Let us know what you would like us to discuss by commenting!
Episode 24: Zinc’s Crucial Impact On Health And Weight Loss
Zinc- How one mineral can have a huge impact on your Weight
Zinc is often used in remedies for the common cold or sore throat because it has an important impact on your immune system. But your immune system is only one of many systems in your body that depend on zinc. Zinc is the most abundant trace element in your cells and it is known that at least 300 enzymes in your body depend on zinc. These enzymes regulate things like your DNA and gene expression.
Zinc deficiency can cause a reduced sense of both taste and smell. Other signs include dermatitis, acne, thinning hair and hair loss, white spots on the nails, slow wound healing, age-related macular degeneration. In children, deficiencies can cause stunted growth, chronic diarrhea, recurring infections, impaired cognitive function and impaired sexual maturation. This trace nutrient is crucial for male reproductive health. Zinc insufficiency may result in impaired testicular function (Low T), low sperm count and poor sperm motility.
How is Zinc related to Weight Loss?
Zinc also effects many systems in your body that can have an impact on your ability to lose weight. Zinc is required for your body to make an important antioxidant called SOD that protects all of your cells from potential disease causing damage and excessive aging. If your mitochondria are not protected by adequate levels of antioxidants you will lose some of your ability to convert calories from fat and sugar into energy. This can result in sluggishness and often weight gain.
Zinc helps regulate hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and vitamin D. The balance between testosterone and estrogen is crucial for maintaining lean body mass and low fat levels. Vitamin D is required for several metabolic functions including sugar metabolism and thyroid activity. Without zinc, your testosterone, estrogen and vitamin D will not be able to do their jobs.
An important zinc-dependent enzyme known as IDE is required for proper insulin function. Those with insulin resistance such as those with type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and PCOS need adequate zinc levels to support IDE and proper processing and degradation of insulin. Without it, the fat storing effects of insulin may be amplified.
Who is at risk of being low in Zinc?
Impaired digestion and nutrient absorption, such as inflammatory bowel conditions, celiac disease, and low stomach acid reduce zinc absorption. Chronic stress as well as heavy alcohol consumption and poorly controlled diabetes increases the risk of zinc deficiency.
Absorption of zinc from foods varies from 5% to 50%, depending on the source. Bioavailability from plant foods is low- only about 5-15%, while bioavailability of zinc from animal foods is higher- around 30-50%. Animal foods high in zinc include oysters, beef and pork. Nuts, beans/legumes and seeds are good plant sources of zinc. Pumpkin seeds are frequently cited for their high zinc content. But plant foods contain phytic acid which reduces absorption of zinc and other minerals. This could be a problem for those following a plant-based diet, particularly if the diet is high in grains. Because of this, vegans tend to have lower zinc status than non-vegetarians. Vegetarian females may be at greater risk than males due to lower overall caloric intake, which is more common among younger females. Other factors that may lead to poor zinc status in adolescent females include poor food choices, strenuous exercise, and nutrients lost through menstruation.
How do I know if I am low in Zinc?
Assessing zinc status can be done by the commonly employed zinc taste test. Zinc repletion typically resolves many unpleasant effects of insufficiency rapidly—sometimes within days so the results of short-term supplementation may be an indirect way to determine zinc sufficiency. Zinc supplementation should be approached in the context of zinc’s interaction with iron and copper. Very high zinc intakes can impair both iron and copper absorption. Similarly, iron supplementation at high levels may impair absorption of zinc.
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 23: Small Changes Part 2
10 Simple things that can kick-start your Weight Loss and overall health
Often, the task of losing weight seems like so much work you might think it is impossible. But it’s not! In fact, sometimes some small, almost insignificant changes can add up to big changes in your weight and health. If you are someone who is resistant to change yet you know you need to make improvements in the way you live, small changes might be your best approach to healthy weight loss. Baby steps might take you longer to reach your goal than if you dive in head first and make huge changes to your diet and exercise schedule. But you can still get there by taking baby steps.
In the long run you have to be honest with yourself. If you make drastic changes, will those changes stick over the long term or are you more likely to rebound back to your old ways? If the latter is true for you, then you should try to slowly develop good habits by making small yet productive changes that don’t excessively impact your usual routine. Once those changes have become habit (and this can take some time) you can make more small changes and get more benefits from those changes.
Some small changes that can add up to big improvements in your weight and health include:
• Drink more Water
• Reduce Stress
• Get better Sleep
• Weight-bearing Exercise
• Increase your Activity Level
• Be mindful of your Beverages
• Test and fix your sluggish Metabolism
• Listen for more!
In this podcast we will discuss each of these changes and how they impact your ability to lose weight. We will also show you some easy ways to start implementing these changes into your daily routine with very little effort. This could be the start of something big for you.
Enjoy!!
