High candy intake linked to lack of impulse control.

Sugar addiction rewires your brain and affects
the neurotransmitters involved in impulse control.

A study comparing children’s candy intake to conviction of crime in adulthood suggests that there is a link. Children who ate candy daily at age 10 were more likely to have been convicted of crime at age 34 years.  69 % of people convicted of violent crimes at age 34 reported eating candy every day in childhood. In comparison only 42 % of the nonviolent study participants ate candy frequently. The scientists speculate that this correlation may be due to lack of impulse control, as they become used to instant gratification. 

Another explanation is that their brain chemistry suffers from a diet high in candy and low in nutrients; ultimately leading to poor brain functioning in impulsive behavior. The average person eats 153 pounds of sugar a year, which is equivalent to over half a cup a day. The average teenage boy eats twice as much sugar as any other age or sex group. Sugar is one of the major components of our diet, and any relation between sugar and behavior is of major interest. There is a plenty of information on sugar and children. However, much of it is controversial: some research shows that it does cause hyperactivity and aggressiveness. Other research shows that it does not seem to cause abnormal behavior. Research by Alexander Schauss, author of Diet, Crime and Delinquency, shows that when sugar is removed from children’s diet, their school grades go up. 

Basically, sugar cravings are a symptom of an imbalance in your brain chemistry. When you self-medicate on high-sugary foods you experience a short-term relief due to the release of serotonin as well as a spike in blood-sugar levels. Both of which makes us feel good instantly. However, this type of self-medication leads to a gradual nutrient depletion. Once the high of the sugar rush wears off, you will be craving your next fix – you are caught in a vicious cycle. 

There are certain associations with specific neurotransmitter deficiencies and food cravings. 

Here is an overview to determine what you might be lacking based on the symptoms you are experiencing:

Craving                   Symptom                          Brain Chemical               Natural Remedy
Sweet + Caffeine -> Weight + Low Energy->  Dopamine  -> Tyrosine, B12, Ginseng, Green Tea

Fatty Foods   ->  Memory + Attention issue->Acetylcholine -> Choline, Omega-3, B-complex

Carbs + Alcohol ->  Anxiety + Sleep issue -> Serotonin or GABA-> Inositol, NAC, Tryptophan

To pinpoint exactly which vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids that you might be running low on, along with determining the effective dosage for your specific biochemistry type, requires an in-depth diet analysis. However, loading up on some of the most basic nutrients in non-toxic doses is usually always a good idea. 

Always consult your doctor if you are on medication that may interfere with specific supplements.

Reference:

More S. et al: Confectionery consumption in childhood and adult violence. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2009;195(4): 366-7. 

Natural Prescription For Hormone Balancing.

Drink Your Shrink: Calming Lemon Balm Ice Tea

I love sipping this during the hot days of summer!
Lemon has an alkalizing effect on you body and thereby works anti-inflammatory together with the raw honey. Do remember that honey is one of those foods that absolutely must be taken raw (check the label, it should say raw on it). Excessive heating - as in pasteurization - changes its properties as it ferments; disabling your body from digesting it and turning into a sticky glue-like toxic substance in your body. This is also why pasteurized honey is a no-go in Ayurvedic medicine.

Lemon balm is one of those herbs that have been used since ancient times to calm an overexcited nervous system. Lemon balm has been found to reduce cortisol levels and also levels of an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter GABA -- an inhibitory neurotransmitter known for its calming effects on the nervous system, particularly an area called the hippocampus.
To notice a significant calming effect and boosting GABA measurably, you need dosage levels of 50- 200 mg/kg body weight daily for three weeks.

The results of lemon balm's actions in reducing cortisol and preserving GABA promote cell growth and development in the hippocampus, which is part of the limbic system and contributes to the control of emotions such as anxiety.

A great and healthy alternative to Xanax which is one of the fastest growing prescription drug addictions in the United States, by the way. Xanax is a benzo used to treat anxiety and panic disorders; the side effects are vast and range from irregular heart-beat to depression. Even though Xanax may be used in short-term scenarios, keep in mind that it does not boost your brain-GABA levels which is the real key to overcoming anxiety for good!

