCC in men and with BCC in women.

For men, drinking liquor/spirits was positively associated with melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, whereas wine intake was associated with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. For women, wine intake was associated with a higher risk of basal cell carcinoma. Beer intake was not associated with skin cancer risk in men or women (70).

Because women metabolize alcohol differently than men, women are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of sun exposure and alcohol consumption.

A study published in the journal Cancer Causes Control found that, among nearly 60,000 post-menopausal Caucasian women, a high current consumption of alcohol; a high lifetime consumption of alcohol; and a preference for white wine or liquor was associated with increased risk of malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. For “heavy” drinkers (defined as 7+ drinks per week), there was a 65% increased risk of melanoma compared to non-drinkers and a 23% increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancers compared to non-drinkers (71).

What makes alcohol a risk factor for skin cancer? Alcohol, in and of itself, is not carcinogenic. However, alcohol metabolism (the biological process by which your body eliminates alcohol) creates acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct and known carcinogen. Alcohol metabolism creates oxidative stress, which can lead to DNA damage and carcinogenesis (the formation of a malignant tumor in otherwise healthy tissue). Alcohol metabolites can have photosensitizing effects, which contribute to cellular damage and suppression of the immune system (72).

In other words, drinking alcohol can alter your body’s ability to produce a normal immune response in the presence of UV (sun) exposure, resulting in greater cellular damage and a higher probability that skin cancer(s) will form.

In previous studies, those who reported a higher alcohol intake were also more likely to engage in riskier behaviors; for example, not using sunscreen, frequent use of tanning beds, etc., increasing skin cancer risk (73).

How to Practice Safe Sun

What you can do to reap the benefits of sun exposure—without increasing your skin cancer risk:

1.  Build up sun exposure gradually. After a long winter, it’s tempting to throw caution to the wind and catch as much sunshine as possible.

2.  Always wear sunscreen on your face, neck and chest. Your skin is more delicate and vulnerable in these areas to sun overexposure and sun damage.

3.  Monitor time spent in the sun, especially between 10AM and 3PM.

4.  Be mindful that a little bit of sun exposure—without sunscreen—at the right time goes a long way towards helping your body produce Vitamin D. Your body requires UVB rays to produce Vitamin D. The best time to expose bare skin to UVB rays is between noon and 1PM. Unlike UVA rays that are present throughout the day, UVB rays are most abundant between 10AM to 2PM (74, 75), and, in the Northeast, UV rays are strongest in July and August.

Keep in mind: when you expose skin with a larger surface area, like your back (versus a smaller area, like your face), you can make Vitamin D more efficiently. Start by exposing your skin for half the time it takes to turn pink; this can be 10 to 20 minutes (more or less) around midday (12noon to 1pm), depending on your sensitivity to the sun and skin type, whether fair or darker skinned (76). Use sunscreen on your face, where the skin is more delicate, especially if you are fair and/or wear a hat and sunglasses.  Be sure to apply sunscreen afterwards.

Even though my skin tends toward olive, and I tan easily, I always wear sunscreen on my face, neck and chest.

5.  Avoid getting burned. No, burns are not “cool”! Red, sore, blistered or peeling sun means that you’ve gotten too much sun and raises skin cancer risk (77).

6.  Cover up! Wearing a bikini or swim trunks to spend hours in the sun is still a relatively new concept. Until the early 20th century, swim attire for both women and men covered much more of the body. The two-piece bikini debuted in 1946 and the infamous “Speedo” made its way to pools and beaches in the 1950s.

In addition to sunscreen, wear a hat, sunglasses and shirt to protect from UV rays, especially if you are going to be out in the sun all day. You can buy UPF-labeled (UPF = Ultraviolet Protection Factor) clothing OR when considering sun-protection clothing options, choose thicker fabrics; darker fabrics vs. light-colored ones; denser/tighter weaves vs lighter weaves; and polyester or nylon fabrics vs. natural fibers, all of which offer more UV protection (78).

7.  Avoid relying only on sunscreen for sun protection. A common perception is that using sunscreen means that you can stay out in the sun longer (or as long as you want). Unfortunately, no.

A sunscreen’s SPF rating seldom matches its real-life performance.

Why? Because most SPF values are determined in a lab, using a very thick (and unrealistic) coating of sunscreen—2 mg/cm² of skin surface. Most people apply 0.5 to 1.5 mg/cm², an amount that achieves an SPF of roughly one-third of that stated on the label (79). For example, if you apply an SPF 30 sunscreen, you are likely applying an amount that achieves an SPF of 10. Because some types of sunscreens don’t form a thick and stable coating on the skin, and others may separate or clump over time, the actual amount of SPF achieved is much lower than stated on the label (80).

8.  Choose a good sunscreen. A higher SPF is not better. While a higher SPF of 50+ may protect against sunburn, it leaves your skin susceptible to damaging UVA rays. Avoid spray sunscreens which pose an inhalation risk. And avoid sunscreens that contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like oxybenzone, avobenzone or homosalate (81).

9.  Check your skin regularly. Note any new moles that are tender or growing or current moles that change shape, size, texture, color or that bleed.

10.  Make anti-inflammatory food choices on a regular basis.

Like everything else…how your skin reacts to the sun—whether you burn easily (or not); whether your skin converts sunlight to Vitamin D (or not)—is affected by your food and lifestyle choices. An anti-inflammatory way of eating and living promotes clear skin, boosts immune health and reduces inflammation; it can even potentially protect your skin from sunburn.

Confused about how to get on an anti-inflammatory eating track?  Jumpstart healthy eating and lifestyle habits with my 7-Day Body Reset Cleanse, which focuses on clean eating and de-stressing the body.

11, Eat antioxidant-rich, skin-friendly foods. A review published in Journal of Cancershowed that dietary antioxidants, such as Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium, may prevent potential DNA damage and cancerous growths from UV radiation. Laboratory and animal studies show a strong association between certain antioxidants and skin cancer prevention.

In human studies, eating antioxidant-rich whole foods has shown promising skin-protective results compared to taking oral antioxidant supplements which were not effective (82).

Functional Health Coaching

Are you feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or anxious about your skin, your weight, your overall health or, perhaps, a seeming inability to make food or lifestyle changes that you know would be good for you?

This is where a functional health coach can help. We take a deeper dive into potential root cause issues that may be driving your symtoms.

If you would like to speak to me to ask questions about functional health coaching or how I can help you, please schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation or email me at kathryn@kathryn-matthews.com with “Consultation Request” in Subject line.

My practice is 100% remote and I meet with clients via video (or phone if they prefer) in-state and out-of-state.

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE 15-MINUTE CONSULTATION.

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