Here’s the 10 minute workout Aimee tried:
10 minute full body workout for beginners using only your body weight:
1 minute each:
squat
plank
reverse lunges (step back)
pushups
back extension Y (lie on the floor face down, raise arms up and out in the shape of a Y)
squats with knee lift
plank- elbows to hands up and down
reverse lunges- w rotation into front leg
pushups with alternating hand in front
back extension YTI
Dr. Webster mentioned the Metabolic Profile and the Metabolic Profile Plus Digestion that can tell you which nutrients your body may need and not be absorbing properly.
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 22: Small Changes Part 1
10 Simple things that can kick-start your Weight Loss and overall health
Often, the task of losing weight seems like so much work you might think it is impossible. But it’s not! In fact, sometimes some small, almost insignificant changes can add up to big changes in your weight and health. If you are someone who is resistant to change yet you know you need to make improvements in the way you live, small changes might be your best approach to healthy weight loss. Baby steps might take you longer to reach your goal than if you dive in head first and make huge changes to your diet and exercise schedule. But you can still get there by taking baby steps.
In the long run you have to be honest with yourself. If you make drastic changes, will those changes stick over the long term or are you more likely to rebound back to your old ways? If the latter is true for you, then you should try to slowly develop good habits by making small yet productive changes that don’t excessively impact your usual routine. Once those changes have become habit (and this can take some time) you can make more small changes and get more benefits from those changes.
Some small changes that can add up to big improvements in your weight and health include:
• Drink more Water
• Reduce Stress
• Get better Sleep
• Weight-bearing Exercise
• Increase your Activity Level
• Be mindful of your Beverages
• Test and fix your sluggish Metabolism
• Listen for more!
In this podcast we will discuss each of these changes and how they impact your ability to lose weight. We will also show you some easy ways to start implementing these changes into your daily routine with very little effort. This could be the start of something big for you.
Enjoy!!
Switchel is an Old Amish drink which is like their form of natural gatorade drank during haying.
It’s full of antioxidants, electrolytes, boosts your immune system and helps control weight.
It’s a very soothing and calming tea and helps your body relax and ready itself for sleep!
Aimee’s Recipe for Switchel:
Cut about a 1/4 cup of ginger root and turmeric root into small pieces and boil in filtered water until water turns rust color
Fill 2 mugs up with the boiled ginger and turmeric water
Juice one lemon and split evenly between mugs
Add 1 tsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar to each mug
Add 1 tsp. of Raw Honey to each mug
Add ice if desired
Enjoy with your loved ones!
Dr. Webster mentioned CatecholaCalm. A unique formulation specially designed for the ever-increasing number of “burned-out” anxious patients suffering from a unique combination of low cortisol and elevated catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine).
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 21: How to Reduce Stress and Lose More Weight
Stress is important. Stress prepares you to survive an attack or dangerous situation by increasing the available energy to our arms and legs. This allows you to engage in the “fight or flight” response so you can either fight for your life or run for your life. This is pretty important when someone is trying to hurt you or something is trying to eat you! Without the stress response your ancestors very well might not have survived the dangerous world in which they had to live.
But today, too much stress can be about as dangerous to your health as the absence of stress would have been to your distance relatives. The way the stress response prepares you for “fight or flight” is by increasing your blood pressure, increasing your blood sugar, increasing your triglycerides, increasing your cholesterol, increasing your heart rate, and increasing the blood flow to your arms and legs. Stress also causes decreased blood flow to your vital organs, decreased muscle tissue, and a decreased ability to relax, sleep, reproduce, digest, absorb nutrients and think critically. In other words, stress causes a bunch of things that we consider unhealthy and decreases a bunch of things that are healthy.
So the key to stress is balance. When you are in danger, you want stress to help save your life. But most of the time you need to try to avoid excess chronic stress, or at least manage your stress levels, if you want to stay healthy. In this podcast we will discuss the dangers of stress (fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, more) and how excess stress can make weight loss difficult. We will also discuss several great techniques for reducing and managing chronic stress so that you can improve your overall health and lose unwanted body fat.
If you are interested in the product we talked about called Insomnitol.
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 20: Improve Digestion and Lose More Weight
Poor digestion can make you miserable. It can leave you bloated after meals and feeling heavy all day long. Those with acid reflux can tell you how painful it can be. And those with diarrhea or constipation will do almost anything to be regular. No doubt the direct symptoms of poor digestion can make you miserable. But digestion can also have a big impact on your metabolism and your ability to lose weight.
Some people don’t produce enough stomach acid and/or digestive enzymes to adequately breakdown their foods. When this happens you are unable to absorb all of the important nutrients that drive your metabolism. You might feel low energy and eventually start to gain weight if you don’t produce enough digestive “juices” to properly digest your food. And contrary to what you might have heard, those who produce too little stomach acid often experience heartburn or acid reflux.