You are anxious because your body's stress filter is off - so you need to restore it rather than simply suppress the symptoms temporarily!

If this doesn't do it for you, know that anxiety can also be a symptom of other brain chemicals being out of whack - i.e. excessive high dopamine, low serotonin and/or a combination. That's why it's important to understand your unique biochemistry type, so you match your diet, supplements and lifestyle with your genetic profile - whether it be for preventative or treatment related purposes!

An online biochemistry testing incl. lab analysis and a health provider service will be launching at The Nutrition Doctor's site Www.ChristinaSantini.com end of August, so stay tuned!

Makes 8 servings.

What's in it?

• Big bunch of fresh lemon balm stalks with leaves
  
• 1/2 cup of raw honey
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 8 cups water

What to do?

• Stuff as much rinsed lemon balm into a slow cooker as will fit and cover with 8 cups of water - let simmer for about 3 hrs on low heat.
• Drain the resulting liquid into a pitcher
• While it's still warm, add raw honey and lemon juice. 
• Add more water to taste
• Chill before serving

Reference:

Dae Yoo, Jung Choi, Woosuk Kim, et al. Effects of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) Extract on Neurogenesis Associated with Serum Corticosterone and GABA in the Mouse Dentate Gyrus. Neurochemical Research (13 November 2010), 

pp. 1-8, doi:10.1007/s11064-010-0312-2

YOGA babes keep their cool by boosting GABA!

You can still get your eye-candy fix by winding down 

with yoga after work instead of those Martinis.

A study conducted by researcher Chris Streeter, MD, from Boston University School of Medicine (Massachusetts) published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal, found a direct correlation with yoga and the communicator in your brain that acts like Xanax on your central nervous system!
In Streeter’s 12-week study, a group of 34 randomly selected physically and psychologically healthy young men and women were divided into two groups, one that walked for an hour three times a week and one that practiced Iyengar yoga for the same amount of time.
At four-week intervals, Streeter used a technique known as magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor subjects’ levels of a brain chemical called gamma-amino butyric acid, or GABA, elevated levels of which are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety. She found that the yoga group reported a greater boost in mood than the walking group, with GABA levels matching those improvements. The study is the first to demonstrate the GABA-mood-yoga connection by looking at actual changes in the brain.

Loving Victoria's Secret cute-as-a-button yoga pants.
Candy cane multi stripes, $40

So here's one more reason to stretch out after work rather than having those after-work drinks, which people low on GABA are especially drawn towards to help them wind down. Just remember that alcohol BLOCKS GABA receptors along with disabling you from reaching those deep layers of REM sleep where you rebuild your brain; and thus you set yourself up for a cycle of chronic stress where sedatives become your addiction of choice.

Reference:
Streeter et al. Yoga Assana Sessions Increase Brain Gaba Levels. THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 13, Number 4, 2007, pp. 419–426

Beating Anxiety

Did you know that the symptoms of phobia and panic attacks, coincidentally or not, are very similar to those of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)? Blood rushes from the victim's brain to his limbs, causing light-headedness. When your body is suddenly deprived of glucose, causing brain starvation, adrenaline kicks in to bring these levels up again as soon as possible. Adrenaline is a hormone that converts glycogen (stored glucose) back into glucose in order to feed the brain.

What is interesting from a dietary point of view is that the typical diet of someone who comes to see us, includes several cups of coffee a day, lots of sweets and very few slow-release high-protein foods. They might have coffee with a doughnut for breakfast, more coffee at midmorning, a white-bread sandwich at lunch, and a plate of pasta for supper. Then before going to bed they have something sweet. If I ate like that I would be anxious too!

People who suffer from anxiety are often sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations which trigger panic attacks; in these cases a change of diet is all that is needed.