Another common digestive issue is dysbiosis, which is a term that refers to an imbalance in the gut bacteria. You are supposed to have between 100-600 trillion beneficial bacteria in your GI tract that do more than just aid in proper digestion. When the bacterial balance gets disturbed (too many bad bacteria and too few good bacteria), this dysbiosis can lead to weak immunity, poor bone health, yeast overgrowth, nutrient deficiencies, insulin resistance and weight gain. In fact, a recent study out of Yale and published in the journal Nature outlines exactly how dysbiosis causes weight gain. We will discuss this new information and how to improve your digestion in this podcast episode.
The Metabolic Profile plus Digestion provides all of the insight into the metabolism as the Metabolic Profile with the addition of antioxidant status and gut bacteria balance.
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 19: Our weight loss struggles could be linked to this common material that is in every home
Plastics are a regular part of modern life. We drink from plastic bottles and cups. We eat with plastic spoons and forks. We even drive cars that are made more and more of plastic panels and pieces. It’s safe to say that plastic is here to stay. But it is also becoming clear that plastics are also making you fat, or at least making it far more difficult for you to stay lean.
The compound BPA has become one of those new buzz words in health conscious circles. BPA-free plastic products have mistakenly gained a similar reputation to gluten-free baked goods as healthy alternatives to their BPA and gluten laden counterparts. But it’s just not that simple.
In this podcast we will discuss another compound in plastic that seems to be just as bad as BPA when it comes to promoting obesity and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. We will also teach you some of the most important places to avoid exposure to BPA and other harmful compounds found in plastics. Avoiding these compounds could make the difference between being lean and obese.
How to Reduce exposure to BPA, BBP and other toxins in plastic:
1- Store foods in glass or ceramic containers.
2- NEVER heat food in plastic!
3- NEVER EVER microwave food in plastic!
4- Rather than canned foods, choose fresh or frozen options or items in glass jars.
5- If you install new carpet, utilize an air filter that filters fumes or use lots of plants in your home or office.
6- Metabolic profile to test for your toxic levels.
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 18: What can your Eyes, Tongue, Hair, Skin and Nails tell you about your Metabolism?
The appearance of your eyes, tongue, hair, skin and nails can
tell you a lot about your general health and give you clues about
your metabolism and your ability to lose weight. In this podcast
I will discuss what normal looks like and I will give some examples
of why your tissues might not look normal. Some of the reasons may
surprise you!
Eyes
– if whites are yellow
– if whites are blue
– if whites are red
– pale inside eyelids
– dark circles especially under the eyes
Tongue
– white coating on top
– split down the middle, “scallops” on the sides or red bumps on top
Hair
– dry, frizzy
– thinning
– hair suddenly becomes soft
Skin
– dry elbows/ knees
-“chicken bumps” on backs of arms
– rash (eczema) on back of hands
– rash on palms
– dark brown spots
Nails
– ridges
– white spots
– slow “refill” time, but turn pink
– blue nail beds
– black spots/streaks (THIS IS BAD!!)
Thanks for listening to the Weight Loss Dictionary Podcast! We would love it if you would share our podcast with your friends!
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 17: 10 ways the grocery store tricks you into buying foods that make you FAT! (continued)
Food companies want to sell their products and marketers have figured out a few ways to trick you into buying their food. It’s not all based on deception though. If I were selling nutrient dense kale that has 50% more vitamin C than ordinary kale, I would advertise that fact and you would probably appreciate knowing it. But there are other ways to promote “truths” about a product that might make it appear much more healthy than it really is. And in some cases, you can be fooled into buying a fattening and harmful food all the wile thinking you were doing something good for your body (and waist line).
In this podcast, we will discuss ten common food claims that should make you think twice before buying. A couple of them might really surprise you!
“Made with…….”
“Organic”
“Gluten free”
“Low-fat or fat-free”
“Low calorie”
“All natural” or “Natural flavors”
“Fortified” or “high in…….”
“Vegan”
Agave Nectar
Alkaline water
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Episode 16: 10 ways the grocery store tricks you into buying foods that make you FAT!
Food companies want to sell their products and marketers have figured out a few ways to trick you into buying their food. It’s not all based on deception though. If I were selling nutrient dense kale that has 50% more vitamin C than ordinary kale, I would advertise that fact and you would probably appreciate knowing it. But there are other ways to promote “truths” about a product that might make it appear much more healthy than it really is. And in some cases, you can be fooled into buying a fattening and harmful food all the wile thinking you were doing something good for your body (and waist line).
In this podcast, we will discuss ten common food claims that should make you think twice before buying. A couple of them might really surprise you!
“Made with…….”
“Organic”
“Gluten free”
“Low-fat or fat-free”
“Low calorie”
“All natural” or “Natural flavors”
“Fortified” or “high in…….”
“Vegan”
Agave Nectar
Alkaline water
Click here to Subscribe to Podcast on itunes!
Intro song: It’s Time by Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys
Outro song: Take My Mind Far Away by Joshua James Hunt
Podcast: Play in new window | Download