5 medicinal nutrition steps to beat panic attacks due to hypoglycemia:

• Eat 3 moderate protein/carb meals daily + 2 snacks containing a fat/protein source
• Include cinnamon (prevents insulin spikes), bananas (the combination of magnesium, potassium and B6 calms CNS) and whey (easy to digest source of branched chain aminos)
• Drink chamomile and white tea
• Eliminate coffee, white flour and anything containing aspartame (watch out as they are now changing the name to Amino Sweet - same poison, different wrapping!)



Bananas - nature's tranquilizer!

• No alcohol (blocks GABA receptors and spikes insulin)

If you continue to suffer from heightened anxiety, a depletion of the neurotransmitter that acts like a tranquilizer on your central nervous system, GABA, is usually at play.

If that is the case - which can be determined via blood work analysis and by taking our biochemistry type test via making an appointment with The Nutrition Doctor, then we work with herbs, tonics and supplements that boost brain-GABA within 3 months. Pure oral GABA supplementation is absorbed very poorly, why we do not recommend it.

3 key supplements to boost GABA:

• Inositol
• NAC
• L-theanine

Reference: Harp M. et al. Correlations of the physical symptoms of hypoglycemia with the psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression. J of Ortho Med. vol 5. 1990

Eating for pleasure.

Sometimes I eat for pleasure.

Sometimes I eat for comfort.

Sometimes I eat because my body demands fuel right now.

What I always do, however, is that I savor the flavors.

I NEVER eat anything that I do not truly enjoy.

Whether it be savoring the bold, earthy richness of Amarone in the bath tub or enjoying the explosion of flavors unfolding on my tongue that comes from dipping salmon sashimi in salty soy sauce mixed with green wasabi that just gives it that perfect "kick" combined with the sweetness of pink, pickled ginger. I believe food is there to be enjoyed - to nourish your body, mind and soul.



Alcohol is off-limits while you are

rebuilding your brain chemistry,

as it blocks the GABA/serotonin receptors.

However, to a STABLE brain, a glass of red wine

does offer benefits due to its contents off resveratrol.

Medicinal nutrition can be tasty. There is nothing pleasurable about stuffing yourself with soggy fries while typing away on the keyboard. You are not even realizing the flavors of what you are eating. Emotional overeating has nothing to do with being a foodie.

I am a foodie, but I do not numb myself with food; rather I use it as one of the many pleasures that are available to every human being.

French double-crème raw cow's milk brie on rustique, crusty baguette and sipping a glass of Amarone as the sun sets.

Did you know that truly... TRULY... enjoying your food and savoring every bite actually boosts anti-aging endorphins in your body?  And that forcing that shot of seemingly good-for-you but absolutely for your taste buds repulsing shot of wheatgrass increases stress hormones as your force it down in an attempt to make up for your sins.  Food is supposed to be a daily pleasure, not a struggle.

Here's something to think about.

'I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well' for my age. (I just turned 77.)
A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'
The doctor responded by asking, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?' 
'Oh no,' I replied . . . 'I'm not doing drugs, either!' 
Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?' "I said, 'Not much since my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!' 
'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?' 'No, I don't,' I said. 
He asked, 'Do you gamble, go on vacations or have a lot of sex?' 'No,' I said. 

He looked at me and said, . . . 'Then, why do you even give a damn?'

Savoring the flavors of life... on every level.

A healthy life does not entail one that is confined or restricted; it is about living the life of your dreams, and you can  only do so if you are not numbing yourself via self-destructive behaviors. It's not the glass of red wine or the couple of French truffles in the evening that is killing you: It's trying to find happiness at the bottom of the scotch bottle after work; It's raiding the cookie jar and disconnecting from yourself and your emotions and needs.

The legal psychostimulant drug that could make you smarter, leaner or spike your insulin, frazzle your nerves and add inches to your waistline...

Inhaling my morning Cappuccino.
Some alley cafe in La Gomera

What did Balzac, Kant, Rosseau and Voltaire all have in common? They loved coffee! The rich aroma... the sensual lingering aftertaste... smooth yet strong.... I have always been fascinated by contrasts in life: textures, tastes, places, people, paces, ideas.... and then there is coffee.

Today coffee beans are the most widely traded commodity after oil, and caffeine is the world's most commonly used psychostimulant drug. And I am hopelessly addicted.

Caffeine raises blood pressure slightly, ups your metabolism, dilates the bronchi of the lungs, and allows the body quicker access to fuels in the blood (explains the popular choice of red bull and vodka...). It increases the flow of urine in your kidneys and acts as a laxative in your colon.

How you react to coffee reveals how your brain is wired!
People who are low in GABA will be very sensitive to anything containing caffeine and will not benefit from it - physically nor mentally. Also, the severity of depletion is of utmost importance to consider: if you are diabetic type-2 you will have a severe dopamine depletion, as this chemical has been found to be a key indicator in this condition. That means, coffee is completely off-limits, as it tends to spike your cortisol levels which again causes insulin to spike 'n crash - a recipe for disaster. For someone with a more balanced brain chemistry, coffee can be a great mood and metabolism booster.
The secret ingredient to anti-aging
Apart from that, studies have found it to be one of the most efficient ways of reducing visible signs of aging such as cellulite and wrinkles when the green coffee bean extract is used topically.


The science in your coffee cup
The secret to coffee's stimulating effect is this: it binds to the body's receptors for adenosine, a natural chemical important in sleep and wakefulness. As the cells in your body use up energy, they make adenosine as a byproduct; the harder they work, the more of the chemical they make. The adenosine attaches to receptors on cells everywhere in the body and quiets their activity. In this way it calms heartbeat, lowers blood pressure, decreases the release of stimulating neurotransmitters, and induces sleepiness. Caffeine enhances alertness by binding to adenosine receptors and inactivating them - thus preventing the chemical from exerting its quieting effects. So ultimately caffeine works by foiling the process by which the nerves are calmed, rather than actually exciting them!

Coffee could make you smarter... or simply just an anxious nutcase.
FMRI scans have been used to measure coffee's action on the brain, and the studies showed greater activity in the parts of the brain involved in attention and concentration.
That said, whether you will benefit from adding in coffee depends on how your brain is wired - if you are already severely depleted in GABA, the calming neurotransmitter in your brain, then you will react negatively towards caffeine, as it lowers your ability to handle stress even more.

I know that I had to cut my coffee intake drastically since moving to New York, since the pace of life here is quite different than from the West coast, and I really didn't need anything that lowered my stress threshold, since I have high dopamine already. And while high dopamine is great, as it is your body's natural battery, so to speak, and controls everything from your energy levels in the bedroom to the boardroom, your body needs a balance between calming and excitatory neurotransmitters in order for you to be focused and driven yet calm and collected.

There is no point in joining the club of neurotic overanxious nutcases due to excessive caffeine consumption - apart from you most likely will end up contributing to your shrink's growing wallet.

Want to know how YOUR brain is wired?
Again, eating right for your brain chemistry type and understanding which supplements, herbs and amino acids to take as well as - as a last resort - prescription medications and psychotrophic drugs, should always be matched to your genotype as well as tailored to which neurotransmitters in your brain that are out of whack. And this is where conventional doctors and nutritionists go wrong - they are not treating the cause, nor do they match the treatment protocol with the patient's genetic profile, rather it is simply geared at suppressing the symptoms.

However, if you fail to connect the myriad of symptoms with the actual cause and the underlying key imbalance in your brain and biochemistry, then you will not be able to ever get off any prescribed drugs nor benefit fully from whatever supplements you are taking for overall health. THAT is why people get addicted to medication or don't experience any progress on supplements - and THAT is a waste of your money and time!

Get your tailormade treatment program to reach your peak performance today based on your specific brain wiring and biochemistry type!

Make an appointment with The Nutrition Doctor today!

Reference: 
Hiroshi S. et al. Inhibitory effect of green coffee bean extract on fat accumulation and body weight gain in mice. Altern Med. 2006; 6: 9